HTTYD2: Five Year Anniversary

Well, it's that day again! June 13th has rolled around, and this marks five years since HTTYD2 was released. It's kinda funny... because, in the years between HTTYD and HTTYD2, I really did not anticipate the direction the franchise was going. I genuinely thought all the characters would stay about the same age, that we might get a human villain or some sort of treasure quest (based on the second HTTYD book). I was shocked when the images confirming the aged up characters hit the internet! But, now looking back, I'm really thankful for those decisions. HTTYD2 is not my favorite out of the three films, but it is an absolute masterpiece. The complexity and counter-intuitiveness of the themes is brilliant. After the very archetypical storyline of the first film (in which a visionary young person follows their heart and changes the opinions of all the closed minded adults), it was really refreshing to see a film that gave the adults credit, a film that showed the heavy weight of idealism. Hiccup gets a devastating blow in the second film, something that could have shattered him and his views forever, but he weathers the storm, and it makes for a fantastic climax. 

However, even if we ignore the particular themes of pacifism, human cruelty, being "born-different", and unconditional love, the second film still holds a gem that shines out bright even when compared to the other two films: we get to see Hiccup vocalize his motivations. Hiccup is an incredibly introverted protagonist, and his best friend is a dragon who does not speak. As such, we get this rich mine for analysis: what is Hiccup thinking? Why is he doing that? What are his motivations? What does he want to be? Who does he admire? For years many people in the fandom had noticed and loved the selfless attitude Hiccup so often expressed, but then in the funeral scene, we actually see just how much Hiccup wants to be like his dad. He wants to be brave. He wants to be selfless. That scene still stuns me. It feels perfectly natural and in-character for Hiccup to finally vent in this darkest and saddest of times. And with that speech, we see exactly what Hiccup has been thinking and feeling for the past two films, and it is a stunning testimony to how well Dean and Jay worked to craft this quiet, humble hero. 

So, yeah, I'm gonna watch the film again tonight! Kinda worried I'll cry a lot... but it has to be done!

Doodle Dump

Well, I do confess that, once again, my job does kinda keep me from drawing as much as I did in college, but I do have some doodles! It's not many, but one of them is kinda intricate. Lots of them have to do with the Dimension Splash RPG my brother and a few friends have been playing. I'll just post them here.

Art Commission: The Nameless King

Hey guys! Yes, it's me... I'm not dead (though the post-HTTYD3 feels have scared me away from blogging for far too long)! I wanted to share an art piece I commissioned from Jennifer Tamochunas (nahamut on Teepublic, where I first encountered her art). I had bought a few of her designs (Solaire for my younger brother, Gael and Artorias for two friends of mine), but I really wanted the Nameless King to be part of her lineup. After all, out of the many interesting characters in the Dark Souls trilogy, none have ever struck me quite as hard as the Nameless King.

His story is a somber one. The Nameless King's father, Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, led a war to exterminate the ancient dragons. His firstborn son was raised to be the true heir of his power, and for years the Nameless King led an elite band of knights into combat against the terrifying, powerful creatures. However, at some point during the war, the Nameless King had a change of heart. He turned against everything he had known and sided with the remaining dragons. Because of this, his deific status was stripped from him, his monuments torn down, and his name completely removed from history. You can find him in a haven for dragons with a mighty Storm Drake in Dark Souls III. If you kill his dragon, he will claim the dragon's soul in order to grant him the power to slay you, but before doing so... his hand trembles. His lore is super intricate, and I adore how many small details you can pick up about him, even though he is shrouded in so much mystery.

In many ways, his story strikes me as being similar to a "what could have been" for Hiccup and Toothless. After all, the dragons were feared and hated in Berk, and at one point Hiccup considered running away. The Nameless King is like a sad ending to Hiccup's story. What if the world hadn't changed, what if Stoick had cast him out... for good? It's easy to imagine Hiccup growing old over years and years, alone in the stormy sky alongside his dragon. And that's why I like the Nameless King so much... he's like a dark mirror of the HTTYD story!

As for the art itself, I can't begin to say how pleased I am with it! I've never commissioned a piece before, but I got a lot of feedback from the artist and even got to see a kind of half-way-done sketch! I was really happy with the entire experience, and I do want to thank Jennifer sincerely for all the effort she put into making this such a stunning image. 

If you are interested, this shirt is available on Teepublic. I am also going to include a link to Jennifer Tamochunas' personal art site.

The Shirt

Her Site

Thanks for reading. I plan to review my Night Light Funkos soon as well.

Long live the age of Dragons!

VikingontheBackofaDragon Review of the VR Experience!

Hello, Vikings! You may have heard about the Hidden World virtual reality tour that just finished traveling around the Western and Southern regions of the United States. I was pleased to get to attend a few weeks ago; you can continue to the “Read more” for my review.

There Were Dragons When I Was A Boy

Well, it's taken me a while to get the courage to actually tackle this post. On the one hand, I've been very busy, but the real reason is that writing this, in a way, really acknowledges the fact that the story of How To Train Your Dragon is... over. It's such a bittersweet thing, and I'm so thankful to have been along for the ride. It's the anniversary of HTTYD's release back in 2010, so now is the time to write this thing out. This post will be a sort of homage to the story, especially in how it has changed me as a person. This is my childhood, this is a time when I met a boy and a dragon... and these are the events that happened because of them.

Dangerous Dragons

Although I have used a gif from the second film, I really want to take a moment to appreciate the trilogy as a whole on this subject. I want to tackle the inherent danger of any interaction between humanity and the dragons, how this is balanced in the films, and why it makes the friendship Hiccup has with Toothless all the more remarkable. I was particularly pleased with two scenes in the third film... so let's dive in!

As Long As He's Safe (Happy Secret Odin MandalorianDragonTrainer)

Well, it's time for Secret Odin! I only have a teaser image above... because the whole image is a SPOILER. I sneakily tried to figure out your favorite moment, Mando, so I hope you like the art piece! You can view the whole thing by clicking the "read more"