Implementation, of course, can be difficult. especially when first using CSS. I wound up using a solid image for all of my backgrounds, meaning none of the content boxes would be able to extend or shorten based on content. While it was originally a problem, it worked out in the end; when I tried to create buttons using the 'slice' tool in Photoshop, the buttons came out mangled. From there, the site looked totally sketchy and untrustworthy. Which gave me an idea.
I don't know where I heard it, but someone said "totes" instead of "totally" in my vicinity and-- as an Internet addict-- I was already aware of the 'seems legit' pseudo-meme. So I combined them into 'totes Legit', as in 'totally legitimate'. It's meant to be somewhat sarcastic. From Totes Legit, I decided to roll with it and create a mascot based off of different attributes people associate with sketchy characters: Sunglasses prevent us from seeing a persons eyes which can give away signs of lying. not only that, but studies have shown we tend to engage in less scrupulous behavior when we perceive ourselves shrouded in dark, even if it's just because we're wearing sunglasses. People with scars on their face are assumed to be former criminals or otherwise perpetually up to no good because of social schema associated with scar tissue, so he had to have a scar on his face. A trench coat is, obviously, meant to creep people out because of the pervasiveness of the 'flasher' trope in society, though also as a reference to the classic 'meeting an informant in an alleyway' trope associated wit some spy films. The fedora is also taken from that same trope. The blank, featureless skin or mask is there to remove their humanity further. The fact that he smokes is meant to make him even less appealing for parents and children as someone they'd want to approach on the street to further go over-the-top with 'creepy guy' tropes. He has a nose in profile, of course, but otherwise Legit's features aren't noticeable. For all practical purposes, it's a white mask that he can eat, drink, talk, smoke, and breath through unhindered.
I came up with a throwaway back story for this character and everything, and then worked on the rest of the website, writing things based on what I'd love to see in a game retail store. Here's the link:
http://cantonweb.net/kear100/project_2/index.html
I was- and still am-- quite proud of the result. Sure, when I eventually re-make the website it'll actually be well-made. however I like that the website is so shoddily put together; it almost adds to the sketchiness of the store.
Fast forward to Fall 2013: Digital Illustration + Typography. I made it into a thing:
This was my final project for the class. I wasn't allowed to do anything else, either My teacher found Totes Legit so awesome and my InDesign work so good that I had to make, specifically, a Totes Legit magazine cover with two interior pages. Took me about a week in total to make.
So, Totes Legit is a silly thing I created almost two years ago which is slowly becoming a major part of my life. Originally, I wanted to create a completely new character for this superhero comic we're supposed to make, however a short-story deadline was up, so Totes Legit was my fallback. I spent the bulk of my time trying-- and failing-- to come up with another. Call me unimaginative, but I think it works out well. IF I'm going to be creating this character in Mudbox, I'd like to enjoy the source material. I drew up a crude sketch for class:
He wears dark brown or black leather gloves, has a light gray trench coat, smokes, etc, and has flaps for video games embedded in his jacket. I wrote a new back story for him earlier in the semester which is viewable in a previous post, however it's incomplete-- and intentionally so.
His powers will be that he has an easy time finding obscure objects in containers, the more obscure the better. for example, Custard's Revenge is easy for him to find-- there's probably a copy floating around in his jacket-- but a copy of Destiny would be nigh impossible for him to reach should he actively search it out. Also, his attack involves thrown video games. In part of his back story, his magical abilities manifest in the ability to use a particular type of item as a throwing weapon which increases density and speed based on some attribute. His powers accidentally imprinted on crappy video games, so now if he fights crime, he throws terrible video games at his foes, the worse the better. Their density and speed increase to compensate for one another and result in really fast, really hard-hitting blunt instruments. They disintegrate on contact as a result, reverting to their original density immediately after impact. I don't mean necessarily story-wise terrible games, but on all aspects of a game. A game that's equally as bad as another game is good can still hit just as hard as the good game if it's enjoyably bad. His ability to find obscure items works only for a copy. Not any unique versions, save for special exceptions.
Also, his suit and mask cannot come off. His hat puts itself back on upon it being taken off and tossed, and his sunglasses reveal only another identical set of sunglasses underneath. He cannot create an infinite number of sunglasses because it's a permanent physical illusion rather than a duplication glitch. His hat and sunglasses dissipate as soon a they make contact with a solid, liquid, or sufficiently think gaseous surface or environment. Only those that desperately need him can find him, which suits him fine. He's incapable of removing the suit, however he never gives off a foul odor. He's also unaware of his real origin and identity.
Only well-after creating Totes Legit did I encounter Stoned Gremlin Production's "Game Boys" film and animated series. In it there is a mobster that sells old video games and peripherals to people in an alleyway. While Game Boys predates Totes Legit by many years, I had not seen it nor was the animated series in production until well after I created Totes. There might me some inspiration for his ability to fnd obscure items, however. Here's a link to Game Boys (Warning: It's Shot On Shiteo, so the video AV quality is terrible):
http://blip.tv/the-cinema-snob/game-boys-4122704
As you can see my process for creating Totes Legit is pretty indicative of the character.
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