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The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings review

The day has finally come. Many, understandably, thought we'd never get here. Maybe we shouldn't have gotten here. We've been through so much. Lawsuits, reboots, redesigns, unreleased NFTs, empty legal threats over the fact that movie Knuckles has a dad, an attempt to license out Scourge the Hedgehog to fans that immediately got canceled (in both meanings of the term), and many, MANY idiotic Twitter controversies. But now, here we are.

Thirteen years after first announcing it in the middle of his legal battles with Archie and Sega that changed the American Sonic comics forever, former writer Ken Penders has released the first part of his new series: The Lara-Su Chronicles.

Yes. I had to buy the book. I had to take one for the team. Look at the fucking URL of this blog, a blog I've been using to talk about the American Sonic comics for nearly a decade while the specter of this book loomed in the distance. The one time I've actually been paid to write an article about anything in any professional capacity, it was an article about the Penders lawsuits. I'm cited on his Wikipedia page. There was no way I was going to skip reviewing this, and there was no guarantee that scans would ever turn up online given the incredibly small audience for this trash. (Only 166 people preordered this, and even that number feels way higher than it should be.) No, I had to preorder it to ensure I could get a copy and cover it for the blog... even if that meant my name would be forever immortalized in the list of "supporters" in the back of the book. These are the sacrifices I must make as a woman who stumbled ass backwards into being an amateur Archie Sonic historian.

So, what exactly is in this book? How much of it is new? How bad is it? How did we even get here in the first place? How can this exist without Sega pursuing legal action? What happens next? And, most importantly... why are there multiple depictions of an Archie Sonic character breastfeeding in this book?

I'm here to answer those questions as best I can, and in agonizing detail.

First, for those just tuning in to this decades-long saga or those who maybe don't know the full story, here's a refresher on the background info.

"What the hell is this?"

The Lara-Su Chronicles is Ken Penders' long-dreaded long-awaited continuation of his 1994-2006 run on Archie Sonic, ignoring everything written after he left by other writers like Ian Flynn. In particular, it picks up from the cliffhanger ending of the 2003-2004 arc "Mobius: 25 Years Later," which was set in what Ken considers the definitive canonical future of the series. It stars Knuckles' daughter from that future era, Lara-Su, among other new and returning characters. The project was first announced near the start of Ken's legal battle with Archie in 2011, and he's been posting WIP previews online for about a decade. Now, after all this time, a Lara-Su Chronicles book finally exists.

We'll get to the actual contents of that book in a bit.

"He can do that without getting in trouble with Sega?"

Believe it or not, yes, he can.

Thanks to the outcome of Archie Comics' woefully mismanaged lawsuits against Ken (yes, they sued him after he started filing for copyrights, not the other way around), he now has full legal ownership of every story he wrote for Archie Sonic and every character he created for the series. This was explicitly granted to him in the terms of the settlement between him and Archie (acting on behalf of Sega). He can even reprint his old Sonic material as-is to his heart's content. The main catch is just that he can't write new stories featuring Sega characters or trademarks, and his new stories also have to be distinct from Sonic at a glance to avoid confusing readers. As such, reprints can't use Sonic iconography on the cover, a few Sega characters (mainly Knuckles) have been renamed and slightly redesigned in the new stories, and the art style has been changed to less closely resemble Sonic. But otherwise, he can do whatever he wants with his own characters.

All of this is because Archie lost the original copy of Ken's work-for-hire contract that signed over the rights to his work. Without that (or any alternative that was considered permissible in court), his comics and characters are the property of their creator by default. Yes, those old comics are full of Sega stuff, but Sega doesn't automatically own the copyright for every drawing of Sonic in existence. And Sega put their stamp of approval all over those comics and let them get sold at retail for decades, even though (in the eyes of the court) there was no legal paperwork granting them ownership of any of it. It's almost like they were unwittingly distributing a fan comic for years and declaring it a fair use of their property, and now there's no takesies backsies. It's a strange and unique copyright situation. Again, they worked all this out in the settlement. And, yes, fans have long speculated that Ken stole and destroyed his own contract to regain the rights to his work, but frankly Archie was so incompetent throughout the lawsuit (it went so bad that they had to fire and replace their lawyers midway through) that I completely buy the idea of them just losing important legal documents.

Also, in case it needs to be spelled out: while Ken's a weirdo, it's ultimately a good thing for creatives everywhere that Archie lost their lawsuit against Ken. We do not want to live in a world where corporations can claim ownership of peoples' work without the contracts to back it up. That would be an incredibly dangerous legal precedent to set. And more comic creators, and artists in general, should own their own work! Corporations are not your friend! They'll delete your work for a tax write-off in a heartbeat! It's just bewildering that this guy, of all people, was the creator who ended up successfully getting his shit back, and that this is what he's doing with it.

"What about his old collaborators? Are they involved? Is he paying them?"

Ken is mostly doing The Lara-Su Chronicles solo, though he has, in fact, talked about compensating the artists involved in any material he's reprinting. The ones who give enough of a shit to get paid for a small scale reprint of something they did 20 years ago, anyway.

On the subject of his collaborators, it's also worth pointing out that Ken's wasn't the only contract that was lost. Most of the early Archie Sonic writers from before Ian Flynn's time seem to be in the same boat as Ken, with the ownership of their stories and characters defaulting back to them. Again, Archie fucked up big time. But like I said, most of them don't really seem to give a shit. For most of them, Sonic was just a random temporary gig they took to pay the bills while Marvel was busy going bankrupt in the '90s, not the thing that defined their entire careers.

The only other Archie Sonic contributor who's tried to do anything on the level of what Ken is doing was writer and editor Scott Fulop. In 2016 he attempted to sue Archie for the unauthorized use of what are now retroactively considered his copyrighted characters and stories, and he even announced a standalone comic about his most famous Sonic character, the recurring villain Mammoth Mogul (sort of a pastiche of DC's Vandal Savage and Marvel's Kingpin, with wizard powers added for spice). However, Fulop lost his lawsuit because he didn't put together a particularly compelling case. Since then he seems to have wiped all traces of his ill-advised Mammoth Mogul comic and his company, Narrative Ark Entertainment, from the internet. For now, this leaves The Lara-Su Chronicles the only project of its kind.

"What about those other Archie Sonic reprints he just announced?"

At the time of writing, Ken is once again claiming that he's trying to get the band back together to reprint all of Archie Sonic, now under the bad new banner "Floating Island Productions: MOBIAN LINE" that I can't imagine he consulted literally anyone else on.

So, like, look. As we've established, Ken can reprint his own stories. And if he can work something out with the other contributors whose contracts were lost, he can print their work, too. But there is no fucking way he's getting his hands on Ian Flynn's run, which Sega undoubtedly holds the copyright for. Even if they don't, Ian needs to maintain a good working relationship with both Sega and IDW if he's to keep his job, so he'd never go for this. Not to mention that Ian and Ken just... don't get along! Ken's whole plan here seems to be predicated on IDW going out of business (a thing he REALLY wants to happen) and freeing up the Sonic comic license, after which he knocks on Sega's door and goes "hey I've still got dirt on you guys," blackmailing them into giving him the Sonic license back so that he can reprint the later comics. Every step of this plan is ludicrous. It's never gonna happen.

He's been saying he wants to reprint the whole series for a few years now, though. This isn't really anything new. And despite his lofty plans that set Sonic Twitter ablaze, he quickly backpedaled. The only specific things in the works right now are a "two-volume omnibus" of all of his Knuckles stories and a collection of artist Scott Shaw's work on the very early Archie Sonic issues, since they're on good terms with each other. I have no idea how Ken plans on packaging these when he can't put any Sega characters or the Freedom Fighters on the covers, but these projects are small enough in scale that there's a decent chance they'll see the light of day. Scott Shaw only did like five issues. But anything beyond that? I'll believe it when I see it.

Or, y'know, this could've all just been a publicity stunt for his new book. I wouldn't put it past him. Let's just focus on the book that actually exists.

"So he finally did it? He made a whole Lara-Su book? It's out? He finished it??"

Yes and no.

The book that's out now is The Lara-Su Chronicles: Beginnings, a prologue for the series of seven graphic novels Ken somehow plans on making, even though it's taken him 13 years to put out literally anything new. I don't know whether or not this counts as book one of seven, because it only features 30 pages of new comics. 30.5 if I'm being generous.

Most of the book is actually just a reprint of his infamous Archie Sonic storyline "Mobius: 25 Years Later", which ran from issue #131 to #144 in 2003-2004. (Again, yes, he can reprint this, he just can't put Sonic on the cover.) Why's it infamous? Well, Ken had been building anticipation for this future era of the series for basically his entire run. We kept seeing King Sonic and Queen Sally from the future. Knuckles' entire backstory hinges on his dad having a vision of this future. Several years before Silver the Hedgehog was created, it was Lara-Su who was Sonic's equivalent to Future Trunks, the cool-looking child of one of the main characters who traveled back in time to try and prevent a dark future. Believe it or not, yes, there was hype for Lara-Su. And then we finally got M25YL, and none of that cool stuff happened. Instead it really ended up being about how unbearably boring the middle aged Sonic, Knuckles, Sally, and co. are in this peaceful future where Robotnik is dead and they're all married with kids, forced into traditional nuclear family gender roles. Lara-Su is present, but she mostly just does generic teen girl stuff and complains about how Knuckles won't let her do anything even though she REALLY wants to be the new Guardian of Angel Island, like, super bad! Come on, dad!!!

In its original printing, this meandering arc ended on an abrupt time travel cliffhanger that Ken was never able to follow up on before he left Archie in 2006. This new printing slightly changes that ending, using the unresolved timey-wimey shenanigans as a convenient excuse to alter the entire timeline. This creates the slightly different world of The Lara-Su Chronicles, where the few relevant Sega-owned characters have been replaced and everyone is ten times uglier.

After this, we finally get two short new stories picking up where M25YL left off: "The Storm," starring Acorn Kingdom super-spy and known creep Geoffrey St. John, and an early release of the first chapter of The Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows, the first full TLSC graphic novel.

And now that we're all on the same page about what we're looking at, let's actually talk about the book!

The cover

Let's start by beating a dead horse. The cover art: it's still bad! But why is it bad?

The cover is, of course, based on Patrick Spaziante's cover from Archie Sonic #131, the start of the "Mobius: 25 Years Later" arc. (Ken did the layout for that cover, though, so in the eyes of the law he's the original creator who owns that cover.) That cover was, itself, a tribute to the iconic cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1 by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum, the issue that introduced the version of the team with Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, etc.

Ken seems to have forgotten that the point of both these covers was to hype up the arrival of a new cast of characters. The new guys are supposed to make a dramatic entrance front and center. That's the focal point. Meanwhile, the cover for Beginnings has the old timeline versions of the cast from Archie Sonic dramatically bursting out of a shattered crystal ball, while their new counterparts look on in mild bemusement - if they're even bothering to look at all, since most of the characters here are just copied and pasted from their profile pages. That's just not how you do this particular homage! The point is supposed to be "out with the old, in with the new." And why are they using a crystal ball to view the past? Hell, why are they even using a crystal ball at all? The original arc was presented as a magical vision of the future courtesy of Tails' uncle Merlin (don't ask), but the new story leans all the way into being futuristic sci-fi.

Of course, there is no real artistic intent at play here. The old versions of the characters are placed front and center in the crystal ball simply because Ken traced over Spaziante's original art of Lara-Su and Julie-Su (the only two characters on the Sonic cover he owns) and threw out the rest, ruining the composition in the process. Look at the awkward empty space where Sonic, Sally, and Rotor once were, and the new drawing of The Character Formerly Known As Knuckles who's no longer properly centered between his wife and daughter. Even if Ken can claim ownership of the cover because he did the original layout, this all just feels scummy and lame.

And, yeah, if it needs to be said, the new characters and Ken's new rendering style look like absolute fucking dogshit. Putting new Lara-Su directly next to old Lara-Su does her no favors. The shattered glass effect looks absolutely atrocious. I could go on, but we'll have plenty of time to talk about the art style when we see how bad the stories inside look.

Changes to "Mobius: 25 Years Later"

Overall, 99% of M25YL is presented identically to its original printing. Sonic, Sally, Knuckles, et al. are still present with no changes to their names and no tweaks to the art. Even the original cover for issue #131 is included only a few pages into this book with its Archie, Sonic, and Sega logos still intact and everything. Again, because of the weird copyright situation described above, these preexisting comics can be released without any changes.

There is exactly one bizarre change to the art, though, where a hand drawn shot of Angel Island is replaced with an unfitting photo background and the ugly Floating Island photobash that Ken has been using as his personal logo for decades. I think he only did this as part of a test for his motion comic app that nobody asked for. I don't know why this had to make it into the print version. It's like the book is firing a warning shot for what's to come if you keep reading.

The new content begins on the final page of M25YL. In the original wet fart of a cliffhanger ending, Sonic and co. accidentally alter the timeline with an old time machine of Robotnik's and Lara-Su begins to fade away. Then, after everything goes white, we just cut to the present day heroes going "gee, you ever think about the future?" In this new printing, that last bit has been cut, and the rest of the page has been awkwardly shrunk down so that Ken can fit in a new panel. We now see the hands of an off-screen villain, seemingly named "Override," proclaiming that "the Praetorian" (Knuckles) has messed up the timeline again and that they'll finally get their revenge.

Who is this Override? I have no fucking clue. The new stories in this book make no mention of them. You have to buy the next book to find out.

My confusion over the identity of this villain overlaps with another big problem: name changes. So many names and nouns have been arbitrarily changed in The Lara-Su Chronicles, even ones Ken didn't have to change for copyright reasons, and I only know what half of them are replacing because Ken's been tweeting about this shit for years.

The echidnas are now a totally original alien race called "the Echyd'nya." Even in flashbacks to events from M25YL attempting to mimic the old art style, if it's on a new comic page, they're gonna call themselves "Echyd'nya." Evil echidna faction the Dark Legion is now the "Cyberdark Dominion," hailing from the "Cyberdark Colony." The Brotherhood of Guardians is still the Brotherhood of Guardians, but now the main guardian is called "The Praetorian." Angel Island is still called "The Floating Island," like it was in the older Archie comics, but it's ALSO sometimes called "Avion"? When I read this I wasn't sure if he had randomly renamed Albion, the other echidna city from the Archie comics. But no. Now we have an Albion AND an Avion. Sally is mentioned simply as "Princess Acorn," while Sonic is referenced once as an unnamed "blue-spined Erinaceinae," using the scientific name for hedgehog to make it sound more sci-fi. In an incredibly ballsy move, Ken even mentions Robotnik as "the Insurrectionist Kintobor," retaining his original surname from the Archie comics that's just "Robotnik" backwards. Guess Sega never trademarked that one.

Aside from every name change being a downgrade, this leads to confusion when you're not sure if something is supposed to be new, or if it's just an Archie thing you're supposed to recognize despite having a new name and design. Is "Override" someone I'm supposed to know already? Am I just supposed to have read a fucking tweet from Ken where he said he changed the name of some existing villain to "Override"? The answer is no, but I had to term search his Twitter just to verify this.

Moving on!

New story #1: "The Storm"

If you've been following the WIPs, this is that story about Geoffrey St. John that Ken's been posting previews of for almost a decade. The title page copyright dates it to 2015, and that absurdly long gestation is probably why the art is so inconsistent here. Even the style of speech bubbles and the font change between pages two and three.

This is a problem when there's supposed to be a deliberate and noticeable change in art style here signaling the moment where the time travel stuff alters the timeline, replacing the Archie Sonic world with the Lara-Su Chronicles world. If you don't already know that's what's going on, the idea isn't conveyed clearly at all. It just goes from one hideous art style to a slightly different one with no explanation.

The main problem here is that Ken has hitched his wagon to a franchise about anthropomorphic animals when he can't draw furries to save his life. (Though a bit later in the book we'll also begin to wonder if he can even still draw humans.) He's shifted away from the cartooniness of the original designs and given them more human proportions and facial features, but this just ends up making them look incredibly uncanny and lumpy and gross. With some designs he's trying to lean into more of a Star Trek alien vibe, but then he still insists upon retaining the giant Sonic eyes on most characters even though he has no idea how to make them emote.

The rendering of these godawful designs doesn't do them any favors, either. Ken's going for more of a painterly look now, but it almost seems as though he's shading everything with Photoshop's burn and dodge tools that are designed to darken and lighten select areas of a photo. The result is a muddy, smudgy look that makes it feel like the color layer has been smeared in vaseline. And it only looks worse after coming off of 14 chapters of M25YL that have way more palatable art.

The backgrounds, too, are a complete mess, a jumble of low res jpeg photo elements (sometimes with extremely noticeable pixelation), stock textures, and smooth digital gradients. There's no real sense of place here, and it gives everything a surreal, dreamlike quality when you can't really tell where anything is supposed to take place. This first story is seemingly set in a high-tech stronghold below Castle Acorn called "the Bunker," but it could just as easily be confused for the bridge of a spaceship. This whole story features characters speaking to each other over floating video displays and hologram projectors from three different locations, but without a hologram effect and without a clear sense of where the characters are it often feels like they're just in the same room as each other. Characters will be in one location on one photo background, and then the camera angle changes and they're in a completely different place, because Ken just uses mismatched photos off of the internet. It's been like 25 years since he first tried using photo backgrounds in the Archie comics and he hasn't gotten any better at it.

When I had my boyfriend read the book to see if it made literally any sense to him (it didn't), Anthony said this: "This is the kind of shit I'd see linked on a Second Life world that hasn't been touched since 2004." I think he really hit the nail on the head. Now, there's actually a contrarian part of me that thinks that might theoretically almost be kind of cool, in sort of a messy counterculture way. I love weird indie shit. I was a Homestuck reader! But this isn't a scrappy mixed media zine, or experimental outsider art from someone just messing around with Photoshop, or a loving throwback to weird old internet art, or even something intentionally bizarre and offputting like Xavier: Renegade Angel or a PilotRedSun video or whatever where the fact that it's weird and ugly is part of the humor. This is supposed to be a sincere sci-fi epic drawing on Star Trek and Jack Kirby comics, made by a guy who's been drawing comics professionally since the '80s. This is supposed to look good. This is supposed to compete with mainstream comics that are on sale right now. He thinks any day now IDW's gonna go out of business and Sega will come crawling back to him so that he can stamp the Sonic logo on shit like this. It just doesn't work.

But, okay. It's ugly. We knew it would be ugly. But that ugliness would be much easier to accept if it was in service of an otherwise genuinely good story. So what about the writing? After all this time, how does Ken choose to kick off this new saga? Well, credit where credit's due. "The Storm" feels like a proper continuation of Ken's writing style from M25YL.

Because it's eleven pages of characters standing around and talking while nothing fucking happens.

Here's the synopsis: A dog woman named Brownie, an ensign in the Royal Secret Service fresh out of training and the only character who's almost cute, walks up to Geoffrey to deliver a report. He's immediately suspicious of her, asking who let her in and if she's a spy for Elias (Sally's brother, if you're new here) or Alicia (Sally's mom). The art style suddenly shifts when the timeline is altered, but the scene continues uninterrupted. Geoffrey points a gun at Brownie when she won't say whose spy she is. Geoffrey is distracted by a call and proceeds to have a conversation via a mix of holograms and video screens with Remington (head of Echidnaopolis security), Spectre (Knuckles' great great great great great grandpa, the one with the helmet who always looks evil), and a new scientist character named Dr. Zephyr/Zephur. (The spelling of this character's name changes multiple times throughout the 11-page story, because I guess nine years wasn't enough time to spellcheck this shit.) They say a bunch of made up technobabble nonsense about how it looks like the timeline was just altered and Knuckles and co. seem to be involved. It's complete drivel that I'm not even going to try to make sense of. Everyone decides to investigate further, and the conversation ends. Brownie tells Geoffrey she's his spy, then walks out and implies she's actually Alicia's spy in her inner monologue.

To be continued!!!

Yes, that's it. It's really just a bunch of technobabble where some characters talk about how it seems like the timeline has been fucked with. That's it. The whole time Geoffrey doesn't even get up out of his damn chair, which he's of course sitting in backwards to show how cool he is. It's just 11 pages of Geoffrey sitting in a chair and talking to people and looking uglier than he's ever looked. Nothing happens. Nine years for this.

I'm also struck by how meaningless all of this is to anyone who hasn't read Archie Sonic. The added context from M25YL may help a little, but "The Storm" focuses on characters who weren't in that arc, and the story does very little to introduce who any of them are. Brownie could've been super useful as an inexperienced point of view character who's only meeting the others for the first time here, but instead she's really just a passive observer who's here as part of some kind of 4D chess game between Geoffrey and Alicia, an off-screen character whose motivations in this era of the story are completely unknown to even returning readers. Who are the good guys and bad guys here? What are the conflicts and the stakes of the story moving forward? What do these characters want? Basic questions like this aren't really answered. I can't imagine a new reader being able to make heads or tails of this. Hell, I can't really imagine a returning reader who hasn't been following the last decade's worth of Ken's tweets about this story making heads or tails of it, either.

...Maybe more will happen in the next story?

New story #2: Shattered Tomorrows preview chapter

After another message from Ken, the story of The Lara-Su Chronicles proper begins with the redesigned Lara-Su walking along a jpeg photograph beach at sunset and crying while thinking about how Knuckles - sorry, his name is K'Nox now - is dead.

Yep! Straight into the dad stuff!

Look, I'm the last person to complain about writers getting super personal and drawing from their own baggage in their writing, but Ken's just no fucking good at it. There's no nuance, nothing interesting to say. He just keeps writing mediocre-to-horrible dads whose misdeeds are always justified by their "good intentions," and then sometimes they die and their kids are like "we may have fought but actually you were the bestest dad ever and I'll miss you forever, I'll never be able to fill your shoes!"

This is the only part of the new material here that feels like it has any heart behind it, because I know how much his complex relationship with his late deadbeat father means to Ken (there's an author's note in this outright saying as much). But the guy died 42 years ago, and it doesn't feel like Ken has had any new thoughts about this part of his life in those four decades. He's just not an introspective or self-aware enough artist to actually mine his personal baggage for anything beyond "father knows best."

Anyway, so then it jumps forward in time(?) and now we're following this human guy who looks like this.

Previously, Ken got a lot of shit for literally just using the likeness of Anthony Mackie for this guy, based on his IMDB profile photo. Ken has thus redesigned the character... and by that I mean I think he looks more like Ernie Hudson now? Ken's clearly just working off of photo references (if not straight up tracing), given his face is the most detailed and realistic-looking thing on any page where he's present.

But you may be wondering: who is this, and why is he here? Well, for one, he's here to run around in front of some low res space photos while making trite references to things like Planet of the Apes and Star Trek. Haha, he makes a joke about red shirts! Original!! But beyond that, Commander Mykhal Taelor (yes, that's really how he chose to spell it) is a human... from Earth! Archie Sonic readers are probably confused, because in those comics Mobius is Earth in the distant post-apocalyptic future. Well, despite being a Planet of the Apes fan, Ken always hated that particular worldbuilding decision from Karl Bollers, always preferring to think of Mobius as a separate alien planet. And now he gets to make that canon in his own stories and throw out Karl's ideas. So Mobius is basically just, like, a Star Trek planet now, with its own alien creatures that sometimes just so happen to look like anthropomorphic Earth animals.

Also, at one point Taelor wonders if the inhabitants of the dead Mobius might have been human, and the alien ally he's talking to over the radio says it's unlikely. "I don't understand why your kind has a problem understanding you're a minority within a minority." Perhaps poor wording for a line said to the only Black character in the story.

Anyway, Commander Taelor here seems to have discovered the uninhabited husk of Mobius after the vague time-space cataclysm everyone was worried about in M25YL has come to pass, and he finds an audio log from Lara-Su that I presume will explain what happened. I guess those are the titular Lara-Su Chronicles. In theory this flash forward establishes some sense of pressing danger, but when the threat to the planet is so unclear and technobabble-y it just kind of lands with a thud.

It doesn't take long before we get back to Lara-Su being sad about her dad. A good little chunk of the chapter is spent with this new timeline's Lara-Su recalling moments in her life, including echoes of the original Lara-Su's memories from M25YL, which feels redundant coming hot off the heels of a straight reprint of that entire arc. And boy, for anyone who read the later Archie Sonic comics, the protagonist having vague memories of the old version of the series from before a lawsuit-related timeline reboot sure does sound familiar, huh?

The art inconsistency somehow becomes even worse in this story, with Ken flip-flopping on whether or not he wants to use outlines, with the no-outline art managing to look even worse by relying entirely on Ken's awful rendering. By this point in the book, readers are also likely to start noticing how often Ken reuses art from previous panels. This is a shortcut that tons of comic artists use, of course. Invincible famously did a joke about this. It's often understandable. But, again... it sure does stand out in a book that took 13 years to make with only 30 pages of new art. Amusingly, Ken even manages to combine his inconsistency and recycling problems by reusing the same art with and without outlines. And, of course, any time Ken tries to draw the Archie era designs it's just... the worst.

And, yes, it's in this dreamlike montage sequence of Lara-Su's life that we get...

The uncomfortable family nudity scene, followed by the dual timeline Julie-Su breastfeeding scene.

Yeah, you might have heard about this one already. If this incredibly eerie presentation of Lara-Su's hazy memories of the two different timelines make it hard to tell what's going on, don't worry. There's another, clearer version later in the book as part of Julie-Su's character profile, because I guess Ken was just so proud of it.

(I censored these myself because I'm not playing Russian roulette with Tumblr's inconsistent nudity rules and risking getting banned lmao)

Like, okay. Is a mother breastfeeding her child really that shocking of a thing to see in a story? No, not at all. But, like... when it's two characters who you previously created for an officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog comic for 7-year-olds... and some of those officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog comics for 7-year-olds are reprinted in the same book... and when it's drawn like this... yeah, it's kind of a shocker.

It just looks so unnatural. Julie-Su is posed very deliberately so that you'll see both of her breasts, and in the new timeline version she's barely even holding Lara-Su so you can really get a good look at her supermodel body, showing zero physical signs that she just gave birth. Most people will immediately jump to this being Ken putting his fetishes in his work (a type of criticism that I'm incredibly tired of - it's 2024, all the cool artists are blatantly putting their fetishes in their work now). And my immediate response is that, no, this is probably just Ken trying to come off as really mature on a surface level, a thing he's been obsessed with since the Archie days. Free from the shackles of writing a licensed children's comic, of course he's going to jump immediately into depicting some nonsexual, artistic nudity to try and prove he's A Real Mature Artist For Grown-Ups who just thinks the human body is beautiful and breastfeeding shouldn't be a taboo etc. etc.

But then, like. You look at some of the other character designs. Like Espio's daughter Salma, who's now this horrifying alien lizard person who's always nude, and her scale pattern puts scales exactly where her nipples should be. Or you look at his comments about the Echyd'nya age of consent. Or you look at how he keeps drawing Lara-Su in this. Like, does the shuttle really need this, like... reverse chaise lounge thing in the cockpit? So that we can keep getting these shots of the 16-year-old Lara-Su lying on her stomach and posing with one of her legs kicked up, her naked ass in plain view?

The vibe isn't great, is what I'm saying!

I'm not going to try to ascribe authorial intent here. I don't know. I'm not a psychic. Given his very blatant reliance on photo references elsewhere in the book, it's entirely possible he just referenced some figure drawing photos that were maybe just a little too sexy. And also, he's an American comic book artist, and a boomer one at that. Those guys tend to draw women a certain way, even when it's not supposed to be sexual. I don't fucking know. It just sucks. I'm not gonna make some hyperbolic statement about how this makes him a literal pedophile who should be in jail, but it is deeply offputting and objectifying.

But if you already knew about the nursing scenes and were hoping there was some other really shocking stuff in there for me to talk about in this review, sorry to disappoint, but nope. That's the only shockingly weird new thing in here. Once again, not a lot happens in this story, and what does happen is pretty boring.

Once we get past the recap stuff and the human guy, the plot developments boil down to this: The timeline was altered at the end of M25YL... but not as much as you might think. In the new timeline, Knuckles ("K'Nox"), Cobar (now looking significantly younger), and Rotor (now a rhino just called "The Emissary") still traveled via shuttle to go find a time machine in the Badlands and fix the time-space continuum, like in the climax of the original arc. This time, though, Sonic wasn't there, and Lara-Su came along without having to stow away. Lara-Su watches the ship while the grown ups go deal with the time machine, and then after a couple panels Not Rotor comes back with Cobar and is like "Hey, Cobar got hurt, we gotta leave. Dunno what happened to your dad." And then they just, like. Presume that Knuckles must have died. Even though we have no idea what happened to him. And then they just fly away. And then Lara-Su is sad that her dad died.

And that's pretty much it!

This is supposed to be a really emotional sequence - it's literally the scene where Lara-Su learns that Knuckles is dead - but instead it comes off as unintentionally funny because of how poorly it's portrayed. Not showing Knuckles' actual disappearance is a huge misstep, for one, making his uncertain fate more confusing and anticlimactic than dramatic. But also, Ken keeps just using the same two drawings of Rotor for two pages, so he doesn't really seem to be emoting at all, and he's in this spacey hazmat suit that honestly just makes him look like fucking Moltar from Space Ghost. So the whole time I'm just reading his dialogue in Moltar's deadpan voice as he's like "I dunno. We did what we could. Anyway, let's leave."

After this, we get a two-page spread previewing the rest of the story from Shattered Tomorrows. It's basically like a trailer in comic form. It has one of the most mystifying layouts I've ever seen in a comic book. I have no idea what order I'm supposed to read this in.

Yeah, I kinda have a feeling this is the full extent of what Ken has drawn for the rest of that book. I'd love to be wrong, but I fear that I'm right.

Bonus material: Data files

These are mostly very dull, recapping a lot of events shared between Ken's Archie run and the new Lara-Su Chronicles timeline. It seems like almost his entire run is still considered canon to the backstory of the new timeline, just with some names changed, and things only really diverge at the climax of M25YL. But I'll share the interesting stuff here.

Lara-Su

The main thing you'll notice in Lara-Su's profile is the massive, unreadable wall of text where Ken felt the need to list the entire Knuckles family tree, split across both pages.

This is literally so long that Lara-Su's personal history has to awkwardly cut off mid-sentence and be continued on the final page of the book, after the rest of the data files.

Also, please note that this list gives Julie-Su's mom's full name as Mari-Su of the House of Atrades. Incredible on all levels.

There's also a reference to the dark timeline Lara-Su was originally supposed to come from. You know, the one where Julie-Su is the leader of a rebel movement fighting against a Knuckles who had gone mad with power? The timeline that would have been way more interesting than the one in M25YL? Here it seems to have been written off as the result of another "timeline disruption." Lara-Su allegedly has vague memories of this timeline, in the same way that she has vague memories of the M25YL timeline.

Geoffrey

Geoffrey's bio mostly recaps events from the Archie comics, which means the Sonic/Sally/Geoffrey love triangle has to be alluded to. His rivalry with Sonic is described like this:

"He would later resurface when Kintobor was transporting his latest hi-tech weapon, the Dynamac-3000. It was during that mission he discovered a rival for the Princess' affections. Whereas the Princess would be one of a line of conquests where St. John was concerned, the blue-spined Erinaceinae who protested doth a bit too much regarding his affections for the Princess for St. John's taste would prove to be a source of great sport and amusement."

Yes. It's gross. Saying that Geoffrey saw Sally as "one of a line of conquests" is gross. Ken writing this and then still treating Geoffrey as the coolest badass ever is gross. The "Princess Acorn" is also first on the list of Geoffrey's "female relationships" elsewhere in his bio, though I suppose how much of a "relationship" they had is left vague. Honestly, at this point the fact that Ken didn't explicitly confirm that Geoffrey took the underage Sally's virginity in the book comes off as a display of restraint. The bar couldn't be any lower, I know.

Remington

His bio is, frankly, shockingly long for such a minor character, though I guess he does get a large portion of the word salad dialogue in "The Storm." There's a lot of stuff here about how the identities of his biological parents are shrouded in mystery, a plot point that fans have long speculated Ken just straight up forgot about in his time at Archie. (Ian confirmed that Kragok from the Dark Legion was Remington's dad, though, so this isn't really much of a mystery.)

Lien-Da

She gets a bio even though she's not present in the two new stories, just so we get to look at her awful new design and compare it to how Steven Butler drew her earlier in the book:

Commander Taelor

We get to see two drawings of him with the same exact Ernie Hudson face side by side! That's fun.

Julie-Su

She gets a list of "known friends," but the only character listed is Knuckles' mom. Poor Julie-Su.

Also, Ken feels the need to reiterate that Knuckles and Julie-Su are still distant cousins. He made a whole new timeline where he can change whatever details he wants, but THAT had to remain canon. Thanks, Ken.

And then after the data files we get the special thanks page, listing everyone who preordered the book and/or bought TLSC merch from Ken.

With my name on the list. Because I had to buy a copy to cover it for the blog.

My name is on the very next page right after the breastfeeding panel in Julie-Su's data file.

Yep. He got me.

Is it at least a well put together book? Like, in terms of manufacturing quality?

Its physical quality is... fine. It's a nice, sturdy hardcover. The print quality seems fine, though mine does have a bit of smudging from some sort of printing error on one page. The pages don't seem like they'll fall out on me. The image quality is crisp. The colors are vibrant. This is a low bar, but this is one of the few places where I'm able to give this book anything resembling praise.

The formatting and graphic design work, on the other hand...

(I didn't crumple those page corners, it came like that.)

For one, the placement and sizes of the M25YL pages is inconsistent, largely due to the fact that the book doesn't actually match the proportions of a comic. A lot of pages aren't properly centered vertically. Some pages go all the way up to the top edge of the paper, while others leave a visible gap of about half a centimeter. Every page has a 1cm gap to its left and right, which is sometimes filled in with a solid color or gradient that doesn't quite match the page it's surrounding. I have to assume Ken didn't have any sort of source files or original artwork to work off of, as those ideally would've had more generous bleed to account for slight shifts in printing. It kind of seems like he just got the highest resolution versions he could find of the digital releases online and printed those. The colors are a dead ringer for the digital versions, which have always looked slightly more saturated and pastel than they did in print.

I can't say this bodes well for his further plans for Archie Sonic reprints - sorry, Mobian Line reprints. If they ever come out, please, for the love of god, do not buy those. I don't care how much you love Archie Sonic, they aren't going to be good reprints. For comparison, IDW's similarly priced hardcover Sonic collections have none of these formatting problems, because they're made by people who know what they're doing with access to the actual source files.

The book also has its fair share of text-focused pages, split between the data files and messages directly from Ken about the history of his career and this project, and these are formatted in the most amateurish way possible. Just massive walls of Arial text over either plain white backgrounds, simple gradients, or faded photos. I've seen school yearbooks with better graphic design. Even ignoring my subjective feelings about the art and stories within, this book does not feel like it's worth $36 USD.

It's frankly shocking how shabby he let this thing look considering it's supposed to be his baby. And doesn't that really sum it all up?

Closing thoughts

Obviously, I did not expect this to be any good. But I'm still left kind of dumbfounded by it.

I think what really strikes me about it is that Ken had a blank check to do whatever he wanted here. He got an opportunity many writers would kill for when he gained complete ownership of his most famous work. He's free from the limitations of a monthly licensed comic book for children, free to make whatever creative decisions he wants without editors or other writers or Sega to worry about, free to completely reinvent the series to his heart's content and finally tell the story of his dreams. And with that opportunity and 13 years of his time, he made... this. A direct continuation of "Mobius: 25 Years Later" that barely changes anything about the characters or world beyond their awful new designs, even though much of the word count is spent rambling about how the timeline has changed. A story that makes zero concessions for new readers, or even returning readers who don't already have the last decade's worth of Ken's tweets explaining his creative decisions burned into their memory. 30 pages where nothing really happens and the story barely moves forward an inch despite the decades-long wait - but maybe something will happen if you buy the next book!

Who is this for? Maybe this really is a project for no one but Ken. Maybe he just really, really wants to finish the story he started, a story that's personal to him due to the family history it evokes, and the number of people who enjoy it or buy it beyond that is irrelevant. I think that many of the best artists are incredibly self-indulgent ones working with that exact mindset, artists whose enthusiasm for their own work jumps off the page or screen. So, if that's the case, then why the fuck isn't he telling the damn story? What's stopping him? Why is he still spinning his wheels? Where is that passion for his own work? Because it sure as hell isn't there on the page. There's a huge part of me that really wishes I could say "Man, what a weirdo, but you do you, Ken. You tell your weird little story." But there's barely any story here. It's like he loves styling himself as a storyteller, but he's terrified of finally having to actually tell a story after all this time. He's still stuck in the exact same mode of writing he was in almost 30 years ago when he was doing 6-page backup stories about Knuckles, just killing time and stringing readers along until he's eventually able to truly realize his vision. If not now, then when, Ken?

Even the back cover blurb is mostly just a dry recap of the history of this thing. It was a Sonic comic, the original arc was published in these issues, it went unfinished, Ken left Archie, the lawsuits happened, now he's continuing the story. There's nothing about why anyone should give a shit about this as its own story, even though Ken has spent years trying in vain to convince people TLSC is its own beast that shouldn't be judged as a Sonic story. I think deep down he knows that there's no pitch for this beyond the novelty of it originating from Sonic. And that's why, despite declaring that he'd leave the site, he's still on Twitter riling up Sonic fans. It's the only attention he gets at this point.

Maybe this is too harsh when those 30 pages of new comics are just intended as a preview for the "real" book. But the elephant in the room is that we have no idea if that "real" book will ever actually come out, let alone the entire series of seven graphic novels that will supposedly complete this saga.

Ken is undeniably a complete jackass and all around unpleasant, vindictive person who's rightly become an industry pariah. He's a self-proclaimed paragon of progressive values who'll send Comicsgaters after his successors for the crime of not worshiping the ground he walks on, and then turn around and announce he's going to reprint their work without even consulting them. He's a sore winner who already won his copyright battle on a level most comic writers would never dare to dream of, and yet still won't truly be satisfied until he sees an entire major comic publisher go out of business, putting god knows how many people out of work, because he thinks this would get him back the license to a video game franchise he doesn't even like.

But I still have to pity him.

As an artist, the trajectory of his life is my nightmare. I think all of us fear dying before we can tell all the stories we want to tell. There's simply never enough time to do everything. And here's Ken in his 60s, talking about how he's still planning on making his magnum opus all by himself out of stubbornness and pride, despite demonstrably proving he can't handle the workload, and also talking about how if he dies before the project can be finished he'll have to pass the torch on to his kids and get them to finish it for him. It's so grim. Even just typing that sends a shiver down my spine. It took nine years of his limited time on Earth to finish and release an 11-page comic about Geoffrey St. John sitting backwards in a chair.

This is a purgatory of his own creation. And yet... I'm not sure he's ever been prouder. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

I guess if I want people to take anything away from this review, it's this:

Lesson one: If you're an artist or writer of some kind, or an aspiring creator, don't wait around. No one else is going to tell your story for you. Start writing that novel. Start drawing that webcomic. Start making that game. If Penders can put out this damn book that no one asked for after 13 years of work, then proudly proclaim that he's still going to make six or seven more books and also reprint hundreds of comics he doesn't have all of the rights to, then show up to cons with that foul Lara-Su Chronicles: Shattered Tomorrows banner and sit in front of it beaming with pride, fully aware of his critics but saying "fuck 'em, I know I'm hot shit," then you can do fucking anything. Tell the weird, sincere, cringe story of your dreams. If Ken Penders doesn't have imposter syndrome, then nobody should.

And lesson two: Don't buy Ken's books.

[hikari-hellspawn]

ART COMMISSIONS OPEN! FINANCIAL HELP DESPERATELY NEEDED!

The title is what it says on the tin; I'm opening up art commissions, because after my next paycheck I don't know how much I'll be getting after that, or how much, and I'm desperate for work and some kind off income because I am literally in danger of losing a place to live. I need need NEED income if I want to continue to, well, live.

My Ko-Fi

My deviantART

NOTICE: I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY COMMISSIONS THAT I DEEM INAPPROPRIATE. THIS INCLUDES ART CONTAINING HATE SPEECH/HOMOPHOBIA/TRANSPHOBIA/APHOBIA/RACISM/BIGOTRY/ANTISEMITISM/ETC.

How do I pay you? I take payments via my Ko-fi or PayPal (h.m.reed@mail.com), half before I start the sketch and the other half on delivery. That is set in stone; I will not accept any kind of cryptocurrency or things like Amazon or Walmart gift cards as payment. None of those can be used to pay rent, and paying rent is exactly what I need.

Do you do NSFW? Not at present; I'm not comfortable drawing NSFW content, though doing shirtless and swimsuits are fine. However I won't draw sex, and I won't draw straight-up full-frontal nudity.

Do you do furries/anthros? I'm not gonna lie, I don't have much experience drawing anthros--THAT BEING SAID, if you want to commission me to draw an anthro character or your fursona, it's definitely on the table and I'll do my danged best--even if it takes a bit longer than non-furry/anthro characters.

Do you draw mecha? I...have zero experience drawing mecha. Do I like mecha anime? Yes (Evangelion my beloved). So this is a soft no on my part, purely because of my own lack of skill with the subject matter.

Do you draw horror and/or gore? Hard no. Not simply because I can't draw said gore (which I can't, same reasons as the mecha explanation above), but because it's another one of those things that I'm not 100% comfortable drawing at the moment.

^HOWEVER, this question comes with a caveat: I will draw eldritch horror. Y'know, eyes where they don't belong, tentacles, pulsating masses, bodies that're just...weird? Those are fun. So, negotiable, but keep in mind that if you want slasher-type stuff that ain't my jam.

Will you send me progress pics? YES. At every stage of the process, I'll both scan the image and take photos to make sure that what I'm working on is the direction you want to go.

What about reference images? If you have references you want to provide, whether they're drawn by you, someone else, google image search, etc, then I'd appreciate it so I have an idea of what your character looks like. Written descriptions are also fine if you don't have any visuals--basically, if you know what your character looks like and you have some way to communicate that to me in a way that puts us both on the same page, we're good.

Can I use your art as an NFT? NO. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I ACCEPT A COMMISSION TO CREATE NFTS, IF THAT IS THE REASON YOU WANT TO COMMISSION ME THEN GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE.

Can I use your art to train an AI algorithm? NO. AI art is the reason why artists like myself are being pushed out of work; if you're only commissioning me to get hold of some works so that you can train an algorithm to make more based on my style, then you don't actually want to buy art; you're just looking for some excuse to screw yet another artist over.

If I don't have the money right now, can I just pay you the full amount later? While I understand the desire to buy art but not having the funds, the whole reason I'm opening commissions is because I don't have enough money to survive. Paying me half now and half upon completion is non-negotiable, because I can assure you my need to be able to make rent and feed the Fuzzballs (aka the cats, please ask me about them I will go total Maes Hughes on them because they are PERFECT) is as strong as yours to make sure your expenses are covered as well.

Are the prices negotiable? To an extent, though the prices you see in the image above are the minimum; I won't go lower than these.

I want something that isn't listed on here/I have an unusual request, can you do it? That is something we'd have to negotiate, but it's not off the table. I do some weirdo drawings for myself in my free time (I've graced several servers I'm in on discord with the little wonders known as Eyeshrooms, no I will not elaborate here), so I can do other weird stuff too (as long as it's SFW).

Do you have more art examples I can look at? Yes! I have a deviantART page, though due to the company's own exploitative and artist-harming features they've rolled out, I've been working on glazing everything in my gallery there (if you haven't heard of Glaze and Nightshade, they're both really cool and you ought to check them out, seriously I really really really want to start using them both on my art SO BAD but I CAN'T) and migrating to Inkblot and Cara.app. Once I have links to both of those, I'll add them to the post!

You said traditional art...can you do digital? No, unfortunately; I don't have a device powerful enough to run a good art program (not for a lack of trying; attempts at experimenting with Krita have only resulted in it crashing the laptop I've been using, which is bad because it isn't even mine), nor do I have the funds to be able to get one--and I don't know when, or if, that'll happen. This circles back to the initial problem; I don't have the funds to pay for what I need to survive, which means I literally cannot afford to save for a new, more powerful laptop for myself. As it is, I've been borrowing my roommate's laptop for everything I need to do that requires the use of a computer, as mine died back in 2020 and I haven't been able to scrape together enough to even get a bare-bones basic one myself.

If there are any other questions you need me to answer, then please please PLEASE send them to me in a DM here and I'll do my best to answer them! And please, I'm begging you, I'm begging you so much, even if you don't buy something please spread this around I need the income desperately. I'm not lying when I say that my ability to continue living is in danger, I literally do not know if I'll even be able to pay my rent next month. I need every penny I can get, just to be able to have a chance of surviving, and what determines if I can keep a roof over mine and the cats' heads and if we're out on the street with nowhere to go is very much determined by if I can get commission work. So even if you can't buy anything, or only get a headshot or two, please spread the word. Reblog this. Share it in tweets. Post the link to this post on Facebook, link it on Discord, if you have friends who are looking to commission art tell them because I'm desperate and terrified that I might not have a place to live come October. I'm begging, please, I need the help. I need the help more than I can put into words. I don't want to die.

(Also big shoutout to @nomnomroko for putting together the commission sheet, thank you so much!)

[invidiaesc]

🇧🇷 LET US SAVE RIO GRANDE DO SUL - BRASIL 🇧🇷

EVERY SINGLE DRAWING YOU BUY THE MONEY WILL GO 100% TO HELP RIO GRANDE DO SUL. GO GET YOUR DRAWING! Any character,OC,person, anything, bust up face FOR $5 SUCH BIG SALE. BEST DEAL! ⚠️

Paypal: gabi.estrazulas@yahoo.com.br

The Goal? At least 1k to send to my two friends who are in need. It will be used to buy medicine for pets and food for them. The drawing is made by A HUMAN ARTIST (me)

PLEASE HELP ME HELP MY FRIENDS AND MY LAND. 1 Dolar is 5,08 Reais. You're helping A LOT donating.

Who am I? I'm Invidia, I was born in Rio Grande do Sul, I only changed my home state (but I'm still living close there) because my father and grandparents died, they are still buried there. Two of my friends, my dear coralis who I know personally, are suffering due this tragedy.

Coralis is helping as a voluntary to the pets who were hurt due the dirty water or abandoned (or even lost by the owners, who are missing or dead). She needs help with money for pet food and medicine.

Tabata is a victim who lost everything, her entire house is destroyed due the water and she doesn't have anything than being with her family in another place, who are in a risk area of flood too. She is needing money to help with food and with the expenses.

An example of how much Tabata lost is that she lost all her computer, television, freezer and her home, everything is underwater now.

I got some help from an american friend and send entirely the money to Tabata, who is using to buy food. They accepted me to share the transaction (ofc I'm censoring our personal data for safety measure).

Tabata: https://instagram.com/lunari_alune/

Coralis: https://twitter.com/unfragility

What is happening with Brazil? Rio Grande do Sul currently has 497 municipalities, with 345 of these municipalities being affected by the recent rains and floods that are happening in the state.

More than 850,422 people were harmed, 83 dead, 111 missing, 276 injured, 121,957 displaced and 19,368 people in shelters. Today, at 9:15 am, the measurement of Lake Guaíba was 5.27M, with the warning level for flooding being 2.5M and the flood level being 3M

Currently the home state is on alert due to the possible collapse of dikes and walls that prevent all the water from rivers and lakes from going to the city, but during the week the population has been witnessing historic moments.

More information from:

I'll be sharing the screens of the transactions to them with the amount of money I get from it on my twitter:

I will be sharing everything!

If you read everything, THANK YOU!

Please share with everyone, you're literally saving lives.

I'm sorry any english mistake.

[charmac]

I’m new to this fandom and was hoping you could provide some insight. How come people seem to really dislike Rob ? What are your thoughts on him?

We need a welcome packet to the Fandom at this point, honestly.

I'm not gonna go through the exhaustive list of things you could call Rob McElhenney out for, but I will give you some insight on the fandom relationship with Rob.

Rob was always the more "humble" of RCG, having actually come from Philly, growing up in the lower class, no college education, basically completely scraping by to become an actor and create Sunny.. well, you know that story. Up until very recently, Rob has always seemed to hold to his values in the core idea of Sunny, that creatives should have control of their work, that the best stuff comes from the people who have the ideas and create it.

Since meeting and going into business with Ryan Reynolds, he's kind of done a complete 180 in that regard. Buying into NFTs and Crypto, believing A.I. has a place in writing for television and we should be using it.. (you can look into his company Adim for more on that) and straight-up admitting he wants to be in the "Ownership business," and is moving away from the creative side of his endeavors. Every other thing out of Rob's mouth nowadays is to build this new image of "Ryan Reynolds magnitude": that he's a businessman, that he should be seen as Hollywood elite, that he wants to be worth billions...as opposed to, you know, a guy that has cool ideas and makes really cool things...

So the Fandom watched Rob go from a humble, "doing it for the love of it" guy to "owning as much as possible and exploiting new technology to get there" business man, and that's rough, and gross, and sucks (and backseats Sunny.. a lot). On top of that there's the history Rob has, especially with Sunny, satirising/commentating on certain subjects poorly and doubling down on having done it, and him having the political views of what I'd call an "Obama Democrat," (take a walk through his older Instagram posts and off-handed remarks on TASP)... It's enough to kind of pick your poison or pile on and actively dislike/hate Rob as a person.

My personal thoughts are.. complicated. I don't "stan" Rob (or any real person for that matter), I love the show, and I will continue to see and value what Rob has to say about it because it's his show. He's the creator of my favourite thing in the entire world, and he still does put a lot into that thing, and you can't shake that Sunny is not Sunny in any way shape or form without him. On top of that, I have met him and I can't understate how genuine he was to meet and talk to, and how kind he was to me holds a lot of weight in my opinion of him (unfortunately? lol?). So I can't say I dislike him, but I can say I continue to be disappointed by his recent endeavours, and I hope he snaps out of it (though I don't think he will).

I don't blame people who dislike him or even hate him, I don't think there's any expectation for a fan of Sunny to like RCG (whether they never talk about them or openly talk shit about them), and I don't think there's a reason for fans to argue over liking/disliking them as people. They're all white, cishet (presenting) middle-aged guys in Hollywood who live in million dollar houses, there's no brownie points for defending them and there's no morality awards being handed out for calling them out. Feel how you want, Sunny's the focus here

[idkaguyorsomething]

favourite doctor who episode? (idk why I'm asking, still. have fun ranting about your favourite episode if you want to)

what an ask, there are so many incredibly episodes across all the eras that are outstanding in all these different ways, with so many characters i adore who all manage to stand out despite the lengthy history of this show. but when you asked, there was one standalone episode that came to mind immediately. so sorry to all those other ones, but for today we're going to discuss one episode (it's gonna be a long one):

dalek. nostalgia definitely plays a strong part in my choice here, especially since i saw it for the first time at a pretty impressionable point in my life. but hey, it wasn't always even my favorite episode with the a dalek in it (shout-out to asylum of the daleks), it all kinda shifted for my on my rewatch of the revival last year.

starting with my most obvious bias, NINE EPISODE <3 !!! i think a lot of us can agree that this episode has got a standout performance from christopher eccleston, one which undeniably carries so much of the episode as he channels his rage and pain into the character of the doctor. being pretty fresh off the time war, this is just about the first time where we get to see exactly how hurt the whole experience left the doctor, and it gives us just a hint of how utterly terrifying he was during a period where he lost everything. it's not just an episode where we get to see an iconic classic villain, it's one that's essential to fleshing out the doctor's character for newcomers and his development for classic fans.

speaking of iconic villains, oh my gosh the dalek itself in this episode is fucking terrifying. nostalgia is definitely playing a factor here again, but this is honestly one of the first times i remember being legitimately terrified by a tv show. we have exactly one alien to face off against here, and it's gunning down people left and right. this story does such a good job of establishing the menace of the daleks (among other things, we'll get to that later) and basically obliterating any of the jokes you could've come up with about how goofy it looks or other tone killers, it's a perfect reintroduction to the daleks. even when they reappear in larger numbers and act less effectively than in this episode, i can't help but think back to all the damage that a single dalek was able to do in this episode and think "ah fuck". if you don't know what a dalek is going into the episode, you're going to shit your pants by the end, and if you do know, then the buildup before the reveal and first confrontation is going to have you on the edge of your seat before it pays off spectacularly. top-tier tension.

the bunker is a pretty brilliant choice of a setting as well, since having it be on earth instead of a spaceship helps reinforce the feeling that the doctor and the dalek are very much alone in the universe. there's other places out there that we've visited, sure, but now they're both trapped underground in this dingy backwater planet, cut off from their respective cultures that don't even exist anymore and the wide open world.

it's a smaller thing, but i also love to hate on the villain of van statten here. he's such a puffed-up wannabe who thinks that his money can get him anything or out of any situation, and in an age of dunking on all these techbro ceos who make increasingly dumbass choices that screw over tons of people, his character has aged surprisingly well. fuck this idiot, i bet he'd have been one of the first to buy in on nfts or kiss elon musk's ass if he'd still had his fortune by the end of the episode. (also adam is here but i don't think we're actually meant to dislike him in this episode, so let's just pretend that he doesn't exist)

okay but this episode really gives us a lot of interesting stuff about rose as well. personally i think the world war three/boom town episodes do this the best, but this might just be season 1 rose at her most unhinged. she touches a spooky sad trash can alien, it starts killing everything, then at the end she discourages the doctor from destroying it despite the fact that it's clearly suicidal. we get to see the extent that her compassion for all things reaches, and how it can be a flaw as much as a virtue for her. i'm not saying she or the doctor were entirely right while the other was entirely wrong, but their opposite stances on what to do with the dalek at the end is the lynchpin of the climax, and the way she snaps him into revealing his trauma is a perfect demonstration of why he keeps around companions. (though bringing adam on board the tardis was 100% a stupid decision, okay that's the last time i'll mention him)

but then we have the dalek itself. and i think the most impressive thing about this entire episode is how it legitimately manages to instill a sense of tragedy in the dalek's existence even though it is demonstrably a complete monster. it's another really fascinating parallel to the doctor that the titular dalek becomes infected by humanity as a means of coping post-time war, and this completely emotionally annihilates it. unlike the doctor, who committed some... morally dubious actions but was still relatively fresh off the boat when humans started rubbing off on him, this dalek has committed atrocity after atrocity after atrocity, the only thing that a dalek can know how to do. so those human emotions rubbing off on it and shifting its nature so that it becomes aware that there are other things to do, and what it has done is indisputably wrong is kinda perfect karma. and from its perspective, the dalek is experiencing the most horrifying fate that a dalek could experience. the implications of what it's going through, of having the very foundations of its self shifted in a way that is fundamentally incompatible with what it has known all its life, to the point where clinging on to its old hatred and self destructing before this change can progress any further, has just stuck with me for ages. when you read into how it's a foil to the doctor, and remember that the doctor has changed so much over the ages, especially during the time war, it gives you insight into both characters. it's tragic and fascinating and there are so many ways that you can read into it.

(here's a picture of iris wildthyme just to break up all the text)

anyways, dalek is a really well-written, incredibly tense, magnificently acted self-contained episode that still manages to tie into an be essential to the overarching narrative. i thought about it so much that i started writing a fanfic what-if about it. if you made it to the end of this post have a cookie.

[writingmochi]

! "songs you actually listen to(?)" tag game !

rules: when you get this you have to put 5 songs you actually listen to, and post it! then, send this to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) < that is actually part of the rule i didn't make it up

tagged by: ilem aka @lovejoshua love how you tagged me but the tagging link doesn't work... it's very fortunate that i saw your post on my timeline

i'll do you all better... i'm doing 5 artists i'm currently listening to instead! and this will be full of tone indicators because people will get offended even by the minuscule things + because this is music i will freaking ramble so i'm sorry for the incoming long post

&team, specifically firework

this song is such a surprise for me and to be honest i hadn't even thought that hybe could make another good song for any other artists than newjeans /pretty srs. it has a bit of txt's thursday's child 80's vibe to it. it definitely makes much more sense than what the walmart twilight concept enhypen is doing /nm /criticism (believe me, i'm still stuck in the tamed-dashed era. also bring back the composer who makes given-taken pls /gen) i also want to give my two cents and say that i like the korean version better. i think this song was meant to be sung in korean before japanese imo

radiohead

what is 2023 lissie without radiohead? from creating and planning a 20-part anthology series based of their discography to buying my favorite albums of theirs on vinyl (which are the two albums that i plaster above), they've climbed up my ranks of favorite artists of all time. i choose jigsaw specifically because i rekindle my love of playing bass from that song and climbing up the walls because of the seonghwa fic i'm planning (it is exceptionally one of the most underappreciated songs in ok computer...)

billlie

they are the children of f(x) i'm telling you!!!!!!!!! just like how i consider the boyz as the children of exo and txt as the children of shinee. they are the siblings of 2016-2019 loona and gwsn. they are the product of sm ent's music prodigy sibling and i love them for that. they also are the junior of brown eyed girls, aka one of the most iconic kpop 2nd gen gg and the one that releases bops such as brave new world, kill bill, sign, and abracadabra! i love their discography so much and they have the potential to have one of the best kpop discographies in the industry alongside red velvet. i'll gatekeep them until the end along with onf because only people with taste can enjoy their songs /lh /gen aaaaaaaaaaa

triples aaa

the unit that could be if modhaus don't make such a strict rule because they disbanded for not having 100k album sold (womp womp) generation is such a high-quality debut track from a small company and dimension having their own versions within the subunits is a great concept. i mean, jaden jeong is the head of the 2016-2019 loona sound and i gotta have to appreciate him for picking good tracks man. their songs are also one of the bases of sound for my oc kpop group sound in @interactivemochi. also a discussion starter question: will modhaus actually be able to do the multi-unit many-member group that sm ent wanted with nct? i actually think they will because indie labels are more experimental than the big corporate ones (aka nct will be great with their infinite concept if they're committed and take those risks) just look at jaden jeong's print on onlyoneof and loona, they're pretty small but their fans are loyal af. yet, i'm merely just a casual listener of triples because they play around with nfts (and i am a biz student who doesn't like crypto and nft)

depeche mode and other new wave and 80s experimental musicians

when you have a gen z kid who likes older songs rather than new ones, they have to listen to new wave and synth-pop, specifically depeche mode. people usually associate them with post-punk along with talking heads, joy division, new order, kate bush etc and i can definitely agree. new wave is one of my favorite genres because of how experimental they are and it is exactly what depeche mode is doing + i love the resurgence of old brit bands like the shoegaze bands that includes slowdive, mbv, and siouxsie and the banshees

don't forget that this is meant to be 5 songs and i wanted to be extra because i can be extra *wink*

tagging: @ujunxverse (you could definitely do it on @/orochxi if you want), my fellow untag people from ilem's post @boba-beom @robin-obsessed, also others such as @dim-sun @tyunlatte @heart2beom @itz-yerin @txt-yaomi @talesofyuan @euphor1a + anyone who wanna join cuz i would love to hear new music :D

[queen-mihai]

I wanna talk about the concept of "the next big thing"

Because I keep getting frustrated that banks and businesses and smooth brain CEOs keep jumping on stupid trends without knowing what they're getting into. And then think they can just sell us on it being "the next big thing"

That's not how it works, idiots. WE decide what's the next big thing. Not you. You have no control here. You're a passenger on this ride. Forever. That's how it is, and that's how it's always gonna be.

So allow me, a consumer, to tell every business on the planet what to look for instead of buying into friggin TurboSlugs or something and making another trillion dollars worth of OUR effort vanish into thin air

Whenever your little money obsessed brain starts to notice a lot of rich people buying something, I want you to ask yourself a single question:

Would this help a 7 year old have a relationship with her grandma?

A 7 year old is hardly able to navigate the internet. She can't drive. She doesn't know how the world works and doesn't know enough yet to be able to make all her own decisions

Her grandma is maybe still in the workforce, or may be retired. Might be sitting at home or might be flying off all over the world. Could be more internet savvy than me, or could not even barely know how to get a search result on Google.

It doesn't matter. You need to put them together or help them be happy together. You need to do that better and easier than everything else that exists on the market.

THAT'S what will be the next big thing.

Skype was huge because a parent could sit their daughter in front of a screen for basically the first time ever and she could talk to her grandma on the other side of the planet face to face.

Cars were chosen over horses because you could get your daughter to your mother faster than with a horse; and didn't have to clean up after it.

The internet is huge because your daughter and your mother can follow each other's life stories and make each other laugh with memes. Your daughter can make grandma proud with what she has been learning and grandma can invest in your company's stock to be able to help pay for a family vacation.

Even something like Tumblr helps because it lets your daughter, as she gets older, have a wonderful place to explore being weird without freaking your mother out. And vice versa.

A stupid nft doesn't help daughter see grandma. It doesn't make their lives better when they're together. It's too hard for daughter to learn and grandma thinks it sounds like a scam.

Ai doesn't help them either. It takes attention away from daughter seeing grandma or makes grandma's search results come back wrong.

You want the next big thing? You're looking in the wrong places. And by the way, if you get the idea to gather a bunch of 7 year olds and grandmas in a room and interrogate them, trying to pick their brains for some damn idea? I am going to beg the universe to send a gorilla to drop from your ceiling and rip your arms off.

You just have to wait

You can't force it to happen. You can't know where or when or how it will be invented. Focus on making whatever product or service you make right now as best as you can. And when you see something that looks like it's going to make the relationship between daughter and grandma better? That's when you invest.

By the way, I know no one has told you this before. So when I inevitably hear you talking about "seeing your grandma" in some commercial or news spot or being parroted by some politician you have in your pocket? I'll know you've been listening to The Queen.

[elendsessor]

Do you know a place where I can emulate Kingdom Hearts? I really want to play the games, but I don’t want to support Disney because of their involvement in the current war.

it’s best not to support disney in general lol though they’ve never had much involvement with kingdom hearts, at least not since 2. yeah the characters are there but that’s about it. tho square enix isn’t a good company either (*cough*dumped everything into nfts and constantly mistreats its franchises*cough*).

if you can get a ps2 emulator then that works!!! lots of people recommend 1.5 and 2.5 as they’re technically the definitive versions, both of which are on ps3, which can be emulated too. if you have an actual ps2 or a ps3, you can easily buy them second-hand. companies do not care about their older properties unless they resell them themselves mainly because a lot of them are out of print. getting your hands on an og copy via used or rented ones don’t often go into a company’s pockets so you don’t have to worry on that front, but prices can be really high. just keep that in mind if you prefer physical copies.

[lookninjas]

Cannot believe I just read a headline claiming that Elon Musk “roasted” Trent Reznor for leaving twitter.  Elon Musk, “roasting”?  Elon Musk couldn’t roast a potato without an army of weird online fanboys to procure him the potato, wash the potato for him, turn on the oven, oil the potato, salt the potato, and place the potato in the oven for him while telling him he’s the best potato roaster ever the entire fucking time.  Elon Musk just had to summon twitter’s five remaining staff members to the office to outline the roasting process for him on a whiteboard.  Elon Musk did have a twitter employee capable of roasting people, but she threatened to quit so he begged her to stay so she did, and then he fired her because he’s a moron and he still can’t roast people.  The closest Elon Musk ever came to a Yo Momma joke was that time he expressed astonishment that someone’s parents didn’t own an emerald mine in South Africa.

Elon Musk, “roasting” Trent Reznor.  Loudwire expects me to believe that today and buy NFTs from them tomorrow apparently.  Dear lord have mercy on all of us.

[shopbestgoods]

Building a DIY Hydroponic System: Unleash Your Inner Plant Scientist!

In recent years, hydroponics has gained popularity as a modern and efficient way of growing plants without soil. DIY hydroponic systems have become a favorite among gardening enthusiasts who want to take control of their food production and enjoy the benefits of fresh, pesticide-free produce. In this article, we will guide you through the process of building your own DIY hydroponic system, step by step. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a novice, this guide will help you create a thriving indoor garden.

What is a DIY Hydroponic System?

A DIY hydroponic system is a method of growing plants in a soilless environment, using water, nutrients, and a growing medium. Instead of relying on traditional soil-based cultivation, plants are placed in a nutrient-rich water solution, allowing their roots to directly absorb the necessary elements for growth. This method provides several advantages, including faster growth rates, higher yields, and the ability to grow plants in limited space.

Benefits of a DIY Hydroponic System

Space Efficiency: DIY hydroponic systems are ideal for small spaces, as they can be tailored to fit any area, whether it's a balcony, a basement, or a spare room.

Water Conservation: Hydroponic systems use up to 90% less water compared to traditional soil-based gardening, making them an eco-friendly choice.

Year-Round Cultivation: With a hydroponic system, you can grow plants all year long, regardless of the weather conditions, extending your gardening season.

Pest and Disease Control: By eliminating soil, you reduce the risk of soil-borne pests and diseases, resulting in healthier plants.

Choosing the Right Setup

Before diving into the construction of your DIY hydroponic system, it's essential to consider the setup that suits your needs best. There are various types of hydroponic systems to choose from, including deep water culture (DWC), nutrient film technique (NFT), and drip systems. Each has its own advantages and considerations, such as space requirements, complexity, and the types of plants you can grow. Click here to buy!

Check out this tutorial to learn how to build your ebb and flow hydroponics system! DIY Ebb And Flow Hydroponic System.

Building Your DIY Hydroponic System

To build your own DIY hydroponic system, you'll need some basic materials and tools. Here's a list to get you started:

Reservoir (container to hold the nutrient solution)

Growing tray (where the plants will be placed)

Pump and tubing (to circulate the nutrient solution)

Lighting system (to provide the necessary light for plant growth)

Growing medium (to support the plants)

Nutrient solution (to provide essential plant nutrients)

Step 1: Determine the System Type

Decide on the type of hydroponic system you want to build based on your available space, budget, and personal preferences. Consider factors like ease of maintenance and the types of plants you want to grow.

Step 2: Build the Reservoir

The reservoir is where the nutrient solution will be stored. Choose a container that is large enough to accommodate your plants' needs and ensure it has a lid to prevent evaporation.

Step 3: Construct the Growing Tray

The growing tray will hold the plants and the growing medium. Construct a sturdy tray that fits your chosen system type and has proper drainage to avoid waterlogging.

Step 4: Install the Pump and Tubing

The pump and tubing will circulate the nutrient solution from the reservoir to the plants. Install them properly, ensuring the pump is reliable and the tubing reaches all areas of the growing tray.

Step 5: Set Up the Lighting

Lighting is crucial for plant growth, especially in indoor settings. Choose appropriate grow lights based on the plants you want to grow and position them at the correct height and angle to provide optimal light coverage.

Step 6: Add the Nutrient Solution

Mix the nutrient solution according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Fill the reservoir with the solution and monitor its pH and nutrient levels regularly to ensure healthy plant growth.

Step 7: Planting and Maintenance

Plant your chosen seeds or seedlings in the growing medium, ensuring they are properly spaced. Monitor the system regularly, checking pH levels, nutrient concentrations, and water levels. Make adjustments as necessary and prune plants when needed.

Troubleshooting Tips

If plants show signs of nutrient deficiencies or excesses, adjust the nutrient solution accordingly.

Ensure the pH levels are within the appropriate range for your chosen plants.

Keep an eye out for pests or diseases and take prompt action to prevent their spread.

Regularly clean and maintain the system to avoid clogs and blockages.

To learn how to build your vertical hydroponics system, check out this tutorial! Vertical Hydroponics DIY

Conclusion

Building your own DIY hydroponic system opens up a world of possibilities for indoor gardening. With a well-designed setup and the right care, you can enjoy fresh and healthy produce throughout the year. Experiment with different plant varieties and explore the fascinating world of hydroponics. Start your journey towards sustainable and efficient gardening today! Don't forget to choose these tools from Shopbestgoods.com!

FAQs

1. What vegetables can I grow in a DIY hydroponic system?

Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale, as well as herbs like basil and mint, are popular choices. You can also grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries.

2. How often should I change the nutrient solution?

It's recommended to change the nutrient solution every two to three weeks to maintain the proper balance of nutrients. However, monitor the solution's pH and nutrient levels regularly and adjust as needed.

3. Can I use tap water for my hydroponic system?

Tap water can be used in a hydroponic system, but it may contain chemicals like chlorine or high mineral content. It's advisable to filter or treat the tap water before using it to ensure optimal plant health.

4. Do I need to adjust pH levels in a hydroponic system?

Yes, maintaining the correct pH level is crucial for nutrient uptake by the plants. Most plants thrive in a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. Use a pH testing kit and adjust the pH using pH-up or pH-down solutions if necessary.

5. Can I use a DIY hydroponic system for indoor gardening?

Absolutely! DIY hydroponic systems are particularly well-suited for indoor gardening. With proper lighting and care, you can enjoy the benefits of growing your own fresh produce in the comfort of your home.

[tasbd2022]

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙉𝙁𝙏𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝘽𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙉𝙁𝙏 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚.

Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, has recently launched its own NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace, called"Binance NFT" or simply "BNFT". The marketplace allows creators to tokenize and sell their digital artworks, collectibles, and other forms of digital assets on the blockchain.

𝘽𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙉𝙁𝙏𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚

Binance NFT offers a user-friendly interface with a smooth browsing experience"Binance NFT". It aims to be a one-stop-shop for buying and selling NFTs, featuring everything from digital artwork and collectibles to music and gaming assets.

Binance NFT offers both fixed-price and auction-style sales, with the option for creators to set a reserve price or minimum bid for their items. It also supports both Binance's own Binance Coin (BNB) cryptocurrency and major credit cards as payment methods.

Binance NFT also aims to be a platform for creators, offering various tools and services for artists and other content creators to mint and sell their own NFTs. This includes easy-to-use NFT creation tools, customizable storefronts, and access to Binance's large user base and marketing resources.

Overall, Binance's entry into the NFT market is a major development in the world of blockchain-based digital assets and could have significant implications for the growth and mainstream adoption of NFTs.

Why i prefer to buy NFTs on Binance NFT

# Wide Selection of NFTs :- Binance NFT offers a vast collection of NFTs from various popular artists, celebrities, and brands. Buyers can choose from a wide range of NFTs on Binance NFT.

Wide Range of NFTs : Binance NFT offers a wide range of NFTs to choose from, including artwork, sports collectibles, gaming items, and more. This ensures that buyers have a diverse range of options to choose from based on their interests.

# Secure Platform :- Binance NFT is a secure platform, offering users the peace of mind that their transactions and artwork are protected. This is particularly important for those looking to invest significant amounts in NFTs.

# User-Friendly :- Binance NFT is user-friendly, making it easy for users to browse and buy NFTs. The platform also offers features such as auctions and exclusive drops, making it an exciting place to discover new NFTs.

# Low Fees :- Binance NFT charges low fees for buying and selling NFTs, making it an affordable option for both buyers and sellers. This ensures that users get the best value for their money.

# Integration with Binance :- Binance NFT is integrated with the Binance ecosystem, which means that users can easily buy and sell NFTs using their existing Binance account. This makes it a convenient option for those who already use Binance for cryptocurrency trading.

Overall, Binance NFT offers a secure, user-friendly, and affordable platform for buying and selling NFTs. Its wide range of NFT options, low fees, and integration with Binance make it a popular choice for NFT enthusiasts.

Here are the steps that you can follow to buy NFTs on Binance NFT Marketplace:

1. Go to the Binance NFT marketplace 👇👇👉👉👉

2. Create an account or log in if you already have one.

3. Browse through the available NFT collections or use the search function to find specific NFTs.

4. Once you find an NFT that you like, click on it2. Click on the NFT that you want to buy. This should take you to the item page.

3. On the item page, you can view the item details, such as the name, description, price, and the number of items available.

4. If you intend to buy the NFT immediately, click the “Buy Now” button. If you want to bid on the NFT, click the “Place a Bid” button instead.

5. If you clicked the “Buy Now” button, confirm the purchase by clicking the “Confirm” button.

6. If you clicked the “Place a Bid” button, enter your bid amount and click the “Place Bid” button.

7. Once you’ve completed either of the above steps, the NFT should automatically be added to your Binance NFT wallet.

8. To view your NFT collection, go to your Binance NFT wallet and check your NFT holdings.

9. You can also sell your NFTs on the Binance NFT Marketplace by listing them for sale. To do this, go to your wallet, click on the NFT you want to sell, click on the “Sell” button, and set your price.

10. Lastly, keep in mind that some NFTs are only available to certain users or are part of exclusive drops. Check the eligibility requirements before attempting to purchase an NFT.

In summary, Binance NFT offers a user-friendly platform that provides a diverse range of NFTs, low transaction fees, and high security measures, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to invest in NFTs.

[dtoken]

The 5 Best Marketplaces to Mint an NFT for Free in 2023

Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.

NFTs are all the rage, with many crypto enthusiasts looking for the next big project to invest in. Non-fungible tokens are simply unique tokens that you can use to verify an individual’s ownership of a digital asset, such as artwork.

Minting an NFT means turning a digital file into a digital asset and launching it on the Ethereum blockchain. The digital asset is then stored on the blockchain and nobody can then remove or modify it. Before you mint an NFT, it’s important to choose a viable marketplace. There are several NFT marketplaces that you can choose from, including those that offer free minting options.

1. OpenSea

OpenSea is a popular NFT marketplace that is home to projects like BAYC and Azuki. Minting an NFT on OpenSea is very easy. It supports all kinds of digital assets, from virtual worlds and collectibles to art, photography, and sound recordings.

OpenSea offers Klatyn, Polygon, and Ethereum blockchains. It supports more than 150 cryptocurrencies, though since you buy using Ethereum, expect to pay a higher gas fee. OpenSea recently launched its own gas-free minting option, though they charge 2.5% of every transaction on the platform.

OpenSea is arguably the biggest NFT marketplace right now, and it also allows authors and creators to charge up to 10% in royalty fees.

RELATED:The Best Apps For NFT Enthusiasts

2. Rarible

Another excellent marketplace to mint an NFT on is Rarible. Rarible is ideal if you want to sell NFTs focusing on art and photography. It offers support for Ethereum, Flow, and Tezos blockchains.

You can sell both single NFTs or full collections on Rarible. Since it supports Tezos, you can save quite a bit on gas fees (it costs only $0.5 to mint NFTs on Tezos). With their “lazy minting” feature, you can create an NFT for free and have the buyer pay gas fees when they purchase it.

Rarible also has its own token known as RARI, and as a user, you get to vote on any upgrades that the developers want to introduce.

3. Binance NFT

Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Its NFT marketplace is an excellent option for anyone looking to mint on a future-proof platform.

Unlike OpenSea, Binance charges just 1% per transaction, and it also gives you the option of cashing out your money in fiat currency. If you already own Binance tokens (BNB), buying and selling on the marketplace gets easier due to native support.

Binance NFT requires users to make bids using BNB, BUSD, or ETH. Owing to the sheer size of the marketplace, Binance has been able to enter into several excellent partnerships with NFT creators. So, it’s as good a place as any to mint your first NFT!

Binance charges 0.005 BNB to mint an NFT on its platform, but the first 10 are free.

RELATED:Top Things To Check Before Buying An NFT

4. Nifty Gateway

Nifty Gateway was responsible for some of the most expensive early NFT sales. Beeple’s CROSSROAD sold on Nifty Gateway for millions. The world’s most expensive NFT also sold here for a cool $91.8 million!

Many celebrity artists purchase their NFTs from here, so if you are working on a premium collection, Nifty might be a great place to launch it. Unlike other platforms, Nifty uses “open editions”. Essentially, it creates an unlimited number of variants for a brief period, retailing for a fixed price.

RELATED:Risks Of NFTs You Simply Cannot Ignore

Once the timer runs out, the creator cannot issue any more NFTs from that collection. This creates a sense of exclusivity amongst holders, which leads to higher sales. Creators can also receive payments in fiat currency.

Nifty Gateway doesn’t charge a minting fee for on-platform transactions. It also lists NFTs that are on sale on other platforms, like OpenSea.

5. Async Art

Async Art only supports NFT creation on the Ethereum blockchain, and it focuses primarily on programmable art. Unlike conventional NFTs, NFTs on Async Art include Layers. There’s a separate Master, which is the full NFT, while the Layers are discrete elements that you can use to customize your NFT.

Since this process tokenizes each layer, several artists can contribute to modify the Master NFT. This is great for innovation and collaboration, but it does mean you can’t share such NFTs on conventional marketplaces.

Async now offers Blueprints which are like Collections on OpenSea. Anyone can mint an NFT for a base price until it reaches a maximum limit, after which price varies based on market conditions.

Async Art also supports gasless minting, allowing artists to create “Gasless Autonomous Art.” It allows artists to specify rules for each Layer so other collaborators better understand the artist’s vision at the time of minting.

Creating NFTs Is Easier Than Ever Before

If you want to create an NFT and launch it, there are many platforms allowing you to do so. This list is by no means exhaustive, and other platforms like SuperRare and MakersPlace also exist.

However, if you are getting started, these are the best options out there. You can even create an NFT on your mobile and upload it directly to any of these marketplaces!

[an-aura-about-you]

It's probably worth talking about the No-Buy Year I've been attempting for myself since the start of October since I spent a good part of yesterday looking at a townhouse that I would very much like to live in. Got long so under the cut.

I had been suggested the youtube channel The Financial Diet after they did an interview with Dan from Folding Ideas about his video on NFTs, and I started watching their videos and liking what I see. (It is always so refreshing to see anything finance focused talk about wage stagnation and how it's not the individual's fault that things are so much more expensive and we're so much more broke now.) It's from this channel's guest spots with Hannah from The Beautiful Budget that I learned about the concept of a No-Buy Year.

The idea that I took with me was to cut out most of my extraneous spending for a year. If I didn't need it, and I didn't need it right away, I wasn't going to buy it. No overstocking on things or buying something new to try if I had a perfectly good equivalent at home. I had in mind allowing myself some pleasures because every life should have some, but that's along the lines of going out for a coffee once a week or getting takeout, and I made a coffee budget for myself in the form of a gift card and made a rule that if I got takeout I would put some money in my savings at the same time.

And then, the same month I decided I was going to start my No-Buy Year, I started having trouble walking on my right leg. I went to the doctor and the x-rays showed that some of the screws from my original surgery 10 years ago had broken.

And suddenly I was reliant on expensive grocery delivery and frequent takeout because I couldn't cook for myself and couldn't necessarily count on others to be present when I was hungry.

I do not count this as a slip because, quite frankly, we all need to eat. I tried to make it count as much as I could every time I ordered, though. I remember one time I ordered from a place that makes a soup I really like and got like a quart of it with the rest of my food. It was initially pricey, but no more so than if I had ordered two meals from the get-go, and the meal I ordered combined with the soup lasted for a total of six meals.

But even with all of this going on, something started happening to my buying mindset. Now that I've recovered enough that I can cook again, I am thinking more about my food choices and not buying extra food that could potentially sit and rot in my fridge. I started a Never Buy Again list of foods and things that I keep thinking might be good but I never end up liking or using them. And I'm already seeing the effect this is having on my grocery bill in a good way.

The surgery also made me think about where I live, which is Not Great for my bad leg, and the things I wanted to do to change the place. And I started ping-ponging the idea around of what would be best for me, what would be most cost effective for me, what can I do to improve my situation?

Not for the first time since the Pandemic started, I began looking at houses on Zillow to see if there was anything more accommodating.

And that's when I found the townhouse I'm thinking about getting. It already has the things I wanted to put in my house anyway, there would be maintenance for things I just don't have the ability to take care of, and it's not on a fuck-off steep hill like the house I currently live in. If I wanted to stay where I am now, I would seriously have to consider things like landscaping, ramps, redoing my floors, and redoing my bathrooms. This place already has all of that done and ready for me.

So I'm thinking that my No-Buy Year is shifting more into a Marie Kondo Year. What are the things that spark joy for me? This townhouse is going to be able to help with my needs in a way my current living situation doesn't, and that definitely sparks joy. Not to mention I am ready to get some stuff out of this house that I'm not using, stuff that's just sitting here going to waste.

On top of all of that, it's very possible that selling my house will result in more money than what the townhouse costs. While I would indeed be buying, it might end up being a net positive for me. Granted, I'll probably use any extra money I might end up having to cover the costs of moving, but I think this is moving in the right direction.

[metasoilverse1]

The Best Metaverse Game in 2024: A Journey Beyond Reality

The metaverse has rapidly evolved into one of the most exciting and transformative spaces in gaming, where virtual worlds meet reality, offering a fully immersive experience that extends beyond mere gameplay. Among the diverse selection of games in the metaverse, one title stands out in 2024: Decentraland. As a leading Best Metaverse Game, Decentraland is distinguished by its robust user-generated content, decentralized ownership, and a fully immersive experience, making it a top choice for players worldwide.

What Makes Decentraland Unique?

Launched initially in 2020, Decentraland has maintained its momentum as a pioneer in the metaverse space. At its core, Decentraland is a decentralized 3D virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain. It allows players not only to explore and socialize but also to buy, build, and monetize virtual land. These “LAND” plots are NFTs (non-fungible tokens) that players can purchase, develop, and even resell, creating a true sense of ownership in the virtual realm.

What makes Decentraland unique is that it is entirely user-driven. Players control every aspect of the world, from in-game objects and buildings to the economy and governance. This autonomy over the digital landscape provides a level of freedom and creativity rarely seen in gaming. Players can design their own games, host events, and create businesses within Decentraland, blurring the lines between virtual and real-life economics.

Gameplay and Experiences in Decentraland

The gameplay in Decentraland is diverse and largely depends on what players choose to make of it. Since users can create their own games and activities, every experience is unique. You might find yourself attending a live music concert, exploring a museum, shopping in a virtual mall, or even attending classes or lectures. The in-game economy is powered by its native cryptocurrency, MANA, which is used to buy land, in-game items, and services, allowing players to conduct real business.

One of the most popular activities in Decentraland is real estate speculation and development. Players can buy and sell virtual land plots, with some of the most desirable plots near popular hubs of activity and retail. The game's marketplace also allows players to sell virtual items, such as clothing and accessories for avatars, enhancing their virtual identities.

Community and Social Interactions

One of the primary attractions of Decentraland is its social environment. The game thrives on community-driven events, including art shows, gaming competitions, educational seminars, and even fashion shows. The platform hosts numerous events throughout the year, keeping players engaged and giving them an opportunity to socialize with people worldwide.

Additionally, Decentraland operates on a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model, giving players a say in the platform's direction. This means that significant decisions, like game features and policy changes, are voted on by the community using MANA tokens. This unique governance model ensures that Decentraland evolves in line with the interests of its user base, fostering a loyal and active community.

Why Decentraland is the Best Metaverse Game in 2024

Decentraland stands out as the metaverse game of 2024 because it embodies the core principles of the metaverse: creativity, autonomy, and ownership. Its commitment to decentralization and community input has helped it become more than just a game—it's a digital world with a thriving economy and a vibrant social scene.

While other metaverse games offer impressive visuals and engaging gameplay, Decentraland’s focus on decentralized ownership and community governance sets it apart. It’s not just a place for fun; it’s a platform for users to build their own experiences and even earn a living.

With its innovative approach to virtual real estate, decentralized governance, and an ever-growing list of user-created content, Decentraland remains a top contender in the metaverse landscape. Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, gamer, or simply someone looking to explore a new world, Decentraland offers an unparalleled experience that allows you to shape your digital future. It’s more than a game; it’s a place where imagination meets opportunity in the limitless world of the metaverse.

[illuvidata]

Exploring Illium Free Market: Trends You Need to Know

The Illium free market is quickly changing how people trade online. Its decentralized setup lets users easily buy and sell goods and services while controlling their finances. As the market grows, both experienced users and newcomers need to understand the latest trends. This article will explore key insights about the market, focusing on recent developments and emerging patterns. By learning about these trends, readers will better understand the opportunities and challenges in this marketplace, helping them make smarter trading choices with expert guidance.

Discover the Thrills of the Illium Free Market

The platform is an online space where users can easily and securely trade digital assets like cryptocurrencies and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).  It uses blockchain technology, ensuring all transactions are safe and transparent. This means buyers and sellers can trust each other and see their trade history. Whether you are a new trader or have years of experience, this marketplace is designed for everyone. With its user-friendly features, you can start trading quickly and confidently.

Unique Features of the Illuvium Marketplace

User security is a top priority, and advanced encryption protects personal information and transactions. It allows users full control over their digital assets and features low transaction fees, making it a great choice for frequent traders.

Overview of the User Base and Demographics

The platform attracts users worldwide, especially tech-savvy individuals aged 18 to 35 interested in cryptocurrencies and digital assets. It’s also gaining popularity among older users who want to invest in the digital economy, creating a vibrant community for sharing tips and strategies. Game Hub: Your Portal to Epic Adventures in a Thrilling Virtual World

The Game Hub is the best place for everything related to Illuvium. Players can connect with others, strategize, and stay updated to improve their gameplay and build strong teams.

Roster: Assemble Your Dream Team

In the Roster section, you can make and take care of your team of Illuvials. Each Illuvial has special abilities that make them unique. Knowing what each Illuvial does best can create a powerful team to win battles. You will unlock new characters to add to your roster as you win.

Arena: Where Legends Clash

The Arena is where you can fight against other players and show off your skills. When you win matches, you earn rewards that help you get better. You can use these rewards to improve your team and make them stronger. Climbing the leaderboard lets everyone see how good you are at the game.

Obelisk Background: Uncover Hidden Secrets 

The Obelisk Background shares the stories and secrets of the Illuvium world. This lore gives players a deeper insight into the game's setting and unique features. By learning about the background, players can better appreciate the different battles they face. Understanding the characters and their histories makes the game more exciting and enjoyable.

Overworld: Explore the Vast Landscape

The Overworld is a large space made up of different environments called biomes. Each biome has its challenges to face and rewards to earn. While exploring, you will encounter creatures called Illuvials and collect useful resources. You can also discover hidden treasures that can help you on your journey.

Land Background: Build and Expand Your Territory

In the Land Background, you can grow and improve your area by getting different pieces of land. Each piece of land gives you the resources to make new items and trade with others. These resources are also important for making your team stronger. With a stronger team, you can compete better and reach higher levels in the game.

Zero: Experience the Unseen

The Zero section of the Game Hub has special gameplay modes and events that change how the game is usually played. Here, players can find new and exciting challenges that make the game more fun. This area is about being creative and trying different ways to play. It gives players a chance to enjoy Illuvium in fresh and interesting ways.

Gallery: Celebrate Your Achievements

In the Gallery, players can show off their achievements and special Illuvials they have collected. It is a fun place to share memorable moments with other players. People can also talk about their strategies to improve their gameplay. The Gallery helps celebrate creativity and connection in the Illuvium community.

Beyond: Explore New Horizons

The Beyond section helps players learn about future updates, expansions, and events in the game. Players can stay connected with the community by sharing their thoughts and ideas. This is a great way to give feedback on the game and help it improve. Get ready for exciting new adventures in the Illuvium universe.

Build Your Best Team: Challenge Awaits

Current Trends in the Market

Growing Adoption of Digital Assets

Digital assets are becoming more popular, leading to more cryptocurrency transactions for buying and selling online. With faster transactions, lower fees, and the rise of NFTs, more people are entering the digital market.

Emergence of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Applications

Decentralized Finance  (DeFi) is changing how people use financial services by allowing them to manage their assets directly on the blockchain. In Illium, successful DeFi projects provide new ways to lend, borrow, and trade, giving users more control over their finances.

User Behavior and Marketplace Dynamics

User behavior in the market changes as more people engage with digital assets. Buyers are becoming more informed and are looking for unique and rare items, while sellers are adapting their strategies to meet these new demands.

Unlock Your Potential: Essential Tools for Every Illuvium Player

Enhance your Illuvium journey with our Game Tools, which are made to boost your gameplay in this exciting virtual world. These tools are easy to use so anyone can enjoy them, regardless of their skill level. With features like advanced team-building tools, you can create the ideal squad to face any challenge in the Illium-free market. The battle simulators let you practice your strategies before real fights, helping you sharpen your skills.

Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting, our Game Tools offer helpful resources to improve your performance. You’ll find tips, guides, and tracking features that make gaming more enjoyable. Get ready to take your gameplay to the next level with our complete set of Game Tools and become the best player you can be.

Economic Impacts of the Marketplace

Effects on Local and Global Economies

The platform is transforming business growth by removing traditional trade barriers.  It offers new opportunities for entrepreneurs, allowing them to reach customers globally, boost sales, and create community jobs. This increased competition leads to better prices and higher-quality products, benefiting the economy.

Case Studies of Businesses Thriving Through the Platform

Many businesses are thriving in this dynamic marketplace. For example, a local bakery saw a 50% sales increase by selling online and reaching new customers. A digital artist also found success by selling artwork directly to buyers, gaining visibility and collaboration opportunities through the platform.

Challenges Faced by Participants

Participants face challenges like market volatility and unclear regulations. Prices for goods and services can change rapidly, making it hard for businesses to set consistent prices and plan for the future. Many users need clarification about tax obligations and local laws, so they seek information and support from online resources and community forums to navigate these complexities.

Future Predictions for the Market

Potential Developments and Innovations

The market has a bright future with new features coming soon. Expect advanced trading tools, better analytics, and improved security for users. As more people join the platform, it will create a lively marketplace that boosts growth and engagement.

Long-Term Trends to Watch

Long-term trends, especially in technology, will shape the Illium-free market. Advances in blockchain and cryptocurrency will improve transaction speeds, lower fees, and enhance smart contracts, making trading easier and attracting more users. Clearer government regulations can legitimize the market, creating a safer environment that encourages more investment. Meet Your Dedicated Guide to the Illuvium Adventure

Welcome to your go-to guide for everything Illuvium.  You can find tips, strategies, and insights to enhance your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for character builds, battle strategies, or market trends, your personalized assistant is here to help you conquer the Illuvium world.

As you go through your journey in Illuvium, staying updated on the Illium-free market is essential. This dynamic marketplace offers opportunities for trading and acquiring valuable resources that can enhance your gameplay. Understanding the trends and developments in this dynamic marketplace allows you to make informed decisions that elevate your strategies and overall gaming experience. Get ready to explore the possibilities and thrive in the Illuvium universe.

Conclusion

Exploring this virtual marketplace reveals exciting opportunities for traders and gamers alike. With its secure and user-friendly platform, Illuvidata provides the tools you need to explore this ever-changing marketplace. By staying informed about the latest trends and developments, you can make smart trading decisions that enhance your gaming experience. As more people enter this space, understanding how to use the features of the Illium-free market will become increasingly important. Get ready to embrace the future of trading and gaming in the Illuvium world!