Dresden Files question

[ratcreature]

I'm toying with the idea to illustrate chapter 33 of Dead Beat, and I think I might try something a bit comic like in that I first to a couple of close-ups of details (maybe in extra panels maybe not) and then pull the camera back for the main scene. I think it would be nice to do a bit of graphic narrative again.

I have however questions about some of the stuff appearing the scene. What I'm thinking of is to illustrate the summoning ritual of the Erlking. My idea is to first show close-ups of the item pairs of the pentagram inside and outside the barbed-wire circle, but I'm not sure what some of these things look like and whether I would be able to find proper image reference with reasonable effort. For one, I have no idea what a Chicago parking ticket looks like. I tried a google image search for "parking ticket" but they seem to look all different depending on the location?

Also, I have no idea what kind of gun this .44 of his is. I can't recall offhand whether he mentions the exact make and model somewhere else earlier in the series, but from just googling ".44 + gun" there seem to be many different kinds? That number is for the ammunition used, yes? I never pay attention to the gun stuff in fiction and it's not like I've ever seen one up close in real life, so I'm kind of clueless. Doe anyone know offhand what kind of gun Harry has?

Yet another thing I'm unsure about is the "steel and flint" he mentions. I mean, I know this is a firemaking tool where you strike a flintstone against metal and then sparks are the result, but is there a "standard" way such a steel and flint kit would look like considering that Harry bought/gathered these materials in a hurry? Or is this supposed to be just some regular flintstone like you could pick up somewhere and a piece of metal? I have no clue about any boy scout or wilderness survival stuff or wherever people commonly would still use this kind of thing to make fire in the current day.

Another thing, this more about the actual narrative content, do you think the order of the objects listed indicates which are the opposing ones? I mean, the list of items associated with the Erlking is in the order listed a heavy collar for a hunting hound, a whetstone, a small bowie knife, flint and steel, and several steel arrowheads, and Harry's affinity items opposite the Erlking's in order of appearance a used copy of The Hobbit, the splintered end of his blasting rod, his .44, an unpaid parking ticket, and his mother's silver pentacle amulet. Reading it I don't really see a pattern why Harry choose a particular item for the other, assuming they are matched in order of appearance, i.e. why the whetstone is with the blasting rod or the parking ticket with the flint and steel etc. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Anyway, I thought I'd do five close-up panels on the item pairs, then a sixth panel showing Harry pressing the hand with Lasciel's sigil against the barbed wire until it bleeds with the magic energy starting (and I can't remember actually whether Lasciel's sigil was ever described in detail as a symbol either--I suck as a detail oriented fan, these are the times I wish I had a searchable e-copy of the books instead of the usually more practical paper books :/ do any of you recall?), and finally a big one showing Harry kneeling in front of the summoned Erlking within the circle. What do you think? Would this be a cool way to illustrate the ritual? Or would other focus points be better?


Also, happy May Day!

Comments

[an-kayoh.livejournal.com]

If you do a search for 'chicago parking ticket' on Google, the first image is a pic of a Chicago parking ticket from the City of Chicago.

[ratcreature]

Heh, I googled "parking ticket chicago" after trying just "parking ticket" and it is much further down with that word order, also the at first I hadn't noticed that I still had my search set to large images (it's my default for image searches because small ones make worse reference). Thanks though for pointing that out! :)

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

I wish I could help you out with the gun question...but I have no idea. So I choose my only icon that has a gun in it. @_@;;

Otherwise, I really like your description of the layout, and I'd really love to see what you come up with. I'm curious to see how other people picture Harry, because the actor on the show (which I eschew) does not match my mental picture at all.) Go for it!

[ratcreature]

Well, the way I imagine it (if it pictureon paper worked out like the one in my head) you wouldn't really see that much of Harry, because the viewpoint of the main image would place the viewer kind of behind him, looking up at thw imposing Erlking together with him, so you'd mosly see the back of Harry, kneeling in front of the Erlking.

[einatlanta.livejournal.com]

Here's the "flint and steel" kit (http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Issue-Magnesium-Survival-Starter/dp/B0002X1IOM/ref=pd_bbs_3/104-3953221-1622349?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1178109512&sr=8-3) I and a million other campers have. I can't imagine Harry having any other kind.

It's a bar of magnesium with a strip of "flint" along one slide. You use a pocketknife to shave bits of magnesium off the bar onto the top of some kindling. Then you strike your (ragged edge of) keys or the saw blade of a swiss army knife rapidly against the "flint" or spaking side of the block. This puts sparks onto the magnesium shavings wich burn hot enough to catch the kindling on fire.

I have some old broken flint arrowheads and have made sparks with them and my keys before, but I've never started a fire that way. Every hiker I've ever known used one of these magnesium bars. Sometimes when they are sold they are called Fire Flint sets.

[ratcreature]

oh, thanks for pointing this out! I'd never imagined something looking like this when he said "steel and flint" in the description!

[einatlanta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, somehow I don't think the writer ever starts fires much himself. It's a forgivable lapse, since everyone knows what he was talking about anyway. I will probably keep my magnesium bar for the rest of my life since I haven't really gone deep woods camping for a decade now. Looking at this sort of made me miss those days when I used to go minimilist backbacking as a teen. Maybe I'll get back to it once my kids are old enough to think it is exciting and big enough to carry their own stuff.

So, you know, ten or eleven years from now...

[sulien77.livejournal.com]

Hullo there,

I was out looking for some Dresden Files fanfic (preferably of the Harry/Marcone, Harry/Ramirez, Harry/Morgan variety) when I came across your post here in part regarding which handgun Harry carries.

In the earlier books, Harry carries a .38 Chief's Special Smith & Wesson. Somewhere in later books, that changes to a .44 revolver, but I don't know what specific make or model. Here is a link to info on several .44 revolvers where you could pick one that would look good in the artwork you're doing. I don't recall Jim Butcher ever having mentioned exactly which .44 Harry carries these days, so I don't think it will matter much, just so long as it's a basic, no-frills revolver (so that his magical aura doesn't screw it up).

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/My%20Favorite%20Revolver.htm

Hope this helps! I'm looking forward to seeing the artwork. :-)

[ratcreature]

Thanks for the info on the gun! so far I got stuck with my sketches of the Erlking, because I somehow didn't get his armor to not look stupid and then left this idea for awhile. But I'm notoriously slow with fanart I vaguely planned anyway. *g*

BTW, have you found any Harry/Ramirez slash? I only know of cccarioca's story Flower Child and would love to read more.

[sulien77.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I've only found that one, and that was through your recommendation. I'll have to go onto Jim Butcher's board and IM the folks who have stated preferences for slash to see if they know of any sites.

However, if you're at all interested in crossover pairings, rhian_morwenna took up the Harry Dresden/John Sheppard prompt in oxoniensis' latest Porn Battle with very nice results (yep, it was my prompt...I come up with the odd pairings and crossovers)! Here's the link.

http://rhian-morwenna.livejournal.com/47343.html#cutid1