#but like I also think they can rely on merch sales a lot more but still

[the-dragonlich]

There was a time $30 for a new game was considered expensive.

I think I might be a lil bit to young to remember that because by the time I started taking note of price tags most games for the 3DS were 40 bucks a pop but I have seen enough people saying they remember when games were within the price range of a kids allowance so I can see were that sentiment would have came from.

With the jump to $40 I could at least get like the escalation in quality argument from the 90s to the early 2010s and I would say I got 60 bucks worth of enjoyment out of BotW because I have over 100 hours in that but with stuff like PKMN Sc/Vi for the quality it came out with on launch day and from what I’ve heard of Cyber Punk: Edgerunners. You can not be charging that amount of money for games that are blatantly glitchy messes.

[joannerowling]

How involved do you think Jo will actually be in the TV show? She seems over HP by now

She's over it in the sense that the story is done, but that doesn't mean she won't be making sure MAX doesn't mess up. With the movies, we know for certain that:

She had a look at the scripts and gave feedback when things didn't make sense (his seemed mostly tied to the fact that the books were still being published at the time)

One of her conditions was having a wholly British cast and accurate casting for the foreign characters as well (evidently she went back on that with Depp, though his accent was the least of his issues)

She wasn't deeply involved with the actual casting : we know this because the first time she spoke to Emma Watson was over the phone after she had already been cast, and she didn't know Evanna Lynch had been cast as Luna, despite exchanging letters with her prior. When asked, most of the actors (kids and adults alike) say she wasn't on set and they had very little contact with her if any, with a few exceptions (Alan Rickman, Jude Law and Johnny Depp had in-depth conversations with her about their character).

Beyond that, it's usually vague "experts" or unnamed Warner Bros employees claiming that she had a huge amount of control, which should be put into perspective with the fact that writers usually get NO control. It seems she was consulted a lot mainly because her opinion was respected and the fandom loved her, and the real "control" she kept which actually bothered Warner Bros was over merch (specifically: what she approved or disapproved of, and how much money she took away from the sales).

We know there is a "book" these days, and a team, responsible for ensuring the safe-guarding of the IP, which were consulted during the making of Hogwarts Legacy without Jo's direct involvement (at least none that went public). She expressed more interest for the show though, tweeting about it when it was announced, specifically about how the books deserved an actualised and more faithful adaptation which the TV format would allow.

Obviously the context has changed for both JKR and WB since the 2000s. How involved JKR can be depends on two things: gains and leverage. There's no doubt that Jo has less glam to rely on today than she used to, but so far this doesn't seem to have impacted HP's or even her other work's success. She has expenses she didn't use to have though - Beira's place doesn't run itself. On the other hand, WB used to be a powerhouse of the cinematic industry, but the 2010s were disastrous for them and they are now very reliant on their remaining IPs to stay afloat. They can't risk JKR leaving with Harry Potter… but JKR has little to gain by breaking the relationship and starting anew with a different studio which might not be as willing to compromise (also there is no other studio that big with at least a foot in the UK left).

Tl;dr: Hard to say. If i had to guess, i'd say Jo agreed to be less publically involved, but still quite active behind the scene with trusted intermediaries, and little to no direct involvement with the cast, especially the kids to preserve them from the mob-like behaviour of TRAs.

[thecavavoice]

Dear Bea

by Amber K.

Dear Amber,

I'm a CAVA teacher whose young-adult son lives with us. He has a job he loves. (Disneyland--who wouldn't love it?) The problem is he spends every penny he makes on trivial stuff, like junk from bargain stores he doesn't need; or Disney merch he finds on sale, even if he doesn't need yet another set of mouse ears. We are running out of space to put it all and the clutter is driving me nuts. How do I get him to stop spending and start saving toward his future?

Sincerely, Bea T.

Dear Bea,

It can be hard to get us children to understand the impact of money and the responsibility that’s connected to it. When I started getting money for birthdays and holidays I was quite irresponsible with it.I used to buy junk food, and stupid toys that I never played with once. But once I realized that I never had that money later when I really wanted something for a hobby, I learned the importance of buying what you need or saving up until you could buy something you really want. And as of right now I use my sparse amount of money to buy things for college.

The first thing that should be done with issues such as this, is to sit your son down and go over his collection of Disney and junk related items. As a young adult he should understand the concept of clutter in a home and that buying these unneeded items. Go through the items together and separate certain limited edition items in a pile that can either be kept out or packed away for when he moves. Then go through clothing and things he has multiples of such as the Mickey Mouse ears you mentioned. Anything that doesn’t fit, is destroyed/stained, or even unworn/unwanted should be given to a shelter or goodwill where those who really need these things can get them.

After this you should sit him down and talk about a money plan where he asks himself five or more questions before buying something and then puts aside a good portion of his paycheck for emergencies, things he really needs, and his future. This checklist can have a multitude of different questions but the major ones should be along the lines of,

Is this a necessity or something that I can live without?

Will this add value to my life?

What do I gain from buying this?

Does the cost of this item negatively or positively affect my savings?

Will I actually use this item?

Am I only buying this because it’s discounted or on sale?

When asking these questions it’s ok to take a couple hours to think it over. By taking a full 24 hours you can answer these questions while also reducing the amount of impulse buying that could occur. When it comes to his future it’s best to talk to him about it. Try not to push too hard otherwise he might pull away and go back to his old habits in retaliation. Ask him, if not already, what future he wants for himself. Explain that by saving his money he’ll be able to buy things for himself that he really wants and needs. It’s been proven that when a child moves out and starts to buy their own things they develop a sense of being an adult, especially when they're on their own.Tell him about the freedom he’ll have when he moves out and how if he saves his money he can find a nice place to live that he can help pay for, how he can buy the necessities he sees around him without having to work for long hours just to get the small things such as plates to eat off or even towels for the bathroom. Set boundaries for his spending habits will definitely rely on communication and lots of patience. It might take awhile for him to get the hang of but I’m sure he’ll catch on and start being more responsible with his money. 

Hope this helps, Amber K.

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

I am quite Naive so I'm not sure how much money Lauren can make out of one concert. I computed the $25 per ticket x 575 (venue capacity) and the total is $14,375. I am not sure if they can fill it up with more people to pack the place. Then for sure there are sponsors. I don't know how many and the average income per sponsor. Then there is probably merch sales? Are the income from food and drinks, theirs? Now with the cost of the dancers, the venue, plane tickets, hotels to stay, clothes, make-up, hair, the set if any, etc etc. I am assuming the lights and sounds are covered by the venue. How much do you think L can actually make if the concert is sold out? I hope she makes a decent amount.

Music anon: When it comes to tour commission lots of things factor into that. I don't know exactly how the money is being split up for this tour and money earned differs by tour dates so I can't give exact numbers. Sometimes venue capacity doesn't necessarily mean how many tickets they'll sell it could just mean how many people physically could fit in the building and that number isn't taking VIP tickets into consideration which a portion of the ticket maximum that can be sold is set aside for VIP which is more expensive and considering the things with monetary value included were just the ticket and posters (which are pretty cheap to make) they got decent money out of that. Sponsors do help quite a bit for tours however, I'm not sure who's sponsoring this tour or if there is a sponsor but some tours especially for smaller artists their labels/management companies tend to act as their "sponsor" and occasionally outside companies like I used to see this merchandise website sponsor quite a few tours back some years ago. Now mentioning merch sales, merch is actually a huge commission for artists many smaller artists on tours really rely on merch sales to help them with actually earning money for tour. Lauren, I'm assuming won't have to rely on it as much but it definitely helps a lot. Food and drink sales does not go to her it's being sold by the venue and that's mostly venues money. 

Now I'm gonna speak from my experience about seeing a date of this tour to put this into perspective. I went to a show date and did VIP (Lauren is really nice and great, very lucky to have gotten to meet her, also got to tell her about my good friend Karlaswine). My first thing I noticed was the venue was pretty small or at least smaller than I expected. Now the city has smaller venues I've been to but this one wasn't very big about over 500 people capacity which as I mentioned prior doesn't necessarily mean that's how many people bought tickets or how many tickets were sold, definitely less than capacity number. Another thing I noticed was the lack of people on stage especially no band. The show was entirely audio tracks minus her vocals of course which to personal taste I was a bit taken back by that as Lauren's had bands with her for many past shows, also only 2 dancers on stage. Then there was no opening act which I've never seen a show of this nature where I only went for one set so that surprised me. The reason I bring these things up is because these highly indicate to me that they didn't have a very big budget for this tour and were trying to make good commission from what they had considering the lack of budget. The team for this tour is very small meaning less people to pay, less money to spend on others tour costs like travel, and more money in commissions from shows to split amongst the touring team after the venue takes their cut of the money. Another thing is indicates to me (which this is only an assumption I could probably be wrong but this is my opinion) is that this tour was probably thrown together pretty last minute. The lack of tour dates, show production, a band, dancers, a tour team, along with a clearly not so big tour budget shows me this tour wasn't as well planned as it could of been. That being said while it was lacking budget to make the shows bigger productions and didn't include more people, they probably are earning decent commission. The have multiple sold out shows with VIP packages and a small touring team so they're really able to split up the money they're earning better and I personally believe Lauren's definitely making decent money this tour considering all these factors I mentioned which is great but I hope for the future, more budget and planning will be put into Lauren's shows I believe this tour could of been better than it was though I'll still be happy with what I was given regardless I had a great time. 

Sorry for the very long answer, hope this helps. 

__

So happy to have you back my dear friend ❤. Thank you so much for your answer. I'm glad to know that despite everything Lauren still can make a decent amount of money from her first tour as soloist that's not part of someone else's artist.

[deliriumofendless]

On the subject of the merch discourse; I can see and understand the valid points and perspectives on both sides, and I think there's a very valid perspective for both.

For example; I personally wouldn't buy a knock-off item of merch if the design was a custom commission from an artist. For example; if the band hired an artist specifically to create a piece for their merch, because that is actually art theft, which is a legally punishable crime. Its also just disrespectful to the artist; regardless of your own situation.

And also if the knock-off merch features a stolen piece of fanart or fan design. Like I will say below; it happens a lot where companies like Aliexpress or individuals on Etsy steal artwork made by fans and other artists online and use it without copyright or permission in their own products.

(Its exactly the same as the art theft you see all over Tumblr, Twitter, Ebay and Etsy, where artists have their unique pieces stolen by people making a profit on their replication. In terms of bands; the artists commissioned often get a % of the profit or a lump sum paid based off total or estimated product sales.)

On the flip side, I absolutely agree that not everyone can afford official merch and that, if the designs are just the standard, common designs most bands have, such as an image of them and a lyric quote, tour lists or their logo, absolutely buy a knock-off.

In 90% of situations; the band will not care. The band will not even know unless you make a post and say; 'hey, look at my knock-off merch!'

In my opinion the discourse around knock-off merch should not, ever, orbit around shaming people for not being able to afford official merch. Not everyone is in the financial position to be able to pay $100+ for a single article of clothing. I would never dream of shaming someone for not buying a piece of merch when the consequence would be not paying their bills or being able to eat.

I do think more effort should be consciously made to not support art theft; which is an opinion I have for multiple fandoms, not just for musicians. Buy all the knock-off merch you want and wear it with pride - but always at least try to make sure you're not purchasing something made with a stolen design.

(Since in actual fact most designs are stolen from fans and small, independent artists, so you're not harming a likely wealthy band, you're actually harming someone who might genuinely rely on selling their commissions to eat and pay bills.)

i agree with all of this and as i said multiple times in this discourse, if you are selling/buying unofficial merch you should get something with original designs.

[zrtranscripts]

Radio Abel, Season Eight

Part 5 of 5

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I don't know if it's just because New Canton's at the center of the government in the UK -

ZOE CRICK: I'm still getting used to that.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: - but now that I think about it, people do seem to be putting more effort into the way they dress these days.

ZOE CRICK: I've noticed that. For a while, I thought it was because people wanted to spruce themselves up for the royal visits, but King Jamie hasn't been visiting as much since Amelia left for... for whatever it is she's doing, and people are still looking rather flamboyant.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: One of the cooks makes his own hats out of food wrappers.

ZOE CRICK: Exactly. People are having fun, and they're less worried about looking cool than they were before the apocalypse.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I think those hats are cool!

ZOE CRICK: That's the point. Taste is much more subjective now. [laughs] We don't have TV or newspapers, and it still takes half an hour to send a picture over ROFFLEnet, so it's harder to follow trends. People are using their imaginations instead.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Speaking of imagination, here's a track by someone with lots of it.

~

ZOE CRICK: Maybe Z-Day’s made self-expression more important, not less. We can't control the V-types, and we might be confined to our settlements most of the time, but we can decide how we look, so people go to great lengths to execute their vision. It's like how women in pre-apocalyptic prisons used to improvise cosmetics out of Smarties and shoe polish.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: How do you know what women used to do in prison?

ZOE CRICK: Oh, I was talking to Maxine about it.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Dr. Maxine has been to prison?!

ZOE CRICK: No, she... [sighs] That's not the point. I'm saying that for a lot of people, clothes, hair, and makeup are important creative outlets now that we're restricted in other ways. They also help people feel normal, now that -

PHIL CHEESEMAN: - now that V-types are roaming across the UK.

ZOE CRICK: Exactly.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: [sighs] Here's a song to make us all feel a bit more normal.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Imagine if Vogue was still in print. Do you think they'd employ zombie models?

ZOE CRICK: Yeah, with headlines like, “Gray is the New Black.” [laughs] They might struggle to find advertisers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Okay, business side might be a bit tricky to sort out. What about the editorial?

ZOE CRICK: They'd have post-apocalyptic fashion tips.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “The Best Looks to Scavenge this Season.”

ZOE CRICK: “Make Your Own Makeup.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “10 Ways to Wear a Sports Bra.”

ZOE CRICK: Not sure about that one, Phil.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Okay, yeah, there’s probably just one way to wear a sports bra.

ZOE CRICK: As far as I know.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: The other ideas were good, though. Well, maybe we should think of other style tips for our listeners.

ZOE CRICK: Why not? [laughs] Here's a song to get our creative juices flowing.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, Zoe and I tried to come up with fashion tips, but this isn't our area of expertise.

ZOE CRICK: Speak for yourself.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: All your ideas involve drawing cats on things.

ZOE CRICK: That's not true. I also suggested embroidering cats on things.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: My point, listeners, is that maybe Zoe and I could use your help. Send us your post-apocalyptic fashion tips.

ZOE CRICK: We'll be sharing them right after this.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Welcome back to Radio New Hope, where we're sharing tips on how to stay stylish in the zombie apocalypse.

ZOE CRICK: A lot of the suggestions we've had so far come from runners who need to be able to move quickly, evade zoms, and stay comfortable on long runs.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You might think, as I did only a few minutes ago, that running is not compatible with expressing yourself through fashion, but you'd be wrong.

ZOE CRICK: Indeed, there are lots of ways to have fun with your running gear that don't affect speed or safety. Even if you're out by yourself and no one else can see you, a little bit of flare can lift your mood and make you feel more like yourself.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Running On Sunshine suggests, “Novelty shoe laces are a fun way of adding color to your running outfit. You can often loot them from the children's section of sports or shoe shops, but they're also easy to make from a sturdy ribbon. Use a bit of tape or wax for the aglet.”

ZOE CRICK: Just be sure to tuck your new laces into your shoes the next time you visit the kitten pen.

~

ZOE CRICK: Today on Radio New Hope, we're taking suggestions on how to jazz up your running gear.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: This next step is one for more creative runners, and it comes from Art Rate.

ZOE CRICK: Art Rate?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah, like heart rate, because they're a runner, but also an artist.

ZOE CRICK: [sighs] I don't know if we should be reading out people's usernames. We're just encouraging bad puns.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: This episode is about self-expression, Zoe, whatever form it takes, even terrible puns.

ZOE CRICK: Hmm. What does Art Rate have to say for themselves?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Decorate your running outfit with permanent marker, embroidery, and whatever embellishments you can get your hands on. As long as your number is still clearly visible to your comms operator, there's no limit to what you can do. Wearing something that truly reflects your personality can give you motivation on the most difficult runs.”

ZOE CRICK: That's a nice idea. I'll forgive the pun.

~

ZOE CRICK: Progressive Runner writes, “Hi Phil, where did you get a Dream Theater T-shirt? I'm also a fan of prog metal and have been on several runs to find old gig venues to see if there are any T-shirts left. Unfortunately, all I've found are hordes of zombified metal heads. I used to love a good mosh pit before the apocalypse, but it's just not the same when everyone's trying to bite you.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, first off Progressive Runner, please stop putting your life at risk in pursuit of merch. It's not worth it, and that's not what the bands would have wanted.

ZOE CRICK: Especially since they no longer make money from T-shirt sales.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Exactly, which is why I don't mind letting you know that my T-shirt is a fake. Before the apocalypse, touring musicians relied on the merch stand to support themselves, but now that most of them are dead, it's no longer unethical to make knock-offs.

ZOE CRICK: Did you make your T-shirt, Phil?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: One of Amelia's stylists did. She's very handy with the fabric paints.

ZOE CRICK: Oh? What did you give her in exchange?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I had to promise to play this next song.

~

ZOE CRICK: What's our next fashion tip, Phil?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, it's more of a PSA. “Hi Phil and Zoe, I run Support Network, a sports bra exchange service. We travel between settlements to provide runners with the best fitting sports bras. Simply visit our message board on ROFFLEnet, tell us which sizes your settlement has and which they need. It might take us a while to get to you, but we have a huge selection of style and color in every size. For some reason, post-apocalyptic Britain has no shortage of sports bras.” That's a great initiative, don't you think, Zoe? [keyboard clicks] Zoe?

ZOE CRICK: Sorry. I was just posting a request to their message board. Fellow sports bra wearers of New Canton, I suggest you do the same.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And while you do that, here's a song about sharing.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Our next post-apocalyptic style tip comes from In Stitches, who says, “Here are just a few reasons why knitting is one of the most valuable skills you can learn in the post apocalypse.”

ZOE CRICK: “One, you don't necessarily need to send runners off in search of equipment. Knitting needles can be whittled from sticks, and if your settlement has sheep, wool is a renewable resource.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Two, the act of knitting has many cognitive, therapeutic, and - if you join a knitting circle - social benefits.”

ZOE CRICK: “Three, designing knitting patterns can be a great creative outlet, and since they can be conveyed using just symbols, they can be quickly shared over ROFFLEnet.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: “Four, larger needles can double as anti-zom weapons, as long as you aim for the eyes and remember to clean the blood off them before you get back to your knitting. The last thing you want is to make an infectious jumper by mistake.”

ZOE CRICK: That's, uh, resourceful. We'll be back with more fashion right after this.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: If knitting's not your thing, our next correspondent has a great idea for making some stylish winter clothes. “Next time you're out on a supply run, make a detour to a toy shop and pick up some plushies. A little reverse taxidermy - "

ZOE CRICK: Oh no!

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Plushies aren't real animals, Zoe.

ZOE CRICK: I know, but I couldn't look one in the eye and take out its stuffing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh... our less sensitive listeners can use this method to generate bundles of fake fur, a versatile fabric that'll help you stay warm and, thanks to the pre-apocalyptic trend for cuddly unicorns, colorful.

ZOE CRICK: I think I'll stick with the knitting.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: If it makes you feel any better, no plushies were harmed in the making of this next song.

~

ZOE CRICK: Polished in the Apocalypse says that a manicure adds a splash of color to your running look without impeding your movement.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm surprised we didn't think of that one ourselves. One of Amelia's first acts as prime minister was to open a nail bar at New Canton.

ZOE CRICK: She was accused of extravagance at first, but it's actually become a community hub. People go there to relax and come away feeling a little more, well, polished.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I've only just noticed, Zoe, each one of your nails is a different color.

ZOE CRICK: I couldn't choose. Amelia reserves all the Chanel nail polish for herself, but there are still plenty of other varieties for the rest of us.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, the rest of us in New Canton, maybe. What about everyone else?

ZOE CRICK: Until Amelia makes nail bars mandatory for all settlements, why not grab a few bottles of nail polish the next time you're on a low stakes meds run to a chemist? Just be sure to apply it in a well-ventilated area.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: A word of caution now from Nine Fingers, who says, “Jewelry adds sparkle to any outfit and can be a great way of expressing your individuality, especially if you make your own. However, think twice before wearing it on a run. Necklaces are easy for zoms to grab, earrings can be torn out, and rings are a risk if you're using weapons. Trust me.”

ZOE CRICK: Oh dear.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, if you're fond of jewelry, maybe keep it for when you're safe in your settlement.

ZOE CRICK: That’s sound advice. Also - naming no names, Runner Thirty-Seven - don't scavenge jewelry off dead zombies, no matter how on fleek it is. You're asking to get infected. And on that note...

~

ZOE CRICK: It's not just jewelry that you can enjoy when you're not at risk of zombie attacks.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Loads of our listeners have written in to suggest items you can use if you'd like a more flamboyant settlement look.

ZOE CRICK: Silk flowers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Craft supplies.

ZOE CRICK: Stickers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Fridge magnets.

ZOE CRICK: Christmas decorations.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Basically, listeners, as long as you're not using something that might be better deployed for a more practical purpose, there's no limit to the fun you can have with your personal style.

ZOE CRICK: Speaking of fun, here's a song that always puts a smile on my face.

~

ZOE CRICK: Our last suggestion comes from Fairy Zom Mother, who writes, “No one has space for a large wardrobe anymore. That doesn't mean you can't wear something special if the occasion demands. It's nice to dress up once in a while, so why not implement a share and swap system at your settlement so people can borrow clothes, shoes, and accessories?”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Wonder how long it would take to get that set up in New Canton. I've actually got a special evening planned soon.

ZOE CRICK: Ooh, is it a date?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Maybe? I'll tell you all about it during this next song.

~

ZOE CRICK: Um, I think the orange ones might be a bit much.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, and we're live.

ZOE CRICK: Sorry about that, listeners. Recently we've learned that there's a way for everyone to express themselves through fashion, even in the post-apocalypse, but we'd like to add that not everyone has to.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's right. Some people don't even bother to brush the cat hair off their jumper before they come to work, and that's just fine.

ZOE CRICK: The cat hair is a deliberate part of my aesthetic, Phil. Our point is that everyone's priorities have changed. Most dress codes died with the apocalypse and few of us mourn them. You're no longer likely to be turned down for a job because you couldn't get your hands on an expensive suit for the interview. Nowadays, people are valued for doing what they do best.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And on that note, let Zoe and I do what we do best and play you a song.

ZOE CRICK: Until next time, listeners.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hello again, citizens.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, before you say anything else, there's something important we need to discuss.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Is this about getting a pet for the show again? Because I thought we settled that.

ZOE CRICK: We haven't, but no, this is about something very upsetting I found on ROFFLEnet today.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, the Radio New Hope fanfic? Hmm. There's one of you and me being turned into zoms on air that is both deeply disturbing and shockingly well-written.

ZOE CRICK: Again, no. What I found is a thread on ROFFLEnet called “Radio New Hope Has Changed” full of people - well, full of two people - who think we've lost our touch. Look, Just_Saying_108 says, “It breaks my heart. Zoe and Phil aren't what they used to be.” And then Radio_No_Hope says, “It all started when they got into bed with Amelia.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm assuming in my case they mean metaphorically.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, we need to take this seriously. If our listeners aren't happy, we're not happy.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: It's only two people, Zoe.

ZOE CRICK: That's two too many.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Actually, I've got an idea.

ZOE CRICK: Wonderful, I knew you'd think of something. Tell me right after this.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Listeners, some of you think we've changed, and while change can be good, we want to make sure we're still giving you the content you deserve.

ZOE CRICK: That sounds vaguely threatening.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's why we're going to crowdsource our content again. I have reopened our inbox for suggestions on what Radio New Hope should do next. We're open to anything. Except turning zom on air.

ZOE CRICK: Phil, nobody's going to ask for that.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You haven't seen the comments on that Radio New Hope fanfic. Anyway, listeners, please send in your thoughts. Who knows? Your idea might become our next segment.

ZOE CRICK: We did get some great suggestions last time. It'll be good to round up some new ones.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Exactly! Now everyone put your thinking caps on, and here's a song to get you in a creative mood.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: All right, listeners, it's time to open the suggestion box and find out what you'd like to hear on Radio New Hope... Huh.

ZOE CRICK: Is that it? I thought we'd get a few more suggestions.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, maybe it's a sign we're not so bad after all.

ZOE CRICK: No, we can't get complacent. Some listeners aren't happy with us.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Two listeners.

ZOE CRICK: It's just that with all that ROFFLEnet talk of us having changed, I thought we'd get a bit more feedback. Still, we'll go with what we've got.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We need to drumroll first.

ZOE CRICK: Seriously?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: There are few things in life that can’t be improved with a drumroll. Scientific fact.

ZOE CRICK: Fine. Drumroll, please.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: [mutters rapidly] Drumroll drumroll drumroll drum drum drum drum drum cymbal!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] Zom_Truther writes, “What if you ate some of that red fungus live on air? We know the prime minister is lying about the danger and hoarding it for herself.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, that's a bad idea. What did I say about us not turning zom on air?

ZOE CRICK: Yeah, Truther, we're not going to eat red fungus. Amelia isn't lying... about that, at least.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's right. And uh, please don't test your theory out for yourself.

ZOE CRICK: We'll be back with more of your hopefully less reckless suggestions after this song.

~

ZOE CRICK: Time for another look at our surprisingly meager suggestion box. Come on now, we know you have great ideas, so send them in. This one from Zombologist. “I love that doctor advice show - ”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: The Drs. Maxine and Paula one? Us, too. Listeners, if you're not tuning in to that show as well as ours, you're missing out.

ZOE CRICK: Definitely. Anyway, the letter says, “I love that doctor advice show, but they only focus on the bodies and minds of the living. What about the study of zombies? I think you should bring a zombie into the studio and do some tests. I have a few experiments in mind. See attached for details.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh... Oh, that's... Was that diagram the right way up? How would that even work?

ZOE CRICK: I'm not sure, but I think those are electrodes, or possibly poisonous snakes? Either way, Zombologist, we have a pretty strict no zoms in the studio policy.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What can we do? Hands tied.

ZOE CRICK: Much like the zom in that illustration, I think.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah, that's about as close as I want to come to that scenario. Let's clear it from our minds with this song.

~

ZOE CRICK: Well listeners, a few more suggestions trickled in during that last song.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We are seriously considering some of the less extreme ones, such as an interview with King Jamie or a Z-Day retrospective.

ZOE CRICK: This one is from Inquiring_Mindz - with a Z, naturally. “What about a show that gives a look at the human side of politics?”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So far, so good. At least there are no zombies involved.

ZOE CRICK: “I'd love for us to get a closer look at Prime Minister Spens’ flat. It must be lovely. She has marvelous taste, after all.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Let me see that. [paper rustles] “You could describe the art, the architecture, any documents that are lying around, the paint, the paint colors, any plans you might find in the drawers...”

ZOE CRICK: Come on now, Inquiring, you're asking us to spy on Amelia. Even if I did do that - which, of course, I wouldn't - there's no way I'd out myself by sharing it on air.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: How restrained of you.

ZOE CRICK: What can I say? I prefer not to incur the wrath of the most powerful woman in the country. Nice try, Inquiring, but we're broadcasters, not espionage agents. And that's all of them, right?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Right. Right, thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Uh, even the more... creative ones. Let's celebrate your ingenuity with this next number.

~

ZOE CRICK: You'll never guess what.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm sure I won't.

ZOE CRICK: You weren't a very funny child, were you? I went back on ROFFLEnet to see if that thread had more positive things to say about us now that we've been through the suggestion box. However, turns out I misinterpreted the whole thing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So people don't think Radio New Hope has changed for the worse?

ZOE CRICK: They do, but it's not the broadcasts they think have changed, it's us. They think we're doppelgängers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Like Zoe and Phil's evil twins?

ZOE CRICK: Exactly. It's not clear if they think we've been brainwashed into thinking we're real Zoe and Phil or if we're in on it, but Radio_No_Hope says, “There's no way Amelia would allow a free press unless she could control it, and that means controlling Phil and Zoe.”

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, they do have a point, but ci-ti-zens, do not fear, we have not been replaced by ourselves.

ZOE CRICK: How do you know?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What do you mean, how do I know? I know who I am.

ZOE CRICK: Or do you? What if you just think you do? Listeners, we'll get to the bottom of it right after this next song.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Let me get this straight. You think I could have been replaced by a double without you noticing? You noticed when I changed my hair parting last month.

ZOE CRICK: Now that I think about it, that could have been a sign you were Phil 2.0.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hmm. If that's the case, anything could be a sign. How do I know you're not Evil Zoe?

ZOE CRICK: My name's still spelled with a Z. Evil Zoe would definitely swap out the Z for an X... I think.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You're not sure?

ZOE CRICK: Radio No Hope said it. There could be brainwashing involved.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So let me get this straight. You think Amelia found doppelgängers of us?

ZOE CRICK: Or cloned us. Always a possibility.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Of course, and then she brainwashed said doppel-clones because - ?

ZOE CRICK: Because she wants to control the press. Although there might be an even more devious reason. We are talking about Amelia, after all. I'll think it over during this next song.

~

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Have you figured out why Amelia might possibly want to replace us with brainwashed clones?

ZOE CRICK: No. I mean, yes, but one of the reasons only works if we meet the clones, and the other one requires mint and a trampoline. I wonder if the fact that I can't figure it out is a symptom of the brainwashing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: That's convenient.

ZOE CRICK: And I wonder when it began. Do you think it all started when Amelia gave us this hideous red furniture?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Green.

ZOE CRICK: What?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hideous green furniture.

ZOE CRICK: I don't know what you're talking about. The furniture is red. Maybe new Phil is colorblind?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You're kidding, right? It’s green.

ZOE CRICK: Am I kidding, or are you different now?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You know what? There's an easy way to settle this. I'm going to ask someone who has been in here what color the furniture is. Don't you move. Just, uh, play a song and I'll be right back.

[door opens]

ZOE CRICK: [giggles] Now that he's gone, listeners, between you and me, the couches are definitely green. I know that was a tiny bit rotten of me, but I couldn't resist. While we wait for Phil's triumphant return, here's a song that any version of me would love.

~

[door opens]

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh my God, you're right.

ZOE CRICK: Right about what?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: About the doppelgängers. Everyone confirmed it. The furniture in here's red, but I see green, so I must be colorblind now. Maybe all clones are.

ZOE CRICK: Wait, who did you ask?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Uh, Nadia, Runner Thirty-Seven. They said it's red. Now that I'm a clone, I wonder if I still like the same foods. Remind me, how do I feel about jam?

ZOE CRICK: You're... you're joking, right? Because the couches are green. I was just pulling your leg.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Wait, so you see them as green, too? Maybe we're both clones.

ZOE CRICK: I guess. I -

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Or maybe we're from an alternate reality, one where people don't play pranks on their lovely radio cohosts because they might get paid back in spades!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] You - you almost had me going there! [sighs] Well, I guess I might have deserved it. A little.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: A little?

ZOE CRICK: Oh, no comment. All I can say is that I'm happy in this universe with the best cohost ever. This next song is for you, Phil, because you're one of a kind.

~

ZOE CRICK: That whole business with the doppelgängers has got me thinking, Phil.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Not again.

ZOE CRICK: No, not that we're clones or anything like that. I've been thinking about conspiracy theories. Do you think there are more of them now after Z-Day?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Probably. Look at all the things we've gone through. Uh, Sigrid, Moonchild, the Curly Wurly shortage. That's enough to make anyone a little paranoid.

ZOE CRICK: I don't know. I think maybe it's the opposite. All of the conspiracies since Z-Day were eventually exposed. Even if we were replaced by clones, someone would find out and tell people about it.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You have a point. Kind of reassuring in a way.

ZOE CRICK: I hope so. For the concerned ROFFLEnet folks, don't worry. If Phil and I are ever replaced by clones, you'll find out about it soon enough, probably from someone at Abel.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Very true. We're counting on you, Runner Five.

ZOE CRICK: And if the worst should occur, avenge us!

PHIL CHEESEMAN: But in the meantime, we hope all of you carry on enjoying Radio New Hope with the real Phil and Zoe. This one's for everyone who's dedicated to staying true to themselves.

~

[x0401x]

Q&A with the Archery Men

Translated compilation of the eleven-part Q&A from the official Twitter. Feel free to message me about any mistakes. Please consider supporting the creator by purchasing the novels here and here. (Raws || Index)

Question 1. What is your family structure?

I live with just my father. My mother passed away in a car accident when I was in sixth grade.

I live with my father and mother. My older brother lives by himself. Of course, Kuma is a precious family member too.

Grandma, Dad, Mom and Nee-chan! Eeeveryone is nice! I’m a grandma’s boy.

Dad, Mom and little sis! If I do say so myself, I think we’re a family of good-looking men and women. ★

Dad, Mom, two big sisters and our cat, Lucy. The height of my shoulders is close to my Dad’s.

Dad, Mom, Aniki. Dad and Aniki travel outside of the prefecture for work-related matters. I also currently live by myself in an apartment complex close to the shrine.

Father, mother, younger sister. There’s a bit of a gap between mine and my sister’s ages, so we have never played together that much...

Question 2. What’s a food (or drink) that you like?

Egg rolls. Not with sugar but salt! It’s gotta be salt!

Stir-fried water spinach. I’ve never come across a stir-fried water spinach that wasn’t delicious.

Cream stew! I kinda feel happy whenever I eat it.

Soy latte. ❤ Soy is good for health and soy latte is fashionable, huh?

Salted plum. It has a bactericidal effect for recovery from fatigue and is also all-purpose! I have it pickled at home.

Coffee. The ones you can drip yourself are good, but I also like canned coffee. Getting to enjoy the scent is kinda adult-like, isn’t it?

kyoani did you really have to romanize his name like that oh my god

Japanese-style food in general. Spending time with my grandfather might have had a big influence on this. I like takoyaki.

Question 3. Any foods (or drinks) that you hate?

Japanese ginger. That smell is just... I wonder if I’ll grow to like it when I become an adult...

Ratatouille. Lots of things I don’t like are mixed in it... What I don’t like is a secret.

Sukiyaki... Everyone likes it, but I once ate too much and ended up feeling sick...

Bitter gourd. I’m a bit bad at dealing with bitterness. Ah, but if it’s a bitter gourd chanpuru made by you, I’ll eat it. ❤

Chocolate. Can’t really eat sweet stuff...

Eggplant. The texture doesn’t go well no matter what...

I make sure not to hate anything.

Question 4. What are your hobbies?

Pottering. I also go play in the river with Seiya a lot during summer. Of course, Kuma comes too!

Watching soccer games. I like collecting data and coming up with tactics. Eh, why don’t I play it myself, you ask? Haha, because I’m more on the analytical side of it!

Bouldering and traditional drums! I like moving my body, and traditional drums have been on display at a festival in my hometown too!

I like gaming and mangas! But what I’m into right now is gathering frog merch. ❤ The girls give me lots of goods.

Gaming and reading. There’s a game I’m into now, and coming up with tactics is really fun. As for reading, anything goes, I guess... What d’you mean by “that’s unexpected”?

Visiting cafés and enjoying the shop’s coffee! I enjoy reading too. I also go hitch-hiking and there was a time I went on a journey.

I don’t have what could be called a hobby, so... let’s go with “meditating”.

Question 5. Any special abilities?

None in particular. Saying, “This is my talent!” is kinda embarrassing...

Creating smartphone apps. I also register my hit counts in my own self-made app. It’s pretty simple to make one, y’know?

Kendou! I was in the kendou club in middle school. But I don’t like hurting my opponents...

Hip-hop dancing! Cool, ain’t it? I’m also in the middle of studying many languages, not just English! Maybe because I sound good, I get compliments on my pronounciation.

Archery! Nothing other than that! Period!

Car driving. Parallel parking is a breeze too! But the roads and parking lots are large here, so I don’t do parallel parking that often...

None in particular. Aah, archery? I don’t want to attribute it to a category as narrow as “special abilities”.

Question 6. Are you a dog person or cat person?

Kuma! He’s the dog kept at Seiya’s place, and he’s cute and a good boy! I wanna cuddle with him!

Dog, I guess. My Kuma is more attached to Minato than to me, though... I can’t get in-between the two of them.

Dog! People tell me I’m like a golden retriever, so my affinity with them just goes up on its own!

I’m a kitty person. ❤ Of course, I’m talking about you!

Cat. Our Lucy is obviously the cutest thing in the world.

Can’t I be an owl person? In the past, after I took care of an owl that got injured, I became an owl person!

Dog. Japanese breeds are cool, aren’t they?

Question 7. Sea person? Mountains person?

Mountains. I used to often go insect hunting when I was a kid, and climbing trees is my specialty! Be it in spring, summer, fall or winter, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Mountains. When I was a child, I often went to play in them with Minato. I also quite like playing in the river.

Both! I can’t choose between either sea or mountains~. Except, the fact that there are bugs in the mountains and jellyfish in the sea is a bit...

Sea, I guess! I wanna walk on sandy dunes with you. ❤

Sea. Hey, don’t go making that “thought so~” face. I’m into hover boating.

Sea. Why, you ask? Because pretty women in swimsuits are there!

Mountains. My parents have a villa, you see. I’d often play there when I was little.

Question 8. If you could move through space and time, would you want to travel to the past or the future?

Future. I’m sometimes like, “I should’ve done this or that”, but rather than thinking about these things, I wanna move forward.

Past. The reason is a secret.

Future! I wanna try riding on flying cars! Also, maybe going to outer space!

To a happy future with you, I guess. ❤

Past. I’d become a warlord in the Warring States era! The warlord I admire is Date Masamune!

I live cherishing the present. That’s the most important.

Either. If I were to say it, I guess it’d be the future. I’m interested in space travel.

Question 9. What if you could use magic?

I could easily buy the stuff I want in limited-time sales. Last time, a 90%-off black wagyu fillet sold out before my eyes...

Controlling people’s minds. Haha, why’re you looking away?

I wanna try flying in the sky! If I do that, maybe I’d get to be friends with birds!

I don’t need magic. Like, it’s meaningless if you don’t make it happen with your own hands.

Not interested. It kinda feels like there’d be a catch, so I can’t trust it. For example, losing something important every time you use magic...

I’d be able to perfectly clean up the shrine’s grounds in an instant! We’re short-handed, so the cleaning takes up time... I wonder if someone couldn’t help out.

I wouldn’t rely on magic. It feels like I’d soon lose anything I get my hands on without effort.

Question 10. What’s something that made you happy lately?

I got to buy a good pork meat in a limited-time sale. But even though I made ginger pork with it, Dad said he was coming back late from work so he didn’t need it...

That I was able to safely enroll into high school. Eh, sounds like a lie, you say? It’s true.

I found a four-leaf clover! I gave it to Onee-chan!

That I met you. ❤ Hey, are you happy that you met me?

I went to the live show of a band I like. The lyrics that the vocalist writes pierce into your heart...

I got “winner” at the vending machine. I have strong luck, if I do say so myself! Guess I’ll try my hand at buying a lottery ticket or something if it goes on like that...

My sister drew a portrait of me. Of course, I keep it soundly in a safe place.

Question 11. What’s something that made you cry recently?

Tears came out when I was cutting the onions for the ginger pork. I was spacing out...

I don’t cry. If I have time to be crying, I make some effort to get strong instead.

I cried after watching a movie about animals! The child-raising struggles of that cheetah mom were so touching... *cries upon remembering it*

Out of happiness for meeting you. ❤ Speaking of which, why have you been giving me this cold look since earlier!?

I don’t cry.

You used to cry like a pipe in the past!

Shaddap! It’s in the past!

I haven’t ever since I became an adult. My tears have dried up... Just kidding!

I didn’t cry even when I was a child. I don’t even know what’s the kind of time that one should shed tears.

[docholligay]

hey! no such thing as ethical consumption under late capitalism and all, but before you engage with the ow2 trailer slash new character release, i really hope you’ll say something about blizzard’s complicity in suppressing hong kong protests and their non apologies. as you know heaps of people were boycotting blizzard and as a hker i’m really disappointed to see a lot of them roll over like nothing happened because shiny new game dropped, happily doing blizzard’s PR for them.

It’s interesting to include me in this conversation and makes me wonder if you’re actually a follower of mine or just a fly by night, because I have made exactly 0% hue and cry over boycotting Blizzard. I’m not walking back something I said I would do because they dropped a trailer and I want to watch it, because i never said it. I try VERY hard not to get on a horse I don’t think I��ll ride. Blizzard hasn’t gotten money from me in probably…9 months? Maybe more. Essentially I was already “boycotting” it. But I’m not gonna say it was as a result of this, because it wasn’t. 

Blizzard is behaving exactly like any major Western media company in the face of China: Weakly and pathetically. 

I fucking hate the Chinese government, and I hated it long back before the Hong Kong protests. This is not their first human rights abuse rodeo. I think Blizzard was a bad actor here, but they are literally no worse than the other Western media companies who constantly bend over backwards to appease the goddamn Chinese government. Honestly, I wish this whole situation would have opened up a larger conversation about how the Chinese government is affecting Western big-budget media in a way that I think is both ridiculous and inappropriate, and have been yelling about for years. Marvel Movies are never going to touch anything gay, because China. Actors and actresses get censored the same way, because fucking China. Apple removed an app that showed the locations of police officers. The NBA distanced itself from a general manager for just TWEETING about Hong Kong. Western media and Western companies are absolutely inappropriately intertwined with the Chinese government, and I fucking hate it.

Blizzard was stupid and should have at least waited for the Chinese government to make the first move. (There’s also a larger conversation to be had about how pro streamers and politics are allowed to mix, and how it is to be a packaged personality for sale under capitalism, but that is a very very long conversation) They acted immediately, and now there is absolutely no fucking way they are going to get out of this without either alienating a base of gamers or the Chinese government. They are going to take a financial beating either way. Globalization, in many ways, was a fucking mistake, and they shouldn’t rely so much on the Chinese government’s good graces. 

Everyone makes their own choices in life, and I get if you want to block me, or unfollow me, because the particular choice to watch this trailer, and probably be excited about the story bits in it, is going to piss you off. That’s fine and fair. I don’t use Amazon, but some people still do. They can live with that. Like you said, there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism and while that isn’t, in my mind, an excuse for doing whatever you want, you DO have to pick up and lay down your particular sword every day. To me, watching a chunk of story and being excited about it even though I disagree with the company’s actions and non-stance is a thing I can live with. I’m not buying the game, I’m not buying merch. I don’t even play. I take the free shit they give me and mess around with it. 

[mysticdragon3md3]

Good Smile is having a free shipping sale on a big portion of their “Available Now” products. (That’s their figures in-stock right now. You don’t have to wait for later release dates, like a preorder that comes before production.  They can ship it right away, as soon as the order is placed.) 

And I was tempted to buy something.  Especially if they’re leaning their sales of pre-existing stock, so they don’t have to send their figure production workers to the factories during this quarantine.  If they’re relying on their in-stock sales to make up for whatever revenue they’ll lose for slowing down production for the quarantines, then I kind of want to buy something just to support Good Smile.  But I am committed to buying all the Persona 5 Nendoroids and Figma (except Akechi), and 1 or 2 Pop Up Parade figures.  Every time I think about buying a figure or placing a preorder, that’s money that could be going to a Persona 5 figure.  So I’m “window shopping” instead.  ^^;;;

There is A LOT of good stuff in the sale selection.  I know, because I bought a lot of those figures already.  ^.^  KanColle, Haikyuu, Nendoroid More sets, the Persona 5 Piyokuru set, etc.  I was hoping to find Nendoroid Beam Kirby, but no luck.  There are some figures I’ve wanted but passed up before.  

Like Libeccio.  She comes with a really cute alternate body that’s a jack-o-lantern Halloween costume, and her turrets are also dressed as jack-o-lanterns and a ghost!  She even has a bag of candy!  For people whose favorite holiday is Halloween, like me, it’s been painful to pass her up each time.  But honestly, I’m not into KanColle as much as I am Persona 5.  Gotta save that money for P5.  

And Saratoga is just so elegant, and I feel kind of obligated as an American to buy another American ship.  I already decided on her white dress instead of her black dress version.  I was all set to buy her, but I just can’t use my Persona 5 budget on another KanColle.  And if I get her, then I just have to hunt down Gambier Bay, who I also wanted, not just as an American, but also because she has this cute genki, clutzy energy.  But I can’t commit to 2 KanColle and give in to my completionist tendencies.  

Then there’s Nendoroids Lucifer/Lucy, Tomo, and Ii-chan.  I’m not familiar with their series, but they’re beauty pieces.  I always liked Lucy’s stunning wings, but also the boldness of her color scheme.  Tomo just has hair colors I like, her outfit has an elegant beauty, and her bare feet are rare and will come in handy when I shoot beach scenes.  And though I haven’t seen Tomo and Ii-chan’s movie, if I get Tomo, then I have to get Ii-chan.  

The Christmas outfits are both sets I already have, but sometimes I think about getting duplicates, so I can shoot group photos of more than just one male and one female in Santa outfits during the holidays.  

Rin & Wooser are another set of figures from a series I haven’t seen, but her jacket is so versatile, and she’s so cheap, I’m always tempted to get her.  Her price, reminds me of back when the average price of Nendoroids was $35 instead of $50.  And yet, she’s still $25.  *o*

There’s actually a lot of other figures in the Good Smile Shop’s “Available Now” section, that isn’t included in the free shipping sale, but is still a great selection.  Like both Nendoroids and Figma for both Ryuji Sakamoto and Yusuke Kitagawa are still available.  When I saw that and the Persona 5 Piyokuru set all in the “Availalbe Now” section, I was afraid that not enough people had bought Good Smile’s Persona 5 figures.  If people don’t buy enough P5 figures from Good Smile, Good Smile will think demand for P5 figures is too low for them to produce more.  And I was really waiting for more P5 Nendoroids to get announced, hopefully in their school uniforms.  Especially when Ryuji’s and Ann’s first Nendoroid faceplates were kind of disappointing.  I mean, they’re fine.  But I had to customize Ryuji’s blank stare faceplate to give him his characteristic sunny grin!  And I KNOW Good Smile knows that sunny grin is indicative of Ryuji, because they gave his Figma TWO of Ryuji’s characteristic sunny smiles!  And Ann’s winking expression is nice, but it limits the angle I can display her face for photos.  Because if her winking eye is towards my camera, she looks more like she’s blinking than smiling or especially looking towards something.  And I don’t know if this bothers anyone else, but her smile in that winking faceplate, looks odd from a distance.  They gave her bottom lip emphasis and a wider, asymmetrical smiling line, but I would have preferred a more standard or subdued smile.  Just something that looks more unmistakably like a smile.  Especially at the small scale Nendoroids have, and with my lack of a macro camera lens, Ann’s current only smiling faceplate, often seems like she’s sticking out her tongue and not quite smiling, except at juuuuust the right angle.  And sometimes a shot get harder with those limitations.  I just really hope Good Smile was planning to make school uniform Persona 5 Nendoroids all along, and that’s where they were saving the more typical Nendoroid smiles for.  I hope.  But if P5 figures don’t sell well, even if they were planning more, they’ll have to just scrap those plans.  So when I see a lot of P5 figures in their “Available Now” stock, that essentially means that was leftover stock that didn’t sell.  Was P5 not in as much demand as I had expected?  As Good Smile had expected?  ;o;???  Then I realized that P5 is very popular right now, and everyone knows it.  SO MANY companies are doing collaborations with Atlus for P5 cross-overs and merch.  It’s more likely to assume that in anticipation for the high demand for P5, Good Smile probably ensured they produced an insane amount of stock for their P5 figures.  So this extra isn’t a sign that P5 didn’t sell well for them.  It’s a sign that they were well prepared for the demand.  Maybe a little too-well prepared, but hey, better than not.  ^-^  I hope to see announcements for P5 school uniform Nendoroids at upcoming Wonder Festivals.  *____*

[emsysquared]

Hi! This is a very helpful and well-organized blog, thank you for that. I was wondering if you have any advice/resources for someone who is thinking about quitting their day job and selling at cons (and making/preparing for cons) full-time. Thank you!

Hi there! First off, look at how much money you are makingat cons. If you can’t even make back morethan your table costs I would reconsider the decision of doing artist alley full time fornow and just create/draw a lot, tweak your business and have fun until you noticeprofits increasing. But if you’re at the point where you get a predictableamount of sales and consistently command 4-digit profits, something like $1k-5k+a show on average (not just from one or two shows, ON AVERAGE), that’s definitely would be a reasonable point where you can safely consider jumpinginto doing artist alley full time. The key here is to ask yourself if theprofits you generate are enough to pay back all your AA costs (such as table +traveling), your rent, and more on top of that.

Secondly, cons are extremely volatile. Conventions are agreat way to get you and your art known out there but the environment for them haschanged since I first tabled in 2013. While big conventions have always beencompetitive to get into, even SMALL conventions have started filling up withinminutes of opening apps. There’s more independent artists nowadays trying touse AA as their primary income source and also not enough good reputable consto meet that demand. Not being able to get into one or more of your favorite cons couldmean you’re forced to find other cons to table at that may be in a differentarea and will cost you more to travel to or risk not being able to pay rent fora few months. Attendee spending can also fluctuate year to year due to variousfactors, so it is possible you may not make the same numbers returning to thesame con. It sucks knowing that, but that’s part of the business you’ll have todeal with.

Because of this, this is why I recommend you do NOT rely onconventions 100% to keep you afloat. Nearly every single artist I know who doesAA full time has multiple streams of revenue to sustain them, especially duringperiods where convention season is slow. Many artists take up onlinecommissions for clients to supplement their con income, do Patreon, sell at localconsignment shops, some even have other endeavors like teaching art classes,maintaining an online shop, freelancing art not related to AA work, etc. Even if you earn more at cons, something is better than nothing. Limiting yourself to convention-only profits is just limiting yourself and yourearnings, tbh.

This also may surprise you, but I’ve learned quite a few pplwho do art/conventions full time also a) had months to a year’s worth of moneysaved up from their previous day job beforehand to cushion them while they grewtheir business, b) lived at home with parents rent-free and debt-free c)have a significant other that was willing to support them while they pursuedart. There are artists who’ve still made it work even if they’ve had none ofthese, but I personally do not advise you to jump in if you have none of these.Do realize if you have no savings and are on your own, it’ll be stressfulbecause you have to rely on the “success” and marketability of your work, andthis will be a huge problem if your work does not appeal to a broad enough audienceor you haven’t found your market/following yet.

Always keep track of your finances and save a little eachtime in case unexpected things happen. It’s possible you may need to change your lifestyle to cut costs. Youmay be making money, but you also need to spend money to invest in all thoseartist alley tables you’re doing. Be honest with yourself how many conventionsare you capable of doing in a year, and in a row weekend after weekend? I havefriends in the AA community who do as many as 12 to 35+ shows a year around the country, and that’sa LOT of time you will have to be away from your loved ones. 

As for making&preparing stock for cons, I recommend to havea good variety on your table and start in small quantities (like 6-10different prints, with 5-10 copies each design, 3-5 if you’re unsure). Asyou do more cons, you will figure out what sells and what doesn’t, and fromthere you can better determine what to order. There are things that willmove better than others, others that barely move but may still be useful to addto your display, and others you’ll ask yourself “why are you guys buying this Iprinted this out as joke and it’s selling” and even this can vary from con to con.  While I’m constantly drafting of new artworkto work on since I table throughout the year, the bulk of my actual con prep istypically 2-4 months before a convention. I can always print last min printsthe night before a con, but with charms and other special merch, I have tofinish files early and plan weeks ahead to make sure they ship to me in time.

For additional resources, How To Be A Con Artist’s Tumblrhas a lot of good links and articles around their site for more AA advice that might pertain toyou, such as doing your taxes as a freelance artist, etc which you’ll probably will need to look into more if you do AA full time.

Ultimately, the decision is up to you and what do you value- is it important to you that you spend 100% of your time and energy all intoart? Or is having the security of a day job while you do art on the side morevaluable? Some people I know have taken YEARS before artist alley started beingprofitable for them, and there’s no shame in slowly working your way towardsthat goal or keeping your day job for the stability. And there’s also no shamein going back to a day job or taking a hiatus if things aren’t working out – atthe end of the day you gotta eat and pay your bills, and it can be hard to bein a healthy mindspace of making good art if you can’t eat. I hope this helps!

(if you have any other specific questions, feel free to sendme another ask on this account! I love discussing artist alley stuff withothers, and I’m more than happy to help to the best of my abilities and knowledge ^^)

[okaywowcool]

hhh a few things i just feel obligated to address just looking at the notes/response i’m already getting to that poppy jumpsuit post....

one, i’m aware of other fucked up shit surrounding poppy/titanic sinclair, this is just a fashion blog and i’m more interested in defending big bud press in this case than going after poppy, not because it’s the Most Serious Offense in all of this muck they’re involved with, but because it’s the focus of my blog--i’m interested in supporting small businesses as often as i can and want to defend them when they come up against bullshit like this from bigger companies because they often don’t have the resources to do it legally and rely a lot on public outcry/bad PR to get paid what they’re owed in situations like this.

i wouldn’t ever report on all the other stuff (titanic sinclair being problematic and also straight up abusive) on here because even just reading it (as an abuse survivor myself) kind of makes me want to blow my brains out. if you support poppy i highly suggest researching it yourself bc there’s a lot of shit you probably don’t know. but like...y’all don’t have to send me asks about it. if you want to add that information to the post for other folks to reblog feel free but pls don’t implicate me as caring about the wrong things. 

secondly, yes, clothing pieces getting knocked off is a common occurrence and a problem and you See It All The Time, but there’s a big difference between corporate knock offs of other corporate designs or mass produced cheap knock offs of corporate designs (like knock off Louis Vuitton or Gucci) and someone actively contacting a small designer, asking them to do work, and then going behind their back to steal their product...the effect is different, and if you don’t understand How they’re different then just like. think about who the theft is directly affecting. 

That Gucci designer is getting a paycheck no matter how many $10 knock off bags are being sold on the streets, but in this case Big Bud Press could have gotten thousands of dollars from a deal with Poppy to make her merch and lost that deal and could lose more money because once a design/pattern is produced overseas, copyright laws outside of the US make the pattern pretty much fair game...a huge sea of knockoffs using their exact same pattern could potentially be being produced right now. and that’s like a handful of individuals (like probably under 10) who count on sales as their livelihood...it’s just different, which is why i don’t report on big designer fashion house level knock offs, or like smaller corporation knock offs (or even care about them honestly) but do get passionate about the earnings of individual artists who run truly small businesses. 

[rndyounghowze]

Giving Tuesday!!! Help Support These Amazing Artists and Organizations!

A quick run down of a few Giving Tuesday fundraisers you can support! #givingtuesday

By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze

Mays Landing, New Jersey

This year we wanted to support the arts and not the big companies of the world. Sure you can get things on sale but that same $20 could be the difference between surviving and thriving for a theatre company. Here are some great theatre companies that are having Giving Tuesday Fundraisers that reached out to us. Are you ready to meet your new favorite artists?

The Young-Howze Theatre Journal

Venmo: @rndyounghowze

Paypal: nyllad99@yahoo.com

We have been reviewing digital theatre since lockdown happened and since April we have reviewed over a hundred digital productions from artists all over the world! The only money we have been relying on since this all began have been Ricky’s unemployment check and small contributions from community members like you. Now as December is nigh approaching we are hoping to open a merch shop, sell ads, and start teaching workshops. However the bulk of our survival may still rely on you wonderful readers showing up and supporting our work. So please help us continue to eat and pay the bills this upcoming year.

Sour Grapes Productions

It has been a crazy year for this small production company that made the leap to digital. Genny Yosco and Chris Weigandt have brought the weekly show Bard Brunch to your screens every Sunday and numerous other digital productions throughout the year. Most notably Yosco’s “Im ur Hamlet” claimed one of three positions of Hartford Fringe’s “Best of The Fringe”. They have a sequel to that coming up in January and are hoping to raise money for administrative expenses and to help support their main cadre of actors during these tough times. If you like Punny food and irreverent Shakespeare then you have to donate to them.

Frigid New York

Dana and I first got acquainted with this company through the Queerly Festival. They must have taken a liking to us because they have opened their digital doors to us and have let us in just about anywhere we asked (and places we never thought to ask). They have been using donations and ticket sales to their digital events to keep their proverbial lights on and their artist paid during a time when a lot of theaters are closing their doors nationwide. Please consider donating to them to help further their work.

Heritage Alliance

I first met Anne G’Fellers Mason on my first year of grad school when I still thought I was destined to be a cisgender southern boy from Tennessee. We became such good friends that we quickly became the “Tennessee Twins”. Through the Heritage Alliance they have done so much hard work to keep History alive in Jonesborough, TN and the work that Anne did to start the applied theatre program and eventually helm the whole museum will leave its mark on the region for years to come. Please consider donating.

Black Lives, Black Words

Reginald Edmund likes to say that Dana and I “came out of nowhere” to review his the first in their season. Really we just followed a trail of breadcrumbs of great Black artists that led straight to his door. He keeps very talented and experienced group of artists around him and strives as hard as he can to keep Black theatrical excellence in the forefront at all times. The money you give today will help Black Lives, Black Words keep supporting great artists and to continue bringing you great Black plays.

DANA Movement Ensemble

We first became acquainted with Nick Daniels through his highlighted work in the Reparations Show by Kevin R. Free. Anytime we interface with their work we are just floored and they are trying to raise money to do even more next year. This money will go to artists fees, travel expenses, and other things so that they can continue to bring you high quality multimedia artistry.

Gorilla Repertory Theatre

Gorilla Rep broke new boundaries by taking some of their amazing cast members during quarantine and filming a new feature length production of Macbeth on their smartphones. We reviewed it and were immediately invigorated by the work. They are trying to raise money now to film a production of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet the same way. Chip in whatever you can and help them continue to forge new frontiers.

Kinetic Etchings

We first met Amile Clark Wilson while we were embedded reporters at Hollins University’s Playwrights Lab. While you’re embedded with Hollins all you’re ever thinking about is writing writing and more writing. When Amile shared that he also ran a dance company we had no clue! Kinetic Etchings has been working as a venue for exceptional concert dance in Jackson, MS for a while now and they need your help to keep this vital mission going!

Any little bit that you can do to help these artists, from $1-$100 will go a great way into ensuring their survival in these trying times. On this Giving Tuesday please consider voting with your dollar and proclaiming to the world that you want to keep the arts alive!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

We have a YouTube Channel. We’re working furiously to get new videos up weekly.

https://youtu.be/pRDy8DtXioc

We are so thankful for the outpouring of donations we’ve received! We graciously accept all donations through our Venmo (@rndyounghowze).

Wanna be a sponsor? Email us for rates at rndyounghowze@gmail.com

[the-tragic-heroine]

hello! i am a singaporean artist as well, and hope to venture into merch making. i was wondering if you could tell me where you got your acrylic charms and enamel pins printed! and also, if you dont mind, some advice on boothing at cons! i really love your work aaahhhhhh;;

Hello!! Thank you so much ;v;;;; I hope this reply wasn’t too late orz I’m really glad!!! I got my acrylic charms from Vograce and my enamel pins from yyyproducts! Contact them both directly and talk to the service reps if you would like to order from them :) Just be aware that when it comes to sharing merch sources, companies can be overwhelmed with orders and make the quality of their work go down.

As for advice on boothing at cons, is there anything specific you would like to know? If not I’ll just lay out some very general pieces of advice that I think are pretty important!

Smile, be friendly, don’t push people to buy your work, but also engage with them if they seem like they’re interested! Boothing can be scary at first because it is very much a social job, but the more you do it the more you’ll come to recognise social cues from potential customers. Try not to seem too disinterested or be on your phone all the time!

Don’t undersell your work! Check prices of what other people are selling and try to match for something similar. Keep in mind the production price of what you made and make sure you make some profit. Sometimes I see people selling merch for EXTREMELY cheap and this only hurts fellow artists.

Don’t overestimate how much you can sell. It’s easy to think it would be better to order merch in bulk because the more you buy the cheaper each product is, but it is more difficult than you might think to sell every piece unless you are already a popular artist. What will happen is that you will end up with a stock of merch you just can’t get rid of gathering dust and taking up space in your house. For example, for prints, 5-10 of each design for a con is already enough.

Don’t be disappointed in yourself if you don’t make as much as you expected or if you didn’t sell much of an item. Although we follow market trends such as selling artwork of popular subjects (popular anime, cute cats and dogs), it can also be difficult to predict exactly how well something will sell. It’s not necessarily the fault of your artwork. Plus, if a market is too saturated with a certain subject matter, it can also make things more difficult! It’s good to keep up with trends but don’t rely on them. Nowadays, they change too quickly.

Make friends with other artists! Give yourself some time during the con to walk around and say hi to other boothers. It’s a good way of putting yourself out there, gaining new followers, and even trading some merch. (Art trades typically happen within the last hour on the last day of the convention.) We all want to support each other! I especially love supporting small artists as much as I can.

Booth together with other people! It is so much easier to handle boothing when you are working together with a partner. I often group together with around 1-3 other artists and we help each other when it comes to setting up, making sales, and packaging up merch for customers. It also won’t be as boring during the lazy parts of the day when traffic is low.

Boothing is more tiring than it seems. Sure, you’re just sitting around all day, but with the amount of people coming and going it can be quite draining. Prepare yourself to be spent once the day is over. This is probably a given for any event but be sure you get enough sleep the night before!

Wow, that was a lot more than I expected to write! It really depends on the person but for me, as tiring as it is, I love boothing and it is always so rewarding knowing that people are willing to pay money for your work. Sometimes I’ll see familiar faces and people wearing my merch and it just makes me so warm and fuzzy inside. 

Wishing you all the best with your convention endeavours and please do drop by to say hi if you see me! ;v; I love meeting new people and making new friends! Thank you for the ask, dear!

(If this is helpful for anyone, feel free to reblog!)

[copperbadge]

I was wondering if you had thoughts about the ethics of homemade fandom merch? I'm talking about smaller fandoms, the kind that rely a lot on things like patreon for funds (webcomics, podcasts, lesser-known bands). Like, if I want a t-shirt/phone case/throw pillow themed after their content and they're selling one, is it my moral obligation to buy one and not make one for myself? Or is making one for myself okay as long as I don't profit? Does it change the answer if I support them on patreon?

Honestly, it’s not an economy I’m well-familiar with, so I may not be much help. Particularly when the canon creator is either not making a living at it or barely making a living. 

I think however that there is a distinction between making something yourself for yourself, making a product that you see a need for and selling it without cutting in the creator, and buying it off someone unaffiliated with the creator. With a fandom like Marvel I have no qualms, because they’re a bazillion dollar industry, though I still try to buy from pro comics creators if I can (I have several Skottie Young prints bought from him at artist’s alley, for example, and amusing stories of my own social awkwardness to go along with them). With a smaller fandom I do try to go to the source because they’re the originators, they deserve compensation for their art and ideas. 

I think that when one can, one should support creators who are trying to make a living off what they do. But sometimes, especially in this situation, there’s not a lot of merch and what you want may not be available. And in that case sure, I think making one for yourself is okay -- or if you want something that’s one-of-a-kind, for your use only. If you’re making and selling it, that’s different, or if you’re purchasing the premade product from someone unaffiliated, that can also be an issue, but making something yourself for your own personal use? I have a hard time seeing the ethical issue there. However, I’m open to debate on the topic, since just because I don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

If you do feel bad about making something for yourself when the thing already exists for sale, you might compensate for it -- make the thing you want, and throw a couple of dollars in their patreon or their tip jar. Particularly if you’re using art/logos from the canon for your thing, it’s an unofficial way of paying them for use. 

Sorry I can’t be of more help on this one -- I think often there are contextual factors that affect it, which means it’s often a case-by-case basis. 

[algebraicant]

SO, since nobody asked,

I’m writing this just in case I want to source and have this information all in one place,

TANACON

just watched the series (1/31/2019) -- late, I know

comments I wanted to respond to but were posted 6+ months ago, so like, old news, who cares/ maybe they’ve since learned the answer and don't need my two cents,

Q: where did the money go???

A: Shane said: veep (the company which sold the tickets) told Good Times (Michael)  that if any problems occurred, they were keeping the ticket sales (MANY problems occurred) and that Good Times would be responsible for refunding ticket sales (325,000)

Q: (moreso a wrong assumption) Tana and Good Times knew the capacity was set to 1,200! they knew they were selling 4,000 extra tickets and that those people would never get inside!! scam scam scam!

A: Short answer? No.

Long answer? Buckle your seat belts:

No. The capacity was 1,200-- number one, that’s sort of a technicality. That number is for fire safety reasons, and buildings/rooms/etc have to have a capacity (that is determined by guidelines to which idc enough about the specifics to look up rn-- maybe there's a person per square foot ratio idfk it doesn’t matter) in case of a fire emergency,, it's a preventative measure to minimize the chance of a stampede resulting in injury/death. SO, that being said, you CAN fit more people into a room then the stated capacity of the room.

Now you might be thinking: even so, not 4,000 EXTRA PEOPLE. Yes, that is definitely true.

BUT, CONs are not like, say, a ballet/play theater, or movie theaters, etc, where there is a certain number of seats and there’s one person per seat, no more (and hopefully no less), you sit, you watch, you leave. Events like CONs account for foot traffic and the constant cycling of people. 

You come in, you walk around, you see X, Y, and Z, and you leave. If the event has expensive food/drink, you may leave to get cheaper options (if the event allows you to leave and re-enter, anyway). The point is, people are coming and going throughout the day, so that allows for others to replace them.

I assume the event creator(s) of TANACON believed there would be higher turn-around than there was.

Still, that being said, 4,000 people was WAY too many extra tickets sold. There was no possible way that there would be 1,000 people coming in for 40 minutes to an hour, and then leaving to allow for the next batch of people. Even accounting for the different arrival times-- some people coming at/before the CON started, people coming closer to noon after a late start-- it's utterly impossible.

In saying that, you might think: How could someone make such a careless mistake?

Keep in mind, THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AT VIDCON IN 2014:

“VidCon 2014 was held at the Anaheim Convention Center, and 18,000 people showed up for the sold-out get-together for those who love online video.

But getting inside to see their favorite YouTubers has some people complaining about long lines.

One woman and her family say they waited two hours, only to have security cut them off in line before she could get an autograph with her favorite online creators.

On VidCon's Facebook page they do say they cannot guarantee that everyone will have one-on-one time with their favorite creators.

Hank Green, co-creator of VidCon, says they tried to make access as fair as possible, but the demand for signings was higher than expected, with fans camping out.

"We ended up in a situation this year which we should have anticipated, but didn't, that basically we had to queue people up before the queues," said Green.”

etc etc

https://abc7.com/news/fans-wait-in-long-lines-for-hours-at-vidcon/145838/

NOTE: wiki says 12,000 people bought tickets in 2013, and the attendance was increasing every year, but there is no official count on wiki for 2014-- probably because they FUCKED UP and oversold by way too many.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VidCon

The Anaheim Convention Center, where VIDCON was held, has a capacity of 7,000-7,500 people inside. The outside area fits 5,500 people.

Together, the convention center fits 13,000 people inside and out.

VIDCON oversold by 5,000 (18,000-13,000).

ALSO

KEEP IN MIND, that means 10,500 people were outside of the actual convention center (18,000-7,500). These 10,500 people were, instead, either in the outside area (5,500) or in the parking lot waiting to get in (5000).

NOTE: I’m not taking into account the fact that, as I previously stated, the capacity number is just an approximate, and that more people might have actually been let inside, despite the capacity limit. That is because I simply can’t calculate the number extra people that security allowed in past the capacity number (as far as I can tell, that information isn’t public knowledge, IF they even kept count). But for our purposes, even if I speculate, and allow for, maybe 1,000 extra people, that’s still 9,500 people NOT in the venue.

SO THE SAME THING HAPPENED

So, what’s the difference (if any)?

1. VIDCON was already established. VIDCON had existed since 2010 (3 successful years prior to the 2014 VIDCON)

2. VIDCON had already been held at the Anaheim Convention Center the year prior.

Is that good for VIDCON?

yes?

Because VIDCON had been established for 3 years, with 1 year at that particular venue, people, presumably, knew they’d be waiting in line for at least 30 minutes, and maybe several hours. People knew to check the weather, bring sunscreen, water, snacks, a board game, pool noodles, WHATEVER they needed while waiting. (I’m sure some people didn’t plan, but you can’t account for every stupid person in the world, otherwise, you’d work/worry yourself to death. If they didn’t bring water, they could leave, or die of dehydration at that point. Sometimes Darwinism works itself out, what can I say-- I’M KIDDING. Sort of.)

no?

Since they went from 12,000 (which presumably worked) to 18,000 in one year’s time without changing venues/ adding venues, or changing visitor passes (limiting access/time spent at the venue) they royally fucked up. If 12,000 people works for you, you don’t just add 5,000 extra people to the list. Especially knowing only 7,500 people fit inside the center, and 13,000 people fit total. If you want to push it to 13,000... fine. Don’t go 4,000 over (COUGH COUGH, TANACON 2K18).

but, yes?

Because the Green Brother’s apologized (sort of-- they did the “i’m sorry you feel that way” non-apology, apology type shit) and took responsibility and came out with public statements explaining what the issues were and set a fixed limit of people the next year, 2015, (”Next year I think is going to be significantly different in how we handle [things]”)  they were able to calm some of the ruffled feathers.

Also, because they had 3 successful years under their belt, they already had a following/ people who trusted them. They also had 3 years of success as proof that their trust was earned, so it was easier for them to say “sorry! this was a blip! a mistake! we promise it will never happen again, just remember the good times, we'll be back to that level of success next year,” and have people believe them.

NOW, compare that to TANACON

1. TANACON was suggested, then created, over the course of a few months.

This doesn’t need further explanation, right? Like, a convention that’s supposed to have food/drink/security/merch/meet-and-greets etc. and FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE can’t be planned in a few months.

2. Expectations were set too high.

VIDCON already existed, so there was a bar in place. If TANACON wasn’t as good as (or at least close to) VIDCON standards, people were going to bitch. But, instead, it just failed completely, so...

3. Tana wanted revenge on VIDCON. TANACON was a byproduct of that.

So, wrong motives-- already a bad start. She is young, unlike the Green brothers, inexperienced, naive, impulsive, and often, in the past, not held accountable for her mistakes, so she’s got a slight god-complex? possibly? or at the very least, she’s cocky and irresponsible. But, I mean, she was 19/20 at the time, right? Who isn’t a bit cocky and irresponsible at that age (maybe not Tana-level, but still).

I honestly partly blame the ticket buyers (and their parents) for, not one moment, pausing to think: I WATCH Tana’s videos-- part of her appeal (?) is that she’s a fucking mess. That’s what her “Story Time” videos ARE. HER CONSTANTLY GETTING INTO PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS. HAVE SOME FORSIGHT PEOPLE. Also, you saw the video where the TANACON idea was conceived right? You KNEW AHEAD OF TIME this was the result of revenge. When do revenge schemes ever go to plan? Again, HAVE SOME FORESIGHT PEOPLE.

4. Tana and Michael are both early 20′s. And I mean EARLY 20′s.

Tana was 20, so even if this wasn’t made out of revenge, and she wasn’t as much of a mess as she IS, you still should be considering the PROS and CONS of relying on a child.

(For reference, I’m 22. I would never trust myself, or another person my age-- Tana 20, Michael 21-- to be able to successfully plan and execute something of this size. A fan meet-and-greet at Starbucks? MAAAYBE.)

When people go into business with young people/ people who have no experience in the field because they “believe in them” or “trusted them,” is it partly their fault? If you ASSUME that because VIDCON is an established convention that, besides 2014 when they learned their lesson, has been extremely successful, that TANACON will be? That’s your oversight. If you’re pouring your faith and money into a business just because they seem trustful, with nothing to back it up? No past experience? No proof of responsibility in the past? I’m sorry, but that’s your bad. Or worse, you don’t even consider whether it should be trusted at all? You have just always dreamed of meeting youtubers X, Y, Z, and so you jumped without actually considering the consequences, the risk vs reward? Again, that’s your fault. 

While your ticket money might eventually get refunded, you still wasted the time (missing work/school/etc) standing in a hot parking lot or a mess of a venue, as well as travel costs you’ll never get back (unless someone pays you back out of guilt-provoked charity), and, I’m sure, a bunch of other shitty experiences. HAVE SOME FORESIGHT.

The only good thing to come out of TANACON is, maybe, you’ll know not to blindly trust some teenaged stranger from the internet (and hopefully be able to apply your new-found caution to other situations as well) in the future.

Tana could have easily found the same information as I did about the VIDCON fuck up of 2k14 and

1. Pointed fingers. “IT’S NOT JUST ME, NOBODY’S PERFECT.”

2. Learned from their mistakes and not repeat them.

I’m aware that: Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Pointing fingers probably would’ve made the situation more polarized, aka, 1/2 her viewers (the vast majority being people who did not go to TANACON and live through the disappointment) would say “she’s right. VIDCON fucked up too in the past. Sure, she fucked up, but nobody’s perfect. Accidents happen” and 1/2 her viewers (the vast majority being people who did go to TANACON and lived through the disappointment) would say “Tana’s a cunt trying to divert the attention of her huge fuck up onto VIDCON again by making excuses!”

So, the situation really wouldn’t have gotten any better as a result.

and

There’s no point in going down that rabbit hole. She didn’t do the research. She was fueled by revenge and was naive enough to believe Michael, a boy one year older than her, could handle everything simply because he said he could (spoiler: he couldn’t).

It happened. It's over. Nobody died. Nobody got seriously injured.

I feel sorry for the people who wasted their money and time at TANACON (especially those who flew from overseas).

I feel sorry for Tana because she didn’t want TANACON to be a disaster. Now she has to live with the guilt for ruining a lot of people’s day and the repercussions.

I feel sorry for Michael because he bit off more than he could chew and has to live with the repercussions of his actions.

I feel sorry for all the youtube personalities that agreed to go and the guilt of having their fans be let down.

All you can hope for is that the people learn from this disaster and not repeat it again (although, like I said, this happened at VIDCON four years prior, so who knows-- fingers crossed that, because it was such a huge controversy and people love bringing up how controversial people fucked up in the past, people will actually remember, and it’ll take more than 4 years before something like this happens again??).

#boycottthemarriott #? #stillnotsurewheretheylandedinallthis #scapegoat #?

[station219records]

Social Media Management For Your Band

By Charlie Matthews A few weeks ago Emma Zanger, who runs press and publicity for Friday Pilots Club, reached out to me asking if the band could participate in the Station 219 Records not-so-standard-interview and of course I said yes. The band is great! I turned the tables on her and asked if she would like an interview of her own. Of course, she said yes, too.

Image: Emma Zanger Not every band has a dedicated social media manager or access to someone who is looking at social media as a tool that helps create a fanbase, sell more merchandise, advertise gig dates, and so much more. We all know that our favorite social media platforms are a fun way to get the word out, but as a band, are you taking full advantage of the free marketing and advertising tools that are available to you? I know most of the bands I talk to could use some help. And most of us can’t afford a Social Media Manager, but Emma answered a lot of the questions most of us have on the topic of social sharing and its worth. Thank you Emma for taking the time to participate in a completely different version of our not-so-standard interview! There are hundreds of places for a band to share their posts. How does a band decide where to post? A band has the opportunity to choose from a multitude of social media and marketing platforms in today’s digital world. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are the big three people normally mention first, but there are so many other very useful tools such as YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Reddit, etc. When faced with the decision on where to promote a band and their latest news, it is important to understand which platforms from the list are the ones being used most often, which one carries the majority of your target audience, and how well your posts will spread around. For Friday Pilots Club, Facebook is a big one, and then Twitter and Instagram. What I like about platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube is that they are all very visually appealing, and everyone always likes when things are made simple. So, if you can share a message with a single eye-catching image, that is easily shared with the click of a button…people are going to do that. I know some bands who don’t update anything but YouTube and their www. What do you tell bands who just refuse to get on the social media bandwagon? I’ve heard stories like this a few times. In today’s world, almost everything is digital, and it’s naïve to think it’s not. Of course, there are some people who still love reading the newspapers, and even record players have made an enormous comeback. I myself love having hard copy, high quality CDs (as well as downloads), and I love my 1973 polaroid camera I carry with me. But when it comes to news and updates, the quickest, easiest, and most efficient way to get that information is through online platforms. It’s all about adapting to your environment – survival of the fittest. If you don’t ride the change, you die. The industry will move right along without you. Using the idea that a band is a business, do you think bands should pay to advertise? Should a band be looking at things like Facebook or Twitter advertising? I think that Facebook and Twitter advertising can be effective, especially with those eye-catching images. Today the average person is exposed to about 5,000 ads daily, and I even admit to clicking on a few side-bar ads once and awhile. I don’t think that bands as a business should rely on this kind of advertising too heavily or spend too much money on it, but when used properly it can show results for sure, especially on a media platform as popular and as prevalent as Facebook. Does spending time on social media result in ticket sales and merch sales? Is there really a ROI (Return On Investment)? I think it absolutely does! Imagine today, trying only to promote a world tour by means of newspaper or magazine print…its ridiculous! Not as many people rely on information that way compared to the millions on social media. Social media is a great way to build brand awareness, generate revenue, etc. I think that bands and artists in particular have a much greater likelihood in attributing their revenue to social media than other businesses and organizations. Measuring your social media ROI enables you to discover where your efforts and resources are most effective, identify the areas in which you need to improve, and have a comprehensive overview of your customers and the ways in which they behave. How often does a band need to be updating their sites? I think a band should be posting quite often, as in you should be posting much more material if you receive that notification that informs you that “your followers haven’t heard from you in awhile”. I think a post or tweet, even one as small as ‘working hard in the studio, excited for what’s coming’ should be posted at least every two days or so. Especially with a business like a band, it’s important to keep your fanbase posted and thoroughly engaged – the more noise going on about you and your business on social media the better. What is unique content? Does this apply to social media outside of the music bands are releasing? For a band like Friday Pilots Club, unique content, outside of the music the band releases, could include things like vlogs. I’m a fan of so many bands and artists who update their fanbases through the use of silly vlogs of them messing around on their tour buses or walking around the city after playing a concert – behind the scenes stuff. Content could also include merch, contests, question and answer videos, google hangouts, livestreams, which all keep your fanbase completely engaged and always wanting to hear more from you. Does a band really need an EPK (Electronic Press Kit)? And if so, are there resources that younger bands can use to develop theirs? I think that having an EPK is a very useful tool, as well as having a one sheet. Even if it is not the most effective tool, the more tools you have under your belt, the better prepared you will be. Wix and Sonicbids are great websites that can be used to create beautifully constructed EPKs, and I’d recommend them to anyone. Everyone hears about the proverbial “Press Release”.  What are they really and how do you use them? Can anyone just submit one? A press release is an official statement issued to magazines, newspapers, etc., and a great opportunity to tell someone about you and your brand. You want to make sure that it is as eye-catching and as exciting as possible. This little piece of marketing can get your brand in front of decision makers and suddenly have people coming to you. It’s almost like writing the beginning of an essay or a story – you want to write something that hooks them right from the beginning so that they want to invest in reading the entire thing and want to spend time with it. Do mailing lists really work? We all go to shows where there is someone at the merch table asking for your email. How do they make this worth the effort? It’s understandable that mailing lists can get pretty annoying at times, but again, it’s another useful tool under your belt. Getting people to sign up for your mailing list is a whole different story, but there is one tactic that many artists find very useful when trying to get subscribers, and that is that if you subscribe to their mailing list, you will get special codes sent to your email that can be used for contests and things, and most importantly give you priority access into buying concert tickets for a tour with high demand. How does a young band reach out beyond their friends and family to start building a real fan base? You should absolutely start with friends and family. Most people underestimate the success of awareness that word of mouth can bring. Just think of everyone you know personally, that’s probably at least 100 people, and then that’s 100 they know, and they know, etc. But for a young band looking beyond friends and family, I think you definitely have to utilize social media as much as possible, give people good content, work hard, and absolutely book as many shows in as many areas as you can. With Friday Pilots Club, I initiated the creation of promo cards (business card style) to hand out to anyone I meet, have connections with, etc. I find that I travel a lot and it can be useful to stick one of these in a record store window or stick one on a Starbucks pin board…whatever! It’s important to target high traffic areas. Lately I’ve been going to a lot of intimate concerts with artists I find similar to Friday Pilots Club and will always introduce myself and Friday Pilots Club after their set. Click to Post