ThaBenMan @thabenman - Tumblr Blog

I’m relief printing up a storm! No collection has the same set of specimens. There are a couple pieces for sale on katarinanavane.etsy.com but All of these are for sale on request. Or if you’d like a particular set of specimens let me know!

thabenman

Cooool

orphanblackzone

WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!

In association with HarperCollins, Orphan Black Zone will be giving away 3 copies of Harper Design’s new book ‘Orphan Black Classified Clone Reports’, the ultimate guide to all of the characters, conspiracies, and shadowy organizations in Orphan Black.

About the book

Designed to resemble the classified files and notes of Dr. Delphine Cormier, this in-world compendium chronicles the inner workings of the mysterious people and organizations at the heart of the show. It’s packed with exclusive concept art, photos, and intriguing removable inserts and ephemera.

About the giveaway

US only.

3 winners!

Reblog (as many times as you want) to enter.

Likes don’t count, only reblogs.

Winners will be randomly selected on August 12 (right after the series finale).

You can also PRE-ORDER, to give it as a present to a fellow CC member or to ensure your own copy if you’re not selected in the giveaway. Good luck!

thabenman

Awesome, thank you!

archiveconfetti

HEYYOOOO EVERYBODY! as i’m sure you’re all aware, Orphan Black is coming to a close in a few weeks. (& if you’re not aware… hoo boy. i have some news for you.) anyway, to celebrate five awesome years of this show & four awesome years of me being in the fandom, i’m hosting a SUPER FANTASTIC & WONDERFUL ORPHAN BLACK THEMED ART COMMISSION GIVEAWAY! here’s how it works…

the winner gets… a fully coloured & shaded (no background) piece featuring a maximum of two characters of their choice from the show. the request can be as creative as you like, as long as it follows my Commission Standards.

only reblogs count (no likes, sorry folks!) multiple reblogs DO count for multiple entries, but be kind to your followers please haha

must be following me! you can check out my art tag here!

the giveaway ends August 11th 2017 at 7PM EDT & the winner is chosen using a random number generator. the winner will be notified shortly after! if i don’t hear back within 24 hours, another winner will be picked!

your askbox MUST be open so i have a way to contact you. the message system is preferable but either works.

depending on how many notes this gets & how i’m feeling, there will be between 1-3 winners chosen. i’ll keep ya posted!

didn’t get chosen but still want art? COMMISSION ME! i gotta pay for those college textbooks, yo.

good luck Clone Club!!

thabenman

Niiiice!

sharkodactyl

diptych, noun:

1. a 2-leaved hinged tablet folding together to protect writing on its waxed surfaces 2. a picture or series of pictures (such as an altarpiece) painted or carved on two hinged tablets 3. a work made up of two matching parts

thabenman

Love it!

thabenman

So @sharkodactyl and @orphanbeige since you two have acquired Rachel’s Murder Smock and Rachel’s Murder Cane, respectively, I can’t help but feel like you two have become guardians of the artifacts of a dark god or demon, hiding them away in far-flung corners of the earth, for if they are reunited She can once again take physical form on this plane and usher in the end of days. I know that no amount of thanks can ease such a burden, but the world thanks you nonetheless.

orphanbeige-deactivated20180110

@sharkodactyl LET’S BRING StABBY RACHEL BACK TO LIFE WE HAVE THE POWER

sharkodactyl

we can make her…stronger…faster…sharper…we have the technology

orphanbeige-deactivated20180110

look, all we need is some hourglass lipstick in icon red, a mutual disdain for old crusty men and we’re there. i mean maybe we need some knives, but… eh. where are the knives???

all i’m saying is that together we can dO THIS. it is time to be brave. it is time to sacrifice.

we here shall DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN FIRST

thabenman

I hope you realize that Rachel will bring the end of days by stabbing everyone on the planet - and you two will probably be first since you're just right there. At least make sure the knives are sharp.

#sharkodactyl #orphanbeige #Orphan Black #ob props #but...#where is Her Murder Wig??

comicgirl21

Possibly the most accurate Orphan Black tweet to date.

thabenman

Apparently this has kind of gone viral, heheh 😄

ob-fans

Why Cophine Deserve A Love Scene

Hey guys - so on the back of Paleyfest and some comments made there, plus some discussions we’ve had on here in the past, I decided to put my thoughts together on the subject of sexuality shown between same sex vs opposite sex couples.

One of the many things I appreciate and enjoy about Orphan Black is the LGBT representation, particularly the queer female presence. To have a bisexual lead and a lesbian supporting character (who is also in a relationship, for the large part) where the issues they face are not all about their sexuality is wonderfully refreshing. Cosima is unapologetically lesbian, Sarah is comfortably label free, and Delphine finds her place on the queer spectrum with little dilemma. The stories and the dramas the characters face throughout the show (both within relationships and without) never centre around the character’s sexuality itself - something the show rightly deserves praise for.

There is no doubt in my mind, however, that some discrepancies between the representation of queer and straight sexuality remain. Sex and intimacy is the most apparent. We have seen Sarah and Paul have rampant sex on the kitchen counter, in the shower, and beyond. We have seen Rachel sexually dominate Paul in a gratuitously uncomfortable fashion. Donnie and Alison have sex on the freezer, vigorous sex in bed, and Donnie masturbates loudly into a cup. In addition to this, we have also seen many examples of heterosexual partial and full nudity in the show – Donnie’s butt during the freezer scene, Donnie and Alison during the infamous twerking scene, Sarah and Paul in bed, Sarah and Cal pre-love making and then later in bed etc.

When we look at how same-sex sexuality/intimacy has been shown, there are far fewer examples. Sarah does kiss a girl in a club during Season 4, and whilst it’s implied they have sex, it isn’t shown (and again, it is problematic that her sexuality was used to depict her spiralling out of control in that scene). Felix and Colin get interrupted pre-coitus (and Felix has never had a sex scene either, it’s important to note). Then we come to Cophine. Cophine have been shown in their bras and underwear on one occasion only and that was supposed to be post sex.

To some, this was potentially rather a disappointing attempt to not offend audiences or draw criticism from networks. Surely, they could have implied them to be nude, but be covered by the sheets, thus not needing to break ethical guidelines? After all this was how other scenes between heterosexual pairings were handled. Yes there was an emotional scene at the end of Season 4 which showed their intimacy and love (without the sexual element) beautifully and I do not wish to dismiss that - but while wonderful to see after such a long absence for Delphine, it does not negate the need for a well done and intimate love scene and the audience still want one.

The creators and actors have continually pushed the message that showing Cophine in a sexual context would be to put them “on show for the male gaze”; but the potential message there is two-fold; both that showing lesbian sex on TV is by default gratuitous because it is provocative, and that they as a show believe it’s impossible for them to portray it in such a way that will not appear lewd when broadcast. I think they are doing themselves and the LGBT community a disservice here while also perpetuating a double standard. For, if showing nudity or impmying sexual intimacy between two women undermines the sincerity of their relationship, what were they trying to achieve with Shaysima? It seems either they didn’t mind because it helped to contrast their relationship with Cophine, (the focus of whose relationship they wished to remain intellectual and emotional;) or that they backtracked on/suspended their original statement re male gaze, showing them sexually intimate in the hopes of enticing LGBT fans to move onto Shaysima, as if that was the key to winning fans over.

Further arguments against a love scene are things like Cophine “are not a consistent couple,” and so they do not require a love scene. However, when has that ever been a factor in two people having sex? Sarah has spent the majority of her time NOT in a relationship and yet she has had by the far the most sex on the show. Another justification used is that “the show isn’t all about relationships”. Agreed, it is not ALL about relationships, but this is a drama we are watching, not a documentary, and human relationships are intrinsic to that. While it may not be everyone’s reason, it is still a legitimate reason to watch, especially for the LGBT community, who get so little representation as it is, and that is without acknowledging that OB has repeatedly stated its intention to portray LGBT positive stories.

Further to this, yes some of the sex in the show is not used to display intimacy or romance, sometimes it’s used for comedic purposes or for power and manipulation - I get that, but it doesn’t change the overall picture – straight couples get to have sex and LGBT ones do not. People often list a multitude of plot points as reasons for them not having had the opportunity to have sex, as if the plot writes itself and this is all out of the writers and creators control, but as a work of fiction, 90% of what we see on screen is pre planned and written well before it gets to filming, and if they wanted to create these opportunities, they could.

One thing that needs to be made clear is that we as fans do not need to see actual nudity. We do not desire constant gratuitous sex without plot. We do not want to see “Cophine in bed all the time – and [we’ll] be happy,” as was once suggested. What we want to see is equality. The LGBT community deserves that. If all we wanted was sex we would not have suffered along with this angsty pairing for 4 years, through their ups and downs, distrust, misunderstandings, separation, break-up, Delphine’s shooting and disappearance, and Cosima’s near death experiences. Evelyne Brochu has said of Cophine “there’s this combination of physical and intellectual attraction, and when you have both you can go a long way” but yet we have not really been allowed to see that physical side.

The show continuously emphasises its equal and non-preferential treatment of the LGBT by choosing “bold” storylines, which unfortunately has often put them in life threatening situations. To truly follow through with this endeavour, it needs to apply in all circumstances. If they can happily level the playing field, and allow “anyone to die” on this show, then why can’t anyone have sex? Allowing them to be sexual with each other, if done in a respectful way, is a valid and necessary element to their love story. It’s about allowing them the same rights and depth as straight relationships. They state it has “the same weight as a straight relationship” but if they have the same weight, they should be allowed the same expressions of love. Equal treatment is the same treatment, not treating them differently. Treating them fairly and respectfully doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive of treating them the same. They can do both. To quote others in the community, “When you treat something differently, you are saying it IS different” and “If we don’t start to treat these scenes as the same, then they’ll never be seen as the same”.

Having said all of the above, I want to reiterate how great I think Orphan Black is. I really do. I wouldn’t still be watching 5 years later, much less constructing my thoughts in such a way, if I didn’t feel this so strongly. I do not wish to ignore the progression the show has offered in terms of LGBT representation, or the positive role it’s played in my life, as I know it has in many others. But just because we love a show, doesn’t mean we can’t expect it to uphold the highest standards of representation for our community. In fact, I think that is exactly what we SHOULD be expecting, since Orphan Black has knowingly marketed itself as an LGBT-positive show.

Sadly however, even amongst the LGBT community, I often see the subtly internalised homophobic idea that “we should be happy with what we have, don’t be ungrateful.” I would like to think that the creators, if they read this, will see this as the fans going “we love this show and we think you’ve done a great job, but here’s our feedback.” That is certainly my perspective – I loved the reunion scene at the end of Season 4, and considering Graeme has described Cophine as the most important romantic couple on the show, I am hoping for good things in Season 5.

We love the show and we admire and encourage its commitment to showing positive LGBT representation. So trust your stories, Orphan Black and continue to push boundaries – your audience will reward you for it.

thabenman

Some great points here - let's get Cophine the portrayal they deserve!

@c-estmabiologie is this you? haha

#ghosts #haunting #comics

Natalie Bethune shared a video

Nice, can’t wait to try it! @katsadako @sharkodactyl @c-estmabiologie @phantomspacecop @modelcitizenthespian have you all heard of this??

#Orphan Black #video games #mobile games

soldatka-deactivated20190308

a compilation of helena’s hats

orphanblack

soldatka:

beth beanie. perfect for when ur an assassin but also want the hipster look. 10/10

knit camping hat. protects ur ears from cold and bugs. 10/10

jesse towing hat. cute n provides sun protection but also came from a sweaty boy’s head. 9/10

castor prisoner hat. 4 when ur being taken prisoner by the military but ur ears gotta stay warm. deductions for the military prisoner part since it too probably came from a sweaty boy soldier. 7/10

The Cowboy Hat™. a Look. all fashion can retire. 14/10

the suburban fur hat thing u found in ur сестра’s car. good for ear warmth but ugly. good for deceiving the Portuguese mob into thinking u are ur clone. 8/10

the Hat Made Out of a ****ing Fox. v badass but probably smells. 9/10

T H E Ushanka: a ****ing Look that will never again be matched. excellent for doing things in the woods. whatever those things may be. ukrainian patriotic bonus points. 20/10

thabenman

Bahaha @sharkodactyl

peradii-deactivated20190308

Okay, so here I am, an innocent lurker, having just found this blog, when I see: "what if the skywalkers were cthulu-type monsters." excuse me??? please elaborate you just wrote that and nothing else im dying ex p la i n y o ur s el f

The Force is everything that ever was and ever will be, every storm and every silence, the hunting krayk dragon and cowering bantha calf: it is huge, all-consuming, completely inhuman. How, then, could its children be anything short of monstrous? (Wonders, yes. But monsters all the same.)

Anakin Skywalker is boy-shaped, but Obi Wan cannot bear to look at him.

A clarification: he can look at him with his human eyes; but he must clamp down the extra eyes his Force-sensitivity gives him, because when he doesn’t – well. The first time he met the boy he hadn’t closed those eyes; he’d open them, wide and curious and seen –

teeth and claws and roiling shadows, a slipslide of features and starfire, the white blur of warpspeed and it hurts –

Anakin Skywalker is the son of the Force, half human and half something extraordinary. There’s a reason the Jedi don’t like him, why Yoda mistrusts him; they all have to close their extra eyes around him; and even when they’re white-knuckled with effort, clamping down so the Force can’t so much as whisper to them (and that hurts Jedi, of course it does, it runs counter to all their training about opening up and trusting in the Force) and even then they still feel the velvet quiver of unseen limbs over their skin.

And more. And worse. When he is angry – which is often – his shadow warps into something awful, and even the least Force-sensitive being quails at the profound wrongness of the sight. His features warp and melt, teeth spiralling out from his pupils, his mouth cracks open wide, his tongue growing scales and feathers and catching fire and he smiles, oh how he smiles and –

nothing like him should exist and

and you blink, lose the moment, he’s just a young man glowering at you, and his shadow is the same, but the memory of that horror is seared into the back of your brain.

It is no surprise that Padme dies in childbed.

The first child’s cry makes Obi Wan’s bones rattle. It – you could not call it anything but an it – is a twisting, squirming mess of light and dark. There’s a wing, a thorned branch: you cannot focus on it. You cannot pin a shape to it. Obi Wan wants to run away, run and never look back. But the Med Droid is offering it to him; and it is a child, of a sort; and Obi Wan takes it, and it coalesces into a soft pink baby girl. He places it – her – against Padme’s white breast. Padme cradles it. “She’s beautiful.”

The second is just the same: pushed out like any human baby, but a roling mess of lightening and thick syrupy cloud, one moment tentacled and the next furred, pure power condensed. Obi Wan takes it in his arms and it solidifies into another fat baby, small and squalling.

He’s not like the other babies, Luke Skywalker. He’s a funny one. When he smiles, you have the sudden absurd impulse that he’s got too many teeth for his face. His hair is corn-gold, but when you see it out of the corner of your eye you swear that it isn’t hair at all, but fire and teeth. Looking at him too long is like staring into the sun.

The other children are scared of him, Behu says to Owen, once. And Owen says: children always know. And Behu says: he isn’t a bad kid. Owen says: he’s a wonder. And that’s the problem.

Jabba’s goons go to the Lars farm to collect water once. Only once. They return to Jabba’s palace gibbering nonsense, with their eyes burned out. Both mumble something about there’s something wrong with the boy and then jump into the ragnar pit.

Don’t do that again, says Owen, but he hugs his nephew all the same, pulls him close, kisses his temple. He feels something hot-cold run over his spine, like something far larger than the child is trying to embrace him back. That night, Behu runs her fingers over the new white scartissue on her husband’s back, and says, he’s a good kid. Owen says, I know.

If I was there I could have saved them, Luke says to Ben Kenobi, years later, and in that moment he has a thousand thousand eyes and all of them are burning, and he has no limbs but a dozen wings bearing him aloft, and each feather is molten gold and each feather drips blood. Ben thinks of Anakin, screws his Force-sensitivity closed. Luke is a monster. A wonder. But first and foremost he is a boy, and he is grieving.

Ben Kenobi holds him while he weeps.

When Leia comes, she turns into a celestial horror with more teeth than Han cares to count. “Huh,” he says, after their first time. She’s so little in his arms, but so vast. He feels something gentle his back. He says, “Next time, I’ll wear a blindfold, princess. Don’t want to blind me, do you? Then I won’t be able to see when you’re doing stupid shit.” She titters, presses her face into the curve of his neck.

Love comes to everyone, including monsters.