Friday Larchive – Peachy

Fridays, we open the Larchives, Lar’s extensive archive of art work oddities, and share a few pieces.

What I’m about to say may make you feel like you took a Warp Zone to the last level, but April is almost over! That means time is running out to donate to the MS Society and get your Mario themed custom avatar.

Mama mia!

When Lar prepares for his next custom avatar fundraising theme, he uses Blind Ferret employees as guinea pigs. It’s a great arrangement. He gets practice in the theme’s style and examples to put in his banner. We get original art mashing us up with popular culture. It’s like going to a barber college for your haircut, and getting the class valedictorian.

Like people who contribute to the fundraiser, Lar gets our input on the details of our avatars. Sometimes it’s easy, like with Star Trek Lower Decks. I’d be happy with any mash-up of me and Star Trek. Other times, my request is specific, like my Among Us avatar that recreated my favourite kill.

Mario was different.

I Am The Princess

Any time I play a Mario game and Peach is playable, I’m playing Peach. That’s mostly Mario Party, since Cart and Smash are not my cup of tea, and she’s rarely playable in the adventure games. But she was in Super Mario 2. And I played a lot of Super Mario 2. Even if it’s a Mario game more for marketing reasons than plan, and Peach only made the cut as a playable character because Doki Doki Panic had four characters.

But I wouldn’t know about Doki Doki Panic for 30 more years. All I knew is Princess Peach could fly now, and Super Mario 2 was a game with a nice balance of “game I could beat” and “fun game to play”, So I played it a lot.

Mr Princess Peach

Here was the problem: Peach outpaced any other option when it came to Mario characters I would want for an avatar. But I don’t look good in a gown. So I discussed options with Lar to make sure my avatar unmistakably looked like Peach, but in clothes I would wear. He pointed out that “clothes I would wear” could include a wrestling singlet and cowboy boots, but he chose not to take advantage of that loop hole. Except the cowboy boots, which, frankly, work.

And You Can Too!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to https://tinyurl.com/mscure2021
2. Donate $40 or more for an avatar, plus $40 for every extra face by April 30th.
3. Email your donation confirmation to [email protected] along with a current selfie and any requests.
   Include instructions, like Mario character and design. Stay in the mainline games, please. Yes, Mario hangs out with Mega Man in Super Smash Bros, but that doesn’t mean you can request a Gutsdozer design.
4. Lar will email you a high res JPEG to print and a low res jpeg for social media.

Expect to receive your custom avatar on or before May 7th, 2021.