Random Reviews: Supernatural Fanart

These reviews have also been published on my blog: danielleducrest.blogspot.com/2….




"The SUPER Simpsons" by Sayuri527
This Simpsons/Supernatural crossover is awesome. It's got a narrative. It conveys four simultaneous plots all in one image--the lovebirds on the left; Sam confronting Ghost Grandpa Simpson while Lisa, Marge and Homer watch; Maggie's desire to pet the bird; and Bart's discovery of a new trampoline. The image also has in-jokes from and allusions to elements of both TV shows. It even conveys a Destiel pairing with one sappy look between Dean Winchester and Castiel. While most of the action is in the foreground, the background isn't static filler--there's Bart, jumping on the Impala simply because he knows it will piss off the owner, even if he doesn't know who Dean is. It's clear which characters are Dean, Sam and Castiel, even if they aren't usually rendered in the Simpsons drawing style. The image doesn't reveal whether or not the Simpsons family met the Winchesters and Castiel previously, but the Simpsons family are hiding behind a graveyard tree late at night, so they knew *something* would happen. A lot is going on here, and it all makes me smile.




"The Demiurge" by ReMr186

The first thing I love about this is that it's animated. The second thing I love is that it's interactive. Hover the cursor on the right or left edge of the image, and the view will shift a few feet in either direction. Viewers are also given the option of listening to accompanying music.

After I had fun playing with the moving "camera" view, I turned my attention to the shifting mobile-like sculpture on the table. In the thumbnail, I'd thought the sculpture was a 3D chess board from Star Trek, but I was delighted to realize that is something else intricate and interesting. Castiel sits beside the sculpture at the table. I can't tell if he is blinking periodically or if his eyes turn black, and I feel like that should be made clear. His arm is outstretched as if he is about to select one of the spinning or bobbing platforms. The artwork description says, "Alternative universes / There are a lot of stories about one destiny..." From this, I assume that the silhouettes on the little platforms each depict a different story, and Castiel is debating which story he wants to join. I also assume that these stories involve Castiel, the Winchesters or the Supernatural universe in some way.

Some of the little platforms contain scenes that may reference Supernatural canon:

The second-highest bobbing platform shows a figure leaning back in a chair at a desk. The figure throws a wad of paper at the head of a second figure sitting atop a second desk. Meanwhile, a third figure points to a dry erase board while talking to the second figure. This little story reminds me of Sam's hallucinations of Lucifer in season seven, particularly how often Lucifer became bored and did annoying things to force Sam to pay attention to him. The first figure would then be Lucifer, the second would be Sam, and the third figure would be someone not imaginary with whom Sam is trying to interact.

The two spinning platforms, meanwhile, both have a church and a car--probably the Impala--parked outside it. In one, a man--I assume Sam--exits the church then reenters it while Dean and Castiel speak privately. On the other platform, Dean and Sam are talking, and Castiel is not present. These two platforms could be references to scenes in Supernatural's season eight finale.

Another of the little platform stories seems to reference fandom:

The lower right platform contains a snow globe. Under the dome, two mermen float in water amid bits of a coral reef. This could be a reference to the proliferation of mermaid and merman artwork in Supernatural fandom inspired by the fanfic story "Out of the Deep" by riseofthefallenone.

I don't recognize two of the little platform stories at all:

The highest platform seems to contain a castle. Fireworks explode around it as a figure dashes out of the door and down a hillside. Meanwhile, the lower-left platform depicts a lot of silhouettes that I don't recognize, though the arch with a glowing center reminds me of both a Stargate and the time traveling portal in one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.

I think I would like more information in the description about the stories on these little platforms and why Castiel is contemplating each one. I am intrigued by this art piece, and while I enjoy coming up with my own theories, I also enjoy reading about the artist's intentions, too.

The artist encourages viewers to zoom in to see the little platforms more clearly. I did so, and I find it interesting that some elements of the sculpture--which I presume are decorative and have less importance--become pixelated while the little platforms are in higher definition.

Though I am curious to know more about some elements of this composition, I like this piece. I could easily look at this animation for a long time and still not see it all.



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"levi!Cas" by LucyAnneThropy

Leviathan artwork is often creepy or gross, as it should be. These creatures become monsters in fandom, so much scarier than they ever were on the screen and more worthy of the horror genre. In LucyAnneThropy's (great name, by the way) fanart piece, Misha Collins's handsome looks have been turned into a mockery of a clown's with pale skin and a creepy smile. The look in his eyes is menacing and excited. I'm getting chills even without taking into account the blood and black goo splattered on his skin and clothes. Levi!Cas towers over the viewer, and the perspective asserts his dominating position of power. He's in charge, that little smile says he intends to make the viewer his next meal, and there's nothing the viewer can do about it. The only negative thing I can say about this piece is the background. While the halo-like quality of the light is a nice touch, I'm not sure its bluish-green coloring fits works well with the rest of the composition. Despite that, there are a lot of good things going on in the foreground.




"SPN: Cold Burn" by Slinkymilinky

This piece, one of the first bits of fanart I saw on DeviantArt over a year ago, remains one of my all-time favorites. I enjoy BAMF!Cas, and I love fanart that shows any of the Supernatural characters fighting monsters or demons. This one in particular has a lot of motion; the blurred background, swirling coat and messy contour lines contribute to the feelings that I am witnessing the climactic moment of a violent fight. We are shown the very moment when Cas wins without even getting blood on his blade. I love the perspective in here, too. Cas's hand extends directly to the spot where the viewer is watching the fight. The perspective makes Cas's arm seem too long, but it's hard to tell if that's true, and if I let myself imagine that I'm actually standing feet away from the two fighters, I feel much more worried about the blade's edge accidentally cutting my face.