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chessiesystem · 4 years

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StEx Appreciation Month, Day 31: Nitpicks

SO, I have a LOT of nitpicks about literally every aspect of the show, like I could go on and on, but then this post would be the embodiment of this gif:

So for today I’m just going to focus on costume nitpicks! Like with everything in the show I have an ideal version of everyone’s costume/wig/makeup, so today I’ll just go over my main nitpicks with the various costumes and post my favorite versions!

Obligatory JapanAus picture because those tours overall had the BEST costume aesthetics.

Let’s get started:

(Also just to go ahead and get this out of the way, this post is almost completely ignoring the 2018 redesigns, like. Those don’t live in my head. I’ll just be focusing on the Broadway/Bochum/tour designs.)

Rusty:

Okay so with Rusty my main nitpick is!!! That stupid empty black space that’s above his chest plate in SO many of the costumes!! Like WHY is that there?! Here’s a good picture of it:

It drives me absolutely insane aljsldf. Luckily Bochum eventually corrected this but that it was ever there drives me up a wall.

Another nitpick is his headband… I can tolerate it when it’s paired with the hat, but I can’t stand it on its own, it just looks ugly to me. And speaking of his hat, I love most versions of it, EXCEPT for the New Starlight Express one where it was styled after a baseball cap. That bothers me on a level I don’t even fully understand alsjflds.

Anyway, I think overall my favorite version of Rusty’s costume is the 2018 version… I think the silhouette looks strange, especially from the side, like kind of too baggy? But overall it’s really cute, I love the colors and the new chest plate design, and the HAT. Also really like the new makeup!! It was looking rough for a minute lmao.

This is Peak Performance (not the Pearl…definitely not the Pearl):

Pearl:

Being as I’m in love with most of Pearl’s costumes I actually don’t have a ton of nitpicks. I think my main one is that I’m not a fan of the salmon/gold tones that were sometimes used for the bodice. For example:

I think moreso than the costumes I’m critical of Pearl’s wigs. I HATE when she has straight wigs… the only exception to this rule is Stephanie Lawrence’s and Nikki Belsher’s because those wigs were also big and fluffy. But that lanky thing Bochum had in the early 2000s? Terrible. Pearl should have big, dramatic curls. Also, this should go without saying but her hair should be PINK. Blonde Pearl actually gives me acid reflux.

Also I don’t think much attention is given to her headpiece, but I really love when they’re big and princess-y. Like, this headpiece with these earrings? I love:

As far as a favorite Pearl costume, that’s really hard because I love so many of them, but I’ll say this one. I think it’s a nice balance of pink and white:

Greaseball:

I don’t have a ton of nitpicks about Greaseball’s costume… like, it fucks pretty hard? I moreso have beef with his makeup. NONE of these men know how to blend and it looks terrible. I get that it might be a stage makeup thing that looks better under stage lights but I still don’t even really buy that because every other character blends?? Also, I don’t like how the makeup is just contouring… I get that it’s to make the actors look more masculine, which does suit Greaseball’s character, but PLEASE give that diesel some character makeup!!

I really stan the Broadway makeup for this reason. Look at this Jareth-looking bitch, he looks amazing! And it’s just SO cool:

Idk even this London makeup is pretty okay imo… anything to make him more visually interesting 😭:

Dinah:

My main gripe with Dinah’s costume will forever and always be the apron lmao. I’m very, very picky about it because it’s SO easy to make look tacky as hell. The 2018 apron is the ugliest its ever been, I’m sorry:

LIKE WHY IS IT SO BIG AND LONG. Also the silver strap around her chest is WAY too high now. I swear they tried to make the 2018 coaches more modest in the ugliest ways possible. But anyway.

I prefer for the apron to only be beneath the belt, but if it also has to be above the belt I can tolerate it if its small, like the Broadway design or the earlier Bochum designs. I also prefer when her leggings are on the more silver/metallic side than just straight up blue. Broadway and Japan-Australia had the right idea with how metallic they made everyone look.

As far as Bochum goes, I feel like the costume’s peak was from like 1997 to 2007:

PERSONALLY, though, my ideal Dinah costume would be Debbie Wake’s from the Japan tours. The color, the leggings, the wig, it’s all so… Peak! I also really love how the top of her skirt is divided into sections?? It’s really cute. The only thing I’d change is I’d remove the part of the apron that reaches above the belt and adjust the color of her wig. But otherwise I love this one so much 🥺🥺🥺:

Electra:

I have a lot of very disjointed thoughts on Electra’s costume, but bottom line is I’m rarely content with it… but my MAIN nitpick is definitely the color scheme. I know that it’s intended to be blue/red/silver but instead it often looks blue/red/white to me and I just CANNOT dissociate that from the American flag/overzealous patriotism alsjdlf, it kind of gives me heartburn. I’ve seen some fan redesigns of the costume that incorporate a blue/red/gold color scheme instead and I think that could REALLY fuck, though I don’t know how it’d translate to the stage/irl. Or just?? Design his palette after the bi flag colors??

Another nitpick is how boxy and bulky his chest box often is. I feel like I can’t criticize this TOO harshly because, in my opinion, this musical should be FIRMLY 80s, and that’s probably what counted as “futuristic” in the 80s, but it’s just a personal preference of mine that I wish his chest piece was more slender and streamlined. I think it’d make the silhouette better and just?? Look better??

I also don’t like most of the mohawk wigs… they just look… VERY cheap and fake to me most of the time. I prefer the looser/wilder wigs because they look softer and more natural.

ANYWAY I’ve found that the costume that actually sates most of these complaints for me is the Japan-Australia costume. The palette actually looks blue, red, and SILVER to me, and the body suit is just?? Sooo shiny and metallic and sparkly?? It’s so pretty. The wig is a perfect balance of the looser/wilder London wigs and the early mohawk wigs, and the MAKEUP is so good, it’s the only time I’ve seen a silvery/metallic base on Electra work and NOT whitewash the fuck out of the actor. Not to mention the base in JapanAus matched the body suit REALLY well and aaaah idk I could wax poetic about this costume all night aljsfld it’s really good and I appreciate it for being the, like, one (1) Electra costume I vibe with 😭.

Again, I’d streamline the chest box if I could but overall? This is peak performance:

CB:

Off the bat I’ll say I hate how big his shoulder boxes have gotten over the years. Like they are just ridiculously massive, it looks kind of awkward when the actors can’t even rest their arms by their sides due to it. They look like little kids wearing arm floats. Also not a fan of how much lower the neckline has gotten, and how much smaller the bandana has gotten?? His chest and neck are SO exposed now when they use to be completely covered and it irks the hell out of me.

Funnily, this one picture pretty clearly displays all three of these nitpicks:

Compare this to back when the neckline was higher/the bandana larger, he’s completely covered. He also isn’t fucking DROWNING in his shoulder boxes:

Also not a fan of the hair piece Bochum has used in recent years. Like it was just so much cuter when the actors used their real hair :^//. And I just Do Not Vibe with how straight and neat the hair piece is, CB has wild, curly hair and I’ll die on that hill.

ALSO, and this is more specific to just one actor, but I kind of hate Dan Ellison’s makeup aljsldf. Like it’s well done but it just has far too much going on. All what CB needs done is his cheeks, his eyes, and his lips— all that extra that Dan does on his jawline and with the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes is just… too much. And it frustrates me so much because he would be SO much cuter if he went with a simpler makeup!! Ugh. But anyway.

This was 100% the makeup at its best, like. Absolutely peak, thank you Thierry Gondet:

And my favorite costume comes from the 1990 Japan tour. I ADORE how this chest box is fitted and designed, and it just looks so shiny and red? Like it was freshly washed and painted 😭. Not to mention the red contour on his temples is kind of a Look:

The only thing I’d adjust is I’d give him the suspenders present in most of his costumes, because they’re honestly adorable. And, of course, he needs his Chessie System sticker. But otherwise? This is Peak Performance.

Okay I was gonna do more but this thing is fuckoff long as it is, so I’ll just stick to the Big Six. If you made it this far you’re a trooper, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings aljsldfs.

#stex appreciation month #starlight express #stex rusty #stex pearl #stex greaseball #stex dinah #stex electra #stex cb #naph.txt #THIS IS SO LONG ALJKSLFDS I'M SORRY

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lottalucamotion · 4 years

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So I wanted to share what I take on what the StEx universe is like. It’s gonna be pretty long winded so I’m placing it under the cut. Strap in.

In my interpretation of the StEx universe trains are still 100% created by and influenced by humans. The end of StEx in which Poppa tried to convince the other engines that they should convert to steam, is a push of revolution against humans. He preaches and believes that use of steam power is the easiest way in which engines can live independently of humans. There is certainly inequality among rolling stock as a result of their lives being influenced by humans. To humans, rolling stock are simply machines whose sole purpose is to maximize efficiency. When rolling stock are not deemed efficient enough, they are retired to either be scrapped, preserved for historical significance, or in some cases abandoned and left to rot away slowly. The birth and death of rolling stock is decided by humans. In this universe, since rolling stock are sentient, they are given some room to indulge and make some of their own decisions. They are provided with places to live, maintenance, and fuel but will also be given a salary for their work. However, rolling stock are far from equal in this system. Let’s first talk about general engines, then I will break it down a bit more. While engines are highly esteemed and better paid and maintained than cars, they, on average, tend to live shorter lives. Engines can live anywhere between a few years to over a hundred. It all just depends on how they perform. That being said, poor performance is most often not the fault of the engines themselves, but the humans who influenced their births. As a result of this, engines often feel desperate to prove themselves as well performing engines as they don’t want to have their lives taken away from them early. This is why the races get so dirty and are taken so seriously. When it comes to the class system of engines, mainline freight and passenger engines tend to be the most well off. As far as lifespans go, freight engines tend to live longer than passenger engines. This is because passenger service, at least in the US, is in a constant fight with the public transport market to be the most efficient method of transport. Freight engines have an easier time keeping up with the market as there is still a place for older, less powerful engines to work efficiently. Freight engines make up a significantly higher margin of the locomotive population, but passenger engines, especially ones that run luxury lines in heavily populated areas (like say Electra) tend to make a much better salary than freight engines. Yard switchers (like Rusty) actually lie below coaches in the class system, but we will talk about cars a little later. They are the lowest paid engines and tend to get the least maintenance (what makes Rusty rusty). Despite this, switchers tend to live longer lives than mainline engines as the needs of yard switchers rarely change. It’s a lot more economic for rail companies to keep switchers for a long time rather than buying upgrades. The social system of engines, while conflict is frequent (and mainly a result of human intervention), engines are quite social beings. They often band together in gangs (like Greaseball) or small family units (like Poppa and Rusty). This is especially common for freight carriers as they will often work in groups. Passenger engines are a bit more inclined to live either solitary or in pairs. Despite being generally social, engines can also be quite territorial. Fights between gangs of engines from different companies are quite common. This is not to say engines can’t integrate into new groups. With factors such as mergers and the buying and selling of rolling stock between companies, engines can integrate into new groups, but introduction needs to be done carefully and monitored.

So now that we’ve talked about engines, let’s talk about cars. Much like engines, passenger cars are higher on the class system than freight. Passenger cars tend to be higher on the scale than even switch engines. Passenger cars tend to live around the same amount of time as switch engines, but not as long as freight. The lives of coaches and passenger engines tend to be quite a bit more stationary and routine than the lives of freight trains as they tend to travel shorter distances and stick to the same lines. You may even say that the lives of passenger trains are a lot more sheltered than freight trains. At the very bottom of the class system is freight cars. They are the lowest paid and least well maintained. Many don’t even get proper housing, and they tend to be passed on between rail companies frequently. The one perk to being a freight car is that they tend to live long lives. They are rarely sent to scrap and simply sold or passed onto different companies if they came from a closed down line (like the Rockies who originated from Rock Island). As far as social systems with cars go, they are typically less prone to reacting violently to other stock. Passenger coaches live in tight knit groups and don’t tend to see as many newcomers. When they do they are fairly quick to integrate new members into their social group. Freight in comparison are very quick to accept new members of their group. They tend to see a lot of coming and going and simply learn to adapt as they go. While engines can be territorial against other engines, they have no issues taking in new cars. There is a bit of fine print to the idea that cars tend to be more peaceful. Because, y’know, there’s the matter of CB, easily the most violent character in the show. While the engines fight, CB is a-okay with creating disastrous and potentially deadly wrecks. This behavior is not exclusive to caboose. Any class of rolling stock can adopt this behavior. Rolling stock will sometimes engage in these kinds of crimes when they feel threatened by an unsure future. As of now, cabooses are not often used by railways. When dynamic braking systems were introduced, cabooses became obsolete. Rolling stock who wish to desperately fight against a fate of scrapping or abandonment will sometimes adopt a life on the run, commiting crimes to either get money (engaging in robbery or acting as hitmen) or doing so as a way to cover their tracks as they jump between companies picking up whatever small jobs they can before burning the bridge. CB was set to be scrap well before cabooses became obsolete, he was set to be scrap to make way for newer cabooses who were to take his job. That is where his life on the run began, but as time went on and cabooses were granted less and less work, his crimes became more and more violent.

So now that the purpose and jobs are established, let’s go a bit into the early lives of rolling stock. Rolling stock do not have a formal system of education, rather they learn by apprenticing other, older rolling stock of their kind. The quality of this education varies heavily. For example, coaches will typically learn to read and write as it helps in their service to human customers. Freight really only learn how to do their jobs and not much else. For engines this can also vary greatly. For example, Rusty, despite having grown up in a lower class situation, had Poppa as a consistent mentor. He didn’t get the best education, but it was decent enough, he can read and write. Greaseball never actually had a solid mentor figure in his life. He grew up in a gang and only ever really learned how to do his job, not much else. He can’t read or write, thus why he can’t even spell ‘sorry’ correctly. Electra actually got a pretty damn solid education and is well versed in mathematics and coding. His dumbassness is just a result of him growing up very sheltered and spoiled, making him rather naive.

When it comes to the death of trains, this varies quite a bit. Most rolling stock will come to the ends of their lives when their companies deem them inefficient or no longer cost effective. For engines this time averages between 25-30 years, but it can be much sooner or much later for some depending on the needs of their owners. For other locomotives they live until their “natural” end (until they break down or are worn down to the point that they can’t work efficiently anymore). This lifespan can be extended with refurbishments or overhauls but only a lucky few engines get this privilege. Some rolling stock reach their end slowly through abandonment, this is a very long process that can be quite painful (Belle the sleeping car may very well have this as her fate0. This is typically a more common fate for coaches, and freight over engines. Some lucky rolling stock will meet their ends being “immortalized” in museums or private collections. For some this means hope of being returned for the rails some day, for others it’s just a death where their body remains preserved (engines or components that would allow the stock to run are removed), though this by no means guarantees that the stock will not eventually be scrapped. To put the aging of rolling stock into perspective:

-Diesels can live up to around 70 years, but some are scrapped as early as under 10 years if the technology does not hold up -Steam engines kept in good shape can live well over 100 years, but some have been scrapped in under two decades due to inefficiency. -Electrics are still fairly new so not much about the true lifespan is currently known, but early experimental AC trains have been scrapped in less than 5 years of service.

So how exactly do rolling stock age? The aging of rolling stock really can’t be compared to human aging. It seems to be kind of all over the board. I’ve determined that the physical age of rolling stock is based on a combination of type (freight cars age slowest, diesel mainliners likely tend to age the fastest), milage (more miles = older age), and maintenance (poorly maintained stock will age more rapidly). It’s not an exact science and varies greatly between individual stock.

#starlight express #stex #stex meta

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