My theme was based on an alphabet book of fantasy creatures I’m doing, and largely overlapped with the Kickstarter campaign I launched to support the project. The Kickstarter campaign ends in just 47 hours, by the way, so if you are curious and haven’t yet checked it out, scoot on over and see what I’m devising. It’s almost 350% funded and I’ve been blown away by the positive response, of which the A-Z Challenge has been part. Thank you! (The project was also selected as a Kickstarter “Project We Love” and featured in a post by Lisa Ferland on Top 10 List of Books on Crowdfunding Platforms. *smiles and blushes*)
This past weekend I was showing at an Open Studios event and spent the weekend (when not talking with visitors) carving blocks for the last two creatures planned for the book. So at some point I’ll get them finished and printed, and they’ll no doubt eventually be posted here for a mythical creature bonus. Teaser - one is called the Grand Marhoot, and the other block includes three different Zhahmatonians: the kuklopawn, the alfidi, and the quatrukhana. I hope you’re enticed! Meanwhile, if you want an overview of the fantasy creatures featured throughout April (plus the extras, since half the letters actually have two), you can see them all on my web site here.
Here are just a few of the blogs I visited most regularly this year (though by no means the only ones I enjoyed!):
Atherton’s Magic Vapour with Golden Age Mystery Tropes
Temenos (Deborah Weber) with Cabinet of Curiosities
The Slightly Eccentric Diary of Rob Z Tobor with... general goofiness? and ducks
Finding Eliza with African-American Genealogy and Slave Ancestry Research
The Multicolored Diary with Fruit Folktales
As for next year, I certainly don’t have plans for any projects as grand and ambitious as this year, but I have started keeping a list of alphabet ideas, so I’m sure I’ll come up with something for the A-Z Challenge. I look forward to seeing you all again — or, of course, you’re certainly welcome to visit any time of the year, not just in April! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello throughout the challenge, and special appreciation for my regular visitors. You really made it enjoyable.
Did you have a favorite creature this year? Or a suggestion for what you’d like to see next year?
[Picture: AEGN at Needham Open Studios, carving the block for the Grand Marhoot, 2019 (Photo by G. Arrieta-Ruetenik).]
7 comments:
Glad to hear you had a good A to Z. The fact is it is one of these things where you get out of it what you put into it, so visit loads of folk and comment and they tend to come back and comment on your blog. . . MMMMMmmmmm I have done many A to Z's now and tend to shout Ya Sucks Boo at folk and grumble a lot so my own A to Z's tend to be much quieter affairs these days.
Sounds like that book project is going well too.
I noticed the hanging system for the artwork in the picture and thought interesting. . . This is what happens when you previously owned and ran a gallery which my wife and I did before we retired. We also look at the back of cards we like even now to see who published them.
Well I will ramble no more. I am following now, something I tend not to do these days . . . partly because I tend to shout Ya Sucks Boo at folk and they tend not to like that so hide and tell me to go away . . . . Not entirely how the world of blogs is meant to work.
But it's good to be slightly rebellious.
Rob Z Tobor
I’ve had a good time discovering some delightful blogs this year, myself. That includes yours, so now following.
Rob, the racks are not made for portability, so they're heavy and ungainly, but they are sturdy, and a lot cheaper than the ones marketed for art shows, so they work pretty well.
Thanks to both of you for following. I'm honored! =D
I always enjoy your atozs and look forward to seeing what you do next year. And congrats on your amazing fund it project!
Wow! Well done on your kickstarter. How exciting.
I also keep an A-Z list with ideas that pop up over the year and especially as I visit other blogs during April.
Your series was a fave of mine Anne - such fun! And I'm delighted your Kickstarter has been successful. I'm not at all surprised it was selected as a "project we love." Because seriously a bestiary with your art and writing - what's not to love about that?
Thanks, everyone! =)
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