People, and especially white people, need to be very careful with the kinds of tattoos they depict on their characters’ bodies and faces. So many things attributed to the ‘fantasy’ genre are directly lifted from Indigenous peoples. Vikings (a job title, not even a culture) did not have a tattooed line running down their chins. Fantasy characters do not need to have improvised, mix and match ‘tribals’ stretching across their biceps for sex appeal or really any reason if you do not come from the cultures those markings stem from. Even people working with their *own* ancestral tattooing ‘designs’ need to be mindful and careful of how they depict their culture. Exhausting.
My wife and I’s main piece for The Represent Zine by @allsparkzines
We depicted Tarantulas and Prowl as the tricksters Iktomi and Coyote.
Iktomi and Coyote teach us how to behave by reminding us not to follow their own morally reprehensible actions. However, the way they interact is so cheeky and playful, despite the dire consequences that result from their tricks, it always reminds me of these two disasters. I’ve said before how Tarantulas especially reminds me of Iktomi, as “a skilled architect of life whose morality is solely focused on himself and his creations.” It was amazing to see the fan response to this and it means a lot to get to share it with you all.
