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Greetings, all you boos and ghouls and assorted creatures of the night! The official MonsterHigh group has issued another monthly challenge in the hopes of drawing attention back towards the group once more - one that I endeavor to continue long after it has ended! Though the monthly challenges do technically end, they are more than happy to continue to except entries long after they are over, something I hope to take advantage of!

For those that have followed the Monster High fandom (or, indeed, have gotten into it as a result of my work), you will be well aware of the dreaded reboot that ultimately led to the franchise's demise (and subsequently Ever After High, as well) - though the animation was admittedly more fluid, the poorly conceptualized designs and the flanderization of characters, not to mention the complete exclusion of some, such as Headmistress Bloodgood, were not well received among fans. Thus, this monthly art challenge has asked us to redesign the canon Monster High cast!

Here we have my rebooted version of . . . Iris Clops?

I bet you're all scratching your heads right now, wondering where the rest of the Ghoul Squad is - after all, I've already done reboot versions of Frankie, Cleo, and Lagoona, right? It only makes sense to do Draculaura, Clawdeen, and Ghoulia next, right? Well, the fact of the matter is that I'm having difficulty nailing down their new designs without forgetting their original designs and character entirely. I've elected to take a break from them and try my hand at a rather obscure character, one that didn't get as much screen time and thus not as much character development as some of the main cast. Enter, Iris.

For those of you in the dark, Iris started out as a background character, often being given small speaking roles or just filling up a slot in crowded classrooms and hallways. Then, for whatever reason, the writers decided to make her into an actual character which, in a way, kind of makes sense. Personally, I'm not sure if she got an updated design before making the transition, but she always seemed highly detailed for a backgrounder, wearing thematic clothing and all that. The problem is that . . . well, I don't think they did it very well. Beyond her relationship with Manny Taur, Iris doesn't have much of a personality, or at least, not one explored in the show. In her bio, she's stated to like astronomy, but that's about it. In short, I more or less gave Iris a complete overhaul, both appearance and personality-wise.

When deciding on her appearance, Iris is rather limited in theme. For instance Cleo, being a mummy, is able to work with bandages, various Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphics, golden bracelets, amulets, and jewelry, and pyramids; Frankie can work with lightning bolts, electricity, stitches/mismatched colors and patterns, and bits of metal; Lagoona has the entire ocean at her fingertips. And Iris . . . just has eyes. That's literally her entire motif. That isn't to say that's a bad thing of course. After all, cyclopes are quite literally named after their singular, large eyes, but I felt just using eyes and circles wasn't enough. Then I remembered that some of the more famous cyclopes were known to be shepherds that watched over flocks of sheep. This indirectly reminded me of Doug Maheswaran (Connie's father from Steven Universe) and decided to give Iris a similar jacket. This also helped me put a new spin on Iris' parentage, since most of the Monster High characters have specific parents rather than just a random monster of a specific species; after all, Cleo's father isn't just a mummy, he's the Mummy. As for the eye motifs, I was heavily inspired by this amazing cosplay of none other than Iris Clops herself, which you can find here: www.deviantart.com/cimmerianwi…

In terms of personality, I decided to start with Iris' most defining trait: being Manny Taur's ghoulfriend. From what I've heard, the two of them aren't exactly the most popular pairing in the fandom, but I attribute that to having less screen time and focus than Draculaura x Clawd. Most of the pairings in the fandom also initially form when the characters first start high school, so I thought I'd portray Iris and Manny's relationship as being older, having been since middle school at least, to make them stand out a little more. Furthermore, I decided to swap out Iris' passion for space entirely - I understand the tie between a cyclope's eye and telescope lens, but I feel this fits better with Gigi Grant, someone who has seen the entire world, but never the world beyond. As for Iris, I decided to make her a literature lover since, from what I understand, there is no specific character in the franchise who really loves to read, much less write her own stories.

But enough of my rambling insights. Onto the facts!

Name: Iris 'Galatea' Clops

Parents: Polythemus Clops. Due to his encounter with the Greek hero, Odysseus, hundreds of years ago, Polythemus is completely blind and must rely on his other senses in order to perceive the world. He runs a sheep farm on the outskirts of New Salem and spends most of his time tending to his flocks; because his other senses are heightened as a result of the loss of his sight, he is able to tell each individual sheep apart from the touch of their wool and the sound of their bleating alone. In spite of all of this, Polythemus is a dutiful, single father and greatly loves his daughter. From a young age, he would often encourage her love of reading by letting her read bedtime stories to him and describing various TV shows and movies so that they can both enjoy them together. It is unknown who Iris' mother is.

Age: 14

Personality: Iris is a quiet ghoul who often has her head buried between the pages of a good book, which makes her look like she isn't paying attention to those around her; this couldn't be further from the truth. Iris is actually very perceptive of her surroundings and of her friends, making her a very rational monster when it comes to handling the situations she and her friends tend to get themselves into. Unfortunately, this sense of rationality doesn't always apply to her relationship with Manny Taur, and she'll sometimes draw comparisons between them and the characters in her latest book to a dangerous degree. Nevertheless, Iris is a very devoted and patient ghoul who will readily admit her mistakes when they become known to her.

Friends: Being a freshmanster, Iris is close friends with some of the younger students at Monster High, primarily Howleen's Pack - Howleen Wolf, Twyla Boogeyman, Gigi Grant, Invisi-Billy Peere, and Hoodude Voodoo. She is also very close friends with Spectra Vondergeist, whom she shares a love of literature and writing with; the two of them often get together to discuss their latest works with one another. Additonally, Iris is also on good terms with some of the Boo Crew, such as Clawd Wolf and Jackson Jekyll.

Sexuality: Straight . . . at least, in the real world.

Romance: Iris is in a committed, long-term relationship with Manny Taur. The two of them have been long time friends with one another and have been in a relationship since middle school. Since entering high school however, the two of them have found themselves starting to drift apart as they find their interests taking them on different paths. Nevertheless, the two of them are determined to maintain their relationship and look for multiple opportunities to combine both of their interests, such as joining the Poetry Club or having Iris read to her boyfriend while he works out.

Pet: Though living on a sheep farm and technically having multiple flocks of sheep as pets, Iris personally owns a lamb with cyclopia, a genetic disorder that results in the organism being born with only one eye. After its mother abandoned him, Iris started to take care of the lamb and named him Clyde. Much like his owner, Clyde is shy around other monsters and their pets and thus always stays in the background. This makes him a witness to many things, as both monsters and pets have a tendency to forget that he's there, making both him and his single, giant eye incredibly useful.

Trivia: Iris' middle name is taken from the sea-nymph, Galatea, whom her father previously attempted to charm multiple times without success. After being blinded by Odysseus, Galatea took pity on him and helped care for him for many years, during which the two of them would eventually became close friends after mending the awkward, romantic rift between them. After fleeing to the Boonited States in the first wave of the Fright Flight however, Polythemus lost contact with her and would name his daughter in honor of their friendship.

With Polythemus being a son of the Greek god, Poseidon, and displaying no unusual powers or abilities related to her grandfather's domain, this technically makes Iris a demigod in some regards.

Being a cyclopes and thus having only one eye, Iris has very poor depth perception, which is one reason why she prefers reading to other hobbies.

Iris doesn't like going to 3D movies because movie theaters don't make 3D glasses for her kind, much less monsters with more than two eyes. Furthermore, she absolutely hates eye-related puns.

Iris' favorite food is black eyed peas, especially when made into a Hoppin' John. Her least favorite food however, are olives.

Iris' favorite subject is Monster Literature, as she absolutely loves to read and finds joy in dissecting the works of various authors (to a certain degree). Her least favorite subject on the other hand, is Physical Deaducation. Due to haveing horrible depth perception, this makes playing most ball-related games an absolute nightmare.

When she isn't reading the latest novel in her favorite book series or catching up on an old classic, Iris likes to write her own stories - specifically, fan fiction. At the moment, she's only written a few stories surrounding her favorite book series, Scary Rotter, but her work has been critically acclaimed by the few that have managed to read them. In this regard, Iris shares similarities to Ever After High character, Holly O'Hair, who also likes to write fan fictions about herself and her friends.

Welp, I've been rambling long enough! For any Monster High fans out there, what're your thoughts on my version of Iris? Did I do her justice? Is there something else you think I should have done to her instead? Let me know in the comments below! Let's have a discussion!

Programs Used: Adobe Illustrator (line work), Photoshop (color)
Est. Time: About 5 hours? That damn skirt took forever.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Monster High.
Monster High and all shown characters are property of ©Mattel.
Do not use or repost without my permission.

Description
Greetings, all you boos and ghouls and assorted creatures of the night! The official MonsterHigh group has issued another monthly challenge in the hopes of drawing attention back towards the group once more - one that I endeavor to continue long after it has ended! Though the monthly challenges do technically end, they are more than happy to continue to except entries long after they are over, something I hope to take advantage of!

For those that have followed the Monster High fandom (or, indeed, have gotten into it as a result of my work), you will be well aware of the dreaded reboot that ultimately led to the franchise's demise (and subsequently Ever After High, as well) - though the animation was admittedly more fluid, the poorly conceptualized designs and the flanderization of characters, not to mention the complete exclusion of some, such as Headmistress Bloodgood, were not well received among fans. Thus, this monthly art challenge has asked us to redesign the canon Monster High cast!

Here we have my rebooted version of . . . Iris Clops?

I bet you're all scratching your heads right now, wondering where the rest of the Ghoul Squad is - after all, I've already done reboot versions of Frankie, Cleo, and Lagoona, right? It only makes sense to do Draculaura, Clawdeen, and Ghoulia next, right? Well, the fact of the matter is that I'm having difficulty nailing down their new designs without forgetting their original designs and character entirely. I've elected to take a break from them and try my hand at a rather obscure character, one that didn't get as much screen time and thus not as much character development as some of the main cast. Enter, Iris.

For those of you in the dark, Iris started out as a background character, often being given small speaking roles or just filling up a slot in crowded classrooms and hallways. Then, for whatever reason, the writers decided to make her into an actual character which, in a way, kind of makes sense. Personally, I'm not sure if she got an updated design before making the transition, but she always seemed highly detailed for a backgrounder, wearing thematic clothing and all that. The problem is that . . . well, I don't think they did it very well. Beyond her relationship with Manny Taur, Iris doesn't have much of a personality, or at least, not one explored in the show. In her bio, she's stated to like astronomy, but that's about it. In short, I more or less gave Iris a complete overhaul, both appearance and personality-wise.

When deciding on her appearance, Iris is rather limited in theme. For instance Cleo, being a mummy, is able to work with bandages, various Egyptian symbols and hieroglyphics, golden bracelets, amulets, and jewelry, and pyramids; Frankie can work with lightning bolts, electricity, stitches/mismatched colors and patterns, and bits of metal; Lagoona has the entire ocean at her fingertips. And Iris . . . just has eyes. That's literally her entire motif. That isn't to say that's a bad thing of course. After all, cyclopes are quite literally named after their singular, large eyes, but I felt just using eyes and circles wasn't enough. Then I remembered that some of the more famous cyclopes were known to be shepherds that watched over flocks of sheep. This indirectly reminded me of Doug Maheswaran (Connie's father from Steven Universe) and decided to give Iris a similar jacket. This also helped me put a new spin on Iris' parentage, since most of the Monster High characters have specific parents rather than just a random monster of a specific species; after all, Cleo's father isn't just a mummy, he's the Mummy. As for the eye motifs, I was heavily inspired by this amazing cosplay of none other than Iris Clops herself, which you can find here: www.deviantart.com/cimmerianwi…

In terms of personality, I decided to start with Iris' most defining trait: being Manny Taur's ghoulfriend. From what I've heard, the two of them aren't exactly the most popular pairing in the fandom, but I attribute that to having less screen time and focus than Draculaura x Clawd. Most of the pairings in the fandom also initially form when the characters first start high school, so I thought I'd portray Iris and Manny's relationship as being older, having been since middle school at least, to make them stand out a little more. Furthermore, I decided to swap out Iris' passion for space entirely - I understand the tie between a cyclope's eye and telescope lens, but I feel this fits better with Gigi Grant, someone who has seen the entire world, but never the world beyond. As for Iris, I decided to make her a literature lover since, from what I understand, there is no specific character in the franchise who really loves to read, much less write her own stories.

But enough of my rambling insights. Onto the facts!

Name: Iris 'Galatea' Clops

Parents: Polythemus Clops. Due to his encounter with the Greek hero, Odysseus, hundreds of years ago, Polythemus is completely blind and must rely on his other senses in order to perceive the world. He runs a sheep farm on the outskirts of New Salem and spends most of his time tending to his flocks; because his other senses are heightened as a result of the loss of his sight, he is able to tell each individual sheep apart from the touch of their wool and the sound of their bleating alone. In spite of all of this, Polythemus is a dutiful, single father and greatly loves his daughter. From a young age, he would often encourage her love of reading by letting her read bedtime stories to him and describing various TV shows and movies so that they can both enjoy them together. It is unknown who Iris' mother is.

Age: 14

Personality: Iris is a quiet ghoul who often has her head buried between the pages of a good book, which makes her look like she isn't paying attention to those around her; this couldn't be further from the truth. Iris is actually very perceptive of her surroundings and of her friends, making her a very rational monster when it comes to handling the situations she and her friends tend to get themselves into. Unfortunately, this sense of rationality doesn't always apply to her relationship with Manny Taur, and she'll sometimes draw comparisons between them and the characters in her latest book to a dangerous degree. Nevertheless, Iris is a very devoted and patient ghoul who will readily admit her mistakes when they become known to her.

Friends: Being a freshmanster, Iris is close friends with some of the younger students at Monster High, primarily Howleen's Pack - Howleen Wolf, Twyla Boogeyman, Gigi Grant, Invisi-Billy Peere, and Hoodude Voodoo. She is also very close friends with Spectra Vondergeist, whom she shares a love of literature and writing with; the two of them often get together to discuss their latest works with one another. Additonally, Iris is also on good terms with some of the Boo Crew, such as Clawd Wolf and Jackson Jekyll.

Sexuality: Straight . . . at least, in the real world.

Romance: Iris is in a committed, long-term relationship with Manny Taur. The two of them have been long time friends with one another and have been in a relationship since middle school. Since entering high school however, the two of them have found themselves starting to drift apart as they find their interests taking them on different paths. Nevertheless, the two of them are determined to maintain their relationship and look for multiple opportunities to combine both of their interests, such as joining the Poetry Club or having Iris read to her boyfriend while he works out.

Pet: Though living on a sheep farm and technically having multiple flocks of sheep as pets, Iris personally owns a lamb with cyclopia, a genetic disorder that results in the organism being born with only one eye. After its mother abandoned him, Iris started to take care of the lamb and named him Clyde. Much like his owner, Clyde is shy around other monsters and their pets and thus always stays in the background. This makes him a witness to many things, as both monsters and pets have a tendency to forget that he's there, making both him and his single, giant eye incredibly useful.

Trivia: Iris' middle name is taken from the sea-nymph, Galatea, whom her father previously attempted to charm multiple times without success. After being blinded by Odysseus, Galatea took pity on him and helped care for him for many years, during which the two of them would eventually became close friends after mending the awkward, romantic rift between them. After fleeing to the Boonited States in the first wave of the Fright Flight however, Polythemus lost contact with her and would name his daughter in honor of their friendship.

With Polythemus being a son of the Greek god, Poseidon, and displaying no unusual powers or abilities related to her grandfather's domain, this technically makes Iris a demigod in some regards.

Being a cyclopes and thus having only one eye, Iris has very poor depth perception, which is one reason why she prefers reading to other hobbies.

Iris doesn't like going to 3D movies because movie theaters don't make 3D glasses for her kind, much less monsters with more than two eyes. Furthermore, she absolutely hates eye-related puns.

Iris' favorite food is black eyed peas, especially when made into a Hoppin' John. Her least favorite food however, are olives.

Iris' favorite subject is Monster Literature, as she absolutely loves to read and finds joy in dissecting the works of various authors (to a certain degree). Her least favorite subject on the other hand, is Physical Deaducation. Due to haveing horrible depth perception, this makes playing most ball-related games an absolute nightmare.

When she isn't reading the latest novel in her favorite book series or catching up on an old classic, Iris likes to write her own stories - specifically, fan fiction. At the moment, she's only written a few stories surrounding her favorite book series, Scary Rotter, but her work has been critically acclaimed by the few that have managed to read them. In this regard, Iris shares similarities to Ever After High character, Holly O'Hair, who also likes to write fan fictions about herself and her friends.

Welp, I've been rambling long enough! For any Monster High fans out there, what're your thoughts on my version of Iris? Did I do her justice? Is there something else you think I should have done to her instead? Let me know in the comments below! Let's have a discussion!

Programs Used: Adobe Illustrator (line work), Photoshop (color)
Est. Time: About 5 hours? That damn skirt took forever.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Monster High.
Monster High and all shown characters are property of ©Mattel.
Do not use or repost without my permission.