Thursday 6 December 2012

Spines and Someloves

I’ve been taking some virtual trips to Australia this week to research animals for a potential book job and in so doing I’ve fallen in love with the echidna.

Sixteen years ago I took a real trip down under but I never got to see one of these spiny little sweethearts in the flesh.  I wish I had.  From looking at photos of them they seem such characterful creatures, and I’m having fun trying to draw their ridiculously long snouts and their somewhat comical little faces.

What is it about Australian animals, though? – they’re just so weird.  Echidnas are mammals, but they lay eggs, with leathery shells like lizards’ eggs.  They carry these in a pouch.   The mother echidna then oozes milk from her belly – she doesn’t have teats – and the newly hatched baby sucks this from her skin.  The baby echidna is endearingly called a ‘puggle’ – which sounds  like something out of a children’s TV programme by Oliver Postgate to me (yes I know, I’m probably thinking of the Pogles…)  Or maybe there’s a band name there? Yay! - the Puggles are playing Glastonbury!  Then again, maybe not.

So… I’m now sketching echidnas and have the difficult task of trying to show one cuddling a baby kangaroo; my imagination is really being put to work.  But, I hope I get the job.

Anyway here are some echidnas.  In doing my research I also came across a youtube video featuring them, titled, ‘The World’s Most Terrifying Penises’.  I’ve yet to watch it….and decided not to post it here although I admit it was tempting.  Instead let’s have some Australian music… I bought a tape of the Someloves’ album* when I was in Sydney and they still sound like perfect Antipodean pop to me.



* Thanks to a friend who'd introduced me to them a few years beforehand...

14 comments:

  1. They do have the best animals down under!

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  2. Echidnas rule....babies called puggles, how cute is that?
    The Someloves also rule.....

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  3. Echidnas are wonderful. Puggles Wood! I want to see that.
    Never heard of Someloves but this is really very good.

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  4. I'm also struck by the Echidnas' amazingly neat skeleton! What fabulous little creatures.

    Thanks for Someloves, too - a good slice of perky Aussie pop. I'll swap you this one - a band I came across by chance in a tiny Sydney club, the night before my 40th birthday. Slightly different influences, but they make a decent stab at it (and they were great live!).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNiN-JWhfLY

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  5. I was unaware of echidnas before reading your piece, but after doing my own bit of mini-research I can see what you mean - endearing little creatures.

    Good tune too! I was quite into the alternative Australian music scene in the 80s, but these guys don't ring any bells. (Just wiki-ed them and they have Stems & Lime Spiders connections. Can't believe I missed them at the time.)

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  6. It is great that so many of your posts lately have been inspired by commission work. You are The Illustrator!

    I may be the only one here who's a little creeped out by those critters. The look of that spiney fur just gives me the willies.

    Great clip.

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  7. Yeah, echidnas (and puggles!) rule :-) I knew you'd like them (ok, I'll let you off this time, e.f.)

    Pleased that the Someloves have gone down well too (yes, they have a great pedigree...) and I like the sound of Genshen, Kolley - many thanks for that.

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  8. Ah Echidnas, love em and their little snouts. As for The Someloves along with the Hoodoo Gurus and Ratcat they do bring back memories of Bondi and letter writing back to blighty, fine jangly guitar pop.

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    1. Indeed - it seems some bands just always retain the most evocative associations.
      (And actually I had no idea that those echidnas would go down *quite* so well!)

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  9. They'd make a good starting point for designing aliens from another planet! Can you share your sketch you mention? I had a toy wallaby/roo growing up that was my favorite, but I didn't take care of her and a cat took her apart. I used to draw it a lot, and it helped me think about how things are put together which helped me to draw.

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    1. I agree - and yes toy animals can provide the best lessons in simple anatomy too (not that I've dissected any toy echidnas lately...)
      If I manage to get the go-ahead on the project I may be persuaded to share a drawing or two - but I'll wait until I know!

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  10. I have just returned from a walk and would you believe I saw for the first time in this area a little hedgehog...the dogs went crazy.....there is a simmiarity...but with the spikes thats where it ends I suppose....cute little guys 'tho.

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    1. Ah... I think all the hedgehogs in the UK are probably hibernating at the mo. I wouldn't mind having echidnas in the garden either - cute is right!

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  11. Odd things aren't they... the birds not the band

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