Posted on

2018 San Diego Comic Con

Greetings Outlander fans! Not too many Outlander activities at the San Diego Comic Con, but there are some.

Dropped by the Cryptozoic booth. Creative mastermind George Nadeau agreed to a brief interview about Outlander offerings this year.

Cryptozoic is a company which specializes in collectable cards, games, board games, trading cards and comics.

Cryptozoic has created a Jamie doll this year. He can be purchased by going online to www.cryptozoic.com. He is available to everyone. 

See Jamie’s figure in action here! https://youtu.be/rAq7qSh_Hsw

This year, Cryptozoic is also offering three Outlander wardrobe cards. The cards include swatches of the actual fabrics used to create a particular garment worn during Outlander, season 3.

At present, wardrobe cards are available only at comic cons where Cryptozoic has a presence. If you are unable to attend but have a thirst for one or more of these cards, ask a friend going to a comic con to pick some up for you. Alternatively, they can be found online from private buyers, but be prepared – the private cards are super spendy! 

George, Jody Kawamata-Chang and I send you greetings from inside the SDCC exhibit hall! Thanks to Jody Kawamata-Chang who served as our videographer.

Signing off for now!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Follow me on:

Video and Photo Credits: OA, Kawamata-Chang

 

Posted on

Fun Fact: External Jugular Vein

Anatomy def: The paired external jugular veins are superficial vessels draining blood from the exterior cranium (Anatomy Lesson #60 Let’s Mull the Skull!) and deep facial structures toward the heart.  

Outlander def: Large neck veins often increasing in diameter as blood pressure rises – think of  a hotly contested stramash, such as “I will marry him” vs. “no, ye will not!!!” The neck veins tend to stand out. <G>

Learn about the external jugular vein (EJV) in Anatomy Lesson #12, Claire’s Neck or The Ivory Tower.

Each EJV descends through the neck from the angle of mandible (lower jaw) to middle of the clavicle (collar bone), collecting blood from the outer skull and deep face.

Try this: Turn your neck to one side and look in a mirror.  Can you see a blue line stretching from the angle of your jaw to your clavicle? This is the EJV. If you have no luck, try looking at a friend or family member. These veins are not always visible so don’t despair if you canna located them. 

BTW, although veins appear blue or green under the skin, they are neither color. Various factors including light absorption, light scattering and reflection, less oxygen in venous blood and veins being closer to the surface all help account for this odd color change, an phenom known as the Tyndall effect.

Read about the EJV in Drums of Autumn book.  Here the character’s name is not disclosed as the TV show has yet to catch up with the book (hurry, S4!). But, book readers will ken who Claire is doctoring. The pulsing vein Diana describes, is, indeed, the EJV! 

I didn’t need to check his heart; his head was turned, and I could see the huge vein that ran down the side of his neck, throbbing with a pulse slow and heavy as a hammer blow. I touched him, feeling his skin cool and damp. No fever, no signs of shock. The whole of his enormous person radiated peace and well-being.

Now, wait a sec!!! Arteries pulse, but do veins pulse like arteries? Generally speaking, not that we can see.  However, the right EJV may show a pulse because it lies very close to the right atrium of the heart. Put simply, as the right atrium contracts, blood pressure in the EJV may be seen as a pulse. Hence, Diana’s description is accurate. Score!

See Marsali’s external jugular vein in Starz ep 309, The Doldrums. Pugnacious lass that she is, she casts her stepdad a defiant look.  She will have Fergus no matter what da says!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Follow me on:

Photo Credit: Sony/Starz

Posted on

Fun Fact: Latissimus Dorsi Redux

Anatomy def: A pair of broad, fan-shaped back muscles; each wraps around the ipsilateral (same side) of chest and inserts into the upper humerus (arm bone). 

Outlander def: Whew! An amazing muscle mass of Jamie’s left armpit (red arrow). For sure, his right armpit has its own latissimus, but Claire is in the way!  <G>

Latissimi dorsi (pl.) form the rear boundary of each armpit (pec major forms each front boundary). Claire appears to be gazing at his left latissimus – and, who isn’t???

Learn about latissimus dorsi in Anatomy Lesson #19, To Arms, Too Arms, Two Arms! 

Today’s FF is the second covering this muscle. The first Latissimus dorsi posted December 2016, used a side view of latissimus dorsi as it angles from lower thoracic and lumbar spine towards the armpit (Outlander ep 106, The Garrison Commander). This broad muscle mass passes diagonally across the side of chest. So, now we view this important muscle from two vantage points.

Each latissimus dorsi is a powerful mover of its humerus:

  • abducts (draws humerus toward the thorax)
  • extends  (draws humerus backwards)
  • internally rotates  (rolls humerus inwards, towards chest) 

Read about Jamie’s armpit ablutions aboard the Artemus in Voyager book.  This lovely passage is from Jamie’s promises to Claire, once he gets her on land, <G>:

“Well, ye might moan a bit, if ye like, to encourage me, but otherwise, ye just lie still.” 

He didn’t sound as though he needed any encouragement whatever. One of his hands was resting on my thigh as he used the other to swab his chest with the damp towel. As he finished, the hand slid behind me, and squeezed. 

“My beloved’s arm is under me,” I quoted. “And his hand behind my head. Comfort me with apples, and stay me with flagons, For I am sick of love.” 

There was a flash of white teeth in his beard. 

“More like grapefruit,” he said, one hand cupping my behind. “Or possibly gourds. Grapefruit are too small.” 

“Gourds?” I said indignantly. 

“Well, wild gourds get that big sometimes,” he said. “But aye, that’s next.” He squeezed once more, then removed the hand in order to wash the armpit on that side. “I lie upon my back and have ye stretched at length upon me, so that I can get hold of your buttocks and fondle them properly.” He stopped washing to give me a quick example of what he thought proper, and I let out an involuntary gasp.

See Jamie’s left latissimus dorsi resting in his armpit in Starz ep 306, A. Malcolm.

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Follow me on:

Photo Credit: Sony/Starz