Thursday, April 29, 2010

Consequences Schmonsequences

I just designed this as the fifth of my posters for sale, and I'm so proud to finally have worked in a Moral Message.

Here's two opposing views on the subject:

"To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies." - Oscar Wilde.

"Consequences, schmonsequences. As long as I'm rich." - Daffy Duck.

12 comments:

  1. Great expressions on the characters and that is an inspired color palette, Brian.

    Oh Shermin... will you ever learn?

    Yes, I know Shermin has human teeth. It works. Perhaps I was too brash in my earlier comments about cartoon animal teeth... Maybe I need to reassess my position. Maybe I have been an offender of my own volition in the past!

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  2. You've developed morals since last Saturday? ... It's like I don't even know you any more.

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  3. Don't worry Kevin, it will wear off...

    I like the Daffy Duck quote. It is true is so many, many ways.

    I am jealous of Shermin's teeth. He must have a better dental plan...

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  4. Damn - I forgot all about proper character toothing!

    Christina - yeah, for all of us without dental plans, I should create a Shane MacGowan character with truly rotten old-world teeth.

    He'd be a fish, naturally. A "pogie."

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  5. I like this, and the quote. Nice work, Christina!

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  6. Hey, I am willing to take credit for Brian's genius ;)

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  7. I apologize, Brian, but I've been scratching my head about this ever since you posted it. I'm afraid I'm the only one who doesn't get it.
    Can one of you guys explain it?

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  8. For you, Chuck, I'll explain it - though to the general public, I usually don't. (Or, sometimes, I can't.)

    The small gray fellow is a rat (Shermin the Vermin, to be precise). He is the one speaking/thinking the caption, and he is cuddling up to a snake, a deadly enemy. Bad idea.

    The implication of the caption, "I promised myself I'd never do this again," refers to the rat's relationship with his self-destructive habits.

    The comic exaggeration is that a rat couldn't repeat THIS mistake; he'd be eaten the first time. But, in contrast, we humans can repeat the same toxic behaviors over and over - and each time, we swear we'll never do it again.

    Finally, the cute cartoon style is intended to sneak this dark message underneath most people's self-protective radar. Just adding a little sugar to the arsenic tea.

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  9. Thanks, Brian!

    A few things threw me: The snake is addressing the audience with his mouth open, so I thought the quote was his. The theme of consequences wasn't registering for me, because Shermin looks pretty happy and there's no trace of a previous encounter. I also read too much into the Japanese rising sun pattern (although I think it adds to the design, visually.)

    I agree with Daryll on the colors and expressions. the characters are fun. Thanx for bringing me up to speed and kudos to the other posters who were far more perceptive then I.

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  10. Maybe if the snake's head was turned to the side...but that might take away from the menace.

    Speaking of "no trace of a previous encounter," I saw Courtney Love and her band Hole play in a restaurant once. Over and over between songs, she said, "Oh God...please...don't...let...me...strip again."

    The implication was scary. Too much information, I know.

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