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The original joke


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I just grabbed my old copy of Codex Angels of Death (from 2nd edition, for the younger folks here) and browsed through the Dark Angel army list, and then I saw it. I was quite amused and thought I'd share.

 

There was a special character that has never had a model made for him (which is probably why I forgot about him): the Grand Master of Chaplains Sapphon.

 

Now just in case you don't know: the word "lesbian" is derived from an island in the Aegean Sea named Lesbos, because this island was the home of a female greek poet who was homosexual: Sappho. She was a lesbian as in "hailing from Lesbos", but the term is being used for the sexual orientation she expressed in some of her poetry since the 19th century - and she lived 2500 years before that (now that is at least close to the time spans we are used to from 40k, eh?).

 

So yeah, the designers hinted at the old "Lionel Jonson (homosexual poet)-Dark Angel (poem)-wearing robes-arrows going both ways" joke from RT even in the mid-90ies.

 

Has anyone else found any more hints at that old joke that I am still missing?

 

 

Disclaimer: please refrain from hating on the joke or on gays or whatever. I merely find it funny that the GW guys of the early days poked fun that way. That does not make your little plastic men any less cool or anything, I collect a DA successor myself, so I do not intend any insult. Discussing whether DA were gay or whether homosexuality was a sin or stuff like that has no place on this forum. Thank you.

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My experience says that ny thread that needs a disclaimer is likely to end up in flames, but we'll see how this one goes... ;)

 

On topic, in the good old days GW always poked fun and added random elements.. and DA had alot of them!! .. I think there's a Djinn Antonik named sgt .. or is it Coken Rum (spelling). My memory betrays me.

Yes, they did a lot of stuff like that, in all the games they published. Djinn Antonik is an awesome name, I think I'll have to use that on some model. Or even better... I'll call myself that on FB. ;) The old Space Orks fluff had lots of that kind of joke, too. But I think the DA joke is kind of more complicated than most of the jokes they did.
A slightly off-topic point but regarding the lack of a model. Careful perusal of the entry for Sapphon notes that he is armed with a Crozius and power sword plus a bolt pistol. Asmodai from the same Angels of death book was armed with just a crozius and bolt pistol with the blades of reason. (Which I think most would agree are not described as looking like a sword anywhere in the fluff.)
Yeah, the Asmodai model is most likely actually Sapphon.

 

I've always thought this was the case. I seem to remember the base tab bit used to have 'Master Chaplain' (or similar) stamped on. Loathe to pull the base off mine just to check, but it might be in an old catalogue somewhere...

No, it's Asmodai. The sculptor admitted that he gave him a sword "because it looked cool"

In other words when questioned the sculptor pulled the first excuse he could find from his behind.

 

I always found the Birmingham reference in 40k funny, Cus all the yanks got REALLY pent up about it, until we pointed out gw is British, and its in reference to our Birmingham, not there's with the dodgy past...kinda obvious really but hey Ho

No, it's Asmodai. The sculptor admitted that he gave him a sword "because it looked cool"

In other words when questioned the sculptor pulled the first excuse he could find from his behind.

 

Well, arming him with a power sword was a legit choice - he had to come armed with something apart from the Crozius... Although why this "something" was not the Blades of Reason is kind of suspicious... ;)

No, it's Asmodai. The sculptor admitted that he gave him a sword "because it looked cool"

In other words when questioned the sculptor pulled the first excuse he could find from his behind.

 

I always found the Birmingham reference in 40k funny, Cus all the yanks got REALLY pent up about it, until we pointed out gw is British, and its in reference to our Birmingham, not there's with the dodgy past...kinda obvious really but hey Ho

 

Being a brummie myself, I wholeheartedly endorse that reference!

 

RT era and 2nd edition were full of those little references that were very Monty Python-esque in humour. When Orks were terrifying but funny (they then just became a joke, then back to SRZ GRIMDARK).

 

Simon Egan sculpted Asmodai, but I can't remember where he justified having the sword instead of the blades of reason.

thats to funny I love seeing the little hints at stuff GW has hidden being a DA player myself I never played before 3rd edition though was not aware of this, suppose that means when my friends make fun of my models having "dresses" on their are actually right :) Oh well I wonder what my models would look like with pink robes?

I don't really buy the "No, it's really Asmodai." There's an image that seems to depict the Big Three of our leadership in the 4th Ed Codex (Azrael, Sapphon and Ezekiel) by Blanche (I think), and other than the mask, the Asmodai model looks a LOT like the chaplain in that picture.

 

Phoebus, did you just "out" Sapphon? Shhhh B)

Look here, in the background on the left:

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b333/gavswine/Heroquest/Heroquest002.jpg

 

That's the original Sapphon model. He just didn't come out of the closet yet. :D

 

It was worth reading this thread just to see the Heroquest pic. Brings back memories... :angry:

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