Viking Comic’s Inc. bid to Festivals, Markets and Museums
This blog is our presentation to the offer you an installation of a full screen projection of our work, we aim to reach throughout the Viking lands.
We at Viking Comics Inc. are creating an amazing Graphic Novel with the working title of The Horned God and the Wild Hunt and the proposed script is below in our links. We are already looking for artist contributors and we will be making this happen. So please contact us now with offers of contributions.
We will be creating an installation for large screen presentation and download for a road-show of Markets, Festivals and Museums and await news on interest on this… Many thanks to all the project organisers reading this in advance for what will be a marvellous experience.
There are a whole ‘stable’ of talented people we can draw upon in need; here are a few of them… Tom Ray – Digital Composer – DJ – Artist Brinkmanship EP, by Breakmagos Soundcloud page Breakmagos is an eclectic and eccentric electronic music producer with a strong interest in Lo-fi, Noise, Found Sounds, Glitch, Tape/Vinyl Noise, Drones, re-purposed background noise and vintage computer game sounds. Miniatures Olivia Jayne Newton – Celtic Folk Artist Celtic Folk Artist – Actress – Producer Gramey Smith of GSmithmedia – Musician – Web-designer – Composer – Film Maker All Things Media Youtube – music and film My ChieftainGeorg Hansen – Viking Presentations Lars Magnar Enoksen – Runes, Galdra and Glima. Plus of course all 18 artists involved in our first project and all the ones still to join with this project.
As part of our presentation to the Follow The Vikings project with events and activities across much of the Viking lands here are Bio summaries as CVs of our work.
Adrian Spendlow – Storyteller – Poet – Actor – Writer – Presenter:
DOB 24/03/1954
Much of my work, for schools, museums, festivals, markets and the community has been commissions, where I have developed interactive mixed media projects through research upon the commissioner’s chosen theme to draw inspiration from thoughts and ideas to create displays and publications.
Outcomes are vital and I have written from the experiences of many different groups within society; always to maximize the results in terms of displays, features and publications.
Projects include.
Acting: Mort, Little Mermaid, Vincent the Musical, Loonie Old Witch, Henry V, Punch, Pinocchio, Dickens in A Christmas Carol, Kingdom of Neversleep, Branwell and the Brontes, Oscar Wilde, plus other roles.
Team Leader for; Home to York, I’m Here, Read All About It, WWII, Poetry for Carers, Ales n Tales, Gathering Ghosts (Radio ); community based projects leading to exhibition of story related art with live performances, film making and digital displays.
The Kirklevington Stones Project, Greek Myths, history tours for blind ex-service people, The Viking Banner Project for York Archaeological Trust, Road to Ragnarok, The Dolly and the Riverboat, Streets Alive Concrete Poetry – interactive pavement art, Watery Tales, Slavery for Ferens Gallery, Light of an Ancient City for the Festival of Light and many more.
Legendary; story and song duo with Olivia Jayne Newton.
Collaborations with several artists and digital media artists to create text/poem/story integrated with their art.
Adrian
Chloë Anderson – Actor – Composer – Storyteller – Community Worker – Artist
16/08/1979
Acting experience: The York Pirate Adventure, Frightwater Valley as a Hallowe’en Mummy, Character actor for Swashbuckling Weekends as an undead fortune teller, Hag at a GNG Entertainment’s ‘All Hallows Eve’ event, Lightwater Valley and Sunderland Illuminations, Possessed girl for Hallowscream at York Maze, Pilot Theatre, Slung Low, York Theatre Royal in the nationally acclaimed Blood and Chocolate, many productions for Theatre Company We Are Theatre.
For We Are Theatre: Coaching and Mentoring, Sound production including effects, community work enabling inclusive community theatre groups. For Attractions in the region; Guiding, assisting, engaging, and supervising children in play activities,
I have performed with many attractions, the first of which was ‘Haunted Live and Xtreme’ with GNG Entertainment, based on actual historical events, Ghost stories for Haunted in York, York Maze interactive trailer ride show as the Wicked Witch over two years,
Production and Digital Presentation; presenter and researcher on York TV’s ‘On the Pulse’ live, also Production Assistant, performance and public speaking skills – developed as part of a BA hon Degree in Theatre, Film, & Television, producing and DJing music, contextualising music/music history tutoring, tutoring on studio recording, electronic music production, plus health and safety, Certificate in Teaching in the Life Long Learning Sector, Access to Music Creative Music Producer, Promotions & Marketing for Luminar Leisure Ltd, performing at festivals, musical and theatrical events, weekly show on a live internet radio station, sound effect production for community plays with Adrian, interactive community music sessions and composition, ‘BBC Introducing’ performances and interviews, supported international renowned artists Netsky, Jenna G, and Rich Reason, storytelling for ‘I’m Here’ project, published writer with Tangled Roots, composing and production for The Boat Rises featuring; Rolo from France, Ragnar’s clan and Viking belief systems (VCI), researcher and co-writer for VCI, The Hammer Flies online comic book and forthcoming panoramic display, Urban Legends forthcoming production for VCI, production, artist and co-producer for Viking Comics Inc. – widely travelled performer generally.
The Hammer Flies – reblogged to promote our presentations across the Viking world
This re-blog of The Hammer Flies is part of our presentation to Festivals, markets anmd museums with events and activities across much of the Viking lands.
We at Viking Comics Inc. are creating an amazing Graphic Novel presentation with the working title of The Horned God and the Wild Hunt and the proposed script is below in our links. We are already looking for artist contributors and we will be making this happen. So please contact us now with offers of contributions.
We will be creating an installation for large screen presentation and download for a road-show around Markets, Festivals and Museums and await booking enquiries.
A great big thank you to all involved in this huge project. In the end I think there were 17 contributors.
Please share and let us see this project grow.
I was originally inspired to create this by taking part in a Jorvik Viking Festival project at Strensall Explore and The Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy.
Together we will see more come from this project.
I plan to create a canvas version for a woodland walk so it will inspire further comic creation.
At present all artists generously donated their work, for which I am extremely grateful, and I hope we will create revenue by a printed version and further projects in the future.
All artists are available for commissions, and can be contact through me.
Each line here will be a text box and you will do a picture for it; acrylics, digital, photo of a sculpture, real world picture, inked, leather work, collage, weaving, stuff.
(I have created initial artwork (of a sorts) and now ask that you replace it – and this will progress / evolve as the tour progresses)
This follow up to The Hammer Flies is a collaborative graphic novel for online display and as a presentation on screen at festivals and museums across much of the Viking lands.
We at Viking Comics Inc. are creating our amazing Graphic Novel presentation The Horned God and the Wild Hunt and the proposed script is below. We are looking for artist contributors now!
We will be creating an installation for large screen presentation and download for Markets, Festivals and Museums.(We will chat through what is needed and how it all works and then leave it up to you to interpret)
For the Horned God rides
(Neanderthal Camp etc)
Ana Maus
For the horned god rides
“We must be about our way,” speaks King Georg
“To out ships and to our home”
No
For I must cast the bones
I see a great wyrm-beast that winds and devours. It is coming down through the hills to destroy
To destroy our kin
Then we must a-home at speed
“Come back! There is more.
It is not our home where death is at its worst.
They will be safe enough in the cold till our ships return.
The danger is…
…to the Jarl
Øyvind Bone-in-the-Head”
“Bone Head!”
Egil stands, “They need us not.”
“They have a great fortress”
Vibeke stands,
“and great armies”
“They need us not. We are needed at home.”
“So speaks our greatest fighter”
“Yet there is more,”
“A monstrous being came out of the sea”
Ana Maus
“a Dragoon!” [need to look this up, it turns man-like]
“Bone Head fought it single-handedly.”
“It fled with want of limb”
“There was a great feast.”
“They slept well (despite the distant sound of wailing pain)”
“The very walls of the hall were burst apart”
“The creature’s father!”
“Bone Head was swept aside to fall as dead.”
“This enormous creature devoured each warrior.”
“One by one”
“They were devoured”
“Beheaded”
“Snapped”
“Halved”
“Till all that could fight were laid as limbs”
“Roaring it ran”
“Last seen”
“Diving down the great falls with son in arm,”
“Swimming across the sea to other, safer, lands to heal.”
“When Bone Head awoke all there was left was stench and slime and death”
“and the battered poor”
“More death will come – the winding beast”
“One ship”
“Our best warriors”
“and you!”
“The outside watcher. Ready yourself for you must go” [it could have the faces of everyone involved]
A great wyrm-like trail bursts out of the waters and howling, baying, blowing, hunts – across the very sea
The Horned God creates a path of ice as they hurtle on
The Horned God creates a path of ice as they hurtle on
Arrows, spears are flying down
Arrows, spears are flying down
The great leviathan
The great leviathon
The monstrous beast it leaps
The monstrous beast it leaps
Swallowing the hunt
Swallowing the hunt
They burst out and hurry on
They burst out and hurry on
The Jarl on guard alone looks down and sees a sail
“Hail”
The band disembark
“Such a small force as this”
Such a small force as this
The fire-wyrm comes
Villagers run and hide
Jarl and Georg’s fighters stand and face
“They are but men”
“On horses, carrying torches!”
“Naked but for red paint and skull of bird” (Jodie Hazel)
The vast horde leaps the stockade.
T’or Eric falls
Simen fights to death
Kennet runs through them; killing, dyingJarl again is knocked from feet, to fall in well
Lars Magnar knocks a red one from horse and rides to fight a while
Vigdis and Jeppe feel spears as their spears pierce
Bruni is felled from behind
Egil and Vibeke cut a swathe almost to the rear
“And that leaves you”
Then a darkness fills the sky
Then a darkness fills the sky
The Horned God
The Horned God
The Wild Hunt fly
The Wild Hunt fly
And all will die…
You take up arms and valiant join your god in mighty, fighting, death
Till none are left alive
What will you do?
Will you and your warriors join the hunt?
.
.
.
Or will you send the red ones to be part of the forever hunt?
.
.
.
Will you follow the Horned God to Valhal? To feast till Ragnarok
.
.
.
Whichever way you choose, the village is saved
.
.
.
And they will build again
[Guidelines]
[credits]
All artists will be credited for their work and links placed as requested.
All art remains the property of the creator and although use of these peices is kindly donated, if profits are made from future publication they will be shared proportionately.
Viking Comics Inc. proposal for an installation at your festival, market or museum.
Our ‘Viking Comics Inc.’ will create an ever evolving graphic novel presentation for large screen installation, URL and QR code displayed in situ across the Viking world featuring relevant Mythology and Folk-lore (with original background sound track as optional). Art work and storyline contributions will be encouraged via the introductory text, visits and global promotion so our original installation gradually changes to become work from the whole target area.
We will build this for you to display as a scrolling digital presentation and would also be happy to be present at any time. We will promote the concept of contribution so that the art and story are gradually changed to be from event visitors. We will also offer dramatised storytelling and arts workshops to each venue involved, either through your funding or by approaching the museums etc ourselves.
We offer this proposal yet are happy to be invited to adapt as team participants to your view of what is needed for oyur attraction.
Adrian Spendlow and Chloë Anderson
PS This proposal with the links as evidence of what we do and examples of the proposed work, plus initial script as well as our Bios are presented here as a link to the WordPress blog adrianspendlowblog.com
These are the Viking Experiences which led to the creation of Viking Comics Inc.
The recent Viking-related experiences of Adrian Spendlow and team member Chloë Anderson…
As Personal Skald to the Chieftain for Viking Valley, Gudvangen in Norway I am known for multi-national stories with participants speaking in as many as twenty languages. Storytelling courses, including at Lygra and Gudvangen markets are always an uplifting experience and I have performed at several Scandinavian events for Vikings, tourists and children. Story circles for children and young adults usually also draw out the child within the adult too.
I was recently very honoured to be tour guide for a week in York for students of the famous Seljord Folkehøgskule and am often asked to coordinate visits.
My opening speech for Gudvangen Market was filmed for Norwegian TV, and at Njardar Vikinglag’s Jolablot I did a story presentation for Belgian TV. As part of our campaign to win the right to build a Viking town I was portrayed across all Norwegian media, I also hosted Viking Rock Festival.
My double CD Andvari’s Gold is for sale on jelldragon.com the foremost online shopping site for Vikings, I also narrated Jorvik: York and the Vikings CD as part of the Spendlow’s York history series, which is also for sale on jelldragon.com
I am very proud to be a member of Njardar Vikinglag, Bjørgvin Vikinglag and an honorary member of the University of York Medieval Society’s Vanaheim Vikings group.
As a full-time storyteller, actor and poet I frequently working to commission (See general CV in links), as a result I have worked as poet in residence for many places including the Jorvik Viking centre.
The York Museum Trust, the York Archaeological Trust and the Jorvik Group for such as the Jorvik Viking Centre, Barley Hall and the Jorvik Viking Festival are among the many establishments that often use my skills.
Recent invitations include Borre Market and the thousandth anniversary of the gathering at Sarpsborg, and to create dramatised stories involving the audience which then lead into staged battles by a trained crew. I was surprised while compiling this to see just how widely travelled and how lucky to be part of the Viking world.
As a blogger I frequently write on the topics of Vikings, History, Storytelling, Poetry and even Viking cooking. As part of my blog I set up Viking Comics Inc. with Chloë Anderson and our first presentation features the work of some 18 artists; The Hammer Flies was very well received. This came about following a Jorvik Group commission which involved presenting Viking stories in the form of Comic book heroes: an especially written Viking Comic book display and the children’s resultant story formed a comic book display throughout the Jorvik Viking Festival venue.
As project manager for community work I have worked many times with Chloë Anderson mixing music, drama, storytelling, dance, reminiscence, on-screen presentations and publications. We recently created a ‘Spendlow’s TV’ series for sale as a download presentation. Chloë Anderson and I are currently working on a panoramic story and image download which will be available online this year based on the themes of a boat burial, Rolo in France, the different views of Viking afterlife, stories for the Viking world and the Ragnar clan in Valhalla. We are currently in discussion to create walks around fjords where you add to the story and accompanying arts as you go.
Our next Viking Comics Inc. will be a Graphic Novel presentation on the theme of The Horned God and the Wild Hunt. The theme for this and the draft script form the basis of our presentation to Follow The Vikings.
A highly imaginative story created by Adrian with the children of Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy as part of the 2015 Jorvik Viking Festival.
Oski and the Amulet
There Oski lay in her chamber, her secret chamber. It was a dark, dusty, murky, damp, cold, bone-filled, chamber.
“Sssh its a secret,” they whispered as they hid the cave entrance.
The people of the halls were normally kind to her, she didn’t understand why they hid her away whenever there were visitors to their community.
(Oski wears a long white dress, when she heals or her amulet does magic her dress transforms into a shimmering gown. And later she will have a train that shimmers and gives off light.)
There were painted carvings set into the walls all around like a story. She had often looked at them and thought how the girl looked like her. Yet she wasn’t adventurous and only liked to roam the local forests spending time with the animals.
Unlike the girl in the carvings who found her parentsHer parents were gone
For that was the truth she had been told
Not the truth known in the hearts of the peoples of the halls
The whole farm knew her parents had been abducted
They were a-feared of the story of Mala
So Oski was, the orphan; the orphan who carried the amulet.
In a faraway land, in the dark castle of the evil Mala, her parents lay forgotten.
The peoples of the halls lied to protect her
They know it meant that she would feel alone
But they lied all the same; A terrible lie –
They told her that her parents were dead
And they carried the shame and the guilt of this with them as a community
If she found out her parents were really alive
She would want to find them
Yes, she would go
And she would surely die
Then the power of her parent’s amulet would be his
Just as they knew he had planned
So they kept the secret between them
Her parents were dead
And she was alone
High above
The Goddess of Thunder herself looked down on this one and empowered her
Seeing her hiding there
Seeing her loneliness
She favoured her
This special one
She gave her just as much power as she needed
Just as much power as she could cope with as time progressed
For here was Oski – the orphaned one, the girl of nature
Oski was happy in her own way
She was a friend to animals
And loved to roam in the forests healing and helping those who were injured or lost.
She knew she must have some power as whenever she heals an animal the glimmering essence of the creature forms alongside and follows her;
Squirrels, rabbits, piglets, a pony, Adrian the goat, they all follow her.
As she sat in her secret chamber and thought of the carvings, her amulet glowed and part of the truth came to her. She was the girl in the carvings and she must go on a journey.
The thought of this was too much for her and she fainted; she fainted and fell. – She fell into the flames.
Down down through the flames
Down down through the darkness
Down down through clouds of ice
Into the
Realms of Hel
Here before her was a land of ice castles
A land ruled by Icea
She stood tall upon the highest tower (a frosted dress, spiked hair, white eyes)
“I have been watching for you, now, you will obey”
As Oski walked in a dreamlike state towards the commanding Icea
And a throng of frost creatures came out towards her
Her own spirit animals skipped in alarm and sprang about in concern
Their fear reached out like a calling and was heard deep under the ground
The small leather-clad bearded beings who appeared from a crack in the ice smelled of the deep earth and had a wild gleam to the eye, “Come with us child”
Her animal friends trusted them and pushed Oski towards them
Deep deep under the ground she finally came to her senses and looked into those gleaming eyes
She did as they asked
“We have searched long and deep to find magics to empower your amulet, child you must place it upon the anvil.”
Huge hammers appeared and beat down upon a glow which emanated from the bejewelled amulet.
Bone of egg, beat. Root of mountain, beat. Footfall of cat, beat. Breath of the ocean, beat.
Juice of the ironstone, beat. Beat beat beat…
“Now with your power you must help us. The great blue bear is lost to us.”
The path they showed her went back into the land of ice.
A howling growl ahead guided them
There at last was a huge pit
Down and down it went
There was the source of the great roaring howl
The blue bear
What could Oski do?
Her doubt increased as she heard the creaking crack of the frost creatures nearing
The amulet glowed, and she reached within
She pulled out a long long rope with a hook
The rope stretched and stretched and the hook reached and wrapped around the bear
Her strength seemed to grow with the task
And the bear was free
Back through to the dwarven tunnels and the bear led her deeper till they came to a huge thunderous waterfall.
“Child you must leap, leap into the falls.
Too much for her innocent heart she fell indeed, fell in a faint, down and down and down she flew, bursting out and gasping, flying high on a wave to land on a grassy bank.
Through a glistening forest, dappled with light, came slender beings, song-like they called her name…
“Jul has come, Oski has come, the time has come, to dance and sing.”
Dancing, skipping and singing they led her into their large wonderful hall. Glistening streamers hung among beautiful ivy and berried holly with spiritual mistletoe.
There in the middle of the hall sat a burning log, “Yippeee it is Jul!”
Their ancient song weaved and spun around her, till all was swirling and rising. The amulet glowed and shone.
They danced her to the edge of the light and sang a long old song in mournful tones,
“We have given you all we can but we cannot give you the strength to carry on through the final part of your journey.”
There was nothing but night ahead
She stepped out into the darkness
Gradually huge trees came into being
And then between them
There was a path
It was lined with darkened skulls
Ahead a voice boomed, “Enter if you dare”
The Dark castle of Mala with a molten lava fire fall, covered in dead ivy,
(Smoke comes through the cracks, you hear it crackle, hear howling, and creaking, the swish of blades, screams – possibly parents calling for help)
In her heart she feels the love of her parents calling to her.
She knows she must continue
As she slowly walks towards the towering castle a huge voice booms out, enter!
The great gates open
Oski seems so small and weak as she steps through the door’s expanse.
Yet the hall itself is like a world; a world of darkened dread.
She gasps in fearful awe and doubts herself
Up through the hall lead stone steps, narrowing to the eye, towards a distant door
The door splinters to nothing amid flashing flame
And there suddenly is Mala
“At last”
(Large hairdo, dark hair, Black eyes, really long black cloak that trails all down the high thin staircase behind him, skeletal thin.)
As he walks down the stairs he creates fires here and there around the hall using only the power of his mind
He steps down to the hall with his great long cloak trailing and the darkness he brings into being building up behind
“I knew you would come”,
He seems to creak as he starts to walk towards her across the great long hall
Everything behind him turns to darkness
In a dark throaty evil voice he says, “Ah you are here at last , I have your parents and now,,,,,,,,
I have you”
“And I will have the power of your amulet”
“This is what I wanted all along”
Oski has been tricked into coming here and yet she knew she must
As she begins to falter she feels again the call of her parent’s love within.
She looks down at the amulet which is shining so brightly now
Now, her long dress is shimmering with glistening light
She too has a long cloak;
A long cloak of dazzling light
All around is illuminated with purity and she feels suddenly strengthened and refreshed
All in black
His body like a broken skeleton
His hands long and bony like an ancient bird
A thumb and two long fingers on each hand
“I knew you would come
But it took so so long”
He draws out his sword
Long and black
A sword of night
And raising it up above him in two hands
He screeches out his desire to kill
Flying forwards
As he approaches
Bringing certain death
She stands frozen in powerless fear
No, her parents,
Her friends,
All the help along the way….
The amulet!!!
Oski loosens the beaded gold threads
She reaches in as the sword of night nears
There is a space within
She feels and grasps and pulls
And in her hand a sword of light
White flames fwoooosh across the hall
His lunging blow is cast aside
As she becomes accustomed to the feel of the mighty sword of light
Mala screeching spins and swings an unstoppable slice
With all her will she stands against the blow
And is knocked backwards in a crumbled heap of shimmering gown
“And now, at last, you die”
The blade of night is raised
“And I will live forever as foretold”
The blade of light is strong
The blade of Light is powerful
This is a sword which knows how to fight
Before she knows her senses have returned
She has risen up and is high above this being of evil
Her shimmering gown like a tower behind her,
The sword of light is powering down;
Powering down to thrust into his blackened empty bones
“No, I cannot do…..”
This thing she was about to do was against her very nature.
She was a healer.
She gathered natural beings around her,
She loved all life and wished.
This was more than she could do.
This was a place she should not join with
As the very old love flowed out
She fainted
She crashed to the floor
And that was the last she would ever remember
The sword of light in her hands passed before the bones of Mala
And embedded in the floor
The slender darkness of Mala stood above her gloating
As he lunged to kill
The limp body of Oski held the sword
The sword embedded in the stone
Cracks appeared
Spreading forwards
Beneath the being Mala
And, yes, as foretold, he fell
Fell downwards
Down
Into the
Long
Long
Long
Long
Long
Long
Long
Drop
Of the dead
Screeching out his anger, forever
And that was the end of this story for Oski.
(Big pause)
Oski awoke.
She was laid in her secret chamber
None of this had happened
It had all been a dream
A dream of the carvings
She was an orphan
And nothing would ever change
(Turn page)
The door creaked open
There were her parents
Holding out her amulet
We are so glad you have recovered at last
You saved us
We are free
Free to be here with you and happy at last.
The Goddess of Thunder looked down upon them and smiled.
Well that is obvious and also true in many many ways.
For now though.
I need to know what this is?
Not the product, I am already a fan, and there is much on this further down.
And not the actual toy (although sadly my one which I built single-handedly is not depicted).
But the sign thingy.
I am in the middle of putting in a bid to create a Viking Comics Inc. instalation throughout the known Viking nations (very exciting).
And I want to say on Chloe and my bid that we will be creating these for people to use.
Ooooo she’s nice…
No, now stop it Adrian, that’s silly and not why we are blogging.
These…
They have a name I am sure…
Yes, the second publication from Viking Comics Inc. will be shown on a big screen (with music) at museums, markets and festivals from Rus to Canada and all the Viking landing sites inbetween.
I need you help.
What are these?
What are they called?
How do they work?
What sort of phone do you need?
And how on earth do we create them?
Help!
And now for the chatty bits and pieces.
I have a house full of Kinder toys. Ever since pre-internet days when my international poetry zine Pomes was featured in Small Press Zine and I saw that you could order a little tiny book of photos called Mark’s Book of Small Toys (so you could keep up with his Kinder collection).
I have loved them ever since.
Mainly cos they are good props for story writing sessions.
So.
So.
So.
When I saw they had brought out a new type my heart skipped a beat.
Kinder Joy.
(OMG)
“What on earth have you bought that for?” my mum said. It was only a pound. “Only a pound, how silly of you.” It might be useful. “How on earth could it be useful?” I just had a feeling that the toy would be useful for something. “Is it?” Er no its a girl. “Let me see, let me see.” (I showed her with her different options for stick on dresses and everything.) I waited to be told how rediculous I was, the reaction I got was, “Oh, how cute.”
But please do help with our project.
(and look out over the next couple of days about our call for artists)
Help!!!!!!
Of course this is all about deadlines and getting that bid in because of your help, but if anyone knows where Mark is now do please let me know. 🙂
We will be creating an installation for large screen presentation and download for Markets, Festivals and Museums.
(We will chat through what is needed and how it all works and then leave it up to you to interpret)
Adrian Spendlow The Blog 