Post by OilPanic on Oct 18, 2015 19:37:25 GMT -5
Haha oh boy
Apologies in advance, I'm really bad with words and have a habit of rambling / getting hilariously off track
So uh, I've always had this little idea.. and I'm not 100% serious with it,
like not "oh no this is definitely what was intended and this is something I wholeheartedly believe", but I've found it really interesting to think about nonetheless.
I've just always found it interesting, the kind of circumstances Rudy drew Snap under, and what kind of traits Snap has, despite clearly being envisioned as some kind of superhero.
We know that when things are drawn into Chalkzone, intent is everything - you could draw a simplistic mountain on a tiny palm-sized blackboard and it’d be erased into Chalkzone as a full-sized mountain if that’s how you imagined it
, for example.
This goes for the physical properties of things (like weight, despite everything being made of chalk - boulders are still impossible to lift, for example), and like... the psychological and behavioural things of living people / creatures.
and believe me I know, I’m fully aware I'm reading like 500x too deep into a short kid’s cartoon but hEAR ME OUT -
It’s just really cute to me to imagine that every little thing about Snap - whether it was directly touched on in the series or more or less implied - might’ve been intentional or at least semi-intentional on Rudy’s part?
Like, he’s clearly super-hero inspired, and yet he is explicitly shown to have absolutely no powers - Seriously, there’s two shorts that focus on Snap hanging around with an Actual Generic Superhero/Superman Ripoff, and all this stuff is pointed out.
And Snap is just so unfit to be a superhero that he himself never considered himself to be one, or even to have been envisioned as one. And I think that says a lot.
My point being, don't you find it a little peculiar for a little kid to create a character that’s so blatantly supposed to be a superhero, and yet in addition to having no powers whatsoever, he’s very small (almost exactly 8-year-old Rudy's height) and extremely light / easily and often tossed around?
Like (young) Rudy?
But I think it’s even more justified with the fact that Rudy and Snap were opposites (at least at the time he made up Snap), and yet alike enough that they could relate with each other.
Like, where Rudy was timid and tossed around and couldn’t fight back (not even bring himself to defend himself verbally) against his bully, Snap too can’t do a thing to anyone physically, but he has his wit and sharp tongue.
Even when he gets beat up or down on his luck, he's quick to bounce back. He's tenacious.
He's always had a level of confidence and boldness that Rudy didn't, at least at one point.
But Snap was never really mean-spirited either, and I guess the only thing outside of his costume that makes him identifiable as a ‘hero’ in any small way is that he clearly has a strong sense of justice / moral sense of right and wrong, and a genuine sense of obligation when it comes to helping others out when he can.
I mean, I'm sure we've all seen how many times Snap has gotten hurt or directly in the way of danger because he was pushing someone else (Rudy, Penny, other Zoners) out of the way, or driving some threat’s attention/focus over to him
in an attempt to protect someone. Seriously, I've lost count.
I feel like this is the kind of person Rudy wanted to be, but didn't have the guts to become (at the time).
but right I'm getting off track but my main point was -
Rudy first drew Snap on the chalkboard because he was getting pushed around and bullied by Reggie, and because he’s too small and weak to fight physically and too timid to defend himself verbally, he basically vents out his frustration with being unable to fight Reggie himself by drawing an unflattering/beastly caricature of the him, and Snap kicking his ass - despite being small, weak, and having no powers to speak of.
I mean, the parallel is so blatant here, and further emphasized in other scenes where Bully-Nerd is closing in on Snap in Chalkzone, while Reggie is closing in on Rudy in the exact same manner in the Real World.
I don't know, I really wouldn't go so far as to say that Snap was a straight-up self-insert but, yknow, the “this character isnt meant to be me, but we're similar in a lot of ways (minus many of the flaws I'm insecure about) and this is definitely the kind of person I wish I could be more like, myself” sort that so many artists make (especially young and/or insecure ones), whether they really realize it or not?
And I can’t really say if this was a conscious thought either. I like the idea of it being a more subconscious, vent-y thing on young Rudy’s part.
Like, he didn't sit down and say, "I'm gonna draw a character that is me but better!", but more like
“Oh man he’s gonna be super cool, but he’s also gonna be smalljust like me! and yet kick total ass though he has no powers like me because he’s too clever and quick-thinking unlike me and he’ll be able to talk shit without hesitating / stuttering unlike myself but still be totally friendly and outgoing if he’s not dealing with a total jerk who deserves it!! man i wish i could be more like this”
does that make sense? I don't know
a subconscious thing
and older Rudy is still similar, but much less demure. Maybe not in the real world, but in Chalkzone he’s significantly more confident and quick-thinking than he once was.
He’s a lot more creative, he's a little more witty and outgoing, and he’s still friendly and level-headed (..I mean, most of the time.I'm looking at you, Big Blow Up Rudy) / prefers to think things through before rushing into anything - but like every ten-year-old he still lets things get to his head and he screws up and makes mistakes, but he learns from them, y'know?
and I’m not trying to say that Snap is the cause here - I'm pretty sure it’s safe to say that being tasked with being the sole protector of a world only you and your friend know about, and successfully saving it in even the most puzzling situations and close calls time after time - will grant a kid a sense of self-worth and confidence, and one hell of a lot of improv practice when it comes to thinking on your feet
but because Snap and Rudy have no doubt been the dearest of friends since the day they met, I’m sure Snap’s had some kind of an influence, as any long-time friend would - and in turn, Rudy’s had an influence on Snap
hence Snap talking a little.. condescendingly? (that really might not be the right word) to Rudy when he was young and new to Chalkzone + Rudy was still marveling at Snap’s very existence and looking to him for guidance,
as opposed to now, where Snap very much looks up to and at times depends on Rudy and often seeks his guidance + Rudy seeing Snap more as an equal and like family rather than some novel, impossible being
idunno where was I going with this
TL;DR - Snap was - consciously or not - partially based on Rudy himself, and directly based on the type of person Rudy wished he could be when he was young.
Apologies in advance, I'm really bad with words and have a habit of rambling / getting hilariously off track
So uh, I've always had this little idea.. and I'm not 100% serious with it,
like not "oh no this is definitely what was intended and this is something I wholeheartedly believe", but I've found it really interesting to think about nonetheless.
I've just always found it interesting, the kind of circumstances Rudy drew Snap under, and what kind of traits Snap has, despite clearly being envisioned as some kind of superhero.
We know that when things are drawn into Chalkzone, intent is everything - you could draw a simplistic mountain on a tiny palm-sized blackboard and it’d be erased into Chalkzone as a full-sized mountain if that’s how you imagined it
, for example.
This goes for the physical properties of things (like weight, despite everything being made of chalk - boulders are still impossible to lift, for example), and like... the psychological and behavioural things of living people / creatures.
and believe me I know, I’m fully aware I'm reading like 500x too deep into a short kid’s cartoon but hEAR ME OUT -
It’s just really cute to me to imagine that every little thing about Snap - whether it was directly touched on in the series or more or less implied - might’ve been intentional or at least semi-intentional on Rudy’s part?
Like, he’s clearly super-hero inspired, and yet he is explicitly shown to have absolutely no powers - Seriously, there’s two shorts that focus on Snap hanging around with an Actual Generic Superhero/Superman Ripoff, and all this stuff is pointed out.
And Snap is just so unfit to be a superhero that he himself never considered himself to be one, or even to have been envisioned as one. And I think that says a lot.
My point being, don't you find it a little peculiar for a little kid to create a character that’s so blatantly supposed to be a superhero, and yet in addition to having no powers whatsoever, he’s very small (almost exactly 8-year-old Rudy's height) and extremely light / easily and often tossed around?
Like (young) Rudy?
But I think it’s even more justified with the fact that Rudy and Snap were opposites (at least at the time he made up Snap), and yet alike enough that they could relate with each other.
Like, where Rudy was timid and tossed around and couldn’t fight back (not even bring himself to defend himself verbally) against his bully, Snap too can’t do a thing to anyone physically, but he has his wit and sharp tongue.
Even when he gets beat up or down on his luck, he's quick to bounce back. He's tenacious.
He's always had a level of confidence and boldness that Rudy didn't, at least at one point.
But Snap was never really mean-spirited either, and I guess the only thing outside of his costume that makes him identifiable as a ‘hero’ in any small way is that he clearly has a strong sense of justice / moral sense of right and wrong, and a genuine sense of obligation when it comes to helping others out when he can.
I mean, I'm sure we've all seen how many times Snap has gotten hurt or directly in the way of danger because he was pushing someone else (Rudy, Penny, other Zoners) out of the way, or driving some threat’s attention/focus over to him
in an attempt to protect someone. Seriously, I've lost count.
I feel like this is the kind of person Rudy wanted to be, but didn't have the guts to become (at the time).
but right I'm getting off track but my main point was -
Rudy first drew Snap on the chalkboard because he was getting pushed around and bullied by Reggie, and because he’s too small and weak to fight physically and too timid to defend himself verbally, he basically vents out his frustration with being unable to fight Reggie himself by drawing an unflattering/beastly caricature of the him, and Snap kicking his ass - despite being small, weak, and having no powers to speak of.
I mean, the parallel is so blatant here, and further emphasized in other scenes where Bully-Nerd is closing in on Snap in Chalkzone, while Reggie is closing in on Rudy in the exact same manner in the Real World.
I don't know, I really wouldn't go so far as to say that Snap was a straight-up self-insert but, yknow, the “this character isnt meant to be me, but we're similar in a lot of ways (minus many of the flaws I'm insecure about) and this is definitely the kind of person I wish I could be more like, myself” sort that so many artists make (especially young and/or insecure ones), whether they really realize it or not?
And I can’t really say if this was a conscious thought either. I like the idea of it being a more subconscious, vent-y thing on young Rudy’s part.
Like, he didn't sit down and say, "I'm gonna draw a character that is me but better!", but more like
“Oh man he’s gonna be super cool, but he’s also gonna be small
does that make sense? I don't know
a subconscious thing
and older Rudy is still similar, but much less demure. Maybe not in the real world, but in Chalkzone he’s significantly more confident and quick-thinking than he once was.
He’s a lot more creative, he's a little more witty and outgoing, and he’s still friendly and level-headed (..I mean, most of the time.
and I’m not trying to say that Snap is the cause here - I'm pretty sure it’s safe to say that being tasked with being the sole protector of a world only you and your friend know about, and successfully saving it in even the most puzzling situations and close calls time after time - will grant a kid a sense of self-worth and confidence, and one hell of a lot of improv practice when it comes to thinking on your feet
but because Snap and Rudy have no doubt been the dearest of friends since the day they met, I’m sure Snap’s had some kind of an influence, as any long-time friend would - and in turn, Rudy’s had an influence on Snap
hence Snap talking a little.. condescendingly? (that really might not be the right word) to Rudy when he was young and new to Chalkzone + Rudy was still marveling at Snap’s very existence and looking to him for guidance,
as opposed to now, where Snap very much looks up to and at times depends on Rudy and often seeks his guidance + Rudy seeing Snap more as an equal and like family rather than some novel, impossible being
idunno where was I going with this
TL;DR - Snap was - consciously or not - partially based on Rudy himself, and directly based on the type of person Rudy wished he could be when he was young.
