On A Purely Hypothetical Note:
If I were to somehow learn to draw enough to write a lawyer-themed web comic, which would be better anthropomorphosized-animals representing the lawyers?
I mean, sharks are traditional, but I'm really a lousy artist, and I'm not sure how to begin to use a shark to draw emotion.
Cats maybe? They're independent, snarky, think they're better than everyone, and would probably eat your brain if they felt like it and had the opposable thumbs required to get at it. On the other hand, it's hard to be intimidated by something that can be distracted by a well placed thing of yarn.
Vultures might work, though they've got the same problem as sharks.
But a webcomic starring a vulture-lawyer WOULD be hilarious. As long as there are no earthworms, I'm literally and truly phobic of earthworms. (Don't ask.) Since birds eat worms, this might end up being something of a concern.
This is all theoretical, as I can't draw a straight line, but sometimes I do wonder about these sorts of things.
I mean, sharks are traditional, but I'm really a lousy artist, and I'm not sure how to begin to use a shark to draw emotion.
Cats maybe? They're independent, snarky, think they're better than everyone, and would probably eat your brain if they felt like it and had the opposable thumbs required to get at it. On the other hand, it's hard to be intimidated by something that can be distracted by a well placed thing of yarn.
Vultures might work, though they've got the same problem as sharks.
But a webcomic starring a vulture-lawyer WOULD be hilarious. As long as there are no earthworms, I'm literally and truly phobic of earthworms. (Don't ask.) Since birds eat worms, this might end up being something of a concern.
This is all theoretical, as I can't draw a straight line, but sometimes I do wonder about these sorts of things.
posted by kalinara @ 5:04 AM
20 Comments:
At January 06, 2009 7:08 AM,
Centurion said…
Why not squirrels?
At January 06, 2009 8:43 AM,
Anonymous said…
Well, it's not like vultures eat earthworms. As long as you were okay with all the rotting innards all over the vultures' plates during their three-martini lunches, you'd be golden. :)
At January 06, 2009 9:30 AM,
Anonymous said…
Foxes were the first critters that popped into my head.
Though I also have a certain fondness for the lawyer from Futurama:
"Your Honor. I'm just a simple hyperchicken from a backwood asteroid, but if it pleases the court I reckon I'll call the entire jury."
At January 06, 2009 10:39 AM,
SallyP said…
Well, I thought of eels, but then I realized they had a certain resemblance to earthworms, so that wouldn't work either.
Fluffy bunnies?
At January 06, 2009 11:08 AM,
Saranga said…
squirrels would be good.
At January 06, 2009 11:11 AM,
D4 said…
Snakes seem to work pretty well over in Schlock Mercenary.
At January 06, 2009 11:14 AM,
ticknart said…
I think each character should be a different animal so they get some basic characterization just by the way they look. It also give each character an immediate stabilizability from the others.
I know, lots more work. Sorry.
At January 06, 2009 11:56 AM,
Lisa said…
You could do them as people, but with shark fins coming out their backs. That's solve the expression issue.
At January 06, 2009 12:01 PM,
Dane said…
I think you're over-concerning yourself with common animal traits and behaviors. No one looks at Mickey Mouse and goes, "Man, that guy loves cheese and hiding in walls." If you don't want earthworms to be a concern, well you're the writer, they don't have to be. Egads, as a kid I watched Sonic eat chili dogs because they were his favorite. The food matched his character better than his species.
And about expression problems: I'm no artist myself, but I've worked with a lot of them, and sometimes the best thing to let the muscles of the face loosen up and ignore some physical restraints. Adam Warren for example talks about how drawing women with large lips causes expression problems, so he'll thin them out for disappointment or extreme happiness.
Just don't feel like you need to trap yourself into some pre-defined anthromorphic template and you'll be fine.
At January 06, 2009 12:29 PM,
Will Staples said…
I'm partial to vultures, myself. I like stories where the lawyer is a good guy despite stereotypes to the contrary (especially defense lawyers), and feel the same way about vultures. They're actually surprisingly smart, clean birds. (I mean, hey, you'd HAVE to bathe a lot if you ate carcasses...) They look pretty majestic in flight, too.
At January 06, 2009 8:51 PM,
Your Obedient Serpent said…
I agree with ticknart; if it's going to be a comic about lawyers, in the plural, have a variety of species, to best reflect the individual personalities.
I also like Will Staples' idea of a dapper, sophisticated, sensitive vulture.
At January 06, 2009 10:11 PM,
Anonymous said…
Personally,I would go with ferrets...
At January 06, 2009 11:54 PM,
LurkerWithout said…
Robot. Wallabies.
At January 07, 2009 8:06 AM,
Case Hardwell said…
A lemur or a racoon spring to mind as possible lawyers.
At January 07, 2009 4:45 PM,
Ragtime said…
We lawyer defy strictly defined species designations.
We are all shapeshifters.
At January 07, 2009 9:44 PM,
Canton said…
My first thought was foxes as well. Predatory, cunning, yet cute.
But I wouldn't be me if I didn't suggest a six-legged creature instead. How about a mantis as an attorney?
At January 08, 2009 12:50 PM,
Anonymous said…
Leeches, perhaps? Another common slur, and easier to draw than sharks or vultures.
At January 09, 2009 6:17 PM,
philippos42 said…
Vultures eat carrion. Not so much the worms.
At January 09, 2009 6:20 PM,
philippos42 said…
And oh, to see an expressive vulture, look here.
http://www.littledee.net/
Oh no, I just realized who Barney on "How I Met Your Mother" reminds me of....
At January 09, 2009 6:41 PM,
LurkerWithout said…
Vachel sings sea shanties will riding sheep. Vachel engages in librarian vs. librarian battle rap. Vachel is Awesome...
Post a Comment
<< Home