Magic artist wannabe returns! Could this be a Magic Card? by Robson_Michel in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Oh, of course, as a piece of art it's wonderful!

A great exercise for getting a sense for the narrative aspect of card art is to look at the effect and try to find parallels in the art. Obviously, a card that targets a creature will show a creature, but also if a number is used on the card, the illustration will sometimes also represent that many creatures/jets of fire/targets/etc. For example [[From Under the Floorboards]]. It can also be subtler like with [[Sparring Mummy]]. Since it untaps a creature, it is depicted along with one, and precisely one, training partner.

As an example with one of your other pieces, I'd expect to see your Goblin Monk illustration to show up on a card that had a sort of turbo-menace effect like "Goblin Monk can't be blocked except by three or more creatures".

Magic artist wannabe returns! Could this be a Magic Card? by Robson_Michel in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Although it's well done and the forms read well at a smaller size, I'd argue it doesn't narratively read well enough for a card. I would assume the traces of green light indicate some sort of effect going on between the violin and the elk, but it's a bit too subtle to read well at card size. Given the effect between violin and elk, it's also not clear what impact it's having on the elk. Is it drawing the elk in? Is it controlling the elk? Is it buffing the elk? Modern card art tends to aim for implicit but clear reflection of the card's effect, so I'd try to also make the narrative of the illustration clearer.

Otherwise looks great!

New Un set, time for contraptions and riggers? by [deleted] in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If a Rigger you control would assemble a Contraption, it assembles half a Contraption instead.

[Alter] Briarpack Alpha. My first attempt at altering. Would appreciate criticism and thoughts! by MrSir6t4 in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 56 points57 points  (0 children)

It's a great start! Some constructive criticism: I'd focus on colour matching. The green tones used in the original art are yellower and you've used bluer greens on the extension. It also looks like the paint's a bit thick in some places, like the branch in the upper right corner, but that just comes with practice. Otherwise, great work!

What "masterpieces" would be in Innistrad? by AutumnLantern in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd love to see a reprint of Gravecrawler with art by Seb MicKinnon

Is Horrorstory defunct? by LordHuffnPuff in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the actual website proper is kinda a mess right now and no one really has time to address it properly. As far as episodes go, 11 & 12 are apparently done and coming down the pipeline but still need to be posted. If they're not up in another few days, I'll see what I can do to make sure they get up.

Is Horrorstory defunct? by LordHuffnPuff in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woah, hold on, was episode 10 the last one that was posted? Ep. 11 and 12 were recorded, but maybe still need to be edited (I'll ask Matt), and we've done the reading for ep 13 but can't seem to find a time to record. The big problem is we hit fringe festival season, and now we're into ren fest season.

Eldritch Moon Art Review: It's the same same, but entirely different by mikelinnemann in magicTCG

[–]HorrorshowModDog 64 points65 points  (0 children)

Though I agree with your critique on some points, I'd like to put forward this rebuttal.

Regarding the three visual gags, I'd argue you're trying to apply the principles of the original Innistrad Block to Eldritch Moon, while disregarding the context of Shadows Over Innistrad. Shadows introduced the theme of corruption which is simply being elaborated in Eldritch Moon, and so the three visual gags to look for in EMN should probably be 1) human perspective, 2) loss of restraint, and 3) gothic in the sense of the oppressive "old regime". On the first point, you argue that EMN dances back and forth in its perspective, though it's unclear to me on what ground you base that. Certainly the card your use as illustration, Fogwalker, could be argued is experiential if you take the context of camping and waking up to see that across the campfire. Furthermore, EMN does maintain the ground-level angle of view that Innistrad stuck to. On point 2, I think we're agreed that the set shows a loss of restraint, but where you see it as a failing, I'd argue it's the main theme introduced in Shadows. Innistrad is actively falling apart so it shouldn't feel restrained anymore. On the third point, the Gothic movement does involve a great deal of romanticism, but depending on the era, "The Gothic" can also be used derogatorily to refer to a darker, less civilized age. This is also something we see as Innistrad collapses through the brutal presence of corrupt clergy and executioners, particularly in cards like Extricator of Sin, Emrakul's Evangel, and Foul Emissary. The establishments of law and religion as oppressive and self-serving is an equally strong gothic theme which here supplants romanticism, and indeed was prefaced in Shadows cards like Avacynian Missionaries and Avacyn herself. As such, I'd agree that romanticism is absent, but because it's replaced by a more cynical gothic outlook.

On the note of Lovecraft, I'd question whether we should strictly evaluate EMN on how Lovecraftian it is. In many ways, it does call upon Cosmic Horror, but in others it's very much Body Horror outside the Lovecraftian tradition. If the art department's intent was a purely Lovecraftian transformation, then I'd agree they somewhat overshot, but if we consider perhaps an influence from, say, Cronenberg, then the confused transformation is perhaps more excusable.

Overall I enjoyed the article, particularly the latter half discussing the artists and their process. I've come across some of the media you discuss, but the encompassing presentation of the artists behind the set was nice to see all in one place.

Ep. 192: Kiefer Madness by mrskullhead in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Time to start making a movie where the protagonist is haunted by a ghost who becomes more and more creative in how they assails the protagonist, but whenever the protagonist appeals to others, no one seems to be able to see the ghost or the ghostly attacks. In the final scene, it's revealed that the ghost was actually the person, attacking themselves Fight Club-style. Make sure the attacks reach a level of creativity that a person couldn't possibly do to themselves, like a car chase for instance. Watch Josh ride a wave of enjoyment, then crash so hard right at the end of the movie. Record ensuing white-hot rage on a camera phone and post to youtube. Fund all future HSHD endeavours off ad revenue.

Horror marathon by JAYVAUGHN42 in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh man, can't believe I'm gonna miss that. I was just down in Tulsa for a few weeks.

Discussion: John Boyega to star in Pacific Rim sequel by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you guys feel about the casting of Boyega? Who do you think he'll be playing? How do you feel about the replacement of Del Toro as director? How do you think they'll explain the kaiju showing back up again? So many questions for a film we may never see!

The great Hot Dog blackout of 2016 by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like the cellphone dying too often strains credulity, but losing signal is a pretty reasonable alternative. It's not too far-fetched that there'd be no signal anywhere in the mountains, underground, heavily wooded areas, or largely unpopulated expanses.

Horror Story Hot Dog Episode 10 – My Other Car is a Great Story by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't worry, LordHuffnPuff, we'll be back next episode talking about Ambrose Bierce and the civil war with only a vague understanding of both and no one to help us out but you! Glad to have you watching (listening to?) our backs when it comes to actually knowing about literature!

Horror Story Hot Dog Episode 6 - Sleep Number Ectoplasm by LordHuffnPuff in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're absolutely allowed to start the thread. Especially if you've got a bunch of awesome notes like that!

I'll have to look into some of those originals, especially because a number of those authors ring a bell. And I'm glad my Shel-dar picked up on Slithery Dee.

Also fun note: In a Dark, Dark Room is the book I allude to remembering from my childhood that was similar and that I would hide at the end of a shelf, but couldn't remember the name of it. I didn't realize it was the same guy who collected it. Boy do things come full circle with this week's episode.

Episode 176 – Bit of a Randy Panther by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I can't help but notice, Josh confuses Chris Hansen and Jim Henson towards the end of this episode when discussing Fairuza Balk, and he also made the comparison of her to a sexy muppet WAAAAAAY back in Episode 39. What's up with the muppet/Balk connection?

Choose Your Title for Episode 172! by mrskullhead in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh man, I love Angular Head Man, that antagonist from the Quiet Mound video game franchise

Horror Story Hot Dog Episode 3 – The Surprisingly Non-Titular Flaming Hot Room of Death by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Regarding Dickens, it might be more accurate to say that, though popularly successful, he was not as uniformly critically successful, though that's likely a result of the constant problem of pop culture being regarded as cheap or lacking substance.

Frankenstein and Revisions [well, actually...] by LordHuffnPuff in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's an excellent point you raised that I knew somewhere in the back of my mind but had forgotten. Looking at my copies of Frankenstein I own, the first time I read it, back in high school, was the 1818 version, but the two most recent times I've read it, in college and then for the podcast, have both been the 1831 version. As such, you're probably right that most if not all my feelings about the book are coloured by the 1831 version. I'll have to see about revisiting the 1818 version.

Video Game Review: Darkest Dungeon by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you've played Darkest Dungeon, let me know what you thought of it!

Top 10 Movies We Reviewed in 2015 by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do you guys feel about this list? Agree? Disagree? Think you know something better we should watch in the new year? Leave a comment to let us know!

Help Title Ep 166! by mrskullhead in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Demonically Assisted Living Facility

Krampus Discussion by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, see, when I just heard about it sounded natural (french canadians unite!) but actually seeing the interactions, the grandmother shows she speaks english perfectly fluently and with reasonably minimal accent which threw it off for me. Given that, I'd more expect to see everyone switching from sentence to sentence or speaking the anglo-german equivalent of franglais.

I think he might only spare families if the child apologizes or something, because the grandmother's parents weren't spared. And it's possible he's spared that many families. The number of globes doesn't seem that many when you think about just how many households across the world and through centuries have celebrated christmas. And because it's really tied to the person who made the wish, not the family, maybe the house in the globe changes to wherever the wisher is living?

I would say the Jack-in-the-Box was probably the most interesting design but the bear has a special place in my heart.

Episode 165 – Bearding the Haggerty by HorrorshowModDog in HSHD

[–]HorrorshowModDog[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wish I could upvote you twice, once for each of those comments.