Ink & watercolor. This spider yokai lends its name to a deep pool in the Hirose River that I visited on a trip to Sendai. Similar stories can be found all over Japan: Once upon a time, a man was fishing when he noticed a spider had looped its thread around his leg. He, in … Read more
Ink. There’s nothing charming about the Wendigo. It is a creature of the lore of Algonquin-speaking peoples of the First Nations representing the loss of humanity to cannibalism, greed, and desperation in harshest winter. The most haunting stories tell of its luring victims by imitating the voices of their lost loved ones. It is perhaps … Read more
Ink. Grimm fairy tale #197. A lot going on in this non-classic. Youngest Son’s Enchantress Mama turns both his older brothers into beasts so he flees. This is the scene after he’s managed to kill the bull and get the magic bird to drop its egg with the crystal ball in its yolk with the … Read more
Woodblock print. Tailypo, tailypo, WHERE IS MY TAILYPO?! The Appalachian story of the Tailypo is perhaps the most quintessentially American scary story after the Headless Horseman. I didn’t like scary stories as a child but I remember appreciating this one because it comes in several shades of gore. It is the story of a man … Read more
Woodblock print. King of American beasts. Truly an introspective sort. West Coast represent. ビッグフットはアメリカの最も有名なUMA(不確認動物)です。生息地：太平洋岸北西部の森 Hanae Rivera.
Watercolor. The Jackalope is the icon of magical creatures in America. As a kid going on roadtrips through the west, I saw these critters everywhere. Mostly as taxidermied heads on walls of roadside restaurants, gas stations, and the like. They are also sometimes spotted in the forms of sufferers of The Shope papilloma virus, which … Read more
Watercolor. The Cactus Cat is a fearsome creature said to roam the American Southwest. It likes to slice up cacti and get drunk on the fermented juice. It’s pretty prickly itself, so unwary bystanders may get spiked as it stumbles around. サボテン猫はアメリカ南西部に生息している未確認動物です。サボテンを切って発酵された汁を飲むのが好きです。この猫はサボテンのようにトゲだらけだから、注意してください。 Hanae Rivera.
Watercolor. The chupacabra, aka goat-sucker, is one of the most recently-discovered cryptids. It caused an uproar in Puerto Rico in the mid-90’s as a lizard monster and quickly besieged the mainland in mangy coyote-hybrid (and punk rock) form. I thought there should be art recognizing its island origins. チュパカブラ（ヤギをしゃぶる物）は最近発見された未確認動物です。９０年代にトカゲのような怪物でプエルトリコで騒動を引き起こしたり、そして大陸を雑種コヨーテのような格好で攻撃したりした。 Hanae Rivera.
Woodblock print. Loki’s Wager: The Trickster saves his head arguing semantics but loses some dignity to the Dwarf Brokkr, who sews shut those lying lips. And though Loki has just won the Gods 6 legendary prizes, including Thor’s Hammer Mjolnir & Odin’s Spear Gungnir, oh, how they laugh at his expense.Sif’s new Golden Hair bounces … Read more
