Summer 2019 Session I: Black Skystone of Doom

Humongasaura Regina
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Dragon's Eye Adventures will begin the 2019 summer session with a mystery called "Black Skystone of Doom." The program for ages 7 to 10 will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 1 through 5. We will be closed on Thursday, July 4.

This is a beloved adventure, run many times as a favorite among the dinosaur-loving crowd. A meteor threatens to collide with earth, sending our detectives back in time to the Atrocious Period. This little-known era lies at the very end of the Cretaceous Period, when the dinosaurs were threatened with extinction.

Will the detectives find the legendary jewel that turns aside the black skystone of doom, or will Humongasaura Regina (Big Lizard Queen) enjoy a very rare and tasty mammalian snack? Only time will tell ... and that's in short supply this summer!

Our projects include vegan haberdashery in the latest herbivorean style, and fossilized cipher stones.

Summer 2019 Session II: Wayward Tales

Anansi's Box
Micron Pen & Digital Ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session II of the Summer 2019 season will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 8 - 12 at Bowdoin College. The adventure will be "Wayward Tales," a mystery for ages 7 to 10.

Our story begins where the Ashanti myth about Anansi's Box ends. Anansi the Spider has stolen a box of stories from Nyami the Sky God. The tales escaped from the box, flying throughout the world.

Now Nyami needs a good story, and there are none to be found in his kingdom in the sky. Nyami hires the detectives to capture some of these wayward tales.

This might seem easy, but the tales have landed in the hands -- or claws -- of some pretty scary creatures. It will take no small amount of courage to sneak in and steal these errant tales--and then the detectives will have to contend with whether or not the tales wish to come home.

We will be making our own treasure boxes full of stories fit for an African Sky God.

Summer 2019 Session III: Indra's Net

Indra's Net
Micron pen, colored pencil & digital ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session III of the Dragon's Eye summer program will feature an adventure for ages 9 to 14. The program will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 15 through July19, at Bowdoin College.

Our mystery will be "Indra's Net."

Indra, the Vedic god of storms from ancient India, lives in a palace on Mount Meru, the sacred mountain. Above his abode hangs a shining net of jewels. Each jewel is reflected in each of the other jewels.

When the net begins to fray, the detectives travel into the heavens to investigate, but the storms of time are working against them. Can they save the universe, before the net begins to fall to pieces?

Our projects this week may include elephant cloud amulets and jeweled nets. Elephants will be a theme of the week, in particular the cloud elephants.

Summer 2019 Session IV: The Lizards of Solomon's Mines

Lizards of Solomon's Mine
Micron pen, colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Session IV of the Dragon's Eye Adventures 2019 summer program will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 22 through 26, at Bowdoin College. This is a program for ages 9 to 14.

The mystery is "The Lizards of Solomon's Mines." It combines Dragon's Eye tales about lizards and the jewels that power our magic, and Jewish legends about King Solomon.

King Solomon was a legendary ruler of ancient Israel, renowned for his wisdom, magic, and wealth. He owned a gold mine called Ophir, the source of much of his wealth. Many have searched for it, but no one has found it--mostly because they failed to ask the lizards.

Now, the lizards need help, and the detectives must investigate the troubles brewing deep inside Solomon's mines. A visit to the king may be in order, as the detectives learn about the trouble connected to Solomon's infamous ring.

Our projects will include lizards and enchanted rings.

Summer 2019 Session V: Goat and Ger

Goat and Ger
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

"Goat and Ger" is the title of the fifth mystery of the Dragon's Eye Summer 2019 program. This session runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 29 through August 2, at Bowdoin College. Detectives ages 9 to 14 are welcome!

The story arises from an earlier adventure called "The Wind Horse," drawing on the history and legends surrounding the descendants of Genghis Khan.

Somewhere in Mongolia is a cart pulled by an old goat. On the back of the cart is a ger, a tent-like shrine to Mother Earth. The existence and location of this shrine are closely guarded secrets. Many deny that the traveling shrine even exists. Yet now, the detectives must find it, to save the shrine from an ancient threat that rises once again.

Our projects will include some kind of rag and bone relic. Yes, rag and bone magic will be a part of this mystery, and a certain Grey Mare may make an appearance.

Summer 2019 Session VI: The Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time

The Beekeeper
Micron pen, colored pencil, ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session VI runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on Aug 5 - 9, 2019, at Bowdoin College. This program for ages 9 to 14 features the adventure called "The Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time."

This is a mystery that has been mulling in the background of my mind for many years. I've been collecting books on bees and beekeeping, and searching mythology for the stories that intrigue my sense of curiosity. My research into the Greek myths has led to some fascinating ties between the bees and some of my favorite ancient Greek sites.

The results are this emerging story about a mysterious keeper of bees:

When the center begins to crumble, the detectives travel to ancient Greece in search of the Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time. Only she can help them prevent the collapse of civilization. It's all about the bees. The bees hold the secrets. Let's hope our heroes speak lingua apes, the language of the bees.

Our projects this week are still under development. I'm pretty sure bees will be the theme. Omphalos stones and honey bee amulets are possibilities--but I always reserve the right to flashes of inspiration!

Summer 2019 Session VII: Junkyard Invaders

Junkyard Invaders
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Session VII of the Summer 2019 Season will be held at the Landing YMCA in Brunswick. This program for ages 7 to 14 features a new mystery called "Junkyard Invaders."

This mystery has been inspired by years of delving through fleamarkets, rag and bone shops, and antique malls searching for the lost discards that speak of hidden lives and treasures of the heart. Combine this with midcentury myths of alien invaders, and a story is born.

Our detectives travel to New Mexico to investigate an alien invasion of a junkyard. They find lots of junk, and the strangest little creatures this side of the Milky Way. Can our team stop the invasion or will earth be overrun by invaders from a galaxy far, far away?

Our projects this week include building our own alien robots from discarded junk. Please bring bits of vintage flotsam and jetsam to this adventure, for constructing 7" to 9" robots. Small bits of brass and tin parts, old spice tins or food cans from the 30s through 50s, small lamp parts, and other items are welcome -- and I will be providing other bits as well!

We'll be pooling our resources, so the whole group can construct amazing little robots that come to life! If any parents, grandparents, older siblings or others wish to help with the construction, Oliver and I would love the help! We'll be building Tuesday through Friday mornings from 9 AM to 10:30 AM.

Here is a link to the Dragon's Eye Facebook album I've made, showing the kind of parts I've been collecting for the alien robots we're going to meet:  Alien Robots In The Making.

The Night Parade - April Vacation

The Night Parade
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Our April vacation mystery will be "The Night Parade." The adventure runs from Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, April 19, from 9 AM to 4 PM. After hours are available until 5:30 PM on Tuesday through Thursday. Detectives in grades 1 through 8 are welcome!

This is the final adventure in our gentleman caller series, and hopefully the one where the detectives learn how to encourage their guest to move out of the Dragon's Eye Detectives' Agency.

The Gentleman Caller has failed in his attempts to wrest the Twig and Turf from Madog, the Tomte, so he turns to his next plan: To turn the detectives and their Tomtes into Yokai. This wouldn't be so bad, if he turned them into the nice Yokai, like the Baku or the Kirin, but this isn't his plan. He's aiming for the nastier variety of demons, like the Oni.

Rebecca the Dragonmage for the agency has disappeared on an underworld errand for Nurarihyon the Gentleman Caller. The detectives will have to fight their own transforming loyalties, to find her and help her return with the solution to their problems.

Will they succeed or will the agency devolve into the Demon's Eye Detectives' Agency?