Escher A. Bug

It tastes like a pumpkin gingerbread cake! Great treat for fall and winter!

Tim Cain's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins -- They're the shadow king's favorite!

1 and 2/3 cup flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup pumpkin (half of a 16 oz can)

1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted

Tim Cain is one of the creators of Fallout

and he is an overall delight

Above: Amerila astreus with two large globs of defensive froth

Moths of the genus Amerila are often described as frother moths, because they're able to secrete a frothy, foul-tasting substance that helps to deter predators. The fluid is produced by the prothoracic glands, which are located near the base of each wing (just behind the moth's head) and a distinctive "sizzling" or "hissing" sound is emitted as the frothy substance bubbles out.

Above: Amerila astreus

As this article explains:

If molested, resting adults produce quantities of a frothy, orange fluid from their prothoracic glands, accompanied by a sizzling sound. The froth not only has an aversive odor to humans but also contains PAs (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) which are taste-repelling.

Above: a frother moth producing its defensive secretion

The adult moths of this genus are pharmacophagous, which means that they acquire the chemicals that are used to create their defensive froth by ingesting plants that contain toxic or noxious compounds; those chemicals are then sequestered within the moth's own body, where they are repurposed and transformed into a frothy secretion.

Above: genus Amerila

Frother moths also use aposematic markings to signal their toxicity and/or unpalatability. Their legs, thorax, and abdomen are all decorated with reddish-pink markings, and they have large black spots that stand out against their mostly-white bodies.

Above: Amerila crokeri and Amerila rubripes

The genus Amerila contains dozens of species, and they are all known to have this defense mechanism. They are widely distributed throughout many different parts of the world; depending on the species, they may be found in the Himalayas, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, Australia, or Africa.

Above: Amerila crokeri

Several other moths from the subfamily Arctiinae can produce a similar defensive secretion when threatened, but the color, consistency, and composition of the substance differs greatly from one species to the next.

Sources & More Info:

iNaturalist: Genus Amerila

Metamorphosis Australia: Australian Arctiid Moths

Australian Lepidoptera: Amerila crokeri

Metamorphosis Australia: Weird and Wonderful Moths

Entomo Brasilis: Defensive Froth in Arctiidae Species in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil (PDF)

Moths of Australia: Adult Adaptations for Survival

As a student I had trouble drawing nature for comics. Sketching from reference helped, but I still couldn’t find the right level of pen & ink abstraction for water, vegetation, or natural phenomena. Careful underdrawing wasn’t enough to make the panels work. My eye was undeveloped.

Joe Kubert recommended I get some photos, xerox them at high contrast, then study the patterns that resulted. Sketching from these sharpened my instincts. You can do the same thing digitally with Threshold (Photoshop) or Binarization (Clip Studio.) Play with the slider for different densities.

Hi there! Not odd at all.

I actually make the stickers as an excuse to talk to people at shows because I'm very shy but want to make friends and share the love! It's fine to just say hey and start a conversation. We're obviously here because we love the same band, and there's a lot to talk about there!

Once you've found me (short, face mask, circular glasses, caterpillar earring), you can also always just say "I heard/read that you've got stickers! Can I see them?"; I will have multiple sets you can choose from, as well as whatever is left of my older stickers.

A disclaimer though: There is a chance that the Danforth will not let me distribute stickers, in which case you will probably get to just ask Merchlord Dylan about them (I will leave a fat stack with him if I'm able). In the event I can't even do that, we'll just have to trust the mail system and give people my website contact form for info.

HOWEVER, I will have something equally special even if I can't hand out stickers myself, at a much lower quantity.

In order to receive this from me, I think you should tell me your favorite/worst dad joke. Even if it sucks, I will give you the thing as long as I still have them, because part of the appeal of a dad joke is that it kind of sucks.