Oh my god, not again.
How is it that regular users inherently have to be mortally offended because garbage is being axed?
The site's standards will not just become more tight over time; they also loosen.
The reason to which you were at all able to acquire approval privileges comes solely from several mods having issues with standards becoming much too loose, particularly with help of a certain janitor. (It's a sticky thread and it also links to what sprouted that course) One was able to manipulate the entire site to find those misshaped monstrosities (or otherwise poorly drawn trash) worth baring teeth at the flaggers for (by some, seemingly yourself included).
It's just a bone to pick with this artist's style. The chances of legitimate covered art being flagged are much higher just because it falls under the same artist.
Flag ≠ Deletion. Cope with it. However, if 8+ approvers share the flagger's sentiment, then maybe, just maybe, the artist is rightfully put under much higher scrutiny now? I'll hint that he mostly draws the most popular tags here (which theoretically are easier to get approved) and /still/ doesn't manage to be 'saved'. Think about it.
Second, it's not vigilant to aggressively delete old pictures to the current site standard, because the site's standards vary solely based on what approvers and flaggers are active, and things will constantly fall through the cracks if and when they might become acceptable again.
And why not? Do you seriously believe that in this specific case, malformed beings are going to miraculously become acceptable, to bring such a point up?
On another note, you have what it takes to not allow 'things fall through cracks'. Feel free to use that ability. And don't be surprised to be judged upon it, much like you judge a flagger right now. But unlike a flagger, you don't need a written reason to take action.
It's not reasonable to expect people to follow with reapproving deleted images unless the artist or picture is just overtly popular or famous.
Yes it is. Everyone can be part of the hunt for unreasonable deletions and appealing stuff, with no repercussions.
I don't honestly think most of these images are acceptable
Thank god.
but I've seen at least three that I think are reasonable, and the flagging reasons on those are among the most cherrypicking (sometimes even wrong) that I've ever seen.
Then appeal/approve them. It's just another item in the modqueue in the end.