Author: priscellie

Priscilla Spencer has been Jim's creative consultant since 2007. In addition to managing content for Jim-Butcher.com and its social media channels, she beta-reads all of Jim's works, serves as a thematic consultant on the graphic novels and role playing games, and illustrates the maps for his books. The whole "Year of Dresden" thing is largely her baby. Her latest claim to fame is directing the official book trailers for Peace Talks and Battle Ground. In her professional life, Priscilla is a Producer, Writer, Photographer, and Fantasy Map Illustrator working towards a career in producing TV. She enjoys musical theatre, gluten-free cooking, sci-fi/fantasy, and weightlifting. She aspires to travel the world and pet every dog.

Storm Front Anniversary, Part 2!

Today, we pick up where we left off in our celebration of the 20th anniversary of Storm Front! We also have a NEW VERSION of the Battle Ground cover that addresses a significant error. But first, a couple reminders for things happening TODAY:

Tonight, Tonight!

Dresden Files Cosplay Meetup at DragonCon 2019, Photographed by Andrea Gonzales

Tonight is your last chance to submit to the Cosplay Contest! Read the rules and submit before midnight Pacific.

Also, Jim’s first episode of The Great Fantasy Debate will be posted to Penguin Random House’s Facebook page this evening! Last week’s episode (featuring Naomi Novik and Tochi Onyebuchi) was uploaded at 7:15pm Eastern, so we’d expect them to follow a similar schedule today. Jim will also be appearing in an episode scheduled to air June 23rd.

Smiling always seems to annoy people more than actually insulting them. Or maybe I just have an annoying smile.

Battle Ground Recovered

Good News! Penguin has heard your concerns, and they’ve fixed the orientation of Harry’s pentacle on Chris McGrath’s Battle Ground cover! It’s now the correct way up. Click to display the full cover.

It’s too late to fix the equivalent error in the first printing of Peace Talks, but it will be corrected in reprints.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

Art to the Rescue!

Adam Mathison-Sward is lending his artistic skill to help save Badali Jewelry, creators of officially licensed lines for some of your favorite fandoms.

He writes: “Hello everyone! Like a lot of people and small businesses, Badali Jewelry has taken a big financial hit from the closing/postponing of conventions across the country. […] So I’m giving away an original 11″x17” custom illustration to THREE donors to their GoFundMe campaign. Check out the link to see full details, and donate if you are in a position to! If not, please take a second to share the campaign!”

Storm Front Anniversary, Part 2

This week, we continue our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Storm Front by sharing some seldom-seen artwork inspired by the book!

First, illustrations by Vincent Chong from Subterranean Press’ printing of Storm Front. This title is long since sold out from the publisher, but copies can be found secondhand.

It is the prerogative of wizards to be grumpy. It is not, however, the prerogative of freelance consultants who are late on their rent.

Next, Francis Tsai‘s concept sketches and completed illustration for the “noir” variant of the first issue of the Storm Front graphic novel, published by Dynamite Entertainment.

(We learned upon googling his name that Tsai was diagnosed with ALS the year after he created these illustrations. He refused to give up on his art and learned to draw with this feet, then taught himself to model in 3D using tech that tracked the movement of his eyes. He continued to create until he passed away in 2015. It’s an incredible story that you should read!)

There is no truer gauge of a man’s character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power.

And the Storm Front art we’re most familiar with, poster illustrations and pages by Ardian Syaf for Dynamite Entertainment’s graphic novel adaptation. Images 1 and 2: Colors by Jeremy Treece. Image 3: Inks by Rick Ketcham and Colors by Mohan.

I had to maintain a fine balance between going in ready for trouble and going in asking for trouble.

Also, we ran across some fun phone lockscreens using quotes from Storm Front. Thanks to Hydrilla of MyNerdyLockscreens for creating them. Find three more on their site!

Our celebration of Storm Front will continue in at least one future Drop. We’d love to dig into the titular episode of the 2007 SciFi Channel TV show, including material from the unaired two-hour pilot, and that kind of endeavor deserves a post of its own!

What else would you like to see in our Storm Front Anniversary Tributes? Do you have any favorite fanart for the book that deserves a spotlight? What else are we missing? Let us know on twitter at @jimbutchernews or emailing yearofdresden (at) gmail.com.

Reminders

The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game came out on the Switch last week! It’s also available on Steam, the App Store for Mac and iOS, Google Play for Android, and the Amazon Appstore for Kindle. Scales smoothly from 1-5 players in multiple play modes, including Solitaire, local Pass-and-Play, and Online Multiplayer.

We’ve expanded our social media presence! You should already know about the JimButcherNews Twitter feed, but we’ve also added accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well. Give us a follow and enjoy all the content that doesn’t make it into our Drops, like the Trailer Rewatch thread, the Quarantine House Game, and more!

Ebooks of Storm Front, Fool Moon, and Grave Peril are still on sale!

Storm Front at $2.99:

Fool Moon at $3.99:

Grave Peril at $5.99:

Visit Jim-Butcher.com every Tuesday this year for weekly Drops of never-before-seen artwork, microfiction, interviews, contests, sample chapters for Peace Talks, or other tasty tidbits in our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Dresden Files. Join our new mailing list and follow @jimbutchernews on twitter to ensure you don’t miss a moment, and check the announcement post to catch up on prior Drops. See you next week!

Microfiction #4, Costume Contest Reminder, Dresden Card Game on Switch, and Trailer Milestone

The big draw this week is our fourth Microfiction, but there’s plenty more to get excited about! We’ve got the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game’s debut on switch, an upcoming Trailer Rewatch event, a $1.99 ebook deal on Death Masks, and more. It’s also the last week to submit your costumes for our contest. Read on!

Microfiction #4: Job Placement

Given how fraught the outside world is (murder hornets? MURDER HORNETS?!?!), we thought it was perfect timing for some domestic cuteness with everyone’s favorite Scion of Sasquatch, Irwin Pounder. This microfiction contains spoilers for the short story “Bigfoot on Campus” which appears in the Brief Cases anthology. It’s set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either.

Read Job Placement!

Also, Jim feels like writing more short Dresdenverse stories, and he wants to know who you want to read about. Vote in our poll! You can pick as many characters as you like, including suggesting Dresden characters not in the poll using the “Other” box. Or you can vote for Jim to create all new characters!

Costume Contest Entries Due Next Tuesday

We’ve seen some fabulous entries for the Dresden Files Costume Contest so far, but we know they barely scratch the surface of all the awesome cosplay passion the fanbase has produced.

To inspire you to enter, we offer a bribe of some photos of Jim cosplaying with his wife Kitty Krell and friends. Photos by WeNeals and Andrea Gonzales.

Read all the rules, then submit your cosplay, cosplay photography, and cosplay image manipulations to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th.

DFCO Now on Switch

Need more stay-at-home fun/distraction? The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game was released yesterday for the Switch! Snag your copy now.

What is the DFCO? It’s a surprisingly challenging strategy game, where you play Harry Dresden and his friends as they take on the cases from the bestselling Dresden Files novels in the ultimate what-if scenario: what if Harry was on the scene with allies who weren’t there in the original story? Fans will appreciate the characters and references, but knowledge of the series is not required.

This digital version of the game was created by Hidden Achievement based on the tabletop version by Evil Hat Productions, featuring art by Tyler Walpole. In addition to the Switch, you can download it from the App Store for iOS, Google Play, or Steam! The game supports single player mode and both cross-plaform multi-player gaming and local pass-and-play, for all your quarantine and post-lockdown needs.

Milestone Approaching for Trailer

We had so much fun celebrating 150k views on the trailer that we thought we’d host another rewatch leading up to 175k. Daily view counts have been a little unpredictable as states begin to reopen and people’s schedules change, but we expect to hit this milestone on Thursday. Follow JimButcherNews on Twitter and the #DresdenTrailerRewatch hashtag for fun facts about the making of trailer, resuming Thursday morning!

Great Fantasy Debate Coming Soon

Penguin’s new online game show The Great Fantasy Debate premieres today, and Jim’s guest appearances are scheduled for May 12th and June 23rd! Tune in next week as Jim, Pierce Brown, and comedians Sean Donnelly and Jay Jurden debate “Which is the best fantasy world to go to for vacation?”

Watch new episodes as they air on Penguin’s Facebook Page.

Reminders

We’ve expanded out social media presence! You should already know about the JimButcherNews Twitter feed, but we’ve also added accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well. Give us a follow and enjoy all the content that doesn’t make it into our Drops, like the Trailer Rewatch thread, the Quarantine House Game, and more!

The electronic edition of Death Masks is discounted at $1.99 through May 10th! Support independent bookstores by ordering through Bookshop.org, Books-A-Million, or Kobo (here’s how to support your favorite local shop!), or from the following vendors: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Google Play.

Duology Wallpaper and DFCO Coming to Switch

This week, you can download desktops featuring the new cover art and stills from the trailer, then get a discount on the Steam edition of the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game in anticipation of its launch on the Switch! Ready? LET’S DO THIS THING.

Living Social

We’re expanding out social media presence! You should already know about the JimButcherNews Twitter feed, but we’ve also added accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well. Give us a follow and enjoy all the content that doesn’t make it into our Drops, like the Trailer Rewatch thread, the Quarantine House Game, and more!

Screen Swag

Count down the days to Peace Talks (July 14th) and Battle Ground (Sept 29th) in style with “Dresden Duology” wallpapers! Stills from the book trailer feature Jason Bernardo as Harry Dresden, Liz Fenning as Mab, Chris Showerman as Marcone, and Birgit Ludemann as Lara.

Check our aspect ratio guide to see which version is right for your setup:

1.77 (Widescreen) — 1920×1080, 1600×900, 1536×864, 1366×768, 1280×720
1.6 — 1440×900, 1280×800
1.33 (Most Tablets) — 1024×768

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

1.77, 1.6, 1.33

If you haven’t seen the book trailer yet, check it out now!

Switching It Up

Need more stay-at-home fun/distraction? The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game is being released for Nintendo Switch this Monday! (No, we don’t know what Harry’s turnip prices will be.)

This digital version of the game was created by Hidden Achievement based on the tabletop version by Evil Hat Productions, featuring art by Tyler Walpole. You can also snag it on the App Store for iOS, Google Play, or for 25% off on Steam! The game supports both online and local pass-and-play, for all your quarantine and post-lockdown needs.

And Finally…

Denarians and Donuts and Mobsters, oh my! The Goodreads Read-Along continues with Small Favor.

Battle Ground Cover Revealed!

We try to stick to our “no more than once a week” posting pattern out of respect for your overstuffed inboxes, but I think you’ll see why we had to deviate. Jim’s publisher has revealed Chris McGrath’s gorgeous cover art for the second of the two Dresden novels coming out this year, Battle Ground!

Battle Ground (Dresden #17) hits stores September 29th, just 2 1/2 months after Peace Talks (Dresden #16) on July 14th! You can preorder both installments in this year’s “Dresden Duology” and support independent bookstores at our storefront at Bookshop.org, or choose from a wider array of vendors at the Jim-Butcher.com Store!

Winter Lady Style, A Virtual Con, and More!

We have a lot of great stuff happening this week, including a gorgeous new jewelry piece and a virtual convention appearance this Friday! And don’t forget: We also have a cosplay contest running, a series read-along on Goodreads, discounts going on the first three Dresden novels, and a mini-giveaway of coloring pages in exchange for support of your community (see below). And if you haven’t seen the Peace Talks trailer yet, check it out now and send your reaction video to yearofdresden@gmail.com.

Now let’s get into the news!

SILVER LININGS

The Bad News: Badali Jewelry’s stone supplier sent them the wrong color for the Limited Edition Demonreach Pentacle.

The Good News: The stone they sent is GORGEOUS, and its wintry blue and pink opalescence is a perfect fit for Molly!

The Badali team conjectured, “Maybe Molly heard we were in need, and she sent some mischievous sprite to change a digit in the supplier’s color code and make a stone just for her. We hear you loud and clear, Molls! Badali Jewelry is thrilled to offer a second limited edition piece for 2020: The Winter Lady’s Ice Opal Pentacle.” Order yours today!

Here’s how the color compares to Mab’s Ice Opal in the Winter Knight Earrings.

As for the Demonreach Pentacle fans voted on back in February, the stone supplier is already working to rectify their mistake, and Badali anticipates it will be available for sale early this summer.

PRH VIRTUAL CON

Jim joins a bevy of fabulous Penguin Random House authors this Friday at the PRH Virtual Con! Jim’s events:

Geek Geek Revolution, 5pm ET: In this twist on the popular trivia game show, authors ask the questions and fans provide the answers for the chance to win a prize pack of books! Participate at the Unbound Worlds FB group. (Note: Admission to the group is moderated. Join early to avoid bottlenecks!)

The Great Fantasy Debate Preview, 7pm ET: A preview of a brand new webseries! The creative team will discuss what’s in store and present the first mini-debate between Jim, Pierce Brown, and Naomi Novik. Free registration on Eventbrite.

SHOP BOOKS, SHOP BOOKSHOP!

We’re making it even easier to support indie bookstores with your purchases through the Jim-Butcher.com store! We’ve added Bookshop.org to our list of affiliate partners. Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.

We’re in the process of updating our official store to include these new links, but in the meantime, you can buy Jim’s books at our storefront on their website! A portion of each sale goes to support independent bookstores, and another portion goes to our website to help cover our hosting fees. Everybody wins!

IN BRIEF…

Good News for Blaze! She’s back home and in recovery. She offers her thanks for the outpouring of love and healing vibes.

Don’t forget: submissions are open for the Dresden Cosplay Contest! Enter by May 12th.

Haven’t seen the Peace Talks Trailer yet? If not, we’re still collecting reaction videos for an upcoming compilation! Film yourself watching it and send the video via WeTransfer to yearofdresden@gmail.com.

Last week, we gave away three Dresden coloring pages and offered two more in exchange for a donation to your local food bank or a purchase from our artistic partners: Badali Jewelry, Adam Mathison-Sward, Tyler Walpole, Evil Hat Productions, and Priscilla Spencer. That offer is still good! Forward your receipt to yearofdresden@gmail.com, and we’ll hook you up!

The Dresden Files Read-Along on Goodreads continues this week with White Night.

And that’s it for today!