#Macphisto

[jamlessjj]

Mr. MacPhisto - pencil and color pencil, observational sketches

My main takeaway? Every time I draw Bono’s chin my braincells start to dance with joy.

With these sketches, I aimed to focus on Bono’s face and facial expressions, especially the subtle smirk that manages to be both enchanting and a little off-putting. Ultimately, these are all small steps toward making a more extensive portrait, so I also played around with colors from the refs to brainstorm color scheme, hence the halo-like shapes framing his face.

Here are some pics of the individual sketches:

Working with pencils for these made me realize how fitting it would be to do a MacPhisto portrait with oil paints as the medium. When I work in pencil, I generally add values from lightest to darkest, whereas I generally add them from darkest (with thinner paint) to lightest (with thicker paint) when working in oils. I think this strategy would really illuminate the MacPhisto makeup look.

I’ll probably dedicate some time to drawing Bono as himself next, just to get more comfortable with his proportions and whatnot. I’ve also got some pics of Adam that I want to draw.

Here’s a bonus pic of one of my cats lounging next to these sketches :)

Alright, peace.

[hawkmoon269]

Bono as Macphisto. London, 1993. 📷 Anton Corbijn

[panthera-dei]

At this point, I think I'm probably too "emotionally compromised" (Star Trek reference) to write anything real about Crowley, but if I were capable of doing so, I would want to write about Mr. Crowley meeting Mr. MacPhisto.

I imagine the demon king and the fallen angel sitting in a dark and smoky room in the gaudy '60s-era-Vegas lounge of my imagination, cigar smoke wafting in the air, two fingers of untouched Craig and a half-empty martini glass on the table. The pretense of business being discussed in a halfhearted attempt to dissuade any otherworldly eavesdroppers, while the main burden of the evening is really the overwhelming weight of what has become of them both and what might have been.

The glorified salesman who became the King of Hell, and the tired old pop star in platform shoes.

They understand each other because they're the same underneath, in a way, two sides of the same coin, even though their methods of buying and selling souls are different and their methods of presenting themselves to the public even more so.

Both of them are sitting in the shadow of the newest apocalypse. Wondering, aloud, when it will end. Fearing, in silence, what will happen if it does. After all, who are they without the trappings they cling to? One holding on to power, the other to fame - both gripping poor substitutes for what they really want, and can never have.

"I deserve to be loved," and "I can't help falling in love with you."

[petergabrielyuri]

the cunt levels are OFF the chart

[thatwritererinoriordan]

This iridescent gold 4-leaf clover fanny pack would be the perfect accessory for Mr. Macphisto.

[noahsarchipelago]

Today’s comic, in which Ursula is irked by Ruth and Noah (dressed as Bono’s alter ego MacPhisto) listening to a livestream of U2’s concert at the Vegas Sphere.

(I’ve been listening to the fan livestreams the last few shows, thoroughly enjoying them.)

[4chtungb4by]

sorry for no new harvey art I have ocs who need to be fed and watered occasionally.

[boninhau2]

Zoo TV tour - Wembley Stadium, England, 1993. 📷 Mirrorpix.

[mooseyspooky]

Is it your birthday? If so, I hope you're having a great one!

It is my birthday!!!! Thank you!!!

Since dad and I watched Rattle and Hum on his birthday, we decided to watch ZooTV on mine! It's one of my absolute favorite concerts. But I swear, I actually swear, that the version we recorded off of MTV in the 90s was different. I don't remember any of the Zooropa songs! I had to google it to find out it was even a real thing! So that was weird. I also have no memory of the MacPhisto character other than seeing pictures of him on your blog. I don't really remember the Mirrorball Man, either.

Best moments:

-Adam looking unbelievably hot in Even Better Than the Real Thing, my good god.

-Bono reaching for Morleigh and undoubtedly causing Edge to have a permaboner for the rest of time. That about melted me

-Edge playing New Year's Day, hooo boy

-Bono and Larry were very cute during Angel of Harlem

-I thought the Bullet the Blue Sky performance was better here then Rattle and Hum. I felt the opposite for Running to Stand Still.

-Bono being very, very cute during Name of Love

[u2fangirlie-blog]

Good Omens Crowley's Sad Bastard Breakup Playlist

After the breakup, every time Crowley goes to drink at the Dirty Donkey pub, across the way from A.Z. Fell's bookshop, the jukebox mysteriously starts playing bitter breakup and sad bastard songs. Songs that aren't on the jukebox play when other songs are selected. It's like some demonic miracle. This also happens on the radio in Crowley's Bentley.

See note after list on song the selection process.

Songs include:

"Pale Blue Eyes" - The Velvet Underground

"I'd Rather Go Blind" - Etta James

"Cry Me a River" - Ella Fitzgerald

"Till the Heart Caves In" - Roy Orbison, K.D. Lang version

"Wicked Game" - Chris Isaak

"Crying in the Rain" - Everly Brothers, a-ha version

"Ain't No Sunshine" - Bill Withers

"It's Too Late" - Carole King

"Nothing Compares 2 U" - Prince, Sinead O'Connor or Chris Cornell versions

"Running Up That Hill" - Kate Bush

"One" - U2

"Crucify" - Tori Amos

"Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley version

"Lovesong" - The Cure

"I Don't Believe in the Sun" - The Magnetic Fields

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division

"Blue Monday" - New Order, Orkestra Obsolete version

"Never Let Me Down Again" - Depeche Mode

"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell

"Careless Whisper" - Wham!

"I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" - The Magnetic Fields

"Somebody to Love" - Queen

"Love Hurts" - Nazareth

"Love Stinks" - The J. Geils Band

"One More Minute" - Weird Al Yankovic

Despite himself, Crowley is compelled to visit Maggie's record shop to purchase copies of these songs.

Crowley has been sleazing around the backroom of the bookshop, crying and drinking, under the guise of helping Muriel run the place, but actually he's selling Aziraphale's books out of revenge.

P.S.: “Pale Blue Eyes” reminds Crowley of Aziraphale’s eyes. Every time he plays The Velvet Underground in his car, he remembers the time Aziraphale made a stinky poopoo face and called their music bebop.

P.P.S.: “Till the Heart Caves In.” Aziraphale stole Crowley’s dreams and sold them for dust. He always knew that angel was a bit of a bastard. Crowley remembers meeting young Roy Orbison and suggesting he wear sunglasses. A rock icon was born.

P.P.P.S.: “Wicked Game” reminds Crowley of the time when the bookstore burned down, Crowley rushed in to rescue his best friend Aziraphale but was too late. Later the same day, the M25 motorway was on fire. Then his beloved Bentley was destroyed by fire. To this day, Crowley can’t tell what hurt him more, losing Aziraphale or losing his Bentley, until they were both returned to him by Adam Young. He’s a good lad.

P.P.P.P.S.: “Crying in the Rain.” No one should see a demon cry. Crowley does his crying the shower. Earth rain showers, even thunderstorms, are also cathartic for crying in, unlike the swampy, wet bits of the fifth circle of Hell.

P.P.P.P.P.S.: “Nothing Compares 2 U” reminds Crowley of the times he and Aziraphale dined at the Ritz. Well, now he can eat at any fancy restaurant he wants without Aziraphale. Only now the food tastes bland and the drinks taste flat.

P.P.P.P.P.P.S.: “One.” This achingly beautiful song about relationships feels like a knife in the heart and punch in the gut. “We get to carry each other.” It’s too true. It hurts. F*** that angel for leaving him. The song reminds Crowley of his time hanging out with Brian Eno in Berlin in the early 1990s. He had fun running around with the band from Ireland. Crowley and Bono discussed corrupt religious leaders and the writings of C.S. Lewis. He suggested sunglasses to Bono. Then Bono took it further. The Fly, the Mirrorball Man, and MacPhisto were born. The rest is rock ‘n roll history. Crowley is especially pleased with himself for influencing Bono.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S.: “Hallelujah.” Crowley remembers helping manifest nebulae and stars with Aziraphale. Crowley was the one who gave the secret chord to David, yet David got the credit for pleasing the Lord. In a rare occurrence for deceased rock stars, Heaven got Jeff Buckley.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S.: “Never Let Me Down Again.” Crowley thinks of all the times he and Aziraphale went for a drive in the Bentley. Aziraphale let him down. Curse the wretched, brightly shining stars. Nothing is alright.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S.: “One More Minute.” This Weird Al song suggested something, an act of revenge to get closure. Crowley thought about the malt shop Aziraphale liked to go, but then reconsidered arson because innocent people might get hurt.

Note on song selection:

I selected songs that thematically fit with the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale. This is what I call sad bastard music. What songs would match Crowley’s angry, bitter brooding? What songs would make him laugh? What songs would break him and make him cry? These are all songs that I like. You may not like my choices, so your mileage may vary. You can make your own playlist.

NOTE: Revised 3 April 2024 to include P.S. notes about the songs and the obligatory U2 reference. (I'm not sorry.)

NOTE: Revised 9 April 2024 to include songs by The Magnetic Fields, one of Neil Gaiman’s favorite bands. I must make this playlist pleasing to the co-creator of Good Omens.

You can listen to it on YouTube.

[hawkmoon269]

Mr. Macphisto, ZooTV. Netherlands, June 1992.

📷Michel Linssen

[vintage-tigre]

Bono photographed as the stage character created by Mr. MacPhisto for U2's Zoo TV European tour in 1993.

[jamlessjj]

Alright I’m gonna indulge in my broken humor for a moment.

So there’s those bugs with names memes right, like the ones where you have a crispy stock image of a cockroach and an arial font caption next to him indicating that his name is Luis or something.

These specimens.

So a couple of days ago there was a housefly in my home and I started thinking about these memes, and then my brain becomes an echo chamber, it’s going “the fly, the fly, the fly…” on loop and then I’m like

Oh shit,

The Fly.

Right, okay, so what if

Alternatively I could pull out the government name

Dare I say the surname

Yeah.

I acknowledge and take pride in the fact that perhaps this is really fucking stupid.

P.S. I’ve got some macphisto sketches up my sleeve 👁️ 👁️

[talkinfanfic]

Episode 306 - Talkin’ U2, Bono, and Bedge with Tory from the Retro Fanfic Retrospective Podcast!

Sara welcomes the great and wonderful Tory, best known for their reliably insightful analysis of fanfiction on the Retro Fanfic Retrospective podcast (found wherever you get your podcasts!) Tory shares their lifelong love affair with the legendary band U2, and their knowledge of the band’s history and music. Tory also digs into the amazing feat of how the band’s joyful, sublime chemistry seeps into the very music they produce, sustaining fruitful artistry for nearly fifty years. 

Other topics include: Irish history, and the Christianity of U2, along with comparisons with Oasis. We also talk Bedge and RPF! And we dig into a mini-RFR discussion of likeamadonna’s Bono/Edge fanfiction within a fanfiction, “Fictitious Characters”.

🎧 Find Talkin' Fanfic on your favorite podcast app such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Or stream Episode 306 here!

Show notes below the cut 🧡

Contact and Credits:

Intro Theme: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic)

Clip used - Noel Gallagher on The Late Late Show | RTÉ One 

Outro clip - “Beautiful Day” by U2, from the album ‘All That You Can't Leave Behind’ - pulled from Youtube licensed via UMG (on behalf of Universal-Island Records Ltd. ℗ An Island Records recording; ℗ 2000 Island Records Limited

Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com 

Instagram: @talkinfanfic

Email: talkinfanfic@gmail.com 

Time caps:

00:00 - Introduction

06:03 - Start of episode

16:02 - Tory’s music background

24:25 - U2 in bloom right now!

35:06 - A little Irish history 

45:19 - The Troubles, a climate for the formation of U2

56:03 - U2’s Bigness, America, and ‘What is Bono??’ 

01:02:45 - Bono’s useful celebrity, vs individualism of Oasis. Or, “do-gooders” vs “do-badders”

01:08:22 - Bono the Energizer Bunny, and U2 in Vegas

01:13:07 - The other members of U2 (Larry, The Edge, and Adam)

01:20:35 - Christianity and U2

01:31:45 - Religion, U2 vs. Oasis

01:34:50 - Religious imagery in the Achtung Baby-era, and Bono’s ‘characters’

01:41:42 - U2 fanfiction and RPF fandom

01:51:20 - “Fictitious Characters”, by likeamadonna

02:02:26 - Fitting Ali into the Bono/Edge

02:07:20 - Start of Rapid Fire! (which lasts nearly an hour, lol)

02:12:27 - Tory’s Top 5 U2 Tracks

Episode References

U2 Fanfiction.com (Tory mentions they used to read fanfiction from this now defunct archive; link via Wayback Machine) 

The Retro Fanfic Retrospective podcast (Podbean, you can also search for it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts)

Link - Band bio, from threechordsandthetruth.net great U2 overview and biography

U2: The Origins Of The Biggest Band Of The Early 2000s a decent youtube documentary on U2

A live performance of ‘Until The End Of The World’ from ‘Achtung Baby’, filmed during the US leg of the Zoo TV tour in 1992. Kiss for the camera at 2m34s <3 

"One" - U2 Music Video (Anton Corbijn Version) feat. Bob Hewson, and U2 in drag! 

Bono interview with NPR Podcasts -  at 14m46 Bono starts speaking about the concept of ‘Surrender’. “Shut up and listen…is kinda where I’m at.”

Noel Gallagher on The Late Late Show | RTÉ One  - “Who puts the batteries in that guy??” 

Youtube Clip - Noel Gallagher, on U2 (for NME) 

 “Electrical Storm” - U2 Music Video directed by Anton Corbijn (starring Larry!)

Photo via Pinterest - Liam and Bono kissing. According to Bono, Liam had a guitar pick in his mouth and dared Bono to try and retrieve it in front of paparazzi. The photo was printed in a 2002 issue of Rolling Stone.  

Reprint of article - “When Oasis Hit the Road with U2” The Daily Telegraph, June 26, 1997

Bono’s ‘characters’ - Here is MacPhisto making a phone call to a taxi to take him home. This was in Syndey, Australia during the 1993 Zoo TV Tour.

Retro Fanfic Retrospective - Special Episode - Fanfiction Hypothesis The RFR crew discuss…what is and what is not fanfiction? (Spotify link) 

Fic discussion - "Fictitious Characters" by likeamadonna (Ao3 link)  

Bono and The Edge - NPR Tiny Desk Concert (2023) Bono asks Edge to “do an Edge thing!”  

Bono and The Edge - BBC Radio 2 Piano Room (2023) Bono and the Edge vibing together through a string-laden performance of classic U2 songs. Bono serenading the Edge during “Vertigo” around 7m30s, lots of fond looks. 

Fic mentioned - The Scientist or: How Edge Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bono by spacemonkey 

Tory’s Top 5 U2 Tracks (slightly deeper cuts, in no particular order): Red Hill Mining Town , Bad, Lemon, Every Breaking Wave, and Stay (Faraway, So Close!)  

“Ordinary Love” acoustic version, U2 on Jimmy Fallon (2014) with Roots. One of Sara’s favorite U2 live vids ever!! 

Tory is listening to - Leith Ross, an indie-rock Canadian singer-songwriter. Here’s a song from their Youtube channel.

Bandcamp - Her Dilemma the bass player that played for Leith Ross during the set Tory watched. “Mathy”, a bit like Slint!

[kahecha82]

❤️......

[mizzxonetsy]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: J BRAND.