This photo was taken at a depth of 2540 ft off the coast of Roatan. The Jewel Squid (Histioteuthis sp.) are notable for having one eye that is significantly larger than the other. For this reason they are also known as the Cock-eye Squid. When feeding at night, Jewel Squids orient themselves so that the larger eye is pointing upward, presumably to spot potential prey as it is silhouetted against the surface. Histioteuthis are moderate sized squid, with a max mantel length of about 33cm.
I’ll admit that, for a geek, I know very little about video and computer games, and I know even less about the world of independent game design. However, what kind of Indie Squid Kid would I be if I didn’t acknowledge indie game designer Miguel Sternberg of Spooky Squid Games Inc.? Miguel is the creator of two cephalopod themed games—both were made in conjunction with Artsy Game Incubator, an event that encourages the Canadian indie game community (of Toronto and Montreal, at least) to develop and hone their gamemaking chops.
Night of the Cephalopods! is a “survival horror game with old school pixel art graphics and an innovative fully voiced dynamic narrative system.” Having mistranslated the sinister Octinomicon, you must survive until dawn, fighting tentacled horrors armed with only a shotgun. (Um, you are armed with a shot gun, the cephalopods are armed with, well, their arms.) All the while, your every move is narrated in grand Lovcraftian fashion. Here’s some sample game play…
Cephalopods Co-Op Cottage Defence is Miguel’s follow-up-in-progress to Night of the Cephalopods! It is a two-player, cooperative game “featuring a lady scientist, her clockwork valet and hundreds of squidy things.” Surviving the night is again the goal, but this time it seems you must also defend your laboratory form eldrich invasion.
When Dr. John Cmar (on the right) and I decided what to wear to our friend Mur’s birthday party, we did not consult each other! Honestly, we are just two roguishly handsome, and ruggedly bearded, men with good taste in T-shirts!
Cmar and I are both sporting the “Angry Squid” shirt by Mule. Why is the squid angry? Well, wouldn’t you be if a Japanese research crew ripped off one of your tentacles?
You can purchase the “Angry Squid” T-shirt from The Feed Store for $20 USD. It is also available on a hoodie and a beanie!
This ceramic octopus is approximately 7″ wide and 12″ long. It’s head is wonderfully textured, and the green and purple color scheme makes it more than a little Cthulhu-esque. It was a Christmas gift from my in-laws, and I have no idea where they got it. (If I had to guess, I’d say it came from an art gallery in some quaint Southern beach community somewhere.)
This octopus is currently hanging in Kid Indie Squid Kid’s bathroom, which, in theory, will eventually be dinosaur-themed, so I’m not sure where this guy will end up.
It was never “official,” but you might have noticed that it’s been Birthday Week here at Indie Squid Kid. Yesterday was the birthday of one of my oldest and closest friends, and this was her cake! Mur Lafferty is an author and podcaster, and she commands a legion of loyal minions who do her bidding at the drop of a hat. Most importantly, for six days every year we are the same age! Find out all about her creative works and ongoing projects at The Murverse. Mur isn’t nearly as cephalopod-obsessed as I am, but she does have a special fondness for H.P. Lovecraft’s betentacled elder god.
The cake is a recreation of “Cthulhu’s Day Out” by Ursula Vernon. (Ursula’s work has been featured here a couple of times before, as you may recall.) I don’t know who actually made the cake, but I will post that information here when I find out.
Update: Mur tells me the cake was made by Rebecca Hirschman (which is possibly misspelled, sorry!). Surprisingly, Rebecca is not a professional cake tech—she just loves to bake!
This cute little guy is a Southern Dumpling Squid—a species of bobtail squid found in the coastal waters of Southern Australia. It grows to maximum length of 7cm and spends its days buried in the sandy bottom. For camouflage, it creates a mucus-lined coat of sand which can be shed quickly (with the help of acid glands) to create a decoy if attacked. Bobtail squid (Sepiolida) are closely related to cuttlefish, and they have a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, which inhabit a special light-emitting organ in their mantle.
This drawing (based on the photo at the top of the post) is by Joe Komenda. Joe is the creator of the webcomic Feral Chicken, the inventor of the bacon-infused Bloody Mary (yum!), and one of the many über-talented people I have the good fortune to know. The orignal drawing now lives in my house, and once I figure out where to hang it, I’ll post an update here.
Octopus design hand screened on 100% cotton canvas; heavy enzyme-washed; cotton webbing straps; front flap with antique brass turn buckles; inside hanging zippered pocket.
Inspired by curio cabinets, this piece of art is a mixture of the vintage and the scientific. The title is a reference to the biological fact that squids have three hearts.
“Three Hearts Beat As One” is a mixed media piece: includes a hand-painted squid in metallic copper paint on a vintage medical book page about “The Regulation of the Heart’s Action”. This, in turn, is layered over red damask patterned paper.
A one-of-a-kind original, hand-painted, with the artist’s initials in the lower corner of the medical page.
Measurements:
Original: 5″ x 7″
Check out her Etsy shop for steampunk jewelry, plush robots, and, of course, squid art.
Leah is also the co-creator of the webcomics Willrad and Robohobo and the co-author of the manga review blog Hobotaku. See her art portfolio online at www.leahstuff.com.
