The Grabblog

EL BLANCO
Every year, countless tourists pass through Perfection Valley, hoping to catch a glimpse of its most elusive underground denizen, El Blanco, a.k.a. "The Great White Graboid."A sterile albino Graboid, El Blanco poses no risk of metamorphosing into deadly Shriekers. Consequently, El Blanco enjoys protection under U.S. federal law as an endangered species. All of Perfection Valley has been declared his habitat — a kind of Precambrian wild-animal park.

That's not to say El Blanco is harmless, however. He has a talent for destroying cars, buildings and anything that wanders out into the desert. Fortunately, he is usually content to graze on wild animals such as coyotes. He sometimes treats himself to some of the local ranchers' domesticated cattle or sheep, but because he must negotiate a narrow canyon filled with "shallow alluvials" in order to reach the ranchers' plateau, such forays are infrequent. El Blanco can't travel through bedrock, so as the layers of loose soil get thinner, he becomes like a whale beached in shallow water. Strays who wander off the plateau, however, are fair game.

When he's eaten a lot, El Blanco sometimes semi-hibernates in the far north end of the valley, giving the locals a temporary break.

The mutual safety of El Blanco and the people of Perfection is overseen by Agent W.D. Twitchell, U.S. Department of the Interior. He's responsible for ensuring El Blanco's survival, as well as that of the local human population. If Twitchell decides life with El Blanco is too dangerous for either side, he has the authority to condemn the valley and evict the residents.Naturally, Twitchell keeps a close eye on Melvin Plug, who has more than once expressed a desire to rid the valley of El Blanco. If El Blanco were to become history, the valley's federally protected status would end, permitting Melvin to pursue his opportunistic real-estate schemes.