Editorial by Slaine: Rebutting Dan Bickell’s Female Skins

2/8/98

Of past, and now more recent concern to me has been a great question of what type of moral issue’s that not only I, but game developers in general face when we create for the masses. Regardless of whether we accept it, or realize it, or want it, we have a certain obligation to be ‘responsible’ with the things we release to the public.

More to the point, skin artist Dan Bickell seems to lack this quality unforunately. It seems he feels that releasing full nude skins to the public is fully acceptable, while most of the rest of the art community (in relation to quake skins) seems to disagree. Now of course, Dan’s welcome to his opinion, and obviously he expresses that with his continued release of full nude, and explicit skin’s to the public. And obviously Dan’s got his ‘freedom of speech’ since he lives in the United States of America, and right to express it .. as he does.

So whats the problem?

The problem is, and has been for some time.. that the ‘gaming community’ is male dominated, and very non-female friendly. The recent “Hellkitten” incident where a fairly prominent female member of the Quake community was very seriously harrased receiving emails with attached pornographic images depicting her face pasted into them just begins to highlight what Im talking about here. She was harrased so heavily she removed herself and her presence from the web. Thats right, our ‘quake community’ , our ‘little family’ we have on the web, drove one of the few females we have …. out.

Now Dan Bickell, unfortunately with his practice of releasing female skins that depict not only full nudity, but go so far as to highlight very sexual parts such as the labia and nipples is adding to this problem.

Id Software, realising that the Female audience was not being treated fairly, nor were they receiving a place in the game, made a very special, tough, female marine for Quake 2. I applaud their efforts, as they were both artistic and tastefull. They have made a place for the female in the Quake Community.

Dan Bickell (as well as a couple of other artists I know of) made full nude skins to go on the female model for Quake 2. For some reason .. I can only see 14 year old boys using these skins.. not women. And of course, a woman seeing this in the game, is likley to be disgusted, and rightfully so.

Dan Bickell.. amazingly enough, won 1st place in the Quake Women’s Forum as the “Best Skin Artist of 1997”. I find this a greatly misplaced award. I would have placed Dan as last place. Do women even run the Quake Women’s Forum? How on earth could a ‘woman’ have voted what is basically masturbation fantasy skins for men, as the best skins from a female perspective?

I know for one my wife was insulted to see his skins.. and I’ve heard from other women who were also. True enough his “paper dolls” skin pack offered ‘clothes’ to put on his porn. But couldnt he just as easily made the skin nude, but non-detailed? I dont know if Dan doesnt see the line, or just doesnt care?

I for one respect women, and I’d like to see more of them join us online, and in games. Women make life interesting, and rewarding in many ways. I’ll do my best to respect them, and I’ll use a little bit of judgement, and morale integrity before I release a skin that is likely to belittle them, or make them less likely to join us online.

Unfortunately, I have to extend this rant just a bit farther.. and say .. Dan, although your a decent artist , you’ve got way to big an ego for your own good. Your little ‘Dan – skin’ pack wasnt amusing to me at all, and Im sure all the ladies were ‘really’ impressed with your ‘erection’ skin? Sheese.. get over yourself.

Blue’s News seems to think things like your ‘danskin’ pack is worth mentioning, Im not sure if Stephen was drunk that day or what… but cut & pasting your head on a dozen skins and calling it a new skinpack isnt newsworthy at all, it shows how little you are.

Finally, I dont know if you’ll ever stumble across my page and read this, but if you do , please feel free to email me your comments, and Ill be glad to post your reply here if you so wish.