Influences 2: Fantasy

Fantasy

My big plunge into the fantasy realm occured in fourth grade.

A friend of mine that I met during summer school introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons. I was hooked. The artwork sent my mind soaring. I can still remember the knight in chainmail armor aiming his crossbow at a dragon that was sitting on a hoard. It was in pencil, I believe, but way cool.

So, I invested in books and dice and soon my opther friends and I were playing. I always was partial to wizards. Perhaps the lure of power beyond comprehension, despite their weak frames. Thieves were also a favorite (the pirate influences was far reaching). The game was incredible, making us use our imaginations and wits to build our character (something that should be rediscovered in this video game age). Imagination is a powerful tool.

On my Texas Instruments home computer, there were a couple of fantasy games. There was a role playing game which allowed me up to four characters to go through a ten level dungeon, killing beasts, gaining experience and gold. It was very basxic, by todays standards, but provided hours of fun.

I really started to love fantasy art. My parents gave me a Tim Hildebrandt Dungeons and Dragons calendar for x-mas one year. I loved it. I recommend his art, as well as Boris Vallejo's and Frank Frazetta's.

I collected fantasy figures made of pewter, colorful plastic action figures, Dragon magazines (for their art and game information) and books. I loved the Dungeons and Dragons choose your own adventure series. Quite fun.

When my friends and I were in junior high school, we made an 8mm movie called DICE, a fantasy story that I came up with. I played the Dungeon Master and Evil Wizard. It was fun to make. That was the time when I decided I wanted to get into movies.

Fantasy movies and books kept fueling the fire. I rmemeber early fantasy flicks that influenced me like The Sword and the Sorcerer, Sinbad, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, Legend and Willow. I loved them all, and I still thoroughly enjoy fantasy stories. Mine will hopefully come out in 2011.

Pick up a fantasy book and let your mind wander.

Carpe Diem.

Suggestions:

Books

The Hobbit

Lord of the Rings trilogy

Conan saga

Dragonlance series

Wizard of Earthsea saga

Movies

Lord of the Rings

The Hobbit

Conan the Barbarian/Destroyer

Fire and Ice

Willow

Legend

Dragonheart

Dragonslayer

Video games

Lord of the Rings

Warcraft

Immortal Throne