#Tangent

[hahahahawk]

This is relevant to my current experience watching an old tv show, though it’s more a question of likability than sympathy.

My partner is showing me Babylon 5, and we recently started season 2 where B5 got a new captain/commander.

I hated the new guy at first, found him really fucking bland, largely still do. It rubs me the wrong way that in the story, Sinclair disappears and most of the characters transfer their affection for the old captain to the new one. Girabaldi is one exception, and I was glad to have his friction with the new guy for at least a couple episodes before it also got wiped away.

The first scene I in any way liked the new captain is when he was talking about being overwhelmed with his new position and not liking it much—he’s a military man, not a diplomat or bureaucrat. That was interesting! I like the idea of a leader who resents his position!

I know the backstory about why Sinclair was replaced and how it fucked over a lot of plans the showrunner had, and I know B5 was written in a cultural climate very different from where we are in 2025, but damn I wish the writers handled it better.

I feel like a thing I wish was more generally acknowledged across fandoms is that "I don't find this character sympathetic" and "This character was not intended to be sympathetic" are obviously connected but are, ultimately, two completely different statements that may not overlap at all.

Ultimately what you think about any given character is a completely subjective issue that has no right or wrong answer. The narrative may be trying to evoke sympathy for them, and you may just feel that it flat-out was not successful in doing that. You may look the author straight in the eye and say "Nope, I see what you're trying to do, but f*ck this guy actually, he's The Worst and that's all there is to it". And no one can tell you that you're wrong for doing so.

But when it comes to picking up on what the story is trying to do, whether you ultimately think it did a good job or not, I would argue there's at least some measure of objective reality. And I feel like people sometimes end up conflating them, so you end up with these posts like "I can't believe people sympathize with this character when the story clearly just wants you to hate them!" and it's like... yeah, I think people sympathize with this character because the story is very clearly and intentionally painting them as sympathetic. I could point you at a dozen different scenes that are clearly meant to evoke sympathy for This Character. You don't have to have found any of it compelling, but at a certain point recognizing it's there is a simple matter of reading comprehension.

[avatar-masterofallfandoms]

I really like I was a teenage exocolonist... You'll never guess who my favorite characters are...

[spooky-something]

I'm so genuinely gutted that of the big three Gothic horror stories, Frankenstein; the biggest of them all, is the ONLY ONE who doesn't have this relatively huge Tumblr fanbase. Like, yeah. Don't get me wrong, it exists... but compared to DRACULA??? Or even J&H???? Not even CLOSEEE. And it's because they both got some cool thing Tumblr enjoys, like Dracula Weekly/Re; Dracula, or The Glass Scientists. BUT I GET NOTHING OVER HERE. WHEN WILL IT BE MY TURN.

[senior-mourn-watcher]

I had another thought.

I was thinking about Corpse Whispering while writing a fic that may or may not see the light of day—trying to discern and analyze what makes it happen to make it believable (as one does...)

I think the term "corpse whisperer" isn't altogether accurate to how it works and what it does, but only how it's used among Mortalitasi. Emmrich is able to understand and hear spirits more than another necromancer can, impressions/echoes of death, emotions/feelings inside the corpse, as well as communicate to spirits in ways a normal Mortalitasi doesn't seem to be able to.

Any death mage could raise the dead, and spirits would understand them easily, what was desired. I'd imagine any necromancer could put a stronger spirit into any corpse and have the corpse talk—But the spirit would be conveying themselves not the deceased. I think what sets a corpse whisperer apart here is that only they can see and summon minor spirits, ones that can mine a corpse for the memories, and only they can communicate in an empathic way to the lessor spirit.

And we see that with Manfred, too. While we (even as a necromancer) can only hear hisses and such, Emmrich understands Manfred on a level we cannot. I don't think Manfred uses words like "maudlin" or states "the order's knowledge will see us through," but I think he communicated through impulses which Emmrich translates for us.

So... It occurred to me that corpse whispering is an empathic ability at its roots, but it may not stop at undead and spirits.

It's the reason Emmrich sees the good in some people, it's the reason he hurts seeing Johanna, it's the reason he feels almost physical pain when he witnesses the terror of dying from so many deceased at the manor and inside the gloaming lantern... Why he understands people at their core and gives them a chance even when they seemingly have no redeeming qualities to show (*coughs, Johanna, coughs coughs*). Why he falls in love so deeply and quickly with genuine Rook despite their clumsy and awkward flirts.

—On that note, by the way, I figure Emmrich being an empath knows the difference between Rook's genuine flirts and the likely similarly worded flirts he's gotten before from people trying to use him as a leg-up in a social system.

[junjomonstah]

Made a set of I was a Teenage Exocolonist Deco Cards!! It was a fun project to work on! ;D ✨️

The original cards as well as sticker packs are available in my st0re!! Iink in my Bi0!!

[helioscopepdx]

The Schweizer Guide to Spotting Tangents

A fantastic resource from friend-of-the-studio @schweizercomics, who wrote this guide back in 2011. Read on for a goldmine of information (and visual examples) about avoiding tangents in your work!

Comic art is, as a general rule, a line-based medium. I know, I know, there are plenty of artists whose work is painted, or who depict their subject in ink using solely light and shadow. But these folks are unquestioningly in the minority, as the history of printing technology originally dictated the use of line to depict form in the early days of comics. This became a stylistic expectation, and it’s an expectation that I enthusiastically embrace, as have many others. But using line to draw the world invites chances for that cardinal sin of composition: the tangent. 

A tangent is when two or more lines interact in a way that insinuates a relationship between them that the artist did not intend. It can create confusion on the part of the audience as to what it is that they’re looking at. It can cause the spatial depth that one attempts to cultivate through the use of planes to become flattened. Most of all, it creates a decidedly unwelcome aesthetic response: tangents are just plain ugly. There are a lot of different types of tangents, as least according to the way I define them. In order to make it easier on my students when giving critiques, I’ve categorized them and named them. This may have been done before, but I’ve not encountered it. My hope is that, by making this “spot-the-enemy” guide, fewer artists will fall into the tangent trap by knowing what to look for.   

1. The Long Line

The long line is when a line from one object runs directly into the line of another. This is the tangent that everybody knows. The one that’s easiest to spot, easiest to avoid.  For a lot of folks, this is the only thing meant when one refers to a “tangent.” Even in the work of the very best comic artists, a vigilant eye can find the occasional tangent.  Even when a cartoonist is constantly on the lookout, a tangent can slip through.  But, as each of strive to better ourselves and the quality of our work and our medium, 

2. The Parallel

The parallel tangent is when the containing lines of two objects run alongside each other.  This causes one of two negative outcomes.  Either one object becomes “lost,” as the other overpowers it (figure 1), or one object feels strangely contained by another (figure 2). This can be avoided by ensuring that any object that COULD run alongside another is angled at least 45 degrees from the first. The next two are REALLY tough to spot, and most artists have fallen victim to them before.   

3. The Corner

The corner tangent is when two lines in an object meet in a way intended by the artist, but another (accidental) line runs directly into the place where they meet.   

4. The Bump-Up

A bump-up tangent is when the containing line of one object “bumps up” against the containing line of another object.   When these two lines touch, it creates a bump-up tangent (and even when they don’t technically touch, if it’s close enough to raise eyebrows, they might as well).  The bump-up gives the impression of containment.  In figure 1, it seems as though her ponytail is physically unable to enter the space occupied by the pole.  In figure 2, it feels as though her elbow is unable to LEAVE that space.

Also, be careful not to let elements of the drawing bump up against your panel borders!  Either give them room to breathe or decisively crop them.   

5. The Directional

A directional tangent is basically just a long-line tangent that’s been broken by empty space.  Now, this one isn’t always bad – it can, on occasion, be used to draw the reader’s eye through the image on a specifically determined path.

6. The Panel-to-Panel

This one is exactly the same thing as the directional (in fact, I shouldn’t even classify it as its own thing), save that instead of empty space dividing a long-line it’s a panel gutter. My gutters are crazy wide, but with normal-sized gutters this can be a real problem.   One more thing… This ain’t a tangent, but it is a compositional no-no. 

Fake Panels

Comics generally have panel borders, so readers are used to having images contained by straight lines.  Some artists don’t allow gutters between their borders.  Though I believe that, as a rule, this can make it harder for new comics readers to follow the story (and new readers are always important), it’s done with enough regularity that we must expect the audience to feel comfortable with gutterless pages.  What does this mean?  It means that we can’t draw a straight line in any panel, either vertical or horizontal, without having some object overlap it.  If we do, readers may think that it is a panel border, incorrectly breaking one moment into two.

See how the overlap of the elbow causes there to be no question?

That's it for Lesson #1!

[authorofthemoon]

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist: Genetic Augments being a metaphor for generational trauma

So a big theme in Exo is avoiding repeating humanity's mistakes in Earth. And I always found the idea of the kids being born with genetic enhancements interesting. But it wasn't until I learned about a certain someone's augment that I really thought about how messed up it is. And then it makes me question why they were given then in the first place. I've come to the conclusion that each augment is what each parent thinks their child needed to survive and thrive based on their experience in earth as they are the only ones to remember how awful it was. It also makes clear what expectations they have for their child. So I'm just going to go through everyone and explain further.

Vace and Rex: I think they fall under the category of 'social survival.' Vace is the one who made me realize the connection because why the hell would you want to enhance your child's genitals? Vace is a clear representation of the patriarchy instill by his pos father. A 'man who takes what he wants, builds a family, a tough guy' etc. I actually really like Vace though I get why people don't. But it can't be denied his father messed him up and constantly talked down to him. He developed an inferiority complex and his augment fed into that, making him feel the need to prove he's a man. He's proof the patriarchy causes men to suffer under it as well as he suppresses his emotions except anger and takes it out on other, finishing friendships not based on fear. He's probably the most 'earth' out of everyone. And all the intimidation he uses kind of assured that he leads and excels in a social setting. Rex is the opposite of this but serves a similar purpose. He's a dog, sweet and lovable. He's friendly and helpful and people are drawn to him. I think it's also important to recognize that Rex is a black or at least dark skinned male. With this in mind, I think this is why his family found it important to give him the dog augment. Under the light of racism and white supremacy, black men are seen as aggressive and dangerous. So, it makes sense that a black family that came from that earth would want to ensure their child would be seen as a non threat and thrive socially even if it drastically affected his personality and shortened his life span. Though it's unknown if they knew that. I think what makes Rex and Vace good foils is how they navigate social interactions. Vace through fear and Rex through charm.

Nem, and Tammy: Both fall under the category of survival. Tammy has sensitive hearing which allows her to pick up on a lot of things. More than likely this was for hearing predators, animals, etc. Or even things like a baby crying. Even though it's useful, we see it can also be a detriment as she gets anxious hearing what's outside the walls and loud noises hurt her ears. Nem has her scaly skin which seems to help her defensive capabilities and such though we don't really see it in action. It makes sense her mother who sees very coddling would want her to be tough so she doesn't really get hurt though it seemed to backfire in a way since she joined the defense force. They both seem to be augmented to survive and help others survive as well which makes sense since earth seemed to be at war when they left.

Cal and Tangent: I think they have a looser connection of 'thriving in career.' Cal doesn't need to sweat (which I still question if that is biologically healthy) which allows him to work in the fields and avoid heatstroke and can brave the cold as well. It makes sense his family would want this augment and it fits in to his farm life. But it does make you question if his augment affected him at all in that way. Tang needs much less sleep than other people. We know that her and Dys have a rough relationship with their parents, their mother taking her own life and they dealt with that in different ways. Her mother more than likely wanted her to not need as much sleep to just survive and maybe help her mentally. However, it's an obvious detriment as it causes her to overwork which damages her mental health more. It's tough to know what their mother was really thinking especially after she named one of her kids Dysthymia. I do believe the augments were a way of her trying to protect her kids in some way.

Dys and Marz: A couple of my fave characters and I think fall under 'mental health survival.' For Marz, I once again think it's important to recognize that she's a black woman which I think directly affects her lack of shame. A lot of black women right are shamed for anything they do. Their body, their attitude, their hair. All things Marz unapologetically displays. Her dads, also being gay men it seems, would probably want her to live her life without being oppressed by other people's opinions. She can be grating at times, but it's just because she unable to feel bad for her existence. This allows her to thrive and stare her opinion without feeling bad later. Obviously even if it sounds nice, there's some obvious downsides such as her bullying others when she was younger and doesn't really feel shame over hurting others. Dys doesn't feel fear and that causes him to do things without restraint. However, he has a soft heart so he can still feel bad and have hurt feelings. Similar to Tang, his mother probably tried to protect him, thinking getting rid of fear might help him mentally, but he can still be anxious. It really makes you question whether a lack of fear actually helps anything. Life on earth was probably dominated by fear. There's no confirmation on what exactly happened on earth before they left, but it obviously wasn't good considering Flula's attitude.

Edit: My dumbass forgot about Nomi. Even though Nomi's augment status is unconfirmed, their parents attitude towards it is telling. Based on dialogue, they feel like very hippie hands off parents who want their child to have the freedom to be themselves, but the problem is that they equally don't offer guidance so Nomi has a hard time knowing what they want and feel a bit stranded. Again it's probably a reaction to earth ebung very strict in some children and many people are forced to be something they didn't want. Including things like gender and career. So they try to give Nomi freedom but not the support they need.

All the kids in Exo and their augments are products of their parents trying to escape the late stage capitalism white supremacy authoritarian hellscape earth had becomes and have their kids protected against those dangers on the new planet. These have been the thoughts infesting my mind as of late. Might make a similar post about how the kids are each in danger of repeating the earths mistakes. If you wanna weigh in with anything you're more than welcome. Thanks for reading!

[manaquartz]

Happy Pride Month

[sapocururunabeira]

I'd like to see more people talking about how so much of deity work is trust, at least in the beginning. And not the "your deities have your best interent in mind" kinda trust. But trusting our deities are really there, that They are listening to us, that the answers given by the divination method we choose to use to communicate are really Them.

Most of the people on witchblr that talk about interacting with their deities do so in a manner that makes it seem so effortless. Like they were talking to another human in front of them. And I'm not invalidating them, I really think it's awesome they could form this connection, but it takes so much time and effort to achieve this level.

My energy sensing abilities are non-existent, I have intrusive thoughts and I'm just now sucking a little less at divination. It took so long for me to get the hang of my deity's communication style to feel a bit more confident that I'm really receiving Their messages. But most of the time, it still feels like radio silence, and all I can do is pray and trust.

[ravenkwok]

[notomys-mordax-blog]

The dynamic between Tang and Dys was one of my favorite parts of the game. I've been trying to pry myself from Baldur's Gate and get back to some of my other hobbies. My focus here was speed -- this took about 3 hours from start-to-finish

[smath-or-pass]

[zuszab]

I hope this drawing will help someone remember and understand how to count this :]

[selfportrait27]

HD version of a classic Ween photo (probably AI upscaled). 1992-ish.

[she-is-ovarit]

It's all connected. Corporations began marketing gay pride themed merchandise. An increase in "I-identify-as" populations began to flood gay bars and events, where outward appearance (marketed as "gender expression") became heavily emphasized.

Commercial visibility and marketability does not equal human rights progress.

Ability to consume does not equal citizenship to an oppressed group.

Biology, (referring to sexual orientation and sex) is not a brand you can buy into or boycott out of.

Corporations selling rainbows do not reflect our values.

The churning out of new "all inclusive" pride flags to pledge allegiance to is not indicative of liberation.

A historical homosexual slur being sold by the multi-billion dollar media obfuscates predominantly lesbian relationships ("queer women", "queer relationship") and retraumatizes many gay and lesbian people.

Gay pride only extending to people able to purchase detracts from the meaning of gay pride and distracts from the struggles of the most vulnerable. It positions the most privileged within marginalized and oppressed groups as those who represent the whole.

And associating body modification, aestheticism, and "expression" with self identity turns the lived experiences and material realities of entire subgroups of people into niche market categories that people who aren't even a part of these groups can identify into and out of based on social trends.

Biology becomes devalued, overshadowed by the social and manufactured "genders". Infinite genders means infinite target audiences. Lived, material realities of certain groups of people become materialism.

Human rights movements are becoming human rights industries, with the wealthy more directly capitalizing off of the exploitation of the poor, of the homosexual, of the female, of the immigrant, of the dark skinned, of the mentally ill, of the disabled, of the sick, of the marginalized and oppressed.

Don't buy into it.