Landstriders were herbivorous animals native to the Endless Forest, characterized by their cream-coloured hides, stilt-like legs and prominent whiskers.[1] They were frequently used as mounts by the Gelfling, a practice dating back to the Age of Harmony, after the urSkeks had taught them to tame nature.[2] Females were generally noted for having more intuition than males, and were thus better suited for first-time riders.[3] Those gifted in the art of Animal Soul Speaking could summon Landstriders by emitting loud, high pitch trills.[4][5]
During the Age of Division, Landstriders were primarily used by the Stonewood, Spriton and Vapra Clans, as well as the Castle Guard. They were among the hardest hit by the spread of the Darkening, with All-Maudra Mayrin losing at least 80 from her royal stables.[6] During the Garthim War, the Landstriders became bitter enemies of the Garthim, attacking them at every opportunity, but did not inflict enough losses for the Skeksis to take notice.[7]
Behind the scenes
The Landstriders first appeared in David Odell's 1979 draft outline, under the name of "land-spiders", and were described as eight legged creatures which blended with their environment. The arachnid design was scrapped early on, as it would have been overly complicated to operate. The basic form of the final design was decided after Robbie Barnett presented the designers with his stilt walking colleague Paul Goddard, who assumed a quadrupedal posture with extensions attached to his arms and legs. The body suit was covered in muslin, which concealed the stilts and gave the illusion of tendons and musculature beneath the skin. The heads were made of fiberglass, with radio controlled eyes.[8]
Gallery
References
- ↑ Smith, A. C. H., & Odell, D. (1982). The Dark Crystal. Holt, Rinehart and Winston . ISBN 0030624363
- ↑ Froud, B., Holguin , B., Sheikman, A. & John, L. (2011). The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. I. Archaia. ISBN 978-1-936393-80-0
- ↑ Froud, B., Dysart, J., Sheikman, A. & John, L. (2012). The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. II. Archaia. ISBN 978-1-936393-80-0
- ↑ Henson, J. & Oz, F. (dir.); Henson, J., Kurtz, G. & Lazer, D. (prod.); Henson, J. & Odell, D. (writ.) (December 17, 1982). The Dark Crystal (Motion picture). New York City, NY: Jim Henson Productions.
- ↑ "The Crystal Calls" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ "She Knows All the Secrets" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ Froud, B. & Llewellyn, J. J., (2003) The World of the Dark Crystal. Pavilion Books. ISBN 1-86205-624-2
- ↑ C. Gaines, The Dark Crystal: The Ultimate Visual History, Titan Books, 2017, pp. 99-101, ISBN 1-78565-592-2.
External Links
Landstrider on the Muppet Wiki
