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.

Dapple Gray

Powdered Sugar
Medium: digital painting

Pack Hunting Dragon

Chaser Dragon

Medium: digital painting

Commonly called "Chasers," these small dragons are expert hunters. Chasers hunt in packs of around five to twenty, headed by an alpha male and female. While not as intelligent as other species of dragons, they are very smart in their own way, and can be domesticated. Many human hunters, especially royalty and nobility, have trained Chasers to assist them on their hunts.

Chasers do not fly. They use their stunted wings to create lift while running, and to frighten off danger. They are swift runners and can run for some distance before tiring. They use their short, sharp claws like cleats to grip the ground and gain traction. Their stripes help to break up their outlines when stalking in tall grass. They use their long, strong tails like rudders so that they can make quick changes in direction while running. They have limited firepower, and prefer to use their flame as a last resort when threatened. Like other dragon species, flame is produced by flammable chemicals secreted by glands in the mouth.

Chasers hunt by splitting the pack into multiple sections. Several sections break off to create ambushes for the prey (usually a deer or a gazelle), while the remaining section rushes the herd. When the animals run, the Chasers either catch an animal on the spot, or if they can't catch up with the animal, they drive it into one of the waiting ambushes. These dragons are very successful hunters; it's estimated that over eighty-five percent of their hunts end in a kill.

Although their social structure is similar to wolves and other wild dogs, Chasers differ in that all members of the pack are free to mate and lay eggs. Chasers typically mate for life. The only major exception to that rule is when another Chaser challenges one of the alpha Chasers. If the original alpha is defeated, the challenger will claim the remaining alpha as its mate. Thus, only the strongest and most intelligent dragons can lead a Chaser pack.

Snowy Cougar

Snowy Cougar
Medium: acrylic on canvas

Mustang Unicorn

Mustang Unicorn
Medium: pixel art

Happy Little Appy!

Happy Appy
Medium: digital painting

"Appy" is a nickname for Appaloosa horses, a breed of horse descended from Mustangs bred by Native Americans for their spotted coats.

Vampire Dragon

Vampire Dragon
Medium: digital painting

Native to eastern Europe, vampire dragons are one of the most feared species of dragons, mostly for their unnerving habits. These dragons do not hunt for meat, but rather for the blood of their prey. They are indiscriminate killers, preying on both animals and humans alike. They have few weaknesses, and the only way they can be killed is a thrust through the heart. Because of their ability to rapidly regenerate from injuries, the killer of a vampire dragon must leave the weapon in the dragon's chest until its body begins to decay, otherwise the dragon may regenerate and "return to life." Their powerful sense of smell helps them to locate prey, but dragon hunters have found that it can also be used against them: vampire dragons find certain smells unpleasant, particularly garlic and cloves. They have extremely powerful night vision and are repelled by bright light.

Because they hunt at night, vampire dragons have no pigment in their skin or eyes. They also lack scales, but their skin is thick and leathery. Old vampires are often criss-crossed with scars. These dragons are the most dangerous; they have endured many battles. Vampire dragons have no forelegs and use their wings to crawl around like bats. Thus they are physically similar to wyverns, but are supremely intelligent. They use their long claws to fish prey out of crevices in the castles and mountains they live in. Vampires are a mid-sized to large species of dragon, although they are not very tall; they prefer to hold their bodies low to the ground.

Vampire dragons reproduce by biting eggs of other dragons. They use their long fangs to inject a virus into the embryo, which attacks and alters its DNA so that the baby dragon that hatches from the egg is a young vampire and no longer the species of its parent. These newly-hatched vampires are usually rejected by the parent dragons and grow up in isolation. Thus, vampire dragons are a very solitary species.

Animated Unicorn

Animated Walking Unicorn
Medium: pixel art