How Have the Tables Turned?

"For A Change" by Teo Zirinis

I wrote a blog post before called The Monster & the Victim about how monsters and women (the victims) were portrayed in posters for The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Artist Teo Zirinis has this monster shirt design up for vote on Threadless. The words at the bottom say, "The tables have turned!" I took a closer look to see how the horror poster has changed.

Teo Zirinis flips the poses of monster and victim, but is "The Hot Woman" a victor and against who? 

The woman in the monster's pose visually gives her power over him, but did she defeat the monster? Going by old horror posters, she should be a threat to the monster.

The Curse of the Werewolf from 1961

Because she looks docile and dainty, juxtaposition and comedy results in the consideration that she defeated the monster. The artist probably gave her closed eyes to reflect the kidnapped women in horror posters who are usually drawn as having fainted or screaming. She has no signs of harm on her body or clothes so "The Hot Woman" is no longer a victim of violence. However, she also lacks signs of a fighter so she is not a producer of violence either. The poses, but not the roles, have been switched. 

Interestingly, she does not look pleased to be the one still standing and conscious. Her closed eyes make her look sad.  Does she mourn the monster's rampage which is now over or can she not bear to see the monster's defeated body? She is still portrayed as sexy, which leaves room for attraction.

Close-up of  the figures.

The title says she "Carried" the monster not "Defeated," "Destroyed," or "Killed." You cannot defeat someone by carrying them. The worst you could do is injure the person's pride. The act of carrying someone shows strength, compassion, and affection. She looks more like his savior by gently carrying the monster above the sharp trees pointed at his body. With this train of thought, the title reads more as "The Hot Woman Who Loved the Monster." Maybe she had enough of the violence from both sides.

Another way she is no longer the victim is by consenting to be in the monster's presence. She is not there by force or by accident. The monster is unconscious or dead so we cannot tell what he wants. We just assume he is like the usual monster who comes into our society and finds attraction in female humans. Usually in werewolf movies, the cursed man bonds with a woman before he becomes a monster. Most of the time, the woman does not reject the cursed man after his transformation. Okay, now it definitely sounds like Beauty & the Beast!

It is questionable if this horror poster woman has become a victor or hero. We do not know if she "Carried" the monster because she defeated him or saved him after someone else defeated him. On a poster, she has not stepped up to a contributing role yet. In the title she is labeled as sex appeal.

What do you think? Do not forget to vote for the shirt design at Threadless! If the shirt is printed, I hope it leads to conversations over horror poster portrayals.

Frozen But Still Moving

Here is one of my favorite aspects of the new Disney movie Frozen:

Elsa's statement on marriage is a step forward from most Disney princesses.

Olaf

I was also pleased with the act of true love. :) I could not blink back the tears like I did at the beginning. The act of true love reminded me of another cursed princess movie with a non-traditional resolution. I recommend the movie Penelope with Chritina Ricci and James McAvoy. <3

I love conflicts of emotion and powers. In the case of Elsa, I was both surprised and pleased by her knowledge of her powers.

Before Frozen came out, I feared that Olaf the snowman would have long tangent annoying moments that dominate the scene. Having seen it now, I don't think Olaf strayed or dominated the scene. He added to it. :) Props to the voice actor Josh Gad too.

Problems I Had

What did bother me about Frozen seem to be ways that the movie did not step forward.

Elsa on r and Anna on left.

Elsa wore too much makeup. I don't know if it was to differentiate Elsa from Tangled's Rapunzel or for more color because Elsa's face and hair is pale. If the first possibility is the reason, then maybe that is why Anna has a lot of freckles. Anna's freckles make her more adorable and are natural, but Elsa's makeup does not add to her character. You could argue that she is closer in age to becoming a woman, but both girls grow in the film.

I am fine with their faces looking similar to Rapunzel's face because they are princesses created in the same decade. I don't like that Elsa probably has more makeup than any other Disney princess.

I also questioned why both sisters were isolated. The best answer I could think of is for plot twists to occur. I thought the line "First time in forever" sounded like Rapunzel's first time outside the tower.

I liked Frozen and would watch it again because of warm adorable Anna, but I feel that more time should have been spent on the movie. Adding to the sisters' shared isolation, I also could not get over how both girls wore a similar colored outfit with a magenta cloak. My sister noticed that their mother wore a magenta cloak too so maybe royal women wear magenta cloaks in Frozen.

What are your thoughts on Frozen? :)

Because They Struggle

I have been posting more on my art Facebook page than on this blog. Lately my thoughts have showed up in my art. One recurring thought is the 80s X-men cartoon show.

I even dressed as Jubilee this month. I'll post a picture when I get one from a friend.

X-men love triangle

One reason I remember the show is because of the drama like the love triangle with Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. Whenever Wolverine was enraged from it, I thought "Ah! He loves her! But he might kill Cyclops!" Wolverine and Jean Grey were then my favorite two from the show. However, the love drama was not the only reason for liking those two characters the most. I felt they struggled most.

When I think of Jean Grey, I remember her as vulnerable. She often reached her limit quickly. Thankfully she could make a force field for protection or keep the threat away long enough. For the love triangle, Jean's vulnerability increases her appeal. Is the reliable boy scout or the unstable tough guy a better match for her?

Then we find out she has untapped massive power, but it is still out of her control.

Jean Grey's alter ego Phoenix

This stronger and more passionate side of Jean is a better match for Wolverine, but maybe he'll lead her further down towards destruction.

Wolverine's ability is instant healing, however, limited to only physical wounds. This scar-less warrior carries emotional trauma that his mind and soul cannot handle.

Jean and Wolverine's struggle with their ability and emotions keep these evolved forms human. Both need to stay human to be good forces. Sabretooth is a foil to Wolverine by being a more primitive mutant who threatens mankind.

Sabretooth vs. Wolverine

While I thought over Wolverine's healing limitations, I came up with this design:

"Wolverine at the Bar"

Classic Disney Princesses

Hey guys,
Here are the links to the classic Disney Princess analysis I did for BYOU.

Overall: Dreams of Classic Disney Princesses
Snow White & Cinderella: "Rising Back Up"
Aurora & Belle: "Curses, Tears, and Luck"
Jasmine & Ariel : "I'll Run Away Then"

Sisters Red

A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

I mentioned Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce before for a promotional Figment contest. Now I'm halfway done reading it. Almost every time I read a section, I glance at the cover and wonder at the meaning of the overlapped figures.

After grandma is killed by a wolf (called a Fenris), Scarlett hunts Fenris with her sister Rosie and partner Silas. In the first conversation between Scarlett and her partner Silas, I thought of The Hunger Games when Katniss and Gale are in the woods. However, what if Katniss' sister, Prim, started feeling drawn to Gale like Rosie is to Silas?

One element of fairy tales I love is sisters. We know the evil jealous stepsisters very well. Like Cinderella's stepsisters who would do anything, even cut off their foot, in order to surpass the heroine or keep her down. Well, there are also entwined sisters like Snow White and Rose Red. These sisters of the old fairy tales don't get jealous. Snow White and Rose Red both end up with a happy ending and a man.

"Snow White and Rose Red" by AkaiSoul

Jackson Pearce may be mixing Snow White and Rose Red with Little Red Riding Hood. The result is an action story of love and identity. Here are two of my favorite passages so far that describe the sisterly bond.

Rosie:

When we were little, Scarlett and I were utterly convinced that we'd originally been one person in our mother's belly. We believed that somehow, half of us wanted to be born and half wanted to stay. So our heart had to be broken in two so that Scarlett could be born first, and then I finally braved the outside world a few years later. It made sense, in our pig-tailed heads--it explained why, when we ran through grass or danced or spun in circle long enough, we would lose track of who was who and it started to feel as if there were some organic, elegant link between us, our single heart holding the same tempo and pumping the same blood. 

A fan redrew the book cover.
Scarlett is on the left.

Scarlett:

And I have to admit that there is something undeniably fulfilling about hunting with Rosie. Somehow, it makes me feel as if the long list of differences between us doesn't exist. We're dressed the same, we fight the same enemy, we win together ... It's as though for that moment I get to be her, the one who isn't covered in thick scars, and she gets to understand what it is to be me. It's different than hunting with Silas--he and I are partners, not part of the same heart.

So entwined that they have the same heart. However, they cannot share the same heart forever. Along with feelings toward one boy, the girls feel different towards life. Scarlett thinks only of hunting. It calms her, identifies her, and makes her feel right. And she feels that hunting together is what binds her closer to her sister and best friend. Rosie, on the other hand, wonders about having more in her life than hunting. The heart actually has two different beats.

The chapters alternate narration between the two sisters. They never backtrack to what the other felt during the previous chapter. These two aspects add to the suspense. I like the fast pace, the hunt for an advantage, and the relationships. I also like that Silas seems to have an important role other than the love interest.

I have to tell you that this fairy tale retelling is set in modern-day Georgia so if you're imagining a fairy tale woods, then terms like McDonalds will pop out at you. It's magical realism with the magical fantasy elements in our world.

My hand-me-downs may help.

Also I have to mention a factor I dislike. I don't like how much the stalked/murdered victims are described as being ignorant of the consequences of their appearance and merry laughter. Most of them are dressed for a club or girls' night out. It sounds as if they should have worn Harry Potter's hand-me-down baggy gray sweats, have used no beauty supplies including scented soap, and have not vocally expressed their joy.

You can argue that the Fenris attack only when these girls drift from crowds, but a stalked victim is still the victim. The stalker is the cause of the crime. At least the Fenris is shown to attack near a public day event so that victims cannot be faulted for going out at night. Also I appreciate that the Fenris are always described by their deceiving appearance and true nature.

The girls' fashion shouldn't matter as much to the Fenris because they are distinctively said to look at the girls with hunger not desire. They hunger for nourishment and the thrill of chasing and terrifying. Their prey shouldn't be limited to girls only.

The fashion comments come from Scarlett's perspective though. She only thinks in terms of hunting and her body is covered in scars. The book starts with a glimpse of her before she learned of the Fenris.

Once again, I am only halfway through the book and anticipate two big discoveries. I recommend it so far.

My First Tee Design

"Night's Kiss"

My first tee design, "Night's Kiss" is on RedBubble. :)

After reading Batman: Hush comics, I was inspired to draw Batman and Catwoman in the pose of the Art Nouveau painting "The Kiss."

"The Kiss"

For the tee design, I went with the WB animated series outfit for Catwoman. As for Batman, the cape is the color of the shirt you choose. Your choice affects Catwoman too.

Shirt color options.

The image is also available on Society6 as a print, iPod case/skin, and laptop skin. Plus I have "Night's Kiss II," which has a night city background.

"Night's Kiss II" as a laptop skin.

Gamer's Valentine

Here's a Valentine I thought was cute and worth sharing:

The first two lines refer to iconic game characters.