thedragonboosterzine

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Letter from Rob Travalino to DB Fans- 2022

Hey y’all! So we managed to get in touch with Rob recently, and he was extremely kind to write a note to us! We’ll be updating the zine with this section soon-ish, but thought you might enjoy reading it here first! Enjoy :)

-Li / @paynnincorporated

(Also hehe, there might be more news to come! Rob’s kindly taken some fan questions from the organising team! We’ll share answers when we get them.)

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Dragon Booster remains one of my favorite life moments, and there have been so many since the show. It was a fantastic journey to be sure, and it often seemed the dragon was in control from the beginning, and the show was meant to be.

Our Canadian partner Alliance Atlantis (Ken Faier and Jennifer Bennett) came on board the very first time they saw the presentation. They learned about the show because Kidscreen Editor Jocelyn Christie loved it so much that she did a feature about it and put us on the magazine cover. We sold the show to CBC (Martin Markle) and Disney (Gary Marsh) with just one meeting.

We already knew Ace Fipke from another company called Mainframe, and NerdCorps in Vancouver was actually custom-built just for Dragon Booster. Our original sales video/animation test was made in a rented apartment that we filled with computer workstations, passionate artists, and animators. That apartment crew became the seeds of NerdCorps Entertainment.

Then, even more, amazing things happened:

Everybody found something different to love about the show and message, which was so rewarding. My co-creator Kevin Mowrer and I lived in the world for years. It began with a feature film prequel idea that takes place years before the series and focuses on Tannis Bllayrr. The world took years to plan and create. It was meant to function as a real place, and we'd hoped to make it into a sprawling online game.

I carefully scripted the show and story for you, the fans, and was thinking about what the story and each detail might mean and hopefully inspire. I wanted Dragon Booster to reflect the world and finding our place in it. Kevin Mowrer shared this vision and carefully put story, emotional content, and personality into every but of art and design he did. The NerdCorps crew picked up the vibe and expanded from there, taking the look and feel of the show and world to even new levels. As a result, the show itself is full of cool double and hidden meanings about culture and our world. Like Mortis might suggest, like Dragon City, and each of us, it all depends on how deep we're willing to look.

Obviously, I'm still a fan myself, and sometimes I look back, and wonder, wow, was I really part of all that? That for me is the best aspect of the creative process, when the community comes together, and when the characters and world take on lives of their own and begin to guide everybody together.

All of you are part of this world now, you have lived in and helped build it. You are part of a long chain of crews, dragon powers, Dragon Priests, and approaches to life that, like the history of Dragon City, have led here. It's a fantastic honor that you continue to explore and expand the history and world of Dragon Booster.

While much of the show still holds up today, one of the things I'm most happy about is the basic message that we can all be superheroes as long as we realize that true superpowers only work for moments, and that they only come out when we're genuinely balanced with ourselves and those around us. I'm super honored how the show has kept so many fans for so long.

Thank you and of course, thanks Beau!

Release the Dragon!

Rob Travalino

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Something fun is brewing! :D A couple of creators from the original zine are working on an offshoot zine together, coming soon!

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Something we’re extremely honoured to have been able to host: Art and notes from the people who worked on the original show!

Peter DeTina, the show’s Lead Character Designer was happy to participate in the zine, with the above adorable Artha and Beau artwork drawn by him! Besides that, we’re ecstatic to have Gary Chalk (Connor/Mortis’ VA), Lee Tocker (Parmon Sean’s VA) and Lenore Zann (Kitt Wonn’s VA) write in to us! :)

Thank you everyone for making this wonderful zine happen! :D

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Dragon Booster Fanzine Design Notes + Easter Eggs

Thought to share some of the DB Fanzine design notes and easter eggs! Long post ahead so heads up! Before we begin though, a major thank you to @thefallenarbiter​ for making the wonderful resource of screenshots for every episode! The image library was immensely helpful as reference for these pages.

Starting off with the cover! There’s not too much to be said about it, but it did go through a few passes. Here are some of the sketches for various compositions before we settled on one:

Next up! The acknowledgements page is based off the book Word owns on Libris, the grey bone dragon. Besides this, the Draconomicon text on the sides are the show’s intro, narrated by Word Paynn!

Moving on, we have the modern table of contents page, which is based off of Word’s numerous screens. There are several easter eggs here in Draconomicon, mostly well wishes for people the mods know X3

The zine’s section dividers are all paintings based off the show. Initially, we were going to use screenshots for this idea, but... they’re super pixelated lol. And yes, that’s a Drag Crow!

As for the artist profiles, these were based off the DB Trading card game! Each artist within the zine picked out a draconium colour of their choice for this :)

Lastly, we have the funky looking Vidd screen ads! The layout is based off of the Vidd Screen UI, and the ads are all inspired by the ads seen throughout the show and within the Nintendo DS Game. The ads within the zine are all references to character moments (Moordryd’s a sponsor for hair gel here and Cain’s advertising cookies), whats more is that each ad here is a link to something fun ;) Please check it out, we hope you’ll find our favourite little tidbit lol (I apologise for all the Word Paynn related shenanigans, not really)

There’s plenty hidden in the Draconomicon text throughout the zine, if you ever want to take the time to translate haha! Anyway, hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek into the zine’s design!

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One of my entries into the @thedragonboosterzine!! So proud of this painting, as well as every single bit of the zine and the creators involved!! Months of hardwork for a lovely little fan project <3

I’ll be making a limited run of this poster (and some of my other work) as prints soon ish, keep an eye out for that I guess haha!!

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We’re so honoured to have the show’s Lead Character Designer Peter DeTina not only write to us… but draw this lovely drawing of Artha and Beau! 🥺💕

Thank you so much Mr DeTina!!

Be sure to check out the zine below!

LINK TO ZINE

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We're so honoured to have the show's Lead Character Designer Peter DeTina not only write to us... but draw this lovely drawing of Artha and Beau! 🥺💕

Thank you so much Mr DeTina!!

Be sure to check out the zine below!

LINK TO ZINE

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[image ID: two pieces of digital art with semi-realistic/cartoony lineart and rough, painterly colors. each depicts characters from the tv show Dragon Booster.

the first image shows the human character Reepyr approaching the Orange-class dragon Propheci, as other humans and Orange-class dragons look on from behind Reepyr. they’re all set inside a dark cave with stalagmites, rough walls, and spots of mossy growth. light is projecting from Reepyr’s side of the cave, just barely landing on Propheci as well. the Orange-class dragons have prehistoric raptor-like bodies, and blocky heads with pointed, jutting chins, and flat horns projecting up from the sides of their skulls. notably, the top of their skull from the tip of their snout to their cranium is capped in a translucent shell, which shows the pinkish brain and inner nasal structure underneath. all the dragons have different variations of orange color schemes with blue/teal and red accents across their faces and bodies. the humans have varying body types and hair colors, but all are wearing some variation of a similar orange/grey/tan work outfit. Reepyr is thin and gangly, with a sharp face and curved nose. he has pale skin and bright pink hair cut into sharp bangs with an undercut. Propheci sits alone in the dark on his side of the cave, laying on the rough floor and turning his head away from Reepyr with an annoyed expression. Reepyr kneels on the ground closer to the center of the piece, reaching his hand out across the gap between him and Propheci, palm up and wearing a hopeful expression. the dragons and humans behind Reepyr look on with expressions varying from concern to curiosity to shame.

the second image shows the human character, Stewarrd, riding his Light Green-class dragon, Gunny, out in Dragon City’s old abandoned wastelands, surrounded by garbage. Gunny has a prehistoric raptor-like body, triangular head with a sharp chin, and pointed ears flowing back from the skull. they have a light green color scheme with teal/green accents, and their long, thin tail has rings of different greens, mimicking the appearance of a rat tail. they’re wearing sharp/geometric light green gear on their hips, tail base, and back, and rounder white gliding/grappling gear on their sides and chest. Stewarrd is wearing his typical green/magenta tracksuit, patched up with blocks of blue and tan fabric, as well as his red helmet, orange dragon-head-shaped backpack, and other miscellaneous gear. he’s sitting on a simple orange/grey saddle, locked to the back of Gunny’s head. Gunny is hunched behind some piles of trash, peeking over their shoulder past more trash piles. Stewarrd is looking the same direction, hunched closer to Gunny’s head to avoid being seen. they’re both looking at tiny figures off in the distance– Moordryd and Cain, riding their own Black-class dragons, and looking like they’re discussing something.

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my submissions to the recent @thedragonboosterzine!! I’m SO excited to pay tribute to one of my favorite shows of all time! I watched it all the time as a kid, and it was one of the first pieces of media that got me interested in dragons, so it’s got a special place in my heart <3

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IT’S OUT!!!

A closer look at our DB Zine’s cover!! Drawn by @paynnincorporated​, check out the zine for free here:

LINK TO ZINE

Featuring about 90 pages of art, writing and gags referencing the show! 18 creators took part in this, and the zine also features some notes from the OG voice actors Garry Chalk (Connor/Mortis), Lee Tockar (Parmon Sean), Lenore Zann(Kitt Wonn)! We also have art and words from Dragon Booster’s lead character designer, Peter DeTina!

Enjoy! :D

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I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S FINALLY HERE!

IT’S OUT!!

Please enjoy this lovingly crafted zine by 18 creators, with notes from several of the show’s VAs and lead character designer!

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IT'S OUT!!

Please enjoy this lovingly crafted zine by 18 creators, with notes from several of the show's VAs and lead character designer!

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Launching... tomorrow!!

A sneak peek into the Dragon Booster Zine’s cover!! Launching... tomorrow, 12PM AEST!! We hope you’re just as excited as we are!!

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It’s so nice to know that there is a vibrant community of people who love Dragon Booster, a show that ended nearly 20 years ago. We are so incredibly excited to share the Dragon Booster Fanzine with you all. With more than 20 difference pieces of fanart and fanfic, we hope that through this zine, you can experience the love that we shared for the show! The mods of the zine, @paynnincorporated and @endlessmidnightcreates are so happy to be bringing this to you!

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We have over nearly 30 pieces of fanart and fanfic to share with you all in our Dragon Booster Zine. Here are some more of the amazing individuals that have helped make it happen! @plazasta @wozzmeyer @ziarre and T.Silver!

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Here’s another round of our amazing contributors! We’re so excited to share this collective work with you! @fanficwolf105, @luridce, @itslanners

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More of our contributors! You guys do not understand how epic this zine is going to be! Thank you to @invincibleinck, @dragimal and @TheFallenArbiter

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We’re down to the wire now! The Dragon Booster Zine is dropping soon! Here’s a few of the amazing artists that have contributed to the zine!

Introducing the first few artists: Aeolyx, @theblackdragon-studios​ and @cerberus253