Dark Art - Tendrils - A Fanart
If you grew up in the mid-80s, your Saturday mornings were likely haunted by a specific brand of terror that most “kids’ shows” wouldn’t dare touch today. At the center of that darkness was Inhumanoids, and no creature embodied its subterranean dread quite like Tendril.
In the series lore, Tendril is one of the primary “Earth Corps” antagonists—a massive, plant-like titan serving under the command of Metlar. Unlike villains who relied on complex technology or magic, Tendril’s power was primal and biological. He was a creature of the deep earth, capable of regenerating his limbs and growing to gargantuan proportions to crush anything in his path.
In my fan art tribute, I wanted to strip away the plastic toy aesthetic and focus on his role as a biological juggernaut. I rendered his hulking frame with layers of mossy greens and sickly yellows to reflect his status as a master of the mire. Those namesake tendrils are the core of his identity; in the show, they were used to ensnare vehicles and soldiers with a terrifying, mindless efficiency. I’ve drawn them here as thick, vine-like muscles that seem to have a life of their own, coiling around his torso as if he is constantly regenerating.
Psychologically, Tendril’s role in the series was to represent the “unstoppable growth.” He was the monster you couldn’t simply outrun, because his reach was always longer than your path to safety. His vacant, obsidian eyes and the unsettling red mandibles—which I highlighted with vibrant ink—always suggested a creature that didn’t just kill, but consumed.
Revisiting Tendril through this sketch was a journey back to that specific 80s era of “grim and gritty” animation. He remains a reminder that the most effective monsters aren’t the ones who talk, but the ones who simply keep growing until there’s nowhere left to hide.
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