'Fabulous Beasts' comic brings Chinese mythical creatures to life

"I've always been drawn to traditional Chinese culture, especially works like Investiture of the Gods, The Classic of Mountains and Seas and Journey to the West ," said Xuexiamao Yaozi or Toboe, author of the comic Fabulous Beasts .

"The name Fabulous Beasts comes from The Classic of Mountains and Seas.

" Inspired by Chinese mythical creatures, Toboe set out to recount their lives – but with a 21st century twist.

And she had a blast with it.

Sibuxiang the deer runs an online store.

The customer service rep – a snake named Balingjun – types with its tail and begs customers not to leave bad reviews.

Toboe says she wanted the audience to see a bit of themselves in the beasts.

Museum pieces, like the bronze crane with antlers at the Hubei Provincial Museum, also ignite her creative spark.

Watch the video to discover more of the stories behind Fabulous Beasts .

Supervisor: Zhang Jingwen Producer: Yang Sha Directors: Zhao Ying, Xu Wen Video editor: Xu Wen Copy editors: Claudine Housen, Chen Ran, Zhao Ying Videographers: Zhang Xinyu, Yuan Yuxiang, Tian Rongzhen, Fang Zhijun Cover: Pei Zihan