Welcome to Gaia! ::

Thank you very much! biggrin Coming from someone who draws as well as you do, that's a pretty big compliment.

I think it's a lot better at showing who Jess is than the old bit I had--it had no feeling in it. This one doesn't even look like the same style as the old one I made--some days I really suck at drawing, but some days I do better, like with this one. sweatdrop

Yes, hammering nails into your nasal cavity is indeed possible, and has been done before. xd I know it's hard to believe, but it is true. Some performers use screwdrivers, but the principle remains the same. And the people who perform these stunts know how to do them so that minimal injury is involved.

Also: almost every sideshow since the concept has been introduced has included some kind of "modification" character: the Tattooed Man, Human Pincushions, etc. They have always been huge attractions, as well: most people harbor a secret need to feel shocked or horrified at some point in their lives, and going to see this sort of thing lets them get that out of their system in a manner that's relatively "socially appropriate." Think about how many ordinary, boring people drive by traffic accidents real slow, craning their necks and hoping to see something or someone that's been mangled being hauled away, and you'll get the general idea.

Modern sideshows have people like the Enigma (that's his legal name, you can look him up) who draws crowds on his tattoos, piercings and other modifications alone. Some of the people he's worked with do things like smash long halogen light tubes across their faces and chew glass. One man, whose name I can't remember, walks on broken glass with an audience member on his back, and rests his face in broken glass and has someone stand on the back of his head. One woman lies on a bed of 4 nails, one at each corner of the board, and none in the middle to support her weight.

So I know it seems out there, but as for the acts, they are all physically possible and have been performed over the ages by many different people. I did my research into both the disease and the acts before I did this, and everything I've written about has been inspired by many different bits of history or medical research. I know many people are iffy about them because of personal squeamishness, but they can all be done...and all of them tend to draw large, eager crowds.

Yay! What is the approval stamp for, exactly? Does it mean we're allowed to enter flatsales/auctions with our approved concepts?

Now, body mortification creeps the hell out of me, not gonna lie, but you have done a very good job with it, I think. Jessickah has a lot of quirks that make her very real, and I respond well to that. I think that you have put a lot of thought and effort into the character, and it shows. I also see how the logical skill progression would lead to her suspending herself by hooks. (This freaks me out to look though. YUCK!)

I do have some criticism though. ^^ As for the fake sword swallowing part of her act, will this be her major progression at this stage? I guess my real comment is to ask you if you think it is necessary for her to fake it at all. Is Jessickah the kind of person who would fake it? From reading your background, it just seems to me like she is confident enough in her ability that she would not need to fake it. I realize that the act is too dangerous for her to actually perform, but perhaps there are other feats that she could do that would be real. One that comes to mind for me is "corsetting". I'm sure you probably know what it is, but for those who don't, it is when hooks are inserted into the skin and then laced with a ribbon. It's pulled tight and tied off so that a corset made of skin has been created. Your back will eventually reject the hooks though so many people get it redone again and again. So, yes, I suppose my only criticism is just about her 'fake' skills. It just sounds like her real skills are impressive enough, you know? (Plus, if an actual sword swallower was added to the Cirque, she would probably no longer be able to do it. Just a thought.)

Oh! And I have some questions out of curiosity. Is Jessickah the kind of character who might take it too far? Or is she someone who will always practice first to make sure it is safe?


I really do enjoy the detail and thought in this concept, and I wish you the absolute best of luck! If you get the chance, I wouldn't mind a critique on my end either. ^^

BUMP for addition of 1st costume (CARNIE STAGE)