“The Militarization of the Police Department – Deadly Farce,” an original painting by Richard Williams from “The 20 Dumbest People, Events, and Things of 2014″ in Mad magazine #531, published by DC Comics, February 2015.
“For most people, he was the painter of ‘America,’” he added. “But even he said his vision was what he wanted ‘America’ to be. It was a mythical ‘America,’ a place where all people were decent, honest and full of good will. His work was full of gentle humor that made you feel a little better; even if you knew it wasn’t really true… you just wished it was. My parody of Rockwell’s painting simply says, ‘That myth is dead.’”
I think it’s relevant to add that even Norman Rockwell chose to leave his cushy job at the Saturday Evening Post because he wanted to make artwork that was more radical. The Post had rules that wouldn’t allow him to do artwork depicting black people as anything other than servants. The job paid really well and that was a huge reason he continued on. But he wanted change that and so he moved to Look magazine.
A lot of people know about the very first piece he did when he left the post which was the The Problem We All Live With which depicts Ruby Bridges walking to school under federal protection.
But I don’t think enough people know about Murder in Mississippi which depicts three real civil rights activists who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan and sherriffs. The magazine ran the sketch instead of the finished piece because they felt it had a more striking statement to accompany the article. Norman Rockwell would finish that version after publication which is here
Rockwell’s legacy is sanitized because he decided to maintain his job at the Post for so long despite his frustrations with not being able to express himself. The civil rights movement was just his final straw to change what he could with the little time he had left. Look magazine received a lot of hate for Rockwell painting these as well.
Another favorite piece of mine is The Right to Know which depicts an integrated populace questioning their government. In 1968, the year of Vietnam and the year the Fair Housing Act only just got signed in months prior:
But I think it’s important to include the caption Rockwell originally wrote for the piece as well. I think it represents how a 74 year old Rockwell felt about the America he believed in and the people in it:
We are the governed, but we govern too. Assume our love of country, for it is only the simplest of self-love. Worry little about our strength, for we have our history to show for it. And because we are strong, there are others who have hope.
But watch us more closely from now on, for those of us who stand here mean to watch those we put in the seats of power. And listen to us, you who lead, for we are listening harder for the truth that you have not always offered us.
Your voice must be ours, and ours speaks of cities that are not safe, and of wars we do not want, of poor in a land of plenty, and of a world that will not take the shape our arms would give it.
We are not fierce, and the truth will not frighten us. Trust us, for we have given you our trust. We are the governed, remember, but we govern too.
Regarding Norman Rockwell, I also want to shout out “New Kids in the Neighborhood (Moving Day)” in 1967:
Also for LOOK magazine, but leaning on his themes of youth and suburban life. Expressing both hope for the curiosity and open-mindedness of children, and the bitter recognition of the suspicion of adults towards racial integration (see the face peeking out of the window in background). It’s notable that this is what he wanted America to be, too. He hoped for a better future.
I think that MAD Magazine artwork is really good and really poignant, and it’s also interesting to put it in conversation with Norman Rockwell’s own political evolution in his art as well.
the concept and idea of “you can always start trying to be a better person” is extremely important to me both in media and irl and i continue to be deeply deeply disturbed by the trend on this site pushing that these ideas in media are bad writing or even morally reprehensible
because theyd rather someone stay terrible or just straight up die than become a better person
from a compassionate point of view it’s deeply distressing
and from a pragmatic point of view it’s outright frustrating
I think part of the pushback about this is the idea that, to “redeem” bad people, their victims must first forgive them for unforgivable acts.
This is false. No one is obligated to forgive you. You can learn from your mistakes and become the best, kindest person on earth, and the people you’ve hurt still won’t forgive you, and you’ll have to accept that. And that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to grow. Because we aren’t just “pure” or “sinful”, we’re complex.
Au where Alastor accidentally misses his entire season 2 arc because he didn’t go to the lounge that morning
More notes and thoughts about this comic and the making of it under the cut!
- this took 61 hours to make
-there was brief consideration of having Alastor do a more like,, normal squat with his knees up before I promptly decided that wouldnt work for both character and artistic reasons
-the stupid little stool is so short because otherwise niffty wouldnt be able to reach 💀
-his pupils being super constricted after coming out of the shadows and all the light hitting him suddenly, + seeing so much iris makes him look especially unhinged I think
-it’s so odd putting niffty into a situation where she isn’t having unhinged levels of fun so this feels ooc but I am channeling my personal concern through her
-him getting annoyed with her “I don’t have to do anything” but subtly acknowledging that the trust they have goes both ways “I’m not going to a doctor. Im coming to you” while still not genuinely able to make himself ask for help and instead turning it back onto her “can you do anything worthwhile?” And then putting pressure on by threatening to call the whole thing off after she’s thoroughly concerned and he knows it “or should I dismiss you back to the hall?”
-OH ALSO UHHH pretend niffty picked up nursing practices when she was growing up around older women during ww2. Thats how im justifying this.
-"did someone hurt you?? I'll kill them!" Hilarious thing to say to alastor of all people im sure he'll take kindly to that honey. But also you did ❤️ you did kill him. Good job <3
-I think niffty’s magic poof effects are meant to look a little bit like bubble bath bubbles
-“nice try though” “worth a shot” “not really” I just think that dialogue is funny
- there's a lot of expression work in this that i'm really proud of
-I like the moment between Alastor joking in response to niffty’s concern “you’re burning up” which is meant to be in regards to further confirming infection that she’s worried about but he just plays off, and the resigned silence from her before she continues being concerned for him regardless of him brushing off her feelings. I don’t think he wanted to answer her question either, but in his infection induced bleariness he promised her candor
-Alastor is really good at hiding pain, when he expects it. I think the reason he didnt react as much when vox ripped out his stitches was that he clearly saw what was coming and was like "oh ok this is going to suck" but he genuinely didnt think anything of what was about to happen and then suddenly niffty’s whole hand was inside his chest 💀
- Full torso wrap with the bandages would entail shirt removal (and even more physical contact) which is, i feel, on brand for niffty's unhingedness and simultainiously something Alastor would never be comfortable with, which is kind of what knocks him back into his own head and realizing what exactly is going on and what hes allowed to occur. And like. Wow okay hard part is over i know what i need to do now im ending this as quick as possible actually goodbye.
About Alastor and his mental health and how Vivziepop and Sam Haft keep revealing tidbits about it (AND Amir once saying Alastor himself doesn’t fully understand his emotions and how they connect to his actions), how do you think he reacts when a mental issue does pop up? (Like a panic attack or disassociation?) It’s pretty clear he knows he’s “crazy” but does he just brush it off or is it something that bothers him greatly?
Alastor is in a very fun and sort of oxymoronic position of knowing that something is wrong with him in the "he kills and eats people" way, and he accepts being "crazy" in an abstract sense, but he'd deny and reject any actual diagnoses or mental health support.
Like. These are all feelings alastor holds about his brain simultaneously
He knows theres something up. He does not want to hear that other people have similar experiences enough for them to be named. That would mean he either isnt as uniquely superior as he thought (aspd), or would try to pin a weakness on him (adhd). Like. Sorry man. You arent ascending to godhood. You just have a personality disorder.
He's such an odd little critter. As for more severe flarings of things, he loathes being scared. He wants to be the most poweful so he doesnt have to worry about his safety. He wants to have the thrill of the danger with none of the actual risk, to know that he can go out and chase adrenaline if he wants but still come out okay no matter what. I have no canon backing for this but my idea for what he hates about his demonic form is that now he has a flight instict that he never had when he was alive. It was always fight and in rare cases fawn. Now he has this immediate desire to run whenever something startling happens that he has to strangle and he hates it. He loves himself a lot (his valentines card to himself made me so happy) but a panic attack would push him and push him hard. It especially depends on where and when it happens, if he's around people or alone, what triggered it, etc. But oh he would hate the whole experience so severely. Might get violent in order to put himself back in control.
He doesnt understand what's happening when he's hyperfixating and tries his best not to let on about it, lest he come off as an overbearing chatterbox. (the internalized ableism in this man. It is so bad) Times of hyperfixations flaring are really the one time where he most feels something odd is happening, but he also assumes that it happens to everyone about their passions. And they dont discuss it, so he won't either. Ah, he's going into a frenzy again. Best to withdraw until it passes and he can be more pleasant company again (everyone notices how much more time he's spending in his tower than usual, and how many more broadcasts are coming out on top of the regular schedule)
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