#these will be prints if people end up liking them

[indierpgnewsletter]

The 1980 Dallas RPG was a Soap Opera Wargame?

In 1980, SPI, a company known for its wargames did a strange thing and published an RPG based on the Dallas tv show. If you don't know anything about the tv show, don't worry, I will protect you. It's too late for me though. You go on ahead. Basically, it was a hit TV show of big money family feuding. Imagine Succession but it was written in the 1980s and instead of TV news, it was an oil company. Unlike the show, the RPG wasn't a hit. The art director of the game famously wrote that they printed 80,000 copies and that was 79,999 more than people wanted. That one person seemed to be this person's grandma who bought it for him to save his soul from D&D/Satan.

What is this game though? Well, James F Dunnigan, founder of SPI and designer of legendary wargame, Panzerblitz, seems to have applied his analytical mind to the internecine squabbles of Dallas and decided that, if you think about it, petty family drama isn't so different from CIA covert ops. And he was right.

As you'd expect from a wargame, the rules are dry and clinical to a fault. You start by picking one of the 9 characters from the show - JR, Jock, Sue Ellen, Pam, etc. They all have stats like Persuasion, Coercion, Seduction. And these stats have attack/defend values. For example, JR has a Coercion of 24 because he's a real jerk. Sue Ellen has a Seduction resist of 18, but it's 20 against JR, because again, he seems to have been a real jerk. This game genuinely went out of its way to make sure you know JR's wife really really doesn't want to go near him.

Each character starts the session ("episode") with a secret story-based objective. Jock wants to run an angry former employee out of town, JR wants to cheat an Arab oil magnate out of 100 million dollars, Sue Ellen wants to do a favour for an old boyfriend. Yeah, what can I say? Some of these objectives feel more important than others. Regardless, you achieve these objectives by controlling 4 or more specific minor characters and organisations by the end of the game. For example, to enact his 100 million dollar plan, JR has to control the Ewing Oil Company, Mustafa Quattara, Professor Bayard, the reporter Mary Cleef, and so on. But characters' objective overlap so Pam also wants Mustafa Quattara and Jock also wants Professor Bayard. These conflicting goals means players need to scheme, negotiate and attack each other so they can win.

The sessions play out in five rounds. Each round, the GM sets the scene. Then, the players can negotiate and make deals. Then, we enter the conflict phase where each player makes three moves - either trying to gain control of uncontrolled NPCs, or attacking another player to steal an NPC from under them, or protecting their own NPCs. And the game throws in little curveballs every round: Oops, some of JR's drinking buddies are in town and he can't say no to them, so his character is out of this round. Hopefully the player has some NPCs that they can use to act instead. Oops, Mustafa Quattara is being chased by assassins. Whoever controls his card has to give it up as he disappears for a bit and comes back uncontrolled. The end result is somewhere in between Vampire the Masquerade (or rather, Undying) and Blood on the Clocktower.

Sure, the math is dense (you roll 2d6 under the difference between the attack value and the defense value, plus or minus any currency spent). Sure, it takes 9 players to really sing. Sure, multiple people can complete their objective so you need to track victory points separately to decide the real winner. Sure, you have to take the homophobia out of the Seduction rules. Sure, roleplaying is completely optional. Sure, sure, sure. The game is a mess. But it's a very playable mess. I'd go so far as to say it's an electric mess. It's shockingly (sorry) fun to play. I think the secret lies in a very clear agenda for the players, a tight boardgame-like action economy, a premise that supports hilarious degrees of pettiness, and an inter-personal experience that demands everyone pay attention to what their friends are doing.

So. Am I planning a full 9 person play-by-post game of this? Yes. Am I thinking of changing the setting and the math? Yes. Is that basically designing a new game? Yes. Should this game be labelled "Powered by Dallas" or, as one of my players suggested, "Hornswoggled by Dallas"? YES.

(This was first published in the Indie RPG Newsletter.)

#indie rpg #ttrpg #ttrpg community #ttrpg design #ttrpgsolidarity #rpg #game review

[canisalbus]

So I did end up printing two of your drawings (very bad experience 0/10, I had to interact with the people in the print house I'm antisocial) and I placed them in my bedroom wall. Now it's the first thing I see when I wake up. I'd send photos but there's a mirror right next to them and it reflects the rest of the room (looks bad). If I find a way to take the picture I'll send it (if you'd like to see) :)

For the record, I chose siesta and that one drawing where Machete falls off the bed (seemed fitting for a bedroom)

Anyway, can't wait for the 'official' prints ♡

Aaa that's so sweet ;_;

It feels special to know that for someone out there my art is one of the first things they see every morning 🧡

(I hope they don't cause you to fall off the bed as well).

#answered #anonymous #yes of course I'd like to see if you ever feel comfortable sending a pic #you can dm me if you don't want it published #the thing I see when waking up is my wardrobe and a bunch of reprint art nouveau postcards I have stuck on it

[bi-badass-geek]

Hades 1 vs Hades 2 Designs

● Hermes besides Hypnos was first character that made me think when i saw him oh some time has passed since Zag's escapes indeed, makes you feel that time skip. In this particular debate between those i'm really digging both but if needed to say which i prefer would go with second. I feel it should be said he sure rolls nicely with longer hair i would say darker outfit too but that's probably because pallet that's used for levels.

Ps. I saw post that mentioned how his ring is the same as ones Charon is wearing in first game and if it's a hint at something i'm here for it!

● Zeus for this god specifically there is discourse about how his pose is less dynamic and oh boy if i don't agree with that so much. In first game you see him and his look makes you think yeah this is the king of gods while in second game man is just there with posture i take often because i'm useless gay that don't know what to do with my hands and feels like they took all this might and put it into chiseling his nipples & abs into his golden chestplate. Not to mention the detail of missing the iconic bolt! Don't think it needs to be said but 100% would pick Hades 1 design out of those options.

● Poseidon the King of the Sea another example in my humble opinion where they went with flattening that dynamic looks exchanging it for man that just standing there chilling which is good for him but where first screams cool uncle second one goes uncle that wants retirement. I really like how we can see the trident now tho and need to point out his outfit sure got more print on it. When it comes down to pointing out which one is the winner in my eyes it would be 2020 one.

● Aphrodite if she wasn't the one that got thrown into drama because people double standards and hypocrisy. Design from first game and the pose straight up makes you think of love, lust, seduction all the things that are associated with said goddess. As for Hades 2 version i have no clue why it feels like this considering it's actually the opposite because we can see armor on her legs now but she feels less covered for me, do i find it negative or in any way problematic? Not one bit let the woman show off all her assets all day long! Really love the adds of her weapon and shield makes you immerse in the store of oh fights are happening around these parts. From seduction to i stand here at the ready kinda vibe and i'm really digging it.

Ps. Another post i read was about fact that her war paint i will call it (not 100% sure if that is it or just line for the giggles) is reference to Ares and considering her myth i really like that touch!

● Hypnos was the first OG i saw and was like man not only catching up on his sleep but also got such glow up i absolutely adore the design. Not to say he looked bad in Hades 1 but there it was like okay nice to Hades 2 like Damnnn and his lil helpers that keeps him up! Love the fact that of all things they made him be tucked into his cape like burrito.

Ps. I really do hope by the end of the game we get to wake him up so he can try out that nectar that we all leave there waiting.

● Chaos so many things to say and at the same time silence says it all. Seen people focusing on fact some out there call them he or how it's a downgrade from previous but don't even elaborate why they think that because everyone has right to have their own preference but at least put it into words instead of going trash next..there was also notion how they resemble Meg and while i see where people get that idea from for sure before reading that my mind didn't went there at all. I think both designs really work with someone who is primordial originator and how time goes so can their form. I find it very fascinating that they put old skeleton with new one and adore galaxy under suit makes me think of Nyx right away and how they're connected. Can totally see how between those two gamers got major stance that left reminds them more of male and right of female beings but at the end of the it chaos is chaos. Gotta take chair routine from Meg while they at it! The face on the shoulder surely throws me in loop tho fits? Sure. Does it disturb me in micro scale? Yes. About frames and poses don't have much to say cause both caption the essence of i mind my business everything unrelevant until i say so.

Ps. I know it's about physical aspect but let me say Chaos roasting Mel about how her brother is amusing one out of two Hades spawns is living rent free in my brain.

#Hades 2 #Hades 2 spoilers #games #I know i'm missin Demeter and Artemis but those ladies do be hating me with showing up since i planned to make this post #Funny enough they both don't want to show in Hades 1 now lol #will add them when i finally manage to grab ss of said individuals but in short i like Demeter better in H2 while Artemis works as is #in both games #Hades Zeus #Hades Hypnos #Hades Aphrodite #Hades Chaos #Hades Poseidon #Hades Hermes #while all that is said it's just purely my preference and i think in both games they're looking to use such lame expression good #so i ain't hating on either #I keep dying to sirens so there is probably more i haven't seen so if i catch anythin besides those i will update as it goes #i downloaded Hades again just for that rip my disc aint got any space lmao #feel free to come yell about Hades into my dms i only doin it to void at the moment which is tragic yall

[sylphy]

Endwalker + 6.X

#estinien varlineau #Vrtra #Hermes #Meteion #y'shtola rhul #Nidhana #Zero #varshahn #featuring my wol mianina #final fantasy 14 endwalker #endwalker spoilers #ffxiv #landscape practice #these will be prints if people end up liking them

[beesorcery]

hello it's part 3 of 3 for my cool fun graphic design adventure!! part 1 and part 2 got too long. to recap i am recreating this t-shirt design but with the magic 8 ball songs instead of city names:

here is the current draft, updated through 3/27 (pittsburgh) (!!!!)

#aaaa!!! #tried doing image descriptions for this one #feel free to send me better ones though and i can update the alt text!! or just put them in the replies/reblogs lol #bees' graphic design adventure #only 7 more shows........ wowie #OH ALSO ppl have been expressing interest in getting this as an actual shirt which is!! cool!! #idk how to do that though!! #if anyone has recommendations for websites or something to do that please please send them or reply to this post or something #at the very least i'll make the file available at the end so ppl can print it on whatever they want #i was gonna make a poster #but yeah let me know if there's a good way to do that!!! it's really cool that people are enjoying this i am having a lot of fun doing it #fob #fall out boy #2ourdust #gonna update after nashville des moines and minneapolis so 3 left!!! #i have already changed it since posting this because i am a freak <3 and i cant leave good enough alone lol #also i now have all the fonts <3 for the cities anyway #not the states but i’ve only used the states a few times so far for like the parentheses or punctuation or whatever #so if i end up needing those ill go find them whatever #anywayyyy yeehaw see u all in like 4 days

[butterflies-and-bumble-bees]

*screams into the void*

#about tto start crying because I'm so stressed about school starting this week #and graduating at the end of the semester #And having to call a guy at work to set up a leave of absence for the semester #since I'm gonna have myahands full student teaching #and getting finger prints taken tomorrow for the background check for my student teaching position #And figuring out what I want to do for my birthday #(Cause I don't want to call my friend and be like hey wanna come to my birthday party pls don't bring a gift #Cause they will bring a gift anyway and that feels selfish) #I just want to hang out with my friends #Like maybe just ask a few if they wanna do like a girls night out and go get supper at chili's or smth #But also I don't want to invite too many people if we're going to a restaurant #cause more than like 5 people at a restaurant feels crowded and over stimulating #And i.have some friends who if I invite them I would feel like I have to invite their moms #cause I'm also sorta friends w/them and my mom is friends with them (my mom will also probably be coming) #And the two friends I'd normally just be like “hey do you wanna hang out on X day” are out of state at college #so I'm nervous about doing that with my other friends who I don't know as well

[elisedonut]

i finally found these cute little clothes pins i bought for decorating so might fuck around and print a bunch of art/screenies to decorate a bit so i can feel like i’m accomplishing something 

#percy weasley #merthur #to be specific #as well as a certain Miraculous character that my nieces reminded me i used to be obsessed with #oh and maybe zero escape i miss them #not any of the characters i have a ton of merch for though because there's no point in making merch for them #wait is printing art something people still do or am i showing im old again #i feel like its the same as printing fanfic to read physically but im also not an artist so maybe its one of those things people #dont really like when people do anymore #i used to have this poster board with a ton of fanart i just printed and added when i was like 14 i just want that vibe back #i also got those paint color testers from walmart and think i might use them to craft a bit #i think it might end up cute #anyway i live alone btw so my whole house is just anime and fandom merch all over the place

[teeth-farie]

Me literally begging on my knees for you to sell your recent Simeon drawing as a print 🙏🙏🙏

I would like to one day!!! Right now I’m saving for a new printer so the quality of my products increase, so I’ll be able to make my prints instead of outsourcing them (like I did with the mammon prints). But I do plan to one day make the simeon piece into a print!

#mail #I had outsourced for the fem mammon prints and ordered like 25 #but only three people ended up ordering them so I have a lot left over #so I’d rather print as it’s ordered than outsource again

[freepassbound]

1, 8 and 15 😁

1. What kind of driver are you? (calm, angry, timid, etc.)

More and more, I as a driver am simply done with everyone else who doesn't have a clue how to drive. I demand the power to revoke licenses at my discretion. 😤

8. If you were given $500 and told you had to spend it in an hour (not online!), what would you do?

You know, I'm not sure if I could spend $500 at the bookstore... though then again, I'm not sure I could spend less than an hour at the bookstore trying to pick out the $500 of stuff. 😂

The easiest thing would be clothes... though even then, not sure I could get it done in an hour.

15. What’s your favorite piece of art in your living space?

It's an illustration of the whole Great Lakes system, with some of the more notable shipwrecks represented - one of my original hyperfixations!

#I tried to take a picture but the computer camera is trash 😂 #(I have a bunch of my own pictures printed out and framed - but I haven't put them up) #(...it's been a year 😬) #I'd feel bad blowing $500 on clothes #when the objective is that they wouldn't fit by the end of the year #(and of course I'd feel equally bad buying any on spec) #(probably the real answer is that I wouldn't manage it in an hour and the money would be taken away 😅) #(I'm not good with major expenditures) #(*lots* of overthinking) #I was going to say I should get to decide if anyone gets a license in the first place #but that sounds like a lot of work #there are people who can't even figure out *stop signs* for crying out loud 🤬 #though my latest bane is people who don't understand pressure-activated traffic lights #thank you Gaby! 😊 #asks

[oneknightlight]

Something I didn’t actually realize until I was making Hita’s bracers in October (and probably is why they’re my first hot-glue fueled project that stuck together) is that apparently for really sturdy hot glue’s, like gorilla brand stuff, there is actually certain heat settings you’re supposed to administer for it to stick correctly to different substances. Like fabric and foam required low heat only.

And it was the first time I’d made armor with hot glue and had it actually bond, I’d say almost permanently. I could rip it apart if I was really fucking trying, but it’s impossible to get apart unless you’re trying on purpose to break them.

#I’m grateful because my eldest brother is a big crafty guy #like a . I print iron on vinyl in complicated shapes out of my cricket and glue them to coffee mugs to give you for Christmas #kinda crafty #and he gave me a high end hot glue gun for Christmas when I was 16 so I can wield those glues that require a specific temp #which. unfortunately usually work better #it sucks there isn’t a cheap way to make hot glue behave like contact cement because it’s a good alternative #but yeah if you have heat settings on your glue gun #pay attention to what your glue says will work for what substance #Walt cosplays #cosplay tips I guess #I notice a lot of people just kinda fire up their hot glue gun with whatever glue poles they have laying around #to insane temperatures #because the cheaper ones don’t have temp dials (I know I started with a cheap one) #and those insane temperatures might be great for like. bonding plastic or metal maybe #but leather and fabric and foam want the low low heat like. just melting the glue heat

[crimsonblackrose]

Forgot how much I miss book people and artists. Like this dude makes books out of recycled packaging for his sketchbooks and I just...loved it. Like yes, let me cut up a old coffee bag and turn it into something new or a tea box. Not to mention he showed us all these different stitching's people have come up with and I just...I wanna make them. Let me sew lotus patterns into the side of a doughnut box. One problem however...what to do with all these handmade books? I do not want to become a zucchini farmer.*

#mumblings #*I think it's zucchini but essentially you end up with so many of them you just dump them in people's mail boxes #😅 i love it but at the same time I don't need a thousand notebooks I will never use because I made them myself #I saw this having screwed up my first book because I forgot what a pain thread is #and how I tend to go through the thread #and then knot it because I stop paying attention #so probably not going to make all these cool things #But it would be nice to unroll my paper and actually put all of it to use #the urge to also print out my stuff and make a portfolio is strong too #again. because my graduation portfolio I handmade #but I don't know how to print actual text and do a stab binding the proper way #there's not enough space in the margins #but oh I am 1000% noodling that idea #esp because my step mom gave me my first published article that my dad printed out #and lol I have some ridiculous fics that it might be kind of fun to see physically #but no printer would survive that #now though I gotta dig out my needles because time ran out so I have a half finished book #also library is so dangerous #I found a cookbook that is for holidays and events #and the amount of steps and details that goes into everything...they're all like 5 day projects #but I still want to make some #like the baker teaches you how to make edible moss for earth style cakes or big dessert terrariums #the issue is half the household is off sweets atm and I don't know who to like impart these on

[quemirabobo]

Looking back to high school, my friends and i took every opportunity we had (and those we didn't we took them anyway) to act in the most awkward way possible

#I'm not talking about behavior (although it would also be true) #I'm talking about acting #we turned every presentation as an excuse to act and deliver the most terrible performance with 98% inside jokes that no one understood #it was so fun and out of the blue i would do it all over again #we also had theater classes and we acted everytime we could but with the same principle #of course everything we did was weird as fuck or in best case scenario a comedy #our logic was 'they bully and cast us outside regardless what we do‚ let's have fun' and we did #and when our classmates stopped hating us (the group of girls who treated us like shit changed classes and then the rest realized #we couldn't care less about them and I was friend with one of them so they were chill only the last year) #so we pulled them all into the madness and every presentation ended up as a video from all the class doing the most weird shit ever #and of course with the bloopers #most times the videos had nothing to do with the assignment but since the whole class was involved they let it be #but the other 5 years when we were from 4 to 6/7 girls? i think the teachers thought that since we embarrassed ourselves it would be mean #to fail us‚ or maybe they thought we were hilarious as fuck‚ or (probably the most realistic) they knew that our lives were a complete mess #so they looked the other side #but honestly i have no idea how we passed that history class when we had to make a presentation about renown people and all we did was #print Madame Curie face (it ended up green because the printer was almost dead) cut the eyes so i could see and use it as a fucking mask #one of my friend was 'the teacher' who announced that 'look who came to today's class' and i appeared talking with an accent that i used to #make because we thought it was funny (not even russian) and started to talk about radioactivity (literally reading the paper while trying #to not laugh) while my friends were openly laughing so still 'in character' (we barely knew anything about her) i started to scold them #the teacher of course didn't understand why the fuck we were acting but she laughed either way #and thought we were funny enough so we passed 🙌 #anyways #chronicles of Yu's life

[steinbit]

does an animorphs full collection box set exist? if not it should tbh

#animorphs #like one with like 5 books or so in one #??? maybe?? #including the megamorphs and chronicles it would only be like 14 books in stead of over 60 #like i #i would LOVE to own all of the og books but #there are only So Many full collections out there since the og books haven't been in print since Forever #and trying to scour the internet and whatever thrift store i pass for 'em seems like SUCH a daunting task orz #SUPER tempted to just put something together myself and print personal copies since all the books are free online anyways #haven't done book design since high school but im sure i'll be able to dig up at least a lil bit of forgotten knowledge haha #ALSO if i inlude the megas and the chronics what order should i put them in?? #*INCLUDE #publishing date?? chronological order?? plot based order?? other suggested orders?? ? ? #or maybe i should keep them separate in the own box sets?? #*their own #im just spitballing here feel free to come with input sdhfghhh h h #if i end up doing it i'll probably share the pdf's so that other people can enjoy them too :'^) #OH to own all of animorphs in a good quality hardcover collection... . #*sighs dreamily* #distracting myself from my dog's death by throwing myself into like 10 different Big Projects lmaoo #i haven't been This creatively productive since Forever haha (-': #does fish make noise??

[gothhabiba]

eSims for Gaza is facing constant eSim shortages.

They get over a thousand requests for connection a day, but their email inbox is regularly sitting at 300-500 eSims. With the bombardment of Rafah and continual internet blackouts, the need for more eSims is particularly urgent.

Even if you have already sent an eSim or donated to an eSim donation drive, there is more you can do. The team is calling for people to campaign in their communities to help spread the word about eSims and encourage donations.

You can help by printing out posters and putting them up in local businesses, on telephone poles and notice boards, or wherever people are likely to see them.

[ID: Poster headed “eSIMs for Gaza” with an illustration of a red poppy, a QR code, and a link to tinyurl.com/gaza-esims; copy reads “Sending eSIMs is an immediate, concrete way to help Gazans on the ground. Scan below to learn how you can get involved.” End ID]

Download color poster (18 x 24")

Download color flyer (8.5 x 11")

Download black and white poster

(For a black and white flyer on A4 / 8.5 x 11" printer paper, just print out the black and white poster: the extra white margin space won't matter.)

Or make your own poster, pamphlet, or protest sign with one of these QR codes:

#esims for gaza #Palestine #gaza genocide #gaza under attack #free palestine #esims #action

[absentlyabbie]

seriously, though. i work in higher education, and part of my job is students sending me transcripts. you'd think the ones who have the least idea how to actually do that would be the older ones, and while sure, they definitely struggle with it, i see it most with the younger students. the teens to early 20s crowd.

very, astonishingly often, they don't know how to work with .pdf documents. i get garbage phone screenshots, sometimes inserted into an excel or word file for who knows what reason, but most often it's just a raw .jpg or other image file.

they definitely either don't know how to use a scanner, don't have access to one, or don't even know where they might go for that (staples and other office supply stores sometimes still have these services, but public libraries always have your back, kids.) so when they have a paper transcript and need to send me a copy electronically, it's just terrible photos at bad angles full of thumbs and text-obscuring shadows.

mind bogglingly frequently, i get cell phone photos of computer screens. they don't know how to take a screenshot on a computer. they don't know the function of the Print Screen button on the keyboard. they don't know how to right click a web page, hit "print", and choose "save as PDF" to produce a full and unbroken capture of the entirety of a webpage.

sometimes they'll just copy the text of a transcript and paste it right into the message of an email. that's if they figure out the difference between the body text portion of the email and the subject line, because quite frankly they often don't.

these are people who in most cases have done at least some college work already, but they have absolutely no clue how to utilize the attachment function in an email, and for some reason they don't consider they could google very quickly for instructions or even videos.

i am not taking a shit on gen z/gen alpha here, i'm really not.

what i am is aghast that they've been so massively failed on so many levels. the education system assumed they were "native" to technology and needed to be taught nothing. their parents assumed the same, or assumed the schools would teach them, or don't know how themselves and are too intimidated to figure it out and teach their kids these skills at home.

they spend hours a day on instagram and tiktok and youtube and etc, so they surely know (this is ridiculous to assume!!!) how to draft a formal email and format the text and what part goes where and what all those damn little symbols means, right? SURELY they're already familiar with every file type under the sun and know how to make use of whatever's salient in a pinch, right???

THEY MUST CERTAINLY know, innately, as one knows how to inhale, how to type in business formatting and formal communication style, how to present themselves in a way that gets them taken seriously by formal institutions, how to appear and be competent in basic/standard digital skills. SURELY. Of course. RIGHT!!!!

it's MADDENING, it's insane, and it's frustrating from the receiving end, but even more frustrating knowing they're stumbling blind out there in the digital spaces of grown-up matters, being dismissed, being considered less intelligent, being talked down to, because every adult and system responsible for them just

ASSUMED they should "just know" or "just figure out" these important things no one ever bothered to teach them, or half the time even introduce the concepts of before asking them to do it, on the spot, with high educational or professional stakes.

kids shouldn't have to supplement their own education like this and get sneered and scoffed at if they don't.

[redgoldsparks]

My very last comic for The Nib! End of an era! Transcription below the cut. instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

The first event I went to with GENDER QUEER was in NYC in 2019 at the Javits Center.

So many of the people who came to my signing were librarians, and so many of them said the same thing: "I know exactly who I want to give this to!" Maia: "Thank you for helping readers find my book!" While working on the book, I was genuinely unsure if anyone outside of my family and close friends would read it. But the early support of librarians and two American Library Association awards helped sell two print runs in first year.

Since then, GENDER QUEER been published in 8 languages, with more on the way: Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portugese and Dutch.

It has also been the most banned book in the United States for the past two years. The American Library Association has tracked an astronomical increase in book challenges over the past few years. Most of these challenges are to books with diverse characters and LGBTQ themes. These challenges are coming unevenly across the US, in a pattern that mirrors the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people. The Brooklyn Public Library offered free eCards to anyone in the US aged 13-21, in an effort to make banned books more available to young readers. A teacher in Norman, Oklahoma gave her students the QR code for the free eCard and lost her job. Summer Boismeir is now working for the Brooklyn Public Library. Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive, apps used to access digital library books, are now banned in Mississippi to anyone under 18. Some libraries won’t allow anyone under 18 to get any kind of library card without parental permission. When librarians in Jamestown, Michigan refused to remove GENDER QUEER and several other books, the citizens of the town voted down the library’s funding in the fall 2022 election. Without funding, the library is due to close in mid-2024. My first event since covid hit was the American Library Association conference in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Once again, the librarians in my signing line all had similar stories for me: “Your book was challenged in our district" "It was returned to the shelf!" "It was removed from the shelf..." "It was moved to the adult section."

Over and over I said: "Thank you. Thank you for working so hard to keep my book in your library. I’m sorry you had to defend it, but thank you for trying, even if it didn't work." We are at a crossroads of freedom of speech and censorship. The future of libraries, both publicly funded and in schools, are at stake. This is massively impacting the daily lives of librarians, teachers, students, booksellers, and authors around the country. In May 2023, I read an article from the Washington Post analyzing nearly 1000 of the book challenges from the 2021-2022 school year. I was literally on route to a festival to talk about book bans when I read a startling statistic. 60% of the 1000 book challenges were submitted by just 11 people. One man alone was responsible for 92 challenges. These 11 people seem to have made submitting copy-cat book challenges their full-time hobby and their opinions are having an outsized ripple effect across the nation. WE NEED TO MAKE THE VOICES SUPPORTING DIVERSE BOOKS AND OPPOSING BOOK BANS EVEN LOUDER. If you are able too, show up for your library and school board meetings when book challenges are debated. Send supportive comments and emails about the Pride book display and Drag Queen story hours. If you see a display you like– for Banned Book Week, AAPI Month, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Jewish holidays, Trans Day of Remembrance– compliment a librarian! Make sure they feel the love stronger than the hate <3

Maia Kobabe, 2023

The Nib

#maia kobabe #banned books #library funding #comics #book challenges