#and I think it’s similar with tommy turtle

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

people being scared over sonic movie spoilers is so funny to me like. i get it logically but also. literally i do not care they could spend half the movie on a still frame of shadow the hedgehog drawn by a two year old and end revealing tommy turtle will be all the next movie is about and I’d still be hype as shit and making theories. and you could tell and show me that and i also would not care. i mean i know it’s been leaked and I’m avoiding that shit but that’s literally just bc I don’t wanna accidentally spoil it for anyone bc again. you could do anything and I’d be hyped as shit. the whole movie could be big the cat fishing and I’d reblog the hell out of that and be extremely fucking excited. they could include fucking Locke and Geoffrey St John and I’d tolerate them. you do not understand the depths of my insanity over this franchise i do not give a fuck.

[kimberlyannharts]

At this point Power Rangers has done a few crossover comics, and they've all been some pretty logical and big name choices - the Justice League, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Godzilla. So today's crossover comic is one that definitely took people by surprise - Usagi Yojimbo, the long-running story of a wandering rōnin having adventures in feudal Japan (who also happens to be a bunny rabbit), written and illustrated by Stan Sakai since 1984. While an icon in his own right - funnily enough, he's a regular guest in TMNT properties - I don't think ANYONE really had HIM in mind as a contender for a crossover with Power Rangers compared to more conventional properties like Transformers or even My Little Pony.

After all, what do they know about samurai in Power Rangers?

It's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo!

= So I know I've gone on and on about Shawn Daley's art but I really just need you to look at them again. It just makes me so happy to see a more stylized take on the MMPRs - basically if you took Daniele di Nicuolo's art and ramped up the anime influence by 100. It gives the book that much extra charm

= who the hell is THIS I'm here for the FURRIES not another random boring human!!!!!! it's like I'm playing Animal Crossing

= Jason's attitude in this book annoys me but at the same time it wouldn't be a Ryan book if he wasn't writing Jason in a way that annoys me.

= (also, they knew about the Morphin Masters this early in their Ranger career? I guess Zordon did mention them in an early episode, but.........what have they done that's similar to this that Jason would know about kjkjdkf

= I still think it's very weird that they didn't give the whole "maybe it would be easier if I was fighting alone" to uh.....you know.....Tommy, the loner? Who's so used to fighting alone that he struggled to adjust to a team? But I guess he has a girlfriend and Jason doesn't so.

= Is this a safe space. because the rabbit is pretty hot.

= HAHAHAAAA TOKEN EVIL HUMAN I KNEW IT

= YFIP: THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS - assisting the villain, thievery of a powerful artifact, assault against civilians, racism against furries

= Like I've said before Jason's characterization here irritates me a bit but I'll give the book props that someone's actually allowed to call him out on it for once. Like man I wish Tommy in the main series was allowed to tell Jason to shut up once in a while like Usagi does here

= Kim: Tommy, it's 4 pm! Time to go help our friends!

Tommy: yes honey

= Wow, look at these guys! They're like......Shogun Rangers! ............wait a minute

= But seriously, though, I gotta say these are one of the best alternate MMPR designs we've gotten in ages - I LOVE how they apply all of MMPR's little details into each individual user. And the altered weapons are awesome, too. Between these and the Kaiju Rangers we've really been cooking with the alternate forms lately

= And as I said, they did manage to resist the urge to give Usagi a Ranger form. I did like my old "maybe he'll find a Samuraizer" idea, though

= They both nearly died via crystal explosion a few hours ago but all they care about is their cool new outfits, just otp things <3

= I was about to say "well yeah, duh, that's why the Dragonzord doesn't have wings" but then I remembered. oh yeah. technically the Zords aren't Japanese in origin in-universe, are they

= It's nice to see Dragonzord Battle Mode! That was a form that didn't get a lot of spotlight in the comics - I think the only time we really saw it in the main series was Shattered Grid, and not for very long before it got destroyed by Serpentera

= Kim and Usagi only get one real onscreen exchange but she also catches him in the Pterodactyl and they have matching bangs. I'll take this as a win, though Splinter is still her #1 rodent dad

= they are so fucking sad

= I think future books should bring Usagi back or just crossover with him again with no explanation. Make people think he's a PR character just like how people assume he's a TMNT character

[unforeseen-idiot]

Emperor Pickletein Rides the Bus

Oh boy, the grand finale of a grand series. To be honest Princess Labelmaker is more of a climax to the series than this book is, but that’s ok. I like to think of this book as a great epilogue, just helping our favorite characters get to their happy endings and giving us some fun stories along the way. This book is interesting since it’s a story being told in semi-real time. At least the case file follows one singular day and some of its entries happen in real time. This is just a cool idea and helps keep things fresh. Anyway though this book also focuses on our main 7th graders even though Remi and Murky get little chapters of their own (some more fulfilling than others *sob). Dwight and Kellen are fun in this book since they basically just vibe the whole time, absolutely no drama whatsoever (I mean Kellen did the paper airplane thing and got mad at Lance, but Dwight was perfect). Some fun stories include Sara’s first chapter with her field trip haikus (I’m not really surprised that Sara writes haikus), the tragedy of Mrs. Porterfield and the TURTLE, Sara again, getting Rhondella to stop texting her Bib Fortuna boyfriend, and made you look because it’s just so accurate to middle school. I liked the use of Fruit-i-gami Yoda since it kinda helped show that our main cast doesn’t really need Origami Yoda anymore and neither does Dwight, he was there for a few final bits of advice to finish the character arcs but he wasn’t as common. This serves to my theory that as the story of the books go on the kids need Origami Yoda less and less (when the series starts every chapter is dedicated to a kid asking for advice but now Origami Yoda is hardly even present) and Dwight, who I think used him as a way to relate to his classmates that couldn’t understand him, is now ready to let go of him since he has a support system now and people who have grown to appreciate and understand him. It’s honestly a great character arc that I definitely couldn’t pick up on as a kid. And with that we have Harvey who carries around Pickletein, an annoying jag who just serves piss everyone off. I remember starting this book thinking why is Harvey doing this, he’s on our side now. But then I actually thought to answer my question, why is Harvey doing this, and I realized (like Tommy does later) that Harvey has similar mental processes to Dwight but handles them differently. He has a lot of passion and emotion, but it goes unnoticed since like Dwight, people don’t really understand Harvey. I think that Harvey sees Dwight adjusting to life, but Harvey still hasn’t and can’t understand why, if Dwight can do it why can’t he. So he makes Pickletein so he can have some way of relating to the world on this field trip. But when he keeps pissing people off on this field trip they all get rightfully mad at him and it’s all building in him, finally when Tommy gets kissed by Sara he just can’t take it anymore and punches him, and he immediately regrets it because he’s not a bad person, just emotional and confused, and when Tommy forgives him that’s the understanding he needs to finally find peace in himself and gain the same support system that Dwight has. Ok I realize I may be reading to much into that and I don’t have any basis for this knowledge, but it’s how I see it and I think it’s a great character arc for the both of them. Back to the fluffier stuff, the astronaut ice cream thing was hilarious throughout its time, and the fact that it paid off so well kills me every time. Amy and Lanlan have the funniest and realest time ever in this book, honestly Amy is so real in this book. The great respect given to the Bell X-1. Freaking Mr. Good Clean Fun. The ending showing how everyone has grown into better people thanks to Dwight and Origami Yoda (and that Dwight really hasn’t changed, rather the people around him changed for the better), and that Origami Yoda is in fact real I believe it. In conclusion, thank you Tom Angleberger for creating an amazing series and ending it properly.

[therejectkat]

There go my heroes…

I’ve been trying to find the right words to say about these tragic passings. It’s hard. I imagine a lot of people these past few weeks have had a similar dilemma trying to formulate their thoughts, trying to express their grief for these two huge losses.

Now, I think it’s my turn.

Growing up, & I imagine a few people will relate, I was bullied. I was made fun of for my weight, my love of reading (I’m not kidding) & my love of things that, when I was a kid, most girls didn’t like. This included the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, wrestling, & certain TV shows. Included in that regard was Batman: The Animated Series (& later Batman Beyond) & Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (& several later versions, of course).

Let’s start with Batman. I watched a LOT of BTAS & Batman Beyond growing up. I’m amazed I didn’t drive my mother crazy with it, honestly. I probably wouldn’t have cared regardless, given how deep my love for the shows ran. Obviously I loved the stories, the fight scenes, & the characters but, of course, the standout of the show was Kevin Conroy’s incredible performance as Batman/Bruce Wayne. He gave the character emotion & depth that made his portrayal of the Dark Knight the all-time best. Most will agree that Conroy’s Batman is one of the best, and that includes myself. His repeated portrayals of Batman were all amazing, but that original performance remains the greatest in my eyes. It helped shaped my childhood & made me feel better when I was having a bad day. It also helped me become braver when it came to dealing with my bullies. I will be eternally grateful for that.

Now for the Green Ranger. Well, also the White Ranger, the Red Ranger (twice) & the Black Ranger. To say that Jason David Frank was the definitive Power Ranger is a hell of an understatement. He’s a legend in the Power Ranger franchise & for damn good reason. His love for the franchise & its fans was clear, as he always seemed so happy to meet fans & hear about their own love for the Rangers. I first was introduced to JDF’s Tommy Oliver on MMPR as a kid, & he instantly became my favorite Ranger (besides Kimberly, the Pink Ranger). I watched the following series that he was in until I fell off the Ranger train for a while. Until Dino Thunder started airing on Jetix (oof, there’s a throwback). I couldn’t believe that Tommy was back as a school teacher & mentor to the new Rangers, but it was awesome to see him back. Of course, it only got better when he became the Black Dino Ranger. I was so happy my favorite character was back & kicking butt again, & I watched Dino Thunder repeatedly because of it. I always loved how strong Tommy was, & it encouraged me to be stronger too. When I lost my grandmother & cousin back in 2010 & 2011, respectively, I found myself rewatching Power Rangers, because I felt I needed to draw from their strength to help me feel better. Of course, I mostly drew from Tommy’s strength & it helped a lot. Just like with Conroy’s Batman helping me, I will be eternally grateful for JDF’s Tommy helping me too.

Sadly, I never got the chance to meet JDF or Kevin Conroy, so I never got to tell them about how much their characters helped me. Now is my chance. Gentlemen, thank you so much for helping shape my childhood. You helped make me feel better on bad days, you helped me deal with my grief when I lost my loved ones, & you helped me become a better person. No words will ever be able to fully describe how grateful I am for everything you did for me & many, many others. Rest easy, both of you. You will never be forgotten.

RIP Kevin Conroy - 11/30/1955 - 11/10/2022 🖤💛

RIP Jason David Frank - 9/4/1973 - 11/19/2022 💚🤍♥️♥️🖤

[rgbstatic]

Thoughts on osmp x dsmp crossovers? Do you have any way you think they’re “done right”?

So! I think they can work, really well and really simply and there's tons of ways they can work.

I'm gonna start on the negative thoughts tho so I can end positive.

I don't like thinking of OSMP as an alternate universe or some parallel dimension. osmp!Wilbur ≠ dsmp!Wilbur, and that goes with all characters. Not only do the characters who share the same content creator actors just Not Act Similar, but they're literally different people living different lives, and there are people who are present in one world, while not on the other.

OSMP and DSMP aren't like Empires SMP or Hermitcraft or whatever where season to season or series to series characters played by some of the same people are the same characters. To our knowledge OSMP and DSMP are entirely separate in every way.

So, naturally I hate aus where it's just "this is alternate reality tommy who is happier", it's not an alternate reality. They're not the same person.

One is a kid who has a loving dad and is learning how to fly and who does training courses with his brother and best friends and who opened up a pet sanctuary. The other is a traumatized child war veteran who's died a handful of times and can't even trust the people he's closest to. They're just not the same character.

Once again by extension I also hate crossovers or aus where OSMP is just a dream or some afterlife or better life for DSMP characters. Like- Ghostbur passing on and becoming Phantombur and OSMP is his afterlife or Tommy dreams of a world where he's happy at night and it's all gone, because it entirely discredits OSMP as its own server entirely separate from the DSMP and it's just, not fun for me.

Now, there are plenty of good ways to make a crossover though, but the base of it is you have to treat OSMP and DSMP as actual separate things, and their characters as different people. I personally love tying OSMP and DSMP together via the character of Walter Crondale. If you don't remember, Walter is a radio talkshow host in a 1940's esk style who reports on local news of the OSMP server, and of the DSMP server. He reported on turtle eggs hatching on OSMP and he reported November 16th on DSMP. So, you have an interdimensional or interserver traveling character, which means other characters could possibly do that too.

Plus on both servers, servers outside of their own exist. Hypixel for example exists for both. If you think as all servers as worlds or planets that you can travel to and from, I think it's the easiest (sometimes I picture it like the videogame hub/power strip in Wreck it Ralph if that visual is better).

I think overall a cross over is done right by treating the servers as their own stories with their own characters seperate from each other, then allowing them to interact.

For example, I like the idea of Phantombur and L'manbur having known eachother way before the early L'manberg days of the DSMP. I like to think they'd be pub buddies, and they had fun singing and adventuring, and Phantombur taught L'manbur the basics of brewing. Eventually they go their separate ways, and L'manbur uses what Phantombur taught him when he started L'manberg. Phantombur occasionally writes him letters, and maybe one day they meet again, with friends this time.

[ranboo5]

Inevitable StarCraft II multiplayer headcanons

I think Wilbur plays whatever species he claims he will be good at but he's just dogshit at every aspect of the game bc it's an RTS game and he's bad at strategy . Niki is also not very good, and rotates species, and it's partially bc the actual objective of multiplayer StarCraft interests her less than managing a little base because the worker units are cute; when she plays with people, due to the sizable bank this generates, she can send various autosupport casters in droves. She also contributes to map control with the base expansion and she likes building static defense because it gives the worker units strength #solidarity. She is pretty good in some co-op gamemodes because of this actually especially the holdouts

Ranboo is, predictably, also dogshit at the game, but for different reasons; he gets distracted and focuses way too hard either on teching up to weird specialist units and lost in the siren call of Tasks forgets that he needs an actual army or on microing desperately while neglecting managing their economy. He can kind of hold his own in some games, and sometimes their weird cheese tactics even work, but most of the time they get rolled bc both of the things I described are real good ways to waste your time and lose (ask me how I know). It plays Protoss, mostly, and is voted most likely to hide dark shrines around the map (if it plays Zerg or Terran it's bc it has some specific specialist unit or other in mind)

Tubbo plays Terran bc the versatility is good to him as is the general aesthetic. He is actually pretty solid but his greatest weakness is a bad habit of YOLOing into bases with his army even when he knows they won't come out the other side bc of the hope to take down the base; he's usually even right about the base takedown, and bc he's good at turtling sometimes he can even win like this by managing to build back up, but not when he's up against someone who knows the importance of retreat

Techno knows the importance of retreat. He does not usually play for long bc it's stressful but he plays Terran for the same reason as Tubbo does and is decently strong for pretty clear reasons. When he is on StarCraft kicks (he will have these every so often and they last for like three days max but he plays a lot of StarCraft during that three days before not touching it for four and a half months to recover) he will like study the meta and everything

Techno Ranboo and Niki will play 3v3s sometimes and this is Ranboo's primary opportunity to not eat shit and die because they’re actually really good at scouting bc of his like for micro and his tendency to think of weird fucking ways to get in and also because what these 3v3s are is Techno basically outsourcing armored healers to Niki and weird tech to Ranboo and then getting to do the main infantry push while Ranboo micros for their life with specialist casters and Niki's healers with +3 armor autocast as she builds more static defense on the other side of the map. Phil, who has little to no interest in playing himself, commentates

Jack Manifold also plays StarCraft and in fact is why Wilbur started (bc Jack Manifold referred to it as "the thinking man's game" in earshot) but I do not have a confident take on what race he would play or how good he is. He does absolutely play with Niki semifrequently. Tommy has been dragged into playing before but I have no idea what that looks like aside from Not Very Good. BBH plays Zerg and with a much similar philosophy to Niki only without the static defense and sometimes he makes ultralisks mostly because he thinks they're cute also; post Egg he gets real into infestors but he's not that good at micro

[tlbodine]

Native American Authors of Dark Fiction

Since my Black Horror Writers post was so well-received, I thought it would be a good idea to make a similar list for Native American authors. No Sherman Alexie or N. Scott Momaday here (although they’re good too) -- here are some contemporary authors you probably haven’t heard of but who you should totally be supporting. The list is a bit of a mix of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and contemporary fiction, but I’ve focused as usual on darkly imaginative stories. Enjoy! 

Stephen Graham Jones A Blackfeet author of horror and crime fiction, SGJ is both prolific -- with more than 20 books to his name -- and magnificently talented. You might want to start with Mongrels, which gives a fresh spin on the werewolf genre, or you can skip ahead to this year's release The Only Good Indians -- a heart-pounding supernatural thriller with a classic slasher pace.

Owl Goingback An author of horror and crime fiction for adults and children, Goingback specializes in stories that are high-horror, low-gore. Start at the beginning with Crota, which won a Stoker for "Best First Novel," or jump to the present with the Stoker-award-winning "Coyote Rage."

Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing for children and young adults, Smith is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. If you like urban fantasy, you'll probably enjoy her Tantalize and Feral series, which give you all the shapeshifter/vampire/angel goodness you could ask for. If you'd rather go for something more classically Native, try Rain Is Not My Indian Name, a contemporary coming-of-age type novel.

Cherie Dimaline A Métis writer and activist hailing from Canada, Dimaline considers herself first and foremost a writer of Indigenous stories. Her books aren't shy about exploring themes of colonialism and genocide -- consider The Marrow Thieves, a dark dystopia about Indigenous people who are hunted and harvested for the properties of their bones. Or you might enjoy Empire of Wild, which draws on the Métis story of the Rogarou - a werewolf-like creature with a rich folklore history tracing through the mixed heritage of the Métis people.

Waubgeshig Rice An Anishinaabe writer from the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario, Rice is a journalist and author of dark fiction. Start with Moon of the Crusted Snow, which is a brooding post-apocalyptic thriller set in Canada.

Rebecca Roanhorse OK, Roanhorse is kind of a controversial listing here. Some critics take issue with the way she portrays fictionalized, fantastical reimaginings of traditional mythology from a culture she is not intimately part of (she married a Navajo man and claims some Ohkay Owingeh ancestry but there's some dispute about that). But a lot of people (especially young readers) think her books are badass and really give a face to their experiences. I'll leave it up to you to decide. You'll probably want to start with Race to the Sun, which is this year's novel, but Trail of Lightning and Black Sun are much-loved fan favorites, too. If you'd rather just enjoy her writing without venturing into the argument about her use of cultural elements, she also writes Star Wars books.

Darcie Little Badger A scientist and author from the Lipan Apache tribe, Little Badger is a member of the Indigenous Futurism movement, imagining Native characters in sci-fi settings that honor historical and cultural perpsectives. She's also noteworthy for her LGBT+ inclusion. She's mostly known for short fiction and comic books, but she does have a novel this year -- Elatsoe, set in an alternate version of America filled with ghosts and magic.

Tommy Orange A member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations of Oklahoma, Orange is a pretty new name on the scene. His book There There is more literary, having been a Pulitzer finalist in 2019, so you might not be as into it if you're primarily a genre reader. But it's a hard-hitting contemporary narrative twisting together multiple stories, and a downright ambitious debut. Keep an eye on this one.

Daniel Wilson A robotics engineer and New York Times best-selling author, Wilson is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He writes Asimov-style hard sci-fi about robots, which he's more than a little qualified to do! Start with Robopocalypse, which is an action-packed horror-scifi romp.

Drew Hayden Taylor A Canadian playright and author with Ojibwe heritage, Taylor likes to joke about his mixed-race background. His writing covers a whole spectrum from plays, short stories and even graphic novels. If you're looking for a book, The Night Wanderer is a good choice -- a vampire Gothic set on a reservation.

Louise Erdrich A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Erdrich is widely acclaimed as an author in the Native American Renaissance. Like Tommy Orange, her books are more on the literary side of things, but there's plenty to enjoy for genre fans as well. For my money, I say start with Future Home of the Living God, which is a dark dystopian apocalypse about evolution running backwards and a woman struggling to keep her baby safe.

As always, reblog with your recommendations and suggestions for any names I left off the list! 

[thankskenpenders]

Julie-Su and Archimedes both volunteer to sacrifice themselves to save Knuckles, but we all know this is a job for one person

It’s Locke

Locke gets to explain why he did what he did here (and also a bit more later in the scene), and Julie-Su sympathizes with him pretty much immediately. I think this could very easily come off as Locke being “redeemed” for all his horrible actions at the drop of a hat, but I don’t think this sequence quite falls into that trap

This feels different from previous Penders stories where Locke would say how people were totally misjudging him. He’s explaining his reasoning here (in part to get newer readers up to speed), but his expressions and his decision to sacrifice himself make it clear that he realizes how bad he’s fucked up. And this entire arc is about how Locke’s parenting turned Knuckles into a supervillain, so the story isn’t saying he was right. Instead it’s more like the climax of Return of the Jedi, where Vader realizes what a monster he’s become and decides to finally do one selfless thing and save his son. So it’s not like Locke’s suddenly this perfect little angel. He still sucks. He’s still explicitly, in canon, labeled as the cause of all of this. I don’t sympathize with him. But I pity him. His life didn’t have to turn out this way, and he’s only now realizing it when it’s too late

Similar to how Tommy Turtle’s death was handled, I get that this scene needs some pathos to work. It can’t just be treated as this guy we hate kicking the bucket. A lot of us might hate Locke as readers, but the characters aren’t all going to be dancing on his grave in-universe. (In particular, Julie-Su and Sonic barely know the guy, and Knuckles has clearly always wanted to have a normal father-son relationship with him.) And I appreciate that this story delivers that pathos without totally justifying everything Locke ever did

I also think this is kind of a Schrodinger’s Characterization, if you will. There are multiple ways to read this. If you hate Locke, like me, then this scene isn’t gonna tell you you’re wrong to criticize his actions. But if you like Locke (and, believe it or not, there were readers who liked Locke), then he’s going out with JUST enough dignity here for it to not come off as character assassination. As much as I would love to watch the guy suffer more so I could point and laugh like the petty bitch I am, this is probably the smarter option

And with this, there’s only one thing left to do...

[peekbackstage]

What are your views about some brands banning turtles from fanmeetings. Doesn’t it also defeat the argument that ggdd allow bjyx to continue for commercial reasons?

I have written pretty extensively before in terms of how artists are often evaluated by talent buyers - which use pretty similar criteria as brands when it comes to artist valuation. 

When it comes to marketing, there are a few key performance indicators (KPIs) that pretty much all brands care about in some way globally. These KPIs largely shape the brand’s marketing campaigns, and also allow brands to set clear, measurable goals and milestones. 

When a brand chooses to partner with a celebrity, they must consider a few KPIs:

Reach - The celebrity’s total market reach, which includes social media metrics and media impressions. This allows the brand to approximate the market capitalization an artist may have.

Engagement - How much overall engagement (both online and offline) that a celebrity can generate. On social media, this would include likes, sharing posts, talking about/posting about a celebrity, producing fan works, watching videos, etc. Offline, this would include watching TV shows the artist is on, attending events, buying products to support the artist (music, merchandise, film, etc.)

Sales Growth - Normally, this would be called “conversions,” but I’m just going to make it easy to understand and call this “sales growth.” This would be the amount of product sales a celebrity generates.

Social Media Growth - A celebrity’s involvement with a brand can give all their social media channels a significant boost from the celebrity’s fans following the brand’s social media platforms. This is a measurable KPI that brands track.

Sentiment - What is the market sentiment of a celebrity? This is essentially a celebrity’s reputation score, which more or less can be approximated through a combination of media coverage and social media mentions.

Rankings - There are a number of research companies that regularly put out rankings for celebrities that include the celebrity’s popularity, star power index, social media power, brand power, etc. The combined average of all of these rankings can help a celebrity determine how much overall power an artist may have. Rankings that focus specifically on a celebrity’s brand power or selling power would be more heavily weighted if the primary focus of a brand campaign is to generate more sales.

There are other KPIs such as cost of customer acquisition, customer retention/loyalty, average lifetime spend per customer, etc. that would be important to a brand, but the aforementioned KPIs above are among the most important factors when brands consider working with celebrities.

However, KPIs alone are not enough for a brand to determine whether or not a celebrity would make a good brand ambassador. In addition to all the aforementioned KPIs, a brand must also consider the following:

Image - The celebrity’s overall image. Is this celebrity a bit of a “bad boy” or are they boy-next-door?

Compatibility - How well the celebrity represents/matches with the brand’s values and identity. (This is also known as “image congruity.”)

Credibility - How much credibility the public might place in the celebrity representing the brand. A celebrity who clearly would know nothing about a certain product might not be the best person to represent a brand or their interests.

Affect transfer - Describes the process by which a celebrity’s fan base might transfer their feeling about a celebrity to the brand. If fans have a positive relationship with the celebrity, then this relationship will transfer. If there is negativity, however, that may also unfortunately transfer.

Controversy - Whether or not there is any controversy associated with the celebrity.

I actually went ahead and conducted research to ensure that my comments are actually accurate for the Chinese market. The primary source materials that inform the rest of this post are “Assessing Celebrity Endorsement Effects in China: A Consumer-Celebrity Relational Approach,” (Hung, Tse, Chan 2011) and “Insiders’ Views: The Current Practice of Using Celebrities in Marketing Communications in Greater China” (Leung, Cheng, Tse 2018). 

According to Hung et al, there are three types of relationships fans have with celebrities. Since no one is here for a super academic report, I’ll just summarize these relationships as: 1.) regular fans (“entertainment motivated”); 2.) super fans (“intense attachment”); and 3.) sasaeng (“pathological”). 

Due to the fact that the type of relationship a fan has with the celebrity has a direct correlation with the relationship that the consumer has with the brand, brands must carefully consider each type of relationship when they choose to work with a celebrity. 

Even if a celebrity has incredible KPIs, if the celebrity has a segment of fans that the brand perceives to be “unfavorable” to their marketing goals or their brand image, then the brand may wish to prioritize one market segment over another. 

In the case of a brand banning a CP from fan meetings, it is possible that a brand may take the following into consideration: 

It is a known fact that solos and CP fans do not get along. 

It is a known fact that XZ solos and WYB solos do not get along.

It is a known fact that not only do these three groups not get along, they have full-blown fan wars which can often spiral out of control online. 

CP fans account for 5% of the artist’s overall fanbase. Therefore, it is a fact that the remaining 95% are solo fans. 

Because the brand can’t predict what will happen at a fan meeting, they have no way of knowing whether or not any sort of controversial issue may arise from having an artist’s solo fans, who are known to be “at war” with the artist’s CP fans in the same room. As a result, they may perceive that CP fans are a risk factor they simply do not want to engage, which may be why a brand might dissuade CP fans from attending a fan meeting. 

Moreover, a brand might not want to associate with CP fans because they may feel that CP fans are not representative of the kind of consumer they want to target. Specifically, they may believe that CP fans represent values that are not in line with the brand’s values. (In other words, the brand is homophobic and they do not want anyone who supports a same-sex CP to talk about their brand, as that would associate the brand with a same-sex CP.) 

Additionally, the brand may be wary of CP fans due to the fact that solos are known to be anti-CP in both camps, and antis are known to have pathologically obsessive, destructive tendencies. Trying to distance themselves from CP may essentially be a way for the brand to distance themselves from antis. 

Most importantly, a brand may find the very idea of a CP to be controversial, or they may perceive the other celebrity in the CP to be “controversial.” According to Leung et al, “a controversial celebrity might bring extra media publicity, yet consumers might ultimately focus their attention on the celebrity instead of the brand being promoted.” Anson Shum, who once ran marketing and communications for Bluebell Group in Greater China, also states in the article, “If I invited [a controversial celebrity] to come to the event … [their] presence might attract many paparazzi, but would the attention be diverted to the brand or focused only on [them]? That’s why I rarely invite controversial celebrities.” 

We might also recall that in China, fans and brands alike may consider CP fans to support an artist only because of the CP - and not for their solo endeavors. As such, a brand may believe that CP fans do not have the same consumer value when it comes to customer retention as solo fans may have, especially if the brand wants to have a long-lasting relationship with an artist, such as Wang Leehom and Wahaha Mineral Water, which lasted twenty years. 

If the brand’s primary goal for the fan meet is to develop customer retention, which would essentially increase the lifetime value of a customer, then they may (falsely) believe that catering at all to CP fans would not be good for their brand’s goals - especially if there is limited space at the fan meet. They would therefore instead want to maximize all seats for their true target audience, which are not CP fans, but solo fans. 

Obviously, I think that a brand choosing to deter CP fans from a fan meeting is stupid as hell, because that deterrence would result in a negative association with the brand, and they more or less shot themselves in the foot. For all that brand knew, the CP fans they excluded from the event could have been whales (i.e. big spenders) who could have given a massive boost to their bottom line. Alienating an entire market segment is literally one of the dumbest things any brand could ever do.

However, at the same time, if the brand is opting to alienate that group on account of their homophobic values, then the brand really doesn’t deserve the consumer’s money to begin with. 

In any case, I hope this helped to answer your question. 

Works Cited

Hung, Kineta; Chan, Kimmy; and Tse, Caleb. (2011). “Assessing Celebrity Endorsement Effects in China: A Consumer-Celebrity Relational Approach.” Journal of Advertising Research. 51. 608. 10.2501/JAR-51-4-608-623.

Leung, Vivienne; Cheng, Kimmy; and Tse Tommy. (2018) “Insiders’ Views: The Current Practice of Using Celebrities in Marketing Communications in Greater China.” Intercultural Communication Studies XXVII: 1  96-113. 

[lilyminer]

Line for line analysis of the Doomsday War loyalty argument

Don’t expect this to be anything too profound I’m just gathering my thoughts on the situation.

Normal text- transcript

Bold text-my comments

Transcript via: dsmptranscripts on Twitter

TOMMY Technoblade, look at me! Do NOT shoot!

TECHNO Tommy… You had your chance, Tommy.

TOMMY Technoblade, listen to me! For once in your life, you didn’t have to do this… You could have compromised!

I do believe Techno did do his fair share of listening to Tommy while they were living together, they planned things together and while Techno might have had so misconceptions about his situation I don’t believe this was a well thought out point.

TECHNO [You gave me-]

TOMMY The thing about the discs, Technoblade, is that they were for me! We could have had a government, you could have let us live- YOU COULD HAVE COMPROMISED!

A compromise would have been helpful but Techno has made his intentions known in the past and no one in l’manburg offered that kind of solution before.

TECHNO I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE DISCS, TOMMY! THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO GO! SELFISH! You used me from the start, Tommy! You are wearing my helmet as we speak!

Yup those are his intentions, but this isn’t an analysis of Technos motives so we’ll leave it at that. It appears to Techno that Tommy used him for self defence and then left him in the dust at this point. That is true, Tommy tried his best but his loyalty was never truly with Techno’s goals. Tommy as a character is far from selfish but his compassion didn’t really extend to Techno for most of their history.

TOMMY Technoblade! You said we betrayed you! You said we are the ones who betrayed you!

TECHNO You betrayed me like 12 TIMES?!

Yeah, throughout their history Tommy and his allies have used Techno and ignored his personal goals in favour of their own. Still Technos “retaliation” here was extremely over the top, but it was not out of the blue. But it isn’t really a betrayal, it wasn’t aimed at Tommy. It might have effected him greatly but it wasn’t some punishment for him.

TOMMY Technoblade look at me! Look at me right now! You said you hated government, you said WE are the ones who betrayed you! But YOU are the one who killed Tubbo when JSchlatt told you to! You are the one who betrayed us out of all of this, Technoblade!

TECHNO [I was peer pressured! You betrayed me like yesterday!]

Tommy has betrayed Techno, it is incorrect to say he hasn’t. But Tubbos execution was a betrayal that’s obvious, not Technos solo choice but still partially his fault.

TOMMY [Your friends- Listen to me! Listen to me! Your friends- YOU-]

TECHNO You used me as a weapon! You never thought of me as a friend, Tommy! You just used me from the start. You just saw me just as “the Blade”, that’s all I was to you “the Blade”, a weapon. Well, guess what?

…

I’m choosing what I fight for now and I’m going to destroy the government, Tommy! You all die! It’s gone!

I don’t think that’s entirely correct, Tommy seemed to see him as the blade passively during most of their coexistence. But they were at the very beginning of starting a relationship with one another while living together. Still I don’t think Techno is entirely wrong here. He is clearly sick of letting ppl take advantage of his passion for anarchy, he’s choosing his own battle here.

. . .

TOMMY Look at me, please! Techno! You are our friend! And you know what? I thought friendship- Listen to me, please for- Techno, for once in your life listen to me!

Still going on about their relationship and Techno not listening to him, see above arguments.

TECHNO You never thought of me as a friend, Tommy! I listened to you for weeks and what did you do? You went back to Tubbo, the guy that exiled you! That chosen country over you!

From Technos pov Tubbo was the one who exiled Tommy out of nowhere. Of course he doesn’t know the larger problem.

TOMMY Technoblade, people are above the government. [We- It doesn’t matter if we want a government!]

TECHNO I AM A PERSON!

TOMMY You are, Techno! And so are we! You- The discs! The reason the discs, cause they were stolen from me!

TECHNO DISCS AREN’T PEOPLE!

At this point Tommy hasn’t confronted Technos problems with others treatment of him. And Tommy’s statement isn’t powerful enough to mean anything to Techno, cuz actions speak louder then words. I don’t understand why Tommy brought up the discs here, he was trying to get them back but he’s not working with Techno anymore so of course Techno won’t help him get them back.

TOMMY Nothing is taken from you here, Technoblade! Nothing was taken from you here! You are SELFISH! You destroy what people love for your own selfish gain! You are selfish!

Techno was used and betrayed by many people in l’manburg, his motivations are very different from Tommy’s fight for the discs and the people he cares about. Techno isn’t aiming to gain anything from this, him and Phil just want l’manburg to be destroyed. Him and Phil understand people are losing a lot but they believe it must be done so the government can’t corrupt more people. None of this is really for Techno.

TECHNO [Oh my god…] All of these problems are, because of YOUR government. Your government has caused all of these issues! I believe in freedom, Tommy!

TOMMY You don’t believe- When you are peer pressured that’s not freedom! That’s following what the government says, that was the president telling you to do that!

TECHNO Bro, Tommy, that was like 4 MONTHS ago, okay?

TOMMY And it was and you killed Tubbo! Don’t forget about the past right now!

Tommy is taking this opportunity to lecture Techno about everything he hates about him. While it is a wrong-doing of Technos it is essentially a straw man argument he shifts to.

. . .

TOMMY Even if he wasn’t the president you killed him as well. You are as bad as the government.

TECHNO Hey, remember when I was sitting there alone against the whole government and you and Wilbur just sat there on the sidelines and watched- Did you step in? DID YOU STEP IN?! Were you guys- Were you guys the ones that stepped in and said: “Don’t worry, Technoblade. We know you are in a high-pressure situation, but we’ll fight the world for you, Technoblade!” NO, YOU GUYS WATCHED! You know what I did? Yesterday, when you were surrounded by like 30 people, the whole world was against you? I WALKED IN! I was willing to fight all of them for you, Tommy! I would’ve been there! THAT is the difference between us.

I think this is a fair argument, he was alone, under pressure, and a little bit scared and no one stepped in to help him. And it relates to the argument at hand by trying to explain how betrayed he feels. But the choice to antagonize Tommy in particular reflects his incomplete perspective on both situations. (Wilbur holding back Tommy + The actual exile situation)

TOMMY Techno- we spend hours together, man!

TECHNO DON’T SPEAK TO ME OF LOYALTY!

They have two very different ideas of loyalty, plus Techno has noticeable trust issues at this point. Jeez they are not on the same page here.

TOMMY NO! You are my friend and you BETRAYED US! The thing about this government- The discs- Those were stolen by Dream! Why would you side with a MANIAC!

Tommy gave him the choice to side with them and he chose to not. He’s allied with Dream because they have similar goals. He doesn’t really care about Dreams ideology or past conflicts, Tommy for lack of a better phrase is taking this too personally.

TECHNO You never thought of me as a friend. I don’t care about the discs! I care about freedom, the government! We can’t have freedom with the government!

TOMMY You have your own freedom! Just let people love what they love, man! You are selfish!

Techno believes the government isn’t good for the people of the server, his goals are not meant to be self centred.

TECHNO I used to think like that, Tommy. You know what they did to me? They HAUNTED me down! The whole butcher army! And they executed me. I tried being peaceful, Tommy. But the government made it clear, that we could not coexist.

TOMMY Because you blew up the entire- You spawned withers, just like you did again. All you do is repeat the history, but worse!

TECHNO You guys brought this upon yourselves. I was willing to live in my cottage and be chill and just farm turtles. But you guys made it clear.

I don’t blame l’manburg for not putting it all behind them but they gave Techno (at least in him mind) no other choice. He couldn’t live a happy life as long as l’manburg still had a bounty on his head. But I don’t think self-preservation is selfish in the way Tommy thinks it is. He is essentially a victim of a violent system who retaliated extremely violently.

Overall Tommy’s side of the conversation is messy, he does not understand Technos motives and doesn’t seem to be listening at all. Which is fair given his traumatic circumstances. This argument didn’t really have a loser or winner but I think Techno made more sense and (ironically) listened to Tommy more.

[kimberlyannharts]

Read MMPR/TMNT II #1!  Quick thoughts below (I’ll be doing recaps for this series, but I like putting down my thoughts like this, especially since it’s a little inappropriate to do recaps IMMEDIATELY after the books come out) 

pros:

- DAN MORA ART DAN MORA ART DAN MORA ART my GOD is this book gorgeous.  Also he put my trio together in the big group shot so that’s immediately a win  

- Turtle and Ranger civilian interactions are still fun.  I hope we can get more low-key moments between everyone as the book goes on - Billy/Donnie and Jason/Leo got the main moments so hopefully everyone gets a chance to shine

- You can tell Ryan had a lot of fun integrating more TMNT elements than he did the first series and I like it!!  Since last series leaned more into the ranger side of the crossover I’m totally cool with going more into the TMNT side this time.  I hope they’ll get more than just cameos or namedrops.  Mondo Gecko should have been Ranger X

- speaking of which Ranger X has a cool design but honestly I’m way more hyped for the Mutant Rangers..............

cons:

- It’s very easy to compare the two opening issues of each series because the main plots are.....basically the same, barring how now it’s a friend of the Turtles that’s mysteriously joined the bad guys rather than a friend of the Rangers.  And honestly I think MMPR/TMNT I did its set-up a lot better with a lot more intrigue, with way better build-up to Tommy’s “betrayal” and letting us know it’s not a spell, furthering the mystery of his motives.  This thing with Casey kind of.  immediately comes off as a spell or Kraang possession, which I could be wrong about but.........with that opening scene of Casey and Karai, I feel like I’m not

- I know I said the Turtle/Ranger interactions are fun but the Jason/Leo scene rubbed me the wrong way a bit.  I think there’s a point to be had that Ryan tries...a bit too hard to make the Rangers too alike with their designated Turtle friends (see: writing Zack like comic relief to pair him up with Mikey) and the Jason/Leo scene kind of emphasizes that

- ignoring the fact that....Tommy never acted like this in the comics??  except like....his opening arc??  ZACK questioned Jason’s leadership more in the comics, at least at first - it feels too much like Ryan’s ignoring how a lot of the Turtles’ dynamics with each other hinges on them being brothers and having that typical sibling rivalry compared to how the Rangers are, for lack of a better term, just friends.  I feel like it would be almost more interesting to discuss the differences in each teams’ dynamics rather than forcing them to be too similar  

- also this panel in particular.  especially annoying in the wake of the Omega bullshit.  I get it’s supposed to just be Jason being able to vent his frustrations to another leader but after years of him getting mad when people don’t agree with his actions i don’t exactly feel sympathy lol 

[foryouthegays]

Nothing bad ever happens at a festival. [Dream SMP] liveblog w/ timestamps

yes im still a techno apologist i love him too much [edit after he ‘betrayed’ tommy: yallre still tommy apologists after this???? lmao cringe /hj i think that theyre both right, but techno should be angry about it]

good technolaughs: 00:14:15, 00:50:50

other: (00:01:31 techno calls phil his friend,,,,,i love them) (00:16:55 tommy calls phil ‘dadza’ aww) (00:20:30 do do doo) (00:47:20 HEHH????) (00:56:15 SELLOUT TIMER POGGGG with dream! and then again at 01:06:55 and 01:25:20) (01:20:20 fundy is dead pog blood for the blood god)

posted the summary right before this :D

ik i say this every time but his startin’ the streammmm is so good i love it

a;ldkjfa 00:00:25 ‘whY IS A BOTTLE CONSIDERED A FRIENDLY CREATURE-’

also techno calling his audience ‘boys’ gives me so much gender serotonin ty mr blade ily

00:01:30 PHILZA MINECRAFT!!!!!

00:02:00 ‘im going to be headed to a festival today :D’ ‘oh you got an invite?’ ‘...im gonna be headed to a festival- [laughs]’ a;lkdsjfa love techno

phil is such a horrible person i love him. ‘dont kill too many people!’ 

phil n techno bullying tommys house,,,;alksdfjas

ALJDFAFDK 00:05:55 ‘the economic consequences of murder’ 

HI TOMMY

i love all the ‘inventor of minecraft, philza minecraft!’ jokes theyre so funny jhfdskla

ALS;DKJFA AT 00:07:30 TOMMY ASKS WHAT ENIGMA MEANS I LOVE HIM A;LDKFJA

i love tommy bc he just. he just says things. ex, 00:08:30, ‘it is likely, everything is likely when I am me, and I am always me, until the day I die. when I die, this world will be stupid.’ like how does he THINK of that???? what is his brain like???? i love him

‘technoblade, I only jump on poor people.’ 00:09:05

techno n phil have such similar vibes. like theyre both sarcastic n bounce off each other so easily,,,,,i want a full stream of them again, turtle time n a new home were AMAZIN

techno is literally tommys dad hes like, ‘do u have everything you need? do you have the potions?’ its hilarious

00:12:00 PHIL LOOK OUT ITS A BABY ZOMBIE <- another one of my favorite phil jokes

00:12:15 TOMMY AXE OF PEACE????

00:14:10 ‘wait a minute, its raining!!! see ya, looser!!!! HAAAA!!!!!!! OH NO ITS SNOWIN’ IM GONNA DIE- thats fine, its fine, AAAHHAHAH” sky/bed wars energy 

00:15:45 what do u MEAN u arent against dream. i mean it makes sense, bc tommy isnt ur brother in canon nd hes just a kid u found nd helped but SIR?????

00:16:55 DADZA ALDSKJFAF

AL;DKFJA 00:17:15 ‘i dont think we’re in l’manburg anymore, tommy’ 

technos such a nerd abt directions i love him

ALKDSFJAFA 00:19:45 ‘hey, hey, notice that cool guy who used to live in lmanburg, that always built massive cobblestone towers?’ ‘uhhh yeah, that idiot’ ghjkfdsl techno ur so mean to tommy

tecnos yellin voice is so pretty

A;LSDKFJAS OPERATION INFILTRATION THATS A GOOD NAME 00:23:00

00:25:35 ‘you guys have fortnite?’ techno,,,

00:27:50 [about dream] ‘i think we’re quite a long way past making an enemy, technoblade.’ tommy has some good lines sometimes

aldkaf ‘i dont even see stars,,,’ ‘thats depressin’ ‘..yeah’ i love techno n ranboos mini conversations 

DREAM JOINED THE SERVER OH GOD. 

00:30:40 :CRAB: DREAM IS HERE :CRAB:

gjfsdfk tommy is so bad at directions is great

i love technos ‘????’ in chat when he has to be quiet its so funny. like he could easily mute and say things but its for the Immersion jhfgsdk 

also yall look at how much technos stuttering in his typing he has to go back at like, every other letter to retype it 00:36:15

A;SDLFKJAS HE LITERALLY TYPES ‘WHY CAN I NOT TYPE’ GHKDFJ

00:37:15 50V2 50V2 50V2 also dream sounds so mad

00:40:40 “HE WOULDN’T LIE TO ME, DREAM, HE’D LIE TO YOU, BUT HE WOULDN’T LIE TO ME.” OH MY GOSH

00:41:10 “i mean, you’re out here, accusing him of crimes, and you’re saying just because he’s defendin’ himself, that makes him guilty?” HELL YEAH TECHNO also oh, yeah, whatever, laws, cringeee

HFGJKSD TECNO RANBOO FRIENDSHIP STRIKES AGAIN!!!!! LOVE THEM

ASLDKJFASL AND THE FACT THAT TECHNO CHOOSES RANBOO TO MESSAGE,,,,LOVE THEM

[presidential alert, the boys are FIGHTINGGGGGG] a;lsdfja 00:43:30

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE

HOLY SHIT TOMMY

00:45:05 ‘THE DISCS WERE WORTH MORE THAN YOU EVER WERE’  OH MY GOD

technos right, silent pvp is awkward as well

oh boy dream has alllll the discs

00:46:40 

“Techno...this isn’t me... this isn’t...I mean, I look around, and I’m not the person I want to be. I- I mean... I’m so sorry. Techno, if this is who I am, then I don’t want to be me anymore, man. I- I’m sorry. I’m with Tubbo.”

HOLY SHIT TOMMY JUST BETRAYED TECHNO RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM OH MY GOD PHILZA RLLY IS THE ONLY PERSON TECHNO CAN TRUST

oh holy FUCK technos change in tone from “TOMMY WHEN I SAID- Tommy, perhaps I wasn’t clear yesterday. When I said that I’m going to destroy L’Manburg, and that you don’t have to help me, when I said yOU DON’T HAVE TO HELP ME TOMMY, I MEANT THAT YOU COULD SIT IT OUT, NOT SWITCH SIDES, AND FIGHT AGAINST ME!”

also “youRE BETRAYING ME, IS WHAT YOU’RE DOING, TOMMY” god i love technos yelling voice,,,

hoLY SHIT TOMMY ‘im worse than everyone i didnt want to be...’ DUDE CHILL ITS TECHNOS THING TO HAVE GOOD LINES 00:47:55

the contrast between tommy saying the whole ‘‘it is likely, everything is likely when I am me, and I am always me, until the day I die. when I die, this world will be stupid” and “i know what ive done, and I hate me for it” is just,,,,that HAD to be planned, right???????? theres no way he thought of that on the spot 

“thank you, for giving me the disc, but I just want to say that you’re an idiot” gfkhjsld DREAM you homeless fool 00:48:30

AL;SKDFJAS TECHNO TALKIN TO US VIA CHAT IS SO FUNNY ‘THIS HOMELESS MAN IS SPITTING BARS’ I LOVE HIM SO MUCH GJFKDS 

“you just gave me the ONE THING I needed to destroy L’manburg.” 00:49:05 ohhhh thats why techno ‘betrayed’ tommy jkghsfd because someone directly lined up with his ideals??? because he was just betrayed, and hes hurt, and he saw someone standing up for his ideas and future actions? every single one of u anti c!techno people r fuckin idiots i stg /hj /nm /lh

i love techno yelling at tubbo its so funny to me. like sir u are bullying a small child aldkfjalja

00:50:30 YOU CAN HEAR TECHNOS SMILE WHEN HE SAYS ‘OH IM LIKING WHERE THIS IS GOING’ AHHH I LOVE HIM!!!!!!

LASDKJFALSFJ I LOVE HOW DREAMS LIKE NAH I AM N O T CALLIN IN THAT FAVOR FOR THIS, UR GONNA DESTROY LMANBURG NO MATTER W H A T

GOOD TECHNOLAUGH AHH  YES LISTEN TO THAT JOY!!!!! THAT WAS A SOLID FIVE SECONDS OF TECHNOLAUGH!!!!!

ALDSKFJASF TOMMY KILLS TUBBOS DOG 

00:52:30.

“Tommy. Give me back my axe. You’re not worthy, I was wrong.”

“...no. No! You know what, Technoblade? I am worthy. And you’re not- you’re not gonna side with Dream to take down L’Manburg, are you.”

“I- I’ve been so transparent about how I’m going to destroy the government, I’ve explained my reasons, like, I’m destroying it because of a, b, c, they executed me, they betrayed me, you betrayed me... you know what, Tommy? You’ve made a decision today that can’t be undone, and you know what? I respect you, Tommy. You’re free to make your own choices, wrong as they are, that’s what anarchy is about. It’s about freedom, to do what you want. But all I have to say, Tommy, is that I hope you don’t come to regret it. “ OH MY GOD

also he just LEAVES :LDFJSLDKFJSF AND GOES BACK HOME IGHALSDFJALKF

A;LDKJSFAS DREAM TECHNO SELLOUT POG

a;ldkfja 00:57:10 ‘i’ve always said, you know, if you’re a viewer, the only support I need is your viewership. UNLESS YOU’RE A MILLIONAIRE IN WHICH CASE, RUN THOSE SUPERCHATS LETS GO” i love techno 

also dream :handshake: phil

green

 ALSDKFJALSF HE ALREADY FORGOT WHAT HAPPENED HES SUCH A NERD 00:58:00

AND THAT ‘I HAVE CONFIDENCE’ AN HOUR IN,,,,IM SO GAY

01:01:20 have yall noticed how much techno says ‘i hate this so bad’? its p often. i think he says it in his recent vid w skeppy as well

ok at 01:02:20 techno says to dream ‘this seems like the beginning of a beautiful partnership’ 

and at 01:34:10 of ‘nothing goes wrong’ techno tells tommy ‘this seems like the beginning of a beautiful friendship’ and i just,,,,,the PARALLELS they had both just found out abt the wither room but with one techno was showing him the whole truth and was vulnerable, kinda asking for friendship but the other is unstable and based off of....i want to say fear? mutual gain? 

i love it

01:08:40 techno doesnt trust dream pog

nother speech pog 01:09:10

“you know what I’ve learned, Phil? It’s that common interests are what bind people together, more than trust or anything, because I trust Tommy, I brought him in, I gave him food, the armor on his back, I made him weapons when everyone else ditched him, and what does he do?? He just goes crawlin’ back to the guys that exiled him. I can’t trust people on friendship alone, alright? Just common interest is the only thing I can trust, and we [Techno and Dream] have a common interest, we are going to destroy L’Manburg tomorrow, Phil, it’s gonna be gone, it’s gonna be a chunk error.”

01:14:48 all men do is betray technoblade, eat hot chip, and lie ALSDFJALDSFKAJSF IM LAUGHING SO HARD also why does techno casually use words like ‘exodus’ i love him but why

Run.

THE CAT SEES US. ITS MCGONAGALL A;LKDFJALF 01:22:45

‘we should make a parody of YMCA. dddd m c a’ blitz 2??? cmon techno u know u want to 01:23:25

technos glasses break at 01:26:50 a;ldskfjaf

awww techno got phil like 300 primes bc of the sellout nd techno gained 11,000 subs a;ldkfjaf w o w

[urmomification]

SWAG ANOTHER DREAM SMP AU FIC IDEA THAT ILL NEVER WRITE POG

this is a very long post please im so sorry my brain it just

(tw for like slight possession n shit)

(sorry its all jumbled i write all of these in discord to my friend and copy paste them here please if u have questions ask me im always willing to talk abt this shit please it haunts me)

(context: i saw a tiktok abt the hc that both dream and techno are gods of some sort bc theyre mentioned in the tales of the smp by karl a time traveller and my brain just ran w it)

going back to the techno and dream are gods thing right so dream is a vessel for the god dream xd (??? work in progress youll know what im talking about at some point its really funny tho uve def seen clips of it) and he was possessed?? by the god after the server started (when he started going from super friendly with everyone to control/power hungry) when he started sacrificing everything for power so no one could have power over him? that was the god making him do it bc the god was terrified of not being in control since theyd lost it all to techno in their past. thats why we never see dream and techno fight and why we see dream extend help and support to him at times as well as respecting his boundaries and such bc theyre scared of techno (again w the best of 10 duel reference, techno killed the god in a past life which is why the god has been forced to use a human vessel to get anything done on the mortal plane) but when something that powerful spends pretty much any amount of time in something mortal and mundane like a person, the host body starts to change (hence the mask) i like to think that the god would be akin to that of a biblically correct angel?? like the ones w multiple eyes n shit yk so after time things start to happen to normal dreams body he gets extra sets of eyes and he gets taller and overall his body seems just Too Small for whatevers inside of him and thats why he (hc) started wearing the mask in the first place he knew something was wrong w him but he didnt want anyone to know even tho they would most likely help him he was ashamed that he was different in the first place so he started wearing the mask once the other eyes showed up. and i think that the god would talk to dream similarly to how technos voices work yk? except its just the one voice instead of many many small ones. and again with the mask thing when he lost to tommy and they took him in, part of his mask broke to the point where u could see just a bit of the right side of his face but enough to see that it Wasnt Right there were two eyes where there shouldve been one and spots on his cheeks bright enough to resemble stars and where the color of his pupil should have been is just a sickeningly neon green with nothing else behind it. so they let him keep the mask even tho they already know something is wrong but it clearly makes him Very Distressed when asked to remove the mask or told to give it up. blah blah blah god harassing its host bc it got them caught and thrown in a prison and dream goes ever so slightly insane having to share a mind and body with a literal ancient god w a vendetta against everything hes built whos forced him to sacrifice everything he loved and cared for out of fear yk the usual prison shit and then techno comes a long and breaks him out or whatever but on their way back to his house he drops a really cryptic line abt how 'its nice to see an old friend again' and 'i thought i got rid of u for good last time' and dream is just ???? what are u talking about?? weve never been friends and youve never gotten rid of me? what. until techno spins around and just 'im not talking to you im talking to the thing inside u' or whatever and dreams eyes flash some brilliant gold or sumn and boom this is ur fellow god speaking how may i help you and dream xd (that feels so wrong to say but) and techno bond or well ig just talk abt how the past centuries have gone and ig while xd is fronting (??? i think itd kinda be like DID in a sense w multiple people being able to front yk?) dream is in a sort of semi conscious state but still hears everything going on around his own body until hes thrown back into the drivers seat (i think that xd would only be able to front for short periods of time due to the vessel n shit that makes sense right) and hes so confused someone please help him hes just a dude who happened to get possessed by a god someone help him so when they finally get back to technos house he sits dream down and explains the best he can without literally melting dreams brain. which would also play into the 'technoblade never dies' bc hes. literally a god. mortals cant kill him unless they have idk some sort of super weapon idk and blah blah blah xd gets what they want and finally has the ability to leave finally leaving dream literally the shell of a man with no home friends materials or anything with techno to basically take care of him until he reaches some semblance of stability again (which would take ages, realistically (wdym realistically) going from normal, to a god sharing a body with you and speaking in you brain living as a single being together and hearing their thoughts, to back to normal but with all the memories of what you did and what they made you do and also no more god speaking in ur head it would take a hot sec to recover from) so he lives with techno (whos, not to mention, another god) for a while until he can fend for himself again and after a good year or so passes and no one hears from dream they start to look for him and see what happened bc he went from the biggest threat on the server to just. gone. no one knows where he went after whatever he did and they want closure. is he dead?? who knows. so george and sap set out looking for him and decide to ask techno for help since hes good w directions n shit also he was the last person to see dream alive so he might have an idea of where he is and they walk up to his house and knock on his door and techno opens it and just stares at them he knows who they are, dreams talked about them before but hes never met them really so he talks to them, getting through the polite hellos how are yous before sap finally asks 'do you know what happened to dream? no one knows where he went and we just want closure' techno huffs and tells them to wait there he (this is the basement door im using his arctic tundra house in my head) goes down the ladder to the second basement, they can hear him talking to multiple people (ranboo phil dream) but cant tell who everyone is before coming back up the ladder, back to the door. he tells them to wait outside he needs to get something first (its dream hes getting dream) theyre standing out by carls stable when the door creaks open and dream steps out looking around for who the fuck could possibly be looking for them he betrayed everyone and most people thought he was dead who could possibly be here asking for himself and not ranboo or philza and when he steps out, his green hoodie (memento made by ranboo to help him cope w the loss of the voice in his head) catching the morning light off the snow and he was happy and then he saw them standing by the house hed grown to call home at least for now he breaks. he missed them so so much it hurt. he never expected to see them ever again much less them come looking to see him but hes scared he realizes he doesnt know what to say there is nothing to say he fucked them all over he ruined everything and then hes being hugged. they missed him too. they dont forgive him jsut yet but they missed him and thats enough for him right now. the three of them stand there just being in each others presences and techno creaks the door open to make sure they arent trying to kill each other and sighs and leans against the frame smiling. hes happy again and thats the best he can do for him. he invites them all in and offers to explain everything to them to try and ease the blame off of dream bc in all honesty it was his fault but xd made it far far worse that it should have been (a bit late but foot note abt xd i think that they would be an idle god until someone w intense feelings of powerlessness and insecurity like awoke them from their techno induced slumber and inhabited dream to help him fulfill his desires for power and control) and by the time he and dream are finished its late at night and sap and george are ??? so u were possessed by a god who techno killed centuries ago in a duel and it amplified ur feelings of insecurity and ur thirst for control to the point of isolating urself from us and destroying everything everyone cared abt?? also technos an ancient god who lusts for bloodshed but also makes turtle farms in his free time?? are we getting this right????? and techno and dream are just yea thats abt it glad this all made sense then they all go to bed (its a small house dream has a lil shack like ranboos and sap and george somehow slept over there for the night) and in the morning sap and george leave again but promise to come back, they still arent ready to forgive and forget bc even tho it wasnt all his fault his emotions getting away from him is what caused this all in the first place so they do need time to process now that they know he isnt dead and dream continues to live near techno in almost full independence and eventually moves back with his friends even tho many still hate him. hes happy and for now thats enough. another foot note; even after xd leaves his being, he still has the extra eyes, glowy freckles n is xtra tall n shit that cant just be reversed but now that hes himself again these things take their tolls on human bodies so i think hed have something at least similar to arthritis bc of how his bones were literally manipulated bc of how strong ethereal magic or whatever is. so he would still wear the broken mask but he takes it off now and is ok with it being off hes working on getting better now that hes himself again and everyone living w/by techno is helping him with that. also i think that he would get blinks of xd's memories like from when techno was killing them and have sumn like ptsd panic attacks from it and techno feels super guilty abt it but theres literally nothing he can do except apologize and after the first few times dream stopped him from apologizing bc it is his fault but he didnt do it to him so it doesnt matter to dream at least and they live in pretty much harmony until dream finally moves back in w george and sap the end. he also started wearing the mask in the first place bc of the extra eyes but he played it off as being uncomfortable around new people and not wanting them to know what he looked like until he trusted them (bc that literally makes sense irl how funky is that) so sap and george never pushed him and when they caught him without it on on the rare occasion they wouldnt pressure him to leave it off or anything even tho they already knew what he looked like (when they respect ur boundaries </3) they just assumed that it was insecurity (it was but also mans had like 3 eyes so) and just left him alone

[mobius-prime]

227. Sonic the Hedgehog #159

System Reboot

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Ron Lim Colors: Josh & Aimee Ray

All right everyone, we've finally made it! After 213 long issues of having him around sticking his fingers into everything, we've reached the final issue that Ken Penders ever wrote for the Archie Sonic comics! Interestingly enough, this isn't actually the final issue he had a hand in entirely - he inked and lettered one final story several issues from now - but since this is the final one he actually wrote, this is where we'll be saying our goodbyes to him. And so soon after Karl left, too! Those of you who know the comics likely know what's coming next issue, so we might as well tear through this one to get to it! Kenders, with your final issue, show us what you got!

So last issue saw Hope lying on the floor injured and unconscious from a blow to the head, and Shadow threatening Sonic if she dies. Sonic then does the most level-headed and reasonable thing a person could do in this situation, meaning he immediately gets offended and attacks Shadow, and they both start punching and throwing each other around while hurling insults in each other's faces. Rosie is quite understandably disgusted with their behavior, and shouts at the both of them to stop at once.

About time! In his lab, a distraught Uncle Chuck reviews the Metal Sonics' technical specifications before lamenting ever creating them in the first place. Rotor reassures him that what's happening now isn't his fault, and reminds him that it's not necessarily the inventor's fault what others choose to do with the invention, obviously hinting at his past with the roboticizer as well. Eggman, meanwhile, finds himself in awe at the sheer destructive potential of the bots, admiring their reckless destruction of Knothole without regard to the citizenry that get in their way, but rather disappointed that he himself didn't come up with these particular models. Shadow, chasing after Sonic, is still worried that they may not reach the doctor in time to save Hope, and he feels a particularly strong connection to her due to her resemblance to Maria, as well as the compassion she showed him back when Locke kidnapped him. This gives him the strength to once again use his Chaos powers in a way he… apparently still doesn't understand. C'mon, Shad, this is hardly the first time you've used Chaos Control, surely you should recognize it!

At Castle Acorn, Elias and Antoine, standing on lookout, are dismayed to see that the Metal Sonics haven't been stopped on their rampage through the center of Knothole, and are on a straight course for the castle where everyone is sheltered. Shadow's Chaos portal abruptly opens behind them, and Sonic hands Hope over to Dr. Quack for treatment, something Shadow begrudging accepts as being the best they can do for now. Sonic, thoroughly annoyed by now at having to deal with such a menace modeled after himself, races back out to fight the rest of the Metal Sonics still bearing down on the castle, and Shadow follows him once again, not content to be left out of the fun. Sonic does his best to take down the attacking force with a whirlwind of his own, but it barely leaves them rattled, and he begins taking some nasty blows, clearly losing the fight. Shadow, coming up on the scene, realizes that despite all their differences he can hardly leave Sonic here to die like this, and raises his hand, emitting another blast of energy that immediately disables all the remaining robots.

Honestly, I'm a little weirded out by the idea of Knuckles of all people explaining stuff like Chaos Control to Shadow, given how hard that role is reversed in the games, with Shadow knowing a lot more about Chaos powers and Knuckles being an isolated loner with no proper knowledge of his heritage or the extent of his abilities. Anyway, with the day saved, Sonic reenters the castle to find Elias holding a medal which he has apparently pulled directly from his ass given the speed with which he's managed to produce it, or otherwise he's just had an award with Sonic's name on it sitting around for a long while for just such an occasion as this. He's awarded the title of Gentleman-At-Arms, something which comes with many privileges that Elias promises to explain later, and then… it's party time! Everyone weirdly acts as though this has been the biggest threat their society has ever faced, despite the fact that barely a year ago a malevolent alien force that had already eliminated civilization on this planet once before tried to suck the entire planet into a black hole, but whatever, we can let them have this one. But what of Shadow? Is he just standing around outside broodi- yeah he's totally standing around outside brooding.

…sorry, Chuck, but what the hell does that mean? What secrets do you apparently hold that are so important that you feel like you have to deviously hide them from Shadow? Like… it's such an ominous-sounding line that means absolutely nothing. By the way, this is where the story ends - absolutely no explanation is given for why the Metal Sonics went on a rampage the way they did. I mean, we know that someone targeting Eggman activated them and sent them after him, but halfway through the story they just kind of switched targets from Eggman to All Of Knothole for seemingly no reason. I suppose you could just say their programming got too scrambled to tell an innocent from their target, but honestly they feel more like a plot device intended to let Shadow discover his own abilities, and therefore something that wasn't well thought out and will be forgotten about by the next issue.

The Despicable Dr. Robotnik: Insidious

Writer/Pencils: Ken Penders Colors: Josh & Aimee Ray

Well, after all the excitement of the previous day, Eggman is looking to recoup at least some of his losses. A.D.A.M. is thankfully online once again, and despite Eggman's sour mood, A.D.A.M. hopes to cheer him up with some good news. He draws Eggman's attention to the nanite fiasco of a few issues ago, and while Eggman is initially unimpressed with him bringing up one of his failures, his interest is piqued when A.D.A.M. demonstrates that the signals the nanites send between themselves can be intercepted by their own equipment here in New Megaopolis. This gives them a direct backdoor into the dealings inside Knothole, and Eggman watches in fascination as A.D.A.M. manipulates some of the nanites in real time while Tommy, Jules, Chuck, and a few others run experiments on them.

Under Eggman's guidance, A.D.A.M. directs small quantities of nanites to "infect" first Jules, then Bunnie, with those two being the main targets due to their inorganic body parts. However, when Eggman tries to order Sonic himself to be bugged, A.D.A.M. points out that since he's organic he can't bond with the nanites, which kind of seems to go against the idea of Tommy doing just that…

See, this bugs me, because I actually put thought into the whole "this is why the nanites can bond with Tommy's shell now" thing, and yet here it's discarded in favor of "I don't know, shells aren't organic or something"? Yes they freaking are, Penders! I researched it! I learned more than I ever thought I needed to know about the biological composition and evolution of turtle shells just to make sure my one little comment about Tommy's shell bonding with the nanites would be accurate! Granted, I get that Mobians aren't exactly the same as the animal species they're descended from, but you'd think the shell of a Mobian turtle would count as similar at least. *sigh*

Well, on that somewhat anticlimactic note, we've finally reached the end of Ken Penders' tenure as head writer for these comics. It's been… well, I feel like saying it's been a wild ride would be a bit of an understatement, but the sentiment is there, at least. And while I know he hasn't been a popular writer among many fans, and I've had my own fair share of criticism for his work (especially the later stuff), I still think it's appropriate to recognize the many good things he brought to the comic, especially the characters and plot points that have by now become mainstays in the world of the preboot. That said, now that we're moving on from the Era of Penders, a lot of the most controversial stuff in the comic is behind us, and we have a bright, interesting, and well-written new future to look forward to! Hope everyone is ready for the excellence that is Ian Flynn, cause here he comes!

[superlockatrocity]

Mod turtle back at it again!

Camping and you go out alone? Buddy, you're just asking for trouble at this point. Oh hi Finn from Glee, haven't seen you in awhile. And I shan't see you again for you have become monster food.

FINAL. BOY. FINAL. BOY. You're in trouble son.

Poor Sam...at least he has a grave to visit. I appreciate his "Strong Man Must Protect" feelings but there was quite literally nothing he could've done. She was dead before he even got home.

I love the conversations they have in Baby. Oh, to be that Impala.

Sammy's got his brooding face on. Love that. What I don't love is Dean's blatant ogling and flirting with a worried girl who happens to be the sister of the victim. Unnecessary, I say!

I like that these boys are so gentle with people that are afraid of being misunderstood. It's my favorite thing about this whole show.

Yeeesh, questionable scar makeup. Could've been worse but jeez.

Small aside, but I very seriously wonder if these boys have legal driver's licenses. Sam maybe, Dean definitely not.

Mmm, crunchy sound effect. Pardon me whilst I gag. At least Tommy isn't dead!

Dean almost stepped in a fucking bear trap...and he's now flirting AGAIN. Read the room, you insufferable himbo.

That tent is thoroughly rekt. I pity the person that has to clean up after that mess.

A random cry for help from the woods, that's not at all a bad sign ever. Have these people never watched a single horror movie???

Dean pronounces Wendigo weird. "Win-DEE-go." Why does he say it like that?

Brotherly Bonding Moment over that raggedy ass journal John's been carrying around since the dawn of time.

Dean being the voice of reason? What a world. But...he's a good brother. Sammy needs him and he's there.

Goodbye, Roy. We hardly knew ye and thoroughly disliked ye. Shoulda stayed in the magic circle.

Wendigo lore time, I do love a good monster backstory.

"We gotta torch the sucker." Dean, why on earth do you have those supplies just on your person? I shouldn't be surprised, but what.

Oop, growly boy returns.

IT'S RAININ' MEN, HOLY SHIIIIIT

Hailey sure screams a lot. Goodness. Don't blame her but-- oh okay Sam's gonna scream too.

Dean left a lovely trail of peanut M&M's...one good use for the nasty things.

Boys go down the hole. This mine was probably boarded up for a reason gents, mind your step.

I'm glad the wendigo hung em up rather than just tossing them in a corner. How considerate.

"Bring it on baby, I taste GOOD!" Dean...you are a wonder.

Ooookay so the wendigo looks gross. Not a fan but that was pretty impressive.

And just like that, up in smoke. Quick thinking with the flare gun Dean.

If the world were a different place Dean might've loved that girl I think. They're similar, but not in a way that they'd get bored of each other. End shot of the boys in their car and Sam is DRIVING AGAIN.

Tune in next time!

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Big Trouble in Little China

While cinephiles reflect on John Carpenter's output from the '70s and '80s with great reverence - some might argue that it's an unparalleled run of genre classics - many of his films were considered failures upon initial release due to a lack of commercial success. The Thing is the most well-documented example, but Big Trouble in Little China suffered a similar fate. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the film's domestic gross of $11.1 million only covered about half of its budget, and the critical reception was mixed.

Disillusioned by the Hollywood system, the production influenced Carpenter to return to his independent roots, where he would stay for much of the remainder of his career. But, like many of the master of horror's works, Big Trouble found a cult audience through television and home video. Difficult to classify, the genre-bending adventure combines elements of action (martial arts, no less), comedy, fantasy, horror, western, and even a dash of romance.

The film follows swaggering truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell, The Thing), who finds big trouble while passing through California's Chinatown. He becomes mixed up with Lo Pan (James Hong, Blade Runner), an ancient, evil sorcerer with a legion of warrior followers. Burton has a crew of his own, including his newfound love interest, Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City); his friend with a vendetta against Lo Pan, Wang Chi (Dennis Dun, Prince of Darkness); and Egg Shen (Victor Wong, 3 Ninjas), who shares his expertise in magic.

Big Trouble in Little China plays out like John Carpenter's answer to Indiana Jones. In lesser hands, it would be little more than a campy B-movie, but Carpenter's unique lens elevates the material without losing the quirkiness. Aside from a plot that's more complicated than it needs to be, this is the closest Carpenter ever came to making a children's movie, complete with an extremely '80s end credit theme song performed by The Coupe De Villes (consisting of Carpenter and filmmaking friends Nick Castle and Tommy Lee Wallace).

The screenplay began as a cowboy western that incorporated Chinese fantasy elements, written by first-timers Gary Goldman (Total Recall) and David Z. Weinstein, before script doctor W.D. Richter (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) adapted it from the Old West to a contemporary setting. When it came time to shoot, Carpenter smartly solicited input from the Asian cast and crew members to ensure well-rounded portrayals rather than stereotypes.

The introduction of Chinese mysticism allows for the inclusion of monsters, which were created by Steve Johnson (Ghostbusters, Species). The special effects guru was initially disappointed to have to make cartoony characters, per Carpenter's request - but, after seeing the final product, he conceded that the filmmaker was right. The creatures are not a far cry from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains, but there's a charm to them that fits the picture's atypical tone.

Jack Burton is ostensibly the prototypical action hero, as the story is framed around him. Upon closer inspection, however, the character is little more than a bumbling sidekick to Wang Chi, who actually knows what he's doing. Burton serves as the voice of the Western audience, ignorant of the mythology and incredulous to the sorcery. Russell, in his fourth of five collaborations with Carpenter, tackles the charismatic part with aplomb.

Big Trouble in Little China has received a new Collector's Edition Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory. It's available in both standard and limited edition Steelbook packaging with artwork by Laz Marquez and Nathanael Marsh, respectively. In their final collaboration, Carpenter and longtime cinematographer Dean Cundey's (Halloween, Jurassic Park) widescreen visuals shine even more in high definition, utilizing an existing transfer that’s sharp.

The first of two discs features three audio commentaries, two of which are new. The first is more of an extended interview with producer Larry Franco, hosted by special features producer Justin Beahm. Rarely mentioning what's on screen, they discuss Franco's entire career - including his lengthy stint on Carpenter film's from Elvis to They Live - in chronological order. The second new track finds Johnson in conversation with Sharknado filmmaker Anthony C. Ferrante. Thanks to Johnson's unfiltered nature, it's a fascinating and entertaining chat in which he divulges that he funded his early makeup supplies by selling marijuana, beer, and shoplifted goods to friends.

An archival commentary with Carpenter and Russell, recorded circa 2001, is full of laughs between the two friends. They poke fun at the fact that the movies they do together don't catch on until later, while Carpenter acknowledges that the Big Trouble set was reused in Janet Jackson's "When I Think of You" music video. An isolated score track, featuring 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio of the synth soundtrack composed by Carpenter in association with regular collaborator Alan Howarth (They Live, Christine), is also available.

The first disc also includes: a vintage audio interview with Carpenter promoting the film; electronic press kit interviews with Carpenter, Russell, Dun, Cattrall, Hong, and visual effects artist Richard Edlund (Star Wars); deleted and extended scenes, including the extended ending; a gag reel; the Coupe De Villes' music video, which somehow makes the song feel even more overtly '80s; three theatrical trailers, one of which is in Spanish; five TV spots; and three photo galleries: movie stills, posters and lobby cards, and behind-the-scenes pictures.

The second disc contains a whopping twelve new interviews with cast and crew members. Dunn discusses his transition from marketing student to actor on a whim. Hong, equipped with a paper fan that he puts to good use when discussing Big Trouble, calls Lo Pan one of his best roles. Actor Donald Li, noting the stereotypical nature of most Asian roles in Hollywood, says he identified with his happy-go-lucky character of Eddie Lee. Actor Carter Wong discusses how his martial arts training led to a film career and his explosive death scene as Thunder. Actor Peter Kwong, who plays Rain, details the racial prejudices he faced early in his career, driving his aspirations to spread a message of humanity rather than race. Actor Al Leong, who plays the Hatchet Man, is animated in his praise for Carpenter.

Richter details how he turned the original period western script into a contemporary film. Goldman provides additional context to the earlier script, including original scenes that were modernized. Martial arts choreographer James Lew explains how he was drawn to martial arts because he saw Asian representation in Bruce Lee films. Castle - best known for playing Michael Myers in Halloween and co-writing Escape from New York - tells more of his origins and musical background that led to The Coupe De Villes. Wallace - who directed Halloween III and It - calls music his first love as he discusses his lifelong friendship with Carpenter, including their earlier musical collaborations. Legendary poster artist Drew Struzan (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter) shares his fascinating backstory and admits that he posed for his own reference photo for Kurt Russell's body on the poster.

Although they did not participate in new extras, 2013 interviews with Carpenter and Russell offer their recent thoughts on the project. The straight-talking Carpenter is open about his unpleasant experience dealing with the studio, while Russell looks back on his Carpenter collaboration with fondness but reveals that the studio intentionally buried the release. There's also interviews from the same period with Cundey, who briefly touches on his many Carpenter collaborations; Franco, which features a lot of the same information from the commentary; and stuntman/actor Jeff Imada. Extras are rounded out by an archival interview with Endlund, who breaks down several visual effect gags, and a vintage making-of featurette.

Big Trouble in Little China is available now on Blu-ray and Steelbook via Scream Factory.