Avatar Gallery Blog Pt.1: April Fool's Day

We love the Company of Heroes franchise not only for its dynamic strategies and tactical combined arms gameplay, but also for its humor. Ever since we heard a Grenadier exclaim, "This halftrack smells like Volksgrenadiers" or an Engineer shout, "If a mouse farts in this goddamn minefield, I want his ass blown sky high!" we've been laughing, and sometimes crying, along with the soldiers that we command. War is grim, often bringing out the worst in us. It's only natural to compensate with light-hearted wit, colorful escapades, and simply joyous whimsy.

This joy and humor is embodied in the art of Goi "Strummingbird" Y C, who has been creating original avatars for COH2.ORG users. In this three part blog series, we will take a closer look at the Avatar Gallery, offering to you the collection in its original glorious high resolution. We'll start with the special April Fool's avatars that graced every one of your forum posts a day ago. In part two, we'll show some behind the scenes sketches that were used to brainstorm the original compositions. Finally, we'll feature the "New Hotness" style, where each avatar becomes a painterly masterpiece.

Comic SAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS, pink buttons, silly photoshop filters on banner art, and this collection of rapscallions and deadbeats made COH2.ORG a happily ridiculous place to be on April 1, 2014. We now present to you, Strummingbird's collection of 10 custom April Fool's Avatars!

Once a pauper, now a gentleman, this Conscript will tax you on all global upgrades.

Engineer Jimi says, "I have only one burning desire, let me stand next to your fire!"

"Ye have been found guilty of crimes against yer Cap'n," says this sea rovin' Grenadier.

"Where we're going, we don't need roads" states this Guardsman in triumph.

Maxim Gunner Alexander V. Povetkin has his eyes on the SNF6 title.

Maschinengewehr 42 Gunner Karl-Heinz Krüger believes in brains over brawn.

Officer Strummingbird can paint his way out of a corner.

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig.
You dig." commands the Osttruppen.

Lay off of this Shocktrooper's blue suede shoes.

Gimme da loot! Gimme da loot! This rotten Sniper is bad, bad, bad.

Watch this space for two more blog posts that will take a closer look at Strummingbird's custom avatars. Just go to "My Profile->Change Avatar->Show Gallery" to pick one for yourself. And don't be shy in the comments! Any manner of absurdity is welcomed, even the dreaded smileyspam!