As we said back in our Cool Guide To Art Blogs, we really do love the crew over at Acclaim Mag!  They’ve hit that awesome silver jubilee, and will be releasing their 25th edition in December. Acclaim usually runs themed issues these days, and this time around they have something special – what better to cover in this one than their homeland – Oz!

That’s not all though, in addition to the special Australian feature, they’re delving into a bit of conservation awareness. The Australian Southern Drop Bear, (Ursu Occasus) has for many years (since it was declared a protected species) been a much maligned victim of superstition, hostility and unlawful Vegemite poisoning in rural areas. This victimisation has seen its presence drop dramatically in and it is now seen very rarely in its natural habitats, and sightings are few. It is now feared that it may very well become extinct within a short time.

We’re animal lovers here at Invurt, and we’ve always had a soft spot for the Drop Bears – and Acclaim have now stepped up and will be dedicating an amazing Drop Bear themed art show to draw attention to its plight – happily, this show will also double as the official launch, so as far as we’re concerned, we’re there already.

“For the release of their 25th issue, which focuses exclusively
on Australian content, ACCLAIM Magazine is hosting an art show
to help raise awareness for the plight of the Drop Bear.

A selection of some of today’s most exciting local and international artists have pledged their support for the Drop Bear cause and will be delivering artworks in celebration of this iconic Australian creature.”

“The Southern Drop Bear (Ursu Occasus), one of Australia’s
most unique marsupial species sits on the brink of extinction
due to the rapid depletion of their native habitat. A mysterious
creature, the Drop Bear is now so rare in number that many
wrongly perceive the species to be one of myth and legend,
allowing for public attention to be diverted to more widely
recognized species currently under threat.

Similar to Koalas in size and appearance, the nocturnal Drop
Bear is a distant relative of the Koala species, however unlike
it’s docile cousin, the Drop Bear evolved as a carnivorous
creature, equipped with sharp claws and teeth and exists
upon a primary diet of small birds and lizards.

Rapid deforestation in the early eighties lead to a spate of
Drop Bear attacks on humans who unwittingly stumbled
into the territory of a creature now close to starvation and
desperate for food alternatives. The terrifying nature of
a Drop Bear attack, in which the creatures plunge from
the forest canopy onto the heads of their victims lead to
widespread paranoia and despite no recorded deaths from
Drop Bear attacks in over a hundred years, the Victorian
government sanctioned a cull of the species in 1984.

Thankfully, the killing of Drop Bears was officially outlawed
nationally in 1996 and the species was officially added to the
Endangered list, but by this time the damage was done and
the Southern Drop Bear population was decimated. In 2009
a Monash University study of the species estimated their
numbers to be less than 1000 across small areas of forest in
Victoria and New South Wales.

Sightings of the animal are
extremely rare, leading to speculation that total extinction is
likely within the next five years.”

With such a stellar Oz and International lineup, and for such a great cause (we’re speaking of the mag realases as well as the Drop Bears!) – but theres more …

“The new issue will be available for purchase on the night and all those that pick up an issue will get free flow drinks (thanks Coopers 62 and Bundaberg Five) and BBQ for the night. As if you needed an excuse to buy a copy.”

Man, bring it on!

Who: Phibs (Syd), Drewfunk (Melb), Ben Frost (Syd), Jagi (Melb), Haw (Bris/Melb), Sumo (Gold Coast), Bei Bad Girl (Syd), Unwell Bunny (Melb), Jacob Rolfe (Melb), Joel van der Knaap (Adl), Angry Woebots (Hawaii), Jasper Wong (Hawaii), Sam Rodriguez (USA), Mega (France), Drab (NZ)What: Acclaim #25 Exhibition and Launch party
Where: House Of Bricks, 40 Budd Street, Collingwood, VIC
When: Event is on December 8th at 6pm and runs til late

Check the Acclaim Magazine for lots more info as well as, well, heaps of great articles. Also check the Facebook event page!