Church Tank: The Illuminati's Secret Weapon

This mixed media sculpture by Missouri-born artist Kris Kuski reminds me of a story idea that has floated around in the back of my head ever since I first saw the Cathedral of Notre Dame and envisioned its flying buttresses ripping themselves bio-mechanically from the ground, freeing itself and rampaging through Paris as a monstrous medieval arachno-mecha. In my story, the Mecha of Notre-Dame would fight other Great European Architecture... secret relics of the great, clandestine wars between the Illuminati. Come to think of that, I really should get around to writing that story already.

Kris Kuski Chuch Tank Type 5A [Artist's Site via Book of Joe]

[#1 posted by bach , October 8, 2008 10:42 AM]

that sounds amazing. please do write that story!

[#2 posted by dculberson , October 8, 2008 10:45 AM]

We should do a CGI movie version of your story, Brownlee. "We" being "someone who knows how to do CGI," more specifically meaning "not me."

[#3 posted by Not a Doktor , October 8, 2008 10:51 AM]

so dose St Peter's Basilica have terrifying CLAWCRUSHER power?

[#4 posted by Not a Doktor , October 8, 2008 10:52 AM]

And is the Kremlin DRILLPOWER ?

[#5 posted by Marcel , October 8, 2008 11:11 AM]

Brilliant design! But still no match for the Crimson Permanent Insurance, of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX61PUZ3xkI

(Also nice to watch in light of recent developments on the financial markets. Thank you Terry Gilliam!)

[#6 posted by technogeek , October 8, 2008 1:07 PM]

Now _that's_ what I call a Church Militant...

[#7 posted by obi1kenobi1 , October 8, 2008 2:03 PM]

I would see that movie.

[#8 posted by SC_Wolf , October 8, 2008 3:14 PM]

That tank would be at home at any Warhammer 40,000 wargaming table. Compare and contrast to this example of one of their off-the-shelf tank kits:
the Exorcist for the Sisters of Battle faction.

(Keep in mind that Games Workshop highly encourages its hobbyists to engage in kitbashing, so there are also quite a few custom-built examples out there that take this motif even further.)

[#9 posted by marvelty , October 8, 2008 3:59 PM]

Reminds me of the Cathedrals in Alistair Reynolds' "Absolution Gap" - a procession of mobile churches jockeying for position in the never ending procession ... and carrying nukes.

[#10 posted by TedJohnson , October 8, 2008 4:52 PM]

New desktop wallpaper!

[#11 posted by V , October 8, 2008 7:12 PM]

Off to try to duplicate (lamely) in Spore...

[#12 posted by heydemann3 , October 8, 2008 8:57 PM]

Alistair Reynolds has a whole novel about a cathedral which is on the move.

[#13 posted by Anonymous , October 8, 2008 9:08 PM]

Gilbert Anonymous says:

I'll bet the Islamofascists would crap themselves if they saw that coming at them.

[#14 posted by ablestmage , October 8, 2008 9:34 PM]

I smell a homebrew MegaMan spinoff being tossed around in these comments.

[#15 posted by MrDandy , October 8, 2008 11:40 PM]

@SC Wolf: My thoughts exactly!

[#16 posted by Frank_in_Virginia , October 9, 2008 4:49 AM]

Tanks for the posting.

[#17 posted by g.park , October 9, 2008 6:11 AM]

@13:
WOOOOOOOO!!!! GIT'EM!!!!

[#18 posted by Master Mahan , October 9, 2008 7:02 AM]

As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle church.

Bonus alternate comment: start praying.

[#19 posted by lilithvf1998 , October 9, 2008 7:24 AM]

I'm heartbroken that it's sold. Oh well, my SubGenius ministry will find an adequate home some day. Something with more SPIKES, maybe.

[#20 posted by flytch , October 9, 2008 7:26 AM]

well... when war is your religion of choice this just makes sense... it's a weird, weird, weird world...
wonder how much Bush's budget is for it?

[#21 posted by Lobster , October 9, 2008 7:30 AM]

That does sound like a totally awesome story.

[#22 posted by Anonymous , October 9, 2008 8:20 AM]

church:

http://www.rastko.org.yu/isk/images/michaels_church.html

[#23 posted by Anonymous , April 3, 2009 6:41 AM]

It's "Kuksi" with a "k" before the "s". Please redact.