dogslayslaw - Tumblr blog

[dogslayslaw]

I'm going to be taking a novels class at school (first period, first semester) in 5 days, and I already knew the teacher well. He told me we would be reading Lord of the Rings! I'm having this and art this semester, I am fucking excited!

[dogslayslaw]

I found this book on one of our bookshelves at home. I like looking through the shelves because there's always a mysterious book I've never seen before. Lately I've been spotting Soviet histories/literature. I found a biography on Stalin, which I found interesting, but not as much as this. I only got a few pages into that to know it probably wouldn't go into a lot of the atrocities. Personally, I like viewing the events through the eyes of the common people, the victims. You don't see that much in history textbooks! So I picked this one up (The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn), the word "gulag" catching my eye:

So I flipped it over and opened it, finding an interesting hand written note/warning by a woman who I'm not even sure is alive anymore and an author's note on the back which was also intriguing.

Now I had to read this! Yes, I'm very much in the right frame of mind right now, so Elaine's warning doesn't mean that much to me right now. If you can't read it, I did make alt text for every image I put here.

The book itself is partially researched and partially an autobiography to describe what it was like to be in the Gulag (and how it was to be arrested and such).

This is apparently the first of 3 volumes, though we only have this one. I haven't gotten far in it either; I'm only 10 pages in. But let me say, Elaine was right... Currently it's describing the arrests of citizens, which is traumatizing enough. Knowing the Gulag was even worse is just an eerie experience. I might update my thoughts as I read on, but no promises.

ANYWAY I recommend this book for anyone interested in stuff like this. Even if you're not, you should look into it anyway because I think it's important to learn about just how bad totalitarian governments are (FUCK THE KGB AND FUCK STALIN)

[dogslayslaw]

Warning

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky spoilers after mark

(in form of ART and some thoughts)

I finished Roadside Picnic last night (recommend by my partner), and it's sad to admit that this is the second book I've actually finished in a good year or two. It was quite honestly a really good read. I recommend it for any science fiction enjoyers out there, Arkady and Boris are genuises, and this book is probably one ofc their most popular and influential. Please check it out if you haven't (and definitely look into the history of it as well, it's necessary)!

If you HAVE read it, or don't care to and just want to see the art and my thoughts, continue on.

Just some quotes from later on in the book that hit me hard. The Zombie dad and Monkey stuff was honestly entirely depressing and horrifying.

So my boyfriend recommended me this, right? This book was written in 1972 in Soviet Russia, so the original message was lost and rebranded as anti capitalist to appease the government. While I agree with some of that messaging, the fact that it was CHANGED is pretty depressing. Like I would've loved to see the first few drafts before the government made them change it!

I think some of it is very obvious; instead of taking place in Russia, this takes place somewhere in the west (probably the US or Canada as they mention Europe as an outside place as well). The one purely good person that is hyped up is Kyrill, a Russian scientist at the Institute who truly only wanted to go to the zone for science. Even in Red's delirious mind on the last few pages he thinks of this guy, saying he was amazing. All of the stalkers end up dying on their greed filled conquest to find the golden sphere for Vulture, and the richer capitalists are written as awful people (BASED-- EAT THE RICH-- but most of the stalkers dying is NOT).

I'd like to say that I didn't agree with the scientists either? Even Valentine, I saw him as completely full of it and very unaware of how other people work, no matter how right he was about how the zone worked. Actually I'm sure this was intentional from the authors, and was missed by the censors!

Okay beyond that, I'd like to talk about how utterly depressing the book is. Like specifically the tragedy of Monkey. How all the children of Stalkers are screwed up (tho Vulture's ended up just being so ethereally beautiful but completely empty, especially the daughter) is just so. AUGH. Truly the zone punishes you. It's a blight, yet Valentine was right, as much as Noonan wanted him not to be, the visit was just a silly little picnic. Even the golden sphere being left behind, looking discarded and not at all cared for.. we'll get to that later. Let me continue.. yes, Noonan, after seeing Monkey and the Zombie dad, really figured that the zone was evil and it was there to ruin families. He was wrong, it's even implied in the name of the book. The tragedy of Monkey and of the father was just like battery acid from discarded disposable batteries that some family brought while camping leaking into the environment and screwing things up. And that's even more depressing. And the fact that Monkey did act like a human for so long, for 8 years in fact, with her stories and playfulness. Now she's just a shell, acting just like an animal even. Screaming in the night with the horrifying Zombie that Red wants to keep there. How does Guta, his wife, feel in all this? Right after Red just got out of jail?

Now to the Golden Sphere, which you can see pictured up top. The line about it being just left there, not placed there, proves Valentine's theory (as fucked as it is, and as unaware and ignorant his views on humans are). And the fact of the matter is, we know it doesn't grant wishes. Vulture made that up, or someone did, and everyone chose to believe it. It drove Red crazy in the end, knowing he'd probably not make it back and knowing that he literally just sacrificed Vulture's son (which he did regret, but in his brain it was either Arthur or Monkey). All this for that giant discarded sphere that was just there, shining, in the middle of a giant quarry. Stalkers lined up, dead, pointing the way to it.

DEPRESSING. I'd like to say this was a brilliantly written book (RIP Arkady and Boris). Genuinely a great read, and it did destroy me a bit!

[dogslayslaw]

I just got a surge of boop ty

Boop

[dogslayslaw]

Boop

[dogslayslaw]

I finally worked up the motivation to finish this. I originally started a few months ago over winter break (late December to early January). I ended up finishing in three days, finally finishing yesterday. So glad I'm done and so glad I'm back.

Also I've been a little more into good omens lately so that helped motivate me LOL please enjoy Crowley

[dogslayslaw]

You remember how I told everyone the plot of Season 2 before it aired?

(Everyone tries to remember and then shakes their heads.)

That's right. I didn't. I spent several years going "wait and see". And you waited and you saw.

I'm not going to reveal any of the plot of Season 3, either. So there's really no point in asking me to make things happen, or to tell me what you do or you don't want to happen. I'm not going to.

[dogslayslaw]

Since ig I'll get more reach with this account rather than my new one @dogslayslaw , I'll post it here first!

So I've been starting up a Webtoon with a friend for the past few months (though it's going very slowly and we only have some character sheets and a concept). It's about two FBI agents, Franklin Codrin and Lucian Holt, in the 1970s who are sent to work in a new FBI division called FB(o)I or Factual and Borderline-Occult Investigation. The division is set in Dorsal Ridge, Maine, a small New England town by the sea that was known for it's whaling market and eventually its dairy produce. The town is known for having supernatural, occult, and strange occurrences that are severe enough to be investigated on a federal level.

Basically, the Webtoon will be about these two investigating these occurrences and figuring out why are they so concentrated in this town.

A lot more will be explained on the account for this Webtoon shortly:

https://www.tumblr.com/agents-of-fboi

[dogslayslaw]

As a fan of your work and a former fan of James'... I'm very disappointed in James, though I am grateful for the community I met in his non-patreon discord server. I'm not sure if he plagiarized anything or put any misinformation in the good omens/sandman video.

And also as a younger viewer... A lot of his videos shaped my views and beliefs, so finding out about the misinformation has me questioning some things that I learned from him.

Anyway I think I speak for most of the former James Somerton community (now just a bunch of people who like talking to each other) when I say that we appreciate all you (Neil Gaiman) and definitely don't endorse the actions of James.

i have always been fan of HBOMBERGUY since he invited me onto his trans charity livestream, very good creator and buckaroo. but DANG his video about plagiarism and james somerton is OTHER LEVEL of investigation and journalism. really dang interesting.

especially fun for chuck because i have NO IDEA who any of these scoundrels are i am a little older in my trot so i am kind of new to youtube. so coming in with no prior knowledge makes chucks perspective kind of unique and GUESS WHAT it still works very well i have learned a lot

[dogslayslaw]

I haven't done alcohol markers in forever, so I'm surprised this turned out well.

I get it's Christmastime (I love Christmas even though I'm not Christian), but I had a little witch in my mind.

I think after I drew this, I realized just how many mediums I can do with my art. I can to realistic portraits but also this??? And then weird ass digital watercolor things??? Then cartoony digital art for OCs?? Am I an art god?

Nah, this is just years of practice ever since I could pick up a marker.

So, experiment, guys! Look at different mediums, don't just stick to one! You don't have to be great at just one thing. Be the Renaissance man of art styles.

[dogslayslaw]

Second digital art post... I drew this a bit back from inspiration from The Scarlet Letter

I actually really liked the book, but all of the people ik (except for one) said it sucked. I'm in the minority about this, but I like Puritan literature.

Gonna post another digital watercolor soon.

[dogslayslaw]

The ONE inktober prompt I did (tarot card style)

[dogslayslaw]

I made this for a 40 minute art comp^^

Reference image

I won btw :D

The people who lost :'-( ^^ (ft. Jack the dog)

[dogslayslaw]

One of those rectangular prism sticks of charcoal plus a crumble eraser can provide Eldritch horror vibes if you try hard enough

Yeah see?

Anyway I found figgy pudding SPAM in my pantry (there were two cans of it)

The Internet ™ says it tastes good, and as much as I want to try it, I want to continue seeing those joyful tins in my pantry.

It's a sentimental thing yk

[dogslayslaw]

Hi I'm dogslaw. I think that name was taken, so, to embrace my queer heritage, I added "slay" in the middle there. Hence:

Dogslayslaw

The main purposes of this blog (which are vaguely stated in the blurb that everyone can see when they click my profile) are: my art (I'm an artist), my writing (I'm a writer maybe), and my love of certain media (I like stuff)(specifically X-Files and Rocky Horror Picture Show).

For my art:

This will mostly be random stuff. It might be art experiments or practicing with my charcoal (I love it). I've been practicing my realism and I think I've gotten good.

For my writing:

I'm working on a horror novel currently. I might post character designs and a little blurb about it soon. I think it's a pretty cool idea.

I'm also working on a webtoon with my friend. It was originally inspired by X-Files, but we turned it into something completely different. It takes place (mostly) in a town I made up a but ago, and it follows our characters (who are FBI agents). I think the plan is to switch between writing and drawing each episode. Might post updates here, but I have to talk about it to my fellow creator.

For my love of certain media:

I don't do much fandom stuff, I just like the media for what it is and what it means to me. I'm not against fandoms at all, and I love that people partake in community for the things they love (that's actually dope), but I like doing my own little thing.

Meanwhile, I'll probably do art related to all of the stuff I like hehe

Okay so I don't have many DNIs, but mostly don't be shitty or bigoted. That's lame. And it's Tumblr, go to Twitter (X now??) or 4chan for that.

There isn't a certain time I post things. I'm trying to be less chronically online.

I go by he/him btw. Good night 🌙

[dogslayslaw]

Time for X-Files!!

I present to you Scully:

(done in charcoal)

And Mulder:

(done in graphite) (also done much earlier than Scully)

(personally I like Scully better lol; I'm a charcoal fan)

Above is them next to each other on my very dirty drafting table (I promise it's clean now)

Below is them together on my beloved art wall:

*the tree and the dog are not my art*

This picture was taken after I cleaned off my drafting table btw

"The truth is out there, but so are lies..."

[dogslayslaw]

"OHHH BRAAAAD IM MAAADDD!"

For my first post, I present you Brad from Rocky Horror Picture Show, so enjoy

My friend said "the guy in the picture looks gay", so I think it's an accurate portrait