ACiD #74 - score: 6.5 out of 10

God Among Lice:
What most people will notice pretty quickly in this pack is Catbones' departure from airbrushing styles and into an exploration of Bryce and Poser. I suppose it's actually kind of nice to see something different from Cat for once. I like the way everyone's hair is flowing with the wind in the same direction. Ultimately, though, it all just seems pretty strange.. kind of like what seeing Catbones drawing a RIP might be like. Cat: stick to the old styles and everyone will still love you. Oh, and hey Cat: I always wondered... does Poser have an option for breast size? Maybe a little slider or something? :)

F7's geisha is quite lovely - I like the kind of flat colors used, and the many angles of folds and limbs. But where did this background come from? I'm trying hard to fit them together but it's not happening. The almost cheesy effects and pattern behind the drawn woman don't do her any justice.

V3ngeance's cartoony characters have a real-life vitality and variety to them that allows them to come together and depict a great scene that describes the feeling and energy of the music wonderfully. A great cover for a CD. It's obvious there was a good deal of time and care put into this picture.

Jason's colorful alien looking thing is pretty nondescript, to the point that I have a hard time really coming away with anything from this pic. It comes close to suggesting something - a feeling, an idea in my head, and then ultimately fails somehow.

Octane brings an interesting mix of brush strokes and textures to his man with the eyes. The circular composition kind of keeps you going around and around until finally you are drawn into the large eye that convincingly reflects back at you.

Grim's "Bazooka Joe" makes me think that if he were doing the storyboarding to The Fugitive, this would have been that climactic scene with Harrison Ford about to jump out of the drainage pipe. Similar to the movie, this man seems to have nowhere to go. Perhaps he has lost all hope of dealing with/being accepted by society and so must make this leap which in all likelihood will lead to his own demise. This could also be seen as the barrel of a cannon about to fire the man away. Society (in the man on the ledge) makes sure the unwelcome man is pointed out for all to see (and most likely lit the cannon). Yes, the man is unwelcome, but this is a grimy, foul place and so he also sees hope in leaving it, as evidenced by the light from above. And in so pointing to the outcast man, society simultaneously (and unknowingly) points toward this hope, making him a martyr for others.

Ok, so I went a little heavy on the interpretation there, but Grim's piece is such that it directly challenges me to make one, and that is why I think it succeeds so well.

Tomppa1's pic wasn't supposed to be in this pack, he tells me, so I won't mention it. And as to the rest, nothing came immediately to mind to say, so I'm not going to rack my brain any more than I have already to comment specifically on each piece.

On the whole there were some pieces that were very satisfying, that I could spend time looking at and appreciate, but nothing I could really call spectacular. No real throw-away pics either, except for the obligatory grab at your money by Radman. ;) I've definitely seen better acid packs, but there's no reason here to suddenly stop downloading them if you're a regular viewer.

score: 7

Mongi:
As always it's an excellent release compared to most groups out there, but still there is nothing outstanding with this pack, there's nothing really eyecatching.

Catbones has a rendered pic in the pack! It's seem like it's done in Poser and Bryce, which means there's not a lot of work in it as it "should" have been, which in turn lowers the overall rating. Otherwise the balance is great, and the font and general Photoshop touch-ups are top-notch.

Grim has finally left the disgusting (in my opinion) Giger style. Giger is disgusting, not Grim =). The piece have a very moody atmosphere as the colors and strict shapes give the feeling of being a cold and calm picture, yet the motif seem to carry a lot of action in it, i.e. a guy in a huge waterpipe(?)

Octane's pic is quite empty, but what catches my eye is the eye! (pun intended). It has such depth to it, and still not being really realistic. It almost feels like you can see your own reflection in it, or that it's really "alive".

V3ngeance's typical style is hilarious! The work reminds me of Geoff Darrow's comics, only much cleaner and less details. The coloring and shading is wonderfully done, and the outlines very distinct. Simply a funny pic.

The rest of the pack was mostly average Acid quality, which is good =) Nevertheless, not a pack to miss.

score: 7

Root88:
I would have to say that my favorite pic in this pack would be V3ngance's. I didn't enjoy Catbones' experiment with Poser and Bryce very much, but there's a one in a million chance that I would like anyone's work that included models from Poser. In my opinion, poser is nothing more than a collection of clip art. I would have to say that from the Bryce/Poser combinations I have seen, this is one of the better ones, but that's not saying much. There really is not a great deal more to say about this pack, I really couldn't pick out anything I didn't like, but nothing really made my jaw drop either.

score: 5