Forgiveness and Hope
The name of the weapon is actually "Resistance," but forgiveness and hope are two themes used beautifully in Fringe. I've wanted to make a tribute of some sort for a while, and since edged weapons are basically the only things I've drawn in the last ten years it had to be a knife. I became obsessed with them at some point and they took over a lot of my free time.
I haven't designed a new weapon in a while. I've been busy with converting my existing ones into nice digital versions, but I dropped everything for this. I wanted something that exemplified Fringe, so when I saw the dandelion in Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11 (episode links lead to spoiler-filled synopses), I knew I had to use that with the tulip from White Tulip. Then I needed some other touches, but it was so hard to keep it simple with so much material. I eventually may design some more.
So, for those who haven't seen the Fringe, or fans who are confused, what does everything mean? Without spoiling too much, I'll start with the handle and work my way up. The handle is reminiscent of the beacon, with it's blue, glowing groove, specifically the one in A Short Story About Love that delivered an important message. The smooth gradient didn't survive upload to Photobucket, though. How annoying.
The white tulip is a symbol of forgiveness. I knew from the start I had to incorporate it into the design and it had to be the way it appeared in the show, though the stem was elongated somewhat to fit the handle. That little tulip is such an important part that the audience at this year's Comic-Con held up printouts of it to show their love and appreciation.
The flower then flows into a heart. If I was allowed only one word to describe Fringe it would be that one. There is an abundance of it, more than any show I've seen, maybe with the exception of Doctor Who. But I now think of Fringe more than any other. Because I'm afraid of how it might end, yes, but also because the performances, especially by John Noble (@johnnob58004412), are overflowing with heart and talent.
The yellow dots above and below the heart go along with the glyphs to make different letters, one at any corner of a leaf, apple, flower, frog, seahorse, butterfly, hand, or face of smoke. I didn't incorporate glyphs, because it would have been just too busy.
Continuing the flow, because Fringe flows wonderfully from beginning to end, next we have the word "Resistance," which is what the characters are now...and really have always been. This is also a Muse song with the lyrics, "Love is our resistance." Love is what almost destroyed the world and love is what has kept these people together through everything. And for some reason, Muse songs keep naming my blades.
Finally, the word ends in another flower - really a dandelion seed - a highly emotional symbol that Fringe fans will never forget for the perfectly done last minutes of the final season premiere. I wanted to use an actual dandelion, but it wasn't going to look right. The whispy white seed looked better and it was in the beginning of the same episode.
The blue blade is for the blue opening titles in the main "blue universe." The word is red for the "red universe" opening titles we started getting in season 3, which is a very important thread in the show.
Okay, just a few more things. I promise. I wasn't going to use any actual glyphs, but then I realized I could shape the blade to look like a leaf. Hopefully, it came out leaf-like.
Finally, part of the spine is amber. At least, that's what I'm calling it. Similar coloring. Couldn't have a Fringe tribute knife without amber; it's played a big part. But inside that amber are the words "heed," "obey," and "serve." It's where those words and the Observers (except for August and September) deserve to be, stuck in amber forever. Not because they are preserved, but because they will never hurt anyone again.
Alright, that's one down. Can't believe I finished it so quickly. Now I have another Thank You to prepare, though I can do that closer to the end date, and my Neverending Fringe Post. Don't think I'll ever finish that. Aaahhh, time for lunch.
Related Posts // Please see the slightly altered version of this for the Twitter events #TurningPoint and #ShowNoMercy.
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