In my college Typography class in 1991, we were given the assignment to make 26 little pictures, each featuring a different letter of the alphabet integrating with the artwork in some way. One of my first loves is mythology, especially mythological creatures. When I was little I read every book on mythic beasts I could find in the library, and I even made up my own "monster dictionary" (and this was before D&D's "Monster Manual"), and I thought mythology was the perfect subject for that assignment (in fact, I did it again in my next college, in 1995). This was before we used computers, so everything is hand-lettered. Unfortunately the plastic I'd laminated it with had degraded the ink, so I scanned them in and retouched them, to have a record of them before they deteriorate further. Click for full image.

Remember, this is old, and the creature descriptions are based on all the older books I'd read; YOU might have heard different stories, descriptions and myths about these creatures, for example. Also remember this was done with a pure study of mythology point-of-view: I did NOT go into any of the spiritual aspects of any of the creatures, and no offense was implied or intended towards anyone's beliefs, religion, or spirituality.

	Amphisbaena This uncommon mythological creature has been depicted as a snake or a dragonlike creature with a head at both ends. I chose to make mine draconic. More information here.
	Basilisk Back in the pre-internet, pre D&D days, when my major reference source was the library, I had read they were rooster-like, with leathery wings and a reptilian tail. Later interpretations depicted it as a six-legged lizard or a giant snake. Still, the part-rooster version is not only correct, but also older, though in later times it was also referred to as a cockatrice. I found this page to be very informative.
	Cerberus The most common depiction of Cerberus is that of a huge, three-headed dog; he is sometimes shown with more heads, with snakes on his back, or with a snake for a tail. The typeface I chose for this one is Helvetica (get it?) More information here.
	Dragon Dragons have been depicted so many different ways in just about every culture throughout history, and they will always be one of my favorite mythological creatures. My dragons often look quite mammalian; any resemblance to others is coincidental (this is from 1991, pre-internet). Some links here for other interpretations.
	Egrentyne I love heralrdy, and all the unusual, stylized creatures depicted in it. An Egrentyne was like a heraldic "tyger", but with hooved forefeet instead of claws. Note that in heraldry a "tyger" (scroll down) is different in portrayal from a "tiger" - it has a beak-like muzzle and a slender body with a long, tufted tail.
	Faery or Fairy There are so many different descriptions and depictions of them that I suggest you try some of these links for more information. Here, Lorelei (the female cat from my Beast & Beauty illustration), makes a cameo appearance as a sort of cat-fairy. If I re-did it today, it would look very different, with a more traditional depiction.
	Gryphon or Griffin Like dragons and faeries, there are so many different descriptions of griffins (also spelled gryphons) that I imagine you have your own idea of what they are. If not, here are some interesting links. This card's griffinh is based on an older picture called Lady in Red.
	Hippocampus Also know as a sea horse, it often has webbed front feet; however, I drew mine with hooves as they are sometimes seen in Classical art. More information here.
	Imdugud From ancient Sumerian mythology, Imdugud was a "bird of Anzu" with an eagle's body and a lioness' head. I would love to do another picture of her. More information here and here (scroll down for both).
	Jaguar-Man In Mesoamerican mythology, the jaguar was highly revered; half-human/half jaguar or "were-jaguar" figures were common themes in their art. Mesoamerican art is beautiful (and interestingly, they often used the mineral cinnabar to decorate their sculptures), and it has inspired me to do many pictures with similar themes. More information and art is here and here, and scroll down to the Mythology and Gods section on this page for more.
	Kirin or Ki-Rin This creature, often called a "Chinese or Japanese Unicorn", has many different versions in name and appearance (in fact, it may sometimes have more than one horn). It has the apsects of a deer, dragon, and lion, and almost always has hooves. For more information see here (click link at left on page) and here.
	Lion (Winged) The winged lion is an iconic creature depicted in many cultures throughout history. A very famous example is the Winged Lion of St. Mark in Venice, Italy. Many more images may be found here. They are another one of my favorite symbols; I ran out of time when I got to this card so it didn't get the treatment it deserved.
	Minotaur The Minotaur (literally, Minos Bull) was a bull-headed man with a taste for human flesh who was the offspring of Pasiphae (the wife of King Minos) and a sacred white bull. I love bovine creatures, so I had a lot of fun drawing this (very stylized) card. For more on the story, see here.
	Nandi Bear An interesting, if less well-known, creature of cryptozoology (another interest of mine), the Nandi bear is supposedly a secretive, man-killing bear found in Africa. Most likely it originated from stories of hyenas or baboons. More information here.
	Opinicus An Opinicus is a griffin-like creature of heraldry; sometimes it was depicted with ears and a lynx-like body and tail, and other times with no ears, a lionlike body, and a camel's tail. Versions here and here.
	Phoenix Yet another creature with many myths surrounding it, the Phoenix is generally thought of as a large eagle- or heron-like bird. Upon reaching old age, it builds a nest and sets itself on fire, then rises anew from the ashes. I love all different depictions of the Phoenix, but I usually draw mine as a sort of fiery eagle. More information here.
	Quetzalcoatl A diety who was known by many names and aspects in a number of Mesoamerican myths, Quetzalcoatl was one of the chief dieties in the Aztec culture. He is often referred to as "the Feathered Serpent", and that's the aspect I chose for this card. My version isn't very traditional, and I'd love to do a more authentic one someday. For more information, see this very informative page.
	Rakshasa or Rakasa They are demons from Hindu mythology; in the Ramayana, they appeared in many different shapes and sizes - some quite humanoid, some much more bestial in appearance, and some even beautiful. Often they were thought to be shape-shifters and quite bloodthirsty. For more information and images, see here.
	Steph's Avatar My own personal avatar, based on an earlier (1989) painting of her titled Vigilance. There are actually four images of the letter "S" hidden in this picture. See my Art: Evolution page for more information on what she is.
	Tiamat She is the personification of the salt-water ocean in Babylonian creation myths, and fought the hero Marduk. I based my drawing off of her winged, lion-like depictions, though some descriptions show her as being dragon-like. More information here.
	Unicorn The Unicorn is, along with the Dragon and Griffin, one of the most well-known creatures in mythology and heraldry. Though descriptions vary, quite often they are horse-, deer-, or goat-like (or combinations thereof), with single horns on their foreheads. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to give this card the attention it deserved. A incredible gallery with over sixteen thousand images is at The Unicorn and the Jorge (including one of mine, too).
	Vampire Almost every culture has some form of vampire myth; though tales vary widely, they are generally described as blood-drinking creatures of the night. I chose to depict mine as a bat-like shapeshifter, drawn in a very graphic style. An interesting page on them is here.
	Werewolf Werewolves of classic myth and legend are human beings that transform into wolves or monstrous, wolflike creatures, whether because of a curse or of their own accord. For more informaton, here is a very thorough site and another featuring many werewolf legends from Germany.
	Xeg-Yi A Xeg-Yi (and related creature, Xag-Ya) is spherical in form, with six tentacles and two eyes. When I coudn't find a creature for the letter "X" (this was pre-internet, remember), I called home from college and talked to my brother, who found this thing in a D & D Monster Manual. If I re-did this alphabet, I would probably choose an Aztec Diety like Xipe Totec, Xochiquetzal or Xolotl. If you would like more information on the Xeg-Yi, thanks to the internet you can now find it here.
	Yale (Bedford and Beaufort Types) Another creature from heraldry, a Yale is a goat- or deer-like creatue with two horns it can swivel back and forth. A Bedford type is slim in build, with a tufted tail, a boarlike snout, and long, straight horns. A Beaufort type is heavier in build, more goatlike in appearance, and has curving horns. Both types have tusks. For more information, see here.
	Zephyr In Greek mythology, Zephyr was the personification of the West Wind, the gentlest wind that brings the Spring. The pose for this card was based on one I had used earlier on a 1987 sketchbook cover. More information on Zephyr here and here (scroll down).