“To change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grotesquely; transform.”
I learned the word “transmogrify” from one of the best comic strips of all time, Calvin and Hobbes. The Transmogrifier was an upside-down cardboard box that could transform its tenant into any other creature — a tiger, an elephant, a toad, a pile of worms. (Eventually, Calvin invented the Transmogrifier Gun, for more efficient, on-the-go transformation.) Presumably, it could also change a creature into an inanimate object, per Calvin’s stated wish to turn his nemesis Susie into a bowl of chowder.
Truth be told, I used to think it was a word that Bill Watterson, the cartoonist who created Calvin and Hobbes, made up. How wrong I was; it’s based on the very real word “transmogrify,” which means, “to change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grotesquely; transform.”
The dog park near my apartment has signage painted on the pavement to indicate the dog-friendly areas — stick-figure people walking their stick-dogs. A few months ago, the dogs all transmogrified overnight, into a whimsical array of creatures:
The balloon animal dog is my personal favorite; other variants include an origami Corgi, Snoopy, and a cat.
This week, your theme is transmogrify. Transform. Morph. Change. Show us something already transformed, on the cusp of transformation, or that you wish you could transform. Share a photo of your human niece transmogrified into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween, or take a shot of some street art (aka, a wall that’s been transmogrified into something else). Or create a gallery, with a series of photos showing a metamorphosis in progress.
Have fun!
Loved it.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Great idea, Michele: https://solaner.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/wpc-transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 4 people
As it’s almost Halloween and we will all be dressing up…or Transmogrifying, into our costumes here’s my entry https://steve-says.net/2016/10/23/the-worlds-top-10-awkward-halloween-photos-2016/
LikeLiked by 3 people
Really good to have a really challenging word which is not part of everyday lingo. Love the photo! Made me think how what transforms, may quickly becomes acceptable as part of the culture, so that we no longer see it as grotesque. What is a challenge one minute, becomes an opportunity for acceptance in the next and vis aversa. Thanks for the thought!
LikeLiked by 5 people
How can we create the pingback? There’s no link to copy and paste
LikeLiked by 2 people
You use the link for this post, which is https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/transmogrify/.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks!
LikeLike
Calvin and Hobbes. Best. Cartoon. Ever. (Dilbert, of course, is a close second in my book!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe I’ll should figure out a “The Far Side”-related theme for my next challenge 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My attempt at this challenge was a bit of a stretch….kind of like my post! http://photobaugh.com/2016/10/28/curse-the-pigeon-pose 🙂
LikeLike
Ahhhh..tough one, but I’ll give it a go: http://wp.me/p3gqMf-zC
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s a difficult one. Here’s mine: https://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify-wpc/
LikeLike
Transformed soldier’s wives:
https://insellos.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/weekly-photo-challenge-transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great idea! Here’s my cat turning into a unicorn – and other things.
https://mind-flight.org/2016/10/28/the-transmogrification-begins/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t know I was Transmogrifying when I did this project
https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/wpc-transmogrify-photography/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hilarious! Oh yay for Calvin & Hobbes…
LikeLiked by 1 person
For Friday we look at a seasonal transformation – http://wp.me/p3CFsE-3df
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting theme! Here are a few examples of transmogrification.
https://anthropologist.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify-daily-post-photo-challenge-28-october-2016/
LikeLike
If cakes can be venues for transmogrification,, count these in: http://wp.me/p2l4j8-28X
LikeLiked by 1 person
On the cusp of change does the presidential office count? https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/wpc-on-the-cusp-of-transformation/
LikeLike
This is a great idea, made me think (and I am not sure if I nailed the topic this time). Feel free to leave me a comment if you think I missed the theme – or also if not.
https://mattvonp.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/weekly-photo-challenge-transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Transmogrified
into ,,,
the missing head
of
Ichabod Crane
(made from the fruit
of a pumpkin)
at:
https://marichulambino.com/2016/10/29/postaday-wordpressdotcom-weekly-photography-challenge-transmogrify/
LikeLike
Mine: https://stenoodie.com/2016/10/28/weekly-photo-challenge-transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://modernlibrarysite.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/top-books-of-all-time/
LikeLike
Black nightmare: http://wp.me/p16tta-Qz
LikeLike
love this challenge.
http://lessywannagohome.blogspot.be/2016/10/transmogrify.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice challenge!
https://pilvipouta.wordpress.com/2016/10/29/photo-challenge-transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoyed this, Michelle W. This blog site is a place where all of us transmogrify, perhaps not strangely or grotesquely, even though some days it may feel like it. Thanks for the post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Me too! It actually made me think of WoW since you can change the appearance of certain armor sets….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice doggy Michelle. Is Jeff Koons responsible for this? Here’s my attempt at dealing with the “transmogrify” word
https://antimuseum.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify-parallax-view-pakula/
LikeLiked by 1 person
This one was very interetsing as had no idea what it meant – good post https://awanderingmemory.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify/
LikeLiked by 1 person
One that caused some real head scratching! Transmogrify: Transmogrify | Making and Marking
https://makingandmarking.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify/
LikeLike
In my mind, getting tattoos isn’t to transmogrify, but it might be for some people. That’s why I’m participating with a gallery of these tattooed women that I captured at the tattoo convention in Warsaw last month.
https://cardinalguzman.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/tattooed-girls-at-warsaw-tattoo-convention-2016/
LikeLike
Just one little correction. Calvin and Hobbes was not “one of the best” comic strips of all time. It was THE BEST. 🙂
Great post, and thank you for teaching me that “transmogrify” is a real word. I, too, thought Watterson made it up.
LikeLike
Touché 🙂
LikeLike
Alice in Wonderland:
https://anthropologist.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/transmogrify-daily-post-photo-challenge-28-october-2016/
LikeLike