The Defenders
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The Defenders, is a fictional magazine produced by the hero management group Summit Global. The spread is a satire of modern celebrity culture, and an exploration of what the inherently anti-egalitarian power structure of superpowers would look like in practice. The depicted characters are all meant to fit conventional tropes as a force within the narrative, constrained by what a company would decide is best for their image. I wanted to play with the liberalizing of institutions in creating a ‘diverse’ cast that was ultimately backed by a massive corporation and inherently violent. The clear militarization of the characters, who are marketed like pop idols, was the goal. The overly corporate writing depicts Cold War relations, the propagandizing of the East as the villains. It is an exploration of how to distill a narrative quickly in a way that feels coherent and concise while delivering dense worldbuilding.