Recently I discovered Facebook, and I was pleased to find that a couple of folks had created Monster Hunter International patchs for teams that they invented for their home towns.
Part of the fun of creating the MHI universe was the idea that all the people like me out there in the world could imagine themselves actually killing monsters for a living. I set it up so that there were an ever expanding number of regional teams. The main team out of Cazador had the Happy Face with Horns that you’ve all seen. Atlanta had a lop eared bunny with a switchblade. (hat tip to Sluggy Freelance). Then there were others, Smoking Elvis out of Vegas, (longtime Boingo fan) a Fire Breathing Warthog, and a few others that were also not specified as to where they were from. The newest was a Walrus with a Banjo based out of Denver. (Team Haven).
So here is the contest. Create your own MHI patch using whatever your creative abilities are, and then send it to me at monsterhunter45 AT hotmail or post it on the Facebook page Monster Hunter International, Hunter Unite! The book releases in less than 2 weeks, so I’ll leave the contest open until the end of August, and then I’ll take a poll and let the public decide which patch is the most awesome.
The RULES: The patch has to be military style, in subdued colors like OD or brown. It has to say MHI or Monster Hunter International somewhere on it and 1895 for the founding. It can be any shape, and there can be other words on it if you want. The words do not have to be in English if you want to take it out of the country. On that note, I’ve actually got a short story in the works called Monster Hunter Mesopotamia (and obviously that patch would be tan).
I don’t care if you do it with fancy computer programs or color it in crayon, but for me to post it, it will need to be a Jpeg.
Make sure you include what town/region your patch represents in your title, because that’s what they will be known as in the voting.
Entries will be due by the last day of August.
The PRIZE: For whoever wins the poll, I’ll mention your patch in MHI:2 so it will become official cannon in the MHI universe and I’ll send you an autographed copy of Monster Hunter International. If your town is already represented by another team in the MHI universe I might have to tweak accordingly, so the geography of where it is from will have to be at my discretion.
SPREAD THE WORD: Now obviously everything I do is based on selling more books, so please tell your friends, post it to your blog, sneak messages through the prison chow line, etc. The more entries, the better.
Just a note: the rest of MHI is now available via webscriptions. 🙂
Damn…the TALON one is nice…gonna make it hard to vote for meself. Too bad it has the ALON part…
[/Texas Pride]
Happened to notice that the description for Phoenix has been combined with my St. Mary’s County, MD (the patch for which is missing).
Just thought I’d bring it to your attention. 😉
Good work, everyone!
The Bloody Bun, signing in from Northern California!
I just posted the patch on Facebook. We use the Bloody Bun in deference to the Baddest of the Bad, Bun Bun, when he was captain of his own pirate ship.
The Bloody Bun of NorCal specialize in maritime/shipboard – ‘issues’.
I need to mention that I’m giggling like a schoolgirl right now.
I couldn’t wait the two weeks to get my pre-ordered hard copy of MHI, so I just downloaded it as well.
I had only 45 minutes of sleep last night, and suffered massive heat exhaustion and nearly passed out at work today, and yet, I just know I’m gonna read this book clear through tonight in one sitting.
Off I go.
Danny, don’t get killed at work. 🙂
Hmm… I just tried to post another one from St. Mary’s County, but it just combined the words with the Phoenix one. I wonder if I’ve exceeded what WordPress will let me post.
I might have to tweak these down to clickable thumbnails. I’ve still got more to post.
Have to admit I too finally got to read the last 1/4 of the book. (Got to love Baen!) And I am torturing myself for the next available half when…
Being Texan and loving cool acronyms, gonna have to go with TALON.
Sent one in earlier to the hotmail addy. But have to admit, it looks kinda pathetisad next to these. Probably why it’s not posted.
Dante, I can’t find that one. Would you resend it? I’m posting everything.
sure. sent if from the blog’s GMAIL account. maybe flagged as spam. will send from my personal account.
thanks.
sent. thanks.
Love the “TALON” and “Mare’s Leg/Jackalope” patches.
I’m in Dallas. I’m trying to come up with one involving a werewolf and a skyscraper.
Just posted my patch on facebook.
Sent you one with a gmail account for the Montana Headhunters.
I figured I’d mention it as someone here said something about Gmail going to spam.
There … the Oregon Sasquatch Militia patch in in the email ….
Just posted 5 more. 🙂
Wes S., thanks, did the mare’s leg/jackalope at about four in the morning on MS Paint. Wanted to work in an outline of the state of Texas, but just couldn’t get one in the way I wanted to, and wasn’t happy with any of the results…
I think all us Texas guys should get behind a single patch come voting time.
http://joemerchant24.blogspot.com/2009/07/blatant-bleg-for-attention.html
Enjoy the post, Texans.
🙂
http://ktzf.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/mhi-patch-contest/
Shameless plug for my blog, and a call for the Texas guys and gals!
Ha, got my California patch in. More symbolism there than you can shake a stick at. Yes, the CA MHI unit equates sheeple with werewolves. A rather conflicted bunch IMO. 😀
wow! There’s some really cool stuff coming in- I’m impressed!
Just my .02$- You should post the Facebook ones here (and I assume the ones here over there.) I’m not a FaceyTweetingSpaceBook kinda guy, but I’d like to see what else people have come up with… (Just a thought)
Go Team Talon! ]>:D
I’ve been cross posting them as they come in. I’ve got more sitting in my e-mail that I haven’t even looked at yet, but I’m trying to keep everything posted in both places.
And now we’ve put International in Monster Hunter International with our two latest.
Shaun of the dead win…
All of them look really killer, but being a native Texan, to to go with Texan 1/ Maresleg ‘n Jacklope
KTZF!
If anyone wants to do a bit more than paint will allow, the GIMP is a free photo editing software. Using layers makes editing easier. Take a photo and draw over it on another layer, etc.
http://www.gimp.org/
Takes a bit of getting used to, but the online help document is very helpful.
Well, I got my Dallas Patch up.
Covington;
I used the Pegasus from the Magnolia building in Downtown Dallas since it is a pretty recognizable icon. I thought it would be better than the reunion tower.
Sorry about the size, folks, but I thought that I had made it larger than it turned out to be.
Aside from the size, I am pretty proud of it. Hell, now I want to make one for real. Any ideas on where this could be done?
To make all my patches I use Pride Embrodiery out of Smithfield Utah. Tell Rick Reed I sent you. They do great work and their prices are reasonable.
OH GAWD! The Kansas Patch Rocks!
Tombstone AZ:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1jimmarch/3779581291/in/photostream/
I’m all for the Loud Nerds one.
The Norcal Bunny one is awesome. The one for the Arizona Rangers looks great too, but I have a hard time picturing being able to actually make a patch of that.
I need to get cracking on an Ogden/Weber County one. Gotta represent for the hood rats from home!
Utah County…. that patch rocks!
All of these patches are good, and some made me giggle. Chanute Kansas is my favorite, though, hands down.
‘S easy to forget these are meant to be small patches, recognizable from a distance in really bad lighting conditions or when covered with various ichors. Tiny details would not show up!
If I had any kind of drawing skills, I’d make one for Chicago. It’d be a steer with a baseball bat. Y’know. The “meat animals” poised to smash the skulls of those who would eat them.
If these patches get made, I think a patch collection is in order. Sort of like collecting military unit patches. >:)
Emailed in just under the deadline. I had a little creativity juice left over after getting a friend to help photoshop up the design, so there’s even a little blurb on how the team started. I’m having LabRat crosspost it to the facebook for good measure.
Got a SC patch in under the wire via email. Excellent work by all!
Yes, it’s shameless, but I am voting for the one I put together.
Go Dallas!
Dallas Pegasus
I’ve got to vote for
Dugway Proving Grounds Response Team
dig the skull
I vote for Lake Elsinore. Norcal Bloody Gun is a close 2nd.
1) Omaha Stakes (I love puns)
2) Dorothy
Another shameless self-vote: Crushing Evil in the South (SC).
Arizona Rangers has my vote.
Dorothy (Chanute, KS)
And another self vote:
Sasquatch Militia!
Chanute, Kansas
I have it down to 11 – I think the Deo Vindice stands apart as a ring around whichever patch wins. I also hope you get final say in the winner
Utah County!!
Gotta go with the NE bloggers one. Nothing like an undead children’s toy spitted on a bayonet…
Close second going to the “get er done” Armadillo
Gotta go with Utah County.
Arizona Rangers
Chanute Kansas
Virginia.
(Bloody Bun nearly won out, but loyalty to the Old Dominion wins in the end. . . )
How can you narrow it down to one? I got it down to 14!
1. Dugway Proving Grounds Response Team
2. Georgia Skull Crackers
3. Montana Headhunters
4. NorCal – The Bloody Bun
5. Texas 1, Jackalope & Mare’s Leg
heck they are all good
Virginia
Utah county!!
Utah County (werewolf with a carbine). Hands down, it’s the best design: easily recognizable design, cool theme (monster! gun!), will translate well to stitching.
1) NorCal
2) Georgia
The Atomic Nerds with their Los Alamos, NM patch.
Exite! Chemicus sum!
“Texas Cannon” gets my vote!
Italia
or
Utah County
I vote for TALON!
“Exite! Chemicus Sum!” Nerds pwn!
In keeping with the rules I like
#1 Skull Crackers
#2 TALON
(I was trying to make a patch for “Technical Services” (aka weapons R&D but was too late to enter it).
#1 Salt Lake Avengin’ Angels
#2 Kansas Dorothy skeet shooter.
Montana Headhunters
First–College Station Texas Patch
Second–Arizona Rangers Patch
Third–Wasilla, Alaska Patch
Thanks.
Troy
Georgia Skullcrackers #1
Good graphic design functions at any scale from return address on envelopes to pasted on the side of a semi van.
Best laugh though was Dorothy skeet shooting the winkie!
Eastern TN for regional loyalty, but I think I really like the Black Mesa better.
I vote for the TALON patch, though the dallas patch is my second favorite
Eastern TN (Co-blogger loyalty)
Kentucky Skull Hunters for regional support
Arkham!!!!!!!!!!
Utah County
Utah County Rocks!
Exite! Chemicus sum!
Utah County
Chanute Kansas gets my vote!
Exite! Chemicus sum!
Gotta vote for the Bloody Bun
(Although Exite! Chemicus Sum! is a close second for me)
Still love the “Texas 1” (Jackalope/Mare’s Leg) patch, although the “Dugway Proving Ground” patch is a close second.
Skull Crackers is awesome…
Also like the Utah County, but it’s a second to the crackers!
Eastern TN, of course.
Miami, werewolf howling at the moon
Exite! Chemicus sum!
NorCal – The Bloody Bun
(Dang I wish I weren’t so artistically challenged!)
I vote “Excite Chemicus Sum”
A vote for the Eastern Tennessee patch
Exite! Chemicus Sum! gets my vote. It’s practically cousin to my own motto!
Utah county!
+1 for Exite! Chemicus Sum!
Lake Elsinore
Exite! Chemicus sum!
Arizona Rangers.
(And to whoever created it, I’ll buy one from you, whether it wins or not.)
Lots of great ones, but the one that caught my attention the best was Chanute Kansas (Dorothy and the monkey).
Does Wasilla AK have a nod to Firefly (hands of blue, two by two)?
Exite! Chemicus sum!
Arkham MA
I vote for Exite! Chemicus Sum!
Exite! Chemicus Sum!
Larry, your book is awesome. Just got a copy and hate putting it down to work.
Well, even though I submitted the Georgia Skullcrackers, I have to vote for the Chanute, Kansas patch. Nice patch, with a nice touch of humor.
Exite! Chemicus Sum! Omnia facimus!
There are ton of good ones.
But I gotta throw down for the ol’ Exite! Chemicus Sum!
If it don’t die after a nuke – what else ya got?
look i just glanced at at youre site and from what ive gathered. if theres alot of mhi members in wasilla ak. im taking my fam and moving there.sounds like my family on this site. much freedom.
LOL at the Black Mesa patch. Best ever!
One vote for Texas Poison Bite.
Ralph
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