Goblin Trio

Here's a peculiar thing...

Ok, so anyone who has viewed my gallery has probably noticed that it is full of half finished ideas and beginnings of projects. I have started working on at least a dozen webcomics, but I usually lose interest or get distracted.

Yeah, I suck...

But occasionally I just doodle for the fun of it. And this is the product of two nights of doodles! Even though this drawing is sloppy, unrefined, a bit sketchy even, I think I like it more than anything I've drawn in a long time. It was fun. I just made it up as I went along. And even though it isn't all that creative at first glance, I assure you there is more to it.

See, when I draw a character, I decide immediately whether I like it or not. If I like it, I will probably draw another one. If I don't like it, I will probably stop drawing for the day and brood around the house cursing my lack of creativity...

If I like it, I will probably give it a name. This is where it gets complicated. I'm not all that creative, but I have this thing about creating characters. Once a character has a name, it has an identity. It needs a place to live, friends, family, maybe even social structures and an extensive cultural history. In short, I make up a tiny world in my head for the character to exist in.

I probably spend more time thinking up silly trivial things than I do actually drawing the character. Things like what he does for a living, his favorite foods, how his peers respond to him, sometimes even sexual preference. It's pretty boring stuff for the most part, but I really enjoy making it all up.

Now once I get to the part about the society the character lives in, it gets really really REALLY complicated. I'm not saying I have developed entire economies in my head, but I have definitely thought of what kinds of things get taxed, and how much... coming up with a form of currency... a social ladder structure... some form of government... a military and brief history of wars fought... sometimes even simple language or alphabets.

Where am I going with this? Are you even still reading it?

Don't panic, this is where I get to the point...

The three characters in this drawing are Big Griz, Zuba, and Princess Kizee (as labeled). They are goblins (duh). Princess Kizee is royalty, and the only heir her father's throne. Big Griz is her personal body guard, and part of the warrior class (the warrior class is the equivalent of being a noble). Zuba is the son of a mushroom farmer and part of the working class (goblin kingdoms are subterranean).

The goblin king, Geezrak, had struck a deal with the evil dwarves lead by Brod Stonemaul. The goblin clans within the kingdom are constantly at war with one another, and king Geezrak fears that he will soon be overthrown. So, he made an alliance with the shifty Brod to provide muscle and protection. However, Brod and his dwarf army have seized control of the goblin capitol and are holding the kingdom for ransom (gosh, I didn't see that coming!).

Kizee and Big Griz escape through a secret tunnel, and are soon lost in the underground. Zuba finds them and helps them to navigate their way to safety. Together they must rally the warring goblin clans and retake their kingdom!

(Hell, this sounds almost like a video game or something!)

I guess I should restate that I really like goblins. Always have. I like dwarves too, but I'm a little sick of the bad rep goblins always get in fantasy stories. It just isn't fair. And dwarves are always praised for being brave warriors. But I'm sure there are nasty evil dwarves out there somewhere. Just as I am sure that once you get to know them, goblins might be rather enjoyable.

Anyway... I would love to go further with this, but I have no talent for writing stories. I can come up with scenarios, but I can't make them fit together. Years of running Dungeons & Dragons games have provided lots of practice...

So there you have it.

I am so bored...