I recently discovered an 'AI-cartoonizer' and was amazed and delighted with the results it generated when fed with my recently published 'Cowboy Branding' image, an early picture which I've never been totally happy with. This app unexpectedly revealed the essence of it's drama in a most sensual way.
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (cartoonized variant 1) |
This result arbitrarily put modern, fashionably-coiffured heads on the two characters, but that was an improvement on my original (reproduced below) where the two faces don't really match stylistically. The software also decided to clothe the victim below the waist but I actually find those plunging, low-rise pants rather sexy! The colourisation of his skin has also brought out the captive's sexy neck-tie which looks old fashioned and showy now but bowled me over when I first saw one on Ty Hardin.
The AI hadn't a clue though what to do with the glimpse of thigh seen through the hole in the stall wall, nor the similar discontinuity in the brander's left arm and in fact the whole branding paraphernalia has gone out of the window leaving a background that resembles the clutter of a bathroom plus an amusing manifestation of a hand emerging from behind the stall wall holding I don't know what!
The overall simplification has not resulted in any loss of the sense of menace.
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (Original drawing, Darkened version) This software offers the choice of male and female 'interpretations 'but I must say I wasn't expecting the emasculation operation which it performed on my lovely men in the second variant below. It also stripped them both naked, which might account for the brander's expression, as though it's dawning on him that we can see their little secret! You might conclude that this choice - male = clothed, female = nude suggests good old fashioned, politically incorrect, stereotyping is built into this particular Artificial Intelligence! Shame there's not a car bonnet (US = hood) handy for draping purposes. |
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (cartoonized variant 2) |
The same stereotyping might account for the mysterious hand from behind the stall transforming from a balls cupping shape to an rather evil claw here and also the re-interpretation of the branding iron as a more feminine paint brush. Ken Dodd makes a comeback with his tickling stick! This AI is decidedly kinky and if the Doddy reference is anything to go by it's going to be a very long night for the captive.
This variant made a better fist of that glimpse of thigh, but unaccountably fails (like No 1) to spot that the captive's left arm does not stop at the elbow.
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (cartoonized variant 3) |
This variant is closest to the original in some ways. The branding iron is there and it's even tinted orange although the software surely doesn't know that it's meant to be hot. The captive's grimace is more pronounced suggesting he's either felt it's kiss already or else has a vivid imagination. Either way he still seems to be gamely sticking out his butt to the torturer.
The AI can't quite make up it's mind here whether the men are clothed or not and has settled for cut-off jeans on the brander and a sort of posing pouch on the captive that suggests that any sexual excitement may have had, has (understandably) evaporated after experiencing the reality. This choice of clothes is uncannily contemporary with the drawing itself.
The half-coloured arm is now complete but that weird projecting hand now looks like barbecued cock. It's as if the programme has learnt to join in the game. Spooky!
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (cartoonized variant 4) |
In this version, the whole image is tinted in a warm glow suggesting the heat in the barn as coals do their evil work. The victim is now clothed in tights which will produce interesting results when the iron makes contact. In fact it looks as if they are already smoking - unless that's the captive steaming.
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| M159 Talk or be Branded (cartoonized variant 5) |
This last variant is very similar except that the brander is no longer thrusting with his branding iron but holding a cigarette instead, while he takes time out from his hot work. It's possibly a joint judging by his facial expression, a dangerous combination in these circumstances. The captive has that 'Uh Ah' look that says 'this isn't looking good', having spotted, quite correctly, that the cigarette, while less of a blunt instrument, is equally capable of causing distress - over a wider area and over a much longer period.
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I think I'll be experimenting more with this technique!