#70's designs and 70's inspired designs and honestly just anything that makes me feel '70's' fucking rules

[mono-red-menace]

why Was 70's design so fucking good btw? like no other era was That good with its design.

like specifically the design you think of when you think "70's," like the mustards and oranges and browns in fun geometric or complex patterns, the unique ways form was used in so many designs, even the fashion had really interesting silhouettes.

like it already used my favourite colours a Lot, but on top of that, it also just had a lot of interesting, novel ideas and it's just, idk man.

also like 70's was the disco era and disco fucking rules. and like funk was still huge too and gd i fucking love funk.

like idk man it was just an impeccable era aesthetic. literally my absolute fav.

[starryeyedweeb]

Valentine’s Day With Jujutsu Kaisen

*DISCLAIMER*: As I’m over eighteen, I write all underaged characters aged up to be eighteen or older.

Contains: As always with me, a ridiculous amount of fluff; gender neutral

Characters Included: Gojou Satoru, Fushiguro Megumi, Itadori Yuuji

A Valentine’s Day with...

Gojou Satoru

Gojou was the type to always have a date on Valentine’s Day, but this was his first time spending it with someone he was actually committed to

As a result of this experience, he was really good at Valentine’s Day, but this time he wanted to do something he’d never done before, and make it truly special for you

He actually started preparing weeks in advance, and had to hide his YouTube history so that you wouldn’t catch on to the surprise he had in store for you

The only hint he gave you as the date drew nearer was that you’d be going somewhere with a black tie dress code

“I know it’s a cliché, but I’d love to see you in something red, dear.”

When Valentine’s Day finally arrives, you start the night off with the usual, unassuming, upscale dinner

Though he won’t give anything away, you have a sneaking feeling that there’s more to the night than Gojou is letting on

When dinner is finished, he drives the two of you to an area of town you’ve never been to before, and pulls into the lot of a dance hall

Not a nightclub- an actual ballroom

Inside, a swarm of glamorously dressed couples swirl gracefully to the romantic music, creating a dizzying yet beautiful scene

“What is this?” you nervously ask Gojou, suddenly feeling very out of place

“It’s my surprise,” he replies with a half-mischievous, half-proud grin. “I passed this ballroom while on a job, and I’ve wanted to take you here ever since. And for the past few weeks, I’ve spent my free time learning the steps so that I could bring you here and dance with you.”

“But Satoru, I don’t know the steps!”

“All you have to do is follow my lead.” He wraps his arm around your waist and leads you out onto the floor, deftly spinning you into a dance position. “It’s easier than you think, I promise.”

After a few moments of halting steps and a few trod-on toes, Gojou’s prediction turns out to be right, and you’re able to sink comfortably into the dance

The feeling of Satoru’s broad stride driving the two of you across the floor is exhilirating, and being wrapped in his arms and staring into his dazzling eyes leaves you in absolute bliss

The two of you dance for hours, giggling all the way, until you’re one of the last ones left in the ballroom

When you finally decide to call it a night, you realize just how much your feet hurt

So Gojou piggybacks you out to the car, where you nearly fall asleep

“I take it you had a good time, then?” Gojou asks cheekily, resting his hand on your thigh as he starts the engine.

“Mm,” you reply. “Can we go back?”

“We can make it our regular weekend spot if you want to.”

“Let’s do that.” You sigh happily. “Satoru? I love you.”

His fingers find your hand, and he brings it up to his mouth to kiss it.

“I love you too, baby.”

Fushiguro Megumi

Megumi had never had a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day before, and admittedly, he was more nervous than excited for his first go at it

As a couple, the two of you were very low-key, and neither of you really had any interest in being involved in the big holiday crowd

So Megumi thought up a way to celebrate that would suit your introverted souls

“Why don’t we get out out of the city tonight?”

“I’m down for that. Where are you thinking?”

“I have something in mind.” A blush starts to dust his cheeks. “It’ll be a surprise.”

As dark starts to fall on Valentine’s night, the two of you stop by a konbini to get a multitude of your favorite snacks before hopping on the train

It’s initially packed with other couples en route to their dates, but the car gets emptier and emptier as the stops go by

You end up resting your head on Megumi’s shoulder, his arm wrapped protectively around you

“Oi, don’t fall asleep before we even get there,” he murmurs gently.

“Sorry. I’m just relaxed.” You slip one of your hands into his jacket pocket. “Are we getting close?”

“Yeah, we are.”

When the train reaches the stop for the beach, Megumi pulls you up and, with his hand in yours, guides you out of the station

He walks you all the way down to the edge of the water, spreads out a blanket, and begins to build a small bonfire

Once the flames are crackling merrily, the two of you sit down on the blanket and cozy up next to each other, another blanket wrapped around both of your shoulders

Never once breaking physical contact with each other, you stare out at the waves, sharing your snacks and having Deep Conversations About Life

Which was honestly your favorite thing to do together

As the flames get lower and lower, you have to nuzzle closer and closer for warmth and protection against the sea breeze

Eventually, your head ends up back on his shoulder, and he presses a sweet kiss to your crown

“Was this a good Valentine’s Day?” he murmurs, his breath warm on your face

“Of course.” You sigh contentedly. “It was perfect.”

Itadori Yuuji

When I tell you that Yuuji was so excited for Valentine’s Day

Pretty much the moment New Year’s was over he started talking about plans

He did some research and found out that a roller skating rink was having a special Valentine’s event, and he asked so eagerly if you wanted to go

He seemed so elated at the idea that you couldn’t have said no even if you wanted to

In preparation for the event, he looked up all of the skating videos on social media for inspiration, and arrives to pick you up looking straight out of the 70′s

When the two of you arrive at the rink and strap on your skates, it comes to no surprise to you that, even though Yuuji had never put on skates in his life, he was impossibly good at it

You, on the other hand, take a moment to find your bearings, but get the hang of it eventually

But as much as he loves you and wants to skate by your side, Yuuji is sort of annoyed with having to go slow, and wants nothing more than to speed skate around the rink

“Hey, babe. Can you grab my waist?”

“What? Why?”

“Just grab my waist. And hold on tight.”

“Yuuji, what are yo-”

Your words turn into a scream as he takes off, speeding around the rink with you trailing behind

He’s sure enough on his feet to maneuver you safely, though, and you end up dissolving into laughter at the thrill of being propelled around the rink by your ridiculously athletic boyfriend

Until the lights dim and the music changes for a designated “slow dance,” and he abruptly reduces his speed to almost nothing, causing you to ram into the back of him and knock him over

The two of you end up tangled in a giggling mess on the floor, blocking the pathways of other couples trying to skate, but you couldn’t care less

“Are you okay?” he asks through his laughs.

“Yeah, I think so,” you reply, trying to catch your breath. “What about you?”

“I’m good.” He finds his way back to his feet, and holds out a hand to help you up. “Come on. We’ll take it slow for a little bit.”

With swirling pink heart patterns lighting up the floor and a cheesy love song playing in the background, the two of you skate the perimeter of the rink, hand-in-hand

But Yuuji keeps staring at you with a silly smile on his face

“What do you keep looking at?” you finally demand, giggling

“Nothing. You’re just pretty.” He shrugs. “I feel really lucky tonight.”

You feel your heart melt a little bit, and you would’ve given him a kiss if it didn’t mean that you would fall yet again

When the music speeds back up, you request a short break so you can get something to drink

Yuuji helps you out of the rink and sits you down on a bench, then glides over to the concession stand, returning with an obnoxiously large pink slushie, with two heart-shaped crazy straws poking out of the top

“I forgot to ask you something.” He announces as he sits on the bench next to you, holding the cup out. “Will you be my Valentine?”

You throw your head back and laugh, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pressing a kiss to his cheek

“Of course I will.”

[erictmason]

The Road To “Godzilla VS. Kong”, Day Four

(Sorry for the delay on this one, Life proved just a bit too busy the other day to finish it; my “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” review is gonna be pushed back as a result too.  But!  No worries, on we go. ^_^)

KONG: SKULL ISLAND (2017

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Writers: Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek Connolly, John Gatins

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly

Technically speaking, Gareth Edwards’ “Godzila” from 2014 was the first entry in what is now generally referred to as “The Monsterverse”, an attempt by Warner Bros. Studios and Legendary Pictures to do a Marvel Studios-style series of various interconnected movies (and which, like most such attempts to cash in on that particular trend, hasn’t really panned out; “Godzilla VS. Kong” seems likely to be its grand finale as far as movies are concerned, the only two “names” it had going for it are Godzilla and Kong themselves, and even at its most successful it was never exactly a Powerhouse Franchise).  But the thing is, when that movie was made, the idea of a “Monsterverse” did not yet exist; it was only well after the fact that Legendary and Warner Bros. got the idea to turn a new “Kong” project into the building block of a Shared Universe of their own that they could connect with the 2014 “Godzilla”, with a clear eye on getting to remake one of the most singularly iconic (and profitable) Giant Monster Movies of all time.  As you might guess from that description, however, said “Kong” project also had not originally been intended for such a purpose; it would not be until 2016 that it would be retooled from its original purpose (a prequel to the original “King Kong” titled simply “Skull Island”) into its present form, which goes out of its way to reference Monarch, the monster-tracking Science organization seen over in 2014’s “Godzilla” and which includes a very obviously Marvel-inspired post-credits stinger explicitly tying Kong and Godzilla’s existences together.  

The resulting film is fun enough, all things told, but that graft is also really, distractingly obvious.

Honestly, I wish I knew why I’m not, generally, fonder of “Skull Island” than I am.  It’s not as if, taken as a whole, it does anything especially bad; indeed it does a great deal that is actively good.  Consider, for example, the rather unique choice to make it a Period Piece; that’s decently rare for a Monster Movie as it is (indeed one of the only other examples that springs to mind for me is Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of “King Kong”, which chose to retain the original’s 1933 setting), and it’s rarer still that the era it chooses to inhabit is an immediately-post-Vietnam 1970’s.  Aesthetically speaking, the movie takes a decent amount of fairly-obvious influence from that most classic of Vietnam-era films, “Apocalypse Now” (a fact that director Jordan Vogt-Roberts was always fairly open about), and it results in some of the movie’s strongest overall imagery (in particular a shot of Kong, cast in stark silhouette, standing against the burning sun on the horizon with a fleet of helicopters approaching him, one of a surprisingly small number of times the movie plays with visual scale to quite the same degree or with quite the same success as “Godzilla” 2014).  It also means the movie is decked out in warm, lush colors that really do bring out all the personality of its Jungle setting in the most compelling way and, given how important the setting is to the film as a whole, that proves key; Skull Island maybe doesn’t become a character in its own right the way the best settings should (too much of our time is spent in fairly indistinct forests especially), but it does manage to feel exciting and unusual in the right ways more often than not.  The “Apocalypse Now” influence also extends to our human cast,  which is sizeable enough here (in terms of major characters we need  to pay attention to played by notable actors, “Skull Island” dwarfs “Godzilla” 2014 by a significant margin) that the framework it provides-a mismatched group defined by various interpersonal/intergenerational tensions trying to make their way through an inhospitable wilderness, ostensibly in search of a lost comrade-is decently necessary.  Though here we already run into one of those aspects of “Skull Island” that doesn’t quite land for me.  Taken as a whole, it sure feels like the human characters here should be decently interesting; certainly, our leads are all much better defined and more engagingly performed than Ford Brody, to draw the most immediately obvious point of comparison.  Brie Larson (as journalistic Anti-War photographer Mason Weaver), Tom Hiddleston (as former British Army officer turned Gun For Hire James Conrad), and John C. Reilly (as Hank Marlow, a World War II soldier stranded on Skull Island years ago) definitely turn in decently strong performances; I wouldn’t call it Career Best work for any of them (Hiddleston especially feels like he’s on auto-pilot half the time, while Larson has to struggle mightily against how little the script actually gives her to work with when you stop and look at it) but they at least prove decently enjoyable to watch (Reilly especially does a solid job of making his character funny without quite pushing him over the edge into Total Cartoon Territory).  I likewise feel like Samuel L. Jackson’s Preston Packard has the potential to be a genuinely-great character; his lingering resentment at the way the Vietnam War played out and the way that feeds into his determination to find and defeat Kong is, again, a clever and compelling use of the 70’s period setting, it gives us a good, believable motivation with a clear and strong Arc to it, and Jackson does a really solid job of playing his Anger as genuine and poignant rather than simply petulant or crazed.  But there’s just too much chaff amongst the wheat, too much time and energy devoted to characters and ideas that don’t have any real pay-off.  This feels especially true of John Goodman’s Bill Randa, the Monarch scientist who arranges the whole expedition; the Monarch stuff in general mostly feels out of place, but Randa in particular gets all of these little notes and beats that seem meant to go somewhere and then just kind of don’t.  Which is kind of what happens with most of the characters in the movie, is the thing; we spend a lot of screen-time dwelling on certain aspects of their backstories or personalities, and then those things effectively stop mattering at all after a certain point, even Packard’s motivations.  A Weak Human Element was one of the problems in “Godzilla” 2014 as well, though, and you’ll recall I quite liked that movie.  There, though, the human stuff was honestly only ever important for how it fed into the monster stuff; it was the connective tissue meant to get us from sequence to sequence and not much more.  Here, though, it forms the heart and soul of the story, and that means its deficiencies feel a lot more harmful to the whole.

Still, those deficiencies really aren’t that severe, and moreover, like I was saying before, there’s a lot about “Skull Island” to actively enjoy.  The Monsters themselves do remain the central draw, after all, and for the most part the movie does a solid job with that aspect of things.  It does not, perhaps, recreate “Godzilla” 2014’s attempt to make believable animals out of them (even as it does design most of them with even more obvious, overt Real World Animal elements), but there is a certain playful energy that informs them at a conceptual level that I appreciate.  Buffalos with horns that look like giant logs with huge strands of moss and grass hanging off their edges, spiders whose legs are adapted to look like tree trunks, stick bugs so big that their camouflage makes them look like fallen trees…the designs feel physically plausible (especially thanks to some strong effects work that makes them feel well inserted into the real environments), but there’s a slightly-humorous tilt to a lot of them that I appreciate, especially since it never outright winks at the audience in a way that would undercut the stakes of the story. Kong too is very well done; rather than the heavily realistic approach taken by the Peter Jackson version from 2005, this Kong is instead very much ape-like but also very clearly his own creature (in particular he stands fully erect most of the time), with a strong sense of Personality to him as well; some of the best parts of the movie are those times where we simply peek in on Kong simply living his life, even when that life is one that is, by nature, violent and dangerous.  Less successful, sadly, are his nemeses, the Skullcrawlers; very much like “Godzilla” 2014, Kong is here envisioned as a Natural Protection against a potentially-dangerous species that threatens humanity (or in this case the Iwi Tribe who live on Skull Island, but we’ll talk more about them later), and while they’re hardly bad designs (the way their snake-like lower bodies give them a lot of neat tricks to play against their enemies in battle are genuinely fun in the right sort of Scary Way), they’re also pretty bland and forgettable, even compared to the MUTOS.  That said, they serve their purpose well enough, and their big Action Scene showdowns with Kong are genuinely solid.  Indeed, the movie’s big climactic brawl between Kong and the biggest of the Skullcrawlers has a lot of good pulpy energy to it (particularly with how Kong winds up using various tools picked up from all around the battlefield to give himself an edge), likewise there’s a certain Wild Fun to the sequence where our hapless humans have to try and survive a trek through the Crawlers’ home-turf.

Where things get a bit tricky again is when the movie attempts to put its own spin on “Godzilla”’s conception of its monsters as part of their own kind of unique ancient eco-system. The sense of Grandeur that gave a lot of that aspect such weight there is mostly absent here, especially; there are instances where some of that feeling comes through (Kong’s interactions with some of the non-Crawler species, for example, do a good job giving us an endearing sense of how Kong fits into this world), but far more often it treats the monsters as Big Set-Piece Attractions.  Which is fine as far as it goes, it just also means a lot of them aren’t as memorable or impactful as I might like.  Meanwhile, the way the Iwis have built their home to accommodate, interact with, and protect themselves from the island’s bestiary feels like a well-designed concept that manages to suggest a lot of History without having to spell it out for us in a way that I appreciated (I would also be inclined to apply this to the very neat multi-layered stone-art used to portray Kong and the Crawlers except that the sequence where we see them is the most overt “let’s stop and do some world-building” exposition dump in the whole movie).  But the Iwis in general are one of the more difficult elements of the movie to process, too; it seems really clear there was a deliberate effort here to avoid the most grossly racist stuff that has been present in prior attempts to portray the Natives of Skull Island, and as far as it goes I do think those efforts bear some fruit; we are, at the very least, very far away from the Scary Ooga-Booga tone of, say, “King Kong VS. Godzilla”, and that feels like it counts for something.  I just also feel like there’s some dehumanizing touches to their portrayal (in particular they never speak; I don’t mean to imply that Not Speaking equals Inhuman, but the fact that we are not made privy to how exactly they do communicate means we’re very much kept at arm’s length from them in a way that seems at least somewhat meant to alienate us from them), especially given their role in the story as a whole is relatively minor.  

At the end of the day, though, all the movie’s elements, good and bad, don’t really feel like they add up together coherently enough to make an impact.  And I think if I had to try and guess why, even as I find it wholly enjoyable with a lot to genuinely recommend it by, I don’t find myself especially enamored by “Skull Island”.  It has a lot of different ideas of how to approach its story-70’s pastiche, worldbuilding exercise, Monster Mash-but doesn’t seem to quite succeed at realizing any of them fully, indeed often allowing them to get in each other’s ways.  It isn’t, again, a bad movie as a result of that; there really isn’t any stretch of it where I found myself bored or particularly unentertained.  But I did paradoxically find myself frequently wanting more, even as by rights the movie delivers on basically what I was looking for from it.   

[amphtaminedreams]

S/S 2020 Fashion Month: A Basic, Uneducated Fashion Heaux’s A-Z of Everything Noteworthy (Part 3/3)

Hi to anyone reading,

I’m finally at the end!

It’s only taken me, like, over 2 months but I’m finally about to review the last 5 shows I wanted to talk about from this year’s RTW offerings for S/S 2020. It’s very frustrating that I couldn’t include them in the last post and make this a nice, neat, equally sized two part thing but Tumblr was being difficult and so here I am. On the plus side, I guess I can also make this post a bit of a round-up of my ultimate favourite collections of this year and some of my absolute favourite looks!

To quickly finish my review though, I’m gonna start this post with Vivienne Westwood’s S/S 2020 collection!

And I hate to start the post on a downer but I wasn’t wild about it. The bridal look worn by Bella Hadid and the similarly structured red dress are the only pieces that I really love. The accessories are beautiful, especially the shell necklace, and the fitted corset upper halves are very flattering, however, there’s just nothing particularly exciting about this collection for me.

As for YSL’s S/S 2020 collection, my opinion is pretty similar. Don’t get me wrong, I personally love the embroidered pieces, and the jewell tones, and the whole art teacher/female Russell Brand vibe (I’m aware this is my second Russell Brand comparison of this review, don't @ me) but why does there have to be SO GODDAMN MANY FUCKING SEQUIN SUITS? I included a couple of the more interesting ones just for reference and can you believe that’s only about 1/10 of the sequin suits that were actually shown. I feel like they genuinely made up a good 33% of the show. It’s so boring and overdone from Saint Laurent, like you really can’t convince me that they didn’t do this exact same thing last year and the Eiffel Tower being in the background and the presence of the goddess that is Naomi Campbell and all the fancy lighting in the world isn’t a distraction enough because they DID THAT LAST YEAR TOO. It’s just disappointing from a brand like YSL who really has the money to take it to any wacky and inventive place that they want, and who has drawn on so many historical and cultural references in the past; the bohemian looks I am here for, everything else can go.  

Next is Zadig and Voltaire, which is obviously more of a pedestrian brand than YSL, but still...disappointing. 

I guess disappointing is the wrong word really because it’s not as if I had especially high hopes, it’s just that in comparison to a collection like Off-White’s, which was also a lot more of a “wearable” line, this is very Stradivarius/Zara/H&M/any member of the Inditex group. I like the ruffles, but we’ve seen them done in a much more interesting way in pretty much every other show and same with the blazers and suits. Even the styling of the teal faux fur coat, which I adore, is meh. Even Emily DiDonato can’t save it for me and that’s saying something because she honestly might be one of the most beautiful women on this planet.

On a more positive note, Zimmerman was beautiful. In a collection inspired by the ocean, the tranquil colour palette, the ornate, frothy ruffles and the flowing materials are dead on, and indulgently so. I can see most of these pieces having universal appeal and looking good on anyone, and yet this wearability doesn’t make the collection boring by any means; I think it really is a matter of having a clear concept and attention to detail that save more subtle shows from falling by the wayside. 

And lastly, Zuhair Murad, which is always a designer I look forward to; I love a good princess dress and on that, he always delivers.

However, whilst there’s a similar feel and colour palette to Zimmerman, I’d say this collection doesn’t have quite as clear a direction. There’s definitely a lot of recurring themes of the ruffles and the high necks and the bohemian prints and suits that we’ve seen throughout fashion month, but this still doesn’t feel like the most relevant or current collection I’ve ever seen from Murad. It goes without saying that the dresses are beautiful but in the context of a red carpet where every dress is a princess dress, I can’t imagine any of these taking my breath away which is usually the case. 

I really WANTED to end on a positive note, I’m sorry! And there were so so many amazing moments this season. In general, I’m excited for a lot of the trends that are seemingly going to be coming up: more of the milkmaid thing, peasant blouses, bohemian influences and a shit load of gorgeous suits!

I was going to try and do a top 10 but I honestly have too many favourites so I’m making into a...top 20. It sounds like a cop-out, but when there’s THIS many shows to go through I think a top 20 is perfectly fair. 

1. Gucci

It has to be my favourite overall. The clearest concept, the most beautiful colours, and a whole range of interesting accessories and structures. Blew everything else out the water. Might make like Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade and just start randomly saying Gucci out loud at totally inappropriate moments to express my love.

2. Marc Jacobs

Kooky and in your face but also thoughtful and delicate. Every piece is a statement. 

3. Moschino

The intersection where art meets fashion is always my favourite place to lurk and so it’s not surprise that Moschino’s Picasso inspired collection ticked so many boxes for me. Aside from that, the structures are gorgeous and on trend and I love the accessories.

4. Valentino

So. Many. Heavenly. Dresses.

5. Mugler

Definitely the sexiest S/S 2020 collection.

6. Paco Rabanne

I mean, yes, it is a little primary school teacher-y (it’s probably the coloured socks), but a fashion-y, wear-it-to-the-club version of primary school teacher style.

7. Ralph and Russo

A prissy pastel dream that channels the Sandra Dee sleepover scene from Grease in the modern day, the only thing that could’ve added to the Ralph and Russo show would be a more diverse group of models.

8. Brock

There’s never going to be an appropriate moment to wear any of the garments from the Brock collection. Does that mean I’m going to stop thinking about it? Never.

9. Balmain

I know Balmain didn’t go down too well with the fashion critics but the noughties pop girls obsessed child in me loveddddd it.

10. Etro

Not the most high-fashion but I would wear.

11. Dion Lee

Dion Lee took corsets and suspenders and harnesses and turned that whole dominatrix trend on its head by pairing them with androgynous silhouettes, fresh whites and subtle nude tones, and I’m here for it!

12. Alessandra Rich

Eighties presidential candidate’s wife/sorority queen realness.

13. Dilara Findikoglu

Definitely my favourite of the more “avant-garde” shows we saw this year.

14. Oscar de la Renta

These dresses speak for themselves, do I really need to say any more?

15. Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane made galaxy print cool again for the first time since it was murdered by 2013 “hipster” Tumblr and then buried 6ft under by the plethora of £5 and under wholesale retailers who thought it would be a good idea to mass produce leggings with said print on. 

16. Loewe

Delicate, purposeful and refined, Loewe put out a practical yet very, very pretty and season-appropriate spring collection.

17. Thom Browne

Thom Browne brought Marie Antoinette onto the runway. ‘Nuff said.

18. Louis Vuitton

I will never turn my nose up at anything 70s influenced and Louis Vuitton’s collection was probably the most authentic (and thus kinda ugly at times) that I’ve seen.

19. Simone Rocha

If I ever became part of some modern day witchy, forest-God worshipping cult, I would expect us all to be wearing Simone Rocha’s 2020 S/S collection and nothing less.

20. Vera Wang

Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl for the 2019 e-girl xoxo

SO.

3 parts and 3 months later, this is my review of fashion month 2019 coming to an end. I mean, it’s actually closer to A/W 2020 fashion week now than it is to S/S 2020 buuuut let’s just forget that little detail because I had NO FUCKING IDEA it would take this long.

If there’s anyone out there who read this to the end (and I highly, highly doubt there is and I don’t blame you) or even anyone that looked at the pictures (which is probably what I would do), please let me know! It got a bit long at times but I have generally reallllly enjoyed doing this and more than anything it’s got me sad that I’ll never see these shows in person :( sad times :( oh to be on the benefiting end of nepotism :( 

Thank you sooo much!

Lauren x

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | INTERVIEW WITH JUSTINE JONES

Baltimore based artist and illustrator Justine Jones creates her vein of psychedelic fantasy horror drawings–filled with tiny black lines and an occasional pop of bright colors–which have been featured on the covers of Kobold Press and Warlock magazine. Using the hashtag #VisibleWomen to amplify the voices and portfolios of women comic artists, Justine has be able to do more illustrative work and character design. We’re excited to find out more about Justine’s artistic journey, her love of role-playing games, comics, art, her influences and much more. . .  Take the leap! 

Photography courtesy of the artist. 

Introduce yourself?    Hi, I’m Justine!  I’ve lived in Baltimore Maryland for the past decade and currently live in a small apartment downtown with my partner and my shiba inu Mo, who is a cool and grumpy guy.

How would you describe your work to someone who is just coming across it? I used to call it storybook surrealism, but now I guess it’s more like psychedelic fantasy horror?  Monsters and Wizards.  Lots of tiny black lines, sometimes with lots of bright intense colors.

How did you start from doodling and drawing to what you do now? I feel like it sort of happened organically.  When I was younger, I would do just pencil drawings, and then in my late teens, I got more into using micron pens.  I didn’t really discover color until a few years ago, so I’m a huge color noob.  I think a lot of it also came from working in comic shops for years and going to conventions.  Seeing all of these amazing artists grow, and thinking hey, I could maybe also do that! I first started with t-shirt designs because it just seemed really fun, and I used to have a really hard time selling prints.  People don’t need more prints, but they can always use clothes!  Now i’m getting more into illustrative work and character design, and I’m loving it!

Who and what were some of your early artistic influences? When I was a baby, my dad hung an Aubrey Beardsley print over my crib.  My mom thought it would make me deranged, and maybe it did, but it also made me love ink work and Art Nouveau style haha.  I was obsessed with sword and sorcery stuff and loooved cartoons like He-Man and She-ra, and later, Pirates of Darkwater. I also spent a lot of time in elementary school copying sexy comic book ladies from 90s comics, and I know that is pretty far from what I do now, but it’s honestly how I learned to draw.  I also copied a lot from children’s storybooks when I was little.  

What are some things that inspire the drawings you make? What are some of your favorite creatures and beings you like to explore in your art? Video games are a huge inspiration to me, from SNES JRPGs, to games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.  Also folklore and mythology from around the world, and fantasy artwork from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.  Basically anything fantasy.  My favorite things to draw are wizards and monsters.  I love body horror, anything disgusting and beautiful at the same time.  I take a lot of inspiration from Manga, like Berserk, or anything Junji Ito.  I’ve done a lot of Illustrations for Clark Ashton Smith stories, which I find endlessly inspiring, visually.  Just like, fantasy/ sci fi/ dying earth type stuff.

When did you start collaborating with Kobold Press on creating some awesome fantasy art covers for their publications?  I remember getting the email from them when I was on the way to Necronomicon Providence in 2017.  I thiiiink they found my stuff through the visible women hashtag on twitter?  I was very excited because I owned some of their adventures from back in the day when I played Pathfinder!!  Plus, I have always always wanted to draw things for table top RPGs, so it’s been really cool to actually do it! The Warlock mag that I’ve been doing covers for is awesome because it’s going for an old school DND vibe, but it’s all things that are made for 5th edition.  You can get it on their patreon, and I hiiiighly recommend it to anyone who plays 5e dnd!!  

Take us through your artistic process? What’s a typical day in the studio like? Haha extremely chaotic!  I don’t even have a real set workspace, which I really need to change, I just draw where ever. Just chill out, listen to music or a podcast, and draw.  If I’m further along in a drawing and don’t need to focus so much, I’ll watch movies or video gameπ– let’s plays while I’m drawing.  I also love to listen to/ watch things that are in theme with what I’m drawing, to give me some inspiration.  I try to go to coffee shops to change things up sometimes!  Basically I just do a bunch of sketches until something materializes, and then I will just slowly refine the sketch.  I guess it’s not that exciting, but it’s cool to see the first sketch and the finished product because in my head, the sketch always looked like the finished product, but when you go back to look at it, it’s usually just indecipherable scribbles.

What are your essential art tools and materials? 90% of my art is just done using a .05 mechanical pencil and micron pens.  I also draw everything on smooth bristol.  If I have time and want to make my lines super crisp before I scan them in, i will use a light box.   Then for color, I generally use Kyle T Webster brushes in Photoshop with my Wacom tablet.   If I’m on the go, I like to draw things in Procreate on my iPad Pro, but I’m definitely not as good at doing detailed lines digitally.  

What do you do when you’re not drawing or working on projects? How do you unplug? Haha, I wish I ever truly unplugged, I think my brain is now melded into the internet!  But mostly I love to play video games.  JRPGs and anything From Software/ Soulsborne (currently obsessed with Sekiro!)  I also love comics and manga.  I’ve been reading The Girl From the Other Side, which is a beautiful dark fairytale Manga by Nagabe.  I also just got one called Witch Hat Atelier, which has the most amazing art! My partner also owns an insane amount of board games, so we play a lot of those.  I’m obsessed with coffee, and work part time at a coffee shop, and my favorite thing in the world to do is eat good food.    

What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on? How did you overcome those obstacles and what did you take away from it? I made a kind of cosmic horror short story in mini comic form last year for SPX, I had very little time,  and it was my first time actually writing a story/ dialogue to go with my pictures.  It was insanely challenging.  I ended up with a finished product that I’m really proud of and that I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on.  I think it really drove home the fact that I just need to stick with things and finish them, even if I don’t feel like they’re perfect.  I’m never going to have the time that I want, and I’m never going to feel like anything is perfect.  I can still make a great thing!  

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue art? Don’t spend 4 years doing nothing, but playing World of Warcraft (Or doooo?).  Uhhh, believe in yourself.  Be nice to other artists.  Draw all the time! Immerse yourself in things that inspire you!  Also, like I said before, things don’t need to be perfect.  Let go of perfect, because sometimes it’s an unattainable ideal.  Just do as good as you can, and don’t beat yourself up so much!  I’m horrible at advice!!!

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks?   Haha, I moved to Baltimore to go to MICA like, 14 years ago, and then realized I was poor, and would never be able to go to MICA… sooo… I never went to real art school.  I wanted to go so bad, and I still wish I’d had that experience, but I want other people who can’t afford it to know that you don’t NEED it.  Things are a bit harder, but you can find so much free info online if you have the drive, you can teach yourself so many things.  Don’t get discouraged just because art school isn’t gonna happen for you.

What are your favorite style of VANS? I love my lavender/ sea fog Authentic Vans, because they basically go with anything, but I am always eyeing those Sk8-His.

Anything you can share that is coming up?   Ahhhh, I have some realllly cool things that I can’t share yet, but just everyone keep an eye out (It will be very exciting, i swear)!!  As for things I can share, I’m working on some new t-shirt designs, and another comic, and also plan on drawing some more cool wizards in my spare time.   So if you wanna see some cool wizards, uhhh, come to my Instagram–you guys!  Let’s hang out and look at wizards.  And talk about wizards.  And if you don’t like wizards well, don’t come I guess.

FOLLOW JUSTINE: INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | TWITTER | STORE 

[vandorens-archive]

ten questions tag | i was tagged by: @mshelleys, @emdrabbles, @pe-ersona, @evergrcen and @septemberliterature. thank you so much, and i’m so sorry i’m getting to this so late!

everything is under the cut!

@mshelleys

i. if you could change the genre of one of your wips, what would you change it to and how would the story/characters change?

So, trahison already features a ghost and a brief stay at a manor. have i considered turning it into a full fledged horror because of that? perhaps.

ii. do you think of your characters as actors playing a part in a movie or as people in history actually doing things that effect the future?

i think of them as actors playing in one long, crazy, unpredictable play. 

iii. role swap your protagonist and antagonist but keep their personalities the same; how different would your story be?

honestly, not different at all, because when it comes to it, the subject of trahison’s antagonist (s) is pretty complex. 

iv. are any of your characters based on you, family, friends, or someone else you know?

oh, absolutely. my characters range between self inserts, to characters i wish i was more like, to characters that are essentially walking, talking, breathing love letters to the people i care about.  

v. how long have you had your main protagonist(s) of your wip(s)?

I’ve been working with marin, nate and ruby for years, long before they were even called that and were a part of a dystopian crime novel (don’t ask). antoine joined them soon after, followed a while later by beth and isadora, and miles was invented during the plotting stage. 

vi. do you prefer to write chronologically or just make a bunch of scenes and order them after they’re written?

it depends on what i’m working on and how serious i am about it, but if we’re only talking about trahison, then chronologically!

vii. imagine the problem in your wip is sorted out, how would the protagonist recount the story to their children if they asked?

with a far away look in his eyes and an uncharacteristic fondness in his voice, marin would turn to his children, and tell them how extraordinary his friends were during his university years—their zeal, their inquisitiveness, and conveniently leaving out the uncomfortable loyalty they all had towards each other, until time and life’s commands separated them. 

viii. favorite (non-spoilery) line(s) of your current wip(s)?

This small bit of description, albeit a little purple prose-y, is one that i’m very, very proud of.

“ The morning rain had made its grave in the dirt, the bittersweet smell—like exotic black tea—rising into the air. It was the night pluviophiles came to dance. If I think hard, I can still taste the ghost of the raindrops on my tongue and sense Beth’s radiating warmth beside me; its own ghost ” - trahison, chapter three

ix. if your wip was a movie, could you see it be done in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, or 2010s? why that decade in particular?

so, fun fact, i hadn’t decided when to set trahison (see: the big question mark in my plotting notebook) but i have recently made up my mind and decided to set it in the seventies! if it was a film, then i could see it being made in seventies france! very a la the dreamers.

x. are you able to just make up a story on the spot, or do you need help (plot generators or other outside influences)?

sometimes i’ll take the help of prompts or media, but otherwise i just come up with things on my own!

@emdrabbles

i. what do the names of your main characters mean? did you pick them for the meaning or another reason?

i picked the trahison characters’ names based on two things: how much it related to the character’s backstory or personality, and how pleasing it sounded out loud. here are the meanings of their names:

marin — of the sea

ruby — deep red; precious stone; behold a son

elizabeth — god is my oath

nathaniel — gift from god

antoine — priceless one; beyond praise

isadora — gift of Isis

ii. what book are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading the time machine by h.g wells!

iii. last sentence written?

“ When the end of the world comes — I’ll film it ” — copycat, or the one where i predict the future. 

iv. who are some of your faceclaims?

i usually don’t use faceclaims, but if i had to choose:

marin van doren (trahison) — timor simakov

eloi hill (psychophantia) — maxence danet fauvel

cass parker (penny lane) — monica tomas

v. gimme some worldbuilding facts!!

alright, here’s one: in the world of psychophantia, not only is the magic system and your powers controlled by your morals, but so is your social ranking, your education, and any future you may have—to an extent. 

vi. do you outline? if so, do you have a specific method?

i’m a plotter and only really work well with a solid outline, however, my outlines range from a series of messy, incoherent bullet points to meticulous scene-by-scene planning based around the three act structure. this post is my go to for plotting assistance! 

vii. favourite author?

Like every tumblr user ever, i love donna tartt and maggie stiefvater, but i’m also a huge fan of f.scott fitzgerald, agatha christie and vera caspary!

viii. what is your oldest wip?

trahison! It went through many, many changes — from changes in genre to changes in character names, and there’s still a possibility that it could change even further. 

ix. what is your favourite wip?

every wip i reblog under my #others. tag! You all are so damn talented!

x. where do you get your inspiration from?

everywhere around me! from conversations i have with people, from films and books i consume, from the music on the radio — i like that anything and everything can inspire me to create.

@pe-ersona

i. in one sentence, explain your current wip!

a group of secretive students attempt to become immortal, only to uncover the worst parts of themselves — and each other — as they do. 

ii. was writing your main interest or did you have other interests?

although writing is my main interest (see: my social media bio on every platform ever), i also like to journal, sew, cook and make videos! my interests usually do have to do with the intention of creation. 

iii. what’s your favorite genre to write? to read?

I love writing horror and mysteries. those are my favourite genres, but i also love reading a good contemporary romance!

iv. what is one goal you have for your wip this year? how’s that goal going?

to finish the first draft! so far, not so bad, though i do wish i could write more, but unfortunately, time constraints plus school restrict me from doing so. 

v. how old is your wip? or when did you start writing your wip?

trahison is nearly three years old, but i only started writing the current version of it a year ago. 

vii. what scene made you cry or laugh or both?

these lines made me laugh out loud the first time i wrote them:

“ Up the stairs stumbled Miles, my slovenly genius roommate. He grinned at the giggles and winked at the exasperated stares. 

The gall of him! 

I wanted to be him. 

He managed to find his balance enough to reach our dorm. I immediately stepped back to let him in, and to make sure I was in no association with his uncomposed state. Nate gave a disapproving look at his back as he staggered in. 

I took another step back, raised a pointed eyebrow, and closed the door ” — trahison, chapter three

vii. how many ocs does your wip have? who’s your favourite?

my main wip, trahison, has six main characters. out of the main six, my favourite has to be nathaniel. he is very much the epitome of pure, and sometimes i wonder how he ended up in the middle of such a dark plot. 

vii. you have a brand new idea for a wip, what do you do? 

brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm. scribble down whatever the hell pops up in my brain, attempt to link it together by a thin string of yarn, cross my fingers and hope for the best.

ix. you are having your first book-signing, where are you?

i’m in a small bookstore, nestled in a corner near the storage room. almost no one knows about this town, so the line is small but chatty, fans exchanging theories and analysing certain paragraphs. the sight of them makes me feel warm inside. 

x. you have the ability to live in any book, publishing or not, what would it be?

would it be too cliche to say the harry potter universe? other than that, other worlds i would love to be a part of is the world in my novel penny lane, or in midst of a detective story.

@evergrcen / @septemberliterature

i. how did you come up with your wip’s title? what does it mean in relation to the story?

okay, so i discovered the word ‘trahison’ after hearing my french teacher say it, and immediately knew i had to use it for something. ‘trahison’ means betrayal or treason in french, which is one of the main themes in the novel. 

ii. do you title your chapters? if so, what’s your favourite?

I don’t, but I would love to!!

iii. what’s a recent line you really like?

Not a very dramatic or noteworthy line, but here’s one from a poem i’m writing:

“ So the two of you get in the car, proceeding to have an argument with the radio ” — examples of easy solutions, or the one where the internet has no answers. 

iv. are there any writing-related quotes you really like?

“i think a lot of art is trying to make someone love you” — keaton henson

v. do you have an idea for a cover design for your story?

A black background with serif text, that’s it. It’s simple. It’s mysterious. It’s the type of vibe I want to exude. 

vi. what sort of au can you imagine your story being?

...dark academia au anyone?

just kidding. in all seriousness, though, i can see a royalty/political au for trahison, or a medieval fantasy au!

vii. which oc would be the most angry with you as the writer?

eloi. i really need to give that poor boy a break. 

viii. if you had to tell the story from a different pov, which character would you choose?

ruby! she’s the token enigma of trahison, so i think her point of view would be very interesting to see. 

ix. what would be your oc’s taste in music if they lived in our world?

OKAY let’s see:

marin — classic rock, so the who, queen, def leppard.etc

ruby — that one person who you’re pretty sure only listens to classical music, but is actually very attuned to modern day music. she would mostly listen to female singer-songwriters, so take lorde, marina, lana del rey, and other such artists. 

beth — take one look at her playlist, and you’ll see that ninety five percent of it is mitski, while the other five percent is bedroom pop. she would like very tender, calm, cry to in bed music. 

Antoine — same as marin, but add other modern day music artists with eclectic sounds, such as twenty one pilots, arctic monkeys, that sort of thing.

nathaniel — classical music, instrumentals, and film soundtracks make up his playlist. if it has sung words, he won’t listen to it. has little to no understanding of modern day music and is too scared to find out more about it.

isadora — 2000’s diva pop plays in the background of her life. rihanna is her go to whenever she gets to control the party. Don’t be surprised if ‘rich girl’ by gwen stefani starts playing in your head at the sight of her. 

x. what’s one personal goal you want to achieve by the end of the story?

finishing it with pride!

[moistwithgender]

Monthly Media Roundup (June-July 2019)

Well, I neglected doing a post last month, and now another has passed. I haven’t done too much, about three games each month and not anything else media-wise, so let’s get it all done right now!

Little Nightmares (PC/Steam): 

These types of spooky “cinematic platformers”, like LIMBO and INSIDE, never really scare me or fill me with dread. Part of this may be that due to the trappings of cinematic platformers. Checkpoints are very fair, and nothing is too difficult because priority is on delivering the story. Little side challenges exist, like trying to light all the candles or break all the porcelain dolls in the short 3-hour run of the game, but these are also pretty reasonable, even if you’re in a chase sequence. I’m reminded of a youtuber I briefly followed who talked about how horror games aren’t scary anymore, and somewhat unintentionally delivered the point that as you become accustomed to the limits of a medium, and therefore are less likely to be surprised by it, you’re also much less likely to be scared by it. It’s a somewhat unfortunate and inevitable trade-off to becoming more invested in a hobby. When I was a kid, all games held infinite possibility, and so an NPC in Harvest Moon telling me that wild dogs came out at night led me to think that night time held the possibility of ENEMIES in a game without combat. What the NPC meant was that you should build fences. As an adult who has spent my life playing games, I can tell you that a game is almost never going to put you in a situation without the means to deal with it. If there’s going to be combat, you’re going to know how combat works before an ambush. If there’s an escape sequence, you’re going to be in an area that facilitates your escape (often a narrow space that leads you in a direction while also making it as harrowing as possible). Games are theme park rides, and while learning that can make seemingly difficult games more manageable and enjoyable, it also gradually disillusions you. Thankfully, there are always new things to learn if you keep an open mind.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS): 

2019 has been about thoroughly enjoying the games that I considered overrated in my young adulthood. I joked on twitter that 70% of my personality was disliking Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time, and honestly, it might as well have been. I earned a lot of undeserved respect in college through arrogantly spouting hot takes about “objectively good art”, and a lot of people reasonably assumed this must mean I know exactly what I’m talking about. The way I process art and media is much looser and more personal than it used to be, partially due to burning out and becoming too exhausted to deal with other arrogant people. I think a lot about how tiring I had to be for other people to talk to. Watching Tim Rogers bleed his personal trauma into his video series on the subtleties of FF7’s japanese script was the most instrumental in turning me back toward the game. When Square Enix revealed gameplay footage of the remake at E3 this year, I was hooting and hollering with the longtime fans.

But, this is about Zelda, not Final Fantasy. I had already played through OoT, as hurriedly as possible, just to say I had done it. It was the better part of a decade ago, at the urging of a then-girlfriend who had nostalgia for it. Frustrations with the Water Temple in the original version are valid despite it being largely well designed, due to some minor shortsighted-ness that blows up into nagging issues, but I think I had put myself in the headspace to dislike it from the get-go. Similarly, I didn’t want to do any collecting in the game as a whole. I had convinced myself that there was no joy to be found in collecting in games (a take bereft of nuance). When the point of Zelda games is to inspire the player to explore every nook and cranny in search of rewards, going in as a player and stubbornly trying to avoid any of that ensures that you’ll miss the point of the whole experience. I’m not sure what it was that made me want to go back. It might be that I wanted to prove my younger, cockier self wrong, and pave over my old evaluations with more nuance. 

It certainly worked out that way, as several previous opinions changed entirely. Ruto used to be annoying to me, but was now one of my favorite characters. Doing all the little minigames felt rewarding in itself, and in turn I was unexpectedly rewarded with important items (they really did bet everything on the entire world they’d made). The Water Temple, now tweaked for a bit more convenience in the 3DS version, was extremely interesting. The side quest to acquire the Biggoron Sword was easily doable, whereas I had grown up assuming it impossible. And the story which had never appealed to me (because I wouldn’t let it) now felt relatable in a way I hadn’t expected. Link intends to do good, but through unfortunate circumstances and honest mistakes becomes unable to take part in the world, and it spirals downward for years as he remains trapped in a room, aging but inactive. Something about that mirrors my own experiences with depression. Sure, Link, can travel back to his younger self at any time, but there’s still a powerlessness in the inability to affect the seven year gap. You can flash back, but you can’t change what you’ve lost.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64): 

You know, as a kid I probably would have just accepted that Grunty was evil, but as an adult it’s hard not to see her as a product of her environment. Obsessed with asking her cauldron who the objectively prettiest in the world is, she seeks out and kidnaps the younger girl given the title in an attempt to steal her youth. Every character in the game describes Grunty as ugly, rather than evil, and even her own sister shows up in every area to tell you how gross she is and how terrible her lifestyle is. I ended up sympathizing with her more than anyone else. I’ve only played half an hour of Banjo-Tooie, but it was a relief in multiple ways to see her pivot to straight up murder after rising from the dead.

Despite playing Donkey Kong Country multiple times growing up, I’d never really grown to love Rare’s in-house aesthetic of big-eyed cartoony animals. It might be hypocritical, but Smash Ultimate’s reveals for both King K. Rool and Banjo (and) Kazooie made me see the charm in these characters. Something about how Smash canonizes characters as essential pieces of game history always causes me to drop any negative pretense and adopt them as favorites. It’s a little intellectually hypocritical, but I can’t help liking what I like. After the trailer for B-K in Smash, I immediately started up the original game in Retroarch. Thankfully the core I used was advanced enough to play the game without issues (the same cannot be said for Tooie), as other alternatives were expensive or hard to get a hold of. While the slightly-mean humor and talking animate objects took a bit of getting used to, I get it now. I get the children’s show aesthetic they were aiming for, and I appreciate the feel of the physics and control of the interspecies friendship of the protagonists working in tandem with each other, even if the game is at times quite difficult.

Dragon Quest I, II, & III (SNES): 

Yes, I did play through three JRPGs in a row! And yes, you might notice that the hero of Dragon Quest XI (and VIII, and IV, and III) was also announced for Smash Ultimate. They recently released, as of this writing! A lot of what I’ve been playing has been influenced by outside forces, whether it be Nintendo news or friends, but I’m not bothered at all when otherwise I might not have the energy to play anything. The games I’ve been playing are also ones I’ve intended to play for a while, so the excuses have been convenient for me. Though, actually, this decision had less to do with the Smash announcement and more to do with the upcoming re-release of DQXI, which seems to be related to the original three games, known as The Erdrick Trilogy. I had heard that you can play XI on its own, but that there is an extra layer of appreciation to be had if you’ve played the original trilogy. Me being me, I naturally queued them up. I chose the older fan translations of the SNES remakes, and though I did finish them, I can tell you that they have their fair share of bugs (DQII even has a game breaking glitch I had to finagle through using save states across multiple versions, phew). Besides that, those old translations lack the modern localizations of the games, so if they namedrop something in XI, there’s a chance it’ll go over my head. Oops! If you want to play these games, the best versions are currently on mobile phones.

Around a decade ago I was in early college, with no friends except for those still in high school or at another university. I was very lonely and nervous. I started playing Dragon Quest V purely by chance, and it served as the perfect salve for that loneliness, with its lonely child protagonist traveling around the world accumulating found family. It’s one of the more poignant and cathartic JRPGs I’ve ever played, and for the next decade I would actually be bothered that the rest of the games didn’t live up to the catharsis of DQV.

In revisiting the roots of the series, and playing it through to see how it develops from title to title, it finally clicked with me, and continues to click with me, as I keep learning more about the series. Rather than comparing every entry to DQV, I should have been comparing them in order. This might sound obvious, but it really did make a world of difference to see that V’s narrative is placed on top of the foundation the previous games set, rather than a singular case of lightning in a bottle. And the games have always featured loneliness, but in differing contexts, and to different degrees. The hero of DQI is almost entirely alone through the full game. In DQII, the princess comes from lonely circumstances, and one of the princes comes down with a sickness that leaves him temporarily unable to help his friends. In DQIII you can make as many team members as you want, but you grow up with an absent father, and your own good deeds receive bittersweet resolution. They are all games built on simple settings and followed through with empathy. The series is at times disarmingly heavy, which is part of what makes the games as memorable as they are. You’re never quite as prepared for Dragon Quest as you think you are.

As of this writing I’m currently half-way through a replay of Dragon Quest IV, and I’m enjoying it a lot more. I’m looking forward to replaying V. I have no idea what VI will be like. I’ve heard it’s a lower point in the series, but that’s what I heard about II as well, and I ended up loving it, so who knows. Dragon Quest is good.

---

Well, I managed to catch up. I didn’t get into the finer details of the DQ playthroughs, but DQIII is honestly so good I don’t want to spoil it for anyone (you should play these games). Maybe in August I’ll actually get back to watching and reading things. Maybe I’ll try to keep these things to a single paragraph per item, to make it more manageable to read. Let me know what you think, if you think.

[gottaenjoythelittlethingzz]

@mastery-in-procrastination, who is busy doing some awesome things for the community, was kind enough to send me this ask: “How long have you been working on "The Reaper's Only Daughter"?” Tumblr ate the ask, but I was able to save my answer! I may have gone a little over broad in my explanation. Thanks for the question, now sit back and experience the journey. 

Ah yes. My origin story. I remember it like it was yesterday. Allow me to take you back, to before the beginning...

2018! For me it was the year of television (as ‘17 had been the year of the movie). I vividly remember searching for shows on IMDB to compile a sort of list in January. Some well-known, some old hat, but two in particular stuck out to me. Two my mother specifically enjoyed and had for many years. Sons of Anarchy and Shameless. I was finally at the age to where I could start enjoying these shows and so they were added to my list to be watched later. I remember reading the description of SOA and looking through pictures of tough guys on motorcycles. I knew I had to watch it!

Fast forward to May 15th. I was nearing the end of my high school/senior year. I believe I had taken all of my finals at this time and just had a few meaningless things left to turn in for one or two classes. I had just finished The Punisher (thank the godz) and was ready to start the next series. It was again between SOA and Shameless and I have never made a better or more damaging decision in my entire life than when I hit play on the pilot episode of SOA at 7 am as I was getting ready for school that Tuesday morning. Mind you, my school was a dead zone as far as internet goes, but the media godz were shinning down on me that week. I chased the signal every single day.

For the next 6 days, it was all I thought about, all I watched, all I wanted to talk about! I watched 92 episodes, roughly 70 hours of content in 6 days. Though my mother has seen it many times (as it is also her favorite series with her favorite actor(s) in it) I retold her the stories (nearly every episode, or several at a time) as I watched them. She was the first person to see me “live react” to a show in text or otherwise. She enjoyed it because she hasn’t had anyone to talk to about the show in what is now nearly 5 years and she liked hearing my takes on things. 

I stopped talking to friends, I stopped eating (not really so extreme, but I mean...), and on the last 3 nights I hardly slept. I watched it absolutely everywhere! That Friday I skipped school. I reasoned I wasn’t doing work anyway and it wasn’t going to hold me back. If my memory serves me correctly, I watched the finale of S3 through S4 and maybe a little more on either side (but for certain these 14 episodes, technically my favorite in the series) in one straight sitting. In truth, nothing was going to be able to hold me back from this show. I was hard pressed to leave my room, much less my house which made work Saturday difficult. I told my coworkers I was watching it as I jumped up and down waiting to go home (business was slow you see) and I actually left early. I have a bad habit of watching things while driving (don’t do it kids! Listen to your mother!) and actually watched an episode on the way home. 

I ended up pulling an all-nighter on Saturday trying to finish it as I had more plans Sunday. Well, it didn’t work. I fell asleep around 4 am with 4 or 5 episodes to go. I watched a few episodes to and from where I was going in the car, but on Sunday night May 20th, 2018, I watched the final two episodes of the series back to back and a weight had been lifted off my shoulders (it also left a hole in my heart, quite literally). I was no longer susceptible to spoilers and I knew the “secret”. What’s more, I completely, 100% agreed with the creator’s decision as to how and when he ended the show. 

SOA was the first show that ever captivated my attention in such a way. I was never bored, not for a minute. I wouldn’t call many of the episodes fillers even now that I’ve watched each a couple of times (too many to count, for research purposes, I assure you.) And it is one of the most consistent as far as new ideas and character development/design I have ever seen. What's more is I absolutely adore the main cast and characters alike. It honestly took over my life and has changed it for the better. So much so, that it was still all I thought about for several weeks after I finished it. To the point where I had to watch it again top to bottom, though it took me about 2 weeks while sleeping that time. I’ve never watched a show like that, before or since, no matter how much I like a series.

Alas, life goes on, there were more shows to watch, and for the next month or so I turned to watching Shameless (another story entirely) and, though I didn’t want to, I stopped thinking about SOA for a time. That was, until I started thinking about moving to college. My mother had an SOA poster that use to be in her office that she gave to me to put in my apartment. I wake up every morning to see it hanging over my bed and I am reminded that I should be writing TROD. I went down to my college apartment about a week before term started. It was the first time I was technically on my own, though I have roommates, and you will never guess what I did during that week. Go ahead, guess. I did 2 things, actually.

I rewatched SOA, though this time I stopped on series 5 (and if you’ve seen it you may know why) and I “broke down” and created a Writeblr. I’ve always loved to write and actually was in the process of shelving what was originally meant to be my first novel length WIP (on the grounds that it did not have a plot to hold the characters together) that now hasn’t been updated in 6+ months. During this third rewatch an idea came to me. “What would it be like to be in this world?” More specifically, “What would it be like to be a woman in this world”?

This was apparently the right question to ask. The rest is history, swirling into a big black and crow feathered blur. I spent a few months creating Schuyler. I slowly stopped talking about the shelved WIP online and started answering questions for her instead. I figured if I was going to shelve 1 project I had better have another to replace it with, and so TROD was born! I nearly immediately had a character personality and a title when I started. The name Schuyler and her family lineage to link her to the canon story took more time. But while I was thinking of all the technical stuff I was also imagining all the fun scenes that would take place in this imaginary novel I was picturing.

I spent so much time thinking about it, specifically the first chapter which you have seen is now available to read on this blog, that the first time I sat down to write I wrote out 5,000 words flat. Many remained in what is currently “the final draft”. This had never happened to me before and I was inspired! I have been working on it ever since. As far as physically writing for it I have only been writing TROD for about 4 months. But in actuality, TROD has been a project a long time in the making. Nearly 9 months of thought and devotion to a Fandom nearly gone, but I’m here now to carry the torch!

9 months in and I have 6 moodboards, a chapter, and far too many tag games/posts to count. I have roughly 30k words written (continuously, obsessively tweaking the first 3 chapters) and another 2k or so of notes (outlines, dialogue lines, and ideas for scenes). This is actually the first story where I’m consulting a sort of outline (my own that I’m always adding to, but also the canon story) and it’s been my best writing experience to date!

This project is going to be long. Longer than anything I’ve ever dreamed of taking on before. I still have much to explore, plot kinks to work through, and many months, if not years, of work to go. But w/o SOA I would have never become so involved in media (as now I want to make it my career), met some of my favorite actors, created my Writeblr or been inspired to continue writing, and I certainly never would have entered into this inclusive community or met so many awesome writers!

*Whew. That was a lot. But SOA and my WIP TROD means a lot to me as you can see. Thanks so much for the ask. Feel free to stop by anytime! 

I’m also going to tag @themildestofwriters as I know you may be thinking about diving into this series yourself and I want to both warn you and wish you well if you choose to do so!

And @aspire2bu, as I believe I saw you post recently about how you first got into K-pop in the first place and I found it interesting. Hopefully you’ll find this interesting too!

[welldresseddadblog]

Welcome to the 13th instalment of the “Garmsman Dozen” question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous. Did you miss earlier ones? There are links at the end of the page.

This week we welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Christopher Laverty from Great Britain!

Who are you, where do you live and what interests you?

Christopher Laverty. York, UK. 40 years old.

Author of book Fashion in Film, broadcaster, creator of website Clothes on Film and costume consultant.

Twitter: @clothesonfilm, Instagram: @lordlaverty, @christopherlaverty, Facebook: @clothesonfilm.

I enjoy movies, decent TV, clothes, clothes in movies, clothes in decent TV, bourbon, pipe smoking, cigars (preferably Cuban), cocktail making, cycling, running and twirling my moustache.

Thinking back to your childhood, what were your most memorable or favourite clothes?

Honestly, I don’t remember much of my childhood. Controversially I don’t many of us really do, we just piece together memories from what we’re told and photographs. With that in mind, I’ll go to my late teenage years when I first remember becoming interested in clothes. It was the mid-late 1990s so a lot of pale, shapeless denim jeans worn way too long with thick, oversized shirts and suede Kickers. This is probably why I gravitated toward the vintage scene which at this time was big on 1970s retro revival. My favourite buy was a tan leather trench coat, probably from the late 1970s, made in Egypt with a Selfridges label. It was immaculate. I purchased for £25 from Covent Garden market and still have it today. I don’t wear the coat much as it’s a little on the nose these days and verging on dress up, but at least it still fits! I do come from a family interested in clothes, particularly my dad. I was born to older parents (they are in their late eighties now) and with an older brother (now 60) and sister (53). I was spoilt rotten. Apparently, I even had a tailored coat, which to a working-class family is quite a fancy thing. My appreciation of clothes comes from understanding how they are made, their design, influences and appropriateness to the era. This is all born in me I think.

How would you describe your style today, and what are your influences?

It’s one of two things depending on my mood, time of year, facial hair and hairstyle: 1) denim and workwear, Edwardian influenced to 1930s OR 2) 1970s lounge with flared three-piece suits. I like to change things up because I get bored easily. It does have to be a specific look though – I have to feel that it ticks certain boxes, although saying that I do loathe the idea of sticking rigidly to eras or historical accuracy. My main influence for the 70’s is television programmes such as The Persuaders! and The Professionals and films such as Fear is the Key and Carlito’s Way. For workwear, it’s more print-based influences, like old photographs of miners and ranchers, but also films like The First Great Train Robbery and There Will Be Blood. I pull from wherever I like, really. Again, it’s not rigid; I’m not a re-enactor, I’m just someone who enjoys a period-specific feel to their dress.

How do you think others would describe your style and garments, do you get any reaction from friends and random strangers?

Totally, though a lot of that comes from random moustache admirers/hecklers. I don’t mind, so long as it’s polite. People will always point out what is different and, if I’m honest, I get a kick out of it. I think my friends just list random people they consider could be associated with my look – I’ve had everything from Shaft to a Spitfire pilot. It’s all good fun unless you choose to be offended (which I don’t because life is far too short to be cross and moaning all the time).

When looking for clothes, what factors play into your selections?

Need, mainly. I don’t really seek out any clothing unless I’m specifically short on something, like a henley t-shirt or new pair of boots. Most clothes come to me, in that I might stumble across a charity shop find or somebody acquires a shirt or whatever they think I’d like. I don’t really pay full price for anything. For example, I bought some suede chukka boots by Alfred Sargent last year, but only because they were offered to me by a friend who’d found them (in immaculate condition I might add) in a charity shop. I certainly didn’t need the boots but I’ll not turn my nose up at a bargain. I love clothes, though my wardrobe is actually quite capsule. I think there’s nothing worse than just buying willy-nilly and ending up with so much gear you can hardly store it all. This actually diminishes sartorial creativity in my view.

When putting together an outfit combination, do you spend a lot of time considering it?

Not really. I think I know what works and just go with that. I’ll plan more if it’s an occasion outfit but for every day I just grab what I like depending on the weather. Putting together an ensemble can be fun, but I do think if you take too long it becomes fussy and convoluted. If in doubt, take it out.

Most garmsmen will have a few “grail items” in their collection. Not to out you, but if your house is burning, which garments do you grab?

Probably my RM Williams boots. They are Craftsman Yearling, the finest boot RM Williams make in my opinion and they work with almost any outfit. I purchased on eBay nearly a decade ago for about £100. The leather is cracking a tad now but I couldn’t be without them. That said, I wouldn’t burn alive for them either so this better be a fairly mild fire we’re talking about here.

Photo by Ben Bentley

Are you budget-conscious or spendthrift? Are you a single-shot shopper, or go large and buy bulk? Where are you on slow-fashion and buying less?

I’m not spendthrift, even less so if I’m buying for others. If something fits and looks great and I can afford it and need it, I’ll buy it. I do like things that are in a sale or reduced though – it just feels more fun to make that purchase. In this respect, I wish I could support more artisan brands but they are just too rich for my blood. The sad thing is I know that the guys running these places and making these clothes and footwear are just getting by as is. If I was rich I’d probably shop with an eye toward supporting homegrown brands, but as things stand whoever can give me what I want for the best possible price is going to get my money.

Having a large collection of clothes can lead to changing outfit on a daily basis, but if you were going to wear a single outfit the next two weeks, what would it be?

My go to is probably a green ribbed cotton henley (from H&M), Marlboro leather and canvas braces (charity shop), Levi LVC 1878 jeans (eBay) and my RM Williams boots. This outfit suits just about every occasion, unless you want me attending your wedding or something. It’s comfortable to travel, work, socialise and chill in. Simple but effective in my opinion.

What would you never wear?

That’s a tough one. Basically, anything that looks awful on me, so very baggy trousers or jeans (I’m a short-ass), super-tight muscle tees (they are hilarious even if you have the body) and chunky hi-top trainers (love them on other people but I look like a failed hip-hop artist). Oh and baseball caps. Every time I put one on I look like I’m dying of some disease.

Photo by David Wade

What are your best tips for buying?

If you’re talking specifically about buying for my look, either workwear or 70’s inspired, then I’d say eBay, charity shops and vintage fairs. Got to be patient though and realise that, in the main, if you’ve found a bargain, someone else has too. People know their stuff a lot more these days so everyone has their eye out. For basics, I find H&M hard to beat. It’s not the highest quality and sometimes their stores are saturated with desperately on-trend crap, but in general, for easy tees and shirts, they are a goldmine (plus have lots of year-round sales).

Do you have a dream garment you’d love to own?

A few years ago I would have said a Savile Row suit but I think I desired one for the wrong reasons. It was a case of wanting to say I’ve had a suit cut on Savile Row rather than wanting the garment itself. I must admit I have always hankered after a beautifully tailored flared leg suit from the 1970s. I have a couple of off-the-peg examples but I’d love one bespoke. Suits of this era with that distinctive cut, the high waist, flared leg, high double vents and pagoda shoulder are not impossibly hard to find, though ones made from high-quality wool suiting are. Also, I’m a sucker for LVC Levi. I’d buy most of it just to hang on my wall and salivate over.

Anyone that buys clothes will have made mistakes, what is your most memorable bad buy?

Loads! When I used to buy more and think later I grabbed many a mistake. Possibly my worst was a pair of loose Abercrombie & Fitch jeans, from eBay if I remember correctly. Not sure what look I was going for. LA surfer, possibly? Or maybe just asshole. Either way, unsurprisingly, they didn’t work.

Do you have any style icons, historic or current?

Most of the looks I covet are from films so were put together by costume designers rather than the stars in question. Then again, stars and icons had stylists back in the day and they have stylists now. Cary Grant always nailed it. James Coburn could rock the Ivy. Nowadays Sebastian Stan constantly looks interesting without going too bananas (he has a brilliant stylist and an easy to dress bod too, mind). My elderly dad has a wonderfully open love of bright colour, which I admire and is daring for a former market trader from the East End of London. ‘Be more like him’ I often think.

Who are your favourite Instagram profiles?

What you mean apart from @Welldresseddad??? 😉 I like all the sartorial based accounts I follow. Two, in particular, indulge my passion for high-end workwear denim that I can’t afford: @kingchung501 and @vorstenbos. Anyone who doesn’t take it all too seriously, basically.

How do you think trends such as denim and heritage style will evolve and survive? What will be the next big thing?

I think more and more people will get into making their own clothes. We are not there yet, and I certainly don’t presently have the skills, but big picture I feel this will get easier and easier to do in our own home. Sustainability is a big trend and not going anywhere – and really it can’t afford to. Denim especially will go down this route. Like I said we are a way off, but with current textile innovations and online communities, it is coming.

Thank you!

Thank you for your Garmsman Chris!

Photo by David Wade

Did you miss the first Garmsman Dozens?

Jon from Great Britain

Shaun from Scotland

Klaus from Germany

Roland from Italy

Daniel from Sweden

Enoch from the USA

Even from Norway

Kris from Belgium

Michael from Great Britain

Liam from Great Britain

Lee from Great Britain

Iain from Great Britain

Michael from Italy

PS: If you have suggestions for participants, let me know. Or have your mother suggest you, if you’re a bit keen to suggest yourself. My email is WellDressedDad (@) gmail.com

  The Garmsman Dozen #14: Chris from Great Britain Welcome to the 13th instalment of the "Garmsman Dozen" question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous.

[project-runway-rankings]

Season 1 Episode 11- The First Finale

This season was a standard bearer for finale collections to come.  All three showed a distinct point of view and what designers could do with reasonable amounts of time and money.  Not every collection was perfect but they all did have their redeeming qualities and pieces.

Side note: I will go to my grave defending Wendy regarding the Wendy Pepper situation.

Onto the collections

3. Wendy

This collection was the epitome of Wendy Pepper.  There were many things both wrong with and, but also many things quite beautiful and refined.  As a designer she never really found herself on the show, vacillating between her aesthetic and what she thought the judges wanted to see from her.  She was truly a designer who designed for the American woman who didn’t need crazy silhouettes or outrageous fabrics to feel bold an beautiful.  Rewatching this finale show, I liked it much better than I did the first time, though it is still not without it’s faults.  Could I be looking at it with rose colored glasses?  Possibly, but that’s the beauty of nostalgia.

Like I said, she designs for the everyday American woman.  That coat, though puckered, is the definition of luxe and the color pallet is extremely rich in it’s tones.

That jacket is everything and I really wish I owned it.  The sheen is a great contrast to the matte finish of every other piece in her first two looks.  The shirt and pants, though well made, are fairly basic.

There is no reason for this to be at NYFW.  There is interest in the color and texture but the actual design is a 50′s throwback with no innovation.

Part of the problem is that the model looks like a strung out heroin addict, and part of the problem is the actual design.  The skirt is a nothing piece and the top is a chewed up mess.  This also has no relation to her first 3 looks.

It was smart of her to add a suit to her collection, but this suit was a bad decision.  It’s pretty basic in its cut and finishing and the fabric is turning me off big time.

Now we enter the gown portion of Wendy’s show which has no relation to the first half.  The problem was her show was too disjointed for a 10 look showing.

This dress from the back is cute and I like the fabric play, but the front is sloppy.  I don’t get her obsession with rouching down the sternum.

Benjamin would get eliminated in season 11 for creating this same look out of the same fabric FOR A 70 YEAR OLD WOMAN

The abrupt change is fabric is a bit jarring, especially because it is literally an inch below her waist.  This color though...she needed to run with it, it was in the best pieces in her collection.

Wendy’s finale piece was stunning, and is my favorite thing Wendy made on the show.  The corset is interesting as it a new take on the corset and the proportion of the skirt is perfect.  And I can still tell this this a Wendy’s look as it mixes sportswear fabrications with elegant designs.

2. Kara Saun

It seemed like Kara had this thing in the bag considering her astounding success with the judges on the show, winning four challenges and never being in true trouble with the judges.  Her shoes were clearly in breach of the contract and if I were Tim Gunn and the producers I would have made her nix them the day of the show.  The actually clothes in her collection were very good, and would have probably won if she created one cohesive collection.  She created two collections, one of 40s menswear and one of gorgeous evening gowns.  They just didn’t mesh.

Unfortunately it looks more like a costume than a fashion show.  Get rid of the hat and pair that jacket with a pairof brown cigarette pants and that jacket would sing.  I love the colors.

This dress is gorgeous and has absolutely no relation her first look outside of color.  I can see them in the same collection if we has some transition in between.

Why were this look and her opening look separated by a gown?  This is much less costume and shows serious detail work. Just get rid of the hat again.  I could see many women wearing a version of this as a jacket.

Back to gowns.  This is less successful than her first gown,  The cut of the top makes her hips look big and it doesn’t look fitted properly.  The bow adds enough drama to make it suffice-able.

This is the best of her 40′s pilot inspired looks.  The jacket is divine as is the top underneath.  I love the metallic green of the pussy bow and sleeves.  That cropped pant length surprisingly works on her this look.

Had she used a piece like this to transition from her pilot looks to gowns I would have liked the show as a while much better.  The belt is a bit much but I love that she was able to show so much skin up top yet still create a classy cocktail dress.

The length of the hem bothers me, but other than that this is a solid entry.  It just doesn’t wow me.

When Kara gets it right she really gets it right.  This was my favorite looks of her collection and I would fight for that jacket.  The fur placement at the elbows should never work, but she made it work.

It’s the same top she has made at least twice before in this collection, and shirt doesn’t add anything new.  The fur on top is bulky.

It is gorgeous and red carpet ready, but it doesn’t wow me.  They were referencing Gucci with this look all episode and I couldn’t agree more.  It is still a wonderful finale piece.

1. Jay

I am a sucker for three things: A bold runway, saturated colors, and cozy winter wear, all of which Jay possessed.  This show was not without it’s faults but overall it is one of the best in PR history.  He was able to make 10 distinct winter wear looks without it ever getting repetitive and even incorporated a gown.  And the idea to use the headphones was genius as it gave his entire collection a cool girl vibe.  Loved it.

My least favorite piece of his collection.  I don’t like the color of the wrap and the skirt to legging proportion is off.  The design of the wrap is cool, I just wish this was in a bright yellow instead of gold.

I have a love hate relationship with this look.  I love the colors, the top and the leather belt, but I hate the skirt.  2004 was an interesting time. This look also seems odd in the context of the super saturated artificial colors of the rest of the collection.

Full transparency: I HATE pins. Don’t ask my why I don’t know, it’s just a taste thing for me. That being said everything else about this look is killer.  The fest is cool and hits his model in all of the right places.  The pant’s are cool and slouchy and go well with the relative sleekness of the top underneath.

A few times in Jay’s collection you get a breath of fresh air and this is one of them.  It is such a soft and whimsical look, yet I could see a hip New York woman rocking it.  And the fabric manipulation of the skirt is 100% Jay.

It’s no secret that Jay knocked it out of the park with his blue section.  This probably my favorite look of the entire finale and set a standard for future seasons.  It oozes luxury.

That print is killer and goes great with the rest of his collection.  It is for a younger audience than the rest of his collection for sure but you need that.  My only issue is the massive cuff on the jeans, it makes her look short.

One of the more successful hoodie looks on Project Runway.  I wish this was in a bright saturated color to make it a little more special, and those leg muffs are a no no.

I love the use of this color to break up the dark blues and maroons, but the top is just too busy.  I think he was going for an airier look, but it just looks a bit tortured.

Give me that coat.  Jay won ebcause he showed an extremely clear point of view as a designer: new American Sportswear with traditional high end techniques.  The way he quilted the leather and wool(?) together made for a truly special piece.

I honestly can not find a flaw with this look, and I would consider it a near perfect dress on today’s project runway.  The way he integrated a red carpet gown so seamlessly into a winter collection without throwing a coat on it was amazing.  Only a few other designers (Sean and Ayana off the top of my head) have had such a striking closing piece. 

[jeou]

How do you feel about D&G in general, as whole, if we exclude this Dior issue?

bear with me while i try to sort out this reply, they’ve done SO much that i can’t even keep up anymore LMAO.

i’ve tried time and time again to kind of acknowledge the mistakes of dolce & gabbana, and to hope that they change, because change is important for such a society to move forward as a means of a socio-political driven industry. as someone who works in fashion i try to be as conscious, open minded and very defensive what goes on in the industry.

but i think alone, dolce & gabbana done way too much. i know a while back, i praised them for their slow but relatively steady growth and impact in the industry but unfortunately there are too many cons to balance out the pros, and it’ll never take away from the fact that stefano and domenico have repeatedly put themselves on the back burner because they don’t filter their words and ideas as men in fashion.

stefano being so threatened by dior’s female creative director, maria for doing what she does best (solely, as a woman at dior, for the first time in 70 years, yes!) by calling her latest couture collection unappealing and ‘wrong’. i get it, maybe it doesn’t sit well with everyone but it’s 2017 it’s time to literally let women just fucking BREATHE and do what they want for a moment.

most notably mocking the protests of trump’s presidency by mocking the seriousness on the issue on social media and capitalising on the actual issue (by trying to sell d&g shows with the print #BOYCOTT D&G) + this goes in hand with the recent d&g  menswear show where one model, raury, outright protested at the finale of the show. (read about it here)

being so single minded that they don’t understand the means of IVF (read about it here). if elton john speaks up about it, you listen.

(TW/Trigger warning on: assault/rape) Whether it’s actually clear to everyone or not, there’s a massive issue of female sexualisation in the industry - barely empowering, but rather submissive and degrading. the campaign was from 2007 ( and trust I was barely out of school then) but it was brought back to light followin the IVF issue. lots of men and one (1) woman in the difference stances of power relations IN FASHION? Wow. (read here)

advocating for the already unhealthy lifestyles for CHILDREN through the production of footwear that embraces being ‘thin’. (shoes with the text here). the industry is already under so much pressure with the degradation of models as props and not human beings, and this is under the guise of glamour, and it goes on to affect majority of society who feel as if they need to fit a certain look to be perceived as beauty. again, stefano here proves that he has no regards for  people through the use of social media. a man, working in fashion, making clothes for women, to understand and embrace the body and esteem of women.

“the slave sandal” 

blackmoor ‘accessories’ of printed pieces and jewellery adorned on an ALL-WHITE modelling cast (here)

the three casted chinese models that came down the runway for spring 2016 as an “ode to the ASIAN tourists (ASIAN, they said, not chinese) that come to visit sicily. in very distinctively stereotypical and outdated “chinese inspired” looks in what i presume (correct me if i’m wrong) in the style of a cheongsam + d&g have repeatedly casted ‘token models’ amidst a bunch of white models

this is pretty recent, and yes i did praise them at one point (when you’re so desperate for the industry to be forward moving, how can you now latch onto anything that’s positive?) the collection/s where they, thank god, paid tribute to asian clients in respective cities, with respective shows, with proper castings and even collecting. no appropriation, no jokes, no racism. it was all well and dandy to have shows in china and japan respectively. but then they had to go and have a campaign (d&g loves china) to market to their rich clients without properly acknowledging the surroundings of their campaign. basically eluding that ‘you can live it up as as westerner because that’s where it’s all that! (it’s hard to condense but you can read it here.)

the whole melania trump thing, you can look it up yourself i literally did not think it was important enough to elaborate but as you can see i’ve listed it here so clearly just filtering evidence for you. 

overall all i can say is i’m disappointed but not surprised at all. honestly d&g have sunken so far to the point where they’ve been repeating the same seasonal looks and designs (i get you, you love sicily) year in and out. and now they’re going as far as casting social media stars who do not hold any worth to be walking down the runway that MODELS earn the right to be walking. anyway……… i hope this was elaborate enough of an answer as to why 

[flobracey]

A retired (then male) scientist / spy

an conversation I had with a friend who had made friends with an old lady recently. When she got to know her better she realised that this old lady used to be a spy 

L: Kate fell over when me and my dad were passing on the way to dinner and we saw her so we like helped her home and thats how we met her. She was just like talking to us, I think because she doesn’t have many people to talk to, so like when she has the opportunity to talk to someone she talks for a long time. She probably has a lot to say. 

So we like got to her door and we were talking for ages, and she was saying really interesting things about her house and like a bit about her past, and thats what interested me because it was very arts based. She was saying oh ah I painted that painting myself or I made that window. It was like really cool. So thats why I went back to go and visit her again 

I: so did you like ask her then If you could meet her again? 

L: well I didn’t ask her then, I just knocked on her door another day and asked her then if I could come in and chat to her. 

What was quite dangerous for her about when I knocked on the door for the second time is that she invited me straight in for a cup of tea.. but she couldn’t even remember who I was.

I: ohhh

L: then I explained myself, but if I was a dangerous person she would’ve been putting herself in a vulnerable position by being so open and just letting anyone who knocked on her door into her house. 

I: yeh cos she was like do you wanna come in but like hey do I know you at the same time 

L: haha yeh, which was nice of her but… 

Our relationship is a bit weird now, because… did I tell u about this when it happened? 

I: I think you did, is this the same lady that offered you all her clothes? 

L: yeh yeh it is, and I need to go and say thank you for that to her honest but I just haven’t had time not gonna lie, I need to go and see her again which I feel a little guilty about 

But yeh so I went round for the first time with her and I stayed for hours and hours and hours and her house was like beautiful it was like straight out the 1950s because thats when she’s lived there since, and it was really nice. And she told me her whole life story pretty much, because she lived through WWII, and she is trans from male to female. 

I: How long ago did she transition? 

L: in the 70s 

Which is a very scary time to do it! So she has been a woman since the 70s, but before then she was a ‘male’ scientist. She told me that she was married to a woman but they divorced when she transitioned. She had two kids.

I: Do you know much about her children? 

L: One of her kids lives around the corner but the other one she hasn’t seen since her daughter was 18. She just walked out the house one day and never came back 

I: Oh no really 

L: I know its so sad isn’t it

Its weird being interviewed I feel like im being so formal 

I: ahahah 

L: hahahah

OK do you want to know anything else about Kate? 

I: yes, how come your relationship is weird now? L: OH yes of course, so I went round a second time to see her again, and I completely understand this and understand where she was coming from, but then it just freaked me out. She was basically like how do I know that you’re not coming round to my house to steal from me. She said to me: you’re stealing from me. You’re using me, you’re just being friends with me so that when I die you can have all my money. How do I know that when you look upstairs around the house (because I looked around her house because I like interior design and I was like wow this is so great) so she said how do I know that you’re not doing that and like taking jewellery off of my night stand. So shed basically spoken to her partner who lives in Russia thats like 20 years younger then her. And when she was last on facetime to her partner she told her all about me and her partner said who the hell is this person why have you let her into your house. So that freaked her out but then she basically was saying to me you’re actually doing all of this. So I just stood there like being like I’m honestly not, 

I: but then you also kinda got it, you were like ok I can see how you think that, especially how her partner thought that because she’s never met you and doesn’t know how friendly and harmless u seem you know aha 

L: yeah ! But then I was like im honestly not, and she said well someone who is doing that would say that. So I was like well theres nothing I can do in this situation. For the next few hours I tried my best because it made me feel really uncomfortable, because I know it sounds really stupid, but like I felt that threat then in her presence. She also made strange comments about things, like she told me a story about spies, because she has a history with spies and was a spy for a bit. Um but she basically said that at cocktail parties spies never talked about themselves and she was basically directing the story at me, saying that I was a SPY! 

I: oh! Oh yeh I remember you telling me this, and she was like oh um like and she was like like that like that she was making

L: ahahahaha

I: that she was making it out as if you were doing the spy stuff

L: exactly yeh, and I wasnt. And basically so the first time I went to see her she mentioned that she had loads of clothes and she wanted to chuck them out so I was like (just to change the subject off of spies) I was like you said you had loads of clothes, may I have a look through some of them? Because I do fashion im really interested in especially old clothes. So she brought a big bag of clothes in and said you can take what you want because ill only take them down to the dump anyway. So I was like no its fine its fine and she just said take it, so I took a few pieces out then she just said actually just take the whole bag and give them to your friends. When I left she said to me I’m so glad you’re not a spy. 

I: Awh so 

L: by the end of the interaction I guess she had more confidence in me 

I: but that was probably weird because she immediately really trusted you then all of a sudden it was completely taken away 

L: and it also took away the trust with me, you know because of the whole ***** thing, I was just thinking you don’t really know people sometimes, even when you live with them. Also, on the other side I am going to this ladies house who I don’t know, and that then scared me because I thought I don’t know what she will do to me. Like its so pathetic, because she was saying all of these things whilst making me a cup of coffee and I just thought - is she putting poison in this coffee? I know thats such a stupid thing to think, but because of the situation that passed my mind and then I just did not want to drink my drink. Then she kept on being like Oh do you not like the coffee? And I kept on being like 

I: ahah oh like thats what someone who did poison your drink would say aha ha

L: yeah exactly 

I: and her being a past spy and all

L: ahahahah 

So I was in my own head like fuck is she trying to kill me ! But… yeah I dunno 

So its kinda like when I first left her house I felt really inspired, and it was the loveliest interaction ever, and the second time was like the worst. 

I: because you left and u were a bit freaked 

L: so now I’m a bit freaked to go back but I need to go back because ive got her trolly. 

I: haahah ohh that trolly thats in our flat 

L: well yeah its just the little one, and it was right in the back of her cupboard so I knew she wouldn’t use it often because she’s not that mobile so I think thats fine. But I do need to return it at some point but I just know that if I knock on the door ill be invited into the house for 5 hours. And I also feel really awkward about it because I don’t, well I made it clear to her that I was doing a project on her because I was at the time, but I think she forgot that by the second interaction. So the things that she was relaying to her partner, she was like to me: you gave me a fake address! And I was like no I didn’t give you a fake address but she just didn’t recognise the layout for halls adresses and she thought it was fake because theres no road name and it says C3F at the start of it which doesn’t seem like a house number. And I was like I didn’t give you a fake address, I didnt…. 

So its all just a bit … Ah ! 

*lights in the room we were in turned out*

I: ahahahahah

Just move a bit its automatic lighting 

L: aahhhhhhahah 

I: wait the sensors only in that corner I think 

L: that must happen all the time 

I: oh yeh it happens all the time.. oh yeah there we go 

L: so thats the story with Kate, and I saw her in Kingston town the other day but I ran away because I got scared. I should’ve gone up to her and said hey how you doing, 

I: has she lived in Kingston this whole time? 

L: yes same house since the 50s

She’s such an interesting person, so its such a shame 

I: and I mean I can imagine my gran being like that in a way, because she is very trusting too and assumes the best in people before she will doubt anything, but all of a sudden getting so scared is understandable 

L: I completely understand why she got scared, because if I looked back at the situation, it could be taken in that way.

I: I mean because she probably also made the assumption you are innocent because you have a prejudice of thinking that you mean any harm in the world. 

L: when she talked to me she knew that I was a nice person but her partner doesn’t know me, so her partner could’ve assumed that I was a bad person and kept on reinforcing that idea to her. But she only realised that I was a nice person after spending that time with me again. And eventually she realised that I was not there for any exterior motives and I just wanted to see her and listen to her stories. 

I’m really scared of getting old at the moment because seeing Kate although it was nice, it always really terrified me of getting old. Because she is really immobile, and the fact that she has no one to talk to. Ive never been scared of dying or whatever, but it scared me a bit 

I: most old people have no one to talk to unfortunately

[legendary]

Constructing a Dystopian World

A Conversation with The Thinning Director Michael Gallagher

A Conversation with The Thinning Director Michael Gallagher

The Thinning is a new YouTube Red Original Movie from Legendary Digital Studios starring Logan Paul, Peyton List, Lia Marie Johnson, Calum Worthy and Ryan Newman. Set in a future where population control is dictated by a high school aptitude test, two students must take down the system before it takes them first. We had the chance to sit down with Michael Gallagher, director of The Thinning, to talk about how he went about creating an original dystopian world from the ground up, what it was like working with Logan Paul, and what real world elements inspired the film’s design. See what he had to say below.

Q: Legendary has a history of putting an emphasis on “world building” and The Thinning very much follows that trend. Talk about what it was like creating an entirely original dystopian world from the ground up for this. Did you pull inspiration from any other dystopian/sci-fi/young adult geared stories or worlds to help you create this one?

MG: The movie is set in a sort of not-too-distant future / bizarro version of America— an authoritarian government runs all schools like prisons. The failed students are sentenced to death and passing students are thrown lavish parties. Designing the high security school was key. We have a fictional task force called the Department of Population Control— DPC for short. Showing a high school run by militarized guards forcing students into a scary TSA-style search really helped warn the audience that this is a new America. I was heavily inspired by paranoid thrillers of the 60’s and 70’s like The Parallax View and 3 Days on the Condor. I love movies following an innocent thrown into a conspiracy plot and having to prove that nothing is as it seems or they will lose their life in the process. I am also a huge fan of the social satires of John Carpenter, who is such a master at exploring current issues in a sci-fi setting and making them edge-of-your-seat, entertaining thrill-rides.

Q: The Thinning feels timely and relevant in so many ways, even aside from any political themes. The film feels like it resonates with young people and their anxiety about school and getting into college and test-taking in particular, especially as there’s more and more focus put on learning differences and test-taking abilities. What was it like satirizing this in a way that hadn’t been done before?

MG: School always felt like it had life-or-death stakes to me. Kids are trained from literally pre-school, that they have to do well on tests, get good grades, and get accepted into the best college or your life will be a complete failure. And most of the emphasis is put on the weekly/monthly results as opposed to actually learning and retaining information. And the fact that colleges are becoming so expensive that students are taking out massive loans that they are stuck paying long after school is over. So really students are becoming imprisoned in debt by following the system. I don’t want to discourage teens from going to college, but I do think it’s important to not just follow what everyone else is doing and find your own path.

Q: Talk a little bit about finding and shooting in the high school location – that was a real school right? It looks so futuristic and cold in a way that feels like it should have been made up just for this film.

MG: We found this real, public high school called Diamond Ranch out in Pomona, California designed by Thom Mayne. I never thought we’d find a school that already looks like a high tech prison. All we had to do was add motorized metal shutters to create the lockdown effect, a few metal detectors, guards, and we were good to go! 

Q: The officers in the film definitely have some twisted Stormtrooper vibes to them and go a long way in creating the tension of the world. What was the process in designing their look?

MG: I was heavily influenced by riot police imagery, particularly in other countries like the Taiwan— we used the same ballistic face masks that they use. I think using real items in a new way can be an efficient means to stay grounded and keep costs down while building a new universe. I love the tactical feel of Sicario and how brutal the police imagery felt. But I realized that the feeling of a tough and punishing task force was achieved by just watching these soldiers waiting for something to happen. This led me to take time early on in the film and show the DPC Guards watching the students, waiting for someone to get out of line. The threat of violence is often more terrifying than showing acts of violence.

Q: : It’s not easy to make a scene of kids taking a test particularly exciting, but the film succeeds in making those sequences perhaps the most tense of any in the film. How do you go about constructing that tension in the cinematography, visual and sound design, and editing?

MG: I was so lucky to be surrounded by an incredibly talented team. Our Composer, Brandon Campbell, did a phenomenal job scoring this movie. His music creates so much heart-pounding tension. Our camera team— Greg Cotten, Director of Photography, and Arjun Prakash, Gaffer, really nailed the lighting and atmosphere of the testing sequences— we wanted an eerie blue-green glow from the tablets as the main source of light on the students faces to give them a sickly look as they nervously punch in answers. But the biggest props go to Brian Ufberg, Editor, who really built an amazing pace for the testing sequences. It was their combination of talents that made those scenes so cinematic and tense.

Q: Logan Paul is obviously a big talent but this was one of his first ventures into dramatic acting. What was that like working with him to bring Blake to life?

MG: Logan Paul is an enormous talent. He came into audition for the movie, as this role was worlds different from the type of persona he normally portrays online, and he just nailed it. I was honestly amazed at how controlled and dedicated he was to creating this character from the ground up. When he walked out of the audition room, we all knew Logan was our Blake Redding. And throughout rehearsals and production, Logan was so focused and incredibly fun to work with. He has an infectious energy and kindness that rubs off on everyone. I really can’t wait to work with him again...

Q: The film feels oddly relevant with some aspects of our current political climate. When you were developing this, were there any real-world headlines you were pulling from as inspiration or is it mostly a coincidence that the film has turned out to be a sort of satire of our current political landscape?

MG: Our running joke is that The Thinning is a vision of “post Trump” America— and that if we do a sequel it will just be a documentary. The film was meant to feel more dystopian than I think it actually does because of the recent political promises of restoring “law & order” back to America. The only person who I hope doesn’t watch this movie is President Trump. I’m afraid it might give him some ideas…  

Q: The film hints at the larger world beyond Texas and the US in the creepy video before the little kids take their test. Can you tell us what life is like in any other countries with the way they handle the need to cull the population? Any possibility of exploring other parts of the world going forward?

MG: We originally expanded on the bigger population questions in our screenplay. Because the story is so centralized to America, we felt it might be confusing to have so few mentions of other regions. The idea is that every country can choose how they will meet their quota of eliminating 5% of their population annually. Some countries would have mandatory birth control, others would eliminate 5% of the elderly— you can see how it can quickly raise so many questions. If we were to continue the story, I hope to explain that the thinning is a controversial law that some US states are attempting to replace with other solutions— which explains the Governor’s charge to run a pro-thinning platform and make it a federal law.

Q: Talk a little bit about the film’s color palette and how it changes throughout the story. I noticed early on how gray the school was before all hell breaks loose and a lot of reds and blacks obviously work their way in once the breakout begins. How did you go about mapping that out?

MG: In the script, we had a clear idea of using the red light as a sort of mood setter— to show that this world we know is being disrupted and our heroes are in immediate danger. There is a major power shift at that moment in the script so it’s nice to visually convey this to the audience with a dramatic change in color palette. Our production designer, Alec Contestabile, was really terrific in helping determine the colors and moods of various locations— we landed on cool metallic blues for the school and dry yellows for the desert to really create that desolate sand-swept Texas vibe.

Q: Without spoiling anything, the film ends with a big surprise that still leaves many things open-ended. Can you give us any hints at what’s to come next?

MG: Honestly, I am just following the political news as closely as possible to get ideas. I feel like any continuation of The Thinning will have to be more comedic since real life is basically devolving into a long, sad, episode of VEEP. But in all seriousness, any sequel would follow our characters further down the rabbit hole and show how deep the corruption goes within the government. And we will definitely add more fuel to some of the love triangles because if there is anything I love more than crazy politicians, it’s love triangles.

The Thinning is currently streaming on YouTube Red and is NOW available to rent or purchase on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. Storyboard art by Amy Umezu

[nodaudaboutitt]

for the get to know the blogger thing: even numbers in the 130 range

OH Boy, this is gunna be a long one

2. What is your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned?

I have a shirt of a lady wearing a panda mask, it looks really nice and im actually wearing it right now ahaha, also really like my star wars X-Wing hoodie :D4. What does your perfect room look like?

Im not really sure tbh, although it would be nice if there was a little more space and better lighting than my room has. Would love to get some small plants and stuff and some owl related cushions or something6. What fictional place would you like to visit?

Would be interesting to visit Dunwall from Dishonored or one of the many planets in Star Wars, would love to go see a Podrace or something!8. When was the last time you climbed a tree?

2014, its the same time i fell out of a tree and broke my collarbone ahaha10. What is the most annoying habit that you or other people have?

I check my phone way too much which is kinda annoying to me, although my dad gets really annoyed that i bounce my legs ahaha12. What skill would you like to master?

It would be rad to master a language (Although im on my way to that) or maybe my skating or art14. If you had unlimited funds to build a house to live on for the rest of your life, what would the finished house look like?

Honestly i would probably just buy a cozy apartment and get a cat or something, ive never really thought about such before16. What state or country do you never want to go back to?Havent actually got anywhere i would never want to go back to yet 18. What game or movie universe would you like to live in?

As cool as the Metro games are, not that one ahaha. maybe the world of Star Trek or something :D20. Are you usually early or late?

Im usually quite early tbh 22. When people come to you for help, what do they usually need help with?

Not really sure tbh, i cant remember, although people occasionally ask me about assignments or such so there that24. What do you wish you knew more about?

Well cos im finding programming a tad tricky at uni, i would say that, but tbh i would love to know more about astrophysics or anything related to rocketry and piloting !26. What are some small things that make your day better?

A cup of tea in my favourite mug, someone complimenting how i look, my dog saying hi when i get home 28. What’s the best way to start the day?

By slamming my face into the pillow and going back to sleep ahaha, nah i think a relaxed morning with some tea and a nice breakfast or something

30. What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?

Would be cool to have a channel for all the space exploration stuff, lunno if it would be widely popular or not but i would love to see such 32. What age do you wish you could stay at permanently?

Im not really sure tbh 34. What’s your ideal way to spend a weekend?

My ideal weekend is to laze about at home and play videogames, bake some stuff or work on some art. I just feel really comfy at home so being able to relax at home all weekend sounds ideal to me36. What is your claim to fame?

Im not really sure if i have one?38. What’s your favorite book or movie genre?

I really dig science fiction, although with movies i also like the action genre :D40. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?42. What subject interests you that not many people have heard of?

I couldnt think of anything people havent really heard of but i really enjoy reading about early nasa, so stuff like the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs44. What’s the best book series or TV series you’ve ever read or watched?

I think at the moment, the best Tv series for me is Band of Brothers46. What’s the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

Those videos of people meeting family or friends in the airport that live really far away, everyone is so happy in those and its really nice :D48. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with no preparation?

I could probably give a presentation on ww2 or the moon missions, not 100% accurate or super detailed but yeah, well that or the Lore of various games and movies i like50. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Travel, just seeing somewhere new, the journey and exploration involved, its really cool :D52. What’s your dream car?absolutely no clue54. What is something a ton of people are obsessed with, but you just don’t get?

Game of Thrones, that new show on netflix56. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?When i lived in England i went to the transport museum and also the various imperial war museums, those were absolutely fantastic. Over here in straya though? probably the top of sydney harbour bridge, that was pretty gnarly58. What is the best thing that happened to you last week?

Well i just got my grade back for my programming assignment and i got 70% :D60. If all jobs had the same pay rate and hours, what job would you want to have?

Im not sure, although at the moment im studying game design at uni so i would probably go for that anyway ahaAlthough if there was an opportunity it would be cool to become an astronaut or ww2 historian62. How different was your life 1 year ago?

Well i couldnt ice skate, i wasnt doing a degree, i think i was in  somewhat crappier state than i am now. But things have been improving over the last few years :)64. What would you rate 10/10?

Ahh im not good at rating or ranking anything, i guess the new star wars? (Rogue one)66. What is the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen?

Im not really sure, i dont think ive been to see art in ages, although i really like the art my friend @echey does! its super awesome stuff!68. What do you hope never changes?

My ability to find good in a bad situation70. What movie title best describes your life?I cant even think of one tbh72. What’s the best way a person can spend their time?Just do what you enjoy i guess74. Where is the most relaxing place you’ve ever been?

Botanical gardens in adelaide are really nice, dont go there too often but theyre relaxing as heck76. Where would you rather be from?

As much as i talk shit about england, i dont think id want to be from anywhere else78. What do you look forward to in the next 6 months?New alien movie, end of first semester, turn 20 next month, Dunkirk movie, lots of cool stuff :D80. What one thing do you really want but can’t afford?Either a trip overseas or all those games that i have on my wishlist rn82. Where would you spend all your time if you could?Im not sure tbh, i guess anywhere i feel comfortable?84. What age do you want to live to?ahh thats a tough one, i guess in my 20′s? 86. What are you absolutely determined to do?

Get through my degree and get a job in my chosen field88. What do you wish you knew more about?theres so much i wish i knew more about ;-;90. What question can you ask to find out the most about a person??? iunno dude92. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?iunno? any compliment is nice to me :D94. Who inspires you to be better?nothing comes to mind but im sure theres someone :/96. What haven’t you grown out of?my favourite tshirt ahaha 98. What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well?no bloody clue but im sure it was absolutely stupid aha100. What’s something you will never do again?climb a tree and break my collarbone102. What keeps you up at night?my messed up sleep schedule mainly, although those weird night time depressed moods get ya too 104. What is the most illegal thing you’ve ever done?probably underage drinking106. What are you afraid people see when they look at you?a worthless shithead108. What do you look down on people for?being absolute wankers, although in my degree the thing i really look down on is those people that are like “How did you not get that? its easy!” or generally act like a know it all and give you shit over coding, like chill out lads and help each other110. What lie do you tell most often?im fine, im not tired, im used to it, ill be fine,  couldnt think of one so heres the top ones i can think off112. What is the best & worst thing about getting older?Can buy what you want, but worst thing is that the older you get, the more youre looked down on for being unemployed114. If you had a personal flag, what would be on it?probably a kickass dragon!!116. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

Don’t procrastinate/ set your deadline a day or two early and start early so if you do procrastinate, it would fuck you up as bad118. What are you famous for among your friends & family?I think with friends im mostly famous for random history (Mainly ww2) facts and at home im mostly known for my shitty humour i think ahaha120. What one responsibility do you wish you didn’t have?122. What do you want to tell your 10-year-old self?Don’t give a shit about what others might think, just do what makes you happy and be how you feel you should124. What’s the best thing about you?My terrible humour, my optimism 126. Have you ever saved someone’s life?Who knows?128. What would a mirror opposite of you look like?Like a reverse image of me? nah ahaha probably a massive asshole, but at the same time theyre probably putting them self first and their happiness so iunno130. Which of your scars has the best story behind it?Got a massive scar over my right collarbone, had to get surgery on it when i broke it and so now ive got a metal plate in my body aha

thank you for the ask!!

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Q&A with Martin Ontiveros (PDX)

The art wizardry of Portland based Martin Ontiveros has appeared in various galleries, albums, posters and has even been transformed into diabolical toys and figurines. Ontiveros’s graphic ink and brush style is meticulous and bold, transforming his horned and demonic creations into fun and bad-ass pop occultism. We’re excited to chat with this ink sorcerer in our latest Art School where we talk about technique, studio days, and what is coming up for him the rest of this year. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself?   Hello, I’m Martin Ontiveros, also known as Martinheadrocks, illustrator and wizard. “Marty” to my closest friends and family. I live in Portland Oregon, I’m left-handed/ambidexterous and I have a large ginger cat/familiar named Zeus. Nice to meet you.

How do you describe your art to folks who have never seen it before? Pop-occultism? Creature Chic? What you might find inside an ancient tomb or temple from a previously unknown civilization.

Who were some of your early artistic influences that really inspired you to draw? It started with Star Wars in 1977, and Mad Magazine, especially the work of Jack Davis. Childrens book art by Jim Flora. Books and movies about UFOs, cryptids, phenomena, ghosts and black magic when I was a kid. Later it was Heavy Metal Magazine and the underground artists of the 60s and 70s, S. Clay Wilson, Greg Irons, Spain, etc. 80’s punk and metal pioneer artists like Mad Mark Rude and Pushead. Derek Riggs and his Iron Maiden covers. 

Lots of rock album art. Fantasy/conceptual artists like Mike Ploog, Boris Vallejo, Frazetta, Richard Corben. That was all the stuff that built up the desire, but what really got me drawing were the indie comics of the 80s with people like Marc Hansen, Matt Wagner, the Pander Bros, David Boswell, Dori Seda, Mary Fleener. I really really wanted to make comics by the time I was 17-18. I’ve since discovered it’s not for me. Art of the Ancient World, Mesopotamian and Mesoamerican in particular. There’s more to this list, I’m an old man now and have seen a lot, but we don’t have all day.

What’s a day like in the studio for you? And take us through your artist process –from start to finish on a piece. I used to start work when it was already well into the evening and would go until after the dawn, but in the last couple years I’ve reversed that schedule. Now I usually get up around 4am. I still get the benefits of nocturnal studio time that way, at least until the sun is up—no one bothers me and it’s quiet. I’ve become a Daywalker—I have all of the vamipre’s strengths and none of the weaknesses.

 A typical day is trying to stay focused while fending off my own distractions (I’m ADD) and steering around having to leave the house for anything, ha. I always start with a bit of doodling to warm up a little, then jot down a thumbnail sketch of whatever’s on the agenda that day—usually very small and rough, just to set the composition and borders. 

Sometimes I’ll spend extra time fleshing out details on certain aspects of the drawing, say a helmet or insignia. Then I’ll figure out my dimensions and either draw to size or use my trusty proportion wheel to do it smaller if need be. Next is the hard pencil stage. I like using 2H or 3H lead which is rough on the paper but much less messy than a soft lead. I don’t work with a loose outline, I need a solid and tight map to work from and when I have it on lock, I’ll transfer it to my final surface. 

That method goes for both a black and white ink piece or a painting. I’ll warm the brush up by laying our some strokes on scrap paper and when I feel like I got a grip on it, off I go. If it’s a painting, I lay all the color and shading out first, then put down the linework. And even if my pencils were tight, there’s always room for improvisation, a tweak or two, especially when I’m inking—some happy accidents come up now and then. I should mention that I sometimes have to chuck a drawing and start the process all over again, even if it’s close to completion because if it isn’t working, screw it. It seems wasteful and time consuming and I could probably avoid it by going digital, but I choose to do it old school.

What’s your tool of the trade medium-wise? And is there a new medium you’re looking to try in 2018? I swear by my brush and ink. Nothing gives me more satisfaction. The artists I’ve always admired most are handy with a brush line. Not to say I don’t like pens, it’s just that I’m not as steady using one and leave them for doodling. I love papier mache, it’s not a new medium to me, but I’ve yet to know how to make the time to do it more so let’s say that that is my goal for 2018. If there was any other medium that I’d choose to do over drawing, it would be that.

You’ve worked on many collaborations with bands and created some awesome cover art and posters. What has been your favorite collaboration and what would be a dream collaboration be? Oooh. That’s a toughy. I did a tour shirt for Mastodon this past year and I have to say that was likely the pinnacle so far. When I caught their show later, it was thrilling to see people buying it at the merch table and to know there’s maybe hundreds more out there wearing it. Dream collaboration…probably the Melvins. Or Alice Cooper? But with the Melvins I know I could just probably do me and not worry about whether or not I’m a good fit. I’m not what you would call “conventional”.

What are you listening to when you’re painting your various creatures and demons? Give us five bands you’re checking out at the moment. I listen to music when I sketch/conceptualize and switch to podcasts or play a favorite movie or show when I’m really into the process, it’s comforting to hear people talk during the heavy work for some reason. It’s another long list but some of my go-to bands are High On Fire, Sleep, Windhand, Black Cobra and Slayer. That’s if I want it crushing. If I’m doing something trippier, it’ll be Om, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Dead Meadow, that kind of thing. Podcasts are generally true crime or comedy.

What’s been the hardest challenge being an artist? What do you tell folks who want to travel down a similar path? I don’t recall the artist’s name who said it, but to paraphrase, the quote was that art can often be a dark and lonely pursuit for us. I believe he was referring more to the fact that we spend a lot of our time working in solitude which is inherent, yet it can also weigh you down emotionally. That really speaks to me, even more so because I’ve also wrestled with depression for most of my life. 

Your work can be so entwined with your sense of self-worth, so I suppose the hardest challenge for me is to not let my heart sink when something I make doesn’t receive the attention I hope to get for it. People can be fickle though. I try to remember that, and move on to the next thing. With that in mind I guess I tell folks to make sure they get out of their lairs when possible and share their frustrations with other artist friends, foster a support group of sorts because it helps to know you aren’t alone out there with all these feelings. That and maintain a regular paying job when they start out, because man…it can be tough making a living at it.

In another dimension, what would you be if you weren’t an artist? I’d be that weird old sorcerer living somewhere in the woods that the villagers speak of in whispers. Benevolent, but not to be trifled with. So, not too much different from what I am in this dimension, just with blue skin, maybe.

What are your favorite Vans?  Chukka Low? Old Skool? Era? (I had to look up the actual names). Basically low padded ankle with laces, and always dark colors with a black toe because I don’t like my vision being drawn down to my feet moving under me. I honestly don’t wear any other brand of kicks. I keep a pair of Slip-Ons for doing things around the house. Vans makes good jeans too.

What’s the art scene like in your part of the woods? What do you like the most about where you’re living these days? The scene that I know here is primarily illustration, at least that’s what I keep my eyes out for. Lots of sweet, supportive people without attitude and many that are good friends. There aren’t as many galleries as there used to be but there are other venues to get your work out there. I’m now in a part of SE that I’ve never lived in before, at the edge of being outside of Portland proper but only just so. It’s mellow and quiet here and most things I need are within walking distance. I got a couple stores, a good Mexican food place, a bar, you get my drift. I do wish some of my besties lived closer by though. And a decent art supply store.

Since this feature is called Art School, can you give us your most helpful art tip? This probably won’t make me popular by saying it, but learn the difference between homage and theft. Yes, it’s fun to pay tribute to an artist’s style or someone else’s pop culture/intellectual property now and then, I’ve done it, we’ve all done it, not shaming that…but the difference is, if ALL you’re doing is copying, it comes off as creatively lazy. I don’t care how many followers you may gain from it. Come on. If you’re skilled enough to copy someone else’s shit, you’re skilled enough to make up your own content. Raise the bar, people. Don’t lower it.

What’s on the horizon for 2018? New merch in my shop, a group show in Mexico City, more band stuff, my first trip to NY ever, toy releases, designs and customs, a collaboration or two, hopefully a couple of conventions later in the warm months. I’d like get back into painting on a larger scale and figure out how to take it slower in general, make my work really level up, you know? There’s always room for improvement!  

Follow Martin | Website | Instagram | 

[sky-gallery-blog]

Hi-LIGHT Week 1

There is something gorgeous and untampered in raw youth. An emotion or feeling that cannot properly be described with just words. Raw youth that seemingly spills a carmine red onto paper, red like blood, red like vitality, red like danger and red like a confusing conflation of apathetic passion. Viewing  the art of this generation is like being washed over with that sensation. In lieu of the exposure to pop culture icons from the decades and the growing interest in the always contorting  art scene, we are not exactly surprised.

I believe there is power in art created by all ages, all genders and all races. That is why I am excited to introduce today’s Hi-LIGHT.

IG: faggo_th

‘How Do You Love Someone That Doesn’t Exist’ Mixed Media installation

I met him during high school and we kind of connected through a mutual interest in art. He was always striving to better himself and was committed to art. Plus we both dug Lady Gaga; I distinctly remember us belting out ‘Bad Romance’ and an unrelated moment in which Max began to sob profusely as he confessed his own vexation. At the time we did not really think of meaning or much on the fundamentals of art. We were just interested in creating 'something' albeit at the time he was more interested in drawing he began to grow as an artist - his take on experimenting became commendable and more exuberant as time passed.

His work also really seems to reflect on his interests, which with some artists that can cause huge problem but Max manages to create in a way that adds a dash of originality. His ideas do not become lost in an open sea of inspirations but rather illuminate among them. There are shortcomings of all artist but there's an understanding in how one cannot dwell, which is the most important rule.

Close ups

‘The Greatest Show on Earth’  Photography, Collage

Q&A

 1. Let’s pretend we’ve never met. What's your name?

Max Beddows

 2. Where are you from?

Mac, Manchester, Poynton.

 3. What is your favourite medium?

Although I often gravitate towards film and instillation, I’d consider my favourite medium to be ideas.

 4. Uh why?

Themes that recur in my work are religion, transition and death. I often feel restricted when I try to fit these ideas into specific mediums. Meaning that I work with ideas first, then allow my pieces to form around these ideas. If that makes any sense?

 5. What and/or who inspires your art?

I’d say that being queer informs my creativity more than anything, that and my years spent attending faith schools. At school I often felt that many people’s religious views were conflicting with my identity, causing me to want to question and challenge these views through my artwork. To answer the question of who, my biggest artistic influences are Claude Cahun, Cindy Sherman and Marina Abramovic to name a few. Coinciding with this when I was much younger I had the opportunity to view Abramovic’s performance piece ‘Rhythm 0’ at the Tate Modern in Liverpool, which to this day resonates with me as being one of my most influential Gallery experiences. Something that drew me to Abramovic’s work, as well as many of the other artists that influence me, is the ability to disassociate from herself or manifest another persona though her work. In my own artwork on several occasions I have created fictional characters with their own narratives, I use myself to present these personas which is a performative and transformative quality to my pieces. I’ve come to create these characters as my art is concerned with the world around me and I feel I haven’t found a better way to address this than to present the people that live within it.

 6. Is there a message in your artwork or is it just something to look at? Not judging!

There’s always a message in each of my pieces and I consider this to be an invaluable part of my practice, even if what I’m trying to communicate with one piece doesn’t necessarily link to what I’m saying with another. It’s also fun for me to use symbolism in my work as I can use double meanings, tell people one, and keep the other a secret for myself. I quite meticulously think out my pieces as I like the idea that no matter what the audience is viewing I know exactly what it means, even if I don’t tell them. Honestly, in my opinion If an artist’s intention is to create pretty pictures rather than saying something with their work should they really consider themselves an artist? Maybe more of a designer? No shade to designers they’re great!

7. What is your favourite era in art? We all got an era…  

The late 1960’s to 70’s for sure! I feel that the lack of equality towards minority groups, as well as women, resulted in some pretty interesting and experimental artistic movements. It also gave rise to performance art, so of course I love it.

 8. Can you share a bit of your art thought process?

My thought process isn’t always as linear or as structured as I’d like to think it is. Often while working on projects My best ideas come from an amalgamation of past ideas that didn’t work mixed with whatever I’m viewing, hearing or thinking at the time. I also believe that a lot of my schemes develop subconsciously. Viewing other artist’s work, speaking to people, sometimes even viewing advertisements can be like planting seeds for an idea that will feel like came out of nowhere without me realizing it.