My Latest Silly Game Idea I am Not Making

[alias_sqbr]

Every now and then, when playing dating sims about historical figures, I think about an Australian version, but get bogged down in (a) the genocidal nature of most Australian history(*) (b) my intense ignorance about history in general.

But today I realise I shouldn't be taking my inspiration from Hakuoki/Ikemen Sengoku etc. I should take it from Code Realise/Ikemen Revolution etc! OUT OF COPYRIGHT LITERARY FIGURES ARE FREE REAL ESTATE.

I mean, I haven't actually read that much early Australian literature, and it's basically all also super duper racist, but I feel more comfortable glossing over the flaws of fictional characters than real people.

I'm sticking to adults, and imagining characters being made human as necessary, though if you prefer the furry version I won't judge. After a little thought and googling I came up with:

The Sentimental Bloke
The Jolly Swagman
One of McCubbin's sad people
The Kangaroo from Dot and the Kangaroo
The Man From Snowy River
The Magic Pudding(**)

Child!me had a proto-crush on all the girls from Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, but while they live as adults they look like semi-naked children and I just don't want to go there. The characters from Ginger Meggs, Blinky Bill, and the Seven Little Australians are are also squickily young, but could be fun as unromanceable side characters.

Afaict Chesty Bond is too recent to be out of copyright, which is a tragedy.

What other sexified, out of copyright Australian fictional characters would you enjoy in a dating sim or other romance story? Assuming the answer isn't "None, and you are very odd" :D

(*)I mean it wasn't especially genocidal pre-1788, but I'm not the person to make that game.
(**)Bill Barnacle etc would be easier to make sexy, but this is funnier and has Brand Recognition.

Comments

[pauraque]

The names of unfamiliar children's characters have such a strangely mystifying effect. I mean, objectively Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Ginger Meggs, and Blinky Bill shouldn't sound any more baffling than The Smurfs or The Sneetches or even Winnie the Pooh! It all depends on whether you've had them presented to you as ordinary from an early age, I suppose.

[alias_sqbr]

Meanwhile part of me always assumes that everything that was ubiquitous for me growing up would be at least vaguely familiar to everyone else, and it's always strange being reminded that this is very much not true.

[fred_mouse]

There are possibilities with some of the Billabong characters, as long as you are going for identifiably from the later books. Picnic at Hanging Rock is probably in the list of too young.

I also want to add Auntie Jack, but no way would that be out of copyright!

[alias_sqbr]

The Picnic at Hanging Rock book is actually only from the 60s! Hence the weird psychedelic bits :)

[fred_mouse]

Huh. My vague memory has it set much earlier than that, and I've always assumed it was written contemporaneously. Written in the 60s would explain the tone of the removed chapter.

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah it's definitely set earlier.

[waterscroll]

This sounds like an excellent idea that I would read the heck out of.

[alias_sqbr]

:D

[lilysea]

Miss Redheads - the icon of Australias first match factory at Church Street, Richmond, Victoria

the icon was created in 1946 [the factory opened in 1909]

[alias_sqbr]

Gosh yes. Good choice :D

[pebblerocker]

Due to forming a relationship with an Australian, I had the delightfully weird experience of encountering Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and the Magic Pudding as an adult. Oh gosh. Much weirder than Hairy Maclary or the Little Yellow Digger.

I think the McCubbinses have great potential for reinterpretiation!

[alias_sqbr]

Ha, yes, I was describing Snugglepot and Cuddlepie to an American friend a little while ago and had to stop and go "You know...I never realised how weird this is..." while she just boggled. Especially since she was from California, so had grown up with gum trees too.

[pedanther]

On a similar note to the McCubbins, Shearer in Red Shirt from Shearing the Rams.

Part of me wants to say that if you're going to have a Banjo Paterson character, there should also be a Henry Lawson character, but he didn't tend to go in for the kind of larger-than-life characters who would be suitable. The only thing coming to mind that might work is "The Loaded Dog", and a romance path inspired by that would be exciting but probably rather short.

[alias_sqbr]

My main association with that picture is my grandparents having McCubbin placemats when I was little, so it was very weird to stop and go "Wait...he is kind of cute o.O"

Someone suggested The Drover's Wife as a Henry Lawson character! It's not like the dating sim versions have to be very accurate, after all that wouldn't be true to the genre :)

[lilacsigil]

The Drover's Wife - she could do better! Clancy (of the Overflow) Ginger Meggs' mum! Sybylla from My Brilliant Career, she'd definitely be up for a dating sim as long as she didn't have to marry anyone.

Thowra, the silver brumby - is that out of copyright?

lilysea 's suggestion is genius!

[alias_sqbr]

Those are all amazing suggestions.

Sadly the Silver Brumby came out in the 50s, which is too late.

[fred_mouse]

See, I thought of Sybylla, but wrote her off as being too much of a wet blanket. Maybe that is just because I resented the end of the book.