S.G. Croup's Blog, page 176
September 2, 2015
Have you ever considered adding disqus to your tumblr? It's a communication add-on , Basically people can talk (about bara) and hang out on the very bottom of your page. You should consider it . :)
I… no? I don’t…? Is this something people do? Do people do this?
inappropriateclouds:
A lil doodle for my BF He really likes tim...
A lil doodle for my BF He really likes tim and his shadow powers, and thought this was a cool idea.
September 1, 2015
chocotaur:
FANTASY AND PIRATES SALE
I thought I’d post some...
FANTASY AND PIRATES SALE
I thought I’d post some samples of what my fantasy works look like.
I have a Fantasy/Piracy sale going on this week - ending in 72 hours! That means if you commission fantasy/piracy stuff, you get it a much lower price than average!
Things included [but not limited to]: Monsters, heroes, your character of choice in RPG roles, costumes, mythical beings, sword-and-sorcery kind of thing, as well as pirates, corsairs, buccaneers, mermaids, mermen, and all the scourge of the sea!
Prices:
B/W: $17 solo , $22 duos (Paypal fee included)
COLOR: $22 solo, $30 duos (Paypal fee included)
Extra characters are $15 a piece B/W, $20 color.
Want any bigger illustration? Contact me and we’ll talk!
You can view slot availability here!
How to commission
- Email me to dorkpheus[at]gmail.com with the subject “FANTASY COMMISSION”.
- We negotiate
- Paypal payment info will be given to you once we do that.
apebit:
Looks like the Street Fighter IV Gouken loincloth mod...
chocotaur:
COMMISSION SALE OF THE WEEK
It’s time for some...
COMMISSION SALE OF THE WEEK
It’s time for some fantasies! And, inspired by people stealing from my Patreon and thus making it harder to support me and my family, pirates and the scourge of the sea, as well!
Prices:
B/W: $17 solo , $22 duos (Paypal fee included)
COLOR: $22 solo, $30 duos (Paypal fee included)
Extra characters are $15 a piece B/W, $20 color.
How to commission
- Email me to dorkpheus[at]gmail.com with the subject “FANTASY COMMISSION”.
- We negotiate
- Paypal payment info will be given to you once we do that.
Chocotaur draws great, fun art and is always putting on DEALS. DEAL which are STEALS!
Great Moments in Bara Gaming History (#6) - “Hot Ryu“
So in case you haven’t heard, the internet has been buzzing about Street Fighter’s mononymous hero and his newly revealed alternate costume for the highly anticipated sequel, Street Fighter V (shown above), and have dubbed this bearded, beefy iteration “Hot Ryu”. Now this may seem a bit redundant to some who have always thought Ryu was hot (like myself), but it brings up an interesting precedence, what we have here is a (re)design of an extremely famous character, from a huge IP, that was intentionally designed to be sexy. Of course this isn’t something completely new, but it still noteworthy due to a few factors. Firstly, this is not some innocuous Tiger Beat-esque display of tepid sexuality, but a “look at my grizzled, virile manbody that’s on display in an unironic and non-humorous” way, and that’s an important distinction. There’s tons of muscular male characters present in gaming, particularly in fighting games, and many of them are very attractive, but very few have been given such a deliberate re-imagining to play up their sex appeal as our eternally wandering warrior here. For those unaware, Ryu is the literal textbook example of the stoic and serious male lead. He lives to fight, that’s his whole shtick, and while he has always been portrayed as a physically fit and handsome man, these were almost never highlighted as defining traits in his various gaming appearances. The focus was almost always on his strength, and how seriously he takes the pursuit of battle. Subsequently, this left little room for more carnal expressions of his persona. (Though even he managed to sneak in a few moments here and there in the past, though almost always played for laughs.) But now we have a version of the famously pensive hero that’s showing off his assets in a very overt and brazen display, and for a company like Capcom that has spent decades portraying their Street Fighter coverboy in a very particular fashion, it’s quite the change of tone.
Unused Ryu costume concepts from Street Fighter IV, a possible precursor to the current revision.
Now some may point to the collection of alternate outfits Ryu possessed in Street Fighter IV (one which is actually quite similar to this) and wonder why this particular look is getting so much attention, but I think it’s safe to say that the general consensus regarding the male character models in the previous installment was that they generally did not exude an air of attractiveness, even if some of the costumes may of had some degree of added sex appeal in mind. A step in the right direction to be sure, but one that perhaps was not fully realized for the series until now. So what makes this instance different? It goes without saying that Street Fighter V is a big deal for Capcom. This game is garnering a great deal of attention from the developer, and is a very important part of their current slate. This is evident in the noticeably improved character models, which obviously make it easier for the designers to more accurately portray their artistic vision for the various combatants. The fact that they would choose to lead off the first set of additional outfits for their core cast of characters, and particularly for their main protagonist, in such a fashion is a very interesting development. Even more interesting is the fact that said outfits are actually being used as incentives to spur pre-orders, a very important aspect of the current gaming market for developers. DLC of female characters in revealing outfits is a common practice for encouraging strong early sales, but for Capcom to say “Please consider reserving your copy of Street Fighter V, and as a special bonus, here’s our leading man in all his beefcake glory!”, this is a bold step forward.
Niche markets and sub-genres may employ male sexuality on a more frequent basis, but for a huge develop to take a “AAA” title in one of their flagship series and use their hero’s stud status as selling point is definitely a refreshing turn or events. They could of easily opted for something “safe“ or waited until the game had been out for awhile and lump it in with a bunch of other disparate outfits to see if what sticks, but this is front and center, and thankfully, it already seems to be paying off. Within hours of this outfit being revealed, it was attracting overwhelming positive approval, and even trended on Twitter. When a sexy makeover for your male lead from your almost 20 year old franchise can (even briefly) capture the attention of the pop culture zeitgeist, you know you’ve done something right. It goes to show that positive displays of male sexuality can be an engaging and enticing way to encourage a more inclusive and enjoyable gaming environment. The old adage “sex sells” will always ring true, it’s hardwired into our very DNA, but it stands to reason that the sooner developers realize that this reliable chestnut applies not just to attractive women, but to male displays of sexuality as well, and that it can be utilized to successfully promote their products, the better things will be for gaming on a whole. And with “Hot Ryu” leading the charge, previously hesitant companies may start looking are their stable of male characters in a whole new light.
(“Great Moments in Bara Gaming History” is a series of spotlights on
particular instances in video game history where the sexuality of male
characters is brought to the forefront. It’s a celebration of muscular
men in this medium where their physicality and sensuality is showcased
in a positive and inclusive manner.)
