#hey sally

[imaginationblur]

Which Sal, which Sal...

[zambomarti]

[eyeballsoup7310]

Saw a comment on Pinterest joking that for Sal to look stoned, he would have to have a specific reddish prosthetic eye, which made me think of an even stupider scenario

[dist4nt-shores]

mind blind valentines! 💌

a day late, but i still had to post!! happy belated valentine's y'all :)

mind blind is by @mindblindbard & all the character art is by @gncrezan <3

a gray-related bonus + an honourable mention under the cut!

[scr4xd]

collab with @/bbgcorw (sanityfaggot) on twitter! go check them out, they're AWESOME!!! (and my husband #real)

[roe-and-memory]

i saw a tiktok about how men usually get their first flowers at their funerals and… it made me think…

imagine its race day, lightnings on the track, sallys in the pits, and she just. randomly gets the idea to get him flowers. its sudden, an abrupt urge to just go get them Right Then, so she tells the crew she’ll be right back and slips out of the pit and infield, and finds the nearest flower shop.

lightning likes flowers because she does, he’ll listen to any of her botany rambles any day, even if they dont make much sense - but hes gotten her flowers hundreds of times and shes never returned the favour. she picks the ones with the most meaning, the ones that mean i love you in every way no matter what, the ones that remind her of him. when shes successfully created a bouquet of flowers that is him in any way you can think, she buys a card. and she writes him a love letter. she names every flower she put in the bouquet and what they mean. and she tells him how much she loves and adores him, and how she’ll always love him more than anything. she adds a couple cheesy compliments in there too, seals it up, and makes it back to the track just in time to watch him take the checkered flag; he wins the race.

they meet in victory lane, and she hands him the flowers first (keeping the note safely in her bag until she can give it to him when its quieter) and. just imagine him standing on top of his car, hands thrown in up in the air in celebration, with the flowers clutched in one hand and the bottle of champagne in the other and and. god i love them

she gives him the card later that night when everythings quieted down — docs outside the motorhome drinking a beer with strip, and the crew is working on the car and getting the garage cleaned up — so its just them. with the flowers safely in a cup on the kitchen counter, she pulls it out of her bag, hands it to him, and gently prods for him to read it then.

hes not the emotional type, its been drilled into his head by a couple different people that hes not really supposed to cry, but its a great improvement when he tears up a little bit while reading it. she cant help but smile because god. isnt she lucky?

when he finishes reading it, he wipes his eyes with the back of his hands and ushers for her to come closer and they end up cuddling on the couch (doc finds them about an hour later, curled up together, sound asleep. he throws a blanket over them and leaves them be)

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

My problem with Sallie May—a discussion of representation:

There’s been some discourse around Sallie May lately that’s gotten me thinking more about her. Not really as a character, but what her purpose is in the narrative and how she’s treated by the fandom and the show’s creators.

Sallie May is an interesting case study in representation without depth, and I wanted to talk a little more about what that means.

OPINION DISCLAIMER—I’m gonna be talking about how I personally view lgbtq+ and queer representation and what I consider to be well-rounded representation vs. empty or shallow representation.

Also. I am only one member of the queer community—I don’t speak for all lgbtq+ people, and I am DEFINITELY NOT trying to talk over other’s experiences. My opinions are my own, and if you agree with me, cool! And if you don’t agree with me, that’s great too!!

Also also. I don’t think I should have to say this but, this is NOT a personal attack on ANYONE involved w/i the production and creation of Helluva Boss. This is my own analysis, b/c I like to talk about media and the ways we interact with and interpret it.

So, with all of that out of the way, if you’re interested in my analysis, let’s talk about Sallie May!! (TLDR @ end of post)

First do want to make it clear that my issue is not actually with her like…existing. Or with her general characterization. Mostly because, even with Hell’s Belles, she still doesn’t really have a very strong characterization to begin with, and isn’t a fully-fleshed out character.

In her initial appearance she was a bit-character, bordering on just being a straight up background character. She had three lines in her debut (and to date, ONLY) appearance in the show proper.

Until Hell’s Belles we knew next to nothing about her other than that she likes violence and also that she has a neighborhood body count? Which. I don’t know if they were trying to imply that she’s a serial killer, I doubt that was the intent. Or maybe they were. I can’t know.

Regardless, I honestly believe they didn’t really think the implications of that writing decision through at all. There’s a very real and very harmful “trans serial killer/murderer” trope in media, and while the impact is definitely lessened by the vast majority of HB characters being violent murderers—it still feels weird having the only trans character we’ve seen at this point be literally INTRODUCED to the audience by the fact that she’s a murderer, and to then be given NO further information on her.

Luckily, we DID get more information about Sallie, even if it was still very little and surface level. In Hell’s Belles we learn that Sallie May and Millie used to be a lot closer, and that Sallie May felt left behind when Millie moved to the big city.

In the short, Sallie May expresses her frustration with having to pick up the slack around their family’s ranch, and that she’s been lonely without Millie there. Millie and Sally have a little heart to heart and are able to make up, and the short ends.

This is a nice little piece of backstory, and does give us slightly more insight into Sallie May and what her life is like, but because the episode is a short, we still really don’t get to know her as a person.

Like Millie, Sallie May doesn’t have any real depth. We only know starter information about her, like that she cares about her family, and that she’s violent.

But unlike Millie, Sallie May is a minor character. She has (at the time of my writing this) appeared in ONE episode of the actual show, and one short. She is a minor character, and the ONLY transgender character in the show with a name and lines.

So. Okay. Why does literally any of that matter??? Who cares if Sallie May is an under-developed minor background character??

Well, in my opinion, it matters because the show-runners frame and treat Sallie May as if she is a main character, without actually writing her—or any trans character for that matter—as a main character.

This really rubs me the wrong way, because it comes across as tokenism.

In my opinion since she was introduced, Sallie May has become a token transgender character—an excuse for the HB writers to not write or develop more transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse characters and stories, because they already have one.

I worry that, if anyone rightfully points out that HB is severely lacking in gender-diverse characters and storylines, the creators and fandom will point to Sallie May as “proof” that they do have representation.

If HB is as radically queer and LGBTQ+ friendly as it claims to be, why do we only have ONE named trans character in the show’s 5 years of existence?

Due to all of the above, I find I can’t agree with people who praise the show for its representation, because of how stunted it is. I just don’t think I, or anyone, should have to read sources outside of the narrative to learn important parts of a character’s identity.

I feel this very deeply as a lesbian and nonbinary person—I understand that most of the women characters in Helluva Boss are sapphic, but I ONLY know that because of the HB Pride Print that came out just this year. I have not actually gotten to SEE any of these character’s sexualities fully represented, and it’s because of this that I struggle to see myself represented in HB in any way.

I do need to clarify that what I am NOT SAYING is that no one can feel represented by Sallie May, or that if they do, they’ve been tricked somehow by writers into thinking they got more representation than they actually did.

Sallie May is a very popular character, and because of that I honestly would like to see more of her. I want to see more of her because she’s the only trans character on the show, and I want her to be properly developed.

I talked previously about how I enjoyed Hell’s Belles, but wished we had gotten to see more of Sallie and Millie’s relationship in the actual show. Their relationship has a lot of potential to show the unique ways in which siblings interact and navigate conflict, but we only got to see a few seconds of them interacting in Sallie’s debut. The short gives us an idea of what Sallie’s personality is like, but it’s so brief that I still don’t feel like we really KNOW her on a deeper level.

To me, three lines + one short with a brief backstory doesn’t feel like the sort of amazing representation that fans of the show laud Helluva Boss for.

As a series that often boasts about its queer and trans rep and inclusivity, I can’t help but feel like Sallie May should either have been a main character from the very beginning, or that she shouldn’t have been trotted out like some sort of bastion of trans representation, when the only indication she is trans is her horns/white roots.

And yes. As a genderqueer gay I KNOW that it can be extremely tiring to have all of our stories revolve around our struggles and ONLY be about being LGBTQ+. I also want to see a variety of stories about queer people like me going on adventures and getting to do things that don’t revolve around our struggles. But I also want to still actually see myself represented.

Not just know outside the story that, “oh that character is nonbinary, but it will not be mentioned in the narrative in any way and will not ever be important in the context of this character I’m supposed to see myself in.”

Madeline Maye talked about this specifically in her critique of Helluva Boss, and her pointing this out was kind of what made me realize that, yeah. Anyone watching Helluva Boss for the first time would probably have NO IDEA that Sallie Mae is a transgender woman.

It also made me realize that the only reason I knew that Sallie May was trans was because her VA, Morgana Ignis, who is also a trans woman, tweeted about it, and the official Helluva Boss Twitter retweeted it.

The original tweet is hidden now (Ignis has since left Twitter—idk why, I genuinely hope it wasn’t due to harassment—that’s never okay) but I was able to confirm that this was the case based on the HB wiki, and the official HB’s retweet still being up:

The only confirmation we’ve ever had that Sallie May is transgender has been outside of the show—either from social media Q&As and the show’s wiki or merch—

Sallie May has a LOT of merch. Like a lot, this isn’t even all of it. And yes, SOME of the merch is from the recently released “Hell’s Belles” short, but the vast majority of it is from the 3 years since her initial introduction.

The vast majority of it is also highly sexualized, and highlights Sallie’s penis through her swimsuit. Now, I’m aware that Morgana Ignis requested this, and I honestly don’t have too much of an opinion on it. I’m not a trans woman, and I’ve seen multiple opinions from trans women on this design choice for Sally’s merch. I’ve seen some trans women say that they liked and felt represented by this choice, and some say that they felt objectified and that it made them dysphoric. This is one of those situations where I don’t think everyone can be pleased—like I said at the beginning of this post, LGBTQ+ people are as diverse in their opinions as we are in our identities and self-expression, and I think everyone’s feelings regarding Sallie’s portrayals in the merch are valid.

I bring it up because, other than the wiki explaining that Sallie May has “male horns”, this is the only other way to confirm that Sally is trans, as it is never acknowledged in the story. I bring it up because I don’t think merch should be the only way an LGBTQ character’s identity is validated.

I assume that all of Sallie Mae’s merch is because of her popularity, but I also can’t help but wonder if this has contributed to the impression that Sallie is a main character, when, in the narrative so far, she is still a minor one.

I don’t believe that when she was originally created to be a “token trans” character, but since her introduction, there have not been any main characters that are transgender, nonbinary, or genderqueer.

We’ve only had one other trans character with a speaking role—this imp:

Who is FTM. He seems to know Blitz from a while back, and talks Blitz into staying at the party. Then he watches him drunkenly make out with random people with another (I assume) trans imp who is probably MTF:

(Also—as an aside, this scene kinda bothers me?? I don’t THINK this was the intention at all, but having a VERY CLEARLY drunk off of his ass Blitz, who can’t meaningfully consent at this time, being watched, and almost like…leered at by two of the only visibly trans characters in the show…it feels gross. Like why are two of the only other confirmed trans characters voyeuristically watching a drunk man who can’t consent making out? It would be one thing if we had a story full of different trans characters who acted in all sorts of different ways, but at this time these two are 2/3rds of the show’s ENTIRE trans rep. With the other 1/3rd being introduced to us as a serial killer. Like. Guys. What is it that you’re trying to say?)

Apparently Sallie May’s VA has stated the below on Social Media, and stated that there’s a lot more coming for Sallie May in the future. And that’s great!!! I really really want to believe that.

But I look at the above and can’t help but wonder…if this is the case, why did it take three years for her to get another appearance? In just a short? Why wasn’t she given more focus and importance from the very beginning, in her introductory episode? If her original appearance wasn’t representative of her and Millie’s relationship then why did they even write it that way???

I want to believe all of the above—that Sallie May actually WILL get to become a main character. But I look at the way she’s been barely portrayed, and the way that she’s basically been used to just sell merch, and it makes me sad.

I would love to see more of her, more of any trans characters that aren’t 2 second background characters, but I honestly have a hard time believing we ever will when the episodes take as long as the do to come out, and the when the episodes focus so heavily on shipping pre-existing pairings.

As a lesbian, I would love to see Sallie May get a girlfriend, but given Spindlehorse’s track record with lackluster sapphic pairings and representation, I don’t have much hope of seeing that either.

I just. If you managed to get all the way through this heinously long post, thank you for reading. If you didn’t, that’s very fair (lol) and I’ve got the tldr for you here—

TLDR:

—My issue with Sallie May is not actually with Sallie May at all. It’s with the fact that we don’t get enough of Sallie May, or any trans characters, for that matter.

—You can, of course, feel represented by any character, but I think it’s important to ask yourself how you are being represented, and if you are actually being represented.

—Not every queer/trans/lgbt story has to explicitly be about being queer. The stories in which we are represented should be as diverse and vibrant as all the members of our community. But, I still want to actually be able to tell and to see that the characters are lgbtq+. If a character is a lesbian or sapphic, I want to see her show an interest in other women. If a character is transgender I want to see that acknowledged by the narrative, whether it’s the character mentioning their transition or just saying they’re trans. I want to SEE myself and other queer identities. Not just know that they’re there.

[asklarryjohnsonofficial]

🏳️‍🌈🫵

[peranbe-kadhal]

Welcome Home!!! My version!

[ ID: Traditional art of my versions of the Welcome Home characters, all colored with crayon and lined in pencil. It's all bust or headshots.

The first page has Wally, Sally, Barnaby and Howdy. They all have details on them to show their respective fluffiness. Wally here has red blush. Sally has prominent lipstick on her top lip. Barnaby is furry like a dog is. Howdy is more bristly like a caterpillar.

The next page has Julie, Frank, Eddie and Poppy. Julie here has curling fur and a nose like a pompom, along with sharp monster teeth. Frank's fluff is less pronounced. Eddie also has red blush. Poppy's feathers are emphasized in her appearance, and her cheeks look chubby. A few feathers stick out here and there. The background is white paper. End ID]

--

I LOVE THESE BUPPETS SO MUCH,,,,,

SO yeah I was initially not much interested in Welcome Home but I got sucked into it RAHHH WHATS GOING ON WITH THESE POPPETS

I love making my favorite characters all fluffy so here's that as well hehe. Expect more!!!

[anyoneinside]

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Si están interesados y tienen cualquier pregunta, pueden enviar un mensaje!

[laniidae-passerine]

obsessed with the idea of What Will People Think that permeates actions in Barry. even though it’s a terrible idea, Barry goes on fun runs to support the family of the guy he murdered and posts evidence of it online because he wants to be seen as a good guy. Sally’s mother being more concerned about what the women from her church might say about Joplin than about the real abuse her daughter endured, because they don’t care about that. Cousineau making an awkward public apology to Annie and then later trying to capitalise on Barry’s arrest so he can be a big hero. The big song and dance Cristobal and Hank have to do to hide their relationship and trick people into thinking they’re enemies. Fuches constantly bragging about being The Raven because he wants to be the coolest guy in the prison yard. What people think doesn’t matter. What people think means everything.

[mio-the-clown]

Some basic doodles. These were fun to make

Gave myself a little challenge trying to navigate color burn, I think the colors came out well enough?

[yaboiferalzzz]

Hullloo startin over again on tumblr im a changed man now.

[rookie-lou]

The Heat - Short Story Game - Start - 1/5

(Choose your path) Humanized Cars

It was warm. Too warm. And today was racing day.

It was also Lightning’s and Sally's first anniversary and Lightning had something planned for the evening. He just had to get through it all.

He hadn't forgotten, but he didn't have a present yet.

Lightning’s whole body was cooking in the #95 and drinking water didn't completely help with the dizziness and nausea.

Lap after lap it only got worse but Lightning didn't stop. Doc would have called it stubborn, Sally would have called it reckless and maybe Lightning thought they were both a little right. But stubbornness won.

Of course, he kept his symptoms a secret from Doc. He wouldn't have let him drive in the first place and Lightning couldn't let that happen. Having a doctor as crew chief had its pro’s and con’s. Actually, they were only pro’s but Lightning counted "not letting you race when It was warm” as a con.

Maybe he really didn't care enough about himself to care. Maybe he needed more self-confidence, even though the whole world was sure he had a lot of it. But really it was just a show. At least he wasn't a one-man show anymore.

The race was hard.

He won.

It was too warm. Way too warm.

The crowd cheered, Lightning stood on the roof of the #95 and raised his hands, just something he always did after a win. The broad grin hid the discomfort he felt and the drops of sweat that glistened on his face could easily be sold as an after-race thing.

With an unfocused gaze, blurry vision, and a headache he looked around and tried to find Doc. Not because Lightning wanted to tell him what was going on but more because Doc always gave him a feeling of security. Doc was his anchor and right now, when he was fried by the sun and swaying from the heat, he needed that anchor. Maybe to keep from falling over or maybe for selfish reasons.

Doc always said, however, that it is not selfish to need and like someone. Lightning knew he still had to learn that and Doc always said that he was there to teach him.

When he imagined that there were pyramids in the background and sand everywhere, it started to explain the heat. Camels were walking in the distance. But maybe they were other racing cars. He couldn’t see it through the blurriness.

The cheering people were too loud, the sun was too hot, the racing suit was too tight.

He made a decision and…

…climbed down to find Doc (go to 2/5, ⚡️)

…decided to stay there to celebrate his victory (go to 3/5, 🏎️)

[aceofstars16]

Thorn: You look real pretty Leeli

Leeli: Really

Thorn: Yeah! You do!

Leeli: No, I mean really. I look *really* pretty

Thorn: You sure do

Leeli: *sighs but smiles*

[joyfuladorable]

Sketchdump of IDW characters I doodled on twt!! I like them all a Whole Bunch!!!