Frostlings has made it's 20k Goal on Kickstarter! The book is in full fledged drawing production- many thanks to all of our fans/friends and loyal initial backers!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1933690992/frostlings

Frostlings has been a long time coming. I first started drawing these little penguin like beings, (they aren't actually penguins- they are people), back around 1978 when I was involved in an early Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Campaign. I'm not one hundred percent sure of their exact inspiration- I think they are a combination of my love for various big-foot style comic strips; you can see the influence of Popeye's humorous narratives from the early 1930s, the zany humor of Li'l Abner might be there too. Krazy Kat's gentle poetry touched me about this time, and I loved Roy Cranes wonderful, frolicking adventures. 

Tolkien influenced the fantasy elements, and much of my sense of character voice has always come from the Maestro of the Ducks, as he is known in Europe, the mighty Carl Barks. It was Barks that sparked my interest in reading when I was five or so, and his character's voices are forever ingrained on my psyche.

These Frostlings started life as "Dungeons and Penguins" where they only appeared exploring dark carverns- there wasn't any "world" wrapped around them. They also morphed into a college newspaper once a week-fling called "Penguinboro", after my alma mater, Edinboro. As Shelly and I married, had kids, and we eventually broke into Disney and drew thousands of ducks, these little creatures sat on the sideline- silent but never forgotten. Shelly and I both liked them, and it was she who christened them Frostlings, helped broaden their horizons into a whole planet of the pushy little guys, and really established the identities of Flats and Barge Bigbones.

Like our work with the ducks, Shelly generally is willing to be wide and honest in her characterzations, and is great with gags. I'm more the plotter and pacer, and together, I think we have created a sweet property- a Frostling planet of endless possibilities. I'm off to illuminate Luminas some more, but will be writing here regularly as our Epic tale progresses!

Our Heroes

Flats

Flats is the steadfast heroine of our tale. Her strong sense of right and wrong and her stubbornness combine to create a forward trodding and implacable individual. Flats won't let the small matter of mediocre fighting skill or a general lack of ability to stop her as she endeavors to right wrongs and solve big problems.

She is caring and generous, which drives the others in the group crazy when she gives hard earned treasure away to the destitute- which is just about everyone in Luminas' frozen world. Frostlings are almost to the last basically greedy and needy, so Flats stands out as a real oddball.

"Miss Flats" is apparently not her real name. It drives the curious Stinky crazy about her true identity. Is she some escapee from the nut house? It seems unlikely she stole anything, what's her secret? We certainly wouldn't tell, even if we knew.

Stinky

Stinky might be the most "obvious" and up front of the group. He is prone to cheating and fibbing, especially if orbs, drink or food is involved. He is slinky and sly, and quite nimble and quiet considering his girth. He enjoys playing cards almost as much as he does cheating at them. He generally gets the scouting missions and "dangerous" work, and expects extra pay for his efforts. Stinky and Forelock have a more or less friendly history before our story- the only heroes in our tale who are not strangers at story start.

Stinky is a Stickywood fellow. The Frostling lands are divided up into provinces, and each province is based around something- a resource of some sort used for trade with other provinces and lands. The Stickywoods are fairly rich by Frostling standards. There are only two forests in all of Luminas, so the Stickywood Frostlings really have the market in logs, twigs and pine-cones. 

Forelock

Wizards in Luminas are Frostlings who have some skill at managing the power of Orbules, or Orbs, as they are commonly known. These Orbs spew out of the active little volcano at the northern pole of the planet. They are magical in that their heat does not dissipate the way it does with hot rocks here on earth. Orbs are perfectly round and come in an abundance of colors, with redder colors being generally more powerful and thus valuable, and bluer ones being weakest.

There are four sorts of wizards, and Forelock is an Ice-Magi, the most commonly found sort. He deals in frozen water. He uses orbs to power his "spells" which seem rather more like science experiments.

Forelock talks the wizard talk, and this seems to impress others. While his magic is often of- questionable value- he seems to succeed by a combination of clever orb usage and lots of impressive, if confusing talk.

Stinky seems to annoy Forelock to no end, and Forelock often verbally abuses him, but they seem to keep up some sort of balance, both realizing they need the other. Forelock's basic need is a good supply of decent orbules to work with.

Barge Bigbones

Barge is the son of a rough woman Frostling pirate Captain that roams the Great Big Sea of Ice with her colorful, rowdy crew, While Barge is generally too soft hearted to make a good pirate, and too dumb to be a ship Captain, he has the positive quality of being very large, by Frostling standards. He makes a fine obstacle to hide behind, especially when he wears armor and carries a shield. Barge Bigbones excels at being an immovable object.

Another positive feature of Barge is his loyalty to friends. While he suspects most everything and everyone of being a "baddie", he can be counted upon to stick to his comrades through thick and thin.

Barge Bigbones seems to have a thing for Flats, so woe-be-it to anyone or anything that tries to stomple her- which, covers a surprising lot of Frostlings, monsters, animals and sometimes plants.

Some Frostlings make the observation that Barge is fat- but, he will tell you he is merely "bigboned".

A Little Bit About Magic in Luminas

Wizards

The Frostlings use Orbules obtained from the volcano on the northern pole of Luminas as a source of heat, light, and magic. There is some debate as to rather the Frostling Magi are really, actually, truly magic-using "wizards", or if they are merely clever, big word using frauds who are good at harnessing the power of orbs.

In any case, there are  four distinctly different sorts of Frostling magi.

Ice-magi are the most commonly found, and harness frozen water to create their effects., They are efficient at fighting Ignicians, who use fire in their magic.

Ignicians are seen as superior to Winzerds, who harness the air to perform their feats. Finally, Winzerds have the upper hand against Rocktologists, who specialize in dirt magic, and who can put the mud to Ice-magi most of the time.  

All Frostling magi depend upon orbules for their spells. There are orbs of different "strengths" that can be harvested from Toasty Mountain.

Generally speaking, brighter, and more red colored orbs are more powerful, and bluer, darker orbs are less. A blue orb might be used to light a room. A red orbule might be into an ice tower, and blow the whole thing to smithereens. Orbs mean power!

Orbules are the closest thing to money the Frostlings have- except for taters, sticks and punkins, which are rare valuables to be traded. Punkins might be the national currency, if only they fit into a Frostling's pocket.