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#does anyone want to make a podcast with me. we can talk about comics and stuff.
sciderman · 3 months
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Yk not looking at usernames sure is wild. I thought the Bob and Wade you were talking about were those guys from distractible
don’t know what that is but 👍 ok
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red-man-of-mustache · 29 days
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Meet the Mun
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ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?
Mario has been a fixture in my life since my fifth birthday. Mario 64 was my first Mario game actually! There's just something about his happy-go-lucky attitude and ability to persevere that I find inspiring. Comforting even. Originally, I wasn't even eyeing tumblr but my girlfriend at the time all the way back in the prehistoric age of 2014 suggested I make a blog. I decided to pick up Mario on a whim and have stuck with him(on & off mind you) since!
ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?
Smut. Sometimes I find it to be cumbersome. I don't lead with this objection because sometimes it's over quickly but other times I'm just not into it. And angst! Angst exhausts me.
ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?
Action! I love seeing how characters react in tense situation(despite what I just said about angst). I also like a bit of fluff because c'mon, I'm sure we could all use some relief from the outside world. It's kinda scary.
ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?
I try to start off slow. What I mean is I look at what we got in canon, side content(comics,shows, etc) and reasonably merge the concepts where they can mesh. Then I draw conclusions from that! Other times when I'm doing research on certain aspects on Mario's character such as plumbing, being a physician, his italian heritage, etc I pick parts from it and mentally labor over how they apply to him. Really, it's like a little Mario calculator is in my head and I see how the info I'm gathering reacts with what I already know.
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?
Anytime I try writing with music doesn't end well. I always focus more on what I'm writing rather than the song. Podcasts work best.
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?
I'm almost always winging it out. I open up the reply/draft and just let things flow.
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?
I'd ship Mario with a tree if it could talk back.
ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?
Papa Pasta
ᴀɢᴇ?
Just turned 28!
ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?
February 7th
ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?
Lavender, red, and orange
ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?
I got deep into Tame Impala a while ago. Favorite song by far from him: Cause I'm a man. Right after that is "New Person/Same Old Mistakes". Another favorite of mine is Close In The Distance from Final Fantasy XIV
ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?
Final Destination. Wanted to see if it was as good as it was when I was a kid. Not disappointed.
ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?
Centaur World! Very cute show
ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?
On Melancholy Hill by Gorillaz
ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?
Spaghetti & Meatballs!!!
ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?
Fall. I like watching the trees shed their leaves
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?
Hmmmm, definitely have to say @thehouseofivo. Him & Julian have been with me since the very beginning. I'm having a little trouble remembering exactly how things started off between us but it's been so long! We've kept in contact outside of tumblr and things fell apart a few years ago when I was deep in my pit but we picked up right where we left off pretty much recently! He's a real nice guy and I'd do anything in my power to help him along! Give him a follow if you haven't already, you won't be disappointed! One thing I don't see too often on here is a coherent continuity. (If you know any other blogs that do this then pls pls pls tell me) Most threads he does will go into the development of Julian somehow.
tagged by NOBODY stolen from @lultimagoccia uhhhhhh I'mma tag @thehouseofivo @adara-of-the-flame @timid-plumber @atimelesslullaby @musescfmusic & anyone else who wants to steal it!
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marisatomay · 1 year
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i was listening to a podcast about the 2002 movie “catch me if you can” (great movie. highly recommend it.) and on the podcast they talked about leo dicaprio and his career and his stardom and i was hit with a critique of leo that the hosts seemed intent on overlooking: when was the last time leonardo dicaprio, one of the few people in hollywood who can greenlight anything by attaching his face to it, lent his star power to a film director who was not already Quite Established?
it turns out that the last time he worked with someone who did not already have an oscar/nomination was r.d. robb’s “don’s plum” which came out in *2001* but was filmed before titanic even, leo and tobey maguire apparently fought against the film’s release, and it made zero money.
but, while talking about leo’s career on the podcast they also talk about other movie stars (toms hanks and cruise specifically) and what they’ve done with the past 20 years versus dicaprio and, yes, leo has consistently worked with seemingly The Best and, for the most part, only makes critical hits but, when you sit down and compare the filmographies of the three, To Me it’s far more interesting that the toms have been able to maintain their star power over the last two decades while still taking risks with their directors — giving new talent, talent in another field like tv or animation, or talent that has been stuck in movie jail — a shot at the big leagues (and people can quibble all they want but, between you and me, live action theatrical films are still the undisputed Big Leagues of hollywood). and, beyond just the films that get made, there are even more stories of the toms using their influence to help first-time directors find a distributor, or fight off over-reaching studio execs, or just being unofficial and uncredited script doctors and producing consultants, for pretty much anyone who asks. those stories just don’t exist with leo. with him there are actually more stories, straight from the mouths of writer/directors, about how leo will be interested in their script but flat out refuses to work with any director who isn’t a big brand name themselves. easier to have a somewhat perfect career when you refuse to take risks.
i’m not actually trying to pit the toms (or any other star — i just talked about the toms in this post because the podcast in question used them as comps) against leo — in the IP era, it’s good that there are still people who can get non comic book movies made. but, it felt disingenuous listening to a conversation about how great a star leo is that refused to confront how safe his career has been. because, if we really get down to it, he never really does what a movie star should. he never lends his face on a poster, his name above a title, to a movie that would not have been made otherwise, to someone who isn’t already in the club. he never does a movie for scale, with the potential for box office points if it does well financially, just so something can get made. maybe leo will change his tune as he ages. i hope so. but, he’s already 48 and by his age hanks and cruise were very much into their current eras of regularly working with new talent and imparting what they learned from the greats to a new generation. there are so few people with his power, his clout, his knowledge that we need people like him to pass it on. i hope he starts passing it on.
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understandableparadox · 2 months
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Bottom of the barrel isekai review
did i say I was going to read something horrible for you? turns out it was horrible for me.
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behold a fucking pre-amble. I think the idea of loving and being loved is a concept ambiguous enough for it to be idolized by almost anyone because the ways to love are so varied and different. unconditional, unrequited, toxic, wholesome, forbidden, destined, love has more modifiers then fucking charizard and oops we gotta update that sentence because someone on book tik tok has invented a new type of love known as Squimy love. what does this mean for your children? more at 11.
regardless we yearn for a type of romance or if you are aromantic a form of intimacy in the form of the platonic. in some cases we can form such ties with people we don't see, people that Do not know that you exist.
in worse cases, sometimes the people who don't know we exist want to foster that relationship further for their own benefit. Parasocial love.
im sure you heard it from whatever drama youtuber you have decided to use to funnel useless bits of rage bait into your ears but its a tale as old as creepy guys. streamer is a little to eager to play into the fantasy of the viewers, that they love them, that they thing You, that's right, You dear viewer are special...Then they use that to groom or take advantage of a kid and they don't go to jail and someone writes a long expose piece on them and you want them to get hit by a truck but god rarely allows such lovely Closure...
anyways that defeintly has nothing to do with the work we are unraveling today, right? right???
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oh.
oh no....
god, just kill me... ok the premise is simple, the internet has been made by a reincarnated rando who has decided that anything in regards to adventuring and fighting is just not in the cards for him so he has decided to just be a streamer. The only streamer in the world...Well more of a podcaster, given his streams are soley voice. but lets not label spikes being driven into my head.
but hey, thats a intresting concept, the idea that someone has created the true information highway across a world that is fucking Eras to early for it, theres a lot of things that one can explo-
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kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me, please, im begging, im pleading, im a fucking deer on the side on the road stareing at you with blank uncomprehending eyes, my comprehension of Big Block Of Metal screaming down the road is null, dont let up on the gas and turn me into a grease smear so I may obtain something resembling an iota of peace of mind
NOT EVERY FUCKING CHARECTER NEEDS TO BE THE STRONGEST, THEY DONT NEED TO HAVE THE MILLION MANA MULTIPLIER, ITS OK TO BE SOMEWHAT WEAK, DID LUFFY POP OUT OF THE BARREL SCREAMING GUM GUM GIGA COCK AND ONE SHOTTING EVERY POOR PRIVATEER AND BUCANNEER THAT SO DARED TO GIVE HIM ANYTHING OTHER THEM WARM PRAISE AND DELIGHTIED WELCOME?! NO, BECAUSE WE ARE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THE FACT THERE ARE STAKES, THAT NOT EVERY SITUATION IS ONE IN WHICH WE ARE IN SOLE COMMAND OF! THAT GIVES IT SPICE.
anyways they wont talk about this for ten additional chapters and then again for the arc finally so i'm going to ignore it and move on.
they also go to a school that accommodates commoners and nobals, but its also the first school that actully does this, which is really intresting as its a mixing of classes and allowing "commoner" students acess to higher education and training for magic for a war with the demon king, meaning is this truly for public betterment or is this a method of ensureing nobel students arent drafted into war due to magic potential by haveing a healthy supply of seemingly more expenda- oh? your bored? you want me to jinkle something in your face? oh i messed up that sentance? You Meant to say jiggle? ok cool
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reaching the end of the comic we come to its inevitable Gimmick because one cannot be Fucked to try to make just one gimmick work. thats right, the streamer has developed a collection of accidental parasocial relationships with various well endowed women across the nation, each in astoundingly have posistions of power or in some way highly skilled.
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Each woman dispite not knowing who the streamer is, never seeing his face are thusly so infatuated by the mere sound of his voice and the kind words he mutters that they have their brain matter utterly rewired, becomeing true devouts for their favorite streamer...
Rinse and repeat for 20 plus chapters and you get Shitty Ecchi Slop delivered out to be consumed en masse because men cannot hope to penetrate the core of male lonliness without true introspection which in turn is stymied by a hunered or so other dude bros who loathe the word and offer a far easier view in which to dye the world. thus they seak idea of being coveted by someone in mangas in increaseingly more convluted power fantasies...
IS WHAT I WANT TO END THIS ON BUT IT GETS WERIDER, DISPITE BEING SLOB THE AUTHOR IS BASED ON TWO AREAS IN PARTICULER,
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HOLY SHITBALLS BATMAN, IS THAT AN ISEKAI CHARECTER THAT ISNT IMMEDITLY BUM RUSHING THE FUCKING SLAVE MAKRKET OR GIVING IT A TUT TUT?! IS THAT A HUMAN BEING WITH ACTUAL FUCKING EMPATHY?!
OH MY FUCKING GOD IN HEAVEN I DIDNT KNOW THOSE EXISTED, NOW AINT THAT THE SHINIEST FUCKING PENNY IN THE BUNCH, BUT OH PLEASE DO SAVE ROOM FOR DESERT BECAUSE IN THE SAME FUCKING CHAPTER
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THEY BRING THE ABOLTION OF SLAVERY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WORK FASTER THEN ABRAHAM LINCON AND HIS INDESCIVE BEARED ASS.
IMAGINE MY FUCKING SHOCK AND AWE, HEARING THE TERM SLAVE AND BEING AWASHED WITH THE TRUAMA OF WATCHING SO MANY BLACK HAIRED SAD EYED ANIME PRETTY BOYS EITHER DECIDEING TO BUY A SLAVE WHO ALSO JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE FUCKING POSTER CHILD FOR STOCKHOLM SYNDROM OR JUST SAYING "THAT SUCKS" AND LEAVEING IT BE, READY FOR THE INEVITABLE KNIFE IN THE HEART AND THEN BOOM, STREAMER SAYS SLAVERY IS BAD AND THEY GET RID OF IT, MAYBE I DO BELIVE IN THE POWER OF THE STREAMER.
DID YOU FILL UP ON SWEET SWEET ANTI FANTASY SLAVERY COOKIES?1 YOU GOD DAMN IDIOT, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAVED ROOM FOR "GUY WITH NORMAL OPINIONS ABOUT SEX WORK"
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I AM A CONVERT, I AM A DEVOUT, HAND TO THE HEAVENS I SHALL ESPOUSE THE VIRTUES AND DIVINITY OF THE STREAMER, WITH A WAVE OF THEIR VIRTUAL HAND SOCIETAL PROPLEM LOSE FLIGHT AND FALL TO THE EMBRACE OF THE COLD GRAVE, I JUST NEED A CHAPTER WHERE STREAMER SAYS TRANS RIGHTS AND I PROMISE I WILL NEVER EVER TALK SHIT ABOUT THIS SERIES AGAIN, PLEASE MR. STREAMER, JUST SAY TRANS RIGHTS ONE TIME, JUST ONE SINGULER TIME AND I CAN ASCEND THE RUNGS OF PEACE AND JOY.
turning down the notches this manga is funny in the fact that it pulls me back and fourth with wild abandon between utter and complete slop and genuinly funny bits and abnormally normal opinions for the genra.
"Is the underlying story, barring any other concept, good?" 
there really isnt a story, its just streamer talking and women going batshit insane.
"on a sliding scale of min to max, how much is the author using this to explore fetish" 
medium. the story has an obsession with the idea of yandere but it rarely goes into the idea of a stalker. the women are respectfull of his boundries barring one but that one is called the odd one out. aside from that, alot of scenes are just an ecuse to draw anime tits.
"How many story crutches does the author use to explore the story" 
it dosent need crutches because it has little to no intrest in telling a coherent story, it talks about what it wants and drops the rest.
 "Is the author attempting to use the story as a way to explain why he is not weird."
streamers can solve all of socitial ills as long as the women who they create parasocial relationships in are in posistions of high political power. .
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kolbisneat · 6 months
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MONTHLY MEDIA: October 2023
It's the scariest time of the year and I'm not talking about tax season. Here's how I spent the month of October!
……….FILM……….
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Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) Knowing practically nothing about Elvira's schtick, I was floored by how...utterly constant the jokes come at you. I later read a review that described Elvira's character as "Groucho Marx with boobs" and I couldn't put it any better. If this didn't end with a rap I'd give it a perfect score.
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The Nice Guys (2016) So great. It really is a shame we didn't get more with this cast cause it's all just so great. The casual violence, the comedy, the setting, it's perfect. Between this and Barbie I'm now realizing just how perfect Ryan Gosling is at playing the beautiful idiot. "I think I'm invincible. It's the only thing that makes sense," is so good. Anyway go watch it if you haven't seen it.
Detroit Rock City (1999) Does a great job of setting the tone early and commits to it through to the very end. Fun and gross and problematic...just how KISS would want it.
……….TELEVISION……….
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Poker Face (Episode 1.07 to 1.08) Love that I can watch an episode or two and just kinda enjoy the ride. More episodic mysteries, please. And with Detroit Rock City, this makes October a real Natasha Lyonne month.
Love is Blind (Episode 5.01 to 5.11) Wild to discover an entire proposal/wedding got axed from the show and I'm constantly reminded that anyone who goes on a reality tv show will inevitably disappoint you.
……….YOUTUBE……….
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Pop Science And The Limitations Of Infotainment by Coffee Break Really interesting breakdown of the dangers that go along with turning science into something more digestible and engaging. Well worth the watch. VIDEO
This is Financial Advice by Folding Ideas Yes I did watch a 2.5 hour dive into meme stocks. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. VIDEO
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yay, modern filmmaking... by CinemaStix and The Pirates Trilogy is Pure Bliss by Just Write Clearly I enjoy watching video essays about film and these two really stood out. Both channels tend to lean towards celebrating film and media but Cinemastix's...gentle deconstruction of why the faster pace of editing in modern films can be a disservice to the artform really left an impression with me. And I'm still a big fan of the original Pirates trilogy. VIDEO (Modern Filmmaking) VIDEO (Pirates)
……….READING……….
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The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Complete) I love a good beefy novel but then you read something like this: something so lean and yet so rich, and you start to wonder why authors need hundreds of pages to tell a story. A Wizard of Earthsea didn't click with me when I first read it but I really should go back to it (as well as continue the Earthsea Cycle).
Take Ivy by Shosuke Ishizu, Teruyoshi Hayashida, and Toshiyuki Kurosu (Complete) Really great style-inspiration after listening to the podcast series dedicated to it.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 11 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Damian Couceiro, and other talented illustrators and letterers (Complete) Went back to the TMNT comic after seeing Mutant Mayhem and this was such a great return to form! One of the strongest collection of stories I can remember in a while. Even the human-centric stuff (which tends to fall flat for me in this series) was interesting and just enough to work. Really great stuff.
Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10 (HC) by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, and many others (Complete) I admit I've always prefered Immonen's work to Bagley's so I'm excited to finally get into his run in this reread. The Ultimate Goblins never worked for me but this volume has a really great second arc that highlights the best of Spider-Man (blending highschool drama with superhero drama).
……….AUDIO……….
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Destroyer by Kiss (1976) You know I never really got into KISS and I have no idea why. I love theatrics, I love rock opera, I love a gimmick. This has all of that in spades. Needless to say I'm now a big fan.
……….GAMING……….
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Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Both of my groups are in Oz this month (it is Oztober, afterall). One crew is currently sorting out drama in Munchkin District and the other is still navigating the aftermath of some magically-caused domestic terrorism.
And that’s it. See you in November!
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panelshowsource · 6 months
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random thoughts dump of the week bc none of this deserves its own post
coming down from a smol john kearns kick and really enjoyed it, guy has a ridiculously sweet presence and i really like his voice. it also brings me great joy his previous career was working in museums and as a tour guide. i would like that life, i think (i worked at universal orlando for a little bit in 2013 and was always super jealous of the vip tour guides lol). he mentioned on one of his rhlstps that despite winning arguably the biggest (british) comedy awards there are, he never released a standup special or dvd, and he kinda wants to keep it that way so he has something special between him and his live audience — and that really made me sad face. like, my guy, what about those of us who can't see you bc won't leave that damn island. (also ed gamble's new tour having no nyc date felt personal...) in another episode, he talked a little about, in great part due to social media, people want comedians they can know everything about, get the whole look of; comedians who are the same people onstage as off. he's not like that and doesn't really like the idea of that. i think there's a lot to say about that subject but i'll just leave it for now...
speaking of touring ed byrne next week!!! and jimmy and alan carr coming up!! what a fun time :')
speaking of rhlstp and ed, one thing that occurred to me and i thought was quite funny upon listening to his recent episode is that both richard and ed have that self-aware side of them that admits to bitterness, professional jealousy, annoyance with critics/haters, believing they're not as successful as they deserve to be, etc. while it can come off whiney here and there, it's not too obnoxious or anything, i just found it amusing they had this (often concealed or private) quality in common. i might even put jenny eclair in that camp (others too but that's a discourse i don't really wanna start lmao)
if another youtuber, following amelia dimoldenberg (and munya? does he count?), had to go on taskmaster i would probably vote for ollie kendal off of jolly. in my mind he and alex would be genuinely good friends outside of the show
man i miss the horne section podcast so bad
honestly, i'm a little surprised david mitchell doesn't have a podcast. he loves radio, it's not too demanding of a gig, and he's got tons of interests that could make engaging premises for podcasts... i'm sure someone has floated this to him before, so i need the reason why he said no. maybe he was busy with his book. would love a history pod fr
does anyone else ever remember when david mitchell was in rick and morty and just sit back and go O_O also when he was on graham norton with hillary clinton like lmaooo i just love the idea of the booking agents for that show being like "we're having fucking hillary clinton on who can we bring for comic relief who is a household name but not problematic but intelligent but actually funny" i mean they hit the jackpot of course but it cracks me up that that's his brand
did david ever watch succession? rob def did but i need more about it from both of them
sometimes i think about when david accepted his bafta for peep show and the music that was playing while he walked to the stage was "sex on fire" by kings of leon hahahahaha like what who was djing that night fr
where did charlie brooker go
speaking of back in the day — and i do mean back, like 15+ years ago — and my main panel show obsession was buzzcocks, there were a few non-comedians who would come on panel shows who were properly fucking funny, like martin freeman and josh groban, and i'd always pray they'd eventually come on again. and i think at the time the person at the top of my list was professor green. how random is that TT he was just always up for laugh and just so likable. i also LOVED the song "just good to be green" with lily allen in like 2010 lmaooo this really ages me :)
been really enjoying some old angus deayton-hosted stuff, like old hignfy and wilty. i got into panel shows after he'd stepped out of the spotlight, but i remember being crushed when i found out about his scandal. i also remember stephen fry standing up for him and chastising paul & ian publicly after That Episode of hignfy — which absolutely blew my mind, even though stephen has always said what he thinks — and i agreed with him and am not sure even today if i fully forgave paul & ian for how they treated angus. ik he's still here and there, but i wonder if we'll ever see him in any properly notable capacity again
just watched the latest hignfy actually and jack dee pheww he's ageing very nicely let me just say it and pheww emmanuel sonubi please and thank you. also, paul's outfit was quite nice. an enjoyment of the eyes indeed
i've been making a lot of typos in my gifs lately for literally no reason other than not proofreading my rushing and it's embarrazzing i'm gonna do better
speaking of gifs i have NOTHING!!! in my drafts folder. nothing. no content. nothing is made. nothing in the queue. [sigh] sounds like tonight we be bustin it out huh. idk about other gifmakers (i actually don't follow any other panel show blogs, but this isn't necessarily a panel show blog thing, just a regular original content thing) but i don't usually make gifs throughout the week — instead, like, marathon gif like two times a week and build up 10–20 drafts to post throughout the week. if you gif every single day or to keep up with all of the new content, it starts to become a chore, which is never fun :(
speaking of which i probably won't gif outsiders too much because people don't seem to care too much about it + the webrips are just...so ugly in gif form, even at 1080p! it's a dave thing fr, taskmaster used to be the same way -_-
okay here we go into gif mode btw i got some of your requests and will def make them!!
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davidmariottecomics · 6 months
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Doing What You Love
Hi again, 
There's an old adage that says if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. It's one of those things we've all heard and pretty much any variation on it is attributed to one great intellectual or another and it was probably actually said by someone trying to sound profound or someone who was high or someone who was both! And as anyone who has ever worked in their life knows, even if you do enjoy what you're doing for work, it is work. Like, that's why as artists, we like to be paid for our labor because while we may have a drive to create, we also are expending great time and energy and care and years of built skills to actually make the things we're asked to or even just want to make. 
And, for myself and for a lot of other creators I've talked to over the entirety of my life, there is a compulsion to create. It isn't something you can easily turn off and just walk away from--even when you aren't being paid or recognized or sharing your work, you're creating it because it's important to you. 
What I want to talk about, briefly, today is feeling the burnout of having your leisure and your work be so overlapping. 
Sonic Superstars
In my free time the past week or so, I've been picking up Sonic Superstars. I've been having a lot of fun with it, except for getting that darned 5th Chaos Emerald! And it's nice to play a game and have fun with it. But as I play through, I also feel a burden at the back of my mind that this thing I am doing for my own enjoyment in my off time is also work. It's important that I know the story of Sonic Superstars. It's important that I can draw the connections from the game to the prequel comic SEGA released on socials (it's a lot of fun) to the characterization of Fang in our recently announced Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter series that'll be kicking off Sonic comics in 2024! 
Because so much of my work is tied to the creative impulse--to finding interesting storytelling angles, to finding new licenses, to using my knowledge to help my creators better tell their stories--I have a really hard time shutting it off. And while I have the often enviable position of getting to work on things like Sonic or formerly Transformers or Samurai Jack or whatever, being an existing fan of those things often does blur the lines when I continue to engage with them between my job and my interests. 
And it goes to so many other things. The movies and shows I watch, the other games I play, the podcasts I listen to, the prose I read. Sometimes, I just have a bolt of inspiration. I feel like I know how to translate it into the comics medium. Or I read another comic and have an idea off of that. And for as much as that can be lovely, it can also be really hard because you don't want your free time to feel like work time in any way. And that burns you out. 
There're different ways of dealing with it. Honestly, a big thing for me since starting to work in comics has been trashy reality TV because it can scratch my itch for something to enjoy in my relaxation time, while also not really engaging the storytelling part of my brain in the same way. It's a palette cleanser in a lot of ways, like a little piece of pickled radish. I know a lot of artists who make sure that for their warm-ups, they're drawing not just something for themselves, but that is so wholly different from whatever it is they're drawing for work. Maybe that's a stylistic change or if you're drawing a funny animal book, it's practicing your humans or vice-versa, or doing object studies or photo or model studies that're just wholly different. And I know some folks who use that time to work on their personal projects or commissions and--honestly--I think sometimes that burns them out faster too because they're switching projects, not switching from pleasure to work. 
Like so many things at this moment, I don't know that I have a good solution other than to really try to separate these things out in your life. It can be extremely hard, especially if you use the same location or technology or whatever for both work and leisure, but keeping interests that're wholly separated from your job and doing things to care for yourself away from work is so important. 
Support for Palestine 
As the horrific destruction of Gaza continues, I just want to share some resources that hopefully might make some difference. It's frustrating living in one of the 14 countries that in the U.N. voted against a truce to provide treatment and healing. It's surely frustrating living in one of the 45 countries that abstained. And it's surely frustrating living in one of the 120 countries that won and passed a resolution to try to end the violence and to know that while there is international support--that there are so many people in so many places fighting for Palestine--their governments won't listen to the will of the people who are asking to end a genocide. 
Ceasefiretoday has a lot of resources all collected in one place--protests, petitions, phonebanks, etc. Jewish Voice for Peace has a form letter you can use to email your representatives. There's an auction, Prints for Palestine, that's open through November 3rd. I'm a particular fan of Shoujo Beat, A Roll in the Hay, and Madame Piggy. Once again, game makers on itch have come together for a huge bundle, Games for Gaza. 
Just to have this all mentioned too: SAG-AFTRA's still on strike and therefore folks still aren't working. The Entertainment Community Fund is there to help. Organizations that're on the ground--or trying to be--in Gaza are often international and servicing other areas too. I know Doctors Without Borders is also providing support to Ukraine, Afganistan, and Congo right now. KOSA is still in the Senate and still a bill that has had proponents say the quiet part out loud about using it as a tool to further limit trans, queer, and marginalized voices online. And there is so much else still wrong with the world that I want to be hopeful and say working together, we can do something about. 
See you next time. 
What I enjoyed this week: Blank Check (Podcast), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon--just finished the Heart of the Creek arc, so I guess we're very close to the end), One Piece (Manga--somehow, over the last month, I've managed to catch up on all 1100 chapters), Sonic Superstars (Video game), The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon (Book), Reverse 1999 (Video Game), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video game), Wipeout (TV show),  Last Week Tonight (TV show), The Simpsons (TV show), The Traitors (TV show), One Punch Man (Manga), Crimehot (Webcomic - Adults only), Thirsty (Comic - Adults only)
New Releases this week (10/25/2023): Brynmore #4 (Editor)
Final Order Cut-Off next week (10/30/2023): Best of Godzilla, Vol. 1 TPB (Editor) Godzilla: Best of Gigan (Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam (Editor)
New Releases next week (11/1/2023): No new books from me this week.
Announcements: Final weekend! I'm still doing a member drive over on my Patreon! You can read about it in a public post there! If you join, renew, or updated to the Feature Fan ($10) tier or above, you're going to get a Mystery Comic Grab bag! And as a patron, you're going to have a bit more choice on what all it is! This deal ends 10/31, so get on it now! 
I'll be a guest tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. PST at Sonic Revolution's online convention! I believe our panel will be streamed on Twitch, but the majority of the con is on Discord! I'll be there with a big section of the IDW Sonic team! 
Wanna support me? Buy physical copies of my comics at the webshop. If you want digital comics, or to just support me, there's Kofi. You can get some cool stuff from Ebay. You can support Becca from their shop, Patreon, or watching them stream on Twitch. 
Also, plugging because I like good comics and if you read this blog, you probably do too. The ShortBox Comics Fair is almost over for the year, and there's a ton of good stuff available there. 
Pic of the Week: Nadja was giving Tiansheng a bath and it was very cute. But upon realizing she had been photographed being nice, Nadja almost immediately stopped and Tian was so sad, he was chirping in distress. That lasted like 20 seconds and then he forgot what he was doing and they both just sort of started licking themselves. Cats are dumb. 
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semifinel · 1 year
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March - 2023
Games
Spiritfarer- I played the phone Netflix version over quite a long time but we recently canceled Netflix so I felt compelled to try finishing it. I didn’t but I got close. It is a very charming game and most of my complains would be nitpicky so I’ll just skip them.
Deep rock galactic- started playing it again with my brother and his friends, it is a good game, it has a nice gameplay loop, distinct style, and the world generation ain’t bad. Tried playing it alone when they were busy and I think that’s mind numbing.
Little nightmares- honestly disappointing. It wasn’t bad I just wish it was better. I really feel like it’s style over substance but at the same time tried to make you think there is substance. Every time I got stuck it wasn’t the fun kind of figuring out a puzzle stuck but more of a I have no idea what I’m doing wrong stuck. Still nice, heard it gets better in the sequels.
Minit- wonderful game, loved it. I just know speedruns of this game would look wild and I need to check them out.
The darkness 2- I had this game in my steam library for some reason, probably got it for free at some point. The only reason I gave it a go is because that was the topic of the something rotten podcast this month and I wanted to play along. Must be lucky that I choose the only game this far that seemed actually fun. The game has a lot of style and I’m surprised there aren’t any modem games that take inspiration from it. It does end in a note that clearly says that they thought there would be a sequel, which didn’t happen. Do I wish it was written better? Maybe. Do I wish the characters from the co op campaign weren’t racist stereotypes? Yes.
Rain world- last month I said I might get it some point and I did, the world wants me dead and I fucking love slugcats so much. Wonderful game wish I died a bit less.
Sludge life- I was bored when I down loaded this, it has loads of style which I appreciate, played till I’ve gotten an ending then played a bit more and got bored. Nice game to mess around it for a few hours.
It takes two- I started playing this with a friend. The thing about this game that it’s beautiful, the mechanic are wonderful and it feels great to play, there is a lot of talent that went into this game. But man I wish the story didn’t exist. A story about divorce has potential but this ain’t it. I hate the racist book and his bright pink eyebrows, I hate both main characters they are just genuinely bad people and I wish they would stop talking. The separate parts of the game are wonderful it’s just what sticks them together that is unbearable.
Shows
The last of us- it was done and I love it and I am patiently awaiting next season. Nothing to say that hasn’t been said before me.
Ted lasso- hell yeah it’s finally back I missed him so much.
Comics
My lesbian experience with loneliness- this effected me so hard in a way I can’t explain nor will I ever share with anyone online.
Fence- Started it on a whim, love it so much that I got upset learning it is an ongoing series and not a complete one. Ahhhhh.
Check, please!- I know it’s popular and I kinda started and abandoned it years ago, after reading fence I wanted more queer sports comics and it came to mind, it is cute, maybe too cute for my taste but I can see why it has such a name.
Books
חופש מוחלט (A liberdade total) -Pablo Katchadjian
I’ve read this in Hebrew and cannot find it in English, I thought it was entertaining and weird and absurd and I really like the absurd.
I feel like I must have forgotten something in this list but alas.
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I posted 811 times in 2022
That's 653 more posts than 2021!
126 posts created (16%)
685 posts reblogged (84%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@kohak-u
@shortgremlinman
@ducksmith1546
@inthetags
@professionalchaoticdumbass
I tagged 210 of my posts in 2022
#dw spoilers - 85 posts
#doctor who - 28 posts
#heartstopper - 14 posts
#heartstopper tv - 11 posts
#thasmin - 10 posts
#charlie spring - 9 posts
#nick nelson - 9 posts
#the magnus archives - 8 posts
#alice oseman - 6 posts
#the power of the doctor - 6 posts
Longest Tag: 125 characters
#like bro. what if i don’t shave my legs and i have a big nose and my lips are small and my ears are red and my thighs are big
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
do you guys know how madly blindingly angry I am that there is not going to be another julie and the phantoms series. them fuckers at netflix cancelling all the good fucking shows. no more fucking jatp and babysitters club is ended as well. i’m literally crying about these kids shows. we never got to see alex x willie become real. it ended on a cliffhanger. i’m so tired. it was so good as well.
EDIT: at least we have heartstopper. thank fuck. I feel like we deserve it after this. but equally like. this is tumblr. the demons on this hellsite deserve none of alice’s blessings. thank you Alice Oseman for making my live liveable btw :))
68 notes - Posted April 10, 2022
#4
I WANTED A FUCKING GOODBYE KISS
JUST A TEAR SOAKED “hey. one last thing” KISS
ITS NOT THATFUXKINFHARD
MY CRYINF HAS MORPHED INTO ACTUAL RAGE
71 notes - Posted October 23, 2022
#3
hi does anyone have queer book recommendations that are less… concrete. about who they’re representing.
I’m a queer person. I know this. I think i’m non binary but I don’t know. I might be a girl I might be a guy i don’t know. I’m with a guy, but I think I also like girls. I think ? I think i’m asexual but I could be wrong you never know.
I want a book that gets that. i’m not questioning. I just don’t particularly care. I think that the only characters I get who are like this in any way, are very bi coded. the ace spec vibes is the things that I never find. I don’t mean someone discovers that they are asexual, but someone that knows about the asexual labels, and partly relates to them and is okay with that. I really just don’t relate to that certainty, or that sort of. tortured confusion. I am not tortured. I simply vibe baby.
72 notes - Posted November 30, 2022
#2
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS’ FAVOURITE PODCAST EPISODES. all the podcasts. EVERY AUDIO DRAMA. COME TELL ME WHAT PODCASTS YOU LISTEN TO AND WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE EPISODE(S) IS (ARE) AND WHY.
in person not many people listen to me about my podcast obsessions. I know how that feels. come rant to me about this. I would love to hear it. give me a whole fucking essay about all of your audio drama thoughts. thank you.
95 notes - Posted May 24, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
I don’t think we have a release date yet but can we all agree to make the heartstopper tv show ridiculously popular? like watch it twice over in the first week of it being out- hype about it here, and on twitter, and just make it huge!! make people who haven’t even read the comic watch it because of the hype! I think we can do that if we try. any season two will be possible and sooner if we do. and also like, talk about it to real people in our lives like lame boring fuckers you know-
113 notes - Posted January 9, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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cassava-49 · 3 years
Text
Let's Play Cupid
It was the 14th of February and Claude couldn't be happier. Today's the day of his final test as a Cupid. As a Cupid, one must know how to pair someone with a person who will make them happy for the rest of their lives, but get it wrong, let's just say that lawyers are going through a lot of checks.
In his school they were taught how pair and match people to each other. They also learned different kinds of love that could be used for the pair. They were taught how to see the signs of a mutual and capable attraction, and how to deal with the aftermath of unrequited love.
For their last test in their school in order to graduate, he must be able to pair 20 people. Given that Valentine's day is the loveliest and loneliest holiday that would be a perfect day for matchmaking. Each of their success will be recorded by a superior who will be watching them as they performed their exam. If they succeed they get to go to the human world in their assigned areas to matchmake humans in either their Cupid form or they may disguise themselves as humans to help them find their love. Given that students were not allowed to be in the human world in either form without the supervision of the superiors.
"You're Claude, right?" a fellow Cupid asked. Claude turned to find a tall man with brownish orange hair whose wingspan was twice his and had a warm brown colour. He nodded excitedly as his feathers spread out to show his excitement. "Yes sir," he replied in a high pitched tone. "I'm Sparrow, I'll be your supervisor today," the man introduced himself as he held out his hand to shake the junior's hand.
Claude took it excitedly and shook it with both hands. Sparrow grinned at the young man's excitement as he let go. "Alright, your assigned in Paris, correct?" he asked in assurance. "Yes sir, the city of love itself. I'm ready and excited for today," Claude answered. "Let's get going then, you're not the only Cupid whose been assigned to Paris," Sparrow reminded as he turned heel towards the portal. Claude hopped towards his senior and followed him to the human realm.
...
"Now students I want you to finish up to the tenth chapter of 'The Three Musketeers' by next week so that we could continue our discussion," Ms. Bustier said as she dismissed her class. The students hurriedly got out of their seats to enjoy the rest of the day.
Marinette fumbled with the letter in her hands as she looked at the boy in front of her. Noticing her actions, Alya have her a light nudge as she pointed to the boy in front of them. Marinette turned to her friend with pleading eyes trying to tell her that she can't do it yet. Alya gave out a sigh of frustration by the girl's reluctantness.
"I could give it to him for you," Alya offered. "I know this is not going to help you talk to him on your own but it's getting tiring now. Do you or do you not want him to know how you feel?" she asked her friend once Adrien left the room. Looking down at her feet she sighed and replied, "I want to, but if you do this for me how will I gave him when he gives me his answer?" Alya placed an arm over the girl's shoulder and have her a tight squeeze. She smiled at the bluenette and said, "Alright, you've got this."
A snort broke them from their moment. They turned and sneered at Felix who was giving them a heathen look. "I bet she's not going to do it," he stated as a foxy grin formed on his face. Alya scowled at the boy and crossed her arms over her chest. "I bet you wrong. You know why? Because today is the day, I can feel it. There's no better day to confess your love than on Valentine's day," she defended her friend. "Really now?" he quipped as he raised an eyebrow at the two.
"How about this, if I get to confess to Adrien today you're going to be my pack horse this weekend when I go shopping. If I don't," Marinette began. "You're going to go on a blind date with a friend of mine," Felix said as a sly smirk formed. Marinette's eyes widen as they turned into a scowl and smacked him on his head. "No way, I'm not that desperate," she exclaimed to him while he laughed at her actions.
"You know, he does have a point. But if she doesn't take the blind date I'll have it," Alya commented. "Alya! I thought you didn't want to date anyone," Marinette said in betrayal. Felix grinned and nodded and said, "I guess you could fill in for her anyway."
"That's unfair, I'm the one whose the bet about," Marinette pointed out. "Well then, are you going to take the blind date offer, then?" Felix challenged. Marinette looked at him, contemplating whether it's a good bet. "Fine, I'll do it," she finally said as she flailed her arms agreeing to their stupid bet.
He crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders while Alya placed her fingers on her forehead and shook her head in disagreement. "Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's go and see if you can really do it," Alya said as she placed her hands behind the two's back and guided them out. "Wait, wait, why is he coming too?" Marinette asked in confusion. "Well I have to see the bet go through so don't mind me," he says as they exited the room.
...
"So newbie, where are we going?" Sparrow asked as they flew over the city. Claude looked around and began to think. "Why not a high school? There's a lot of teens who are looking for love and could actually help them find the sweet young love they're looking for," he responded. Sparrow pondered and made a note on his notebook. Claude looked at him worriedly and asked, "Was I right?" Sparrow closed the notebook and replied, "That's for me to know and for you to find out, later."
Claude nodded and spotted a school with an open courtyard and landed on the roof and began to scan the perimeter. Cupids have a special ability to detect attraction and capability of humans to another. For Claude, he can see it via scents and colour, a rather rare process that makes it difficult for him to interpret.
"Alright, let's get over the point system," Sparrow spoke as he landed next to him. "If you get soulmates you get 10 points, possible lovers 9 points, young love 8 points, admiration developed through time 7, love at first sight 6, first love 5, sweet 16 lovers 4 points, retrying past relationships 3, friends with benefits 2 points, and finally casual sex 1 point, but the wild card may land you any point," he went over. Claude nodded and took in a deep breath and began to focus.
"Oh right," Sparrow interrupted. "I can deduct points as well, if you matched the wrong pairs, if you use the wrong formula I have to deduct 8 points. If you match those who are not compatible 9 points will be removed. And if you mess up a currently working relationship or possible relationship I'll be taking 10 points," he finished.
"Why are the deducting points higher?" Claude asked. Sparrow shrugged and said, "I don't really know, maybe to fail you guys faster," he joked.
Claude turned his attention back to the courtyard and began to focus on the students and took in the plenty scents and colours around him. He noticed two friends walking with each other. The blonde had two colours around her, one was white, but was slightly faded, either because of the distance or the age. The other colour was pink and it was wrapped around her friend who had the same colour.
He knew this would be a big problem if the soulmate appears but with the faded the colour made it was slightly impossible. Taking two arrows he fired at the two, making a trail of dark pink roses follow.
...
Rose giggled as she told Juleka about a cute video she watched about Prince Ali. Juleka smiled at her as a light pink blush dusted her cheeks. They both stopped in their footsteps as if they were hit with an arrow. The looked at each other and smiled.
"Do you want to, you know, go to that ice cream shop that they keep on talking about?" Juleka asked Rose. Rose smiled and nodded as she took the goth's hand and began to drag her to Andre's.
...
Sparrow looked at Claude and smiled as he said, "That gives you seven points, not bad." Claude smiled to himself as he looked back at the students as he saw a stray colour blue between two people who kept on glancing at each other. He took in the scent and realized that he need to get them back.
He took the arrows and fired at the jock and the other athlete as a trail of blue roses followed. The male pulled the typical I left something in the classroom, making the girl followed him to speak privately.
Next he saw another stray of blue from a girl who was walking into a car and a boy who was driving another couple around town. He aimed at them making the male bike towards his ex.
Sparrow raised an eyebrow at him wondering why he's wasting his points on people who broke up instead of using it to those who have a higher chance of giving him a higher point.
Claude spotted a yellow mess with a sweet honey scent from two friends who were listening to a podcast together. He smiled and shot two arrows at them changing their mood. Next he say a string of red coming from a classroom in the second floor. He flew closer to find an artist and a writer working on a comic, and are obviously attracted to each other, but are too shy to talk about it. He grinned and leaned against the door frame and shot the two arrows that was followed by red roses.
He smiled at this and suddenly caught a whiff of a zesty orange smell. He turned to find a rocker who had a hopeful look towards the girl. He was radiating a strong zest smell, but it was a weak orange colour towards his counterpart. He hates this, it makes it hard got him to decide, mostly because the girl had a strong red colour making it hard for him to decide which one to follow.
Taking a cream colored arrow, he shot it at the two. He watched as the arrows landed on the two making them meet eyes. He watched as the colour changed into a sunset orange with a mixture of a light violet as the scent was an early morning.
"Not bad, you really are moving quickly. You still have fifteen minutes left," Sparrow said as he landed next to Claude.
...
Once out of the classroom Marinette felt a different chill in the air. She shrugged it off as they tried to look for Adrien, who would be at fencing class today. They began to go down the steps, but she can't help but look around.
"Guys, do you feel the weird chill in the air?" Marinette asked. Alya shrugged and answered, "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet?"
"I'm not, it's just that there's something different about today. I mean look, Ondine and Kim are holding hands," make pointed out as she pointed at the couple who just came out of the room. Alya's eyes widened in interest and said, "Scoop! I can't believe they're back. I've got to go and ask them now. Felix make sure that she gets to confess, do not sabotage it."
Felix rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, as long as she ends up in an awkward situation I'll be happy," he commented earning him a slap on the stomach. "Sadist," Marinette mumbled. Felix chuckled but stopped in his tracks when he saw his two friends together, closer than ever.
Following his line of sight Marinette smiled and began shaking him in excitement. "Oh my gosh, are they finally going out?" she asked as she pointed at Allan who had an arm over Allegra, while they were sitting on a bench listening to a podcast. "I don't see why it's such a big deal," he told her. "What?" she asked in an offended tone. Felix removed himself from her and said, "You know it was bound to happen so why you're overreacting about it." She huffed at his comment and began to look for a seat.
They found a bench and waited for Adrien's duel against a new student in red to finish. "There's something really strange about the air," Felix commented. Marinette nodded in agreement as she tried to figure out what's happening. It suddenly clicked, making her grin and casually reply, "I think it's love."
Felix scoffed at her answer keeping his eye at the game. "Why? Because it's Valentine's day," he sarcastically said. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "What do you know about love anyway? I'm pretty sure you haven't felt it."
He chuckled at her statement as movement caught his eye. "Well, I know when someone's attracted to another. Speak of which, it seems like I found a blind date for you," Felix stated. "Really now, I think Lila has something to say to you though," she commented noticing the brunettes movement.
...
Claude began to look around again, there he found a trio of students coming down the stairs with a string aura to them. The brunette with red tips had a strong pink colour surrounding her while a sweet Carnation smell emitted from her. The bluenette beside her had multiple colours crashing around her, but the strongest ones are white and dark pink, both pointing towards the fencer. However, the blond beside them had nothing, no colour and no scent.
This was a rare occurrence given that all of the people he had seen with this usually end up alone. It's either, they don't want to get attached to anyone romantically, or they are really good at hiding romantic attraction and thoughts. If a Cupid can't detect it, what more the person they love.
He then caught a sudden smell of a horrible odor that could cause him to puke. He turned to find a young girl who was surrounded by her peers. He looked closer and looked at the rather morseful colour colour combination the girl expelled. She was the type of people Cupids dislike, given that they are the homewreckers and whorish opportunists.
He noticed her line of sight and was locked with the blond he just saw. She watched her get up and began to walk towards the boy. He watched as the blond ignored her attempts and touches. However, at the other end he could see another boy who held a letter in his hand and was radiating an orange colour towards the bluenette, who held only the scent of friendship for him.
"You poor soul," he commented as he suddenly noticed a faint red colour mixing with the orange of the boy. Claude turned to find the source of it, it came from the brunette from the stairs who was also radiating a red colour that's mixing with the pink. He smiled as he shot both of them with the arrow.
Suddenly he a sweet fragrance of fresh wine was calling from behind. It was intoxicating and dangerous, given that it's the call of love at first sight. Claude could feel himself get reeled into it, given the aroma was to good to say no to. This made him unconsciously take up two arrows and turned to face the culprits and shot it at them while a spring is violet roses followed.
Realising what he had done he began to see the string white from the male for down. That was when he realized that that was the male fencer the bluenette was fated to. He knew he messed up big time today.
...
"Why am I not surprised?" Felix commented as Lila arrived and gave her model smile with a small wave. "Happy Valentine's day Felix," she greeted him. Marinette wanted to gag at her actions knowing they were all superficial. "What's so happy about today when today is supposed to be the death anniversary of Saint Valentine?" he asked.
"Well, it is his death anniversary. Did you know that I actually babysat his great-great-great-grandson?" Lila spectacled trying to catch his attention. Marinette lost it, making her laugh at this statement while Felix tried to school his features. "You do mean from a close relative not a direct descendant," he tried to clarify.
"Is there any difference?" Lila asked not catching on on what she just said. This made Marinette laugh harder not being able to control her laughter. "Marinette really is crazy," Lila commented. "I mean look at her, laughing at nothing," she added.
"That may be so, but if you were in her position, wouldn't you laugh as well?" Felix asked her. Lila have a puzzled look, not picking on what they both meant.
"You do know that Saint Valentine is a priest, right?" Marinette asked catching her breath. It finally clicked and she knew she couldn't back out now as she placed an awkward smile on her face and began laughing awkwardly. "You got it, it was a joke. I was joking," she tried to save face.
Luckily for her luck was on her side, as Alya arrived and placed an arm over the girl's shoulder. "Hey Lila, I have a major scoop for you," Alya said in an ecstatic voice. Feeling relieved, Lila turned her attention to the reporter, "Really, what is it?" she asked trying to sound excited. "I just found out that Kim and Ondine are back together," Alya exclaimed as she shoved her phone to the Italian's face.
"You know, you still have to notice Nino over there," Felix whispered to Marinette as he edged his head to the boy's direction. Marinette turned to look at Nino and asked, "Are you sure it's for me? I thought he had a crush on Alya if I'm going to be honest." Felix shrugged and simply said, "Whatever." As they both turned they're attention to the duel.
The duel finally ended with both of them pointing each other, making it difficult for the referee to decide. Mr. D'Argencourt smiled as he placed his hand under his chin. "Well it seems like my students are still unbeatable," he stated. "Take your saber away, along with your helmet," he commanded.
The red fencer frowned under her mask, not wanting to show her face to a crowd knowing her failure. Adrien, however, pushed his helmet back and turned to his teacher. "Are you sure, sir? I think he got the point," he defended his competitor. He turned to the fencer and said, "Why not a decisive match to prove yourself?"
The red fencer sighed as she shrugged off her helmet swishing her short dark hair and made eye contact with her opponent. But as their eyes met an instant connection was felt.
Marinette and Felix noticed this, causing her heart to clench and an unintended tear slid down her cheek. She knew that look on both of their faces very well. Those looks they are giving each other are the looks of people who have fallen in love with the first time they made eye contact.
She couldn't help but feel like she's not going to get the answer she would be hoping for. This made her get up from where she sat and began to run out of the school.
...
Sparrow looked at the horrible mistake that Claude had made. He looked at the male fencer and the fleeting figure of the bluenette. Those two were meant to be soulmates, but it seems like Claude paired the wrong couple. He looked back at where the girl sat, only to find that the blond male had gotten up and followed behind her.
Even for Sparrow he wasn't able to hear any form of love emanating from the boy, but seeing him follow after his friend he couldn't help but hear the enchanting symphony of soulmates from him. He looked back at his student and approached him from behind.
"You have to fix this you know that," he told Claude. Claude looked lost as he placed his hands on his head. "I-I don't know how to fix this. They were supposed to be soulmates and I separated them because of a spontaneous emotion," he ranted, feeling angry about himself for making the wrong decision in matchmaking.
Sparrow placed a hand on his shoulder and told him, "It seems like you're forgetting a little thing about soulmates." This hit him as he flew up immediately and began to look for Marinette to set it right.
...
Marinette didn't know that she started to run away from him. She just ran and ran with no direction not caring where she was going as the tears streamed from her face. She even left her schoolbag and dropped the letter she was going to give to Adrien. She finally got tired and sat on the closest bench she found and began to cry her eyes out.
Passersby looked at the girl with pity knowing that she's one of the unfortunate souls that Valentine's day looked down on. But she didn't care about what the other people thought, she just cared about the look Adrien was giving his fencing opponent. Indeed that girl looked beautiful and strong, she had a confident aura around her. Not to mention, she looked like she had a lifestyle and status that was similar to Adrien. How can she ever compete with that.
"Of all the places you could be in, you chose that most romantic spot in Paris," Felix spoke in front of her. She looked up to find him kneeling before her to match her height. He placed her bag and the letter next to her as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her. She silently took it and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. He got up and sat next to her with their bags in between.
"You saw it too didn't you?" Felix asked Marinette. She nodded solemnly not wanting to face him with her tearstained eyes and runny nose. "You recognized the look on their faces?" she asked mildly surprised that he knew what a lovestruck face looked like. "I'm not that heartless you know," he replied as he placed both of his arms on the top of the bench's backrest. She snorted and chuckled at his answer as she wiped her eyes again.
The two stayed silent for a while as Marinette tried to compose herself. "Thanks for bringing me my bag," she said once she felt that she would no longer cry. He hummed a 'you're welcome' to her as he looked at the changing sky. She took the note that she wrote for Adrien and began to contemplate as she strolled down memory lane.
...
Five months ago
"You're such a dick, Felix!" Marinette screamed at him as he was sitting on the branch of a tree reading her diary. "Scream all you want, this cat isn't getting down, and remember there are kids in the park," he mocked her with one hand holding the tree and the other he placed his head on to of it while he held the diary and gave her a wink. He adjusted his position as he leaned his back on the main stem of the tree as he began to read her diary aloud.
"Today was an amazing day, I was able to go to the movies with Adrien~ even though I was in my pajamas wearing pink goggles and a towel on my head," he read in an over the top voice making him laugh loudly. "Seriously Marinette, that was the only thing you wrote as the highlight of the day," he added as the bluenette turned red in anger and embarrassment.
"Just shut up and give me my diary back," she shouted at him, losing her patience. "You shouldn't leave these things out in the open you know. If you already had a box for it make sure that it's always in there," he told her sad he continued to flip through the pages.
This made the girl climb the tree as well, hoping to retrieve it before he reads anymore of her embarrassing secrets. Felix, on the other, was rather enjoying this, he knew he still had time given that he's at the top and it would take a while before she'd reach him. He flipped through some pages and a certain word caught his attention.
He read it silently, "Dear Diary, today Felix annoyed the hell out of me again. But I can't help but feel happy to know that at least someone was brave enough to point out my flaws. He's actually right about me being a doormat when it comes to my friends, I noticed that now. Even though he insults us it seems like he's actually looking out for us in his own way (at least he's not as bad as Chloe). He's starting to grow on me despite the horrible first impression we got from him. I just hope that he'll start saying things in a nicer way. I feel like if he was kinder he would be like an antisocial version of Adrien, they look so alike.
"If you look at his blond hair, it's so kept you'd think that he consumes a single can of hairspray or hair gel every day to keep it that way. His eyes are darker than Adrien's though, making him look more mysterious. It makes me wonder what goes on in that thick head of his. Is he thinking of different ways to judge everyone or world domination? Or is he think of, nevermind, as if he'd be think of that. But his eyelashes are very much longer than Adrien's giving him a kind of feminine touch, maybe he got it from his father. But when he looks at me it sometimes makes me feel like Adrien's looking at me.
"Oh Adrien, I just love sitting behind him, because I get to look at the back of his head all the time and when he stands up I could sometimes look at his cute butt. Wait, if Adrien and Felix look very much alike do they have the same body build, like is Felix as ripped as Adrien? Then that would mean—"
"Gotcha!" Marinette exclaimed as she took her diary from his hands. Felix flinched at this realising that he was no longer paying attention to the owner. She gave a victorious laugh only to lose her balance and fall. He reacted quickly, stretching out his arm and caught her, but he was dragged down. He turned them so that he would take the impact as he held Marinette in his arms protectively.
Felix groaned on impact feeling like he broke something. Marinette quickly got up and began scolding him. "What do you think you were doing? You could've been severely injured taking the fall for both of us. But you did deserve for reading my diary," she rebuked. He gave out another groan as he mumbled an apology to her.
"I know, I know, it was stupid of me and I kinda deserved it," he says as he tried to get up. "You think," she sarcastically replied. She sighed as she helped him up as he winced and whimpered. "Ow, ow, ow, careful, I'm fragile," he whined. "Why? Cat didn't land on his feet and ended up bruised," she mocked him. She brought him the get house, where they were supposed to be doing a pair project only to have a brawl.
She placed him on their sofa and began treating his bruises. "I'm sorry," he said as he winced at her touch. "I shouldn't have took your diary it's private," he apologized as he looked at the first aid kit in front of her. "I should be sorry too," she said. "I'm so clumsy that I lost my footing and fell," she explained. The two fell silent as she finished up. "Thank you," he told her. She smiled at his gratitude and replied, "You're welcome, but I should thank you for taking the fall for me. He gave her a smile as he awkwardly scratched his nape and said, "I had it coming. Karma is a bitch anyway." She placed a kiss on his bruised forehead silencing him.
...
Marinette began tearing the love letter she made for Adrien. Felix looked at her with confusion, but didn't stop her. Once she finished she got up and threw it in the trash can and went back to where she sat.
"Are you giving up?" he asked trying to fill in the silence. She looked up at the sky whose colours were changing and turned into a sea of coral colours. "I guess so, I don't want to abuse myself with my obsession with him. He needs me as a friend not as a lover, the same goes for me. I always felt like we were just meant to be friends and I'm happy with that, as long as I'm in his life and he's in mine," she replied.
This made him smile as he looked at the sky as well. "So you gonna start looking for other guys?" he asked her. She shrugged still looking at the sky, "Maybe," she replied. He turned his head slightly to look at her and said, "Luka perhaps? He's s great guy anyways." She turned her head slightly at him and asked in a confused tone, "Weren't you going to set me up on a blind date?"
"Are you still willing?" he challenged with a cheshire smile. "Only if you'll be my blind date," she joked. For some of reason this made his heart skip a beat like that time during their project. She laughed at his reaction as she turned back to the sky. It was short lived because she felt herself get dragged from her seat.
"Where are we going?" she asked rather lost as to why he grabbed her hand and bag. He flashed her a toothy grin and said, "On a date, of course." This made her flush stopping in her tracks, this made him stop as well. He neared her only to have her grip his hand tighter and dragged him along. "Keep up, were going ice cream hunting," she said in a happy tone.
Sparrow and Claude sat on the railings of the Eiffel tower with a satisfied look on their faces. "They are more than two fragments of an original soul," Claude whispered
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friendsim2 · 3 years
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More About Friendsim 2
We’ve been absolutely blown away by the response to this project, and now that our teaser is out and we’re moving into production I’d like to take a minute to say a little bit more about the project!
Who’s Involved?
Friendsim 2 is being produced by Studio June, an independent artists’ collective formed by a group of Homestuck fans and dedicated to creating meaningful, thoughtful content in a post-canon landscape.
Our core creative team consists of the following folks:
Jonaya Riley: Director/Narrative Director ( @transkanayamaryam​ ) A woman who’s written over a million words of Homestuck/Hiveswap-related fiction, including two Hiveswap novels. She’s currently the narrative director for Studio June’s post-canon visual novel, New Game Plus, and has worked on a number of other fan-projects, including the Pesterquest Fan Dub, the Will it Homestuck? podcast, and numerous other projects.
Bucky Grant: Art Director ( @thinglikerbucky ) A long-time Homestuck fan and content creator, Bucky has been involved in a wide range of fan projects. They’re the director for New Game Plus, main host of the Will it Homestuck? podcast, and are prolific writer, artist, and voice actor.
Anna: Voice Director ( @articulately-composed ) Another long-time fan creator, Anna has been heavily involved in the Homestuck music and voice acting scene, and has been responsible for projects such as the Time’s Apprentice musical, the Broadwaystuck 2020 panel, and countless comic dubs and other voice-acting projects. She was a writer for Distantquest, voice-actor for the Pesterquest fan dub, and much more!
In addition to the core team, we’ll be working with a number of writers, artists, musicians, and voice actors from throughout the Homestuck fandom.
When is this coming out?
The game will be released episodically, with the plan being to release the first two routes in the Spring of 2022, with new episodes releasing every few months after that until the game is all done!
What’s the plot?
I don’t want to get too spoiler-y, but the basic plot revolves around MSPA Reader heading back to Alternia to pick up all their friends from Friendsim and take them to safety.
That’s simple, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong with that... right?!
Will this have Xefros and Joey and all them?
No, this is a timeline where the events of Friendsim definitely did take place (which it seems that Hiveswap Act 1 and 2 is not) but Hiveswap Act 1 and 2 definitely did not happen. This will be important for reasons I won’t reveal because they’re major spoilers.
What kind of game is this?
Although this will be a visual novel similar to the original Friendsim in overall presentation, the narrative structure, writing, and stakes will be quite a bit different than the original game.
In addition to the main visual novel gameplay, we’ve got some fun surprises planned for the player!
What makes this special?
Not to brag (okay, maybe to brag just a little bit), but we’ve got some absolutely amazing writers and artists involved in this project. The work being done, even at this early stage, is really highlighting the love and dedication that our creators have for these characters and this world.
Outside of the basic “this is gonna be well-made” thing, we’re planning to introduce a number of things to the Friendsim formula to make a game that’s got some real depth to it.
We’re also planning to record full character voicing (that is, MSPAR and the narration will be un-voiced, but everyone else will talk)! Our team includes not only a voice director who’s written, produced, and recorded an entire Ancestor musical, but several Pesterquest dub voice actors and editors, and we really believe in the added immersion that good voice work can bring to a project.
So... “officially unofficial” what does that mean exactly?!
It means that this is absolutely, definitively not an official project! We have no connection to What Pumpkin or anyone affiliated with What Pumpkin - this project is being produced, written, developed, and financed entirely by the fans.
We’ll definitely be starting from the canon established by Friendsim and Pesterquest, but we’re not beholden to it!
Yeah this sounds pretty dope - how do I get involved?
You can follow Friendsim 2 and Studio June on Twitter, or visit the official Friendsim 2 and Studio June websites for more info! You can also check out our Youtube channel for trailers and teasers!
If you want to be a part of our fan community, check out our Studio June community Discord server where you can chat about Friendsim 2, New Game Plus, or just general Homestuck stuff! Who knows... you might even run into me or some of the other devs on the server!
Also, if you’re interested in a thoughtful, considerate approach to post-canon content, check out New Game Plus, a post-canon visual novel featuring the original Homestuck cast.
Thanks again to all of our followers for your support! Making a project of this scope is always a challenge, and we genuinely appreciate the love and support y’all have shown us!
-Jonaya Riley, Director
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agent-murica · 3 years
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Red vs Blue Fan Migration Survey Results
So here's the collected results for the survey I posted last week! The overall sample size for this survey was 181 submissions! All answers are anonymous no worries, in case anyone was worried about that! All the information will be under the cut! Survey results link posted in the end.
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This was the least surprising result on the survey, since I expected it to be around half and half. The rest of the 21.5% was the other option where a lot of people elaborated that they were so-so in regards to their activity to the fandom, as seen by a couple examples above.
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This one too was not surprising either! It's a part of fandom culture to constantly shift to newer fandoms and medias the more you indulge in them, as a lot of people who answered yes to this, also said they were an active part of the Red vs Blue fandom still!
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Now, this was the big question that I thought would be a toss-up. There were a couple of surprising answers to this, as to when people stopped watching. I figured it would be a split between Shisno and Zero since, with Shisno taking more of the lead since quite a bit of people left after the announcement of RvB0 instead of RvB18. The one person who said they stopped watching during The Blood Gulch Chronicles did hurt my heart though.
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For this question there was such a wide range of answers, but I saw a LOT of reoccurring ones. Those would include, in no particular order: MCYT (DreamSMP), Podcasts (The Magnus Archives, Dungeons and Daddies, etc.), Star Wars and Star Trek, Marvel and DC comics, some other form of Rooster Teeth entertainment, and quite a bit of people who answered with Red vs Blue and Halo!
Of course, there were tons of people who didn't have any of those listed, but these were the most common appearing ones. (I actually saw a few answers with the fandoms I'm currently into myself, haha).
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Now, this result was one that I was looking to pay attention towards as it was one of my main purposes of conducting this survey. I did think that Yes on similarities would have the majority vote and was the reason why I had the elaboration question coming next. 11% decided once more that they were so-so in regards to this question, and also a lot of people who really didn't want to think that deeply about it (which is totally valid)!
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This question, was the main highlight for this survey. I loved seeing what people had to say, and seeing their reasoning for why they like Red vs Blue and why they like their new shows too. The most common similarities?
Found family, sci-fi elements, humor surrounding a bunch of loveable jackass idiots, and as one response said perfectly, "surprise punches to the feels at Mach 5."
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This question had many answers that it would be a little difficult to screenshot for, but there was a healthy balance between people who create all kinds of fan content and those who are just content to sit back and relax and enjoy what everyone has to offer. But I loved seeing some of the specifics that people put in the other spot as well.
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For this question, I really wanted to see how Red vs Blue might have impacted fan creation. I'm not surprised that No won out here, especially since a lot of people don't make content as indicated by the previous question. The 12.8% who answered was a delight to see in specifics what they might have been doing or planning (a couple of people actually answered that they were in the middle of doing crossover work, so neat!)
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And finally, the last question. I loved seeing so many people so passionately talk about their love for their newer shows, the things they love or hate about it, and also those who had some really funny responses. A lot would recommend the show, not so much the fandom, some couldn't tell since it all depends on the person, and a lot would say that no, what they're into isn't quite what a Red vs Blue fan might be into.
So, what does this survey say? Well, this was a really wonderful experiment I wanted to carry out. I really wanted to see if there was something that united Red vs Blue fans on what we enjoyed about the series and what we might enjoy in series going forward. And you know what? I was right. So many fans agreed on the ideals that Red vs Blue was based around- 181 people is a lot! Especially for a fandom that's been a little inactive lately (I've been around since s13, and few others can attest to the decline I should think), I certainly never thought I'd get so many submissions, so even this fandom can surprise me still.
But you know what? Even with a declining activity in the fandom, so many people agreed on one thing. One thing that's the whole reason why Red vs Blue has even stuck around for so long. And as one submission wrote it simply:
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If you're interested in seeing the full submission forms, reminder that once again these are completely anonymous, you can check out the excel spreadsheet that google forms created for me (after I figured out that I didn't have to do it all by hand, smh). There you can see fans passionately talk about their newest interests and whether they would recommend them or not.
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How can I come to terms with being aro? I’ve been IDing as quoiromantic for the past couple months, and it only today really hit me that I don’t experience romantic attraction. For about a year now I’ve been trying to push down the thought that I could be aro, mostly because I don’t want to be. I’m romance averse and I wish I wasn’t, and now I’m aro and I kinda wish I wasn’t. Is there anything I can do to feel more comfortable IDing as aro? Thank you so much
Yeah, generally I have a few bits of advice for people who are having trouble accepting they’re aro.
First of all seek out aro blogs and aro spaces in general. Seeing aro people and getting to know aro people (both personally or by just following and appreciating the things they talk about), will let you see real aro people who are full and interesting people on top of being aro. And it will give you people to relate to, normalize it in general, and just see that it’s possible to be a full person and still be aro. 
And I’ve known people who originally had trouble accepting they were aro, or didn’t want to be aro who found that getting to know other aro people was one of the things that helped them the most.
Media is great and there’s more aro media all the time. Podcasts and books are definitely your best bet for aro content. There’s a great list here for podcasts with aro characters. There’s a few book lists out there now with aro characters though I’m not aware of anything really comprehensive, but doing searches you can definitely find stuff. Personally as an aro person I really enjoyed the Jughead 2015 run from Archie Comics where Jughead is heavily aro coded. 
The other side of it is if there’s anything in your life right now that’s reinforcing that being aro is bad, that you’ll be sad and lonely without romance, that romance is the most important thing, etc. etc. do what you can to cut it out. If it’s people this could mean redirecting the conversation, or if they really insist on talking about this and only this, just spending less time around them temporarily until you’re in a better spot. 
For media cutting out any ‘you need to find your soulmate to be happy forever’ kind of media or true love stuff, and instead focus more on found family type media. I recently read ‘The Royal Benedict Society’ and it’s a great found family story with no romance at all. But anything that’s focused unrelated people becoming close and basically becoming family is really good, things focused around actual family stuff can be good too. But just avoid romance focused things for the time being.
Anything hateful, do whatever you can to cut that out completely. So if you know or follow anyone who spouts anti-aro rhetoric or is only OK with like the right aros, unfollow, block, unfriend, whatever you have to do. It’s not always possible to cut people out, but cutting them out as much as possible will definitely help.
We live in a society that teaches us romance and romantic partners are the most important things in the world, and long term romantic relationships are the only way to be happy. It takes a long time to unlearn that, and generally speaking you’re going to understand it intellectually before you’ll feel it emotionally. There’s nothing wrong with romance, but there are many many paths to happiness, and many ways to be happy or fulfilled. Being aro just means you’re choosing your own path, and figuring out for yourself what makes you happy. And maybe that does include some romance, or maybe none at all, and there’s something else out there that you care about and want to put your energy towards, or many things. But you’ll find your own path. 
If you find yourself in a negative thought cycle, try and consciously notice, stop and correct yourself. Make a habit of this. So for example if you’re thinking ‘I’ll never be happy without a romantic partner’, stop, deliberately say ‘lots of people are happy without romantic partners, they’re not a necessary part of being happy’. Try and do that every time you catch yourself thinking that. 
Remember that getting over these types of feelings doesn’t happen in a day. It’s a slow climb that get better bit by bit, but if you keep working at it you should slowly start to get there.
All the best, and good luck, Anon!
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fansofvow · 3 years
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Interview with Eve Golden Woods!
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Many of you know who is Eve is. She's a writer and artist, a part of Dreamfeel studios whose beautiful game If Found won Best LGBTQ Narrative and Best LGBTQ Indie game at the first ever Gayming Awards presented by EA games. I am really excited I had the chance to ask Eve some questions about herself, her time at Lovestruck and her creative process.
Congratulations on the two Gayming Awards (Best LGBTQ Narrative, Best LGBTQ Indie Game) for "If Found" from your game studio, Dreamfeel. What was the inspiration behind making the game?
If Found... was a game that emerged out of a collaboration between Llaura McGee, the founder of Dreamfeel, and artist Liadh Young. Liadh's background is as a comic artist, and so when they started working together Llaura had the idea of showing off Liadh's art by making a diary game, and using an erasing mechanic she had previously developed to let the player move through the diary in a fun way. By the time I came on board at the start of 2019, the game had already been in development for a while, so in some ways my work on that game was similar to the work I did for Voltage, because it was taking existing characters and concepts and writing a lot of scripts for them. Unlike Voltage, though, my work for Dreamfeel was a lot more collaborative and I had a lot more creative input. I really enjoy taking something and helping to make it the best version of itself that it can possibly be, but I was also really happy that I got to reflect a lot of my own experiences in If Found. Llaura and I both grew up on the west coast of Ireland, and although If Found... isn't autobiographical for either of us, it was definitely really meaningful to be able to tell a story that reflected our own experiences of growing up as queer teens in a similar kind of environment. Since the game came out we've had fans reach out to us and tell us that they also connected to the experiences of the main characters, and as far as I'm concerned, that makes me feel like I achieved everything I wanted to.
You are a writer and a visual artist. Does one come easier to you than the other?
I used to think of art and writing as talents, and I always felt like my art was at a very mediocre level (that's probably still true, lol). So when I was younger I focused a lot more on writing. It was only later that I started genuinely trying to improve as an artist, but when I did, I think I had a much healthier mindset, and approached it as a skill I could learn with patience and effort. Because of that, even though I still have a lot more confidence in my writing, I find art more fun and relaxing, and I don't stress about it as much.
Did you always know you would follow a creative path?
Kind of? Both my parents are artists, and I grew up surrounded by artists and writers, so it was something that was always very familiar and accessible to me. On the other hand, I didn't exactly have a clear idea of how to make it into a career, or what kind of work would be involved. But there's never been a point in my life where I wasn't doing something creative, even if it was only writing fanfiction.
What did your path to working professionally as a writer/artist look like?
I did a creative writing masters in college, but after that I spent years teaching English as a second language. That was really fun and I got to live abroad, but it was so busy and tiring that I didn't have time to do any writing outside of the occasional fanfic. I only started to take art seriously again when I became interested in games and comics as ways of telling stories. I did some critical writing, which led me to speak at a few local events and get involved in zine fairs. That was how I met Llaura, the director and lead of the Dreamfeel studio, and it's also what gave me the confidence to start applying for actual writing jobs.
Is there any work of art, visual or written, that you look to for inspiration?
So many! I try to read and watch as widely as I can, although there are touchstones I always return to, like the works of Ursula Le Guin and Terry Pratchett. Right now I feel very passionate about the actual play podcast Friends at the Table, which manages to combine really thoughtful worldbuilding and storytelling with cool, fun characters and great action scenes. I'm also reading a book called The Memory Police by Youko Ogawa, which has extremely beautiful prose.
Do you have a favorite piece of your own art, whether it is something you’ve drawn, a screenshot of something you’ve written or something else?
My favourite piece of art is usually whatever I finished most recently (I think that's true for a lot of people). Especially with visual art, once a bit of time has gone by you look back on it and start to notice all your mistakes, which is very annoying. But actually I do still really like the first piece of Fiona fanart I did last year. I managed to use some effects to give it a kind of nineties anime quality that I find really fun, and I think it conveys an emotion pretty effectively. That's always one of the hardest things to predict with visual art, whether the different parts will come together to create the exact mood you're looking for.
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I also really like the compass I did for Bycatch. Krissy (@xekstrin) was the one who suggested filling it with fingernails, which was such a good, gross idea! As soon as I heard that I knew it was perfect and that I had to try and draw it.
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Many people who read this blog know you as a writer for Lovestruck. When you look back on your time there, what stands out in your mind?
Lovestruck was very important to me when I first started because it was my first ongoing, regular, paid writing work. It gave me a lot of confidence and helped me to get into the habit of writing consistently and rapidly, which is a really useful skill to have. I know I was right to leave when I did, though, because I am just brimming with energy to work on my own projects, and channeling that power into something that you can't control will always end up disappointing you. Also, I made a ton of incredible friends, through Lovestruck itself but then even more so through VOW (@vowtogether), and that is more than worth all the difficult parts.
Is there any character that you would have liked a crack at writing?
Oh gosh, what a fun question! There are so many, but one I do sometimes think about is Axia, just because I know there are a bunch of fans who want her route, and because I had fun writing her as a villain in Zain's route. I can see in my head the shadow of a storyline that takes place after Zain's route is over, where she's in prison and trying to understand how she lost the battle with Zain and MC. I think there's, like, a gap there, where you could see her downfall forcing her to reconsider her assumptions about power, and that could build into a very interesting redemption story. But maybe it's for the best I never got to do that, because I would have wanted full creative control over it, and also I think the story in my head is very different to the sexy, in control, menacing version of Axia that her fans enjoy.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can talk about?
Most of my current work is under NDA, but I will say that I'm doing something very exciting with other VOW members that we should be able to talk about soon(ish). Maybe I can even give a little teaser... It's not a game, but it is something you can read, and my part involves cakes, swamps, and a museum.
Do you have a favorite quote or song lyric?
It's a big long, but there's a section from The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin that has stayed with me ever since I read it:
"For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think."
It's such a profoundly radical way of imagining the world, so different to everything I was raised with, but whenever I think about it I feel like I can see something very beautiful and powerful that I hope to come closer to understanding some day.
And of course, "Solidarity forever, the union makes us strong."
I was a big fan of the show Inside the Actor’s Studio. Host James Lipton asked every single guest the same 10 concluding questions. I’ve picked 3 of them:
-What is your favorite word?
My favourite word: for sound, I like words you can really roll around on your tongue. Chthonic, alabaster, insinuation. For meaning, I think simple words that encapsulate big concepts have a kind of power to them. We use them so often we forget how big they are, how much weight they really have, but they give us the space to imagine new possibilities. Love. Freedom. Revolution.
-What is your least favorite word?
I've heard that "moist" is a lot of people's least favourite word but it doesn't actually bother me. My least favourite word is probably one where I feel like the sound doesn't match the meaning. One of the Irish words for rain is báisteach, which I feel has a much weightier and more onomatopoeic sound than rain. Rain is just very flat and uninteresting.
-What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Oh, so many! I love history, and I think being a historian/archaeologist would be fascinating. Or something that had a physical component to it, like being a potter or a carpenter. I don't think I'd be any good, but I'd love to take the time to learn.
What would be your advice to anyone who wants to pursue a creative career?
All the work you do matters. Even the failed experiments, the things you hate when they're finished. It all helps to make you better. Also, creative career paths are often really unexpected, so chase any opportunity that seems remotely interesting. Don't work for free for anyone who can afford to pay, but work for yourself and put it somewhere. On a blog, twitter, whatever. You'd be amazed how many people get noticed and get offered opportunities because of something they made in their spare time. You'll probably have to work another job for a long time, so don't be hard on yourself if you're too tired to devote much energy to creative work. Try to make art consistently, but don't feel like that has to mean every day. Don't chase after celebrities. Make friends with your peers.
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sarahlevys · 3 years
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SO YOU WANT TO GET INTO TWYLEXIS
(a fic rec post - last updated 10/31/2021)
11/25/20: I have been talking to a lot of people about The Good Ship Twylexis, and when @earnmysong asked me for some fic recs, I could not resist! Below are some of my favorites, organized by length. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and is simply composed of some of the ones I’ve read. I hope you check them out!
10/31/21: Nearly a year later, the fandom has grown by leaps and bounds! I've been able to add many excellent Twylexis fics to the below list. I tried to keep these recs focused on fics in which they are either the only ship or a substantial part of the narrative, so while there are many fics nowadays that have Twylexis as a side pairing, those will not be listed below. Now that we can be more choosy, I've also removed fics that featured Twylexis as part of a throuple or moreple (so that I can hopefully do a fic rec list for that specifically in the future!)
So I see Alexis is getting back out there. (Short Reads)
in the middle of the deep blue night – T – 577 – by @hullomoon
Alexis is all alone at the party, that is, until Twyla joins her.
in the hack – G – 2K – by thingswithwings
After Ted, and before the Next Thing, Alexis joins a curling team. She's great at it, because, what, like it's hard?
Icarus had the right idea – T – 4K – by Luthor
In which Alexis convinces Twyla to take her to the beach, and has an okay-time I guess. 
never saw you coming, never be the same – G – Podfics! 15 minutes in total – by DelilahMcMuffin, GoLBPodfics, & Amanita_Fierce
Three different perspectives from Twyla Sands and Alexis Rose's first Pride spent together as a couple.
to be your harbor – E – 4K – by @doublel27
Twyla uses some of her money on things that are special to her. Alexis is special to Twyla. Luckily, Twyla is precious to Alexis.
and it's just around the corner darling, 'cause it in lives in me (no, I could never give you peace) – T – 3K – by beepbedeep
She’s what people call the worst, most pointless kind of celebrity, a socialite, and she does it better than anyone else. It’s good, she knows it’s good, she’s serving her purpose, playing her part perfectly, and if she doesn’t really know how to be alone with herself, how to handle the actual weight of her life when the gossip blogs get bored and the photographers stop showing up for a while, that’s fine.
i knew from the beginning (it was you from the beginning) – T – 1K – by @anniemurphys
Twyla and Alexis celebrate, at a distance.
i took an arrow to the heart – G – 3K – by @sarahlevys and @landofsonlali
Twyla calls Alexis in celebration of the fourth anniversary of their friendship, and the conversation shifts to their feelings for each other. Together, they start to explore the intricacies of love and relationships.
aflame – T – 4K – by @pretendtofly
Alexis has a few days left in Schitt's Creek after the wedding and Twyla wants to spend them all together.
could be your baby, ride the same whip (oh no, no, there's no slowin' down) – T – 3K – by @turningtimeinthetardis
Alexis doubts anything too surprising will happen when she and Twyla decide to go on a little shopping spree (such as they can afford, that is) at one of Elmdale’s boutiques. Maybe they’ll encounter some truly hideous blends of patterns, but nothing stranger than that.
After all, if there’s one thing Schitt’s Creek and the surrounding suburbs can offer, it’s quiet predictability.
I weigh a hundredandfuckingsomething pounds (that makes me almost good) – G – 2K – by beepbedeep
Her legs don’t look good, but half of the girls she knows have legs that look even worse, smiles that are even more shark-toothed or arms that are even less toned, and she reminds herself that these are just the rules', that she knows the rules and knows where she’s failing, but other people are failing more.
shining, shimmering, splendid – G – 1K – by @davidbrewer
Twyla finally starts spending some of her lottery winnings on things that make her smile, and learns how much she loves to travel. Who better to show her around the world than Alexis?
ask 'em my questions and get some answers – G – 1K – by @lilythesilly
Alexis and Twyla meet at Disneyland.
a handprint on my heart – T – 4K – by averita
Five times Alexis and Twyla visit each other.
Merry Go Round – T – 2K – by Perkalil
In her first days in town, Alexis is in a rough place; she finds kindness and compassion in the local cafe waitress.
feel you on my skin – E – 1K – by @hullomoon
Alexis notices what Twyla's wearing. She has a lot of feelings about it.
you make everything good – G – by @rosedavid
Twyla has to go and visit her gaggle of cousins for two weeks, and Alexis is pouty about her girlfriend leaving for so long.
didn't ask for this – you freely gave it (so now i watch your mouth for the both of us) – T – 6K – by @turningtimeinthetardis
Alexis chops her name down to three letters like it's nothing.
Twyla thinks about it a lot.
putting roots in my dreamland – G – 4K – by @lilythesilly
A twylexis flowershop au.
(but if baby, i'm the bottom) you're the top – E – 3K – by @sarahlevys
Five times Twyla tops Alexis, and one time she lets Alexis top her.
three o'clock – E – 2K – by @schittyfic
Two tipsy girlfriends thirst over the hot, bearded guy across the bar.
shivers – E – 5K – by @anniemurphys
Alexis has a long day in an airport, and Twyla wants to take care of her.
This Stupid, Wonderful, Boring, Amazing Job – G – 1K – by @lilythesilly
A cute lil 'The Office' AU.
in calm or stormy weather – T – 4K – by @anniemurphys and @landofsonlali
On National Siblings Day, Alexis spends the day with her favorite brother Patrick, and David bonds with Twyla.
all i need is to see your face – G – 1K – by @wild-aloof-rebel
Alexis has doubts. Twyla knows how to soothe them.
got a fistful of four leaf clovers – T – 1K – by iphigenias
Two weeks before Christmas Alexis calls David.
“So I think I like someone,” she says.
all i want is you – T – 1K – by @landofsonlali
alexis is too restless to cuddle and worries about being a good partner to twyla who loves cuddling. twyla reassures her.
Fifty Shades of Gruyere – E – 2K – by @schittposting
Alexis and Twyla eat cheese and fuck.
I dreamt about you last night – G – 930 – by sonichallows
Alexis has a romantic dream about Twyla and tells her about it the next day.
Mistletoe – T – 2K – by in48frames
Alexis and Twyla go ice skating.
--
Twy, what are you doing here? You could be anywhere, doing anything. (Medium Reads)
Twyla's Cafe Podcast, An Alexis Rose Production, Produced by Alexis Rose (with help from Twyla) – T – 6K – by @whetherwoman
Twyla and Alexis start a podcast, and accidentally have some feelings along the way.
Crystal Clear – G – 6K – by @imalittlebitgogirl
Twyla and Alexis meet at a Winter Solstice celebration and bond over being newcomers...with more connections than they first realize.
take me out (and take me home) – M – 7K – by @anniemurphys and @landofsonlali
When Twyla’s Thanksgiving plans fall through at the last minute, Alexis flies back to Schitt’s Creek.
know that i’m yours (to keep) – T – 8K – by @anniemurphys
Five times Alexis and Twyla talk at Café Tropical.
And one time they talk somewhere else.
I Offer You My Heart – G – 10K – by @landofsonlali​, with art and podfic by @sunlightsymphony
Twyla is the owner of a coffee shop in Schitt's Creek and Alexis is a frequent customer, featuring pining, flirtation, and a whole lot of beverages and baked goods.
Oh Please, Not Now – T – by in48frames
“Oh,” Twyla says. “Yeah. Schitt’s Creek is super haunted."
Ladies Night Inn – T – 15K – by @imalittlebitgogirl
What if Twyla had accepted Alexis' invitation to a ladies night in her motel room after she and Mutt broke up?
i'm your moonlight, you're my star – M – 14K – by @sarahlevys and @anniemurphys
Twyla and Alexis spend the holidays together.
and the stars look very different today – T – 12K – by @hullomoon, with art from @hagface
Teaming up with a group of talented women, Alexis plans her next job
Hide Your Diamonds, Hide Your Exes – T – 8K – by @middyblue
Alexis may or may not be a diamond thief. Twyla is the FBI agent tasked with finding her.
heaven is a place not too far away – T – 8K – by @sarahlevys
Alexis' soulmate mark – the ability to sing – triggers when she moves to Schitt's Creek.
Pretty Follies – T – 9K – by @treepyful
Alexis and Twyla team up to play matchmaker for Stevie and Ruth.
Unfortunately, the course of true love never did run smooth.
Everything That We'd Ever Need – E – 12K – by @middyblue
5 times Twyla went skinny-dipping and 1 time she wore a dress.
Rollin' With the Homies – T – 9K – by @sarahlevys
The Clueless AU.
Phasers Set to Stunning – T – 9K so far (WIP – 2/4 chapters published) – by @kindofspecificstore
Patrick wins passes to San Diego Comic Con, and takes his best friend Twyla with him. Alexis Rose, rising star of Galactic Sunrise Bay, is attending for the first time and has her eyes on a super cute cosplayer.
--
I was thinking we could have a little ladies' night at my place. (Long Reads)
you and i and nobody else - E – 124K so far (WIP – 7/10 chapters published) – by @sarahlevys​ and @anniemurphys​
Twyla Sands and Alexis Rose meet on Mutt’s season of The Bachelor.
Maybe If You Stayed – E – 14K – by @fraudulentzodiac
“Years down the line, this is the moment she will look back on as the moment she should have known she was in love.“
your body’s poetry (speak to me) – E – 19K – by @anniemurphys
Ballet AU.
I’ve Only Ever Wanted Fire – M – 26K – by @sarahlevys​, with art from @rhetoricalk
Written for the prompt: Twyla is a real estate agent specializing in properties that are haunted or possessed. Alexis is looking for a new apartment.
Silence Lay Steadily – E – 44K – by @davidbrewer
A ghost story loosely inspired by The Haunting of Hill House.
like glass from sandy ground – M – 18K – by @middyblue
Five times Alexis ran from grief, and one time she didn't.
Taste of a Poison Paradise – M – 15K – by @lilythesilly
Be gay do crimes but make it a Harley Quinn AU.
Half of My Soul, as the Poets Say – E – 20K – by mixtapesandsunsets
Yes, she imagines telling the Alexis of two years ago, who had felt so untethered sitting next to Twyla outside these very rooms. You believe in fate. Your fate is right in front of you, Lex, you just need to reach out to meet it. It’s her. It has always been her.
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fantasysamsclub · 4 years
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so the adventure zone was recently picked up for an animated series.
hooray! good for the mcelroys. i’m glad they’re getting more mainstream. i’m glad they’re able to financially support themselves and their family with this fame. i’m glad taz has a chance to get new fans! i’m glad fans get to see some of the most iconic balance moments animated!
i also think it’s a monstrously bad idea.
(this is long and this may seem pretty mean and radical, but please read before fighting me on any of this. also this isn’t an attack on anyone that’s excited for any of this adaptation stuff! it’s good to be excited for this success. but also there are some things to consider.)
okay! so, up front: i think the taz animated series is a bad idea. i also think, retrospectively, the graphic novel was a bad idea. also i think the vox machina origins comic and animated series are bad ideas.
okay so this is going to get. a little long and rambly. but i’ll try to keep it organized.
1. TAZ Graphic Novel
now, when the first book was announced, i was excited! i’m still excited for the next one. aside from the blue/green elves thing, which i won’t ever forgive, carey’s doing a great job adapting this piece. i’ve met her before and she generally does know what she’s talking about, comics-wise, so i do think she was a very good choice to pick up the graphic novel
there are still problems! oh, are there problems. for example, i think everyone in the novel is characterized in a wildly different way than the original podcast. i can also get into this later if people want to hear about it, but! people have picked at that one before.
out of all the adaptations i’m going to talk about, this one is the best!
2. Vox Machina Origins
alright. context. i don’t know if i’ve said this on this platform before, but i’m a comic book artist (my big project is coming out this year, i’ll announce it on here, that’s not the point of this rant). and i bought the comic on a whim! it was a christmas present to me.
now, i know a lot of people read it and enjoyed it! and that’s great. i’m happy you got joy out of the book, really. i think every piece of art means something to someone, no matter its popularity or quality. and it did well, as far as i know! so that’s very good for CR and its fans. also i think pike is hot.
all that aside, the comic does suck very much.
i could go into a deep analysis of it (i CAN, if enough people actually want to see that?) but tldr: it’s rushed, both in production and story pacing. the character art is good! but you can see the shortcuts. the lettering is. awful. (that’s mostly a problem of modern comics in general though)
and i’m not blaming anyone at CR for these problems! really, if dark horse wants to pick up an adaptation, any writers from the original project should be heavily coached on how to write for a new medium. i’m not blaming matthew for that one! i know from firsthand experience that comic writing is different from anything else you will ever write, and is so difficult to get correct. as far as i knew, matt had never written for comics before! it would be really nice if he had some more resources to get this done right.
but that would cost money.
and that brings me to--
3. The Vox Machina Animated Series
wow! look at all that money everyone raised for this animated series. this animated series that the creators said they were raising money for so they could do it independently. hope they don’t go pitch it to a bigger company to do m--
and, it was sold to Amazon.
like, it didn’t even take them a month.
and in the current climate of how animation is bought and sold, i understand the need to sell it to a streaming service! you need a platform to let people view it, and youtube is in the shitter with its copyright stuff lately, so it makes sense to go private to keep your show safe. and then, you can maybe make more episodes after you run out of kickstarter money. i don’t hate that idea!
but amazon...hm.
it’s probably fine, right?
3.5. Wendy’s
haha remember when CR got sponsored by wendy’s and played their shitty rpg that wasn’t even balanced properly and then people called them out for it and then they donated all the money to a cause wendy’s hated to make up for it (good on them!) and then deleted the VOD off youtube? gosh, good times.
money makes people do strange things.
4. TAZ Animated Series
so, peacock has taz. sure! that works. it’s not the best company to pick this up, but it’s also not the worst. i’ll take that. i looked up the guy that’s slated to direct this and i don’t think he’s ever directed an animated show? which isn’t great, but that’s not what i’m worried about.
you know what i am worried about?
these big corporations don’t care if these adaptations are any good. they just want to cram as many iconic moments from your quirky, small-owned d&d podcasts to get you to give them money. for the mcelroys and the CR crew, it’s a passion project. to amazon and dark horse and NBC, it’s an investment.
you’re going to buy the book to see vax and vex bicker!
you’re going to tune in to watch magic brian!
you’re going to want to read pike meeting scanlan, of course!
you want to see “phantasmal and resplendent” animated!
here’s the other thing. when i see people talking about the animated series, this is exactly what they’re looking for.
“i want to watch merle dirty talk the plants on screen!”
“i want to see the taakitz date!”
“i want to see magnus do the julia scene...”
now, this mindset isn’t bad! no, if you’ve been thinking this, that’s okay! it’s really not my personal thought (i think adaptations are best when they DO change things in the story to better fit the new medium they’re going on) but it’s fine.
we might get tom arnold!
but you know what we’re not going to get?
we’re not going to get apologies and revisions when something goes wrong. we’re not going to get cute extra scenes because that would require more writing. we’re not going to get the same respect for the LGBTQ+ characters on screen. the people working on this show will not get paid what they’re worth.
we’re probably not going to get a trans actress for lup.
we’re probably going to see less of carey and killain.
we’re probably going to see even fewer black and brown characters than we already have.
why’s that?
because it’s a money project. they’re doing it for money. and they want to reach as wide of an audience as possible, right? “really, we need to cut back on this gay stuff so that straight people aren’t uncomfortable. we need to stay more moderate on this project so that more people will watch it!”
(that was sarcasm)
now, NBC has had some good shows! but that’s really the responsibility of their individual writers, and it’s usually in spite of the companies they work for, and not because of them.
once an author or an artist sells their project to a company for adaptation, they often lose all rights to input from it. i don’t know what the mcelroy’s or CR’s contracts are, but unless they have better lawyers than NBC or amazon.....they probably got shafted somehow.
it’s not a mcelroy product. it’s not a CR product. don’t pretend like it is.
you can enjoy it, but please be cautious. this is just a pile of money in a cheap taako costume. don’t trust it as much as you would the podcast.
tldr: individual creators are always going to make more genuine content than corporations that buy those creations for larger adaptations. it’s okay to enjoy these adaptations, but please be aware that it’s not going to have the same spirit or heart as the boys talking about masturbation on a filler show they did quickly so justin could go support his wife in labor.
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