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Just when you thought there would be no more Wheel of Time news with the show being canceled the Wheel turns and surprises show up! Dire Wolf has revealed that a Kickstarter is coming soon!
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I was very excited to get an opportunity to have an interview with artist Paul Bielaczyc. Paul is well-known within the fandom for his Rand al'Thor cosplay, and as the co-directors of the JordanCon Art Show. He's an amazingly talented artist, in many mediums, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of his Wheel of Time artwork at JordanCon next year! Q: Let's start with your artwork in general. How long have you considered yourself an artist? A: I have been drawing and sketching for as long as I can remember, probably before I even started kindergarten. My mom used to enter us in all the coloring contests at local restaurants and stores. I still remember winning a gift certificate from Wal-Mart when I was 5 or so, which I used it to get a Stomper truck. I took quite a few art classes in high school, but never focused on it, as I was preoccupied with AP classes that would lead to scholarships for college. I even applied to the TN Governor's School for the Arts one summer and didn't get accepted, so I just didn't feel like I was an artist. The first moment that I think it sunk in that I was an artist was the summer after high school. I was on summer vacation with my family, and my brother, Michael, whom I co-own Aradani Studios with, was showing his portfolio to my uncles. I remember thinking that I wish I could draw like he could. I pulled out a sketch book and played around with a charcoal pencil, trying to draw characters from a fantasy book I was reading. It looked awful. Charcoal is a very soft medium, so the tip of the pencil gets dull very, very fast. So the lines were very thick, and when you are trying to draw a figure that is maybe 6 inches tall, it just didn't work. I pulled out my .5mm mechincal pencil, and started again. I was drawing a scene from The Scions of Shannara by Terry Brooks. It was the first time I had read such an expansive series, I think there was 9 books out at the time I was working on it. Well during the course of a week on vacation, I spent about 24 hours total, working on a single piece of art. I was drawing at night, next to the pool at a friend's house, pretty much all the time. I had never done that before. And when I finished, I finally felt, I am good at this. It was then that I realized that, for me, to truly make a memorable piece of art, it just took time. Q: Your style tends to look amazing in black and white. Are you drawn more to that than color? A: It isn't that I am necessarily drawn to black and white, it just sorta happened. In college I took a few drawing classes, and a few of the assignments were in charcoal (back to charcoal!). As I completed these assignments, I learned some techniques that solved some of the problems I had mentioned previously. When I graduated college, I figured that I had to learn how to oil paint, since most fantasy artists paint in oils. However, the first piece that I worked on was Nightmare. Again, it was one of those times where I truly sat down and dedicated time to a piece. I have no idea how much time I spent on planning and taking photo references, but I know that the actual time spent drawing the finished piece was between 60 and 80 hours. When my brother came to my house when I was about 80% complete, I remember him just blinking, and saying, wow. He was utterly impressed with something I had made, and it made me think of the summer when I have been thinking the same thing about his art. The first show that we did after I finished Nightmare was Chattacon in 2005. I ended up winning 2 art awards at the Con, and had a list of people that were upset that I hadn't made prints of that piece. And that was the moment when I decided I didn't need to be an oil painter. If I could work in my favorite medium, win awards, and sell prints of my work, then I just wanted to become the best charcoal artist that I could be. Sometimes I have needed to work in color, and when I do, I use soft pastels. I had an amazing opportunity to apprentice with a master pastel artist in Kirby, Wyoming one summer, and I learned quite a bit in those 10 days while out there. Soft pastels work similar to charcoal so it wasn't a huge learning curve, but I still prefer to use charcoal when I can. Q: Beside Wheel of Time, what other fandoms are you inspired by? A: Over the years I have done a variety of costumes, mostly inspired by movies and video games that I really enjoy. The Legend of Zelda is probably one of the biggest influences. It was one of the first video games I ever owned, and I have pretty much owned each entry in the series. I am still purchasing them today in fact. It was my first real cosplay too. I hired a bunch of talented friends to help make it a reality, a seamstress since I can't sew, and an armorer to make my shield out of leather and wood. Over the years I have also dressed up as the Ice King from Adventure Time, Ash from Army of Darkness, Jareth the Goblin King from Labyrinth. I have always wanted to make a Fiery costume from Labyrinth, but in order to make that, I would need to learn a lot of different skill sets in costuming that I currently don't have, and that mostly means I would need time, which is the one thing that I can't seem to find right now. Q: Your artwork also encompasses cosplay. How did you get the idea of doing a ta'veren photo shoot, and how do you think it influenced the Wheel of Time fandom? A: Years ago when I was finishing up my Master's degree at Vanderbilt, I decided to dress up as Rand al'Thor for Halloween. I think one person knew who I was. I was really into the books at that point, and thought it would be cool to draw the dragon tattoos on my arms. At the time I didn't know the talented group of people that I do today, so most of the costume was found on eBay, or simple alterations to existing costumes and clothes that I found. But I finally got to use my Heron Mark blade for something other than hanging it on a wall. Years later while selling my art at Dragon*Con, a man walked by the table dressed as an Aiel. When I complimented his cosplay, he bowed deeply, "Thank you, Car'a'carn." I looked at him confused. He then told me how he found my cosplay photos online, and that him and his friends all thought I was the perfect Rand, and said that they pictured me as they read the books. I was humbled. It was so cool to think that other people not only had seen my cosplay, but were that big of fans of such a simple costume. And I decided that was that, I should always dress as Rand al'Thor. A few years later when Cliff Tunnell decided to do a photoshoot of his Matrim costume, he invited me down to Atlanta to be a part of it, along with John Strangeway as Perrin. When I heard that Dim Horizons would be taking the photos, I dropped everything to be a part of it. I had always loved their Bioshock photoshoot at the Atlanta Aquarium, and I wanted to be a part of something that memorable. Honestly, I don't know how it has influenced the fandom. I know that Dragonmount and Tor put some of the shots up on their sites in the past, and I hope the fans thought we did a good job representing the characters. I was very excited when Brandon Sanderson signed my copy of A Memory of Light a few years back at JordanCon, he actually asked me, "Do I make this out to Paul, or to Rand?" Q: In the past, your artwork has been featured on shirts from Ta'veren Tees. Are there plans to do more in the future? A: I do have a few ideas in the works, both for new Ta'veren Tees designs as well as some personal pieces that are in a similar vein to "Padan Fain" and "The Last Battle." It is very difficult to put a fully rendered image on a shirt (and quite pricey), which is why my first few designs were all white silhouette imagery. I was trying to balance catching the iconic characters, but in a manner that was easier to reproduce on a shirt. I am not sure if I can discuss the future shirt designs, I am not sure if Ta'veren prefers them to be a surprise announcement, and there is the sadness to fans when you come up with a design that just doesn't get approved or end up working out. Q: Your piece "The Creature That Had Once Been Padan Fain" will be in the Wheel of Time Companion. Since the image has already been shared with fans, can you tell us about it, how you captured one of the most evil villains in the series? A: One of the first things that I do when I start on a new piece of art is go online. I find references for poses, faces, landscapes, clothing. And I use those as a jumping off point. It is hard to find the exact shot for figures, so I usually find something close to what I need, and then take photos myself for figures. But for backgrounds, it is helpful to be able to so easily find pictures of rivers, mountains, jungles, since most of those things don't exist in Nashville, Tennessee. Or at least don't exist like I want them to. So the first thing that I did was to look at every single depiction of Padan Fain that had been done over the years. There were 3 that really jumped out at me. I was drawn to Seamus Gallagher's and Jeremy Saliba's renditions of his face and hair. I thought about what worked, and more importantly, what spoke to me, and included those aspects into my sketches. I also was a big fan of the depiction of Fain in The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game book. I liked the idea that he was wearing this fancy, lacy nobleman's coat, thinking of himself as more important than he really is. And I liked the idea of him not realizing that as he traveled all over the world, chasing after Rand and company, murdering Trollocs and Myrddraal, that his fine clothing would become more ragged and tattered, but he would still feel the same pretentiousness and arrogance, which in the end, lead to his demise... oops, spoilers. From there it was all about taking good photo references. I posed for the picture myself, wearing my Asha'man style coat that I wore at my first JordanCon. I set a lamp on the floor underneath me to create some good under lighting, which usually makes anything look a little more off than it should otherwise. And then I had a friend take probably 100+ photos of me, subtly changing my pose for each shot. Once I have the photos that I need, I use a projector to transfer a simple line drawing to my canvas, and then begins the long process of working in charcoal and chalk to make the finished piece. So while a computer is involved for some of the early planning, my artwork is done traditionally, resulting in a single, unique one of a kind original at the end of the process. While I do wish sometimes that life had an undo button, or that I could work in layers, having that one of a kind at the end is well worth not having that undo button. Q: Though you can't tell us specifics, can you hint about what other artwork you'll have in the Companion? A: One of my other pieces in the Companion is The Last Battle, which was seen in an earlier, cropped version in the calendar for 2015. After the calendar was completed, Team Jordan approached me about including both pieces from the calendar into the Companion. In fact, I think Alan Romanczuk actually said, "Would you mind if we used these in the Companion?" Would I mind... it just made me laugh that he was asking permission. It is one of the reasons that I love working for Team Jordan. The freedom that I am granted to work within their universe is the opposite of most of my experiences working on illustration jobs. For most of my jobs, there are deadlines, forced changes, illustrating scenes that don't speak to you. But when working on The Wheel of Time art, I send an idea and a few sketches to Team Jordan, and they either say yes or no. So in the end, I choose what scenes to depict, and I feel that when an artist is granted that freedom, their heart can truly be felt in the finished product. At least for me it is. Q: How long have you been reading The Wheel of Time Series? A: I tried reading The Eye of the World in high school, and I got to what I call "the hump" and put it down. I feel that most people that start a new book series will read a few chapters to determine if it is worth the time investment to pick up such a monumental series of books. For me, that was the end of chapter 4. I got to the end of chapter 4, and just didn't feel that the book had spoken to me. A little while later during my freshman year of college, I saw the display at the school bookstore for The Path of Daggers which had just been released. A friend of mine said that he really loved the series, so I decided to pick it back up. How was I to know that chapter 5 was the moment, the hook needed to catch me and never let go. So my journey with The Wheel of Time started in 1998, and I was with it for 15 years, waiting for each new book to be released, hoping that the character arcs that had me enthralled would come to a conclusion. I can't remember how many years I waited for Egwene to break free of her captivity, but when it finally happened in The Gathering Storm, I remember the chills, the goosebumps, and the tears in my eyes. It was a moment of frustration and joy. Frustration that it took so many years and so many books to happen, but joy that can't be felt when binge reading a series. If I hadn't had to wait so long, the emotional release would not have been as powerful. Q: Who is your favorite character? A: I always was a big fan of Rand, partly because I could cosplay as him. I remember as he started falling into darkness that I was a little sad because I was starting to not like him as a person. I didn't feel like I wanted to cosplay someone that I didn't respect or like. But then a few books later that was resolved and it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Q: Which character do you relate the most to? A: I guess I would say Rand again, but I would like to stress that I don't talk to a voice in my head, or have a horrible, festering wound in my side, or three wives... I guess it is mostly because I have dressed as him for so long, that it really created a bond between what happened to him as I read the series. I'd like to thank Paul for his time! To see more of Paul's artwork, you can check out his website!
Most of the loyal Wheel of Time fans know Joe O'Hara as one of the podcasters from tWoTCast. But, he's also very involved in other aspects of the fandom, namely art. Joe has had Wheel of Time artwork in the past four JordanCon Art Shows, his art has been featured in Ta'veren Tee's yearly calendars, as well as in The Wheel of Time Companion due out November 3rd, 2015. I had a chance to ask Joe a bit more about his love for Wheel of Time art, and the inspiration behind some of his projects. Q: Since you have a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts, do you think studying art from an academic standpoint helps you achieve your creative goals? A: Of course raw talent is essential but studying and refining that talent is definitely important but your environment plays a larger role than most people realize. Being around other artists is kind of like immersing yourself into another language by visiting the country, gaining new perspectives opens up your creativity. Q: Your "Life In Comics" series looks fascinating. Have you considered adding yourself into your Wheel of Time art? Maybe playing dice with Mat? A: I’ve never actually considered putting myself into my Wheel of Time art, no. I guess because it’s usually a little more serious and less tongue and cheek but I do pose myself as a model for Mat most of the time. Some more obviously than others. Q: Your artwork features a lot of bold colors. Does this derive from your passion for comic style? A: Not intentionally but comics has had an immense influence on my art so it probably bled in there from somewhere. Q: You've entered artwork at the JordanCon Art Show for the past several years. At JordanCon 5, your entry, "The Last Battle," was so impressive. How difficult was the project, using only shades of red and black? A: Thank you. The project was difficult but not because of the shades of red and black, that was actually easier than adding full color. Comics teach your brain to think in black and white. Usually someone draws with pencil and then an inker comes in and adds true blacks, color is the last step. It was sort of like leaving off that last step. Mainly the found object material I used as a surface to paint on was being a real “b” word and not accepting the paint. Took a lot of coats. Also getting that much detail into such a large piece is simply time consuming. Q: Since it's been released that your piece "For Owyn" will be in The Wheel of Time Companion, can you tell us your thoughts on that particular artwork? A: Well, I knew I wanted an old west feel. The showdown between Thom and the Myrdraal. That camera angle that takes you between someone's fingers and a pistol. Since Thom was the focus, the Myrdraal took front stage with his sword being drawn. Thom took a few revisions involving the placement of his knives from Team Jordan but the one that crushed me was them telling me he wasn’t wearing his trademark cloak in that scene. He had just given it to Rand so I was told to change it to a normal brown cloak. I knew he wasn’t wearing it, but I was just hoping they didn’t notice so I could draw all those patches. Q: Does being a member of tWoTCast bring you closer to The Wheel of Time fandom? A: Short answer, yes, absolutely. I talk to fans all over the world via twitter all because they listen to the show. I try not to shove my art down people’s throats though so I’m not sure how many listeners know I’m a Wheel of Time artist as well. On a local level we do our LIVE shows at JordanCon and that has definitely (a?)effected how close I am with other fans of the series. Q: Who is your favorite Wheel of Time character? A: My all time favorite has to be Nyneave and I’m sure a lot of people that know me are calling me crazy right now. She’s a strong, stubborn as hell, badass and I have a real appreciation for her especially in the later books. Q: Which character do you identify with the most? A: Matrim Bloody Cauthon. I'd like to thank Joe for sharing with us! I can't wait to see what works of art he'll have for JordanCon next year! For more information, you can visit Joe's website!
Today, Dragonmount turns seventeen! The site has evolved a lot over the years--as webmaster Jason Denzel is quick to talk about his cease and desist letter from Robert Jordan, on account of a fan-made animated video which helped launch the website. What started off as a small project eventually grew into the website we know and love today. With so many people coming and going over the years, we have a lot of memories about different aspects of the site. I asked some of our staff members to share their favorite Dragonmount memories. Mashiara Sedai Aiel Heart Graendal's favourite Red2111 There are so many aspects of the website, from discussions, to Social Groups, to articles and blogs. Over the last seventeen years, we’ve seen a lot of change. Some of our old features, like the “Ask the Chosen” column, have gone away, but new things have always popped up to take their place. What's your favorite Dragonmount memory? What do you think makes this site worth visiting?
Tor Books announced today a book tour to promote the upcoming Wheel of Time Companion, as well as Jason Denzel's debut novel, Mystic. Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons will be on the tour for Team Jordan. Here are the dates and locations: Nov 3 – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina / Barnes and Noble (Also joined by our friend Michael Livingston, promoting his book, The Shards of Heaven) , 7:00pm Nov 4 – Seattle, Washington /University Bookstore (Held at University Temple), 7:00pm (Ticketed event. See website for details) Nov 5 – San Francisco, California / Borderlands, 6:00pm Nov 6 – Petaluma, California / Copperfield’s, 7:00pm (Ticketed event. See website for details) Nov 7 – Los Angeles, California / Vroman's, 6:00pm Nov 8 – San Diego, California / Mysterious Galaxy, 2:00pm (Ticketed event. See website for details) Nov 9 – Las Vegas, Nevada / Las Vegas County Library, 7:00pm Nov 10 – Santa Fe, New Mexico / Jean Cocteau Cinema (Hosted by George R.R. Martin) Nov 11 – Houston, Texas /Murder by the Book, 7:00pm Nov 12 – Chicago, Illinois / Anderson's Bookshop Naperville, 7:00pm Nov 14 – Sacramento, California / Barnes and Noble (Natomas), 2:00pm (Jason Denzel only) Nov 15 – Elk Grove, California / Trent's Bookshelf, Time TBD (Jason Denzel only) Nov 21 – Raleigh, North Carolina / Quail Ridge Books & Music, 2:00pm (Harriet, Maria, Alan only) Nov 28 – Davis, California / Avid Reader Bookshop, 7:30pm (Jason Denzel only) We hope to see you come and attend the Last Book Tour for the Wheel of Time, and also help launch Jason's book! For those of you who can't attend these locations, have no fear, you can always attend JordanCon and meet the same people each year.
Harriet McDougal had donated an advanced reading copy of The Eye of the World, signed by Robert Jordan, to an auction benefiting the College of Charleston School of the Arts. You can find more information on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Google+ Page.
It's not too early to think about JordanCon. The yearly convention, dedicated to our beloved Robert Jordan and his Wheel of Time series, has already taken place for this year. But 2016 is right around the corner. It's already been announced that John Strangway will be the Toastmaster. John is best known for his Steampunk Boba Fett, but within The Wheel of Time fandom, he's known for a magnificent Perrin Aybara cosplay and photo shoot. The Author Guests of Honor will be Catherine Asaro, author of more than twenty-five novels, including City of Bones, The Spacetime Pool, and Undercity. More of Dr. Asaro's works can be found at her website. The Artist Guest of Honor will be John Picacio, who won the Hugo Award for "Best Professional Artist" in 2012 and 2013. You can see more of Mr. Picacio's work on his website. And there's a chance that JordanCon will once again host the DeepSouthCon. Buy your 3-day membership now for only $45! The price will increase to $55 after January 3, 2016. Pre-registration ends on March 27, 2016, but, you can still pay at the door for $65. You can also reserve your hotel room at the Atlanta Marriott at Perimeter Center for the special price of $95 a night. Click here for more information! It'll be here before you know it; I hope to see you all there!
Egwene by fee-absinthe Tor released another expert from The Wheel of Time Companion, this time an in depth entry on sitting Amyrlins. Some entries are short, others longer and more detailed. Many are of interest and speak of the secret histories the sisters whisper about throughout the series. For example, here's a snip-it from the entry for Sereille Bagand: Tor has been revealing experts from The Companion since June. If you've missed any of them, now is a good time to catch up! Besides Companion entries, Tor has also featured many articles relating to different aspects within the series. There's a fantastic write-up on Aviendha's trip through the ter'angreal in Rhuidean, and an analysis of whether time travel is possible within Randland (both written by the brilliant Chris Lough). Even though the series may be completed, there's still so much to learn, discuss, and embrace.
Welcome to another edition of Dragonmount's "Fantasy Review." This time, I had the pleasure of reading the thrilling conclusion to Greg van Eekhout's Daniel Blackland series: Dragon Coast. This book will be released next week, on September 15th, 2015, and can be preordered in our eBook store. Spoilers will follow! Dragon Coast By Greg van Eekhout Synopsis: It's been a year since Sam was dissolved into the Firedrake, and Sam's consciousness is starting to rouse itself inside the dragon—he's trying to take control of the beast's primal urges. He's having a hard time, as the dragon is bigger, stronger, more magic than Sam. But as he pokes around the dragon's insides, he becomes aware that there are others inside with him. Are they allies or enemies? Daniel's been tracking the Firedrake for the past year with Moth and Em as companions. He has plans to leak Sam's essence from the dragon and return it to another golem. But when Daniel finally tranquilizes the beast, agents from Northern California steal Daniel's adopted son away. Now Daniel needs to go into enemy territory, and what better way to gain access than to pose as his own golem, Paul? As Paul, Daniel is given access to a life of luxury. But what he really needs to free Sam is a bone the Northern Heirarch keeps. It looks like he and his crew are up to their old ways, looking for the best way to heist the crown jewels right under the Heirarch's nose. Pros: This novel continues the excitement and thrills of the first two books in the series. Daniel's desperate now to get Sam back, and he turns almost reckless in his desire to free his son from the dragon. His plan to pose as Paul seems logical, but Daniel's knowledge of his golem's habits, and of life in the north, are non-existent and likely to cause problems. Daniel falls into the charade even deeper when he finds out Paul has a daughter—magically-skilled, four-year-old Ethelinda. Now he has to worry about his own son, and Paul's daughter. This shows that Daniel—despite the hard appearances he keeps—cares very much for the younger generation. He has so many horrible memories of what being orphaned was like, and he struggles to make lives better for the children around him. Especially since he was the one who killed Paul, he feels a debt to Ethelinda, and let's her know that she can find him if she ever needs revenge. Gabriel Argent, water mage, plays a big role in this book. Gabriel is one of my favorite characters within the series, because he's able to have power, and remain a good man. However, this time he's put to the test. He, Max, and Cassandra, aid Daniel by sneaking into Northern California and helping him find the Firedrake. Gabriel has other plans, though. For the good of his city, the Firedrake needs to be tamed—and he has the means to put it under his control. But having that much power changes a man, and Max is not about to see his master and best friend corrupted. This really turned into an interesting examination of human nature: will power ultimately turn a man to evil? Gabriel has been the good guy from the beginning of the series, while Daniel has been traipsing through gray area the whole time. Yet, this gives us a complete 180. Gabriel's mad grab for more power turns his allegiance, even to his closest friends. It was so shocking, but incredibly engaging, to see. Cons: The pace was a bit slow at times. Because we switched between Daniel posing as Paul, Gabriel sneaking into San Francisco, and Sam within the dragon, there were times when we had to catch up with the other storylines, even though more exciting things were happening elsewhere. It was fascinating to see Sam's point of view from inside the Firedrake, but we had very few chapters about him. Conclusion: This story was bitter-sweet. A great conclusion to the series, but leaving a bit of sadness at some of the unresolved plotlines. And not unresolved to the reader, unresolved to Daniel. He's such a broken man—needing a goal to work towards to give his life meaning. And after this heist is done, he has nothing else to give him purpose. The overwhelming sadness is absolutely beautiful. The fact that these characters pull so much at my emotions is amazing. I really hope that Mr. van Eekhout revisits Los Angeles sometime soon, and gives us another glimpse into the life of Daniel Blackland. Rating: 5/5 If you'd like to see more by Mr. van Eekhout, you can check out the reviews of California Bones and Pacific Fire. You can also read an interview with Mr. van Eekhout, here.
With the release of The Wheel of Time Companion just around the corner, Tor.com has kept us tantalized with fan-suggested sneak peaks into the excerpts we're anxiously awaiting. But now, we have something that's a bit more meaningful, the Forward to the Companion, written, of course, by Harriet McDougal—Robert Jordan's widow, and the editor of The Wheel of Time series. In addition to this, Tor.com is also giving us a taste of a more detailed Old Tongue dictionary. You can see all the past entries they've released, as well as some insightful essays on the series, on Tor.com's Wheel of Time Companion page.
I was privileged enough to meet Greg van Eekhout at the Phoenix Comicon at the end of May. I listened to him speak on several panels, and was really intrigued by the description of his Daniel Blackland series, as well as his views on writing. After reading the first two novels in the series (California Bones and Pacific Fire), I am anxiously awaiting the third and final, Dragon Coast, due out September 15th, 2015. There may be spoilers from California Bones and Pacific Fire below. Read at your own risk. Q: In California Bones, Daniel mentions that a sea slug is able to steal genes from algae. Is that where you got the idea of osteomancy as a magic system? A: The sea slug that steals genes by ingesting algae was one of those neat things I came across in my research, but the idea of osteomancy, of gaining magic by eating the remains of magical creatures, came from the really general, basic idea that we gain stuff by eating stuff, be it protein, fat, or fire-breathing magic. Q: Your story is set in an alternate universe, so there are some similarities to our world, and there are some major differences. How did you decide what to keep and what to change? For example, why did you decide to keep Disney, and the other LA elite in the story? A: I wanted LA to be recognizable, but also recognizably different. The big, major, conspicuous change I made was getting rid of cars and streets and freeways and replacing them with boats and canals and elevated flumeways. Some stuff came from LA history, things that used to be there but are gone now, like the Pacific Ocean Park amusement pier. And then there was stuff I kept as-is, mostly little things, like Tito’s Tacos and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. And there was also stuff I kept but altered, like the different-yet-familiar version of Disneyland that’s the characters allude to. As for what I kept and why I kept it, like Disney, I was governed by the question, “Hey, would this be fun? Can I make it make sense? Then it’s in!” Q: At the end of California Bones, Sam is ready and willing to sacrifice his own life so Daniel can defeat the Heirarch. Yet, Daniel refuses to eat the boy. But once the Heirarch is dead, Daniel does eat him. So, if Sam had killed himself for the greater good, why wouldn't Daniel view that the same way as he viewed eating the Heirarch? From Daniel's perspective, is there a difference in the ethics of it? A: I think for Daniel there’s a huge gulf between eating the Hierarch and eating Sam. The Hiearch is a willing participant in a messed-up, exploitative system that literally treats people as consumables. Sam is an innocent. He’s a victim. There’s no way Daniel would ever willingly hurt someone like Sam, much less eat him. Q: For character motivation, you mentioned that you like to focus on the difference between what a character wants to do versus what a character has to do. When dealing with strong-willed characters like Daniel and Sam, is there a difference between what they have to do and what they want to do? A: Absolutely. Daniel wants to remove himself from Los Angeles and the powerful people who run it, but what he needs to do is penetrate the Hierarch’s stronghold, the actual, physical center of that power. And what Sam wants is to be a normal kid, going to high school, having friends, dating, all the mundane stuff he’s never experienced because he lives his life on the run. What he needs to do, though, is confront the things he’s running from. I think Sam better understands and accepts the difference between his wants and his needs than Daniel does. I think Sam is more of a realist, maybe. Q: There's a lot of diversity in your characters. In Pacific Fire, Daniel teams back up with Moth, and we find out he has a boyfriend. Does this diversity add to the realistic nature of the characters? A: Sure. The world is populated by all sorts of people, so it’s weird and unrealistic when fictional worlds don’t reflect that. Q: Daniel, while having good and honorable traits, does seem to take advantage of people when he needs to. How do you keep him from tipping the balance between good and bad, and losing the reader's sympathy? A: I can only hope I don’t lose the reader’s sympathy! Daniel definitely does have a selfish streak. He does what he feels he has to do, and he’s willing to use people, even those he loves, to achieve his goals. In that way, he’s caught up in the same system of exploitation as the bad guys. But what I think redeems Daniel is his awareness of his flaws and his desire to protect and improve the lot of those he loves. But he’s certainly far from a perfect person. Q: Osteomancy is only one form of the way magic manifests in your series. How is Gabriel's water mandala different from osteomancy? A: Gabriel’s hydromancy is more akin to engineering. If you learn how water behaves and learn the ways of manipulating those behaviors with plumbing and patterns of water flow, you can do mighty things. The most powerful kinds of osteomancy, what Daniel’s father calls “deep osteomancy,” requires one to change their own physiology over time. You have to change your body so you can ingest magic and use it to its full extent. It’s a more intimate and personal kind of magic. Q: In California Bones we see that Daniel and Gabriel are slight variations on the same theme. And in Pacific Fire we see that Daniel and Sam have that same relation. Will it be possible for the three of them to form some sort of alliance? A: The three of them don’t really team up in Dragon Coast, but if enough people buy the books, who knows? Q: I think it's pretty safe to say that Sam would have grown up different if Daniel had left him in Los Angeles. But, would it have changed his nature, what's at his very core? Would he have seen the reconstructed mammoth as food not kin? A: It’s hard to say, because in addition to his magical heritage, he’d also be influenced by his environment and the people around him. If he’d been raised by evil turds, he may well have turned out an evil turd. Q: Is Sam at all affected by the love potion in Daniel? A: Daniel has managed to rid himself of the loyalty spell between California Bones and Pacific Fire. It's one of the untold parts of hte story that I hope will come out someday, maybe as a short story. Q: Did Daniel eat any part of his own body when he switched with Paul? A: Ew! No! Gross! Mr. van Eekhout is the author of several other fantasy and YA novels and short stories. You can find out more at Mr. van Eekhout's website. You can also purchase all three in the Daniel Blackland series in the Dragonmount eBook store.
Deadpool vs Marvel by Comicstorian Greeting all! It is Thursday again meaning it is time for another installment of the Rotating Features blog! The dice have been been tossed and the featured topic has been chosen. In light of the San Diego ComicCon having come and passed, many comic and movie fans have been salivating over some of the Marvel and DC movie trailers. Admittedly I am one of these people, unfortunately I feel very disconnected from my comic book roots as I have not purchased a comic in years. This said, I am sadly out of the loop when it comes to my favorite comic book universes. And I have found a solution! The YouTube channel is called Comicstorian. This, by the way, is a GREAT name as this website takes comic book story arcs, breaks them down, and reads them back to you in easily digestible bites, typically between five and eight minutes long per video. This effectively makes them part story tellers and part historians when it comes to the comic book universe. Additionally, they have a true passion for the genre and highly encourage folks to still go out and buy the comics, as do I. This channel does not replace comics, as you do not see all of the wonderful artwork, and they summarize the dialogue quite a bit, but if you are just trying to catch up on what you missed, want a fairly clear backstory to some of you favorite character, or just simply want something to do while waiting for your mac and cheese to finish cooking, this website is an awesome option. For more in depth explanations you can also try Comics Explained: another YouTube channel, but one where the videos are typically 30 minutes or longer. The advantage to this is the videos are much more detailed and you get a little more of the character development, but again, these are longer than your standard YouTube videos and I don't always have the time. None the less, it also does a great job of catching you up on the story arcs as well. Watching either one of these channels will get you caught up on what you may have missed. If you have never read comics, or consider them a lesser form of literature, I highly encourage giving them a try as some of the stories are just amazing and some of the characters are just simply splendid. Last thing, what comic book inspired or based movies are you looking forward to? Anyone have a favorite comic they have yet to turn into cinema gold? As always I hope you enjoyed this installment of the Rotating Features blog. Sorry for my repeated absence. As always feel free to comment with your thoughts and any topics you would like covered in future Rotating Features blogs. Until next time, this is Azeryn signing off to begin working on a costume in preparation for February 2016... DEADPOOL!!!
Tor.com has released another teaser entry to the Wheel of Time Companion, due for publication November 3, 2015. And the theme this time is the Oath Rod and the Nine Rods of Dominion. We know from several interviews that the Nine Rods of Dominion were actually governors of the regions—Lews Therin's ability to summon them showing his authority even over the laws and governments of the land. And, we know that the Rods of Dominion are not linked in anyway to the Oath Rod, which is a binder ter'angreal. Two very different things, according to interviews Robert Jordan gave in the past, as well as other members of Team Jordan recently. Here's one question and answer that is still relevant: With the leaps and bounds made prior to the Last Battle, many Sisters, and even Novice and Accepted, know how to make ter'angreal. The possibility of binders being made and used in Tel'aran'rhiod is much higher than before. Of course, with the Bore sealed again, perhaps the Darkfriends and any Black Ajah members will silently slink away. And I always thought this question, and Brandon Sanderson's answer, was interesting because it showed how easily the Oath Rod could be beaten: A person's perspective on things is so easily swayed—especially to a group of women who have been taught to be evasive in the first place. I also thought it would be fun to examine fanart of the Oath Rod. But, I was unable to find very much. Here's an Oath Rod pendant, made by Dragonmount's own Elaevia for a Wheel of Time craft event in the Tuatha'an Social Group. Oath Rod Pendant by Elaevia Even though the Oath Rod is pretty non-existent in fanart, there are several other ter'angreal that make an appearance. Here is a 3D version of Egwene's Dream ter'angreal. Tel'aran'hriod Ring v2 by Shrakner Another 3D representation of the Choedan Kal. Choedan Kal by CorellaStudios This is a beautiful work that shows the end of the Time of Illusion. With the Choedan Kal - Saidar by JaredtheDragon And here is the archway ter'angreal used to test Accepted. Terangreal by anonymous And though not a ter'angreal, I thought this picture of Rand with his angreal to be really impressive. Rand with angreal by FiF Make sure to check Dragonmount's Facebook page and Twitter account for more up-to-date news on The Wheel of Time Companion.
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