This little bear (kind of looks like a dog to me) has appeared on the streets of New York. Until now I’d only seen photos, and I loved the idea, but now, seeing it on video, I love it even more. The ferocity of the beast is enhanced by its tremulous stance when the air pressure is too strong.

The grates on the street are air vents for the subway tunnels. Whenever a train goes by, the pressure wave of air in front of the train shoots up through the grates and inflates the sculpture. It’s a brilliant and creative use of otherwise lost energy. I wish I had thought of it! (of course, the Twin Cities don’t have subways, so…)

Come with me on a voyage through time. It is now one week ago: October 12th, 2007. You are getting ready to go out, and you happen to live in Seattle. You think, “Hey, I want to see some awesome, fun plush art tonight!” I am here to help you find what you seek: the 2007 Plush You! show at Schmancy (and its neighbors) is the third year it has been organized by the intrepid Kristen Rask. This year, the show is buoyed by the release of the book based on last year’s show, Plush You!: Lovable Misfit Toys to Sew and Stuff. It open(s/ed) October 12th and runs through the beginning of next month. Get out and see it!

My contribution this year is from a time long ago, when man and mammoth roamed the earth together. Otto and Orville are a mammoth rancher who do some experimenting to create… MammothMammoth! This year, the tags I made for the beasties were actually a micro-comic, just 8 pages long.

In other past news, traveling further into the past all the way to an October 8th release, I contributed to the 4th round of SpeakerDogs, organized by Ben the Illustrator. Download, cut out, and create your very own Piggy Back Beast!

And don’t forget to go all the way back to Labor Day weekend, and enjoy the collection of chickens, goats, and walking beef from the 2007 Minnesota State Fair. Sadly, no photos of the fried cheese curds. Mmmm, squeaky!

Okay, show’s over! Return to the present. LIVE IN THE NOW!

These are cute and horrifying at the same time. They are inside-out teddy bears photographed by Kent Rogowski. (via BoingBoing)

Which reminds me, I don’t think I’ve linked up the plush books I contributed to. Plush-o-Rama: Curious Creatures for Immature Adults came out last November, and Plush You!: Lovable Misfit Toys to Sew and Stuff will be out this coming November. I’ve contributed not just work, but also instructions for making your own plush critters in each book. Enjoy!