The Tale of Loki Rabbit

Behold my silly creation!

<img class=”alignnone  wp-image-1390″ title=”The Tale of Loki Rabbit at the Library: a silly mashup cover of a fun story that deserves contemplation (or not). ” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lokirabbithlo.jpg?w=584″ alt=”My fake cover illustration of The Tale of Loki Rabbit at the Library – riffing on Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” width=”584″ height=”755″>

If you’re not interested in how I came up with this and the process of its creation, then go ahead and stop reading now. &nbsp;I’m going to blather on for awhile in case anyone’s interested.

How do I even begin to describe the thought processes that led to my creation of a comic/bunny/library mashup? &nbsp;Well, it began with a not-super-serious challenge from an online friend who loves bunnies. &nbsp;We were joking about how I should jump on the seemingly sudden popularity of bunnies on&nbsp;<em>Tumblr.</em> &nbsp;Ultimately I said “maybe I should combine bunnies, libraries, and super heroes next ::begins plotting::.”

And plot I did.

It actually came together quickly in my head. &nbsp;I thought “who’s a famous literary bunny? Peter Rabbit.” &nbsp;I looked at a cover of&nbsp;<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19321.The_Tale_of_Peter_Rabbit” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><em>The Tale of Peter Rabbit</em></a> and realized that his ears could sort of hook forward. &nbsp;So I messed around in&nbsp;<em>Photoshop</em> and did a very subtle version of this cover with his ears flipped forward with a more yellowish hue. &nbsp;I then lengthened his coat and made it green.

Well, it definitely was too subtle (which both my friend, and Bruce agreed upon when I shared it with them):

<img class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-1393″ title=”My first version of Loki Rabbit. Yep. Too subtle.” src=”http://hafuboti.wpcomstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lokibunny.jpg” alt=”My first attempt at a silly mash-up of Peter Rabbit, Loki, and with a nod to libraries.” width=”290″ height=”334″>

The next day I decided to instead draw the thing with colored pencils. &nbsp;I’d be able to enlarge it and get more detail. &nbsp;I went sort of nuts with the costume. &nbsp;I also realized that his little ears could be mushed down and flipped to mimic Tom Hiddleston’s hair. Heh.

In my original creation (in a size too small) I made the book he was carrying <em>The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin&nbsp;</em>that Loki Rabbit had defaced and made it into&nbsp;<em>The Tale of Thor Nutkin</em>. &nbsp;He also had drawn flowing hair on the squirrel’s picture and wrote “Dur. Look at my pretty hair and I’m dumb.” &nbsp;Again, that silly detail was lost in its small size. &nbsp;Plus it was almost a blatant ripoff of the brilliant book&nbsp;<em><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16702384-battle-bunny” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Battle Bunny</a>.</em>

So in this larger version I went simple and made the library book (notice the tiny spine label) a book on adoption. &nbsp;I mean, could you imagine the story of a young Loki Rabbit going to the library to gain information about adoption? &nbsp;He would, of course, be crazy-mischievous while there – but the proper information he might be able to handle the shock of learning he was adopted. &nbsp;<em>Spoiler alert?&nbsp;</em>And then maybe he wouldn’t go off the deep end and be such a bad guy.

Or not.

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