The Desert Creature Chronicles: The Driftwood Man of Congress

Arizona's highways are home to some of the nation's most peculiar roadside creatures.  As the creator of a minicomic all about my state's strangeness, I've decided to meet these creatures face to face!  Behold, the first entry in my ongoing travelogue: The Desert Creature Chronicles!

A small population of people almost always guarantees that a monster or two dwells among them.  Well, Congress is a small town in Yavapai County.  On any given year, more people may be elected to Congress than might actually live in Congress.  

Let's keep the comparison going.  You've heard of a straw man in Congress?  How about a Driftwood Man from Congress?  He stands in front of the "Ye Ol' Trading Post" antique store, and the owner insists that he was made by a local artist.  I think that's only part of the story.

If I had to guess, I'd say a craftsman constructed the Driftwood Man to keep him company in the lonely desert.  A desperate spell turned the would-be folk art into a golem, so the Driftwood Man can actually come alive when given the right command. One can only hope that he doesn't fall under the employ of an evil passer-by.

This theory proves true, as just a bit further down the road, a horse made of similar driftwood stands outside of a lumberyard.  The horse was probably made so the Driftwood Man wasn't the only one of his kind.  After all, his maker knew well the consequences of loneliness.

The Driftwood Man may soon appear in Amazing Arizona Comics, especially since wood creatures like Groot have been a feature of superhero comics for a long time.  In fact, one of them just appeared on this list of nutty DC Comics covers!

You might expect a cactus man in a small desert town like Congress, but Arizona is a state full of the unexpected.  It's just a part of our roots . . . aw, c'mon!  You knew I had to say it sooner or later. 

Come back soon for more cool Arizona creatures, and the latest on Amazing Arizona Comics!