Not Yeti Friday - Webkinz Snowman

Webkinz are a a line of plush dolls that contain secret codes that allow their owners to play a pixelated version of the doll online in a virtual environment. And they are hugely popular among the youth. Each one is an animal of the traditional zoological variety: frogs, lions, monkeys, bears, dogs, etc.

Then one day it was announced that there would be a Snowman added to the line.

I've done some research, and when the inclusion of the Snowman was first announced, there was outrage:

"Is any1 else mad about the webkinz snowman? I am really disappointed! I mean it has ALWAYS just been animals the snowman is just going to ruin it all! Does any1 else agree (or disagree) with me?"

Some tried to be open minded. Why can't there be non-animal Webkinz?

But then the Snowman came out. And as you can see, it looked like a duck.



Some sort of cross between a yeti and a duck. To this day, people call it the "Snow Duck".

So it fits right in with all of the other animals!



But you know what? I think its nose is meant to be a carrot, not a beak. It really is a snowman. But there's something about putting eyes right next to the nose like that - makes you see it as a duck.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck...

Yetis Make Good Cakes

Reader Christine P. sent in these photos of a cake she made (with other coworkers) for a coworker's birthday:



Happy Birthday, Unnamed Coworker! You are truly lucky indeed to have your coworkers make you a yeti cake. Look at that frosting fur. That is serious.

Respect.

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For those paying attention, Yetis and Cakes have crossed paths before on this blog here and here.

Yetislavia!

T-shirt design by Snassiri. Here is the description:

Yetislavia!

The mythical homeland of the Yetis, tucked away in the frozen wasteland of Scandinavia, thrived for centuries, unnoticed by outside influences. The Yetis, who would travel south in search of food, were often targeted by hunters for their white coats, which were prized in the cold regions of Europe. People often dreamed of conquering the Yeti homeland, but no one knew for sure where it was, and it was guarded by terrain too dangerous to traverse for mere man.

Alas, in time conquerors did come. In 1099 a Viking horde invaded Yetislavia, razing the villages and capturing many Yeti. The few that managed to escape scattered across the globe. Some settled in the Himalayas. Others managed to make the treacherous crossing to North America, where they dyed their coats brown to hide amongst the forests.

No record has ever been found of their territory. It is believed the Vikings destroyed everything. Little is known about their culture, or their language (Yettish). What is certain is that they are plotting….waiting….to one day return to their ancestral home. And perhaps remind us all of why their motto, their battle cry, is Iki Sata Yetislavia!!!!

Ha! First time I've heard of the idea that Sasquatch are just yetis who had to dye their fur brown for camouflage. Good show!

Yamanashi English Teachers Int'l

With a logo like this, who wouldn't want to become an English teacher, move to Yamanashi, Japan, and then join the organization Yamanashi English Teachers International, aka YETI?

Sign me up!

Custom Bumble

Sid the Kid made a Custom Bumble.

Kaufenberg Yeti

Matt Kaufenberg (skutterfly) drew this yeti as part of his March of the Monsters series.

Avalanche Mascot, revisited

As previously discussed, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team has a yeti for a mascot. Here are some artists' designs for the guy:



Found here.






Found here.

Randolph Yeti

OkeyDokey by =bunu on deviantART
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I don't think I've ever seen red eyes on yeti and still have them be cute. This accomplishment can be attributed to illustrator Manda Randolph (aka bunu).

Vintage Abominable Snowman Plush

You can purchase thisYou could have purchased this off of ebay. The seller indicates it's an Abominable Snowman plush from 1960:

This auction is for a 15" Plush Yeti - Abominable Snowman. I have had this plush since I was young. I am not sure what company made this plush as it has no tag or markings. Am not sure if it did and my mom cut it off???? Made from a wavy plush faux fur and has shorter fur on chest and pawpads. Can stand on its own. Has orange safety eyes. Just a very neat plush. If you are a Yeti collector this would make an excellent addition to you collection. Not sure if hard cardboard or plastic inserts in his feet. In good condition for it's age. From non smoking collectors home.

I am having difficulty imagining such a toy being made in the Sixties. Seems more like a modified white teddy bear. But stranger things have happened!

Also, what are "safety eyes"?

So mysterious! Anyone know who originally made this toy? Is it really meant to be a yeti?

Help me identify this mystery creature unknown to science!

This is crypto-plushology at its best.

Harvey Yeti

Yets by ~Lysol-Jones on deviantART
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Douglas Harvey did this guy. I like! Here is a close up:

Not Yeti Friday - Goro the Bunny Eater

Goro the Bunny Eater by RunFreakRun

Description:

Goro The Bunny Eater is made from fleece and he's about 8.5" tall from head to toe. This little sasquatch has a mouth filled with white rabbits that he hunts for to satisfy his enormous appetite.

If you check out Goro on his Etsy page, you can see more photos that show a sequence of him eating bunnies. Is amusing to me!

Tsui Yeti

Don't really know if these vinyl designer toys by Tim Tsui are meant to be yeti (probably not), but it's Friday - so I'm safe.




-- Snagged here and here from my plastic heart

DeCicco Yeti

Gene DeCicco likes the yeti.

Exhibt A: he drew the above image - a very proud yeti indeed.
Exhibit B: he drew these comic pages that appear to depict a battle with a yeti.
Exhibit C: His handle on his blog is "Yetiman".

Icenogle Yeti

Illustrator Julia Icenogle made a bundt cake, but as everyone knows, cakes don't always come out right from the pan. Sometimes they stick, and it is impossible to maintain perfection when making the transfer.

Many would throw the cake away and start again. But not Julia Icenogle. She did the most sensible thing. She just turned the cake into a yeti snow cave:



Think on this: When life gives you an imperfect bundt cake... make a yeti snow cave.

Words to live by.

BTW, "Julia Beth Icenogle" is an anagram for "The Bagel-Juice Lion" and that is the name of her blog. Very cool.

Remember forever that "Abominable Snowman" is an anagram for "Albanian Women Mobs". Keep it foremost in your mind.

.....

Thanks for the scoop, Meh Teh!

????? Yeti

I don't know who created these plush creatures, unfortunately.

Anyone know?

I just know they were exhibited at a Plush You! Exhibition.

The green hominid in the middle is probably meant to be a Swamp Ape. Its inclusion is further evidence that the trend I predicted is (albeit slowly) coming true. Here is further evidence.

Green is the new white.

ponygon Yeti

The Yeti by ~ponygon on deviantART

Walker Yeti

Yeti by Jason Walker
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Bet you didn't know yeti wears a utility belt.

What you think is in the pouches?

* Yak seasoning?

* Very small coils of rope?

* A brush for his luscious, flowing hair?

* Black nail polish?

* Assorted frozen treats?

* Frogs?

Geekfreeks' Yeti

Geekfreeks are the husband and wife team of Karla Hansen and Alex Leighton. Their blog is Geek Booteek.

They make a da plush:


Yeti 1


Yeti 2

Dem's swell eye-brows.

Stickers

Brandon Todd Wilson made these stickers of what looks like a yeti russian doll, except instead of smaller and smaller yetis nested inside, there are yeti's peeled-away innards.

scratchmark Yeti

Yeti Charge by ~scratchmark on deviantART

Teddy and the Yeti #3

The third issue of "Teddy and the Yeti" (previously blogged about here and here) is going to premiere at the Pittsburgh Comicon this upcoming weekend - April 23, 24 and 25.

Creator and writer Jeff McClelland will be there at the Wagon Wheel Comics booth, S088, so drop on by!

Here is a preview of the comic:



Thrill to three titanic tales in the third issue of Teddy and the Yeti! Discover the origin of Teddy and the Yeti! Witness an undersea battle! And marvel at the one villain who could turn Teddy and the Yeti against each other! Plus: Ultimate Hero with Travis Sengaus and an interview with cover artist Tom Scioli!

Yetis in Libraries

It's National Library Week, and I am coincidentally heading to a library conference for the same week. Check out these yetis in libraries:


Artist Jeff Crowther is working on a children's book called "Yeti 4 Hire", and at one point, the yeti is hired as a librarian. I hope to do a bigger post solely on "Yeti 4 Hire", but this a little preview. Can't wait to see the final product!


At Colorado College's Tutt Library, a yeti was spotted checking out a book.
(FYI: this is the very same disguise one can acquire for only $100 at HalloweenCostumes.com.)

Not Yeti Friday - Leeanna Butcher's Clodhoppers

Clodhoppers, according to their creator Leeanna Butcher (blog/etsy shop), are Bigfoot-like creatures that come in lots of different colors and love to wear mismatched socks.

The most yeti-ish is the one known as Charlie Clodhopper (pictured).

Canada Yeti

No, not that Canada. This digital art is by artist Bob Canada.

Doering Yeti

For his Senior Film at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Matt Doering is working on a cartoon short called Molly and Emma's Pet Yeti.

He's been keeping a blog to document his progress, and it's great getting insight into his decision-making. I mean, modern yeti illustrators have a lot of decisions to make! There is no one way to depict a yeti.

Here you can see some of his initial designs for his character. He chose to go with the most lanky and lovable.



I liked Doering's thoughtful explanation on how he decided on the coloring for his yeti:

Most people choose a lighter toned Yeti, which I agree is appropriate because that is what generally separates Yeti's from Bigfoot interpretations. However, most Yeti interpretations I've seen included some variation of white on blue. Following suit for this Yeti design is, I think, a tad cliche. The Yeti in "Emma and Moly's Pet Yeti," is a very "different" yeti, not only in personality but also in appearance. I not only choose a warm neutral scheme because it stands out nicely against a cold environment, but a warm fur, gives him, I think more character. Think of it this way: red is hair is to humans as brown or warm fur tones are to Yeti's. This Yeti is playful, he's creative, he's care free, and he's intelligent. He's not a big, hulky mass that likes to eat and smash things. I wanted his coloring to reflect this. I did however, keep a blueish-green nose, and teal hair to tie him back to his cold origins. I also choose to give him a dark patch over his eyes for two reasons: many animals have this feature, and it is a common feature among various Yeti interpretations. Also, the darker patch helps his eyes stand out against his light fur tone.

I am curious to see if other artists tasked with depicting yeti share Doeiring's belief that the standard white & blue is cliche. As time goes on, will we start to see more and more warm-toned yetis?

Yeti Crab plush?

I want to say this is a yeti crab. It's probably not (I think it has fingered hands, not claws), but I want to say it is.

People need to start making more yeti crab things. There is a dearth. An acute insufficiency.

The longer I wait for yeti crab things, the more random the thing I claim is a yeti crab thing will be. If in one month's time there are no yeti crab things brought to my attention, I will make a post that indicates that something silly and completely not a yeti crab is, in fact, a yeti crab. MARK. MY. WORDS.

Kinabrew Yeti

Andrew Kinabrew filmed his creation of a 3D Yeti, and it won first place in a sculpting challenge.



Here is just a sample of the 10 hour process (Part 9 of 10):



If you actually want to watch Kinabrew make the sculpt from start to finish, start here.

Sakket Yeti

sgetti yeti by ~SAKKET on deviantART

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The Yeti and Spaghetti theme lives!

Abominable Love Monster

Plush doll by plushplex (etsy/flickr) made specifically for Valentine's Day.

Further evidence that yeti is now strongly associated with THREE of the biggest holidays in the U.S. He is the King of Holidays.

EKOes Yeti

Dance Yeti by ~Echoes83 on deviantART

More illustrations by this artist at their sketchblog

Not Yeti Friday - Dan May's Monsters

In his fine art work, Dan May often paints creatures that resemble yeti.


When the Music Ends, acrylic on wood panel


Covet, acrylic on wood panel

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You know what else is NOT YETI? The "Oriental Yeti". What the #$*@?! Is anything a yeti these days? Is nothing sacred?

Everybody loves a Yeti Hand-Puppet

First it was a t-shirt, then it was a cake...

Now it's a set of hand-puppets!



Yes, Everybody Loves a Yeti has been re-envisioned as a set of crocheted puppets by Leslie Evans for Threadknits, an online knitting and crocheting contest.

Here is the original design:



And here is a video of the puppets in action:



Thanks for the scoop, Alexz!

Palmer Yeti Crab

Yeti Crab painting by Dave Palmer

Schorr Yeti

We haven't seen one in a while, and I thought it was time: everyone's favorite new trend, the yeti in undies.

Paper cut by Jared Andrew Schorr (blog)

Yults the Yeti Without a Soul

yults the yeti with no soul by *jouste on deviantART

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This is Yults. He's a yeti whose soul was stolen by the demon Drack the Despicable. Not having a soul means not "getting" any yeti stand-up comedy (very important in yeti culture), and that means being exiled from the grand yeti-capitol. Now Yults hunts Drack to reclaim his soul (and sense of humor), using the severed green hand of Drack around his neck to point the way.

Yults uses the traditional yeti weapon of the carnivorous vampire club, which is actually a plant that shoots thorns that eat blood.

Jouste, the artist behind Yults, creates lots of great character designs and comes up with funny descriptions and background info for each one.

Band of Bigfoot

Reader charalee gives this heads up:

there is a fresh band in los angeles called band of bigfoot...they perform in sasquatch yeti and bigfoot costumes... they have a facebook page... and a cd...they are working on a "short" (film) too...

The lead singer is known as the Abominable Frontman. Here is their Myspace page.

Yeti w/ Braces

Seymour Yeti T-shirt by Austin Miller of UltraPunch Toy Co

Yeti got braces!

Thanks, Austin!

Mountain Dew Yeti

Alexz has the scoop:

There is a special Mountain Dew bottle that has a yeti on it. It's part of this limited edition series of bottles with different commissioned artists' works decorating their labels.



I had no idea this existed!



I'm pretty sure the artist is Jeff McMillan, whose amazing wedding I previously blogged about!

The wedding was especially notable for having a sculpture of a yeti in lederhosen.

Thanks, Alexz!

Yeti on a Goat

As previously discussed on this blog, D.J. Coffman draws anything on his site, Yirmumah, if'n you request it.

For "Will Drawing Anything" # 602, he was given the task by a "Ryan K" of drawing an Abominable Snowman riding a mountain goat. Here is the result: