Mapping the Angles

So for the last 10 years or so I've been freelancing for a great Boulder company called Renaissance Adventures, drawing maps for their various quests,  adventures, rule books, coloring books and of course, their website.

Their fictional world has never been fully mapped....until now. Well, actually it might be only half of the whole world, but at least there's a bunch of new land on the main continent to explore. Since they have not yet published it, I can't show you the whole thing, but I got some nice closeups of some of the new areas.

And I discovered something so amazingly cool I jumped up and down like a little girl and screamed: If you take a short focal length photo at approximately a 45 degree angle of a map that is drawn on a 45 degree angle, it becomes very 3-D looking! Like all those pretty tilt-shift photos...

I think my favorite place to draw was the craters on the coast, but the jungle mountainous peninsula sure looks like a nice place to visit. Maybe I should read up on the adventures they have planned for those locations before I make any vacation plans...I wouldn't want to run into any monsters!

What's your Medieval Profession?

Follow the link below and divine what profession would suit you had you lived in Medieval times. My result is really no surprise to me at all...

You Are a Cartographer

You have a wide range of knowledge and you're very detail oriented. You have a photographic memory, and you remember places very well. Like a middle ages cartographer, you're also very adventurous and curious about the world. In modern times, you would make a good non-fiction writer or scientist.

What's Your Medieval Profession?

Anachronistic Travels - my Google Map

If ever there were a map geek, 'tis I. After sampling several different map building sites, I have consolidated all of my pins into this Google Map. Yes, Google wins again.



View Larger Map

Click SAT in the upper right corner for satellite view. The descriptions read much easier if you click "view larger map." Some of these entries are placeholders for more in depth information, just as soon as I write it. I'll be adding more locations too, by and by.

Update> Check THIS out: Google street view has captured an image of Pennsic!

Anachronistic Travels - A Custom Google Mappe

Have I mentioned lately that I'm a Google whore? I have finally taken the time to export the information from another map service I joined years ago (which didn't seem to develop well) into the new "My Maps" feature of Google Maps.

I shall add historic places, great restaurants, SCA and reenactment event sites, festivals and other such fun as I encounter them.

Click on any of the markers for more information about where in the Known World I've been...


View Larger Map

SCA Google Earth

I had heard rumors of this project, and I am both very glad and very amazed to see that it has reached fruition. I know how these SCA projects can end up.

This amazing map is the work of Diarmuid Ceolmhor and is a free collection for Google Earth called the SCA Google Earth Project. It currently consists of all known SCA groups as of May 11, 2007. There's no Kingdom borders or event sites yet, but the creator is taking submissions.

Good gentles of the Known World, the marvels of modern cartography await you! Download Google Earth and be amazed!

Mapping the Internet

My new hero is Randall Munroe. I've been reading his online comic for a while, because I figure as long as I continue to get the jokes, I'll be able to claim higher than average intelligence. It's comedy that makes you smart.

XKCD.com is all done with stick figures, yet it's action-packed and intelligently funny. But it's also occasionally really vulgar (you were warned) and sometimes so painfully obscure I find myself searching online for clues about whatever he referenced that went over my head.

I've thought for a while that Mr. Munroe has an anachronistic streak, noting such comics as Tabletop Roleplaying and Open Source. But now he has proved himself as a most worthy cartographer with his latest comic effort, this Map of Online Communities.

The land area is determined by the number of members in each online community. As you can see, MySpace is huge. Peruse this fine map and see if you can get any or all of the inside jokes he has included. Such as the one about anthropomorphic dragons.

I'll point out an extra 'easter egg' as well. Each comic contains a message within the metadata of the file. This one reads: "I'm waiting for the day when, if you tell someone 'I'm from the internet', instead of laughing they just ask 'oh, what part?'

He really goes the extra mile to make sure your XKCD experience is rich and exciting!

His other Map of the Internet isn't quite as pretty as this one, but it's certainly worth a look if you have ever been curious as to how IP addresses might look if mapped out on a plane using fractal mapping that preserves grouping.

Wow, don't you feel smarter already?

The greatest digital manuscript site EVER

The British Library has gone and outdone itself. And every other digital manuscript website online, it seems. Turning the Pages is the greatest digital manuscript site I've ever seen!

If your computer meets the requirements (latest version of Shockwave, allow popups and high speed access) you will actually get the feeling that you are right there with the ancient tome that you are flipping through, page by page. And there are many, many the choose from: the personal notebook of Leonardo Da Vinci, The Lindisfarne Gospels, The Sherborne Missal, Mercators First Atlas of Europe, and so on...

The books take a while to load, but once ready, you can page through 'by hand', or use a slider bar or arrows to change pages. Paging by hand does take some practice, so use the arrows if you are having trouble.

The text button gives a description of the elements and text, but if you select the audio feature, it is narrated for you in a dignified English accent, of course. You'll need to click the audio button for each new page you turn. Use the magnify feature to check out all the amazing initials and illuminations while you learn about these great works of art, cartography and literature in a whole new way.

Techno-cartography. Is that even a real word?

Oh, speaking of maps, here's a bunch of amazing cartographic sites I've stumbled across lately.

You simply must check out the Epact thumbnail search of 520 pre-1600 scientific instruments. Most of the photos enlarge if you click them and a great deal of detail can be seen in these astrolabes, sundials, surveying tools and more....

I'd place an image from their site here, but they have some pretty stringent usage rights. So you'll have to be satisfied with a good old fashioned link to my favorite image:

Drawing instruments from 1570 Oh. My. God. Please? I swear I'll draw perfectly period maps every day for the rest of my life if only I could possess these fine tools. Sigh. Covet, covet, covet.

Want more images of period Maps? Clicketh, I say!
Maps of the Early Medieval Period (400-1300 A.D.)
Maps of the Late Medieval Period (1300 - 1500 A.D.)

Now, if you are interested in 3D models of castles, you definitely want to visit Google Earth 3D Models and Placemarks, where there are several historic sites (so far, mostly in the UK) that you can download and view in Google Earth.

Technology and maps! Two great tastes that taste great together! Techno-cartography!

Don't you just HATE it when advertising slogans pop up at the worst moments? Trouble is, I can't even remember what they were selling....

Map thief update & Crash Test Knights Video

Just the other day, I mentioned that E. Forbes Smiley was about to be sentenced for the theft of many antique maps from various libraries. Well, he got three and a half years for his crime.

Sure, he helped the authorities recover many of them, but three and a half years? If he behaves himself, he could be out in two! To me, this crime is very similar to the Taliban destroying the ancient stone Buddhas in Afghanistan. He was ripping off HISTORY. But, the justice system has never been all that heavy handed with grave robbers, makers of 'artifakes' and art thieves, so what did I really expect?

Ah well. Just so that I don't get too steamed up about it, I'll be changing subjects to something completely different:

Ever wonder just how much abuse medieval jousters put their bodies through? Well, this German video (with subtitles) uses crash test dummies to delve into the brutal world of jousting.



CRASH! BANG! I feel much better now.

Oblivion and why I'm an Elitist Cartographer

This weekend I got to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures:

Oblivion for Xbox 360

It's taken the #1 spot as my most favoritest game ever ever. I'm going to have to break down and get the walkthrough guide, though. I simply do not have the free time to figure it all out. Like the previous version (The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind), this world is VAST. The NPC's are so much better in this game that I keep getting distracted by the townspeople and losing track of time. The textures are better, the monsters are smarter, the physics are amazing and the controllers are even upgraded!

And I haven't even TOUCHED any of the online content yet.

So, Oblivion is the new crack. At least the theme song for this version isn't quite as insidious as the Morrowind one.

One small let-down is the fold-out map of Cyrodiil that comes with Oblivion (see map above). It's really just not as good as the Vvardenfell map included with Morrowind (below).

So why should I worry about a piece of paper when it's a video game? Call me a map snob. Actually Elitist Cartographer sounds better...

I mean, really. Compare the two maps for a minute. Isn't the Oblivion map just...weak?

Maybe it's just me, but this is a $60 game! I expect a friggin' awesome map! Elitist Cartographer that I am, I could have drawn a better map on my worst day. I mean, where's all the mountains? Trees? How about showing me where those pesky swamps are?

And would it KILL you to use some COLOR??

Maybe the game creators blew all their budget on the physics engine. Ah, well.

In other map news, remember that guy named E. Forbes Smiley who was caught stealing rare maps from various libraries? Well, he's going to be sentenced on September 27th. I hope they 'throw the book' at him.

MORE map news? Well, for the RPG map freaks, I'd like to direct your attention to a section of the Wizards.com website called the Map-A-Week Archive. Never again shall ye want for a suitable map for adventurin'!

Here's a fun GM prank: Print out a few random maps from the archive, and add your own treasure and trap notes. Let one or two of these maps casually 'fall out' of your stuff during your next game. One of your players (surely the Rogue) will distract you, whilst pilfering your 'notes' from your 'next adventure'.

Make sure to talk up 'next week's quest' and all the research you are doing in preparation for the big day.

At least one of the players will attempt to memorize where the traps and/or treasure locations are, but after you lead them into a abandoned mine instead of the Lich's Castle, the whole party will be totally lost!

Yes, only I would think of spending countless hours creating maps only to use them as a prank. You all know my penchant for maps with huge punchlines, don't you? If not, please look closely at the map of the Kingdom of the Outlands. The Landlocked Kingdom...

I am an Elitist Cartographer! Hear me Roar! I'm going to start putting the initials E.C. after my name...

Map of Burning Man

Burning Man has been going on for many years now and I'd always wished I went back in the mid-nineties before it got so huge. Now I really have almost no desire to go. Only that I have a bunch of friends that go from the west coast, and the whole performance art thing would be cool to see. Not sure if I'd enjoy the naked people...it might remind me too much of my first Pennsic.

But I digress. Many people across the land are traveling right now to this big chunk of Nevada desert. I hear it is a confusing place when you arrive. A burner named Lisa has created this hand drawn fabulous map of the site for those who get lost easy.

Pretty cool - looks like it took lots of 'walking around' kind of research. And the stream-of-consciousness text all over the background looks like it'll be fun to read. I think I should be drunk first or something, or it may not make any sense at all.

Rare map thief gets caught red handed

It's amazing what you'll hear if you start chatting about maps. The nice helpful guy at the place I applied yesterday told me about this, after I told him about my love for medieval cartography.

This idiot just got waaaaay too greedy. With a name like "E. Forbes Smiley III," you would think you wouldn't have to STEAL for a living. The sick thing is, I have used his website as a reference. He didn't often have maps that fell into the SCA time period, but occasionally he got stuff that was just beautiful. I'm so VERY glad I never bought anything from him.

Fortunately for us, now there is the power of the internet. Here's a nifty page that details map thefts from all over the world. Most of the recent news is about "Smiley", so scroll down for other tales of cartographic woe.

Yo ho, yo ho, a cartographers life for me!

Ok, that's not a catchy as a "Pirate's life", but hey, I get seasick. Not that I have anything to worry about in Colorado. Yeah, I might accidentally step in a puddle.

Anyway, I know this is 'mundane', but I'm going out later today to apply for a job. I've been trying to get back into the field of museum exhibit fabrication for years, and what do you know, there's an opening right here in Loveland. Within a TEN minute drive. Last time I did this, I was living on the east coast, and I understood (at the time) that 99% of all fab shops were east or west coast, so moving to Colorado would really hurt my chances.

Being that they make big earth and space simulations, this will really help with my deep and abiding desire for all things cartographic. Except I'd be getting paid. Imagine!

I'll be happy just to get an interview. Happier still if I get a job, of course. Then I can regale you all with a stunning play-by-play of my work life, too.

Yo, ho indeed.

Outlands Map

OutlandsMap
Originally uploaded by anachronista.

Ok, OK! I'll post an image of my Map of the Outlands! Don't you all know this is hopelessly out of date?

Caer Galen is still a shire on this map. No, I'm not making a new one. You should all know by now that I do things like this once and once only. After the 200 hours this map took away from my life (I carved my own quills and made my own period pigments) I'm just not that into doing another one.

My next BIG project like this is going to really knock your socks off. It will not be ready for at least a year or two, so don't hold your breath just yet.

Medieval Cartography Symposium!

Well, at least I've got a year to plan for going to the Thirty-Fifth Medieval Workshop: CARTOGRAPHY IN ANTIQUITY AND THE MIDDLE AGES:FRESH PERSPECTIVES, NEW METHODS!

I'm such a map geek. Of course I actually get paid to draw maps for Renaissance Adventures every now and then, so I could write this off as a business expense, no?

Hmmm. It's in Vancouver. I could line this up with my escape from the US.

I wonder if the SCA in Vancouver is any good? Nice website they have! Ah, and they allow rapier fighting. They must be civilized. I shall have to visit!