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I made a new TechnoMagic!RatCreature icon to use for posting/commenting about computer troubles, technology frustration and (hopefully) fixing those things.
The icon that I've previously used for that was based on "waving a dead chicken over it" with my avatar doing a kind of pop culture version of a voodoo ritual over a computer to fix it. I've been using it less and less, because an associated cringe feeling has grown over the years. I've now made one with a generic dark ritual, and updated the computer too (not even I have still a CRT monitor...)
It's not that I didn't realize back in 2005 that it was playing with, or plain using, racist imaginary, I even posted it with an (also kind of cringe) disclaimer that I didn't mean any offense to actual voodoo as religion, but thought it was funny anyway. However, I'm now more inclined to the view that if I feel the need to disclaim that my art doesn't mean to be racist, that's a sign that the art fails on its own.
I'm not deleting the old one, because I don't like pulling my art, even stuff that I'd do differently now, but I wanted to have a less-cringey icon to use, and it's not like I'm short on slots. I had really forgotten how hard it is to make a bunch of stuff remain legible in just 100x100px when it's more than just a head. Not sure I quite succeeded.
( larger pencils and inks behind the cut, where you can actually make out stuff )
The icon that I've previously used for that was based on "waving a dead chicken over it" with my avatar doing a kind of pop culture version of a voodoo ritual over a computer to fix it. I've been using it less and less, because an associated cringe feeling has grown over the years. I've now made one with a generic dark ritual, and updated the computer too (not even I have still a CRT monitor...)
It's not that I didn't realize back in 2005 that it was playing with, or plain using, racist imaginary, I even posted it with an (also kind of cringe) disclaimer that I didn't mean any offense to actual voodoo as religion, but thought it was funny anyway. However, I'm now more inclined to the view that if I feel the need to disclaim that my art doesn't mean to be racist, that's a sign that the art fails on its own.
I'm not deleting the old one, because I don't like pulling my art, even stuff that I'd do differently now, but I wanted to have a less-cringey icon to use, and it's not like I'm short on slots. I had really forgotten how hard it is to make a bunch of stuff remain legible in just 100x100px when it's more than just a head. Not sure I quite succeeded.
( larger pencils and inks behind the cut, where you can actually make out stuff )