Currently smashing its fairly modest Kickstarter funding goal of $2500 out of the park, Bambi Wendt‘s proposed The field guide to: Dragons, Wyrms, and Serpents of the World is a gem deserving attention.

The project is being promoted as a 50-plus page book, richly illustrated, with over 25 full watercolour paintings created “in the wild without digital programs”.

It’s clearly caught the imagination of crowdfunders, confirming, once again, how dragons are a popular fantasy theme.

Bambi Wendt, an artist with 30 years experience

“Giant scaled creatures with mystical powers appear in every culture throughout recorded time,” notes Bambi. “Sometimes these animals are benevolent beings full of wisdom, and sometimes they are fire breathing harbingers of doom.

“Whether six-limbed or essentially giant snakes, dragons are a part of the human experience: monsters who have been created to explain rain, evil, and goodness. Our human connection to these fantastic beasts that have been worshiped and feared is universal.”

Bambi’s book intends to explore the differences between western and eastern dragons, unearth dragons who ferry souls to the underworld, and look up to creatures of infinite wisdom and benevolence.

“In every element, in every realm, we find wyrms who chew at the roots of the world tree, serpents that coil in the depths of seas and lochs, and agile masters of the wind and sky.”

The book will be published by Beard Poetry, a company that began in 2010 with a long-arm stapler, a coffee table, and a dorm room, producing staple-bound chapbooks for Twin Cities authors and slam poetry collectives. Since then, the press has expanded into a full-service design, editing, and publishing shop for artists across the United States, collaborating with musicians, painters and tattoo artists, and nonprofit art centers. Authors have embarked on tours behind collections that have been distributed internationally and featured on year-end lists next to New York Times bestsellers.

The art is definitely eye-catching, and there are more examples on the Kickstarter project page.

“The inking was done with a traditional dip pen and archival sepia ink,” Bambi says of her work, “and many of the watercolor pigments are made from genuine and semi-precious stones including garnet, lapis lazuli, Minnesota pipestone, serpentine, and amethyst.

“Each dragon will be accompanied by an illustrated facing page with a typed description, story, or primary source material.”

• If you’re a fan of dragons and myth, check the project, which has raised over $17,000 in backing, here on Kickstarter

• Follow Bambi Wendt on Instgram

Art © Bambi Wendt

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Art and Illustration, Books, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes News, Other Worlds

Tags: Bambi Wendt, Beard Poetry, downthetubes News, Dragons, Kickstarter