#advertising in the September issue

[thyfleshc0nsumed]

Degenerates Collective (FKA Degenerates Market) is now looking for submissions by transsexuals for issue one of our magazine! Issue zero turned out absolutely beautifully and we're ready to do some more.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Just follow this link and fill out the form!

If you have any questions, please double check the Instagram to see if they've been answered before reaching out.

Though we are Chicago based, any transsexual adult from anywhere may submit their works to the magazine.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR PERSONALS AND ADVERTISERS

Sex workers, hairdressers, music projects, artists, pornographers, or anyone else who caters to transsexuals should reach out to collective.degeneracy@gmail.com.

If you are interested in placing a personal ad, please click here.

The magazine will primarily be distributed physically in Chicago, though we have some stuff cooking in the Twin Cities as well.

To stay up to date with the magazine and the market (next one in early September), check out our Instagram!

[coochiequeens]

Germany WTF?

By Genevieve Gluck September 23, 2023

A woman in Germany has been warned by a court after comparing a transgender organization’s recently-adopted mascot and a symbol known to be used by pedophiles. Rona Duwe, a women’s rights campaigner, has received an order from the Higher Regional Court in Cologne barring her from further comparisons.

The initial complaint, lodged against Duwe in March, referred to a series of comments she had made online criticizing the distinct pink and blue butterfly being utilized as a mascot by a board member of the German Society for Transidentity and Intersexuality (DGTI – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transidentität und Intersexualität).

The butterfly, which has been named Fiely, is a mascot of the northern German trans self-help group Fielappers – a low-German word translating to “butterflies.” Trans-identified male DGTI board member Julia Steenken has appeared holding the butterfly in public situations, and, according to Duwe, the mascot has been present in photos taken at several court proceedings, at meetings of the national parliament or Bundestag, in medical clinics, at events with families, and with the police.

The butterfly mascot was designed by Andrea Fleßner, a trans-identified male involved in the founding of Fielappers. Fleßner also has a close working relationship with DGTI.

Fiely is often seen posed amongst other childlike-toys on its dedicated Facebook page.

The butterfly symbol utilized by Fielappers [L], and a list of pedophilic symbols identified by the FBI [R].

See rest of article

By Genevieve Gluck September 25, 2023

The city of Berlin has prompted outrage from locals after offering a graphic picture book on prostitution to children via its official website. The book, titled Rosie Needs Money (Rosi sucht Geld), is advertised as a resource for youth aged 6 to 12 years old.

According to Equal Opportunities Officer Kerstin Drobick, the book is a “helpful tool” for explaining prostitution to children of families residing in a red-light district of Berlin, located in Kurfürstenkiez, known as Kurfürstenstraße.

“In the years in which the Tiergarten Süd and Schöneberger Norden neighborhood management offices dealt with the issue of street prostitution and also had many conversations with residents, this was one of the topics: What do I say to the child? The Tiergarten Süd district management has faced this courageously,” Dobrick says in her defense of the book.

“An order was placed for a children’s book that tried to explain to the children what was happening there. Interestingly, extensive research has shown that educational books for children aged 10 and over avoid this explanation.”

Drobick also explains that the book on prostitution, which features graphic illustrations, was created “with primary school children and other people [in mind].”

See rest of acticle

[hiromusicarts-blog]

昨日の街角セルフィで、こんばんは^^

新譜「crossroads」の広告とレビューが、ジャズ批評９月号に掲載されているのですが、まもなく、ジャズ批評の電子版もリリースされるようで、社長から、その広告とレビューの転載許可の要請があり、即時にOK出しました。むしろ有難いことです。

オヤスミナサイ Good night

The advertisement and review of the new album "crossroads" are published in the September issue of Jazz Review, and it seems that the electronic version of Jazz Review will be released soon.

The president requested permission to reprint the advertisement and review, and I immediately gave the OK. Rather, I am grateful.

ジャズ批評、新譜の広告です

[eretzyisrael]

by David Collier

Amnesty International has long denied supporting the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign that seeks to destroy Israel. They play evasive, denying BDS is harmful but stating ‘Amnesty do not take a position’.

But behind the scenes it seems that things are very different. In this exclusive, I show that the Amnesty Marketing and Communications Director didn’t just support an official BDS campaign – she even created the toolkit for it.

The Boycott Chevron Campaign

Chevron has been a target of BDS since 2022, but the latest BDS ‘escalation’ started in January 2024 – when the BDS National Committee (BNC) issued a call ‘for a consumer boycott of Chevron-branded gas stations’:

The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) that issued that statement is the organising body behind the BDS movement. It has long been established that BDS is a movement seeking the destruction of Israel, and the organising BNC is closely tied to terrorist factions.

I have personally described BDS as akin to the siege engines used in medieval battlefields – a means of choking a fortified city and breaking down their defences. BDS is part of a war machine that denies Israel’s right to exist – and seeks to weaken, and eventually overrun it. No genuine human rights NGO would be going anywhere near it.

On September 25, the BDS account on X posted this call to support the Boycott Chevron Campaign.

What is of real interest to us is the link to the toolkit advertised by the offical BDS account.

The BDS toolkit

The document is explicit in its support for BDS – and opens with an explanation that this boycott is in line with the BNC’s ‘escalating campaign’.

This makes it absolutely clear that this campaign is a BDS campaign – which perhaps is not surprising, given that this is the same toolkit that was posted by the BNC on its official account.

The toolkit provides information and resources to people wanting to engage in the Boycott Chevron campaign. It gives ideas about what people can do, provides links to follow – and even provides graphics to download.

If we search the history of the website, we learn that the domain was created on the 13 March 2024.

This date is important, as the toolkit was also created on 13 March 2024 – exactly the same day as the domain was purchased:

Which means that whoever created the toolkit, did not do so as an afterthought – or as part of a personal mission – but instead, must have played a leading role in the BDS advertised ‘Boycott Chevron’ campaign.

Luckily for us – the campaign toolkit is hosted on Google Docs, which means we can search for the document’s owner.

The Amnesty International BDS host

Looking at the details of the Google hosted document, we learn that the email of the owner of the toolkit is ‘Vanessalouiseserna@gmail.com’.

And that email address, leads us straight to Vanessa Serna, who just happens to be the US based Director of Digital Marketing and Communications at Amnesty International.

This is clear evidence that despite Amnesty’s protests – key figures are working behind the scenes to support the extremist BDS movement – and promote the destruction of the Jewish state.

Busted.

[anonagon9]

TVT Adminpocalypse

TW: transphobia, acephobia, bullying, suicide

Hey, for those of you not aware, TV Tropes has gotten very bad in the last six or so months. I'll do my best to give a short summary.

2022: Fighteer, a mod notorious for using his post to bully others, takes a self-imposed leave after several users call him out on this pattern of behavior. Due to user backlash at general moderator behavior, a mod code of conduct was established. While self-enforced, the moderator discussion thread existed, in part, to discuss future incidents.

September 2023: User AgProv is suspended for calling Dylan Mulvaney a man. In his appeal, he tries to get around the issue by using they/them pronouns. Though Mulvaney uses both she/her and they/them, as this appeal was clearly done in bad faith, AgProv had been bounced from the site. A few hours later, however, Kory, a site programmer, unilaterally overrides the bounce on behalf of otherwise non-present site owners, citing he was a productive user with several edits. When called out on this, Kory doubled down, using thumps and suspensions to shut down conversation. Notably, AgProv was later suspended for messy editing, but to this day has not needed to appeal his transphobia suspension through the typical process.

Later that month: Fighteer is asked back by the admins, citing a need for manpower. Fighteer's "apology" amounts to being burnt out and justifying his meanness as being an "equal opportunity" bad cop. He promises to step back from areas of the site where he'd been an issue previously. This does not last. By the end of this one-two punch, the moderator discussion thread is reworked into a narrow policy clarification thread with issues of misconduct being exclusively handled by emailing the admins.

Past seven days: Fighteer makes a post in the social media thread stating that people threatening suicide over a possible TikTok ban should just do it. In another post, he considered this an act of terrorism. These post were thumps, but no other visible disciplinary action was taken. This is despite the US Politics thread being closed for celebrating the death of Henry Kissinger. Again, attempts at discussion were swiftly shut down. Notably, Kory all but stated that Fighteer, despite all the issues, was worth having as a mod.

So for anyone reading, consider spreading the word. While that alone won't fix the underlying problem of private tech companies pushing for content at the expense of user experience, if enough people, and especially, advertisers, catch wind of this, it may create enough of a PR disaster where the administrators will change course rather than quintuple down. For anyone who, understandably, does not wish to do that, then please, if you haven't already, get an ad blocker and make sure it's on for that site.

Thanks!

[maryrouille]

∼ Late August ∼ Study update

I thought the next update would be in September, but I woke up today and I saw in my email box a positive review of my first scientific paper to be published, hurray! It is also pleasing to think that it was written by a professor who is an authority in the field of popular culture and visual arts.

I’ll leave a fragment here so I can come back to it more often 🧡

One of the more interesting research achievements [!] proposed in the forthcoming publication is "Changing stereotypes as a method of creatively using the image of a woman in advertising" by [my name]. Thanks to the rich and interesting literature on the subject, the Author competently [!] presents the issue of creativity in advertising, achieved through the transformation of stereotypes.

The second joyful achievement is that I have completed the design of a large research study. All that remains is to submit it at the end of September and wait for the approval review.

Fingers crossed and at this stage it seems like it makes sense to open the champagne, right?

[princessanneftw]

Hardest working royals of 2023 revealed

Princess Anne tops list with more than 450 engagements with the King also increasing his time spent at public events

Patrick Sawer, Senior News Reporter and Hannah Furness, Royal Editor for The Telegraph

Princess Anne was the hardest working royal this year, carrying out 457 engagements as she lent steadfast support to her brother in his role as monarch.

The King was ranked in second place, having taken part in 425 royal engagements, while his brother the Duke of Edinburgh was third, with 297 engagements.

The Queen was fourth with 233 royal engagements and the Duchess of Edinburgh fifth with 219.

An analysis by The Telegraph of public events and official meetings based on entries published in the Court Circular showed that the Princess Royal continued to be the most industrious member of the family.

Princess Anne and the King were among members of the Royal family to increase their workload over the past year, after taking on many of the duties and engagements previously conducted by the late Queen Elizabeth.

A separate analysis last year by Reboot SEO company showed that Princess Anne carried out 214 royal engagements, while the King took part in 181.

In a typical average week this year, Princess Anne undertook between 12 and 14 engagements.

Her busiest month was February, when the Princess Royal undertook 57 engagements, which included trips to Australia and New Zealand.

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator and former editor of The International Who’s Who said: “Anne is one of the best advertisements for the Royal family because she is hardworking, she is dedicated and she is popular because people look at the way she handles things and they like it.

“The public see Anne as someone who is grounded, I think the institution does need her very much.”

The King’s workload over the past 12 months included a state visit to France in September as well as his own Coronation on May 6.

Some of his busiest days have involved back-to-back meetings at Buckingham Palace with ambassadors and other dignitaries and politicians, while the King has also undertaken numerous smaller-scale engagements in the community, visiting local projects and businesses.

Typical of this was his visit to the Broke Not Broken charity in Kinross in September, where he viewed its food bank store, and vegetable garden and met volunteers and members of staff, before visiting an art exhibition and a day centre.

The Court Circular shows that over the past 12 months both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester carried out 172 royal engagements each.

The Princess of Wales undertook 128 and the Duchess of Gloucester 111. The Duke of Kent carried out 69 engagements.

An analysis of the number and type of royal engagements raises questions about the future of the monarchy, with the Prince and Princess of Wales taking a very different approach to that of the older generation.

The majority of day-to-day engagements are now carried out by those well into or approaching retirement age, with the Duchess of Edinburgh now 58 and the Duke of Edinburgh turning 60 next year.

The Waleses have deliberately chosen to focus on fewer patronages, hoping to use their power to shine a light on issues close to their hearts to make a bigger difference.

Traditionalists have raised questions over who will pick up the numerous daily visits around the country in the newly slimmed down monarchy with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed and the children of the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Duke of Edinburgh not working members of the family.

Dickie Arbiter, the royal commentator who was press spokesman for Queen Elizabeth from 1988 until 2000, said Princess Anne provided invaluable support to the King.

“She just gets on with it, often carrying out multiple engagements in one day,” he said.

“Of course much of what the King does is behind the scenes, in meetings and going through his red boxes, which doesn’t warrant a mention in the Court Circular.”

Mr Arbiter added: “Anne is a tremendous support to the King. He bounces ideas off her. For an ageing monarchy they are doing pretty well.”

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I respect that you don't cover minor children but I am interested if you can find out anything about the Sussex merching Archie. I feels this reflects more on the parents than the innocent child.

September 25, 2019 was the "Arch meets Archie" engagement in South Africa. This was the first real look anyone had of the baby. Fashion label H&M posted Archie's photo on their website with the jumper he was wearing. Almost immediately it was removed bc apparently the UK Advertising Standards Authority will not allow merching of royal children.

I am skeptical that H&M would do this without the parents permission. CP Victoria wears their clothes frequently and they never use her for ads. Perhaps Sunshine Sachs arranged this behind the BRFs back? I bet they could have gotten $500K. This entire incident has been scrubbed from the internet but plenty of articles remain detailing what he wore. Harry merched Dior at the coronation and MM is selling stress patches. I wouldn't put it past them to sell their kid. Apologies if you have already covered this.

Well, my computer blue-screen-of-death'd mid-answer so...shit and I don't feel like rewriting everything.

But essentially, yes. Meghan did try to merch Archie. The one H&M ad is the only sell she could make.

And we know she tried to merch Archie because she tried to sell his baby pictures to a magazine but, obviously, no takers. The proof:

Her PR was dropping hints left and right about it, including how much she was looking for.

She played the "you can only see parts of the baby and not his face" game that all celebs play when they want a People payday for their baby. We didn't get a clear photo of Archie's face until the christening.

The controversy around the rules Meghan and Harry issued to their Windsor neighbors reek of someone who was worried about neighbors selling photos of their kid (and missing out on a payday) than protecting his privacy.

We also know that Meghan was trying to sell/merch Lili too when she was born. We did get similar PR hinting that the opportunity was available and what kind of price Meghan wanted for it and of course, no takers there either since we didn't see her face until her 1st birthday in pictures taken at Frogmore for the Platinum Jubilee. I think Meghan thought that if she made it look like they were back in the royal fold, she'd have an easier time selling Lili's photo but, again, didn't work.

My gut feeling is that she'll try to merch the kids again when they're a little older, especially Lili. Charlotte is 9 now and growing out of cute kiddie clothing. Meghan might try to launch Lili as the next fashionable toddler princess. (But it goes without saying that it won't work because Charlotte entering pre-teen years and being too big for Amaia Kids means a lot of parents are waiting to see what she wears next/how Kate dresses her as an older kid because, let's admit it, girls' fashion these days is...complicated.)

Edit: Archived link for the "too big for Amaia Kids" article

[gacha-incels]

(original tweet mentions webnovels, showing boycott is not limited to webtoons) The Butterfly Effect Triggered by 'Pong Pong Man'… Naver Webtoon Finds Itself in a Difficult Situation. What Is the Breakthrough?Boycott Controversy, Decreasing User Numbers, Shareholder Lawsuits, and Labor Disputes… Naver Webtoon Plans to "Create Opportunities to Accelerate Growth."

Sports Daily reports that Naver Webtoon is facing multiple challenges. The ongoing boycott has led to a decline in user numbers, and shareholders are expected to file civil lawsuits due to poor performance. Additionally, the company is grappling with labor union disputes over "post-IPO compensation."

The Naver headquarters located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Park Eun-sook, reporter.

published Oct 17 2024

this article is originally in Korean and has been mtl and edited into English here. it’s not going to be 1:1 but the basic info should be there, if you see any discrepancies though lmk and I’ll edit it asap. thanks everyone for your continued help and understanding. it’s a bit longer than the typical article posted here so I’ve put the relevant info regarding the DAU/sales drop here, and the additional information that has opinions, info about stock price, labor disputes and US investors under a cut. This is an article someone posted as a QRT to the first tweet above so I thought I would share it bc it’s a news source that now has archived numbers for the boycott.

The boycott movement, which seemed to have calmed down temporarily, has reignited. As of 10 a.m. on October 17, over 18,000 posts with the hashtag "Naver Webtoon Boycott" have been uploaded, pushing the topic to the top of X's (formerly Twitter) real-time trends. This resurgence was sparked by allegations that Naver Webtoon's X account mocked the boycott while promoting a particular work on the afternoon of October 16. The controversy spread rapidly across multiple online communities, although the relevant post has since been deleted.

Professor Lee Eun-hee from Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies pointed out, "The problem is that consumers feel disrespected. Even though the boycott has continued for several days, the company has given the impression that it has not communicated properly with its customers, and even posted an advertisement that appeared mocking." She added, "Even though Naver is the top platform in the industry, such behavior could be seen as reckless and arrogant by customers, especially when competitors are closing in."

Recently, some twitter users have labeled Naver Webtoon a misogynistic company and called for a boycott. The boycott movement includes deleting the app and hashtag campaigns, with related posts being retweeted thousands or tens of thousands of times, repeatedly trending in real time. According to Mobile Index, the daily active users (DAU) among Android users have decreased by nearly 10%, from 2.2-2.3 million before the boycott to 2.0-2.1 million. There are also reports in the webtoon industry that some webtoon studios have postponed launching new works.

The work that triggered the Naver Webtoon boycott is a fantasy comic titled Isekai Pong Pong Man, which began serialization on September 4, 2024, in Naver Webtoon's "Best Challenge" section. "Pong Pong Man" is a slang term originating from male-dominated communities, referring to a capable and naive man married to a woman who had a promiscuous youth. The story, which revolves around a protagonist who loses his property and child custody to a cheating wife under "laws favoring women in Korea," and is branded as a domestic abuser before crossing over into another world, has been criticized for touching on the explosive issue of gender conflict. The fact that this work was submitted for Naver's "Greatest Contest of 2024" and passed the first round of judging without editorial screening further fueled the boycott.

Naver Webtoon's Dilemma

For Naver, the situation is a catch-22. If the company deletes a specific work while the contest is underway, backlash is expected. Additionally, it's not appropriate for the editorial team to intervene by demanding changes to the title or content of a challenge-level work rather than an official serialization. A source in the webtoon industry commented, "Given how sensitive this issue is, Naver Webtoon has no choice but to be cautious and may find it difficult to take active measures at this stage. Although many view the term 'Pong Pong Man' itself as problematic, much discussion is needed on whether it should be entirely banned in the creative realm."

Cultural researcher and writer Lee Yong-hee noted, "This is not to say that the work is without problems. However, characters can evolve through their narrative arcs, and to take down a work solely for using specific hateful expressions could lead to censorship." Ha Shin-ah, chairperson of the Webtoon Writers' Union, also remarked, "It is not wrong for readers to express their beliefs by pressuring a company through a boycott, but suppressing a creator's freedom of expression in such a way can backfire. I hope a forum will be established where readers, creators, and companies can engage in deeper discussions on ethical content guidelines."

Regarding the matter, a Naver Webtoon representative stated, "A marketing material that had been prepared before the boycott was accidentally released, causing confusion and inconvenience to consumers. We sincerely apologize for this." The representative also noted, "The work in question is currently undergoing a second review, and we are aware of the various opinions surrounding it. The contest will proceed as announced."

An advertising post uploaded by Naver Webtoon's X account. Photo provided by an X user.

Plummeting Stock Prices and U.S. Investor Lawsuits

The troubles for Naver Webtoon extend beyond the boycott. The company’s U.S. entity, Webtoon Entertainment, which serves as the headquarters, successfully went public on the New York Stock Exchange in late June this year. However, following its IPO, poor performance caused the stock price to plunge.

In the second quarter, Webtoon Entertainment's revenue reached $320.97 million, a mere 0.1% increase from the same period last year, while operating losses soared to $79.09 million, more than 14 times the previous loss. The majority of revenue comes from the Korean and Japanese markets, where weakened local currencies against the dollar significantly impacted the second-quarter results. If the currency effect is excluded, the adjusted year-over-year growth rate for the second quarter would be 11.1%.

Following the second-quarter earnings announcement, the stock price fell nearly 40% and has continued to decline. As of October 16, the stock was priced at $11.18, roughly half of the $21 IPO price. Although third-quarter results may show slight improvement due to the stabilization of the won and yen exchange rates, it is unlikely that performance and stock prices will improve sufficiently to satisfy investors in the short term.

As the stock price continues to decline, U.S. investors are moving forward with lawsuits. Since September, law firms specializing in securities litigation have been recruiting participants for a class action, alleging that Webtoon Entertainment failed to adequately disclose the impact of exchange rates on revenue growth in the securities filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June.

The plummeting stock has also sparked labor disputes regarding additional compensation following the IPO. After the successful listing on Nasdaq, Webtoon Entertainment CEO Kim Joon-gu was awarded a performance bonus of $30 million (about 40 billion KRW). He also holds stock options for 3,461,670 shares at an exercise price of $11.04 per share. Meanwhile, most Naver Webtoon employees have stock options with an exercise price of over $20-30.

For some employees, the stock option exercise price exceeds the 52-week high of $25.66. The Naver branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) filed an application for labor dispute mediation with the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission on October 8. Mediation is expected to continue until October 21.

A Naver Webtoon representative commented, "The labor issue is ongoing, so we cannot provide an official position," and added, "In the second quarter, we demonstrated differentiated competitiveness across all regions. We aim to create opportunities for accelerated growth in high-potential markets, leveraging our unique global flywheel (virtuous cycle)."

By Kim Jung-min, reporter hurrymin@ilyo.co.kr Sports Daily complies with the Korean Journalists Association, Internet Newspaper Ethics Committee, and Sports Daily Code of Ethics.

[mariacallous]

How concerned do you think we should be about the KOSA bill?

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-set-vote-two-child-online-safety-bills-2024-07-25/

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on a broad bipartisan basis on Thursday advanced two online safety bills that would force social media companies to take responsibility for how their platforms affect children and teens, a step parents and advocates have demanded for years.

The bills cleared a critical procedural hurdle 86-1, setting the stage for a final vote next week.

"Big Tech, we no longer trust you to make decisions for us," said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the bills' sponsors. "Car manufacturers are required to install seatbelts and airbags. The same has to be true of social media companies."

The bills' future is unclear in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which has recessed until September.

The Kids Online Safety Act makes explicit a "duty of care" that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on design of the platforms and regulation of the companies.

It would require social media platforms to enable options for minors to protect their information and disable addictive product features by default, preventing and mitigating dangers to minors including suicide and disordered eating.

The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act would ban targeted advertising to minors and data collection without their consent, and give parents and kids the option to delete their information from social media platforms.

The bills, nicknamed KOSA and COPPA 2.0, respectively, are the first major move to ensure children's safety online since COPPA was initially passed in 1998, before the advent of smartphones.

The bills would also allow researchers greater insight into companies' algorithms and how they impact children online, said Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens, a research nonprofit focused on the impact of digital media on minors.

"We've been in a decade-long experiment with children's well-being and platforms, and it's overdue to make the products safer and allow us to move to a new stage of deeper understanding of children's digital lives," Perry said.

Some tech companies have publicly backed congressional efforts to protect children online, with major players including Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), and Snap Inc (SNAP.N), expressing support.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms (META.O), spokesperson Stephanie Otaway said that while the company supports standards for kids and teens online, federal law should instead require app stores to seek parental approval for downloads by users under age 16.

The Biden administration on Thursday backed the bills it said "would finally advance bold actions to hold Big Tech accountable," urging lawmakers to send it to Biden to sign into law "without delay."

That 86-1 vote is not guaranteed to repeat when it goes to the final vote in the Senate next week - it just means that 86 Senators agreed to let it proceed to the final vote.

Sen. Ron Wyden plans to vote "no" on the package containing the Kids Online Safety Act and the updated Children's Online Privacy Protection Act when it hits the Senate floor, his office told Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: Wyden's "no" vote is a sure-fire sign that advocates for online civil libertiesstill don't like the package of bills and will continue to oppose it.

Reality check: They might be fighting a losing battle, at least in the Senate.

Wyden is a key voice on online issues, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would not be putting this package on the floor if he didn't think he had enough votes for it to pass.

In the House, Republican leaders are supportive of the legislation broadly, but obstacles remain and other outside groups are still opposed.

Schumer announced this week he'd be moving to get KOSA and COPPA 2.0 passed on the Senate floor.

Wyden had a hold on the bills, keeping them from passing via unanimous consent, but was prepared to lift it given his discussions with leadership.

While he plans to oppose the package, he got a new provision added to KOSA: specific language stating Section 230 is not pre-empted by the bill.

What they're saying: "I strongly support elements of this bill, especially Senator Markey's Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act, which will safeguard the personal information of young people online," Wyden plans to say on the Senate floor Thursday, per remarks shared first with Axios.

"Unfortunately, KOSA's improvements, while constructive, remain insufficient."

"I fear this bill could be used to sue services that offer privacy enhancing technologies like encryption or anonymity features that are essential to young people's ability to communicate securely and privately without being spied on by predators online."

"I also take seriously concerns voiced by the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, and LGBTQ+ teens and advocates that a future MAGA administration could still use this bill to pressure companies to censor gay, trans and reproductive health information... For these reasons, I cannot vote for this legislation."

The main thing would be whether it passes the House, and can get through conference committee/having identical versions passed in both the House and Senate, prior to the end of the congressional term. Especially considering how much time they'll be recessing for as we get later in the year, and with the election ramping up.

Contact your Senators if you're opposed and really get people to speak up and put the pressure on them.

[bratzkoo]

Gucci pt. 2 | Taehyung

Author: bratzkoo | navi | credits to: @caelesjjk for the banner Pairing: Editor-in-Chief! OC x Creative Director! Taehyung Word Count: 1.3K Genre: fluff, angst Rating: NC-17 Possible Warnings: nothing for now. all pg-13. [established relationship! au, fashion designer! au]

Summary: Vante, a fashion designer and creative director of Gucci who keeps his life in private. No one really knows him aside from what he shares in public, no surprise when the media goes gaga over the leaked sketches of Vogue’s editor-in-chief Y/N Black in his journal.

aka Taehyung is very secretive and he loves his girlfriend so much.

taglist (hit me up if you wanna be added): @aretha170 , @jinniegenie , @mooniyooni .@we8joon​ , @njrwifey​

requests are open, but you can just say hi! | masterlist -

The New York skyline glittered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of Vogue's head office, but Iona Black barely noticed the view. Her eyes were fixed on the layouts spread across her desk, red pen poised to make final adjustments. It was well past midnight, but the September issue waited for no one, not even the editor-in-chief. As she circled a misaligned text box, her phone buzzed. Iona's heart leaped, but she tempered her excitement. It could be anyone—an overzealous assistant, a demanding advertiser, or... Her Taehyung. She allowed herself a small smile as she saw his name on the screen. Quickly, she did the mental calculation—it would be early morning in Milan. "Hello, Vante," she answered, her voice cool and professional despite the warmth spreading through her chest. "Ms. Black," Taehyung's deep voice came through, tinged with both exhaustion and amusement. "Burning the midnight oil again?" Iona leaned back in her chair, finally letting her gaze drift to the city lights. "Someone has to make sure the fashion world keeps turning. I assume you're doing the same, given the hour." "Guilty as charged," he chuckled softly. "The show's in two days, and there's still so much to do."For a moment, neither spoke. In the silence, Iona could almost feel the weight of the miles between them, the ache of absence that had become all too familiar. "I wish—" Taehyung began, then stopped himself. "I know," Iona replied, understanding perfectly what remained unsaid. Wishing was dangerous in their world, a luxury they couldn't afford. "The collection will be magnificent, my love. It always is."

"High praise from the High Priestess of Fashion herself," he teased, but Iona could hear the genuine appreciation in his voice. She allowed herself a small laugh. "Don't let it go to your head, Vante-ah. I'll still be critiquing every seam and silhouette."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." There was a pause, and Iona could picture him running a hand through his hair, a habit he had when he was thinking. "Iona, I—" A knock interrupted whatever Taehyung was about to say. Iona heard a muffled voice on his end, then Taehyung's resigned sigh. "Duty calls?" Iona asked, knowing the answer. "Always," Taehyung confirmed. "Take care of yourself, My love. Don't work too late." "You too, my love. Make Milan proud." As the call ended, Iona allowed herself a moment of vulnerability, closing her eyes and letting out a long breath. Then, like slipping on a perfectly tailored jacket, she composed herself and turned back to the layouts.

The fashion world waited for no one, not even for love. Before starting their relationship, Catriona and Taehyung accept the fact that both of their jobs require them to travel a lot. That they barely have time to see each other. But when they do, they treasure every moment together and tried to make the most of the free time they have.

Sometimes though, their job requires them to see each other. That's why Iona's glad that she can control her facial reactions despite having her body almost shaking from the excitement to see Taehyung after a long time.  What would the press say if she's photographed smiling walking towards the backstage of the Gucci show?  "Iona," Sandra called, her assistant. "As you instructed, I'll escort you to your seat after 4 minutes backstage." Iona nodded and they entered backstage. Everyone stiffens at the sight of Iona. The models gasping and the staff panicking at the sight of her. Iona looks around to see everyone preparing, all of them now working like they're on thin ice, except Taehyung who relaxes at the sight of her. He goes to welcome her. "I miss you so much." He tells her in the quietest way possible, even Iona barely hears it.

"You did well," Iona replies, Taehyung understands it's her way of saying she misses him too. Taehyung nods and gives her a quick hug. "Enjoy the show... it's all for you." He whispers the last part to Iona's ear. Iona prevents herself from smiling largely and meanly says, "I'll enjoy the show if I really enjoy it." then leaves him standing mouth agape. Seconds later, Taehyung laughs at how she acts differently with him in public. Because he knows, she'll always be Iona Black. - Iona goes to her seat, finding Adriela waving at her.  As always, since she started dating Taehyung, he always makes sure she's sitting next to Adriela.  "Taehyung told me he's going to make me walk the next season, stop his ass for the love of God," Adriela complains the moment Iona sits down next to her.

Iona quietly laughs. "Talk to him about it, you know I don't want to comment on something if it involves the two of you on different sides."

"I hate you," Adriela says but Iona knows she doesn't mean it with how Adriela rests her head on Iona's shoulders.

"I hate you too, Ada, I hate you too," Iona replies.

The show starts and the picture of the pieces that Iona saw in Taehyung's office in their apartment comes to life in front of her.

She remembers making Taehyung hot chocolate when he said he's staying up late to work in his office in their apartment and looking at the pictures of this season's collection. He looks calm but she knows he's nervous about what the people will think.

She remembers leaving a kiss on his hair before Taehyung pulls her into his lap.

She also remembers the mind-blowing desk sex that still has her feel like walking on cloud nine. Iona sits properly, realizing she daydreamed about her boyfriend's in the middle of the show.

My Taehyung will always outdo himself every season, he never disappoints.

Her assistant on the second row takes pictures of the pieces while she talks about the pieces she loves with Adriela.

"I like that one, I want to wear it to the Met, make sure the theme can make me wear that."

"We already have the theme planned, Ada, just have Taehyung design something for you for the Met. He'll be happy to do it."

Adriela rolls her eyes, "He's only happy doing it for you, I'm sure he'll tell me to fuck off if I ask him to make a dress for the Met."

"You know he really sees you as a friend and besides, you're the new global ambassador."

"I'll tell him you said that when I bug him about it," Adriela decides. "Oh, I don't like that ensemble with the short hemline."

Iona's gaze goes to the monochrome ensemble, her eyebrows furrow from confusion. She never saw the ensemble in Taehyung's office when he's showing it to her.

"I didn't see that ensemble in his office, something is wrong." Iona comments.

She finds it alarming how a monochrome ensemble would be part of a very bright collection that Taehyung planned and more importantly, why would Taehyung add it last minute? Something doesn't seem right. Iona watches the whole show with pursed lips. Taehyung at the end of the show bowed but Iona noticed the dried tears on his cheeks.

[a-shade-of-blue]

New Gaza fundraiser asks I've received (13 October)

Hashem Badr, Smahan & Katia (@support-heshem, @support-katia-family): Hashem spent all the money he has to evacuate his wife Smahan and their 3 children: Katia (11yrs), Nabil (5yrs) and Linda (11months), out of Gaza. However, he does not have the funds to evacuate himself. They wish to evacuate Hashem and reunite with him. (https://gofund.me/25570474) (#102 on @/gazavetters vetted list)  (£1,107 raised of £50,000 goal)

Mohammed Almashni (@barhoomsblog, @hemma2024, @mariam98sblogs): Mohammed and his wife Mariam have a 7-month-old baby who was born during this war. Mohammed used to be a universitiy lecturer, but they now struggle to even buy baby milk. They wish to evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/00043700) (vetted by @/gazavetters and #137 on their vetted list, shared by 90-ghost) (€262 raised of €45 000 target)

Heba Alturk & Mohammad Elshikhdeeb (@hibaalturk): Heba and her husband Mohammad have a son Ziad who was born last November in this war. They are now displaced and living in a tent. They wish to evacuate out of Gaza.  (https://gofund.me/02013ad8) (#1090 on the Butterfly Effect Project vetted list)

Shahd (@girlhope-3): Shahd is 18 years old and is a university English literature student. She is with her elderly parents in Gaza. Her mother needs a knee replacement surgery.  She has been displaced and her uni bombed. They wish to evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/9d2b517d) (#161 on @/gazavetters vetted list, shared by 90-ghost) (€36 raised of €10,000 goal)

Iyad Alanqer (@eyadalanqar):Iyad and his family’s house have been destroyed. He, his family, and several young nieces and nephews are now displaced. Iyad suffers from the effect of inhaling phosphorous, and now has respiratory issues. Their tent has recently been bombed, and several of his nephews and niences have been killled and injured. They wish to evacuate out of Gaza. (https://gofund.me/c1eb7f61) (#24 on @/gazavetters vetted list, vetted by nabulsi) (€2,248 raised of €40,000 goal)

Mohammad Al-Khaldi (@mohammedalkhaldi99, @mohammedsupport): Mohammad was supposed to marry his fiancee on 12 Oct, 2023. Their house has been bombed, his family house has been bombed, and he was injured in the head on the day he was supposed to get married. They are now displaced and living in a tent. (https://gofund.me/c106ac9c) (#57 on @/gazavetters vetted list, Family #197 on PaliLiberation vetted list)

Click here for my Google Doc with my complete masterlist of all the Palestinian gfm asks I've received, updated daily (along with other verified ways to send aid to Gaza).

How are gfm campaigns vetted?  See here, here, here and here.

See post here for other verified ways to send aid to Gaza.

Don't forget your Daily Clicks on Arab.org, it's free!!! and Every click made is registered in their system and generates donation from sponsors/advertisers.

See links below for my Masterlists of Vetted Fundraisers from the Palestinians who sent me asks for if you want to help more people! As well as resources for palestinian students if you are a palestinian student!

Masterlists of Vetted Fundraisers

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 13 - 25 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 26 -29 July.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 30 July - 1 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 - 5 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 6 - 10 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 11 - 14 August.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 15 - 18 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 19 - 21 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundrasiers from 22 - 24 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 25 - 28 August

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 29 August - 1 September

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 2 - 5 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 6-10 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 11-14 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 15-18 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 19-22 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 23-26 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 27-30 September.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 1-4 October.

Click here for my Masterlist for fundraisers from 5-9 October.

Resources for Palestinian Students!

Initiatives and resources to support Palestinian students, academics and universities:

This is a list of initiatives and resources for Gazan students seeking to complete their studies, including initiatives, resources, training and scholarships. See list here.

Scholarships for Displaced Palestinian students:

Putting this here for the palestininans who follow me: If you are a displaced Palestinian student looking to fund your education, this document lists the scholarships available around the world for displaced Palestinian students.

[4th-make-quail]

Big Bang anon here! I was just looking for some challenging event to participate this winter, and wanted to know your opinion because you have a lot of fandom experience! And YES I also noticed that a lot of Big Bang challenges currently are like "minimum word count is 5k words", and no shade to mods but that's not a challenge skdjdhdjl

Do you have a favorite fandom event type? Care to share your best fandom event experience?

Good morning nonny! Ahhh I see, okay I getcha!! There are quite a few longer word count fandom exchanges if you're into those, but the winter ones are already well in progress iirc!

One good place to check for events like this is fandom calendar on dreamwidth - people advertise their stuff on there regularly (no need to make a dw account to look at it either).

If you want a longer event, I have a few friends who do the three longer minimum word count exchanges and they have fun, so here they are;

- Fic in a Box (fiab): a fanwork exchange with a large minimum gifting requirement and several unique features - this one is complicated, so check out the comm link! Unfortunately this one is well and truly over now, but it's there for next year - schedule is around August to September!

- Five Figure Fandom Exchange (fffx or fandom 5k): a multifandom gift exchange for fanfic of 10,000+ words, and for comics of least 10 pages or at least 40 panels. Currently ongoing, but there are pinch hits in need of picking up! Deadline is January 18th, so if you can write a pinch hit fandom, you could try that!

- High Adrenaline (previously Heart Attack): two weeks to write 10k (or draw a 25-panel, 10-page comic) and one week to edit. Noms open in January!

Completing all three of these makes you eligible for Triple Crown, which is a prize raffle for all three of these 10k exchanges.

For the next few months, most people will be doing Yuletide which I've talked about a bit here before, but it has a 1000 word minimum so might be of less interest to you if you wanted a challenge. Pinch hits for yuletide are being posted here this year, but there aren't any available rn, and as yuletide is for rare fandoms, ymmv as to how possible this is for you anyway.

The next thing I will personally be participating in is Candy Hearts, which is a valentines day themed low word count (300 words) exchange, schedule usually starting with noms in December. This replaces chocolate box which used to run at the same time, and it's really fun!

Others I usually do regularly:

- Seasons of Drabbles: new to me but very fun, has a new round every season! For strict drabbles specifically, currently in its autumn round so there will be a winter one to come I imagine!

- Goreswap: an exchange for gore etc, with genre type tags to pick. Schedule starts with noms in January usually! Not one I've done, but I have friends who love it and do it every year.

- Phoenix Down Exchange: my own full Final Fantasy franchise exchange, set to start noms in Feb as last year

- Rarepair Exchange: as it sounds, for rarepairs! Check the comm for definition of minimum fics required to be eligible. Usually starts around April

- Rare Male Slash Exchange: as rarepair ex above, but for m/m ships only and again with specific minimum fic number eligibility. This is older than rpe, but as it tends to run on a similar schedule (noms in May last year) I've not done it for the last two years

- Relationshipping: for incest ships! The last round was July to August, but it conflicted with other fan stuff for me so I didn't do this for a bit as well. Run by some very good people

Some others I know about from my exchange crew participing but have never personally done: kids come first (underage themed), consent issues (dub/noncon themed), trauma exchange (as the name suggests), trick or treat (complicated, I think halloween theme?? Unsure), nonconathon (dub/noncon, but with very fun freeform tags to pick and nominate), and then there are usually a hell of a lot of flash exchanges around as well, which run on quick turnarounds - you could try joining the Exchanges After Dark discord server, which is an 18+ nsfw server for exchanges. It's very big and has a channel for every exchange, so the best thing to do is mute them all apart from what ur interested in ime! It also has a fandomcalendar rss feed channel which could be relevant if u wanna see what's coming up!

As for your second question, my favourite fandom event experience is probably Unconventional Fanworks Exchange, which is unfortunately didn't run last year and I'm not sure if it will again 😭😭 its an exchange for, well, unconventional fanwork mediums, and I've had so much fun challenging myself in the two rounds I've participated in! They had things like newspaper articles, in universe academic documents, blueprints, paper dolls, all sorts! I'm hoping someone might take it over tbh, if the mod can't run it again.

Also, this year I did Small Web September for the first time and had sooo much fun! It's for working on any smallweb projects you might have; personal sites, neocities, coding etc. and it had a really great vibe, plus it was super fun seeing everyone's smallweb projects! Very inspiring!!

This ended up very long, but as u can see I am very passionate about these things! I run my entire fannish calendar around exchanges mixed with event weeks and I find it very rewarding - I'm always happy to introduce anyone to exchanges and talk through how to participate etc. so anyone can ask me about this at any time!

[thegroovyarchives]

Breakfast Products Advertisement From the September, 1979 issue of Better Homes And Gardens Magazine (via: archive.org)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

According to a New York Times/Siena battleground state poll, voters in the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin overwhelmingly believe that society should accept transgender people as the gender they identify with. These same voters also support Democratic Senate candidates in these states, despite tens of millions of dollars spent on anti-trans advertisements targeting them. This data raises doubts about the effectiveness of such ads in swaying voters toward Republicans, as similar efforts have failed in the past. The numbers come at a time when national anti-trans ad campaigns are being launched, aimed at Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris. According to the latest New York Times/Siena poll in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, 56% of voters agreed with the statement, "Society should accept transgender people as having the gender they identify with," while 34% agreed with the statement, "Society should NOT accept transgender people as having the gender they identify with." Support for transgender acceptance was even higher among women (64% to 28%) and Independents (58% to 28%). Even rural and small-town voters in battleground states indicated, by a narrow margin (45% to 43%), that transgender people should be accepted as their identified gender, indicating that assumptions about small towns in battleground states could be challenged as acceptance continues to improve.

[...] The polls come amidst news that Republicans have gone all-in on anti-transgender advertising in the past month. In September, one of the most prolific Republican Senate super PACs, the Senate Leadership Fund, announced it would spend $80 million in Ohio alone, far surpassing anti-trans ad spending in previous years. The majority of these ads target the aforementioned senators on transgender issues. For example, one ad in Wisconsin claims, “Tammy Baldwin supported puberty blockers and sex change surgeries for kids, and would force women’s shelters to admit biological men. She’s too extreme for Wisconsin.” Another ad targets Sherrod Brown, stating, “Sherrod Brown supported allowing sex change surgeries for kids.” The group has produced nearly 40 anti-transgender ads in battleground states and tight Senate races, including Montana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with some readers reporting hearing the ads very often in those states.

Republicans have also launched national anti-trans advertisements targeting Kamala Harris. The Trump campaign has released a new ad titled “Kamala is for They/Them,” which highlights Harris’s purported support for gender-affirming care for incarcerated transgender individuals. Reports from readers suggest these ads are airing during football games nationwide, signaling that the Trump campaign is doubling down on an anti-transgender platform, hoping it will deliver a political advantage in the upcoming election.

[...] Polling on specific transgender issues—such as sports participation and gender-affirming care for youth—often varies widely depending on how questions are framed. However, a few constants have emerged across nearly all polls. People generally see the issue as low in importance and believe it does not impact their daily lives, ranking LGBTQ+/Trans issues among the lowest issues of importance to their vote and calling them a distraction in recent polls. While many have personal opinions about transgender care for youth, most do not want politicians legislating it, preferring that these decisions be left to parents and families. Additionally, there is growing opposition to outright bans on transgender care for youth, as seen in the latest Gallup poll.

A NYT/Siena College poll of 3 critical swing states for the Senate (2 for the Presidency) of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio conducted between September 21st and 26th reveals that a majority of voters believe society should accept trans people as their gender.

[nickmaghighlights]

Nick Mag Highlights - Nick Mag Presents: Danny Phantom (Fall 2005)

Well, well, well, fancy meeting you here. Welcome back to my blog and the words that inhabit it. Today, Halloween comes early this year when we read through another exciting issue of Nickelodeon Magazine Presents, this time all about Danny Phantom. Boo! Trick-or-Treat! Deck the halls!

And not only is this edition of Nick Mag Highlights spooky, it’s also… pretty chill. Y’know? Just takin’ it easy, reading a handful of comics and probably a crossword puzzle or something. As much as I love researching the kind of stuff Nickelodeon Magazine includes in its articles, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and take things at face value and just see what the state of Nickelodeon was like at any given time, and these short-and-sweet issues of Nick Mag Presents are the perfect venue for just that.

But why exactly am I tackling this purportedly Halloween-themed issue in August? Well, mainly it’s because that new Danny Phantom graphic novel just came out… two weeks ago (oops). And I really enjoyed it! So I’ve since been in a big Danny Phantom mood lately. I even ended up re-watching the whole first season and had a blast doing so. This show was a real obsession of mine as a kid, so maybe this blog post is also a way for me to give it its dues.

This issue can be found online here, read along… if you dare!

Another Nick Mag Presents, another humorously wordy introduction. If you’re unfamiliar, basically all these Presents-styled issues have a panel on the first page with a character essentially advertising the book to you and talking about all the comics and activities included inside. This one here features Danny and an understandably perturbed ghost, for example. 

Since these issues were usually sold in stores as opposed to through a mail subscription, I suppose this is the issue’s way of hooking you in and explaining to you why you should buy it. I think a kid would probably be more inclined to just flip through the book and arrive at the same conclusion, but I guess this approach doesn’t hurt anybody.

But anyway, let’s see here… aw, only two wholly new comics? The Fairly Oddparents-themed issue I took a look at previously had five original comics. That’s a bummer, but at least we’ve still got variety… SpongeBob, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and The Wild Thornberrys, oh my! Even Tak makes an appearance here, two years before the premiere of his actual Nickelodeon cartoon, meaning this was an attempt to interest readers in the then-recently released video game: Tak 3: The Great Juju Challenge. Not sure if that worked.

And if you’ll take a look at that yellow, spiky bubble with words on the right there, this September 2005 issue is meant to coincide with the then-upcoming two episode-long Danny Phantom special, “The Ultimate Enemy”, which featured Danny taking on a more powerful version of himself from the future. Seems like the included removable poster is even themed around that very episode! Let’s just hope that poster is still left intact, eh?

So first up, we’ve got a page to get you up to speed on the main cast if you’re new to the show. It’s even got some new factoids for the already familiar superfans! For example: Did you know Sam is into anime? I sure didn’t.

Oh, and if you’re wondering where series villain Vlad Masters is, don’t worry, they go over him later on in the book.

On the right you’ll find an easy if not slightly amusing word puzzle, which tasks you with solving questions where each answer contains the word boo. Simple enough for a kid while still being worth the time, methinks.

Although all the stock ghost art on the page gets me wondering, how come most of the ghosts in the show manifest as typical-looking cartoon ghosts while others manifest in a human form? I guess maybe it comes down to the strength of your spirit. Who’s to say?

You’ve met the characters, now it’s time to meet the voices behind them! I’ll always take a side of interviews with my Nickelodeon Magazine, and this is no exception. The questions are cute, and I had fun reading them. Not much to say.

So we’re finally here at the first comic of the issue, and… not really a fan of this one! Yeah, sorry to start this retrospective off on a sour note but this isn’t really doing it for me. The main villain of this one is Youngblood, who already isn’t exactly one of my favorite villains from the series. But here they’ve got him and all the other characters stuck in a pretty by-the-numbers plot where Danny and co. get stuck babysitting the brat while he tries to maim them, with them of course unable to fight back lest they face the wrath of his parents (who are humongous lizard monsters, for some reason). 

If you’re even a little familiar with cartoons you’ve probably already seen quite a few takes on this formula already. And even if you like Youngblood as a character they don’t have him doing his usual pirate shtick he’s remembered for, so I’m not sure what anyone is getting out of this, really. What's especially not helping is that this goes on for ten pages, further dragging out an already tired concept. 

So there you have it, I guess. Done-to-death story with accordingly done-to-death jokes, a lame villain, and about two pages of action. I will say though, Danny and Tucker’s babysitting poster on page 2 did get a smile out of me, at least.

You’ve met the characters, and you’ve also met the voices behind them, now it’s time to meet… the rest of the characters! The villain ones! These guys really made the show for me, cause the team behind the show really just seemed to understand the assignment and made all of them really unique and memorable.

So we can see they’ve been ranked in terms of how dangerous they all are, which is a fun idea. ‘Course you’ve got Vlad at the top of, but then there’s Technus just behind him? I can’t say I remember him being notably more dangerous than any of the other baddies, I’m fairly certain he gets swept up at the end of his specific episode just like all the rest. I’m pretty sure Valerie gave Danny a bigger run for his money, and she’s down at #3.

Woah now, I’m starting to scrutinize the power levels of cartoon characters. Cartoon characters from a show I haven’t even fully watched all the way through since I was a kid, no less. Better put a stop to that before it gets ugly.

Cool little cartoons on the left there, that one on the top right is properly devious and I’m all for it. All the art is quite lovely too.

The right is… well, it’s Mad Libs, there’s no other way around it. Y’know the Mad Libs website refers to itself as “the world’s greatest word game” but I seriously think they need to take that up with Scrabble, or hell, even Hangman. Yeah I was never a big fan of this kind of fill-in-the-blanks stuff, but I guess it’s a pretty inoffensive activity to include.

Check out Danny’s dad rocking that emo hair.

And now we’ve made it to the second and last new comic for the issue, and unfortunately it’s only a two-pager. But hey, if my thoughts on the previous ten-page comic said anything, it was that I prefer quality over quantity. And this one is… okay. It’s funny enough, does what all it needs to with the concept, and it definitely doesn’t overstay its welcome. I’m again surprised by the lack of action in both of these comics, considering Danny Phantom is an action show, after all, but it’s not like the show wasn’t a comedy either, so it’s not that weird.

I guess while we’re here I could nitpick it a bit. The lineart here courtesy of series creator Butch Hartman* is a bit wonky at times. There’s the aforementioned emo hair Danny’s dad is wearing, but my main gripe is that dog robot just doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the artstyle. It being the only new original character design for this comic as well doesn’t seem like a coincidence to me. I guess the team was fine with whatever Hartman drew because he made the show after all, so surely he knows what he’s doing, right?*

*Insert obligatory comment about how much of a loser Butch Hartman is here.

Just want to give a shoutout to this pretty creative puzzle here. It actually stumped me a little when I first read it! Those monster designs are pretty entertaining too. Solid activity overall.

Next up it’s an installment of Sam Shade, which was a short-lived recurring series in Nickelodeon Magazine. Apparently the series ran from 2002 to 2005, so this may be one of the last times a Sam Shade comic was ever printed in a Nick Magazine. 

These comics mainly consist of the titular Detective Sam Shade trying to solve some mystery, sleuthing around the area in a series of detailed, wordy scenes. Likewise, you as the reader are as well tasked with scouring the pages for clues to help deduce the culprit. Each panel here smoothly moves into the next, making for something like a Where’s Waldo puzzle but with an actual narrative. It’s a really good idea! A shame this series didn’t last longer.

Hey, is that Carl from Jimmy Neutron on the bottom right there?

Pretty nice My Life as a Teenage Robot comic here. Although that’s kind of unfortunate in a way, since that means I haven’t got much to talk about! It’s pretty much a 1-to-1 translation from animation to comic here. The artstyle and writing are both on point, it’s all just in a shorter, more paper-y format.

I wonder why the aliens’ speech bubble has flowers in it. Is that a theater reference, maybe?

The design of these fiery aliens are particularly awesome - simple but effective. I’m surprised they used such a cool design in a comic that was going to be seen by way less people as opposed to using it in the cartoon. Man, this show is so cool, even its supplementary media is stylish!

But anyway, do you want to know how this story ends? Read it yourself!

Ohh man, I distinctly remember this comic. I don’t remember what issue of Nickelodeon Magazine this one is sourced from, but whichever one it was, I had it. The story’s nothing to write home about really, It's another take on the age old tale of “Squidward yells at SpongeBob and Patrick for doing something annoying, so they inadvertently ruin his life”. Squidward must have a really good lawyer for him to be able to bounce back from all the crap SpongeBob and Pat get him into.

This version of the usual story has S. Bob and P. Rick making a cake in Squidward’s image. Mr. Krabs ends up mistaking it for the real Squidward, bringing it to the Krusty Krab, and having it run the cash register, obviously to disastrous results. It’s all pretty par for the course, and there’s some funny lines to be had.

Weirdly though, unless I’m blind, I can’t seem to find any credits for this one. Not in the comic itself or at the back of the book. I’m pretty sure the artist(s) behind this one did more SpongeBob SquarePants comics though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the same writing team had a hand in them too. I distinctly remember one where all the characters turn into desserts. Or maybe it was an alternate universe where they’re all desserts? Something like that. Maybe I’ll find it and cover it on this blog someday!

And up next, it’s a Wild Thornberrys comic of all things (said with feigned surprise, having read the table of contents moments ago). And I’m just now realizing none of these comics have anything to do with ghosts, or horror, really. Quite the magazine you’ve got just in time for October, Nickelodeon!

But hey, it’s not right to judge a piece of art specifically by the context in which it is presented. Especially when it was originally published in a magazine that likely came out years earlier, probably not even around the month of October. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that, even when it comes to filling the pages of a magazine.

This comic is especially cool, anyway, as you can no doubt tell from its distinct shakeup in style!

The story has Eliza receiving some gifts from her Japanese friend, Mayumi (who was probably in the show, presumably), one of those gifts being a homemade manga. And while I’m not exactly an expert on the Japanese arts, I certainly find this art convincing and really appreciate the attention to detail. I bet any kids that were fans of manga around this time must have felt pretty seen to have one of their hobbies referenced in a rather unlikely place, and with such attention to detail no less.

One thing I can also appreciate is that this story really isn’t something they could have pulled off in the show itself (unless they studio really wanted to have an anime-themed episode and go through the undertaking of doing an episode in an entirely different, foreign animation style all on their usual budget), so overall this is a really fun idea done quite flawlessly. My only gripe is we don’t get to see a manga-styled Nigel Thornberry, but what can you do?

Oh boy, the Tak comic, cool. Now, I know these games have their fans, but I can’t say I’m one of them. I did watch the show a bit though, but I’ve heard it has nothing to do with the games, so I guess that makes me rather unprepared to tackle this two-page comic on an intellectual, researched level. I will say though that I think the Sam Shade comic from earlier pulled off this style of free-flowing, no-panel storytelling to a much greater effect. The amount of Taks they threw around the page makes it feel really busy and cramped, and they had to essentially remove the second character Tak is traveling with from the story since I guess they were strapped for page space.

But yeah, the colors are nice at least, and Tak media is especially hard to come by nowadays, so I suppose if I were more into the property, I might be more into this.

Last comic of the day, and it’s Jimmy Neutron. At least this one kinda fits the theme, I mean, aliens are almost in the same horror-league as vampires, zombies, ghosts, and all that. This is a pretty quality one to end off the book with, and in regards to Jimmy Neutron, this is one of the better ways these characters have been translated to 2D. Although the incredibly warm colors and harsh shadows throw me for a loop. Pretty good overall!

Before we wrap things up, I would like to mention that advert for The Nicktoons Film Festival on the right. I totally forgot these used to be a thing! From 2004 to 2009 Nickelodeon hosted a film festival and let viewers vote for their favorite animated short, along with letting proper animation people who know what they’re talking about vote on their favorites, too. Lots of great up-and-coming cartoonists took part in these festivals. This one in 2005 actually featured a short by J. G. Quintel that eventually was used as a basis for his own Cartoon Network show, Regular Show! You can check the short out below:

Neat bit of history there, yeah?

Even though I’m still a bit disappointed this issue didn’t include more original content, I still think this ended up being a fairly entertaining walk down memory lane. And hey, I hope you had a good time too. I’m doubly disappointed, however, that the archive of this issue didn’t come with that tear-out poster! Now we’ll never see it in its full hi-def glory.

As always, thanks for stopping by and checking out another bit of Nick history with me. Have yourself a good one, and I’ll see you all next time!