Friday, April 25, 2014

Sigh...


So... anyone here remember my room? You may have seen it in the little "dragons, dragons, dragons" video or in my previous blog posts. I really, really like it. It's kinda my little HTTYD niche where I  can just sit and feel comfortable. Probably my favorite thing about it is that I plastered the wall hehind my bed with HTTYD sepia line arts that I did. Well... unfortunately I'm kinda losing the niche.


So, yeah, my parents (because I am at college) want to use my room as a guest room. Now, I'm allowed to keep my HTTYD posters up, BUT they feel that the drawings are tacky. So, I obliged them and packed my pictures up into a portfolio. I'm just a little saddened...

However, when I do move out, I fully intend to have a little collectors room. Just a small room in wherever I live CHOCK FULL of HTTYD drawings, figurines, books, and other paraphernalia! But... until then, I'll just have to keep my drawings off the walls.

Is it just me?


Ughhhhh!!! It is getting harder and harder for me to resist the HTTYD2 spoilers! They are *everywhere* these days! Of course, if I didn't pop in to the HTTYD site or Berk's Grapevine so frequently I am sure I'd be doing better. It is just... we have less than two months until the film FINALLY is released, and I don't really want any more of it to be revealed. I want to be excited about it, but I don't want to have seen every beautiful moment or watched full scenes (like the first five minutes which I am still avoiding!). Oh well, at least the movie is really, really close now!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

50 days away!


Well, the count down continues! It is now a meager 50 days until HTTYD soars into American Theaters. I simply cannot believe it. Half our wait has passed since I wrote my "100 days away" post! half of it! Fifty day is a good while yet, but then I start thinking of other things I'm looking forward to (like my Birthday or the next Super Smash Bros. Game) and then I suddenly realize: HTTYD 2 will be here before those things are! For so long it has always been a thing I kept in the back of my mind, a thing I kept locked into the category of "extremely far off fun things". But now it's really close! I'm actually trying my best to spoiler dodge! I didn't watch the first five minutes because I want to see that in theaters. Anyway, very exciting times! MAN, in just fifty days I'll be in a theater watching this! 




Saturday, April 19, 2014

Hey! RoB references in HTTYD2!


Ok, honestly compared to other sequel news, this is kinda small. But that doesn't mean it isn't interesting! Apparently, Gobber is still doing dragon-dentistry! The creators of RoB did say that you would not need to watch it to understand the second movie, but they also said that people who watched the series would enjoy catching small references to it when they watched HTTYD2. I suppose this must be one of them! It is nice to see some tie ins... because RoB and DoB certainly had some good moments. Man, that's quite a large Zippleback now that I'm looking at it. Anyway, it is nice to see that the creators of RoB were not pulling our leg, there will indeed be some small references back to the series!

Yeah, so this is a short post. Sometime I plan to get to a longer one, but at the moment I'm just a little busy and have more important things to try and focus on. Haha, dragons can be so distracting!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Stoick Poster!


I do believe this is the last of the character posters! It was pretty exciting to see all of them, and personally I think it was a massively mature and interesting way for DreamWorks to advertise the movie. Stoick in this one looks splendid, and his dragon does as well. As usual the details are scrumptious! His dragon (who I believe is called Skullcrusher...) is an interesting species to say the least! It looks a little like a carnivorous triceratops! I like how it's large skull crest/bonnet is actually full of holes. Considering it has to fly, little things like that would help keep it's weight down while not necessarily making it much more vulnerable. It is also nice to see another green eyed dragon! Haha, like son like father! Stoick looks amazing aged. Of course, I'd already come to that conclusion, but this poster just proves it. His beard is better than the first film, his gauntlets look wonderfully over-the-top, and that axe-head has a truly epic Zippleback head design! He's clearly not going to be a character who gets overlooked in the sequel, and that makes me happy... because after seeing the final trailer I really love the dynamic between him and Valka. 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

New exclusive clip



Here is another short clip. It appeared exclusively on the german yahoo-website... in Germany! Thanks to AddyD for getting it. As far as I can see, it is mostly spoiler free. Hopefully it works here on the blog.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Soooo... We're still getting Hiccstrid?


So, the trailer *really* did not focus on the Hiccstrid element of HTTYD2, and that's fine, but we do see some beautiful hints at a continuation of their relationship. Seriously, I swear, when I fist got into HTTYD I couldn't have cared less about Hiccup and Astrid's relationship. It just wasn't a draw. Now that they are older and that I am older, suddenly I think this has a LOT to offer. I always appreciated what she did for him in the first film (particularly in the scene right after Stoick has rejected him), but now that I get to see them after they've been friends for five years, it's pretty exciting. I particularly love the fact that Astrid is still her mega-tough self, a full blown Viking warrior, but at the same time she's kinda continued to develop her sweeter and more sensitive side. I particularly love the, "Take 'em down, babe!" quote (although it could be "kick" instead of "take", but the latter seems more likely). Anyway, the term of endearment is shouted with massive confidence in Hiccup, and it's a rough and tough sort of statement too! It's just a really fun display of how Astrid works! She's competitive, smart, level headed, and willing to be pretty darn tough, but at the same time she really does have a heart and she's grown to really care for Hiccup. It's going to be awesome to see them together in the second film.

However, given how many other relationships are going to be developing, I am willing to guess that we will only see the MAJOR step in Hiccstrid (i.e. come on, please let them get married in the end!) when the third movie comes around. The heart of the second film seems to be Hiccup's family and their differences (which I will write a post on soon). So... I imagine Astrid and Hiccup's relationship will sort of be an undertone in this film, but that doesn't mean it won't be something special!

I'm actually really looking forward to writing the post I just mentioned a second ago, but this one may have to do for today XD

Monday, April 14, 2014

Exciting times for a wiki Admin!

Welp, the main wikia site DID indeed look into my interview and have posted a full article here (including stuff from me as well as other Admins each representing their respective wikis and fandoms). It's neat to see my interview up there with others... hopefully I did a decent job! Here's a link if you are interested:

Wacky and Wild Entertainment Guide

Amazing, amazing quote!


"You have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon."

That quote is utterly fantastic and I sooooo hope it makes it into the film and isn't just filler material for that beautiful trailer. The fact that it is Valka saying it is also very telling and significant. She understands both sides so very well. She was married to a chief (and though we don't know why she never returned to him, I think we would be stupid to assume after seeing this trailer that she does not love Stoick very deeply), and she has spent twenty years alone with only dragons as company. In a way... this quote is just perfect, and it is awesome that Valka sees this in Hiccup even though she has only really known him for a short time. I guess sometimes familiarity blinds us to good things in ourselves or others. Anyway, it is a perfect way to describe Hiccup. He does have the heart of a chief, and a great one at that. He may not want to step into his father's shoes at the beginning of the second film, but all the critical elements of being a great leader are embedded deeply into Hiccup's core. He is courageous, self-sacrificing, convicted, and has a clear head when it comes to discerning right from wrong. And then, mixed in with all that is the true dragonish soul. Hiccup is empathetic, he looked at Toothless and saw himself. He is willing to feel, to care, and so many of the tiny screenshots that we see of him show the sweetest ranges of emotions. On top of that dragon-like empathy you have a strong since of adventure, fun, loyalty, and love. He's an incredible person, and it's great to see that Valka can see all that in him because with the challenges he is staring down (becoming chief, fighting a war, protecting the dragons), it would be easy for him to wonder how on earth he will ever stand against such a storm. So, yep, I love that quote and it gives me chills every time!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

HTTYD2 Final Trailer



So, I felt that I might as well post the actual trailer on the blog (thanks a ton Addy for getting me the links!!). Here it is, in all its heartwarming, soul-stirring, blood-pumping, epicness and beauty.

Shocking.


Alright, this will just be my first trailer analysis thingy! Not sure how many I'll have time for! Ok, when I first watched the trailer, this bit literally made me burst into tears. It was so shockingly heartwarming. It really was. I was not expecting anything like it. Then, I watched the trailer over, and I cried even more than I had the first time! It's an incredibly beautiful scene, and I'll explain why I think so in just a moment. Haha, then after seeing the trailer for the first time, I walked out of the college building I was in and sprinted around it just to try and, and don't know, get some energy out! It was unbelievably exhilarating!

Ok, but this moment... man. We still don't know why Valka stayed away, but she did. I love how in the trailer Hiccup tells his dad that he needs to show him something, and then you see Stoick in that cold, blue room. Valka seems sure of what Stoick will say.

 "I know what you are going to say."

And didn't we all think we did too? I mean, Stoick is a man who is capable of wielding a temper, of feeling betrayed. We see that in the first film. Stoick is a man who knows he is in charge, who still uses his authority to tell Hiccup what to do. He's a man who has power, rights, and authority. In the first film, this almost makes him a minor antagonist.

"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you."

AND WHAM! That is amazing, and it is absolutely in character. Yes, Stoick is rough, boisterous, and maybe even a bit proud on his exterior, but even in the first film we see that this man, though sometimes he struggles to display it, has the most loving heart. He truly does. It crushes him when Hiccup betrays his trust in film one, and when he thought he had lost the boy, the mighty Viking chief stooped in utter despair. Almost everything he did in film one was done trying to keep Hiccup safe. He's unquestionably a loving father... and a loving husband! He kept Valka's armor and wore it as a helmet, he missed her, he thought she was dead. That man, you can see a tenderness about him when he mentions her. So... when he finds her still alive, which is stronger? His stung pride that rightfully wishes to accuse the woman who abandoned him to raise their child alone, or his deep, heartfelt love for her that breaks this man's eyes into wells of longing and his voice into words of gold. Obviosly it was the latter. I think that is beautifully in character, just beautiful. I so love Stoick as a character, I loved him in the first one, and he honestly looks like he will have just as significant a role in this story.

Ahem, now I could post about the fact that it's not just Stoick and Valka who are reuniting, but I'll save that for a later post! I feel I should just leave this one be, not clutter it, and look at a man who is such a beautiful display of what it means to love.

Screecaps from the trailer!


Right, this took me a while, but if you click the "read more" you should get a ton of screen captures from the new HTTYD film. Some of them are quite informative if you study them, and this movie seriously looks like it is living up to its predecessor! You'll want to open them in new tabs so as to see them full sized.

Aw', Look!


Toothless is as excited about HTTYD2 as we are XD

Welp, this is really just my post to let everyone know that's I've seen the trailer, I'm taking screenshots (thanks to everyone who tried to get the file to me), AND everybody who reads my blog best grab hold of something... a flood of posts is on the way! I've still got TONS of school and stuff that must be done, but that's not gonna stop me from writing some stuff up (and by some, I mean about six or seven lengthy posts)!


Wednesday, April 9, 2014

HTTYD2 rating

Right, a poster has been released with the PG rating for HTTYD2 (yes, it isn't PG-13, though Dean seems to be trying to make us think he'll go there!).

The problem is that the poster is small. So it's quite hard to read the type that explains why it has been rated as such, but here's my best interpretation:

Action and Adventure.

War Sequence.

Mild Rude Humor.


My one hope is that the "mild rude humor" is nothing more than we saw in the first film. Seriously, that would stink if they tossed in some crass jokes, but at the same time the Vikings are pretty rough and rude people, so if the humor is used just to offset Hiccup and display that he's still not like the other Vikings... then I'm ok. I just don't want to be upset with any parts in this film. Ooh, and note that we've lost the "brief mild language" from the first one... so that's good I suppose (though honestly if the rude humor is going to be pervasive, it will really make me sad. Ugh.).

Wow... this is cool! What a privilege!


So... I go to my wiki talk page. I do that a lot, often it's just sorting out a debate on what a class a dragon is or whether we should split pages between book and movie versions. Then at other times I get awesome personal messages or notes from friends. But, today I got something special! One of the head wiki staff members contacted ME wanting to ask questions about HTTYD that would be featured in an article about specific films and fandoms, and this article will be posted on the main wikia site! It's a huge honor, it really is, and I'm super excited to be able to represent the fandom and tell the world why our film is so amazing!

Haha, when I said DreamWorks was throwing a ton at me, I had no clue just how many posts I'd be making! This is my third today. Click the "read more" to see my conversation with the guy and my answers to his questions.

Two Months of Peace. Part II


For those of you who read my Chronicles, it's back to Toothless and Hiccup! This one is a fairly calm, mostly character building one, but it's more significant than you would think! It's not too long... about eight pages worth. I'm extremely happy to be posting this and anticipate writing more. Sorry it took me a bit to get back to them, but hopefully it will be worth the wait. Feel free to post comments with thoughts or questions. I love hearing from my readers. It's really good to have this finalized, and hey, it's my third one with and illustration! Click the "read more" to read the Chronicle.

New. Valka. Poster!


Ok, Gobber was cool, and I said we'd seen bits of Valka's poster floating around, but now that it is actually out, I AM BLOWN AWAY. For one thing Cloudjumper is so, so, stinking awesome! The texturing on his head... especially the top bit, I can't put my finger on which animal it reminds me of... starfish maybe? Whatever it is, he's gorgeously detailed! This is also the first time I've been able to clearly see that Valka has blue eyes! Her uniform looks nice, that dragon gauntlet certainly fits her! And then again the details are so gorgeous! Her leather looks so worn, even more than Hiccup's does (and that makes since because she's probably been using this suit for over ten years!). She and Stoick both have grey hairs... another nice addition to the realism of this film (yes, of course a dragon film can be realistic!)

It's great to see Cloudjumper doing EXACTLY what Toothless did with Hiccup. Now, I'm not saying he and Valka have the exact same kind of relationship, but I am saying he and Toothless apparently have done something similar. They both have such an epic, tough-guy, kind of regal amount of presence to them. Toothless was the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself... and he was given that title for a reason! Cloudjumper (as seen in the trailer and described on the website) is a very proud and confident creature, second only to the Bewilderbeast (and given his size and anatomy, it's no wonder that Cloudjumper feels pretty confident in his own abilities!). But both incredible dragons, both Toothless and Cloudjumper, apparently are both so willing to step down from their position of legends and transform into the most tenderly affectionate companions. It's beautiful. It's what made Toothless so amazing... not that he was cute, but that he was so terrifying and yet transformed so completely when exposed to Hiccup's bond. Apparently Cloudjumper could be much the same. I look forward to their dynamic!

Haha! With the trailer coming out tomorrow, DreamWorks is flooding us with so many gorgeous pieces of fandoming material!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

New Gobber poster!


Wow! This is an unexpected (though pleasant and exciting) reveal! A new Gobber poster! Wow, we have hardly gotten a view of this guy in the trailers, so it is nice to get an HD still of him. His dragon's name is grump... and from what I can gather from the trailers and this image... he looks kinda like a deformed Gronckle! It is nice that Gobber will have his own dragon, and judging by this poster he and it should have a pretty fun dynamic! 

Gobber... well, he's still Gobber, just older and with even more rough edges and gristle than before! His helmet is now equipped with some sort of vizor that can serve as a face mask. One thing that I think is interesting is that his arm now has a brace! Poor guy, age is catching up, so I guess it's no surprise that he needs a little help moving around his massive prosthetic attachments. 

I just love the details of ALL of these posters, but I think Gobber's clearly displays that HTTYD is still willing to realistically surface and detail everything, even if it's dirty, hairy, or gross! I look forward to possibly getting a Valka, and even a Stoick poster as well (hey, and I'd love to see Drago and Eret get some fanfare too!). We've seen a small glimpse of Valka and Cloudjumper, and it looks great, but I'm not going to post the image until they make it an official poster. The next and final trailer is coming out in just two days, so things are really picking up! I hope I'll have enough time to keep posting and be up to date on all this great stuff.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Just Because Everything's Changing...


So... I was actually a tad late in creating this! It is a gift for Inhonoredglory and Toothlesslove because yesterday (and I believe sort of today [April 5-6]) is their second year anniversary of watching HTTYD (and I believe GotNF! Luck people got to see both of them the same day XD). I actually don't know the exact date that I got to see HTTYD... but I believe it would have been early to mid April. Ugh... I wish I knew my "watched-ya" day. Anyway, I hope they had a great day! I certainly had an awesome time the last time I watched the film, so if they wound up getting to do that, I hope it was a real treat.

As for the art-piece, it isn't much. I actually almost missed the date altogether, and that made me feel terrible. I was rushed for time, and this was originally going to be a full blown painting. As it stands, it's only a line art. It is a parity of the first hug in GotNF (and as far as we know the first hug Hiccup gave to Toothless). But, as is hopefully clear, there are some differences! Hiccup is older, and because of that he's taller. This meant I had to adjust Toothless's position, and it was trickier than I expected. Hiccup and Toothless are both sporting their sequel changes, what with more nubs on Toothless and new gear on Hiccup. The little bit of type I've got on there is actually inspired by Glory's Anniversary video she made for their first HTTYD celebration. That video is just pure art, so I took some of the song limits and applied them to older Hiccup and Toothless.

Hope they like it! Wish I could have made them something more...

Friday, April 4, 2014

Just a note to my readers

Hey, tomorrow (April 5th) I will be going to a several hour long prayer meeting and fasting. I intend to fast from the HTTYD stuff for that day, so if you do make comments or contact me, you'll have to wait until the 6th for my return. I'm sure you'll understand, I just don't want to be distracted from more important things even though I do really love HTTYD and do enjoy hearing from all of you.

More on Valka revealed


The HTTYD2 site has released information on Valka. Unfortunately... the information is mostly what we knew already from previous interviews and stuff. BUT, one strange and crucial fact has been revealed: When Valka was abducted it was during a dragon raid.

Dean said before that Valka was abducted, and I assume that Stoick and all the others were forced to assume that she had been killed (considering she didn't show back up for almost twenty years, can you blame them?). However, we were never told that she was abducted, apparently, by dragons. My question is, how did that lead to her leaving her family behind and becoming the dragons' fiercest defender? I do have to wonder, was this abduction planned? If so, that was a low blow for sure. It is understandable that maybe she wanted a way to escape from Berk where dragon slaughter was the norm and peace was impossible, but she left her infant son and husband. Kinda rough. Maybe the abduction was genuine, but then I'm forced to wonder how she didn't end up as a dragon's meal. Did Cloudjumper take her? Wooohooohoooo... that would be intense! Kind of a "train your dragon or be eaten by him" sort of moment! Ah, I'm just speculating around, but I'm just fascinated by her backstory. So many questions. How was she taken? Why was she taken? Was it planned? Did she discover something after being captured to make her want to stay? Why didn't she return to Berk? Could she have returned? Just lots of stuff.

I imagine she could have gone back eventually. I mean, we see that she's riding a dragon, so there's no way she was stranded! Most confusing of all... the site says that she is at her heart she is still in love with Stoick and feels motherly affection for Hiccup. Then WHY did she leave them to try and live alone? I'm very confused, but in a good way. Honestly, I wonder if she sacrificed that love for her family so as to serve a cause that she felt had to be fought for. If that's the case... it does give her kind of a tragic feel, like she wanted to be a mother and a wife but she had to leave that behind.

Not a whole lot of information, I know, but it's still enough to get me speculating!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Freshmen Year Toothless (line art)


Well, I've been wanting to do this piece for a while, and now I finally have! This is a picture of my dorm (mess and all), with me and Toothless both in the room. To be honest, I've got an an active imagination and have at times envisioned the dragon being near to me in times of stress, sadness, or boredom. So, I'm on the top bunk, and my roommate is blissfully either uninterested or ignorant of the dragon's presence in the room. I must admit drawing myself is hard, and I used several reference images. This is, obviously, a line art, but I am considering painting it. It will just depend on how much free time I have. Haha, if you haven't yet discovered what I look like... I suppose this drawing will give you a rough idea. Man, drawing "real" people alongside animated characters is hard. I keep learning that lesson each time I try to do this kind of crossover. I had to make sure to get Toothless as detailed as the rest of the room... but in the end I hope it works.

Anyway, yup, me and Toothless at college. While everyone else is stuck on Breaking Bad or Walking Dead, I'm happily dreaming up a beautiful, innocent, powerful, and loving dragon to keep me company. The joys of an imagination. Anyway, haha, this would be a total dream-come-true for me... and I bet I'm not the only one who wished they had a Toothless!