#digest sized comics

[michaelelvidge]

Finally printed the next issue of Succotash #2 mini comic, this was to be out awhile ago. An all new comic anthology. But unless you can get to me in person you'll have to wait untill the Canadian Postal Strike is over. 36 pages including the cover black and white 5.5 X 8.5 digest sized.

[bughead-in-the-comics]

From Size Guy, Archie's Joke Book #22 (1956).

[disneytva]

Dynamite Comics Launches Kickstarter for GARGOYLES Classic Comics As Part Of The Show's 30th Anniversary.

Dynamite Comics and Disney Comics are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gargoyles with the first-ever Kickstarter campaign featuring brand new graphic novels collecting long out-of-print Gargoyles comic books.

Dynamite Entertainment brought back Gargoyles as a comic series in 2022 to great acclaim. Now the publisher is crowdfunding a reprint of the classic comics based on the beloved animated series. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Dynamite is excited to offer three beautiful tomes collecting all of these previous tales for fans. The set is initially being offered on Kickstarter to reach and communicate with diverse fans of all ages directly.

“I’m honestly thrilled that these three volumes will finally give Gargoyles fans easy access to these great stories, including the canon SLG tales!” said Weisman. “I think the Dynamite Kickstarter is a great way for Gargoyles fans to get the word out and to reserve their copies. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I hope our fans don’t miss out!”

The first volume is the hotly anticipated compilation of the first-ever Gargoyles comic series from 1995. This 11-issue title was originally released by Marvel Comics and is set loosely between the first two seasons of the original TV show. The memorable first issue featured a jaw-dropping cover by artist Joe Madureira, one of the biggest superstars of the era from his work on Uncanny X-Men. The series was written by Martin Pasko (Superman) and Mort Todd.

The second and third volumes of the Gargoyles Classic Years will be an incredible treat. From 2006 to 2009, a new Gargoyles comic series was launched from SLG Publishing in association with CreatureComics — the first written by Weisman. The main series, often referred to as “Clan Building,” was joined by a companion title, Bad Guys. Issues #9-12 of Gargoyles and #5-6 of Bad Guys did not see release and were only printed in paperback collections with small print runs. They were produced at a smaller digest size and have been incredibly expensive for years on the secondary market. 

The three-volume set is available in multiple variations for different kinds of fans and collectors. Each is available as either hardcover or paperback. Deluxe hardcover editions with signed tip-in pages are being offered. For the Gargoyles diehards, the most premium option will be the Gargoyles 30th Anniversary Premier Editions limited to just 1,000 copies each!

In addition to the books at the center of this celebration, the campaign will offer several add-ons for backers, including lithograph prints of Jae Lee and Amanda Conner’s covers for Dynamite’s Gargoyles #1. The most premium art piece anyone can get will be a deluxe signed and remarqued giclée print of Lee’s Gargoyles art.

In addition to the reprint of the full series, fans can get special facsimile editions of the very first issue with gold or purple foil stamping. Sketch cover options are also available, as well as commissioned original art from Lee. Plus, collector packs of variant cover sets or premium limited editions and metal covers for Dynamite’s series can be added.

[jean-wei]

A belated batch of fanart drawings, post-SB Fair. :' )

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist by @punkratkid

A Three Body Problem by @juangeedraws

A Minor Catalogue by Wenting Li

Meryl by C. A. Strike

My thoughts on each comic are buried somewhere on twitter/insta, but in short, they were all wonderful. ^ ^ They're not available at the fair anymore since it ended, but I'm sure they'll live on in some form, sometime in the future. Please check out these artists' work! I had the chance to slowly read, I'd say... about 75-80% of the comics this year? It was astounding/inspiring/overwhelming to experience and be reminded of the variety of things you can do with a short comic. Short comics are both approachable to make but difficult (for me) to control and land with a deft hand, in a limited number of pages... What's a great, satisfying bite? This all reminded me of how enjoyable and engrossing it can be to digest and navigate comics. (I don't read enough these days, clearly.) Wish I had planned my lil one-man-promo-campaign a bit better, but I did more drawings than I expected hahaha.

Anyhow, SB Fair was a great experience this year. Keep an eye out for yet another batch of great comics next year! And if you picked up my comic this time around, thanks so much & happy reading!

[ut-poppy-askblog]

Okay, what is Poppy?

Throughout the Omega Timeline: Poppy's Story AU, I've realized that, beyond Poppy's origin, and her acquiring her SOUL, I've never truly delved into what Poppy is exactly. Though her """species""" is generously described as a "Ostensibly, Paper Human", that's not really true. Paper Frisk is unquestionably a paper human, so really, Poppy's true nature hasn't really been explained up until now. Though 4 years late, I've written up an entire post going over some things I've jotted down over the years of how she works.

Any addendums I may make will be listed at the bottom of the page.

What species is she?

I don't know

What is she, then?

(as seen in the Poppy's Origin comic)

Poppy was originally a drawing by a Chara, brought to life by Ink Frisk- whose magic specializes in bringing things to life through art. Though useful in a pinch, they would have never expected something like Poppy to come out of it. In this form, Poppy was essentially moving through the motions, doing as told. Though having some semblance of understanding of what was told to her, she lacked any means of communicating it.

Of course, this wasn't going to last forever, even if Core fed her magic food, the spell would eventually run its course. Thus, they resorted to one of the recently-rescued scientists: (a) W.D. Gaster. But everyone calls him Fling Ding.

(as seen in The Quality of You)

Through Fling Ding's efforts, Poppy was given an artificial SOUL, and was thus born anew. The SOUL inherited all of the body's thoughts and loose memories, and has thus become what Poppy is. This generally implies that Poppy IS the soul, that pilots a paper body. ... But, of course, it's a bit more complicated like that.

How is she 3D, if she's made out of paper?

(Core doesn't naturally have magic, they have to pull it out of a jar every time..)

This is achieved through an obscure spell that Core's learned of through their eternal omnipresence. This spell provides Poppy with all the perks of 3D. Though, of course, it also takes magic to uphold.

When young, Poppy would often be tired from attempting to uphold this spell. When she fell asleep, she would do so as 2D, then core would have to cast the spell at her in the morning. As years went by and her SOUL grew stronger however, she's rarely ever seen in 2D, even when sleeping.

Not to say she doesn't have days where she simply... Can't turn 3D at all. But they're few and far between. As long as she eats healthily, and has a good sleep schedule, it usually doesn't happen.

What does she eat?

Her diet consists of magic food, mostly. Given she does not have any digestive system, any physical food she may try to eat, sort of... Lounges in her mouth until she spits it out. She can taste it, but no one likes to chew on food for longer than needed. She also drinks regular water and whatnot.

Wait, but is she waterproof? Is water going to kill her? How can she drink?

I've pondered myself this many times. But, ultimately, I feel like Core wouldn't just... make her live a life where she is constantly afraid of the weather, or even washing dishes. So I believe she has some waterproof magic going on.

As for how drinking water or any non-magic liquid works for her, I'm not sure. Maybe her body just, naturally fizzles out the water with the magic.

Okay, how does she grow up?

Very good question! Poppy's bodies are drawings on paper after all. You would think that maybe, the body magically ages up. But, at least for this Poppy, it doesn't work like that.

Poppy's bodies are custom-drawn by the Chara who drew her originally (who doesn't really ask why core would need a life-size drawing of their character, they pay very good money) at every stage of her life. And it's not just one body per stage, no. Poppy is a slightly reckless person, so she's had her fair share of accidentally hurting herself.

So now to the gut of the question, how does she go from body to body? It's a fairly simple task, actually!

Whenever she jumps on a similar looking body, the process is quite seamless, but when she jumps onto a taller body— or, really, a body that's drastically different than her current one, it takes some readjusting.

"So that's not my left arm..."

However, after some time adjusting, she's up and ready to go again.

As for what happens with the previous bodies, however...

Core keeps them safely stored somewhere unknown.

Wait, hold on, could she possess any drawing? Even something baseless and meaningless like a scribble?

She could. But it's not exactly pleasant for her. It's like trying to steer a car that's a block of wood. But yes, besides those types of drawings, she could feasibly look like anyone or anything given enough time. Her voice would be a dead giveaway however.

How can she change clothes? Or cut her hair without damaging the paper? How can she speak without vocal cords? How can her body know what's under the clothes when it's drawn with clothes?

Magic. ... Honestly, magic. I just don't have a better explanation. But I would imagine that if, for example, you tried to cut her hair in 2D, that would lead to less-than-desirable results.

How much does she feel? Does she see the world differently?

Another excellent question, hypothetical reader. As I had written it originally in the askblog, I sort of liked the idea that Poppy had a very limited perception of the world. She couldn't feel anything touching or burning her, she could barely taste, she could barely smell. And she can hardly be aware of anything outside of her view (she doesn't have the gut feeling of feeling she has intimidating people next to her, for instance).

But with Core teaching her that everyone's not always as bad as they seem (especially with her found family choices), it's not like this last aspect has changed much.

But, as years went by, I had a very different idea. What I've said would remain true... through more or less the first few months or so of Poppy being in a new body. As her SOUL attuned to the body, she would slowly build more human-esque senses. And perhaps even more human characteristics as well such as sweating. These being rooted in Poppy's understanding of humans... so, mostly Dusted, Core, and Mon for a good while.

As for eyesight, I've had the idea she does see things different than you and I, but I'm just not sure how to convey it through drawing or writing, so it's generally remained shelved for the time being.

... And that's all she wrote! If anything needs adding, it will be done under this. For now, consider yourself a Poppy-ologist.

[goodluckclove]

Edgar Gallow's 31st Birthday Party (Migration Excerpt)

For those who feel like joining the sad guy and their friends in some of the most family-centered fluff I've written in like a billion years holy shit this is wholesome.

There was a faded, blue and yellow checkered tablecloth draped over the kitchen table. Scott spent the better part of an hour diligently gathering the best wildflowers and mustard sprigs from the field behind the house, all of which were now bundled in the family’s one crystal vase.

In a better world there would be streamers or balloons. Something to hang from the walls and ceiling. When Edgar called Regina to let them know that they’d be coming back with Katy soon, Scott stood at the entrance to the room and nursed a general sense of dissatisfaction.

“It looks very nice,” his mother said, stirring the simmering pot at the stove as Edgar directed before leaving.

Scott huffed. “It’s not enough.”

“I feel like any more might overwhelm the poor thing.”

Yes. Scott wanted to overwhelm them. Just tuck them into a snug cocoon of love and keep them there until all the self-loathing and confusion has been thoroughly digested. He caught his mother’s eye and, perhaps reading that intent in the sadness of his expression, she let out a small laugh.

“It’s very nice, Skylark,” she said again.

“Oh god.”

Edgar stood at the center of the kitchen with their eyes wide. There was a dreamy look in their face, complete with a grin that was buffering between wide and even wider.

Still near the stove with Regina, Scott made a noise that expressed how he was about to denigrate the work he put into the day. Before he could get a word out, his mother gently jabbed him in the side with the wooden handle of the ladle.

“Ow,” he muttered. “Fuck, Mom.”

He watched Edgar drift towards the table and reach a hesitant hand to the tablecloth. They touched the lace edge and exhaled softly.

“You even got the – wow,” they breathed. “I don’t think we should use this. I don’t want it to get ruined.”

Regina chuckled. “It’s survived plenty of dinners with Skylark. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Scott started to protest until he felt the sheer warmth radiating from Edgar across the room. Another standing-by-the-heating-vents moment. He looked at his lover and saw them watching him fondly, their eyes beginning to glass up.

Something in him relaxed. He didn’t realize how tense he’d been up until now. “Happy birthday, Edgar,” Scott smiled.

Edgar let out a single disbelieving, but very happy laugh.

Katy wasn’t surprised by the state of Scott’s family home. She wasn’t surprised that his mother, who looked like a taller and fatter version of him, greeted her with immediate warmth and was eager to welcome her into the home. The only thing that surprised her when Edgar took her back to the beach house was the way Tenzin reacted when they saw each other again.

Once again, Katy was aware of how awful she looked and felt. Tenzin’s mouth twitched slightly like she had something to say. Like she had a few things she wanted to say. Katy’s nerves heightened as she reacquainted herself with how hard her new phone companion was to read in person, until she remembered when Tenzin confessed her own personal difficulties in reading emotions.

“I’m...I’m really tired,” Katy said. “But I’m happy to see you.”

Tenzin’s brow raised when she said that. Her lips quirked up in a smile that stuttered before she managed to calm herself.

“I’m happy to see you too,” Tenzin responded. “I can show you were the bathroom is if you want to wash up.”

Katy sighed. “I’d like that a lot.”

While showering in the house’s comically over-sized bathroom, she thought about Jeff and Fern. They were settled into a temporary housing situation closer into town, where Jeff told Katy he’d be driving back to Lincoln in the morning. They spoke for a while, keeping their voices down even though Fern had their implant off in the adjacent bedroom.

“You’re going to see that friend of yours?” Jeff asked, making himself comfortable on the couch. “The one you talk to every day?”

“Yeah,” Katy was a little absent on the armchair across from him. “She’s just a friend, I think.”

“Just..? Katy, a friend could be a lot of things.”

“I know, but –”

“A friend could be someone you spend the rest of your life with. If you actually like them, a friend can be the most important thing in the world.”

He spoke with a particular passion. It sounded like he’d been wanting to say this for a while. Katy thought about sand in a bottle on the Boardwalk and suddenly felt a little itchy and sad and excited and confused.

Jeff turned towards her on the couch. “I’d like to meet her before I leave tomorrow,” he said. “If you’re comfortable with that. I hear you talk, it seems like you really like her.”

While Katy thought nothing about Edgar meeting her brother, didn’t even find it significant until she saw the two of them chatting at the Mess Hall after her impromptu tattoo session, this was different. Thinking about Jeff introducing himself to Tenzin gave Katy a deep swell of feeling she was unable to place.

She looked down at the bandaging around her forearm that covered the small new tattoo. It stung, but was mostly numb. Feeling and not feeling. There was maybe a parallel there.

Tenzin spent too long at her closet trying to pick something clean for Katy to wear once she got out of the shower. Despite living in a family of people shorter than her, and despite spending her life in a town where she was one of the tallest biological women, she didn’t spent too much time obsessing over her height. But when trying to think of some clothes to lend to someone half a foot shorter than her, Tenzin suddenly felt like some sort of massive, gangling kaiju.

So she figured, after Scott made a habit in their adolescence of borrowing from her closet, she could finally return the favor. She crept into his room and grabbed one of his two pairs of jeans and an undershirt. By the time she left with her bounty Katy had just stepped out of the bathroom, and the two met in the hall in awkward silence.

Katy looked better. Still drained, a little heavy in the eyes – but certainly fresher. She held the towel around herself and took in the sight of Tenzin openly stealing clothes from her brother’s bedroom.

It looked weird. Tenzin knew it looked weird. “What size jeans are you?” She said to Katy.

“Uh –” she looked down at the bundle of jeans and raised a single brow. “Men’s or women’s?

“Men’s.”

“Thirty-six.”

Tenzin checked the label on the inside of Scott’s jeans. “Hah,” she scoffed. “Look at that. Perfect match,” she pushed the clothes towards Katy. “Here.”

Katy snickered low. She adjusted her grip on the towel and brushed a few strands of wet hair out of her face. “Is Scott going to care that you’re lending me his clothes?”

“He won’t miss them. Scott’s not really a...pants kind of person.”

“Well,” Katy took the clothes with her free hand and flashed Tenzin a wry smirk. “If these are real Levi’s then that’s his loss.”

After Katy changed the two of them laid across Tenzin’s bed, staring up at the ceiling. Their silence was hard to parse. Things felt so much stranger than it did over the phone. Tenzin could see the curve of Katy’s nose and the soft flush of her pale cheeks that lingered from the hot water. She was reminded of how glamorously beautiful she was, and forced to confront that the feeling she had when Katy called her attractive wasn’t really there anymore.

She thought about how she knew a bit about Katy’s childhood, and how Katy knew about hers. Tenzin was apparently the only person in the world aside from Katy’s youngest brother to be privy to her deathly fear of horseshoe crabs. In turn, Katy was the only person to know that Tenzin still kind of had a crush on the shape shifting, cat-like yokai from My Neighbor Totoro.

There was certainly a relationship here. It was hard to understand it more than that, though.

“Can we keep lying here for a while?”

Katy’s voice was distant when she said that. Her eyes were already drifting shut. Tenzin didn’t answer, and once it occurred to her to say something Katy was already starting to snore.

Tenzin watched her sleep. Was that weird? It was hard to tell. She felt better seeing her there, though. Knowing she was clean and resting and, for the moment, safe.

Thinking that made her body start to feel heavy. She heard the croaking rattle of the heat vents above her bedroom door turn on, and something about the sound was so kind to her that Tenzin closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax.

Edgar thought they’d be better at this.

They knew that an actual birthday party after decades of ignoring the date would be a shock to the system, but they hoped they’d eventually acclimate to the situation. This simply wasn’t the case. An hour into watching the table be set and the food be served, tasked with nothing but sitting at the head of the table, Edgar had no idea what to do with themselves.

It was easy to smile. They couldn’t stop smiling. This felt like something out of a dream and they stayed very still just in case moving too much would cause them to wake up.

Scott ended up sitting beside them, and he softly laid his hand on top of Edgar’s on the table.

“It smells amazing,” he said, motioning his head towards the serving bowl of chili that steamed in the center of the table.

Edgar stared at Scott. How long was it supposed to be between blinks? Their eyes were starting to sting. They still couldn’t stop smiling.

“It’s smelled great all day,” Scott smiled playfully. “I tried to sneak a taste but Mom wouldn’t let me.”

Scott must’ve been working so hard while they were gone. Diligent Scott, determined to exorcise today into being something worth celebrating again. Beautiful Scott, with a few curved strands of black escaping his bun.

Skylark, Skylark, Skylark.

A note of concern made the shapes on Scott’s face look all the more profound. “Hey,” he cooed, touching Edgar’s cheek and the underside of their chin. “I hate to be the one to say this, but – did you take your Petrichor today?”

“I’m gonna’ marry you,” Edgar said in voice clear as day.

Scott’s eyes went wide. Regina, who was laying out a basket of freshly-cut bread, paused midway into the gesture. She noticed he and Edgar both staring now and blinked a few times, nonplussed.

“If you’re looking for surprise you’ve come to the wrong place,” she let the jesting comment settle, and then warmed. “Congrats, kids. Na zisete.”

She went back to the kitchen to pull out the bottle of cider that was chilling in the fridge. Edgar leaned forward, elbows propped up on the table and chin supported on his fists. Their heart was a sparkling, swirling pool of about a dozen different perfumes and body washes, a veritable emotional bubble bath with the consistency of expensive syrup. It coated their skin with the smallest touch, and as the rest of the world moved along they were sinking blissfully into its depths.

They felt Scott graze his fingernails up and down their back and sighed in utter peace. They gazed at him, eyes partially lidded, and snickered as he started to squirm shyly.

“Wow,” Scott breathed.

Edgar laughed again. “I feel your feelings,” they reminded him. “You should be used to this by now.”

Scott shook his head. “No no. No, this – this is all you, I think.”

If Edgar manipulated the emotions reflecting in them, it did feel differently than Scott’s emotions did. More fluid. Different hues. It was hard to explain. It was also hard to think that Edgar would be capable to creating anything as beautiful as what they were currently experiencing.

They closed their eyes and grinned with a scoff.

The table was just big enough to fit the five of them. Scott and Edgar, Katy and Tenzin, and Regina between the two couples. The conversation was quick-fire, boisterous and frequently overlapping. They spoke of traveling, hot dogs, children’s books, music choices and bad motels. Regina mostly listened. She made a comment or two every so often, but for the most part she was happy just hearing the others talk.

The chili was intricately spiced in a way that echoed in the mouth long after every bite. The chew of the diced cauliflower was so close to ground beef that she barely registered it wasn’t actually meat. She dressed her bowl as Edgar suggested, and the hefty serving of shredded cheese turned the entire bowl into something with the consistency of paste. Regina questioned the choice at first, though once she took a bite she noted the dense creaminess, the smooth texture made complex with onion and bell pepper. It was like fondue she was meant to eat on its own.

Edgar’s capabilities with something so simple were deeply impressive. She’d actually forgotten how useful it was to have a variety of fresh produce in her own backyard. And Scott was charming in a new kind of way – with an effortless quality that she could see not leaving him exhausted. He spoke to their new friend Katy so eagerly. Clearly he thought of her as a friend, and by the way Katy joked with him so easily Regina hoped she thought of him the same way.

Katy was a clever one. She reminded Regina of Goose in a way that made her miss having Goose in the house too. The bandage on her arm proved that she was willing to get a permanent sigil (Because Edgar can do sigils! How smart of them!) just to stay under her roof. Regina regretted that being the lengths it took, but the fact that Katy would go so far for a chance to spend quality time with her children earned her respect in an instant.

Once they finished their meal, Scott and Regina quickly cleared the table. While her son loaded the dishwasher she lingered close by, momentarily hesitant.

“You sure you don’t have a problem with it?” She whispered to him.

Scott paused. “With what?”

“Edgar’s present.”

“Oh,” Scott closed the dishwasher with his foot and leaned against it. “Of course not.”

“Tradition calls for it to go to you. Or – or to Tenzin, maybe.”

“Yeah, but – we don’t wear jewelry. I hate the feeling of it, and Tenzin likes her style simple. You know that.”

Regina still wasn’t certain. She had her hand in the pocket of her slacks and anxiously palmed the small box inside. Scott took her by the shoulders, forcing her steady in one bold movement.

“You’ll keep it in the family,” he said. “That’s what you want, right?”

Her son was an adult now. He looked so much like her, and even more like Levi. The gleam in his eyes and the promise of mischief at the edge of his smile. He used to be the littlest of babies. He used to wriggle around the mustard fields well into adolescence.

Past him, Edgar was listening intently at Katy while she told a story about some chaos she passed on the road. They were so considerate and polite. So aware of other people and how they fit into any given room at any given time. She remembered the weekend she cared for them as a child where they finally worked up the courage to learn against her. Even then, they kept asking if what they were doing was okay.

“Edgar?” She called out. “I have something for you, if you don’t mind.”

Edgar laid in bed that night, still buzzing so madly that they might’ve been floating a few centimeters off the mattress. They tried to stay quiet. They tried to stay still, so as to not bother Scott. But they couldn’t keep from touching Regina’s gift as it hung in place just above their collarbone.

It was a necklace on a long leather cord. In the center there was a pendent, a carnation lovingly etched from wood and then painted orange. Edgar felt its shape in the dark with their finger and tracked every breath as it cycled through their chest.

Regina explained that birthright jewelry used to be more commonplace, a way for witches to signify their presence to each other in civilization. The orange carnation was the marking of birthright magic back then. Nowadays it was less important to be discreet, but the pieces that remain are still passed down in certain families in the remaining witch towns.

Scott assured Edgar that he used to wear the necklace and hated the way it felt on his neck. Tenzin agreed that the pendent was slightly too large, and the color slightly off for her skin tone. So Edgar had it. Now it was Edgar’s.

He tied it around Edgar’s neck in the privacy of his bedroom. Edgar looked at themselves for a long time in the full-length mirror and marveled. Just marveled. They never considered any sort of adornment for themselves, but the small splash of color made them feel remarkably stylish. That was a new feeling for them. The person in the mirror with the fuzzy green sweater and the rustic orange flower necklace, their red curls vibrantly fluffy, was an appealing stranger Edgar would love to get to know more.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Scott asked them as they laid in bed together.

Edgar grinned, weary and ecstatic. “I wasn’t even ready for today.”

Scott took their hands and pressed them to his chest. He held them there for some time, eyes closed, saying nothing. It looked like he might’ve fallen asleep like that, but then he spoke again.

“I’m with you,” Scott said.

It was an odd feeling. It was so strange to look at a part of yourself that has been wrapped up after an injury for years and years and suddenly rip off all the bandages, only to realize that what used to be a gaping wound was almost fully healed over. There was still a scar. There would probably always be a scar.

But one more scar wasn’t enough to break Edgar Gallows. Not anymore.

-

songbird tag, let me know if you want on or off

@inadequetecowboy

@kuebiko-writing

@cartoonghosts

@atlasthecactus

@aroaceghosties

@booksntea6982

@xarrixii

@mushroommanchanterelle

[catbountry]

It's hard trying to talk about the shift in fandom culture without getting off track and talking about many things at once, because change can never be attributed to one thing alone. It's a collection of multiple factors that happen at a certain place at a certain time that shape the broader culture around us. And right now, a lot of that shaping is being done by TikTok and Twitter. Internet content, i.e. creative works, should be bite-sized and digestible. There's always been a flood of low-effort fan content spewed into the shapeless mass that is the internet, ephemeral and disposable. But it feels different now. Like the algorithm incentivizes such low-effort content. I would much rather read someone's long-winded essay on why they agree that my OTP is amazing rather than a quick little text post written by a high schooler that isn't funny, witty or memorable featuring said OTP. But the latter still comes to my attention anyway.

The internet is still mostly text based, but it's increasingly being replaced by video and audio. Podcasts, video essays and streams provide background noise for when we're doing other things. I really, really would love to see some long-form fic by a seasoned author that doesn't fucking suck. I'm sure it exists, but I'm counting on the judgement of my friends to recommend me these things. Fic isn't shareable the way fanart is, and long form fan comics were already rare. God, remember Cuanta Vida? I don't think a single long-form TF2 comic aside from that has ever been drawn to completion. That includes the official comics as well. It's been 10,000 years, Valve, please.

Working on my own long-form comic, I've had to cut corners to keep from taking too long between updates and even that doesn't work since production slowed around summer of last year. I know people are reading them, they have a ton of hidden bookmarks and thousands of comments. I know the content of these comics, as well as my soured reputation, have made sharing them publicly harder. But like... man. IDK.

Look, I just don't want to see some cringey 50 word text post of my OTP on my dash that feels like this thing meant to be quickly read and shared as just another piece of content. It feels hollow. It doesn't reflect the passion I've seen from fans on their creative output for over a decade. I've been spoiled. My standards are too high.

I hate the algorithm. Me and my homies all hate the algorithm.

[dvorrak]

Voretober 2022 day 18: Silence

[warrior-u-preservation]

Hard copies of Changeling are now available on Storeenvy!

Other prints and merch items available for sale. Proceeds help us by art supplies and burnout relief.

Includes all 62 pages of Changeling and the 10 page mini arc.

We will continue to update online weekly.

[bughead-in-the-comics]

Jughead and Betty's Picnic Basket, A Collection (Part 1)

From Archie’s Pal Jughead #121 (1999).

From Betty #64 (1994).

From Jughead Double Digest #46 (1997).

From Betty and Veronica #165 (2001).

From Jughead #245 (1975).

From Laugh Comics #235 (1970).

From Crowd Control, Betty and Me #170 (1988).

From Bland to Grand, Betty and Veronica Comics Digest #150 (2004).

From No Fuel Like an Old Fuel, PEP Comics #296 (1974).

From Fan Elan, Archie #490 (1999).

From Trick Schtick, PEP Comics #354 (1979).

From The Edge, B&V Summer Fun #5 (1998).

From Flirt Alert, Jughead’s Double Digest #1 (1989).

From Feed Deed, Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #130 (1966).

From Munch A Bunch, Jughead Double Digest #1 (1989).

From Some Changes Made, Archie's Pals 'n' Gals #54 (1969).

From Getting Antsy, World of Betty and Veronica #6 (2021).

From High Jinx, Archie Giant Series #553 (1985).

From We Love You Madly, Reggie and Me #52 (1971).

From Scene Stealer, B&V Summer Fun #6 (1999).

From Size Revise, Archie Giant Series #552 (1985).

From Winner Takes All, Laugh Comics #366 (1981).

From Meal Zeal, Jughead's Jokes #46 (1975).

From Doggin' It, Jughead's Jokes #55 (1977).

From Lunch Bunch, Jughead’s Jokes #78 (1982).

From Shrewd Dude, Jughead’s Jokes #55 (1977).

From Treasure Pleasure, Jughead #304 (1980).

From Action Reaction, Jughead's Jokes #46 (1975).

From Switch Pitch, Jughead’s Jokes #61 (1978).

From Rescue Miscue, Archie Giant Series #463 (1977).

[vintagerpg]

Steve Jackson Games produced a number of comic book-sized supplements for GURPS Traveller. I am not sure if this is a reference to the digest-sized original Traveller books or if the comic format was economical at the time, but I find it generally appealing. This is the first in the Heroes line, dedicated to Bounty Hunters (2002). It is also the last of the Heroes line, which is a bit of a shame, because this is a good delivery system for rule centered on a single trade and its plying.

You get information on how bounty hunting works, some mechanical things that support it (a character template, some skills, an adventure) and the fictional context for the profession. I love that the book drills down into the jobbiness of bounty hunting — this is how freelancers work, this is how salaried corporate hunters work. Much is made of the distinction between skip tracers (who track down bail jumpers) and repo-men, who are interested in finding stuff rather than people (and probably would be happy to avoid people entirely). I kinda love the idea of running a space repo-man campaign! How scummy!

Gotta say, the Brom cover art is a surprise and is so outside my preconceived visual aesthetic for Traveller that I could feel it shifting and rewriting the moment I saw it. Padded, space Renaissance armor with weird saw blade weapons. Yes please. I want this Traveller.

[casketjones]

I'm not sure how to info dump for a bunch of character concepts in a way that's digestible but eh whatever

Concept work for a group of mafia hitwomen and their long suffering handler. They're likely going to be used in a underground illegal wrestling ring arc because that's all I really want in my media.

This post plus additional sketches and more background info will be going up on my patreon and kofi tomorrow.

more under the cut,

They're all vampires that I really cooked up to test a concept for vamps for my comic project. Based on a blood sucking animal and a historical anti-vampire burial method, some of the burial methods are gonna be pushed and fibbed because there's not that many of them. so yeah incidental vampires will have a cage motif even tho I know good and well that cages were to prevent resurrection men getting in not vampires getting out. I feel that's thematically close enough. There's so many really good sanguivore animals out there these are maybe too safe even.

The other thing I really wanted to accomplish with these designs is targeting lesbians, hey ladies these are for you. How am I doing?

going left to right here we got

Flea- She's a Flea I tried taking a lot from Blake's Ghost of a Flea but I don't think it comes through. Her grave-shackle is that scythe coming out her shoulder, it's maybe a bit of a stretch, the real thing was buried in the ground next to the corpse so if it rose it would decapitate itself but I didn't really want to complicate the design with a bunch of dirt or something. Regardless I like her design a lot. Short hairy goblin of a woman, someone stop me from naming her Puce.

Mosquito- Her hair took a little bit to sort out, it used to be real bad but this mess is perfect. Horrible 90's stylized part call back, reminiscent of boxer braids while being ostentatious enough to work in any setting. That cool bangle is her grave-shackle, an actual shackle this time. Her build was immediate, huge arms, weird long butt, perfection. She's the easiest to dress which isn't that surprising considering shes thinner but usually big arms are really difficult in women's wear. Flea is actually the second easiest to dress. There's gotta be a better name than Malaria, but i could call her Mal.

Geo(?)- small mafia man, constantly put upon, constantly behind the 8-ball with upper management; you know the type. The other guys definitely tell him he's lucky all the time but they'd never switch assignments with him. Why is he so small? because I can do whatever i want. His name might be Geoffrey.

Lamprey- Went through the most iterations, was very hard to piece together a woman this disaster lesbian. The spike through the heart, traditionally meant to keep the alleged vampire pinned to the ground was always part of the design, so was the long neck and heart lipstick, the hook earring came and went. Everything else was difficult; general build was pretty similar but i didn't actually work until I gave her a gut and dropped her waist. I used to have gill markings on her neck that looked like vampire bite marks and that took a while to give up but that hair is too good. She probably will end up being named Nakkila, it's a Finnish town with lamprey on their crest.

Leech- Took just two stabs to get her hair, body and face where I wanted it. Those bright red eyebrows work so well to subtly mimic leech markings, her hair shapes are perfect and I love drawing them. It's hard to tell at this size but her lips are sewn together which works almost too well for the theming, the cartoon jack'o lantern shape just sits right on a leech. Being built like a brick shithouse with fantastic fat rolls really gives the body diversity in the group the punch it needs. But dear god in heaven she is so hard to dress! I'm liking this dress a moderate amount right now and I really love the shoes but it's not perfect. I've tried suits instead, I've down active wear, all crazy difficult. It's like fashion doesn't want to accentuate horizontal stripes on large bodies or something? I gotta keep trying on it. I've almost convinced myself to name her Annelid.

[michaelelvidge]

The Art Of Michael Elvidge - colour cover, black and white interior, 40 pages including cover, comic sized. Lots Of One Page Illustrations And Comics. only 100 copies made.

Where Ever - colour cover, black and white interior, 40 pages including cover, magazine sized. Fantasy Adventure Comic Book. only 75 signed and numbered copies.

Succotash #1 - colour cover, black and white interior. photocopied mini comic. 36 pages including cover, 8.5 x 5.5 digest sized. Anthology Comic Humour

Free Nightmare #5 - black and white photocopied zine. 22 pages plus the cover, magazine sized. Horror, Sci- Fi, Cult Film Reviews And Articles

Free Nightmare #6 - black and white photocopied zine. 26 pages plus the cover, magazine sized . Horror, Sci- Fi, Cult Film Reviews And Articles

Free Nightmare #7 - black and white photocopied zines. 8.5 x 5.5 digest sized 36 pages including cover. Horror, Sci- Fi, Cult Film Reviews And Articles.

Cost $15 per issue including shipping in CANADA, $20 per issue including shipping everywhere else.

[vodrae]

DC Comics highschool AU where Bruce 18 and Harvey 18 are the golden twins (lovers) of the football team, but after an injury, Harvey is replaced with that nerd from smallville who's in the school's newspaper, and he's able to make Bruce cheer too !

Grrr

So Harvey's integrating the cheerleaders (and debate) team to stay close of the field and his mentor is the girl rumoured to be the great grandgirl of the last Chinese Emperor Talia Al-Ghul.

In this AU, there is an unofficial club of heavily mentally scarred gothamite kids, you know who i'm talking about, and they have been adopted by the Golden Twins (lovers), so better not mess with them.

Everybody knows Dick 17 , he has to settle down in Gotham when his parents died and social services were looking for a solution, Alfred Pennyworth took him in, he was there with Bruce that night. Captain of the gymnastic team, no enemy guy, the only one able to shine brighter than Harvey. Someone tried to mess with his girlfriend once, Kori Anders, apparently he also learnt muay thai on the road.

Jason Todd 16 , Stephanie Brown 15 , Duke Thomas 14, Harper 16 and Cullen Row 14 can't and won't deny coming from Park Row, sorry, crime alley, Duke is actually from Bristol, but you know, nuances are too complicated. They met each other in foster system and Dick too.

One day, when the orphanage was running very low on money, Jason appeared with multiple bags of food. The others thought he was joking when he said he stole the 4 wheels of the mayor's Bentley, when he, Jacob Kane, came with the police they weren't joking so much.

Long story short, they are Kane's wards now, it's was a package deal.

Jay and Duke are making the glorious hours of writing club, Jason would like theater and Duke chemical but Jacob made them pick a sport, Jason was kind of forced to go to the football defensive team, (Jake didn't digest the L against Metropolis in 86) and Duke for the running team. As fast as light.

Steph is Lois Lane's right hand for the school's newspaper, she's running their social medias with great sucess and is the head of gossip departement. Clark is the left hand for the investigation departement. She won against Jason, Harvey, Clark and others *wink wink* the biggest eater contest. She's now a subject for the quantum physics club.

Harper leads the electronics club, the school still remembers when her dog sized spider drone was unleashed. She's also in the kickboxing club.

Cullen is vibing in the theater and art club.

Kate Kane 18 can't stand all the dumbasses above but if she has a dream where you are glaring at them she will break your knees. Her father wanted her to do ballet, she's doing music and kickboxing. Bullying is her love langage.

Tim Drake 15 is a little genius coming in HS at 12, a unique feat until a certain someone from middle east came to school... He's driving Edward Nygma insane by solving all his riddles, photography and and electronic club. His parents are rich but always absent. 7 years ago, Alfred invited him for thanksgiving, never really left since.

Damian Al-Ghul 13 and Cassandra Wu-San 16 are cousins, they are not related but their family have known each other forever and Cass was there the day the demon spawned. Damian is Dusan's Al-Ghul son, who's 30 years older than his little sister Talia, the two are really too much well trained in martial field to be normal. Damian's is leading the escrima club.

Cass, despite being mute, is leading kickboxing club, noboby ever won a round against her. In the entire country. Except for her big sister Sandra Wu-San, also known in professional wrestling as Lady Shiva, who could give her a draw. Also she can't use technology to save her life.

The Wu-San are the adopted daughters of Dinah Drake (second cousin of Tim) and Ted Grant, a former world heavyweight boxing champion and a professional wrestler known as Wildcat. Together they have a bio daughter, Dinah Jr Laurel Drake-Grant.

A girl, Selina Kyle 18 claims she's not related to them but still has a permanent room in their house if she wants to come. Teddy met Jacob Kane in the army and were deployed in middle east together, he found his girls in some destroyed village in the Middle East and resigned right after.

Talia and Damian are from one of the oldest Asian family, and very old money. Some argues that was their family who created the first philosopher's stone. Their grandpa being the only person on Earth from the XIX century still alive is not helping. Ras wife's family helped the Americans in the Middle East that how he met Ted and Jacob.

Talia 18 is in the cheerleading club because of her HUUUUUUUGE crush on Bruce Wayne, best grades ever everywhere. Wants to become a vet.

Nyssa 17 Al-Ghul is in the kickboxing club and write her secret stuff just for her.

Barbara Gordon 17 is the daughter of the commissionner, someone shot her, she's paralysed. She's the captain of wheelchair basketball and in the electronics. She's a godess at armwrestling. For real she's an hydraulic press. She's really close of Dick Grayson and maybe she has adopted Steph, Cass, Harper as hers. Her own pose in school is with Dinah Laurel and Helena Bertinelli.

She's very competitive and will take very badly if Tim is just behind her again at the Olympics of hacking this year.

Diana 18 (who is at least as tall as Clark, i'm right on this) is leading the wrestling team and history club, she's a exchange student from Greece from a monastry where men are forbidden as a diplomatic move with her sisters. (in reality the opposite exists, for real). Her accent makes every boys and girls fall for her. She has a very strong sens of justice. One day she saw Bruce and Clark, not even talking together and..."Your mine now ! We're having tacos tonight !" They knew they couldn't negotiate.

Ollie Queen 18, everybody knows he will go to a board school one of the four (three) true childhood friends of Bruce Wayne. Captain of the archery team. Came with his own crew, all in the team. Desperatly in love with Dinah Jr.

Zatanna Zatara 18, her father was a close friend of Thomas Wayne, she's on a very good way to become a magician herself. One of the four (three) true childhood friends of Bruce Wayne. Leads theater club.

Hal Jordan 18, wants to become a jet fighter, obsessed with construction games. Mathematic club and running team.

Kendra Saunders 18, also known as Hawkgirl, because the week-end she's doing BASE Jump.

John Jones 18 and his half-sister Megan Morse 17, they are refugees from oversea after a coup. They love the special effects in movies and theaters so they are is this club. They came with

Kori Anders 17, princess in exile of Tamara, she's a really sweet girl so the school asked their sweetest student to guide her through her new life : Dick Grayson. Nobody knows how she mastered english in so little time. She had troubles with the differencies beetween the two countries. Everyone's favourite. Hurting, even a little Kori is declaring war to the whole school. She's also taller than anybody and very muscular. She kinda adopted Jason ?

Rachel Roth 14, is the daughter of the King of Azaroth, nobody really knows where it is. She's in the meditation and spiritual club. The only one allowed to hug, kiss, and touch her is Kori. The constant barking with Damian Al-Ghul can't only be hatred.

Donna Troy 17, Cassie Sandmarks 15 and Artemis Grace 16, they came with Diana. They all had a "Oh my god, he's so pathetic, I love him." With a Gotham Boy. They are all very tall and strong and in the weightlifting club.

Clark 18 and Jon 14 come from Smallville and are, 1) the sweetest guys ever, 2) fucking STRONG, there is a video on the differents groupchats of them, lifting the school gargoyle after a storm. Maybe farm strenght isn't the only explanation.

Kon 15 and Bizz 14 are from metropolis, Ma Kent's sister married Papa Luthor and they had Lex and then one rebelious and one albino with a speach impeachement, who is also the size of a polar bear. But, beware, Bizz is Jason Todd and Artemis love child. They haven't really figured yet what they want to do. Bizz is in special class with Cassandra Wu-San so you can regulary see her on his back giggling.

Linda 17 and Karen 18 kent, cousins of Clark by Pa Kent came back in town a few years ago after they lived their whole life in California. Linda is in the well-being club and liked by everyone. Karen is more on the amazonians side of the force and can't help herself but have homoerotic sparring with any strong woman on sight.

Dinah Jr Laurel Drake-Grant 18 embrassed her mom legacy and already took the mantle of Black Canary and can already put stages on fire. Her perfect figure must not makes you forget that she can beat your ass in seconds because she's in the kickboxing club too. Probably why Ollie is so in love. If you ask her if she's single, she would either tell you to fuck off if dhe doesn't like you or tell you she's already married with further explanation. (Could be either the stage, or Barbs and Helena).

Roy Harper 17 is in the archery team and music club with Dinah, nobody can sing the country and blues like him. He kinda adopted Jay with Kori too. Him and Jay made a pact to quit alcohol and drugs after they had a bad trip together on a joint in the toilet at a party together.

Lian Harper 14 is his little sister and will stay single until she's 30, at least. Well, everyone on the Arrow Team would like that. She loves hanging out with Dick and the others. Archery team too.

(I don't actually quite know a thing on the rest of the team, but they are there and well.)

The Allens all have their buddies too and are putting the race tracks on fire. Their father Jay Garrick holds multiple records of speed and gold medals. But not for long to his hapinness.

The Curry family comes from the islands in pacific ocean and are setting new records every years in swimming competition. They are all in bio courses to study marine life.

Harley Quinn 18 went in school with Bruce after his parent's murder, saw him sad, and never left him. One of the four (three) true childhood friend. She won't follow any rules but she's not a bad person. Wants to help everyone with their mental health, got a pretty big tik tok account and instagram on this topic. Her ex boyfriend, Jack, made her do bad things. But her (girl)friends Pamela, Selina and Bruce and a few others (all the people above) quickly talked to him. (Alfred signed a 100 000 dollars check for surgery)

Pamela Isley 18 leads the botanic club, she doesn't like people, like at all, would talk to grass but not you, she only started to like her figure when Harley couldn't stop ranting about her "water melon boobies" and "starship butt" in PE's locker room . Anybody else would be dead, but...It was Harley ? And Selina was laughing her ass off.

Selina Kyle 18, aka Catgirl because she's always wearing stuff with cat, her bagpack, cat ears, cat make up. She has a super model walk and won't accept shit from anyone. She wants to be a vet with Talia.

Jack Napier : still in the coma. AKA Joker, a nickname gained in jail for minors.

Thomas Eliott 18, the minus one true childhood friends of Bruce Wayne, wants him dead. Jealous that he had his inheritance before him.

(I spent 4 hours on this. Why ? BECAUSE I'M BATFAN)

[cantsayidont]

April 1986. Long ago, back in the prehistoric days when you could still potentially buy both a new comic book and a candy bar for a single U.S. dollar, DC had a protracted flirtation with digest-sized comics, obviously intended to capture some of the supermarket checkout rack space normally dominated by Archie Comics. With very few exceptions, they were all-reprint, with a diverse array of material ranging from Golden Age reprints to '70s horror comics to recent DC highlights. This issue, #71 of the BEST OF DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST line (which was only a "series" in a very technical sense), was one of the last, if not the last, of this eight-year experiment, and it sort of highlights why it became unworkable.

Let's suppose that you're a kid in early 1986, and while in line at the grocery store, you persuade your parental figure to buy you this comics digest. If they could spare the $1.50 plus tax, there was no obvious reason to object — it's a comic with a silly cartoon character on the cover and seems to have some Superman and Batman stuff, no big deal. What it contains, however, is a very peculiar assortment of recent material, including, inter alia:

"The Day the Earth Died" from SUPERMAN #408 (Paul Kupperberg/Ed Hannigan/Curt Swan/Al Williamson), a story about Superman's nuclear anxiety that begins with a rather harrowing dream sequence where Superman sees Metropolis destroyed by nuclear attack, leaving him the only survivor.

"Mogo Doesn't Socialize" from GREEN LANTERN #188, the now famous Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons short that introduced Mogo, the Green Lantern who's a planet.

Three ridiculous Keith Giffen stories: Blue Devil fighting the Trickster (from BLUE DEVIL #8); Ambush Bug trying to hassle Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman into guest-starring in his new miniseries (from ACTION COMICS #565); and a short in which the Atari Force's alien pet Hukka is terrorized by a robotic toy (from ATARI FORCE #20).

A tongue-in-check Batman adventure from BATMAN #383 (Doug Moench/Gene Colan/Bob Smith) in which our hero, in both his identities, desperately tries and repeatedly fails to get some sleep.

A solo story for Katana from BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS (Mike W. Barr/Jerome K. Moore) in which Tatsu murders some guys and recovers a stolen Japanese artifact with no dialogue or sound effects other than running radio commentary on a baseball game.

The well-known Alan Moore Swamp Thing story ("Rites of Spring," from SWAMP THING #34, drawn by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben) where Abigail Arcane and the Swamp Thing get very high on one of his psychedelic tubers and Abby gets her monsterfucker card punched, which editor Barbara Randall said had to be carefully recut not for content, but to get it to fit the page format.

This was a reasonably representative sampling of DC's 1985 output, but it's a weird lineup that's all over the place in tone and content. I have no idea what a hypothetical kid would have made of "Rites of Spring" upon encountering it in this format (by the time I happened upon my copy of this digest years later — for 50 cents — I'd already read it in TPB), but it would have been apparent that we were not in Riverdale anymore.

One nice thing about the digest series is that they often had some thoughtfully selected material; the themed issues are worthwhile, chosen with care even if the size and quality of reproduction were far from ideal. DC has occasionally put out conceptually similar packages, usually in something more like regular comic book dimensions (the Walmart specials, for instance), not on a regular basis, and not on supermarket checkout racks.

[demonslayedher]

How do you think Obanai (and my favorite little dude, Kaburamaru) interacted/got along with all the other hashira realistically on a daily basis? Like did he actually enjoy being around any of the other hashira and talking with them? Did he consider himself to be close with any of them besides Mitsuri? We've never really gotten a look at the daily life of Obanai (or any other Hashira for that matter) and how he feels about any of them, besides the tiny bit in the fan book, so I think this would be an interesting topic. He has such a complex personality due to his backstory, which really changes how he interacts as well. This question is kind of just asking what you personally think, feel free to answer it however you would like. I really love how you realistically analyze the characters so I would love to get your opinion on this :) Thank you for all the awesome content!

Thank you for reading and enjoying the analysis! Let's dive into Iguro, especially his relationships with others!

Iguro is one of those characters who didn’t capture my interest for a long time, especially because I was so worked up over the raging battle with Muzan and Tanjiro’s condition that when I got the weekly update that was Iguro’s backstory, I was like, “no, not this! Keep the story going!! AAAAHH! I waited a week to see what happens next!” I still feel like that timing was a disservice to his character, as I didn’t digest his complexity until much later (speaking of digesting, I never liked the design of the snake demon lady in the first place, as she felt comically evil for her baby-eating and contrived torture of “save this one and make him look more like me” approach).

And he truly is a complex character, and once that clicked for me, he’s remained as interesting to me as everyone else in the cast. Part of the reason he doesn’t stand out as much as first is because the interesting sides of him are subtle, as opposed to the surface level stripes, bandages, heterochromia, and snake buddy. But, all those factors together certainly make for an impactful design. And hanging out up the tree and judging people, really, what a statement of an entrance.

Since the first appearances we get of Iguro all showcase his tendency toward harsh judgement of others, it’s easy to type-cast him as grumpy and hateful, unless you happen to be Mitsuri, whom he likes enough to bequeath socks to. Sure, even, the most grouchy of and touchy of people can have a crush and gain a soft spot for someone; this made Obamitsu initially not very interesting to me too. Like, yeah, duh, of course he likes Mitsuri, who wouldn’t like her, I love her, and because I love her I guess I can’t help but like Iguro too because I want her to be happy.

Which just kind of brought out my frustration with him. Why can’t you get over yourself and just let her be happy!? She doesn’t care about your “tainted blood,” man, just let her love on you!! You’ll BOTH be so-o-o-o-o much happier, dummy!!

These being my feelings, I was twice as irritated with the Iguro backstory chapter appearing where it did. However, there was still some time before the final chapters were published, and this gave me more time to spend with Iguro in the context of fighting alongside Tanjiro, and going in as a Muzan-sized choking hazard. And then I had a vivid dream one morning about an AU in which he and Mitsuri were, in fact, married with small children, but due to a brain injury, they had a 50 First Dates sort of situation in which Mitsuri still thought they were in the “friends but not lovers” stage and Iguro was doing his best to care for the children (who missed their mother as they knew her but did their best to be understanding) as well as keep Mitsuri blissfully unaware so she wouldn’t be sad that she forgot about her children. In true KnY style, this had Tanjiro finding out by accident around the time of Pillar Training, and being shocked (and thinking it’d be kinder to let Mitsuri know she actually does have a happy marriage), and Iguro warning Tanjiro to back off and pretend he saw nothing. And then, after this emotionally involved dream, I woke up and immediately saw spoilers that Obamitsu was canon! They confessed love to each other and promised to get married! And then died. So yeah, that was quite a morning for me. And then after the Obamitsu shock I saw spoilers about dead!Tanjiro, so yeah, that was quite a morning.

So then where did this take me later? Ah, yes, I took an interest in Kaburamaru’s origins first, and this was my backdoor to pondering more about Iguro’s past. I remained interested in Kaburumaru’s origins and went to visit those snakes in person, and I wholeheartedly love those snakes now, especially the one who came up to the glass to say hello to me. I love you, little snake out there in Iwakuni.

While thinking more about the island (not exactly a place you’d expect to find rich people) and family upbringing is intriguing, what truly interests me about Iguro is his emotional complexity. The fact that poetry is his pastime (including senryu, which have more flexibility for cynicism) is what really got me. He’s not just a ball of hate sitting up there in the trees judging people, he’s appreciating the beauty of nature too, d’aaaaw. His personality is as striped as his haori!

However, he doesn’t seem like the type to express any of his sensitivities, he doesn’t mind that people generally only see him for his harsher side. Maybe he doesn’t hide his sensitive interior world, but he lacks people with whom to share those bittersweet appreciations for life put into elegant form. Sure, this awareness makes him look at Mitsuri for her natural cheer and brightness, loving her exactly for who she is, but she’s kind of bubbly and bad with words so she probably wouldn’t make a conversation partner for poetry appreciation. Again, it seems like a private activity for him, so I don’t think this would make him sad in any way.

However, as he prefers not to talk about himself and these interests, that makes his relationships with others very interesting, and I had a lot of fun with writing a short fic from his perspective to dive into more of these aspects of his character. I’ve found it fascinating that he and Uzui ever would have found themselves in a conversation about their pasts (as described the second fanbook), and I had a mad, mad desire to see how that ever would have happened, and what would had prompted it and made them feel inclined to put their trauma on display to each other. Not that I think they’d have been buddy-buddy after an experience like that, but at least open and frank with one another (clearly, Iguro feels his relationship with Uzui is one in which he can say, “you can’t retire, but good job on the lowest of the Upper Moons, I guess”). In this fic I also had Iguro meet Oyakata-sama, whom, among the whole cast, I suspect would have the best understanding of Iguro’s sensitive side.

The next most likely character to see this is Himejima, as he’s sensitive to everyone’s sensitives, as evidenced in the second fanbook. What with Iguro’s deep respect for Himejima, I don’t think Iguro would trouble with conversations about anything more than typical Pillar duties, though. I say respect because Iguro’s black-and-white judgements of others are based on how reliable he finds him, and he finds Himejima reliable. He wouldn’t say that about just anyone. It also squeezes my heart to picture him having a relationship with Kyojuro that goes far back, in any range of what sort of relationship this was. For instance, if Iguro stayed at the Rengoku estate initially and little Kyojuro was actively involved in Iguro’s care, that means Kyojuro probably kept a vested interest in Iguro getting stronger and learning Breath technique and passing the Final Selection and climbing the ranks, and this might had looked like checking in with him on a friendly basis once or twice a year. Or, perhaps their encounter in childhood was brief, and Iguro was initially embarrassed when he ran into Kyojuro later who happily inquired about his health and acquisition of Breath technique, and Iguro might had been a bit shy as first because Kyojuro KNOWS his past and how frail and helpless he was a child. However, what with Kyojuro having such a bright and cheerful personality like Mitsuri’s, he’d probably feel as ease with him very soon.

His relationships with Shinobu and Muichiro seem purely professional. He wouldn’t want to spend much time with Shinobu in the first place purely on the basis of gender, but he wouldn’t dislike her for it, and his respect for her is genuine (she’d probably be the most likely to appreciate poetry in the same vein as him, though). For Muichiro, I love that he has concern for him, but he would respect Muichiro’s skills in a way that wouldn’t make him feel like he needs to keep an eye out for his wellbeing like he does for Mitsuri, on account of Mitsuri not always being as level-headed as she should in battle. I like to imagine that instead of feeling inadequate seeing Muichiro’s genius levels of skill, Iguro instead has observed it here and there, and realized aspects that he can incorporate into his own short-person swordsmanship.

Okay, but speaking of my own fics again, and seeing as this one was purely for indulgent Pillar interactions, I had SOOO MUCH FUN making Iguro the second most uncomfortable person in this fic.

Iguro hating the sight of Giyuu is pure and simple hilarious to me. Moving on.

What I truly wish we could had seen more of is Iguro and Sanemi hanging out together; I imagine this looked like griping sessions about Giyuu following Pillar meetings. If Mitsuri brings out the white in Iguro’s personality, then Sanemi brings out the black. Sure, the black is always on display for everyone, it is the side of Iguro which best suits his Pillar duties, but in Sanemi’s presence, it’s not just professional, it’s fun. Venting is a bonding experience and they can both relax in each other’s presence with this, and I imagine that makes them open to hanging out in any other kind of context, too. They’d have that level of comfort with each other that, say, if anyone else approached Sanemi while he’s smiling and enjoying the company of a stray dog, he’d probably be embarrassed and defensive if approached by anyone else who might comment on that nice side of him, but if Iguro were to come up and say, “hmmm, so you like, dogs?” Sanemi would probably be like, “yeah, I love dogs” and continue enjoying the dog. Iguro, being at ease in Sanemi’s presence, may even be inclined to pet the dog too, even if he doesn’t connect with that animal as much as Sanemi does.

I also really, really love how Iguro’s complexity comes out in his treatment of Tanjiro. If it’s his choice, he has nothing to do with that annoying brat with the demon sister and who got him scolded by Oyakata-sama, and even worse, that brat is buddy-buddy with Mitsuri. However, in battle, that means nothing. He and Giyuu both are worthy comrades and Iguro treats them as realistically as the situation calls for, similarly to how he will admonish Mitsuri if that is what the battle requires. He can set aside his black personality with such ease that he can adapt to and sync with Tanjiro instantly, and this also means entirely setting aside the ire and accepting Tanjiro into the white side of his personality as soon as Tanjiro has gained his trust. Iguro’s a polite man who knows how to express his honest gratitude, too.

If he chooses to express himself, he does it well. It’s always a matter how of “if”, though.

Those who get to know the real Iguro, who are shown the multiple facets of his personality instead of only the professional ones, are few and chosen. Like how the stripes of his haori obfuscate his true form underneath, choosing when and how to reveal himself, to whom, is such a core part of Iguro’s character. He’s got a lot of self-knowledge, which also makes him able to read others well.

If he chooses to, anyway.  

EDIT: Forgot to add my take on Kaburamaru's interactions!! My take exactly is here in this fanart. Kaburamaru is friendly dude.