The Insufferable Tricloptopus

(Click on any of the images above to open full resoultion pages which you can then save or print.)

Excerpt from The Extra Terra/Fauna Field Guide Vol. 7:

There are few creatures that define the gap between human and alien paths of sentient development more than the Tricloptopus. Despite their towering stature, the Tricloptopi are more of a nuisance than a threat, and, fortunately, their seemingly advanced weaponry has little to no effect on Magnonauts no matter how often the Tricloptopi open fire on them (which, reportedly, is quite often when they are encountered in the wild, the sensation typically being compared to an itch deep inside one’s ear that can’t be easily reached with a q-tip.)

It is believed now that some aspect of the natural body odor of a Magnonaut must offend or disrupt the Tricloptic brain pattern, which is why no serious attempts have ever been made to learn or study the aliens beyond brief observational study.

Transversely, the Tricloptopi are described as possessing a “rubbery smell” that, while not terribly unpleasant, gives the easily offended Magnonaut a solid basis for shallow retorts whilst being pummeled with harmless “’pus rays.”

NOW ENTERING REAL WORLD

These dudes came about with my re-discovery of the existence of animal balloons (Thanks mostly to my children and the tendency of grocery stores to dangle little toys on strip clips right beside all the boring life-sustaining food). I have struggled to make poseable tentacles and tails (the bread and butter of sci-fi) ever since I started this endeavor a couple years ago. The technique has gone from simply wrapping tape around wire to threading beads on wire and wrapping that in tape (although I do have a great project on standby using that basic premise,) but nothing touches the simplicity of putting a pipe cleaner in a un-inflated animal balloon, and that’s the premise on which these villains are conceived.

TOOLS
X-acto Knife, Scissors, Hot Glue/Gun.

SUPPLIES

1” (smaller, ring size) Prize Bubble (http://www.candymachines.com/Empty-Vending-Capsules-C99.aspx), 3 Beads (1/4”,) 3 Animal Balloons (the long balloons that clowns twist into giraffes,) 2 Cable Ties (These things,) a piece of Extra Thick Foamie, 4 Pipe Cleaners, Electrical Tape, Magnet

!!!

NOTE: THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY VERSION OF THIS POST. Eventually I will add video and pictures of the construction for this and most of the projects, which you can check for by clicking the TRICLOPTOPUS icon to the right of this screen (it will link directly to this post, so it doesn't matter if it gets buried.)