When the idea first came up for doing another moose, I hesitated because I could not think of a concept that was at least as engrossing as my previous moose, Moosewood, a moose that was half tree, half moose, borrowed from the “Greenman” of Irish myth.
Ideas of Father Time and a Wizard suggested themselves. Anthropomorphizing an animal opens the door to many engaging and whimsical ideas, capturing the imagination and appealing to the child in all of us.
The design needed to be accessible, detailed, and fun to look at.
There is a richer background of Wizards than Father Time as illustrations, so a wizard was chosen. What would a wizard that was also a moose look like and wear?
Some famous wizards are Merlin, Gandalf, Dumbledore and Mickey Mouse. Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings is a wizard icon who wears boring homespun. Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series is probably the most famous Wizard and he has a great wardrobe but wears a strange cap. Mickey Mouse illustrates the iconic crumpled hat in the Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Mystical Moose is mostly modeled from Dumbledore He gathers his beard in a ring, and in an early movie, wears a red robe with multiple cuffs. He also carries a book mentioned in a Harry Potter book.
Being a moose besides a wizard, it would be likely that animals would enjoy his company, so birds nest in his beard and mice hide in his clothes.
I hope you enjoy my version of a wizardly moose!
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