I'm Avatar-ifying My Notebook!

I'm Avatar-ifying my notebook!

Here's my art process for how I make my homemade stickers:

First, I find a reference, sketch, and ink in the line art.

Then I use alcohol markers to do the flat colors, let it dry, and then go over another layer to create shadows and add in finer details like the stripes. Finally, I finish it off with a little bit of white paint to add highlights (I don't have a white paint pen so I just use a toothpick dipped in white paint lol). And boom! Homemade Kiri sticker 💙

What characters or creatures should I add next?

James Cameron has written Neytiri and Spider's relationship before...

Recently I went on a kick of rewatching old sci-fi movies, including the James Cameron ones of course, and I noticed an interesting little pattern in JC's storytelling:

In Terminator 2 we have our protagonist Sarah Connor. In the first movie she was almost killed by the first terminator, so in the second movie, when she meets the new terminator, she's understandably distrustful of it even though her son, John, trusts it. However, the new terminator proves itself to be loyal to John, so she realizes she doesn't have to be distrustful and even comes to rely on it in the end.

Then in Alien 2 we have Ellen Ripley. In the first movie, Ripley was almost killed because of the android Rook, so in the second movie, when she meets a new android, Bishop, she's understandably distrustful of him even though the other human characters trust him. Just like the new terminator, Bishop proves himself to be loyal, and Ripley realizes she can trust him and they become friends by the end (and stay friends for the rest of their lives because I like to pretend Alien 3 didn't happen 😭)

Now we have the Avatar sequels and Neytiri. In the first Avatar, Neytiri was almost killed by Quaritch, so in the second movie, when she's around his son, she's extremely distrustful even though her family members trust Spider... hmm I wonder how James Cameron is going to resolve that conflict? 🤔

Obviously, Neytiri/Spider's relationship is more complicated and ugly than Ripley/Bishop and Sarah Connor/the second Terminator, but the story beats are still lining up the same. We don't know the conclusion to Neytiri and Spider's relationship conflict just yet, but looking at James Cameron's other works, I think he may be setting up to follow the same pattern as Alien 2 and Terminator 2.

Having a main protagonist realize she was wrong about someone and change her views on them is a story beat James Cameron seems to enjoy writing, and it's one that works really well. Giving a character flaws and having them grow and change is what creates compelling character arcs!

Avatar co-writer Amanda Silver even commented on the narrative purpose of Neytiri disliking Spider in an interview: "Neytiri is a fully fleshed-out character. She’s got flaws. So it’s okay to let her have flaws, we think. And that’s where Jim was coming from."

All this is to say that no, we are not going to see Neytiri murder Spider in Avatar 3 like many young fans hope, that would be a horribly depressing conclusion for her character arc; to never be challenged on her biases and never have to reflect on her views and grow. I for one am really excited to see how James Cameron and co resolve their conflict since their relationship has a lot more bad blood than the other two examples did!

Neytiri💙

And also I demand a cummerbund for female na'vi👊

I refuse to go into more detail, but, I will no longer hold my tongue. my biggest gripe with this fandom is the way a majority of it erases Lo'ak's actual trauma and struggles (with his identity, his father/family, his clan, etc), and essentially gives him Spider's traumas/struggles in some idealized form (whether for over the top and oversimplified "hurt/comfort" scenarios, or max woobification), while absolutely dragging and/or ignoring Spider's entire character and the realistic depictions of those traumas and what that does to a kid.

like I can't exactly put words to it or go into a deep analytical post, but I've been thinking about it, and some other stuff I've seen online have been making me think about it.

stop doing a disservice to both of my boys. they both have such interesting and complex stories and you're ruining it!!!

Beautiful art OP! I am so so sooo curious to see if they go with this idea in A3, and if so how!

I know a lot of people discount this theory as being too far fetched, but technically we've already seen a human with a "kuru." When Grace was dying, and later when Jake permanently transferred into his body, Eywa created a "temporary kuru" to connect with them using her sacred tree roots.

(thanks to @spider-socorro-stan for the image!)

In this screenshot of the leaked script where Kiri and Mo'at discuss what happened to Spider, it looks to me like Kiri says "we weren't at a sacred tree. There was no place to connect. I -- I made the roots obey me. I don't know how -- I don't remember." And then Kiri claims "she did it herself" (presumably saving Spider) and Mo'at urges her to keep it a secret. The fact that Kiri references "roots" when talking about what she did to Spider, makes me think that whatever happens to Spider will involve these special roots that created the temporary kuru for Grace and Jake.

If these roots have the power to let Spider breathe the atmosphere, something unheard of, I don't see why they couldn't also grant him a kuru, something we've already seen before on a human, albeit temporarily.

My theory is that when Kiri "blesses" Spider with the power to breathe the air, she'll use these special roots to do so. I don't know how the roots will help him breathe the air (reddit user u/ellestra has a really interesting theory that microscopic filaments from the roots will "take root" in his lungs and form a symbiotic relationship, similar to how bacteria live in our gut and help us digest out food. The microscopic bits would act as a built in exopack to filter out the unbreathable elements of the atmosphere so Spider can breathe without having his respiratory and cardiovascular system radically overhauled).

But I believe that when Kiri does this, the roots will grow and connect to the back of his neck just like they did for Grace and Jake. The difference is that instead of disconnecting after the ceremony is over, the roots will stay and form a symbiotic relationship, integrating into Spider's nervous system; the roots will receive nourishment from Spider's bloodstream to stay alive and in return Spider gets to have a kuru!

This is why there's concept art of Spider with a kuru and also why he has a new braid in BTS images for Avatar 3. I theorize the reason the braid is significantly shorter than a kuru in the BTS images is because the kuru will start out small and "underdeveloped" right after the "miracle" but will slowly grow over time as it acclimates to his body. That's why the kuru looks thicker and longer in the second BTS image, and then it's full-length in the concept art. It might even start out just as small as it looks in OP's fanart, the difference being is I believe Spider's kuru will grow from the back of his neck like it did on Grace. Of course, the problem with his kuru is that, since it is a separate organism symbiotically attached to him and not a natural part of his body, it won't have any skin growing over it like the Na'vi do and it would just be the unprotected roots. it would be doubly important for Spider to braid his hair over his kuru to protect it.

Anyways, what do you guys think of my theory? I'd love to hear others thoughts on this idea or alternative theories!

New Limb

One thing I honestly disliked about Avatar Way of Water was Lo’ak and how his arc was about how he felt like an outcast and that nobody understood him. Because, while he is kind of the black sheep of his family, there’s another character who more closely fits with the themes of feeling like you don’t belong anywhere:

Spider “too Na’vi to be human, too human to be Na’vi” Socorro.

When you compare the two characters circumstances and what they both went through, it feels extremely hypocritical to say that Lo’ak is the “outcast” character in this film when Spider is literally right there. At least Lo’ak has a family that loves and accepts him as part of their family, no matter what shenanigans he gets himself up to; he’ll never not be their family.

Spider on the other hand…well I don’t think I need to explain how his “family” situation is not quite as pleasant.

But then I started thinking about why Lo’ak feels outcasted, more specifically I started thinking about why Lo’ak sees himself in Payakan and how that takes this arc from “hypocritical plot point” to “clever set up for future conflict and arcs.”

Think about it. Why are Lo’ak and Payakan considered outcasts? It’s because both of them make bad decisions which have drastic consequences.

In the first twenty minutes of the movie, we see Lo’ak go against his father’s direct orders and that leads to him and Neteyam nearly getting killed. Later on he chooses to lead himself, his best friend, and his two sisters into an unknown situation that ends up with them getting held hostage and Spider getting kidnapped. And finally his decision to go back for Spider ended up with Neteyam getting killed.

To be clear, I am NOT saying that Lo’ak is responsible for Neteyam’s death or that he’s a terrible brother or friend, just that things are complicated and he makes mistakes that have immense consequences.

Payakan is the same way. When the RDA killed his pod he made the decision to go after them, which led to the deaths of other Na’vi. I also don’t fully blame Payakan for this either, but it’s undeniable that the movie wants us to understand that there is some kind of tangible connection between someone’s misguided but well intentioned actions and the horrible consequences that come after.

This is different from the reason why Spider is outcasted, because Spider never did anything that earned him a bad reputation or tarnished others trust in him. The only reason why Spider is stuck in between worlds, not fully accepted by either, is because he’s a human on Pandora who grew up with Na’vi culture. He’s too much of either group to really fit in with the other.

However, as discussed before, Spider does end up making a well intentioned but misguided decision at the end of Way of Water: he saves Quaritch, and in the next few movies we will see the fallout of that decision and the consequences it’ll bring.

Now, obviously Lo’ak is going to be upset with Spider for this, I would be shocked if all of the Sullys weren’t upset with him for some time after they learn the truth, but Lo’ak’s arc in Way of Water is great setup for how he in particular will eventually come to understand and forgive Spider.

Remember what he said to Tsieryu about Payakan after their conversation with Tonowari?

“Does he have to pay for it[his sins] for the rest of his life?….He knows what he did was wrong and he would never do it again.”

Lo’ak’s arc about being outcasted isn’t focused on circumstances beyond one’s control outcasting someone unfairly, it’s about how people who make well intentioned mistakes and reap terrible consequences still deserve a chance to be better and earn forgiveness; they do not deserve to bare those sins forever if they understand that they were wrong.

My guess is that Spider is going to understand that he was wrong for saving Quaritch and have to deal with the consequences, and in doing so and trying to do better he will earn Lo’ak’s forgiveness and understanding.

Or at least, I hope they go this route or something similar lest all of this set up be for nothing.