LabYrinTH: THe ULTimaTe VisUaL HisTOrY
A-maze-ing artistry
released 21 OcTOBer 192 pages | Hardback
Authors Paula M Block, Terry J erdmann Publisher Titan Books
It may not have set the box office alight back in 1986, but Labyrinth’s unlikely mix of David Bowie, teenage rebellion and puppets has made sure it’s fondly remembered. This stunning book is a must for anyone who’s ever loved getting lost in Jim Henson’s eponymous maze.
As a history it’s brilliant, covering everything from the movie’s origins – it was artist Brian Froud who suggested “goblins” as a subject – to the development of the characters, and turning an MC Escher painting into a threedimensional set. With the exceptions of Henson and Bowie, pretty much all the key players reminisce, while there’s plenty of wonderful trivia – like the fact the baby was supposed to be called Freddie, but it was switched to Toby because young Toby Froud wouldn’t respond to anything else.
Words aside, this is simply a beautiful thing to own. It’s a tactile experience, packed with wonderful archive pictures and recreations of fun ephemera like storyboards, annotated scripts and – most interestingly – memos from Henson that give a sense of the man and his process. An email just doesn’t have quite the same romance... Richard Edwards
Labyrinth baby Toby Froud (son of artist Brian) now has his own production company – Stripey Pajama Productions.