This is a square image with the eight artworks featured in this article arranged around a middle where it says, “NEW YEAR DRAGONS by David Lee Pancake and Randal Spangler.” Clockwise from upper left, the artworks are: “Eldar’s Secret,” by Spangler; “S’mine” and “Scrapper,” by Pancake; “The Literate Dragon,” by Spangler; “Solstice,” by Pancake; “A Gathering of Dragons” and “Devouring a Good Book,” by Spangler; and “Stormwind,” by Pancake. See descriptions on the individual pieces.
New Year Dragon Gentlemen

New Year Dragon Gentlemen

Now it’s time for the “New Year Dragon Gentlemen” whose dragon-themed artwork I want to highlight. I Introduced two “New Year Dragon Ladies” in last week’s post, figuring it’s hard to go wrong with “ladies first.” But I didn’t want to leave the guys hanging for too long.

When I found out that 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, I knew I wanted to feature dragon-themed artwork in my social media. I know a lot of excellent artists who make marvelous art that fits this category, but for reasons of logistics on a short time frame I reached out first to four that I thought might give me quick replies. Had to prod a couple of them, but they came through.

So, my “progressive art show” continues this week. I hope you enjoy this collection of New Year Dragon Gentlemen. All artworks are shared by permission of the artists, and all are © by the artist as noted.

This is a square image with the eight artworks featured in this article arranged around a middle where it says, “NEW YEAR DRAGONS by David Lee Pancake and Randal Spangler.” Clockwise from upper left, the artworks are: “Eldar’s Secret,” by Spangler; “S’mine” and “Scrapper,” by Pancake; “The Literate Dragon,” by Spangler; “Solstice,” by Pancake; “A Gathering of Dragons” and “Devouring a Good Book,” by Spangler; and “Stormwind,” by Pancake. See descriptions on the individual pieces.
Here’s the artwork celebrated in this post. All artwork is © David Lee Pancake or © Randal Spangler, as noted on the individual compositions.

David Lee Pancake

I’ve been enchanted by David Lee Pancake’s wonderful resin sculptures for more than a decade. I love his artistry, his humor (check out his Vent Dragons for one notable example!), and his willingness to “go there.”

He’s also just a really fun, smart human being, from what I’ve seen during in-person encounters. A true “Dragon Gentleman.” I’m delighted to bring some of his work more attention. I hope you’ll be intrigued, and explore his website more fully.

On a velvet-black background stands a cute turquoise green, purple, and orange resin sculpture of a small, winged dragon with large turquoise eyes. This horizontal photo floats above a peachy-orange, purple, and turquoise green variegated background. It includes a “© by David Lee Pancake” notice. “Scrapper” is used here by the express permission of copyright-holder artist David Lee Pancake.
Scrapper, © David Lee Pancake is a resin sculpture and for me it also embodies his ability to do “cute” as well as other moods. For more views of the artwork and purchase information, visit his website.
This rectangular photo of a small resin sculpture of a blue and purple dragon wrapped around an iridescent purple, 20-sided die, floats on a variegated square background of blue, purple, and white the words say, “© by David Lee Pancake” and “S’mine.” The artwork is used here by the express permission of copyright-holder artist David Lee Pancake.
S’mine, © David Lee Pancake is a resin sculpture. For more views of the artwork and purchase information, visit his website. This piece is an example of a favorite Pancake theme: the hoarder-dragon who knows the value of beautiful gaming dice.
This is a vertical image of a blue dragon climbing a blue crystal in a winter storm. This looks like a print based on a sculpture. The photo is on a variegated square background of blues. the words say, “© by David Lee Pancake” and “Solstice.” The artwork is used here by the express permission of copyright-holder artist David Lee Pancake.
Solstice, © David Lee Pancake is a resin sculpture, but it’s also a print. For views of both versions of the artwork and purchase information, visit his website. This is David in a more serious mood.
On a velvet-black background stands a resin sculpture of a winged, turquoise green, purple, blue, and orange dragon. This horizontal photo floats above a peachy-orange, purple, and turquoise green variegated background. It includes a “© by David Lee Pancake” notice, and the title “Stormwind.” is used here by the express permission of copyright-holder artist David Lee Pancake.
Stormwind, © David Lee Pancake is, like the others in this group, a resin sculpture. Again in a more serious mood, I think this piece displays the expressive body language as well as the beautiful colors that characterize David’s work. For more views of the artwork and purchase information, visit his website.

Randal Spangler

Randal Spangler has been a friend, a business partner, and next-best-thing to a family member for decades. He’s one of my husband’s closest friends, and our assorted ventures over the years have built an ever-deeper bond. There was never any universe in which he would not have been one of my choices for New Year Dragon Gentlemen.

The Dragling™ Twins, Dagmar and Dewey of Ohmlandia, have been enlivening the Wizard Ladnar’s life – along with the lives and homes of Randy’s legion of fans for a long time. They love to play tricks on each other and the cats, explore the world in a way only magical beings can, and of course munch on chocolate chip cookies at every opportunity.

Over the years, Randy’s work has appeared on jigsaw puzzles, mugs, as small resin sculptures, bookmarks, needlepoint, and diamond art (also called crystal painting). This is in addition to the originals and prints he has sold via art fairs, open houses, through galleries, and on his website. One other notable area is the growing collection of books he has written (see below).

This is a square painting of a large green dragon with a bronze-colored tummy and clawed feet and hands, a blue smoking jacket, a pipe with smoke curling up, and little pince-nez glasses. He is sitting in an old-fashioned, cordovan-upholstered armchair with a matching ottoman, reading a book titled “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.” A small, black-and-white cat peers over his shoulder at the open book. Tall, book-filled bookshelves cover the walls behind him, and stacks of additional books sit at strategic spots around the floor. On the left is a floor lamp and a large globe. On the right is a carved pedestal table with a jeweled pewter wine-cup, a table lamp, and a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. The notice in the lower left corner says “© 2012 by Randal Spangler.” Used by the express permission of copyright-holder artist Randal Spangler.
The Literate Dragon, © 2012 Randal Spangler is available as a print. For more information and pricing information, visit Randy’s website. This piece incorporates many characteristic images for Randy: a library full of books, a comfy place to read, a pipe, a cat, beautiful marbles and jewels on jars and cups – and of course chocolate chip cookies!
This long, rectangular painting shows a gathering of nine different sizes and colors of dragons, including a large green one in back, a tiny blue one on the wing of a medium-sized orange one, purple with green spots and orange with purple or green spots. They pose in front of a gray rock wall. In the background is a misty landscape of forest and a white cloudbank against a bright blue sky. The image includes a square background of variegated blue, white, tan, and green. The words say, “’A Gathering of Dragons,’ © 2022 by Randal Spangler. Used by the express permission of copyright-holder artist Randal Spangler.
A Gathering of Dragons, © 2022 Randal Spangler is available as a print. For more information and pricing information, visit Randy’s website. Ohmlandia is full of dragon-kind, of which Draglings are only one type. Here’s a glimpse of their variety.
This painting shows a green dragon with a dark orange, scaly potbelly. He is reading a book titled “Mystery of the Missing Cookie Jar” while noshing on a blue book with several bites already taken out of it. The painting is square, on a square background of variegated light green, dark green, gray and rusty-red. The words say, “’Devouring a Good Book,’ © 2015 by Randal Spangler. Used by the express permission of copyright-holder artist Randal Spangler.
Devouring a Good Book, © 2015 Randal Spangler is available as a print. For more information and pricing information, visit Randy’s website. We’re back in the library again, only this dragon seems a bit confused between the cookies and the books!
This painting shows a large green dragon with orange wings, belly, knees, and hands. He’s reading a book to four smaller dragon-kind, including one that is mostly blue, and a tiny one with wings, sitting in a teacup, as well as two green and orange Draglings™. The painting is vertical, on a square background of variegated green, orange, and gray. The words say, “Eldar’s Secret,’ © 2010 by Randal Spangler. Used by the express permission of copyright-holder artist Randal Spangler.
Eldar’s Secret, © 2010 Randal Spangler is available as a print. For more information and pricing information, visit Randy’s website. The ultimate enchantment in many of Randy’s works isn’t so much the magic of Ohmlandia, the dragons, or the fairies – it’s the very potent magic of reading.

The Draglings’ World of Books

Which brings us to Randy’s books. Quite a number of people (including me) have written “Dragling stories” over the years. Recently, Randy has settled into a good working relationship with children’s author Lauren K. Duncan, a collaboration that has yielded at least two books, The Draglings’ Bedtime Story, and an alphabet book, D is for Dragling. A brand-new offering that just went live is his Counting with the Draglings. Like Rachael Mayo, highlighted last week, Randy also has a Dragling Coloring Book available.

This square design shows the covers of Randal Spangler’s four books (current count in Feb. 2024) on a variegated background. Clockwise from upper left: “Counting With the Draglings,” the newest title; “The Draglings Coloring Book,” “The Draglings Bedtime Story,” and “D is for Draglings.” All artwork is © by Randal Spangler. Covers are courtesy of Spangler’s website and (in the case of the coloring book) Amazon.
Please reference the links in the paragraph above the book for purchasing information.

I hope you enjoyed the New Year Dragon Gentlemen’s Art!

This wraps up the “progressive art show” of New Year Dragons. I hope you enjoyed it, and today’s focus on the varied work of our New Year Dragon Gentlemen! Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts about the artwork. And if you missed it, please take a look at last week’s post that highlighted New Year Dragon Ladies!

About the Author

Author Jan S. Gephardt has been bumping around science fiction fandom, wearing her metaphorical artist’s beret, since 1981. Her line art, paintings, and – since 2007 – her fine art paper sculpture appears in the Art Show at every sf convention she attends. She’s a longtime member and former officer of ASFA, the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. In the 1980s she helped write the first version of the ASFA Art Show Guidelines. Between 2011 and 2013 she also stepped in as the Art Show Director for her hometown Kansas City convention, ConQuesT.

Since 2018, she’s been a double threat, wearing a second hat as a science fiction writer. When she wrote this post she was in the final stages of producing Bone of Contention, the penultimate book in her XK9 “Bones” Trilogy. Presales were set to begin in mid-August, with wide publication set for September 24, 2024.

IMAGE CREDITS

Many thanks to David Lee Pancake and Randal Spangler for graciously sharing their artwork for this project! See direct links throughout this “New Year Dragon Gentlemen” post. The Spangler book covers are courtesy of Randal Spangler’s website or, in the case of the coloring book, Amazon.

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