GIP

[ratcreature]

I was a bit unsure what kind of motif to choose for a "Fail!" icon. I decided to go for this one, because my avatar is a toon, and the classic toon failure is to run forward without realizing that it lost the firm ground, while the audience sees the calamity coming way earlier.

Then while drawing this, I realized that this is actually not unlike the typical "fail!" you run into (or commit yourself sometimes) in internet discussions. Also, the cliff motif is consistent with my "flail!" icon which shows a RatCreature teetering on the edge of a cliff, flailing its arms wildly, and which for some reason (probably the similar texts) got mistaken for a "fail!" icon several times. So I thought I'd make both a set.

Comments

[cathexys]

love it!

but then i love *all* your rat icons! especially the crazy feelings ones!@!!

[ratcreature]

Thank you!

[cofax7]

Oh, that's awesome.

[ratcreature]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

[gnatkip]

Cuuuute! I didn't have time the other day, but I've just gone now and looked up your flail icon, to see the theme. Double cute!

(Also: yay Dreamwidth! I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it enthusiastically!)

[ratcreature]

Thanks! I'm glad they work for you.

For orienting myself on DW I've found getting_started quite helpful.

[rheanna27.livejournal.com]

Hee! And you're right, it's an *excellent* visual metaphor.

[ratcreature]

And so much easier to draw than a trainwreck.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

I adore your icons -- they're so inventive.

It's interesting that (mechanical linguistics) Fail, with a capital F, has so quickly become part of our blogosphere language.

[ratcreature]

I'm glad you enjoy my icons. I still remember when I started on LJ and made my first, I never imagined that there would be multiple. Then the theme (and LJs features) sort of balooned...

And clearly "Fail" filled a gap we didn't even know was there before we had such a neat word.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Heee. So cute. I love your little icon rat. (I'd maybe consider not letting the speed line under his right foot extend quite this far, because at first glance I thought he (she? it?) was standing on it.

[ratcreature]

My thoughts were along the line that the toon is supported by the momentum for a second so it works as an illusionary extesnion of the ground or something, kind of as play with the graphical element. I mean, you would not hang in mid-air long enough to look down otherwise. Sorry if it's confusing (Herriman I'm not *g*), I kind of like the idea though.

I'm somewhat undecided on the it/she question. On one hand my carton-self is me, so it's "she", otoh using "she" just feels wrong, so usually I go with "it".

[astridv.livejournal.com]

I mean, you would not hang in mid-air long enough to look down otherwise.

I actually did that once. Okay, at least if felt just like in the cartoon. I was with some guys at a nice lake, and there was this nice rock, about six meters high, from which the local youth jumped. So the three of us climbed on the rock, looked down and went kinda pale. And no one wanted to jump first, but we didn't want to climb down either because, hey, lame. So I figured I'd just split the task at hand into two phases: jump and fall. No, seriously. I thought I'd jump and worry about the falling part next. So I jumped, and that's when that moment happened where I was, like, suspended in the air, looking down and yelling SHIIIT!

It was fun. Way less scary on the second jump though. :)

[ratcreature]

o.O

Okay, I admit I'm busted here: I do not have any personal cliff-jumping experience.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hadn't done that either before that trip to Vermont. Not that many cliffs in Westphalia. Cliff jumping is awesome. Gives you a really nice adrenaline rush without doing much.

Some of those kids are crazy though. They wouldn't even look at our little rock, they were jumping from much higher.

[ratcreature]

I never even jumped into the water from a tower in a swimming pool. Not even when they wanted us do this in school. Needless to say I never got any of the swimming badges.

[marinarusalka.livejournal.com]

That's very cute. I always enjoy your icons.

[ratcreature]

Thanks!

[tassosss.livejournal.com]

I like!