One I N A L L O F U S

ONE I N A L L O F U S

Edited b y J o h n n y R ya n

In 1963

Maurice Sendak forever expanded the scope of children’s literature with the publication of his illustrated book Where the Wild Things Are . At first the story was considered by many to be too dark a n d f r i g h t e n i n g f o r y o u n g s t e r s , h o w e v e r , pa r e n t s a n d l i b r a r i a n s s o o n n ot i c e d t h a t e v e r y k i d w h o l e a f e d t h r o u g h i t s pa g e s b e c a m e i m m e d i a t e ly e n g r o s s e d w i t h i t s p r e m i s e : A y o u n g b o y n a m e d M a x dressed i n a w o l f c o s t u m e i s g r o u n d e d w i t h o u t s u p per for “ making mischief. ” O v e r c o m e b y f r u s t r a t i o n a n d b o r e d o m , M a x sails through sea and time to a mythical world full of fantastical landscapes and fearsome-looking monsters who crown him their youthful king. All of this was conveyed in just ten sentences scattered across 48 pages. It’s no s u r p r i s e t h a t a d u lt s w e r e wa r y o f c h i l d r e n reading such a b o o k . T h i n g s l i k e h o r n e d b e a s t s w i t h t h e a b i l i t y to s p e a k a n d t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l w e r e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e o c c u lt i n t h e m i d - 6 0 s a n d early 70 s w h e n Where the Wild Things Are ’ s p o p u l a r ity was growing e x p o n e n t i a l ly. T o m a n y, t h e p r e m i s e o f t h e s to r y a p p e a r e d to b e somewhat sinister, and the illustrations could be classified as b o r d e r l i n e d e m o n i c . B u t t h e r e a s o n k i d s c o n t i n u e to c o n n e c t w i t h t h e b o o k s o t h o r o u g h ly i s s i m p l e a n d c o m p l e t e ly i n n o c e n t ; i t ’ s e x a c t ly w h a t h a p p e n s i n s i d e o f t h e i r i m a g i n a t i o n s w h i l e t r y i n g to fall asleep in dark bedrooms filled with shadows that could be c a s t b y c r e a t u r e s f r o m a n ot h e r d i m e n s i o n . I t wa s t h e f i r s t b o o k (and per h a p s t h e o n ly s i n c e ) t h a t d i r e c t ly t a p p e d i n to the psyche of what it i s to b e a c h i l d w i t h a n u n r e s t r a i n e d , u n s u llied imagination.

Since then, Where the Wild Things Are has become an indispensable rite of passage for generations of children who are first introduced to t h e b o o k b y t h e i r pa r e n t s a n d , s u b s e q u e n t ly, s t a y u p l a t e u n d e r the covers with a flashlight studying the weirdly shaped leaves of Sendak’s trees and the yellow eyes of anthropomorphic beasts that a r e a t o n c e f r i e n d ly a n d f r i g h t e n i n g . A n d n o w, m o r e t h a n 4 5 y e a r s a f t e r t h e b o o k wa s f i r s t u n l e a s h e d u p o n a n u n s u s p e c t i n g p u b l i c , director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers have accomplished something many have tried and failed to do by adapting the story of Max and the Wild Things for the silver screen. T o c e l e b r a t e t h e s u c c e s s f u l c o m p l e t i o n o f w h a t m a n y b e l i e v e d to be a Sisyphean task, we have asked 24 of our favorite artists to tap i n to t h e i r e a r l i e s t m e m o r i e s o f h o w t h e b o o k a f f e c t e d t h e i r y o u t h and interpret these recollections via pen, pencil, and brush. As you will see throughout the following pages, it has left a distinct mark on a wide range of creative people that is at once an elastic and unwavering part of our collective consciousness. We hope you enjoy their interpretations of a magical place that lives inside all of us. Get acquainted with the Wild Things at Vice’s exclusive micro-site, wherethewildthingsare.viceland.com

COVER BY JORDAN CRANE LOS ANGELES, CA

F R E´ D E´ R I C F L E U R Y DUNKERQUE, FRANCE

YUM, A SANDWICH !

YAH, BUT I THINK IT'S FREDI'S.

YUM, A SANDWICH !

YAH, BUT I THINK IT'S -

CHOMPA' CHOMPA'

-FREDI'S.

BEN JONES JONES/GREGORY 2009

PROVIDENCE, RI

JOSH SIMMONS LOS ANGELES, CA

E S T H E R P E A R L WAT S O N LOS ANGELES, CA

DAN ZETTWOCH St. Louis, MO

M AT T H E W T H U R B E R BROOKLYN, NY

BENJAMIN MARRA NEW YORK, NY

HELLEN JO SAN FRANCISCO, CA

LA MERDE PORTLAND, OR

L I S A H A N AWA LT NEW YORK, NY

M A R K TO D D LOS ANGELES, CA

MARTIN ONTIVEROS PORTLAND, OR

M AT T F U R I E SAN FRANCISCO, CA

NICK GAZIN NEW YORK, NY

R AY S O H N NEW YORK, NY

RON REGE JR LOS ANGELES, CA

IMIRI SAKABASHIRA Shizuoka, JAPAN

SAMMY HARKHAM LOS ANGELES, CA

S H I N TA R O K A G O Tokyo, JAPAN

S K I N N E R D AV I S Sacramento, CA

T E D M AY ST. LOUIS, MO

VA N E S S A D AV I S Santa Rosa, CA

TO N Y M I L L I O N A I R E PASADENA, CA