AI Art Adventures: Rockabilly Couple

Since I started to experiment with AI generated art back in August 2022 a lot has gone down. Chief among the developments, a lawsuit filed by a group of artists who claim the Midjourney creation site, the StableDiffusion AI engine, and DeviantArt, has plagiarized their work. Meaning, the AI engine was trained on images pulled from the DeviantArt site, which is a showcase for fannish, SFF, and out-there art, without the artists’ permission, and used by Midjourney to create original art for its users. Which has opened up a whole can of worms considering that some of those users are now profiting off those works. Many copyright lawyers will be very busy in the future over this. History is being made.

And all this means, too, that AI art has since exploded into the public consciousness. I feel a little hipsterish right now, that something I’ve discovered and thought of as cool now has been taken up by everyone else, and the ethicality of it troubles me also even as I want to experiment more and see for myself what it can do and can’t do.

One of the things I’ve found is how Midjourney differs from all the other generators, even those using StableDiffusion themselves, and it’s not its access to the whole of the DeviantArt site. The images are too good, too polished, and leads me to believe something else is going behind the scenes. But I can’t put my finger on it. That it’s run off a Discord server is still fishy to me.

So I came up with a prompt inspired by a photo of two people that I know. I ran that photo through a Hugging Face site that generates a prompt from a visual input, and got something that said, basically, “Rockabilly couple, orange jumpsuit, glasses, suit, leopard skin.” Which amused me greatly as the couple in question were not Rockabilly and not wearing any orange jumpsuits; they were Native American. But there you have it.

I added gouache as the medium.

These are my favorites of the four pictures generated. They are very polished, very professional, but also kind of soulless. They remind me of illustrations on the cover of a sewing pattern to create a Rockabilly look. Very illustrative. Though the styles the differ slightly, the “look” is the same, and even the couple themselves. Any quirky weirdness has been absorbed into the illustration so it’s barely noticeable. Notice the glasses of the girl in the first pic. They have two different lenses, and it seems parts of the frame have become a ribbon tying up her hair. There is also no overt leopard print. In the first pic, we get cow-like splotches, in the second, something that looks like giraffe. And both pics are orange… very, very orange. It’s a little spooky. It’s also spooky how the engine has concealed the couple’s hands, avoiding the “hand problem” of AI art.

This picture was generated on another engine, and though it’s not as polished, I like it better as art. The couple looks real; they have personalities of a sort.  It looks like a quick sketch. The girl even has her hair tied up with a scarf in Rockabilly style.

This pic shows even more personality; I added “Native American” to the mix. Again, it looks like a quick work done by a real artist, but it’s full of personality. I had to fix a few things in a paint program, like the man’s eyebrows, but overall, I like it.

I wouldn’t profit off any of these, or claim them as my own. As far as I’m concerned they are just random gifts from the internet.

I’ll be experimenting more later in these posts, and keeping up with the legal issues.

Worldbuilding Wednesday 2/8/23: House of the Dragon (People)

Daemon Targaryon channels Elric of Melnibone

Now that Game of Thrones has wrapped, House of the Dragon has become HBO’s next blockbuster fantasy series. It’s about the history of the Targaryon family who ruled over Westeros two centuries previous to the events of the former series. They are Valyrians, George R. R. Martin’s equivalent of Imperial Romans, with the addition of dragons and a healthy dollop of Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone. Like that melancholy hero, Valyrians are pale and have ghostly platinum blonde hair, rumored sorcerous abilities, and a decadent culture that includes slavery and incest. They’re a lot of fun. I’m currently watching the series, and I’ll give a full review when I am done.

With a new series comes new worldbuilding, among which is High Valyrian, the language these dragon people speak. High Valyrian is a lot like Latin with touches of some unknown Slavic language, and was created by a language expert for the show. There’s even a translator for it, available here, and a list of some phrases used on the show if you want to try it yourself. Happily for me,  the new language also allows for a more evenly applied, otherworldly naming convention for the Valyrian characters. First names use the ae vowel combo in heavy rotation, adding to the Latin vibe, with endings of -ion, -ys, -on and -or that make the names sound serious and foreboding. These are not playful, happy-go-lucky people; they are weighed down by their own history and shortcomings. Exotic touches come from the consonant combos of rh and vh and the consonant doubles of mm, rr, and ss. Easy to replicate.

Brōzāt syt fanfic nykeā rpg valyrians gō kesīr.  (Names for fanfic or RPG Valyrian characters are below.)

 

Valyrian Character Names

Male

Aergon

Aesselon

Baedegon

Ensys

Ghavnon

Hemaegon

Icerys

Idmaen

Ithilys

Naessor

Rhanor

Telcerys

Uthrys

Varanthys

Vhistar

 Female

Aegna

Aerys

Anma

Brysa

Daemara

Erra

Jaedrys

Jessryn

Minnyra

Naema

Saena

Sarys

Thryna

Vaena

Vyrna

 

Worldbuilding Wednesday 1/25/23: States of Confusion (Southwestern States)

Most people think of the U.S. states of Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona as cowboy country, the Wild West. Originally, I wanted to do these three states as a post puncturing the cowboy myth, and how these rough-and-tumble men were nothing at all like those on TV and in the movies. But then I realized these three states had in common something way more interesting than cowboys and horses… top secret aircraft!

As in Area 51.

One of my favorite books on the subject is still Phil Patton’s Dreamland: Travels Inside the Secret World of Roswell and Area 51, which is part history, part travelogue, part psychological investigation. Though dated (it was written in 1999) it’s still a good introduction. That it, and Roswell — of the notorious saucer crash and alien corpses — are located in this dry, scenic, magical part of the country only adds to their allure.

The magic of AI lets us imagine how famous artists, past and present, would have depicted this forbidden military base.

From top to bottom, left to right: John Waterhouse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Sir Laurance Alma-Tadema, Cindy Sherman, Georgia O’Keeffe, H. R. Geiger. Neat, huh?

Alternate art means alternate history, and in some other multiverse, the names might be…

 

Alternate Names for the Southwest States

Nevada

Naihana

Eubravo

Nevaedon

Nachita

Novadon

Neversir

Nevudas

Ruvada

 Arizona

Agrocosta

Urizona

Arzyona

Erzamu

Estebana

Adisho

Hacona

Arithbara

 New Mexico

West Texama

Nuevo Lexado

Los Centagos

Nos Peixiu

New Peztli

New Jalisco

New Calixico

Greater Mixalo

 

Rainbowman


Among the more bizarre Japanese tokusatsu hero shows of the 1970s was Warrior of Love: Rainbowman. This sounds contemporary, but the show had nothing to do with LGBTQ people or rights, as it debuted in 1972.

Due to the special training he received in India from the yogi Devadatta,  young hero Takeshi Yamato was able to split himself into seven different beings, each with its own special powers and abilities. Oddly, these did not conform to the colors of the rainbow (red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple-indigo) but to Light and Dark and the Five  Chinese Elements of fire, water, earth, metal, and wood.  Rainbowman’s mission was to fight against the enemies of Japan who were taking revenge for the atrocities Japan committed during WWII. That right there is why this tokusatsu never made it to America.

Worldbuilding Wednesday 1/18/23: Tokusatsu Shows of the 1970s

Symbol of Justice Condorman, a tokusatsu show from 1975. This hero was inspired by the sad news at the time that the California condor species was going extinct. The bird’s population has since increased and stabilized, but Condorman is long gone.

Tokusatsu is a form of media native to Japan. At its most basic, it means any kind of Japanese SFF, horror or war drama that relies heavily upon special effects. But since the 1960s popular usage has defined it as any action-packed TV show or movie with colorfully costumed superhero characters who have their own set of unique visual and cultural tropes.

The great-grandfather of the genre is 1954’s atom bomb cautionary tale Godzilla (Gojira in Japanese) which featured Eiji Tsuburaya’s use of rubber suits and miniature sets. Tsuburaya went on to produce Ultraman a decade later, further cementing his reputation as a tokusatsu pioneer. Though there were other monsters and aliens duking it out on Japanese TV both before and after Ultraman’s 1966 debut, none have had his staying power, which has lasted 55+ years. (Which makes him eligible for a senior discount I suppose.)

The vintage magazine cover above features a prime selection of the alien, offputting beings spawned in Ultraman’s wake. Known as Kyodai Heroes in Japan, each had its own unique series premise and storyline, but all did the same thing: growing to huge size and battling giant monsters. Some of them were truly whacky, such as Lion-Maru, an anthropomorphic white lion who rode a flying horse, and Spectreman, who battled Dr. Gori, an intelligent alien gorilla being in a pink Nehru suit. Japanese creators took inspiration anywhere they could get it and I suppose Planet of the Apes was but one element in the mix. They were and continue to be a lot of fun.

Another subgenre of tokusatsu was created when Kamen Rider debuted in 1971: a human superhero who dressed just as oddly as the Kyodai Heroes above, but stayed normal size and indulged in Batman/spy movie shenanigans against evil organizations out to conquer the world. Like Ultraman, Kamen Rider proved it had legs and is still around today.

The team are all carefully numbered and dressed alike but in different colors and helmet designs, a trope carried forward for decades.

But both were eclipsed in the later 1970s when Himitsu Sentai Gorenger debuted, the first of the Super Sentai shows. This third subgenre had a team of human heroes who derived their powers from some mystical or technological McGuffin. They dressed in a color-coordinated way around a certain theme (elements, jungle animals, prehistoric creatures, etc.), used advanced technology, had special attack modes which they shouted out before striking (“Super lotus energizer side kick!”) and protected the earth from some alien or supernatural foe. Several of these shows were later imported to the U.S., excised of all but the costumed fight scenes, and received new storylines with American actors. Yes, this was the genesis of The Power Rangers. The popularity of the American version of the show has since waned, but in Japan, new teams continue to debut year after year, most often with five young people.It is traditional for the two token females of the group to receive pink or yellow as their team color.

If you need an imaginary tokusatsu show of your own, here’s a randomgenned list.

 

Tokusatsu Shows of the 1970s

King Nexus

Joe Raider

Brave Miss

Mighty Five Man

Girl Sluggers

Honey Samurai

Hyperjack

Mega Mandala

Decade Busters

Sabre Fox

Xeno Rangers

 Ambassador Stranger

Fighter Fighter 979

Baron Raiden Maskless

Human 7

Dynazon Man

Argent Eye

Lady Grid 42

Space Devil Girl

Prince Luger

Sergeant Spectre

Mirrormirage

 

Worldbuilding Wednesday 1/11/23: Jewish Delis

New York City is famous for its Jewish delicatessens, with Katz’s still being the oldest and the best known. This particular kind of eatery sprang up in the late 1800s when German immigrants began to settle in lower Manhattan.  The food was decidedly Teutonic: sauerkraut, pickles, cold cuts, sausages. Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe later added pastrami, borscht, rye bread, matzoh ball soup, and other delights. These fatty, salty foods were considered luxuries to the new immigrants. They didn’t survive on a diet of it at home, far from it. They were something for special occasions. Of course, over the decades, non-Jews began to eat there too.

The 1920s, 30s, and 40s were the deli’s heyday; there were perhaps 3,000 of them spread across the five boroughs. All had a similarity of name, and all seemed to be run by big, beefy guys named Mort and Walt and Shelly. They wore white caps, smoked cigars, and argued loudly with customers about local politics or baseball scores; their surnames were most often German or Russian. These names are reflected in my list below.

By the time the 1970s rolled around the traditional Jewish deli was in decline. New concerns with fat, salt, and cholesterol levels spelled its doom, as well as the many Jews moving away from the city. Plus, younger generations were no longer to carry on the backbreaking work that went into running them six days a week. College and the suburbs beckoned instead.

But, happily, a revival is occurring, with new restauranteers rediscovering this genre of food,  such as Holy Schnitzel and Pastrami Queen. These pun-filled names are also reflected in my names below.

Want to know more? The New York Historical Society is currently running an exhibition on the history of the Jewish Deli.

 

Jewish Delis

“Who’s got the best pastrami sandwiches in Midtown?”

“… and soup?”

“… and pickles and gefilte fish?”

The Bagel Works

Schnitzel World

Strassberg & Sons

Moe’s Catering

Sal’s Deli and Restaurant

Weissberg’s Sandwich World

Huntzie’s Mainline Grill

Iggy & Joe’s Uptown Coffee

Steinberg’s Schnitzel Heaven

Jay’s Broad Street Diner

Mort & Wolfie’s

Boris’s Fifth Avenue Takeout and Catering

Kenny & Benny’s Bagel Factory

Walt & Sam’s Sandwich Works

Paulie’s Kugel Paradise

Barsky’s Stage Door Catering

Reading Challenge 2023

 

It’s time for another yearly reading challenge from the Authors Water Cooler! The past three years were disappointing for me, as I hadn’t been able to finish any of them despite my high intentions. 2022 was actually better, because I did make it 3/4 of the way, squeaking through with two books finished the week after Christmas (a deliberate choice on my part) so 8 out of 12 ain’t bad. All of them I enjoyed, except for the terrible Locke & Key and The Dragon Quintet, which was not so much hateable as disappointing (2022 choices here.)

This year brings more categories and the opportunity to shake things up a little. As in previous years, I lean towards fantasy, history, and science.

1.   23rd Year, 23rd Letter: A book whose title begins with the letter W. OPEN

14.  Article free in ’23: Read a book whose title doesn’t contain “a” “an” or “the.”
1959, Fred Kaplan
An argument for the year that shaped the modern world as we know it.

15.  East meets West: A book taking place in Asia (Turkey to Japan, Siberia to Vietnam).
The Granta Book of India
Anthology of stories, memoirs, poems, articles, about India originally published in the Granta literary journal.

18.  Local hero: A book by a local author.
Violin Down, John Weller
I met him at work one day – he’s the assistant conductor of the Seattle Symphony — and he gave me a copy!

19. Wisdom of the ancients: Read any work more than 1000 years old.
Saga of the Volsungs
I had this one for last year’s challenge but didn’t get to it, so I am going to try again.

27.  Bits and pieces: An anthology (poetry, short stories, whatever).
Ties That Bind, David Isay
Stories of love and gratitude from the first ten years of Storycorps.

30. Doorstoppers:  A book more than 600 pages.
The Ruin of Kings, Jenn Lyons
Fantasy.

31.  No hablo: A book originally written in another language (either a translation or in the original if you’d like!). OPEN

33.  Keep up with the Joneses: A book everyone else seems to have read but you have not.
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
I have not read anything, ever, by “Papa.”

38.  Animal house: A book about animals in any way.
The Panda’s Thumb, Stephen Jay Gould or Kraken, China Mieville
A toss-up here.

39.  Vast Critical Acclaim: A book that has won a prestigious award.
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
Philosophical science fiction about encounter with aliens.

41.   After the fall: A post-apocalyptic or dystopic book.
The Fall of Numenor, J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. By Patrick Silbey
Tolkien’s reworking of the Atlantic myth.

Worldbuilding Wednesday 1/4/23: Best of Twittersnips 2022 (Magic Items)

Marzamara’s Deer Vial

My favorite Twittersnip magic items of 2022.

 

2022 Magic Items


Anzha’s Bubble: This glass bubble measures 2” and constantly shifts colors. When held in the palm, it induces memories of the most tranquil place the holder ever visited, inducing in them calm and peace.

Bag of the Banshee: This cursed sack screams loudly whenever it is opened, scaring everyone out of their wits.

Baton of Relieving Boredom: It’s easy for a guard or watchmen to become bored and miss something vital. This small stick ensures they stay alert with a lively interest in everything they see and hear.

Bone of the Champion: The Champion Chef, that is! When thrown into a cookpot it will make the meal twice as tasty and nutritious and also double the amount of people it can feed. Note that it is a real human bone.

Book of Tenebruous Sealife: Contains spells for summoning sea creatures living in the abyssal depths.

Book of the Ebon Peacock: A darkly sinister and lavishly illustrated tome of grooming and fashion for lawful evil magic-users. Any of those that read it find their Charisma enhanced permanently by a point.

Book of the Gray Fox

Book of The Gray Fox: Contains spells for enhancing the charisma and comeliness of older magic-users.

Boots of Endless Descent: The wearer is able to walk tirelessly as long as they are moving down, not up.

Brew of Obliteration: This magic alcoholic drink causes immense sorrow, then makes the drinker pass out. When they come to, any recent traumatic events are forgotten. A curse but then a blessing.

Brew of the Centaur: This potion temporarily bestows a centaur’s wisdom, strength, and stamina on the drinker. The secret ingredient is centaur sweat which doesn’t make it tasty.

Continue reading

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You [Reading Challenge 2022]


You Look Like a Thing and I Love You

by Janelle Shane
Voracious, November 2019

[ Challenge # 3 : Just the facts, Ma’am: Nonfiction on any subject ]

I’ve followed Janelle Shane’s weblog on AI and computer learning for a while, and it’s never failed to make me laugh.

Out of that endeavor came this book, which is not a collection of her weblog writing but a basic guide on AI intelligence, focusing on what it can do and can’t do.  It’s written for the layperson, very breezy and casual. I enjoyed it, but had to read it in small doses, as it’s somewhat abstract, and I don’t do well with abstract material and concepts (like algebra and C+ programming.) I’m glad I persevered, though. The many small cartoons helped; they broke up the text and affording amusing asides. The field is moving very quickly, so it’s likely some of the book is outdated already; it was published near the end of 2019 and likely written over that year. The three years since have been full of new milestones, not least among them AI art engines that have become commercialized. I credit the author for getting me interested in these engines and sparking a new pleasure of mine.

So, a funny and challenging computer science read and I’ll continue to read more.

The Shame Machine
[Reading Challenge 2022]


The Shame Machine:
Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation

by Cathy O’Neil
Crown, March 2022

[ Challenge # 45 : Face your fears: A book that intimidates you, for any reason ]

This one’s a late-year substitute.  Shoehorned The Shame Machine by Cathy O’Neil into the “Intimidating” category, because the title certainly is. Who wants to read about being ashamed?

However, it was a good overview of how the concept of shame keeps members of society in line and on the same path, except when it doesn’t. That is, when it’s harnessed by capitalism. Case in point, to get people to buy dubious health products to be younger, fitter, or more beautiful. This concept was explored in the first part of the book, which dealt with “punching down” — a term I just encountered on reading the book — which is how those in power shame those with less power to do what the powerful thinks they should be doing, with a moral component: Shame on you for being poor and not being able to provide for your children, now you must go through all these humiliating steps for aid to ensure that you never, ever, are in this shameful state again. Not really the best way for pulling people out of homelessness, drug addiction, or mental illness.

The author is a mathematician who has previously written a book about algorithms, and that’s touched on in the text in the second section, in how disparaging tweets and posts go viral. That aspect is slightly out of date because the internet world moves so rapidly, but it’s nice to see it summarized and stated all in one place. Reading the book has certainly made me reflect on my own behavior; there’s nothing to be gained by laughing at and mocking most people.

The third section dealt with “punching up” — those without power shaming those in power, such as the tactics of Gandhi in expelling the British from India. This also was a good basic overview. I have to say, though, a method without much teeth these days, when politicians brazenly lie and the consequences are nonexistant. I mean, lying in a way that is readily apparent to the average person with some search engine knowledge. What can we do about that?