#i am legit so happy with how the artwork on this one turned out

[professorcalculusstanaccount]

Introducing the Rajaijah plant, along with everyone's complicated feelings surrounding it. From my story The House of Glass. Follows on directly from this part here!

I always wondered what the source of Rajaijah juice, or madness poison, was. @aboardthescheherazade and @lady-of-lyon both helped out a lot with research on a discord server!

For such a key plot device in two books there wasn't much background to it; all we are told is the effects of the poison are permanent (terrifying) and it came from India (very mundane, a lot of plants come from India.). The original French name suggests it's a plant extract.

I decided to base the design of the plant off of datura. I've read some pretty horrifying recollections of datura trips, and these trips can last for days. I absolutely do not recommend trying datura, the dosage is difficult to get consistent and it's very likely to kill or cause permanent injury - but it's a perfect candidate to base the Rajaijah plant off of!

I decided to make it smaller for that whimsical fairy like appearance. Datura flowers are beautiful, but I simplified the flowers to make it easier to draw in a comic or for animation!

[mccoys-killer-queen]

Nick Perri & Walt Lafty in concert

I'd never been to this venue before, it's essentially a tiny movie theater! So I only went to this bc Nick filled in for Adam Slack of The Struts back in May and his band also opened for them. Turns out he and Walt were in a band called Silvertide in the very early 2000s, so they kinda reunite every now and then and tour together as two solo acts. They call this the "Going Solo Tour" and this is the second year in a row they did this. Everything about the tour promotion is Star Wars themed.

this is the first show i actually got to at a late time bc the venue is that tiny and this is such an low publicity act (underground if you will lol) that I was not worried at all about "getting there at a decent time"

this means doors were at 7 and i got there at 6:40

this lobby place is h i p. string lights draped from the ceiling, dim lighting, random artwork, vintage couches, splattered floors; the works.

Walt actually came out to use the bathroom before doors and despite never having seen a pic of him before I just knew it was him for some reason

AT FIRST GLANCE I THOUGHT HE LOOKED LIKE THE LEAD SINGER FROM LEVON (WHOM IS H A W T) AND I HAD A HEART ATTACK

I was the only person on the guest list LMAO

I swear I overheard someone say "she's with the band" very quietly and it made me like C: "do I pass that well as someone important"

an older man asked me if I was with the band bc he saw me doing test shots in the lobby and I said "sort of"

Nick poked his head out of the doors at one point and I was like :DD bc i only saw him one time and it made me so happy to see that this year is coming full circle

so this venue,,, half the seats are couches.

I was up front in this entirely cushioned chair and i must say, most comfy i've been at a show fr

i should mention this takes place on the anniversary of my first ever concert uwu

the music they were blasting before the show was F I R E (the who, heart, bowie, etc.)

when the show started they just flooded the tiny stage with smoke and deadass- a dramatic star wars/carol of the bells orchestra remix started playing

walt is fucking hilarious i was DYING he's just so funny he's a dork

him telling us a story before every song he played

him saying nick is a much better guitarist than him bc "you know i only strummy strummy right"

after one story he looked at his setlist and went "ok time for this next song.... if i can remember how to play it" and forgot for like a solid minute and said "adhd brain at its finest"

someone in the crowd said something about a lobster suit and walt was like hOW TF DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT STORY HOLD ON- I AM TELLING THIS-

so the story goes that like c. 2001 Walt went to a yard sale and found a VHS case and on the cover was a photo of Ronald Mcdonald in a "half black half white tuxedo and holding a .45" and he asked the yard sale guy what it was and he said "oh i made that movie it's about fast food companies going to war with each other. I still have the Red Lobster costume I made" and he dug out the costume from his basement and showed him and it was like LEGIT HIGH QUALITY and Walt said "$15 later it was mine" so he went offstage at Silvertide's next show and came back out wearing the lobster suit with the mic gaff taped to one of the claws since there was no hand function in them

apparently Nick didn't even know some of this story until last night

the two of them advertising for the venue's food multiple times simply bc they wanted to gush about how good it is

Nick doing his solo set and Walt standing in the back having a convo with him at times as if there wasn't a crowd between them

I cannot for the life of me remember what Walt said from the back of the room when Nick asked him a question from the stage, but Nick made this face when Walt answered him:

I felt so weird moving around even as little as I did bc THERE WAS NO ROOM IERFNOERWINFROIFNRF i went to the center twice (one for each solo set) FOR A FEW SECONDS EACH and even then I felt like I was in the way so badly LMAOO

when I did that for Walt he made sure to look right at the camera and sarcastically smile the doofus

Nick Perri is so goddamned talented I hate it like hOLY SHIT HE CAN SHRED

the lighting at this place was terrible so all my photos kinda look bad in terms of quality oifnveosrinferf

I lost one of my DL buttons in the chair I was sitting in :( oh well I didn't really care about them anyway

I sat in the lobby again after HOPING to meet them bc again super tiny venue there was maybe like 50 ppl in the crowd at most

this is the first show I did not buy a shirt from bc "we didn't do shirts- everyone does shirts"

at one point I noticed Walt was sitting at a table and then noticed that Nick was BEHIND ME at the merch table and there were these two kids that kept talking to both of them and I didn't want to interrupt bc I don't even listen to these guys I just think they're cool

Walt came up to me and i asked if he has insta and he disappeared for a minute and came back with a business card and we talked about the design for his new album

I mainly came for Nick bc he's the only one I knew of prior to this show and I didn't want to interrupt those two dudes talking to him so I just waited patiently at a table nearby and at one point Nick just beelined to me bc he knew I was waiting and said hi and jfc he's so charming it was HARD not to catch feelings yet another time after a show

i thanked him for getting me into the show and i already had my camera out so I held down the scroll button and all the photos flew by like a fast slide show playing the whole show in reverse and he was like "woahh :o"

did I mention how charming he is like uwuwuwuuwuwu

I told him how i saw him in harrisburg back in May with The Struts and how I was kinda happy Adam wasn't there bc i got to see him instead and he was like 🥺

he said he liked my earrings (big sparkly lightning bolts) and i said I got them at 5below and he was like what's that :o so I told him and i think he realized what I said bc he just kinda smacked his forehead and went "oh- duH"

i asked him for a photo and the second I put my front camera on us we both simultaneously went to fix our hair, to which i said "ugh i hate my bangs" and he said "I think they're cool bangs c:" and I think my heart stopped

the photo of us looks SO GOOD??? literally best pic i've ever gotten with an artist??

that was basically it, I hung around for another minute and then left

bonus:

so i had to park in a parking garage a block away. you get a ticket and have to put it in a machine when you come back. the machine sucks it up and you pay. well turns out it gives it BACK TO YOU AFTER U PAY and that's how you GET OUT OF THERE?? so me being a dumbass took my change and went back to my car and when i was trying to get out the barricade wouldn't lift bc it WANTED ME TO INSERT A CARD??? i was like BUT I PAID???? luckily this maintenance officer guy was there and saw me leave my car and opened up the barricade for me and I was like :#D thanx sorry I've literally never had to pay to be in a parking garage before

[franeridart]

Anon said: I spend an hour going through your bokuro tag because I MISS YOUR KUROO (also also Bokuto in gay panic, that was gold) and like?? Your art style improved so much?? Legit it's so good?? I'm just?? In love ?? I kinda never noticed before but I had like. A sort of. Crush on your art for years?? I swear I'm just in love with your art wtf

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh that’s so nice of you thank you!!!!! I’m so so glad to hear you can see the improvement!!! <3<3

Anon said: I LOVE the SoMa art you did of their first kiss! Please do more!!!

I might I might!! Thank you so much for liking it!!!

Anon said: IF you could choose, how would you want Khun to become head of the family? Or would you even want him to surpass Edahn?

I think he’s bound to, in the end? At least to become more powerful than him, or influential, or anything that’d make it clear that he’s surpassed him - mostly cause I think all family heads will see themselves surpassed by someone else in their own family through the story - I mean, Bam is kind of collecting people from all the families, isn’t he? It feels a bit like he’s gearing to overtake the whole political system of the tower, not just Jahad, so, yeah, it feels kind of inevitable for Khun to take Eduan’s place by the end of it? If that makes sense to you??? I don’t really have a preferred way for him to do that, though! I like the thought of him insisting on people calling him by his surname instead of his name cause he wants the surname to end up associated more with himself than with Eduan by the end of it (you know, like, people around the tower atm say Khun and think about Eduan, but if Khun becomes famous enough then by the end of it people will say Khun and think about him, yeah? That’s kind of a way to overtake him too, I think haha) but that’s about as far as I go :D

Anon said: Hey! Idk of you still do things for your buna fusion au, but I was curious if you had a design or what your ideas may be for a kamishin fusion?

I’m not doing those anymore, sorry!

Anon said: I found your Tiny Dragon Bakugou post again and I still love them so much. Just the idea of Mitsuki taking in this tiny hatchling dragon, intending him to be a familiar. But it turns out said hatchling is an INCREDIBLY gifted shifter and figures out how to turn into a human child. Looks like she’s a mom now. Izuku is the only one to know he’s a tiny dragon at first cause he played with him before and after he shifted, seeding their rivalry.

I’m glad you like the concept enough to think about it this much! I can’t say my original plans for it went anywhere in this direction, but I’m glad you’re having fun with it!

Anon said: have you ever played undertale?

Haven’t! Can’t say I ever will either, probably

Anon said: i’m crying man 😭 i came here because of your konokomi content from like 2016 and now i’m seeing all ur kiribaku content and i’m just— your art is perfect man idfk what else to say but i just wanted to drop in and say SOMETHING

Ah man thank you so much!!!! So glad to hear people are still finding and liking my old haikyuu art, too! ;A;

Anon said: oof what'd the b/n/h/a fandom do this time?

Answering one to answer all of them - nothing! Nothing at all, they’re just unable to not spoil every single thing without tagging anything ever so it’s impossible to avoid them, and I hate spoilers with my whole heart and soul and they ruined for me the kirishima chapter and I was and still am extremely pissed about it

Anon said: Your Lavi gives me life and I missed him ;-;

Anon said: I miss lavi...

I’m so glad to hear that!!! (TT-TT) I miss him too.......................... hoshino pls bring my boy back ;;;;;;;;; </3

Anon said: erid comes from homestuck?? seeing that makes me so happy ohmygod eridan is my literal favourite as well ! and unrelated but your artwork is so GOOOD I love seeing it on my dash

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! always cool to find more people that still have fond memories of homestuck!!! (TT^TT)9 and thank you so much!!!!!!

[ecreau]

25 Years

Advanced Happy Pokemon day, trainers!⁠

For my second post this year, it would be my starters through the years! It consisted of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Totodile, Treecko, Piplup, Oshawott, Froakie, Rowlett, and Sobble. ⁠

I am happy that @Pokemon kept me inspired and motivated. Now and then whether it was a small change- from having a curry dex to getting your first ribbon in a Pokemon contest, they were all exciting to me. As an adult, the excitement faded off a bit because of the realization of how jaded the world is, but Pokemon kept my enthusiasm burning. ⁠

⁠From my first game, Pokemon Gold, getting my Totodile and releasing it accidentally to Pokemon Sword's Sobble perfectly trained with lots of curry love from me.

⁠Happy 25 years of Team Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar! Cheers to more exciting regions! Hopefully somewhere in Asia-Pacific~ :D

-

Here are the individual drawings of my starters and stories!

Pokemon Yellow - Starter: Pikachu

Technically Pokemon Yellow was my 2nd Pokemon game next to Pokemon Gold. I love the version so much because I relieved how Ash Ketchum had all the starters in Kanto plus Pikachu following you! 

I remember I got another bootleg version of the Pokemon Yellow and the battery of the game was not working so you could not save my progress. I had to finish the game in a day before my batteries die. Fortunately, I finished the game with Pikachu, Charizard, Blastoise, Ivysaur, Pidgeot, Butterfree and Omastar. 

Pokemon Fire Red - Starter: Bulbasaur

Fire Red was my 4th Pokemon game. I remember when I saw the trailer in the commercial I was imagining myself had lots of money and get the game and Gameboy advance SP. 

Although by that time, I got a drive to save money and happily, I got my first Gameboy Advance using my own lunch money. I miss those days. 

Pokemon Gold - Starter: Totodile

Pokemon Gold was my first ever Pokemon game. It was a bootleg that my father gave me because of a piracy raid as a gift for me haha! So ironic but a fun memory. 

Totodile was my first starter although unfortunately, I accidentally released him because supposed to be the ‘Release’ button was ‘Fix’. 

Pokemon Ruby - Starter: Treecko

After Pokemon Gold, I got a chance to play the newly released games on my cousin’s computer. I was ignorant about the concept of emulators that time. It was also the reason why I wanted to own a computer that time to play the new Pokemon games. Little did I know it was not the legit games. 

Anyway, my 3rd Pokemon game was Pokemon Ruby on an emulator. I remember I wanted to stay in my cousin’s house just finish the whole game. I picked Treecko that time, got to evolve him to Grovyle while fighting Nincada and kept losing to a bug catcher haha! I just got to the first gym and turned off the computer because I had to go. 

Oh memories~

Pokemon Diamond - Starter: Piplup

My first DS game was not my console neither my game. It was owned by my best friend in high school where he knew I love and knew a lot about Pokemon, so while him playing the game I was at his back giving commands. 

I told him to pick Piplup for me and he agreed. We were in the 5th gym when we stopped playing because of our finals. Even technically I did not own any of those, I still felt I played the game. 

Pokemon White 2 - Starter: Oshawott

Together with Pokemon X, Pokemon Black 2 were my first 3DS games. I bought them with my 3DS using my first salary. I waited for this moment where I could buy anything without my parents disagreeing with me. 

I picked Oshawott as my starter and loved him in the game and in the anime! 

Pokemon X - Starter: Froakie

I was so amaze when I bought Pokemon X because it was for me a huge leap from my previously owned games which was back from Pokemon Ruby! I loved the story, all the cities and my new rivals. 

I chose Froakie and never even made it evolve until the last gym haha! Oh memories from Paris (what?)

Pokemon Sun - Starter: Rowlett

If I’m going to pick the best starter I have on my list, it would be Rowlett. I really love owls if only I could have one as a pet. 

I got a Sassy one so I drew my Rowlett kind of judging you from head to toe haha!

If I would pick between the recent games (8th to 7th generations), I would pick the 7th generation. I really loved the anime series and the games because they were fresh of breath to me. It was the first time both series and the games chose different pathways. 

I now want to play Pokemon Sun, again~!

Pokemon Shield - Starter: Sobble

While waiting for the games to come out, I already was saving up for my new Nintendo Switch. When I found out I could preorder the game in advance, I hastily went to my favorite game store in my city and bought a slot! 

It was never a problem to me to buy a game before in that store but when the preorders came out there was indeed a line! I was jumping of joy while holding my game and Nintendo Switch at the same time. 

I picked Sobble because it looks like a chameleon and a little baby for me. Just like Froakie, I only let it evolve after I completed all the gyms. 

-

Pokemon is 25 now! How old were you when you first started playing Pokemon?⁠

-⁠

⁠Please do not repost my artwork/design. Ask me first. ⁠

Thank you!⁠

-

Deviantart | Instagram | Redbubble “Nostalgia is my favorite thing.”

[elysicndrcvm]

━♡ guess the 23 YEAR OLD FEBRUARY baby just arrived to dallyeog! it makes sense, because CHU EUNHA is just as BEDAZZLING as the month of FEBRUARY. wait, why do they remind me of JACOB BAE? beyond that, they seemed JOYOUS and SAVVY upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of DELICATE and QUIXOTIC though. i hope they get acquainted here in COMPLEX 1 / APARTMENT 0215 / FLOOR 3 ; HE seem(s) to have a lot going on with HIS job as a PATISSERIE OWNER/NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE STUDENT. ( ez, 21, she/they, gmt. )

     well hey there !! im ez but you fellow dallyeogers can call me ezzy, i have been in dallyeog before so some may remember me as having someone v different to my new bb i bring u now, i joined before with miss tam carmen !! anygays i return with this lil angel who i am all ‘ i say that’s my baby and i’m proud ’ over already even tho i literally came up with him like two days ago. you can find his pinboard here ( which btw i fuckeN love like he’s so aesthetic to me u go king ) and i made him a lil playlist which u can vibe to here. you can learn more about him under the cut but he’s a super soft-hearted gentle dove of a muse and quite...simple for me ?? sdhdh that’s not the right wording but U GET IT djjflg he isn’t super full of angst or trauma he’s just kinda viBIN livin his best life so that’s fun !! but ye without further ado: 

so as u kno from his app he owns a patisserie, it’s his lil babey and he is very dedicated to his craft and makin sure all his ideas for the place and the baked goods he sells are like rlly quirky and avant-garde. like he is so passionate about it u dont even KNOW, he tries to make sure most of the stuff on his menu is something like fun and new u wouldn’t get at just any old patisserie or cafe and that it’s super varied and also kinda aesthetic af? the place is very like trendy. it’s called patisserie d’elysian cause ya know he’s an extra biTCHH and proud.

he has three pupperino’s. all as adorable as each other, snickerdoodle is his golden lab and often ppl shorten it down to snickers, butterscotch is his dapple daschund pup, shortens the name to scotchie often. toulouse is his fancy toy poodle boi, shortens the name down as toto. if u are on the shortened name basis with his pups then u can consider urself one of his close pals. 

he’s actually adopted by his aunt but she raised him like she was his mother so that is what he considers her, she’s on his mother’s side but they are half-siblings. in terms of first name reasoning as well she just liked eunha as a name and didn’t even think about how it is traditionally for a female, she liked that it meant gift from heaven so it stuck. his father is still around, he’s just quite elderly so it felt like a better living situation for him to be raised primarily by his auntie. unfortunately his mother has passed on but no tragic story, she just went peacefully in old age. 

he dyes his hair quite often, it’s currently like a really pastel blue with black streaks consistently throughout like lil ones so it looks super cool. but he’s also had it be a more electric blue, lilac, and a duck egg kinda faded silvery blue. it’s naturally dark brunette. has brown eyes kind of a hazel hue. 

his style is kinda androgynous ig?? he just lives for soft retro fashion, lots of color in his wardrobe but also lots of tapered short and t-shirt fits frequented, sweater vests, rolled up jeans, high skater boi socks, soft jumpers with shirts, shirts in bright colours or satiny texture worn over plain white t-shirts, cardigans, pastel denim jackets, jeans with printed patterns on like clouds, flowers etc, favors yellow and blues. sometimes does eye makeup, occasionally wears heels bc he’s a baddie or super heeled boots/chunky shoes. 

obsessed with music, can play violin and guitar. he’s a big mitski and rina sawayama fanatic, likes anything that sounds peaceful or calming or has like a good fun vibe to it. also likes the trademark gay icons like carly rae jepsen, lorde, etc. he’s not ashamed. obsessed with mamma mia movies. but also likes rap which is rlly funny cause its like the bad bitch female rappers only and like he’ll listen to it while arranging his sock drawer or making his bed or something ajdjdj it’s like hype anthems for being a baddie and a hoe and he’s just doing his night sleepy routine adkfkf. 

showers, blankets, music, baked goods especially bagels are his happy places. 

very much a sensitive lil romanticist, falls in ‘love’ like five times a day, he just likes to giggle and smile around pretty people and admire the artwork hnghdh, he’s like yeARNS though ya know?? like he’s all i will flirt by making prolonged eye contact, i made you a playlist, this song makes me think of you etc. it’s either memes as flirting with him or elaborate love letters u never know what ur gonna get akdkd. 

awful sense of humour, loves his friends more than anything on earth except his pups, would fully live in a huge house of just like his pups and all his closest buds for all eternity. likes fruits way too much, enjoys puns about fruits way too much. milkshakes, sushi, orange hues and bus rides are some of his absolute favorite simple pleasures of life. clouds, flowers, salt lamps, the sunrise over the sea, skateboarding, fresh soda, teddy bears, busy street markets, parasols, fish tanks with exotic fish, sorbet, bike riding, polaroids, record players, rain at night against floor to ceiling windows with a fresh steaming pot of tea on the desk beside it and warm fresh sheets from the laundry on his bed, ponds, skateboarding. all little joys in life that give him like the biggest pleasure dopamine hit in the world. 

his cousin actually owns a florists so he has flowers just littering his apartment like a lot and it just looks like he has ten million suitors from the late eighteenth century attempting to court him but no all these flowers are from him to him or worse from his aunt djfjg she sends him some for valentines every valentines, pls help him, pls send him flowers. 

studies nutritional science and he fucken hates it. do not ask him shit cause he doesn’t KNOW OKAY? he doesn’t understand it either. he took it because he needed something to go alongside the passion for baking that was a real ‘qualification’/job so that is the only reason he’s doing it. no point doing a baking degree after all when he’s already a baker with a business, he’s super young still he gotta keep his prospects open. so YAH. he’d rather be doing culinary arts but eh. nutritional science sounded better and more logic based. the real miracle is he still gets top grades all the time even tho he spends his life like wtf am i even doing is this even legit akdkdk. school is the worst thing in the world for him watch his mood instantly deflate the second its brought up. 

despite being a quixotic, he’s a lil afraid of intimacy. like oh god does he love it, those small touches and acts of affection u kno? the subtle things that normally go unnoticed, eye contact, brushing of hands, linking of little fingers, rubbing a thumb, kissing eyelids or foreheads or palms or shoulders in little gentle pecks, back massages and rubs or finger tracing patterns absent-minded, shoulder massages, laying your head on someone’s shoulder or on their lap, knocking knees together, exchanging a small glance only the two of you get before bursting into laughter, smiling into kisses, napping together, having blankets placed over you warm and fresh, or towels put ready like it, someone making you something they know you like a lot. that’s his sHIT. but like he’s terrified still, someone skimming their fingers on his skin makes his breath hitch like he’s a scandalized and alarmingly aroused victorian woman sjdjd. he’s literally still a virgin, he hasn’t even had his first kiss okay my baby is delicate be gentle with him akdkd but he still LIKES PASSION AIGHT kfkf. 

real soft spoken, honey tinted voice like i shit u not this boy talks like he’s an angel sent from heavens above to guide you to the paradisaical garden of eden or some shit akdkd. ur gonna fall in love with eunha’s voice before u even fall in love with any other part of him like his adorable beaming smile or stunning eyes akdkf. 

has dance parties around his room when getting ready in the morning, listens to bella’s lullaby unironically yes from twilight yes u heard right, bit of a himbo streak sometimes in his obliviousness djfjf. quite silently subtly funny actually much like jacob himself. 

he is gay, afraid of driving, cannot do math, blanks out often and he is valid for all of those things. has a collection of cartoon and disney animal movie dvds. has a dream notebook. always has blue painted nails in some kinda shade. 

does not enjoy turning in assignments bc he is scared he’ll fail, avoids looking at his grades for weeks after they’re released and hates knowing that they’re out. 

cannot dance, dances often. collects vintage stuff esp clothes and mostly sweaters. likes midnight trips to corner stores and fields where he can just lay and look at the stars. makes friends rlly easily but has super bad performance anxiety. cannot ever have a messy room like even the tiniest bit messy. even like clothes being stacked on a chair instead of away. 

bakes peanut butter, banana and choc chip muffins (they r called monkey bites normally) whenever he’s super stressed. if u want to cheer him up when he’s anxious or stressed then u should give him french lavender honey, chia seeds and caramelized pear on toast/bagel. it is his comfort food. he fancii when he needs a pick me up. treat urself and all that. 

[cosplayinamerica]

ARTIST ALLEY : BurntGreenTea

Here at Cosplay in America, I am expanding who I interview to those in the convention scene. Today we will talk to BurntGreenTea who I met in artist alley at Ikkicon, an anime convention in Austin, TX. BurntGreenTea is from Northern California and as stated on his Deviant Art “Hey, my name is Nelson! I like to draw waifus”

EJEN : My first question is why BurntGreenTea? 

BURNTGREENTEA: That’s actually my second handle I came up with, I had an embarrassing name before so I wanted to change into something more ironic and more “me” in a name. so I’ve been going as BurntGreenTea ever since. I do drink matcha alot!

EJEN: Tell us how you got started in artist alley, what was your first one and what was that experience like?

BURNTGREENTEA: I started getting interested in doing artist alley at my first Fanime Con back in 2007 as a one day attendee when I was still in high school.

I went with my best friend at the time and it blew my expectations of what a convention was, especially the artist alley since it completely opened my mind that there’s artists actually selling fan art. But I didn’t commit to it until 2012, just when I was in my 2nd year of college.

By that time, I had enough digital art and felt confident that I could do it. Fanime still had the application process of first come first serve (meaning those who apply the earliest will get a spot), so I was fortunate enough to apply fast enough to get a table!

For a first time experience it was nerve-wracking before, during and after the con. But there was something to it that really sparked my interest; and I think there were people that legitimately liked my work and bought them.

EJEN: Was there a point that you went “yeah, this could work” and you made the jump to traveling out of state for artist alley?

BURNTGREENTEA: It was about one and half years after I graduated from college, between that time I worked in a job that was soul sucking but I had many of my colleagues working at, and then after I was applying to animation studios, gaming companies, etc while I was doing commissions and artist alleys at the same time.

It went on like this for almost a year. By this point I felt like I really hit my lowest and felt a great shame that I couldn’t find “stable” work. My parents didn’t really support me doing artist alley during this time since it’s not legit work and it’s more like a fun hobby I can do on the side, all the while I have colleagues and friends who have jobs in the animation or gaming industries. I felt extremely lost, and wasn’t sure the direction I wanted to go in life, so my parents encouraged me to go back to school to get a “safe” degree or trade.

But there was something I knew in the back of my mind that I couldn’t see until I had a meet up with an old friend. She was confident, happy, found her dream job that paid well and she enjoyed the work, and she was completely honest and blunt. When the topic came up of me being lost in life, she asked me, “what did you want to do then?” and I told her honestly, “I really just want to do artist alley and make that work.” “Then just do it.” So I did.

EJEN: After all the time you spent in artist alley, what’s the most important factor that an artist must understand to do decently in sales

BURNTGREENTEA: Research research research. It’s basically “knowledge is power” but breaking down as knowing your audience, yourself (what you enjoy, your strengths and capabilities) and learning new trades while breaking old habits.

EJEN: Can you go more in detail about research, research, research?

BURNTGREENTEA: So this reflects back on my previous answer, so know the convention you’re going into, what you can offer, what’s your budget, everything that would make your experience at the convention you’re getting into a great experience.

I have heard many stories of artists not breaking even and even I had bad experiences due to inaccurate/outdated information or inexperience. For example, there was a first year event that had a $1000 table price tag and promised to bring in 5000 attendees.

This was going to be my second event/convention to table at, so I had no idea what it was going to be like and decided to go for it. It ended up having less than 100 attendees, and I lost a significant amount of money. So now I have to get as much info as I can get to make the convention viable to go to.

EJEN: How do you describe your style and how has it changed if any over the 14 years you’ve done art? What were some of your earlier influences.

BURNTGREENTEA: Right now I can say it’s pretty much anime style, but I can say there were several phases I went through. Looking through my Deviantart gives a great timeline all the way back to middle school until recently.

When I initially started I was getting into anime thanks to friends, so I was very much influenced by Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, and Gurren Lagann. Then in high school I started to do more digital art, eventually creating artwork bigger and grander just like the artists from Fanime I admired.

When I finally started my education in my art program in college, I started getting the proper training in lighting, form, and composition. This time period my pieces were more western-influenced, like more realistic faces and body proportions, but there was something missing in it that I wouldn’t understand until after I graduated. It’s around the same time when I wanted to do artist alleys full time that I was more true to myself in the style and got more flashy, more colorful and composition.

EJEN : How do you decide what Alley to apply for. What’s your personal criteria for conventions to do artist alley at? 

BURNTGREENTEA: Local cons are usually easy for me to decide to apply for due to the cost being low(transportation, housing, etc). If there’s anything that involves flying out of state, I have to factor in much more information about the con, personal experiences from other artists, and if it is viable for an anime fan artist to break even and also turn a profit. Usually big conventions like Anime Expo and Otakon are the must go to conventions for their huge attendance numbers.

EJEN: Describe to me a typical day in the Alley!

BURNTGREENTEA: Due to the times right now, it seems like almost a dream to be in an artist alley, haha. Here’s a usual day of being in the Alley: Waking up early to get ready, getting breakfast and caffeine before heading inside a convention.

Usually getting there early, either me or some art friends would walk around the Alley and check out other artists before it’s open to the public. There would be some art friends I made along the way that I can catch up with briefly, chatting about the next shows or projects. I would have probably stayed up kinda late working on physical commissions and would need to go back to my table to continue finishing them up.

When the Alley opens up, it’s mostly engaging and talking with familiar customers or friends, while also working on commissions during the down times. Friends would go on food or snack runs, and I would get an hour to go shopping during the day somewhere as a break.

By the time it ends, it would have felt like it had gone in a flash. But with heavy eyes but our hearts full with a day accomplished. If we had the strength, we would check out an event or explore the convention hall abit more to absorb the atmosphere. Getting dinner with friends after a job well done, while we have another day to look forward to spending time with fans alike.

It’s really nostalgic to reflect on a typical day to be in the Alley, and having to have that all stop for almost a year now.

EJEN: Since the pandemic, how are you coping with this change both personally and business-wise?

BURNTGREENTEA: I was honestly hoping conventions would come back around at the end of May, but that never happened so I had to approach things differently. Luckily I had a freelance gig that I was working part time, so I had a semi-regular income on the side while I applied for virtual conventions and commissions.

It was tough since I wanted 2020 to be the year I would do the most conventions ever but that plan derailed. I also focused on my online shop and my social media presence, which so far is paying off!

Like everyone this year took a mental and physical toll, but I also ended up working on more projects and digital work to help keep me distracted.

EJEN: What are your plans for the future, what are you working on?

BURNTGREENTEA: My goal is still to go back to doing conventions, but at the moment I’m going to give that a pause. Currently I have a contract job that’s ending soon, and I have something that’s NDA that might come up, crossing my fingers! That’s the near future, but for the time being I want to refocus on learning new things and refining my art since I’ve gotten rusty.

EJEN: Finally who is your waifu?

BURNTGREENTEA: My waifu is Lucina from Fire Emblem!

Visit BurntGreenTea’s Etsy!

[shanie-the-toyaddict]

1, 9, 15, 17, 21, 25, 26, 29, 33, 41, 46, 48, 54, 59, 68, 73, 81, 96, 98

😊

Oh my word! That's a lot!

Ok, here goes.

Behind cut for length

1. Name - I prefer Shanie but my parents call me “Mis”. Well, my mom calls me “Mis” my father calls me “Pooch” which I despise. Just stick with Shanie.

9. What did you study - I changed majors midway through college. I started out as an art major focusing on computer animation. That didn’t work out at ALL. Turns out I sucked ass at computer animation. Too much math involved. So I switched to a major in teaching with minors in history and popular culture. Unfortunately I failed at that too and, while I did graduate, it was with a degree in “Planned Program” which is a polite way of saying “General Ed”. I did earn my two minors though, so I guess that’s something!

15. Relationship Status -  Single. Very Very Single. I haven’t had a single date in about 10 years. By the looks of it, I’m going to stay single.

17. Do you have a crush - Do celebrities count? If not then no. I don't even know anyone IRL to have crushes on. I legit have nobody in my IRL life outside of my parents and my case manager. Kind of hard to have a crush when you don't have any friends or even acquaintances.

21: How was your day -  Well, today I got nothing accomplished. I did have a meeting with my case manager, so that was nice. It’s nice to have someone to talk to and infodump on (which she lets me). Outside of that I woke up, had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, had a nap, and went to Dairy Queen for ice cream on the way home. Unfortunately, DQ is on the far side of town and by the time I got home, it was melted. So it went in the fridge to eat later once it refreezes. Outside of that it was a pretty boring day.

25. Your fears - Whoo-ee. Ok. So coming in with the borderline I’d say my biggest fear is abandonment. That just comes with the territory. After that I have a huge fear of storms and waking up in a fire, both brought about by recurring nightmares. I also have a fear of flying (too much Air Crash Investigations) and I hate elevators. I’m not claustrophobic mind you, I just have a fear that they will fall on me. Anything over 3 stories and I’m having an anxiety attack. There are other, lesser fears but those are some of the big ones.

26. Your dreams - Well, in a literal sense, my dreams are wild, crazy adventures that I get most of my fanfics from. From a metaphorical standpoint I really don’t have any. I’ve given up on hoping for anything good in my life. I’m too busy trying to get from day to day to indulge in long term planning. I know it seems terrible, but it’s the truth.

29. Hobbies - Obviously action figures, that much is clear. I collect and customize them to display in my apartment. I also like making digital art (sometimes) and am starting to get into illustrations/artwork. However, I don’t have a tablet/pen for the computer so everything is done with the mouse and GIMP (which makes it difficult). I’m an avid collector of digital media. Some of my big ones are Doctor Who DVDs, Wrestling Entrance Themes, and Official Xena Photos (not the physical ones, jpeg scans). I used to be big into Wizard101 and, while I don’t really play anymore, I still like following the game on YT and on here.

33. Languages you speak – Only English, except it’s a very specific English. I usually speak what’s called the “Yinzer” dialect which is a dialect that is unique to the Pittsburgh region. That’s why you see me use the word “Yinz” a bunch. That’s our word for “You guys” or “Y’all”. However, while most of my speech is Yinzer, I have watched enough British TV in my lifetime to have picked up some Brit speech. It confuses the hell out of people when I use it because you’ll have me say things like “My apartment needs cleaned” and then follow it up thirty seconds later with, “I’m rubbish at cleaning.” My mother has picked up on this and sometimes calls me her “British Daughter” because of it.

41. Your Device Background – My phone’s lock screen is a picture of Shane in his Roman Centurion outfit from the one Royal Rumble photo shoot. My phone background is a checkered wallpaper with “SZ” on it for Sami Zayn. (That one might be getting changed if he stops being Sami.) And my computer background is just a night sky over the mountains. I rarely ever see my computer wallpaper so I don’t mind that it is a generic background.

46. The most dangerous thing you’ve done – You know how Lucy breathes fire on Xena? I taught myself how to do that. That wasn’t bright to begin with but it was made so much worse that I was underage and couldn’t buy Bacardi and was using lamp oil instead. I was young and dumb.

48. Some things you’ve tried in your life – Funny thing, I’m a sucker for strange foods. There was a list going around that said “How many of these weird foods have you eaten” and I think I had eaten all but six of them and that was only because I didn’t have access to them. I’m proud to say that, since then, I’ve knocked Quail Egg off the list! Turns out the local Japanese restaurant served it. So that knocked it down to five. Still need to get ahold of some gator meat and haggis. I’d love to try Foie Gras but it’s just so damn unethical that I don’t know if I could bring myself to eat it. Pheasant is another one that I’d love to try but I can’t convince my parents to buy me one (and I’m far too poor to afford it myself). But, yeah. I love strange foods. I’ll pretty much try any food once if I know it’s safe to eat.

54. Any tattoos or piercings – Unless you count partially pierced ears then no. And my ears are only partially pierced because after I had them done they got infected so I tried to let them heal shut. They ended up not closing fully and now, if I’m not adverse to a bit of pain, I can still wear earrings occasionally.

59. Song you wouldn’t normally admit you like – Judas is my guilty pleasure song. I know Jericho is a douchebag and I have tried to hate the song but I can’t. I end up singing along every time.

68. Favorite Movie/Series - Hmm... well, my all time favorite movie is definitely “The Towering Inferno”, hands down. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen that. I’m a sucker for disaster movies and, in my opinion, that one is the cream of the crop. I actually like it better than “The Poseidon Adventure” simply because I think the movie is inferior to the book. That said, I’ve also read both of the books that “The Towering Inferno” is based on and I like the combined movie better than them. Favorite series, however, I don’t think I have one definitive favorite series. I’ve had favoriteS like Xena, Buffy, Sherlock, Doctor Who, etc, but I’ve never had one all time favorite.

73: Favorite Greek God – Oh geez. Hmmm... You know, I’m going to have to go with Hermes here, primarily because I have this theory that he is the god of the internet. I know there was no internet in ancient Greece but, frankly, Hermes is the god of commerce, communication, travelers, and thieves. While it’s true that Hephaestus is the god of technology and would probably be the god of computers, I fully believe that Hermes would be the patron of the interwebs.

81 Favorite Books – In all honesty, going to college for 8 years burned me out for reading and now I can barely bring myself to read a comic book. For this reason, most of my favorite books come from childhood. My all time favorite book as a kid was “Flight #116 Is Down” by Caroline B Cooney. It was a disaster story about plane crash in a young woman’s back yard. Somehow, everyone didn’t die – a fact which was called out in the final pages when a fireman says that the crash was extremely odd because “usually they’re all dead.” That book might be another reason I’m terrified of flying. Other favorite books of mine was the “Fear Street Saga Trilogy” (Not the Fear Street Series, the trilogy that served as the origin story). I also like the Hitchhikers Guide saga but when I found out that Douglas Adams died before he could finish the saga, I stopped reading after book 4 so that the story had a happy ending. Novelizations in general are a big thing for me too, I’ve read some really good ones over the years and it’s fascinating to see how they differ from the movies they’re based on.

96. Hero or Villain – Well, if my dreams are anything to go by, I’m a villain at heart. I know, weird right? You all think I’m such a nice person but really, I have a huge dark side to me IRL and, if I was in a world where superheroes were real and I had superpowers I would almost certainly use them for evil. Or, at the very least I would use them to force social change ala Dr. Horrible.

98. Shapeshifting or Controlling Time – SHAPESHIFTING! Oh my goodness shapeshifting! I would love that so much! First of all, I wouldn’t be this huge anymore. I could be as heavy or a skinny as I want. Also, I wouldn’t have to worry about looking old or losing my hair! Plus, can you imagine the cosplay potential!? Forget dressing as the 13th Doctor, I AM THE 13th DOCTOR! That would just be the best!

PHEW! That was a lot! Thanks so much for the ask! This was fun. I love ask games.

[editorialsonlife]

hello tumblr world its been a while since there’s been a proper update here so prepare for a dump and a half my friends because the last few weeks have been a fun trip (and that’s not even including the bloody US elections OMG)

we went to hawkes bay, so that was a good time. NOT. we turned up late because we slept in which was a great time. and also very fortuante because we arrived and no one came out to say hello which is terrible weird. So we start unloading the car and walking to the door and paul eventually emerged and was like, oh your mother’s just taking a nap we’re a bit tired. we only got home from the hospital an hour ago’. alaring for several reasons. 

the last couple of times this has happened, dave’s grandma died, his grandfather died, paul was in hospital for a suspected heart attack, paul had a heart attack & was flown to wellington for emergency surgery. let alone all the other family dramas in the intervening times. 

so it turns out that she threw her back out badly, fell over, and ended up in hospital when they couldn’t get on top of the pain with their sizable drug haul (pharmacist families man). didn’t think to text or call or give us a heads up in any way. when I asked why they wouldn’t text the response was, and I quote “Well she wasn’t dying so we didn’t think it was important’. like, fucking wow bitches. 

She couldn’t move without crying and groaning like she was in labour, she couldn’t move without a walker, she was on morphine, coedine, steroids and antiinflammatories, and still fucking miserable. 

poor dave was so stressed out. it was actually just a fucking horrible weekend. a) seeing another human in that much pain who utterly refused to do anything about it and still is

b) not being told the full story about whats going on, although I did read her medical discharge notes when they were both asleep 

c) seeing poor fucking dave stressed to shit because who the fuck knows whats going on and that’s his mum hes watching in so much pain. 

it was fucking horrible. never again. and walking into it with no warning was just the shittest thing of all. 

I was so fucking angry when we got home. like, ridiculous. I’m still raging tbh. guess who’s place we’re not going to for christmas?? 

So that was our five days of leave, and our holiday, once again shat all over (at least it wasn’t covid this time?!?)

got home on monday evening and went to send an email to work to be like hey homies not showing up tomorrow, need a day to recover to find out I had a client meeting at 830 the next morning I had to attend which was so  hard to get through. here, let’s pitch for 80k of work which isn’t going to solve any of your problems? why not. it makes me so mad. SO MAD. 

rolled through that and our team meeting and a colleague was like how are you doing? just about burst into tears so I peaced out of there. turned up to counselling on thursday, didnt even make it into the room and anne was like, you seem angry? I was like, mmmmm no, don’t think angry quite covers it mate. so that was great. 

got to last weekend, was meant to be meeting friends for brunch but there was a massive crash on the motorway so we ended up driving somewhere else which was an hour each way so that basically ruined the day but it was a lovely brunch anyway, had a great time. best smashed avo and lots of cuddles with little miss izz who is not so little anymore but so gorgeous!! Had a great day on sunday, finished off a bunch of work (yes, work is insanely busy right now, such fun, will be working again this weeked), got heaps of planting done, mowed the lawns, hung my artwork, finally felt like I was back on a happy even keel (fuck life is nice not having permanent anxiety) only to be sitting in a meeting on monday afternoon to find out homegrown is on the same day as our wedding. the second wedding since the first one was cancelled. 

I pretty much just lost my shit. honestly. why is it so fucking hard to just organise something to celebrate being married. legit feel like the universe is just fucking with us at the moment and like, did we even make the right decision doing all of this? because every time we try and do something it gets fucked over and its v stressful. and yes i know we’re lucky to be covid free and be able to plan these safely and everything else but like, honestly. I’m so over it. every holiday this year has been fucked over, the wedding was done, the family reaction was so shit, like, its just ridiculous. the worst part was I came home in rage mode and dave came home in problem solving mode and was like, we can fix this and like, yeah, i know we can, but like, I’m fucking sick of making do. It’s meant to be one of the best days of our lives, and we’re already onto plan fucking c for it, and just like, I’m done with it? I’m just done. I cannot be assed. I don’t want to email everyone, I don’t want to reschedule all this shit, I don’t want to reorganise all my hair appointments, I don’t want to have to worry about the weather and rebooking it all and dealing with all this fucking shit. I’m so done. I’ve done it twice already I don’t want to do it again. RAGE. anyway. survived monday night, the week did not get any better, work got worse, and the PMS hit fucking hard yesterday. cried before work, cried at the stupid 8am meeting, cried turning up to anne and was like, I have an hour to get this all out of my system before client meetings in the afternoon. 

and hot damn, god bless best friends, because bish messaged me and was like, lets do lunch homie, so we went to the botanic gardens and sat there and had the most insane conveersation ranking the best flavours of shapes, then biscuits, then crackers. and honestly, it was the pointless, best, most lighthearted discussion and everything I needed and I love her so much. 

all I can say now is thank fucking god it’s friday, and its the weekend, and we have zero plans beyond going to mitre 10. I’m gunna order all my christmas presents online this weekend adn get that out of the way. need to do a couple of laods of washing, hopefully only like 6 hours of work, but like, it’s gunna be chill. and I’m v relieved. 

she’s been a bit of a nightmare. 

HOWEVER

despite all this complaining, looking back on where I was a year ago, like fuck me i am in so much of a better place mentally and life is just so much better. I’m so relieved. and period binge aside, physically I’m getting better too so I’m gunna take it all as a massive win. week in adn week out its been a grind, and it’s been uncomfortable and hard and horrible at times but man, coming out the other side is such a relief. having capacity to do things like supporting a friend through her current nightmare and managing dave and dealing with all the work stress makes such a fucking difference honestly. it’s also nice to feel like I can manage myself better so I can look after everyone else better too. 

Feeling v grateful for this little life of mine, and the people in it, and for being in this little corner of the world. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I am so so so so so grateful for it. 

[christarango]

I Interviewed the Guy Who Went Into a Museum & "Vandalized" a Picasso.

    In 2012, a man in a suit entered the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas.  That man was Uriel Landeros, a self proclaimed artist and a student at the University of Houston.   A cell phone video captured his visit to the prestigious musuem and was posted on YouTube the same day. The video quickly went viral and set the "Art World" on fire.  That's because Mr. Landeros brazenly walked up to Pablo Picasso's 1929 painting, "Woman in a Red Armchair" and spray painted directly onto the priceless piece of art.  In just a few seconds, the Picasso was altered, hanging there with a mysterious image of a bull and the word "Conquista" spray painted across the surface.  "Conquista" is a Spanish word that means "conquest" or "to conquer".  But why?  What did it mean?  The incident pissed off plenty of people worldwide and started heated debates about the true value of "art".  I had the opportunity to catch up with the artist..  vandal.. visionary.. terrorist.  or whatever it is you choose to call him.  

CT:  Who are you, where are you from?

UL:  I am CONQUISTA, the kid who conquered Picasso, but the name my father gave me is Uriel Landeros.  I was born in South Texas in the city of Edinburg, located in the Rio Grande Valley, but I consider Houston my second home because I went to art school there.  I am a Native/Mexican American.

CT:  As an artist, can you describe the work that you create?

UL:  The Majority of my work comes from my dreams and the subconscious, that other spiritual realm that most people don’t pay attention to.  I try to write down all of my dreams and create images from them. I also use all forms of meditation to influence my work, from fasting, sun gazing, prayer and psychedelic rituals. This is the spiritual side of my work but I also spend a lot of time watching news and current events, not only on TV & newspapers but also the Internet. I compare articles from different countries, independent and mainstream newspapers and bring about a conclusion of closer truth, and then I create political art from this. I try to create a voice that is a little rawer with truth trough my images; I stopped making art years ago though all I make now is art history. But both my spiritual and political work is intertwined. The world is one, everything is connected.

CT:  How did the concept to "destroy" a Picasso piece come about? Was it carefully planned or was it spontaneous?

UL:  The year 2012 was very chaotic for America and for the world, Like I said my work is influenced from all this mayhem, I meditated for so long trying to come up with an image of power and symbology. The image of the Conquista in particular came directly from a lucid dream. Once I obtained the image of the bullfighter slaying the golden bull with the all Seeing Eye, I began to plan the heist. It took about 2 months to completely plan everything; I drew blueprints, counted guards, created exit strategies, etc. It was like a hacker stealing classified information. My plan was never to destroy the Picasso painting, if I wanted to destroy it I would have slashed it with a knife or poured acid on it. The whole point was to leave a message to create a voice and spark another fire against this NEW WORLD ORDER. Believe me I know about paint, I am a professional; I knew that the painting would be easily restored.

CT:  Obviously you pissed off a lot of people. At the same time you suddenly had lots of attention on you & your work. Was that the idea from the beginning or did it accidentally happen that way?

UL:  Not everyone was pissed off, some people were very happy with what I did, many strangers clapped @ my actions & and continue to do so. Most of the people who were hating on me where so called “artists” who have never been able to break the veil of success. I did not know the future, I did not know that galleries would take interest in my art, especially not the world renown museum “The Palace of Fine Arts, MACG” in Mexico city.  When those things began to happen, I was skeptical because I thought that the museum and galleries were working with the F.B.I. and U.S. Marshalls.  But after some research I found out those opportunities were legit, so I welcomed them.  This helped me spread the message further. CT:  What's the deal with your solo art show in Houston following the incident? Apparently you were on a live video feed from Mexico. Can you tell me about that? Also, I heard some of your own artwork was destroyed.

UL:  James Art Gallery gave me a solo show in Houston; James Perez has been a friend of mine for several years. Ironically the title of the show was “ Houston, we have a problem”.  We promoted the event saying that I was going to show up at the event, I had been a fugitive for several months & already there was a $15,000 reward for me, so I knew that the cops were going to show up, but we tricked those pigs.  As you know I was there but through live video feed “Skype”.  I was logged in from an ice cream shop in Monterrey, Mexico.  I gave several interviews and said hello to all the people that attended the show.  My work was not destroyed, James and me invited all the local graffiti writers we could find and let them tag whatever they wanted on several of my paintings. The whole point of this was to show the art community that art is not about paintings but rather the message. Fuck the paintings, this is what Picasso would say “Art is a lie that enables us to see truth” For example The Guernica was not about making a pretty painting but rather transmitting the message of the horrors of genocide and war. Art is a weapon, painting and drawing is secondary to the true purpose of the art tool.  So I don’t care if people tag or graffiti my work, what matters is the message I convey. 

CT:  I definitely feel like you have a message that you're trying to convey. What are you all about, what's all this about?

UL:  First of all fuck the NEW WORLD ORDER, once more; I did this for the people who are tired of being treated like slaves. The Conquista was an artistic metaphor with much symbology.  A lot of the art community successfully digested the message although the reactions were diverse. I stenciled a bullfighter killing a bull with the word Conquista below it with spray paint in color gold on a 1929 Picasso painting. It was a lot of work to pull the heist but all the details are another story.  This graffiti was a form of protest/activism against the government and the corrupt church, who continue to abuse their power of imperial rape. A way to tell the people conquer your fear and stand up for injustice. There was much civil unrest all around the globe in the year 2012, the year of the conquista.  Remember the Occupy movement?  The anonymous organization, the immigrant protests in Arizona, and Wikileaks?  And even after I turned myself in to the authorities, it continued with Edward Snowden and the unraveling of the N.S.A. surveillance, abusing their power to infringe in our privacy. The word Conquista is my artist name, it is also the Spanish word for conquer, in reference to the conquistadores and the Spanish inquisition, the biggest unrecognized genocide in the world, because of gold and greed, “Capitalism in its cradle”. Those who converted the natives into Christianity through murder and rape, those same characters who are now looked upon like heroes such as Christopher Columbus. The word Conquista is also in reference to so many innocent kids who got raped by priest who went unpunished because pope Benedict XVI protected them by sending them to the Vatican and granting them political asylum. This was so controversial that the pope had to resign. Conquista is also in reference to the immigration reform and the dream act that president Obama promised and never fulfilled. My people my culture and my family is bullied around society because of the color of our skin because of racism and discrimination. Just look at the laws in Arizona, its as if its still the 1960s in that state. Discriminating against immigrants when in fact the only non-immigrants are the natives/Hispanics, my people. Nobody ever asked any conquistador for a passport or green card, how was this fucking hypocrisy born?  What the fuck is going on? All this seems like a big joke, nobody in power cares to make a positive difference; they are worried about policing the world and selling guns. This is the history that I have begun to convert into my story. The majority of native culture/archeology is now displayed in museums throughout Europe as trophies of genocide, and thus disables the Hispanic community to truly understand their history & culture, because that art is not in its native land. I cannot bring back all the art that was stolen by the conquistadors but I can create new history. New art, so that is what I did for my people. The golden bull represents the stock market, wall street, gold, money being idolized, The federal reserve, the biggest deceiving ponzi scheme that enslaves us all, and the president & government working for wall street banksters instead of the people. The golden bull also represents Picasso “ the Art Beast”, he who understood that art is not a painting or a drawing but rather a political tool to educate and influence the form of thinking of the masses. I am the bullfighter inspired by Picasso to use the art tool, doing the daring move to kill the golden beast. Conquering Picasso in his own game. Fighting against this whole corrupt system. The bullfighting culture and Picasso are both originally from Spain and this is the irony of a Native Mexican American conquering a Spaniard.

CT:  Whoa, thats heavy.  You were just released from jail for what you did, that's fucking crazy.  How long were you locked up?

UL:  I was in prison for 21 months, almost 2 years.

CT:  What were you thinking about while in prison? Any new concepts or artwork created during that time?

UL:  I was a prisoner before I went to prison, but it was in that dark cold place, in that cage, when I was hungry, when I meditated, that I understood what freedom was.  If your mind is free they can never imprison you. The power of the third eye is limitless, the universe is born from it. I created over 100 paintings and thousands of drawings. I will soon publish all these works online and I will exhibit them in a prison series for my next Art show. My force of creation has only gotten stronger.

CT:  What's next for you?

UL:  I am organizing my next event.  I will soon publish the date and details.  I am also in the process of publishing a book about the entire story, all the things I could not say because of lawful repercussions, how I pulled the heist (it was some oceans 11 shit) and also my life as a fugitive.

CT:  How can we follow you and see how this evolves?

UL:  I’m always accessible through Facebook that is the social media of my choice, but I also have twitter, instagram, pinterest, photobucket, vine, we heart it and email of course. Or just watch the news or Google me.

CT:  Best of luck to you!  Anything else you want to add?

UL:  Yea I just want to give a shout out to everyone out there trying to provoke and stimulate a positive change in the world, all those free hugs people, all the honest police and every activist who has put their life in danger for the benefit of the community, especially Edward Snowden, thank you.

[belladonnaandulriched]

artwork by badmotorartist on instagram; do not repost without her permission

the mirror never lies | chapter four: that night in sweden

Joey’s point of view

When I was a rascal growing up in upstate New York, I legit lost count how many times my aunt would refer to me as “sassy”, and I am, too. I am Mr. Sassafras… among other things. And I always wondered what she meant by that, too, like maybe I'm a saucy boy underneath this dark exterior and I need my ass slapped or something. I dunno.

Maybe Jessica saw that. Maybe it's more apparent to me than I had originally believed.

Who the hell knows.

But God, she was so adorable, though. It was like looking at myself, looking into my own eyes in a mirror or the reflection in Lake Ontario. I've been told my accent could knock a chick out but that one… I would kiss that Welsh accent if I could.

So, we're in this cramped little van here courtesy of the guys from Nuclear Assault and Metal Church. I know the each of us would be more than happy to trek down the spine of Scandinavia in a bus like Metallica, but it's better than being out in the cold.

I hadn't eaten much in the past few days because of the sheer lack of food around us and also because I just don't feel like it. I'm not feeling up for it. That girl in Wales used me not once but twice. That's just how it's going to be and how it always will be for me. Whatever.

It's starting to hurt a bit, even with my hands placed on my belly—I'm looking down at myself, at my slender legs and my even slimmer waist and wondering if anything good will come out of this. Even with as skinny as I am, I can't help but feel like there's too much here. I came on too strong for her—it's all my fault and I should've known.

Too much. Just too much. Just too fuckin' much.

Too much flesh here. Maybe if I quit eating altogether, I won't be as much. I won't be so damn sassy. If that's what's going to repel girls from me, alright. I'll do something about it.

I'll do something about it even if it means feeling uncomfortable for a time. I'll adjust. I'll get by.

But God, those Swedish meatballs back at the hotel smelled so good. They looked so smooth and lush. I should've eaten a bunch of 'em before we left. A bunch of those with a bunch of those princess cakes.

Mr. Sassy, Mr. Hockey Player, always hungry.

Oh well.

Just cuddle up here behind the passenger seat nestled right in between Frankie and Danny with my arms folded over my stomach to ease the cavernous feeling within me and go the fuck to sleep. I still have my boots on even upon falling asleep. I'm thinking of taking off my jacket because it's kinda warm back here, but—

…

…

…

Huh wha? Fuck! FUCK!

Oh, fuck—what the hell was that? What happened?

It's totally dark. We're stopped on the side of the road. Everything is loud. Someone broke a window?

Frankie says something to me and he sounds like he's down a sewer pipe.

“Joey? Joey? Joey, are you alright?” His voice is all echo-y.

“Joey?” My eyes adjust and his face comes into shape.

“Frankie—” I say to him and he sighs with relief. I can see the mortified look on his face even in the darkness. I hear Charlie breathing hard. I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not dreaming. It's dark and loud in here. I look over at Danny and he's running his fingers through his feathery hair.

The five of us climb out of the back of the van and into the bitter cold. For a moment, I sorta forgot where we were, and then I look up to the sky and I see the northern lights.

Neon green and dead silent.

Our driver says we hit a patch of ice and to keep ourselves from rolling over we hydroplaned off into a ditch: yeah, Danny and I both made the mistake of stepping into the snow bank here. I might be wearing boots but they're not the best kinda boots to be runnin' around in snow, though.

But even as I'm shaking off the snow, something catches my eye. I look up to find Scott, Charlie, and Frankie staring down the road behind us. I follow their gaze to the sight of Metallica's big bus laying on the other side of the road, laying there on its side.

I've got a bad feeling about this, especially with James running like his ass is on fire into the darkness. What is he doing?

Oh, wait, here comes Kirk.

“Wait a minute, man, slow down,” Scott tells him. “Back up, back up—”

There's a pit in my stomach.

“Wait, where's Lars?” Charlie asks him.

I didn't hear him, but I did hear Danny say “call 911.”

I'm stunned. Speechless.

I was just getting to know Metallica, too.

I look over at Frankie as he's falling to the ground on his knees with his hands up to his mouth. Scott's got his hands upon his head. Charlie has a blank look on his face.

It's everything I need to know.

Kirk is literally crying—crying actual tears as he and Danny are calling the medics. I've got to do something.

I just have the aurora borealis overhead and the broken hazard lights guiding my way across the pavement. I round the back end of the bus to find Lars sitting there in the snow bank with no pants on. There's something in front of him—

Oh, shit.

No.

God damn.

Oh. OH.

I clasp a hand to my mouth. I want to puke but there's nothing in me, though. Lars turns his head towards me.

“Hey,” he says to me in a soft voice. I look at his green eyes, lit up by the hazard lights of the bus, but there's no life to them. I lower my hand. I don't know what to say to him, except for, “are—are you alright?”

He doesn't reply. I look over my shoulder. No one coming our way.

I nibble on my bottom lip. He's sitting there by himself. I've come this far, I have to do more than this.

The sight of Cliff's lifeless legs from underneath the bus is making my stomach writhe, but I take my seat there in the snow right next to Lars.

So he's not alone. Just so he's not lonely. Just so I'm not lonely, either.

I have my arms around my waist and he looks over at me, still with that blank expression on his face.

“How about you, are you alright?”

“Really hungry,” I confess.

“I wish I could help you guys. I really do.” His voice is broken and distant. I can very easily say he's going to get frostbite from sitting there in the snow, but the blank look on his face tells a different story.

“Well—I just haven't been eating,” I admit to him.

“Why is that?” he asks me in a low voice.

“I'd rather starve than let my band mates go hungry.” I'm totally bullshitting that, but there is in fact some truth to it. I want to belong here with them, and I'd rather let myself go to waste than see them fall flat on their fucking faces.

The blinking hazard light to my left is enough to let me look into those eyes and the sympathetic look on his face.

The hunger in my stomach is starting to eat at me, perhaps more so than the snow underneath me. It's cold out here, colder than anything I had ever felt in my life—and when we were in California last summer, I was freezing my ass off. California in the summertime!

I hear Frankie say something about not getting the chance to say goodbye to Cliff and all I can think is...

dude, nobody knew this would happen.

[shellheadtm-a]

anon | ‘✖‘ cuz it seems like you're only willing to rp w/ people who are big on aesthetics, or 'friends only' ...

anon | ‘✖‘ the times i have reached out to you, i've been ignored... i do love your blog so, but naturally i'm hesitant because of that.

i’m gonna answer these together and be breathtakingly, brutally honest about myself here.  first things first:  i remade in part because this was a bit of a problem, in that so much was happening on my dash at all times i literally could not keep up with the influx of ims, how fast my dash moved, and it was incredibly, awfully, not fun overwhelming.  rp started to feel like a job, and i’m not here for that.  i couldn’t keep up.  i was stretched thin.  so naturally i gravitated back to the people i have sure, plotted things with.  things i don’t have to think hard about because i don’t have to really consider how tony feels, i already know.  does any of this make sense?  probably not.  but this is a lot of it.  there was just too much, at all times, going on, and now that i’m here, on this new blog, the list of people i’m following is genuinely under a quarter of how many i was.  i do regular clean outs when things aren’t clicking.

so let me clear up the main elephant in the room here that...if you’re here, if i’m following you.  i want to rp with you.  i don’t care if you’re 616.  i don’t care if you’re mcu.  i don’t care if you’re another fandom.  i don’t care if you’re an oc.  i don’t.  if i’m here and you’re here, i want the thing.  sometimes it’s gonna take some hashing out before we do the thing, however.  and that all comes down to the point that scenarios that would work for an mcu based tony will not work for a 616 based one.  things have to be kinda guided, i know not everyone is familiar with the comics and how astronomically different tony is.  but i’m here to do that, to talk about, to explain how he’s different and answer any questions anyone may have because i am a literal tony stark wiki article.  except more indepth and a better wealth of cited sources.  you get me?  please i am begging you - if you ever legit have questions about how comic tony is different, i am always happy and more than willing to answer them.  you’re giving me a chance to do my favorite thing, which is talk about my boy.

and if i’ve ever ghosted you in an im or something, it’s by accident usually.  again, i used to get...so many ims.  so many.  i could not keep up.  i’d open something with the intention of replying and get swamped with something else and...by the time i realized i’d never replied it’d been ages and i’d look like an asshole.  like i said, my dash is much, much, much smaller now.  and i definitely intend to keep it that way.  i’m still bad about being flaky on tumblr ims, i don’t know why my brain hates them so much.  and i will say disco is literally the best place for this kind of thing, if you have it.  but i’m doing what i can - now that i’m not...drowning under the weight of things - to keep up with what i have.  i’m...well, probably still failing miserably, but i’m trying.  there’s also the fact that i’m socially anxious, shy, and awkward.  i don’t do the whole hi how are you thing very well.  i do better, handle it better, if we just jump right into it.  it gives me something to latch on to that’s not the social graces i lack. (as a note, you’ll probably notice i’m in literally almost no marvel/rp servers at all that aren’t exceptionally tiny and closed, and this is part of that, too.)

last two things, here we go.  one, there are certain people (that shall remain nameless) that i have a lot of things with.  and by a lot i mean unintentionally they make up the bulk of my drafts and inbox.  we just have plotted and built so much we have a lot to say.  but that doesn’t mean i’m closed to having more friends like that.  let me be really clear about that.  i’m absolutely here for it.  and now, hopefully, with such a small dash, i can do that.  like everyone else, sure, i have my friends.  we happen to have plotted things more.  i have threads i’m really excited about, and they get a faster turn around - strike while the iron is hot, etc.  but it’s because we talk and plot that that happens.  i know i’m kinda awkward, and it takes a tic to get me comfortable.  i don’t do small talk at all.  but honestly - i prefer being friends with people i write with because it makes it all just...so much easier than writing with a stranger.  i’ve never been very good at that, and i come - originally - from an rp background stretching back to livejournal and dreamwidth where friend groups move through the community together, and all the friend groups are interconnected by some people so they merge and move and...it’s like that.  it’s how i know how to operate.  and i would love - and i can’t believe i’m finally gonna say it - to have a good, solid group.  for continuity and plotting.  a bunch of avengers rpers where we can just.  set up a continuity line and run with it.  would fucking love that.

lastly, here’s the the thing:  i don’t give a good doodly fuck all about aesthetics.  i really don’t.  i like making things in photoshop, it’s fun for me.  it’s a hobby.  it’s relaxing some days to do nothing but make comic edits.  i like comic artwork, so i make things out of it.  a lot of the rpc is into it.  i know some people do it for...idk.  popularity points.  but it’s completely incidental.  i make things because i want to,  not because i give a good goddamn what anyone else thinks about it.  don’t use icons?  cool, that’s fine.  don’t have a fancy theme?  great, those don’t matter.  don’t make fancy promos?  okay, would you like one?  i like making promos.  like it’s a thing that literally just doesn’t matter to me, but is also a hobby that overlaps the rpc and it is what it is.

a lot of my reticence has to do with the fact that...i worry people come here looking for a tony stark that acts like mcu tony, and uses comic artwork, and that’s not what this is.  i’m a comic tony through and through, and he’s as different as you can get without a lot of core things being true.  i feel like that’s probably disappointing to some people, and if it is, i’m sorry, but it’s why, ultimately, overall i was disappointed with how the mcu panned out.  but it makes me really kinda...gunshy, even though i very much want to interact with you if you’re here!  i do.  and that’s the truth of it.

why aren’t we rping | accepting

[inquisition-curations-blog]

Black Library: Damocles by ukitakumuki

artist’s commentary:

Black Library: Damocles

Check out the e/book here! : www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer… Illustration © Games Workshop Art director/producer: Karen Miksza ++++++++++++++++++++++ The brief for this one was a three-way melee between Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars, Tau Commander Shadowsun, and Captain Kayvaan Shrike of the Raven Guard, amidst a mixed-force battle of White Scars, Raven Guard, and Cadian IG versus the Tau fighting atop a rocky promontory with jungle. The main focus of the show is Shadowsun, whom according to the reference and specs sent to me, often fields two shield drones. I thought that could be a perfect excuse to not end up in an awkward “2 on 1” prong attack. So that resulted in our assault marine captain Shrike pulling off a DFA and Kor'sarro timing a strike to take out her shield on one side. Given the hardback template/format I decided early on to have two back to back crisis suits behind the main trinary to visually frame the action and hopefully some narrative link to what was going on in the background. While sketching in comp ideas I was thinking of World in Conflict FMVs (yeah I watched a compilation vid of the different sequences but set to just Audioslave’s Shadow on the Sun… how apt for our Tau commander ) which inspired that jungle crossfire for the back cover (left of image), along with some physics logic I thought should be observed such as “if plasma based weaponry gets spammed in the general direction of a forest, there should be a moderate to high chance of a forest fire occurring” which kinda explains why we see the charred dirt and branches and hints of trees on fire in the back. Other favourite points of interest that I recall from half a year back: -Singed/scorched Imperial armour versus cracked/gouged tau armour -Drones buzzing a tree (near the sun) -Devastator Raven going head on with the battlesuit turned away from us, armour in the process of being seared off chunk by chunk. -White Scar reading poetry on the lawn in an admirable last stand -Unfortunate IG, now literally half the man he used to be. Courtesy of being in the open when Tau heavy artillery drops.

Check out the e/book by Joe Parrino here! :

www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer…

Illustration © Games Workshop

Art director/producer: Karen Miksza

++++++++++++++++++++++

This piece is, in my own way, dedicated to two very unique creatives whose achievements and trust in me have both inspired and helped me take my work to higher levels. Ghislain Barbe(

NOT because he is coincidentally now the art director on Eternal Crusade at BHVR  

, but because when I was a kid I played a PC game called Heavy Gear by Dream Pod 9/Activision, and along with it came a printed game manual with wonderful mecha illustrations and diagrams that blew my little mind, and he was the illustrator of my favourite designs in the book.), and Peter Cooper(an incredibly kind and talented writer/director who years ago offered me the opportunity to do the illustrated set pieces for his HALO fan-film, Operation Chastity). Moreso because I think they might appreciate certain aspects of this image in their own capacities, like the pew pew lazars. Ok really its just about the lazars and the airburst munitions.

And my special thanks and apologies to my truly professional and patient producer, Karen Miksza, for enduring and evaluating a chickenscratch-sketch of mine that resembled more of a Rorschach exercise than anything. You rock!

As for the artwork:

Reading the brief, and visualising the narrative and technical approach, made me want to crawl under a rock somewhere and just go into a coma. But it dawned on me it was really about huge battlesuits and powered armour on bikes in a desert--the very stuff my favourite SF childhood memories were made of. So I put on some Bubblegum Crisis tracks to remind me of what I felt was special about the genre and what I would like to see happen again, and got back to work. "Say Yes!" by Maiko Hashimoto in particular, really helped bring back those memories.

Bearing in mind this is meant to be a triple-fold/paneled illustration; I was to illustrate a White Scars Stormseer fighting a Crisis Battlesuit with a tulwar on the front cover(rightmost third of image), looming Riptide in center third, and miscellaneous combatants filling up the remainder. The White Scars were to seem joyous in the midst of their hunt, armed with lances or tulwars in addition to the bolters on their bikes. All this was to take place on a dusty plain. I immediately thought that a scene showing a breached frontline would work best, to help put across just how fast moving and aggressive the White Scars are known to be, and for all the long distance planning of the Tau once up close and personal with Space Marines on bikes, it can quickly descend into unmanageable chaos. Troops having to divert their attention from the front to acquire stray bikers without hitting their friends, and crisis suits engaging their thrusters to quickly manoeuver along the ranks and train their guns on the bikes. Crisis suits... in a crisis of their own... aha..haha..h-

As a Chinese guy, I felt it got really hilarious at one point painting Fu Manchu 'roid mongols in sun-bleached white armour going to town on the Tau. So I just rode that wave as best I could  Having my own front row seat and getting into the mentality of what it means to create a 40K flavoured illustration is making me more and more of a fan of what I think the franchise represents on different levels. When I say I find 40K really insane, I mean it in a sincerely optimistic way, and I think I am finally getting better at understanding where that balance point between grimdark outlook, cautionary tale/social commentary, and outlandish spectacle sits.

This reflection of what 40K meant to me, had me throwing out the idea that maybe in order for the Stormseer to even be in close combat with a Battlesuit twice his height, required he be presented in a way that could rival the nuttiness of the idea to begin with. So imagining a narrative, I assume these guys could have force-lances that they could also throw, using that as a medium range large-caliber stopping weapon (illustrated at bottom right) and then move into closer combat with their shorter range tulwars. (This of course sets up the visual excuse for the flapping blood-soaked hair plume on the end of the lance up front.) The stormseer would realise that his bolters might be ineffectual at getting him within close enough range so he would opt to just pop a wheelie off the frontline Tau and use the bolter riddled chassis of the crisis suit as a landing ramp and shield to buy him precious seconds to plan his next move. They're Space Marines. Seemed legit. "SAY YES!"

Other favourite details:

-Please excuse the slightly overdone prismatic effect on the Riptide's shield. I still think it looks nice and it makes some sense. Just riffing off similar idea in the previous Tau codex supplement. I also wanted to illustrate how the hexa-projection areas might be linked to individual projection nodes, and we would see how individual 'tiles' pulse under stress as opposed to having a continuous 'texture pattern'.

-I keep reading in the fluff how much advanced targetting tech the Tau pack, technically a Fire warrior would have onboard sensors and targetting aids, that eventually gets meshed with higher level networked data from sensor drones, add on to that markerlight data and more... basically it just sounds like a Tau shooter could be drunk, falling over, and still hit a fly in between its eyes having accounted for atmospheric disruption from 600 meters away. So that I felt gave me the right to imply that they can shoot incoming rounds out of the sky. Which we can see to great effect in the background and right behind the Stormseer. There of course is the consideration for fans who think its unreasonable, so they also look like they could be randomly hit because the relatively slow moving missiles are travelling through a firestorm of plasma. But I just wanted to say what the original intent was  Also to the left is a inverted Phalanx-CIWS looking burst cannon drone that seems to be in charge of clearing the skies for ground troops (when I saw that design I almost stood up and clapped at the screen). And for those of you who absolutely do not buy any of that, there's this:

warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Ai…

-Poor Tau loses his head in the background-The bikes were initially block-modelled in Sketchup to help me give a sense of their geometry and what I could do with them.This took over a week to do, the longest I've spent on any of the illustrations to date and burnt a weekend or so (gladly so) getting it done. I hope it makes the Tau and White Scars fans amongst you happy and rooting for your favourites and for mech heads in general  

[kingofthewilderwest]

Hey just so you know your art is really shitty. I am talking about the one you did about book hiccup.

Oh you sweet, sweet summer chiiiiild!!!

I was drawing “shit” like this when I was sixteen - ten years ago! Ten years ago, and I could draw like this!

So why would I care what someone thinks of a small, five minute, no-erase doodle of mine? ^.^ 

Honestly, I’m in the middle of an artistic euphoria phase right now. Like, I’m legit having so much fun with visual arts - more than I have for years - and I’m delighted. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to talk about this latest exciting experience in my life! Maybe this’ll inspire some others as well? Art has been a highlight of the last few months, and even getting going on the topic now, chatting with you, is getting me happy and inspired and ready to tear out the next sheet of paper for a new bout of creativity. I’m trying my best not to start drawing NOW because of the topic you’ve brought up!

I’m working on proportions and muscle groups and more dynamic poses and figuring out digital art and testing new traditional art mediums and it’s just been a BLAST of creativity and exploration. I’m trying to figure out new styles for myself, branching WAY beyond my childhood focus of photorealism, into everything down to anime-style personalities. I’ve even checked out 3D modeling, dudes! I’m planning on exploring with cityscapes and character design and shape and color and... guys... guys... it’s literally such an exciting time for me right now. 

Art is AMAZING fun!!! What a blessing it is to create something wholly new, with the stamp of our personality, out of complete nothingness? I turned the nothingness of a piece of paper into my personality and a work of creativity. DUDE THAT IS SO AWESOME!!! Humans are so amazing in our ability to endlessly create. I think creating is one of the greatest powers and blessings our species has to offer.

Being a visual artist by hobby isn’t about improving. It isn’t even about being good. It’s about having fun. My wonderful dragon-loving friends, don’t for a second think that your artwork needs to be to some sort of quality, because it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter. If you want to improve, that’s awesome, and I’m rooting for you to have some exciting experiences of self-discovery and growth. That can be an exciting time, to go through growth, and it’s well-worth your commendable, diligent efforts. But it’s also 100% fair if you go into a hobby without desiring to improve. You don’t need to improve - you’re not in some competition where your rent’s pay hinges on drawing - you just need to enjoy yourself. There is nothing shameful about “shitty” art - it’s in fact one of the coolest things you can do, because it engages your mind and your creativity and your own unique stamp of human beauty that no other soul can give. And if you share it, you’re sharing a part of yourself, and we get to see the beautiful treasure you and your mind are!

Some of my favorite things I’ve ever seen are stick people. DRAW your stick people! Do it all!!!

I’m so thankful for everyone who shares their art on tumblr in the fandom community. Not just the people who do polished digital work, but everyone. People who are starting to figure out what a tablet is. People who haven’t touched a colored pencil in ten years. People who draw five minute scratches. People who spend thirty-seven hours on a painting. You contribute to the world of fandom, the beautiful world of fandom. Together we celebrate what it is we mutually love about our fandoms, and make this a community in which creativity and celebration and positivity is resplendent. It’s because of people like you - ALL of you - that you build this incredible environment.

I’m in the middle of a phase where I think I’m going to be making rapid advances in my artwork soon. Maybe if there’s something really cool I’ll share it with ya’ll! There’s a 50% chance I might be getting a new art tablet soon, which will unfetter all the struggles I’ve had with digital art preventing me from improving there. And there’s so many ideas I have! Guys, there’s so many ideas! So much art to put down and explore and hgghghghhhh! I’m excited.

Of course this is all on top of my other hobbies. I love being a jack of all trades and master of none. Every day’s something new to explore. I’m a conlanger and I make my own languages. I’m a creative writer and I’m planning on charging deep into a single original novel that I hope I can publish. I’m a chronic worldbuilder who loves thinking about everything from the geographic history of the world to the culture’s technology to what the cities look like to the individual culture’s elements - be it gestures, taboo language, courting rituals, what have you! I’m a music composer and I even got a Bachelor’s of Music in Composition; I’ve learned how to play over a dozen instruments; I’m itching to make covers and suites of material I love. I used to make gifs and I still miss it - maybe I’ll get back into the swing of it sometime? I made one AMV and maybe I’ll make another - I’ve always loved video editing (I did Lego stop motion stuff in the junior high, after all). And of course I want to keep writing fandom meta for all the stories that have touched my heart, be it Fullmetal Alchemist or How to Train Your Dragon or Voltron: Legendary Defender or Mass Effect or anything else. I’m hoping that I’ll get some good bursts of activity on cosplay, too! I need to work on my sewing - 2019 shall be the perfect year for it, don’t you think?

Life’s so exciting and rich and beautiful. There’s so much creativity to be had. So much to do. So much to explore.

And who gives a flipping rat’s fart if I’m not The Best(TM) of the universe? XD That’s not the true reason to create ANYTHING!

I’ve got a fuckton of weaknesses in my artistic pursuits and that doesn’t make me an ounce less awesome. Having weaknesses makes my artistic life BETTER. I honestly believe it; they make me happy. I’m excited that I have weaknesses in my visual arts abilities because it means I’m going through this period of growth. Where would be my fun if I were perfect already? I’m having a blast not because my art is perfect, but because it’s IMPERFECT. I both like what I can do already and I know ALL the areas where it needs improving - allowing me new areas to dive further and reach new goals. It’s giving me life goals, trajectory, and celebrations every time I draw something new and better than what I made last month. 

A childish, petty, and honestly rather uncreative insult isn’t going to make me blink. I know how amazing I am. I’m a powerhouse, powerfully creative, Renaissance man level talented bonfire who can do everything from advanced level linguistic scientific study to composing contemporary classical art music. I know what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are. I’ve got great weaknesses, and that’s totally chill!

I’m sorry, friend, but the only thing your message does is show how much of a naive child you are. You ignorantly think that a laughably uninteresting, child-level insult is going to affect an adult who is confident and grown in themselves. You don’t know your audience. Even if you were right that my art is shit - which it’s not - it doesn’t matter to me. My identity is more than one cute doodle with Hiccup and Toothless. It’s a shame because I’m sure you have so much positive beauty you could contribute to this world. Why waste your time with this, when it literally could not be more of a waste of your time?

What positive creativity have you done?

I encourage us all to contribute to the beauty of our community. Let’s take this moment to be an inspiration point. Let’s create together. Let’s give people reasons to smile. Let’s share posts we love and talk about why we love them. Let’s draw and write and sing and dance our way through what we love. Let’s give positive feedback on the fanfiction people wrote for us for free. Let’s send compliments to one another - that’s a legitimate form of creation and it’s one of the best. Let’s let our personalities sparkle. Kindness is so awesome. You all are so awesome.

I’m so thankful to live in a community like this, where every day I’m bombarded with incredible magic - the magic you all have created.

As for my Hiccup drawing, the HTTYD book community has a cool event going on celebrating the Twelve Days of Doomsday. I encourage you all to participate and enjoy Cressida Cowell’s works with me!!!

Who knows? Maybe I’ll have time for a few more Hiccup doodles in the next dozen days!

[rattanachronicles-blog]

Dedicated to my sweet family

SET THE SCENE

I’ve been on my fair share of cruises – Hawaii, Caribbean, and another Alaskan cruise by Holland Cruise lines – and thus, I think I can safely say that I have had enough comparison to write a pretty good review on a cruise ship. The Bliss is the newest and biggest ship to sail the Alaskan waters and I will say it definitely lives up to its ship name. But before I go into the ship, let me give you a snapshot of beautiful Alaska.

Cerulean blue waters with hints of green flow around the gorgeous state of Alaska. The skies alternate between clear blue and a light gray and there is a chill in the air that is a profound welcomed relief from the humid heat of Texas (where I’m from). The air is devoid of heavy pollution and car traffic fumes and every city has its quiet charm. Salmon in every shape and color climb the salmon ladders while bald eagles dominate the skies.

The cold air is contrasted by a hot cup of chowder in chilled hands. One of the little things in life is having your insides immediately warmed by sip of a hot latte. Or being in the middle of a forest surrounded by trees connected together by fairy lights while roasting marshmallows over a large fire.

The most brilliant sharp icy blue glaciers and its pieces float enchantingly and menacingly in the waters. Whales swim by, peaking their heads and showing off their tails as cruisers lean over, awed, with binoculars. Waterfalls bloom out of the sides of mountains with the force of the water creating a thunderous sound.

This state is so breathtaking in every way.

THE BASICS

Time of Travel: July Type of Travel: Family

THE SHIP

Size: While Bliss is definitely not the biggest cruise ship in the world, it definitely appears like the biggest ship on the Alaskan waters when all the ships are parked next to each other at the ports. It’s impressive to see from afar and to walk up to when returning from the city.

We saw so many whales from our cruise ship windows! Not the best photo but I got too excited and eventually put away my camera to just enjoy the magnificent sights

Exterior Décor: The front of the ship is beautifully decorated and my brother and I joked that the artwork definitely invited all the whales to swim up near our ship. I was honestly so surprised by how many whales I saw on the cruise – definitely more than the last time I was in Alaska. The front of the ship is illustrated with the wildlife of the ocean – whales, turtles, and rays. It’s the perfect artwork for a cruise ship.

Interior Décor: The inside of the ship is also tastefully ornamented. In the center of the ship is a gorgeous glass-appearing staircase that wraps around and glitters in the light. The hot tubs are purposefully placed at the tail end of the ship and on the sides so there is a clear view of the ocean. Every room is carefully constructed to its theme.

Service: The staff on the ship is 5/5 stars. They are so incredibly friendly and accommodating and always willing to strike up a good conversation with you but they also know when to leave you alone as well. They always have a smile for you and their response to everything is quick. They all come from different countries around the world and it is fascinating to hear their stories and everywhere they have traveled!

THINGS TO DO ON THE SHIP

Observation Lounge: Located at the front of the ship, this area was one of my favorite areas on the ship. Decked out in large windows showcasing the beauty of Alaska, the lounge is full of comfy arm chairs and the best part? The bar in the middle as well as two buffets of tea time food fully stocked with finger sandwiches, salads, and desserts. On the days at sea, it’s the perfect area to chill with family and friends, play cards, and observe the Alaskan magnificence without being in the cold.

The Pool and Aqua Park: On one of the top decks of the ship is the pool and the incredible water slides on the ship. There is one water slide where you slide down in rafts and there is one thrilling slide that literally hangs over the ocean! There is a fun area where the kids congregate and hot tubs that dot the sides of the ship as well as the rear end. I highly recommend chilling in the hot tubs at the rear so you can see the full view of the ocean behind you as the ship sails.

Race Track: Yes, this ship has a whole level dedicated to a race track where you can race your family and friends either in a single cart or a double seater cart.

TIP: Book your reservations before you get onto the ship! My family and I did not realize that seats were limited so we did not get to try out this part of the cruise.

It does cost a small fee per drive

Mini Golf

Laser Tag: a small fee

Bliss Casino

Video Arcade

Bowling Alley: a small two lane bowling alley. It gets busy really fast! A small fee

Entourage Teen Club: a haven away from the parents – this place has video games, music, movies!

Fitness Center: this fitness center is legit. There is a running track outside and every machine and weight you could possibly need for a week long cruise.

Guppies: A great area for parents and their kids. Many interactive activities

Hair Salon

Plenty of Spas

Mandara Spa and Salon

Spa Salt Room – natural salt caves – halotherapy

Spa Snow Room – an ice cold arctic environment

Spa Thermal Suite

SHOWS

My favorite thing about cruises is the kind of night time entertainment the ship provides meaning the evening shows. I would say my review for this ship’s shows is probably a 4/5 stars in comparison to the other ships I’ve been on. The best shows I’ve seen on a ship still goes to Allure of the Seas, but this ship definitely provides a great entertainment and truly hats off to the hard working actresses and actors!

Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical – $30 per person. This musical is set in a speakeasy and set in the Prohibition Era. My family and I chose not to see this one just because there was a fee and plenty of other free shows to see

Jersey Boys – such a great show about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Havana – set at The Palace of Lights, this show brings you the beat and culture of Cuba (takes me back to my time in the Cuban capital!)

The great bands on the ship that play across different bars and lounges

Plenty of comedy shows – make sure you book when you get on the ship!

SHIP ROOM

My family of four booked two separate rooms without ocean views. I always encourage people that if you go on a cruise, try to book rooms with ocean views but obviously if it’s not affordable or available, then it is definitely not the end of the world. I only encourage ocean views for two reasons. One, I think it really helps with orientation to time and feeling as though you are not holed up on the ship. A window or a balcony brings light, views, and a breath of fresh air.

But like I said before, if you can’t get a room with ocean views, then it is completely okay too! My family got non-ocean view rooms and we were completely satisfied. The rooms were on the smaller side (but to be expected with cruise ships), but they were clean. The beds were super comfortable and could be put together or turned into two beds. The TV has a huge list of movies to buy but also a great select of TV channels that plays a cycle of movies depending on genre (action, romance, drama).

Nothing better than opening the door to your room and finding complimentary champagne!

BARS AND LOUNGES

There are so many bars and lounges on the ship and they are all excellent. So many options to choose from that I didn’t even get a chance to make it to all of them

Atrium Bar: This is the center of the ship and where a lot of the main ship’s entertainment occurs. There is a stage area and a movie screen where there are nightly movies and hilarious game shows.

Horizon Lounge

Humidor Cigar Lounge

Maltings Whiskey Bar

Mixx Bar

Skyline Bar

Social Comedy and Night Club

Spice H2O – the pool bar

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

The A-List Bar

The Cavern Club

The District Brew House

Vide Beach Club

THE FOOD

The Local: The 24hr pub experience! The two pros of this place is that it is open 24 hrs, the food is free, and there is a great view of the Atrium Bar stage meaning you can eat and watch entertainment one floor below

The Dining Rooms: There are three dining rooms on the ship that you can eat lunch and dinner at. Unlike the other cruises I’ve been on where you had to make reservations ahead of time and to eat at an assigned time, this cruise gives you the liberty to go whenever you would like. Because there are several dining rooms, there is always plenty of space at any time and thus you can dine on your own schedule.

Every day, there is a menu posted outside the dining rooms. You don’t have to look at each of the dining rooms’ menus because they are all the same. The menu does change for lunch and dinner every day

My mom was a bit disappointed that there was no true formal night with a lobster dish as we have found on other cruise ships

The Garden Café Buffet: I have to say that usually I am not a fan of the cruise buffets. The food usually is sub-par, but I have to say I was mildly impressed with the menu at this buffet. My family and I actually ended up eating here more than the dining rooms because of the expansive options and the ever changing menu.

There are hamburger/hot dog stations, Indian food station, a hot food station that changes every day according to the theme, Italian station, cold cuts station, Asian food station, salad station, and a huge dessert station

For drinks, there is a bar and non-alcoholic beverages such as tea, coffee, and different flavored waters

Room Service: This is complimentary and 24hrs a day but there is a service fee!

Restaurants (not complementary)

Ocean Blue – Seafood

Los Lobos – Mexican

Food Republic – Fusion

Cagney’s Steakhouse

Coco’s – Chocolate, Crepes

Dolce Gelato

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Sea

La Cucina – Italian

Le Bistro – French

Q – Texas BBQ

Teppanyaki

The Bake Shop

Starbucks

Tea Time Snacks

Room service juice with my champagne to make mimosas

PROS AND CONS

Pros

The last Alaskan cruise I went on seemed catered to adults, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this cruise really catered to family and the young kids.

Flexible dining room schedule

Plenty of activities on the ship

Friendly staff

Entertaining game shows that allows most of the ship guests to interact with each other

The buffet food is better than the other cruise ships I’ve sailed with

They have a package that every room gets on the ship – meaning that your price of the cruise comes with every ship getting a certain amount off at each excursion per port or a drinking ticket in which all the alcoholic beverages were free

They were also very big on hygiene and sanitizers

Cons

No main lobster dish

Not a true formal night on the ship (this is a pro or con depending on what your opinion of this is)

Most of the activities on the ship came with a small fee

The room service food was definitely not as good in quality as the rest of the food on the ship

ITINERARY

Detailed itineraries on how to do each port coming soon!

Seattle, Washington

Ketchikan, Alaska

Juneau, Alaska

Skagway, Alaska

Victoria, BC

Basically, I highly recommend this cruise as your first way of exploring Alaska!

Happy Traveling!

— Monica

The Bliss Alaskan Cruise by Norwegian Cruise Line – The Full Review: Following the Whales #travel #travelblog #wander #travelblogger #alaska #alaskancruise #ncl Dedicated to my sweet family SET THE SCENE I’ve been on my fair share of cruises – Hawaii, Caribbean, and another Alaskan cruise by Holland Cruise lines – and thus, I think I can safely say that I have had enough comparison to write a pretty good review on a cruise ship.

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Random thought: the title My Medium for a story with a nonbinary protagonist?

I dunno, just cos I saw this random rpgmaker game called “Mix O/re” and my heart jumped into my throat for a second cos it vaguely sounded like one of those creepy dudebro slang terms for trans people, like “tr/ap” or any million combinations of crude terms for genetalia smashed together that I really don’t want to write here but am eternally sad that I had to witness.

THANKFULLY it was absolutely not that, and it just meant “mixed boy” as in “you have one of three selectable backstories for your main character”. Phewwwwwww! Tho it also sadly ended up being something I’m not really interested in, instead of a dating sim its a misdirect horror game playing with dating sim tropes. I really dont have the stomach for stories about abusive relationships and stuff, so No Thanks, Sorry!

But anyway it just got me thinking about if its possible to make a title for a story that subtly lets you know it’s about trans or NB people without being any form of offensive? Cos like seriously almost every damn euphemism for us has already been appropriated as bigots and used more often than the actual word trans...

Oh, and another random story of this thing! There used to be a game called The R/oyal Tr/ap, and that title came off as a sort of negative statement of intent about the author’s feelings when it turns out the big twist is that one of the characetrs is a trans woman. But it actually turns out that the author just legit didn’t know this was a popular internet insult against trans women, and it was a big ol stupid coincidence! So I kinda admire hearing about how she struggled with Steam’s administration to get the title changed to Confines Of The Crown instead. Apparantly its quite difficult after something’s already been released, so it had the new name as a subtitle on the artwork and title screen for a while before the Steam database got updated.

Though honestly the game still isn’t a great trans reputation anyway, its kind of a weird mess where its left way too ambiguous whether this is indeed a trans girl or a cis boy who was abusively mutilated by the parents who ‘wanted a girl’. And like seriously ‘forced to be trans because they wanted a girl’ is a stupidly common trope in dating sims so yeah. Its just.. not usually complete with descriptions of genital surgery. I mean the game talks about assassination and political drama and stuff but even if it’s quite tamely described and never visually shown, i think CHILD GENITAL MUTILATION should have warranted a higher rating! Also her ‘happy ending’ is kinda weird cos its like ‘i read in picture books that vaginas arent meant to look like this, i guess i’m a freak’ and then she meets a boyfriend who has self image issues because he went prematurely bald in his 20s and its like ‘i love you because i’m ugly too’???? Also his design makes it kinda unclear whether he’s still in his 20s or older, and I think the trans princess is only meant to be 17? And with how it describes her as so damn sheltered that she DOESNT KNOW WHAT SEX IS AND HAS TO READ A PICTURE BOOK, it gives off bad vibes of a power imbalance even if it isnt an outright pedophiliac one. Also seriously that’s what casts aspersions on the game claiming that the trans princess totally transitioned willingly, cos seriously she DOESNT KNOW that she’s trans until she sees pictures of cis genetalia! Just a big mess of very strange writing decisions that ruined the game for me cos i couldnt tell if it was trying to be pro trans or anti trans. And even though now its confirmed the writer wanted it to be progressive and listened to her trans fans pointing out one mistake, there’s kinda still..a loooot more mistakes.. So yeah *shrug* just wanted to vent about a bad game i guess. I should replay it tho to see if its really as bad as i remember, or if they rewrote it along with the name change?

THIS HAS BEEN A RANDOM BUNNI POST ABOUT UNRELATED TRANS THOUGHTS

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Gintama Chapter 681 Review

When a series pulls a time-skip, the reason is usually for the sake of powering up the characters and refills the element of surprise in their arsenal. When Gintama jumped time, I was under impression that it entered the epilogue and end like many series tends to do, and that’s fine. It was this very chapter that has changed my mind. Sorachi is doing an excellent work on delivering something meaningful and reasonable than simple powered-up characters or ending with a new family. It’s a rare outlook of the war aftermath that it has more harm than good and it will only grow worse.

Sorachi has been on his A-game in writing for the past chapters and there’s no sign of slowing down. Not only his comedy delivery has been top notch, vintage level if I may add, but so as his dark portion with Shouyou’s disciples with powerful scenes that are grander than a standard Shounen level. Praise the sun for the editors giving him the opportunity to end wonderfully. By this point, I don’t care when it will end; I simply enjoying every piece.

Takasugi has been a hell of a character since Shogun Assassination Arc. Sorachi has proven that even late in the game, he made sure his character’s development will be as significant as any other. I was surprised yet glad that we received the flashback of his. I truly like how sincere he has become with others. It’s rather a touching scene with him holding on Oboro’s remains and apologizing for unable to be the one to bury him with Shouyou. It moved me the fact he kept his promises and actually care deeply. It did sadden me that he was really going to die. This series has no friend.

It’s confirmed that he went to the room with Tendoushuu to kill them all before he goes out. It’s a hell of a scene with him glaring with eyes of death at the guy, the same one who ordered to kill Shouyou, and destroy the tube. It felt so good for the long awaited revenge to be done. If it wasn’t for the last chapter, I would have thought this is the end for him, but it did make me question on his survival. Another question popped up was if Takasugi only went there to kill them, not solving the falling ship issue, how they did stop it. The answer is most likely for another time.

Sorachi is one step ahead with the use of writing technique since he doesn’t let any opportunity pass by. In this case, it transitions to a crazy and eerie mind game against Takasugi. Tendoushuu warned him that the chain of enemy will not end when they are disposed, but Takasugi didn’t care. He’s one of the Shouyou’s disciples that live to see the day to avenge him. It was supposed to be a moment of glory, moment we have wanted to see. Then, it becomes dark, eerie, and mind numbing.

I was lost at first to believe that guy legit turned into Utsuro, but it was clear by the next page that it’s all in Takasugi’s mind. I got serious chill with the scene, surrounded by Utsuro, with Takasugi trying to grip on reality. The trigger was saying Shouyou made him this way, insinuating that he is the cause of his transformation. Was Takasugi taking on someone else for his anger? Imagine, a villain telling to a more or less hero about revenge won’t bring justice. That’s new. It also pushes further with the theme of humanity to be the problem of everything in which has been developing strikingly well.

I gasped loudly at the end of the flashback. I like how Takasugi got a grip on reality, though felt a bit terrified, only to resume on his path to kill them all. If his slow countdown to death wasn’t convincing enough to believe he was going to die, the end scene will. I don’t know if Sorachi really wants every one of the disciples to suffer miserably, but he getting stabbed by soldiers was simply brutal. I cannot believe there are people from Liberation Army that still worshipped Tendoushuu, but it would make crazy sense later on. Bottom line, Takasugi was in fact going to die here, one way or another.

There’s a nice touching reunion with Shijaku and Katsura at the graveyard. I thought he was paying a visit to Enshou, but it was for Nobu Nobu. I am still not ready for the anime to cover that moment; such a sad scene. I love the fact his final action was influential for everyone to make the unification happen. If it wasn’t for him, the war would have gone on and their hate would not have them working together to repair the damage. Basically, Shijaku and Katsura pay their respect and gracious for his sendoff. It’s telling with Katsura showing up, buried their hatchet a long time ago.

It’s pleasing for Shijaku and Katsura to be in a leadership role, carrying off Nobu Nobu’s wish. I like how those two have to work together to repair Edo as well as working on their side of the issue. It’s the reason why Edo is getting repaired at a faster rate. Imagine if Edo was alone on this; it would have look like post-apocalyptic. I’m glad that Sorachi didn’t brush Shijaku away like just a one-time thing for the arc and it makes sense for him to take over Enshou’s place. I also like how wise he is, unwilling to accept any praise because it was his people that brought war upon them. It’s not cooperation; it’s atonement. He is a nice noble character that fits well with the series.

The conversation becomes dark and like many times before, it intrigues me greatly with how Sorachi manages to expand the lore at this time. I do love how ending the war doesn’t result to happiness, but instead, good and bad will occur like hand-to-hand. Earth has it bad enough with shady Government and Katsura is likely running the city to push them away from creating any damage. Shijaku sadly has it worse because there are planets that have people forming an organization that essentially become terrorists. It’s rather dark for Sorachi to write terrorism in the series, including their action that revolves with suicide.

The plot becomes grimmer yet more appealing with the introduction of a religion called Tengenism. It feels odd to read a Shounen Jump series that talk about religion that could have gone controversial. It is true that religion can be a belief in which people depend on through the midst of chaos, but it can be misled as well. I won’t go too deep since it can get personal. Tengenism consist worshippers of Altana and with multiple planets that has its own, the collision can change the ideal. This is getting close to home.

The ideal made the writing clearer on why we have a time-skip as well as Tendoushuu’s revival. The main point of bringing Tengenism into the discussion is the symbol of a phoenix, which means undying. With this religion that is interchangeable, it now translates to worshippers of Utsuro. That is horrifying how corrupted it can become. For the record, when Katsura gets serious, it’s actually haunting at times, so with him elaborating the detail of their major problem, you know this is very serious.

It is insane for people to worship a murderer, but it’s his immortality that grasped their attention, wanting one for themselves. Their mind is at a desperate state for a desire to take back their loved ones; that’s the misleading part. It’s eerie but it’s not far from reality. It’s why we have a time-skip; to build up the religion to have a large capacity. The effect won’t happen overnight, so it’s convincing how it has grown so large in the matter of 2 years. Not to mention, Tendoushuu’s revival would have taken time as well. It also appears that they have regain power with religion worshippers. This whole time-skip has been meaningful and justified with many new plot threads that could have happen realistically. It’s as if Sorachi has decided to work on part 2 without announcing it to be as such. He’s making sure all plot threads are complete.

The last scene was gut wrenching and heartfelt. Takasugi has steadily growing to be in my top 5 favorites with his development and sincere personality. I was awestruck on how he felt like everything was going to end for him on a sour note with history repeating itself. His action would have gone in vain and pained him how he couldn’t keep any wish, especially for his beloved master.

The final two pages are powerful because he was left no choice but to abandon his humanity not for his sake, but for others. I love that he is carrying on Oboro’s wish behind him and motivated him to keep standing and take whatever means necessary. It becomes literal when he used the remains and stabbed across it and himself. That’s how he obtained immortality. That was jarring. The last panel is pure tensed. Now I really don’t know if Sorachi will kill him off in the end. He never ceases to amaze me.

This chapter was very gripping and intense. The artwork is pretty stellar with the intensity of vengeance and the brutality Takasugi suffered from mental and physical torture. I believe there are very few panels that aren’t finalized but they’re not distracting. The important ones are drawn to perfection. The connection with the flashback and the uncovered story of Tengenism was thought-provoking, which is why it didn’t feel out of place. In doing so, it created a strong narrative. This arc has been outstanding so far and it’s only getting started.