#immense love to fanartists

[coruscatingcorvid]

One of the things I love about fandom, particularly for written or otherwise visually intangible works, is that you can see the most beautiful pieces of fanart that are just so profoundly not what you imagined for a scene or a character or a location. Like the angle is different or the lighting is different or the character's body language isn't how you imagined or the setting's completely changed. And I think it's so cool because it can make you reconsider how you see the work (both literally and on a broader interpretive scale) and see how this collective imagination of ours functions. I just love it.

[essycogany]

Amy Rose’s Quills

Yes, it’s that time again! Where I ramble about character designs and why I adore them so much. In this post, I want to talk about Amy’s quills and why I like the different ways it can be represented in official and none official media.

Just like Amy’s eye color. I’ll also make guesses as to why her overall design changed officially and in canon to make things interesting. Let’s get started!

Long Quills

This style is in Amy’s first design. Being the Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey, she had the same quill style as him. Aside from her bangs. While I do think the quills look cute, it almost makes Amy look like Sonic’s sister. I guess that’s why they changed it later on.

I say this only in comparison to her modern design. The Minnie inspiration is the reason she’s here. I’m only talking about her changing designs and making it less identical to Sonic.

My favorite iteration of her classic look is in Sonic Mania Adventures Christmas special. Just look at the differences. It may not be a HUGE change, but even her nose is slightly smaller. I just love the Mania’s designs in general. They’re awesome! I still do love the OG design too. Classic Amy is so precious.

Look at how Sonic’s quills are messier than Amy’s here. I think it gives them more dimension. Showing how one cares more about grooming themselves than the other. It’s kind of cool and I wish it was integrated in canon more. Not because it’s “important” but it’s a fun idea.

Short Quills

Ever since Sonic Adventure, Amy’s design changed immensely. Even Sonic himself noticed it in Adventure 1. Her outfit, eye color, nose, and quills (besides her iconic bangs) are different. Giving her an older more teenage look. I say this because Amy doesn’t look any older or younger then Sonic.

(Or any other teenage/young adult character for that matter)

They are sometimes even shown to have the same hight at times. Back to the quills, Amy now barely resembles her classic design and definitely looks less like a Minnie Mouse inspired design. Her classic design is still amazing, but I believe the change was a necessary one. The differences between her and Sonic are more apparent and noticeable and I think that’s a good thing.

Mixed

Here’s my own example, but there are many other fantastic fanartist who does something similar with both styles together.

Why do people like this quill style a bunch? I’d say it adds more flavor to her personality. Her having the classic long quills along with the short front dreads could symbolize her adventurous side along with her girly side. It blends the two nicely and overall looks visually interesting. While I will say her shorter quills does differentiate her better, I’ve seen plenty of artist change it up a bit in unique ways. It’s fun to create and see what ideas an artist could have for Amy.

Why Amy’s Quills Were Changed?

I’d say the official reason is because of the things I said before. But the in canon reason could be Amy wanting to look pretty enough for the next time she sees Sonic. Or perhaps she thought to change her appearance simply because she wanted to look cuter. Though I’d say the first answer is the most likely because her love for the blue blur was much more prominent in the past.

Conclusion

Did I use this as an excuse to gush about Amy again? Yep! I regret nothing. I love love LOVE Amy Rose and how interesting her design is in the past and present.

Stay Creative! 💜

[saph-y]

Tagged by @dingoat♥ A while ago BUT today I have trouble getting to work grading some students so thank you for the procrastination instead xD

3 ships (did the first that came into my mind !)

Siv(my oc)/Archibald(selkys's oc) : Truly The Ship, at the core of the story I'm rp-ing with Selkys. They fought the plot AND tons of shit in-universe to be together. How to sumarize them... ha, picture an evil genius Sith Lord suddenly switching his whole reason of living from revenge to absolute devotion toward his fiery sunshine smol wife and you get and idea !

Hazel(OC)/Sycamore (Pokemon) : Basically started because I wanted to explore a ship with Sycamore and Hazel was my only Pokemon OC at the time - I didn't even knew much about him except I liked his design and vibes immensely. I actually managed to write a deliciously complicated story around them and I really hope to explore more♥

Willow(OC)/Grimsley(Pokemon) : Willow is my pokemas protag and in a game were you basically meet all pokemon trainers, I do have many ships with her and that is originally why she was created, just a character to be indulgent and explore different stuff. But Grimsley is my fav pairing for her because I imagined such a """fun""" (for me 8D) dynamic between them ! Two word : trust issues.

First Ship

I can't really remember my first FIRST ship, but growing up I wasn't too much into romance stories I think. But I do vividly remember my first "holy shit you can do THAT??" when playing Mass Effect 2 for the first time and discovering you could romance Garrus. Thus, my first "active" ship was born (meaning I was actively searching/producing works around it) Guess I was a monsterfucker all along Thank you Bioware for expanding my imagination 🫶

Last Song

At this very moment I'm listening to Wild Child by The Black Keys (love vibing to this band.)

Currently Reading

Just started Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett and I'm delighted to be finally reunited with the idiots of the city watch♥ I waited for MONTHS to get to a proper library that had it...

Last Film

...Not sure ? A silly spy film I forgot the title I think ? ...If I can offer a serie instead, I'm currently watching Lupin the Third part 4 and 5 ! It's funny how every Lupin thing I watch feels like meeting with long time dear friends even tho it's not a universe I've been aware of for that long... is that weird ? xD But given how fanartists for this fandom influenced my artstyle for years before I even saw a single film (yep, do you understand some stuff about it now ? :p) it might be the reason !

Currently Craving

Hum... idk ? ...Maybe another coffee xD But that would not be a good idea and thus I must resist u_u

[crimsonstrayer]

crimsonstrayer you have to stop.. your klc too tender.. your art too melancholic .. you tug at my heartstrings so easily... we don't deserve you...

in all seriousness I just wanted to let you know that after all these years I am still in love with your work. you've truly captured their essence and drawn them in such a way that makes me feel like I was stabbed to death by this very weapon. it's truly moving. and I hope that when you read this message that you're doing wonderful and thriving and I will only wish the best for you always.

your art is so integral to my development as a person and as an artist I fear. that sense of tenderness and melancholy is something that I see in your klc art so frequently and it brings me immense comfort . you're so swag

spent a whole month avoiding answering this bc wow. thank you so much for seeing and connecting with my art...... all i could ever truly want for it

i recognize so keenly that emotion of finding an artist that makes you go❗️you get it❗️. i have my own fanartists i feel that way about, and being on the other side of it is wild. but it also means my work is doing what i want it to, i think

thank you again for taking the time to send me this message. ever glad to be part of this ecosystem of expression and storytelling within fandom. and don't fear! embrace inspiration and influence wholeheartedly when you find it and filter it straight through your own bones. isn't that what fandom is

[beevean]

Actually if anything the worst part about Netflixvania is the fact that it’s unfortunately a billion times more popular than the games so you constantly see really cool, unbelievably amazing, downright gorgeous, all natural, no added preservatives fanart… For Netflixvania and you just stare at it like >:[ because it’s so fucking good why did it have to be fore the show?! And then you can’t even FIND Castlevania fanart because it’s less popular and whatever is out there it’s buried under a hundred other Netflixvania fanarts

I knowwwwwwwwwwww

Nothing worse than playing "spot the differences" with fanart I find splendid 😭

"Oh look at this Alucard, look how luscious his hair is, how ethereal he looks! ... does he have the stupid scar GODDAMNIT he has the stupid scar that's not my Alucard shoo shoo you imposter"

"Yay, Hector! Some good fanart of Hector! ... does the hair look like a badly cropped wig YEP IT DOES oh wait the fanartist also called him a sad little puppy yeah no get this shit away from me"

I suppose that now I'll have to learn how to do the same with Richter and Maria :\ eh with maria it's easier: does she look like someone who'd call richter a wanker? yeah that's not my girl

And then there are just the absolutely wonderful fanarts with the characters who are more obviously from the show, like detailed gothic art of Trevor vs. Dracula, or loving studies of Isaac, and then there you are, digging through literally 10 year old trash to find some quick sketches taken from Pixiv if you want to find fanart of the games.

the pain. it is immense.

(and then there are the horny fanart of Lenore and Drolta on main who give me another kind of psychic damage 🙃)

[4dmc]

i am late with my 11th anniversary DmC fanarts😢

So instead I would like to share the artists and devs behind some of DmC's iconic works, as well as some things I've found on deviantart (...yeah i know this is an isra-hell site☹️, but I'm here for that 3d fanartist) and from Devil May Cry. Org

This is not an exhaustive list of the artists/devs behind DmC. But they're inspiring and I appreciate their works so much!

Daniel Baker Concept artist/Illustrator

https://dans-dmc-art.blogspot.com/?m=1

Mitch Philips Lead Artist

https://mitchp_lonelizard.artstation.com/projects/0DKm8

Claire Blustin VFX 3D modeller

Alessandro Taini Lead Art Director

this one, a girl with blue hair, isn't related to DmC but it shows Taini's penchant for colors

JB1ER I can't find their actual name. They said they worked on DmC and had posted their art pieces in zbrush central website

How about some 3D model fanart?

This is from a deviantart channel called DmC Alliance

there's a lot pls note: 18+✋🚫

And finally something from a forum around 10 years ago! There are people who love the game and enjoyed it immensely! 🤗🤩

someone points it out...

[fyeahgiants]

Reblogging this oldie to invite everyone to write about their favorite archetypes. ✨

And also, to elaborate on gentle giants:

This is one of my favorite tropes visually and aesthetically — large vessels of other-ness and immense power being kind, attentive, breaking expectations and prejudice.

Like Titan who I visually codified as militaristic like a Warhammer 40k guy illustration (I love those), but he is just a little man going through intense existential crisis. He needs help too.

To be kind, empathetic, and vulnerable despite authority, size, and powers, is subversive, punk.

I also enjoy writing giants (and characters in general) that struggle and try to be curious about the world and attuned to their own needs despite seeing bad stuff in the story.

Miyazaki's heroines are a *chef's kiss* example of this.

To write and paint about all this is also insurgent, I think?

I don't know a single person in the giant/tiny, borrower, you name it, fandom — or fanartists and fic writers in general — who don't reflect on their creations and passions as something to kind of thread carefully and not show everyone, as those can be seen as cringe, 'girly' (I can go on for months about this term alone but here is a start).

Meanwhile — go to a cinema or watch your fav streaming thing and there's blatant plagiarism of that indie comic you love, or teams working in crunch conditions, harassment, underpayment, exploitation.

This media also has the same narratives and dynamics you enjoy — romance, hero journeys, mary sues, sexual fantasies; but those are for some reason more valid, less silly, than your creations.

Be careful with those impulses to water yourself and your passions down.

ANYWAY I'm going on a big tangent yea tl;dr: big gentle characters = comfy.... nice 🌼🙏🕊🎆🎁💚💚🍛

---

And a note: Life is hectic and I'm catching up with messages. Apologies for the delays! ♥

To the admin- What kind of giants are your favorite? Gentle ones? Naïve ones? Or just stereotypical, destructive ones?

Team Gentle Giant!

This ask is actually a great opportunity to other followers to tell us what kind of giant people they enjoy the most! This can be done via a description, poem, story, drawing, anything really.

So… What are your favorite giants or kinds of giants, guys? Feel free to draw/craft your banners and stamps as well!

*Post your creations under the tag Fyeah Giant Teams  and/or # Giant followers, this way other users can view all answers and works!

[pyrodigy]

not to be one of those ‘i liked it before it was popular’ ppl but

the first mention of ‘chiluc’ on twitter dates back to november 9th 2020; two days before 1.1 (childe’s release as a playable character + the conclusion of the liyue arc) and roughly a month before there started being consistent uploads of content for the ship.

tea first brought it up for my consideration october 25th and we started actively talking about it november 2nd.

november 3rd, tea came up with the nickname ‘firefly’ (childe @ diluc). december 10th is when someone else included it in their chiluc fic and popularized it through the chiluc nation server and therefore throughout most of the chiluc fanbase.

[averlym]

i really want to be friends with you but i don’t know how to start talking to you without it being awkward

hi anon! maybe just send me your opinion on a six concept or something and we can discuss it? or just dm me and say hi!

[mispelled]

If I had a nickel every time there was a podcast host who had a signature color, eye imagery, immense power, a lovable nerdy gay love interest, a tendency to be portrayed by fanartists in sweater vests and was inherently an eldritch being, I'd have two nickels.

Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice, right?

[incendiarymoth]

More of my ocs drawn in my fav fanartists styles! From tumblr we have @fizpup @bumblesnail @emeraldstarlight @spacekitsch and @colorful-horses and from DA we have scarletskitty12, wanderingpegaus and imalou and finally from Twitter/Instagram we have sailorjubs! This is an immensely fun challenge and I really hope the artists I took inspiration from like what I did in their style because I seriously love and respect all these artists so much

Part 1

[rockingrobin69]

Robin Recs Rockstars: artists

Fanartists. Can’t live without them, really honestly what would even be the point, am I right? You make our days brighter, you give our dreams colour, you... catch my drift; fanartists deserve the world, but for now; here’s a small, awkward, really loving flail, celebrating several artist from this unproportionally talented fandom! (the first of... loads, probably!) Let’s get right into it. 

@crazybutgood​‘s origami is: heartfelt, brilliant, honestly unbelievable?? Like literally how—from adorable animals, to positivity cups, to the most beautiful fic recs, there’s nothing she can’t fold. Literally. Nothing. Also, have I mentioned, her heart is just the biggest. CBG so often uses her skill to uplift other creators, collaborate, and just shine her light on this world. For instance, check out the advent calendar, an example not only of her kindness, but also her immense talent!

 Support CBG: ~ko-fi~

@julcheninred​​’s art is absolutely breathtaking—the details, oh my god, just. There’s such depth to them, making every piece one you can stare at for a whole flipping day (trust me, tried and tested). The shapes, the colours, the creativity in every single artwork. How can there be so much story packed into them?! Unbelievable. And my god are they just so STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS!!!

Support Julchen: ~ko-fi~

@babooshkart​​’s art gives the softest, most exquisitely lush vibes; it’s so full of love, seeing it literally soothes the soul (I’m telling you from experience!) there’s comforting when you need it, there’s warmth and there’s heart, there’s joy, and just – just things to take your breath away. And just when you thought ‘such bliss, what more could we possibly ask for?’ - how about a straight up 25 pieces in a row? I know. What a dream. Jump into the fluffiest fluff in this twenty five days advent art collection.

Spit-your-juice hilarious comics? Yep, got you: gah, each comic strip @filthylittlepureblood​​ posts has me cackling like a mad duckling. What? I have no idea, it’s just – listen, honestly. Harry’s glasses, Draco’s expressions, the details in the background, it all amounts to this: the goofiest, most hilarious, loveable stuff you can imagine. Can’t imagine it yet? Here – you’ll thank me later.

@emmessee96reborn’s style is instantly recognisable – the light that shines through, the lines, the. I actually said ‘lines’, yes, you're right, I just don’t have the words!! It’s impossible for me to say what it is about their work that leaves me so breathless. Just that it does? It’s detailed and it’s funny and it’s absolutely, mind-melting-ly beautiful. Just like in this piece, for example. You see why I struggle, right? What words can convey this?!

Support Emmesse: ~Commissions~

It’s a bit hard for me to separate @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm​​, the artist, from joy the phenomenon. His heart, his humanness, all shine as clearly in his art as in everything else he does—deep, intricate, and so, so compelling. Every tiny detail is profoundly, decidedly loved; you can feel it down to the brush stroke of every star or twinkling light. Whether it’s a sad no oat milk day, or a moment of sunshine and happiness distilled into paint, you’re sure to feel it. Or without rambling: Joy=magic, okay? If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this bit out of Draco’s scrapbook.

Support Joy: ~Commissions~

@pato-roldnart​​‘s art is... wow, I don’t even know where to start: the brilliant paintwork (is that a word?), the fantastic storytelling, the brilliance in every single piece. Can we spare a moment to shout MERMAID DRACO in unison, loud as possible? Because. My GOD. Gorgeous, compelling, full of light: feast yer eyes on this for a moment and take a deep breath with me. There’s so much more to discover. Here's one more example, although I know full well you’re already convinced!

Not only is @3lvendork​​ an immensely talented writer; not only is she a terrific artist; but she combines the two together? WHAT!  And if you thought we ever stood a chance, I dare you to look at this 80’s drarry fanart and tell me you didn’t come back breathless. Her pieces are insightful, captivating, and just absolutely spectacular. Enjoy her huge mind on this microfic but in: artform

The way @slytherco​​ draws is realistic and dreamy all at once (emphasis on the dreamy—there’s not a single character that didn’t make me stare at the screen longingly). The vibes, and the details, and the sheer hnghgnt - what else can I say, really? After drooling all over my keyboard? No, there’s simply nothing else: perfection. 

Support Slytherco: ~Commissions~

@caroll-in​​’s comics are at least ten levels above what I can describe in words: they manage to create such a complete, brilliant story in just a few panels (and every single time). They’re heartfelt, hilarious, impossibly endearing and just. So. Flipping. Gorgeous. Catch me staring at the wallpapers till I’m breathless; and please, how come each face is so endlessly expressive???

Here’s a comic strip that flew straight to my heart: Fly Me to the Moon

Support Karol: ~Commissions~

Do I have an embarrassing, explicitly unique squeal for when I see @t4tdrarry​​‘s  art? You better believe it. Can you blame me? The light, the textures, and the expressions in every single drawing (can we talk about the blush for a second? Or just, let’s sigh together? I mean. The blush). It can be dark, it can be fluffy, it can be sexy as all heck, but it’s always, always, stellar work. Case in point: (please the blush I literally can’t) – look, they’re snogging!

Support Kryptidfox: ~ko-fi~

[105ttt]

Hi sorry if this was already asked before but could you explain a little further abt the things devsis has done?? I haven’t heard abt a lot of the stuff you mentioned I don’t mean to sound rude or anything I’m just genuinely wondering

I can tell you mean it genuinely, it’s okay! I’m happy to answer because you want to know. I’ll go through everything I said.

The Valentine’s 2021 fanart video, posted on the official CR YouTube channel, is a compilation of fanart drawn for Valentine’s Day that fanartists submitted. Some of the art submitted was chosen BY DEVSISTERS and put in the video, but not all art made it in. Two pedophilic ships, Red Bean x Snow Sugar and Roguefort x Walnut, were featured in the video. Red Bean x Snow Sugar was featured TWICE. Snow Sugar and Walnut are confirmed to be children while Red Bean and Roguefort are HEAVILY implied to be adults. Devsisters allowed the pedophilic ships to be shown in a fanart video for a holiday primarily about romantic love, therefore putting their seal of approval on these pedophilic ships. Despite fans saying it should be taken down, the video is still up as of today.

Related to the video and Devsisters’ promotion of fanart on official Twitter accounts, they are known to promote fanart that whitewashes the Cookies. This applies to not only Cookies like Cocoa and Mint Choco, who are clearly black, but also Cookies that are tan, like Alchemist. This approval of whitewashing has been going on for literal years, and when an artist was called out for a piece that Devsisters promoted, Devsisters sided with the artist and claimed that they should be respected rather than made to understand why whitewashing is bad.

Both the Dreamy Cookie Land event and the 2021 April Fools GingerBrave Trial contain sections that are known to harm photosensitive people by either giving them seizures or seriously hurting their eyes and causing immense discomfort and pain. While Devsisters altered the maps in Dreamy Cookie Land to make them less likely to hurt these people, the 2021 April Fools Trial has not changed. Devsisters should have made sure these maps were safe BEFORE publishing them to thousands of people (or more).

Devsisters misgenders its own characters on official Twitter accounts and in game notifications. Squid Ink Cookie was referred to as “she” on a Puzzle World Twitter post, despite this Cookie never having pronouns anywhere in the game. Mocha Ray Cookie was referred to with “she” in a game notification despite having no pronouns listed anywhere in the game, including cutscenes. Devil Cookie was referred to with “he” in a Twitter post despite the game canonically using only “they/them” for them. In addition, a statement from the Thai branch of the Devsisters team claimed that you can use any pronouns for a Cookie since they are born sexless (and they conflated sex with gender). This gives transphobes the “right” to misgender canonically nonbinary characters. Lastly, before the Guild update and before OvenBreak, Dark Choco and Cinnamon had no pronouns. After the Guild update, Cookies referred to Dark Choco as “he”, and in OvenBreak, Cinnamon’s Story uses “he” for them. This erases two canonically nonbinary characters, as cis people will see “he” being used for them and assume they are male rather than he/they nonbinary people.

Devsisters is not subtle about their homophobia, as well as their goal of appealing to cishets who hate gay people. They show their homophobia in how straight ships are treated compared to gay ships. Firstly, in the Valentine’s fanart video, there were mostly straight ships. I believe I counted only 4 or so gay ships, and 3 of these were either selfcest or pedophilia. Despite the majority of the art being shown being heterosexual, many people who regularly follow the CR tag on Twitter and Instagram claim that there was a lot more gay ship art submitted compared to the proportion shown in the video. The gay ship art shown was also ambiguous enough that cishets who hate gay people wouldn’t get mad at Devsisters, while some of the heterosexual art was blatantly romantic. Secondly, the treatment of ships like RaspRose and PrincessKnight, popular straight ships, is much better than the treatment of popular gay ships by Devsisters. For example, RaspRose got a merchandise item in a set of cups that also featured a cup with Sea Fairy and Moonlight and Orange and Lime. The RaspRose art on the cup is explicitly romantic. The art on the Sea Fairy and Moonlight and Orange and Lime cups are ambiguous or platonic instead, despite both of these ships being historically far more plausible and popular than RaspRose. Finally, Devsisters has been gaybaiting with Madeleine Cookie and Espresso Cookie in Kingdom, but they refuse to make them canon because that would be gay. Gaybaiting is homophobic in itself for using gay people as a way to advertise something without fulfilling the promise of gay representation. It’s also worth mentioning that they once gaybaited with Milk and Purple Yam on Twitter, but the art shown was not romantic at all, and only the caption hinted at a ship (and the caption was vague enough to be interpreted as the Cookies merely appearing in an art piece together).

Multiple black CR fans have spoken out and said that Purple Yam Cookie is a racist caricature of black men, ESPECIALLY when he is juxtaposed with Milk, a white man. Indian and Middle Eastern CR fans have spoken out and said that Yogurt Cream Cookie and Lilac Cookie are caricatures of Indian and Middle Eastern people. These are not debatable. Google the history of the portrayal of black men in non-black media, and you’ll see what I mean for Purple Yam. The evidence that Yogurt Cream is a caricature comes from the very fact that people compare him to Aladdin, specifically Disney’s version of the tale, thereby showing that their only exposure to Indian and Middle Eastern people is stereotypes in white media. Note also that Dark Choco Cookie is the stereotype of a solemn, lonely, strong black person, and this has leaked into the fandom so much that people draw them unrealistically buff and mostly draw them suffering from angst instead of having any actual character.

There was an IRL sex crime in South Korea perpetrated by a club called the Burning Sun, and a certain Guild named itself after that club and changed their usernames to the names of the people who committed these crimes. They were only forced to change their names by Devsisters AFTER people protested. They were NOT forced to disband the Guild or banned from the game. Keep in mind that these people named themselves after a REAL-LIFE SEX CRIME that harmed REAL WOMEN AND GIRLS, and the only punishment they got was a forced name change. Fuck Devsisters.

Lastly, the trigger joke. Back when Ion Cookie Robot and Cyborg Cookie were new, the official CR Twitter account made a Tweet captioned as “triggered”, and below that caption was a GIF of Ion Cookie Robot becoming angry and shifting to their Red Dread Costume, thereby implying that Ion Cookie Robot was “triggered” and became unreasonably angry. This was posted during the time when ableists were using the term “triggered” as a “meme”, which harms people with PTSD. The Tweet was deleted, and another Tweet was made that apologized for the previous Tweet, but this was only after backlash from fans. However, notice that Purple Yam Cookie is also a trigger joke. He has PTSD from being burned alive in the Oven for so long, and as a result he is easily angered (anger is his stress response). The game treats this as a joke and minimizes his suffering just because other Cookies were in the Oven (before coming to life). His anger is treated as unreasonable and unwarranted, and it’s treated as a joke. Does that sound familiar? Now take into account that his anger is juxtaposed with Milk’s “kind”, “gentle” demeanor. Yikes.

BONUS ROUND:

DevSam, a worker at Devsisters, once said that GingerBrave had a Costume in LINE that was a “sexy cat costume”. GingerBrave is a minor, and the Costume was literally not sexy at all. Why did they refer to him as sexy if he’s a minor??

Images from an official CR account showed a person dressed as GingerBrave giving gifts to a person dressed as Pink Choco Cookie, a Cookie associated with romantic love. This can be easily interpreted as romantic and is therefore pedophilic because GingerBrave is a child and Pink Choco Cookie is an adult. Why post this at all??

Buttershell Fox referred to Maple Panda with a word that was VERY close to a slur against black people in the original text of the Secrets of the Hidden City cutscenes. This was only changed when a popular Twitter user let everyone know about it and asked people to email Devsisters about it.

I can provide links and screenshots for proof if needed, but please DM me or send an ask to ask for these. I’m definitely forgetting other things they’ve done that are bad, but this already should be enough to raise eyebrows.

[featherquillpen]

Reclist: Eldritch/Inhuman Castiel

My interest in Supernatural, such as it is, begins and ends with Castiel, a gay angel who is portrayed by known human being Misha Collins, but is shown by visual storytelling (shattering glass, fallen trees, dramatic lightning flashes) and in dialogue ("I am a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent", "my true body is the size of the Chrysler Building") to be an incorporeal nightmare monster who just so happens to have possessed a suburban dad. I am a monsterfucker who absolutely wanted to read about a terrifying eldritch gay angel, but I discovered to my great disappointment that most SPN fanwork portrays him as a quirky human man lightly dusted with halo spice.

However, I have managed to find some fanwork that gave me the many-eyed, mind-breaking, dorky gay possession spirit that I crave, and I thought I would share my finds with all my fellow alienfuckers. Also, for those alienfuckers who are not in this fandom (excellent life choice, by the way) I have marked with an asterisk (*) those fanworks that I think work well without any knowledge of SPN.

Fanart

Contra's trueform!Cas art

Contra's take on Cas's trueform is inspired and incredibly cute. I love how he draws Cas as his usual nearly expressionless human vessel, but then has a very expressive trueform expanding like a giant cloud of wings and eyes around him.

Carolina's trueform!Cas art

Carolina's take on Cas's trueform is very abstract and intriguing. In the example I linked, the blue and tan and white of Jimmy Novak's iconic outfit spill out in a chaos of triangles and wings and animal heads from Jimmy's body as Cas possesses him, as well as the red burn of Cas's handprint on Dean.

Friendly Pigeon's Giant Castiel series*

Friendly Pigeon heard Castiel say that his true form was the size of the Chrysler Building and decided to take that to its logical fanart conclusion. This art beautifully communicates the awe-inspiring scale of a cosmic being like Cas.

angel-derangement's trueform!Cas art*

This fanartist draws Cas so different every time, and so WEIRD that I am honestly inspired. These trueforms are inspired by everything from the lighting aisle at a hardware store to Lisa Frank. Feast your eyes.

Long Fanfic (>50k)

Cruel Angels* by orphan (107k)

The ultimate in eldritch!Cas. This author delivered to me everything I wanted: Cas walking the earth in a giant, freaky, many-headed form that sends everybody but Dean screaming for the hills. The sheer power, scale, and alienness of Castiel in this fic is unparalleled, and yet he always tries so hard to do the right thing, in his endearing way.

Cinderwings* by bendingsignpost (182k)

The Cas in this Cinderella-ish AU is technically not as alien as in most of the fics on this list, in that he is a corporeal humanoid being who just happens to have ginormous wings, but the fic does a great job of portraying Cas and angels in general as very culturally distinct from humans - a lot of the drama of this fic comes from Cas operating from totally different first principles than humans do.

So Says the Sword* by komodobits (85k)

An AU(-ish? it's complicated) where Dean says yes to being Michael's vessel, and Castiel is assigned to guard him. Castiel and Dean are basically locked in a holodeck together, under terrible circumstances, and bond with each other while they wait for the apocalypse. The Castiel POV is beautiful, his true form scene is awe-inspiring, and the fic is so poetically written in general.

Medium Fanfic (10 - 50k)

Broadway Musical* by Griftings

An exceedingly silly AU that includes references to Jewish angel lore, angels having three animal heads as per the Book of Revelation, and Cas having previously possessed a dinosaur as a vessel. I love that Cas has an internal conversation going with Jimmy throughout the fic, a stream of petty arguments and useful tips for playing human, which emphasizes how Cas is not his vessel.

closer (isn't close enough) by fleeceframe

A finale fix-it in which Cas is now an archangel. While Cas is roughly humanoid in this fic, you still get the immensity and power of his true nature. In this fic, he heals trauma damage directly from Dean and Sam's brains, and designs a heaven for bees, which is just... such wholesome weird angel content.

Autrement, Danger - or, The Account of an Exceedingly Long Day by awed_frog (31k)

The description of Cas's true form in this story was so poetic and beautiful I actually cried. This fic captures the concept of the sublime: the feeling you get in prayer or in contemplation of nature that you are very small and the universe is vast and frightening and breathtaking.

Short Fanfic (<10k)

Fata morgana. by orange_crushed (7k)

Castiel in hell, searching for Dean, from demon!Bela's point of view. I love how Bela's demon senses can see Cas's Grace fading and warping in hell. Cas is also just so hopelessly sweet amidst the bleakness of this story.

diamond star halo by jad (5k)

Castiel possessing Dean, from Sam POV. I love fic where Cas possesses other vessels than Jimmy, because it emphasizes that Cas is not his vessel - he is an incorporeal entity who needs help from humans to interact in the human world. Castiel!Dean in this story is just so weird and I love it.

Everyone is Trying to Get to the Bar by Balder12 (8k)

A very weird eldritch Cas made of blade-feathers and spinning wheels and tentacles, AND it's hurt/comfort! I'm such a sucker for fic where a monstrous/alien character is hurt and receives comfort, because monsters deserve love and care, too.

[jadethest0ne]

35! Go for it! ✨

Oh right, for this ask game! I had nearly forgotten about it XD

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want! 

If there was one fic-related thing I’d want to ramble about it’d be specifically being a comic artist, and the different things I experienced going from the Pokemon fandom to the RotTMNT fandom as a comic artist.

I spent 5 years creating a Pokemon comic called “Liberty”, based on a nuzlocke playthrough of Pokemon Soul Silver (basically pokemon on hard-mode with permadeath involved for those of you who don’t know what a nuzlocke is). Meanwhile, it’s been just over a year since my first foray into creating comics for the Rise fandom.

The Similarities

The Disparity between Fanart and Fanfiction

Being a comic artist is odd sometimes because I basically do both fanart and fanficiton at the same time. I can understand and vibe with what a lot of both fanartists and fanfiction writers go through and deal with. This is why I feel like I can answer a lot of these fanfiction questions despite a good chunk of my story-telling being visual.

I am also aware of the disparity between fanart often getting a lot more eyes and attention than fanfiction. Deciding to write a piece of fanfiction instead of draw it out in comic format is often a calculated choice on my part, because writing prose takes more energy from me and often gets less rewards via views and interaction from readers. But despite it taking more energy, it takes less overall time for me to write something out than draw the same story, so I often factor that in when deciding which medium to create a story in.

I feel bad that a lot of fanfiction writers don’t get the attention that they deserve because of this disparity, so may I remind readers to please please PLEASE support your fanfiction creators and interact with their work! It seriously means a lot to them! Even a little message or a reblog will do! The main similarity between these two fandoms is this disparity, and I think it’d be awesome if we could get the number of interactions between fanart/fancomics and fanfiction to be more equal.

The Differences

I’m more popular as a Rise artist?

So, as I said, I spent 5 years making a Pokemon comic and 1 year creating a bunch of Rise comics. And yet I think I got more (or at least the same number of) viewers on my Rise comics in that one year than on my Pokemon comics in 5 years. I certainly got a similar number of followers, despite the differences in time. One of the main reasons for this is likely due to the social media platforms I posted on. I posted “Liberty” on deviantart and on the Pokemon Nuzlocke forums, the latter being particularly niche. As for my Rise comics and artwork, I branched out to other sites including here on Tumblr, Instagram, AO3, and Twitter (though insta got fewer comics due to the image size restrictions). The number and popularity of the sites I posted Rise artwork to are more than deviantart and that is likely a big reason. The other reasons for my increase in popularity may be for some of the other differences...

There aren’t that many comic artists in the TMNT fandom

I could probably name only a handful of consistent comic creators in, not only the Rise fandom, but in the TMNT fandom. And I mean the long-running, over-arching story type of comic creators. There aren’t that many of us. There are tons of artists and fanfic writers out there, yes, but very few that combine the two.

Meanwhile the Pokemon community has TONS. Especially the nuzlocke community. Heck, the Pokemon nuzlocke community started and was named because of a popular comic detailing the events of the creator’s nuzlocke challenge playthrough of Pokemon Emerald. You get a little bit more lost in the crowd amongst so many other comic artists in the Pokemon community, but at the same time have more people to learn from and relate to in that way.

My involvement with the Fandoms has been different

There’s been a lot of collaboration and working together among creators within each respective fandom. I feel like personally, a lot of my collabs with Rise creators has been a lot more direct and more personal than the kind of things I did in the Pokemon fandom.

For example, in the Pokemon comic fandom, it was really common to cameo each others’ characters in your comic, or include each others’ comics or characters in memes. This wasn’t always a planned thing, though we would ask each other for permission. I joined a Pokemon comic discord, but most of my interactions there and on other platforms involved brainstorming help. Not only that, but sometimes the community was a bit more competitive as well. For instance the Nuzlocke Forums would hold an “extravaganza” every year where folks voted on various categories to vote for the best nuzlocke (I won “Best Pokemon” and “Most improved” in 2018 :3 ).

Meanwhile with the Rise fandom, I did more things like art trades, collaborative art pieces, and zine work. These were a lot more direct and planned out and involved a bit more trust and interaction with other artists. I also became close friends with the folks in the discords that I joined as part of a Rise server, beyond just “fellow creator”.

As a result, I found myself doing a lot more serious artwork and even created other fics for the Rise fandom beyond just my comics, while when it came to Pokemon I stuck mainly to my “Liberty” art/comics.

More eyes, less interaction and visa versa

Again, this could be mainly a differences in what social media I’m using, but a big difference I found between readers of my work is that I got A LOT more people commenting on my Pokemon comic than on my Rise comics. I may be getting more views on my TMNT comics, but boy did I get more interaction with my Pokemon comics. I would get at least 5 people leaving these in-depth analysis or guesses of what would happen on each page for my Pokemon comic, not to mention the dozens of other reactions I would get in the comments. And despite that comic being on hiatus for a year, I still get some comments on it!

So, unless I know the commenter personally, I feel a little less involved with my readership with my Rise comics than my Pokemon one. Which is a little sad. I do appreciate you all who appreciate my work, but I feel like I appreciate you from afar and can only go “awww” at the things y’all leave in the notes or on the anonymous asks I get, instead of being able to thank you more directly.

Rise readers are a bit less patient

I get lots more people asking me “when the next page is coming” on my Rise comics and fics much more often than on my Pokemon comic. This virtually never happened with my Pokemon comic. Granted, I was way more consistent with “Liberty” and it had a set schedule, whereas my Rise comics/fanfics never have. But still.

I really DO NOT like those kinds of asks/comments. Please do not ask me when the next one is coming out. It makes me feel stressed and ashamed and pressured, which can create negative feelings around my work and make me less likely to finish them. I get that you’re excited, and that’s cool. But literally no one likes those kinds of comments.

For perspective, “Liberty”, my Pokemon comic, has been on hiatus for nearly a year and I’ve gotten maybe two comments to that effect, and they were newer readers who weren’t around at the time that I announced my hiatus and the reasons thereof. My “Liberty” readers have been so patient with me (bless them), and I feel a real loyalty to that kind of readership. I don’t know when, yet, but I really want to get back to “Liberty” someday, not just for myself or that story that I lovingly crafted, but also for them.

Pokemon was a hobby, Rise is a passion

Likely due to the fact that I have made a lot of close friends within the Rise community, and the fact that it has helped me immensely through this really tough year, I feel so much closer with the Rise creator community. Pokemon was a thing that I did for fun as a side hobby. My TMNT related comics and art have pushed me so much further in my art, gotten me involved in various projects, gotten me into creating animations, holy heck was I sucked into this fandom in such a short amount of time, and I love it so much.

I have been a fan of Pokemon since I was a kid, and I never thought I’d find a piece of media that would capture my attention and adoration as much. I think at a point when I was shifting from the Pokemon to the Rise fandom I said something along the lines of “I feel like I’m cheating on Pokemon with Rise”/j but it’s kinda true, haha!

In the end, both fandoms and the people in them mean a lot to me, and I’ve grown a lot from them as an artist and a person. I will be forever grateful to the other creators, readers, artists, writers, friends, collaborators, etc in both.

Thank you all very much!

[not-poignant]

1/2 I've had a discussion about commissioned fanart/fanfic with a friend lately, and we disagree. For me, it goes against everything I know ff to stand for to get compensation for it (though freely donated ko-fi by readers, that I can get by). But my friend asked, how ff is different from fanart? "Fanartist strive on ko-fi, patreon, etc, they regularly sell fanmerch... it's a discrimination against ff writers if they are not allowed to get the same support fanartists get". 

And I get where she's coming from... but I still think FF are different, and I can't articulate why. =/ I know you feel similarly, your patreon is always strictly for your original creations. I'm wondering what your thoughts are about this? *Why* is fanart different? *If* it is. (Btw, you don't need to reply, I just figured I ask because you always seem to have such insightful comments and opinions. But anyway, have a great day!!) 

*

Hi anon!

I apologise because I doubt I’m going to have a very clear answer to this. So I’m just going to highlight my wishy washy thoughts because that’s all I have.

* Firstly, I think there is a huge double standard for anyone who thinks it’s fine to accept money for fanart but not for fanfiction. Both are transformative works that take a lot of time and effort to make. Period.

There is a reason for the bias that I’ve observed. And that’s because most professional authors, creators, directors and scriptwriters have - for decades - been pro-fanart and anti-fanfiction, and some of that has trickled down into attitudes in fandom. Even today, pro-fic scriptwriters will say ‘oh I love the idea of fanfiction but legally I can’t read any’ while repeatedly reblogging or retweeting or sharing or even reposting fanart with delight. And that’s the ones who are pro-fic.

But over the decades, there have been plenty of famous authors and properties in particular, who were pro-fanart (though not pro ‘profiting off fanart’), but anti-fanfiction. Anne Rice and Robin Hobb come immediately to mind. Some of these people even commissioned fanart themselves, while taking fanfiction authors to court. The double standard there is huge. If you’re posting fanart on your page but hating on fanfiction authors as a professional, you probably need to examine your biases.

* Secondly, personally, I think it’s unethical for me to accept money for my fanfiction OR fanart. I have no double standard, they are both the same to me.

* Fanartists literally making entire livings off their fanart makes me uncomfortable. Particularly when they’re making more money than the original creator or the original property. I have less of an issue when it’s like, Marvel or Disney, but then, those huge organisations can afford lawyers and send C&Ds (Cease & Desists) and are powerful enough to shut down and destroy accounts (and sadly, artists). But in the case of smaller fandoms, unfortunately it means you can end up with scenarios where some fanartists are making much more than the creators who created the property in the first place. Imho, I don’t like that. But that’s a nuanced, complicated issue for which there are no easy rules.

There are definitely increasingly ways people can profit off fanfiction and do. I think it is immensely hypocritical for anyone who financially supports fanartists to then draw a dubious/mythical line in the sand re: saying fanfiction authors making a profit is wrong. I’m sorry anon, but it’s an attitude that’s literally ‘They can do it but you can’t lmao I have no reason sorry but I guess you don’t deserve to pay your bills for your fanworks but these people do because of their fanworks have a nice day.’

***

Sometimes I wish I really did feel better about making money off fanfiction. I think I’d be making more money if I did. But I just don’t feel okay about it, personally, in myself. I don’t expect anyone else to hold themselves to the same standard, a person’s gotta eat. I’m just lucky I can eat because of Fae Tales.

Fanfiction authors are definitely finding more and more ways to make money off their fiction, usually via Ko-Fi tips, or even just placing fanfic on Wattpad and getting money via that. Even through Patreon (though if they get reported, their account will be closed down and suspended). But the struggle is real. Meanwhile the big name fanartists get huge booths at all the conventions and are treated like celebrities making profits off of fanart, and are more likely to get professional offers re: jobs, including fanart in their portfolio. Try doing the same thing as a professional author. You’ll be treated as a joke.

Yes, the double standard is fucking annoying, and it’s also just crap. There’s probably a reason most people can’t think of a good reason why one group should get paid but not the other, for both doing literally the exact same thing in different creative forms. And that reason is ‘because there is no good reason.’

If fanartists can make a profit so boldly and wildly off of other creative properties, then fanfiction authors should be able to as well, without fear of criticism that’s directed specifically at them but not fanartists. That’s just...internalising the hate that professional creators put out into the world, and that hate came from a fear of their works being stolen by writers, but not by artists. There might be a secondary fear around it hurting fandom, but that’s something that most people don’t really talk about, and it’s not like anyone brings it up re: fanartists selling prints.

Imho, for me personally it’s complicated. I follow a set of rules for myself that I created over twenty years ago, and I don’t know if I’d have the same rules if I was only just starting out in fanfiction now.

But also I’m just grateful that my fanfiction is just always free, and I can do whatever I want without ever having to worry about the bottom line, or income. That’s very freeing for me on a literal level, and it means I can relax. I would lose that if I was making a profit off of it.

But yeah otherwise, in a world where fanartists get to make wild profits off of what they’re doing? It’s frankly just straight up unfair if fanfiction writers can’t. It’s a double standard that hurts people.