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Description
Just for my own reference.

I want to talk about character height for a second.

I see an awful lot of "this guy is 7' tall (or taller)" on DA. And I wonder if people really stop and think about what that really means.

Some height statistics for you:
The average ceiling clearance is between 8' and 9'. Doorways are smaller.
The average male is 5'9".
The average female is 5'4".
The average motorcycle is suited to people no taller than 6'3".
Clothing in non-specialty stores is suited to people only 3" taller or shorter than the average (if that).
Risks of extreme height include (to name a few) joint pain, migraines, heart trouble or failure, increased risk of illness and certain cancers, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, vocal distortion and premature death.

So this 7' human will have to, basically, special order everything, which is an expensive way to live, will have trouble in sexual relationships (take it from me! I am 5'5" and dated a 6'5" burly dude). Riding a horse would be a nightmare for the horse, too! (Poor horse!!)

It's not as "sexy" and amazing as I thought before I took the time to consider the actual math and physics involved in making such huge people. It's something I think about with each tall character I make. Depending on their context, they all pay the price and it is reflected in each drawing or written episode of their lives. It's one of those constant factor things.

Which brings me to Arthur Chase (seen above). If I really believe all I said, then what kind of hypocrite am I to have a dude that big, right? Well, I will explain. (Bear with me, here).
In the time of the Egyptians, the tallest pharaoh on record was Rameses II, who was 5'9". He was considered a giant in his time. The average woman was 4'10". Now, thousands of years later we are, on average, about a half a foot taller. Humanity is very slowly getting taller.
Arthur's time is about 10,000 years from now. They have moved, adapted, started calling themselves Pazourians and the men now average 6'3", following an evolutionary trend we can see in action in our own time. So what this means for Arthur is that he is about as tall to the Pazourian eye as a 6'5" man is to us today. Enough to turn heads and keep his life only marginally difficult because of it. His people had 10,000 years to adapt and get used to such a change.

I put him next to Lothaire, who is just a hair above today's average, to illustrate that point ... mostly to myself. It's good to see them all in this context.

And then there is Kay'. There are things Kay' has to consider in his everyday life that others would not.
* Every floor he walks on and piece of load-bearing furniture he uses must be able to withstand his weight. (Easily 4,000 lbs.)
* His clothes must be made of nothing thinner than sailcloth if he doesn't want to rip them terribly every time he moves.
* His shoes have to have special materials for the soles to compensate for his large impact and protect the floors.
* The ball on the end of a ballpoint pen his size is almost 3/4 inch in diameter, making it very difficult for him sign documents in a small and neat manner. (Hence his huge signature.)
* He has to watch were he steps *all**the**time*. If he were to accidentally bump into someone, clip them with his toe or heel, or (gods forbid) trip and fall on someone there is a serious chance he will injure them pretty bad or even kill them.
* He must speak in very hushed tones so he doesn't hurt people's ears. He will only yell in an open space with suitable opportunity for the energy of it to escape, and even then he has never all-out screamed ... ever.
* Most vehicles or space-faring vessels must be outfitted with custom fuel tank and reserves in order to compensate when he is in them.
* Most of his food is taken in a reconstituted form because something like a sandwich is too small and hard to hold. In the Order of the Red Cross compound, a special greenhouse is devoted completely to growing gen-engineered vegetable just his size. No. Really. [link]

And that's just a few of the problems he deals with every day. I'm not even going to get started on bathroom stuff. Not today!

To me it is very important that each amazing thing about a character is counterbalanced in some way. Otherwise it's just too easy, and I have to start using "fantasy" explanations like "magic" to have it begin to make sense. I like to use science whenever I can. Keeps me honest. And the research keeps me smart. So I am sorry if I come off as patronizing or heavy-handed. This is just what I think about.

Order of the Red Cross, Kay', Lothaire and Arthur and all related images and stories (C) *NuisanceBearEull

Description
Just for my own reference.

I want to talk about character height for a second.

I see an awful lot of "this guy is 7' tall (or taller)" on DA. And I wonder if people really stop and think about what that really means.

Some height statistics for you:
The average ceiling clearance is between 8' and 9'. Doorways are smaller.
The average male is 5'9".
The average female is 5'4".
The average motorcycle is suited to people no taller than 6'3".
Clothing in non-specialty stores is suited to people only 3" taller or shorter than the average (if that).
Risks of extreme height include (to name a few) joint pain, migraines, heart trouble or failure, increased risk of illness and certain cancers, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, vocal distortion and premature death.

So this 7' human will have to, basically, special order everything, which is an expensive way to live, will have trouble in sexual relationships (take it from me! I am 5'5" and dated a 6'5" burly dude). Riding a horse would be a nightmare for the horse, too! (Poor horse!!)

It's not as "sexy" and amazing as I thought before I took the time to consider the actual math and physics involved in making such huge people. It's something I think about with each tall character I make. Depending on their context, they all pay the price and it is reflected in each drawing or written episode of their lives. It's one of those constant factor things.

Which brings me to Arthur Chase (seen above). If I really believe all I said, then what kind of hypocrite am I to have a dude that big, right? Well, I will explain. (Bear with me, here).
In the time of the Egyptians, the tallest pharaoh on record was Rameses II, who was 5'9". He was considered a giant in his time. The average woman was 4'10". Now, thousands of years later we are, on average, about a half a foot taller. Humanity is very slowly getting taller.
Arthur's time is about 10,000 years from now. They have moved, adapted, started calling themselves Pazourians and the men now average 6'3", following an evolutionary trend we can see in action in our own time. So what this means for Arthur is that he is about as tall to the Pazourian eye as a 6'5" man is to us today. Enough to turn heads and keep his life only marginally difficult because of it. His people had 10,000 years to adapt and get used to such a change.

I put him next to Lothaire, who is just a hair above today's average, to illustrate that point ... mostly to myself. It's good to see them all in this context.

And then there is Kay'. There are things Kay' has to consider in his everyday life that others would not.
* Every floor he walks on and piece of load-bearing furniture he uses must be able to withstand his weight. (Easily 4,000 lbs.)
* His clothes must be made of nothing thinner than sailcloth if he doesn't want to rip them terribly every time he moves.
* His shoes have to have special materials for the soles to compensate for his large impact and protect the floors.
* The ball on the end of a ballpoint pen his size is almost 3/4 inch in diameter, making it very difficult for him sign documents in a small and neat manner. (Hence his huge signature.)
* He has to watch were he steps *all**the**time*. If he were to accidentally bump into someone, clip them with his toe or heel, or (gods forbid) trip and fall on someone there is a serious chance he will injure them pretty bad or even kill them.
* He must speak in very hushed tones so he doesn't hurt people's ears. He will only yell in an open space with suitable opportunity for the energy of it to escape, and even then he has never all-out screamed ... ever.
* Most vehicles or space-faring vessels must be outfitted with custom fuel tank and reserves in order to compensate when he is in them.
* Most of his food is taken in a reconstituted form because something like a sandwich is too small and hard to hold. In the Order of the Red Cross compound, a special greenhouse is devoted completely to growing gen-engineered vegetable just his size. No. Really. [link]

And that's just a few of the problems he deals with every day. I'm not even going to get started on bathroom stuff. Not today!

To me it is very important that each amazing thing about a character is counterbalanced in some way. Otherwise it's just too easy, and I have to start using "fantasy" explanations like "magic" to have it begin to make sense. I like to use science whenever I can. Keeps me honest. And the research keeps me smart. So I am sorry if I come off as patronizing or heavy-handed. This is just what I think about.

Order of the Red Cross, Kay', Lothaire and Arthur and all related images and stories (C) *NuisanceBearEull