#and yes the librarian one is definitely underrated

[personinthepalace]

#SO TRUE#Kate I would laugh at your bad puns they don't deserve you /j#prev tags I think it's when Moocho makes the pun about 'just desserts' in TPD#it's about 1/3 of the way through the book after they've solved the SQ riddle#I love that moment#kate wetherall#the perilous journey#there's also her 'librarians know how to keep quiet' line in TPD which I think is so underrated lmaoo via @mvshortcut

There... Is a spectrum... Of who enjoys puns and who can't stand them... And I think Kate and Reynie are the respective ends

[p-taryn-dactyl]

15, 28, 43, 57, 62!

hi!!!

15: favorite book you’ve read as a school assignment?

A List of Cages by robin roe was during the summer before my freshman year of high school, a while back, and I remember annotating it, loving the plot, enjoying the assignment which was to take notes and annotate the pages if the book was our personal one and then we…didn’t do anything with it except a handout that said “did you do the reading?” with checkboxes labeled yes and no. I was so disappointed but I remember loving that book. There’s also Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan, which is just an amazing true story (the movie is ok but the book is just *chefs kiss*. I’m actually using it in my final project in my psychology course this year!!

28: five songs to describe you?

Damn. This is a hard one….i had to consult the counsel (my group chat) for guidance [edit: some were helpful…others weren’t] [another edit: i did take a few quizzes to find what songs describe me bc i was thinking of songs that i associated with me and idk if thats what this meant lol, can you tell i overthink things?]

no body, no crime by taylor swift

better than revenge by taylor swift

dear reader by taylor swift

human by gabrielle aplin

hi, it’s me by ashnikko (but I’m the best friend)

Ik it was mostly TS but i listen to her a lot so

43: hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket, or bomber jacket?

once upon a time i was recognized by the oversized jean jacket that i wore…not anymore. I love cardigans and leather jackets buttt i have the soul of an elderly librarian so definitively cardigan. (I love librarians, my Grammy was a librarian and she’s the best)

57: the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Coming out to myself. I actually came out to my friends before myself, which sounds weird but hold on. I knew i was queer so i told them, the ones i was comfortable with, about my sexuality. But i wasn’t in full terms with it. I grew up very religious and the way my church and family spoke about homosexuality just made me feel like an outcast. Thankfully, I’m proud of who i am today and while I’m terrified of the day I come out to my family, i know i can make it through the tough times if they come

My belief in god isn’t a struggle per se but i much prefer my relationship with them today than my past relationship with them. In the past i was a nightmare, just a total bitch and even though ik today it was because of how i was raised and what i absorbed and all the internalized homophobia, i still know it’s not an excuse to unlearn all my taught hatred so I’m pretty proud to say that i am a much, much better person today ✨character growth✨

My fear of death. While i haven’t completely overcome this, ive come to better terms with the fact that one day i will die and the only thing i can do is live life to the fullest and just live, not to force myself into a box of what i have to do but just enjoy being alive while i am. My new fear however is the ocean, just being alone in the middle of the sea, no boat just me…my heart beat very fast as I typed that

62: seven characters you relate to?

Percy Jackson. I have neither ADHD or dyslexia but i do wear my sarcasm and humor as my shield. Also, i just feel like he would be such a good friend and compliment to my personality

Tony stark. I do have anxiety and depression but i am not a billionaire or genius. I just get him, ya know? I can easily put myself in his place and see his thought process.

Daniel Jackson. Huge history nerd over here and he’s just the best, i love him

harry potter…my man is way too underrated for the main character. Same thing as tony, i just feel connected to his character

yelena belova. Idk why but i just feel like she’s what i could be if i was put in her situations ya know

alec lightwood, i too am a disaster gay and would be speechless at the sight of magnus bane

Nebula. I know what it’s like to be overlooked and forgotten but thankfully, like nebula, ive a found family that sees me

Thank you so much!!! I’m sorry my answers were so long lol 😅

[bibliosauruswrecks]

Tag Game: 11 Questions

Okay, so back in September, @bookishbuzz​ tagged me in an Ask game, and because I’m a garbage human being I’m just now getting around to it.

Rules: Answer the questions and then create your own 11 questions.

1. If you had to pick a favorite word, what would it be?

Iris.  Not because it’s my favorite word, but because it’s my favorite flower, and I’ve got to get this started now, otherwise I’ll never get it done.

2. If you could describe yourself, only using a food dish, what would you pick?

My mom’s casserole pan.  It’s a bit unwieldy at times, but it’s also incredibly adaptable for a variety of uses. Oh, wait, you’re talking about food…

3. If you had to put hamartia and yourself in the same sentence, what would the sentence be?

“Wrecks, do your self-esteem a favor and look up ‘hamartia’ before you say it out loud and embarrass yourself again.”

4. Describe an ideal day in your life.

The dogs don’t get me up an hour before my alarm goes off.  My alarm doesn’t go off at all, actually, and I sleep until my body’s not tired.  I don’t have to go to town, the house is clean, the chores are done, and nobody is demanding my attention.  If the weather is warm, the windows will be open, rain or shine.  If it’s cold, I’ll wrap up in a big fuzzy blanket.  Either way, there will be candles burning and lots of tea.  The house is quiet, and I don’t feel an overwhelming need for privacy.  I haven’t forgotten anything important, and there’s no nasty voice telling me that I have.  The creative Force is strong with me, and I finish at least one of my WIPs, and make significant progress on my other projects without getting distracted by a new idea.  

5. Could you live as a nomad?

Nope.  I like the idea of travel, but the actual act itself is stressful and unpleasant for me.  I suspect this might not be the case if I went on trips with someone other than my family, but until I have really close friends or a significant other, I may never know.  Besides, I need some kind of permanent space to call my own.

6. How would you describe the feeling of love?

I’m assuming you mean romantic love, which, unfortunately, I have no experience or frame of reference for, so let’s go for sibling love instead, shall we? It’s this odd combination of “I would die and/or kill for you,” “No one’s allowed to beat you up but me,” and “Listen, skunk-breath, if you don’t put your dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, I swear on all that is holy I’m gonna throttle you.”

7. Do you feel like your outside appearance is a perfect fit for your personality?

As I type this, I have a bearded dragon perched on my head, so... Yes.

8. What is a quote you live by?

Jenny Lawson, AKA The Bloggess, has several great quotes in her books, but I can’t remember any of them off the top of my head.  Said books are also at the other end of my sardine can of a house, and I don’t feel like getting up, so I’m gonna be a good librarian and recommend that you check out Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy.  I’m also gonna be a responsible librarian and caution you that both books contain potentially-offensive language throughout, so that way if you’re underage and your parents catch you reading them and they want to know why and you tell them some crazy librarian on Tumblr suggested them, I don’t get accused of corrupting the youth.  Again.

9. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I want to, but I don’t.  Attraction, infatuation, maybe even lust at first sight, but not love.

10. Name an author, book, or series you believe is extremely overrated, and one you think is extremely underrated.

James frickin’ Patterson.  I have this strange, not exactly love-hate relationship with him and his books; it’s more like a respect-despise relationship.  On the one hand, I loathe his books.  Not his writing, I mean the physical books themselves.  The covers, the titles, the fact that they take up so much damn shelf real estate, everything.  I want to weed our collection until we only have no more than two copies of each of his books.  And on the other hand, he’s also a huge advocate for children’s literacy, has his own children’s publishing imprint, and funds scholarships for teachers.  I can’t dislike the man himself, even though just looking at one of his books causes this nervous twitch around my right eye.

Dean Koontz gets an honorable mention because his author publicity photo bothers me.  Specifically his hair.

“Underrated” isn’t the word I’d use to describe Renee Ahdieh, but I’m not sure what else works.  She just hasn’t had a lot of exposure yet, but her reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights into a YA duology is one of the best things I’ve read in a while.  The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger weave a beautiful tapestry of love, adventure, intrigue, and magic.  I haven’t had a chance to read her second duology which is set it feudal Japan, and she’s got another series due to start this year that takes place in 1820s New Orleans, but both are on my list.

11. How do you spend your free time?

Knitting, cross-stitching, world-building, reading anything that actually manages to hold my attention these days, writing, researching random crap that’s usually history-related but not always, drawing when I have the motivation (which is rarely), trawling through the Rumbelle tag on Tumblr because that’s my current fan-obsession, and debating which Nancy Drew game to play next without ever reaching a decision.  I sometimes listen to recordings of Robert Carlyle reading Robert Burns’ poetry while I’m working, because Burns is fantastic and so is Robert Carlyle’s voice. I also do dishes and laundry, and question my life choices when I’m stuck with the job of trying to coax a bearded dragon into having a bowel movement, but no one probably needs to know that.

And now for my 11 questions

If you could hang out with three people from history, who would you choose?  (If you want to do more or less, that’s cool.  I’m flexible.  You can also substitute “history” with “fiction” if you like.)

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?

Have you ever googled something in the name of research and thought to yourself, “Yeah, I’m definitely ending up on a government watch-list for this”?  Feel free to elaborate.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen a person do?

Assuming unlimited time and funds, which five countries would you like to visit?

Got any wacky pet stories?

What’s your favorite literary genre(s)?

Is there a particular language or accent you find appealing?

What is the worst book you’ve ever read?

Pancakes or waffles?

Which five character tropes best describe you? (If you were unfamiliar with TV Tropes before this point, I do apologize for simultaneously enhancing and ruining your life.  Like I said, corrupting the youth.  Me and Socrates, people.)

I tag @bookishbuzz​, @woodelf68​, @barpurplewrites​, @jackabelle73​, and @graduatedpillowmonster​

[bookishandthetea]

Birthday Q&A (forgot to post this yesterday)

What’s your favorite series?

THG/ASOUE/AGGGTM

What’s your favorite genre?

My favorite genre would have to be Mystery/Crime/Murder Mystery/Detective/Thriller

How did you get into reading?

I guess because my parents read to me.

Fantasy or sci-fi?

I dont  really read either but Fantasy.

How do you choose your next read?

Lately I have this list cause Im doing the popsugar challenge and ill do a number generator so that but also if I’m just scrolling through bookstagram and ill add a book to the list and do a random number generator to choose.

Reading outside or inside?

Inside most definitely.

Series or standalones?

Series, I like to see how the character’s lives ended. I’m invested.

Hardcover or paperback?

Hardcover maybe? Though I do love paperback books as well.

Where does your current read take place?

I’m reading The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants which takes place in different places. Oia, Greece. Baja California, Mexico. South Carolina, and Bethesda, Maryland.

Favorite book-to-movie adaptations?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green hands down which is funny cause I’ve only seen scenes from it.

Favorite Harry Potter character (/spell/class/pet, etc.)?

My favorite would have to be Fred & George probably or maybe Sirius. I don’t really know.

When did you join Bookstagram?

June 17.

What do you love about reading?

I love being able to be transported into another world, to live through the character to the point its like I am them. I love living their life, going on adventures I would never go on in real life. I like seeing the interactions, development, and overall life of characters. I like to develop relationships with them because you get to escape reality for just a little while.

Do you DNF books or read all the way through?

There are a few times, once or twice, that I DNFd a book which is ok. Maybe ill come back to it later and love it but it is ok to DNF a book.

Would you rather be a librarian or a bookseller?

Librarian. You get to interact/people watch. It’s peaceful, quiet. People are always coming back. You could witness so many things as well. The start of a friendship, a courtship,a family. The library tells stories. It welcomes all that enter to come back, to check out more books. It is also the safe haven for so many kids.

I

What’s your reading goal for this year?

50 books which I am not pressuring myself to reach.

Do you reread books?

All the time.

Describe how you’re feeling in emojis.

😀🥳👍🤜✍️

Describe your current read in emojis.

👖➡️👧+👦🏻[👴🏼👵🏼👧]➡️👧🏻💼 👧🏼📹➡️👧🏽 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦➡️➡👧🏼💘👦🏕️

What was your last five-star read?

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

What’s your favorite season?

Summer

What’s your favorite non fiction book?

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Tea, I don’t like coffee.

Do you like music while reading or silence?

I like listening to music/sound but I also like to read in silence.

Do you prefer books with one POV or multiple POVs?

Multiple povs though one pov is still good because I like seeing what is going on in everyone’s heads.

What is the most quote worthy book?

Well a book I always quote is TFIOS. Book series is ASOUE.

Dream career?

I believe I want to major in English in college, so maybe something to do with that though idk. Not writing as full time though.

Your star sign?

Cancer

Favorite binge-worthy tv shows.

Favorite shows are Psych, Criminal Minds, SVU, and the netflix adaptation of ASOUE. Also HIMYM.

What song is stuck in your head?

Like My Father by Jax.

Favorite Disney Princess?

Tiana most definitely.

Favorite book to show adaptations?

The netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events hands down.

If you owned a book shop what would you call it?

Bookish

 Top Five OTPs?

Everlark- Katniss Everdeen + Peeta Mellark(THG)

Gaze?- Hazel Grace Lancaster + Augustus Waters(TFIOS)

Dunlet- Violet Baudelaire + Duncan Quagmire(ASOUE)

Kladora- Isadora Quagmire + Klaus Baudelaire(ASOUE)

Pavi/Rippa/Sarge?-Pippa Fitz-Amobi + Ravi Singh(AGGGTM)

A book series you deem terribly underrated? 

The Lawless Trilogy by Jeffrey Salane. I’m on the 2nd book and they are awesome.

Do you own a library card? How much do you use it?

Yes. I don’t currently know where it is but yeah. I dont use it too often.

Do you buy bookish merch?

No.

Siblings?

Yes, I’m the youngest of 3 girls. A sister who is 16, 17 on Halloween(2 yrs older)(going to be in junior year of hs) and one who is 18, 19 in August(4 yrs older)(going to be in sophomore year of college)

If you have multiple instagram accounts what are they?

I have this bookstagram @bookishandthetea, my writing instagram @_thatsthetea.books_, and my character’s accounts, @nakhalacarter, @kamleyhernandezz @asaadsanchez and @mahlikwalkerr.

 Did your middle school do reading levels? What was yours?

Yes they did and I was level Z+

What author/s do you love for writing their books but hate for the pain and heartbreak they caused you?

Suzanne Collins and John Green above all.

Do you write in your books?

No, but I may start.

 A tv show(s) that you hate/ just really don’t like?

Attaway General, General Hospital, The Bachelor series

 What are some of your favorite quotes?

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.”

“That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

“But the sad truth is that the truth is sad, and that what you want does not matter. A series of unfortunate events can happen to anyone, no matter what they want.

“The world is quiet here.”

“They're book addicts.”

“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

“Never been better.”

“Besides, no one has ever seen the light by being told there are darker places out there.”

“I love you and your broken wings.”

“The hard thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”

“Pip wished she was strong enough, but she’d learned that she wasn’t invincible; she too could break.”

“I'm not sure I'm the good girl i once thought i was . I've lost her along the way”

“I’ve already learned my lesson here: when you catch someone lying about a murdered girl, you go ask them why.”

Do you wear glasses?

Yes.

Do you love to write?

Yes.

What’s your favorite movie?

I don’t really watch movies but maybe the TFIOS movie and the barbie movies which are actually really good.

[marvelandponder]

I ❤ Comics

Because I’m so incredibly creative, this month of Year of the Pony has been all about lurve. All kinds of the stuff! Self-love, romantic love, familial love, and, of course, some good ol’ fashioned friendship/platonic love.

But, we all know there’s one love to rule them all: dorky/fanatic love!

The obsessions and ideas that rule our hearts and, in MLP’s case, drive us ponies. 

As much as I don’t want to take all this too seriously, this kind of love really is something special. For many of us, it’s the reason characters stick with us for so long, through any kind of mood you can imagine. It’s why we get lost in fantastical worlds on our screens and pages, and come back feeling like we’ll never forget the adventure we went on. It’s common ground to socialize in if we wish, or a quiet comfort that yours and yours alone. 

These things mean so much to us that it becomes a part of our identity. I’m a Brony, I’m a Rainbow Dash fan, I’m a this that or the other. We want people to see us for things we love because we’re just that proud of them. So long as there’s a healthy dose of perspective in the mix, I think that’s a good thing.

And one of the nerdiest, if not the nerdiest MLP topics I could think of to geek out over is the official IDW comics (the Enterplay trading cards, Star Trek cast members voice-acting for the show, and upcoming table-top RPG, Tails of Equestria, obviously deserve some honourable mentions here, but the comics just gave me more to talk about on a technical level)!

I figured the best way to go about this would be to go by artist (sorry colorists, letterers, and editors; you’re necessary and appreciated but apparently not glamorous). Last month, when we dove a little into Design and Animation, I didn’t really get to talk about the teams behind the work---which is mostly because MLP is a script-driven show as opposed to a storyboard-driven show, so the same animation teams and the same style goes into every episode (unlike Steven Universe, for example, which is ‘board-driven)---but here, who’s working on a comic makes a massive impact on how it’ll turn out.

With that said, we’ll stick to the most reoccurring artists (and gloss over the writers to save on time); if you’re ever curious, you can check out this page on the wiki for a full list on who did what, but I really ramble on too much as it is. 

Artists 

Here’s a big name! Andy Price, the man with the shadows and long, bendy pones. Price excels a quite a lot in terms of expression, and I think it’s because he adds such a sense of drama to these characters without taking away the cuteness or light-hearted personalities we’ve come to love. 

If anything, he’s gotten to add personality, especially to characters like Celestia and Luna who express their emotion much less visually in the show. Just take a gander at the sketches he gives out at conventions!

And as to the shadows, look at how involved the shading is in these inked panels:

Just look at how much of his panels are darkened, and just how much more dramatic it looks than it would with flat or lightly shaded colours.

Even a simple scene can benefit from Price’s style:

See where the shadow draws your eye (even when the shot is coloured)? To the sinister looking rat emphasizing the books, to Sunset, and to the shocked librarian who would know these books best. If you’ve read this issue, you know Sunset’s reading some books she’s really not supposed to---and in fact this is what leads to her downfall.

It’s a simple panel, there’s not even a lot of dialogue on the finished product, but you can tell Price uses shadows to compose his shots in a way that tells the story visually. 

Also, a word on page layout (this isn’t necessarily exclusive to Price, but since we’re talking about layout in terms of one panel...):

This is one of those things that I had a hard time finding a place for in this post that I would kick myself for if I didn’t talk about. It’s something exclusive to the medium and something that’s extremely impactful (as comic fans know).

It’s the flow of the page. How your eye moves from one panel to the next, and how different movements are expressed.

Price is one of the many MLP comic artists who do this effectively. In the first example there, you can see how the emotion shifts as we go down the page, how Celestia’s mane both transitions us into the next panel, and seems to hide her reservations from Sombra, Luna, and Starswirl.

And in the next example, there’s this wonderful transition mid-panel at the bottom there that takes us from the interior of the train to an exterior shot outside of it for Applejack’s final line of the scene.

It’s things like this (and even the layout of the word-bubbles, because those take a surprising amount of consideration to place in a panel) that shows you the artistry and thought behind these comics, and Price’s art in particular.

A personal favourite of mine, for sure.

What’s special about Amy Mebberson’s art-style is how it’s tweaked just so from the show, but certainly stands on its own as it draws emphasis to the roundness of these designs.

You’ll probably notice the simplicity of Mebberson’s designs, especially compared to someone like Price, but look how that works to her advantage:

Check out how close to the show it is, but just a touch rounder. Cute, right? The eyes are cartoonishly big, the heads closer to perfect circles than we normally see even in a 3/4 angle shot, it just brings your attention to how sweet these characters are.

Then there’s the fact that her work will often be coloured with a really soft, soothing texture to boot:

That powdery softness only makes these ponies cuter---and here I thought they had laws against that kind of thing!

Another awesome big player!

The thing about Hickey’s art is that it’s often coloured so that the manes are especially shiny, making the characters draw focus and pop off the page.

And even when things aren’t especially shiny, she still often finds ways to use the background to emphasize the characters:

(Underrated moment in the comics award might have to go to this, by the way)

It’s a very simple snowy scene, but that matches the tone so expertly, so isolating Applejack, her breath, and the snow is an excellent choice to get the emotion across.

And when things are glossy, it strikes me how energetic the characters can still look.

When things look this polished, the worry tends to be that you might make the characters look stiffer, but Hickey’s style strikes such a great balance between polish and flexibility.

This art style comes with its pros and cons, in my opinion, but it can still serve MLP pretty well. Garbowska’s art is often coloured as if with coloured pencils, which gives everything a really soft, soothing finish, and in addition can make for some pretty cute pones.

The downside is two-fold: The characters can seem like they all have Same Face syndrome, if you know what I mean; and the ponies are often posed in needlessly anthropomorphic poses (we’ve certainly seen a few more human-like poses throughout the series---yes, Lyra, we love you, you oddball---but there are some poses that just seem uncomfortable and [to use a slightly redundant word] unnatural for them to want to be in).

Still most definitely a great part of the team, just with a few quirks that come along with the sweetness.

Welp. Guess I couldn’t steer clear of controversy entirely. Jay Fosgitt’s art style in and of itself is divisive among fans---like, really divisive.

The reason being the drastically different shape to everything. Compare a Fosgitt head to a Mebberson head, for instance, and you’ll see there’s a lot more emphasis on the foreheads and cheeks than on the muzzle or an overall roundness.

It’s a very distinct style that comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Fosgitt’s not afraid not go for some extreme expressions, for instance, and that can really serve the story well in chaotic and/or comedic situations, but he’s also had that same problem of putting ponies on their hind-legs when it doesn’t seem organic for them to do so, and combined with the proportions exaggerated the way they are (like sometimes I don’t know how those necks keep their heads up), that can make for an off-putting panel or two.

It’s definitely cartoony. I’ve never been able to place exactly what artstyle it reminds me of, but cartoony is a good word. It’s grown on me, personally, especially considering the improvement from issue to issue, but I thought I’d mention this never-ending debate so you could make up your own mind.

Tony Fleecs is a great addition to the team. He’ll often give the eyes a point or just a different shape, which takes some of the cartoonishness out, but still allows for some great expressions in a way we don’t normally get to see, with our bulbous-eyed characters.

It can especially work if he’s trying to capture something menacing:

So, I think he’s among the better ones.

On the other hand, there have been a few times Fleecs’s art has lacked depth solely because of how things are shaded, like here (I can obviously tell where everyone is in relation to each other, but it’s flatter than if there had been some shadows to it):

But overall that feels more like a nitpick.

Now, we’d be here all day if I started going into all the cover artists (as much as we appreciate their work), but there’s one in particular that’s done enough that I’d feel remiss leaving her out.

Sara Richard is a good name to know because once you know it, you’ll always be able to point out her art. She’s got some of the only traditional art in our little roster, and it’s often got some gorgeous swirls. So many swirls.

If I wanted to be crass, I could call it colour and swirl porn... so I will. It’s colour and swirl porn, and I love it.

Writers

To preface this section, I’d like to take a moment to steal a catchphrase from the ever insightful MovieBob, previously of Escapist fame: comics are weird.

Really, even the best and brightest of the medium will occasionally have some really out there arcs or issues. For every intellectually stimulating, deeply meaningful story you can tell with these characters, there’s a silly rendition of them that’s just... odd. The same Batman who comes to grips with the death of his second ward, Jason Todd, is the same one who later owns a Batcow, thanks to his son Damien.

Yes, Batcow is canon.

So, if genre-defining superhero comics have been known to divulge into stranger stories from time to time, it absolutely follows that we’d see the same from colourful, pony-based children’s comics. Basically, that shark-jumping weirdness just... comes with the medium.

You can make all sorts of arguments about the origins of that oddness---the creative freedom available, attention-grabbing to boost readership, the Comics Code Authority heavily censoring violence and delinquent behavior in the 50s and 60s which forced writers to come up with tamer but also more creative stories, etc---but one thing is clear, if you’ve noticed some interesting choices mixed in there, it might just be a comic book thing.

But, then again, there are also issues that go way more in depth than you would think!

In particular, I have to make mention of my absolute favourite arc (I never claimed to be unbiased): Reflections. For the details, the comedy the lore, the immaculate world-building, and the emotions---but most of all the character-building.

Starswirl is an absolute delight, the good King Sombra breaks your heart, Twilight faces exactly what I wanted her to face once she became a princess, and the Princesses and their sisterhood get to be developed even more here than they have been in the show (especially Celestia; here’s hoping season seven really will break that streak).

Okay, example time. 

Here’s a detail that was just pointed out to me recently that really nails all of this on the head (and granted, I don’t know whether this came from its writer Katie Cook, or the artist Andy Price, but if nothing else it shows you what they can do together):

Two silent frames that tell us so, so much. 

It’s a simple idea, that these parallel universes have developed in different ways, but that tells us so much about why Equestria’s technology is the way it is. Having the power to jump to more technologically advanced universes has allowed our Equestria to be as anachronistic as it has been---to have arcade machines and silent movie theaters, but not automobiles or light bulbs in common use.

But this is what the comics can do: contextualize. 

Take characters and worlds we love and expand on them in new lights. Some weird, strange, or just cute for the sake of being cute, but some more involved and some even inspired.

The comics, overall, can be pretty divisive in this fandom. There are fans who frequent them for every new issue, and those who have sworn off them entirely. Artists and writers we revere and some we outright revile. But when all is said and done, being able to take on this new perspective of MLP in an entirely different medium is something I for one really appreciate---especially when it’s this good.

Here’s some more pony analysis for you! The whole compilation post here, or three of the latest/most relevant, just for you:

EMLP: Design & Animation, Pinkie Pie’s Editorial, and Top 10 Cutest Families

Year of the Pony

Header Image and Art Wouldn’t be Possible Without...

Luna and Celestia by dSana Elements of Harmony by SpiritofthwWolf Elements of Harmony by TechRainbow

There’s of course all those great comic artists and writers to go check out, but aside from the official art in this post, there’s some hard-working fan-artists who made some stellar vectors! Check ‘em out!

Love Me Some Comic Books

[purplesurveys]

208

Have you ever screamed in the shower? Yeah, usually when the water first hits me and it’s way too cold.

When you’re on the computer do you use your iPod or iTunes/Limewire? I used an iPod until I was 13 and iTunes until I was 14. I’m 19 now...Spotify is the way to go these days.

Who are the four people you talk to on MSN most often?

When was the last time, if ever, you spoke back to a teacher? Last year. I don’t do that to college profs anymore because there’s always that fear of getting sued over it lol. If there’s a prof that’s been really rude and doesn’t deserve my respect though I wouldn’t hesitate to answer back.

What teacher would you never speak back to? Anyone respectable.

Could you be classified as shy? When I’m around people I don’t really know, or if my friends leave me with someone they’re close to, but not me. Generally I’m getting better at handling situations like that, but I still have my tendencies to be quiet.

What was the last thing you broke/sprained? My wallet hah.

In your group of friends, are you the smart one, athletic one, etc.? I’m the mother of every group I’ve been in. LOL I’m always the one to let them know if they’re being too loud, making sure everyone has a place in the circle, giving them food, etc.

Who are your closest friends? Gabie and Angela are my best friends.

Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Ugh no, that’s such pointless drama to get caught up in.

Because of yours? No, all of my friends love us.

What was the last test you got back, and what did you get on it? I got my art studies test back AFTER MORE THAN A MONTH, it was the only one I was left waiting for. I got a 98, so basically an A I think (we don’t use letter grades).

Are you out for summer yet? If not, when do you get out? No, the academic school year started four months ago and I don’t finish sophomore year until next May.

Do you have any big plans for the summer? I actually plan on finishing the entire civic service program my school requires during the summer. The demand is high for the rest of the school year, so I’d rather do it during the break when not a lot of people would take it.

Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language? I don’t think so. I hate petty people so I’m most likely to provoke them more.

What kind of iPod do you have and what colour is it? I have a blue iPod from 2009 but I don’t use it anymore, plus it’s the super-thin model so god knows where it’s been the past few years.

What do you wear when you’re going to sleep? A tank top and shorts are my comfort clothes.

Say something to the person you like right now: No.

Who is the last person that was at your house? No one ever goes here so I guess the last person even if it had been three weeks ago was my girlfriend.

Whose house were you last at? Gabie’s, although I haven’t been inside since October. I always drop her off every Friday though.

If you go out for lunch during school, where do you go? My university has SO many food hubs (40-50 street food stands stationed around campus, an entire road for independent mini-restaurants, and a shopping center with a couple of bigger establishments) and all 25 colleges have their own cafeteria so you’d have to be really desperate for food if you still feel the need to go out.

Are you going anywhere exciting anytime soon? LMAO I was going to my art studies field trip in Pampanga today but I ultiimately got too lazy. No plans other than that.

When you’re on the computer/texting, do you spell things correctly or use shortforms? Shortforms only when I’m talking to either of my best friends, but even that is seldom. I’d rather spell correctly.

If you could join your favourite band, what instrument would you play? I listen to music, not play it myself. I’d rather enjoy them from the audience.

What is the last concert you went to? Coldplay, but I’m going to be seeing Paramore again real soon!!!!!

Are you going to any upcoming concerts? How excited are you? YES I AM AND I’M VEEEERY EXCITED. Paramore is the only band in the world I would pay to see more than once. I went to their concert in 2013 but only got lower box tickets, so it wasn’t the full experience. When they announced their return for next year, I wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a VIP ticket so that’s what I got.

Do you have any homework you should be doing right now? I know there are papers that I at least have to start conceptualizing but I couldn’t care less at the moment...

Whose house, other than yours and your families, are you most comfortable at? Katreen’s and Angela’s definitely. Gabie’s too but I get triggered, especially when their family is complete. They’re very close with each other and you all know how I feel about mine, so I don’t stay there when they’re all bonding and I’m obviously the ‘others.’

Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you? No, that would be so mean and I wouldn’t go to their house after that.

Who was the last person to wear your clothes/shoes other than you? I’m an X Small, so nothing I wear ever fits other people...

Whose clothes other than your own did you last wear? Why? Gabie’s cardigan. It was cold in Starbucks so she lent me hers.

Have you ever made a “100 Things To Do This Summer” list? I probably did an attempt but I must not have made it beyond 20 entries.

Did you do everything on the list?

Do you have any after school activities, or do you just sit around at home? I’m (nearly) in a journalism organization so I stay there after my classes if I have to or want to.

Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? I had swimming lessons when I was 9, then did track for 2 years, and I’ve been playing table tennis ever since. Swimming was fine, track was alright when my stamina was still strong, but my true love has always been table tennis.

Do you actually participate in gym class, or just stand there? I hated our curriculum in PE. Our school is divided into quarters instead of semesters, so for every quarter we have a new thing–swimming, fitness, a new sport, and a new dance. That’s one new topic, for every quarter, for every year. I had to be active since I wanted a nice grade, but I hated all of it. I wish I was just able to play table tennis all year round.

What class do you have the most tests in? In the current semester, all my profs don’t hold a lot of quizzes. They just lecture a lot.

What class do you have the least tests in? I don’t have tests in my newswriting class at all. It’s all about news reports.

What class were you in when you last got a class detention? We don’t have detention.

Have you ever been on the honour roll? It wasn’t a thing in private school but I’m a current dean’s lister in university.

Lat thing you bought that was over 100 dollars? Paramore tickets.

How much money do you have on you right now? A little over 1500 pesos. That’s $30 for this survey that is obviously at least North American.

Would you consider getting a summer job this summer? Consider, yes. Actually pushing through with it, very unlikely.

When you were little, did you ever have a lemonade stand? Nope, that’s too American. < Heh yeah.

Did you ever watch the show Full House? No, it was either never on Philippine television or I was always too young for it.

What cartoons do you still watch? Sometimes I would watch We Bare Bears and Spongebob.

What was the last thing that scared you? I remembered a still from The Exorcist when I had my eyes closed in the shower, ugh.

When were you last in a car and who were you in it with? Yesterday, driving home from school. I was alone.

What radio stations do you flip between in the car? 93.1, 99.5, 94.7, and 88.3. The first two play the current biggest hits, the third one plays the more underrated but still hits and 00′s music, and the last one is more punk rock, grudge, alternative, metal.

What song can you absolutely not stand right now? Anything by Fifth Harmony.

Do the librarians at your library know you by name? No, since I never stop by. We have a huge catalog, over a million titles, so the grandiosity of it kind of makes me anxious.

Which of your friends was the last one to annoy you? Gabie.

Is there anyone at your school you feel really bad for? Myself?

How many people are in your group of friends at school? That’s my entire org so that’s more or less 35 people.

What ten people would you most likely bring on a roadtrip? Gabie and any nine people from the org.

[blamechocolate]

First of all, I simply adore How to Train Your Dragon and especially Toothless, who I’ve always seen as a very large, very adorable scaly cat! So needless to say, I was really excited to do this tag and I hope you’re equally excited to read it ^_^

Thank you so much Lois @ loisreadsbooks for tagging me! Check out her blog if you’re interested in all things bookish!

Rules:

You may use these graphics.

Link back to the original post and mention the creator (Jessica @ Pore Over the Pages).

Include the credits section at the bottom of this post.

Thank the blogger who tagged you.

Tag everybody, tag nobody, tag somebody.

Have fun!

  Hiccup started out as a failure to his people. He wasn’t adept at dragon killing. Suddenly, he knows the ins and outs of the creatures he is supposed to despise. He becomes popular, and in turn he tries to use his fame to create an alliance between the humans and the dragons. In the end, he changes the minds and hearts of everyone in Berk.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer. I just kept picking it up but never finding myself focused enough to read more than two or three pages at a time. Once I got into it, though, I loved it!

  Astrid is the fierce female viking. She is strong and smart, the perfect contender to be a dragon killer. She is suspicious of Hiccup and eventually discovers his secret. Once she sees the beauty in and of the dragons, she is usually by Hiccup’s side. She stands for her beliefs and helps her friend to the very end.

Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass. There are certainly quite a few badass lead ladies out there but she’s the one who most fits the profile in this, I think. Kestrel from The Winner Trilogy and Helene from An Ember in The Ashes would also be great choices.

  Stoick the Vast. He is the leader of the vikings of Berk. He is strong, determined, and caring. He can be thoughtless, but he does feel responsible for his people. He loves his family. After a while, he sees reason and recognizes his son’s greatness. He is a proud man, but he is even more proud of his son in the end.

Ellie Linton from the Tomorrow series. She’s always making sure everyone is okay and tries to deal with problems as soon as they become apparent. Despite her occasional vulnerability, she’s a born leader who owns up to her mistakes and learns from them.

  Valka goes out on her own to live with the dragons. She knows untold secrets and comes out of nowhere in the second movie. She sees the world in a different light, like her son. Nowadays, most books are a part of a series. Authors have a hard time containing their words and creative worlds = lucky us!

Angelfall by Susan Ee was apparently first self-published as an E-book, which I didn’t know about… I loved the entire trilogy and was not really expecting much from it at the beginning. I thought it would be your typical paranormal romance, yet it became so much more! I highly recommend it.

  Gobber is loyal and funny. He is a teacher, friend, blacksmith, and so much more. He supports Stoick and Valka, Hiccup, and all others. “He’s a bit gruff, but his heart is always in the right place.” (credit) If you were Gobber, which book characters would you ship?

I have sooooo many! I’ll try to keep the list short by only mentioning my absolute favorites: Celaena/Chaol, Magnus/Cleo, Scarlet/Wolf, James/Lily, Kestrel/Arin, Katsa/Po and Darragh/Fainne. (Phew, still pretty long, huh?)

  Snotlout is impulsive. He speaks his mind and does what he wants. He is rude and also flirty. If he was a book lover, I’m sure he would buy a book because of an enticing cover, intriguing synopsis, or just because he can. Is there a book that you bought simply because?

Wicked Lovely. Almost all of Melissa Marr’s books have such pretty covers, I wasn’t able to resist.

  Family and friends are the most important aspect in one’s life. Sometimes the representations in books are optimal (while other times the representation is non-existent). Books can contain perfect, desirable relationships that we all want to be a part of, so choose a book with a family or friend bond that you wish were real in your own life.

The Casson Family series. It features the adventures of a very unorthodox family, and each member is very peculiar and unique. They are fiercely protective of one another and have so much fun together!

  Fishlegs is intelligent. He knows dragons by the book, and by the book only. He inspires knowledge in himself and in others. As with Fishlegs, sometimes books make one want to learn something new, research a new topic, try a new experience, or go somewhere exciting. Name a book that makes you want to expand you horizons.

Harry Potter actually made me want to learn chess! Which I did, but was never a very good player. It also made me want to learn about astronomy.

  Toothless is a Night Fury. He is the only one left of his kind, making him extremely rare. He is loyal, fast, intelligent, and cute. Find the bookish equivalent to Toothless, a novel that is not read too often/under-hyped that you adore.

The last one I can think of is Weregirl by C.D. Bell. It came out fairly recently but not many people have read or heard about it, or at least I don’t see it around much. But I loved it so much! I also wrote a spoiler-free review about it, if you want to check it out.

  Those in the Boulder Class are solid and resilient. Meatlug in particular is tough, obstinate, slow, and lazy. Sometimes it is hard to pick up the motivation one needs to complete a task. Other times, there are bumps in the road, rocky obstacles that get in one’s way. Despite the struggle, we have to rise about the challenge and persevere.

Both Katsa from Graceling and Sorcha from Daughter of the Forest went through Hell and back countless times, and I just don’t know how they managed.

  Not much is known about the Mystery Class, hence the name. Dragons in this class are cunning and stealthy making them feared above the others. Barf and Belch are a part of this conundrum. While they share one body, each head has it’s own personality. To be effective they must work together.

I read tons of Poe stories during the Halloween season, so either one of those would fit. All of them were pretty awesome, despite being of a genre I don’t usually reach out for.

  “Sharp Class dragons are vain and prideful, and they all possess sharp body parts.” (credit) These dragons are sleek and shine, honor and self-respect. They are beautiful and graceful with their pointed limbs and they know it.

Zoya from the Grisha trilogy.

  Stoker dragons are small and unruly. They can literally set themselves on fire making them hotheaded. This class is an explosion in a tiny package. Find a book that is small, in physical size or page number, that is full of action, mystery, or willful characters.

Any of the Grisha trilogy short stories. They’re amazing and fantastic and just everything despite being only thirty or so pages long.

  Rare, powerful, inflexible, and loyal. These are some of the descriptor words for a dragon in the Strike Class. More prominent traits of the Strike Class also include blazing speed, cleverness, strength, and navigation. They are very rare, but very mighty. They are like a wild mustang horse: hard to train but loyal in the end.

I think I read the first Percy Jackson book really quickly, and it was quite a fun read.

  As the title suggests, Tigal dragons are associated with water, specifically the ocean. Those in this class are usually larger than most other classes. Water can be soothing, but not with dragons. For most book lovers, we enjoy a relaxing read near the water (as long as your book doesn’t get wet). For dragons, find a book that matches their habitat in setting.

The Light Isles by Juliet Marillier. This series has an ongoing sea/island theme.

  “Natural born hunters, Tracker Class dragons have a highly acute sense of smell or taste that enables them to track down and find things.” (credit) Sadly, we humans are not trackers. There are some forms of books that are hard to find, like versions from other countries, special editions, hardcopy VS. paperback, ARCs, and more. Like Stormfly, these books are a torturing “mix of beauty and brutality.”

I can’t actually think of any at the moment…

  There is a lack of knowledge about these dragons, so they have not yet been classified. They could be sorted in the future, but until then they are stuck in the shadows of information. Like debut authors and their books, they are new and haven’t had quite as much publicity and appearances in the book world to be fully understood.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller! Coming out on February 28th.

  Dragons don’t like smoked eel of lunch. They flinch and cower from the striped delicacy. Like the eel, there are some books that people just won’t touch. It could be because of a passionately harsh fandom or because you don’t want the next book to ruin your experience with the previous. There are many reasons not to read a certain book, and while people will try to persuade you to pick it up, it is your choice to decide what you will read.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s not that I hated this book’s premise or anything. But when it first came out, it was extremely over-hyped and I didn’t care much for it, so I will probably never try it. It’s just not my type of read.

  Tag, You’re It!

Megan @ bookslayerreads

Sam @ onebookishgirl

Azia @ The Uncharted World

Flavia The Bibliophile

Ava @ Reads, Rhythms & Ruminations

Jasmine @ How Useful It Is

Birdie Bookworm

Lilly @ LairofBooks

Sofii @ A Book. A Thought

Debby @ alwaysbooking

As always, no pressure to do this tag if you don’t want to! It’s just so cute, though :)

{Credits:

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/shows/dragons/characters/index.html

http://howtotrainyourdragon.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Classes_(Franchise)

https://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com/

All rights reserved To How to Train Your Dragon © Dreamworks Animation LLC.}

So what did you think of this tag? Would your answers be similar? Leave me a comment below!

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Do you love #dragons? Do you love #books? Then this #booktag is for you! #blogger First of all, I simply adore How to Train Your Dragon and especially Toothless, who I've always seen as a very large, very adorable scaly cat!