Have you seen Mumbo's newest episode?
He's taking photos of everyone's base, yet the focus of Skizz' photo is a player rather than a build.
It makes so much sense!! Skizz isn't loved for his builds, but for his social skills!!
I had not before you sent me this ask but thank you SO much for making me aware of it ;u;
I mean we can’t ignore the fact that Skizz didn’t exactly give Mumbo much to work with in terms of photogenic builds X-D But I think there’s a lot of truth to what you’re saying, and I’d like to expound on that.
Season Ten marked a shift in the philosophy of Hermitcraft. Prior to that, the ethos was largely about the pursuit of the Next Big Thing; megabases, minigames, staggering feats of Minecraft prowess that would make an impressive title and thumbnail and bring in the clicks. The Hermits were all friends, of course, and interactions would still happen, but they were secondary. The builds came first.
That all changed with the Buttercup Wars and covering Doc’s perimeter. Something about spending hours together placing thousands of grass blocks and chatting about anything and nothing reminded the Hermits that, “Hey, we’re all friends. We enjoy hanging out together. And the fans enjoy it too. We should lean into that.”
That’s why I say that Skizz was brought onto Hermitcraft at the perfect time. Any sooner, and he just wouldn’t have lived up to the expectations of what it means to be a Hermit. He’s not a good builder. He’s not a good redstoner. He’s not good at pvp. He’s not really all that good at Minecraft.
But as you said, Skizz’s strength is in people. Skizz’s strength is in experiences. Skizz brings the chaos and the laughter and the interactions that nobody is ever gonna forget. And with the philosophy of Hermitcraft Season Ten shifting towards that sense of friendship and togetherness and community, Skizz was in a prime position to make that ethos a reality.
We saw it in the Poe Poe. We saw it in the court cases. We saw it in the Pyramid. Skizz made it his mission to bring people together, and that’s exactly what he did.
Part of me wishes that Mumbo had had this idea to “photograph” the Hermitcraft bases back in Season Ten. I think Maslow’s Pyramid would have at least been photogenic enough to give him something to work with. But even more than that, I think the Pyramid is the perfect symbol of what Skizz’s presence in Hermitcraft is all about. It’s an exploration of ideas. It’s a game for his friends to play. It’s a challenge to pursue the best version of yourself. And the entire thing—but especially Level Four—is a personal love letter from Skizz to the people who made this pipe dream of being a full-time entertainer possible for him.
It’s extremely moving to me that Skizz’s picture in this collection is the only one to feature a person. Sure, Etho’s has the villagers, but they don’t really count. They’re still a part of the game. They’re just ones and zeroes, at the end of the day.
But in Skizz’s picture, there’s a real, living human being. Or a symbol of him. And I think Mumbo’s choice to wear his C Team outfit, but to frame the photo in a way that his face is obscured, is extremely evocative in and of itself. In a way, Mumbo ceases to represent himself here. He’s now representing the C Team. And by extension, he’s representing its de facto leader; and by extension of that, he’s representing all the joy and laughter and unforgettable experiences that that man has made possible on this server.
If I turn my artist brain on and let myself get sentimental, the framing of this shot is deeply emotional to me. The way the figure is lonely, distant, and indistinct. The way he’s bathed in light, but facing away from it, as if he can’t even see it himself. The almost implicit challenge or desire for connection in the way he’s looking directly at the viewer. The imagery of a tunnel. A journey. An ongoing evolution. Of self, perhaps. Of life. Of where you’ve been and what you’re doing and what you’re experiencing and who you get to experience it with. Of what it means to be a human.
Mumbo is an artist. Every one of the shots he took in his video speaks to the love and admiration he has for each of the Hermits. But there is absolutely something special about Skizz’s; something compelling and unique and ephemeral that’s just tantalizingly out of my grasp.
Or maybe I’m just talking nonsense. Who knows. But they say a picture speaks a thousand words, and this one does to me.
