A message from Martin Baynton, creator of "Jane and the Dragon":
We are thrilled to be getting so many requests for more episodes -- thank you! The creators of the show are doing everything they can to make a second season a possibility, and we'll keep our fans posted about new developments.
About the Show:
Who does the voices of Jane and Dragon? --From Maddie, 7, Morristown, NJ, USA
Jane is voiced by a very talented 13-year-old Canadian actress named Tajja Isen. You might recognize her voice on TV as that of Betty from "Atomic Betty" and Jodie from "Time Warp Trio." She's also an accomplished singer -- she portrayed Young Nala in the Toronto production of "The Lion King" for nearly a year -- as well as a pianist and songwriter. I think Tajja has a bright future ahead of her...just like Jane!
The voice behind Dragon belongs to Adrian Truss, one of Canada's leading comedians. He has performed with the Second City comedy on stage and television, as well as with the improv troupe he co-founded, Illustrated Men. You can hear Adrian's voice in other animated series such as "Atomic Betty" and "Rolie Polie Olie." Adrian has also written and directed several plays for the stage. He's a truly multi-talented fellow and we're thrilled that he's helping us bring Dragon to life.
In the episode "Shall We Dance," who won the dancing contest? Smithy or Jester? --From Efe, 9, Michigan, USA
They both lost! Jane was glad she didn’t have to choose between two such terrible displays. But she also knows that Jester is a very good dancer and that the competition is just a game between her two friends. Jester could dance elegant rings around Smithy, but he chooses not to. It’s one of the delightful things about Jester; he will play the fool so that other people feel at ease.
Did you watch or read any other books to give you an inspiration for these characters? --From Julianne, 10, San Jose, CA, USA
My inspiration comes from real people. The characters in Jane's world are based on friends I had when I was young, on my children and friends of my children. It's the same for the adult characters. For instance, the King is very much like a teacher I had when I was at school. He was always trying to please everyone and he wasn't as smart as the children he was trying to teach. But he was a kind man and so we were always polite to him even though he was a bit silly and boring.
Hi! I really LOVE your show, it is one of my favourites. I also adore the theme song, and love to sing along but I have a problem. What are the lyrics? I need to know, so if you could tell me, I would be very VERY grateful! Thanks! --From Ashleigh, 12, Australia
The theme song is catchy, isn't it? You may be happy to hear that fans will soon be able to come to Qubo.com and play the "Jane and the Dragon" theme song whenever they like. In the meantime, we'd hate to keep you from singing along, so here are the lyrics:
Jane and the Dragon
There once was a lady in waiting
Let's call her Jane.
That girl wasn't ordinary-
No way for me a lady stuck in waiting
I'd rather battle fire-breathing dragons
I knew I could prove that a girl could be a Knight
Though my friends all laughed at me
but...
I wouldn't be discouraged and trained in secret
Then a dragon pinched the Royal Prince
and everyone was freaking
So I went alone to the dragon's home
to slay the dragon
Hey now, hey now now
Jane and the Dragon are best friends now
Dragon's sweet, he let me save the young Prince
Then the King made me a Knight apprentice
Hey now hey now now...
With Dragon's help I'll be a Knight someday
Composed by Martin Kucaj
Lyrics by Arlene Bishop
Published by Cinesymphonies, Nelvana Limited 2005
Will you continue to make stories about Jane when she is older or will you leave her at the age of 12? --From Chloe, 14, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
At the moment we have a lot more stories to tell about Jane at this age. But I know what happens to Jane as she gets older, the truth about dragons, and their adventures together for many years. I will tell those stories on the TV or in books about Jane!
What are all the titles of the "Jane and the Dragon" chapter books? Will your books and your shows expand to when Jane is a knight? --From Annia, 10, Bellingham, Washington, USA
One book is called "Three Is A Crowd," and one is called "Dragon’s Tail." And yes, I do have plans for books to tell the stories of how Jane becomes a full knight, and also how Jane leaves the castle to go on some really big adventures with Dragon as they try to uncover the truth about dragons!
What is name of the song Jester sings in the episode "Strawberry Fool"...and can you share the lyrics? --From Ann, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
"Strawberries Instead"
by Jester, with assistance from Sir Martinus Baynton
I went for a walk in the woods out there,
To find a puppet for a Princess fair.
Through field and forest I pursued my quest,
To find a puppet of the very best.
But I found no puppet for my princess fair.
Though I looked for a puppet most everywhere.
So I brought her some berries,
Berries big and red,
I brought my Princess
Some strawberries instead!
I've pre-ordered the DVD that is coming out in August. I hope more episodes are put on DVD for the USA. This is good stuff and I look forward to seeing more of "Jane and the Dragon." --From Duane, Racine, Wisconsin, USA
Thank you! Yes, the plan is for all of the current 26 episodes to be released on DVD by Shout Factory in the US. We will try hard to include some extra features with each new DVD.
About Jane:
What's written on Jane's sword? --From Zarina, 11, Queens, NY, USA
Jane's sword is a dragonblade. It's covered in dragon runes on the hilt, the blade, and the sheath. Jane understands some of them; they include the runes for love, death, life and blade. Some of the same runes are on Jane's armor. In one episode, Jane unlocks a secret code in the handle of her sword, and later, she discovers her sword is much more special and more dangerous than she could ever have imagined!
Will Jane ever be in a combat? --From Ned, 7
Sir Theodore is teaching Jane all the skills of being a knight. The first rule is to keep the peace and avoid combat if possible. So Jane tries to use her brain to solve her problems. But she knows that one day she might need to use her skills in combat to defend her friends and the Royal Family. Keep watching, Ned, and you'll find out the answer to your question!
What are those codes that Jane and Dragon are trying to solve? --From Rose, 8, North Carolina, USA
The codes are dragon runes, or dragon language. Dragon has been collecting anything with runes on it in the hope that it will help him unlock the truth about dragons. He wants to know the full truth, not the stories he hears from shortlives. Most of all he wants to know what happened to dragons and he hopes the runes will help to reveal the past and solve all those mysteries.
Does Jane have many friends outside of the castle? Will we get to see them? --From Anna, 12, New York, New York, USA
Jane does indeed have friends outside the castle! We will be meeting some of them in Jane books and if enough people fall in love with the show and want to see more episodes, then I know for certain that we will be meeting friends from outside the castle walls in those stories.
Where did Jane get that little stuffed dragon as shown in her room? --From Danny, 9, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Jane made the stuffed dragon when she was training to be a Lady-In-Waiting. She always had to practice her needlework skills and made the stuffed dragon as a present for Princess Lavinia when the Princess was only two years old. This was long before Jane met Dragon, so this one was just based on stories she had read about knights and Dragons. But when she presented the toy, Lavinia wouldn’t stop screaming...so Jane decided to keep it for herself!
About Dragon:
How long do dragons live? --From Jesse, 6, Maine, USA
Dragon and Jane would both like to know the answer to that question! They know that Dragon himself is about 300 years old because he learned shortlife calendars and counting systems when he was very young, and he can remember counting more than 290 shortlife years. In one of the Theodore's books it says dragons used to live for two thousand years. However, Dragon doesn't think that book is reliable since it also states that dragons were vain, self-centered, and childish.
Shortlife weapons can't pierce Dragon's skin, but in "Tests and Jests," Dragon is sensitive enough that Jane can tickle him. How does she do it? --From Bill, 14, Texas, USA
Great question! Dragon’s skin is very tough but still has nerves in it. Some of the toughest skin on shortlives is on the soles of their feet. They can walk barefoot all day and not get a single scratch – but it’s also where they are the most ticklish.
My friend says dragons don't really breathe fire. He says they have very strong stomach acid that they spray out in a mist. and it burns so bad it feels like fire. What do you think? --From Jason, 11, Illinois, USA
I hope your friend Jason never meets the dragon he’s talking about! I can only speak for Jane’s Dragon, and he definitely breathes fire. The fuel for his fire is the methane gas that builds up from eating cabbages and other rotting vegetables. He has two hard flints at the top of his wind pipe that he can crack together to create a spark to ignite his out breath – if he chooses to.
Why are Dragon's eyes circular like humans instead of being elliptical like a reptile's? I think it is awesome how Dragon's eyes are the color of Jane's hair almost, and how Jane's eyes are the color of Dragon's skin. --From Caleb, 8, Celina, Ohio, USA
Well spotted, Caleb! I loved the idea of Jane being a flaming redhead with green eyes and Dragon being a "greenhead" with flaming eyes. I wanted Dragon to have round eyes, more like a humans because they are more expressive. In some of my early drawings of him I tried reptile eyes, but he just looked plain scary all the time and it was hard to read his emotions, so I threw that idea out.
About the Castle Staff and Residents:
Do Pepper, Smithy, and Rake play games together? --From Justin, 10, Mississippi, USA
Yes, they do...they play Bandyball! It was a very popular sport throughout England in Jane's time. It was a team game and could be played with as few as two people on each side or with hundreds. Sometimes entire villages would play against each other! The game involved hitting a ball (made from a pig's bladder that was filled with dried seeds) towards the other team's goal, which could be a post, a wall or a building. It was played with curved sticks and was a bit like modern hockey, except players could kick, throw, and hit the ball.
Sir Ivon is Scottish, right? So...why is he working for an English king? I always thought the Scots and English were enemies back then! --From Danny, Hampton, Virginia, USA
This is a great question, Danny! Yes, Ivon is Scottish and for much of their history the English and the Scots have had their battles and feuds. As far back as the Roman era there were problems, and Hadrian tried to keep the Northern folk from coming south by building a huge wall right across the country. You can still visit it today. But the real disputes we read about in history began a lot later, once England existed as a complete country...long after Jane’s time. She lived in about 800AD, when England was only a group of separate kingdoms, each with a feudal ruler. And all the kingdoms had their disputes and their battles.
Just where do Rake's affections lie? And why? --From Allisen,13, Idaho, USA
Rake doesn't have a harsh word for anyone. He sees the best in people and has a great deal of affection for Jane and all their friends. But there is one special person who can bring a bit of color into his cheeks, and she does it without rubbing beetroot on his face...though Rake has done that himself once, to please Princess Lavinia!
Do you think Jane will be paired with Gunther? They both have a rivalry, which creates an interesting tension between them. If Jane and Gunther are paired together, how would Dragon feel? --From Myona, 14, CA, USA
Yes, they do have an interesting tension don’t they. In some ways they are rather alike, both headstrong, determined and eager to do well. And in other ways they are so different. Jane is always jumping in head first to help others where Gunther helps himself first and others if there’s enough time. As to getting paired up, they have to go on patrol together sometimes, but I don’t think that’s what you mean, is it?
Will Gunther ever make any friends? I feel sorry for him. I also want him to find out what happened to his mother. Will that ever happen? --From Queenie, 13, Pensacola, FL., USA
Gunther has a few issues doesn’t he? He wants to do the right thing most of the time but… And I agree he should go on a quest to discover who his mother was. He starts to hunt for clues close to home to begin with though, and he gets rather upset about something he turns up.
The design on Prince Cuthbert's shirt looks like a dead cat's head. Is that what it is, and what is its significance? --From Elizabeth, 17, Bishopville, South Carolina, USA
Well spotted, Elizabeth! Cuthbert had a cat he loved very much, a bit of a rough cat that got into fights and lost one eye. When the cat died, Cuthbert drew a picture of it and had copies of the picture embroidered onto some of his clothes.
Do Smithy, Pepper, and Rake get paid for working in the castle or do they get free room and board like Jester does? And what currency was used at that time? --From Rachel, 13, Toronto, CANADA
They get board and lodging only. But sometimes they get a small coin called a Quadran on very special occasions, but it’s more to mark the occasion than as payment for work. In Jane’s England, the currency was quite complex because a lot of foreign currency was also in circulation, but the basic English measures was a pound and was measured as a pound of silver. It’s still referred to as the Pound Sterling today, sterling is a measure of silver. The pound was divided into 20 shillings or 240 pennies. The English silver penny was the most common coin in circulation and was called a Denarius. And a Mancus was worth 30 pennies. An Obole was half a denarius, or halfpenny, and a quarter penny was called a Quadran and later a Farthing.
Where is Gunther's mother? Why is there no one to stand up for him against his father? --From Anna, NY, USA
Gunther doesn't know where his mother is. His father refuses to talk about her and gets very angry if Gunther asks about her. He has a few memories of her and has collected bits of gossip here and there. One tale is that she was the daughter of a rich trader and that the Merchant only married her to get her father's business.
About Jane's World:
I read once that in the medieval days, girls married extremely young, sometimes as young as age 9. How old is Jane? What do you think would have happened had she not become a knight? --From Jamie, 10, Vermont, USA
You're quite right! Back then, there were no rules about how old you had to be to get married and some children were married very young indeed. If Jane had not become a knight, I think she would have found a way to be an adventurer of some kind and would set off to see the world. Her spirit is too large to be locked up in a life of service in a small community.
In Jane's time, how often did they wash their hair and what did they wash with? Did women with outragously thick, curly hair thin it? Are Pepper, Rake, Jester, or Jane old enough to get married? --From Michelle, 12, Perryville, Missouri, USA
Three questions! Yes, Jane and her friends use all the latest hair cleaners of their time. They use a mix of oil and ashes first, then clean that out with a simple form of soap made from a mixture of clay, animal fat, and wood ash. Rather than thin their hair, most girls wear it tied up in various styles. Leaving it loose like Jane is thought to be very undignified. And yes, they are all old enough to get married! In Jane’s time childhood could be very short indeed.
Are the people of Kippernium religious? --From Claire, West Virginia, USA
Religion was very much a part of life in England back in Jane’s time. It was an interesting mix of the Christian Church, which had been introduced by the Romans, and the ancient religions that had been practiced for many centuries. Most people believed in what they called the old gods, and all meals were sacred to these gods. When animals were killed for meat they were sacrificed to the gods. Politicians usually chose to become priests in order to have more power in their community and the Roman emperors were considered to be gods themselves. So it was an interesting time indeed and very complicated – so complicated that I decided not to mix it into our day-to-day Jane stories.
Did Jane live in what is known as Anglo-Saxon England? Is it true that the English she would have spoken is far different than the English we speak today and would be almost impossible for us to understand? --From Billy, 12, Middletown, Connecticut, USA
Quite right, Billy! The English we speak today has been influenced by so many factors, including absorbing words from the French, Normans and Romans who invaded and settled the land we now call England. Back in Jane’s time, it wasn’t even one country, it was a series of smaller Kingdoms and each area had its own version of the language.
Is there a connection to the fact that Kipper Castle was built around the same time as Dragon's birth (300 years ago)? --From Rebecca, Pace, Florida, USA
There are some connections. Jane and Dragon believe that Dragon is the baby Dragon that a scribe saw flying from the top of the mountain when the castle’s foundation corner stone was laid. The event is depicted on a special flag that’s only carried on certain Royal occasions.