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Q. How and when did you become

interested in art?

 A. My father was an artist, so in my earliest

memories, I can recall him working at an easel.

The smell of paint and the jumble of art supplies

inspired me from the get-go. In fact, I remember

getting in trouble as a wee little guy after drawing

on the walls and the undersides of furniture.

Imagine a crazy crayon mural of dinosaurs fighting

with bears and sharks! It seemed like a good idea at

the time.

Drawing became a lifelong habit. Creating artwork 

was an escape hatch th rough which my mind could

wander away from any uninteresting task, yet it

was also a pursuit that required me to develop

discipline and focus. My interest in art has led me

here and there in the world. First I made a living

doing freelance illustration, and later I found a

career making computer games, which I did for

eight years.

Q. How did you make the leap from video games

to books? Do you find creating books different

from or similar to working on video games?

 A. During work on a few of the  Diablo games,

I began vividly daydreaming of writing and

illustrating my own book. Finally, I felt enough

conviction that I quit my job. Creating Swords was

similar to working on video games in that it was

a real production. I had to stay disciplined and

focused, or I would wind up dallying too long inone area wh ile leaving oth er areas unfinished. My

video game experience really helped me time the

development, and I’m happy to say that the book 

was delivered just on time.

Q. Why did you want to write a book about

swords? How did you get the idea?  A. I didn’t choose a definitive topic un til after Iquit my job. I hoped that my headfirst plunge into

the unknown would spark the “big idea” that I

was counting on. I’ll admit that was a crazy plan.

The existential panic kicked in right on cue, and I

went on the thrill ride of a lifetime as the project

somehow magically fell into p lace. A dear friend

and cow orker gave me a beaut iful sword as I parted

comp any with Blizzard North. The kind gesture and

generous gift stuck in my mind, until one day I had

an “Aha!” moment.

I channeled as much of my energy into illustrationsas I could, struggling to capture the vivid p ictures

that filled my mind. It was eye-straining work, but

thankfully, with subjec ts as knights and ninjas, it

wasn’t hard for me to find ample inspiration. To tell

the truth, it was a blast, like reliving a part of my

childhood. I really tried to make the book I would

have loved to have owned as a child, and yet I also

crafted this book for peop le (like myself) wh o have

never outgrown their fondness for the sword.

 An interview with Ben Boos author and illustrator of

 AN ARTIST’S DEVOTION

8/8/2019 Swords: An Artist's Devotion - Q&A with Author

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ILLUSTRATIONS COPYRIGHT © 2008 BY BEN BOOS

Q. Why do you think people today are still so

fascinated by swords?

 A. Great question! I know I’m not alone in my

fondness for swords. My friends at Blizzard North

were sword nuts, and from w hat I can tell, so are

millions of others. The sword is certainly a fantasticweapon and a mighty invention. With steel, we can

rival the tooth and claw of any beast. The sword is a

brutal, effective weapon, and yet I don’t think that’s

the reason p eop le love it. There is something more

at work here. The sword is a blazing symbol—of 

strength and hon or, of power and p rinciple, of art

and discipline, of science and craftsmanship, and

of justice and truth . In the modern e ra, millions of 

people still gird themselves with virtual swords and

wade into imaginary battle every day. The sword

represents empowerment and th e ability to stand

up and fight for what is right and true. A swordsomehow romantically hints at a readiness for

adventure and the unknown, a possible showdown

with adversity, and the potent ial for glory and

reward. That’s why I think the sword has timeless

appeal.

Q. Are your illustrations based on actual

historical swords, or are they works of

imagination?

 A.There is certainly a flavoring of imagination added

to my swords. In terms of hilt shapes and b lade

types, my illustrations are very accurate, but I also

extrapolated and used a bit of imagination to create

new specimens that seemed appropriate for a given

culture and era. I worked out variations of ornament

and detail until I felt I had created something

familiar but somehow new. My dream was to

envision treasures that have never been found, and

by reconstruction and a bit of artistic interpretation,

I hoped to present w hat these lost specimens mighthave looked like.

Actual artifacts rep resent such a tiny fraction of the

glory that once was! Like fossils, they give a mere

peephole into our history. What creatures existed

but n ever fell into a tar pit or a mud hole? Swords

that didn’t get bur ied just so in a bog often didn’t

get preserved at all. What wild ornament have

we not gotten to see? What beauties have we not

yet dug up? This is the stuff that gets my interest

and imagination fired up. Of course, I kept close

to reality, based on my understanding of genuine

historical examples. I didn’t want to offend pur ists

with overstretches of the imagination, so I tried to

restrain myself as best as I could. For those seeking

a deep and rigorous history of the sword, I have

included an extensive list of sources, from the works

of the late great scholar Ewart Oakeshott to the

living m aster o f medieval swordsmanship,John Clements.

Q. What are you working on now?

 A. I’m already hard at work on the next “artist’s

devotion” book! It has been another adventure

too, just like the first p roject. This time around,

I’m drawing on my love of all things related to

fantasy. My fascinat ion with Tolkien and C. S. Lewis

will be involved. I really get to populate this new

book with some exciting stuff: monsters, treasure,

heroes, weapons, and lavish ornament abound!