Retro Avatar Week

[Auburn]

With permission from the forum's very own Avatar coordinator, miss Nyx, I'd like to initiate the forum's first Retro Avatar Week! Quite simply, participants put on the very first avatar they used on this forum (or a very early avatar that was used for a long time) from May 20-27th.

Post your avatar here (as well as wear it) to keep a record of all participants once the event is over. This thread will serve as a sort of archive; a history record of the forum. Also, while we're on topic, I have a few questions specifically for those who may not have shared in other threads* :


- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?

- Does your avatar have any personal meaning? If so, what meaning does it hold?


It's curious to me how such as small image can carry with it so much association and ultimately take on a life of it's own in the minds of others. Oh, and also, I'm feeling artistic, so I'll randomly select three participants and doodle a personal impression of them based on their avatar. (but I guarantee no artistic ability or quality! ;p stick figures are fair game!)



* = But even if you have shared before, I'd encourage you to post since it's probably been a while since then. ;D

 

[Cavallier]

Here's mine from back when nobody knew who the hell I was.

The Grim Squeaker...

 

[Anthile]

But I'm not going to use this. Nothing good comes ever from nostalgia.


- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?

In an article about neuroscience. I chose it simply because it looked cool.

- Does your avatar have any personal meaning? If so, what meaning does it hold?

Not really. It displays a disembodied brain with a halo, apparently floating in a sacral building. It combines opposites, things that usually don't go together. I think it is a common theme in my life and thus in my avatars too - to embrace the paradoxical, to follow the vision of it. You wouldn't understand.

 

[bananaphallus]

I'm pretty sure this was my first.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Permission granted Auburn, I had kind of given up.

I think this was my first avatar, but I'm not entirely sure.
I don't remember where I found it, but I chose it since I strongly identify with snow leopards. Then I inverted it since it looked cool.

Spoiler

An early avatar of mine, though not my first. It was the first one to have any significant meaning to me, and remains one of my favorite images of all time.

edit: You changed your name back too eh?

 

[Fukyo]

You wouldn't understand.

Oh, you'd be surprised.

- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?

- Does your avatar have any personal meaning? If so, what meaning does it hold?

The character in the picture is named Hotarubi, from an anime Basilisk.
Image was found on Google, I liked the character's design and that was about it. No special personal meaning.

 

[Kuu]

Cheers to the people that actually remember that.


As to why? Well it is a photo I took of the Pantheon, temple to all gods (ironically now a Christian church), one of the best preserved roman buildings, and perhaps the most magnificent space I have ever visited. Paragon of roman engineering, it remains after thousands of years the largest unreinforced concrete dome, and though there are many theories, the exact method of its erection remains a mystery. The proportions of the internal space, the drama of the decisive ray of sunlight falling from the oculus to vanquish the pervasive darkness, the strict geometric order and restfulness of its circular plan provide it with an aura of ethereal timelessness, a gravitas of such unparalleled divinity that it has served as inspiration for a countless number of other structures. Every time I see this photo I am reminded of the feelings when entering that unique place, symbol of human intelligence and achievement, and the reasons why I decided to dedicate myself to the creation of tectonic artifacts that serve as the medium for generating exalted aesthetic experiences.

This also conveniently fit with the INTPs being described by Keirsey as "architects".

 

[loveofreason]

I sometimes miss that avatar, Kuu.

Here's mine from back when nobody knew who the hell I was.

The Grim Squeaker...

It was so quirky you had to be noticed.

Nothing good comes ever from nostalgia.

That's just so very Anthile of you, Anthile.

- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?

I was actually seaching the internet for a picture called "watching the sunrise", which I had seen in a magazine twenty years ago. I found this, and it bore a stylistic resemblence.

- Does your avatar have any personal meaning? If so, what meaning does it hold?

It has developed more meaning in retrospect, being the very small wings with one first attempted to liberate one's thoughts from captivity.

 

[Cognisant]

The exact avatar is lost in time but this is the same image.

- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?
I can't remember where I found it, and I chose it because the image moved me at the time.

- Does your avatar have any personal meaning? If so, what meaning does it hold?
It's a robot

 

[Auburn]

Cavalliar: Here's mine from back when nobody knew who the hell I was. The Grim Squeaker...

Hilarious! ^^ I do remember that avatar but I didn't know it was you at the time. When I think Cavalliar, that horse rider lady still comes to mind.

Tekton: Cheers to the people that actually remember that.

I had no idea what it was, or that it had so much significance. 0.0
Also, I must confess that back when you had this avatar I would read your posts with a rather dry/monotone undertone. < < Maybe it has something to do with it not having a face? I couldn't associate a 'personality' to it, but rather just saw your posts as informative. Like a text book. ;p But then when you changed it, oh god!

Fukyo, Nyx, Banana, Anthile: You ish gonna wear it, yus? :3

Loveofreason: It looks so innocent... Who would suspect what a vile specimen would be hiding beneath the guise of such a beautiful butterfly!

Cognisant: The exact avatar is lost in time but this is the same image.

Orly?

 

[Auburn]

The image itself is from a very brief frame of Haku from the Naruto Anime series. I then changed the hue to my favorite color, and made it my avatar.

There's several reasons for why I chose this avatar..
It's androgynous. The facial expression resonated so perfectly with me. Long hair is extremely attractive to me in either gender. The character himself is precious. And the exact moment this frame occurs is at perhaps the most impacting moment I've experienced in all my days as an anime addict.

 

[Cognisant]

Ah, that was made for a banner or something wasn't it?
A whole group of our avatars put together for some reason, but although I'm fairly sure that's the correct cropping, the original avatar itself was about x4 larger, exactly the same, just bigger.

Comment made just for the sake of historic accuracy.

Makes me wonder, 50 years from now will some of us be in a virtual meeting place of some sort, still chatting away... I would like that.

 

[Melkor]

Original avatar, I had this for about...er... four months?

I think, though this will sound rather conceited, it is one of the more interesting avatars, despite having no physical input from me.

- Where did you find your first avatar, and why did you choose it?

I found my avatar on google if I recall.

First I looked for 'Melkor' but I disliked how some of the images showed what appeared to be a large angry man, or in other cases, just a dark knight.

I then decided to go looking for Melkor, which, in the myth, is the spirit form of Morgoth, the purer, newly born god that almost immediately falls into darkness by way of his curious yet dominating nature.

This search pleased me a great deal more.
It was less physical, more vague and devilish...and I came across the image above, the picture I wanted you to see, the first thing that came to mind when you heard my name mentioned.

I have always been a tolkien fan, and was in the process of reading the silmarillion.



In addition, I not only admired this aspect, this creature...
I wanted to be it, I wanted to take these aspects and make them my own.

To be feared and admired, terrifying and cunning...

Morgoth is in fact the 'dark lord' if we're being specific, but he was also more mortal, more human, a physical form.

Melkor was somewhat spiritual, more a force of nature, human nature I beleive, the violent and the heartful, crashing emotion and the terrible insecurity that is our greatest enemy.
The need to surround oneself with power and glory, to outgrow our shell and forge a name, for fear of someone, anyone, tearing aside that curtain, and seeing us, the naked and fragile little human, cowering before our many selves.

Melkor was an inspiration, rejected because of a nature I beleive was inherently pure.
He wished to create, to take on a more godly role. Perhaps he did more harm than good, but to state a cause that opposes the echoes of normality is the very essence of beauty.

"Melkor's inability to perform true creation is tied to the idea that something of his actual being must pass into the things he "created", in order to give them an effective substance and reality. Melkor could not create anything, as he did not possess the Flame Imperishable; thus he could only create a mockery of those things in Arda."

He was unique, not dancing along to the tune of the Ainur as the others did, he rebelled with equal art, and embraced his nature.

From wiki:

Pity was beyond Morgoth’s understanding, as was courage. As he alone of the Valar bound himself to a physical (and therefore destructible) body, he alone of the Valar knew fear.

You see that?

The sort of thing I am forever trying to convey in novels.

We, of flesh and madness, are the true devils, and though many a preacher and hearty fool will tell you otherwise, this is the true splendour of being human.
Not heaven, not higher thinking, not sitting in the cold denying the self, but blood, warmth, excitement,rebellion and all that is exquisite.



Melkor was too beautiful for a world already against him, and as a result, was subverted, destroyed, weakened and unmade by his efforts.

This is probably more than you will ever make me speak about my identity again, and ironically, I am talking about a thing of fiction.