MOST WRITERS, contemplating the end of a hugely popular fantasy series that has represented nearly a decade’s worth of work, would feel a little wistful. Not Scott Chantler.
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Chantler is the creator of the Three Thieves graphic novel series about a young acrobat named Dessa and her two best friends, an elf-like juggler named Topper and a powerful giant named Fisk. The trio has spent six volumes on the run from a group of tyrannical knights called the Queen’s Dragons, while trying to find out the truth about Dessa’s origins and the disappearance of her brother. The Iron Hand, the seventh and final volume in the series, appears this month. When asked if he wishes he were still writing and drawing the adventures, Chantler is unequivocal: “I don’t think I could’ve gone another week. I really enjoyed the series and I loved the characters … but I think seven books is about right.”