#am i aware i kinda just made the fursonas

[writing-good-vibes]

i will gladly talk about the silly little guys

you're so right, they are silly little guys !! our silly little guys !! 💗

honestly, i love just playing with them like dolls, making them suffer or just smashing them together in some pantomime of romance lol. and i'm sorry to all the barbie girlies (gn) out there, i only had one barbie and i never really played with her, but what i did fuck with was sylvanian families !! [was anyone gonna tell me they're called calico critters in america ??]

unfortunately this comparision got stuck in my head so brace yourselves for the sylvaniansonas i've picked for them below the cut, as well as a little break-down of why i generally like each pairing.

corey: a chestnut dog. he's got curly-adjacent hair and a sort of youthful, go getter vibe. i think his fur would be a little bit darker, than this picture, but the length feels right. he's playful and wide-eyed and is not at all prepared for what his future is going to bring.

roger: a dalmatian. i feel like dalmatians are a little more classy and sophisticated, but still a large and intimidating breed, which is perfect for roger who is an upper-middle class gentleman. his dark patches might be greying a little bit, but he's handsome.

michael: a hound dog. strong and rugged. of course michael would be a little more gnarly, a little mangy maybe, with his fair share of scars and only one eye, but he's a hardy breed -- he'll survive to fight another day. i also kind of love how he and corey have the same central white patch on their faces, like corey is the slightly more plucky prodigy.

bo: a border collie. a very loyal and protective breed. it makes sense with bo being so orientated towards the family business (even if it's to a toxic degree) that he'd be a working breed. long fur means he can look a little dishevelled if not groomed, but there's something kind of majestic about him regardless.

because i've been watching soap operas for basically my whole life, i think corey and roger's affair is pretty much a storyline i would have come up with as a kid for my sylvanian family dolls. betrayal, heartbreak and villainy were staples of my imaginary world lol maybe back then i would have let theresa have her revenge but nowadays our silly little guys have to wallow in their own secret guilt.

i think the reason i love corey and roger so much is because even though there is the very serious and almost dark reality of them being together, it's also very fun to play around with them !! they have this very pop-culture romance, to me at least. there's so many ways you can play it; it's playful and dangerous and erotic and problematic and golden and dirty. it basically boils down to the contrast of fucked up suburbia (they're having this taboo affair, with both an age difference and power imbalance, corey is inexperienced and depending how you look at is, is being used because he's kind of just desperate for someone to want him) and a flirty summer romance (corey sort of has this idea of who roger wants him to be -- this playful, sweet young thing who's easy and insatiable, with rosy cheeks and who needs to be taken under this older man's wing, needs to be taken care of).

my love for corey and bo kind of comes from how they're both fucked up, and absolutely bring out the worst in each other, but ultimately they're similar (in whatever bad ways that might be) and it lets them be just a little bit vulnerable. they're violent and macho and their libido's are heavily adrenaline induced, it's rough and ready and it's what they both want before they let the bravado fall away. i sort of see their relationship as similar to the one corey would have with michael, only set on a much more levelled playing field.

now, corey and michael might be my most cherished pairing ever, which is saying a lot because i've been in this game for almost 10 years. ive talk about them so much in past posts that i won't rehash it too much here, but basically: corey found god and that god is michael. they're never going to be equals, they'll never have a normal, healthy relationship, they're always going to be on a knife's edge of michael's tolerance and corey's manipulation. but it's that intensity that makes corey fall head over heels, it's the unabashed danger and eroticism and power that makes corey weak at the knees. think unrequited love in an established relationship.

[threehuskiesinatrenchcoat]

Istg each time I read your username, I start associating Graves a bit more with huskies. His fursona is a husky huehehuehehe

On another note, I am here to bring before you another offering, oh great one. Indeed, it is another dead bird! Oh what wonder! Oh what joy this bird shall bring! Can you tell I‘m writing this way too late at night? Also, ohoho?! A college au? I‘m all ears, please do tell once you’re ready. 👀

I kinda wanted to write a first meeting for the "Graves moves to Las Almas when he’s young and meets Alejandro" au, so I did. It took me a bit, but still. Btw just as a question, would it be alright for me to post the dark au drabble on ao3 and put a link to your art in the description? I kinda wanna contribute to the tag over there, but do horribly with any kind of fic longer than 1k words.

Well anyways, enjoy!

The sun beat down onto the dusty streets relentlessly. Alejandro kicked a pebble into the gutter and smirked victoriously at his best friend, who simply rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you had skills like me, Valeria would be interested in you, hermano." He evaded the other’s vicious attack and cackled, not letting up his teasing. "After last week’s mess up in English class, you might want to actually impress her."

Rudy just tried to hit the back of his head again, his face red as a beet. "Cállate, cabrón! You’re the worst- and I wasn’t even trying to impress her!"

By Ale‘s shit eating grin it was clear that he didn’t believe a word his friend said. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Rudy merely looked away, ignoring the other’s laugh.

They soon arrived at school, a few students mingling about in the sparsely shadowed yard, an escape from the heat provided only by the school roof‘s overhang and dry looking trees. Classes would start soon anyways, so they didn’t bother finding a place to sit outside, making their way towards their classroom. It was an old school, the hallways a squeaky linoleum, but some of the rooms themselves still had floorboards just like their‘s did. They creaked when you put too much weight on them or took any kind of step. Alejandro did take a step backwards when he first crossed the threshold. In the back of the room, next to the window, sat someone he‘d never seen in any of his classes before. The stranger had short, sand coloured hair and, most importantly, Alejandro noted, the bluest eyes staring right at him. Instantly, he was aware of his appearance, how his hair just wouldn’t lie right today, his shirt that definitely wasn’t a bad one but also not his nicest, that he probably looked stupid just standing there-

"Huh, I didn’t know we‘d get a new student this year", Rudy noted nonchalantly, as if there wasn’t a cute guy sitting on Alejandro’s assigned seat, and stepped around his frozen form blocking part of the doorway. He made his way over to the guy. "Hey, you’re new, right? I‘m Rudy."

The stranger shook the offered hand and introduced himself. "Phillip, how‘s it going?" His American accent was strong, Alejandro noticed, and sadly very charming. Rudy smiled politely.

"I’m good, thanks, I just wanted to ask if Señora Rivera told you to sit here?" Before Phillip could answer, Alejandro had stridden over and motioned to the seat he was occupying. "That’s mine. You can’t sit here." What a great way to talk to the cute new guy; he wished the ground would just open up and swallow him whole.

Said guy also didn’t like his tone and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. "I got this seat assigned, so fuck off." Before anyone else could be insulted, the teacher stepped into the room, hair pulled back tight and gaze sharp.

"Ah, Vargas, Parra, good to see you‘re already getting acquainted with our newest addition. I was hoping you two would show him around after class; we don’t want him to get lost on the first day, do we? Your new seats are one to the left." Just a quickly as she had entered, she had left, some papers in her hands, probably to go copy them like always, leaving Phillip and Alejandro staring at each other, one smug, the other angry. Rodolfo sighed, sensing a headache from a mile away.

teehee i was thinking more of a husky wolf mix cuz my man is edgy like that but also riddled with adhd. yes i was thinking about it. why and don't worry im answering this at like 5am sipping on my coffee cuz insomnia and i decided might as well pull an all nighter and do some work but im here now instead lol also yes omg of course you can post it!! giggling excitedly. but also like yeah me too damn😭 i barely post anything i write because it's always tiny drabbles i wrote at 3am for a bunch of different ideas stuck forever in my notes and google docs lol

anyway. i fucking adore you i hope you know that.

i love ale and rudy's banter at the beginning it's so sweet i just ughhh this is how i always imagined their friendship and this is absolutely how they would be in their younger days. like are you even friends if you don't bully each other from time to time

also the way ale instanly starts mentally assessing if he looks good and cool enough because he wants this cute new guy to like him and then immediately fails miserably 😭😭 he's so pathetic i love him and the way they start off very wrong and rudy is already so done with it. and the way ale was just bullying rudy for failing to impress val and the next moment he tremendously fucks up trying to impress graves lmao

[fawningoveradream]

Tagged by: @nebulariclover

I decided to backtrack some past posts and rbs and tags associated with my tumblr url. Idk how I missed this! Sorry for the VERY late response.

Rules: 1.) Post the rules. 2.) Answer the questions given to you by your tagger 3.) Write 11 questions of your own, and 4.) Tag 11 people!

1.) What bands/musicians would you like to see in concert?

Idk? I've never really been to a formal concert other than me participating in my middle school's orchestra--aaaaaaand perhaps the occasional local country band at a bar or art fest in my city's downtown district.

I'd say I would like to one day hear The Orion Experience, The Hu a popular Mongolian folk-band, or Kendrick Lamar.

2.) What is your idea of a perfect day?

Just going out to places with my partner! I'd love to just explore either a local nature spot with em or check out some roadside attractions. I'd even settle for some group artistic project day!

I also sometimes dream of one day having a nice picnic date with em or invite some friends and have a large picnic group date out in nature or a lovely park. Getting a lil drunk or just drinking, swapping stories, sharing foods we baked or made.

3.) Would you rather never be able to listen to music or never be able to watch cable?

Never be able to watch cable. I spent my whole life for a long time not having access to cable tv and only had the standard tv channels. I'll live!! PBS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO MY CHILDHOOD!!!

I can't live every day life without listening to my favorite songs. I'd go crazy. What you mean I can't listen to The Mamas and The Papas??? What you mean I can't listen to the soundtrack of the Muppet's Movie (1979)?! What you mean no more Lil Nas X??! NO BILL WITHERS!? NO GLORIA GAYNOR--NO EARTHA KITT?!!!

4.) What talents do you have that you're especially proud of?

I know how to sew patches onto jackets really well! I can come up with real interesting creatures with a full background and appearance. I go full-in when it comes to abstract and often mismatched acrylic paints with scenery.

I've been told that I'm a very good baker! And dogs love me!

5.) Who are your favorite characters? **I did this list in no listed order; just from top of my head

Courage the Cowardly Dog

My many fursonas

Kermit the Frog

Lupin the 3rd and Inspector Zenigata!

The Combaticons (transformers g1)

Bulkhead & Prowl from TFA (Transformers Animated)

Kaon from the DJD

Scooby-Doo

Captain Sisko, Jadzia Dax, Odo, Julian Bashir, Jake Sisko, Quark, Miles O'Brien, Worf, Garak (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

6.) Do you like to sing?

I don't sing in public. I'm kinda self-conscious about the sound of my voice. And I'm aware that I tend to have breaks/sqweaks in my voice when I try to sing. I do sing when its just myself (majority of time), with my partner in their car, or when out drinking with friends at bars.

7.) What helps you sleep?

Ceiling fan ON (medium speed majority of time *depends on the sound the fan makes; if majority is silent then high speed). Temperature must be around 73*F with AC on cool setting - auto

Sleep only in my boxers

Covers consist of my bed's main semi-thick quilt cover and a cotton bed sheet.

Pillows fluffy but maintain shape and don't cover my face/nose area. My pillow sheets are also cooling sensitive as well if I need to flip it onto its otherside if I wake up warm.

I am a stomach sleeper who also likes to be semi-covered under into my bedsheets.

8.) If you could have 4 superpowers to have, what would they be?

Animal shapeshifting

Regeneration/Health restoration power

Water Breathing/Seeing *Aquatic superpower??

Lightening power

9.) Do you prefer dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate?

I've been slowly turned into a lover of dark chocolate. HOWEVER I am, still, and always will be weak for the sweet stuff that is milk chocolate!

10.) What are your hobbies?

I like to draw or doodle my fursonas, I like to also paint scenery on canvases, I also like to sew. Baking is also a small hobby of mine. I also like to catch up on some reading as well. Poetry and writing stories use to be an old passion of mine, but I've kind of abandoned it. Or just really struggle to get back into completing it once I've started.

I also like taking care of my ginseng bonsai tree Gordon! And taking walks outside with my dog ranger is also pretty fun too!

11.) Where would you love to live?

In my biggest dreams? In the Philippines near Olongapo or Manila city where a big part of my fam live curretly in.

A list of other places I'd love to live in:

Austrian or Swiss Alps. I like cold weather, and I don't mind being surrounded by deep woods.

Portugal

Spain

If realistically and here in the USA. I'd love to stay here in the south-east coastal region. Cause its where I've grown up in. But with the current culture and anti-lgbt/trans laws and stripping of human rights. I might have to consider moving up north or some state out west thats a safe haven or tolerable. But also has job opportunities related to my own and/or my partners interests/career choice.

11 questions for who I'm tagging:

1.) What's a plant, flower, veggie, fungi, or fruit you've always wanted to grow on your own. But can't due to circumstances or just not having a green thumb?

2.) Do you have a fursona what is their name and species? If you have multiple fursonas which one is your most favorite? Why?

3.) Do you have a favorite song?

4.) Are you currently happy with the job you have right now?

5.) If you were given the chance to live your eternal life as an immortal (in this case never growing old but still being "just some dude" w/ a meatbag body) would you take it? What would you be doing with all that time?

6.) What's your favorite penguin? Why?

7.) Do you have a signature dish (food)? Either that you can make or food that you associate yourself with? Bonus points if you do both!

8.) Whats a specific scene in a movie, show, book, or game that brought you to emotional tears growing up?

9.) Do you think werewolves need to take heartworm and flea & tick medication every month? Do you think in werewolf worlds they got themselves a werewolf positive vet who gives em this medication? Or is there like some elaborate illegal selling of heartworm + flea and tick medication scheme? Do you think in a werewolf world do humans (or humans who are werewolves themselves) privatize medicare for werewolves?

10.) Do you have a fave color you wish you could add to your wardrobe of clothing you have?

11.) How do you manage your emotions when your angry or sad?

Tagging: @jacobtheloofah , @lohboh , @dolphin-damsel , @twinktodapast , @silly-bean , @fiddledy-dee , @vulturereyy , @caydebug , @cantabilechaos , @dkpsyhog , and @jammings

Feel free to ignore my tag if you don't wanna participate!! I just thought it would be fun to take a try on this. It really got me thinking about my early days here on tumblr.

[crimsonandcloverwrites]

bhah ch7 can’t stop won’t stop

lmao Dani being like ‘we should wait to discuss kids til after we’re married’ yes doesn’t seem like a giant thing u should make sure u agree on before u make a major commitment at all

Dani is so in love with Jamie sdjkhdfkjg driving to her house on instinct and just like...gazing at her in her old t-shirt and sweats like you’ve finally seen the light girl just kiss her already

god I can’t believe I have 2 more chapters of them as adults just being the absolute perfect match for each other to get through before they finally kiss in ch 11 (i’m maninfesting it no one say anything) I am literally going to scream. Dani will like... feel a little off and it’s all “i need to go to Jamie’s house and also tell Jamie everything and she will make me tea and let me be myself without all the expectations and I will feel better” I AM VERY HAPPY SHE CAN BE THAT FOR YOU BUT ALSO CAN YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE MS CLAYTON (actually I think she kind of does but she must extract herself from her real life first I guess)

oh no the new chapter is almost here I still have so much to read

forget ‘there was only one bed’ this is now a ‘there was only one tent’ stan blog only

thirsty Dani truly is the funniest I am so sorry ur suffering is so entertaining. Dani: literally whacks her finger with a mallet bc horny for Jamie. Me: uncontrollable chortling

the idea of Dani wrangling 8 year olds that are probably just about as tall as her is too funny. tiny legend

aww the lil background Hannah and Owen moments. cute

Dani in a big ol’ straw hat pls that’s so cute

this Jackie and Jamie situation..... GIVE US THE DEETS

hmmmmnnnnnngggg Jamie just straight down on her knees in front of Dani to tie her shoe lace I will absolutely let u have this gay panic Dani u don’t deserve to be made fun of right now

Jamie “I have a story” absolutely NOT

Viola, emerging from the lake in this no ghosts childhood friends story: surprise bitch

these two drunk idiots are literally teenagers dsjkhdfkgjh just get in ur tent

Dani, drunk in a tiny tent w the love of her life: hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me

when we finally get a Jamie on her knees redemption moment-

Dani, drunk in a tiny tent w the love of her life currently taking her clothing off: oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck (y’all really wanted to torture her this chapt huh?)

“dawn was a saffron colored suggestion peeking through a pinhole gap in the tent’s zipper” god that’s a pretty sentence can i pls borrow some talent

Jamie and Dani w kids is sooooo cute they have such a nice balance between them

just thinking about if teenage Jamie desperately in love w her bestie could see things now Dani being all into her w all her lingering looks etc how the fuckin turn tables

“Dani kept a firm grip on her sanity” lol

oh my god they’re both drenched in the tent w the soft lamplight and only their own bodyheat to keep warm whatever will they do

oh wait they also have the heat of their burning attraction to each other they’ll be toasty as anything

hhhhngggg abs

that’s like 4 mentions of Jamie on her knees aklhfdkjgkdjh enough

lads is it gay to imagine running ur fingertips over the scar on your friends back before pressing ur lips to it or...?

Jamie taking the time to teach Dani car things aww

lol not the smutty book

eddie honking at her gets so under my skin like my dude... my guy... stop

Dani thinking so hard about rain damp Jamie and how much she wanted to jump her while she’s in the car w her boyf and MIL. girl

imagine if we had to sit through a dani and eddie wedding before she finally managed to call this off how cursed

ayoooo Carson’s show I cannot wait. omg we get it this chapter too gbless this really is the Dani suffering hours

Jamie just so casually like.... not even flirting w Dani it’s all just kinda observations but every other thing she says makes Dani stop breathing skdhfdkfjh this is so good

Dani has like... a lack of object permanence but with Jamie feelings ok

pleeease the Dani Carson road trip that’s so cute I can just imagine what fun they would have had

uuughhh i wanna go to a sweaty bar n listen to loud music again

also would like a Jamie to press their hand to my lower back n make me lose my mind in a sweaty bar to loud music

this lil jamie dani carson trio is my faaaave

“Girls must be all over you.” and Jamie choking on her drink dsfkjsdhkf oh Dani u beautiful naive angel. god that’s so funny

Robin instantly going for Jamie... same bro

Carson’s lil found family band pls my heart is so full

Carson calling them his sisters n Jamie freezing up bby when are u going to accept these people care abt u and love u like family

Robin is so brazenly just like ‘ur hot’. a voice of the people i love her

Dani being lowkey jealous as IF Ms Taylor has eyes for anyone else babe

Carson knoooowwwwws. When do we get the Carson O’Mara biopic please I want his takes on everything I know they’re excellent

oh my god Jamie knowing Dani’s fave kind of pizza pls I love that so much (I can’t remember if it’s been mentioned in the past few chapters but I remember her being mad that Eddie didn’t in CH1? i love this lil detail) (also I literally just ate vegge pizza I feel so immersed in this experience)

dfkgjhdfkjgh Jamie licking her finger and Dani completely combusting this is so entertaining

fuck n then it gets all soft and about how they’ve been in love their whole lives this is emotional whiplash

Jamie constantly in protector mode but in this really quiet comforting way is so sweet I love her so much

god I just feel so bad for Dani that this kind of insane electricity she has with Jamie has probably never been a thing in her relationship w Ed bby u deserve someone that makes u feel like this

awww Carsons bf

Dani’s soul leaving her body when she sees them kissing oh no

Jamie giving Dani her jacket pleeease I am dying here... the romance of it all

and shariing cigarettes and intense looks these two really are somethin else

lmao even Robin is picking up on their vibes you two could level a building with the amount of tension between u

Dani’s moment of Realisation abt Carson n Jamie just being like... well yeah

lmao Dani subtly trying to figure out if Jamie is gettin’ it sdkgdfhkjgh

when these do two finally get together both of them are gonna be like... taken out by all of this. Dani has only ever known Eddie who just does not get her (and the fact that she is a lesbian so she’s never had real feelings for him in that way) and it seems like Jamie has only ever had surface level relationships with people who never really got her either (while also being in love w her best friend who she never thought would love her back). there’s no way this is wont eventually make at least one person cry a bunch (probably me) with how right all of it is

god Dani is so horny for Jamie sdflkdfjgkfdj preemptive RIP for Ms Taylor when Dani finally does get to live out all these daydreams on her I just know someones gonna end up pulling somethin

Does Dani like.... get that she will never love Edmund that way like is she fully aware of the fact she loves him but she’s not in love with him and all these feelings for Jamie aren’t just because it’s Jamie but because she’s not straight??? have we gone on that journey yet

aw Ed waited up for her

the book the book the book

dsfkdhfgkj oh Dani

“Jamie on her knees, looking up at her” listen-

girl u are so fucked

SIX. SIX MENTIONS OF JAMIE ON HER KNEES pls

THE DREAM

who could this possibly be about hmmmm Dani

christ

THE MEASURES SHE TAKES TO DEAL WITH THE DREAM lordt

“baffled but excited” i think is how I almost always picture eddie lol

dang get it girl take control

aw dani u poor confused little duck. i just wanna give her a hug

Dani dressed as Dorothy is awfuly cute

heh Jamie as a wolf i love her fursona

lmao toto

of course Jamie is well aquainted with the bleachers. cheeky. oh no not the art room. Dani dying inside and then imagining herself there with Jamie girl has got it baaaad u poor lil repressed gayby

Dani is... so thirsty... goddamn

lmao Jamie blatantly checking her out are u trying to kill her she already wants to rip ur clothes off

“To the third floor art room?” dfksdhfgkjdfhgjdhf imagine if this was it they just banged it out in the art room right now n got things sorted

god they go from horny to soft so quick i love the ways they care about each other

Jamie saying the scarecrow costume is fitting for Eddie PLEASE

ooh the infamous hickey

What Dani deseves: snuggles. What Dani recieves: struggles

the MEMES. god bless the memes

this was an excellent companion for my Wednesday hopefully I can churn through the rest of em before we are blessed w ch11 amen

[gamebunny-advance]

A Moment of Self Reflection

If you’ve been here long enough, then you’ve probably picked up the fact that I’m actually pretty insecure as an artist, and I feel very threatened when I perceive others as copying my work. I am well aware of that, so I’m usually able to talk myself down by trying to reason out what a “less bad” possibility would be. Something like, “Oh, we probably just have the same inspirations.” or “It’s cool that they like my stuff, as long as they’re changing it to make it their own.” Ya know, that kind of thing. Because I don’t want to stifle other people’s work just because I’m insecure about my own. I know that I’m the irrational one in this situation, but I try to keep that feeling from making me aggressive with others.

Well, I think I might have been on the other side of that recently.

I can’t confirm that it was *me* that the person in question was talking about because they were vague posting about it, but not too long ago, I checked their twitter, and they had said something about how they thought that I (assuming that it’s me) had copied their fursona and how it was “obvious” because the fur patterns and “vibes” were similar and then went off on a rant on how you should expand your influences beyond other small artists. And ya know, that’s just about the exact thing I’ve said in the past when I thought someone was copying my work.

It’s probably the insecurity speaking, but I figured that it *might* have been me that they’re referencing because when I look at their fursona and GAB side by side, I can def see how you might come to that conclusion. They do use kinda similar color schemes (primarily pink and white), the cheek furs are the same fluffy bumps, and they both have “eye chips.” There’s probably other similarities you could draw between them, so it’s not like I don’t see where they’re coming from.

And for a moment I did doubt myself and start to wonder if maybe I did somehow copy them without realizing it, which made me feel horrible, because I don’t want to make someone feel bad in the same way that would make me feel bad. But I know that I wasn’t directly inspired by them one way or another, because the current incarnation of GAB has existed for at least 3 years, way before I even knew about this artist. Plus, the character itself  is even older than that. (And if you wanna go WAY back, GAB has elements from “Ham”, another persona that I’ve had since at least middle school).

Ham from 2013, cheek tufts, puffy hair, and “color” theme established.

The very first iteration of GAB, “Bootleg My Melody” from 2016, pink and white color scheme, eye shape, toy theme, and general body type established.

The first iteration of Ver. 3.0, from 2018, more or less the current version.

And there are still iterations between the BMM and Ver. 3.0 that got us to where we are now.

But the point I’m trying to make isn’t to just prove that I didn’t copy their design, but it gave me some time to reflect on why both us would get upset about this kind of thing in the first place. Because they reached pretty much the same conclusions in their rant: that it was probably a coincidence and as a small artist you want to stick out, so it hurts when you see another small artist copy you.

But they extended their rant to include the part about finding other inspirations in like the masters or bigger things, and I started thinking about what really makes the “big guys” different from the “little guys” and what makes it wrong to take influence from one and not the other? Do I even have the right to feel threatened when someone copies me?

I think the assumption is that the big guys are also the masters, so it’s better to look towards them for inspiration because they’ve established the “meta” so to speak. The little guys also aren’t really in competition with the big guys because the big guys already have their established fanbase and thus source of income while the little guys really have to scramble to find their audience.

When it’s little guys against little guys, it’s more about competing in the same space, so copying from each other dilutes the space and can hurt ones sense of “individuality”. I know that’s mostly my feeling: I currently do not profit from my art in almost any way, shape, or form. The only thing I get out of posting is just feeling good about someone liking my posts, which is part of why I feel threatened when I see someone that could take that away from me.

But nothing exists in a vacuum and inspiration can come from everywhere, no matter how big or popular it is. Someone or something else inspired the masters, and just because someone is small doesn’t mean that their work can’t be influential to someone else.

And relating that to this specific event, this artist and I happen to like a lot of the same things: the same shows, the same aesthetics, etc. That’s part of why I was drawn to them in the first place. So it’s more than likely that we took inspiration from the same sources and wound up with similar designs as a result. It doesn’t mean we copied each other, it just means we’re less unique than we thought, and of course we are. There are hundreds of thousands if not MILLIONS of young artists out there right now that take inspiration from the things they grew up with and the things that they like. Of course, no one is *exactly* the same, but it’s foolish to think that there isn’t another artist out there that’s into the same things as you and would thus create similar art just due to environment.

I remember a long time ago, one of the ideas I had for post-subspace Tabuu was that he walked around wrapped in a blanket/comforter to invoke the imagery of a pupa/chrysalis. The idea was that since he was powered down now, he would have regressed his metamorphosis. But literally just after having that idea, a character design of a butterfly girl who wore their chrysalis cover because she was a homebody had appeared on my dash. It got kinda popular and I was like, “DAMN, now everyone is going to think I copied this!” so I never really published any works with Tabuu with that idea because I was so afraid of stepping on that artist’s toes. But did I even have a reason to be so worried?

It can’t be helped if we happened to come up with similar ideas because we had the same thought process, but I would automatically be at the disadvantage in an argument because 1) it’s not like I write any of my ideas down, so I couldn’t timestamp it, and 2) they were a more talented artist than I am, so even though I came to the idea before I saw their work, I would by default be seen as inferior because I lack the skills to portray the idea effectively.

And I think that’s probs what happened here too: because I am the “inferior” artist in this situation, it’s easier to perceive my work as an imitation of a more skilled work should they be placed next to each other. I know what they say, “It’s not about who did it first, it’s about who did it better.” But “better” doesn’t mean “first” and “only.” Just because it’s a “worse execution” doesn’t mean that I didn’t come up with the idea on my own.

I’ve rambled quite a bit, but I guess my conclusion is that none of this should really matter. I want to try harder to not let stuff like this bother me.

I still think that blatant copying is bad. This post actually wasn’t inspired only by the above event, but by seeing that someone *might* have copied one of my OC designs for The Prince Formerly Known As Frog (like sure, your OC is not only black, blond, and wears a frog hood when I know you follow me? Yeah. That’s *totally* original, ain’t it?) and how closely these two occurrences actually happened to each other. So this really wasn’t me trying to defend myself from the person with the fursona, but to talk myself down from getting upset at the person who *might* have taken inspiration from my OC for their own. I know that I didn’t steal GAB from the fursona person, so maybe the Frog Prince person didn’t take him from me even though they have a history of copying my works, but I’m really trying to let it go because they don’t pose a threat to me anyway and I’m sure someday they’ll grow past this. I’m crossing my fingers. I hope. It’s been too many years for you to keep thinking this is okay man. Please. I let it slide because the first few times it was just fanart, but now you’re taking my actual OCs. PLEASE.

[soyouareandrewdobson]

Dobbear! SYAC: The Master Review 6

I am so going to ruin someone’s childhood with that now, but...

guys, it had to be done!

Dashing and daring…

Courageous and caring!

Faithful and friendly…

 With stories to share!

 Doesn’t at all apply to this one artist…

Lesbian obsessed and  each nerddom’s nightmare!

Dobby BEAR!

Whinning here and there and everywhere!

Making claims that are beyond compare…

This is our Dobby-Bear!

Yeah, if you can’t guess, around now is the time I am going to put down the kids gloves and will really dig into why SYAC is garbage. And a huge factor into this, is in part Dobson’s self insert past 2012.

The existence of the blue bear as Dobson officially calls it (or Dobbear as most people call it) is in my opinion rather baffling already in terms of design choices.

I get e.g. that Dobson wanted to distance himself of his past humanoid self inserts as much as possible. But why of all things a bear?

The fact I am focused on that may sound weird, but hear me out for a bit. For starters, I know that Dobson likes western animation. And seeing how western animation has for the longest time been dominated by anthropomorphic animals, I can understand why he would redesign himself as a funny cartoon animal.

But there are at least three things that feel weird about it. First, Dobson had made it clear in the past that he hates furries. So him actually redesigning himself as an anthropomorphic animal is kinda weird

In fact, Dobson himself acknowledges that realization in one of his strips shortly after his fursona took over.

Second, of all the animals to choose from, why a bear? This question is in so far valid, as that bears are not necessarily one of the first to go animals, furries or western animators tend to go for when designing an anthro. And before any furries or anthro enthusiasts are calling me a hater, let me make one thing clear: I like anthropomorphic cartoon and comic characters too, and am okay with most furries. As long as you don’t have a diaper fetish, are a pedophile  or hurt actual animals, you can do and enjoy whatever you like.

But I am also aware enough of furry culture to know, that bear based anthros are most of the time hyper sexualized and muscular, connecting them to how the term “bear” is used in real life gay culture. Which is okay, I think it is just a funny coincidence that Dobson choose an animal, that most furries associate with a life style that Dobson is deeply afraid of, even if he claims to be an LGBT ally.

And as stated earlier, bears are not necessarily the go to animals for animators.

Don’t get me wrong, we all know some cartoon bears like Winnie the Pooh, Yogi Bear, Poh and the main cast of TaleSpin (btw, Kit Cloudkicker fan for life). But lets be honest here; ducks, mice, rabbits, canines, felines, equines and any other “easily to domesticate” animal in the real world tends to make better for easily recognizable cartoon characters than something that can reach a size of 3 meters tops and weigh over 500 pounds.

Truth be told, the pool of cartoon bears is so small, these are the first two things that came to my mind when thinking what may have inspired the Dobbear

And wouldn’t you know? According to Dobson, the Carebears were supposedly the main inspiration for his design.

 Unfortunately, this is also more or less the most I could find of Dobson addressing what went into the creation of the character.

Which kinda brings me also to the third issue as why I think the bear redesign is weird; It is too sudden.

One day Dobson draws himself as a shaved 20 something, the next day he is a fedora wearing Carebear clone, likely created and then rejected by Care Bear villain No Heart, as part of a plot to create a mole when conquering Care-A-Lot.

… and now I need to reevaluate my choices in life, that I was able to make such an elaborate Carebear joke.

It is just a change of design that in my opinion should have been addressed either outside of the comic or in context of it. Which it kinda is, but isn’t.

See, this is the first strip with the blue bear

And then only 13 strips or so later in something called “Continuity” is Dobson more or less willing to address the change…

And he does so in a passive aggressive manner, with Persistent Pam as a stand in for those asking him what is going on, while Dobson just dismissively continues working.

On one hand, you can argue that this is just the joke. The change happened, don’t bother with it, just enjoy what is still to come. And you know, I don’t want to make a rope out of everything Dobson ever posted, including that comic.

But then you have also to account for the fact, that Dobson would eventually associate himself with the blue bear so much, he made him his avatar and icon for his comics and online accounts. In fact, that one comic I posted WAY BACK in the first Master post of Dobson reminiscing how he started SYAC?

For reasons that are a bit confusing to me, he redrew himself (badly I have to add) as the blue bear in one of his earliest strips ever. The one where he belittles the manga fangirl for drawing manga. So I have to ask, what is going on here? Has Dobson increasingly decided to reset his past? Does he want to destroy any traces of his “human” self in his work to create the illusion to any new readers, that he never was as controversial of a person as he was and that there never was a need for him to reimagine and reinvent himself? Is this 1984? And how many of you realize that this paragraph is just me going conspiracy nuts for the sake of entertainment?

But still, it is kinda weird that he went to the bother of redrawing his human self in that one background sketch as a bear. Plus, I honestly think Dobson never even attempting to “explain” the change in the pages of his comics is a wasted opportunity for some decent jokes. Like every time Dobson tries to explain why he is a bear now, something interrupts him or we only get fragments of a story that if we put them together would be as ridiculous as the entirety of “Trapped in the Closet”.

I mean, the dumbest joke idea I have in mind is that Dobson went to build a bear to get a present for a family member. Instead he was build into a bear and later on successfully sued the company, which explains why he can afford to live despite not really working on comics anymore but lecture people badly about the evils of nerd culture.

So yeah, three major things about the design choice that more or less confuse me.

But here is the thing: Confusion is nothing compared to feeling genuine disdain for the design at hand. And compared to Dobson’s earlier human designs, Dobbear is just utterly unlikable.

A lot of that boils down to the following three facts:

1. From a certain point in time on (which I will cover in more detail later on) Dobson uses his bearsona primarily as a soapboxing mouth piece to talk about “politics” in nerd culture. Or at least what Dobson perceives as politics, coming off like a condescending jackass who believes among other things that white people are inherently incapable to identify with black people…

 … or that comic book shops have radicalized nerd culture, essentially calling them terror cells.

Which btw are so inherently offensive to me, I promise I will cover these two separately. One even sooner than the other.

2. If Dobbear is not talking about politics, he will tend to be a smug asshole to other people (most of the time strawmen) or their interests in one way or another. Being e.g. used by Dobson to express his disdain for criticism…

 or to mock legit criticism he had gotten by exaggerating things.

 All while also tending to make his critics look like inherent assholes.

These two facts, combined with Dobson’s average erratic behavior online on platforms such as dA, twitter and tumblr over the years, pretty much assured such a close association between the two, that a separation between artist and creation was not possible anymore, condemning them.

And for the record; Dobson was always a bit of a whinner who liked to act as if he was a better nerd than the average comic book fan. Otherwise, we would have not e.g. gotten Danny and Spot out of it.

But as the years went by in the last decade, Dobson turned from someone in his mid 20s, desperate to be seen as a “quirky” and likable internet persona (like certain internet reviewers), into a virtue signaling, lesbian obsessed asshole who likely regrets his life choices.

… Like certain internet reviewers.

But seriously, Dobson turned into someone who would flip the lid at something as ridiculous as Cheeto flavored chicken fries…

 While also being just the worst type of condescending nerd….

All while losing his mind about politics. Especially after Donald Trump became president

And just as Dobson became a radicalized left winged jackass who saw politics in everything he consumed, so did by default Dobbear, because Dobbear was not a character with his own personality, but a mouth piece.

Something I am about to get into detail in the near future. But till then, I want to cover in the next post the following third and final fact about Dobbear that really makes him unlikable to me: The fact he can’t be happy.

[p0pnstxr]

Hi so I'm going to announce this more professionally.

[less cloggy repost to Tumblr since Id felt Id talk about it here too. You can just scroll all the way down if you just want to hear me announce it btw I wont mind!!! reading about my story behind all this is also fine too]

Throughout the years, I've been getting more and more aware and questioning within deep of my gender and it's construct ever since in around 2018 when I felt I was not really a girl and identified more with being nonbinary. While my gender was static, I felt more comfy with my new label and identity, with the price of being shunned out constantly by my family, including screaming, violence and denial, soon my gender then started turning kinda gloopy and weird. My gender started feeling more acoustic in a way, as it felt a little off or different sometimes. It was more slower and less impacting then it was now, so I continued to use nonbinary to define it though, as gender in a whole was still hard to understand for me. To represent this I made my fursona (which was a delusional attachment for a REALLLY really long while until I had mentally calmed down by myself) a seacow. It shared features of dog, little bits of a different creature entirely, but for the most part, it was a cow mixed with a dolphin. As time moved forward and beyond, I continued to feel unsure about continuing to say I'm exactly nonbinary. By around 2019 my gender started to feel like it's own concept, unsure of how to explain. Skip to now and it's still the same, except now I finally found out how to. I finally spoke up one late night on Twitter about my gender structure and how confusing it was, with how badly I wanted to tell people about it. It didn't seem big, but it was a big stepping stone to my troubles. And finally, after years and years of searching, I've finally found a label that's most fitting. I've been meaning to tell everybody at that point but my social anxiety's hit me dead in the ground, in fact my head is still aching and anxious, but now I can say what I feel. I'm proud to tell you now that I knew who I was and who I am now. To make long stories short, the past out and the future in the way,

I'm coming out as Demifluidflux. It's been rough, but I finally know who I am perfectly. To clarify I am still kinda nonbinary, since it's my static or most common gender, but the flavor of it fluctuates along with other itty bitty parts, including tiny feminity and some chunks of punk. I hope you still see me as valid. If any of you are confused exactly on it I'd be glad to give resources and clarification on what exactly demifluidflux is especially since it's not really talked about alot since its a really long word.