Fanart: The Bei Fong Publishing Company (Avatar: TLA)

[alias_sqbr]

When I started thinking about how to describe this I ended up writing Meanings tied up in dots and lines. It didn't turn out very well, but it was the THIRD time I'd tried drawing fanart of Toph and I was determined not to be stopped this time.

I think that's it for me and Avatar fanstuff for a while.

Description:
Across the top of the building is a sign saying "Bei Fong" in Mandarin.
At the side is a sign in Braille(ish). It sort of says "Bei Fong" in English :)
In front of the building is a table with some printed books and a woman reading a Braille(ish) book.
Toph leans against the doorway looking smug.
Inside the building the Mechanist and Wen (an OC) check the printing from a press. Teo is carrying a box. People sit at the back against a window working at a large angled table.

Comments

[stephiepenguin.livejournal.com]

It's called the Bei Fong Publishing Company, and yet there are people who don't think Avatar is at all Asian, that it's all made-up?!

BEI FONG

HOLY CRAP

[stephiepenguin.livejournal.com]

oh ps that characters totally not fong.

[stephiepenguin.livejournal.com]

GOD WHERE DID MY APOSTROPHE GO

[alias_sqbr]

Well, I made up the Publishing Company bit, but Bei Fong is the name of the character. And yes, omg, So Obviously Asian. All of it. Have you not seen the show? *prevents self from evangelically squeeing. You have probably already gotten the message by now*

I cut and pasted the characters off the Avatar wiki! Is it wrong? Or did my font settings/tracing mess it up?

[stephiepenguin.livejournal.com]

I have not seen the show! I keep meaning to, and then I just haven't.

Having a look at that, the characters are right, just they use a transliteration for the Cantonese that I didn't expect. :o)

[alias_sqbr]

Good good! You had me worried there for a moment :)

[triestine.livejournal.com]

Didn't the story put the relief sign on the ground, so Toph can read it with her feet?

[alias_sqbr]

That was the ramp to the Jasmine Dragon.

I probably should have added some to this ramp too, but by the time I got it to not look totally stupid I was sick of the whole picture and didn't care any more :)

In my personal reading of her sight-via-earthbending, she can see fairly fine detail on anything shaped out of stone/ceramic/metal as long as there's nothing non-Earth based between it and the ground. Otherwise a lot of the stuff she does makes no sense.

[triestine.livejournal.com]

Ah, right! Been a while since I last saw the cartoon. (I really should revisit it, I love it.) Thanks!

[alias_sqbr]

Hey, it's possible my interpretation of canon is wrong, I haven't really discussed it with anyone.