April 27, 2009: Cartoon Tapirs by Mary Beaird for World Tapir Day 2009

Here's another fun bit of tapir art uploaded to the "Tapirs" Google Group by artist Mary Beaird to help celebrate World Tapir Day. Click the pic for a larger image!

Please remember to join us on the World Tapir Day Facebook Page, and learn how you can contribute to saving a piece of tapir habitat in the rainforest of Ecuador.

Please e-mail your photos and text if you would like to see them on this blog.

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May 17, 2008: More elephant-elephant-hippo-rhino Stuff by Mary Beaird

All images in this post are copyright Mary Beaird

and have been transferred from the "Tapirs" Google Group

where Mary posted them on May 17, 2008.

Text is by Mary Beaird.)

Hallo

I thought I'd just give you a quick update on what's been happening in "Keanu's World". My first ever commision! Last year one of my work colleagues asked me to design her civil partnership invitations. Originally she wanted tapir versions of herself and her partner, but it proved too hard to put the clothes on them, and so I drew the happy couple normally and reinvented the guys as purple cherubs. Keanu is causing chaos as usual ... ^_-

Then we were asked to design new badges for the comics group to sell at events, and I reused the designs for "The Little Angels" set. I'll let you know how they get on, and I may have some more made independently. If I do, I'll be sure to send some to the Tapir gift shop.

[Editor's Note: Check out Mary's designs on shirts and other useful items in her online Zazzle store.]

Please e-mail your photos and text if you would like to see them on this blog.

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Happy World Tapir Day! (2008)

Originally posted by ebichu64

On the Tapirs Google group

Chester Zoo, England ~ April 27, 2008

Mary wrote:

Happy World Tapir Day everyone! My visit to Chester Zoo with my partner and a couple of friends was great. We arrived just before the tapirs were let out and fed, and surprise surprise, there were four - not three as I'd been told by the zoo only a week before. I need to find out whether it's a boy or a girl and what the name is, but here's a picture of the little sweetheart - taken through glass so not the best quality. . . .

The tapirs were pretty impatient to be let out, but of course, as soon as they were, they decided they'd much rather be back inside again! Well, it was a bit of a cold wet day really. Such sensible creatures! I've taken a lot of pictures and some video - of the tapirs and the zoo generally - and I'll start editing it all together tomorrow into, hopefully, something fun.

[See plans for World Tapir Day 2010 on the World Tapir Day Facebook page!]

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Season's Greetings

Season's Greetings Everybody
(Inspired by the stories of the Nightmare-devouring Baku)

Original art by ebichu64
First posted on Tapirs Google group
December 13, 2007

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Ben's Zoo: I Spy A Tapir

Originally posted on Tapirs Google group

by ebichu64 ~ Dec 4 2007

Click the image to read the text

Mary wrote:

A newspaper article about a series currently showing on BBC 2 (UK)

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Nov 8, 2007: Fun with "elephant elephant hippo rhino***?"

(All images in this post are copyright Mary Beaird

and have been transferred from the "Tapirs" Google Group

where Mary posted them on November 8, 2007.

Text is by Mary Beaird.)

Er, okay, I've gone all shy. I feel like I'm being a bighead and I'm a little bit uncomfortable with it. (Sheryl put me up to it ^_-)

I write a comic called "elephant elephant hippo rhino...?" It's about two animals in a zoo and what they get up to to relieve the boredom when the humans aren't watching.

It was only ever meant to be a one-off but things didn't quite go to plan and #2 came out last month.

The two main characters are a Tapir called Keanu (after Keanu Reeves) and a Rhino called Dave (because everyone has a friend called Dave).

It's a bit surreal and a lot of the humour is aimed at anime and science fiction fans - with occasional shots at the gaming community and computer "geeks" in general.

It's published by Sweatdrop Studios, but don't rush and buy it online just yet as I am going to try and beg some copies back from stock and gift them to the shop, so you can buy them there and Tapir Gallery gets the benefit from selling them. On the other hand, if you absolutely can't wait until (probably) the New Year, you can buy them at Sweatdrop.com, I'll get 80% back and as I donate to the projects every month you'll be helping me to help the tapirs in a roundabout sort of way. That's all a bit surreal in itself... oh well, never mind.

Anyway, here are a few teasers of the "boys"; the baby girl Tapir with the bow is Trinity - Keanu's little cousin, who turns up for 3 pages in issue 2 (believe me, 3 is quite enough).

If the tapirs look a bit wrong it's because they are aliens poorly desguised as Tapirs.... yes.... REALLY (Well, that's MY story and I'm sticking to it!)






PS. Oh yes, there are some teeshirts knocking around as well made by a company called Genki Gear, and although I still own the characters the tees only half belong to me, so I can't get hold of any of those at the moment. But you never know, maybe later. Until then the good news there is anything I make from the sale of those will go into a Keanu and Dave soft toy fund, and if I manage to make that a reality, Tapir Gallery will get a stack of those to sell!

Anyway, enough of blowing my own trumpet. I'm off to bed. Goodnight.

[Editor's Note: Check out the review on Comic Mole.]

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Aug 11, 2007: Tapirs at Longleat

Photos by ebichu64

First posted on Tapirs Google group

August 11, 2007

Mary wrote:

Hi all,

Better late than never, here's my little bit on the Tapirs at Longleat. Better Pics next year, I promise!

We managed to pick one of the few sunny days this year has had to offer so far, so it was no surprise to find many of the animals flat out enjoying the sudden warm weather – or maybe they had all fainted from shock. The downside of taking the safari bus was that we didn’t stop as expected at the East African reserve, where the tapirs are kept by default as there isn't a large enough South American section (yet!). The Wallabys are kept there too and they're from New Zealand...

Normally you can get out of your car, have a picnic and see the animals. The bus usually stops for 15 minutes, but not this time. This was mostly due to the amount of traffic that day; the whole tour took 30 minutes longer than expected. The upside was that we got a great view of the monkeys wrecking other people’s cars; they take a fancy to the rubber trim, the wipers, and it’s no use squirting them with the windscreen washers – to them it’s just a free drink. But I wasn’t able to get close to the tapirs as I'd hoped, and all my pictures are thanks to the nifty zoom on my camera. Next time we'll hire a car and avoid the monkeys. Might be called Harold, and finally mum, Jessie.

2. Keeping cool, dad, Jethro.

Longleat have started producing video postcasts, and number 3 has the new baby Tapir "in action". The podcasts are mostly aimed at children and so the narration is a bit... well, you'll see what I mean. "Chaps" - no one talks like that in England any more, "Honest, Guv!"

http://www.longleat.co.uk/video/july07/

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