The Pen and the Sword—and the BucklerHello fellow medievalists and sword enthusiasts, As many of you know, I’m both an illustrator and a researcher/instructor of historical combat with sword and shield. To help promote the unique I.33 online courses I’ve developed with top swordsman and scholar Cornelius Berthold, I’ve created a series of comic characters to bring a little extra fun to our upcoming campaign. Want to meet the I.33 cartoon crew? Even better: as a small thank-you, I’ll be sending out a surprise gift to all waitlist members after the campaign—whether you make a purchase or not.
This is just an invitation—no pressure, no obligation. P.S. If this email was forwarded to you, and you are not a regular recipient of the newsletter yet, join the I.33 waitlist here. P.P.S. Of course, you can opt out of the upcoming Black Friday campaign at any time. You will still receive the regular newsletter. You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for it, or because you have previously expressed your interest in my work and events. If you prefer to not receive further emails, you can unsubscribe below. |
I’m Roland Warzecha — professional illustrator and swordsman. The name Dimicator comes from the Latin for “sword fighter.” I share cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, focusing in particular on Viking and high medieval sword-and-shield combat. My work is carried out in collaboration with museums, fellow martial artists, and scholars around the world.
A Kingdom for a Horse! It could be worse: it could be raining! Hello history enthusiasts, My fellow illustrator Oliver Wünsch and I are still busy exploring new AI-assisted opportunities for visual storytelling. We feel it is the best way to spend our time now that traditional illustration work has largely vanished, thanks to generative AI. The good news—at least for us—is that our particular application of AI still requires artistic skill as well as archaeological and historical expertise....
Viking Houses Need Maintenance Danes in the house: very hyggelig Hello fellow medieval military enthusiasts and time travellers, I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits, swinging swords as one ought to. If you are doing so in preparation for the first Dimicator venture of the year in Hedeby on the weekend of 18/19 April, make sure to sign up swiftly. No Danish Viking venture without sufficient sausage supplies The museum has notified me that, due to maintenance and...
A Shield Mystery The remains of the Trelleborg Viking shield on display in Trelleborg Viking Fortress Hello fellow shield enthusiasts and (pre-)history aficionados, First of all, my very best wishes for the New Year. May the edge of your sword never dull, and may your shield protect you as you step into realms unknown in 2026. Iron Age bog finds from Thorsberg and Nydam will be on display in Kalkriese this year Recent discussions with archaeologist Ingo Petri raise intriguing questions about...