It’s open to interpretation
April 10, 2017
2:52 am
Sorry the last handful of these have been kinda rushed, I’m in the final crunch on the season finale of the show I board on so my free time, creative energy, and sleep schedule have been all over the map. I’ll be on a short vacation soon and hopefully I’ll have time to go back and colour some stuff.
dude could just say “it’s because Death from Darksiders is my model”
woops, double tapped, sorry ^^’
it’s cool, we understand
We understand, but rulebreakers must still be punished. We’re not lawless animals here. Now where did I put that whip?
its next to your branding iron
And under that lake you drop people in with concrete shose, how you balanced a lake ontop of your teaching desk at school I do not know but I gotta respect that.
It’s really just a cup of water and a shrink ray.
dude could just say “it’s because Death from Darksiders is my model”
I’m on the double post, am I part of the cool kids now?
No.
…am I cool for crushing this guy’s dreams?
Pretty sure it’s an owl.
I kinda assumed it was something like a crow, due to edginess and crows.
I figured vulture skull once I bothered to give it thought, what with his feeding on the dead and all.
That works for the Nevermore skin.
Just you wait. Next thing you know, he’ll start attacking by jumping down their throats.
Is supposed to be an Owl, owls are symbols of bad spirits and some people used tobelieve they were witches disguised to check on people to hes
Source my Mexican grand grand mother
Some guy over the internet broke down what may be IMO the best interpretation of Reaper’s mask: First up, due to the Mariachi skin, we know Gabriel hails from the Mexican side of the world. And then, in the Mexican tradition, owls are thought to be a sign of death.
Reeaper’s mask = death?
*stupid typo*
Reaper’s mask = death = an owl’s face?
No, I’m aware of that. But it’s clearly got some horse skull influence going on as well.
So Reyes basically crammed as much death imagery as he could into his mask.
Would you expect anything less from our HotTopic edgelord?
Considering Edgelord Supremo, I call it Canon.
Cue an expansion giving Reaper new owl-themed quotes and sprays just so he can sell the lie.
“Did you know owls are harbingers of death in Hawaii or something? It’s true, I looked it up. I may never have mentioned this before, but I’ve always felt like Hawaii was my true native home…”
“…you’re thinking of Mexico, man.”
“You sure?”
“I’m kinda FROM there.”
“I’ll be on a short vacation soon and hopefully I’ll have time to go back and colour some stuff.”
It’s like it’s illegal for you to for once use vacation time for vacation instead of more work. lol
I haven’t had a vacation that was actually a vacation in seven years.
Doesn’t that just mean it’s about time you had one that was just one. ;) Don’t get me wrong- I love your work. However as a artist myself I know it’s not good for us, or anyone really, to overwork ourselfs. Not that I don’t 100% understand the ‘desire’, or sometimes need, to do so. However, a break once and awhile is a good thing. Anyway, Stay awesome and have a nice day. ^-^
That doesn’t sound healthy.
Please don’t burn yourself out, I enjoy your comics too much!
I hope it goes better than my vacation did. Maybe some kind person could offer to color your comics for you while you’re trying to relax? Guest comics would work too. I love your art, but I don’t want you to keel over from exhaustion. :p :)
…You’ve been drawing this comic for seven years. Link pulled the Master Sword, Ganondorf took over, all that.
My guess would be he took it from the classic western “horse skull half buried in sand signals that this place is life threatingly dangerous” trope. That and going with an inhuman skull to signify both that he died once and also is no longer human.
Wish my finished and polished stuff was as good as your “rushed scribbles”, maan :D
I also hope your vacation will be great and exactly as you imagined it (probably the exact opposite of what I consider good vacation for me, so no specifics there)!
I know, right? I work for ages on my little art projects and the results aren’t near as good!
Never really got the assumptions that it was an owl, as they always seemed like people just stretching to explain their view of what it looks like. It looks more like a horse (or maybe a cow) skull and it resembles the Blackwatch logo (that looks to be a stylized horse skull with a sword on it in the Overwatch circle) that Gabe was the head of back in the day
The reason people assume it’s an owl is because Reaper is Mexican. In Mexico, owls are an omen of death. It’s culturally appropriate.
You ever seen a Barn Owl?
You ever seen a barn owl with its mouth open?
Grabriel Reyes’ self-awareness and image issues are the gift that keeps on giving for this comic…
That being said, I never figured there was any animal inspiration about Reaper’s mask… I just figured it was a generic death mask. I mean, okay, the human skull is supposed to be more round, but by definition, there’s no place for curves when you’re aiming to be edgy…
Reminds me of that artist that represented Overwatch Characters using squares, circles and triangles. His representation of Reaper pretty much says it all.
With consideración with Reyes mexicana tradición could also be the mask of a Banshee (Alma en Pena ). Or “La Llorona”, or even the skulls of “Día de Muertos”. There is a lot to be inspired of. And since it’s Canon that Gabe is a cosplayer, that pretty could sin it up. IMBW.
You do not need to apologize! You do not have a responsibility to us! The only reason your apology would be justified is if you had a patreon for this :P
Reaper must be the easiest person to troll.
Sombra knows that for sure, given her playing with him in the cinematic.
Hey Gabe, you should probably explain these things out loud in front of a mirror before you say them to someone else, just in case of situations like these.
But for real, I thought his mask was like that because the skull was the symbol for Blackwatch.
Silly Reaper, don’t try to hide your mask being an owl. Owls are awesome.
Honestly, it really resembles the icon they use for Darksiders.
Isn’t it basically just the Blackwatch logo stretched out funny?
lol I love how nobody can decide what his mask really represents. I honestly feel like Blizzard just cobbled a skull mask together and said have at it.
Good luck with your job! I hope you’re getting enough rest and that you can take a breather afterwards!
You’re a fucking badass and idk I love your work even when you’re doing it left handed after impromptu motorcycle stunts. Thanks for being a cartoon Terminator. From, you know, when they were good
If they’re rushed, it doesn’t show. The only sign of your being super busy is the fact that they haven’t been colored in – and that’s just fine. It doesn’t make them any less funny.
Reaper’s such a hoot.
Marginally connected short story.
A few years ago I made myself a Grim Reaper cloak for halloween. Everyone thought I was Darth Sidious from star wars. A few years later I went to Con and repurposed the costume thinking”screw it if everyone thinks I’m meant to be him I’ll be him”
Not one person got Darth Sidious, or Death, but almost everyone thought I was playing Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter. I swear if both parties hadn’t been with completely unconnected groups of total strangers I’d think the whole thing had been some manner of giant joke with me as the target
Were you using make up?
yup white face with black around the eyes and mouth
Now you’ve reminded me of my headcanon that Sombra doesn’t know that Reaper’s also Latino underneath his edgelord veneer.
Two Latinos and French woman walk into a secretive blacks ops organization…
There’s an old mexican idiom which says “Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere” when the owls howls the indian dies, as the owl’s call is considered an ill omen, seems a fitting theme for him, tough considering how owl’s skulls look kinda goofy, some artistic liscence was given to the design.
Death from Adventure Time also used the “horse/cow/goat” skull motive (and was Latino). So it never really was that far fetched of a notion that there was a cultural influence behind both.
Also, i saw the Barn Owl before any of the other ones mentioned. They are also a bad omen and are regarded as demonic ghosts. They also scream like banshees rather than hoot.
(the next favorite is that it is the Black Watch Symbol…. because he’s that much of a tool).
Reaper could join the Court of Owls and attempt to overthrow THE Batman.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/1/1b/The_Court_of_Owls.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120225214822
I feel like part of this is a donkey-show joke.
Is there supposed to be a donkey-show joke here?
I probably shouldn’t have Oglaf before this on my webcomic lineup…
“My horse died”
You see this one yet?
http://m.imgur.com/gallery/XjFWc
It always reminded me of Sindri Myr’s helemet
Color is, in the end, not terribly important. I know there are some particular people who get pissy when it doesn’t get done, but seriously, color is secondary to quality. You have been producing consistently great stuff for quite a while now, even without color or after throat surgery or a with a broken wrist. You are one tough somebody, and your work should be what you want. There’s a saying I heard somewhere that, to paraphrase, basically goes “make what you want, how you want; the fans are already there, they just need to find you.”
So apparently Reaper owns taco bell and is salty over that horse joke.. Seeing as after a year of reading the comic there on my lunch break they blocked ya :<
“Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask.”
“No, nobody would stop making Half Life references until you put on the mask.”
“I’m in the final crunch on the season finale of the show I board on so my free time, creative energy, and sleep schedule have been all over the map.”
Yes, how dare you have a full-time career with a hit series, and only give us an awesome comic every monday, for free, instead of giving us the awesome comic for free but colored too. /sarcasm
Also, I was going to work in a remark about Platinum Black, but only now just realized that the abbreviation is PB, aka “lead”.