"Could be worse... she coulda wished for legs."
π‘ And Oh That Blowfish Blow!
This week is not about mermaids or Disney princesses. It's not about the ocean, blowfish or even inflatable tits, if you can believe it! (Even though, if we're being honest, I think most weeks here are at least a little about inflatable tits).
βοΈ Gnome is Where the Art Is.
Transformation scenes from characters chosen by the Gnome Team and Pals! I took a look at the long list of submissions (and I'm always in the market for more entries, so feel free to pop over and add your suggestions) and grabbed two: The first was Elisa Maza (from Gargoyles):
...and the second is the "Superwoman" serum Lois Lane from All Star Superman.
Both of which will post later this week, both feature non-inflation transformations; but the second will feature a bimbo, expanded Superman(?) who had one too many blasts of that Kryptonite laser Lois is sporting above. If you want to get a gander at the (Wo)Man of Tomorrow, get on board with the rest of the Gnome Team with a click of that jolly candy-like button!
π¬ Some Gnome-Spun Truths:
But what goes into a great transformation pic? It could include inflation, or course, but it's more about concocting the story of the pin-up. How did we get to the change, what is the mood of the piece, and why should we care that it's happening?
For every transformation piece, I'm looking for a few key factors. Tone (what's the overall mood of the piece), story (what's actually happening), vector (what caused the change), and character (who is the character, and why is it interesting that they've changed?)
Let's take a look at this piece here (a commissioned piece from Jay from a few years ago):
We know what's happened immediately: The lumberjack has been transformed into a bust babe. We could have surmised that with just the girl looking confused, but unless you know that's the kind of art I make, you don't really get why she's upset. Ber boobs are super big, and she doesn't fit her clothes, but there's a reason (vector): the mirror. It's ornate, special, and it's trapped the old version of himself, so it must be the culprit.
Not all of my pics have every single aspect; sometimes I give my audience credit to fill in the blanks. And sometimes, my audience come with complete characters with whole backstories of their own, and we can just enjoy the fruits of some previous transformation.
π¦ Patron Spotlight: BouncyMischa
(Bouncy)Mischa has been an amazing supporter of mine for years and has commissioned and suggested probably over a dozen pics from me. They have a very similar aesthetic and love of the strange, inflatable and shiny to myself, so I think my style gels well with their characters (pun intended).
When asked about my art and transformation art in geneeral, they offered some interesting insights on an additional aspect of the enjoyment of transformation media; escapist, impossible immersion!
While I do think inflation and expansion are very fun, it's really the transformation of one's body to an artificial material -- like rubber, or vinyl, or even bubblegum -- that fascinates me. No longer suffering from the limitations of an organic body, but now having a whole new range of limitations and awkwardness instead -- as well as the possibility of getting to experience all sorts of new sensations and such. Things like being deflated, or stretched, or flattened, new and limited body shapes, as well as the potential embarassment or awkwardness of being seen more as a toy, than a person. While some of this could also be achieved with things like toon tf, I feel like inflatable toys hit a sweet spot that pushes a lot of buttons for me!
Thanks, Mischa!
As we close out this week, please enjoy some curated pieces Mischa has commissioned from me, and maybe comment below on a piece you've enjoyed. Or, go to the Discord's #art-share and #creative-discussion channels and keep the conversation going by telling us all about your favorite transformation scenarios or favorite TF artists!
π Thanks for reading!
That will do it for us here as well. Next time on the Comic Week installment of Letters From Gnome, I think we'll expand a bit (no pun intended) and talk a little about one of my favorite OCs. Want to find out who? Keep reading the weeklies! And as always...
...keep dreaming!
βGnome
PS: Even if you've been here forever, take a moment and let me know how you found me!