An Introduction

True to my promise I’d like to take this moment to introduce you to a character from a story I wrote a few years ago. But first I must begin with how this all came about. When my wife and I were in college I told her a bedtime story of the Norwegian Pirate and the Fairy Princess Maynan. Years passed and I forgot the original story, but I liked the name so I used it for other purposes. When Pirates of the Caribbean came out my nephew was captivated by the incredible character Jack Sparrow and the cursed pirates or what he referred to as the “monsters”. Pirates were the rage. My interest in pirate lore and the popularity with my nephew and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie motivated me to write my own story based on my character the Norwegian Pirate. Being that I had plenty of down time at my old job I bought a small notebook for sketches of characters and my story. I wrote the beginning of a children’s story, but my motivation soon fizzled and the story of Zaxson and Neptune’s Trident fell by the wayside.

Then, last summer I was to turn twenty-eight and I set a goal for myself that I’d write a book in thirty days, no matter if it was any good or made any sense I was going to write a book- and I did. The book was not finished in thirty days as I originally set out to do, but nonetheless I had started and finished a book by the end of the summer. It’s a story about a boy who has lucid dreams in a place called the LOLD or, the Land of Lucid Dreams. This particular story takes place in the Oceanus realm where most of the Norwegian Pirate’s adventures happen. In his dreams he encounters strange and unique places and creatures. One of these creatures is the turtle pirate Francois.

Francois is best described as a seasoned pirate known for his bon vivant ways. I would consider him to be a cross between Peter Seller's Inspector Clouseau and Baron Munchausen. He has been imprisoned on the Island of Lost Souls and is known on the island as an excellent source of information in the Oceanus Realm.

Without further ado I introduce to you, Francois the turtle pirate...

Here is what Francois looked like when I first came up with him.

Then I began drawing a storyboard.
















Two weeks ago I spent the week putting him together. I wish I would have taken pictures of the process showing his development. I mean, I only waited a year and half to put him together.
I showed him to my niece this past Sunday and she really loved him. It may have helped that she was sleep deprived and a big talking turtle was probably completely normal to her at that point.















Here they are enjoying a Pixar movie, Monsters Inc., together. You can't tell but there are huge red bags around the eyes of a little blond someone from not taking their nap.

Watching my niece talk to Francois and give him a kiss and a hug was one of the coolest things to see, I got to see my creation do exactly what I intended, help kids imagine. My heart just about exploded.