#the operator

My art style is meant to look rough and highlight imperfections

Supposedly my Oc and Jays reaction to finding this on Tim's tapes instead of footage of Masky

@troywagner thanks for letting me steal ur face ❤️‍🩹

Two childhood best friends, Sarah and Vivienne, attempt to take on the great city of Portland, Oregon in a lighthearted YouTube podcast in an attempt to repair their long-fraught relationship. However, when a deadly mistake they made as children comes back to haunt them in the form of a faceless man and shrouded stalker that infect both their dreams and their waking lives, they must confront one single fact before they face the creature together: they really, truly hate each other.

That aside, I generally find that a lot of their symbolism is very similar;

1. The yellow sign as compared to the operator or "proxy" symbol, both of which are also very similar visually (going by the three pronged version of the yellow sign, at any rate. I'm not sure if there are different iterations of it?)

2. The consistent imagery of masks tied to Hastur vs, once again, 'proxies' (Tim, Brian, etc; characters who wear masks/have their identities subsumed by them, in a sense, and are proximate to Slenderman/The Operator). On the subject of the proxies as well, the watchman, who seeks the yellow sign (shakier point)

3. The association specifically to sickness or madness present in both. The King, represented in yellow, a color that can often be tied to illness on its own (the yellow wallpaper, for ex); the way that the titular work seems to directly associate to illness (read while multiple people are sick, recovering, right before someone falls ill, iirc. It's been a second). Compare to Slenderman & the slender sickness, the effects it's implied to have on the psyche as well as the body. There's something else to this point that I can't quite put a finger on...

4. They're depicted in a very visually similar way, imo, though this is a reaalllllyyyy shaky point. Both share a common depiction where they have no face, or simply the impression of one. Hastur is often shown with tentacles or tendrils, same for slenderman (both depending on iteration or presentation), etc.

5. The memetic nature both of them share, being spread through written word/symbol/videos etc; likewise, madness induced by consumption of their respective media as a common/shared trope. The way that both have been shown over time changing and shifting with society & culture as well, in a sense?

6. My incredibly biased point that doesn't really count towards the tally; in general, the slenderverse media I consume tends to paint him as a "watcher" of sorts. Ever lurking, rarely interacting with the actual people involved in whatever's afoot, who often act in his name or take action because of his presence. There are a ton of exceptions, of course, but I digress. Likewise, I view Hastur as a sort of guide, or observer; not an antagonistic force by default, but someone whose presence exerts influence.

I also tend to associate them to similar imagery outside of the things listed, but it's a lot more ephemeral and hard to pin down. I hope this makes sense :> a lot of this is nervous ramblings, but I find both fascinating and it is thrilling to me that I can draw this connection between them in general! Thank you for letting me share <3

@tea-with-the-falling-titan look!!! Look at this!!

I absolutely see these parallels you’re painting. I would love to let this seep into my understanding.