I Love the Yeti

Yeti Arcade: Scribblenauts

2012-02-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Scribblenauts (2009 to present) puzzle games let you summon any thing you want when you enter its name.

So of course, if you enter "yeti", you get a yeti. And he's mean.

And if you enter "giant yeti", well...

Yeti Arcade: Sonic Rivals

2012-02-23T07:45:00.001-06:00

Sonic Rivals (2006) got Yetee badniks.

Yeti Arcade: Mortal Kombat Armageddon

2012-02-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

In the Konquest (single-player) mode of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), look out for some Ice Beasts.

Yeti Arcade: Tork

2012-02-22T08:00:00.006-06:00

Tork: Prehistoric Punk (2005) doesn't appear to have been especially noteworthy, except that you could shapeshift your caveman character into a yeti!

Trivia:
Besides a yeti, the other three "spirit animals" you could transform into were a squirrel and an armadillo. Hmm, one of these things is not like the other.

Yeti Arcade: Castlevania for DS

2012-02-22T07:45:00.005-06:00

There be yetis in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008) for the Nintendo DS.

Yeti Arcade: Wario Land 4

2012-02-22T07:30:00.003-06:00

Wario Land 4 (2001) for the Game Boy Advance has Yukiotoko (Japanese for Abominable Snowman).

Ice Yeti ripped by A.J. Nitro.

When Wario comes near, they fire an icy breath at him that moves horizontally. When hit, Wario becomes Frozen Wario.

Yeti Arcade: Metal Slug 3 & 4

2012-02-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

Metal Slug 3 (2000), and apparently the fourth one (2002) as well, have yeti enemies.

One's even on the cover of # 3 (look on the lower right):

Interesting twist: Any character hit by the the yeti's breath gets turned into a yeti. To escape this, the player must mash the buttons or wiggle the control stick repeatedly.

Source

Yeti Arcade: Ultima Underground II

2012-02-21T07:45:00.005-06:00

Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds (1993) didn't just have a good title. It also had yeti that threw snowballs at you.

Here's the illustration in the manual that came with the game:

Since the Gwani don't count, these are the only actual yeti in the Ultima universe. I'm glad to see one in there as the isometric-view Ultima games (IV-VIII) are my personal favorites of all time.

ALL. TIME.

Yeti Arcade: Shape Shifter

2012-02-21T07:30:00.004-06:00

The underrated Shape Shifter (1992) for the TurboGrafx CD (remember that?) got itself a yeti boss.

I think it's pretty sweet that way back in '92 you could play a dragon fightin' a yeti.

Apparently, he was a pretty weak boss, but killing him freed the benevolent sorcerers thereby granting you the ability to change your shape without using gems.

Anyway, Shape Shifter is 16-bit retro-tastic.

See what I mean by checking out more screenshots here.

Yeti Arcade: King's Quest III & V

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

The King's Quest series had two yetis.

King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (1986):

King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (1990):

Source

Yeti Arcade: Bigfoot

2012-02-20T07:45:00.003-06:00

A couple years after Alpiner, Bigfoot (1983) (also for the TI-99/4A) featured a yeti. Well, they called it a Bigfoot. But, I mean, a white ape monster is at the top of an icy mountain. What do you think they meant?

Also, look at the manual cover:

Official Description:

"It's 50 degrees below zero, your guide is nowhere to be found, and you are clinging to a snowy ledge by a rather shaky-looking piton. Can you make it to the top of the mountain, collect food and gold on your way up, and cage the raging Bigfoot?"

Yeti Arcade: Alpiner

2012-02-20T07:30:00.008-06:00

According to my findings, the first electronic game ever to contain a depiction of a yeti was Alpiner (1981) for the Texas Instruments computer TI-99/4A.

Official Description:

"Climb six of the world's tallest mountains and evade dangerous obstacles. But be careful - the Abominable Snowman is waiting for you atop Mt. Everest!"

It took me a while to find visual evidence of the Abominable Snowman boss at the end of the game. Here is some rare, blurry home-made footage. It's no Patterson-Gimlin, but it should do the job:

Even in the video, he's kinda hard to spot. Using the latest state-of-the-art technology, I have carefully digitally reconstructed what the Alpiner yeti looks like:

HUH... That's it?

Geez. They must not have spent more than two seconds drawing that guy. Not exactly the most auspicious beginning to a long successful career starring in video games.

But this was a whole decade before SkiFree had a yeti try to remove the player from a mountainside.

And it's also probably the first instance of a yeti wearing a propeller hat. But more importantly, it's the first ever instance of one wearing skis, which helped begin his strong association with winter sports, an association which continues to this day.

So... yeah.

Not Yeti Friday - Gwani

2012-02-17T07:45:00.006-06:00

The Gwani are a white-furred race of bestial humanoids that you encounter in the computer game, Ultima VII: Part Two Serpent Isle (1993)

They're peaceful inhabitants of the ice regions, hunted for their fur by trappers.

Here are some of their names:

Yenani, Baiyanda, Bwundai, Gilwoyai, Kapyundi, Mwaerno, Myauri, Neyobi

Note the large number of letter y's.

Trivia from here:

They're referred to as savage, fearsome beasts by the Monitorians.

They have a death temple, where they entomb their dead in ice.

They believe magic corrupts the balance of nature.

They have a matriarchal society.

So that's the Gwani.

Hope you like video games. Starting Monday: A whole WEEK of Yeti Arcade.

Adidas Baby Shoes Yeti

2012-02-17T07:30:00.004-06:00

Hi Henry,

Spotted at Costco recently: Adidas baby shoes with a tiny stuffed yeti wearing a wristband.

He's a little smooshed in this photo. Here's a better one from the internet. Apparently he's a rattle. Starting the yeti love early!

(From here)

-Val

Great find! Thanks, Val!

Pictoplasma Yeti still goin' strong!

2012-02-16T07:45:00.004-06:00

Last year, I named the Pictoplasma Missing Link Project as the # 1 most important yeti event of the year.

And since then, more and more submissions for the Paris exhibition have made their way to the web.

Thank you, Pictoplasma, for convincing so many artists to create yeti depictions! You should get some sort of award; you're makin' my job as a yeti-blogger so much easier.

How They Looked On Display

Zoo Valdes

Cecilie Ellefsen

Paula Romani

Celsiuspictor

Matt C

Carlos Fernández

Tanya Aydostian

Jon Ocasio

Dreyk the Pirate

Suero Studio

Yeti Loves Tea, Apparently

2012-02-16T07:30:00.009-06:00

"We need to sit down with him, drink some tea and talk about life."

- Kemerovo Gov. Aman Tuleyev, after offering a one million ruble reward to anyone who finds the Yeti. (Source)

Source

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Top 10: Disguise

2012-02-15T07:45:00.000-06:00

This week's "Top 10" tackles disguises. I put my discerning eye on the elaborate suits which evoke the yeti likeness in the physical world. A most noble enterprise.

Note: these are professional costumes, not ones adorned by amateur guise-adopters.

Starting at number ten...

10) Edmonton Rush Lacrosse Club mascot: "Slush"

9) Colorado Avalanche's ex-mascot: "Howler"

8) Roop's Christmas Party Yeti

7) Pop Tarts commercial

6) Noël ILL's "Herbert Sherbert"

5) Nemacolin Woodlands Resort mascot: "Lafayeti"

4) JR SKISKI

3) HB's Iceberger mascot

2) Kemerovo Conference mascot

1) IE8 commercial

Disagree? Tell me how I'm wrong.

Getting On the Bus

2012-02-15T07:30:00.009-06:00

Kudos to Vanessa Arnold for getting the yeti love out there. Two whole years on Vancouver public transport- NICE!

Here's her email:

Hello again Henry!

I wrote in to you some time back to let you know how frequently I draw the Yeti. You featured my work on my birthday, so that was really nice. Thanks again!

Well - great news! A Yeti drawing of mine "Yeti Cares" is now featured on Vancouver, BC public transit. Art on Transit is a partnership between Emily Carr University of Art + Design (where I attend graduate school) and Translink.

"Yeti Cares", part of Art on Transit

Chosen artworks are featured on buses and skytrains for up to two years.

Thanks for your tireless commitment to finding all Yeti things.

Kind regards,

Vanessa.

Be My Yetitine

2012-02-14T07:45:00.013-06:00

Source

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Yeti Arcade: Scarygirl

2012-02-14T07:30:00.004-06:00

The video game Scarygirl, based on the Scarygirl graphic novel created by illustrator Nathan Jurevicius, was recently released.

There's some horned yeti in the ice level.

Happy Birthday Colin

2012-02-13T07:45:00.006-06:00

Source

Source

Scruton Yeti

2012-02-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yeti by Ben Scruton

Not Yeti Friday - Scorpan

2012-02-10T07:45:00.007-06:00

I can't believe I caved in to pressure and posted about Scorpan.

Who is Scorpan?

Who cares?

Get a job, Scorpan.

Just look at you. No comment.

Stop being a bad guy to My Little Ponies.

Stop riding a dragon when you already have wings.

I can't believe that people have created fan art about you.

MLP Fanart - Scorpan and Spike by *Deludedcon on deviantART

My Little Pony: Scorpan by ~Gojira007 on deviantART

MLPFiM - Scorpan Design Test by ~RustedRabbit on deviantART

No-one cares about Scorpan by *RusselH on deviantART

Just stop it, Scorpan.

Consider me your chief antagonist.

Dear Scorpan,

I have nothing to say to you.

The Troll That Dare Not Speak Its Name

2012-02-10T07:30:00.006-06:00

Last March, I got all excited because I thought that the video game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was going to have a yeti.

November came, the game was released, and alas, it was not a yeti. It was a troll.

Longtime readers of this blog may remember that it was another November day way back in 2006 that I boldly, and in the face of absolutely no opposition or criticism, stated that immortal proposition: yeti = snow troll. The world still hums from this single act of sheer, inhuman audacity.

Even if you are a hypothetical, fantasy-land faux-person who disagrees with my assertion, I would still argue that the Skyrim baddie is a very, very, yeti-ish troll. More a yeti than most trolls.

Since the game is so hugely popular (I mean, it's a bona fide phenomenon), let's take another look at the Skyrim yeti.

Yes, I'm not afraid to say it: YETI.

Link

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Link

Check out all the fan art that's come out so far:

Link (awesome animated gif)

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1980 L.A. Science Fiction Convention Yeti

2012-02-09T07:45:00.000-06:00

1980 Science Fiction Convention, by Dik Daniels, via io9 and Retronaut

Yeti Hunters

2012-02-09T07:30:00.007-06:00

Hey, sometimes yeti ain't cute.
Sometimes yeti ain't friendly.
In fact, sometimes yeti be downright ready to attack and kill you.

So sometimes you got to take one out. Am I right?
Sometimes you need a hunter.
What am I talking about?
I'm talking about:
A Yeti Hunter.

Here are a few on the Webs:

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter (Ngan Pa)

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Yeti Hunter

Top 10: Figure

2012-02-08T07:45:00.008-06:00

Introducing a new feature to this blog...

RAISE
THE
ROOF.

In "Top 10", I count down the best yetis pertaining to a particular topic. This week, we're talkin' figures. I only considered ones that were mass-produced for profit. I'm not talking about one-of-a-kind customs.

Starting at number ten...

10) Shadowbox Yeti

9) Kaiju Kidz Kebukai

8) SMASH yeti

7) Mugo Mp3 player

6) Patch Together Yeti Guy

5) Qee Yeti sans mouse-ears (Gama-Go)

4) Park Starz Yeti

3) Bill the Yeti

2) IWG yeti

1) Gama-Go Big Yeti

And now you know.
ROOF
BE
RAISED.

Honorable Mention:
Monsters Inc
G.I. Joe Yeti
Deluxe Bumble
Funko Bumble
Lego Yeti

Disagree? Tell me how I'm wrong.

Huge News!

2012-02-08T07:30:00.005-06:00

As revealed in the most recent episode of the Simpsons (Episode 12 of Season 23 – "Moe Goes From Rags to Riches")...

Yeti is the father of Moe Szyslak.

In the Simpsons universe, yeti has barely gotten any mention at all on the long-running show. He's appeared on the cover of this comic book, but I think that's it. Maybe they were saving his inclusion for a HUGE SHOW-STOPPING MOMENT.

Consider the show stopped.

P.S. I'm crossing my fingers that they put out an action figure.

Mr. Men Show Yeti

2012-02-07T07:45:00.003-06:00

The Mr. Men Show (2008-2009) was an animated tv series.

And check this out... There was a yeti:

Yeti Arcade: Run Like Hell! Yeti Edition

2012-02-07T07:30:00.001-06:00

Also called the "Ice Cold Edition", the Yeti Edition of Run Like Hell! (2012) is a mobile game. As you might expect, you run like hell from a yeti.

I think the yeti just wants to catch you so you'll play pong with him.

Pathfinder Yeti

2012-02-06T07:45:00.004-06:00

The Pathfinder pen-and-paper rpg has really embraced the yeti in their game. I blogged about their yeti previously here and here.

For the description of the creature in their Bestiary, Pathfinder says the following (and I've highlighted the important bits):

Mysterious and rarely seen (save by victims), the yeti is a towering denizen of the loneliest and tallest mountain peaks. Those who dwell upon the lower reaches of such storied slopes whisper tales of “abominable snowmen” who come down from the heights to raid, taking livestock or even humans as prey and leaving behind only monstrous barefoot tracks in the bloodstained snow.

Although yeti stories are accurate in their portrayals of fierce, stealthy, and immensely strong creatures, they are not when it comes to ascribing the yeti's temperament and source. They dwell in small tribes atop their distant mountains, where they are sheltered from contact with most other races. Those with violent or cruel natures are usually forced out of tribes to live lonely lives as exiles, and without the support of a tribe such yeti are often driven to raiding lowlander settlements, thus perpetuating the myth of the yeti as a demon made flesh.

The source of such cruel madness can often be traced to a singular source—proximity to strange, eldritch dimensions. The yetis' mountain lairs rise high in places where the boundaries between this world and others rasp thin. It is unclear if the yeti are invaders from these dimensions or Material Plane natives influenced by otherworldly realms, but it seems certain that whatever their origins, the yeti are no friends to those who dwell beyond, and may even act as guardians against intrusions from such strange worlds into the Material Plane.

I think they've incorporated most of the various yeti tropes rather well. Scary stories told by the natives? Check. Secretly friendly and living in tribes? Check. Explanation for any violent loners? Check. Mystical associations? Check.

So anyway, I noticed Pathfinder's got two new pics out there, so here they be:

Source

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Jones Yeti

2012-02-06T07:30:00.002-06:00

Yeti Attack by Chris Jones

Not Yeti Friday - Ookla the Mok

2012-02-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

I always say: "Where there are yetis, there are Not Yetis."

And the Saturday mornings of yesteryear are no exception.

I've already praised the virtues of the wonderful, delightful Igoo the Rock Ape from the Herculoids. Truly, there has never been a better rock ape.

And besides the He-man characters I mentioned earlier in the week, I've blogged about Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hibagon from The Secret Saturdays, and Gossamer from The Looney Tunes.

But I refuse and will continue to refuse to post about that possum-faced, bat-winged Scorpan from My Little Pony... No, you can't make me!

(Note that I am not even providing a link to anything about Scorpan - HA!)

But there is one fellow I would be remiss in not posting about (don't you dare suggest Scorpan!) and that would be ...

Ookla the Mok from Thundarr the Barbarian (1980-1982)

The guy already had me with a name like "Ookla the Mok". But let's see what else we can find out about him.... Oh hey, Wikipedia says:

Ookla is a member of the Mok species, a leonine humanoid with fangs and yellow eyes. As a Mok, Ookla has great strength, usually fighting by ripping up a nearby sapling or piece of wreckage to club his enemies. On a few occasions he is shown to use a longbow that fires a type of paralyzing arrow. However, he is also the most likely of the heroes to charge right into an enemy attack or to be enraged by unusual nuisances or threats. Moks dwell in their own territory, ruled by a king; they fear and hate water, preferring to face overwhelming odds in battle rather than wade through a stream to escape. Whereas Thundarr and Ariel ride horses for transport, Ookla's steed is another quadrupedal species called an equort.

That bit about the fighting with a tree sounds familiar (see here and here).

Seriously, anyone who regularly rides something called an equort gets major points in my book. Ookla is at like 561 points.

The guy is like a good friend too. He's courteous.

Robustious.

Wait, is that him double-punching two (possum-faced?) giant rat-beasties? The Mok don't just talk the talk, you know what I'm sayin'?

I am half-way convinced there is literally nothing that Ookla the Mok can do wrong.

Go on, convince me the remaining half. I triple-dog dare ya!

Ookla, if I wasn't already doing a blog extolling the virtues of a certain Not Ookla...

The Wild Thornberrys vs. Yeti

2012-02-03T07:45:00.002-06:00

In season 2 episode of The Wild Thornberrys entitled "You Ain't Seen Nothin', Yeti," Eliza tries to find proof of yetis in Nepal.

Sir Nigel Archibald Thornberry mistakes his mentor for one:

This episode first aired September 1, 1999.

Pokémon/Digimon vs. Yeti

2012-02-03T07:30:00.006-06:00

Pokémon (1999) had Abomasnow:

Digimon (1999) had Mojyamon:

G.I. Joe vs. Transformers vs. Yeti

2012-02-02T07:45:00.002-06:00

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon (2007) was a G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover miniseries from Devil's Due Press. It featured yeti.

In one fell swoop, both the G.I. Joe and Transformers universes have yeti in them. Not wastin' any time.

I know, I know - it's a comic, not a Saturday morning cartoon. But it is supposed to be part of the same universe as the two cartoons I watched the most growing up, and I just couldn't resist including it. I do humbly beg your indulgence.

Biker Mice from Mars vs. Yeti

2012-02-02T07:30:00.003-06:00

Source

An episode from Biker Mice from Mars (2006-2007) featured a yeti named "A-Bomb" voiced by the awesome Patrick Warburton of live-action Tick, Seinfeld, Venture Bros. fame.

whole episode here

Ewoks vs. Yeti

2012-02-01T07:30:00.007-06:00

I spy with my little eye...

... a snow monster in the episode "The Season Scepter" of season 2 of the Ewoks cartoon series (aired November 1, 1986).

And for all you completists out there, there was a yeti-ish Ice Demon and Ice Creatures in a 1986 Ewoks comic:

Source

The Smurfs vs. Yeti

2012-02-01T07:30:00.006-06:00

Season 1 episode of the Smurfs cartoon "The Abominable Snowbeast" aired November 14, 1981.

It featured a yeti who, King Kong-style, smurfnaps Smurfette and brings her back to his lair. Of course, he turns out to be a friendly fellow after all.

And for the sake of thoroughness, the Smurfs apparently encounter a yeti in an early reader book as well.

He-Man vs. Yeti

2012-01-31T07:45:00.007-06:00

The He-Man cartoon is notorious for not having yetis.

First, there were my posts on Grizzlor, then Stratos, then Gygor, then Clawful - not-to-mention Skeletor's right-hand-man Beast Man! (who I haven't even posted about - probably because I think he should change his name first. I mean, come on.) But none of them are yeti, of course. It's ETERNIA, for Grayskull's sake. Not Earth.

But there should be yeti! There's such a glaring lack of yeti that fans are making up their own fake, custom ones to imagine coexisting in that world:

Source: here and here

So I guess yeti's not a Master of that Universe. But here I am doing a themed week of Saturday morning cartoons, and what week would be complete without a post about HE-MAN!?

Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of He-Man. I never watched it. Couldn't stand it growing up. Every other kid on the block was ga-ga for the half-naked, sword-wielding hunk-man. To this day, I believe the only excuse for a pun-based name (He-Man's bread and butter) is if you are in a "daring, highly trained special mission force" (i.e. the military) and you use one as your code-name (G.I. Joe). Or if you're a Cybertronian, crash-landed on Earth, just trying to fit in the best way you know how (Transformers). Then you get a pass.

But! I know most of you love that hulkin' He-Pun. So let's give it the ol' Sword of Power try...

In the second season of the original 1983 He-Man cartoon (Episode #11 - The Ice Age Cometh), there was a villain named Icer.

I know what you're thinking: not all that yeti-ish. What, is it FRIDAY all of a sudden?

OK, fine. Let's see if I can do better...

In 1985's He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special, Skeletor and some children encounter a snow beast.

Not too bad...

Finally, in 2002, the new, fancy reboot He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon added a decent, bona fide yeti. Several episodes featured the Kulataks, and check them out:

One word: Legit.

And even though Kulatak is kind of a pun on "Cool Attack", I'm almost willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Jem and the Holograms vs. Yeti

2012-01-31T07:30:00.009-06:00

Source

In the episode "Journey to Shangri-La" (1987) of Jem and the Holograms (1985-1988) the following occurs:

4 minutes 50 seconds in:

Mad, Mad Monsters vs. Yeti

2012-01-30T15:00:00.000-06:00

A kid in the 1970s might have seen the cartoon Mad, Mad Monsters (1972-1974) on a Sat. morning, and there was an Abominable Snowman. These were the days the furry fellow could be either white or brown - for the popular consensus had not yet been reached.

Source

It's Saturday Morning Cartoon Week!

2012-01-30T07:30:00.012-06:00

Kids growing up in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s spotted a number of yetis while watching cartoons on Saturday mornings.

Here are the ones I've highlighted in the past:

Jonny Quest
Bugs Bunny
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Dungeons & Dragons
Scooby Doo 1
Scooby Doo 2
Popeye
Dino Boy in the Lost Valley
Duck Tales
Fairly Odd Parents
Ben 10
Danny Phantom
The Secret Saturdays
Ghostbusters
Astroboy
Space Ghost
Felix the Cat
The New Adventures of Superman
Thundercats

Not-to-mention the commercials for breakfast cereal (i.e. Cheerios and Froot Loops), live-action Land of the Lost, and PSAs for the Better Business Bureau.

Wow, you'd think that would just about cover it, right?

Well, this week, let's see if Henry (that's me) can use his TOTAL-X-TREME (TM) cybersleuthing super-skills to find further Saturday morning favorites that contain cameos from the Abominable Snowman...

Don't touch that dial!

Not Yeti Friday - Bandersnatch

2012-01-27T07:45:00.002-06:00

What do we know about Lewis Carroll's Bandersnatch? Only that it is "frumious", whatever that means.

According to Wikipedia: "In the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, the Bandersnatch appears as a large, white beast somewhat resembling a bulldog with long hair, black spots, a long tail, and multiple rows of sharp teeth."

"

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From Final Fantasy IX

There's also a Resident Evil Bandersnatch, which appears to just be a zombie with a giant right arm.

Alpine Sleighs Yeti

2012-01-27T07:30:00.001-06:00

One of the most beloved original rides at Houston, TX's Astroworld in 1968 was the Alpine Sleighs.

Among many exciting features, it had state-of-the-art special effects (like a yodel tunnel where you shouted something at the entrance and it was secretly recorded and played back to you as you exited as if it was an echo) , COLD air conditioning (a not so common a thing in 1960's Houston), funny cave-men gnomes, and an ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN!

It was a very interactive Abominable Snowman. Maybe too interactive? Let's just say people don't like an overly interactive Abominable Snowman. In this terrific article by the DAFE (Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts), original ride operator Tom Shelton explains:

"Each of the ride operators took turns playing the snowman... [My crew member Bill] was playing the snowman for the first time... I noticed that he was getting too close to the people in the sleighs. Bill was trying to scare every person that came through the Cold Room. He became very aggressive with his acting. He would jump on the sleigh as it passed by while screaming loudly. One of the young passengers was frightened so badly that he grabbed the front of the head piece of the snowman suit as Bill jumped down from the sleigh. This resulted in Bill being dragged down the track while the young passenger firmly held his grip. I managed to pull Bill from the track just as the next sleigh was passing. It is amazing how fear affects different people. We were scared to death. However, we sat there and died laughing about the incident for the next five minutes.

The snowman had one advantage. The riders could not see very well when the sleigh came up out of the strobe tunnel. The snowman could not be spotted easily at first. We started hiding and then running and jumping on the sleigh, scaring many people. In many cases, all they could see was some big hairy thing jumping on the sleigh and hovering over them. You could hear the people laughing and shouting about the experience all the way down the track. The snowman suit had big hairy gloves. We would hide just out of view of the people. As the sleigh came by, we would stick the hairy glove just far enough out to touch a person's neck. This really produced some great stories. As one sleigh went by, a lady stated Oh, something touched my neck.' She brought her shoulder up and flinched. This pulled the hairy glove off of my hand. The lady screamed horribly as the sleigh went down the track with the hairy hand lodged between her shoulders and face. This was a classic!

"We were instructed to be 'friendly abominable snowmen'. That lasted about a week. You could usually scare most people one time. After that, the younger passengers wanted a piece of the snowman. You name it, they threw it at the snowman. They would tear off pine tree limbs to attack the snowman. Every type of food product would end up on the snowman suit. We confiscated syringes filled with vodka to stick' the snowman. The suit had to be dry-cleaned every night. This cost was $700 per day. We started equating playing the abominable snowman' to a tour of duty on the Russian front."

We already knew that PopCap Games loves the Yeti. They put him in Plants vs. Zombies.

But internally within the company, they show Yeti Love in an entirely different way:

From the PopCap blog:

"One of the coolest parts of life at PopCap is a little group called Team Awesome — their job, in a nutshell, is to make people happy at work. True to form, they recently created a program that allows any employee to reward a co-worker for doing a great job on a specific project, for going out of their way to help with something, or even for sharing their sandwich after the Lunch Bully stole their food. It’s called the YETI Awards (YETI stands for You Earned This, Indubitably)... Simply fill out a form to nominate a co-worker for a gift of your choice, and once it’s approved, the YETI Patrol swoops in to deliver."

Source

Doctor Who Fan Art

2012-01-11T07:30:00.002-06:00

Yeti Hugs

Snippet from The Eleven Doctors As Chibi

Never Afraid of Yeti Again

The Abominable Snow Ball Fight

Snippet from Doctor Who Enemies Infographic

Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowman

Yeti

The Abominable Snowmen

It's Jamie Dancing with a Yeti

Introducing... Brrnadette!

2012-01-10T07:45:00.001-06:00

Kim of Joy Filled Puppets sent me photos of her puppet named Brrnadette, a female yeti! (great name btw)

Love the teeth.

Thanks, Kim!

Yeti Arcade: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure

2012-01-10T07:30:00.001-06:00

The video game Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (2011) features a four-armed yeti named Slam Bam. He's one of the main 37 playable characters and can become unlocked when you buy his action figure and put it on a special peripheral called a "Portal of Power".

Slam Bam's main claim to fame is his four violent fists. But he also has a creative side. He fashions ice sculptures to trap his enemies in and slow them down. Here's more about him:

Slam Bam lived alone on a floating glacier in a remote region of Skylands, where he spent his time ice surfing, eating snow cones, and sculpting amazing ice statues. It was a peaceful life, until Kaos destroyed the glacier, stranding Slam Bam on an iceberg that drifted through the skies for days. He awoke on Eon’s Island, where he was taken in and trained to become a Skylander. Now his ice sculptures serve as a frosty prison for any evil-doer that gets in his way.

Yeti Chatter

2012-01-09T07:45:00.001-06:00

Yeti has been in the news every single week!

I don't know what this is gonna do for his status in the popular culture. Will it cause a boon or a backlash?

Here's a rundown of all the recent biggies:

From the Guardian & Huffington Post:

"Scientists '95 Percent' Certain They've Found Elusive Siberian Yeti"

Cartoon from irkafirka

From Discover and Huffington Post:

"Yeti Finger: After 50 Years, DNA Says It's Just Human"

Yes, but JIMMY STEWART smuggled it!!!!

Cartoon from elcorreo

Billy Crystal is called a Yeti

Quote from Commercial for the Oscars:

"It's obvious. He transformed into a yeti."

New Species of Hairy-Chested Yeti Crab Nicknamed "The Hoff"

National Geographic article "Lost World" of Odd Species Found Off Antarctica and BCC article Hairy crab is new ocean find announce new species "nicknamed The Hoff" after David Hasselhoff.

New NYC museum exhibit:

"Hero, Villain, Yeti: Tibet in Comics"

New York Times article Leaping Off the Pages in the Himalayas discusses this exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art (which runs until June 11, 2012).

Plush In the New Year

2012-01-09T07:30:00.001-06:00

Yeti by Magda Bielecka

Yeti by by ekinsman

Plush by Catherine Larré et Isabelle Millet

Yetis by Denise Junk

Yeti Monster by ~miss-shelby on deviantART

Not Yeti Friday: Y is for Not Yetis

2012-01-06T08:00:00.011-06:00

In honor of the 25th letter of the alphabet, here are 25 Not Yetis who start with Y:

Yagg
Yahoo
Yak Face
Yak-Man
Yama-chichi (o)

Yama-otoko
Yama-uba (o)
Yaminon
Yammy
Yamowaro

Yangus
Yar
Ya-te-veo (o)
Y-chromosome
Yen Sid

Yeren (o)
Yetrigar
Ymir
Yog-Sothoth
Yokai

Yorick (o)
Yowie
Yugo
Yuki-onna (o)
Yum Kimil

Honorable Mention: Yaddle, Yapok, Yakko Warner, Yoda, Yogi Bear

Y is for Yeti 14

2012-01-06T07:45:00.001-06:00

Alphabet by frappeboy

Y is for Yeti 13

2012-01-06T07:30:00.002-06:00

Abécédaire by Jeanne Audrey

Y is for Yeti 12

2012-01-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

Y is for Yeti who Yodels by Andrea Lauren Courchene

Y is for Yeti 11

2012-01-05T07:45:00.001-06:00

Keyboard Alphabet by Jenni Chasteen

Y is for Yeti 10

2012-01-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

Alphabet Poster

Y is for Yeti 9

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Y is for Yeti by Calvin Buchanan

Y is for Yeti 8

2012-01-04T07:45:00.000-06:00

Letter Y by Cladge (site|blog)

Y is for Yeti 7

2012-01-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Alphabet Collection

Y is for Yeti 6

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Y is for Yeti

Entry from the book Spooky ABC, by Eve Merriam, illustrated by Lane Smith

Y is for Yeti 5

2012-01-03T07:45:00.000-06:00

Y is for Yeti by Stefanie Sosiak

Y is for Yeti 4

2012-01-03T07:30:00.000-06:00

Y is for Yeti

Y is for Yeti 3

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Y is for by Jillian Nickell

Y is for Yeti 2

2012-01-02T07:45:00.003-06:00

The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.

Y is for Yeti 1

2012-01-02T07:30:00.001-06:00

Y is for Yeti

Happy New Yeti!

2012-01-01T07:45:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year Dude! by Olga Vasik

Here's to another year of bringing you yetis! Thanks for sharing the yeti love with me.

Not Yeti Friday - A Little R&R

2011-12-30T07:45:00.008-06:00

I recently checked my web statistics and was surprised, given the blog's title and subject matter, that my most popular posts - the ones where I got the most hits - are not actually about yetis. Rather, my most popular are the two where I posted pictures of Rasputin and Red pandas.

So in honor of the new year, I would like to give you people what you apparently want most: a little R&R.

Enjoy.

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Bonus Not Yeti News!

Unless you've had your finger in your ears this last week, you've heard about the (Not) Yeti finger. For the crypto-curious, you can read Coleman's Cryptomundo Commentary.

Stokes Yeti

2011-12-30T07:30:00.004-06:00

John "Spanky" Stokes, proprietor of SpankyStokes.com the website for "Vinyl Toys, Art, Culture, & Everything Inbetween" has a horned cyclops yeti for a mascot.

Via Vinyl Pulse

Source: LA Times

At one point he made a quadriplegic plush version:

Stroll Cavey

And a papertoy version:

Zoo Yeti

2011-12-29T07:45:00.003-06:00

Yeti by Keith Zoo

Cat on head? Is this a thing now?

Beckman Yeti

2011-12-29T07:30:00.004-06:00

As the yeti hunts the elusive pink yak… by Jeff Beckman

Smith Yeti

2011-12-28T07:45:00.001-06:00

Yeti by Corey Smith

Zagor vs. Yeti

2011-12-28T07:30:00.005-06:00

Zagor is an Italian super-hero still popular in Croatia and Serbia. In the comic, Zagor is an American living in a Pennsylvania forest in the 1820s.

I'm not sure how he ended up fighting yeti in issue # 272.

I suppose such things are inevitable.

Abominable vs. the Non-Abominable Kind

2011-12-27T07:45:00.009-06:00

Have an Abominable Christmas by Jesse McGibney

Yeti-nother Snowball Fight

Abominable Season Greeting Card by Anthony Foronda

Abominable Snowman by bb_hero aka B. McCoy

Frosty the Abominable Snowman by ~gloriouskyle on deviantART

Evil-Snowman VS Yeti

Yetis Vs Snowmen by Barry Keegan

Abominable Snowman by Joe Whiteford

Yeti Arcade: 2 Mobile App Games

2011-12-27T07:30:00.005-06:00

Yeti Town (2011) is a Match 3 style game for both iPhone and iPad.

Yeti Confetti (2011) is a game for the iPhone.

Quote: "Find the best caves for the colourful [Yeti] tribes as they frantically run down the snowy mountainside like a handful of colourful confetti.  "

Rainey Yeti

2011-12-26T07:45:00.000-06:00

Snowboard Yeti Paper Toy by Merrill Rainey

Happy Boxing Day

2011-12-26T07:30:00.003-06:00

Sorry, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and some other Commonwealth nations. I am co-opting "Boxing Day" to be about the Yeti Crab.

Yeti Crabs by Irene Goede (more illustrations here)

From Oregon State University

Halloween 2009 Costume