Does Not Illustrate: Expy

The image makes it seem more like the trope's about reusing character archetypes than having the characters being essentially based upon the older version of existing characters usually from other shows.

Seems difficult to demonstrate the trope properly, unlike its cousin Captain Ersatz.

Wait, why not have a picture of Lampy of today's April Fools joke offering advice, perhaps accompanied via Clippy, if it's not clear enough?

edited 1st Apr '14 6:31:53 AM by KarjamP

I think it's very good.

The art style is the same, so it's clearly the same creator exporting characters so we know it's not a Captain Ersatz, and it's a bit specific to just be about basic character archetypes.

I also think it's very good and illustrative. Not to say better can't be found, but I'm voting Keep Until Better Image Suggested on this one.

This picture seems to me to demonstrate Archetypal Character more than it does to Expy, which is why I started this thread in the first place.

First paragraph of Expy:

Unless we know that those characters are "unambiguously and deliberately based on [characters from] older series" just by looking at the pictures, then the picture doesn't demonstrate everything the trope's actually like (thus, technically being a form of Just A Face And A Caption if the creators deliberatly basing the second and third families on Family Guy's).

edited 1st Apr '14 9:18:21 AM by KarjamP

It's a very good image, but it doesn't illustrate expy. I agree that it is more appropriate on Archetypal Character. I think we can all agree that Stan Smith is undoubtedly not an expy of Peter Griffin.

edited 1st Apr '14 9:28:39 AM by Rethkir

I agree completely with Karjam and Rethkir. Those characters are not expies. They follow archetypes, and the shows they're from are formulaic, but the later ones are not based on the earlier ones.

The Clippy/Lampy comparison would work, since we deliberately and explicitly based Lampy on Clippy, including using Clippy's eyes and eyebrows in Lampy's design and phrasing his suggestions much the same way (but not quite exactly) as Clippy's were.

edited 1st Apr '14 9:32:55 AM by Madrugada

The interesting part is that those three shows are indeed listed under Expy.Western Animation, despite Rethkir pointing out they aren't a straight answer. (Indeed, it said, "American Dad! took the entire family archetype from Family Guy and transfered it near Washington D.C." Notice the word "archetype"? It then goes on to how they distant themselves to the Family Guy characters before incorrect Example Indentation kicks in explaining the The Cleveland Show, amongst another comparison.)

edited 1st Apr '14 9:44:12 AM by KarjamP

I think it can be moved to Archetypal Character and the example stricken from Expy.Western Animation.

I think this has more problems than an incorrect picture. Out of the first 50 examples on the anime page alone, I'd say over half are either unclear or wrong(some are wrong to the point of blatant shoehorning). I'm seriously considering opening a TRS topic on this

Edit: I do agree that the current, while very illustrative, isn't actually illustrative of this trope, and should be move to Archetypal Character

edited 22nd Apr '14 5:23:32 AM by tryrar

Woah, this has been sitting around doing nothing for some time, and we already agreed on what to do. I'd make the change, but I'm at work now.

Moved Picture on main article Expy to Trope Index Page Archetype Character.

lol

edited 22nd Apr '14 12:47:58 PM by OffensiveHandle

I've tagged both pages to reflect the changes. Locking up.