CURIOUS

[simmysim.livejournal.com]

I made the following for a friend, to help clear her mind of bad art. It got me curious. The art is different for every arc, so we get a different Tony and a different Steve every few issues, but most people who read fic, or even just think about characters while they aren't reading comics, have a picture in their head that is their own representation of the character.



alright I decided to change them to links since they're stretching the screen and I hate that :||

Tony in my head collage. I thought I preferred Tony with a more long/lanky/angular look but uh lol apparently not!

Steve in my head collage.

Steve didn't surprise me at all, I am very aware that I like him to look like a fucking tank. xD
I was gonna be more comprehensive but life D:



Who is Tony and who is Steve in your head? What are your favorite looks? There are so many different variations of these guys, I'm really curious to see what some of you picture when you write and read!

Comments

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

Personal bias, yes, but it still rings true with me. I can just see him in a couple pics on the collage saying, "D'uhh, where to, Boss?".


*LOL* It's because of all The Lennys stereotypes from ohhh shit what was that book. OF Mice and Men. I totally get where you are coming form =P

For me it's mostly aesthetics. The muscles get too big and I start getting kinda crossed out. Like Young Arnold as Mr Universe total squick for me ^^;;;

[neptunedream.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. Lots of muscles are gross. Prolly because I have a violent reaction of illness when I see bulging veins.

[helva2260.livejournal.com]

Thank god I'm not alone in this. I get squicked out by bodybuilders too! You get all sorts of people talking about how amazing guys look when they're like, totally ripped, and their veins are popping out... but I just can't help feeling they're going to pop at any moment like an overinflated balloon. And when their muscles are *really* defined, it just looks like some kind of anatomical drawing, or worse, like they've been skinned.

Consequently, when Steve turns up drawn with a huge jaw, no neck and more muscle than a polar bear, it just leaves me cold. :-\ I mean, he's not just a powerhouse, he's agile too, and there is a point where the bulk of the body starts getting in the way of flexibility...

[simmysim.livejournal.com]

Hmmmnmgfd I feel compelled to say some things in defense of the larger Steves I've posted here lol

the reason why I love that rendition so much is the artist obviously actually went out and researched strength training.

What you're describing is muscle toning, which is what body builders do, and leaves them looking like skeletons with muscles, and is very much all show, very little strength and =/= strength training. Strength training has a very different regimen, with very different goals, and is what I believe Steve's work out would be more like. (Muscle toning is essentially just the human equivalent of a dog show, you are grooming your body for show, they go into work outs thinking "how can I make my arms more pronounced?" whereas strength training is "how will I be able to lift more?") It makes the body solid and almost, to the untrained eye, overweight looking, but is really anything but. It does not leave the body muscle bound and unable to bend in any way, unless you're incredibly lazy in your work outs, which Steve obviously would not be.

I mean I totally understand, comics are fantasy and everyone has their own preference, but :C this is not a body builder body (http://i40.tinypic.com/t8b7kz.png), it is just 100% strength and health.

[helva2260.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're right it is just strength and health with the ones you've posted. I think I was partly thinking of the Rob Leifield(?) drawings, which are fairly, um, extreme *g*. But still, the bulkier end of things just does nothing for me (maybe it just makes me feel small!), and the way people write Steve in this comm make me want to be physically attracted as well as mentally attracted, so my mental image of him tends to not go much bigger than a football player sort of build.

"Strength training... does not leave the body muscle bound and unable to bend in any way, unless you're incredibly lazy in your work outs, which Steve obviously would not be." Ah, OK, that makes a lot of sense - and yes, there's no way Steve would get lazy in his workouts *pats him fondly*. I have no knowledge of strength training - my instincts and knowledge are geared towards swimming and ballet, endurance and flexibility. And I wasn't thinking he was overweight, or that tendon shortening or stiffness of muscle might get in the way of Steve's agility, simply that muscle bulk takes up space and, for example, diameter of thigh + depth of chest might make it less likely that Steve can touch his toes, or tuck into a forward roll or something. Arrgh, I'm not explaining this very well.

I suppose for me it boils down to the fact that we mould our bodies in size and shape to do what we want, choosing between speed and endurance, strength and flexibility, and it seems that since Steve's body's designed to be the best balance possible, excelling in all things, it would make sense for it not to appear to be a too specialised body type...

[onewayfreak.livejournal.com]

LIEFELD'S IDEA OF MUSCLES IS CLUSTERS OF LUMPY TUMOR-LIKE GROWTHS AROUND A BONE

... No one should use Liefeld's horrific Steve as an example. We should all just pretend he doesn't exist.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I think I was partly thinking of the Rob Leifield(?) drawings, which are fairly, um, extreme *g*.

LIEEEFEEEEEEEEELD! <Kirk&/gt;

Um, sorry, Pavlovian response there. (His Cap America drawing makes me want to claw my eyes out. D: )

[helva2260.livejournal.com]

*grin* Liefeld's drawings of anyone make me want to claw my eyes out. On first appearance they seem to be merely pretty damn ugly. Then you realise they don't work anatomically...

And I also don't like his habit of drawing the costumes as though they're painted on - fabric has actual thickness and it drapes over muscles/other bulges, it doesn't mould to each and every crevice like a vacuum-packed joint of meat!