World of Swords

A Creative Legacy: Medieval Armour, From Mordor With Love

Sam Bloomfield is a metal artist and medieval armourer, creatively working under the title of Lord Bloomfield. 
Originally from New Zealand, Sam and I have very parallel backgrounds and he was also deeply influenced by the Lord of Rings films at the start of his career.
Inspired by the aesthetics of the film trilogy he pursued armouring and trained in Wellington under Stu Johnson, the former head armourer of Wētā Workshop who is responsible for many famous pieces including the Nazgul, hero suits for the Chronicles of Narnia and most memorably, the iconic battle armour worn by Sauron, lord of Mordor and primary villain of the Lord of the Rings.
Sam has made his own creative interpretation of Sauron’s armour, an extraordinary master work that has taken him ten years to construct. 
In our conversation Sam and I share our enthusiasm for the Lord of the Rings and other fantasy films. We discuss what inspires him as an artist, and the process of making a custom suit of armour from design to completion. We also talk about the concept of heirlooms and the importance of making work that has personal meaning to you which can become a legacy, something that still carries a part of you long beyond your own lifetime. 
Sam shared his passion for collecting new crafting skills, and some stories of a few times when he learned things the hard way, but also how some of those mistakes had surprising positive consequences. 

Not Another Tavern: Spicing Up Fantasy With Notorious Sorcerer

Davinia Evans is an author with an honour's thesis in political strategy whose debut novel, Notorious Sorcerer, came into my orbit through our shared publisher when I was hired as map illustrator for the book’s release last year.
‘Notorious Sorcerer’ is a spicy mix of characters and consequences set in a fictional city that experienced a catastrophic magical earthquake in its recent past, leading to heavy policing of magic and its uses. The protagonist is both a magic user and member of a swordfighting street gang called the Bravi, which was the lead-in for inviting Dee to come on this show.
Dee and I discuss the original inspiration for the Bravi and the implications within an otherwise rigid society of an organisation that traverses social barriers by allowing members of any class or gender to join.
We explore the parallels between physical attraction and duelling and how swords can be an equaliser for characters with uneven power dynamics, which are often used to drive or resolve tension within romance literature.
Dee and I also talk about the writing of strong female characters and why being a lifelong lover of fantasy led Davinia to want to explore what else the genre could offer.
Davinia’s sequel, 'Shadow Baron' will be released in November 2023.

Encased in Steel: Jousting, Determination and the Knightly Path

Andrew McKinnon is a modern day knight from the northern beaches of Sydney who, upon turning 40, took up medieval jousting despite having never before ridden a horse.* 
A pillar of the Australian jousting community and celebrated competitor at international events, Andrew is part of a growing movement of jousters practicing solid lance style, a historically-authentic method that attempts to replicate as accurately as possible the conditions and equipment of a 15th Century Western European joust. 
In our conversation Andrew explained many details of jousting such as armour and training as well as different competition styles, and the trusting partnership established between jouster and horse.
We discussed the willpower and intent that drives a person to pursue even their most challenging dreams, the resilience gained through the process of getting to the tournament field, as well as the complete presence of mind required to do well in a high speed, full contact sport that has no defense.
*a pony is not a horse

Building New Worlds: Fantasy, Identity and Communities at Play

Josiah Lulham is a game ethnographer and theatre maker, currently undergoing his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Melbourne. His thesis centres around communities at play—specifically, Live Action Role Play communities and how they collaboratively build engaging fictional worlds. 
I was eager to speak with Josiah about his perspective on the culture of creating new identities that LARP offers. As someone who has long been captivated by fantasy and warrior culture, I wanted to discuss the transformative effect of what it’s like to become a living, breathing part of immersive, imagined worlds.
Our conversation was nuanced and thoughtful as we explored both the compelling nature of gaming, and also what it’s like to live and play in a post pandemic world. We reflected on the parallels between LARP and the new Covid Normal, and how so many of us are going through transformations in our lives as we reinvent our realities, collectively as a society.