The Fallout games’ Feral Ghouls are eerie, decrepit creatures that haunt the wastelands of the universe, sending shivers down players’ spines.
Have you ever wondered how these ghastly beings, with their unsettlingly realistic appearance, came to be? The answer isn’t a fun fact you’d want to pull out at a dinner party. But, it just goes to show how dedicated artists are to identifying what a project needs and creating exactly that.
Fallout 3’s Feral Ghouls Use Packaged Meat for Their Appearance
In the video game series, one of the most iconic creatures is the Feral Ghoul. These mutated remnants of humanity are a testament to the horrors of nuclear fallout, their skin twisted and translucent, resembling something straight out of a nightmare.
Jonah Lobe, the artist behind the grotesque beauty of these ghouls, spilled the beans on the secret to their realistic appearance. To achieve that stomach-churning texture, Lobe didn’t turn to fancy CGI but went old school—with meat.
Remember the Feral Ghouls from #Fallout3 ? To get that icky translucent look, I used photos of real meat (ie packaged chicken) & used the Liquify filter to push them into position, to make it look like real human(ish) muscle. Bon apetit! pic.twitter.com/IgmOIPctuM
— Jonah Lobe – Illustrating "Quiet: Level One" (@Jonahlobe) January 31, 2018
Lobe used photos of real meat, like packaged chicken, as his inspiration. He then wielded Photoshop’s powerful Liquify filter and manipulated the meaty images into position, creating the illusion of human(ish) muscle.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, ghouls are a fictional race of posthuman beings born from the ashes of a global nuclear apocalypse. These unfortunate souls, once human, have been warped and mutated by radiation exposure, granting them extended lifespans but at the cost of their physical appearance and, often, their sanity.
Walter Goggins to Play a Ghoul in the Amazon Prime Show
Fear not; the ghouls gracing the screen in the upcoming Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime Video won’t be conjured from the depths of a butcher’s shop.
As a bigger plus, we have the talented Walton Goggins stepping into the decaying shoes of one of these iconic species. Known for his stellar performances in works like Django Unchained and Sons of Anarchy, Goggins will certainly bring some pizazz to his character.
In the franchise, ghouls that live among civilization are a lot like regular folks—smart and with their own personalities. But because of their looks, they often get treated poorly.
This is a big theme the Fallout TV show writers could explore, as they’re already leaning heavily toward exploring the imbalance between different sections of society.
Rather than retelling old stories, the show is diving into new adventures in the franchise’s world.
One of the writers, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, talked about the Vaults. They’re meant to be a safe eutopia, but only some people get to live there while others are left struggling outside. This is one of the themes the show will explore.
It’s going to be exciting to see how the team will translate elements of the game into a live-action TV show format. Will you be tuning into the show? Let us know your thoughts on it in the comments below!
