Indie Squid Kid

squid clock, originally uploaded by Cryptonaut.

So now that I’ve finally got this little site up and running, I’m having trouble deciding what to do next. I have such a plethora of cephalopod-y curios that I find myself a little paralyzed in the face of abundant options.

This situation is not unlike what my wife experiences when a restaurant has more than one vegetarian entrée on the menu. And speaking of shameless plugs, be sure to check out The Suburban Herbivore, her blog about vegetarian living, cooking, and supporting local farming.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand…

Here is one of the coolest pieces in my collection–the squid clock.

It is an approximately 20 inch long (from tip of the mantle to end of the longest tentacle) red plastic shell, and it originally came from Taiwan, if I recall correctly. The only indication of a manufacturer is the word “A-RUX” on the clock face, but so far, I’ve been unable to track down any information on this brand (if that is indeed what it is).

I first saw this clock (or one very similar) on Ebay several years ago. I lost that original auction (to someone named “squidgirl,” so I know it went to a good home), but I was subsequently contacted by the seller who said that they were going back to Taiwan soon and would pick up another clock for me. Now, I know Ebay advises not to buy anything directly from a seller outside of the controlled environment of an auction, but in this case, I’m very glad I took a chance.

I <3 Cephalopods, originally uploaded by Cryptonaut.

Greetings squid enthusiasts, octopodophiles, Cthulhoholics, and cephalopod lovers of every description! Welcome to my blog!

The purpose of Indie Squid Kid is to:

A) Showcase my personal (and ever expanding) collection of cephalopod art, toys, apparel, and general bric-à-brac.

B) Report any cool cephalopod-related news or merchandise I may stumble upon during my bathyspheric explorations of the abyss of information we call The Internet.

C) Post whatever the hell else I feel like.

To kicks things off, and set the general tone of things to come, we have my “I <3 Cephalopods” button. My dear friend Annie brought this to me from the San Diego Comic Con last year. (It’s always good to have friends who will look out for your best interests…or, at very least, encourage your obsessions.) Chances are this was swag from an independent comic book artist, but, sadly, their identity remains as mysterious as the giant squid itself.