More of the Mantis

A 12-foot-tall praying mantis has been spotted in downtown Reno. Rumor has it that she’s preparing for a battle Wednesday night at the Green Room. No, this isn’t a premise for a cheap sci-fi movie. Damian Janssen and Rex Norman received a Burning Man grant to create a giant glowing puppet constructed of light-weight plastics and electroluminescent neon wire mounted on a metal backpack frame. For all the details see the earlier blog entry titled: “Giant bug invades Artown.”

The Mantis will fight to the death against MiniMan, Janssen’s earlier Artown creation, at the Green Room on Wednesday, July 12 at 10:00.

“For those who are betting, the Mantis is the favorite since she has a penchant for eating her lover’s head,” Janssen said.

When he was asked if the fight at the Green Room would be a mating ritual or simply a battle, he replied, “Like so many relationships it is both loving and fighting.”