A 3D designer explains how he has created one of the most viral marine animals in the last few hours: he has deceived social networks

He was missing sunglasses and resting one of his tentacles on the beach bar because the rest had it all: a giant octopus has gone viral in recent days after he was caught walking along the beach like another tourist and moving happily with its tentacles through the fine sand. But how can that be possible?

After much debate on social networks we have discovered that, although it seems totally real, the octopus is not. A simple glance helps us to realize that there is something out of the ordinary: this marine animal has nine tentacles and not eight as octopuses normally have. But there is more: the speed was simply incredible.

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We have now discovered that this octopus is actually a fantasy. This is the brainchild of Alex Z, a well-known Qatar-based 3D designer who specializes in special effects. The octopus is called ‘Churro’, it has taken more than two months to create it and, for several days, it has been the sensation of social networks.

It seems real but it is not

Alex Z uploaded a video to his Instagram profile on June 8 in which he showed the sketches of what his creature was going to be. As he explains, this is “A quick render test of Churro and rnd of his initial attempts to climb a steep wall. He went from a churro-legged procedural creature to a ravioli or sunny side up egg looking guy (tetra constraints were often twisting at low substeps and making the legs look like churros)”.

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The designer added that, at the time, I was still “modelling him a new, real octopus body, so i could place him in different scenarios. Invertebrates and their movement are a huge inspiration for complex rigs and always fascinate me, especially octopuses, who i think, are definitely of alien origin. Incredible creatures.”

Finally, on Sunday, August 2, he posted his latest version of Churro “taking a walk on the beach in his new and renewed model of body and dynamics”. He acknowledges that, technically, it has nine legs, so it is not an octopus, but from there it went viral on the networks without most people knowing that it was a computer design. Now everything is explained.