Pirka Gives Me a Surprise
February 17, 2011
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CHICAGOANS! This Sunday, for the first time in public, I’ll be reading the first two chapters of my just-completed sci-fi novel, The Magnificent Moots, at the Orange Alert Reading Series at the Whistler (2421 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL). Other readers: Fred Sasaki, Laura Yes Yes. The event starts at 6.
A pleasant surprise this week! Emily Bricker, also known as Pirka (here she is on DeviantArt), sent me the above Order of Odd-Fish fan art. It’s gorgeous! (Click on it for a larger view.)
I particularly like “Candy Kiang” and “Belgian Piester” (characters dressed up as their favorite foods should become a meme). And Aznath, the Silver Kitten of Deceit, perched on Jo’s head is kawasugiru. It’s also quite clever how Pirka references Max Pitchkites’ picture of Ken Kiang in her own Ken Kiang (notice the official Max-imagined Ken Kiang emblem, and how her composition tweaks on the layout of his picture). Pirka’s Aunt Lily is adorable, too . . . aw, it’s all adorable. The whole tableau is great cute fun.
Here’s the weird thing, though: Pirka hasn’t even finished the book yet. She found out about Odd-Fish from Rob Weston’s blog (he’s a fellow JET alum, and the author of the immensely enjoyable Zorgamazoo). But she couldn’t find Odd-Fish in her local bookstores. So she read the bits of Odd-Fish that are on Google Books, browsed the fan art already on my website, and began making her own! (If this is what Pirka can do now, imagine what she might create when she finishes the book . . . !)
Thank you, Pirka, for this fantastic work. Which foreshadows nicely my announcement next week! Hint: it’s another Odd-Fish art event (though perhaps not as raucous as last year’s costumed dance party). Stay tuned . . .
P.S. Pirka’s YouTube channel is quite entertaining too. I particularly enjoyed this Flipnote animation that she made. Pirka invites us, “Watch me beating the crap out of a shadow thing in a nondescript cityscape!” and how can we resist:
All this talent, and so young! PIRKA: APPROVED.