Mantis vs. Mantis

The art above is the first thumbnail by Aaron McConnell from one of the winners of the Monster Art +13 mini-essay contest we ran for backers of the 13 True Ways Kickstarter. A backer I know only as The Dormouse wrote the following....

My friend has a tendency to capture praying mantids and keep them in small aquariums, hand feeding them crickets with loving care until they reach the end of their insectoid life.  Whenever a cricket is delivered, or the creature otherwise deigns to notice her, the standard reaction is a display of threat and dominance, a graceful pantomime of those scythe-like forearms which conveys:

Hello, human.  If our positions were reversed, I would not keep you in a cage and feed you tasty things.  I would eat you.

You have to admit, this sort of directness is worthy of respect.  What better way to immortalize it than to illustrate it with a praying mantis who is, in fact, large enough to reverse those positions?

Given that 13 True Ways features the true initiation of the monk, I couldn't resist asking Aaron for Mantis vs. Mantis action. And even though this is just the thumbnail, he has delivered. 

We'll be announcing all the winners via a Kickstarter update later today or tomorrow. I'm just sorting out a couple entries that are probably-winners-but-may-have-issues. 

Stay poised.