Getting What Is Deserved

This is something I’ve been meaning to mention for a bit now, and today is as good a time as any. Anyone that grew up in the 80′s might remember the animated film The Last Unicorn, based on the novel of the same name by Peter S. Beagle. There are all kinds of interesting bits of information surrounding it, such as the fact that Rankin/Bass Animation actually farmed out the animation to a Japanese company called Topcraft, that would eventually become Studio Ghibli. Or the fact that they got some really big names to provide the voice work, like Mia Farrow as the perfect, ethereal, delicate unicorn, or Christopher Lee as King Lir.

But probably the biggest thing that’s come from this movie is the fact that it was enormously mature in its theme and, for the precocious child, really gave you a lot to be monumentally depressed about. Over the decades this film has continued to traumatize intelligent, sensitive children (and merely confirm how complex and depressing the world is for adults) and it was all thanks to remarkable insights of the author, Peter S. Beagle. And the part of this story that really kills me is that despite the fact that this work has moved leagues and leagues of people throughout the years, Beagle has never seen a dime of it.

This has changed.

There is a publisher, Conlan Press, who has championed the abuse that Beagle has received at the hands of the money people over the years. The Last Unicorn was re-released in February on DVD, and though the transfer isn’t perfect (being taken from a remastered German PAL version, meaning that the animation is about 4% faster than normal) this is the best that movie has looked. In particular however, is the fact that Conlan Press has cut a special deal and when you order this DVD directly from them, they give HALF of the profit from that sale to Beagle himself. In return, Beagle is actually signing the DVDs, even taking requests for small personal messages.

It goes without saying that we’ve already gone and ordered this DVD for ourselves. The movie traumatized the Wife in particular as a child, and I can’t say that I was immune to its depressing charms growing up either. If you remember this movie at all, liked it, and want to do something for the creator, who is actually not that financially well off (especially in comparison to guys like King, Rowling and Gaiman) then do a good deed and help the guy out. Order your DVD from Conlan Press right here.