#gale articles

[aardwolfpunx]

tidbits from a really good gale article about capitalism and free stores

while here do your daily clicks for palestine 🇵🇸

Under the logic of capitalism, you only deserve to "make a living" if you sell yourself and your labor power to a capitalist. At a free store, the criteria for participating is simply being alive.

People who benefit from the current system—landlords, police, politicians and bosses—rely on mass media and our schooling systems to deceive and dull the population into believing capitalism is the most efficient way, or the only viable way of producing and distributing resources.

But what currently exists is one way of organizing a society of many, and it isn't serving most of us. An ability to imagine and create non-hierarchical alternatives threatens the authority of people benefiting from the current system. At a free store, we can begin to glimpse a world where everything is free and built on voluntary exchange of labor, resources and knowledge.

More recently, anarchists started organizing "Really Really Free Markets" (RRFMs) throughout the 2000s, which tend to be pop-up events, across the United States. These markets never completely dwindled but, if media coverage is to be an accurate benchmark of organizing efforts, there seems to have been an uptick in RRFMs over the past couple years. Collectives are organizing them in cities large and small, from Louisville, Kentucky; Corvallis, Oregon; Avon, North Carolina; Ypsilanti, Michigan; Tempe, Arizona; New Paltz, New York; Athens, Georgia; Jersey City, New Jersey; and in many other locations.

Sohal also emphasized the collective's desire to facilitate connections and relationships in the neighborhood. "People can come in with their kids and sit down or sit outside and rest and chat. We've been talking about having a really big, comfy seating area, and sitting options outside," she said. "We know the power of talking to your neighbors, and we're hoping that having a physical free store will allow conversations between neighbors so that people are letting people around them know that this resource exists. Maybe neighbors will pick up groceries for each other."

"There's a really high rate of poverty in Pulaski County, and in a lot of Southwest Virginia and its really common for a lot of places that do offer help to do a lot of means testing and put other barriers in-between people and help," Hazel Wines, an organizer involved in the free store told VPM News. "And we wanted to remove as those barriers and just be a place where people could help each other. It's not just food, it's not just clothes.… Everyone deserves to live a life of dignity and we want to help provide that."

[kaptainandy]

Here Comes the Bride of Re-Animator article by Chas Balun

from Fangoria #91 | April 1990 (pg. 36 - 40)

bonus highlights because this article altered my brain chemistry:

Right out the gate we are off to the races. Chas really said, "this shit FUCKIN RULES and I will NOT be objective about it!!" Plus calling Herbert, "the bespectacled little guy???" This guy GETS IT!

I too am thankful Dan refuses to leave his "buddy." Is calling two guys "buddies" the gay equivalent of "gal pals?" More at 11.

Fellas....FELLAS??? Commenting on a shirtless Bruce's beefy physique and referring to Jeff as, "small, even delicate," HELLO??? Living for this guy being completely unapologetic in appreciating their physiques. Very understandable.

And lastly, you can't have a comment from Bruce without him being #1 Dan-hater. Calling him a wimp and then confirming that Dan is totally fucked up in the head. Get his ass, king!

[wrmhles]

bro

[neu-apostolisch]

i am definitely of the mind that the interview given by larian discussing the epilogues and character outcomes reflects a lot of bias and favoritism towards some arcs rather than others.

however, i think an overlooked part of this analysis is how they view some characters as independent characters with agency (let's say astarion, for example) and other characters as parts of the plot (i think gale and lae'zel fall into this quite strongly). Shadowheart is an interesting example of both--her narrative plays heavily into the plot of Act 2, but in Act 3 she moves into the more independent category.

this intertwining of character stories with the main story arc is i think what results in writer comments like "a good ending for gale is him blowing himself up." it's NOT a good ending for GALE the character, but with this detached (and dehumanizing) view of him, i see exactly why they would say something like that about the STORY. it's viewing him as a plot device, not a fully written person with ideas, goals and motives. it's a complete failure to understand characters because they're not conceptualizing of them that way.

another person mentioned that "it feels like the character who wrote gale put a lot of thought and care into him, and the other writers didn't really care." and i think that's spot on. it truly does feel like there's a strong disconnect between "gale the plot device" and "gale the beloved character" that you broadly don't see with characters who have more independent storylines. this is likely also why he gets noticeably inconsistent treatment in narrative quality throughout the game.

[loveofdetail]

sickos stay winning

[brokehorrorfan]

4K UHD Review: The Guyver

Following in the wildly successful footsteps of Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Guyver takes a (relatively) grounded approach to its outlandish source material — in this case, a Japanese manga series — without divorcing itself from its comic book roots. Produced by Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator, Society), the 1991 film is directed by special effects wizards Screaming Mad George (Society, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) and Steve Wang (Predator, The Monster Squad).

As the Star Wars-esque expository opening crawl explains, mankind was created by aliens as an organic weapon. The evil Chronos corporation is further developing a technology that allows humans to change into "super monster soldiers" known as Zoanoids for world domination. The only viable defense against them is The Unit, a piece of bio-booster alien armor that increases a human's natural powers a hundredfold, turning them into The Guyver.

Mark Hamill's top billing may lead you to believe that he's the titular hero, but he instead plays a supporting role as a CIA agent investigating Chronos. The real lead is Jack Armstrong (Student Bodies) as Sean Barker, an amateur martial artist who's the only person that can activate The Unit. When his girlfriend (Vivian Wu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III) is endangered, Sean utilizes his newfound powers to take down Chronos and the Zoanoids.

Armstrong is a bland lead, but it's not entirely his fault. In addition to a mustachioed Hamill channeling Colombo, he has to compete with several scene-stealing character actors. Re-Animator's David Gale chews the scenery as the malevolent head of Chronos, briefly reuniting with Jeffrey Combs as the company's scientist, Dr. East (get it?). Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) plays Gale's right-hand Zoanoid with Jimmie Walker (Good Times) as his rapping goon. Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead) cameos as a scream queen.

But the real stars of the show are the creatures, the designs of which showcase boundless creativity. The Guyver looks like Ultraman by way of Clive Barker, and each Zoanoid adopts a different animal's traits. While a number of other artists were employed to pull off the myriad of monsters, George and Wang's fingerprints are all over the effects, imbuing the alien superhero movie with some disturbing body-horror.

Jon Purdy's script deviates significantly from source material not only in terms of story but also tone. While some of the manga's dark atmosphere and violence remain intact, it's undercut by goofy humor in an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic. Fans of Yoshiki Takaya's original creation were no doubt disappointed (Wang attempted a bit of a course correction with his 1994 sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero), but the tonal confusion is actually charming.

Originally cut down to a PG-13 rating in the US, The Guyver has been newly restored in 4K from the original, R-rated 35mm camera negative with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 options for Unearthed Films' 4K UHD + Blu-ray release. Far removed from the days of Jaws and Alien in which the monster was largely hidden in shadows, George and Wang put their creations on full display — and even with a crystal-clear restoration, the in-camera effects shine.

Two new audio commentaries are included. The first is a lively one with George and Wang, moderated by Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films author Dom O’Brien. It's not the most informative track — the filmmakers admit to not having seen the film in over two decades — but they're enjoying themselves so much that it hardly matters. The second commentary features creature crew members "Evil" Ted Smith and Wyatt Weed, who delve into the nitty-gritty of the effects.

Yuzna and George each sit down for thorough new interviews. Yuzna reveals that he's been approached about a remake, but the rights are complicated, while George's infectious energy lasts the entire 56 (!) minutes. Creature suit camera test footage is included with commentary options from George and Wang or Smith and Weed, while outtakes and a gag reel feature George and Wang commentary.

Other extras include: alternate title sequences in English, German and Spanish; English, German, Spanish, and French trailers (all carrying the alternate title Mutronics); and extensive promotional and production galleries. The collector's edition also comes with the soundtrack CD composed by Matthew Morse (Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker) and a booklet featuring liner notes by O’Brien and Morse.

The Guyver is available now on 4K UHD via Unearthed Films.

[phantomoftheshoppera]

wtf are you gonna be able to do with Gale’s hand

[pearl-kite]

I was going to also make a ref sheet for Gale for my first art fight, but now that I have that research exception I imagine I'm going to be spending pretty much all of my free time cramming 6 months of capstone into 6 weeks, so

So here, have what I had finished before, because there's currently no reason for me to finish any outfits v_v

[thou-hast-now-a-bosom-companion]

i like Gale but i especially like the dynamic of him as extremely vitriolic friends with another wizard.

wizard Tav and Gale do that academia thing where one of them publishes an article, and the other publishes a dissenting article that ultimately just means "fuck you how dare you be wrong."

and then the first person publishes a dissenting article to THAT article that ultimately just means "fuck you I've never been wrong about anything ever."

and the process just keeps going like that ad infinitum. Tav barges in on Gale's lectures and pulls some Plato vs Aristotle style petty nonsense. some "Behold: a man!" level pettiness. Gale has begun to place wards on the doors and windows before beginning his lectures. Tav keeps getting past them. the students cheer every time.

[wyllzel]

i love the companions' little inn living spaces bc 1) they're kind of paired off into roommates and the pairs are so interesting?? and 2) even though there's not a lot of space, their personalities totally shine through 🥹

astarion vs gale:

astarion's space is covered in bloody rags, which ofc it is, but also it kind of shows that he's not as neat and put together as he may appear... but on the other hand, he doesn't really need to be neat about his bed -- he's an elf, so he's not even really sleeping there LOL might as well use it as a kitchen (see: the bloody goblet)

meanwhile gale's space is painstakingly pristine and littered with books and other nerd stuff, plus a finely embroidered pillow with a bowl -- maybe for tara?

karlach vs lae'zel:

karlach uses her bed as a clothes pile LOL <3 but she's also got a bunch of books! (disclosure: i don't know her lore as thoroughly but,, perhaps she's catching up on things she's missed while in avernus?)

lae'zel's bed is neat and organized, but also covered in war trophies LOL. and then there's that small blood-stained rag in the front 😳 very intimidating, just like her

shadowheart vs wyll:

shadowheart's space has her shar worship items and is very neat -- she also keeps house plants! interesting how she enjoys caring for things that grow in the light... + i just noticed she and karlach have matching potted bushes 🥹

wyll's space seems somewhat sparse, but that makes sense given his backstory (exiled noble turned on-the-road adventurer) -- and there's that interesting little tray on his bedside table...

[venacoeurva]

Wait apparently party members practically jumping on your dick super early was a bug and not an intended feature of horny level they were supposed to be at? Which just makes it funnier

[recitedemise]

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹, and that, rest assured, is NOT just ego talking. Under Mystra's doting guidance, Gale Dekarios, or the esteemed Gale of Waterdeep, was well and truly a nigh on frightening wizard. Having then been a proud owner of the title of archmage, this man's pure arcane might was not to be underestimated. An archmage, or an exceptionally high-classed spellcaster, is no classification easily obtained. One must study hard, rigorously, poring themselves utterly into tomes and practice, and even then, those practitioners of magic that whittle years for mastery? Not even a quarter of them can dream to hold that coveted distinction. Gale, being a conductor of all the elements, was one of the few, both respected and notable. Even now, Gale, though unable to tap into that power he once had, is incredibly well-versed in high arcana. Truthfully, it hurts him to know he's information he can't use, but you should have seen him work when he still possessed the skill... All that secret lore there for the reckoning! All that half-forgotten knowledge there for his use! Not only had Gale known spells most wizards and sorcerers alike could hardly think to conceive, but he was able to warp them with a flick of his fingers, too. In fact, this very man manipulated nature to his control. Casting firebolt with thunder? Or freezing flesh with flames? He was able to do it all, and he'd even the knack for turning spells back to sender, a mere counterspell turned caster's regret. Now Gale, stripped of power, yearns for this strength again. The netherese blight sucks at it. Knowing what he had been, it makes the coping with who he's become infinitely harder, truthfully—and that's saying nothing of his orb or his new illithid companion.

[galesdove]

omg I'm a few days late but trick or treat may i have a tasty pdf file!!!! 🫶😼

Archer St. Clair. The Visit to the Tomb: Narrative and Liturgy on Three Early Christian Pyxides. 1979. 9 pages.

"Among the approximately forty Christian pyxides that survive from the Early Christian period are three which are unusual both in their subject matter, they are the only pyxides depicting scenes from the Passion cycle, and in the appearance on each of a similar domed structure as the focal point of the composition. [...] Because of the scarcity of securely dated and localized material from the period, however, precise dating and localization for these ivories has yet to be achieved. The purpose of this study is to examine the three pyxides in the hope of providing some insights into the origin of their iconography and the impact of the liturgy on early Passion iconography," 127.

i think i vaguely skimmed this a long while ago when i was looking for sources for a paper on other pyxides; i think they're a really cool object type, and ivory at large is a material i'm really interested in. happy belated halloweeeeeen!! 🎃🎃🎃

[mashamorevvna]

a super interesting thing about gale's greek tragedy story arc is that to escape his act of hubris he can: die because there was nothing else left to do; escape the consequences of it by becoming a god (bc hubris is only a mortal's fatal flaw); OR he can achieve the impossible and live past the edge of his myth

[katagawajr]

not to keep bringing up that dumb article but… does larian (and other people) know that there’s actually a lot of other things they can joke about with wyll that doesn’t involve mocking his abuse.. 💀

like, why not joke about the way wyll always refers to himself in the third person like a superhero. or his 8 strength like the other guys. or how he was a dumbass (affectionate) kid prince growing up. or even his daddy issues. why does the topic of the joke always have to be about him being a grooming victim