I’ve Been Brainstorming the Webcomic for Well Over a Decade
Dragonrider’s Dance started long before I started posting it as a webcomic. When I was 13 or 14, I started getting intro to Dungeons and Dragons, Lord of the Rings, and Eragon all at once. I enjoyed reading my dad’s Dragon magazines- especially for the art. I went through a bit of a dragon phase where I wanted to draw dragons all the time. When reading through the lore on dragons I was excited to learn that dragons- especially the silver ones- turned into humans, elves, etc.
That was where I got the idea for Ari- she originally was just me as a dragon (that was also how I learned what a Mary Sue was).
I made the dragon rider, Matthias, almost immediately after. He was like my perfect guy- which was a tall, chill, blonde introvert who liked to read and had some competency with weapons.
The first-ever comic I remember was Ari asking Matthias if their dragon/rider bond was basically the same as getting married- to which Matthias looked it up in a book and thought, somewhat panicking “How long do I wait to tell her she’s right?” I showed it to my parents, and they thought it was very funny, which encouraged me to make more.
They were these cute slice-of-life comics about these two characters living in a dragon lair behind a waterfall- which I based off Silver Falls- a place where my family hiked very frequently that summer. If anything, that hiking spot really inspired me.
The comic (not then a webcomic) consisted frequently of Matthias coming up with inventive ways of getting Ari out of bed (she was a heavy sleeper and not a morning person). Ari would always ask him questions regarding dragons, which he would try to look up and find out. They also would occasionally get visited by Dragonslayers of the North- who at the time were just bumbling morons that fell into traps.
At the time, I felt I was being called to married life when I grew up, so I think a lot of the comic was was me imagining what that would be like with fantastical elements. Weirdly enough, even back then, the romance genre was of no interest to me (which I partly thank my mom for her comical way of pointing out how they build up unrealistic expectations), and I was too much of a prude to draw any scenes that were even remotely romantic. So, their relationship dynamic was more like a roommate situation.
I Never “Outgrew” Ari and Matthias
I’ve made lots of characters, written lots of stories, but there was something about those two that really stuck. I never outgrew Ari and Matthias like I’ve outgrown most of my other OCs.
I tried writing the story again in 2017… AND HATED IT!
Four years ago, I felt inspired to bring Ari and Matthias back to life and have an actual comic! But I kept running in problems. Finally, I decided to shelve the whole thing. Mostly because at the time, I was really close to graduating school, working mostly full time at my retail job, doing art conservation internships, and getting ready to move to Florence for a year. I had no time to run a webcomic, but I was in the process of making thumbnails. They’re on Patreon still.
However, I ended up with a story I wasn’t really excited about. I tried to make Ari and Matthias “gritty and edgy” I guess. Matthias was pretty much the same. I also tried to make Ari more cold and aloof, having been centuries older and more of a mentor character than a partner.
I was also trying to avoid fantasy tropes and cliches at all costs.
I would come up with an idea, realize it wasn’t original, and I was bombarded by messages that many fantasy tropes were “toxic” or “harmful”, even though I didn’t agree with it.
Your brain has a funny way of being ruined by something you hear over and over.
I think it was being corrupted by the politics which was ruining everything creatively during that year.
Why would a a female dragon fall in love with a human?
I was also having trouble justifying why a dragon would fall in love with a human. Especially in a world where dragonslayers existed and actively hunted them- one justification I had was maybe male dragons were just too aggressive and cruel, but I really didn’t like that at all, and it made me not like Matthias either. Was it that Ari liked him because she could easily control him and he was non-threatening?
I just wasn’t buying it. I could never commit to a story I couldn’t believe.
Maybe someone else could have written that story in a compelling way. Just not me.
So, for the time being anyway, I shelved the project. Moved to Florence, came back, got married to my then-boyfriend of 3 years, and started working as an administrator of my old university, then as a project coordinator at an art gallery (both jobs I hated).
Only, the story wasn’t shelved. It was simmering.
Came Back With a Vengeance and is Now a Fantasy Webcomic
I thought of the perfect villain- a man who in his youth was the Chosen One. Only as he grew older, he wasn’t willing to become a mentor like Gandalf or Obi Wan, but instead sabotage the younger up and coming dragonslayers. He demanded everyone knows HE was the Chosen Hero.
A man who his whole life was told he was special and he was going to rid the world of evil once and for all, only to faced with the terror of being forgotten- jealous of anyone who may take his place (like the Evil Queen and Fallen Hero tropes put together).
And I thought, “He would be the perfect villain for Ari and Matthias!”
I had to get the comic going, even if I didn’t have the perfect story yet, I was going to create it even if it was bad.
It’s Okay to be Cliche
I watched lots of YouTube videos on getting started. The two most influential being 4 Time Saving Tips (from a guy who spent 13 years drawing a comic) and Bad Writing Advice’s The Nature of Clichés – Honest Thoughts. Both saved me from the many mental blocks and restrictions that were going through my brain- from fantasy tropes to just starting the story even if it’s not perfect.
And there you have it
The origin story was running a bit long. I’m planning on writing a second blog post about the technical parts of drawing a webcomic. How I stayed motivated, how I improved my art, etc. So, please join me next time! Until then, please read Dragonrider’s Dance for free! $5 Patrons get early access!
