Tag: Character Design

Posted on

Can we talk about how Shiklah is “Mrs Deadpool” but they’ve chosen to apply none of Deadpool’s visual branding?  Aside from one decoration on her belly chain on one cover?  No? We’re just going to rebrand the character’s title as a derivative of Deadpool and pretend the battle lingerie is critical?

I mean if nothing else, this is a golden opportunity to have her wear something you can sell as Deadpool merchandise!  I mean you got the Deadpool Bobblehead in there – but this seems like the prime time to be trying to sell everything Deadpool! Pants. Jackets. Shirts. Bags. Things you use to hold your socks up… everything!

– wincenworks

Interestingly, they did it before with actual distaff counterpart and barely even tried.
Lady Deadpool is an alternate universe character in Marvel (and also one of “our” Deadpool’s weird love interests). Who comes  with an assorted ponytail and boobsocks, just in case anyone forgot that she’s Deadpool, except a lady!

image

And also WTF anatomy, cause Liefeld.

Seems like attaching a male hero’s name to a female character is a seemingly simple task that everyone’s too lazy to put their heart into. Even the new Thor, no matter how well written, somehow HAD to be designed with a boobplate, cause ladyparts, amirite?

~Ozzie

Posted on

pixelcut:

WOOO I did a redesign of this hot monstrosity. The screen shots used in this post were provided by doctorsanity, who submitted them to bikiniarmorbattledamage

Look, I’ve been employed as a designer for two years now, and maybe that’s not that long; I’m at least sure I don’t have the same kind of industry experience that the designers in charge of this train wreck probably do, but I do know one thing: 

Design that fails to communicate its intended message is bad design. 

It is, in my opinion, the chore element that separates what we do from Fine Art – fine art is a personal expression. Someone can argue with the conclusions that you came to in fine art but ultimately, it’s your territory, your message, your composition, your voice, your story.

When you’re a hired designer, everything changes. It’s their story, their character, their message, their voice.

Putting aside the obvious pandering and intent to profit off of misogynistic ideals in female video game characters for just an instant, let’s talk about Charlotte.

Charlotte [evidently, from what I’ve admittedly heard through the grapevine; this game is not yet out in my country] uses a masquerade of charm and innocence to seduce men for their wealth. When I heard this, I was shocked, because from the moment I saw her outfit, she never looked like someone I could trust.

If she’s supposed to look demure, make her look demure, goddammit. You shouldn’t need a greenhorn like me to tell you these things. Learn to treat your female characters with more respect.

Awesome redesign accompanied by an awesome writeup, thank you, pixelcut!

One more thing I’d add about the difference between design (hired or not) and fine art, is that design is supposed to serve the same purpose for everyone who sees it. To communicate an intended message, as pixelcut puts it.

The problem with how Charlotte looks basically boils down to the whole issue our blog concerns: that a lot of female character designs, particularly female warrior costumes, do not tell us who we’re dealing with. Lingerie models, maybe, but not warriors, especially not if male characters of the same or similar class establish a completely different aesthetic.

~Ozzie

Posted on

Sexy is not bad. Stripping is not bad. Wearing sexy boots is not bad. You know what is bad? Pandering is. Being a lazy designer at the cost of catching a wider audience is.
A bounty hunter who runs over rugged terrain does not need stripper boots, she needs something with treads and function that can *gasp* still be sexy. I can picture a hybrid boot design that is feminine but rugged, functional but badass.
You know what conveys things like “boosters” and “power” and “high jump”? Springs, coils, energy cells, treads, jets… you don’t have to be literal but you also might want to show, not tell, what a prop does.

High-Jump Stripper Boots! by stephlaberis

Very important quote from this article regarding Samus’s high heels, but it applies to character and costume design in general.

~Ozzie

(via bikiniarmorbattledamage)

Worth bringing back that there’s nothing wrong with sexy in itself, but there’s a time and a place for everything.  When you’re trying to convey epic action and epic danger is not the time for epic sexy time clothes.

– wincenworks

Posted on

Sexy is not bad. Stripping is not bad. Wearing sexy boots is not bad. You know what is bad? Pandering is. Being a lazy designer at the cost of catching a wider audience is.
A bounty hunter who runs over rugged terrain does not need stripper boots, she needs something with treads and function that can *gasp* still be sexy. I can picture a hybrid boot design that is feminine but rugged, functional but badass.
You know what conveys things like “boosters” and “power” and “high jump”? Springs, coils, energy cells, treads, jets… you don’t have to be literal but you also might want to show, not tell, what a prop does.

High-Jump Stripper Boots! by stephlaberis

Very important quote from this article regarding Samus’s high heels, but it applies to character and costume design in general.

~Ozzie

(via bikiniarmorbattledamage)

Worth bringing back that there’s nothing wrong with sexy in itself, but there’s a time and a place for everything.  When you’re trying to convey epic action and epic danger is not the time for epic sexy time clothes.

– wincenworks

Posted on

So if you want to wear some sculpted armor to the Ren Faire because you feel fabulous-looking in it, go forth and have fun! But if you’re drawing lady soldiers, or creating female characters who are depicted as actual warriors, please err on the side of reality when designing their armor. Science says your boob plates are killing the women you hoped they would protect. And none of us want that.

It’s Time to Retire “Boob Plate” Armor. Because It Would Kill You. (via bikiniarmorbattledamage)

I dedicate this quote to everyone who wants to put cosplayers (and/or LARPers) under our scrutiny, as if real people could be judged in the same way as fictional characters are.

~Ozzie

more cosplay on BABD | more about agency on BABD

Posted on

So if you want to wear some sculpted armor to the Ren Faire because you feel fabulous-looking in it, go forth and have fun! But if you’re drawing lady soldiers, or creating female characters who are depicted as actual warriors, please err on the side of reality when designing their armor. Science says your boob plates are killing the women you hoped they would protect. And none of us want that.

It’s Time to Retire “Boob Plate” Armor. Because It Would Kill You. (via bikiniarmorbattledamage)

I dedicate this quote to everyone who wants to put cosplayers (and/or LARPers) under our scrutiny, as if real people could be judged in the same way as fictional characters are.

~Ozzie

more cosplay on BABD | more about agency on BABD