#and it is a credit to the quality of the design of this movie that it still looks fabulous even like that

[pedroscowgirl]

Unleashing the wolverine

hugh jackman x female!reader

Warnings: Minors DNI, smut!

hugh is a sub in this, tied up, p in v , creampie (wrap it up), slight breeding kink (?), oral m!receiving, strawberry /claw play (idk), hugh just goes feral what can i say

words: 4.1k

summary: you bought a wolverine cosplay to seduce hugh and it's working

A/N: this is so freaky , my gosh i'm so down bad for this man and sub hugh is suddenly my weakness i also wanna say thank you for all your support <3 i appreciate it

Hugh and you were at the premiere of his latest Wolverine movie, and you loved every second of it. Every scene of Hugh in that iconic suit sent shivers down your spine. You had been a Marvel fan long before you met Hugh, and seeing your boyfriend in THE suit was a dream come true. The raw power and intensity he brought to the character left you mesmerized, and you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

As the night progressed and the credits rolled, you could hardly contain your excitement. You clung to Hugh’s arm as you both made your way through the crowd of fans and paparazzi, smiling for the cameras but secretly plotting something special. The idea had taken root in your mind the moment you saw him onscreen, and it grew stronger with each passing minute.

Back at your shared apartment, while Hugh was basking in the afterglow of a successful premiere, you quickly excused yourself and slipped into another room. You had a plan, and it required a little bit of secrecy. You fired up your laptop and found exactly what you were looking for: a high-quality Wolverine cosplay bodysuit. The thought of surprising Hugh in such a daring outfit made your heart race. You placed the order, ensuring it would arrive in time for your special night.

Days stretched into a week, each day filled with mounting anticipation. You carefully prepared for the special moment, ensuring every aspect was flawless. From the fit of the suit to the tiniest detail, you were determined to make this experience unforgettable for both of you.

When the package finally arrived, your excitement was evident. You could hardly contain your eagerness to set your well-thought-out plan into motion. That evening, after sharing a quiet, intimate dinner at home, you turned to Hugh with a knowing smile and told him you had a surprise for him. His curiosity was immediately piqued, and the gleam of excitement in his eyes was unmistakable.

You took his hand and led him to the bedroom, where you asked him to sit on the edge of the bed and close his eyes. He complied without hesitation, a playful smile dancing on his lips as he settled into position. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and you could feel your heart racing in sync with the thrilling moment.

With Hugh waiting expectantly, you slipped into the bathroom to change. You took the bodysuit out of its packaging, admiring the craftsmanship and detail. As you slid into the suit, you felt the fabric mold to your body, accentuating your curves in all the right places. The suit was a stunning replica of Wolverine's iconic costume, featuring the striking yellow and black design that made it instantly recognizable.

The fabric was smooth and form-fitting, designed to highlight every contour of your figure. You took your time, making sure every seam was aligned perfectly. The suit featured bold black stripes against the bright yellow background, creating a visually striking appearance. Each stripe was meticulously placed, enhancing the overall effect and making you look fierce and formidable.

To complete the look, you had equipped yourself with some claws. These claws were a work of art in themselves, crafted to look exactly like Wolverine's adamantium claws. They extended from the back of your hands, glistening under the bathroom light. You flexed your fingers, feeling the weight and balance of the claws. They were securely attached, giving you the confidence to wield them with authority.

Satisfied with your transformation, you took a deep breath and checked yourself in the mirror one last time. The reflection staring back at you was powerful and fierce, embodying the spirit of Wolverine. Every detail was perfect, from the vivid colours of the suit to the menacing glint of the claws.

You stepped out of the bathroom, heart pounding with excitement. Hugh was still sitting on the bed, eyes closed, waiting patiently for the surprise you had promised. You walked towards him, the sound of your footsteps causing his smile to widen in anticipation.

"Okay, open your eyes," you said softly.

Hugh opened his eyes, and his jaw dropped in amazement. The look of surprise and admiration on his face was everything you had hoped for. He took in the sight of you, from the top of your head to the tips of your claws, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"You look incredible," he said, his voice filled with awe.

You struck a playful pose, flexing your claws and giving him a fierce, determined look. "Ready to take on anything," you replied with a wink.

Hugh stood up and walked towards you, his eyes never leaving yours. He reached out and gently touched the claws, marvelling at their craftsmanship. "This is amazing," he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

You smiled, feeling a rush of pride and satisfaction. All your preparation and attention to detail had paid off, and the look on Hugh's face made it all worth it.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in your mind, adding a touch of sensual indulgence to the already thrilling moment. You turned to Hugh with a playful grin and whispered, "Wait right here." His curiosity was piqued once more, his eyes following you as you sauntered out of the bedroom and made your way to the kitchen.

You opened the fridge and found the decadent treat you had prepared earlier: a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. Each berry was perfectly dipped, the glossy chocolate coating promising a burst of sweetness. You carefully picked up the plate, balancing it effortlessly despite the claws extending from your hands.

Returning to the bedroom, you saw Hugh's eyes light up with curiosity and desire. You set the plate down on the bedside table, ensuring it was within easy reach. With a seductive smile, you picked up a strawberry using the tip of your claw, the delicate fruit held securely by the metal extension.

You approached Hugh, the gleam of the claws catching the light, adding a mesmerizing allure to the scene. His eyes were locked on you, filled with anticipation and a growing hunger. Slowly, you brought the chocolate-covered strawberry to his lips, teasing him with its sweet aroma.

"Open wide," you purred, your voice a sultry whisper that sent shivers down his spine.

Hugh parted his lips, his eyes never leaving yours. You gently guided the strawberry into his mouth, the chocolate melting slightly from the warmth of his breath. As he bit into the succulent fruit, his eyes fluttered closed, savouring the rich flavors. The combination of the sweet chocolate and juicy strawberry was intoxicating, heightening the intimate moment between you.

You watched him with a sultry gaze, the sight of him enjoying the treat sending waves of excitement through your body. The feel of the claw in your hand added an extra layer of sensuality to the act, making it both daring and erotic. You reached for another strawberry, repeating the tantalizing process, each bite deepening the connection between you.

The atmosphere in the room grew warmer, charged with a potent mix of desire and anticipation. Feeding Hugh the strawberries with your claws was an intimate dance, a blend of power and delicacy that left both of you breathless. His eyes darkened with lust as he looked up at you, the chocolate smudged slightly on his lips, adding to his irresistible allure.

Unable to resist, you leaned down and kissed him, your lips capturing the remnants of chocolate and strawberry from his mouth. The taste was sweet and electrifying, sending sparks of pleasure through you both. Hugh's hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened, the line between fantasy and reality blurring into pure, unadulterated passion.

With each chocolate-covered strawberry, the heat between you and Hugh intensified, building to an almost unbearable level. The tantalizing act of feeding him with the claws heightened every sensation, every glance exchanged between you filled with unspoken desire.

After savouring the last strawberry, you set the plate aside, your focus entirely on Hugh. The moment stretched into something palpable, charged with anticipation. You leaned in close, your lips brushing against his, tasting the lingering sweetness of chocolate and strawberries. The kiss deepened, your tongues dancing together in a passionate, slow rhythm that sent waves of heat through your bodies.

Your hands moved to his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt. With deliberate slowness, you began unbuttoning his shirt, each movement filled with sensual intent. Hugh’s breath quickened, his eyes darkening with lust as you exposed more of his skin. Once the last button was undone, you slid the shirt off his shoulders, your fingers trailing down his arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

With a swift yet gentle motion, you pushed him onto the bed, his eyes widening in a mix of surprise and excitement. He looked up at you, the raw desire in his gaze making your heart race. His hands reached out, but you stopped him with a teasing smile, pressing his hands back onto the bed.

Your fingers deftly moved to the waistband of his pants, undoing the button and zipper with practiced ease. You tugged the pants down, revealing the growing evidence of his arousal. Hugh smirked, the playful glint in his eyes betraying his eagerness.

"Enjoying yourself?" he murmured, his voice thick with desire.

"More than you know," you replied, your voice a sultry whisper as you discarded his pants, leaving him in just his boxers.

You crawled onto the bed, positioning yourself above him. Your fingers traced over the defined lines of his torso, every touch igniting sparks of pleasure. Hugh’s hands moved to your hips, guiding you closer. You could feel his arousal pressing against you, the thin fabric of his boxers doing little to hide his need.

Leaning down, you kissed him deeply, your lips exploring his with a hunger that matched his own. Your bodies pressed together, the heat between you almost unbearable. You could feel the claws still attached to your hands, adding an edge of danger and excitement to every movement.

With a wicked grin, you trailed your claws lightly down his chest, careful not to scratch, but just enough to leave a tingling sensation in their wake. Hugh shuddered beneath you, his hands gripping your hips tighter, pulling you even closer.

"Do you like that?" you whispered against his ear, your breath hot against his skin.

"Yes," he groaned, his voice barely more than a breathless rasp.

You smiled, satisfied with his response. Your hands moved lower, teasing the waistband of his boxers before slipping them off entirely. Hugh's breath hitched as he was fully exposed to you, his arousal evident and demanding attention.

You leaned down, kissing a trail from his neck to his navel, taking your time to explore every inch of his skin. Hugh's hands tangled in your hair, his body arching towards you, desperate for more. You revelled in the control, the power of driving him wild with desire.

As you moved back up, your eyes locked with his, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine. You positioned yourself above him, feeling the heat radiating between you.

With each passing moment, the air grew thicker with desire. Straddling Hugh, you could feel the electric connection between you intensifying. Your hands roamed his chest, feeling the heat of his skin and the rapid beat of his heart. You leaned down, capturing his lips in a deep, passionate kiss, your bodies pressed intimately together.

As the kiss broke, you reached over to the bedside table, retrieving the silk ties you had prepared for this very moment and throwing away the claws. Hugh’s eyes widened with anticipation as you took his wrists, guiding them above his head to the headboard. His breath quickened as you tied the silk around his wrists, securing him to the bed. The knots were firm yet comfortable, giving him no room to escape, yet ensuring he was safe and unhurt.

Hugh tested the bindings, a smile of pure excitement playing on his lips. "I like where this is going," he murmured, his voice laced with anticipation and hunger.

You grinned down at him, your own excitement mirrored in his eyes. "Just wait," you whispered, your voice dripping with promise.

Settling back onto his hips, you felt his arousal pressing against you through the thin fabric of your suit. Hugh’s eyes roamed over you, taking in every detail of the Wolverine costume that hugged your curves so perfectly. His gaze was hungry, filled with a potent mix of lust and admiration.

"Are you gonna take the cosplay off and ride me, babygirl?" he asked, his voice thick with desire.

You shook your head slightly, a teasing smile playing on your lips. "No," you replied softly, your voice seductive and firm. "You just lay there and enjoy. I’m going to do my thing, and I’m keeping this on."

Hugh groaned, his arousal growing at your words. He tugged slightly at his bindings, his muscles flexing in a way that made your pulse quicken. "I can’t wait," he said, his voice a husky whisper.

You moved lower, your body sliding sensually down his. Your lips left a trail of kisses along his chest and abdomen, each touch eliciting shivers of pleasure from him. As you reached his hips, you glanced up at him, your eyes locking with his. The intensity of his gaze, filled with raw need, sent a thrill through you.

With deliberate slowness, you kissed your way down his pelvis, your breath hot against his skin. You could feel his muscles tensing beneath your touch, his anticipation was to die for. Gently, you took his length in your hand, feeling the hardness and heat of him. You stroked him slowly, savouring the feel of him in your grasp.

Hugh’s breath hitched, and he bit his lip, his eyes dark with desire. "Please," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.

Smiling, you lowered your mouth to him, your lips parting to take him in. The first touch of your mouth against him drew a sharp intake of breath from Hugh, his head falling back against the pillows. You began with gentle, teasing licks, your tongue swirling around the sensitive tip before taking him deeper into your mouth.

The sensation was exquisite, the taste of him mingling with the lingering sweetness of the strawberries. You moved slowly at first, your mouth and hand working in perfect harmony. Each movement was deliberate, designed to drive him wild with need. Hugh's hips bucked slightly, but he was helpless to do more than that, his hands pulling at the silk ties in a desperate attempt to touch you.

"God, that feels so good," he groaned, his voice thick with pleasure.

Encouraged by his response, you increased your pace, taking him deeper with each movement. Your hand stroked the base of his shaft, while your mouth worked the rest of him. You hollowed your cheeks, creating a delicious suction that had him gasping for breath. The sounds of his pleasure filled the room, each moan and gasp spurring you on.

Hugh's eyes were closed, his face contorted in a mix of pleasure and frustration. The sight of him so undone, so utterly at your mercy, fuelled your own desire. You varied your technique, sometimes moving slowly to tease him, other times quickening the pace to drive him closer to the edge.

His hips began to move in rhythm with your mouth, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. "I can't hold on much longer," he groaned, his voice filled with desperate need.

You didn't let up, your mouth and hand working together to bring him to the brink. The taste of him, the feel of his hardness, the sounds of his pleasure, all of it combined to create an intoxicating experience. You knew he was close, and you wanted to give him the release he so desperately craved.

With a final, deep thrust into your mouth, Hugh cried out, his body tensing as he came. You took him in fully, savouring the taste and feel of his release. His body shuddered with pleasure, his hands straining against the bindings as he rode out the waves of his orgasm.

As he lay there, breathless and spent, you slowly released him from your mouth, kissing your way back up his body. His eyes opened, meeting yours with a look of pure, sated satisfaction.

"You’re amazing," he whispered, his voice filled with awe.

The room was charged with an electric tension, the air thick with the aftermath of Hugh's intense release. But being the man he is, Hugh had come prepared for a night of unparalleled pleasure. Earlier, he had taken some pills designed to enhance his stamina and increase his cum production. This little game was far from over, and his great stamina meant he was ready for another round.

As you lay beside him, catching your breath, you noticed the gleam in his eye and the way his body responded so quickly to your presence. His arousal had already returned, his erection pressing insistently against your thigh. The sight of him, so eager and ready, made you laugh softly with a mix of delight and anticipation.

Hugh looked at you, a playful yet serious expression on his face. "Ride my dick, baby," he said, his voice a low, seductive growl. "I promise I won't break out of these ties and fuck you hard. I'm just gonna let you do your thing."

His words sent a shiver of excitement down your spine. The control, the power, the sheer eroticism of the moment was intoxicating. You straddled him again, feeling the heat of his arousal against your core. With deliberate slowness, you moved the fabric of your Wolverine bodysuit aside, exposing yourself to him. The cool air against your bare skin heightened your senses, every nerve ending tingling with anticipation.

Hugh's eyes darkened with lust as he watched you, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He was helpless to do anything but watch, bound and at your mercy. The sight of his straining erection, glistening with precum, sent a wave of desire through you.

You positioned yourself over him, the tip of his cock pressing against your entrance. Slowly, you lowered yourself onto him, feeling the delicious stretch as he filled you. The sensation was exquisite, the perfect blend of pleasure and fullness. You moaned softly, your hands resting on his chest for balance as you took him in inch by inch.

Hugh groaned, his head falling back against the pillows, his eyes closing in bliss. "Fuck, you feel so good," he murmured, his voice thick with need.

Once he was fully inside you, you paused for a moment, savouring the feeling of being completely connected to him. His cock twitched inside you, his body responding to the intimate embrace of your core. You began to move, slowly at first, rocking your hips in a steady rhythm that sent waves of pleasure through both of you.

The sight of Hugh beneath you, his muscles straining against the ties, his face contorted in pleasure, drove you wild. You increased your pace, riding him with more intensity, your movements fluid and deliberate. Each thrust sent sparks of ecstasy through your body, the friction of his cock against your inner walls driving you closer to the edge.

Hugh's eyes opened, locking onto yours, filled with raw, unfiltered desire. "God, you're so sexy," he groaned, his hips bucking slightly in response to your movements.

You leaned forward, your breasts brushing against his chest, your lips capturing his in a searing kiss. The kiss was deep, passionate, a melding of tongues and breath that left you both gasping. You could feel his hands straining against the silk ties, his desire to touch you evident in every flex of his muscles.

Breaking the kiss, you sat back up, riding him harder, your moans filling the room. The sensation of his cock sliding in and out of you, combined with the sight of his helpless arousal, pushed you to new heights of pleasure. You could feel your orgasm building, the tension coiling in your core, ready to explode.

Hugh's hips met yours with every thrust, his cock hitting that perfect spot inside you that sent shockwaves of pleasure through your entire body. "Fuck, I'm so close," you gasped, your movements becoming more frantic, more desperate.

As you and Hugh neared the peak of your mutual orgasm, the intensity of the moment was almost overwhelming. Your bodies were locked in a passionate rhythm, each thrust bringing you closer to the edge. The sensation of him deep inside you, filling you completely, was pushing you to new heights of ecstasy.

Just as the wave of your orgasm began to crest, you felt a sudden surge of strength from Hugh beneath you. With a powerful, almost primal roar, he broke free from the silk ties that had held him to the headboard. His hands, large and strong, flew to your Wolverine cosplay. In one swift, forceful motion, he ripped the fabric apart, the sound of tearing material mixing with your own cry of surprise and pleasure.

The suddenness of his action made you gasp, a scream of both shock and arousal escaping your lips. His hands immediately found your back, pulling you closer to him, his grip possessive and tender all at once. The exposed skin of your back tingled under his touch, every nerve ending alive with sensation.

Without missing a beat, Hugh took your nipple into his mouth, his lips and tongue working it with expert precision. The combination of his hot mouth on your sensitive skin and the deep thrusts of his cock hitting that sweet spot inside you drove you wild. You clung to him, your fingers digging into his shoulders as you rode him harder, spurred on by the overwhelming pleasure coursing through your body.

"Yes, just like that," he growled around your nipple, his voice a deep, throaty rumble that vibrated through you. "You're so fucking perfect."

His hands gripped your hips, guiding you, helping you move even faster, even harder. The friction, the heat, the raw passion of the moment were too much to bear. Your orgasm hit you like a tidal wave, crashing over you with a force that left you breathless. Your body convulsed around him, your inner walls clenching and pulsing as you cried out his name.

Hugh wasn't far behind. With a guttural moan, he thrust up into you one final time, his release surging through him. You felt the hot rush of his cum filling you, the sensation intensified by the knowledge of his enhanced stamina from the pills. He held you tight against him, his mouth still working your nipple, his body trembling with the force of his orgasm.

For a moment, the world stood still, the only sounds in the room your mingled breaths and the faint echo of your shared cries. You were both drenched in sweat, your bodies glistening in the soft light of the room. Slowly, as the intensity of the moment began to fade, Hugh's grip on you relaxed, his hands smoothing over your back in gentle, soothing strokes.

He kissed you softly, his lips trailing over your skin, starting at your collarbone and moving up to your neck, your jaw, and finally capturing your lips in a tender, lingering kiss. "I love you," he whispered against your lips, his voice filled with emotion. "You're amazing. I'm so lucky to have you."

You smiled, your heart swelling with love and satisfaction. "I love you too," you whispered back, your fingers gently tracing the lines of his face. "That was incredible."

Hugh chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin. "I'll definitely have to pay you back for that Wolverine cosplay," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief and affection. "I might have gotten a little carried away."

You laughed, the sound light and joyful, the perfect release after such an intense experience. "It's worth it," you replied, kissing him again, savoring the taste and feel of him.

He held you close, his arms wrapping around you protectively. "You're worth everything," he murmured, his lips brushing over your forehead, your temple, your cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

As you lay there, entwined in each other's arms, the sweat cooling on your bodies, you felt a deep sense of contentment. The night had been everything you had hoped for and more, and you knew that this was just the beginning. With Hugh by your side, every moment was filled with passion, love, and the promise of endless possibilities.

taglist (dm if u wanna be added): @ermlady @elloredef @haytchee @melaninjoys @megangovier @blue2jay @hearts4suri @narniabusinessbitch @jadenlyday25

[molonara]

Sonic 3 Movie Spoilers:

So Agent Stone’s design in the end credits is so good, we got official cartoon/game design for him!!!! (If anyone has a better quality image pls share!!! I think there was purple in the design that this image can’t see with the quality)

[resurgentclass-stardestroyer]

Soooo I've been obsessed with the image in this post since I first saw it, and decided to hunt down the source [Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded (2016 Edition)]. Here's Mitaka's page, and a close-up of that image; unfortunately it's tiny!

Feel free to use, edit etc.

Update: here's the best digital version of that image that I can find, slightly edited [maybe I'll clean it up someday..]:

Additional notes and transcript below:

[Google lists Mitaka's actor Sebastian Armesto at 5'8" and the fact that they added 3" to him makes me giggle. Let him be a little short!]

The fact that Mitaka's homeworld is listed as 'Uknown' is interesting to me. I wonder it's something thought out by the writers, or just hand-waving [guy didn't even have a name in the movie credits, iirc]. I've long hced that Mitaka was born on a starship to Imperial parents - but it's also possible that Mitaka was taken into the FO at a very young age and simply doesn't remember his home planet.

As most Mitaka enjoyers know, Mitaka graduated at the top of his class in the Academy. Despite being appearing terrified when facing Ren, he's evidently very, very good at his job. And, I know "Ren's unforgiving command style" is being tongue in cheek, but it does implicate a contrast to Hux's command style, which is apparently not-so unforgiving.

Something I see some get wrong — Mitaka is part of the FO Navy, not the Army. He's in charge of starships rather than ground forces, and he would make the ranks of Commander, Captain, and Admiral rather than Major, Colonel, and General.

So apparently Mitaka was indeed, under Hux, the one in command of not only recapturing Dameron and Finn, but also the retrieval missions on Jakku, and giving orders — which to me seems quite a step above the responsibilities of a mere Lieutenant and why I hc Mitaka as a Lieutenant Commander, but I digress. It makes sense then why it was specifically Mitaka who was designated to tell Ren about their failure to capture both the droid and the 'fugitives' — though it's also my hc [have lots of those] that Mitaka could have put this on an underling, but chose to face Ren and take the blame personally out of a sense of duty and honor, despite being terrified.

Editing note, because I'm a graphics nerd at heart: the half-tone dots in the close-up are predictably driving me bonkers, but from what I can tell, there's not much that can be done about it other than a time-consuming paint/smudge over, or messing with PS plug-ins [as far as I know -- I'm very new to scanning print]. I tried some descaling and blurring, but of course you can't do much of that without a loss of quality and clarity, and that's something I hate to sacrifice. I'll keep messing with it. Or, if someone has any idea of another source for this picture you would be my savior ! This is the only instance I can find of this image.

Transcript:

Lieutenant Mitaka First Order Officer

Data File Affiliation: First Order Homeworld: Unknown Species: Human Height: 1.8m (5ft 11in) Appearances: VII See Also: First Order TIE pilo; Finn; General Hux; Kylo Ren

Dopheld Mitaka is an attentive young officer serving aboard the First Order flagship Finalizer. A top graduate in his Academy class, Mitaka is not prepared for Kylo Ren's unforgiving command style.

The First Order naval uniform is descended from the sharp, authoritarian styles worn by officers of the Old Empire. The charcoal gray fabric signifies naval service, while the flared breeches and stiff boots help in maintaining a rigid posture. The command cap carries the starburst symbol of the First Order.

Tough Job After failing to recapture the escaped prisoner Poe Dameron and the deserter FN-2187, Mitaka continues to oversee the progress of search teams scouring the desert wastes of Jakku. Mitaka has the unenviable task of updating Kylo Ren on the search after the fugitives flee Jakku aboard the Millennium Falcon.

[Image Caption] Mitaka issues orders on behalf of General Hux to stop the escaping TIE fighter carrying Poe Dameron and FN-2187.

[celestialspritz]

USEFUL SITES FOR MAKING TEXTURES FOR SIMS

While embarking on my Nintendo DS object set, I found and used these cool websites with high quality images for these meshes. Here goes:

VIDEO GAMES/TECH CC

MobyGames - Contains scans of physical media - the box spine, front and back cover, the discs, even the cartridge. It even has scans for different regions too! Used this site for the upcoming DS set.

GameFaqs - Not only a site for game cheats and tutorials, it has scans of boxes for games and their consoles. Even Windows OS install boxes (which is on my list of objects i want for my game). Link takes you to The Sims box scans, but you just gotta go into the Media tab and click boxes to find the scans of whatever you need :)

DeviantArt - I used an example in the link of Nintendo Templates. These are user-created templates to make your own box arts or whatever. Super useful (and use with credits)

LaunchBox - Kinda similar to MobyGames

MUSIC AND POSTER CC

Discogs - I used this site for my CDs/Records CCs. Very high quality scans and overall easy to use. Plus, different regions and designs.

CineMaterial - Site with movie poster scans, even from different regions. Downside is you can only like... screenshot them cuz they want you to pay ;-;

The Movie Database - After editing just a second ago to add CineMaterial I found this one too. Also has posters! Basically the same without paying and watermarks.

Other sites used include Google Imgs, Pinterest and even Ebay. Hope this was useful :D Always check this original post rather than a reblog as I'm editing it a lot as I find things.

[thatluckycanadian]

Sonic Movie 3 spoilers

I was so excited to see Amy Rose and Metal Sonic in the post credits scene-

Amy fucking jumped a bunch of robots that had Sonic cornered. Also, she has her hammer, and I love her design

Also, the moon scene with Shadow and Sonic was pretty gay, lol. Not exactly what I expected, but then again, I'm not complaining.

(I was expecting Amy to appear in the movie and be the one to convince Shadow to not destroy earth(I think that's how it went in the games?))

Also, I love that Tails knew exactly how to describe team sonic, despite not technically being team sonic until a few hours or days prior.

I loved seeing Stone trying to befriend/simply talk to Shadow.

Overall, I loved this movie, and I will eventually watch it in better quality.

Edit - Almost forgot,

HOLY SHIT SHADOW YOU ALMOST KILLED YOUR BOYFRIEND'S DAD!! /J

Like, I get it, Gun(n?) Agency wronged you and Maria, yes. BUT WHAT DID TOM DO TO YOU?!

[prettyinpwn]

What is your opinion on Filbrick Pines?

Oh boy... long story short, my opinion on him is pretty low, not gonna lie. I went into his character a lot in my analysis post on Ford's writing (found here), since Filbrick had a large effect on Stan and Ford's characters, even if only in subtle ways. To summarize my points on Filbrick:

Definitely abusive, in my opinion. I don't think physically, but for sure emotionally and mentally. He's the type of father who provided materially, but otherwise didn't seem very good at it.

Was way too focused on money. Now, I think it's very possible that Filbrick could have a great backstory reason for this. My biggest guess is a life of poverty and wanting to provide better for his family, but the cruel irony is that in seeking wealth, he hurt his family (e.g "Stanley, by "sabotaging" Ford you hurt our whole family, because he was going to make us millions, so I'm gonna throw you out, ignoring the fact that by throwing you out I'm currently hurting the family in the way I'm accusing you of."). He also hurt Ford. The way Filbrick treated Ford was like a Willy Wonka golden ticket. "Oh, you're smart? This college might make you a millionaire? I'm impressed!". He didn't care about what Ford wanted, he cared about what Ford's brains could get him. Case in point: he didn't seem to give a rat's ass about Ford's brains or college dreams until the principal implied it could make money.

Iirc, according to Hirsch, the quote Stan says in Little Gift Shop of Horrors ("Movies are great! You watch the movie, you scare the girl, the girl snuggles up next to you, next thing you know you gotta raise a kid. Your life falls apart. Forget that last part.") was actually something Filbrick used to say. Like DEAR GOD Filbrick said that in front of Stan and Ford? "Hey kids, my life was great until I got your ma knocked up with Shermie, and then my life was pure suck after that.". Like... who... who just says that in front of their kids? Who even THINKS that about their kids? Yikes.

The way Stan and Ford are named. The code at the end of A Tale of Two Stans is played as a joke, but when you think about it, it's... kinda sad. "A STUBBORN TOUGH NEW JERSEY NATIVE, FILBRICK WASN'T TOO CREATIVE, HAVING TWINS WAS NOT HIS PLAN, SO HE JUST SHRUGGED AND NAMED BOTH STAN.". Filbrick did not give a single f*ck. "Oh, I have twins? Eh, I'm too lazy to think about a name, just call 'em practically the same thing.". What father does this?

In the post I linked above, I also hinted at how I thought Bill's manipulations of Ford almost were a mirror echo of Filbrick (even in their character design, it's odd how they both have yellow brick and blue with hats themed designs, he's got the literal word 'brick' in his name, etc). Because when you think about it, what did Ford's father teach him but "you are a puppet to be used by me to get what I want"?

There's a reason Ford and Stan are incredibly broken people, and it all started with Filbrick. He's the one that taught Stan to believe he's worthless and a f*ckup, and the one that taught Ford that he's a tool to be used. So... nah, not a fan of the guy, if I didn't make that obvious already lol. BUT... I will say this, as this is something I did give him credit for in my Ford analysis post: a lot of Ford and Stan's positive qualities are things he passed down to them, namely their protectiveness of family and "toughness". But unlike Filbrick, who manifested that in toxic ways, Stan and Ford took a heavy albatross necklace of generational trauma and turned it around to a positive.

This goes even further when Stan passes the lesson to Dipper. Dipper learning to "fight back"? That's a family lesson that comes from Filbrick, originally, when he signed Stan and Ford up for boxing. Some have criticized the way Stan taught Dipper that lesson, but you can't argue with the end result:

TL;DR: Filbrick mostly sucks, but... like most well-written characters, he does have some gray area. Was he a good father? No. But the gauntlet meat grinder he put Ford and Stan through - worth it or not - made them the tough family protectors they are as adults. I will give him that, at least.

[anxiousdreamcore]

(Click for better quality) Just Miles Spider Socorro tings 🫶🥰✨the anatomy and proportions are in no way perfect, but I’m still a fan of his and wanted to just go off, writing about him, drawing him and providing a reference for his bow in the movie, since there is so little of it but the design is awesome 🥹

His little graffiti image is my idea tho, idk, I wanted to give him a mark of his own with the whole Spiderverse hype going around lol

.

(Please do not repost my artwork on any other platform, with or without credit. I DO NOT give my consent to do so and I will find it 🥰)

[jellazticious]

“You can’t rush art”

I think everybody can recall the quote from Toy Story 2. From the most satisfying part of the movie where we see a montage of Woody getting restored by a toy maker. It’s one of my favourites too, I absolutely loved looking at the different procedures used to fix a single toy. The toymaker’s precision and care were found mesmerizing by everyone. As a multi-hatted artist, one that can draw, sculpt, animate, and write, I can say that it’s spot on that there’s so much to do for a single piece of work. HOOO boy, you should see how me and Beefy are organizing Cursed to Charm, there’s so much.

For the upcoming webcomic, we design characters, give each and every one of them their stand-alone story, design different clothes, create the map, draw renders and posters, polish scripts for the episodes, plan to program the comic’s own website, make the backgrounds eventually, etc. To people who aren’t artists or take art for granted, to them, art is stroking a paper using a pen and BAM instant masterpiece. No no, it’s more than that.

Another thing I’d like to say about the comic is that the progress is very slow yet very fruitful because of the time taken. Me and my co-author came up with the idea at late November, which makes the comic four months old now. However, with all that time passed, we have already finalized the list of nine episodes of season one. We have also written seven out of nine summaries from that season before actually writing the dialogue in detail. We have a rough four seasons worth of story progression in the span of four months. Nyeh, excuse the little ramble about CtC, I’m just giving insight of how much should be done for the production of anything which leads us to the next point.

Art production in general.

Movies, animation, shows, video games, books, comics etc etc

All of these are part of art, some people would deny because it isn’t sophisticated like they’re lead to believe art is supposed to be. Art is literally just creation man, can’t get any simpler than that 😩 if you made something, then you made something woohoo! Congratulations you made art, cooking included. It came free with your fucking humanity.

Anyway, just like the webcomic, every single one of these listed also have a set of different procedures that will piece together the final output.

Let’s take Disney movies as a specific example, I want to talk about something real quick.

So one time, I was watching Tarzan with my parents and we stuck around for the end credits. My mom pointed out the animators are divided into sections and there’s so much names on them. There are different teams of animators for each character and these teams are divided in two for the storyboarders and the clean up artists. When the credits rolled a bit more, it showed that the background artists and colorists also have their own sections too. There’s so much people working on different body parts of a movie. I got the habit of reading end credits of every movie I watch, animated or live action, then I would compare the credits of old and new movies. Boy, let me tell you that the work space on old movies are FILLED compared to newer movies. One thing I noticed about Disney movies although, is that the old movies have more sections compared to new ones. The major difference of old Disney and new Disney are the length of the credits and the time gap of the movies. I’m really not trusting the way new movies have way shorter end credits while the publish time of new movies are getting narrower and narrower. Before the 2000s, movies usually come out twice a year and sometimes there’s a two-year hiatus before the next batch of movies are published. Now there’s at least two or three movies that publish yearly while also releasing a bunch of shows in the middle of it. I really don’t understand business talk with the way it sacrifices quality over quantity. Like I get having money is great and all but what’s the use of hoarding it? Especially when there’s so much news of people about to be in poverty and mass layoffs. Why should companies earn money if they’re not going to redistribute it back to the economy at all? This is a little off topic but I want to point it out that people in the 80s used to buy whole houses by being a janitor but nowadays people could barely afford a one room apartment even with three jobs. The Simpsons is an example of this because it was set in the 90s and the family is constantly reminded of how “poor” they are. They even created an episode that talks about the same job that supported people’s fathers will no longer support you nowadays (Poorhouse Rock ep22 s33). It’s fishy and I’m salty about it especially because I hear so much people complaining about how they’re not being given a chance to work. Anywho! Let’s go back to art.

I’m just spitballing my thoughts here but somehow they’re connecting either way. All I’m trying to say is that for the people who care so much about the quality of art, it’s noticeable that they get downgraded, not just by the look but by the way they’re written.

Example.

Clone High.

Jesus Christ, the new show is a nightmare and an insult to the original Clone High. The difference is clear with this one. The original Clone High was heavy satire of every single high school trope used in shows and movies. Every single character was meant to have one personality and that personality is the butt of the joke. The original did not care about making the characters appealing because the appeal is found in the way they interact, they clash so much and a lot of them are idiots. The writing is funny because the dialogue flows so easily unlike the renewal. The renewed Clone High takes itself too seriously and it tries too hard to be relevant. It’s funny to me that fans can draw the original’s art style more accurately than the animators hired. What’s even more frustrating is that concept art was released from the art head and the concept art looked way better than what they decided on the final designs. Other than the art style that tries to be marketable, the writing is insufferable with the way they try to be “relatable” without understanding why the original jokes were funny to begin with.

Now we’re all familiar with this cheap tactic of using the title of successful franchises to grab clicks and views. It’s every live action Disney film, it happened to Scooby Doo, Marvel shows, FNAF, some Cartoon Network shows, Megamind, and now even Kung Fu Panda. Basically MILKING. It would have been better if the productions TRIED to understand the original’s intentions which they forgot about. They ended up being disappointing at best and soulless at worst. I won’t be explaining much cuz I’ve already reached the minimum word count lmao. I’m just rambling here, I better not see anyone interrogate me in asks or replies. ANYWAY, I’m gonna get to the point real quick.

Back to the quote at the start of the post, people tend to forget that. Art is a skill, not a button people press and it gives you pretty pictures or videos. Art is a job and an effort. While art is subjective and it differs from person to person, one thing for certain is that art that is made ingenuinely will never be better than art that is made because the artist loves art. This is why the Tom & Jerry reboots with the lineless art style even if they had a storyboard artist who understood the cartoon wackiness (which were discarded for a “cleaner” and faster style). This is why it’s so frustrating to see concept art of movies which have more appeal than the final 3d models. This is why FNAF Security Breach was nearly unplayable.

Because they all rushed art.

They rushed in favour of what is marketable, no matter how unappealing it is. Everything could have been better, some final products are good, but all of them could have been better. As good as what were released pre 2010s when production had a passion. You can’t spell heart without art.

I’m just really passionate about art in any form since it’s everything that created me too. I will not be here at this point in time if it weren’t for me learning that there’s so much beauty in the world if you could just squint and appreciate why that’s so. I’m defined by my works and it only hurts and infuriates me that people who have the ability and accessibility to create better art than I do waste it for their personal gain or selfish intentions. Everyone could be a better person because of art just as it did to me. Again, it came to us the moment we’re born, art isn’t just a pretty picture, it’s everything we create out of love, passion, time, and effort.

But really, to the wise words of Chef Saltbaker, “like any good bake, heart and soul is the secret ingredient”

You can’t rush art.

[hotvintagepoll]

I am adoring all of these polls and gif sets and just being fed so many hot vintage people. As someone who really hasn’t watched very many classics, are there any movies you’d recommend for someone just starting to dip their toes in older media but unsure where to start?

Sure! I don't want to sway any voting, but I'll put an incomplete list of favorites that involve hot men not still in the bracket below the cut.

Something to note that applies to most of these old movies—older movies have different pacing than modern movies, so some of these might seem really slow or weird to start. There are also different ways of framing gender and agency, for better and for worse. I've italicized the ones that I think are the best for starting with, but go with whatever genre/aesthetic sounds best.

The Court Jester (Danny Kaye, Basil Rathbone)—a circus performer working for a quasi-Robin Hood infiltrates the royal court. Fun comedy that's incredibly accessible and still so light on its feet. Swordfighting, glamorous medieval costumes, court intrigues, and silly accents.

Singin' in the Rain (Gene Kelly)—fun polyamorous musical comedy. The dancing is incredible, but so is the sense of joy and camaraderie between Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Genuinely captures the feeling of hanging out with your best friends. 1920s Hollywood, big movie studios, backstage drama, goofy hijinks.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone)—classic swashbuckler/romance. It could read a little slow to modern tastes but the action scenes are absolutely killer, as is the sentiment of seeing little guys pull down big capitalists evil monarchs. Swashbuckling, labor activists merry men hanging out in the woods, hot men in tights, social commentary swords, a Maid Marian who really holds her own and falls in love with the socialist

Charade (Cary Grant)—thriller/romantic comedy. Audrey Hepburn's husband dies and leaves her a hidden inheritance, and she's racing some skeevy characters to find it. A little bit scary but mostly charming and gorgeous, and you can find it high quality virtually anywhere because they fucked up the copyright trademark in the opening credits. Romance, murders, Paris, 1960s fashion, chases in the night.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dick Van Dyke)—this movie is divisive for some reason—I personally like peace, love, and joy, so it makes the list. This is a James Bond movie if James Bond had two kids, lived in a windmill in the south of England, and was into cottagecore inventions more than martinis and racism. This is very much a kids' movie so go in with that expectation, but enjoy the gorgeous production design, the wonderfully silly performances, and Lionel Jeffries pulling out every stop as an insane old man. Dick Van Dyke has excellent DILF energy. Magical cars, big musical vibes, fun inventions, and romantic fantasy.

To Be Or Not To Be (Jack Benny)—comedy/drama. A ragtag Warsaw theatre troupe stands off against the Gestapo after the invasion of Poland. TW for Nazis, obviously, but overall this is a comedy with some heft, and kind of shocking to be this ballsy about fucking hating Hitler's guts in the 1940s. Hambone actors, Shakespeare, spies, 1930s gowns. It's been a minute since I watched it so I don't think there are any TWs here, but go forth with caution.

Witness for the Prosecution (Tyrone Power)—mystery/legal drama based off an Agatha Christie story. The performances are campy fun and the twist would be at home in something like Knives Out. Big dramatics, hambones, lots of talking, a bit of a mindbender.

The Lady Vanishes (Michael Redgrave)—mystery/suspense/romantic comedy. It's a little slow to start but roll with it—once the action moves to the train the pacing really picks up. This gets slotted as a thriller sometimes but it's much funnier and gentler than that. There's some period-typical snarkiness directed at anyone Foreign™ by some of the British characters; the British characters are also made fun of. Trains, British people, international shenanigans, mystery, and humor.

All About Eve (absolutely none of these hot men, lots of hot women though)—a legendary actress fights for her life against the rising star who supplants her. Big drama, big performances, lots of gasp! and dahling! and vicious little quips. New York, theatre pronounced theahhtah, drama queens and plotting.

The Philadelphia Story (James Stewart, Cary Grant)—talk-heavy comedy, lots of quick banter and period transatlantic accent fun. It's a bit shouty and conflict-heavy at times, but I don't think James or Cary have ever been hotter, and Katherine Hepburn is just wow. Very funny dialogue, relatable characters, incredibly hot across the board. There is one instance of a racial slur (not directed at anyone but still there) and one shove. Some people won't like the discussion of Hepburn's character's choices as a daughter and a wife. With all of these movies you'll see a a range of how female characters are presented and treated, and while some period movies fall hard for sexist tropes, I personally think the performances, direction, and subtext of many of these films actually prioritizes the experiences of the female characters and shows them as living, breathing people, even if they're not framed the way they would be today.

[thefugitivesaint]

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) A film that was almost instantly forgotten when it was released just days before ‘Return of the Jedi’ hit theaters. It was the one of the last movies to use 3D as a marketing gimmick to get audiences into seats. I was 9 years old when I saw it and I loved it. Adult me? *shrugs shoulders* It’s ok.  The stills I took (from a digitized VHS copy) where meant to give you a flavor of what the movie is like. The plot is as bare bones at a plot can get and the world building is severely undercooked. It all goes something like this: a luxury space ship suffers from some catastrophic space event that forces passengers to abandon ship. Three of those passengers land on Terra XI, a planet that was devastated by some kind of virulent plague and has become a kind of post-apocalyptic hellscape. Bounty hunter/mercenary Wolff (Peter Strauss) receives a “broadcast” about the stranded passengers and sets out to retrieve them and collect the reward of “3,000 Mega Credits.” Soon after arriving on Terra XI, while trying to rescue the three passengers, they are abducted by agents working for the local tyrant Overdog (Michael Ironside). Wolff decides to head off to free the women from Overdog and, along the way, runs into Niki (Molly Ringwald) and Wolff’s former colleague Washington (Ernie Hudson).  The story is a loose narrative of episodic action sequences involving strange creatures and weird people that are given almost no clarification as to who they are or why they do what they do. It is briefly mentioned that Overdog was once a scientist named McNabb who was sent to Terra XI to combat the plague (with two other scientists) but no explanation is given as to why they became tyrants or why they started experimenting on the Terra XI’s population. I guess that’s all the narrative the creators thought was necessary (this movie did come out in the wake of ‘Mad Max II: The Road Warrior’ and that movie is almost purely action with hardly a plot to drive it so..) This was Molly Ringwald’s second film and the score was composed by Elmer Bernstein (who also composed the music for ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘The Magnificent Seven’ to name two). The 3D-effects are as clunky as one might suspect. The overall effects (some of the miniature work is by legendary ‘Terminator’ animator Pete Kleinow) and production design (which is doing most of the heavy lifting here) are a mixed bag of competent execution and outright jankiness. Overall, it’s one of those modestly budgeted science fiction films from the 80s that didn’t hit it big, barely raked in a profit, and quickly faded into obscurity. It’s worth one watch if you’ve never seen it.  And, should you have any desire to put this movie into your brain, you can do so here (this might be a better quality copy than my digital VHS transfer). Oh, what folk have gabbed about the movie over at letterboxd. 

[1000sunnygo]

(1.6.2024) Mugiwara space vol. 17 feat. Kazuya Nakai and Kamiya Hiroshi highlights! I don't promise accuracy

Source (give it a listen if you have time! it has teasers to the new opening and ending)

-

Kazuya Nakai - Zoro || Kamiya Hiroshi - Law

-It's Kamiya's second time in Twitter Space, previously he was with Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy). He says that last time he babbled a lot thanks to Mayumi san's presence, even though he forgot most of it by now (hmm how convenient that you forgot this, kamiya san 🤨)

-Anytime One Piece (the 24/7 YouTube broadcast of the episodes) has 150M views and already in its 4th lap having completed broadcasting all episodes 3 times.

-The entire Space focused on the two voice actors reading out a heap of letters from the animation staffs about the Zoro vs King and Kid-Law vs Big Mom episodes.

-Kamiya jokes about being slightly younger than Nakai and calling him "Nakai-kun" instead of "Nakai san". Funny that Kamiya's career as a voice actor is actually longer than Nakai's.

-The Zoro vs King finale had 20000 frames in the episode which set a record. The movements were a lot more fluid and film-level. After all, often it's considered overwork if it crosses 5000 frames in a TV episode.

- The animators themselves tried out new things. It seems in one of the shots, Wado ichimonji's direction was reversed from the manga's direction as a realistic correction. Cue jokes about Zoro (and King's) long (long) attack names. Also, anticipation for legendary Mihawk vs Zoro to match the quality.

- Cutting to Kid-Law vs BM, Kamiya commented that it was scary that the fluidity of movements was so good that it made him wonder if that level of effort was necessary at all (he said it's like a Disney movie).

(in case you didn't know, this scene was indeed animated by an animator who worked in Disney.)

- Kamiya says it was both fortunate and unfortunate that Mami Koyama (Big Mom) wasn't there with them in the booth (she recorded her part separately). Both Kamiya and Nakai agreed that they'd give up immediately if they were to confront against Mami Koyama somehow.

- Kamiya also noted that Big Mom used "ore" to call herself in the final scene ("I am Big Mom") - exerting dominance 💪 her falling scene was intentionally animated beautifully.

- 1066 was animated by people all over the world, so the time adjustments and language barrier was a challenge. Episode director Henry thurlow balanced it well. In his letter, Henry credited the animation director for adjusting a variety of art styles from all participating animators. It was his first time directing a One piece episode, in fact it's the first time a foreigner has directed an anime episode. He thinks the episode was successful.

- Kamiya was calling Kidd "the extra budget man" for having his complicated-to-animate attacks costing extra budget 💸

-In the final scene vs Misery, Kamiya was asked to ad-lib breathing sound for Law. Kamiya immediately said "sure, got it". Regarding this, Kamiya said he loves doing ad-libs, it adds a little more life to the characters.

- Finally, announcement for the upcoming Egghead arc debut in anime (Nakai was exhausted of reading letters so Kamiya took over to read director Nagamine's final letter lol)

- The Egghead arc would appear in a new artstyle. Unlike the serious WCI and Wano, there's a more relaxed, "fun adventure" vibe for the future adventure island. And the animators are finally free from the torture of drawing Kaido's scales (and the kimono design patterns) so they're in a relaxed mood having escaped wano 🌞 and entering "the cool future where zoro has long legs and wears dove shoes" 👢✨

-(letter cont.) "..Also, about a certain change in Law! What will happen to his voice? It's an interesting future!"

Kamiya: Well, I just finished recording that. My voice is still cracking 😎 *nonchalantly continues reading*

Nakai: is it okay to spoil like that??

(fr Kamiya would not share Law's role with ANYONE even if he turns into a woman huh)

And that's it for the highlight!

[partnersincrimesuau]

Here are the full versions of the wall murals I designed for Partners In Crime!!! I got inspiration from the opening scene of the Steven Universe Movie, and some episodes including "Your Mother And Mine" (S5 E13) and "Now We're Only Falling Apart" (S5 E19). I'll only take credit for the layout, design and time I spent drawing these, the rest of the credit should go to the original artists of Steven Universe - they're such an inspiration!!! XDDD

Click the pictures for better quality ^^ 🌼🌸✨

[multi-fandom-peep]

So we all agreed Sweet's 5th movie design sucked right?

Right, so let's fix it. (Spoilers. Duh.)

Look at this

(Sorry about quality. This is a screenshot of the trailer.)

Almost nothing about her changes!!! They literally just put a purple filter over her. Nuh uh, she deserves better than that.

Here's my shot of it!

The spikes on her helmet are like the only thing anyone liked so we're keeping those

Asymmetry!!!

The star/flower symbol was changed to a 5-point one to better fit with the plant themes and also because five is the magic number here

Pigtails looked a little too childish for a villain design, so I opted to put it in a bun. She looks so entirely calculating and efficiency-driven, so we gave her something out of the way

Desperately trying to add orange to her design #3, we were so close to a full rainbow guys

Everything in cool colours. Symbolism, Sweet's design has always been warm, but this... isn't really her, is it? Even the heart, (arguably) the main symbol on her, blends in instead of standing out. Also contrasts the orange

The skirt is actually an element from the redesign I did of her not-villain design

Five-point flower referencing her team thereby implying she isn't totally lost is not something I did intentionally but will totally take credit for

Bright pink eyes slap you in the face with their saturation!!!!!!!!!!

I know I'm far from the only person to attempt this, so feel free to give this a shot of your own! I'd love to see them!

Bonus:

Concept designs from back when we only had a shot of her face.

[aquabuggy]

“Imagination, life is your creation”

Say, what band was it that wrote that song again? Escapes me… Oh well, anyways,

Happy Barbie Movie Release Day!

It’s nice to feel excited about something again.

It’s not every day you see a toy product centered movie gaining this much positive attention, much less one that deals in the existential horror of being alive. Which is, actually, exactly what I expected out of it and am very happy to see.

Barbie’s probably one of if not the most recognizable and successful product Mattel has, and it’s been that way for decades. But why am I talking about that here? This is a things-full-of-liquid-with-heavy-emphasis-on-water-games blog!

Well, you’re not gonna believe it, but Mattel being a toy company that’s been around for this long, has actually dabbled a bit in our territory! And they actually made a good couple of water games themed around a certain blonde blue eyed doll and her best friends!

So! Without further ado, may I present to you……..

Polly Pocket Tiny Games!

What? Was that not where you thought that was going?

Believe it or not, there really aren’t many Barbie water games at all, just cheaply reskinned ring toss games with a Barbie backdrop…which is both baffling and disappointing considering Barbie has had COUNTLESS beach, pool, sea, and just general water themes. Polly Pocket though? Got 6. You may recognize these if you’re a veteran of this blog.

Being one of Mattel’s latest ventures in water games, my sources tell me that these were actually received incredibly poorly, averaging at a 2-3 star rating. While definitely cute and unique, reviews often mention that the games seem to be designed more for aesthetics than actual play, and that it’s very hard to get some of the play pieces to actually move. Not too surprising looking at those cramped tanks. Wasted potential for sure!

Ohhh but I can’t just end the post there can I? That’s such a bummer! Well, what if I told you this wasn’t the first time Mattel tried their hand at making water games? What if I told you that in 1989 Mattel was one of the few big toy companies that actually dared to challenge the reign of Tomy’s Waterfuls during the peak of its popularity? Oh it’s very true, and considering you’ve probably never heard of it, you can safely assume how that endeavor went. But it’s intriguing nonetheless!

Introducing….

[ photo credit- rww121212, lb-squared, whats-in, and gilbe-niema on eBay ]

Trouble Bubbles/Fun Bubbles

Documentation of these online is mostly limited to listings on buy-and-sell sites (As always. I can’t stress how vital these sites are to conserving lost/obscure media.) so there’s not a lot known about these, and not many pictures of them either. What I can gather is that Mattel made at least 6 of these as well, 3 Trouble Bubbles games and 3 Super Trouble Bubbles games. The main difference between the 2 being Super Trouble Bubbles having a small switch that allows you to redirect the jets of water, which is pretty cool and admittedly not something I’ve seen in other water games! Both also have a wind up timer to challenge yourself to complete the game in a short period.

I’ve yet to collect one of these myself, but they look pretty decent in terms of quality and stand out nicely. They never fully took off in terms of popularity but I think they’re pretty cool, especially as a piece of toy history! Not too shabby at all for Waterfuls competition, my hat’s off to them! Not bad Mattel, sad they haven’t recaptured the same inventiveness for their Polly games. But hey, honestly? Nowadays would be a GREAT time to bring back Trouble Bubbles if you ask me. Water games are coming back in style and Waterfuls has been slow in new major products for quite a while. Who knows? It may just be able to snag that crown sometime in the future…

Unlikely.

But hey, anything’s possible in this crazy age!

[girl4music]

It really is interesting to me that the most multi-dimensional characters in ‘BtVS’ to me are the ones that are most known for their performative behaviour as opposed always authentic: Willow. Spike. Buffy.

Or rather - it’s the characters that have an arc where the theme of identity is incredibly significant for them to the point where their usual attire and choice of dress every now and again away from their usual attire reveals something juicy about their characterization and therefore gives greater character representation.

I am not usually a person particularly interested in image or appearance on the outside unless it informs who the person is/isn’t on the inside and provides depth of character in such a way that feels divine.

The times when the external affects the internal. Even if not intentionally. Subconsciously and indirectly.

And I haven’t seen a show do this better than ‘BtVS’. I haven’t seen another TV show that knows how to fuse the use and purpose of the narrative, the theme and the characterization as well as this show can. And as pointed out below by @spuffybot’s meta, that may be because it wasn’t intentional at all. It was either fate’s intervention or just a happy accident. And sometimes some of the best TV art/entertainment comes from the fact that nobody ever actually intended anything… rather everybody just interprets differently and adds on to what was already there. Making it insightful.

This is why shows like ‘BtVS’ are timeless shows.

Because technically… the show is still being created. I’ve said this before in a Xena post but no one goes to see the Mona Lisa to learn what da Vinci intended.

They might think that’s what they’re doing but they’re not. What they’re actually doing is still painting it.

We can give the creators of any TV art/entertainment that provided the scope and space for the audience to be able to do this all the credit if we want. But I think we should start considering and acknowledging that we have a lot more to do with why and how a TV show thematically resonates with us than them at some point. Because WE are actually the reason why all this stuff matters so much to us. We put it there ourselves. It has nothing to do with the original creators really…

All they did was allowed their creation to breathe so that it could have a life of its own. But we’re the ones actually keeping it alive by throwing our two cents in. I absolutely understand appreciating and praising the original creators for all of this stuff we come up with in regards to our favourite art/entertainment but the fact of the matter is they never intended any of it. We should be appreciating and praising and crediting ourselves on our creative abilities of using the high skills and qualities of attention to detail and passion.

Whether it’s writing meta, making videos, graphics designing or any kind of artistic or creative contribution we assign to our favourite TV shows/movies or books or video games or comic illustrations.

It’s really all us. Especially with a TV show like ‘BtVS’.

And we’re teaching each other so much every time. I don’t know about you guys but I think it’s fucking incredible the power a fandom can have in this way.

[freevoidman]

The Pros and Cons of Silent Hill: Ascension

Hey there! Are you planning on sitting through Silent Hill Ascension, either because you're excited, want to build up hype/support for further Silent Hill projects, or maybe you're curious about what new shit show Konami's cooked up? Well, I've sat through the first two days, and let this post be a quick run-through on the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly about Silent Hill: Ascension!

Pros:

There's honestly very little, but I'll run through them nonetheless.

Voice Acting is, right now, okay. Some actors are clearly better than others. I have to give special shout-outs to Rachel Hernandez and Xavier Candless. They're both doing really well with their characters so far and I'm excited to hear how they'll act in more emotive scenes. Of course, we're only two days in so we'll see how that changes.

Silent Hill Ascension features minigames which average around "okay." I'll talk about it more in the 'Bad' section, but the good ones are fun little brain teasers that I find satisfying enough to solve. This is not across the board, but it's enough of a positive that I felt it okay to list.

The site is functional enough that the catch-up videos seemed to work without any hiccups (edit: so long as there isn't a livestream occurring at the same time. If you want to play catch-up 30 minutes before the new stuff is released, odds are the livestream will cut in and mess up your video). Plus, the grace period for decision making is very generous so far, ranging from a full 24 hours to multiple days, so they do give you enough time if you can't watch live.

Credit where credit is due: the monster/creature designs are genuinely well-made. You can clearly see where the budget went, and it was towards making these things look cool and be animated well enough to translate that creepy factor. While nothing is abundantly original right now (we've yet to see the flaming box head guy) I won't short-change the monster designers and animators here, they put effort into this.

There was a bit of misinformation spread around that you'd have to pay to participate. Thankfully, that's not true, you can "play" Ascension without paying a cent and I, personally, wouldn't call this a "pay-to-win" type of game with its set-up. In other words: DO NOT PAY, it's absolutely not worth it here.

Bad:

Animation quality shifts from middling to horrible. The main criticism I have for this "experimental idea" is that everything Ascension tries, the 2000s nailed long before. If you've ever seen one of those 3D straight-to-TV movies that airs on cartoon networks during the holidays, congrats, their animation is likely better and has more charm than Ascension. Characters in Ascension move stiffly, either emote too much or not enough, and lip syncing seems off no matter which language you pick. Animation in SH1 is easily better than this, so don't expect a visual spectacle.

As an addendum to this: Ascension is dark--no, not the content, it is literally hard to see. Going into a Silent Hill-adjacent media, you expect visibility to be impacted by fog. Ascension, on the other hand, skips the fog entirely and just makes everything dark. It is incredibly difficult to see anything that's happening (this includes QTEs which, hoo boy! look at the next segment for that). I don't want to be cynical, but I truly do believe that part of the reason why is to cover up the stiff animation. Until Dawn and other Dark Anthology games had some moments of animation weirdness, but Silent Hill Ascension is easily worse than that on a pure technical level.

App and website responsivity is baaad. Minigames are designed for both platforms with zero differences, but this means some minigames are better on desktop than on mobile and vice versa. Two minigames stand out as particularly mixed/bad: a find-the-object game and a guitar minigame. The find-the-object game was better on desktop because your hovering cursor could find clickable areas more easily than on mobile. The guitar minigame was just bad--it wasn't a rhythm game, it was a game where you had to click finger positions for chords on the guitar strings and, my god, it played horribly no matter which platform I picked (though mobile was noticeably worse) and actually hurt my ears.

As an addendum to that, the live QTE events (yes that's a thing) ALSO suffer from this lack of responsivity, with more destructive results. Live participants were abruptly thrust into QTEs with no warning, no tutorials, and no preparation. There were 4 types of QTEs: a quick button press, a hold-release button, a rapid-tap, and a quick swipe. Of these, only the hold-release and rapid-tap worked regularly. The quick press barely responded, and the swipe indicator is practically hidden due to it being borderline invisible.* While you can try the minigames over and over as much as you want, the QTEs are limited to the live showings and cannot be "replayed." In addition, they have been heavily implied to be a major determining factor as to whether or not characters survive, so if every character's fate is based on successful QTEs, every character is going to die in this show, no matter what you do. This is why I said it's not pay-to-win, you can't pay your way through live QTEs, and this set-up feeds into the unsatisfactory system the entire "game" perpetuates. Even if YOU do well, decisions are based on the community, so if they fail, tough nugs.

The story isn't shaping up to be anything remarkable. There's no major hook in the opening scene and even less of a hook for the three scenes that followed. I'm not intrigued by the "horror" being shown, the way this is being shot and told is more confusing than anything else and, while there are some 'good' actors in this, a majority of them are bad and lack any hutzpah to sell the continued experience. I'm going to hold out for the end of the week, when the first "episode" is done airing, but if nothing hooks me I'm not going to continue.

Ugly:

The "Battlepass." Oh dear god the Battlepass. By paying $20, you can get more "influence points," which you can use to determine actions in this game. You also get exclusive little emote stickers for the live chat (oof) that are, at best, a cringey nightmare and, at worst, absolutely stupid and useless. You also get accessories for your avatar (did I mention there's an avatar? it's so pointless I don't even know WHERE to put that tidbit). Why is this even here? You already have freemium options where you can buy influence points, what does a battlepass add?

The "live chat" just shouldn't be there. I'm sorry, it shouldn't. You can already see the community casting votes and helping with QTEs, having a live chat that is barely moderated with hundreds of thousands of people signing on at 9 to watch the stupidity unfold is a bad idea. It also contributes to the stupidity of the Battlepass system--I don't want emotes, I don't want a 3D avatar that can appear in the show if I give enough points--so nix the whole thing. EDIT 11/1/2023: I kinda got my wish! After the amazing lack of moderation on launch, they've either temporarily OR permanently disabled the live chat! Unfortunately, the video's dimensions to compensate FOR live chat have not been altered, so there's a big gap of black negative space where it should be. People can only reply with the dumb stickers the devs have shoved into this, BUT if you have the battlepass, you can apparently type messages! Ironically, this retroactively gives the battle pass an actual fucking purpose since it gives you a privilege, and the stickers serve a purpose since they're the only way for non-battlepassers to communicate in live chat. Fucking brilliant, they've stumbled backwards into an unintentional solution. EDIT 11/4/2023: Genvid's CEO, Jacob Navok, has made various claims on twitter that of course they tested they tested their AI moderation for basic slurs, it's just that the system got overwhelmed by day 1 traffic. Well, I absolutely DON'T believe that (the testing, not the overwhelmed thing, connection and stability were terrible day 1) seeing as people are getting around not being able to TYPE swearing and horrific racial slurs into chat by simply making their usernames swears and slurs without any letter substitution (a la leetspeak). Here is a link to a video of someone who was streaming Ascension and had the chat open, only to see have someone with the user name "Fuck_[n-word]s" in chat (I'm not typing the actual slur fuck that). When he goes to try and flag the user, he is given no ability to report the username. So, yeah, even if you see some incredibly racist/bigoted shit, you can't flag the user and report them to, y'know, assist with the absolutely real robot-powered moderation that totally exists! If there was the most BASIC moderation in the world to catch english swears and slurs, that username would not have been permitted under any circumstances, so I fully do not believe this fucker.

The decisions themselves shouldn't have labels. What I mean by that is that, so far, every option has three possible options. These options are labelled under three categories: redemption, suffering, and damnation. In other words, the watcher can literally see the paths leading towards the "good, neutral, and bad" endings for Ascension. This shouldn't be a thing, period, because it immediately introduces biases into your choices. Every option so far has been massively skewed towards the "redemption" path because people aren't blind, they can see the "good" ending on the horizon, and they want to go for it. The worst part is, the options on their on aren't explicitly good or bad, so if they got rid of that labeling it'd still work. idk, it just feels stupid. (NOTE: day 2 introduced ONE choice that doesn't have this same labeling system. No clue if that's a bug or if there are going to be decisions that don't have a label. Even then, it seems like a small decision in the overall scheme of things, so... :shrug:)

Yes, the decisions are permanent, thus denying you the ability to see 2/3s of whatever Genvids has worked on. I just think that's dumb and, though many in the community have criticized this already, it feels even dumber when watching the show play out live. There's no way that the money Ascension could possibly make would subsidize the effort put into this if you're effectively nixing 2/3s of anything you can see (and it does seem like major alterations to the characters and their routes so far, nothing minor, so... yeah, you're missing out on a LOT). This also means that because of the audience effectively being enticed to pick the clearly labelled "good path," if you put any effort into a different choice, odds are you wasted your time with minigames for the day. This means Ascension is set up to be as unsatisfying as possible for individuals, and only satiates half of the community engaging with it. There is no way this is going to last the entire scheduled 6 months this is intended to run for if this is the system they're operating under.

In conclusion: give this one a pass. If you're really curious, you can watch now and get a good idea of its future quality. This isn't remarkable at all and looks more like a time sink than anything "fun."

I still don't understand why this isn't a video game, other than Konami hoping some suckers will pay for the influence packs and get them more money than a $60 one-time-purchase. Quantic Dreams and Supermassive "Dark Anthology" games are really fun and well-liked because of the CYA angle they take. This could've made a decent amount of money if it were just, y'know, a normal game.

*MINOR EDIT: tested the QTEs on desktop instead of mobile and they were better overall: prompts respond easily to mouse clicks and aren't nearly as invisible on my phone screen compared to my desktop. If you are REALLY interested in trying it live and getting a feel of the "authentic, live experience", I'd recommend accessing the site on desktop over downloading a mobile app.

EDIT 11/2/2023

Yeah I know I keep editing this honestly BUT I do have a big-ass critique I just noticed relating, again, to the minigames.

Here is a screenshot of the rewards you can receive for your performance with the minigames. You are rated on a scale of 1-3 stars, with a failure being 0 stars. In return for your performance, you gain "Interactive Points" and EXP. Tell me, after looking at this screenshot, what the problem with these rewards might be:

Do you see it? Well, if you don't, let me point it out to you.

THE AMOUNT OF INTERACTIVE POINTS YOU RECEIVE, THE CURRENCY YOU USE TO ACTUALLY MAKE DECISIONS AND PROPERLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE STORY, GOES DOWN IF YOU DO WELL AT THE MINIGAMES. THE GAME ACTIVELY PUNISHES YOU FOR PLAYING WELL.***

100 interactive points, by the way, is not enough to vote on a decision! You need 200 minimum. You also cannot repeatedly play the minigames to farm IP or EXP so, once you get two stars, you can't get the rewards for three or vice versa. And remember, if you're not a battlepasser, you only get two of these minigames per day.

Why on earth is it scaled this way? The difference between two stars and three stars is the exact same, why does it not increase when you do the minigames well? 100 for one star, 200 for two, 300 for three, it's so god damn easy AND you can still keep the scummy interactive point packages they sell!

But, I here you asking, what does the EXP do? Well, ignoring that a 10 EXP difference is exceeding minimal, EXP gives you... nothing!

Yeah, not even kidding with this one. There does seem to be a leveling system attached to your profile, but I cannot see a single thing connecting it to rewards (which are across the board useless), giving you a power boost with your voting, or just giving you perks. As far as I'm aware, EXP doesn't grant you a god damn thing, and that's the only increased reward from doing well.

***CORRECTION (because nothing in my life can ever be simple): the minigames DO reward you better than the screenshot above. Just did today's minigames and I got 330 IP from a 2 star ranking. However, if that's the case, I GENUINELY do not understand why this is labelled incorrectly? This doesn't even add up correctly (the 1 star + 2 star ranking should equal 300, NOT 330).

So, at best, the site is poor at labelling things (which wouldn't surprise me, the UI is a mess most days on this) OR my view of the site/rewards are bugged! Who fuckin' knows at this point. Sorry for the long rant y'all but honestly? Considering I only noticed the labelling earlier today and couldn't test this until the reset happened, I could only go off the labelled point system above.

I WILL say that tonight was the first night the community succeeded at the endurance scenes! I'd be happier about that if the game itself gave a shit, because apparently, what we do does not matter (as this game seems rapt with telling us)

Yes folks, despite the community succeeding two (2!) of these long ass, repetitive QTE events, for some fucking reason, Karl's hope went down further! This is, again, despite the fact that the community AT LARGE succeeded for the first time since the premiere date, but we still lost! Fucking how.