OK, so only a few of you knew Rorschach. If you've seen or heard of "Watchmen" - either the movie or the graphic novel - he's the dude with the Rorschach ink blot test for a face. And he's freakin' awesome.
Walter Kovacs discovered his "real face" and what he considers his true calling as Rorschach through some pretty traumatic events, and this masked vigilante (NOT superhero, as he doesn't have super powers) tries his darndest to put the world right. He just happens to do it with a hefty amount of violence and not so much in the way of a larger perspective. Hey, when your true face is made of a weird, fashion-world-rejected fabric filled with viscous, black and white fluids, it's hard to see the world in shades of gray - that's what makes his character so interesting. His motto, "Never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon," means he is the one person in his fictional world who will always tell the truth, no matter the cost to him or anyone else.
In terms of style, I could argue that Rorschach has the most flair of any hero out there. True, he's not decked out in the kind of gaudy spandex that will catch your eye as he leaps over a tall building, but his outfit says a lot about him. His b/w mask represents the hidden truths of society - the kind you don't even want to admit to yourself and only become clear in a shrink's office. His trench and fedora show us that Rorschach's going after those truths, wether you like it or not.
My homage: black & white top and shoes, "ink blot blue" blazer, striped pants, and of course my caramel trench.
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ETA a Non-Comic Crowd Clue:
It's easy to watch men but, face it, dressing like them is never black and white. Sometimes I think I'll end up looking at ink blots by my inspiration's namesake!
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Recycle bin in alley this morning, tire tread where it was blocking my car. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended parking lots and the lots are full of meters and when your quarter finally runs out, you will be fined no less than seventy-five dollars. All of the accumulated parking tickets and credit card bills and predatory loans will pile up around their waists, and all those who cut you off on the freeway and shove in front of you in line at the post office will look up and shout “Save us!” … and I’ll look down and whisper “No.”
.Я R.
