The Mudskipper
The Mudskipper is a little rowing boat. An alien is rowing by the light of crescent moon. Gas bubbles rise to the surface and pop, releasing a foul smell. The alien is going fishing with his rod and tackle box.
I wouldn’t want to eat what he catches.
Mud would be too solid to fish as we know it — unless the alien environment makes it the equivalent of water. I would have thought a harpoon or maybe a rod with an anvil attached would be more fitting. Any thoughts? Comment below.
The backstory behind these silly illos
Ian Gunn, creator of these silly illos (illustrations), was an award-winning artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Cancer took him too soon. But his legacy includes numerous illustrations for zines, books and even school textbooks.
We’ve published Ian’s Silly Illos here. Many of these illustrations are available for sale.
Victoria’s science fiction convention, Continuum, occasionally presents the Ian Gunn Memorial Award recognising the ‘unsung heroes’ of fandom. Recipients work in obscurity for years without recognition. This award commemorates Ian’s selfless efforts to reach out to others, encouraging others and thereby building the science fiction community.
K’rin Pender-Gunn, Ian’s widow, gave Dark Matter Zine permission to republish Ian’s artwork. Thanks, K’rin!
