Character Design help [Brits]

[Firia]

This is a character design question for most europeans, focusing on people of the Great Britian. Let me explain what I'm doing.

I'm an american designer (college student) creating comic book characters. I want to include a variety of cultures in terms of characters, but I want them to be rich characters containing cultural overtones to contrast those I'm making for my comic*. The few british contacts I have tease my american ways. A good ribbing, you might say (or you might not). But the cultural differences just between he and I are at times, stark. I've shown him the Geiko Gecko [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMF8qp0pg_o], and he felt the depiction of his culture in american eyes was absurd.

My question to you folks is, what are common follys that american writers do depicting brittish characters? It could be an over use of, "'Ello mate," or "Bloody hell!" What are some mannerisms that you feel a brit would never do that americans might? Taking offense to being called a Brit, for example (americans can be overly sensitive to racial issues, whereas this detail is not so extreme in europe, I'm told). Basicly, think back to whatever form of media you once saw/read, and if there was any instances where you, an expert in culture in British ways, felt were absurd, I wanna hear about it.

This isn't a thread about taking the piss out of americans, either. Nor culture bashing. So please, lets not go there. Thanks.


* I won't be making this comic for some years, while I'm in school. I do work on building up script, and characters in the meantime. That way it's ready to go when I am.

 

[Dyp100]

Whatever Americans write about Brits.

Firstly, most Americans write Brits as English, not the British, British is 3 (And a half xD) very unique cultures.

Also, The British are pretty much the same as Americans these days, it really depends where you grow up, city Brits and city Yanks are probably really similar other then occasional phrase or two.

 

[Danny Ocean]

We are polite, but not to the absurd extent to which we are sometimes presented in the media. We're also not all either speaking the queens English or one of the many local dialects. If you want some examples of English accents add me on steam and I'll invite you to the next TF2 game we have on the Escapist UK server.

 

[Dyp100]

Gotta have a dapper hat.
Also a cane.

A tailcoat, too.

Oh, and they should be the villain.
Obviously.

Max, I will slap you silly. xD

Break my cane on you, even.

 

[Octorok]

Whatever Americans write about Brits.

Firstly, most Americans write Brits as English, not the British, British is 3 (And a half xD) very unique cultures.

Also, The British are pretty much the same as Americans these days, it really depends where you grow up, city Brits and city Yanks are probably really similar other then occasional phrase or two.

I'm not nearly so sure about the last bit, but a lot of Americans will refer to the UK as England. Even companies and professionals do it. South Park cannot be watched online, legally, in the UK. But the apology has a picture of the Queen and "Sorry England".

Do not mix up the cultures of Scotland, the drunk ginger people, Ireland, the drunk drunk people, and Wales, the drunk sheep people.

England is just drunk knifey people. Hooray for stereootypes!

We are polite, but not to the absurd extent to which we are sometimes presented in the media. We're also not all either speaking the queens English or one of the many local dialects. If you want some examples of English accents add me on steam and I'll invite you to the next TF2 game we have on the Escapist UK server.

In that case, I might even join you, for some diversity. I've got a borderline-Etonian accent. I really do speak the Queen's English, use long words, drink tea, am polite and like crumpets. But I'm not English. You can't go wrong with us Scottish folk - even if we do have ambiguous accents.

 

[Dyp100]

Whatever Americans write about Brits.

Firstly, most Americans write Brits as English, not the British, British is 3 (And a half xD) very unique cultures.

Also, The British are pretty much the same as Americans these days, it really depends where you grow up, city Brits and city Yanks are probably really similar other then occasional phrase or two.

I'm not nearly so sure about the last bit, but a lot of Americans will refer to the UK as England. Even companies and professionals do it. South Park cannot be watched online, legally, in the UK. But the apology has a picture of the Queen and "Sorry England".

Do not mix up the cultures of Scotland, the drunk ginger people, Ireland, the drunk drunk people, and Wales, the drunk sheep people.

England is just drunk knifey people.

I should know, I do live in London, and have almost been stabbed before. xD

MY AREA IS SO FUN.

 

[Sassafrass]

Gotta have a dapper hat.
Also a cane.

A tailcoat, too.

Oh, and they should be the villain.
Obviously.

You forgot the monocle.

 

[Dyp100]

Gotta have a dapper hat.
Also a cane.

A tailcoat, too.

Oh, and they should be the villain.
Obviously.

You forgot the monocle.

You know our English ninjas use monocles for shurikens?

It's true.

 

[Lord George]

Well there are a variety of regions each with differing mannerisms, accents and viewpoints. Someone from Kent would act, talk and walk completely differently from someone in Cheshire for example, there is also some insults banded between the "south" and the "north" with the south being seen as middle class and posh and the north being seen as simpletons and louts oh and the welsh are a load of sheep shaggers obviously .

Also never use expressions like "bloody ell" or other stupid phrases particularly cockney speech, though words like wanker are still used and putting up two fingers is seen as an insult. Also pants are used to refer to underpants with what Americans call pants being called trousers and fanny in the UK does not refer to the bottom but rather the front part of a women.

 

[Dyp100]

You forgot the monocle.

I also forgot to mention the sky is blue.
It's a well-known fact that every Englishman is born with a monocle.

Kind of like how every baby is born with a creepy alien head.
Gosh.

It becomes fused to use when we put on our first waistcoat.

When born with it you have to 10 feet close to you or your souls sets on fire and your tea blood dries up.

 

[LockHeart]

Anything that portrays us as a nation of monocled,top hat wearing, cane wielding, crumpet eating (although they are amazing), repressed homosexuals who have absolutely no local accents whatsoever.

Feel free to portray everyone and their mum as tea drinkers though, that part is true

I should know, I do live in London, and have almost been stabbed before. xD

MY AREA IS SO FUN.

Ouch! Whereabouts in London do you live? I'm always terrified when I walk through Croydon...

 

[Dyp100]

Anything that portrays us as a nation of monocled,top hat wearing, cane wielding, crumpet eating (although they are amazing), repressed homosexuals who have absolutely no local accents whatsoever.

Feel free to portray everyone and their mum as tea drinkers though, that part is true

I should know, I do live in London, and have almost been stabbed before. xD

MY AREA IS SO FUN.

Ouch! Whereabouts in London do you live? I'm always terrified when I walk through Croydon...

God, tea is epic, and crumpets. Need to have one tomorrow morning if my glands swell down.


Hammersmith and Fulham, my school is also in Westminster.

 

[thepj]

jooly good show on that comic idea old mate, fancy a cup of tea?

nah, english people vary wherever you go in the UK, but for the comic have two people from the UK: one fro birmingham and one from liverpool, to pay your respects to me.

 

[LockHeart]

God, tea is epic, and crumpets. Need to have one tomorrow morning if my glands swell down.


Hammersmith and Fulham, my school is also in Westminster.

Tell me about it. That, and scones. I could really do with some afternoon cream tea now...

I thought Hammersmith and Fulham was supposed to be quite nice area? That being said, I always stay at my mate's in Wimbledon and God that place has gone downhill recently...

 

[Dyp100]

God, tea is epic, and crumpets. Need to have one tomorrow morning if my glands swell down.


Hammersmith and Fulham, my school is also in Westminster.

Tell me about it. That, and scones. I could really do with some afternoon cream tea now...

I thought Hammersmith and Fulham was supposed to be quite nice area? That being said, I always stay at my mate's in Wimbledon and God that place has gone downhill recently...

IDK, it depends where you live, we always used to live next to the rich bit of it (with all the beautiful houses) then we moved to a more poor parts, (closer to Hammersmith(aka, google maps says were about a feet passed the border) and I've got some threats by people at the local estates.

I think with all the people starting to live in H&F the quality is going down.

Really, London is starting to lose the charm it once had, to be honest my mum hates it compared to when she was young.

 

[LockHeart]

IDK, it depends where you live, we always used to live next to the rich bit of it (with all the beautiful houses) then we moved to a more poor parts, (closer to Hammersmith(aka, google maps says were about a feet passed the border) and I've got some threats by people at the local estates.

I think with all the people starting to live in H&F the quality is going down.

Really, London is starting to lose the charm it once had, to be honest my mum hates it compared to when she was young.

I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel glad that I don't live there any more, which is pretty bad because I love that city

 

[Dyp100]

IDK, it depends where you live, we always used to live next to the rich bit of it (with all the beautiful houses) then we moved to a more poor parts, (closer to Hammersmith(aka, google maps says were about a feet passed the border) and I've got some threats by people at the local estates.

I think with all the people starting to live in H&F the quality is going down.

Really, London is starting to lose the charm it once had, to be honest my mum hates it compared to when she was young.

I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel glad that I don't live there any more, which is pretty bad because I love that city

God, I hate it so, over crowed buses, horrible people, it's just...Blah. ._.

(BTW, mind if I add you as an escapist friend?)