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  • Jabberwocky (Through the Looking Glass/Oliver Wakeman and Clive Nolan) original pencil drawing by Rodney Matthews
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Jabberwocky original pencil drawing

Regular price £2,083.33 GBP
Regular price Sale price £2,083.33 GBP

Jabberywocky was Matthews' response to a request from Wizard & Genius Posters of Zurich, for something along the lines of Treebeard. Guessing that they were after another animated tree, these lines from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass came to Matthews' mind:

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

Jabberwocky was later licenced for use by keyboardists Oliver Wakeman (Yes) and Clive Nolan (Arena and Pendragon) for their album of the same title, released in 1999. Wakeman called Matthews, whom he had studied at college, to find out his prices and explain the project. He was amazed to find out that Matthews had already illustrated the piece! This stunning concept album, hailed by the Classic Rock Society as a "Future Progessive Classic", features an array of artists: Bob Catley (Magnum); Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq); James Plumridge; Paul Allison; Rick Wakeman (Yes); Pete Gee (Pendragon); Ian Salmon (Shadowland); Peter Banks (Yes); Jon Jeary (Threshold) and Tony Fernandez (long time drummer with Rick Wakeman).

Additional information:

  • Title: Jabberwocky
  • Year: 1994
  • Materials: pencil on tracing paper
    • Size (including mount): 49.7cm x 36.3cm (19.6” x 14.3”)
    • Presentation: mounted and wrapped in cellophane