#drawing anthropomorphic spiders is so hard for me

[lil-vibes]

was trying my hand at a shamura design and now im :((

[mk-wizard]

6 Things superhero films, games and TV shows do right that the comics should start doing

I love DC and Marvel, and I always will because they shaped my childhood, my standards in comics and more. They also played a huge role in how I learned to draw because I never went to art school. Sailor Moon taught me how to draw women, Dragon Ball taught me how to draw men, Looney Toons and Mickey Mouse taught me how to draw anthropomorphic characters, and DC and Marvel taught me how to do everything else and add to all of the above to make it my own.

However, unlike what the song says, love is not blindness. As ironic as it is, the DC and Marvel comics have fallen from grace to the point where the heroes, plots and relationships are not recognizable anymore. I know characters evolve, change and grow up, but there is a limit especially in good storytelling. I also don't want to be hard on the comics because like I said, I still love them. What I will do instead is mention the top six things the DC, Marvel and other superhero films, games and TV shows nail that the comics should start doing in order to get better and I think they still can.

PS: I am aware that some superhero media that is not in comic format don't have the following qualities, but for the most part, they are.

1- Starting the story over and tell it right (hopefully) this time. - Usually, I am against rebooting and retconning because as a writer myself, I see it as cheating, but in the case of the superhero genre, it goes by a different set of rules. Namely, just as it always ends in an open fashion, it also begins so. With that said, it is perfectly fine to start the main version over if it is taking a wrong turn. In fact, that is one thing I learned to appreciate about the various Spider-Man and Batman cartoons especially when you take into account that they make an effort to not repeat the same mistakes. You don't have to breakup Mary Jane and Peter. You don't have to have Bruce Wayne wind up alone. You don't have to fridge Green Lantern's sweetheart. Most importantly, you don't have to stick with a broken story nobody likes including you. It's fiction not a documentary. You're more than allowed to start over and do things differently. That is how we got Harley Quinn, the version of Mr. Freeze we know now and an Aunt May who can hold her own.

2- The heroes can find love and have families. - Moreover, getting married and having kids does not mean the story is over. I can confirm that it's a new journey and adventure within itself. Plus, why shouldn't you be able to do something your good at AND have a family to come home to? I really appreciate that in a lot of recent TV shows especially, heroes are finally allowed to have successful love lives and families, and still be heroes. If anything, the fact that it is fictional reinforces that they should be allowed to have it all. We all need someone to love and supers are not the exception. Besides, love is a beautiful thing to see and should be painted in a positive light. The same with family because who are we without a family to back us up?

3- Tell happy or fun stories. - This is something I have been saying for a while now. Fantasy is supposed to be an escape from real world problem not be a constant reminder of them. With that said, the fact that superhero cartoons, films and games (especially with the uplifting side quests that allow to just be nice) are moments of levity are really appreciated. Just to give you an idea, I'm going to dare to admit something; I LOVE the episode "I've got Batman in my basement" from Batman the Animated Series because it's fun, cute and I liked seeing average people saving Batman for a change. It is also why I loved the Christmas episode from Justice League. Plus, even when heavy topics are addressed, they usually get dealt with the right way with the hero finding peace. For example, did you know that in the original X-Men cartoon from the 90s, Wolverine moving on from Jean and finding a true love of his own was on the table?

4- The superhero genre can be a a hybrid of any genre not just drama. - It is not uncommon for superhero tales to also serve as a vehicle for other genres too, but lately, comics especially have become type casted as only working with drama and that's depressing. Even action has fallen to the side and that is one of the most exciting parts about superheroes. Why not have superhero media that also serves as a sitcom, comedy, mystery or even a love story (think Lois and Clark)? Plus, not everyone likes soap operas, so having options is very appreciated. Heck, even the superhero shows that are educational like Transformers Rescue Bots and ones that are aimed for kids like Spidey and his Amazing Friends are breaths of fresh air.

5- Have fun and inspire. - The number one thing that attracts us to superheroes is how cool they are not seeing life perpetually punish them for being superheroes. Seeing superheroes be resourceful, creative and even have fun with their powers is fun. Plus, did you know that superhero movies inspired a lot of technology as we know it now namely cellphones? Moreover, superhero anime like Dragon Ball (yes, it fits the superhero genre) and the Batman series inspired people to go to the gym. Supers don't just represent the best version of ourselves, but also encourage us to believe in ourselves and better ourselves with hard work. Watchmen was the exception not the new trend all superhero tales should follow.

6- Passing the mantle down for good and with grace. - I love Steve Rogers, Barry Allen, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Clark Kent and all the other heroes from my generation, but I accept that they are heroes of their time and not fit for the modern generation. Heck, I don't think they're fit for my son especially when he starts reading comics. And that is ok. Accepting that these heroes are old is the right thing to do and it's gracious to have them pass their mantles down with dignity. What is so bad about Steve Rogers being able to grow old with the love of his life while knowing there still is a badass Captain America? Or Peter Parker being able to happily marry Mary Jane and have a child with her while Miles becomes the only Spider-Man after long since proving he IS Spider-Man? That sounds like a good way to end a character's arc. Everyone's retirement should be happy and dignified especially the retirement of heroes. It is not a blaze of glory, but you know what? Blazes are overrated.

Anyway, this is all my opinion and things I would like to see in comics again. Do you agree or have some things you want to see more?

Thanks for reading and stay safe.

[markrosewater]

Is there statistical proof that players react better to characters that are like them? Sure, the role of the "self-insert" character is important in a story, but though many readers look through the Frodo's eyes while reading, he scores pretty low in many voting lists. Meanwhile, Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas, characters that the readers/viewers look up to, occupy the top spots. So what's with the fixation of making sure everyone gets a character identical to them, down to the hair color?

Let's explore this idea. Below are the top 25 grossing movie franchises: 1) Marvel Cinematic Universe - Mostly humans (albeit many with superhuman abilities). Has gods, but they look human.2) Star Wars - Has lots of aliens and droids. Main characters mostly human though.3) James Bond - All humans.4) Harry Potter - Moat characters are technically wizards but essentially humans. Has some fantastical creatures.5) Fast and the Furious - All the main characters are human. One could argue cars are kind of characters.6) Transformers - Here the cars are literally characters. First on the list to have main characters not be human although every movie has had its POV protagonist be human.7) Despicable Me - Main characters are human. Minions do get a lot of screen time though.8) X-Men - The heroes are technically mutants but essentially human in appearance and demeanor.9) Jurassic Park - The main characters are always human, but obviously the dinosaurs are the Draw of the franchise.10) Pirates of the Caribbean - Primarily Pirates but other than a few dead ones, mostly human.11) Mission Impossible - All humans.12) Spider-man - Protagonist and antagonists are superhuman but human nonetheless.13) Toy Story - This is the second franchise where they main characters aren't human but toys. The main characters are facsimiles of humans.14) Ice Age - Not only are the main characters animals, but humans have had very little screen time in this franchise.15) Indiana Jones - All human.16) DC Cinematic Universe - Superhumans, some of which are human, some of which while technically not human pass easily for human.17) Kung Fu Panda - This is another IP filled with animals. Unlike Ice Age, these animals primarily act like humans, walking on two legs, using martial arts, etc. 18) Terminator - Main characters are humans but robots get a lot of screen time. 19) Star Trek - Mostly humans with a few aliens that look a lot like humans with a little face make-up.20) Planet of the Apes - Another IP where the main characters are not humans but apes. Like Transformers, movies also have a human POV protagonist.21) Alien - The bad guys are not human but mostly everyone else is including all the main characters.22) Jason Bourne - All humans. 23) Men In Black - Main characters are mostly human, but lots of aliens.24) Rocky - All humans.25) Die Hard - All humans.So, of the top twenty-five grossing movie franchises, only five can be argued as not primarily being about humans, three of which are animated. Both of the non-animated ones always have its protagonist be human. Of the animated ones, only Ice Age don't have the characters anthropomorphized.The fixation on humans is because that's what works. (mike drop): )

[angstandhappiness]

SOFT

was trying my hand at a shamura design and now im :((