I fell in love with Ed Steed’s wonderful cartoon work when I saw one of his covers for the great New Yorker magazine. It showed a bunch of furry, strange-looking, monstrous and beautiful beasts climbing out of a New York subway and parading along the city’s streets. (We posted on this page a picture of the cover and a piece from the magazine about his work; click here -- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2021-10-25).

His eccentric characters make you smile and look in wonder. On the cover one of his furry creations is walking a dog, another is speaking on a cell-phone; another, a mother-type, is holding her baby in a harness on her chest. So strange and yet so human.  Somehow, in all their beauty and color, they remind me of the hordes of tourists I see coming out of the subway determined to explore the glories of my city. Now, what should I do with them? you ask. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Create a comic strip about family traditions and holidays which the Beasties celebrate and observe. Imagine attending one of their birthday parties
• Plan a vacation in a faraway land (you can also use the two scenic backgrounds he created which are located in the backgrounds icon shown on the top tray on the bottom of the Create Comix! page (TOBY, Rahul needs to add this)
• The family is having a heated discussion over something important or not so important
• Arguments over family expenses
• A parent beastie is telling the children an old tale.
• .Family members say their prayers
• They discuss a new recipe for a favorite Beasties dish and offer a shopping list for the ingredients
• Discussion of family problems and possible solutions (maybe not so different from those of your own family)
• Famous Beastie Family Sayings and Rules
• Just silly conversations using Beasties language which you have learned
• Beasties’ jokes
• The Beasties create a song or poem together with each member contributing a line or two
• The Beasties set some goals for the future
• A Beasties ghost story, with each member adding to it
• Beasties’ memories or legends
• Beasties find love
• Beasties’ secrets
• Beasties gossip together
• Beasties’ joke book
• Beasties’ Knock-knocks or riddles
• Beasties Family Woes
• Beasties’ happy or sad memories

We hope you have lots of fun with the new Beasties Family joining MakeBeliefsComix and would like to hear what you and your family think of them.  We welcome your ideas and sketches for future additions to the family of strange monsters; please include your name and email address.  Send them to billz@makebeliefscomix.com    Remember to share the Beasties with your friends.

Sincerely,
Bill Zimmerman
Creator, MakeBeliefsComix