A while ago there was an open call for submissions to the second volume of Beasts! by Fantagraphics’ Jacob Covey. The results have been posted and I have to admit that the few that have been posted to the blog are wonderful illustrations. Jennifer Tong deserves to be the winner.

My submission to the Beasts! Volume 2. It’s a classic Japanese Monster. There are many stories about different kinds of ushi-oni, which are incredible creatures that all have a cow’s head. The most common and widespread description is that of a creature with a cow’s head and spider’s body, a gigantic creature the size of several bulls, much larger than humans. Taken from yokaimura.org

Also the gyūki/ushioni sometimes transforms itself into a beautiful woman, as it did in a famous story from Kouchi prefecture. There an ushi-oni lived in a deep mountain pool, along with a great number of fish. One day a rich man from a nearby village came up with a scheme to poison the pool and have all of these delicious fish for himself. The gyūki of course did not appreciate this, and appeared in the man’s dream as a woman, asking him to not go through with his plan, but he ignored this warning and poisoned the pool anyway. Subsequently the woman/cow-demon was seen leaving for better waters, and the man’s house was crushed in a landslide and he was killed. Quoted from obakemono.com

Before I forget about posting this again. I am proud to be among the select few in this years volume of the “Triebwerk” the anthology of the illustration class of the school of art and design in Kassel. My contribution is the comic story I’ve been posting about earlier. And as further motivation here is the comic in its entire form (in German, of course). So, if you enjoy my story and want to support an upcoming group of new comic and illustration artists, please do not hesitate to shop for this and other great goods at rotopolpress. Now, if you happen to be in Germany, you might as well want to come to Kassel directly and check out the exhibition of original artwork at rotopol.

Here is a colorful series of quick sketches of different people on the train to Kobe. I had planned to visit the Kobe City Museum to see an exhibition of masterpieces of ukiyo-e but I had forgotten that the museum is closed on mondays so I ended up shopping out of frustration…

Minimix for “Frau Mit Muskeln” and the accompanying cover artwork. A quick digital fun job in ArtRage – to hurt your eyez.

1. Hancock – Derek Scott Music
2. Electric Soca (Crookers Remix) – Rodion
3. Drugs In My Body (J.A.B. Remix) – Thieves Like Us
4. Breathe (Curses! Remix) – Drums Of Death
5. Threesome – Luzius

Garden Trouble – 320 kbps – 38,4 MB – 16:47 Minutes

Minimix for “Frau Mit Muskeln” and the accompanying cover artwork which I happen to enjoy. It’s not much but just a bit of photoshoppery that turned out nicely.

1. Twurk Central – Bird Peterson
2. RGB – Coma
3. Fire Gem – Maral Salmassi
4. Exodus Testament – Avalon

Cookie Gill Courier – 320 kbps – 38,4 MB – 16:47 Minutes