The Palace of the Dragon King: a Manual of Myths and Monsters
Created by Matthew Meyer
Matthew Meyer's fifth yokai encyclopedia, The Palace of the Dragon King, is available for pre-order. You can order all of his yokai encyclopedias in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and signed collector's editions, as well as bookmarks, art prints, postcards, and the "Servants of Ryūgū" wall poster!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Map of Japan
almost 2 years ago
– Mon, May 27, 2024 at 11:33:51 PM
Hello backers!
Design of the book is very close to complete, and printing is scheduled to begin soon. So I wanted to share the final illustration from the book: the map!
This map is a variation on the same map in the other four books, however this time around rather than drawing political lines, or the borders of provinces, prefectures, and regions of Japan, since a big theme of the book is aquatic yokai, I wanted to focus on the water -- rivers, and the sea floors of both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.
Out of the 108 yokai in the book, over 70 of them have specific locations that I could pinpoint on the map. It's impossible to fit that many on the map without covering everything up, so I cut the number down quite a bit and tried to show a wide geographical range of yokai. (The yokai that didn't make the map have their locations described in their entries, so you'll just have to pull up Google Maps for those.)
And just for fun, I'm sharing a yokai-free version of the map below in case you'd like to see the seafloor in more detail. However that version won't be in the book.
Orders are Locked!
almost 2 years ago
– Wed, May 01, 2024 at 05:03:25 PM
Hello backers!
Orders are now locked down for this project, and credit cards are being charged for any add-ons you may have purchased in Backerkit. If you receive a notification from Backerkit that your credit card payment failed, please visit dragon.backerkit.com to adjust your payment information. You can also check on the status of your payment at the same website.
If you haven't completed your survey to confirm your order, your name will not make it into the book.
Production of the book and other rewards begins this month, and shipping is currently expected to begin in the fall. I'll update again when I have more news about the status of the books and other rewards!
Last Call for Add-Ons!
almost 2 years ago
– Sun, Apr 28, 2024 at 09:56:15 PM
Hello everyone!
This is a final reminder that the Backerkit store will lock orders and begin charging cards in just a few days (on May 1st).
This is your last call to put any additional add-ons into your order, including extra books, bookmarks, postcards, and the awesome Servants of Ryugu poster! (Incidentally, the yen exhange rate is currently 155 to the dollar, making everything much cheaper when ordering with a credit card based in dollars or euros.)
There are still several months before products begin shipping, and you have plenty of time to update your addresses if need be later on. But manufacturing will begin in May, which is why all orders must be completed.
If you still haven't finished your Backerkit survey, please do so immediately!
This is how you will feel if you forget to finish your survey before the deadline!
Thanks to everyone who voted! I know it was hard to choose from over 100 illustrations, but I love the choices you all came up with.
And just a reminder that you can still add the postcard pack and other add-ons to your order, but only until May 1st! After orders lock down, that's it!
Orders Will Lock Soon (2 Week Notice)
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 06:31:24 PM
Hello backers!
The books are scheduled begin production in May, starting with print tests and color confirmations, and moving on to full production hopefully by the end of the month. Because we're entering the production phase, I will be locking down orders on May 1st. You will not be able to change your orders or purchase add-ons after that date. If you haven't completed your backer survey by this date, your name will not appear in the book.
You will still be able to change your shipping address.
I've been working on completing the remaining designs, including the bookmark for The Palace of the Dragon King. Until now we've only had a placeholder image, but I'd like to share the final design with you today:
On the left is the front of the bookmark, featuring the beautiful mermaid Uondo. She is the daughter of Urashima Taro and a carp courtesan, and her story appears in the book.
The back of the bookmark is a traditional design based on ofuda charms that are sold at shrines and temples. All five bookmarks designs have a different ofuda on the back. While these are hand-drawn by me, the designs are based on actual ofuda sold at temples in the past. The magical charms inscribed on them have all been used as actual protections against evil spirits. In the case of this bookmark design, the image shows Ryūjin, and the script above is written in a unique calligraphy that looks like dragons, making it perfect for this book. I based the design on several different ofuda, so it would not be recognizable as a specific temple's charm. Here are some of the designs I took inspiration from:
The serpent-like calligraphy is very difficult to read, but it says "the seal of Goō," and is used as protection against evil, sickness, and warding away demons. Goō refers to Gozu Tennō, a powerful diety of both disease and healing. Seals dedicated to Goō appear in many folktales and are often used successfully to keep yōkai and ghosts out of houses. In fact, there are even spirits whose specific job is to get mortals to remove these seals from houses that they want to haunt!
Anyway, I can't guarantee that any of my bookmarks will protect you from evil spirits... but they will look very cool with your book!
