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Vederick — Untitled ''Cryptid School'' Project
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Published: 2016-10-18 17:06:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 3195; Favourites: 43; Downloads: 4
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Remember once upon a time I said I'd try to put up some original stuff, too? Yeah...
So I sketched these guys a good while ago and just yesterday decided to ink and color them for posting since I'd recently started thinking about them again and fleshed out the universe they inhabit a bit more and had some funny stories to tell within it.
The concept (which I'm sure you've already pieced together since I doubt it's THAT original) is a school for "unconventional animals". The main character is that one in the center; a "Hortoise" who is the son of the Tortoise (Mom) and Hare (Dad) of Aesop fame. When he doesn't fit in at either the tortoise or hare schools he's sent to the aforementioned private school where he meets and befriends a bombastic Turducken and a bookish Chupacabra (and later a standoffish Jackalope). The last guy is one of their teachers: a laid-back Basilisk who can (temporarily, of course) lift his shades and petrify his class if they get too rambunctious.
The school would have three main 'castes': the Mythics (Chimeras, etc) at the top, the Cryptids (Bigfoot, etc) in the middle and Hybrids (our hero) at the bottom.
Story-wise there could be lessons about racism, discrimination, tolerance, peer-pressure, self-acceptance and so on - but despite how it might sound it really wouldn't be all that heavy-handed and bleak, mostly it'd just be funny as heck
Nothing's set in stone right now (LEAST of all their designs), if you like the idea let me know and I'll flesh it out more and maybe do some comics about it down the line.
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Comments: 34
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Something that just occurred to me as something that's a likely element of this concept. What about mythic hybrids, like a Pegagriff (Pegasus father, griffin mother) or even a European Dragon/Asian Lung Dragon hybrid? Is there an in-between level for mythic hybrids that's just barely above cryptids because they're technically mythics or are they banished to hybrids just for existing? Is it taboo to date outside of your species/race, ALA a dragon/unicorn or kitsune/phoenix couple being shunned because they're different kinds of mythics? And if those rules exist, are they as strong for the cryptids or can they do cross-species dating? (I would think no one cares what the hybrids do; they're already at the bottom of the heap.) How much would the social standing of someone in the mythic or cryptid "caste" be damaged if they started dating a hybrid (one would think being cordial or even a close friend would be fine but dating is a whole nother ball game)?
All of the above is meant the way that high schools and schools in general have stupid little unwritten rules about what is and is not acceptable which the majority of the student body treats as law and which may or may not be supported by the teachers and parents. Like "Thou may like books and sports, sports but not books and neither but if thou likest books but not sports, thou art the school freak and shall be treated as such with impunity.", "If thou art forced to choose between football and marching band and choose the latter, thou art a blight upon the student body regardless of the success of the activities in question." or "If thou art out of favor with a teacher, they art permitted to declare you a hazard to others and be believed." Uh...yeah; my high school stunk beyond words.
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This is all still just the germ of an idea so a lot hasn't been ironed out and is still subject to to change.
You're right, though - my brother raised a similar question; what's the difference between a so-called "Normal" hybrid (like the 3 fowls that make up a Turducken) and a "Mythical" one like a Chimera which is basically just a lion, goat, and snake mixed together (depending on which mythology you pick)?
I needed some time to think on that since on the one hand you DO need some pretty clear rules - not just in terms of societal caste but also in the actually biology as well - otherwise the differences are too superficial for the lesson (however noble) to be taken seriously. Much like in Zootopia; if the prejudice against the predators by the prey species didn't have at least SOME legitimate basis any lesson taught would have been eye-roll inducing rather than impactful and resonant.
So as far as UCSP (not saying the whole thing each time) is concerned I'm still working out how the biology of these creatures works in this universe. Right now all I've determined is that none of them are 'magicial'. Some DO have 'powers' but it's attributed to their biology (like with most of the mutants in "X-Men").
"Mythicals" tend to have the most amazing, 'supernatural' abilities (petrification, mind control, invisibility, etc) whereas Cryptids are more about being physically enhanced in some way (super-strong Sasquatch, super-fast Jackalope, razor sharp Chupacabra teeth/claws, etc). Meanwhile "Hybrids" can only do what their parents can, IF that (in the main Hortoise's case he can't run as fast as normal hares OR fit all the way in his shell like a tortoise, which ostracized him in both schools).
I'm also playing with the idea of Mythicals being "pure-blooded", unlike Hybrids; so Chimera marries Chimera to make Chimera, NOT Snake marries Lion to make a hybrid that marries a Goat that THEN makes a Chimera. It's similar with (some, not all) Cryptids; Chupacabras aren't a "mix" of anything - like a dog and a lizard, or something - their just their own species. If these WERE to crossbreed (which would be rare due to their attitudes) it would NOT create hybrids, but go by the OTHER occasional "Anthro" rule where you just get one or the other (a Chimera OR a Sasquatch, for instance) as the progeny.
Finally, Hybrids are the ones that would genetically behave the most "normal" (comparatively speaking) with new DNA adding new features (the Turducken, for example, has a Turkey Dad and a "Ducken" Mom) that can just as easily be bred out depending on how they choose the subsequent partners. They're also typically made from "normal" animals.
And yes, it IS somewhat 'taboo' for species to marry outside their kind in the UCSP-verse, but not unheard of. It's not a "scandal" so much as it's just "not what one typically does"; so neither the Tortoise or the Hare was disowned by their families, it was just a really awkward wedding and each family - while still associating with their son/daughter - tries to avoid running into the 'in-laws' whenever possible. In other words, Hortoise (name coming eventually) is loved and doted on by both sides of his family, but isn't holding his breath for a family reunion any time soon.
WHEW! Thanks for making me think!
...never do it again.
JK
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Wow; sounds like you've got a good handle on the universe. Can't wait to see what's next!
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I LOVE this idea! I've always liked stories that took a look at our society through an alternate lens and this concept is perfect for today. I'd love to see what you'd do with it and if it bears any resemblance to DW, I already know it's going to be excellent, with just the right amount of serious moments to get points across but all the humor it needs to be a blast!
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Glad you like it
Coming up with characters is all well and good but I need to get some serious, dedicated practice into drawing objects and environments, too. I thought a school might be fairly simple since so many areas inside can look relatively similar - even if inhabited by otherwise fantastic creatures (like on Gumball, for instance).
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Not speaking as an artist here but maybe start off by picking the environments that will be popping up most regularly and then get those down before moving on to less common environments. Objects seem to be something you've got some handle on considering how often characters have things in their hands in "DW" and "Twisted Space"; I'd recommend using those as references for objects.
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Thanks for the tip
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Did you just slip an innuendo joke in there? You know, with the dad being the 'fast' rabbit?
Also, one could say the Jackalope is a 'Jack@$$'?
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I'm just answering your question
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Their designs are awesome
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So you think I should pursue it further?
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Definitely! I've always loved cryptids, myths, etc. and putting them in a high/middle school setting sounds really cool!
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This is an awesome concept BTW!
You could also have a category of animals that were once considered cryptids like the gorilla and okapi.
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Thanks!
I think I could maybe do a fun gag with an Okapi (maybe one tries to apply but is turned down), but I'm sticking with truly 'non-extant' creatures.
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What about ones that possibly do exist but haven't been described by mainstream science yet. Such as a bigfoot (Could have him/her insist on being called "Sasquatch" when people call them "Bigfoot" by mistake). There are "sasquatch" type creatures all over the world. A "Yeren" is basically the Chinese version of a "Sasquatch" and the "Yowie" is Australian. There's also the "Yeti" from Nepal, the "Barmanou" from Pakistan and supposedly South Africa has its version of a "Sasquatch". Some zoologists think that Sasquatch is some sort of gigantopithecus that migrated.
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I guess I'm just not as sold on Sasquatch being real as others because it never occurred to me to NOT have him (or his relatives) in the school; they're definitely in. 
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Yeah me too. With all the technology we have today, I think we would have at least found a body by now.
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In a way "Jack-O'Lopes" are real.
www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/exo…
www.isciencetimes.com/articles…
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In a highly unsettling, kinda depressing way, yeah...
In the story those of the 'Hybrid' caste are simply the result of mixed parentage (one parent was a jack rabbit and the other's an antelope, etc).
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They could have been removed if someone got to it in time and took it to a vet.
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Wow! this sure is a new and different concept! ^^
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So I should 'green-light' it, then?
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Yes. UuU but it would be hard working on that AND Twisted Space....
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A solid concern.
The thing is with my ADD I can get almost sick of something if I don't finish it as fast as I'd like (talking in terms of the individual pages, not the whole story itself), so having other things to switch between helps (so something's always getting done but I don't have to stare at the same thing for too long and burn out).
But yeah, I'm not gonna make a big thing out of this just yet; just more doodles and sheets and such as I work out the idea more.
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Oh, sorry about your ADD 
and yeah, I cant rest id I dont get something done either. that is why I love work X)
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