btvsats20in20 ROUND 13: THE PACK (BtVS S1.06)

[red_satin_doll]

My entries for Round 13 of btvsats20in20 - actually ahead of deadline!

Beta: The erudite, eloquent, extraordinary and irreplaceable velvetwhip.
ETA:*Orange and Cat5 (Angel!Pig) reserved for Gabrielle and are NOT snaggable. Sorry.

   

10 Themes
Orange*	Unusual Crop	Truth	Sepia+Profile	Retro
Hot	Crossover**	Contrast	Angry	Yellow+Blue
5 Category |WHITE DECORATION
Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3	Cat 4	Cat 5*
5 Artist's Choice
AC 1**	AC 2***	AC 3	AC 4	AC 5

Resources:
Screencaps and movie posters from Bloodqueen, Screencapped and SMG-France.
Textures by colorfilter, scoobyatemysnax and lookslikerain. Angel wing by Kyle Butler



Alts/extras:

   1 - 6


   7 - 13


    14 - 18


  19 - 23


 
I'd love to do this episode another round because there is SO much going on in this episode and so much fantastic imagery that I can't begin to cover it with one round. OTOH, I forgot how CREEPY this episode is, and how emotionally harrowing. REALLY creepy.

I tried as much as possible to emphasize the "victims" here, rather than the perpetrators; but also show how the victims fight back and resist victimization in their own ways. The moment depicting in the Truth icon when she sees through Hyena!Xander's facade ("Now I know") is one of my favorite Moments of Willow Badassery (TM). I remembered that Bob Flutie died terrified, eaten alive; I'd forgotten that before that he chased the pack down in a genuine rage because they killed the school mascot, and dragged them into his office, determined to put a stop to their rein of terror. Buffy manages to fight off Hyena!Xander if just barely escaping being raped or worse; then quips about it to Willow afterwards:

"He tried his hand at felony sexual assault...it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti."

On a side note: it's interesting that in the episode that focuses on hierarchies and bullying in high school, Cordelia and the Cordettes are nowhere to be found. It's interesting to consider where she would have fallen on the food chain if she'd been in the episode. Was Charisma Carpenter unavailable the week they filmed that episode?

                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Gabrielle has first dibs on the Orange and Cat5 (Angel!Pig) icons; these are NOT snaggable.

But all other are entirely snaggable or make suitable gifts *lol*. Please give proper credit and do not claim as your own; do not post to other websites or archives without asking first. Comments and feedback are always appreciated!

** Crossover, AC1, Alts 20 - 23: Possession starring Sarah-Michelle Gellar as a woman whose brother-in-law body may or may not contain the soul of her comatose husband after both brothers are involved in a car accident. Think a cut-rate version of Jonathan Glazier's flawed masterpiece, Birth (2003).

***Crossover, AC2: Scream2 featuring SMG in a small role as the trope Buffy is meant to subvert: the helpless blond girl in the alley (or in this case, sorority house). Watching "Buffy" crying and begging for her life while being chased by a psychopathic killer is surprisingly unpleasant, btw. (Just saying.)

Comments

[bangel-4e.livejournal.com]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOW. Like, WHOA. The clarity and light in your icons is absolutely amazing! And you've also improved SO much. I love orange, unusual crop, retro, hot, yellow/blue, cat 4-5, ac 2-5 but my favorite is crossover. WOW. Buffy's face blended into Xander's silhouette. That is a technique I don't really know how to do, it just never comes right. I admire this icon SO much! Really, truly wonderful.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

The Pack is probably one of my favorite episodes from the early seasons. It's psychological, it's creepy, and I just like it.

I think you did an awesome job with your set. I don't blame velvetwhip for laying claim to "Orange." It's a fantastic icon.

My other favorites are truth, sepia+profile, contrast, seeing red, and hot. I'm also really digging Cat 1, AC 1, AC 2, and AC 5.

[kikimay]

These are great!! Yaaaay!

List of faves: sepia+profile (GENIUS. I LAUGHED. OMG WHY XDDD), hot, crossover (Which is, I think, one of the best on the set, maybe THE best. I love the clarity of the image), seeing red, yellow + blue (Your irony is delicious) CAT2, CAT4 (More slash icons plz!) AC2

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

These are all wonderful - it's difficult to pick out favourites, but I do think AC2 is brilliant and I laughed out loud at the Joss Whedon ones. And the cropped closeup of Cat 1 holds a world of emotion in it.


Congratulations hon, these are all great - and they remind me how much I love The Pack - it's spawned some great fic over the years

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Brilliant icons!!!! I love them all, as you know! (But I also really, really want the pig. I love the pig. *sigh*)


Gabrielle

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love your icons, all of them!
And the thought about Cordelia... how it never occured to me before? It's really weird that she's missing from this ep.

[emmatheslayer.livejournal.com]

wow great icons

[angelus2hot]

These are all absolutely gorgeous!!

I especially love Hot, Crossover, Contrast, Cat 5, AC 1, AC 2, AC 3, and AC 5

[sandy-s.livejournal.com]

These are lovely but my absolute fave is the Retro Willow one. There's so much emotion in that little hitch in her shoulder...in her posture and you captured it perfectly!

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, October 15

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User rahirah referenced to your post from The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, October 15 (http://su-herald.livejournal.com/828596.html) saying: [...] [Images, Audio & Video] Artwork:btvsats20in20 Entries ROUND 13: THE PACK (BtVS S1.06) [...]

[feliciacraft.livejournal.com]

Oh WOW.

WOW!

These are absolutely amazing! Love the top three above the cut the most, the framing on Hot, AC1, 2, and 5 (I'm not in the mood for expressions of anger or confrontation right now), and Alt 2 (a softer, more "fairytale" alternative of AC4). Love, love, love the blue tone and mood of Contrast and Crossover -- I can't stop looking at them.

Thank you so much for sharing!

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

Wow! Fascinating! I can't help grinning at "Seeing Red", aw the poor guy. The Slash one is totally awesome.

Of course, I will always always adore that "Hot" smirk. I remember seeing it for the first time. My sister and I were floored.

"Crossover" is breathtaking. I can't help but stare at it.

[starry-night.livejournal.com]

These are absolutely fabulous hon! Your icons have a wonderful clarity and your colouring and texture use is beautiful. Also you are amazing at picking the perfect images for themes!

My absolute faves are crossover and AC1 (your blending is stunning!) but I also love orange, truth, hot, contrast, yellow/blue, C4-5 and AC 2 &4 but they are all terrific! I love seeing your progression as an icon maker - you've always had your own style and you just keep getting better and better with each batch <3

[spikesredqueen.livejournal.com]

These are some really great icons! I love the images you chose for the themes, especially truth. That was such a good choice for it because it depicts Xander lying and Willow playing as if she didn't know better. My other favorites are hot, angry, unusual crop, retro, your cat set (love that you included the pig by the way), AC's 1, 2, and 5!