icon meme

[electricalgwen]

... because I really ought to be doing other things right about now. *g*

entrenous88 and madame_meretrix both posted this meme and I took it up:

Comment on this post. I will choose seven userpics from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are using them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.

madame_meretrix got her icon list in first, so here are the ones she chose


I use this in reference to Hex, the thinking machine built by the wizards of Unseen University in Terry Pratchett's marvellous Discworld. Also, sometimes my brain feels this way.


Xander's grown on me. I wasn't particularly taken with him while watching the show. Er, please put down the tomatoes...? Okay. Once I discovered fanfic, though, I fell in love with Spander, and a funny thing's happened: once it was all about Spike, now I'm as likely to write (and enjoy writing) Xander POV and I've even branched out into writing Xander with *gasp* someone else. So I acquired a few Xander-by-himself icons, and this one is just so pretty with the colours and the mist.


The graphic is from the upcoming movie adaptation of The Dark Is Rising, which is second in a series of five excellent books by Susan Cooper. The cross-within-a-circle is the Sign of the Old Ones. While I gather that the movie departs from the book in a couple of ways that really annoy me, I am still hopeful that it's going to be a good one if viewed as its own entity. I really liked the books. As in, I can still quote pretty much all the bits of poetry contained within them. And the Welsh phrases.


This is the spring-Sprite from the last section of Fantasia 2000, animation to the music of the Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky. The shot captures her utter delight at being alive. I love it. I love her smile. I don't know if my smile looks like that but when I feel like that, really in love with life, this is the perfect icon.


Um. I don't really know why I have this picture of Lindsey fencing. I don't read or write Lindsey (or CK), and I don't think I've used this in ages if ever. I just like the look of it: the colours, the lines of the swords, the interesting framing. And his hair.


Sinfest is one of the webcomics I've been reading for longest (and is also the only one I can get on LJ feed) and it continues to be fun. You gotta like God with handpuppets. This scene is actually taken from a fantasy had by one of the main characters, Slick (who is in fact much shorter, less chiseled, and gets a lot less action). I like the cheesiness and the whole romance-novel sendup; I love the line (echoes of "I can kill you with my brain", except this came first.) I made this one myself. I hope Tatsuya Ishida doesn't mind.


This artwork is also from Sinfest. Percy is Slick's cat; he and the dog have some fabulous scenes. Again, I liked the movie sendup, and it seems to capture a certain cat mood. I do find that I don't use it that often, though, because often it doesn't seem right (it's like me saying "I rulez!!" or something, which is not what I meant it for. It's ended up mostly being used for posts about cats - other people's, since I don't have any due to family allergies.)


Time zones being what they are, it is possible I may not get back to any comments tonight, but I like this meme and I'm tired of missing out on fun things that happen late at night my time. So if you'll forgive that, comment away. *g*

Comments

[laisserais]

Terry Pratchett! yes. man, i need to seriously sit down and read discworld. I loved good omens so much.

and i cannot believe that you didn't like, love Xander from the start. That's so amazing, because you write him really well. That icon is pretty. I share your POV on him, actually. Before fandom, and before I ran out of Spangel to read (*g*) I never got it. But Spike/Xander is just so... yeah. Loves.

The Dark is Rising! That's right. that's the series that shares so much with Illyria's backstory. awesome.

All of your icons are fascinating, and i can't wait to see which ones you upload as new. you have good taste. :)

and yay! i'm glad you got to play the fun meme while we were still both in the same day. Maybe someday we'll be on the same continent. ;)

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

You do! I've just read his new one. They do evolve fairly sharply within the first five to ten (ha! but they can be fairly quick reads, especially the early ones) but I definitely recommend the series. Also, have you read Phillip Pullman's "Northern Lights" trilogy? (Have we discussed it before?? I can't remember, ack.)

Xander can still be a struggle for me. I think I get him in a believable voice, but I don't manage to pull off the Xander-isms that, say, reremouse and savoytruffle can. Or cordelianne's babble. If I try, it gets too over-the-top, so I end up scaling it in. Possibly this is one reason I'm not drawn to young Xander - late or post-series is easier, I can believe he's a bit more cynical or subdued.

I'm still totally taken aback by the idea that Illyria and the Dark is Rising series share backstory, because they are so far apart in my head. I saw what you meant when you pointed it out and explained, but still. Different planets. Actually, I need to dig those books out (or possibly just buy them again - I know someone walked off with book 4, at least, and some pages are falling out of book 1) because I think Elder Son might enjoy them now.

This tea idea (http://www.fullbloomtea.com/) looks fun. I just wanted to share that. :)

Right now I absolutely have to get a follow-up letter off to the head guy over there, as they're having a meeting later this week. Hopefully I will be receiving a phone call by Friday! I will definitely keep you posted. Things went well, I think.

[laisserais]

Hee, that tea! back when i worked for a tea company, we imported those. They're neat to watch open, for sure. so pretty with the flowers inside. :)

And yeah, I'm seriously behind on my reading list. I think it's a little intimidating, thinking about how many volumes are in a series like discworld. But I definitely have it on my to-do list.

whee! keep me posted! *crosses fingers*

[cordelianne.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I didn't know the meaning behind some of those icons (er, basically all the non-Buffyverse ones!) so that was neat to learn. And I do love that Xander icon you have and am so happy that you're enjoying writing Xander. He was a character that surprised me how much I enjoy writing him. I sometimes struggle with Spike and other characters but rarely with Xander (or Buffy actually).

So, even though I'm really really late, do you think I could play? I'm in the mood to talk about my icons! :D