Scary game

[awitch]

It's October (though you might not believe it since it hit 90 degrees today), and that means it's the season for Halloween and Samhain. I'm sure you've all heard how "demonic" the holidays are supposed to be, but if you really stop to think about demons, it's hard to take such warnings seriously.

Their nature, as explained often to me by Christians, is typically farfetch'd* and just plain silly. My understanding of their Biblical narrative actually makes me question god's supposed nature even more (you can ask me about that in another thread).

Pop culture isn't helping either. In an age where "thoughts and prayers" is the best response to a guy in armor and a military-grade assault weapon shooting up an elementary school, the devil as depicted by some dude with a bad sunburn and a pitchfork just isn't going to cut it anymore. In NJ, our National League Hockey team is the NJ Devils. There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux. We see them in cartoons a lot, even as protagonists. And don't get me started on horror movies; they spend most of the movie flicking the lights on and off and rearranging the furniture. That's not scary, that's mildly irritating.

So, for fun, I propose we reinvent them for the modern age. Make demons great again!
Consult your darkest nightmares and favorite monster movies and tell me what characteristics of a would-be demon are the most terrifying to you. What would it look and sound like? How would it move? Are they sentient? Do they have free will? Can you give them a more compelling motivation? Maybe a better backstory? Try to scare me.

I was talking about this with an artist acquaintance and a few hours after I gave her my description she sent me a picture of a character I designed after monsterfying him. If there's enough interest, I might share it.

*Farfetch'd is the name of a Pokemon that resembles a cute little duck and Pokemon was deemed to be demonic by Evangelical Christians as it's popularity grew. See what I did there?

 

[Chesterton]

 

[charsan]

There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux.

If I may Linux has a Peguin and BSD Unix has the little devil .

 

[awitch]

If I may Linux has a Peguin and BSD Unix has the little devil .

That's right, his name is Beastie (B-S-D)

 

[MehGuy]

The demons in the game Doom are kind of cool looking. If somewhat generic.. lol.

 

[Carl Emerson]

It's October (though you might not believe it since it hit 90 degrees today), and that means it's the season for Halloween and Samhain. I'm sure you've all heard how "demonic" the holidays are supposed to be, but if you really stop to think about demons, it's hard to take such warnings seriously.

Their nature, as explained often to me by Christians, is typically farfetch'd* and just plain silly. My understanding of their Biblical narrative actually makes me question god's supposed nature even more (you can ask me about that in another thread).

Pop culture isn't helping either. In an age where "thoughts and prayers" is the best response to a guy in armor and a military-grade assault weapon shooting up an elementary school, the devil as depicted by some dude with a bad sunburn and a pitchfork just isn't going to cut it anymore. In NJ, our National League Hockey team is the NJ Devils. There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux. We see them in cartoons a lot, even as protagonists. And don't get me started on horror movies; they spend most of the movie flicking the lights on and off and rearranging the furniture. That's not scary, that's mildly irritating.

So, for fun, I propose we reinvent them for the modern age. Make demons great again!
Consult your darkest nightmares and favorite monster movies and tell me what characteristics of a would-be demon are the most terrifying to you. What would it look and sound like? How would it move? Are they sentient? Do they have free will? Can you give them a more compelling motivation? Maybe a better backstory? Try to scare me.

I was talking about this with an artist acquaintance and a few hours after I gave her my description she sent me a picture of a character I designed after monsterfying him. If there's enough interest, I might share it.

*Farfetch'd is the name of a Pokemon that resembles a cute little duck and Pokemon was deemed to be demonic by Evangelical Christians as it's popularity grew. See what I did there?

Ps 101

"I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
3I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil..."

There is eternity between darkness and light.

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus His son cleanses us from all sin..."

His presence within, shines a light on the darkness so it can be seen for what it is.

Jesus is Lord of all and has the name above every name. To Him every knee shall bow including angels and demons.

How can you make corruption 'great again' it will by nature simply become more corrupt.

 

[awitch]

The demons in the game Doom are kind of cool looking. If somewhat generic.. lol.

I thought the cacodemons were the scariest to run into

 

[awitch]

How can you make corruption 'great again' it will by nature simply become more corrupt.

We don't have to make corruption great again; it's doing exceptionally well right now.
But even if you only think of them as symbolic, they need a makeover.

 

[Zoness]

It's October (though you might not believe it since it hit 90 degrees today), and that means it's the season for Halloween and Samhain. I'm sure you've all heard how "demonic" the holidays are supposed to be, but if you really stop to think about demons, it's hard to take such warnings seriously.

Their nature, as explained often to me by Christians, is typically farfetch'd* and just plain silly. My understanding of their Biblical narrative actually makes me question god's supposed nature even more (you can ask me about that in another thread).

Pop culture isn't helping either. In an age where "thoughts and prayers" is the best response to a guy in armor and a military-grade assault weapon shooting up an elementary school, the devil as depicted by some dude with a bad sunburn and a pitchfork just isn't going to cut it anymore. In NJ, our National League Hockey team is the NJ Devils. There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux. We see them in cartoons a lot, even as protagonists. And don't get me started on horror movies; they spend most of the movie flicking the lights on and off and rearranging the furniture. That's not scary, that's mildly irritating.

So, for fun, I propose we reinvent them for the modern age. Make demons great again!
Consult your darkest nightmares and favorite monster movies and tell me what characteristics of a would-be demon are the most terrifying to you. What would it look and sound like? How would it move? Are they sentient? Do they have free will? Can you give them a more compelling motivation? Maybe a better backstory? Try to scare me.

I was talking about this with an artist acquaintance and a few hours after I gave her my description she sent me a picture of a character I designed after monsterfying him. If there's enough interest, I might share it.

*Farfetch'd is the name of a Pokemon that resembles a cute little duck and Pokemon was deemed to be demonic by Evangelical Christians as it's popularity grew. See what I did there?

I love this idea!

Have you seen anything on the subreddit /r/imsorryjon? Man that place is nightmare fuel and an amazing absurdist rush into Eldritch horror from beyond the fabric of reality, and Garfield. It's going to be source material and inspiration.

But I like this idea and might try to enlist a friend for inktober to design something cool. I'll be back!

 

[chevyontheriver]

There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux.

That's actually the daemon of BSD Unix and not Linux. Linux has the mascot of a penguin.

I now see someone else has already pointed out.

 

[MehGuy]

Have you seen the Danish 1923 film Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages?

The Devil in that looks pretty cool (believe it was played by the actual director). Honestly a pretty creepy film to watch, especially with a black metal soundtrack. I love how he just pants his tongue and makes an exaggerated evil face. Maybe the look wouldn't work out with modern film, but in black and white with no sound and the speed playback going faster than normal.. the look really works.. lol.

 

[awitch]

Have you seen the Danish 1923 film Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages?

The Devil in that looks pretty cool (believe it was played by the actual director). Honestly a pretty creepy film to watch, especially with a black metal soundtrack. I love how he just pants his tongue and makes an exaggerated evil face. Maybe the look wouldn't work out with modern film, but in black and white with no sound and the speed playback going faster than normal.. the look really works.. lol.

I just saw a few clips on youtube. Looks far more cinematic than today's horror movies, and the SFX are pretty impressive for the 20s. Still, a bit cliche

 

[MehGuy]

I just saw a few clips on youtube. Looks far more cinematic than today's horror movies, and the SFX are pretty impressive for the 20s. Still, a bit cliche

It is probably cliché. Personally I don't know much about that history, but its still fun to watch lol. Plays more like a cinematic documentary than anything. Pokes criticism at people who think they've experienced being encountered with the devil and the hysteria they had about devil worshipers in the dark ages.

 

[devin553344]

Bedazzled works for me:

 

[awitch]

Bedazzled works for me:

Still a bit cliche but I like Brendan Fraser in the Looney Tunes Back in Action movie.

 

[jacknife]

We don't have to make corruption great again; it's doing exceptionally well right now.
But even if you only think of them as symbolic, they need a makeover.

Your right and dont get me started on the names, thier always something vaguely latiney, like i can't even pronounce that! Everyone's gonna giggle when i try to warn them the third duke of hell is coming but i fumble the name.

 

[cloudyday2]

I always thought the accounts of the "men in black" who visit people after UFO sightings are pretty disturbing. They look enough like normal government authorities that you can't slam the door in their face, but then they come into your house and look weird and act weird and say weird things and seem to know more about you and the UFO than they should.

 

[PloverWing]

There's always the straight-up torturer. Your Ramsay Bolton kind of character is plenty scary.

But scary in a more interesting and subtle way is the kind of villain Steven Moffat likes to create for Doctor Who: characters who look like everyday things in the world, like statues or shadows, but who turn out to be really dangerous. A demon who could masquerade as my house plant or teacup would have me always on edge, never able to relax, always wondering if this innocent-looking object or person was going to reach out and wrap me in its demonic tentacles.

Motivation for demons is harder. It usually is, when you're creating a villain. Not that many people do evil just for the joy of doing evil; they usually have some good thing in mind but then are willing to hurt people in order to accomplish their goal. But if they're partly good, then they're not really demons. So. It's a difficulty in storytelling.

I'm keeping a close eye on my teacup while I'm writing this.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

There's always the straight-up torturer. Your Ramsay Bolton kind of character is plenty scary.

But scary in a more interesting and subtle way is the kind of villain Steven Moffat likes to create for Doctor Who: characters who look like everyday things in the world, like statues or shadows, but who turn out to be really dangerous. A demon who could masquerade as my house plant or teacup would have me always on edge, never able to relax, always wondering if this innocent-looking object or person was going to reach out and wrap me in its demonic tentacles.

Motivation for demons is harder. It usually is, when you're creating a villain. Not that many people do evil just for the joy of doing evil; they usually have some good thing in mind but then are willing to hurt people in order to accomplish their goal. But if they're partly good, then they're not really demons. So. It's a difficulty in storytelling.

I'm keeping a close eye on my teacup while I'm writing this.

Oh, my dear sister. Do you need a little help with cleansing your dishes from pesky residue? Let me do it for you!

(whew!: I had to edit that! It wasn't sounding right! Sorry!)

 

[2PhiloVoid]

It's October (though you might not believe it since it hit 90 degrees today), and that means it's the season for Halloween and Samhain. I'm sure you've all heard how "demonic" the holidays are supposed to be, but if you really stop to think about demons, it's hard to take such warnings seriously.

Their nature, as explained often to me by Christians, is typically farfetch'd* and just plain silly. My understanding of their Biblical narrative actually makes me question god's supposed nature even more (you can ask me about that in another thread).

Pop culture isn't helping either. In an age where "thoughts and prayers" is the best response to a guy in armor and a military-grade assault weapon shooting up an elementary school, the devil as depicted by some dude with a bad sunburn and a pitchfork just isn't going to cut it anymore. In NJ, our National League Hockey team is the NJ Devils. There's a cute little devil mascot for distributions of Linux. We see them in cartoons a lot, even as protagonists. And don't get me started on horror movies; they spend most of the movie flicking the lights on and off and rearranging the furniture. That's not scary, that's mildly irritating.

So, for fun, I propose we reinvent them for the modern age. Make demons great again!
Consult your darkest nightmares and favorite monster movies and tell me what characteristics of a would-be demon are the most terrifying to you. What would it look and sound like? How would it move? Are they sentient? Do they have free will? Can you give them a more compelling motivation? Maybe a better backstory? Try to scare me.

I was talking about this with an artist acquaintance and a few hours after I gave her my description she sent me a picture of a character I designed after monsterfying him. If there's enough interest, I might share it.

*Farfetch'd is the name of a Pokemon that resembles a cute little duck and Pokemon was deemed to be demonic by Evangelical Christians as it's popularity grew. See what I did there?

I'll try to help you out on this since I, too, tend to get a little irritated with the typical, run of the mill Exorcist type of representations of demons that are running around these days. But my take on the latest in demon fashion(s) has been "inspired" by all of the Criminal Minds episodes I've been binge-watching on Netflix these last few months, so gone are the days when I thought demons had scales or teeth, long talons or red skin.

No, now I'm thinking the typical demon is going to look a little different, perhaps with a red and white stocking cap and a red ball on top, round black glasses, a red-and-white striped shirt and, of course, blue pants. Oh, and he'll have an indelibly etched smile, just for good measure to fool the rest of us with his wily, diabolical ways.

But as with anything, have fun trying to pick out WHERE he is in a crowd ...

Now, THAT's scary to think about!