The idea here is not to suggest that women can't wear whatever they want (they can, and I am a supporter of women's right and the right to be seen as equal to men in all ways, whether it be through conventional women's liberation all the way to the slutwalk movements of today). BUT! I am also an advocate for realistic portrayals of women in fiction, and I think fantasy and SF artists are notorious for letting libido and marketing direct the image of women in fantastic art rather than the equally cool elements of rational, pragmatic garb. At the very least it looks more realistic and immersive in whatever genre is being depicted, and at best it might teach some of these fantasy artists how to actually draw, and how to actually make strong, intelligent looking female characters that serve a purpose beyond eye candy for men.
Righteous post. I am also in favor of females drawn with respect.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the art in Synapse? On that game in particular, I tried really hard to have strong female portrayals.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm perusing your site now, and Synapse looks really interesting. Moreover, the art is excellent, with good, strong realistic characters, and you've got some very evocative landscapes/scenery in there too. Okay, downloading Synapse, shall be reading it tonight.
ReplyDeleteIt was my first game and it explores a lot of different ideas, so it lacks the coherence that I would demand of something I was working on right now. But I think that with it's flaws, Synapse is like an idea generating game. It triggers cool thoughts in you as you build things from the point-buy system.
ReplyDeleteVery interested in any comments you might have. Feel free to e-mail me.