#Nation of Graffiti Artists

[drawdownbooks]

NOGA, the Nation of Graffiti Artists, was an artist’s workshop located in New York City. Photojournalist Michael Lawrence documented the experiment from 1974 to 1979. NOGA’s focus was teaching neighborhood kids how to paint, blending the boundaries between workshop and radical politics as kids were taught to bring their artwork to local protests, sell their work in street fairs, and exhibit murals on buildings.

For some youngsters, it was the first time holding a brush or spray can. It was a lesson in creative capitalism, but for most of the participants, the true payoff was in finding their voice. The story of the experience is told by the workshop’s surviving members and through Lawrence’s extraordinary images.

Designed by Leon Gonzales

Published by Beyond the Streets and Gingko Press Second edition, 2023

Hardcover, 152 pages, full color, 8 × 11 inches

Buy from Draw Down: https://draw-down.com/collections/new-titles/products/nation-of-graffiti-artists

[da-ill-spot]

Cinemills TV: LA’s Graffiti Underground: Stroe One

[101suouexpressions]

Boufuurin's Four Heavenly Kings and their Buddhism counterpart 

We have established that Boufuurin's four teams are based on the four Buddhism gods that watch over the four directions of the world. In this post, we will dive into the correspondence and symbolism behind each team's title.

Notes: they/them pronouns for Tsubaki.

Jikoku Team (Tsubaki's team)

Jikoku Team is named after Dhṛtarāṣṭra, or Jikoku-ten (持国天) in Japanese, Guardian of the East. Jikoku-ten has white skin and carries a pipa (a stringed musical instrument), the sound of which calms listeners' minds. His name means "Upholder of the Nation", that is, to rule and keep the order of the kingdom, and protect its people.

A remark should be made about his role. Not only does Jikoku-ten protect all people, but he also shields the gandharva's (or gandhabba's)—non-human beings who seek shelter in trees and flowers that emit scents. Hence, Jikoku-ten is strongly connected to plants.

Now, Tsubaki's name means Camellia—a flower that represents inner strength and deep love. Story lines surrounding them also involve love and flora. From Tsubaki's feelings for Umemiya, who enjoys gardening, to the story between grandpa Ito-san and his late wife Yui-san centering a dogwood tree, it seems like the theme is very consistent.

Komoku Team (Mizuki's team)

Komoku Team is named after Virūpākṣa, or Komoku-ten (広目天) in Japanese, Guardian of the West. Komoku-ten has red skin, and his name means "All-seeing" or "He Who Has Broad Objectives". His divine eyes can observe the living world, oversee all beings' actions and karma.

Mizuki, true to his title, was the strategist for Boufuurin's defense against Noroshi. He was the one to organize teams into their suitable positions and had kept an eye on Boufuurin's situation during the whole battle.

Zojo Team (Momose's team)

Zojo Team is names after Virūḍhaka, or Zouchou-ten (増長天) in Japanese, Guardian of the South. Zouchou-ten has blue skin and his name means "growth" or "increase". His role is to oversee hostile gods, protect the younglings, or sprouts, and maintain Buddhism principles.

I think Momose connects to the "fostering sprouts" mission the most. From what we can pick out, he's an artist and we can assume that he somewhat influences the graffiti arts around the Fuurin school building, hence why graffiti in Fuurin has a very consistent and distinguishable style (which is a post that I'm cooking up!!!). By inducing art (not just graffiti, as we can also see random canvas paintings around Fuurin), Momose is indirectly nurturing Fuurin students' personal growth.

Tamon Team (Hiiragi's team)

Tamon Team is named after Vaiśravaṇa, or Tamon-ten/Bishamon-ten (多聞天 /毘沙門天) in Japanese, Guardian of the North. Tamon-ten has yellow or green skin, is the highest ranking in the Four Heavenly Kings, and is considered the god of war. His name means "Listening to Many Teachings". Besides overseeing the living, Tamon-ten also keeps guard for Buddha's preaches. Thus, one could say he is the closest to Buddha.

Hiiragi perfectly fits into this description. Among the Boufuurin kings, he is the closest to Umemiya, even considered his right-hand man. Hiiragi is probably the strongest, too, as he was given the title of the god of war.

[askgildaseniors]

Join Paul Tully in this exciting edition of the FYI podcast as he introduces Joey, a gifted tattoo artist, entrepreneur, and influencer whose journey from hustling in National CORE buildings to flourishing in the art of tattooing is nothing short of remarkable. Joey discusses his story, from growing up in Ontario and overcoming obstacles to discovering his passion for painting. He anecdotes of persistence and endurance, he demonstrates the tremendous change from accepting one's real purpose, chronicling his journey from graffiti to becoming a professional tattoo artist known for gorgeous body art and a dedicated clientele.

Joey highlights the significance of self-discipline, business honesty, and treating clients with respect, reminding us that success is more than money and the lives we touch through our job. His thoughts inspire people to pursue their passions, accept responsibility for their travels, and rise above every setback. Listen for a powerful reminder that believing in oneself and supporting one another in the creative community is critical to great success and joy.

[gudsouplady]

Watching Sherlock (S1,E2) The Blind Banker (Tw: This show has a lot of showing and mentioning of guns,Dead bodies,Drugs,War etc.If you don’t like that stuff then I advise you to not read this post)

• Soo Lin makes tea for her job at a museum,That sounds kind of fun

• Soo Lin is very wise

• Nooo Soo Lin denied going for a drink with Andy

• Why is Soo Lin in the museum alone ????

• Who is in the room with Soo Lin ?????

• Is someone under the cloth ???

• I LOVE THIS INTRO 🩷, I want to learn it on the piano

• John is food shopping 🛒 and it going unsuccessful

• Sherlock is having fight with someone in his house

• I just learned Euros Lyn directed this episode and Heartstopper

• “You had a row with a machine”

•The sword tucked under the sofa

• “Incident at the bank”

• Sherlock using John’s laptop because he wasn’t bothered to get his own

• John took the laptop away :(

• What does John need from Sherlock ????

• Sherlock and john are going to the bank 🏦

• “Travels Twice in a month” That is a lot

• Sebastian and Sherlock were uni friends

• Let Sherlock do his deductions and stop interrupting him

• Someone broke into the bank and vandalised a portrait

• How did they paint that so quick

• Paid 5 figures ????

• Sherlock taking pictures

• Why is he opening the window ????

• I like the montage of Sherlock ducking and reappearing behind desks and the office windows

• The graffiti was a message to someone in the bank

• Van coon isn’t answering the door

• “Can I use your balcony”

• Van coon has a nice flat

• Why so much champagne bottles in the fridge

• Van coon is dead

• Whatever he pulled out of his mouth is absolutely disgusting 🤮

• Dimmock is kind of annoying

• Van coon was left handed

• Interrupting sebastian’s dinner

• lost 5 million in a morning and made it back in a week ?????

• I don’t like Sebastian

• “I thought bankers were all supposed to be heartless B@$tards”

• Why is he running ????

• His house was trashed ?????

• Soo Lin resigned her job

• Soo Lin isn’t answering the door

• Andy left a letter for Soo Lin

• John is getting interviewed for a doctor job

• “She’s great”

• Two exact same murders

• Yess Sherlock, YELL at Dimmock

• You can give Sherlock 2 minutes and he can deduct everything at the crime scene

• A climbing killer

• More vandalism in the library

• Going to the National gallery

• Sherlock needs advice

• His idea of a expert is a graffiti artist

• John’s face when he was handed the paint can

• John got left to take the blame

• John is slowly becoming more and more done with Sherlock

• I just learned about what an ASBO is

• Sherlock just shoved John out the door

• Who was taking the picture of John and where did he go ???????

• Why was there a big gap ????

• Don’t insult Sherlock

• He got the diary

• that’s is a lot of receipts

• Both of them traveled to china 🇨🇳

• He got peckish

• Lucky cats are adorable

• “I think your wife, she will like” Ma’am John isn’t married yet

• The tag has the same cipher

• Both men were smugglers

• The lucky cat was the drop off

• Breaking into Soo Lin’s flat

• Someone else broke in too

• The burglar is in the house

• SHERLOCK NEEDS YOU JOHN !!!!!

• What did the burglar do with his pocket ????

• A black paper flower ?????

• Questioning Andy

• The museum storage room

• The statue has the numbers painted on

• The graffiti artist found more of the numbers

• Sherlock found an old paint can

• Yellow paint splattered on the tracks

• A lot more of the numbers on the wall

• It’s been painted over

• Sherlock spinning John around

• Thank god John took a picture of the wall

• John is exhausted 🥱

• Where is Soo Lin

• Why are there now two shining teapots

• Soo Lin is still alive and practicing the tea ceremony

• Thank god Sherlock caught the cup

• Soo Lin is in danger ⛔️

• Soo Lin was a smuggler

• The black lotus gang are up to no good

• The gang has her brother

• The gang has arrived

• Sherlock just ran off and left them

• “Have a bit of respect”

• Soo Lin’s brother found her and shot her. NOOOOOOOOOOOO

• Is Dimmock actually stupid ????

• MOLLY !!!!!!!!

• Sherlock complemented molly !!!

• SHERLOCK WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG

• The stuff smuggled ended up on auction

• THAT IS A LOT OF BOOKS 📚

• Finding the same book is taking ages

• John fell asleep at work

• He got a date with the nurse

• “That’s what I was suggesting”

• Go to Sherlock for you dating advice

• Sherlock crashed the date !!!!!

• The circus is very empty

• Chinese Arrow shooter or something

• The escapologist survived

• Sherlock snuck backstage

• The acrobat is actually quite good

• Shelock almost got caught

• Sherlock is having a fight backstage

• Yessss Sarah saved Sherlock

• can Dimmock just shut up

• Mrs Hudson bringing the nibbles

• Can Sherlock speak German

• Sherlock has begun to decipher the code

• JOHN JUST GOT KNOCKED OUT

• Sarah and John have been taken by the black lotus

• John never gave back sherlock’s debit card

• I DON’T WANT JOHN TO DIE

• Sherlock is on the way

• The arrow shooter

• Pooh Sarah :(

• I don’t want Sarah to die

• Sherlock got there quickly

• Sherlock saved Sarah

• “Next date won’t be like this”

• Sarah and John walking away together

• He gave Dimmock the credit for it

• They finally found out what the cipher meant

• Amanda was a lover of Van Coon

• He got the check

• Amanda had the hair pin

• Someone is doing another cipher

• Who is she messaging

• Shan got shot

I loved this episode and rate it 10/10 because it was so good and I love this show

[blueiscoool]

Dutch Tourist Caught Signing His Name on Ancient Pompeii Wall

A Dutch tourist has been arrested after allegedly vandalizing an ancient Roman building, near Pompeii in Italy.

The unnamed 27-year-old was detained on Monday after staff found graffiti on the wall of an ancient Roman building in black permanent marker. The tourist now faces charges of damage and defacement of artistic works, police said in a statement.

The incident occurred on Sunday (June 2) at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was also Italy's Festa della Repubblica national holiday - a day when state-run museums and archaeological sites open for free to the public, the Independent reported.

Italian culture minister Gennaro Sanguiliano said: "Once again our cultural heritage is the victim of incivility and idiocy… Yesterday it was the turn of a Roman domus in the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, defaced by a tourist with a permanent marker." According to police, the graffiti was identified as the arrested man's tag.

[telekitnetic-art]

Have you seen the formline art in splatoon? It's present in a variety of salmon run decals and on some of the locker graffiti. Idk if the Devs just googled "salmon art" and got indigenous art and decided to copy it or what. Not sure how I feel about it personally.

Long post incoming, gonna put a break here. Also sorry for the late response, I wanted to take a couple days to formalize my thoughts together before responding fully.

I have, I remember noticing in 2018-2019 (when i first started playing splatoon 2) how much one of the decals/graffiti located on the ruins of ark polaris back in 2 sort of resembled a formline bear and salmon. (near the logo in this screenshot, I couldn't find a clear picture online)

Back in 2019, it was pretty easy to think of it as coincidence or a stretch for a comparison. But with splatoon 3's salmon run decals, the resemblance is far easier to see, specifically with the TS-ORBRS graffiti and the TS-SCHL graffiti.

(also this was the best image size I could find for the graffiti images, sorry)

A couple of the banners have the designs on them as well:

The website Sealaska Heritage has info such as textbooks and an online doc about formline art (specifically geared towards Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian nations' style) with lots of info about formline art, and the Seattle Art Museum website has an info sheet (with credits listed as being from the Sealaska Heritage site as well) breaking down some of the basic shapes of formline art.

with this chart, you can definitely begin to notice the similarities between the Salmon Run graffiti and formline art. the ovoids, crescents, and u-shapes appear noticeably in some of the graffiti such as ORBRS and SCHL.

For perspective, here are some formline pieces featuring salmon or fish from various Indigenous artists from various nations.

"sk’ug sdang" (Two Dog Salmon) by Robert Davidson (Haida)

"metal medallion", by Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl (Tlingit Athabascan)

"Salmon People" by Alano Edzerza (Tahltan)

"Jumping Chum" by Stephanie Anderson (Wet'suwet'en)

"Salmon" by Art Thompson (Nuu-chah-nulth)

And that's literally just the surface of dozens of Indigenous artists from the PNW.

With these pieces, you can begin to see the resemblance that the graffiti designs have. A lot of the heads follow the pattern of utilizing ovoids for both the head and eyes, and u-shapes for the bodies and crescents to fill in specific areas are also common. For example, TS-SCHL has a small school of fish where the bodies are entire ovoids.

However, there are a couple flaws in the graffiti designs too. With a few of the designs, you can see they utilize the u-shape (see the formline shape breakdown from Sealaska again) in designs like TS-WHP and TS-SMFR. I can't speak for every Indigenous formline artist ever, but from how I've been taught to design formline art from my family, the u-shape should connect to the rest of the form instead of free-floating. I drew a quick example here:

you can see similar mistakes with a different kind of u-shape with TS-RLPL and TS-C0HK.

Another very specific mistake that takes a bit of squinting to make out is that ovoids are sort of top-heavy, for lack of a term I can't think of right now. The line or the area should be thicker on the top then the bottom. This mistake is frequent in the graffiti designs utilizing ovoid or ovoid adjacent face or body shapes, like TS-ORBRS, TS-C0HK or TS-SCHL.

Full disclaimer, I am not an expert at formline art. I've been practicing it under the tutelage of my aunt and father for about 3 or so years now, and there are definitely cultural variations that come into play as well. My culture's formline art style can look completely different from someone who is Haida or otherwise. This critique of the graffiti designs is based off my knowledge and skill at formline art, as well as critique and feedback that I've gotten from family. Formline art isn't just something you look at and replicate, there is a specific process of utilizing the shapes and negative space that you need to account for too. Some shapes have their own rules for how they're used as well.

Despite the beginner mistakes, the clear resemblances are pretty definitive proof that a good section of the sticker/graffiti designs for the salmonids are meant to be, or at the very least based off of or inspired by, formline art.

Splatoon's lore has a lot of elements of taking inspiration from real life culture (which is sort of one of the main elements of the story, the squids and octos are basing their society off long dead humans). Hell, Shiver and Frye are two prime examples of Splatoon working in real world culture into their setting and characters.

With that in mind, using an art style that's exclusive to an ethnicity of people as inspiration or baseline reference for the game mode that's all about taking natural resources from a species that in-game dialogue tends to treat as dangerous and lesser-minded is... not a good choice. Especially an ethnicity that has historically been ravaged and attacked by settlers for natural resources.

Now, technically if you do digging into lore for salmon run, you can find out that the salmonid are not as simple-minded as the dialogue in-game (I am staring directly at the deep cut big run announcement dialogue we've gotten so far -_-) makes them out to be. The salmonids do trades and commerce with the octarians for equipment and gear. That's why they have such technically high tech gear, like the scrappers with their shields that actually resemble octarian shields and the flyfish with their missiles and flying aircraft. That's also why power eggs show up in the story mode; they're from the salmonids' trades with the octarians.

So the salmonid could technically be as just as smart as the inklings, which is why the dialogue and some of the portrayals of the salmonid are confusing and contradictory (shiver's dialogue from the first big run, that one promo picture of an inkling walking a smallfry on a leash????). I think a good bit of the fanbase sort of thinks of the little buddy we get during the game as a pet, and I'm sure that much more of the fanbase/playerbase doesn't really care about the lore whatsoever. Salmonids sort of have a similar vibe to me as hilichurls from Genshin Impact, where the lore tells you that they're smarter than people assume while NPCs talk of them as less intelligent monsters. And you're also caught in this paradox where killing/fighting them feels morally wrong but the gameplay loop has you continuously doing that while also telling you on the downlow that you should sort of feel bad about it.

Rassicas did a really good video on translating salmonid lore from various interviews, which is where I learned a lot about the salmonid lore that doesn't really get explained/brought up in the game.

The usage of formline art in Splatoon has me sort of mixed on my opinion, because besides using an Indigenous art style for an enemy species that are considered lesser in intelligence by the NPCs, Indigenous art and culture as a whole has suffered a lot under colonialism. I don't know how much awareness whoever is reading this has about Indigenous history and colonialism, but Indigenous culture as a whole was banned in North America by the respective governments from being practiced by the respective cultural groups. Things such as ceremonies, regalia, and even practicing formline art were banned from being used by Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous people however were free to use it, which is why a lot of bastardized versions of Indigenous regalia and culture exists. You can see it in non-indigenous spiritual practices utilizing Indigenous practices and terminology like spirit animals and dreamcatchers, and sports teams utilizing Indigenous culture in its labelling and mascots. That is where cultural appropriation comes into play. And before I get anybody commenting about this, the salmonid formlines don't count as "cultural appreciation" because as far as the info available is concerned, there wasn't any Indigenous people that were consulted for the designs. And even if there were, I again have mixed feelings about Splatoon utilizing an Indigenous art style as a design piece for an enemy character in the franchise.

On another note, this isn't the first time Indigenous cultural appropriation has popped up in the Splatoon franchise. There was actually a headgear that was unreleased in the first Splatoon game called "Warrior Headdress", and you can guess what it looked like.

Yeah. That was all levels of yikes and I'm thankful as hell that it didn't make it into the game (technically it's not in the game as a wearable item, but you can spot it at the very back of the headgear shop ingame)

So Splatoon has utilized Indigenous culture as inspiration beforehand with the games, so it's not much of a stretch anymore to think that the salmon run graffiti designs were based off formline art or was an attempt at formline art.

I'm not really sold on the idea that the salmonid are meant to be representative of Indigenous people though, nor do I believe that utilizing formline art for the salmonid was a malicious decision. But it was a slightly ignorant decision at best, because again using Indigenous specific art for a species of enemies that gets fought for their natural resources and is referred to by some of the NPCs as basically being lesser-minded animals is really not a good decision.

This whole thread is not meant as a guilt trip for anyone who likes the salmonid lore, has bought any of the salmonid graffiti stickers, or enjoys salmon run, nor is it an accusation of the devs for maliciously misusing Indigenous culture. I actually really enjoy salmon run for it's PSP and concept, but this design aspect gives me mixed feelings as an Indigenous person. And to be honest it's hard to label intentions or the thought process because there isn't any info available on the development of salmon run and those graffiti designs specifically. So it's hard to know if the devs employed an Indigenous artist for feedback or if they indeed just looked at some formline art of salmon and tried to replicate it or used it as inspiration. I'm inclined to believe the latter judging by the beginner formline mistakes seen in some of the designs. There is an art book coming out soon for Splatoon 3, so maybe that will give more info.

To wrap this all up, I don't think there is really anything to be done about the designs. The game has been out for a while and I don't know if the game would change the designs at this point. I also don't think this should stop people from buying the sticker designs in game or playing salmon run. However, it is important to learn about the context of these designs so that you know why they exist and why they can be harmful, and so devs and creators can avoid making the same mistake in the future, and so Indigenous issues with cultural appropriation can be made more aware in the public space and not be ridiculed by non-Indigenous people. And again, I am just one Indigenous person so there may be other opinions from other Indigenous people on the graffiti designs and how they should be handled or viewed.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading and have a good day!! Be sure to check out some actual Formline art made by Indigenous people, like the ones I listed near the top of the post!

[strangelittlestories]

CRIVENS!!

The word was written in huge and shaky letters across the digi-glass face of the Justice Exchange building.

It cast large shadows across the trading floor. The morning sun had just risen above the billboard forest and at this time would usually be diffusing through the ads played on the windows like gently hypnotic stained glass.

The brokers who hawked civil responsibility and criminal liability were fond of the light show; they found it soothing and would often debate the merits of the kaleidoscopic effects of adverts for Hyperboat: the ‘Self-Driving Cruise Ship’ versus ‘Procrast-e-Nation: Literal Timeshares’.

Thus, the shadows distracted and grumpified the brokers - making the pursuit of justice on the bustling commercial arena an even riskier proposition than usual.

The Judicial Agents of Restitution (JARs) were proactive in their pursuit of the graffiti artist, suspecting subliminal subversiveness hidden within the message.

It turned out, the culprit was simply a junior equity administrator who had developed a psionic mutation, likely due to high levels of exposure to the Poe’s particles (expelled when the Justice Exchange hit an especially tangled conflux of Poe’s Law leylines). It was either that or stress.

They interrogated him in one of the soundproof teleconferencing pods. They taped up a blanket for privacy, but this didn’t stop the brokers from rubbernecking in (or hacking the web cameras), keen to see a small slice of justice in action.

After a series of scans, a quick personality test, and a light round of ‘legal and proportional force’, they more or less had it figured out. The admin had, just that morning, developed the peculiar power to make his thoughts external. The word ‘CRIVENS’ on the outside of the building had, in fact, been the result of his initial surprise at having developed that power.

He assured the agents that no harm had been intended. He was, after all, a dutiful worker without a subversive bone (or rebellious organ or even vaguely mutinous membrane) in his body.

The agents thought about this. They consulted their superiors. They did a quick straw poll amongst the Ethical Consultants resident at the Exchange (who were happy to volunteer their expertise in exchange for a discount at the smoothie bar).

It was unanimously agreed that, no matter how good at 3D spreadsheets they were, someone who might express their genuine thoughts at any time - outside of easily-monitored and approved rebel outlets - was actually extremely subversive indeed.

The admin protested that this was out of his control. He would never intentionally do or say anything untoward - sincerity might just occasionally … slip out.

He was swiftly informed that this was, of course, *worse*.

As they dragged him away, he thought to himself about how rotten and fractured this whole experience had been.

And that is when the Justice Exchange cracked open like an egg, a fissure opening from its foundations to its roof and then spreading inexorably out through the rest of the city.

This is how the entirety of FairTrade City was broken by a single exclamation of surprise.

To put it another way - it put the *riven* into ‘crivens’.

---

The word ‘crivens’ was submitted as a pun-seed by a Word of the Month member. To become a member and suggest words for puns of your own, please check out https://ko-fi.com/strangelittlestories

[ru-draws]

What A Steal | Guardian | Playmate?

—

It’s Gotham, right. It’s hard, it’s unforgiving, it’s constantly warring for its soul between the Bat, the Rogues and political/capitalist monsters. They’ve survived big bads with bombs and bio-chemical weapons, constant terrorism, alien invasions, unfeeling corrupt officials, THE earthquake—Gothamites are wild. And they come together more often than not, protecting their own while the world outside turn fearful and judgemental eyes on their dark spires and unending rain. They put their trust in a prolific monster that puts himself between them and everything else because no one else will ever love them as much as he and his team does.

I think a lot about art that comes out of Gotham. The kind of affluent pretentious crap that gets bought by Mayor Hill or tycoons from Metropolis. The small popular studios that have small but powerful exhibitions of little known artists that reflect light and life in the corners of their city.

And I think about the graffiti. The illegal tagging, defacement of the Bowery stretching from corner to corner, the paint-covered walls of Crime Alley where the brick can barely be seen anymore. I think about the kind of artist Gotham would grow in that medium.

Not Banksy. Banksy adjacent, maybe.

Someone who’s survived the worst of Gotham and loves the concrete under their feet. Someone so removed from all the Waynes and the Vreelands and the Hills of the City; someone who grew up in the shadows of gargoyled buildings and in the arms of people who work to keep the city alive. Silent, anonymous, as enigmatic as Gotham’s protector. Plastering their opinions all over Gotham’s First National and beneath bridges between the islands. And I think there’s more than one. A small handful, never planning, never speaking, but passing quietly in the night with cans of spray paint and ladders.

The GCPD get calls about them from time to time, and their latest illegal work marring buildings in uptown. But it’s Gotham. Gordon and the Bat have bigger things to worry about with little time to spare. When it comes between an armed robbery or a tagger, one of these things is not like the other.

But I do think the Bat looks. Every so often, he’ll turn in an alley or a subway, and there it’ll be. And he’ll stand, for a breath of contemplation, and then he’ll disappear back into the night.

[afrotumble]

Recent mural by Kenyan artist Kevin Bankslave Esendi. Graffiti mural of the late Mzee Kimani Maruge, a national symbol for adult education. He enrolled in a primary school at the age of 83 at the onset of the free primary education program in Kenya in the early 2000s.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Black Lives Matter is headed for INSOLVENCY after plunging $8.5M into the red - but founder Patrisse Cullors' brother was still paid $1.6M for 'security services' in 2022, while sister of board member earned $1.1M for 'consulting'

By: Harriet Alexander

Published: May 24, 2024

Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a non-profit that grew out of the protest movement, is haemorrhaging cash, financial records show 

The group ran an $8.5 million deficit and saw the value of its investment accounts drop by nearly $10 million, with fundraising down 88% year-on-year

Despite the financial woes, the organization still paid relatives of the founder and of a board member hundreds of thousands of dollars for services 

Black Lives Matter's national organization is at risk of going bankrupt after its finances plunged $8.5 million into the red last year - while simultaneously handing multiple staff seven-figure salaries.  

Financial disclosures obtained by The Washington Free Beacon show the perilous state of BLM's Global Network Foundation, which officially emerged in November 2020, as a more formal way of structuring the civil rights movement.

Yet despite the financial controversy and scrutiny, BLM GNF continued to hire relatives of the founder, Patrisse Cullors, and several board members. 

Cullors' brother, Paul Cullors, set up two companies which were paid $1.6 million providing 'professional security services' for Black Lives Matter in 2022.

[ BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors' (left) employed her brother, Paul Cullors (right) for security at BLM's properties ]

[ Paul Cullors was employed as the head of the security team at the $6 million Los Angeles mansion (pictured) bought with charity donations ]

Paul Cullors was also one of BLM's only two paid employees during the year, collecting a $126,000 salary as 'head of security' on top of his consulting fees. He is best known as a graffiti artist, with no background in security.

Patrisse Cullors defended hiring him, saying registered security firms which hired former police officers could not be trusted, given the movement's opposition to police brutality. 

For the previous year, 2021, tax filings revealed that BLM paid a company owned by Damon Turner, the father of Cullors' child, nearly $970,000 to help 'produce live events' and provide other 'creative services.' 

Cullors resigned in May 2021. 

'While Patrisse Cullors was forced to resign due to charges of using BLM's funds for her personal use, it looks like she's still keeping it all in the family,' said Paul Kamenar, an attorney for the National Legal and Policy Center watchdog group. 

Shalomyah Bowers, who took over from Cullors when she resigned, also benefitted handsomely from the group: in 2022, his consultancy firm was paid $1.7 million for management and consulting services, the Free Beacon reported.

And the sister of former Black Lives Matter board member Raymond Howard was also employed in a lucrative role as a consultant.

Danielle Edwards's firm, New Impact Partners, was paid $1.1 million for consulting services in 2022, the Free Beacon said.

BLM GNF also agreed to pay an additional $600,000 to an unidentified former board member's consulting firm 'in connection with a contract dispute'.

The non-profit group ran an $8.5 million deficit, and its investment accounts fell in value by nearly $10 million in the most recent tax year, financial disclosures show.

The group logged a $961,000 loss on a securities sale of $172,000, suggesting the group sustained an 85 percent loss on the transaction. Further details of that security have not been shared. 

And the cash flowing into BLM's coffers has dropped dramatically.

Donations plunged by 88 percent between 2021 and 2022, from $77 million to just $9.3 million for the most recent financial year.  

Patrisse Cullors, who had been at the helm of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for nearly six years, stepped down in May 2021, amid anger at the group's financial decisions and perceived lack of transparency.

A year later, in May 2022, it was revealed Black Lives Matter spent more than $12 million on luxury properties in Los Angeles and in Toronto - including a $6.3 million 10,000-square-foot property in Canada that was purchased as part of a $8M 'out of country grant.'

The Toronto property was bought with grant money that was meant for 'activities to educate and support black communities, and to purchase and renovate property for charitable use.' 

The group had said it was planning to use the property as main headquarters in Canada, and it has now been named the Wilseed Center for Arts and Activism. 

It emerged that Cullors transferred millions from the organization to a charity run by her wife, Janaya Khan, to purchase the property. 

Cullors admitted to AP that her group was ill-equipped to handle the finances of a charity which received $90 million the year after George Floyd was killed - but denied any wrongdoing.

Cullors issued a statement denying she used the $6 million LA property for personal purposes, but then had to backtrack and admit she had used the compound for purposes that were not strictly business. 

The activist also amassed a $3 million property portfolio of her own, including homes in LA and Georgia, although there is no suggestion of any financial impropriety.

It is not known if the group paid out lucrative contracting fees to Cullors' friends and family past June 2022, when a new board of directors was brought in.

The board is now led by nonprofit adviser Cicley Gay, who has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy three times since 2005.

Gay was ordered by a court to attend financial management lessons, and at the time of her appointment in April 2022 had more than $120,000 in unpaid debt. 

She was one of three people appointed to the board, the organization said in a tweet. She subsequently was described as being chair of the board.

She told The New York Times she had been appointed to straighten out the organization's finances, after BLMGFN faced intense scrutiny over its spending of donor cash.

'No one expected the foundation to grow at this pace and to this scale,' said Gay.

'Now, we are taking time to build efficient infrastructure to run the largest Black, abolitionist, philanthropic organization to ever exist in the United States.'

It later emerged that Gay has been declared bankrupt three times, according to federal reports obtained by The New York Post. 

Gay, a mother of three, filed for bankruptcy in 2005, 2013 and 2016. 

BLMGFN has faced intense questions about its handling of donations, which surged in particular during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.

The organization in February 2021 said it had taken in more than $90 million in 2020 and still had $60 million on hand.

Last year, it was down to $42 million, while the Free Beacon reports BLM has now spent two thirds of the $90 million cash it had to hand. 

Cullors, the co-founder of the organization, resigned in May 2021 as director of BLMGNF, amid scrutiny of her own property empire. She has written best-selling books, and has a contract with Warner Brothers to produce content.

Then in April 2022 it emerged that BLMGFN had bought a mansion in Los Angeles for $5.8 million, which they said was to be used as a 'safe space' for activists and for events.

The organization responded to the reports in a lengthy Twitter feed, with the group noting that more 'transparency' was required going forward.

[ Black Lives Matter has apologized following an expose that detailed how the organization had used donations to purchase a $6 million home in Los Angeles ]

[ In a lengthy Twitter thread on Monday morning, the group vowed to be more transparent in the future ]

'There have been a lot of questions surrounding recent reports about the purchase of Creator's House in California. Despite past efforts, BLMGNF recognizes that there is more work to do to increase transparency and ensure transitions in leadership are clear,' it stated.

BLM then proceeded to blame the media for the furore and the 'inflammatory and speculative' reports that saw journalists probing the group's financials saying that it 'caused harm' 

The reports 'do not reflect the totality of the movement,' the organization claimed.

'We know narratives like this cause harm to organizers doing brilliant work across the country and these reports do not reflect the totality of the movement,' one of the tweets reads. 'We apologize for the distress this has caused to our supporters and those who work in service of Black liberation daily.' 

'We are redoubling our efforts to provide clarity about BLMGNF's work,' noting an 'internal audit' was underway together with 'tightening compliance operations and creating a new board to help steer to the organization to its next evolution.'  

[ The organization also criticized the original New Yorker article, pictured above, describing it as 'inflammatory and speculative' ]

[ BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors (above) came under fire last year for a slew of high-profile property purchases. She resigned in May 2021 and has called reports investigation the $6 million mansion 'despicable' and claimed that criticisms against her are 'sexist and racist' ]

[ The home features six bedrooms and a pool in the back. BLM claimed the home was bought to provide a safe house for 'black creativity' but had allegedly tried to hide the home's existence  ]

[ The mansion comes complete with a sound stage (pictured) and mini filming studio which the group had used in one of its video campaigns ]

BLM attempted to justify the purchase of the mansion by saying it was made to encourage 'Black creativity' with the property 'a space for Black folks to share their gifts with the world and hone their crafts as we see it.' 

The organization also went on to defend how the funds the group raised were spent including the $3 million used for 'COVID relief' and a further $25 million dollars to black-led organizations.

'We are embracing this moment as an opportunity for accountability, healing, truth-telling, and transparency. We understand the necessity of working intentionally to rebuild trust so we can continue forging a new path that sustains Black people for generations,' the group wrote. 

The barrage of tweets, which notably had their comments turned off, ended with the group announcing they were 'embracing this moment as an opportunity for accountability, healing, truth-telling, and transparency' and 'working intentionally to rebuild trust.' 

[ Internal memos from BLM revealed the group wanted to keep the purchase secret, despite filming a video on the home's patio in May ]

[ The Studio City home - which sits on a three-quarter-acre lot - boasts more than half-dozen bedrooms and bathrooms, a 'butler's pantry' in the kitchen (pictured) ]

Concerns over the groups finances have swirled for years with BLM coming under intense scrutiny in the past. 

In February 2022 the group stopped online fundraising following a demand by the California attorney general tho show where millions of dollars in donations received in 2020 went. 

The group said the 'shutdown' was simply short term while any 'issues related to state fundraising compliance' were addressed.

--

Everybody figured out that it was a scam and always has been.

criticisms against her are 'sexist and racist'

"How dare you notice the things that I'm doing?" is the manipulative language of an abuser.

to rebuild trust

Grifters gotta grift. Defund BLM.

[fashionbooksmilano]

Arabesque 2

Graphic Design from the Arab World and Persia

Edited by Eps51 - Ben Wittner and Sascha Thoma

Foreword by John Martin and Salma Tuquan

Die Gestalten Verlag, Berlin 2011, 208 pages, 24,5x29cm, ISBN 978-3-89955-330-7

euro 40,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Cutting-edge graphic work from the Arab world and Iran that is emblematic of the cultural emancipation of this entire area. The wave of protests that started this year in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and other countries have made it clear just how much the Middle East is searching for a new identity. Young designers in the region are playing a part in this movement by increasingly emancipating themselves creatively. In their work, they are charting their own compelling course between local visual convention and a modern international style. Arabesque 2 documents the potential of this current creative emancipation in the Arab world and Iran. The book features examples of recent innovative and groundbreaking design work that is inspired by the richness of the region’s visual culture. Given the important role of calligraphy in the Middle East, Arabesque 2 focuses on typography. The book presents a wide range of Arabic fonts and typefaces inspired by traditional calligraphy. These are accompanied by a rich selection of applications. Select examples of design and graffiti serve as powerful demonstrations of how text can be used illustratively. This work is particularly relevant to those creating street art and poster design. Arabesque 2 also features graphic design, logos, Edited byial design, and illustration by young designers and activists from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Regardless of the location and nationality of their creators, all of the examples included in the book combine modern design with the traditional, letter-based canon of Arab forms in striking ways. The book’s preface is written by John Martin, co-founder of Art Dubai. Additional texts and interviews describe the environments in which the featured designers and artists work.

09/01/24

[riftwirecrystal]

NATLAN BEING THE NATION OF WAR DOES NOT MEAN EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS WAR RELATED!!!

Natlan wasn't even intentionally named the Nation of War. That was a name given due to the result of constant battles with the Abyss.

Natlan would never have been the Nation of War without the Abyssal influence. They are nit inherently war-hungry or violent people. Just artistically talented groups forced to fight a war to survive.

Im tired of seeing criticism of the music, color, or entertainment parts of Natlan!! Because the creativity and artistic skills, all of it, that's what Natlan is supposed to be; it's just hidden under the cover of endless war.

And it's in-character for the world too! With so much time dedicated to training and war, it makes sense that they would turn their free time to short hobbies to pass the time, like graffiti, music, etc.

Silly P.S. - we now have lore confirmation that Mavuika just wanted her bike to be super awesome and cool (to the dismay of Xilonen) so stop bashing the bike guys she'll get sad if you don't think it's cool

[omegaremix]

Tower Records (final visit); 2006.

Close to the end of the year, and also when the semester ended, I looked forward in selling my books after finals so that I would get money back. Then I got a friend together to go with me to Tower Records in Huntington. In a matter of one hour, that money would be gone. Right now I’d be very excited about what I would find in those bins. But for years it hasn’t been the case and the euphoria of being in a store, any store at midnight, has been long gone. The entire chain went under and currently co-opting it is a third-rate clothing store.

Autumn of 2006, people were standing on the sidewalks of Route 110 holding picket signs like it was the end of the world. First advertised on those signs were ten to thirty percent off all merchandise at Tower. When passers-by and sidewalk shoppers took a closer look, they ended up in shock as they realized that it was an end of an era of some sort. Time passed by and the stakes went up. Forty to sixty percent discounts finally garnered Tower’s final audience and rush of shoppers. The final swan song came when all merchandise was down to a whopping seventy to ninety percent off. That was when they had their biggest ever turnout because no one wanted to pay full price for music. Not then, not now.

Music collectors and fans were reluctant to buy any new release or any title that was full price. They all jumped at the opportunity to clean out Tower’s shelves with a steal. Buyers hovered and tracked entire sections looking for that one shining crown jewel that made their lifetime.

As a music fan for years, I couldn’t begin to tell you how much Tower shaped my taste in music and style. Unlike FYE and Sam Goody, Tower was the one commercial music chain that had a lot of artists and titles that no other commercial store had. Think of what was the Port Jefferson Music Den (closed down in 2002) where they were the one underground record store that had everything other stores didn’t even come close to carry. I remember Nineties summertimes visiting the Massapequa location picking up rare CD singles and imports as well as other rare hard-to-find and ahead-of-release-date CD’s and artists I picked up such as Autechre’s LP5 (1999) and EC8OR’s World Beaters (1998).

And being a fan of print media and graphic design, I also bought stacks of magazines every week. The magazine selection in Huntington was unrivaled, measuring at least several rows  of sixty to seventy feet of anything and everything you could think of: industrial (Industrial Nation), punk (Punk Planet), experimental (Wire), graffiti (Disruptiv), style (Mass Appeal, Mean, Vice, YRB), and art design magazines (LoDown, especially LoDown because it satisfied my requirement for underground German pop-kultur) as well as hardcore zines (Short Fast Loud!, Maximum Rock And Roll, Under The Volcano) and other cult magazines I happened to be lucky to pick up (Lisa Carver’s Rollerderby, anyone?). Every month went at least sixty to seventy dollars total on magazines alone.

Yet towards the end of Tower’s presence I didn’t pick up on music as much because just like other buyers, I had to stand back at the higher-than-usual prices for releases. Compared to discount chains like Best Buy and other record stores, it wasn’t unusual to find a new release with no-frills to be priced at $19.99 or even $21.99. DVDs I noticed were priced at times to be five dollars higher than their competitors. Maybe some shoppers felt the same sentiment as I did.

Not only that, the forces of internet piracy and MP3 downloading of recent years proved to be too dominant and powerful to be stopped, and is currently co-existing with other existing record stores this day and age. Consumers then re-routed the system right to their own bedrooms with no price to pay for their music. These factors, plus incurring debt that led the chain to bankruptcy in 2004, proved to be too much for Tower.

Without Tower Records, it was less convenient for me to pick up whatever artist or movie title I wanted right away right after work. When Tower closed down it took a bite of some of the physical record collecting I had. Yet, only they could have given me these experiences: no more magazines letting me know what the latest art direction was or who was in the spotlight. No more frantically walking around with a huge stack of everything and more in my hands still looking for one more CD. No more back room full of posters, sheet music, jazz, classical, hip-hop, techno, and soul. No more silly Hollywood memorabilia and comic-book fantasy merchandise. No more video games, no more characters hanging out in the store wearing goth, back-pack indie, or hardcore.

No more attitudes from the employees who treated customers like nothing because they felt like it. That was really the only problem I had with Tower Records, mostly in Huntington. The cashiers pointed people out with a huff and puff because they were given more than enough change or money, or how they rang up a transaction without even making an emotion or saying a word. Some stuck female cashiers had that flat out know-it-all act for no apparent reason. Sometimes I even renounced the shop because of its sometimes poor service, but that was not the case in the end as the attitude did improve, thank you.

And no more of what would be where I had my first date with my Peruvian then-girlfriend Jenny. I would never forget wandering in that Huntington store looking for the next purchase when she walked in, greeting each other with open arms. We left when a thunderstorm knocked the power out, but we returned after dinner and had a fun time, the first of many for months to come. This was also where I met a pretty and pale Irish redhead who I later met again into at community college the following year.

What is now left of the record store scene on Long Island? A few of them which existed when Tower crumbled are still around and even new ones popped up. The majority of shops in total are still around because internet opinion made their case about the lack of quality, esthetics, art, and ritual of having the physical thing, making the case of cherishing these shops. On the online circuit, some titles are now being released in very limited quantity, mainly in the low thousands or even in the mere hundreds. It’s a huge drop-off from what the millions in print runs used to be. Naming your own price for digital downloads, sharing streams to the public, or even buying from the label or artist directly is the way to go nowadays.

Doing my Ω show, I do most of my music testing at home.  My habits have been ruined by MP3s and streams as acquiring music is of very low cost and extremely ubiquitous. After all that, it hasn’t stopped me from going to a music warehouse in Shirley or celebrating Record Store Day annually in April to find breaks, samples, or dollar music to win it all. Yes, I still very much prefer to go out of town to buy music with my money which I support the artists and shops I like. Even to this day, I’ll be very happy spending two-hundred to two-fifty a visit, if I have it, on music just to have the artwork, colours, lyrics, pictures, ink, liner notes, credits, barcode, and the entire CD itself, because later on I will turn a profit in style points as time goes by, just like when people are hoarding and sharing their vinyl and cassette collections now.

November of 2006 was my last visit to Tower Records ever. Acquired would be some titles that made my pre-Ω shows and would be part of some personal mixtapes. Prices were forty percent off on music and that was when I decided to go and treat myself. There comes a time when you just can’t wait and risk a good sale on music before they no longer have stock. The total spent on my last ever visit to Tower Records was two-hundred on music and the Andy Warhol book at seventy-five, originally one-twenty-five. (Have you ever carried a book so massive and so heavy?) I took my bags worth of music and magazines with me to the trunk of my car, never to return to the Tower Records experience again.

On another note, I am in contact with M-Ro, a former manager of Tower Records, same location. He later on became a manager of a lifestyle store more out west and is now a ticket broker in an independent movie house. He once had a show on WUSB and was a major figurehead and darling of the Long Island underground and punk scene. You may also know his brother J-Ro, who still has a slot with us at WUSB.

Andy Warhol Giant-Size

Hatebreed Supremacy

Deftones B-Sides And Rarities

Boysetsfire The Misery Index: Note From The Plague Years

Lamb Of God Ashes Of The Wake

Throwdown Throwdown

Kill Your Idols From Companionship To Competition

Stereolab ABC Music

Pretty Girls Make Graves Elan Vitale

Roots Manuva Awfully Deep

A Tribe Called Quest The Low-End Theory

Leonard Cohen Death Of A Ladies’ Man

Jesu Silver

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat

Stereolab Fab Four Suture

Boards Of Canada Trans-Canada Highway

Ladytron Light And Magic

Kid 606 Pretty Girls Make Raves

Buzzcocks, The Operator’s Manual

Public Image Ltd. Greatest Hits So Far

Roy Ayers Virgin Ubiquity 2

Flyleaf Flyleaf

various artists Punk v. Emo

Total cost: ~ $275.00

[kyl3gutz]

fu ck it, cing on main

I have a GG oc (gasp shock the horror) and I love him very much so here's everything about him for you all.

-

Name: Mauve Roux

Age (can list how old they’d be in each game): Roughly 18 in strive

Species: Human

Origin (Nationality): Australian

Affiliation: Nobody!

Backstory: Mauve was once a young girl with a giant paint brush, aiming to become the best artist in the world! Yet.. that dream was lost a long time ago. That girl found himself, and now he’s a rough and tumble young man. The most annoying and active graffiti artist who has a bounty of about W$250,000.. of course he has his secrets. He got into some bad fights back in Australia and ended up killing some people by accident, causing him to panic and run to Illyria. Now, he runs around graffitiing things.

Personality: Mauve is an overconfident asshole to put it simply. He doesn’t care about where he is or where he’s going, he’s one to only focus on the present. His insistent ‘nemesis’ is his only real worry, and even then she’s not worth the worry! He loves art, though he finds poetry quite “trashy”.

Status (Dead or alive): Alive

Abilities: Mauve can control paint at will, he mainly uses this to create “paint bombs”. He fills vials with paint and then throws them, he makes the paint expand to cause a large explosion.

Weapon of Choice: Two spray cans with trigger attachments to make ‘paint guns’ 

Friends, family, enemies, etc: Bridget (Nemesis, in his eyes), Axl (Friends, somewhat. Mauve doesn’t mind him), Slayer (Acquainted.)

--

Moveset 

Mechanic - Paint Meter

Mauve has some attacks that will affect a meter placed over the opponent’s tension bar called the Paint Meter. If the paint meter is full, Mauve will now start doing more damage. The paint meter is reset after Mauve does a super or certain specials, after the opponent bursts, Roman cancels or does a super. If the opponent takes no damage for a long enough time, the meter will drain. 

5P - A quick jab forward, basically the same as most other characters

5K - A quick kick forward, can gatling into a second quick kick forward that will knock Mauve back after he uses it.

c.S - Mauve uses his spraycan guns to shoot small spray of paint that fills the paint meter slightly if hit

f.S - Mauve shoots a spray of paint to just a bit under midscreen, slightly fills the paint meter if hit.

5H - Mauve sprays forward twice, this move is risky but can yield good damage if hit correctly. (Probably a combo ender?) Slightly fills the paint meter if landed.

6P - Mauve does a snazzy little click upward, this is an anti air. As most 6P’s are

6K - Mauve kicks more upward, functioning as an antiair 

6S - using both of his spraycan guns, Mauve will do a long spray forward, reaching just a bit ahead of midscreen. Fills the paint meter slightly if hit. 

6H - Mauve will throw a paint bomb down on the ground, this will deal more damage the more he’s taken in a round. Fills the paint meter about 1/8th of the way if hit. 

Specials

Cover your eyes! (236K) - A Parry, Mauve will shield his face. If hit, he will then spray the opponent several times. Fills the paint meter 1/5th of the way if hit.

Not safe from me! (214H) - Mauve will throw a paint bomb all the way to the other side of the stage, it will then explode and deal damage. Stunning the opponent if hit. Fills the paint meter 1/8th of the way if hit.

Runback (63214S) - Mauve will rush forward, if this is landed he will toss the opponent as far away as he can.

Heads up! (236S in the air) - Mauve tosses a paint bomb down onto the ground, if this lands he’ll throw a second before plummeting to the ground. Fills the paint meter 1/8th of the way if hit.

Cleanup crew, stat!!! (214K) - Mauve will spray some paint 3 times to mid screen, if all three of these hit, he will then do a fourth one. Fills the paint meter 1/5th if all are hit, if not then only 1/8th of the way.

Make it rain! (236H) - Mauve will toss three paint bombs into the air, they’ll fall at different points of the stage depending on how long this is held for. Fills the paint meter 1/8th of the way if hit.

Paint Specials (Only can be used while Paint meter is at max):

Blitz! (41236P) - Mauve will do a ton of short sprays forward, this can then be chained into one of his other paint specials

Better hold on tight! (214P) - Mauve will toss a paint bomb just in front of him, this can be chained into his other paint specials..

Lookin’ Good! (236S on the ground) - Mauve will spray forward then step forward to ‘admire his work’. Thing is, if he’s close enough, he will step on the opponent’s foot. This can chain into his other paint specials.

After 5 paint specials are hit, reset the paint meter. 

Supers

Make it pour! (236236P) - Mauve will throw many paint bombs into the air, causing big damage across the screen. If the paint meter isn’t full when this is landed, fill it halfway. Otherwise, clear the paint meter.

Seven Spray Death Blow (214214P) - Mauve does two sprays forward, if both are landed then this super will continue. Mauve then sprays the opponent 4 times before finishing with his finale. He spray paints the words “Seven Spray Death Blow” onto the opponent. If done near the wall, this triggers a wall break. Always resets the paint meter regardless of how full it is when this is used.

--

Voicelines

Intro Quotes (Generic):

(P1) “You better not give up halfway!”

(P1) “You’d look better in pink.. i can paint that onto you!”

(P2) “I’ll get you good!!”

(P2) “If you turn me in after this, I’ll never forgive you!!”

Round win:

“Aha! That’s the stuff!!”

“Easy now.. you gotta let the paint dry!”

“Don’t cry.. I can’t let the paint job get screwed up!”

“C’mon, is that really all you’ve got? You’re going easy!”

Round Loss:

“You’re good.. Owch..”

“My vials!”

“Ough.. my ribs..”

“Is that blood?!”

Timeout:

“Oh god damn it!”

“Times up already..”

“You better get this done quicker next time!”

“Stupid time limit..”

Victory Quotes (Generic): 

“Hey now, it’ll wash out.. EVENTUALLY!!”

“Hmm.. did i go a little too hard with this one? Nobody likes a bruised and battered art piece…”

“Hehehe.. Better luck next time !”

Taunts (Generic): 

“I like the look of this..”

“Just needs a little on the left..”

“You’ll keep letting me hit you, right?”

“To think this is what they’re sending these days!”

Taunts (Unique):

(Bridget) “You’re off your game, Shelia!”

(Bridget) “Is this really the best you can do?”

(Axl) “Easy now! I don’t wanna paint you too badly, think of what she would say to me! Hah!”

(Slayer) “How?! How am I getting the upper hand?!”

(Bedman?) “..I’m tired, can I take a nap on that bed? Because this match is BORING ME!”

Respects (Generic):

“Oh, you’re not even dirty!”

“How do you keep getting away from my shots, it’s so cool!”

“Maybe i need to up my game..”

“You better come hang out after this!”

Respects (Unique):

(Bridget) “Ooh, yeah, you’re not playing around this time.”

(Axl) “If it helps you feel a little better, I’m not even bruised! Just very.. very cut up from those sickles.. Owch..”

(Slayer) “Ahaha.. expected nothing less!”

(Mauve) “You’re too good! I can’t let a copycat get the better of me!!”

Intro Quotes (Unique):

Normal text is Mauve, italics is the other character

Against Bridget

“Eep! You again??”

*”Yes, me again!!”*

*”Are you gonna go down this time?”*

“Nah.. are you?”

Against Slayer

“Woah.. am i in over my head?”

*”I would certainly hope not.”*

*”You don’t seem to be in quite good spirits.”*

“..eh.. eh.. eh.. eheheh.. I’m so gonna die..”

Against Mauve

“Me?! Okay, who screwed up this time?”

“Eh?! You better not be some kinda.. weird clone faker person!”

“Hey, what colours do you have there?”

“I got enough, that’s what i got! Why, you wanna collab?”

Victory Quotes (Unique):

Against Bridget

“HAHA!! Mauve wins again!”

“Now will you stop trying to turn me in?”

Against Slayer:

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod okay.. note to self, DONT PICK FIGHTS WITH VAMPIRES.”

“Hehehe.. haha.. ha.. how’d i live that!”

Against Axl

“Hey, big fella, the 90’s called, they want you back!”

Against Johnny:

“Wait, are you THE Johnny? In the flesh?! Ohmygod i am so sorry!!!”

Against Mauve

“Righto, faker! Go back to hell where you belong!”

“Well.. that was weird.”

Using moves (not including grunts or similar);

Cover Your Eyes

“Need to take cover!”

“Get off of me!”

“Try not to get this in your eyes!”

“Cover your eyes!”

Not Safe From Me!

“Over there!”

“Hey, step back a little!”

“Look out! ..or not!! Hehe..”

“Not safe from me!”

Runback

“Eep! Get away!”

“Over there!”

“Nope!!”

“Runback!!”

Heads Up!

“Up here~!”

“Hey, look up!”

“Heads up!”

“Bonk!!”

Cleanup Crew, stat!

“Cleanup Crew, stat!”

“Better know how to wash paint off!”

“Haha!! Take this!”

“Take that!!”

Make it Rain!

“WOOP WOOP!”

“Make it Rain!!”

“Hahah!! They’ll be washing this out for days!”

“SPLAT!”

Paint Specials

Blitz!

“BLITZ!”

“HAHA! CALL THAT A FINISHING TOUCH!”

“PRETTY, JUST LIKE ALL MY WORKS!”

“TSST! TSST! HOW YA LIKE THAT??”

Better Hold On Tight!

“Hold on!”

“Hold on tight!”

“Better stay still!”

“Bumpy ride!”

Lookin Good

“My best one yet!”

“Mm.. Lookin Good!”

“Better frame this one! Heh..”

“You look better like this!”

Supers

Make it Pour!

“MAKE IT POUR!”

“THIS IS MY MASTERPIECE!”

“AHAH!! WAIT UNTIL THEY SEE THIS ONE!”

“PAINT! PAINT! AHAHA!!”

Seven Spray Death Blow (two parts)

“Gotcha!” -> “SEVEN. SPRAY. DEATHBLOW!”

“This is the end!” -> “SEVEN SPRAY DEATHBLOW!”

“Now you’ve done it!” -> “SEVEN SPRAY DEATH BLOW!”

“Oh, i know what you need!” -> “And done!”

--

Mauve’s Theme - “Colours of Life”

Funky little riff goes here

(Verse 1)

Paint dries without me, a sign of safety.

How do you know I’m not around?

It’s tranquility, a real sense of security 

I’m here to break it all DOWN!

Let’s go with yellow for hope and green for guilt

Each colours knits into its own special place and-

Blue for peace and pink for im-ma-tur-it-y

It’s the Colours of life you’ll see! 

(Prechorus)

(Possibly whispered or with that radio effect seen sometimes in here?)

WOAHHH!-

DOWN ON 5TH STREET!

Ba-dum Ba-dum

HURRY UP!

Ba-dum Ba-Dum-Bum-Dum

THAT DAMN ARTIST WON’T GET BACK ON HIS FEET!-

Don’t get cocky.

(Chorus)

(Clear now)

Let me know!

When you’ll let the colours flow.

Let me know!

(HEY! HEY! WOAH!)

I won’t go!

Not without showing off my life’s work!

I won’t go!

(HEY HEY! WOA- NO!)

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-

NOPE!

Little break here

(Verse 2)

Find yourself within your passion.

That’s good! (Let’s use Purple for-)

Find your love within the things you strive for.

Can’t forget to.. keep the show on the road. 

Can’t let it stop now! (Let’s use orange for-)

Can’t forget your goal from the inside of a hole.

That’s what my art is for!

Buried myself in shades of gray, where did it get me?

Covered in hues of red and tears of blue now-

Why can’t you see? The bad one isn’t me!!

You’re stuck in a system that pulls you on strings.

(Prechorus)

(Again go all like fuzzy here)

WOAH!-

Hey, i know you’re there!

Ba-dum Ba-dum

You can’t hide from me!

Ba-dum-bum-dum-bum-dum

Welcome to the show!

WOAHHH- NO!

Better not let myself get caught now!

The colours of life can’t be spread across the world once I’m gone!

(YEAH!)

You already know!

BUZZ OFF! BUZZ OFF! THIS IS NUNYA BUISNESS!

(Chorus)

(Clear now)

Let me know!

When you’ll let the colours flow.

Let me know!

(HEY! HEY! WOAH!)

I won’t go!

Not without showing off my life’s work!

I won’t go!

(HEY HEY! WOA- NO!)

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-

NOPE!

Insert long break here.

(Bridge)

Why must we keep running? (and running, and running, and running-)

Why must I hide? (Secret, secret, I’m a real secret!)

Questions that can’t be answered before one!

Who are you really now?

(Hey, hey, hey!)

WHO AM I NOW?

(Woah! Woah! Woah!)

WHO IS MAUVE NOW?

(Hey! Hey! Hey!)

WHO IS HE NOW?

(Woah! Woah! Woah! Woa- NO!)

(Chorus)

CAGES WON’T HOLD ME!

Better not get slop-py now!

NOR WILL CHAINS!

(YEAH, YEAH, TELL ‘EM ROUX!)

YOU WON’T WIN!

Not without a real struggle

I WON’T GO DOWN!

(Yeah! YEAH! YEAH!!)

Or, I dunno!

(WHO AM I NOW!)

QUESTIONS UNANSWERED!

And more keep popping up!

QUESTIONS UNKNOWN!

(WHO ARE YOU NOW?)

THE PAST CAN’T HURT ME!

Or that’s what I’m meant to say!

THE FUTURE IS THE GOAL!

Or something, I dunno!

(Outro, Spoken)

Ugh, god. Was i getting poetic back there?

Damn it.. that was so cheesy..

Lameee!!~

Little ending riff goes here

—

Past Looks

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feel free to ask any questions ^.^

[starburst2000]

Make way for more of the National Engines' carriages!!!!

🍲Khernovina is Turnov's Dining Car. She and Turnov have been working and racing together since the late '60, and eventually had two sons, Vladimir and Boris (like the famous authors Vadimir Propp and Boris Pasternak). Her red and white motives on her outfit are inspired by classical Slavic embroidery, while the name comes from a Siberian sauce made out of horseradish.

(@spiral-pilled and @goblinlovesmusicals this is for you!!!)

🏵Xochitl is Cesar's Yellow Caboose. Her name means "Flower" in Nahuatl, and she's in a poly relationship with Cesar and an Horse Car named Bronco. She got the painted flowers on her chest during a Guelaguertza celebration.

🍵Mateo is El Pibe's Bar Car. On him, the most popular drinks are coffee, chocolateada, dulce de leche liqueur, and, naturally, yerba mate (where he gets his name from!!), whose plant of origin is represented on his apron.

🎨Evaristo (pronouns 🇧🇷 elx/elu 🇬🇧 they) is Carioca's Passenger Carriage. They're in some ways similiar to Flat-Top, (graffiti, hair, body mods) but their personality is the polar opposite: Evaristo is cheerful, easygoing, and always ready to start their day with a smile on their face. They're enby, abrosexual, and gay, and made friends with many of the graffiti artists who painted them.