JANUARY:
The Firstcomers
A suitably wintery and creepy plate, which I have a suspicion will
be popping up in the movie eventually. Timmain and her other Firstcomers
are all eerie and ghosty, rather like banshees or will o' the wisps, floating
towards a pack of very mean looking wolves. I tell you, these are no Disney-fied
wolves.
FEBRUARY: The Rescue of Redlance
A variant of this was up for offer at the Wolfrider's online shop,
and a few lingering copies may still be on sale. Very red, very angry:
Cutter threatening the humans after slinging a comatose Redlance on Nightrunner's
back. Really paints the elves as the bloodthirsty creatures the humans
make them out to be - you really wouldn't want to piss this Cutter on.
MARCH:
The Holt Burning
Waah! I just had to put up a clip of Skywise from this plate. You just
want to tear up when you look at this. Cutter meanwhile, is his usual aggressive
self (I think he's envisioning running a few humans through). But in Skywise's
eyes you can really see the pain the elves feel.
APRIL: The Burning Waste
If you've got the novel of Book One you know what I'm taking about.
Hero pose of Cutter carrying Redlance. All the Wolfriders exhausted and
ready to keel over. Pain, suffering, heat, heat. Might have been better
suited to August, but we are working chronologically, after all.
MAY: The Bridge of Destiny
I have a feeling Wendy really liked her fire/sunset palate of colours
while painting this calendar. Cutter on the Bridge of Destiny, while Pike,
Skywise, Treestump, and Leetah cheer him on. Rayek and Savah are persona
non grata.
JUNE: Little Star Cousins
Another plate that went on sale at the Wolfrider Shop as a large print.
Cutter and Leetah snuggling in the Forbidden Grove, looking a lot more
tame than they did in the comic (whew, and thank the High Ones for that!
Kids might buy this calendar!)
JULY: The Giant Hawks
Smack in the foreground, Dewshine is being yanked up by the talons
of one of the hawks. Behind her, Treestump and Nightfall are fighting their
own hawks. Big badass hawks, looking very mad, and one of the gliders,
possibly Reevol, riding on the diving hawk. A variant of this plate went
on sale at the Wolfrider Shop.
AUGUST:
Captives of Blue Mountain
Winnowill has arrived, and her hair is bigger than ever (I want to
know what conditioner she uses, her hair's been gaining more volume every
year since the series began!) A confrontation on the top of the stairs,
with Strongbow behind her in his cage, and the Wolfriders rushing to fight
Winnowill.
SEPTEMBER: Black Sendings
Cutter wrestling Winnowill to the floor as she's zapping him with black
sendings, while Leetah tries to stop him. Very technocolour, with lots
of angry reds and purples to really get across how much the two hate each
other! Oddly enough, Leetah's eyes are blue. Maybe the light of the sendings
is throwing a weird glow.
OCTOBER: The Palace War
You might call this a proganda piece - even a recruitment poster. Cutter,
flanked by Kahvi and Treestump, all in full armour, facing down the trolls
while the other Wolfriders and Go-Backs gather up behind them. The elves
need you!
NOVEMBER: The Scroll of Colours
Timmain, now bereft of even her hair as covering, turns the scroll
of colours (and I mean colours!) while the Wolfriders and Go-Backs look
on. Much better image than her pulling off the task while in wrapstuff!
DECEMBER:
Palace of the High Ones
The triumphant, and awe-struck march into the Palace itself at the
end of the war. Here the Palace is already restored into its crystal shape,
and Aroree is there among the Wolfriders. The alternate ending of the movie,
perhaps?