As you might guess from its subtitle, a lot of love went into Swords: An Artist's Devotion. The first book from former video-game artist Ben Boos, Swords is a gem, a lavishly illustrated and handsomely produced pictorial that celebrates (and satisfyingly geeks out on) this iconic piece of weaponry. Swords was released last month by Candlewick Press--a publisher that regularly puts out some very beautiful kids' books--but Boos definitely intended the book for all ages, including "anyone who likes swords in the context of history, fiction, fantasy, video games, pen and paper games, movies, comics, etc." I got to talk to Boos in the midst of signings and events surrounding the book's release--and in fact, if you're reading this on Sunday, Oct. 19, and you're anywhere near Folsom, California, you can catch him in costume, doing a benefit for the Friends of the Folsom Public Library at the Folsom Renaissance Faire (near his hometown).
(And to get an idea of the meticulous detail that went into Swords, check out the higher-res image at the end of our interview....)
Amazon.com: So why swords? Why not... armor, or siege engines, or monsters?
Ben Boos: It's funny that you ask that, because I love all those topics, and I'm actually writing a second book about some of these very things (monsters). In choosing what to tackle for a first book, I thought long and hard about the various topics that would be fun to work with, and I kept coming back to the idea of a book totally devoted to swords. Funny enough, there were many sword-related synchronicities happening in my life at the time, so it all fell into place with a bit of luck and serendipity. Swords were a passion, and it felt like the right project to lead the way.
Amazon.com: I understand that you actually drew a lot from memory. Seriously? I was amazed when I read that, it's like your mind is full of swords!
BB: Yes, my mind is pretty much swimming with swords, and I attribute that to my life-long interest in the subject. I visually feast on pictures of swords all the time, like a kid does on candy. I collect precarious stacks of books about swords, and I've endlessly doodled them since I was a boy... I love swords!
For some parts of the book, I didn't rely on memory--such as the illustrations of Oakeshott's classic medieval hilt and blade types. Yet for much of the book, memory was the driving force behind the artwork. I did not attempt to recreate clinical images of specific historical examples, but instead to I tried to capture the overall subject of swords, as seen through the lens of my mind. I let my enthusiasm for the material lead the way, and I tried to conjure vivid and tangible weapons that were familiar, but exciting and new. I wanted weapons that seemed like they "could have been." That was my goal. To attempt to accomplish this, I used my memory as a guidepost, while artistically exploring slight variations of ornament and design--sketching until I felt I had swords that were right for the book.
Amazon.com: Is Swords a kids' book? Who did you have in mind while you were working on it?
BB:Swords is certainly kid friendly (I avoided violence, for instance) but it's really meant to be enjoyed by those of any age, whether 8 or 80. My goal was to make a book that would appeal to anyone who likes swords in the context of history, fiction, fantasy, video games, pen and paper games, movies, comics, etc. Better yet, I hope the book will attract some people that are not even partial to swords; perhaps sparking some new interest where there was none before. That would be great.
Amazon.com: Why do you think this sort of martial and fantasy art appeals to so many people--especially kids? (And, okay, especially boys.)
BB: I suppose it is an adapted behavior. Speaking of the attraction to swords specifically, I think it's fair to say that swords have been a powerful shaping force to human life for millennia. A cat has his claws, and we tool-using humans have our swords. The sidelining of the sword as a practical battlefield weapon is a rather recent historical development, in cultural terms. To men, I think the sword is appreciated as a tool of protection and freedom, which appeals to the father and warrior aspects of the male mind. For boys, I think the sword resonates with the willful transformation from child to man, to a world of responsibility and self-reliance.
I also think that swords are appealing because they stand for so much more than just sharp steel claws: swords are a projection of noble human values--honor, strength, truth, justice... The sword also speaks to our imagination, about a potential for risk, reward and adventure. It hints at adversity that can be met with swift action. It is the stuff of legend! That's certainly some of what I love about the sword.
Amazon.com: Where did you look for inspiration? How did you do your research, and how did you decide what to include?
BB: I was definitely inspired by the incredible Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890). He was an amazing real-life adventurer and master of the sword, and his fantastic work: "The book of the Sword" was a huge influence on me. Burton's love of travel and exotic sights also inspired me to include a spectrum of cultures that revered the sword.
Another love of mine is Art History, so I really turned to that for inspiration. I have always loved the hand-wrought embellishment and ornament found inscribed in old manuscripts or engraved into silver or gold treasures from ancient times. This sort of art is another one of those obsessions of mine, and my head swims with decorative borders, leafy patterns, and intertwining Celtic knots. That came in very handy, when I adorned the pages of the book.
In determining what exactly to include in the book, I really followed my muse. I knew that I couldn't attack the entire subject of swords comprehensively; as it was too big a subject. So I attacked it stylistically, by highlighting certain archetypes of swordsmen (and women) that were most interesting to me at the moment. In the early stages of design, I could envision countless potential chapters, so it was tough to narrow down the selections. Finally though, I narrowed it down to 14 chapters that I thought gave a good balance to the book.
Amazon.com: The subtitle of Swords--"An Artist's Devotion"--is true in more ways than one. You literally quit your day job to work on the book, didn't you?
BB: True, I walked away from a dream job to pursue this project. I was making video games, having a blast, but I really had a dream about making a book! It was something I felt strongly driven toward, even though I was very naïve about how to actually create a book. I didn't even know what book I'd be making, until after I quit my job. The idea took shape only after about six months of scrambling, and thankfully I didn't realize how crazy my plan was at the time. Thanks to kind fortune, I found a wonderful literary agent, and she grasped the vision. She put me in touch with Candlewick Press, and the senior editor became like a guardian angel to the project. You have no idea how grateful I am for all the help I've had in getting this far! It has been a fantastic experience.
Amazon.com: What was your process? How long did you spend on some of those more detailed illustrations?
BB: First, I would put on good music, for inspiration. From there, I use a wide variety of digital tools to create and capture my vision. Most of the painting is done with a digital stylus and Adobe Photoshop, which is great; because I don't have to worry about smearing wet paint with my arm (I'm an awkward south-paw).
On average, I spent about a week and a half per page. It was quite a production, and it kept me up many late nights. I had to stay disciplined, because I would have loved to continue painting, long after I needed to move on from each page.
Amazon.com: Do you see your work on the Diablo video-game series as building up to book illustration? Or is it a completely different style and process?
BB: Oh yeah, I do feel that my work on games prepared me perfectly for working on the book. I learned a lot about the A to Z development of a project while at Blizzard North, and I worked along-side some wonderful and talented people. There is so much to learn in an environment like that! That previous experience was a genuine blessing when it came time for me to develop my own book.
Amazon.com: Do you have any memories or formative sword experiences from when you were a kid?
BB: There are more stories than I could count! Lots of Calvin and Hobbes-like shenanigans took place as I went on an emphatic grail-quest to collect swords. I think the time I tested out a new mail-order ninja sword on the Orange tree is kind of funny in retrospect: My mother was perplexed to find perfectly halved and quartered fruit, hanging all over the backyard tree, and I distinctly recall that she wasn't impressed with my sword-work. But I remember that if I nicely trimmed the ivy along the gravel path, my Ninja skills were suddenly not so shabby.
Click for a higher-res image:
SWORDS. Copyright © 2008 Ben Boos. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.
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