The Rampaging Zitidar by UDDERScomix on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

"...the fifty extra mastodons, or heavy draught animals known as zitidars..." -A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

This was drawn up for the Burroughs Club creature contest going on here: [link]

Fun quick colored sketch. I've always been intrigued by the creatures known as zitidars because for one, I think this passage in the chapter "Sola Tells Me Her Story" is the only reference to these animals. I tossed in some Thark warriors for scale. The Thark driving the zitidar can be doing one of two things depending on your view. For the more compassionate out there he is reaching out for his companion who has been tossed from the beast, for the purists of Burroughs vision, he's reaching for the spear. Be a waste of a good weapon if it was crushed.

Also, like all animals on Mars besides the human-like people of Helium and elsewhere, every creature on Mars seems to have extra limbs. Thing is, drawing six legs on an already bulky brute like this is a little tricky. Hope it looks right.