Black Death (+ origin of the name)

     Photomontage, obv! A collage of images found on the net, video game etc... We see this a lot into video games (art concepts) especially because of the need to have accurate visuals quickly. And I like it! Except I wanted a clean finish so it looks (almost) like a movie capture lol.

     I did this for myself first (I don't want to flood the feed with this kind of stuff) because I needed to have a realistic idea of Black Death... and I'm not disappointed! Just my opinion but the Tiger immediately looks much scarier and threatening. I said to myself "okay, now it is clear the Boy is in trouble" lol. 

I might do that again for more Black Death art concepts but that's it. 

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         About Black Death: (no spoiler)

Origin of the name

The name of the gang is based on the black death (in french La mort noire or La peste noire) which was one of the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history.

        What was interesting with this name was the notion of scourge. Its etymology is derived from the Latin pestis, "fléau" in french (scourge): the black death was more feared by men than any other epidemic because of the massive amount of deaths it caused. The population, mostly Christian, interpreted this plague as a divine punishment.

In The Boy & the Wolf, Black Death is portrayed as the most powerful gang in Paris. Others gangs  are free to go about their criminal activities as long as they do not encroach on Black Death territory; and authorities have so far been unable to stop them.  In french we use the word "Fléau" (scourge) to talk about something negative that cannot be stopped. The Tiger himself, who is a Christian, believes he carries out the divine will. 

         There's also the fact that  Black Death "contaminate" businesses and institutions from the inside: like a bank, they have a lot of money and can lend cash immediately. A temptation for people and companies in difficulty. Once the contract is signed, they can no longer get rid of Black Death. And just like the people stricken with the disease at that time, one is freed from the disease only by fire and death.

(There’s also the fact that a burned corpse is charcoal black: black death.)

Why do they burn people?

       "During the black plague, people thought that by burning the diseased bodies, it would help stop the spread of the plague. Burning the bodies was a good idea considering the disease can not live unless the body is alive. By burning the bodies of the dead, the people were killing the disease." It's a way for Black Death to say "we're done with you" (and cancel the contract). For Black Death it's a signature.

We will realize throughout the story that the government explicitly asked the media to limit the news on Black Death (which may explain why the Boy never seems to have heard of it): while Black Death's job  is to make money and invest in businesses to make more money, their goal is to show their supremacy (to others gangs and government). To stop that,  newspapers seem to mention their names only when they are linked to a public murder or an attack.  

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About their mask:

      They have simple plastic masks that you can find everywhere. When choosing the masks I couldn't imagine them with crazy, futuristic or steampunk masks because it wouldn't look realistic. They don't have sewing skills nor resin molding etc lol.  A mask that was too elaborate would have  put the emphasis on their look, giving them a superficiality that doesn't fit them. They are attached to what the mask represents (Tera is the Wolf in the media and for the other gangs) but not to the mask itself.

Besides, during the story they probably bought new masks several times, which they damaged in their various fights etc. 

Hope you loved it and that it's a bit clearer !