The 2011 ES Avatar Countdown!

[littlebeast13]

#9: "When Buster Met Angel"

Debuted: 11/25/11




This Black Friday morning treat was served up after BobJuch found his debit card was being used for interspecies dating... or well, some kind of online dating. Of all the possible characters I could have put together for the dating scene, I chose the mischievous Buster and sweet, innocent Angel, and it works out so well. We don't know what Angel sees in Buster, unless maybe he slipped something in her drink, but I'd bet that bowtie had something to do with it. It may be one of my favorite, to borrow a word from Sprots, lagniappes in any ES avatar this year. The setting for this date couldn't have been more perfect had it been held on Holly's back porch....

[Lizbit]

I am happy to see a picture of my alien frien from outer space. That Angel is a very nice girl who is helpful to everybody.

I think we're all lucky to know each other.

[SportsFan68]

Possum and Angel are both great characters, and I do like this one, although I like Stop Thief! and Planet Possum better.

I'm starting to hope for another of my favorites for the #1 spot since it hasn't shown up yet.

[littlebeast13]

I'm starting to hope for another of my favorites for the #1 spot since it hasn't shown up yet.

Does it have Sprots & ES in it? Since you said #1, I'd assume it does....

lb13

[SportsFan68]

I'm starting to hope for another of my favorites for the #1 spot since it hasn't shown up yet.

Does it have Sprots & ES in it? Since you said #1, I'd assume it does....

lb13

Absolutely not. Perhaps you didn't notice that all of the For Your Consideration entries were missing sprots.

[littlebeast13]

I'm starting to hope for another of my favorites for the #1 spot since it hasn't shown up yet.

Does it have Sprots & ES in it? Since you said #1, I'd assume it does....

lb13

Absolutely not. Perhaps you didn't notice that all of the For Your Consideration entries were missing sprots.

Oh, I just assumed you hijacked Snaxx's account to post them all....

lb13

[littlebeast13]

#8: "Hit the Showers, Stinkerball!"

Debuted: 8/29/11




Thanks to Snaxx, the Bored was caught up in the drama of the Richmond Flying Squirrels amazing run to the Eastern League playoffs, which both foreshadowed and out-amazed the drama that was to come at the end of the MLB regular season. One of the avatars Snaxx used during his Flying Squirrels updates was of a scoreboard graphic showing what allegedly was supposed to be a flying squirrel on the mound preparing to throw a pitch:



It looked more like a skunk however, and uly had to ask if the Squirrels were now relying on the stinkerball. After the Squirrels later went on a losing skid, I tried to shake things up for them by drawing this avatar of my flying squirrel character Winnie relieving Stinkerball from the game. Lil Stinky immediately tugged at the heartstrings of the Bored for his disappointed and dejected look as the mean old manager took the ball and gave him the hook. Stinky became popular enough to get another avatar a week later when the Squirrels made the playoffs thanks to the team they were competing against getting rained out on the final day... and now he gets a place in the Top 10 of the avatar countdown. We hear Scott Boras is interested in representing him....

[christie1111]

Sorry, artwork aside, this would not have made my top 20.

Nope.

[Snaxx]

Sorry, artwork aside, this would not have made my top 20.

Nope.

I think this was the first year I had a hand in inspiring an ES avatar, nevermind a top 10 one. So I'll take the nod.

[Snaxx]

. One of the avatars Snaxx used during his Flying Squirrels updates was of a scoreboard graphic showing what allegedly was supposed to be a flying squirrel on the mound preparing to throw a pitch (Please provide this avatar if you could, Snaxx). It looked more like a skunk, and uly had to ask if the Squirrels were now relying on the stinkerball.

I brought it back. This was actually displayed on the Diamondvision at the Diamond in Richmond during the home team introduction.

[Snaxx]

I also seem to have brought the 500 errors back.

[littlebeast13]

. One of the avatars Snaxx used during his Flying Squirrels updates was of a scoreboard graphic showing what allegedly was supposed to be a flying squirrel on the mound preparing to throw a pitch (Please provide this avatar if you could, Snaxx). It looked more like a skunk, and uly had to ask if the Squirrels were now relying on the stinkerball.

I brought it back. This was actually displayed on the Diamondvision at the Diamond in Richmond during the home team introduction.

Thank you, sir!

lb13

[ulysses5019]

Sorry, artwork aside, this would not have made my top 20.

Nope.

I think this was the first year I had a hand in inspiring an ES avatar, nevermind a top 10 one. So I'll take the nod.

I'll take the nod and whatever residuals are available.

[littlebeast13]

#7: "NURSE!!!"

Debuted: 11/30/11



Merry Christmas Sprotsie Baby!!!

This one soars into the Top 10 like a flying squirrel in a hospital based on presentation and audience reaction alone. Snaxx inspires his second straight Top 10 avatar by posting a story of a flying squirrel run amok in a New Jersey ER. The idea of an incapacitated Sprots being dive bombed by ES immediately jumped into my mind and I decided on this perspective. The title of this avatar was the only thing I wrote for my "Found It" post, making this one of my favorite ways I've ever introduced an avatar to the Bored. And the immediate BB reaction was probably the best any avatar got all year long. The only thing that kept this one out of the Top 5 is the fact that personally, it isn't one of my favorites in the ES chasing Sprotsie series.... but as Sprots would demand, the Bored should get their say in what goes in the countdown, and I always strive to please her!

[SportsFan68]

#8: "Hit the Showers, Stinkerball!"

Debuted: 8/29/11




Thanks to Snaxx, the Bored was caught up in the drama of the Richmond Flying Squirrels amazing run to the Eastern League playoffs, which both foreshadowed and out-amazed the drama that was to come at the end of the MLB regular season. One of the avatars Snaxx used during his Flying Squirrels updates was of a scoreboard graphic showing what allegedly was supposed to be a flying squirrel on the mound preparing to throw a pitch:



It looked more like a skunk however, and uly had to ask if the Squirrels were now relying on the stinkerball. After the Squirrels later went on a losing skid, I tried to shake things up for them by drawing this avatar of my flying squirrel character Winnie relieving Stinkerball from the game. Lil Stinky immediately tugged at the heartstrings of the Bored for his disappointed and dejected look as the mean old manager took the ball and gave him the hook. Stinky became popular enough to get another avatar a week later when the Squirrels made the playoffs thanks to the team they were competing against getting rained out on the final day... and now he gets a place in the Top 10 of the avatar countdown. We hear Scott Boras is interested in representing him....

This is not only Top 10 material, it's Top 1 material.

But as we have seen many many times, LB doesn't listen to me.

[SportsFan68]

.... but as Sprots would demand, the Bored should get their say in what goes in the countdown, and I always strive to please her!

Hey! Stinkerball would be #1 if you gave the Bored 100% of their say.

[littlebeast13]

#6: "Somewhere Over the Monument"

Debuted: 8/20/11




Sometimes, the worst in people can bring out the best in ES. While the primary inspiration for this avatar was a picture taken by a friend of PKS's that showed a rainbow appearing to be balancing perfectly atop the Washington Monument, it is a fact that it probably never would have been drawn and made its way onto the Bored had jeemie not played Mr. Negativity and decided that the luck/skill of the photographer was more important than the beauty of the image itself. I had an inkling of Rainbow Donkey leaping the monument when I first saw the picture posted, but it wasn't until jeemie played killjoy that I just had to sketch it out. It is my best rendition ever of Rainbow Donkey, and adding Angel atop him was merely icing on the cake. This is a wonderfully happy avatar that at the time I drew it, I thought it was a strong contender for the #1 spot. While it ultimately fell short, it still makes a high appearance in the countdown to allow its smile-inducing powers to live on for one more day....

[littlebeast13]

.... but as Sprots would demand, the Bored should get their say in what goes in the countdown, and I always strive to please her!

Hey! Stinkerball would be #1 if you gave the Bored 100% of their say.

I guess you can't read. It didn't make christie's Top 20, so how can it be the Bored's 100% choice for #1?

No wonder I don't listen to you.....

lb13

[christie1111]

.... but as Sprots would demand, the Bored should get their say in what goes in the countdown, and I always strive to please her!

Hey! Stinkerball would be #1 if you gave the Bored 100% of their say.

I guess you can't read. It didn't make christie's Top 20, so how can it be the Bored's 100% choice for #1?

No wonder I don't listen to you.....

lb13

Yup, not Number 1 or even close.

[SportsFan68]

#6: "Somewhere Over the Monument"

Debuted: 8/20/11




Sometimes, the worst in people can bring out the best in ES. While the primary inspiration for this avatar was a picture taken by a friend of PKS's that showed a rainbow appearing to be balancing perfectly atop the Washington Monument, it is a fact that it probably never would have been drawn and made its way onto the Bored had jeemie not played Mr. Negativity and decided that the luck/skill of the photographer was more important than the beauty of the image itself. I had an inkling of Rainbow Donkey leaping the monument when I first saw the picture posted, but it wasn't until jeemie played killjoy that I just had to sketch it out. It is my best rendition ever of Rainbow Donkey, and adding Angel atop him was merely icing on the cake. This is a wonderfully happy avatar that at the time I drew it, I thought it was a strong contender for the #1 spot. While it ultimately fell short, it still makes a high appearance in the countdown to allow its smile-inducing powers to live on for one more day....

Sigh. Only #6. I would have been very happy to see this one at #1. But that means my new favorite is still in it for the top spot.

[Snaxx]

Even when it wasn't about the Flying Squirrels, it was about the Flying Squirrels this past year.

[littlebeast13]

#5: "Heartbreaker"

Debuted: 6/17/11




Originally drawn for art therapy, this was a picture that turned out so well that I had to find a way to work it into my avatar rotation. The story behind it is well worn and tiresome, the reaction to it on the Bored was heavy and overblown (so much so that I temporarily took it down), and the scene is maybe a tiny bit graphic. But this little 200 X 200 pixel summary of my experience with Hooly took me from out of a blue funk I was in and made me laugh. It still makes me smile when I see it six months later. There are those who may believe this doesn't deserve such a lofty spot in a countdown full of most excellent avatars, but those people don't make the countdown, and it is impossible for me to ignore what was the most significant avatar of the year for the artist himself....

[SportsFan68]

This would have been a fine #1.

But my new favorite is still in it to win it!

[littlebeast13]

This would have been a fine #1.

But my new favorite is still in it to win it!

Good luck with that.... it may still be in the running come January 1st.....

lb13

[SportsFan68]

This would have been a fine #1.

But my new favorite is still in it to win it!

Good luck with that.... it may still be in the running come January 1st.....

lb13

That's a conundrum. As of January 1, nothing's in the running.