The Gremlins facts for kids
Cover of the first edition of The Gremlins
|
|
| Author | Roald Dahl |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Bill Justice Al Dempster |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1943 Walt Disney Company (original) Dark Horse Comics (current) |
| Media type | Hardback |
| ISBN | 1-59307-496-4 |
The Gremlins is a children's book written by the famous author Roald Dahl. It was first published in 1943. This was Dahl's very first book.
He wrote it for Walt Disney Productions. The idea was to turn it into a full-length animated movie. However, that movie was never made. Even though they started working on it, the film project was stopped. This was partly because of issues with who owned the "gremlin" story. Also, the British Air Ministry wanted a lot of control over the movie.
Contents
The Gremlins' Story
The story is about tiny, mischievous creatures called Gremlins. Pilots in the Royal Air Force often blamed them for strange problems with their planes. In Dahl's book, the Gremlins cause trouble because they are angry. Their forest home was destroyed to build an aircraft factory.
Gus and the Gremlins
The main character in the book is a pilot named Gus. A Gremlin destroys his plane, a Hawker Hurricane fighter, over the English Channel. As Gus and the Gremlin parachute into the water, Gus talks to them. He convinces the Gremlins that they should work together against a common enemy: Hitler and the Nazis.
After this, the Gremlins are trained by the Royal Air Force. Instead of breaking planes, they learn to fix them! They even help Gus get back to flying after a bad crash.
Gremlin Family Life
The book also shares fun facts about Gremlins. Baby Gremlins are called widgets. Female Gremlins are known as fifinellas. This name came from a famous racehorse named Fifinella. She won two big races in 1916, the same year Roald Dahl was born.
Book Publication
The Gremlins was published by Random House. They printed 50,000 copies for the U.S. market. Roald Dahl himself ordered 50 copies. He gave them out to everyone he knew to promote the book. This included the British Ambassador and the First Lady of the U.S., Eleanor Roosevelt. She loved reading it to her grandchildren.
The book was a big hit around the world. Another 30,000 copies were sold in Australia. However, it was hard to print more copies because of a paper shortage during the war. Roald Dahl became known as an important writer after this book.
Why the Movie Was Canceled
Walt Disney was personally interested in The Gremlins. But he faced problems with copyright. Also, the Air Ministry's contract had a rule that limited the studio. So, Disney sadly decided to stop the movie project. By August 1943, Disney told Dahl that they would not continue working on it. After a year of planning, Dahl realized his book would be the only thing to come from the movie idea.
Gremlins in Comics
The Gremlins story also appeared in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. These were published by Walt Disney Productions between June 1943 and February 1944. There was a nine-episode series of short, silent stories starring Gremlin Gus. The first one was drawn by Vivie Risto, and the rest by Walt Kelly. This was how many people first met the Gremlins in comic books. These comics were printed again in 1987.
Special Editions
A special edition of The Gremlins was made to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force. It was sold only through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. This special edition had a unique cover with the 60th USAF Anniversary seal. Inside, it explained how the book helped boost morale for airmen and their families during the war. All copies of this special edition sold out on the first day!
Gremlins in Pop Culture
Used copies of the first edition of The Gremlins are very valuable. Collectors of both Roald Dahl's works and Disney items want them. These books can be worth anywhere from $100 to $10,000!
Other Appearances
- "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" was a 1963 episode of Twilight Zone. It starred William Shatner and was a tribute to the Gremlin legend. In it, a Gremlin is seen taking apart an airplane during flight. John Lithgow played the role in the 1983 movie.
- The 1984 film Gremlins was produced by Steven Spielberg. It was loosely inspired by Dahl's characters. This movie features evil and destructive monsters that change from small furry creatures.
- In September 2006, Dark Horse Comics published The Gremlins: The Lost Walt Disney Production. This was a carefully restored and updated version of Dahl's book. It also led to a series of Gremlin-inspired toys and figurines. These toys looked like the original characters from Dahl's book.
- Return of the Gremlins was a comic book series. It was a sequel where pilot Gus's grandson meets the Gremlins when he inherits his grandfather's house in England.
- The Gremlins also appear in the Epic Mickey video game series. They are tiny helpers for Mickey Mouse. Their leader, Gus, acts like a guide for Mickey, similar to Jiminy Cricket for Pinocchio. Unlike in the book, the Gremlins in the games can teleport.
See also
In Spanish: Los gremlins para niños
