Flying Forward (Happy Birthday Inhonoredglory!)

Happy bday Glory! I hope you have a wonderful day. I tried to quickly make you something... but boy did I have an art block until the last moment! 

Merry Christmas!

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy Snoggletog! I've had a lovely morning filled with great gifts and memories with my family! I'm gonna post pics of the "loot" below. Above are some Christmas cookies I made. The very bottom one is my attempt at Roy Mustang's flame alchemy transmutation circle. Toothless is obviously in the middle, and the red and white cookie is the Hoshidan royal crest (from Fire Emblem Fates). Above that is the Nohrian crest (which my bro made... as I am pro Hoshido and he is pro Nohr). Then you have Sans and Grimm (from Hollow Knight) at the top!

How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming

Well... Long-time no post! How is everyone? I guess it takes a full-blown short to drag me up out of the grave and get me typing! In all seriousness, my work has been killer recently. I'm preparing for a committee meeting (which happens to be tomorrow), and it has left me much less free time. All that stress has gotten me into sort of a rut, and it makes it really hard to relax and enjoy my fandoming. Anyway, enough about me, let me tackle the short! I'll be covering it probably pretty quickly, both the aspects I loved and the parts that I'm not sure about, so let's get going.

Turning 25!

Hey everyone! Gosh, I am so absent these days! I turned twenty-five this last Friday, and I just wanted to do a quick thank you to the many people who made that day extremely special. Also, though I haven't posted about it, I am extremely excited (ha, and almost conflicted) about the new HTTYD short that has been announced: Homecoming. But, anyway, let's get onto the thank you!

Companions Forever (Happy Birthday Toothlesslove!)

Happy Birthday, Toothlesslove! And also, hey there everyone else! I know I've been kinda absent (haha... maybe because it's super hard to acknowledge that HTTYD is over, so coming back to the blog post-HTTYD is just a reminder that their story is over), but I wanted to share this art piece which I made as a gift for my dear fan and fellow HTTYD lover: Toothlesslove!

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"

How They View Their Dragons

Now that we've seen the last chapter of the HTTYD story, I want to expand upon a post a wrote way back comparing Hiccup, Valka, and Drago. This will be my attempt to analyze the mindset of each of these characters, especially in regard to the dragons that inhabit their world. This will contain spoilers, so please only read ahead if you've seen the third film!

Toothless: The Motives Behind His Actions

Although I think the second movie is a strong sequel to HTTYD, one thing did feel lacking until the third act. Unlike the first film, Toothless's actions in the beginning of the second had very little impact on the plot. He was there, and it was fun to see him interacting with Hiccup, but I know myself and many other fans wished the film would have given him a more developed arch.

Then we get the third film. Every one of Toothless's actions has shattering impact on the story as a whole. It was fantastic, but also kinda scary! He isn't a speaking character, so often times we are left to interpret how much he knows and what he is thinking. I am going to address some instances in the third film where I think it is critical to look at Toothless's actions in the proper light if all the themes are going to be woven together... and more importantly, these areas need to be viewed properly for Toothless to feel in character.

Deathgrippers

HTTYD3 gave us many new things to appreciate and analyze (along with taking our hearts out and stomping on them). One such new jewel is Grimmel’s personal pack of hunting dragons: The Deathgrippers. In this post, I want to analyze their anatomy and abilities, and also discuss why I really enjoyed their involvement in the plot.

HTTYD3: My Interpretation of The Ending

So, I plan to analyze the very final scenes of HTTYD3. Obviously, this will have spoilers, so please only read it if you've seen the film!

Friendship vs Romantic Love: Which one Triumphs in HTTYD3?

This is the first of my posts with SPOILERS. If you haven't seen HTTYD3 yet, don't read this post. I'll be diving into numerous important scenes and discussing the plot as a whole. What I want to tackle is the issue of whether or not HTTYD3 replaces the core heart of the franchise (which has thus far been the strong friendship between Hiccup and Toothless) with romantic love.

HTTYD3: Spoiler Free Review

Well, I've just now left the theater. I'm gonna do a short, spoiler-free review of the film. Hopefully, I will do some more in-depth posts in the very near future, but DANG I need to see it again! SO MUCH IS THERE.

No matter how this ends, it ends TODAY!

'Nuff said. See you guys on the other side!

One Day More!

Well, this is it. The last day before we see the last chapter of Hiccup and Toothless! I've been a mess of conflicted feelings, but it's totally worth it! 

This was my calendar image for today! Man, how perfect! This moment is one of many that I am extremely eager to see... because I have no idea what might trigger this or how it will end.

And for old time's sake, I've been listening to this song! Haha, I bought it and listened to it all day back in 2014 before I saw the second film (and then consequently hated the song for several months!). It's so strange to be so happy! Everyone else is walking around like it's a normal, simple day... but I am having a really hard time not just exploding from nostalgia, excitement, and feels!

My little brother is coming up to stay the night with me. I'm hoping to play the Dsplash rpg with him, and I know we'll play some smash brothers. I'm just trying to keep it together at this point! We are so close to the end!!!

Watching (sobbing) through the Second Film... the Last Time Before We See The End

Whew, well... I tackled the second movie this evening! Gosh, it's basically just one day until seeing the third one! I knew this day would come eventually, just not so soon! I don't feel ready! I've made notes while watching through the second film, but they probably aren't as thoughtful as the ones I made for the first one (because I was crying too much, tbh!!). If you'd like to see my thoughts, click the "read more".

Watching The First Film... The Last Time Before I See The End

Well, I just finished watching the first film! I jotted down a few of my thoughts and reactions that I had during that watch-through. If you wanna see me be sappy, click the read more!

ONE WEEK

Well, it's just one week now until I will have seen HTTYD3 (roughly to the hour)! It's so crazy to think that the sequel is so close. I've had a much weirder ride building up to it. For one, I spent the entirety of last year so miserable and stressed out by my job/boss that I hardly had time to focus on fandom stuff... so the third movie has kinda snuck up on me! On the other hand, we got a lot of news dumped on us that had a bunch of fans arguing over whether it was good or bad (especially the Light Fury). Unlike waiting for the second film, I wasn't really concerned at all waiting for this one. I feel like a part of that is because I saw how well Dean handled Hiccup's development and the story as a whole in the second film, and I trusted him to do it again. Plus, I'd heard the reactions of people like Cressida Cowell and Steven Spielberg, and they both said they loved the film.

So, yeah, I'm gonna watch HTTYD, GotNF, and HTTYD2 this week in anticipation of Saturday. It's a really surreal feeling... drawing this close to the end. I'm both excited and kinda sad! It is going to be the end of an era. It will be the last time we wait in eager anticipation for our heroes to soar onto a theater screen. It will be the last time we sit down not knowing how the story will end. It's the final step in this epic tale that has shaped me so deeply as a person, and I am a little scared to take it.

That being said, I think I've made my position clear on being happy that the story will be given genuine closure and not be dragged out in horrendous style like other animated franchises have been. It may be the end of one ear, but it will be the beginning of a different one. It will be the start of being a nerd of a franchise that has immortalized itself as a classic and an icon. It won't be the same, but there will still be this immense joy of having witnessed every last moment of this amazing story. It will be so satisfying to place the HTTYD trilogy on a shelf and proudly look back at it years from now and say: There were dragons when I was a boy.

HTTYD3 Funko Pop Review

Well, I picked up my favorite Funko Pops to date (Although that Roy Mustang Pop gives the Light Fury a run for her money!)! I'm gonna take a bunch of pics and give a few comments on these guys. If you are interested, click the "read more".

The Dragon in Amestris

So, this is somewhat random, but Inhonoredglory and Toothlesslove have shared some Fullmetal Alchemist/HTTYD crossover stories with me and I really like the concept! They recommended I write one, so I have put this small piece together. If you've seen Fullmetal Alchemist, this might be a fun read! If you've not finished it... it doesn't have any major spoilers, so it's pretty safe. 

Anyway, I hope you like it!

HTTYD3 EARLY SHOWINGS

Go. Buy. Tickets. Now.

If you live in the US, you probably are somewhat on edge right now if you are an HTTYD fan. Lots of other people in the fandom who don't live here have gotten the chance to see the climactic final part of Hiccup and Toothless's story, but you are stuck waiting for MONTHS until the US release! I. feel like I'm missing the party, missing all the initial spazzing out and discussions and analysis!

Thankfully, we do get this one golden opportunity to see the third film 20 DAYS EARLY. That's right! After the second of February, I will have seen the movie, and this blog will no longer be an anti-spoiler zone (I'll still keep spoilers under a "read more" cause I know not everyone can make it)!! 

I'm so excited!! 

Jan 1

Inhonoredglory and Toothlesslove made me a super cool daily calendar and gave it to me when we got to visit each other this last December! I've decided to post what the pages for each day are on my blog! I may do weekly summaries so as to avoid cluttering this space up too much, but each and every day is gonna be unique, and I'm really excited to see what each day holds! 

Looking forward to this new year! Man, HTTYD3 is so soon!!