Into The Jaws Of The Golem With Tragnark

The Golem is the ancient protector of the King of the Hlin people from the Kingdom of Soledad.  Devastated by the bloody 2nd Lotus Rebellion, the Hlin culture was destroyed and with it any and all recorded traces of the Hlin and  the Golem. Two thousand years after this devastating blow, a group of archaelogists excavating the remains of an ancient city two miles below the water's surface have unwittingly awakened the enormous protector that is the long-forgotten Golem.
[story intro via VinylPulse]

designed by Tragnark (aka Nick Reid) and produced by Kaching Brands (distributed by DKE Toys) this 10"-er tall X 9"-er wide vinyl mystic warrior is slated for a year-end-drop (quantity and price undetermined at this time)

i finally had an opportunity to chat with it's creator Tragnark, about his inspirations, Golem's genesis, the true function of his jaws and of his role in the enchanted kingdom ... /// CLICK HERE TO READ INCLUDING MORE IMAGES

TOYSREVIL: what was the genesis of Golem's creation?

TRAGNARK: Every single drawing I do, whether it's more sketchy or thought through comes from a story first. I learned that approach from my animation teacher in school years ago. He worked on all the classic Disney films (Lion King, Beauty and Beast, etc) and shared with us a whole new way to creating characters. He showed us that building a character from the inside out is the most important. That's what gives it soul and makes people believe in what it is. The form always follows function. It was the most important art lesson I learned, and one I know I'll be trying to improve on for the rest of my life.


TRE: totally agree with "form follows function" and the necessity of a "story", if not tis just a pretty piece of plastic (which i reckon is fine for many) ... was Golem designed specifically to be a toy, or did he have a life prior to this current vinyl-incarnation?

TRAGNARK: He had a life prior to this as a previous design I had done on my own time years ago. I had a rough story and world that would lay dormant until the toy project. MD (Young of Mindstyle) liked the drawing when I showed him my work and it grew from there. I kept thinking about the character and focusing on its personality, and then I would go to sleep. Often I will end up having dreams where I am walking through the world or planet the character exists in. I interact with the world for a bit before waking up and keeping it fresh enough in my mind to continue documentation with a pencil.


TRAGNARK: I have been a lucid dreamer ever since I was younger, and learned to train my mind to be aware while in REM sleep. It took me several years of heavy concentration. Some of the Golem also evolved when I was passing into REM sleep from consciousness. Somehow I'm able to stay aware during the whole process until I am fully dreaming....I have several tape recordings while I am talking in this state of mind.

TRE: would've loved to view those dreams (as opposed to listening to the tapes :p) - i remember a movie; Until The End Of The World, where the main protagonist, William Hurt was trying to conceive a machine which could 'record dreams', so that folks could view what was doing thru a person's dream (but i digress) ... this may sound frivolous, but how did Golem get his name?

TRAGNARK: It was an evolution through a series of different names. There were other and more complicated ways I originally wanted to express the Golem. Eventually through feedback and the process it was settled on that GOLEM was simple, direct, and spoke to the allegory that he represented to the world as a character.


TRE: how did his chest become the jaws of death? does he chew or swallow? forgive me for that's the initial impression i have of Golem's chest-jaws (darnnit im totally diggin' the medieval/enchanted-warrior vibe tho)

TRAGNARK: His mouth is an entrance point for the spirit to be placed into. His mouth can be used in battle, but its main purpose is a gateway.

TRE: aaahhhh nice one! how tall is Golem, in both the story and in vinyl-life?

TRAGNARK: The Golem as a vinyl will be approximately 10" tall by 9" wide. In real life he is about 25 feet tall.

TRE: Golem has to have a weapon! what is it (if there is any)? a hammer, a battleaxe! a shield? ... to go with his battlescars on his armor, of coz :)

TRAGNARK: He does not need a weapon because his armor is enchanted with spiritual energy. He primary purpose is to defend, not to attack, so he does not battle unless he is summoned specifically by the king.


TRE: the defender of thee King's realm! (sorry, my thoughts wandered to the fabled city of Asgard) ... are there more in Golem's tribe, that you'd hope to see the light of vinyl-day?

TRAGNARK: I cannot reveal any information on this, sorry!

TRE: yumz. when is he scheduled for a drop? and will there be other colorways of him?

TRAGNARK: Sometime near the end of the year....as far as colorways I cannot reveal any information on that!


TOYSREVIL: hhhmmm that sounds intriguingly cool to me already (im voting for a Mono-Shadow-Warrior-vibe colorway myself muahahaha) ... cheers for your time and trouble, Tragnark - looking forward to further developments of GOLEM, as well as your future creations! in closing, please share with us; Who Is TRAGNARK?

TRAGNARK: I am Tragnark and I really like to draw and tell stories.
I feel fortunate that I can continue doing the same things I was passionate about as a kid. Hopefully you will enjoy my stories, characters, and the world I want to share with you.

- peep Tragnark's website and myspace :)