Author Topic: Story behind your avatar? (Read 123106 times)

Planish · **on:** October 08, 2007, 10:51:55 PM

I see a lot of intriguing images used for avatars, and am curious as to where some of them come from, or if they signify anything.

Fer starters, I'll say that mine was lifted from an old print advertisement, found on Ad*Access.

I just thought he looked kinda' creepy, and almost robot-like. I flipped it horizontally because it would be appearing along the left side of the window, and it's better to have people facing the centre rather than outward.

Users I'd like to hear from:
Bdoomed
Rigger
Mr. Tweedy
Jim
palimpsest - I can't quite read the image. Somebody with a violin?
Leon_Kensington - looks almost like Zorro?
Russel Nash - let me guess, an actual pile of cars on a spike? From an auto salvage yard?
robertmarkbram - a logotype?
goatkeeper - Squids and whales?
fiveyearwinter
slic - looks familiar, can't quite place it.

Russell Nash · **Reply #1 on:** October 09, 2007, 06:45:14 AM

I actually switch my avatar quite often. All of the pics have been images I shot with my new camera. Except for the cars on the spike. I got this image from a story on NPR. It's an art instalation (Spindle by Dustin Shuler) in a mall parking lot. It is a large spike with real cars on it. It was shown in the first Wayne's World movie when they were driving around singing to Queen. The mall wants to put in a new Walgreens there and it is about to be/was just torn down.

I'll probably be changing my avatar again soon.

Edit: Added picture and links.

sirana · **Reply #2 on:** October 09, 2007, 10:16:40 AM

Mickey Rourke as Marv from Sin City

Listener · **Reply #3 on:** October 09, 2007, 12:14:01 PM

sirana: good job picking from one of the most eyecatching scenes in the film. Carla Gugino is ... well ... anyway ...

As for mine... well... I like lolcats... my first one, "It's Dangerous to Go Alone; Here, Take This" was from the Legend of Zelda. However, my current one is from Serenity. That cat is pretty Mal-looking.

Chodon · **Reply #4 on:** October 09, 2007, 04:01:04 PM

It's a photo I took of one of my rifles. I suppose there isn't much creativity to it, but I'm a big fan of responsible gun ownership and I'm interested in target shooting. I detest the term gun-nut because firearms ownership is so much more than that. It's a right and a responsibility all rolled into one.

Plus it keeps the King of England out of us US citizen's faces!

Full size:

Heradel · **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2007, 06:38:20 PM

Quote from: Chodon on October 09, 2007, 04:01:04 PM

It's a photo I took of one of my rifles. I suppose there isn't much creativity to it, but I'm a big fan of responsible gun ownership and I'm interested in target shooting. I detest the term gun-nut because firearms ownership is so much more than that. It's a right and a responsibility all rolled into one.

Plus it keeps the King of England out of us US citizen's faces!

I did a lot of target shooting in high school (.22's and air rifles), though I haven't been able to keep it up up here (NYC is, for good reasons, locked down pretty tight in the gun department). I miss how relaxing it was.

Anyway, mine's a negative of my eye I took while playing around with my cell's camera (an avatar image is about as much as that 640x480 sensor can do). So if it's really killing you what my eye looked like when I was 16ish, you could invert it in Photoshop to find out.

Alasdair5000 · **Reply #6 on:** October 10, 2007, 08:00:20 AM

Although it's not clear in the avatar, I'm wearing a very thick, very blue chord shirt in that photo (Which, oddly enough I'm wearing today. Freaky.). What's also not clear in that shot is I'm actually a fairly big guy. I apparently have my grandfather's build and as a result am 6'1, broad-shouldered and chunky with it.
So, I'm walking down the street one day, wearing said shirt and pass one of my neighbours and their little girl. Who looks up at me, smiles and says 'Monster!'

Two things happen straight away: Firstly her mother turns bright red and explains that she's just seen Monsters Inc and that she's really sorry. Secondly, in between breaking up in hysterics I assure her it's fine, that it's a MASSIVE compliment and that I know exactly what her daughter means.

I'm still laughing ten minutes later having gone to the local corner shop and come back.

Therefore, it seemed to make sense to take a photo of me and Sully. Which, incidentally, is also used as my Facebook shot and has led to a flurry of 'Nice photo Al but who's the git in the blue shirt next to you?' comments:)

Russell Nash · **Reply #7 on:** October 10, 2007, 06:45:30 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on October 09, 2007, 06:45:14 AM

I actually switch my avatar quite often.

I'm going to be obnoxious now. Here are the other avatars I have used this year:

Planish · **Reply #8 on:** October 11, 2007, 01:57:56 AM

The avatar I use on the Armour Archives is the heraldic device I use for SCA activities:

"Gules, between four pellets fimbriated Or a saltire sable fimbriated Or"

Quote from: Alasdair5000 on October 10, 2007, 08:00:20 AM

... Therefore, it seemed to make sense to take a photo of me and Sully. Which, incidentally, is also used as my Facebook shot and has led to a flurry of 'Nice photo Al but who's the git in the blue shirt next to you?' comments:)

*spit take*

Quote

Mickey Rourke as Marv from Sin City

I loved that business with the seemingly fluorescent bandaids all over his face.
Pity you didn't get a shot with Carla from a bit earlier, but I guess this is a Family show.

More requests:
mummifiedstalin - Any particular connection to that photo? I recognised Sir Philip Sidney because I've been thinking of attempting to make a gorget like that some day. Looks like polished blackened steel with either gilding or "latten" decoration. I haven't figured if the back is supposed to be solid nor whether it opens up in the front or at the side.

raygunray - did you used to have an alien head with a wierd-looking hat, like something from a pulp magazine cover?

raygunray · **Reply #9 on:** October 11, 2007, 02:09:23 AM

Mine is a just a logo for my podcast. That is me wearing fooling around at the JFK Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Me putting on a silly hat and getting my wife to take my picture is a road trip tradition. I don't photograph well because I'm so white I throw off the white balance on cameras.

BrandtPileggi · **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2007, 02:50:23 AM

Make your day a happy fun day by checking out where I got mine.

http://thisisanton.deviantart.com/art/150-Cartoon-Friends-38678516

My friend decided to put me in and it's now my default avatar for-EVAR!

Jim · **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2007, 04:41:36 AM

My avatar, the one of my face looking like a halftone, is just a Photo Booth shot on my MacBook with the "Comic Book" filter on, and strategically cropped. Very strategically.

swdragoon · **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2007, 05:21:41 AM

I like axes

Bdoomed · **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2007, 08:04:10 AM

i drew mine!
twas in m' old sketchbook (gotta redraw it in my new one)

i drew it after goin through the gallery of Revrendwyrm who is on a forum for a game.
http://forums2.battleon.com/f/tm.asp?m=8117031 if ya wanna see his stuff, i looove it!
anyways it kinda inspired me to do the drawing. if ya see the pic in its full size, its a fallen angel. Its wings are ripped, its halo is lying on the ground by its feet, and its got two lil nubs for horns slowly growing.

my old avatar (the lil moose) is from an old tv show, Invader Zim. that show has largely defined/influenced/developed my sense of humor, art, philosophies, etc.

DDog · **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2007, 11:25:32 PM

This thread has reminded me that I needed an avatar, so mine's an Arrogant Worms song.

Planish · **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2007, 03:05:46 AM

Quote from: DDog on October 14, 2007, 11:25:32 PM

This thread has reminded me that I needed an avatar, so mine's an Arrogant Worms song.

Quote from: the Worms

Passing the time by ending childrens lives
Down in the bottom of the swamp, swamp, swamp

They were a scream when I saw them in concert.

lowky · **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2007, 05:47:38 PM

Well I finally got off my a$$ and uploaded an avatar. It is a bindrune based on my initials. Bind runes are a combination of runes made into a larger rune, a use example is for protection. search google for protection bindrunes, you will most likely see images that you have seen before.

Darwinist · **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2007, 10:06:24 PM

I'd like to know the story behind gelee's avatar.

gelee · **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2007, 02:38:38 PM

I've used a few...
My current avatar is a picture of a sculpture by Mark Dion. He does some interesting work. This one was exhibited in the South London Gallery- www.southlondongallery.org THis is the biggest, wierdest mole I've ever seen. I'm sure I'll get bored with it in a couple weeks and look for something else.
I can't find a website for him, just a few badly out of date bios.

I've been called "The Mole" off and on since middle school because I can't see very well.

That, and I like to eat earthworms.

Darwinist · **Reply #19 on:** December 09, 2007, 04:04:57 AM

Quote from: gelee on December 06, 2007, 02:38:38 PM

THis is the biggest, wierdest mole I've ever seen. I'm sure I'll get bored with it in a couple weeks and look for something else.
I can't find a website for him, just a few badly out of date bios.

I went to google images and saw some pretty neat pictures of that mole. What a piece of work.

goatkeeper · **Reply #20 on:** December 09, 2007, 04:41:32 PM

I'm obsessed with any and all info pertaining to "Colossal Squid" findings. The photo I use for my avatar cracks me up because of the ?m
It's not that they don't know how long these big ass squid get- they just haven't invented the number yet...

DDog · **Reply #21 on:** January 16, 2008, 06:23:14 AM

Mine is refreshingly mobile in a realm of still-lifes!

It's a very short repetitive clip from the movie Spirited Away. The ススワタリ are so much fun.

Darwinist · **Reply #22 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:30:26 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on October 09, 2007, 06:45:14 AM

I actually switch my avatar quite often. All of the pics have been images I shot with my new camera. Except for the cars on the spike.

Is the lizard your picture also? It looks like the little beasts (anoles?) I see running around in Mexico and Florida US.

Russell Nash · **Reply #23 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:45:12 PM

Quote from: Darwinist on January 16, 2008, 03:30:26 PM

Quote from: Russell Nash on October 09, 2007, 06:45:14 AM
I actually switch my avatar quite often. All of the pics have been images I shot with my new camera. Except for the cars on the spike.

Is the lizard your picture also? It looks like the little beasts (anoles?) I see running around in Mexico and Florida US.

Yeah, this is a little guy I hunted down at the Berlin Aquarium. The name was in German so I don' know exactly what it is.

sirana · **Reply #24 on:** January 17, 2008, 08:41:56 AM

Quote from: Russell Nash on January 16, 2008, 03:45:12 PM

Quote from: Darwinist on January 16, 2008, 03:30:26 PM
Quote from: Russell Nash on October 09, 2007, 06:45:14 AM
I actually switch my avatar quite often. All of the pics have been images I shot with my new camera. Except for the cars on the spike.

Is the lizard your picture also? It looks like the little beasts (anoles?) I see running around in Mexico and Florida US.

Yeah, this is a little guy I hunted down at the Berlin Aquarium. The name was in German so I don' know exactly what it is.

looks to me like a "Wasseragame" (Physignathus cocincinus), but I could be wrong...