#famous five art nostalgia

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia – Masterpost

Click below for an easy way to navigate through my "Famous Five Art Nostalgia" posts!

Introductory post

ORIGINAL SERIES BY ENID BLYTON:

Publishing overview

📜🏰🪙 #01 Five on a Treasure Island / Le Club des Cinq et le trésor de l’île

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1962) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1983)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1982)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille (1971)

☃️🎄🔦 #02 Five Go Adventuring Again / Le Club des Cinq

Part 1: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1961) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1982)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Galaxie (1975)

🛶🥫👒 #03 Five Run Away Together / Le Club des Cinq contre-attaque

Cover art

Part 1: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1955)

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1976)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4: illustrations by Annie-Claude Martin (1984)

⛰️🧺🌫️ #04 Five Go to Smuggler’s Top / Le Club des Cinq en vacances

Part 1: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1963) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1973)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille - COMING SOON!

🎪🐵👑 #05 Five Go Off in a Caravan / Le Club des Cinq et les saltimbanques

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1965) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1976)

🧣🔭⚗️ #06 Five On Kirrin Island Again / Le Club des Cinq joue et gagne

Part 1: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1956) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1975)

🏕️🚞👻 #07 Five Go Off to Camp / Le Club des Cinq va camper

Part 1: illustrations by Paul Durand (1957) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1982)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1977)

🚲🦉🚪 #08 Five Get into Trouble / Le Club des Cinq en péril

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1969) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jeanne Hives – Idéal-Bibliothèque (1962)

Part 3: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1957)

Part 4: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 5: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1979)

🍒🌲⛵ #09 Five Fall into Adventure / Le Club des Cinq et les gitans

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1960) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1973)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1982)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille (1975) - COMING SOON!

🍂🥾🏞️ #10 Five on a Hike Together / Le Club des Cinq en randonnée

Part 1: illustrations by Simone Baudouin (1958) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1976)

📰👀🐍 #11 Five Have a Wonderful Time / Le Club des Cinq en roulotte

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1960) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1974)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

🌊🏖️🐴 #12 Five Go Down to the Sea / Le Club des Cinq au bord de la mer

Part 1: illustrations by Aldo de Amicis (1959) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1984)

🐎😶‍🌫️🚂 #13 Five Go to Mystery Moor / La locomotive du Club des Cinq

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1961) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1987)

🐩⛱️🎡 #14 Five Have Plenty of Fun / Enlèvement au Club des Cinq

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1961) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1983)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

🏚️🏺💼 #15 Five on a Secret Trail / Le Club des Cinq se distingue

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1968) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jeanne Hives – Idéal-Bibliothèque (1961)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1977)

Part 4: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

🛩️🦋🐷 #16 Five Go to Billycock Hill / Le Club des Cinq et les papillons

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1962) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1983)

❄️🛷⛷️ #17 Five Get into a Fix / Le Club des Cinq aux sports d’hiver

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1964) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1978)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille (1975)

⛏️💎🗡️ #18 Five on Finniston Farm / Le Club des Cinq et le coffre aux merveilles

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1962) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1979)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4A and Part 4B: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille (1973)

🧭🐒🔔 #19 Five Go To Demon’s Rocks / La boussole du Club des Cinq

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1963) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1975)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

⛳ 🪣🌬️ #20 Five Have a Mystery to Solve / Le Club des Cinq et le secret du vieux puits

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1966) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1978)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1982)

🙊📓🕰️ #21 Five Are Together Again / Le Club des Cinq en embuscade

Part 1: illustrations by Jeanne Hives (1967) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1981)

Part 3: illustrations by Umberto Nonna (1981)

Part 4: illustrations by Jean Sidobre – Vermeille (1973)

~~~~~~

CONTINUATION SERIES ‘LES CINQ’ BY CLAUDE VOILIER:

Introduction to ‘Les Cinq’

👁️🐓✉️ #LC01 Les Cinq sont les plus forts / The Famous Five and the Mystery of the Emeralds

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1971) + cover art

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1991)

🏞️🎊💼 #LC02 Les Cinq au bal des espions / The Famous Five in the Fancy Dress

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1971)

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1993)

🚴🏰⌚ #LC03 Le marquis appelle les Cinq / The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1972)

🐆🐕🐒 #LC04 Les Cinq au Cap des Tempêtes / The Famous Five and the Missing Cheetah

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1972)

🌴🎥🛳️ #LC05 Les Cinq à la télévision / The Famous Five Go on Television

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1973)

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1995)

✈️🛖🪶 #LC06 Les Cinq et les pirates du ciel / The Famous Five and the Hijackers

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1973)

🚢🪄💍 #LC07 Les Cinq contre le Masque Noir / The Famous Five versus the Black Mask

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1974)

🤿🦈🪙 #LC08 Les Cinq et le galion d'or / The Famous Five and the Golden Galleon

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1974)

📦🛻💎 #LC09 Les Cinq font de la brocante / The Famous Five and the Inca God

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1975)

🧺🚇🦪 #LC10 Les Cinq se mettent en quatre / The Famous Five and the Pink Pearls

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1975)

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1992)

⛰️🔦⚱️ #LC11 Les Cinq dans la cité secrète / The Famous Five and the Secret of the Caves

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1975)

⛈️🌳👑 #LC12 La fortune sourit aux Cinq / The Famous Five and the Cavalier's Treasure

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1976)

🚲🐇⚡ #LC13 Les Cinq et le rayon Z / The Famous Five and the Z-Rays

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1977)

🧸🖼️🚤 #LC14 Les Cinq vendent la peau de l'ours / The Famous Five and the Blue Bear Mystery

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1977)

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1995)

🧪🐍🔥 #LC15 Les Cinq aux rendez-vous du diable / The Famous Five in Deadly Danger

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1978) - COMING SOON!

🚉✒️🧨 #LC16 Du neuf pour les Cinq / The Famous Five and the Strange Legacy

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1978) - COMING SOON!

🛕🐘💖 #LC17 Les Cinq et le rubis d'Akbar / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1979) - COMING SOON!

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1993) - COMING SOON!

🔎🌅🛡️ #LC18 Les Cinq et le trésor de Roquépine / The Famous Five and the Knights' Treasure

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1979) - COMING SOON!

🛳️🏛️🔒#LC19 Les Cinq en croisière / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1980) - COMING SOON!

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1995) - COMING SOON!

📑🐸🪚 #LC20 Les Cinq jouent serré / The Famous Five and the Strange Scientist

Part 1: illustrations by Claude Pascal (1980) - COMING SOON!

👹🎹😵‍💫 #LC21 Les Cinq contre les fantômes / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Buci (1981) - COMING SOON!

🛩️🛖🐊 #LC22 Les Cinq en Amazonie / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Annie-Claude Martin (1983) - COMING SOON!

Part 2: illustrations by Anne Bozellec (1995) - COMING SOON!

📚📜🏴‍☠️ #LC23 Les Cinq et le trésor du pirate / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Jean Sidobre (1984) - COMING SOON!

🐺🏗️💥 #LC24 Les Cinq contre le loup-garou / no translation

Part 1: illustrations by Annie-Claude Martin (1985) - COMING SOON!

#famous five art nostalgia #masterpost #famous five #le club des cinq #enid blyton #simone baudouin #paul durand #aldo de amicis #jeanne hives #jean sidobre #umberto nonna #annie-claude martin #claude pascal #buci #anne bozellec

[cantsayidont]

August 1984. This won't change anyone's feelings about cult movie perennial THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI: ACROSS THE EIGHTH DIMENSION one way or the other, but if you're wondering what the hell the deal is supposed to be with Buckaroo Banzai and his team, the answer is, "It's an obvious pastiche of the pulp hero Doc Savage."

Launched in 1933, Doc Savage was one of the leading adventure heroes of the pulp magazines. Doc (whose full name was Clark Savage Jr.) was scientifically trained from childhood to the peak of human perfection, singularly adept in everything from mechanical engineering to medicine to martial arts. He had a secret headquarters called the Fortress of Solitude and a whole array of specially designed vehicles and equipment, but he was also a public figure, with offices in the Empire State Building. Doc had a team of eccentric, highly specialized aides — Monk Mayfair, Ham Brooks, Renny Renwick, Long Tom Roberts, and Johnny Littlejohn — who each had a particular skill and a couple of distinctive personality traits (for instance, Monk was a skilled industrial chemist, but also an "ape-like" brute with a ferocious temper). They were sometimes aided by Doc's cousin, Pat Savage, who was almost as capable as Doc, although he tried to keep her out of the fray because she was (gasp) a girl.

This was a fairly common pattern for pulp heroes. For instance, the pulp version of the Shadow (who was distinctly different from the radio incarnation) relied on a whole network of agents, some appearing only once or twice, some recurring across many of his published adventures. From a narrative standpoint, the agents and assistants had two principal purposes: The first was to offset the rather overpowered heroes — pulp heroes didn't necessarily have superhuman powers, but even those who didn't tended to be preternaturally skilled at nearly everything, so it was convenient to limit their direct involvement in an adventure to crucial moments, and let the assistants (who could be much more fallible) do much of the legwork. The second object was to beef up the characterization. Doc Savage was morally irreproachable as well as absurdly multi-talented, so there wasn't a lot to be done with him character-wise, while maintaining the mystique of a character like the Shadow required him to remain a fairly closed book.

Although the pulp heroes were a huge influence on early comic book superheroes like Superman and Batman, some of these conventions didn't translate well to other media: In a 13-page comic book story or half-hour radio episode, having too many characters was cumbersome (and expensive, where it meant hiring extra actors), and comic book readers normally expected to follow their four-color heroes quite closely, even before the breathless internal monologue became a genre staple. So, Superman inherited Doc Savage's Fortress of Solitude, but not his "Fabulous Five" assistants, while heroes like Batman and Captain America generally stuck with a single sidekick rather than a team of aides. Even the late Doc Savage pulp adventures (which ended in 1949) de-emphasized the assistants to keep the focus more on Doc himself. Ultimately, the pulp heroes didn't really have the right narrative center of gravity for visual media, which is why they've become relatively obscure, despite repeated revival attempts. The 1975 Doc Savage movie with Ron Ely, for instance, was a notorious commercial flop, and elements like Doc's childishly bickering assistants seemed odd and dated, even taking into account the film's nostalgia-bait '30s period setting.

What BUCKAROO BANZAI tried to do was to bring that old pulp hero formula into the modern era with a big infusion of '80s style and humor. Like Doc Savage, Buckaroo is a wildly gifted polymath (in the opening scenes, he rushes from performing brain surgery to test-driving his Jet Car through a mountain), so famous and important a personage that he puts the president of the United States on hold, and he surrounds himself with an array of brilliant, eccentric aides with silly nicknames who play in his rock band when they're not fighting crime or doing advanced scientific experiments.

Alas, judging by the poor box office returns, general audiences were no more amenable to the '80s version of this formula than they had been to DOC SAVAGE: MAN OF BRONZE nine years earlier, even with the 1984 film's extraordinary cast and memorably witty dialogue. Granted, even many of the movie's most diehard fans are baffled by the convoluted plot — a crucial expository scene where the leader of the Black Lectroids (Rosalind Cash) explains much of what's going on is nigh-incomprehensible without subtitles or closed captioning — but beyond that, THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI is essentially an extended riff on a particular slice of pop culture that had long since dropped out of the public consciousness, which is both part of its charm and also its commercial undoing, at least as mainstream entertainment.

(Also, if you're wondering, yes, the TOM STRONG series by Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse is also an obvious Doc Savage pastiche, although at least some of its plot and character concepts were probably retoolings of unused ideas from Moore's earlier Maximum Press/Awesome Comics SUPREME series, which was an extended pastiche of the pre-Crisis Superman.)

#movies #buckaroo banzai #the adventures of buckaroo banzai across the eighth dimension #w.d. richter #peter weller #jeff goldblum #clancy brown #doc savage #pulp heroes #street and smith #walter m baumhofer #the shadow #michael santoro #pepe serna #billy vera #lewis smith #one of the amusing things about the jeff goldblum character #is that his eccentricity clearly precedes his involvement with buckaroo banzai #he's just a brilliant neurosurgeon who's been looking for a chance #to wear his roy rogers outfit and fight crime

[missingspaceships]

was listening to music from when i was a little kid for nostalgia purposes and now i'm thinking. a twist on the concept of famous steddie where steve hosts a children's show? with a sort of sesame street, mister rogers-style hopeful perspective about the world, but also something hi-5 or imagination movers-esque with fun hijinks and silly songs (i have no idea what shows people watched as kids so those might not be a good reference sorry). it is definitely a kids show, and steve has to wear silly outfits and make goofy jokes, and some people refuse to take him seriously. but also he's just so genuine and kind. he knows what it's like to feel lonely as a child and he wants to offer a space where kids feel safe and loved, even if it's only on tv.

and there's something hilarious and adorable about how seemingly extreme opposites steve and eddie are in this scenario? like steve is mister wholesome, meanwhile eddie munson is a heavy metal icon whose music is the exact opposite of family friendly. but when it comes down to it they both want the same thing: for their art to make people who are different or isolated feel less alone.

i feel like robin might help with composing the show's music (although she's probably got her own solo non-children's music projects as well). the rest of the party does guest spots, like will teaching a beginner's art lesson or dustin doing a science experiment. eddie eventually guest stars too. steve casually and happily introducing his husband to his audience does a lot for normalizing queerness in children's programming. it's also just a really fun episode, and eddie does the equivalent of a metal song but for five year olds. it's like that time mcr was on yo gabba gabba

#steddie #steddie headcanon #steve harrington #eddie munson #this idea came out of nowhere and now i am weirdly invested in it so here you go :) #space talks

[orangelemonart]

TL;DR your art from 10 years ago just made me relapse on homestuck; thank you.

Here’s the full story

My homestuck phase started in the omegapause and fizzled out circa 2018. In 2017 or early 2018 (dated by the comment I left), I watched a YouTube upload of your gigapause-era Masterpiece Theatre III lyricstuck and thought it was great

I’m now twenty years old and I’ve been an ex-homestuck for five years, I still celebrate 4/13 but I have other special interests to fill my time and i do the ex-homestuck thing of joking about homestuck being a trashfire. I have said that “I will never reread homestuck” to friends more than once

Yesterday I found an animatic of the same song for my current special interest (ace attorney) and was like “where do I know this song from?” the whole time, and then it hit me that it had to be from a lyricstuck because the song is just perfect for a lyricstuck. So I went and rewatched the lyricstuck to scratch that itch and found myself having homestuck feels in the year of our lord two thousand twenty three

For everything wrong with homestuck (and there was plenty wrong with homestuck), this weird work of fiction consistently pulled off sincerely impactful moments within the context of intentionally absurd lore, it laughed in the face of the idea of “avoiding being cringe”, and I think this is why it was so addictive to a generation of autistic teens

So now I’m on a nostalgia bender and downloading the unofficial collection to re-examine this flawed but iconic story from my childhood, now with more maturity to understand the thematic elements buried behind the shitpost tone (which child me barely engaged with beyond “noooo hussie don’t hurt my faves T_T”)

Makes me happier than you people will ever know to hear my art from back in the day was so loved. My friends often joke about me being “tumblr famous” and I know they don’t mean it like this but every year it feels more and more like laughing at me not with me. My follower count and notes drastically plateaued after homestuck hahaha.

I forget that there actually are people out there who actually liked my art and consider it part of their experience with a story they loved! That’s incredible! I’m honored!

Anyway homestuck isn’t as cringe or problematic and people keep claiming it was, at least no more than any other series from that era. Be proud of liking a series that was so revolutionary in storytelling, there is no multimedia project quite like homestuck!

[angstics]

my chemical romance has always been a band about death. bullets' bonnie and clyde, three cheers' resurrection-rampage plot, black parade's dying main character, danger days' "where the good guys die and the bad guys win". the vampires and corpse-like make-up and lyrics constantly looking to the end. 1000+ hits when you google: "death-obsessed" "my chemical romance". gerard way's "if we never play another show again, keep yourself alive" in 2008, when the band had an exhausting few years and an uncertain future (video, article).

it took a few years, but the band eventually played its last show. it wasn't just a break or dissolution. the band died. their final song was released posthumously in 2/14 and it was titled "fake your death" -- not a hint at reunification, but a finale that put to rest who they were as my chemical romance. as gerard way said: "i don't think my chemical romance is supposed to happen again. i think it's supposed to stay beautiful forever; it's a beautiful thing. it's supposed to die young in the car wreck" (kerrang , 7/14).

dying young has haunted my chem as long as death has. every single main character of theirs' was both dead and young: irl demolition lovers on the LOTMS cd, the patient being "too young to die", the fab four being teenagers according to the killjoys: california comics. even gun's "never gonna have a son" and "if im old enough to die for your mistakes / then let's go". even helena, who is directly about the ways' grandmother, is played by a young actor -- with make-up matching the bands'. there were fears surrounding gerard's health ending the band then at one point his life, as stated by brian schechter in LOTMS. after the band ended, mikey and frank had near-death experiences. gerard released hestiant alien's how it's going to be, a song about "waking up from the dream and realizing it's not exactly what you wanted" (video): "you said we'd all be dead by twenty five" and "we're just bored you're still alive". the entertainment industry is marked by the iconization of artists who died young. the 90s - 00s was a time + place defined by DARE and AIDS and young veterans. the band coincided with BIG life changes (sky-rocketing careers, new families).

this is all to say that my chem tightly links youth and death. there is also a great emphasis on death as a performance -- dedicating songs and albums and theatre productions and art and stories and appearances to it. the aesthetic of death.

though the band died young, its people didnt. years went by. my impression as an outsider to that time is that even without reason (least of all from these fuckin guys), hope didnt die. it laid dormant. the group friendship and musical relationship was revived sometime 2017 - 2018 because of a family bbq (podcast, quote). that was two years of possibility before they decided to return in 2019. after some hurdles where hope never diminished, they began their first tour after a decade -- filled with projects and personal hardships and children growing up -- in 2022.

this tour has been marked by their visible and stated joy. not a nostalgia tour, not an album tour, but a chance to "reintroduce ourselves to the world" (podcast, quote). the sources of joy are endless (isnt that just so beautiful??) one of them is discovering the link btwn living and old age.

theyre still about death, theyre still about youth, theyre still about drama. gerard's dressed as princess diane and joan darc, famous women who died young. the when we were young night 2 costumes are bout the horror of aging but not changing. it's a forever mcr theme.

#mcr #qessay #i wrote this 4 months ago so take it as it is

[itsbootsybabe]

Rainbow Legacy Challenge

Generation One: Red

You've always wanted to be a famous musician, but you can't help who you really are. You are constantly grinding to achieve your goals but will never say no to a good party.. you are an entertainer after all. You struggle to raise a child on your own but give them everything they could ever want when you have the opportunity.

Traits: Self-Assured, Art Lover, Party Animal Aspiration: Party Animal Career: Entertainer - Musician Branch

Rules:

Master Entertainer career & complete Party Animal aspiration

Master instrument of your choice & Mixology skills

Never get married & raise 1 child on your own

Own 5 pieces of art

Fulfill every "want" of child & never discipline child

Generation Two: Pink

You grew up with a famous parent who wasn't around that often but spoiled you when they were. You had a nice house, went to the best schools but grew up very lonely. With all that time alone, you turned to social media for comfort.. which never really fulfilled your needs. You are now determined to find "the one" to spend forever with.

Traits: Genius, Self-Absorbed, Cat Lover Aspiration: Soulmate Career: Social Media - Internet Personality Branch

Rules:

Master Social Media career & complete Soulmate aspiration

Master Charisma & Photography skills

Get married

Have 3 pets & 3 children

Go out to eat every Friday night & have date night on Saturdays

Generation Three: Orange

Having grown up in a house full of animals and kids, you try to spend as much time as possible outdoors. You have always been adventurous and can't conform to the 9-5 however you get a part time job to appease your parents.. You spend every free moment participating in sports and exploring wildlife.

Traits: Adventurous, Bro, Hates Children Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast Career: Part-time Barista

Rules

Complete Extreme Sports Enthusiast aspiration

Master Rock Climbing & Ski/Snowboarding skills

Keep Barista job until Adult

Have only 1 child & never own a pet

Go on an adventure (rock climb/hike/ski/snowboard) at least once a day

Generation Four: Yellow

Although it was fun growing up with a parent who wanted to go on adventures all the time, you now crave structure in life. You didn't socialize much in that environment and finding a partner is tough however you are determined to have the ideal suburban life with the white picket fence, family dog and successful children. You will do everything you can to achieve this, even if it means working overtime.

Traits: Dog Lover, Socially Awkward, Foodie Aspiration: Successful Lineage Career: Detective

Rules

Master Detective career & complete Successful Lineage aspiration

Master Gourmet Cooking, Parenting & Pet Training skills

Get married & build a house in Newcrest

Have no less than 2 children & own 1 dog

Work overtime 3 times a week

Cook & eat dinner at home every night

Generation Five: Green

You had everything you ever wanted growing up and now it's time to give back to the world. You vow to live the "green" lifestyle and love recycling and fabricating items. You grow your own food and eat as little meat as possible. You are opposed to electronics and use community lots when necessary. You spend most of your time crafting & gardening.

Traits: Maker, Perfectionist, Green Fiend Aspiration: Master Maker Career: Civil Design - Green Technician Branch

Rules

Master Civil Design career & complete Master Maker aspiration

Master Fabrication & Gardening skills

Volunteer at least once a week

Do not own electronics once you move out (don't answer phone & only use community lots)

Grow your own food & use Lot Challenge: Simple Living

Generation Six: Blue

Having only used computers at the library growing up, you are now obsessed with learning all there is about them. You learn technology goes hand in hand with medicine and find a passion in being a doctor. Although most days are spent buried in a book or on the computer, for nostalgias sake, you occasionally take the family out for a weekend camping trip.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Bookworm, Erratic Aspiration: Computer Whiz Career: Doctor

Rules

Master Doctor career & complete Computer Whiz aspiration

Master Logic & Herbalism skills

Own the most expensive computer

Help child(ren) with all homework & projects

Take a family camping trip every other weekend

Generation Seven: Purple

You grew up with a saint of a parent and do all that you can to please them. You work hard in school and achieve straight A's but after graduating college, you realize you cannot suppress your creative side and ultimately come to terms with not following in your parents footsteps. You find happiness in interior design & knitting clothes for friends and family.

Traits: Overachiever, Creative, Proper Aspiration: Goal Oriented/Lord of the Knits Career: Interior Decorator

Rules

Complete Goal Oriented & Lord of the Knits aspirations

Master Knitting, Cross-Stitching & Photography skills

Get straight A's; graduate High School & University (any degree)

Book at least 3 Interior Decorator gigs a week

Knit gifts for friends & family on major holidays

Generation Eight: Brown

Desperate for your own space to live the way you want, you move to the city the first chance you get (with your parents money of course). You never knew what you wanted to do in life, but after moving into your first apartment and getting your first pet, it aspires you to be a veterinarian & open your own clinic. Your parents say they will loan you the money to do so, but you have to save at least 5k beforehand..

Traits: Outgoing, Slob, Animal Enthusiast Aspiration: Friend of the Animals Career: Retail/Veterinarian

Rules

Complete Friend of the Animals aspiration

Master Handiness, Charisma & Veterinarian skills

Move out with just enough money to move to an apartment

Own 1 pet

Work to save 5k then loan money from parents to buy a vet clinic & quit retail

Generation Nine: Grey

Unlike your parents, you're a homebody. The only thing you want to do is hang out with friends and play video games. Luckily for you, you're able to make a career out of this. And although you don't like to leave the house, you care about your health and make it a point to stay active when you're not sitting in that computer chair..

Traits: Geek, Snob, Active Aspiration: Leader of the Pack Career: Video Game Streamer

Rules

Master Video Game Streamer career & complete Leader of the Pack aspiration

Master Video Gaming & Entrepreneur skills

Make a video game club & meet daily

Marry someone from the club

Own 2 sets of gym equipment

Don't travel unless necessary

Generation Ten: Black

You want to be famous and you live for drama on set. You get off on gossiping about all the different relationships and affairs of everyone on staff, making it your mission to cause as much chaos as possible on the downlow. You like to take whatever it is you have your eyes on.. as long as no one else is looking

Traits: Non-Committal, Insider, Kleptomaniac Aspiration: Drama Llama/Villainous Valentine Career: Master Actor

Rules

Master Actor Career & Drama Llama/Villainous Valentine aspirations

Master Acting & Comedy skills

Never have a successful relationship with a partner

Cheat on every partner you have

Gossip at work every chance you get

Swipe 3 items a week

#sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 legacy #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 high school years #thesims4 #the sims 4 #ts4

[jerichogender]

Someone requested it, so here it is. This is the afterword George Pérez wrote for the New Teen Titans TBP that includes the Judas Contract (It says at the end that he wrote this in 1998, but I’m pretty sure they meant 1988 since the Judas Contract came out in 1984 and he talks about planning out the storyline five years ago):

[ID: A two-page afterword written by George Pérez. The first page has art on the left side from The New Teen Titans (NTT) of Joseph Wilson, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Victor Stone, and Koriand’r dressed in their superheroes costumes and charging towards an enemy. The second page has art on the right side also from NTT, just of Joey in his Jericho costume. The background of both pages has a repeating pattern of the Titans “T” logo in the shape of a T inside a circle. The text is as follows:

AFTERWORD

Ah, memories.

Has it really been five years since Marv Wolfman and I sat down in a small restaurant and gleefully plotted the birth and death of a cute little teenage girl? Has it been that long since that fateful meeting in Dick Giordano’s office when it was decided that a famous caped crusader’s sidekick was going to hang up his mask and at last be his own master and that we would also retire a certain teenage speedster? And was it so along ago that Marv and I racked our respective skulls trying to come up with a concept for a new hero for whom we only had a name and a parental history? Has it really been five years since “The Judas Contract”? I’ve always liked the name “The Judas Contract.” When Marv came up with it, I thought that it hand a certain grandeur, a certain significance to it. And when I learned that DC Comics was reprinting the multi-issue saga, my mind flooded with waves of nostalgia, pleasant memories which seem to arise when I think of my original tenure as co-creator, co-plotter, and artist on THE NEW TEEN TITANS.

So it is that I recall how, after two years of establishing TITANS as a bona-fide hit for DC, Marv and I sat across from one another in that diner booth and he told me about this new character he had just invented: a 15-year-old name Terra. She was to be the first new Titan to join the team since the inception of the series, but she would also be the first to die. Thus was “The Judas Contract” born, although it would be over a year before that actual storyline would take place. Other changes were in the offing.

Since the creation of the New Teen Titans, Marv and I had sworn not to make it a junior version of the Justice League of America, which is what the Titans were in the 1960s (I used to call it the Justice Little League). The idea of a group of kid sidekicks banded together to fight crime always invites comparisons between them and their adult mentors. Also, the freedom of using a character fully is compromised when he is being used concurrently in his guardian’s own series. Thankfully, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire were all-knew heroes created specifically for TITANS (I can still remember the words of artist/editor Joe Orlando when he saw the original design for Starfire: “I think you should make her hair longer.” Boy, did I take that suggestion to heart!) Wonder Girl was never really a sidekick to Wonder Woman and Changeling’s roots to the then-defunct Doom Patrol series were non-hampering. That left Kid Flash and Robin.

Kid Flash was easy. Robin was the tricky one. For over forty years he had been the popular swashbuckling partner to the mysterious Batman. In fact, Batman without Robin was considered as unthinkable as Holmes without Watson, Robin Hood without Little John, Minneapolis without St. Paul! Yet Robin was the team leader, the linchpin of the Titans. When Marv Wolfman, then-Batman writer Doug Moench and I sauntered into Executive Editor Dick Giordano’s office to discuss Robin’s fate, I actually thought we’d lose the rights to use the Titans’ leader. Was I wrong. Goodbye Robin/Dick Grayson—hello Robin/Jason Todd!

Then there was Jericho. Marv wanted to introduce a new member to the Titans to replace the departed Kid Flash. However, he had the character’s name (an unused character who was to have appeared in the original 1960s TITANS series) and the notion that he would be an offspring of the villainous Terminator, but nothing more. After weeks of pounding our heads against the walls, we had all but given up. We couldn’t think of anything for Jericho. Then it hit me. Overnight, I came up with a concept, personality and design for Joseph William Wilson, the newest Teen Titan. Joseph, or Jericho, was the first Titan I ever designed solely and as such he was more of an artist’s character than a writer’s character. By making him mute (and forbidding poor Marv the use of thought balloons for the character), I was forced to convey Jericho’s personality through body language and facial expressions. Such subtle nuances would be been unthinkable for me when I first started the series in 1980, but Marv was so confident in my improved abilities that he accepted my version of Jericho, who was a lot tougher for him to write and was added to the Titans’ roster.

That still left us with Dick Grayson. Dick has an incredibly vocal fan following, particularly among females. There was no way we could keep that character out of the group indefinitely. So, during the run of “The Judas Contract,” Dick Grayson’s new crimefighting identity was established. Nightwing was born. Though neither Marv nor I were originally crazy about his new name, in the long run it seems to have won the fans’ hearts. Those who considered themselves Robin Rooters have proudly followed Dick’s new career as avid Wingnuts.

So here I am, hunched over my word processor, reliving the glorious yesterdays which went into the tales unfolded for you in the following pages. It was a time of growth for me. My maturation as an artist can be traced back to these stories. My new career as a writer was born from many brainstorming plotting sessions through which Marv and I sweated during those days. I am grateful to the Titans and to Marv and to all those who supported the effort.

Thanks for the memories.

- GEORGE PÉREZ

1998

End ID.]

#tara markov #dick grayson #joey wilson #george pérez #ntt #behind the pages

[xellandria]

Oc Ask Meme!!

7,26 and B for Alexander

(https://www.tumblr.com/xellandria/725141210645315584/uncommon-questions-for-ocs-and-their-creators for ease of access)

oh no this post is going to contain art from twenty years ago, run for the hills! Also this got long lmao whoops

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling? For a long time, Alex had a heart-shaped pendant necklace that belonged to his first love. They were in that "this person can do no wrong" puppy-love stage of infatuation that a lot of early relationships (especially between young people) get when she was murdered and he was forced to flee because he was accused of killing both Mephala (framed) and the town's sheriff/top law enforcement guy (valid, sort of). It was the only possession of hers he had to remind him of her, and the memories associated with it were intensely mixed (a: her, but also b: murder), and after Mephala's fridging he carried it with him for a long time (somewhere between 20-200 years, depending on how my timeline for other events that aren't set in stone yet end up shaking out).

Do you know that thing that you do sometimes when you're really depressed and feeling self-flagellating where you already feel bad, so you intentionally start thinking about a Bad Thing that happened so your life can suck extra hard? And how obviously thinking about it makes you feel worse, but there's a weird undercurrent of pleasure and satisfaction at the ability to hurt yourself like that? It's weird to think of him like this because in the "present day" he's a very happy-go-lucky kinda guy like 97% of the time, but there was definitely a period in his past where he was that kind of angsty, moody teen.

And then, fourteen pages into the comic, the doofus accidentally left it behind on a bar countertop while escaping from some bounty hunters :V

28. What is their preferred mode of transportation? Alex is a big fan of the persistence predator's famous "walk 'em to death" strategy! So are a lot of my characters, I'm realizing (because other methods of transport like wagons and cars and bicycles and scooters and such suck to draw I guess, lmao). I think Alex would be an indifferent equestrian; competent enough to stay on the horse (once he learned, which I'm not sure when he would have done), but very much a sack in the saddle. While he can fly, he prefers not to because he haaaaaaaaaates his wings; there ARE humanoid creatures with wings on Meir, but a lot of them don't interface well with most of society and have a bit of a Reputation, so there's a bit of a stigma there, and people tend to stare. Alex doesn't mind being the center of attention, but he definitely prefers it to be for the things he's doing, not the thing he is.

At some point recently I said (probably on twitter) that I'd only drawn him with his wings three times: once for a "sexy" wallpaper, once for a NaNoMangO pregame meme, and once just recently for the ref sheet I posted a couple weeks ago. While I was going through First Target again for this ask just now I realized it's actually been four: his wings came out when he was fighting Viktor (which, now that I've remembered, made me go "oh yeah, that was important cos people witnessed that he wasn't human which made them go after him extra hard," it's funny the kind of details you forget after twenty years, rofl)

Edit: FIVE times, actually: I forgot I did one of those "what's your god tier" memes in the height of my Homestuckdom and he got Thief of Life.

B) What inspired you to create them? In seventh and eighth grade, in the late 90s, my friends and I were all role playing on various portions of Yahoo!'s social outlets, both in their chatrooms (Aenye, aka Ayenee aka A&E aka the Arts & Entertainment section) and on their groups (okay in fairness that was mostly just me, I don't think my RL friends indulged in that bit). I "GMed" a lot of stuff for my friends in the chats, and we had a fairly expansive storyline going, but a lot of it was pulled from things we were invested in at the time and a lot of characters were straight up just whichever media characters we were crushing on at the time, sometimes with the barcodes sanded off and sometimes not. One of the characters I "mained" at the time, both in RP with my RL friends and in various RP groups (which were mostly mixed-anime isekai-style things or directly based in the world of the anime/manga Slayers), was Xellandria Butadientium.

Xellandria Butadientium, Xella for short, was heavily, heavily, heavily based on Xelloss Metallium from Slayers, a smiling "trickster priest" with a deliciously malicious side and very obscure motivations. She was in competition with every other Mary Sue OC in those groups for Xelloss' attentions, though even at the time I (and she) was less interested in romance and sex than in just Being There and I dipped out of several groups once whoever was playing Xelloss there indicated their interest in eRPing (I was like, fourteenish and assumed I would care less/more when I got older. That, uh, never happened :Y)

When we moved on from Yahoo onto our own private forums I started redesigning some characters to be less obviously derivative and wholesale replacing others, and Xella was one of the ones hit with a redesign. She kept some of the things that had become "iconic" to her by then, but I tried to move away from the rest.

The problem here was that there were five main characters in The Bloodraven Chronicles, and only three of us bay area girls RPing; I was responsible for three of the five. One was Xella, one was James (another character who started his life being based off Xelloss, at least visually), and the other was straight up just Xelloss. That wouldn't do if we were making this an original story, which we all* had it in our heads at the time to do (because that was Just What You Did, we were formulating Aslua Studios who were going to Make It Big doing Things related to this story!). So, as Xella was originally a genderbent version of Xelloss who eventually evolved into her own thing, I figured I would just do it again, but in reverse!

Thus, alleX, who evolved over the next couple months into Alex, and whose design was finalized in September of 2001, just in time for me to be noodling around with the idea of starting a webcomic, which I would start posting to KeenSpace in November of that year.

Alex's personality takes a lot of inspiration from those old Xelloss roleplayers, though it leans into the more "human" versions, where he was less inscrutable and more just kind of silly. Nowadays he's pretty happy-go-lucky, which you would not know from anything in this long-ass post, l m a o

Anyway to cap it off, have a bonus visual chart of all this, from one of those "1 like = 1 answer" things on twitter about his D&D AU version:

(* I am reasonably sure, in retrospect, that my friends were just going along with my own desire to Make It Big (With Art) and that they had no real stake in it. In fairness, this was the correct decision/response on their part, but you know.)

#xellafail #long post is long #alex #original characters #bowspirit's aim #boy these images aren't actually posting side-by-side in my draft preview #I hope they post correctly or this is going to be an even longer scroll than it is while I'm typing it rofl #TY BOGGIE RAMBLING ABOUT OCS IS THE BESSSST #edit sigh yup it doesn't wanna post the comic pages next to each other sorry for making you scroll extra far :(

[charmixpower]

I don't know if you've ben asked this before, but what's your favorite winx club sountrack?

It has not been asked before :)

Let me just go listen to all the sound tracks, I'll be back. I know you asked just for my favorite but if I'm gonna listen to them to pick out a favorite, imma rank em too

Season Five: This season's music my beloved. "We're the Winx" is the best opening and I'm right. "Power to change the world", "We are Believix", and are all bangers. "Harmonix" and "Power of Sirenix" are some of the best transformation songs in the series, and they're in the same season. "Like a Ruby" is a actually good, real song, with a fucking riddle attached. The talent it has....unmatched. "Christmas Magic" is such a good song I nearly considered forgiving season 5 for the Christmas episode. I never will but, you understand me. I was listening to the songs on YouTube, and the Winx YouTube account has this cute little thing where Musa is always the paired image, and I got to a spoiler song and it was so good I stopped listening so I wouldn't ruin the experience for myself. It immediately put me in the mood to do Winx art

Secret of the Lost Kingdom: This movie has songs that I'd concider listening to outside the movie if they didn't make me wanna cry. Something something nostalgia childhood, this sound track has my heart in a death grip. I love the other version of Enchantix, I love the songs, I love this movie. There's a bonus song on the first movie album, it's "Stand Up" or something and it FUCKS HARD, I know that isn't relevant to the soundtrack of the movie but I just needed to let you know that the first movie stays winning

4kids: "We are the Winx" is like....so fucking good. What is it with this song title that leads the song to always fuck so supremely. Anyways the other songs are also good and I'm obessed with the direction of these songs. "Mean Girls Rule" came on and I had a moment, I've never wanted to watch the 4kids dub more. Just to see when the fuck they inserted that song. It's good tho

Magical Adventure: it's is fine. I'd rather listen to the good s4 songs over this, but I'll take it over listening to another second of fucking Love and Pet. Mid. "Famous Girls" wiggled it's way into my brain bc it sounds like Stella is singing it

Season Four: It's sound track is mostly good. It's full of well masters songs, the problem is that they had the same amount of content for most of these songs as they did for the songs in s1-3 but with movie song length. I very much regret trying to listen to them entire sound track without skipping anything, Love and Pet nearly pushed me to murder. They're good songs but I feel like they should just bite the bullet and cut the fat. Only "Winx are Back" and "Love and Pet" starting driving me to insanity. It was like elevator music that personally wanted me dead. The other songs are mostly just good but dragged, "Believix" and "Winx Open Up Your Heart" however both fuck supremely and I love them. "Let the Power Shine" is also v good. Also I never noticed that Andy and his band had like songs...I didn't pay attention anytime anyone was singing tbh, I was busy trying to beat my head though a wall

The Mystery of the Abyss: "Magic All Around" and "We All Are Winx" suck ass, "Like a Star" is fun and very catchy, and "Feeling Fine" has a surprising amount of heart to it and it sucked me in eventually but I don't like the opening of the song much at all. Very fucking hit or miss over here

Season Six: I left the playlist on and my curiosity got the better of me. The inferior version of the Sirenix song fuckin sucked, but you knew that. On one hand, like the best friend platonic love song, on the other hand, who in the studio personally hated the singer??? Why do they constantly lather her voice in this annoying electronic sounds. It was either intentional, or they majorly fucked up on the auto tune. Either way I hate it. Also dont like the amount of high pitched electric songs here, ow, stop that. I didn't Listen to s7 because genuinely, if I have to listen to one more song about how they're the Winx and throwing a party because these seasons don't have a plot, imma go crazy

Season Three: The sound track is better than the earlier seasons because someone in the studio finally figured out what the concept of mastering audio was. This gives the the songs more emotional weight to me, because I'm not being distracted by the poor audio quality lol. Og Enchantix is my favorite transformation song, so there's also that

Season Two: It's sound track is pretty similar in quality to the s1 sound track, ie it's pretty jank and the songs are not the best, but I like it more. Do I like it more just because I like s2 more and I have more positive connotations to the music? Yes. S2 I love youuuu

Season One: This sound track feels like it's the bands second album with some pretty bad sound mixing. It really doesn't bother me because I still intentionally listen to my favorite band's earliest albums. It feels very dated due to the poor quality, but it's fun enough. Nothing I would intentionally listen too outside of the show, but it matches the awkward stumbling vibe of the first season

#asks #winx club #rus chatters #I accidentally woke up my dog listening to these #the worst part about listening to the romance songs is like. trying to imagine the scenes they go with. no. stop that #the one thing i wont defend from the early seasons is the bad audio mastering in songs. its bad lol. i think its charming but it's bad #i drew two things while listening to the songs. very effective for art #i rewatch Magical adventure because of this ask. forgot how ugly it was (affectionate). blonde Darcy i hate you #i nearly started typing out my thoughts about the movie. lord have mercy #edit: im watching the first one too now #i need to go listen to like a star again

[moiloru]

🤠 Cowboy Bebop Review! 🚀

Hello, and welcome to a new anime review! We're headed back in the 20th century with the famous Cowboy Bebop!

Cowboy Bebop aired in 1998, making it the first anime I ever watched that's older than me. It has twenty-six episodes, and an additional movie aired in 2001.

This anime is some good old action with an adult cast and some sci-fi elements. It's different from what you'd see nowadays... which makes sense since it aired twenty-five years ago.

Cowboy Bebop is one of the most acclaimed anime of all time, especially by people who grew up when it aired. Is it due to nostalgia? Perhaps, though there are definitely reasons it's praise-worthy. I probably wouldn't go that far, still.

Let's start by talking about the plot. Well, it takes a few episodes to get used to, and I regret that you truly understand what's going on pretty late into the story. The overarching plot could be more straightforward since the attention is put on the current action.

The composition of the episodes (called "sessions") is pretty good, especially in specific episodes, with the right balance of seriousness and humor. Some do feel like fillers, though, and only give a few backstory elements.

While it may take time to get used to the plot, the ending certainly packs a punch. Everything falls into place, and the final episode was my favorite by a mile. It honestly kind of redeemed it for me.

The movie has a much clearer storyline! It focuses on a new villain and has a little bit of everything - and I particularly liked the beginning of the film with great humor!

Honestly, the anime deserves a comedy tag with how funny it can sometimes be. It obviously has some darker/more serious moments, but it did make me laugh quite a bit.

That is all thanks to the main cast. Apart from the protagonist, I didn't think any of them was amazing, but together, they make for an excellent group. Their quirks are amusing, and the emphasis on their backstories was greatly appreciated here.

The rest of the cast, though, is pretty meh. Some oneshot characters are okay/good, but the rest is pretty forgettable. At least, both the anime and the movie have recognizable villains, so that's something.

Character development in Cowboy Bebop is touching! I really disliked one of the MCs at first, but I grew to like them better thanks to their development! It's bittersweet at times, but good, nonetheless!

One undeniable strength this anime has is the music. OMG, the OST is amazing and so fitting. You can hear the 90s vibes, and it's undoubtedly the best thing about Cowboy Bebop. Great opening, too - with very unique vibes.

The animation holds up for something that aired so long ago, and the art looks especially pleasant. Back in 1998, this must have been like seeing Demon Slayer now, honestly. I'm pretty amazed they could animate something so well back then. Kudos here.

Overall, Cowboy Bebop is a good anime with some great moments but, unfortunately, some lows, too. Sorry to the fans, but I do believe it is slightly overrated, though it remains a very enjoyable watch that I would definitely recommend.

Down below is my tierlist for the characters in this anime! Thank you for reading this review!

#cowboy bebop #spike spiegel #faye valentine #jet black #edward wong hau pepelu tivrusky iv #ein #anime #anime review #tierlist #tier list

[kevinb3896]

Top 5 Spooky Halloween Auction Highlights From 2023: Fright Night

Every year during Halloween, fans and collectors wait eagerly for the jaw-dropping treasures from auctions. 2023 was no different when Auction Daily take "Fright Night," an auction with a theme of Halloween event that brought out an assortment of awe-inspiring objects. There were a myriad of frightening things. Five stood out as the best, most frightening auction highlights for Halloween. Let's take a review of these terrifying items that shivered auctioneers as well as thrill-seekers alike.

1. Wendell Thompson Perkins' Pumpkins:

Wendell Thompson Perkins, a masterful craftsman famous for his intricate pumpkin carvings, created three pumpkins that captured Halloween's spirit. With meticulous attention to detail, the hand-carved gourds had intricate designs that told an eerie, unique story. The pumpkins, made from rare, translucent-white Lumina pumpkins, gave off an atmosphere of magic and stood out as the event's highlight. The bidders were captivated by the artist's skill and eagerly competed to win the chance to bring the ethereal pumpkins to their homes.

2. Halloween Jack-o'Lantern Candy Container:

One of the more famous Halloween symbols, The jack-o'lantern took on an unusual shape in this antique collectable. A candy container from the past with the form of the smiling jack-o'lantern took us back to the Halloween customs from the past. Made of frosted glass and decorated with an eerie glowing glow, this container was filled with candy that delighted generations of kids. It's now sold to auctions with its captivating charm on Halloween and collectors alike.

3. Steiff Scary Cat Steiff:

Renowned for creating some of the most sought-after animals for stuffed toys, made a terrifyingly cute collectable in the shape of the "Scary Cat." The soft feline, designed to capture the spirit of Halloween, was adorned with sparkling green eyes and black fur. This Steiff Scary Cat sent shivers through the spine and won the hearts of potential buyers. The exquisite craftsmanship of the piece made it a must-have item for anyone who collects Halloween-themed memorabilia.

4. Candles to celebrate Halloween Candles: 

The dim flickering of candlelight plays an essential role in creating the dark ambience of Halloween. A collection of antique Halloween candles featuring traditional ghouls, witches and jack-o'-lanterns lit up on the auction floor. These rare and valuable candles, made with the greatest attention to detail, brought life to the creepy tales that were told in the evening. These candles weren't just lighting sources but also enchanting works of art that evoked the spirit of Halloween.

5. Christopher Radko Garlands: 

No Halloween is complete without the eerie garlands to set the tone for a haunted celebration. Christopher Radko, a celebrated name in holiday decorations, has presented a collection of Halloween-themed sprays that enthralled auction attendees. The bouquets, with witches, black cats, Broomsticks, and skeletal creatures, gave an eerie touch to any Halloween décor. The exquisite artistry and meticulousness were evident in these Radko designs, making them popular for auctions.

The spooky Halloween auction highlights made it to "Fright Night", hosted by Auction Daily. Auction Daily is a website renowned for showcasing the most unique and rare objects for collectors, offering an ideal venue for these creepy objects to search for new owners. People from all over the globe gathered online to join this fun-filled event in which the excitement of Halloween and collecting collided.

In the end, "Fright Night" in 2023 featured some of the most captivating and spine-tingling Halloween-themed items ever to be auctioned off at an auction. From the amazing Halloween carvings by Wendell Thompson Perkins to the adorable yet haunting Steiff Scary Cat and the old-fashioned Halloween candles that added the embers of nostalgia to the evening, every item captivated the hearts of enthusiasts and collectors of Halloween. Christopher Radko's garlands, with a vintage jack-o'-lantern candy bowl, completed the top five best of the show, proving that Halloween isn't just a party but an occasion of celebration for enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Each year, as Halloween draws nearer, the magic of these unique objects will remain a spell for those who love the spirit and creativity of the holiday, ensuring that they will remain treasured pieces in homes owned by collectors and admirers of everything creepy. One platform that stands out in the realm of online auctions is Auction Daily. It serves as a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in the auction world, offering a wealth of information, including auction previews, auction calendars, auction news, and connections to prominent art, antique dealers, and painting dealers.

#auction news #auction calendar #auctiondaily #Halloween

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #01 – Part 4A

Introductory post

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4B

Five on a Treasure Island – Le Club des Cinq et le trésor de l’île

Original publication date: 1942 (UK), 1962 (France)

(Cover art by Jean Sidobre, Hachette, Vermeille collection, 1975)

This is the first half of the illustrations from the Vermeille collection of Five on a Treasure Island, with art by Jean Sidobre. Some illustrations are the same that were used in the Bibliothèque Rose edition (see Part 2); some are new! Part B should come tomorrow. Enjoy!

~~~~~~

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

When siblings Julian, Dick and Anne cannot go for their usual summer holiday to Polseath, they are invited to spend the summer with their Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin at their home Kirrin Cottage, in the coastal village of Kirrin. They also meet their cousin Georgina, a surly, difficult girl, who tries hard to live like a boy and only answers to the name George. Despite an uncomfortable start, the cousins become firm friends and George introduces them to her beloved dog Timothy (Timmy), who secretly lives with the fisher boy, Alf, in the village as George's parents will not allow her to keep Timmy.

(Breakfasting siblings)

(Arrival to Kirrin Cottage)

(First meeting… One of these faces is not like the others 😀😀😀😠)

In the middle of Kirrin Bay sits a smallish island that belongs to George’s family. She soon accepts to lead her cousins to the island to show them around and visit the old castle ruins there.

(A gull’s-eye view of Kirrin Island)

(Admiring Kirrin Island from afar)

(Meeting a new friend 🐶)

(First swim together)

(Anne brings George dessert as an apology for almost slipping up to the adults about Timmy)

On their way to Kirrin Island, George shows her cousins a shipwreck, explaining it was her great-great-great grandfather's ship. He had been transporting gold when the ship was wrecked in a storm, but despite divers investigating the wreck, the gold was never found.

(Diving near the wreck)

(George is pouting because her mother has decided to go on a picnic with the children, and thus George will be unable to bring Timmy along)

(George teaches Anne how to swim)

After visiting the wreck, the Five arrive on the Island and are exploring the ruined castle when a huge storm blows up, making it too dangerous for them to return to the mainland. While they take shelter on the island, the sea throws up the old shipwreck, grounding it on the rocks surrounding the island. Excited by these developments, the children decide to come back at dawn the next day to investigate the wreck before it is discovered.

(Trip to Kirrin Island)

(The storm)

(The wreck, brought up to the surface by the storm)

(The same… but in colour! 🎨)

(The trip back to Kirrin Cottage)

(Julian intended to play pretend at being wreck-explorers by using an upturned table as their fictitious wreck before exploring the real thing the next day, but Uncle Quentin is none too happy about the noise involved)

(Julian is excited about exploring the wreck that day; Dick WILL be excited as soon as he’s awake 😴)

~~~~~~

To be continued!

#papillon82 reads #famous five art nostalgia #famous five #le club des cinq #enid blyton #illustrations #jean sidobre

[mi4011amandithewarathanthri]

Assessment 1

2. conduct research into their life stories

Jack Stauber - introduction and inspiration

Jack Stauber is a 27 year old internet personality born and based in Pennsylvania, USA. He studied at the University of Pittsburg and graduated with a major in junior marketing and a minor in studio arts. He’s a very popular YouTuber, with most of his music and animated works being used in internet memes, and featured on Youtube, TikTok, and other social media services. 

He is best known for the Retro and VHS aesthetic feel to his animated work, as well as his constant use of mixed media. He often incorporates elements of live action, 2D animation, claymation, and crude 3D computer animation into his works. He is also known for his surreal, weird, absurdist art style that can at times be very disturbing. 

His music — both independent and the ones accompanying his animations — mostly falls under the genre of Avant-pop, synth-pop, hypnagogic pop, and indie-pop. But he often mixes elements of other genres like folk, jazz, lo-fi, and rock into his music. His style of singing is very varied and unique as well, being able to hit deep lows and high falsettos. This flexible vocal performance adds to overall feel and tone of his pieces.

His work often evokes a sense of anemoia (nostalgia of a time or place one has never known). The poorly drawn MS paint animation, morphing claymation, and quirky live-action shots fused together into a surreal fever dream is what makes his music videos so special. It's perfect to watch it at 3AM. It feels abstract and scary, but can be relaxing and meaningful at the same time.

Stauber's creations always evoke a deeply profound sadness, conveying all of the innate helplessness and dread we feel on a day to day basis, but in a way we can't ignore. Its the perfect medium for the kind of stories he wants to tell. 

Jack spent most of his childhood surrounded by vintage items from the 80s and 90s, which would later serve as a big inspiration for his art style and music. He also says he was influenced by many of the cartoons and tv shows he watched as child. One big example is Rugrats, which Jack claims was his favourite cartoon growing up, and he used to really love Klasky Csupo's art style in the show, especially in the pilot episode. Klasky Csupo’s influence in Stauber’s work can be most seen in  “five” and “hot dogs.” Stauber has also included some audio clips from Rugrats in his work as a homage to Csupo.

Stauber also claims that his favourite movie — Pink Floyd's “The Wall” — was a big influence when it came to his creepy and surreal art style. Some other cartoon influences include pink panther, merry melodies, and Fleischer Studios cartoons. When it came to his claymation work, Jack says that Bruce Bickford (a famous claymation animator known for his surrealist art style) was a big inspiration.

A lot of the music that Jack listened to growing up were also a big inspiration behind his music. Jack said that he listened to a lot of "campy alt" music from the 80s from his mother, and a lot of "good ol' dead and jazz funk" from his father. Jack also said that in high school, he used to listen to a lot of art rock and experimental pop

He initially started creating music on Soundcloud in early 2010,  and also joined an band known as Joose, where he became the lead singer.  

[veworloud]

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There’s a lot to take in on “OK Computer” and it’s all undeniably mesmerizing. Miss ODell: Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. Despite being a nice time piece, the record was part of an already risky strategy: covering Beatles songs to achieve hits. Even “Karma Police,” arguably the album’s most conventional sounding track (if there is one), takes on an eeriness that’s hard to shake. The chords on “No Surprises” ring like they are meant for Christmas time. The American pop rock band consists of vocalist Bryan Kuznitz, guitarist Blake Saul. Since then, the band has stuck to their roots covering top songs, but has since gained a few more members, as well as instruments.

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“Paranoid Android” is the indie-rock version of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “Exit Music (For a Film)” plays like a simple folk tune before its mind-blowing distortion kicks in. Share, download and print free sheet music with the worlds largest community of sheet music creators, composers, performers, music teachers, students, beginners, artists, and other musicians with over 1,500,000 digital sheet music to play, practice, learn and enjoy. Formed in 2013 in the theme park capital of the world, Orlando, Florida, Fame on Fire started out as a solo drum cover project. Right from opener “Airbag,” every song on “OK Computer” is a sonic adventure that requires repeat listens to peel back the layers. And the emotional themes carry that weight. Thom Yorke and company did everything they could to reimagine the idea of how an album was recorded and engineered. FAME has worked in the studio with some of the Greatest artists in Rock music history. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band” and The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” did. FAME Music was established in 1959 in Florence, Alabama and has gone on to be the heartbeat of the Muscle Shoals Sound with entities including FAME Publishing, FAME Recording Studios, FAME Records and Muscle Shoals Records. At that time the group consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all on guitars along with Lennons art college buddy Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and drummer Pete Best, who had joined the group only five days earlier. The Beatles released their last album, Let It Be, in 1970. It was 60 years ago tonight (August 17th, 1960) that the Beatles began their first stint in Hamburg, Germanys Indra Club. McCartney wrote the soundtrack to The Family Way (1967). Lennon wrote the books In His Own Write, (1964), and A Spaniard In the Works, (1965), collections of poems and prose with sophisticated images and ideas. Radiohead’s third effort marked a turning point in popular music in the same ways The Beatles “Sgt. Two of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, also had their own projects. His best-selling books Recording Secrets For The Small Studio and Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio provides a complete recording and mixing course based around the techniques of hundreds of the world’s most famous producers.“OK Computer” is the kind of album that creates a feeling of nostalgia while sounding futuristic. from the LP Back In Black: AC/DC: iTunes Amazon.mp3. The Beatles: iTunes Amazon.mp3: 80 'Fire And Rain' from the.

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Gucci Mane: 913949060: 21 Savage - As A Substitute Teacher: 913709526: XXXTENTACION - Uh Oh Thots ft. R&R Hall of Fame Inductees Live TV Listing. Chris Brown: 915669424 : Max Coveri - Running in the 90âs Oof Oof Oof Remix 915288747: Loving Caliber - You Will Always Be The One: 914436592: Selena Gomez - Fetish ft. He now devotes his time to recording, mixing, writing, and developing multimedia educational resources, and hosts two monthly podcasts: the Cambridge-MT Patrons Podcast and Project Studio Tea Break. Arcade Fire - Everything now: 915673581: Future - Pie ft. In October 1999, he moved back to Cambridge and joined the editorial department of Sound On Sound magazine full-time, where he was Reviews Editor for six years and presided over the launch of the popular Studio SOS and Mix Rescue columns, and since turning freelance has also been instrumental in developing the regular Session Notes and The Mix Review features. Following an MSc in Music IT at City University, he landed a full-time job as in-house engineer at Great Linford Manor Studios, working with artists such as The Charlatans, Reef, Therapy, Nigel Kennedy, and Wet Wet Wet. Mike developed an interest in recording while studying for a Music Degree at Cambridge University, and worked as an assistant engineer at a number of London studios including RG Jones, West Side, Angell Sound,By Design.

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[hometoursandotherstuff]

Interesting. The architecture behind the wildly popular dystopian Squid Game.  Art Director Chae Kyoung-sun talked about how the visual aspects of “Squid Game” came to life. The pink stairway maze, that players walk past to get to a new game, gives ″Alice in Wonderland″ vibes. Chae explains that it follows the general theme of confusion and chaos among the players.

If these stairs seem familiar, it’s b/c they were modeled after the famous M.C. Escher lithograph titled "Relativity.”

It really does look similar.

The 1st game was chosen because of its simplicity. In this case, a blue screen was built around the entire set to depict a large cornfield. The real showstopper, though, is the large-scale working robot.

The 2nd game takes place on a “playground” featuring oversized equipment to give the adult players a sense of childhood.

In the tug of war match, the game takes place on top of a disconnected road. Chae explains there was a fixed theme from the start — people who are abandoned and forced to live on the streets.

The most realistic set was for “marbles,” the 4th game. It was influenced by typical South Korean homes and alleyways from the 1970s and ’80s, which created a sense of nostalgia for the characters.

The set of the 5th game, glass stepping stones, imitates an old-school theater (the only game that is watched by a live audience). The players walk out from behind velvet curtains with colorful circuslike lights. (The terror in the characters’ faces wasn’t an act, as real glass and plexiglass were set up nearly five feet off the ground.)

The dorm is a warehouse store concept. Rather than treating them like people, Chae suggested the contestants be presented like objects piled on the warehouse shelves.

Throughout the series, architecture is used as a tool to enhance tension, joy, and emotion, adding a great visual and spatial element to the storytelling.

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/squid-game-architecture-10-13-2021/;

https://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/a37872202/squid-game-set-design/;

https://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/a37872202/squid-game-set-design/;

Why The Stairs In Netflix's Squid Game Look So Familiarwww.looper.com

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[blackswaneuroparedux]

Michelangelo’s The Risen Christ: Discovering the sacred in the profane.

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.

- Michelangelo Buonarroti

While a visit to Rome’s grand squares like Piazza Navona is at the top of everyone’s list, there is much more to the Eternal City. The Piazza della Minerva, is one of Rome’s more peculiar squares and is a must-see for lovers of Bernini’s work.

As one of the smaller squares in Rome, Piazza della Minerva holds some interesting sites. Built during Roman times, the square derives its name from the Goddess, Minerva, the Roman Goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. During the 13th Century, the decision was made to build a Christian Church on top of what was once a square dedicated to a pagan Goddess – and so the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva was born, a beautiful example of Gothic architecture and Rome’s only Gothic church.

In fact this is the only Gothic church in Rome. It resembles the famous Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. There are three aisles inside the church. The soaring arches and the ceiling in blue are outstanding. The deep blue colours dominate the structure while the golden touches promote the intricate design. There are paintings of gold stars and saints. The stained glass windows are beautiful too.

In the centre of the Piazza is an elephant with an Egyptian obelisk on its back, one of Bernini’s last sculptures erected by Bernini for Pope Alexander VII and possibly one of the most unusual sculptures in Rome. There are several theories which aim to decipher Bernini’s inspiration for the sculpture, some of which point to Bernini’s study of the first elephant to visit Rome, while others point to a more satirical combination of a pagan stone with a baroque elephant in front of a Christian church.

Tourists flock to see the elephant but more often than not they miss out visiting an almost forgotten marble masterpeiece by Michelangelo himself inside the church. This controversial statue has resided in the Santa Maria sopra Minerva Church in Rome for almost five hundred years. Indeed The Risen Christ by Michelangelo is one of the artist's least admired works. While modern observers frequently have found fault with the statue, it satisfied its patrons enormously and was widely admired by contemporaries. Not least, the sculpture has suffered from the manner in which it is presently displayed and from biased photographic reproduction that emphasises unfavorable and inappropriate views of Christ.

Around 2017 I was fortunate on a visit back to London to see once again Michelangelo’s marble masterpiece, The Risen Christ, which was being displayed in all its naked glory at an exhibition at the National Gallery.

This was another version of this great sculpture that no one has got round to covering up. It has just come to Britain. Michelangelo’s first version has been lent to the National Gallery, in London, for its exhibition Michelangelo and Sebastiano del Piombo in 2017. It came from San Vincenzo Monastery in Bassano Romano, where it languished in obscurity until it was recognised as Michelangelo’s lost work in 1997.

I found it profoundly moving then as I had seen the other partially clothed one on several visits to the church in Rome. It has always perplexed me why this beautiful work of art has been either shunned to the side with hidden shame or embarrassment when it holds up such profound sacred truth for both art lover or a Christian believer (or both as I am).

Michelangelo made a contract in June 1514 AD that he would make a sculpture of a standing, naked figure of Christ holding a cross, and that the sculpture would be completed within four years of the contract. Michelangelo had a problem because the marble he started carving was defective and had a black streak in the area of the face. His patrons, Bernardo Cencio, Mario Scapucci, and Metello Vari de' Pocari, were wondering what happened when they hadn't heard for a while from Michelangelo. Michelangelo had stopped work on The Risen Christ due to the blemish in the marble, and he was working on another project, the San Lorenzo facade. Michelangelo felt grief because this project of The Risen Christ was delayed. Michelangelo ordered a new marble block from Pisa which was to arrive on the first boat. When The Risen Christ was finally finished in March 1521 AD Michelangelo was only 46 years old.

It was transported to Rome and this 80.75 inches tall marble statue was installed at the left pillar of the choir in the church Santa Maria sopra Minerva, by Pietro Urbano, Michelangelo's assistant (Hughes, 1999). It turns out that Urbano did a finish to the feet, hands, nostrils, and beard of Christ, that many friends of Michelangelo described as disastrous). Furthermore, later-on in history, nail-holes were pierced in Christ's hands, and Christ's genitalia were hidden behind a bronze loincloth.

Because people have changed this sculpture over time; many are disappointed with this work of art because it is presently different than the original work that Michelangelo made. The Risen Christ had no title during Michelangelo's lifetime. This sculpture was given the name it has now, because Christ is standing like the traditional resurrected saviour, as seen in other similar works of art.

It was in discussion with an art historian friend of mine currently teaching I was surprised through her to discover the sculpture’s uncomfortably controversial history. There is no doubt Michelangelo’s marvellous marble creation has  raised robust debates about where beauty as an aesthetic sits between the sacred and the profane. And nothing exemplifies that better than the phallus on Michelangelo’s The Risen Christ.

For the majority of its time there, however, the phallus has been carefully draped with a bronze loincloth - incongruous at best, and prudish at worst, but either way a less than subtle display of the historic Church’s discomfort with the full physicality of Christ.

Indeed, it is worth noting that this attitude prevails, at least in some sense, into the twentieth-century: the version of the statue in Rome remains covered to this day, and much of the critical attention the sculpture has received after Michelangelo’s death has been grating. Romain Rolland, an early biographer, described it as ‘the coldest and dullest thing he ever did’, whilst Linda Murray bluntly dubbed the work ‘Michelangelo’s chief and perhaps only total failure’. But Michelangelo himself saw no such mistake. The censored statue seen in Santa Maria sopra Minerva is what we might call his second draft.

It’s interesting to note that when artist was originally commissioned to sculpt a risen Christ in 1514, he had all but completed it before realising that a vein of black marble ran across Jesus’ face, marring the image of classical perfection which he so wished to emulate. It had nothing to do with the phallus. Furious, Michelangelo abandoned this Christ - the one I saw at the National Gallery - and began again. Even given a fresh chance, he chose to retain Christ’s complete nudity.

Why was this of such importance to Michelangelo? Why did he so strongly wish to craft the literal manhood of Christ, as never depicted before? Part of the answer may lie in his historical context: the Renaissance in Italy was driven in the part by the remains of Roman antiquity discovered there; study of the classics became commonplace, and scholars tended to consider the Graeco-Roman world as a cultural ideal, with ancient art in particular being emblematic of a lost Golden Age. Famously, classical sculpture was almost always nude.

In his interview with The Telegraph in 2015, Ian Jenkins, curator of the British Museum exhibition “Defining Beauty: The Body in Ancient Greek Art”, attempted to explain this tradition. ‘The Greeks … didn’t walk down the High Street in Athens naked … But to the Greeks [nudity] was the mark of a hero. It was not about representing the literal world, but a world which was mythologised.’

We see evidence for this trend in Greek literature as well as sculpture: Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, considered by some to be the earliest known works of Western literature, were likely written between the 8th and 7th centuries BC, but their setting is in Mycenaean Greece in the 12th century. The Greeks believed that this earlier Bronze Age was an epoch of heroism, wherein gods walked the earth alongside mortals and the human experience was generally more sublime. In setting the texts at this earlier stage in Greece’s history, Homer echoes the belief held within his contemporary society that mankind had been better before (what we might now call nostalgia, or, more colloquially, “The Good Old Days syndrome”). There is a real feeling of delight present in the distance Homer creates between his actual, flawed society, and the idealised past.

Indeed, it calls to mind a line I once read in an introduction to L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between, by Douglas Brookes-Davies: ‘Memory idealises the past’. Though modernist texts such as The Go-Between problematise this, in antiquity it was not only commonplace but celebrated to look back to a more perfect existence and relive it through art. The very fact that Michelangelo abandoned his sculpture after years of work on account of a barely noticeable flaw in the marble is evidence that he, too, was striving towards the classical ideal of perfection. ‘Unfortunately,’ Hazel Stanier has commented, ‘this has resulted in unintentionally making Christ appear like a pagan god.’

This opens up another question – why does such a rift exist between the way ancient cultures envisaged their divinity and our own conceptions of a Christian God? Why are we not allowed to anthropomorphise the deus of the Bible in the same way that the Roman gods were?

Christ, of course, makes this somewhat confusing, given that he is described in the Bible as ‘the Word made flesh’, a physical and very human incarnation of the spiritual being that we call God. Theology tells us that he is fully human and fully divine, and yet the Church have excluded him from many aspects of life that a majority of us see as typifying a human being. Christ has no apparent sexual desires or romantic relationships, and though not exempt from suffering, he does not play any part in sin (which, as the saying goes, is ‘only human’). I think that the enormous controversy caused by films such as The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), which explore the possibility of Jesus having a sex life, is reflective of the possibility that - though in theory the Christian messiah is fully human - we feel significant discomfort at the notion that he may have explored particular aspects of the human experience.

Purists and the prude and liberals rush to opposite sides of the debate. If purists run one way to completely deny Christ had any sexual desires or even inclinations as all humans are want to do, liberals commit the sin of rushing to the other extreme end and presuppose that Jesus did act on sexual impulses simply because it was inevitable of his human nature.

I think the truth lies somewhere between but what that truth might actually be is simply speculation on my part. It doesn’t detract for me the life and saving mission of redemption that Jesus was on - to suffer and die for our sins as well as the Godhead reconciling itself to sacrificing the Son for Man’s sins and just punishment.  

Of course, it is well-known that the classical gods had no qualms about sexual activity. It is difficult to make retrospective judgements about citizens’ opinions on this but, as it was the norm, we might assume that they felt it was rather a non-issue. I can empathise with some critics who reason that the Christian God is not entitled to sexual expression is because of the traditional Christian idea that sex is inherently sinful – that original sin is passed on seminally and so by having sex we continue to spread darkness and provoke further transgression. It is from this early idea that theological issues such as the need for Mary to have been immaculately conceived (she was not created out of a sexual union, much like her son) have stemmed. But here - the immaculate conception - the critics are profoundly wrong in their theological understanding of why God had to enter the world as Immanuel in this miraculous way.

Some Christian critics - and I would agree with them - assert that the vision of a naked Christ might make a powerful theological point in a world where sex still carries these connotations. They rightly point out that clothing - and I might extend this to mean the covering-up of the sexual parts of our body - was only adopted by humankind after the Fall, the nudity of Christ is making a statement about his unfallen nature as the second Adam. In other words, Christ has no shame, because he is sinless and has no need for shame. Perhaps what Michelangelo intended was actually to disentangle nudity from its sexual, sinful associations, instead presenting us with a pre-lapsarian image of purity taking the form of the classical Bronze Age hero.

There is another, less theological explanation for the sculptor’s obvious use of the classical form. It reminds us of a time when gods walked the earth alongside us, when they were fully human – us, only immortal. Maybe he wanted to emphasise that fully human aspect of Christ’s being. Questionable as much of their behaviour was, the classical gods were certainly easy to identify with. For Michelangelo, this may have been his own way of embodying John 1:14 in marble: ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’.

It is here critics may have gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick with The Risen Christ when they point out the odd proportions of the figure: that it has a weighty torso, or the broad hips atop a pair of tapered and rather spindly legs, or even a side or rear view of the figure that show Christ’s buttocks.

For a start, this ungainly rear view was not supposed to be seen. The statue was meant to go in a wall niche, so that the back of the statue was hidden. Michelangelo of course knew this, and shaped the statue so that it would appear well proportioned from the front. If we view the sculpture from the front left, perhaps its best side, then Christ is no longer a thickset figure. Rather, his body merges with the cross in a graceful and harmonious composition.

The turn of Christ’s body and his averted face suggest something like the shunning of physical contact that is central to another post-Resurrection subject, the Noli me tangere (“Touch Me Not”). The turned head is a poignant way of making Christ seem inaccessible even as the reality of his living flesh is manifest.

We are encouraged to look at not Christ’s face, but the instruments of his Passion. Our attention is directed to the cross by the effortless cross-body gesture of the left arm and the entwining movement of the right leg. With his powerful but graceful hands, Christ cradles the cross, and the separated index fingers direct us first to the cross and then heavenward. Christ presents us with the symbols of his Passion – the tangible recollection of his earthly suffering. Behind Christ and barely visible between his legs we see the cloth in which Christ was wrapped when he was in the tomb. He has just shed the earthly shroud; it is in the midst of slipping to earth. In this suspended instant, Christ is completely and properly nude.

We must imagine how the figure must have appeared in its original setting, within the darkened confines of an elevated niche. Christ steps forth, as though from the tomb and the shadow of death. Foremost are the symbols of the Passion, which Christ will leave behind when he ascends to heaven.

Why was Michelangelo compelled to portray Christ completely naked in a way that was bound to trouble some Christians? It was not out of a desire to blaspheme. On the contrary, this genius – poet, architect and painter as well as the greatest sculptor who has ever lived – was not only a faithful Christian but someone who thought deeply about theology. You can bet he had good religious reasons to depict Christ in full nudity.

But it would be complacent to think there was no tension in showing Christ nude. The fact that The Risen Christ in Santa Maria still has its covering proves how real those tensions are. The fundamental reason Michelangelo could get away with it was that he was Michelangelo. By the time he created this statue, he had the Sistine Chapel ceiling (with all its male nudes) under his belt and was the most famous artist in the world.

For centuries, the faithful have kissed the advanced foot of Christ, for like Mary Magdalene and doubting Thomas, they wish for some sort of physical contact with the Risen Christ. To carve a life-size marble statue of a naked Christ certainly was audacious, but it is also theologically appropriate. Michelangelo’s contemporaries recognised, more easily than modern viewers, that the Risen Christ was a moving and profoundly beautiful sculpture that was true to the sacred story.

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