Telson

Introducing Telson, the anthro Intex® lobster! It's not often a character's species includes a registered trademark in its name, but this pinchy fellow is undoubtedly and unashamedly based on a real pool toy design.

I've been developing this character for a while now, and this is the first definitive reference for him. Some noteworthy details:

• His claws inflate separately from the rest of his body. This means that he can puff his claws up to appear bigger and more intimidating (at least in so far as an inflatable lobster can be intimidating).
• Two little blue whiskery/moustachy vinyl flaps adorn either side of his mouth. Because they can.
• His noodley-looking feelers are inflatable as well, although they tend to bob and creak around rather than actually serve a useful purpose.
• Three webbed vestigial legs running down his torso bring him up to the required number to qualify as a decapod. He can wiggle these a bit, but they're mostly for show. You have to admit, they look pretty cool.
• He's built to be steady on his feet, hence his legs are like two enormous traffic cones. The flat, flared bases provide excellent stability and give him the sort of commanding presence that only 1960's-styled moon boots can achieve.
• He gives the impression of having a segmented body, thanks to a generous set of horizontal baffles that run down his torso and tail. These terminate in a spectacular cloverleaf tailfin.
• Deviating slightly from the design of the pool toy he's based on, his dominant markings are like blue and white paint splatters, adorning his back, tail, thighs, and claw-tops.