by Ben Zackheim | Oct 30, 2014 | The Camelot Kids |
If you’ve read The Camelot Kids: Part One you’ll remember the fight between the gargoyle and the troll. Simon will certainly remember it for the rest of his life! Ian Greenlee did a fantastic job of drawing that scene for the book, but I wanted to get another point of view from an artist with a different style.
I met Harshad Marathe at my parent’s place in New York. They introduced him as an artist. He was helping them settle into their new apartment and we got to talking about Camelot, myth and art. I was so impressed with the beautiful way he sees the world that I assumed his artwork was as expressive.
It is!
Harshad Marathe is a fantastic talent who drew this scene from The Camelot Kids.
I love Harshad’s whimsical style. It captures the child-like wonder that Simon must be feeling as he watches two monsters fight!
You can see more of Harshad’s work here.
by Ben Zackheim | Oct 21, 2014 | Writing |
I’ve talked a lot about the softcover collection of The Camelot Kids coming out in December, 2014. Why am I so excited? Well, besides seeing the story all together in one volume, there’s the spectacular artwork of Ian Greenlee. Ian has been body slamming every single piece for The Camelot Kids eBooks (yes, in a good, loving way). His art is getting a lot of buzz in the illustration world. And readers LOVE what they’ve seen so far.
Here’s one review:
“I love love love this series!!
The illustrations are really really wonderful. I wish I had some to frame for my office.”
And another:
“This is the first in an exciting new middle grade series, by Ben Zackheim, with stunning illustrations peppered throughout, this one is sure to be a hit.”
I want to give you a peek at how we’ll be using the artwork in the softcover edition. From the start, Nathan Fox (Art Director and cover artist) has wanted the illustrations to emerge from the story. His meticulous sense of theme and intent are woven into every visual decision he makes. For instance the theme of The Camelot Kids: Part One was “Emergence” which translated into wonderful illustrations of our characters stepping into a new world. But the softcover will give us a whole new way to play with the theme.
Example?
Well, when Simon Sharp finds the vambrace in the grass in Part One, it’s his first step into Merlin’s domain. Simon doesn’t know it at the time, but Ian did a fantastic job of showing the confusing, dramatic moment. In the book, you’ll be able to see the drawing in all of its detail, and you’ll notice how some art appears to embrace the text of the story. In the two-page spread below, notice how the leaves flow from one page to the next, like ivy growing through the prose.
This is just one example of the beauty and attention to detail that you’ll find in The Camelot Kids: Book One, coming in December. Yes, THIS December ;-)
by Ben Zackheim | Oct 13, 2014 | The Camelot Kids |
Here’s a beautiful illustration of The Ball scene in The Camelot Kids: Part Two. Ian Greenlee went all out on that dress! The scene captures a moment where the heir to King Arthur’s throne shows up. I won’t give anything away, but it’s someone Simon knows (as you can see on the expression his face is wearing).
And, um, why is the guy charging Simon like that?
The Ball by Ian Greenlee for The Camelot Kids
by Ben Zackheim | Oct 10, 2014 | The Camelot Kids |
Head on over to Amazon to grab The Camelot Kids: Part Two
for $1! I’m so proud of this one. It took a little longer to release than we’d hoped, but I hope you’ll agree that it was worth the wait.
The Camelot Kids: Part Two is the next chapter in the Fantasy series readers are calling, “a thoroughly modern and thoroughly fun new take on the legends of Camelot!”
Simon Sharp just got kidnapped by a troll on the shore of Scotland’s Loch Duich. But before he can get his head around that incredible fact, he’s saved by a 7-foot tall elderly man who calls himself Merlin. It’s hard to deny that something odd is going on.
But what?
Join Simon as he takes his first steps into New Camelot, a castle city of unparalleled beauty. But his stay won’t always be a pleasant one as he trains to become a warrior side-by-side with 149 other kids… all descendants of the original Knights of the Round Table.
The Camelot Kids: Part Two answers many questions from Part One, and adds a few more that will keep you guessing until the end!
If you missed the first installment of The Camelot Kids, pick up The Camelot Kids: Part One for a buck, exclusively on Amazon.com!
by Ben Zackheim | Oct 1, 2014 | Writing |
Little Boo is a pet fish. He was given to Merlin by his friend Myrtle on his 3712th birthday. Merlin, however, has no time for animals that don’t make themselves useful.
So he put Little Boo to work as the manager of his store/lab, The Spell. Hey, who better to manage people than a pet, right?
To get around the whole Fish-Can’t-Walk-or-Talk thing, Merlin built Little Boo a robotic body, powered by magic steam.
Welcome to the world of The Camelot Kids!
And here he is, making himself useful. Ian Greenlee captures the moment when Little Boo offers Simon and Maille Rose a tour of The Spell. It doesn’t go well, as you’ll see in The Camelot Kids: Part Two!
