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Denial Dresses and Chaos Containers

Dear Insane Children, 

Greetings from the insane heat of Shanghai! While it's scorching outside we're cool as cucumbers (Pickle Ricks?) in the underground lair - working away on Asylum, Out of the Woods, and a variety of other projects. My creative inspiration is being fueled by the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack which is streaming off YouTube in the background. Flow...

So, here's what's up: 

Chaos Coins are manufactured. The majority of them are being shipped to our warehouse/logistics partner in Shenzhen while a few dozen are routed to Shanghai where we'll use them for marketing and promotion. I'm working on the packaging for the 'set' which we'll send to eligible Patrons when we hit our 2000 Patron Goal - and offer for sale over on Mysterious.

We need around 400 additional new Patrons before this goal unlocks. You can help us get there by asking friends, family, and fr-enemies to become Patrons today. (Btw, that's a Pirate Jam Coin in my example picture - I sent my only Chaos Coin off to meet with some Chinese billionaire-investor). 

Dress Design continues with a new illustration from Omri. This is the Denial Dress and I love it. The idea that Alice enters into Asylum looking at a Wonderland which denies the fire and destruction of her mental state - reflected in a dress which is perfect on the front and 'horrid' in the back... Brilliant! He's working on another new dress and says...

This is what i thought, She was 7 when she last visited wonderland when it was perfect so she should look as close to the literary version of Alice. IF people won't like the yellow, although it's the original dress color, we can go Disney with light blue.
Hope it's clear!
Next dress: Moon (Dark) Personal Shadow.
It will be a black dress again, i think it's fine to have several black designs tops we'll change it later. i'll update you later!

I'm not so sure about the 'endless love' concept Omri's presented - neither the infinity or heart symbols really link to the symbol library we're working with... But I bet we can find appropriate symbols which tell the same story.

Also... "Disney light blue" - Uh, yeah, let's not get sued to death!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below! 

Out of the Woods is also seeing solid progress these days. We've sorted out shipping setup; weights, costs, etc. And are just waiting on the factory to supply a Game prototype for approval so we can start mass manufacturing of that last piece of the puzzle. Expect photos and updates on the Game bits soon.

Asylum in general is moving forward. I'm working on the overarching narrative with RJ. We're waiting on the Chaos Coins to arrive here so we can put together our License Package for EA - and mail that to them... hopefully this week! And (as hinted above) there are other talks going on with various potential financiers and publishers. I have a call scheduled this week which could prove to be quite interesting... fingers crossed.

I'll set up a YouTube Live Stream link tomorrow and share that in the next post (with more art). Get your questions and comments ready (and share them below)! 

From Shanghai with Lulu,

-American

Denial Dresses and Chaos Containers

Comments

Denial Dresses one of my favorite

Gabriele Gambucci

I love this dress the most so far! I've never been a fan of yellow before, but in this case I adore it! <3

This is without a doubt my favourite!

I'm crying (of happiness). Praying the Puppeteer for helping you to make this wonder come to soothe this reality we deny.

Love the yellow!

Im super excited for everything but Id love to start the yellow dress. Are we allowed to start cosplaying them?

I think this dress is very fitting besides i love the original version, so im very happy to see it!!! Can't wait for the upcoming cosplays!!!

I'm in love with all the new dresses I've seen so far *___* I'm new here can I ask if you'd like to collaborate with cosplayers? I just can't take my eyes off of the guilt/fire dress and wold LOVE to make it... and can't wait for the new ones!!!

Absolutely adore this!!

DecayingInRed

How about if the back of her hair is slightly burnt, it flickers as if it the ends are still simmering. So while she runs, you can almost have ash falling off and burning to disappear behind her?

I feel like w/ the denial dress being so burnt and messed up in the back and should area, there should be some singed/burnt hair right in the back as well. It can still appear pristine from the front, but I feel that the damage should extend beyond the dress to alice herself.

truth_decay

I am in LOVE with the denial dress concept!!!!

I do like the packaging for the coin. Looks sweet. Hope everything goes well when you send off the License Package to EA. The Denial Dress is beautiful. I love it. Sweet throwback to the original yellow. Though for the back that gets burned up, I'd say start with it first all clean, but as we progress the level, that's when it starts getting burned and frayed slowly. You know how some games have that mechanic where the character model's clothes get torn or they get cuts and such when damaged? I could see that working for this dress, or maybe even all of them in the game. Yes. That would be most wonderful, yes.

Love this!! Definitely love the yellow. It’s different and welcomed in my book! I’m getting so excited :))

I rather like the yellow dress for denial, it just seems fitting. The burned part of the dress is awesome too because it's like she cant run from it, it'll always be right behind her no matter how much she tries.

RozaMay

That denial dress is probably my favorite update yet! I think its gorgeous and the yellow is so refreshing! It's a great representation of denial as well. I TRULY hope that this makes it into the final game!

Love the yellow and the design of the dress it fits well with denial, I think the symbols should change to fit in with the themes and maybe have the petticoat show through some small holes on the side of the dress so it looks like it’s slowly taking over the dress.

I really like the dress, it really reflects well.. denial. At first glance it reminded me of the Misstitched dress, maybe because of the colours.

I love this! It is so gorgeous.

Tori

I like the denial dress. It looks pretty on the front and deformed and looks kind of like its being eaten away at on the back. I wonder, are you trying to say that denial looks good on the surface, like there is nothing wrong, everything's OK. But lurking behind is an ugly truth, that can't be denied forever. the longer you deny it the more it will eat away at you, and it will keep at it until something forces you to confront it, and when you confront it... you will get angry. Or something like that. Anyway I like the new dress looks and i might not make it to the stream, sorry. But i do get to go see hatsune miku perform this weekend so that's great.

Lucas Severin

haha too funny I have been thinking of the infinity symbol a lot lately, this is a beautiful design.

The 3 headed skull on her back makes it much better

Saleh Abu-Rashid

My jaw felt off when I saw the Denial Dress. Omri is not an artist he is the magician. Alice looks so alive at this picture and I could not imagine other color than yellow for her dress anymore. I "vote" for Neptune and Uranus for her apron pockets. Neptune - for the illusions denial causes. Uranus - for the cataclysm which is going to happen to the Wonderland after the fire.

I am in love with this dress! The concept and everything are great

If you go with other symbols though, good luck finding ones with applicable meanings! Perhaps something to do with Janus (god of beginnings, transitions, time, duality, and endings; has two faces as he's simultaneously looking at the past and the future), and the symbol for Bronze (if I recall, a combination of Tin and Copper, its major components; bronzing is typically associated with or used for preservation, and the shoes a baby first learns to walk in were typically bronzed to preserve the memory, usually for the parents). Then again, since Silver was already mentioned in the pic, the Silver Age was one of Hesiod's 5 "Ages of Man", where people lived as children for 100 years until the suddenly aged and died. Sounds kinda perfect to me.

INeedANameForThisHuh

And personally, I don't actually mind the symbols on the dress - perhaps because their meanings are simple and immediately apparent/understandable? And because they're something different than the usual alchemical symbols, of course - something new is always interesting. Perhaps a Watsonian justification for their use is because Alice is younger and this is her idyllic, childish world?

INeedANameForThisHuh

I hate yellow... with a passion. BUT, even I like this dress design and I think to go with the baby blue would be too much like her classic dress. Mind you, I wouldn't worry about "getting sued", one could highly argue that they stole much of your visual concept for the movies... I do like the idea of the back edges of the dress being singed off as well. Don't know how I feel about that "It's your fault" line printed over and over again like that... looks almost too much like a modern printed fabric but perhaps a larger singular scrawl (just big enough to peek through the gape) would be easier to read in game. The back of the dress is just stunning. And yes, different alchemical symbols on the front.

Codie K Conklin

I agree, I felt the writing on the petticoat felt out of place. Seems like some simple, non-written blood or the like could get the point across without feeling cliche. :)

I think this dress design is "Ace!" (Say that in Martin's voice, heheh). She definitely looks like a younger Alice, who could fit in to the original book. The hair style and the bow in her hair in particular add to this; I would VERY MUCH like to keep at least the bow in her hair. - Yellow color: I APPROVE! - Bow in the back: Excellent; very nice burn. - "It's your fault" on the petticoat though, not so much. It looks as cliche and forced as the tattoo "Damaged" on the Joker's fore-head (Jared Leto).

Everything so far looks great! Love the Idea for using coal or chalk to draw symbols on her dresses. I would like to expand on that idea by suggesting that when she enters a realm she can search for and locate the opposing runes to the realm she's in to use as a defense bonus against damage she receives from creatures while exploring the realm. I also thought that maybe during her journey or by the end of it, is how she acquires the blood stains she has on her dress that we see in the next two games. Thoughts? Thanks, and keep up the great work!

Ray Weatherford

Omri does amazing work! I love the dress and concept. Alice looks beautiful and I like that she got a different hairstyle for a different dress. Very pretty.

The new dress design looks brilliant! Personally I don't think it would look good in blue. The yellow stands out more against the "horrid" features. Am I the only one who gets reminded of the "misstitched dress" from AMR?

Omg, the dress!! <3 x 1000000000!! Totes adorbs! Blue would more instantly recognizable as both the Disney and our Alice, but Omri's selling the original yellow and I'm totally buying it! - even though I usually do not like that colour (stupid spelling-correction COLOUR WITH A 'U' IS CORRECT! Right, Martin?!). Also digging the longer hair and I really think he nailed her face. Ps.: I think I deserve a treat for keeping it (fairly) short.

The shoes rather than boots help in the search for 13 year old Alice. Like everyone else, the dress is great. Never thought yellow would work, but it does.

Very impressive. The denial stage of wonderland just might just be the most interesting stage in the game! Also I love how the illustrator gave Alice a hairpin. It only adds to the “nice” front of her attire.

Oh my! I love the dress, and this yellow is stunning.

Love this dress so much!! ♥ The way Omri represented denial with the perfect front and messed-up back of the dress is such a neat idea! And I'd keep the yellow - I think it represents classic wonderland a lot better than light blue, and it's much more unique to see this Alice in such a colored dress than just having another type of blue dress. I really adore these dress designs so far!

omg that dress is gorgeous!!

Ae

It's "très" (I know I'm a jerk).

Make Nine Inch Nails great again

Love the dress!! Like the design of the front even down to the little moon charm at the top. Not a fan of the endless love symbols. All it makes me think of is that terrible 80s love song! I like the idea of the back of the dress being ‘horrid’ but I’m not sure if I like what’s drawn here. Maybe it’s the placement of the burn near her bottom. I’m trying to think of some alternatives. Possibly have it be singed rather than having a big hole like that. Can’t wait to see the next stream and hear more of your guys’ thoughts about this dress!

I love the idea to go with the original yellow for the dress rather than the blue

I really like this yellow little Alice's dress! How Cute!! BTW, Mr. Mcgee is listening to the BradeRunner's score now. I also like sci-fi noir. So, will Alice go to the future? I think "Alice" is our metaphors. I 've thought we live in "Apocalypse Now". Is A for Apocalypse? or only meaning of "Alice" and "Asylum"? I want to look "sci-fi noir Alice". I know, this story is Victorian era. But I really want Alice to be happy. And we fans are Alice, too. Falling, destruction, denial and kill the enemies...but will save ourselves.

Omg I absolutely LOVE that Omri picked up on the original yellow dress!! The Design looks amazing too. I'm totally in <3

I love the dress, it fits perfectly with the idea of denial. Maybe the writing on the back of the underskirt is a bit too much though, and I'd also leave out the alchemy symbols at this stage.

The dress looks stunning! Love the yellow color. Keep up the great work :)

Omri keeps knocking these dress designs right out of the park; absolutely lovely and horribly unsettling at the same time. As for the alchemy symbols, perhaps this dress wouldn't have them yet as this is a transition stage from the Alice of the books to the Alice of the games? Or perhaps whatever symbols might represent childhood/innocence?

I love it! Please keep the yellow

I really love the dress design! Yellow is my favorite color and Iove how it is the original from the story! Nice touch there. Oh and by the way, I LOVE the patches that came in last week :) The Rutledge one is my favorite. Nice work. Keep it up!!!

Love the concept, love the execution, the colour is spot on! Love the run in the stocking, i feel like it foreshadows whats on the back of the dress. The "curved silver things" kinda remind me of the sickles of a triple moon, a symbol that I feel is right up your alley.

If this doesn't look like a character from a horror movie I don't know what it's. Absolutely love this dress! I think it represents the stage of denial perfectly and the back bow is my favorite so far. 3 skulls to represent the 3 family members lost in the fire. The symbols look a bit off to me tho. They don't seem to fit this stage to well.

Priscila Nosoma

I think the dress is perfect and I'm really glad you're going with the original yellow colour! <3

Omri is the man! His art is incredible, I love it!

St. Thomas

I like the concept of the dress it’s like it’s saying don’t look at things from one side meaning if something is looking perfect from one side doesn’t mean it’s completely perfect and that’s how dress reflect it Amazing

I really like the dress, the colors are great but i am not a fan of the back....sry but (at least for me) i don't wanna see the skirt \dress ripped\burned of like this in the back ....(i really feel unconformable to see the dress of a young girl ripped like this....maybe just a bit less and it would be better...). The rest i love. Btw. i love the different hair style ^_^ Have a great day.

Jessi St.

The denial dress is absolutely lovely and the concept is interesting-looks like these dresses will offer a great means of visual storytelling! Also the run in the stocking and the bow in her hair being a butterfly is a great touch. BTW there are some interesting illustrations in 'Through the Looking Glass' book where Alice is on a train and appears to be wearing a feathered hat, jacket and striped stockings that kind of remind me of some aspects of the concept art of these dresses.

I love this dress, it’s very cute while still being creepy and dark, which o appreciate very much in the Alice series. The colour scheme is great but I agree about the pockets even though the heart one is pretty cute. Can’t wait to get my chaos coin when it’s time!

Perfect. I love the yellow. The little run in the stocking and the three skulls are great details. Don't change a thing except maybe the infinity symbol. I do like the heart. Lends to the innocence.

WARNING: Giant comment incoming! Dress: The dress looks really good. I like the little details that Omri put, like the rip in the pantyhose/stocking. Could use a touch of smudge on the edge of the dress and the bow. Now about the color of the dress. Yes, yellow is the original color of the dress. We associate Alice's dress with blue, because we have been spoiled by Disney. But Disney actually did not create the blue dress, several illustrators before Disney had drawn Alice in a blue dress. This link will explain all of it and include lots of illustration. <a href="http://still-she-haunts-me-phantomwise.tumblr.com/post/38633527006/why-is-alice-blond-andor-wearing-a-blue-dress" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://still-she-haunts-me-phantomwise.tumblr.com/post/38633527006/why-is-alice-blond-andor-wearing-a-blue-dress</a> So I don't think Disney can sue you for using blue, unless they have specifically trademarked the color "Disney light blue" and we don't know about it. Chaos Coin: The packaging looks simple and nice. I hope the actual packaging doesn't have the paper sticking in like the ones shown. RJ Berg: We should have RJ replace Martin for one day on the livestream, so we can get to know who American's creative partner is. Boy, it has been a long while since I have wrote a comment this long.

I'm all in favour of you guys NOT getting sued to death :)

Rosuav

Fantastic Job on the dress Omri my man :)

Kyle Ross

Ah. C'est Magnifique. Tre Magnifique!! How about the alchemical symbols for glass and hour. Denial is so fragile and can only last so long. Different symbols for every dress? Yes?

Sarah Heist

Using the dress colors from her original design is a grand idea and they do go together so well, cheery, bright butter-yellow with that dreamy, chalky blue. And I really appreciate that little run in her hose. It's such a simple way to start peeling away the happy yellow wallpaper in front to the smoldering thats just behind ...her behind.

Love the dress!!!! And, of course.... COOOOOOINS!!!

I truly love this dress concept. Denial has a lot to do with perception of not wanting to accept or see what is right in front of you. It seems like a great way for Alice to start her journey through wonderland. I love the fact that there is a nod to the original story of Alice in wonderland and through the looking glass.

Looks good I really adore the idea of what's behind her is in ruins, not having to face the reality of it etc. Looking forward to the finished out of the woods products and the eventual chaos coin release. See you guys at the next YouTube live stream as usual :).

As for the Guilt Dress, why not Stigma Dress (Stigmata) or Transgression as a power up

Brightness of the dress shocked at first, but no, it's great, overall. What I don't like so much is the big blue bow at the back, like it brings up a bad memory of some kind, so it works on that level. Infinity on the diagonal though? I get the sense that's going

I thought that the chaos/guilt dress was my favorite. This dress is fucking AMAZING!! THE PERFECT NOD TO THE ORIGINAL STORY!! I LOVE HOW CUTE SHE LOOKS AND HOW TORTURED THE BACK IS!!! I WOULD COSPLAY THIS IN A HEART BEAT AND IT FITS THE STORY SO WELL!!! SHE ALSO LOOKS LIKE A YOUNG ALICE SHOULD!! THANK YOU OMRI!!

I love the yellow dress! It's a great tie-in the the previous game, and the three skulls is great symbolism for her family. The dress feels Yin/Yang: youthful, unsoured innocence on one side, with tortured agony on the reverse. Great concept!

I absolutely love this design! Alice and the dress are just beautiful, and the back is so meaningful! I'd have to chalk this up there as one of my favorite designs. THANKS OMRI! I especially love the colors! I think I get some flack for it as a 25 year old guy, but I collect copies of the books (and Alice everything else too!) whenever I find them. It's nice to see the nod to the first coloration again. I've missed the last two live streams because I started a new job and moved into a new apartment. Missed it so badly... seeing the notifications pop up that you were live is just awful. Can't wait to finally rejoin the group!

Without a doubt, this dress is PERFECT for the symbolism, and I love it so, so much. Very impressive!

This concept is stunning. I absolutely love the yellow!! I think many fans of the series will appreciate the call back, I certainly do ^_^! I'm so excited to see more updates.

esketit

The dress is so freakin' cute!! I also love the way her hair is done, really pretty. The texture on the yellow part of her skirt makes it kind of look like decoration fabric though... is it intentional? I've heard some of the Victorian era dresses were made out of fabric similar to what we now use to make curtains and cover cushions, lots of them had a floral pattern.

Chaussette

The dress and whole look is great! But symbols should be changed completely - maybe to smth more controversial and mismatching like her look!

I love love LOOOOOOOOVE the idea of using this dress! The fact that it was the original version of the Alice dress irl is an amazing bit of info behind the idea, and it's just PERFECT!!!!

INeedANameForThisHuh

I think that design is a great idea, also the yellow fits well in my opinion!

The denial dress is amazing and so creative! Love it! The yellow works well.

That dress is absolutely stunning and it really works well with (1) how young Alice is and (2) how denial works. At the front/on the outside, she's put together and clean, but at the back/on the inside, she's severely damaged from the fire. I also really like that it features 3 screaming skulls - one for each family member that perished in the fire. Tell Omri to keep up the good work!

Also can’t wait for Out of the Woods!!!!!!!! It’s been too long 😭

Cherrie Wu

The dress is absolutely stunning and I love it! I think the yellow is very cute and it doesn’t have to blue, though blue and white combination is just associated with Alice more often.

Cherrie Wu


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