Coyote!

This page is about a comic, for the article about the character of the same name, see Coyote

Information
Release dates	26.05.18 ((MCM London Comic Con) 01.06.18 (On Topatoco) 10.04.20 (Online)
Pages	32
Navigation
Preceded by	None
Followed by	Chapter 1: The Shadow and the Robot

Coyote! is a side-comic featuring Coyote. The comic was finished some time in May 2018, and was made free on the website in 2020, announced on page 2290.

Synopsis

Coyote leaves his home and travels the world, meeting other mythical dogs along the way.

Summary

Coyote is in Navajo America, appearing like a regular coyote, rather than the one seen in the regular comic. He's playing with some ants. He even turns three tiny pebbles into one, which follows the other ants down in their hive. Then the Six-eyed crow shows up, informing Coyote of other dogs around the world. Coyote is intrigued and goes out searching. Although the crow and it's friends had hoped they would not see Coyote again, he still remains, even though he's left.

Coyote travels westward, ending up in India, where he encounters the legendary dog Sarama. She appears very fast, and Coyote decides to become fast as well, changing his legs to the bound look he usually has, and beats Sarama in a race. Sarama informs him of another dog, Inugami. Fiercer than Coyote, Inugami lives on an island to the east, Japan.

When Coyote arrives in Japan he finds animals running in fear, and out of the fog appears Inugami with eyes all around his legs and head, and fires swirling around him, larger than the mountains even. Coyote takes inspiration, and changes himself to a sleeker appearance, with eye-like patterns on his hips, a thinner fur, and becomes even larger. This appearance frightens even Inugami, but he insists the Lycaons are the best hunters.

Coyote now travels to the African Savannah, where he sees an antelope chased by several Lycaons. Coyote is impressed with the markings on their bodies, and changes his appearance to have some of his own. He also understands that their hunting skills comes from working as a pack, and considers having one on his own. The Lycaons tells him that if he wants a pack, he must also be strong, like the Bunyip on another island.

Again, Coyote sets out to understand the abilities of other dogs, and arrives by a swamp in Australia. In yje murky waters, he finds a strange creature, and ponders if it could be the Bunyip, or if it is even a dog. As he wonders, the Bunyip stands up, and without a word punches Coyote into the sky. Laughing through the air, Coyote understands the Bunyip's strength, and makes himself strong as well, growing out the red mark across his back.

When Coyote finally lands, he is somewhere in Europe (presumably France), and he sees it is a world of many strange dogs. After walking around, he finds an old wolf with it's tail frozen in a lake. The wolf, Ysengrin, explains he was tricked by Renard the Fox. Displaying his strength and his ferocity, Ysengrin is convinced to help Coyote find Renard.

Traveling around, Ysengrin tells Coyote of some of the different dogs in the area. Comparatively, Renard is weak and deceptive. They finally find the fox watching ants working on their hill. Coyote says he too likes playing with ants, to which Renard responds that he calls them "humans". Ysengrin finds these creatures insignificant, and kicks some of them. Coyote is angered by this, and rips off Ysengrin's right ear before sitting down with Renard.

He tries to tempt Renard with powers that will let him manipulate "humans" as he wishes. But Renard refuses. Coyote walks over a hill, finding something that might interest him more, Ysengrin follows as well. Coyote proposes that they watch the creatures over here, and draws a line in the earth to which the three should never cross.

On the final page of the comic, it is revealed that the three of them are watching the Seed Bismuth.

Characters Featured

In order of introduction:

• Coyote
• Six-eyed crow
• Sarama
• Inugami
• Lycaons
• Bunyip
• Ysengrin
• Renard
• Hounds of Annwn
• Church grims
• Black Shuck

Places Introduced

Unknown

Trivia

• This story is largely told as a myth, having no real expression of time or distance, and only what is necessary to the narative being included.
• The line Coyote draws in the earth is probably the ravine he created when he scored the earth, as explained on Chapter 20, Page 17, thus separating Gillitie Wood from Gunnerkrigg Court (symbolised with the seed bismuth).
  • This also exemplifies how Coyote's size is intentionally inconsistent through the story. He is precisely as large or small as he needs to be, just as he is able to change his appearance and abilities on a whim.
• Similarly, as the ants seem to symbolize humans, it's possible that the ant Coyote created from stones in the beginning of the story is supposed to be Jones.
• Since most of the story is set before the division of the Court and the Forest, this is the earliest parts of the comic's chronology (with the exception of the last pages of the flashback in Chapter 40: The Stone).
• Coyote technically never gets the chance to best the Lycaons as hunters, as he is distracted by his search for strength and a pack.