the dragon's claw vol. 1
DESCRIPTION
The Dragon's Claw is a webzine for fans of fantasy, science fiction, and gaming.TRANSCRIPT
Vol. 1 October
2011 SSSpppooooookkkyyy
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[THE DRAGON’S
CLAW]
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Contents
Literature Section
Book review: Green
Angel by Alice
Hoffman
Book Art
Game Section
Featured Game:
Knytt
Game Art
Film and Animation
Section
Movie Review: Rise of
the Planet of the
Apes
TV Show: My Little
Pony
The DC Team
Contact Us
Credits
Knytt
Page 8
The Importance of Graphics in
Video Games
Page 12
Literature Groups on DA
Page 5
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 3
We here at the DC are proud to
bring you the first ever issue of our
web magazine. Everything you see
has been put together by a team
of only a few people. The links you
see are fully functional, and we
encourage you to visit the pages
of the artists and sites featured. We
hope you enjoy reading our articles
and come back for more next
month!
-The Dragon’s Claw Team
Halloween Cosplay Feature
Page 14
My Little Pony
Page 20
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Book Review
Green Angel by Alice
Hoffman Reviewed by AJ
Green Angel is a really interesting sort of
book. Though you’ll find it in the young adult
section, I wouldn’t consider it strictly a
teenager’s novel. The story is a first-person
narrative told by a girl named Green, whose
family dies in a catastrophe of some sort.
The setting is surreal and nearly post-
apocalyptic, with the bleak landscape,
ashes, and everyone either trying to survive
or trying to forget everything that had
happened. There’s no indication as to where or when this story takes
place, and that makes it all the more interesting; it’s a story that
could happen to anyone.
Alice Hoffman’s writing style for this story is unique, and
personally, I loved it. The wording is simple, yet powerful and
effective. It gives the reader just enough detail to picture a scene
without cluttering the text with descriptions. Dialogue is italicized
rather than written in quotes, and in the setting, it makes you wonder
whether the words were really spoken or if they were figments of a
depressed imagination.
The overall plot of Green Angel delivers a message of healing
and recovery, both as a society and as an individual. You see
characters deal with the tragedy differently, some taking it in stride,
and others spiraling towards self-destruction. There are a lot of
metaphors, and the vague descriptions really heighten that surreal
feeling the book has. You never truly know if Green’s experiences
are mystical or complete chance.
Overall, I think Green Angel is very well done. It’s not a long
story by any means, and it’s certainly worth the time to read.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 5
Literature Groups on DeviantART
Looking for a place to share your fantasy and sci-fi stories? Here are
a few groups from around DeviantART that are great for that sort of
literature!
#FantasyAuthorsGuild
Follow Your Imagination
“Do you love fantasy? Do you love sci fi? Do you
love literature? Then this is the place for you! We are a
group where all you fantasy and sci fi authors out
there can post your work.”
#FiendishFates
The Lighter Side of Dark
“Fiendish-Fates was started as a group for readers
and writers of dark literature, to join, read, and share
their works and the works of others with similar writing
talents. Though we focus primarily on dark prose of
the mysterious and maybe philosophical nature, we
also accept poems and stories of horror and other
esoteric subjects.”
#We-Write-Fantasy
Magical Storytelling
“Do you have a fantasy story that nobody's reading
because they can't take the time too? Wanting to
break free, but nobody's listening? Well here's a group
ready to give feedback. ”
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Join AJ and thousands of other writers for National Novel Writing Month!
The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days. With a community
full of support and encouragement, it’s a challenge that’s fun to take on
together!
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 7
Book Art Feature
←Undead Much? Got Zombie II by Velvet-Moonlight
Commissioned by author Stacey Jay for her books
You Are So UNDEAD To Me and UNDEAD Much?
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Featured Game
Knytt and Knytt Stories By AJ
Knytt is a freeware platformer made by Swedish game designer
Nifflas. The game follows a little creature called the Knytt, who gets
abducted by an alien. When the ship crashes into an asteroid and
lands in pieces on an alien planet, it’s up to the Knytt to collect the
pieces from around the world so he can get home.
The world is very colorful and well-designed, with some puzzles
and secrets along the way. Enemies are present, but there is no
fighting – only avoidance. The Knytt can only move, jump, and climb
up walls, so the player has to figure out ways to traverse the map
using limited functions.
The world is very open, but still small enough that it’s not
intimidating. There are people sitting around fishing and doing other
routine tasks as you wander around. The music is soft and sort of
whimsical. The world has a generally pleasant and relaxed feel to it.
Knytt Stories builds upon the original game, taking a new
character named Juni on a bunch of new adventures. Juni’s story
introduces some extra functionality, allowing double jumps, slow falls,
and jumping higher, among other things. Features are collected as
you progress through the game, and there are often places where
you will need to return once you have better upgrades.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 9
The Knytt Stories download comes with an adventure called
“The Machine.” It’s not terribly long, but it is slightly more challenging
than the original Knytt. Also available is the level “A Strange Dream,”
which has a very large world with many secrets. There are several
ways to reach the objectives in the Knytt Stories levels. Doing things
the difficult, round-a-bout way gets you a secret ending.
One of the best parts of the Knytt Stories downloads is the level
editor. There are hundreds of user-made tile sets and backgrounds
to make custom levels. There are user-made tutorials around the
Internet to help get you started, and user-made levels to play once
you’ve beaten the official content.
Knytt is overall a wonderful little game. Download it here and
try it for yourself!
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Game Art Feature
←Skyrim Dragon by
fullbashreturns
↓Pixel Sword
by pacifierboy
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 11
↓Fa
llou
t 3 b
y
ran
do
mro
bsk
ii
↓survive and conquer by Vybeosa
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The Importance of Graphics in Games By AJ
The games today look great. There are games with super realistic
faces, others with really smooth movements, and some with fields of
grass that look like photographs. It's all very good at immersing you in
the game play - but is it really necessary?
Let's take The Elder Scrolls for instance. I'm a huge fan of
Morrowind. The whole world is so thoroughly developed, with a
massive assortment of items and tons of NPC's to encounter, all of
whom are named. Then we have Oblivion. It's by no means bad. It
looks fantastic if your computer can handle it, and the fully voiced
dialogue is really nice. The quests are interesting, and you get to do
a bunch of fun stuff you didn't have in Morrowind. I was
disappointed, however, in how many items, skills, and even how
much land Bethesda left out. Personally, I would have enjoyed the
game a lot more if they hadn't put so much time into the graphics
and instead focused on making a world as detailed as Morrowind.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 13
Even with Morrowind’s graphics so far behind Oblivion’s, I still
thought the world looked great. The sky changes as the day goes
on, the giant crystals in caves glow, and there are plants
everywhere. They don’t move, but that doesn’t seem to make it any
less immersive.
I hear a lot of people say similar things about Final Fantasy XIII.
I've never played it myself, but I have seen it. When my friends list the
great features it has, they say one thing: "It's pretty." As nice as it
looks, that doesn't make me want to play it.
I don't think enough games try for unique-looking graphics. In
the end, most have the same goal, and that is to look as real as
possible. Okami is a good example of an interesting graphic style.
The painted look is still very attractive while making the game stand
out. Furthermore, those graphics are much easier to run, so there's
more room to work on the plot and mechanics and such.
I'm not saying that graphics are unimportant and that we
should revert to pixel art (though pixel art is gaining popularity
among indie developers). It'll be really cool to eventually play games
where the characters look like real people. I do think, though, that
we should focus just a little less on making our games look incredible
and put a little more into making them incredibly fun.
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Halloween Cosplay Feature
Halloween is a great excuse to get dressed up in a fancy costume.
We’ve collected some photos from a few great spooky cosplayers
to celebrate the scariest, sweetest, pumpkin-filled day of the year!
Follow the links to the artists’ DeviantART pages for even more great
cosplay.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
By MiYo
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 15
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– Le
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Co
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Bri
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–Em
ily
an
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icto
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By N
eko
sRo
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Trea
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Trea
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By A
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Movie Review
Rise of the Planet of the Apes Reviewed by Tim
First, let me just say that I
thought Rise of the Planet
of the Apes was one of
the best movies I’ve seen
in years. Here’s a
breakdown of the movie,
without giving out any
important spoilers.
The premise of the
movie is that the main
(human) character is
doing genetic research,
and he and his team are testing their drug on apes. Through a series
of events, which would be big spoilers to reveal, the main character
ends up with a baby ape born with the drug already in its system
and decides to keep it as a pet. This ape ends up growing up to be
more intelligent than most adult humans. All events from this point on
lead up to the ape growing in abilities and trying to get himself - and
many other primates - to freedom.
This movie easily makes the watcher learn to love and root for
the primates throughout it, all of them with distinct, unique, and
accurate personalities. It was riveting, and a truly great watch. The
plot grabs your attention easily and never loses it, and it generates a
lot of appropriate emotions to the scenes in the audience, which all
movies should do. The CGI graphics are also easily some of the best
I’ve ever seen. The apes look 100% real, and you can’t tell that
they’re computer generated at all, which is incredible.
All in all, this movie was very well made, and I would happily
watch it again and I highly recommend it. I felt it was exceptional,
and I give it a 9/10. If you’re looking for a well made movie with a
well made plot, well made characters, and a feel that can grab and
keep your attention, then this is a movie for you.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 19
Am
on
g th
e P
eo
ple
Lost
A n
ove
l by A
ud
rey J
. Ro
ss C
om
missio
ns b
y ism
be
lla
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Show Talk
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic by AJ
The newest incarnation of My Little Pony amassed a huge amount of
fans with its first season. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic follows a
scholarly, somewhat antisocial pony named Twilight Sparkle and her
friends through the magical land of Equestria. The first season kicked
off with a two-part episode in which Equestria is threatened by an
evil pony named Nightmare Moon. The main six ponies wield
magical “Elements of Harmony” to save the day, and the rest of the
season consists of fun, episodic adventures that have nothing to do
with the Elements of Harmony.
In September 2011, season two began much the same way. A
new enemy, Discord, was brought in, and it was time for the main
ponies to do their harmonious magic once again. Discord is a bunch
of different creatures, and he’s essentially the embodiment of chaos.
He enjoys playing cruel games with the ponies for his own
entertainment. He was well-received by avid pony fans everywhere.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 21
In October, fans were ecstatic to see the return of Princess
Luna, who appeared in the two-part series premier and then
vanished. Her appearance was different this time around, but she
contributed very well to a Halloween (or Nightmare Night for you
ponies) episode.
Despite being a show aimed at little girls who want to be
princesses, My Little Pony has proven to be extremely popular with a
variety of fans, most notably among the crowd of men in their
twenties who earned the title “bronies.” The smooth vector-style
animation and comedy reminiscent of the old Looney Toons
cartoons set the show apart from the majority of other children’s
shows on television, which is likely part of the reason it caught on so
quickly. Whatever the reason, creator Lauren Faust has
acknowledged the fan base and thanked them for their continuing
support.
The pony fan base puts out tons of fan art, stories, and dub-
overs every day. There’s pony cosplay, human versions of ponies,
and pony snacks. It seems that a new rule has emerged from the
Internet: if it exists, there’s a pony version. To the bronies out there,
that is totally okay.
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The DC Team
Audrey J. Ross spends much
of her time on various art
projects. She sells jewelry,
crafts, and art prints, and
she has a book published on
Kindle. She plans on going to
college for visual arts to
further her artistic studies.
When not being artistic, she
is often cooking, listening to
metal, and/or browsing the
Internet for hours on end.
Her favorite pony is Princess
Celestia.
AJ
Tim
Tim Geary is an avid gamer and
eater of spicy things. He’s often
spotted leaving his natural
habitat with a bag full of snacks
and a bottle of hot sauce. He
hopes to attend college to
pursue interests on wildlife biology
and psychology. He is currently
researching metaphysical and
paranormal phenomena and
beliefs from all over the world. His
favorite pony is Photo Finish.
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 23
The DC on the Web
Facebook Twitter Blogger DeviantART
THE DRAGON’S CLAW WEBSITE
Submit Artwork
Get in touch through any of the above sites or email AJ directly if
you’re interested in having your art featured in our magazine!
What We’re Looking For
We accept fan art and original works that incorporate fantasy,
science fiction, or gaming. No nudity or extreme violence, please.
More info can be found in our DeviantART group.
Advertising
Contact AJ if you would like to place an advertisement in our
magazine. You can message her on any of the above places or
email her directly.
Join the Team
Think you can do what we do here? We’re looking for team mates!
Fill out our application if interested.
Email AJ at [email protected]
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Credits
Cover made in Knytt Stories Level Editor by Nifflas;
Screenshots from Knytt and Knytt Stories by Nifflas
http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt+Stories
Green Angel cover © Scholastic
http://www.scholastic.com
Book Art Artist
http://velvet-moonlight.deviantart.com/
Morrowind screencapped by AJ, © Bethesda Softworks
http://www.bethsoft.com
Okami screenshot from Game Cola
http://gamecola.net
Game Art Artists
http://fullbashreturns.deviantart.com/
http://pacifierboy.deviantart.com/
http://randomrobskii.deviantart.com/
http://vybeosa.deviantart.com/
Cosplay Artists
http://ariru-lunaticoo.deviantart.com/
http://traumacentregrrl.deviantart.com/
http://miyoaldy.deviantart.com/
[FANTASY HEADQUARTERS] 25
http://nekosrocks.deviantart.com/
Rise of the Planet of the Apes image from Entertainment Weekly
http://www.ew.com/ew/
My Little Pony images from the MLP Wikia, screencapped from the
Hub
http://mlp.wikia.com
http://www.hubworld.com/
Pony characters made with Pony Creator
http://generalzoi.deviantart.com/art/Pony-Creator-Full-Version-
254295904
Advertisements
http://www.shapeways.com/shops/sprocketsandpistons
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005F620IY/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
http://ismbella.deviantart.com/
This entire webzine was made in Microsoft Word 2007
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Word-2007-Old-
Version/dp/B000HCZ8GW
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