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ursulav — Carousel Walrus

Published: 2007-09-30 21:52:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 44840; Favourites: 2219; Downloads: 1592
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Description The Unfortunate Carousel was the life's work of the regrettable Eighteenth Amir of Sarappa, who dedicated himself to creating the most lavish, elaborate, and grotesque carousel ever made. Carved by the finest artisans, inlaid with gems and precious metals, powered by experimental steam boilers and teams of bullocks, the genius of the Unfortunate Carousel was that it had no horses, but was instead made up of all of those beasts considered graceless, unlovely, unclean, and/or generally obnoxious. Rats and grackles cavorted alongside hippopotomi and squid, rhinos and jackals rode cheek-by-jowl with skunks and gila monsters. By the time it was finished, the Unfortunate Carousel rose two and a half stories, had cost forty-seven lives, driven two engineers mad, and brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy.

Unfortunately, on the first occasion when the carousel was fired up, the main boiler exploded two minutes in, causing general carnage and untold havoc and completely destroying the machinery. The Amir's plans to build a second, even more grandiose carousel were foiled when he was removed from power by an outraged peasantry wielding pitchforks and uninclined to discuss the finer points of carousel-making.

Specimens from the Unfortunate Carousel have turned up in numerous collections in the following centuries, including this very fine white walrus figure, in the private collection of the Marquis of Widdlemark.

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Digital, Painter, and yes, prints are available for $10 or $20 plus shipping--send a note or visit [link]
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Comments: 395

purplesinger [2007-10-01 02:21:28 +0000 UTC]

I think I like your backstories almost as much as I like the illustrations that go along with them. They're so silly! XD

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Mokiemorty [2007-10-01 02:12:15 +0000 UTC]

For a minute, I thought I was reading an actual historical summary. I'm si dense sometimes.

Awesome story, adorable walrus. <3

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Verbal-Relapse [2007-10-01 02:06:33 +0000 UTC]

Haha, awesome, I want to ride!

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ClumsyBoy [2007-10-01 01:57:26 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful colors!

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fyrenwater [2007-10-01 01:57:24 +0000 UTC]

oh, i would love a carousel like that! are you going to illustrate the other carousel "horses"?

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entropiCCycles [2007-10-01 01:56:28 +0000 UTC]

Interesting artifact.

Nice concept.

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glowworm56 [2007-10-01 01:55:06 +0000 UTC]

That's beautiful! There should be walruses on carousels!

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spiderlady [2007-10-01 01:50:53 +0000 UTC]

So cute! I have never seen something like that in real life...

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tenko72 [2007-10-01 01:46:38 +0000 UTC]

I like the color scheme of this and the details on the walrus's skin.

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RainyRogue [2007-10-01 01:45:53 +0000 UTC]

GRACKLES! Yesss. I would love to ride a walrus. I bet merpeople could ride them as war steeds and use their tusks like weapons. Or at least, the merpeople planned that, but the walruses really only want to eat squid bits and are easily distracted.

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littlemissmoody In reply to ??? [2007-10-01 01:45:28 +0000 UTC]

i love your descriptions i really do. that one is just lovely - made me giggle. i love carousels. they're teh awesome. he doesn't look so bad. he looks very pretty actually.

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Martilina [2007-10-01 01:43:22 +0000 UTC]

I want to see the whole thing as a sculpture. o.o

<3!

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Finder77 In reply to ??? [2007-10-01 01:39:58 +0000 UTC]

LOL I would ride that.
...
Lovely pic, btw.

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Dwelian In reply to ??? [2007-10-01 01:39:56 +0000 UTC]

Oh my god I love this idea! pleasepleaseplease do more of the animals from it!!! I would even buy an artbook of them, as I collect carousel artbooks (little known fact #4897 about me).

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acid13 In reply to ??? [2007-10-01 01:37:57 +0000 UTC]

He's so cute ^^

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FelisRin [2007-10-01 01:36:29 +0000 UTC]

Very unique idea! I always love the backstories you attach to your pictures.

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CloudTheory [2007-10-01 01:29:15 +0000 UTC]

lol, awesome. The drawing and the tale of the Unfortunate Carousel.

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Maypoppy [2007-10-01 01:28:50 +0000 UTC]

Wow, for a supposedly ungraceful creature this turned out quite beautiful. The little story is quite imaginative, too.

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Archangelbeth [2007-10-01 01:21:47 +0000 UTC]

That's lovely.

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riceballclubdotorg [2007-10-01 01:20:14 +0000 UTC]

T'would be fun to ride on a walrus. o.O

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Realms-Master [2007-10-01 01:13:32 +0000 UTC]

I love carousels! Makes you feel like a kid again. This walrus is beautiful

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Chibidrow [2007-10-01 01:04:59 +0000 UTC]

Ride the walrus, baby. Ride the walrus.

I now want to find a little carousel walrus statuette for my collection.

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pearwood [2007-10-01 00:56:28 +0000 UTC]

Dear Ursula,
I am so relieved. When I saw the thumbnail, I thought, "Durn her hide, she's gone and skewered a walrus."
Steve

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stardancer528 [2007-10-01 00:49:52 +0000 UTC]

thats awesome!

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lunaiy [2007-10-01 00:45:41 +0000 UTC]

That is simply precious.

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Knightraptor [2007-10-01 00:42:21 +0000 UTC]

Had it been safer, I probably would have rode it over and over

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Cerulean452 [2007-10-01 00:32:59 +0000 UTC]

That's so unique and lovely! Only you could make a walrus beautifull.

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Mr-Orange-Bob [2007-10-01 00:32:34 +0000 UTC]

Awesome, when i look at your art it makes me think of Mr. Bungle g love their music

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ViVibrato [2007-10-01 00:32:09 +0000 UTC]

Awesome story, and the drawing too, of course. : DD

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Ishaway [2007-10-01 00:27:57 +0000 UTC]

I would love to ride on that carousel this fellow came from.

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Artoveli [2007-10-01 00:24:12 +0000 UTC]

Woo! I would so ride such a carousel.

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lethe-gray In reply to ??? [2007-10-01 00:22:25 +0000 UTC]

Heh. The Wild Animal Park here in San Diego has a beautiful carousel that's made of non-horses. I'm not sure if there's a walrus among them. They are however, lovely animal sculptures and all just wood or fiberglass - no gaudy gemstones I wish I could find a reasonable picture of it. I might have to dig through my own and upload it.

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frazeocity [2007-10-01 00:16:59 +0000 UTC]

I truly was laughing out loud while reading your description. Look at it! It's such a happy walrus!
And it's great to see you uploading things again.

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purplesockllama [2007-10-01 00:09:56 +0000 UTC]

aw, it looks so gracefull...
seriously, this is inspirational....as soon as i saw this, i had images in my head of a huge carousel of underwater creatures and bright coral-type decorations...
fantastic!

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mattinaye [2007-10-01 00:08:42 +0000 UTC]

This is the best thing I've seen all week. Thank you so much for that.

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Nevi [2007-10-01 00:04:51 +0000 UTC]

This would be the best carousel ever.

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amberfoxwing [2007-10-01 00:03:06 +0000 UTC]

I'm so glad you're making art again!

I love the concept XD

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black42 [2007-09-30 23:59:24 +0000 UTC]

I would quite enjoy seeing the carousel squid...I like the blue flowers with the walrus' skin tone.

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Arkatera [2007-09-30 23:52:58 +0000 UTC]

I love it! I wanna go on that carousel!

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graceia [2007-09-30 23:49:18 +0000 UTC]

You always have THE coolest backstories!

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irnclos [2007-09-30 23:46:33 +0000 UTC]

i also had to look it up. please make the other caracters of the Unfortunate Carousel, make it a series

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Undeadgoth [2007-09-30 23:46:00 +0000 UTC]

love it! fav!

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Taluria [2007-09-30 23:42:42 +0000 UTC]

I love the flowers on the tack. Are they forget-me-nots?

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Baelgrave [2007-09-30 23:39:01 +0000 UTC]

Never before have I seen a carousel walrus. I can die happy, knowing my life is complete. But seriously, this is great.

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lunarflight [2007-09-30 23:34:53 +0000 UTC]

I think I've seen Walruses on carousels before though...

But I've yet to see a squid or a gila monster. >.>

This walrus looks quite pretty. XD <3

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GrymmBadger [2007-09-30 23:28:24 +0000 UTC]

And this is why you are one of my favorite artists of all time. Not only does your art please my brain-meats but you always manage to have such amazingly entertaining little stories to go alongside said art.

As always, my invisible, non-existent top hat is off to you.

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joy-for-cookies [2007-09-30 23:17:46 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful! I do hope you add more fantastic beasts to this one . . .

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PapaTez01 [2007-09-30 23:17:42 +0000 UTC]

Oh, please do a series of this! The whimsy is... overwhelming and just so adorable!

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hermitchild [2007-09-30 23:10:09 +0000 UTC]

That's great! And we had a walrus show up in town the day before yesterday too. Well, the beach along the edge of town. Within city limits anyway.

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literatehyaena [2007-09-30 23:06:26 +0000 UTC]

<3 the Walrus.

P. S. I would absolutely ride a carousel with a rat on it.

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