Name: Barghest, Barguest

Tasmanian wolf woven blanket design by MarcoNavarro on Threadless. I wish this had actually been made!

1933 Thylacine Footage Colourised

Through his company, the Paris-based Composite Films, Samuel François-Steininger has developed a well-deserved reputation as a leader in the field of colourising black-and-white archival footage. The NFSA scanned the original film negative using a Scanity HDR (High Dynamic Range) film scanner and sent Ultra High Definition ProRes files to Samuel in Paris. Samuel's team then commenced extensive research before embarking on the colourisation process. Samuel writes: 'For the thylacine, I faced a different kind of challenge – and responsibility. I had to take care of the rare filmed footage and pay tribute to the last representative of a species, which disappeared 85 years ago.' 'From a technological point of view, we did everything digitally – combining digital restoration, rotoscoping and 2D animation, lighting, AI algorithms for the movement and the noise, compositing and digital grading. 'More than 200 hours of work were needed to achieve this result.'

Here's a nice way to celebrate National Threatened Species Day in Australia (September 7) - some enhanced and colorized thylacine footage! Watch it on the NFSA Website.

(By the way, as of September 7th, 2021, it has been 85 years since the death of the last confirmed thylacine in 1936.)

Gef the Talking Mongoose is obviously a most unique creature. Unsatisfied by others’ renditions of him, Gef decided he must draw a self portrait. Supposedly, Gef grasped a pencil and drew this sketch of himself. It says: “Crude sketch by Gef. 17/8/35. Supposed to be of his head. J.T.I.” The initials are those of James Irving, on whose property Gef lived. 

We still have enough time in 2019 to bring back the thylacine

Minimalist thylacine watercolors by artist Melissa Siles. [x]

Gef the Talking Mongoose said a number of notable things in his time living at the home of the Irvings on the Isle of Man. He could speak a number of different languages according to those he spoke to, including but not limited to Welsh, Spanish, and Russian. However, even though he could speak more than English, he once claimed that the Irvings were the ones that had taught him to speak: “For years, I understood all that people said, but I could not speak until you taught me”. 

Inktober Day 20 - Jackalope

“The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a fearsome critter) described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns”

Drawcember Cryptid 12 - Black Shuck

Ahead, you see on the way every step now behind you. Keeping to the path you view. I follow you on the way, trailing shadow seen behind you. Keeping on my path to you.