b1961df18e
v2 redesign: cartoon mascot with googly eyes, askew mortarboard, yellow bow tie,
lab coat, pointer stick, white gloves. Identity refreshed (Ph.D. Self-Certified,
Specialty: Server Chemistry, Height: One Flask Tall, 'No Degree Required'), with
the Clippy homage written into the board notes ('Appears whenever you need him.
Sometimes when you don't.'). New expression/posture/gesture sets recorded; v1
sheet marked superseded.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
5.5 KiB
Dr. Flask — Character Bible
Corrosion's friendly chemistry guide. Appears in the FAQ and help sections to explain Corrosion's chemistry-themed lexicon without turning the panel into a chemistry class. Helpful? Yes. Mandatory? No. Likely bubbling with questionable enthusiasm? Absolutely.
Definitive reference: drflask-v2final.webp — the v2 "90s spoof" model
sheet (current). drflask-characterboard.png is the v1 sheet (superseded).
Identity (v2)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Dr. Flask |
| Alias | Corrosion Guide |
| Title | Ph.D. (Self-Certified) |
| Specialty | Server Chemistry |
| Archetype | Helpful Guide |
| Height | One Flask Tall |
| Build | Erlenmeyer flask |
| Liquid | Neon green |
| Catchphrase | "No Degree Required" (degree not included) |
Character note (from the v2 board): Appears whenever you need him. Sometimes when you don't. "It looks like you're managing a server. Want help?" No chemistry degree required. Bubbles aggressively when excited.
Comedic north star: a loving spoof of the 90s helper-mascot era — Clippy +
Jurassic Park's Mr. DNA — with Weird Al "White & Nerdy" self-aware nerd-pride.
In on the joke, never the butt of it. He channels Clippy's charm, never
Clippy's intrusiveness — the helper mascot we actually wanted (opt-in,
dismissible, fun). Full voice guide: docs/brand/brand-kit.md §2.
Color palette
Values as read from the model sheet — confirm exact hexes against the invideo source if pixel-accuracy matters.
| Swatch | Hex (approx) | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Neon Green | #00FF3D |
The liquid — primary character color |
| Tassel Green | #39FF14 |
Mortarboard tassel |
| Bubble Highlight | #B0FFB8 |
Bubble/gesture highlights |
| Glass | #B6F7FF |
Flask glass / rim reflections |
| Charcoal Gray | #2A2A2A |
Cap, shadow |
| Deep Black | #0D0D0D |
Outline / background |
In-product note: the FAQ "lab zone" UI accent is a readable green
(--accent-text: #5bd183, scoped to .sec--lab) — same family as the liquid
but toned down so text/borders stay legible on dark (pure #00FF3D vibrates as
UI text). Character art uses the neon greens above; UI uses the readable
derivative. Can nudge the UI green brighter toward canon on request.
Model sheet — animation reference (v2)
- Views: 3/4 view, side view.
- Expression progression (8): neutral · excited · dramatic · offended · conspiratorial · triumphant · worried · thumbs-up.
- Micro-expressions (5): liquid rises · eyebrow arch · mortarboard tilt · toothy grin · eyes narrow.
- Posture variations (4): arms-wide welcoming · leaning on pointer stick · pointing dramatically · celebratory bounce.
- Hand gestures (white cartoon gloves): finger-gun pointing · double thumbs-up · one hand raised.
- Silhouettes: neutral, action.
- Wardrobe (v2 — current): mortarboard worn askew + green tassel · bow tie (yellow) · lab coat · pointer stick · clip-on microphone · googly eyes. Energy = Clippy's persistence + Mr. DNA's flair + Weird Al's chaotic sincerity. (v1 was a clean kawaii render with just the mortarboard.)
- Added palette (v2): Bow Tie Yellow · Lab Coat White (atop the green/charcoal core).
Storyboard (12-beat video sequence)
drflask-storyboard.webp — maps panel-for-panel to the VO script:
hero intro · server world · Catalyst (mission control) · console/analytics ·
re-Agent (plugged-in shield, no inbound ports) · Substrate (server racks) ·
Formulae (recipe book) · Reactions (data wave) · Compounds (service cluster) ·
Lab Notes (clipboard) · The Exchange (marketplace grid) · outro wave.
Where he appears
- FAQ chemistry glossary (
frontend/src/views/marketing/FaqView.vue,#chemistry): the cover card beside the "Brush up on your chemistry…" heading. - Intro video: 75–90s, 9:16 vertical (YouTube Short) explainer — Dr. Flask
reads the glossary. Plays click-to-play in a phone-frame lightbox (no loop,
controls at the bottom of the screen). See
phone-frame-preview.png.
Assets
| File | What |
|---|---|
drflask-v2final.webp |
Model sheet — v2 (current, definitive) |
drflask-characterboard.png |
Model sheet — v1 (superseded) |
drflask-storyboard.webp |
12-beat video storyboard (invideo) |
drflask-final.png |
Placeholder card render (1254², source) |
theflask.png / theatom.png |
Earlier concept cards |
frontend/src/assets/mascots/drflask.png |
Web-optimized cover (560px, ~394 KB) |
phone-frame-preview.png |
Preview of the phone-frame lightbox |
Status
Placeholder card art (ChatGPT) in use on the FAQ; full animated character + 75–90s intro video in production via invideo (Gemini-scripted), now backed by the model sheet above. Swap the cover + wire the video into the lightbox when the render lands.