This is my version of John Tenniel’s Jabberwock, illustrating the Jabberwocky poem by Lewis Carroll in his 1871 novel: Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There, the follow up to his 1965 novel: Alice in Wonderland or Alice’s Adventures Underground, as it was originally titled.
I did this illustration with acrylic watercolours in 1982, partially inking in the outlines in a delicate laid-back style, using the original John Tenniel Jabberwocky illustration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass as a reference.
This version viewed on it’s own may seem fairly close to the original at first glance, although when viewed side by side together, as revealed in the insets shown here, there are various very notable differences immediately apparent between Tenniel’s excellent original and my own rendition, which is virtually a caricature.
I accompany the images shown here with two poems or verse:
“Jabberwocky”
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
From Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There [1871].
I follow Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky with my parody; the Gibberwock:
Twoz bollixed and the Javigna
did warp and wimble in their twee.
All cringey were the Pakatwa
And the Gonabz did Shree!
“Beware, dear boy – the Gibberwock!
Those fangs that sink and talons rip.
Beware the Junkie Bird and mock
That awful Tootle-Pip!”
That boy, he took himself in hand,
With weapon armed on tippy-toes,
Then sat beneath a Bumbum Tree,
Thoughtfully picking his nose.
And while thus in Doxley Pose
The Gibberwock with eyes of fire;
Came waffling through the Bulgy Gro’es
And purpled like a liar.
It Wuffled, Squiffled, sneaking low
Gibbering like a Quackamo;
Came through the trees, red eyes a glow
All five and rolling to and fro’
And oh, those fangs from north to south
Were six-feet high inside it’s mouth;
Saliva dripping from them too
It’s breath as foul as vindaloo!
And oh, it’s head reared hideously
Was nine-feet high by twenty-three!
Upon a neck so slimpentine
It surely must fall off sometime.
Struck with terror by that look
The boy reached for his weapon hook,
And though he shivered fit to die
Unsheathed his Jabber, held it high!
And with that Jabber in his mitt
Slashed through it’s money-bags and whee,
Picked that cash up, every bit
And ran and ran till he was free.
“And hast thou mugt that Gibberwock?
Come to my breasts, dear brother boy!
Oh, fractured day,” then chortled she
And bonked him silly in her joy.
Twoz bollixed and the Javigna
Did warp and wimble in their twee.
All cringey were the Pakatwa
And the Gonabz did Shree!
Dave Draper – June 2014
I have included a slideshow, which runs as follows:
J. Tenniel’s Jabberwock, 1870 Colour
Gibberwock, D. Draper, 1982, Colour
Lewis Carroll, Black and White
Self-portrait of John Tenniel, ca. 1889 Black and White
Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Luttwidge Dodgson [1832–1898] Born in Daresbury, Cheshire, he was a mathematical lecturer at Oxford University with remarkably diverse talents. He was a writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and pioneer photographer.
Alice’s Adventures Under Ground was hand-written by Charles Dodgson for Alice Liddell between 1862 and 1864. The tale was first told by him on 4 July 1862 to the three young daughters of Henry Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, on a river boat trip. Dodgson published his story in 1865, with illustrations by John Tenniel. It has since become one of the most popular of all children’s books.
Sir John Tenniel was born on the 28 February 1820 at Bayswater in London, England. He died on 25 February 1914, aged 93 in London, England. Tenniel was a British Illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of the 19th Century. Tenniel was knighted by Queen Victoria for his artistic achievements in 1893. He is most noted for two major accomplishments: he was the principal political cartoonist for Britain’s Punch magazine for over 50 years, and he was the artist who illustrated Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
Dave Draper – July 2014