Trigger Warning: Anyone who needs to believe TBLeague's "Egyptian" figures bear any reasonable resemblance to historical and mythological persons may want to avoid this post. Proceed with caution. Moonbase Alpha Male wrote:I actually don't think this is entirely fair to the extent that a distinction should be drawn between TBLeague's Egyptian humans and their Egyptian Gods. The latter are fully "on fantasy steroids," but they are Gods, what do you want? Gods are fantasy ab initio. If they are representing "actual source" gods (as opposed to TBL doing specific 3D versions of Egyptian drawings) then there is no historical reference point for them, apart from matching basic ID points of the myth. The humans are a different story, but here I would argue TBL is not too far off from history actually. Not museum accurate or anything, and certainly not specific to any precise time period etc, but I would not say Nefertiti, Cleopatra and especially Anck Su Namun are wildly off, nor on fantasy steroids. Wouldn't you know it, in all three cases their garb and gear are fine and relatively credible except for the upper torso and whatever they have done in each case anachronistically to overemphasize the breasts.
Which brings us to my rant about the glaring lack of any male human figure in the TBL Egypt. Be careful what you wish for... this Tutankhamun is a male figure I suppose, but otherwise totally useless in that regard. Something GF like the Mystical Forge Rameses or your improved version of same seems an absolute necessity for TBL to balance their Egypt -- we get this instead. It doesn't actually fit thematically within either their "Egypt Gods world" or their more realistic "world of the Egyptian Queens," it's just a separate videogame supervillain. At least I suppose, for those who do want to do something in that supervillain vein, he will be very happy with the upcoming, otherwise disappointing Coo Egyptian reanimated skeletons.
I take your point in many particulars, but overall I have to disagree about two overarching issues: the liberties taken with the gods, and the supposed near accuracy of the humans. It seems to me that if you are going to promote a figure as representing a deity from any mythology, then the figure should convey the canonical appearance of said deity from that culture's artistic canon. And it is not about 3D, because there are plenty of 3D representation of Egyptian gods and goddesses. But why even discuss this, when TBLeague (and not just TBLeague) is incapable (actually not incapable, simply unwilling) to even get the sex of a particular deity right. Case in point Month (recte Montu), Hades, etc.
It is, of course, a matter of taste and of priorities whether one expects that something like this should look like its proper source. And the Ancient Egyptians were all about canon and conformity. So, for me, it fails. Perhaps I'm too closely attached to the source, and should not be annoyed at the liberties taken with it for entertainment and commercial purposes. Incidentally, it is entirely possible that many of these (I think it was confirmed for at least one of them, Anubis) are based on some modern fantasy artwork or computer game, etc. In which case, this would be totally fine, in reference to
that source.
As for their humans, I do think they are pretty far off, very much influenced by fantasy, even if sans steroids in their case (perhaps because they have all been female, as you point out). Their first Cleopatra was inexplicably based on an obscure comic skit -- fine. Their second Cleopatra is essentially a caricature of what might be considered a pop culture stereotypical Egyptian-like pretty girl, and an under-dressed and over-sexualized one at that. There is no attempt to replicate either genuine Egyptian fashion (from any historical period), or the very un-Egyptian (Greek!) fashion the real Kleopatra VII would have worn. The usual culprit shows up on the promotional image: the ARH logo, which tells us that we are being treated to a colorful, striking fantasy.
The same can be said for Anck Su Namun, who may be striking, but is about as authentic as the rendition of her name (in other words, not at all). I suppose that was pointing to other fantasy reinterpretations of Egyptian themes, as in
The Mummy; the promotional photos do include the tell-tale ARH logo. The only thing she has in common with her historical "counterpart" is that she is female.
/https://public-media.si-cdn.com/filer/35/92/35920458-ca2d-4a4c-ac3e-2e71fdb6af89/king_and_queen.jpg)
The very same could be said of Nefertiti. Even the shape of and detail on her very characteristic (and sadly non-detachable crown) is wrong.
In my opinion that is quite far off. But it's alright from TBLeague's point of view, I suppose, because TBLeague's Nefertiti also sports that ARH logo, and that means that anything goes.
For a look at a partly reconstituted Mystical Forge "Valley of the Kings Ramesses II" see here:
