The Enchanted Dagger

We’re in the home stretch of this very special episode of the Enchanted Dagger.  Issue number three is one of my very favorites of the whole series so I hope you’ve found it to be enjoyable.  I like that it cuts away from the action of our main story-line to show a little bit more of just what kind of hero Roger Chalmers is.  I’ve mentioned that I had read Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian just before I got started writing the EDag… that should account for some of the menacing undertones and wordiness.  Another influence that begins to take form in this issue is a sort of distillation of the central character in George MacDonld Frasier’s satirical historical novels about the life and times of British Calvary Officer, Harry Flashman.  The title character is a roguish, womanizing coward who manages to rise to the pinnacle of 19th century society through his sheer luck and confident edifice.  I’m trying to depict Roger as having a bit more command of his situation than Flashman (portrayed by Malcolm McDowell in an early 70’s movie adaption of “Royal Flash” one of the best books in the series), but some of the attempts at humor can be linked back to the Flashman books…in this issue especially.

There are some really weird colors on this page.  Again, the prospect of actually posting something has a way of revealing all the flaws that were tolerable up to the point.  I could definitely go back in and make the color scheme more ‘Luray” without much inconvenience.  At least there is finally something to match that purple shirt.