The world of the Fog Maiden is filled with magic. Each night she visits Earth with her cat Token. The Fog Maiden first appeared in the 1976 children’s book When Everyone Was Fast Asleep and was featured in a second book Songs of the Fog Maiden, both written and illustrated by American author Tomie de Paola.
P.S. The crocodiles danced a quadrille and the peacocks waltzed with doves and we all sang, “Tra la, tra la, too lay, too lay, hop-a-doodle, hip-a-doodle, flip-a-doodle day.”
In Haitian Vodou, he is the intermediary between the loa and humanity. He is the master linguist, the trickster, warrior and the personal messenger of destiny. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee. Papa Legba’s colors are red and black (as worshipped in New Orleans voodoo rituals).
A fictional character from the Land of Oz book series by L. Frank Baum. Jack was made by a little boy to scare his guardian, an old witch named Mombi. She then brought him to life using the Powder of Life. Jack has a jack-o’-lantern for a head and his tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs.
P.S. Happy Halloween!
A fictional character known in Japan as Kinopio who belongs to an anthropomorphic mushroom-like species of the same name in Nintendo’s Mario series. As a citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is one of Princess Peach’s most loyal attendants. He was created by the great Shigeru Miyamoto.
A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, created in 1902 by Scottish author J. M. Barrie. Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies and pirates. The most famous Peter Pan adaptation is the 1953 animated Disney film.
The star of the Where is my Gnome? series of viral marketing ads used by Travelocity in early 2004. The ads consisted of a man looking for his garden gnome. The concept was inspired by the traveling gnome prank that began in the 1980s and was popularized by the 2001 film Amélie. The Roaming Gnome is now the de facto mascot of Travelocity.
The garden gnome from the 2001 French film Amélie. This character/prop helped popularize the traveling gnome prank that began in the 1980s. In the film, Amélie’s father finds that the gnome from his lawn shrine has gone missing. Later, he receives unmarked photographs of the gnome visiting exotic landmarks. Je ne comprends pas!
The main character of the Spanish animated television series, which is based on the children’s book The Secret Book of Gnomes by Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. David the Gnome first came to U.S. television in 1987 on the Nickelodeon cable channel.
A lonely gnome sets out to learn how to avoid being cold “from the inside out” and finds a friend in a sea otter. He is the main character of the 1974 children’s book The Gnome from Nome, written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James. Watch an illustrated reading of the story.
A kindly old character of Scandinavian folklore featured in two 1960s children’s books by Astrid Lindgren. One story is called The Tomten and the other is The Tomten and the Fox, in which moonlit scenes of the farmyard under snow show Reynard the fox prowling near the henhouse. He’s hungry, but the tomten guards the henhouse at night.
A fairy character from J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy. Tinker Bell has appeared in multiple film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, including the 1953 animated Walt Disney picture Peter Pan. She is one of Disney’s most important branding icons.
A cosmic entity created by H. P. Lovecraft. Who better to help us celebrate Earth Day and get us to demonstrate our commitment to survive on this small planet.
Time to switch things up. Now begins a series of characters that aren’t based on college sports mascots. First is the central figure and namesake of Christianity who was born from the Virgin Mary.
Token the Cat – No. 260
The cat that accompanies the magical Fog Maiden on her nightly visits to Earth. Token the Cat first appeared in the 1976 children’s book When Everyone Was Fast Asleep and was featured in a second book Songs of the Fog Maiden, both written and illustrated by American author Tomie de Paola.
Today is 11/11/11. And it’s Veterans Day, which honors the 25 million U.S. military veterans. A moment of silence to remember those who have given their lives.