Zig iggs it: Water-themed things

I'm submitting to ESD magazine's theme-- liquid. Here goes, I spose. Two photos and then some pen and ink work.

"Wet Monkey" by Zoe Eddy

Animals-- often cute and fluffy when dry, hilariously skulky when wet.

"Goldfish Game" by Zoe Eddy

Children, attempting to catch goldfish, play in the water. Yukata were ruined.

Shigaraki Fire Festival, Shigaraki, Japan

"Kanpai" by Zoe Eddy

A toad takes a drink during a rainstorm.

Pen and Ink

"Shotgun Wedding" by Zoe Eddy

Your mother warned you about spending too much time in the briny depths.

Pen and Ink

"SURPRISE!" by Zoe Eddy

I am terrified/in-love-with all things shark.

Pen and Ink

"The Steampunk Princess and the Samurai Go on a Deep-Sea Safari" by Zoe Eddy

And find a rhino.

Pen and ink.

Stuff Zig Iggs: Finn

You know, given my obsession with Finn, I'm really surprised I haven't posted a blog about him. I am full-blown obsessed with this animal. He is impossibly weird. For example, he attacks people while they're peeing. He trash-dives for, specifically, buffalo-sauce covered chicken bones. (And really anything else.) He can't blink effectively, so he perpetually gives you the "wiggy-eye." He hates pretty much everyone and everything except for me, Cwig, and Lola. (Lola is, by the way, a total bad ass, and will eventually get her own post.) He manically smashes his face into cardboard boxes. He drools a lot. He can't retract his opposable thumb/extra claw, so he clicks across the floor.

Yeah, he's weird. I like to think he takes after his mother.

Anyways, enjoy. I don't have a lot of visual documentation of Finn because he's kind of a camera-phobe. However, these are pretty gold.

Stuff Zig Iggs: Making Lists of Animals She Will One Day Own

Every once in awhile, as we sit around the Kingsland-Eddy table, mindlessly picking cat hair off of our clothing, we get into the discussion of "what animal do you someday want to have?" The conversation starts mundanely enough. Lifetime cat-people, my sister and I generally start with dogs. She wants a corgi. I want-- well, I'll get to that. However, my end of the conversation quickly devolves into many, many, many animals. A veritable menagerie. And, by God, I will own these critters!

So, for 2011, 11 animal varieties I will someday have!

1) A Scottish Deerhound

I used to be an Irish Wolfhound kind of girl, but, for whatever reason, these guys jut appeal to me more. Maybe it's the fact that they're the royal dog of Scotland. Maybe it's the perfected combination of a wolfhound and a greyhound. Maybe I'm just hesitant that a wolfhound would eat me. (Speaking of which, does anyone know if these guys eat cats?)

2) A Vietnamese Pot Belly Pig

These piggies are so cute. Look at that fat, smushy face. Also, I'm pretty sure I could ride them into battle. Effectively. Come on, an armored Pot Belly Pig? How magical would that be?

3) A Horse

Because, at heart, I am still a six-year-old girl.

4) A Sphynx Cat

I have already extolled the virtues of hairless animals,
so, Constant Reader(s?), you know my feelings on them. However my love for hairless animals began with the Sphynx. I'm a big tactile person, and they just look so touchable. Also, cats hide a lot under all that fur. And by a lot, I mean their insecurities. This guy? He ain't got nothin' to hide.

5) A Goat

I think goats resonate with me on some deep, intrapersonal level. We're similar creatures. Misunderstood. Strangely cute. Clever. Loud. Obnoxious. A little smelly. Also, the are the living incarnation of Jim Henson creatures.

6) Chickens

All 'dem. All 'dem, now.

7) A Sugar Glider

Oh, come one. Who wouldn't want a sugar glider?

8) A Kyole

These guys toe the line between adorable and noble with expert ease. I can never decide if I want to patronize them with animalese, or paint overwrought landscapes featuring them.

9) A Peacock

When I was at Cardiff Castle in Wales, I noticed that they had peacocks. I didn't realize this was a possibility. Now, I want peacocks too. (A side note, have any Mainers been to the Maine Wildlife Park? Have you seen the albino peacock? Have you seen how the other peacocks beat up on him? Peacock prejudice? He's just an albino jerk? Thoughts?)

10) A Belgian Hare

Personally, I think Belgian Hares fulfill my secret desire to own Cwig as a pet. Look how skinny, long-legged, and judgmental they are? Just like the lad. Also, they are the inspiration for LCdL. Octopus-punchers, they are.

Long story short? I'm going to be a candidate for a bizarre episode of Fatal Attractions.

An addendum: In my web-browsing travels, I found this terrifying image:

I know, right?

Zig Iggs It: Hairless Animals

Sometimes I think my instincts/qualities as a mammalian animal are out of whack. I hate/cannot digest milk. I don't get the appeal of the whole glandular thing. You know-- I don't even like the occipital condyles. But, most of all, I think all animals are made better when they are hairless. Why? I dunno. Things are just cuter when they're hairless. I mean, just look at Glam Rock.* Not cute. Sankai juku? Precious moments.







Ilan Hall is perhaps the one glaring exception to this rule. Hosea too, actually. I would say Top Chef breaks the hairless rule, but I love me some Tom. BearForce 1, yes/yes?







* Except for David Bowie, but he's had his hairless moments.

Stuff Zig Iggs: Weird Animal Varieties

Everyone loves animals. Let me rephrase that. Everyone loves non-human animals (NHAs henceforth). Let me rephrase that again. If you don't love NHAs, then you're probably not worth knowing. Why? Convoluted Axiom: Not liking a good things makes you not worth knowing. Definition of a NHA: A good thing. So there.

Anyways, everyone (worth knowing) loves NHAs. The caveat? Sometimes we're too generic with our love. Let me give you an example. "I love foxes!" Of course you do. Foxes are, by definition, good things. And you are a person worth knowing.

As an avid NHA lover, I decided to refine my palette. I took my top 6 favorite animals-- sharks, foxes, rabbits, horses, goldfish, and cats-- and decided to select my favorite variety of each. This provided me with a wonderland of bizarre species. As an advocate of all things furry, finned, hooved, horned, whiskered, and weird... I was delighted in a predictably overwhelmed sort of way. And, so, I give you-- my favorite weird animals.

Sharks: The Goblin Shark
It was difficult. To be honest, my loyalties lie with THE GREAT WHITE SHARK!!! because, you know, it concurrently terrifies and enthralls me. My panties knot for Jaws, y'all. But just look at this thing. It's one part nightmare and one part inbred-carny-with-a-heart-of-gold. And I love me some carnies. Seriously, if this thing could play a stringed instrument, it would be all over "Dueling Banjos"-- you know?



(Image credit dsc.discovery.com)

Foxes: The Cape Fox
I thought this was going to be easy. I thought Fennec foxes were the cutest weird fox varieties. Not so, friends. Not so. Apparantly, there is an even more disgustingly adorable vulpine out there.



(Image credit bukisa.com)

Rabbits: The Flemish Giant
Ok, I didn't extend this to all of Lagomorpha, because then I think my brain would fritz out on lapinians. However, I give you the Flemish Giant. Who wouldn't ride this guy into battle?



(Image credit neatorama.com)

Horses: The Rocky Mountain Horse
I used to think all I ever wanted was a unicorn. Or maybe a pegasus. No. I want one of these. It looks like Hellhorse or something. It's like the drow of the horse world. Also, in the following image, look how dorky the rider looks in comparison. When riding such a clearly badass horse, avoid the denim-on-denim. (Cwig also dubbed this horse, quite brilliantly, the Ganguro Girl Horse. Good on him.)



(Image credit bluebonnetstables.com)

Goldfish: The Oranda
Oh, so many weird animals, so little space in my fish tank. This was legitimately hard, because I love bizarre goldfish, and I am quite versed in their variations (say that ten times fast). But, I settle on the oranda. Why? My beloved Nurse Annie is a panda oranda. And, even though she killed Apple Dumplin'-- my darling pearlscale-- I love her fluffy, mean little head so much. (And, Nurse Annie combines my three favorite things: Annie Wilkes of , Bubblehead Nurses, and ugly fish.) Also, ribbontail ryukin are the stuff of some far-off beautiful dreamland where fish float through the skies... sigh. Want.



(Image credit exoticgoldfish.net)

Cats: THE SKOOKUM
Why? Because it's called the Skookum. Fun fact-- the Skookum is also some sort of mystical Sasquatch beast. Because of course it is. (Now the dilemma-- become a Skookum breeder or a Skookum hunter? Or just a Skookum enthusiast? A Skookthusiast, if you will.)



(Image credit pictures-of-cats.org)

Weird Animal Varieties. Zig iggs them.