Desert Tortoise versus Gila Monster

 

 

 

As a follow-up to my previous desert tortoise scene, I looked for an opportunity to draw a female in battle.  I learned that while female tortoises rarely exhibit aggression towards their own species, they can be fierce in defending their nests and will even fight Gila monsters who want to eat the eggs.  The only venomous lizard native to the United States, the Gila monster must be a foreboding opponent.  But so is a reptilian battle tank with the temperament of a mother grizzly!

Tortoise combat

 

In researching desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) for a new comics project, I learned that the males engage in fearsome combat for territory and access to females.  Each tortoise digs at his opponent with the gular horn at the front of his plastron (lower shell) to flip the other onto his back!   For defense, they stand tall on their four legs and become hard to flip.  The tortoises can eventually right themselves, although being overturned must be stressful.  If they knew that they are a threatened species, would they reconsider their dueling traditions?  Inspired by the slow-moving warriors, I crafted this poster.

New Comic Book: Follow The Moon, for sale on Etsy

Etsy listing

A wise grandmother sea turtle gathers a crew of young mother turtles on the beach, and shares the story of how their kind came to be.  She tells the misadventures of a mischievous land turtle, who learns the hard way about the importance of following the Moon. 

This story was originally published in the anthology Oh Comics! #27: Moon by Back Porch Comics, 2019. I republished it as this mini-comic, which debuted at ABQ Zine Fest 9, in Albuquerque, NM.

This story is partly inspired by my grandmother, Evelyn Wood Moyle, who, in her elder years, frequently told a story about a bird dropping a turtle on her rooftop!

8.5" by 5.5"
8 pages
black and white

Follow the Moon, my first print publication of 2019

My five page comics story “Follow the Moon” has been accepted for publication in Oh, Comics #27: Moon, an anthology edited and published by Bob Corby over at Back Porch Comics. The anthology will debut at SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo), April 27 & 28, 2019. I will not be at this convention (I tabled in SPACE 2017 and loved it) but my work will. My contribution to the Moon issue is likely to be my first print publication of 2019—unless Carlsbad Caverns National Park sends the Junior Bat Biologist book I illustrated in 2018 to the printer first. I think that "Follow the Moon" is one of the best comics I have ever done. I plan to find more venues to publish it in. However, a book full of Moon stories is a great place to start! In the story, I bring together several topics that fire my passions—marine turtles, Native American legends, and our friendly natural satellite. As is often my process, it started with a single drawing... this one... and later on, I searched for the story behind the image. And I found it.

Notably, there is also a story which preceded the image, a story which my grandmother, Evelyn Wood Moyle, frequently shared in her elder years, about a bird dropping a turtle on her rooftop.  In my comic, I expand upon her anecdote and push it into new territory.

 Page One:

The fourth panel of page two:

And that's all I'm sharing online.  Buy the print version (online sales of the anthology will start after SPACE 2019) to read the full story.

The Hawk and the Flying Turtle

I composed this drawing as a gift for my friend Lesley, whose spirit animal is the hawk. The turtle could represent all the animals she aids. However, my choice to add the reptile was influenced by the story of my grandmother, Evelyn Wood Moyle, who departed from this earth four years ago, in January 2010. My family members know all about her connection to an aerial chelonian; for now, I shall let it remain a mystery to the outside world. I also recall the Dakota story of "How Turtle Flew South for the Winter;" I rather enjoy giving the turtle an odd voice when sharing this story with youngsters. You can choose your own interpretation of the flying turtle.

Happy 2014!