Chris Schweizer

Making a signature/number plate for the back of the reworked Santa's Workshop DisPlaysets (last year's were signed directly on the back of the frontpieces but I'm prone to tweaking any time I go back into print/production). Some holly and ivy to border it!

Four years ago, I'm reminded, I posted this gospel song I wrote, based on Matthew 25:31-46. I mess up the chords something awful but I'm still pretty happy with it.

I got asked to lead music for the youth group a few years back and near on every song they had in the book was about praising God, which is only 1/2 of what you're supposed to be doing with your religion, so I figured we needed one about helping your neighbor, so I cobbled one together.

Lyrics:

Swashtober 23: The Reverend Doctor Syn!

The mild-mannered elderly priest of the village of Romney Marsh doesn't like seeing corrupt Napoleonic-era naval press gangs enslaving his coastal parishioners, so he does what any good clergyman would do: dusts of his killin' skills from his former life as a believed-dead murderous pirate to wreak horrifying havoc on the officers of King George while disguised as a scarecrow. From the 1915 novel by actor and Gallipoli veteran Russell Thorndike.

Swashtober 22: Inigo Montoya!

Grabbed some old pencils for this one (cheating, but who cares, I make my own rules!) and threw on the color this morning, just because I wanted to include him in the set. Between having been sick and NYCC (got home last night), I've missed near half of my list for this batch, but I've got a few more days to do a few more.

Hey, friends! If you're at New York comicon, come and see me in Artist alley! I'm at table K-14.

Hey, friends! Come and see me at NYCC, down in Artist Alley, Table K-14!

Swashtober 12: Cyrano de Bergerac!

From the play by Edmond Rostand, based on the life of the historically big-nosed 17th century writer and wit who *actually* fought like a hundred fellers on his own at the Porte de Nesle (he also really chased off that actor, and wrote great love letters, many of which were published and subsequently cribbed by Rostand for the play).

Swashtober 10: Captain Alatriste!

Alatriste is the lead (but not narrator, that's his ward, Íñigo) of a series of novels by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. A tercio between wars, he finds himself embroiled in intrigues when hiring himself out as a swordsman and sometimes assassin.

Only 45 minutes left to get A DREAM OF SWORDS on Kickstarter! For $16 plus shipping you'll get the hardcover book, three sword bookmarks, a pocket fieldbook, and a "Swords with Names and their Wielders" sketchbook zine.

Swashtober 9 is Prudence Tremaine, from Georgette Heyer's absolutely wonderful 1928 romance novel THE MASQUERADERS. When Prudence and her brother have to hide out because of their father's involvement in the Jacobite Uprising, they drag up and go into London society, where Prudence keeps finding herself having to fight off folks with swords, while her brother spends his time flirting with everyone. The romantic lead is great, too - he's basically Mr. Darcy as played by Dave Bautista.

Here's a flamberge-bladed (German) basket-hilted (English) broadsword from the early 17th century. This and 124 other museum sword drawings are being collected in A DREAM OF SWORDS which is now IN ITS FINAL 24 HOURS ON KICKSTARTER!!!

Here's another sword drawing from A DREAM OF SWORDS: a Cinqueda, named because the blade is five fingers wide. One theory as to the existence of these is the state(s) put blade length carry laws in place to make less likely vendetta duels/brawls, and these cleavers came in just under the legal limit.

Just two days left on the Kickstarter! For just $16 and shipping you'll get the book (hardcover, and with 125 sword drawings), a "named swords and their wielders" mini sketchbook, a fieldbook, and three bookmarks.

SWASHTOBER 8: Andrea Orsini

From Samuel Shellabarger's PRINCE OF FOXES, Orsini is a cynical courtier who's tasked with assassinating a prince and taking his place as a Borgias puppet (jackpot)! Only the target is a genuinely good fella who gives Orsini purpose greater than his own ambition.

There's a movie version of this from 1949, with Tyrone Power and Orson Welles, I haven't seen it, though, only read the novel.

Swashtober 7: Fanfan la Tulipe!

Hello, friends! There IS no Swashtober #6 because I was in bed with a fever all yesterday, but I've been feeling a little better for the past hour or so. Still going to take it very easy but I thought I'd do a sketch if I felt up to it.

Fanfan la Tulipe is a delightful 1952 French swashbuckling comedy-adventure-romance movie. You can find the Criterion disk for very cheap! Fanfan is tricked into joining the army by a phony fortune teller who promises him a grand destiny, and decides he's going to make sure that destiny happens. Plenty of swordfights and one of the best horse chase and rescue scenes in cinema.

SWASHTOBER 5: The Pirate King

Here's one of the big scene-stealers from the oeuvre of Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirate King, from PIRATES OF PENZANCE. I've never played the part, myself; I've been a chorus pirate and Major General Stanley, but the King's opener is probably my most oft-sung-on-my-own G&S number, when I'm choring and the like. If you haven't seen Kevin Kline's early 80s portrayal, it's just phenomenal.

Swashtober 4: Lagardère

Today's swashtober drawing is the hero of Paul Féval (the older)'s revenge novel Le Bossu (the Hunchback). Lagardère is a swordsman who rescues and raises the infant daughter of a Duke whose evil cousin murders him and his family in order to inherit their fortune; in hiding for sixteen years, he disguises himself and enters into the cousin's service to systematically dismantle the fella's life, swordfighting along the way.

The novel has been made into a movie a few times; my favorite is the 1997 version (you can watch it on Tubi), sword choreographed by Michel Carliez; his dad, Claude Carliez, choreographed the 1959 version. If you're looking for good movie swordfights, both the father and son can be relied upon to always deliver - half the French swashbucklers I've seen were discovered through looking at their body of work.

Also, for folks grousing about how everything is IP these days: the reason I noted Paul Féval the older is that his son made good money churning out swashbuckler sequels and crossovers, including for Lagardère, D'Artagnan, Cyrano, and more.