Pretty much all fantasy writers are familiar with Greek myths, or they should be: they’re one of the unfailing constants of Western Culture. The Iliad, which told of the fall of Troy (and the Trojan horse.) The Odyssey, about the hero Odysseus’s epic journey to find his way home. Theseus and the Minotaur, Icarus who …
Tag: Art and artists
Worldbuilding Wednesday 9/20/23: Shades of Orange
Orange is a color that literally didn’t exist in the English language before the 16th century. When people wanted to describe an orange hue, they used word composites like yellow-red or red-gold, or sometimes saffron. Only after Portuguese merchants began to import orange trees to Europe did the shade receive a name. In France the …
Worldbuilding Wednesday 8/23/23: Centaurides (Narnia L)
A centauride is the Greek term for a female centaur. Though only one was named in Greek myth, they were common motifs in ancient Greek and Roman art and have remained so up until the present day. Walt Disney even played a riff on them for Fantasia (1940); they were going to be bare-breasted …
Narnian Witches: Jadis
Now we come to my favorite part of the Summer of Narnia — posting endless depictions of my favorite character, Queen Jadis, late of Charn. (She’s the same person as the White Witch, but Queen of Charn is her first incarnation, so to speak.) There have been many stage productions of The Magician’s Nephew over …
Narnian Witches: The White Witch
Over the past year I’ve come across many more depictions of my favorite Narnian character, The White Witch, who is open to more interpretations than any of the “good” characters the reader is supposed to align with. The children mostly differ in the color of their hair, while Aslan is nothing other than a golden-maned …
Zeptoons, Part 2
On to the second part of my Zeptoons series. There is much more to explore on Deviantart, including these toons by artist and writer electricsorbet, who, like her compatriot Nicola Rivka, mines LZ and other bands for worshipful and often satirical content. In her art she concentrates on the darker side of LZ: Jimmy’s heroin …