New Xykon Looks Weird

[guguma]

Hello All,

The Xykon in strip #1039, looks weird. I think Xykon with the more rectangular teeth with a black gap in his mouth looked both scarier and funnier.
This Xykon is a bit too smooth, and has a much smaller jaw with smooth little teeth which I believe is not very fitting to this character.

Well, If Rich wants him to be like this, I have no say on that of course. But personally I would like to see the old Xykon that made me say "Heh, here is my favourite, funny, bad lich again".

Just my opinion.

[dancrilis]

I get what you are saying - but I think it is merely familiarity at play.

I have been reviewing Xykon here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1039.html)(new) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0662.html)(old).

Frankly the major difference is the neck which alters the rest of it a bit - but I think I will get used to it.

For the gap and the teeth I think that is just a more 'realistic' look where the old Xykon would likely look wierd superimposed within the new art.

[skim172]

It.... kind of looks like Xykon's lower jaw is attached to his neck. And that he's got a really bad overbite.

I'm okay with the rest of the art - just rather have that jaw back in line with the upper row of teeth like in the old design.

:xykon:

Either that or give Xykon a full-on realistic mandible attaching the lower jaw to the rest of the skull.

[Kish]

He looks less attractive than he used to, but I think that may well be intentional: he's a human skeleton animated by dark magic, not a magical creature that happens to resemble a skeleton, and his exposed bones are disturbing, not just kind of unusual.

Beyond that, I do not think any part of the new art style is going to change back.

[Takver]

One Wacky Trick to enjoy old or new Xykon: You can see a tiny, angry creature where his skull is if you look at it right. His eyes are the creature's eyes, his nose hole is its mouth, the circle that's the top of his head is its entire head, and his jaw and teeth are a patterned sweater. Here is a page (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html) where old Xykon makes a full range of expressions for you to fully enjoy the tiny creature with old Xykon. With new Xykon, the different angle of his lower jaw to his upper jaw makes it look like the tiny creature is sassily angling its body.

[KillingAScarab]

It.... kind of looks like Xykon's lower jaw is attached to his neck.This was how I first interpreted it.


Either that or give Xykon a full-on realistic mandible attaching the lower jaw to the rest of the skull.I disagree with that approach. Xykon (or any skeleton so far) has had a simplified jaw and I think it would look stranger for full mandibles to come into existence.


He looks less attractive than he used to, but I think that may well be intentional: he's a human skeleton animated by dark magic, not a magical creature that happens to resemble a skeleton, and his exposed bones are disturbing, not just kind of unusual.I agree with this. Xykon looking a little more menacing, especially with that brow, is going to take some getting used to, but will probably be for the best for our villain.

[StLordeth]

Eh, I've liked all the new art.

[Gift Jeraff]

In the HQ art for the 2014 calendar and his cameo at the end of the 2015 calendar, Xykon's spine had a segmented look to represent vertebrae. I like it a bit more, as I think the one solid piece makes him look like a toy.

Also, maybe he should've been given shoes or his foot bones should've been more detailed like here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0914.html). The old stick figure style feet stick out like a sore thumb now.

Overall though I'm OK with the new look.

[Peelee]

I have to wonder how much influence Xykon walking in snow had on the decision to outline bare bones in black.

[guguma]

It.... kind of looks like Xykon's lower jaw is attached to his neck. And that he's got a really bad overbite.

I'm okay with the rest of the art - just rather have that jaw back in line with the upper row of teeth like in the old design.

:xykon:

Either that or give Xykon a full-on realistic mandible attaching the lower jaw to the rest of the skull.

Agreed, Jaw, in-line with the upper row of teeth would work great I think. I realized that it is his slanted, open lower jaw makes him look silly. Mandible would be a cool too.


One Wacky Trick to enjoy old or new Xykon: You can see a tiny, angry creature where his skull is if you look at it right. His eyes are the creature's eyes, his nose hole is its mouth, the circle that's the top of his head is its entire head, and his jaw and teeth are a patterned sweater. Here is a page (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html) where old Xykon makes a full range of expressions for you to fully enjoy the tiny creature with old Xykon. With new Xykon, the different angle of his lower jaw to his upper jaw makes it look like the tiny creature is sassily angling its body.

Wow, I see that. Hehe, it is so cute. Great observation there.

[Raphite1]

That neckbone looks super-weird.

Overall the art upgrade is awesome, but the flesh-fork hands, blue-noodle Roy, and neck-pillar Xykon are still weirding me out.

[Ted The Bug]

Yeah, the skull/neck/jaw thing is weird. I liked how his jaw never really moved - made him seem unflappable, while talking now looks kinda silly.


edit: to balance it out, I just love new Redcloak. Looks like a seriously powerful military leader.

[JustSomeGuy]

One Wacky Trick to enjoy old or new Xykon: You can see a tiny, angry creature where his skull is if you look at it right. His eyes are the creature's eyes, his nose hole is its mouth, the circle that's the top of his head is its entire head, and his jaw and teeth are a patterned sweater. Here is a page (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html) where old Xykon makes a full range of expressions for you to fully enjoy the tiny creature with old Xykon. With new Xykon, the different angle of his lower jaw to his upper jaw makes it look like the tiny creature is sassily angling its body.

New looks to me like a little stick man with two reaching arms coming out of a robot-body-neck-hatch, a la earthworm jim. Can't unsee him now though!

[littlebum2002]

His jaw actually hinges now. Before his jaw moved like a Canadian from South path

http://66.media.tumblr.com/7640c7eda1210e3c474a239c651fecc4/tumblr_nnzsvnbUzD1rlo1q2o1_1280.jpg

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I'll agree that it certain is different but I think most of the weirdness comes from being used to Xykon's approached from the previous 10+ years. Personally, I've enjoyed just about every aspect of the update so far.

[hroþila]

Dude looks scary now. I wonder how well it'll work for more comedic scenes, but I'm sure he's got the "down to business" look covered.

[Gift Jeraff]

One Wacky Trick to enjoy old or new Xykon: You can see a tiny, angry creature where his skull is if you look at it right. His eyes are the creature's eyes, his nose hole is its mouth, the circle that's the top of his head is its entire head, and his jaw and teeth are a patterned sweater. Here is a page (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html) where old Xykon makes a full range of expressions for you to fully enjoy the tiny creature with old Xykon. With new Xykon, the different angle of his lower jaw to his upper jaw makes it look like the tiny creature is sassily angling its body.

It looks like an evil Vanillite: http://img.pokemondb.net/artwork/vanillite.jpg

[Keltest]

Its definitely the neck for me. It makes the anatomy of his head look... wrong. The jaw seeming to be attached to it is the biggest thing, but there are other smaller things that put me off.

[Elkins]

One Wacky Trick to enjoy old or new Xykon

Oh dear lord. That's definitely one of those "once seen, can never again go unseen" phenomena. It's almost as bad as ducks wearing dog masks.

With new Xykon, the little creature looks as if it is folding its arms across its chest and tossing its head up in disdain.

Old Xykon's floaty South Park Canadian jaw always seemed to me to match his floaty little Adebisi crown. Now that his jaw is attached, somehow the levitating crown is even more unsettling. The visible spine is creepy too. I like the change.

[Keltest]

Curiously, Xykon still appears to only have one bone in his foot.

[StLordeth]

I really didn't notice that much of a difference, but now that you've pointed this out I can't unsee it. Though it's actually not a bad thing in my opinion, he looks quite a bit more menacing to me. Fits with the narrative of the story getting darker and darker.

But I do see what you mean.

[Ruck]

I really didn't notice that much of a difference, but now that you've pointed this out I can't unsee it. Though it's actually not a bad thing in my opinion, he looks quite a bit more menacing to me. Fits with the narrative of the story getting darker and darker.

But I do see what you mean.

Yeah, I basically agree with this. There was a discussion about it in (I think) the #1039 thread, and what stood out to me were A)the neck bone, B)the forehead now having a ridge instead of the skull being perfectly round, and C)the changes to the jaw. Definitely looks more menacing and un-natural-- the old design could make him look almost cartoonish, or at least make it easier to take his joking without remembering he's an abomination.

[Fitzclowningham]

Yeah, the neckbone and brow are really throwing me off. The new style just doesn't look like Xykon. And the rear view is just awful.

[Tanngrisnir]

I don't have a problem with how the jaw looks, but it has made me realise something I was doing subconsciously and now seems weird to me.
I always just assumed Xykon wasn't opening his mouth when speaking, because why would he? He's a skeleton, he speaks through magic, not the exhalation of air being shaped by vocal chords and lips. He has no reason to waggle his jawbone. Under the previous art style I had obviously just never paid enough attention to his teeth to notice he was opening and closing his mouth.

So I don't think the new art looks strange or funny, but it has highlighted to me that I think Xykon opening his mouth at all does look strange.

[hamishspence]

While it's another skull rather than Xykon's - this shows what skeletal characters would look like with jaws closed, open, and open wide, in the old art:


http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0469.html

[Dragonfan]

The jaw looks weird to me. Also makes me wonder how it would look like if you take his skull off.

[LuisDantas]

He is an animated skeleton. I guess I expected him to be like that once the art got sufficiently detailed.

I am slightly surprised that people are troubled by the new look.

[Bulhakov]

I really think he would look better with a full jawbone (or more precisely with the ramus part of the mandible):
http://vader.joemonster.org/upload/rvn/1531010c1706dc1xykon_jaw.png

[snowblizz]

:eek:

That makes a world of difference I'd say.

:eek:

Can we have that, please say that we can?

[Grey Watcher]

Put me in the camp of "he looks more badass now", with a side order of "Blood Runs in the Family" Xykon would look weird next to "Blood Runs through the Menu"* Redcloak, Roy, etc.

On the subject of the jawbone: Without drawing the socket that is the other half of the hinge, I can see where drawing the interaction between the skull proper and the jawbone might be weird and more time consuming that it's worth.

As for the solid spine, I think that drawing the individual segments would just be visually distracting and wouldn't read clearly on this scale.

But that's just my 2 cp.

*Working title only.

[Peelee]

I, too, think the new Xykon looks more fearsome (after the initial "getting used to it" period), but I also think the full jawbone looks better. Shame that's not the route the Giant decided to go.

[Gift Jeraff]

Also, maybe he should've been given shoes or his foot bones should've been more detailed like here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0914.html). The old stick figure style feet stick out like a sore thumb now.

Well, that's that.

[TurboGhast]

I just noticed something in the last half of #1040 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1040.html). Before going into the door, Xykon's feet are bare. After the few hours later panel, there's a material that appears to be cloth covering his feet. I would be okay with this cloth covering becoming permanent.

[dancrilis]

I just noticed something in the last half of #1040 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1040.html). Before going into the door, Xykon's feet are bare. After the few hours later panel, there's a material that appears to be cloth covering his feet. I would be okay with this cloth covering becoming a permanent.

I think that is likely - I think he looks a bit wierd flying without feet, but might also look wierd with them handing out - with shoes that might not be an issue.

[Psyren]

I really think he would look better with a full jawbone (or more precisely with the ramus part of the mandible):

I kinda like that one better but not enough to really request it if the Giant doesn't feel like doing it. Put me down in the "meh" camp?

[Whelk]

I think Xykon looks awesome. The thing that took me a long time to get used to was the "fleshy" appendages when the big art upgrade first happened, but now I like the look. I figure this'll be about the same for people that are having first-moment uneasiness with the new Xykon.

[Yendor]

I just noticed something in the last half of #1040 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1040.html). Before going into the door, Xykon's feet are bare. After the few hours later panel, there's a material that appears to be cloth covering his feet. I would be okay with this cloth covering becoming a permanent.

It's the same sort of thing that made me notice Vaarsuvius' shoes: I was drawing figures in the new style, and noticed the bare feet look really weird.

It's sort of a classic that many artists have difficulty drawing feet. Even with stick figures, you can't win.

Xykon's new skull does look much more sinister to me.