lena-thinks-too-much

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I know I say that I'm kinda nuts for doing the amount of visual research I do, but at the same time: Specificity is SO much more compelling and real feeling, and imo not getting references often makes things look more amateur.

Eg. drawing a sofa- my mental image of a sofa is something like this:

Like. Its a sofa. It works. But it's not very convincing, the pillows are kinda wrong at the back, and it's not really giving any information about the owner. Even if you want a basic sofa... What kind of basic.

comfy and cheap?

kinda rigid?

inherited? ------

who does this comfy cheap ikea sofa belong to anyway?

guy living alone?

teenage girl?

Grandma?

Anyway I'll get off my soapbox but specificity is sexy and fun and it can do your storytelling for you!

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Fuck it *washes your robins

Hanging them out to dry…

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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BATFAM BIRTHDAYS IN AUGUST I CAN’T KEEP TRACK :shinji chair:

anyway!!! hitting two birds with one stone HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JASON AND ALFRED WOO 🎉🎉🎉

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I love the idea of a timeloop but the whole story is told from the pov of the person not stuck in it. suddenly this random person they've never met before comes up to them and demands the craziest thing, seems to know them more intimately than anyone, appears to not have slept in months, and has the most peculiarly haunted look about them like they've faced death a hundred times over. bros go on an adventure. how does our protagonist respond to every sentence finished for them? to every wistful look their new companion casts their way? What about the mindless efficiency with which they avoid hidden dangers? Imagine the quiet atmosphere when the looper makes the protagonist's coffee exactly the way they like, without needing to be asked, and the protagonist finally gets it--"we've been here before, haven't we?" how often do they cry?

there's also huge comedic potential. oh? random guy you've never met runs up and kisses you on the mouth? the two of you embark on the weirdest conceivable journey to complete a litany of unthinkable tasks? you make it home in time for dinner and they somehow know your grandmother's secret meatloaf recipe by heart? you wake up the next morning to find the stranger (are they really a stranger anymore?) making you waffles in your kitchen?? the coffee is exactly how you like it????

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@stephweek day 4: free day :)

REMEMBER TO NEVER, EVER SHUT UP ABT STEPHANIE BROWN !!!

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Jack: You ruined my son.

Bruce: He was like this when he found me.

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I’m feeling normal. I’m getting so many snacks. If someone has decided to go cry in the cold ass storm, well that is not a me problem

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@stephweek Day 3: Victory

Yippee !! Wahoo !!!

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CASSIE SANDSMARK/WONDER GIRL & TIM DRAKE/ROBIN in TEEN TITANS (2003)

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literally so many of the people associated with the batfamily (like Helena and Steph for example) literally only cooperated with Bruce because Tim endeared himself to them. This guy makes friends like he's collecting pokemon and I love him for it

In today's episode of: People don't actually read comics before making opinions online!

Someone posted on (social media redacted but you can guess) that the solution to the "Tim Drake Problem" in the next reboot is to just... Kick Tim out of the Batfam all together.

To be clear, not in a fanon way, but in a "actually he was never in the Batfam to begin with and was never a Robin (of any flavor)" kind of way. Just a random detective boy who isn't even in Gotham, I guess?

Uhh, sir, you are aware that without Tim Drake there likely wouldn't even be a Batfam, right? Like Bruce wasn't out here making friends. Dick wasn't exactly willing to play happy family. Alfred can be worse than Bruce sometimes. Neither Jason nor Damian is designed as a "reach out and make connections" character.

Tim Drake is our teamup guy and without him I'm not sure we get a Batfam or a larger network of interconnected Gotham vigilantes.

A lot went into building the Batfam, but it's straight up ignorant to omit Tim's contribution(s).

People are allowed to have opinions on how things should evolve, but at least make it make sense. All Robins are important to the story overall. Don't get rid of the kid who helped build the thing you think doesn't have room for him anymore.

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the idea that “you’re disrespecting the creators of your favorite characters if you—quote unquote—mischaracterize these characters in your fics or if you reduce them to horny sluts just for ship and smut” is so funny to me because

1. some canon creators made it explicitly clear that they can’t read fanfics people wrote about the characters they created, because, according to their own words, if they ever accidentally or subconsciously used anything from people’s fanfics in the source material of their works, then there might be a risk of them getting sued (yes, the characters are theirs and fans cannot monetize any works that have their characters in them, but fanfics—aka something fans created—belong to those fans, so if canon creators ended up making money off of those fanfics, then they could get into legal battles too).

2. fans don’t write fanfics to “honor or please” canon creators. there are other ways for them to do that if they want to. but fanfics have never been about “honoring or pleasing” canon creators. fanfics aren’t even about respecting canon creators or canon events, and I say this with respect. (what do you think tags like “alternate universe - canon divergence”, “fix-it”, “crack”, “porn without plot” on archive of our own stand for?)

fanfics are like this; imagine yourself as a raccoon and you see this delicious food people left on their porch for you. you look at it and think hmmm yummy. so you grab that food and then you run away with it to enjoy it in some comfort corner. you may choose to enjoy the food alone, or you may choose to share that food with your friends (but you cannot sell that food, because it’s originally someone else’s and you’re just eating/having fun with it). you may choose to dip that food in some spicy sauces that may or may not be suitable for that food and how it’s originally intended to be eaten. but hey! who cares if it’s suitable or not. if you like it then that’s all that matters.

3. canon—when it comes to fanfics—are not rules. as @allthingswhumpyandangsty has said before, canon are only suggestions. whether or not a fanfic writer will follow these suggestions is entirely up to them. because they write for fun. and it’s okay if they want to say “you know what? fuck canon”.

4. the concept of “mischaracterizing a character” overall is, in my personal opinion, not valid. because movies, books, tv shows, etc. are mainly about the interpretation of each viewer. you can interpret this character this way. other people can also interpret the same character differently. and there’s no “right or wrong” way to interpret a character when they’re all fiction and fantasies.

“you can write whatever you want, but people are free to find you weird, childish or disgusting” okay? I’ve never seen any writer say “you cannot find me weird, childish or disgusting🤬” because humans are gonna have thoughts and opinions about anything and everything, no matter how subconsciously those thoughts are.

I personally don’t believe art (be it fanfics or fan art) reflect artists’ moral compass or who they are in real life, but just like any other humans, I do have thoughts and I do find some things weird, childish or disgusting. instead of voicing my thoughts out loud, though, I choose to mute, block or ignore these things and focus my time and energy on things I like.

and it’s literally not an issue at all if some strangers on the internet, whose existence I don’t know about, find me weird, childish or disgusting. as long as they keep those thoughts to themselves, it’s totally fine. thought crimes are never real. it only becomes an issue when you start harassing people.

fandom is not about trying to police others.

fandom is about fun and knowing how to mute/block things you dislike instead of harassing others (and no, finding someone or something weird, childish or disgusting is not harassment as long as you keep those thoughts to yourself).

overall I love and respect every fanfic writer, no matter if the things they write is my cup of tea or not, because I think it’s beautiful how they love these characters and how they’re so passionate about these characters that they decide to make something for and from these characters. and as long as it makes them happy, they’re doing it right.

*this is a response to a funny ask that made me giggle today. also funny how anon chose not to show their face, because if they really believe they are right then surely there’s no need for them to hide behind anon.

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Hopping on the Vine compilation bandwagon, part 1/?

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guys!!!!! did you know that in fandom space, you could disagree with people about fictional things without being rude or harassing them?! it’s okay not to be a jerk. it’s okay to mind your own business, mute or block what upsets you and let people enjoy whatever makes them happy. fandom is about positivity and having fun, not forcing others into having the same opinions and characterizations of the characters as you and shaming those with different views

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Duke Thomas Arbitrary Reading Lists

To celebrate Duke's birthday yesterday, here are some of my Duke reading recs grouped together by arbitrary categories!! Take these with a huge grain of salt I'm completely working off memory

Powers

The Cursed Wheel finale, found in All-Star Batman #9 (Duke's light powers awaken)

Dark Days: The Forge / Dark Days: The Casting (explanation of Elaine's meta gene and also Nth metal... idk I don't understand it)

Batman & The Signal (introduction of Gnomon)

Batman & The Outsiders (2019) (Duke's shadow powers awaken, which dampen his light powers)

Dark Nights: Death Metal Robin King (Duke unlocks his light powers again)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal (Duke unlocks more powers)

Thomas Family

Batman: Zero Year / Batman: Endgame

We Are Robin (you already know this is essential reading)

Batman (2011) #48 and #50

All-Star Batman #1-9 including Cursed Wheel back-ups (PEAK Doug & Elaine reading. read main stories alongside back-ups for the best experience)

Batman & The Signal

Batman: Secret Files: The Signal (Duke's mom disappears)

Batman: Urban Legends #8-9 and #18-19 (aftermath of Duke's mom's disappearance + rescuing her)

Romance

We Are Robin (Dizzy + polyWAR for your reading pleasure)

Batman (2016) #1-6 (in which Tom King replaces Duke's girlfriend of colour with a White love interest)

Batman & The Signal (Duke is back to dating Izzy! so. literally what was the point)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal

One-Shots Where Duke Barely or Doesn't Appear But Is Really Important To My Conception of Him

Batman (2011) #44 (a lovely issue about Bruce and Gotham. REALLY important imo to understanding Snyder's Duke-Bruce-Gotham triangle, even though he isn't even mentioned here)

Detective Comics #982 (only a Duke cameo but again SO important to that Duke-Bruce-Gotham triad)

Batman (2016) Annual #1 (the tiny Bruce-Duke moment is worth the entire thing)

The Robin-to-Signal Transition

Batman (2011) #50 (Bruce extends an offer)

Batman: Rebirth (Duke takes up the offer)

All-Star Batman #1-9 (Duke and Bruce get acclimated to each other)

Batman (2016) #1-6 (Duke and Bruce get acclimated to each other but it's written worse)

Batman & The Signal (Duke officially becomes the Signal)

Batman & The Outsiders (not actually related but you can - and I do - read Cass' Batgirl vs. Orphan struggles as analogous to Duke)

DC Rise of the Power Company (the only time Duke actually on page explores why he left Robin)

The Jason-Duke Supercut Or: The Indeterminability of Whether Duke Likes Jason

The Cursed Wheel Part 1 (Bruce says 'villain' and Duke asks 'Jason'?)

New Talent Showcase (2017) (Duke and Jason train together)

Batman (2016) #33 (Duke teases Jason, calls him "Jay")

Detective Comics #1000 (Duke teases Jason again)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal (Bruce tells Duke he failed Jason; presumably Duke has heard lots of negative things about Jason from Bruce)

DC Rise of the Power Company (Duke insults Jason while talking to Jace)

Duke One-Shots That Deserve More Love

Gotham Nights #8

Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King

The Unexpected #4 (purely for the Duke-Helena interaction)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10

Duke One-Shots That Deserve More Hate

Batman (2016) #16

Detective Comics #1000

Batman Secret Files: The Signal

The Snyder Cut

Batman: Zero Year / Batman: Endgame

Batman & Robin Eternal

Batman: Superheavy

Batman: Rebirth

All-Star Batman

SCOTT SNYDER PLEASE WRITE DUKE AGAIN PLEAAAAASEEEE

My Personal Defining Issues and Runs For Duke's Batfam Relationships (For Jason See Above)

Bruce: Batman: Zero Year / Endgame / Superheavy, Batman: Rebirth, All-Star Batman, Batman & The Signal, Batman & The Outsiders, Batman Secret Files: The Signal (also see one-shots that influence my Duke conception above because they're all Bruce-Duke too)

Cass: Detective Comics #983-987, Batman & The Outsiders

Dick: Batman & Robin Eternal #4, Robin War, Night of the Monster Men

Damian: Robin War (I WISH THERE WAS MORE)

Jace: DC Rise of the Power Company, DC Power Company Recharged

Stephanie: Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King, DC Power 2024, Batman: Urban Legends #3

Tim: Robin War, Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King, Batman: Urban Legends #8-9

Kate: Detective Comics #952

(Any Batfam members not mentioned here don't have significant interactions with him; however, for Helena check out The Unexpected #4 and for Harper check out DC Power 2024)

OKAY that's about it!! Obviously these are my opinions, for a more extensive reading list check out @duketectivecomics list here. HAPPY DUKE READING!!! LET'S MAKE THIS YEAR DUKE THOMAS' YEAR!!!!

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the ever casual 5am cass

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Chapter Two of JaLD is out now!

feat. our favorite resident disaster

taglist: @soup-of-madness @dndnerdlvl11 @sharpmarble76 @pocato @loquacious-layla @lex-catto @snowcoming @kitteningotham @i-like-yapping @laminated-entity @soradragon @whatwoulddracodo @genderfluid-mess @bobasbag @butterflies-pink @jacksjargon @yumeveggie @mouzerequis @sonofafish @aesopsfabless @drowninginmytbr

let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist for the next update!

[lena-thinks-too-much]

THE NEW TEEN TITANS #1: THE BIRTH OF THE TITANS (1980) page 16

Blond guy: God, please, if you are listening. Please send me a way to fix my marriage.

Starfire: *literally falls from the sky*

Blond guy:.... Okay I can work with that