#I need more Roberto art and I need to draw to draw him

[catspar99]

Kitty kisses

I’ve made a lot cause I’m a crazed muiltshipper lol

[interiorleague]

PLEASE DON’T SCROLL. MY FAMILY REALLY NEEDS HELP. SO PAY ME TO DRAW STUFF

I’ll try to keep this relatively short. My dad was hit in a near lethal car accident and is now almost completely paralyzed. He will no longer be able to work, will need to move to an accessible apt, and has a year of physical therapy ahead of him. 

We’re figuring this shit out day by day and are in the process of making long term plans to make sure he’s comfortable. We’re going to need all the financial help we can get. 

I’m doing digital and ink commissions, and commissions will be open for the foreseeable future. I won’t be able to fully start digital commissions until the 29th when I return to my apt where I left my tablet. I ask that anyone who commissions me be patient/have no strict short term time constraints. I’m really trying to not lose it and I promise you will get your art.

DM me to discuss commission details and please don’t take it personally if I’m short with pleasantries. I just need money and have been spending days in the ICU.

That’s it for now i think.

UPDATES/EDIT (June 23, 2023): i’ve made a p/ypal as well, p/ypal.me/cperplexa

(just make sure to NOT label it as a commissions/business transaction or paypal may freeze the money. Label it as personal and don’t put anything in the description that would make it look like a commission)

Also I am happy to accept donations through my accounts but I will eventually be posting a gofundme once we know more about our financial situation.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated and reached out for a commission. Drawing is a welcome distraction and I appreciate the kind messages.

(Updates, July 5th 2023) Gofundme is up

[ra-scheln]

Writing Interview Tag Game

The lovely @kimberbohwrites tagged me – thank you so much!

When did you start writing?

I don’t remember a time before stories. Partially it might have been due to my environment, that I had to escape somehow – even if I could only retreat into my own mind and the worlds I could make up there. They weren’t really finished narratives, I was mostly into making up worlds that my friends would add characters to, and we would draw comics around the stories that developed from that .

Although that stopped when I was around fifteen or sixteen. The abuse at home kept escalating with my growing independence, and I couldn’t maintain the connection to myself necessary for true creativity and the willful ignorance regarding what was happening to me I had developed to protect myself. There is no writing or other piece of art from my time, because I just stopped being able to do it.

Stories I need to live, said ignorance I needed to survive, so it had to take precedence.

Ten years later or so, I’ve been reclaiming my own perception of events with, among other things, half a decade of therapy now. I can touch my own ideas again without them slipping through my hands.

BG3 is it’s own special joy here – it’s the first fandom I’ve really written for, recently, and that’s mostly thanks to the writer friends I’ve found through it (my pedipalps <3).

Are there different themes or genres that you enjoy reading than what you write?

Outside of fanfic, yes! I read a lot of classic stuff – Thomas Mann, Michail Bulgakow, Oscar Wilde are the last few authors I read in that department. Fiction-wise, I enjoy things that explore the more ambiguous sides of human emotion, or generally darker and more serious stuff – Das Parfüm by Patrick Süskind (The perfume) for example, although that’s something I also write about. I’d also count Accabadora by Michaela Murgia amongst that, though that’s also a historically inspired and socio-critical. Tbh I mostly read nonfiction though, Roberto Saviano’s works on the Ndragheta and other organised crime are currently back on my mind.

In fanfic, I’m pretty stuck in my tastes as far as themes go, but there are some characters that don’t inspire me to write, but that I like reading about – Rolan for example (though I might have something cooking for him), or Halsin.

Can you tell me about your writing space?

I often lug my laptop to the university library or onto my balcony, but I’ve also recently treated myself to new desk equipment – so I’ve started using it more, now that I have a second monitor, a nice mechanical keyboard and a chair that doesn’t kill my back.

One thing about my writing space though – it has to be spotless. I can’t deal with crumbs on my table or unfolded laundry lying around.

This all goes for writing itself. My ideas I mostly write down by hand in my notebook, wherever I am in that moment.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I don’t. I either have something to say and then I sit down and say it, or I don’t. Your mind also needs to lie fallow every now and then.

If the words aren’t flowing when the ideas themselves are there, it’s usually because something else is taking up my attention. Be it any kind of mess (as I said…) or something I’m avoiding in other areas of my life, that has to be taken care of first.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing?

Some are fairly common in fanfic – trauma, the aftermath of sexual abuse etc. I think some of my other patterns are characters that are neither good nor bad, the need to accept yourself and what you’ve done even if others may not forgive you, and love that is built, not found.

What is your reason for writing?

The words have to go somewhere, or I start to get restless.

In seriousness, I also think that stories are a chance to explore the things that often don’t have room in daily life. Especially fiction that doesn’t have to perform well, like fanfics, can leave the kind of room for the regular human messiness to breathe.

Is there any kind of specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I haven’t published a lot yet and I haven’t received that many comments yet; So it’s hard to say. But so far I can say that whenever I can feel that my writing touched someone and they take the time to share that with me it stays with me for a long time, and keeps me motivated to keep sharing my stuff.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I haven’t thought about that yet much, and the idea of someone developing a parasocial relationship makes me want to crawl out of my skin, but uh… I think I’d like my writing to feel safe to people? Not necessarily in the sense that they won’t encounter difficult themes and injustices in it, but that the darker themes I explore are handled in an informed and tasteful way.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I think my compassion with my characters and their actions. Nuance, in general, seems to be my thing as well – I don’t do black and white.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I’m a bit frustrated that my fictional writing is all in English, currently. It’s neither my first nor my fourth language, and it’s not my favourite language to read in either.

Aside from that… I’m growing fond of my own style, now that I’ve found my voice, sort of. My sense of humour is starting to shine through, which is also nice!

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

So far, what I want to write and say takes precedence. I do, of course, think about the “how” of writing – how style and vocabulary can help me get my ideas across. Who knows, I could try taking requests, that might be fun.

Tagging: @dutifullylazybread @blackjackkent @invinciblerodent @faerielli and @lewdisescariot

EDIT: AND @forget-me-maybe!!! As well als @cactusmisslittle

[tenebrius-excellium]

YOU WATCHED TRIGUN STAMPEDEEEEE??? HOWD U FIND IT WHATRE YOUR THOUGHTS !!

I CONFESS I WAS THE ANON ON YOUR BLOG YOU STUPID (affectionate) FRIEND; I GOT IT FROM YOU!!!

I LOVED IT!!!

Thanks for the accidental recommendation! :P

Ok I know NOTHING about anime, okay? Anything I say was great or not so great might refer to Trigun Stampede specifically, or it might just be an anime thing in general because That's What An Anime Is. I can't tell the difference.

LOVED the intro song (Tombi by Kvi Baba). Constantly listening to it right now. It's hauntingly beautiful yet so easy-going and chill. I looked up the lyrics and they're about being a light in the darkness, I dig that theme!

LOVED Meryl from the start. A level-headed young lady who craves the truth, justice, and knowledge beyond herself because it's the right thing to do. She cares so much. She doesn't steal any spotlight by interfering or by being dramatic. She simply observes, listens to instructions that will save her life, and draws her own conclusions. I'm glad we got to experience the plot through her perspective first! A "journalist investigating a story" may seem like such a dumb start - could be Hallmark. But in this Space Western setting, it's perfect.

VASH MY BELOVED. I hated his intro because it made him seem so dumb and silly. There's a difference between making a character seem naive so that he gets underestimated (bringing in the - surprise! - big guns later), and making him outright ooc to create a false first impression. Idk I knew that his FIRST scene where he needed a bullet was not how his character would remain.

HIS CHARACTER DESIGN IS SO COOOOL!!! Idk from the outfit down to his martial arts skills matched with radical forgiveness and pacifism - DUDE. He's very complex. Idk yeah he lets himself get shot in total surrender but there is the part where one bullet won't immediately kill him and he knows it. There's also the part where Wolfwood challenges him on his beliefs, saying that for all his "peace and love on planet earth" talk he sure does not clean up after the messes he creates. The thing is - it's not so much about taking responsibility for the bounty on his head or something, but rather for the fact that his behavior evokes confused, angry and frightened reactions because it comes unexpected to a human society that is drilled on survival. As much as he CHOOSES not to use violence time and time again, I think he needs to cultivate some awareness that this is unusual behavior and that it triggers people to do crazy things (based on insecurity) around him. On the positive side, he confronts each and everyone with their personal tolerance for violence and tests their hearts that way. Beautiful.

The team is so well balanced! Vash, Wolf, Meryl, and Roberto - Dream Team!

The actions scenes take my breath away. They are so so so so good. I am noticing the attention to detail and the accuracy to skill that everyone is describing. I am also highly enjoying the ingenuity of new moves and awesome use of weapons, physical strength and surroundings. I'm sorry, I can't explain the brilliance of these moves well - but you already know what I mean.

I didn't quite get the in-depth explanation of the conflict I think??? Like, I'm still not quite sure what a Plant is, why Vash and Nai are more intelligent than the rest of them, why they were in space to begin with and what exactly Knives was trying to achieve by traveling to a higher dimension? I really didn't get the angel theme and why Vash suddenly developed a wing and became dark (I like his darker look tho). I also don't quite understand Nai as a character. To ensure the survival of Plant seems like an understandable cause for his actions, but why be so cruel and uncaring about it? It doesn't explain his maniac barbarity. Explanations are more than welcome!

What is your obsession with Livio about?? I mean I know, he was epic in that one scene he appeared in, and his bond with Wolfwood was genuine and deep. But he literally took himself out like a light, so... where's all that additional Livio content coming from? It's also really sad. Like... he never even gave himself one minute after waking up. That was a bit morbid.

Oh my gosh Vashmeryl is the og canon? I'm happy there wasn't any forced romance between anyone in this season. Only platonic connections for once. Amazing. Whatever Vash and Meryl end up as, I'll support both.

If there comes a Season 2, I will watch it!!! I don't know how far I'll take Trigun Stampede in fandom, but believe me, watching this has positively altered me forever. It's so FRESH.

Again, thank you for the unintentional recommendation!

Cheers

Reddie

[luckyqueenreign]

LITG: Double Trouble EP 11 Recap

here we go...

*spoilers under the cut*

everyone is talking about who MC is going to choose...I will say normally I love a super confident pixel but Roberto just gave me the ick so bad with this overconfidence.

YAYYYY challenge time!!! im actually excited about this one!! GUYS the placement of these cowboy hats on the girls OMG it's so bad. oooop!! not Grace flirting with Ryan where Ozzy could see!! Girly ur relationship is already on thin ice!! EEK I chose the "you dont sound too secure with Ozzy" option and she said "youre right, I guess I dont feel that solid with him right now....kinda feels like he might still be open to other options." and then she glances at MC...😬😩 UH OH shes gonna give a test in the challenge...girlyyyy. skefoisjefjwaenfajw SINCE WHEN AM I BLONDE?????? lolol omg look I get that the art team prob couldnt draw the hat for EVERY hair option but they couldnt at least match the color ??????? also I hate that in challenges MC is the only one who wears a diff outfit. why cant they just make us have a special one but give the girls outfits too??

DEAD at Roberto not having any rhythm and Lewie not having any coordination in the obstacle portion. EEK time for Grace to test Ozzy 🫣 I meannnnn.....Lewie lol? why not Ryan who she actually just flirted with in front of Ozzy and who was grafting her AND is also single. lowkey feels like shes not only trying to teach Ozzy a lesson but us too 👀

OZZYS TURN 🥰 not Ozzy dominating on the bull and his dance moves AND choosing MC. ksaidsiodisjdfies OBVI snogged Ozzy's face off even though I def didnt kiss the other boys 😬 MC is obvi going out and showing out as she she should 💅🏼 anddddd u guys already know who I chose. Grace im sorry babes! Also sorry Roberto and Lewie! OOP Ozzy whispering that after our moment on the terrace he hoped we'd pick him. ok the constant interruptions from Grace...I get them...and I actually do like they added this in but im gonna need a little less to make me feel less guilty about what im about to do 😬. "IT SEEMS LIKE YOURE COMPLETELY ALONE" fb u really want me to fall in love with this pixel man dont you??? 🫣🫣 Grace saying that was low😐 im sorry for Grace that I made my mc be in her villain era bc im def choosing the diamond scene and going to do it all over again with Ozzy. SCREAMING not us landing perfectly on top of him after falling off the bull and then KISSING IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. MC IS A MENACE.

time for a girl chat 😬 damn Amelia saying MC always had the big moves and looking sad...yeahh thats def gonna come back up. LOLOL not Ryan pulling a Rocco and chatting with all the girls. ACK GRACE!!! "its not only the boys im struggling to trust" I love that theres more nuance here and fb actually gave her some personality here. Grace has EVERY reason to be fuming at not only Ozzy but also MC. ok wait..... "but when he cracks a joke you're the person he looks at to see if you laugh." STAHP IT PLS!!! not grace fishing for an apology! im so confused Grace has sat here with us and explained how its so clear Ozzy has feelings for MC and then when she asks if she needs to worry if you say yes. she's still like are you sure??? why did fb not make this consistent with everything else she just said!!

Ryan encouraging Roberto to shoot his shot with MC to free up Amelia is such an EL OH EL moment. like sir u have spoken two words to the girl and you've been grafting literally every girl in the villa outside of MC all day!! pack your bags Ryan!

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #68: NM issues 32-34

This issue opens with a flashback to the explosion that seemingly killed Xuân. She was pulled from Berto by the currents, and he had to give up his search for her to save the drowning Sam. In the present, all of Berto's guilt for failing to save people is coming crashing back down. Steve Leialoha, who's inked a few issues of Uncanny and pencilled Annual 8, is the penciller for this arc, and while nobody can compare to Sienkiewicz in my eyes, he does a great job selling the atmosphere of the flashback sequence, and draws very evocative facial expressions throughout the issue. The key to my heart for a New Mutants artist is how they draw Warlock. I don't want them to replicate Sienkiewicz's Warlock, because it's such a unique style that would feel out of place in another penciller's art and more importantly because it would be boring if every artist had the same take. But a good vision of Warlock is I think indictive of the kind of weird creativity that I think is essential for a New Mutants artist. Leialoha's Warlock feels more corporeal and cartoony, with a lot of personality in his face and some really creative transformations, which is a good take in my mind. The team gets on a plane headed for Madripoor. Madripoor is actually making its first appearance in this issue, and it'll go on to be one of the franchise's most iconic locations. It's an island that's vaguely in the Pacific Ocean and is basically run by the criminal underworld. It's a good way to tell over the top crime stories without being incredibly insulting to an existing country. Expo dump reveals that the New Mutants interrogated Xuân's uncle, the crime boss that she was supposed to work for for a year to repay him for his health. Xuân has actually been manipulating him and then pinned the Gladiators on him, but he gave the New Mutants a lead on her possible location. While the team goes to attack her secret base, Dani tells Doug to stay behind with Warlock. She says it's in case they need backup and/or tech support, which isn't unreasonable, but from Doug's perspective he's being benched again. The others tend to assume he's useless in combat because his powers don't have combat applications (until like 30 years from now when he discovers them) which means he never gets a chance to prove that assumption wrong. They barely even let him train in the Danger Room, usually making him work the controls, even though Dani and Xuân also can't use their powers against Danger Room robots. If he had more field training it might have saved his life later in the series. Anyway, the rest of the team battles an army of mutant minions. I'm not sure when it happened and I didn't mention it, but Dani's new codename is Mirage. I think it's better than Psyche, which was kinda generic for someone with pretty unique psy powers. I barely even register the codenames of these characters because for my own consistency reasons I exclusively stick to their real names. And not even that sometimes; I always call Roberto Berto, which is one of his nicknames, but they just as frequently call him Bobby or Roberto. It just works better in my brain to pick one thing and stick to it. Okay, back to the plot for real this time, Xuân possesses Sam, Berto, Rahne, and Amara, but Illyana natural defenses protect her, and she ports herself and Dani to Limbo. They gather a bunch of demons and return, but Xuân's already killed all her guards with her new slaves and skedaddled, calling the cops to pin it on Dani and Illyana. They know Xuân has a second evil lair in Cairo, so they try to port there, back accidentally go way in the past to ancient Egypt. They're met with Ashake, an ancestor of Ororo who looks exactly like her. She's a sorcerer, and had a vision of their arrival and their friendship with her descendant. Illyana doesn't have the control to send them back to the present, but Ashake is able to send them back magically. It's a pretty random little plotline that ties into a few other hints Claremont has dropped about Ororo having innate magical prowess. But he never ends up going farther than hints with that storyline, and later writers haven't really shown interest in picking it up. Ashake also overshoots, sending them a few decades after their time, where they see their friends sadistically hunting down and killing civilians in the streets. Illyana ports them again and they finally reach the present, but Dani is ready to give up. She was the one who led the team to this fate, and she's afraid there's no way to save them. Almost this exact situation happened in the first Hellions arc, and the fact that it's happening again makes the corruption of the team feel inevitable to Dani. Just when all hope seems lost, the present day Ororo arrives with Warlock, who's immune to Xuân's power and found Ororo in Cairo. Ororo says that the odds are against them, but they can't give up, and Dani and Illyana find a new courage and faith.

Xuân is chilling in her evil lair, a dance club, with her new slaves, now joined by Doug, having fun torturing random people. Our heroes arrive and attack. Through their psy-link, Dani is able to free Rahne, but they're forced to retreat again. Before they do, though, Dani conjures Xuân's greatest fear, Xavier, a hint at the true identity of who's possessing her. Xuân sends her New Mutants after them, and this time gets the upper hand when Illyana seems to betray her friends. She ports Dani back to Xuân, letting her possess her and through her Dani, and then strands Warlock in Limbo. Warlock is having a very confusing day; first his friends betrayed him, and then the ones who didn't told him they still had to avoid hurting Xuân's slaves. And then when he's stuck in Limbo, S'ym shows him the corpse of Limbo!Peter and tells him how Illyana rules and evil dimension. Illyana goes back and captures Ororo, delivering her to Xuân, who calls her Darkchilde and welcomes her as a partner rather than slave. Illyana has a plan, which is still unknown to the readers, but she may never get to use it when she returns to Limbo and Warlock attacks her.

Warlock is determined to destroy Illyana so he can return to Earth and save all his "oncefriends" from Xuân. She tells him she wants to save them too and refuses to fight back, and he can't bring himself to hurt her. He collapses to the ground and calls himself a coward, wishing he could die, which he does a lot. But Illyana gives him a coach speech that gets him to pick himself up. Illyana scries on Xuân, who's taunting Ororo with the knowledge of her true identity, which Ororo knows and has met before. Through vague magic, she's able to follow Ororo's memory to timeshift to that first meeting. It's a scene we saw a long time ago in Uncanny, when Ororo was a little girl and a pickpocket in Cairo. A young Xavier is visiting Cairo and runs into Amahl Farouk and kills him in a psychic duel. But Illyana realizes that his astral form survived and is possessing Xuân. They come up with a plan; Warlock disguises himself as Illyana and goes to Xuân!Farouk. They know he was planning on betraying Illyana and trying to enslave her, but Warlock's mental defenses are even better, and by the time Farouk realizes his mistake Illyana has teleported the others to Limbo and back, breaking the hold over them. Farouk tries to escape by jumping into Doug's body and hiding, but Illyana smokes him out by stabbing with her soulsword, which Doug knows couldn't hurt him but causes Farouk to freak out. Xuân challenges Farouk to an astral battle as Xavier did long ago, and bolstered by her friends, she forces him to flee back into the astral plane. Xuân feels broken and terrified that Farouk will return someday, and wants to lay down and die, but the New Mutants give one of their famous "don't lay down and die" speeches, convincing her not to give up on life. Damaged but whole, Ororo tells the team she's taking them on vacation.

I enjoyed this arc a lot. I do think it would have been better if they hadn't drawn out the possession mystery for as long as they did. But when they do reveal the villain's identity it's an amazing twist, and I do really love Farouk as a villain. Issue 32 was the first one of the series to feature the whole classic team lineup, if you include Xuân's interactions as the villain. It's the most lead characters that Claremont has had in a book at once so far, and there's some slight balancing issues. Berto starts off the story as angry as he's ever been, both at Xavier and himself, and there's not really a payoff. Obviously his arc isn't over, and those issues with come up again, but there won't be another chance to explore that in the context of him dealing with Xuân being evil. I like the way Ororo was included; there was a danger that she'd take over as the protagonist, but instead she mostly sticks to the mentor role, which is how the X-Men should be used in this series. The thing with her ancestor was kinda a weird inclusion though. It's also great to see the kids saving an X-Man, which really reflects how much they're growing as heroes. The Illyana/Dani team-up in 32 was fine, and a good parallel to the Hellions arc, but what I really loved was the Illyana/Warlock duo. It's not a duo that gets a lot of focus in the series as a whole, but their interactions are always gold, because they're both such interesting characters and such incredibly weird people. They also represent the great sci-fi/fantasy fusion that makes New Mutants stories stand out from other 80s books. My biggest complaint about this arc is the number of "I'm just gonna give up and die" "no don't do that" "okay you're right" conversations. I counted at least 3, and they're not badly written, but it kinda gets old. There's other ways to make a character rediscover their will to live. I also don't like how Xuân's obesity is first used as a symbol of Farouk's evil and then as a symbol for how he ruined her life. It's a lazy visual crutch, even more so considering Claremont has written lots of stories about possession trauma and made them very interesting without gimmicky lasting effects. Luckily, Claremont writes that element out very quickly after this issue. I enjoyed Leialoha's art, and I'm a little sad that he'll never be back on the book, but there's some other good artists coming up. The characters don't realize it, but this is the finale of their first era before the Asgard Wars and Trial of Magneto turn the status quo upside down. The team is finally together just in time for everything to change again.

[johnathanthetiger]

@marge-simpson i sent an anon about wanting to write something about betty’s hairstyles through the ages. i had a point in mind when i sent that but i forgot it by the time i finished writing this. hope it’s still interesting enough to you. 

okay so betty, in her(and archie and jughead) first appearance is notably ponytail-less, in fact, her hair is completely down with no accessories. of course character appearances take time to be refined so it’s not strange for there to be differences in their very first. but there’s a clear influence from the hair down look as she gets her official Look as a character. in the forties, both girls, betty and veronica, wear their hair down with bangs. betty’s is blonde and curlier and veronica is black and straight. this is true even among various artists that were drawing the stories. very early archie art is kinda ugly looking but not too much worse than the average art style at the time just as a warning. by the fifties we get to what would become the classic house style for the characters. betty’s look stays with her hair down but now the bottom part is pinned back, sometimes with a black bow, and curled. it’s clearly influenced by her original look but it’s more distinct. her bangs are lumpier than veronica’s, which are straight across. she then gets to her first ponytails in the late fifties, all high, short and flipped at the end with a black bow most of the time. the bangs stay the same and the bow stays as well. the two looks with the bow overlap into the sixties when betty’s ponytail gets longer. the black bow and flip at the end are consistent but it varies in length. veronica gets really into headbands for a while in the sixties but has stayed constant with her straight black with bangs look which also varies in length but is usually shorter than betty’s hair. then in the mid sixties, betty starts to wear short pigtails a lot for a few years, with two bows on either side, varying in color. and when we go back to ponytails betty has transitioned to a low ponytail, still with a bow or now a colored hair tie. her and veronica’s hair steadily gets longer and veronica develops a hair flip with betty’s pony/pigtails being teardrop shaped. the pigtails phase out in the early seventies and betty’s bangs become more fluffy in comparison to veronica’s, instead of having lumps like they used too. then in the eighties, betty’s ponytails go back up again with more variance in shape. and in the mid eighties, they get choppier with betty becoming more of a tomboy in contrast to veronica’s girly girl. also, predictably her hair ties get bigger and more scrunchie like. her ponytail gets looser and scruffier and she goes through a half up and half down phase, essentially a mini ponytail on top of her mid length hair. in the late eighties there’s a bit of a relaunch and betty gets her own comic! betty and veronica gets rebooted too, now no longer having “archie’s girls” in front of the title. basically, feminism finally catches on a little bit and betty becomes the girl next door that most young people today would’ve read as children as opposed to her earlier more obsessive tendencies and constant rejection from archie, which she also starts calling him out on more. this ponytail is basically a modern version of her original one, which is likely intentional in the reworking of the comics. her ponytail starts to vary more and more in style and she’s basically the only blonde being published by them at this point so she doesn’t need a strong character design other than “ponytail”. through the 2000s it’s the same with her ponytail again lengthening as time goes on, keeping it even as an adult through her marriage story arc and subsequent married life comic series. generally, her ponytail is a bit sloppier as the 2000s go on, similar to real life hairstyles. roberto probably is most influenced by the eighties and nineties because that’s when he was a child with a classic fifties appearance influence. he wrote his gay archie play and got his cease and desist letter in 2003 and started writing for archie comics in 2013(?) so i’d say his interpretation of the characters was pretty much fully developed by the end of the nineties probably. betty’s ponytail on riverdale is obviously fifties based but riverdale does away with both betty and veronica’s bangs. personality wise, riverdale betty is a mix of the nineties and the fifties but more nineties, which makes sense as that fits with the viewer and writer base age that they would have read archie stories from. even though her original look and current look are so different, the general journey of betty’s hair is easy to follow visually. and is very influenced by popular styles at the time and the personality betty is meant to have, which evolves over time with changing cultural attitudes. anyways i wrote all this out to say that riverdale and roberto need to stop being so sixties-phobic and let betty have pigtails. also, the heather duke look is very similar to early betty, curled and pinned back, and also should make a comeback because it looks good and begins to explore betty’s many hairstyles. this whole thing is very long and very overall detailed and kinda pointless also you can google to actually see what the hairstyles I’m talking about look like if i did a bad describing them. sorry for this if it’s not worth reading i guess but i had fun looking at archie covers for an hour(?) and got caught up in identifying various wilbur(archie’s less popular predecessor) supporting characters (because there’s not a good list of them online) partway through writing this. was it worth it? who cares. hope you take something positive from my rambling though.

[laughingpinecone]

Letter!

Trick or Treat time!

I am laughingpineapple on AO3

It’s a long list of characters so the specific requests aren’t overly detailed, please draw at will from my general likes and general fandom likes in addition or as an alternative to any of those!

All requests are art or fic - for art, the stuff I like is the kind that depicts the characters doing something. I’ll aways be happier with a very simple drawing of two characters walking together or sharing a cup of coffee than with an ambitious composition that looks like an Avengers poster.

They are also all for tricks and treats, except for The Swapper which is just tricks, but ignore at will for extra gifts.

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (doubly so if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and similar formats, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, magical realism, established relationships, future fic, hurt/comfort or just comfort from the ample canon hurt, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic, dreams and memories and identities, canon-adjacent tropey plots, outsider POV, UST, exploration of secondary bits of canon, leaning on the uniqueness of the canon setting/mood, found families, characters reuniting after a long and/or harrowing time, friends-to-lovers, road trips, maps, mutual pining, cuddling, wintry moods, the feeling of flannel and other fabrics, ridiculous concepts played straight, sensory details, sickfic, places being haunted, people being haunted, the mystery of the woods, small hopes in bleak worlds, electricity, places that don’t quite add up, mismatched memories, caves and deep places, distant city lights at night

Cool with: any tense, any pov, any rating, plotty, not plotty, IF, nerdy canon references, unrequested characters popping up

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, unrequested ships, canon retellings, consent issues

Twin Peaks: Harry Truman, James Hurley, Frank Truman, Albert Rosenfield, Tammy Preston, Monica Bellucci, Margaret Lanterman, Denise Bryson, Cynthia Knox, Constance Talbot, Bosomy Woman, Annie Blackburn, Jade, Wally Brando, Diane Evans, Doris Truman, Lucy Moran

The mystery of the woods. How do they relate to the woods, what do they gain and what do they lose in the woods. Case fic but they don’t find out jack shit, someone disappears, David Bowie was there, it’s complicated. Fragmented, shifted, mirrored identities. New Lodge spaces. The risks of staring into the void for too long. Gentle illusions. Transcendence. The moon. Static buzzing. Any title from the s3 ethereal whooshing compilation used as a prompt, actually. For treats, all these spooky things can remain in the background while the warmer hues of canon (all the food and cute friendships and Canadian geese and sparks of joy) take center place!

AUs and fusion AUs are great for this fandom! I have Final Fantasy on my mind a lot recently so any FFVI, VII, T, IX, X, XII or XIII reimagining would be fantastic, but also regular fantasy, space opera, sci-fantasy… anything fancy!

I ship Coop/Albert/Harry and all sides thereof, Laura/Donna, Tammy/Cynthia, Lucy/Andy, Gordon/Phillip, Chet/Sam. I love & for all of the above and Harry&Frank, Bookhouse Boys in general, Margaret&Hawk, James&Shelly, Margaret&Trumans, Albert&Frank, Albert&Doris, Tammy&Albert, Tammy&literally any woman in the cast, Denise&any Blue Rose, Cynthia&Constance, Constance&Twin Peaks cast, Annie&Audrey, Annie&Shelly, Wally&Coop&Laura, Diane&Albert, Diane&Phillip, Lucy&Margaret. $character&Laura is the free space here, when in doubt add Laura.

Canon-specific DNWs: any singular Dreamer being the ‘source’ of canon, BOB (let alone Judy) being forever defeated in the finale, Judy being an active malevolent presence in the characters’ lives, clear explanations for canonical ambiguities, ‘Odessaverse’ being the reality layer, the Fireman’s House by the Sea being the White Lodge

Harry Truman: his life in remission or something with animals Frank Truman: maybe he’s a tulpa or maybe he came back to a town he doesn’t recognize anymore Albert Rosenfield: splitting identities post-canon, leaving the FBI, something about his jazz collection Tammy Preston: Tammy infodumping 101, meeting legacy characters, trying not to implode like previous generations of blue rose Monica Bellucci: just give me your headcanons about whatever the hell that was about, possibly not as a retelling. Was she actual Monica, a masking memory for a different spirit, something else entirely... Margaret Lanterman: playing off any character we never see her share a scene with in canon, environmental activist, saplings enthusiast Denise Bryson: actual undercover FBI means she’s now part of office shenanigans, right? Or coming back to Twin Peaks years later Cynthia Knox: Garland’s legacy in the USAF is a heavy burden. going through an initiation of her own not unlike Tammy Constance Talbot: visiting Twin Peaks for whatever reason, being shaken by some supernatural event Bosomy Woman: who is she, where does she come from. is she friends with Phil. I’m down with her being Lois Duffy or not Jade: two things I love about her are that she comes out unscathed from a brush-in with the supernatural and that "Jade” is an alias she got from Invitation to Love. Expanding on either topic would be great (Invitation to Love fandom fic?) Wally Brando: the absolute coolest. That is unironically all. Tell me more about how cool he is, in the woods or on the road. Diane Evans: defragmenting her self somehow, in and out of the red room Doris Truman: what’s she like, who is she friends with. A coincidence in Hastings’ website makes me wonder if she’s an UFO enthusiast and interested in the zone Lucy Moran: Lucy's way of perceiving the world as a gateway to deeper truths which she may or may not be aware of. Also raccoons.

Ghost Trick: Cabanela, Jowd, Alma, Pigeon Man, Emma, Bailey

I am very interested in various characters finding about the erased timeline, but not getting their memories back, and having to live with being told about what they did but never remembering it. All what-ifs welcome (what if they managed an acceptable happy ending but didn’t reset the timeline, what if a different party went back to the past and kept their memories, what if Alma’s ghost stuck around…) Also open to AUs here, especially for generic fantasy or sci-fi settings or the Final Fantasy ones I prompted for Yuletide .

I ship Alma/Cabanela/Jowd, Alma/Jowd and Cabanela/Jowd and like all the & relationships in the game and more. Lots of love to Sissel and Missile always. (and Alma/Cabanela if Jowd isn’t around for some reason! Just don’t ignore him please!)

Cabanela: graciously accepting some type of defeat, or being rightfully stubborn about something. Maybe situations in which he knows he doesn’t have to lead Jowd: time-displaced and touch-starved, or getting to the bottom of the morbid humor barrel. Knowing he’s at the center of everyone’s attention. (for the record, that beard is at the center of my attention. it is very nice) Alma: would be nice if she had a personality of her own. Ghost Alma with or without powers? Teaming up with Cabanela or Lynne? Maybe she has trouble communicating with them but she’s there? Pigeon Man: how do he and Lovey take to Sissel. Friendship with Cabanela in the new timeline. Emma: her plotting process, or her activist leanings, or both. Is she friends with Alma? Bailey: I like how simple he is, and his panic dance of course. Throw him at another character of your choice and see what happens? Cabanela, for example?

The Last Remnant: Kate, Pagus, Emma, David Nassau, Zolean, Sibal, Maddox

I’m very interested in post-game exploration, and getting a clearer feeling of any of the cities and assorted places. I like characterization based on battle quotes, red bubble dialogues, and even their unique stat (‘authority’ is a natural fit for David but ‘romance’ tells me something new about Sibal!) Character interaction. Bit of worldbuilding. What’s another festival they celebrate? Do they erect something else instead of the Valeria Heart? Any fun discoveries down in Siebenbur? Where the hell IS Veyriel, anyway, do they go look for it and if so what do they find out? End of an age. Old bonds.

I ship David/Rush (wouldn’t want it as the main focus of a David fic, but as background there or anywhere it’s great) and Pagus/Sibal/Maddox. David&Rush and Pagus&Sibal&Maddox are also great. I also love Torgal, Caedmon, Allan, Irina, Glenys, Sheryl, Roberto and the Duke of Ghor, but everyone, really.

Kate: any expansion of her tulpa narrative? Maybe while she makes a friend of your choice? Pagus: my history-loving nerd. I’m also not over the fact that it’s stated canon that for a Qsiti, he’s an absolute catch. What a babe. Emma: let her be grumpy at someone... maybe teaming up with David à la good cop bad cop David Nassau: nice things happening to David postcanon, please? He’s been through a lot and I love him. Who can understand him, what can give him purpose? Zolean: I need someone to adopt this sad fish now that he knows that his friend is gone. Military experience and lost friends preferred but not required. Sibal and/or Maddox: give me all the Qsiti worldbuilding, Siebenbur worldbuilding, Remnant daydreaming, backstory with Pagus, old men reunions after the ending...

Dark Souls: Solaire, Siegmeyer, Sieglinde, Logan, Gough, Artorias

I’m only familiar with the first game! It’s probably relevant to mention that I think that linking the fire is kind of a dumbass move, Gwyn is an ass, Kaathe has his own agenda and there’s no winning move in this world, or at least no obvious one. Feel free to deviate from anyone’s canon endings, to make things happen that’ll stave off their hollowing. I am interested in any of these people meeting and possibly striking up a friendship, and also in exploring Lordran’s temporal/dimensional fuckery, where it’s possible to meet people who have been gone for ages...

Solaire: tragic, lovable, doomed, pure of heart dumb of ass and all. Ways in which his search for his sun intersects with the bigger mysteries and tragedies? What if he accidentally talked to Kaathe instead of Frampt in his quest? Siegmeyer: just let him be jovial and helpful? Traveling with someone and being a good buddy? Sieglinde: (almost) unstoppable can of whoop-ass, what’s it like to be basically the only non-undead in Lordran? Logan: he grump. Maybe he learns something interesting in the Archives. I am also interested in deets on him going mad there, at the end of his quest for knowledge. Sounds eldritch, poignant and intriguing. Gough: get him out of gay baby jail, poor thing, what’d he do! Or, at least: who goes to visit him, what does he feel for his people who appear to be more or less enslaved. Why does Gwyn allow him to languish in that tower? Artorias: much like with Solaire, I am intrigued by this paragon of virtue in a world that's really harsh on that sort of thing. He’s also... not human? Sif and Alvina always welcome.

Pyre: Oralech, Sandra, Bertrude, Molten Milithe, Celeste, Volfred, Tariq, Pamitha

Oh the burning found family feelings, the revolutionary passion, the divide between topside social constraints (moreso for liberated exiles, thrust into heroic roles after the revolution) and the kind of freedom allowed by the downside! Mere distance cannot separate our spirits! Noxalas! ...any cutesy activity lifted from the game would be great, like X doing laundry with Y.  Thoughts about the Plan, about the Scribes, about being considered the reincarnation of the Scribes, about finding oneself at the end of an age, as everything crumbles down to form something new. The titan stars. Exploring literally any corner of the Downside. Any postcanon very welcome with any combination of endings as long as the revolution was peaceful. I love everyone so much. Please do lean in on the xeno details if you’re writing nonhumans! Even for gen, I like to read what it’s like to be something other than human.

I ship Volfred/Tariq, Volfred/Oralech, some form of Oralech/Volfred/Tariq (more of a Volfred-centric V but I would like to be convinced of the Oralech/Tariq side of things), Celeste/Jodariel, Reader/Sandra, Hedwyn/Fikani and Pamitha/Bertrude. All & pairs welcome. I do NOT ship Jodi/Ignarius, Celeste/Tariq and *ae/Almer.

Oralech: so many intense emotions, just pick one and run with it! His topside ending made me cry. Finding the pristine blackwagon, books and sigil he would deem the True Nightwings’? Learning to let go of he bundle of hatred and prejudice he’d used as a shield, one thread at a time? Bonding with a character of your choice? Sandra: butting heads with any character of your choice, ideologically and also because she’s understandably pissed off 24/7? Volfred was Reader before us, what was their relationship like? And I’m sure that post-game the Reader brings her along to Nightwings meetings when she feels like it? Bertrude: witchy snek doing witchy snek things please. Her reluctant bonding is great Milithe: also witchy snek doing witchy snek things but on a grander, more primeval scale? Her drive to explore the Downside touches me. Celeste: the fixed star learning not to be fixed anymore, and being a person, while her counterpart has something of a 830 years head start and no-one seems to be on her wavelength. She’s intense and burning and uncompromising and how do you live like that? Volfred: early days in exile, bonding with any of the old Nightwings, or living as prime minister giving his all to the new society he’s building, which has to be demanding and tiresome. Idealistic, self-assured and a little manipulative is one of my ideals so just send him Volfred-ing around and I’ll be happy. Tariq: he keeps it all under the surface and if you get a peek past it there’s something of an eldritch depth to him and isn’t that so sweet. I think we need more Tariq whump but also Tariq nursing sick Nightwings, Tariq having nice days and just all-around more Tariq, is all. Pamitha: it’s hard to break that self-loathing but she could get a break maybe? If she stays Downside, what does she find at the far borders of this land?

The Last Guardian: any

The boy & the very good boy… I’d like to read about a distant reunion. I was surprised by the boy being the combo breaker after the former Ueda protagonists cast their societies behind. He gets to live his life with his people, apparently, but what makes him leave and find Trico again? What’s their bond like, years later? Or is it Trico who comes back to search for him?

And what about the being in the coffin? Got any headcanons on the relationship between it, the master of the valley, the alien-looking white tower and the rest of the vall... well, crater, presumably? Are they dead? Does some part of their conscience stick around? Were they in some sort of cryostasis and the destruction of the master of the valley woke them up?

I really like the setting of the game so laying it thick with the environmental focus is always appreciated.

As an aside and since SotC and ICO are in the tagset, I don’t generally like to think about direct, rational connections between the three games, placing them in a timeline etc. Even so, if you read the TLG artbook: what the hell was Ueda going on about, talking about SotC “as if through a mirror” or whatever that quote went like? Iirc he was talking about TLG’s mirror and SotC’s pool having some sort of symbolic... inverted... connection...? If you have ideas about some crackpot surrealist connection between TLG and SotC, the kind fever dreams are made of, I’m all ears!

The Swapper: any

I fell in love early on with this indie gem and its take on cloning, communication and the loss of self and I’m thrilled to see it in the tagset. I love narratives that explore solitude, alien mindsets, rejection of society, fractured consciousness - you can see how The Swapper struck a chord (the stellar puzzles and graphics helped). So the first thing I’d like to read in this nonexistent fandom with no fic is something, anything, focused on any of these themes. What of our protagonist, or what is left of her (WHAT is left of her?), after the ‘planet’ ending? But an exploration of the 'spaceship’ ending also works, keeping in mind that I see it as by far the creepiest and less consolatory option (not that the plot has any business being consolatory or black and white in the fist place, but if I HAD to slap a ‘good end’ ‘bad end’ label, planet ending is the good ending for me). What interests me about the Scavenger - I’m mostly talking about the main playable character(s), but the original one is also very interesting - is mostly what the game puts her through. Delving into her background, not so much. I would also love any setup that offers a focus on the Watchers, just… exploring their point of view on this whole business and on life, the universe and everything as a whole. Luv me them rocks. I’d really like to get into their mindset. The two scientists can come too of course.

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of Marvel: Week of April 24th, 2019

Best of this Week: Avengers #18 (Legacy #718) - Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Justin Ponsor and Cory Petit

I love the Squadron Supreme.

I loved their original appearances as the Squadron Sinister, the later Squadron Supreme series, the Supreme Power series from Marvel Max, it’s sequel and the 2016 Squadron Supreme series that I felt ended way too early with so many good stories to tell.

I understand that these characters aren’t necessarily the most popular,  but they are still Marvels best DC analogue and the fact that they keep trying to trot them out means that they have some semblance of faith in these guys, especially as antagonists to The Avengers

The book begins with short introductions to the Squadron. Mark Milton is a mild mannered American History Teacher excited about teaching his students about the country he loves so much before rushing off to face the danger brought on by the War of the Realms as Hyperion. Kyle Richmond is a Congressman in Washington DC but when the Frost Giants attack he becomes the cowled hero, Nighthawk. Zarda Shelton is an MMA fighter that wears a necklace given to her by her people on the Utopian Isle that dampens her powers, but won’t need it as she becomes Power Princess. Stanley Stewart is your everyman American with many a blue collar job thanks to his speedy powers as The Blur and Joseph Ledger is an astronaut who found a colored prism that gave him amazing abilities as Doctor Spectrum!

What I loved best about this is that throughout the book here’s this unsettling feeling of American patriotism from each member of the team and it’s not until we see short vignettes about the  Squadron, as they fight and kill invading Frost Giants on American soil, that we get a glimpse into what this team is about.

They seem to have been manufactured by some secret project that Thunderbolt Ross used to run, now manned by a resurrected Phil Coulson. Both Hyperion and Power Princess seem to have had their love for America planted into their minds as well as some small modifications to their personalities. Mark appears to be the golden boy American and Power Princess is just a sexy badass that loves him. Nighthawk is as distrustful of his bosses and Coulson as any Batman analogue should be and that's the way they want him to be, saying he’s best when he’s brooding.

Quite honestly though, I love their characterizations as uber American superheroes, not even venturing into Canada once they run the Frost Giants out of the American Border. It reeks of Making America Great Again as Coulson remarks that it “isn’t their job to keep the world safe, just the best little part of it” to his mysterious and heinous benefactor who I won’t spoil.

This does make me wonder what happened to most of the other versions of the Squadron members that are still in the 616 Universe, however. I know Nighthawk died and Deadly Nightshade wears the costume now, but what happened to trucker Mark Milton, Inhuman Doctor Spectrum and Blur who became a SHIELD agent? I'm sure we'll get answers, but this team still more than satiated my desire for more Squadron Supreme.

Not only is this little side story great, but Ed McGuinness’ art is superb. These are the most imposing Hyperion and Nighthawk have ever been, even back in the days of King Hyperion. Power Princess looks both sexy and threatening as all hell. Blur looks delightfully insane and Doctor Spectrum is a colorful mess of crazy. Facial expressions are devious and full of certainty in regards to the mission and the violence they display against the Frost Giants is absolutely brutal. This Squadron is not afraid to get their hands dirty in the name of freedom and I’m excited for their eventual clash with the Avengers.

---------------------------------------------------

Blob is one of the worst Mutants.

Runner Up: X-Tremists #3 - Leah Williams, Georges Jeanty, Roberto Poggi, Jim Charalampidis and Clayton Cowles

He’s a crass, unfunny, douchebag who most commonly serves as a heavier, dumber and less cool Juggernaut. So, imagine my surprise when this series presents him as a well mannered, well-read man with a sense of gentleness and honor to him. I love Blob this way and it is going to hurt when he inevitably change back.

In X-Man’s world, love is discouraged and any action towards those feelings warrants arrest and memory wiping from the X-Men’s Black Team/Secret Police, Department X. In the last issue Blob revealed that he had feelings towards his co-worker, Psylocke aka Betsy Braddock. This causes him to leave his job briefly until she shows up to his house and explores her own feelings towards him, crawling across his table all sexy like and saying she’d see him tomorrow.

He returns to his job and spends most of the day distracted by the slight gazes he gets from Betsy and the irritation from Moneta, a junior member of Department X. She far too eager to stomp out any retrogrades, a slur for people who express loving feelings, and prove the existence of a Resistance, especially after a call about a wild party some teenagers are throwing.

After a long day he tries to get to bed but is woken up by Betsy knocking on his door. Acting as some sort of date, she asks to read some of his favorite books, mostly books that arouse different feelings, mostly of anxiety and interestingly enough, judgement and philosophy in regards to The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot of which Age of X-Man shares some thematic elements with.

Betsy tells him of her former struggles with her body image and how she enjoyed being in Kwannon’s Asian body because she is beautiful, but not her own. Blob assures her, much in his old crass way that he’d “sell out any member of Department X for a chance to %&%# her forever.” In a way, this is weirdly adorable as they both laugh and genuinely seem to enjoy each others company, especially making fun of Moneta at the end.

The team later investigate the party talked about earlier and fight a bunch of teenagers who refer to them as The X-Tremists. Soon after defeating them and rationalizing that they didn’t actually break any laws, Moneta reveals that she was the one who made the call to get rid of the “dangerous” retrogrades. This, combined with Moneta’s treatment of a pregnant prisoner, draws the ire of Blob who fires her in anger, earning the respect and adoration of Betsy.

Age of X-Man continues to toy with the idea of an imperfect utopia whose ideals are so flawed that even those whose entire duty is to erase memories and quell uprisings are starting to see the cracks in the walls. Though Blob isn't the most central character, this is definitely the most interesting he's been in years and I really hope that he remembers his time here once all returns to the way it was. He hasn't been a good or great villain in a long time, so maybe like Toad, it's finally time for him to switch sides and continue macking on Betsy.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1242

Monday, December 24, 2018

 I was hit by a spasm of back pain on Saturday like the ghost of Christmas Past. That'll teach me for being such a Scrooge this time of year. I try not to be naughty but being nice is such a pain in the pants. I am slowly recovering under the gentle ministrations of Santa's Helper. Being around family and friends is better medicine than any pain pills I could take. My brother and sister-in-law hosted a brunch yesterday and seeing everyone together laughing and happy soothed me greatly. Just holding baby Oliver and making him smile eased my back pain.

 I saw the Ottawa premiere of Aquaman thanks to my Jee-Riz partner Chris, who won passes from the comic book store Myths, Legends and Heroes. I can sum up how I felt about the movie in one word; wigs. I wish they had spent some of the Atlantis special effects budget on better wigs for the actors. Arthur's dad's toupee was glaringly obvious. I've seen better hair on Cosplayers than Nicole Kidman's wigs. It looked like Amber Heard/Mera was wearing a wig at times but even when it looked like her real hair the colour red they chose was too unnatural looking. The movie's saving grace for me was Jason Momoa. He makes a great Arthur/Aquaman. I'm glad I didn't pay to see this one.

 Ugh. Stan Lee tribute covers. Terrible marketing idea.

 Dead Man Logan #2 - Ed Brisson (writer) Mike Henderson (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). A couple of things really annoyed me this issue. Sin, the Red Skull's daughter, acted like a spoiled brat. It's not a stretch to foresee the villains losing at the end of this 12-issue story. Then we have Forge repairing a machine that can get Old Man Logan back home. They actually go there and he doesn't stay. I'm for super heroics as much as the next nerd and maybe I'm selfish, but that irked me to no end. Old Man Logan has been whining about getting home ever since he showed up in this timeline and now he wants to stay to prevent all the super heroes from being killed by all the super villains. There isn't even a guarantee that is what happens in the future. And why don't they use the machine to fix things? Man I hate time travel. I really like Mike Henderson's art but this looks like another travelling super heroes versus super villains battle every issue, and that's not very interesting to me.

 Defenders: The Best Defense #1 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Belardino Brabo (inks) Dono Sanchez Almara (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's the big Defenders reunion to save Earth. Old Man Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor and the Silver Surfer have to sidetrack The Train in order for Earth to survive. It's a bit complicated and I'm surprised that you didn't really need to read all the one-shots to get what's going on. I mean all those scenes where the stabby killer in the bed sheet is killing aliens isn't even mentioned in this story. So what was up with that?

 Marvel Knights #4 - Vita Ayala & Donny Cates (writers) Joshua Cassara (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Here's where they explain why all the super heroes have forgotten who they are. T'Challa/Black Panther is featured in this issue that ends with him discovering the lair of villains. I'm wondering how the bad guys retained their memories.

 Old Man Hawkeye #12 - Ethan Sacks (writer) Francesco Mobili (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a very satisfying ending. What a great prequel to the Old Man Logan story where Clint and Logan go on a road trip. This is where Clint loses his sight for good. I loved the last page epilogue showing Clint tracking down someone who will help him to continue to fight the bad guys despite his blindness.

 Runaways #16 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Reading this Christmas special is better than getting a lump of coal. Having Doombot as a dinner guest made this a treat. I wish he was a regular member of the team.

 West Coast Avengers #6 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Daniele Di Nicuolo (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The good guys have been captured by the bad guys: Satana Hellstrom, M.O.D.O.K., The Eel and Madame Masque. Kate is still free however and she's not going to abandon her team mates. Too bad she gets waylaid on her way to rescue them. Her captor is a complete surprise, which will make the next issue a hoot.

 Thor #8 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This is an awesome issue with Thor fighting the Angelus. It ends with an ex-Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. being paid a visit by the Black Panther. I like how this book is being tied into The Avengers.

 Season's Beatings #1 - Jason Latour (writer) Greg Hinkle, Chris Brunner, Veronica Fish & Mario Del Pennino (art) Rico Renzi, Jim Campbell & Veronica Fish (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I should have realized from the cover that this was a Deadpool Christmas Special. If I had known, I would have bought a pair of socks from the Dollar Store with the $4.99 US that this comic book costs. Unless of course, you're a big Deadpool fan or West Coast Avengers fan or even an X-Force fan. They're all in here too. Plus Squirrel Girl and Doctor Doom. Come to think of it, this is an everything but the kitchen sink gift for a Marvel Comics fan who will get a few chuckles out of it.

 Freedom Fighters #1 - Robert Venditti (writer) Eddy Barrows (pencils) Eber Ferreira (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). This is some heavy duty patriotic poop right here. We start this 12-issue story in 1963 America that is ruled by Adolf Hitler and his "ratzi" party. The original Freedom Fighters meet to plot a resistance attack on a war robot factory. Things don't go well for the good guys. Jump forward to 2018 and the surprise appearance of the New Freedom Fighters; Black Condor, Doll Woman, the Human Bomb and Phantom Lady. All we need is Uncle Sam. Robert Venditti holds nothing back showing the Germans as ruthless racists. The art is really well done so I will give these Golden Age heroes a chance to see how they fare in modern times.

 Middlewest #2 - Skottie Young (writer) Jorge Corona (art) Jean Francois Beaulieu (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). A new character named Jeb is introduced who helps Abel get out of a bind. Jeb reminds me of the first time we meet Gandalf. Abel's quest continues and we find out a bit more about the symbol on his chest. I predict he'll meet his mother down the road but unlike the talking fox, I won't be travelling down it with him.

 Cover #4 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Mack (art) Michael Avon Oeming (Owen art) Zu Orzu (colours) Carlos Mangual (letters). This issue is a great example of how a comic book can tell a story with words and pictures. I felt like I was watching a TV show or a short film. Brian, David and Michael work together seamlessly

 Hardcore 1 - Robert Kirkman & Andy Diggle (writers) Alessandro Vitti (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Thomas Mauer (letters). Yeah man, it is. Agent Drake is a drone pilot but what he controls are other human beings. A new nanotechnology allows him to take over and move a remote body for 72 hours so he can complete wetwork missions. It's really cool. The big problem arises when the guy who invented the tech comes back to reclaim it from the government. That guy is not asking nicely. I like this concept and the predicament that Agent Drake finds himself in at the end of this issue. Therefore, this goes on to my "must read" list.

 Klaus and the Crying Snowman #1 - Grant Morrison (writer) Dan Mora (art) Ed Dukeshire (letters). This $7.99 US one-shot tells the tale of how Sam the snowman helps Klaus save the Earth from murderous aliens. I loved how they wove in Norse mythology. You'd think a crying snowman would be doomed in the end and you'd be right, but fear not, 'tis a happy ending.

 Betty & Veronica #1 - Jamie Lee Rotante (writer) Sandra Lanz (art) Kelly Fitzpatrick (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). The BFFs are back with a 5-issue mini that starts off their senior year of high school. I know that these slightly more mature Archie Comics want to draw in a new audience but Betty dating Reggie? Sacrilege. A few other things bothered me storywise that turned me off even more. Betty drinking a spiked punch without noticing? C'mon. Then there's the art. I didn't like the interiors compared to the nice cover that Sandra drew. I expected my girl Betty to be treated better than this.

 Catwoman #6 - Joelle Jones (story & art) Laura Allred (colours) Josh Reed (letters). The finale of "Copycats" is a quick read so I read it twice. The first time was to see how Catwoman deals with the evil Mrs. Creel and her pumped up on drugs son. The second time was to see Catwoman in action and to savour the beautiful art and layouts. I wish Joelle Jones would do a Betty & Veronica mini.

 Extermination #5 - Ed Brisson (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I tolerated this time travel tale because of the amazing art. I wish Pepe Larraz would do a Betty & Veronica mini. If you thought that the mutants being exterminated was a real threat then you haven't been reading X-Men comic books for very long. This story puts the young X-Men back in their own time and all is well again. The big surprise comes on the last page and I'm thinking "oh geez, here we go again".

 Domino #9 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon & Michael Shelfer (art) Roberto Poggi (ink assist) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Soldier of Fortune part 3. The ladies are asked to kill Longshot. Haven't seen him in a while. Might not see him for long though, since he's supposed to bring about the end of the world. This is interesting because both Domino and Longshot have the same super power. Who's luck is going to run out first?

 Firefly #2 - Greg Pak (writer) Dan McDaid (art) Marcelo Costa (colours) Jim Campbell (letters). Mal and Zoe are being hunted by a gang of thieves and the Alliance. Darn tootin' there's going to be shootin'. I have been watching Nathan Fillion's new cop show The Rookie and I quite like it.

 Batman #61 - Tom King (writer) Travis Moore (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 1. The "what the!?" appearance on the last page of #60 is explained here as a new story starts. I knew something was hinky when I saw the string of pearls around the dead body of Martha Wayne in the alley. I thought we were in an alternate universe and we sort of are but it came as a complete shock when what was going on was explained. Arkham Asylum is getting a new inmate. At least he's new to me unless I want to go back and read Batman #38.

[wehavebackissuesblog]

Final Thoughts: X-Force

1. Favorite character and why?

MsCaptainWinchester: Shatterstar. Shatterstar. Shatterstar. He's my overconfident idiot, and I love him. He has no reason to go as hard as he does all the time. He spent his entire life in a physically and emotionally abusive environment. He stumbled his way out of it and into our world. By rights, he should be taking a much-needed break. But is he? Nope! Right back into fighting to the death for people and causes that have nothing to do with him. He's amazing, and I would fight anyone who tried to argue otherwise.

9th_Pawn: Cannonball because is is the only person (on any side) that has any degree of self reflection. Every step along the way he is asking “what are we really doing here?” And that question really needed to be asked.

2. Least favorite character and why?

MsCaptainWinchester: I was going to say Toad, but then I remembered that Gideon exists. Sleezy, slimy Gideon. Dressed like a god, behaves like the worst kind of back alley personal-injury lawyer. And the fact that I kind of like Roberto only makes it worse, because his has zero scenes without Gideon, and that's just infuriating.

9th_Pawn: Gideon. He was hyped as the next big bad. The cunning of Sebastian Shaw with the immortality of apocalypse. Has he even appeared in a comic since 1994?

3. Favorite thing about art?

MsCaptainWinchester: How completely unapologetically off-the-wall 80s it is. Liefeld does not hold back on how big the hair is, how many new muscle groups he's going to come up with, and the pouches? So. Many. Pouches. 

9th_Pawn: As much as people tried, nothing really looks like that era of X-Force. It took every artistic quirk of the X-men and did them all at once.

4. Least favorite thing about art?

MsCaptainWinchester: I'm not convinced Liefeld is a human being, has ever met a human being, or has ever even actually visited Earth. I can draw better limb proportions, and y'all have seen my attempt at drawing Cannonball. The first time Stryfe appeared on screen with his giant body and tiny, tiny feet, I fell over laughing for a full 2 minutes and nearly asphyxiated myself via wheezing. Someone needs to send him to Anatomy 101, stat.

9th_Pawn: how utterly unreproducible it is. As soon as X-Force was handed to another artist the costumes failed to work even a little. Marvel took far too long to change them to something that worked no matter the artist.

5. What does this make you want too read more of?

MsCaptainWinchester: Shatterstar, definitely. I love my sweet, confused death machine, and I want to read all the things about him.

9th_Pawn: New Mutants

6. Headcanon theories?

MsCaptainWinchester: Boom Boom and Cannonball are secretly twins, and no one told them, Luke- and Lei- style. Or maybe more Clary- and Jace-style (I was a late-age teenage girl when those books came out, friends. Now you know my shame), given the heavy incest their relationship would imply.

9th_Pawn: I believe that X-Force is a brilliant manipulation by the various X-villains to disillusion the most potent Mutants of the next generation and make sure they are too jaded to ever really be part of Xavier crusade.

7. Fanfiction Ideas?

MsCaptainWinchester: I would love to see the inner domestic life of Black Tom and Juggernaut. Do they go on conventional dates? Do they brunch? I feel like Juggernaut would be into going to brunch. Does Tom read Juggy poetry by the fireside on snowy winter nights? Do they spoon? If they do, which one is the little spoon? It's totally Cain, isn't it?

9th_Pawn: Same

8. Favorite panel? Things that made you go SQUEE!!!

MsCaptainWinchester:

I loved this panel so much! Shatterstar at his best, fighting an evil dinosaur-man mid-air with only his practice swords. Love. It.

9th_Pawn:

This panel is everything you need to know about the first 2 years of X-Force. Big, colorful, and completely unable to back up all the shit they talk.

[inhumansforever]

Lockjaw #3 Review

spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers spoilers

Lockjaw and D-Man’s adventures continue and we learn the source of the mysterious signal that has set this all in motion in this third in a four issue series from the creative team of Daniel Kibbelsmith, Carlos Villa, Roberto Poggi and Chris O’Halloran.  Quick recap and review following the jump.  

The story so far has seen Lockjaw stirred by a mysterious signal that alerted him to the fact that his siblings may be in trouble.  He teleported into action, checking in on his brothers and sisters to make sure they were okay.  First he traveled to Brooklyn to see Bixby, a long-lived bulldog cared for by a kooky old woman.  And it just so turned out that this woman is the neighbor of the retired super hero and one-time Avenger known as D-Man.  

D-Man had lost his super powers some time ago and it has left him adrift, feeling depressed and purposeless… trying to find some new sense of meaning in life.  Yet being a hero is in his nature and, powers or not, D-Man jumped into action and assisted Lockjaw when a swarm of hamster-piloted flying saucers attacked.  

Together, Lockjaw and D-Man were able to fend off these hamsters and, once Lockjaw was sure Bixby was safe, he teleported off to his next sibling.  D-Man accidentally tagged along and the two had another adventure in the prehistoric Savage Land.  There they encountered Ka-Zar and Zabu and battled a pack of giant wolves.  The fight was cut short, however, when it was revealed the pack was lead by ‘The Great Beast’ whom it just so turned out is Lockjaw’s sister.   The Beast herself had been also attacked by hamster in flying saucers yet she and her pack where able to defeat them without aid.  Seeing his sister was doing fine and needed to protection, Lockjaw teleported off taking a very confused D-Man with him.  

This most recent teleportation was a much more significant jump… Lockjaw transported to an entirely new dimension.  This is Earth 8311, the anthropomorphic universe populated be cartoon animal versions of the various heroes and villains of the Marvel 616 Universe.  

D-Man had no idea such a dimension existed and is quite confused by it.  He has little time to bend his mind around the matter before he and Lockjaw are attacked by The Wisker and his Wrecking Zoo (an anthropomorphic version of The Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew).  Fortunately, the Spectacular Spider-Ham swings in to lend a hand and the villains are defeated.  

Teleporting to a whole new dimension has taken a lot out of Lockjaw and Spider-Ham leads them to a safe location and it is here that they meet Lockjaw’s other sister, Doc Jaw.  This sibling had been brought tot he 8311 Universe when she was just a puppy and the anthropomorphic filed surrounding he world impacted her development, changing her into an anthropomorphized version of herself.  She was discovered by Mooseter Fantastic, who took her in.  Under Mooseter Fantastic’s tutelage, Doc Jaw would gone on to become a great scientist.  

It is here that D-Man is finally offered some answers as Doc Jaw explains to him (and to us the readers) what exactly has been going on.  It is a bit of  jarring information dump, but the exposition is appreciated in that it was nice to discover what exactly has been going on.  

Here’s the deal…  Some thirty years back Lockaw’s mother was a regular dog who was experimented on by an unscrupulous Inhuman scientist (has there ever been an Inhuman scientist who wasn’t unscrupulous?).  Lockjaw’s mom was exposed to a version of the mutagenic Terrigen Mist whist she was pregnant and she gave birth to a litter of puppies, each of whom had been altered by the mists.  The most powerful of the puppies was Lockjaw, who was imbued with enhanced size and strength, cosmic awareness and the ability to teleport himself and others through dimensional portals.  Lockjaw was gifted to the infant prince, Black Bolt, and would go on to be an important member of the Inhuman Royal Family.  

Some time thereafter, Lockjaw used his newfound powers for teleportation to transport each of his siblings to new homes.  Bixby was transported to Brooklyn, The Beast to The Savage Land; Doc Jaw was teleported to Earth 8311… and so on.  

Although Lockjaw’s intentions were good, he was just a puppy and, well, a dog.  And in his efforts to transport his siblings to safe places, he accidentally happened upon The Negative Zone.  This is a violent realm lorded over by the powerful Annihilus.  

Annihilus is a terrible being whose only aim is to destroy everything possible and he has been bent over trying to find access to the multiverse so to spread his nihilistic right of terror and destruction.  This being sensed Lockjaw stumbling into the Negative Zone. He sought out the sibling Lockjaw had left there (a brother) and captured him.  

Again, Annihilus is intent on accessing the multiverse so to spread his terror.  Yet he can only create small, temporary portal to access it.   His plan, it would seem, is to seek out Lockjaw and use his genetic material to obtain the ability to teleport between dimensions.  To this end, Annihilus has sent out hi minions to capture Lockjaw’s sibling, hoping to lure out Lockjaw and capture him.   With her enhanced intellect, Doc Jaw was able to discern Annihilus’ scheme and she sent out a beacon to him hoping that she could get to Lockjaw first and warn him of Annihilus’s plan.  

If ll of this wasn’t complicated enough, there is the additional wrinkle that Lockjaw no longer remembers how to teleport to the Negative Zone.  He had made the trip once before, but it was by accident when he was just a puppy.  He needs to somehow remember how to make the jump to The Negative Zone so that he can rescue his brother and put an end to Annihilus’s scheme.  In order to access this memory, Doc Jaw has created a machine that will allow D-Man to enter into his unconscious dream-scape where hopefully the hidden memory might be found.  Or something like that.  It’s a bit confusing.

In any case, D-Man is rather reluctant to travel into Lockjaw’s dreams.  Doc Jaw convinces him it is a challenge he must step up to.  Fate has put him and Lockjaw together.  She can sense D-Man’s heroic nature and appeals to his sense of needing to do the right thing.  D-Man ultimately concedes and agrees to put on the apparatus that links his and Lockjaw’s minds.  

Sleep is induced and D-Man and Lockjaw find themselves wondering through the dreamscape.   There the two are attacked by nightmare entities drawn from each of their unconsciouses.  These nightmare creatures are destroyed by the timely arrival of a new ally, the mysterious being known as Sleepwalker.  And it is here that the issue confused with the promise of continuation in the next issue.  

Oh kay…  A rather wacky issue with a complicated plot, but still a lot of fun.  The Marvel Anthropomorphic Universe is a pretty silly place, with cartoon animal analogs of familiar characters each offered their own pun-based animal names (some better than others. Thunderb -owl?).  

It was kind of tough bending my head around Doc Jaw’s exposition of the plot points.  I’m still not sure I have everything figured out… are the hamsters in flying saucers Annihilus’s agents?  Still, I suppose some degree of confusion is to be expected when you get an information dump from a talking dog.   And I can certainly relate to D-Man’s feelings of befuddlement.  

In that the two previous issues were a good deal lighter on plot, it offered up more room for exploration of D-Man’s character.  Conversely, this issue was much heavier on plot and, as such, D-Man didn’t receive as much character development.   

Sleepwalker showing up at the end was surprising.  He’s a character I know very little about… although he certainly fits right in alongside D-Man, Ka-Zar and Spider-Ham.  I’m loving how Mr. Kibblesmith is drawing from such random corners of the extended Marvel Universe.

I’ve know idea how this nutty story is going to wrap up nor how it is all going to conclude in just one last issue.  But I sure am looking forward to finding out.   The art by Villa, Poggi and O’Halloran is once again terrific.  It fits perfectly with the tenor of the tale and I especially liked the way the over arching style has shifted from one bizarre location to another.  

Definitely recommended.  Four out of five Lockjaws.  

[rodriqueacarpenter]

Premier League / Regular Matchday 31 results -

Epl matchday 1 - Premier League Live Table, Season /20

Prediction: Fulham never travel well and Bolton will pose too much of a physical threat as they win Birmingham have a decent record against the Black Matchdayy, having won five of the eight Premier League clashes to have featured the two sides but have won only once on the opening day of the Premier League—a win over Tottenham in Sunderland will be hoping that the midfield partnership of Steed Malbranque and Boudewijn Zenden pictured can create a few more goals this season, mxtchday the latter having spoken publically about feeling fully epl matchday 1 for the first time since joining the club.

The epl matchday 1 Liverpool, Barcelona and Chelsea elp joined last September, and with a full pre-season behind him is raring to get the new campaign underway. At the back Titus Bramble has been signed from Wigan and could well partner Nedum Onuoha, who has joined on a season long loan from Manchester City.

Maik Taylor is set to play against Sunderland, and Colin Doyle has been recalled from his own loan spell at Coventry City to provide cover. Blackpool will become the 44th team to appear in the Premier League use this link they kick-off against Wigan on Saturday. Wigan finished 16th in matchdday Premier Epl matchday 1 last season and this will be their click straight season dpl the top-flight of English football.

Under manager Roberto Martinez, they will be striving for greater consistency this time out. But they also ell nine goals at White Hart Lane and then got thrashed in the return game against Chelsea on the last day of the season. Central defender Antolin Alcaraz is in line to make his debut after joining from Brugge, while Ronnie Stam should start at right back.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway pictured has been frustrated by the elp he has encountered epl matchday 1 the transfer market this summer and reportedly came close to elp out on the club. But on Wednesday they named their first four signings and these were quickly followed by striker Marlon Harewood.

Harewood is a much needed signing as DJ Campbell has returned to Leicester City after being at Blackpool on loan last season and Billy Clarke will miss the entire season with a knee injury. This signing will hopefully take some pressure off of club-captain Charlie Adam, who was top scorer last year with 18 league goals from midfield.

Prediction: Sadly, I see no fairytale start for Blackpool. A comfortable win for Wigan, which will provoke a memorable quote from Holloway—hopefully the first matchfay many. Record signing ell Jones could epl matchday 1 his debut epl matchday 1 Stoke on Saturday, and his direct, physical style of play will fit in nicely with the Stoke ethos.

Epl matchday 1 games between these two sides ended in goalless draws but the two epl matchday 1 have improved their attacking options. Defender Jody Craddock pictured is coming off a strong season but will have to be at his best to counter the Stoke aerial threat. Michael Oliver.

2020-21 Premier League Matchday 1 Lines (UPDATE)

Epl matchday 1 Salah M. Jack Harrison J. Virgil van Dijk V. Patrick Bamford P. Mateusz Klich M. West Ham. Dpl Stuart Attwell. Callum Wilson C. Jeff Hendrick J. West Brom. Leicester 3. Sunday, Sun Sep 13, - PM. Anthony Taylor. Timothy Castagne T. Jamie Vardy J. Everton 8. Martin Atkinson. Dominic Calvert-Lewin D. Sheff Utd. Wolves Monday, Mon Sep 14, - PM. Mike Dean. Chelsea 5.

Craig Pawson. Jorginho Jorginho. Leandro Matchdayy L. Reece James R. Kurt Zouma K. Man Utd 2. Tuesday, Tue Jan 12, - PM. Kevin Friend. A total of eight matchfay took place, with 23 goals scored in total. A quick look at the Premier League highlights for Liverpool epl matchday 1 Leeds United proves why this was the unmissable encounter from matcchday first round of fixtures.

Back in the Premier League after a year absence, Leeds gave a good account of themselves as they proved to find out a tough match for Liverpool. A Mohammad Salah hat-trick proved to be too much for Leeds however, with epl matchday 1 game finishing in favour of the defending champions. New signings James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure looked at home epl matchday 1 away, linking effectively with their teammates.

NCAA Football. NCAA Basketball.

Premier League

PGA Tour. LPGA Tour. ATP Men's Tennis. WTA Women's Tennis. Mixed Martial Arts. CFL Football. MLS Soccer. WNBA Basketball. Formula 1 Racing. Champions League. Europa League. Serie A Soccer.

[riverdalepocdaily]

It made me really uncomfortable with how they made Chuck a creep last season when he's the sweetest guy who just wants to make art in the comics. And the fact that they almost drowned him like it was nothing?? tf. I hope he gets a real redemption arc, he was really cute with Josie in Pops but as usual the writers didn't follow up. Like does Reggie know? so many questions lol

i think they only used chuck for a storyline that reggie is historically more suited for last season because ross was unavailable due to him filming 13rw. they needed to make someone the bad guy to explore betty’s “dark” side, which i thought was complete and utter bullshit because like you said he’s a sweet guy wants to draw comics and had been since his inception. roberto says that he loves jordan and would like to have him around for more episodes in the future so he does plan on redeeming him because they are done using chuck as a villain, and that 2x18 sees chuck getting more redemption so there is follow up with his redemption arc. it’s not just a one and done thing. now i can’t say if reggie knows or anything else regarding his interactions with other characters. i will share a small spoiler that i know about him in 2x18 under the cut.

there is apparently a scene between veronica and chuck that furthers his redemption, and she complements him for being good and changing his life around. people are trying to give it romantic connotation but we’ll see what happen when we it premiers on the 18th. i haven’t watched this scene with my own eyes, but apparently those who have say he gives he longing looks.

[asheasexualvampire]

The Weekly Dustdate: First Computer Part Has Arrived!

So, salutations, greetings and all that. I’m doing much better this week, I feel like the hamster that runs the power in my brain has more focus. Probably because I was out of my main anxiety and depression medication. And now I’m not. I didn’t have it for just over a week. I was loosing it a bit. But I have brainpower again. Also the first piece for my new computer has come in the post! My friend Roberto (yes, the one who lives with my werewolf friend, Ricardo) does IT work, and knows how to build computers, he recently built one for an acquaintance of mine, Gadriel (no, not an actual angel), and when I mentioned that I was going to have to break down and buy one, everyone pointed to Roberto and said “Have him make you one, it will be cheaper and work better!” So I did. And the first piece arrived in the post Saturday, which is so very exciting, even though it was just the memory cards. As the parts come in, I will store them in the crafting closet in my hallway. If I were to draw my apartment, once you come in the door, there’s a short foyer, with a coat closet (no doors on any closets), and then another tiny hall off to the left at the end while the end of the foyer opens to the living area. In the tiny hall there is another closet to the immediate left again, which is where I keep my linens, and other bathroom and health things like lotion, nail polish, qtips, jewelry box, toilet paper, etc. Just past that closet is the bathroom (it has a door), and directly across from the bathroom is the bedroom door. At the end of the short hall, hidden by the open bathroom door, is another closet. If you close the bathroom door, you can see it. It is my crafting closet, I keep my yarns, paints, pencils, pens, sewing stuff, spare drills from diamond paintings, etc. In the living area if you turn all the way around so that you face the foyer where you came in, on the other side of the wall behind the coat closet is the kitchen. Its all basically a little square. Its nice tho. As I was saying, the computer parts will be going into the crafting closet until they’re all here, so that they’re all in one spot and I don’t loose anything.

Also I ordered the housewarming pictures for Ricardo and Roberto, so those should be here in April, and I will probably have them done by the end of that month. I have trouble with focusing way too hard on things and I can’t NOT do them, because they’re there, and I NEED to do them. And its never something I actually need, like doing the dishes or mopping. Its stuff like diamond painting, or something. Its very frustrating.

But anyhoodles, I have the first bit of the computer, the rest of it should be here by the end of March, so I will have it shortly! I’m very excited, its the first time I’ve had a desktop computer since... 2005? 2006? Something like that. I got a laptop in 2007, and have had various laptops ever since. But now I have an actual home of my own! So I want a better computer. I am so happy, and I think I have thanked my friend until he’s sick of it. But this is the first time I’ve had a customized computer! I might actually be able to play Ark without it being an asshat. My laptop likes to blink off randomly when playing games. I’ll be playing Slime Rancher or Surviving Mars, and it will just shut itself off. Its not overheating or anything, it just goes “blip”, and I have to power it back on again and wait for all the start up crap again. It has done this since the day I got it. Fucking piece of shite Toshiba. Its going to become my D&D laptop. I keep all my gaming stuff on here, character sheets and such. I’m just going to transfer all my art, photos, stories, etc. off to the new computer and this one will go into the coat closet on the top shelf where I keep my D&D folder, my Magic the Gathering decks, and my dice bag.

Well, its early, I’m going to go have a drink and putz around online, watch some Youtube, talk to friends (I’m looking at you FYA chat) and do some general nerdery. See you! -Ashe, the Asexual Vampire

[randomnotesofmyown]

Urasawa’s Monster (69-70)

Episode 69 - the peaceful home (Or, nightmare started.)

Hotel owner introduced Konrad's homemade jam to his guests. And the jam maker Konrad was already dead.

Grimmer and Lunge discussed the coming massacre. Grimmer asked if they would invade this peaceful town, Lunge pointed out invasion was not the only means. "There was a case where a single destroyed an entire town. It was in 1958, in Zweifelstadt ("City of Doubts"*). A series of murders occurred in Niedersachsen. When the people began to suspect their neighbors of being the serial killer, the townspeople became paranoid about even dull, everyday activities. In a state of mass hysteria, one of the townspeople used a gun he purchased for 'protection' and shot his neighbor. No one could stop it after that. The town was set on fire, and everything within reach became a weapon. The residents killed each other and no one survived."

Grimmer said they had to prevent it before it began, Lunge replied it might have been too late already.

Wind blew.

Wim got bullied again, this time they took away his money.

A man's voice, "Boy, you hate them, don't you?"

The couple who won the lottery, still paranoid when others looked their way, decided to go talk to Konrad, the person they thought would know about their winning.

The husband found the body.

Grimmer saw the sausage girl in a happy mood. He asked if something good happened, and the girl replied that the wonderful man who would take her from this town finally showed up.

Wim's father wandered the street and came across the wheelchair couple. The man in the wheelchair got up and started, "What you want..."

"Is this, isn't it?"

Dog barking. A gunshot. Lunge turned around.

"...and the dog stopped barking."

Temma went to Prague, found Lipsky, and immediately asked for the whereabouts of his father, Franz Bonaparte. Lipsky kept quiet until Temma mentioned Nina.

The doctor then recalled the conversation he had with Nina before he came to Prague.

He put together a profile for Bonaparte.

And Nina told him where to look for Bonaparte's son.

Nina went on, "I can tell what Johan is trying to do. The perfect suicide. True solitude. His only expression of love. If we don't hurry, many innocent people will die."

In Lipsky's home, Temma talked about his father's picture books sitting on the bookshelves.

"After reading several of these, I've come to realize something. All the characters in his works have German names for some reasons. Like the God of Peace and this one."

"However, the problem is with this pen name, Klaus Poppe. The name Franz Bonaparte and all his other pen names were Czech, but only this pen name was German. Could it be that Klaus Poppe is the real name of your German-born Czechslovakian father?" Asked Temma.

"There was a detective using the same reasoning, who also discovered my father's real name. He said he was Inspector Lunge from the BKA. He left weeks ago. He also made another deduction. No, with Inspector Lunge, it was more like he became the person rather than using deduction. 'I am Klaus Poppe. I have no place to return to. In order to regain tranquility in my heart, I must return to my heart's homeland.'"

"German-born Czechoslovakians were chased out of Bohemia and lost their homeland when Germany lost the war. What part of Germany was his family from?"

"My father told me once when I was a child. Our hometown was in southern Germany, surrounded by mountains."

Lipsky said he gave Lunge a postcard he received three or four years ago. 

Lipsky then asked if his father would be killed and what was going to happen.

"He's...Johan is trying to recreate it, the massacre that occurred at the Red Rose Mansion, the slaughter at Kinderheim 511...Please, no matter what happens, come back alive, Temma. You saved me. That's why you must..."

"It's starting to rain." said Lipsky, alone in his home.

Temma walked in the rain.

The lottery winner couples talked about the body of Konrad, and the damned lottery.

Grimmer waiting for a train and was told by a staffer that no train would come because the rails were flooded and road traffic stopped as the river was flooding.

"Guess we're like a deserted island. This is the worst possible situation."

Temma was talking to a man who had all of Klaus Poppe's works in his collection.

"I find the art interesting. But I just can't bring myself to like this person's works. There are tons of picture books with depressing content in the world. But his works are different from those, too. They are full of malice. "

The collector picked out a book.

From what he could tell, the author of that book and Klaus Poppe were the same person, said the collector.

"The content has completely changed. A thief escapes to a town in the mountains. The thief has a a scheme to make some money in that town but forgets how to steal after interacting with the townspeople. And then, he lives quietly, working for the people of the town. The title is 'A peaceful home'. Those bad feelings you get from his past works were completely gone. However, his art style became much worse. Strange isn't it. When his content became better, he couldn't draw anymore. It feels like he lost his goal or something..."

Temma looked at the title and something dawned on him. He asked for a map of southern Germany.

At Hotel Versteck, a police officer complained about the bad weather and the lack of men. The owner mentioned that a Mr. Kemner was attacked the night before after he left the pub. The officer loudly said those must have been done by outsiders.

The wheelchair couples entered the hotel. As they passed by Lunge, the inspector noticed something on the man's shoes.

After the police officer left, Lunge walked past the couples and started, "Your husband's shoes, they are rather dirty. It's as if he was walking in the rain." Then he said he would need to make a call.

The couples stared at him behind his back.

An officer saw a car stopped in the middle of a road, he got off his car and asked if any help was needed. The person pointed a gun at him with his right hand and fired.

"Looks like we can no longer stop it." Said Grimmer to himself.

A view of that town in the gloomy rain.

End of episode 69.

*I Googled Zweifelstadt 1958 and found this blog post, where a comment by Scriva read "I don't think the incidents mentioned in Monster are based on true accounts, even though places similar to Kinderheim 511 certainly did exist. Maybe not as a sort of experiment in Eastern Germany, but certainly in Romania. Similarly, serial murders of any kind did happen in Germany as in other places as well even though I don't think you will find a particular reference. The smaller towns, mentioned in Monster, do not exist in that form, neither Zweifelstadt or Ruhenheim exist in the attributed areas, but both could be there and they are word games."Zweifel" means "doubt" which is a major theme of Lunge's character arc." And Stadt means city, hence literally it means the city of doubts.

Episode 70 - the town massacre (Or, a way out)

Wim got beaten up by those boys again. After those boys left, Wim took out a gun.

Wim's father set foot in the pub, but was instantly asked to leave.

An officer, Laufer, found the body of Konrad. And then, when he ran to his partner Merkel, he found him lying on the ground. Laufer ran to his car and called the station. A shot fired at him. 

"I'll take your gun, too," said Roberto.

Wim's father headed back to the pub, banged the door open with the gun given to him. But found everyone in there killed already.

Grimmer walking in the rain and saw dead bodies along the way. The town had become a battlefield. Walked around a corner, he saw Wim with a gun and three children on the ground.

Grimmer checked the gun, no bullet was fired from it. He then asked Wim to try to remember everything and who gave him the gun.

Laufer was spared and he went all the way to Hotel Versteck. Lunge asked about the person who shot him and was told that the gunman was some stranger. Lunge walked to the wheelchair couples and asked how many friends came to the town with them. Entered Grimmer, who said, "You did manage to spread quite a few guns around, though. You even gave one to a child like this."

The couples got up.

The man said, "He looked just like our grandson! He looked just like our grandson who passed away. He knew a lot about us."

Grimmer asked the couples who that was.

Lunge said, "you were writing a letter to your dead grandson. So you were passing on information to 'him'."

"'He' was probably after me." Said the hotel owner.

Lunge and Grimmer agreed.

An email addressed to Nina was sent to Dr. Reichwein a couple of days ago, and the counselor showed it to Nina. "I'll be waiting for you in Ruhenheim". They then discussed what Johan was trying to do, a perfect suicide, and claiming the lives of many innocent people as well. 

Reichwein mentioned that a town by the name Ruhenheim existed in southern Germany, Temma might be there. Nina requested to go there.

Cut to the hotel, Lunge continued speaking. "This is a very strange feeling that I'm getting. At first, I thought you were just a character from a certain person's imagination. Yes, just like the characters that appear in your picture books. For years, I've been carrying out my investigations by collecting objective data. However, this time, I completely ignored the data and purely followed that man's imagination. As I followed the clues, partially for my own amusement, I met a young man who had entered the Red Rose Mansion many times in Czechoslovakia. He was your son. This postcard you sent him with a hand-drawn picture under your real name, Klaus Poppe, signed K.P. Even after arriving at this location and seeing you with my own eyes, I still feel strange. I feel as if a character from a storybook has escaped from its pages."

"However, this is reality." Said Grimmer. "In the list of names I had researched of people who escaped Czechoslovakia, the name 'Klaus Poppe' was indeed on it. Right before the Berlin Wall fell, you fled to this land. What were you running from? People like myself?"

"Were you trying to run away from people like me?"

"I can tell what the young man named Johan is trying to accomplish. And right now, that's exactly what's happening to this town."

Roberto in his room with the sausage girl. He said everything would have disappeared when the rain stopped.

The girl asked what would disappear, and Roberto replied, "All the memories."

Cut to Nina. Reichwein and Gillen agreed that Nina go to Rehenheim on two conditions: Gillen went with her and she must not bring a gun with her. Nina agreed and asked Reichwein to arrange everyone who knew Johan to get into hiding.

"What about your memories with Johan?"

"I must not erase them."

Temma arrived at town, saw a wounded man asking that the children be saved.

Cut to Lunge. "Johan. The first time I heard that name was in 1995. It was during the testimony of a certain neurosurgeon."

"Dr. Temma." Grimmer, "Then you're admitting that your deduction was wrong?" "No. He is still an important reference for me. Johan is just a fictional character to me. Fictional character, those are the words that captivated me during my vacation. How can a real man become a fictional character? The answer is simple. All the people who know him, all the people who know his past, everyone must be erased. And ultimately, it'll become like the ending to one of your books, Mr. Bonaparte."

"If that's what's happening in this town..." Lunge continued.

Grimmer said that was what he would do if he were Johan, he was also a fictional character. "I'm not a man named Neumaier who signed the hotel registry nor am I Wolfgang Grimmer. I am nobody. Then let's disappear together. Along with the man who stole my memories and my name."

Poppe said he was waiting for the sentence to be handed to him.

"You're waiting...? You're not afraid to die...?"

"People...people have to think of food as delicious. They have to enjoy a picnic of a holiday. They have to think a beer after work tastes great. People...people...people feel sad from the bottoms of their hearts when their children pass away. I won't let you die. I'm taking you away from this town, and I'll publicize everything. I'm going to show the world the identity of the monster that you've awoken! Until then, I'll protect you."  

"Where is Johan", asked Lunge as he walked to the couples. 

They said they didn't know.

"Then who is the man controlling this massacre?"

Again they said they didn't know.

Lunge pointed a gun at them.

Another gunshot.

Temma caught a glimpse of someone running. He entered a building and found a group of people hiding in it. He instructed them to run away to the forest.

The man talked, "There is a man giving orders in Hotel Bergbach"

The lottery couples showed up with their guns.

Lunge borrowed a sniper rifle and a pistol, then headed out.

Temma checked the coast was clear and told the people to run.

End of episode 70.

Comment: Episode 69: I think I would write a few lines about the wheelchair couples. They handed out guns to people who had negative feelings, to Wim's disgruntled father, to Wim, someone who got bullied time and again and resented the children who did that to him. And when they did, their facial expressions were identically strange. Their eyebrows showed sadness, and yet they were smiling at the same time. I do not understand the state of mind they were in; I do not see why, despite them having way more experience in life than Johan, they would willingly help Johan carry out his plan and act as his tools. Was it because their grandson died in a way that made them hate other people? With so much hatred that they would go as far as to egg people on killing each other?

Episode 70: This episode was grim, people either lost their lives or were afraid that they would be next. Fear. Despair. Anger. Sadness. But then when things looked most hopeless, help came. Temma arrived at the town and helped people escape; the lottery couples brought along their new weapons just when Lunge and Grimmer needed those. With those weapons, both Grimmer and Lunge expected to remain alive after everything was over.