The Beauty within the Beast

The classic Jabberwocky, as drawn for the book by Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914)

To nickname our Jabberwocky “the Beast” came about largely by accident. It was as much a frustrated description as a term of endearment in the days before the MOT; back when it lurked on our drive, defying any attempts to make it function. Today, not only does it provide me with another allusive title for this post, it was also key to the reason behind it.

For the first time the Jabberwocky has a proper identity. We have loved the name and the inevitable associations right from the start; it is one of only two poems I have ever known by heart (I still do, although over the years some of the words may have become a little jumbled) and it is from the obscure, bizarre and often misrepresented mind of Lewis Carroll. Recently though, what with the Alice films and media attention the image and story of the Jabberwocky have become widespread. It’s a grotesque creature largely made of teeth and claws, and it’s dead by verse 4.

Our Beast, on the other hand, has survived for almost 25 years, is not remotely grotesque, and very rarely does battle with youths trying to gain paternal approval. I think the connection lies in the fantasy. The Jabberwocky, Alice in Wonderland and croquet played with flamingoes are ideas that make you think of escapism and adventure. They are outlandish and steeped in Victorian nonsense and that is what we like about them. It’s not about the dentally challenged monster, it’s about the literature behind it. Anyway to me it looks like the poor thing was just going for a stroll in the woods, chatting to itself (who doesn’t) when for no reason it was set upon by an overzealous sword-toting adolescent and beheaded. Not even a fight. So it had fiery eyes and sharp claws; you shine a light at any cat after dark and tell me they don’t.

Our identity, therefore, could not be the evil creature from the Victorian illustration, nor could it be the harmless but cumbersome beast on our driveway. What we needed was a way of gathering all these somewhat conflicting ideas and making an image that would represent. Neither of us are remotely gifted in that area, but luckily we know someone who is. It is therefore my great pleasure to finally give the world a logo for the Jabberwocky which, in my opinion, does exactly what it needs to.