It's Synthetic! It's A Platypus!

It's Synthetic Platypus! Yes, Synthetic Platypus, as seen on TV! Act now, supplies are limited! Operators are standing by!

...Or maybe not. You can't fault the enthusiasm of my hyperbole, though!

"Synthetic Platypus" is actually the branding created by my pal Sara for her Internet presence. I'm happy to report that I was there when that name was coined, though the extent of MY contribution was saying, "Ooooh, I like that one!" Synthetic Platypus was originally conceived as being a fanzine, but has since been co-opted to be the name for Sara's online literary and artistic ventures. Though, knowing her, I wouldn't bet against it being represented with real world products one day.

Sara has a fun and interesting perspective, and I've always found her writing worth reading. You can do that too, if you'll only check out the Synthetic Platypus Blog. It is one of my favorite destinations when the lady can steal away the time to update it. Among recent posts of special interest are her discussions (with copious photos!) of gallery shows Bigger Than You and Chuck Jones : An Animated Life.

Synthetic Platypus is, however, a two-pronged Internet juggernaut. You should ALSO hie yourself over to the Synthetic Platypus Art Page. Sara is currently involved in a project in which she is creating pieces based on the challenges in Ethan Bodnar's Creative Grab Bag: Inspiring Challenges for Artists, Illustrators and Designers. The results have been fascinating, and not always expected. Here, I'll show you a couple of them! (And if the embed doesn't display properly, my apologies to everyone -- especially Sara!) :

Grapheme Magazine by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviantART

I love this piece, and I hope it finds a lot of love eventually. One typographic joke is hard enough, and this one is loaded with them! I would totally buy this magazine. Fantabulastic's Victoria by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviantART

This "fake" CD cover is more eye-catching than a lot of authentic CD covers. It's a piece that goes off into new and interesting directions, and is loaded with a lot of hidden imagery.

Let's spread the word and get this lady some increased attention, folks. Exploring new vistas of creativity shouldn't go unnoticed!