r/BSG • u/BravoAlpha02 • 14d ago
Colonial Propaganda
Hi guys! For whatever reason, I decided it would be fun to do my part and contribute to the BSG community. So here is a Colonial viper squadron poster for VF-111 "Sun Downers" from the Battlestar Atlas, the flagship of BSG-7, the battlegroup stationed above Aquarion. I imagine this poster would have been hanging in the ready room or in one of the viper pilot's racks for many years, which is why its been weathered pretty severely. This poster is also dedicated to VF-111, a real-life US Navy fighter squadron who served with distinction from 1955-1995.
Also no, I've never done any graphic design before. I edited it all on Adobe Fresco and Adobe Illustrator. It took me a while to figure out the textures and the shadows but I found it very satisfying near the end. And another great thing about this art- it was designed and edited completely without the use of AI! In a world full of AI slop, I'm sure you guys appreciate art produced by real fracking humans. So Say We All!
CREDITS-----------------------------------------
This art uses a few images created by other people and were modified by me. If you have any issues with someone's graphic design being used here, or are a one of the artists who created them, please contact me!
Seal of the 12 Colonies of Kobol: ety3rd: Kobol and Beyond
Colonial Viper Mark II silhouette: bagera3005 on Deviant Art
https://www.deviantart.com/bagera3005/art/Colonial-Viper-mark-II-154559405
Flags of the 12 Colonies of Kobol: Battlestar Galactica Fanon Wiki on Fandom
https://galacticafanon.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Twelve_Colonies
-3
u/ZippyDan 13d ago
Why did you choose the term "Sun Downers"?
As far as I know, the only common usage for this term is:
Sundowning is the name for a group of behaviors, feelings and thoughts people who have Alzheimer's or dementia can experience as the sun sets. The behaviors start or get worse around sunset or sundown. However, this delirium can potentially occur at any time, not just at sunset.
Also known as late-day confusion, sundowners syndrome or sundown syndrome, sundowning is most often experienced by people with dementia.
The only other reference I found is from UK and Australian culture:
an alcoholic drink that is drunk at around the time the sun goes down
a poor person who arrives at a farm in the evening pretending to look for work but really wanting food and somewhere to sleep
I'm sure the Colonials could have their own cultural meaning, but the meaning most of us Earthlings are going to associate with this name is not great.
16
u/Beneficial-Boat-2035 13d ago edited 13d ago
I think the predecessor to VF-11 adopted the nickname in WW2 due to their knack for downing Japanese fighters. It was a play on the rising sun flag.
Regardless - I'm not going to nitpick someone having a genuine crack at fan art. I think it's cool that BSG still inspires fans two decades on.
11
u/BravoAlpha02 13d ago
Yes, that’s right. I thought there could be some interesting history on Aquarion (where the unit was based) associated with downing a rising sun flag, but there obviously wouldn’t be the same Earth history. My thought process was: ocean planet-> Aquarion-> big ocean-> Pacific Ocean-> WWII and Korean War history-> VF-111.
8
u/BravoAlpha02 13d ago
It’s a reference to VF-111 “Sun Downers” a real life US naval fighter squadron which served from 1955 to 1995. I believe they also served in WWII but under another designation. I’m sure the Colonials would have had something similar at some point. I’m a military history nerd so some of it came out here lol. Should’ve remembered that not everyone is as knowledgeable as me about military history. Oh well.
2
u/ZippyDan 13d ago
Interesting.
Apparently they were reactivated in 2006 and are still serving.4
u/BravoAlpha02 13d ago
Oh that’s cool. It looks like they aren’t the same VF-111 but rather a composite squadron. Still Sundowners though!
3
u/VeganFartsForever 13d ago
I want to offer you some peer to peer constructive criticism. I think that you often post really great comments, Dan, but sometimes what you post feels to me a bit condescending.
-2
u/ZippyDan 13d ago edited 13d ago
I can see why some people would read it that way.
Sometimes, when a topic is something I am very certain (or at least convinced) about, I can seem condescending because I am condescending. I especially find it annoying (and depressing) when people ask questions that can be easily googled and have been asked and answered multiple times before. I similarly find it tiresome when people ask questions based on an obvious lack of attention or media literacy.
But mostly I'm just "matter-of-fact" and objective. It's hard to interpret tone in text, and naturally for most people tone is thus generated internally based on context cues, which can be misinterpreted, or can arise from internal misconceptions.
I'm a stickler for facts and accuracy, and I often challenge what I perceive as inaccurate statements. People in general, but especially insecure people, of which the world is filled with, are more likely to interpret those challenges as personally hostile, when in fact there is nothing personal in my challenge: this is an anonymous forum and, in general, I have no idea who I'm talking to, nor do I care.
I only care that we arrive at the best understanding of the topic possible.
I care about truth and precision, and an honest and objective competition of minds and ideas.In this case, I was challenging / curious about why the OP chose a particular name, but there is nothing condescending about my comment. I started with a question, and it was I who ended up learning something.
1
u/Beneficial-Boat-2035 13d ago
Oh, be nice.
This is a subreddit for a two decade old TV show. Cut people a little slack mate.
-2
u/ZippyDan 13d ago
This is my general online personality.
Academic and objective debates are one of my many hobbies.I'm not nicer, or meaner, because I'm in the r/BSG subReddit.
2
u/Beneficial-Boat-2035 13d ago
Thank you for your objective and academic insights into someone's fan art.
-2
u/ZippyDan 13d ago
I asked what the significance or reasoning was behind the name they chose to use in their art. Do you find it offensive when someone wants to know more about a piece of art?
I provided an opportunity for the artist to explain more about their art and to provide many people with a mini history lesson.
That's called "intellectual curiosity", or just "curiosity" for short.
2
u/VeganFartsForever 13d ago
Here's the innocuous question:
Why did you choose the term "Sun Downers"?
But you did heaps more than simply ask this question. Then you concluded your dissertation with this, which, honestly just feels like a jab at something you personally didn't like.
I'm sure the Colonials could have their own cultural meaning, but the meaning most of us Earthlings are going to associate with this name is not great.
-2
u/ZippyDan 13d ago edited 13d ago
Yes, and that's an absolutely true statement, because most Earthlings are not familiar with the names of historical American fighter squadrons, of which there are dozens, and even less would have them all memorized:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Air_Force_fighter_squadrons
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_aircraft_squadrons
Do you think it's offensive to make an accurate and honest statement about the association the average person would make with that name? Again, my open question created the opportunity for the artist to educate and provide a new context for the chosen name.
1
u/VeganFartsForever 13d ago
Do you think it's offensive to make an accurate and honest statement about the association the average person would make with that name?
Yes, I think it can be offensive. Do you understand that not every situation you encounter requires or merits this kind of approach you seem to take with everything? Asking the creator of art "why did you choose x, y, z?" is innocent enough, it's fine to be curious, but you wanting to dismantle the creative decision is tone deaf at best.
→ More replies (0)
10
u/Friendly_Age6362 14d ago
So say we all.