BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO Dragon's Lair is getting ready to return to comic stores from Arcana Comics and we've got a chat with some of the primaries involved about Dirk the Daring's continuing adventures.
It was almost a year ago at PULSE when we announced that Arcana would be publishing new adventures of the Don Bluth creation. It seems to have taken a long time to get an issue of the new series ready for publication. Arcana publisher Sean O'Reilly said there were two reasons why its been so long: they wanted to get the original team of Andy Mangels, Fabio Laguna, James Offredi, and Bill Tortolini back, and have the entire story done before soliciting an issue. Only three of the six issues of the original Dragon's Lair saga were released through CrossGen's CGE imprint. Now Arcana is making those issues available in one special issue and will pick up where the series left off to finish the tale.
"I REALLY didn't want any problems with our releases," O'Reilly said. "So the fourth issue, which will now be our second issue after releasing the first three MV Creations comics in a special debut issue, is all done and it feels good."
"When taking something like this on as I did, it’s obviously harder as I’ve now invested quite a bit of money in this series, but I do believe that it’s the better way to do things," O'Reilly continued. "I don’t have to worry about deadlines and we get to make sure this is a successful series. I think people liked the CrossGen series and I think people still like CrossGen. Conceptually they did a lot of things right and after doing self-publishing for my third year I know exactly where some critical mistakes were made. As for why I wanted to create the Dragon’s Lair comics … I’m a fan! I’ve loved everything Don Bluth has ever done and this was a great way for me to work with Don, to FINALLY read the conclusion of this arc and to be involved with a tremendous series.”
Staples continued, “I think one thing that might be lacking with some creators or publishers is the lack of determination and integrity. This is a tough question because I know a lot of ‘bad things’ aren’t supposed to happen, but I believe with enough proactive measure in place (like paying for a series well in advance) you can prevent the premature cancellation of series. Arcana has never cancelled a series and has seen the conclusion of every series we’ve taken on. Believe me when I say I wear that accomplishment like a badge of honor. Sometimes when a series hasn’t got the momentum it should have done, it’s tough to inspire the art team, it’s expensive to pay for printing and it’s draining to keep ‘flogging a dead horse’. But there isn’t a fan who can say that something was cancelled without them finishing the series, and hopefully I can help inspire other creators to attempt this as well.”
MV Creations founder Val Staples was grateful that Arcana wanted to publish the series after its ill-fated run at CrossGen. "I was super happy that Arcana picked up where we left off with production of the Dragon’s Lair comic," Staples said. "It was always my intention to see it through, but time and resources in light of the fall of CrossGen were in short supply. Now this extremely fun and very gorgeous comic will see the completion it deserves.”
“What I liked so much about Dragon’s Lair is that you don’t have to know anything about the video game or the cartoon to enjoy the story," Staples continued. "This comic tells the tale played out in the original video game, so it’s an introduction to the Dragon’s Lair story. It’s a fun book that delivers a solid product to a wide range of readers.”
For those unfamiliar with the series it features a daring Knight, Dirk, who's set in motion to rescue an official damsel in distress, Daphne from an evil rogue dragon, Singe. "It's a time of Sword and Sorcery," said O'Reilly. "Here you can follow Dirk the Daring and Princess Daphne as they return from an astonishing adventure in the Free Realms only to be attacked by the great dragon, Singe, and his evil minions. Singe vows revenge against Dirk for killing his offspring, and Daphne is soon caught in the dread dragon's claws. Now, armed with his courage and skill, Dirk must brave the Dark Kingdom and all its evils in order to save the Princess from Singe!”
“The thing that really set Dragon’s Lair apart for me is the ‘cool’ action that takes place," O'Reilly continued. "It’s a cartoon but has somewhat mature themes … from REALLY hot princesses to watching a bad guys get what’s coming to them … this isn’t your cutesy cartoon. I really love the way DL looks and to be working on this has been a treat for me.”
Writer Ryan Foley is working off of the plot that Mangels originally created. He added his two cents about what makes this story special. “I believe that fantasy has certain ‘stereotypes’ for lack of a better word," Foley said. "There are certain elements that you need for fantasy and I think Dragon’s Lair plugs in to all of those positive elements. I feel that the story is very mature in that it can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. I love how the action is fast paced where everything is just boom-boom-boom. There is no pause in the action and the tension ratchets up with every issue.”
“I think what sets Dragon’s Lair apart from other stories is that it is a serious series that doesn’t take itself too seriously," Foley continued. "I love that the action level is really intense but there is just enough of a ‘cheesecake’ factor so that we can get away with jokes that wouldn’t play in other fantasy series. Obviously, the jokes and some of the situations that are in the series wouldn’t play for a Drizzt Do’Urden or a Richard Rahl but with Dirk it just… fits. It’s such a neat juxtaposition of life-and-death battles but you still have enough levity to make it a really fun ride for the readers. It’s not the Batman TV series camp and it’s not the seriousness and 'Holy Crap' Level of a big drama. It has just enough of both to make it really fun.”
Foley said, “What drew me into the project is that it is a ‘knight-saving-the-princess-from-a-dragon’ story, which is right up my alley. Given all the novels I read as a kid and the games I used to play, I don’t think there could have been a better story for me to write. When I told friends and colleagues about the series, everyone unanimously agreed that this series is a great fit for me. I’m a comic book fan before I’m a comic book writer. I write stories that I would want to read as a fan and I really wish there were more comics out there like this one.”
Although featuring cartoonish looks and drawn in that style, Foley noted the story is done in a PG-13 mindset. "It's filled with action, but not necessarily violence," Foley said. "There might be a few things in there I might have to gloss over the explanation for when reading the books with my younger kids but it is just high-tension excitement without being gratuitous or gory. I think that makes for a really fun read."
“I think that Dirk is such a great character and he is a relatable character," Foley continued. "I would try to be like Dirk if put in the same situation. We would probably all charge off to save Daphne but the results may not be pretty. You rarely see scenes of Superman or Captain America slipping on a banana peel and using that accident to save their skins and come up smelling like roses. But with Dirk it just works. It’s just part of his character and you buy it. Dirk is how I imagine I would be if I was trying to be a knight and I think that is what makes it so appealing. People see Dirk’s adventures—and mistakes—and say, ‘You know, that would probably happen to me if I tried to be a hero!’ And that is what makes his actions a bit more believable.”
O'Reilly assured those who read the first three issues that the focus is going to be similar to what happened in those issues and also similar to the video game. "But what I love so much is it's so much more expressive with regards to developing the characters," O'Reilly said. "Ryan did a fantastic job of fleshing out the plot. Everyone's been working hard on these new issues. I was thrilled to have Don Bluth do the cover and know we finally would get to read the end of this story."
Staples agreed it was fantastic to have Don Bluth's involvement in any way in this series. "Don Bluth and Gary Goldman are the heart of this brand," Staples said. "What they contributed to the entire art industry with their games and animated features is something that’s highly revered. So, of course, you know they are approving every bit of these projects every step of the way to make sure they live up to their standards of quality.”
"My biggest challenge was probably doing Don Bluth’s cover art justice with my colors," Staples continued. "It was a rare opportunity to render his art, so I did my best to pay homage to the game and his all-around talent.”
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So good to have the end of this series published AT last! The first issues were so good! Looking forward to it:)
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