#The Story of G.I. Joe | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

baddiewiththebook · 5 months ago

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Over the Years | e.m x reader [18+] | p. 1

-> The origin story of Eddie Munson, and how he fell in love with the worst person he possibly could - his best friend.

-> eddie munson x you (she/her)

-> friends to lovers, slow burn, angst

-> warnings - strong language, suggestive themes, smut [18+]

a/n - another short chapter, but please bare with me here.

-> <-

June 1972

Eddie Munson has taken your doll. Your precious princess with the silver tiara glued to the top of her head (because you lost the tiara once and you wailed for hours until your mom found it, and she decided to glue it to her head to keep this from happening again).

Never go past the porch. Your mom has repeated time and time again. So, you sit with your feet kicked out in your gingham dress that your mom insists you wear.

Across the trailer park, Eddie is counting down the minute until “blast-off.” Tying your doll to a toy rocket he got with his allowance from his uncle, he knows that this thing won’t go to Mars. Perhaps, a nice landing in the tree hanging above his house would be nice.

It would - until Uncle Wayne soils his plans.

“Eddie!” Uncle Wayne scolds with a newspaper rolled into a swatting weapon. Smacking Eddie upside the head, he warns, “you be nice to her and give her back that doll!”

Eddie huffs, “I wasn’t going to hurt it.”

“Why don’t we give her one of your toys to play with?” Wayne smirks knowing he’s about to win this tireless battle. “G.I. Joe would look pretty in a dress and a little makeover.”

“Ugh,” Eddie tears the strings that hold the princess doll hostage, “I’ll give the toy back. Jeez!”

“And apologize,” he sighs.

Eddie kicks the dirt below his feet and storms across to the trailer there. You’re a pain in his side. Blubbering about a doll? Really?

Wayne constantly reminds him that you’re younger. Actually, you’re about two years younger than Eddie. You can’t chase him around like he wishes. There’s not many kids his age in the trailer park, and the ones that are his age fear the Munson name.

You’re not sure you want to be friends with the boy who keeps taking your dolls to throw around. There isn’t much choice now that your mom has to work, and she’s handing you over to Wayne in the mornings. She offers him a list of emergency contacts, and warns him not to feed you too much sugar.

It’s then you’re left to play with the thief, who steals your dolls. And, for a while, Eddie ignores you. He digs in the dirt with a plastic shovel until he finds a slimy worm. Thinking this would be the perfect time to show you he’s in charge around here, Eddie grows a sly grin. He hovers over you, while you take a keen interest in the toy dump truck left in the sun. Dropping the worm onto your hair, you squeal and shake off the invading insect.

Despite his short victory, you’re now toying with the worm. Rolling the creature between your fingers, you find a nice spot of wet dirt for your friend to crawl around in. Muddy hands grasp at the legs of Eddie’s pants.

Wayne rolls in laughter from the porch. There hasn’t been a moment that Eddie has gone so mute. A shrunken look of dispare drops against his nephew’s face. Jutting out his lower lip, Eddie goes back into his corner to play in the dirt. It just so happens that Eddie’s crafted his own little mud pile, so he can fling a clump or two in your direction.

It isn’t until Wayne is done wiping the tears away from his eyes that he realizes what Eddie has done. Standing on his two feet, ready to scold his nephew, you’re actually too quick for him. You toss mud back.

Thus, a mud fight begins.

Mud in between your fingers and mud between your toes and maybe some mud even squeezes behind your ears.

Wayne waves his hands desperately trying to get the children to stop throwing mud at each other, but alas it is far too late. By the time he gets either of you wrangled, you’re dripping in muck and so is Eddie.

There’s no way he’s trusting either of you inside of his house in such a state. Wayne gathers a garden hose from his neighbor, who will just have to deal with it.

The older man makes sure the water won't freeze your skin, or cook you dry before holding the nozzle at your feet.

“Spin,” Wayne directs.

You wave your chubby little arms back and forth, before wobbling in a semi circle. Warm water douses your entire body. Still, mud manages to cling to the parts of you that Wayne doesn’t see. You’ll have a bath later in his house, and Wayne will offer you some of Eddie’s clothes that he’s outgrown.

During Eddie’s hose down, the young boy shakes and rattles like a wet dog. He flings a disastrous amount of dirt across the trailer park, and onto you and Wayne. Before he can wrap a towel around Eddie, the boy is weaving past him into the house so he can get to the shower first.

“Boys,” Wayne rolls his eyes.

You giggle at this.

“Oh, but you’re as pretty as a peach,” he tells you, “don’t worry. My nephew will come around.”

Wayne brings you inside, and has to help you bathe yourself off. At first, he lets you splash around in the water by yourself feeling a bit uncomfortable washing a young girl. When you discover the joy of throwing water outside of the shower, Wayne steps in to help you. He’s also there to wrap you in a towel, and he helps dress you.

Eddie has already claimed a comfortable spot on the couch. There’s a screeching car chase happening on the blaring television in front of you. This couldn’t possibly be what your mother would approve of you watching.

Wayne’s belly tightens.

“Ed-,” but he stops himself.

Bobbling around the carpeted living room, you squeeze around the shoes left in the middle of the floor. You’re reaching the edge of the sofa where Eddie is. Eddie breaks from the television to scoot forward to the edge of the couch. He puts his thumbs under your armpits and holds onto your chest tight as he lifts you onto the couch with him.

Eddie doesn’t really think you’ll scoot in so close to him. There’s plenty of room that even his uncle could fit between you two. But, you chase after him as he gets comfortable sunken into the cushions.

There’s a moment when the older boy freezes unsure how to handle another person in his space. His eyes go wide and stare a hole through your head. It’s curious your mom chose to put your hair in pigtails - anyone could tug at them. As tempting as that might be, Eddie resists the urge when the car on television crashes on the side of the road. You slap your hands together and laugh.

Wayne mutely coos at the two kids on the couch. Perhaps his nephew will have a real friend out of you one day. That would warm his heart.

“Uncle Wayne?” Eddie kicks his feet out.

“Yeah?” Wayne replies.

“Can we have popcorn?”

“Sure, kid."

-> <-

[Sep. 1974]

tags -> @leelei1980 @sheneedsrocknroll92

#eddie munson x female!reader #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things imagine #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson preference #eddie munson fic #stranger things fic

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homosexualmorelikehomiesexual · 2 years ago

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since everyones talking about the Barbie movie and the gag that ken is "just ken", (which is hilarious btw and the only correct way to depict barbie and ken) i wanted to say that smth ive wanted more than anything for a long time now is male fashion dolls. no, not monster high. no not the like...2 boy designs of rainbow high. i mean real ones. i want boy fashion dolls, with hundreds of accessories and well made clothes in every style you can think of, hundreds of body molds and face molds and unique hair styles and colors and facial hair. i want them to have names and friends and stories and hobbies and favorite colors. i want it both for myself, as a transmasc doll collector, and for every amab kid i see in walmart whose mom browbeats them for wanting barbies. and for every amab person on the planet, tbh, because i am sick and fucking tired of treating maleness/masculinity/boyhood/what the fuck ever as something separate from beauty, separate from art and separate from fashion. fuck the G.I. Joes, give me boy dolls.

#finnposting #not mad just incredibly passionate about this #the closest ive seen to what i want is the BTS dols but those still dont even come close #theres no joy in them and no fun #theyre meant to be true to life so theyre not meant to be played with #barbie #barbie 2023 #ken #barbie and ken #dolls #fashion dolls

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quetzalpapalotl · 5 months ago

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For my like 10 followers that aren't into Transformers, here is a list of things that are totally canon for the IDW Transformers comics (2005-2018):

Two guys had a meetcute in the morgue of an euthanasia clinic because one guy wanted to kill himself and the other was looking for his dissappeared husband among the corpses. They get married. They seemingly don't talk about what they're going to do once they find the second guy's husband that they're still looking for. The suicidal guy has had other 3 husbands but he erased his memory of that because he's bad at dealing with grief.

The suicidal guy's ex (not one of his dead husbands) is the Autobot second-in-command and had a pet mad scientists that made him war crime machines. They ended up invented the concept of having a child, but then the Autobot SIC had the scientist thrown into the torment nexus because he felt bad about doing war crimes and wahted to stop. He didn't actually stop doing war crimes.

Optimus Prime annexes Earth.

A guy invents time travel to save his unrequited crush's life

God is a real person but he's not actually a deity and is currently a therapist whose license was revoked for getting unprofessionally close to his patients. Everyone who knew his license was revoked died so he just kept on practicing.

Optimus Prime pretends to be havig divinely-inspired visions to get out of situations.

Tumblr exists in-universe.

There's a guy named Centurion who was made to think he's Bumblebee because when his ship crashed a scientist brainwashed them into thinking they were classic Transformers characters to see what happens. Thousands of years later he gets involved in human wars and remembers he's not Bumblebee. He develops a self hatred so great he lets a G.I. Joe villian use him for his schemes. Centurion then has his consciousness fused with a human named Mike Power and lives perpetually with the biggest identity crisis of history.

Another guy also had his memories messed with and has lived multiple human lives (he may be Gilgamesh) when he's actually a Transformer secret agent. He's overcoming his own identity crisis through the power of sheer vanity. He also owns the in-universe equivalent of Facebook and Apple.

On at least 3 occasions Transformers used another Transformer's corpse as a vehicle. And on 1 occasion they used a corpse as a replacement limb (the guys alternate mode was a leg)

The Transformers on planet Cybertron at some point forgot that gender is a thing. There are lost colonies from before this so gender is still a thing in those.

One of those cybertronian colonies sends a delegate after millennia of absence and her bodyguard hates the place so much she causes a terrorist attack just as an excuse to go home, people die. The delegate was like "that was bad but we can move past this" and forgives her.

The Decepticons rewired their own soldiers into bombs and dropped them on people.

The Decepticons also rewired Autobots into anti-personnel live mines that would explode when they good too stressed and needed to be handled by people that could defuse them while keeping them calm.

Transformers are allergic to magic.

A guy has a fanzine dedicated to the Autobot Black-ops where he writes fanfiction. It's so popular multiple people are on a mailing list to have it downloaded directly to their brains when a new issue comes out.

A Decepticon's plan to deal with population decline is to make a bunch of organic babies, have them grow up and make more babies and then transplant their souls to Transformers bodies. He got as far as growing one (1) baby. Tbh, you could erase this whole plot and the story wouldn't suffer much.

Starscream who is a backstabbing liar who cares only for himself becomes president. He routinely neglects and endangers the population for his own ends. He was the best leader Cybertron ever had at the time.

#quetzal rambles tf

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beyondfabric · 4 months ago

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Brands to Know: Atelier Estorninho

Portugal is renowned for its fashion industry worldwide, with some the leadi ng fashion labels producing in its collections here due to the vast know-how and expert craftsmanship. It’s a fact that the quality/price ratio is virtually unmatched, what might lead us to think that we’d have a burgeoning market for new designers and independent fashion brands to pave their way into the mainstream market. However, that is not the case here, as let’s admit it, we lack the branding capacity to make it happen and government support is solely focused on massive scale internationalization.

Nonetheless, every now and then a new name pops that caughts the attention on both local and international markets with the prime players being Portuguese Flannel, La Paz and more recently, Ernest W Baker. As you may know by now if you’ve following me for a while, I’m a sucker for promoting local quality products and projects and on this note, today I bring you and up and coming label that has been gaining momentum in the local scene: Atelier Estorninho.

Inspired by a retro-vintage meets military aesthetic, Estorninho has been consistently putting out interesting designs that are thoroughly tested before hitting the shelves, a philosophy I can relate with including in my own project. I reached out to Hugo, the brands founder, to learn a bit more about his vision of contemporary menswear

1 - Hi Hugo. Can you tell us a bit more about what lead you to create this eponymous label?

The creation of Atelier Estorninho was driven by a desire to blend my personal interests in classic timeless garments, vintage aesthetics and military-inspired fashion with modern textile technology. I wanted to bring a unique perspective to the industry, offering pieces that are not only stylish but also functional and timeless.

2 - Do you come from a fashion background or is it born out of pure passion?

While I don't have a traditional fashion background, I do have a strong foundation in design. Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of pursuing a creative career. I was obsessed with video games like Medal of Honor, action figures like G.I. Joes and war movies, and I often funnily geared up in camouflage in kindergarten. My passion for creativity and design, combined with my fascination with military aesthetics, naturally led me to start my own label. Although I've never had any formal classes related to fashion, my journey into this field is fueled by pure passion and a lifelong love for innovative and expressive design. I've always been fascinated by how fashion can tell a story and express individuality, which motivated me to start my own label.

3 - You have a keen eye to create stand out pieces with heavy military influence but that simultaneously merge preppy elements. What inspired you to go this way?

The inspiration comes from a love of classic military uniforms and their functionality combined with the refined, versatile and polished look of preppy style. I wanted to create a fusion that captures the best of both worlds – ruggedness and elegance.

Specific army uniforms that have influenced my designs include the US Army's OG 107 uniforms issued during the Vietnam War, named after their color (Olive Green, shade 7). These uniforms inspired the cut of my cargo trousers and the rear patch pockets with flap closures. Another significant influence is the Gurkha shorts used by the British military, named after the fierce Nepalese soldiers. The wide fit of these shorts inspired the silhouette for my Ivy Chino Shorts.

Additionally, my Ivy Chino Trousers are inspired by the French Military M-52 trousers, known for their back flap pockets and shallow pleats. These trousers were adopted by the French army in 1952, during a time when iconic designers like Christian Dior, Balenciaga, and Chanel were active, marking the golden age of French fashion. This era also saw significant events such as the China War and the Algerian War, where military force played a crucial role. The M-52s were created in this historical context and were mass-produced as French uniforms for about a decade.

On the preppy side, the reason I named many of my clothing items "Ivy" is because I am very interested in the clothing worn on college campuses during the late 1950s in the Northeastern United States, particularly those of the Ivy League. These institutions were the predecessors of preppy style, and I wanted to embody the lifestyle of someone who lived in an Ivy League school environment. This includes a shared dorm room and a small wardrobe that demands a carefully curated selection of items elegant enough for classes, lectures, and school events, but also comfortable, stylish, and versatile enough for adolescent life—whether wrestling around at the park with friends or grabbing a beer at the bar. These clothes are meant to be reliable companions in every situation. My Ivy League Cardigan is inspired by the cardigans worn during that era too, but combining it's charm with a cozy feeling of a hoodie by utilising jersey fabric instead and kangaroo pockets, just like your favourite hoodie.

By merging these historical military elements, preppy charm and modern fabrics, I hope to create distinctive and versatile pieces that stand out.

4 - What would you say are the trademark features of an Atelier Estorninho item?

Simple: Timeless charm, deliberate craftsmanship, premium materials.

5 - You approach each design carefully, releasing limited styles and runs at a time. Is this a necessity due to the scale of the brand or a business model in itself?

It's both a strategic choice and a practical necessity. Being the sole designer, I take a hands-on approach to every aspect of the creation process—I love every bit of it, but it's a ton of work! Although I have a small team, this setup enables me to produce meticulously crafted items that stand out and ensures each piece meets exacting standards for quality and timeless design. Limiting our runs isn't just about enhancing exclusivity; it's about managing production sustainably and staying true to my commitment to quality over quantity.

6 - What’s your favourite item in the collection and why?

My favorite item would have to be our signature military-inspired Ivy Chino Shorts. They perfectly encapsulate the brand’s ethos, combining quality, practicality, and versatility with style. The attention to detail and the story behind their design make them a standout piece in the collection. Features like the double pleats, side waist adjusters, and flexible cotton fabric ensure comfort and ease of movement. The deep front slanted pockets and two back pockets with flaps provide convenient storage where your items won’t fall out. These shorts can be dressed up or down thanks to their classic and elegant cut. The use of Spanish luxury cotton fabric, Italian corozo buttons, and patterned pocket liners add a fine, luxurious touch to the detail.

7 - We seem to share a common passion for unique trouser styles. In your opinion, what makes trousers so special?

Trousers are a cornerstone of any outfit, second only to shoes in their visual impact. They have the power to transform the overall look and feel of an ensemble. For me, investing in high-quality trousers is crucial; I'd prefer to pair a $100 pair of trousers with a $10 t-shirt rather than the reverse.

I have very specific rules for trousers: the leg opening shouldn't be tight on the ankle, but rather sit at least half the length of your feet. This ensures a comfortable fit and a balanced silhouette. I also prefer high-waisted trousers with a long fly on a man, as this enhances a man's physique and silhouette, providing a classic and flattering look. Additionally, a straight cut for a standard fit is my go-to, as it offers timeless elegance and versatility.

Personally, I prefer pleats for suit trousers and chinos, as they add a touch of elegance and functionality, providing extra room and comfort. For jeans, selvedge denim is my fabric of choice due to its durability and classic appeal. The meticulous craftsmanship involved in creating selvedge, indigo dyed denim results in a superior product that ages beautifully over time.

One of the reasons I focus so much on trousers is that they need to be both stylish and functional. People often tell me how much they appreciate the practical elements, such as deep pockets and durable fabrics, alongside the aesthetic appeal. For example, my cargo trousers, feature rear patch pockets with flap closures that are both stylish and highly functional. Additionally, the preppy influence in my designs, particularly seen in my Ivy Chino Trousers, offers a versatile option that fits seamlessly into various settings, from casual to more formal occasions, you'll always look appropriate and stylish.

Trousers not only provide structure and style but also offer versatility and comfort. They carry a lot of personality in a look, more than any graphic t-shirt ever can in my opinion. Their design, fabric, and fit can dramatically enhance personal style and make a strong fashion statement. The right pair of trousers can elevate any ensemble.

8 - You recently launched a capsule collection at The Feeting Room. What are the future plans in terms of collections and brand evolution?

I plan to continue exploring new design ideas and collaborations, maybe diving deeper into functionality, timelessness, and style. I aim to create clothing that is practical and comfortable for traveling or everyday errands, yet elegant. This includes incorporating classic visual influences, durable construction, functional pockets, and using natural and luxury fabrics.

For the long term, I hope to continue capturing an essence of timeless masculine charm, balancing ruggedness and elegance. Maybe including a women's collection too, with a different approach that merges seamlessly with the brand. I hope to expand internationally and eventually open a flagship store. I hope to create memorable pieces in my customers' wardrobes, prioritizing owning less but owning better.

9 - Where can we get your items?

Our collections are available at select boutiques, including The Feeting Room, and through our online store. We also participate in pop-up events and fashion fairs, which are great opportunities for customers to experience our brand in person.

#menswear #men's fashion #men's style #style #fashion #inspiration #beyond fabric #atelier estorninho #brands to know #collection #details #lookbook

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nazrigar · 11 days ago

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Transformers All-Sparks: Joes and Foes

The final major batch of human characters for my AU.

With the fall of Cobra thanks to Operation Ouroboros (AKA Operation "Make Cobra Eat Itself"), many of the G.I. Joes have either retired or transferred back to their original military branches.

Still, even as the main threat has essentially eaten itself, there's still many who wishes to change the world through the darkest and underhanded means possible. Some are true believers in that the world is a sickly place that needs to be upended. Others are just looking for a quick buck

Gen. Joe Colton: The ORIGINAL G.I.Joe, the man who inspired the creation of the Highly Trained, Special Mission Force. Leader of the original Adventure Team, whenever there was a mission too bizarre or too risky, Joe Colton was there to fight. Most who join, grow up on tales of Colton's heroism and courage. Most Joes, at least early on, felt that the stories are true… but as the foes become wilder and more bizarre, so did Colton's ruthlessness.

Simmons and Fowler both fear he Colton has too much power within the US Government, being considered nigh untouchable. "America's Shadow Emperor" as Simmons would call him.

Col. Abernathy, codename "Hawk": The last of the original G.I Joes still on the field, and a man dedicated to destroying anything in the world that causes disorder and chaos to the lives of man. If a bit too well. It was assumed that, now that Cobra ate itself and effectively no more, Colonel Hawk would finally rest.

He didn't. The concept of retirement is alien to him. He won't rest until every last trace of Cobra and affiliates are stamped out. He's still searching for Destro, wherever he is. He is especially bitter about the fact that everyone, from Duke to Scarlett, decided to retire or move on from the Joes.

Conrad and Ana, AKA Duke and the (Former) Baroness: The pair no one saw coming, but the two most responsible for the downfall of Cobra. Duke is an all-American hero, while Baroness was one of the best Cobra had to offer. However, an incident involving botched intel regarding a general by the name of Miles Mayhem meant that both got captured.

Their experience incarcerated by the bloodthirsty monster had a lasting impact on Duke, for in his mind, with what all that Mayhem was able to get away with, that the system he served was a broken one... and all to willing to throw whim on the bus. Ana remains cagey about her experiences, but the fact is, that her history with Duke on a personal level may extend FAR beyond their years serving either faction... and that Cobra, for all its resources and might, ultimately would never truly what she wants, for Cobra wanted to replace the corrupt "system" of the world with its own.

Being the best of the best, they of course escaped together, and Conrad and Ana went straight to Colonel Hawk. They revealed everything from Mayhem's underhanded ambitions with technology, to all the potential factions within Cobra, Hawk relayed all this to General Joe Colton, and so began Project Ouroboros, the operation to literally make the 'Cobra' devour itself. And it worked like a charm, with the death of Cobra Commander to boot!

In reward, Colton gave Ana her wish: Complete and utter freedom to live her life as she wished, free from any system of control or from prying eyes. Conrad and Ana now live quietly with one another... and surely nothing will EVER ruin it for them!

Lance J. Steinberg, AKA 'Clutch': master of vehicular engineering, and the best (and craziest) driver the Joes ever had. He's now retired, and owns a rather successful auto-repair business. A rather swell guy who, miracle of miracles, managed to live a fulfilling life of a civilian. Serves as Duke's closest pal in retirement. Still unused to the fact his best friend shacked it up with the Baroness of all people, but hey, everything worked out in the end!

The Bad Guys

Destro: With the death of Cobra Commander, and the splintering of the whole organization, it is Destro who holds the title of Cobra's leader... or what's left of the core. He still works behind the scenes as an arms dealer, but now has to further lay low as to not get on the radar of Hawk and Colton. Has a sincere belief, with enough time, he can turn his criminal empire into a real one like Rome.

Has a petulant, almost all-consuming grudge against Duke and Ana.

Silas: Leader of MECH, once simply a cell of Cobra, now a formidable organization of its own. Cold, cunning and ambitious, he sees the world as a failing thing with failing nations, and aims to wrest power from the world with what he perceived has worked for millenia: The most advanced technology and a LOT of manpower. Works with Destro due to his connections, arms and money.

"Joe Colton strives to preserve a failing world and it failing nations. Not realizing that if one sees the opportunity, one has to grasp it with their own two hands"

Dr. Meridian: Protector of Mankind! Haunted by an accident by a creature he swore is real, he dedicates his life (and work) to making sure that mankind can protect itself from such potential threats. He believes that adopting technology to improve the self vs. Dr. Sumdac's innovations with robotics technology to help mankind. Works most closely with Silas, and with Destro out of convenience.

Joshua Joyce:

Destro, Silas and Meridian all have hidden elements. Destro runs the underground, Silas tries to be incognito as much as possible, and while Dr Meridian has a reputation, he's not exactly well known by the public.

Joshua Joyce on the other hand? Everyone knows him. He made your favorite app, your favorite phone, and so many, MANY things. He's the cool inventor type! Or at least that's the image he deludes himself on, as most of his "innovations" were actually done by others. He just patented the stuff.

On the other hand, there's been a lotta rumors of neat new high tech gear in the underground, he just knows people to come in contact with. He missed out on Sumdac's robo revolution, and his ego demands that he be a real revolutionary in tech!.

#maccadams #maccadam #transformers earthspark #tf earthspark #tfe #mandroid #skybound #destro #gi joe #tfp silas #tfp #joshua joyce #age of extinction #transformers prime #character design #transformers au #tf fanart #the baroness

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birindale · 8 months ago

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Hi I just wanted to double check something I am pretty sure I read on this blog. Is the origin of C'yra of D'riluth iii from the original cannon or was it a later addition? Also what does "of D'riluth iii" actually mean? I remember there being some vagueness to what it means

Okay there's a long version and a short version of this story.

Short version: It was a later addition. In 2008 Mattel launched a toy line called Masters of the Universe Classics, which could only be ordered through their website and was aimed at the collector market. One of the things they did was include "character bios" in a sort of homage to the G.I. Joe toys of the 80s, which featured 'personnel files' that gave specializations and a brief character history, including their real names (e.g. Duke was actually named Conrad S. Hauser).

Catra's figure was released in 2011 for about $65 USD. Her bio (which I've lifted from a Poe Ghostal review) is as follows:

We (I, and my friends whom I've pestered for opinions) are pretty sure D'Riluth III is the name of her planet, even though another planet in the same solar system (from the New Adventures of He-Man in the 90s) has the Arabic numeral 7, so including Roman numerals is a strange choice.

Long version: There was a fellow working for Mattel at the time named Scott "Toyguru" Neitlich, and he was (and remains to this day) exceptionally bad at things like 'writing' and 'creativity'. He was never very interested in She-Ra, though he loves to tell the story of stealing his sister's doll one year, so to him Catra is simply an agent of the Horde... which, in order to adhere to the 2002-2003 tv show, was now 5,000 years old. This bio directly contradicts the Filmation canon of Catra's mask having belonged to the Magicat queen, for instance, and introduces a number of confusing details.

One of the least popular was Adora being Hordak's "step-daughter" instead of his "adopted daughter", which was already kind of a gray area since he didn't exactly raise her. Scott digging in his heels on the matter was actually how I learned he'd written the thing in the first place:

Now you may be wondering, jeez, it's pretty confusing and the writing isn't great but aren't you being kind of harsh? Surely the push-back from the He-Fans was bad enough. Well give me a minute, dang. This is the long version!

I reached out to him about a year and half ago to ask 1. How it's pronounced, 2. If he could confirm that D'Riluth III is the planet, and 3. If he remembered how he came up with it. He told me the following:

Some backstory here--Scott runs a bit of a one-man content farm, in an effort to avoid paying hosting fees for advertisements or actually engaging in SEO. He is a marketing consultant.

He used to upload a 5-10 minute video every day, but shortly after I contacted him that dropped to only five a week, and his weekly "Director's Commentary" videos about MOTUC figures that he worked on (largely just explaining who the character even is in an unedited stream of consciousness, as his videos became slideshows of google images) moved to bi-weekly.

I was like, okay, he left Mattel in 2014 right? So surely once he's through that year he'll get to this new series.

Nope! He's doing 2015 too! So I reached out again in January, just to like. See if he was still intending to cover the 'real names', which imo should have been part of his commentary to begin with, but...

He had forgotten <3 I explained no, I was asking about these specific questions that I had outlined in my first email (I had replied to his last message in the chain for simplicity's sake), and he just said he'd be doing it soon. So I was like oh, cool, do you know if you'll be doing one a week still? since that would put a Catra video about 4 years out as he does them in release order, and he then promised he'd get to it soon and didn't answer the question.

Annoying, certainly, but whatever. Unless one of us dies horribly I can wait it out, right?

WRONG.

Scott, being an idiot, has not credited a single one of the images he lifted from google over his four years of mostly-daily slideshows. And recently, somebody fucking noticed!

So this guy--Ethan Wilson, a very talented toy photographer and reviewer--was informed that Scott (in his capacity as Spector Creative, the name of his YouTube channel/consulting business) had been using his pictures in videos. Actually, let me use Ethan's own words here:

I decided to dig a little deeper into Spector’s channel, and found 81 instances of my photos being used in 68 of the channels videos. None of these featured credit to me for use of the photos, and 48 of the 81 instances removed or obstructed my watermarks.

-About This Spector Creative Thing

I very strongly encourage you to read through this linked post, as it gets worse! Somehow!!

Scott, not noticing these as they came in over the course of 10 days, logged in to discover his channel had been taken down. He emailed Ethan in something of a panic to ask that Ethan reverse the claims as a 'professional favor', as Scott got all his clients through his channel's "advertising".

Now you're never gonna believe this... but when he and Ethan came to an understanding, suddenly Scott didn't give a shit.

He released a libelous video claiming Ethan had no rights to the images (he does) and that Scott could use them all he wanted because of Fair Use (he can't) and emailed Ethan the following.

First of all: this is bullshit. Copyright is automatic in the US, trademark wouldn't apply regardless, and as Scott should fucking know by now Ethan doesn't have a 'channel', he has a blog.

Second, he shot himself in the foot with the Fair Use defense by outright stating that his channel is his exclusive advertisement for his business and that he depends on his content to make a living. He said in his first video that it was "educational" 🙄

So Ethan realized Scott was a Fucking Liar and decided he should just copyright claim the rest of Scott's shit, in order to protect his images and rights thereto. YouTube can't take the channel down again unless Ethan is willing to pursue legal action--which he isn't, because he has a full time job and two kids and even though he'd probably win, it's a lot of time and energy.

I and a few others were trying to convince him that it would be worth it anyway, and looking into identifying and contacting the other artists Scott's stolen from over the years, when... Scott released a book. His first-ever graphic novel [looks into the camera like i'm on the office]

drawn entirely by AI.

So we have a frankenstein's monster of copyright infringement masquerading as illustrations (with all the uncanny valley that implies), Scott's technically and practically terrible writing, and the plot is Greek mythology. There are four and a half typos just in the free sample, and that's not including the words in images like his map or logo. He claims the title is a registered trademark but it certainly isn't registered in his state, or federally, and it's already in use by several other brands, so I wouldn't believe him even if he hadn't demonstrated a lack of understanding of copyright & trademark as recently as last week.

So I'm kinda fucking done waiting for answers! I can't trust a thing out of this guy's mouth! And he's pretty stupid, so do I even care what he thinks? I have decided that no. No I do not. I'll check back in 2028 and if he's survived + actually followed through then maybe I'll give his video a watch but until then it is simply pissing me off to remember this guy exists.

Sorry this turned into a rant I'm just really starting to loathe the guy. It's been an infuriating week or two. But uh... No, it's only canon to this one action figure line that ran for a little over a decade. We're certainly not beholden to it, it's more of a fun little in-joke for the fandom these days. You see someone use C'yra and you're like haha I know her! It's fun :3 Regardless of Scott's bullshit I enjoy seeing it around, and it's not like he owns or benefits from it in any way when maybe 1% of the people using it know where it comes from (and the people who know it was him specifically may be limited to the followers that have watched me complain about it).

Thank you for asking, I really do love asks even if the answer isn't what I want it to be lol. I'm happy to verify or explain anything I can!

#answers #gluttonforgay #catra #motu #motuc #c'yra of d'riluth iii

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kismetconstellations · 2 months ago

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@sockdooe I first encountered this supposed explanation in the comments section of a fanfiction, so it is to be taken with a grain of salt, but I read that Shiro's design was primarily based on what the showrunners thought "looked cool". This includes the prosthetic grafted onto his person by his captors, the scar across his face, and the shock of white fringe in his otherwise naturally dark hair. And, I won't lie, his design serves its purpose. Shiro immediately draws the eye, and not just because of his usual placement front and center in the standard team line up.

It's reasonable for the sort of space soldier, G.I. Joe type of character the staff intended Shiro to be to have these sorts of physical characteristics.

It's also completely reasonable in a Sci-Fi/Action show for a villain as menacing and ruthless as Sendak to have a similarly distinct, eye-catching design. Such features as a sinister, gleaming, red bionic eye, and massive prosthetic arm powered by a core of glowing, magical electric energy pulsing in a line from shoulder to forearm stand out, are easily memorable, and make him instantly recognizable as a really Bad Guy.

The idea of Shiro being a sort of "light, heroic mirror" to Sendak, which the show introduced and continued to attempt to enforce all the way up to Sendak's death, sits incredibly uneasily with me, however. As I've made explicit several times, before.

Content Warning for discussion of sexual assault/rape.

We're shown the recurrent imagery of Sendak looming over and behind an incapacitated Shiro.

Shiro's instinctive response to seeing Sendak heading toward him is to back away out of fear before steeling himself and resolving to fight, if only to protect the Castle and an unconscious Lance.

The very first thing that Shiro says to Sendak is, "You're not getting in", to which Sendak replies, "Yes. I am".

Coran suggests that the Galra might keep him and Hunk as, "some sort of creepy pet to play with how they please", in an appeal to Shay and Rax for assistance concealing their presence on the Balmera.

There's genuine contempt in Shiro's voice when he asks Sendak, "What do you want?", prior to his torture at Sendak's hands.

Sendak delivers a stomach-churning gloating little speech after torturing Shiro via electric shock.

And, Rolo refers to Sendak as a, "real nasty bugger", a term that has an exceptionally crude colloquial meaning.

Now, maybe I'm a cynical weirdo who is reading far too deeply into this, and connecting dots that aren't there. But...

Shiro bears a much stronger resemblance to Berserk's Guts than the Takashi Shirogane from the original Go Lion! that he's named after. Guts is a famous survivor of childhood sexual abuse, having been sold by his adoptive father and purchased for use as a sex slave by an ugly hulking pederast.

There were obvious Neon Genesis Evangelion fans working on this show, and Rei Ayanami, the character that Shiro's story seems to reference with the sheer excess of clones created using his DNA, is also a victim of sexual abuse.

(There's even, arguably, influence taken from The Legend of the Blue Wolves, a relatively obscure yaoi OVA largely set at a military facility which trains soldiers and pilots for combat missions in deep space. It features an extended scene with a virtual flight simulator, and one of the two male leads is-- wouldn't you know it? Raped by an ugly hulking monster.)

Correlation does not imply causation, and perhaps the similarities are entirely superficial, and we're not meant to think too hard about them.

Yet, with the amount of scrutiny that a series as utterly wholesome and innocuous as Bluey is constantly under, I cannot buy for a minute that a series Netflix gave a TV Y7 rating to didn't undergo some level of screening to ensure that its content was appropriate for the intended child audience. Someone had to have asked the staff if bugger was the term they meant to use, aware of the disturbing, far less than child-friendly implications, and was met with a resounding confirmation.

Beyond that, extended proximity to even an imprisoned and inanimate Sendak sends Shiro spiraling into a psychological break down.

Shiro's intensely traumatic experiences in captivity, which his brain seems to have largely repressed in order to protect him ("It's all a blur.") would, by themselves, be enough to convince him that he's been broken and reshaped into something monstrous. His bodily autonomy was, unquestionably, brutally violated, and his innately altruistic, self-sacrificing nature was violently challenged when he was forced to kill or be killed for his captors' entertainment. His right arm was taken from him and replaced with a weapon, and he has the blood of who knows just how many innocents on his hands. He was, indeed, broken down in an attempt to reform him into the Galra Empire's "greatest weapon", and likely very much wars with himself over what he had to do to ensure his own survival, believing himself to be a monster.

What really stands out to me, though, is that this intense, primal terror and the accompanying feelings of "brokenness" and "monstrousness" only surface around Sendak. Despite also being associated with and direct causes of his trauma, neither Haggar nor Zarkon rattle Shiro to his core the way Sendak does.

Neither of them are insistent on drilling into Shiro's head how "broken" he supposedly is, as Sendak is shown doing over and over again. Including taunting Shiro over the non-consensual modifications to his body.

Harboring a deep sense of shame, and viewing themselves as something dirty, ugly, disgusting, broken, or even monstrous is an experience common among survivors of sexual abuse.

Having Shiro's physical condition repeatedly mirror his personal tormentor's would be sick and twisted enough.

Adding the context of rape or sexual abuse to Shiro's torment makes the creative decision to intentionally model his arm after his abuser's outright sadistic.

No one deserves to have a constant physical reminder of their abuser and rapist permanently attached to their person. And, attempting to paint Shiro as a "heroic mirror" to Sendak fails entirely when Shiro doesn't so much as get to best Sendak in combat once.

All of the points you've raised about the function and structure of prosthetics are amazing, informative, and highly appreciated. (The comment about Shiro's abominable floating arm looking like it wouldn't be able to support the weight of a grocery bag makes me laugh.) Sadly, there's a faction of the fanbase who are all too quick to fetishize that arm, like everything else surface-level about Shiro. I've seen a number of fics where its ability to be propelled a great distance with a single thought is used to pleasure a partner while Shiro, himself, is in a different room, where the arm is equipped with a vibrating function for use as a sex toy, and, of course, where the thickness of its fingers is sexualized for... the same reason the bulge in the crotch of Shiro's pants is.

(I beg this fandom to stop reducing this man to a seme stereotype because of his physical build and height. Nothing in his personality suggests that he would be anything even approximating that cursed archetype. Let him be a pillow princess, for God's sake, like he deserves.)

This reply took me forever, and I am sincerely sorry about that. I hope you find something worthwhile in this haphazard collection of thoughts.

And, "Sendick" is how I'm going to be mentally referring to that creep from now on.

#Correspondence.#sockdooe #Takashi Shirogane #Shiro #You're nothingness but shining and everywhere at once.#Sendak #Voltron: Legendary Defender #Meta.#VLD Meta.#All I want is to fly with queue.#I want to apologize again for this response taking me so long to get out.#The topic of Shiro and Sendak and the VLD showrunners' attempts to keep turning Shiro into some sort of heroic 'mirror' of him disgusts and #infuriates me.#It brings up a lot of thoughts and I wanted to do something with them.#I hope you don't mind and I hope this analysis wasn't too upsetting for anyone.#The last thing I want to do is upset someone. :(

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sadquickchristmassnowman · 11 months ago

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masterlist of episodes featuring prof duncan? I only JUST made the connection that he's played by john oliver

fantastic idea anon. I’m honestly surprised I haven't made this list yet as I am an avid duncan enjoyer lmfao and yes john oliver is great. so I’ll make the list right now. here we go:

the feat. professor duncan episode masterlist

1x01: pilot

he is the reason jeff chose to enroll at greendale

he has multiple interactions with jeff throughout the episode

1x04: social psychology

annie, troy, and abed participate in his psychological experiment in which he proves the existence of "the duncan principle"

1x05: advanced criminal law

duncan, dean pelton, and chang create "greendale court" in order to put britta's alleged academic dishonesty on trial

1x25: pascal's triangle revisited

first shown doing a therapy session with britta

constantly fighting with chang, escalating into chang punching him at the end

does his iconic rap after he gets drunk at the transfer dance

2x03: the psychology of letting go

takes over as the anthropology professor despite knowing nothing about the subject

uses the restraining order he got against chang to torment him

has a few conversations with jeff about the inevitability of death

is civil with chang by the end of the episode

2x05: messianic myths and ancient peoples

exclusively shown "teaching" the anthropology 101 class

2x11: abed's uncontrollable christmas

leads abed's "therapy" session but is generally unhelpful

2x12: asian population studies

again, just shown "teaching" anthropology 101

2x15: early 21st century romanticism

watches the liverpool vs. manchester united football game with jeff at jeff's apartment

has conversations with jeff about friendship and greendale etc.

2x21: paradigms of human memory

appears very briefly in a flashback to the events of "abed's uncontrollable christmas"

2x22: applied anthropology and culinary arts

is shown again at the head of the anthropology class, this time "administering their final" (getting drunk) but disappears very quickly as soon as the dean walks in

5x03: basic intergluteal numismatics

"helps" with the psychological aspect of the ass crack bandit investigation

(you might notice he is not in seasons 3 or 4. irl it's because he got too busy with his other projects, but in the show his character explains that he was "taking care of his sick mother")

5x05: geothermal escapism

shown briefly playing the floor is lava game, but loses very quickly after jeff knocks over the chair that he was going to jump on while chasing britta

5x06: analysis of cork-based networking

shown as a member of the save greendale committee

helps jeff, shirley, and chang choose a theme and decorate for the dance (bear down for midterms)

5x07: bondage and beta male sexuality

asks jeff to help him scheme a way into getting a date with britta, which ends up backfiring

ends up hanging out a lot with jeff. this episode re-establishes that the two of them have known each other longer than any of the other characters

5x11: g.i. jeff

appears briefly only in jeff's animated dream, as "xim xam"

(so, I guess it's not technically duncan, but it's jeff's g.i. joe dream version of duncan, so I’m counting it)

5x12: basic story

appears again as a member of the save greendale committee

5x13: basic sandwich

tries to help the save greendale committee uncover the hidden computer school but gets electrocuted lmfao

alright yep. that should be all. I personally went through the credits of every single episode to double check everything because I do not trust the lists that are already online tbh. full of discrepancies smh. also, yeah, he is indeed not in seasons 3, 4, or 6. anyway! hope this is helpful. duncan is hilarious and every single line that comes out of his mouth is comedy gold. bye

#community #nbc community #community nbc #community tv #ian duncan #professor duncan #community encyclopedia

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