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Pencil 2.O Wikia

I wasn't planning on splitting even more of this METHODOLOGY page, but something's come up that has changed the entire trajectory of the end product—you know, my eventually posting the pictures of all the RLBFB contestants as humans.

Real-Life BFB
Main infoProduction info

Yearly overviewShow timelines (Timeline of RLBFDIRLBFDIA • RLIDFBRLBFB before and after the split • RLTPOTExtra scouting) • General timelines (pre- and post-1950)

Differences from Pencil 2.OAestheticsMethodology (NamesNationalitiesHeightsAgesColours • AccessoriesTeam portraits) • Beyond the 64

TL;DR: InfoTimeline of the final project (part 1part 2part 3)

The (slightly un)official RLBFB yearbook! (Alternate takes)

Original text (now out of date)[]

The team photos are a continuation of this now-outdated blog post. Instead of just showing the characters of Pencil 2.O, the team portraits will capture the 擬人化-passed likenesses of all the RLBFB contestants. Basically, you'll be seeing what they looked like when the show started. I know that from the outside, these might look like innocuous composites of (slightly unrealistic) faces of people from all over the world[1], but the way I got them is not so innocent. Or at least not as innocent as I would have liked.

Of course, there were Postnational Monitor's blog posts from 2011 that I originally made the P2O composites from,[2] but I soon found them so limiting. Not every country in the world was represented, least of all Kenya, where RLBFB is meant to take place.

Around 2017 or 2018, after finishing my "P2O as humans" post, I went further down the rabbit hole of human composites and found myself on some websites that detail the phenotypes of people (to which I shall not link here). Nowadays—especially in this race-conscious world of the 21st century—that is considered unacceptable in many various ways.[3] Nevertheless, I have all of the images of the phenotypes saved on my computer, and they were used together with the national composites from the link above to make for a more realistic set of 64 擬人化-passed contestants.

I should still like to give credit to the original creator(s) of these images, assuming they simply made composites of famous and non-famous people who happen to be examples of those phenotypes. And again, I don't support any further agenda they might have had.

Meta-methodology[]

Outside the composites, the rest of these images was made the same way I make any other P2O- or BFDI-related image on this wiki: with creativity and an aesthetic that I have used since 2014. You can see it in the placards and the board under each contestant's name and image, but something has been updated: Notice that the assets that I'm using for the object form of the RLBFB contestants are different from what I'd been using before.[4]

As for the things I haven't made: the team photos are from the 2019 Scholastic book, the team logos from BFB 1 (2017), while the backgrounds of the images in general are from the BACKGROUNDS page of the BFDI wiki. Each one shows a particular location that I think is most associated with that particular team:

  • The Losers!: The desert that Firey and Coiny were arguing in (BFDI 12, Dec. 2010)
  • iance: Outer space (BFDIA 5e, Aug. 2013)
  • A Better Name Than That: Colour-modified version of the "BFB sky" (BFB 1, Nov. 2017)
  • Free Food: Where the fifth BFB challenge took place (BFB 5, Jan. 2018)
  • BEEP: The EXIT (BFB 10, Apr. 2018)
  • Team Ice Cube!: The inverted world at the centre of the Earth (BFB 14, Aug. 2019)
  • Death P.A.C.T.: The Fourest (BFB 15, Dec. 2019)
  • Team Jsiajcsiocmjasca: The pink-sky universe of post-split BFB (BFB 16, Mar. 2020)

There are also a few differing colours in each of the images.

  • On the placards, the names of the girl contestants are written in dark pink, while those of the boys are in blue. If an original RLBFB contestant existed outside the gender binary (as there is—are—in RLTPOT), their name would be in dark yellow.
  • Each team has its own colour, based on the colour of of its members' temporary room during the challenge in BFB 12 (July 2018). These colours have been assimilated into the background of the composites, allowing one to easily identify which team a contestant was on.

An inquiry[]

Because Penelope, Maja and G.P. appear in the team portraits, what happens to their old composites?

They're still valid, of course. I wouldn't spend years upon years trying to perfect something that had nothing to do with an object show that Pencil 2.O is clearly based on.

That being said, these composites are only accurate for a certain time period, namely the RLBFDIA–RLIDFB hiatus (so about 1966–1968). I could easily make a few minor cosmetic changes to "update" their looks to late 1969 (change her hairstyle, get rid of his stubble) and thus integrate them into the RLBFB team portraits without making them look like an anachronism, but that would imply two things:

  1. That I only care about the Pencil 2.O main characters when I watch (RL)BFB. Sure, I find them a bit more endearing because of their being on P2O (even with P and M's hideous personality changes), but not enough to give only them all the detail,
  2. And that Pencil, Match and Pen are living in the sixties while everyone else is in the 2000s, the decade when probably most of the source images for the composites were taken.

So the 擬人化-passed P2O mains (individual photos) are true to this show, while the 擬人化-passed contestants (group photos) are only primally true to RLBFB. In other words, consider the composite photos as the "primordial" forms in which you can find the contestants, before all the hair, makeup and other modifications so becoming of the average person in 1969.

A chart[]

I guess to finish this page (it's already become really long), I need to be transparent with you all and provide a rough list of all the composites I have used to create the RLBFB composites. Note a few things:

  1. Just because a nation or phenotype is listed here doesn't mean it was the only one that I used in creating the composite. Those of neighbouring countries or ethnicities were used, just to a lesser extent.
  2. Images that contributed only slightly to the composites are marked with "(m)", which stands for "minor".
  3. As in real life, siblings (G.P. and Joe, Penelope and Nathalia) will differ in appearance. They may have the same ancestry, but you'll see that I've made the composites so that you can tell that they're siblings, just not identical.
Names (BFB [RLBFB]) Ethnicity[5] National comp. Phenotype comp.[6]
Bethel [Bottle] [N. Am.] American, White U.S., Germany (m) Nordic (Borreby), British (m)
G.P. [Pen] [Jew.] Greek-Jewish Italy, Greece, Israel (m) Mediterranean (Atlanto-Med, Litorid, East Med), Eurasian (Armenid) (m)
Bilal [Black Hole] [Afr.] Nigerian, Hausa West Africa (m) West African (W. Ethiopid)
Abbie [Pie] [Eur.] English England British
[S. Asia.] Indian, Bengali India Indian (E. Brachid, Gracile Indid)
Lill [Liy] [Eur.] Swedish Sweden Nordic (Hallstatt, Fenno-Nord), Baltic (Tavastid)
Terry [Tree] [Eur.] English-Australian England British (N. Atlantid, Brünn)
Paula [Pillow] [Eur.] Scottish Wales, England (m) British
[Eur.] Romani India-Bollywood (m) Mediterranean (Gracile Med) (m)
Renata [Remote] [Afr.] Angolan, Mbundu West Africa (m) Bantu (C. Bantuid)
Lina [Basketball] [L. Am.] Afro-Colombian West African
[L. Am.] Hispanic, Colombian Spain (m) Saharan (Moorish), Mediterranean (m)
Eugenia [Golf Ball] [Eur.] English-American U.S., England British (Anglo-Saxon)
T.B. [Tennis Ball] [Eur.] German-American U.S., Germany (m) Nordic (Subnordid, Borreby, Cromagnid), Alpine (m)
Ady [Blocky] [Arab.] Lebanese Lebanon Mediterranean (East Med, Pontid), Caucasus, Iranian, Arabic (m)
Arbutus [Robot Flower] Identical to Florence.
Eddie [8-Ball] [Afr.] Mozambican, Makhuwa Bantu (C. Bantuid), Malayan (Malagasid)
Gabriel [Grassy] [Eur.] Dutch Netherlands Nordic, Alpine
[Malay] Indonesian, Ambonese Philippines (m) Malayan
T.V. [TV] [E. Asia.] Korean Korea East Asian (Chosonid, Okayama)
Donald [Donut] [Eur.] Afrikaner Netherlands (m) Nordic
[S. Asia.] Indian India-Bollywood Indian (N. Indid)
Barbara [Barf Bag] [Eur.] English-Canadian U.S., England, France (m) British
[N. Am.] Atikamekw Amerindian (Appalacid)
Naily [Naily] [Eur.] English-Australian England (m) British
[E. Asia.] Japanese Japan East Asian (Satsuma, Choshu)
Freddy [Firey Jr.] Combination of Frederic and Lelanda.
Joaquin [Gelatin] [Eur.] Italian, Venetian Argentina, Austria (m) Mediterranean (Gracile Med, Trans-Med)
Bomby [Bomby] [Afr.] Upper Voltan, Mossi West Africa (m) West African (Sudanid)
Spongy [Spongy] [Eur.] Finnish, Karelian Finland, Russia (m) Baltic (Savolaxid)
Briselda [Bracelety] [Eur.] Galician Spain (m) Alpine (Subnordid), Mediterranean (m)
Marc [Marker] [Eur.] Greek Greece Eurasian (Armenid), Mediterranean (East Med, Pontid)
[Eur.] Danish Nordic (Borreby, Hallstatt)
Frankie [Fries] [Eur.] Flemish Belgium Alpine
Violette [Foldy] [Eur.] French France Nordic (Norid, Hallstatt), Alpinid (m)
Joe [Eraser] [Jew.] Greek-Jewish Greece, Israel, Italy (m) Mediterranean (Litorid, Pontid, East Med), Eurasian (Armenid, Assyroid)
Stefan [Stapy] [Afr.] South African, Coloured South Africa (m) Nordic, Khoi-San, Malayan (m)
[Jew.] Romanian-Jewish Romania Alpine
Yitzhak [Yellow Face] [Jew.] Czech-Jewish Israel, Czechoslovakia Eurasian (Armenid, Assyrid), Alpine (m)
Belle [Bell] [Arab.] Syrian Turkey (m) Mediterranean (East Med), Arabic, Eurasian (Anatolid)
Honorata [Puffball] [L. Am.] Afro-Guadeloupean West Africa West African (W. Congolesid)
Nathalia [Needle] [L. Am.] Brazilian Brazil West African, Mediterranean
[Afr.] Kenyan, Kikuyu Ethiopia (m) Bantu (N. Bantuid), Ethiopid
Frederic [Firey] [N. Am.] American, White U.S., England (m) British (Atlantid, Keltic)
Jake [Cake] [N. Am.] American, Black U.S. West African
Columbus [Coiny] [N. Am.] American, White U.S., Ireland (m) British (Keltic, Brünn), Nordic (Trønder)
Phuong [Pin] [E. Asia.] Chinese-Vietnamese Vietnam, China (m) East Asian (Annamid, S. Sinid)
Khaled [Clock] [Arab.] Algerian Egypt (m) Mediterranean (Berberid, Berid, Gracile Med)
[Eur.] French France Alpine
Peggy [Eggy] [E. Asia.] Chinese-Filipino China, Philippines (m) East Asian (Chukiangid), Malayan (m)
Lothar [Loser] [Eur.] German Germany, Austria (m) Nordic (Norid, Dalo-Faelid)
Penelope [Pencil] [L. Am.] Brazilian Brazil West African, Mediterranean (m)
[Afr.] Kenyan, Kikuyu Ethiopia (m) Bantu (N. Bantuid), Ethiopid
Leo [Lightning] [Eur.] Irish Ireland British (Keltic, N. Atlantid, Brünn)
Florence [Flower] [Eur.] English-American U.S., Ireland (m) British (Paleo-Atlantid, N. Atlantid)
Fannie [Fanny] [Eur.] English England British (N. Atlantid, Anglo-Saxon)
Kathy [Bubble] [Turk.] Turkish Turkey Eurasian (Armenid, Anatolid)
[Eur.] German Germany (m) Nordic (Borreby) (m)
Ruby [Ruby] [Afr.] Tanzanian, Hehe Bantu (N. Bantuid)
Simon [Snowball] [Eur.] Danish Nordic (Dalo-Faelid, Borreby)
Maja [Match] [Jew.] Polish-Jewish Poland, Czechoslovakia, Israel (m) Baltic (W. Baltid), Alpine (Gorid), Eurasian (Armenid) (m)
Blaine [Balloony] [Eur.] Scottish British (Paleo-Atlantid)
Woody [Woody] [Eur.] Scottish England (m) British (Brünn)
[Pac. Is.] Māori Polynesian
Nick [Nickel] [N. Am.] American, White U.S., England (m) British (Atlantid, Brünn)
David [David] N/A
Claude [Cloudy] [Eur.] Breton France (m) British (Atlantid), Mediterranean (Gracile Med)
Rocky [Rocky] [Afr.] Tanzanian, Swahili Bantu (N. Bantuid)
Lelanda [Leafy] [L. Am.] Afro-Grenadian West Africa West African
[Eur.] English England (m) British (m)
Roboty [Roboty] N/A
Astrid [Book] [Eur.] Norwegian Alpine (Strandid), Nordic (Trønder) (m)
Thérèse [Teardrop] [Eur.] Luxembourgish Belgium Alpine
Katja [Gaty] [Eur.] Slovene Austria Nordic (Subnordid, Norid), Dinarid (m)
Lulu [Lollipop] [Afr.] South African, Xhosa South Africa Bantu (Xhosaid, S. Bantuid)
Dora [Dora] [L. Am.] Hispanic-American Mexico, Peru Amerindian (Maya, Sonorid, Andid)
Toni [Taco] [L. Am.] Mexican-American Mexico Amerindian (Mexicid, Pueblid), Mediterranean (m)
Sana [Saw] [Arab.] Palestinian Lebanon Arabic (Egyptid), Caucasus (Assyroid)
Iris [Ice Cube] [E. Asia.] Japanese-American Japan East Asian (Choshu, Ishikawa)


Update![]

Today is the twenty-first of February in the year two thousand twenty-one. I have not been actively doing anything RLBFB-related for a few days, and I apologize for that. But part of the reason I've been so inactive is that I've been spending time on this new website, which has pushed the boundaries of what I thought was possible in computer technology. The other part of me was doing other stuff related to BFDI, viz. creating syntactic categories for all the recommended characters in the franchise and assigning numeric values to the sentiments of the interactions between the contestants for every season. It's nerdy, but fun at the same time.

Anyway, it's called Artbreeder, and if you've heard of it before, you're light years ahead of me in trends (It was mentioned on some video by a famous YouTuber, which apparently caused the website to crash). Now, this post is not sponsored by that site at all, but I still think it's ridiculously cool.[7] With the help of a few online tutorials, I was able to get to grips with the complexity of the website, and I originally focused on landscapes when creating AI-generated artwork. That's a sentence I don't think anyone's said before…

Well, it's not just because something like that wouldn't have been possible even maybe five years ago, but because most people who use Artbreeder use it to make realistic-looking faces out of drawings. You can imagine how much of the anime community[8] uses this to their advantage; there are some very human-like characters I shouldn't have thought I'd see over there. Add that to the fact that you can only upload three images before you're stuck with what others have done, and before you know it, I'd sent the (outdated-in-twenty-minutes) composites of Penelope and G.P. to the computerized server.[9]

Surprisingly, they didn't turn super realistic (they resembled cartoons… my supposed realism resembles cartoons, damn it[10]), so I played with the sliders for a while, occasionally adding random components of real-life images until they turned out the way I wanted to have them portrayed.

Before I get to my big announcement, here are some things I noticed with Artbreeder, in no particular order:

  • There are six "races" of humanity represented on the sliders: The first four are Asian (East Asian), Indian (South Asian), Black (African) and White (Northern European). Then there's Middle-Eastern (really a pan-Mediterranean type, essentially G.P.) and Latino-Hispanic (a mix of all the others, but Black when the slider has a high value… essentially Penelope).
  • When editing the genes of a particular portrait (yes, that's what they call it), values from –1 and 1 are best for subtle changes, except when you want to add accessories like earrings, eyeglasses and hats—you have to go up to 2 to get the desired effect, and even then it turns just about everything else in the image to something unrecognizable.
  • Changing a person's emotion in an image also changes their outward appearance, a reminder that this is all being done by an emotionless computer. I'm not sure why saturation increases while facial width and beard prevalence decreases when someone starts looking angry.
  • I'm pretty sure this and that website This Person Does Not Exist are related. If there is more than one person in an AI-generated picture, you'd better click away.
  • You can agebend and genderbend! Maybe I'll post it in the comments if anyone asks, but I find the female version of G.P. to be stunningly chiselled. Considering that the website treats gender as a spectrum (as modern society does), any combination of masculinity, femininity and non-binarinity can be represented on these sliders.
    • Despite this, hairstyles are quite the indicator for gender, even more than the presence of makeup.
  • If you want something similar, but not exactly, your base image, just go to the Children tab and find a variant that matches your preferences. if I ever feel like going further, Nathalia/Needle and Joe/Eraser's composites will be made through this process.
  • You wouldn't imagine me to have said this before, but crossbreeding is fun. It's also great for making fan-kids of despotic politicians anime characters.

And announcement![]

Each of the 60+ composites I created of the RLBFB contestants will be run and realized through Artbreeder to get a less monotonous set of images.[11] Remember that RLBFB existed in a number of alternate universes, and in most of them the contestants weren't just talking picture frames.

I know I mentioned that you can only submit three pictures before you have to spend, like, actual money, but $90 a year is quite the deal for supporting a website revolutionary to the fields of computer science and art. And to think I could have spent this money on something BFDI-related like the Jacknjellify Patreon just to recommend pseudo-goth icon Zorah Schreiber or something.

At least that was the conclusion I came to when I finished the Artbreeder-generated versions of Penelope and G.P., whose final images were something of a delightful surprise to me. They were, so to speak, the quality benchmark to judge whether or not I should do the same thing to the other contestants. The result? A resounding yes.

You know, until July I had a picture here, along with a fanciful description of the situations that could have arisen to make them look like that. But by gosh, they look so archaic compared to how they look now, it's not even funny!

Notes[]

  1. There are now articles about how to recognize images created by artificial intelligence. Considering that none of them were created by actual AI, they all pretty much fail this test.
  2. It was a long time ago.
  3. I've referenced it even back then: Can't find it anywhere except on my personal computer, but there was an updated image of the P2O mains as humans, but their images were a composite of the most common phenotypes from where their ancestors originated. It came with a disclaimer about the outdated and scientifically racist views of some of the people who studied them.
  4. It's not that I've abandoned the arm and leg assets per se (I still have them), but since some BFB contestants have only been seen with these assets, it just seems strange to give them the old arms and legs—the show has been going on for over three years. The same goes for most of the mouth assets: the drawing tool is good enough in most cases.
  5. Or meta-ethnicity/panethnicity, based on the country of origin from which each contestant comes. Not to be confused with nationality. For the panethnicity, i.e. the bracketed abbreviation at the start of each row, I'll be using the "affinity blocs" from the Joshua Project website. Yes, I know their purpose is to spread religion, but there isn't really a way to categorize people without getting into the complex history of the world's peoples.
  6. Using the names of the specific phenotypes or the regions where each type occurs (mostly in cases I've forgotten which ones I used). Some types fall into different categories.
  7. You should be able to think websites are cool whether you're advertising them or not.
  8. Don't forget... the furries.
  9. The first picture I sent was one of an outdoor scene I had taken many years ago. Not that I don't care about Match/Maja, but she looked realistic enough, at least by the standards of before 20 February.
  10. A side effect of being a part of the OSC for too long, heh.
  11. Minus Arbutus (a clone of Flower), Roboty and David, subtract Penelope and G.P. as well, and what you get is 59 composites. That's well under the limit of 80... Omg, I'll still have 21 pictures left to upload!

(Go back?)

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