issue 03 / volume 41 Kickstarter in the Community: for the love of Lovecraft » Twentieth-century author inspires all-ages graphic novel series Cheryl Minns Arts Editor M arts @theotherpress.ca books aren’t two genres one would expect to mix, but author Bruce Brown has successfully combined them in his Howard Lovecraft graphic novel trilogy. The novels follow a child version of H.P. Lovecraft, a 2o0th-century writer of horror fiction. He opens a dangerous book which begins an exciting journey with his elder god companion Spot, encountering elements from Lovecraft’s horror stories throughout. “T consider it a ground- at the time when it came out was really thinking of Lovecraft and kids in the same sentence at all,” Brown told the Other Press. Brown and the series’ publisher, Arcana, started a (the month of Lovecraft’s birthday) to fund a hardcover book, Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms, featuring the series’ three stories: Frozen Kingdom, Undersea Kingdom, and Kingdom of Madness. The campaign, which ends on September 19, : offers reward incentives for : monetary donations, such as a : plush Spot, a T-shirt featuring : Howard and Spot, an exclusive : Necronomicon cover of the . . : book, and many more. orror fiction and children’s : , y The character of Howard : came to be when Brown was : reading Lovecraft’s works for : a book he was working on : and decided to write a short : story about a child version : of Lovecraft for an anthology : published by Arcana. “After the story was done, I : just couldn't let go of the idea of : : that character. I started to think : : about if I took elements of his : real life and merged them with : elements from his stories to : : makea children’s book,” he said. : : : like the Necronomicon. That’s : gota big appeal to me. If you're : familiar with Lovecraft, that’s a : huge part, and it’s a crucial part : of the series,” Brown said. Brown chose to write the . : : graphic novel for all ages so that breaking series because nobody : the stories could be accessible : toa wider audience and also : be something that parents and : children could connect with. “There are so many parents : who were into comics and they : struggle finding something to - ae : introduce to their kids to share Kickstarter campaign in August that love of comics with them,” : he said. “So it’s nice to have : something that a parent can : read themselves and enjoy, and : then read it with their kids and : enjoy.” The Kickstarter campaign : to create a hardcover book of : the collected series was started : partly as a response to the : series’ popularity and readers’ : inability to obtain all three : books at one time. “The books sold so well : that there would be times when : they’d read one of the stories : and then they wanted to get the : next one, but they had trouble : getting the next one because : they just kept selling out,” : Brown said. “Now people will : be able to get all three of them : at once.” The rewards offered in the : campaign were chosen based on what Brown and Arcana thought would appeal to fans : of the series, as well as what : appealed to them. “T love the exclusive Three Kingdoms volume that looks The campaign also has : astretch goal of $7,500 that, : when reached, will mean the : release of a teaser trailer for the : upcoming Howard Lovecraft : and the Frozen Kingdom : animated feature, which is : currently in development. To find out more about : the Howard Lovecraft and the : Three Kingdoms campaign or to : donate, visit Kickstarter.com or : check out the series at Arcana. : com Comic Corner: a wizard did it » ‘Dresden Files: War Cry Vol. Il’ review Brittney MacDonald Staff Writer A war between the Red : Court of vampires and the : White Council of wizards has left the wizards desperate to ranks. This leads them to seek : ey fr) fr) ey fr) pad out their diminishing im Butcher’s popular urban fantasy series The the help of previous outcast : Harry Dresden, a wizard-for- : hire living in Chicago. His : world building as Butcher’s : extensive literary series, : War Cry manages to retain : everything important to the : narrative so newcomers to The Dresden Files won't be : confused. : With a bold, clear : aesthetic, Gomez and Mohan fh wi r oT arts // 7 ri all (C d ht! l a_i a ps — resden Files gets a fabulous new graphic novel makeover in The Dresden Files: War Cry. Combining the exciting world building and character development of Butcher with the dynamic beauty of illustrations by Carlos Gomez and Mohan makes for the perfect literary-novel- to-graphic-novel transition. : first mission? Lead a group of : work together perfectly to : inexperienced young recruits : providea bright and modern : into an isolated town tosave : approach to the novel's art that : asmall group of mortals from : compliments the War Cry’s : the Red Court's forces. : imaginative story. : For any fanoftheurban : My only complaint is that : fantasy genre, Butcher is : War Cry was far too short. At : definitely someone to look : just 34 pages, it is one of the : out for. His storytelling skills : shortest graphic novels I have : have left countless readers : read this year. : addicted to his many works. — : War Cry isa read I'd What more could a reader ask : That charm certainly isn’t lost. : recommend to anyone, for—except maybe something : in translation in War Cry. : especially if they have limited a little bit longer. : Though not as detailed inits : free time.