As a child, I was raised with all the mythologies of old Europe and elaborate stories authored long before I was born. Stories by The Brothers Grimm, C.S. Lewis, Hans Christian Andersen, and many more were illustrated in beautifully vivid children’s books that bled forth from the page into my imagination. And at times into my reality. Because I would sit and cozy up with my fairytales long before other children my age could read and even before some were watching similar stories play out in Disney movies.
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📚 Decades before Marvel’s franchise blockbusters made Chris Hemsworth a household name, I already thought Thor made the sky shake with thunder and lighting. I wondered if Saint George really slayed a dragon and if dragons were real? 🤔 I was enthralled by The Little Prince and thought Kings and Queens once reigned with a sort of purity of heart that probably never existed. 👑 The Velveteen Rabbit made me long for my own bunny, Aesop’s Fables made me consider the feelings of animals, and I was horrified at the details of, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” 💃🏻 And while some stories made them into villains, in my mind trolls were not something to be feared. I looked for them under every bridge. And tried to see them peeking out from forest groves. Before I learned differently, I really thought lampposts shone the way to Narnia and that Lions could talk to you. 🦁
Buy children’s books for your kids, like the ones I’ve mentioned and so many more, at my Bookshop – or if you must, on Amazon.
So when as an adult, I saw a photo of a Thomas Dambo troll online, I knew immediately it was something I needed to see with my own eyes as soon as possible. After all, it might be like looking in the eyes of a long-lost friend. And who can argue that indulging in our childish notions is always childish? Sometimes, it’s needed. Rather like “chicken soup for the soul.” A way to lighten the burden of adulthood with a throwback to days of less stress and responsibility.
I finally got my chance this winter when Dambo’s trolls came to the South Coast Botanical Garden in Southern California which was not far from where I live. Of course, I planned a visit close to opening day! As I strolled the paved path marked with bird feeders painted in a rainbow of colors to denote wherever a troll could be found, I did feel my soul lighten. I could practically feel my hands as they had once turned each new page, eager for another mythological detail or scene to spark my active imagination.
Some trolls were more hidden, some were luxuriating in the open air to bath in the sun like teenagers on Spring Break. All were as charming as I’d once believed trolls to be in my mind, never mind some written evidence to the contrary. It was a wonderful few hours of creative inspiration.
The trolls travel like I love to do. They should be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as I write this. Or they will be soon. If you can get there or if you find out the trolls are visiting a city near you, I recommend going to see them. You never know what memories they will evoke for you [or you and your children] and what childlike wonder they might reawaken. Scroll to the end of my photos for tips that will help you plan your visit with Thomas Dambo’s Trolls!
Because you need a ticket to enter South Coast Botanic Garden, we had to pay an admission fee of $15 per adult. I have seen the trolls in public places which did not require an entrance fee. But plans should be made for a sighting to have a cost attached. You can find all of Dambo’s sculptures currently being exhibited around the world, and the ones that have left a given location, on the Troll Map. You can also search for a particular sculpture in the list of works if you have one in mind. And finally, you can bring the Troll Map on your phone and start a treasure hunt as it is optimized for mobile and desktop.
Please be aware if your kids would find these trolls scary, and don’t take them. I have never found trolls scary, but I know I was very different than most kids. And I’m probably different than a lot of adults. I hope you visit and find his works as joyful as I do. But I understand if not and won’t take offense. Please don’t take offense at my suggesting these are beautiful!
Troll Map
Love learning more about your childhood, and reading your great descriptions of the trolls. Such a creative use of all that recycled material! Hopefully can see them near us soon!
Love learning more about your childhood, and reading your great descriptions of the trolls. Such a creative use of all that recycled material! Hopefully can see them near us soon!
Awww that means a lot to me. Thank you, Rossana. Dambo really is creative. And I love that material which might otherwise being thrown away is being used to make something beautiful. I hope you can see them near you too!