VODKA O’CLOCK 2021-05:

ERIC GRISSOM

VOC logo AMBER LOVE 09-MAY-2021 My work is supported by the generous backers at Patreon.com/amberunmasked who appreciate my reviews and my stories; and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and podcast.

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ERIC GRISSOM:

His body of work never sticks to one genre specifically. Planet Gigantic (YA scifi), Deadhorse (supernatural realism), The Mark (fantasy), Gregory Suicide (scifi), and now with GOBLIN, he’s back in fantasy and teamed up with one of your longtime creative partners, Will Perkins. The Perkins Brothers are a wonderfully talented family.

goblin cover

One thing Eric says is that he has a strong feel for the forest and he’s like an elemental that way. Plus his adoration of the Legend of Zelda is a heavy influence.

“If I’m the Tree person then he’s the Frog person.”

goblin frog king dofda creature

When we discussed the main character’s designs and motivations, Rikt, Eric said he originally envisioned the creature scarier looking like the goblins in Legend, but Will Perkins softened up the goblin and made it evident that he’s a little boy growing into his adulthood. Besides Zelda, there are other strong influences of 1980’s franchises like The Dark Crystal and anything by Jim Henson. The Goddess character in GOBLIN is a stunning design of a moving, bidpedal tree woman in the same fashion of Marvel’s Groot rather than a sexy tree nymph.

“We went back and forth with her a lot. I think she was the hardest character to get down, but once we did, we knew that was it.”

Rikt the orphaned goblin sets out to seek revenge on the man with the scorpion tattoo who destroyed his family and forest. The real world we live in is proof that humans fell entire forests to put up factories, frack mines, or developments – many of which end up empty anyway.

Beware the Dark Sisterhood

To go along with GOBLIN, readers also have the option of downloading a free Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Eric’s only D&D experience before teaming up with Paige Connelly is an awkward tale from his youth.

Eric and Will did a little Led Zeppelin IV thing by creating their own magical sigils as signatures for GOBLIN.

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