#good of john to take the attention away from paul’s fat joke

[javelinbk]

The Beatles performing Till There Was You at the Royal Variety Performance, 4th November 1963

"The next song we'd like to sing now is one which is a bit slower... this is from the show 'The Music Man', and it's also been recorded by our favourite American group, Sophie Tucker."

[blackberry-gingham]

could you maybe write about how all the boys would each take care of the reader? maybe the reader has had a really long day and they just come home pretty much crying and with a headache,,, and then just the boys comforting the reader🥺🥺

thank you, i love your writing so much !!

skjrlkfjrilrfj this ask is like perfect in line tbh. Today has been rough for sure, so thank you anon, wherever you are.

I hope you enjoy these imagines as much as I did filling them :)

George

As soon as you walk in, the stress is written all over your face

George walks out of the kitchen with a smile as he comes to greet you, but his expression falls as soon as he sees you

“Ey now, what’s wrong love?”, he puts aside the towel he was using and comes straight over to give you a hug

He smells like herbs and spices, and you can hear the sounds of the kitchen just a room or so away

Unfortunately, you don’t have much to say

Today was just... tough

You lean in, letting him hold you for a little while

George rubs your back with comforting circles before inviting you to the dinner table

“Come on now, I’ve made your favorite, and whatever it is, you can tell me all about it”

Turns out he’s right, tonight's meal is your favorite

Perfectly prepared as always by your wonderful boyfriend

George gives you some space to eat a bit and collect yourself before telling him about your miserable time today

And when you're ready, he listens in attentive silence until you’re through

“That is rather awful. I’m sorry you had to deal with that love... Can I do anything?”

You shake your head no, and the repressed feeling of hopelessness you’ve been carrying all day washes over you, slowly dragging tears from your eyes

George puts down his utensils and pulls around his chair right beside you

You lean into him one more time and have a little cry while he holds you tight

When you’ve gotten it all out, he kisses your forehead and asks if you want to finish your meal

You say no... Thanks.

George kisses you again, “Why don’t you go get comfortable love, I’ll clear up here and meet you"

“Thanks...”, you sniff and wobble to your feet, before shuffling off to the bedroom

You clean yourself up a bit and change into your cozy PJs before slipping into bed

Just as you’re fishing for your sherpa blanket, George comes in following a gentle knock

He’s all dressed down to his undershirt and dress pants, which he quickly exchanges for a pair of PJ pants himself

At long last, he climbs into bed and gets under the sheets with you

Instinctively, you cuddle up to him and George wraps you in the blanket before holding you close

“Can I get you anything?”

You shake your head, and scoot a little closer, just enjoying his soothing company

“Right then...”, George kisses your hair, then your forehead, and gives you a little squeeze, “I love you”

A little smile transforms your frown at that, "...Love you too Georgie"

John

John is working on some music sheets in his tiny little office when a quiet rap comes at the door

“Come in dear”, he calls

The door creaks open, but John doesn’t turn around until he hears your voice, “John... Are you busy?”

He can hear you holding back tears even from here

John drops everything and turns around to find his suspicions to be correct

A few wet streaks glisten down your cheeks leading up to puffy, red eyes as you stand wrapped in your blanket

“No, of course not! What’s wrong?”, John looks so worried for you

He gets up and rubs a little warmth into your arms

You don’t say anything, instead, leaning against him for support as you cry some more

When it's clear you don't have the strength for it, John picks you up easily in his strong arms and carries you to somewhere more comfortable so you can catch your breath

A while ago, you made a little nest of blankets and pillows on the floor of your living room

It’s perfect for tea, reading, naps, and cuddling

So naturally, John takes you to your favorite spot and kneels down to deposited you on the padded blanket floor

He rests you against the big pillows and snuggles up beside you

John holds you tightly, providing a comforting pressure and few light kisses here and there until you’re calm enough to speak

With one more long kiss to your forehead, John asks, “Do you want to tell me about it?”

You take a deep breath to steady yourself and tell him all about what happened today

John listens attentively, and when you’ve said your peace, he wants to know what he can do to help

That brings a little smile to your face

“You’re already doing enough”, you say

But John doesn’t want to settle for “enough”, he wants to do more

So, he reaches into the corner where one of his guitars sits tucked away

He knows how much you love his music

“How about a song?”

John takes requests as you rest against his shoulder, singing soft, acoustic versions of his usually upbeat music

Turns out, his little trick works, and before long, you’re singing along with him

But before your little session is through, John makes sure to dedicate a special, heartfelt rendition of Any Time At All, just for you ❤️

Paul

Today has been awful

You storm thorough the front door and head straight for your room

Meanwhile, Paul is left dazed on the couch, lowering his newspaper slowly

He didn’t even get a chance to say hello, you blew by so fast

Obviously something is wrong...

See, things of this sort have happened before, so by now Paul is prepared

He puts on the kettle and gathers up one of his clean sweatshirts from the drying rack, and comes back to make two cups of cocoa

This gives him just enough time to let you collect your thoughts and do what you must to calm down on your own terms first

When everything's ready, Paul nudges the door open and finds you completely covered by the bedsheets, muffling the sounds of your soft cries

Paul’s heart breaks for you, and he makes sure to announce his presence gently so as not to give you a scare

“Go away...”, you moan

“Aw, come now... Will you at least look at what I brought you?”

You peak out from under the pile of sheets to see two steaming cups and your favorite sweater of Paul’s to steal

“I thought you might want these”, Paul eases himself into bed with you, making sure to not spill any cocoa

First, he puts aside the mugs and unfolds the warm sweater

“Arms up”

You comply and Paul slips it over your head, enveloping you in it’s warmth and the comforting scent of him

While he retrieves the drinks, you wrap up in the blankets once more

Paul hands you your mug, urging you to be careful

Once you’re settled, he asks if you want to talk or if you’d still like to be left alone

You’ve decided you’ve changed your mind

Perhaps a talk would be good...

So you tell him all about who’s been causing trouble, and what’s been giving you so much stress, and this and that inconvenience, until everything is out

Paul only adds some light commentary or asks a few questions, but otherwise he lets you have the floor

You appreciate his responses, however

That classic Paul McCartney charm never fails to put a smile on your face, even when things seem bleak or tough

Paul loves you so much... He’s always there for you

By the time your story is finished, the two of you are gossiping and roasting some of the hard cases that have been stirring you up

At last, after a particularly outrageous joke, a genuine laugh escapes from you and a weight feels lifted off of Paul’s chest

Finally feeling safe and at ease, you feel like you're seeing Paul with fresh eyes for the first time all night

Rather abruptly, you lean in and press a chocolatey kiss to his lips

Not that Paul's complaining

And for the rest of the night, you sit in bed together, cuddling in peace as you finish your drinks

Ringo

After a quick stop out, Ringo has decided to come visit you with a surprise

The bus drops him off at the end of your block and he walks to your door with a spring in his step

Ringo gives a quick set of knocks on the large door and hides his surprise behind his back

He knows you're home

...so why is it taking you so long to answer?

Ringo's face falls a bit, and he begins to worry something's wrong

However, before things get too heavy in his mind, your door slowly creaks open

"Hello...?"

You can barely make out Ringo's face through the tiny crack, but even through that, you can see the grin he's wearing

"Hello! I thought I'd come visit ya, I brought ya something!"

"Oh... thanks..."

You hesitate, not sure if you want him to come in or leave you be

"... Everything alright?", Ringo's voice is soft, and laced with concern as he tries to get a better angle to see you

You shake your head no, but open the door to let him inside

Ringo walks in cautiously, and closes the door behind him

He can see now that your eyes look puffy with little bags starting to form underneath

You wipe at your eyes and hug your shoulders, "Sorry, I just um..."

But before you can finish your sentence, you have to stop just to hold back tears

"No, no don't cry, it's alright", Ringo holds out his arms to try and console you

In doing so, he reveals a fat, fuzzy little teddy bear, with stubby arms and legs and large, doe eyes

That grabs your attention in an instant

You love stuffed animals, as much as you hate to admit it, being as old as you are and all...

But Ringo doesn't judge

In fact, he figures if it makes you happy, then why not!

And after all, you do love teddy bears...

Ringo sees it's caught your attention, and he feels a touch better

"Oh, do you like it? Made me think of you", he turns the bear over, holding it in both hands, then holds it out to you with a sweet smile

You sniff, and give a tiny smile in return as you accept the gift

"Oh?", you boop the big black triangle on the end of the bear's round snout, "Cause he kind of makes me think of you..."

Your eyes flick from the stitched on smile of your bear, to the adorable smile of your boyfriend

Ringo blushes a little at the complement while you give your bear a tight hug

He rubs at the back of his neck and looks away shyly

"So... Did you want to talk maybe? Sorry, you just seem upset is all..."

You think on it a moment

"...Tell you upstairs?", You clutch your bear in one arm, and reach for Ringo with your other

"Sure", Ringo takes your hand and follows you upstairs

You situate yourself in bed and the two of you get cozy

Ringo passes you a box of tissues, just in case, and you begin to pet your bear and talk about your bad day

Of course, Ringo listens empathetically, but he can't stop stealing glances at your hands

You interupt your story as you catch his stare, "Oh, did you want to...?"

You put aside your bear and open up your arms to him

Ringo lights up with a grin and eagerly crawls into your arms

You hook your arms under his and help him adjust to a comfortable position, leaning against you

Once he's settled, you massage your fingers through his hair, and it does quite the trick for your anxiety

The simple act of holding your boyfriend makes you feel better already, but you finish your story regardless

Ringo isn't much for fancy, soothing words like the others, but he is sorry to hear it all of course

He gives you a kiss, then hugs you back for a long while

"Can I do anything for ya?"

You take a deep calming breath, and the comforting scent of Ringo's shampoo and after shave wash over you

"You're already doing it", you hug him tighter and snuggle closer

The two of you decide in that moment, without mentioning a word, to stay amongst the blankets for the rest of the day

And soon enough, all your troubles are forgotten

[beatles-slash-fiction]

OT5 Part 3....

*****

There’s a heavy tension in the air at rehearsals the next day.

Brian spends most of the morning smoking nervously as the boys do their sound check, wondering if he’s maybe caused more harm than good.

The boys are behaving themselves at least. There’s no arguing today, no making a scene.

But there’s a lack of enthusiasm too. Something is off with them. They’re not quite gelling like they usually would. They’re missing cues and forgetting lyrics. They’re making sloppy mistakes.

Only Ringo seems to be in a reasonably good mood, and he gives Brian a warm smile when their eyes meet.

Brian has noticed that Ringo has been trying his best to encourage the other boys and keep them focussed. He seems to be taking on more of a leadership role today, and Brian finds it rather refreshing.

He just wishes the other boys will get their confidence back soon.

*****

That evening, as agreed, the boys report to Brian’s hotel room at nine o’clock.

“Maybe we’ll have better luck tonight,” Brian says with a smile. “Get yourselves ready. Take your time.”

The boys undress in silence, not saying a word to each other and avoiding eye contact as they silently fold their clothes. They seem a little calmer tonight, at least, as they know what to expect.

It doesn’t escape Brian’s notice that the boys deliberately arrange themselves in a different order tonight. An order that will allow John and George to use their right hands.

“Don’t be cheeky,” Brian says. “I want you in the same positions as last night, please.”

John rolls his eyes at Paul. “Told you he’d notice.”

“Don’t give me any lip.” Brian settles in an armchair and grabs a cigarette. “Same rules apply. Begin whenever you’re ready.”

The same awkwardness from last night still hangs in the air, but the boys seem to get into things a lot quicker tonight.

John has no problems getting Ringo hard once again, nor Paul with John. George is still struggling with his left hand though, but at least Paul is holding his tongue tonight.

Ringo is a lot more vocal though.

“Does that feel good, Georgie?” Ringo asks softly, stroking George slowly. “Is that nice?”

George’s eyes flutter closed, his face flushed. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.”

“You’re doing great, George. Just focus on my hand on your dick. Nice and warm, yeah? You’re so beautiful, Georgie. So gorgeous. You look so good right now, so pretty with your legs open and your bits all on display. So lovely.”

John watches this exchange with an expression on his face that Brian has never seen before. It looks like a mixture of longing and...insecurity.

Ringo’s words seem to have the effect needed on George, whose cock looks achingly hard, but John’s erection quickly flags.

Brian makes a mental note of a particular hypothesis he’s formed in his mind, and files it away for later.

“You doing brilliantly, Georgie,” Ringo praises, “but you need to calm down just a little. We need to wait for John and Paul to catch up with us.”

The whole thing ends up being a bit of a see-saw between Ringo and George, and John and Paul. As soon as John and Paul seem to be on the edge, Ringo and George’s erections have flagged, and they have to try and get themselves hard again. But by the time they manage it, John and Paul have suffered a similar problem, and the four of them just go round and round in circles for nearly an hour with frustration on their faces.

George is the one who breaks.

The constant edging proves too much for him, and it only takes another stroke from Ringo before George lets out a cry and throws his head back.

It all seems to happen in slow motion. George’s orgasmic expression only seems to last a second before he realises what’s happened, shame creeping onto his face.

John and Paul are clearly trying not to show their frustration.

“Christ,” George says breathlessly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

“It’s not your fault,” Ringo says quickly. “I should’ve been paying more attention to-“

“Enough,” Brian interrupts. “No apologies. This is a group task. And you’ve all failed again.”

The boys all look at him silently, and once again Brian feels the overwhelming urge to kiss them all.

“Up you get, lads. Get dressed and off to bed with you. You’ll come back here at nine tomorrow to try again. I suggest you take some time to reflect on your previous two attempts to avoid making similar mistakes.”

The boys slowly pull themselves to their feet. Brian watches Ringo help George up, his thighs trembling, his stomach and groin covered in the evidence of his shame.

“You can use the shower to have a quick rinse, George,” Brian says softly. He turns to John. “You’re with me tonight.”

John nods. “Let me grab my stuff and I’ll be back in five minutes.”

There’s certainly a deflated atmosphere in the room as the boys tidy up and dress themselves, and Brian desperately wants to hold them all and kiss them all.

But this isn’t the time. They will earn it.

*****

John eyes Brian warily as he climbs into bed beside him, dressed in his pyjamas.

“Ringo said you didn’t even ask for a blowjob last night. You actually just wanted to sleep.”

There’s a teasing tone there, but Brian can tell John is digging for information.

“Is there anything wrong with wanting to just sleep?” Brian chuckles, settling beneath the covers and pulling John close. “And maybe just spend a bit of time with one of my beautiful boys.”

John’s lips twitch.

“You’ve been rather quiet these last few days.” Brian strokes John’s hair back from his forehead. “I’m dying to hear a Lennon opinion on the little task I’ve set you all.”

“You mean our punishment?” John shrugs. “Better than being whipped or having to go to rehearsals naked I suppose.” He raises an eyebrow. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“I wouldn’t.” Brian brushes their lips together. “How has it been for you personally?”

John suddenly looks a lot younger, the insecurity from earlier creeping back on to his face.

“It’s been...challenging. But a good challenge. I’m not a fan of spending so much time naked though, I’ll admit.”

Brian nods, rubbing the younger man’s hips. His suspicions are slowly being confirmed.

“We’ve all seen you naked many times before,” Brian says softly. “In very intimate circumstances.”

“Very observant,” John says with a roll of his eyes, which earns him a smack on the backside. “I mean I just don’t like being on display next to the other three like that. It just highlights the inequalities.”

Brian raises an eyebrow. “Inequalities?”

“Yeah. With looks, y’know? Paul and George are these beautiful skinny things. And Ringo’s all...” John pauses and makes the shape of an hourglass with his hands. “Curvy in all the right places, y’know? And then there’s me. The fat Beatle.”

There it is.

The thought that Brian knows has been haunting John for so long.

“You know my opinion on this,” Brian says.

He has to be careful here. He’s becoming dangerously sentimental for these boys.

John looks at him as if searching for reassurance though, so Brian says it anyway.

“You know I once got asked by a journalist,” Brian says, stroking John’s knuckles, “about who I thought was the most beautiful Beatle. And I told him I couldn’t choose. You are all beautiful to me. You’re all just as beautiful as each other. And I know that’s how you boys all feel about each other too.”

John opens his mouth to argue, but Brian silences him with a kiss.

“You’re not to repeat this to anyone,” Brian says firmly, “but you’re not the only one who feels like this. Insecure about your body.”

Normally Brian never shares with the boys anything that one of them has said to him in private, but he thinks the occassion might call for it. His boys can tell him anything in confidence, and he wants to keep that trust.

John looks sceptical.

“Ringo has had similar thoughts about himself,” Brian says quietly. “He’s told me a couple of times how much he hates his nose and his lips and his stomach and his arse.”

John looks at Brian as though he’s just said the sky is green.

“Ringo?” John frowns. “You’re joking? The lad’s got eyes, hasn’t he?”

Brian chuckles. “Yes, well. I’m just pointing out that he also sees himself as being less attractive than the rest of the group.”

“I just don’t get it. He’s got the prettiest eyes and the loveliest smile...and his arse is just something else-“

“Have you ever told him this?” Brian asks gently. “I’ve told him what I think of him of course, but I’m sure he would love to hear this from you.”

John looks thoughtful for a moment.

“And I’m sure he’d have some things to say to you as well,” Brian adds. “If you felt so inclined to share with him how you feel about your own body.”

“You could be a bloody marriage counsellor,” John says, but there’s a fond smile on his face.

He strokes Brian’s jaw before leaning in for a kiss, and Brian tries to pour everything into that kiss- every ounce of affection he feels for this man.

When they part, John reaches for Brian’s cock, but Brian immediately grabs his wrist.

“None of that now,” Brian chuckles. “Not until you’ve completed your task.”

John pouts but eventually gives a sigh and settles in Brian’s arms, which makes the older man laugh.

Brian honestly can’t conceive of how John could ever think of himself as anything less than beautiful, but he hopes this task will help to change that.

Maybe John will get something out of this after all.

TO BE CONTINUED

[transformers-art-showcase]

P.A.T.C.H. #7: "Starscream: The Movie"

Most often in comics, continuity is a problem for newbies. If you don’t know what the characters are talking about and what in-jokes they make, is there really a point in recommending the book? Yes, I hear you; this here feature is supposed to help with sorting those messes out, after all. But what if something has such a killer concept you can’t help but blabber on about it? Even to people not into the comic series?

Case in point: a Cybertronian tries to make a movie about Starscream for humans. My mom was sold. Be as cool as my mom!

“Thundercracker in: Starscream: The Movie”

“Optimus Prime” Annual (2018)/“Transformers: Optimus Prime” Volume 5 (upcoming as of this writing) Written by John Barber, pencils by Priscilla Tramontano and Andrew Griffith, colors by John-Paul Bove and Josh Burcham, letters by Shawn Lee

SO WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Starscream, Lord of Cybertron, fed up with his notoriety amongst his subjects, decides on a solution: good old-fashioned propaganda! Having learned of his old wing-mate’s passion for writing, he tasks ex-Seeker Thundercracker with scripting, casting and directing a movie about his life. Who cares if said ex-comrade has only written human soap opera fan fiction and unpublished screenplays so stilted, they would make “Birdemic” green with envy? He’s really into it! Surely, nothing can go wrong!

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? Given that this issue came out in the last year of the IDW Generation One continuity, there are various bits and pieces to consider before diving in, but probably the most important has to do with the evolution of Thundercracker, from Seeker repaint to real boy fleshed-out character. While his goofy and hopelessly optimistic personality is well-established in the series and this here issue completes his origin story, it can’t harm to go over it and pick some highlights.

The fate of Thundercracker –or TC to his friends- has long been intertwined with that of two more famous Decepticon fliers: OG bad boy Starscream and official stair-pusher Skywarp. The first years’ worth of stories weren’t different: the three met Megatron together for the first time in the mini-series “Megatron: Origins”, written by Eric Holmes, penciled by Alex Milne and colored by Josh Perez. His most interesting beat in that story was expressing doubt over burning the city of Kaon, only to be pacified by Skywarp –“Don’t think. Just do it.”, he said. After that, and for the longest time, from the “Autocracy Trilogy” to the “–ations”, the blue jet remained a constant if discreet presence in the Decepticon forces. He was always there, often under Starscream, never in a major role, sometimes uncomfortable with his place.

Still, there were a couple exceptions to this. In “Spotlight: Orion Pax”, written by James Roberts, he was a reluctant underling to mad scientist Bludgeon. He crossed paths with the creepy samurai again much later, in “Spotlight: Thundercracker”, written by John Barber with art by Chee Yang Ong, this time while searching for the original Titans. In that story, he had a change of heart when he found Metroplex, and lied so the ancient Transformer wouldn’t fall into Decepticon hands. In both cases, the further away he stayed from bad influences, the more functional his moral compass became.

The great break from all the above –ironically, inspired by his original toy bio– came with his rejection of the Decepticon cause. In “All Hail Megatron” (written by Shane McCarthy and with art by Guido Guidi), after witnessing the brutalities and monstrosities his side was capable of –namely, razing human cities and creating the Insecticons-, he prevented the detonation of a nuclear bomb and briefly worked with the Autobots. (His reward? Getting shot in the face by Skywarp. Some comradery.) In the next ongoing (look for the stand-alone issue #4, written by Mike Costa, penciled by Don Figueroa, with colors by James Brown and letters by Robbie Robbins), it was revealed that thankfully, he survived, kept barely online on Earth and scavenging for fuel. He also picked up a new best friend: human television! Laugh all you want, but it gave him a new appreciation for humans and their adaptability –couldn’t his own species be like this? While he turned into a reluctant ally to the Autobots, he stayed out of intense battles...

... until he got to work with his new best friends in Season 2 of “Robots in Disguise”: Earth people! Between the regeneration of the planet and Starscream’s rise to power, TC stayed back on the blue marble and got in touch with human anti-Transformer forces, who provided him with fuel and a home. (A gift puppy named Buster sealed the deal and immediately became fealty.) In return, they wanted his services against Autobot invaders, but his love of Earth got in the way of that. What also got in the way was his new calling: writing! Inspired by the years he spent watching TV, he then went on to create totally original and very high quality screenplays, hoping they would lead to a career in film. (They haven’t so far. There’s a reason the Wiki has quotes from “The Room” in his personal page.) Still, eventually things turned out well enough: he helped untangle the mess of allegiances between the Earth Defense Command and Cybertronians and formed an enduring friendship with female Earth human Marissa Faireborn. Not bad for someone whose biggest claim to fame was being the answer to a trivia question –“Who was the first Decepticon shown in active combat in IDW continuity?”

Finally, some minor bits of backstory to make a few character beats land easier. An institute protecting Transformers with “abnormal” powers was first introduced in “More Than Meets the Eye” #11, by James Roberts and Alex Milne. The re-discovery of the Cybertronian Colonies started with the people of Caminus –Windblade, Chromia and Nautica- in “Dark Cybertron”, and they were all immediately integrated into the books –we’ve talked about the first “Windblade” mini here. The dead colony of Prion, shown in “The Transformers” #57 (by Barber and Livio Ramondelli) wasn’t nearly so lucky. The creation of the Council of Worlds for the governance of the surviving ones was detailed in the “Windblade: Distant Stars” mini-series, written by Maighread Scott, with art by Corin Howell and colors by Thomas Deer. After that, colonists such as Aileron (“The Transformers” #44, by Barber, Griffith, Perez on colors and Tom B. Long on letters) joined the action on Cybertron, though not without problems. Oh, and that huge dinosaur was brought online in the “Salvation” one-shot and has been used as an embassy since “Optimus Prime” #13-14 (by Barber, Ramondelli and Long). As it happens.

WHERE DO I GO FROM THERE? Why’d you think I listed all those previous stories above? So that you can go and get ‘em!

Okay, to be less abrasive and more specific, there isn’t that much to get into after this story, but there’s plenty to jump back to. Almost all these minor characters have had memorable stories told about them, so I’m only going to single out some personal favorites and let you decide what you might be into. Fat Fast Tankor’s most memorable outings have been at the hands of Maighread Scott, and it was in the first “Windblade” mini that he and his bestie, Tall Tankor, started getting some attention. For another visit to Alpha Trion, Adorable Old Man (And More), see “Optimus Prime” #10, by Barber, Zama and Burcham. For the amazing life of Richard Ruby, film producer and ex-superhero (no, really), check out “Revolutionaries” #3 by Barber, pencils by Ron Joseph, Sebastian Cheng on colors and Long lettering. Finally, for a story that demonstrates Marissa’s own issues (and just how much of a sweetspark TC is), “New Cybertron” (“Optimus Prime” #1-6) by Barber, Zama, Milne and Burcham has you covered.

But clearly this isn’t why you’re here. You want more of The Artist’s work. For that, head over to the “Transformers Holiday Special” (which we’ve visited before here), for the ten-page story by Barber, Burcham and Long. It is a Christmas story that is children’s storybook by way of Frank Miller, and it might be the best thing in the whole line. In the same trade you’ll find the “Revolution” tie-in issue for the “Robots in Disguise” series, written by Barber, with pencils by Griffith and colors by Thomas Deer. While it’s connected to a much larger event, it’s valuable for seeing how TC evaluates his own work and how he works with Marissa. It is a Hollywood action movie pastiche with a failed screenplay layered on top, and it’s a sweet little tribute to the character. Both of these stories work with similar themes to this one, but expand them in different directions.

IS IT ANY GOOD? It was the culmination of a few years’ worth of stories with an endearing secondary character taking center stage. It offered a sideways look into a fascinating time in “Transformers” comics, through its less important players. It was a funny and poignant look into what can go wrong with any piece of art we create, consume, curate and love (or, more importantly, ignore). It had some exceptional so-bad-it’s-good writing and art. It had a cute puppy in it.

PUPPY! WHO’S A GOOD PUPPY, WHO’S THE BEST PUPPY?! BUSTER IS! YES, SHE IS! Stop baby-talking one of the main characters and concentrate! Here, this should keep you busy!

LIKE A MOVIE STAR WITHOUT MOVIES | THEME AND CHARACTER Strip away all the superficialities, and what is this story about? An artist attempts to create a work of art, and Poe’s Law comes into full effect. His source material is controversial –few people have kind things to say about Starscream. His sources lack credibility –the subject of the movie himself is a liar with a ton of guilt on his shoulders. His production value is low -seriously, I’m having “Pop Quiz Hotshot” flashbacks here. He himself lacks training and discipline, and he and his crew aren’t on the same page –oh, and one of them isn’t paid. He gets preoccupied with details -Megatron had a different frame in “Robots in Disguise”! There goes the suspension of disbelief! He has so little faith in himself that he blindly follows whatever advice he’s offered –is it a commercial or personal work, then? And in the end, no matter his passion and drive for the project, he fails for reasons beyond his control, not even his own mistakes. This kind of story can work only if we’re invested in the mad ambition of its main creator, and TC’s unlucky, stubborn and likeable enough to pull it off. The annual, then, becomes a love letter to art creation in general: a whole lot of people with conflicting ideas try to create something meaningful against all odds. Even if the end product isn’t great, you have to feel for all the effort, the time and energy spent (or wasted) on it, right?

There’s also an extra layer to all this, and it’s specifically about Cracker’s relation to his work. At this point in the series, TC has officially renounced the Decepticons and wants to leave a peaceful life on Earth. This project about one of his former associates makes him ask all sorts of questions: what drove Starscream to do the things he did? How does he handle the unstable political climate after the Autobot victory? Did the War ever mean anything to anyone? And what is there to do after the War? These aren’t easy questions, and the ex-Seeker’s own stance on these issues is complicated by his personal feelings and involvement. This might be a movie about Starscream, but deep down, this is a story about Thundercracker. (This becomes even more apparent when one remembers the two share the same mold.) While the theme of failed or doubtful artists is universal, the specificity of this million-year-long War informs it with extra nuances that enrich an already interesting character portrait.

“Oh man, I just can't figure Starscream out. Sometimes he’s just too smart. Sometimes he’s just flat-out stupid. Other times he’s just evil.”

ENHANCED BY BRAND NEW SPECIAL EFFECTS| ART This whole examination could have ended up dry and boring, but in the hands of penciler Priscilla Tramontano, it gets a life and energy it would otherwise lack. Her greatest strength is the expressiveness she lends to the characters, and so she’s the perfect fit for a story with lots of quick, fully dialogue. Little casual touches and details, like reading glasses or cups of coffee, make the world of alien robots a little more approachable and help ease us into its confused protagonist’s mind. John-Paul Bove’s colors are bright and poppy, but moody in the more serious parts (like TC’s meeting with Dirge and relaxing at the beach near the end). Andrew Griffith and Josh Burcham contribute pencils and colors respectively in two key scenes, one flashback to just before the War and the trailer for a rival production. Their more detailed, somber yet action-oriented style helps draw attention to them, but the overall tone doesn’t shift from the fast-paced comedy and introspection of the whole issue. In any case, the story never loses its sense of wonder: this is a charming, strange little world, and in the increasingly serious main title, this can sometimes fall through the cracks.

However, this is the rare case of a comic whose artistic failings are also interesting in their own way. The scenes shown from “Starscream: The Movie” itself are bad on purpose, and so multiple movie mistakes are recreated in comics form. The lighting is almost always off in most scenes, and in some cases, it’s easy to make a green highlight around the actors –the result of cheap color correction. In another scene, the focus is all wrong, and so “Megatron” and “Starscream” are blurry or stick like sore thumbs from the background. When Thundercracker cannot stage the Decepticon uprising from the first storyline of “Robots in Disguise”, he ends up using archival footage for it –and so the same panels that Andrew Griffith drew for issue #13 are re-used wholesale! While it can be distracting at first, these mistakes become doubly fun when spotted and only add to the joke. (They can also make all amateur filmmakers out there check their equipment twice before starting filming. Never go with auto-focus, people!)

“Hey, everybody! I have an announcement to make!”

AN AWKWARD PAUSE, THEN “WHAT'S MY LINE?”| PLOT AND DIALOGUE But forget pretty much everything I’ve written so far, because the number one reason to read this story is how damn funny it is. And that’s not just for the guilty pleasure of mocking Thundercracker’s work. Sure, the tone-deaf, repetitive dialogue, the hammy acting and the flubs of the final film (poor Waspinator, always a victim) are extremely enjoyable, but that ignores the real back-and-forth of the characters. Even better is how the movie scenes are staged alongside the rest of TC’s discussions and efforts. The issue is expertly paced, each page functioning as a scene into its own, with set-ups and payoffs. When read all together, it’s like a very well-edited movie: it remains fast and doesn’t sag, and the connections between the disparate scenes become apparent on a second read-through. The cyclical flow of the story –it begins and ends with a very similar scene- can be seen as bittersweet and uplifting at the same time, and it made this here reader want to re-read the issue the moment it was over.

One of Barber’s greatest gifts as a writer –owing to his experience as an editor- is his mastery of continuity, but here he also demonstrates a firm understanding of Transformers and pop culture. His cheeky world-building –giant robots make movies, too!- combines satire and Trans-fan practices -repaints are totally a thing!- into one whole. Humans get a lot to do in this world, too, being both friends and potential business partners, in a co-existence that might even bring to mind the days of the original cartoon. My favorite example might be TC’s interactions with a former superhero, prospective film producer and distributor. The practicality of creating and curating a movie clashes wonderfully with the insanity of a sci-fi world and some obscure pop and high culture references. It’s this level of detail and care for all those losers that gives the story a beating heart that is often forgotten when talking about this specific writer’s work.

“You know what they say, ‘Love is blind’!”

THE CREDITS ROLL, THE CAMERA PANS | FINAL THOUGHTS Going over all the things I’ve written so far about this annual, I see that I could still go on. This here read focused on the story from a newbie perspective, because with continuity in mind, there’s a whole other essay’s worth of stuff to unpack! (One could re-interpret it as a Starscream and not a Thundercracker story, in fact!) But even with all that aside, this is a really fun, sweet diversion from the political drama of “Optimus Prime”, a great tribute to the bit players of the franchise and a love letter to the creative process as a whole. Oh, and there’s new jokes to find in, like, every new read! I literally just today remembered Fake!Ironhide’s Southern accent! That stuff’s amazing!

[theconservativebrief]

Nora Lum, a.k.a. Awkwafina — the YouTube viral sensation turned star in this year’s Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians and this week’s Saturday Night Live host — is having a very good 2018.

Her movies are doing well: Crazy Rich Asians is on track to be one of the biggest success stories of 2018; Oceans 8 has outearned all the other Oceans movies. And Awkwafina herself is being hailed as part of an immensely likable ensemble in Oceans 8, and as the breakout star of Crazy Rich Asians.

Rolling Stone called her Crazy Rich Asians performance “a singular, unforgettable take on the often-forgettable BFF part.” She’s “on the cusp of a movie star moment,” wrote Refinery 29. Newsweek declared 2018 “her year.”

“This is what Hollywood is built on,” gossip expert Elaine Lui told the Washington Post of Awkwafina’s current moment: “the moment a star arrives.”

But when Lum talks about her current star-making moment, she doesn’t seem to fully associate it with herself. That’s because she talks about Nora and Awkwafina as two different people.

She talks about leaving her office job for show business as going off “in pursuit of Awkwafina.” She switches between the first and third person when she talks about her persona. “You can put as much makeup [on me as you want] and put me in dance classes, but she’ll never be mainstream,” she told GQ, referring to herself and her persona (italics added). “It’s just not going to happen.”

“Awkwafina is someone who never grew up, who never had to bear the brunt of all the insecurities and overthinking that come with adulthood. Awkwafina is the girl I was in high school — who did not give a shit,” she explained to the Guardian in June. “Nora is neurotic and an overthinker and could never perform in front of an audience of hecklers.”

It’s a classic Norma Jean versus Marilyn Monroe split, and it’s laying some important groundwork for how Awkwafina’s career might develop.

Right now, Awkwafina is celebrated for her raunch; she’s America’s new favorite unruly woman. She’s doing the Melissa McCarthy/Tiffany Haddish maneuver, and doing it exceptionally well. She’s even got the SNL hosting gig to prove it, right on schedule: McCarthy hosted SNL for the first time six months after Bridesmaids premiered, and Haddish hosted four months after Girls Trip; Awkwafina’s outing comes four months after Ocean’s 8 and two months after Crazy Rich Asians.

That means that Awkwafina is currently on track to emulate the career path modeled by McCarthy and Haddish before her. But because she’s developed the Awkwafina/Nora split, she’s also left herself an escape route.

An unruly woman is a woman who transgresses the boundaries in which women are supposed to live their lives, and preferably one who does it gleefully, laughing all the time. She is the opposite of what we are taught a woman is supposed to be: She might be fat, or she might straightforwardly pursue sex, or she might just genuinely like herself without apology.

In her book The Unruly Woman, film scholar Kathleen Rowe names Miss Piggy — with her “overpowering” size and affection and her penchant for karate chops — one of the greatest unruly women on the American screen. The unruly woman breaks the rules of femininity, and she makes us love her for it.

When Melissa McCarthy exploded onto the screen in 2011’s Bridesmaids — stealing dogs and shitting in sinks with glee and abandon — she was breaking the rules on a new level. Bridesmaids was a whole movie about women who got to be gross and funny, and McCarthy was the grossest and funniest one of all.

GQ called her performance “the bravest, most batshit, most balls-out, and hilarious performance of the year,” and devoted an oral history to it. McCarthy “lit up the screen like a 500-watt bulb,” said Rolling Stone.

“Most of us remember the first time we realized that McCarthy was the funniest thing since really funny sliced bread,” recalled E Online five years later. “Some Bridesmaids fans cite the engagement scene when she pledges to ‘Climb that like a tree,’ others prefer the sight gag of her driving down the highway while wrangling a litter of puppies.”

McCarthy’s performance was so compelling that it effectively redirected her career. Before Bridesmaids, she was best known for being bubbly and sweet on shows Gilmore Girls and Mike and Molly; post-Bridesmaids, McCarthy would be best known for starring in a string of raunch comedies, some of them directed by Bridesmaids’s Paul Feig, and Mike and Molly would be tweaked to give McCarthy and her slapstick acumen more attention.

Six years later, Girls Trip premiered and it was Tiffany Haddish’s turn to take the Unruly Woman crown. Girls Trip, like Bridesmaids before it, was a raunchy sex comedy, and Haddish, like McCarthy before her, was the raunchiest one in the cast.

Over the course of the movie, Haddish gleefully scores absinthe, demonstrates her blowjob technique, and pees on a crowd while hanging from a zip line. The critics adored her. “It’s Haddish who brings all the hardest laughs,” opined Vanity Fair. USA Today called her “comedy gold.” “Tiffany Haddish steals the entire film,” concluded Caroline Framke for Vox.

What was shocking and exciting about these two performances was that McCarthy and Haddish were breaking all the rules of femininity — and they were doing it with incredible warmth and self-possession. (“I just love anybody who’s that comfortable in her own skin,” McCarthy confessed to GQ.) McCarthy and Haddish were utterly unruly and they loved themselves, and that made the rest of us love them too.

Moreover, they were breaking those rules in an extremely specific context. Part of what made Haddish and McCarthy’s performances so compelling is that they were playing the most unruly women in a group of women who were already pretty unruly. They were there to establish the outer limits in each movie’s Overton Window of raunch: next to McCarthy shitting in the sink, Kristen Wigg projectile vomiting doesn’t seem so bad. Jada Pinkett Smith pees onto a crowd while hanging from a zip line, too, but she does it accidentally, while whimpering with shame; when Haddish follows suit, she does it with both intention and glee.

Both Bridesmaids and Girl’s Trip are id-driven movies, and McCarthy and Haddish provide the bulk of the id. That frees up the rest of the cast to be grownups while they get to have all the fun.

As a culture, we seem to need to pick a woman every few years who is allowed to be bigger and brasher and louder and grosser than everyone around her, who is able to be unruly and who forces us to love her anyway. We want someone who is willing to break the rules, and to make the argument through the sheer force of their charisma that the rules are there to be broken. And this year, it’s Awkwafina’s turn.

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Awkwafina emerged into public consciousness primed to take the crown as America’s next favorite unruly woman. Her first viral hit was her YouTube rap “My Vag,” which sees her pulling a violin out of an off-camera vagina and boasting, “My vag speaks five different languages, and told your vag, ‘Go make me a sandwich.’” Her first movie role was a small part in the raunch-comedy Neighbors 2, which saw her flinging used tampons at a house.

Her big breakout movie came with Crazy Rich Asians, which doesn’t have the raunch of a Bridesmaids or a Girls Trip: it’s a conventional romantic comedy with no jokes about bodily fluids. But within the confines of a classic romcom, Awkwafina shines with her own kind of unruliness, one that’s calibrated to stand out against the film’s more traditionally comedic tone.

Critics have drawn the connection to her immediate predecessor in unruliness. Awkwafina “Tiffany Haddishes away with this film in a big old way,” said Glen Weldon on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. “You’re going to get tired of people telling you” about her.

Awkwafina is playing Peik Lin, the main character’s best friend, and it’s her blonde-wigged brashness that powers the movie through its funniest scenes. She feels like she’s in a different, slightly coarser movie than everyone else, in a good way.

Awkwafina is the id monster of this movie in the same way that McCarthy and Haddish were the id monsters of their respective breakouts, and it’s the over-the-top new money crassness of her character Peik Lin that allows Constance Wu’s Americanized Rachel Chu to feel comparatively well-behaved. Peik Lin has set the outer limit of the Overton Window of unruliness in this world.

In the sweet, mannered, Austenian universe of Crazy Rich Asians, when Peik Lin says, “Bawk, bawk, bitch,” or tiptoes through a lavish house party in designer pajamas, she’s being about as unruly as anyone could manage. She’s the only person in the whole movie who gets to say fuck.

“In a romantic comedy, you get very earnest,” director John Chu told Rolling Stone, “and you need someone who can pop it, who feels confident and different, not the same old sidekick.” That’s where brash, bold Awkwafina comes in. But it’s not where careful, considering Nora Lum comes in.

Which is not to say that Awkwafina hasn’t incorporated Nora Lum into her acting at all. “I don’t know which one I turn on for acting,” she told GQ, before suggesting that she might rely on both: “Lum is the calculating, thoughtful preparation,” the article summarizes. “Awkwafina is the chaos.” But it’s the chaotic glee of Awkwafina that’s powering her rise to movie stardom right now, and Awkwafina’s unruliness that critics are lauding.

But by separating Awkwafina from Nora, Lum has also built an alternative future for herself. She has essentially replicated the work that the unruly woman traditionally does in a comedy within her own persona: Awkwafina sets the outer limits of the Overton Window of raunch the way Peik Lin does in Crazy Rich Asians, so that beside her Nora Lum looks comparatively more conventional, the way Rachel Chu does next to Peik Lin. Awkwafina is the id monster, and Nora Lum the grownup.

And that duality gives Awkwafina the possibility for enormous freedom in her future career. She can be both the unruly woman and the ingenue, because she’s laid the groundwork for audiences to see her as both. She’s built her very own personal foil.

Original Source -> How Awkwafina rode the unruly woman trope to stardom

via The Conservative Brief