cephalopod refrigerator magnets
August 31, 2009
Both of these magnetic cephalopods came from the gift shop at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Their arms and tentacles are spring-mounted so they wiggle when the refrigerator door is opened. I’m not sure what kind of octopus that is supposed to be (if any), but the squid seems to be Humboldt—it’s arms are even splayed out in a manner that I’ve seen in footage of the large Pacific squid. The two mollusks are enjoying a snack of delicious-looking mini sushi magnets from Morgan Imports in Durham, NC.
“One Man Band at the Coral Club” bodysuit by OshKosh B’gosh
August 30, 2009
I realized that the two posts I made earlier this weekend both featured octopuses playing the drums, so I figured I’d go for the trifecta. Once again, Kid Indie Squid Kid is sporting an outfit by OshKosh B’gosh. I won’t go into another mini-rant about unrealistic octopi on baby clothing, but I will say that it’s good to see a full complement of arms on this particular musically gifted cephalopod.
“The Beautiful Briny Sea” from Bedknobs and Broomsticks
August 30, 2009
I totally forgot about this animated sequence from Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney, 1971)! Not only do we get a short octopus drum solo, but we also see why one should never play poker with a cephalopod.
The Muppets perform “Octopus’s Garden”
August 29, 2009
From Saturday Morning Central (Via BoingBoing)
Update: I just realized this is post #100. Go me!
Flickr Friday: Squid box
August 28, 2009
squidbox2, originally uploaded by RiverOtterWidgetStudios.
This beautiful hand-carved wooden box by Jon Gosling was originally available on Etsy, but some lucky bastard beat me to it! A similar one is currently available at his River Otter Rustics Etsy shop, but, frankly, it’s not quite as cool as this one. Jon has another Etsy shop—River Otter Widget Studios—specializing in steampunk-themed items. Check it out!
“O-No Sushi” vinyl figure by Dead Zebra, Inc.
August 27, 2009
Andrew Bell’s morbid classic “Never Look Back” has been recreated as a vinyl toy! The figure, which comes packaged with two swappable sets of eyes and tentacle accessories, is available for $25 at www.deadzebra.com (although it is currently sold out) and wherever designer toys are sold.
“Under the Sea” bodysuit by OshKosh B’gosh
August 26, 2009
Here Kid Indie Squid Kid models a cute little marine-themed bodysuit by OshKosh B’gosh. Of course it would be better if the giant octopus was attacking the sub…but still, it’s pretty awesome.
This is as good a time as any to mention the generally sorry representation of octopi on children’s clothing and toys. The problem is no that they are hard to find, but that they are rarely biologically accurate. Like the one show above, they usually have fewer than eight arms and little smiley faces. I doubt that in 95 million years of octopus history there has been a single case of an octopus that could smile!
Others go even further and are given cheeks, noses, teeth, and even clothes! Case in point, the octopus that Kid Indie Squid Kid is pointing to on this quilt.
Yeah, the little sailor hat is pretty dumb, and octopi most definitely do not have noses. But the blue rings are a nice touch, and I also like the way the arms curl…even if there are only six of them. This quilt, by the way, is part of the (now discontinued) Sea Life bedding set from Babies R’ Us.
So what is the discerning cephalopod-obsessed parent to do? Personally, I try to not to be too picky, while at the same time staying vigilant for the best octo-gear. The shape of an octopus’ arms and head, and the position of the eyes, can do a lot to lend a touch of realism to what would otherwise be silly and cartoony. For example, I would consider the “Under the Sea” OshKosh-topus to be fairly accurate. (Although not nearly as accurate as the Ahou Octu bodysuit by Finny’s Greens.)
By the way, we’ve finally started decorating Kid Indie Squid Kid’s room (ocean-theme, natch!), so you can expect many more super-cute photos like this in the near future. Oh yes.
T-shirt Tuesday: “Squidplosion” by SquidFire
August 25, 2009
Man, what a crappy day. I nearly forgot it was T-shirt Tuesday!
This shirt—which is a good visual approximation of what my brain feels like tonight—is the aptly-named “Squidplosion” by SquidFire, an online apparel company that I promise we’ve not seen the last of here. This post is also the debut of the “T-shirts I don’t own” tag. You know, just in case…
Apparently I have my own brand of infant toothpaste…
August 24, 2009
toothpaste for baby molluscs?, originally uploaded by Cryptonaut.
From this past weekend’s trip to Babies R’ Us—J/A/S/Ö/N brand infant toothpaste.
It’s Canadian! It’s strawberry flavor! It has an (extremely inaccurate) octopus!
IT LITERALLY HAS MY NAME ON IT.
Also, despite the fact that she is hawking bubblegum-flavored toothpaste, Hello Kitty cosplaying a snail is perhaps one of the cutest things I have ever seen.
Cthulhu Week: “My Little Chtulhu” by Mari Kasurinen
August 22, 2009
For our final Cthulhu Week post, we have an amazing My Little Pony mod by Finnish artist Mari Kasurinen. Check her out on deviantArt for more fabulous custom ponies. (Via io9)
