If you cross a buffalo with Corporal Klinger...

I have many of them tonight.  I should be sleeping.  Instead, I am tumblring.

aforaffort:

alaska-says-sun:

No.  Nononononononononono. Why would anyone think something like this is ok to say.

If any of you think it’s okay to say this, you can unfollow me and get the fuck off the internet.

That is horrifying.  Does anybody who thinks this is okay actually understand what they’re saying?  

Wait.  Yes, they can.  I’ve caught my coworker saying horribly callous things that I won’t repeat here, because…I don’t even know.  This kind of thing makes my stomach churn.

dresdencodak:

Seeing as how I’ve done both the top ten for best and worst superhero costume redesigns, I feel obligated to put my money where my artistic mouth is and take a stab at fixing or updating some of these costumes.  I’ve picked five here based on: 

1. It’s a particularly awful outfit that doesn’t fit the character, or
2. It’s a solid character who just needs some updating or tweaking

I’ll list these in order of “reboot depth:”

5. Starfire

What’s wrong: In the wake of DC’s “new 52” this felt like a no-brainer.  Starfire is a decent character who’s always, in my opinion, gotten the short end of the costume stick.  I get that she’s supposed to be sexually liberated and somewhat polyamorous, and that’s fine, but dressing like a John Carter’s Princess of Mars-themed stripper doesn’t cut it.  Really, up until the Teen Titans cartoon she’s always been in the most awkward and impractical getups for someone fighting crime.

The Fix: I went for the simple route and took some notes from the cartoon (notably the skirt). I wanted to make sure it kept the bubbly, innocent feeling of the character while also hinting at some power (with the exposed arms here).  The overall effect is meant to convey someone who’s tough, cheerful and comfortable flying around in the air.

4. Dr. Strange

What’s wrong: I love Dr. Strange, but he’s always had the worst outfits.  For a guy who basically hangs out in his house in the West Village, he seems to always wear the most ostentatious getups.  He’s not an alien from another planet or from some culture that would dress that way, he’s a grown man who became a wizard well into adulthood.  Nothing wrong with having some style while you’re maintaining the balance of the mystic planes.

The Fix: Two parts Vincent Price, one part Christopher Lee and one part Dr. Orpheus, this Dr. Strange is still magical, but with a more coherent design direction.

3. Ms. Marvel

What’s Wrong: Simply put, I think it’s embarrassing for Marvel to showcase a prominent character like Ms. Marvel and have her wearing that outfit.  It’s just so tacky, and tells us nothing about the character.  Basically they just changed the colors of Jean Grey’s Phoenix costume and exposed more skin.  Come on, guys.

The Fix: Since her origins are ostensibly tied with Captain Marvel, I decided to go a route that’s more along the lines of the Ultimate Marvel version of that character, where her abilities come from alien technology rather than vague space magic.  The notion that she’s, for example, permanently bound with this technology that she doesn’t fully understand can make for some interesting stories.  There can be some potential with this character again with just a little bit of tweaking.

2. Wonder Woman

What’s Wrong: Wonder Woman, in my opinion, is a character that’s always been on the cusp of being really neat but never quite making it like Superman or Batman.  Although a feminist pop icon, her origins are too tied up with creator WIlliam Marston’s obsession with bondage.  Because of this (and an all-too-frequent parade of poor or sexist writing), she’s never had a solid, progressive design.  The 21st century can update this character.

The Fix: One part Thor, three parts Xena. I’d push the mythological angle further.  Just as nobody thinks of Thor as “Superman with a hammer” I don’t want Wonder Woman to be “girl Superman,” as she’s sometimes seen.  I’ve also tweaked her origin slightly, making her a more literal “statue come to life.” This isn’t as extreme as it seems: in regular canon, Wonder Woman’s origin was that she was formed out of clay by the queen of the Amazons, and imbued with the powers of the Greek Gods.  This, I think offers more story possibilities if she’s less literally human, physically.  Her personality would remain the same (nothing more fun than the perspective of an Amazon in the modern world), but we now have an added Pinnochio-style layer.

The costume change is mostly conservative.  Because of the strong fetish associations (and overall impracticality for a fighting Amazon), I’ve removed the lasso in favor of more traditional Greek weapons.  The overall effect is intended to push Wonder Woman’s core themes further while making her also stand out as more than just “the female superhero.”

1. Superman

What’s Wrong: Since his creation, Superman’s drifted from being a progressive champion for the common man to a patriotic middle-America boyscout who represents the establishment and traditional values. When he was developed in the 30s, Superman was very much a Depression-era hero, mostly going after villains like crooked money lenders and saving people who were being abused by the system.  His superpowers came from the fact that he was from a more advanced society, and his morals too were because he was simply a brainier, more sophisticated guy.  During and following WW2 and into the Cold War, though, he became an official symbol for American values in particular (it was originally “Truth and Justice,” without “the American Way”).  He was now not just an alien, but an alien raised by simple Kansas farmers and his abilities had a more generic “superpower” explanation.  This is all fine, really, but I think the original concept is more compelling these days.

The Fix: ”Superman: the Man of Tomorrow, Strange Visitor from Another World.” I really want to push that.  First off, Kryptonians should actually look like aliens and not white people. Here I have Kal-El from a race of beings who are essentially post-human (in that they’ve long since merged with technology).  They’re strange to our mortal eyes but mean well.  I’d keep the “destroyed planet” origin but more heavily emphasize the “non-interference” part of Superman’s mission statement.  

If you’ll remember from the 70s movie, his father Jor-El told him he was forbidden to interfere with the course of human history, but when you think about it, that’s kind of vague.  What I’ve done is added a Star Trek or Uatu the Watcher kind of prime directive to all advanced species:  Kal-El can’t let people know that he’s an alien, nor can he openly interact with them using advanced technology.  Still, he’s a compassionate guy and wants to help, so he takes the form of “Superman” to inspire the mortals in a constructive way.  Also, the notion that he can take on different forms means that the Clark Kent secret identity need not be as bad as it currently is.

The costume redesign holds to the basic themes but makes it a little more working class.  The buttons at the top are meant to invoke overalls, and the sleeves are cut a little higher for someone working with their hands.  I’ve removed the spandex and gone with looser fitting slacks, while keeping a short cape and boots, since he’s still an adventurer.

Overall I want to evoke a classic Superman feel while making it a little more modern in its exploration of the sci fi themes.  He’s still basically the same guy:  an alien from another world looking to fight injustice, but without the overt patriotism and a quirkier execution of the secret identity.

*********************

So there you have it.  I’ve hope you’ve enjoyed my superhero costume trilogy!

Part 1: The Best Superhero/Villain Redesigns

Part 2: The Worst Superhero/Villain Redesigns

Wonder Woman’s redesign is my absolute favorite, followed closely by Starfire.  Iffy on Superman though.  The panel shirt thing with the buttons does not evoke suspenders to me.  In fact, it makes me think of communist Russia, although I can’t quite figure out why.  It’s completely unrelated to what he wore in Red Son (I looked it up), and there are no iconic images of Stalin or Lenin wearing anything like that.  Who knows what’s going on in my head?  It’s not bad, but I’m pretty meh on it.  Ms. Marvel is also very good.  I can get behind Dr. Strange, it makes sense, but I didn’t feel the same need for it, myself.

misterjmasters:

kateordie:

Here’s the thing:

I am a bisexual girl. I have been in relationships with women, men, women who wanted to be men, men who wanted other men and men who wanted women who had man parts. I’ve never judged these people for their desires, their wants or their needs. I’ve liked them all the more for being interesting and honest.

People call my comics ‘erasery’ because I use terms like ‘girls’ and ‘boys’. And I do. I don’t write about gay issues or straight issues or trans issues very often because I don’t have them and I don’t want to misrepresent anyone. I write from experience or from the experiences of people close to me. That’s all I can do.

This all goes back to one panel in one comic from when it all began that sums up my beliefs about love and sex: Kiss people who make you happy and don’t be a jerk. I don’t care what or who you love, or how, as long as there’s consent and everyone can shake hands at the end. Yes, there are extreme fetishes that irk me. There are for most people. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But deep down, do I really care if you wear a fursuit and make your partner call you a matador? No. Not really. I’d rather people be happy freaking me out than be sad and please everyone.

Still, every once and awhile, I see these mean-spirited people calling me names and saying I’m binary and whatever else. I try not to let it get to me but it does, because It’s just not true. Yes, I use the word ‘girls’ instead of ‘female-identified persons’ because it’s simpler and that kind of terminology turns a lot of people off, and I’m trying to reach a diverse audience.

I know I can’t please everyone, but I just wanted to say: Yeah, it’s the internet, but I’m out here and I’m trying to do good. I talk to people of all ages and identities on a pretty regular basis who are confused about their sexuality and I try to be someone they can confide in. I know that by posting this, I’m inviting more angry criticism, but all I can do is put my hands up and say I gave it my best.

If you feel, after all that, the need to tear me down, I can’t stop you. But I can say this: I don’t get angry with people who don’t understand my sexual identity. I’ve never yelled at someone for using the wrong terminology. I don’t care if you call me gay or straight or bisexual or queer or whatever, as long as you call me Kate and you’re nice. Most people don’t know what words like cisgendered or omnisexual mean, and you can’t fault them for that if they’re earnestly making an effort to be kind. I had never heard the terms until I joined tumblr, and I’ve been queer for like 12 years now. Is that my fault? I don’t think so. Do unto others.

I just want to make comics and make people smile.

This is what I mean about trying not to hurt others in our attempts to educate them.  If you tear into someone guts first for not using the right terminology, are you really expecting them to listen?  You’re just upsetting them and making them want to have nothing to do with you or the issues.

People who want to understand will make mistakes.  Be more forgiving, please.

This is probably the biggest problem I have with people whose causes I agree with.  When I first got to Stony Brook, I knew practically nothing about the LGBT community, despite the fact that I lived in NYC.  It happens.  Exposure was minimal, my high school was tiny.  We barely had sports teams.  We didn’t have chess club, debate team, math league, or anything else like that, because we were too small.  Also apparently too small to have enough LGBT population for a GSA or any other such thing.  But when I met up with the LGBTA, and started interacting more directly with the community, I got so lucky.  The people who I met were understanding, and willing to teach and bring me along.  Some of the people I see on the internet terrify me, because I know what would have happened had I met them first.  Instead of learning, I probably would have gotten into an argument because I didn’t use a term that I didn’t know, and that would have begun to shape the lens through which I see the cause.  People who are harsh about terminology that really isn’t that well-known turn people off, and gain no support from people who aren’t already either part of the community or an ally.

I even still have the occasional problem with one of my friends, who sometimes forgets that there are some things that are not well-known outside of the LGBT community, because that’s where he has most of his interaction.  It’s hard to remind somebody of that.  Frustration I understand, but at this stage of the game, patience is vital.  Please, from one who once needed understanding, remember that the right first impression can make all the difference in the world.

daraius replied to your post: OK since YA was a fail. Teen Titans!
Devin. ;A; Y-you’re awesome.

Why thank you! I happen to think you’re pretty spiffy yourself!

dresdencodak:

In the world of superhero comics, artists and writers are (more often than not) dealt the task of handling characters that they had no hand in creating, characters that have often existed for decades.  Being able to put a fresh spin on concepts that have been around for so long is no easy task, and the history of mainstream comics isn’t short on botched reboots and the like.

In the current wake of DC Comic’s largely unimaginative (or in some cases, downright offensive) “reboot,” I thought we should take a look back at some better examples.  The criteria include:

- Theme:  the design tells us important things about the character

- Form:  a cohesive and appealing appearance

- Function:  the outfit should be practical in the context of what the character does

10. Starman - James Robinson & Tony Harris

A 90s version of the obscure Golden Age DC character, this Starman has all the right things going for him.  Since his stories often deal with the occult and the morally gray areas of superherodom, it’s very fitting that he has no real costume besides the essentials (his Star Rod and goggles for flying).  Street clothes make sense for a Vertigo character like this, too, and Starman’s a rare example of the 90s design philosophy of “dressing down” actually working.  While other artists of this time were simply putting jackets over spandex, Starman here actually has a thematically appropriate outfit.

9. Daredevil - Wally Wood

People often forget that when he was first created, Daredevil wore a pretty intense yellow and black outfit for a while before cartooning legend Wally Wood took the helm.  Wood pointed out that it’s a bit odd for the Man Without Fear to wear yellow, the color of fear, and changed it to the deep, dark reds that have dominated his design ever since.  Daredevil is a simple, direct kind of crimefighter, and the paired down aesthetic of Wood’s design really communicates that about his persona. This is one of only a few instances where another artist has supplanted a Jack Kirby design as the iconic image for a Marvel character.

8. Aquaman - Peter David

Aquaman has generally been a lackluster character and, due to his extremely specific superpower, a constantly inexplicable member of the Justice League.  Peter David’s incarnation of the King of Atlantis in the 90s, however, was a breath of fresh air.  He grew a big hobo beard and his hand was eaten by piranas, only to be replaced by a big harpoon.  Overall his portrayal was just one that was more desperate and threatening, which I think better fits the notion of an ocean monarch.  It may tread a little bit into Namor territory, but that’s not a bad thing.

This may be a controversial call, and DC has since reverted Aquaman back to a clean cut dude with two hands who looks like everyone else, but I stand by it.  My general rule: whatever appearances the animated series decided to go with are usually the better ones, since they have to distinctively encapsulate what’s important about the character. Crazy bearded harpoon-handed Aquaman is just more interesting.

7. Batman - Frank Miller

It’s easy to make fun of Frank Miller these days since pretty much everything he’s done for the past 20 years is a childish mess, but we should never take for granted what he did for revamping Batman.  While The Dark Knight Returns was never part of any continuing canon, Miller’s grim, noir portrayal of Bats has since become the gold standard for the character.  Strategic use of shadow, the broad build, functional utility pouches and an emphasis on silhouette were all pretty groundbreaking at the time.

While my personal favorite Batman interpretation comes from Mike Mignola, he’d never have gotten there without the work of Frank Miller 10 years prior.

6. Mr. Freeze - Mike Mignola

While this is technically an animated redesign, it’s worth mentioning.  Before his portrayal on Batman: the Animated Series, Mr. Freeze was basically a goofy 3rd string mad scientist.  Along with a new tragic backstory, Freeze got a wonderful, sleek art deco-style look.  With muted blues, a domed helment and long, segmented limbs, he almost looks like a robot straight out of a Fleischer Superman short.  Unfortunately, while later comic writers did adapt the more complex and compelling backstory and behavior, no artist outside the cartoons really adopted this appearance, which is such a shame.

5. Captain America - Bryan Hitch

Marvel’s Ultimates comics have some great designs in general, but one that’s always stuck out for me was the re-imagining of Captain America.  Cap’s classic outfit is a good one, but I always felt it was a bit too “costumey” for a guy who’s supposed to be a soldier.  Bryan Hitch’s redesign is very strong without massively reworking the iconic getup:  his boots and gloves are more functional, his body armor is more visible and his “mask” is actually a proper helmet (at least in Ultimates Vol. 2).  It’s a very good balancing act between Cap’s two roles:  patriotic symbol and practical soldier.  If you go too far in one direction, you lose what the character’s all about.

4. Mahr Vehl - Steve McNiven & Warren Ellis

Another Ultimate Marvel recreation, Captain Marvel retains most of his origin story (alien defects to Earth because he grows to like humans), but the way they go about it is pretty different.  Instead of giving him vague superpowers, Captain Marvel here is more like a high-tech alien Iron Man, where his superior abilities are an extension of simply being more advanced.

It’s also not just the outfit itself, but how it works that impresses me.  Almost like a living suit, it wraps around Mahr Vehl in a way that’s totally alien.  In general Warren Ellis does a great job in his stories of making aliens seem plausible, and the reptiloid-alien-getting-cosmetic-surgery-to-look-human-and-gets-a-living-suit-of-armor version of Mahr Vehl is an updated, compelling alternative to the relatively obscure original Captain Marvel.

3. X-Men - Frank Quitely & Grant Morrison

The X-Men have been reinterpreted by many artists and writers over the years, but my personal favorite take was New X-Men by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.  I think the X-Men are most compelling when they’re acting less as superheroes and more as mutants, and Quitely does a good job of making them look a bit weird and alien.  

The removal of the spandex outfits was just the first step:  giving them uniforms without looking too conspicuous gives them a team unity without making them look like any other superhero team (though those jackets still have kevlar).  The characters also simply look a lot weirder:  the feline Beast and the addition of Xorn are just two examples.  Quitely does a great job of making each character visually distinct without relying on what they’re wearing so much, something most superhero artists simply never attempt.  Cyclops is gangly, Jean Grey is narrow and Wolverine is squat and thankfully lacking that giant hair he usually has.  These are people with personalities, not costumes.

The overall effect is a group of strange characters who don’t quite fit in the world around them, perfect for the X-Men. 

2. Catwoman - Darwin Cooke

Cooke’s take on Catwoman from the early 2000’s is, in my opinion, the first really solid visual interpretation of the character.  Catwoman’s been around for a long time, but with few exceptions, I’ve always felt she was overly gimmicky, and it was only when writers and artists started taking the “cat burglar” part more seriously that she began to take shape.

Too often have her outfits been oversexed or skimpy, with little thought placed on practicality.  The most notable historical problem (besides the need for a sports bra) are the high heels, which really are silly on any superhero or villain.  Cooke removes all those frivolities and gives her gear that fit with the cat aesthetic while still being useful.  Similar to Captain America, Catwoman’s a balancing act, this time between a practical adventurer (as Batman’s foil) and her sexuality (as Batman’s seducer).

1. Thor - Chris Samnee

As I’ve mentioned before, Thor is one of my favorite superheroes and one of my favorite superhero designs.  In my opinion, nobody’s seriously challenged Jack Kirby’s original work until now, with Chris Samnee’s rendition from the critically acclaimed Thor: the Mighty Avenger.  The brilliance of Kirby’s initial design (ie: the balance of mythical with science fiction) isn’t lost here, but there’s also an added layer of practicality and humanity.  Without throwing out the old design entirely, Samnee has made Thor’s appearance seem more appropriate for a space god while holding on to the essential humanity of the character.

Marvel’s Thor, at his core, is a man of two worlds.  He’s not just a mythic hero fighting Frost Giants, but also a person who’s fallen in love with mortals while not always understanding their world.  Samnee’s interpretation makes Thor seem a bit less intimidating with a younger face (his hair falling in the way at times) and a more clothed body to make him seem less intimidating.  The cape has become less Superman-esque and more of a traveler’s cloak (complete with hood), which makes him seem more like a transient.  The helmet wings, are less ostentatious and royal, and gone are the pointed shoulders to emphasize his enormous build.

This Thor has traded a bit of the Kirby invincibility for some human vulnerability, and his costume reflects that.  He is now covered with mail, and even his chest piece has gone from a cloth tunic to an actual armored vest with buckles.  His belt is also incorporated into the chest design, and now comes with a useful strap to hold his trademark hammer.  Even the straps of his boots are more uneven, hailing from an older time.  Another, albeit minor, change is his hair.  While still sporting long golden locks, Thor has dropped the classic bangs and now has a neat little braid, which makes him seem ever so slightly more of a Viking, which I appreciate.

Overall, I think Samnee’s version of Thor is much more human without sacrificing the mythic qualities, which is perfect for the series’ story of a character who is basically pulled out of time.

And there you have it, some of my thoughts on superhero redesigns from here and there.  See?  Redesigns don’t always have to be bad, if you put a little work into it.

I did not even know about Doctor Freeze’s original design.  CRAZY.  I was a little iffy on the X-Men redesign, because the closer they are to homo sapiens in appearance, the more poignant the cruelty is to me (with exceptions, obviously).  Although I think that was more the guy’s drawing style than anything else.  I’d seen his stuff before, and I was a little iffy on him then too.  The costume redesign was aces, though.