Icon and The Doctor

[prillalar]

Item One: This Icon

Last night I was reading through some of the tenipuri manga scanlations I have, trying to get a feel for that atmosphere (as opposed to the anime). And I came across this drawing of Kaidoh, from his Rokkaku match. Oh, I sighed, he's so lovely. So there was nothing for it but to make a red-figure kalos cup icon.

I spent a bunch time erasing around Kaidoh, to remove Momoshiro and some other junk. Then I filled the background with black. I added a layer of dark orange on the top and set it to linear burn to give it a bit of a red-figure look. I saved a copy, so I'd have one to edit, then flattened the layers and resized to 100x100. I used Unsharp Mask to sharpen it up a bit. Then I scammed a pattern called Greek Key off of a photo of a 1960's coffeepot for the top and bottom. I should have used it as a tracing guide so it would be handdrawn, but I was too lazy.

I thought about using a Greek font for the inscription, but I figured that had better be handdrawn. Only it looked terrible every time I tried, because I am not that graceful and it's hard to write text with a mouse. So I found a photo of the inscription I wanted and traced it in Illustrator, moved the characters closer together so they'd fit, then copied it into my Photoshop file. And I was done!

The inscription, HO PAIS KALOS, is found fairly often on vases and cups. It means "the boy is beautiful". You'll also see quite a lot of "so and so kalos" (I think they even found a cup or two with "Alkibiades kalos" on them) and I did ponder using KAIDW KALOS but I decided I liked this better.

Item Two: Doctor Who

I was ticked off to discover that the CBC premiere of Doctor Who isn't until next week. I was okay with being a few days behind the BBC releases but when it's over a week, it effectively cuts me off from any episode discussion. Unless I download it and I was going to be all good this time around and watch it on TV.

But I did download the premiere, because I'm on holidays next week. What fun!

I must confess that I've never had much chance to watch any of the other Doctor Who series, but I've seen bits here and there. Somehow, I feel like a failure as a geek because of that, but oh well.

I really enjoyed it a lot. Christopher Eccleston was awesome, so very frantic. I liked his stripped-down look as opposed to other Doctors. It makes his weirdness more of a shock. *g* I liked Rose a lot too. She kicked ass.

The colours were so bright! I think I must have been watching a lot of TV with muted tones lately (hmm, BSG?) because this felt like it was going to pop right off the screen, it was so vivid. Awesome.

I thought the effects were a nice balance between cheesy and the amazing power of current technology. It felt like they were saying, we could do this more realistically, but we don't want to. And it worked.

I look forward to more.

Item Three: Trailer Park Boys

New season starts in April. Yes.

Comments

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

I was ticked off to discover that the CBC premiere of Doctor Who isn't until next week. I was okay with being a few days behind the BBC releases but when it's over a week, it effectively cuts me off from any episode discussion.

Gotta admit, I think this is Karmic Payback to American fandom for all the Buffy and X-Files &c discussions that British fans were effectively cut off from over the years... ;-)

[prillalar]

True enough! Of course, Canada gets Stargate at least half a year behind either the UK or US, so I think my karma is in balance. *g*

In a way, a week is more annoying than six months. It's like they're teasing us. But at least it's airing here. I don't think the US is getting at all, at least not yet.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

no we aren't, which is the only reason i could convince my husband to let me d'load it :-)

i've never voluntarily seen any of the eps, but i really enjoyed this oine...and he and the kids were in geek heaven :D

[embitca.livejournal.com]

Americans will have to resort to downloading so you can watch it with us if you like :)

[prillalar]

I think I'm going to *try* to hold off and save my bandwidth for anime.

Try. Right.

And, wow, in your icon does Rose ever look like Buffy.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Say, in your dl just before the Doctor grabs her hand and makes his first appearance, did you also have a voice (sounding like Russell T. actually) say a few random words? I had dl it already a month ago (it was leaked) and there was no such disturbance, so I am a little spooked by the "official" version now.

[selenay]

*g* There was a bleed-through from another channel at that moment on the first showing - you heard the voice of Graham Norton. I think someone in BBC Centre was in trouble that night...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Thank you soooo much, it bled through twice in the first 5 min and I was so confused *lol* I have to see if there are more intended, actual differences apart from the signation melody though.

[selenay]

I'll happily talk Doctor a week behind and I'm sure that many Brits will. 'Cos, like, still bouncing five days later :-)))

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*seconds*

[prillalar]

Good to know. :) Yeah, it was seriously bounce-worthy.

[chibi-sobek.livejournal.com]

Dude, that is the greatest icon ever. As both a Kaidoh fangirl and an ancient studies major I am most impressed/amused. :D Fantastic job, you geek!

[prillalar]

Hee! My degree has got to be good for something, anyhow. *g* And Kaidoh is well-worthy of such treatment.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

haha, i adore your red figure icon! musesfool sent me over here to oggle it.

Pretty boy, indeed. *g*

[prillalar]

Ta. :) Classics and anime -- what could go together better?

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

NOTHING. Which is why Adult Swim still airs Reign once in a while, I suppose. I can think of no other reason why Alexander in a thong would grace my TV.

Maybe 'grace' isn't really the right word for Reign.

[cellia.livejournal.com]

There are no words for how much your amazing melding of disparate geekinesses impresses me.

Though I think the Klingon Kaidoh icon will always hold that special place in my heart.

[prillalar]

*beams* I do strive to be the consummate geek.

Klingon, Greek, what's the difference really? I have dictionaries for both by my computer. *g*

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to talk Doctor with you a couple of weeks behind *g* It was SO good. I agree with you about the colours - it all seemed so fresh and vibrant. I loved Billie Piper and found the new Doctor seriously sexy. Which is why I got really sad when I read in the news today that Christopher Ecclestone has announced he won't be doing a second season. Sob.

[prillalar]

He's not? God! Suck us in with one ep and then crush us. How kind of him. *kicks Ecclestone*

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought! I know the man is entitled to do what work he likes, but I fell in love with his Doctor in that first ep, and now I've got to watch the whole season holding back in my devotion because I know he's not gonna be around for all that long! Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!