#MY FRIENDS ARE MEAN 2 MEEEEEEEE
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lenny-zesty · 7 months ago
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things my friends have called me bc they are very mean 2 me /j
-goomba -grandpa -leadbelly -bernadette -pale ass white crayon -the gay vegan shark from shark tale -80s librarian
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bughusbands · 8 months ago
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOIIIOOIOOOOOOOOOOO‼️‼️‼️
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Reject snail become pickle @bughusbands
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crystalmonk5579 · 1 year ago
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Haii totally not a suspicious blog post for my bestie @ninjapaste >:3c
Bazhagen/Duke Wyatt
A/n: NONE OF THESE ARE CANNON BESIDES THE EAR WIGGLES AND THE EAR PETS OK?! I'm literally just doing this bc Robyn is asleep and I don't wanna bother them lol anyways let's begin!!!
~~o⁠(⁠(⁠*⁠^⁠▽⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠)⁠o haiiiiio⁠(⁠(⁠*⁠^⁠▽⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠)⁠o~~
Bazhagen:
Ok, pets fucking start off with the obvious, his ears are sensitive. Like not really sensitive where it could be painful, but like, lil tingles when you touch em.
His bf Lucian(my oc) will pet his ears sometimes
This mofo can get jealous as easily as a fly and flap it's wings. Like Lucian could be talking to someone from Durmitch and if they do ONE WRONG THING IT IS GOING TO BE A FUCKING DEATH GLARE FOR THE REST OF THE COVO
Very into pda but I feel like that's a given bc of his out going natured personality
This man will constantly tease Lucian Abt anything so be fucking careful when you're around baz, he will never stop reminding you of embarrassing things. Like you guys could be talking and he could call you kale teeth in reference to when you were talking to your crush and you had a piece of kale in-between your teeth.
Doesn't trust wild animals in Durmitch for three reasons, 1.) They're probably dangerous 2.) They could be used as listening devices for some magical people! And 3.) Lucian might adopt them and they're gonna steal his bfs attention away from him >:(
Honestly, I think he might be really fucking good at rock climbing for some reason...
This man is willing to pick up his small 5' bf and just smother him with kisses in public, no holds back all out, just to either scare someone off or just to show he loves his bf sm
Willing to just show up unannounced and bring you gifts if he ever senses you are sad one singular bit. "Heyyy, I saw you were acting not like yourself, and really really sad for whatever reason so I bought out an entire bakery with my friends money, you wanna watch the real elf house wives?"
HEAVY ASS SLEEPER ISTG IT WILL TAKE A FUCKING MILLION MAN MARCHING BAND TO WAKE HIM UP A LIL BIT/hj
I think he might really be into soda or root ear floats in a modern au
I think he might also really like axe throwing too, both as practice for fighting and competition!
This man's hair is so so so fucking rough and jaggy like look at it, it looks like a susuwatari from studio Ghibli movies except they're all greased up and spiked to make him look cool
I don't think he actually likes the leather pants he wears, like they're very restrictive and not good for fighting, not to mention it must fucking itch badly since I'd assume Durmitch woods are kinda like rainforests. And we all know that leather pants + humid/wet rainy areas= ITCHY ITCHY!!!!/neg but eh, who gives a shit!?! He looks cool in em
Cry baby when he gets a cold "OUGHHHHH LUCIAN WHY MUST YOU ABANDON MEEEEE?!!?!?" "....babe you have a mild cold, you'll be fine in a couple of days" "*sniffling and sobbing* WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO MEEEEEEEE?!?!?!?"
Duke Wyatt:
His hair is so fucking soft istg, it looks so fluffy and soft and nice to touch
I bet he smells like dandelions and tree sap from the woods
Modern day au I think this man would have a skincare routine ngl
I think if he could I would actually be really really good at drawing!!! Like omfg I bet his penmanship from song wriitng
Man will sometimes unconsciously death grip Lucian while he's cuddling him by accident
Would slightly die inside if his favorite patisserie would go out of business and he couldn't get his almost croissants anymore
This man gives like the bestest hugs ever istg, they're tight and soft at the same time and theyre long but not too long that they over stay their welcome
Honestly....he'd slay in a summer dress, LIKE ESPECIALLY THOSE DAINTY WHITE ONES WITH SUNFLOWER PRINTS THAT GO SO WELL WITH A SUN HAT
Very very good at dexterity shit with his hands bc of wood carving, speaking of hands!
Very calloused and gritty on the sides bc of accidently nicking himself while making flutes and other wooden things, carrying logs, wood cutting etc etc
HE IS A FUCKING HEATER WHEN JT COMES TO CUDDLING, HE IS PERFECT FOR EXTRA COLD WINTER NIGHTS
(Modern au)Hates and I mean HATES SCARY AND GORY MOVIES WITH ALL HIS HEART
Actually more of a cat person than a dog person, as much as he gives off golden retriever bf vibes tho, they're just a lot calmer and more nice to be around...and they won't chew up his flutes!!!
(modern au) any movie relating to animals dying like a dogs purpose, Marley and me, etc etc. They make him go through all the stages of grief for a 5 day period.
He really really likes flannels too!!
That's it for now y'all!!! Have a nice day/night/evening!!
~~(⁠づ⁠。⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠。⁠)⁠づ byeeeeeee ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠⊂⁠)~~
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our-reality · 2 years ago
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ok if i don’t ask i’m going to go insane forever. GRABS YOU . TELL ME ABOUT THESE GAY LITTLE OCS
UAAHWBABSNENSBFNSNGBDNDBFMSDBRB FUCK OKAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
might throw up forever trying to formulate this in a. coherent way but I'LL TRY !!!!!!!!!!
ok uhehdhrjtkg i currently have 7 named ocs, those being ruby, java, python, swift, c+, vysel, and requiem. yes ik the first five are named after programming languages it doesn't mean anything though HEJSBRJSJFJDKGNG uh. i will try to be brief with them because i could honestly sit here forever talking about them and i actually wanna answer this ask so. L
uuhhshdhdhb first up is ruby!!!! she's like. the main character. along with java :3 she's very very sweet and makes friends w pretty much anyone (in fact 2 of her 3 best friends at the moment are people she literally found on the street and was like you. me. friends. NOW) she cares so much and she has so much compassion but she wears her heart out on her sleeve all the time and she. I LOVE HER SO MUCH SHE'S EVERYTHING TO MEEEEEEEE
and w her is java !! java's like. the co-main character and she's very lowkey, esp next to ruby LOL she's also ever so slightly bitchy and blunt sometimes but i promise it's the autism and the Troubled Childhood you gotta believe me . she is also very gay for women and is absolutely pining over ruby <333333 (they get together by the end though so it's okay LOVE WINS 🎉🎉🎉)
uhhhhhh next is python and he's an asshole forever . but real talk it's the assigned funnyman of the group but in the condescending n annoying way but IT'S A FACADE he actually cares so much about its friends forever and can be mature and wise when he needs to but it BURIES its FEELINGS in SARCASM!!!!!!!! (and maybe violence) also he's 8'3" cuz suprise it was a god at one point who forfeited its god powers to be a human . that's also why his eyes n teeth r bright yellow and he has strange markings everywhere lol oops
and next is swift !!!!!! sky's the dogsitter of the entire universe good for them LMAO she's still a god and used to be work partners/best friends w python before he fucking Left but let's not worry about that <333333 anyways she's very calm and elegant and they always put the interests of others before skyself whcih . uh . can be a good or bad trait depending on how you look at it but sky's trying SO HARD leave them alone . also they like to be alone a lot and they would play the flute and read books if skies role in the universe allowed them to have Hobbies
next is c+!! that's not his actual name i promise it's a nickname because he doesn't like ppl knowing his actual name . he's definitely the least plot relevant of the seven but he's still so silly 2 me <3 he's that character trope of a guy who's somehow done Everything and worked Every Job Ever but can't hold down any of them so he just pulls random anecdotes about his internship at NASA out his ass and no one believes him (least of all his good buddy java) but he also has a lot going on under the surface . which is preddy neat :3c
then there's vysel. i hate him so much. blond hair blue eyes son of a bitch . he's a former swing turned alt rock artist who got popular for being hot and shippable i guess . also he's a reanimated corpse piloted by evil spirits but shhhh no one knows that (though it would probably add to his sex appeal if ppl did know . so.) he's like the biggest bitch forever and ever he is very celebritycore mentally i'm ripping him apart with my teeth . he uses his visual illusion powers TO GIVE HIMSELF BLOND HAIR BLUE EYES WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uhhh and then finally requiem !!!!!! they're very socially closed off and hates talking to like. Anyone and Everyone. including their parents i mean what . they wear fucking only black and white clothing and their hair is Also black and white and it's like bro get a better wardrobe got DAMN!!!!!!!@!@@!@@!! they don't really become relevant until the "second season" because i like to think of my own story as like. a tv show . because i'm just like that but when they do they become VERY important cuz they're kinda the whole reason ruby and java were involved in this story . the narrative plagues their being with every second that they breathe. they will never be free.
UHHH YAH THAT'S MAINLY PERSONALITY WISE because if i sat talking about their roles in the story or their relationships with each other past the surface level or god forbid their backstories i'd be here for 8 billion years so. YIPPEE ^_^
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fallen-faery · 3 months ago
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okay so. like. 2 days ago my friends made this awesome stew while we were at the park and someone approached us for a bodyguarding thing
turns out shes super fuckin hot. im talkin "i want her so bad it makes me look stupid" hot. like. gah DAYUM (idk what that means but jesse says it and i think it fits here)
like shes telling us about the job and she asks if we have any questions and my stupid ass says "dya wanna makeout" KGJSKFNDKJF WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEEEEEE
SHE SAID MY SIZE MUFHT MAKE IT DIFFICULT BUT SHES "NOT ONE TO BACK DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE" DKDKLA,#*@,$*!?'$((@,$
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maguro13-2 · 1 year ago
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Miku.EXE : The Resurrection Pt.4.5 (Canon version) 2/2
Zatsune (?) : Okay, sister! We're here!
Miku : Hmmm? What is this place?
[The nearest place to heaven Pt.1 - Hideaki Kobayashi]
Miku : This is...This is an open-world like field full of flowers. It's like some kind of garden or something. But... It's quiet...too quiet.
Zatsune (?) : Hey, Dad. I just got back from training with my sister!
Sonic (?) : That's really proud of you, Zatsune. Your sister is learning very fast to awaken her gifted powers.
Zatsune (?) : Mhm! My sister will grow big and strong once we have awaken powers to God! I swear an oath that we'll be just like you, dad!
Miku : "Dad"? Wait a sec. What's going on here? Sonic, please tell me this is some kind of "Father-daughter" thing? Perhaps, it's clearly the best that for you to think that I'm some kind person who to think that is your "child".
Sonic (?) : Of course you are. That's why I made my old friend to make me the best pupil in the universe. That is my sole purpose for you to tell that I'm the most powerful supreme being that is "God". And God is the world's fearsome being that has existed eons from the stars.
Miku : "God" you say? (Chuckles) Look here, Mr.Sonic. I don't what you're pulling off of this "God" stuff around me, but if you're that Clever to think that you are "God" or something, then you my friend, is probably making a mista--
*SFX : SHOCK*
Miku : H...Hey! W-W-What's that red stain on your hands? They're...They're covered with blood! [shaking in fear] S-S-S-S-Sonic. D-Did you just killed someone or anybody?
Sonic (?) : Yes...that's exactly what I did...[with a distorted voice] DEAR DAUGHTER!
[GLITCHING]
Miku : [screaming in horror] YYYAAAAAAAAAH!!!
[The nearest place to heaven pt.2 - Hideaki Kobayashi]
Miku : What's happening?! Why am I still dreaming?! Please! This isn't right! Come on, Miku, you've gotta wake up! Wake up! Wake up, damn you! [slaps herself in the face] WAKE ME UP AND GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!! IS THERE ANYOBODY WITH ME TO GET ME OUT OF THIS NIGHTMARE?!?
Kaito : M...Miku? Is that you?
Miku : Kaito? Kaito, Is that you? I can still here your voice! Where are you, Kaito?
Ren : Miku, over here!
Rin : Are you there, Miku?
Luka Megurine : I'm right here, Miku!
Miku : Could that bee...
(the Dream Vocaloid crew appears surrounding her)
Miku : Guys! Thank goodness, you guys! I'm so worried about you four! Please, this whole place is a living nightmare and Sonic trick me into going to freedom! But please! This isn't the way to freedom and I want to get out of this nightmare! I want to escape this nightmare and wake up from this nightmarish hell!
Dream Kaito : I see then...Sure we'll help you get out of this nightmare! Leave it to us!
Dream Rin : We're with you no matter what!
Dream Ren : Right back at ya, Miku!
Dream Luka : We'll find you a safe haven to look for your freedom!
Miku : Thanks, guys! I knew that even I could trust you all, you're still my best friends and I need you for my help! The help for me in my reach to escape for my true freedom! *Sniff* I've been truly blessed by my own people.
Dream Ren : Right!
Dream Rin : So, come on, Miku. We're gonna get you home safely to find your freedom and--*STAB* Gaaah! (grunting in pain) K-Kaito... W-Why?! (Dies)
Dream Ren : Rin! Nooo! (Gets decapitated) Hey! Why are you doing this to me?! (dies)
Miku : Guys! Luka! Take my hand! Please, trust me and it will be alright!
Dream Luka : Sure, Miku! At least that I'm not going to...(suddenly, Kaito does his powers to her, causing her to be afloat in midar )
Miku : Hey, Kaito! Put her down! What do you think you're doing! Why are you killing my friends for Sonic? Please, Kaito! Not her! PLEASE, NOOOOO! STOOOOOOOP!
Dream Luka : [screaming in agony] MIKU! HELP MEEEEEEEE!!! [Explodes into pieces and dies]
Kaito (?) : "Mr.Sonic"? Don't you mean "Master Xeno"? And I'm certainly aware that I am Master's apprentice.
Miku : Master Xeno...as in "Xenophanes"? The demon of destruction who disappeared since his mysterious appearance?! How did you know that Xenophanes was you and Zatsune's master? And what the hell are you?!
Kaito (?) : Well, well, that's a poor question you got there, Miku. But please... Don't Tell me that I was created by the same person that created two of his daughters, making him..."his servant". I am the one and only genuine pupil that will reach the levels of "God" myself! I am Kaito...Kaito.EXE!
[Newcomer : KAITO.EXE SCARES FOR FUN!]
Miku : You...You're another "Kaito"? A different and evil version of Kaito?! You can't be seriously be that real! The Kaito I know would never betray me! You're not who you are!
Kaito.EXE : Oh, am I, really? Guess what, Miku? I was created with the same data as "God's" data, giving me this rightful opportunity to become the proof of "God" himself! Master Xeno wanted to help me become a stronger and powerful "God" that wanted to become stronger like two of his daughters, Zatsune and you...Miku.E-X-E.
Miku : W-What?! (Holds in her head in pain, screaming) GAAAAAAAAH!!!
[FLASHING, GLITCHING]
Miku : No! Stop it! I'm not who I really am! I am...I am...
[TV BUZZING]
"I AM GOD."
[Exe Laughing+TV BUZZING]
Miku : Gah! *breathes heavily* Oh man, it was only a dream.
(it is revealed that Miku is in her Prison cell after waking up from a dream)
Miku : Huh? I'm finally woke up somewhere in...[in realization] In prison?! I bet no one is superstitious that how I ended up in a place like this? I just don't know what are the odds of being ended up here? But wait, how did I...How did I ended up here?! And...And what's with these with black and white prison garments?! This is one messed up life after getting framed by the same person that did this to the human race. If only I could help anyone to prove my innocence, but there's no one to help.
Kaito.EXE : I can help you with that.
Miku : (Shocked and sees Kaito.EXE against the walls with his arms folded) It can't be! You're the one from my dream...Kaito!
"Who is Kaito.EXE, The mysterious person created by the same data as Miku.EXE's?"
"Shrouded in mysteries, this blue-haired Gentleman with the same eyes as EXE's can be the one helping Miku to proven her innocence and would find out who Miku.EXE really is."
"The answers lies ahead of us from the truth."
~ THE LOVER OF ANOTHER GOD UNVEILS ~
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gay-la-v replied to your post “knightlysoulsnatcher replied to your post “ah yes! 2am, the Feelings...”
Y'all lay tf down
is ALREADY HAPPENING
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kithtaehyung · 2 years ago
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WHEW here we go Ryen!! This is a lot but here were my thoughts 🥰 (part 1 bc I have to split it all agagag
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IMMEDIATELY I WAS LIKE FUCK ITS NOT NAMJOON AHAHAHA THEN OH FUCK ITS JIN!!!!! LOL I WAS SO SHOCKEDD BUT ITS OK WE LOVE
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When I tell you my heart dropped to my ass…..PLEASE we know there’s some history here (& I can’t wait to know abt it!!!) but this made me so nervous for how yoongi was going to react - mad?? sad?? all of the above??
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1. “Have you?” He is!! Just won’t admit it yet 🤪🤭 LISTEN I WAS GETTING SO TERRITORIAL IT WAS BAAAAD. I love u jk but please no 🫶🏻.
2. THE BIG REVEAL OH MY GOD!!!!! Hope is what leaves him!!!???! PLEASE DONT DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEE - torn between wanting to be a good friend, stepping back bc miss girl is “off limits” anyway, thinking jk is what should be best for her…. HOPING BC MAYBE WE MIGHT WORK OUT!!!! YOONGI SHE WANTS YOU TRUST MEEEEEEE
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Again, love you jk but not today ty 🫰🏻(u can come to me instead it’s ok)
THIS WHOLE SECTION. Ahh, it’s always the what ifs huh. What if he did step away and give jk and her the chance to reconnect? What if it’s really what’s best?? What if it’s not?? His POV is so interesting because we rarely see it esp in this light. All he wants to do is make her happy even if it means hurting himself in the process 🥲
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BUT let’s stay in this moment right?? Hold you tight while he still has you😭😭😭😭 (the more than anything part absolutely killed me like yes let’s understand our feelings tonight thank you)
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Need I say more
tbc hehe
ABEEEEEE I CAN FINALLY GO THROUGH AND RESPOND TO THESE AMAZING NOTES SFFHSJFD first off, can i just say: my jaw dropped when you sent this first one in, and then it kept going with each message of annotations you made?? holy shit i've never screamed so much when i realized what you were doing!! ok ok screaming over now we go under a cut for more (inevitable) yelling:
your thing about the brother was so funny bc LMAO i was wondering what people were gonna say when the rapline names dropped!! i saw that you realized that it in fact wasn't jin either so it's all good :D
When I tell you my heart dropped to my ass…..PLEASE we know there’s some history here (& I can’t wait to know abt it!!!) but this made me so nervous for how yoongi was going to react - mad?? sad?? all of the above??
awhhhhh yeah.. the way we get a sinking feeling as soon as the reveals start to happen. i like how you sniffed out a history so quickly, though?? damn!
1) “Have you?” He is!! Just won’t admit it yet 🤪🤭 LISTEN I WAS GETTING SO TERRITORIAL IT WAS BAAAAD. I love u jk but please no 🫶🏻. 2) THE BIG REVEAL OH MY GOD!!!!! Hope is what leaves him!!!???! PLEASE DONT DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEE - torn between wanting to be a good friend, stepping back bc miss girl is “off limits” anyway, thinking jk is what should be best for her…. HOPING BC MAYBE WE MIGHT WORK OUT!!!! YOONGI SHE WANTS YOU TRUST MEEEEEEE
LMFAO THE DEFENSIVE MODE WAS ONNNN. we love jk so much in this house so this is all out of tough love, we swear!!
and your "NOoOoOOoO" TOOK ME ALL THE WAY OUT PLSSS.. yoongi def recoiled so damn fast but i get it. he had his reasons, albeit so stupid. :'((( if only he knew what we knew.
Again, love you jk but not today ty 🫰🏻(u can come to me instead it’s ok) THIS WHOLE SECTION. Ahh, it’s always the what ifs huh. What if he did step away and give jk and her the chance to reconnect? What if it’s really what’s best?? What if it’s not?? His POV is so interesting because we rarely see it esp in this light. All he wants to do is make her happy even if it means hurting himself in the process 🥲
LMFAO exactly i love how everyone's like "omg jk screw off and come to me instead" LOLLL
sheesh, his pov's always hurt but are amazing validations for us as readers. can you imagine if we didn't have any of his pov's? we would wonder what in the hell is happening and would be blindsided just like reader. on the flip side, it kinda hurts us two-fold anyway bc we know both sides. which is rough when both of them are so sAD but we wanna scream to not be!!
BUT let’s stay in this moment right?? Hold you tight while he still has you😭😭😭😭 (the more than anything part absolutely killed me like yes let’s understand our feelings tonight thank you)
the "more than anything" and "please say his name a lot tonight" double hit absolutely destroyed me. bc this man, in his mind, knows things are ending soon. clearly, he still very much wants to milk out whatever he can with reader and it's just aRGHHGHGHHG
AHHHH i can't wait to respond to the other parts, abee. you are INCREDIBLE!! thank you so so much for taking the time to annotate the lines and screenshot and even format these reviews. i am: the most grateful and feel very unworthy honestly :'))) truly, thank you so much!! more to come soon!
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seeyounexttime · 3 years ago
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In last week’s accompanying Clover Clip (you can see it here), that one Golden Dawn girl shows that she follows Yuno online and the screen is briefly shown.
Apparently she follows him on instagram--or, well, blackgram. 
Yuno has a fuckton of followers but only follows 2 accounts and you know one of them is definitely Asta but who do you think is the other account?
Idk what's up with the "Fake Account" thing but looking up 注 shows it's part of words such as "attention", "notice", "comment", "advisory" so I'm guessing something like that is what the word was supposed to be before it was cut-off... Was someone posing as Yuno? o.o
Yuno's manga profile says that he likes the sky, and judging from that little title "Today's Sky" I guess he was gonna take a picture everyday? that's cute~
Now for that one untranslated bit... As you can see these kanji are blurry. I actually asked online if more experienced readers could identify/guess what it's supposed to be, and two people suggested that it's 癒し. I then I asked an online friend who knows Chinese if they had any idea what character that was, and they also suggested 癒. So シルフのベル is like "Bell the Sylph" and 癒し means "healing, soothing, therapy, comfort, solace"
"Bell is a comfort"? "Bell is soothing"? I know, I know, but I put some thought into it and came up with a few things:
From the Book of Yuno light novel he says to Bell "...because I grew up in a pretty noisy environment, I feel calmer when I’m next to someone as lively as you.” (quoted from blackcloverdatabase's translation of the novel, specifically Ch.3 Pt.2). So maybe that's what he means? Well I guess even with Asta there's a certain decibel where it becomes too much and he tells them to dial it down :p
Now onto something more comical but that I still consider within the realm of possibility..~
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Look at her screeching at the fanclub. I doubt that Yuno likes that he even has a fanclub in the first place, probably thinks it's creepy, and I'm sure you've seen how some fans can be. So I suggest to you this angle of Bell providing "solace" for Yuno: she chases them off like a rabid Chihuahua. I doubt he's cold enough to tell off his fans; he only gets that cold when in confrontations with assholes. But Bell though? She's an immortal nature spirit that hardly has any fucks left to give about other people - she can tell them all to stay the hell away. And so Yuno lets that little fairy loose on his fans to keep them at a distance.
And I further suggest that Bell helps manage his instablackgram account like a little agent because I wouldn't be surprised if his time on there went something like this:
Yuno:  *just trying to find fellow sky photography enjoyers* Yuno's comment section: ✨💖✨YUNO✨💕✨  FUUUUUUUUUCCKKK MEEEEEEEE♡♡♡ 🥵💦💦 Yuno:  ಠ_ಠ
Idk about you but I can see it, I can see Bell furiously tapping away at Yuno's phone  "Blocked. Blocked. Reported. Blocked. You're all blocked. NONE of you free of sin."
And those are my suggestions for how Bell provides “solace” to Yuno :)
I welcome any further information and clarification about what the stuff on Yuno’s profile says, especially that line about Bell
i wouldn’t be surpised if bell tries to block asta too but yuno probably unblocks him every time 
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twilightofthe · 4 years ago
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Chapter Nine liveblog of The Mandalorian Season 2!  Let’s go!!!
Recap time!
Oh shit the ARMORER I MISSED HER even if it’s just her voiceover lol
Y’all I am fucking PUMPED
Oh shit yeah Fennec Shand’s not dead I wonder if she’ll show up again too 
GOD I MISSED THE SOUNDTRAAAAAACK
OOOP OOP OOP OOP OOP HERE WE GO HERE WE GO HERE WE GOOOOOOO
THAT’S MY FUCKING SON AND HUSBAND
THERE THEY ARE
LOOK AT THEM
THEY’RE JUST WALKING AND I’M IN LOVE AGAIN
BABYBABYBABYBABYYYYYYYYYY
HIS WIDDLE FUCKING FACE
OH NO HE’S WHIMPERING
OH BABY YODA GOD HOW I MISSED YOU
YES MR TWI’LEK LET THE CUTE BABY IN
YES LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS
*cinemasins voice* Space wrestling!
Oh yeah it’s those green pig species guys from ROTJ whose names I never remember, Gamoreans?
Wherever I go he goes KILL MEEEEEEEE
Lol bruh looking for other Mandos won’t teach you how to find Jedi, it teaches you to pick fights with ‘em 
HAHAHA THE BABY IS CASUALLY LEARNING MORE VIOLENCE YES I LOVE IT
Heyyy it was Gamorrean!
I feel like I know Cyclops’s voice for some reason
Lol look at Din he has sense
Ohhhh boy fight time
Time to see my husband kick ass
Oh shit shit shiiiiit is there like, a valuable underground trade for beskar and Mandalorians???  SHIIIIIIIIIT
LOL YEP GO HIDE WHILE DADDY WORKS BABY
EPIC GUITAR WAILING NOISES YESSS
ARMOR HUSBAND KICKING ABSOLUTE ASS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
THAT WAS A FUCKING SASSY HEADBUTT LOOOOOOOOK
HE’S SO AWESOME I’M ;_;
HELL YEAH GET THAT TRAFFICKER BABY
AND CUE THE AWESOME ASS RECORDER THEME
I LOVE ME A MAN WHO NEGOTIATES
Whaaaaaat a Mando on Tatooine?  Good thing my Mando on Tatooine fic is an AU!
Mos Pelgo, huh?  New city!
Pfff it’s been literally less than ten minutes and I’ve already typed THIS much
OHHH SHIIIIIIT HE’S LETTING THE TRAFFICKER GET EATEN ALIVE DAMN SON
BADASS RECORDER NOISES INTENISFY
Oho, “The Marshal”, huh?
WAIT MARSHAL AS IN LIKE “MARSHAL COMMANDER”
ARE WE GETTING FUCKING CLONES?
OH GOD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
And there’s Peli!!!!!
Holy shit my fic did pretty well predicting that xD
Lol I love her
She is Me
BABYYYYYYYYY
wrinkled critter
Din she doesn’t know what a Mandalorian Armorer means
I LOVE PELI
HOLY SHIT WE’RE GETTING A MAP OF TATOOINE
SHIT I CAN USE THIS
BABY STILL LIKES CAR RIDES
Omg he’s actually sitting with the Tuskens!
TREAT THE TUSKENS LIKE PEOPLE AND NOT UGLY STEREOTYPES 2KFOREVERRRRRRRRRRR
Dang the way he walks tho
(sorry I had to *coughs*)
“Someone who looks like me” pfff Din
Wait hang on a second this “Marshal” isn’t fucking Boba Fett is he he better not
But shit this is on Tatooine it makes sense--
I’M BAD AT MANDO ARMOR IS THAT BOBA IDK I CAN’T TELL IN THE BACKLIGHTING
Ah a blissful stranger.  Not a clone tho, dammit, that would have been nice
He sounds young too, I recognize his voice
WAIT A FUCK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY BOBA FETT’S HELMET I MIGHT BE BAD AT MANDO STUFF BUT I’M FUCKING POSITIVE
oh damn and he just took it off in front of Din The Orthodox Mando WHOOP
Shit I know that guy’s actor who is he
OH NO OH NOPE HE’S NOT EVEN A REAL MANDALORIAN HE’S JUST AN ARMOR THIEF WHO STOLE BOBA’S ARMOR THIS BOI IS GONNA DIE AHAHAHAHA
Ahhh we’re going cowboy movies again
Wait so Boba wears real beskar now?  I thought his wasn’t
Lol yep here we go Din’s goin’ after him now
“He’s seen worse” Din NO, THAT IS HOW YOUR CHILD LEARNS TO STRANGLE PEOPLE FOR ARM WRESTLING
Tatooine’s got earthquakes?
2012 is that you?  Lion King antelope stampede hello
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT IS THAT A KRAYT DRAGON
I’VE WANTED ONE OF THOSE FOREVER
IT’S AN ALASKAN BULL WORM
No really damn what is that thing lol
Could be a Krayt dragon?  But idk their designs
DIN YOU JUST ABANDONED YOUR CHILD IN A POT MY DUDE WHY
AHAHAHAHAHAHA YESSSSSS A KRAYT FUCKING DRAGON HELL YEAH HELL YEAH FINALLY AFTER FORTY FUCKING YEARS.
Ngl I was hoping it would look a little more stereotypically “dragon-ish” cuz I’ve been entertaining this ridiculous fantasy of Obi Wan befriending one in the Kenobi show and learning how to make the noise
But giant angry sand worm friend is also good!
Din bro careful last time you agreed to hunt something on Tatooine with someone new that dude betrayed you
Ohhhh flashback!
Oh for fuck’s sake why are we adding MORE slavery
Y’all know you can also have literally anything fucking else on Tatooine besides slavery
Gah sorry y’all
Lol Jawas again
And more Wilrow Hood ice cream machines!
Ok but so did the Jawas literally fish this off of Boba’s body, did the Sarlaac shit it out and they found it, or did Boba actually sell it to them?
Oh damn and these ppl probs knew who Boba was too
Oooh dinosaur-hyena thingies
DIN SPEAKS TUSKEN
I LOVE HIM
MARRY ME
Ok but now I REALLY wanna know how Din learned the Tusken traditions
GOOD BOY ALERT!  GOOD BOY!  IT’S A GOOD BOY!  DINOSAUR-HYENA IS A VERY GOOD BOY
TUSKEN CULTURE OH MY GOD I’M LOVING THIS
This is not a time to be a picky eater bruh
Ok there Anakin let’s settle down a bit
DIPLOMACY BY FLAMETHROWER DIN I LOVE YOU
Ok so if you eat a sarlaac does that also technically count as eating two meals since you’re also eating whatever it’s been digesting in its stomach for a thousand years?
Yep Alaskan Bull Worm
OH NO IT SCARED THE BABY :O
Din training a village to fight this thing is a wee bit harder than training them to fight an AT-STsaurus Rex
WHY DON’T WE JUST TAKE THE TOWN AND PUSH IT SOMEWHERE ELSE?
This really is just the stereotypical Western episode but kinder to the natives
Damn
“Are you trying to blow us up?” ooooof they WENT THERE
More teamwork!
“Belly is the weak spot” hey so like Smaug!
Wait a fucking second I wasn’t paying attention did they bring Baby Yoda to where he could possibly get eaten by a dragon again
Oh yeah “dank ferrik” is another SW curse
Wait why are they just standing there and letting the Tuskens get eaten
Gahhh everyone’s being so brave I’m proud of them!!!!! :_:
OH EW FUCKING GROSS GROSS GROSS GROSS
Gah I HATE vomit scenes especially unexpected ones
Sorry that’s like, a super major squick for me
And dammit they didn’t even kill the worm
Oh and now it’s up there and VOMITING AGAIN I HATE THAT
Oh shite that’s acid
Oh please be careful baby
Ok wait wait wait how did the Jawas even salvage Boba’s jetpack enough to make it fly the whole reason Boba got eaten was because the pack broke
Oh and now I’m seeing a bit of Jaws in this too
Bro noooo are you gonna blow up that bantha?
DIN NO YOU RECKLESS-ASS BITCH
B o i
Actually let himself get eaten
Din where are your braincells
Aw Baby nooooooo
Uh oh I sense more vomit
Or not!
Ok bro that was p badass
Ok yeah Marshal is p hot 
There I said it
ASLDKJFSDLKFKL OF COURSE BABY YODA EATS THE RAW DRAGON MEAT
That guy is hoooooooot
“You tell your people I wasn’t the one who broke that” lol yep Han better look out
Huh?  We getting excited over MORE eggs?
Oh goddammit and there is Boba Fett because of course
Knew it was too good to be true
Lol sorry y’all just wasn’t particularly excited to see him
Guess that means he willingly gave up his armor, huh?
BUT ANYWAY THIS WAS A BRILLIANT EPISODE
AND I LOVED IT
AND THE TUSKENS GOT THE RESPECT THEY DESERVED
Ok but it also seems at least Marshal and the rest of the townsfolk had the same backwards view towards the Tuskens as Anakin did, now I REALLY want to see RESPECTFUL discussion on colonialism on Tatooine, I gotta know more about this
Still super excited for the next ep!
Aaaaaaaaa!
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theaterkid821 · 6 years ago
Text
Gather ‘round peeps. It’s story time. (Spoilers for changes so don’t read if you’re seeing it soon in the future)
Pre-show
So the first thing I feel like I need to say is that if you are a purist for what they call BMC 1.0, you may not like this. There were a lot of changes to lyrics and lines. It was the same show we all love, but it was different. I loved most of the changes but I can see why some people wouldn’t. 
In Will Roland’s bio, he says “actor/singer/human.” That’s not important to the show, but it was important to me that you know that. 
Also something for my fellow plus size people, the seats are not the most accommodating. Hopefully that isn’t a deterrent, but it is something you should probably know. 
They have a thing called squiptheline.com where you can preorder your merch and pick them up. I got poster, sticker pack, and lip balm (they are mountain dew and mountain dew red)
And then it begins...
They had the SQUIP do the intro and it was beautifully hysterical. 
They lit up the dot on the “i” (which was a little pill) on the curtain-thing 
The shelves behind Jeremy’s bed were full of nerd shit and it was beautiful. 
Jeremy has glasses. Nerd level even higher
Jeremy’s dad comes on with unwashed bowls of cereal, old pizza boxes, and cartoons on. Really adds to his depressed aesthetic. 
When he’s leaving, you see the mailbox full of mail.
He comes back on as the bus driver so quickly.... how?
During the dance bit, he runs into everyone and shouts “girls!” and then shouts “boys!”
Instead of “so Jenna Roland... I mean slutty” dialogue, they change it to “What are you staring at.... I’ve never even noticed him.”
Signup comes from up above. It’s awesome. 
Christine comes on to catch her Eos chapstick (as someone who uses Eos chapstick, I can tell you this is 100% accurate) and then dramatic application
After second verse, before Michael’s entrance, they have Chloe talk dodge a question about her and Jake’s breakup and then Jenna says she saw him with someone. To which Chloe responded, “tell me everything” and then exited. 
George Salazar is amazing and I love him. 
Even from the beginning, with Michael you weren’t sure on the LGBTQ+ spectrum he was, but he DEFINITELY wasn’t straight. 
(Headcannon #1 they used; Michael’s has 2 moms); when seeing the infamous “boyf” “riends,” he took out his phone to take a selfie and said “my mothers would be thrilled!”
Play thing came down from the sky again and Christine lay on the floor for a little bit so you could see her face underneath until it covered her
She did the chorus line dance!
The awkwardness of the scene before I Love Play Rehearsal. 10/10. 
The popular kids knocked Christine and Jeremy off the chairs (my poor babies!)
Slightly after Jake impressing Christine: “Why are you guys doing the play anyways” “Brooke’s doing it because of Chloe, Chloe’s doing it because of me, and Rich is doing it because he’s my boy” “and why are you doing it” “well i’m doing it because of you”
Bathroom scene even had the florescent lights come down.
Rich flushes Jeremy’s head down the urinal (poor child I wanted to hug him)
They whispered “so its like... drugs?” “it’s better than drugs Jeremy”
ITS FROM JAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN. ‘Nough said
The projection behind the backup was TERRIFYING. They projected people all in white behind them doing the movements.
The rolled the bed on stage for 2 Player Game
Screaming “The cafetorium!” and then having the quieter music as they sit and play the game, emotionless was beautiful. 
“You’re like this bottle of Crystal Pepsi that expired in 1996″ “Is that safe for human consumption?” “Gets better with age”
They had a projection of the game in the background at the end.
They had fog in the shoebox as well as a blue light
“to activate take with mountain dew... not sure why.... and this is important, to deactivate-we’re sold out!”
And then never ended that thought...
“how do you feel?” “like...” singing to add to the dramatic moment and then... “a chump.”
“this guy is hooking me up with a case of ecto-something (i forget). It’s the ghostbusters drink they discontinued in the 90s!” “What does it taste like?” *whispered* “Ghosts!”
(Headcannon #2 they used; Jeremy being a furry); “my default mode you can also set me for... sexy anime female in cat suit with tail.”
They added an intro to Be More Chill
They cut out “i’m a super computer Jeremy, I’m made of math”
The SQUIP was sitting on the clothing rack for the clothing store part
Chloe broke a hanger after hearing he went with Madeline
For Do You Want a Ride, it started with Brooke began by slowly dragging the straw in and out of her soda can ;)
For the Reprise of Be More Chill, they had both the old lady in the track suit, and a lady in the scooter
her license plate said “bingo queen”
SQUIP comes back on in this weird jacket
New song here! Synched Up!
The SQUIP fixes his vision and he doesn’t need the glasses
It’s hard to describe the song, but it’s about friends being “synched” and how everyone is hiding something underneath.
You hear Michael a couple times, but you don’t see him
Talking about Mr. Reyes “his dreams are dead. That’s why he eats so many hot pockets” (hot pockets is sing-song)
When Jeremy says he was doing performance art, Christine has her own idea for a performance art piece. You don’t hear anything about the idea until then end when she’s squatting and shouts “and then I give birth to the bowling ball!”
You don’t hear it because the SQUIP is talking to Jeremy saying she’s unusual because she doesn’t seem to care what anyone else thinks. 
During play rehearsal: “bring me patient zero!” “cough!” (she says cough). Then Brooke says her line in stressed iambic pentameter.
They had little hearts for Guy I’d Kinda Be Into
The SQUIP was all ready to point to Jeremy at the end and then was like “wtf” when she said Jake
They had bleachers for the football field for the scene before and during Upgrade
“She wants to make out with you” “Ive never made out with anyone in my life”
End of Brooke’s solo in the beginning, they changed. “So kiiiiiiiiiiiiss meeeeeeee.” *giant pause and then repeated melody* “like noooooooooooooooow” 
They added dialogue after Jake and Christine which lead to this layering thing of them all singing “I’m tired of being the person that everyone thinks that I am”
Loser Geek Whatever is so much more emotional than even when i saw it off broadway.
The SQUIP came back out in a very elaborate dress/jacket thing. It was cool
They played a jazzy version of the Pants Song during intermission
Christine dressed as a sexy princess 
They added more harmonies to Halloween
Chloe was wasted for Do You Wanna Hang
The SQUIP fell onto the bed after going into factory setting
They took out the 
Michael In the Bathroom... if you have a chance to see George Salazar perform this live, I highly recommend
Christine and Jeremy communicating through sounds is beautiful and just... a mood. 
There was a sparkly red bra behind them
Rich takes a pumpkin and sets the house on fire. 
For Smartphone hour, the changed the first verse of the chorus to “Rich set a fire and he burned down Jake’s house” which helps me immensely (fun fact, someone once thought I was crazy because my friend once texted me “did Rich set his own house on fire, or Jake’s house?” and they saw it and thought my friends were arsonists. I mean, I am somewhat insane, but... not for that reason)
Michael and the dad’s female characters came down from the ceiling.
Michael had shark slippers, Rich had unicorn slippers, and Jeremy’s dad was in a onesie that said “naughty”
I have said this before and I will say this again, it takes real courage to be on stage in front of a few hundred people and sing whilst in your boxers
Michael was wearing weed socks and was smoking of course
Jeremy’s dad thought he was burning incense lol
Christine: “Everyone is hurting and I don’t know how to help. So I guess I’ll just do theatre.” got such a laugh
They basically rewrote all the lyrics for Pitiful Children
Robotic kick-line
Christine knows what a SQUIP is because someone in her theatre camp took one and is now in a mental hospital... coincidence?
The SQUIP comes down from the sky and his chest lights up
Michael breaks through the paper scenery for “MICHAEL MAKES AN ENTRANCE!”
Everyone in zombie costumes for the fight scene makes the parallels to the game so much better
Rich has the lisp!
(Headcannon #3 they use; Rich and Michael); “anti-social headphones kid... is he single?” *sees him* “oh hiiiiii.” “Hi Rich,” *very awkwardly* “Bye Rich!” If you don’t want it, you don’t have to see it. But if you do ship it... oh my god.
He puts on his glasses again!
(Headcannon #4 they use; calling the group the squad); they rewrote the verse for Chloe, Jake, Brooke, and Jenna. they say to Jeremy “we’re your squad” not exactly the SQUIP squad, but still
When asked what her SQUIP looked like, Christine said RBG
For the date, Jeremy suggests the performance art she said she wanted to do.
At the end, there’s a projection of the SQUIP in the background
I’m tagging people who liked the previous post or commented so... Tag list: @molly-wonder-queer @72748-blog @simranthefangirl
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sims-psycho · 5 years ago
Note
all questions .For you. I am intrigued to see the answers :D
WOAH, honestly was not expecting this, but I guess I did ask for it so here we go :’) (under the cut cuz this shits looong)
1. Last kiss ~ Like, 5 months ago lol
2. Last phone call ~ Yesterday, my colleague phoned me in the morning to say thE DELIVERY I WAS MEANT TO BE SIGNING IN WAS ALREADY THERE. IT WAS 8AM. WASN’T MEANT TO GET THERE TILL 11 FFS
3. Last text message ~ to my mum, was asking her how yoga went (she does yoga)
4. Last song you listened to ~ Money by Pink Floyd
5. Last time you cried ~ literally last night, i cry DAILEY :’)
HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice ~ kiiindaaaaa????
7. Been cheated on ~ pretty sure my ass of a first bf cheated on me yup
8. Self harmed ~ not conventionally, no
9. Lost someone special ~ Yeah, my aunt, she was one of a kind
10. Been depressed ~ oh yes :’)
11. Been drunk and threw up ~ surprisingly no, i don’t really do throwing up
THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
12. had sex ~ nope lmao
13. How many people have you had sex with this year? ~ ….uhhh, none ^^
15. Made a new friend ~ Yeah actually, the new guy at work is pretty chill, i’d say we’re friends
17. Laughed until you cried ~ probably yeah
18. Met someone who changed you ~ nope
19. Found out who your true friends were ~ kind of yeah
20. Found out someone was talking about you ~ dude, no one talks about me lol
26. What did you do for your last Birthday ~ I went to see my bestest friend in the whole world ^.^
27. What time did you wake up today ~ not in the morning, i can say that for sure :’)
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for ~ I’M GOING TO SEE MCFLY THIS NOVEMBER!!!
30. Last time you saw your all of your siblings at the same time ~ never, i have no siblings lol
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life ~ jesus christ, so many things, i guess I wish i was a year ahead of where i am now
32. What are you listening to right now ~ the try guys podcast >.
33. When is the last time you had sex? ~ don’t know if you can tell, but I literally haven’t had sex in like a year :’)
34. Who’s getting on your nerves right now ~ do I count? Yes? Okay, myself XD
35. Most visited webpage ~ probably this dumb site 
36. Favorite colour ~ this:
Tumblr media
37. Nicknames ~ i’ve collected quite a few tbh, Roo, Chu, Ross, Rossi, Chuckles and Chuck are most of them, used by various people >.
38. Relationship Status ~ single pringle so if anyone wants to love me up go for it XD
39. Zodiac sign ~ sagittarius
40. Male or female ~ fem
41. Primary school ~ no XD seriously tho not gonna write my schools on this hellsite :’)
42. Secondary School ~ noooo
43. High school/college ~ nooooooooooo
44. Eye color ~ like a blueish grey, sometimes rly bright blue
46. Height ~ 5’8 ish i think
47. Do you have a crush on someone ~ nope :’)
48. What do you like about yourself ~ tbh, i think i’m pretty intelligent, it’s like the one thing i can say ‘yeah, i’m good’ at >.
49. Piercings ~ my ear lobes, soon to be nose!!
50. Tattoos ~ GETTING MY FIRST ON WEDNESDAY! Let me know if i should post a pic here >.
51. Righty or lefty ~ leftyyyyy
FIRSTS:
53. First piercing ~ ears 
54. First best friend ~ this kid called Harvey when i was like 4, haven’t seen him in over a decade tho
55. First hookup ~ my ex boyfriend
56. First Bestfriend ~ isn’t…this…like…..the same question as like….two questions ago….?
RIGHT NOW:
59. Eating ~ nothing :’)
60. Drinking ~ decaf tea 
61. I’m about to ~ play sims, duh, isn’t that what we all do here >.
62. Listening to ~ already said, the trypod
63. Waiting for ~ the inevitable caress of death lmao :’)
YOUR FUTURE:
64. Want kids? ~ imma get real for a sec. Yes, i have always wanted kids, but with the way the climate crisis is going and the complete lack of empathy our world leaders are showing towards it, I think it would be incredibly selfish for me to have children ‘just cuz i’ve always wanted kids’ :/
65. Get married? ~ maybe, don’t rly care for marrage either way
66. Career ~ i’ve been asking myself this question for the past 3 years, still don’t know the answer :’)
WHICH IS BETTER:
67. Lips or eyes ~ i’m assuming these are all about other people right? Eyes
68. Hugs or kisses ~ why not both?? :o
69. Shorter or taller ~ taller mmmm XD
70. Older or Younger ~ don’t mind a little bit either way
71. Romantic or spontaneous ~ *sings i want it all by queen* XD
72. Nice stomach or nice arms ~ stomach
73. Sensitive or loud ~ sensitive
74. Hook-up or relationship ~ hook ups are ewie (to me) so relationships every time
HAVE YOU EVER:
76. Kissed a stranger ~ nooooooooooooo, thems some big red flags bro :’)
77. Drank hard liquor ~ yup
78. Lost glasses/contacts ~ surprisingly no, have broken my glasses a fair few times tho
79. Had sex ~ omg, for the 10 billionth time, y e s
80. Broken someone’s heart ~ unfortunately yes…
82. Been arrested ~ nope
83. Turned someone down ~ yup
84. Cried when someone died ~ yeah
85. Fallen for a friend ~ omg yes, and let me tell you, IT’S THE WORST!
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself ~ fuck, thats too deep for meeeeeeee :’)
87. Miracles ~ eh, kind of? I dunno
88. Love at first sight ~ if feel like you can have some feelings about someone when you first see them that could lead to love, but not flat out love y’know
89. Heaven ~ nah
90. Santa Clause ~ i wanna say yes, but, you know…. :’)
91. Kiss on the first date ~ dude i don’t even date, let alone kiss on them XD
92. Angels ~ I call people angel a lot, but like full on angels with wings a shit, no >.
93. How would you label yourself? ~ i honestly don’t really know atm
94. Someone You Pray Everyday For ~ i don’t pray for people, don’t mean that in a heartless way, it just doesn’t do anything at the end of the day
95. Did you sing today ~ i sing, no joke, every day XD
96. Who From All Your Ex’s have You Cared The Most About ~ well, i’ve only had 2, and the first one was an absolute twat so take a guess :’)
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go? ~ i ask myself this a lot and the answer always changes. Right now probably a few years
98. Out Of Everything In The World What Do You Wish For ~ the saving of the planet
99. Are you afraid of falling in love? ~ i don’t think so
100. Do you like the way you look? ~ sometimes
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comicteaparty · 5 years ago
Text
November 9th-November 15th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive
The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from November 9th, 2019 to November 15th, 2019.  The chat focused on the following question:
How do you deal with a lack of engagement from your audience, both emotionally and physically?
IzzyNinjaMaster
Oooo now that's a good question. If my online audience doesn't respond, I personally always show any new page updates to my family and friends and get feedback and comments from them. Really great for support. But sometimes their not available or I don't have anything new to show them. When this happens, I just look to myself for support. I know that doesn't really make sense or sounds kinda cheesy but it's what I do. I get myself pumped up and excited for what I can do next in the story and how awesome it will look all drawn out. And I go from there, I'll start drawing out ideas or writing out new chapters. So just be your own hype man, not just with your comics either but with everything. Great for self esteem.
Sorry went on kind of a rant right there
carcarchu
I prepare myself emotionally to not have any expectations. If you expect nothing and receive something you'll always be happy!
IzzyNinjaMaster
Lol true very true XD
Deo101
I'm not completely sure what this question means by physically, but I just kind of keep making art to move past it. Something that has helped me a TON is to make art that's just for me (like, that I don't post anywhere). I think that if everything is made to be shared, then we get a little too used to trying to find validation with engagement. With comics, specifically, I try to make none of my goals relate to engagement. I only have goals for myself and what i'm producing. If I'm hitting all of my goals, then I feel good about what I'm doing! No one engaging with it is just kind of like "okay!" Another smaller thing that helps me is getting my work done well before I upload it! for some reason just getting a bit of time distance between when something is done and when I post it I dont feel so bad if people don't engage.
Cronaj
I'm fairly lucky that I have a small following on one of the sites I post on, so while some weeks might be slow with feedback or engagement, I'm usually not completely devoid. I also have some very supportive family members who read my comic and often comment or text me after I update. As for what I do personally when I don't have a lot of engagement? I do a lot of self-reflecting, which is probably not the healthiest of practices. I question what I'm doing, trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong and how I could improve. I also try to understand other external factors at play, such as my readers' personal lives, jobs, school, holidays, that might have delayed them from engaging with my work. For example, I know that during November, as we get closer to Thanksgiving, there is going to be a huge drop in readership, because a lot of my younger readers will be preparing for school finals and visiting with family. By knowing this, it helps me cope a lot better. And if all else fails, I vent to my fiance or my little sister. It really does help to have someone to whine at for a bit
khkddn
If I were to get completely zero engagement on something I'd do what I'd always do, message people I know irl like "validate meeeeeeee"
In general I just take a step back from what I've posted and focus on something else. That way I remember webcomics isn't everything, and by the time I check up on things again there might be some sort of audience response.
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
I kept my work hidden for the first few years I was working on it (wanted to iron out any wrinkles before I was comfortable sharing) so in comparison, any engagement afterward - even a tiny amount - is pretty great! And even now, some updates get more traffic than others, for a lot of different reasons. Luck, timing, quality, etc. I always keep in mind that this project is - at its heart - for me and my own enjoyment/fulfillment. And if I’m pleased with where it’s going, that’s a win.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Oof, that question really hit me where it hurts. Over the years I’ve lowered my expectations, because while I used to have an active audience in the ‘00s, I’ve rarely gotten any engagement on my comics in the ‘10s. It’s definitely made me feel depressed and like a ‘failure’ to put heart and soul into my comics and art and get 0 reaction online. I honestly don’t have any way I ‘deal’ with it. I make something, hoping to get some comments > I get no comments > I get depressed about it and feel like my work is garbage. Rinse and repeat several hundred times. I keep going because I just love to create, but it’s like an actor trying to put on a performance and no one shows up to the play. It has gotten better lately and I’ve started getting some engagement for the first time in many years, but I honestly don’t have a good answer for how I handle that emotional reaction to reader silence.
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
Also good to keep in mind that lots of people may read without commenting, and still enjoy it! I did a poll wondering who would be interested in doing guest art, and way more people responded than I expected. It opened my eyes! Sometimes you just can’t tell until you outright ask for feedback
keii4ii
There's definitely a risk to that, though. You ask and still get nothing. Or worse, you ask and get negativity. Asking is a worthy gamble, but it takes courage! Sometimes when we don't have enough courage, we gotta find it elsewhere first, before we can try that gamble...
I lost that gamble one too many times and need more Courage Fund before I can try again, lol
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
True true! It was a gamble I had no real expectations/assumptions about, so I didn’t have much room for disappointment. Even getting one person who says “This is cool!” is enough to fuel me for days. But I know that’s not how it is for everyone. Once you’ve been disappointed once, it can take a while to get the urge to try again. I can’t imagine getting negativity, though... I think THAT would wreck me.
keii4ii
Sometimes I don't even ask and someone just randomly drops negativity off at my doorstep... I need to remember that I have also had wonderfully positive responses, that it wasn't all negative. But it can be hard to remember that on bad days.
Deo101
Yeah, negative comments always seem to be the loudest ones... They can drown out dozens of good ones if they hit you right.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I did develop a pretty thick skin for negativity in art school, which was really fortunate because my comics garnered a lot of negative attention at first. Though thinking back on it, I was making very androgynous and gender non-conforming characters (even though I never stated anywhere that they were queer) in a time when the public attitude towards such things was far less kind than it is today. At the time it was draining to get so many trolls, but unless I was already having emotional difficulties in other areas of my life, I was able to let it roll off.(edited)
keii4ii
The weirdest thing with my negativity is 99% of them come from actual readers who mean well. So I have a hard time dismissing them like 'oh they're just haters.' It's not necessarily harder than dealing with blatant trolls, but it is an entirely different beast.
Deo101
Sometimes I go and reread positive comments when I'm down about things
Yeah I'm not sure that I've had any trolls tbh... Its all readers saying what they think
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Avid readers who give backhanded compliments and ‘well-meaning’ but very subjective critique can definitely be detrimental.
keii4ii
In Korea, I dunno if they're still a thing, but 1-2 decades ago there was this type of theft called slash theft. It's a type of pickpocketing, done on the street while walking by. They bump into you, briefly and lightly, but you don't think much of it because Seoul is a crowded city and you brush against other people all the time. But during that brief bump, they manage to slash open your purse and take all the contents. It's an amazing ninja level skill for sure. I know people who had their stuff stolen that way. Back to the Courage Fund analogy, sometimes a negative comment isn't just a normal theft of your Fund. The comment slashes your purse open, and now your bag can't contain Fund even if you put more and more into it.
It can take a long time and lots of support to sew your purse back.
Deo101
Idk if other places to slash theft, im sure they do, but im pretty sure historically its been a big thing. The term "cutpurse" comes to mind
keii4ii
(:o I didn't know that was a term! The more you know)
Deo101
(some book i read (wasn't great but you know) used the term a lot and i was like "ok wtf is this")
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
That’s a very good analogy for it, and I definitely understand what you mean. I had to take a three year hiatus from one of my comics once after a IRL ‘friend’ ripped the comic apart and called me a terrible writer in less-than-kind words. I had already been going through some very bad things with my health and family and it hurt me far more than it should. It took some encouragement from some very dedicated readers to convince me to pick up the comic again.
Deo101
(so i associate it with pirates now)
That's really terrible lee... Om glad you picked it back uo though!!!
keii4ii
I can super relate to harsh comments hurting way more than they should, when you're already in a bad state. >_<
Deo101
And also it is a really good analogy keiiii
Yeah things just kinda get harder to deal with in general when you're more tired/upset in other areas
keii4ii
The most devastating feedback I've got would have done far less damage if I weren't in a fragile state at the time.
Deo101
Like you can't go be safe elsewhere if everything is a source of stress...
keii4ii
(For all we know those slashers in Korea could be pirates )
Deo101
:o
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Does Korea have pirates? If so, I’m moving to Korea.
(Sorry, we’ve probably gone way off topic for the discussion)
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
I got antsy when someone made a small critique of my lettering (rightfully so, though - lettering is hard and I’m still learning) so a proper heart-stabbing, bad-faith critique might sideline me for a while. Gotta be prepared for that someday
Deo101
Its weird, it really seems to be mostly about how I'm doing elsewhere in life now that im thinking about it. Also being further along in the comic helps cause I've got years of support and "just keep chuggin" under my belt
Like the other day someone critiqued me randomly and called my characters stupid and i was like "dam ok, your comment getting deleted then" but a year or so ago a comment like "I'm sorry im a little confused..." Made me second guess everything for weeks
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
Ohhh Maybe the obviously mean/troll comments are easier to deal with, than feeling you let down a reader who was genuinely trying to understand the story. I would definitely react similarly.
Deo101
Iunno, the big old critique was a normal reader who has left other comments he jusy kinda randomly did it. But yeah I think it can be easier to shrug off things that are CLEARLY antagonistic versus someone being harmlessly confused
Because confusion can mean I'm not being clear enough and need to change things and whatever. Its vague in a way that hits your anxiety
keii4ii
Yeah, when someone is obviously being a jerk, you know it's on them
omg... reader confusion has been the bane of my existence
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I dunno, man, art school just toughened me up to most negative comments. If one person out of five is confused, I don’t take it personally and just explain it to them to clear up confusion. If everyone’s confused I think ‘Hmm, maybe I should retcon in some dialogue to make it more clear’. I guess art school really teaches you to distance yourself from your work and be very objective about it. BUT as I said, I’m not immune when other bad things are going on and it becomes the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Deo101
Though THEN you kinda get like "why am I being a target???" And its very frustrating, at the very least, and it does definitely still hurt... (Wrt trolls)
keii4ii
It's hard to tell who's confused and who isn't sometimes
Deo101
Yeah Lee im in art school right now, but for me its different when I make something to be critiqued versus a passion long term project
If I am asking for critique too, im braced for it in a way I'm mentally prepared for. Im not always braced to have someone be like "its pretty good buuut..."
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Ahh, I can understand that. I guess I’m able to view my passion projects the same way I did my school projects. It took time, that’s for sure. It’s a process of desensitisation, and was something I had to build up over years.
keii4ii
I'm disproportionately sensitive about reader misinterpretations/confusion. I'm 95% sure it's because one bad experience. Someone thought my main story was garbage, but they liked parts of it, so they told me to basically make a different story using those parts. After that, every time a reader didn't recognize the main story (I got a very prominent B plot, so it's kinda understandable that some people mistake it as the A), I got vivid flashbacks of that one bad experience. Every time someone said they liked [this character that The Other Person liked], I got flashbacks. Took me good 2-3 years to get over it.
Deo101
Its also a lil different when it's like.. i wont be changing these pages so unless it's a critique for moving forward its kinda pointless and i cant really apply it
Damn keiiii that's really rough
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah, that sucks.
keii4ii
Yeah, it's hard to be motivated when the underlying message is "your first 100 pages are hot garbage, but you can still improve........ even if readers will give up long before they get to the decent 101st page!"
Deo101
RIGHT...
I don't want to have to preface "check out my comic!" Wirh "i promise it gets better..."
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
COUGH That’s exactly why I’m reduxing Eryl’s hot garbage beginning right now COUGH
Also because I’m a masochist and perfectionist.....
keii4ii
I think "it gets better" is fine when it's a reader reccing it. (I remember some of my friends reccing multi-season anime series to each other, going, "it gets better after season 1") But yeah, as the author we can't be the ones saying it.
Deo101
Mhm.
And I'm still hapoy with my old pages. I know I could do them better now but they're perfectly fine and they get the job done so... Idk its just hard when someone is like "wow two years ago you made a mistake, :/"
Like. Yeah, duh... I've spent like a thousand hours on pages theres gonna be some mistakes
keii4ii
It took me a long time to realize that Flaws =/= Problems
Deo101
I'm learning and getting better youre gonna have to bare with me here
Nutty (Court of Roses)
are you kidding i still get crit on stuff i made TEN years ago
Deo101
Mhm
keii4ii
omg
Deo101
Well its not a competition
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Same, Nutty
Nutty (Court of Roses)
True sorry ;;
Deo101
Ur name just changed colors keiiii
You: flaws =/= problems Your name: im ascending
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think...learning how to like not be bothered by negativity that much is a skill. Super freaked out one time when someone said they didn't know what's going on when reading HotV whoops
(turned out they just had to re-read a bit and it was just webcomics being webcomics)
Deo101
I had a group of readers say they were co fused and one person asked me to explain the last 2 chapters and i was like "holy shit am i being this unclear????"
Its stressful for sure
Nothjng wrong with being concerned with ut
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Keiiii has reached a new plane of existence. The blue is unrefutable proof
Deo101
Its something you're passionate about and you want to be as good as it can be
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Yeah...
Deo101
So any critique, regardless of validity will be something you WANT to consider
Which is fine and theres nothing wronf with taking things to heart like that
But also if youre Happy with it that's all that matters
You gotta be your #1 fan kinda thing
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I'm personally super uh...yeah I am having a hard time dismissing criticism
even if it's in bad faith, haha.
keii4ii
The #1 fan thing sometimes reminds me of that scene from Lilo & Stitch
The scene of Lilo's rag doll. It's been years since I watched it, so memory's a bit fuzzy, but I think all the kids were showing off their dolls, and Lilo wanted to show off hers too
but the other kids didn't like her homemade-looking doll, and it made her sad, almost not like her doll for a moment
but she picks up the doll again afterward
There are days where I relate to that. I never not-love my story and my characters, but sometimes I feel like everyone else has a low opinion of it, you know?
and I'm like lonely Lilo hugging her rag doll in the sad corner
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Yeah I totally get that and...loving what you do first and foremost is really important. I don't think in a medium like webcomics you would be able to keep going
keii4ii
I'll always love my Doll but I do wish this little corner weren't so lonely, kinda thing
Deo101
I feel that keiiii
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Hmm
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
When the ‘critique’ is detrimental it does become a problem. Like that ‘friend’ I was talking about earlier who bashed Eryl to bits. He told me to ‘read some Stephen King’ to learn how to write. I was making a high fantasy story, not a horror story. The writing of a horror author is simply not applicable to building a good fantasy adventure story. That’s when I knew he was full of shit. But the damage had been done, and I lost all motivation for the project for years.
keii4ii
uuugh, I'm so sorry that it happened to you D:
Deo101
Also this story is one that i have dropped and picked up SO many times, and its wildly changed over and over, and so i worry a lot im not making it in its final form, i suppose. I worry i started it too young, and so critique of the older parts hits that anxiety
Wow lee that's terrible...
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Gosh...
Deo101
Also you can't really compare Novel writing to comics imo. The structure can be compared but...
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think HotV is like a project I've worked on since...2008? And it changed with me and I feel pretty confident that it's in its final stage.
keii4ii
and not every story needs to be a Stephen King story
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
But yeah, you can really not compare writing for novels to writing for comics wth
nah
tbh it's weird (I like King personally) but his stories and also his writing do have flaws too so
what
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I actually do use novels as a source to study how to construct my comics. But! Studying the right genre is important. I’ve the feeling the only books that guy read were Stephen King, so that’s the only kind of story he was familiar with.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
God when I was still developing a picture I did got featured somewhere and someone criticised the way I did knees and linked to the picture of another artist going: Hey draw knees like that
Deo101
Every story will have flaws, its impossible to make one that is perfect. Well. Its impossible to make a story thats perfect for everyone. So alk you can do is try to make a story thats perfect for you!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Agreed, Deo
keii4ii
^ THAT REMINDS ME
Deo101
Omg
keii4ii
(going back to the original question) With no response, or negative response, one thing that helps me is hearing other people gush about their beloved unpopular stories!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Hmmm
Deo101
!!!!!! Me too!!!!!!!!!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I am having this problem and went to ask on twitter what ppl loved about their projects
and that's really uplifting somehow
Deo101
I LOVE reading other comics and just seeing how much passion is in them its like a light
keii4ii
I need to remember that just because someone, or even a lot of someones, thinks a story is trash, doesn't make it the universal truth
Deo101
^^^
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I WILL GUSH ALL DAY BOUT MY BELOVED UNPOPULAR STORIES and once you open that damn I am unstoppable. You will regret it, trust me.
keii4ii
And people gushing about their unpopular favorites is an excellent way of reminding myself
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
hehe
Deo101
I have been very lucky and have had a few incredibly kind people who i can remember fondly when i worry my story isnt reaching people. I Know it has touched a few lives, and if it makes even ONE person happier (even if thay person is me) then im doing my job and its worth all the time and effort.
That was kind of off topic i swear it connected in mt mind
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Absolutely
I feel it's connected
Deo101
Phew
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
bc hmm it's a way to deal with times when there is not much engagement?
Deo101
Aha! There we go yes :)
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I do generally write very off-beat, unpredictable stories because I like reading / watching those kinds of things. A lot of my favourite movies bombed at the box office because they weren’t formulaic, which was what I loved about them.(edited)
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Remind yourself that there is people who enjoy what you do and who are happier bc of it C:
Deo101
Mhm ^^
Also i have my characters on a shirt so i can just wear that and be like "fuck yeah. I have a shirt. It cant be a bad comic if I've got merch babeyyyy"
Which admittedly is a very odd way of dealing with anxiety
But like.... You should get your Characters on a shirt.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
dfhwioufheuf Deo that's cool tho
I made so many like...background designs and posters for HotV and some of those I WANT ON A SHIRT
Oh I think what also helps me is to find a friend and just talk about the comic?
Deo101
The place i use lets you get up to 6 items a month as a sample order and it's severely discounted my shirt was like $15
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I should do that. I have designed some T-shirts but that wasn’t for personal stuff.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
omg
keii4ii
I'm actually in the (long) process of re-learning how to talk about my comic
Deo101
And yeah for sure having people i csn talk with/joke with about my comic helps soooo much
Like the fact that i know these 5 people will get my jokes like this
THAT helps a TON
These people actually are the reason I was confident enough to be able to start after having a bad friend drive me to almost drop the story for good
So having their support is probably one of the biggest things thst helps if no one else engages.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Okay, so on the original subject of ‘How to deal with no feedback’ I do talk about my stories a lot with my two best friends. They are my biggest fans and my sounding boards. They let me go on and on about plot threads in my comics and it’s one of the main reasons I keep going. Even when I get 0 reaction online, I still have two people who I know are reading the comic and think I should keep going.
Deo101
Or like, when my family is being homophobic about my work kinda thing. Friends are good for that...
Yessss lee having people you can talk with about it is SO good
keii4ii
ngl, I'm jelly of those of you who have go-to support friends who are genuinely into your story! That's something I hope to have some day, myself
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I don’t know whether to give a sad react for homophobic family or a happy react for supportive friends
Deo101
Happy react ^^
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Still sorry about your homophobic family tho, but your friends sound awesome
Deo101
Yeah but :> I know I'm doing good work. Again those few people who i know my story has touched.. i know I'm doin good work.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
@keii4ii Just know I’ve been an acid fan of your comics for over 10 years and honestly think they’re some of the best comics I’ve ever read
AVID
NOT ACID(edited)
keii4ii
Hey acid is important too
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
GOD MY PHONE
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
hiodcnioefwe acid
love this
I have one friend who has supported me since 2007 and I can always count on her freaking out about my comics Y_Y
so when I feel especially bad I turn to her
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
My phone is old and the keyboard lags and autocorrects like AAAAARGH(edited)
Deo101
Its okay same here lee
Typo club babeyyyy
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I have to edit almost every comment I make THANKS A LOT PHONE
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
shakes fist at ur phone to be more kind
I can't type on phone at all so...
keii4ii
Yeah, swipe-typing is high level sorcery to me
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
As someone who’s normally a grammar freak it causes me great pain that my texting is a syntactical disaster.
Deo101
I've been doing swipe a bit lately so it doesn't hurt my hands to text (I Tex too much)
keii4ii
This actually makes me wonder
What are some good, safe(ish) ways to reach out to people who may be 1000% willing to become that Support Pillar for your comic?
Deo101
I just straight up start doing it
keii4ii
For all I know they exist. But.. Schrödinger's pillar
Deo101
And gague the reaction
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
As an antisocial gremlin who hides under a rock, I have no idea.
Pakky
never hurts to ask
keii4ii
@Pakky You would be surprised
Deo101
Start sharing art, see if theyre curious, get deeper if they're good with it, kinda thinf
I've got friends who like to see my art but don't really care about my comic, and you kinda just gotta take it case by case
Pakky
mm fair enough, i always try to be supportive of content creators mostly because i would hope for the same in return. theres a lot of bluntness in my industry so if you do well you get praise but if you do poorly, you very well know it :/
keii4ii
Me: "Thank you for supporting my humble comic!" (this wasn't even asking, just thanking) Reader: "Well, your comic isn't that good." Me: "?????????"
Deo101
Wh
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I’ll be honest, on the rare occasion a reader starts trying to get really close to me, my dumb brain freaks out and I put some distance in because I have Issues for days.
Pakky
thats just rude on their part
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
what
holy fuck
keii4ii
I've Been Burned
omg, that question mark react is so appropriate
Deo101
I've chatted with some readers here or there but I don't know if id wanna use them as a support pillar
I kind of have trained myself to think readers as fickle.
If they get sick of my story, theyre allowed to leave
They dont owe me their time or energy and them being here is a gift
So I'll chat and stuff and answer questions but unless someone is my friend i will not lean on them for support.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Honestly it’s happened that I’ve gad readers try to get really close or be my sounding board, and I think they were just trying to be enthusiastic and supportive but my stupid broken brain always panics and goes WARNING STALKER ALERT WARNING ABORT ABORT.
Deo101
Hey better safe than sorry
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
juppp
Deo101
I'll chat but i wont give personal information and im not gonna like, get all into spoiling everything im planning lmao.
If someone asks me a question thats a spoiler ill answer it in private
But bringing raw ideas up for help... I need very specific people for thst.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
The thing is they weren’t even being creepy or trying to get really personal. They were just very friendly and I apparently can’t handle that. ><
Deo101
The friend group i get writing helo on are all writers, and they all understand my vision. They don't write stories like mine, i dont write stories like theirs, and we all fully understand our suggestions may go unfollowed.(edited)
Also whoever put the eye emoji yeah if u have a question straight up dm me and I'll answer.
keii4ii
It's okay, your comfort is important. If you want to be more open, you can work on that. But not everyone has the same comfort level and that's okay too
Deo101
Yes! Its all about what you're comfortable with
But I've personally got a small curated group of writers/artists who all circulate our work between eachother
Which i know is very rare.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Same, Deo...helped me a lot and I also know who to turn to when I'm down about engagement
Deo101
Mhm ^^
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
(also they are all perceived better than me so I believe them if they say sth nice)
Deo101
Omg
That group of people have done SO much for me honestly. Im thinking about them. I love my friends.
Also dont worry its nit all about me they also talk about and we help their work too i wanna be sure thats clesr
keii4ii
I figured it was all mutual! but now that you've said it's not all about you I'm suddenly imagining The Cult of Deo
That is 10000000% wonderful though
Deo101
I walk in and I'm like "y'all check out this new millennium lore" and they all take their hoods off and start scouring it for plotholes
keii4ii
Whilst sitting in a circle (a magic circle to be exact)
Deo101
Of course of course
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Damn, that’s awesome! I only see my friends every few months so I dump a lot of plot on them all at once, and it’s harder for them to give really detailed critique. XD
Deo101
Oh, I do this all online
Irl I sit down with my sister and we talk for 4 hours and Lose our voices LMAO
Cronaj
Good convos literally ALWAYS happen while I'm at work
keii4ii
I'm still here
Cronaj
Good, because it made me sad when you said you didn't have a support pillar
And that readers are fickle (which can be true)
But I don't think you know how much I love your comic
keii4ii
I'm seriously honored! I still fear that maybe people are not seeing the story I'm trying to tell, and are following the comic for some other reasons (which is valid, just not what I'm trying to achieve). But hey, I'll never find out if I don't keep going, right?
kayotics
keiiii, i love your comic and i think it's beautiful in many ways, not just the art
but also, on the topic of lack of engagement... I'm pretty fortunate in that my spouse is always really supportive of my comic, so when I need a little pep talk I can always ask them
sssfrs
I’m trying to collect as much negative feedback as I can so that I’ll know my comics strengths and weaknesses and I’ll be prepared to take criticism as it comes in the future. It is pretty frustrating having no response or fanbase right now but I started my comic pretty recently and theres still time for growth
Glowbat (Aloe)
when you're collecting feedback be mindful that there's a difference between constructive criticism and people being unhelpful and simply telling you they don't like your work
the latter wont do anything but bruise your self confidence(edited)
keii4ii
Yeah, and sometimes even well-meaning critiques can miss the point too, like if it comes from someone who thinks your work should be X, when it is intended to be Y. Easy example: My previous comic was a depressing drama centering around a terminally ill young woman and her doctor, and once someone told me I "needed more fight scenes." It wasn't even an action comic! In that case, the lack of fight scenes was not a weakness. It simply meant the comic wasn't for that person.
DanitheCarutor
On the topic of lack of engagement. My answer is really boring, but I just keep working on my comic regardless of how much/little engagement it gets. I never intended or expected to have an audience to begin with since my comic has sooo many problematic elements in it, whenever I get feedback it's super nice! Always a surprise, like seeing the machine light up when winning $500 on the penny slots! (In a way, getting engagement is kinda like gambling. You post a page and you may or may not win some comments in return... Not equating real people to items to win, of course!) Admittedly, if there is a page I feel would cause reaction but I get nothing, it is a little sad. It's not the end of the world, though! I got a story to tell, and as long as I can still draw I'm content.
kayotics
i relate to that a lot, Dani. I also never intended to make the comic for anyone but me, so the fact that anyone reads it is really exciting to me.
Cronaj
@keii4ii (Potentially off-topic, but is there somewhere to read your other comic(s)? Or are they all in Korean?)
DanitheCarutor
@kayotics Every so often I look at my reader base and think "Man, there are people into this kind of stuff??" It's an almost surreal feeling.
kayotics
Yeah I get it! I wouldn’t say mines too out there but there’s so many other fantasy dnd inspired comics out there that they could read that I’m surprised they even glance at mine.
AntiBunny
How do I deal with it? Usually experience a series of emotions such as "how hard is it to leave one little comment you losers?" Then "Who am I kidding, no one is reading this, I'm creating into a void," and finally pry a few comments from people who know me personally, reassure myself that I create out of a compulsion to tell my stories even if no one's reading, and start the process all over for next week. Not exactly a healthy method I admit.
keii4ii
@kayotics There is only one Toivo out there
@Cronaj aaaa the previous one was in English. But I would not recommend it It's unfinished (though it does have more than 600 pages IIRC) and honestly really rough.
kayotics
@keii4ii true....... one weird wizard boy
Cronaj
Dang... I LOVE medical stories. I'm seriously addicted to them. @keii4ii
keii4ii
I enjoy them too and I appreciate your interest!
Cronaj
scours the internet for the lost records
keii4ii
The site layout is also broken so yeah...
I guess another thing I do is try to comment more on other people's comics, to rec them publicly, etc. Being the change I want. I don't do this as often as I want, but I think/hope even the little bit I do counts.
mathtans
Heh, I'm basically with Cap'n Lee in terms of a cycle. I think part of my issue is I won a fanfic competition in 2004, and it's kind of been downhill since. I've posted regularly to a serial site for over 4 years, accumulating 300 posts, and last month it had 100 total views... there's been 2 comments since March.
On the actual comic side though (not serial) I've relaunched it more than once, and tried to flag the more recent index as a starting point. And yeah, just hold on to the few good comments, like the guy who applauds me for continuing to post even though I only have 10 people following on Tapas.
These days, of course, I'm too darn BUSY to really think much about the lack of engagement. So one solution might be to get married and have a kid. Then you're just happy when you manage to get content out, never mind if anyone remarks on it.(edited)
Mharz
Popping here just to answer the question becos it's interesting. The lack of engagement was a bane in my existence and honestly one of the factors why I had to see a psychiatrist. My doctor told me I have self-esteem issues which leads me to seek validation from strangers. This is the first thing I work on. I have to be confident enough to not break even if nobody likes my stuffs. Which means I have to love myself first. (People prolly see me as vain at this point) Second thing I do is keep a mentality of "nobody has to care. They have things going on as well" which helps me appreciate the small percentage of people who actually took the time to engage, talk, and be friends with me. I also try to put a positive spin on it. "Nobody cares therefore I can make as much noise on my social media as I want and no one will bother criticizing becos nobody cares." If people unfollow, it's on them. It just means they're not really a fan of my work and I shouldn't waste my time. And if my mental illness is too much, then I will disconnect from the online world a bit. Treat myself. Do something fun like gaming and baking and hang out with friends IRL if possible.
Mharz
I sometimes think it's karma on my end becos I'm so vain, I rarely get interested in anything so I'm not really a fan of many stuffs so that is something I accepted as well.
AntiBunny
Perhaps being a webcomic author sort of goes hand in hand with needing validation.
MJ Massey
OH BOY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A LACK OF ENGAGEMENT?!
over the past week, I got 24 users. Granted, I didn't update, so that's probably why
So this is a four month overview of my website traffic. I hit a high of 184 unique users in August, and after that it plummeted to just barely over 100. And I hadn't really done anything different
I have never really gained a lot of traction with my comics. I'll admit that Black Ball definitely has more appeal than my last comic, so I have slowly been building an audience with it, but it's still been very slow. Sometimes it feels like I have to adhere to some extra set of rules while others can just throw up their comic on Tapas and have instant success. Of course, that's not the case at all
the key is to remember "why am I doing this? isn't it because I love making comics?!"
and to keep on pushing, keep up that hustle, and enjoy the ride. Make great content and it will be rewarding in and of itself
carcarchu
I'm not really sure it's as simple as simply throwing something up on tapas and getting instant success. there's a lot of work that goes behind every comic even if you don't perceive it
MJ Massey
well yes of course, I'm just saying sometimes it SEEMS like that
I'm a marketing professional, so I know there's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes
Glowbat (Aloe)
theres, i think, a lot of factors in certain comics gaining traction faster than others that are mostly out of a creator's control. on mirror sites like webtoons or tapas you have to factor that more attention is given to certain genres and art styles over other because of what that crowd likes. if they're into slice of life romances in anime-esque styles then someone who writes fantasy mysteries in a more western influenced style may not get as much love as they deserve
its tough out there
ive been fairly fortunate to gain a steady bit of followers on tapas but on webtoons my reader engagement and subs are significantly lower
Glowbat (Aloe)
i chalk it up to the type of crowd
MJ Massey
I've been analyzing my audience and my work and have a hypothesis that my work just works better in bulk format. I think 2020 will be a year of transitioning into bulk distro instead of the page at a time format
and see if that helps. As well as some new marketing techniques and getting back into the con circuit
Kabocha
A lack of engagement... This is definitely... a topic. I feel like, sure, one's general marketability in any given platform will definitely make it easier or harder to attract an audience, but on the other hand? It's also worth making sure you kinda figure out what you want out of webcomics. Some people have been working on their projects (or existing within a fandom) for years - decades, even at this point, which can be a big boost to initial readership on a new project! Other people just have the advantage of being able to sit down and advertise, or having someone do that for them. Personally, though. I went in not expecting to get an audience, and for a long time, actively avoided even having a comment section on my site. I just enjoy making comics and creating things - and if it happens to make someone happy, that's awesome. But comics and art aren't the only thing I do in my life that make me happy, and I've found engaging other people directly about things like comic craft and resources to be about 100x more fulfilling than posting comics themselves. (And it is fun, sometimes, to gush about my OCs and how dumb they can be.) But how do I cope with it? Eh, it's honestly not a big deal to me. It feels less stressful in some regards, because the dayjob can get hella hectic, and trying to balance "OH GOD COMICS" with "OH GOD THE SERVERS NEED PATCHED ALL NIGHT TONIGHT" can be.... interesting.
(But oh god, I will admit, having someone come up to me and say, "I read your thing or used your photoshop/csp brushes" can be incredibly motivating. But other days, I have to be my own motivation, so...)
kayotics
Sometimes it’s helpful to keep a list of really nice comments or to write down memories of when someone told you they like your work. This can take a while to gather but if someone says something nice about your work, keeping it somewhere safe for a day you’re feeling bad can help boost that morale
It also helps me sometimes to think about how there’s a TON of people who never comment on things, but they’re probably regularly reading.
MJ Massey
Totally! I was building a landing page for my email subscription, and I was able to go back and find old reviews from my last comic, and it really got me pumped
Kabocha
Yeah! When I worked in a call center, the metrics on calls in -> surveys was something like... At best, you get 10% of your callers leaving surveys. And it's usually because you left an impression (good or bad). Usually the reality was at best, you'd hear back from about 2% of your userbase unless you gave them an incentive them to say something.
Mharz
re tapas and other platforms: I have to agree that certain genres really are more appealing there. I have two comics with different genres that I regularly update and the numbers are literally like night and day. It's a sad truth.
Mharz
I also love getting notifs on tapas when a person is binging my comics and liking every update. It means I got them hooked. :'3(edited)
nice reminder that there ARE people who like my comics.
Kabocha
Well yeah - even in traditional publishing, some genres generally get larger readerships than others (and higher advances) because they're more easily marketed. There's a reason why some publishers will categorize what's basically a fantasy story with romance subplots as a "romance" overall for a relatively unknown author (it's because they're more likely to attract more readers because romance is HUGE)
MJ Massey
true that
and you have to find where you audience lives as well
Kabocha
Yeah... I have some readers who only engage when they come back to catch up, which can be every 6weeks or more. Some only read when a chapter is done being posted, which is about every six months.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Re: Tapas. Yeah, Tapas especially has very particular styles and genres it likes (anime style + romance, especially BL). I posted Children of Shadow there for six months and had 20 total subs before taking it down. A while later I tried posting it on Webtoons and got 60 subs in one week. That level of engagement slowed down considerably almost immediately though, because the prologue episode is in colour and the main series is greyscale - and I discovered the hard way that the majority of Webtoons’ users do not like greyscale (I even got rating-bombed over it). My second comic is doing much better on Webtoons since it’s in digital colour rather than pencil like Children of Shadow. Each platform has its specific interests and it can be a struggle to get noticed if you’re not making something that falls into its normal styles and genres.
Glowbat (Aloe)
both tapas and webtoons really dont push their scifi comics hardly at all. Tapas' top scifi section is littered with discontinued stories (at least theyve abandoned tapas at any rate idk if theyre for sure no longer continued) which means that because i update weekly and sorta fall into a semi-anime inspired style i get some decent traffic from the small demographic who go hunting for a scifi comic
RebelVampire
That's not that surprising, tbh. Even in the realm of novels sci-fi is more of a hunt for where the audience is sometimes.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Scifi is an under-appreciated genre, imo. Unless you’re Star Wars, Star Trek or a Marvel comic, it seems like people don’t talk much about scifi.
It might help boost views if you rework your genre labels on places like Webtoons. Like, have Adventure or Drama as your main genre tag and Scifi as your secondary genre.
Glowbat (Aloe)
actually ever since avas demon went on webtoons ive been getting about 10-15 subs a week there
for a while i had listed aloe as drama first but the results werent fantastic as i think that genre has been flooded over there
keii4ii
I think sci-fi has some very prominent associations with the genre that don't apply to every sci-fi story -- e.g. the first thing a lot of people immediately think of is spaceship explody battles. So if someone sees sci-fi and they're not into spaceship explody battles, they won't read.
Glowbat (Aloe)
i may try adventure though if scifi doesnt pan out
keii4ii
Alternatively, if someone sees sci-fi and they ARE into that... and only that... they will leave once they find out the comic is not about that
Glowbat (Aloe)
thats also a good point
keii4ii
I've had similar difficulties even though fantasy is more widely accepted these days as a more varied mega-genre
People expect X, comic contains only a sprinkling of X and is about Y instead.
Glowbat (Aloe)
in my personal case, i've alienated potential readers i feel sometimes simply by having the cast be primarily lgtbq with an agender lead. but i dont regret that and im happy to have it deter people who arent down for that
RebelVampire
That is definitely true about sci-fi. Film has really biased people as to what fits sci-fi, where in reality sci-fi is a really wide genre. So a lot of stuff never gets a chance cause it confuses people.
Nutty (Court of Roses)
Yooooo i feel that, glowbat. On one hand, I want ppl to know that my comic is a safe read for LGBT, but at the same time I know that announcing it as such will deter others on principle.
The Q - working on WAYFINDERS
I feel the same way. The whole cast of Wayfinders is some form of lgbt+, but we don't actually adress it much, because it's an adventure story moreso than a romance. So it's like.... how do we tell the readers it ain't straight
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Fantasy does seem to get drowned by numbers. Eryl gets about 5 new subs per update and Children of Shadow only gets 1-2, and I think they’re just getting lost in the crowd.
Nutty (Court of Roses)
Two of my characters jokingly told each other their identity through bard puns, plus I keep pushing for gay ships within the story, so I'm pretty overt with my readers about it ahaha.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
@The Q - working on WAYFINDERS I’m having some difficulty with that dilemma, too. Both my comics feature large LGBTQ+ casts but romance isn’t the focus of either. It often feels like there’s no good way to bring it up naturally until the romance threads surface very far into the story, and I’m always worried about homophobes lashing out when they eventually discover the comic is G A Y
Glowbat (Aloe)
in my descriptions i describe the comic as a lgbtq+ themed scifi flat out
keii4ii
Early in HoK, one character embarks on a journey for a personal reason, and the MC tags along. I've semi-recently heard from an American friend that she didn't really get the character's reason. He wanted to take a younger family member away from a bad living situation, but to the friend, the situation didn't seem so bad. After some talking, we realized it was a cultural thing. The situation was very obviously bad to Koreans, but it didn't/doesn't seem like a far departure from the range of normal life in the US, for cultural/societal reasons. I suspect that was a big part of the reason why people kept pegging my comic as a "fun adventure romp" despite the lack of fun adventures (it has elements of adventure, but is not that as a whole). The reason for the journey seemed superficial, like the author (me) just needed an excuse to start the Fun Adventure-Filled Journey. Whereas Korean readers, back when I was publishing it in Korean, immediately understood it was an intensely personal, difficult task that the shy boy decided to accept for the sake of love.
And yeah, LGBTQ+ as a tag/ part of the description seems like a good option to me too!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
But then I’m also anxious that LGBT folks will think that’s false advertising because the characters’ labels aren’t mentioned until really far into the story (and it’s no where near that point yet). Aaaagh maybe I just overthink everything.
Glowbat (Aloe)
its really interesting to hear the difference in reception HoK gets
keii4ii
Yeah and the setting itself apparently feels different, too! To Koreans, it evokes secondhand nostalgia. But some non-Koreans have told me it feels fantastical and Ripe For Adventures
Glowbat (Aloe)
I feel you Lee- almost none of my chars have mentioned or done anything to illustrate their identities yet
keii4ii
(I also feel the need to mention, there have been non-Korean readers who got what HoK was about. Those readers mean so much to me! But I don't know if they understood that particular detail about Danbi's motivation for the journey early on.)
The Q - working on WAYFINDERS
(I'm gonna put so much lbgt+ love in the background of the story everytime they get to a new city ahahahaha >:) )
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
To me, @keii4ii HoK is very reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films because I get similar whimsical vibes. But Studio Ghibli has always been more about emotional journeys so after a couple chapters I was like ‘Ah, yes, I think this comic is about the characters’ emotional growth’(edited)
Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS
(muhahhaa, also just let Sallly flirt with all the ladies in the BG)
Glowbat (Aloe)
yesss flirt with ladies
MJ Massey
I'm worried that my comic is not "gay enough" to warrant the LGBT+ label. The character's sexualities have very little to do with the actual story, and one character is actively hiding their identity
The Q - working on WAYFINDERS
SAME
keii4ii
I'm aro/ace/agender and I don't really feel "LGBTQ+ enough" so I can't really use the LGBTQ+ label for my own comic, even though I know the label isn't exclusively for ownvoices stories.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I admit I’m not sure I ‘got’ Danbi’s motivations on a cultural level, but I felt like the tone being presented in that scene made it pretty clear she was in a bad situation?(edited)
Holmeaa - working on WAYFINDERS
but... we have calculated a total of 1 straight character in our whole comic.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
‘She’ as in the niece, not Danbi. XD(edited)
MJ Massey
that's what it seemed like to me too, or at least that by leaving their village they were going to a better situation
Glowbat (Aloe)
first of all- high fives keii because agender solidarity and second of all if you have chars who identify as either not straight or not cis or both rolled into one then its gay enough to have the lgbtq label
to heck with gate keepers
there are plenty of queer peeps who just want to read stories that casually include people like themselves
but if you dont feel its needed you dont have to either
MJ Massey
I guess there is a certain expectation when you say "I make an LGBTQ+ comic" of how that comic will be, and I don't want to disappoint people or set them up to expect something different
I just figure that all kinds of people exist in the world, so I should include as many different kinds of people as I can in my work
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I probs should just put LGBTQ+ labels in the descriptions and be like ‘this is genre fiction but almost everyone’s queer even though you can’t tell yet’. XD
Nutty (Court of Roses)
I use the term "LGBT-friendly" to indicate that they're present, but might not be the full focus
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I write genre stories because I’m not that into romance-centric stories myself. I want queer heroes in the kinds of stories I like to read without the entire focus being on their sordid love-lives. I just want to read about the hero who slayed a dragon to rescue his prince instead of his princess, lol.
Glowbat (Aloe)
lol im in a similar position where i'd rather see the hero befriend the dragon
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I have plenty of that in my comics, too!
There’s some nice dragons and some very-not-nice ones. XD
Glowbat (Aloe)
(im insufferable in d&d i was a bard who tried to be friends with everything)
eryl is on my lisssst <3
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
This is why I love bards
Glowbat (Aloe)
hehe
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I'm always happy when people mark their stuff as LGBTQ+ if characters are present tbh Y_Y
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Also agreed with everything said above
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
All right, now Imma definitely have to add the LGBTQ+ labels to my comics next time I do website maintenance.
Glowbat (Aloe)
yay!
Nutty (Court of Roses)
Aw ye aw ye
Join the brigade
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yiss
I feel a bit bad bc I rarely read sth that's not clearly marked as LGBTQ+ or where I know the authors are part of the community whoops
But it's mostly the fact that I consumed hetero-focused media my whole life and now I can...choose.....
the dream
Glowbat (Aloe)
heck yes
im way more drawn to stories that are marked lgbtq+
keii4ii
Don't feel bad, because seriously, even if you exclusively read LGBTQ+ marked stories? There ain't enough time in this life to read every good story that fits that bill.
There are too many good stories out there and we do need to choose.
Glowbat (Aloe)
its just nicer because then i can enjoy the story without having to worry that in the middle of it im going to get a rude wake up call from an off colour joke or somethin at my expense
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah that's true
keii4ii
Sometimes we miss out on stuff that we may have fallen in love with, but that's the name of the game, the game of not having enough time
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Webcomics feel a lot safer than other media in that regard atm
Jupp especially if you're also working on your own stories
Glowbat (Aloe)
it sucks thinking theres a bunch of stories out there that im sure id love if only i had the time or mental fortitude to sift through a bunch of others.
keii4ii
(OTL that reminds me... there is one instance of trope use in an early chapter of HoK that falls into that 'off color joke' category. I don't have any excuses for it, just 'I just thoughtlessly parroted a trope that I saw elsewhere.' I regret it and hope to figure out an elegant way to rewrite that one scene.)
Glowbat (Aloe)
i dont have the energy to be burned so often by stories that seem good and then hit me with random transphobic bs or using slurs as jokes
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah, as someone who grew up in a time when no one positively portrayed queer folks in mainstream stories (and there was no internet and living out in the boonies made it impossible to discover underground cultures) I love that now I can seek out tonnes of LGBTQ stories and drown myself in the gay every day.
Glowbat (Aloe)
yesss
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
jupp ;;
Glowbat (Aloe)
man if i could give ten year old me printed copy of paranatural and turn to the pages with rj's identity being explained? that kid would have grown up way happier
living in small towns aint great for queer peeps
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Nope it’s not. I was badly repressed until honestly only 3 years ago when I suddenly asked myself why I loved reading about and writing so many gay characters. And then suddenly my whole life made sense.
Glowbat (Aloe)
im so happy for you<3
Glowbat (Aloe)
its a heck of a thing thinking back on things and realizing why you do certain things
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Honestly there were giant clues from when I was still a little kid and I can’t believe it took me so long. XD But I’m digressing from the comic talk, lol.
Glowbat (Aloe)
haha i understand what you mean
i think its why its so important for comics to be inclusive
spare some poor kids the heart ache and confusion
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yes! The internet has created such a boom for indie comics and that huge variety of voices has been so so important.
Glowbat (Aloe)
as much as comics are an art, they're extremely powerful as a vehicle for teaching and generally conveying ideas
FeatherNotes
Can i just say how happy i am that y'all are making LGBTQ+ comics that aren't just romance tho? I'm pretty indifferent and on the ace spectrum for sure, so its so refreshing that we can have a queer cast just being cool and not hurt by identities. I wish i had that as a kid
Also no shade on romance but there's def a lot and lgbtq+ isn't just for that genre
So yes yall are 'gay enough' lol
Glowbat (Aloe)
i agree! queer peeps shouldn't be squared off in romance, which unfortunately i think is a result of people's gross misconceptions
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Admittedly, I use my comics as a vehicle to work through my own issues, so there are scenes planned where the characters have to deal with transphobia or homophobia. But I will always counterbalance that with other scenes that validate the characters’ identities.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Hmhm my story also deals with transphobia and dysphoria bc I'm working through own issues. I don't think that's a bad thing though
generally I think it's pretty ok if the story is not a constant misery train
(even those can be written well, but they are usually not my cup of tea)
Glowbat (Aloe)
i think its perfectly acceptable to use comics as a vehicle for that lee
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeahh tbh
MJ Massey
there's no wrong reason to make comics/create a thing
Glowbat (Aloe)
youre a queer creator and you're working with what you know so why not
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I know focusing on queer suffering has been criticised a lot but I feel there's more nuance to it. Especially if it's a LGBTQ+ person writing about it
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah. I’m a miserable emo and I write miserable emo stories, but I try to inject some hope into it, because I think that the majority of humans are good and/or want to be good.
Glowbat (Aloe)
theres this comic called dropout that does a wonderful job exploring the grittier truths of being queer
its a fairly short read but its super good
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Hmmm, I may look that up
Glowbat (Aloe)
i can dm you the link! no pressure to read it tho
twothirty
gosh, i just want to chime in because i really relate to earlier comments around labelling comics. I'm bi, but i don't wear it on my sleeve, and my own comic has like...1 straight character. I feel like there is an expectation for comics labelled as lgbtq+ and i don't want to disappoint people who are really looking for that content to be directly addressed.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Tbh I feel many people are just happy, if there's queer characters doing cool stuff (at least that's how it's for me).
Glowbat (Aloe)
i label my own comic as lgbtq+ and the plot hardly hinges on that being the central theme
just a bunch a gay scientists and robots in space
...i swear its way more interesting that that lol
man i wish i could get more of my comic out faster so i didnt have to worry about spoiling basic things geeze
twothirty
haha im into it! Ahh, well probably a big part of it is my own insecurities, but what are webcomics for if not... for figuring out your own crap (edited)
keii4ii
I feel that X'D
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
juppp...I get the anxiety tho
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Mess of anxiety solidarity.
Glowbat (Aloe)
oof yeah
also hey while we're at it with the queer biz in here:
aro/ace/bi peeps are all gay enough full stop
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
YES
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
jupp
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
As a demi-bi dude I fully endorse that all labels are valid.
And that gatekeeping sucks and helps no one
Glowbat (Aloe)
yeah anyone who makes you feel like you dont belong under the lgbtq+ umbrella isnt doin right by you
and your comics should be allowed to be considered as queer as you want them to be
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Also all gender identities are valid and don’t hinge on having a physical transition. You’re valid as trans whether you change your body or not.
Glowbat (Aloe)
^^^
YES
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
YESS
Glowbat (Aloe)
all our experiences are valid and the comics we make because of those experience are beautiful
Deo101
Oh man I missed a huge convo, but I love y'all and it's wonderful seeing so many kinds of comics out there and seeing people make their own content
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Yo, nothing "gross" about romance, and the reason people flock to it is because romance with same-gender couples and/or trans people has been treated as "deviant disorder that needs to be cured and cleaned up, or at least kept far away from polite society" for so long (and still is, in many places)
All queer stories are valid, queer characters don't need to be in a romantic storyline to count, but please let's discuss that without echoing homophobic rhetoric about queer romance being "gross", yeah?(edited)
MJ Massey
I don't think it was meant gross as in queer romance itself being gross, but more in the finding a general distaste for romance tropes and romance as a genre
but I agree, that we should be careful about implying those sorts of things with our work
keii4ii
Romance as a genre is valid too; the consensus was just that there's a lot of it, and other genres are valid too. That every genre is valid
MJ Massey
true, but people might just feel strong distaste for certain genres from a personal point of preference
it's part of what makes the fabric of human existence so fascinating, we all have different opinions, likes, dislikes, viewpoints...
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
tbh I love romance stories but the thing that disheartens me is that the queer stories people take most serious are romances
keii4ii
The pigeonholing
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Can you elaborate on that Keiiii?
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Those are the stories that get repressed and erased the most, is the thing, so it takes more effort to get them produced and shared, and that makes people extra-happy
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I don’t think anyone said romance stories were gross?
Just that it’s not necessarily our jam.
keii4ii
Oh, I meant that's what people are doing when people start exclusively associating a very diverse experience/ group of people with ONE thing, to a point where the people in that group are not allowed to be anything other than That One Thing
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I was reacting to "queer peeps shouldn't be squared off in romance, which unfortunately i think is a result of people's gross misconceptions"
keii4ii
and it's a really unfair, inaccurate restriction
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Ahhhh
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
OH okay, thank you for elaborating, Keiiii. I couldn't really associate anything with the term at first!
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Misconceptions are the reason queer people have been excluded from most romance for so long
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think in that case it was more about people's misconception of queer identities being inherintly sexual and/or romantic though?
and not about queer romance being gross
DanitheCarutor
Huh, I thought 'gross' in that context was more akin to 'outlandish' or 'exaggerated', but I could be misunderstanding.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I think it means more that a lot of people fetishise queer relationships when there’s only representation in romance.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Associating "queer people being sexual and/or romantic" with "gross" is still hella dicey
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
the misconception is what's gross, not the queer people or their romance?
Glowbat (Aloe)
re: gross misconceptions :Oh! i think i said that Erin- i don't think i did a great job of explaining my thoughts on that. on sites like tapas and webtoons its fairly common for gay couples to be exploited for an audience thats less interested in representation than fetishization(edited)
MJ Massey
yes I think there was some lamenting that it could be difficult to show queer characters without an element of romance to make their identities apparent?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I don’t think they meant gross as in disgusting but gross as in ‘far off the mark’
MJ Massey
because some people wanted to have queer characters but not focus on a romantic plot
@Glowbat (Aloe) I know what you are talking about I think
Deo101
Yeah, though I'd like to add on as someone who is writing LGBT romance, I get lumped in with fetishization content a lot and that is very frustrating for me, too
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
And it does take a lot of digging to find respectful representation in romance instead of stories made by and for straight people that use bad stereotypes to fetishise queer relationships.
Not that all romance by and for straight people does this.
But it’s a problem in the genre
Deo101
I work very hard to portray healthy loving relationships and people lump me in to their hatred of romance in general or categorize my work as bl or discount it for having that. It gets fetishized or dismissed an awful lot and that's very frustrating for me to see happening
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
If you want to talk specifically about something you feel is stereotypical or fetishizing, I wouldn't object to that, it's the broad swipes at all romance that become a problem
Glowbat (Aloe)
agreed
queer romance is very important to represent
i dont think anyone here would imply otherwise
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
And, hey, sometimes queer writers/readers also enjoy a romance that's unrealistic or trashy or silly or melodramatic, I don't want to dismiss "all romance that wouldn't represent a healthy and respectful relationship IRL" either
Glowbat (Aloe)
very true
Deo101
Yeah, not what I was trying to say.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Idk if anyone was saying that tbh
Glowbat (Aloe)
i think our initial conversation though boiled down to that we were happy to see stories with queer people being allowed to just be people doing things that didnt focus on romance
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I'm personally very glad that we are getting a wider variety of queer romance now
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
What we were discussing earlier is more that it’s important to portray queer protagonists in all kinds of genres, instead of only romance. Which doesn’t mean romance isn’t also a valid genre.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Sure, and part of my discomfort is that queer characters have already been "allowed" to do non-romantic things in mainstream media for a long time -- it's being "allowed" to have an explicit romance that's new and different
keii4ii
^ I don't know about that. It probably depends on where you are, both IRL and part of the internet?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I never saw a queer character that wasn’t either tragic, a deviant, or the butt of a joke in media until the late ‘O0s(edited)
MJ Massey
both views are valid--it's good to both want explicit queer romance and to also just want to see queer people doing a wide range of things
DanitheCarutor
@Glowbat (Aloe) Yeah, to parrot what you said. I just chalked the convo up to seeing queer characters expand into different genres, and being happy that queer fiction is starting to be known for more than just romance.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
There was no positive representation in any genre in the media I had access to for most of my life(edited)
Deo101
It helps with the normalization of stories like that, but I also think it makes homophobes be "more comfortable" with gay stories sometimes in a way that bothers me
I have had someone say that my story is the only bl they can stand so I'm sensitive about this subject though
Cause there's a lot to unpack there
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
The "if there has to be a queer romance, at least make it awful and tragic" trope was absolutely true in my area too
yikes, I can see being sensitive about that
Deo101
Like me writing something that primarily isn't romance and just has a romance b plot is making homophobes and fetishizing people read my work and that's frustrating for me in a way I can't articulate. I'm very happy within the LGBT+ community to have these works be made but among the straight people I know it's uncomfortable when they start saying things like "oh yay finally some gay stuff that isn't romance" kind of thing
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah that makes sense
Deo101
From other gay people I get it, it makes sense and I'm the same way! Especially with the oversaturation of bl
DanitheCarutor
@Deo101 Gah I got a comment like that before, it was a weird situation because not only was it unnecessary but... TGtaHR isn't even a romance...
Thinking about it, that's actually kinda worrying.
Deo101
But it's important to remember that the LGBT+ community is a bubble and though it's safe to explore all sorts of stories here, it's not safe outside of our bubble
Or, not necessarily safe
Like a homophobe reading a gay story with an unhealthy dynamic could just bolster their bad opinions about gay people even if it's exploring it in a healthy way
I have a hard time explaining what I'm thinking and I really hope this all makes sense
keii4ii
I get you
Glowbat (Aloe)
(i get what youre saying deo <3 )
Deo101
And its not something we can really change but I think it's important to remember with regards to society at large and how our stories are percieved outside the community
Phew lol
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I get what you're saying, although in that case, the homophobe was probably going to think that no matter what, and if it wasn't the story they'd find some other "evidence"
Deo101
Yeah absolutely
And I think it's important to remember that when talking about exploring stories that have unhealthy Dynamics and things other than romance and whatnot. I don't want those things to become safe for cishets to exploit basically
Like "oh great now I don't need to write them kissing so I can access BOTH the LGBT and everyone else!"
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Ah, you mean like "the author says they're gay, so that counts as representation and LGBT people should buy this, even though there's never anything explicitly gay in the story"
right?
Deo101
Yeah
Deo101
Which again within the community I get and it's important to explore things like that for sure
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I think the important difference is, writers within the community are going to do something to indicate the queer identity, even when it's not "having an on-screen romance"
And that's something that, say, your average JKR doesn't bother doing
Deo101
Again I have a hard time explaining myself and I might be tripping over my words a bit here
Yeah that's true as well
I trust LGBT people to be navigating stories with an inherent nuance
For the most part
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
That, or (I think people were talking about this upthread) we don't advertise a story as "look at all this representation!" while the characters' identities haven't come up in the comic yet
Deo101
Yeah I know I didn't say my story was LGBT til I had the married couple kiss cause I was worried people would think I was gaybaiting
I know I'm not but it feels wrong to me like I'm trying to rally up readers kinda thing...
But also if you know you're planning to do it I feel like you can say it'll be there
I just have anxiety LOL
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
No, I get you. Even if it's definitely going to happen in the future of the comic, it'll disappoint readers if you rally them up for something that isn't there yet
That would happen with anything, not just queer identities
Deo101
Yeah I also don't tag my pages or whatever for disability if a character isn't disabled on the page
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Like if it was "read my comic for cool space battles!" when you had only posted the 5 pages of setup with characters having a chill talk in a field
sssfrs
I think what bothers me about lbgtq focused romance stories is that they’re often centered on how ~scandalous~ the relationship is and how the characters have to overcome personal biases or homophobia/transphobia as the central struggle
Deo101
I don't want the wrong audience. I mean I also could probably slap bl on my cover and I feel like I'd get a lot more readers but they're not the readers I want
sssfrs
Or at least I dont enjoy reading stories like that
Deo101
Yeah that frustrates me too, personally
But some people like seeing that overcoming idk
sssfrs
My comic has at least 2 visible prominent gay relationships but its not about romance at all
I guess thats personal preference(edited)
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think a lot of the time you also know what intentions the person behind telling a story like that has? I have a straight aquaintaince writing BL and it's totally clear that she thinks the whole ordeal is kinda cute and endearing when it's pretty...harsh for actual queer people
Deo101
Mines got 5 and it is about romance cause I absolutely love romance and I love love, but I am overly frustrated with romance as a genre. Which is why I write my own
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I think that goes back to the "talk about a specific trope that bothers you, don't treat it like the whole genre" thing I was saying
Deo101
Yeah I think there's a lot of nuance to it that cishet people largely don't have
sssfrs
I feel like it makes the romance into a statement about how society is bad and its not interesting or groundbreaking to represent that bigotry in your media without adding something new
Deo101
I'm frustrated with the often unhealthy Dynamics and the frequency with which homophobia and transphobia are shown.
I live in a homophobic household I don't want it in my romance cause it hurts to see
But, I don't think it's bad to tackle those issues it's just hard for me personally
sssfrs
I like pairing up side characters but only 2 pairs are going to have an Arc. so far....
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I...feel for many cishet authors it's also a good excuse to not have the characters get together right away without actually thinking about why they would not for other reasons (like personality based). So there's a lot of "I'm not gay!!!" type of thing
Also totally understandable Deo :C
Deo101
Yeah absolutely.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
It’s also valid, as a queer author, though, to show characters that do have to overcome their ‘gay panic’ when they first realise they’re gay. It’s something a lot of us have gone through, but it’s important to show the comfort you finally feel in yourself when you come out the other end if it.
sssfrs
Why should fiction include all the shitty parts of real life
Deo101
I think straight people see LGBT authors tackle these issues and go "oh so I can too!!!"
And yeah this is why I'm largely drawn to sci-fi and fantasy, I get to entirely remove all the things that hurt me about reality. Dude can just use a cane and everyone is like dope
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Because sometimes fiction helps us process all the shitty parts of real life. Both happy stories that take away shit and gritty stories that acknowledge shit are valid and important
Deo101
Ppl can just be trans and it's fine
I agree they're all important
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
(I think I'm just super bitter bc here I've seen cis and straight women get awards for their queer romance stories which just hmm)
Deo101
^
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I agree it's a super nuanced topic
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
...I feel like you've also gotta make some allowance for bad writing. Like, maybe someone's not getting a lot of nuance in their story because their skills aren't sharp enough to handle it yet.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Agreed, Erin!
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
And one of the ways they'll get good enough to write better stories is by working out issues through writing the worse stories.
sssfrs
My main character is a butch lesbian gnc completely androgynous person and no one is ever going to say anything nasty to her about it
Deo101
I feel you sssfrs lol(edited)
Deo101
I thirst for gentle, nice LGBT stories. I just crave them
Nutty (Court of Roses)
I feel that. As I build Prismal and decided to include lgbt folks in it, my first thought about it was "would there be any reason for them to be hated in this society? No? Then why would I include that theme?"
Deo101
And yes it's important to delve into the harsher realities and I think it's good to use fiction to explore and work through those themes, definitely, but personally no thx
sssfrs
I like where ppl are just all expected to be pan or bisexual by default
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
heh, I literally have 2 comics and one of them is "real world where characters struggle with realistic prejudices" while the other is "fantasy world with 0% homophobia/transphobia."
Something for everyone!
sssfrs
Nice
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I’m too goddamn miserable to write such nice stories, lol. But writing gritty stories where my characters go through hell helps me process the stuff I go through in my life. But I love reading those nice stories where we can forget racism and queerphobia exist.(edited)
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
hehe...I've decided to go into some queerphobia in my next comic only bc I want to...explore historical queer spaces and the kind of space does not make sense in a world that's 100% accepting
Deo101
Yeah it's just all about that nuance babeyy
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeahhh
Deo101
I think that's also why we see so much more LGBT content of all kinds in indie media
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Absolutely
Less gatekeeping, less opportunity for homophobes to shut it down
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
No big boss complaining it’s not ‘marketable’ to be inclusive
Deo101
And I worry that mainstream stuff will be like "ohoho, so that means I can do it too" *stumbles and sets gay people back 10 years in the eyes of the general public *
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
YEEEEEEAH there’s that
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I think the mainstream is going slow enough that that's far from my biggest worry
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
But change never happens smoothly
Sometimes it goes up and down before society evolves into a better mindset
Deo101
Well yeah ofc, but even on a smaller scale of bad people reading good works it is kinda happening I feel like
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
So there’s gonna be periods of shit before being queer is faithfully represented in the mainstream
Deo101
Yeah for sure
It helps normalize things but it also can do it in an unhealthy way and it's frustrating
As in people going "yes let's include gay romance *it's just bl tropes *"
And things like that
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I think the best way to counter that is by producing & supporting more stories of all kinds -- the more complex and multifaceted a view people get, the better
Deo101
Yeah
From people who are handling those stories well, too ^^^
Which is subjective of course I know that
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Also, something nobody's mentioned that I think should come up...a lot of times you don't know who's straight/cis and who's not. Like, if it's Famous Mainstream Author JKR, you can be pretty sure, but with small-scale indie creators, how much can you tell the difference between "straight/cis artist who thinks BL tropes are how all real gay relationships work" versus "gay/bi/trans/etc artist who understands IRL fine, but it's fun and self-indulgent for them to write those tropes"?
Especially since the artist could be actively in the closet. Or could still be on their own journey of self-discovery and not know they aren't straight and/or cis yet. All the more so since indie creators are more likely to be younger than well-established mainstream standards.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I don’t know about you guys, but it’s always BLATANTLY obvious to me by how they’re writing.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
How did you confirm it? Did you ask them?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Call it intuition
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I don't think it's always confirmable tho :C
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Granted, sometimes a person writes with enough nuance that I can tell they're queer, but how do you tell a straight writer from an awkward/inexperienced/clunky queer writer?
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I know a lot of authors thinking they were cishet and later on realizing they were not
and some of them wrote a lot of "yikes"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
There’s writing patterns and use of tropes that signal whether the person is actually respectful if the queer community or not
Deo101
Also just cause you're working through things doesn't mean it's a healthy exploration that is good for the community at large
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Even if they’re queer and self-indulging, there’s a lot of tells both in the comics and in their commentary
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
tbh I think some tropes are fair to criticise no matter if the author is queer or not but there are also queer authors writing disrespectful tropes
it's not sth that I see a lot, but I've seen it
Deo101
^ yeah this
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
All questions of their writing aside, there are definitely queer people who don't respect the community IRL, either...
Deo101
Like it's not good to write glorifying rape fic of pedophilia no matter who you are or how it's helping you work through things. I mean you can write it but then to share it is something else entirely
Not saying those are common things but they're pretty very much "bad" things
And actually glorifying rape is something I do see much more than I would have expected
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
And that’s problematic, too. When you’re part of a community but not respectful of it, that’s just as bad as a straight person being homophobic. Sometimes the worst homophobia cones from within the community, but that doesn’t make it okay or healthy.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
If you share a dark story behind accurate warnings and labels, then it can reach other people who are working through something by reading it, and be avoided by people who don't.
Deo101
Yeah there's a lot of lateral agression within the community
Okay but glorification of it isn't a healthy way to work through those things it's not a dark story
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I'm not saying homophobia from within the community is okay or healthy, I'm just saying it doesn't have to indicate that the person is straight/cis.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I have a lot of dark themes in my comics. There is rape, but it is never shown on panel and never never glorified. I think it’s a subject that’s important to talk about, but I find it extremely disturbing how much it’s romanticised in fiction.
Deo101
^^^
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah...
DanitheCarutor
Huh, this convo reminds me of an article a friend sent me from someone's Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/posts/25994657 It talks about creation policing, and problematic fiction. You all proooobably won't agree with it given the direction of discussion (which all points of view are totally valid), but this whole subject is super interesting.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
All right, true, you can’t always know if an author is queer or not. I should have been more specific in whether an author has a healthy view of the LGBTQ community or not.
Deo101
So you might not be able to tell if someone is gay by their writing, but there are certain trends that gay people do not generally fall into that MOSTLY indicate someone is straight, though there's no way to know for sure.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
THAT is always obvious to me.
Deo101
And like def there are bi women who fetishize gay men, and there is transphobia and biohobia and everything within the community
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
If they’re being homophobic or just don’t ‘understand’ the queer community, I mean
Deo101
Etc etc, so even if you can't tell whether a harmful representation is written by someone who is LGBT it's a harmful representation regardless
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
^^^^This
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Yeah. I'm always very hesistant on how to address things like this
Deo101
Me too esp since I have such a hard time saying what I mean
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I'm not saying it's impossible to write harmful representation, but "this is harmful!" gets used as a cudgel against any representation, so often that I'm wary of talking about it as a vaguely-defined blanket category.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
It’s hard to articulate things clearly when in fast-paced chats like this
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah, haha
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
At least it's good for leveling people up, huh?
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
eifhiuef pfft
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Lol. ‘You levelled up talking about homophobia!’
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
(I feel we're all respectful and try to explain ourselves and give others the chance to do so too)
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
At least it's good for something??
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
(so that's good haha)
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yes. Talks like this are super important to help see each others views on tricky subjects
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Yeah, I feel like we're making good-faith attempts to understand each other, which...is not something you always get in internet discussions
To put it very very mildly
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
We all have our own stories and unique perspectives, and that’s important to share both in the fiction we write and in discussions with each other
DanitheCarutor
@Phin (Heirs of the Veil) The subject is pretty sticky. On one hand artists should be allowed to create whatever they like, on the other if that work can perpetuate harm for a certain community should it be allowed? There is a lot of this going around right now where people want sanitization in media, and what works of art are and are not allowed to exist. Not saying it's bad, but it is fascinating. I'm not fully getting into the convo because I'm honestly super neutral.
kayotics
I’m definitely watching the convo play out, it’s interesting to see a chat like this develop
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
yeah I'm taking notes this is not my area of expertise, and it's all good stuff to keep in mind
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I'm okay discussing & criticizing specific examples (which is probably why I keep bringing up Dumbledore...), but I don't like being critical of broad categories, because they can be so ambiguous & easily misused.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
@DanitheCarutor I think it is very hard to differentiate between people who want difficult subjects to be explored (which is valid) and people who don't want to be called out for certain kinks for example and a lot of the times stuff like "purity policing" gets used to shut legit criticism up. On the other hand there are a lot of examples of callout culture gone wild and honestly ??? Idk anymore.
Deo101
Its very frustrating
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
But I'm also at a point where I'm getting super tired of constant discourse so
Deo101
Yeah I've literally had to block words like "ace" cause it's just so often discourse from either side and I'm just so tired of it
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Plus there’s always going to be stories that help one person work through things but that are very toxic and upsetting to someone else. Just like there’s people who are toxic to one person and important to someone else.(edited)
Deo101
I've also blocked LGBT and "feminism" kinda things
I JUST see cats and memes now thank you
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Lee: absolutely, which is why accurate labels are important
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Eyyyy, it's my turn!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yes
kayotics
I think it’s important to curate your online experience, and sometimes NOT curating your experience leads to purity policing
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
HMM
kayotics
But yes tagging is really important!!!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I think there is the creation of a lot of anxiety in what and what you can't tell in stories
Deo101
Tags are super important but also when someone doesn't think or realize they're doing something harmful they might not tag it
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Warning labels all around are always a good idea
Deo101
Like if someone is being a homophobe just cause etheyre homophobic they're not gonna tag that
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
True
Deo101
Why tag it's glorifying abuse if they think it's hot or reality and don't realize that's bad
Etc etc
kayotics
There’s definitely a lot of creator anxiety lately, I’ve had a lot of friends come to me with anxieties about not wanting to start a project they love because they’re afraid of who might attack them online
Deo101
^^^ I've been scared about this
kayotics
Me too, honestly
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Same honestly
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
There’s always the issue if ‘should harmful ideas be given a platform’ vs ‘stifling voices you just don’t want to hear’ it’s a fine line.
Deo101
I once got all in a tizzy cause I was like "oh my god my planet of women is asking a man for help"
Yeah cause some free speech silences other's
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
Same
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
And sometimes you get people thinking "if I label this with a warning that it contains Bad Content, the internet police will come after me," so they don't use warnings for that reason, and then it's just bad times all around
Deo101
Yeah.
And also there are things no one thinks to warn about, like some very specific triggers
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah...
Deo101
Its just all around a very difficult to navigate space
DanitheCarutor
@Phin (Heirs of the Veil) Right? People do that with anything, if it's not the "purity police" excuse it's "my style", or "I'm friends with -insert minority here-!" I don't bother with the arguments anymore since I've been pushed into them enough, I'm more into seeing opinion on general art policing, or what is and isn't allowed to exist in art. Sorry, I'm being slow at typing again.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Heck, if we're talking about actual psychological triggers, most of them are going to be super-specific
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I have a trigger for fungal growth on bodies now bc I have 3 people who either have probs with plants growiing on bodies OR funghi lol
Deo101
Ya I have a "someone watching someone else sleep" trigger which people use a surprising amount
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
...wait, Phin, now you have a trigger, or now you use a warning for it?
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
@DanitheCarutor srsly don't worry about it, haha. It's a nuanced topic and I think generalizing is pretty bad when it comes to what you can and can't portray
I use a warning for it, sorry Erin, wasn't clear
I had multiple people approach me so I warn in update posts and should probs also do it on the website
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
no worries, just wanted to be sure
kayotics
I do have an extreme phobia of needles and you’d be surprised how many news sites use active needle shots for vaccination stories
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
GOD I KNOW
I am not afraid of them but like once they are near skin
I don't wanna see...these shots
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I have a deathly phobia of vomiting and there are NEVER warning labels for it.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah I think most people don't regard it and sometimes it's hard to get everything...
a friend of mine, Eli, creates a very gory comic and they put all their warnings on their update post images
and I kinda wanna try to be similarly mindful?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
(I’m okay if it’s in a comic and off-panel or the gross part is not shown but the sound and sight are crippling for me and shows and movies just SHOW it all the time)
kayotics
That’s true. Not a vomit fan.
DanitheCarutor
Ah I've thought about using page by page TWs, and I tried it out with one page, but with the amount of triggering thing in my comic I decided on a general warning. (since almost every page would get a warning) A few of my readers also said they preferred not to see them due to possible spoilers.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Hmm...I have a list of possible triggers in my about section
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I probably should start doing that bc my comics get very bloody
kayotics
I know I’ll have a scene eventually that I’ll want to have a warning on, but I’m not sure how to warn for it without spoiling?
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I installed a spoilertext plugin on one of my comics for that! Now I can put specific warnings at the front of a storyline, and readers who don't have triggers & don't want spoilers can leave them hidden.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
OHH that's a cool idea
DanitheCarutor
Yeah, mine is like a general pop-up that you have to click on to proceed to the comic.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I’m going to have to look at that plugin. Potential spoilers are the only reason I don’t have really detailed warnings on my comics
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Here's the one I use: https://wordpress.org/plugins/inline-spoilers/
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Yeah I'll look into it too. It seems super useful.
Heck thanks Erin!
DanitheCarutor
I don't know how you could make a warning without spoilers, @kayotics! I mean, you might have to if you want to do a page specific one.(edited)
Sorry, my cat sent the message for me.
kayotics
I was thinking a page specific one for the upcoming scene.
So I’m glad that doesn’t seem weird
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I'd say super-general warnings are mostly not spoilers. A movie will say "contains graphic violence", and that doesn't tell you who's being violent, or why, or how it's resolved.
DanitheCarutor
^^^
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah, I think that's not a spoiler, especially if the comic was already violent
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah. I have warnings for things like ‘graphic violence, blood and gore, nudity, etc. But some chapters or pages probably warrant more detailed TWs.
Deo101
Yeah I'm gonna put in my a/n for a few updates before like "hey there are some spooky scenes comin' up!'
kayotics
I wouldn’t say my comic is already violent, so it’s more applicable for this one scene
Deo101
And yeah things like "watching someone sleep" is gonna be at least somewhat of a spoiler...
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
hmhm
DanitheCarutor
@kayotics I think it really just depends on the person too. Some readers like page by page TWs, and don't see them as spoilers, others are the opposite. Your readers might appreciate a warning more than mine since your comic isn't overall super graphic.(edited)
Gah I can not type today!
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I put "this will get bloody" before some of the vampire storylines, not spoiler-cut -- because it's not a given, but shouldn't exactly be a surprise, either.
Deo101
I also do not mind spoilers whatsoever and I WILL spoil to anyone who asks as I've said many times, but I know not everyone is like me and spoilers are a big deal to many people
"i don't mind spoilers" i love them and they make me enjoy things more for many reasons
DanitheCarutor
Ah same! I'd love to just spill everything!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
(Deo high five bc same)
Deo101
My people
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
tbh spoilers got me interested in many comics and I actively spoil myself
like getting into new comics and reading the updates before jumping to the beginning haha
kayotics
I’m very much the opposite
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I don't want to spoil anything, I want to keep people guessing! But sometimes you gotta.
Deo101
Yes. I get incredibly stressed about whether or not things will work out and spoilers relieve that. Even if it doesn't work out like at least I know
I get so so sooo stressed about it
kayotics
Whenever people tell me spoilers I actively like content less
DanitheCarutor
I don't mind them myself. My mom absolutely hates them, and used to make me spoil every movie if I saw it before her, so I'm pretty alright with it.
Deo101
Yeah ik many people are that way
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah I also think that's fair
DanitheCarutor
Also spoilers don't affect me either since it's not the content that means anything, but how it's used. Imo
kayotics
Usually for me it’s like. “Ok you spoiled a major character death/reveal, that’s not fun for me anymore”
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
OH yeah Kay! Tbh
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
If there's a big twist, I want to be unspoiled the first time I watch/read/etc the thing. If it's handled well, I can always rewatch it again with the knowledge.
kayotics
Because then I don’t get to experience that anymore
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
that's sth that can also ruin a story for me
kinda didn't get into the current season of CritRoll bc of such a spoiler
with comics it's kinda like...I see them on twitter, read along a few updates and then jump to the beginning so there I don't mind spoilers at all
it's more scoping out if the story's for me
Deo101
Oh man I sometimes only get into things because of spoilers LOL I know I'm weird with this but genuinely I love spoilers so much they make me comfortable with what I'm watching. I love rewatching things cause I know how it goes down and I'm not stressed by it
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I sometimes have troubles to deal with...raw emotions towards media so spoilers help me with that too
like preparing myself for it to hurt
(not always tho)
Deo101
Right yeah for sure
Even if I know it won't work out I KNOW and I don't put energy into getting my hopes up
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I hate spoilers, personally. I love going into stories completely blind or with just the bare-bones ‘genre, overall theme’ because I LOVE being shocked and surprised and have plot-twists thrown at me, so that’s what I do with my own comics(edited)
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah that's also fair. Right now my brain's not in the mood for that so I gotta play it save hehe
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I still don't like saying "here's what the Beings are" in ads or sales pitches for BICP, even though the page where it was revealed is several years old by now
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
But everyone likes different things so there’s nothing wrong with giving spoilers for your own stories if people want them(edited)
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah it depends honestly and that's pretty okay.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Everyone’s different and everyone’s valid
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I don't spoil my own story, except with artworks and mostly it's without context or cryptic enough that it's not...a real spoiler
yeah!
in that regard, it's just a huge matter of taste
twothirty
i also jump into webcomics, read them backgrounds for a bit then realized im actually into it and read it properly haha
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
hahaha yes
If I get invested without context I know it's good lol
Deo101
I don't spoil on public platforms cause I know people don't wanna necessarily see that (unless it's in an ama but I try to avoid spoilers still) but in private? I'll spill whatever tf u want like
I have and I will again!!!! Lmao
I know no one is gonna write it like me and also it's p linear so the only spoilers people really ask are Character things not plot things, anyways
So I'm not worried about theft im not doing anything super wild or original lol
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
all my favorite panels I've done are all the most spoilery ones, so... whether I share them or not, I lose
Deo101
Aw man
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
SAME
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
nooo
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
but it makes sense! I put all my effort into those moments where the story twists and turns
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Some of my fave panels or pages are when big reveals or plot twists happened
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
and it shows
so meh, I'll live
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
So I can’t share them to people who haven’t read my comic yet XD
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
luckily they don't make a ton of sense out of context, but... as soon as people start reading they might be like OHHH I know what's coming now
but it got them reading so shrug
I guess all mileage varies
Deo101
I feel like even the way I talk about my comic spoils it LMAO whoops
I'm made out of spoilers I can t hold them all in very clumsy
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
haha
I feel the same a lot
(But I also just wanna scream 24/7 about my stories whoopsie)
Deo101
I once had readers asking me to sum up a chapter caus ethey were confused and I just waited til someone else did it cause I was worried I'd spoil Something in trying to sun it up
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Linear stories are good too, though! Just reading a satisfying, well-written story is great; there doesn’t really NEED to be twist and turns for it to be food.
Deo101
Who doesn't wanna scream all the time and their stories hahahahha
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
GOOD
NOT FOOD
GAH
Deo101
Millennium is yummy yummy yum
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
...for the in-universe version of spoilers, I just had a moment of "hang on, this scene could've been way more dramatic if this one character hadn't already been given a certain reveal last chapter"
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
good food, agreed
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Normally I get away with not having a long buffer prepped ahead of time, but for once I wish I could still change this
Nutty (Court of Roses)
i spoil a lot about my characters more than i do the plot lol
i mean except their backstories sometimes
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Oh :C sometimes it's like this, Erin. Reasons buffers are good, but when do you have the time....
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I've tried putting this one on hiatus to prep a buffer, but it turns out I need the deadlines and the regular feedback to push me through making the pages...
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
oh I see. Understandable though...the only time I create real buffer is when I finish a book for print and have a deadline there.
(I wanna try to actually...get better though, since I wanna start a second comic project)
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I mean, sometimes if there's a process that works for you, you gotta just go with it and not waste energy fighting it. Even if it's not the Best or Most Professional way.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
yeah that's true. It's just frustrating when you compare the work you get done in these phases vs. every other time.
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
Clearly the solution is to split it up into smaller books, so you have more print deadlines!
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
haha, that might be!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I need buffers or I get super stressed. Unfortunately I also find them difficult to keep up.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Buffers are very hard to keep up. I'm running out of mine next week, whoops
But I've already started working on new pages
Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)
I have...a half-finished, past-deadline page open in another window right now, lol
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I haven’t been able to draw for about a month, so one comic’s buffer is getting low and the other’s going to either miss this week or be late.
And I’m stressing about it. -_-
sssfrs
I’m so excited for my story to progress. I’m tempted to talk about it but when I am I think that nothing I say casually will be as impactful as just letting the story actually play out
Desnik
I deal with lack of engagement by throwing my ideas (or myself) at people. I learned that keeping secret twists as spoilers was inhibiting my growth as a writer, so instead I talk through my plots with my writing group and I often walk away with much better ideas to write
We're a kidlit/MG/YA group and I'm writing in a similar fashion, so we usually don't have to warn each other about anything we're writing, which is its own kind of freedom
if I can get the content to be good enough, and land in front of someone who'll help me take it further, then the engagement will follow
keii4ii
(This the right place?)
Deo101
Speaking of a lack of engagement, i feel like my engagement rates are incredibly low. I get a good bit, i get comments on every page and im very happy with that, but it's odd that i dont get more given my amount of readers and I wonder if some comics just aren't the kind of story people feel a need to say anything about, or what?
I think so?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
My engagement rates are... almost nonexistent.
keii4ii
I TOTALLY GET THAT DOUBT
When my anxiety is bad, it gets... really bad. "Maybe my story isn't worth commenting/ there is nothing to talk about it." I know that's just anxiety, so I try my best to not listen to that voice.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Although I think my audience is just not there? My page-views are pretty low, too, so maybe I just don’t have enough readers to comment (outside of you awesome SF perps)
PEEPS NOT PERPS
MY GOD THIS PHONE
keii4ii
Yeah, my views are fairly low too, considering the sub count I have on platforms
Come on, phone. We're not criminals. (Probably. )
Deo101
Yeah, its just weird when i have like. 1000 readers on tapas and get 0 comments i guess? I do kinda feel like my comic is very.... Its very linear its character driven and people can onky say "aw cute ^^" so much so idk what they would say
Like its legit .1%
keii4ii
hides the bloody knife
Deo101
ITS IN THE FLOWER POT!!!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I was getting about 1k daily views right after I joined SF but now it’s back down to about 100 a day, so shrugs
keii4ii
Views though, it's natural they spike like that even if you retain 100% of the people who checked out your comic!
because typically, people only go through the old pages once
so they give you more views upon first visit
Deo101
^^^
keii4ii
But I 100% understand the worry of "why do people check out my comic and decide not to read it... is there something wrong with my work"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
On webtoons I think I have relatively good engagement for Eryl considering my low sub number. I have about 350-some subs and get an average of 1-2 unique comments per page, though that number goes up when a character dies. (edited)
That’s true! They do get kinda ‘falsely’ inflated when people binge-read archives
Deo101
Most comments i ever got is when I said "tell me your pet names"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Lmao, I should try that
Deo101
And then outside of that when luzio and sage do something cute is the most I get like, organically just frim my content
Amas are second most comments which are again, me starting the discussion
Maybe alk my authors comments should be like "tell me about your fave color" that'll inflate my stats
keii4ii
One person told me they don't comment because everything seems so obvious, and they don't wanna be captain obvious. Which I can respect. But I don't think everything is that obvious if the most common comment I get is "I'm lost"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Hmmmm
Deo101
Hahahahhahahahah
Like "NO PLEASE SHARE THESE THINGS"
keii4ii
IKR
Deo101
Help everyone else out!!!
keii4ii
There is a term in Korean comment section culture
"Konan" (from Detective Konan)
It's a term for commenters who explain obtuse stuff for other readers
Sometimes you'll even see comments like "Hurry up, Konans! I'm too tired to think! Spoonfeed me what happened in this update!"
Deo101
Me reading every comic ever
keii4ii
I NEED A KONAN IN MY COMMENT SECTION
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Honestly I wish western readers did that, but they either get attacked for being ‘Captain Obvious’ or people scream SPOILER!!!! at them
Deo101
I really wish people woukd expkain for me too because then i know some people get it, but ALSO i dont want to explain things i didn't show, accidentally.
snuffysam
one thing i've found that helps with engagement is making sure to include something on the page for people to talk about, no matter how relevant it is. like a while back i had a (in my opinion) fairly boring scene where it's basically "where do we gotta go" "i'm not telling" "please" "ok you gotta go here" so to give readers something to talk about i had one of the characters take a hotdog out of a pokeball and eat it.
keii4ii
There was also this incredibly, incredibly obtuse comic. It had a fascinating hook but then became almost impossible to follow. You'd see comments like "so this is the Forbidden Realm that even Konans cannot enter."
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Hahaha
Deo101
I try to make every page have something, i usually have 3 goals i want a page to accomplish but it's not very... Fun i guess? Its just kibda like "yes this happened"
keii4ii
It's also kinda sad when you DO put something important to you, and nobody says anything (or worse, says "so when is it gonna get interesting???")
Deo101
Yeah...
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
So once I spun this theory on a comic by picking it up from context clues. And I was like ‘Hey guys, what if X character is the dragon???’ and everyone was like ‘WELL DUH IT’S IN THE HOVER TEXT.’ I read comics on mobile where hover text doesn’t always work, and after getting sneered at for something ‘everyone knew already’ I was put off of ever being a Konan type again.
Deo101
:(
I never read the hover text unless its by accident I just dont think t
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah. And it wasn’t obvious from reading without the hover text so I was really proud of myself for figuring it out. But it just goes to show how rude commenters can scare away well-intentioned ones.(edited)
keii4ii
aaaugh D:
snuffysam
tbh i'm not sure why an author would put something important in the hover text where mobile readers can't see it. or tbh in blogs, side stories, etc. if it's important to understanding the main story, it should be in the comic.
Deo101
Yeah that's what im thinking... Hover text should be for puns
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
It was revealed later that chapter in the main comic, but apparently it wasn’t a ‘secret’ like I thought it was.
keii4ii
Bleeeh, sorry that happened to you. >_< This is why we can't have nice things
Where is the nearest Konans R Us, I want to order one for each of our comics.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah... I’m very socially anxious / awkward so I’ve been scared away from quite a few comment sections. I still read the comics and buy them if they go to print, but a negative commenting experience usually discourages me from ever participating in the discussion.
keii4ii
100% understandable
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Which is why I feel it’s super important for the creators to moderate their comments (or hire a good moderator if they don’t have the time). A lot of comment sections get toxic if the author is lax about fostering a positive discussion environment.
Deo101
That makes me feel much better about the times ive asked people to cut Something out or deleted comments.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I appreciate that effort very much.
Deo101
I worry that its "disengenuous" or something and if someone has a negative opinion I don't want to be like "nope you're ONLY allowed to be nice to me!!!" But it's not good, i don't think, to let people feel safe being mean In my comments.
keii4ii
Yeah, there is being critical, and there is being mean
Deo101
So I rarely do it but I have and I don't feel any guilt over the times i have
Right
keii4ii
Sometimes a comment can tread the fine line between the two and it's really annoying that it's not Obviously, Blatantly Mean
Deo101
Yeah hahahahahhaha
keii4ii
But I try to remember that I too have walked that line unintentionally and obliviously, back when I was younger
Deo101
Right. I have too
I was like "oh man I am so smart and im about ti IMPART MY KNOWLEDGE ON YOU!!!" *Is a jerk *
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
That one comic I was talking about earlier: the author had a hard time keeping up with moderating and eventually took comments off the main site. It was 100% not her fault and she was herself getting emotionally distressed from the amount of negativity in the comments. Especially since the comic itself is really thoughtful and has a lot of messages of acceptance.
Deo101
:(
keii4ii
>_<
Deo101
Uhh but yeah! Does .1% feel like about what y'all get as far as comments:readers goes?
.1-.2
I feel like i have no actual gague for this lol
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
It varies from comic to comic (for no quantifiable reason, usually) but that is about right. 99% of readers are lurkers.
Deo101
Dope, I was worried I had like super low numbers when talking with some people and it got me worried about my content
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Plus subs don’t necessarily translate to active readers. A lot of people just never clean out their library after they stop reading something / subbed it to read later and never got around to it or left the site entirely.
Deo101
But I've also just got a lot of anxiety about what im producing and how it's percieved in general
Yeah ik
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I can see people binging my archives from my stats but maybe 1 in 100 or less leaves any comments.
snuffysam
on average, each subscriber to my comic has posted about 45 comments total (which is like 0.07 comments per subscriber per page) if someone clicks on a page (subscriber or not), there is a 0.5% chance of that person leaving a comment.
Deo101
See for me its like. 1 in 1000 leaves a comment...
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
(It’s okay I get anxiety over it, too)
Deo101
Yeah i was gonna say uhhh whats it called
Shoot i lost mt train of thought.
Right. I feel like the longer a comic goes on tbe less frequently people engage
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Yeah, I’ve noticed that in my comics, too.
Deo101
Like less readers will have made it to the end, more will be inactive, etc
snuffysam
i've found that my active commenters take a jump in early march (i.e. right after the comic's anniversary), and any time a book ends (since, i guess people like seeing how all the stuff that's happened in the book culminates)
Deo101
Oh that's an interesting note
snuffysam
i suppose that's some other advice on increasing engagement - give a reason for even caught-up readers to leave comments. one thing i've been doing is redrawing old pages and releasing the redraws on anniversaries, which gives reason for people to re-read.
and for end of book stuff, i suppose people are more willing to predict how something is going to end when it's close to ending
Deo101
Hmmmm
I'm taking notes
twothirty
seeking validation through comments is my downfall, because i just dont seem to write a comic that has the type of readership who is into that. What helped was just looking at google analytics and being like "oh right, of course people read this, its clearly here in this data" haha.
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
twothirty, same. It's kinda hard to get out of that mindset.
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Raises hand I need constant reader validation and get depressed easily when there isn’t. It’s not healthy, but it’s really hard to break out of that mindset.
Deo101
Im not seeking validation through comments, but when i have thousands of readers and get only like 5 it does make me look twice and start wondering if there's something I'm doing wrong.
And yeah it's hard to break out of the mindset
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Me constantly atm haha
Deo101
Especially if you've bee. Hurt in the past and you feel like people secretly hate your work because... In the oast they have
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
I wonder if it's actually...a change in how people interact with media nowadays?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Oh yeah, definitely, Deo. I got so much negative feedback when I first started posting webcomics and it still sticks with me today.
Deo101
Yeah I've been lucky where people have been mostly nice to me or otherwise just indifferent which makes it so I don't have a super negative experience that my anxieties latch onto
And its STILL hard
Because words of affirmation is my love language lol
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Partly I think it was because I was creating a lot of gender-nonconforming characters in an era when that wasn’t well-accepted in Western comics (reminder that I was surrounded by a veeeery conservative environment at the time), and partly because my skills were just not what they are now. There were a lot of nasty comments from both strangers and people I knew, and it was really tough to work through. I think if I hadn’t had the Tomgeeks forum to hang out in, I probably would have given up.
(For you young’uns, Tomgeeks was a webcomic list site and we had a really tight group in the forums. A lot of that old crowd are now in Spider Forest).
Kabocha
(Sorry, saw the tomgeeks mention! I remember aspiring to be in that group one day, but I was a lil' too much of a noob back in the day.) A lot of media is kind of... Sometimes you need to put a call to action to be like, "HEY LEAVE A COMMENT!" or something - else, they forget in a lot of cases, but ofc that's no guarantee.
keii4ii
Re: people being less willing to engage the longer a comic has been going on, that is definitely a thing
I think it's called archive burn or something
and I feel it too sometimes, as a reader. I feel like I'm not "allowed" to start reading a comic unless I can find a big enough chunk of free time to finish the archive in one session
It's 100% irrational but... it is a thing
I've found that I don't experience it IRL, with physical books. The end of each volume is a really good stopping place
snuffysam
then i suppose a problem is that webcomics don't really have stopping points you can physically see like physical books like when you're reading a book series, you know where one book ends, but when you read a comic you don't really unless you check how many pages each chapter has
and even then it's hard to keep that in mind when it isn't physical
mariah (rainy day dreams)
I definitely understand that feel. It's kept me from doing a lot of the book club comics because I'm like "I got ten pages in, but that's not enough to comment" T_T
snuffysam
maybe someone could program a widget for comic sites that works similarly to the page indicators in ebooks. like "you're 40% of the way through the chapter, and at your current reading speed you have 10 minutes left"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Comic Rocket!
mariah (rainy day dreams)
Does Archive Binge also have a feature like that?
I feel like they might... I don't use those kind of readers so I'm not super familiar with them.
snuffysam
archive binge lists what page you're on and how many pages the comic has, but there's no reading speed thing no
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I don't know. I'm technically on Archive binge, but didn't get any subs there so I didn't look into it past creating my listing. I don't use those services myself because I like a nice long archive to work through, but I know that comic Rocket shows you how much of an archive you've read.
snuffysam
also, the thing i'm talking about would be for chapters as well as the whole comic. because if there is a big archive, people like to know how long they have before a good stopping point
mariah (rainy day dreams)
I'm on Archive Binge. I don't think I have any subs either but definitely get traffic regularly as if I did. How even does internet work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
snuffysam
i guess recently updated?
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I usually check out the archive page of a comic to get a good idea of chapter length, myself. So I know if I'm in for 10 pages chapters or 100 page chapters. Plus, idk, I have no problem stopping anywhere and picking it up again later, but I may be a pretty atypical reader.
Lmao, I have no idea how the internet works. I was one of the first people to list on Archive Binge and I have never gotten a single click from it. I get a steady number from Comic Rocket, though.
keii4ii
I wonder if it'd be worth experimenting with chapter numbers? Like, re-number existing chapters like "Season 2, chapter 2 of 15" instead of "chapter 20" ?
Deo101
^ thats a good idea
seeing "chapter 20" makes me as a reader go like, oh god, theres so many,,
snuffysam
^ that's one of the major reasons i label things "book X chapter Y" instead of just counting up chapters forever though adding "out of" is an interesting addition...
keii4ii
I'm nearing the end of season/ book/ whatever 2. I should give this a try
Cronaj
Lol, my books are going to be 3 chapters long each, so I don't think it would make much sense for me XD
keii4ii
Yeah, my chapters are short but numerous, so this might have a different effect than comics with longer but fewer chapters
Deo101
I'd be afraid of saying "out of" cause... well, i dont know how many heheh...
it all gets wacky when it comes time to actually make the thing
snuffysam
i mean, could add 'em retroactively as each "season" finishes
Deo101
oh thats true!
keii4ii
I would probably do "Chapter x out of [REDACTED]" (not that but something similar) when I start posting book 3
Cronaj
Yeah, my chapters are around 35-50 pages, so they're pretty long'
snuffysam
listing how many chapters are in book 3 would kinda spoil a twist lol, so i'll probably only do it retroactively
same lol
and some are 80 pages
book 3's going to have one 120 page chapter which is wild
Cronaj
I was thinking about printing 4-5 chapter books, make it more like a manga-length
keii4ii
You know, some comics (Korean comics do this a lot) do like... Chapter 10: Happy Day, followed by Chapter 11: Happy Day (2), followed by Chapter 12: Happy Day (3)
Cronaj
but full color printing is expensive
keii4ii
Dividing what might have been a single chapter into digestible chunks
snuffysam
i've split "arcs" into multiple chapters before, but unfortunately there aren't really any solid split areas in the chapter in question
Cronaj
and I doubt anybody wants to shell out $25+ on a 200 page comic
This is of course, a consideration for the future, as I don't even have the first chapter finished yet, but ya know
Come next year, I'll have some big decisions to make
@keii4ii Is that a webtoon thing? I've noticed that webtoons have shortish chapters
snuffysam
webtoons an entire chapter is posted at once
keii4ii
It's a Korean thing, which means Webtoons gets some of it
Cronaj
I mean, technically I post my comic in scrolling format, so I consider it a webtoon, but it's definitely drawn for print
@snuffysam, I mean the length of the chapters. The chapters (or episodes) are usually somewhere between 50-100 panels long, which is anywhere between 10-20 pages of a traditional comic
keii4ii
(Tangent, but as a Korean speaker I'm very weirded out by the word "webtoon" in English contexts. Over there every webcomic regardless of format is called a webtoon; I guess it's like anime/manga in Japanese? That in Japan, every animated show is anime, and every cartoon thingie is manga?)
Cronaj
Yeah, that makes sense
In the english speaking world, originally there were comics and webcomics, with little difference between except that one was posted online
but when Korean webtoons entered the English-speaking market, the naming conventions changed
The major difference being the prevalence of scrolling-format webtoons, which made people think that the difference between webtoons and webcomics is the format
but really, it's just a naming thing
You can call a comic a manga, and people expect a black and white comic in a specific style, but really, it's just a comic in Japanese
keii4ii
Yeah
Deo101
I usually just say "scroll style comic" or "page format comic" because im putting pages up on webtoons so it feels... weird to me
keii4ii
That too
IT'S A PICTURE STORY THINGIE WITH SPEECH BALLOONS
Deo101
hahahaha
Cronaj
In the end we are all just children XD
kayotics
this is really late, but i've been getting a lot more comments on my main site lately and I have no idea what I did to encourage that.
Deo101
people caught on
kayotics
That's probably all it is, but it's really surprising that my main site is the one getting more comments, since I wouldn't say it's necessarily a well built comment system? It's the native CMS comment system, and I require the first comment to be moderated
keii4ii
Does this mean I can claim I started reading Ingress before it got famous 8)
kayotics
yes
BUT, I'd say that the estimation of 1% of readers (or whatever the number was) is still accurate.
Deo101
.1% ish
kayotics
I have the most eyes on my comic over on Tapas, and while I do get a handful of comments there, it still equates to less than 1% of the total people subscribed. I'm sure there's a lot of reasons for that (like subscribers who aren't regular readers, people who quit the app, etc), but even the ratio of views to comments is pretty low.
Deo101
yeah I've been noticing that too
I have the most eyes on webtoons but I still have like. a good chunk on tapas and I think those are just more... casual sites
kayotics
yeah absolutely
Deo101
like on comicFury I have way higher engagement rates and i think that's pretty typical cause most of that audience there is also creators
kayotics
I'm sure there's some people who are pretty dedicated on Tapas, but I'd guess that there's more dedicated readers on my self-hosted site, just because they have to specifically seek out the content.
Deo101
^that makes a lot of sense to me
I know a lot of people who follow me on tapas are following 100+ other comics
and i know for SURE I wouldnt be able to take the time/effort to comment on like 10+ comics a day, assuming theyre even keeping up with all thsoe
wow yeah I just checked my list this person has over 6,000 comics theyre subscribed to, and a few have over 500
just on the first page of my readers(edited)
sooooo yeah it makes sense why engagement would be low if people are regularly reading that mant...
keii4ii
I actually rambled about this on twitter recently!
Deo101
and also makes me feel a little bit less bad when people are confused hahahahaha
keii4ii
How I thought I'd get a very small readership who are into what I'm making, but I ended up getting that very small readership PLUS a huge number of people who are just casually reading it
That first expectation was mostly based on my experience with my previous webcomic, but things were different back then. Big platforms weren't a thing, so casual readers were less common.
Deo101
yeah that's really neat
since I've only been making millennium for like... a little over 2 years and it's my first comic, I kinda just started with like 5 mirrors and was like "alright well, lets see how this goes I guess"
I had only ever read one webcomic before i literally have no idea how or why i got so convinced into making a comic
but since I was like 12 years old I was like "hm... I am going to make a comic i think." I just never did any research or tried til recently
or read any. I dont know how this happened
keii4ii
Casual readers vastly outnumbering the dedicated ones used to make me feel like I was doing something wrong, but I think that's just how the times are.
Deo101
Yeah :/ it's hard NOT to notice and feel like you're doing something wrong though.
when its like "okay i have 7,000 subs and got 5 comments" it's like ??? what am i doing WRONG
even though... its nothing wrong
it just be that way
hard to match those two ideas up though
almost went to continue this thought in an entirely different channel.
I think there is also something to be said for people not wanting to repeat a comment
like "oh someone already said what I thought so I'll just give it a thumbs up"
keii4ii
That's what upvoting is for!!!
Deo101
yup!
keii4ii
though, tfw highest voted comments are like "I have no idea wtf is going on lol"
Deo101
YEAH.
also do you ever comment on your own pages?
like not replying to people
keii4ii
I think I did once or twice, back when I actualy had relevant info and didn't have enough room in author's notes or something
Deo101
I've done it a few times, but it's usually kind of to ask questions where I can get replies
keii4ii
I have also seen a pro Korean creator post "first" on their own comic because they were tired of seeing so many of those
Deo101
I did that once LMAO
it's funny when people comment on my comic "FIRST!!!" cause i'm like. dude i get like 10 comments it's not that special to be first
but i'm happy theyre there and theyre excited its kinda cute i guess
keii4ii
Yeah, it's harmless
Deo101
and it's also nice to have people think that they have to race to be first
even though they don't
so it's kind of a nice comment to get even if it's not commenting on my work at all
keii4ii
It's kinda like hitting the like/heart button, just with more HURRY POINTS
Deo101
yeah hehe
oh i do 100% like all my own pages though
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I actually get the most commenters on Webtoons but I’m (fairly?) sure I have more readers on my website.
Deo101
on webtoons, I don't do it on tapas cause you can see i did it LOL
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I think I only ever got one First! comment and that was the only comment on that page.
keii4ii
Hey no shame in being your own #1 fan
Deo101
the one time I said "first!" was cause it had no comments on it for like a year and a hal
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Oh no, I don’t like my own pages. For some weird reason I feel like it’s cheating.
Deo101
and hell YEAH! I'm my number one fan so much that i'm making a dang comic for how much I like these characters ;D
keii4ii
I don't feel bad about liking my own pages, but I rarely do it because I wait a bit before even looking at the post
Deo101
inflate your own stats its cool. all the cool kids are doing it
keii4ii
And by the time I look at it, I forget about liking
Deo101
I only do it on webtoons cause I have to manually post there anyways
so i post and its like "heres the page!" and im like :) good job me :)
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I might start doing it. XD I get an average of 5-10 likes per page so why not.(edited)
Deo101
I also rate myself 10* or whatever the max is wherever I can
keii4ii
Yeah, and TBH one like isn't gonna give you an unfair advantage anyway
Deo101
^
keii4ii
If you're making a dozen alt accounts to give yourself more likes, now that's a bit questionable
Deo101
yeah that would be not so good
but you're a real account who likes your work so why not!
keii4ii
Yeah!
Deo101
I also honestly kinda like to sub to my own stuff and like my pages partially to make sure it's all working right
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I should probably rate myself 10* bc both my comics got ratings-bombed at one point for really dumb reasons.
Deo101
like to see when the page goes up and everything
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
The ratings have slowly crawled back up a ways, but it’s always disheartening when people attack my comics for stupid things.
keii4ii
Oh, to go back to an earlier point about asking questions to readers to encourage commenting, I might straight up ask next week if my comic is making any sense.
Deo101
ohhhhh man i dont like swingin at that hive lol
keii4ii
I'll have to word it well because I do not want it to be a pity party
Deo101
but i mean it might encourage the people who do get it to go "yup!"
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I do straight up ask every now and then. Sometimes I’ll get a pity comment when I do and sometimes it’s still crickets.
Deo101
also I feel really lucky that I havent had anyone be like, mean to my about my work.
I feel like trolls have really gone down in popularity
keii4ii
like even right now I feel like nobody's getting it (except maybe <10 people) so..... I don't think the answers could make me feel worse
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I meant I straight up ask for comments, ugh, I misread Keiiii’s post.
I GET IT, KEIIII
I LOVE UR BABIES
Deo101
oh man, I could never just ask for comments. if I'm feeling really down I usually send it to my friends like "can i have smth nice please" I just get really anxious asking people for things
not that asking is necessarily bad I just, as a person could never do that
also keiiii I havent read it yet but it's on my list cause the way you talk about your work and what I do know of it... seems like it would really jive right with me
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I usually do it along the lines of: ‘If you enjoy this comic, don’t forget to leave a comment! Getting feedback motivates me to keep drawing!’
Deo101
oh okay thats not so bad
oh my god how are the eyes moving
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
I’m shameless, you can say it
Deo101
I have too much shame probably
keii4ii
It is my anxiety moving the eyeballs
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
Give me sone of your shame, it’ll even us out
Deo101
please take it
keii4ii
(anxiety with Nitro powers)
Deo101
NOOO dont be anxious im gonna love it
god that eyes shaking emoji is so great
keii4ii
ikr!
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
So fun fact- my real face eyes do that
keii4ii
I think Tatsumaki wants to see you do it
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
It’s called nystagmus and it’s super trippy if you’ve never seen it before!
keii4ii
OH, I knew someone with that condition!
I never noticed anything about their eyes (only heard about them having the condition from talking), because I never met them while wearing my glasses X'D;;
Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)
My eyes just RANDOMLY do it a lot and it really freaks people out XD
Desnik
I've found that comments don't matter too much, but getting a boost from someone with a big following does
and the only comments I take seriously are from people I trust, although I get it: chasing the internet numbers is fun
snuffysam
what do you mean by "comments don't matter" you mean, like, in terms of garnering popularity?
Desnik
yeah, and as validation they can be a bit fluffy too
my perspective changed when I started printing out my work as zines and got people to buy them irl, it was very eye-opening
very few people commented on them online but in person I've found out they're not bad? And one of them got me a lettering job
keii4ii
Eh, I think it's okay to have different goals. To some people, good comments mean the world, and that's totally valid to want that.
Desnik
I know, just stating my pov
keii4ii
I mean that to some people, a good comment is not just an "internet number."
Desnik
fair enough
I believe I allowed for 'good comments' as being from someone I trust
keii4ii
Me, I treasure insightful comments from anyone who's invested in my story. To each their own
FeatherNotes
I have a book that I write them down to give me a lil boost to morale when I need it! i def appreciate the time it took for someone to write something thoughtful
keii4ii
Yeah!
Capitania do Azar
Oh comments are like.. What I like the most! (not all comments are the same tho). The reason I put my story out there is so I can share it and discuss it with people and the fact that a few take some time off their day to actively tell me what they think it's what keeps me moving
eli [a winged tale]
I really enjoy comments too. I always respond to my Instagram ones but not the comic ones mostly because of platform difficulties
Glowbat (Aloe)
I love reading through all the comments- they really motivate me when I'm having a low point and need a pick me up to get goin on pages. I just wish I was better at knowing how to respond instead of just liking the comment and hoping they recieve my telepathic brainwaves of gratitude
Phin (Heirs of the Veil)
Replying to comments is very hard and I always have the anxiety of "ruining" it haha ;; whatever it is (the person's enjoyment of my work?? who knows)
Glowbat (Aloe)
I feel that- part of me is always nervous I'm gonna say somethin to off put them or smthn.
Though I do try my best to curate comment sections if things are looking like they're gonna get rowdy
keii4ii
YEAH, and/or sometimes you're like "this comment is Awesome and deserves an Equally Awesome reply... HOW DO I DO THAT" and get stuck in a loop
Glowbat (Aloe)
yesss exactly that
I'm not that clever and I require lots of time to come up with anything I'm confident in lol
and by the time I have something cool to say back its been like a week
keii4ii
I made a Discord icon to express my internal response in a visual form to such Awesome comments, but I can only use those on Discord
This one:
Glowbat (Aloe)
Hehe
cuteee
and also a mood
keii4ii
Sparkling tears of happiness
Capitania do Azar
I believe them
Cronaj
Man... I will admit, I barely respond to comments
And that probably sounds terrible
But I honestly don't have time to respond to every comment
As well as the anxiety of not know what to say
It does depend on platform tho
keii4ii
I mean, as a reader I don't expect a reply if my comment is like "ooo nice!"
Cronaj
Generally, I respond more readily to comments on Tapas than on Webtoons, because I only have like 2 commenters at most on Tapas
And usually it's readers who ALWAYS comment, so I almost feel like they deserve a response, even if it's just a smiley face or a "thank you"
keii4ii
But if I've written a long ass essay comment, it would be nice to have some kind of engagement with that. Don't get me wrong, the creator doesn't owe me a reply but it's like... should I ever do this again with this comic. Or is my reply-writing time better spent on another comic
Cronaj
True
keii4ii
I def respect that not every creator has time to read all of the comments, regardless of how many comments they typically get
Cronaj
On Webtoons, I have way more engagement, but most of it is thirst for my characters or talking about the art style
keii4ii
and that not every creator may even aim to get comments
Cronaj
So I don't usually know how to respond to stuff like that
keii4ii
But if that is the case........ I would rather know before committing myself to multiple essay-length comments
Yeah, that is understandable!
Cronaj
I read every comment, but I don't want to respond to all of them
keii4ii
I'm 100% cool with "thicc" comments on my MC's butt or on my tiger dude's legs, but I can't necessarily think of productive replies to those
Cronaj
The only comments I respond to on Webtoons are either a) incredibly funny, b) meaningful and noticing more than the art, or c) a genuine question
Like if someone asks about my update schedule
Or if someone wants to know which programs I use
I had one comment about how good my grammar in the dialogue/thoughts is, and I felt so honored that someone else noticed
Usually I get comments about the art (which is also nice), but I prefer comments about the story or subtleties
keii4ii
It's the best thing when people notice the things that you put a lot of thought and love into
Cronaj
For several years in high school, I played around with the idea of getting a writing degree, so grammar and literary language have a special place in my heart
sssfrs
I respond to every single comment... I get one comment a month pretty much though
When friends or readers say nice things about my comic on any platform I save a screenshot and read them if I start to feel like nobody likes what I’m making
LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)
I do the exact same
FeatherNotes
Its a good practice when things are kind of slow! Or just for that lip morale boost too
1 note · View note
ohhicas · 6 years ago
Note
I've only been into comics for a few years, but I've read enough of the old Flash stuff where I adore the classic incarnations of the Rogues. Honestly curious here: what's it like to be a fan of James Jesse back when he was retgonned around 10 years ago and see him brought back but now all mwahaha crazy evil? I'm way more used to Axel (and all that off-panel character development in Nu52, thanks DC) but even I find this kinda weird. Was James ever crazy evil in any arc?
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^- me 90% of the time someone says James is coming back to recent media & it’s not a direct continuation of the comics prior to 2004
[ Warning: this is gonna get long and be full of a lot of assumptions. I can never form solid statements and things will get jumbled, because I suck at presenting things ]
[ this is my can of worms hill and you opened it so I’m dYING HERE ]
I mean, back in the earliest ages, no Rogue had a real personality to speak of? They were just “1960s Bad Guy in a different outfit” at the very start, with quirks! Like James having a thing for toys and nuclear powered flying tricycles. It wasn’t until that era ended that they started getting real distinct and into what a lot of ‘classic’ James fans loved and appreciated? 
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(I think at least, I’m just One Person here pretending like I even understand HALF of what the ‘classic’ fandom enjoyed. I’m wildly speculating just going off what fanworks I’ve seen produced.)
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(I don’t have all my scans anymore but I’ll toss in scans when I have them)
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But that’s when we started getting things like James actually having specified friendships with certain people
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or clear distaste towards others, and when you could tell he was more of a wild card than the others. Or when he decided to fuck off and hang out in Hollywood with Blue Devil for a bit, even siding with Kid Devil to deck out Captain Boomerang. 
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Or when he decided to fuck off to Gotham, to mess with Catwoman by pretending he didn’t know who she was, but absolutely knew who she was because of how she walked and carried herself, but James being James was like “mmmmm long con, nope”
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hey lil Cold, gimme all ur guns and don’t question why I’m in drag xoxo
Even then, he wasn’t shown to be vicious yet! He’d hopped around various places, was still considered A Rogue, A Criminal, and as far as any comic reader could tell by trying to count up how many civilians may have been crossfired at, he had no On Purpose deaths racked? Like, the only thing you could really argue was he may have made someone drive their car off a cliff once, but I’m like 98% sure they’re fine. He’s not a murderer, he’s just here for a laugh and a long-con for funsies because he know he can get away with it!
AND THEN WE GET A LITTLE OLDER, LITTLE DARKER
[ I’M PUTTING A CUT HERE CAUSE AFTER I THREW IT INTO DRAFTS, I REALIZED I GOT REALLY LONG, I’M SORRY IF MY LAYOUT SUCKS ASS FOR THIS. ]
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little more 90s Hair. Little more 90s stereotypical “But what if EVERYONE WENT TO HELL” demon plots against Satanic Hockey Hair Neron. And James? still wasn’t evil? He was a little dismissive when everyone ELSE died sure but he still in the end turned around like “nghgng I’m THE ONLY ONE”, purposely got his ass down there, regretted it, and then beat Neron at his own game to save the entire fucking world. Because! He could! And he did it so well. STILL NOT EVIL, even when he had a chance right then and there to take over everything alongside Neron should he so desire. Like, two words, maybe some under the table BJs depending on how you feel about that pairing (I don’t), and bam. He would’ve bested nearly any other villain in the DCU save like, Satan himself. Or i guess one of those world destroyers. But we’ll get back around to those BOY HOWDY WE WILL GET AROUND TO THOSE. 
So James! Saves! The world! Sorta! Later they fight Neron again and his kid he somehow had somewhere down the road (it sounds like I’m complaining, i’m not, I love Billy and Mindy both I just wish they showed up like… ever again?) and he sTILL SAVES EVERYONE. 
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Piper helps by their 90s ponytails combined. 
Somewhere around here, because dates and timing aren’t my strong suit, he also goes and messes with Bart for a bit. It’s pretty much a Spy Vs Spy episode, but with less bloodshed. 
ANYWAY IT’S AFTER THIS POINT THAT THINGS GET… where I think the majority of “James is a Low Rate Joker” comes from? 
For some unknown goddamn reason, in between issues (James wasn’t a Super Frequent Rogue? He’d show up, sure, but in the huge run of the series he’d just kind of vanish for 20 issues at a time and you’d go “welp, guess he’s still alive”) James went super-cop? like, the FBI? For some reason? Hired James “I am a probably still wanted felon, a man who has escaped jail numerous times, probably never served a full sentence, known Trickster and liar” Jesse. to the FBI. And for so many issues it’s like he legit just. Did this. He threatens to shoot Piper who he was up until this very moment, considerably very close friends with (as far as comics would show Rogue/Rogue friendships), unwilling to help his friend clearly framed for murder of his parents and losing his mind by the day. Despite James talking Hart down a little on the whole ‘THE MAYOR IS ROSCOE ADN NOBODY BELIEVES MEEEEEEEE” thing. 
Also he steals Digger’s dead ass corpse? 
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FBI James is a fucking enigma. Here he is standing up for Gay Rights even though Piper is like “mm maybe I should forgive my abuser??”
BUT. AFTER THIS? WE GET COUNTDOWN WHICH IS JUST. Countdown is. IT’s a problem. James’s personality is IMMEDIATELY HORRIBLY u-turned into “well we need SOMEONE to be the Bad Guy to Piper’s Good!” DESPITE. ALL THESE YEARS OF COMICS.This is the shit you’ll see people who don’t know better or just want a reason to hate the Trickster (despite being 100% okay for them to just say he’s annoying/they don’t like his tights/acrobats are stupid) reference. James is, suddenly, very abruptly, a homophobe. Like an “ew don’t touch me” level homophobe because I’m pretty sure DC snorts cocaine and threw a dart at a board for “how could they make these two fight” and landed on GAY RIGHTS IS TRENDING. 
BUTSTILL IN THE FUCKING END OF ALL OF THIS?After so many issues of James being a complete fuckass prick? 
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springboards himself from his current job of being railroad face putty to catching bullets to make sure Piper wasn’t gonna die. Without knowing the proceedings of this entire plotline, James out of nowhere after so much gaybashing, still finds it in him to leap into the path of multiple bullets and save Piper. Because, yknow, he’s evil!
Later it’s shown he’s been working to take everyone down (y’know, like when he was in the FBI) and left Piper specific helpful notes to do it himself. Because Evil Bad Guy! Helping his gone-good friend! Take down bad guys! 
DC I STILL HAVE SO MANY GODDMAN QUESTOINgsd
But yeah that’s. That’s where we last saw James. in 2007, dead, after saving Piper when he could have easily pulled a Joker and ripped HIM down to take hte bullets and etcetc, y’know. Something a Very Bad Person would’ve done, like the characterization we’ve seen now. 
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His ghost (easily argued as Piper’s own mental construction of James sassing him) sasses Hartley to even, in his mental state, saw off James’s hand so Piper doesn’t have to lug his weight around and has a fighting chance at living. And in the end, when Piper’s fighting the thing that can destroy the fucking world, it’s shown only Piper was the one who could save them? Because his flute, and his musical ability, and [enter DC comic science here]. You could argue this was James, once again, somehow knowing the long-con at play here, getting screwed over at EVERY turn, and sacrificing himself so they ‘good’ team had a fighting chance.You could also argue this is me losing my mind trying to make sense of the things they made James do. (my running argument is he was purposely a prick to push Piper away, so he could keep him safe) 
Also Piper plays James a Swan Song of Queen as the final boss explodes and he’s fully prepared to die. So like. There’s that. 
AND THATS BASICALLY THE COMICS? The main, ‘canon timeline’ comics. I’m missing a LOT of little things here and there, but I’m not missing anything like body counts, or murder attempts, beyond the old Silver Age “Bad guy of the week” things like trying to make Flash’s head explode, or you know. Other “nobody really has a personality, we just have quirks”. 
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MY NUMBER ONE GUESS TO WHERE THIS NEW PERSONALITY TREND COMES FROM?
Mark Hamil|’s OG run as him in the old live action show. That characterization was fun, for the time, and I even enjoyed it cause it was just that off the wall and you could tell it was what they used to decide he should be the Joker for the BATS Joker. Consider it a prototype (combined with all the previous comic jokers but that’s not for this long ass post) 
And if it’d stayed there, that’d be it! That’s it! But then JLU came along, and they referenced the old show for their version of James with a sprinkling of early-era comics, and a lot of people loved and watched that show. That was their version of the Trickster, because it was their first meeting with him! And I can’t fault that! But that guy was clearly off his rocker and I’m sure if the JLU allowed a higher rating, it would’ve been even closer to the old TV show. 
And both of THOSE were heavily, heavily referenced for the CW version, which as I’m at this point now means I need to slap my usual anti-CW tag onto things. I hate the CW James. There is so little comic in him it’s almost disgusting, and they ramped up so much of the Joker side of JLU & OGTV he might as well just be the Joker. It’s not a good representation of him at all. I have, also, only seen his first appearance episode, so maybe I’m wrong? But when you fuck up hard on the first run, why would I return for round 2? 
So with ALL THIS– 
REBOOT TIME. Whatever the newnew remake is calling itself. 
At first! With how James was! In the first panel flash of him clearly behind the scenes tugging so many wires and lines, watching everything with a bucket of popcorn while pulling others to his side, sitting pretty in an old museum? warehouse? highlighted in purples and vintage toys, I was like “holy shit this it. This is My Boy, back from the goddamn limbo-dead. It’s him.” But then“taking over the city entirely” to do? What? Turn it into the world’s biggest Trickster themepark? Make everyone wear striped leggings and combat boots? Martial Law of murder if you don’t carry rubber chickens? This is already veering from anything major James has ever done. As it stands I can’t see the gag here. Its’ weirdly dark and edgy, and way too close to something we saw the 90s TV show Trickster do, in the episode where he basically took over the place. The previews show him being what I’m assuming a Judge, Jury, & Executioner joke– and unless this spins into a Clopin song and dance number and his little hand puppet crops up to slam the button on the guillotine, I’m not having it, DC. 
They’re trying to tie him back into the CW, despite the writer saying he really enjoyed the Neron-era things with James (if I’m remembering the interview correctly). And it’s also why you may see me constantly saying “Well I sure as fuck hope Neron shows up” at anything new that’s released, to explain away all of… this.
This isn’t him. If they wanted a murderous Trickster, they should’ve just used Axel. The kid, canonly, tied explosives to stray dogs and homeless people. AXEL is the not-good Trickster, the murderous Trickster, the one you aren’t suppose to feel sorry for beyond being in way over his head due to his young age. 
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i think I somehow didn’t answer your question
TL;DR
it sucks? it’s also great because there’s a .5% chance that maybe they’ll do it right and won’t reference the fucking 90s noncomic media. But then they do. And all I can do is laugh and shrug like ‘welp I expected nothing’. But when they get it RIGHT it’s like christmas came early.
51 notes · View notes
Text
my official, uninterrupted, unapologetic thoughts on the album Lover by Taylor Swift as i listen in its entirety at 6:30 am on Friday morning after working until 10 pm the night before.
Before I start I am already emotional. my hands are sweating. my heart is pounding. are those tears in my eyes or am i exhausted? idk. ok here we go...
1) fuck yes. snaps. love a song with snaps. A BEAUTIFUL BREAKUP SONG ABOUT HOW YOU JUST DONT EFING CARE ANYMORE. ahhh i love how there is like this build up and you think it’s going to be a headbanger of a chorus but then it just stops and it’s like...oh wait actually this is v calm right now i just dont care about you anymore. but also OMG SHE JUST LAUGHED ummm also I love how upbeat this is. i guess what im saying is that WANEGBT walked so I Forgot That You Existed could run. 
2) MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. this song will always bring me back to being on an airplane flying to Peru because it is literally the only song I listened for my entire trip to Peru last spring. but also from the moment it came out I was obsessed with the unapologetic happiness in the song and it’s all about YOURSELF. WAIT WTF WHERE’S THE SPELLING LINE THATS MY FAVORITE TO YELL????? TAYLOR WHERE IS IT??? WHERE IS IT??? i’ll be taking this up with my lawyers. your people will hear from my people. 
3) well i just went back to my spotify and REALIZED THAT IT WAS ON FUCKING SHUFFLE FUCK ME. OK WE ARE STARTING AGAIN. 
1) SECOND LISTEN THOUGHTS ON IFTYE: this song is just the perfect beat. i just realized that she laughs TWICE actually (maybe more??) and this is my official petition that she laughs during all live performances. thanks. 
2) OMG REP VIBES WITH THAT LOW BASE SYNTH. oh wow I love this transition much more than the one to ME! I’m glad that was on shuffle the first time. This literally could be a REP song. GETAWAY CAR THAT’S WHAT IT REMINDS ME OF! OH. MY. GOD. WELL THANKS FOR PUTTING A REP SONG ON LOVER OK IM NOT OK. did she just say “loving you aint the worst thing...you are the worst!”? Idk I will evaluate the lyrics a second (third...fourth...fifth...) time. 
3) AHHHH LOVER OMG OK LET ME JUST STARE AT MY CEILING FOR THIS ONE. “Swear to take this magnetic force of a man” is up there on favorite tswift lines. cant decide if i want this to my first dance song at my wedding OR the song that plays near the end of the reception when everyone is tired and like all the couples come up and dance and so then it’s like you get to see how many people are in love OR the song that i save for afterwards when we are alone in our hotel room. good to know i’ve got options. 
4) god damn HERE WE GO WITH SOME REP VIBES. (to clarify any deep base pulsating beat is rep vibes to me apparently) lyrics: “they’d say I played the field before I found someone to commit to” “every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you” “they wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve” “I’D BE JUST LIKE LEO” GOD THIS IS AMAZING I’M OBSESSED. “If I was a man I’d be THE MAN” 
5) OMG THE ARCHER. WAS LISTENING TO THIS LAST NIGHT AND THINKING LIKE....THIS MIGHT BE FAVORITE ONE????? I KNOW SO SO EARLY BUT SO FAR IT HOLDS UP IT’S JUST LIKE....THAT SLOW BUILD I LOVE IT. EVERY TIME I LISTEN THERE IS A DIFFERENT MEANING. AMAZING SONG TO RUN TO LIKE ON REPEAT. WHICH IS HARD TO FIND. PROBABLY HARDER TO MAKE. I STAN. 
6) THERE YA GO MISS SWIFT WITH THE SNAPS AGAIN. ohhh hmmmm someone’s horneyyyyy this song feels like a whisper...like you’re at a bar and you are like pointing out this hot guy you’ve been seeing around and you whisper to your friend ‘that’s the one’. OMG BRIDGE. WAIT WHAT OMG WAIT OMG WHAT BRIDGE BRIDGE BRIDGEEEEEE. well okay I kinda feel like a huge wind just knocked me off my feet. i’m slightly stunned. no time to process before...
7) OMG TALK ABOUT REP VIBES. This could be a beautiful music video. This is like -- i have a lot of feelings none of them have words but this song has a BLACK vibe and a DARK vibe and i’m picturing a high school shrouded in clouds at night. running through the hallways in a ripped dress. Wow wow wow. 
8) oh good some happy songs again. ahhhhhhhhh now THIS I CAN DANCE TO. AHHHHHHHHHHH I’M IN LOOVE. this is so freaking romantic. OH ANOTHER BRIDGE FROM BRIDGE CITY. Taylor like you brought it with these bridges girl. OMG THE SLOW FADE AWAY AT THE END...SOBBING.....
9) THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS IS I’M ONLY HALFWAY DONE. Oh wow is this song going to make me cry? just obsessed with how etherial this is. wow omg this is like the most complex love story ever written in a song ever. so many twists and turns i’m just sitting here asking questions!!! What happened on cornelia street that you dont want it again? why did you pack your bags? OH YAY HE GOT YOU TO COME BACK. OMG DOES EVERYONE HEAR THAT THUNDER EFFECT IN THE BACKGROUND???? omg wait omg that last line!? I will be listening to this A LOT.
10) I feel like taylor’s got a lot of happy sounding songs that are breakup songs and a lot of sad sounding songs that are actually about being in love on this album it’s so interesting!!! like this is a breakup song and wow everything about it is upbeat and pop-y. “trying to find a part of me you didn’t take up” (I FEEL THIS SO HARD WOW). love the boarded up house metaphors and like just everything else i CANT THINK FAST ENOUGH god idk why I committed to writing all my thoughts....
11) OMG SOMEONE WAS TALKING. ahhhhh she loves all these American things but she LOVES A LONDON BOY. “I GUESS ALL THE RUMORS ARE TRUE” power move!!!!! ASLDJALKDFLKJAGL;KADSLASDFLKASDFLKJ AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED IN AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CITY OF LONDON I’M JUST LOVING THAT THIS IS BASICALLY A LOVE SONG TO LONDON. FORGET THE BOY. ALL THESE LONDON REFERENCES ARE KILLING ME. (did she just name drop stella mccartney???? I HEARD THAT OKAY!?) 
12) DIXIE CHICKS. IT’S A COUNTRY SONG I CAN ALREADY TELL. THE STRUMMING GUITAR. I’M DYING. wait is this about her mom???? ok well i’m crying.........wow so so so so so beautiful and soft and hopeful. 
13) FIDDLEEEEEEEE oh short lived but omg that was exciting for a moment i thought we were gunna get a crazy country song. This is a good transition....the way this song starts soft and slow and doesn’t come in swinging feels appropriate after Soon You’ll Get Better. WOW. “Religion is your lips....the alter is my hips....” SEX. I’m glad this is not a country song. wow my head was in an odd place that will be weird to come back to after knowing what this song actually is about (it’s about sex)
14) YAS YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN. (it’s 7:40 am but we could have had greatnesssss) THIS SONG SERIOUSLY SLAPS. GOD I LOVE IT SO MUCH. also true story - for like the first week after it came out I SWEAR I thought there was a lyric at some point that said “you’re freaking me out” and like I still think that one of the lyrics SHOULD be that so like I know I’m not a seven time Grammy award winging singer/song writer but like taylor can we change that? can we? MY ONLY COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS SONG IS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES LONGER. 
15) ahhhhhhh omg shes like learning about holding onto love and not picking fights and growing through difficulty and not blowing up. (I’ve run out of ways to say omg this is amazing and i’m obsessed). but this is like a GREAT ballad. 
16) BACK TO MEEEEEEEE I like it a lot better here phew thank god we were on shuffle before. I wanted the DJ to play this song at my friend’s wedding back in May (OMG NO MORE SPELLING LINE AHHHH) and they like wouldn’t??? so weird. I honestly think this is a self love song but also an amazing romantic love song and I think it belongs in a wedding playlist. 
17) omg so cute...little best friend love. also i love how simple this song is. no big production. we are back to basics and child hood. AHH HORNS. I thought this song was going to be like TIWWCHNT but its just purely wholesome!!! She’s serious - it’s nice to have a friend! I agree! 
18) LAST SONG AND ITS ALMOST FIVE MIN LONG MY BODY IS READY. This is just classic classic taylor swift and an amazing way to end the album. it’s like the conclusion paragraph of an essay on how she’s happy and content and in love with not just her lover but herself. the world used to be harsh, but now it’s just daylight. (another bridge city - just fyi - for those listening at home that’s where you are now) SHE IS SO HAPPY. “Step into the daylight and let it go” OMG SHES TALKING!!!!! WHERE IS THIS FROM??? IS THIS AN INTERVIEW OR IS IT NEW OMG WAIT WASN’T EXPECTING THAT ENDING WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW
OKAY FRIENDS THAT WAS IT I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS AND NOW I NEED TO LISTEN AGAIN AND AGAIN FOREVER AND ALWAYS. THANK YOU @taylorswift (@taylornation ) FOR TRUSTING US WITH SUCH A MAGICAL JOURNEY. 
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kelslolol · 5 years ago
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get to know meeeeeeee
(idea stolen from my girl lmao sorry)
1. Name - Kelsey
2. Age - 15
3. Best friend/s - my girlfriend and my dog
4. Relationship status - taken!!!!💘
5. Piercings you have - none
6. Piercings you want - none
7. Tattoos you have - none
8. Tattoos you want - an infinity sign, a succulent, and a blue puzzle piece
9. Favorite blog - @daisy-jen 🥰🥰
10. The meaning behind my url - my nickname (kels) and a description of my life
11. Favorite band at the moment - twenty one pilots
12. Favorite movie - amadeus
13. A fact about my personality - I am really annoying
14. What I hate most about myself - my autism
15. What I love most about myself - the fact that I have a girlfriend
16. What I want to be when I’m older - wife of @daisy-jen
17. Idea of the perfect date - making out
18. Things I hate most - literally all people except my girlfriend
19. Weakness - I don’t recognize most emotions, jokes, and sarcasm
20. Phobia - being rejected
21. What I hate most about school - the people (and the fact that I can’t talk to my girlfriend)
22. Things I find attractive in guys - absolutely nothing
23. Biggest turn on - personality
24. Biggest turn off - being a total bitch
25. A random fact I know - I’m gay
26. A quote I live my life on - difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations
27. Something I need to get off my chest - I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!!
28. A description of the person I hate and why I hate them - he is an absolute bitch and has tried to pick fights with me so many times and he uses offensive slurs all the time
29. The last time I cried and why - earlier tonight bc of school
30. Looks or personality and why - personality! The most important aspect of a partner is their personality.
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