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Mmm, Crickets

APRIL 3, 2015
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Zach Gilyard at Popular Science about a project that I jumped at the opportunity to work on: the burgeoning market for insects. As food. For people.
 
I love eating—it's one of life's great pleasures, and I've always considered myself a daring culinary explorer when it comes to trying new dishes. But bugs have never really had that much... personal appeal. I guess everyone has their limitations. But as a subject for painting, insects are terrific—few things are as fantastic in form—and bridging the cultural divide regarding their edible allure was too tempting to pass up.

After a little online research, I dug up some appropriate historical prototypes for the image: nothing says food to a Texan like cow! With a quick sketch approval, I got busy turning this crunchy little guy into, well, something you could imagine biting in to.


No sooner did I send the final off than I hopped on a plane for a two week trip across Thailand for a little R&R. And on my sixth day into the trip—one for each leg, appropriately enough—I came across this at a street fair in Chiang Mai:

Jump to your own conclusions.....
© 2024 Marc Burckhardt