ZONE OF COLOR

hub for fans and content of color in the adventure zone & mcelroy fandom. tracking #tazpoc

[spicybreadjuice]

aubrey little my beloved

[taz-ids]

[ID: Four digital drawings of Aubrey Little. Aubrey is a dark-skinned human with bright red hair, parted to one side; the other side of her head is shaved. She has multiple piercings and wears dark makeup. Top left: Aubrey is seen from the waist up. Her back is turned away from the viewer; she has one arm raised, and fire flares out from her palm. She’s wearing a sleeveless shirt over fishnet sleeves. Bottom left: Aubrey is seen from the waist up; she’s grinning, amazed, as she looks down at her hands. Fire flares from each fingertip. She’s wearing a black t-shirt under a red tank top. There are chokers around her neck, a fingerless glove on one hand, and a silver jewelry on the other.

Top right: Aubrey is turned to the left. She’s got one hand on her waist and the other is raised and making hand-horns. Her head is lowered, but she’s grinning as she looks at something off-screen to the right. One of her legs is bent at the knee as though she were posing. Aubrey is wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a cut-out above her chest, as well as a denim skirt, fishnet tights, and black combat boots. She’s also wearing fingerless red gloves. Bottom right: Aubrey is drawn more cartoonishly. Her shoulders are raised and her arms are balled into fists. She’s grinning like a cat. Aubrey is wearing dark clothes under a denim vest, and one of her hands is gloved. Her hair is styled into a mohawk with three points. /ID]

[transformersweatpants]

lucrecia practice!

[ecothroat]

[ID: three watercolor drawings of lucretia from TAZ balance in a cartoon style. she is a black woman with white hair and appears in both her young and older stages. the first drawing is of older lucretia, with her hair cut short, looking panicked as she holds out two hands surrounded by magic energy.

the second drawing is of younger lucreita, with long dreadlocks in a bun, smiling at the viewer with closed eyes. the third drawing is of younger lucretia, reading a book that is magically floating in front of her face. she is writing in a journal and absentmindedly scribbles off the page. end ID]

[eightmonkeys-deactivated2022090]

"Blue and skinny? Blonde? What the hell are you talking about? Did you lose your brain when you knocked yourself out on that tree branch over there or something?"

[neurodivergent-loverboy]

[Image description: a drawing of Taako and Lup standing in dappled sunlight and looking down towards the viewer. Taako and Lup are both fat elves with warm brown skin, freckles, and short brown hair. Taako is wearing a huge red wizard's hat and a low-cut white shirt with a blue vest. Lup is wearing high-waisted red pants and a sleeveless red crop top with an IPRE badge on it. Lup is leaning on Taako's shoulder with an amused smile, and Taako is gesturing with his thumb towards something out of frame with a skeptical look on his face. End ID.]

[babygirledwardteach]

“believe it or not, the goddess of fate is a lesbian” “elaborate on that” “no.”

[theatricuddles]

[ID: Art of Istus. Istus is a black woman with long white hair in cornrows wearing a transluscent white dress and knitting a long rainbow scarf. She has two sets of eyes colored in rainbow and behind her is a large clock glowing gold.]

[starrysunglasses]

[Start I.D. A shaded sketch of Kravitz from the knees up.  He standing with a slight lean to one side, and he has his hands in his pockets.  He looking down and smiling to himself.  He is wearing a fancy outfit; a white shirt with a tie, with dark pants and a long dark overcoat buttoned in the middle.  The sides of the coat are fanned out a little behind him dramatically.  End I.D.]

“Well, this is going to be easier than I thought.”

wow remember how dramatic Kravitz was when he first showed up

[crystallizedkingdoms]

It’s time the TAZ fandom talked about Kardala fanart

In light of Sarah Z’s new McElroy video, I’d really like to highlight a certain section regarding Kardala that I believe could be expanded on. Due to her focus on McElroys in the video and Justin’s racism regarding Kardala, I think it’s very important to mention that it was not just him who contributed to her stereotyping. Fans had also played a significant role in spreading Justin’s racist stereotypes.

I’m specifically talking about traditional Inuit tattoos drawn by artists who are not Inuit, and how I ask these artists to stay away from giving Kardala/Irene and other Inuit characters these tattoos in the future. I speak as an Inuk who lived in Nunavut and around my culture for a good portion of my earlier life, but I am also just one person. Other Inuit, Yup’ik and Aleut fans may hold different opinions, so please respect that.

I highly recommend that you watch Sarah Z’s new video first. If not the whole video, then at least the section 1:21:16 – 1:22:45 for an explanation on how racist Kardala was in canon. She spoke on it pretty well and I’m glad she decided to include it. I will add the link to the video in a reblog.

Quick disclaimer: please do not seek out any artists who may have made art depicting Kardala in an unfavourable way. I will be using art shown in Sarah Z’s video to illustrate my point, but I do not condone any harassment. The artist has since learned and I appreciate him taking the time to edit his original post, and I extend this to any artist who may have drawn in ignorance in the past. I hold no ill will to these artists, and I hope no one else does either.

TL;DR: Drawing traditional tattoos on Kardala when you’re not a part of the culture is racist and holds an immense amount of baggage to it. Ignorant art, even when old, can still have an impact on the present and can bring issues if not addressed.

For a little bit of background: traditional Inuit tattoos, referred to as tunniit for the rest of this post, are a cultural practice in many Inuit cultures that had almost been wiped out by Christian missionaries. They are an immensely personal form of documentation of one’s life, heritage and/or achievements, with meanings varying from region to region, family to family, person to person

The current revival of tunniit is still incredibly new. It is a reclamation of a practice that Inuit can never truly get back, for so many designs and meanings have been purposely wiped out, that not even many Inuit can get due to stigma in Christianity and the workforce. It’s because of this that the specific practice of tunniit is closed to outsiders of the cultures.

When artists who aren’t Inuit would put tunniit on Kardala, they did not comprehend what those lines mean. They simply can’t. They’d google these tattoos and copy them off of whatever black-and-white image of real Inuk women they saw, oblivious to the incredibly personal meanings they have meant to each individual, and slapped them onto a meat-crazed eskimo caricature. Or, and I can’t tell if this is worse, they make up their own fun designs, lines and squiggles that are their own caricature, a mockery of a practice we can’t properly reclaim, devoid of any meaning beyond faux “accuracy” or “aesthetic.” It is a terrible move to put such a sacred, newly-revived practice onto a character who was made with such awful stereotypes planted into her from the start.

[ID: A digital drawing of Irene and Kardala from TAZ: Commitment. Irene is a chubby Inuk woman with light brown skin and shoulder length, dark brown hair, and wears a grey blazer and a pencil skirt. She stands idly and glances to the side with a neutral expression. Kardala is a taller, muscular Inuk woman with light brown skin and shoulder length white hair that flows around her. She’s wearing a sleeveless black shirt and has her back facing the viewer with her head turned to the right. Her eyes glow white and her is mouth opened in an enraged expression. White lightning comes out of Kardala’s outstretched arms. Both women have triangular tattoos on their foreheads, cheeks, and chins, along with tattooed lines on their fingers. Kardala’s tattoos glow a bright white. End ID.] credit to a now informed artist, @galway-bae (note: the issues i will bring up in the next paragraph dont all apply to the art above, but are close enough i grouped them together.)

There was also a problem of using the tunniit as a sign of otherworldly power or the feeling of ancientness. Artists would place these tattoos on Kardala, along with putting her in our traditional parkas and regalia, while usually giving Irene “modern” clothing and completely disregarding putting tunniit on her unless it connected to her powers/Kardala. This action mystifies our culture and sets them as “magical” and “primitive” compared to the “normal” and “civilized” European culture. It also disconnects Irene from her own practices and culture, while simultaneously allowing people to access our most personal practice. This mirrors exactly what Justin did when canonically disconnecting Irene from her culture while also using a real life deity as inspiration for Kardala.

I know it feels strange to be mentioning all of this nearly four years after the fact. It was four years of “no bummers,” four years of holding in a grudge that I felt I could never bring up due to how long it has been since Commitment aired. But even when Sarah Z discussed Justin’s racism in her video, she placed the above art without criticism or any mention of tunniit, and I had to be reminded that people did not know that the fandom also heavily contributed to this racist caricature. That it wasn’t just Justin McElroy who made the Commitment era one of the worst times to be an Inuk TAZ fan. Old art can still be brought up in the present, and can still hurt, and that’s why I wanted to address it now. Better late than never.

Small detail I couldn’t fit elsewhere: there is an exception to those who aren’t Inuit drawing tunniit. If you are drawing Inuit with tunniit in real life or are drawing Inuit characters who canonically have tunniit, please do not remove them. They are a vital part of our identity, and if an Inuk made that character have tunniit, those meanings probably hold significance to both the character and the creator. Removing them takes away all of that.

I don’t expect artists to go back and delete any artwork depicting Kardala with tunniit. Nor do I expect artists to stop drawing her with tunniit, since I haven’t seen many artists drawing her this year to begin with lol. But I sincerely hope this post allows people to think about their decisions in drawing Inuit characters in the future, and to remember that the racism in TAZ wasn’t just spread by the McElroys alone.

Thank you for reading, and please take this as a teaching moment to bring with you in the future.

[vvanite]

The Wiggenstaff Brothers

[dramatic-audio]

[ID: art of Hieronymous and Higglemas Wiggenstaff, from TAZ Graduation. They are both older Cambodian elf men with brown skin and greying black hair. Higglemas is on the left. He’s slightly taller, and he has short greying-black hair and a short salt-and-pepper beard. There is a long scar across his forehead up into his hairline. He’s wearing gold-framed glasses and a red and green cloak, which he is pulling over his front. Hieronymous is on the right. He’s a burly man wearing green, red, gold, and silver armor. He has long, straight, mostly grey hair that is loose down his back, and a short white beard. He has a scar stretching from one nostril across his lips down to his chin. He’s holding a large sword over one shoulder. They’re both looking toward the viewer with tired, wary expressions. End ID]

[sk-ench]

drew a lucretia >:))

idk i feel like i dont see her with longer hair often and i thought she’d look dope with some ombre braids so yeah!

[Image Description: A traditional drawing of Lucretia from The Adventure Zone: Balance from the waist up. She is drawn with markers and pen liner on white paper. She faces to the left at a 3/4 angle, holding her staff to her side with her right hand, her left arm at her side. She is a middle aged human with warm toned medium brown skin, and slight wrinkles around her eyes, nose and mouth. She has white hair that is styled into box braids that ombre into a light purple just below her ears. The braids reach just past her shoulders. At her roots, her edges are styled in a couple of neat curls. She wears a baby blue high collared undershirt underneath a turquoise vest with yellow accents at the neck and arm holes. Her staff is light yellow and wooden, with a blue gem floating in the center of a ring of wood at the top. End Description.]

[transformersweatpants]

Might I request...... a Lucretia to heal the soul....?

Hell yeah! Wanted to mix it up a little with a fun exploring fit and a hoodie

[journalofimprobablethings]

[ID: Two watercolor drawings of Lucretia, a human woman with dark brown skin and short, white, textured hair. The first image is a portrait from the knees up. Lucretia is wearing a dark blue, knee-length jumpsuit with elbow-length sleeves and a border of pink and blue wildflowers on the legs, along with a wide yellow belt. She has a light blue sash tucked into the belt and draped across her shoulder like a toga. The second image is a bust portrait of Lucretia wearing a yellow hoodie and a dark blue shirt. She is looking at the viewer and smiling slightly. End ID]

[vvanite]

[Image ID: a digital drawing of Fitzroy, Argo and the Firbolg from The Adventure Zone Graduation as humans. They are standing together, holding boba and other various items with a blue to orange sky gradient as the background. At the left stands Fitzroy Maplecourt, a light skinned Korean buff man with black straight short to medium length hair and black glasses. He wears a black hoodie and jeans with a red plaid coat over it along with cross earrings, a gold chain necklace, a black ring on his right middle finger and a gray backpack. He is holding a pearl milk tea drink and with his right hand, he is showing his black phone to the other two. At the middle stand Argo Keene. a brown skinned Puerto Rican-Chinese man with vitiligo so he has light skinned skin patches along his face, hands and belly. He has a shag black medium length hair and facial hair along his jawline. He is wearing a beige hat, dark blue jacket with a black crossbody bag, gray crop top and black sweatpants. He is looking at fitzroy’s phone while drinking a strawberry lemonade tea drink and grabbing a piece of an egg waffle from the Firbolg. At the right stands the Firbolg, a White-Taiwanese fat man with long black hair and an undercut on his left side of his head and facial hair along his jawline. He is wearing a green wool coat with a red v-neck sweater and beige pants along with a black backpack on his back, a DSLR camera strapped across his chest and a jade buddha necklace. He is holding an earl gray milk tea drink while handing out an egg waffle to Argo. End ID.]

Modern Human AU where the thundermen just chill and get boba after class.

[starrysunglasses]

[Start I.D. A digital painting of Aubrey Little.  She is facing us with a small smile, and tears in her eyes.  She is wearing a fishnet top with a flannel and jean jacket over it, though we can only see her from the shoulders up.  Her hair is curly and shaved on the sides, with the top died red, orange, and yellow, like fire.  She has two gold earrings on the top of her left ear, and also hanging earrings in both ears with a red ruby on the end.  She also has a gold nose ring.  Her right eye is orange, and her left is brown.  Behind her, orange sparks fly in front of a dark background, and a warm orange glow illuminates her features. End I.D.]

“Aubrey, when was the last time someone asked you what you wanted?”

Sylvain, TAZ: Amnesty, Episode 35, Her Name Reverberates Through the Hollow Heart of the World

[vvanite]

[Image ID: A full color digital painting of Rainer Michelle from The Adventure Zone Graduation podcast. She is a light skinned fat korean woman with a short blonde bob haircut with black roots and dark brown eyes. Her face is neutral with her mouth opened a little to show teeth. She is looking at the audience. She wears a large beige sun hat with white sheer drapes that fall over her head and shoulders. She wears a light pink off the shoulder long sleeved dress that has patches of leaves and flowers on the edges of the top and around the ends of her sleeves. Her dress has patterns of flowers. The flowers show in different colors of red, yellow, orange and blue. She is sitting on a chair that is covered with bushes of leaves that surround her. The background behind her is a light blue sky with white clouds. End ID.]

Pretty dress for pretty lady :>

[kirbybot]

i wanted to pin down a julia design so!!!!! obligatory jules carrying magnus like a Wittle Babey post

ko-fi! | commissions! 

[aurorashard]

[Begin id: a digital drawing of Magnus Burnsides and Julia Burnsides. Julia is a tan woman with long, wavy black hair wearing a red shirt and overalls. She has a yellow flower-patterned ribbon in her hair and is smiling. She is holding Magnus in her arms in the bridal carry style. Magnus is a dark skinned man with battle scars all over his body, and he looks surprised, as if Julia had swept him off his feet. He is blushing. He has wavy brown hair, think sideburns, and a short beard covering the bottom of his face. He is wearing a white tank top and scuffed jeans, and he has a red plaid flannel shirt tied around his waist. End id.]

[vvanite]

[Image ID: A full color digital painting of Rainer Michelle from The Adventure Zone Graduation podcast. She is a light skinned fat korean woman with a short blonde bob haircut with black roots and dark brown eyes. Her face is neutral with her mouth opened a little to show teeth. She is looking at the audience. She wears a large beige sun hat with white sheer drapes that fall over her head and shoulders. She wears a light pink off the shoulder long sleeved dress that has patches of leaves and flowers on the edges of the top and around the ends of her sleeves. Her dress has patterns of flowers. The flowers show in different colors of red, yellow, orange and blue. She is sitting on a chair that is covered with bushes of leaves that surround her. The background behind her is a light blue sky with white clouds. End ID.]

Pretty dress for pretty lady :>

[blueoceanarts]

[ID: Five digital bust drawings of a smiling Lup featuring four different blonde hair styles with dark roots. In the first half her head is shaved, her curly hair reaching almost to her chin. The second hairstyle is a short curly bob. The third is a short undercut. In the fourth drawing her hair is long and reaches past her her shoulders. The final drawing is the same as the fourth, but with brown hair instead of blonde. All drawings are on red backgrounds of various shades. End ID.]

Playing around with hairstyles I think would be fun for Lup!

[transformersweatpants]

Good morning! I think your art is lovely! I’d love to see more of Angus McDonald in your style if you feel like it. ☺️💗

I give you: boy

[transformersweatpants]

[tazpoc]

[Image description: Three watercolor paintings of Angus McDonald, a young black boy with dark, curly, undercut hair and round glasses. In the first image he is wearing a blue cap, matching vest, white shirt, and a red bowtie. He is holding up his hand and magicking a small flame. In the second image, he is wearing a grey sweater and pressing his index fingers together. In the third image, he is wearing a large, dark red winter coat, a blue scarf and gloves, and tan pants. He is holding a magnifying glass and blowing out a puff of visible air.

ID: screenshots of different tumblr tags that read: My favorite boy, boy, the bestest little boy, boy he is so good, Ah! the boy, look at this sweet boy. There is also a meme of John Mulaney doing standup, with the caption edited to say: That’s what I thought you’d say you fantastic fuckin dorks. End ID]

[vvanite]

The Adventure Zone: Balance Player Characters designs plus Lup <3

Yes, Merle’s extreme teen bible is as big as him.

[keplercryptids]

[image description: several drawings of TAZ: Balance characters on light gray backgrounds. The first is a lineup of Merle, Taako and Magnus, drawn from the chest up with “The Adventure Zone: Balance” written beneath them. The three images after this shows the same drawing, but each character on their own.

Merle is an older Filipino dwarven man with light brown skin, long straight gray hair, and a medium-length beard. He’s wearing a green striped vest over a light green tunic shirt. He’s also wearing glasses with a beaded chain connected to them. One lens of the glasses is made of a cluster of light pink flowers. He’s looking to the side with a soft smile. Taako is a broad-shouldered Mexican elven man with brown skin and shoulder length, curly, dark brown hair that’s shaved on one side. He has short facial hair along his jaw and chin and he’s wearing dark teal robes with ornate gold detailing along the hems and a matching wizard’s hat, the brim of which is adorned with delicate gold chains. He’s looking to the side with a very slight smile. Magnus is a tall, muscular Chinese man with light brown skin, short dark brown hair, a mustache and a short beard. He’s wearing a red padded tunic with leather shoulder pauldrons. He’s looking to the side with a happy smile.

The next drawing is of Lup from the chest up. She is Taako’s twin, a Mexican elven woman with long, curly, dark brown hair. She’s wearing a light orange shawl with a frilly dark blue trim over a darker orange top. There’s a pink flower with an orange center tucked behind one of her ears, and she’s smiling at the viewer.

The next drawing is a sketch of Taako, Merle and Magnus with simplified facial features to show their full outfits. In addition to the robe and matching top, Taako is wearing brown pants, brown cowboy boots with a swirly design, and he’s holding a folded dark teal frilly umbrella. In addition to the vest and shirt, Merle is wearing baggy purple pants, strappy shoes and an enormous book that’s almost as big as he is strapped to his back. Magnus is wearing a long brown skirt under the padded tunic with matching boots.

The next drawing is a chibi sketch of Merle, sitting atop the enormous opened book as he reads it and says, “The spell is here somewhere.” Someone off-screen is shouting, “Merle we are in the middle of a fucking battle!” Beneath that, Lup’s and Taako’s umbrellas are drawn. Lup’s is frilly and pink, the underside resembling the same flower that was tucked behind her ear. Taako’s is the same as above, the underside resembling a galaxy.]