#<- books these new costumes debuted in

[ectonurites]

cassie tries to talk cissie into being a hero again attempt #596

#cissie king jones #cassie sandsmark #cissiecassie #dc comics #young justice #arrowette #wonder girl #this was also just me wanting to draw their new costumes bc both have gotten new ones within the last like year <3 #green arrow #wonder woman #<- books these new costumes debuted in #sam draws shit

[makingqueerhistory]

Queer Book Recommendations

Every once in a while I like sharing some queer book recommendations on here as I read a lot and I get requests to share some of the books I love, so here we go! 

Tell Me I'm Worthless: Three years ago, Alice spent one night in an abandoned house with her friends Ila and Hannah. Since then, things have not been going well. Alice is living a haunted existence, selling videos of herself cleaning for money, going to parties she hates, drinking herself to sleep. She hasn’t spoken to Ila since they went into the House. She hasn’t seen Hannah either.

Our Wives Under The Sea: Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home. 

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.

Silver Under Nightfall: Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy’s father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost.

Disintegrate/Dissociate: In her powerful debut collection of poetry, Arielle Twist unravels the complexities of human relationships after death and metamorphosis. In these spare yet powerful poems, she explores, with both rage and tenderness, the parameters of grief, trauma, displacement, and identity. Weaving together a past made murky by uncertainty and a present which exists in multitudes, Arielle Twist poetically navigates through what it means to be an Indigenous trans woman, discovering the possibilities of a hopeful future and a transcendent, beautiful path to regaining softness. 

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower: As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young lady—or a bawdy old man. She’ll do whatever it takes to solve the cases her family takes on. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake . . . 

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror: Horror movies hold a complicated space in the hearts of the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. Common tropes—such as the circumspect and resilient “final girl,” body possession, costumed villains, secret identities, and things that lurk in the closet—spark moments of eerie familiarity and affective connection. Still, viewers often remain tasked with reading themselves into beloved films, seeking out characters and set pieces that speak to, mirror, and parallel the unique ways queerness encounters the world. 

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture: Everything you know about sex and asexuality is (probably) wrong. The notion that everyone wants sex–and that we all have to have it–is false. It’s intertwined with our ideas about capitalism, race, gender, and queerness. And it impacts the most marginalized among us. For asexual folks, it means that ace and A-spec identity is often defined by a queerness that’s not queer enough, seen through a lens of perceived lack: lack of pleasure, connection, joy, maturity, and even humanity.

#refusing compulsory sexuality #it came from the closet #the perks of loving a wallflower #disintigrate/dissociate #silver under nightfall #you made a fool of death with your beauty #our wives under the sea #tell me im worthless #queer book recommendations #queer books #lgbt books #queer history

[zorasthoughts]

BRIDGERTON SEASON THREE TRAILER!!!!

all my thoughts below :) (also, i haven't read any of the books apart from an offer from a gentleman so i'm going in blind)

"we have been apart for far too long" - yeah we have! didn't realise how much i'd been missing the julie andrews voiceovers

kate and anthony!! - look at them being all happy and in love

eloise and cressida, interesting - i'm pretty sure el is doing this just to spite penelope, but i wonder what we'll see them talk about in these scenes

can we get a "hell yeah!" for pen being done with her family and deciding to actually do something about it? girlie is entering her main character era

colin arriving back and his family being shocked at his rizz and his new look is fun. i feel like compared to daphne, who was the eldest daughter and was the diamond of her season, and anthony who is the head of the family, and was a big catch, colin is just some guy. i like the idea of him also getting into his main character era

also, important psa for anyone who missed it: kate and anthony were holding hands!!! (it's not a massive deal in the grand scheme of things, i just love their casual intimacy and affection during a time when people were more reserved)

lmao, colin getting changed in the carriage on his way to court with the others is so chaotic

and before the scene cuts away, we can see anthony and benedict laughing, so i hope we get more fun teasing among the bridgerton brothers this season. i think compared to last season, which was quite angsty, this season will be lighter in general

a deal to help a girl find a husband because you are friendly/acquinted with her will definitely work. just look at how it went for daphne and simon!!

hehehe, penelope trying to flirt is so funny. nicola coughlan is great at comedy, just look at derry girls. i felt like i could see clare coming out in this scene

"she's not seeking a husband in YOU i hope" and "since when are you worried about penelope?" - yeah, eloise misses her friend. i'd reckon much of el's arc this season is going to be her working through her feelings from that final scene with her and pen in 2x08

penelope debuting her new look is iconic. and so pretty!!! i love that even cressida's jaw was dropping, and the way everyone was turning to look at her. someone in the comments section on youtube said it was similar when daphne shows up at the ball to get the prince's attention, and i love that pen gets to have a moment like that

what makes me sad though is that this is the ball we saw in the clip released last month where everyone was (rightly) losing their minds over kanthony (myself included) while pen was just standing in the corner having no-one pay attention to her

the violins are giving angst

also, it seems interesting that lady danbury seems to be giving pen some advice. i don't think the two have ever interacted in the show, but maybe after lady danbury sees pen's new look and that she is looking to bag a husband, she decides to take pen under her wing?

portia being happy for pen is honestly cute. my guess is in this scene that that guy had asked portia for her blessing to propose to pen and that's why portia is so excited. i'm interested to see what their relationship will be like this season, both are quite complex characters, with a complicated relationship

violet giving colin advice is nice, and i like them discussing friendship as being a key part, and maybe even the most important thing for a romantic relationship. in season one, she did tell daphne to "simply marry the person who feels like your dearest friend" so i think that a similar conversation could be the start of colin realising his feelings for penelope have crossed from the territory of platonic to romantic

the costume design this season is really good, because penelope starts off with the very bright and gaudy featherington shades, then starts dressing in greens that are either a dark emerald shades, or a softer mint colour, but that then shifts to a pale teal, and then pale blues, and lilacs, signalling her journey towards becoming a bridgerton

okay, the overhead shot around 2 minutes 8 seconds in the trailer? that's kate and anthony, right? very curious about this scene

francesca!! not said anything about her yet, but i'm curious about what she'll be getting up to this season

violet having a potential love interest makes me happy, but i hope they would commit to it. i found her storyline in the queen charlotte show to be pretty compelling, and she deserves a chance to find love again

kate and anthony dancing!! obviously we saw some of the dance in the clip that has already been released, but it looks as though we're going to see a full dance scene between them, and it's going to be everything (to me, at least)

that final part of the trailer with colin and penelope? it's so tense and emotional!! i wonder if this could be something to do with whistledown? has colin figured it out?

#bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #anthony bridgerton #kate sharma #kate bridgerton #colin bridgerton #penelope featherington #kanthony #polin

[georgiapeach30513]

Underneath the City Lights, Part 1

Summary:   When your father dies, and the Dirty Martini is ran by your brother, all hell breaks lose.  And the one person who knows the secret to the newest mafia family in town is you.  Forced to perform, and bought by August Walker.  Who knew it was going to take an old family friend to save you?  Hiding you away from the families is where the two of you start to fall....

Pairings:  Ari Levinson X Reader

Rating:  explicit

Warnings:  explicit language, nipple pumps, forced dancing, forced nudity, dry humping, teasing, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  3.2K

Series Masterlist

Ari clears his throat, standing up from his table as he looks amongst his closest and most trusted members of the family.  Smiling with a curt nod, and ready to go home for a drink.  This business could be draining at the best of times, and at the worst it was miserable, and right now was one of those times.  Acquiring businesses was his least favorite part.  He massages the bridge of his nose, waiting on the room to clear out when someone still remains.

“Sir?”

“What do you need Jonathan?” The bookkeeper and Ari’s personal assistant was loyal and efficient if not annoying most of the time.

“The Dirty Martini, it could be time to cut this loss.”

“Fine, you have my blessing to do what needs to be done,” he closes his book, ready to stand, but the other man doesn’t leave.

“It’s just that…well, Calvin and his family have a long standing with our…business,” Jonathan was getting better at not calling this a mafia, or worse, the mob.  He was learning.  

“Oh, The Dirty Martini, that burlesque club?  Calvin.  This is the Newton family’s business?” Jonathan nods his head, and Ari taps his finger on the table.  “We can’t get rid of it.”

“Sir?”

“Let me check it out.  That family has old standings with us.  Maybe they just need an update.  We’ll give them a business loan, come up with a plan on how to engage their audience,” Jonathan’s mouth starts to open, but with a hand raise from Ari it closes even quicker.  Snapping his teeth together, because you don’t argue with him.  “My family has a long standing relationship with theirs.  They have a year to improve.  Then we cut ties.  I’m going tonight, and you can join.”

“Yes, sir.  But this business…if I’m to believe their numbers should be much more profitable.  They’re also debuting a new girl.”

“Good.  I love some fresh meat.  See you in an hour.  Dress like you’re going to a cocktail party,” with Ari’s head held high, he struts out of this office.  It had been many years since he had met with the Newton’s, even though the families were quite close.  His father had always taken special interest in them, and also the business, so Ari would extend the same courtesy.

“No!” You scream, throwing a glass over towards August.  “Get away!”

“Candy,” he says your name through gritted teeth, holding up those stupid cylinders.  “Be a good girl, and let me put these on!”

“No!” This time a vase is hauled towards him and your handler Rita walks into the room, groaning more at August than yourself.  “I’m not wearing those!”

“Rita!” Rita looks at your costume, smoothing everything out.  “She needs to wear the nipple pumps for thirty minutes.  Tell her that.”

“She’s right there, sir.  Can you not tell her?”

“I’m not taking my top off!”

“You insufferable little brat!  Your fucking nipples will be pumped, because you’re body is all you have to offer this world.  You’re also being put up for private dances.  Get used to your nipples being swollen and engorged.  Just the way clients like them.  Rita,” random bits and pieces from your vanity get thrown at August, as he tries and remains calm.  “One of these days, you’ll get what you have coming to you.”

“Rita, you calm her down,” he slams three pumps into her hand, looking towards you with a sneer, “You either put on the pumps, or I’ll tie you up and pump your clit as well.  You’ll be doing more than just dancing.  Why don’t you ask Cassie or Jezabel what goes on behind the curtains.  We’ll turn you out like the rest of the girls.  You get pity because you have a voice and you’re a Newton.  Don’t think your brother won’t sell your cunt for a buck.  Get her fucking ready, Rita!  She’s the star tonight.”

He walks out, slamming the door shut when Rita looks at you regrettably.  “You really know how to piss him off.  Almost got your costume for the night dirty.  Now, help me clean up.”

“No,” you stub up, crossing your arms over your chest.  

“Help me clean up, now,” she never raises her voice, but the look she shot at you meant that you should help.  You bend down, trying to collect the larger pieces.  Grabbing a broom for the smaller glass.  “What is your reason for not wanting the pumps?”

“Why do my nipples need to be larger?”

“Oh they’re getting makeup on them, too,” you groan.  You wanted to sing.  That was all.  “Your top will come off.  They’ll look at your titties, and the ones further away can see just how perky they are because your nipples are swollen and darker.  Should you give a private show, you’ll have to put them on again.”

“This is stupid.”

“With the right person, they’re quite nice.  Makes the nipples more sensitive,” you roll your eyes, flopping yourself into a chair.  “No, up up.  Time for you to get laced up.  At least, your tits aren’t in this corset.”

“That makes it better,” you stand up, turning your back towards her as she wraps the beautiful white corset around you.  “The diamond,” it was a curse for you.  Pretending to be something special because your father built the theater.  But to August and your brother, you were just like the rest of them.  Meat.

“Spin,” you turn around towards her, your tits just hanging out, you don't care anymore.  “Lick it,” she holds up the pump to your mouth, and your snarl.

“Ew.”

“It needs lubrication.”

“Can I just do it myself?”

“Are you going to?” You lick the mechanism while she pushes it up against your nipple.  Turning the knob, and you stare horrified at your nipple being sucked up into it.  “It’s normal.  That’s the point.  Swell the nipples, so they’re nice and hard for your performance.”

“Ow!  That’s too much.  Oh my god, look at it,” you lick the other one, while Rita spins it on you.  “They’re just sticking out.  And not moving,” you flick the one a couple of times before Rita slaps at your hand.

“Find you a man that will do this, and put a tiny bullet in one or a vibrator on it,” you stare at her with your mouth opened up in a wide smile.  “Don’t be such a prude.  Your ass and tits are about to be hanging out in front of tons of people.  Having it on your clit is quite nice, too.”

“How long do they have to stay on there?”

“August said thirty minutes,” you shimmy your shoulders, watching them flap around.  “Maybe forty minutes is a better time frame.”

“No!  This is just weird, and slightly uncomfortable.”

“It’s a constant suck.  Have you never had anyone suck on your nipples?” You shake your head no, watching as she gathers the rest of your costume.  “Has…have you had sex?”

“Yeah.  No one sucked on anything though.”

“Such a pity.  Go on, step into the bottoms, so you can cover your twat up.  How come you act like this with me, but when it’s August…”

“He makes me uncomfortable, okay?  Told me the other day he could get a free performance anytime he wanted to.  I just want to sing.”

“Burlesque, sweetheart, you can’t go up there with jeans and a t-shirt.  Look at it as the art it is.  Celebrating the woman’s body.  It won’t be men just out there.  It won’t just be singles out there.  Couples come here to enjoy this.  Watch as a woman moves, her curves on full display.  Completely in touch with their sexual prowess.  Sing, but perform.  You have more to offer than your body, so prove it.”

“Can I take these off now?”

“Has it been thirty minutes?”

Ari runs his finger over the table at The Dirty Martini, taking a sip of the house drink, and looks over at Jonathan, “Cheap liquor, and not enough.  Let’s hope the entertainment is better.  Are you writing this down?”

“Yes, sir.  On the menu tonight is a new performer.  Their Diamond.  Goes by the name of Candy Jane.”

Ari leans back with a belly laugh, “What could they possibly have to offer as their Diamond?  This is her debut performance, correct?”

“Yes, the talk in the bathroom is that she's going to be put on auction for a private show.”

“Oh, they’re that confident, huh?  Where is she on the lineup?”

“She’s the first one out.  Very cliche, but she’s singing Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” Ari rolls his eyes, trying to sit back comfortably.  “The seats need updating.”

“I agree.  They have not put any of their money back into this dump.  They have to be making some form of a profit.  I doubt these girls are being paid staggering amounts.  Lights, props, costumes, and…” he stops his talking as the curtains start to draw.  Only you are holding feathers around your body.  Looking down to see your removable piece was still covering your breasts when you start a slow singing of the song.

Letting the feathers drop as Ari sits up straighter in his seat, “Is she going to take the mask off?”

“Are you interested?” Jonathan looks at his boss who was leaning so far forward.  “I’ll go put in a bid for the private show.”

“Whatever the cost,” he gulps when the flap is removed and you're left topless with your swollen and tinted nipples, a roar of the crowd has you getting more into the routine, “Remind them of who is asking, and that they owe quite a large sum to the family.  They’d be making quite a profit.”

“Yes, sir,” between the corset framing your tits perfectly, and the barely there panties, Ari was entranced.  You were not like the usual performers, you were something special entirely.  A bit nervous, and definitely new to this life.  He wanted to kick himself for being too far away from the stage, but also didn’t want to alert anyone that he was here.  He needed to see how much the club had fallen, but you were perfect.

He takes a sip of the disgusting house martini, enjoying the show.  You would definitely look better without the mask, completely naked, and in his bed.  Letting him spoil every inch of you.  

“Sir, you can go ahead to the room.”

“I will finish this first.  I want her to stay in white.”

“Oh…I’ll let them know.”

“I want her without the mask.”

“Yes, of course.  I’ll send an usher to lead you to the room after she’s finished,” Ari nods his head, watching as you shimmy your shoulders, letting your tits recoil perfectly.  You deserved much more than this club.  You deserved to be put on a pedestal, worshiped, spoiled, and in return, you would spoil him.

“I don’t want to wear those again.  They’re sensitive,” Rita tightens the pump on your nipple, as August smirks in the corner, turning back to find you a different outfit.  “I thought I said I didn’t want to give a private show.”

“Yeah, well, the cost was much too great to refuse.  You have a fan,” he hands Rita the lingerie set, making sure that there was nothing to cover your tits.  “They certainly do look pretty all big and juicy on that stage.  You were a natural.”

“Can you leave?” Rita shoos you behind a partition, handing you the lingerie instead of helping you.  

“No, I need to make sure the club’s asset makes it to the room.  He’s waiting.  Keep the mask on, until you get there.  Let him take it off,” Rita looks back at August, giving him a questioning look.  “He was entranced.  Obsessed.  We may end up getting him on the regular.  I could tell when your top came off that he would bid for you.  Been watching him the moment he walked in,” that was odd for August to follow someone around the club.  You figured he must have been a pretty important client.

“No.  I can’t see someone regularly.  They were still big.  Can I not just…take them off, and cover myself with a robe?”

“You will have them on for less time, Candy,” you hated that name, but understood why the need to be anonymous there.  “We don’t want to bruise your tits.  Not like that anyways.  He’s going to be wearing a mask as well.”

“Why?”

“You can take it off.  Why do you ask so many questions?” You don’t answer.  There wasn’t a point with August.  Calvin’s friend and business partner was one of your least favorite people.  But sending him in for these occasions was less weird than your brother coming in here.  “Go ahead and pull them off.”

“Break the seal.”

“I said to pull them off.  Give them an extra suck.  I can help if you like,” you do as Rita asked, she seemed to know more about this than August.  “Alright, let me see.”

“She’s fine.  They were still swollen from before.  They’re plenty big.  Robe on, sweetheart.  August is going to lead you to the room.”

You step from behind the partition, and August’s eyes linger on your chest for a bit too long, spinning to lead you down to the private room.  Stopping at the door when he smirks at you, “Don’t get attached Candy.  And do everything he says.  I’ll be watching,” he gives you a wink, reminding you there were cameras in the room, for ‘the girl's safety’.  But everything he said was a warning.  This man could ask you to do anything.

Gulping you walk into the room.  The man was comfortably sitting on the center of the couch, his legs spread as wide as they could go while his hand rubs up and down his thigh, “Lose the robe.  But let it fall down slowly.”

You give the silk robe a bit of a push, letting it drift down your body, pooling at your feet, “Well, come on.  Have a seat,” both his hands move over his thigh, and you try to keep eye contact, but fail.

“Wouldn’t you like a dance?”

“I would like for you to sit in my lap while we get to know each other better,” with a deep inhale, you move closer.  One step at a time. Painfully slow, “I don't need a performance for you to sit in my lap, Candy Jane.  Sit in my lap.”

Finishing up the distance, he guides you to straddle him.  Shoving you down onto his covered hard cock, “Your little song did that to me,” he removes your mask, giving you an odd look as you take his off.  Gasping up at him.

“Ari?”

“Who are you?”

“You and your dad always called me Dulce.  Said I was as sweet as candy.”

“Oh my god,” he looks down at your chest, unbelievingly at what just transpired.  When did you grow up?  When did you get these perfect tits?  When did this happen?  “Oh my god.  You’re…you’re Scott’s daughter?”

“Yeah.”

“How did you end up in a dump like this?  Surely your father wouldn’t have you doing…doing this,” he starts shoving you off him a moment, but your eyes flick to the corner.  “There’s cameras?”

“Yes.”

“Sound?” You shake your head no.  “What’s going on?”

“My dad died.  Calvin took over.  He needs the money.”

“He?  Not the business?” You nod your head, and Ari’s hands slide up your thighs, pulling you completely flush to his body.  “Start grinding,” you move your hips over him, and Ari can’t help but to moan.  He needed some relief, and while this felt wrong, it definitely was feeling so right.  Looking down at your perfect tits, he takes a deep breath.  “What do you know?  My personal assistant brought this place to my attention.”

“I can’t talk here.”

“Why?” Ari moves his thumb, and it grazes over your nipple, and you whimper, “You’re sensitive,” smirks up at you, doing it again.  “Keep moving,” he pushes himself further down onto the couch, moaning when your nipple is touched again.  “This feels…”

“Good,” you answer for him.  It was wrong that he was formerly in business with your father.  That you had known him since you both were quite young, and he was just learning the business.  But it felt good.  Ari had grown up and filled out, and still was attractive as when you had a school girl crush on him.  And even more attractive.

“Yes,” he moans out, his eyes moving all over your body and face.  “Very very good.  What else?”

“Ari, you gotta get me out if I tell you.”

“Why?”

“Promise me,” you move even faster over him.  Your mother had told you before her untimely death, men make stupid decisions during sex.  I mean, Ari wasn’t inside of you, but his cock was throbbing.  “Promise me, you’ll get me out.”

“Promise.”

“Oh!” Arching your back, you bring your tits right to his face, and he captures one with his mouth, holding it with his hand as he sucks on the swollen bud.  His tongue flicks over it, and he smiles at you over your tits.

“Keep moving,” he says as he moves to the other one.  Giving the abandoned nipple a hard pinch as you race for the two of your finishes.  Ari stares up at you like you seriously were this precious diamond.  Moving between your tits, before pinching both of them hard, and giving your breasts a shake.

“Ari!” You whine out, working your hips over him.  “A-A-A-Ari!” Stuttering out his name as his cum soaks through his jeans, and you allow yourself to let go.  Resting your head on his shoulder.  And he trembles at your heated breath on his neck.

“I can’t take you out for a while.”

“Why?”

“It’ll become too suspicious.”

“You’re a liar,” you lift up off him, and he gives you a smile.  “You lied.”

“I haven’t.  You haven’t given me any information.  I will take you from this place.  And until then, I will come to your shows, and will keep you from having to whore yourself out to disgusting men by buying out your room for the evening.”

“So, we’re staying in here all night?” He shakes his head no, looking down at your tits.  “Quit looking.  August is watching.  He makes me wear these pumps until they’re swollen and sensitive.  Now that he knows you can’t keep your eyes off my tits, he’ll make me wear them longer.”

“It’s a good look,” he smirks, cupping both your breasts in his hand, letting his thumb rub over the overstimulated peaks.  “Don’t change whatever you’re doing.  Everything has to be just like tonight.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a way for you to eventually fuck me?”

“Believe me, I won’t pay for sex.  If I wanted sex from you, I could get it.  We’re in a business agreement.  Go on, let these pretty nipples calm down.  Fuck a pillow, fuck a dildo, I really don’t care.  I paid for you for the whole night, but you might be better served getting some rest and self care.”

“What makes you think I want sex?” His hand goes to cup your barely covered mound, smiling, “I came.  And some of that is your cum.”

“You’re still throbbing, and…is that clenching of your pussy I feel?” Ari chuckles, removing his hand, lifting it up to show the strings from your arousal stretch between his fingers, “Is it me or just the fact you were getting off?  Has it been a long time?”

“No,” you stand, grabbing your robe, and start to head out.

“Have fun, Dulce,” he smiles, lifting his hand to look at it again.  It was incredible.  You were responsive.  His fingers were coated in your sticky slick.  He takes a moment to lick off your honey, moaning at the taste before he stands.  Wearing the wet spot on his pants with pride.

Giving a nod to Jonathan as the two of them head out of the club, and in the safety of his car.  “Just like you thought.  There’s more going on.  Looks like a former business partner’s daughter is giving us all the information.”

“I take it the private show went well?” Jonathan cocks up an eyebrow looking at the soaked jeans.  “Who was she?”

“An old friend.  She’ll be Calvin’s undoing.  You were right this time, buddy.  Calvin Newton and August Walker are not to be trusted.  But I also need the Diamond out safely in less than a month's time.  But, I’ll need to make regular visits to make sure she’s safe.”

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with getting your dick wet.”

“It didn’t get wet.  It stayed in the jeans.  She’s got a sloppy cunt.”

“How delightful.  Is she going to become one of your toys?” Ari smiles, starting the car.  Oh, he could definitely play with you alright.  But he wanted something more than just a warm body for the night.  Your father had been too good to his family for you to become disposable.

“She’s going to become my Diamond.  She’ll need my protection at any cost.  It’s time she realizes her value is far more than what’s in between her legs.”

“Or bouncing on her chest,” Jonathan looks over towards Ari, grinning so big.  He knew Ari had a soft spot for a good set of boobs.  “So what you’re saying is we need to get her a passport.”

“Exactly.  A month’s time, she will be out.  She will divulge exactly what is going on in that club.  I want her to have respectable clothes.  Bathing suits, dresses, jewelry.  Have it all waiting at the Italy house.”

“Sir?”

“Have it all waiting at the Italy house.  Don’t question my process.  She’s not a toy.  She is valuable.”

“Yes, sir,” and Ari meant it.  Your father was a good man.  Calvin was trash.  Anyone that made August Walker be around their sister was trash.  Anyone that offered their sister up for men to ogle at, and grope, and even shove themselves into her was disgusting.  Sex work was admirable when it was their choice.  This wasn’t.  He would get you out.  And you would have his complete protection.

Next

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season​ @marveloustaylortot​ @pono-pura-vida​ @sstan-hoe​ @softsatnin​ @missusbarnes-rogers​ @peaches1958​ @seitmai​ @smile1318​ @andydrysdalerogers​ @cjand10​ @buckysteveloki-me​ @whimsyplaty92​

#underneath the city lights #ari levinson #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson x fem!reader #ari levinson x y/n #ari levinson x you #mafia!ari levinson #mafia au #fanfiction #chris evans #ari levinson smut #ari levinson fanfiction #ari levinson fics #ari levinson fic #ari levinson fanfic #red sea diving resort #rsdr #burlesque!reader #burlesque au

[deus-ex-mona]

gws chizuutan

questionable tl of her planner under the cut that's almost as questionable as the stuff she's written on it bc o h m y g o d

✨Aizo Memo✨

He likes any and all genres of music 

He can play the guitar

Aizo seems to be into wearing plaid clothes as of late?? It suits him♡

I heard that he doesn’t like sweets, so I should be OK if I were to give him dark chocolate for Valentine’s Day?? {Important!!!}

It looks like he has a pet cat! I wonder what its name is

I saw him practising the moonwalk all by himself during our lunch break. He’s super cool✨ When will he debut his moves onstage?

Calendar

28: They’re guests on a talk show!! I’m looking forward to seeing their costumes!

31: Music ranking guests!

1: Their collab gummies go on sale today!

2: I saw Aizo secretly eating the collab gummies♡ He’s so cute!

4: Aizo often wears caps and black masks in his downtime

5: The magazine with a LIPxLIP full colour main article goes on sale today! Congrats guys♡♡

6: Personal radio

9: They’re finally allowed to make announcement vids on the monitor at XX Station again?!!

10: LIPxLIP went to the hair salon together before the release event

11: Handshake event at the release event

15: Day of the distribution of LIPxLIP cover papers

17: Last day of the collab cafe [Reservation slot: 2pm~]

19: Their next commercial starts airing today! *Remember to check the Internet version too

20: Personal radio

21-23: LIPxLIP were both absent from school to shoot pics for their photo book 😭 I’ll tough it out till Monday!!! [Good luck with work, guys]

24: They have a new collab with POKETZ. Goal: Buy 30,000 yen worth of it!!

25:  LIPxLIP will be guests on FT4’s Radio Show! Do your best, guys!

28: Pre-order sales of their goods begin

30: They appeared in a variety show’s personal clothing reveal corner!

31: {Don’t forget!} Apply for tickets to their event!!

#hi sorry i lied one more chizuutan post for the day and im done (fr this time i swear!!!!!!!) #pls correct me where necessary im not well-versed enough in the ways of the chizuutan s o b s #anyways pls get help chizuutan you're prolly scaring aizo at this point (protecc him yujiro!!!!) #chizuutan chizpost #honeyworks #m an. im in pain. i swear if i have to see another mention of aizo’s moonwalking im gonna smacc someone #i can’t believe i had to see moonwalking aizo again. for the second time this week. i hate him smmmm #chizuutan. answer me this. were you the one who asked him to moonwalk.

[cantsayidont]

July 1983 to October 1986. In 1983, DC lured Doug Moench away from Marvel and books like MASTER OF KUNG FU and MOON KNIGHT to take over BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS under the editorship of Len Wein. Their run, which lasted 40 months, was the final phase of the Bronze Age Batman continuity; although it continued for some months after the end of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, everything up to DETECTIVE COMICS #566 and BATMAN #400 is functionally part of pre-Crisis continuity, in particular most anything to do with Jason Todd becoming the second Robin. (Jason debuted during the end of Gerry Conway's run in early 1983, but it was Moench and Wein who oversaw Jason's actually becoming Robin.)

From 1981 to 1986, there was a tight continuity between BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS: a story begun in one book would continue in the other two weeks later. This was something new for Batman; there had been occasional multi-issue storylines for years, and Steve Englehart and Len Wein had introduced a certain amount of Marvel-style continuity in the late '70s, but having around 40 story pages per month allowed more room for character-focused stories, supporting characters, and subplots. When Doug Moench arrived, a central focus was on leading up to Jason Todd becoming Robin, but there were also numerous other major and minor subplots, from Alfred's attempts to connect with his adult daughter, Julia Remarque (introduced by Conway in 1981), to Gotham's messy city politics and power struggles in the underworld.

In MASTER OF KUNG FU, Moench's signature storytelling preoccupation had been "kinky weirdos hurting each other's feelings," and his initial run on the Bat-books also featured a series of messy, sometimes bloody romantic triangles, the most important of which involved Batman; the now-reformed Catwoman; Nocturna (Natalia Knight), a pretentious Goth burglar who attempted to adopt Jason Todd; and Nocturna's adoptive brother Anton, who became a cat burglar out of deranged obsession with Natalia and later tried to kill her so no one else could have her. It was all very grandiose and inevitably somewhat florid, but then expecting gritty, understated realism from a comic book about a man who fights crime dressed as a bat is itself pretty silly.

The strongest story in this run actually has little to do with that soap opera: "What Price the Prize?" in BATMAN #372, is an intelligent, grounded drama about an up-and-coming young Irish boxer maneuvering for a bout with a Black champion obviously inspired by Muhammad Ali, featuring some of Don Newton's finest Batman art; the conclusion in DETECTIVE #539 isn't quite as sharp, but is still one of Moench's best. Other highlights include a clash with Catman (BATMAN #371/DETECTIVE #538) in which Thomas Blake's determined belief in the magical power of his costume nearly gets both him and Batman killed over and over; a wistful story about the private life and hidden depths of boorish Harvey Bullock (DETECTIVE #549); a delightful one-shot (BATMAN #383) in which Batman repeatedly tries and fails to get some sleep; the debut of Black Mask (BATMAN #385–386 and DETECTIVE #553); a comedic tale of Batman and Catwoman on an actual date, in costume (BATMAN #392); and a distinctly '80s-Bondian espionage adventure reuniting Moench and artist Paul Gulacy (BATMAN #393–394).

Artistically, the run got off to a good start with Don Newton on BATMAN (inked by Alfredo Alcala) and Gene Colan on DETECTIVE (generally inked by Bob Smith). Newton's departure in 1984 hurt, leading to a period of artistic musical chairs and some really bad early Pat Broderick art, followed by Tom Mandrake taking over BATMAN. Mandrake gets a bad rap in some quarters, mostly because his style is looser (and about two steps further in the direction of Gene Colan) than many comics fans care to tolerate, but his work here is mostly fine, and certainly an improvement over Broderick's. The Annual has some very nice early Denys Cowan pencils, inked by Alcala, and BATMAN #400 is an all-star extravaganza art-wise.

Maddeningly, DC has never properly reprinted a lot of this material, which I think is badly overdue. If it's not as epochal as some more familiar periods both before and after, the median level of quality is pretty decent (and certainly no worse than the 1987–1991 period, which has now been reprinted in its entirety); its emphasis on characterization wouldn't be matched again in the Batman titles for many years. Denny O'Neil supposedly hated much of what Moench had done (Moench has said O'Neil especially loathed Nocturna, whom he flatly refused to revive in any form), but Denny is dead now, and in any case, his Batman stories include their share of stinkers as well as gems. I don't know that DC has any kind of real reprint strategy anymore, but I hope they won't wait until Doug Moench is dead to properly remaster and collect these issues. Doing them all (BATMAN #360–400 and Annual #10, DETECTIVE #527–567) in something akin to Marvel's Epic Collection format would probably take four volumes — there's around 1,800 pages of material, more if you include Moench's Superman/Batman stories from WORLD'S FINEST — but why not?

#comics #batman #detective comics #doug moench #ed hannigan #dick giordano #gene colan #klaus janson #harlan ellison #jason todd #nocturna #natalia knight #black mask #roman sionis #len wein #master of kung fu #paul gulacy #don newton #alfredo alcala #bob smith #tom mandrake #batromance #batcat

[raised-u-fr0m-perdition]

we could be more | interview | 1

A/N - Since I found no faceclaim name for Ivy, I’m making an OC called Raye McClaren. Enjoy!

FIRST DAY ON SET

“Today we’re here with the cast of Supernatural.” The reporter, Haley, announced with a smile. “We have Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean Winchester, Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and the newest addition, Raye McClaren as Ivonne Rainer. How are you guys feeling having completed season two?”

“Do you want my honest answer?” Raye asked with a smirk.

“Absolutely.”

“Like I wanna leave- just kidding.” She giggled after getting a shoulder punch from Jared. “Exhilarating, cause I went into this not knowing whether the fans would like Ivy or not because, you know, late addition, so on and so forth, but she got an amazing reaction.”

“You really worked for that role.” Jensen grinned, nudging Raye.

“Like she actually worked out.” Jared teased, patting her on the shoulder. “Tell ‘em.”

“So,” Raye chuckled, “I got on set around halfway through the filming of season one, and I’m with Diane, the costume executive, and I meet Kripke, and he takes one look at me and goes ‘well…’ Cause Ivy’s a badass, we’re meant to have a-”

“- badass figure.” Hayley and Raye finished together.

“Exactly. So I’m wonderin’ what’s goin’ on and then Kripke just comes out with ‘ok, you’re gonna give us some muscles before your season two debut.” Raye then made a comical expression, which made Jensen laugh. “He gave me six months. I said ‘No, Eric, give me four’. I was that eager to get lean. Yeah, so I buy every exercise equipment thing and new-fangled object because I need to jack up.”

“We were like- are you sure?” Jared cackled, slapping his knee. “Cause she wasn’t an avid exerciser.”

“Now she’s terrifying; she’s a full blown adrenaline junkie, benching insane amounts and doing pull ups like she’s breathing.” Jensen chuckled, hand on her knee. “But we’re proud of her.”

“She’s our adrenaline junkie.”

“I can imagine.” Haley giggled. “And apparently you weren’t actually about to audition for Supernatural, Raye. What changed your mind?”

Raye giggled, running a hand through her hair. “Well, I was actually going to audition for The Devil Wears Prada, which I realise now that I had no chance for if Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt are in it, but Jensen called me up one day and told me about his TV show Supernatural, which he was on with Jared and they were lookin’ for someone with my description to play a character called Ivonne Rainer.

“I’d known Jensen since I’d been his colleague in Dawson’s Creek in ‘03 as CJ’s eventual girlfriend and best friend Autumn and again his love interest Alyssa in Dark Angel, so I was hyped to be on another set with him. I told my agent, Carly, to book me an audition and I turned up in the wardrobe which I thought Ivy would wear. I felt so nervous, but thank the stars that before every audition I start method acting - I terrified the hell out of Carly - and I was already in the zone.”

“Think about it.” Jared smirked, gesturing and Jensen. “If he wasn’t here, she wouldn’t be.”

“Shut up.”

“It’s true and you know it.”

“I’ve got a big head about it.” Jensen winked.

“You two won’t let me live it down.” Raye shook her head with a soft smile. Jensen patted her knee, then took her hand.

“Raye and I had worked together a lot and our on screen chemistry was insane, so I had to get her on Supernatural. And after Dark Angel, of course she’s fit for Ivy, and I can’t see anyone who’d do a better job.”

“Aw, Jen.”

“You’re great at what you do. Don’t sell yourself short, y’hear?”

“Loud and clear.”

“So, guys, what was your favourite scene to film so far?” Hayley asked, smiling a bit at Jensen and Raye.

“These two have done too much talking, so I’ll start.” Jared grinned. “Uh, I’d say the play fight scene in Tall Tales. That one was particularly memorable because Jensen and I are just rolling around, Raye pushes us both off the bed- it’s just an amazing scene.” Jensen and Raye shared a knowing smirk, which caught Jared’s eye. “Uh, the look on their faces probably means they have a shared answer.”

“I think we do.” Raye smirked, and Jensen nodded.

“Wanna say it together?” He snickered.

“On three. One, two-“

“The sex scene.” They chorused, then giggled.

“It’s cause while Jen and I had kissing scenes before, we’d never had a sex scene.” Raye shrugged, looking over at Jensen. “It tested our calibre as actors in the moment.”

“Eric Kripke’s only instruction was go intense.” Jensen grinned, his hand sliding up to Raye’s mid-thigh. “And we had to stay as in sync as possible cause a lot of things could go wrong, but we managed to get through it.”

“The fans loved it too.”

“Oh, they went mad.”

“See, these two have something brewing in the fan base.” Jared smirked, nudging Raye. “The fans call ‘em Raysen.”

“But, sadly, there’s nothin’.”

“Yet.”

“Shut up.”

#jensen ackles #supernatural #jensen ackles x reader

[scarlet--wiccan]

Hello! I was wondering, what would you classify as the outfits defining the different eras of Wanda? Like her first, classic, Wada, and Dauterman outfits.

Well, I think you've kinda answered your own question. Wanda's had lots of costumes, but her most iconic ones can usually be attributed a specific artist's work on a specific book. She didn't really start changing up her look until the 90s, but I would say that her most iconic outfits, outside of the classic one, really are the Pérez dancer costume from Avengers (1998), and Kevin Wada's design from Scarlet Witch (2016). A lot of her other looks are more short lived, or just not well-remembered. The new one's made a big splash, but it's too soon to say what kind of staying power it'll have.

Some of those short-lived looks are actually my favorites, though, so I want to do a brief history of Wanda's costumes. This is only going to be from the main Earth-616 continuity, and, full disclosure, I'm cribbing most of these images from uncannyxmen.net's costume gallery.

The classic Scarlet Witch costume has had several variations over the years. She consistently wears some version of this outfit from the 60s through to the 90s, but there were often changes to the style and cut of her garments. She wore a wimple-like headpiece in her early appearances, and traded it in for the now-iconic M-shaped diadem in Avengers #36, published 1966. She also went through a few maternity versions of her costume during her pregnancy in Vision & The Scarlet Witch (1985).

Wanda's first major costume changes were actually the result of possession or mental manipulation-- when possessed by Chthon, Wanda takes on a ghastly appearance and her clothing transforms into a dark red bodysuit with a tattered cape, sans headpiece. [Avengers #186] Later, while under Immortus's influence, Wanda cuts her hair short, ditches the headpiece again, and dons a red-and-black costume with a dramatic purple cape. [Avengers West Coast #55]

Wanda began changing her look more frequently in the 90s. During the late run of Avengers West Coast through Force Works, she wore a red dress over a black one-piece, with a necklace, gloves, and boots-- no headpiece. This is the first real costume change that she made of her own volition. She also had a brief-lived costume which first appeared in The Crossing, that drew more inspiration from the magical characters in Doctor Strange.*

The Pérez design first appeared in the opening storyline of Avengers (1998). In an alternate reality conjured by Morgan le Fay, Wanda and Pietro both appear as sterotypical "gypsies." Wanda later adapted her her outfit from this world in a contemporary costume. This was intended as an earnest representation of Wanda's cultural identity, but it fell quite short of the mark. Alan Davis later designed a more conventional superhero suit combining many of the same elements, without being an ethnic costume.*

In the early 2000s, Wanda debuted a set of red body armor with that combined fantasy aesthetics with a superhero silhouette*. This what she's wearing during Disassembled, but it's not well-remembered, perhaps because of the understated color palette. Wanda returned in Children's Crusade wearing a slightly updated version of the classic costume, with a halterless one-piece and cowl-neck cloak. I think this is the version most people refer to when they draw her classic suit, so to that end, it might be the most iconic.

Wanda had another rapid succession of costume changes in the 2010s, starting with the knee-length red dress with built-in gloves she debuted in Uncanny Avengers (2013).* In the Uncanny Avengers 2015 miniseries, she and Pietro both donned new, but very short lived, futuristic costumes for a brief adventure into outer space.

Then, in late 2015, Wanda received her first solo title in two decades, and it came with full aesthetic overhaul. Kevin Wada designed a collection of looks inspired by witch-house and dark romance fashion trends. This was eventually streamlined into a cohesive superhero suit for other ongoing comics, with an ornate red bodice and jeweled diadem.

In 2022, Russell Dauterman designed Wanda's look for the second annual Hellfire Gala event, taking heavy inspiration from the silhouette of her Crossing costume and the darker, more ornate aesthetic of Wada's design. A slightly simplified version of this look became Wanda's main costume in Scarlet Witch (2023) Most notably, this design incorporates the same magical galaxy effect from her son Wiccan's costume into Wanda's skirt and hair, signifying her mastery of chaos magic. Whether or not this costume lasts, I believe that the dark, bejewelled aesthetic and galaxy effect will continue to define Wanda and Billy's looks for years to come.

*these are my personal underrated faves

#wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #robintext #scarlet witch costume

[janedances]

ok so so far in the running for possible west end queens are:

DANIELLE FIAMANYA - confirmed, leaked on a workshop announcement, most likely either aragon or parr

HANNAH LOWTHER - 99% confirmed, all the hints she’s been dropping as well as the announcement coming soon, im thinking boleyn

KAYLEIGH MCKNIGHT - she posted on her tiktok about an announcement being imminent and while this could mean anything, the timeframe of hannah’s story and hers are quite similar - im thinking seymour/super swing

JAINA BROCK PATEL - she apparently went on instagram live and accidentally leaked that she’d received an offer for six west end. considering it was her dream role as well as it being her west end debut, i wouldn’t be surprised if she accepted the offer

MADDISON FIRTH - she recently posted a story regarding a costume fitting she was attending, and the timeline of when six start costume fittings matches PERFECTLY. im thinking alternate seen as jaina is already howard, but if jaina didn’t accept the offer i can see her being howard

INEZ BUDD - recently shared on instagram live that she has a new contract coming up which starts rehearsals the day of her birthday. her birthday is 14th september, which is like perfect for when rehearsals for six west end start. im thinking parr

HONEY JOSEPH - this is one im not too confident about, but she posted a tiktok about booking her dream role. this could mean anything, but the reason im putting this on here is because of how all this news of new jobs coincide with people like hannah, who is almost definitely in six.

there have also been rumours of a white australian actress taking over the role of cleves based off of what a friend of the actress has said, ive heard the name max mckenna through another friend so

as always, list will be updated as we find out more!

#six the musical #six #six musical #six alternates #jane takes #six west end #six predictions #maddison firth #kayleigh mcknight #jaina brock patel #inez budd #danielle fianmaya #hannah lowther

[tending-the-hearth]

why "the outsiders" is one of the best shows i've ever seen

i loved every second of this show, so here's all my favorite parts!!

ALSO Trevor Wayne (u/s Ponyboy) was on for my show, and it was his Broadway debut, so that mixed with this only being their fourth official show after debuting on Broadway this past Thursday (they've been in previews for a few weeks) made for SUCH a good show atmosphere, the vibes were immaculate, and Trevor was a phenomenal Ponyboy.

Also, I got to stagedoor, and the cast was SO incredibly kind!!! I love stagedoors when the cast is just made up of the nicest group of people ever

(i'd love to discuss specific things from the show, so if you're curious, send me an ask!!)

***spoilers for the broadway show if anyone cares***

Act 1

the COSTUMES OHHH MY GOD

and the set is so cool???

the fight choreo is something i could talk about forever and ever

in general, the music has a very folk/country vibe to it, which fits SO well since it takes place in oklahoma!!

"grease got a hold" was so fun, i loved the idea that you become an official greaser after getting through your first fight with the socs

the show in general is such a good balance of quotes directly from the book and original lines!

i love that they made Dally another big brother figure to Ponyboy, because it just adds so much to the tension between Darry and Ponyboy

additionally, making Dally the leader of the gang while Darry's trying to stay away from that world... such a good change

Johnny and Pony are the best friends ever omg

Ace my beloved 😭😭 i'm usually hesitant about new characters being added but i love her so much

i was afraid they'd make her like an Anybodys copy, but she was SUCH a good fit within the group, and her relationships and interactions with them all felt so natural

btw she and Steve are siblings that is my hc they're brother and sister your honor!!!

and Two-Bit!!! Beloved!!! Daryl Tofa you are THE Two-Bit ever!!!

Two-Bit and Ace are best friends btw

"Great Expectations" had the stage completely blacked out except for spotlights on each of the outsiders gang when i tell you i was emotional

MY THEORY IS CONFIRMED OF THE CURTIS PARENTS DYING WHILE GETTING STUFF FOR DARRY'S BIRTHDAY I'M HAPPY BUT IN PAIN

Having Johnny present for the scene when Darry slaps Ponyboy is such a smart decision, especially since he's the one who grabs Ponyboy and gets them out of the house

Johnny and Pony duet 😭😭 they're platonic soulmates fr

Having the silhouettes of Soda and Darry during Johnny and Pony's duet, and Darry just sitting so defeated on the floor hurt me ngl

There were effects when Ponyboy was being drowned where it was like we were underwater as well, and everyone else was just moving silently. SO well done

the scene where Johnny stabs Bob was insane- there were blackouts, and people were moving in slow motion, and it was so perfectly overwhelming

God, the entire ending sequence was incredibly with the set pieces!! and in general, the effects were so good

also Dally is such an overprotective brother to BOTH Johnny and Pony

Act 2

The harmonies in this show. This is such a strong ensemble cast, and they're so powerful during the group numbers

"Death's at my Door" made me fucking sob????? Johnny and Pony being each other's reason to live??? Them staying alive just to make sure the other is safe???

Have I mentioned how much I love that Dally sees Pony and Johnny as his little brothers?? Because I love it so so much

Darry and Dally's arguments, and Dally making good points on why he's close with Ponyboy hurt SO much because Darry's trying his best

Ohhhh Darry is speaking to my soul he really is the parentified older sibling ever

But also "Throwing in the Towel" being similar to "Death's at my Door", with Sodapop begging Darry not to give up, because he loves him, and recognizes what he does for them??? And Ponyboy joining in at the end from the church??

Dally immediately hugging Ponyboy and Johnny when they reunite at the church 😭

"Soda's Letter" made me cry violently but that's nothing new

"Hoods turned Heroes" was actually so cute, the greasers were so excited and proud of Pony and Johnny

but the tonal shift at the end when Dally carried Johnny in all bandaged up??

a little miffed we didn't see the Curtis brothers reuniting ngl, but that's the only thing i wish they added in

THE FUCKING RUMBLE WAS SO GOOD HOLY SHIT

Darry asking Ponyboy if he can fight for him 😭😭😭 he loves his brother so much

THE CHOREO AND THE RAIN ON STAGE OH MY GOD

And Ponyboy fights until Johnny comes on stage and stands in front of him, and everything just freezes 😭

I do love how all the greasers were present for JOhnny's death, because it just solidifies how they're a family

Joshua Boone as Dally destroyed me. He perfectly showed how Johnny was Dally's entire world

and GOD them changing Dally's death to suicide by straight up stepping onto the train tracks and getting hit by a train was...

Just how empty and lost Ponyboy was after everyone died, and how desperate Soda and Darry were to get him to at least eat something, they portrayed that grief and trauma so well

"Stay Gold" 😭😭😭😭😭

Literally could not stop sobbing during that song, everyone around me was crying

There was such a perfect balance between Pony's narration and the show itself, and there were moments where he broke the fourth wall, mainly by looking at Soda and Johnny during their letters, and it just made for such an emotional impact

Darry asking to read Pony's story 😭😭 showing his support, and Pony being absolutely shocked but so happy 😭😭

also when Darry and Pony tell each other they love each other 😭😭 sobbing violently i love familial reconciliation

I was just an emotional wreck the entire finale, it was so beautiful

and the implication that instead of writing an essay, Ponyboy wrote "The Outsiders" in-universe 😭😭

#the outsiders #the outsiders broadway #broadway

[chernobog13]

Batman and Manhunter (Paul Kirk) by Walt Simonson.

This version of Manhunter has a rather confusing history. Originally, Paul Kirk was a private investigator, created by Ed Moore, who starred in his own serial in Adventure Comics (vol. 1) starting with issue #58 (January, 1941). The feature was titled Paul Kirk, Manhunter, but that was just a description of the job he did, not a nickname he used, nor was he ever called that.

The Paul Kirk, Manhunter feature ended in issue #72.

The final appearance of Paul Kirk, Manhunter, from Adventure Comics #72.

Adventure Comics #73, April 1942)* saw the debut of a new, costumed Manhunter feature by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

The new Manhunter was Rick Nelson (no, not Ozzie and Harriet's kid), a former big game hunter who decided he should put his skills to use hunting down criminals. He donned a costume and began his career as a crimefighter.

The cover of Adventure Comics #73, the new Manhunter's first appearance, and page 8 from his initial story. Obviously, no one at DC editorial knew that Manhunter had a blue face mask, which is why the colorist went out of his way to create a mask for the character.

Adventure Comics #75, wherein everyone is finally on the same page about the mask, except now his ear is blue as well.

As you can tell from these images, the new Manhunter definitely was in no way related to the previous feature with Paul Kirk.

Except by his second appearance in Adventure Comics #74 the character's name was changed from Rick Nelson to Paul Kirk. I don't know why made that decision, although many sources point the finger at DC's editorial staff. Anyhow, that led to the original Paul Kirk getting completely retconned out of DC continuity.

Simon and Kirby left the Manhunter feature after Adventure Comics #80 (November, 1942), although they were still doing the Sandman feature in that book. Manhunter's final appearance was in Adventure Comics #92 (June, 1944).

Writer/editor Archie Goodwin and artist Walt Simonson revived the Manhunter character for a series of 8-page back-up stories in Detective Comics (vol. 1) #473 (November, 1973).

The new Manhunter by Walt Simonson. The figure is from a DC house ad.

This new Manhunter was a revived and revised Paul Kirk. Kirk had given up the costumed crimefighter gig and returned to big game hunting. He was mortally wounded during a hunt, and that would have been the end of him. But an organization called the Council found him, used their super-science to heal him, and gave him a genetic enhancement that gave him advanced healing. They also cloned him enough times to create a small army, of which Kirk was leader.

Goodwin and Simonson were going to make their Manhunter a completely original character. However, they used Simon and Kirby's version of Paul Kirk so that they did not have to spend their limited comic book pages to create a back story for their hero.

Kirk eventually realized the Council was up to no good and began working to take the organization down. He gained some allies along the way, including Batman. Together they brought an end to the Council, although Kirk lost his life - for good this time - when he caused the Council's HQ to explode.

Jack Kirby tried to revive his Joe Simon's version of Manhunter in 1st Issue Special #5 (August, 1975).

The main character was Mark Shaw, not Paul Kirk, but the costumes were very similar. Jack also established an ancient organization that picked worthy individuals to act as a Manhunter to take down the criminals and gangs that the police could not - or would not - touch.

Unfortunately, Jack never got to finish that story. Instead, Steve Englehart took the concept and ran with it in a totally different direction during his brief tenure as the writer on Justice League of America.

That was not the end of the Manhunter character, of course, which has been revived several more times (including twice by surviving clones of Kirk). But that's a post for another day.

(* In March, 1942, one month before Simon and Kirby's Manhunter debuted, Quality Comics introduced their own Manhunter in Police Comics #8.

This guy was Dan Richards, a police rookie who graduated at the bottom of his academy class. A friend of his got framed, so Richards donned a rather dull costume (sometimes without pants, and the footprint chest emblem didn't last long) to fight crime. He was assisted by his faithful dog, Thor.

This Manhunter outlasted DC's version by a good stretch, until August, 1950's Police Comics #101.

Shortly thereafter, DC bought all of Quality's characters. Eventually all of them were incorporated into the DC Universe. The two different Manhunters finally met, post-Crisis On Infinite Earths, in All-Star Squadron #31.)

#Batman #Manhunter #Paul Kirk Manhunter #Rick Nelson #Dan Richards #Thor the dog #DC Comics #Quality Comics #Golden Age Comics #Ed Moore #Joe Simon #Jack Kirby #Tex Blaisdell #Alex Kotsky

[passingreviews]

Searching for Self: “Passing” Review

By Danielle Bing

Director Rebecca Hall’s debut feature length film Passing by Rebecca Hall was inspired by the 1929 novel Passing by author Nella Larsen. Hall’s career has been as an actress but in 2021 she made her directorial debut with this film. Passing follows two Black women, Irene Redfield played by Tessa Thompson and Clare Bellow played by Ruth Negga are old friends that have recently reunited. As Irene and Clare become reacquainted with each other Irene soon discovers that her childhood friend has been “passing” as a white woman. While Irene’s complexion is also light enough for to pass as well, she instead chose to live her life as a Black woman. As the film unfolds, the audience watches Irene as she questions her identity through Clare’s expression of her identity.   

Rebecca Hall’s film adaptation of Larsen’s novel came into fruition as a personal journey to understand her family’s background. During an interview with actress Uzo Aduba entitled “How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix” for the But Have You Read the Book? Youtube book club webseries–Hall explained that throughout her childhood her mother seemed to have African American features however, when she questioned her mom about it she would dismiss the question. Eventually Hall’s mother revealed to her that her maternal grandfather was an African American man who chose to pass for white and the family never spoke about it. How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book? The film, like the book, is a narrative that explores the aspects of identity and how identity forms perceptions of one’s own self and the external perceptions of other people.

What Really Made The Movie: The Details or The Acting? 

The cinematography of Passing is absolutely breathtaking! Given that this is Hall’s first feature length film one might not expect the level of intricate detail that is captured in this film. The film is beautifully shot in Black and White during the 1920s in New York. This gives the film a more authentic feeling as it is a period piece. Had the movie been shot in color it would have taken away from a sense of realness that would have come from a colorized film. When the viewer watches the film closely they can see the many tones of gray and the shadows which enhance the costuming and settings. By having the film done it Black and White it forces the viewer to watch more closely in order to really see the details in the costumes, makeup, and props. The film being shot in Black and White also makes it more difficult for the viewer to make out the skin complexions of Irene and Clare. After all they are able to pass for white women so how light does one have to be?

One of the scenes that captures this well is towards the beginning of the film when Clare introduces Irene to her white husband John. Irene is surprised that Clare has a white husband. During their short conversation John makes several derogatory statements about African Americans. Irene in a sharp and direct tone asks “So, you dislike Negroes, Mr. Bellew?” John, without hesitation and in an assertive tone responds to Irene’s question stating “No, no, no, not at all. I hate them” as John and Clare laugh (Passing, 2021, 17:10 to 17:18). Irene abruptly begins to laugh in an off-putting and hysterical manner as she masks how she truly feels and does not draw any curiosity from John that would make him pay closer attention to her risking her true racial identity. This mask of laughter while uncomfortable for Irene affirms John’s racist behavior. Irene knows that if she says something to challenge John’s blatant racism she could be caught and her and potentially Clare’s safety could be jeopardized. 

        The camera shots and angles force the viewer to focus on the acting of one or two characters at a time. Hall used a 4.3 camera lens for most of the film which concentrates on the actor and blurs out the edges of the frame. This is done best in the dance scene. 

The camera lens focuses on Irene and Hugh and blurs the space and background allowing the viewer to pay close attention to their conversation. Both Irene and Hugh are observing and commenting on the people in the room. As they are talking Hugh is commenting and questioning Clare because she has a commanding presence. Suddenly Hugh realizes that Clare is actually a Black woman who is “passing.” Along with Clare’s light complexion, her speech and dress simulate those of a middle-class white woman. Not only is Clare passing by race but also by socio-economic status as well making her seem so believable as a white woman. If you are not watching her very closely most people would not realize that she is a Black woman. Clare performs her whiteness so well that her own husband does not even notice that she is actually a Black woman.

The most intricate cinematic aspect which makes the film so compelling is  sound. From the opening seconds to the very ending of the film, sound enhances the film in multiple ways. The sounds throughout the film help to signal the viewers feelings in particular moments, especially the moments when Irene’s inner self feels seen or when she is the one observing others. The undersounds of the film help to capture what is happening in a particular scene and how a character might be feeling. 

The acting of the main characters: Clare and Irene make the narrative believable. Clare and Irene in particular, need one another in order for the film to work because of the personality differences of the characters. Irene needs Clare to self reflect on her identity and who she thinks she is as she is going through a personal identity crisis. The exceptional acting by Tessa Thompson (Irene) and Ruth Negga (Clare) shine through their respectable characters. Thompson’s ability to play a character who is so uncertain of herself and Negga’s portrayal of a woman who is so free and does not conform to the labels of society are difficult to play. Once the viewer thinks that they understand a character something happens and disrupts their beliefs and makes them begin to question their knowledge of the character once again.

The Binaries of Identity: What Does It Mean to Pass?

Humans have created labels in order to make connections and give things a meaning. Due to the history of the United States, Americans have a fixation to categorize everything and everyone. When a person steps outside of their assigned or assumed “category” it causes a concern because they are disrupting social norms. Irene demonstrates this well in the film. Before Irene reunites with Clare she was living a life where she conformed to society's expectations of a woman. Irene is a middle-class Black woman who adheres to the politics of respectability and tries not to draw attention to herself. Whereas Clare does not fit into a binary, does what is expected of a middle-class white woman, and welcomes the attention of others. By refusing to label herself she appears free to the viewer. So free that it can become uncomfortable or even frustrating when trying to understand Clare. 

Clare welcomes the gaze of other people and she enjoys it. Rebecca Hall describes Clare as someone who has an identity without boundaries. During the same interview with Uzo Aduba Hall explains  “Clare is gay when she needs to be. She’s straight when she needs to be. She behaves like a man when she needs to be. She behaves like a woman when she needs to be. She’s black. She’s white. She’s this walking duality.” (How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book?, 2021, How Passing Was Adapted From Book To Netflix | But Have You Read The Book?) She is constantly “passing”. Passing brilliantly shows the fluidity of identity rather than identity as being a fixed state. Clare’s character portrays this throughout the film as she continuously moves between race, class, sexuality, and culture. She is visible and invisible at the same time.

Symbolism is incorporated everywhere in the film. From the costumes, accessories, and makeup to each prop. Hall’s usage of symbolism and foreshadowing through props and sound helps to control the pace and the feeling in different scenes. Irene is constantly dropping and breaking things. We first see her drop a flower pot out of the front window of her home. Later on we see her at a party strongly gripping a teapot and dropping it as she stares at Clare who is receiving attention from everyone. These moments lead up to the ending of the film. 

Was She Pushed? Did She Jump? Or Was It Something Else…?

Hall, like Larsen, purposely left many aspects of the film ambiguous. Making the decision not to provide all the answers to a film is unusual. However, by doing so the viewer's interpretation allows them to create their own conclusions about the characters identities, actions, and feelings. This also allows for the viewer to project their own beliefs and then reflect on them. This is skillfully done and keeps the viewer questioning, guessing, and rethinking what the characters are thinking and feeling throughout the movie and creates a constant reexamining of one’s self. 

The ending of the film leaves the audience in suspense because what happens to Clare is left untold. The ending allows the audience the ability to choose their own ending. The lack of knowing strengthens the film because it further complicates the narrative and themes within the film. As well as invites interaction from the audience by causing them to grapple with the ending of the movie and how they come to their conclusion. This allows all assumptions to be true and the film reveals that there can be more than one truth.

#history #passing #tessa thompson #ruth negga #rebecca hall #andre holland #Identity #race #Nella Laren #film #Netflix

[thatjayjustice]

Coming soon to Seattle, Washington...

I'm so excited to be a guest at this year's Geek Girl Con on October 7-8!! This will be my first time guesting at a convention in THREE YEARS thanks to COVID. As an immunocompromised, chronically ill disabled person I have been minimizing infection risk because...I wanna live?? So first I'm gonna show y'all @geekgirlcon's fantastic COVID-19 policy, which was a major factor in my decision to be a guest this year.

I am HYPE to debut 2 new cosplays with snazzy N95 masks seamlessly built into them, do some discussion panels on costume making, game dev & content creation, and have a booth with cosplay prints, art prints, comic books, and fun accessories, but most of all it will be amazing to vibe with other nerds again, I have missed y'all so much 😭❤ We have...*checks countdown* 47 days to prepare so I'm gonna have to get it together and finish these costumes. I hope I see you in Seattle!! Get Your Geek Girl Con Tickets Here

#Geek Girl Con #GeekGirlCon2023 #cosplay

[twh-news]

Go Behind The Scenes With 'Loki: The Official Marvel Studios Collector Edition'

Discover the secrets of Loki with our exclusive preview with Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson, and pre-order the book on-sale on December 6th!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was turned upside in Loki Season 1, when Loki discovered Sylvie, The Time Variance Authority, Variants, and of course, He Who Remains. Re-live the stunning first season now streaming on Disney+, and go behind the scenes with the upcoming book Loki: The Official Marvel Studios Collector Special, from Titan Comics on sale on December 6th.

In this official guide, you’ll discover the secrets of Loki, the original Marvel Studios series, through interviews with the cast and creators, an episode guide, and behind-the-scenes material. Dive into the mysteries of the TVA and the incredible new characters who accompany the God of Mischief on his journey along the Sacred Timeline… all the way to the End of Time!

Thanks to our friends at Titan Comics, we have a preview of Loki: The Official Marvel Studios Collector Special with exclusive interviews with Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson:

“Loki has always been presented as a bit of a loner in the MCU, and by pairing him up with Mobius in this series, it’s given him a really great sparring partner," acknowledges producer Kevin Wright. "At first they have a very adversarial relationship but the great thing with Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston is that there is just an instant camaraderie there that I think just comes down to chemistry.”

Hiddleston remembers when the creators sketched out the plot of the series for him. The story would, they said, introduce a new character early on: “This really interesting character called Mobius. And he’s kind of an analyst in the TVA, and he’s a great intellect, he’s a scholar, he kind of understands Loki, and he’s able to show him parts of himself he’s never understood before. And I always wondered who was going to play that part. And here he is: Owen Wilson.”

The two actors had previously worked together before, but this, according to Hiddleston, “has been a different level of engagement.” Wilson’s turn as Mobius is his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and perhaps a somewhat surprising role for him! “When people ask, ‘What are you doing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?’ I reply, ‘No, I’m not wearing a cape. I don’t have any super-powers, other than the name Mobius, which has a certain power to it,'" Wilson says.

But Hiddleston doesn’t entirely agree. As the actor explains, “Mobius has his own super-powers, which is his kind of curious intelligence and his almost academic fascination with complexity, which exists in Loki and in the timeline. The Time Variance Authority is full of people who are quite militant. And some of them like order and organization. I think Mobius has a greater ability to contain the complexity and the ambiguity of life because people always used to say Loki can play the heavy keys and play the light keys. But Mobius can play the heavy keys and play the light keys. He knows the whole piano.”

Hiddleston clearly remembers the odd moment when he discovered his synergy with Wilson. “We were shooting out in the middle of the night in late February, in a quarry, somewhere in Georgia," he remembers. "It was really, really cold and I was wearing a costume, I was just in shirtsleeves, bare arms. And I realized that in the takes I was standing still, and I would start to shiver. And there was this massive hill that the trucks were coming down. And to keep myself warmer I decide to run up this hill between takes so I wasn’t shivering.” Suddenly, on one of these runs, Hiddleston saw Owen Wilson sneaking up on his left, also busy running, “And without saying he was going to do it, without noticing, without sort of making a comment.”

“I didn’t know where Tom was going,” remembers Wilson, “But it was like seeing someone, like a kid in your neighborhood throwing a ball against the wall and thinking, ‘That looks fun.’ I saw him running up this hill, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going too.’” According to Hidddleston, “That’s when I knew we had him. That’s when I knew he was locked in.”

#loki #loki series #tom hiddleston #interview #marvel #owen wilson #long post

[bekoobove]

FNAF Ruin fixed a problem with the (Spoiler Character)

It's safe to say that the Mimic has been a divisive character. Many have rightfully criticized it being confined primarily to the books, and while it got an awesome design and reveal in its Ruin debut, people have justifiably pointed out the casual player would have no idea what it was or its significance in general. With that said, its part in Ruin did address one complaint that was targeted at the narrative of the Mimic, rather than its presentation- it just being Afton again.

I never particularly saw this as a problem- heck, I made a whole post about what makes the Mimic different from Afton, and how it reflects the themes of modern FNAF. Still, I do understand the criticism- much of what makes the Mimic unique is more thematic. If nothing else, its aesthetic is very similar, meaning that even once you know it's not Afton, it often feels like it is. If all it's going to be is Afton 2.0, what's the point?

Well, it isn't anymore. As of Ruin, the Mimic has shed the Afton/Glitchtrap/Burntrap identity, and taken on a new one- that of Gregory.

You may be thinking, "Well, of course. It pretends to be Gregory to lure us into freeing it." However, its Gregory act goes far deeper. This is proven by the (most likely) non-canon Scooper ending. As I'm sure you know, in this ending the Mimic wears a mascot suit cobbled together from several different costumes. It's a creepy design, but a confusing one. Why did the Mimic go to the trouble of making it?

All praise goes to @lemfern on Twitter for realizing the costume isn't just an random amalgamation- it's a crude representation of Gregory.

This implies the Mimic isn't just pretending to be Gregory in order to fool us. After watching Gregory conquer every threat, defeat everything it had created under its Afton identity, it decided to incorporate him as a new one.

And this is why Ruin improves the Mimic. In future installments, whenever we encounter the Mimic, it will learn from us. If we defeat it once, it will incorporate our identity, maybe even our strategies, into its programming to use next time. Afton was stuck in the past, so willing to blindly follow his own habits he walked head-first into a trap. The Mimic, on the other hand, is always changing, evolving, becoming more- becoming us.

Thanks for reading!

#fnaf #five nights at freddy's #tales from the pizzaplex #the mimic #mimic fnaf #fnaf ruin #fnaf theory #fnaf security breach #fnaf sb #sb ruin #fnaf gregory #william afton

[maxwell-grant]

I was reading one of your posts that crosslinked to another post about someone named the Grey Claw, but the link wasn't working. What's the Grey Claw all about?

I was planning to hold off talking about him until I could finish translating his comic or wrote a story with him proper, plans I still intend to get around to but are gonna be on ice for a long while. So in the meanwhile, let's finally set the record about this guy.

Said to be the star of Brazil's first horror comic, he is unarguably the first Brazilian supervillain, and I'll make an argument that he may very well be The First Comic Book Supervillain proper, inspired by the pulp master villains but something much different than the drab Fu Manchu clones of the time, something new and costumed and strange and fantastical in ways that were years if not decades ahead of his time. Predating the first recognized American supervillains in comics, at the midpoint between Fu Manchu and Doctor Sivana, between Fantomas and The Joker, between Doctor Quartz and Lex Luthor, there is: The Grey Claw.

Murders, underground connections, secret laboratories, opium dens, a secret society of crime and a mysterious super-villain challenging all of police and society. São Paulo was still in it's quiet beginnings, but even then, it dreamed of being a grand shadowy metropolis, like the ones heard about in movies, pulps and North-American comic books.

And that dream made the success of The Grey Claw series in the 1930s. For months, paulista readers eagerly followed the perils of Inspector Frederic Higgens at the hands of The Grey Claw's semi-anarchist gang, with exotic characters such as the robot Flag and the sensual Dame in Black.

Considered by many to be the first Brazilian horror comic - due to it's plot full of monsters, mummies, grave defilings and mentions of life after death - The Grey Claw is a direct spawn from the seedy and mysterious texts of north-american pulp magazines. Soon, those masked avengers and horrific villains in non-stop action would reach the world of comics, giving birth to the superhero revolution. - The City and it's Monster, by Worney Almeida de Souza

The Grey Claw was the star of a comic published in newspaper A Gazetinha starting July 1937, just short of a full year before Superman's debut in June 1938, and it would run for a hundred installments until wrapping up it's story circa 1939. The same newspaper would eventually debut both Superman and The Phantom (second only to Superman and maybe Batman in terms of imitators worldwide among Golden Age superheroes, and I say maybe because they overlap a bit but The Phantom was definitely the go-to superhero to rip off basically everywhere outside of the States) to Brazilian audiences, running alongside The Grey Claw during his brief run. The strip is a police procedural that gradually turns into a sci-fi horror story, a pastiche of film serials and pulp novels that focuses on the titular strange, powerful masked villain running amok in a seedy metropolitan area, and a police detective's efforts to uncover who is behind said villain.

The basic skeleton of it is a fairly cut-and-dry police procedural with a square-jawed Sherlockian policeman investigating a string of calling-card murders with more suspects and victims picking up along the way. Our heroes are mostly colorless and dull archetypes, although the protagonist Higgins is amusingly dickish at several times and I'll go to bat for the female lead Kay Tornhill, she's a fairly progressive character in spite of limited screentime as the detective's partner (not romantically, she joins the investigation to protect her younger brother from the Claw). She's a skilled fencer / marksman / equestrian / swimmer who doesn't really get to show these talents in the story, but they make a point of bringing it up, and I think Kay's presentation probably did the most in convincing people for decades that this comic was penned by a woman under a male name, because, well just look at her.

But as is Pulp Supervillain Lead tradition, it is the villain who has more than enough charisma to spare to carry us through, and a lot of what makes The Grey Claw feel distinct is that he winds up remixing stock pulp/serial villain traits in novel ways, the result of him making his debut in a fairly new and developing medium and growing stranger as the issues develop as he takes center stage more and more. Everytime he shows up, he brings with him things like televised death traps (television hadn't yet been brought to Brazil), underground torch-lit lairs, rabid ape monsters in chains who used to be humans, and a gigantic automaton who walks around making turkey noises and killing everything in sight unless reigned in by The Grey Claw, who names it "FLAG" and treats him with great fondness as if he were a best friend and a sidekick and a dog all in one and bemoans that one day, he will be able to give his berserk death machine friend the power of speech.

FLAG! FLAG! It is I, FLAG! Calm yourself, FLAG!

My poor FLAG! Some day, I shall give you the usage of speech...

Here's one thing about the character upfront: The story was drawn by Renato Silva (who also did Nick Carter stories) and written by Francisco Armond, but nobody knows who Francisco Armond is. For a while, the most likely candidate was Helena Ferraz, a poet and co-editor/director of the paper who had already published under the male pseudonym Alvaro Armando (named after her two sons), but relatives of hers confirmed it wasn't her, and so currently nobody knows who wrote this. I actually still have no idea who, if anyone, currently owns the rights to The Grey Claw, because although he's had a recent reboot (by the same creator of Doutrinador and in the exact same vibe, which means it's dogshit and I will not entertain it), he's long passed the point where he should be public domain.

The comic was a great success for it's time and would achieve a level of fame none of it's contemporaries would by being reprinted internationally. In 1939, it was reprinted without permission by Mexican editor Sayrol in 1939 and made it's way to European publishers through there. Between 1944-1947 it had a very popular run in Belgian magazine "Le Moustique", and he was adapted to France under the name "La Griffre Grise", which is where I discovered the character while looking for French pulp characters. Unsurprisingly, the character was never credited as a Brazilian creation, and for 50 or so years went almost completely undiscovered by even the most hardcore researchers.

Even in Brazil, nobody knows about this guy, and it was only in 2011, 74 years after his debut, that the character's entire saga was finally collected and reprinted in trade paperback by Editora Conrad. It's not cheap and it's really hard to find and order, completely out of stock in most online stores, but I got it as a birthday gift from my sister a couple years ago. I have it on hand right now to help put this post together.

It's a fairly weird comic that's in many ways aged really poorly but also tapped into some veins superhero comics and future supervillains would take a long while to even approach. The dialogue is a couple steps clunkier than even your average Golden Age comic, almost impenetrably outdated with Portuguese linguistics (a poisoned character saying out loud "Oh no! I've just been narcotized!") and weird malapropist English terms hastily translated and inserted in, and conveying the feel of it is even beyond my own skills at translating. It's a unique time capsule of how Brazil was still adapting to rapidly developing times, recently loosening up from centuries-spanning shackles of Portuguese and Spanish colonialism and with a newfound input of foreign media in pulps and serials and theater, and adapting and developing new subcultures and ways of expression as a result.

This was one of the first times a Brazilian comic would play around this much with USAmerican tropes and archetypes (cultural imports from the USA were all extremely new and viewed as a hot new alternative to European art and culture that had otherwise been the dominant form), a São Paulo-published comic set in a seedy, Depression-choked American metropolis, a big monument of brick and poison and inequality, which is exactly what São Paulo would become. There is something oddly alien and prescient about The Grey Claw because it's rooted in a fictionalized fantasyland idea of 1930s New York, that would nevertheless predate São Paulo's trajectory into becoming the country's big American-Style Urban Center, over the decades later when it would be the USAmericans' turn to tighten those colonialist shackles back on.

The dialogue also makes it pretty funny to read as a result and especially when the villain shows up, because The Grey Claw himself is pretty goddamn funny. Not just funny: I think his characterization is actually pretty damn impressive, and it's certainly the main draw of the thing for me. There's one sequence I'm going to post the whole page to be appreciated. I can't scan it so you'll just have to take my word as is that this is the whole page.

For context: It is revealed that The Grey Claw has been on a mad quest to unlock the mysteries of life and death via a formula that can bring the dead back to life. He monologues quite intensely about having unveiled and unlocked the secrets, saying to FLAG that he was the first step in giving life and intelligence into inanimate matter ("You would be a perfect creation, if only you were able to express your feelings", he says, to the horrid gurgling automaton who murders everything in sight), but that this time, he shall perfect the breath of life.

But it is eventually revealed, when he is exposed as Dr James Stone (a "famed young chemist, one of the most well-liked men around town") after his explosive demise, that he had in fact stolen the formula's recipe from a former partner, Professor Curberry. Curberry was the ape monster he kept chained in the basement, and that he visited in order to whip while it writhed in chains, with the narrative stating The Claw was "blinded by hate" towards him. At the end, it's revealed that Curberry's corpse coming back to life as a half-man-half-ape monster was a side effect of The Grey Claw "getting the dosage wrong", and we're just gonna ignore the can of worms that ending brings to focus on when The Grew Claw actually succeded.

For his test subject, he picked the corpse of the scientist's secretary he murdered within the 2nd strip, over a week well into death, and injects her at the dawn of midnight. And I'm gonna have to transcribe it:

Mid-night at last! The "Claw" begins the grand experiment.

The ghost's hand shakes slightly as he injects the licor of life in the dead woman's arms. And this is the first time the steely nerves of that insensitive creature have ever faltered.

"Twenty four minutes and...she'll be back to life! Ah, this time the triumph will be complete!"

"Will I fail yet again? No, failure is not possible. However, the experiment realized with Curberry was definitive...how horrible it would be if the experiment failed again!"

"It would be horrible! But no! If I fail, I will not allow her to survive...Yes! I shall exterminate her! Curberry and Mac-Flagan were more than enough!"

The minutes drizzle out slowly. As the pointers walk across, the mysterious ghost feels his nervousness grow.

They dedicated an entire page's worth just to The Grey Claw stressing and worrying and having a breakdown over the prospect of his formula not working again. But he does succeed, and the secretary comes back to life devoid of any memories and in great shock. Here's how the "insensitive creature" reacts

Despite his great dominion over his own nerves, the "Claw" can barely repress his restlessness. The living dead woman stumbles around her with a look of fright.

DAME IN BLACK: "What an emptiness in my head! It's all confused, scrambled, obscured!"

THE GREY CLAW: "This time I've won completely, FLAG!"

He later tells her that, with no memories of her own, she might as well not "cling to the past" and instead join him as his "Dame in Black". But in the aftermath of this, while he's busy boasting and jeering that the world belongs to him now, FLAG immediately zeroes in and tries to maul the woman before The Claw shoos him away. And then in the next strip, he writes in his diary about how his two besties are getting along now-

The next day, certain that FLAG would no longer try assaulting the "Dame in Black", the "Claw" penetrates a discreet cabinet next to the laboratory

"My memories...they shall be worth a fortune later..."

"I have triumped! She transcended the throes of death and returned to life, thirty minutes after the injection. She showed herself a bit stunned, undecided, wowed; she spoke, she walked, she fought…yes, she fought the idiot automaton, who was startled by the new companion…But now, they are both great friends."

"I have taught her the process of turning FLAG docile as a lamb. She is of sane mind; her mind has shed, however, all impressions of the "past". My voice, however, brought her memory-"

Did I tell you guys already that, before the police blows the two up, FLAG ultimately mauls The Grey Claw to death while his last words are him desperately trying to get the robot to calm down, saying "It's me!" instead of fleeing? I'm posting like one highlight, but to post all of them would be to post basically every time this character shows up in the story.

(Art by @zanzooeditorial)

There's just such a fascinating mismatch between how the narration and everyone sees him, as this stone cold invincible death-dealer turned death-master who holds the entire country in a grip of terror, and his characterization when he's actually on-screen going about his affairs. The narrative goes through lengths to paint him as an unfeeling soulless monster that is almost patently contradicted with most of what he says and does in-text, which veers widly between pitiable and even sympathetic to, actually worse than if he was fully pragmatic chessmaster genius the police perceives him as, and it's not even really played for laughs, it's more like a side effect of this being published peacemeal over 2 years and shooting for new directions and thus contradicting itself. He's afforded this emotional range that's just really unheard of, not just in the pulp villains he's based on but in all the Golden Age supervillains that came after him, it's something that only really started catching on with Marvel and their attempts to add extra dimension to their villains.

The Grey Claw is a brutal murderer and a cutthroat terrorist who has an innocent woman shot in the heart within the second page, and he's a wisecracking goofball who delighs in showing off his advanced intellect and machinery before his police nemesis. He commands vast invisible communications networks and armies of brutal thugs, and then he writes diaries and plays pranks and poses dramatically. He is a vicious man who turned his former partner into a mutant ape and keeps him locked up and whipped while constantly berating and cursing him ("Ah Ah Ah! I wish your university colleagues could see you now!"), but he did forsake victory and spared his worst enemies from a horrible end to save the life of a woman he liked among them. He is a deeply lonely gothic dweeb who casually engages in constant banter with the monstrous unresponsive automaton, whom he asks for input and talks to and holds tight in moments of emotion or camraderie that is entirely one-sided on his end, he barely restrains it from murdering everything in sight at all times and winds up being mauled to death the second that grip is loosened. He has one friend in the whole entire world and it's the one he made himself.

He is desperately driven to prove himself and have that blasted resurrection formula he's been developing for years work, even though we learn that it was apparently stolen from someone else the whole time and he was just, what, passionately pretending to himself that it was his life's work? We never get to see his face, only a last-minute identity as a respectable young chemist and "the last suspect anyone would have", and given he was indeed able to reverse death and decay, seemingly permanently, it would have been extremely easy for the series to continue, and for The Grey Claw to come back again and again as many times as it took.

He is humorous and childish and absurd and even quite likeable, but the bodies do not stop piling near him, and the more he shows up, the weirder and bloodier things get, until what began as a bog-standard police whodunit ends with a violent struggle between a former professor turned bloodied giant ape man and a titanic lumbering murder robot deep within an underground dungeon system, where said murder robot proceeds to slaughter everything in sight including the Dr Frankenstein-gangster-pirate who created him, as the police throws dynamite at them because nothing else has worked so far in stopping them.

By all means, The Grey Claw had everything necessary and then some to make it into the biggest leagues of supervillain history, on the strength not just of his initial outing but his inspired characterization and great success and popularity by his time. Today he's remembered only among diehard afictionados and collectors, for spearheading many firsts within Brazilian comics and being one of the very, very few figures among Brazilian superheroes/supervillains to achieve any kind of fame at all. The scene and history when it comes to Brazilian superheroes, and reasons for the lack thereof, is a topic for another day.

Some fans have tried boosting the character's rep by claiming he was an influence on several marginally better-known characters such as Marvel's Blazing Skull or the nascent villain protagonist genre of comics that would pop up throughout Europe in the 50s-60s, but even I'll say that's a stretch too far. Records show The Grey Claw was popular in his time and region for sure, popular enough to be reprinted without credit across the globe and popular enough to be remembered and redrawn in present day (can't discount the strength of a good design, at least), but he was an anomaly at the end, a missing link untethered and unprotected from time.

A gothic horror alchemist who skulks around medieval dungeons, weaponizing every latest technological advancement and social anxiety to his advantage and even some that didn't really exist yet. A totem of death obsessed with life, the first comic book villain to surpass death if only for a moment, an inhuman murderous monster who turns out to be as painfully human as it gets. A skull-faced harbinger of death who foregoes the cloak and scythe to don a panama hat and fancy apparell and The Chest Logo Of His Persona and Brand. Just one year before some gringo strongman was doing that but with circus colors and a letter instead.

Pfah, fashion visionaries never get their due in time. But if conquering death was a trivial task for The Fascinora, conquering time and returning to his true self should be achievable in no time at all!

Ah Ah Ah!...

Give or take some 90 years, maybe.

(Art by @necronauta)

#replies tag #pulp heroes #pulp villains #brazilian comics #the grey claw #o garra cinzenta #brazilian characters #superhero #horror #supervillain