#it will be 8 pages with 1 bonus panel :)

[lionpawsdiary]

Lionpaw! Any hopes for your full name?

[dianagj-art]

Consider this a cover for the AU, it still has no name and at this point I refuse to give it one

All the links to the comic and main tags bellow the cut

Asks have been moved to ->> @separatedleoau

Concept

Comic Links:

Animation panels now have a black outline, also the pages with animations are in bold Mystic Mayhem 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 (tw flashing lights) / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / bonus Newsworthy 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 Little Warrior (backstory) 1 / 2 / 3 /// 1 ///

TBA: Minotaur Maze (there is more to come, just be patient) (Early comic access on Patreon)

Some other art I consider au canon (these are not in order)

The seed situation / p2 (tw blood/ child abuse)

Golden marks

He has things to say / p2

Stab

Mikey's Taco Bell sidequest / p2

"Leo"

Dr. Delicate Touch

Screenshot edits!

Main tags: #rottmnt separated au #separated leo au

Comic updates: #separated leo au comic

Crossover stuff: #slau crossover / #slau crossover (<- link to askblog)

Asks: #separated leo au asks

Ask blog @separatedleoau

Also I'm using #cw blood and/or #tw blood for the art that has blood just if you dont want to see that kind of thing you can block those taggs, if anyone feels like I also should be tagging anything else feel free to send an ask to tell me

Edit: added tw child abuse and cw child abuse, to some post at request

[cjrae]

Holy Translation Batman!

I've been very into The Apothecary Diaries lately, but I haven't felt the need to delve too deeply into the GX version of the manga. But the GX version does have an...interesting fan translation that sparked a fun conversation between me and my spouse.

Specifically, this page.

I may have laughed my ass off, because that's a VERY different translation, but certainly gets across the tonal shift happening in the blue roses scene! But now we had a question:

If we were to follow PG-13 rules of one use of "fuck" per light novel where would YOU put them? Below, our four candidates.

LN 1 - Open strong. The first word out of our protagonist's mouth is "fuck," because she's just been kidnapped! Followed by the much more decorous use of language inside the Rear Palace as she's trying to not attract attention.

LN 2 - See the above panel. No notes, 11/10 for the bonus "shit" that came out of Jinshi's mouth.

LN 3 - The frog. Even if Maomao is just thinking it, "What the FUCK is that?!"

LN 4 - From @blur0se, when Loulan is telling Jinshi the story of "How the f*ck we all ended up here" and Shenmei says "Loulan you little…"

LN 5 -

LN 6 -

LN 7 -

LN 8 - "You fucking masochist!" I understand that there's already some overtones there in the Japanese, but I'm guessing the official translation can't use it? More is the pity.

LN 9 -

LN 10 -

LN 11 -

[ezdotjpg]

Comic Paneling Process

to answer a question from @pluviatrix​, here’s a post detailing how I approach paneling!

The unhelpful answer is that it really depends on what kind of scene I’m trying to fit onto a page, because the energy and mood will dictate the kinds of shapes and layouts I gravitate towards. I usually start out with a short script, which for the last two bonus links updates looked like this:

Writing the script helps me visualize what needs to happen and gives me a good idea of how many pages it might take. There’s a few rules of thumb that I use to start:

angled panels = intensity. So do irregular panel shapes, but the more irregular the panels are the harder it is to balance other panels on the page, so that’s something to keep in mind

Lots of small, close together panels = fast-paced action, especially if the panels are angled. Larger, spaced out panels = a slower paced, even maybe a slow motion feel.

5 panels per page is the sweet spot. Sometimes it can be less if a moment is really important and I want to emphasize it, but I try not to have any more than 8, because any more and it starts to get overcrowded.

leave room for text bubbles!!!!!!! they need more room than you think!!!!!!!

Your goal is to lead the eye around. Because I make comics in english, that means that everything should be designed around zig-zagging from left to right, down, left to right. The eye will naturally do that, but helping it out leads to pages that feel smoother. If I’m going to break that form, I have to find a way to force the eye to go where I want it to go. 

That last one is the most important. There’s a few ways you can create this zig-zag: with the text boxes, with the poses, or with the panels themselves. Ideally it would be all 3. So for a basic 5 panel example:

option 1 is less visually clear than option 2, because the first two rows of panels don’t lead your eye smoothly. Generally speaking, whatever you choose for your first row of panels, the second row needs to contrast, unless you’re creating an even grid intentionally. Here’s an example of a page where I break the rules a little, but I make up for it by guiding the eye around:

Once again generally speaking putting two smaller panels next to one taller panel can be somewhat confusing as to which order you should read the panels in, but I tried to mitigate that with making those two small panels a pulled out shot and then a close-up of the same subject. Then, the use of that big text bubble coming from the horn forces the eye up to the top of the taller panel, which then draws ur eye down because of those two silver lizalfos at the bottom. The lizalfos in those two angled panels are posed facing the ways I want to lead the reader’s eye, and so is Beetle. And here are some notes on how I approached this action-heavy page: 

That middle row is all angles with things swinging in and out of frame to suggest quick, sudden movement. That close up of Loft is wedged in the middle like it’s chipping off the next panel, with Loft looking direct into the events of the next panel to communicate that he’s anticipated the Lizalfos’ movements. And to finish off, here’s what this most recent update looked like in sketch:

I start out making the panels themselves first and just treat it like a graphic design problem, trying to make sure it all feels balanced on the page. And then I fill them in and adjust as needed.

 And that’s about all I’ve got! I hope this was helpful lol and if anyone has like specific questions abt stuff feel free to shoot them my way! Of course, everything that I say here has an exception, and there are plenty of instances where you can break these ‘rules’ in service of the story you’re telling. That’s actually my biggest piece of advice- your panels are a part of the story! They’re another tool in ur arsenal to set the mood and feeling, so you should utilize them!

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Here we go! Chapter 8 Volume... Huh?

Voulme 2? I thought this is still Volume 1. Am I tripping?

Anyway! Just a moment of appreciation for this parody page of he cover.

This while thing is so "busy" yet it still make sense. There's so many elements layering on top of each other. It should be a confusing mess. However, I can still easily pick out the four components that tells a story.

Component 1: Vash as a happy salary man being served a drink by a geisha (judging from the hairstyle and accessory) with shadowed eyes on the opposite end of the page.

Component 2: BDN at the dead center. The text makes it a bit difficult to confirm if he has a top knot, but he definitely is rocking a traditional Japanese look. He looks menacingly at Vash as he drinks.

Component 3: Meryl and Milly running in a hurry but for two clearly different purposes. Meryl looks like a traditional restaurant staff frantically trying to serve a lot of guests. Meanwhile, Milly doesn't look she's working anywhere near the food service industry with her get up and the tool that she has on hand.

Component 4: The Bad Lads drinking in celebration while an ambulance seems to be sounding its sirens as it parked near them.

Look. I may seem to be too obsessed with this gag page but it's crazy how its a fucking busy mess that still works at telling a cohesive story!

With just this two page drawing, I can infer easily that someone is in danger and may need to be hospitalized - so the ambulance was called and asked to stand by. Milly is probably the heroine about to save the day with the overworked yet eager to help Meryl. The party the Bad Lads are having is a big distraction at a possible murder attempt starring Vash as the victim, the geisha as the accomplice, and BDN as the mastermind.

I'M SORRY BUT HOW THE FUCK?!!!

And don't get me started on the scaling of each figure and the silhouettes. Just... I'll just repeat, Nightow is amazing for how pretty AND technical his drawing is. It's so clean. Wow...

Sorry for getting derailed. So, back to the chapter.

Ok. I lied. Let me just appreciate Winter Mery and Milly here. I love them so much and they so fucking cute here with their dynamic pose... solid silhouette... Clean fucking lines... Sorry... Give me a minute!!!

Sigh~

Interesting. So, '98 rearranged the sequence of events here. This happened a bit later... which I think is better. It adds more impact on Vash's duel against BDN.

These guys are no stormtrooper shooters. They having really good aim!

They didn't hit Vash. Okay. Maybe the tails of his coat now have fresh bullet holes, but aside from that, Vash is fairly intact. The Bad Lads have great accuracy.

This is an intriguing way of drawing a spinning gun. It's simple but effective in visually communicating that that is what BDN is doing. A good choice. Thinking about it... If three twirling guns in a blur of circles were drawn, it would be too distracting and BDN will be overwhelmed in the panel.

Cool foreshortening. Incredible detail on the filigree. And a bonus Goofy Face Vash!

So so fucking glad '98 was faithful to the manga with these scenes. Meryl and Milly were such badasses here.

Huh... Well that's a huge difference. There's not much:

GASP! It'S VaSH tHe STampeDE!

vASh ThE StAMpEdE?!

VASH THE STAMPEDE!!!

It can get a bit much... sometimes in '98. So, this is refreshing.

WHAT...

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!!!

So, those lines by Miss Purple Avenger from the filler episode were originally from BRILLIANT DYNAMITES NEON?!

I-

Oooohhh.... Pretty art... Wait no... I can't distracted. I'm mad!

I'M VERY VERY MAD!!!

OML! This is much more intense! IT ADDS SO MUCH WEIGHT TO THE DUEL!

Oh my goodness... This nuance... WHY WAS THIS CHANGED?!

Not to say that Miss Purple Avenger and the episode featuring her was bad. It was actually great! Her version of July was nightmare inducing... and her confrontation with Vash was truly tragic too but.... Uhm...uh... AAHHHH!!!! I CAN'T CHOOSE! THEY'RE BOTH GOOD!

Oh... break my heart into fucking pieces will you huh?!

LOOK AT THESE! Manga Vash getting cheered on by the people! People were supporting him! He is being treated nicely as he deserved.

Even in '98! It was not as overt at this page. However, that scene of the captain from the beginning of this chapter replaced these panels instead and is just as effective. '98 Vash has people believing the good in him.

TRISTAMP VASH WAS ROBBED!!! HE NEVER HAD THESE!!! That poor precious boy! The few precious people who supports him only showed up near the end... and... and...

Now getting even more upset again with the Jeonora Episodes in Tristamp!

It's so not fair!

Oooh. A cinematic page!

HOLY SHIT!!! THESE PAGES ARE AMAZING!

I can't believe this. This fight is better in the manga!

I am not dissing Studio Madhouse for what they've done tho. The '98 Duel was epic too! They did great! But all these crazy angles and perspectives in the manga just elevate the overall awesomeness of the gunfight. It's just more immersive.

Tbf to the '98 anime, this is a nightmare to animate faithfully. With the technology and techniques at the time, this would be so difficult to pull off beautifully - going topsy turvy in one smooth motion for two characters at the same time in a fight scene with a complicated moving background? Yeah... The animation staff would go insane. It's totally understandable that they simplified this duel into extreme close ups and strong facial + gun drawings instead.

I hope Studio Orange re-hashes this fight in some way tho... or does the Episode 1 duel count?

Sigh... With the my discovery that Miss Purple Avenger's lines were actually BDN's, and that the outrage towards Vash for not remembering anything about July belongs to the Bad Lads', these words have become so much more meaningful.

It's also now more effective at convincing me that Brilliant Dynamites Neon have hidden depths.

Oh... Ow... The detailing here is just ow for the hands of an artist. Perhaps I overreacting, but those fine lines in the crooks and crannies make me wince.

Once again tag responses:

@revenantghost

Yeah. The more I see his work, the more I'm awed by his skills. That's a cool detail that his design incorporate realism. I thought the glasses are for the light tho? But maybe it's like those the Olympian gunners wore during the competition?

The dead REALLY haunting the narrative? Looking forward to it!

@takeshidude

Ok. Monthly publication are still grueling but at least its not as nightmarish with weekly mangakas. No wonder the quality is consistent with the art. Nightow was allowed to breathe.

You make a good point. '98 did have a bit of a mystery woven into it. We know Vash the Stampede - we follow his misadventures and people kept saying who he is ad nauseam in every episode. However, we don't really know know him for quite a long time. It's a different, but no less interesting, spin to the story.

Which kinda explains I'm misremembering some scenes and characterizations? The last third of '98 made a long lasting impression that I kinda forgot about Vash's horn dogginess.

[dreamboundedstar]

I Have More to Say About Kacchako That I Need to Let Out:

In one of the MHA Smash volumes they have some panels that take place around the time Bakugo was kidnapped by the League of Villains. The LoV force Bakugo to play the board game, Life to show them his deepest, dark desires. Turns out his “inner desires” were to have the most normal, domestic life. Something that amusingly contrasts his number 1 hero dream.

You can find the panels here. https://todomitoukei.tumblr.com/post/190826151761/horikoshi-not-having-put-this-in-the-main

Even though it’s parody and shouldn’t be taken for anything canonical, this is fanfiction and I can do whatever I want. Anyway, thanks to this panel it really helps give me a road map to what I want to do for the ages of the Kacchako kids. I specifically made Ryosei and Hanahoshi twins since their names are both star themed and binary stars are a thing.

Kacchako Timeline:

Age 24 to 25:

Katsuki and Ochako are dating and eventually move in together to help financially support each other. Katsuki needs all the help he can get after *MHA Epilogue Spoilers*.

Age 28:

They will get married on July 7th. (Basing it on the fact that Ochako loves looking at the night sky and July 7th is the date for Tanabata, the Star Festival. It’s also Present Mic’s birthday and Ochako is his favorite student, so that’s a bonus.)

Have a kid April 8th the year after (conceived on July 15th because it’s funny and came into the world 5 days early).

Age 35:

They are finally financially stable enough to own a house.

Conceived fraternal twins December 27th.

Age 36:

Twins born 8 days late on October 10th.

Anyway, that's my headcanon, Kacchako timeline so far based on the panel scenes I mentioned. Hopefully, I'll be able to update the timeline more accurately to the canon material once the extra 60 pages come out in the final, canon volume. Though, I'm not holding my breath on it because the extra pages could just as likely kill any ideas I had Kacchako related in the first place. Oh well, I knew what I was getting into when I let the Kacchako crumbs consume me. Now that I figured the age range between these kids, I can now go deeper into their personalities. I’m just really attached to these fan kids and wanted to do more for their bios then just experiment with quirks.

Zuyoboru (手伸)–

Name Meaning: “Hand extending”

Age: 14

Birthday: April 8th

Pronouns: He/Him

Personality: Zuyoboru, on first impression comes off as very affable and easygoing. Deep down, he fears that none of the connections he makes are genuine and feels lonely at times. He often questions if he’s really a good person or if he’s only nice to make it easier to deal with his quirk. With how his quirk works, he sometimes tries too hard to get people to like him. That way, he only needs to rely on his own blood to help track others if they need to be found. He often has the vibe of a space cadet even in intense situations. However, when it really matters, he puts on a serious, no-nonsense persona that is determined to get a job done asap.

Ryochi (凌地)–

Name Meaning: “Surpassing the earth”

Age: 6

Birthday: October 10th

Pronouns: He/Him

Personality: If Ryochi could be described with one word it would be exhausting. He’s got the competitive nature of Katsuki but he is a lot more reckless than Katsuki ever was. Given his quirk is tied to natural disasters, it is only natural for him to forgo strategy and embrace the chaos. He can be boastful at times, such as pointing out he’s so fast he won the race of existence against his sister when they were born, much to her annoyance. He honestly doesn’t even care about being a hero, he doesn’t need labels like “hero” to do the right thing. He just loves the thrill of fighting and adventure. (think like the lyrics “It Doesn’t Matter” from the first Sonic Adventure game)

He tries to not let others pointing out how villainous/dangerous his quirk is get to him. He knows his heart and he couldn’t care less about another’s analysis of his character. Actions speak louder than words after all.

Ayase (花星)–

Name Meaning: “Blossoming star” (just a poetic way to say supernova)

Age: 6

Birthday: October 10th

Pronouns: She/Her

Personality: Unlike her twin brother, Ayase actually tries to think of plans before springing into action. However, she can be a bit ditzy at times. She tends to stay in her head too long that the plethora of ideas she could do overwhelm her and Ryochi is already doing something before she figures out what to do. It’s as if her ideas were like the night sky and the perfect one is in the constellations. Unfortunately, she was always bad at finding the constellations in the millions of stars. As much potential her quirk has in fighting, her favorite way to use is to simply make people happy with the beauty of them. Since tiny stars don’t hurt people on impact, she likes seeing the happy faces of see her lights burst around them and making them feel special cause every deserves to feel special. In a way, she’s more of an artist than a hero. Even so, she chooses to be a hero because she wants to be a light in darkness for as many people as she can like her mother was and is. Just don’t make her mad though because play with fire and you will get burned. Things get under her skin quicker compared to Zuyoboru or even Ryochi, much to her dismay. Though since she hates expressing that anger, she does her best to hold it in because the last thing she wants is to be seen as the angry sibling. Though, she can only hold that pressure in for so long until she bursts like a supernova, usually on Ryochi, who deserves it most of the time. I suppose this is a spinoff sequel to this post.

[piipaw]

[☺Gum- Unrenoun Cleric of Mystra☺]

1. [CHARACTER INFO]

OC NAME: Gum

OC PRONOUS: He/Him, They/Them

AUTHOR: @piipaw

2. [DIALOGUE]

1. Greeting message:

Hmm? Did you need something?

2. Identify yourself:

Who, me? You can call me Gum. I’m a cleric of Mystra, but it’s best if you don’t discuss it too loudly. Let’s keep that between us.

3. Tell me about your Creche:

[He looks distant, as if lost in thought] … Did you say something? 

4. I need to know how you fight::

I was once skilled with a sword, but I prefer a mace and shield when my spells can’t support my allies. Healing wounds and supporting suits me better, though I’m not sure the others appreciate when my support comes in the form of the undead.

5. Can I ask a more personal question?

Depends on how personal, but proceed.

6. What is your relationship with the divinity?

[He looks around uneasy] … I am devoted to my Goddess, Mystra. It is through her guidance I have found my true self, my freedom, even at a price. Oh, wait, did you mean Vlaakith? [a deep hurt crosses his face, a hand rising to the scar on his throat] I have no loyalties to someone who has taken so much from my8self and my kin. 

7. What do you usually do in your free time?

Read, I practically live in a library now, it’s a contrast from the humble books I plucked from the stores my creche’s raiders would bring back. It’s… comforting to be able to store them in the open, rather than hide them under the floor panels of my bunk.

8. What is your life goal?

I know my kin fight to unite us under one sky, some may even call me hshar'lak for not taking up arms in the rebellion, but I am better suited on the ground- far from the backs of dragons. So long as I live I can continue to prevent any untimely deaths, continue to provide life to the living, I can die at peace knowing I did all I could.

9. How is your relationship with your allies?

Unlikely. I never had many companions at my creche, even when I was looked upon in favor. I never saw myself to find allies and family among istikis, yet here I am with more friends than I have fingers to count. 

10. Do you have someone special in your life?

[His neutral face breaks into a soft smile]. I do,and after living so long with only the goal of survival as a reason to move forwards, he has reminded me what living can truly feel like. I am talking too much, but perhaps it cannot be helped as no one else has ever shown me love so pure.

11. Say something you would never do, and why?

I would rather die than return to my creche. The reasons for that are not of your concern. 

12. What is a perfect day to you?

A perfect day once would be any day bathed in the blood of my enemies. Now? Any day where I can relax with a nice soak, perhaps with slices of apple and cheese if I’m feeling extra luxurious.

13. How do you celebrate a victory?

Victories are best spent with good company. Be it a large affair with wine flowing, or a magical night under the stars. Perhaps after our next win I shall help prepare a feast?

14. How do you deal with defeat and losses?

Loss… [He pauses, touching the scar across his neck] I am too familiar with loss. When we lose things, things are often gained in ways we could not imagine. It is best to keep going forwards without forgetting what got us to our destinations along the way.

15. How do you think you will be remembered after death?

Who’s to say anyone will remember me after my time? I am but a star in the sky, and countless more shine hotter and burn brighter than myself. That is not to say I would not miss my friends if they were to pass before my time, and I hope they would not feel too much sadness should the roles be reversed.

3. [GRAPHICS]

(i was really fighting my program making these i really hope it saved transparent)

4. [BONUS RESOURCES]

I really adore my Tav sorry for a mini pic gallery ;w;

I sadly haven't finished coding the page on my website for Gum, but I'll include a little blurb on his backstory here!

After experiencing the preventable death of his rival, G'lyth, Gum had his faith in Vlaakith shattered. Turning to Mystra's guidance after discovering some contraband tomes brought in on a raid, Gum practiced magic and medicine in secrecy, though many had suspicions of his wavering faith- none could find such proof of his treachery to their queen. He soon secured the position of ghustil of his creche to ensure his safety- knowing it was temporary. After being abducted from his home and enduring a long journey, Gum had found a group of unlikely allies to stand by when things seemed hopeless. Along the way he discovered much about himself, his connection to the divine, and decided to settle down far from his creche. While he hates the cold climate, he will accept any chance to enjoy his new found freedom.

Thank you again, @vikintor. I don't believe we have ever spoke, but seeing you combine two of my favorite interest (Doom and the Gith), I really wanted to take a chance and submit something as well. Thank you for giving me the opportunity C:

[ultramarine-spirit]

WMMAP Volumes 3 & 4 (Traditional Chinese)

Interstellar Publishing has announced the pre-orders for their translation of WMMAP's manhwa (volumes 3 & 4, limited edition)!

✦ Price: NT$ 1,399

✦ Pre-order date: 11/17 (Friday) 19:00-12/3 (Sunday) 23:59 (GMT+8)

✦ Merch description:

❶ 【Comics】 "Who Made Me A Princess" Volume 03

❷ 【Comics】 "Who Made Me A Princess" Volume 04

❸ Print-bronzing Acrylic Panel | The Emperor

◆ Specifications: 13 × 19cm/2mm acrylic/machine printing + partial white ink + partial gold printing

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❹ Starry Postcard Set｜Collect beautiful moments

◆ Specifications: 10 × 14.5cm/240G Starry Card + White Cowhide Envelope

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❺ A5 PP Poster Set｜Princess's daily life

◆ Specifications: 14.8 × 21cm/0.18mm fog-proof PP + partial white ink

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❻ Silver Stamping Shikishi Board｜Princess’s Debutante

◆ Specifications: 20 × 14cm/Fine art paper mounting + water-based light/hot laser silver

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❼ Silver Stamping Ticket Set｜Lonely Black Wolf & Soft Charisma

◆ Specifications: 21 × 8cm/250P copper + hot stamped full version laser silver/broken diamond film OPP bag

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❽ Matte Book Box

◆ Specifications: 16.5 × 22.5 × 4.5cm/Full-page hot stamping/300P white copper + matte P

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

✦．【Pre-order bonus】 ✦. ✦．✦

❶ 1 Shining Badge (1 piece)

◆ Specifications: 58mm/Tinplate

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❷ 2 Card Stickers (2 pieces)

◆ Specifications: 8.5 × 5.4cm

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❸ 1 Transparent Card

◆ Specifications: 10.5 × 14.5cm

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

✦．【Giveaways】 ✦. ✦．✦

❶ Bonus Posters (3 pieces at random)

◆ Specifications: 72.8 × 50.2cm／190P snow bronze

◆ Art by Korean artist Spoon

❷ Special-designed Paper Bag

◆ Specifications: 23 × 27.5 × 13cm／150P matte special copper

【Additional bonus for pre-ordering the novel & comic's special editions】

❶ 2 Transparent Cards

◆ Specifications: 10.5 x 14.5cm

[racefortheironthrone]

I have come to realize, I don't quite understand what a back-up story is? Like, do some comic issues just sometimes have too much space for the main story so they include another, smaller comic at the back?

No, it's usually the reverse: the creators have a story they like, but that's too short to make up a full comic, so they attach it as a bonus feature after the A-story.

To me, the acme of how to do backup stories are Chris Claremont's Classic X-Men. In an era before trade paperback and omnibus collections were common, in an era before there were digital comics libraries where you could access the entire back catalogue of entire companies on demand, Classic X-Men reprinted everything from the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams Silver Age through to the big hits of the first hundred or so issues of the Claremont run with edited captions and dialogue and interstitial panels and pages of new art.

However, Chris Claremont wasn't satisfied with tinkering around the edges, so the first 44 issues of Classic X-Men included backup stories by him and Ann Nocenti. These short (usually ~8 page) stories included a lot of "deleted scenes" - so you get to see how things that are alluded to but not shown in the main narrative, like the beginning of Logan and Jean's attraction in the immediate wake of Giant-Size #1, or Emma Frost's Hellfire Club scheming against Jason Wyngarde or Selene during the Dark Phoenix Saga, or Jean Grey wrestling with what it means to be the Phoenix with the help of Storm and Misty Knight, or why Nightcrawler stopped using his image inducer and came out of the closet as a mutant, etc. These scenes "danced between the raindrops" of canon, where they added richness and flavor to the main story without being essential reading.

But more and more, Claremont and Nocenti used these backup stories to fill out backstories through "period pieces." It is in these stories that we see Max Eisenhardt escape Auschwitz and tragically lose his daughter Anya, or go from being a Nazi hunter in South America to a mutant separatist terrorist when he learns the truth about Operation Paperclip. It is in these stories that we see Jean Grey's psychic powers awaken when she experiences the tragic death of her childhood friend Annie Richardson from inside Annie's mind, and how that shaped her understanding of life and death and what it means to be a mutant.

I would argue that these stories are essential reading, because they're often where Claremont (and Nocenti) found the emotional core of his characters, the motivational drives that make them who they are.

Alternatively, backup stories are where creators could take advantage of free "real estate" in anthology books, team-up books, and annuals to tell more fantastical and imaginative B-stories that wouldn't have fit within an overarching narrative. So we get weird stuff like Margali Szardos casting her adopted son Kurt Wagner into the literal Inferno of Dante Alighieri, or straight-edge Harlan County miner's son Sam Guthrie romantically abducted by an intergalactic cat burglar who also happens to be a cockney Joan Jett, and so on.

And that's what I like about backup stories - they're like miniature paintings, where the artists get to stretch their creative muscles free of the burden and pressure of the magnum opus.

[werewolfsister]

SPECIAL DELIVERY

[1] [2] [3] [4] [REDACTED PAGE] [6] [PANEL REDRAW] [7] [COLLABORATION] [8] [SEAGULL] [9] [10] [KASKA'S SERENADE] [11] [SUSPICIONS] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16 + BONUS ] [17] [18] [19] [FIN]

[MASTER DIRECTORY]

[neogandw]

Apologies for the delay, I got busy with something else yesterday.

Page 5 out of 6, you can read the rest here.

This is technically the last page of the story, with Page 6 being a bonus. And generally this was the punch-line I wanted to lead to from the start.

When I conceptualized this whole idea of peach being incredibly good at splatoon, I wondered what exactly would be the payoff of such an idea, what would be the end goal?

There's many ways I could have gone with the concept. Such as the mario characters partaking in turf wars themselves, peach dominating the squids (which could have been mean) or even just justifying why she's so good at turf wars (I do have an idea there, but it also lumps into another concept I would like to do something with later).

But ultimately, the idea that won out was the one depicted on the comic: Peach teaching an Inkling, and the punchline always being that if she taught one, then the rest would swarm her asking for lessons on all kinds of weapons (I didn't' show said weapons to just save on panel space, but its implied by how many they are as not all of them would suck with the charger specifically).

I do generally like the idea of the older members of the Smash cast looking out for the younger ones that aren't necessarely from their universes (I do have the headcanon that Samus is a hardcore Kirby fan and I've shown that in a few comic pages every now and then, there's also the minor inside joke my friends and I have that Ridley apparently keeps Pichu as a pet), so continuing on from that point I figured that someone caring, warm and loving like peach would contrast rather well with the scrappy, energetic and gremlin-energy-filled young Inklings. I may do more with the pair later as a result.

Anyway, thoughts on the page and the fun jokes I hid on the panels:

I intentionally mixed and matched the UIs and elements from all 3 Splatoon games to make the whole situation ambiguous in WHEN the hell the comic takes place compared to Splatoon as a whole, since Inkling girl is supposed to be Agent 3 right from Splatoon 1, but only using elements from 1 would have been hard.

Off the first two panels alone you have the Splatoon 3 victory screen set with the map of Urchin Underpass (which only showed up in 1), followed up with the results of Splatoon 2 and showing the weapons from Splatoon 3 in it. It's basically a big mix-up of the different games and I'm aware of how none of it really matches together, but that's the fun of it, yes?

Speaking of Urchin Underpass, I drew it to be as close to the map as I could while seen from a topside perspective. I probably could have made the full thing look like the perspective seen in the map results (its actually slightly slanted rather than full on topside) but that would have been too much effort for what would be covered up by effects and Judd/Lil'Judd.

I actually tried looking and mathing out how Splatoon figures out the stats and tried to at least make them seem somewhat sensible, but I couldn't really find an explanation of how the math... well, maths out.

In fact, I only until later noticed that Urchin Underpass has a limited number of points stated on one of the wikis, but I didn't notice until after the results panel was already finished, my bad on that one.

As a fun fact, I kinda wanted to make the "when the hell does this take place" even more ambiguous by not even using the map from Splatoon 1. The original plan was to use the one from Mario Kart 8, which ultimately I couldn't do since the map is significantly smaller.

I also wanted to tell a mini story with the map itself, as there's details put into it that reflect my experiences with splatoon itself:

Obviously Orange won by a landslide (lampshaded with "Protag Side" and "Red(?) Shirts" instead of the usual "Good Guys" / "Bad Guys" labelling on the results), but less obvious is that the mode being played is not actually Anarchy Battle, its Turf Wars.

Essentially, I kinda undermined the whole bit of the training montage by putting the scenario in the more chaotic Turf War where things can swing more wildly at the last second. Our gal is still dominating for sure, but its not a "suddenly you're god at ranked matches", its gonna take a long road to get there.

Part of the lessons taught? Notice that orange side remembered to ink the base while blue didn't.

Blue at least tried to fight back and its not all a complete domination since that would have been boring. I also made a note to show the last-second special usage by throwing an ink strike marking on the map.

There's that one blue inkling that just decided to throw their hands up in the air and just rushed the enemy base alone to see what they could do.

Blue's weapons actually match up with these two factoids as one is using an N-Zap (I believe a weapon that actually had the Inkstrike back in 1) and a Brush (which allows for rushing the enemy base to annoy the enemy).

Originally in the result screen I thought of writting the player names that were dismissive of the other squid kids playing at the turf war ("Some Nerd" is the leftover of that idea) but I thought that would have been mean, so I instead just went with what would have sounded like names I could realistically see on Splatoon itself... and my friends hated me for pointing out that "WoomyInBio" is probably already circulating somewhere on the servers already.

In case you're curious, the japanese player's name is literally just the japanese word for "Squid". As a friend put it...

If you're puzzled at "Panasonic Blu-Ray", don't worry, that one was a random one I came up with since its just a meme I annoy my friends with. Helps that its on the blue team.

To be clear, on the third panel the inkling is supposed to be gleeing about how good of a teacher Peach is, I was admittedly worried people could get the wrong idea if I did this with hearts as the effect (as I realized it could come off as shipping), so I instead used the star glow to downplay that.

The city in the background is actually taken from NEO The World Ends With You (really good game, I recommend it a lot) as both as a bright space filler and a sneaky shout-out to another series I love a lot (you can generally tell its TWEWY's shibuya if the building has a 104 instead of a 109 sign on top).

Peach's kitchen is not just a filler location, I based it off Paper Mario 64's kitchen, the one where she baked a cake for Gourmet Guy.

Its a bit of a small thing but the Yoshi Loops box is actually a Mexican box and the tell is that on the upper right corner of the cereal you can see a black and white mark. Those are hexagons sticker that the mexican gov has regulated into food products that warn of things like excess sugar or calories on a product.

Peach's thoughts of Mario and Bowser are drawn in the style of TerminalMontage and Hotel Mario respectively, very obvious one but I figured I may as well state it.

I eventually realized that I could make a bit of comedy on the squid/octopus crowd by adding Callie in the mix as part of the sudden influx of eager students. Doubly cute since Callie is a Roller main and often times its Marie (an actual Charger main) who has to protect her, so Callie wants to pick up lessons on how to use a Charger as well.

Among the crowd you can see a distressed Waluigi, but its not the only thing I hid in there, its very hard to make out but you can also find a Tako in the middle of the crowd.

So that's it for the major pages. For the next post I'll show overall fun things of the process as well as the sketch version of the final page.

[kindlingkeen]

Do you have any suggestions on what to read/watch/look at or whatever to get a better grasp on Jason’s character? I’m in the middle of writing a fic or two and the more accurate I can be the better. I’ve seen the under the red hood movie, WFA, and random panels from various comics as well as whatever tumblr posts about him + a hell of a lot of fics.

Bonus points if there’s also things to give me a glimpse on how he interacts w various batfam members

Hi, anon! Thanks for the ask. This is a really interesting question. I’ve been chewing over it the last couple of days trying to decide how to answer it.

Accuracy is a hard concept to apply, because Jason has been written, rewritten, overwritten, etc., so many times over the last few decades. Consistent characterization is pretty much a pipe dream. In particular, the more recent runs (esp new 52 rhato) portray Jason in a vastly different way than the more villainous comics that came after the Under the Hood arc.

Between fics, WFA, and UtRH, it sounds like you probably already have a decent idea of the possibilities of Jason’s character. WFA and UtRH, in particular, are pretty far apart.

IMO, the bedrock of Jason/Red Hood’s character is formed by three comic arcs: A Death in the Family, Lost Days (ignore the last pages of part 6, bleck), and Under the Hood. I honestly don’t even know how much of this is still considered canon anymore, but to me, it’s ground truth when it comes to Jason.

Jason interacting with the batfamily is harder for me to pin down (especially with my haphazard approach to reading the comics). In the rhato Annual #1, Nightwing teams up with the outlaws to go undercover at a circus. In Batman Vol. 3 #16, there’s a fun scene at a Batburger with most of batfam. Task Force Z #8 has Jason interacting with Babs, Dick, Tim and Cass while their mission goals are at odds. These three comics all have panels I’ve come back to multiple times when thinking about Jay’s character. I’m sure there’s more examples out there, though (please comment or reblog to share with class if you have thoughts and opinions!).

Hope this was helpful, anon. Thanks again for the ask! 💙

[nullbutler]

Hi there I just stumbled upon your black butler webcomic- The Dead The Damned and The Devil. I have been relying on Tumblr to read the chapters and oh my gosh the chokehold they have on me?

Every panel where the twins show up I was scrutinizing their bangs to figure out who was who. And... The way Vincent just... Stopped when he realised that he had been mistaking Estel for Ciel. . . (The twin whom he carried out and the twin whom Lizzie hugged. Why do I feel that both the parties mistook their intended recipients)

Like Vincent is just scratching the depth of what his kids went through. (Better him than the Damn Demon, who would have just endeavoured to make everything worse)

I also really appreciate the unlikely trio of Madam Red, German Brother and a Bloodthirsty Watch Dog. And with Grell as a bonus.

I really don't understand Undertaker's deal. With the way he acts in canon we already know he is despicable...but also desperate to keep the Phantomhives alive ... So him not rearing to conduct an independent search of his own is ... Curious.

Agghhh it's just. The webcomic is soooo good!?! The expressions, the story line, the freaking title (!), OCiel's name, the family tensions, the color palette.. oh gosh I could just...keep on rambling.

Question though- I am unable to find the Chapter 8 of Volume 1 on Tumblr?

Also- would it be possible to include and compile the links to all the pages of the webcomic as a masterpost?

Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words! this gave me hte motivation to actually update the comic so the hotlinks function on ao3. here you are :)

[pancake-breakfast]

Running a bit late on the last chapters for this week, but that was expected. Let's finish up Volume 2!

Archive

Trigun Volume 1: Covers + 1-3, 3 Detailed Thoughts, 4, 4 DT, 5-6, 5-6 + DT, 6 DT, 7-8, 9-10

Trigun Volume 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 1 Supplemental Research, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Volume 1: Covers + 1-2, 2 DT, 3-4, 3 DT, 5-6

TriMax Volume 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 2, Chapters 6-7 below.

Chapter 6: Home Sweet Home

Is this Wolfwood or Midvalley? Someone else? I'm thinking Wolfwood 'cause the hair and the build look more WW, but the white suit makes me think Midvalley. Whoever he is, he looks so smol in the closeup of his crying face.

Scruffy hair plus cut to WW reinforces WW belief.

I like how a chunk of Nightow's aesthetic for civilization is, "What if small, mundane thing, but the size of a house?" Also, tiny Vash!

Drowning in sand sounds... unpleasant.

Hahahahaha, Wolfwood's love language is punching.

It's very trusting of Vash to take "I Know Too Much About Knives And Won't Tell You Why" Wolfwood to a place he'd dare call home.

Here's Wolfwood tactfully pointing out the differences between the two of them instead of throwing it in Vash's face that Vash isn't human.

Ugh, Vash is so worried about this place....

But it's ok. There's not so much to worry about, after all.

Gosh, the contrast between these two panels, one before he knows what's happened, and one when he realizes that, for now, everything's ok.

WELL NEVERMIND THEN. A THOUSAND YEARS TRAUMA FOR EVERYONE.

Fuck this guy.

Chapter 7: Darkness

I'm just gonna make a small note here that, on the title page, the shot of Vash from a lower angle behind him makes it so his hair looks almost completely black.

Wolfwood <3

I know enough to understand why Puppetmaster's saying Wolfwood's method's twisted, but... I also know enough about Wolfwood to know it's not nearly that simple.

Oh, no.... Not Unica.... /s :|

Welp. Definitely reading a seinen. They wouldn't get away with that kind of anatomy in a shonen.

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

This Vash is pretty much bristling right now. He's got both guns out, and the only parts of his body that aren't drowning in the bristles are his hands (which need to be steady for holding his guns) and his hips (suggesting his feet are firmly planted where they need to be).

Wolfwood looks concerned.

Actually, Puppetmaster looks a bit concerned, which is kinda dumb of him because he's the one who caused all this. Or... maybe he's just sweating because he's wearing so much black in a freaking desert.

Oh, Vash....

Shoot, there's another Gung-Ho Gun here.

That's a REALLY big hand.

I wish I knew what the heck was happening in that explosion panel.

You know... I'm actually kinda glad I was so late on getting to these two chapters. Now I can start on the next volume without getting too far ahead of the game.

Author Bonus Chapter: Anime Talk

All evolution eventually leads to crabs. Apparently, Nightow is not immune to this.

I mean... you're not missing much by skipping Titanic. I'd sooner rewatch Starship Troopers myself. At least that was hilarious.

(Also, I just realized he kinda called it "Starshit Troopers." Honestly... fair.

The other day I was at an anime con and a mangaka whose story is now an anime basically said the same thing. It's very much a dream come true for them.

This is the cutest thing Nightow has drawn. Except for sleepy Vash.

I mean, might as well shoot for the stars. I've long had a bit of a soft spot for Madhouse myself.

Yeah, my brain would pop out of my head at that kind of news, too.

Aaaaand I would promptly explode upon hearing they were gonna move forward with it.

Ohhh, this is sooooo indicative of the shows that were popular at that time. It was absolutely a ton of mecha, magical girls (this was pre-Madoka), harem, and guy-oriented romances where a crazy amazing weird girl just dropped in the life of some loser-boy.

Lucky for us all, Madhouse hasn't exactly built a reputation for themsevls as being "normal."

No wonder Nightow is thrilled about Stampede. He's getting to see his story adapted to an anime not once, but twice. And it's making people fall in love with the older versions of it all over again.

LOL, "Yoshimura Something-san"

That meeting was too long. No meetings should go for 13 hours.

LOL, Nightow being so excited about action figures. POSABLE action figures.

[age-of-moonknight]

I have a question about detective flint...do you know more moon knight comics where he appears? Other than mk 2014 book...I am so weirdly obsessed with him? Or just more curious about his character...ig, he reminds me of Jim Gordon (from batman)

Also happy new year🥳

And a happy new year to you as well because !!! heck yeah, Detective Flint! He's an og from way back in Moench's run on Moon Knight volume 1! (And I'm a little obsessed with him and his very Jim Gordon-esque role too....may we someday actually learn his first name RIP). My research didn't really turn up anything more interesting than what you would normally find on the average "list of appearances" for him, but I'll list them all and then do a further break down after the cut to help delineate where he actually affects the plot versus where he just provides a little exposition, if that's something anyone's interested in. Happy reading!

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #12, #15, #17, #24-25, #33-34, #36-37

[Bonus] Daredevil (Vol. 1/1964), #218

Moon Knight (Vol. 2/1985), #3

Moon Knight (Vol. 3.1998), #3-4

Moon Knight (Vol. 4/1999), #1, #3

Moon Knight (Vol. 5/2006), #8, #13, #17, #20

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #1, #3, #6, #8, #12, #14

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #8, #22, #24

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood (Vol. 1/2023), #3

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #12: Detective Flint's introduction (and where we learn he likes cream, sugar, and a cigarette with his coffee)

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #15: Moon Knight and Detective Flint's professional relationship gets a bit of a rocky start when Flint accuses MK of attempted assassination

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #17, #24: Some one page appearances to provide exposition I mean consultations (although the incident with the bag of potato chips in #24 is definitely worth the price of admission imo, another instance of “comics are why my sense of humor is broken”)

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), ##25: Flint gets stuck between a rock and a hard place in the whole deal with Black Spectre's corrupt machinations

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #33: Appears in a couple panels to crack wise about the futility of trying to stop Moon Knight when he's put his mind to something

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #34, #36: Provides some exposition and makes some collars

Moon Knight (Vol. 1/1980), #37: Detective Flint may or may not have been the only thing keeping Marc from dropping an anti-Semitic arsonist out of a window (...I'll keep my opinions to myself)

Daredevil (Vol. 1/1964), #218: This one's a fun little cameo (at least to me, since I hadn't seen it before), where he pops up with Scarfe too

Moon Knight (Vol. 2/1985), #3: Fittingly, they bring Lt. Flint back for a Morpheus case, since those two characters were introduced in the same issue

Moon Knight (Vol. 3/1998), #3-4: Does his thing of providing a couple pages worth of exposition

Moon Knight (Vol. 4/1999), #1, #3: Flint provides as much info as he can, but he's just about as confused as everyone else in this volume (and for good reason, it's wild hahaha)

Moon Knight (Vol. 5/2006), #8: Catches MK up to speed on the new Midnight Man (in the very, very gloomy and fatalistic manner that is characteristic of the Huston run)

Moon Knight (Vol. 5/2006), #13, #17: Flint catches all the cases from when MK was running around carving crescents into criminals' foreheads and isn't particularly happy about it (understandably so, what a run)

Moon Knight (Vol. 5/2006), #20: We follow Flint on the opening investigation into the issue’s “monster of the week” (also includes one of my favorite “dropping in to chat with the series’ cop buddy” panels)

[Anon indicated that they’ve already read Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), but if anyone else wants me to break down Flint’s appearances in those issues, please just let me know! :D]

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #8: Flint does his usual exposition thing for Hunter’s Moon while MK is “indisposed”

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #22: Flint and Tigra share a page swapping info (both on the new Midnight Man and o MK’s delightful peculiarities)

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #24: On the scene during the most recent Morpheus incident

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood (Vol. 1/2022), #3: Shows up at the end of the first story, “Wrong Turn,” to make some arrests and comment on Jake’s thoroughness in wrecking his taxi

Oh! Also, this isn't from a Moon Knight comic, but apparently Warren Ellis included a Detective Flint in the Earth-555 comic, Newuniversal: Shockfront (Vol. 1/2008), issues #1-2. Flint doesn't exactly play a huge role (and I read those individual comics with absolutely no context so I was a little ????), but I had never expected there to be any non-616 versions of Flint out there, so this was cool to find for me at least. Just a fun bit of trivia hahaha

[linesonscreens]

Bonus! - A Trip Through The Des Moines Register and Tribune With Peanuts (1957)

So I've been reading a book called “Only What's Necessary: Charles M Schulz and the Art of Peanuts”. It's basically a bunch of stuff from the Charles M Schulz Museum including comics, toys, original art and promotional material that got scanned in with a bit of commentary/explanation added for some of it. It's a fantastic book and I highly recommend it if any of that sounds interesting to you. It's available on Amazon HERE.

Anyways, While reading it I came across this cool promotional comic for the Des Moines Register drawn in 1957 by a man named Bob Davenport. I found it to be a pretty interesting peek into how newspapers were produced in a time before computers and figured that maybe some of you might also appreciate it.

Let's dive in!

Page 1

Charlie Brown: Free at last! We have escaped reality itself and shall no longer be bound to that monochromatic prison!

Some guy: Hi Charlie Brown! Want to tour a 1950's newspaper building?

Charlie Brown: Hell yes I do!

Page 2

I love that they're bragging about the speed of their elevators.

Page 3

I want to explore the photography labyrinth.

Page 4

This stuff here is particularly interesting to me. We take for granted just now much more efficient computers have made the printing process.

Page 5

In case you were wondering what this stuff actually looked like:

*EDIT: To be clear, these are not actually pictures of the Des Moines Register. Just newspaper equipment from around that time.

Page 6

The one thing that bugs me about this comic is that for some reason they decided to have Lucy be the mature one of the two.

Also, I literally just now noticed that that top panel is different from the one in the book for some reason. Some of the departments on page 3 and the first panel of page 5 also seem to be different from their online versions. I guess they did a revision at some point?

Bonus: Please notice this very good Charlie Brown drawing.

Page 7

Morgan Freeman voice: “It was not here to stay”

Though to the DMR's credit it still seems to be alive and kicking.

Page 8

Charlie Brown: Incredible! I'm going to get myself a newspaper job right now so that I too can be a part of this noble profession!

Later:

And that's the whole thing! Apologies for the questionable quality. The only version of this that I've been able to find online was scanned in 2007 by this guy. If you click the link be sure to read the comments because a couple of Bob Davenport's family members apparently responded to the blog post providing additional information.

Here's hoping that someday somebody does a better quality scan because it's a neat little piece of comics history that deserves be be kept around in a readable format.

Hope you all enjoyed it!