Who's to say only Jedi can come back as Force ghosts?

I Am the One
Medium: digital painting

I am the one who held you.
I am the one who cried.
I am the one who watched while you died.

- "I Am the One (reprise)" from Broadway's Next to Normal

The Lion Guard

You're a Lot Like Me
Medium: digital painting

Wait, Simba has a son? Yes. Yes, he does.

In Disney Junior's new hit show The Lion Guard, King Simba's second cub Kion is the leader of the Lion Guard, the "team that protects the Pridelands and defends the Circle of Life." Kion and his friends Bunga the honeybadger (the bravest), Fuli the cheetah (the fastest), Beshte the hippo (the strongest), and Ono the egret (the keenest of sight) have many adventures solving problems and fighting off villains such as Janja the hyena and his clan. Kion has the power of the Roar, which means that when he roars, all the past great lions of the Pridelands roar with him.

Lion Guard isn't exactly like The Lion King, so anyone going into it expecting Lion King all over again will be disappointed. It's a television show, so the animation and music aren't as polished as the movies, although they're still quite nice, especially the animation and character designs. It's also aimed at very young kids, so you have to think of it as such. All in all it's a cute show!

Just like in Lion King, the hyenas are the villains. While little kids might not pick up on this, many people don't like that Disney type-cast an entire species as "evil." Yes, they're all just animals and it's a cartoon, but replace the word "hyena" with any race or demographic of people and suddenly you would never let your kids watch The Lion King. After Lion King's release in 1994, a lot of hyena-lovers and wildlife biologists were actually quite upset with Disney for such a negative portrayal of hyenas, but some people have asked if it's a good thing to subtly teach kids that it's okay to judge others on account of something superficial like what they look like. Did Disney mean to do this? I don't know, but you can't deny that it's a little strange how the animals are grouped by species, not individual behavior and actions. Scar was the only exception: a bad character from the "hero species."

Disney appears to want to fix this problem in one of their Lion Guard episodes, however, by introducing a new character: a good hyena named Jasiri. Kion is initially distrustful of Jasiri, but she eventually wins his trust (with a song, so Disney!) and explains to him that hyenas have a purpose in nature and shouldn't be regarded as useless vermin. (Spotted hyenas generally aren't scavengers in real life, but I'm not sure if the hyenas in the Lion King universe are supposed to be spotted hyenas in particular or just a general hyena of sorts.) Jasiri also doesn't demand that Kion compromise his ideals, which is actually quite different from the typical "acceptance" idea pushed in modern culture. Instead of asking him to accept an ideology that's contrary to his own, she says that they "both know a higher call." She and Kion acknowledge their differences; they don't try to hide them or pretend that they don't exist. She tells him not to judge others easily, like judgments based on appearance, first impressions, or preconceptions. I personally think Disney made a very good move with Jasiri. Kids can learn a valuable lesson from her, about both people and hyenas. Lion Guard fans are waiting to see if she'll make a return later on in the series!

"Sisi ni Sawa" song sung by Kion and Jasiri
More about Jasiri

More about Lion Guard (music)
More about Lion Guard (characters)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Warm Valentine Fuzzies
Medium: digital painting

Valentine Pony
Medium: digital painting

Fire Dragon

Pyro Dragon
Medium: digital painting

With tempers as fiery as their scales, Pyro Dragons live only in the hottest areas of the world. Many are found around volcanoes, both tropical and desert. These dragons are known for being easily enraged, and when angry, they don't hesitate to unleash their flame. They produce flame from glands in the mouth which secrete flammable chemicals. These glands are constantly working, supplying Pyros with seemingly infinite firepower. They are large dragons, about the size of elephants. Their hard scales provide excellent armor. The fleshy growths on their necks, backs, and tails have a dual purpose: Pyros use them to steer while flying, as well as to test temperatures.

Pyros are very sensitive to cold. It's said to be one of their few weaknesses. If the temperature around them gets too cold, they are known to ignite the ground around them and to bathe rocks in flame to create heat. If Pyros loose too much heat to their surroundings, they become lethargic and will eventually fall into a deep sleep, sometimes for centuries. Many cultures have legends that tell of slumbering Pyros beneath volcanoes.

These dragons, like many other species, also enjoy collecting shiny objects. Males will often decorate their lairs with treasures stolen from nearby humans in order to attract a female. Some humans have been able to appease a Pyro dragon by offering them gold, silver, or precious jewels. Pyro dragons generally live in pairs of one male and one female. They breed every few years, laying a single egg. The parent dragons build a nest of stones around the egg and bathe the stones in fire. Thus the egg itself is not directly exposed to the flames, but is still kept at a very high temperature. Like crocodiles, the temperature of the egg determines the gender of the baby inside. A hot temperature ensures a male dragon, and a cooler temperature ensures a female.