Evolution and the natural world have always been a huge artistic inspiration; it's fascinating to see how nature can shape an organism into something like a stripey horse-goat with a long black tongue and the ability to disappear into the forest.
Kory is the creator of the long-running urban fantasy webcomic Skin Deep (www.skindeepcomic.com) and illustrator for The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, When the Earth Was Green, and the upcoming Tyrant Lizard Queen by Riley Black.
artist Kory Bing, with the digital art for the okapi pins she designed
Kory Bing is an illustrator based in Oregon City, Oregon with a focus on strange creatures, extinct animals, and other oddities of our natural world. She grew up in the rural Ozark Mountains of Missouri and spent most of her childhood in the woods poking things with sticks and picking up snakes.
Have you discovered the fabulous Bizarre Beasts show?
Many episodes trace the scientific discovery and early descriptions of #BizarreBeasts through the literature. Look out for references to the Biodiversity Heritage Library! (Thanks @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social for crediting BHL!)
The wooden end of an hour glass inscribed Endlings Trivia Champion.
Thank you! This is beautiful!
We love Endlings and are happy to have supported it!
@bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social @hankgreen.bsky.social
Braconid wasps are pretty weird! Here's an animation of a wasp injecting a host with its virus!
Special thanks to the folks at Ant Lab for letting us use this footage of wasps emerging from a caterpillar in our episode! youtube.com/shorts/VO-Mi...
"I really enjoyed designing this wasp pin, especially because through the process I learned so much about the life cycles and diversity of Braconid wasps. Wasps are amazing creatures that are so often maligned. They deserve our respect."
Spending time watching bugs live their lives has always been a valued activity for him. His work largely features realistic scenes within imagined realities. He is a self taught artist.
Artist Sage Friss with braconid wasp pins he designed
Our braconid wasp pin artist is Sage Friss!
Sage is a Missoula based artist who grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Montana. He's deeply connected to the world around him and inspired by nature.
It's World Wildlife Day!
Check out the United Nations' Virtual Celebration and learn about conservation science www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcmv...
Text: If you guessed braconid wasps , you're right! With an illustration of our braconid wasp pin, designed by Sage Friss
If you guessed braconid wasps, you're right! Braconid wasps are parasitoids, which is a type of parasitism with a slightly different outcome. The host of a parasitoid, becomes a dual-purpose incubator and food source for its offspring. youtu.be/LmQNrI4aIzo
Text: Can you guess the next bizarre beast? with the silhouette of an insect that we cannot name but if you check back on monday you'll get the answer!
The survival of this family of insects is so intertwined with a virus that they partly share a genome. This extreme level of teamwork lets these beasts live their best parasitoid lives. Can you guess what the next bizarre beast is?
A mola mola fish underwater
Hank loves the Mola Mola! youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Large blue "C" logo above text reading "Complexly is now a 501c3 nonprofit!" with colorful curved stripes at the bottom of the image.
Complexly is excited to share that we are now a 501c3 nonprofit, built on the idea that good information is worth it.
New structure. Same mission. Bigger impact.
Find out how you can support free, independent, trustworthy education at Complexly.org
Shipworm Valentine's Day Card cover that says Wood You Be My Valentine?
It's that time of year again! Wood you be our Valentine?
A human-caused extinction we can all be stoked about!
Curious about a potential Guinea worm endling? We made a whole series about lasts-of-their-kind over on @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social
Rajah Brooke's Birdwing illustration + text if you guessed Rajah Brooke's Birdwings, you're right!
If you guessed Rajah Brooke's Birdwings, or ultra-black animals for the feature, you're right!
Ultra-black generally means a shade of black that reflects 0.5% of light or less, and these bizarre beasts have areas of their body that do just that!
youtu.be/aG06yKwabac?...
can you guess the next bizarre beast? silhouette of a beast in lime green!
Our next bizarre beast is really more of a collection of beasts that all have this one dark thing in common. Some may not surprise you, like deep sea fish, but we've seen it with butterflies and birds as well! Can you guess this beast, or it's bizarre feature?
A narwhal’s tusk is actually an elongated tooth growing counter-clockwise from its head! Check out www.narwhal.org to learn more cool facts like that about the unicorns of the sea.
All of the Endlings mini-series episodes are out now! You can learn all about these bizarre beasts that are truly one of a kind. You can watch all of the episodes at youtube.com/bizarrebeasts.
PS - You can still snag an Endlings bandana at bizarrebeastsshow.com!
Narwhal (Mondon monoceros) is the bizarre beasts monthly critter!
Whether you call them one-toothed, the one who points at the sky, or corpse whales-- one thing is for certain, this unicorn of the sea is bizarre. youtu.be/bTql5Pv0gf0?...
Lord Howe Island Giant Stick Insects in a cliffside bush
The final episode of our Endlings miniseries is out now! Learn how Lord Howe Island Giant Stick Insects (say that five times fast) came back from the dead. youtu.be/PAzVFQ1-THc?...
an animation of a guinea worm extraction
Is extinction really always a bad thing? In the latest episode of our Endlings miniseries, we discuss a case where extinction might be for the greater good... youtu.be/46xA35awnL8?...
Sarah Suta rocks the new handmade holidays edition bizarre beasts tshirt.
For a limited time, you can get this Bizarre Beasts shirt! Our very own fashion icon, Sarah, hand-made the design featured on the front!
Grab yours at complexly.store before Dec. 8th if you want to be the weirdest animal at your family's holiday festivities!
Christmas Island Red Crab Gecarcoidea natalis with crab pin design.
Our next Bizarre Beast is the Christmas Island Red Crab! Learn all about their weird mating rituals and how they took over Christmas Island in our latest episode. youtu.be/5YsJ7q7a7fA
Thylacines drawn on a grassy cliff near water's edge.
The next endling in our mini-series is the Thylacine! Thylacines (aka Tasmanian Tigers or Tasmanian Wolves) have been extinct since 1936. Many factors contributed to their extinction, but our own zoological fascination was part of the problem. Learn more in our latest episode. youtu.be/YeMXE8XEmSU
if you guessed Mexican tetra you're right!
If you guessed Mexican Tetra, you're right! This little tropical fish makes a great pet, but it also lives in cave systems in at least 29 different caves. In addition to the standard, this beast also comes in various versions of "cave flavor." youtu.be/PXW7xcESz-s
Blue Blob silhouette, "Can you guess the next bizarre beast?"
Sometimes we can spot when a new species diverges from a nearby population. Certain adaptations can even give us a clue about what’s to come. Our next bizarre beast gives us a chance to see what happens when a single beast makes an evolutionary change. Can you guess what the next bizarre beast is?
#TBT with @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social as they discuss some of the "blobby"-est creatures, including some witnessed by OET during our exploration: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9j...
