Lorin Morgan-Richards

"What is the point of relaying every word when the words become the crime of friendship."

"The universe is made of our thoughts. Our thoughts are infinite."

"A bully is nothing more than a bunch of bull with a Y attached to its rear."

"Old robots are becoming more human and young humans are becoming more like robots."

"I'm done adulting, let's be sharks that eat mermaids."

"I fall into the category of Weird West, but I think it may be more of a “Down West” as I’d like to call it, for its sense of macabre western humor."

"In choosing my materials I wanted to keep an organic feel to the book. Some might consider this an art book, but I was really just trying to give it some life. Having seen what is being printed by majors these days with poor quality paper, I wanted to provide the reader with a book that carries more value near the same price and that can last for generations. Nothing would be more inspiring to me than to know my books are treasured like an heirloom."

"Humor bridges the weight of serious reflection."

"I am most comfortable with writing and pen and ink illustrations. My filter tends to be cut ups of what is around me blurred into my own feelings and interests of the Victorian era. I don't try to categorize myself but I do recognize my influences are a bit more macabre than usual."

"Primarily, they (ideas) come from daydreaming or every day occurrences. I try to get out and about, especially new places to let the environment inspire me. I start an illustration of a building I see and then the elements of different characters will populate in my mind like a set and actors on a stage. If nothing comes up I continue to draw until something unfolds."

"It's mad isn’t it. I guess I just wanted to make something that people would cherish and hope to hold on to for a while. The goal is to make each book a unique work of art, with an intrinsic quality all their own."

"I believe dreams connect us to our ancestors and it is through creativity that we can tap into this in the conscious state. Creativity is a sort of trance that we have as artists that erases time and space."

"I believe it has come out of the zombie effect of assimilation. Certain young people are fed up with the commercialization of society, of corporations and political parties trying to define us, of stereotypes and racism based [on] greed and power and of the dominant culture building parking lots and malls over our heritage sites."

"It is important to teach our young about who they are and how culture can empower them to help the greater community. It is very difficult, especially in the age of technology to curb what mass-media and marketing try to tell us who we are, and even more difficult when those closest to you act uninterested. It is an uphill climb, sometimes alone, to find the truth."

"We are free falling backward through time, reincarnating ourselves from our past, reflecting the chaotic energy of the present."

"Autumn colors remind us we are all one dancing in the wind."

"The fountain of youth resides in our memory. You will never outlive your shadow."

"Lorin Morgan-Richards has woven the most whimsically woeful stories this side of Edward Gorey!"

"Morgan-Richards knows the best fantasy fiction isn't safe. His story tackles mature themes in a way that's accessible to youngsters, but doesn't candy-coat the topic. The author presents his themes¾colonialism, exploitation, and environmentalism¾in a graspable manner using fantastical characters and creatures. His world is one in which noble animals speak, and humans are often monstrous beasts. While sophisticated youngsters can easily digest the adventure story, it also gives them much to think about in terms of responsible stewardship of the Earth and its inhabitants. To say that the author’s ultimate goal is to instill empathy would not be far-fetched."

"Lorin Morgan Richards charts the paths of weird clouds that pass far overhead and then maps the changes that their rain makes on the lives of people living below."

"Lorin Morgan-Richards art reminds me of a modern day Charles Addams or Edward Gorey. He dabbles in the unusual and strange, yet there's just enough of the familiar in his artwork to keep it grounded."