Kaitlyn Ritter shared some of the artwork she created for the spinoff "Varian and the Seven Kingdoms".
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613775712390922240
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https://twitter.com/kritterart/status/1 ... 7149023232
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Oh_mPDLp3/
Kaitlyn Ritter wrote:Varian goes adventuring with fellow scientists through the Seven Kingdoms to learn the seven stages of alchemical transformation and achieve forbidden knowledge.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B-OhyWAD6--/
Kaitlyn Ritter wrote:New characters we wanted to play with were Varian’s mom, who design-wise was a in flux, since we only had one reference image to go off of…but we really wanted to match her aesthetic to Varian/ that of a field researcher. We always imagined her as being a lot like Varian! Tried to develop some motifs between the other characters (L-R: Hugo, Donella, and Donella’s muscle-man) to make them look like the evil pack they were. Hugo was a sneaky artificer who conned the wealthy and worked for Donella: Varian’s mother’s former research partner. We also had Yong and Princess Nuru- who were some new friends that Varian would meet on his journey! And of course, Prometheus, a farm donkey Quirin gifted to Varian before he left Corona. (Not quite a Maximus…but, hey!)
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613775712390922240
Kaitlyn Ritter wrote:Here is some higher-res art of that initial, old line-up. These are some of the character page descriptions we gave when we presented “Varian and the Seven Kingdoms!” (Enjoy some Anna Lencioni sketches- she designed Varian’s cousins and they’re dang cute!)
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/615411509542223872
Q: May I ask what was the reason Varian left to research the alchemical knowledges? Did he grew tired of being a Royal Engineer and wanted to do something adventurous for a while? Or is there a bigger reason?
Kaitlyn Ritter: Varian becoming the royal engineer hadn’t been written when we initially conceived this, but the idea was that he would uncover some of his mother’s old research and realize how much like him she was. Quirin would have then given Varian an old tome that used to belong to Ulla detailing the seven trials of the seven kingdoms. Finding missing pieces in his mother’s work compelled Varian to finish it, namely, by completing all the trials all over again and following in her steps. He did this with the belief he could possibly find her again, wherever she was.
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613972076569755648
Q: How did his dad and friends reacted when they were saying their goodbyes? Is Ruddiger with Varian in this adventure? Do you think it's possible that Varian will find Cass on his journey?
Kaitlyn Ritter: We probably would have had a little bit of a send off, of course!! I think Rapunzel would be very, very supportive! I could see her even sharing with Varian her own journal, and telling him how exciting a person his mom seemed to be. I think she and Eugene would both have the utmost confidence in him going out and doing big things! Xavier was able to contextualize the seven trials a little bit, and he and Varian had a fond goodbye. We did entertain the idea of bumping into Cass at some point. Perhaps a time where Varian felt a little unsure of his path and could rely on an older friend’s perspective. We’d imagined Quirin having a bit of a hard time letting Varian go, just because Varian is all he has left in Corona, and they’d very freshly rekindled a loving relationship. But I think he’d see enough of Ulla in him and have enough faith in Varian to encourage him to go. Could easily imagine Rapunzel and her story greasing those wheels. Ruddiger would have to go, of course!!! What’s more resourceful than a raccoon scavenger when you’re in a pinch for some chemistry supplies? We also had this idea that Varian gets his own Maximus in the form of an old, lazy, kinda dumb Donkey from the family farm named Prometheus. Kind of like dad giving you a beat up old car before you go to college when you expected a new one or something. We liked the idea that Varian is not, at first glance, the capable hero we know him to be. People could underestimate him showing up in a new town looking like a Boy Scout with a little trash raccoon and a farm donkey. Not traveling with quite as much style as Rapunzel. The story had a lot to do with Varian living within his means and working with the things that make him who he is, therefore strong, rather than trying to look capable or cool. He’s a limitless well of those things in his own way!
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/614029138634866688
Q: What did Quirin & Varian think had actually happened to Ulla all these years? Did Varian know she was trapped someplace, or that would've only been revealed later? Curious as to what Quirin knew, & what he says to him that pushes him to leave. How did he meet all the new characters?
Kaitlyn Ritter: Quirin knew about Ulla and Donella’s research. Ulla and Quirin had fallen in love in the midst of her research in the Dark Kingdom, and she ended up marrying him/ having Varian. Donella wanted to finish their work, but Ulla felt unsure leaving her husband and newborn behind. Quirin, however, encouraged her to continue with it, knowing it was very important to her and trusting she would be back.
When Donella returned from the final trial without Ulla, she told Quirin that Ulla did not survive it. Quirin believed this, which was a big part of why he was torn on Varian taking after Ulla as an alchemist. On one hand, Varian’s work reminded him fondly of her, but he also feared it because of his loss. Over the course of RTA, we saw Quirin embrace Varian’s inventiveness, so at the start of our story, he would have allowed Varian to continue where Ulla left off…even if it frightened him. I think he views his son as capable now. Varian would have learned on the road that Ulla might not be truly dead- and that Donella was very aware of that.
Yong was someone Varian met in the first of the seven kingdoms- a kid who couldn’t invent anything that didn’t explode or catch fire. He was just walking destruction. Varian was reminded of a younger version of himself through this character and takes on a big brother sort of role. In a way it was like his first time being someone’s Flynn Rider…so it was fun to explore what Varian would do to fill shoes like that. With Yong, Varian also had to learn to trust someone with a younger intelligence/ less experience in a pinch- which was a position Varian hadn’t really been in before and one we saw him struggling against. Varian’s used to being the smartest guy in the room- what if that wasn’t the case anymore when he made friends more like him?
Nuru was a princess whose kingdom was in disrepair she felt could be corrected with science. She was sort of a Princess Atta/Flit in one type…where her people had a difficult time just barely surviving…and she had to prepare to continue a mundane and problematic way of life, while dreaming of other possibilities. When the group showed up at her kingdom, she helped them complete the trial and decided to join their party. She temporarily left her kingdom behind for the greater good, convinced the answer to her people’s problems might also lie in the reward that comes from completing the seven trials.
Hugo was someone who was from a more steampunky/industrial kingdom. His primary interest was learning to create limitless gold- a big pursuit of alchemists. Donella acted as Hugo’s mentor, sort of having adopted him. Hugo was part of her crew and ended up put on orders by Donella to infiltrate and sabotage Varian on his journey to complete the seven trials. So, after initially stealing the hard-earned totem from Yong and Varian in the first trial, Hugo returns with it and tells the boys they clearly need someone watching their backs with more experience on the road. He joined the pack quickly after that but was not very well-liked for some time- particularly by Nuru. Hugo was always supposed to be just like…annoyingly a little bit better than Varian? Very much the “well, actually-” type of character…just a little taller, just a little cooler, a little more flair, etc. The guy drove Varian crazy but he also kinda wanted to be him? Conversely, Hugo was a big fan of messing with Varian for fun, but became truly fond of him over time. Ultimately, we’d planned for him to walk back on his promise to Donella to stop Varian from completing the trials and help him do so/ reunite with Ulla instead. We wanted Hugo and Varian’s relationship to repair the frayed one between Ulla and Donella, with them ending things as equals/partners!
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/614041967410790400
Q: Was the comic outfit Varian’s final, or the other designs would’ve been used too (same with Ulla’s 2 designs)? 7 trials ideas & 7 kingdoms’ names? How much time after TTS would this be? & finally, was Varian planning on actually riding that donkey, or would he pull a caravan thing?
Kaitlyn Ritter: The outfits were still in flux- the comic was a representation of our first draft and the other designs came later (including Hugo’s upgrade, Donella, etc.) The red dress Ulla was a flashback type of look whereas the teal one is more like…how Varian would have found her.
You know I actually found some screenshots of the ol’ docs we wrote using the 7 alchemical stages to mirror the seven kingdoms. We tried to find an alchemical story component, a magical story component, and a figurative/character story component for each! We never actually named the kingdoms and we also crafted a lot of them before they existed canonically in the show (I think there’s an episode of RTA where Raps competes against princesses from the seven kingdoms and they’re mentioned there)…so just know it’s not accurate to that at all, haha.
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/614053506343632896
Q: What are Nuru, Yong, and Hugo’s personalities like?
Kaitlyn Ritter: Playful, determined, adventurous. Nuru is someone who has felt a little kept-on-a-leash and fatigued by being the smartest person in the room with no one else to talk to. Nuru is ready to trailblaze and takes her self-confidence out into the world to do great things. She lifts up others around her and is fiercely protective of them against those she does not trust. She can be bullheaded and a bit of a neat freak, but she looks for the most fun way of doing things every time. That’s what she wants to bring back to her kingdom- the freedom and self-assurance to have fun. She wishes life didn’t have to feel so serious all the time.
Excitable, honest, naive. Yong is well-meaning and innocent but lacks a certain foresight and restraint that comes with maturity. His brain can’t keep up with his heart. He doesn’t really respect personal boundaries physically or emotionally and kind of just offers the blunt honesty of a child’s perspective. He’s a would-be pyro who wants to master his lack of control over fire. He thinks Varian is the coolest person he’s ever met and is dying to drive one of his automatons. Varian’s not gonna let that happen.
Mischievous, logical, cunning. Hugo’s used to being a player of one and doing most things to further his social or financial standing in order to continue funding his own inventions. When he gets the order to play on a team, it’s a struggle for him. Hugo is also used to being the smartest guy in the room and LIKES it that way. And generally, he is, with a leg up on street smarts. What he lacks is emotional intelligence. He’s resourceful, sneaky, nonchalant, and a survivalist who often gets the gang out of hot water. (Also…pulled a job with that “Flynn Rider” guy once…what a hack)
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/614119665975836672
Q: I would like to know more about Hugo’s past. Your friend mentioned that Hugo is an orphan. Where did Hugo grow up? So, where will he go after betraying Donella? Does he have a permanent place of residence?
Kaitlyn Ritter: I’m trying to recall what Anna said, but he definitely grew up an orphan. From what I can remember, the kingdom he grew up in had a very highly divided class system and Hugo was determined to find a way not to live on scraps. And not just that, but to like…get back at, take advantage of as many rich idiots as possible. He’s Robin Hood robbing the rich to feed himself. Someone here called him a champagne-taste kind of guy and that’s exactly right.
He’s manipulative, so he’s probably well ahead of developing technologies and other things for the rich people who invest in him. He’d probably just withhold the best stuff for himself and do what he needed to stay in his patrons’ good graces. And he’d steal whatever they didn’t give him and never get caught. (I think Anna designed like a motorized bike or something for him once…he’s literally the cool guy with a car. He’d totally keep something like that all for himself.)
Donella and her gang offered protection more than anything…so he offers most of his work to her first. Including his sneakier services. That’s how he ends up being the one to go after Varian. It’s probably also how (in our wildest dreams) we imagined him possibly having pulled a job (and likely conned) Eugene back in his Rider days. Pulled a Rider on a Rider as a sneaky kid.
All of this is also why he’d switch alliances on Donella when it felt right to do so. Hugo has a wild compass but he follows it in service of himself pretty much always. Becoming close to Varian kinda changes that streak in him. He’d probably hang out with Varian whenever everything blew over, maybe settle back down in Corona. Meet this princess everyone keeps talking about. Wait…Rider lives in a CASTLE NOW?!
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/615302333458448384
Q: I have a question, what kind of life did our sweet boy Yong live? Was he an orphan too? Or did Varian promise his parents/guardian he’d take care of him? After they finish their adventure does Varian take Yong under his wing so he stops blowing stuff up and causing fires?
Kaitlyn Ritter: I think Yong’s parents and family (which I always imagined as being very big) all love Yong. But I think they are all very tired and very grateful that he has made a friend who is willing to take him on as a mentee. I imagine he’s gone through a few. (Very Young Hercules.)
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/615304442575732736
Q: I know that Varian was supposed to be 18 in the series, but I was just wondering how old Yong, Nuru, and Hugo were supposed to be?
Kaitlyn Ritter: Hugo was 19, Nuru was 16, and Yong was 12!
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/614028340580483072
Q: This is the kinda odd question, but what zodiac signs do your characters have?
Kaitlyn Ritter: Aries for Varian…def. I’ve always imagined Hugo is a Scorpio, Nuru seems like a Sagittarius, Yong is a Libra, Donella is an Aquarius, and let’s say Gemini for Ulla.
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/615299084453036032
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613775745292124160
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613874928679321600
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613874928679321600
Kaitlyn Ritter wrote:Here are some old beat boards Anna Lencioni and I did. The first few explored Varian meeting Yong and making his first friend, completing the first trial of the seven kingdoms. In the nighttime one- Anna had a cool idea that Princess Nuru’s dress was an active star chart and that she could act as the group navigator, using it to guide them. The last few were just some group interactions and Varian coming face to face with his mother.
The super short story is: we imagined each of the seven kingdoms would teach one of the seven alchemical stages of transformation and reveal a totem. With all seven totems acquired, Varian would be able to use them to reunite with his long-lost mother (we'd called her Ulla) who was trapped somewhere unreachable by her former partner, Donella, long ago. Donella was after the totems as well to prevent Ulla’s release and sent Hugo to collect them as a double-agent within the group. Hugo would later betray Donella in service of helping Varian reach Ulla.
We viewed Hugo and Varian’s relationship evolving from a sort of Pinocchio/ Lampwick situation (literally what that drawing is from) to that of an equal one. In a way, their bond repaired the partnership that frayed between Ulla and Donella.
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https://kritterart.tumblr.com/post/613874928679321600
Q: If Disney ever changed their mind on green lighting VAT7K would you still continue on with the project?
Kaitlyn Ritter: We never pitched VAT7K as a series, only to Publishing. I think pitching as a series would have been a much steeper mountain to climb. We saw it as more of a spin-off comic, but the feedback was that a Tangled-connected story of any nature would need to center on the more well known character of Rapunzel in order to get studio support. It makes sense, even though there’s clearly a very active love and community for Varian.
Publishing did express interest in the project if we were to tweak it and make it original by removing Varian and any other Tangled elements, but we passed on doing that because we felt the story was really built for Varian. Re-conceiving it without him, while possible, wasn’t as appealing to us- just didn’t feel right.
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https://heykayhayes.tumblr.com/post/740 ... d-on-green