Fan Art Watch #15
Posted 24 October 2009 by Holyknight3000
It has been a busy week this week in the fan art gallery as a new artist arrives with a full portfolio.
First off, Khalnik took a piece of official monster concept art and fleshed it out with full color and depth. Fear the demon dog! The original Blizzard art is shown in the top left of Khalnik’s piece, for ease of comparison.
We’ve also got to welcome a new artist, Odon. He’s clearly been at it for a while, since he uploaded 10 original pieces right from the start. You can browse them all in his artist’s gallery, or click the thumbs below to go right to a few individual images.
Click the thumbnails to see larger versions of all these images.
If you enjoy Fan Art and want to contribute to this growing community, please stop by the Fan Creations Forum. Many artists visit frequently, posting works in progress looking for feedback and conversation. You don’t have to be “arty” to join in. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to send me a PM.
Crucifix thread is on Blizzforum:
http://blizzforums.com/showthread.php?p=638967#post638967
“Being a small developer – Blizzard had to bet on the clarity. Diablo 1 has many references to judeo-christian tradition (not only demons names). We were walking between burning crosses. There were crucified skeletons. Diablo has connection with rich Christian tradition. The dark church and the beating of the bell created a brilliant atmosphere, all these references to the real world make the game is more consistent. So it is interesting and fascinating vision what we cannot see and what could be. Diablo is defined as a dark gothic fantasy (Hack ‘n Slash RPG). For me the term “dark gothic” is all about Christian references – Heaven vs Hell, Demons vs Angels, some Biblical names; also some signature elements of Christianity (if I may called it that way) which include Churches and Monasteries, Crosses, Crucifixion, Pentagrams and so on. If Blizzard are aiming at creating a dark gothic game they MUST include all of those features, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t rely on other religions as well.
In the demo of first Diablo was even word “God”.
“From the pre-released demo version of the game:
Please help….! I barely escaped from ……. The Butcher…! He killed …. my wife … my children! I beg of you …… in the name of God ……… avenge them………”
In real Diablo game God is not mentioned. Is not mentioned. This does not mean that it can not exist in the world of Diablo. In Judish tradition we say “Jahve”, not “God”. In Diablo we say “Light”… many times, many times the characters say they are praying to someone … To the Archangels? I don’t think so…
The original game used a lot of occultic imagery that stemmed from Judeo-Christianity. It’s actually what gave it it’s flavor, and is what most old-time RPG’s that were not epic in scope focused on. Is it because they were witnessing to you or something? No. It’s simply the flavor of the game.
Crosses in D3 occurred in the first part of the Diablo and impacted heavily on my imagination. As crosses occurred in many places in Tristram, in cathedral – is to say that crosses were important religious symbols of that world.
I agree that removing that is like ripping out the heart of Diablo. That is what gave Diablo it’s so-overquoted “dark Gothic” feel. The crucifixes, the very Judeo-Christian demons, the theme of Heaven and Hell, the theme of fallen angels, the cathedrals, and, dare I say it, the very dark feeling, which could be equated with the Judeo-Christian negative view of the world (as lost, corrupted, broken).
I would like some subtle symbolism of Christian crosses from the first Diablo. It is not said that there is no God in Diablo.
God may give instructions to his Angels. He can see everything and know everything, but he is waiting…
Seeing as the game is Heavily a Gothic RPG, you cant do something Gothic and not involve some symbols or architecture that has Christian History too it. The very term Gothic is Christian in itself since the term came from christian Europe many years ago as movement that tended to be very religious in base.
Every time I look at the game I can sence and see Christian influence everywhere depending on what area they are in the game of course. The Tristram Cathedral screams of it.
As for the fact that the Diablo Game does not have a God…….I dont really beleive that. You can argue that only Archangels are ever the highest being’s in the universe but that cant possibly be correct.
There is ALWAYS a begginging and a end to everything, if its a universe, or a simple man. They Begin somewhere and end somewhere.
And according to……well every religion unless im missing something(and i might be, its been a while since i studied other religions)theres always a creator, a equivilent to god. Now this character acts diffrently according to each religion as well. Some beleive he created the universe and freely interacts in it, other’s beleive he created it and now either ignores the universe or is a observer, standing on the sidelines watching.
Diablo could follow a number of paths.
But in the End I beleive that there must ALWAYS be ONE in power of Heaven or Hell. Either it be God or Some extremely powerfull Angel, or Satan or a very powerfull Demon who oversees the brothers.”