Dryad is the story of an elf and a human who build a home for their family in the sleepy forest town of Frostbrook. But thirteen years later, the couple’s twin children, Griffon and Rana, stumble upon a mysterious door. The discovery brings the consequences of past mistakes made by their parents home to roost, leading to turmoil and drama for the family.
According to writer Kurtis Wiebe, who says the genesis of Dryad came from his becoming a father, the ongoing fantasy series “is a deep study of family, it’s primarily a story about what parents do to protect their children and what lengths they would go to keep them safe. Dryad is also equal parts mystery and action with a few sizable twists and turns to keep readers on their toes.”
Wiebe, who is based in Calgary, Alberta, has been awarded two Joe Shuster Awards and is the creator of the Eisner-nominated Rat Queens.
Justin Osterling, a Latinx artist based out of Savannah, Georgia, is responsible for the art for the series. Osterling is known for his work on character design for Roll20.
Osterling describes the art for the series as a “breath of fresh air.”
“There was a lot of research on my side, pulling from the art so many classic traditional fantasy illustrators but I also wanted to explore influences not traditionally associated with it like Hayao Miyazaki and Masamune Shirow; but also into First Nations and Latin symbology and architecture,” said Osterling. “While a lot of fantasy is set with European influences, we really wanted something that was reflected in the Americas and its many cultures.”
The first issue of Dryad will be available from Oni Press online and in comic book shops on March 4th, 2020, and you can follow Osterling on instagram and twitter to keep up with his art.
Disclosure: The Beat is owned by Polarity, which also owns Oni Press.
