Menolly

Menolly

Just in time to close out this Year of the Dragon, I've completed this illustration of one of my favorite childhood heroines: Menolly.

I have the fondest memories of Anne McCaffery's Dragon Rider's of Pern novels. I remember reading and rereading my father's yellowing dog-eared copies of the Harper Hall trilogy; the ones with the fantastic psychedelic covers by Elizabeth Malczynski. Elizabeth's artwork alone successfully imprinted on me how fire lizards should be depicted forever and ever ad infinitum, and is no small part of my inspiration for drawing this. Hell, it was my inspiration for drawing to begin with! Between the ages 10 and 16, I'm not sure I drew anything OTHER then elegant, cow-eyed fire lizards. 

As far as the story goes let's just say, the first time I read Dragonsong when I was a little girl, I wanted to BE Menolly. (Go ahead and read that Doc Brown Back-to-the-Future-3 style.) After the initial introduction to the Harper Hall trilogy, I pretty much devoured any novel with a dragon on the cover. 

Historical reenactment of me listening to my father read Dragonsong, age 10.

I can't say how the novels would hold up these days... but as a young kid who desperately wanted a blue fire lizard of her own, it sure meant something to me. In any case, I'm fairly certain that a story about an exceptional yet wildly under appreciated teen finding independence and hanging out with 9 tiny dragons will appeal to most kids.