cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/gaming/t/320300

Former Bethesda character artist Jonah Lobe helped create the Deathclaw seen in Fallout 3 and later games

Archived version: https://archive.ph/E4CXM

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The Deathclaw is one of the most feared monsters in the Fallout video games. They are able to rip apart low-level or unprepared players in seconds with their long claws and powerful limbs. But did you know that a subset of Fallout players finds the Deathclaws hot? Sexy, even? It’s true—and one of the creators behind the creatures shared their thoughts on all the Deathclaw porn floating around the seedier corners of the web.

Released in 2008, Fallout 3 is not the first game in the franchise but it reintroduced the post-apocalyptic RPG series to modern gamers. And many players coming into Fallout 3 didn’t know that lurking in its wasteland were giant, lizard-like monsters that were extremely deadly and scary. These mutated creatures appeared in past Fallout titles but were redesigned to be more menacing and powerful for Fallout 3. Bethesda artists Jonah Lobe and the late Adam Adamowicz worked together to create the new Deathclaws that would go on to scare players in Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. Well, they scared most players. Some had a very different reaction to the monsters.

On August 6, an Instagram account dedicated to Fallout memes and jokes shared an image that made fun of all the Deathclaw porn that exists. The image was a screenshot of Bethesda asking for Deathclaw fan art and then comically reacting to the nasty images it received. And in the comments of this post, Lobe shared his thoughts on all the Deathclaw porn that is out there. (And yes, there’s a lot. Just know if you go looking for it, all of it is NSFW.)

“As the creator of the Deathclaw, I’ve been silently impressed/horrified at the sheer tonnage of Deathclaw porn out there…” commented Lobe.

He later retweeted a response from a cursed Fallout image account that the artist follows. The account, Draco Deathclaw, is a big fan of the creatures and shared the initial image, so they felt responsible for getting Lobe involved. The former Bethesda artist confirmed that this account had “absolutely” something to do with the response.

The Deathclaw’s creator explains why people find it sexy In an Instagram message to Kotaku, Lobe explained that he designed the Deathclaw to be “beautiful and terrifying” in a “National Geographic sort of way.”

“I gave it a hulking, long-armed physique, a toothy scowl, and lion-like eyes that regarded the player—not with hate— but as if they were food,” said Lobe.

“But some people enjoy being looked at that way—it can be, dare I say it, titillating? And if you pair that gaze with lion-like eyes and a hulking (although fit) body, well then I can see how that might, er, arouse your interest.”

Lobe also explained that Deathclaws—which he told Kotaku were his favorite monsters he’s ever created—have “soft skin” on their underbelly and a “hint of tender pink” around their noses and nostrils. He added these elements to make them seem more “realistic” but he suspects it might have also added a sense of “touchability” to monsters. And while the monster has always been a fan favorite and has even appeared in a recent Tenacious D video, he never expected people would love Deathclaws this much.

“I mean, I’m just scrolling through Google images and I’m… yeah, I guess ‘impressed’ is probably the right word,” said Lobe. “Unsettled, definitely, but I’m not going to yuck anyone’s yum.

Lobe hasn’t posted any specific pieces of Deathclaw porn on social media or YouTube, yet. But he isn’t lying. There is a “tonnage” of the stuff out on the web, along with people commenting on Reddit and elsewhere about how hot they find the large, radioactive lizards.

I don’t want to kink shame, but I’ll offer a warning: If you meet a real Deathclaw and want to fuck it, be prepared for some rough stuff. You are going to need to have an open mind and a lot of stimpacks.

“I suppose I’m grateful that at least some people out there are giving my baby some love! Still, what has been seen cannot be unseen,” admitted Lobe.