El Pulpo Mechanico

El Pulpo Mecanico is the iconic fire-breathing mechanical octopus kinetic sculpture from Arcata/Eureka in Humboldt County, created by Duane Flatmo with Jerry Kunkel and Will Startare (and crew). Built from found objects and scrap from Arcata Scrap & Salvage on a 1973 Ford 250 4x4, its tentacles undulate via a giant cam while flames shoot from its fingertips. El Pulpo Magnifico, the larger successor, stands 28 feet tall with eight 30-foot flame jets fueled by 200 gallons of propane. The work has headlined Burning Man and local events like the Kinetic Sculpture Race.