Carmen Sandiego Redesign Project: Members of VILE
Over a week ago, I redesigned Carmen Sandiego because of a conversation I'd had at lunch. This past week, I'd gone about redesigning other members of VILE. These are my thoughts on each:
When redesigning Carmen, I wanted her to look "actiony." I had to try really hard not to make her sexy. I did away with her trench coat in favor of a tek poncho, and figured that giving her a catsuit would add to the action-appeal I was going for. I gave the catsuit ninja toes to imply a swiftness of movement.
The Carmen Sandiego I'm envisioning here is not new to the game, but not quite heavily seasoned. Probably a few years out from having left ACME Detective Agency. Not quite at the level of stealing monuments, cities, and entire islands, but she's getting there.
Redesigning Patty Larceny helped me figure out the ethos behind VILE in this head-fiction I've allowed to abscond with me. The members of VILE are all in it for the love of the game.
In doing research, I discovered that Patty was always a youngster (but back when I was a kid, I thought she was grown). Here, I decided to stick with that. I wanted to make a character whose first heist was the theft of her daddy's credit card, and she was never punished or scolded for doing so. Probably looks up to Carmen as a role model.
I imagine her as being a kleptomaniac proficient in sleight of hand - easily able to steal smallish objects. Likely a master of diversion tactics - which is where her dog, Gren, would come in. Patty carries Gren on her coat (it's faux fur - she has a conscience). Well, Patty probably carries everything in her coat. If she got hit or took a tumble, everything she'd stolen would likely fall out like Sonic's rings.
Right away, I knew that I wanted to make Vic the Slick a bishonen. When blocking out the face, I noticed that he resembled Prince - so I leaned into it. Prince is the original bishonen after all. My mission was to make Vic the Slick fuckable. And I knew I succeeded when my moderator came into the stream while I was working on him, and said, "Oh, he can get it."
When designing Vic, I leaned into a couple of things I'd only tried in thumbnails for a client or two, but clients never really dug - for example, the high-waisted skinny slacks-turtle neck combo. I did away with his original color scheme in favor of something a little more modern. in order to add the "used car salesman vibes" back into the character, I gave him gold chains.
I imagine this Vic the Slick as VILE's fence and HUMINT specialist. A smooth talker. If there were a fight scene, he'd probably be scrambling around trying to get help from the other members of the crew.
I think the most drastic changes I've made to any member of VILE has to be what I've done with Eartha Brute. I've essentially reimagined her as a former pro wrestler - likely a heel - who got sick of constantly having to "do the job" and was never pushed or given a title shot. She wears the prize of her first heist on her waist.
It was important to me that I retained some semblance of her original color scheme - the pink of her costume and the green highlights in her hair.
When designing her tattoo, I was initially worried because tattoo design isn't really my forte. But in this instance, it just kind of flowed.
I imagine Eartha as the muscle - someone you call in when something or someone big has to be moved. In my mind, she travels kind of like the Hulk. By leaping large distances.
Robo-Crook, in this head-fiction, was a former mobster who was caught stealing/embezzling from his boss and operation, and nearly perished as a result. Science was able to save him? He uses his second chance at life to continue stealing whatever he can. For the love of the game.
Robo-Crook's accessories and pinstripe panels were things he probably requested to make him feel like he was dressed sharp and presentable.
I imagine he functions as the old wise member of the group who is also a tech specialist.
I also threw them all together to see if they fit. And they do. There. It's all out of my head. I can move on and continue my sculpt of Anura.
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