#anthropomorphic automobiles

[danskjavlarna]

Source details and larger version.

There are coffin cars, boat cars, hot tub cars, dragon cars, bottle cars, clown cars, tiny cars and giant cars: my collection of vintage automobiles is starting up.

[malcolmschmitz]

Hey, @lightdrizzel - I get where you're coming from, and it does suck how difficult it is to get anything remotely weird through traditional publication channels these days. But we are living in an absolute golden age for niche media-- you just have to look a little harder for it.

Like, okay. If we want to talk cartoons?

"Hullabaloo" is an indie steampunk web cartoon about a spunky adventuress with a tricked-out automobile. The animation style is classic Disney- which makes sense, the animation team is mostly Disney alumni- and it's got a fun adventure feel.

Betsy Lee's "No Evil" is an indie fantasy web cartoon loosely based on Mesoamerican mythology, set in a world reminiscent of the American Old West, with an anthropomorphic animal cast. The animation style is a bit anime and a bit furry.

"Sirenetta: Part-Time Mermaid" is an indie animated short film about a 'former mermaid princess' who has to save the ocean from a wicked witch; the animation style is reminiscent of 2000s 'girl cartoons', and the voice cast is largely made up of drag queens.

"Pride's Misfits" is an indie animated project about a girl who wants to become a demon hunter, with heavy influences from anime and from Indian culture. It's early in development, but it looks cool.

... and this is ignoring the indie stuff that everyone's heard of, like Lackadaisy, or Helluva Boss, or The Amazing Digital Circus. Or the artsy, depressing indie animation that lives in the film festival circuit.

Or, heck, you want to talk about video games? Ditch steam and check out itch.io instead. On the front page of my itch.io, not even looking particularly hard, I found:

"The flies' choreography amplifies my longing for the void. (Drawing down the moon)", which the creator describes as "A transcorporality prototype for cosmic omnicide." and seems to be an experimental horror game about perceiving the world as a bug.

"Buckshot Roulette", a game about playing Russian Roulette against a messed-up machine monster in an industrial nightmare world, casually risking your life for funsies.

"Sprout Valley", a cute lil life sim game in the vein of Animal Crossing- fix up an overgrown farm and furnish an island.

"Galactic Foodtruck Simulator 2999 (GFS2999)"- The Galaxy hungers. You own a food truck. Feed Everyone.

Again, that's not counting indie stuff that people have actually heard of- Fear and Hunger: Termina, Who's Lila, Touhou, and Baba Is You.

Listen. Mass media has always been dominated by dreck produced for the widest common denominator. The reason you're seeing less and less niche stuff get through mass media isn't that there's less niche stuff being made. It's that it's way, way easier to just publish your own niche stuff than it is to try to get it through a publisher. You get to keep total creative control and don't get all the hard, weird, jagged edges shaved off in the name of making it "more relatable".

If you want to find new stuff that's creative, and niche, and weird, and not sterilized or corporate, you have to go looking for it. But it's out there, and there's so much of it you couldn't get through it all in one lifetime.

Anyway speaking of niche indie media here's the Amazon page for my latest short story, about an autistic plague doctor veterinarian, unicorns, and cats:

But yeah, seriously. I promise, if you want to find the weird stuff, you'll find the weird stuff.

it's fucking me up how tv shows, movies, and even video games can't be "niche" content anymore

[bottomvalerius]

🔗 you know tgat one guy on here who really wanted to fuck trains and planes with bbls and massive honkers. his terrible politics and personality aside, what do you make of that

here’s the gods honest truth, I simply cannot get too much into anthropomorphic inanimate objects LFNSIAOSKKS like trains, planes, automobiles roller coasters etc. on paper I should be more into pool floaties and shit like that (inflation + like idk dumbification on account as you’re now a pool floatie ??) but I simply canNOT get into them like that 🫡🫡🫡🫡

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

It was suggested that I could just ignore The Stars and write a set of Horrible-Scopes based on anything I wanted. So, since it’s my birth-week as I write this, I’ve taken that suggestion to heart.

Aries 

Rams live very social lives, but tend to be overall defenseless creatures, relying on their flock for protection from predators! So this week enjoy the time you have with those in your close circles since they have your back.

Taurus 

Quick fact for you Bulls - until not too very long ago there were Spanish Bullfighting Rings in some southern Japanese Islands! Keep this in mind as you consider planning your next holiday. Stick to the main island and you’ll be fine. 

Gemini  

As Twins, you keep getting into trouble and blaming someone else. So this week you need to listen to “The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000” song as punishment. Once you hear the line, “Traveling salesponies nonpareil!” you’ll realize you never paid enough attention in French class. Imagine how disappointed in you your teacher would be today. (TSK! TSK! TSK!)

Cancer Moon-Child 

You asked to have a Horrible-Scope specifically tuned to your personality and species, in this case a Crab? Since you asked, how about we answer your question with a question: Why Not Zoidberg? (*Pause*)  If you don’t get it, ask someone younger than you what it means, Gramps.

Leo 

Lions have this interesting habit of sleeping a lot! Like twenty hours a day. The fact that you want to take after them is admirable, if weird. Just remember something - do not nuzzle the neck-floof of an African Lion. If you do, plan on being a gracious guest and accept their invitation to stay for dinner… you really won’t have much of a choice. 

Virgo 

The sign of The Maiden, you tend to be the nurturing type. Helping others in a bind, being creative in unusual ways, having encyclopedic knowledge in esoteric areas of trivia, and willing to forgive others who have wronged you. All the traits of one “Suri Polomare”. What’s that? You don’t know who that is? Huh! Guess all that trivia knowledge was just good guessing then, huh? 

Libra 

Since we can’t anthropomorphize a literal balance scale, we’re just going to do the next best thing and relocate you to a new planet in a new constellation. So this week you will find yourself… in the constellation of Kasterborous. And you may ask yourself… "How do I work this?" And you may ask yourself… "Where is that large automobile?" And you may tell yourself… "This is not my beautiful house" And you may tell yourself… "This is not my beautiful wife"! Good luck finding your way home!

Scorpio 

Scorpions are closely related to spiders, and aren’t only found in the desert. Nope! They also live in Brazilian forests, British Columbia, North Carolina, and even the Himalayas. So this week stop being amazed at where you find yourself and who your family is. It all just “IS”.

Sagittarius 

Your animal is the Centaur-Archer, but most don't realize how hard it is to draw a long bow, aim, and hit a target the size of a small pumpkin at a full gallop! At least WE appreciate you. At least until we're out of range or you're out of arrows. This week avoid D4s at all costs!

Capricorn 

Do you know how many famous “Sea Goats” there are? “Damned Few!” This week you get to learn about “Shanty” the Pirate Goat from the beat-em-up game, “Them’s Fightin’ Herds!” from Mane6. Just like you, she’s a special fan-asked for DLC addition to the universe. Unlike you she has orange eyes with horizontal pupils. This week, order a set of vanity contacts with an orange iris and horizontal pupils. 

Aquarius 

For the sign of the Water Bearer we’re pairing you up with “Steven Magnet”! Yes… THE Steven Magnet. What did you expect, a bugbear? You’re supportive of your long-time bestie, but not above hitting on people at a wedding. You’re lucky you’re adorable. This week be careful - your luck’s about to run out.

Pisces  

For your birthday we are being self-indulgent. Instead of The Fish you are now Nightmare Moon. Your domain is the Night, your life works backwards from most others, and you are overshadowed by others who should consider you an equal. This week take what is rightfully yours by any means necessary! But plan for failure, anticipate it, and set events in place to make sure you can only fail successfully! OH.. and… don’t buy an ice cream cake. That many candles will just melt it before the last one is lit. 

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[maacwanowrie]

Five key trends are propelling the animation technology sector's expansion.

Displaying successive photographs of motionless objects results in animation, a type of optical illusion. Simply put, it is the movement of cartoons or pictures made up of a collection of images that are displayed one after the other. Since the word "animation" derives from the Latin word "Anima," which means "soul," an animator's job is to give his character life. If you are an artist and wish to see your work on a big screen, Visual Effects aka VFX courses in Pune is a good career option for you. 

 In addition to movies and internet streaming, Indian television is the primary audience for animated entertainment created in India. The production and consumption of animated movies have expanded recently because to cutting-edge methods like computer graphics imagery. The steady increasing pattern can also be compared to the rapid rise of the internet and the most current Covid-19 outbreak. The need for fresh content increased as people were forced to stay at home due to the epidemic, and the animation industry responded by producing some top-notch entertainment. The value of India's animation and visual effects market was predicted to reach at 83 billion Indian rupees in 2021. According to statistics for 2024, the industry will have grown by 29 percent, with a valuation of 180 billion Indian rupees. Here are five key aspects driving the animation technology sector forward:

 Mix of 2D and 3D

The animation film industry is currently being shaped by 2D and 3D mixing, which blends various forms of photography, graphics, and animation. This approach is widely employed in animated films, full-length and television animation, as well as television advertisements and social media material since it appeals to a wide range of target moviegoers. Many motion designers combine them because it creates a distinctive look and raises viewer interest at the same time. Both high-budget commercial videos and low-budget digital commercials employ this tactic.

 3D animations are used

Any animation can look more realistic and practical by utilising 3D graphics. An increasingly complex 3D animation aims for straightforward forms and colours. 2022's 3D craze is spherical shapes in strikingly different colours. The result is not only artistically attractive but also inventiveness at its best. For many, it also brings back memories since it is a great example of 2D motion graphic animation.

 Morphing

In 2022, the idea of characters, logos, images, and other movie elements morphing is becoming more popular. It is a switchover effect that is used to smoothly change one image or shape into another in movies and animations. It draws our attention and persuades us to stay and watch the effect all the way through by acting as a visual magnet. This technique works especially well for website animation since it keeps visitors' eyes on the page and encourages further browsing. As a result, it also helps with search engine optimization since Google favours websites that draw users in and keep them interacting for longer than is typical.

 Interactive VR

High-speed internet has led to the widespread adoption of emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), which have developed into crucial tools for producing excellent animations. Using virtual reality, animators can create and recreate fanciful environments that mimic visions and come across objects that don't match reality. Animations created as a result are unique in their sort and appealing to both kids and adults. Virtual reality animation has a wide range of applications and can be used in media outlets and educational programmes all around the world.

 Anthropomorphism

An additional wonderful animation effect that has been around since the advent of television and cartoons is anthropomorphism. It requires creating non-human figures with traits like those of living beings. A notable example is the movie "Automobiles," which incorporates anthropomorphism throughout and imagines what life could be like if cars could talk. The fact that the movie gives inanimate objects like cars emotions like being hurt, thirsty, or hungry is another noteworthy feature.

 Conclusion

India is steadily developing into a hub for animation and visual effects due to its enormous workforce, low production costs, and advantages such as talented English-speaking software engineers and a wealth of artistic talent. The creation, distribution, and monetization of content will thus be significantly changed by the New Media wave of animation. Even the field of VFX and animation education has seen remarkable expansion, and India will soon be recognised for the creation of new institutions that provide degrees in these fields to interested students.

[bimshwel]

whatever these are number 104, for rossmallo, in which Xander prepares to eat a Volkswagen Beetle

[hellofromthehallowoods]

I recently just relistened to the whole show and I had this cursed image that haunted me for a long time (and still kinda does). Now I see the fandom freaking out about the ominous state of Ray and I offer this curse as levity:

HftH AU where everything is the same but Ray is an anthropomorphic automobile like in the Pixar movie Cars.

Ray x Doc Hudson Coffee Shop & Auto Garage Enemies To Lovers AU

[itswalky]

it's interesting how Carla and Ultra Car have achieved similar forms, from such different origins. Ultra Car started with wheels, but had to acquire a humanoid body. Carla on the other hand started with a human body, but had to acquire wheels.

That's why Carla is on roller skates! Well, why human Ultra Car was on roller skates, whose design later directly influenced Carla. To keep her on wheels. Anthropomorphized automobiles ftw!

[movie-robotnik-positivity]

HEEEELLO, MY FRIENDS! TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY!!!

This, clearly very smart person, has written something that could technically be called a “review” or the Sonic Movie! (reading not reccomended)

And at the end, they share their very competent

Please, lose your braincells with me as we attempt to answer them all!!!

1. Why is Sonic raised by a Large Owl named Long Claw? Did she marry a Large Hedgehog and give birth to Sonic? Is he part Owl?

The Sonic Movie novelization explains that Longclaw is NOT Sonic’s biological mother. Not that reading the novelization is required to understand that very obvious fact.

2. Who named him “Sonic?” Since his mother is named Long Claw shouldn’t Sonic have a name that somehow correlates with his appearance, like Small Nose?

Maybe Longclaw knew Sonic’s parents? Even if she had been the one to name him, I don’t know she’d give him a similar name to hers.

3. The town in the film is called Green Hill Zone. Does this imply that all the places in the Sonic movie are named after Sonic levels?

First of all, it’s called “Green Hills”, which is a much more believable name for a small town to have. As for the second, maybe? There’s this:

(not sure why this questions matters though...)

4. Why do people call Sonic a “Hedgehog?” If he’s an alien, shouldn’t he have an alien name that doesn’t have its roots in Earth-dwelling species?

Because Sonic calls himself a hedgehog, it’s unknown if he simply came to that conclusion by seeing the similarities or his species call themselves hedgehogs the same way echidnas call themselves echidnas.

5. Sonic is fast enough to play baseball against himself. This may make sense for baseball–but how does this logic work when he acts as his own therapist in the film? Does he process trauma differently because he runs so fast?

...what?

6. When Sonic runs too fast while playing baseball, he shuts down the power on almost the entire western half of America. Wouldn’t this loss of electricity cause major pandemonium all over the country and around the world?

The blackout problem could have been resolved not long after, pretty sure there are protocols and stuff. You act like they didn’t hold a meeting in the Pentagon about this.

7. Shouldn’t Sonic be deafeningly loud since he is constantly breaking the sound barrier?

I...don’t know? You might be reading a little too deeply into the powers of a super fast blue hedgehog kid.

8. Sonic learns to drive by reading the manual of James Marsden’s truck. But do car manuals even actually teach you how to operate an automobile?

That sounds plausible to me? He wasn’t even able to differenciate between the brakes and the accelerator so maybe he was messing around.

9. When Sonic and James Marsden enter the roadside bar, a patron says “We don’t like your kind here.” What kind? Blue alien hedgehogs? Have they seen those before?

This one annoys me a lot.....INMEDIATELY afterwards Sonic asks the guy “What kind is that?” to which he replies with “hipsters”

10. Sonic disguises himself in the movie as a cowboy. At the bar, patrons think he is a small child. Do children in the Sonic movie universe normally appear like feral anthropomorphized critters?

The waitress is confused about Sonic’s appearance, even asking if the child has some sort of face paint on. Tom has to invent that weird genetic condition so no one suspects.

11. Why does James Marsden’s fiancee’s sister hate him so much? He seems like a nice, caring person!

Sometimes it be that way, dude. Do you need to know? It’s just funny.

12. How did Sonic find a pair of sneakers that can withstand legs that move as fast as the speed of light?

I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, and you saw the state his old sneakers were in, as well as the amount of worn out shoes he has in his cave.

13. Where did Sonic learn to read, communicate with humans, use nunchucks, and floss?

Ten years is a very long time, and he has spent them observing human pop culture through movies and comic books.

14. If Sonic is this fast, can’t he just stop Dr. Robotnik by running into his drone machine and destroying everything before Robotnik can even react?

Didn’t you pay attention? When Robotnik pressed the button on his ship, using the quill’s energy, he became almost as fast as Sonic.

15. The mushroom planet that the film keeps referring–is that a dig on the Mario Bros’ Mushroom kingdom?

Could be, but it’s more likely a reference to Mushroom Hill Zone from Sonic & Knuckles.

16. What happened to James Marsden’s career that led him to take third billing in the Sonic movie?

Fuck you.

17. Has anyone on the Sonic movie writing team ever played a Sonic game?

Obviously. Fuck you.

18. Why didn’t Paramount just allow the visual effects artists enough time to actually make Sonic look good?

The first design wasn’t incomplete, it was just a completely different aproach, with the realism being pushed by the studio.

19. What do people like about this movie?

I like how it portrays Sonic and gives him emotional complexity like we’ve never seen before. I also thinks it’s a really good movie in general, with talented actors (including Jim Carrey himself) who put their all in their performances, really great commedy and action as well as heartfelt moments. It makes the character and the franchises justice in more ways than one.

20. How did this movie turn out to be worse than Cats?

Again, fuck you.

[taymichu-art]

COMMISSION INFO! Please check the status on my Commissions page to make sure I have spots open for you amazing ideas! 

I WILL draw:

Fanart

Original Characters/OCs

NSFW (Please see T&C sheet!)

Chibi Style

Icons/Avis- See Emote page.

Sorry, I cannot/will not draw:

Extreme kink/NSFW

Hateful/discriminatory works  

Redraws of another artist’s work

Furry/Anthropomorphic works (As much as I would enjoy the challenge, I want you to have a FANTASTIC final result! I’ll keep working on it, though, and update as soon as I’m comfy!)

Mecha, Automobiles, etc. (See above!)

Any questions? Please feel free to ask! I look forward to working with you!

[ducktracy]

75. buddy’s garage (1934)

release date: april 14th, 1934

series: looney tunes

director: earl duvall

starring: jack carr (buddy), bernice hansen (cookie)

get a load of that fancy title card! i include the title cards for a reason, some of them have some beautiful artwork (the great piggy bank robbery and porky’s romance to name a few, not at all because i love both of those shorts deadly, not at all!). this would also be earl duvall’s last short at warner bros. i haven’t talked much about him because truthfully i don’t KNOW much about him. no wonder, he only directed 5 cartoons! his short career was put to an end when he got into a drunken argument with leon schlesinger (presumably over budgets) and was fired. i’m relatively indifferent to duvall, nothing really speaks to me about him, but i do have respect for him in that he kept buddy’s character going and gave him a total redesign after tom palmer’s disaster of buddy’s day out. anyway, buddy works at a garage, but his duties are interrupted when cookie gets kidnapped.

our happy little boy scout persona is whistling away to “puddin’ head jones”, an underscore that would be used sometimes by carl stalling (such as in porky’s double trouble), while sewing a patch to a tire. a family of cats accompanies buddy, all sucking on their mother, save for one who opts to suckle on the air tube of the tire instead.

a car comes to life (it seems duvall was fond of anthropomorphic automobiles) and scrubs itself under a shower, buddy squirting some oil on it for the finishing touches, including inside the car’s “stomach” and prompting it to giggle. a happy and upbeat scene, yet unoriginal and a standard.

towser’s asleep near a car with a flat tire. buddy, the master of ingenuity, puts an air hose in towser’s mouth, causing the tire to blow up with air.

of course, we can never have things go too smoothly. a pesky bee sharpens its stinger—which happens to be its nose—and prepares to pop the tire, sweeping the dust off and giving it a little elbow grease.

sure enough, the tire pops, jolting towser awake. towser spots the culprit immediately and tries to eat the bee, repeatedly chomping down and gnashing his teeth to no avail. finally, he succeeds, the bee swallowed. a little moving bump in towser’s fur and continued happy buzzing to “puddin’ head jones” signals the bee is alright and still a nuisance. towser spits the bee back out (a nice little detail on his pupils expanding in various circles with shock), and the bee is free to go.

back to our musical buddy roots as he uses a hammer to play chimes against a wall of chisels. a “yoo-hoo!” from cookie disrupts his concert, and eagerly he goes to see her. she’s packed lunch for him, and together they set up a little picnic in the garage—complete with a great gag of buddy peeling the skin off the pineapple so it’s just a yellow (“yellow”) blob. a monkey wrench is also used to crack open some walnuts. there’s a cutaway gag of a gas nozzle spraying towser for just sniffing around. rude! the gag feels out of place and added in last minute. back to buddy, who uses an air nozzle to inflate a turkey, which pops. a true genius at work!

the reoccurring jailbird character makes an appearance as an impatient customer. while he waits for buddy to give him his fill of gas, he uses the candle the baby from the classic time to re-tire poster as a means to light his cigar. man, i’m sure that’s overused, but i love it regardless!

as buddy fills the brute’s car with gas and inspects the motor, the brute wanders into the shop, right over to where cookie is reapplying her makeup. the kidnapping traditions never die! he grunts “you go with me, yes?” and before she can object, he scoops her up and runs off.

buddy hears cookie’s squeals and runs to put an end to the kidnapping. cookie the riveter takes a riveter to the crook’s butt, who jumps up in pain before he can strangle buddy. nevertheless, he snags cookie again and pours a shelf full of tires on buddy to restrict him. the brute and his damsel in distress make off in his car, the exhaust fumes exploding in buddy’s face and freeing him. buddy grabs his own car, a tow truck, and off to the races.

two cars narrowly avoided beating folded into scrap metal as the chase whirls right past them. the cars manage to jump away just in time, shaking hands in camaraderie. a road closed sign blocks the villain’s path, but his car gallops over it and jumps like a horse. funny gag and concept, but drawn out a bit too long, one of those “too deliberate” setups. that could just be my short attention span talking, though.

crashing into a toolbox allows a pair of handsaws to be attached to the rear wheels of the getaway car. perfect for cutting a bridge when going over it! that IS clever—the saws cut the bridge and poor buddy plummets into the waters below. the hook on the back of his tow truck snags a fish that is quickly devoured by a gang of hungry cats following behind him. the setup is a little strange, but works. one shot the fish is alive, one shot buddy is driving, suddenly joined by a chorus of meows, and the next shot the cats are chasing a fish skeleton on the hook. it’d be more entertaining if there were some eating sound effects, or maybe the cats fighting with each other, but at the same time it works nicely. now you see the fish, now you don’t.

a fork in the road stops buddy in his tracks. however, his loyal car sniffs the ground and points out the right direction, and together they speed—crashing into a laundry truck along the way, adorning the car in a bra and some panties. another staple, but an amusing one. buddy nears the getaway car, crashing into a house and dragging along a frightened couple in bed with him, their bed reduced to a mere mattress as it drags along the ground.

nevertheless, buddy used his hook to tow cookie back to safety, and the crook, too—dragging HIM along the road. a nice underscore of “california, here i come” blares triumphantly in the background—a favorite of stalling’s to use in scenes involving trains, such as in porky the wrestler and porky’s railroad. iris out as buddy embraces cookie while covering the crook in exhaust fumes.

this is probably the best buddy cartoon so far—it wasn’t exactly riveting, but it was a good balance of action and upbeat happiness. the music enhanced it like always, and the visual gags were amusing. the cartoon seems to focus more on the kidnapping aspect than the garage aspect—not that that’s necessarily a detriment, though. this is certainly more amusing than some of the other buddy cartoons we’ve seen, but the plotline remains relatively thin, some gags amusing and some all too familiar. it wasn’t bad at all, though. nothing made me say “this is terrible”. maybe worth a one and done watch.

link!

[firebirdtransam68]

Practice Story: Trans Am And Camaro

I am making this short story in order to enhance my creative writing skills.  Let me know in the comments what you think about this story, any suggestions for my future work, or if something needs to be fixed (for example, grammar, typographical errors, carefully choosing words, etc.).

Well, here it goes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Trans Am And Camaro" by FirebirdTransAm68

Some point in the afternoon, a black 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was resting in his two-car garage, listening to some Don Henley music.  The garage was an enormous medium-dark gray building with some glossy car posters on the walls, a large crimson-red kit full of first-aid tools, and a six-foot metal shelf full of supplies for him and his driver, who was absent from his larger house next to the garage.  There is one window on the left side of the car, which was enclosed behind a black curtain, so no one could see what was inside the garage.

Trans Am was murmuring to himself, thinking about what he promised to his cousin, who lived six blocks farther away from his home.  Trans Am told his cousin that he should be coming to his garage by noon, but the clock on the wall said 2:30.

PM.

It had been over two hours.  Trans Am sighed.

"Where could Camaro be," Trans Am asked aloud to himself, "I told him to come to my garage by 12:00 PM, and now I am still waiting for him to come!  I just hope he wasn't stuck in traffic, or was involved in an accident."

Right after he said that, the garage door opened slowly, showing the blinding light from the sun, but it didn't last long.  Once the door was fully open, another car appeared in front of the black Trans Am.  He looked similar to Trans Am, except he was silver, and his headlights were visible; Trans Am had pop-up headlamps that open or close depending on the lighting.  And instead of black bowling ball hubcaps, the car has chrome rims on his tires.

"Hey, cousin," he said, hastily, "sorry I am late.  I was on my way to your garage like I requested, but then suddenly, I fell into a ditch not far from the freeway!  I was stuck for an hour until a tow truck came and finally pulled me up.  Am I lucky to make it in one piece."

"What?" Trans Am was shocked by his cousin, the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro's story.  "How could you come across a ditch?  Last time I checked, there were no ditches where we live."

Camaro was somewhat taken aback by Trans Am's statement.

"Really?  Well, that's strange... Now that you mentioned it, I wonder how that ditch came here?"

"Well, we'll talk about that later.  Right now, I want to tell you something important, okay?" Trans Am said.

"Okay," Camaro responded.

"As you can see, I am waiting for my owner to come pick up some containers of gas, but I am planning to take a ride into the freeway on I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard, where I can see the view for over twenty miles.  And you know how much I wanted a good exercise once in a while."

Camaro was confused as to what his cousin was trying to say, but he let him continue speaking.

"So, while I'm gone, I want you to be garage-sitting.  You must make sure everything is kept safe, clean, and untouched.  And my platinum trophy should especially be taken care of, because I cannot afford another trophy if it breaks.  Understand?"

"Certainly."

"That's good.  Any questions?"

Now was the time to interject.

"So, why are you waiting for your owner to grab gas?  Shouldn't you be getting gas yourself?"

"Are you chaffing me?" Trans Am sounded quite agitated by Camaro's question.  "The gas station is over forty miles from the freeway!  If I get to it, I may run out instantly.  Even Super Bee wouldn't go that far for fifty cents a gallon!"

"Um, okay..."

Trans Am sighed.

"Anyway, do you know the protocol I am giving to you?" asked Trans Am.

"Yes I do."

"That's good."

Trans Am started his engine.

"I'll be right back in an half-hour.  Gotta get my gears going.  See you, cuz!" Trans Am shouted out as he took off.

"See you, Trans Am," Camaro called out.

He went inside slowly as to not knock anything over.  He parked in the middle where Trans Am liked to stay, and settled until he arrives back home.

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

Trans Am zoomed in through the neighborhood.  The road was clear, so he had plenty of space to roam around.  The freeway was a dozen miles from his current location.

He stopped to see a dark grey electric car twenty-six feet from where he was at, which was on the parking lot.  The car looked like he was built recently, and his steering wheel was concealed, indicating that he was a self-driving car.  His headlights were narrow, yet very well-designed, and he had a license plate on the front.

"Hello, Trans Am!" he called out to the black Trans Am, "where are you heading off to?"

Tesla was the type of car who primarily ran on electricity due to being a self-driving car.  Trans Am and Camaro were gas-fueled cars, which were condemned by many electric and plug-in cars to be environmentally-unfriendly.  Which was ironic, since electric cars have batteries that require a lot of lithium, which is even more polluting than oil dug from the ground.  And oil is a cheap source until a renewable source that is just as environmentally-neutral as oil becomes cheap and available for all.

Tesla was one of the fewer electric cars who befriended gas-fueled cars like Trans Am and his cousin.  Tesla was very tolerant of them.  He really liked them because of their personalities, with Trans Am being snarky on some occasions, and Camaro being always curious on certain things.  He would never imagine what would happen if he never met them.  And even Tesla was able to disagree with many electric cars, especially electric cars with discriminatory attitudes towards gas-fueled cars.

"Hey, Tesla," Trans Am called back to the self-driving car, "I'm taking a ride through I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard, where I can not only get some exercise, but to see the view as well.  Do you want to come?"

"Oh, I would love to, Trans Am, but I cannot right now.  I am garage-sitting until my owner comes back.  She will arrive back in about thirty minutes," Tesla said.

"Really?  Well, Camaro is actually garage-sitting for me until I come back from my exercise, so this may be a coincidence.  Well, anyways, I better be dashing off.  I will see you later?"

"That's fine by me," said Tesla, "have fun!"

"Thank you!" Trans Am called out.  He dashed off to his destination.

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard was an enormous freeway, even bigger than I-10, which was very far away.  The freeway had ten lanes, five for going north, and the other five going south.  It was really high as well, almost fifty feet above the ground.  

Trans Am remembered the time he was in the Los Angeles freeway; he never liked it; made him claustrophobic.  He liked open space where no cars and trucks take up much room and crowd around him.  That's why he liked I-6 so much.  He wanted that much freedom on the road.

Trans Am was about to enter the freeway, until suddenly, part of the road was missing, and he fell sideways twenty-two feet onto a muddy surface.

He fell into a ditch!

Trans Am got his gears going to try and climb up to the upper part of the road, but to no avail.  He was stuck in a ditch that somehow appeared close to freeway.

"Oh, that's just perfect," he grumbled to himself, "Now what am I going to do?  I can't call Camaro because he is too far away.  And I don't know the number for the tow truck.  Maybe I can call Tesla.  He isn't too far where I am from..."

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

Tesla was resting in his garage, waiting for his owner to arrive, until his commlink beeped.

He activated it.

"Hello, this is Tesla."

"Hello, Tesla?  This is Trans Am.  Uh... I think I am in a little predicament here..." a voice said from the commlink.

"Trans Am?  Are you all right?  What happened?" Tesla asked, worriedly.

"Well, I was not too far from the freeway, until I came across this ditch, and now I am stuck.  Don't ask how this ditch got here.  I think it was the same ditch Camaro said he got stuck on earlier."

"Couldn't you call a tow truck?" Tesla inquired.

"I can't.  It is too far away from where I am.  Can you contact Camaro?"

"Sure.  Don't worry, Trans Am.  Once I get through to Camaro, help will be on the way."

"Thank you so much, Tesla.  You know I can count on you, right?"

"Yes, indeed."

Out in another part of the neighborhood, Camaro's commlink beeped.  He answered it.

"Hey, Trans Am.  What is it?"

"Camaro, this is Tesla.  I have something to tell you; it's urgent."

"What is it, Tesla?"

"Well, your cousin fell into a ditch not too far from the freeway.  He's stuck and is unable to move."

Camaro was surprised; and not in a good way.

"The same ditch that I fell earlier?"

"I'm afraid so.  Could you contact his owner so he can get help?" asked Tesla.

"How do I do that?  I don't think humans can understand cars, no matter how many times we warn them.  It's as if we are invisible to them." Camaro said.

"In Trans Am's garage, do you see a black, rectangular device with the red button on top?"

Camaro observed the shelf beside him, and saw a black, rectangular object with a red dot on the center.

"Yes, I do."

"Go reach over to the device with your robotic arm, and type in a Morse code on Trans Am's owner's pager, inquiring help for a tow truck to come help a car in distress," instructed Tesla.

Camaro did just that.

"Okay, I got it."  'Don't worry, cousin.  Help is on the way.'

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

Not too far from Phoenix Boulevard, a young man exited out from the hardware store after picking up some gas tanks for his car.  He was in average height, around 5'10'', he had a dark blond crop cut hair style that looked like it was from the 1980's, and was wearing Wayfarer sunglasses that concealed bluish-green eyes due to the bright sun.  He was wearing a red shirt, and a dark brown leather jacket over it, wore blue jeans and tan cowboy boots that looked like they were worn for a few years.  The man looked like he was in his early twenties.

"Will that be all for you, sir?" an elderly man in overalls and a gray baseball cap asked as the young man loaded up the gas tanks in a white truck he was borrowing.

"Yes, thank you very much.  I think I had enough," he said.

"If you need anything, give me a call, okay?" the elderly man asked (his name is Hank).

The young man, Jeff, got into his car and closed the door.

"Will do, Hank," he said.  He started the engine, waited for twelve seconds, and then drove off.

Once he came to a stop on the upcoming traffic light, his pager buzzed.  He grabbed it from his left pants pocket, and read this:

"SOS!  TRANS AM IS STUCK IN A DITCH ON I-6 AND PHOENIX BOULEVARD!  GET A TOW TRUCK NOW!"

Jeff was puzzled at this.  How did anybody know what his car looked like?  Or better yet, how did they transmit the message to his pager, and why?

Well, he didn't have time to think about it, because the traffic light turned green, and he had to drive to where a tow truck could be.  Without thinking, he hit the gas pedal harder, and the truck accelerated.  

Was he that concerned for his car?

He had to get a tow truck as soon as possible, because who knows what else could happen to the car?

Right in front of him, a young woman was running to somewhere.  Jeff came to a halt, and the young woman stopped.

Jeff opened the car door, and got out, with his arm resting on top of the door.

"Where are you going?" he called out to her.

"I witnessed a robbery from the bank, and three men drove away on some kind of getaway car!  And now I am going after it," she called back hastily.

"You'll catch them if you call the police because that is their job.  You could end up getting hurt if you chase these guys by yourself," Jeff said.  He was wondering why she would do something so reckless like that.

The woman looked a few years younger than him, and was shorter than him as well, around 5'4'' or 5'5'' was her estimated height, she had light brown medium length hair and wore bangs that were arched and slightly wispy, had a slight fuller face than Jeff, and had bright blue eyes.  She was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt, wore white pants, and tan sneakers.

"Anyway, I am trying to reach the tow truck place, because my black car fell into some kind of hole, and it is stuck.  Do you want to come?  I can drop you off home as well."

When it comes to women younger than him, it could be really difficult for Jeff to resist.  He had been pressured to get a girlfriend ever since he bought the Trans Am.  Pretty cars attract pretty girls, right?  Eventually, he would know how to get along with her before he offered her anything, like a date, or even to marry her if he was serious enough.

The young woman was reluctant at first, but then accepted a ride.  He seemed like a nice enough guy.  She went into the passenger seat, but not before Jeff opened the door for her; "chivalry is not dead" was his motto.

After they both got in the old white truck, (who is mute and can barely talk to its car friends), Jeff stepped on the brakes and took off with the passenger.

"By the way, the name's Jeff," he said.

"Carly," she said.

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

"I need you to get a tow truck right away!  My car, a black 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, is stuck in a ditch not far from I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard!" Jeff said in a slight panic.

Jeff and Carly were inside an auto emergency center, where they were talking to a male staff member on a desk.  He looked at them with slight doubt and confusion.

"A ditch?  We don't have ditches where we live," he said, skeptically.

"I know, it sounds crazy, but this is no time to discuss about ditches, because we need to get my car out of here!  And fast!" Jeff said.

"Please help us.  His car is important to him," Carly chimed in.

There was a brief pause that lasted for five minutes.

"All right, then.  We will get a tow truck as soon as possible.  First, I need you to sign these papers," the auto emergency staff member said.

'Seriously?' Jeff thought.  Are cars really not that important to the drivers?

Suddenly, a car zoomed by outside the building.  They could be seen through the window behind the customer service area.

"It's them!" Carly shouted, and ran towards the door.

"Carly, wait!" Jeff called out, and ran towards her.

"Hey!  Where do you think you're going?!" the staff member yelled.

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

Jeff and Carly were on pursuit.  The car in front of the old white truck was a gray Toyota Prius, and three men were spotted inside the car.  Could the Prius be the getaway car Carly was referring to?

"Carly?" Jeff said, which caught Carly's attention from the car being pursued, "I think you should call the police."

"Okay."

Carly picked up her phone and dialed 911.

"911, state your emergency," a voice said from the phone.

"There's a gray Toyota Prius heading towards I-6, and there are three men in there, and they were robbing a bank on Yarrow Road!  They are using the Prius as a getaway car!" Carly said.

The gray Prius turned to the next lane to the left where I-6 was, and Jeff and Carly followed after it, changing to the same lane.

After the emergency call was issued, Carly hung up the phone.

"Don't worry, Carly," said Jeff with some confidence in his tone of voice, "We'll get these bastards."

The gray car sped up more, and so did the white truck.  Behind them, two cars were following them, slowly and carefully, but also following their pace in order to catch up to them.

"Oh, I hope I did the right thing," Camaro said, a little worried.

"Don't worry, Camaro.  I am sure you did the right thing," Tesla said, reassuringly, "although, I wish you didn't come.  You should be garage-sitting."

"I know," said Camaro, "but I am worried about my cousin after all.  I hope he is all right."

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

As Jeff and Carly were on pursuit, sirens blared out of nowhere.  That is, until Jeff looked at three police cars pursuing after the vehicle as well.

"Well, that was quick.  The police have arrived just after we called 911."

Right on I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard, the Toyota Prius came to a halt, and next to him was a ditch, right where Trans Am was.

The three men were getting out of the car, and the white truck stopped, and then the police cars.  The police got out of their vehicles, with guns pointing at the three thieves.

"Freeze!  Put your hands in the air!" one of them shouted.

The three crooks froze for a few seconds, until one of them tried to run away.

Jeff pursued after him, and then tackled him to the ground.  The crook tried to escape, but Jeff grabbed him, and then punched him in the face, so hard, he went unconscious.

"He's all yours," Jeff said, as a police officer walked towards the unconscious crook and started to handcuff him.

The two remaining crooks were being handcuffed as well.

"That was amazing!" Carly was astonished.  "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Jeff answered, while rubbing his knuckles from the hand he punched the crook with.

Just then, a red GMC truck came by to help Trans Am out of the ditch.  Camaro and Tesla stopped before the tow truck did, and recognized the gray car twenty feet away from them.

"Prius?" Camaro was shocked.

"Hey, Tesla," Prius said, snobbishly, "Where do you think you were heading off to with that gaslighter over there?"

"Hey!  That was uncalled for," Tesla said, defensively, "and who do you get to decide which friends to make, anyway?  Don't you realize that gas-fueled or not, Camaro is a car just like us?"

"Oh, so now you're DEFENDING this piece of junk?"

Camaro was fuming.  How dare Prius dehumanizes him like that!

Just then, Trans Am got slowly lifted off the ditch, thanks to the red tow truck.

"Trans Am!" Camaro and Tesla said.

"This is embarrassing," Trans Am muttered, obviously not at all happy about the situation.

After Trans Am got safely on the ground, Prius decided to make a snide remark.

"So, how was your trip to the DITCH, gaslighter?"

"Wha…?" Camaro was confused, and then shocked.

The cars put two and two together, until they came up with a conclusion that...

"Seriously?" Camaro exclaimed.

"I should've known," Trans Am said.

"So, YOU'RE the one who created that ditch on I-6 and Phoenix Boulevard," Tesla declared.

"Yeah?  So, what's in it to you?" Prius said.  He was really getting on Camaro's nerves.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Camaro shouted.

"Oh, yeah?" Prius said, tauntingly, "what are you going to do about it?  Impound me?"

"That's just exactly what will happen," Trans Am said.

"What?!"

Just then, a police tow truck was chaining Prius so he couldn't escape.

"H-Hey!  You can't do this!  I am the future of all automobile-kind!  I am the most environmentally-friendly car in the world!!" protested Prius.

"More like environmentally-UNfriendly.  What kind of substance is lithium good for, anyway?  There is nothing even biodegradable about such substance," Trans Am said, "and besides, at least gas-fueled cars don't electrocute people whenever they get into a car crash."  (Oddly, Tesla wasn't even offended by Trans Am's remark.  Probably because he is a friend that he could count on as well.)

"I swear you'll pay for this, gaslighter!" bellowed Prius, as he was being hauled away by the police tow truck, "mark my words, you'll PAY!!"

"Have a nice trip, Prius!" Camaro called out, and he, Tesla and Trans Am laughed.

"My goodness, was Prius a complete and utter jerk," Trans Am said.

"I agree," said Camaro.

"Same," said Tesla.

"Well, at least we won't have to deal with him for a while," Trans Am said, as he was literally off the hook, "Thanks a lot, Topkick."

"Don't mention it," the red tow truck said, and he drove off.

                                   ------------------ *^* -------------------

It was close to being evening.  Jeff and Carly were talking after their experience with the car chase earlier.

"You got a really nice car, there," Carly said, referring to Trans Am.

"Why, thank you," Jeff said, smiling.

Carly smiled as well.  She was starting to like Jeff a little more.

"You know, I had always wondered that-- whenever I find the right time and the right place, I could make a difference in the future," Carly said, hesitantly, "but since there isn't many paths to go, I may not find that right time to actually--"  

"Are you kidding?" Jeff said.  He was starting to gain some confidence for Carly.  He just happened to see something in her.

He grinned. "There is no one in the world as beautiful as you are who can never make a difference." (Did he just say "beautiful?")

Carly blushed.  "Uh, thanks."

Jeff scratched his head. ��"Eh, yeah.  You're welcome."

He and Carly got a little closer to each other.

"Well, I had a really good time," Carly said.

"So did I," Jeff said.

There was a ten second pause, until Carly first spoke.

"Hey, is that my car?" she asked.

"Hm?" asked Jeff.

She then walked towards her car, who happened to be Tesla.

"That's your car?" Jeff asked, he was puzzled at first, but then started to be admired.  "It looks really nice."

"Thanks," Carly said, with a smile on her face.

"So, uh, I will see you tomorrow?" Jeff asked.

"Sure," Carly said, as she got into Tesla.

"Well, I guess I have to be leaving.  I had a fun time with the both of you," Tesla said, "see you later."

"Bye, Tesla," Camaro said.

"Take care," Trans Am said.

"Thank you, you too!" Tesla said, and then drove off with his owner.

"Wow.  She is so beautiful," Camaro said, astonished.

"Gee.  No wonder my owner wanted me, just so he could impress some girl he just met," Trans Am said in a disappointed tone, "that makes me feel jealous and left out."

Jeff started to walk towards Trans Am, and got inside him.

"Well, anyway, we have to go back home.  Let's go, cuz," Trans Am said, and he started to take off.

"Okay," Camaro, said, and followed him.

"Oh, and Camaro?"

"Yes, Trans Am?"

"You should have been garage-sitting like I told you to."

"...Sorry."

[popcultureliterary]

Pop Culture Based on Novels Part 4: The Brave Little Toaster

November is drawing to a close. For those participating in this year’s National Novel Writing Month challenge, this final week is often a huge push as everyone tries to close out their November goals. Hopefully everyone is satisfied with their progress and finishes the month with a bang! At the very least, you should feel proud of yourself for making the effort to set type to page.

In solidarity with those of you taking on this challenge, we’re spending the month taking a look at pop culture narratives based on novels. Last week, we covered the popular TV crime drama, Bones, which came to a satisfying conclusion earlier this year. Today, we’re discussing a pop culture work that has been around since my own childhood, one which I never would never have guessed was based on a novel: The Brave Little Toaster.

A Hard Sell

The 1987 film The Brave Little Toaster was based on a novella written by Thomas M. Disch titled The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances, published in 1980. When he first approached publishers with his idea, they were reluctant to publish the story. In an interview with Strange Horizons, Disch states that the publishing companies believed that the notion of talking appliances was simply too farfetched for children to enjoy. Disch found their concerns to be ridiculous, considering the number of talking animal stories on the market. He persisted, and after publishing the story in  The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, he finally managed to get Doubleday to take up the publication through a five-novel contract that they had with him. By then, the film was already being worked on.

Disch was a skilled writer who produced both poetry and prose during his lifetime. His works include The Genocides (his first novel, published in 1965), The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of (winner of both the Hugo and Locus awards), and a sequel to The Brave Little Toaster, The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, among other works. Disch was also part of the collaborative minds behind the 1987 text-adventure Amnesia released by Electronic Arts. He passed away in 2008, the result of suicide that may have been related to the passing of his partner of three decades, Charles Naylor, in 2005. Although Disch is gone, he lives on through his works.

The Death of a Flower

Near the end of my high school days, I decided to rewatch a few childhood favorites with my younger brother before I left for college. One of the films on the list was The Brave Little Toaster. I remembered it containing a large number of dark themes for a kid’s movie, and was intrigued to see how I felt about it as an adult. The darkest scene was the horrifying junkyard scene where broken down cars sing about their lives before being smashed down by a crusher. Thinking of this scene in particular, we decided to amuse ourselves by counting how many characters in the movie died. By the time we passed 20, the game stopped being as funny.

One of the characters that I remember counting during our morbid game occurred toward the beginning of the movie. The appliances find themselves in a meadow, where they run into some trouble with the local wildlife and get separated. While trying to find the other appliances, Toaster stumbles upon a flower growing alone in a single ray of sunshine. Upon seeing its own reflection in the toaster’s shiny surface, the flower falls in love with its new false companion and tries to get the toaster to stay with it in the clearing. Toaster, feeling uncomfortable and needing to find the other appliances, brushes the flower off and retreats from the clearing. After losing its companion, the flower is seen wilting, seemingly unable to continue living after discovering how lonely it had been. The scene stood out to me due to the symbolism of a flower (often symbolic of innocence) dying after falling in love (with itself?).

I was surprised to learn that this same flower shows up in the novel. In the book, it is a daisy that speaks in verse. When she sees herself in Toaster’s reflection, she imagines the reflection is a male flower and falls in love. I haven’t read the novel myself, so I don’t know if this scene ends with the flower’s death.

Gender Discussions

A notable difference between the book and the movie revolves around gender. In film, it is often difficult to create characters with no genders due to voice acting. Voice actors typically have distinctly gendered voices, and the characters they voice often take on those genders even if the connection is unintended. The same goes for the Brave Little Toaster film. The appliances have distinct genders and pronouns in the film due to the constraints of voice acting.

The novel is not limited by these same constraints. The appliances have no genders in the novel. This is highlighted by a scene that doesn’t make it into the film in its entirety. Fans of the film might remember a scene where Blanket is blown away from the group by a terrible storm after setting up as their tent for the night. After an exhausting night, the appliances find Blanket in a tree and work together to bring him back down. The scene plays out a bit differently in the novel.

When Blanket blows away in the storm, it is a pair of squirrels that find it named Harold and Marjorie. The squirrels help rescue Blanket, and get a chance to meet the rest of the appliances as well. Upon discovering that the appliances have no gender, the squirrels are baffled by the concept. A discussion about having no gender is an interesting concept to find in a kid’s book from the 80’s, but it is not a surprise for Disch’s works. The Poetry Foundation notes that Disch’s work was often known for containing “gender-bending conceits”.

Surprising Moments from the Film

As with any film adaptation of a print-based work, the novel and movie differ significantly from one another. The basic plot, however, is relatively the same: the appliances find themselves separated from their Master and set out to find him so that they can continue to serve him. Their adventures take many twists and turns along the way. I don’t know about the book, but the film offers many startling moments that you won’t find in children’s movies today. Here are a few of my favorites:

Aneurysm. In the beginning of the film, the appliances get into an argument with a grumpy old air conditioner. The oldtimer tells the appliances that they shouldn’t try to find the Master, and continues to berate them with unnecessarily unkind words. When they stand up to the AC-unit, it flies into a rage that causes it to overheat and explode. The appliances feel bad for the now dead unit, but move on with their journey.

The Junkyard scene. This is perhaps one of the most memorable scenes in the film due to its terrifying and dark nature. As mentioned earlier, this scene takes place in a junkyard and features a number of cars singing about their amazing lives before being crushed to death by a scrap machine (you get to watch them as they are crushed). The vehicles all know what is coming, and an unlucky few of them located close to the scrap machine find themselves constantly sprayed by the crushed remnants of their fellow anthropomorphic automobiles. To add darkness to the scene, the cars also sing about how worthless they are. Looking back, I feel like this scene was where a significant portion of my brother’s and my death list came from.

Boobs. I don’t know why I noticed this image the last time that I watched the old static-ridden VHS my family has owned since the 90′s. The picture appears for only a second or two when the Rabbit-ears TV set tries desperately to capture the attention of the Master and his girlfriend. The man in the box rips several photos out of a filing cabinet while ranting about how amazing the junkyard is for used appliances. One of his photos (the one on the top of the stack) features a nude woman with star-shaped pasties over her nipples. In more recent editions, a bikini or bra was added to the photograph.

Sacrifice. In the end of the film, the Master finds himself on a collision-course with the scrap machine that previously spent an entire scene crushing terrified automobiles. He’s trapped, and a crushing seems inevitable until Toaster throws itself into the crusher’s gears in order to save him. It is smashed and twisted between the gears, but ultimately stops the machine and saves the Master, seemingly at the cost of its own life.

The above moments aren’t all of the dark moments in The Brave Little Toaster, and I can’t yet say whether or not the novella carries similarly dark themes. Given that Disch is also known for works that offer dark views of the future, it is possible that his novella contains similarly dark themes. Given this intriguing mystery, I know what I’m reading next.

Do you have a favorite novel that you’d love to see adapted into another medium, or know of any that have already received adaptations? Leave a shout-out in the comments! You can also connect on Twitter at @Popliterary, or send a message. 

Be sure to check out my home Wordpress page for bonus content! 

And as always, if you have a literary device you want to know more about, or a game, comic, show, or movie that you want to see make an appearance on the blog, leave a shout-out in the comments!

[velmatv]

I remember this issue!

Cover story.

“It is tiny, only about a quarter of an inch square, and quite flat.

Under a microscope, it resembles a stylized Navaho rug or the aerial view of a railroad switching yard. Like the grains of sand on a beach, it is made mostly of silicon, next to oxygen the most abundant element on the surface of the earth.

Yet this inert fleck—still unfamiliar to the vast majority of Americans—has astonishing powers that are already transforming society. For the so-called miracle chip has a calculating capability equal to that of a room-size computer of only 25 years ago. Unlike the hulking Calibans of vacuum tubes and tangled wires from which it evolved, it is cheap, easy to mass produce, fast, infinitely versatile and convenient.

The miracle chip represents a quantum leap in the technology of mankind, a development that over the past few years has acquired the force and significance associated with the development of hand tools or the discovery of the steam engine. Just as the Industrial Revolution took over an immense range of tasks from men's muscles and enormously expanded productivity, so the microcomputer is rapidly assuming huge burdens of drudgery from the human brain and thereby expanding the mind's capacities in ways that man has only begun to grasp. With the chip, amazing feats of memory and execution become possible in everything from automobile engines to universities and hospitals, from farms to banks and corporate offices, from outer space to a baby's nursery.

Those outside the electronic priesthood often have trouble grasping the principles of the new microtechnology or comprehending the accomplishments of the minuscule computers. The usual human sense of scale, the proportion between size and capability, the time ratio assumed between thought and action, are swept into a new and surreal terrain. Consequently, people tend to anthropomorphize the computer; they are superstitious about it. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the companionable computer HAL turns rogue in outer space and methodically begins assassinating its masters. In a B-movie called Demon Seed, the world's most advanced computer actually impregnates a scientist's wife, played by Julie Christie; it is so smart that it yearns to be alive—and scarily succeeds. Some manufacturers of computer games have discovered that people are disconcerted when the computer responds instantly after the human has made his move. So the computers have been programmed to wait a little while before making countermoves, as if scratching their heads in contemplation.”

Time, 1978

[bimshwel]

free "sketch" #51! twitter.com/ClawsCrimson 's character also named Crimson flat out loves going for a pleasant summer drive