I designed another amigurumi--Scotoplanes globosa (the "sea pig" sea cucumber) with a hitchhiking juvenile king crab! This was a more involved design than the previous one, and I learned a lot working on it. To ensure that the sea pig was capable of supporting itself on its adorable little tube feet (and that its back tentacles would stay upright instead of drooping), I made an armature out of pipe cleaners and then crocheted tubes that I slipped over the ends of the pipe cleaners that were sticking out of the body.

I was going to do the same for the legs of the king crab so that it could actually hold on to the sea pig, but I didn't have enough red yarn. Ultimately, I think it looks better and more accurate with the thinner legs anyway, even if I couldn't incorporate the holding ability.

... Man, I'm so much of a nature nerd that I crochet holothurians. Not sure what that says about me.

And here are some WIP photos!

 

 Let's face it, what the Team Rocket members really need is some good life counseling.

Shadow Play, Chapter 2

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

The lobby of the headquarters was nicely decorated in marble and metal, with displays of old superhero gear lining the walls, and the crest of the Defenders hanging above the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist, a white Nimmo, did a double-take as they came in. “Er—can I help you?” she asked.

Isengrim bowed. “Isengrim, the Werelupe King, seeks audience with Judge Hog,” he said. He paused, then added, “I believe I have an appointment.”

The Nimmo’s eyes widened even further as she leafed through her schedule. “Oh—yes, there you are,” she said. “Please wait a moment.” She turned to the Beepallite that sat patiently on the desk. “Judge Hog, King Isengrim is here to see you.”

The robot Petpet whirred as the light on the feedhorn of its antenna dish flickered, and it blinked and shifted its weight from one foot to the other before settling back down again. “There’s a good boy,” the receptionist said, patting its head, and it let out a few mechanical clacks in delight.

 

 Pokémon battles can only stave off boredom for so long. But with the PokéGear's video app*, the entertainment never ends!

*The PokéGear's video app is totally something I invented solely for this comic. Please don't go looking for it in the game.

 I'm kind of amazed at how the Radio Tower receptionist can keep her composure and keep doing her job at a time like this. Now that's dedication to your work. (But seriously lady, now's a great time to go on vacation.)

 Still going with this series, but nobody's told me to stop yet, so...

This one should more accurately be titled "Infamous Cats in Science", but that just doesn't have quite the same ring to it and I wanted to keep things consistent. At any rate, Cope and Marsh played a pivotal role in popularizing paleontology in the late 19th century and especially bringing to global notice the wealth of dinosaur fossils to be found in the American West--before the Bone Wars, most substantial paleontological finds had occurred in Europe.

I thought it would be fun to make them both black cats to show that, despite their bitter feuding, the two of them really weren't all that different, and could have - indeed, one might argue should have - been friends, if their stubborn pride and refusal to forgive each other hadn't gotten in the way. I'm not sure one can say whether or not they would have ultimately found more fossils if they had been cooperating, but they certainly both would have led much happier lives, which is more important.

Easter eggs:

- The bone they are fighting over is very specifically a Brontosaurus humerus. Marsh was the one who described Brontosaurus in 1879. Although I'm sure Cope wishes he'd gotten there first.

- Pawthniel Marsh is based off my own very fluffy black cat. Cope kinda resembles my sister's short-haired black cat. Neither of them have Victorian facial hair, I hasten to add.

 Honestly, Silver didn't turn up until this point in the comic because none of his dialogue before this had given me anything to riff on. He's not an obnoxious braggart with delusions of grandeur like Blue--he's just angsty and dark and obsessed with power. I mean, I'm sure you could make that kind of character funny if you tried, but nothing was coming to me as I was playing the game, and forced humor is never funny.

... But also I just really wanted Kris to bean this guy with a Poke Ball.