Interlude Comic Anthology: Stories of Azeroth at Rest (2022)

foreword in·ter·lude (n.) 1. an intervening period of time.

2. a pause between the acts of a play.

Welcome to Interlude: Stories of Azeroth at Rest! Inside, you’ll find tales of WoW’s everyday heroes, champions and average folk as they live through the five years of peace that followed the end of the Fourth War. When the timeskip was officially announced, community storytellers had an unique challenge ahead of them.

With no war, peril or danger at our doorstep, what will our characters do with themselves?

How might they grow, heal, or change over this period of time?

Playing MMORPGs, it becomes all too easy to focus on the MMO aspect without paying equal love to the RPG aspect.

I have no doubt that all WoW players, even those who aren’t “Roleplayers” in the traditional sense, each have

a special connection to their own character’s story. Players probably have an inkling of where their character feels most at home, which factions or causes they feel the most connected to. These little threads of personality are what weave together to make Azeroth feel so uniquely alive.

In this anthology, we’re proud to present 17 different takes on the idea of “rest” through short comics. WoW and comics have a long history together; I’m so excited to see creators embrace the medium — whether they are new to the format or old pros.

Enjoy these summaries, snapshots and slice-of-life moments of Azeroth at rest!

- Meggo 1

CATCHING UP Mia H. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

table of contents

SEACHANGE Meggoart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 RENEWAL Kudgen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 FLEDGLINGS Gearfeathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SHADOWBLADE Vaethryn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 A VEILED BOND Shathari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 NOSTALGIA Emily L’Orange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 UNDER NORTHERN SKIES Fawkses & Northsings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 KNIGHT’S TALE Irishmoo & Kattami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 FAMILY Glowcrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 FOXGLOVE Shay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 UNPACKING SongsandSorcery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 TOMORROW’S JOY Springpaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 SHADOWS OVER LORDAERON Kottkrig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 BLOODSAIL TIDE Reglei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 A GOLDEN DAWN Kholwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 WAITING FOR THE HAMMER TO DROP Buttart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 EDITORAL TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

22

CONTRIBUTOR CONTACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Cover Art, Interior Cover Art and Book Design by Meggoart Edited by Meggoart, Fawkses, Buttart and Kholwa Spot Illustrations by Fawkses, Buttart and Kholwa Special thanks to Nicole, Hannah and Brian.

This is a nonprofit fan project distributed free digitally.

Any future print runs of this piece will be distributed “at-cost” and will similarly be nonprofit.

3

44

55

66

77

88

99

10 10

11 11

12 12

13 13

14 14

15 15

16 16

17 17

18 18

19 19

20 20

21 21

22 22 22

23 23 23

24 24

25 25

26 26

27 27

28 28

29 29

30

31

32 32

33 33

34 34

35 35

36 36

37 37

38 38

39 39

40 40

41 41

42 42

43 43

44 44

45 45

46 46

47 47

48 48

49 49

50 50

51 51

52 52

53 53

54 54

55 55

56 56

57 57

58 58

59

60 60

61 61

62 62

editorial team Meggo Lead Editor, Book Designer, Contributor @meggoart meganjamesart.com Meggoart, Kul Tiras stan and tidesage enthusiast, has been training for the day where she’d have to draw nine sets of sage robes on one spread.

Her previous comics experience includes writing and illustrating the series Innsmouth, as well as editing and contributing to the Emanata Anthology.

This is her first time leading a fan anthology project.

Fawkses Editor, Spot Illustrator, Contributor @Fawckses

Fawkses may be newer to the scene, but he’s had little foxes and characters running through his head for countless eons. He’s been described as “witty,” “earnest to a fault,” “perfect at drawing memes,” and “hang on, who’s saying all these things?” Past work has included reviewing and putting together college short films.

Buttart Editor, Spot Illustrator, Contributor @therealbuttart buttart lilyhoydaillustration.com Buttart is a cartoonist, activist, and internet-famous-cat-owner based in Brooklyn NY. When she’s not drawing silly pictures, she’s organizing yearly roleplaying events like the Stranglethorn Bonfire Bash and dreaming of designing official cosmetic swimsuits for World of Warcraft. Just saying!

Kholwa Editor, Spot Illustrator, Contributor @velocipasta velocipasta.crd.co ko-fi.com/velocipasta Kholwa, three suspicious raptors in a trench coat that love to roleplay.

Self taught artist and guardian druid enthusiast. Bears AND dinosaurs rolled into zandalari trolls? Even better! Has mostly done art for roleplay and charity events in WoW, including running a past charity stream during pride month.

Always here to help!

63

contributor contact Emily L’ORANGE @emilylorange emilylorange mastodon.art/web/@emilylorange

Gearfeathers @gearfeathers

Reglei GLOWCROW

@Reglei1

@glowcrow

@Reglei_Art

glowcrow

Shathari Irishmoo

@smoonstudios

@Irishmoo

@shatharism

Irishmoo

serpentmoonstudios

Kottkrig @KottkrigArt

Shay @Shaytheranger

kottkrig

patreon.com/shaytheranger

Kudgen

Songsandsorcery

@Kudgen_art

@SongsandSorcery

Kudgen

songsnsorcery

mia H. @moor_gate moorgate

Northsings tidesages

songsandsorcery.com

springpaw @springpaw_ ko-fi.com/wrenbower

Vaethryn @Vaethryn

64

Vaethryn

Additional OC Cameo Credits All other OCs appearing belong to the author of each comic “Seachange,” Meggoart: Brother Worth - @Northsings C aptain Ashford & the Crew of the Anne Marie - @Akulasam83 Helmsman Lexi - @meltharas “Renewal,” Kudgen: S ilvenn, Benestin and Morghainn - @moor_gate Phillipa - @therealbuttart “Fledglings,” Gearfeathers: Kovan - @shatharism “A Veiled Bond,” Shathari Kailen Arcbough - @gearfeathers “Family,” Glowcrow Cheyda - @cavaliar_art

“Foxglove,” Shay: Cythria - @Llamaness1 Venessa - @Quinn_the_rogue “Unpacking,” SongsandSorcery: G erlix Sootbeard - @BiNightmare_ Indiris Cindrada - @Dead_Jackrabbit Stannum Brassfuse - @BiNightmare_ “Tomorrow’s Joy,” Springpaw: K asey Silverwing - @spiderqu33n “A Golden Dawn,” Kholwa: T akaros Stormhjarta - @Crypt_Wolf Winry Manacrest - @gracie.e.e.c Gorrim Brightmoon - @lizzgordos Motink Brightmoon - @LiberosisArt “Waiting for the Hammer to Drop,” Buttart: S tix - @lafayelle Mordvic - @kottkrigart

interludecomicanthology.carrd.co twitter.com/wowcomicanth

2022