new thread
This is just one concept. To me it looks almost like a movie poster! Comments? Suggestions?
Since you asked, I'm gonna answer. Honestly, I think it's the stupidist thing I've seen in the 10 years I've been visiting this board.
P.S. - I just showed it to my wife. She said, "Oh, my God... that's just f'ing scary..."
Everyone is so different. Whenever I see something I consider "stupid" all I do is chuckle to myself. No big deal. "Honestly."
I am so sorry to hear that it scared your dear wife. Most likely you never knew this would happen to her or you wouldn't have shown her. Oh well, I certainly wouldn't beat myself up over it for you had no way of knowing. Please give your wife my best wishes and I do hope she gets over it and will feel ok real soon.
Normally, I do, too, but that pic just... gah...
The very first image that popped in my head was a scene in the movie, Zoolander. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) has returned home, to visit his family. After watching an Aveda commercial that stars Derek in a fishtail, his father announces, "You're dead to me, boy. I'm just glad your mother didn't live to see her son as a mermaid." Derek makes an inept comeback by defiantly correcting his father, "Merman!"
The image I had from that scene was of Ben in the fishtail, his mock modeling pose staring intently into the camera, pursed lips and all.
Meh... she won't have any nightmares over it.
;)
..hope I don't come across as a mean person lol!!
I was going to 2nd that, but CA beat me so I'll have to 3rd it. Also, I don't want to be mean either. There's no accounting for taste. If anything, the whole concept of a "mer-man" gives me the giggles. It's a silly concept; which I don't think was the intent... kind of like "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" or "Plan 9 from Outer Space" are funny because they're so bad.
...but it's currently all the rage for collector's on eBay.
I am going to try it out. If we do not make any sales then it will be removed.
After all, it is only an experiment.
Thank you for your comments.
To me its just downright weird. Sorry for the bluntness.
peace
It could be that straight men have always viewed mermaids with a certain eroticism (I know I have). To see a male version may cause a negative reaction only because the eye is used to seeing the female version and its attendant sexiness.
I think the picture itself is very well done. It just doesn't appeal to me for the reason listed above.
...but since most "mermaid" collector's happen to be WOMEN, I an hoping to cash in on them.
I will be using meta tags like: mermaid, aceo, sfa mermaids, aceo, merman" ...and so forth. Anyone going a Google search for mermaids may end up seeing our Gift Shoppe's "MERMAN" and then purchasing it.
In order to make more profits it is evident that the Shoppe
needs to make sales to the general public. Longhaired men are
in the minority, so we need to sell items that are also
of interest to the general public.
Thank you for your input.
because the eye is used to seeing the female version and its attendant sexiness."
Blatant androgyny makes a substantial percentage of the populace puke. Anyone sporting the "merman" image on a T-shirt will soon find that out, even if they themselves think the T-shirt is awesomely cool, because people WILL comment on it. It's good that novel ideas be vetted among the group here so the variety of feelings about them come out, and guys who do opt to get them won't face any surprises.
I'll add that the term "merman" to me is as silly as calling a manhole a woman hole. The artwork may be more attractive to some potential buyers with that word omitted.
Bill
That's a cool painting if ever I did see one! It takes in Native American, Norse, and Celtic motifs to create an original anthropo-animalistic image of fancy. I'm not sure I'd wear it on a shirt though!
The idea in that painting is reminiscent of Pan-like creatures seen in mythology. It evokes memories of frost-giants, Dionysus, Mercury, and other nature-centered creatures. The image evokes strength, maleness, and kinship with nature.
...most of the collectors happen to be teen girls and young women.
Do a search under ACEO on eBay.
Anything on a shirt would have to be 'neutral' like the Longhaired Dreamer, the Hyperboard Logo or some similar image.
Any male wearing either image would be letting others know that he is gay, which is fine
if that is what he is. But what about the straight guys?
No, the 'Merman' cannot be on a shirt in the Gift Shoppe...but then again,
neither could that 'antlered man.'
Also, my research indicates that collector's of mermaids are young WOMEN--not men. So it will be offered to a specific group of collectors only.
Skip the horns and start the scales just below where the bottom border begins and that character would sell easily as a merman. I'm wondering if it is a generational reaction that mermen aren't something an average man or at least one into fantasy is inclined to wear. Mermen aren't unheard of for anyone that saw the Disney retelling of The Little Mermaid fairy tale as a child. Then again people tend to be more timid than I would expect so you may be right, Bill. A man's opinion on what men would wear is probably more informed than my guess.
Elizabeth
...about the hottest selling items on eBay...and you are missing the whole point:
Because this item will be in the GIFT SHOPPE, it means we are talking about making MONEY--you know, the stuff that keeps stores OPEN--PROFITS.
Naturally the concept of mermaids or even mermen is a stupid one--I agree totally with you there.
(I can't even figure out how they can possibly copulate--unless
there's a hidden flap somewhere). But we are talking about making SALES--NOT about the subject matter.
If longhaired flying pigs were all the rage, I'd be adding one to the Gift Shoppe.
Anyone who does a search of SFA ACEO or OSWOA MERMAIDS on eBay will see
for themselves just how popular this particular subject matter
is.
Right now mermaids are all the RAGE, and I am hoping to cash in on it in some way.
Obviously I could not add mermaids to the Shoppe so I created a longhaired merman.
Most of the mermaid collectors just happen to be WOMEN--and they may be very
interested in adding a longhaired merman to their collections.
In the end, it's ALL about making profits.
An exerpt from "The Aquatic Journal of Eurasia."
Vol. 5 May 2005 Pages 24-33.
The mer-people of the sea reproduce in much the same fashion as the salmon or other marine species of fish. It's a well-documented scientific process. The female deposits the eggs in a sheltered area of an inland stream or bayou, and the male in close proximity deposits his part of the equation. While the initial courtship rituals of the mer-people is largely undocumented and has heretofore gone unobserved by scientists, we can speculate that the ritual is similar to that of the Alpine chamois of Central Europe. From ancient texts, we learn that males vye for prime breeding females through contests involving brute strength, not by butting heads like the chamois per se, but by fighting with their powerful, fish-like tails. It is recorded in Old Norse literature and the little extant Etruscan literature available of sea captains and crews observing this courting phenomenon in the Adriatic and Baltic seas. Although some would argue that much of this ancient literature is a blend of imaginative fancy and fact, these are the best descriptions we have of mer-people mating rituals.
There is a new study being financed by the Tyrolian Scientific Commission to study the mating ritual around the Po River delta in Italy, as many mer-people sitings have been reported by shrimp and clam fisherman especially around Venice as well as in Trieste at times in the early spring when the effluvience of melting snow in the rivers has swollen the low-lying, marshy areas in the brackish waters. What the results of these studies will be we cannot say as of yet, but the prospects of gaining insight into this obscure people is high with new technologies that allow cameras to employ "night-vision" technology in the murky waters where mer-people are commonly reported to have been seen.
At the same time in Denmark, while one can readily observe the mermaid statue in Copenhagen harbor, one must wonder why such a thing would have been constructed. For the mermaid/merman to have been such an integral part of the culture and lore of ancient land-bound peoples, some basis of truth must have existed to place these creatures in terran man's legends. And regretfully, it is not believed that the mer-people have developed a written language with any existing works. And, moreover, if we were able to begin a dialog with the sea-peoples, the hurdles in communication would be exceedingly difficult since the language as reported by fisherman and others in history has always been likened to a dolphin-like sound, probably based on the principles of echo-location. Hopefully, in the future, increased scientific awareness and willingness of land-man to acknowledge his sea-cousins as equals and not only less evolved, water-bound hominids will give us the knowledge and information to work together with this noble race. Some will say that the mer-races are the caretakers of the seas, and if it were not for them, there would have long ago been a diminishment in the fish stocks that are so important to land-man's survival. It would seem that at this moment that the mer-people and terran man's survival is dependent one upon the other.
Also, one need only observe his very hand and see the slight amount of webbing left between his fingers to realize that man on land may have had as a remote forebears the sea-peoples. Genetic sampling is not yet possible due to the reticent nature of the sea-people, but it is hoped that as a part of the mating study, that DNA can be obtained for comparison through gel-electrophoresis to determine the amount of kinship among land and sea man.
Bragi
...fit on the back of the T-shirt??? [grin]
Bill
This is NOT the official Logo of the MLHH for goodness sake!
Just a picture...just a picture.
Yeah. MerMAIDS.
An EBay search for "merman" returns 116 matches, 60 of which are actually references to Ethel Merman. Compare that to a return of over 6,000 matches for "mermaid", and it's pretty clear you're gonna be hard-pressed to find a buyer for that MERMAN poster.
...look under ACEO un the ART or ALL catergories.
It would NOT be offered as a poster...just as SFA, OSWOA or ACEO/ATC.
That's where the collectors are.
He never said the concept of mermaids or mermen was stupid, and I'd like to know why it's so "naturally" absurd. What I think he meant is that the art itself isn't that appealing, and I agree. For one, the tail is in a "feminine" color, as many males seem to prefer darker colors. A bigger problem is that the merman doesn't look very manly at first glance. The clincher for me is that I just don't like how the painting looks at all. Bragi posted a small King Triton image somewhere in this thread; something like that would've been much better. If you want to rework the image, you could potentially get more sales for men; if you leave the image as is, I imagine it'll be more of a women's fetish item. I know that at the end of the day, you just want the Shoppe to bring in money, but it'd be nice if the target audience was the one bringing it in.
Now THIS is absurd and tangential, but don't you know that not all creatures reproduce in the way we do? And besides, it's just a mythological creature. If it's so stupid to you, don't go so in-depth into it.
You could create a manlier-looking mermaid, like a king figure with a flowing beard, angry eyes, and a glowing trident, with mermaids around him, totally wooed by his power. That'd be a cool image more guys might be into. These particular mythological creatures are embedded in the popular psyche as females, so there will always be some stigma for a guy having one on a poster or a shirt, but then, long hair carries a stigma in many people's eyes as well.
Fairies are also very popular nowadays, but male fairies (that is, the little people with butterfly things; the term actually refers to much more than that) are practically nonexistent, and I'm not surprised. The same negative connotations one gets from male fairies might apply to mermaids, so the least you can do is make your image as obviously manly as possible.
True. But even if this is geared towards women, it needs to be made better, IMO.
No offense, by the way; I just wanted to add my two cents.
Peace
Seems I'm alone, but I like it. It's funny.
If that was actually a movie poster, I'd go see the movie.
Frankly, I had not really thought much about the subject matter at all, I appreciate it simply due to its quality as artwork.
Luckskind, Although the subject kinda gives me the willies, I think that your artistic ability is outstanding. If there is a market for Merman posters then I am sure that it would do well.
Chris
My only problem with it is the straight lines. He's posed straight up and down, and the hair goes straight out at an angle. It doesn't even look like hair. More like a piece of driftwood. It might be more attractive if there was a more natural flow.
Just a thought.
Underwater I'd expect to see his hair wafting about him, sort of like the scientist pictured in a pool on the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists page. Bodywise he appears to be a man in a tight skirt, not that that is a problem itself, but a merman typically is depicted without a lower leg structure. This one looks more like a design for a doll that has legs underneath when you take his tail garment off. As a poster he doesn't ring true as a merman body, really cutting the 'ankles' in above the bottom fin would solve that.
Elizabeth
this one looks like he is wearing a tail costume. (artist unknown)
and this merman looks like his skirt busted open! (artist unknown)
and finally this one looks realistic but really SICK with no hair flow problem..he..he...
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Because of your input I will be trying out 'The Longhaired Merman' on eBay first(without the text, of course).If it does well on eBay, then it may be added to the Shoppe in a special Fantasy Section.
If it doesn't sell, then it will be shelved or used for something else.Of course mermaids and mermen could be considered silly ideas, but at the moment mermaids just happen to be wildly popular collectors' items
on eBay, so my experiment was really just an attempt to cash in on
that popularity.Of course, I am NOT the one who invented the concept of a "merman". No! Many other
artists have been creating their versions of them for many
years...just look at the pictures below:
Because of your input I will be trying out 'The Longhaired Merman' on eBay first(without the text, of course).
If it does well on eBay, then it may be added to the Shoppe in a special Fantasy Section.
If it doesn't sell, then it will be shelved or used for something else.
Of course mermaids and mermen could be considered silly ideas, but at the moment mermaids just happen to be wildly popular collectors' items
on eBay, so my experiment was really just an attempt to cash in on
that popularity.
Of course, I am NOT the one who invented the concept of a "merman". No! Many other
artists have been creating their versions of them for many
years...just look at the pictures below:
What a collect!
Soon we will be asking you for your input on IMAGES for products in the Gift Shoppe...
and that should be as much fun as for the Hair Qutes!
Again, thank you all for your comments!
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Because of your input I will be trying out 'The Longhaired Merman' on eBay first(without the text, of course).If it does well on eBay, then it may be added to the Shoppe in a special Fantasy Section.
If it doesn't sell, then it will be shelved or used for something else.Of course mermaids and mermen could be considered silly ideas, but at the moment mermaids just happen to be wildly popular collectors' items
on eBay, so my experiment was really just an attempt to cash in on
that popularity.Of course, I am NOT the one who invented the concept of a "merman". No! Many other
artists have been creating their versions of them for many
years...just look at the pictures below:
Because of your input I will be trying out 'The Longhaired Merman' on eBay first(without the text, of course).
If it does well on eBay, then it may be added to the Shoppe in a special Fantasy Section.
If it doesn't sell, then it will be shelved or used for something else.
Of course mermaids and mermen could be considered silly ideas, but at the moment mermaids just happen to be wildly popular collectors' items
on eBay, so my experiment was really just an attempt to cash in on
that popularity.
Of course, I am NOT the one who invented the concept of a "merman". No! Many other
artists have been creating their versions of them for many
years...just look at the pictures below:
What a collect!
Soon we will be asking you for your input on IMAGES for products in the Gift Shoppe...
and that should be as much fun as for the Hair Qutes!
Again, thank you all for your comments!
Ya finally find a cute looking guy and from the waist down he's a fish! That would be my luck.
Jeffrey.
Lol, He (the manfish) probably has a lot of tarter sauce!
So all is not lost Jeffrey.
Well, you may have a point there, however, I am already in love with the picture that Bill posted. Now, that is some awesome artwork! Actually, I wouldn't mind having that in a nice frame.
Jeffrey.
That is one tan mermaid!..OOPS...MERMAN*
I guess this merman loves to hang around beach shores and tan. :-)
Maybe the merman could be harpooned/speared and have a gushing wound, with sharks circling or even piranhahahahahas feasting upon the slowly surfacing remains. I want my Mermen to be painted with Caravaggio-like violence and intensity.
or how about merman hit by a torpedo from some weird submarine captain who hates merman...
Or merman caught in an underwater nuclear test and shows him either vaporized or blown sky high by the nuclear power...
mmm... radioactive fish...
How about a catman? a half man half cat... the cat part could be any longhaired cat like persian...
Soon we are going to ask members to submit picture ideas, so
save your ideas for later.
Wow what a hornets nest eh?
Whats with insulting a mans art? Luckskind has put his heart into that image and whether you like it or not is up to you, but to analyse and critcise every aspect to the 'nth degree is just rubbing salt into wounds.
Art is art, does a teacup glued to a brick not deserve to be in an art gallery, I say yes it does if its is one man's art, (and I happen to like that sort of creativity), and if it affects one person and changes the way they look at the world then it is a success.
Nyghtfall what you said is bad, if you compose an off the wall tune on the guitar, are we to view it in a conformist, conservative way and if it doesn't fit within our boundaries of what we are used to we can rip it to shreds?
But Luckskind, you know you can deem that image as a success, because just look at the conflicting comments it has generated - thats a good sign!
And yes I am an artist - keep doing what you do Luckskind.
Thanks for your words of support. They say that all publicity is good publicity...just as long as you get others talking about your art--it's a success!
Art is a very personal thing, as you know, as so everyone has an opinion, which is certainly their right.
I wasn't asking so much about what people thought of the piece, per se, but I was thinking more in terms of making profits for the Shoppe.
I am going to try out my Mr. MERMAN on eBay. Then I will step back and see what happens!
Then, based on that info I will make my decisions.
Thnk you again for seeing through the thick clouds of criticism--both good and bad--a for seeing the truth beneath it all!
Thanks again!
Well, he WAS using us as a focus group of longhaired men (no better place to find such), and people leveled with him with comments ranging from "love it" to "hate it". Would he have preferred that we all lied to him, saying we thought it was lovely? I think not.
On the other hand, the man depicted was a fellow longhair (I guess), and having him bleeding in the water with sharks circling was perhaps a bit more violence against longhairs than most of us really want to see on here. I must admit, though, that the suggestion that he might show up for a date with tartar sauce did have both me and my partner rolling on the floor!
Sure, we had fun while doing the job of vetting this artwork, but volunteers when doing any job are going to have fun. It is in our joking around, our playfulness here, that we get to know each other better and thereby build our community.
When a man creates something, some will love it, some won't. A creation that you all see of mine is the software here. Another is my FAQ "On Being A Longhair". I get the full variety of comments on both of those, and sure, the positive comments feel better than the negative ones. But I appreciate all of the comments, because creations are made for the consumer, not for the artist, and feedback is valuable. It helps the artist direct his talents in directions that will be most embraced. Art that is not embraced is a waste of his time.
Bill
the comments I have read have actually been shocking to myself as I am an artist as well. There are "different ways" of puting together words to form an opinion without resorting to ridicule, mockery and ugly insults aimed at one who has done so much for this board in giving his all in a completely unselfish mannor. And yet, so many of you chose to beat-him-up verbably instead.
This was a very cruel and nasty way to treat the very person that is doing his best to help keep the Hyperboard as we know it going through his efforts "FOR YOU" with our Gift Shoppe. Indeed, EVERYONE who has placed an order thus far has loved what they have received. And oh...............how you all just loved and ate-up the quotes submissions and had a jolly good time for yourselves in inventing wonderful quotes that will be appearing in the Gift Shoppe. Does anyone here deny that creating your original long hair quotes brought alot of fun and happiness to the Hyperboard? This never would have been possible had it not been for Luckskind (as well as myself) thinking of ways to make the Hyperboard even more fun for you guys as well as a chance to participate yourself in helping to add even more to the Gift Shoppe for the enjoyment of many.
This artist is much too well known and appreciated in the world today to have received the insults that he did. Truly the most shameful thing I have EVER witnessed on this board as long as I have been here! Thank you Dave for writing what you did. I for one cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciated your comments.
Justin
It appeared to me that the comments were all directed towards the artwork, not toward the artist. I saw nothing derogatory said about the artist at all. Or even implied.
That we were all engaging THE ARTWORK was a very big compliment - we saw the merman as a living thing, a thing separate from the artist. It had sprung to life, not an easy task for an artist to achieve! It was just a thing that we discovered quite a few men did not like.
The real issue here was whether a melding of male and female images would have wide appeal, and the answer came back "no". It's an interesting thought that combining men with animals was seen as cool, but combining men with women was not!
Bill
You make some very valid points Bill, but I don't see "I think it's the stupidist thing I've seen in the 10 years" as constructive and helpful to the artist in finding his market.
That said, its still great here and lets move on up and onto something else ;-)
I accept the criticism for what it's worth, but I cannot accept
the idea that adding a fish tail to a man is a "melding of male
and female images, since this would be based on the assumption
that the only creatures who ever had fish tails were women.
This is a popular but false belief, since the merman has been a part of art history for centuries.
Perhaps a fish tail on a man does look somewhat like a gown--but a fish tail does not a woman make.
If the concept of a 'merman' is stupid one--then it has been stupid for centuries--and not for a mere 10 years.
Anyway, I have decided to target the collectors of mermaids who
just happen to be women. Will they reject the concept of a
merman for the very same reasons many members here have?
Or will they embrace him as a rare and valuable addition to
their collections? I should discovering the answer to this question shortly.
would have wide appeal, and the answer came back "no". It's an interesting thought
that combining men with animals was seen as cool, but combining men with women was not!"
Who says fish tails are feminine? Just try telling that to one of my Great Whites!
And did you think all those hot little mermaids came about by my spitting out clams? Ha!
And they weren't born under rocks either. No, there have always been lots of mermen floating
around in my Kingdom, and take my word for it, and they are all very well endowed--though
you'd never know it just by looking at them. Why, I myself have a 'fish tail' and I'm as
masculine as can be! Just look this recent portrait Luckskind painted of me...hmmmmmm...now that I look at it
more closely, it does look a bit on the 'feminine' side.
I think I will have to have a talk with that boy. ..Anyway, the very idea that a fish tail is always considered 'feminine' is ridiculous!
And whoever believes that has been staring at one too many cans of 'Chicken of the Sea'! Well, that's all I have to say on the matter...hmmmmmm...but just look at that damned portrait!
Seems to be contradicting every word I say! Where is that boy? Is this painting dry yet? I think it needs a few alterations......Guards!...Guards!...
Just look this recent portrait Luckskind painted of me...hmmmmmm...now that I look at it
more closely, it does look a bit on the 'feminine' side.
I think I will have to have a talk with that boy. ..
Anyway, the very idea that a fish tail is always considered 'feminine' is ridiculous!
And whoever believes that has been staring at one too many cans of 'Chicken of the Sea'!
Well, that's all I have to say on the matter...hmmmmmm...but just look at that damned portrait!
Seems to be contradicting every word I say!
Where is that boy? Is this painting dry yet?
I think it needs a few alterations...
...Guards!...Guards!...
This in particular hit me in just the right way. Wonderful stuff, your Majesty.
Curtseying as best as I can in my tail and ever your loyal subject,
Elizabeth
I'm still hiding out from king Neptune, Elizabeth. The painting
is dry and I can't alter it..he..he...
Aha! That's a familiar-looking mermaid!
Watch out Luckskind, artists don't always get the last say. I bought a painting once from an artist in Australia. Pertinently enough it was a painting of a mermaid and she pretty much died along the way given her stretched canvas was only packaged in bubble wrap and thin brown paper. She was packaged as a rectangle and arrived in the United States a cone!
I know you'll have better luck with shipping your merman though. When you do put him up for auction I'll be sure to mention it on a few hair sites to help him find an audience.
My first attempt had the tail angle all wrong so I know a bit of what you are going through. Sea folk are slippery creatures to depict! I've already posted the one I got right but I might as well show how it first looked, more sea lion than maid. I like my hair better from this first try though.