Portraying Strange Creatures in Animation Based on Qazvini’s Book (678 A.H.) and Sinbad Animation (1975 A.D.)

Abstract: The role of strange creatures in global popular culture has been significant for a long time. They are particularly prominent in ancient Iran due to the original and folk culture, with many manuscript findings left behind. These manuscripts contain strange legends and stories depicted with humans, animals, and strange images. This research examines the similarities and differences between Mohammad-ibn Zakaria Qazvini’s book "Ajayeb al-Makhluqat va Qarayeb al-Mojudat" (678 A.H.) and the animated series "Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad" directed by Fumio Kurokawa (1975 A.D.), both of which contain numerous fantastic images and stories. The book "One Thousand and One Nights" is one of the common points between these two works, which includes various stories and anecdotes about the presence of demons and giants. This book, which has a long history, has played an important role in showing the wonders of creatures in the book of Qazvini and in the animation of Sinbad. The purpose of this article is to study the re-creation of the appearances of strange creatures taken from the book mentioned in this animation to show the capabilities of this book in creating animated works and using folk literature and ancient Iranian legends. This research is descriptive and analytical. During the visual comparison of both works, it was found that Qazvini's book and Kurokawa's animation both depict strange creatures despite being set several centuries apart. The creatures have retained their inherent identities and have not changed in form, nature, behavior, and personality characteristics. The works display a creative approach and utilize different performance techniques to tell the story.
Background: Strange creatures have been mentioned in many books, Especially in Qazvini's book "Ajayeb al-Makhluqat va Qarayeb al-Mojudat" which deals in detail with celestial, terrestrial, plant, and sea creatures in four sections. This issue has been analyzed and reviewed in books. For example, Parviz Tanavoli has pointed out the importance of magical objects and the use of images of strange creatures in changing people's attitudes in the book "Talisman: Traditional Iranian Graphics." 
Introduction: Imagery dates back to the Neolithic, when early humans in Lascaux Cave used images to express emotions and tell stories. These efforts, along with the development of different beliefs and religions, led to the creation of oral literature and folk tales. The rise of Islam strengthened this trend, and several books were written on the subject of clairvoyance, including " Ajayeb al-Makhluqat va Qarayeb al-Mojudat " by Qazvini which deals with strange creatures. The human soul is fascinated by strange things (Ibn Khaldoun, 1996, 17). These are the classic texts of the life experiences of our fathers that have been handed down to us (Barati, 2019, 66).
Wonders in the New Age: Observing and examining the ancient books and artworks sparks inquiries about their origins and the intentions behind these representations. What is the description of the illustrations drawn in the wonder books? Where did the strange creatures come from and based on what thinking? McHale believes that in a parallel world, supernatural beings and phenomena exist, and many ancient philosophers and artists attributed these inspirations to gods and myths. Some books not only reference these creatures in the past but also predict their presence in the future (Kingsley, 2015, 128). Today, there is fierce competition in the film industry to create unique creatures, which have evolved into modern video characters. In 1896, Georges Méliès created the first spark in the horror genre of cinema with the film "House of the Devil," which featured supernatural elements such as demons and witches (Barnes, 1998, 144-154).
The Wonders of the Creatures in Sinbad Animation: In the course of this study, an analysis was conducted to compare the visual and thematic elements present in the illustrations featured in Qazvini's work, "Ajayeb al-Makhluqat va Qarayeb al-Mojudat," with the animated representation of "The Arabian Nights: The Adventures of Sinbad." Specifically, the examination focused on entities such as a large whale, a colossal bird, a Dualpa demon, a jinn and a giant, a dragon, and a massive serpent. Qazvini's use of subdued color palettes and curved lines in the illustrations contrasted with Sinbad's two-dimensional approach, vibrant colors, and simplified lines in the animation. Both depictions capture a shared subject matter, exhibiting distinct artistic paradigms and intentions across disparate temporal contexts.
Conclusion: Miracles and strange creatures have been created by the human mind and are passed down through history, rewritten from hand to hand through manuscripts and different copies. These wonders have existed among people for thousands of years. They are recognized in the modern era, and cinema has transformed imagination into a precious industry. Iran possesses numerous literary and cultural resources full of ancient ideas. Cinematographers are expected to produce valuable works based on ancient folk literature that can showcase authentic Iranian culture. A comparison of the image and content between the book "Ajayeb al-Makhluqat va Qarayeb al-Mojudat" and the Sinbad animation revealed that although both works deal with relatively similar topics, the performance technique has evolved according to the audience's taste and the needs of the time. This evolution has helped maintain the value of these stories throughout history, preserving their beauty and influence while passing them down from one generation to another.