Hydra versus Kali

It might not be beloved within the art world -- as this hilarious review at Art News makes clear -- but this statue by Damien Hirst, "Hydra and Kali," is pretty epic:

This one, "Andromeda and the Sea Monster," is rather 'metal' as well:

Check out the creepy spiders on the back of Andromeda's stone:

Maybe Blade Runner 2049 will not be terrible?

So two years ago (!) I expressed the view that the planned Blade Runner sequel was a bad idea. The original film is the greatest science-fiction film ever, and it's completely self-sufficient. Tacking on a sequel, I claimed, would only diminish the original (among other things, if Deckard survived for another 30+ years, it would eliminate the possibility that he was a replicant, a possibility that the original film wonderfully left unresolved).

But having watched (and read an analysis of) the new trailer, I may have to reopen my mind on this question... Perhaps the sequel will not be so terrible after all.

I mean, I have to give credit to the film makers for at least keeping Atari in its dystopian vision of the future:

The True Origin of the Flail Snail?

Of the many strange and absurd creatures included in the original AD&D Fiend Folio, perhaps none has been more often mocked and ridiculed than the poor 'flail snail'. Personally, I've always had a bit of a soft spot (er...) for the monster, as it strikes me as a perfect example of the whimsical 'a-wizard-did-it' approach that was employed in the construction of so many classic AD&D beasts.

But perhaps the flail snail has some historical legitimacy? Apparently, as this Vox video explains, Medieval illuminated texts often included pictures of knights fighting snails in their margins...