#i guess he also can read minds in the comics i suppose that helps

[brw]

It baffles the mind to me how people will insist Ben Percy's Beast is right and correct and is the natural end version of Hank and that since day one he was always going to end up like that, not just because it implies absolutely nobody has actually read Hank in any pre-Bendis comic ever, but also because Evil Hank as Percy writes him makes everyone look massively incompetent, and I'm not even talking about just X-Force, I mean the entire larger X-Men community.

Emma Frost. World class telepath. Repeatedly is shown to not have that many qualms about digging into people's minds if they're hiding something from her. Confronts Hank at least once directly, and yet did not actually care enough to do anything other than act huffy when confronted with his actions. At most, she was pissed at him ruining her party. You can torture whoever you want, old buddy, but causing an inconvenience at my party? Now I'm mad.

Jean Grey. Even greater telepath. Was on X-Force herself, even, and also does not have many holdups about tearing down people's walls if the needs be. We even see her do just that, but her problem is him keeping things from her, and not the actual content of most of his actions. And after she leaves, she just seems to plug her fingers in her ears and go lalalala? The stuff at the Hellfire Gala, keeping Wolverine as clones, she doesn't care, she's too busy X-Mening.

Wolverine. Epic cool warrior guy who is supposed to be the best there is, whose talents Hank clearly admires enough to clone repeatedly to do his bidding, who is simultaneously a lone wolf and also the guy everyone wants to have on their team, who is the only guy who can see through Hank or whatever. Not competent enough to kill one big blue furry man who has spent the last 5 years at a desk job. That completely alludes him.

Domino has luck based powers that are supposed to help her in any situation, but I guess getting rid of evil blue man is too much to ask. Couldn't even get a bucket propped up under an open door. "He was always like this, he was always evil" she insists, but after learning he's controlling a small nation with plant people at the Hellfire Gala she still busts out the Cha Cha Slide with him on the dance floor.

I guess neither Jean nor Logan bothered to tell Scott his old friend was committing war crimes, because he doesn't seem to know or to give a fuck.

Kitty and Kurt know enough to joke about it, but do they actually confront him? Does anyone care enough to actually try to put a stop to it directly, if they're all seemingly convinced he's beyond help and fundamentally evil? No, they've got other shit going on. No time to care about Hank making a future where he is God-King, we gotta stop Sinister doing that same thing, but I guess when Hank does it, who gives a shit.

Quinten Quire is an omega level telepath who apparently nobody thought to say "hey man, can you use those Phoenix-level abilities to get Beast to stop killing people?". He was too busy giving himself a bigger dick in resurrection protocols, I guess.

I could go on, but point is, I genuinely don't know how you insist that era made so much sense and was the perfect version of Hank and everyone was simply too naive to see that this was who he always was, because it makes everyone look like an incompetent moron! They can't kill one fat blue furry man??? He hasn't done field work in years! And yet that's too much to ask! The only reason he died was because he was in gay love with some fuckass actor from New Jersey. It's deeply embarrassing for everyone involved if that's the reality of things, and I have no idea why you want all of your favourite characters to be incompetent dipshits who think "Wow, isn't Hank evil?" and then refuse to actually do anything about it.

And all this could have been averted if Hank was, you know, Hank. Hank isn't charming and cultured and well-read and funny and polite because he's a good person, those are his innate traits, and as we see with Dark Beast, they can twist in the opposite direction. That would literally be all it would take. I mean a lot of things would still suck, but at the very least, it would make everyone's inability to do anything a little more understandable, and allow things to feel tragic, like that Hank becoming increasingly evil and separated from his ethics is a loss and one we all mourn, instead of the insistence that he was always going to turn out that way.

Emma walks in to try and set things right with Hank, but gets distracted by good conversation and jokes and the same man who treated her as a member of the X-Men when she first joined and not as a heartless monster, who built her piece by piece back together when people were joking that finding out her murderer would be too much work, because everyone wanted her dead. It's hard to connect the evil actions she's heard Hank doing with the kind and charming and personable man in front of her, who matches her intellectually and well and truly respects her, and so she accepts that things are either exaggerated or that Hank will ultimately come back into himself, and that she can trust him not to disrupt her party.

Just a few little moments like that would have gone so far. An evil Hank McCoy is ultimately still Hank, and should still be funny and dropping Aristotle quotes and Shakespeare and being a good friend, because those are not traits exclusively to moral people, and it would make everyone's seeming incompetence a little easier to swallow. It's harder to see the evil actions that Hank is doing for what they are, when he's making you laugh so hard your belly aches or pondering intellectual questions with you, rather than just repeatedly saying "I'M THE BASTARD YOU NEED" before making a torture station in outer space.

There's so many ways this entire arc could have, at the very least, had some intrigue and actual character work to explore, the ways Hank has always used a larger than life persona to deflect and hide, and how that could become increasingly warped if you're dead set on having him be evil, and make the whole thing feel less like a character assassination and more of a tragedy. Hank McCoy becoming evil should hurt. It should feel like a great loss that someone who had been so kind and empathetic and nurturing became increasingly amoral and evil and even sadistic, and all the characters involved should feel that loss, and that even could be why they struggle to actually do anything for so long; they're so loyal to the Hank that once was, they can't see the Hank that is.

But all that is lost when the only character suggesting that something else might be to blame is Colossus, who immediately gets shut down as being ridiculous and silly, and everyone else stands and nods that Hank is really evil now, and isn't that a shame, and maybe he was always like this, but are we actually gonna do anything about it? Nah, we got a party to throw, we gotta get our fancy dresses on.

The entire thing is so unbelievably infuriating, because all it would have taken for someone to actually not even like Hank, but just want to be consistent with prior characterisation and have him be fun. A villainous Hank should ultimately be fun. That's probably the main reason why Dark Beast has endured for so long; he is fun to see and be around. He's a fun character to see on your page. That's what Hank needed. But I guess Sinister was taking that place so instead we got blue Kissinger and it is genuinely such a travesty that this dogshit is celebrated by comic fans who throw up in their mouths if you suggest reading an Avengers comic to broaden their horizons.

[esperata]

Recommended reads

There's a lot of different Batman media and I've written versions of riddlebird for many of them. I've selected one of my stories from each fandom to hopefully give people a taste of the variety. Expect more to be added as I write for new shows or old ones I haven't got to yet.

Batman (1966) Sixties - G - Words: 4,385 As the years go on the invites turn from weddings to baby showers to funerals. In their line of work though, Penguin and Riddler consider themselves lucky to have made it thus far together. (Old Married Couple) (Wakes & Funerals)

Batman - All Media Types Minesweeper - G - Words: 269 Batman had finally navigated the typical Riddler labyrinth but what he finds isn't exactly what he expects. (Gamer Ed) (Sleepy Penguin) (Fluff)

Batman: Arkham (Video Games) Arkham Games - E - Words: 19,477 Factions are at play backing Penguin into a corner. And if that wasn't enough to be dealing with, he also has to fathom whatever is going on between him and Riddler. (Canon-Typical Violence) (Homophobic Language) (Sexual Tension) (Friends With Benefits) (except not really friends) (Stubborn Denial) (Hand Jobs) (Blow Jobs) (Frottage) (Semi-Public Sex) (Masturbation) (Rough Sex) (Anal Sex)

Batman: Caped Crusader Homme d'affaires - T - Words: 5,697 Edward Nashton just needs to land a big sale. What he finds is a whole other world of possibility. (salesman) (Implied/Referenced Torture) (Choking)

Batman (Comics) The Mind Is A Fragile Thing - G - Words: 2,454 Riddler is undergoing treatment in Arkham and Penguin is not happy about it. (Bruce Wayne) (Arkham Asylum) (Mental Health Issues)

Batman (Movies 1989-1997) Anything Yours Can Do - T - Words: 1,954 Helping Batman out was supposed to be a bit of fun. So how did she end up arguing with Riddler over who had the best lover? (Arguing) (Bragging) (Relationship Comparisons) (BatCat) (Guess which wins)

Batman Ninja (2018) Ridorā Kitsune - G - Words: 2,830 When Penguin is brought with several others to ancient Japan by an experiment gone wrong, he has a wealth of things to concern him. Not least of which is what precisely might have happened to Riddler. (Japan) (Canon time travel) (Friendly Kidnapping)

Batman: The Animated Series Do You Mind? - T - Words: 36,330 The tale of how Penguin and Riddler met, became friends, and then something more. "Words are easy, like the wind; faithful friends are hard to find." (Canon Compliant) (Arkham Asylum) (The Iceberg Lounge) (First Meetings) (Friends to Lovers) (Ed Is Oblivious)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold The Brave And The Bold - G - Words: 2,088 Fortune favours the brave, they say, but Riddler is stacking the odds in his favour as he approaches Penguin for a date. (Courtship) (Crimes & Criminals)

Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Games) Bedye Art - G - Words: 1,550 The failure of Penguin's plans had merely been a stumbling block. Now, however, he had a far more pressing concern. (Blackgate Penitentiary) (Canonical Character Death)

Batwheels (Cartoon) In The Air Tonight - T - Words: 2,150 After a heist gone wrong, Penguin and Riddler find themselves trapped with very little to distract them but each other. (Ferris Wheels) (First Kiss)

Batwoman (TV 2019) Little Bird - T - Words: 4,017 Alice has left the city to undergo rehabilatitation in a private establishment run by someone very familiar with the trials faced by those seeking help in Gotham. (long separation) (Presumed Dead)

Gotham (TV) Everything Old Is New Again - G - Words: 9,722 If you had the power to go back in time, what would you hope to change? And would you do it? Those are the questions Edward is facing now he and Oswald are free for the first time in ten years. (Time Travel) (Post-Season/Series 05 Finale) (Sharing a Bed) (Jealous Edward Nygma) (Love Confessions)

Harley Quinn (Cartoon 2019) Groping For Trout In A Peculiar River - T - Words: 2,350 Riddler's attempted seduction of Penguin is curtailed but things aren't quite what they appear. (Misunderstandings) (Flirting) (Awkwardness)

Teen Titans Go! Easy Escape - T - Words: 4,835 Edward is taking Oswald out on a proper date today, whether Arkham likes it or not. (First Dates) (Museums) (Aquariums) (Theatre) (toy shop) (Pier) (Innuendo)

The Batman (Cartoon 2004) Take These Broken Wings - T - Words: 13,508 Riddler has barely escaped the Batman but his trouble might not be over as he runs into another criminal acquaintance. Its a good thing he doesn't have a crush on him or anything otherwise things might get awkward. (Injury) (Hurt/Comfort) (Developing Relationship) (Bathing/Washing) (Gay Oswald Cobblepot) (Bisexual Edward Nygma)

The Batman (Movie 2022) Boss - E - Words: 5,555 In the wake of Gotham's flooding, Ed once again turns up at the Iceberg Lounge. (Anal Sex) (Riding) (Communication)

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)/LEGO Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite (2013) Private Island - T - Words: 8,282 Penguin has got himself a luxury island and his fellow rogues have been invited for a visit. One in particular has an ulterior motive for going though. (Bad Flirting) (Attempted Seduction) (Riddler has a crush) (Jealousy)

[girlbowser]

How do you feel about the portrayal of plurality in Homestuck? Because it’s not good.

Cherubs are “supposed” to predominate over their other personality. With Calliope being portrayed as naive for trying to co exist.

Horuss is mocked for being a system. But I’d say it was a king fun of people who pretend to be mentally Ill on social media for clicks.

Then their are the sprites

okay so

i guess we're doing this

HOMESTUCK AND PLURALITY: A PRIMER

BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST THERES SO MUCH

SO SO SO MUCH

okay. so

homestuck is one of the best pieces of media of all time for plurality and i fuckin mean it. no shot do not pass go i have NEVER seen anything that is more built from the ground up to Support plural reads. like, to the point where it feels impossible to read homestuck without it.

as a work dealing with two huge primary themes of a) finding yourself/identity/growing up, and b) ideas coming to life, plurality is pretty much the Perfect intersection between the two of them. like.

take rose for example.

rose is plural and it's great.

when the doomed timeline evaporates, future dream rose does not actually "cease to exist." she ceases to exist as her own person -- her memories, experiences, personality, thoughts (or, as shorthand, her selfstuff) all flows back into rose prime. and that experience is just something rose has to roll with. one becomes two -- that other rose is still in her mind.

jade's plural and it's great.

when her dream self awakens as jadesprite, jade has a horrific argument with her. if you're plural i'm sure you understand. fighting with an age-regressed version of you, stuck in a traumatic past, who WONT FUCKING LISTEN -- we've all . been there.

she has involuntary barks, she can't stop seeing images of fire, she wants to go back to nonexistence but she doesnt want to die and it's torture,

and then in cascade, jade fuses with her.

dream jade is still in there. that part of her she has to grapple with is still real. her dog who she loves is in there, too -- but, yknow. woof

then grimbark gets forcefully introjected into her. i've seen a few fics play with the idea that the grimbark personality is still residually there (read ygtpoasu), but it's not a huge thing that's explored in the text. more backgrounded. but still! her crisis of identity is in there.

wanna know what's NOT backgrounded

tavros's plurality is like, a pretty big factor in his character!!!! it's one of the bigger points vriska uses to bully him with (because she's projecting because she's projecting because she's projecting, because she's also plural and kins mindfang), it's like. a big thing that he has to cope with and figure out.

kanaya suggested tavros treat his self-confidence as his own brain guy, like, completely sincerely. she genuinely thought it would help, and it sorta did!!!!!

and like

it is FAR from the only positive example of plurality in the comic.

like. look at sollux and aradia defending "alternate reality copies" of characters -- which can be pretty easily extrapolated to them talking about fictives

like. !!!!

i dunno, man. i think that homestuck is a DEEPLY plural story. you should read mtm and kgtac for more exploration of these themes. read detective pony too while you're at it. like.

i havent even TOUCHED on horuss or dirk or karkat here because there is just so much. there's so much! like ultselves. oh my god i completely neglected to talk about ultselves or cherubs or --

augh

but anyway here's The Screenshots from mtm

homestuck is, like, the single most fictive compatible fictional work i've ever read.

"oh im being sent to another universe as a brain ghost? that happened to my buddy dirk"

"oh im one of many incarnations of myself, and perhaps not even the most 'canon compliant' one? haha dream bubbles moment"

"ive been isekai'd into another world? lol sburb"

it. yeah. god. i could literally talk about this all day. but instead im gonna direct you to my ao3.

check out no metaphors and then scroll through the "multiplicity/plurality" tag on my page

and if youve got more specific stuff, send in another ask!

[munchboxart]

Yapping about TFONE, major spoilers, so do not read if you haven't watched it yet

Also as I write this, keep in mind that the only TF media I've consumed is TFP (my fav), TFA, RID2015, most of the Bayverse movies and some bits of IDW (I..... mainly read Soundwave's and Shockwave's wiki sorry 😔 but I do hear some bits of other story lines too) and G1

First things first, this movie is fucking awesome. it's been SUCH a long time since we got a movie/show that has focused on Cybertron or the bots ALONE. I know the comics/games have been doing that but shows and movies are the most easiest consumable form of content, so to get that is fucking amazing. Secondly, it's amazing that we finally get a story that's mainly focused on MEGOP's background (I'm pretty sure the comics also has it covered but I'll mainly be talking about films/shows, sorry I still haven't read IDW, I know it slams cheeks).

I'm really happy they actually changed things up a bit for the story compared to other iterations. I'm not sure how common it is for OP to be a miner, but I think it helps solidify MEGOP's relationship a bit more compared to the archivist and miner/gladiator role that I think is more common? I'm also surprised many of the Autobots, if not all of the ones we know, are actually miners as well, while all of the Decepticons were part of the High Guard, but I'm pretty sure it's to keep the movie simple so I don't mind (like TFP has 3 books IIRC covering the entire story, good god).

I'm surprised the Quintessons are actually still a major threat, though I'm also surprised that they removed the 4 faces thing... I thought that was the coolest part about them 🙁 Either that or they just haven't shown them. Though, I do like how they incorporated them into the story, it's really interesting. Also I think the dome part over the entirety of Cybertron is new? Sure I guess. And also robotic deer.... Whatever man LMFAO I can excuse the grass and earth matter but I don't know about deer

Also! I'm happy that the 13 primes was actually brought up and shown on screen! Like usually it's just a mention or something but no, they're on screen! We can see their faces! Also, Megatronus having the Decepticon logo as his face (like Tarn) made me lol.

The biggest surprise to me was Arachnid actually being a loyal follower of Sentinel Prime? All my life I've known her as a lone wolf, so this new approach for her is really cool. Not a bad change I say!

As for the main story, I really really love that you get to see D-16's descent into his villain arc. Like the first time he killed a bot, you can tell the shift has changed, even before he went up all over Orion's face. I will say, I kind of wish they pushed Megatron's motivation to "take over Cybertron" because he doesn't trust any more leaders a bit further? Like maybe a speech after Sentinels death, but I suppose he already did one with the High Guard, but I think one with the entirety of Iacon would be good so there could be more merit to his cause. Unless he did one and I forgot then whoops 💀

Also the scene where Sentinel carved the Decepticon insignia into D-16 was raw as fuck. HOLLLYYY SHIT IT WAS SO COOL I couldn't stop giggling and kicking my feet

Anyways, one major thing I kind of have a gripe with is that having the Matrix of Leadership makes Energon flow again throughout the planet...? I think? Because what causes most of the wars over Cybertron (I think) was yes, political ideals, but also the battle over Energon (because they were running out). Though correct me if I'm wrong on that one. I don't know, it just feels like half of the desperation of winning the war is gone, but maybe it's also just because it's the beginning of what's to come. Maybe Primus gets sick or something, who knows.

Other than that, I think it's a really solid movie, especially for newcomers. I've been hearing there's new TF fans coming from TF ONE which is really good! Like we've been getting flop after flop of TF movies so this is such a nice change, especially now that it's actually focused on the bots!

Sorry, side tangent. Who thought the humans thing was a good idea. Like every time you go into the TF fandom, when have you seen the humans? I don't even remember the last time I saw actual fanart of the human cast of any iteration. The first thing you will fucking see is bot on bot action let's be serious here.

ANYWAYS I LOVE TF ONE, I hope it motivates Hasbro to make more TF media that's focused on the bots instead of fucking EARTHHHH

[mychlapci]

I just remembered that i was going to send you bob/insecticon lore!

Basically the decepticons genetically engineered the insecticons, 3000 of them specifically. Of those 3000 only three of them had sentience; Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel. Those three were soon inducted into the Decepticons and the other 2997 were set loose to ravage Cybertron and they became known as The Swarm.

Bob is one of those 2997, specifically a scout insecticon who got separated from the main swarm and who was easily domesticated by Sunstreaker and Ironhide while Alpha Trion was tasking them to clear out the entirety of The Swarm from the surface of Cybertron. Bob isn't sentient and i'm fairly certain that it's common knowledge that The Swarm is largely mindless and extremely dangerous. The Swarm was the last majour obstacle preventing the planet from being reclaimed and lived on, y'know, besides the mass destruction a four million year long war wrecked on the place.

Bob's name is actually really interesting to me because it's human. Sunstreaker gave him the name and at the time he had only disgust for humanity and anything to do with it, mostly because of Skywatch' actions towards him. So him naming this little creature he's supposed to killing something that he utterly hates is really telling. But then he grows to adore Bob, love him with all the affection a war criminal with enough trauma to fill several books with can.

And in that way, at least in my mind, Sunstreaker learns to love humanity in some way again.

Oh also if you wanted to read most of the Prowl centred comics in order, I would recommend the Transformers IDW Collection Volume Two. It picks up right at the end of Phase 2 and is generally where Prowl gets the most spotlight. However if you wanted to read stuff in order to get the full context, the Transformers IDW Collection Volume 1 is where you should start. The Phase 3 Volume is unfortunately incomplete but I used this particular timeline in order to navigate the last few series at the end.

Hope this helps ^w^

Oooh thank uu I completely forgot to look that up. inch resting insecticon lore.

yeah i've been trying to read the full idw collections but i keep hitting stuff i already read... so i guess it's time to do a big comprehensible re-read. i'll be starting school again soon so like, it'll be good for when i'm bored in class i think

[legionofpotatoes]

furiosa is very interesting (spoilers)

it does find a new way into their elaborate metaphor-heavy world that has to now operate under the scope of fury road's ethos of ultimate catharsis without "overstepping" into it (and in so doing invalidate its purpose I suppose); the result is no doubt clunky and even more abstract but also truly pointed and purposeful? the final chapter is called beyond vengeance, and as the film pushes and pits its two lost and maladapted kids of the wasteland against one another, it keeps trying to hammer that purpose into our heads. this would be somewhat of a "revenge bad" platitude if it wasn't swathed in enough myth-making and dramatic context and functional character foils that it manages to rise above the rest, due in no small part to miller intimately understanding the larger ramifications of cyclical retribution shaping a crueler world. it pains him but he feels compassion for all readings, as evident in the very narration of the ending supporting multiple different conclusions for whomever would need to find solace in furiosa's story at any given moment. but he also suggests the one he idealizes the most - in his softer, older age perhaps, and with tiredness born of endless hindsight on these story patterns, he desperately wishes to push beyond the violence and use it as fertilizer for new life instead. for hope. a surprisingly elegant lead-in into the final and excruciating elaboration on that idea in fury road.

and so the metaphors get very-very jarring and the ultimate fate of dementus that is expressed through them can feel almost comically biblical. but is there a more heightened and stylized vessel for that type of storytelling anyway? miller plays in an infinitely pliable sandbox with the wasteland here so him throwing constraints to the side and framing it all as an oral fable seems oddly fitting to be honest. it's all ideation and theme, all the way down, and self-indulgent world-building with that kinetic side of action filmmaking takes an even more passive backseat. it's still like, present, and does occasionally pop off the screen with stunning confidence in a way that almost dares anyone to do better (the miller/sixel combo in editing character-driven action remains top-notch). but it is far more interested in stillness and gentle distance from violent spectacle this time around. far more interested in transforming pain into hope without robbing it of healing. and boy does it take a while to cover that.

I guess some choices are doomed to result in less elegant articulations than others, and in that sense furiosa will never "feel" as perfect as fury road does, but there never was a world in which it did. It is a darker, heavier, and longer crucible that occasionally surrenders to pacing woes in order to say its piece. Which I didn't mind too much, but I did wish it had a stronger musical voice to help it along. At times it felt like it was begging for it, but junkie xl had become so obnoxiously sauceless that he well and truly phoned it in. a little sad about that, but overall had a good time!

[yonemurishiroku]

Do you think that the solangelo contains more of a forceful representation, and if so, what is your advice to authors who are trying to make lgbtq+ representation seem more a part of the story/flow with the story then the opposing option?

May 22nd. I'm so sorry, my mind has been going off track for a while. I'm really sorry for the delay. 😭😭

So, regarding Solangelo as a representation, well this is gonna be hard to say lol. This has been circling the fandom since the day of its emergence, and this is certainly not a good time but eh penny for my thought ig.

Now. I suppose I have a very varying definition of representation, but let's not dwell on that. As for now, I can say that I do consider Solangelo somewhat forcefully developed. As in, the term of writing, plot-wise, etc...

It's quite difficult to say. I have no problem with Solangelo as a couple - or their dynamic - per se. Rather, it's the pacing that throws me off. This has been addressed in many posts - Solangelo has a quite... abrupt (?) takeoff. I just felt like Rick did not mean to make them a thing but just a spur of a moment - something small and... promising that you left hanging at the end of the series for reader's interpretation, for whatever reason (This actually lines up with Boo's time of releash I think? The LGBTQ+ literature being unpopular I mean).

In fact, Solangelo's whole developing process happened behind the curtains - as in, we're told, not shown. Imagine. In BOO, their friendship just barely sprouts, and the next time we see them again in TOA, they're already a couple. For the longest time possible, it was left to the reader/fanfic writers to deduce wth happen for them to become a couple in like idk 6 months? (A pretty fast process for someone like Nico imo. but that's just me).

Something like that is bound to raise some doubts.

The full picture itself is only revealed - partly, and through second reminiscence, mind you - in TSATS. It's also the reason TSATS feels kinda off to me, ig - the fact that some parts actually misalign with the established canon events, or appear like a patch to cover a hole in the piece of fabric. And some others just straight up fall into the what-the-f-was-in-your-mind-rick category. I doubt it was even Rick's initial plan to come up with TSATS in the first place.

However, it's also worth acknowledging that, whilst it would certainly help, Rick hardly has the capacity to fully-build another 5-book romance for Solangelo. That's as far as it can go (I usually think this to placate myself at the thought of the ship being undeveloped). Nico is not the franchise's protagonist (more like deuteragonist I guess), no matter how far this story goes and how widely loved he is, let alone Will.

On to the advice part.

Please keep in mind that I am, in no way, a professional or good writer, nor do I study sexual orientation and/or identity theory (I barely know the flags). I've also grown up and received education in an Estern (somewhat conserative?) country, so please take whatever I say with a grant of salt.

Now. When it comes to "make it seem more a part of the story", I... actually don't know how to say this...

Just look at the all the BL mangas (Japanese comics) and danmeis (Chinese BL literature) and BL manhwas (Korean comics). I have been reading BoyLove longggg before I even came to PJO, you know? The Eastern fandoms have surprisingly extensive LGBT content for a conservative culture, anw they have been telling and/or drawing stotries upon stories about same-sex couples since the dawn of internet. They don't even need to try. They have the image of a love, a story in their mind and just... go along with it.

You don't make it a part of the story. The story is either about it (much or little), or just nothing at all.

I'm saying making a story about it - rather than trying to incorporate it into the story. Give it background and enough development, it'd progress itself. You don't give it anything, of course it'd feel flat. This goes with any type of romance, not just LGBTQ+.

The problem with Solangelo itself, imo, is not the nature of their relationship (tho I do admit somtimes Rick makes me go wtf), but rather how they're portrayed. And furthermore, said portray in proportion to people's expectation. Solangelo, by all means, is a side-story at best (unless Rick manages to come up with a trilogy about their journey from start to finish idk 🤷‍♀️). People like it, so they tend to expect more from it, but the author's just a human.

I think this is everything... My thoughts are kinda in a jumble as I'm writing this, so feel free to ask if something doesn't make sense... This is also just my personal view lol don't take it too seriously if it differs from yours too much.

Lastly, I know my advice would probably not do much, however I hope for you to find your way to tell your stories the best you can!

[blazehedgehog]

Most obvious question in the world, maybe, but hey, I'm interested! What'd ya think of today's Sonic Central?

There was a part of me that really regretted watching it. They definitely had a lot to announce, but a LOT of it was like...

Mobile games I hate (because of f2p mechanics) or cannot play (because they are in Apple Arcade jail).

Merchandise I either can't afford (Lego), don't want (a motorcycle helmet) or don't have space for (statues and action figures).

After a while I started to get that melted brain feeling like when you watch too many late night infomercials in a row. I could feel my fight or flight mechanism trying to kick in. Framing one of them as an actual infomercial did not help.

The two ones of most interest were, one, the Sonic x DC crossover.

We're going to be getting two years (24 issues?) of some sort of alternate universe where The Justice League is made up of Sonic characters. I don't know what to make of it, but I'm willing to keep an open mind about it.

There's a part of me that wonders if this is Sega testing the waters just in case IDW folds -- my understanding is they aren't very stable right now, but then I suppose the same could be said of a lot of the North American comics industry. I don't read much outside of Sonic, but I absorb some degree of the culture through my friends, and I know Marvel and DC aren't doing super well in the comics space either right now, and that's been an ongoing, long term issue (long enough term that it's been cited as the driving reason Marvel pivoted to the MCU over a decade ago, since the comics biz has been suffering so much for so long).

I floated "maybe Sega is shopping around in case IDW folds" in a Discord earlier and was told pretty definitively that's unlikely, and I think that's fair. You never know, but DC also did that ridiculous Looney Tunes crossover series a few years ago.

They just do weird stuff like this. Which is nice, really. More power to them.

The other notable thing being more information about Sonic X Shadow Generations. A peek at Mephiles, a look at more levels and bosses, and the possibility that through the time distortion Shadow finds himself in, he may be able to see and interact with Maria and Gerald again. There's mention of "correcting the timeline," which could mean a lot of things. I'm used to hearing that in comic books, where it means "we get to clean up clutter we don't like."

Speaking as someone who does not like their involvement in the story, would be funny if Shadow Generations ends with Shadow somehow making it so Gerald never made a deal with the aliens. In theory it wouldn't change our Shadow; for the same reason that in Sonic 06, defeating Iblis in the past did not get rid of him in Silver's future (see also: "Classic Sonic is from another dimension.") But I think it would be cool to say "I didn't just kill him, I erased him from the timeline."

But yeah. It continues to look cool. Cool enough that I preemptively spent my Twitch earnings to pre-order the game after the show. I won't get paid those earnings for another three weeks, but it's fine. Hopefully.

I guess they also announced they're going to be putting up the Shadow Origin series for free on Youtube starting today, when it originally sounded like those would be exclusive to the Digital Deluxe on PS5. Now the Digital Deluxe is merely getting "extended and deleted scenes." At least they'll be included with the game this time, unlike most of the other animations Sega's put out to promo a new game.

But it's very telling that their "one more thing" was a Sonic movie 3 feature that was basically just one of the... producers? writers? director? standing on the backlot telling us "the movie is going to be so good you guys" while interspersed with clips from the one and only trailer we've seen. I can feel myself being carried away on everyone else's hype for that movie, but the realistic expectations in my heart is that, bare minimum, I personally won't like it.

Outside of that first movie I haven't felt like this series has been put together very well and I could see it all crashing and burning with this third movie.

[saltysplayt00ns]

Oh, it's new page time and I'm so annoyed with it.

Four days timeskip? Seriously? Kargo just fucking standing around in the open, as far as without his makeup on to cover himself up? Where is Whispervale? Did they go home? Where's the anxiety before the raid? Why did they allow a blinded, traumatised feline to go TO the potentially to be raided tribe and not the other way around, especially considering the fact that Shiverfall was supposed to pick those who up at the Whispervale so that means the mom has to go the route TWICE? God. Home Asmundr, the comic where common sense and logic goes to die.

A haHA I just see a kid hyper stating that to see the SS news X’D

A bit late to respond on this, but Have did a response of it HERE:

How the group literally went to Shiverfall instead of across the short route to Meteor from Whispervale, which saves a lot of time. There was no reason for them to waste those days, especially a blind mother hearing their child is alive and urgently seeking to meet them. The dogs should know where the quickest route is without delay or have a companion to do that. Time is really not consistent and wasted, they’re would’ve been another raid by the time the mother came since the raiders had warned meteor of leaving or die and if WV is not there to protect them, they’re dead. Yet everything is frozen in place like a sitcom.

Kique tries to draw 3- 4 characters max. Cause more than that, he has a fit, Lost scent is Mature on their process and it’s a real treat to read along and more. Including their insights cause it's fun to read, you can also read this comic on DA

Like seriously guys pls read this comic, I'm on my damn knees for this one. *AHEM* That being said, there isn’t much consistent tension to really horn down for the audience to be on their seat, it's a pass by and an easy fix. There are so many tensions forgotten or fixed under 1-2 pages that it’s ridiculous and there's still more.

I guess healing bark also cures hunger and starvation

I haven't forgotten the situation where meteor was running low on food from the herd and the winters coming fast along with Ranach and Avanti, but it was forgotten and dealt with by literally a puppy howling and Rogio saving the day by a mere fluke. The dogs never brought up about the starvations because everything was fixed and it wasn’t even a good nor justified battle, it was plot armor for Ranach to keep on trolling.

" yeeah saving Ronja...riiiight"

Or when Ronja was in danger and she was forgotten, Roamer went on a dip despite him having concern the male could be a meteor tribe member.

and Rhovanion didn’t want to fight because “ it's not their way”, Rhov buddy, your pack literally fought an alien invasion and caused the Liulfrs to go Extinct with the help of your "alien God". You were LITERALLY THERE TAKING THEM DOWN and didn't even cross your mind of " it's not our way to kill" , that is such a copout exscuse to not want to fight, Ronja was your pack member and adoptive cousin - FAMILY NOT A STRANGER. PLUS LET HER LEAVE WITH SOME STRANGER IN A DANGEROUSE ENVIROMENT. Like this is not very leader like nor family wise

Guys, how brain dead can you be. Like this seriously, emotionally hurts me. Yet people love them and wanna be like them.

 he has not changed. Since he hasn’t gone to save Ronja still from the Raid and it seems Asmundr will be doing the same damn thing. Cause Kique doesn't have them progressing and movign around, they just sit their and be stagnant, its already been 4 days and they have not Gotten to meteor yet???!!! Rhovanion and Feaf gotten to Asmundr in not time flat.

Or the whole situation of meteor females being oppressed and used as fodder while males forced to be soldiers and brutes in a generational curse.  How Rogio, Ranach and other males would not get a benevolent greeting compare to like Kargo and Ferah who actually did something to help them;

Yet everyone is chill with the males including Rogio who they welcomed, like they were the bullies, while Kargo and Ferah were seen as an annoyance to bother with, Heck Ferah and Ronja Apologized to each other like, there is no conflict whatsoever. Everything patched up nd onto the next plot... if there is any to solidly follow.

If you have people like this, ditch them ASAP When Keirr and Aira had a goal to find their family and Aira finally will be within Keirrs pack??? Forgotten, it was Keirr excuse for them to have ‘ stability ‘ but Keirr was welcomed in and became a Guard while Aira was struggling to fit in and become a Herbalist?? healer?? then was brushed off by Keirr so many times, Lied to her, tok full credit of figuring out the Ghouls when it was Aira and practically ditched her when he finally saw his family again. Leaving her in a tribe she didn't want to be in, in the firt place and tolerated it because OF KEIRR. She literally has anxiety and abandonment issues plus without Kique's logic a disability and Keirr Just straight up ditches her, which is the WORSE thing to do; And I hav not even talked about what he does with Ruan, he doesn't even join Fruajar to guard his family from a raid because Ruan is there. Like imagine you wanting to go with someone on a trip to see the Mountains to meet some lost relatives who're in need of your help, let's say Bob for simplicity, you both have everything set up in a hotel and landed, but then all of a sudden Bob meet some people in Meadows street ( for simplicity ) along with you, Bob is appraised, people warmed up to them and Bob forgot the whole reason for the trip and made an excuse as you tried to remind them for the reason for said trip not even wanting to focus on making friends since its temporary and you have a goal - a subjective mission. Then Bob starts being distant, not even telling you where he went or if he left and gets made at you and tells you to " figure it out" basically, and need to get along with other people - again FORGETTING THE REASON BOTH OF YOU WENT TO THE TRIP. FINALLY he leaves to meet the relatives and do the mission ... but left you in meadow's street, with a bunch of strangers in unknow lands. No warning, no nothing, you're not even around familiar territory to get to the hotel. Basically left you to wander alone to fend for yourself, worse if you have a disability or mental issues...or both.

Make it make sense pls

The one where Kargo had a bear spirit?? He just magically lost it after dying with an excuse that Kique forgot in his own story that contradicts it like...three times. Kique likes to forget his own lore...because he doesn't have a script and loooooooooves to do discovery writing.

The guy is just a Gary stu

Ranach being a menace and was supposed to be this Complex and intimidating antagonist??? Forgotten, since nobody sent a bounty hunter towards him presently, the only time bounty hunters actually done their jobs was on Jahla involving Flame tribe and the matriarch, Kargo for killing two Merchants, despite Kargo and other males may not be aware of it since Meteor was an oppressive and dangerous tribe that kidnaps dogs, it'll be stupid for a merchant to make sales with them nonetheless be near them. Kargo also shows signs of PTSD or a traumatic event that has him react to survival mode; and now South-spear tribe involving them being a nuisance, why it took them that long to attack south spear??? beats me cause Kique doesn't think far from his nose, but not Ranach specifically. Thye probably don't even know he exist despite they should if the Capitol kept tabs on them and RONJA actually tells them about him during Tinget, Instead he’s given a group to form a revolutionary revolt against the capitol ( that is also - probably his poorly patched redemption arch ) after sleeping with every male as what the Author drew Ranach in a ' gay bar' .

Foreshadow anyone??

The moment he slept with Iberion is the moment he actually did something, he really thinks Sex would make them follow him to the ends of the earth. He didn't even worked for his effort as a Guard, he was taken away to do other tasks, such as a ' hunter' and a ' wrangler' now he has full reign to do whatever he wants when the whole tribe shouldn't even give him nothing, especially the viscountess. Ranach would have to be on edge 24/7 but know it's a desert bar, how south spear has no kids is beyond me.

Kique really trying very hard to make it justified, when Rome is more of a 'yes man', AKA: a dangerous Yandere, simp.

Raven crest telling capitol or at least report that one of their members basically stole their Nova and damaged property?? Forgotten. They now fear him despite Ravencrest has everything to report the red wolf and Rome. - She snuck in their camp, a wolf that has blood on their fangs, sneaking around camp. If you was innocent you wouldn't be doing that at all, you would make your presence known and stated of seeing a beacon light around the territory. - Their healer been rebelling against them for a stranger. In the Jarls eye, he is a problem and a threat, has every right to throw Rome in with Jahla until further notice, but this is Kique logic and he wants Rome to be the savior and love interest. Can't have a weak male in the comic - no suree - Rome purposely started chaos and took the Nova AND THE WOLF Rome is literally a fugitive. Raven crest can tell neighboring tribes of now someone teaming up with the wolf and did property damage. How is Jahla supposed to show Akiulfrs are not dangerous when you have members like Rome joining. they're asking for a raid. ---- In conclusion, It’s all sunshine and rainbows. “ I understands “ and Stu characters being right 24/7 Who're we supposed to root for if the Main, deutor and Antagonists are all bad. The only one is Fremja, Avanti and Aira for they don't have the screen time to become assholes like everyone else.

[alleecatblues]

So the new trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse just came out, and because I'm a fucking enormous nerd who loves Spider-Man, I'm going to go through that big zooming shot with all the Spider-People and try to figure out where they're all from. If I can't figure it out and you have a better guess, let me know and we can figure it out together.

Even blown up on my 75 inch monitor, these first ones are hard to see, especially because of internet video compression, but I can kind of make out the color scheme of a suit that a version of Spider-Man who was in the Avengers wore. He was just called The Spider and he was kind of an asshole.

Some of these I can't find anything about even though they're pretty distinctive. I might have to go back and read through my Spider-Verse comics to see if any of them made appearances there. For instance, this guy in the red with the glowing blue chest symbol:

The one facing the camera could be a 2099 suit variant but the last one has basically no visible distinguishing features so it's impossible to tell. I also have no idea who this purple guy is. Could be a design based off the Prowler, especially ItSV's version of the Prowler.

The guy he's talking to though appears to be wearing Spider-Man's classic comic book suit. This one seems even closer to the original design than Peter B's suit, which is based off the more modern comic redesigns. This is the OG.

Again, I can't figure out who the big guy is here but the other one might be Ben Reilly:

Specifically Ben Reilly wearing an advanced suit given to him by the Beyond Corporation, which isn't really a corporation per se, more a collection of entities that exist between universes and decided to start multiversal capitalism. Based on the weird extradimensional corporate aesthetics of the film, Beyond Corporation or at least the Beyonders might have something to do with the plot of Across the Spider-Verse.

There's Insomniac Spider-Man chatting it up with Superior Spider-Man, who was Otto Octavius's mind in the body of Peter Parker. Not an alternate universe character, by the way. This happened in the main comic series. Spider-Man was just being possessed by Doc Ock for a while.

Here's the Mk II Armor suit hanging out with another guy I can't place. Spider-Man's Mk II armor was created by Horizon Labs to help Peter out when he lost his Spider-Sense for a little while. If you can't dodge bullets anymore, might as well get a bulletproof suit.

There are three others on this bridge I can't place. They all look to be women, and they've got color schemes that have been on Spider-Man suits before, but in different patterns, so I'm a little stumped. I imagine not all of these are going to be references, and some are just created from wholecloth, but if you can figure it out, let me know!

This is probably Mary Jane and Mayday Parker, although I'm not familiar with the suits. Mary Jane has gotten spider powers in a few universes, and when Peter and MJ have a daughter in most universes, her name is Mayday, and she usually has spider powers.

Which is a lot better than that one universe where MJ got cancer and died because Peter had radioactive cum. I'm not kidding, that's a real thing that happened in an official comic series.

The red and white is another Scarlet Spider variant suit. Not sure about the red and yellow next to him.

This one with the clockwork arms is Lady Spider. She appeared a few times in the latest Spider-Verse event and comes from a cool steampunk universe. She has no powers, just her spider arms and web shooters, and is technically an alternate universe version of Aunt May.

This guy looks... naked??

It could be Savage Spider-Man? Or Kraven the Hunter Spider? But it looks like he's not wearing pants, so it might just be a weird skin-toned suit. I dunno.

Anyway here's Spider-Clan from the Spider-Man manga dabbing

This guy's pretty prominent. I think he's supposed to be a reference but I'm not sure to what. It could be Spider-Cop, but he's missing his hat, sunglasses and mustache.

This might be the original Iron Spider suit from the comics. Tony Stark made it for him after he came back from being dead for the, like, 3rd time.

This looks like Miles Morales's PS4 costume, but it swings by pretty fast, so it's hard to make out much detail.

Bombastic Bag Man! This is a little different to his appearance in the comics, but there have been a couple times Peter needed a spare suit on short notice and had to borrow one from the Fantastic Four. Their suits don't have masks, though, so he wore a bag on his head instead.

The first iteration also had a "Kick Me!" sign on the back, because the Human Torch thought it would be funny.

Here's werewolf Spider-Man in the back. During a crossover event, Ash from the Evil Dead comics ended up going to a few different universes, one of which started the Marvel Zombies series (which is actually a pretty good series). Another one he went to had a bunch of superheroes turning into werewolves, and Spider-Man was one of them.

This looks like a suit Spider-Man wore when he was part of the Future Foundation; a version of the Fantastic Four that formed when the Human Torch died.

This looks similar to Spider-Punk. He's got the jacket and the pants, but instead of his mohawk spikes, he's got some kind of camo baseball cap or something, and what looks like a face mask of some sort.

In this shot, Miles is fighting with the Mk I armor and something similar to the Mk III armor, although it's definitely different. The lady with six arms is a mystery to me.

Yo, is that Jessica Drew Spider-Woman? Jess Drew gets overlooked a lot despite being the first Spider-Woman. I hope she gets some kind of role in this movie.

Spider-Monkey is from the Marvel Apes universe. Yeah, there's a Marvel Apes universe.

I'm getting tired but I remember this one from somewhere. A cartoon maybe? I think I remember seeing a Spider-Man suit with a cape as a kid and thinking it was dumb because Spider-Man doesn't wear a cape.

Anyway that's all I could find aside from the main characters. Again, if you can track down any other references let me know. I'm too much of a nerd to let this go.

[eridan-amporaa]

Oh also idk if this goes on this blog or the SM one but-

Spooky Month Classpects

Roy strikes me as a Rage player and Ross is a Rogue

(augh it's been so long since I've read the comic, I've forgotten most of my Classpect knowledge-)

SO GUESS WHOS BEEN THINKIN ABOUT THIS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS-

OK SO.

im just gonna name all the characters imma classpect: skid, pump, hatzgang, susie, streber, kevin, ethan, radford. I'm disregarding gender-locked classes, idgaf about the gender locks. if a fem locked class fits a dude, congrats, hes gettin it anyway. feel free to add in ur own 2 cents or other charas im v curious!!

puttin this under the cut cuz its gonna be LONG.

SKID - ironically, im havin a really hard time with him. aspect wise, i could see him being hope or doom, seeing as he so often seems to bring bad news but is so painfully optimistic. but he could just as easily be light, with the focus on his weirdly fantastic luck. if i had to guess, id put him down as an Heir of Light - insanely lucky, decent fighter, and not really concsiously manipulating his aspect so much as just kinda rolling with it.

PUMP - easy. Seer of Void. fits with all his voidy theming and ties to Eyes. hes seeing all the secrets, finding out all the shit hes not supposed to know. sounds abt right.

ROY - definitely a rage player. As for class, i can see him going a couple different ways (knight, heir, thief) but im gonna go with Thief of Rage for him. harnessing the power of the anger of those around him to fuel his own power and anger? sounds abt right!

ROSS - ur right abt his class, rogue fits him well. as for aspect, id have to go with mind, seeing as hes prolly the smartest/most skeptical of the gang. so that would make him a Rogue of Mind.

ROBERT - aspect could be heart or hope, but hope fits him better so lets go with that. class wise i could see him easily being a sylph or witch, but imma give him Witch of Hope here. still able to spread his aspect, but also being able to manipulate it in a more direct way than a sylph.

SUSIE - ok so right off the bat heart player. it just fits ok I dont make the rules. as for class... I feel like she'd end up more active here, and she has a thing abt protecting herself which I'm p sure extends to skid n pump, maybe the hatzgang too if she got close to em. so I'd put her as a Knight of Heart.

KEVIN - ok kevin is. hm. I feel like he could be a couple different aspects - doom, for the same reasons as skid, or maybe life? idk he just seems like a life player to me I'm goin with that. as for class... ehhhh? idk, hes kinda hard to class. honestly if anything I think page would fit him best with the whole "find urself n ur aspect" thing so let's just go with Page of Life.

STREBER - streber comes off as a space player to me. idk why he just does. maybe it's the vamp thing? actually all the space players have some sort of transformation thing maybe hed become an actual vamp... hm... well anyway I'm classpecting him as a Mage of Space. idk it just fits

ETHAN - ethan would make a good doom player I think, again just kinda fits. imma go with Maid of Doom, he would use his knowledge of doom n gloom stuff to help tidy up loose ends and keep things stable.

RADFORD - time player. he seems like hed be able to MAYBE handle timeline bullshit, but more relevant to his class is that he might feel like hes always running low on time. Prince of Time. being forced to destroy remnants of other timelines and trying so hard not to destroy the canon one. ough I could give him SO much angst.

[zimithrus]

Kotetsu and Barnaby for the character ask pls? 💚💚💚

Ohoho the boys! The lads! The bickering buds themselves! 💗 Don't mind if I do~! Thank you so much for the ask @isleofair! 🌟 (Ask list for the curious ❤)

I will start with the wildest of tigers 🐯💚 And since there's two, I'll put this under a read more cut so I don't flood anyone else's dash XD

Kotetsu

Sexuality HC: I'm leaning towards Bi with Demi tendencies for him

Gender HC: Himbo lmao XD

A Ship I Have With Said Character: Obviously Taibani - though a close second is Kotetsu/Tomoe because 🥺😭💗 He loved her so much, gah!

BROTP: Kotetsu and Antonio, like, they already go way back, to high school if I remember correctly. They always go out for drinks together and they always just seem to have a good chill time together 🌟

NOTP: Karina and Kotetsu. Like, I can see the appeal but i just do not vibe with it lol Like she's 16 in the beginning of season 1, and Kotetsu is like, 35? Like he is almost/practically old enough to be her dad. It's not the age gap I have a problem with really, it's mainly more that I kind of think of my dad when I see Kotetsu? Like, my dad and him share the same birthday and they both act goofy, aren't always around for their kid but try their best? I can't help but kind of think of my dad sometimes when I think of Kotetsu so, thinking of Karina x Kotetsu it's like 'that would be like if I dated my dad fjdbfkdjb' just can't do it man 😂 Sorry for the ramble there! 😂

Random HC: One of mine I like to ruminate on is Kotetsu accidentally hurting his family members when he was a kid and first developed his NEXT powers. Like, that scene in season 1, during the flashback of the bank robbery? In the sub, the dialogue reads 'I'm not supposed to touch anyone when I'm shining like this', compared to the dub that simply says 'don't come near me' - like, the sub implying he was told to not be near people, to not touch them, and that got my brain going: What if he was told he wasn't allowed to touch anyone because he might have accidentally really hurt a friend/classmate/family member before he had total control? 👀 cough cough Kotetsu's dad perhaps?? cough cough 👀

General Opinion: I love him. He's dorky, funny, earnest, tries too hard, fucks stuff up, but never gives up. Despite his past and hardships he is still a positive person and always sees things through to the end. A type of person I wanna be. 💚 Less formal version: I want to put him in a blender and drink him 😂

Next up, the bun! 🐰❤

Barnaby

Sexuality HC: He gives me Ace/Demi vibes 💜

Gender HC: Pretty boy but not a twink - he can still kick your ass into next week lmao 😆

A Ship I Have With Said Character: Taibani once again - no contender for me XD

BROTP: Barnaby and Mattia - the childhood friends. They catch up and talk about their work and even vent with each other, springing for dinner every now and again. I love the side of Barnaby we get to see when Mattia is around, he seems almost carefree, it's nice. They vibe well together ❤

NOTP: Oh man, I haven't really though of a NOTP for him?? 😅 I guess I wouldn't want to see him put with Maverick, because like, not only did he orchestrate the most traumatic events of Barnaby's life he was also a father figure for him before that. Otherwise, I dunno 😆

Random HC: Speaking of Maverick, I HC that he wiped/altered a lot more of Barnaby's memories than we were shown. Like, thanks to the comic anthology I saw one chapter that kind of made a little point at that and it's stuck with me ever since. Like, if Barnaby ever started to rebel at a younger age then Maverick would alter his memory. Got too close to discovering the truth? Nope, no he didn't, silly boy that was just a bad dream. So much to the point where Barnaby has trouble remembering his past at all and can't help but feel like even his memories aren't his own. Good angsty potential - and potential me and a friend discuss frequently 👌

General Opinion: At first I was like 'okay we got a cocky pretty boy, alright, he seems alright, let's see what he can do' and then the more I watched the show the more I really loved his character. How he always seemed so poised and suave and haughty - like he's confident definitely and he knows it, but also that sensitivity, that raw emotion and anger he displays - it is so incredibly human and realistic what drives him to do what he does and act the way he does. Slowly learning over time that his life has room for more than just revenge. Now I like him just as much as Kotetsu ❤

Wow, I really went deep into some of these answers my goodness! I think I've spent over an hour thinking all these thoughts out!😅 But anyways, thank you so much for the ask isle, I had a blast answering these questions - and even better, you gave me two characters! Double the fun! Thank you so much!! 💗💚💗

[augment-techs]

For the character thing, and I’m sending like five of these with a few characters in each so XD

Trip

Vida

Ziggy

Oh~ I can live with that, guy.

favorite thing about them: Is an adorable ball of sunshine that provides the much needed fluff and nonsense that brings people on his team, and around him, up.

least favorite thing about them: That we never get any real background on him other than he is an alien, he is an empath with a little ability to see forward, his bestfriend is a robot owl. COME ON.

favorite line: “He’s not mean; he’s lonely.”

brOTP: I’m weirdly drawn to the idea of him being the little brother Wes never had. Especially because of that cowboy incident.

OTP: I suppose I should say Trip/Katie, but because of one very nice read on AO3, I am also enamored to Trip/Eric.

nOTP: If someone puts him and Lucas in a romantic scenario I am OUT.

random headcanon: Is probably the oldest person on his team, if not all of Time Force, because comic references to his planet from Trek implies his people live a long-ass time.

unpopular opinion: Him leaving Nadira with a pregnant woman, ALONE, was bullshit.

song i associate with them: Blinding Lights cover

favorite thing about them: Will throw down with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

least favorite thing about them: Nothing springs immediately to mind, though her early days as a Ranger were a little wince worthy.

favorite line: “You know I’d never hurt you.”

brOTP: Her and Nick, because they are both weirdly powerhouse material.

OTP: Vida/Chip/Xander.

nOTP: Incest shippers DNI. Also whoever thought it was an idea to write that one Daggeron fic with her; gross.

random headcanon: If she had gone full vampire, Leelee would have helped turned her back because she would have been the most insufferable thing in the Underworld.

unpopular opinion: I don’t really get a lesbian vibe off of her?

song i associate with them: A Neverending Dream, by Cascada

favorite thing about them: He is both a baby and ex-mafia and oftentimes the only thing keeping Dillon sane and human and SOFT. Also he’s good for Dr. K, I guess.

least favorite thing about them: NOTHING.

favorite line: “You talk too much.”

brOTP: Him and Summer are lovely together and you cannot change my mind that he has let her paint his nails on multiple occasions.

OTP: Dillon/Ziggy. I am basic, they are gay. (Also Ziggy/Spike in that AU, you know the one; the chaos and LOVE.)

nOTP: I’m sorry, I know their actors got married, but somehow the idea of Ziggy and Dr. K as anything more than friends or siblings makes me gag.

random headcanon: He can sew and crochet and is constantly making stuff for the orphanage he came from.

unpopular opinion: I don’t know if this is popular or unpopular, but while I’ve seen an awful lot of Trans!Ziggy out there, for some reason the idea of him being intersex feels more...more, because of the hellscape they live in. (Also I started reading up on RPM after seeing that tumblr post about the intersex caterpillar called Chicken Nugget and it just...stuck.)

song i associate with them: Bad Reputation.

[nickmaghighlights]

NMH Side Issues - Cartoon Network Magazine

Time for a change of pace, don’t you agree? Let’s take a short break from the world of Nickelodeon to tackle the magazine offered by their long-time competitor, Cartoon Network!

First off, I’d like to apologize for the slight delay in posting. I’m sure you know how life is. Besides, don’t think of it as me missing a week, think of it as two Nick Mag Highlights posts in one week! Be sure to check back this weekend to see if I follow through on that. Anyway, back to the topic at hand…

Now, don’t worry, I’m not changing channels on you. This bonus segment was one I had thought up as a fun way to break up the pace a bit. Nickelodeon Magazine will always be my one true calling of course, but I think it’s only fair to check out the other publications you could’ve been spending your hard-earned allowance on. 

But just what is Cartoon Network Magazine? Who made it? And how? All are deceptively simple questions, and I’m not the most certain on how to answer them myself! But here’s my best guess.

Think they had a favorite show?

From my research, Cartoon Network Magazine was published by Panini Comics, a former branch of Marvel Comics that’s now perfectly happy to work with anyone carrying the right license. Panini publishes content throughout Europe, and this ‘zine here is no exception. Indeed, eagle-eyed viewers might have already realized… This magazine is from the UK! Suppose that explains why my bright blue American eyes have never laid upon an issue of this in-person.

Cartoon Network Magazine seems to have had a pretty long lifespan, with the latest release I can find evidence for being dated to 2016! And that’s just from Panini, mind you. There’s been a few other publications bearing the Cartoon Network Magazine name, from all different countries and walks of life, but if you ask me they’re all fakers compared to what Panini’s got for us here. Why? … Well, it’s the only Cartoon Network magazine I can find on archive.org that’s not just a compilation of comics. Substance counts!

But what is all this work and no play we’ve got going on here? We’ve got a magazine to read! You can read along here.

A fairly promising start, if I do say so myself. I mean, did Nickelodeon Magazine ever have a pullout poster? Probably, but I bet it wasn’t an Ed, Edd, n Eddy poster!

Quite a lot to unpack here in the News section. Doesn’t help that it looks like Eddy rudely barged in and the magazine’s trying to squeeze in around him.

Now, I presume the idea for this page was to probably parody your average celebrity news magazine with some vapid, inconsequential gossip about the CN cast, but coming off of Nick Magazine, it’s weird to see a News section where the only tangible information is related to some long-defunct giveaways.

Speaking of which, you will quickly notice the high volume of (rather easy) trivia questions as we read on, all of which were opportunities to win some of the goodies stacked next to each question. See if you can play along, no cheating!

Also, sorry for the hold ups but I’m giving this part some special attention. This comic has simply got it all wrong. Why is Double D the one who stupidly ignored the big shark warning sign? Why is Ed written so observant and astute to the point that he’s the one delivering us the punchline? Why is he calling Double D “Edd”? Why is Eddy oinking? And why is that shark so scary!?

Coming up on our first comic, and it’s something much more on-brand than that previous shark adventure. In fact if you had told me that this comic was just an adaptation of a real episode of the show, I’d believe you! Everything from the comedy to the art is ridiculously on point and that should come as no surprise, since a quick search online reveals that much of the crew behind this comic all worked on Ed Eddy n Eddy themselves. That’s one way to keep your comic on-model.

Anyway, the plot follows the Eds playing superheroes while the usual hijinks and bickering ensue, sporting that typical Ed charm. If that sounds up your alley, give it a look! That goes for all three of the comics featured in this book (well, for the most part anyway). I haven’t got much to say about them myself, they’re just good.

Very fun section here, featuring some words of wisdom from the best Powerpuff Girls character: Mojo Jojo. Probably the best anyway, I’m not an expert. That show wasn’t really a favorite of mine. I like his signature also, the handprint is a good touch.

Jesus Christ, this game must be terrifying! What on Earth do tentacles and mustached baby heads have to do with Mario Tennis? I’m afraid to find out.

I find it interesting that even UK ads seem to make fun of haughty english-types. I guess in hindsight that’s actually a pretty obvious way to be counterculture for a UK audience.

I hate stuff like this. “Oh yeah draw a circle and a semi circle and then draw dexter”. What the hell! What’s the semi circle even for? You barely used it! Don’t really get the weird clenched fist pose either, I don’t remember Dexter being the fist pumping type.

First time I've heard of this movie. But just how could I have missed it? Seems like they were giving DVDs away by the truckload! Maybe I’ve never heard of it because that goblin is a little creepy bastard. Who knows.

These ads man. I think I might love ‘em. They’re avant garde in the best way. Nothing here tops the “mustached baby head referee” from the Mario Tennis ad, but it’s sure trying.

I’m curious though if the game would even recognize the phrase “Go left strange brown beasties”. That microphone wasn’t exactly Siri-quality.

I love a good review! And these are… well… I mean, they’re reviews of Warner Bros products and items they were giving away. These good reviews weren’t even “bought”, they were just guaranteed.

Even still, c’mon Dexter, only a “Sooper” rating for The Iron Giant!? Really putting your self-appointed title of “boy genius” into question.

Shucks fellas, we’re late. Eighteen years late! Now we’ll never have a chance at those prizes, or the complementary Cartoon Network mailing service, for that matter! Oh well, I’m not too bummed. I can’t help but feel the chances were slim anyway, what with the barrier-to-entry being questions like “What’s the name of Batman’s butler” or “What color is Mario’s hat”. 

We've made our way to comic #2 now, and it’s of the Powerpuff Girls! Again, like the previous one everything seems to be on-point, from the artstyle to the writing. This one’s doubly impressive since it seems like the staff behind this one didn’t work on the original show. So hey, kudos!

But yeah it’s your usual Powerpuff fare, stopping a robot or two from Mojo Jojo. Give it a read if you’re starved for Powerpuff Girls content I suppose, I mean the show’s only been rebooted like three or four times already.

Ah, here’s that poster! Not bad, eh? I’m sure this would look good on a wall, or any other number of flat surfaces, for that matter. Shame about the horrible staples of death waiting to rip a gash in your poster when you try to tear it out, though. Oh god, I knew this would happen… I’m already starting to get some horrible magazine-poster-related flashbacks.

Can’t believe Eddy was busting his chops all this time coming up with scams when he could’ve just charged people to use his magic floating swing set. Look at how much fun he’s having, he’d make a killing!

Nothing like a little smattering of brain teasers to get the brain back in gear after 31 consecutive pages of comics, giveaways, and other mind-altering guff. Now, these are all perfectly fine, if not a little simple, but I'd like to talk about the top right one in particular…

Am I missing something here? Both B and D look the same as the original! I thought maybe the scan quality might be obscuring a hidden detail, but I’ve messed with the colors and saturation, checking every possible angle, and I still can’t find what’s wrong!

The answer key says the right one is B, so if anyone knows what’s wrong with the illustration in D, please feel free to share. Maybe then I'll finally be able to get some sleep.

This honestly was the kind of stuff I expected out of a Cartoon Network magazine, more supplementary material and bonus content based on the currently airing shows and less piss-easy giveaways. Well, I’ll take what I can get. Kids Next Door is one of the Cartoon Network shows I look back on pretty fondly, so this was a fun trip down memory lane.

(Okay, quick little side note here, cause something just occurred to me as I was writing this segment, and how often am I going to get to talk about KND on a Nickelodeon Magazine blog?)

Has anyone else noticed that all the main characters are designed to have their eyes obscured? I know in the show itself they’d often have their eyes open or pop out from behind their eyewear, but by default they all have their pupils hidden. I don’t have a point to make here, but that’s a weird little design detail, yeah? 

Last comic of the book, and surprise surprise, it’s Dexter’s Lab! Not as sure how to feel about this one after reading the other two. For one, I just wasn’t the biggest Dexter’s Lab fan as a kid, and two, the art in this is weirdly off-model. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong about that, of course (I loved a lot of the show-based Nick Mag comics that played with bending the established artstyle around*), it’s just that after the previous two comics were a near perfect screen-to-paper transition of their original shows, this one feels like it’s breaking a precedent a bit.

*Scan from @90s-2000sgirl on Tumblr (deactivated)

Like, you see what I mean right? Not bad, it just throws me off a little.

But hey, you want to talk about off-model art…

No no, I’m not actually going to nitpick childrens’ fanart, that’s crossing a line. Especially since these are pretty good! It must have been amazing for these kids to see their drawings end up in this section. I hope they all enjoyed their awarded copies of Kangaroo Jack 2, if that insert up in the top left is to be believed.

Wow, Mac, you’ve got an interesting list of favorites. And a biased one at that, nice work putting your own show on there!

Also, cutting out the TV guide seems like a bit of an unnecessary hassle to me. Not to mention you’re less likely to lose a whole magazine than you are a single piece of messily cut paper, if you really are planning on using it.

¡Mucha Lucha! was a bit of an odd, short-lived pleasure of mine back in the day. I think it stemmed from my liking of how each character had their own personal special move they would use in-battle. Kids today have it easy, it seems like nowadays every character can have as many special moves as they want! 

Also, show of hands, who here has heard of Atomic Betty? I seriously have never heard of it until this very moment. A Google search reveals that, apparently, it aired on Cartoon Network for less than a year? Shocking if true, but I guess that would explain my total non-memory of it.

Games? Inside the TV? Not a console in sight? If you had told me back in 2005 I’d have found it preposterous, but I think Apple TV or whatever made them commonplace now. Thanks, I guess.

These things have to be lost media, right? How do you even go about archiving something like this? It doesn’t sound like you could’ve downloaded them, since they would change every week. 

I bet some poor fella is out there right now, trying to remember that odd little Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends game he played on his parents’ TV as a kid, one fleeting Summer afternoon. Sadly even if he does remember he’s probably not going to be able to track down a copy, since… there are presumably no copies!

And there you have it, folks! The first ever edition of NMH Side Issues! This was a fun little experiment, and I think I’d be up for doing it again sometime. But as always, I think more Nick Magazine is in order. I mean, it’s in the name after all! 

Still, it was fun to see an example of what else you could find hanging on the magazine rack. Well, at least in the UK, anyway. Picture it: Mom’s picked out the perfect beans on toast and has nearly made it to the check-out line. You’ve got five seconds to choose what you’re reading on the car ride home! What's it gonna be kid?

I bet you could guess my choice!

(Yeah, right!)

Hate to end the blog on a sour, serious note, but the Internet Archive recently lost a court case against some large publishers regarding the scanning and lending of e-books. They’re looking to appeal, but it’s a gloomy situation. The Internet Archive has always been a real force for good on the internet, and it makes things like Nick Mag Highlights possible in the first place, not to mention countless other archival projects spanning from out-of-print books to now-inaccessible web pages. Showing your support online for the site, or even sending a small donation would do a lot in helping to keep a great service available to all. 

Thanks as always for your time, and remember: keep reading!

[truebluewhocanoe]

The Ten Doctors miscellaneous thoughts and reactions

I just finished reading The Ten Doctors by Rich Morris. Unfortunately, his site is down, but you can download it off the Wayback Machine here. Spoilers beware: it's not a quick read but I definitely recommend setting aside some time and reading it because it's super good. Recommended to me by @lurking-latinist (although I had previously also heard the youtuber Samuel Davis talk very highly of it as well.)

This is your last spoiler warning!

Just gonna put any thoughts I have in an awkward gush-mush here:

-This is a little embarrassing but I don't entirely know what the heck was up with Doctor 2.5. He's supposed to be a Watcher, I guess? But 2 taking him with him at the end made me think it was referencing something that I don't know. Dunno where he was supposed to end up.

-Not gonna lie I was a little disappointed that it didn't explain why Maxil looks like the Sixth Doctor (on an in-universe level, we all know why he looks like that on a Doylist level of course). Especially since the Valeyard was mind-controlling him... ah, wait, headcanon: the Valeyard was mind-controlling him since his previous regeneration, and either influenced Maxil into looking like the Doctor subconsciously, or purposefully, for use in Schemes(TM). If only I could figure out a way to transplant that from this comic to show canon...

-I'm kind of face blind so when the Doctors did this elaborate team-up sequence only for this guy to pop up all I saw was the hair, and my reaction was "What, that's just 8???"

Also, next time someone asks me who my favorite Doctor is, I'm just going to send this image and offer no further explanation.

(As an unnecessary side note, I this comic leaned way further into the "different Doctors are different people" side of the Doctor-incarnation-identity spectrum than where I sit, but fuck it, it did a great story with it so I'm 100% satisfied)

-We've had humans converted into Daleks, we've had Time Lords converted into Cybermen, but I think this is the first time I've seen Time Lords converted into Daleks. An absolute stroke of genius! And it immediately takes that idea all the way and does a Dalek Doctor! When I saw 10 in the chair I was immediately struck; that actually managed to unnerve me a bit in a story that is otherwise purely meant to be fun.

-Seriously the panel where Dalek!10 sheds a tear is actually super creepy

-On the contrary, I loved Sixie in this and thought he looked particularly great in Four's scarf (although the monochrome helps a bit there)

-...but the Four circlejerking at the end was a little gratuitous

-Any time a story has more than, say, 4 storylines going on a time, I lose track. I have infinite respect for anyone who is able to keep more than that many story threads straight. And this comic had like, 10???? At one point??? Or more?? And it came together very well???

Tomorrow I'm going to go snapshot every face Sixie made that made me smile and compile them

[robo-mox-motley]

[Video ID: Gorg, a tall blue mech, runs forward brandishing the blunt grip end of his tank gun. He lifts the whole long gun upwards by the barrel before striking down on the top of a tank. The original sound of the tank being hit is replaced with a coconut bonk stock sound. End ID.]

Always Gorgin' time at Mox(ter)'s

Mox(ter) reporting. Firm believer that Pink Lady apples are superior to Honeycrisp. These are some things you might want to know. Or not, your choice ┐⁠(⁠´⁠ー⁠｀⁠)⁠┌

Things that keep me up at night:

The camaraderie of the Autobots in Armada.

This loser

How some versions of Ironfist are supposed to sound Aussie. Try rereading Last Stand of the Wreckers like that.

Tokyo Ska dropping a new song.

Trying to make up transforming figures in my head that don't exist for certain characters and getting annoyed the next morning. Only thing stopping me is lack of access to a resin printer.

I have been a bot nerd since I was an anklebiter chewing on those cheap rubber bracelets. Mostly gung-ho about other stuff like practical effects, costuming, figures/models, 3D modelling, old tech, lizards, and birding. I do art a little too, but I’m not too fond of the idea of putting it out on here quite yet. ←Saying this as I have an art blog with no art on it to speak of lol.

Couple years of Spanish under my belt but also picking up and learning bits of Japanese and Welsh when I can. Considering others like Yoruba and Korean for in the future, but I suck sometimes and can be a slow learner. Someday, I guess. I apologize beforehand if you see my dumb ass getting long-winded about Tailgate (full reason being too long to explain here).

I’m generally invested into anything related to toy design—mostly TakaraTomy, HasTak, and Sunrise bot stuff is my focus though. I am hooked on the design development surrounding Binaltech and Alternators for better or worse.

And wouldn't you know, a bunch of car robots helped me to realize what I should re-prioritize my career track to be. That's the power of my dumb interests at work ( •̀ .̫ •́ )✧.

Got tired of updating which music artists I like at the moment, but I tend to stick to ELO, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, hip hop, rock, metal, J-punk, ska, funk, and EDM. I don’t mind getting music recs.

Delighted owner to my little shit of a gecko. A lot of what I reblog is aesthetic posts, robotic nonsense, and other things. If you want to go ahead and block some of my tags, I’ve got a list of them linked in my pinned post. I try to put alt text in the majority of images I upload. May need a poke on that once in a while because I can’t remember everything.

Sometimes there's 18+ content though that's once in a blue moon and it gets tagged. Block the tag if you need to. Also be normal about bi and pan people, or I'm conking you on the head.

Please do not ask me my pronouns. Like sorry, but I don’t know you. Just use my name and no they/them-ing me if we aren't all too familiar. That's all I ask.

Don’t be stupidly obnoxious around here. Shit-stirrers get Gorg'd:

Things I like or have watched/read. Not exhaustive. Strong favorites are bolded.

Games

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Destiny (Well, it was good up until every update following Witch Queen)

Fallout 1, NV, 4

Guilty Gear ΛC+, Strive

Halo

Lethal League Blaze

Mass Effect

Rhythm Heaven

Subnautica

Titanfall

Comic Stuff

Astro Boy

Atomic Robo

Dai Dark

Dorohedoro

Hellboy/BPRD

IDW Transformers

Kaiju No. 8

Shimanami Tasogare

Shows

Brave series: Might Gaine, J-Decker

Farscape

FMA 2003

Iron Leaguer

Giant Gorg

Lupin the III

Kamen Rider: Ichigo, Gaim, Zero-One

Stargate

Transformers: G1, JG1, BW, JBW, Unicron Trilogy, Prime, RID 2015, Cyberverse, Earthspark

Blocked and still rooting through here?

I applaud your tenacity, but I don't get it. Have a little cheer in your life and go watch Iron Leaguer or Kamen Rider or Beast Wars or something.

Signing out.