#I must consume all TMNT media

[duz-machines-87]

My comic collection grows... but at what cost?

[dysfunctional-doodle]

Do you have any Mikey angst fics you can recommend?

Yes I do! I keep meaning to update my list here. I will…at some point.

Here is the old list:

And here are a few new additions!

Wrong (ROTTMNT):

"His younger brother lies still in his lap, eyes closed and face sickly and pale. Mikey is silent and dripping in water, chilled to the bone. He's so cold.

He’s not breathing.

In that moment, everything clicks."

Or,

A presumed dead Mikey fanfic, featuring science facts about box turtles.

Disposable (TMNT 2003):

“The life of your brother, or your own? Better hurry up and choose if you at least want one of you to make it out alive.” Bishop pressed the pistol harder against Michelangelo’s forehead, staring Donatello down expectantly.

The Fixer (Bayverse)

-> You need an ao3 account to view !! <-

NOTE: I LOVE THIS ONE B TEAM ANGST SO WELL WRITTEN I AM FEASTING ON THIS FIC…anyway:

Donnie fixes, even when he breaks. April learns this the hard way.

Surface Pressure TMNT (All Media Types)

NOTE: actually, read everything by this author, I live for their writing style and characterisation

What if Mikey saw Encanto and realized something about his very own family?

Waterboarding (TMNT 2003):

If someone had asked Michelangelo a week ago if waterboarding would be effective on turtles, he’d have laughed in their face. Now thought? Now he wouldn’t be laughing. Especially as he tried to keep water from getting in his nose and mouth and wondered if he was about to set a new personal record for how long he could hold his breath.

Parasite (TMNT 2003):

After Leo is bitten by a bat, Mikey desperately tries to convince his brothers he’s no longer himself.

Or

Leo gets infected by a parasite and is slowly infecting his remaining brothers.

Lost (TMNT 2003)

-> You need an ao3 account to view!! <-

Mikey and Klunk get separated from the others and lost deep below the sewers. Good old fashion turtle luck leaves them injured with no hope of finding their way out. But they continue on, determined to survive.

MY FICS:

Fungus Humungous (TMNT 2003)

“Mikey?”

Michelangelo doesn’t answer, standing alone in the shadows. Leonardo moves to place a hand on his shoulder but pulls his hand back when the youngest screams in utter terror, his eyes wild and staring at the space around them. It’s a sound that haunts them all to their core, ringing over and over and Mikey keeps screaming and sobbing, begging for something they can’t understand. The fungi quickly latches onto his face, mushrooms digging into his eyes, across his shell -

“Mikey!” Raph yells but Mikey doesn’t hear them, lost in his own nightmare and unable to defend himself as the mushrooms consume his face completely. Instead, they can only watch helplessly as Michelangelo gets dragged into the darkness.

~

A mysterious infestation of fungi in the sewer system of their old home causes the turtles to each become trapped in the own never-ending nightmares. Imprisoned in the dark caverns and the last one standing, Leo must battle his own fears if he stands a chance of saving his brothers before they are all consumed by their own terror.

~

TLDR: remember that 2012 episode with the fungus? I rewrote that for 2003, but much darker.

Subsidence (TMNT 2003):

It is then, as his eyes travel to follow Michelangelo, that Leo spots the way the water is dripping thicker now, seeping through the concrete of the ceiling. There are signs he has carelessly neglected – the cracking on the stone, the groaning of pipes around them. His cheerful mood snaps.

Something must reflect this in his expression; Mikey pauses, a few feet ahead of him, face twisting to concern.

“Leo –“ he begins, but is interrupted when everything shudders. Rubble drizzles, then throws itself upon them as the roof collapses under the strain of the water pipes.

For a moment, Leonardo’s eyes meet his youngest brother’s and see the terror flash inside them. He barely has time to take another breath before the world caves in, and everything goes black.

~

While the brothers are out exploring a new sewer system, the whole thing collapses. With no way to get out and separated from each other, they all face their own struggles, injuries and fears as they fight to survive and find each other.

TLDR: a sewer caves in. Leonardo and his brothers are trapped because I like angst.

[ju1cyfru1t]

rottmnt / tmnt and sexualization. 😬

a rant

tw: mentions of pedophilia and CP

It is absolutely crazy and unethical how easy it is to find NSFW art or writing without trying for any variety of TMMT, especially ROTTMNT.

TEENAGE mutant ninja turtles. TEENAGE. CHILDREN. MINORS.

Very unfriendly reminder that drawn or written CP is still CP and it is still illegal.

And don’t EVEN with the ‘teenagers are sexually active anyways 🤓.’ I DON’T GIVE A FUCK. That is true, HOWEVER, if said teenagers were to have photos, videos, or detailed writings of their sexual activity distributed (EVEN IF ITS SOLO) it is still ILLEGAL because they are minors. They as teenagers and any adults/people who KNOWINGLY consumed this media could get in very serious legal trouble.

I understand also being a teenager. Your hormones are all over the place and you’re still discovering and exploring what you’re into. It’s ok and normal to fantasize and think about fictional characters who are around your age.

KEEP. IT. TO. YOURSELF.

^ This point above does NOT include grown ass adults who partake in the making or consumption of NSFW media of the brothers or April as teenagers. There is absolutely NO excuse or ANYTHING to make it valid or ok in any form. It is still PORN centered around a MINOR. It is still pedophilia. Get mental help. *COUGH* NICO HAMATO *COUGH*

Don’t EVEN get me started on the nasty ass fucking TCEST shit because that’s a whole other post to be made.

Obviously, this does not include or pertain to the Future! Turtles or April. If you really must, it is SO easy to age up characters (as long as you are VIEWING THEM AS/MAKING THEM LOOK OLDER and NOT just making them 18+ so you don’t get called out.)

If you don’t agree with this post, my blog is NOT for you. Don’t argue with me in the replies or dms, just block me.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[wisegirlandseaweedbrainforever]

War makes for unlikely allies, and when the dimensional breach in the ocean floor allows monsters into the world, four unlikely heroes emerge from the shadows to save their city from destruction. As a hapless rookie learns the truth behind the elusive Rangers who pilot the Jaeger called Shell Shocker, he must adapt to this strange new reality, or be consumed by the Kaiju war.

(An AU in which the events of Pacific Rim begin just after the end of Season One of TMNT 2012)

Casey's learned the hard way that when you fight with physics you always lose, but those hands around his wrists are unbreakable, and Mike's voice is almost breezy; like whatever's about to happen is all part of the plan, like everything's gonna be just fine.

What if he found something bad in his DNA test?” “Bad? Like what?” Leo asked, and Mikey shrugged, but Raph’s face grew dark. “Like a disease? Or maybe he found out that our expected lifespan is only, like, 20 years or something,” Raph mumbled, not taking his eyes off the screen. --- Donnie gets curious about his and his brothers' genetic makeup. He ends up finding something he didn't expect, and Mikey feels like his entire world has been thrown off balance.

The Krang invasion put a couple of things in perspective for April. One of them was how much she wanted her parents to meet the Hamatos. The only difficult part is...getting her parents to meet the Hamatos. April-centric! All relationships are platonic except April's married parents.

When Leo gets taken by Baron Draxum at the young age of 8, he is forced to train under Draxum. At age 13, he finally escapes. He can finally go home! But... he's not the same as he used to be. In fear of disappointing his family, he hides from them, but Leo doesn't consder that his brothers just want to see him alive.

And then there’s Leo,” continues Raphael, unfazed. “He’s—” “We know,” Casey interrupts. The pit in his chest yawns dark and deep and awful. “I— I know. He’s gone. I— I’m sorry, Master Raphael.” Silence from the comms. Then, quietly: “Shit,” says Raphael. “Donnie, did you not tell ‘em—?” “Well, SORRY if I decided I wanted to make sure NO ONE DIED before I dumped EARTH-SHATTERING, LIFE-CHANGING NEWS on our UNSUSPECTING FAMILY—” “How are we gonna break it to ‘em?” Raphael asks. “I don’t even know how to SAY it—” “I mean, we could always go for the ‘Oh No, Leo’s Dead, Sometimes I Can Still Hear His Voice’ route—” Someone in the background gives an indignant yell at that. (The missing scene directly after they pull Leo out of the prison dimension, in which Casey breaks down, the boys break some good news, and April breaks into a car. In that order.)

Baby Casey is determined to say everyone’s name except Leo’s. When Leo teases Donnie over Casey calling him DeeDee (because Leo knows he hates Dexter’s Laboratory with a passion), Donnie decides to solve Casey’s difficulty with his brother’s name.

What would you do if your father killed himself for you? What would you do if he did it twice? What would you do if you had to watch?   What if you could have prevented it? What if it was your fault? - Casey's POV after Leo sacrifices himself to Kraang to save the world. (Very sad, very angsty)

Months after the Krang invasion, everyone is healing and everything seems to be going well. Until Leo goes missing and has to find a way home while injured, weaponless, and pursued by his kidnappers. It doesn't help that he has no idea how he ended up here.

Bri: no descript, but self explanitory.

List of Tmnt fics I love (not writing the descriptions myself because that is where I chicken out every time):

You’re a pet shop employee and have two regulars that buy worms for their pet turtles way too frequently. That’s it, that’s the fic.

There wasn’t anything more precious than raising a child. But some people never were afforded the privilege of family. And some never think of those under their care as children in the first place. This is a small look at the Shredder raising his personal little monster.

Lost and alone in another reality, one turtle must try to find his way home. All while trying to forge a place amongst a family who lost one of their own under horrible circumstances and seemingly resents his very presence. No OC's. Set: 2k3 up until 'Good Genes'. 2k12 up until 'The Good, the Bad and Casey Jones'. 

Based on the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mikey was captured by the kraang when he, his brothers, and Splinter were mutated. While splinter was taking the turtles to safety the krang got ahold of Mikey.

He shuts the hologram off before it has the chance to turn back around. He knows how it ends: it'll shrug and then smile sadly and then say goodbye. But this wasn't a goodbye. Not at all. If anything, it was a hello. - - - Or; they lost. the kraang led out a full scale invasion. casey jones is only one in a few left.

It is despair, for lack of a better word. It is desolate emptiness. It is numbness and static and nothing. - - - Or; Casey loved Splinter too

Michelangelo is killed by the Newtralizer. He comes back roughly twenty minutes later. What's he doing in between those two moments? Turns out, the astral plane has a familiar face for him to speak to before he goes home.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo wake up in a maze, a 'fun'house, a jungle, and a cage. They're surrounded by three other turtles— that aren't their brothers. Or at least not the brothers they know. Each group has a Leonardo, a Raphael, a Donatello and a Michelangelo, but none of them are from the same universe. Pitched together with counterparts of their brothers, the turtle teams have to figure out how to survive the tests their mysterious captors are putting them through. Easier said than done, for some groups. ('03 Mikey is realizing he is going to have to be the responsible one. Why does he have to be the responsible one?) With many questions, and not a lot of answers, four sets of mixed-up brothers set their sights on goals they can all agree on: figure out what's going on, stop it, and make whoever brought them here pay. And try not to strangle their brother's counterparts while they're at it.

(Warning unfinished amd only 5 chapters but still one of the best crossovers I have ever read)

Leo was never lonely. Sure he has his pops and his brothers and his best friend sister April, but he also has someone else he's known almost all his life. He's a mutant turtle too, and for some reason, only he can see him. It's alright, it's not like he wanted to share him anyways. AKA A rewrite of some of the episodes where 2012 Leo is connected to Rise Leo's soul and acts like a weird imaginary friend [Part of the Mama Leo Series.] [Really fucking need to stop making projects while I have a bunch of unfinished ones and school]

Leonardo may have beheaded Shredder, but that doesn’t mean he’s gone. In fact, his soul is still very much alive, just trapped in another dimension, and now he’s a different turtle’s problem. (Rise and 2012 crossover. Mostly the Leos, because there’s not enough of those two.)

[mysticlibraryhushbats]

I posted 1,398 times in 2022

That's 1,179 more posts than 2021!

80 posts created (6%)

1,318 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thelaundrybitch

@whispering-about-the-tmnt

@tmnt-roni-paws

@turtle-ika

@tmntstyle

I tagged 192 of my posts in 2022

#tmnt - 78 posts

#teenage mutant ninja turtles - 66 posts

#rottmnt movie spoilers - 37 posts

#rottmnt spoilers - 37 posts

#tmnt 2003 - 25 posts

#tmnt comics - 17 posts

#michelangelo - 16 posts

#leonardo - 14 posts

#rottmnt - 13 posts

#hushbats - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 89 characters

#the samurai vs ninja way of thinking is a much better reason for the raph vs leo conflict

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

My language headcanons for the turtles that nobody asked for!

So, in addition to the obvious English, all of the turtles also know Japanese but to varying degrees.

Leo and Mikey are the most well rounded in all four skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing) in Japanese. Even though they aren’t innately good at languages, they put in a lot of hard work and study to get where they are. This is largely due to their motivations. Leo wanted to be able to talk with Splinter in his native language, while Mikey was super into Japanese pop-culture, anime, and manga. As Japanese was something both were passionate about, this is the only language other than English they speak.

Raph, on the other hand, does have an ear for languages and can mimic what he hears really well on first try and somehow retain it. He never actively studied Japanese in the traditional sense beyond what Splinter made him do like Leo and Mikey though resulting in poor reading and writing ability. On the upside, he is the only one of the four that is truly multi-lingual. From childhood, he used to sit with Splinter while he watched Spanish telenovelas. He would get really into them and parrot the characters lines. This continued throughout his childhood and early teens until he eventually could have really detailed (and dramatic) conversations in Spanish. His Spanish is probably better than his Japanese. After he started going topside, he was exposed to a few other languages from hanging around areas of New York with large immigrant populations, and has picked up a little from a few but not enough to say he speaks them, but who knows, maybe some day!

Donnie sees language a little differently to his brothers. Being a man of science, Donnie views language as a puzzle, or a code to be cracked, rather than a tool to communicate or consume media. Basically, he’s more into the linguistics of it all, studying how each language is built and how to conjugate correctly etc. Therefore, Donnie put a lot more of his time into reading and writing Japanese, and thus, he is much more confident in those abilities than his speaking or listening skills. He also suffers quite a bit with language anxiety and fears making mistakes which has also hindered his speaking ability. He finds linguistics interesting and sometimes reads about it in his free time, or during breaks in his projects, so he has knowledge of a lot of languages and can recognize most languages just from seeing/hearing it.

So they all grew up learning Japanese from Splinter, but that does not mean they are native speakers as they pretty much always spoke to each other in English. If they were to speak to a native Japanese, that person would instantly know they didn’t grow up in Japan. Leo’s Japanese is quite stiff and formal because he usually only uses it with Splinter, a person he must show respect to, and so he finds it difficult to switch to informal Japanese when appropriate like when speaking to his brothers. The opposite is true of Raph. Though his pronunciation and intonation is flawless, he only uses informal Japanese and refuses to use or learn keigo, the honorific Japanese used with your seniors, therefore he comes off as extremely rude sometimes (but what’s new there!). Mikey talks like an anime character and is oblivious to it. He thinks it’s normal because that’s the type of Japanese he’s most exposed to, but a lot of the language used in anime is specific to anime and isn’t used by Japanese people in their daily lives. And finally, Donnie’s main give away that he isn’t a native speaker is his hesitance as he searches for the right word or sentence, but like Raph, his pronunciation and intonation are pretty good once he gets going. 

In addition to spoken language, the turtles also have system of hand signals they use to communicate when in the field as ninjas. This isn’t a complex system and can only be used to give directions when on a mission. Leo started developing it not long after he was made leader and all four turtles and Splinter can use and understand it. 

268 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

#4

Just checking out the concept art for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (2023), and just look at Leo!

Really look at him

They gave my boy braces!!! 

Source: Cartoon Crave on Twitter. Copyright: Nickelodeon.

285 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

#3

Donnie would never!

Template source: @west-brooke

306 notes - Posted June 14, 2022

#2

More Japanese language headcanons for the TMNT boys that nobody asked for!

These are my head canons of how the TMNT boys address each other when speaking Japanese.

I see much of the fandom, particularly fans of the 2012 series, have the younger turtle brothers refer to Leo directly as お兄さん (onii-san) and often have the older brothers refer to the younger ones as 弟 (otouto) in fan fics and it's had me thinking more about how I think the turtles would interact with each other in Japanese. お兄さん (onii-san) is very formal and actually creates distance between siblings, implying they do not have a close relationship when used. It’s usually used to refer to another person’s older brother, or sometimes to talk about your own brother to a third party. 弟 (otouto) is never used to directly address one’s younger brother. So here are my own personal head canons of how I think the turtles would actually address each other in Japanese.

I 100% believe that Raph and Donnie would call Leo 兄貴 (aniki) when speaking directly to him. 兄貴 (aniki) is interesting, because those somewhat familiar with Japanese media might recognize this word as one used by Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, to refer to those in a higher position than them. However, it is also used by close siblings either seriously or as a kind of joke. I think Raph and Donnie would use it for Leo both ways depending on the situation. And I think Donnie would use it for Raph, too. As for Mikey, I think it depends on the version. Most Mikeys would probably use 兄貴 (aniki) too, except for 2012 Mikey. He seems like he would be more likely to use 兄ちゃん (nii-chan) to refer directly to each of his older brothers. Dropping the honorific お (O) at the beginning and adding -chan instead of -san is a much more natural way for a younger brother to address an older brother he has a close relationship with. It also sounds more innocent and child-like coming from the speaker which is why I think 2012 Mikey is most likely to use it, but I think 2003 Mikey would use it when trying to suck up to his older brothers to get what he wants or get away with something. I think 2003 Donnie might occasionally use  兄ちゃん (nii-chan) for Raph because they seem to have that kind of relationship with Donnie calling Raph, “Raphie”, in the show.

How older brothers refer to younger brothers is more simple. They would likely use the brother's name or nickname followed by the suffix ～ちゃん (-chan), or simply use their name without a suffix like we do in English. I think Leo is most likely to use ～ちゃん (-chan) when speaking to Mikey. Sometimes he'd use it with Donnie, but never Raph. Raph is always just Raph. 

Raph always adds ～ちゃん (-chan) to Donnie and Mikey's names when speaking to them in Japanese, and Donnie always uses it to refer to Mikey.

They all address April as 姉ちゃん (nee-chan meaning older sister) when speaking to each other about her. She doesn't speak Japanese, but she asks Splinter one day why they sometimes call her Nee-chan, and she is delighted to learn they think of her that way.

Anyway, I'm by no means saying don't use Onii-san and Otouto in your fics or anything. I just wanted to provide some more natural alternatives for anyone out there interested in sprinkling a little authentic Japanese into their fics to keep bilingual readers invested in the story. Do with this info what you will.

397 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A typical Raph and Mikey pillow fight:

Mikey's a tough one to pin down!

Source: Daniel Labelle on TikTok

1,632 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[bubblebooming]

I have something to say

this post is for general shippers, anti's, pro shippers, minors, and older folks who still create content; and possibly you too if you are a consumer.

entertaining content of characters who are canonically minors is FINE, but before you take this as a free for all, finish this post.

it is fine under these conditions (in my opinion)

You should never ever write nor draw sexual content of a minor, i understand it is fiction but here's the issue- they are literal kids. you are correct, it is purely fiction, and no, it doesn't affect real life. this isn't just about the people it triggers though (referring to survivors of SA) but it's also about the minors consuming your media, the ones who are exposed to this content will think it is okay to for these things to happen, you have to remember that you aren't going to be able to check all of your followers, these kids aren't fucking dumb they know how to consume this content without you finding out it is quite literally not that hard, but it does affect them developmentally. also, it's just gross.

But, if the characters are canonically minors and you are creating content of them as adults (18+) it should be fine, so long as you aren't making them appear as children and using it to cover it up. we can tell.

to the anti-shippers i do want to say something on behalf of the pro-shipper community. now bare in mind i don't speak for everyone, but there is probably a large group that agrees with me- just don't forget there will always be fucking creeps. being a pro-shipper does not immediately make you a Ph3dophil3, it's called a 'problematic-shipper', not a 'child shipper,' you can't be coming for anyone with a pro shipper in their bio. this can mean anything, interspecies, enemies to lovers crap, literally ANYTHING considered 'problematic,' ...the definition of pro shipper only exists because of antis. literally. you are the ones who deemed stuff as such. age gaps don't just mean children and grown-ass adults, i won't deny that it's gross, but age gaps can also mean a 30-year-old and a 50-60-year-old. Minors, we don't hate you. there is a reason we don't want you consuming NSFW or problematic content, it's quite literally because of your growth we say these things. it's like anything else; misogyny, gun violence, ABUSE in general, we don't want you taking that on, and I know you think 'it could never be me' and yes, it might very well not be you, but it could just as easily be someone you know. these things you consume are not and never will be okay in real life, it's called fiction for a reason. you must also bare in mind that when you interact with NSFW content it brings it gets put into an algorithm. this leads it to not just go to your friends but other people within your age group, so it's not just you seeing these things. we don't have anything against you, but it's for the safety of everyone around you. i also want to take the chance to talk about T!Cest, this goes to pro shippers AND antis. I understand that there's some drama surrounding this ship, I don't ship it myself but I do need to step in here and say something. i wanna go back to my point about aging stuff up first of all, to those shippers who are creating content of them as minors, please, go touch some grass. granted i grew up thinking these turtles were grown-ass adults and didn't find out they weren't until i was probably about 15 (I'm 19 now) but it doesn't take long to do a quick google search on the age of a character,

and to the anti's and pro shippers fighting over t!cest right now, both of you just need to shut up and mind your damn business. incest shipping is always going to be there in every fandom believe it or not. at this point incest is canon in tmnt, did you forget about Leo and Karai? and yes I know tmnt 2012 was literally 10 years ago so a fair chunk of you probably actually don't know this, but now you do. shippers carry a pretty fair chunk of the fandom, it doesn't matter. just leave t!cest shippers alone on the condition they aren't sexualizing them as minors.

either way, i don't give a shit. and to that one person on Twitter talking about how they don't like t!cest because they were groomed by a t!cest shippers, that's okay. your feelings are valid there, you associate t!cest with that memory, but you cannot group all t!cest shippers like that, the choice of one individual does not affect a community as a whole, if it did them churches, the goverment, everyone's uncle or step dad and all celebrities would be gone, it would be ripped to shreds you'd all cancel it. I'm talking about ph3dos, murder, drug users, and probably a lot of worse thing's my brain can't even comprehend at this point. just block the tag, and do what you need to do to help yourself heal, but you cannot demonize all of those shippers based on the actions of one incredibly fucked up human. this also ties into what I was saying earlier about pro shippers. everyone just needs to chill. your arguments are all valid. but there's no point if everyone's going to get hurt. seriously, fandom culture had just started to settle when the younger part of gen z kicked in with MHA and rottmnt. like please calm down dude. don't go giving yourself an anurism love you all x

this will find the right people I trust.

[hannahstarshade]

Pride month has come and gone, but we are still here

Gif credit: @bisexualdonatello

I don’t talk about it very often (mostly because I am not officially out) but I’m bisexual. I am attracted to those who identify as my own gender (female) and those who identify as an opposing gender. It has taken a few years of rationalizing and actually sitting with myself to come to accept this. In fact, very recently I had contemplated the legitimacy of my sexuality again. This is due to a few things: I have never had a relationship of any kind, I live in a conservative community, and I am still learning about the terminology and culture that comes from the LGBTQA+ community as a whole. Popular media—visual media specifically—has been a great influence in this regard. The older I got, the more access I had. The more access I had, the more I was able to learn. I grew to have a better understanding of the world around me and could explain how and why the media I consumed resonated with me personally. It took a while, but this is how I got here:

Bi Awakening (Film)

It was the late 00′s when I saw Van Helsing for the first time. I was immediately hooked. It has all the things I loved and still love to this day: monsters, a gothic aesthetic, an anti-hero with a heart of gold, bad-ass women who are immaculately dressed and fight hard, and a tragic ending. I had always been interested in Hugh Jackman ever since I watched him play Wolverine in the X-Men films. This character was what did it for me. Van Helsing was brave yet troubled. He had a knack for fighting evil and finding good where others couldn’t see it. This is a character I would daydream about going on long adventures around the world with. After watching the movie several times, my eyes also followed Anna Valerious, played by Kate Beckinsale. She was determined and a fighter through and through. Her skills and her dedication to her family drew me in. I wanted to hug her and fight monsters by her side. Oh, and did I mention they were both highly attractive? Because they are, just look at them, oh my gosh!! I took a while, but I finally admitted to myself that I like both men and women. Despite never acting on these feelings, I felt content with the conclusion I’d come to. This went on for a few years. It wasn’t until this year that I started questioning it all again.

Bi Confusion (YouTube)

I’ve watched my fair share of ContraPoints videos. In her video Shame, Natalie explains how she came to the conclusion that she is a lesbian. Throughout the video she explains how she was in a heterosexual relationship that, while loving and nice, was not fulfilling. She brings up the topic of compulsory heterosexuality, the feelings some women experience due to the norms of our society. I went in search of the “Am I a Lesbian” article mentioned in the video and read through the whole thing in one sitting. I came away from it feeling like I had unlocked some secret. Maybe I had been confused and conditioned all this time. Often my fantasies with women are more detailed and complex than my fantasies with men. That must mean I'd been avoiding one and embracing the other, right? And since I’ve never been in any kind of relationship, maybe I’d just been conditioned to include men in the equation from the start and couldn’t let it go? I had been entertaining a man I’d met online and had felt the relationship was forced on my end. Maybe I’m just not into men? After much consideration, I decided to give the lesbian label a try. That sounds horrible in retrospect, but I did it. I said the word to myself in private. I thought about spending my life pursuing only women. I excluding men from my fantasies. That didn’t last long. It just didn’t fit me. I learned through that exercise that my feelings for one gender don’t outweigh my feelings for another gender. The reason my fantasies vary is because of limited experience, not lack of interest. The reason I cut things off with the guy I’d been speaking with wasn’t because I was a lesbian, but because we just worked better as friends. I wasn’t a lesbian. I had just overthought my feelings. I’m attracted to people, not just their genders.

Bi Confirmation (Video Games)

My first exposure to Resident Evil was through several LP’s on YouTube. I have managed to play through a few games myself, though. The past few years have been really good for the Resident Evil franchise, the most noteworthy additions being the remake editions of Resident Evil 2 & 3. Leon’s a bad-ass super cop who just wants to do the right thing. Claire is an amazing person who cares so much about the people closest to her. Jill’s the most OP character in Resident Evil and just wants to save the world. Carlos is a genuinely good guy who wants to help. These people are heroic, bad-ass, and hot? Excuse me, I need a minute...Basically, I want to be these characters and be with them. I can confidently say that I am bisexual. There are other fictional characters I can point to that I would say affirm my sexuality—Casey Jones and April O’Neil from TMNT, Diana Prince and Steve Trevor from Wonder Woman, Markus from Detroit: Become Human, Harley Quinn from Birds of Prey—but Resident Evil has the most characters I love in a single franchise. When I was questioning my sexuality, I looked at these video game characters I had come to like and realized there was no denying myself. It’s okay to like both. Both is good.

Bi Acceptance (TikTok)

In conclusion, sexuality is weird. You might think you’re a young straight when all of a sudden you realize you find both a dashing monster hunter and a beautiful cursed princess attractive. Then, years later, you might watch a YouTube video that has you questioning yourself all over again, only to realize you are who you though you were after playing a game about fighting zombies. Basically, visual media helped me discover myself. But that’s not the end of it. I’ve found myself on TikTok a lot since the pandemic started. It’s nice seeing people in the LGBTQA+ community having fun and making the most of a shitty situation. I rediscovered Sarah Schauer, which was a nice surprise. Come to find out, she’s bisexual too. Seeing this community band together in times like these has been a heartening experience. So many positive vibes. There may be people out there who say you should only like one or another, or that being in a heterosexual relationship diminishes your sexuality, but those people are wrong. The bottom line is that you cannot tailor how you feel to fit the expectations of others. This post is kind of weird and out of nowhere, and a little very self centered, but I had to get this off my chest. This will likely never be read by anyone. However, if you are reading this and you have had a similarly weird experience, know that you are not alone. You may have just realized your feelings, you may have known for a long time, or you may still be trying to figure things out. That’s okay. Your feelings are valid. Your experience is valid. You are valid.

TL;DR Whenever I am questioning my sexuality I remember Resident Evil and I am at peace. Also through all this I’ve learned I have a type: bad-ass hero with a kind heart.

[lagilliland]

PRESS RELEASE: “LOVE IS LOVE” BENEFIT COMIC RAISES MORE THAN $165K FOR VICTIMS OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE IN ORLANDO

San Diego, CA (March 28, 2017) – Last December, IDW Publishing, with support from DC Entertainment, created LOVE IS LOVE, an anthology graphic novel that united the comic book community in support of the victims and families affected by the tragedy at Pulse nightclub. Now The New York Times best-selling graphic novel has raised more than $165K from digital and print sales. Through Equality Florida, the proceeds have been donated to the OneOrlando Fund to assist the victims and families impacted.

LOVE IS LOVE was conceived and curated by comic book writer Marc Andreyko, under the editorial guidance of IDW Publishing’s Sarah Gaydos and DC Entertainment’s Jamie S. Rich, who called upon his industry colleagues to lend their talents to a benefit comic book. The overwhelming response he received in support of the project resulted in contributions from comic and entertainment luminaries including Grant Morrison, Gail Simone, Jim Lee, Paul Dini, Amanda Conner, Scott Snyder, Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis, Steve Orlando, Cat Staggs, Kieron Gillen, Mark Millar, Marguerite Bennett, Phil Jimenez, David Mack, Brad Meltzer, Taran Killam, Patton Oswalt, Damon Lindelof, Morgan Spurlock and Matt Bomer, among many others. “Words cannot express how grateful we are for the outpouring of generosity our community has received,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “People from around the globe continue to contribute funds to OneOrlando to deliver the critical help and healing the victims’ families and survivors need to aid in their recovery.” “I am overwhelmed by the response to LOVE IS LOVE,” said Marc Andreyko. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that this project would not only raise so much money, but touch so many lives around the globe. In these divisive and difficult times, seeing the outpouring of love and support for victims of hate by people of every race, creed, orientation and nationality shows me that there is much good in the world. We just need to keep fighting the good fight and love will win." Anticipation for LOVE IS LOVE ran so high that retailers could barely keep up with demand. The graphic novel is currently in its fourth printing, and the remaining copies will be donated to Equality Florida and sold as fundraising items. “Equality Florida is so grateful for this project – it has been such an inspiring and powerful way to respond in the face of tragedy,” said Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida. “We must uproot the hatred that breeds discrimination and violence, and having top storytellers and illustrators combine their talents makes LOVE IS LOVE a potent and accessible tool.” A fifth printing is forthcoming, with all proceeds from this and future editions of LOVE IS LOVE being donated to LGBTQA charities.

About IDW IDW Media Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: IDWM) is a fully integrated media company, which includes publishing, games, entertainment, and the San Diego Comic Art Gallery. IDW Publishing’s comic book and graphic novel catalog includes some of the world’s most popular entertainment brands, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Disney’s classic characters. At IDW’s core is its commitment to creator-owned comics including 30 Days of Night, Locke & Key, Wormwood, Ragnarök, V-Wars, and Archangel by bestselling sci-fi author William Gibson. IDW Publishing is also home to the acclaimed and award-winning imprints; Top Shelf, The Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, and Artist Editions, showcasing the greatest original art ever published in American comic books. IDW Games’ diverse line-up includes the international phenomenon Machi Koro, as well as hit licensed games such as X-Files, Back to the Future, The Godfather, and TMNT. IDW Entertainment serves as the worldwide distributor of Wynonna Earp airing on the Syfy Channel in the U.S. and is producing BBC America’s Dirk Gently, based on the best seller by Douglas Adams starring Elijah Wood and Sam Barnett. About DC Entertainment: DC Entertainment, home to the iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

[hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat]

On the Necessity of Endings

I recently read an interesting article (which you can and should read here) about how the direction and current success of superhero movies, in particular the MCU, is actually signalling their demise. In particular it asks the question of what is going to happen to the genre after Infinity War. It’s one of the most ambitious film projects ever made, with every major superhero from the universe slated to appear. So once that’s been and gone, what can Marvel, or in fact any company, do that will possibly top it?

I would agree with the article and argue that honestly the main MCU should end with Infinity War. At least for the time being.

There’s a definite trend of being human that we don’t want things to end. We want to enjoy life, and having to say goodbye to something we enjoy is and always will be an incredibly hard thing. Nowhere is that more clear than with the media; we want to keep seeing the stuff we enjoy, and current media is feeding into that. No sooner had Ant Man come out with fantastic reviews then suddenly the whole Marvel schedule was pushed aside to make room for Ant Man and the Wasp which we’re suddenly making now. And hey, at least they’re pretty good at the planning stuff; the DCU have been trying to push film after film and each one has been slowly plopping out to mixed reviews at best, and yet people still want to see more.

It’s not just superhero movies; it’s everywhere within Western media culture. It’s becoming increasingly rare for modern cartoons, whether owned by Cartoon Network, Disney or otherwise, to go out on its own merits anymore, in fact the only ones I can think of are Gravity Falls and Mystery Incorporated. Some shows have just been continually renewed for far longer than they should have been allowed (TMNT, Adventure Time) which in turn has had to cut others short without a chance to fully conclude themselves (Wander over Yonder, Korra, Young Justice etc).

And Netflix is a proponent of this as well; combining the need to see more and more of a franchise with the binge-culture which they keep pushing means that the audience isn’t given any time to actually savour the shows they’re watching. When you can sit down and watch 20 straight episodes of a show, you become addicted, and then when you run out of the show, you immediately want more. I don’t think it’s a healthy way of consuming shows and it would honestly be more helpful if more of their shows actually had proper conclusions.

And of course there’s anime, which in this regard has been getting slowly worse. Back in the mid-2000s, seeing a complete 2-cour show was the norm, but now we just get manga adaptation after manga adaptation, and very rarely actually completing the story properly. Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Re:Zero, One Punch Man and Mob Psycho; even the best shows we’ve gotten from the past few years have neglected actually ending, instead just acting as a teaser for more. Always more. Even things which already had good endings keep getting dragged back; do we really need another Code Geass? So rarely can we have something that actually satisfies us then and there anymore. It’s one reason why I still rate 91 Days so highly, because it actually told a complete story. There’s nothing wrong with cliffhangers, or hints to future seasons, but when that’s all you’re getting from everything you watch it just builds and builds and becomes unmanageable.

I like endings. I want to see things finish; for the characters to get what they want, or what they deserve, and for the story to reach its natural endpoint. I think this goes for most things; out of everything which I watch and I enjoy, the only show I can think of which I never want to see end is Doctor Who, and that’s because the show kind of ends and begins again with every regeneration or every new writer anyway. There’s always something different, for better or for worse, and there’s always room for new talent to show what they can do. I would imagine franchises like Star Trek or James Bond would be the same to the people who love them; huge, ever-evolving universes with infinite stories to tell.

But yes, I do agree that the MCU, as we know it, should end with Infinity War. I don’t think it will, because it’s a huge cash-cow for Disney, but if that’s not going to happen, then at least change it. Mix up the formula. Let the old Avengers move on and show off something new. I’d love to see a new team come together, maybe only gradually, but enough to build itself a new identity (starting with Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel, maybe?). Let the old universe end, and let something new take it’s place. Same with the rest of media; one thing anime at least does right is that there is always something new, every season. For as many great second seasons as we’ve got starting in April, we’ve got new stories and adaptations to chew on as well. But this needs to be the norm. I’m thankful that Adventure Time and Gumball are ending, because they’ve had fantastic runs and now it’s their time to step down, and let new ideas like Twelve Forever or Infinity Train have their turn.

We need to learn how to let go of the things we love once again. We need to be able to look back on the stuff we enjoy, smile and think “That was such a good story.” And maybe even revisit it, a few years later. It makes me so sad when the people I talk to don’t rewatch anything, because there’s too much new stuff to keep up with. Always something new, and never a chance to look back and appreciate the old once again.

All things must come to an end, otherwise nothing new will ever truly begin. Let’s at least try to let things end in the best way they can.