Winter News

Hello everyone,

* I have good news and bad news. Bad news: I won't be able to update the blog until early January. The end of the year has been super-busy and I'll be going out of town for the next few days. Good news: the next update will be nice and big and should satisfy anyone disappointed with the previous, Kitaro-themed update (youtube reactions to those videos were rather underwhelming).

* In the meantime, to tide you over, take a look at Dutchbull's recent update. There are many goodies, but my favorites are the videos from Ultimate Spiderman, which include a Goblin TF and several lizard transformations and reversions (first TF, first reversion, second TF,  second reversion).

* I'm thinking of creating an occasional feature called "TF Disappointment of the Month," devoted to movies or shows that could have had a terrific transformation scene but totally blew it. December's disappointment is the Atlantis episode "Hunger Pangs." Having the studly Jack Donnelly turn into a werewolf and walk around naked after he turns back: good idea. Having him transform behind a sheet: bad idea, bad, bad, bad! If the best you can do with a werewolf is yellow eyes and pointy teeth followed by a CGI dog, don't fucking bother.
My second nominee for this dubious award would be the two-part film of Pinocchio that recently aired on German TV. The donkey transformations were masked with black smoke--the perfect trick for those whose budgets are as low as their imaginations. Almost every live action Pinocchio has been a disappointment in the donkey transformation department (only this version made an effort). You'd think live-action filmmakers would relish the chance to compete with Disney, but most don't bother.

* One final note: this year the Male Transformations Blog officially passed the 500,000 viewers mark! Thank you readers, and have a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

GeGeGe no Kitarō (Sea Monster Transformation)

Though unknown in America, Kitarō  is one of Japan's most beloved fictional characters. He started life in a 1959 manga series by Shigeru Mizuki. This was adapted into the anime GeGeGe no Kitarō in 1968 and followed by another anime adaptation in 1971, followed by another in 1985 and others 1996, 2007, and 2008.

Kitarō is a yōkai (demon) boy with only one eye, and has various adventures involving the conflict between his fellow yōkai and humans. Many of these involve him getting transformed into various creatures, as the next few posts on this blog demonstrate...

One of Mizuki's manga stories features Kitarō being transformed into a gigantic sea monster (I think it's supposed to be a whale, but why is it covered in hair?). This story was adapted multiple times by the various anime over the decades.

Let's start with the 1968 series, episode 5, "Large Sea Creature." This is in black and white and I've combined the transformation with the reversion scene from the next episode.



Next comes a version of the same scene from episode 67 of the 80s series, "Large Sea Creatures of the Jungle":



The last version is from the 1996 animated movie, "The Great Sea Beast," which takes considerable liberties with the original story. But it does preserve the transformation and reversion:



Lastly, here are scans from the original manga, showing Kitaro's original sea monster metamorphosis and his reversion.

GeGeGe no Kitarō (Cow Monster Transformation)

Some further transformations from GeGeGe no Kitarō. The original manga featured a story where Kitaro was turned into a cow-demon-monster, and this was adapted by three versions of the anime.

I've combined the three transformations into one clip. Here's the breakdown.
TF #1 is from episode 15 of the 1971 show--"Cow Demon":

TF #2 is from episode 42 of the 1985 show, "Cattle Demon Ghost Story." This starts a brief reversion of a previous victim of the cow demon curse reverting to humanity:

TF #3 if from  episode 14  from the 1996 show, "Cow Demon Resurrection." Unfortunately the transformation is interrupted by bumpers for the commercial break.

GeGeGe no Kitarō (Rat, Cat, Raccoon Dog, and Dinosaur Transformations)

Here are some miscellaneous transformations from the later series of GeGeGe no Kitarō.
The first three are courtesy of the 1996-98 series.

Here's a quick rat transformation from episode 103, "Cornered Rat Specter":



Next comes a brief cat transformation from episode 28, "Ticket Tan Town Cat Fantasy." Nekomachi, nekomachi!



The third transformation is the best in this post--a raccoon dog (tanuki) transformation from episode 110, "Revolt of the Eight hundred and Eight Raccoon Dogs." The clip runs slightly long, since I was unable to clip the middle bit, but there's a reversion scene at the end:



Lastly, from episode 28 of the 2007 series, Kitaro is changed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The transformation is regrettably obscured by a flash of light, but you can see his intermediate forms within the glow.

Hakaba Kitarō (Werewolf Transformation)

After the first five anime series of GeGeGe no Kitarō, it was decided to make a show more faithful to the  the original manga. The result was 2008's Hakaba Kitarō. In episode 7 there happens to be a werewolf transformation (though in human form the werewolf looks a lot like a vampire).

"Life is Short" (Age Progression Transformation)

A reader named Smee suggested featuring the X-Box commercial "Life is Short." Many thanks, because the commercial, though over a decade old, features some excellent age progression morphing:



The commercial was apparently banned in the UK at the behest of idiots. The message is certainly bleak and nihilistic, but all I object to is the conclusion: if life is short, don't spend it playing video games.

Sunlight (Werewolf Transformation)

This short hand-animated Twilight parody features a werewolf transformation at the 1:05 mark:



Because the TF is quick, I decided to include a collage for your benefit:

Now that I've learned to make these, expect them more often!

Artboy Design (Werewolf Transformation)

Here is a Halloween-themed webcomic featuring a nicely drawn-out "werewolf" metamorphosis. Thanks to Mike for the alert!

Jinrou Chronicle (Werewolf Transformation)

The plot synopsis for this manga reads: "When the full moon rises, the sleeping beast's blood awakens. Which of fated twins will the Wolf God choose?"
I won't say which twin it is, because I don't care, but his transformation begins here.

Monster Soul (Werewolf Transformation)

Monster Soul is a fantasy manga starring a group of monsters. Aki, the main protagonist, transforms into a "DiaWolf" (a werewolf with horns) whenever he gets emotional. The transformation begins  here.

Pan's Grotto (Goat and Satyr Transformations)

This comic by the TF artist Navetsea was clearly inspired by the man-to-satyr-to-goat transformation in the "Blind Pilots" music video (which can be seen in an earlier post). But unlike the music video, it has a more upbeat and...orgiastic ending (making it not safe for work). Read it here.

As a bonus for satyr lovers, here's a link to Navetsea's similarly-themed comic "Cleon and the Cursed Flute."

EDIT: Someone reported encountering malware while accessing Navetsea's site. Though I had no problems, I felt I should report this.

"Métamorphose" and "Eyline" (Cat and Monster Transformations)

Here are two short comics I found on a hentai website, which means they're not safe for work. The transformations aren't strong enough to merit individual posts, so I've grouped them together.
In "Eyline," a dude transforms into a hulking monster, beginning here.
In "Métamorphose", a bored housewife's cat tranforms in order to her please his mistress. Read it here. Hot comic, but I wish it was longer.

Colmillos, el Hombre Lobo (Werewolf Transformation)

Colmillos, el Hombre Lobo (1993), is a little-known Mexican horror film about a ranch-hand who turns into a werewolf. What makes the film really interesting is that it's situated before the rise of CGI and clearly influenced by An American Werewolf in London, so the transformation uses prosthetics, inflating bladders, and all the glorious old effects that occur in front of the camera, not in a computer. And though Colmillos is a low-budget film, you can tell that genuine thought and effort went into the transformation scene. All of that makes this a sort of lost gem from the brief era when filmmakers around the world had their eyes on AWIL and not on a computer screen.

Sukia (Werewolf Transformation)

Sukia is an adult-themed Italian comic from the late 70s (though the only scans I could find are in Spanish). The title character is a vampire seductress and her assistant Gary is a flaming gay man--the first major homosexual character in Italian comics, distinguished for being proud and unashamedly promiscuous.

In issue 13 Gary turns into a werewolf, right when he's about to get it on with a hot guy:

Nothing spoils the mood like eating your partner. Poor Gary goes home to confess everything to Sukia. She tells him (I have no idea why) to sleep in the same bed as her and her boyfriend, and he of course transforms again...

Too bad the werewolf looks more like a stub-tailed ape than a canine. In case you're interested in the rest of the story, Gary kills another person and wakes up naked the next day. He hits a woman with a rock, steals her clothes and dresses in them, and gets picked up by a horny guy who makes Gary go down on him. Alas, in mid-fellatio he discovers Gary is actually a man and beats the shit out of him. Sukia learns about this and gets even with Gary's attacker by tracking him down, sucking his blood, and castrating him. She gives his severed penis to Gary as a present. He throws it out of the window and it's eaten by cats.

Ah, you might ask, but is Gary ever cured? Yes! They meet a professor who says that female werewolves have been cured by fucking male wolves, so a male werewolf would have to fuck a female wolf. Gary says he is not fucking anything female, so an alternative solution is found:

It works! Now if only this cure was more widely used...

Legend of the WereStallion (Horse Transformation)

One of the all-time most popular posts on my blog has been "Legend of the Werehorse," a multi-part comic by Mamabliss, based on a short story at furaffinity. The author also commissioned another comic adaptation of his story, this time drawn by Gillpanda, an artist with more manga-influenced style (and a penchant for drawing big bellies and bottoms). This second version is titled "Legend of the Werestallion," and like the original is not safe for work. As with a manga, the panels should be read right-to-left.

01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

So readers, which version do you prefer? Gillpanda's or Mamabliss's?

Werewolf Breeding (Werewolf Transformation)

Werewolf Breeding is a Korean webcomic (presented here in an English translation). So far there's been one transformation scene--it begins at the bottom of this page and continues onto the next.

Ragin' Cajun Redneck Gators (Alligator Transformation)

(Many thanks to Tailbulger for bringing this to my attention.)

Ragin' Cajun Redneck Gators is SyFy's latest foray into deliberate stupidity, following on the heels of such crapterpieces as Sharknado. The premise is a little less outlandish this time, since it merely involves humans turning into large alligators who shoot spines out of their tales. The victim is a hunky cop, and the transformation first hits him at 69:12 mark, and then resumes at 70:07. The film can be viewed here.
(Note: The video link is good quality, but has pop-up ads. You do not need an HD codec to view the video, so don't install it. If you have trouble viewing the video, several other links are here. Many thanks to Tailbulger for bringing the film to my attention.)

The transformation has a promising beginning but falls victim to the budget. Pretty good reptilian make-up is used to represent the first stage of the transformation, as you can see in this behind-the-scenes photo found by Mike, an old friend of this site:

Alas, everything afterward pretty much happens offscreen.  You see an alligator tail pop into the frame, but you don't see it burst out of the cop's pants. Tailbulger comments that "it's not always a question of budget--stuffing a large cone down the back of the cop's pants to simulate a growing tail would have cost nothing. Nor would a 'ripping' sound effect. What it boils down to, I think is laziness or lack of imagination, and that really annoys me, as I'm sure it annoys you." Definitely.

Damaged Circuits (Age Progression)

"Damaged Circuits" is one of those anti-drug commercials that are more likely to drive kids to drugs than away from them, but it's distinguished by some beautifully rendered age progression--the morphing is almost flawless. So put down your crack pipe and watch.

Arania's TF Art (New Link)

A wise reader named Extrenica suggested that I include a link to Arania's Transformation art. This excellent suggestion made me wonder why I hadn't linked to her before, since I've followed her work for years. Arania is one of the longest-running TF artists on the web, and she regularly updates her massive gallery at the end of every month. Her reliability means she receives many commissions, and her work is evenly split between male and female transformees (though I think she's more comfortable drawing females; her male subjects tend to have female-sized feet and waists). She's so prolific that it would take too much space to single out particular pieces, but they can all be viewed here by scrolling down to "transformation sequences." Each sequence is labeled with the type of transformation and the sex of the transformee, and that makes browsing easy.

Fuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō (Dog Transformation)

Fuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō (伏 鉄砲娘の捕物帳, "Fuse: A Gun Girl's Detective Story") is an anime feature film, and "fuse" refers to a race of half-human half-dog beings who consume human souls. Shino, the fuse star of the film, looks human, but with each soul he eats turns more dog-like, so that by the end he resembles a lanky werewolf. The final transformation is well animated, with muscle and fur seeming to stream across Shino's body.
This clip was edited together from several different scenes in the film, so keep that mind...

Zombillenium (Demon Transformation)

Zombillenium is a "bande dessinée" from France. Volume One has recently been translated into English, but for this update I had to use scans from a Spanish translation.
The Zombillenium is a themepark for supernatural creatures. Into this stumbles a normal human, Aurélien, who gets bitten by a vampire and a werewolf, and starts to change...but into what?.
One thing I should note--the pages used here are collages of different panels edited together by yours truly. So if they seem disjointed, don't blame the artist!

Anyway, we first see our hero gradually start to transform, with growing hair, ears, and fangs. I confess, I threw in the last half of this page just for beefcake...

Aurélien gets a lowly job at Zombillenium, but the irritation from a yappy dog causes his monster self to emerge...

Yup, it's a demon. Following are several unrelated scenes of Aurélien showing his demonic side.

Eventually we see his full-grown devilish form, and it's a beauty. As the last panel demonstrates, the French are more casual about nudity than us uptight Americans.

That's all, alas. The second volume doesn't have anything worth excerpting here and I'm not aware of a third.

Brady's Beasts (Werewolf Transformation)

Brady's Beasts seems to one of those Canadian cartoons that never aired in the States. In episode 16, "How to Date a Werewolf," we're treated to a gradual transformation. It begins at the 7:05 mark (to which the video is cued), resumes at 8:06, and finally kicks into high gear at 8:50.

The Art of DanteVergilLoverAR (Werewolf, fox, and dragon Transformations)

I was recently contacted by the artist DanteVergilLoverAR, who asked if I could include a link to her artwork. I'm happy to do so, since I'm familiar with and have enjoyed it. She's drawn many werewolf sequences in strong-lined style, and her werewolves are hulking, snarling monsters with pounds of rippling muscle. Besides lycanthropes, she's also featured dragons, foxes, and hyenas. Of the sequences that involve male transformees, I can point out the following:

"Full Moon Cocktails": 01, 02, 03

"Carnal Eventide": 01, 02, 03, 04

"C.E.": 01, 02, 03, 04

"The Date Request" (werefox): 01, 02, 03, 04

"The Curse Within": 01, 02, 03

"Crimson Moon Night" (dragon): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05

"Amative Curfew": 01, 02

"Birth of the Weredragon": 01, 02, 03, 04

"Dragon...iade" (dragon): 01, 02, 03, 04, 05

"Wereyena" (hyena; one-panel)

"The Promulgate": 01, 02, 03, 04

"Delphic Item": 01, 02, 03, 04, 05

The Golden Ass (Donkey Transformation)

Here's a treat for my readers--the granddaddy of all transformation stories! The Golden Ass (aka The Metamorphoses of Apuleius) is a novel from Roman times, written by Apuleius, namesake of yours truly. Dating from the second century A.D., it concerns a young man named Lucius, the victim of a spell gone wrong: instead of turning into a bird, he becomes a donkey and has many picaresque adventures. After eating a crown of roses, he turns back into a human.

Apuleius derived his story from a now lost work, possibly written the Greco-Roman satirist Lucian. Another very similar work was also derived from this source. Called Lucius, or The Ass, it offers the first version of the donkey transformation:

So Palestra stole softly into the room and fetched me the bottle. I tore off my clothes and rubbed the stuff all over me--but the result was not at all what I intended. A tail shot out behind me, my fingers and toes disappeared and were replaced by four great nails, exactly like hooves, my hands and feet lost all resemblance to human ones, my ears grew long and pointed, and my face swelled up to a monstrous size. I turned around to look at myself, and found that I was nothing more or less than a donkey.

Apuleius closely followed this description, but added an amusing detail:

I hastily tore off all my clothes, dipped my hands eagerly into the box, drew out a good quantity of ointment, and rubbed all my limbs with it. I then flapped my arms up and down, imitating the movements of a bird. But no down and no signs of feathers appeared. Instead, the hair on my body was becoming coarse bristles, and my tender skin was hardening into hide. There were no longer five fingers at the extremities of my hands, for each was compressed into one hoof. From the base of my spine protruded an enormous tail. My face became misshapen, my mouth widened, my nostrils flared open, my lips became pendulous, and my ears huge and bristly. The sole consolation I could see in this wretched transformation was the swelling of my penis...

Incidentally, the above translation is from the Oxford World's Classics edition, which I recommend to anyone who wishes to read this still-amusing novel for themselves. The influence of The Golden Ass is hard to underestimate--it likely inspired the donkey transformation scene in Carlo Collodi's Pinnocchio, leading to Walt Disney's classic adaptation, which features the most famous donkey transformation of them all.

But we're here to discuss a comic adaptation of The Golden Ass by the great erotic artist Milo Manara. Le metamorfosi o l'asino d'oro is an abridged but faithful retelling of Apuleius, and I'm happy to offer my readers several scans in English. However, since this is a Manara comic, keep in mind that these pictures are not safe for work.

It's hard to see how a film would do better than this. Manara's excellent draftsmanship vividly conveys the bristly hair growth and grotesque, rubbery facial contortions of the original transformation. And he doesn't forget to do justice to the "sole consolation" of being a donkey!

Here we see Lucius return to his studly human form:

Wasn't that fantastic? I love it when I can cover two thousand years of transformations in one post. Many thanks to Lucian, Milo, and good old Apuleius!

Tara Duncan (Werewolf Transformations)

Tara Duncan is a French fantasy cartoon. One of its minor characters, Fabrice, happens to be a werewolf, and he's seen transforming in episodes 6 ("Frère de crocs") and 15 ("Le regard de Claire"). The first two transformations in this clip are from the former, the last TF from the latter. The transformations are somewhat disappointing, since rely too much on the old cheat of having glowing light obscure the changing body parts.

Rated A For Awesome (Monkey Transformation)

Rated A For Awesome is a computer animated series made in Canada. In episode 12 (or 24, since each episode consists of two stories), the main character Les gets his DNA mixed with a monkey's. The first part of his transformation starts at school--sadly the second part occurs off camera. I've roughly edited together a  video for your enjoyment...

Wolfenjump (Werewolf Transformation)

Wolfenjump is an online anthology of indie/anime comics that have a wolf theme. One of these comics, titled "Luna," also has a werewolf transformation. See it here.

Versipellis (Werewolf Transformation)

Many thanks to Werefan for making this clip possible.

The clip below is from a hard-to-find Italian short film. The transformation itself is abbreviated (and it looks like the rest of it would have involved skin-ripping), but as werefan points out, the real glory of the film is the werewolf suit, with its excellent design and menacing face. Proof yet again that old-fashioned special effects can still kick CGI's ass.

Hor Taew Taek Waek Chi-Mi (Werewolf Transformation)

Hor Taew Taek Waek Chi-Mi  apparently is the third installment of a transvestite ghost-comedy franchise. (yeah, you heard me right), and this time werewolves and vampires are involved. It's an incredible farrago, but here's a quick and shoddy werewolf transformation, with added slow-motion replay at the end.

Apparently the werewolf (the hunk with the chin beard) is confronting the vampire (the hunk in the pool who can get changed quickly). Or so I think. It's not as if explaining it would make this clip make sense. But at least the werewolf is a stud.

Le Collège Invisible (Werewolf and Zombie Transformations)

This comedic bande dessinée is about some teenagers attending a school for magic (sounds familiar?). In Volume 2, Thomas (the hero William's best friend) contracts lycanthropy, giving rise to the following dialogue:

-- Uh ... William, I'm growing hair.
-- At our age that's normal Thomas. It's puberty, your body changes, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
--No, I'm really growing hair.


The comic than skips ahead a couple pages before returning to the transformation:

I'm not going to translate the whole page, but "couché" obviously is equivalent to "sit!"


After Thomas wakes up human the next day, he's told of his condition, and asks if he was bitten last month. That should be easy to verify, says William:

"Ah," says William, "you see, I was right...you can still see the mark. Crazy! My friend is a werewolf. My cousin will be jealous--his friend is just a redhead."


Later we get a one-panel transformation:

After this, we get another one-panel TF in Volume 4, when Thomas is in a magic competition with someone who foolishly generates a fool moon...

Lastly, in Volume 7 Thomas is held at gunpoint and comes up with a visual simile:

And that's all. The series has reached 10 volumes, but with no decent werewolf transformations in the last three entries. However, as a bonus I'm throwing in a zombie/ghoul transformation from Volume 5. Enjoy mes amis!

Homemade Werewolf Animation 3 (Werewolf Transformations)

Hello everyone, and sorry about my absence (June was a depressing month). But I'm back, and many thanks to Drake for prompting the post below.

I'm not a big fan of computer animation. I can't even recall seeing a really good computer-animated werewolf transformation. Until today that is--thanks to an artist named Medhue.

Let's start with his early test animation:

Pretty good, and the multiple angles are a nice bonus.


Here's a later, more atmospheric effort:

As with the earlier piece, Medhue has taken advantage of the smoothness of digital effects, but he's used it to  further detail the transformation, instead of using the too-fast morphing we're used to with computer animation.


And now we come to his magnum opus (so far):

More and more cartoons on TV are computer animated. Should any of these shows try a transformation scene, I hope they're as good as Medhue's.

The Art of Petplayer976 (Werewolf Transformations)

Today we're pairing an entry in the home-made werewolf animation series with one of our occasional art spotlights. The artist is Petplayer976. We'll start with her animations:








As her deviantart account also demonstrates, Petplayer is a big werewolf fan. Her art, like her animation, is anime inspired and has a spiky look and bouncy energy. When it comes to werewolves she loves drawing painful grimaces, popping/cracking flesh, exploding clothes, blood spurting from new claws, drool-leaking snouts, and monstrous glowing-eyes. Just what I like!

She's drawn several werewolf sequences, both for her own enjoyment and as commissions:

The first is "Shadow Werewolf," an early, rougher-looking work: 01. 02. 03. 04.

Her next sequence, "Night After Yesterday," is more assured: 01. 02. 03. 04.

"The Anniversary Gift" is something of a departure, since it features a were-panda! 01. 02.

"Prom Nightmare" returns to lupines:  01. 02. 03.

"Can't Fight the Moon":  01. 02.

"Wilson's Nightmare":  01. 02.

"Not Really the Night":  01. 02. 03. 04.

We take another departure with "Bloodshed," an alien Zergling TF:   01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

Back to wolves with "Sunrise," but this time it's a transformation back to humanity:  01. 02. 03. 04.

There are also some one-page works that depict werewolves in mid-transformation, such as "Bring The Pain," "Night Beast," "Contest Entry," and "Halloween in the Saints."

Homemade Werewolf (and Werecat) Animation, Part 2 (Werewolf/Werecat Transformations)

This is a sequel to my earlier post on amateur/homemade animation. Let's start with this fast but very fluid werewolf transformation:




The same artist, Eric Strother, surpasses this with a superb and beautifully smooth puma transformation--look at how the entire process occurs in one shot, with no cutaways:




Next comes a finely detailed werewolf transformation from Luis M. Pérez Suárez, showing a gentleman enjoying his change into a well-muscled lycanthrope. This TF uses cutaways to good effect:




We'll take a brief detour out of 2D animation with "An American Werewolf in Maya." I think this is better than many of the transformations we see in computer-animated cartoons:




An anonymous comment on my earlier post reminded me that I forgot to include one of the greatest amateur werewolf animations of them all. Created back in 2004 by William Short of "Voria Studios", this is a definite classic:

In many respects it's an example of the archetypal modern werewolf transformation: shots of the expanding back developing ridges and bursting through clothing, extreme muscle growth, and snout formation--all accomplished with cinematic direction and an excellent soundtrack of moans, groans, and snarls.

Hellblazer (Werewolf Transformation)

First off, I'm back! Apologies for the gap between updates--I moved to a new room and had to clean and find occupants for my apartment. Now the only room left to clean is my own, and I have time to post some transformation tidbits for you. Today's updates are all from comics, but I have several videos lined up for the weeks ahead. Nothing current though--this has been a dry period for TF fans, especially with disappointments like Hemlock Grove. But hopefully these scans will serve as a stopgap.

In Hellblazer #292, John Constantine gets scratched by a werewolf and becomes a rather studly lycanthrope...

I, Zombie (Dog Transformation)

I, Zombie #6 amusingly features a character who turns into a were-dog, or to be more precise, a were-terrier...

Monster-Size Hulk (Werewolf and Hulk Transformations)

Monster Size Hulk #1 features a meeting between Bruce Banner (the Hulk) and Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night). The two meet in their human forms, and Banner locks Russell in a cage right before the full moon. And then all hell breaks loose...a pity the art isn't clearer.

The Darkness Versus Eva (Werewolf Transformation)

The Darkness Versus Eva, Daughter of Dracula #1 (whew! long title) opens with a scene on a subway, showing a blond werewolf harassing a passenger. Why don't we see blond werewolves more often?

Wolverine 1000 (Werewolf Transformation)

The comic Wolverine 1000 features a story set in World War II, with everyone's favorite hairy Canuck battling Nazi werewolves. I've included the before and after pages to give some context.

Quick Site Update

The copyright thugs at youtube blocked my video of Lastikman, but I've reuploaded it to vimeo. If you haven't seen it before or crave a rewatch, go here.

Battledogs (Werewolf Transformation)

I had very low expectations for Battledogs--after all, it's a "SyFy Original Movie." And, truth be told, I fast-forwarded through most of it (life is short, so sue me). However, there's a transformation scene near the beginning, which I am pleased to bring to you. Since the scene cuts off abruptly, I've included a snippet beforehand to show you what the werewolf design is like. My comments are below...




The werewolves look ratty and remind me too much of those in the American Being Human. However, I was still pleasantly surprised by this scene. It looks like even the folks who make SyFy movies are getting better at handling CGI, and even using it to more closely mimic classic, pre-CGi effects--as with the face morphs (too bad we don't see the muzzles fully grow out) and nice shirt and shoes ripping with digital fur underneath.

Hemlock Grove (Werewolf Transformation)

(Thanks to our good friend Werefan for the tip!)

Hemlock Grove is a much-hyped horror/thriller TV series produced by Netflix. It'll debut in mid-April, but the a preview clip of one of the main characters turning into a werewolf has already been released. The character is played by Landon Liboiron, who previously played a werewolf in the horribly awful The Howling: Reborn. Did he get a better transformation this time? Watch and see. My comments are below.





The transformation scene in Hemlock Grove was hyped as "something you'd never seen before." Turns out it's just another skin-ripping transformation, but with added gore. Beware of any filmmaker who claims he's reinvented the wheel.

Now, skin-ripping transformations were an interesting novelty way back when The Company of Wolves was released. In that film, men tore off their skin, and the werewolf was formed from their muscle layer; the bedrock of their flesh (as seen here, courtesy of Dutchbull). This worked in the context of the film, because it was dreamlike and surreal. But in a non-surreal film like Van Helsing, skin-ripping transformations just look stupid. Wolves and humans are mammals, and having the wolf somehow develop inside the man, like a butterfly in a cocoon, is too insect-like. (It also makes changing back into a human awkward. The only film to successfully deal with that issue was Romasanta.)

The biggest problem with skin-ripping is that it doesn't give the full sense of a transformation. Instead of seeing a man change into a wolf, you see a wolf burst out of man. Visually, it's a cheat, since the human form isn't seem transforming--it's just shucked off. So, Hemlock Grove has done nothing particularly new or original. Though it's well done, I can't say I like it. Stuff like the eyeballs popping out (another pair were waiting right behind, like shark's teeth?) is gore for gore's sake. But that obviously interests a hack director like Eli Roth more than an actual transformation.

P.S. There are lots of negative comments on youtube as well. However, those who claim that what the character transforms into "isn't a werewolf" are wrong. For hundreds of years European mythology has considered a werewolf any man who turns into a wolf. The two-legged anthromorphic werewolf is a creation of Hollywood. However, I agree with those who dislike the final form because it's an anticlimax--all that gore and shifting, and he just transforms into an ordinary wolf?

"Three Wolves" (Werewolf Transformations)

(Thanks to Mike for the tip!)
Having discussed amateur werewolf animation in our last post, here's an amateur live action example. Three Wolves is a mockumentary interview with three werewolves, each awaiting moonrise. The video is cleverly shot to look like research footage, and the editing is very clever--the jump cuts suggest the look of rough amateur footage and also allow the make-up to change between cuts, creating the illusion of transformation. The make-up has a homemade look, but I find that more charming than slick CGI. Three Wolves originated as a university assignment--if only more dissertations were like this...

Homemade Werewolf Animation (Werewolf Transformations)

Amateur/homemade animation is an area we've slightly neglected on this blog, but we hope to make amends. There are several videos of this type on youtube, and though we won't be able to cover them all in this post, we'll make a start.


I'm slightly cheating with our first example, since it's from a professional animation studio, but I suppose it qualifies as "homemade". Plus, it gives you a useful behind-the-scenes look at its creation:




Ending on a similar amusing note is our second example, which is a genuine amateur effort:





Our third example qualifies as fan-art, since it shows a character from the show Code Lyko turning into a werewolf. This was obviously a hand-drawn labor-of-love, and we salute the artist's attention to detail:


For a look at the fan-art that inspired this video, take a look at this werewolf-themed deviantart folder.



The fourth example is my personal favorite. The artist was obviously inspired by the Oozaru transformation scenes from Dragonball--the nicely masculine metamorphosis is slowly depicted, body part by body part:

Mr. Young (Monster/Growth Transformation)

Mr. Young is a Canadian childrens' sitcom about a 14 year old who teaches high school. In the (Season 3, #4) episode "Mr. Hyde," Mr. Young drinks a potion that turns him into hulking monster. The special effects are bargain-basement, but they have a sort of goofy/stupid charm. Any effort is always appreciated around these parts...

Lobo (Werewolf/Wolfman Transformation)

Someone’s finally done the right thing—they hired a good-looking guy as a werewolf and actually showed him transforming into one!

I’m referring about the first episode of Lobo, an Argentinean telenovela that finished airing a year ago. It’s about a tall, dark, good-looking guy who turn into a real beast-man, thanks to a curse that kicks in when he turns 30. He's played by the already wolfishly handsome Gonzalo Heredia.

However, it should be said that what he transforms into is a wolfman-style werewolf. I know wolfman transformations are not everyone’s favorite, but when done well they can accentuate the idea of humanity gone feral. By keeping a more humanoid face, the wolfman shows humanity at the very brink of slipping away, but not yet fully bestial.  And because the wolfman's face is still humanoid, with features like overgrown sideburns and eyebrows and excess facial hair, it heavily suggests the metaphor of lycanthropy as puberty gone haywire into adulthood. Anyway, enough blabbing from me, here's the clip:




The wolfman in Lobo reminds me of the one in the Tales From the Crypt episode “Werewolf Concerto.” Both monsters partake of the wolfman form, though with their hyper-masculine faces and torn open-shirts they look like more like debauched rockstars than Lon Chaney Jr.  The wolfman in this episode is played by Timothy Dalton, and the transformation is short but features familiar, beloved standbys like claws tearing out of shoes (Lobo throws in two shots of this!) and the beast’s humped back ripping through his shirt. Personally, I'd rather see a younger actor doing the transforming--not that I have anything against Dalton's acting (he was the best James Bond since Sean Connery). He certainly acts with brio in this scene:




Getting back to Lobo… for those curious about behind-the-scenes details, the effects crew was instructed to design a werewolf that “should retain the physiognomic characteristics of the actor.” In the first stage a mold was taken to copy the features of the actor and his teeth. From the resulting sculpture came the werewolf suit, made of latex and imitation leather, with fur added “hair by hair.” Applying the costume and makeup to the actor took two and a half hours (for a video of the process, click here),  The transformation itself was CGI, created with software like Maya and Mudbox. The press materials brag that the effects are on par with those of American TV, and I would agree. Though there should have been some shots of  Heredia’s face shifting, the stretching fingers and ears and growing chest are smooth and lifelike and don't compare badly to the effects in the recent Wolfman remake.

Unfortunately, Lobo never surpassed its first episode, and the show was cancelled after a rather short run (by telenovela standards) of 53 episodes. Perhaps viewers were disappointed by the lack of werewolfishness—the remaining transformations are disappointing and grow progressively shorter, dribbling out after episode 21. They're also partial and repeat effects from the first transformation. I have links to three of the later TFs, but be warned that they're disappointing:

Partial Transformation 01
Partial Transformation 02
Partial Transformation 03

Lastly, here's a bonus scene. It has no TF content but gives a fuller view of the werewolf...and of Mr. Heredia's posterior, for those of you into beefcake...

Spirou et Fantasio (Werewolf Transformation)

Spirou et Fantasio is one of those massively popular European comics that never made it big in America. Spirou, as far as I can tell, is a dude in a bellhop outfit who has all sorts of crazy adventures. In book 52 of the series, La face cachée du Z, he ends up on the moon and is somehow turned into a wolfman (don't ask me, my French is rusty). This page is a badly edited-together panel compilation by yours truly.

Superman-Batman 66-67 (Bat Transformation)

Issues 66 to 67 of Superman-Batman contain a story arc featuring Bizarro, Solomon Grundy, Frankenstein, and Man-Bat. The latter is of course a classic Batman foe. Here he's seen struggling between his man and beast forms--we very much appreciate artist Scot Kolins' eye for detail.

Man-Bat had several memorable appearances in animation as well. He's in the classic first episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and his transformation can be seen here thanks to our friend Dutchbull. He also made several appearances in the later (and inferior) cartoon The Batman. Those TF scenes, also hosted by Dutchbull, are listed below:
01  02  03  04  05

Wolverine Annual '97 (Werewolf Transformation)

Wolverine Annual '97 pits everyone's favorite feisty Canuck against Ilya Dubromovich Skorzorski, code-named VOLK. An ex-KGB assasin, Volk was experimented on and got his DNA fused with that of a wolf. Violence makes him transform, and he gets into a scrap with his old enemy Wolvie.
As the comic progresses, Volk's werewolf form grows progressively more feral, until he permanently turns into an ordinary wolf (which was the battle-weary lycanthrope's goal all along). We commend the fine linework of artist Leonardo Manco for bringing the beast to life.
 Now, since Volk's transformation from human to werewolf to wolf takes place gradually over many pages, I had to cut and combine several panels into composite pages. So story-wise what you're going to see is messy and a bit incoherent because of my edits. However, you're also getting the undiluted TF content, so enjoy!

 



In case you're curious, Wolverine himself has become a werewolf on several occasions. His comic transformation occurred off panel, but he got a decent TF scene in the old X-Men cartoon from the late 90s. Though seen mostly from the back, there's some good clothes and shoe ripping, and his monster-form is an intimidating wolf-hulk.

Batman (Werewolf Transformation)

Here's yet another werewolf comic drawn by a great illustrator. The story is "Moon of the Wolf," from Batman #255. The art is by Neal Adams, the definitive Batman artist of the 70s. In these three (non-continuous) pages, athlete Anthony Lupus gets in touch with his inner beast...

Two decades later, "Moon of the Wolf" was closely adapted into an episode of Batman: The Animated Series...so closely that the three transformation scenes in the cartoon correspond to the comic's. You can compare them by watching the videos hosted by our friend Dutchbull:

01. The reversion scene. 
02. The partial transformation.
03. The full transformation.
 

The only major difference between the cartoon and comic was that Lupus was renamed Romulus.

Which version do you prefer? I vote for the cartoon. Adams's art is fantastic, with its patented mix of realism and dynamism, but his werewolf design is underwhelming--a hairy dude with lynx ears. The cartoon version preserves the original's bulk but adds a genuine wolf snout and a full-on jagged fur coat. In a nice touch, human Romulus sports a unibrow in old werewolf tradition.

Though BTAS was one of the greatest cartoons of the 1990s, "Moon of the Wolf" is regarded as one of its worst episodes. But from a transformation point of view it's fantastic, with some of the most lovingly storyboarded werewolf TFs of its time.

In the reversion scene we get detailed close-ups of Romulus's paws shifting into feet, claws into hands, and even reverse muzzle growth as he gives a last howl to the moon. In the third transformation, we get epic clothes-bursting (though there's a notorious continuity error involving his shirt--or shirts), hands bulging into black-tipped claws, and muzzle-growth wittily timed with a lightning flash. The superimposition of cells that creates the transformation effects recalls the lap-dissolves used in Wolf Man, but animation allows a fuller and wilder transformation than anything in comics or live action.
All in all, a great TF rite of passage for those of us who were impressionable kids back in 1992.

Swamp Thing (Werewolf Transformation)

Continuing our theme of werewolf transformations from old comics by great artists, here's some lycanthropic goodness from Swamp Thing (Vol.1, #4), drawn by Berni Wrightson.

The TF is mostly shown via the face (alas), but the werewolf design is a neat blend of classic wolfman (no muzzle) and bestial modern werewolf (lupine hind legs and ears, hulking upper body). The only demerit goes to the colorist, who has inexplicably made the beast white.
Later tonight I'll have a final entry in our comics series, so keep those yellow eyes peeled!

"House of Mystery," "Creepy," "Menace," "Horror From the Tomb," and "Secrets of Sinister House" (Werewolf Transformations)

This post is our second devoted to werewolf transformations from old horror comics. (The first, dating from 2011, can be read here.) This time around we have art from some of the best illustrators in the field. 

First comes "The Way of the Werewolf," from House of Mystery #231, which features some fine facial transformations by Gerry Talaoc. It can be read here, at Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine.

Next is "Werewolf!," drawn by the great Frank Frazetta. Taken from Creepy #1, read it here at the blog Black 'N' White and Red All Over. The TF is on the last page.

Also hosted by the same blog, and from the same comic (issue 12), is a real gem--"Blood of the Werewolf!" -- with gorgeous art by none other than Steve Ditko. Go here to feast your eyes on Ditko's fine, strapping wolfman.

From Menace #3 comes "Werewolf!", drawn by Bill Everett. It can be seen here, at the blog The Horrors of it All. The TF is on the last page.

Horror From the Tomb #1  features "Werewolf of the Alps," with art by Jon D'Agostino. You can find it here, at the blog Four Color Shadows.

Our last item is "Castle Curse," from Secrets of Sinister House #10, beautifully rendered by the great  Alfred P. Acala, though the only TF action is a face revert on the second-to-last page. See it here, at the blog Lounge of the Severed Head.

A Werewolf Boy (Werewolf Transformation)

A Werewolf Boy is a Korean romantic drama about a girl who befriends a feral orphan boy. On one level, the movie is porn for 14 year old girls, but with sentiment instead of sex. On the other hand, it's filmed and acted with much greater grace and sensitivity than something like Twilight. And Joong-ki Song gives a fine performance as the beastly title character, who is tamed like a dog.

 Anyway, the werewolf boy does in fact turn into a werewolf--or rather a wolfman, and even then he doesn't look have a snout or any especially wolfy attributes. But the transformation is worth excerpting (I quite like the foot-to-paw CGI). I've rather crudely edited it together with a much briefer second TF from later on in the film.

Many thanks to our friend Mike for letting us know of the source material for this clip!

Ultimate Spider-Man (Lizard Transformation)

A kind reader named Ken gave us an excellent tip about some very recent transformations in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. The first episode of season two features Spidey's old nemesis the Lizard and treats us to a well animated transformation and reversion, with some nice fang and muscle growth (this version of the Lizard is quite butch). The episode can be seen here--the TF is at the 10:18 mark, and the reversion at 19:54. Thanks again Ken!

P.S. I should also note that the Spectacular Spider-Man from a few years back contained a superb (and skull-crunchingly visceral) lizard transformation. It's viewable at Stonegate Inc.--go here for the TF and here for the reversion.

Harey Podder: Say the Magic Word (Rabbit Transformation)

No points on guessing what Harey Podder: Say the Magic Word is a parody of! This is another very funny short by the very talented animator Stodoe.


And once again, we have the treat of looking through still frames of the transformation! Viewable here.

Everyday Hulk (Muscle Growth/Monster Transformation)

Our friend Makaio wrote in to recommend this very funny short film, which definitely deserves a post. It's a homemade, terrifically-rendered animation by a professional animator nicknamed Stodoe. Most of the animation made for the web is either Flash or 3-D, so kudos to someone so talented at creating traditional animation (which is the best kind!).

There's an additional treat in store for guys--still frames from Hulk's transformation! Take a look at them here.