I Loved the Yeti: 2013 Yeti Year in Review

What a year of Yeti L❤ve it has been. Verily.

NEWS:

Oxford University genetics professor Dr. Bryan Sykes' theory that one type of Yeti is an ancient polar/brown bear hybrid was widely reported in the media, bringing the Yeti closer to the forefront of the popular imagination.

Skeptics are all like: "See, the yeti is a bear!" And believers are all like: "See, the yeti is an unknown animal!"

So everybody's happy.... That's right, Everyone's a Winner!

MOVIES:

I thought there weren't going to be any yetis in movies this year (unlike last year when they were all over the place), but then Pixar pulled a fast one on us (in the best way possible) and included their Yeti in Monsters University:

Pixar gets the top award this year for doing that.

Thank you, Pixar!
for including the Yeti in Monsters University

TELEVISION:

Harold, the Matterhorn yeti, made his cartoon debut in Mickey Mouse cartoon, Yodelberg:

There have been yetis in the animated Monster High webisodes:

Source

The anime "One Piece" episode featuring the Cool Yeti Brothers, which aired in April 2013:

Some missing episodes of The Web of Fear, the Doctor Who story featuring the Yeti, were found and made available!

But the top spot goes to this year's "Night Vision" Superbowl commercial, which starred a man wrestling a yeti over Wheat Thins. This was the yeti that was probably seen by the most amount of people.

MUSIC:

Hands down, the biggest music event of the year was Kanye West live in concert wearing a Yeti disguise.

Heroism. Pure and simple.

PUBLICATIONS:

An issue of the ForteanTimes had a cover story about the Russia yeti. The cover featured a rock-wielding yeticorn!

The winner is a picture book, "Yeti, Turn Out the Light!", featuring the Gama-Go yeti:

I believe Tim Biskup drew the very first one in 2003, so that's a decade of Gama-Go yeti - easily one of the most enduring yeti designs.

Happy Decennial Anniversary, Gama-Go Yeti!

GAMES:

DuckTales Remastered is just what the title suggests, a remastering of the 1990 DuckTales video game. They improved the yeti 100%:

Studio Ghibli made a video game, Ni-Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and oh yeah, they be yeti in it:

First place goes to: Candy Crush Saga - one of the most popular, successful games of the year:

TOYS:

Lotso toys came out this year.

This 64-colors designer toy is très chic. Wish I'd grabbed it up when it was more available:

I was able to acquire this Monsters, Inc. plush, which is just swell. Also makes a great gift for a certain nephew who is obsessed with stuffed animals:

I'm debating whether to get this Regular Show Funko figure:

And there's the Big Boots Arctic Yeti Catcher Vehicle Playset which came out this July and is getting good reviews:

But, no contest, the best is the Lego Collectible Mini-figure. Easily, one of the biggest yeti events of the year, regardless of category:

I don't know if you've been on flickr recently but people goin' crazy over there taking photos of their Lego Collectible Yeti figure doing various things in various little scenes. Guy's a star.

FAVORITE POSTS:

Here's what I liked best:

And my fav Not Yetis:

My #1 post of the year is a tie :

The Northern Henry

Artwork by Travis Louie

Bes

This Egyptian god is the best. If Bes was real, let's just say my current faith would be tested.

NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THIS:

# 1 is Yeti as a colonial soldier (a life-long dream)

By Chris Vititoe

New category: O' WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, BUT WASN'T:

I was surprised to learn that the animated film "Wreck-It Ralph" almost starred a yeti:

But they switched it to a regular human dude.

A LOOK AHEAD:

On this blog in the next year, my readers can expect theme weeks on such diverse topics as:

Top Hats
Puppets
The 2014 Winter Olympic Games
Aliens
Antlers

As well as the return of some favorites such as kids cartoons, the eating of random things, Wampa Week, and cyclopses.

Plus, stay tuned very soon for my 3,000th post! I am planning a whopper for it.

There you go! I declare 2013 the Year of the Yeti! Huzzeti!

Please note: Every year is the Year of the Yeti on this blog.

A LOOK AHEAD
What can one expect in the popular culture in the coming year(s)?

Let's speculate based on some recent clues...

Long Shots:

1) Harry Potter writer JK Rowling will do Fantastic Beasts movie,
Could this mean that yeti is one of the featured fantastic beasts?

Why a long shot? Sure, the Yeti was included in the original book version of Fantastic Beasts. But it just seems like wishful thinking considering the competition. What I really want to see is a yeti as somebody's patronus. I mean, why not? Dumbledore's was a phoenix after all!

Hmm, that makes me wonder if Scott Pilgrim's patronus is a yeti?

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2) The new World of Warcraft movie could have yeti.
It's one of the game's more identifiable monsters. Time will tell whether David Bowie's son wants to express the love what dare not speak its name (psst talkin' bout yeti).

Why a long shot? The most recent word is that the movie will be based more on the original yeti-less Warcraft strategy games, not the MMORPG.

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3) Wampa on the big screen again
Apparently, starting in 2015, there will be a new Star Wars film in theaters every single year because they will be doing more origin story prequels besides the new sequel trilogy. Seems possible the Wampa will make another silver screen appearance. I can just picture an aged, learned Luke Skywalker returning to Hoth and saying: "I sense something; a presence I have not felt since... 'The Empire Strikes Back'!" and he be talkin' bout Wampa!

Why a long shot? I'm guessing JJ and co. will probably want to make up their own new alien monsters, rather than re-do old ones.

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Less of a Long Shot:

1) Hotel Translyvania 2 is coming in September 2015
Seems possible they'll bring back the yeti character.

2) Neil Gaiman wants to bring back the Doctor Who yeti
"I would love to have a huge shambling robotic Yeti, just because I loved them when I was a kid. So, I would love to do that. That would be wonderful.” Plus, The Web Of Fear was (mostly) restored. So maybe we will see a revamped yeti in the new Peter Capaldi Dr. W !

3) In development is a movie called The Hill based on Disney's Matterhorn ride.
A big budget live-action movie featuring Harold is in the works, folks!

4) Hammer Films is planning a reboot of their classic 1950's film "The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas"
This is very exciting.

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Definitely happening:

Safari Ltd® Cryptozoology Toob is coming in 2014
Loren Coleman says: "The great impact of little cryptid figurines being so available in 2014 cannot be overstated."