hollowwhisperings

[hollowwhisperings]

Book Jacket Credit Hunt, #1: Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

I popped back onto tumblr today to an explosion of reblogs on a post on Kazul, greatest & mightiest dragon of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles book series, and several corrections on the artist responsible for that specific Kazul.

Trina Schart Hyman created this version of Kazul & Cimorene, stars of Dealing With Dragons in its 1st edition, but I incorrectly credited the artist as being Dalia Hartman.

My best guess is that I stopped my search for the artist after Google & Wikipedia's crediting of "Dalia Hartman +14 others".

So which cover did Dalia Hartman do?

The only other covers with illustrator credits I've found in an exclusively virtual search are these:

JP Hardback & 2002 ENG editions, jackets by Peter de Sève.

2004 FR edition's cover, by Yves Besnier.

That's it.

Online, most vendors don't bother providing extra details on any given book past langage, page count, & publisher. It's not even a given that translators will be named, in non-English editions.

So I come to you, the collective fandoms of Tumblr, and ask: if you access to a physical copy of this book (in any language or edition), could you share what name is given for the cover artist?

In English language books, details on any given book are generally found on the first page with printed words, typically the page left of a Table of Contents but sometimes snuck before/after an Author's Note. That said, my knowledge on physical books is several years out of date: I haven't been able to read non-large print novels since 2020.

These are some other, not obviously credited covers of Dealing With Dragons that I've found:

(from left to right: 2001 German edition; ? Turkish; 2019 Turkish; ? Thai; 2006 Czech.)

Thanks to everyone who sent corrections along on the original Kazul post (which I accidentally deleted: progressively weaker vision + touchscreen = skill issue)! Seeing so much love for the Great & Mighty King Kazul, the series she stars in & the cover art of her debut book genuinely made my day. <3

#dealing with dragons #king kazul #enchanted forest chronicles #patricia c. wrede #book jacket hunt #western dragons

[hollowwhisperings]

I made an offhand comment about the covers of Dealing With Dragons yesterday, and I found that I still have a lot of thoughts and feelings on this subject. And it’s Valentine’s Day, so I’m going to talk for a while about something that I love.

This, by Tim Hildebrandt, is the cover of the edition that I checked out of the public library multiple times as a kid. It’s good enough that it got me to pick up the book, but I find it lacking in humor, and it doesn’t even suggest that this princess and this dragon are going to become close friends. In general I’m also not a huge fan of Hildebrandt’s dragon design. To my eye Kazul here is too small, too bumpy, and too starey. The chameleon eyes are an interesting design choice to make the dragon more like a real-world lizard, but it also makes her look alien.

Keep reading

#dealing with dragons #enchanted forest chronicles #king kazul #book jackets #i am generally of a mindset wherein every dragon is a good dragon (unless it's shapechanged into something else) #but definitely agree RE: cimorene & practical dress #cimorene is very much pro-dress reform #which is very suffragist of her #patricia c. wrede

[hollowwhisperings]

...the immediate horror when, rather than entering Edit, you discover you have accidentally shanked your post. ヽ(；▽；)ノ

(we'll always have the reblogs, King Kazul)

#i meant to edit the original post to correct which artist was credited with the 1st ed book jacket #dealing with dragons #'s 1st ed cover artist was Trina Schart Hyman #dalia hartman did a different cover (that i am struggling to find) #i'm hoping to do a post covering every book jacket featuring kazul #because she remains one of my top choices for Best Dragon (a very competitive category) & Best Kings (a bit of a cricket town tbh)

[hollowwhisperings]

Σ(×_×;)! Thanks for the correction!

I've been trying to figure out which covers were done by whom online and have been having little luck: it was a lot easier to crossreference things like this with physical books!

Great & Mighty Dragons: King Kazul, Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

Source: Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, first edition. Cimorene & Kazul feature on this edition's cover art, as illustrated by Dalia Hartman.

#dealing with dragons #echanted forest chronicles #patricia c. wrede #trina schart hyman #dalia hartman #the quest to credit art appropriately continues...

[hollowwhisperings]

two lonely rabbits, two hearts beating as one 🐇🖤🤍 (animated gif)

old sketch from march I decided to finish <3 usually when one of my sketches (intending to become a completed drawing) gets put on the backburner, it never surfaces. I usually have to prioritize other drawings and then months or years pass and once I have time, I lose interest and start other drawings in their place... but I'm glad I mustered up the energy to finish this one, ESPECIALLY since I strongly felt I needed more gothic pieces in my gallery hehe

the relationships between characters in this series are so interesting, because there are so many character parallels. I actually had to change the personality of white alice from the sketch to the final, since I .. think I misinterpreted her story! (so I think it turned out less gothic horror than desired but you know what I'll take this <3) I first read this story when I was 14 and I 1000% BET I'll still be finding nuances and new details in the writing years into the future...

I had a lot of fun with the animation albeit just being a blink animation 😩👍 but blinks can be animated in a variety of ways! in terms of my animation skills, I do consider myself on the weaker side. so if i can integrate more animation frames into my illustrations, it'll help me become more familiar and comfortable with the medium. I especially like the difference in how many frames it takes for dark Alice vs white Alice to blink. I think the blinks came out fluidly and I'm quite satisfied with how this drawing came out!

#pandora hearts #alice #will of the abyss #warning: they blink #mochizuki jun #fanart

[hollowwhisperings]

rescue the dragon from captivity & offer vengeance on its enemies. it is highly recommended that one brings both healing potions & apple pies.

cast "animal friendship" & hope your DM is willing to overlook technicalities.

if you are a magically conversational quadraped, roll to seduce the dragon.

if the dragons of your setting are shapeshifters, roll to seduce the dragon (please check your world's target demographic first: this is most often successful for those in the "villainess" or "yaoi" genres).

get the dragon as a cursed tattoo & survive. continue surviving, indefinitely, & eventually the dragon will consider you acceptable. do not try if human.

be very good at playing the harp.

be in korea. witness the most humiliating moment of the dragon's life &, by the gods, DO NOT SAY THE WORD "SNAKE"!

be a knight-in-training. refuse to kill the dragon, as you have been ordered, & offer, instead, your friendship. note: generally not advised if within the "dark fantasy" or "horror" genres.

how to train your dragon, meta edition.

the hiccup method: develop trust and comaradery over time, food acting as the go-to icebreaker.

talk to dragons, ideally in their own draconic language/s or with telepathy. if those are biologic impossibilities, educating yourself on draconic customs and on recent (for them) politics show you to be acting in Good Faith.

beat the dragon in a fight, shōnen protagonist style.

survive the dragon doing its best to kill you.

be good at riddles and fluent in the complexities of governance. a balance between pragmatism & benevolence can prove crucial.

hatch & raise the dragon lovingly.

have a very susy family tree that may or may not have featured gene splicing, blood magic, and man-made eldritch abominations.

#dragonology #how to train your dragon #the enchanted forest chronicles #elden ring #yugioh #chinese folklore #deltora quest #house targaryen #elder scrolls skyrim #seraphina #lout of the count's family #the first shrek #yu yu hakusho #how to become a dragon #jane and the dragon #crossbreed priscilla

[hollowwhisperings]

Keyblade Warrior Princesses

Instagram: @averyota

#kh fanart #keyblades #princesses of heart #tinkerbell&sally #stroke of midnight keyblade #fairy harp keyblade #divine rose keyblade #three wishes keyblade #lady luck keyblade #pumpkin head keyblade #i may or may not have spent the past hour squinting at keyblades for Lore Purposes #these designs are so cool! <3 <3 <3 #snow white & aurora are the missing disney princesses here (in case you were wondering)

[hollowwhisperings]

scara weps but twitter

#wanderer #genshin fanart #the hat truthers slayed me #scaramouche #the puppet formerly known as balladeer #ft bonus mona & ajax

[hollowwhisperings]

more wonderland AU

#genshin fanart #genshin aether #la signora #ningguang #lumine #genshin venti #hu tao #this is funnier after marathon reading pandora hearts #all of this artist's work is unreasonably adorable

[hollowwhisperings]

#kokomi #genshin gorou #kokomi&gorou #taroumaru is that you #it's a fish-eat-fish world out here #genshin fanart

[hollowwhisperings]

when your boyfriend’s auntie won’t approve of your relationship

#chongqiu #genshin fanart #xingqiu #shenhe #chongyun #when cloud retainer's not home

[hollowwhisperings]

a part of me died

#genshin venti #zhongli #genshin ei #genshin fanart #archon war #i love how this is still somehow in the “shallow” end of genshin's tragedies #nowhere better to hide bodies than within the endless textboxes of world quests

[hollowwhisperings]

somewhere in time

#fengqing #feng xin #mu qing #tgcf fanart #tian guan ci fu

[hollowwhisperings]

(fengqing 🏹⚔️)

the piece that i drew for the december 2023 fengqing advent calendar organized by @fengqinghub !! 🌟 i hope that you liked it!!

the generals went on a mission together again. no matter how cold it is outside, they can make each other's hearts warm ☺️❄️ i think they would look so striking in their black robes and golden armor against the white snowy sky

#fengqing #tgcf #tgcf fanart #tian guan ci fu #feng xin #mu qing

[hollowwhisperings]

Naminé & Roxas Are Twins

(this meta was inspired by @violethowler's Constructing Kingdoms series on YT)

In KH2, the relationship between Sora & Roxas is seemingly paralleled with that of Naminé & Kairi. It is explained by characters in-game that Naminé, a Nobody, must have been created by Kairi's presence in Sora's Heart during KH1. Thusly is it concluded that Naminé must be the Nobody of Kairi, another facet of that Princess of Heart.

Except... Kairi is a Princess of Heart: a being of pure light, without any Darkness of her own. It is physically impossible for Naminé to be Kairi's Nobody.

At no point has Kairi exhibited the capacity to hold Darkness. Kairi's lack of Darkness is, arguably, one of the major reasons for her lack of combat prowess: without "darkness" of her own, Kairi is unable to feel the selfishness needed to hurt others. This is a small, fundamental kind of Darkness that all living things carry: without it, a Princess of Heart is all too essily incapacitated by selflessness.

Naminé isn't (can't) be Kairi's Nobody: she, like Roxas, is a Nobody of Sora & Ventus. Naminé and Roxas are twins.

Roxas and Naminé are unlike any other Nobody within the KH setting: they alone were capable of developing "selfhood", independently from their Hearts of origin. This is due to the many unique circumstances of their birth: Sora's self-sacrifice in KH1. That event featured multiple oddities likely to affect Sora's Heart, Heartless & the Nobodies created: self-sacrifice (love); heartlessness via keyblade; the specific keyblade used (the Keyblade of [People's] Hearts); the origin of said keyblade (Riku the ???, the person Sora likely loved most at the time); the presence of Kairi, a Princess of Heart, within Sora's Heart; the presence of Ventus, an artificial "Princess of Heart"; the location of the sacrifice (Ansem's Lab in Hollow Bastion, a World fallen to Darkness)... and likely even more factors, known & as yet unaddressed.

As twin Nobodies to Sora's Heartless, Roxas & Naminé were affected by all variables noted above. Sora has been the Host of several Hearts for his entire life: that makes him special, even before Riku chose Sora to be a keyblade wielder. I venture that the Heart most relevant to Naminé's birth was not Kairi's but Ven's: for where Roxas most resembles Sora in disposition, Naminé resembles Ventus-without-Vanitas. Kairi's presence within Sora's Heart had effects, yes, but less than perhaps understood.

The misunderstanding, I argue, comes largely from Kairi's longterm role of "Designated Female": as the lone KH-original female for much of KH's early development (& popularity), Kairi is often considered a "default option" with regards to all things feminine. This feeds not only into assumptions of a Kairi-focused love triangle but also into an overinflation of Kairi's presence in the story.

As with Xion, Naminé's true identity is obscured, in-game & within fandom, by her gender: "Xion & Naminé are female; the only female in proximity to this plotline is Kairi: Xion & Naminé must therefors be derivative personas of Kairi".

Here, as always, Kairi serves as a convenient "default" of femininity, misdirecting players and characters from the queer potential within KH. It is wholly believed, by Sora & the girls in question, that Naminé was Kairi's Nobody. Yet, it is never Kairi whose story and character is most expanded by Naminé's involvement: Naminé's story is, instead, a follow-up to that of BBS's Ventus.

Kairi struggles with a forgotten past, loss & a resistance to change (of "growing up"). Naminé, in parallel & in contrast, experiences the kind of life that Kairi has forgotten: [medical abuse], extortion & isolation. Naminé's time with Organization XIII & with DiZ mirrors that of VEN's with Master Xehanort (&, to a lesser degree, with Master Eraqus).

Kairi's history as a test subject of Xehanort &, possibly, of Ansem the Wise? She's forgotten it and, outside of Melody of Memories, we never get to see how it affected her.  Kairi's Ambiguously Traumatic Past is only ever used for her in her role as "MacGuffin" (i.e. an object of plot importance & no other story-relevant function, one that is ultimately interchangeable with). Kairi's story barely affects Naminé's & Naminé's doesn't affect Kairi's either: the characters most changed by Naminé's character arc were Sora & Riku. This further alludes to Naminé not truly originating from Kairi's Darkness but from Sora-Ven.

The duality of Sora-Ven is reflected in Sora's producing two distinct ("twin") Nobodies during KH1. Roxas is most reflective of Sora but physically looks like Ventus; Naminé is most reminiscent of Ventus-without-Vanitas but (allegedly) "looks like Kairi": this does not occur in the Nobodies of other hybrid-beings, as evident in Xemnas (Terra & Xehanort) & Xigbar (Braig & Luxu). In this way, Naminé & Roxas are more akin to Xion than most every other Nobody.

Ignoring the gender binaries (canonically used & assumed in-universe), the characters that Naminé actually resembles are Ventus (who I propose as Naminé's "primary" origin) & Xion (another artificial being with Sora Origins).

Narratively & thematically, Naminé's arc from CoM to KH2 was a continuation of Ven's story in Birth By Sleep. Both characters are strongly tied to themes of isolation, abusive authority figures, and artificial life. While other characters - Xion, Repliku & Terra-Xehanort - also explore these themes, Kairi notably does not.

I will note that Naminé does not NEED to be Kairi's Nobody to act as her narrative foil: I just find that identifying Naminé with Kairi is buying into the very same (false) Binaric Gender Roles that CoM, Days & (to a lesser extent) BBS sought to poke holes in. Tiny, easily mistranslated-into-nonexistence holes but holes nonetheless. Attempting to conflate Naminé with Kairi is to give the latter character more narrative presence than she truly has, in an effort to reconcile the two together beyond "similarly aged females in proximity to KH's plot".

#kh meta #kh nobodies #naminé #naminé and roxas are twins #naminé is ven's nobody #kairi the character #kairi the designated female #female characters in kingdom hearts #princesses of heart #sora's heart hotel #kairi & naminé #ventus & naminé #kh theories #queer readings #this is two different essays/theories merged into two: “quality” shifts notably #edit later

[hollowwhisperings]

sometimes a person is alone with nought but their thoughts to accompany them for so long that

they completely forget not only the bounds of propriety

but forget, also, the basics of human courtesy.

their understanding of human conversation shrinks to the stuff of fictional monologues and impassioned internet commentary.

their ability to adapt their tone from person to person, setting to setting, becomes confused: here, concise critiques are lingua franca; there, softness and emotionalism; and, always, without the nuances of verbal clues to denote their speech.

it is harder, in text, to differentiate affectionate teasing from blunt recitation: in comment sections, everyone is a stranger and everyone is overfamiliar.

the parasocial ties of shared fandoms, shared viewing, skews perceptions of "when" it is okay to say something (and "how" it can be said).

by some point, the ambiguity of tone and perception becomes too much: the isolated withdraw further, disengage from even these abstractions of "real" socialization, and commit themselves to silence.

it's the only way, their paranoia claims, to ensure they cannot be misunderstood.

(and so, as lonely islands, they resign themselves to never making themselves understood at all)

none of this is apparent nor visible, to the perplexed bystander on the "other side" of their screen: to them, the shut-in is one more unwanted instance of entertainment, novelty and harassment (and even one can be one too many).

ultimately, of course, some people are just Jerks.

#hollow whispers

[hollowwhisperings]

the bunnies are asserting dominance

#lan jingyi #lan sizhui #lan wangji #mdzs fanart #魔道祖师 #mo dao zu shi #mxtx fanart #mdzs #cloud recesses #gusu lan