Alphabeastiary

Please go check out the full turnaround of Rachel's AMAZING sculpture here.

Artist: Emma Lazauski - B through I

2011-03-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

Emma decided to catch up and boy did she do a great job!

J - Jorōgumo

2011-03-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

The Jorōgumo, our beast for the letter J, is part of a group of Japanese creatures know as Yōkai. The term Yōkai describes a broad variety of supernatural monsters that range from ghosts to giants to sentient sandals. The Jorōgumo, whose name literally means "binding woman" or "whore spider", is demonic in nature. Like so many beasts with seductive feminine charms, it spends much of its time seducing and eating men.

The Jorōgumo first appeared in Japanese folklore around the Edo period (an era ruled by shoguns that lasted from 1603 to 1868). Legend has it that a spider that lives to be 400 years old can gain magic of its own. This ancient spider can grow to the size of a cow and develops a knack for shapeshifting. To attract a meal the monster will disguise its web as a false house, shrine or inn then wait patiently for a passing traveler. Transforming all or some of its body into a beautiful woman, the Jorōgumo will sing or play an instrument called a Biwa to lure the innocent in. In some versions of the tale the monster might go so far as to serve the victim tea or sake. Distracting him with music and conversation as she begins to wrap his feet with deadly silken thread. Accounts differ but most agree that the Jorōgumo will almost always live near water, particularly waterfalls and be surrounded by thousands of her tiny arachnid children.

In our modern world the Jorōgumo is the name given to a real spider. Its scientific name is Nephila clavata and this beautiful brightly colored golden orb-weaving spider is found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. Although not particularly magical, it is easy to see how it could inspire fear and awe in the superstitious and the odd arachnophobe.

The Obakemono Project's nice informative entry on the Jorōgumo

Artist: Sammy Torres - I

2011-03-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

I loved Sammy's sketches for this beast so much I thought I would add one here.
You can find the rest at Sammy's blog!

Artist: Mizzi - C

2011-03-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

Mizzi's DeviantArt!

Artist: Rachel Young - I

2011-03-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

Rachel's Deviantart!

Artist: Piya Wannachaiwong - D

2011-03-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Piya's Blog!

Miisa Lopperi - E

2011-03-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Miisa's DeviantArt!

Congratulations to Miisa who as of this post is the first artist to complete every letter assigned so far!

Artist: AestheticMachine - E

2011-03-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

_am's DeviantArt!

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - I

2011-03-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Artist: Midhat Kapetanovic - I

2011-03-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Midhat Kapetanovic - H

2011-03-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

Beasts! Book Contest Closed

2011-03-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

So the contest for the Beast's book is officially closed and I am currently trying to figure out how to declare a winner. There were many good entries and I hope to do another contest like it in the future. If anyone knows a good way to conduct an online poll it would be welcome knowledge. It might just end up with me and Toby deciding if I can't figure out a better way.

Also if you can please keep telling others about the Alphabeastiary. I would love to have more watchers as well as artists to keep the community strong and the creative juices flowing.

Thanks for participating and contributing to our wonderful blog!

I - Ijiraq

2011-03-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

The Ijiraq ( ee-yee-roc ) is a monster from Inuit mythology whose name literally means "shapeshifter". They can come in a range of different shapes and sizes, even going so far as to copy the appearance of other monsters. The Ijiraq is a gruesome shadowy phantom that can appear as various arctic animals. Among these are the polar bear, arctic hare, raven or even the Tariaksuq (a half-man half-caribou monster). Some versions of the myth claim the Ijiraq and Tariaksuq (most often described as a great shaggy man with a caribou's head) may actually be the same creature in different forms.

Using tricks and disguises the Ijiraq steal children, hide them, then leave them out in the wilderness to die of exposure. Along with this gruesome hobby these creatures love to scare hunters and try to get them hopelessly lost or trapped in bad weather.

It is said that the Ijiraq lives in a strange no-mans land somewhere between the world of the living and the world of the dead. If an Ijiraq does manage to trick an unfortunate soul into following it into this strange frozen purgatory, they will be trapped forever and condemned to become an Ijiraq themselves.

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - G

2011-03-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Artist - E.M. Jensen - C

2011-03-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

E.M.'s Blog

Artist: Piya Wannachaiwong - H

2011-02-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Piya's Blog!

Artist: AestheticMachine - H

2011-02-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

_am's DeviantArt!

Artist: Rashi Chandra - H

2011-02-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Rashi's Blog!

Artist: E. M. Jensen - H

2011-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

E.M. Jensen's blog!

Artist: Natalie Hall - H

2011-02-25T21:33:00.001-08:00

Natalie's Blog!

Artist: Muura - A

2011-02-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

Muura's Deviantart!

Artist: Brett Bean - H

2011-02-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Artist: Caitlin Johnston - D

2011-02-23T09:40:00.001-08:00

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - H

2011-02-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

Artist: Sammy Torres - H

2011-02-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

Pythosblaze's DeviantArt!

Artist: AestheticMachine - A

2011-02-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

_am's DeviantArt!

Artist: Amelia Fabian - E

2011-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

Amelia's DeviantArt!

Artist: F. "Pythosblaze" Matthews - G

2011-02-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Contest Update! -Deadline Extended.

2011-02-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

So obviously today was the day I was supposed to put up the poll entry for the Beasts! book contest. I'm disappointed to say I didn't feel like we had enough entries to even hold a fair contest. So I'm extending the deadline till the end of the month. In case you missed it here are the rules. If you have any questions you can send an e-mail or ask in the comments. Our prize is the book...

BEASTS!
The book is a wonderful collection of mythological monsters drawn by some of the best indie artists around.

Rules-

1. All you have to do is turn in any letters you have yet to do OR your letter H if you have completed your previous letters OR both. Up to you.

2. To make it fair if you turn in more then one letter you will only be able to enter ONE in the contest. Your choice which. (specify in your e-mail)

3. At the end of Febuary I will make a post linking to all entries and have all Alphabeastiary members vote in the comments.

4. The winner will get the Beasts book and a drawing by me inside if you want one.

Our new contest deadline will be FEBRUARY 28th.

H - Hellhound

2011-02-15T00:27:00.000-08:00

The famous Sherlock Holmes story "Hound of the Baskervilles" was based
on the legends of the Hellhounds of Britain.

This picture seriously creeps me out. Can you see the dog yet? Look harder.

This weeks creature is so dastardly its hard to even pin one name to it. Just a few of its many names include :Black Shuck, Gally-trot, Moddey Dhoo, Guytrash, Skriker, Hairy Jack, Padfoot, Choin Dubh, Muckle Black Tyke, Grim, Dip and of course Gwyllgi (dog of darkness or the black hound of destiny). Collectively this type of beast is known as a black dog or Hellhound.

Hellhound is a term that can be applied to a wide variety of sinister, ghostly or hellish supernatural dogs that appear in mythologies from around the world, particularly Europe and the British Isles. These supernatural canines all share a list of common attributes. Hellhound's are coal black and have eyes that glow bright red or on the rare occasion yellow. Some Hellhounds are no more then ghostly appraitions, while others are creatures of flesh and blood that attack travelers or lead them off the path at night to be devoured. In some stories the Hellhound will smell of sulfur and brimstone, travel great distances at amazing speed or even mimic human speech.

Hellhounds are always massive in size (ranging from the size of a horse to the size of a small rhinocerous). The dogs have been said to appear in large balls of fire or even glow with a blue light. Looking into their eyes or even hearing their howl can mean death. Some of the more responsible hounds are said to shepard the souls of the dead to the afterlife like a good dog herding sheep. In breed they can look like a Mastiff, Labrador, boar hound or even wolf like. Sighted in graveyards, near churches, and even on city streets the Hellhound is a phantom, a monster and a mystery.

Believe it or not to this very day there is a phenomenon known as black dog syndrome in which animal shelters have more trouble finding homes for darker colored dogs because of the stigma attached to them by years of superstition and negative portrayal in books and film. The idea of the black dog being evil is very ancient, and still lurks somewhere deep in our collective unconsciousness.

There is so much information on the different kinds of Hellhounds I just couldn't fit it all. I strongly suggest doing your own research on this one I promise it will be interesting. Here are a few helpful links.

Hellhound Wiki
Apparitions of Black Dogs
Phantom Black Dogs
Greatest Unsolved Mysteries- Hellhounds

Artist: Brett Bean - G

2011-02-13T23:52:00.000-08:00

Artist: Autumn Haynes - G

2011-02-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Autumn's Deviantart!

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - F

2011-02-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Miisa's DeviantArt!
Below is a rough translation of the poem that goes with Miisa's entry.

Comes a river burning,

in the river a fiery rapid,
in the rapid a burning islet,
in the islet a burning birch,
in the birch branches of fire,
in a branch a burning eagle (kokko);

quills bring the fire,
plumes pouring the fire,
its mouth burning fire,
jaws kiira's (evil spirit) warming,
nights it grinds teeth,
days it screeches claws.

Artist: Keely Turple - F

2011-02-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

Keely's Blog!

Artist: Keely Turple - E

2011-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

Keely's Blog!

Artist: Autumn Haynes - E

2011-02-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

Autumn's DeviantArt!

Catch-Up Contest with Prize!

2011-01-31T01:20:00.000-08:00

Contest time everybody!

Instead of our usual two week deadline this next letter will have a THREE week long work period. In this time those of you who are behind on your letters will have time to catch-up and as an incentive I am offering a prize to the person who does the best overall entry by Valentine's Day! If you are one of the few people who has completed all the other letters you may turn in your letter G to enter the contest.

Everyone turn in a past or current letter in the next three weeks and automatically be entered to win a copy of the book Beasts!

BEASTS!

The book is a wonderful collection of mythological monsters drawn by some of the best indie artists around.

Rules-

1. All you have to do is turn in any letters you have yet to do OR your letter G if you have completed your previous letters OR both. Up to you.

2. To make it fair if you turn in more then one letter you will only be able to enter ONE in the contest. Your choice which. (specify in your e-mail)

3. At the end of the three weeks on Valentines day I will make a post linking to all entries and have all Alphabeastiary members vote in the comments.

4. The winner will get the Beasts book.

ITS THAT SIMPLE!

If you have any questions you can send an e-mail or ask in the comments

G- Gargoyle

2011-01-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

The Gargoyle is a creature actually based on a legend found in France. The monster from the original tale was called the Gargouille or Goji. Gargouille, when translated, means literally "throat" or "gullet" and its root pronunciation represents the sound gargling water makes.

One version of the gargoyles story begins when the Bishop of Rouen, St. Romanus (or Romain to his friends) went out to destroy the monster as it was terrorizing the french countryside. The Gargouille was a very tradition dragon in this interpretation. It was described as having a long spiked neck, reptilian head and bat-like wings. All traits which are typically found in western dragons. After killing the dragon St. Romanus took it back to the city of Roen to burn it and found that the head and neck would not burn. He took them and mounted them on his own church as a warning for other monsters to stay far away or risk the same fate.

In another version of the story the Gargouille was a water monster that rose from the river Seine and had an appearance more like a sea serpents. He was again defeated by St. Romanus and mounted on his newly built church. Either way there is no clear idea of what the Gargouille truly looked like and different ideas of it appear in different translations.

The modern gargoyle as we know it has many shapes and sizes but owes its existence to this story. The gargoyle can have the appearance of a dragon, lion, dog, wolf, eagle, snake, monkey, goat or even a man. Most often the gargoyle is a combination of all these things. Since the middle ages they have been guardians and protectors of the places they inhabit. They are creatures of patience and guard churches and buildings from bad luck and evil spirits to this very day

Gargoyle Wiki

artist: Evanleigh Davis - E

2011-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Evanleigh's DeviantArt!

Artist: Brett Bean - F

2011-01-27T10:32:00.001-08:00

Due date issue

2011-01-26T15:45:00.001-08:00

The Firebird challenge went up on the 16th and I put the due date as the 23rd, which is incorrect. The Firebird challenge will end on Sunday the 30th! Thanks to the viewer that pointed that out to me.

Artist: Kasey Gifford- F

2011-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Kasey's Deviantart!

Artist: Evanleigh Davis - F

2011-01-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

Evanleigh's DeviantArt!

Artist: Sammy Torres - F

2011-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

Artist: Tiffany Turrill - E

2011-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

Tiffany's DeviantArt!

Artist: Allison Theus - A

2011-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

Allison's Website!

Artist: Lisa Grabenstetter - F

2011-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

Lisa's blog!

Artist: Sammy Torres - E

2011-01-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

Grumbleputty's DeviantArt!

Artist: Caitlin Johnston - C

2011-01-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

F- Firebird

2011-01-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

Russian Firebird

Egyptian Firebird Bennu Traditional Greek Phoenix

Persian Sculpture of a Huma (Homa)

It seems that some creatures share a strange universal popularity that is borderline spooky. The Firebird (more commonly known as the Phoenix) our creature for the letter F is one such mythological creature. Versions of the Firebird appear in stories and legends from all around the world. All firebirds usually have the following traits...

1.Bright colorful plumage and fairly large size.
2. Long life
3. Death by spontaneous combustion
4. Rebirth out of the ashes

In ancient Egypt the firebird was called Bennu and was born from the fire of a holy tree in the temple of Ra. Some other names given to Bennu include “He Who Came Into Being by Himself,” “The Ascending One,” and my personal favorite “Lord of Jubilees.” In appearance Bennu resembled a large Heron

In Persian mythology the firebird is called Huma (or Homa) and flies endlessly over the desert causing burning winds and sandstorms wherever he travels (in some versions of his story Huma lacks legs). His touch is considered auspicious and it is said that even seeing its shadow can guarantee you a long happy life. Like all Firebird myths the Huma consumes itself every 100 years or so. It is reborn from its ashes to start its journey over the desert all over again.

In Russian folklore the Firebird is often the subject of a quest a great hero must embark upon to win a princess. The descriptions of it often compare it to a peacock that glows with a light like fire. Its feathers are priceless and its song can either lull you to sleep or predict your death (depending on the fairy tale)

Perhaps most famously Greek folklore (which was originally adapted from a Phoenician myth) describles the Firebird (or Phoenix) as a spirit of fire that can live for almost 1000 years before it burns and is born again from its own charred remains. Descriptions of it range from it being gold or scarlet to purple blue and green.

There are many many different styles and variations of the Firebird. which has appeared in literature and art as far away as China. Its power of rebirth and rejuvenation is something that people today still use as a symbol for rising strong out of adversity.

This is due midnight Jan 23rd!

Artist: grumbleputty - E

2011-01-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Artist: Mafe Diaz - E

2011-01-07T11:11:00.001-08:00

Mafe's Deviantart!

Extension!

2011-01-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

Since a couple people asked, and since Kasey and I have been crazy busy this holiday, too (more than I expected from me!) I figured it's best to extend this particular challenge. You have till Wednesday January 12 to finish them/get them in! Then we'll finally be able to get the next challenge in.

Also to those that have applied, we have your emails, but Kasey's been with her family. When she's back home we'll be able to go through apps. Sorry for the long delay!

I hope we see more submissions for E!
Thanks!

Artist: Brett Bean - E

2011-01-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Pythosblaze's DeviantArt!

Artist: F. "Pythosblaze" Matthews - D

2010-12-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Artist: Sara Jensen - C

2010-12-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

Sara's DeviantArt!

E - Epimeliad

2010-12-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the holidays we are taking a break from fierce monsters and terrible man-eating beasts to focus on a more gentle creature for the letter E.

The Epimeliads (or Epimelides) hail from a group of numerous and extremely diverse greek creatures known as nymphs. Nymphs are nature spirits that are connected to a certain creature, place, or even element. They can often be found in valleys, forest groves or beside quiet lakes or streams acting as the guardians of the animals and plants around them.

The Epimeliads , like most nymphs, are depicted as beautiful young women. They are a type of nymph known as the Dryad and are specifically the protectors of apple trees and sheep. When in the form of a young woman the Epimeliad's hair is reportedly pure white, like apple blossoms or lambs wool. They are extremely shy, and have the ability to shape shift quickly from human to apple tree when mortals are close, making a glimpse of them a rarity.

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - D

2010-12-17T19:40:00.001-08:00

Grumbleputty's DeviantArt!

Artist: Brynn Metheney - D

2010-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Brynn's Website!

Short notice reminder

2010-12-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

The deadline snuck up on me as well, meant to put one of these up at least a week before the deadline. My apologies.

Anyway, this challnege is due this Sunday, Dec 19th! Hopefully we'll see more submissions, though it's understandable that this is a busy time of year. Thanks!

Artist: Brett Bean - D

2010-12-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Brett's website and blog!

Artist: Grumbleputty - D

2010-12-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Artist: Candice - D

2010-12-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

Candice's DeviantArt!

Artist: Tiffany Turrill - D

2010-12-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

Tiffany's DeviantArt!

Artist: Sammy Torres - D

2010-12-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Artist: Autumn Haynes - C

2010-12-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

Autumn's DeviantArt!

Artist: Katie Better-B

2010-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Katie's Blog!

D- Dobhar-chú

2010-12-02T00:09:00.000-08:00

Hailing from the rivers and deep lakes of Ireland comes a monster known as the Dobhar-chu. The name Dobhar-Chu when translated from Celtic literally means "Water-Hound" and is sometimes confused with its close cousin the Pooka (Puca) or "Water-horse."

The Dobhar-Chu has been described differently over time but the general consensus is that it has a very sleek otter like appearance and an enormous dog-like head with fins like a fish. In some versions of the myth the Dobhar-Chu has a fish tail and shark teeth will in others it more like a huge wiry-haired dog with webbed paws.

In every version of the story the Dobhar-chu is a nasty brute you don't want to cross paths with. A maneater that can grow up to seven feet long the beast has been said to overturn small boats and eat the unsuspecting fishermen inside. A Dobhar-Chu might be hard to spot in the water, but it is easy to hear. Emitting a loud shriek that sounds like the scream of a young woman as it draws close to its victims.

Half-Dog and Half-fish this monster had its last reported sighting in 2003 but it's legacy continues in Irish folklore and the enthusiasm of cryptid hunters everywhere.

Info on the Beast!
American Monsters
Wikipedia

This challenge will end Sunday, December 19th, it's an extra long one as well!

Catoblepas Artist Spotlight

2010-12-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

What can I say about our Catoblepas spotlight F."Pythosblaze" Matthews? Her work is just...cool. There are people who can draw monsters and then there are people who can draw monsters. Some artists just know how to make a good creature, beasts that contain traces of things we recognize and introduce us to something we've never seen before. Great artists combine the familiar and the alien into something so cool we want a little action figure of it on our desks just so WE can feel cool.

Aside from being cool Matthew's Catoblepas piece shows a truly beautiful grasp of animal anatomy, perspective and color. (Three of the hardest things to get a grasp of) I personally love how her Catoblepas has traits of a real wildebeest but scales that look almost like exposed muscle and spines more at home on a xenomorph then anything else. This piece is just creative with a capital C.

Below you can see two more examples of Pythosblaze magic. You'll come for the insane amount of detail, the incredible pen work and the variety of mediums the artist experiments (and succeeds) with but you will no doubt stay for the monsters.

Seriously look at this thing. It is so cool.

Bush Dai-Dai Artist Spotlight

2010-12-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

Our late feature for the Bush Dai-Dai is the wonderful Clair Price. The entries thus received for the Dai-Dai have been (to me anyway) more diverse then the Angha and the Catoblepas combined. The many different ways people interpret her have ranged from sexy and almost innocent to nightmarish and animalistic. But among all the entries Clair's stands out to us as something unique in its both its medium and execution.

The strong watercolor work hides small details within it, almost telling the whole story of the monsterous succubus in a single image. The style and strong colors also draw to mind the art of the African and South American roots of the Bush Dai-Dai making this piece very raw, tribal and almost primitive.

Below are two more examples of Clair's extraordinary watercolor work. Her images are soft and and show a wonderful knowledge of light and a clear understanding of the female form. Each image seems to hold its own secret story, which is the true hallmark of a successful illustrator.

Artist: Tiffany Turrill-C

2010-12-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tiffany's Deviantart

Artist: Maarta Laiho - B

2010-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Maarta's DeviantArt!

Artist: Miisa Lopperi - C

2010-12-01T07:35:00.001-08:00