RATMAN - wip - Inspiration Blog (Patreon)

Over on twitter I posted an old new album I'd just heard, rather an EP called Ratman by the metal band Risk from back in 1989. Its a short but super satisfying 19 minutes with the bulk being dedicated to the records namesake Ratman, clocking in at 10 minutes and 40 seconds, done in 4 movements: Invitation, Ratman's Delight, Rat Dance, and Delirium. And I absolutely love it.

Feeling the muse take me (after having just spent that afternoon talking to Mizar Sot for something to do with Dr. Spiral), I just had to draw Monty in the eponymous character's outfit, and so I throw together a design doll and started chipping away. Unfortunately I've been having some eye trouble since last week so whereas I'd probably stay up all night to get this done with, I need to take some drops and rest up. But that didn't mean I couldn't share some thoughts with you before I got to bed.

There are some immediate departures from the source material and my version. I tried to capture the original pose but immediately there's a clash of ideas I had to overcome. Monty is a sleepy character. He's meant to be comfy and lazy, but also happy. This is an important distinction, because while I doubt the artist who originally made the Ratman cover was approaching it from place of negativity, here in the year 2021 much of the artwork resembles the, "I'm gay and I'm tired," school of thought.

"I'm gay and I'm tired" describes this growing pessimism streak within the fandom. This speaks to the realities of our generation, wherein life is a grind weighing us down and how the world is filled with existential dread. For these types of furries, the carnal pleasure derived from cartoon animals is almost ironic, because the fleeting nature of happiness has given way to a malaise of passive aggressive nihilism served up with a side of queerness.

And I hate it.

This doesn't mean that I can't emphasize or that these very same stresses aren't weighing themselves down on me too. But there's something deep inside of me that wants to vomit when people flaunt this defeatist attitude. Something that I addressed in a picture I drew of Fru Fru a short while ago.

So naturally as I reharmonized the illustration with Monty I kept his sleepiness but reworked the pose to be cooler. The eyes no longer gazing up at nothing as if to say, "Well... I'm here" are now looking at the viewer as to say, "Here I am!" 

The big irony being that this positivity is highly reminiscent of the 80's and 90's, a time period that the "I'm gay and I'm tired" crowd nostalgically fetishes most. -- To which if there is an ultimate point to this rant is that I'm not interested in making sad art for sad people, I want to have fun!

zzzzz...