Friday, September 21, 2007

Mulicorn


Dear Rusty,
Son, there is something I need to tell you. You never knew your father and don’t even know what he looks like. I have enclosed a photograph of me and him from before you were born. I know he wanted to be there for you but just couldn’t…some day you’ll understand. Years ago he did ask me to tell you one thing. He said, “Son, sorry you only got the 63 chromosomes…you’ll never be able to reproduce and pretty much the family line stops with you. -Dad”

Call me sometime,
Love Mom.
A quick biology lesson just in case:
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 Hybrid. Mules are almost always sterile. The sterility is attributed to the differing number of chromosomes of the two species: donkeys have 62 chromosomes, whereas horses have 64. Their offspring thus have 63 chromosomes which cannot evenly divide.

8 comments:

S.T. Lewis said...

"You mean I'm gonna stay this color?" That's one of my favorite lines from "The Jerk." When you told me your idea for this week's Toon Club drawing, you kind of lost me... but somehow you were able to pull it off. I love the look on the poor Mulicorn's face. Tragic. Nicely done, sir.

B Beach said...

Well crap! After Shane's awesome post and now this little bit of pure genius, what's the point in posting at all, or even living at all.... good bye cruel world, I REGRET NOTHING!

Rose said...

Poor unicorn! He looks so sad! Very creative Nathan!

Adrian Ropp said...

Thank you for the biology lesson! Great post, Nathan! Love your donkey design! It's Coolicorn!

Bryan... are you okay?

Ken Chandler said...

Beauticorn Mulicorn Nathan. Way faboulous post, great idea, great execution, the ritual mating habits of Mules and Horses-- while good to know, I can live without. Awesome post regardless of my stigmas Nathan. Love the photo too!

Heather Dixon said...

I swear I've seen mule babies before. Somewhere.

Nathan Lindsay said...

...and you used actual photo reference for your unicorn too, didn't you Heather?

Nathan Lindsay said...

Yes, you have seen mule babies before... Just no mommy mule AND a daddy mule with that cute little baby mule.