FAQ & Inspiration

Everything you ever wanted to know about FLANN!
Got a question that wasn't answered? Just want to say "hi"?
I want to read the book! Where can I get a copy?
I'm so happy to hear you're interested in the story! The book is available directly from the author. 
You can get your very own copy of FLANN! right here!

Where's Volume 2?
It's coming! The artwork is all penciled, inked, and painted by hand. That takes time, but rest assured -- I'm working hard to continue the adventure! While you're waiting, why not check out Flynn's Journal? I hear he has some spoilers posted!

How many FLANN! books are there?
There are three books planned for the FLANN! adventure trilogy; "The Petrified Forest," "The Land of a Thousand Lakes," and "The Exploration of Unknown Regions." I decided to make the FLANN! books a trilogy because the Flin Flon area is known for three things -- its forests, its lakes, and its mines. I figured it would only make sense to feature each setting in its own book!
Did you actually draw all this!?
Yes, I did! Every panel in FLANN!  is drawn, inked, and painted by hand. The only digital additions reside within the speech bubbles (my hand was too tired to do nice lettering by the end of the project).

Holy *%$! Hand drawn? How long did that take you?
I've had FLANN! kicking around in the back of my mind for a while. The story itself has been cooking since I was but a wee child. When I finally sat down to make it an actual book, the initial character designs and storyboard took about six months. The final draft took another nine months of hard work. Then I had to wait for the proof copy, make any final edits (another couple of months!), and finally got to order the finished book. It was a long process, but I'm very pleased with the results!

​How ... Just HOW?
Patience, practice, and hard work! If you're curious about my process, stop by my Behind the Scenes look at FLANN!
What inspired you to write ​FLANN!?
Inspiration tends to come from a lot of places. The short answer is: my parents told mini-me stories about gold-seeking adventurers, then let me play in the woods. Those long afternoons of exploring, coupled with the local legend about Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin and his fish-shaped submarine, gave me the perfect foundation for a story about penniless prospectors, quirky cartographers, and the occasional mysterious cryptid.

That's the short answer -- keep scrolling to find out the whole story!
Is Mr Flynn Toba real?
Mr Flynn Toba is based on a local legend. The great thing about local legends is that they're real in our hearts!

Are you scared of bears?
I wouldn't say I'm AFRAID of the bears, but I'm definitely respectful of their space. They're much bigger than I am, and really, I'm the one who's hiking through their backyard. In my experience, most bears just want to be left alone, so I do my best not to startle them and stay out of their way.

What do you do in your free time?
I have too many hobbies! One of my absolute favourite things to do is explore the woods with my dog. In the summer, we enjoy collecting neat rocks and kayaking on the lake, and in the winter, we'll break out the snowshoes and tromp down new trails; there's always something neat to discover!

Do you like tea?
I LOVE tea! I enjoy spiced flavours like cinnamon and traditional chai, but my favourite is a good, strong cup of Earl Grey with a bit of honey and just a touch of cream.

Which character is your favourite?
I love each character for different reasons. I love that Flann! is quirky and adventurous; she's always looking at the bright side of things. James' design took a while to pin down, and I'm very happy with both his final look and personality. Flynn embodies the clever researcher all good adventures need. All the townspeople have their own interesting quirks; even though they don't talk much in the book, they sure liked to run around in my sketchbook!

What does the monster look like?
The monster in the woods likes to hide in the shadows! No one's seen its real face, but Gramps says it's "ten feet tall with poison drool and teeth what could cut down a full-grown fir in ONE BITE." ... I've heard a rumour that Mr Flynn Toba managed to get a sketch of the monster before he vanished, but until we find him (and his sketchbook), I suppose we'll have to trust Gramps' description!

Can you show us some quartz that you found?
Sure!

The Inspiration Behind FLANN! 

A Picturesque Setting
​I have a special fondness for the woods. There’s something magical about the not-quite silence of being surrounded by trees. Mini-me was lucky enough to spend a lot of time roaming a section of the Canadian Shield, where I found -- and still find -- a lot of my inspiration.

As my character, James, observes early on, the forest surrounding Flin Flon, Manitoba, is not a traditionally “pretty” forest. There’s a lot of muskeg. The terrain isn’t very forgiving. And if I’m going to be honest, there are far too many mosquitoes for my comfort.

So no, it's not "pretty." But anyone who visits the precambrian forest won't be able to deny that there’s a certain beauty to be found in the cold, clear lakes and rugged, rocky outcroppings.

That pretty backdrop became the setting for some of my favourite tales. The trip into town from our cabin wasn’t a long one, but it was long enough for a story. Before the car reached the top of the lane, I was already pestering my mother for the same tale, time and again — 

"Tell me about Flin and his Fish."
A Quirky Local Legend
The story of Flintabatty Flonatin was originally told by JE Preston Muddock in the 1905 novel, “A Sunless City.” The first half of the book is an enjoyable addition to early science fiction, with a broad stroke of steampunk aesthetic that I found immediately appealing. The rest of the book is ... well, we'll call it a product of its time (some of the concepts did not age well), but the spirit of adventure is very much present in this tale of a man who sets out to delve beneath a bottomless lake and discover what lays at the centre of the world.

​My mom’s version of ol' Flinty's story was a little different from the original (I don’t remember her ever telling me about the people who spoke backwards, or Flonatin’s particular fondness for snuff), but the whole concept had me hooked. Looking out at the dense tangle of trees and rugged rock that make up the landscape, it was easy to imagine a lone explorer bravely piloting his metal fish through dangerous waters, making deals with mermaids, and ultimately, of course, finding an underwater city paved in gold.

I made my mother tell me that story over, and over, and over … and over. 

Sorry, Mom.

FLANN! might have started out as some unconnected doodles of steampunky characters tromping around in search of cryptids, but I quickly realized any search for the Sasquatch would land an intrepid explorer in my neck of the woods. It was the perfect excuse to explore my spin on a local legend that captivated a younger me, and continues to hold a special place in my heart.

Quotes from "The Sunless City"
that helped shape FLANN!

"Anyway, I feel it is but justice to his memory to say that if any trifling inaccuracies or exaggerations have inadvertently crept into this history, they must be laid to my charge as the historian."
"Flin laboured hard for the advancement of science, and when but a young man he became a Fellow of the "Society for the Exploration of Unknown Regions ..."
"Trees, branches, creepers, undergrowth; all were stone. Petrified into hard, white rock."
"His gun was a heavy double-barrelled one [...]
​He had been a keen sportsman in his day, and accounted a good shot."
"[...] the poor fellow was bewildered and giddy, and sank down on a seat perfectly exhausted, while the lively girl fanned him with her amber handkerchief and laughed."

Check out even more FLANN! extras!

​About the Author

Author and illustrator Danita Stallard has long been enthralled by the fantastical adventures of a certain gentleman who built a mechanical fish. She currently resides upon the Canadian Shield, where she spends too much time wandering the forest with her dog and acquiring interesting rocks (most of which are quartz).
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PO BOX 86     •    FLIN FLON, MB    •    R8A 1M6
ARTWORK ​COPYRIGHT © Danita Stallard, 2022