Fan Art Friday—January 6, 2023
The fan(s) have been busy. The harvest has been bountiful, and now it’s time for another Fan Art Friday!
This day’s theme centers around Jude Trancedragon, the serial-killer-slash-doppelganger of Advent 9! He appears briefly on the cover.
The art this week is provided by Midjourney—an AI that possesses an almost fiendish obsession with the book. Which also fits the theme, because Trancedragon is the kind of villain who obsesses over people before lovingly killing them.
To start with, Midjourney used a basic prompt: “Blond male. 16 years old. Fashionably Dressed. Wicked smile.
Trancedragon is described as having a personality that is “Seventy percent small town athlete. Forty percent boy scout. Twenty-seven and three quarters percent minister’s son. With just a hint of bumpkin.” He is not above using false identities to get close to people for the purpose of extracting information or pleasure from them.
Also, he’s the most powerful superhuman on Earth.
Prompt: “Blond male. 16 years old. Fashionably dressed. Enraged.”
But rather than using his power to kill people without resistance, he enjoys hunting—or even courting—them personally, preferring to kill with his hands rather than his powers. His impressive success rate is due to how pleasant he is to be around. He’s a master at telling people things about themselves they desperately want to hear. And he always sounds sincere, even when lying through his teeth.
The words most used to describe him are “sweet”, “fun”, and “friendly.”
Prompt: Blond male. 16 years old. Serial killer. Wicked Smile.
As for his motivations, he wants a great many things. Mostly for people to love him, regardless of what he does to them.
One particular exchange from the book that exemplifies his character is the following:
The doctor chewed his moustache, a boiling heat rising in
him. “You won’t get anything out of me.”
Chuckling, the dragon shook his head. “Nobody ever
means that. Do you know how many people have refused
to tell me something I want to know? Their name, or where
they live, or how long I should wait for their children to get
home?”He snickered. “All it takes is a compliment, or a little display of vulnerability. People are so easily charmed, or so easily broken. When you hold their hand, they tell you everything, and when everyone around them gets burned to char, they tell you everything faster.”
ADVENT 9, chapter 26
Different Styles
Naturally, as a supervillain, Trancedragon fits in with a highly illustrated style. Many different interpretations are valid.
Here he is in the style of Jack Kirby.
And here he is in the style of Frank Miller.
And Akira Toriyama.
Each image manages to capture his character in a new way. There are so many facets to this character.
Which aspect of Advent 9 would you next like to see depicted? Leave a comment below!
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