The Queen of the Swords Part Two

Simon Perrins (artist, graphic designer and co-host of Can I Pod With Madness) returns to D&Ts so we can finally conclude our re-read of the second Corum adventure, The Queen of the Swords.

Between wading gods, crackles from beyond the veil and other interventions from the old gods of chaos, we managed to get through books two and three of this adventure intact. So join us for small talk about Moorcock, fighting fantasy books, Loz’s Lovecraft formula and our favourite close-harmony choir of chaos oddballs…

The artist whose name we couldn’t remember, responsible for the Berkley edition covers as above, is David McCall Johnston.

Simon is, of course, the geezer behind the visual identity of BITR too. Find him on Instagram and check out his store.

Also, have a look at Karmanal of Zert by Blaze Atoms – Here’s some info from their bandcamp page (sadly I can’t find any evidence of their “Swords & Space Wizards” demo – if you know of it… LET ME KNOW):

“This is an instrumental, almost completely mixed preview of the version of “Karmanal of Zert” that will appear on the upcoming “Swords & Space Wizards” demo in early May 2016. This recording is completely unadvertised and uploaded solely so Michael Moorcock himself can hear it. So if you found it, good job. 🙂

lyrics

all music conceived, composed and arranged by Aaron DiDonato

all guitar, bass, and drums performed and recorded by Aaron DiDonato

lyrics (when vocals are added) adapted from the chapter “The Frozen Army” in the book “The Queen of the Swords” by Michael Moorcock (1971)

Looming in the distance
Over the valley now, come the hopping things
Bouncing, several-legged creatures
Multiversal nomads, indestructible beings

Knowing not of mortality
Pledging no allegiance to Law or Chaos
Knowing not true existence
Having no souls

The Karmanal of Zert are coming
The Karmanal of Zert, yeah, are coming for you
The Karmanal of Zert are coming

Here they come – look up and see

They lope down the slopes of the hills
Seeking the Champion Eternal they’ve been sent to kill – to kill
Altering the fates of untold civilizations
On untold planes of existence – parallel dimensions of the Earth

Massive fangs clash, huge eyes roll
Many tentacles lash, fighting for Cosmic control
Doing the bidding of the Chaos Lords
While in another time and plane they are fighting for Law

Fighting for no purpose, no sought-after end
Fighting indifferent to consequence

The Karmanal of Zert always sing before they feast – always
The Karmanal of Zert always sing before they feast – hear them sing

Maim
Slay
Feast

The Queen of the Chaos Swords’ laughter fills the sky

Maim
Slay
Feast

The Queen of the Chaos Swords’ laughter fills the sky
As the Eternal Champion prepares to die

Prepare to die

Hear the Karmanal of Zert sing
Hear them, hear them (repeat)

Hear them, hear the Karmanal of Zert sing”

Moorcock, Art & Comics PART I

Simon Perrins joins me in Derry and Toms to discuss Moorcock, art, comics, Tolkien, TV adaptations, role-playing games, tortured poet musicians we adored in our youths and generally go totally fugazi.

Simon is the man behind our banner art, logo, Gerard Arthur Connelly portraits and pretty much our entire visual identity. Follow him on Twitter and check out his store.

Listen to BITR Breakfast in the Ruins Radio on Radio Garden.

Imagery and stuff we discuss along the way:

White Dwarf #57

Thrud and Eric of Boneymaloney – Carl Critchlow

Fighting Fantasy Book 9 – Caverns of the Snow Witch

Imagine Magazine January 1985 – Cover by Rodney Matthews

The Nomad of Time – Grafton Edition – Cover by Melvyn

The Tolkien Bestiary – David Day – Illustration of The Fall of Numenor by Ian Miller

More Tolkien Bestiary – elves by Victor Ambrus

Andy’s Fave Elric cover – Jack Gaughan

Barry Windsor-Smith’s Elric vs Conan

Simon’s fave Elric – Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Whelan

Elric by Lawrence Cutting

Blue Steel

Science Fantasy #47

Stormbringer 2e by GW – Rob Halford Elric

James Cawthorn’s Stormbringer by Jayde Design

Death of Elric prelim sketch by Cawthorn

Cawthorn’s History of the Runestaff

P Craig Russell on The Dreaming City

Julien Tello on The Dreaming City for the Julian Blondel adaptations

Mike Mignola’s Corum

MM on The Beatles

Moorcock and Mike Harrison (Robert Crumb style)

Homemade MERP Screens

The Swords of Heaven the Flowers of Hell by Howard Chaykin

The Mad God’s Amulet by Bob Haberfield

Swords of Corum by Mark Salwowski

The Chronicles of Castle Brass by Mark Salwowski

Breakfast in the Ruins – Random House – artist unknown

Fantasy Masterworks History of the Runestaff by Richard Carr

Fugazi by Mark Wilkinson

The Knight of the Swords Book Three

Loz is back as we conclude our look at the first volume in the psychedelic adventure of Corum, the Prince in the Scarlet Robe. As usual our conversation veers around a bit, covering beers, rhubarb, hernias and just how much agency Corum has. We also have a good think about what to cover next, roll some dice to decide, and get bowled over by the sheer quality of @nand_soundtrax‘s journal soundscape!

Breakfast in the Ruins is hosted on Podbean and available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Owltail, Podparadise, TuneIn, Overcast, Amazon Music and most other podcast clients. If we’re not on your favourite let us know and we’ll sort it.

Check out our Patreon for exclusive updates and content.

Our banner art and logo is by Simon Perrins. Follow him on Twitter and check out his store.

Moorcockian Music – Elric and Corum

We delve into New Worlds of Moorcock influenced music with the other-worldly Dungeon Synth of The Artist Called Elric, and the powerful METAL!!! of Corum, two faces of the Eternal Champion.

Gerard Arthur Connelly returns and gets his poor boots wet, with all new atmos and score by @nand_soundtrax

Check out our Patreon for exclusive updates and content.

Our banner art is by Simon Perrins. Follow him on Twitter.

Our avatar is by Wyrmwalk. Follow him on Instagram.

The Knight of the Swords Book Two

Loz returns as we head up to the Roof Garden to ruminate over Corum’s endless jawing with a slightly dubious sorceror in The Knight of the Swords Book Two.

Multiple varieties of pants are considered along with a couple of actually palatable beers. Progress I say!

Meanwhile, Gerard Arthur Connelly and co reach Grevenburg.

Check out our Patreon for exclusive updates and content.

Our banner art and logo is by Simon Perrins. Follow him on Twitter and check out his store.

The Knight of the Swords Part One w/ @lozbearfield

The Knight of the Swords Part One

We’re back at Derry and Tom’s and unfortunately so are the challenging porters.

REJOICE as we finally get around to covering Corum…

SIGH as we continue to fail to avoid weird beer…

DESPAIR as our energy levels dip in the second half…

GASP at chapter two of The Journal of Gerard Arthur Connelly…

Breakfast in the Ruins is hosted on Podbean and available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Owltail, Podparadise, TuneIn, Overcast and most other podcast clients. If we’re not on your favourite let us know and we’ll sort it.

Check out our Patreon for exclusive updates and content.

Our banner art and logo is by Simon Perrins. Follow him on Twitter and check out his store.

Moorcock RPGs and the Journal of Gerard Arthur Connelly

Moorcock RPGs and the Journal of Gerard Arthur Connelly

Phil, Loz and I celebrate an all too brief interlude in lockdown life to drink weird porters and muse upon Moorcock’s treatment at the hands of tabletop role-playing games.

Phil taunts us with her syrupy beer avoidance skills, two-man canoes get far too many mentions and Loz gatekeeps Moorcock RPG play (the rotter).

Also, The Journal of Gerard Arthur Connelly debuts with chapter one. There are 5 more to come (and if I don’t get pelted with rottent tomatoes I may write more).

Episode 01 – Elric part 1 – The Dreaming City

The Dreaming City

Join Loz and I as we discuss the first published Elric story, The Dreaming City.

Loz is an old friend and fellow traveller of the moonbeam roads and will be a regular contributor.

In this, the first full-blooded episode of Breakfast in the Ruins we take a look at the first published story featuring (arguably) Michael Moorcock’s most enduring creation, the moody albino warrior-sorcerer-emperor-wanderer Elric.

As discussed in the episode, be sure to check out the Stormbringer episodes of The Grognard Files (available at https://thegrognardfiles.com/tag/stormbringer/)

Thanks to Neil (@nelbert1 on twitter) for the ace support and Jonny Royale for the enthusiasm and positivity that ensured I got on and did this.

The music in this episode is by Giantkind, by kind permission of Loz & Neil!

Episode 00 – Introduction to Breakfast in the Ruins

Episode 00 – Introduction

The first, introductory episode of the Breakfast in the Ruins podcast. I explain my reasons for my obsession with Moorcock, and my partner Phil joins me for a drink and a chinwag.

Episode One proper will follow over the next couple of days. Meanwhile I’ll try to figure out how to embed players in wordpress!

See you on the moonbeam roads!

Welcome to Derry and Tom’s Roof Gardens

“When in doubt, Karl Glogauer would always return to Derry and Tom’s. He would walk down Kensington Church Street in the summer sunshine, ignoring the boutiques and coffee shops, until he reached the High Street. He would pass the first of the three Great department stores which stood side by side, stern and eternal and beautiful, blotting out the sky, and would go through the tall glass doors of the second store, Derry’s. The strongest of the citadels.”
Michael Moorcock, Breakfast in the Ruins

Thanks for joining me! Over the coming millennia I will be joined by a host of guests, travellers and mere passers-by to enjoy the gardens and ruminate on all things Moorcockian, and occasionally things bearing the distinct scent of the Million Spheres.

This is a fresh endeavour for me so please bear with me whilst I negotiate the moonbeam roads.

Follow @breakfastruins

“There was no more dangerous kind of madman than one who devoted a good brain and a courageous heart to unhealthy ambitions.”
― Michael Moorcock, The City in the Autumn Stars: Being a Continuation of the Story of the Von Bek Family and Its Association with Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, and the Cure for the World’s Pain

Professor Hira and Shaky Mo with Windsor Davies just before the nuclear accident at Rhyl – 1976