The Laughing Killer Gnome ....

Richiepiep

Administrator
No, this isn't a post about David Bowie. But it's a pretty daft one. It's one of the funny little things of Malcolm ....

When I was a wee lad in Holland, one of my favourite books was Leven en Werken van de Kabouter (The Life and Work of the Gnome), a sumptuously illustrated book by author Wil Huygen and artist Rien Poortvliet. The 1976 book was translated as Gnomes, and became a huge success in the US. It was also translated into German as Das große Buch der Heinzelmännchen as well as into 19 other languages. The fun of the book is that it takes the idea of gnomes extremely seriously, with notes about physical characteristics, habitat, behaviour, skills, hobbies etc.

So when the MITM episode New Neighbors came along, to my amazement I immediately recognized the garden gnomes, because they are 3D replicas of the original Poortvliet drawings! The gnomes later turn up in the minigolf promotion shots. I don't know what company they are licensed to, but if you aren't bored senseless by now, I'd like to know!

Rich

I've made a capture of a page from the book which shows the evil laughing gnome of the MITM eppy. The caption says "The human superstition of Tree Grown, Planter Gone is laughed at by them".

This is because gnomes are supposed to have a life expectancy of 400 years you see. :D
 
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