#a useless product

[rotbtd-edits]

If Rotbtd was a classic RPG game (Part 2)

I really love to play around with pixels, so this time I created some fake screens based on my RotBTD series. You can tell I was heavily inspired by KH:CoM's beautiful pixel graphics :'3 [Characters by me, bgs from FF Pixel Remasters]

[marianchurchland]

I'm away from home for the month of June so I can only re-post old art, but here are some contemporary (as of ten years ago, anyway) Inquisition portraits while I wait to return to my scanner.

[toadlessgirl]

Okay, time to get pretentious and REALLY talk about this shot.

So put on your over-analysis goggles, and let’s talk about the Imperial Cog, Renaissance-era military forts, 18th century prison architecture, the military-industrial complex, the surveillance state, and why this single shot of Mon Mothma standing in a doorway in “Nobody’s Listening!” (the 9th episode of Andor season one) is making me so feral I want to kiss Luke Hull and his entire production design team right on the mouth.

For those of you not in the know - the shape on the screen behind Major Partagaz is the crest of the Galactic Empire - often called the Imperial Cog. It appears throughout Star Wars media on flags, tie fighter helmets, uniforms and as a glowing hologram outside ISB HQ.

In canon it was adapted from the crest of the Galactic Republic. 

irl it was created by original trilogy costume designer John Mollo. Mollo has stated that the symbol was inspired by the shape of historical fortifications.

Bastion forts (aka star forts) first appear during the Renaissance with the advent of the cannon. Their shape eliminated blind spots, allowing for a 360 degree field of fire.

An apt metaphor for the Empire. Powerful, imposing and leaving you with nowhere to hide.

The Imperial crest also strongly resembles a gear or cog - hence the common “Imperial Cog” nickname.

Given how inextricably linked military and industry are, it’s also an apt metaphor. Both alluding to the Empire’s massive industrial power, and how it treats all of its citizens with a startling lack of humanity, valuing them only for what they are able to produce for the Empire.

The idea of the cog is repeated in the shape of whatever it is that they’re producing in the prison. They’re literally cogs in the Imperial machine making more cogs for the machine... while inside a larger cog.

This shape, in relation to a prison, also references something else which was almost certainly intentional on the production team’s part.

In the 1791 British philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham proposed a design for a prison he referred to as the “panopticon” - the name derived from the Greek word for “all seeing”.

The basic design for the panopticon was a large circular rotunda of cells with a single watchtower in the center. The plan would allow a single guard to theoretically observe every cell in the prison, but more importantly cause the prisoners to believe they are under surevillance at all times, while never being certain.

Later philosophers (notably Michel Foucault) used the panopticon as a metaphor for social control under totalitarian regimes or surveillance states. The perceived constant surveillance of a panopticon causes prisoners to self-police due to the belief they are always being watched, even if they don’t know for certain that is true. They live in constant fear even if nobody is actually watching them, even if “Nobody’s Listening!” 

The idea of the metaphorical panopticon has in more recent years been adapted to many other examples of social control: CCTV, social media and business management...

Like the concept of cubicles in an open floor plan office.

So that all being established - let’s finally talk about Mon Mothma’s apartment.

The cog shape is everywhere. There’s hardly a shot where at least one cog isn’t visible. Every room is connected by cog-shaped doorways.

The shape serves as a backdrop to most scenes, often centered and featured prominently.

(Side Note: The cog also appears as a repeated pattern on room dividers with the interesting added detail of intersecting lines that make them resemble spider webs.

The fact that Mon is often filmed directly through these web-like screens (particularly when conducting rebellion business) leads me to believe that this was a very intentional choice.

Even in the very heart of the Empire the nascent Rebellion is starting to build a web of networks and intelligence.)

I had originally presumed that the repeated appearance of the cog was just Luke Hull and his production team adding some brilliant visual storytelling to their already amazing sets. But the following line from episode ten leads me to believe they intended for these details to have an in-story explanation as well.

When speaking to Tay and Davo Skuldon about the apartment Mon states that “It’s state property. The rules are strict on decor. Our choices for change are limited.”

While it’s unclear whether the “state” in this instance is Mon’s home planet of Chandrila or the Empire itself - that second option makes the decor even more insidious.

If Mon’s apartment is Empire property that means the shape of the doors is intentional in-world, not just for the sake of visual storytelling. It means that this was a conscious decision by the Empire. A reminder to even the richest and most powerful of its citizens that they are always watching - whether you can see them or not.

Which brings us back to our original shot.

My favorite thing about this shot isn’t just that is shows how very alone Mon Mothma is. 

It isn’t just that she’s in the heart of the Empire, surrounded and dwarfed - just another cog in their machine.

It isn’t just that’s she trapped in her own metaphorical prison, worrying her self sick about who may be watching, not safe even in her own home.

What makes this shot truly extraordinary to me, is that right in the midst of the Empire you can see a new symbol forming.

Forming with Mon Mothma right at the center.

It’s a bit blocky, still constrained by the the harsh lines of the Empire, but giving how intentional every design decision on this show has been I find it pretty hard to believe it’s there by accident.

A symbol that will one day adorn the helmet of a boy from Tatooine.

One that will come to represent what all rebellions are built on...

[albaharu]

I watched Jane's a Car from Nightmare time and I was surprised to not found any Utena crossover with it so I had to do it myself

[yoinkschief]

uhguhbuhhh

The covers are finally allll done

I've got two more pieces of art I have to do and when the proof reading of the prologue chapter is done it'll fine be up :)

[itsjustelian]

New rule for ads: they all must be themed around the content I'm watching at the time.

And by themed, I mean directly related to. None of that weak link shit. I want the characters in my show doing the ad read. They have to sell me the product.

[booasaur]

It's that time again!

If you can donate for or provide eSIMs for Gaza, they're in need of more:

If you just want to donate to a fund:

Some things to know about how Gazans are using eSIMs and how they're a literal lifeline for many people and why so many are needed:

[werebutch]

ok completely different subject but seeing a 'squishmallow alternatives' post is so wild to me. i know you guys like those things but theyre so soulless its horrible to me. the fact that you cant boycott a company unless you have some other company to give all your money to is so crazy.. dont you have any other hobbies. this is like funko pops all over again its horrifying

[poorlittleyaoyao]

I'm also sad right now because, unlike in the novel where everyone totally sucks, someone DOES speak directly to Qin Su in CQL's treasure room scene. When Wei Wuxian comes up to check on her and confirm that she's not under a spell, he whispers "Jin-furen?" to her in concern. She doesn't acknowledge him, which feels weird, right? Why wouldn't she latch onto a potential source of help, especially one whom she knows is now affiliated with the influential Hanguang-jun since she saw them together during the banquet earlier?

EXCEPT

One of CQL's changes is to make Qin Su the target of Mo Xuanyu's unwanted advances instead of Jin Guangyao. So Qin Su, already having an awful time due to the incest marriage revelations, is now (as far as she knows) being addressed by her harasser whom she now knows is also a half-brother. No wonder she's not engaging! It's ANOTHER INCEST SITUATION! And everyone else is just standing there, except for Su Minshan, who snidely remarks "So Mo-gongzi brought us into the chamber just to see Jin-furen!" which! underscores! her probable concerns!

And I'm sad about it because maybe, if the Suibian reveal had somehow happened SOONER--if Jin Guangyao had replaced the head with something that attacked Wei Wuxian when he pulled back the curtain, forcing him to grab Suibian in defense, maybe--and Qin Su knew Wei Wuxian for who he was, then things would have gone differently!

[deadliestpieceontheboard]

"The Barbie movie can't have anything meaningful to say because it's marketing for a doll". Cool, now try again without the nihilism.

[sleepanonymous]

I am once again asking when doors open for Sleep Token's ritual tomorrow night in Zurich. I'm seeing as early as 6:30 pm and as late as 8:00 pm local time? I feel like the latter is super late?

[drawfee-quot3s]

i'm gonna kill you straight up right now

- jacob

[disease]

[wish-i-were-heather]

random 3am urge to get my life together except im actually acting on it

[ihopeucomehomesoon]

tiktok is evil and i deleted it off my phone for good now

[crazysodomite]

Mental illness in general makes me a bad person. I am a bad person because my mental illness prevents me from committing virtuous actions . If I was less mentally ill I could live a more virtuous life. The fact that I can't do that makes me a bad person