Compiled by Janet Hamilton
From the OrigamiUSA Newsletter Issue 58, Spring 1997
Do you have friends and family that have never heard of origami, or who consider it an odd and unusual hobby? If so, take heart! Origami is becoming better known every day. This is greatly due to the activities of origami groups; but origami is also appearing in the media more frequently. This new column will report on various sightings of origami in books, magazines, movies, TV, and so on. I have been compiling these sightings from postings to the origami-l email discussion list, and Joseph Wu has posted the compiled list on his web site at http://www.datt.co.jp/Origami/.
The recently passed holiday season spawned a number of origami activities on TV and in magazines. You may be able to find the magazines at your local library, or to get back issues or reprints of articles from the respective publishers.
The November 1996 issue of Zoobooks is about "Big Cats". A double page spread in the activity section is called "A Cat in the Fold". The pages include a square printed in orange with black spots, and directions for folding it into a cat's head.
The Winter 1996 Issue of Disney News Magazine contains an article called "Holiday at the Parks". In describing the decorations at Epcot Center, the article states: "Accuracy is the key when it comes to decorating here. Everything must be indigenous to the country represented, right down to the plants used in wreaths. The German tree has nutcracker wood carvings and gingerbread; the Japanese tree features origami; the French pavilion gleams under twinkling white lights like those that line the Seine in Paris." There is also a page giving diagrams and instructions for folding the traditional crane.
In the December 1996 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, there are several "origami" crafts listed. They all use foil origami paper. The first gives directions for a waterbomb base, then says to string the bases on curling ribbon and hang vertically from the top of a Christmas tree for garland. The next has the paper cut into strips, then the strips are formed into rings for a chain. The last has 24 pieces of paper blintzed, and notes are put under the flaps. The flaps are secured with a sticker and the squares hung to make an advent calendar.
On Wednesday, December 18th, the Rosie O'Donnell Show had a Christmas wreath which appeared to be made entirely of folded and or rolled/wrapped money. Not all of the money was folded, BUT, a Rosette, very similar to Paul Jackson's, was attached to the wreath. The wreath was made by some college students, for charity. It supposedly had a $100.00 face value.
A bookstore chain has a Christmas TV ad which includes what appears to be the folding of a Christmas tree in a container from a single square of paper. The 'folding ' is so fast that one can't tell whether or not it is true. The end result is a 3-D tree composed of concertina-type folds on a cubic box.