LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
I am collecting names of all significant heroes and villains who are known for concealing their face behind a mask.
If there are any you feel should be added to this list, please mention them - I would hate to overlook a masked crusader just because they temporarily slipped my mind...
Once they've all been gathered, I shall begin a rigorous screening process (using my own checklist) to determine my top 10 masked heroes and villains.
I shall of course try to keep bias to a minimum - and will explain my reasoning for each one.
The list currently contains:
The Mask
Darth Vader
Rorschach
Master Chief
The Stig
Doom-Guy
H.U.N.K
The Sandman
Harry Warden
Meta-Knight
Samus
Boba-Fett
Jango-Fett
The Pyro
The Spy
Batman
Spiderman
IronMan
Predator
Darth Revan
Darth Nihilus
Jason Voorhees
Leatherface
Michael 'The Shape' Myers
Zorro
Hei
Invader Zim
Snake Eyes
Cobra Commander
V
Nom de Plume
The Zodiac Killer
Dr Doom
Reptile
Scorpion
Sub-Zero
The Phantom of the Opera
Majora
General Grievous
Following D.A's removal (or relocation) of our G-Mod based fan-art, I sent THIS email to Gabe Newell.
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Howdy Gabe,
Again, I'll try and keep this short and too the point.
Me and hundreds of other TF2 fans have recently been slammed by one of our art sites (Deviantart) for posting G-Mod pictures there on the basis that it's Copyright infringement on TF2 - which of course, it is.
I was under the impression that the development team enjoyed the fan-art and the community involvement that has grown up around TF2, so my question is:
What is your stance on TF2 fan-art, specifically fan-art created using Garry's Mod? Do you support it, or do you think it should be done away with?
Sincerely, (My credentials here).
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I then received THIS email today from Jason Holtman on the Valve team. (A direct link to a screenshot of said email:
[link] )
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Hello Oliver, we don’t mind the fan art that you are making and posting. As long as it is for non-commercial purposes. Thanks for asking.
Cheers,
Jason Holtman
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So there you go - so long as we don't sell Prints of our G-Mod art, it's perfectly ok with them if we do it.
So I'm gonna go ahead and keep on making my G-Mod art and posting it - and if it gets deleted or relocated - then blam to that, Valve themselves have said they don't mind the art so long as we aren't directly making a profit off it.
ZING.
Normally, I'm not one for slasher fics or films, and I can't stand horror movies...
But having seen this trailer - I know I MUST see this film, and I think you'll realize why once you've seen the trailer.
[link]I <3 Hunters
So I've been thinking about what to do with this journal since the contest closed (and I am still dispensing the prizes, I've just been slowed up for obvious reasons).
I've decided to make this initial section a place where, every now and then, I'll post a different song which I feel in some way suits Umbrella Man - or which has affected me in some way... and get some feedback from you guys on what your opinions are.
The second one, I just had to post, was 'Carnival of Rust' by Poets of the Fall (Suggested by
).
[link]Here are the lyrics:
To breathe the name
Of your saviour
In your hour of need
And taste the blame,
If the flavour should remind you of greed
Of implication, insinuation and you will
Till you cannot lie still
In all this turmoil
Before red cave and foil
Come closing in for a kill
Come feed the rain
'Cos I'm thirsty for your love,
Dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah feed the rain
'Cos without your love
My life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust
It's all a game
Avoiding failure
When true colours will bleed
All in the name of misbehaviour
And the things we don't need
I lost for after no disaster can touch,
Touch us anymore
And more than ever
I hope to never fall,
Where enough is not the same it was before
Come feed the rain
'Cos I'm thirsty for your love,
Dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah feed the rain
'Cos without your love
My life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust
Yeah feed the rain
'Cos I'm thirsty for your love,
Dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah feed the rain
'Cos without your love
My life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust
Don't walk away, don't walk away,
Ooh when the world is burning
Don't walk away, don't walk away,
Ooh when the heart is yearning
Don't walk away, don't walk away,
Ooh when the world is burning
Don't walk away, don't walk away,
Ooh when the heart is yearning
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And so the entries have closed and the winners have been decided. For those of you who wonder what I'm going to do with this journal now that the contest is over - fear not, for there shall be ANOTHER CONTEST (for writers too) which shall begin as soon as I've finished with the prizes for this contest, and which shall be discussed later...
But now what you've been looking forward to (hopefully) The Winners! (Counting up from 3rd to 1st and then special mentions.) Please note that I loved all the entries, and the winners were
not chosen purely on the basis of artistic skill. A large slab of the choice was determined by the characters themselves - and I am happy to say I was delighted by them all. Chances are that at some point a story will be written by me about pretty much all of them at least once. So if you don't win - please don't take that as a negative sign of your skill or imagination, your character just wasn't what I was looking for in a nemesis - and I don't give many clues. But I've rambled enough...
Coming in
3rd Place, winner of two free stories from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request, is
with her entry:
- "Rakshasa"
I really loved this submission - it was dramatic, beautifully drawn, and told a delicious bite of a story - but I also liked the character herself. She certainly has the capacity to be a fleshed out and interesting character with development, and her seemingly ruthless desire to get what she wants would make judging her actions difficult - she may help you or slit you depending on the moment and the circumstances. Good show.
Coming in
2nd Place, winner of a 3 month subscription to D.A (which will be payed on Wednesday when I get paid), a free story from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request, is
with his entry
- "Sissy and Brawly"
Whenever I see these two, I start uncontrollably humming the "Inspector Gadget" theme, and I find them to be a highly amusing pair. The potential for them to be fantastic recurring characters in literature is very high - and I intend to include them in more than one of my upcoming works. Unfortunately, as I'm sure Blaz would have guessed, it was almost impossible for them to come in first place because they aren't really Evil as such. Wonderful characters, quirky, and certainly not a bit like Umbrella Man (on the inside anyway) - but Evil they are not. Not that that's a stroke against them as characters, just as far as this contest goes. Marvelous stuff!
And finally,
Coming in at
1st Place, winner of a 12 month subscription to D.A, a free story from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request, IS.................
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You'll have to wait until I've written the 2nd half of the story to find out ^^ So keep your eyes open.
A new stamp!
If you love me or Umbrella Man, you'll put that in your journal.
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Additionally, I'd like to make a point or two of clarification - one of precious few I actually think are necessary regarding Umbrella Man.
First off, I (Rythmear) am NOT Umbrella Man. Something many people seem to think is that Umbrella Man and Rythmear are the same person. We are not. Three people exist in this union - me, Rythmear, and Umbrella Man. All three are separate entities, and MY opinions do not reflect the opinions of Umbrella Man - I merely chronicle his life. Therefore, if I have expressed the opinion that "I like butts" and I post the poll "Does Umbrella Man prefer breasts or butts" - that does Not automatically mean he prefers butts. So keep that in mind.
Secondly, Umbrella Man does not remove his mask - ever. Those times when mask IS removed by another invariably end badly for them, and it is actually impossible for another person to remove his mask without his permission - doing so will get them absorbed. No clear definition of what lies beneath his mask has been established, but rest assured it's not what you think.
Thirdly, the Umbrella does not make the man. Umbrella Man without his umbrella is an inconvenience, but it doesn't make him powerless as some people seem to think. It is his signature tool and item, but like the Joker and his face paint, he doesn't become any less efficient without it.
Finally, none of Umbrella Man's adventures in alternate worlds such as Felarya or any of his encounters with characters like J.C.Denton or other video game/movie characters are to be considered canon. They are what-if stories which explore possibilities of what the character would do in different situations which he wouldn't ever get into in his canon storyline.
If you have any questions on these, let me know.
But moving right along...
By the gods!
As I actually have money to spend now rather than being utterly broke like before, I have decided to celebrate by holding a contest - an Umbrella Man contest! To be specific, I should say an Umbrella Man Nemesis contest, because that's really what this is all about...
This contest shall run a VERY long time - specifically, it's going to run until my birthday this year on the 30th of November.
Read my recent story "About a Russian Girl" and take note of the discussion between the special agents at the end of the story - they allude to the idea of Umbrella Man having an opposite - a nemesis - an arch rival - and all those nasty gribbly things...
Thus, the contest is this -
Draw / Photograph / Ink or Sketch a picture of what YOU would see as being a suitable nemesis/arch-rival/opposite to Umbrella Man. Nothing is required but the image, but if you include an artists comment about your reasoning - that won't hurt your entry
Bonus points will be included if Umbrella Man is Also included in the image - but it isn't necessary to include him. (ie, including him won't guarantee victory - but it Will boost your rating.)
PRIZES:
1st place will receive a 12 month subscription to D.A, a free story from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request.
2nd place will receive a 3 month subscription to D.A, a free story from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request.
3rd place will receive two free stories from me on any subject of their choosing and one free request.
Particularly exceptional runners up will receive a free story.
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A CHALLENGER APPROACHES:
Not Contest Entries, but awesome anyway!
(God I wish this woman had comments on so I could rave at her)
Epic Win!
I just laughed myself stupid at these:
:thumb102521906:
If you have any respect for good art, check this bucket of magnificence out!!
And although this artist has very little work posted so far, I strongly recommend checking it out - it's quite excellent!
And I really miss one of the happiest moments in my life:
Here's a fun fact, I currently have 272 pages of favs, and these were the first two Deviations I ever fav'd.
Additionally, I just discovered the official name for the type of Gas Mask Umbrella Man wears. A USSR 'Deaths Head' Gas Mask... Brilliantly named I might add.
Doubly Additionally - this song kicks ass:
When the sun just refuses to shine on through
And it's cats and doggies all over you
You need some protection so what do you do
See the umbrella man
Go and see the umbrella man
When it's raining - umbrella man, umbrella man
You can see him when it's sunny, when the rain comes down
You ought to find a corner where he's always found
A reflection in a puddle, just turn around
To see the umbrella man
Go and see the umbrella man
When it's raining - umbrella man, umbrella man
There are some things in life on which you can depend
Don't try to guess when it'll rain again
You don't have to worry 'cause you've got a friend
Come see the umbrella man
I will be your umbrella man
When it's raining - umbrella man
Go and see the umbrella man
Don't forget the umbrella man
When it's raining - umbrella man
I will be your umbrella man, umbrella manAnd what the hell, I saw it in
's account and figured I'd give it a shot.
YOUR BOY SIDE:
[x] you love hoodies
[ ] you love jeans
[ ] dogs are better than cats
[ ] its hilarious when people get hurt.(not really)
[x] you've played with/against boys on a team
[x] sometimes shopping is torture
[ ] sad movies suck
[ ] you own an XBOX
[x] you played with Hot Wheels as a little kid.
[x] at some point in life you wanted to be a firefighter.
[ ] you own/owned a DS, PS2, or Sega
[ ] you used to be obsessed with Power Rangers
[x] sometimes you watch sports on TV
[ ] gory movies are cool (usually they are stupid and funny)
[ ] you go to your dad for advice
[ ] you own like a trillion baseball hats
[ ] you used to/do collect football collector cards
[ ] baggy sweatpants are cool to wear
[ ] its kind of weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people
[x] green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favorite colors (blue)
[x] you love to go crazy and not care what other people think
[ ] sports are fun
[x] sometimes you talk with food in your mouth
[x] sometimes you sleep at night with your socks on
[x] you have fished at least once
TOTAL = 11
YOUR GIRL SIDE:
[ ] you love to shop
[ ] you wear eyeliner
[x] sometimes you go to your mom for advice
[ ] you consider cheer leading a sport
[x] you like going to the mall
[ ] you hate wearing the color black
[ ] you like getting manicures and/or pedicures
[ ] you like wearing jewelry (I like earrings)
[ ] you cried watching The Notebook
[ ] skirts are a big part of your wardrobe
[ ] shopping is one of your hobbies
[ ] you don't like the movie Star Wars
[x] you are/were in gymnastics
[x] it takes you around one hour to shower
[x] you smile a lot more than you should
[x] you have more than 10 pairs of shoes
[x] you care about what you look like (sometimes)
[] you like wearing dresses when you can
[x] you wear body spray/perfume
[ ] you like high heel shoes
[x] you used to play with dolls as a kid
[x] you like putting makeup on others
[ ] you like being the star of almost everything
[x] pink is one of your favorite colors
Total= 11
10 Things I Like Starting With U
1) Upside down. I love hanging upside down, it really makes the world quite trippy, especially when you feel that if you let go of the branch you'll zoom off into the sky, rather than plummet onto the people below you.
2) Understanding. I crave knowledge, and I like to know and understand as much as possible.
3) Uppercuts. So theatrical ^^
4) U-Turns. My car has the most epic turning circle EVER.
5) UTorrent. 'Nuff said.
6) U.Corp. Wesker may be an evil cuss but he sure looks good in a suit.
7) Undiscovered Lands. They may not exist anymore but the idea is certainly thrilling.
8) Unity. Ubi concordi ibi victoria.
9) Universe. Can you think of anything more awesome than the universe? I can:
10) Umbrellas. Yeah, you saw that one coming.
:thumb102409716:
R.I.P Grace Eleanor Robinson
Christmas?
certainly has - and that Wonderful man has churned out yet another excellent artwork 
left a couple of friendly comments on my page so I trundled over to her gallery to have a snoop around. 
Eager
Miserable
Longing
![[link]](http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.sileo.com/wp-content/uploads/scrooge.jpg){kind=link}
![[link]](http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Rythmear/Permission.jpg){kind=link}