My name is Lana Maas, and I am one half of the team behind this project. I am currently 22 years old, and I am doing my Media Studies Master at Maastricht University. One of the most exciting parts about this project was the nostalgia when looking through my old toys and reminiscing about the memories I had with them. When I found the dragon rider, I was immediately reminded of how much I loved collecting Schleich toys and how I would connect with my friends through them. When I was younger, I was never aware of the gender and cultural implications some of these toys entail. Therefore, researching the dragon rider and the orientalist attributes he represents, allowed me to have a different perspective on the toy.
I did not only choose the dragon rider because I was interested in the societal and cultural background of the dragon rider but also the dragon itself. Ever since I was younger, I loved fantasy books and movies. I especially enjoyed watching movies or reading books such as Lord of the Rings, Eragon or Narnia. Consequently, I was always fascinated with mystical creatures and the different attributes assigned to them in different media. Looking at the origin of dragons and the diverse representations in different cultures allowed me to widen my perspective. It was especially interesting as my favourite dragons in films originate from different cultures, namely Haku from Spirited Away and Toothless from How to Train a Dragon.
My name is Lana Maas, and I am one half of the team behind this project. I am currently 22 years old, and I am doing my Media Studies Master at Maastricht University. One of the most exciting parts about this project was the nostalgia when looking through my old toys and reminiscing about the memories I had with them. When I found the dragon rider, I was immediately reminded of how much I loved collecting Schleich toys and how I would connect with my friends through them. When I was younger, I was never aware of the gender and cultural implications some of these toys entail. Therefore, researching the dragon rider and the orientalist attributes he represents, allowed me to have a different perspective on the toy. 