Last month’s issue was simply titled “The Octopost: ”, with the space after the colon unintentionally left blank. This month I may have overcompensated.

Cephalopod News

One of my favorite real-world mysteries is that an unknown number of unknown species lurk in the extensive collections of natural history museums. Such was the case of the deep-sea octopus Graneledone sellanesi, whose existence began to be suspected based on specimens found in 2000 and 2007 off Chile’s coast. Researchers scoured the shelves of Chile’s National Museum of Natural History, and eventually found eight similar specimens from the 80’s and 90’s. Compiling the data, they described a new species with a unique sucker arrangement and announced it on February 19th—my birthday!

The next day a more sober cephalopod story broke: despite a decade of protection by international law, nautiluses are still being killed for their shells, which are “sliced up by the thousands to inlay into the surfaces of decorative furniture and handicrafts.” Researchers estimate that this trade uses at least 10,000 nautilus shells every year, and local authorities don’t seem to care that it’s illegal.

Just a few days later, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute released footage of a gorgeous baby glass squid. Thirty seconds of tiny rippling fins, precious little eyestalks, and gentle pulsing breaths are a beautiful reminder that “there’s some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

My News

I’ll be participating in the Peninsula Libraries Comic Arts Fest (PLCAF) as well as returning to San Diego Comic-Con, though it looks like I won’t make it to BayCon due to a schedule conflict.

April 4, time TBD: PLCAF Cartoonists Panel at the South San Francisco Library

April 18, 3pm: PLCAF Workshop at the South San Francisco Library

July 23-26: San Diego Comic-Con, details TBD

Funny Pages

On my birthday, I like to offer little gifts in the form of cephalopod doodles. I invite people to send in requests, and their ideas are always delightful! Here are a few of this year’s doodles: