Games Workshop notes that space fascism would be bad

[MGibster]

the look of the commisars in 40K is essentially a riff off the 3rd Reich SS, at least in older material. It's not at all surprising that some clueless fanboys would turn to using replica SS uniforms for cosplay. (Similar can be said of Star Wars Imperial Army uniforms.)

One of these dudes used the name Austrian Painter (in Spanish) as his name. These weren't cosplayers and their Nazi affiliation was deliberate.

 

[MGibster]

I'm not going to post links to it, but you can find photos of what the "Austrian Painter" at the Warhammer tournament in Spain was wearing. I'm not really up on my fascist semiotics, but one of the symbols was a circle with a cross in it and some arrows/spears behind the symbol and I didn't recognize it. The other was a fanciful design that incorporated a pattern reminiscent of Swastikas but just this side of plausible deniability. I admit that I might have missed it if I had been at the tournament. I will also admit, with no pride, that it took me a few minutes longer to catch on to the name Austrian Painter than it should have. In my defense I think of him as genocidal douche canoe before I think of him as a painter though.

 

[dragoner]

They have been around a while, istr Marc Miller of GDW/Tarveller fame in an interview talked about people who love the Germans too much. In war game circles now, they are called Wehraboos, same with video games I think.

 

[ninjayeti]

The Imperium is bad? Nonsense.

Next your going to try to tell me that a sword wouldn't be an effective weapon against space tanks and robots with plasma guns.

 

[John R Davis]

Let's hope the action of the few doesn't tarnish the fun of the many.

Its not that longer Spain was a fascist state, so maybe it's not surprising attitudes may vary there on such matters

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I'm not going to post links to it, but you can find photos of what the "Austrian Painter" at the Warhammer tournament in Spain was wearing. I'm not really up on my fascist semiotics, but one of the symbols was a circle with a cross in it and some arrows/spears behind the symbol and I didn't recognize it. The other was a fanciful design that incorporated a pattern reminiscent of Swastikas but just this side of plausible deniability. I admit that I might have missed it if I had been at the tournament. I will also admit, with no pride, that it took me a few minutes longer to catch on to the name Austrian Painter than it should have. In my defense I think of him as genocidal douche canoe before I think of him as a painter though.

The other wild twist in the story is that people just refused to play against them due to the costumes... so the tournament automatically awarded them the win. Just completely inept organizing here.

Let's hope the action of the few doesn't tarnish the fun of the many.

Its not that longer Spain was a fascist state, so maybe it's not surprising attitudes may vary there on such matters

Yeah, people forget that Spain only transitioned to a democracy in 1982. Still, even the Spanish at least try to make a distinction between Spanish Fascism (still very very bad) and Nazism. Even Franco wasn't insane enough to ally with Nazi Germany in WW2.

 

[AtomicPope]

People find inspiration in anything when they can see themselves as the heroes leading the charge. In 40k, they fantasize themselves as the Space Marine or an elite Iron Legion tanker and not the lowly factory worker consuming nutrislurry in a hive spire.

 

[BrokenTwin]

In regards to the "there is no good guy faction in 40K", I remmeber reading about people being upset about the introduction of the Tau specifically because Games Workshop seemed to have introduced an objectively morally superior faction to the game. And even with the mind control, that still remains fairly true. Especially when you look at it with the view that most references to the "mind control pheremones" comes from books written from the Imperium's perspective, which is functionally in-setting propaganda.

I also remember them complaining about the Tau being the "anime weeaboo faction", back when liking Japanese cartoons was somehow more socially shameful than playing with little metal and pewter figurines. Which always baffled me, because the Eldar's mechs look a lot more eastern inspired than the Tau's BattleTech mechs.

But yeah, everybody who has interacted with the 40K fandom has met at least a one player who either REALLY missed the point of the Imperium or was wholeheartedly for it.

 

[Staffan]

They have been around a while, istr Marc Miller of GDW/Tarveller fame in an interview talked about people who love the Germans too much. In war game circles now, they are called Wehraboos, same with video games I think.

OK, "wehraboo" is an objectively awesome term for them.

 

[Yora]

It's always strange to me that so many people view dystopian fiction as aspirational.

Post-apocalyptic wastelands are a libertarian paradise.

You can do what you want, take what you want, become king of your private kingdom, and shot everyone who gets in your way without consequences.
Because you are an awesome badass, and not one of the millions of plebs who die from radiation, bombing, or starvation, or become serfs to some wannabe tyrant.
It's a dream come true.