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Finishing Out Summer 2020 TBR List! - Updated 7/31

Starting back in March, I was adding novel after novel for purposes of reading during social distancing and Summer 2020. I’m hoping you all found some great reads, even if you haven’t been able to read them all. *Here is another batch to round out Summer 2020, and I’m thrilled by the selection that includes sapphic, trans MCs, and more eras and locations than any list to date.

Leather and Lace by Rebel Carter (Good Sky series #5) - May 20th - sapphic

Mary Sophia James came to Gold Sky, Montana to find a husband at the insistence of her overbearing mother. Striking out in spectacular fashion after setting her eye on Julian Baptiste, her options are dwindling, and time is running out. She needs to find a man to marry before her condition becomes…obvious. Her mother’s prejudices and sharp tongue aren’t helping matters and Mary, to her shame, hasn’t behaved much better. But all her plans are derailed when she spots the most beautiful person she’s ever seen across the town square. Alex Pierce is strong, intriguing, looks stunning in a pair of trousers…and a woman.

Gold Sky is accepting of all types of love, and that between women is no different. Still, Alex didn’t expect to be so floored by the sight of the firey haired, yet fragile looking young woman. Mary needs to be married and Alex has a solution. Because in Gold Sky, Montana there are many ways to be married…and not all of them include a man.

Leather and Lace is a 35k word novella set at the same time as the events of book 2, Hearth and Home. It includes a passionate and romantic f/f love in a town where diversity, and love, reign supreme.

Note : Leather and Lace has a bit of mail-order, arranged married, kind of secret baby with some foreced proximity sprinkled on top!

The Sugared Game by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures #2) - August 26th

It’s been two months since Will Darling saw Kim Secretan, and he doesn’t expect to see him again. What do a rough and ready soldier-turned-bookseller and a disgraced, shady aristocrat have to do with each other anyway? But when Will encounters a face from the past in a disreputable nightclub, Kim turns up, as shifty, unreliable, and irresistible as ever. And before Will knows it, he’s been dragged back into Kim’s shadowy world of secrets, criminal conspiracies, and underhand dealings. This time, though, things are underhanded even by Kim standards. This time, the danger is too close to home. And if Will and Kim can’t find common ground against unseen enemies, they risk losing everything.

The Revolutionary and the Rogue by Blake Ferre - August 24th

Perrin deVesey knows pain. As a member of Crimson Rose, a secret club for men who love men, he’s taken the vow “to stand and shield.” Standing together during these perilous times is the only thing keeping their necks from the guillotine. Now their leader is using the club to rescue wrongly accused traitors. After losing a past lover to an unjust execution, the decision to support this treasonous cause is easy…until a devastatingly handsome Committee Officer complicates Perrin’s whole world. Officer Henri Chevalier hates aristocrats. But the man he finds while investigating Crimson Rose is more than just wealthy and fancily clothed. He’s a rogue that could take him to the heart of the uprising and stop it before it starts. His plan to get close to Perrin and steal his secrets backfires, though, when Henri finds himself falling for the damned aristo and his dangerous smile. His heart is even more conflicted as he learns the truth behind their cause…and the truth his own people have been hiding. Together they must make the choice—to stand and shield at any cost—and their love might be the deadliest weapon in all of France.

Healing Lance by MD Grimm (A Warrior’s Redemption #1)- July 28th

A baby’s laughter. A mind uncaged. Lance is known as Scourge, the warrior in the black armor, the dog of the warlord Ulfr Blackwolf. He was just a boy when Ulfr found him and molded him into the perfect weapon. He slaughters and pillages on command, merciless and numb, devoid of emotions. Then a baby girl laughs at him during a raid. And everything changes. When Gust, a talented healer, is out deer hunting and stumbles across a magnificent horse bearing a mortally wounded rider, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Gust applies all his skills to his patient, determined to save the rider’s life, and is rewarded when the man opens his eyes. As friendship, and more, bloom between warrior and healer, so does the danger over the horizon. Ulfr has not forgotten, and Lance must take his first steps on the long road to redemption.

The rest of the series is either out this Summer or finishes in Sept!

Unhallowed: A Novel of Widdershins (Rath & Rune Book #1) by Jordan L Hawk - July 17th

Monsters. Murder. Librarians. Librarian Sebastian Rath is the only one who believes his friend Kelly O’Neil disappeared due to foul play. But without any clues or outside assistance, there’s nothing he can do to prove it. When bookbinder Vesper Rune is hired to fill the vacancy left by O’Neil, he receives an ominous letter warning him to leave. After he saves Sebastian from a pair of threatening men, the two decide to join forces and get to the truth about what happened to O’Neil. But Vesper is hiding secrets of his own, ones he doesn’t dare let anyone learn. Secrets that grow ever more dangerous as his desire for Sebastian deepens. Because Kelly O’Neil was murdered. And if Sebastian and Ves don’t act quickly enough, they’ll be the next to die.

My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff - July 17th - sapphic - time travel

The year is 1888. Brilliant and beautiful, Lady Jane Crichton has fought the constraints of her Victorian Edinburgh upbringing to become one of the first women to attend university for medicine. Denied a degree because of her gender, she decides to marry a closeted gay man, providing him with political and social cover and herself with the time and money to pursue her scientific interests—one of which is a time machine. Jane’s machine works…but not exactly as she expected, and soon she has crash-landed in the 13th-century Scottish Highlands. There she is rescued by a wild, red-haired warrior woman, Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill, next in line to the chiefship of the great Clan Donald, the rulers of the Sea Kingdom of the Isles. Despite the constant threat of attacks from enemy clans, harsh winters and a touch of homesickness, Jane finds herself bewitched by this land, this time and this magnificent woman. The rough and warlike Ainslie also feels the magic and revels in a passion and love neither she nor Jane had ever imagined. But Jane is hiding a dangerous secret—one that threatens to tragically transform their Highland fairy tale.

Kinship and Kindness by Kara Jorgensen (A Paranormal Society Romance #1) - releases July 29th -trans MC

Bennett Reynard needs one thing: to speak to the Rougarou about starting a union for shifters in New York City before the delegation arrives. When his dirigible finally lands in Louisiana, he finds the Rougarou is gone and in his stead is his handsome son, Theo, who seems to care for everyone but himself. Hoping he can still petition the Rougarou, Bennett stays only to find he is growing dangerously close to Theo Bisclavret. Theo Bisclavret thought he had finally come to terms with never being able to take his father’s place as the Rougarou, but with his father stuck in England and a delegation of werewolves arriving in town, Theo’s quiet life is thrown into chaos as he and his sister take over his duties. Assuming his father’s place has salted old wounds, but when a stranger arrives offering to help, Theo knows he can’t say no, even if Mr. Reynard makes him long for things he had sworn off years ago. As rivals arrive to challenge Theo for power and destroy the life Bennett has built, they know they must face their greatest fears or risk losing all they have fought for. With secrets threatening to topple their worlds, can Theo and Bennett let down their walls before it’s too late?

More under the cut...!!!!

My Highland Laird: Sci-Regency Book #5 by JL Langley - releases August 10th

Bannon Thompson, talented artist and youngest son of the Duke of Eversleigh, is hastily shipped off after his latest indiscretion. After crashing on rural Skye, leaving him and his valet the sole survivors of a diplomatic mission, Bannon must navigate the complexities of a primitive clan society and take up a role he never wanted: helping a sexy Highlander ensure the safety of both their planets.

Laird Ciaran MacKay wants nothing more than to keep his clan safe from the off-world intruders who killed his father. Suspecting complicity among his own people, he has no choice but to trust outsiders from a spaceship crash—and he can’t seem to fight his attraction to the stubborn redhead. Drawn to the handsome laird, Bannon risks a bold affair. But there is more at stake than reputations as they find two lost Regelens and uncover the Intergalactic Navy’s plot.

Artful Deception by Jackson Marsh (The Clearwater Myseries Book #5)

“Deception. The lie that tells the truth."

A damaged painting tempts Lord Clearwater to a final battle with his arch-enemy, and it's not a summons he can ignore.

Archer must free his homicidal brother from incarceration and reinstate him to the title. He will be left humiliated and penniless, but free to live his life with Silas with no threat of exposure. The alternative is death.

Drawing inspiration from a work of art, Clearwater manipulates a series of illusions to stay one step ahead of the endgame. While James, Tom and Silas race to solve clues and reach Archer before the fatal deadline, the assassin, Dorjan, remains hot on his heels ready to kill.

The sixth book in The Clearwater Mysteries series brings back popular characters from previous adventures in a fast-paced, twisting mystery that can have only one of two possible endings.

Or perhaps one of three. After all, deception is the lie that tells the truth.

Ten or Fifteen Miles by BL Maxwell - May 27th

Tim Latham had only been riding for the Pony Express for a week before he has to show the new guy the trail. Being raised on a farm in the Sacramento area, the Pony Express gave him an opportunity to see more of the country beyond his family’s little plot of land. He loves everything about the job: the adventure, the scenery, and the speed. Racing the wind on the back of a horse was as close to perfect as he could imagine.

Jeremiah Rollins grew up in San Francisco under the shadow of his father's successful shipping business. But Jeremiah craves the adventure he reads about in the dime novels he can’t get enough of. On a whim, and despite his father’s disapproval, he signs up for the Pony Express and leaves his old life behind for the steep, rocky trails that cross the Sierra Nevada. Both men are excited to begin their journey on their first ride together to Nevada Territory. They set out, making their way from station to station, racing as fast as their horses can carry them, and their friendship grows every mile. They both wanted adventure, but they may end up getting more than they dreamed of. Every ten or fifteen miles brings new experiences, and new feelings that grow with each mile they pass.

People Like Us by Ruby Moone (Winsford Green #2) - July 21st

Arthur Fitch clawed his way out of the violence and poverty of the slums of London to become a valet to the aristocracy. His ambition to secure a higher position led him to a disastrous appointment with a cold, brutal man, and when things come to a head, Arthur is forced to flee into a snowstorm to find safety. Joseph Wilkinson is the Winsford Green blacksmith. He has a good life, good friends, owns a thriving business, but at the end of the day when he goes home, loneliness consumes him. When he stumbles upon a small man determinedly trudging through the snowstorm, he invites him into his home to shelter. Arthur Fitch is older, smart-mouthed, and as prickly as hell. But, as Joe peels back the layers, he discovers a warm, funny, vulnerable man whose tastes in the bedchamber leave Joe gasping and desperate for more. Trouble is, having found the real Arthur Fitch, how can he convince him that life in a small town can be infinitely better than working for an Earl? That love really is possible for people like them? Particularly when Arthur’s past catches up with him in horrifying fashion.

Seaworthy bu KL Noone (Character Bleed Book #1) - August 1st - bisexual MC - contemporary, but with a lot of historical touches

An epic motion picture! A gay Napoleonic War love story! Ballrooms and battles at sea! Romantic happy endings on the silver screen! And a film that’ll change everything for its stars ... Jason Mirelli can’t play adrenaline-fueled action heroes forever. He’s getting older, plus the action star parts have grown a little thinner since he came out as bisexual. This role could finally let him be seen as a serious dramatic actor, and he needs it to go well -- for his career, and because he’s fallen in love with the story and the chance to tell it. The first problem? He’ll be playing a ship’s captain ... and he hasn’t exactly mentioned his fear of water. The second problem? His co-star: award-winning, overly talkative, annoyingly adorable -- and openly gay – box office idol Colby Kent. Colby’s always loved the novel this film’s based on, and he leapt at the chance to adapt it, now that he has the money and reputation to make it happen. But scars and secrets from his past make filming a love story difficult ... until Jason takes his hand and wakes up all his buried desires. Jason could be everything Colby’s ever wanted: generous and kind, a fantastic partner on set, not to mention those heroic muscles. But Colby just can’t take that chance ... or can he? As their characters fall in love and fight a war, Colby and Jason find themselves falling, too ... and facing the return of their own past demons. But together they just might win ... and write their own love story.

The Engineer (Magic & Steam Book #1) by CS Poe - May 28th

1881—Special Agent Gillian Hamilton is a magic caster with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam. He’s sent to Shallow Grave, Arizona, to arrest a madman engineer known as Tinkerer, who’s responsible for blowing up half of Baltimore. Gillian has handled some of the worst criminals in the Bureau’s history, so this assignment shouldn’t be a problem. But even he’s taken aback by a run-in with the country’s most infamous outlaw, Gunner the Deadly. Gunner is also stalking Shallow Grave in search of Tinkerer, who will stop at nothing to take control of the town’s silver mines. Neither Gillian nor Gunner are willing to let Tinkerer hurt more innocent people, so they agree to a very temporary partnership. If facing illegal magic, Gatling gun contraptions, and a wild engineer in America’s frontier wasn’t enough trouble for a city boy, Gillian must also come to terms with the reality that he’s rather fond of his partner. But even if they live through this adventure, Gillian fears there’s no chance for love between a special agent and outlaw. Based on the short story, “Gunner the Deadly.” Entirely revised, newly expanded, and Book One in the exciting new steampunk series, Magic & Steam.

Pirate’s Promise (Pirate’s of Port Royal Book #1) by Jules Radcliffe - May 12th - the rest of the series is also out this Summer!

Press-ganged as a boy, Job Wright must learn how to live as a free man.

For years Job has been a captive, treated as a servant—and sometimes more—by a crooked merchant crew. Until the day his ship is attacked by pirates. English pirates, no less, and Brethren of the Coast, a brotherhood of free men who owe allegiance to no one but themselves. Job thinks he's been rescued at last, but he's badly mistaken. As an Englishman aboard a Spanish ship, the Brethren believe he's a traitor and an enemy. But just when pirate justice is about to be delivered, Garrett Dubh intervenes. He both saves Job's life and recruits him to the pirate ship Audacious.

Surrounded by a fearsome crew, Job finds protection under Garrett's wing. He's ready to do anything for the handsome pirate—things he'd never willingly do for another man. But Garrett ignores Job's shy overtures. He believes Job is too traumatised by his past. Too young to know what he wants. And nothing Job says will change his mind.

To show Garrett he can take care of himself, Job leaves the safety of the Audacious. He joins the most ruthless Brethren crew in the Caribbean, led by the enigmatic and cruel Rusé.

But in the French pirate haven of Tortuga, thoughtless actions can have fatal consequences, something Job is about to discover. And this time, Garrett isn't there to save him.

Chasing a Legacy by D. A Ravenscroft - May 2020

Against the tense political backdrop of the Second French Empire, siblings Camille and Marianne find themselves wrestling with personal demons both past and present. As Camille strives to keep family secrets buried and unveil a plot against them, Marianne becomes involved with the handsome Baron Auclair and his mysterious younger sister. Little do the siblings know that soon their very different lives will come crashing together…

The sequel to a sequel! In this follow up to the unofficial Les Mis sequel ‘Chasing a Ghost’, we follow Enjolras and Grantaire’s children, Camille and Marianne, through dangers untold and family strife. Set in 1866, towards the end of the Second Empire, this story has murder, mystery, romance, drama, comedy, and a pet lion. And yes, it’s very, very queer.

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/d-a-ravenscroft/chasing-a-legacy/paperback/product-y58wrq.html

Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks Book #3) - June 23rd

Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world. Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on. As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?

Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures #1)- August 31st

In 1920s Scotland, even ghosts wear plaid.

Welcome to a sexy, spooky new paranormal historical series from debut author Ella Stainton.

Scotland, 1928

Dr. Ainsley Graham is cultivating a reputation as an eccentric.

Two years ago, he catastrophically ended his academic career by publicly claiming to talk to ghosts. When Joachim Cockburn, a WWI veteran studying the power of delusional thinking, arrives at his door, Ainsley quickly catalogues him as yet another tiresome Englishman determined to mock his life’s work.

But Joachim is tenacious and openhearted, and Ainsley’s intrigued despite himself. He agrees to motor his handsome new friend around to Scotland’s most unmistakable hauntings. If he can convince Joachim, Ainsley might be able to win back his good name and then some. He knows he’s not crazy—he just needs someone else to know it, too.

Joachim is one thesis away from realizing his dream of becoming a psychology professor, and he’s not going to let anyone stop him, not even an enchanting ginger with a penchant for tartan and lewd jokes. But as the two travel across Scotland’s lovely—and definitely, definitely haunted—landscape, Joachim’s resolve starts to melt. And he’s beginning to think that an empty teaching post without the charming Dr. Graham would make a very poor consolation prize indeed…

The Gentleman’s Thief by Isobel Starling (Resurrectionist Book #2)

Tuesday 28th December 1897. Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, London, receives an unexpected visitor at his Bloomsbury home. The man on his stoop sends Benedict’s heart into a flutter, and on inviting the mysterious stranger into his house, he is inviting mystery, adventure, and volcanic desire.

Sebastian Cavell—master thief, gives the impression he has sought out Benedict for the sake of business, but the kind of business Sebastian has in mind has nothing to do with making money!

Cavell has been tasked with finding the whereabouts of a missing German aristocrat. With Benedict’s society connections, Sebastian gains access to his Gentleman’s Club and to men whose behavior is not so gentlemanly!

Benedict is pulled into the circle of a dangerous secret society and he not only learns the truth about the mysterious Sebastian Cavell, but learns the truth about himself and all he truly desires.

The Curse of the Mummy’s Heart by Julia Talbot - June 30th

Something is rising in the desert sand, and between two adventurous men.

Famous 1920s Hollywood actor Douglas Fitzhugh and his brother Donnie are headed for Egypt on a classic monster movie quest. Their mysterious benefactor, a man they call Grant, has sent them to find a stranded archaeologist, and all they have to go on is a handwritten journal. That's just the kind of adventure Douglas loves, and he never passes up the chance to get away from his studio-driven life.

Charles Angeloff is also on his way to Egypt with a special object his father has asked him to return to the tomb he ripped it from. Charles is just out of university, and when he meets Douglas, he falls hard for Douglas' charm and his worldly ways.

As they travel, more men of adventure join them: a cowboy, a rich seminary student, and a librarian. When they're all together, it's like magic happens, and the men all realize they're on a mission to stop the horror that stirs beneath the desert sands, even as that creature sets its sights on Charles. Will Douglas and Charles lose each other just when they've found what they both think is the man they want to be with forever?

Starcrossed: A Paranormal Historical Romance (Magic in Manhattan #2) by Allie Therin - May 18th

When everything they’ve built is threatened, only their bond remains… 1925 New York Psychometric Rory Brodigan’s life hasn’t been the same since the day he met Arthur Kenzie. Arthur’s continued quest to contain supernatural relics that pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s imagination—and his heart. But Arthur’s upper-class upbringing still leaves Rory worried that he’ll never measure up, especially when Arthur’s aristocratic ex arrives in New York. For Arthur, there’s only Rory. But keeping the man he’s fallen for safe is another matter altogether. When a group of ruthless paranormals throw the city into chaos, the two men’s strained relationship leaves Rory vulnerable to a monster from Arthur’s past. With dark forces determined to tear them apart, Rory and Arthur will have to draw on every last bit of magic up their sleeves. And in the end, it’s the connection they’ve formed without magic that will be tested like never before.

Another Chance For Love by Ellie Thomas - July 4th

Former British Army Lieutenant Adam Merryweather survived the Western Front of WWI and has slowly recovered from his injuries. But can he heal from a broken heart? Torn between family duty and personal happiness, he sacrificed his love for Alf and has never ceased to regret it in the two years since the war ended. Adam is slowly putting his empty life back together, working for the family firm in the city centre of Bristol and trying to stop his mother’s meddling to find him the perfect socially acceptable bride. When he happens to meet Alf out of the blue, Adam is determined to try again. But convincing Alf to give him another chance may be too much to hope for. Can a chance meeting bring them back together? Or has Adam lost another chance for love forever?

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite - July 28th - sapphic

When Agatha Griffin finds a colony of bees in her warehouse, it’s the not-so-perfect ending to a not-so-perfect week. Busy trying to keep her printing business afloat amidst rising taxes and the suppression of radical printers like her son, the last thing the widow wants is to be the victim of a thousand bees. But when a beautiful beekeeper arrives to take care of the pests, Agatha may be in danger of being stung by something far more dangerous…

Penelope Flood exists between two worlds in her small seaside town, the society of rich landowners and the tradesfolk. Soon, tensions boil over when the formerly exiled Queen arrives on England’s shores—and when Penelope’s long-absent husband returns to Melliton, she once again finds herself torn, between her burgeoning love for Agatha and her loyalty to the man who once gave her refuge.

As Penelope finally discovers her true place, Agatha must learn to accept the changing world in front of her. But will these longing hearts settle for a safe but stale existence or will they learn to fight for the future they most desire?

*If more come to my attention after this is posted, they will be added!!!

#lgbt romance #historical romance #sapphic #trans romance #f/f romance #m/m romance #books

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comtegermain · 4 years

Text

he called himself major fraser, lived alone and never alluded to his family. moreover he was lavish with money, though the source of his fortune remained a mystery to everyone. he possessed a marvelous knowledge of all the countries in europe at all periods. his memory was absolutely incredible and, curiously enough, he often gave his hearers to understand that he had acquired his learning elsewhere than from books. many is the time he has told me, with a strange smile, that he was certain he had known nero, had spoken with dante, and so on.

albert dresdan vandam, 1820

OH, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! i was just thinking of [ THE COUNT OF ST GERMAIN ]. most swear their resemblance to [ DEV PATEL ] is unmistakable, but he has been around since the [ RENAISSANCE ]. it is rumoured that the [ CIS MALE ] was born in [ LONDON ] in the year [ 1636 ], even though they don’t look a day over [ THIRTY ]. what a shame, though: they were once famed for being [ INTELLIGENT ] and [ AMIABLE ] ; yet now, they seem more and more [ DISHONEST ] and [ MATERIALISTIC ]. but while [ LEOPOLD ] spends their days working as [ MUSICIAN ], they are already notorious around town for [ A COLLECTION OF GEMSTONES, PRECIOUS METALS, AND ROYAL FABRICS THAT MAKE IT EASY TO PRETEND, TO BELIEVE HIS OWN UNTRUTHS ; A REFUSAL TO BEG FORGIVENESS, AND A GIFT AT CONVINCING OTHERS THAT PERMISSION HAD BEEN ASKED ; HIS ARTS HAVE FOUND PATRONAGE, BUT IT FEELS EMPTY, AS INSINCERE AS HE IS ]. when you live forever, you might as well make the most of it.

TASK ONE : THE RUNDOWN

▼ STATISTICS.

full name: leopold. whether the family name of his birth was forgotten, never present, or simply omitted is unclear.

moniker / nickname: many ... it is one of his favorite past times. weldoun, de saint-noel, saltikov, montferrat, bellamarre, bedmar, tzarogy, rakooczi, belletti, fraser, d’aymar, giovanni, simon wolff, surmount, frater lacius tertiarius, denis s. m.

titles: comte de saint germain is one of his favorites, though he’s also claimed to be a prinz of transylvannia, a marquis, and a major, among other things.

gender && pronouns: cis male; he / him

dob && age: june 2nd, 1636; about 384 years, though he has appeared to be about thirty since he woke up from his first death in 1665

place of birth: london, england

previous residences: primarily england, france, and the dutch republic; he’s a traveler though, and the true list is somewhat extensive, and the false one is certainly extravagent

zodiac sign: gemini

ethnicity: indian

sexual orientation: bisexual

romantic orientation: biromantic

occupational history: adventurer, musician, composer, diplomat, general renissance man, con artist

▼ PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

face claim: dev patel

height: 6′2.

physical build: not particularly athletic, somewhat lanky

eye colour and shape: a very deep brown, eyes that often inspire trust despite themselves

hair colour and style: brown, though nearly black, worn in loose curls just short of his shoulders

usual expression: a slight smile, always friendly

accent and speech style: he switches, somewhat unpredictably, between british and french accents

distinguishing marks / characteristics: plague scars on his torso and left arm, though he takes car to keep them covered.

clothing style: extravagant and expensive, but with some degree of tastefulness. he toes the line of being too eccentric, but his goal is really to either blend in with the well to do around him, or to convince others that he is one himself, not to appear as if he is new money with no knowledge.

jewellery and accessories: a collection of rings, there’s a certain glint to the gemstones when he plays the piano. he’s got a story to tell about most of them, but it is up to you if you believe any of them. he used to wear large chains, brooches, and more, but these days it is just the rings.

▼ FAMILY.

father: a london merchant; sometimes claimed to be francis ii rakoczi of transulvania

mother: wife of a london merchant

siblings, if any: none

extended relations: none

significant other(s): quite a few he’ll claim, but nothing that’s stuck

children: none that he’s aware of

household pet(s): it’s best he’s only responsible for himself

▼ FAVOURITES.

colour: royal blue

weather: bright sun in the spring, temperate afternoons

food item: he’s quite adventurous with food, and will claim to love any number of dishes deemed fancy enough, but he’s got a soft spot for comport food. a warm soup of a chill day... there’s nothing better.

beverage: wine or tea.

time of day: early evening

television genre: he’s not really a tv person

favourite era lived: besides the few months he spent imprisoned for espionage, the 1700s were really his golden years. he also enjoyed the early 20th century.

▼ PERSONALITY.

hobbies: playing violin, reading, painting

pet peeves: --

phobias: --

allergies: --

mbti type: esfp

enneagram type: 7w8

positive traits: intelligent, amiable

negative traits: materialistic, dishonest

morning routine: --

beauty routine: --

sleeping habits: --

oldest belonging: a copy of the letter where voltaire sarcastically refereed to him as the wonderman, it’s a bit of a badge of honor

living space && home: --

FURTHER DETAILS

the lie he has told is that he has existed since the beginning. he received gifts from a great grandson of moses, he lived under the rule of valentinian i, lived in the tower of london while king edward ii held the throne, worked with raymond lull, studied speculative chemistry with francis i of france and was personal friends with michel eyquem de montaigne. the fact that the deceased prince of transylvannia would be similar in age to him and they shared a birthname allowed him to fold that into his identity as well, although contradictory to the earlier claims. there's something quite romantic about being the long lost prince. though he used a variety of names, depending on the location and his mood. marquis de montferrat, comte bellamarre, chevalier schoening, count weldon, comte soltikoff, graf tzarogy, though prinz ragoczy was likely his favorite identity besides the count. these days he let's people call him leo.

the truth is that he was the son of a london merchant, who died for the first time during the plague year. he had been granted some education, and now had the time and lack of identity to put it to use. he used his musical talents to impress the aristocrats and become one of them. it was his music that caught the most attention. lady jemima yorke, prince frederick of walkes, prince charles of hesse - kassel, king louis the beloved and others were endeared to him, though voltaire seemed to have other thoughts. leopold did his best to make himself useful, besides just being liked, such as completing diplomatic missions on behalf of louis in the late 1740s.

he's never been one to be overly cautious when protecting the truth about him, and rather is quite open about it; something most deem as another eccentricity of the strange man. however, it is likely such actions that have lead to most of the trouble he's run into, such as being arrested in london for suspicion of espionage during the jacobite rebellion. centuries later and he has yet to learn discretion of this kind, or perhaps he just had no wish to. being mysterious, hard to understand, to the point of fascination not rejection, is part of his act, and it's how he's been able to support himself over such a long life. if you endear yourself to the wealthy and powerful, they'll often take care of you while they try to figure you out. they like to feel like they're smart, like they're just on the edge of solving the puzzle.

he's put away enough by this point to live comfortably, but he gets oh so incredibly bored if he cannot entertain ―― for that's what this all has been really, an entertaining endeavor where he is the star of the show. the decline of royalty really did put a damper on his fun, and so did the rise of mass communications that made it more difficult to claim various identities. these days he's a musician, a pianist mostly who is equally comfortable at dingy jazz bars or wigmore hall, though he does enjoy the grandeur of the latter. when he isn't playing, he's something of a socialite, enjoying expensive parties where he can continue to tell his stories , both true and false .

#this is ?? v much a wip #but i wanted to put out Something sdklfj #qismat.intro #qismat.task #qismat.taskone

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starrystellars · 5 years

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hey moon (please forget to fall down) 1/9

a/n: hello, beautiful people! i’m finally back from my long ass hiatus with this new piece that i’m almost done writing!! this time i tried to stick with my gender neutral theme, not giving the reader any specific pronouns nor features. want all of yall to feel included uwu <3

synopsis: steve just wants to move on after the great battle, and to retire in peace. he moves back to his old block in brooklyn, trying to get a grip of life after losing most of his best friends for the world. all he wants to do is to read a lot of books and catch up on the list he wrote before going nomad. what happens when he finds out that falling in love wasn’t such a bad retirement plan after all?

genre: friends to lovers. fluff, slow burn (no, srly this candle has a burning time of a 900 hours)

warnings: suffocating fluff. some occasional cursing and dirty humour.

word count: 2430

Steve Rogers was a simple man. After the Great Battle, as the world would soon name their fight with Thanos, the super soldier just wanted to retire in peace. It was almost impossible to get back to the point where he used to be with his former team mates, especially since many of them lost their lives for the greater good, but at least he wanted to try. Returning the stones had been his own little conquest of trying to come clean with his aching heart, but even then, he felt bad while putting on his quantum realm-suit that had literally cost him a life of his bestest friends. Avenging was his rise and doom, and he wanted to get rid of it as the world was being rebuilt. All he wanted was a normal life.

So, with a little help from Sam and Bucky, he had packed his bags and moved out of the Avengers facility. With a quick Google search and a couple of calls later, Steve had found himself a cozy apartment from the very heart of Brooklyn, pretty close to his shabby, old street corner. New York never changed; even though for him it still smelled like home. The concrete walls and tarmac streets were familiar, a memory, and it was exactly what he needed after so many years of misery. Yes, it was hard to say good-bye to his best friends, who couldn’t stop bickering over which one of them could come over the next weekend, and which one would have to stay to overlook the new recruits, but Steve couldn’t help but to feel comfortable at leaving them into each other’s care. Those two had somehow bonded after the whole fiasco, and Steve was more than happy to pass on his legacy into their hands.

Leaving Captain America behind, he once again became Steve Grant Rogers. Maybe he wasn’t as sickly and broken as he was before the war, but he hadn’t lost the curious and gentle character, even after all the years. The flat he rented was a tiny two bedroom apartment, easily fitting the only things he had found from the Avengers facility’s ruins. The other one of the bedrooms was turned into a study, with lots of books stacked in the shelfs, left collecting dust for months until their owner would finally pick them up again. When he used to live in D.C, he had put up the shield on a ’parade place’, in the middle of the largest wall of the room, so this time he felt quite empty without it reminding him of the good ol’ days. With a sigh, he had given up, and hung up a small memoir art piece, in the memory of his passed friend Tony Stark, feeling the burn of fresh tears as they were trying to escape on his pale cheeks. It took him exactly a half a day to drag most of the stuff inside of his apartment and get everything in their place. The only box that he had left lying untouched outside of his apartment door was an old, light brown package, that had clearly taken a hit over the years. Most of his memories were stacked in there, and Steve wasn’t sure was he capable of bringing it over his doorstep just yet. It was like the box could curse his new and upcoming life, dragging him back to where he had started from. After juggling the thought in his head, he had finally peeled himself off the dark couch in his incredibly small living room situation, and marched through the door, that he had left cracked open for the moving-in-day. The apartment complex had been unusually safe enough to keep a door unlocked, since the area was surrounded by mostly families, and in Steve’s case, he wouldn’t have mind an intruder—he knew for sure he had the upper hand anyway. Being a former soldier, with enhanced abilities really prepped his ego. Without really thinking about it, Steve pushed his front door slightly open, looking down at the packaging like it was the heaviest thing in the universe. Carrying all the old memories from his previous life, into this new chapter of his journey, made him feel uneasy and nostalgic. He wasn’t sure was it a good idea to take things he saved from the ruins, to mess up with the clean slate he was headed towards to, but the package couldn’t wait for any longer. Even when it was New York, a city where not enough people cared about their neighbors, Steve was a proper gentleman with his own belongings. No one probably cared, but to the tall soldier, he wanted to give a proper impression of himself as a good citizen; or maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was still a bit unsure about how people would picture a previous criminal living across the hallway. He was a nomad, after all, even when the government forgave all of the supers right after the blip happened. Still, Steve didn’t seem to feel so comfortable about how people would view him after so many years of judgement. Oh well. With all the questions playing in his head, Steve bent down to pick up the box he was literally having a staring contest with, trying his best not to damage the worn-out sides of the cardboard. It had seen better days, almost falling apart from all the tossing and turning, which had caused a couple of items escape as Steve had been moving other things around it, bumping into it. With a sigh, the tall man took the items into his hands, starting to pack them back on top of the other things, before getting distracted by footsteps coming along the long hallway. The green wallpaper and dim lighting didn’t really help out, when Steve turned his head to see whoever was living with him in the same building, since the man couldn’t figure up a face in the creepy space. It didn’t leave Steve wondering for a long time, as the man turned his interest back to whatever he was doing, finally getting all of the things secured. To be completely honest, he really didn’t need to see so much work for just the box alone, but he couldn’t help himself. After the horrifying things he had to go through with losing one of his best friends, and some of his team mates, Steve had picked up a habit of perfecting every single thing he came across. It made it feel like he had some kind of a control over his life, as he didn’t have anything else left. His inner monologue took a turn to something else, as the person passed him by with long steps. The only thing Steve got to see were the white sneakers passing by, and something that hit the floor with a slight clinging sound. With a blonde lock slipping away from the perfectly combed hair, it covered his eyesight enough for Steve to completely miss the person who literally almost flew past him. The door to the apartment across his own was opened and closed as fast as one could work a door, which was a lot. That’s how, with a sigh, the taller man took a gaze at the item that had fallen on the floor, while trying to resist the urge to pick it up; which ended up miserably. Steve ended up picking the item, reaching for it like a kid in a candy store, as he took a closer look at whatever he was holding. A keychain. Steve took a deep breath, as he tried to evaluate, should he get up and take the item to its original owner; or to just leave it there and pretend like nothing ever happened. He just couldn’t resist being the ‘oh-so-righteous’-man out of his time, as he always pretended to be, getting up on his feet to get to the door that was closed right in front of his eyes without a warning. Maybe he could’ve just forgot the whole thing, but his big heart told a completely different story. There was no way in hell, he would’ve let it all slide just like that. That’s why Steve indeed found himself behind the person’s door, ringing the bell that was hanging right next to the wooded door, that clearly had seen way better days. A silence fell over the corridor, as Steve waited for someone to pick up, trying to perk his ears to hear what the person on the other side of the door was up to. He could easily hear some muffled-up sounds from the apartment, mixed with some curse words, as he could finally hear clear footsteps nearing the door. Soon, the super soldier found himself being face-to-face with the person in question – and oh boy. The person standing in front of him was something that Steve hadn’t seen before. Previously as a fairly religious man, he had heard about angels before, but he never thought seeing one in person. Yes, he had gone to space, seen other countries, been to the most extravagant places as his time as an Avenger, but he had never seen something, someone, so beautiful and ethereal, before. Trying not to choke on his own words, the man finally opened up his mouth, while a fairly confused-looking person in front of him was eyeing the man up and down. The heavy pressure of the other person’s gaze made Steve feel almost uncomfortable, but he managed to clear his throat to cut the tension to pieces. “I’m sorry, but you seemed to drop something,” Steve said with a collected voice, putting up the keychain, that had a cute little mascot hanging off of it. The clear owner of the item seemed to blush ever so slightly, as they noticed the child-like item as their own, while looking a bit out of it; clearly confused about the whole situation. Steve could tell the bright redness creeping up on his neighbors cheeks, and he couldn’t help but to crack a slight smile at the adorable gesture. “You were in such a rush that I didn’t think you noticed it. Was I somewhat right?” “Yeah… I was in bit of a hurry, since I’m going to be late from work soon if I don’t run,” the person said with a frustrated, tone, and Steve knew he really intruded at the wrong time. However, the tension on the shorter person’s lips melted away, as they couldn’t stay mad at the thoughtful gesture. “But thank you. Seriously. I would’ve had to search for it the whole night if you hadn’t picked it up. Not that my boss would ever let me get off before midnight anyway.” “No worries, it was my pleasure,” the tall man let a slight smile creep up on his lips, feeling the unknown form of a nice gesture on his face. All those weeks, he had spent time frowning and trying to rebuild anything that was left of him, but somehow, he couldn’t resist the genuine smirk this specific time. The man handed the keychain back to its real owner, making the other person smile wide from ear to ear, and Steve couldn’t help but to feel the everlasting ice on his heart slowly starting to melt. The person he had known less than a minute, was so genuine and radiating, and it had been such a long time since Steve had witnessed such an empathetic person, that it almost left him confused. “I can’t really repay you this all, but if you ever need anything, just knock on my door, okay?” With a nod, Steve agreed to do so if ever needed, which almost made him hesitate a bit. Wasn’t it weird to intrude into someone else’s life like that? He really wasn’t sure. To be honest, he never even thought getting into too much details with the people who lived right across the hall from him, but life was full of surprises. In his life, Steve had seen a lot of those, especially after getting back from the ice, but somehow people still managed to amaze him time after time. “Sure. You can count on that,” Steve finally agreed, shaking his head ever so slightly, as he took a one step back from the door that was left wide open. “But weren’t you supposed to be in a hurry?” “Oh, yes, oh my God, I forgot!” The person yelped, almost jumping up from the sudden mood change, hurrying back inside, while leaving Steve standing on the corridor, looking like a complete fool with his awkward position, not trying to peek inside of the apartment like a creep. If Sam would’ve seen him like that, the blonde man was sure he’d make fun of him like no tomorrow; not knowing how to act around beautiful people really wasn’t in Steve’s repertoire, as the Falcon had once put in words. It never helped that Bucky was loyally backing him up, and sometimes the Captain had thought about finding a new best friend- Bucky wasn’t living up to his name. It was sheer luck that Steve didn’t had to stand there, waiting for World War Three to start, as the neighbor hurried out of the apartment with a bag on their shoulder. The Golden Boy had to take a step back, so he wouldn’t be on the other person’s way like a brick wall, which spared a smile from his newfound ‘friend’. As the door closed with a bang, Steve’s eyes met with their own, as the nameless neighbor slowed down their speed to stop to say final words to the taller man. “I’ll see you around, neighbor?” Without a word, Steve just nodded, a sheepish grin on his red lips, watching as his neighbor took off with a slight giggle escaping between their lips. Something about the aura they gave was more than enough for him to feel at ease; like he had finally found something that was missing from his life. As the man was going back to his apartment, he picked up the roughed-up box on the way, taking a mental note to finally throw the remains of the chaos to the trash. He really didn’t need to be reminded of the horrible things that had happened in the past, nor he wanted to remember them any longer. Future had shown him that there were good things about life; he just needed to find them with time.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers headcanon #Steve Rogers #captain america headcanons #captain america imagine #captain america x reader #mcu imagines #marvel reader insert #steve rogers reader insert #jennie writes #fic:hey moon

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judedeluca · 5 years

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Last Friday I Tried To Kill Myself: My Rant On Why Heroes In Crisis Is Destructive Garbage And Why Stories Like This Need To Stop Being Made

TW: Suicide, rape, abuse

I’ve made it no secret I’ve been in therapy since 2012, and I’ve especially been vocal about my dislike for DC Comics’ latest event book, “Heroes in Crisis,” which just released its last issue on May 29th 2019.

I tried to write something the other night but I didn’t like how it sounded so I deleted it. After my session with my therapist earlier in the day, she convinced me to simply write down what I feel regardless. And so I did. I typed and typed. This is pretty long under the cut. I don’t know if I got carried away. I think I did.

I need to be clear I did NOT just try to commit suicide because of how much I hated a comic book. I’d like to believe even I’m not that pathetic. I tried to kill myself because of a number of reasons which sort of snowballed together this previous Friday.

Look this is angry and long and it sounds ridiculous but I just wanted to write and get my feelings out and I’m sorry okay? I’m, just, I’m sorry. For being pathetic and a disappointment to my friends and letting this bother me so much.

But I’m talking about “Heroes in Crisis” because this book has been negatively affecting me since it began publication, and the state that it left me in this past week only served to exacerbate the negative thoughts I had to endure, and I briefly reached a point where I had a knife to my wrist.

I’ve been attending therapy for the past seven years in order to address trauma and abuse I suffered through in my adolescence. In grade school I was bullied, and from 6th to 12th grade I was sexually abused on two separate occasions in two separate schools from four different people. In middle school I was assaulted by three boys who weren’t much older than me on the bus ride home, where they grabbed my head and shoved my face into their crotches as all the other kids laughed. In high school a classmate molested me twice during art class, and spent the rest of that time trying to make me apologize after I smacked him in self defense.

In 2009 my family dissolved when my parents unhappily split apart, which placed me as the unwilling recipient of my father’s, mother’s, and sibling’s emotional baggage while my own problems were ignored. During the loss of my support system I juggled two jobs along with graduating from college, I came out of the closet and have been struggling to figure out both my sexual and gender identities, I made my first suicide attempt in 2013, and my best friend died in 2016 along with four other people I cared about or who saw me as a friend.

Seeking therapy was something I had to do on my own. I tried counseling sessions with the people at my college but despite their best efforts it didn’t do much to help. I never received counseling in middle school for my sexual assault and my parents weren’t of much help either despite it was clear I developed some significant behavior problems. In 10th Grade I did spend some time with a guidance counselor because they feared I was suicidal due to my depression around my bad grades in Chemistry, but again this didn’t really help.

God I realize how analytical and detached this is sounding and I don’t know why. I feel like I’m just listing everything. Ugh.

Aside from my suicidal thoughts I suffer from depression and PTSD. I think I’m a genuinely bad person and I’ve often thought I brought the abuse I suffered as a kid onto myself because I was a weird boy. I’ve wondered if I have a right to feel ashamed of what happened to me because it wasn’t as bad as what other people have gone through. I frequently think of myself as a shameless, greedy, manipulative person who doesn’t deserve to be happy because I use people. I’ve truly said some awful things to people and I know I’ve been blocked by a couple of people online and not without good cause. You need to understand that. My own sibling once said I was a wicked, blackhearted person.

I have trouble not assuming the worst of my parents and sibling because of how often I would find myself stuck in the middle of their arguing, which got me labeled a martyr whenever I tried to play peacemaker which I only wanted because I hate seeing them unhappy. I assume the worst about situations and I’ve spent countless nights lying awake thinking over and over again about past mistakes and how much I wish I was dead, or that I had died instead of one of my friends because they made the world a better place and I don’t. It’s easy for me to believe the world would be a better place if I died.

Often my problems had been ignored by the people I turned to for help. Ignored, looked down upon, or just belittled. It became hard for me to talk to people because it felt like no one really cared about what I was going through or that I wanted help. Or they misunderstood and their attempts to help failed because they didn’t really know what was wrong.

Despite all this I want to believe therapy has helped me deal with problems better than I had before, and helped me to take pride in what I have accomplished. I graduated cum laude with no student debt, I’ve held onto at least one job for over a decade, and I’m currently writing for three websites that have let me change my perspective on things and given me space to grow as a writer. I believe I’m better able to recognize boundaries and to let my feelings be known, and to know when not to engage in stressful situations. I’ve been trying, TRYING, not to let me depression and negative thoughts affect me too badly.

It’s not easy, but it’s better than not doing anything at all.

So, where does “Heroes in Crisis” fit into this.

Well.

Through middle and high school, comics were pretty much the only thing that managed to keep me going without having a complete breakdown. Well I did have other interests and I still do. I could never survive on comic books alone.

I didn’t really have any friends I could rely on or talk to about my problems, not in real life or online. I got lucky in high school since there was a comic store one block away, which meant I was now able to regularly buy comics instead of the odd issue here or there. It was after I graduated high school I finally began to make some friends through online message boards and by meeting people at comic conventions. So comics didn’t just keep me going, they helped me find the people who HAVE been able to help me and see me as an individual worth knowing. My very first best friend in the whole world (NOT the one who died) is a professional comic artist I met through DeviantArt. “Stuck Rubber Baby” helped me realize and be honest about the fact I’m queer, and it was through commissioning comic artists I’ve felt more comfortable about exploring my sexuality.

As cheesy as it sounds the presence of comics in my life has indeed helped me a great deal, and I want to professionally write comics someday as a way to repay some of that back and try to make the world a better place.

I’ve always bought a little bit of everything but I’m mainly focused on DC Comics. My favorite teams are the Titans, the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Doom Patrol, and the Justice Society. Ask me my favorite Flash, I’ll pick Jay Garrick or Wally West. My favorite Green Lantern, I’d pick Alan Scott and Kyle Rayner.

Suffice it to say I really haven’t been happy with most of what DC’s published in the past ten years. I’ve been especially vocal about my dislike for books such as “Rise of Arsenal,” “Titans” by Eric Wallace, and pretty much everything Scott Lobdell’s worked on. Like a lot of people, I thought “DC Rebirth” back in 2016 was a step in the right direction, that they were finally cleaning the mess they made with the New 52 initiative.

“Heroes in Crisis” proved me and a lot of other people wrong.

But as a person struggling with depression and PTSD, this book offended me on a whole different level compared to anything those other books have done.

So you’ve got a place, Sanctuary, where heroes and villains can receive counseling for their respective problems and possibly get help. That sounds like a great idea. And then the first issue opens with the reveal every patient has been gruesomely murdered save for two who believe the other is guilty. And it gets worse from there.

FIRST: It turns out Sanctuary has no actual doctors or therapists. It relies instead on a computer programmed with the supposed best traits of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

SECOND: The patients are put in virtual reality chambers where they relive their respective traumas over and over again as a way to confront them.

THIRD: There doesn’t seem to be any real security except for a couple of robots, and anyone can just walk in. Which means Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman haven’t been monitoring the place until AFTER the massacre.

What followed was than eight issues of a supposed mystery that wasn’t a mystery at all. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman do almost nothing to figure who was responsible for this, while Lois Lane is given files of all the Sanctuary interviews which she PUBLISHES, leaking hundreds of secrets that were meant to be private even if she obscures the real names. The investigation falls to Booster Gold and Harley Quinn, who both believe the other is the killer.

It eventually turns out the killer was Wally West, who accidentally unleashed a burst of energy that killed those around him and in a fit of extreme suicidal despair violated the corpses to look like a mystery so he would have enough time to release the Sanctuary files and then kill himself believing it was the only way to make things right. He doesn’t die but turns himself in at the end.

I-I don’t have the energy to give a complete rundown, I really don’t. Suffice to say the book has problems. Racist problems, homophobic problems, and ableist problems. The series IS a problem.

Since the first issue was released I hated, I HATED, this comic with every fiber of my being. I hated the stilted writing and I hated the gross, overly sexualized artwork. I hated it was another event series built around cheap shock value deaths meant to drive up sales and garner controversy to make more sales. And I especially hated the premise, that this Sanctuary was supposed to be a place of healing but was anything BUT. The DC Trinity make no attempt to get real doctors to help them provide help for their comrades and friends, delegating everything to a computer that’s supposed to have their best qualities and assuming THAT is a decent substitute for qualified psychiatrists and therapists.

The very IDEA that Superman and Wonder Woman could be so arrogant and conceited to believe they could substitute for licensed medical professionals is appaling. Even Batman on his worst days would never be so inconsiderate.

And then there are the VR chambers, where the heroes relive their traumas over and over and over again until they can get over them. THIS IS NOT HEALTHY. To experience such pain over and over again. The comic even demonstrated through characters Lagoon Boy and Wally West that going through their trauma again and again clearly wasn’t helping. Lagoon Boy relieved the Titans East massacre HUNDREDS of times. And this seems to be the only real option Sanctuary allows besides the confessionals.

This, this NEGLECT. Sanctuary isn’t a place for healing, it’s a dumping ground! These people are secluded and essentially kept in solitary confinement where they have almost no one but a computer to talk to. A computer that does absolutely nothing to help them.

I spoke to my own doctor about this and she agreed with me none of this was healthy and that the book itself was extremely damaging and poorly thought out.

And I have spoken to her about this a LOT over the last nine months, because with each issue that came out I felt myself getting more and more worn down. I would dread the last Wednesday of the month knowing the next issue would arrive. And let me tell you this wasn’t the only thing I was talking about in my sessions, but it figured a lot into my past discussions and my therapist respected that. I’m glad I have her in my life, she’s a consummate professional.

I’m not talking about simple fan boy hate. This comic DRAINED me and struck more than a number of nerves. The apathy and insensitivity that went into crafting this book reminded me far too much of what I’ve gone through in life and not for the better.

For starters, the way Tom King portrays the problems the characters go through is nothing but a joke. We’re treated to multiple confessional sequences where different characters talk about their issues in a nine-panel grid layout featuring some of the most stilted dialog I’ve ever read. King shows absolutely no research or care in the characters he talks about, ignoring their backstories to make up nonsense and present it as deep when in reality he’s gutted them from the inside out.

The one that bothered me most was Roy Harper from the first issue, in a confessional sequence one page AFTER his corpse is found.

Tom King took nine issues to completely destroy and misunderstand Wally West’s character, even though he only needed one page for Roy Harper.

Of course Scott Lobdell spent eight years destroying the character, so King didn’t need to do much.

Roy and his daughter Lian have been two of my favorite DC characters for years. I’ve been able to relate to Roy’s issues a lot over the years. Not his past drug addiction, but his struggles with depression and abandonment issues and his fight to try and be a better person despite everything he’s gone through. He was raised in a Native American community and probably has a better understand of racism than most white people could dream of. He’s a devoted father who tries to be the best dad he can be for his daughter. But most importantly, he knows he can screw up and he knows he’s not perfect. He just wants to be good. He’s a complex and multifaceted person who is more than his trauma, and I’ve long admired that. I’ve wished I could stop beating myself up over my past mistakes and just focus on doing good instead of hating myself for not being perfect. As someone who never really had much support from my parents growing up and that feeling of being totally alone despite being surrounded by people, I empathized with the neglect he suffered form Green Arrow and the way he was essentially abandoned in “Rise of Arsenal” when he needed help the most.

But is any of that discussed in “Heroes in Crisis?”

No.

Roy’s abandonment and depression are ignored so Tom King can churn out some nonsense about abusing prescription meds given to him by doctors for his superhero injuries before he switched to heroin because it was cheaper and safer. Not because of his depression. He only started taking the meds because of his injuries and he got addicted, which I’ve seen a number of fans who suffer from chronic pain complain that this is ableist for presenting them as drug addicts.

God I hope I’m remembering that right, I’m sorry guys.

“So you go to a needle. To save your kidneys. And some money. But really, isn’t that what superheroes do? Save things?”

Objectively one of the worst things I have ever read in ANYTHING.

But it doesn’t stop there. Pretty much every character given a confessional more or less has the problems they truly did survive ignored for nonsense that never occurred or is completely out of character to the point it feels like these are SUPPOSED to be jokes. Firestorm talks about his head being on fire. Green Lantern Hal Jordan doesn’t know what “Will” is. Raven says her father, an inter dimensional monster who has tried to turn her evil over and over again and whom she hates, loves her. Minor character the Protector is revealed to be addicted to multiple drugs and was only an anti-drug crusader because he thought it was funny. That was just CRUEL.

I... I have spent so long being ashamed of a lot of the abuse I went through and it is still hard for me to talk about. Do you have any idea how disgusted I am with myself whenever I try to tell someone about what happened to me in high school? When I have to figure out a way to say that “He tried to stick his finger in my ass” and not think about how the people reading or hearing this must be laughing at me it’s so pathetic? Or when I think about the crying fit after my first day of high school begging my mom to take me out of this school and she tells me to suck it up?

And so this bothers me, because I frequently fear that my problems are just a joke. And I see the characters whom I resonate with have their problems degraded and treated as poorly thought out jokes.

Why were some of these characters even here in the first place? To deal with their problems? Even though some of them WERE ALREADY TRYING TO GET HELP. Roy in particular had his Titans teammate Lilith Clay as his substance abuse counselor, but none of that is mentioned in the lead-up to “Heroes in Crisis.” The help that Roy was already getting was ignored. His efforts at self improvement were ignored by those around him.

But it’s not as bad as the reason Wally West was in Sanctuary. In “Flash War” Wally regains memories of his twin children Jai and Iris and is told they’re not in the Speed Force but SOMEWHERE. And Wally tries to find them and can’t. So instead of Barry Allen getting the Justice League to help with the search, knowing the disappearance of these children are one example of how the universe has been damaged, Barry and Iris West allow Wally to be taken to Sanctuary to essentially get him to shut up about his missing kids. He is abandoned by the people he viewed as parents. And this is what leads to Wally’s breakdown. Despite knowing his children are out there somewhere, “Heroes in Crisis” tries to demonize Wally for wanting his family back and it’s used to make him into a suicidal mass murderer. Wally’s problems make him into a villain. He’s driven mad with grief when he hacks the Sanctuary computer thinking no one has gone through what he has, and is broken when he experiences all that trauma at once. All this because he wanted something that was perfectly rational for him to want.

Wally’s trauma is used to dehumanize him.

The dehumanization doesn’t stop there, especially in the case of Poison Ivy who is turned into a plot device for Harley Quinn’s sake.

Never forget this was a thing that Clay Mann drew and DC would’ve used before it got leaked.

This was supposed to be the cover for the seventh issue, Ivy’s bloody corpse done like a pin-up.

After being treated as Harley’s motivation for most of the series, Ivy’s revived but in such a way she’s lost most of her humanity. She gets turned into a rip off of Swamp Thing and her body is more plant than human, no longer having nipples or a vagina. She’s been murdered and brought back in a way that will let DC sexualize her as much as they want now that she’s not human anymore. But this is supposed to be treated as GOOD because she’s supposedly more powerful now and she’s alive. Like that doesn’t change the shameful way she was killed, and how she came to Sanctuary hoping to get help for the awful things that haunt her and it got her killed.

Ivy’s long been a very complex character herself and many people have looked at her as a strong, interesting, intelligent queer woman who ultimately only wants to save the Earth and be with the woman she loves. But she’s frequently the villain in her stories and often told she doesn’t understand what real love is. Instead of being recognized for the complex character and inspiration she is, Ivy also has her trauma used against her as an excuse for to be sent to die and LITERALLY be dehumanized. So what does that say to the women who resonate with her? The queer readers? What does that say?

The leaking of the Sanctuary files is also supposed to be seen as good. Wally claims he did it because he thought if people saw someone like him could make a mistake, they’d get help before he did something bad like him. That if they saw their heroes had problems, they’d get help too.

IT’S TRYING TO VALIDATE THIS VIOLATION OF PRIVACY AND HOW ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE TURNED INTO A MEDIA SIDESHOW THANKS TO LOIS LANE AND SUPERMAN.

And Wally turns himself in he’s left to rot in jail, more alone than ever. Where’s the supposed help now?

But Booster Gold gets to hang with Blue Beetle and Harley’s with Ivy and it’s supposed to be about hope by showing no matter what mistakes you make it’s not too late and blah blah whatever that last issue was. It tries to pretend all this suffering and misery was worth it because now Wally really can represent hope by being an example!

Bros before heroes!

These people went to get help or were sent to get help, and instead they were ignored. They were killed. Their problems turned into jokes. They had their problems used against them after they died when all they wanted was to be better.

WANTING TO GET BETTER IS NOT A REASON WHY ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO DIE. NO ONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE AN AFTERTHOUGHT LIKE THIS.

One of the worst thing out of all this is knowing NONE OF THE CHARACTERS USUALLY ACT LIKE THIS. The reason why Wally accidentally killed everyone is because King makes up a retcon involving the Speed Force that was never, EVER mentioned in any Flash comic before. He makes up things on the fly to justify why any of the characters are there at all. Someone once said how, and I’m paraphrasing, “A story should be made to fit the characters, the characters shouldn’t be made to fit the story.” It’s been clear to a lot of people this book was blatant character assassination and Dan Didio’s latest attempt to finally get rid of Wally West because he hates him and all the other legacy characters so much. A story about PTSD that could’ve been meaningful and helped people got hijacked to destroy a character. To use their trauma as a tool to make them do something horrible. To exploit trauma for shock value and dehumanize not just the characters but the people who read these books and identified with the struggles and I

HATE IT!!!!!!!

It hurts because so many people care about these characters, and Didio would use a story that could’ve been uplifting to carry out his petty hatred.

This has been it, month after month for me. I’d get mad, and I would try to take my mind off it. I’d write fan fiction and commission artwork making fun of “Heroes in Crisis,” I’d try to vent on the internet and explain why I hate this comic. I’d connect with friends and other fans who’re equally unhappy, and I’d just feel myself getting worse and worse. I’ve had trouble sleeping thinking about this comic, stress dreams and laying awake at night before I’d start to think about how I’m a bad person too and wishing over and over again to die and end everything. To stop being a blight on the world and give it to someone who deserves to live. More importantly, that crushing sense of not being able to do anything to make this better. This powerlessness to try and change things for the better. Wishing I could do something to make it better and thinking about all the other ways I’ve failed in life. The loved ones and friends who died and I couldn’t help them. The unhappiness in my family. The state of the world. And then I’d think about how much I hate myself even more because there are more important things to worry about in the world, like what that rapist monster in the White House is doing to this country and to anyone who’s not a straight white man.

The week the final issue came out I knew right off it was going to be a train wreck and I was right. A disappointing ending to a disappointing story. More feelings of anxiety and self loathing and a feeling that my problems are nothing but a joke to mocked and exploited.

While all this was going on I had other things to worry about. In March my grandfather was hospitalized with a number of health problems due to a urinary tract infection. He spent a week gradually becoming confused and losing energy before he was taken to the emergency room when he said he was having trouble breathing. It turned out he also had a cyst, a clot, and bleeding in his brain. As me, my mom and sibling worried about his health we also had to worry about our house because my grandfather pays most of the rent and if his pension had to go towards a nursing home, we would have to move. So while worrying about my 92 year old grandfather’s health I also had to worry about possibly losing my house. And while he was recovering at the rehab hospital he had to go back to the ER again on Easter when we were told he fell during the night. He’s in another nursing home and he’s doing better thankfully, but he’s also the last grandparent I have and I’m not ready to lose him when he’s held onto his mind for so long.

So what exactly happened when the ninth issue came out that pushed me?

This past Thursday while I was at work, I get a call from my mother saying she thinks someone might be in our house because she went downstairs into my grandpa’s apartment and all the doors were open. I don’t know why she didn’t call the police or what she thought I could do since I wasn’t even in the Bronx. *Sigh* I tried to get my dad to come pick me up sooner so I could check out what was wrong and I was trying not to panic even when my mom texts me saying she’s okay but she locked her bedroom door and she’s got a blunt object. Then she says maybe it was nothing after all...

And then I get home and I see the garage door is wide open and it’s a disaster, as if someone trashed the place. I can’t get my dad out of the car and he just says “Call the police” as if he doesn’t care. I run into the house and begin checking the rooms in my grandpa’s apartment before grabbing a kitchen knife and going back to the garage. I then tell my mom what’s happened to the garage and it’s like I’m invisible. I can’t even get her outside to look and she’s more concerned about getting her dinner from around the corner. She tells me “It’s not like no one’s gotten in the garage before.”

AFTER SHE GETS ME WORKED UP THINKING SOMEONE WAS IN OUR HOUSE. AND I COME HOME AND THEY MIGHT’VE TRASHED THE GARAGE.

I literally can’t understand what was going through her head when she gave me this runaround. And I call her on it the next day, telling her how scared she got me and how it felt when she acted like I was making a big deal of nothing. I was frightened she could’ve been alone in the house with an intruder, because obviously she felt the same way if she wanted to lock herself in her bedroom. She STILL acted like it was no big deal and it’s like 2010 all over again and I’m being expected to drop everything to help her and she won’t give me any courtesy or empathy.

And then not even an hour later that Friday I get an email from my boss about a secret shopper thing and I rush to get my phone seeing he’s tried to call me. And he’s saying he’s mad at me because of something I did on Tuesday that might get our distribution license suspended or taken away completely. I’m thinking this is because of me. Because I screwed up. And I’ve had this job since I graduated high school and I might’ve ruined it completely.

And that mixed with how it’s like my mother has played fucking mindgames with me and all the other feelings and the general anger and hopelessness and thinking over and over it’s not going to get better I picked up that knife again and held it to my wrist while my boss was still on the phone.

I had it pressed against my skin and wanted to dig it in deeper.

I kept thinking “I CAN’T DO THIS I CAN’T DO THIS” seeing everything all at once, over and over again and...

I-I don’t know. Maybe just a part of me that said not to do it or something. Maybe because despite all my talk of wanted to die I don’t.

I don’t want to die.

So I put the knife down before I cut myself.

I went to work at my second job and I scheduled an emergency session with my therapist, and I tried to write.

So it’s Monday morning and I’m typing this and wondering now, if anyone actually reads this what kind of shit will I expect if people actually bother to read it.

I’m a loser who needs to get a life

I read the story wrong

I didn’t understand the story

I need to get laid

I’m just mad my favorite character died

I hate it because Tom King’s a good writer

I’m a contrarian who hates it because it’s popular

I don’t know what I’m talking about

I’m a whiny f****t

I’m conceited enough to think Tom King may ever actually read this and have him say “I’m sorry you reacted this way”

This isn’t the story King wanted to tell and he had good intentions

OH SCREW YOUR FUCKING “GOOD INTENTIONS”

My teachers had “Good intentions”

My parents had “Good intentions”

AND I AM STILL FUCKING PAYING FOR IT

I am so sick of hearing about “Good intentions.” Just because a person had good intentions doesn’t absolve them of messing up! King apparently handed in a basic outline and let editorial pick the characters. If King had good intentions, he would’ve bothered to do research on the characters instead of turning them into jokes. If he had good intentions he would’ve done a better job of showing how therapy actually CAN help people. He wouldn’t have given us a story all about death and suffering and say it’s about hope. If he had good intentions he wouldn’t have let Didio use this to get rid of Wally West.

You want to talk about people with ACTUAL good intentions? How about we talk about the people out there who’ve written about abuse and trauma and suicidal thoughts and how to address those things in ways that MATTER. In ways that don’t alienate people and can grant a better understanding of ways to act.

In ways that say “I see you. I understand you and know what you’ve gone through. You’re stronger than you think.”

Let’s talk about Jeremy Whitley writing “The Unstoppable Wasp” where Nadia Pym has a manic episode and attacks her friends, and has to be talked down from killing herself by her friend Priya because her own brother committed suicide.

Let’s talk about how Priya describes the world Nadia would create if she killed herself and convinces her she deserves to live because she makes everyone happy and she is a good person no matter what she is thinking right now.

Let’s talk about Magdalene Visaggio’s “Eternity Girl” where Caroline Sharp is a suicidal immortal superhero who wants to destroy reality because she thinks it’s the only way she can die, and her girlfriend Dani convinces her that she can build a new world for herself instead of destroying this one because Caroline’s stronger than her misery and has the power to choose what she wants.

Let’s talk about Chris Claremont’s disgust at how Carol Danvers had been brainwashed and raped and sent off to live with her rapist while her friends did nothing to help her and thought this was a HAPPY ENDING

Let’s talk about how he had Carol dress down the Avengers for the shameless way they treated her and abandoned her when she needed them

Let’s talk about Jim Salicrup and Louise Simonson working on the “Spider-Man and Power Pack” special which showed the right ways to address child abuse.

How Salicrup was able to make Spider-Man into a sexual abuse survivor without it being a joke and how his story helped a little boy tell his parents what happened to him. And how this helped Spider-Man accept what happened to him was not his fault.

How Simonson wrote about the Power Pack supporting a friend being sexually abused by her father and how they convince her she did nothing to deserve this.

Let’s talk about Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol run which showed that trauma is not the end of someone’s existence and that people can be happy despite what’s happened to them

Let’s talk about George and Marion who despite the trauma of having lost their bodies and being used as slaves they still choose to smile and enjoy life and love each other

Let’s talk about Kate Godwin, a transgender woman who changed her body to match the person she was inside despite what people said about her and treated her, and found a community that supported her and loved her and is a strong, good woman with the power and the empathy to help others

A woman who was outraged when a person tried to make her believe she’d been gang raped and needed trauma to make her life more meaningful.

SO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THEM AND TELL ME ABOUT KING’S “GOOD INTENTIONS”

NO ONE NEEDS TRAUMA IN THEIR LIFE TO MAKE IT MEANINGFUL. FINDING HAPPINESS AFTER YOU’VE SURVIVED SOMETHING HORRIBLE DOESN’T MAKE THAT SOMETHING HORRIBLE JUSTIFIED.

You can’t look at stories like “Heroes in Crisis” and say “Oh it’s okay because in the end it was worth it because it taught us something” and NO. IT IS NOT OKAY. HAVING YOUR PROBLEMS LAUGHED AT AND MOCKED AND DEGRADED AND TRIVIALIZED IS NEVER OKAY. NOT FROM THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT. NOT TOTAL STRANGERS. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

So yeah, maybe I am fucking pathetic for ranting about this and I should get a life and talk about more important things but I don’t fucking care! I’m angry about this and I’m gonna be angry for a long time! I’m angry about this story and I’m angry about how it affected me and the people I care about and people I don’t know and I will always be angry with myself that I tried to kill myself because of how this book made me feel and affected what I was going through.

Because stories are important to our lives. They can help us get through every day and they can make our problems not seem so bad. They can give us the strength to look at the bad parts of our life and think maybe they can change. That WE can change. We read about these people and we connect with them. We see things in them we wish to be like or things that are already in us and it can make us feel like we aren’t alone.

And even when stories aren’t enough they can help us find the people who can tell us these things. To help us find people who would care about us, and to care about them so maybe WE can help them. They’re a gateway.

So no, it’s not just a fucking comic book. And no, I don’t care what the intentions were. And I don’t care how pathetic this all sounds.

This, this was a bad story. This was a harmful story. And people deserve better. We don’t deserve to keep living in an age where stories like this, that can make us feel like we’re nothing, keep happening. We deserve stories that show us our lives are not defined by our trauma, we are NOT jokes, we are strong, and we deserve to live. That is not what “Heroes in Crisis” was and you will never convince me otherwise.

I had problems long before this story came out. I do not blame it for things that happened to me before. I do not blame it for my assault and abuse. I blame it for making me feel more like I don’t deserve to live and that what I’ve gone through doesn’t matter. I blame it for making me feel like my hard work and attempts to make my life better are meaningless.

This is not okay.

You wanna fucking blast me for this, go right ahead.

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kootenaygoon · 5 years

Photo

So,

The Nelson Star office was located right downtown, half a block off Baker Street, in a quaint little brick building at the top of the Stores to Shores development. It was within a short walking distance of my house, though I still drove most of the time, and right above a coffeeshop called Sidewinders that I haunted every day. Next door was a small park that desperately needed some attention, with a concrete staircase leading through a shaded forest slope strewn with garbage and scrub bushes.

The newsroom was on the second floor and was smaller than your average bedroom, which meant I was in ultra-close proximity with Calvin and the two other reporters. Downstairs was the advertising department, our front desk lady Cheryl and the publisher, Sharon Carpenter. One half of a power duo in town, Sharon worked closely with her husband Cam, who was the regional publisher. They were fiercely career-driven, well-connected socially and politically, and had recently become intimately involved in the local soccer league — which meant I was going to end up writing many, many stories about soccer.

Before the Star was born, there had been a century-old institution in town: the Nelson Daily News. Beloved throughout the Kootenays, it had crumpled under its own weight — though most people felt Black Press was to blame. The Carpenters helped finagle the deal to purchase and rename it, a move that left long-lingering resentments in the community. It was about thirty pages an issue, twice weekly, with a regular supplement called the West Kootenay Advertiser and a monthly arts publication called Vurb. When I first picked it up I noticed there were an alarming number of photos with people smiling self-righteously behind big cheques — we called them grip n’ grins — and some of the submitted copy was embarrassing, but there was also an eclectic smorgasbord of different things to read about.

As I flipped through the pages I felt myself getting giddy over the prospect of doing things in a new way. I wanted to bring my literary sensibilities into even the simplest of stories, and stamp my personality proud on the page.

Because I was hoping to create a sustainable future at the Star, I knew I had to make an effort to get along with Calvin. The real problem between Cass and Calvin, I figured, was they had incompatible personalities. Maybe it was a gender thing. It only took a day or two before I had a pretty good read on the guy, though: he was desperate to please, always making vaguely inappropriate Dad jokes, and operated in a near-constant state of panic mode. His ambition was to put in a couple of years as an editor out in the booneys, then leap-frog up to a similar post in the Lower Mainland. Calvin had come over from the Abbotsford News, and he couldn’t have been more out of place in the Kootenays. He had a round face, small glasses and a neat silver goatee. His right-wing politics matched nicely with the Carpenters’, and he was a big fan of Dooley, but I couldn’t believe the editor of a Nelson newspaper could routinely be heard murmuring “fucking hippies” and questioning whether climate change is really that big of a deal. He wore Chicago Blackhawks shirts nearly every single day, ate fast food at his desk, and often wrote his editorials in the mad-scramble final moments of production day.

He was going through a tough period in his life, routinely commuting across the province to visit family, and I knew Nelson didn’t feel like home to him. Eventually I decided he was a dude, doing his best, just like everybody else.

My favourite piece of Calvin advice had to do with job titles. He didn’t believe they should ever be capitalized, a stance which had gotten him into trouble with the public in the past.

“This one guy got so mad at me, told me ‘I’m the president of the company, you have to capitalize my title’,” Calvin said, after putting the paper to bed. He grinned, remembering.

“There just happened to be a garbage man walking by the window and I said ‘he’s the garbage man, you’re the president. I don’t capitalize his job title, why would I capitalize yours?’”

Just before I was hired the Star picked up Tamara Hynd, a world-traveling adventurer a few years older than me. She was a tall and slender brunette, with kind eyes, and an ultra-healthy lifestyle that contrasted dramatically with Calvin’s. Her journalistic instincts were on-point, and I was awed by her ability to shoulder her way into situations to get the story. She started mostly reporting on the school board — there was a teacher’s strike going on — but she also got intimately involved in the Nelson Commons project, a condo development downtown that was struggling to find buyers. She cultivated relationships quickly, was professional to a fault and fearless when it came time to bull into new surroundings. She would eventually be the first person on scene during a deadly shooting incident in Slocan, she traveled by herself to cover the Shambhala Music Festival, and she became a regular on the slopes of Whitewater Ski Resort. She knew how to do the job in ways that I was still learning, and she was entirely modest about it. Sometimes I felt sorry for her, the only woman among three dudes, but she always held her own.

Then there was Greg Nesteroff. During our drive, Cass had called him her favourite person in Nelson, and I quickly learned why. Mild-mannered and polite, he was like a character from a different time. He was easily the most respected name on our masthead, and was also well-known as a local radio personality. At first I had scoffed at some of the prose being produced at the paper, but Greg’s stories were gorgeously rendered and book-ready. He wrote historical features about characters people had never heard of, illustrated with incredible black and white photos, while also covering some of our most pressing crime stories. By the time I arrived he’d already won a number of newspaper prizes for his work, and the plaques were proudly displayed down at the front desk.

One thing I decided to do, right on my first day, was create a new personal Facebook page. I didn’t want my friends at home inundated with Nelson news, and I wanted a professional account that I could connect with any contact without worrying about them glimpsing too much of my personal life. I’d learned about social media marketing through my internship the year previous, and I was keen to mobilize those skills. I searched “Nelson, BC” and then added every organization, every business and every group I could find — effectively turning my newsfeed into a list of story ideas. I was aggressive about adding friends. My plan was to funnel all my content through my newly created Tumblr, Kootenay Goon, so I would have a digital archive of my work.

When I checked out the Star’s Facebook page, I found it barely active and seriously lacking in photos. The Twitter account was even worse. I made it a personal goal to make sure every story of mine was posted on social media, something that wasn’t currently happening in any organized way under Calvin. He was too busy with laying out the print issues while playing catch-up with his editorial duties to really give much thought to the paper’s online presence. If somebody was going to bring the Star into the 21st century, it wasn’t going to be him.

When it came to divvying up the stories, it became clear that the primary hole I was there to fill was in arts reporting. Greg had crime and city hall covered, Tamara was all over the school board, and there was a summer intern helping Calvin with the sports stuff — he himself covered all the Nelson Leafs games. I eventually learned that the arts section was routinely comprised of press releases, published exactly as submitted, that often featured the same photos being used for that organization’s advertisements. The second half of the paper was often devoid of real bylines, with the phrase “Submitted” splattered all over the page, and all these institutions in town had gotten used to funnelling their content into the paper free of any editorial interference. Annoyingly enough, that relationship was symbiotic — there was no way we’d be able to fill the whole 30 pages otherwise. I figured the more stories I wrote for the arts section, the more we could elbow out this embarrassing content and elevate our game.

Calvin gave me the task of laying out the entertainment page, a chore I quickly grew to loathe, though it introduced me to many of the organizations I would come to rely on for leads — Selkirk College, Oxygen Art Centre, the Capitol, the Civic, On the Road Management, Spiritbar and the Royal. It was often the last thing I did on production day, scouring my e-mail and the internet for details on upcoming events. I quickly figured out that the larger I laid out the picture, the less work I would have to do filling the columns. While I poured my soul into my writing and reporting, this part of the job meant nothing to me. I knew that nearly nobody was turning to the hard-copy newspaper to figure out what was going on around town, while meanwhile there were a number of online calendars that were far superior. The entertainment page was a relic of the print past, and I was interested in the digital future.

One columnist who stood out to me right away was Anne DeGrace, from the Nelson Public Library. She was in nearly every issue, and she always seemed to have some cutesy or experimental element to her prose. The woman obviously knew her way around a sentence. I would later learn that she had been a single mother who had come to Nelson decades earlier, eventually starting a bookstore called Packrat Annie’s and authoring a series of novels. She was one of the masterminds behind ArtWalk, a yearly collaboration between artists and the business community, and she was an organizer for the Elephant Mountain Literary Festival. A powerhouse. Calvin recommended that I meet her in person and I did, at Oso Negro coffeeshop a few blocks from our office. She seemed a little wary of me, perhaps because I was planning to edge in on her literary niche, but happy to share her expertise. She told me stories about the Nelson Daily News before it died, and about how editor Rob Wall was the only one to successfully make the transition to the Star. According to her, people were still getting used to the new paper in town. There was animosity, for sure. She told me no matter what kind of journalist I was or what kind of work I did, I would be perceived as working for “The Man”. And in a community like Nelson, constructed on an ethos of default defiance and grassroots activism, that was tantamount to being the enemy. She sipped her coffee.

“Now you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The Kootenay Goon

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spamzineglasgow · 6 years

Text

SPAM Digest #1 (Sept 2018)

A quick list of the editors’ current favourite critical essays, post-internet think pieces, and literature reviews that have influenced the way we think about contemporary poetics, technology and storytelling.

‘Human Sacrifice’, by Alexandra Molotkow, Real Life Mag

A brief moral genealogy of reality TV spectatorship sketched through the short life of The Anna Nicole Show (2002-2004); Moloktow reflects on the hatred of the talentless and contempt for the desperate as a ultimate re-inscription of class dynamics; on the erotic appeal of the fallen beauty; on how the lines between compassion and cruelty come blurred, when those between life and entertainment seem to be disappearing.

‘Reality television remade spectatorship in the likeness of a relationship: You loved your favorite contestants like friends and hated your least favorite like enemies — the thrill of a reality villain was the permission to hate a “real” person and not just a character in fiction.’

‘What many of us are looking for, at least sometimes, is a quick hit of relatability, the ambient sense that other people exist. This isn’t necessarily bad. It cuts to the chase of what we so often ask of art, and people are just as interesting as anything they might produce — a personality itself can be read as a work of art, producing the same range of joys and intriguing discomforts. But real and imagined people demand different moral configurations, and observing a life as theater can create a narrative riptide on reality.’

D.B

‘Andrew Pekler charts imagined sounds on interactive atlas, Phantom Islands’, by Scott Wilson, Fact Mag

It was actually an ex-navy friend who recommended this article to me, and the nautical vibes seemed appropriate, given our current SPAM theme is CRUISE LINER. Wilson’s article glosses a recent project by Berlin-based sound artist Andrew Pekler: an ‘interactive online map called Phantom Islands, which combines the histories of islands that were once found on nautical maps with speculative sounds from each of the 27 locations’. These ‘Phantom Islands’, as Pekler puts it, were charted through history by ocean explorers, but their actual existence ‘has never been ultimately verified’.

For anyone intrigued by ethnomusicology (soundscapes are here selected with an ethnographer’s ear and knowledge of island history), object-oriented ‘art’ (one could argue Pekler’s project enacts a form of tuning to nonhuman scales, scapes and ontologies) or simply wanting to play around with a synesthetically satisfying map, Phantom Islands is definitely worth your time.

There’s something seductive and ultimately metamodern about this project: its oscillation between fact and fiction; a New Aesthetic, intermedial playfulness and sincere commitment to probing the strange aporia of these places. A sort of sonic psychocartography, combining the analogue ‘hardware’ of the map with the interactive, ‘soft’ subtleties of scroll, click, veer and zoom. It recalls childhood afternoons consumed by the thalassic, open-world vistas of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002), where every cel-shaded island was mapped out on a gridded ‘Great Sea’, sparkling with unique music, sidequests, enemies and secret items. Browsing The Wind Waker’s world, or (in Cruise Mode), the clean white grids of Pekler’s map, you find yourself phasing in and out of the mirage-like isles of geologic and mythical history. I’m made nostalgic for the days when the internet was envisioned as a sort of frontier, this sprawling terrain to be ‘surfed’.

As well as pleasure, there’s a profound melancholy to the project: it doesn’t steer us towards the dramatic sublime but rather encourages an introspective, ‘slow’ experience of personal discovery, a glide over several haecceities. Maybe it’s because, as Malachy Tallack puts it in his 2016 book The Undiscovered Islands, ‘Islands [...] are perfect metaphors for other worlds and afterlives. They are separate and yet connected; they are distant and yet tangible. The sea of death is cluttered with imaginary islands’. I’ve never thought of webpages or online archives as islands until now, but something about that sense of myth or fiction pervading the ‘real’ of the present is oddly comforting. The narrative vignettes and sound clips which accompany the islands of Pekler’s map give the reassurance of presence, even in the space of speculation, in the lack of evidential presence. If, as Tallack puts it, ‘invention’ arises from our desire to fill a ‘terrifying’ absence, then ‘sometimes that desire gives us back the absences we sought to fill’. It seems to me he could be describing a phenomenology of the open internet, the para-reality of endless text and images still sloshing and jostling against the smooth interface of Web 2.0. The haunted archives of yesteryear, preserved on some ad-riddled, lost domain. The splintered archipelagos of our virtual identities, the desiring production of feedback loops.

As a form of ‘interactive’ geography, Phantom Islands reminds us that our conceptions of ‘world’, Other or ipseity itself are bound to slippage, the ambient addictions of browsing a set of imagined striations. Best to enjoy that, while we (physically) still can.

The Phantom Islands project: http://andrewpekler.com/phantom-islands/

M.S.

‘Funks of Ambivalence: On Flarf’, by Andrew Epstein, LA Review of Books

Flarf’s controversy is no secret within the poetry world. What started as protest poetry, in the manner of pirate radio - a way of ‘hacking’ the internet by mining and reassembling its linguistic fragments - soon sank in a cesspool of suspicion about plagiarism, appropriation and writerly privilege. Well, not exactly ‘sank’, because sank implies a kind of closure, when actually flarf still floats around - the poetic plastic that won’t quite biodegrade, even in these times of lyric revival.

Having recently published, Attention Equals Life: The Pursuit of the Everyday in Contemporary Poetry and Culture (2016), Epstein is well-versed in tracing how poetic form variously attempts to render, illumine or escape the experiential debris of daily life. Here reviewing a recent anthology, published by Edge Books in 2017 (Flarf: An Anthology of Flarf), Epstein maps out the emergence of flarf in the context of both the poetry establishment and the internet’s structural history, honing in on the use of search engines and data trawling as modes of playful aesthetic resistance. He quotes Gary Sullivan (a founding flarfer), who describes ‘flarf’ as both a neologism for ‘a kind of corrosive, cute, or cloying, awfulness’ and verb, meaning ‘to bring out the inherent awfulness, etc., of some pre-existing text’.

A good review perhaps brings something extra to the text it feeds on, and Epstein succeeds in supplementing Flarf: An Anthology of Flarf’s lack in the critical department. As Epstein puts it, the anthology is ‘completely devoid of scholarly apparatus’. What might be ‘more a bid for canonization, an enshrinement of a now-defunct avant-garde’ nevertheless requires a bit of aesthetic and political contextualisation, which Epstein’s piece usefully gestures towards. As post-internet poets, self-identified or otherwise, we’re all guilty of getting a little too flarfy at times, fooling around with discursive detritus online. It’s commentary like Epstein’s that sets all this appropriation in its necessary social contexts - from gender to race, ethnicity, class and sexuality.

Epstein’s upshot is that the ‘antics’ of flarf retain the potential for cultural resistance, but that flarf should not be considered solely in a dematerialised junkspace of recycled ‘play’. Rather, we should be reading flarf alongside certain contemporary poets (Epstein names a few), who digest its playful ‘tactics’ for a more substantial sociopolitical aesthetics, and what’s more acknowledge the extent to which flarf has become the condition of all information dissemination, both online and IRL. As he puts it, paraphrasing Man Ray’s chiastic assessment of Dada’s survival: ‘Flarf cannot live in America. All America is Flarf, and will not tolerate a rival’. In an era of reality-breakdown and disorientating news dissemination, conducted over the famously elliptical medium of Twitter, presided upon by the US President himself, this seems about right.

M.S.

‘The Irrelevant and the Contemporary’ by DannyPenny, The New Enquiry

‘Post-Internet Poetry Comes of Age’, by Kenneth Goldsmith, The New Yorker

So why is post-internet poetry #trending?

Over the past few years, the art world has been throwing around the term “post-Internet” to describe the practices of artists who use the Web as the basis for their work but don’t make a big deal about it. For these artists, unlike those of previous generations, the Web is just another medium, like painting or sculpture. We’re beginning to see a similar turn in poetry.

Is it fair to say that successful post-internet poems should not merely “update confessional poetry for the age of mass surveillance"? That Poems that want to mirror or deconstruct the experience of living on the internet need a poetics that address that experience on a structural and material rather than semantic level? What is the result of such poetry? Poems that are "boring to be around"? Or poems that are at once organic and mechanical, personal and, in a sense, objective? Why is it that a mining, massaging, and reworking of found online texts into something personal appears to be fuelling some of the more adventurous poetry being written today? See what Kenneth Goldsmith and Danny Penny have to say.

M.P.

#SPAM Digest #Max Parnell #Denise Bonetti #Maria Sledmere #post-internet #poetry #flarf #maps #geography #surveillance #trending #Real Life Mag

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esseastri · 7 years

Text

Megan Reads Oathbringer (part 7)

blerg, I wanted to hit page 500 in the last chunk o’ liveblog, but alas. We continue on. This book is just too dense, the liveblog posts are too long and I will continue to mention that in every one of these posts, ‘cause it’s wild just how much is in here!

Part 7 encompasses pages 476-557 (previous parts)

OOOOOOOH JASNAH POV!!!!

hey, her art bubble is the old Shallan art bubble. that’s...boring. why doesn’t she get her own?

I’m emotional about Taln forever and ever

Jasnah being paranoid about her safety and assassins and stuffing her ventilation shaft with cloths is...so... You don’t expect Jasnah to be scared, but here she is. It makes perfect sense--she got stabbed through the chest, of course she’s scared--but she’s so poised and in control, you just don’t expect it.

OMG Jasnah had back up files of her notes!!! That’s brilliant.

spanreeds are so cool

do we know which type of spren Ivory is? if we do I don’t remember.

just keep reading, Megan, they’ll tell you. Inkspren. ...of course.

also, I’d been wondering how Jasnah was “broken”--since all the Radiants are--and somehow I never expected childhood illness. that’s a logical breaking point, but I never even thought of it.

THERE WAS A JASNAH AND HOID’S MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE!!! THERE WAS!!! I’VE BEEN ROBBED!!!

but also, wtf did she learn, what did she learn from him. I’m guessing it’s the same thing the Stormfather refused to tell Dalinar... about all ten orders returning.

god, I really, really hope that my theory about them replacing the Heralds is wrong. I don’t want that. ..

(It’s a good theory though; the first new members of the ten orders all make a new Oathpact at the end of the fifth book. the back five are about their first time breaking and the first Desolation post-this one. It’s awful and I don’t want it, but you gotta admit, it’s an interesting theory, at least in a meta way.)

also I’m sad no one likes the honorspren. Syl is such a good. then again, she’s different than her peeps, she always says.

gaahhh, the Moash chapters are killing me every time I see that patchless shoulder I just die a lil bit inside

“Compared to bridge duty, this was paradise.” I’M CRYING??? This is so, so much the ‘I did that, so I can survive anything’ mentality and I’m cry.

okay, but can all of the Fused use all of the Surges? or do they all do different things? Do they have the equivalent of radiant orders?

(I’m going to be so excited if Moash gets a spren, but I feel like he maybe has to take responsibility for his actions first...)

aaahh Moash is taking the Kaladin route of “I don’t care about these people but storm it, I’m helping them anyway”.

OH SHIT Those are the ones who Kaladin helped, aren’t they... they brought “a false god” that was Kaladin shit shit shit they are getting punished for him. He would die if he knew, oh god.

AAAHH MOASH IS A GOOD “You’re becoming like us” Ohhhh goooddd yep. yep. wow. Be better. Do better. The theme of this book, and I love it. I LOVE MOASH AAHHH

punk!Dalinar not being allowed to fight is wild.

OOOHH THEY DIDN’T TELL HIM HE’S BEEN HURTING PEOPLE?? WHY!!!!?? YOU GOTTA TELL HIM HE’S DESTROYING PEOPLE’S LIVES BY BEING A BLACKOUT DRUNK AND FIGHTING PEOPLE

THAT’S NOT A GOOD THING AND HE SHOULD KNOW THAT

his name means “born unto light” oh my god that’s delightful oh my god

ohno. you should not send Dalinar back to war, u should keep him at home and maybe find him a therapist to talk to him about the Thrill...

FLYING KHOLINS AHOY!!

“something profoundly disconcerting about being out on the ocean” disconcerting? You’ve misspelled exciting.

They are holding hands while flying that’s adorable

I love that it’s “Elhokar’s team” when we all know Kaladin will end up in charge, much to Adolin’s chagrin...

No comment on what Dalinar’s hair looks like all windswept, obviously that means he’s been windswept into full greaser-style pompadour.

“shellheads” really? wtf. you didn’t call them that before. it’s only after they gain sentience that you give them derogatory nicknames?

High King Dalinar founding his own kingdom is wild to think about...

All of Navani’s scribes and engineers are so excitable. I love it.

Dalinar sneaking about without guards is nervewracking. Pls be safe, buddy.

“what else were important lighteyes going to do with unmotivated children?” Uuh...motivate them? Don’t just throw them aside to the church and expect them to drain resources by doing nothing for the rest of their lives? Find some way for them to be productive members of society? Why is this such a hard concept?

Fucking lighteyes

“He was RURAL Alethi he CAN’T be a HERALD” fuck off, Kadash. Kaladin is from a backwater and he’s a Radiant. And Taln wasn’t a king. We know this.

“No spiritual basis for rule” seems like a good thing to me...separation fo church and state and all that...

Something I’m not surprised that Vorinism sucks ass at caring for the mentally ill...

Yeah, ok, but who cut Taln’s wall from the outside? one of the other Heralds? Someone who still has their honorblade? Or some...Diagram/Ghostblood/SonofHonor mofo who realized before we did that Taln is a Herald? I’M CONCERNED FOR MY ANCIENT BROKEN SON

“Lately, he didn’t much like himself.” Noooooo, Moaaaashhh!! I still like you! A lot!!!

I am absolutely delighted that the Fused point their toes when they are flying. My synchronized swimming ass is just...DELIGHTED

“You don’t farm an apocalypse.” heheheh

The tavern is called the Fallen Tower? really? Dalinar’s army fell at the Tower... and Bridge Four saved them. really.

omg noooo noooooooooo no

nooo

nooooooooo

that’s

a lumberyard. and

ladderruns. that’s the same damn thing oh god

no, I don’t want this.

Let Moash Live 2k17

There’s a weird trend of swapping PoVs in the middle of a chapter. I’m not used to it.

“They acted like they owned her already.” I mean...they kinda do, Shallan. You kinda fucked up with them.

“without her having to remain at the meeting” hon, you are needed at the meetings for reasons other than your mapmaking skills??

“I am my own woman” teeeechnically, you’re...what, Taravangian’s subject now? Right, he’s in charge of Vedenar.

Evi deserves better than punk!Dalinar. Him yelling at her because she invaded his manly man-space is gross and he should stop

Navani just chilling with Evi and Ialai is wild. I legit can’t imagine them all getting along.

Also, I love that Renarin’s name is just a name. I love the convoluted meaning of nothing. it’s great.

Evi is a Good and she! deserves! better!

oh god babies

tiny, tiny babies

Evil flying chulls!! Tiny Adolin is too cute oh god

Just writing down that page 519 is the glyph alphabet. That’s important, you know. :)

NanKhet’s list of assassination attempts and then his like... banquet of executions. is some Greek mythology shit up in here. That’s #yikes

Pastry chef scholar man! I love it! I love that there aRE people in Vorin lands who don’t adhere to Vorinism’s gender roles, people who think gender roles are for squares.

Hello Darkness My Old Friend has waaay too many names. Nakku, Nalan, Nale. This is why I just still call him Hello Darkness.

“Did you misplace her?” One does not simply misplace Lift.

They keep talking about how Thaylen City was super wrecked by the Everstorm and that’s fair, but like...has anyone heard from Shin? Talk about being unprotected for a wrong-way highstorm...

Jasnah reflexively sucking in Stormlight the second Amaram appears in the doorway is Big Mood.

“Other than the fact that you are a detestable buffoon who acheives only the lowest level of mediocrity, as it is the best your limited mind can imagine? I can’t possibly think of a reason.” GOD FUCKING BLESS.

“Give me an excuse. I dare you.” BIGGEST MOOD EVER OH MY GOD

yeah, you run away. fucker.

“The Windrunner” “the flying bridgeman” “brightlord broodingeyes” HE HAS A NAME, LADIES. He has a name.

I’m super tired of everyone--especially Jasnah--underestimating and disregarding Renarin.

And then he goes and does COOL SHIT LIKE FIND THE RESONATING LIBRARY!!!!??

Also, Jasnah can infuse gems with light? wacky fun.

oohh LIghtweaving isn’t just light it’s “and various waveforms” Renarin’s LIghtweaving is super different from Shallan’s isn’t it!!? I can’t want to see MOAR SURGES

Nooooo, Moash.... you gotta do the Kaladin thing! You can’t let go! Look at you, you are already helping the people he helped. You can’t stop yourself any more than he could. You’re not here to let go. You’re here to remember how to care.

Moash bby, I know you are prone to stupid decisions, but please...please don’t do anything stupid...

.........like that.

okay, creepy flying in charge lady. is creepy.

Okay, teaching the parshmen how to spear is good? sort of? from a certain point of view.

Ooooh Rlain pov!!! That’s new and interesting.

you know why is he here? How did he not get eaten by the first Everstorm?

HECK YE ALL FIVE LADY SCOUT WINDRUNNER SQUIRES HEEECKKK YYESSSSS

THEMS MY GIRLS

“He loved them because they did try.” Aaaahhhhh

“That’s like...extra manly.” I’m not sure that’s how being gay works, but I’ma roll with it. :D

“I guess it’s just a thing men say. Can you tell me how it feels?” “I can try.” KALADIN IS A GOOD WHO IS TRYING VERY HARD AND RLAIN IS ALSO A GOOD WHO IS TRYING VERY HARD AND I’M EMOTIONAL

I am so glad they are Trying Together.

That is an interesting question...did the magic stagnate them? stop people from being interested in finding non-magic ways of doing things? not just steel, but like...idk, indoor plumbing and better ways of farming, or anything that a Soulcaster can do. Why would you need better ways when you have the magic way?

It’s a very Harry Potter Wizard Wolrd mentality, tbh.

Oh shit, the Recreance was 2k years AFTER the Heralds bugged out and broke the Oathpact? That’s a long time for them to keep going without their leaders? and then to suddenly stop after all that time? whyyyy

what did they learn? about their spren? Jasnah knows.

Oh no!!!

nooo

he can hear the spren dying!!!???? OH NOOO

OH SNAP

WHAT

UM??? WHAT

THE FUCK?

HOW DID HE HACK DALINAR’S VISION?? WHERE DID HE COME FROM? HOW DID HE GET HERE? HOW DANGEROUS IS HE IN THIS FORM? HOW IS HE HERE?

WHAT

HAPPENING

god, how many times did Dalinar rely on the Thrill? that’s got to leave some kind of bond, some connection. Something Odium can exploit.

God, it’s still really weird to think of Odium--the bad guy--as light, gold, white. it’s refreshing, but also wtf

Ah, fuck off, you’re not a god. The Shardholders are not gods. They’re just dudes with extra powerful magic. Ask Sazed.

God, okay, the STormfather is so. scared. wtf.

Oooohh, he hasn’t gotten Cultivation yet. She’s hidden and he’s bound--not very well if he’s here now, but still.

Can she help us?

Why does he...have to kill people? Is it because he’s the avatar of hatred of something else?

...interesting. Passion.

..........interesting that the Thaylens worship the Passions.

Also, I resent that if he’s All Sorts of Emotion/Passion, there’s the implication that all emotion eventually leads to violence, and I RESENT THAT SO HARD

oh snap, Cultivation is the Nightwatcher? What? I did not expect that...

goes further to the None of the Three Shards Are Good or Bad

though Odium might be lying...

what the shit

was that the Odium hell planet?

Did....did Lift just... scare him away?

I’m increaingly thinking shes got a bit of Cultivation in her. She’s not just a kiddo, and not just a Radiant, there’s something funky going on with her, and I think it’s something powerful enough to scare Odium.. hm...

EEEEYYYYY END PART TWO!!!!!

eww gross, Taravangian AND Venli? Bad interludes are bad. Where’s Szeth? I miss him.

#op #Megan reads OB #Oathbringer spoilers #I was sick so I missed a few days of reading whoops #and then I was on a plane #and as we all know from previous experience some of my best liveblogging is done on planes :D #Stormlight Archive #Oathbringer #Brandon Sanderson

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orchid-cs · 4 years

Text

#ON ADVERTISING

Years of painting and sculpture stand under the spotlight of gaze-theorist.

John Berger, in his essays “Ways of Seeing” discussed the way in which art has been traditionally created: “The ideal spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman designed to flatter him.”

According to Berger this has ever since shaped the relations between men and women in the sense that: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.”

Furthermore, Berger inquired into the ability of a group of people to look upon another without restrictions. (Specific example: Men and Women.)

// The gaze

Going back before the 20th century, the gaze was discussed within its medium: therefore early critics’ analysis did not extend the canvas itself.

However, regarding contemporary art criticism, the gaze is considered a tool of communication & transmitter of information about both the viewer and the viewed. The gaze can exceed the medium and contain social indications, either than just a function within the work itself creating a link between art form and social theory. Berger discusses how the gaze is in fact a tool to look into the way the privileged and the prevailing choose to see the world, how gender, sexual difference and marginalization of oppressed people are constructed also directly connected with the representation of all of the above.

“In short, the gaze is about who controls representation.”

Michel Foucault in “Las Meninas” explores how the spectator himself becomes the subject of the painting, as he remains a spectator gazing at the painting, concluding so that no gaze is stable, but relays in an interchange of roles constantly.

// Advertisement beyond 1972

Berger examines how “Capitalism survives by forcing the majority, whom it exploits, to define their own interests as narrowly as possible. This was once achieved by extensive deprivation. Today in the developed countries it is being achieved by imposing a false standard of what is and what is not desirable.” The main purpose of publicity and advertising is to impose dissatisfaction into the spectator with his present way of life, by suggesting that if he buys what it is being offered his life will improve. The main aims and concept of advertising to nowaday have not changed much, creating so want and desires that would not exist otherwise, by creating a sense of false needs. There’s a massive list of products that are consumed today, that would not exist without the advertising such as: cigarettes, mouthwash, cosmetics, supplement medicine, soft drinks, etc. Print ads and broadcast ads display a narrative where purchasing the product leads to the object of desire, a promise of sexual success by becoming more attractive to a partner or making it easier to keep one. The right choice of shampoo or chewing gum got the partner; the right choice of moisturizer kept him interested. Later on 1980s advertisers came to the realization that the old scenarios lost their influence in an audience overwhelmed by advertising which started to become cynical and sceptic. KITSCH ART & CULTURE No matter how much we scorn it, kitsch is an integral part of the human condition. – Writer, Milan Kundera Kitsch propaganda has been the ultimate tool for a large group of dictators in history and nowadays as well, to assure their absolute authority. It started with the concept of “Cult of Personality” which emerged in Soviet Union by Stalin in 1929. Media of the time (press) portrayed and presented Stalin an all-powerful, all-knowing leader, concluding in his image being ubiquitous. But later on the recent years: - Muammar Gaddafi the leader of Libya was referred to as “the kitsch dictator”, - Saddam Husein’s design of monuments in the same stalinist spirit. - Al-Qaeda propaganda uses images of sunrises, Eden like images and even gothic images of skulls and bones. This attraction for kitsch is highly related to a phenomenon of deculturation, as an emerged term in sociology sciences related with the effects of colonialism and loss of culture. Nowadays kitsch is also highly related with technology as well. Social media is a pure example of how individuals are able to redefine themselves without being confronted with the culture of the other, and also having an infinite access on the pop culture making it more easily accessible than ever by following some well-defined social standards & artificial intelligence algorithms on which books, films, or what to access based on previous choices. Advertisers on the other hand are both manipulator and manipulated because they must interject their product into an ongoing system of signs. Their effect depends on extending a set of cultural associations. Clearly advertising is participating in a much larger cultural discourse where fat is viewed as ugly and aging as repulsive, but more importantly, where personal empowerment is expressed in terms of controlling ones’ body image. Thus human agency can be summed up in Nike’s slogan “Just Do It!” The problem for scholars critical of the effects of consumerism and who advocate change is how to get their students to interrogate the chains of assumptions in the rhetoric of personal empowerment.

____________________________________ References: Berger, J. “Ways of Seeing”, Chapter 7 https://www.ways-of-seeing.com/ch7 [Accessed: March 1,2018] Foucault,M. “Las Meninas” [Accessed: March 1,2018]

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tory-danny · 5 years

Text

Week 3 Journal: Camp & the Living End

Gregg Araki’s 1992 film, the Living End, tells the story of Jon and Luke, two gay men who have been diagnosed positive for the HIV virus. After an incident leaves a cop dead, the movie explores their relationship as the two head out on the road, away from the heat of being arrested. The movie is known to be one of the earliest entry within the genre of New Queer Cinema, and is currently seen as a movie with incorporation of Camp within its direction and writing. Araki was able to utilize a handful of camp principles in his film to build off a sort of language around his characters.

The concept of “camp” has a variety of interpretations given by many people, but the most accepted principles of what Camp is are the ones written out by Susan Sontag in her book “Notes on Camp.” Sontag compiled a list of fifty-eight descriptors used to determine whether a form of media would be considered Camp or not, and a handful of things she listed would be found within The Living End. In the film, there is a female character named Darcy, whom we understand to be a very close friend to our protagonist Jon. We learn that she is an up-and-coming artist, and the few scenes we see of her home reflects that occupation and her ideas. While the colors are of a basic tint, the design of everyday objects (tables, flower pots, etc.) are extravagant and take on a modern-looking aesthetic. The architecture and floor plan of the house itself is quite a sight to see as well, with high ceilings and an open floor free of any walls. According to Sontag, Camp is often found within certain arts, particularly in clothing and visual décor (Point #5); in this case, Araki uses Camp in the physical environment around Darcy to contrast that of Jon’s home, which is shown to be much smaller and cramped, with more clutter on the floors and walls.

Another form of camp Araki incorporates into his film is his use of humor. In his article “Camp – A Queer Sensibility,” David Groff provides various interpretations of what Camp is from a variety of scholars throughout the latter half of the last century. One scholar he writes about, Jack Babuscio, identified four basic features of camp performance that still holds weight when talking about present-day Camp, one of which being the use of humor as “a means of dealing with a hostile environment and . . . defining a positive identity” (72). The Living End has various instances throughout its duration where one character (mainly Luke) cracks a joke in the middle of a tension moments, which would be deemed “bad timing in any other movie with similar scenes and subject matter. However, due to the nature of the film, these jokes bounce off as well-executed comic relief, especially when combined with the characters’ excessive use of vulgarity in their speech. Returning back to Sontag and her notes, it is written that appreciators of Camp is vulgarity, that there are feelings of amusement and delight when cursed words are spoken in camp performances (Point #48). Araki had written a high amount of lines where it feels the actors were forcefully cursing for sake of it; however, in reality, it was for the sake of providing another piece of Camp into his film.

The treatment of women in The Living End is spread across a vast range of characterization. The first women we meet in the film are a lesbian couple, who try to rob Luke of his money after picking him up from the side of the road. Another woman with similar intentions is introduced later in the movie, the wife of a man whom Luke has a one night stand with behind her back. All three of these women act as a threatening force towards Luke, with their main purpose of the film to be explanations to the viewer on how Luke is transitioning between scenes. These women are the plot devices used for pushing Luke towards the places where the story needs him to be. The couple in the beginning have Luke at gunpoint, one leaves the other in the car to do her business before screaming off-screen at an unknown assailant. The second woman leaves the car to check her girlfriend, giving Luke the opportunity to jump to the front seat and escape with their car. Luke has now found his way into the city. After finding her husband in bed with another man, the third woman is fueled with anger and stabs her partner in the chest, causing Luke to flee the scene. Luke has now found his way to the parking lot, which contains the scene of him killing a group of men and running out to the street and meeting Jon. Both female-led and later instances play out in similar ways and end in near exact results: Luke is found in a sticky situation, something sudden happens that results in him opportunity to run, copy and paste for the next scene until he finally finds his way to Jon.

Then there is the previously mentioned character of Darcy, a close friend to Jon, who acts as the film’s side character and secondary couple with her boyfriend, Peter. While previous female characters acted as Luke’s driving force towards Jon, Darcy acts Jon’s reminder of his original life when the two men begin their journey on the road. For the unknown amount of time Jon and Luke spend driving from place-to-place, Darcy takes care of his house, his plants and pet, and is responsible for spending money into his account for whatever shenanigans they may be up to. As a result of his absence and her constant worry of why Jon left and when he’ll return, the relationship of the straight couple begins to crumble. At first, her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter, seem to make the audience believe they’ll be the mirror image of Jon and Luke’s relationship. One of the objectives many filmmakers of New Queer Cinema had in mind was to present homosexual characters in various forms of media, findings ways to tell a story that “reconfigure[es] traditional heterosexual notions of family and marriage” and challenge and/or subvert “assumptions about identity, gender, class, family and society” (What is Queer Cinema). As the film goes on, the audience realizes that the two couples are more similar than they are different. Both relationships begin to rift as Jon and Darcy would think about the other, Darcy seeming to care more for Jon than Peter. Both Peter and Luke take initiative in responding to their partners’ need to see the other: Peter decided to see someone else (behind Darcy’s back, mind you) while Luke strikes down and forces himself onto Jon to “remember” the reason why they left in the first place.

(Note: There were no photos of her role from the movie, only headshots and scenes from other films)

0 notes

orchid-vc · 5 years

Text

#ON ADVERTISING

Years of painting and sculpture stand under the spotlight of gaze-theorist.

According to Berger this has ever since shaped the relations between men and women in the sense that: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.”

Furthermore, Berger inquired into the ability of a group of people to look upon another without restrictions. (Specific example: Men and Women.)

// The gaze

Going back before the 20th century, the gaze was discussed within its medium: therefore early critics’ analysis did not extend the canvas itself.

“In short, the gaze is about who controls representation.”

// Advertisement beyond 1972

Berger examines how “Capitalism survives by forcing the majority, whom it exploits, to define their own interests as narrowly as possible. This was once achieved by extensive deprivation. Today in the developed countries it is being achieved by imposing a false standard of what is and what is not desirable.” The main purpose of publicity and advertising is to impose dissatisfaction into the spectator with his present way of life, by suggesting that if he buys what it is being offered his life will improve. The main aims and concept of advertising to nowaday have not changed much, creating so want and desires that would not exist otherwise, by creating a sense of false needs. There’s a massive list of products that are consumed today, that would not exist without the advertising such as: cigarettes, mouthwash, cosmetics, supplement medicine, soft drinks, etc. Print ads and broadcast ads display a narrative where purchasing the product leads to the object of desire, a promise of sexual success by becoming more attractive to a partner or making it easier to keep one. The right choice of shampoo or chewing gum got the partner; the right choice of moisturizer kept him interested. Later on 1980s advertisers came to the realization that the old scenarios lost their influence in an audience overwhelmed by advertising which started to become cynical and sceptic. KITSCH ART & CULTURE No matter how much we scorn it, kitsch is an integral part of the human condition. – Writer, Milan Kundera Kitsch propaganda has been the ultimate tool for a large group of dictators in history and nowadays as well, to assure their absolute authority. It started with the concept of “Cult of Personality” which emerged in Soviet Union by Stalin in 1929. Media of the time (press) portrayed and presented Stalin an all-powerful, all-knowing leader, concluding in his image being ubiquitous. But later on the recent years: - Muammar Gaddafi the leader of Libya was referred to as “the kitsch dictator”, - Saddam Husein’s design of monuments in the same stalinist spirit. - Al-Qaeda propaganda uses images of sunrises, Eden like images and even gothic images of skulls and bones. This attraction for kitsch is highly related to a phenomenon of deculturation, as an emerged term in sociology sciences related with the effects of colonialism and loss of culture. Nowadays kitsch is also highly related with technology as well. Social media is a pure example of how individuals are able to redefine themselves without being confronted with the culture of the other, and also having an infinite access on the pop culture making it more easily accessible than ever by following some well-defined social standards & artificial intelligence algorithms on which books, films, or what to access based on previous choices. Advertisers on the other hand are both manipulator and manipulated because they must interject their product into an ongoing system of signs. Their effect depends on extending a set of cultural associations. Clearly advertising is participating in a much larger cultural discourse where fat is viewed as ugly and aging as repulsive, but more importantly, where personal empowerment is expressed in terms of controlling ones' body image. Thus human agency can be summed up in Nike's slogan "Just Do It!" The problem for scholars critical of the effects of consumerism and who advocate change is how to get their students to interrogate the chains of assumptions in the rhetoric of personal empowerment.

0 notes

liquidmetalslime · 7 years

Text

Dragon Quest: Where to Start

Introduction

The “where do i start” question is asked quite frequently on /r/dragonquest and the main FB fangroup, so i assumed i’d make my own list.

I’m gonna compile each game that has been released outside of Japan into this post and give their most important features of each version available -at least- in English so anyone can see the differences and choose according to their needs or preferences.

Note 1: To mark in which languages is available each release, i’m gonna put these next to its platform: (E) = English; (F) = French; (G) = German; (I) = Italian; (S) = Spanish. “EFIGS” may only apply to the EU version, though.

Note 2: Some things might not be 100% accurate, I’m just a slime, sluurp 🙇🏻🙏.

Note 3: Games with only one version available in English (or Multi-5) will get this message in the recommendation: “There’s only a version.”. Games in which you can choose the gender of the main characters will include this sentence in its info: “In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character.”.

Note 4: Reminder about the Roman numerals (just in case): I = 1, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4, V = 5 , VI = 6, VII = 7, VIII = 8, IX = 9, X=10 and XI = 11.

Note 5: The post-2006 releases use lots of puns, jokes, and accents. It’s a characteristic of the series, as are the title alliterations (ie: Chapters of the Chosen, Luminaries of the Legendary Line, etc), the black and white menus, or the classic main theme, etc. Most of the post-2010 releases use visible encounters as well. As for now, there seems to be no turning back.

I’ll be skipping games that require fan-translation (I only mention them, but I highly prefer officially released titles).

↳ Aside from this, i am aware US Gamer made a similar list (click here).

⚠️ BEWARE: This post is HUGE. ⚠️

What is Dragon Quest?

Dragon Quest is a JRPG franchise developed by Enix (now Square Enix). The series is very traditional, in various aspects, the most notorious being the turn-based encounters and the encouragement to explore every corner. The main staff behind the series is: Yuji Horii (Scenario), Akira Toriyama (Art) and Koichi Sugiyama (Music). DQ first started 31 years ago in Japan, in May of 1986. A few years later, in 1989, it was first released in North America, but due to copyright issues with “Dungeons & Dragons”, Enix had to change the name to “Dragon Warrior”. After the Square Enix merger in 2003, they could finally solve the naming issue and, starting with the eighth entry in the main series, in 2005, DQ was finally getting called “Dragon Quest” in North America. One year later, in 2006, the series was introduced in Europe with that same game, Dragon Quest VIII (prior to that, only one spinoff had came to Europe). Since then, many remakes, re-releases, and spinoffs came to the West, even with some years of silence between 2011 and 2014. In 2017 we’re getting Dragon Quest VIII for 3DS (in January) and Dragon Quest Heroes II for PS4 and Steam (in April). ---

It should be noted DQ is a very special JRPG series, and most of its narrative comes from NPCs or books. This series really encourages the player to explore everything and to talk to everyone. That might be the only way to get clues of what to do next. Aside from that, in the games that it’s available, the Party Chat feature is also one of the most reliable features you’ll find in these games. Party chat lets your party members give you their opinions and comment on lots of different things that happen in the game -from the reaction they get after talking to a NPC, to their reaction after an important cutscene-, and they might also give you tips and remind you of what you have to do next. Aside from that, it’s a great tool to see the personalities of your characters. That said, do not come to this series expecting lots of pre-rendered cutscenes and lots of flashy action, this series is not about that (there is some, of course, but not as many as in other JRPGs). As i said a bit earlier, DQ is very special for other things too. The combat is always turn-based in the main series (except in the MMO) and the dialogue is usually full of puns and jokes. Unlike many other series, almost all the games have the same quality and its a highly consistent series, due to the main creators always being the same (Mr Yuji Horii, Mr Koichi Sugiyama and Mr Akira Toriyama). What you need to know about the other works of these three gentlemen: Horii created one of the games that inspired Hideo Kojima that videogames could offer interesting stories (”The Portopia Serial Murder Incident”); Sugiyama has been composed many classic music and worked on various 70s Japanese tv shows such as “The Return for Ultraman”; and AKira Toriyama is a worldwide known manga artist, mainly for his two masterpieces: Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball.

↳ For more information about the series, check its Wikipedia article.

Where to start? @liquidmetalslime’s choices

NOTE: Okay, let me be clear, in this block i’ll talk about what are the best entry points IN MY OPINION, as the title clearly say.

To start playing the series, the best three entry points in the main series are IV (4) , VIII (8) and XI (11). The first one can be played in English on NES and Mobile and in Multi-5/EFIGS on DS. The second one can be played in English and French on Mobile and EFIGS on PS2 and 3DS. The third one will be available on PS4 and PC in Multi-5 later this year; sometime in the future also on Switch.

- IV is divided in chapters and features a highly likeable cast -specifically a certain Tsarevna. Each chapter is unique and follows a specific set of characters, who will later meet in the fifth and longest chapter. This story is quite tragic and is best enjoyed on the remakes of the game, since these remakes include a sixth chapter that gives an insight in the motives that drove the villain to do what he did. If you want to play in English and get its best version to date, the mobile (iOS/Android) version is the one. If you want to play using physical buttons or in French, German, Spanish or Italian, the (EU) DS release is for you. The DS/Mobile remakes use lots of puns and accents (the NES version doesn’t), and that can be bothersome until you get used to it, but it’s worth it (and I personally love it, except in the first chapter while playing in English. I didn’t have any issue while playing in Spanish). This is the one that gave me an obsession made me a DQ fan.

- VIII on the other hand, focuses a lot more on a major plot and its characters. Due to that, it is the easiest DQ to jump in if you already like other JRPG series. Given its artstyle and big scale of its world, it gives a great sense of adventure (its actually not that big, but it feels huge). As IV, VIII’s characters are regarded as some of the best in the whole series, specially Yangus and Trode. As in IV, the remake gives us some more information about the villain and his motives. If you value content and quality of life improvements over looks, the 3DS version is the definitive version. Otherwise, if you prefer prettier graphics, go for the PS2 version. The 3DS version is what i consider its best version to date, and its the easiest to find nowadays, besides the Mobile port.

- XI is an interesting title because despite being full of throwbacks and -maybe- connections to the older games, it introduces many quality-of-life improvements into the usual mechanics of the series. On top of that, has a killer soundtrack, composed with brand new songs (which some will say that are weaker) and a whole lot of classic songs from all the main games. And to round up the package, it also has gorgeous graphics. The cast is likeable, the story is interesting, the gag moments are nice, the sad moments are touching (i personally thought Horii couldn’t outdo himself after V, but boy i was wrong). It has a lot to like, and little to dislike. The real shame about this game is that we -apparently- won’t be getting the 3DS version.

Aside from these three games, the other main titles might be a good point to start too, but some might have give some trouble, for example:

I and II: (Terribly) Outdated. II is also the hardest game in the whole series, and its NES version is quite unbalanced at the final parts of the game.The devs even admitted in an interview that they couldn’t balance it properly because they couldn’t delay the game.

III and VII: These are better enjoyed if you have played some of the previous games, for example III is better enjoyed with knowledge of I and II (of their story, i mean), and VII with knowledge of what to expect from the game (how DQ’s narrative usually works, how the battles work, etc) as well as knowing a bit about VI’s mechanics.

V: Probably the top of the series, but I feel it’s not as DQ-newbie-friendly as IV and VIII. Still a solid game.

VI: Love it or hate it experience.

IX: It’s quite different from the other games since it focuses a lot more on character customization (there are no pre-made characters, besides some that are acquired in some postgame DLC quests), so it might give a wrong idea of what the series is like. It is a lovely game, though.

Other notes:

III, VI, VII and IX (and X, but that’s Japan-only for now) use class systems.

Outside the main series, in my opinion, the best entry points might also be:

- Dragon Quest Monsters 1 and 2 (better known as Dragon Warrior Monsters 1 and 2). Charming monster collecting games. The first one features Terry, originally from DQVI, on his quest to win the Starry Night Tournament, while the second one features two original characters (Tara & Coby) on a quest to save their new island. DQM2/DWM2 comes in two versions. In one you play as Tara and in the other as Coby. Might be a bit outdated, but they’re quite fun games. I feel like they’re better than the other monster-catching games of that era, at least technically.

- Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2. The most recent Monsters game we got. Has a quite deep synthesis system and it’s quite intuitive. Also has a large amount of beasts. Could feel a bit clunky and slow to play nowadays, though.

- Dragon Quest Builders. Easy to play and with really charming aspects. Has a long story and huge replay value, as each time the player can build their base differently. It has been called “the Minecraft for those who don’t like Minecraft”, due to it being more guided that the mentioned game. It has some connections to the first three games in the series, but can be enjoyed without previous knowledge of the series. If you had to choose a DQ spinoff, choose this one. Don’t think of it as a “Minecraft with DQ skins”. There’s a Minecraft mod for that, this is quite different.

Games & Releases: Versions that have been released in the West

In this huge block, we’re gonna look at each game, its western releases (trying to cover both NA-only and NA/EU/AUS releases), the features each re-release (if any) has in comparison to the first English/Western version, and my recommendations for each game.

Dragon Quest I

Info: Old JRPG with very simple mechanics. It is the first console JRPG out there (almost a year and a half earlier than Final Fantasy 1!). The story is quite simple (save the princess and defeat the bad guy) and the gameplay is very bare bones, but still an enjoyable game. It’s also really short, can be beaten in about 6 hours if you’re fast.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest I · II (SFC), 1993; Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection (Wii), 2011. [There is a fantranslation for the SFC remake.]

- Dragon Warrior for NES (E)

Old DW translation. (Besides DW glossary, it uses a lot of Old English.)

The graphics might be too outdated for some.

Quite grindy.

- Dragon Warrior 1 · 2 for GBC (E)

Remade DW translation.

Enhanced (yet simpler) graphics.

Better balancing.

There is a prologue scene.

- Dragon Quest I for iOS and Android (E)

New DQ translation (still uses Old English, but with the newer DQ glossary).

Brighter, more colorful world, but poorly upscaled graphics. (Because its a port of an old mobile port they did in the mid 2000s, but fitted into a way higher screen)

Even better balancing.

No prologue scene.

My recommendation: “Dragon Quest I” for iOS and Android (E). Why?: It’s simply the best version: better graphics, music, translation and balancing (meaning less grinding).

The Mobile port is the only version available in Europe, btw.

Dragon Quest II

Info: Second game in the series. Adds extra two party members there can be various monsters on battle, there’s also a ship and a waaaay bigger world (the world of DQ1 is just a small part of the one in DQ2). That said, it is worth noting the original version of this game was quite rushed and the end-game areas are quite unbalanced. The story is quite simple too: An evil mage named Hargon plans on destroying the world and starts by attacking the kingdom of Moonbrooke. The princes of Midenhall and Cannock reunite with their lost cousin from Moonbrooke to stop Hargon.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest I · II (SFC), 1993; Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection (Wii), 2011. [There is a fantranslation for the SFC remake.]

- Dragon Warrior II for NES (E)

Old DW translation. (Besides DW glossary, it uses a lot of Old English.)

The graphics might be too outdated for some.

Quite grindy, specially in end-game areas. (Enix admitted they couldn’t balance the last areas of the game due to time constrains.)

- Dragon Warrior 1 · 2 for GBC (E)

Remade DW translation.

Enhanced (yet simpler) graphics.

Better balancing.

New intro scene.

- Dragon Quest II Luminaries of the Legendary Line for iOS and Android (E)

New DQ translation.

Brighter, more colorful world, but poorly upscaled graphics. (Same reason as DQ1-Mobile).

Even better balancing.

Prologue scene.

Limitations to avoid players venture into the most dangerous dungeon unprepared.

My recommendation: “Dragon Quest II Luminaries of the Legendary Line” for iOS and Android (E). Why?: It is the best version: better looks, sound, translation and balancing.

The Mobile port is the only version available in Europe, btw.

Dragon Quest III

Info: First DQ game to feature a class system, which was supported by a personality system thus making almost every character unique. This game also features some big plot twists and even larger areas to explore. DQ3 also ends the Erdrick/Loto trilogy. The story follows the offspring of a great hero (Ortega) and their quest to finish what their disappeared father started: to defeat the evil Baramos. In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character. (Note: And the gender of any character you create.)

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest III (SFC), 1996; Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection (Wii), 2011. [There is a fantranslation for the SFC remake.]

- Dragon Warrior III for NES (E)

Old DW translation. (Besides DW glossary, it uses a bit of old english.)

The graphics might be too outdated for some.

- Dragon Warrior 3 for GBC (E)

Remade DW translation.

Enhanced (yet simpler) graphics.

Pachisi/T’n’T minigame.

Monster animations.

2 bonus dungeons: the one added in the SFC remake and a brand new one.

Monster medals.

- Dragon Quest III Seeds of Salvation for iOS and Android (E)

New DQ translation. (There are some areas that still use Old English).

No Pachisi/T’n’T minigame, nor Monster Animations nor Monster Medals.

Brighter, more colorful world, but (somewhat) poorly upscaled graphics. (Same reason as DQ1-Mobile).

1 bonus dungeon: the one added in the SFC remake.

My recommendation: This is a hard choice, but it is between “Dragon Warrior 3” for GBC (E) and “Dragon Quest III Seeds of Salvation” for iOS and Android (E). Why?: The GBC version has a lot more content, but the Smartphone version has a newer DQ-style translation and better graphics. Many will say the SFC remake is better, but i love monster medals and the official translations 🤷‍♀️

The Mobile port is the only version available in Europe, btw.

Note about the Erdrick Trilogy (I - III): This trilogy is better enjoyed when played in order (DQ -> DQII -> DQIII).

Dragon Quest IV

Info: First game of the Zenithian trilogy (which is loosely connected). First -and only- DQ game to be told in chapters so far. Each one follows different people, and in the fifth, they all meet to fulfill their roles al the chosen ones. Here, instead of having generic characters with classes, we have set (and very charismatic) characters who learn a specific sets of spells and skills. In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character.

The overall story focuses on a demon who loves a lovely elf and hates human for how they treat elves, monsters and dwarves. The party must stop this demon, Psaro, from awakening the demon lord and destroying the world.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest IV (PS1), 2001.

- Dragon Warrior IV for NES (E)

Old DW translation.

Completely 2D.

- Dragon Quest IV: (The) Chapters of the Chosen for DS (EFIGS)

New DQ translation.

Prologue chapter.

No party-chat. (It was added in the Japanese remake, and was mostly translated by the release date, but SQEX decided to not put it for some reason)

2.5D, since it uses DQVII’s PS1 style.

- Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen for iOS and Android (E)

DQ translation.

Prologue chapter.

Has party chat.

2.5D.

My recommendation: Depends, but choose one from the latter two. Why?: If you want to play in French, Spanish, Italian or German, go for the DS release. If you want to enjoy the party chat feature, for for the Smartphone release. The party chat seems pointless but it actually gives a lot of characterization to the party members.

Dragon Quest V

Info: Second game of the Zenithian trilogy. In this particular game, the story follows a young man through his (painful) life: from his childhood to his adulthood. DQ5 was one of the first games ever to let players recruit monsters to join their team (which, some years after its release, and after the success of Pokémon, inspired the birth of “Dragon Quest Monsters”). It also allows choosing a wife (well, it forces the player to choose one, since it is related to the plot): Bianca, the childhood friend; Nera, the sweetheart from a good family; or Debora, the passionate sister of Nera. This game has probably the best story in the whole series.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest V (SFC), 1992; Dragon Quest V (PS2), 2004. [There are fantranslations for these two titles.]

- Dragon Quest V: (The) Hand of the Heavenly Bride for DS (EFIGS)

- Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride for iOS and Android (E)

Some slight tweaks.

The two versions of this game we got are quite similar, except some small balancing and changes of MP cost. Both feature DQ-style localization (it’s the same for both versions), a new bride not present in the original SFC release nor PS2 remake (Debora), a few more monsters of newer games (like DQVIII’s Jailcat) and some other tweaks.

The NES version only released in North America, btw.

Dragon Quest VI

Info: Third and last game of the Zenithian trilogy (First, chronologically). In this game the party travels between two worlds: reality and dream world. There are two extra “worlds”: underwater and the dread realm. In this game, there’s a class system quite different from III, since the classes of VI aren’t tied to the character’s level but to the number of battles won, with 8 levels of mastery (8 stars = mastered the class).

The story is about a group of young people who are off to fight the evil demon who rules the dreams and treats the land (Murdaw). But there’s more, the game is about traveling between worlds and solving problems and fighting the Dreadfiends.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest VI (SFC), 1995. [There is a fantranslation for this title.]

- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation / Reverie for DS (EFIGS)

- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation for iOS and Android (E)

Better balanced and a few tweaks.

The two versions of the game we got are pretty similar, so there’s only these two differences: controls and enhanced balancing (for example, Terry joins with a few more classes mastered). Both feature the same graphic style, the same DQ-style translation and the same music.

My recommendation: Doesn’t matter. Why?: Both are pretty much the same, choose according to your wallet or control preferences. I’d choose DS though, since the mobile port can be buggy in some phones (and due to multi-5 too). The SFC version is objectively better (better atmosphere, much prettier graphics, can recruit monsters like in V), but it doesn’t have an official translation and the fan-translation covers 95% of it (but you can beat the main story, though).

Note about the Zenithian Trilogy (IV - VI): This trilogy, unlike Erdrick’s trilogy, is loosely connected. Only a few elements connect the games, so they can be played as individual experiences. A few details in VI imply the cronological order is different from the release order.

Dragon Quest VII

Info: Longest entry in the series. It is also the only DQ game with time-travel so far. The story is divided in islands, each of which is unlocked after completing a small puzzle made of shards/fragments. This game features the class system from VI, but extended.

The story starts in the only island in the world, but with the help of Prince Kiefer and Maribel, the player unravels the mysteries of an eerie abandoned shrine, which transports them into another island in the past. The party must solve the problems of the islands in the past to save the islands in the present, and learn what happened with the world and how can they fix it.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest VII (iOS/Android), 2015.

- Dragon Warrior VII: Warriors of Eden for PS1 (E)

Old DW translation.

2.5D.

Only an NPC can help you find shards/fragments.

Better puzzles at the beginning.

- Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past for 3DS (EFIGS)

New DQ translation.

Fully 3D.

There are many ways to find fragments: a radar, a fairy npc, a menu option...

Dumbed down puzzles at the beginning.

Faster class mastering and better balanced class system (making the monster classes relevant).

Traveller tablets / free DLC tablets.

The JP version of the 3DS remake uses orchestral soundtrack, but the Western version doesn’t. It can be restored with a hacked 3DS, apparently. The Western release also added some lag in the menus.

My recommendation: “Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past” for 3DS (EFIGS). Why?: Firstly because of the multi-5 text, but also for the QoL improvements, specifically the faster class mastering and fragment radar.

Btw, the 3DS version is the only one in Europe.

Note: There is a patch for the 3DS that adds the orchestral soundtrack. (You need a CFW on your 3DS.)

Dragon Quest VIII

Info: First fully-3D (non-remake) game of the series. It had various changes: firstly, the story focused on a main plot. Secondly, each character had a few learning paths, which could be followed by allocating Skill Points, earned by leveling up, and that at certain milestones would teach them new skills, spells and passive bonuses. Other changes include the Monster Arena (which plays a bit like the Dragon Quest Monsters arenas), having orchestral music ingame and voice acting (these two things were only present in the western PS2 version), having the alchemy pot and some more innovations.

The story follows a young guard and a bandit, who are helping a cursed king and his daughter to catch the culprit of their curse. They follow him around the world, finding some interesting partners along the way.

Versions and features:

- Dragon Quest VIII: (The) Journey of the Cursed King for PS2 (EFIGS)

Voice acting.

Orchestrated music.

“Beautiful” but slow menus.

Pink super saiyan. (This was introduced in the western releases to get the attention of DBZ fans.)

Pretty graphics.

- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for iOS and Android (EF)

Instant alchemy.

Portrait mode only.

No voice acting nor orchestrated music.

- Dragon Quest VIII: (The) Journey of the Cursed King for 3DS (EFIGS)

New playable characters, scenarios (& optional endings), items, and dungeons (one is post-game, the other is optional before ending the game).

Instant alchemy.

Voice acting.

No orchestral soundtrack. (It’s present in the JP version, and afaik it can be restored with a CFW 3DS.)

Classic DQ menus.

Alternative outfits for everyone, not just 2 characters.

New camera mode & quests.

There are some small changes made by SQEX Japan so the game would keep the same rating it got on the PS2 years ago (For All Ages). Nothing game changing.

Free DLC items.

Some re-balancing.

Speed-up option for battles.

On New 3DS, the C-stick can be used to rotate the camera. (There is no performance improvement on N3DS.)

My recommendation: “Dragon Quest VIII: (The) Journey of the Cursed King” for 3DS (EFIGS). Why?: The improvements, QoL enhancements and new features make it worth it despite it being inferior graphically to its PS2 original release. The music change doesn’t affect you a lot if you do not play using headphones. Also, the “censorship” is irrelevant since Jessica is 17 and the two other scenes don’t change that much anyway. If that’s your main concern, I may suggest you check your priorities, my dude. 🤷‍♂️

Note: There are patches for the 3DS version that give Jessica her PS2 outfits and put the orchestral soundtrack in. (You need a CFW on your 3DS.)

Dragon Quest IX

Info: In some aspects this game is a throwback to Dragon Quest III. The player can customize the party, their aspect and their equipment. It mixes DQIII’s classes and VIII’s skill trees. As VIII, it also has (instant) alchemy. This is the first main DQ game that allows playing with friends (up to 4, in local multiplayer). Unlike almost all the other games (except I and III), there aren’t set characters in this game*. In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character. (Note: And the gender of any character you create). IX has tons of throwbacks and cameos from the other heroes (as Inn Guests and costumes) and villains (as Bosses) from the main series and a character from DQ Swords.

*There ARE some set characters, but to be able to get them you need to have access to the DLC quests (the DS and Wii servers are dead right now, so you need to edit your file or connect with someone who has them unlocked) and have beaten the main story.

The story in this game follows a young celestrian (a guardian angel, basically) in their quest to find out what happened to their realm. They must travel around the world, helping as many people as possible while getting clues of what or who is responsable for the fall of their land.

Versions and features:

- Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies for DS (EFIGS)

My recommendation: There is only the one version of this title. Its best enjoyed with friends, and/or if you like roleplaying/creating your own characters.

Dragon Quest XI

Info: Return to the classic formula after the multiplayer-focused IX and X.

The story focuses on a boy, who is the reincarnation of a Hero, who is acused of being “the demon’s child”. He has to escape and unravel the mysteries regarding this “demon’s child / hero’s child” controversy with a cast of great characters.

The most interesting part about this title was how it was made in three different styles: 2D, “chibi” 3D and full-scale 3d. The first one, tries to emulate the graphics of the original DQ6 and the SFC remake of DQ3; the second one tries to go for the aesthetic of DQ9 and the remake of DQ7; and the third one gives us the logical step after DQ8. The first two modes are only present on the Japan-only 3DS version, while the later is present in all the UE4 versions (PS4, PC and probably Switch). As each of them tries to emulate a different era of the series, there are gameplay mechanics that change. For instance, when playing in 2D mode (3DS), the items won’t have an image when looking at the inventory. Meanwhile, they will while playing in 3D (3DS). Or the way boomerang works: in the 3DS version, they hit from left to right, like in previous titles; while on the UE4 versions the player can choose which enemy it should hit first. (Since the 3DS version is staying Japan-only i’ll avoid making more comparisons to it.)

Official site

Versions and features: - Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (3DS, 2017)

- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for PS4

- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for PC / Steam

Same version as on PS4

Probably more resolution and fps

Probably mods

- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for Switch

???

Nobody knows anything about it so far, except it’s confirmed for all regions.

My recommendation: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for PS4 or PC. Why?: So far, we’re only getting “one version” on two platforms, so it’s up to the player to decide their platform of choice. I’d personally choose PS4 because the game was designed with a PS4 in mind. If you can read japanese, the 3DS version is also a great option. I personally prefer it to the UE4 version.

And that’s all for the main series.

Dragon Quest X is a MMO for Wii, Wii U, PC, 3DS and Mobile, which will be soon available for PS4 and Switch in Japan. There are no plans for a Western release of this game for now. (There is a western localization campaign, started on October 2016. @imutone recently started a complementary campaign to send physical letters to SQEX. Here’s the latest update on the campaign. Make sure to join it!)

Now, lets move to the Spinoffs:

Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry’s Wonderland

Info: Inspired by DQV’s monster recruitment feature and Pokémon’s success, this was the first attempt to make a Monster-Catching DQ game. It features Terry and Milly (called Milayou in the old DWM translation) from DQVI as the protagonists (Note: Only Terry is playable, Milly is a secondary character).

In this game, you have to travel worlds to get stronger monsters to be able to win in the Starry Night tournament, which grants a wish to its winner, and save your kidnapped sister.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Monsters 1 · 2 (PS1), 2002; Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry’s Wonderland 3D (3DS), 2012. [There is fantranslation for this remake.]

- Dragon Warrior Monsters for GBC (E)

Randomly generated dungeons.

All monsters can follow you, up to 3 at a time.

3 vs 3 battles.

Hundreds of DQ monsters, either from DQI-VI or new.

My recommendation: There is only the one version available for us.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Tara’s Adventure / Coby’s Journey

Info: In this sequel, they went the monster catching Pokémon way: two versions with exclusive monsters. Each version offers a protagonist: The young Tara, or her older brother Coby. This game offered monster trade.

In these games, you have to travel between worlds to save your new home, an island, while becoming a better monster master.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Monsters 1 · 2 (PS1), 2002; Dragon Quest Monsters 2 (3DS), 2014.

- Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 for GBC (E)

Comes in two packages: Tara’s Adventure and Coby’s Journey. In the first one you play as a girl (Tara) and in the other as a boy (Coby). They’re sibilings.

Set worlds. (Not randomly-generated as in DQM1.)

All monsters can follow you (all have sprites), up to 3 at a time.

3 vs 3 battles.

Hundreds of DQ monsters, either from DQI-VII or new.

Local multiplayer.

My recommendation: There is only the one version available for us.

There was DQM game for GBA, Caravan Heart, which was Japan-only. Quite different from the first two DQM/DWM games, but as DQM1/DWM1, it has a child version of a character of the main series as the protagonist: Kiefer from VII. [There is a fantranslation for this game.]

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Info: This is a reboot of the DQM formula. Coming after the Japan-only DQM Caravan Heart that mixed DQVII’s monster hearts with the DQM formula, Joker tried something new, but in a similar direction of the GBC classics. In this game, the young monster scout must get stronger to become a master monster scout and also unfold the mystery of the Incarnus, a singular monster.

Versions and features:

Dragon Quest Monsters Joker for DS (EFIGS)

Monster from DQI-VIII, or new.

3 vs 3 battles.

New and updated mechanics (the skill system is inspired by VIII’s).

Local and Wifi multiplayer (Note: As of 2014, Nintendo shut down the DS and Wii servers).

My recommendation: There is only the one version of this game.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

Info: Carries over many mechanics from Joker, but improves them. The biggest improvement is in the UI, which later became the base for all the 3DS DQM games and remakes. The story follows a young monster scout whose airship crushes into a mysterious island and how he and his team of monsters unfolds the mystery of the island to get back to civilization.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Joker 2 Professional (DS), 2011. [There is a fantranslation for this title.]

- Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 for DS (EFIGS)

Over 300 monster, mostly from DQI-IX, or new.

3 vs 3 battles.

DQMJ’s mechanics and UI updated and vastly improved.

Local and Wifi multiplayer (Note: As of 2014, Nintendo shut down the DS and Wii servers).

(Local) Connectivity with DQVI and IX for DS for special monsters from those games.

My recommendation: There is only the one version available for us.

There’s a third Joker game for 3DS, called “Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3” in Japan, released in April 2016. Said game got a “Professional” version with various enhancements and new monsters in early February 2017. As of March 2017, none of the 3DS DQM games has been announced for the West.

Dragon Quest: Torneko no Daibouken 2

Info: Second DQ Mystery Dungeon game, and as the first one (which only released in Japan), it follows the famous merchant from DQIV: Torneko Taloon.

In this title, players must outthink enemies who are often faster or stronger than them, efficiently using weapons and magic when the odds are against them. What's more, in order to succeed they will also test the limits of Torneko's insatiable appetite.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest: Torneko no Daibouken 2 (GBA), 2001.

- World of Dragon Warrior: Torneko: The Last Hope for PS1 (E)

Play as Torneko.

It is the only Mystery Dungeon game set in the DQ universe we got.

This game uses randomly-generated dungeons.

My recommendation: There is only the one version available for us.

There were two other games of this series available in Japan: one for SFC (which was the first DQ spinoff and the first Mystery Dungeon game ever created) and another for PS2 and GBA. There is a fourth DQ Mystery Dungeon game, which doesn’t focus on Torneko anymore, but on the childhood of DQVIII’s Yangus and Red. This is Japan-only too.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

Info: This is the second entry of the “Slime MoriMori” series. It got its American release in 2005. There are tank battles aside from the regular “slime vs the world” fights. This was the last DQ game to get released in America but not in Europe.

It is an action game in which we control a Slime called Rocket, who has to fight the Plattypunks to save the slime town of Boingburg.

Versions and features:

- Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for DS (E) [Trailer]

Play as a slime (named Rocket)!

Tank Battles.

Lots of puns.

My recommendation: There is only the one version.

The other games in this subseries are Japan-only, as well as its manga. The first game (GBA) doesn’t have tank battles, and the third one (3DS) replaces them with ship battles.

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors

Info: First person on-rails action game. The Wii’s nunchuck works as your shield and the Wiimote acts as your Sword. All the major characters are named after swords, like Claymore or Fleurette. In this game, you have to save the kingdom of Avalonia from an evil demon named Xiphos.

Versions and features:

- Dragon Quest Swords for Wii (EFIGS) [Trailer]

On rails.

Use the Wiimote as your sword and the Nunchuk as your shield.

Likeable support cast.

My recommendation: There is only a version of this game.

Dragon Quest Wars

Info: A small turn-based strategy game for DSi. Think of it as a light mix of chess and Fire Emblem (not really, but its not 100% chess either).

Versions and features:

- Dragon Quest Wars for DSi (EFIGS) [Trailer]

Multiplayer: Up to 4 players.

Use some DQ monsters as your units.

My recommendation: There is only one version of this game. As the DS servers got shut down in 2014, so the only way to get it nowadays is using a 3DS.

Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend spending a cent on this.

Fortune Street / Boom Street

Info: First “Itadaki Street” game to release outside Japan. This is the second game in the Itadaki Street series to mix Dragon Quest with Super Mario Bros. The gameplay is a bit of a mix of Mario Party, DQ’s Treasures n' Trapdoors (T’n’T) and the classic boardgame Monopoly.

Versions and features:

- Fortune Street / Boom Street for Wii (EFIGS) [Trailer]

Play as characters from the main series like Slime, Dragonlord, Alena or Patty; and characters from the Super Mario Bros universe such as Peach, Luigi, Donkey Kong or Waluigi.

Multiplayer up to 4 players.

Wifi modes. (Note: As of 2014, Nintendo shut down the DS and Wii servers).

My recommendation: There is only the one version.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below

Info: First entry in the action-based Heroes subseries. It is a collaboration with Dynasty Warriors creator Tecmo Koei. This was also the first DQ for a gaming device to come West between 2011 and 2015, quite an honor! In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character. (Note: You can choose between Luceus and Aurora, but the one you don’t choose is still playable, the one you choose will be always in your party).

It a mix of Dragon Quest mechanics with Dynasty Warrior mechanics: parties of 4 characters, MP, tension, tons of enemies, just a handful of attacks per character... Story-wise is a quite simple light vs darkness story.

Monsters who were peaceful have started attacking humans. The player, the captain of the kingdom’s army have to find out why, battling hordes of monsters in the way.

Versions and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Heroes (PS3), 2015.

- Dragon Quest Heroes for PS4 (EFIGS) [Trailer]

Stable framerate.

Can’t get all the preorder bonuses.

- Dragon Quest Heroes for PC (EFIGS) [Trailer]

Better settings.

Unstable framerate.

My recommendation: The PS4 version. Why?: It was made with the PS4 in mind and has stable framerate. Also, Tecmo Koei’s PC ports are rather infamous...

Dragon Quest Heroes II

Info: Second entry in the action-based Heroes subseries. Doesn’t have any connection with the first one, and fixes or adds what the people wanted in the first game, like a worldmap, (online) multiplayer, or less tower-defense missions.

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy's End (PS3, PSV), 2016.

Confirmed versions for the West:

- Dragon Quest Heroes II for PS4 and Steam (EFIGS) [Trailer] (Note: Western release dates: PS4: April 25th in NA and April 28th in EU; Steam: April 22nd in both.)

My recommendation: Still not out in the West, but the PS4 version. Why?: Firstly, Tecmo Koei PC ports are infamous for a reason; secondly, the PS4 version was the main version in Japan (and the one i have already played and enjoyed); and thirdly, because its the only one that has a physical release and that reversible cover is rather cool.

In May 2016, Square Enix released a sequel in Japan called “Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twins Kings and Ending of the Prophecy” for PS3, PS4 and PSV. It includes some upgrades from the feedback they got from the first game, including: having a world map, having multiplayer and being able to have more than four skills per character. On the 1st December 2016, Best Buy leaked its localization. On the 8th of the same month, Square Enix announced the western release dates for the PS4 version: April 25th (NA), and April 28th (EU). A Steam version is also releasing on April 25h (both NA & EU) Square Enix announced on February 22nd 2017. [The Vita version isn’t profitable for SQEX, so they will skip localizing it.] (x). The games’s director hinted to a third game on the PlayStation Awards 2016. (x)

Dragon Quest Builders

Info: “What if you mixed Dragon Quest and Minecraft and got a legit good game?”. In this game, you can choose the gender of the main character. (Note: you can change it and any character customization option anytime you want from the setting accessed from the main menu)

At the last part of DQ1 the player is given a choice. One option lets you continue and the other gives you a game over. DQB explores that option, the story in which the Dragonlord won. You, a builder chosen by the goddess Rubiss, must rebuild the land of Alefgard.

Versions available and features:

- Japan-only releases: Dragon Quest Builders: Revive Alefgard (PS3), 2016.

- Dragon Quest Builders for PS4 (EFIGS) [Trailer]

High quality graphics.

Better draw distance.

Better share options (can make videos and up to 4 image in tweets).

- Dragon Quest Builders for PSV (EFIGS) [Trailer]

Digital only (it is only about 270mb, though. The Asian physical release includes English.).

Portability.

Poor sharing options (screenshots with Start + PS Button. If you share it with the twitter app, you can only choose 1 image. If you want to share more than 1 at a time, you have to transfer your screenshots to your computer).

- Dragon Quest Builders for Switch (EFIGS) (*Releases in Spring 2018)

Its more akin to the PS4 version than the PSV version.

Has some exclusive content, like the DQ1 cartdrige work table and the Sabercub mount.

Portable.

My recommendation: Depends on your tastes. Why?: One is great for its portability (Vita) and the other looks way better and has better sharing methods (PS4).

On August 2016, Square Enix stated there were possibilities of this game getting a Nintendo Switch version. (x). (They announced it officially on the 14th of September of 2017. Will release next spring in all regions.) On September of the same year, they said a sequel was being considered. (x). Later, in the PlayStation Awards, they hinted to a sequel again. (x)

Dragon Quest Builders 2 was announced for Switch and PS4 on the 6th of August of 2017, with no release window announced so far.

Definitive version of each game (TL;DR)

Summarizing, this is the list of definitive versions of each DQ game -that got official western releases- again, in my opinions:

Main series:

Dragon Quest I: Mobile

Dragon Quest II: Mobile

Dragon Quest III: GBC OR Mobile (more content vs newer translation)

Dragon Quest IV: DS OR Mobile (more languages vs english party chat)

Dragon Quest V: DS OR Mobile (they have different prices and buttons)

Dragon Quest VI: DS OR Mobile (they have different prices and buttons)

Dragon Quest VII: 3DS

Dragon Quest VIII: 3DS

Dragon Quest IX: DS

Spinoffs:

Dragon Warrior Monsters: GBC

Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: GBC (Any version)

Dragon Quest Monsters Joker: DS

Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2: DS

Torneko: The Last Hope: PS1

Rocket Slime: DS (This one didn’t release in EU)

Dragon Quest Swords: Wii

Fortune Street / Boom Street: Wii

Dragon Quest Wars: 3DS (DSi can’t access the internet any more)

Dragon Quest Heroes: PS4

Dragon Quest Builders: PS4 or PSV (higher resolution vs portability)

Dragon Quest Heroes 2: PS4 or Steam (unless the PC port is a bad port)

Soooooo, where should i start? (TL;DR 2)

Choose one of these, but i highly recommend VIII on 3DS.

Dragon Quest IV: DS OR Mobile (more languages vs english party chat)

Dragon Quest VIII: 3DS

Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2: DS

Dragon Quest Builders: PS4 or PSV (higher resolution vs portability)

Special thanks

Thanks to my SO (♥︎), @imperial-scrolls-of-honor, @hawelo92, @imutone and @moguel for their help / corrections / suggestions.

Thanks to Yuji Horii, Koichi Sugiyama, Akira Toriyama, Koichi Nakamura, Noriyoshi Fujimoto, and all the staff that has worked or works in this marvelous series. And also thanks to Nintendo and Square Enix, who worked hard to bring these games to the West.

#dragon quest #square enix #dq #masterpost #now i only have that dq10 and that all-dq-releases-so-far posts in my drafts #hopefully i'll finish the dq10 one soon; so many other people can join the campaign #i've had this post in the drafts for what? 5 months now? editing it every few weeks #but now its posted #for real #:D #hope y'all like it #and if not... well it says clearly this is my opinion; make your own if you think differently :p #long post

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gbhbl · 4 years

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Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very pleased to bring you an interview with the mysterious melodic, orchestral, blackened death metal band, Monumentum Damnati. Their debut album, In the Tomb of a Forgotten King is out on March 30th 2020.

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1. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. How is everything in the Monumentum Damnati camp right now?

Abhoth: Thank you as well! Strange but as a matter of fact the debut album hasn’t been officially released and yet we are already actively creating the next one. We have been waiting for so long and don’t want to miss a single day. Also we’re working on the several videos during the process.

2. Can you give us a little bit of background into the creation of Monumentum Damnati?

Abhoth: The backstory of the project is much longer than its official existence. The appearance of MD was hindered by other projects, psychological issues, and generally different vigorous activity. But despite all of this the band finally took shape now. Great luck or a sign of fate but I managed to find the right people where I did not expect at all.

Thanatos: Yeah it all started not so long ago actually. That’s a quite strange story, you know. It started from the moment when I met Abhoth in a psychiatric hospital, I will drop the details of what we did there and how we ended up in such place. The thing is we quickly found common ground. Turned out that we have a lot in common, views on life and art but especially music. We both had some unused material from our other projects that lay deep down in the depth of consciousness. The idea to create some dark art together suddenly spark in the air and as a result we transmitting those amorph thoughts and demo tapes to a very definite form.

3. Monumentum Damnati is quite a mysterious band. What made you want to hide your identities?

Abhoth: Hidden faces and personalities behind the masks with blurred borders are primarily a symbol of the fact that music has no gender, country, skin color, or time. Actually to any artist would be useful sometimes to be by the other side of regular dogmas and borders. Passion for thematic literature / films / books also contributed to this choice.

Thanatos: First of all music is most important, who we are and how we look shouldn’t be relevant. On top of that, personally I don’t really like the excessive attention to me.

4. Do you think it works to focus listeners on the music rather then who is in the band? Or is there not the possibility of those hidden identities becoming a distraction?

Abhoth: In many ways this may look like a detachment from the public but the message is actually opposite. People who understand our art is the part of us and we are part of them. Long self-isolation didn’t pass without a trace, let’s say so. This is our specific way to make interaction with the public as honest and comfortable as possible for the both sides.

Thanatos: It is important to understand that this is not just a stage masquerade to stand out from the other bands. The message a lot deeper.

5. The masks are very detailed and very horrific looking. Does horror in general play a bit part in the makeup of Monumentum Damnati?

Abhoth: Horror is an inalienable part of our lives. It seems that I peered too long into the abyss and the abyss looked back at me. The horrors that served as the basis for some of the compositions in the past now seem distant. But so far it can haunt nightmares. And you can never get rid of it you can only accept it and put it on paper / canvas or a music sheet. But if we talk about the atmosphere of horror on the first album… it is still not so noticeable when compared with the material that we are preparing for the next release. The real evil is coming.

Thanatos: It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of horror – as a genre of horror tales, and the horrible terrific things that occur in our lives. The first one is simply taken from the category of the entertainment industry but the second one is a brutal terrifying reality which is much worse and horrifying. Each person in his life sooner or later faces a series of terrible events and lives with his inner demons, trying to fight them. I stopped fighting mine I accept them and even draw an inspiration from it. Nightmares often haunt me as well. A couple of times I’ve experienced sleep paralysis, saw some things, sometimes it was even difficult to determine whether you are sleeping or this is really happening now. In general it is certainly difficult to ignore and of course such things are reflected in the creation of art.

6. Although quite a modern band, the music for the new album has been taking shape for longer, right? Can you tell us a bit about this journey and was In the Tomb of a Forgotten King always the goal?

Abhoth: If look back to the past the concept of the album should have been completely different. Over time the views on some things and musical addictions have changed. Some songs had to be returned to the drawer of the table while a number of new songs appeared. Including the title track of the album. This also predetermined the concept of a future release and the other visual parts. Do you know the feeling when you are sleeping and even in spite of intense fear you cannot force yourself to wake up? A terrible nightmare vision is not only a curse but also a gift. Nothing is real like a dream, and nothing is ghostly like reality. The composition “In The Tomb Of A Forgotten King” was created after one of these nightmares. Fearing to forget the bewitching melody and plot of the dream I rushed to record a demo and soon became literally dumbfounded by the feeling “here it is, yes, that’s what I wanted to say.”

Thanatos: There are many ideas, we still have a lot of tricks in our sleeves. In the debut album we didn’t show even a half of it. This is not the end of the tunnel there is still a lot to go.

7. In the Tomb of a Forgotten King, your new album is out soon. Are you satisfied with what you accomplished here?

Abhoth: This album is in many ways too personal and it’s hard to say for sure whether it was possible to realize all the ideas till the end. If so, then probably the band’s activity would have ended. But we are definitely pleased that this buried in a tomb forgotten king will not be forgotten. I am immensely grateful that Thanatos and colleagues finally managed to awaken me from the deep catatonia. They helped to throw secret creativity into the world. There are still many compositions left that are waiting in the wings, new ones are being written. But we must come to terms with the fact that because of our perfectionism it is difficult to be 100% satisfied with any result. But the main goal was achieved – to give life to our inner demons and to throw out 9 different faces of the wounded soul.

Thanatos: It depends on how you look at it. Unhealthy perfectionism always prevents you from objectively evaluating your work. Every time I want to change something or even redo it from the beginning. It is so rare when you manage to make everything exactly as you thought in your head. And it seems to me that with this album we more or less succeeded with that.

8. Is there a story within the music? A narrative being told?

Abhoth: Yes there is a story behind each song and it’s dual. These are stories inside the stories, parallel overlapping stories, where it is impossible to say for sure what interpretation a particular listener will find for himself. The meaning is veiled by metaphors and parallel plots. The dual nature of things has haunted me since birth. This is very well demonstrated in the song “My Bloody JJ”.Please, don’t get me wrong I’m not like an evil clown which running after people with an ax at the ready. The mysterious character JJ is taken from the book by Australian writer Will Elliott “The Pilo Family Circus”. Who interested – surely welcome to google it or even better rather buy a book and you will understand everything.

Thanatos: I think it will be wrong trying to explain what’s what. After all this is the beauty of art that each individual will be able to interpret the meaning in his own way. It is not so important what kind of message the author put in if the listener has any associations which are based on his personal experience. Therefore it’s good when there is a place for interpretation. It is important to not to deprive listeners of this right.

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9. It is an incredible piece of work. A gothic, orchestral doom epic that crosses over many a genre. Did you find yourself tweaking and tweaking until you got exactly what you wanted?

Abhoth: Thanks! In terms of songwriting each track was born in different conditions and sometimes incomprehensible even to my sophisticated mind. Something literally appears right away in a couple of hours and some tracks were redone and shelved for the several months, delivered and shelved again. During the hospitalizations for obvious reasons it was impossible to write down alive the motives appeared in my mind. I had to find for the alternatives. An interesting experience. Regarding the style it was already noted that we did not have a binding to the specific genre. What came from the heart became part of the compositions.

In terms of the final sound design… In many ways we have been looking for the right sound engineer for a long time. Despite the large list of colleagues we wanted a new sound different from the previous ones. And one day I found an interesting Greek project Ocean Of Grief and contacted Koliopanos Filippos with the offer to cooperation. It was a great solution because we got a wonderful experience of cooperation. He not only took mixed ingredients between himself but also added his spices for the finished dish.

Thanatos: The goal was to create something that would be at least a little unique. These days it is super difficult to stand out, all the cool reefs have already been played the most genres are in stagnation. We don’t limit ourselves in any ways musically, we listen to all the music and trying to take the best from each genre and competently compose it. Pure metal genres are too conservative and limited to certain frames. We are highly against it. In the future we will have even more unexpected experiments, however the dark mix will remain.

10. Was there every a point who thought this project just wasn’t going to work? Or where you determined to get it done?

Abhoth: In fact it depends on how you relate to the result and how to vary it for yourself. From the beginning we didn’t set the goal of achieving sky-high results, big fees, or signing up for a major label, smashing large venues etc… The main goal was to create a project for the soul where the music would be in the first place (well, and the related: art, video, lyrics) Not as a PR tool but as a creative product.

Thanatos: Not really. We are all quite experienced musicians so no one panicked, everything goes on as usual. The ideas for the debut album were hatched for a very long time. However, it was surprisingly easy to find compromises and to sort things out.

11. Is this a one off? Or are you going to see how In the Tomb of a Forgotten King is received before you make a decision?

Abhoth: In our debut single (and video) “Infernal Sun” a person who has believed in the inviolability of his religion all his life begins to doubt whether everything is true, what he believed so far? He is tormented by the visions of the inevitable end, he constantly wonders if a higher power can give him what he firmly believed. Will the sun still shine after his death? He is horrified to realize that he cannot control the course of things and he isn’t in a position to look into tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come.

Thanatos: It’s difficult to look far into the future especially when there is no confidence in the future. Definitely we’ll work further and don’t plan to stop there. We still have a lot of unrealized ideas and opportunities, our path is just beginning.

12. What about bringing Monumentum Damnati to a live stage? Certainly not the easiest thing to do, I’m sure.

Abhoth: We have a concert activity in the plans of course. And this really is not the easiest task for sure. Each of the participants played a lot of performances with other projects and with confidence they can notice that for active concert activity a lot of resources are needed. At this stage, concert activity would be a good pastime for us. But I don’t want to disappear for the months on tours. It’s better seldom but to the point.

Thanatos: Concerts certainly will be it’s just a matter of time but unfortunately we can’t promise anything concrete for now. We are preparing something interesting something big, more than a usual concert, a kind of gloomy performance. Anyway we are always open to interesting opportunities.

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Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Band Interview: Monumentum Damnati Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very pleased to bring you an interview with the mysterious melodic, orchestral, blackened death metal band, Monumentum Damnati.

#Band Interview #Interview #Monumentum Damnati

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