The Vancouver Comic Jam opening night was a big hit, thanks to everyone who came out! If you couldn’t attend, it’ll be at The Wallflower throughout April so drop on by. And if your lack of attendance was due to distance issues, well, in the post below i have (an updated) list of other comicers art that you can view!

The Three Musketeers

This piece is one of mine that is currently being displayed (I have two up – I’m really really happy with the ones the VCJ headguys chose!) – it features my 2nd most favorite line that Dumas ever wrote. Here’s the progress of the painting, where you can see, despite a couple of practice runs, I almost ruined this in peeling off the masking-fluid.

Aha, just kidding *ahem*

7: Something Norse

Ringpin by Wareham Forge

Need a Thor’s Hammer? Ringpin? The ever fashionable earspoon? Nothing says “I love you” more than a custom made pattern welded blade. Visit the Wareham Forge for all your Viking needs!

Seax Knife That I Commissioned from the Wareham Forge

8: Hats!

Musketeer Hat (from The Three Musketeers: The Game)

Who doesn’t love a good hat? Top hat, fedora, bowler, pillbox, tricorn, viking-rus style, cavalier – those are just some of the types that I own! Hats can be found all around, but do drop by to Edie Hats if you’re in the area – you’re bound to find the perfect hat gift there.

9: Socks

*imagine a picture of my feet in some really cool socks*

I have always, always enjoyed getting socks for the holidays. I always need them, and the kinds I get are always awesome – notable the ones bought by my Da (grandfather). Give that special someone a special gift for their feet – find some sweet socks at Sock It To Me.

...It's a Wig

My costume consisted of a shift (undershirt), bumroll (to give me that early 17th century silhouette), three petticotes (aka skirts), a reed-boned bodice complete with a stomacher (that had a wooden busk in it, thanks to a generous friend of my parents-in-law), organza cuffs, collar and sash, fleur-de-lis necklace and earrings, poison ring, black gloves, black fan, black mask and black shoes with gold rosette bows. The cuffs, collar, sash, third petticote, bodice and mask had a gold lace trim. I wore a black cloak, but didn’t have at the time of this photo. I would love to revisit the pattern and make another costume – one that is a bit more fitted, and that wouldn’t be as rushed. Methinks I’d make a Constance outfit (better to match my d’Artagnan…that, and I wouldn’t have to wear that hot wig!).

The Van Dyke is real

James’ costume consists of a linen (under)shirt, a slashed doublet, breeches, leather bucket boots, leather gauntlets, linen cuffs and collar with lace, a woolen musketeer tabard (or cassock/casaque or mandilion) with a hand-embroidered cross and pewter buttons and a wool felt hat with 5 ostrich plumes.

And twirled facial hair.

James came to my rescue and offered to help me with the costumes right before Halloween. So I had him sewing buttons for two days. There are 113 buttons just on the tabard.

The musketeer tabard that you have pictured in your mind never really existed. No one knows for sure what they look like, but the tabards you typically see in most movies and illustrations are based on Maurice Leloir’s rendition of a musketeer – he was the main illustrator for Dumas, and while he strove for historical accuracy, the tabard was likely inspired by the theatre, and based on a court pages outfit.

I used patterns from Reconstructing History (with some modifications – mainly to the tabard), and that’s also where I bought the (very fitting) collar lace from. I would say that you do need some sewing experience for these patterns – they are not for beginners – but if you ever get stuck or have questions you can email the pattern makers and she’ll get right back to you. The boots were James’ wedding boots (modified), and his gloves were from Leather Mystics.

Halloween may be over…but the magic is not. Even though it looks as if the magic of winter solstice celebrations are already trying to squish out the lingering Halloween magic, I’ll keep the spirit of jackolanterns, costumes, and the-day-after sugar/party headache alive for a little while longer. I will complete my remaining Halloween Hoopla sketches (for my high school, university and early marriage years) in the next few weeks – the reasons for the spread out delay, and the reasons why the sketches suddenly stopped, are as followed:

• I was frantically trying to get two Halloween costumes together.
• I suddenly became ill (it wasn’t the flu but I shall spare you the details. I am fine fine fine now)
• had to do multiple trips back and forth to the hospital (but again, I’m fine)
• lost about 5 days for costuming, time that was badly needed, and thus spent all of my remaining waking moments working on the costumes. my husband was kind enough to feed me while I worked and remind me to shower.

So it was a very, very busy Halloween season. We went to a party, which was fantastic. We had a truly magnificent time; I was so delighted at the quality and quantity of costumes, it truly was one of my best Halloweens.

Plus, everyone seemed to really, really like our costumes.

d'Artagnan and Milady de Winter

So much hand stitching, embroidery, button (hole) stitching…but they turned out quite nice I think. I’ll post some more photos with more details about the costumes later during the week.

It was one for all. And all for one.

(James was very, very relieved that he could finally shave. I can’t help but miss his Van Dyke)

Constance Bonacieux

The Three Musketeers: The Game has now been released now for PC! Huzzah!

d'Artagnan ("Charles de Batz-Castelmore Comte d'Artagnan")

The Three Musketeers: The Game has been released for Mac!

Check out the new video and download the demo today!

The Comte de Rochefort

The Comte de Rochefort, otherwise known as the “Man from Meung” throughout The Three Musketeers, is a mysterious character who appears from time to time both in the book and the game. I debated about revealing his true name in this post – the Man from Meung’s name is not announced until the end but it is somewhat of a disappointment. It wasn’t as if he declared that he was the King of England or d’Artagnan’s father.

…Or did he?

It’s done it’s done it’s done it’s done it’s done it’s done it’s done!

Louis XIII, King of France and Navarre

You can try (and buy) The Three Musketeers: The Game here!

Poor Louis, everything to him is just so boring. In the game he wears a little head wreath because he needed to be a bit different (and I didn’t like him in a crown, and a cavalier hat wasn’t unique enough). Pretty sure the real Louis wasn’t walking around wearing a laurel wreath, but it is a dashing look, as portrayed in actual portraits and on coins!