Ask Movie Slate - Snakes on a Plane

Ask Movie Slate - Episode 199

Featuring the plane-tastic, AirPon created by the awesome

This one was fun to work on, and also another case of a picture that took a surprisingly short amount of time to make. From sketch to completed picture, without taking into account the pauses and the time to get references, it took me around 3 hours to make it. I didn't try my new "let's draw this without the lineart" style of drawing, mostly because I have no idea how to adapt that to recreate Movie Slate's mane. We'll see how it goes in the future, maybe I'll be able to develop a faster system to do Movie's hair. Or maybe I'll be able to grow an extra drawing arm and get twice as much work done.

"Snakes on a Plane" is an interesting movie to talk about. When word hit the internet that the movie was going to be edited to a PG-13 rating and that the title was going to be changed, lots of fans of the film went to online forums and complained that Hollywood was, once again, neutering their entertainment for the sake of getting more asses on seats. In a weird move that movie studios don't really do anymore (and for good reason) the filmmakers decided to re-shoot some of the scenes and crank up the rating to a hard R, as well as changing the name back. Looking at this movie again, it's very easy to see the seams between what was originally shot and what was added afterwards. It's a film that still has some charm but that has lost some of its edge with time. Fortunately not everything has aged badly. The acting is actually pretty solid (not just from Samuel L. Jackson but from everyone involved) and their delivery makes some of the very cheap dialogue quite believable. Also the ways they fight the snakes are somewhat creative. There's tasers, glass bottles, fire extinguishers, harpoons, microwaves, and so on. If you're a snake lover I'd say skip this movie because the way they kill some of them are gross and over the top just like in an early Sam Raimi film. Do these aspects make up for everything else? Not really, at least not for me. This movie is one of those pieces of pop culture that, due to being influenced by a select few (those who were furiously posting on them forums back in 2006), will only appeal to a few people, and time hasn't been kind to it in the slightest. I have a big soft spot for it, and I can find some enjoyment in it, but this one is quite the poster child for the "Guilty Pleasure" category.

The original idea for this one had a lot of snakes all over AirPon and her freaking out because, well, one might like snakes a lot but when you're literally covered in them I think anyone would be freaking out too. She has snakes on her arms, her wings, her head, and she'd be shaking and panicking with one of the cutest expressions. I ditched that idea quite early on because it didn't seem to have any focus. The eye would go all over instead of focusing on AirPon's pissed off face. So instead I went with recreating the poster from the movie, but with AirPon instead of a plane. Regardless of my thoughts on the movie the image of two snakes coiled around an airplane is quite memorable and that was one of the best movie posters to come out that year. So I thought, "Well, why the fuck not?" and went with it. Also, I had to give AirPon a murderous expression. She's way more adorable when she's angry.

I hope you guys enjoy the picture!

Please, let me know what you think of it in the comments. I appreciate and every single one I receive.

Thank you!

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