New Trivia Game

Guess what, guys?  After some time Planning questions, Writing & editing, Coming up with a layout, and Editing all that....

The animals have their own Trivia Game, available exclusively on Etsy! 

• It has 52 questions - many of which can be answered just by browsing this blog 😎
• It's a printable PDF file, downloadable exclusively from Etsy for only $5.99 CAD 
• After printing and cutting out your score sheets and player's cards, it's played by 2-6 people, taking turns choosing one of the questions (in any order, just look at the number for the answer key later).
• There is no time limit to answer a question - if a player is struggling, they can quickly check this blog or anything else they can find online about Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends. Please keep the Answer Key for when it's really needed 😊

• Each question is worth one point and if they player answers correctly, they can put a tally mark on the line next to their name. 
• The game ends when all 52 of the player's cards have been read out loud & answered; the player with the highest tally of correct answers next to their name, wins - YAY 🎉

See the Patreon post here

Q & A With The Artist

You know a fair bit now about the Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends... but what about their cartoonist? 

Today we'll have a little Q & A chat so you can get to know me better.  You're also encouraged to share info about yourself in the comments, as long as you're not spamming ;) 

1. What's the last dream (or nightmare) you had?  Most of my dreams are so weird that it's not always easy to recall specific details. I do often dream about being chased and trying to hide... 

2. What's your music right now?  I'm not prone to very narrow or limited music tastes, though I love classic 80s pop (like the Stranger Things soundtrack). I also love rockin' female artists. 

3. If you could have any super power, what would it be?  Well, after seeing SHAZAM! in theatres, I would want more than "just one" power :)

4. Guilty food pleasure?  Right now, it's waffles with Nutella on them. 

5. Most embarrassing moment?  A few times in elementary school, I had accidental body functions in front of classmates, and by junior high I'd developed severe performance anxiety and hated having do class presentations. I'm still blushing!

6. Where does your inspiration come from?  Well, this may sound old-fashioned in today's world of cartoons everywhere, but my main inspiration comes from a dreamer named Walt Disney. As a young man, he was considered odd and was even stolen from, but he didn't let adversity stop him from working hard and achieving his goals. Walt was admirable.

 

7. Do you have any weird habits?  Who doesn't? LOL. I sometimes talk to the TV... 

8. Where's your favorite place in the world?  I used to say Jamaica, since I got to go there once in 2015 during a nice family trip with Rob & his mum. These days, after being here 3 times, I'm going to say Las Vegas! 

9. Who is your favorite musician?  There's too many to count.

10. When's the last time you cried?  To be honest, with my social anxiety and self esteem issues, I'm brought to tears way more than I'd like to be.  It's not uncommon for me to cry sometimes after work, and at night in bed while falling asleep. 

11. Do you have any pets?  Well, the closest animals I have to a "pet" right now, is my collection of Hello Kitties... they don't need a litterbox, they don't meow for food at 3 in the morning, they don't bring up hairballs and they don't scratch the furniture :)

12. Why did you choose to be an artist for a living?  Well, much to the chagrin of most people in my personal life (I've been told to "get an actual paying job"), it's something inside that has to come out.  It's probably like asking Stephen King why he chose to write horror novels.... his mind was expanded with lots of things he was compelled to share!  And when I was a kid, my mother was very encouraging of my blossoming talent which was nice. 

13. Do you have a dream car?  While my anxiety and ADHD symptoms keep me from being able to legally drive, since my teen years I've admired Mitsubishi Lancers. I used to have a poster of a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer in a silver-blue color and I wanted to save for it.

14. How do you typically start your day?  I'm kind of lazy, so I like to sleep in, usually until around 8am or just after. Then I run our Keurig coffee maker and have a Nutella waffle, and begin working from home unless I'm scheduled at my part-time retail job. If I'm home for the day, then Rob & I usually go out on an afternoon date when he's home from work :)

15. Which was your favorite birthday?  I'm going to have to say the one where I turned 30, because Rob took us on a romantic weekend to a fancy hotel in Calgary (The Palliser). He told the gold lounge concierge about my birthday so they set up a surprise in the room by decorating it and leaving me some cake. It was so thoughtful!  Pretty well any birthday that Rob's been a part of, since he's so romantic :)

16. What are your favorite hobbies?  I enjoy sleeping, LOL. I also enjoy listening to music, dancing, playing our keyboard, hot bubble baths, and watching Frasier, ALF and Stranger Things. I also like reading "self help" books and journalling (always room for improvement), as well as drawing. And I really should get back into yoga. 

17. Do you have any catch phrases?  Well, when I do, I'm usually the last to know. For example, I used to say "that's true" in response to everything my nephew said when he was 5 or 6, because I didn't want to blurt something inappropriate and cause awkward situations for his parents. I didn't know how much I was saying it until other relatives started mocking me over it. 

18. What's one thing you'd really love to do?  I would love to go horse-back riding in a beautiful Canadian place such as Banff. 

19. Where did you grow up?  I was born & raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's known for events like the Calgary Stampede, which has been celebrated for over a century already! Now I reside in Red Deer with my amazing husband. 

20. Daryl, what's with your unusual name?  When my mum was expecting me in the late 80s, she'd watched a movie called "Splash" which featured a woman named Daryl Hannah. So this intrigued my mum and she named me after her. I've been called "Darlene" and "Carol" and all kinds of things since people don't expect a woman to have a man's name :)

21. What's something about you that might surprise us?  Well, I used to sell Avon for 6 years and was widely known in Calgary as "Daryl the Avon lady". Prior to that, for money I used to be a model and a burlesque dancer, until about 2010. This shocks people because I still seem so innocent!

22. Do you have a favorite dog breed?  Yes - Puggos! Though all dogs are great in their own way, pugs have stolen my heart with their potato-shaped bodies & wrinkled faces :)

The Patreon page in the above video was to read Patreon.com/helpakawaiiartist  And the screaming skull sticker is no longer available as it went to a Patron. Thank you! 





Thank you for sitting with me today - I'd love to get to know you, too!  Share your favorite personal facts in the comments below! 

Cute New Tee Shirts on RedBubble

Hi everyone!  


It's a rainy evening, and we've got the window open to enjoy the sound of water falling... maybe something about that is inspiring?

Today there are 12 more options for super kawaii tee shirts on RedBubble, as [with the advice of my friend Cahlyn] I drew each of the Zoo'd characters with water color pencils, and then digitally added a description for each one with their name 😸



Here they are...



Loosely based on the goofy and outgoing nature of my husband Rob, Dogosaur is loud and drools a lot, but he's friendly and loves a good time.  He is voiced by Rob.

He is sort of "down" sometimes, and as a person who suffers from anxiety & depression IRL, I created him as a nod to people who suffer from these feelings too.  He's very smart and is a deep thinker. He's also voiced by Rob. 

He's silly too, but more verbally than physically. If you like 'dad jokes', then you'll like Parrofly. He's also voiced by Rob. 

If you enjoy the skater dudes in cartoons, with their chill voice and sleepy eyes, along with their easy-going nature, then you've already "met" Slowan. He's the self-proclaimed hippie of the group, and also voiced by Rob.

Elefox is so relatable because like most of us, he LOVES eating. Like me personally, he's got a sweet tooth, but is not adverse to salty & crunchy snacks! He's also very friendly, and voiced by Rob.

He's extremely gentle, sweet & nurturing - which is why he loves to grow flowers. He even decorates his dam with them. He's voiced by me (Daryl Januszewski). 

Rabbird is a gentle bunny (who flies!) who loves writing heartfelt poetry - sometimes words are hard to say out loud, and her shyness can make her socially awkward.  She's voiced by me.

Froogle quietly observes others, and keeps her judgements *mostly silent, but if someone is doing something harmful, she will speak up for their own good! An assertive friend is a true friend! She's voiced by me. 

She's not a bitch and certainly loves her friends, but you better believe that she lives for attention and sulks when it's not given to her. Sometimes she says something hurtful, but is quick to apologize. She's voiced by me. 

He's friendly, considerate, polite and always willing to listen. He wouldn't mind having an advice column someday... and he's voiced by me.

She is sweet, "sexy", and free-spirited! Zebat loves to laugh and have fun, but she can be serious and helpful when a friend needs support.  She's voiced by me. 

Awww... that's what I always end up saying when I see her, with her big eyes, big ears and pointy wittle nose!  Good thing she's not bad, because with those looks, she'd get away with it.  She's voiced by me. 

So... which one is your favorite character? 

In other news...

Our Patreon page is now offering a $30 tier for those who want to be rewarded with Zoo'd merch! That means, even if you pledge for a couple of months, you'll get any Zoo'd tee shirt or tote bag you like, just to say thanks 😍

Thank you so much!

I Am Not Unikitty!

Hello lovely friends 😍

Today, I'd like to address an elephant in the room (and no, it's not Elefox this time)

There's been some concern that I "ripped off" The Lego Movie by basically using their cute and funny character, Unikitty. You know her.... 

She is delightfully silly, with a temper attached.  However, when I created UniCAT in the Spring of 2017, I hadn't even watched The Lego Movie yet, and didn't even know about Unikitty until later. 

To be honest, my heart sank a little when I first saw her, since I already knew there'd be accusers once they saw my creation's random and unintentional similarity. Sure enough, I've already been blocked on facebook from sharing certain Zoo'd Animal Hybrid Friends content, and that's one of the reasons why - someone's reported me as making "knock off" characters, so today, I'd like to clear that up for everyone 😄

Let's look now at Unicat, and then we will compare features: 

Okay, now looking at my original digital illustration from 2017, let's compare the two girl cats:

• Both are pink, yes. However, Unicat's whole face is pink, while Unikitty has a large white patch. 
• Unicat is more rounded and soft.  Unikitty is all square and pointy, since she is a Lego toy.
• In some images, Unikitty has a tail, which I believe is all blue like her horn. Unicat's tail is a beautiful fluffy rainbow! SQUEEE!
• Unicat's horn is golden and shiny; Unikitty's horn is blue plastic. 
• If you look at their feet, you'll see Unikitty's feet are like that of a unicorn, more like hooves. Unicat's feet are feline ones, complete with toe beans in some images! SQUEE! Toe Beans! 🐾
• Their eyes are different sizes (though both are technically "kawaii").

Anyhow, I've very disheartened that people out there would assume and accuse over something like this, considering that their similar is accidental (and quite frankly, Unicat is more snuggly!) 

So if you know of anyone who has reported this accidental similarity, please let me know so I can take proper legal action where it's required.  

*Legal rights to Unikitty (name, image and reference) belong to Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and legal rights to Unicat belong to Daryl A. DeRoche-Januszewski (name, image and reference). 

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Check out the Limited Edition stickers for new Patrons - a thank you for showing support!