Broad-shouldered, strong-jawed and lean, Mr. Fantastic looks every bit what his superhero-esque name would suggest.
Only he's not very athletic. He frightens easily (especially around cats.) And those who know him best would likely refer to him as a "giant softie." He's also a pit bull.
"These breeds are big. A lot of people assume they're aggressive or mean," says Sophie Gamand, a New York-based photographer and animal activist. "But they're very affectionate animals. Most of them, like Fantastic, are scared of the dark."
Gamand recently launched a photo series called "Flower Power: Pit Bulls of the Revolution." Since August 2014, she's stopped in various rescue shelters across New York City and photographed pit bulls wearing flower crowns on their heads.
The idea, she says, is to reduce the stigma against pit bulls -- like Fantastic -- that's been ingrained into American culture for years. The majority of rescue shelters in America take in more pit bulls than any other breed. Most of them are abandoned; some are picked up from households where they've been forced to fight.
We met up with Gamand at Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter in New York City, to talk about her project, her activism and her hopes for a pro-pit bull nation.
(If you're in a rush, skip ahead to 3:12 for adorable puppy footage.)
Produced and edited by Eric Larson. Videography by Tyler Tronson.