This is a commissioned work of my avatar/fursona as envisioned by fantasy artist Wolf-Nymph ( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/wolf-nymph ). The character is ©me, but the artwork is ©her. :)

So you know what serendipity is? ...No? Well go look it up. I'll wait. :3

Back? Okay, well I had a moment just like that while attending Further Confusion this past January. Here's the set-up: I walked into the Dealer's Den with the notion that there wouldn't be much inside that I'd really NEED to buy. Sure, sketch commissions, prints, comics, plush critters, and CDs full of porn are nice, but it's nothing I couldn't live without. And I most CERTAINLY wouldn't need any more badges, after I went a little badge-crazy at AC '09. ...Right?

Well after wandering the tables from front to back, I stumbled upon an artist who, for some stupid reason, I had not already been watching here on FA. She had lots of really eye-catching stuff at her table, but the thing that grabbed me is the full-body badges. The examples on display looked spectacular, but I didn't notice any dragons. I inquired of the young lady if she drew dragons at all. "I'd love to draw a dragon!" was her somewhat paraphrased reply. I raised an eyebrow at this curious display of enthusiasm, which even for an artist was unusual, but not the least bit unwelcome. "Well then," I continued "Do you draw armor at all?" "I'd love to draw armor! Is this your character? He looks so cool!" She paraphrased again.

Achievement Unlocked: Sell Arc Nova something he already has a million of and make him uber-happy for buying it. :3

The artist's name was Wolf-Nymph, and her enthusiasm in taking my commission was exceeded only by her talent in making it happen. What you see here is the result of her hard work, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it turned out. Of all the badges I own, this one is probably my favorite. I wore it around proudly for the rest of the con, and received TONS of compliments and exclamations of awe from everyone who saw it. Which is precisely the kind of reaction a con badge is SUPPOSED to elicit. :)

The only critique I have to make is that the left hand looks a little...out of position? But it's a minor quibble. Fact is even I didn't notice that until after a couple days of staring at it. Nobody seeing it at a con is going to care. Nor should they. :3

The really cool thing is that Wolf-Nymph included a good-quality lamination, and a sturdy neck strap in the price. And she had it ready for me in 24 hours! Not all artists will do all three of those things for a badge commission, so I was very glad to see it here. Bottom line is that this badge was an unexpected highlight of the con for me, and definitely the best thing I purchased while there (yes, even better than the CDs full of porn :3)

Thank you, Wolf-Nymph, for doing such a fantastic job! :)