I use Facebook a lot. Too much, like most of us. But every once in a great while, the big blue time suck does produce something that sparks some interest, curiosity, or change.
This fantastic piece of art – called “Sweet Halloween Dreams” – was one such something, drawn by the oh-so-talented Alex Panagop (find him here on DeviantArt and here on Twitter). Click on the pic for the full-size image on his DeviantArt site.
Teddy bears have been a fixture of American children’s lives since the first one was created in 1902 by Morris Michtom, an immigrant who modeled the new toy after a bear in a political cartoon featuring then-President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt. Originally called “Teddy’s bear”, the toy was wildly successful.
Read the whole wiki entry on teddy bears here.
Since those early days over a hundred years ago, the teddy bear has inspired love and peaceful slumber from millions of children the world over. They’re dragged around by the arms – often falling apart – but they mean the world to “their” children, and many a tear has been shed over their loss – real or imagined.
So when I saw this art on Facebook, with the clever caption “Teddy Bears – Protecting innocent children from monsters under the bed since 1902,” I immediately had the idea for a story.
Shocker, I know.
What if it wasn’t just this one teddy bear protecting the sleeping child? What if the legions of stuffed bears the world over weren’t “invented” at all? What if they’d been born for this? What would their story be, after more than a hundred years?
So, with those questions in mind, I came up with the beginnings of my first children’s series:
He was a good teddy bear, as such things were measured, hardly ever letting a monster-under-the-bed close enough to haunt the dreams of his child.
I’d like to collaborate with Alex on this idea. His art and my words could make a lot of children’s imaginations run wild. Stay tuned for more updates on “The Adventures of Freddy McPhane, Teddy Bear”.
GreyGeckoPress
@GreyGeckoPress
RSS
Red sent me. RedTash.com
Glad I’m not the only one. It’s a wonderful piece of artwork, and I hope it works out for you and the artist!
I really really like how the tiny teddy bear is the only source of colour in the drawing. It is literally a beacon of light. It’s why teddy bears are one of my favourite toys and why I still have a few lying around.
Red sent me. http://redtash.com/
This is a FANTASTIC idea! I immediately also thought that someone should create a story set from this picture. I always felt teddy bears have their own unique personality. I have a teddy collection, and they all have their own stories in my head. (I know i’m an adult, haha, but I still love them) Good luck! I want to read it when you finish!
I can’t wait to read the book. It is a fantastic idea. My cousin Brian told me once when I was very young that the teddy bears would protect me while I sleep. Ever since than I have had a teddy bear in one way or another watching over me as I sleep. Seeing this picture brought tears to my eyes and more than anything I would love to have this picture in my home and a story to tell my own children in how the teddy bears will protect them.
This is such a great piece of art..is it available to purchase? I love teddy bears I have been collecting them now for quite sometime, I love the ones that talk to me in the thrift stores and ask me to please take them home…I do…
Nancy,
Not sure if it is or not. I’ve been trying to get in touch with the artist, but have thus far been unsuccessful. You might try his website (linked in the post above). Let me know if you get ahold of him and can buy it – I’d like one too!
Yes prints are available from the deviant art website, inexpensive too… $3.50 ish for an 8×10
The tale of Tristan the Teddy Bear protecting his child from the Monsters under the bed by Nick Davis, with the art of Dan Nokes. This 36 page fully illustrated children’s tale is a delight for anyone who ever owned a Teddy Bear.
Way to go Nick. I hesitated to approve your comment, for obvious reasons, but didn’t want to seem disingenuous. For those who may be wondering, until today I’d never heard of Nick or his “Teddy Bear Tales”.
Well stories are interesting things they are a little like buses; I didn’t learn about Alex Panagop amazing image to three months after I wrote Unconditional – A Teddy Bear Tale. By that time I was well into the campaigning over on Kickstarter to pay my artist Dan Nokes for his illustrations that would accompany the book which is coming out in early December.
Teddy Bears though have been protecting the innocent since 1894; which was the year they appeared in a German Toy Magazine and didn’t appear in the USA until 1902.
Me I’m enjoying seeing the Teddy Bear Tale come to like, Dan’s art is amazing me and is very evocative and I’ve also been fortunate to find a manufacture who could make me Tristan to sell.
Looks like I’m not the only person who has been inspired by this wonderful drawing. Although I’m not sure my take on it would produce a kids book…
Love the idea. He has such a Ghost in the Shell quality in his work that it would appeal to children of all ages. He does some really beautiful pieces for cats as well.