Indie Squid Kid

If you are reading this blog, you already know that cephalopods are awesome…and why they are awesome. (And that is why YOU are awesome!) However, it is always nice when someone, such as BoingBoing contributor Maggie Koerth-Baker, expertly summarizes the amazing features of our squishy friends. This pithy video is the short version of “Those Fabulous Octopus Brains,” a 30 min presentation she gave last August for a University of New Mexico IGERT symposium.

If you want to see the original full-length presentation, you can find it here.

Via Laughing Squid and BoingBoing.

I know I’ve let this blog languish a bit recently, and I thank you for sticking with me. Over the past few months I have collected literally hundreds of links to cool examples of cephalopod art, photography, and miscellaneous awesomeness. Over the next week or so, I plan to flood your RSS reader with a veritable swarm of new posts (although I guess “shoal” might be a more biologically apt term). I also haven’t forgotten about the Architeuthis Across America project…I just need to get my house in order first.

Santa Squid at San Francisco Santacon 2010

(Via Laughing Squid)

"Yule Squid" by HWANGO

(Via Passing Strange, via Childhood Fear)

It is the solstice tonight, which means, of course, that it is also Cephalopodmas! This blog has been woefully neglegted as of late, yet the sprit of the season still courses through my lazy ass. Maybe Cthulhu Claus will fill my stocking with extra time that I can use for blogging! I also wouldn’t mind an iPad…

from Adam magazine (July 1976)

(Via Randsom Signal Annex, via ERROR888, via Pulp International)

Once again, the various trials and tribulations of life have, of late, consumed my time/brain/blogging energy. I hope to get back to at lest a semi-regular blogging schedule very soon.

Thank you for bearing with me. Your patience will be rewarded.

It’s that time of year again! Throughout this Cephalpodmas season, I will be posting gift suggestions for the cephalopod enthusiasts in your life. Since it’s Tuesday, let’s start with a selection of t-shirts from the Etsy community…

Cephalopod

Everyone’s favorite multi-legged, ink-squirting sea mollusks adorn this awesome cephalopod graphic tee! This shirt features a vintage 19th illustration by Ernst Haeckel. Wrap your arms around it before it’s too late!

You’ll gain amazing fashion insight and become an instant conversation starter when you slip into this comfortable and original t-shirt.

White American Apparel Mens tee – $18.00 from nonfictiontees

nonficitontees’ Science T shirt shop stocks unique handmade map tees along with Cool Graphic Art shirts inspired by Public Domain Imagery. USE COUPON CODE: gift25 for 25% off!

Mathematics of the Octo-Pi

Sleepless with daydreams of diametric circular circumferences, our octopus continues to equate.

This is silk-screened by hand using white ink onto an Asphalt Grey American Apparel 100% cotton men’s fine jersey tee, soft and comfy. Note: Binary Winter shirts have 2 armholes and are not appropriate for use by octopi or other cephalopods.

$24.00 from binarywinter. Find out more at their Etsy shop.

Steam Octopus

Long sleeve American Apparel Tee. Available in Asphalt (pictured), Raspberry, and Grass.

$16.00 from rainbowstylz.

Squid Attack

Our Squid Attack Tee featuring a squid attacking the Brooklyn Bridge is printed by hand on a high quality, sweatshop-free super soft vintage inspired American Apparel 50/25/25 tee.

$25.00 from TeeShirtGnome.

If this one is already sold, visit the Gnome Enterprises Etsy shop for more instances of this design (and lots of other cool shirts).

This squid want to be your friend! Who are you to refuse?!

$18.25 on American Apparel Standard and Classic Girl in Asphalt. Buy it from TopataCo!

The following amazing illustrations are plate details from Molluscs and Shells (1852-1856) by Augustus Addison Gould.

Octopus ornatus

Octopus mimus

Octopus megalocyathus

Onychoteuthis rutilus

Sighted by Chris (via BibliOdyssey)

I don’t know why Vampyroteuthis infernalis doesn’t make it onto more t-shirts. They’re such cool looking creatures! In fact, now that I think about it, this is the first Vampire Squid shirt I’ve ever seen. This would have been a great post for the week leading up to Halloween. Too bad I went AWOL from the blog for so long…

Anyway, here’s what the RadCakes site says about this design:

Lurking deep in the abyss, far below the outreach of man, the Vampire Squid patiently wait for the chance to surface and take over the mortal world…….

In reality, rather than spending time plotting world dominance, the Vampire Squid spend their nights zooming about, confusing enemies with their bioluminescent organs. They can also be found floating outstretched like umbrellas.

Vampire Squid is a lemon yellow, lime green, and black design silkscreened by hand on Sea Foam American Apparel unisex shirts. The design is also available on girls shirts, thermals, and hoodies. American Apparel shirts tend to run small, and may shrink slightly when washed the first time.

It took me a second, but I eventually noticed their little fangs, which is totally biologically inaccurate on multiple-counts…but so cute!

The “Vampire Squid” guys shirt is $20 (click here to buy it), and the design is also available on girls tees, hoodies, and long-sleeve thermal tees.

I recently discovered RadCakes (www.radcakes.com), and they have a ton of cool cephalopod shirts, as well as sharks, manta rays, jellyfish, angler fish, and something called a “space narwhal.” This will definitely not be the last time one of their designs gets featured on T-shirt Tuesday.

Laughing Squid is more than just a web host, it is also on the front lines of culture and art. Their tentacles touch many parts of the Internet, including Tumblr. Here is a sampling of some recent cool content from http://links.laughingsquid.com:

Octopus Sculpture Made Out of Typewriter Parts

Squid Costume

We all sleep in a yellow submarine. (Photo by lane becker)

Tentacle Pot Pie

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea 3D Book Cover by Jim Tierney

Laughing Squid 15th Anniversary Poster by Josh Ellingson

©DC Comics

Aquaman is an easy character to make fun of…I mean what kind of superpower is the ability to talk to fish, anyway? But in this amazing panel by artist Jim Lee, you can literally feel the full might of the King of Sea bearing down on the Last Son of Krypton. I don’t know what comic this is from, or what exactly is going on here, but Superman must have done something to royally piss off Aquaman! Jim Lee did the art on Superman issues #204-215 (2004-2005), so it may be from somewhere in that run. Obviously, I need to do some more research!

Of course, the best thing about this panel is the school of squid spiraling out into infinity! I’d love to think these are Architeuthis, but given the apparent scale and sheer numbers, the Jumbo Squid (Dosidicus gigas) seems more likely. Still, it’s pretty damn cool!