#it's available for free on the internet archive if you don't want to buy it

[hellcatsandcars]

for all my "eroticism of the machine" tumblrinas: please go read electronic eros: bodies and desire in the postindustrial age by claudia springer. it will be worth it trust me

[gen-is-gone]

Where can I read the eighth doctor adventures?

So the Internet Archive has a bunch of them in just about as readable a format as you're likely to get reading digitally, but they're missing a number of early books as well as City of the Dead and Grimm Reality.

I have a massive zip file of every Target, VNA, VMA, EDA, PDA, and NSA (up through to the end of Ten's run at least)

...but the xdrive I have them all saved on is in uh. Poor shape, and needs to be professionally recovered which is giving me no end of anxiety and I've been putting it off for months fuck me so I currently don't have access to a better source of all these files because I really need to back up my shit better :|

That being said, this fandom is old hat at passing bootleg books around, so I open the floor to anyone else who'd like to come in for the assist.

Also if you prefer reading physical books, despite much fandom moaning about how expensive a hobby collecting is, most of the books individually won't break the bank, and you can find them in places such as ebay and abebooks and the like with a little dedicated hunting. Unfortunately, some of them are truly exorbitantly priced and there isn't really a way around that beyond being diligent and getting lucky. Some books are also available on the official BBC website, and I believe if you buy from there, the respective authors still get some royalties, so that's also a consideration.

[ Here ] is a (somewhat spoilery) breakdown of the books and their arcs.

@johannesviii also has a [ pretty good rec list ] of essential books up to Anachrophobia if you want to dip your toes in the water with some guaranteed good books first. They also have a very fun ongoing book by book liveblog [ here ].

There are also fanmade audiobooks of the first few EDAs, which I reblogged a link to [ here ].

Happy reading! I hope you like them!

ETA: @scarlet-moon has provided a link to every book in various formats:

[dreamingeyes]

i wanted to share this because i think it's important and i haven't seen anyone mention it:

i highly recommend reading Edward W. Said's book After the Last Sky: Palestinian Lives (available on internet archive for free, but i recommend buying it). Said is palestinian, and in the book he talks about his childhood in palestine and the effects of being exiled from his homeland.

it's extremely important to read palestinian perspectives of historical events, as depending on what you read, it can drastically affect your own perspective. media outlets siding with israel call the palestinians “terrorists” and frame them as the ones in the wrong. however, a palestinian person's POV is radically different. palestine does not have an official military force, so they are practically defenseless against israel's attacks. it could be argued (i would argue) that what israel is doing is virtually genocide, and palestine’s attacks on them are acts of self-defense and of protest against their oppressor.

the book is a true eye opener, and everything that Said says is still relevant today/can be applied to the israel-hamas war. it also includes photos, which truly emphasize the trauma and horrors the palestinian people have faced.

here's an amazon review of the book i think sums it up really well: "This book is a must-see/read for anybody interested in a genuine solution to the pressing problems in Palestine. Edward Said's poignant descriptions of both Palestinian woes and the fight to retain identity force one either to reeavaluate his or her notions of the Palestinians (if one is inclined to take Western propaganda for granted), or to further support the Palestinian right to live with increased fervor and empathy. If the text is not given a chance, then the photos pose an even greater challenge: Should we finally all accept responsibility for the faltering, ludicrous "peace process" in the Middle East?"

don't stop talking about palestine! don't stop supporting the palestinian people! people are still dying! FREE PALESTINE! 🇵🇸

[carriesthewind]

a question, if you don't mind it! I read your post about the IA, and it makes a lot of sense, I wasn't aware of how their lending system operated, so thank you for that. I was curious, does there exist/do you know of any digital library that operates fairly and without harming authors? lending on a one to one basis etc? this isn't an "aha, there is not ethical option available to me so I'm allowed to steal, gotcha!", I just genuinely hope something like that exists bc for several reasons I don't have access to a physical library rn. thanks and I hope this isn't a bother <3

Hi Anon!

Unfortunately, I think the answer to what you are looking for is going to boil down to "there are a lot of free online books and resources, but not resources that will allow you to borrow any given book." But it's going to be a little bit of a complicated path to get there.

Part of the problem is the words "fairly" and "without harming authors." Because "fair" does not necessarily equal "legal," and authors can and do disagree about what systems cause them harm. So is "controlled digital lending"(CDL) (where instead of buying or licensing an e-book, the lender digitizes print book and lends the digital copy) that's one-to-one owned-to-loaned fair and not harm authors? Well, as the district court held, it's certainly not legal in the U.S. (because to be clear: while the IA was/is not doing one-to-one owned-to-loaned, the holding of the court was that even it it was, that would violate U.S. copyright law). But is it fair (or more fair and equitable than current digital copyright law) and does it harm authors? As I've said in a previous post, I have not stated and will not state a personal opinion on that. If you want to read more, the statement I previously linked by the National Writer's Union takes a position that it is unfair and harms authors; for a counter-position that it is fair and does not harm authors, here's the memorandum the EFF filed in support of their motion for summary judgement for the IA. And you can find lots and lots more written on both sides of the issue. (If you are struggling with where to start: a google search for "internet archive controlled digital lending" will bring up a lot of articles about the case with links to various statements and opinions.)

If you are looking to avoid illegal or disputed CDL, there are options, but they are limited: that is, there is plenty of digital books and reading material that is legally and fairly available online, but you are unlikely to be able to borrow any specific book. Some options that exist:

On the IA's "Open Library": anything in the public domain (including, as of 2023, anything published or released in the U.S. prior to 1928), as well as anything where the rights-holder has allowed the IA to distribute their work. (If legality matters less to to you "fair" and "harms authors," you might also be ok with works on IA if the author has permitted the IA or another site to loan their work in defiance of an allegedly unfair or exploitative contract.)

If you want to avoid the IA's "Open Library," HathiTrust Digital Library won their copyright case (correctly, imo) and host a bunch (17+ million) of digital books and other items. (By the way: this was a case where the IA - as one of their partner organizations - was on the right side and the Authors Guild, who sued them, was, imo, on the wrong side. Just to emphasize how complicated this is.) But (unless you are a member of one of their partner institutions - mostly universities) your access is limited to reading works that are in the public domain or for which they have been given permission from the copyright holder.

Lots of individuals and organizations post written material for free online! For example, while many journal articles are hidden behind paywalls, many are not; lots of short story magazines (esp. genre fic) have free digital versions; and lots of people post books for free online under a Creative Commons License. I don't know of any universal library for these kinds things though - where to look will depend on what you are looking for.

Beyond that, it depends on where you are and what you are looking for. For example, if you aren't in the U.S., there may be country-specific digital resources (e.g. does your country have a national library, and does it have digital resources)?

You can try looking into:

Local university or resource centers: sometimes, even if you aren't a student or profession, many of these institutions offer resources, including digital resources, to their local communities.

Local museums: same as above.

Local cultural or other kinds of resource centers: sometimes these kinds of organizations will have community libraries. These will often be specific to the interest of the organization in question, but it's worth checking!

Finally, if you are in the U.S.: if your lack of access to a physical library is based on the fact that you can't physically get to or access the library, but you do have a local library, you have options! Even if you can't get there to access a library card, some libraries will allow you to create a card online just for their digital collection. And many libraries have resources to assist home-bound patrons - it's always worth calling and asking.

If anyone else has any other suggestions, please feel free to add them! (Especially if you have information on non-U.S. and/or non-english specific resources)

[archivehornets]

TAGS WE USE ☆ ABOUT US ☆ OUR WEBSITE Hello, and welcome to Archivehornets! We’re a freelance archival project dedicated to collecting & cataloguing digital media related to internet horror series Marble Hornets. Submissions are always open; ensure you read our submission guidelines! Leave any questions in our inbox, and they will be dutifully answered by either mod. Never be afraid to ask a question! We have an answer, or can direct you to a person that does know. Below is our FAQ, what we're currently in search of, and a breakdown of our significant resources.

I’m looking for X special feature, can you help? The only “special features” you will find here will be the occasional picture from the DVDs. We are not going to post or archive anything in bulk that can be bought that is still available on the Grampo store. We are currently on the lookout for any original Kickstarter special features, as they are not available anymore. If you're looking for a specific moment that hasn't been lost to time, you should purchase it directly from the Grampo storefront. (Blu-ray special features, comics, etc.) I'm in some pictures from your post, what can I do? If you happen to be in any pictures that have been posted and do not want them archived or shared around, feel free to send a DM to either mod or an ask with a link to the specific post. It happens! We will willingly delete them for you.

-ANY Old Kickstarter reward videos, from the $100 tier of the original MH S3 DVD Kickstarter.

-ANY old THAC Patreon content lost to time, personalized videos, BTS bits, etc.

-ANY Ustream clips, recordings, screenshots of any of the THAC guys. Together OR separate.

-Scans of any papers that fans received as a bonus from buying auctioned MH clothes or other various items, or through other means.

-Personal anecdotes from meeting anyone behind MH at cons or otherwise

Archive.org: Our Archive.org profile lists not only all of MH, but various BTS videos, THAC bits, and other content! Soon to host all of BNWYDSE. Troy's Blogspot: Along with personal anecdotes, notes about movies he enjoys, etc. This includes notes here and there about BTS of MH! Fanmix Playlists: Our YouTube has a collection of fan content & bits and bobs from across the years. Being updated still. MH Fan Content Playlist: Sorted by year, these playlists have lots of fan content from 2009-2014. Reactions, memes, that sort of thing. MH Interviews & Misc: This is a STILL updating playlist full of interviews, demo reels, and film projects from the guys behind MH. Music/Animation Playlist: A mix of both animated and musical projects based around MH.

Make sure to check out our tags we use, and don't be afraid to shoot us an ask if you have any questions!

[drrr-emporium]

What to do if Durarara over

I'm going to assume you've finished the anime and have not gone into anything else Naritaverse wise

So! You can read the novels. Since they're officially licensed by yen press, you can buy the soft cover books or get them as an ebook / kindle from barnes and noble or amazon. I don't really endorse this but I'm sure if you do enough digging around you can find old, still available, free translations like anni_fiesta who did a lot of translating back in the day. Here's the link to their Index of Translation. I still use it since it's the only place I know that has the white day story translated and it's one of my favorites (For Kadota Related reasons haha), plus a couple of other side stories.

(I think the internet archives have the novels if you do some poking around but for Narita Please Write SH 5 reasons, I'll ask you to dig those up lmao)

Speaking of Side stories, Kazinha-726 translated a bunch of drrr side stories But since they haven't updated in a while, you need to change the links from kaedesan721 to their new URL kazinha-726. I'll directly link what you need here

Izaya Spin Off Translations I don't think these are officially licensed for translation so it's fine for me to link. This is the story of Izaya now that he's been forced out of Ikebukuro, and there's two books as of writing this.

Durarara Gaidens It's some gaidens, but It's also a handful of translated convos from 3 way stand of alley relay, the links use that kaedesan721 link, so while I won't be fixing all those links for you, I can at least link the tag for all of them here. you can probably find audio for this game on youtube, though I'm not sure anyone's like.... fully translated? perhaps? Which ALSO reminds me of the relay manga

Durarara Epitome of Eighteen Histories Written along side the release of season 2, we've got some stories involving Kazane Kinomiya, who's the half sister of Shinra, and a reporter. They have all 18 listed there nicely EXCEPT the Erika and Walker Link is a little messed up, and if you search through the posts you can get to it but anyway here's the link to that story specifically

DRRR x Hakata Tonkatsu Ramens Actually I haven't seen HTR or read it so I can't really tell you about this one but if you're into that series--

There's ALSO MiniDura which are little gag comics of the durarara cast in chibis! there should be 4 books as of me writing this. Godspeed on finding translations they seem to be around.... but this post is long and I'm scared of losing it so I'll update later on how many chapters there are so you don't miss any, though I'm seeing up to 10 in my cursory search.

Shizuo, Izaya, and Celty are also in uh.... Dengeki Bunko's fighting Climax, which you might be able to find some stuff on on youtube. but since it's Dengeki Bunko you also have other series... I can only remember A Certain Magical Index / A Certain Scientific Railgun / the other titles in this series as being part of it whoops.

So you've done all that, what do you do next?

Well Narita has other series, like Baccano! which had an anime before DRRR did, which is 16 episodes. Since Funimation lost the license back in like... 2012 it's not officially uh licensed for viewing anywhere, so uh. wink wink. message me if you need more help here.

There's ALSO the novels which... there are so many more than there are for drrr, also available to purchase, though these are hardcovers! Last time I checked they had.... around 20 translated? Since I'm more drrr side I'd have to ask about fan translations and if I can still find them around. But again I don't really condone it since we want more written you know?

Narita also has a couple other series, but the one that's my favorite besides DRRR is Etsusa Bridge (It's pronounced Essa Bridge don't make the same mistake I did. )

And i NEED more people to read that one please please please please

Unfortunately, the person who did the fan translation closed their Blogspot to the public so uh. the first 4 books, and really what is the main story, is available on the internet archive here

Though I'm saying thank you to baka-tsuki for my life by having a page of links here, which includes the 5th book, 5656 part two (NARITA..... I NEED 5656 PART 2 PLEASE...... PLEASE)

and Vamp on the internet archive here and baka-tsuki here

I also know about Hariyama-san but i don't actually know... if anyone translated that one..... Narita has also written for Bleach and Fate Strange/ Fake if you're into those. Straight up just linking this wiki page in case you have any interest in other stuff he's written

And finally! Currently, Dead Mount Death Play (often shortened to DMDP) is a manga written (or co written?) by Narita! which is currently getting an anime and all of his attention.

All that being said I've been really into Trigun lately lmao

Anyone else feel free to add on or tell me what I may be missing

[shae-s-heartsong]

David Tennant & Michael Sheen Masterlist

Hi !

As a fan of David Tennant & Michael Sheen stuck in a David Tennant & Michael Sheen hyperfixation, I decided to make a sort of archive of places on the Internet where to find DT/MS series, film, short films and theater plays to watch, preferably for free, but also, if not possible, places I can ren/buy or stream them. I collected links to watch some stuff for free, I also added in which streaming platforms you can find them, and in which countries those stuff are available (sometimes it's available in one country and not another; sometimes you can find it for free in one country but not another...) - I restricted myself to websites that looked SAFE; I guess if I did more research on various and possibly risky websites, I could find more, but I don't want to take such a risk.

If you want me to share my doc with all the links I've found so far, I'd be very pleased to share it with you (send comment/DM). I'm sure I haven't found all of it, but I did manage to find and compile some stuff, for those who might not have the energy to look for it.

[steampunkvampireworm]

ooh baby we're back in business for sure

so after my rage-fuelled obsession with the movie had died down i kind of forgot about it for the most part. (that is a lie. i am lying.) but one day i somehow discovered that it was based on a BOOK and set out to read said book out of morbid curiosity. (i expected it to be just a novel version of the movie, and i wanted to see how an author could create something so empty using words. i was wrong of course, but that's not the point.) i figured it would be at the secondhand bookstore, but i looked there to no avail. i did, however, find another novel by the same author (walter tevis); the steps of the sun. i flipped to a random page and it appeared to show the protagonist whining about how his testicles don't work. this was unpromising.

i then read the man who fell to earth on internet archive, where it is available entirely for free. you just have to make an account and then while you're reading you have to click “renew” once every hour. it took me somewhere around 4-5 hours to read i think. and it was really good.

genuinely. it was a fantastic book. (i ended up later buying it from the regular bookstore because it turns out that walter tevis also happens to be the author of the queen's gambit, that book about chess which has a show based on it, so all his books got a new life thanks to one of them being adapted.)

the book, much like the film, follows an alien called thomas jerome newton who comes to earth to save the few remaining people on his planet, except that this planet has been ravaged by nuclear war. it's also got a name: anthea. a minor issue with the novel is that it contains a lot of info-dumps, even right from the start, but compared to the unexplained torrent of bullshit in the movie, this is a fucking relief. after the pawn-shop scene which plays out pretty similarly to the movie but with more fun, relatable anxiety about being an alien and having to talk to service workers, we get some fairly unimportant and rather strange information about the alien's biology, which is also very silly and kind of fun despite being unoriginal and making no sense. remember, the year was somewhere around 1963 and the man who wrote the book was an english professor at a university. for example, antheans don't have an appendix, or wisdom teeth, or fingernails. don't ask me why. they're basically just humans but taller and thinner and with a lot of parts missing. (i like it though, it's silly.)

the rest of the book actually has a plot, similar to the vestiges of a plot in the film, wherein newton becomes fabulously wealthy, moves to the middle of nowhere with the main girl, builds a rocket-ship, hires nathan bryce who suspects him to be an alien, unrelated to this gets captured by the government, etcetera. these things are actually explained as they happen, and make sense without you having to read a guide alongside the book. in addition to the plot, there are also characters with distinctive personalities. i read the book partly aloud to my friend, and gave the characters actual voices (something i never do when reading aloud). the characters have noticeable changes throughout the novel, and each of the main trio forms a connection with the others. there is no romance plot whatsoever, which was lovely. the characters are very human, very relatable, and very ordinary, despite one of them literally being an alien. they have mundane struggles with life, work, relationships, and addiction, which are not, in my opinion, romanticized or used for spectacle. there are also themes, mainly those of isolation and alienation. it may not be the most thrilling book, there may not be a mystery or a romance or action, so if that's what you want, go read james bond. (the movies are even good, for the most part.) but while walter tevis may not have written an epic spy thriller, or a murder mystery, or an erotic romance, he did write a very beautiful little book about humanity. PLEASE READ IT IT'S SO GOOD PLEASE—

so the thing about the book is that while it is a fantastic, genuinely quite well-written (though dated) sci fi novel with a plot and honestly very likeable characters and themes that make you think instead of pretending to make you think, it does have one problem. it puts into high relief just how absolutely fucking awful the movie is, worse than i could have thought, worse than the world could have known. it is my sincere belief that the screenwriter HEARD of the book from a friend and then read it in it's entirety…during an acid-fuelled fever dream. (not as unlikely as you'd think honestly.)

but the problem with that theory is that that upon rewatching the film, there are several incredibly specific elements from the book which somehow ended up in the movie. this includes the painting of the fall of icarus and its accompanying poem, the hundreds of identical wedding rings which newton sells in the beginning to make enough money to meet with the lawyer, the shiny fingernails??? (sidenote i feel like bowie just kept putting on more nail polish as filming went on, his nails seem to get shinier every scene), the fucking oatmeal cookies (why), and probably others. this means that the filmmakers read the book and decided to replace all the themes and metaphors with surface-level spectacle, all of the plot-relevant internal monologue with shots of characters staring at one another or into space, and all of the dialogue with sex. (and everyone else was too high to argue, i suppose.)

this is such a tragedy that i can hardly comprehend it. there are even flashes, within the film, of what it could have been if nic roeg hadn't been entirely absorbed in making a cheap-looking, disjointed, “artsy” pile of garbage with an r rating slapped on to garner some kind of reaction. i would call it a porno, but that's an insult to porn directors. instead i will call it what it is, which is pathetic.

in one scene which appears to be entirely original wherein the two main characters (because nathan bryce is a sidenote of a sidenote in this movie and serves only to make bowie look prettier than he is in the ending scene) are hanging out in the hotel room and mary-lou (in the book she's called betty jo but they changed her name and aged her down about twenty years so that they could make her have sex with the main character) asks what newton does for a living and he replies, “oh, i'm just visiting,” and mary-lou, delighted, says “oh! a traveller!” and newton (bowie) gives this sweet smile and for a moment i could pretend that everything was going to be fine, except it wasn't, and the girl immediately begins blabbing again. i just wish that they had included more lines like these, more actual fucking dialogue, because it was the part of the book which i liked the best, along with the possibly-unintentional comedy.

one final thing to note before i close out this chapter is that in the book newton is constantly described as being incredibly fragile, with bones like a bird's, barely able to withstand earth's gravity (that being 3 times the gravity of his own planet, which actually checks out scientifically, and interestingly implies that anthea is slightly smaller than earth) to the point where even being bumped into would probably injure him. being bumped into. so like. if he had sex like he does in the movie he would genuinely probably just fucking die.

stay tuned for more, hopefully i don't lose this manic pixie dream bitch energy by tomorrow morning.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Do you have any idea where I can read the first book of kotlc for free? I can't buy it at this time :(

I have some ideas! The most obvious answer is to get it from your local library; Keeper is a fairly popular book, so there's a good chance you can find it. You can likely also, through said library, check it out as en ebook/audiobook online through the Libby app (which you can also just access from the computer) if you can't physically go to the library. If you don't have a library card, check whether your library has a online account sign up option to get access.

If none of those work for you, you can instead register for a (completely free) account at Internet Archive. This site has scanned in books that you can read by checking them out for short periods of time, and I found a few copies of keeper: here's one, and you can look up others yourself. I have an account myself and it's really no hassle at all!

There are some other sites that say you can download it as a pdf, or to sign up for a 30 day free trial for access to read their digital version, but I can't vouch for those sites, so use at your own risk. I can vouch for Internet Archive being easy to use and free though. Since you have to check it out and I'm sharing this publicly, you might have to check out a different one (I can see about 4 rn) if someone else checks out the one I linked, but check outs are for an hour at a time, so not a long wait.

If you wanted to, you can also look up "keeper of the lost cities audiobook" on YouTube and find a handful of self-made readings by fans of the series. If you're alright dealing with unprofessional audiobooks, then that's a solid option.

So those are 3 ways you can access the first book without buying it! Later books in the series are available on sites like epub, but for the first I'd recommend either through the library or Internet Archive. hope that helps!

[plush-escapism]

I gotta know if there's like. A webkinz emulator out there. And I don't mean a code generator for free pets, or an emulator for just the games in the arcade (those are all archived on the flashpoint emulator) I mean like. An emulator for the virtual world. Because I miss playing Webkinz classic but I don't want to try and track down unused codes or have to buy new ones every so often from the webstore or whatever. And I miss my old pets that got sent to the "you didn't buy enough webkinz" shadow realm.

I'm wary of asking this on the internet because you can't trust every link you see but I am very curious if anyone's made one available.

I'd be happy even if it was just the house building and decorating part. That's actually the part I miss the most.

[plokster]

Character Design Visual Library - A collection of concept art for different character design types you can use as references. Also contains poses and links to tons of other resources.

Paletton - If you have trouble with color theory, you can use Paletton to give you a good idea of what colors go well together.

QuickPoses - Timed gesture drawing you can take (mostly) at your own pace. If you sign up, you can track your progress and even print out little certificates once you meet certain time requirements. Completely free, but they have an offline version that you can add your own photos to if you throw them 15 bucks.

Adorkastock - A DeviantART user who has tons and tons of photo references for poses.

PhotoPea - A free, in-browser copy of Adobe Photoshop. Doesn't have every feature, but still has quite a lot.

Font Matcherator - See a font you want to use in your own work, but can't find it? Take a screenshot, upload it to the Font Matcherator and it will try to find it, or ones similar to it. The font you're looking for might be free! The website itself, Font Squirrel, also has tons of free fonts hosted there.

@artist-refs - A defunct tumblr blog who used to reblog and tag every tutorial they came across. Has been on indefinite hiatus for years now.

/r/SketchDaily - A subreddit that offers 2 drawing prompts everyday. Good for when you can't think of anything to draw.

Blender - Probably well-known, but I still often see people ask for 3D software so: Blender is a completely free 3D sculpting program with literally every feature you can ask for. It's open source, meaning people can make plugins to add even more stuff to it. Extremely high learning curve, but it's very quickly becoming an industry standard because of how accessible it is.

Blender Froggy Tutorial - If you're just starting out in Blender, here's a good tutorial that will teach you the basics. May want to watch at 0.5x speed.

Joe Murray's Creating Animated Cartoons with Character - The creator of Rocko's Modern Life and Camp Lazlo put out a book about his cartoon/ character design philosophy a while back. It had a very limited printing run, and as a result, people started buying and upselling copies. To combat this, Joe Murray decided to put the whole thing online for free.

DrawABox - A website that teaches you the absolute basics of drawing. Goes very, very in depth.

Internet Archive - Just in case someone is unaware, Internet Archive is a wonderful place where out-of-print books, video games, programs, music, and more are archived. There are tons of art books available at your disposal. Some examples: How to Draw Manga Furries (don't be fooled, it's actually pretty good) and CartoonModern - Visual Cartoon Design of the 1950's. Tons and tons of art books are available at your disposal.

KidPix - It's KidPix! In your browser! For free!

JsPaint - Original Microsoft Paint! In your browser! For free!

hot artists don't gatekeep

I've been resource gathering for YEARS so now I am going to share my dragons hoard

Floorplanner. Design and furnish a house for you to use for having a consistent background in your comic or anything! Free, you need an account, easy to use, and you can save multiple houses.

Comparing Heights. Input the heights of characters to see what the different is between them. Great for keeping consistency. Free.

Magma. Draw online with friends in real time. Great for practice or hanging out. Free, paid plan available, account preferred.

Smithsonian Open Access. Loads of free images. Free.

SketchDaily. Lots of pose references, massive library, is set on a timer so you can practice quick figure drawing. Free.

SculptGL. A sculpting tool which I am yet to master, but you should be able to make whatever 3d object you like with it. free.

Pexels. Free stock images. And the search engine is actually pretty good at pulling up what you want.

Figurosity. Great pose references, diverse body types, lots of "how to draw" videos directly on the site, the models are 3d and you can rotate the angle, but you can't make custom poses or edit body proportions. Free, account option, paid plans available.

Line of Action. More drawing references, this one also has a focus on expressions, hands/feet, animals, landscapes. Free.

Animal Photo. You pose a 3d skull model and select an animal species, and they give you a bunch of photo references for that animal at that angle. Super handy. Free.

Height Weight Chart. You ever see an OC listed as having a certain weight but then they look Wildly different than the number suggests? Well here's a site to avoid that! It shows real people at different weights and heights to give you a better idea of what these abstract numbers all look like. Free to use.

[skekheck]

I finally had the time to sit down and actually read both the Making of the Dark Crystal and Dark Crystal: Ultimate Visual History. I also promised to talk about comparisons and differences between the two. So here goes:

I initially believed that UVH would be a successor to MotDC, being the lengthier of the two books (192 pages as opposed to 96). And to an extent, it is. A good portion of the things MotDC covers is also seen in UVH but in more depth. However, I found that there are a number of key differences between the two as well as containing exclusive information that can't be found in the other.

MotDC feels "fresh" in a way as it was written while the author was on set during TDC's production. This might be why the book heavily focuses on pre-production and filming as opposed to other elements including the story. (But to give the book credit, it did focus on the best aspect of the movie).

It has some exclusive interviews, dive into Brian Froud's inspiration for Thra's cosmography, and some struggles Henson faced when trying to find the right person to fill in a role that isn't touched upon in UVH. MotDC is a little bit more chronological than UVH although both stick to a similar timelines (something I will discuss in a bit). MotDC also has small profiles of the main characters or races as well as uncommon production images (such as unique stills, physical descriptors for the Skeksis that helped build the puppets, and concept art).

UVH's title doesn't lie: it really is the ultimate timeline for TDC. It really goes over everything from the brainstorming, pre-production, filming, and all the way to its reception and the fanbase that slowly built afterward. It's incredibly more detailed in the things it covers, moreso than MotDC. It also feels more personal in a way, especially considering it starts off with a foreword by Cheryl Henson and an introduction piece by Brian and Wendy Froud.

Scattered through the pages are loose papers of drafts, notes, and even early treatments (including the original proof of concept "Mithra Treatment booklet") to give the book an extra bit of character. As mentioned before it does stick to a timeline, but they clumped pre-production information together. For example, they put all of the work that went into the Jen and Kira puppets in one section even though a lot of these things happened at different points in time, at least according to MotDC. However, I feel like this organization helped the narrative of the book better even if it wasn't chronologically accurate. This book was also published as AOR was being written and the book leaves off on a hopeful note for the future of the franchise.

So from my standing, both books are excellent and you should check them out. MotDC is a good read if you just want to know the basics of what went on during production, but I also think UVH is excellent if you got the time to read it. You can currently buy UVH, but MotDC is out-of-print. As someone who owns a physical copy of MotDC, you DO NOT have to buy it. There's a free archived copy available provided by the Internet Archive. If you want a physical copy, don't buy it above $100. There are people who sell it below $70 you just have to be patient and wait for the right price drop. I got mine pretty cheap and it's in good condition. Just make sure you do research before buying from a seller.

[spookyceph]

Hello and welcome to my shrine place of power writing blog. I'm Ceph, they/them, and despite the ghostly username I am, in fact, a regular human adult with a job, college homework, skin, blood, etc. Video games, houseplants, and buying books faster than I read them are just a few of my hobbies.

I write different flavors of fantasy mostly, with sprinkles of horror and romance/spice thrown in for pizzazz. If you're interested in...

Vampires, werecreatures, necromancers, merfolk, and/or passive-aggressive poltergeists

Resourceful protagonists in terrible peril who sometimes make choices that change things forever, for better or worse

Lovers becoming enemies becoming forced allies and maybe more in some cases

Themes of solidarity, the myriad facets of love, and people fighting for a better future

Slow burns

Worldbuilding that I definitely don't make up on the fly

Mortals becoming deities and vice versa

Telepathic monsters that could devour your soul -OR- become your best friend

Liminal spaces like roadside diners at 3 a.m

...you might find my WIPs tolerable. Possibly even fun.

This is my main blog, from which I follow/like. @ceph-the-ghost-writer is my writeblr one. Follow the sideblogs @dysthanasia-series and/or @the-primrose-path-story to get notifications for new chapters and other neat story-related stuff. Check out @coven-archives to see what I'm reblogging from fellow writers.

I welcome asks, prompts, writblr events (Worldbuilding Wednesday, etc.), and any interactions that lead to transmutating Internet strangers into friends. Do tell me about your characters and lore. I want to devour know all of it. Yes, even the obscure facts that never really make it into the story despite hours of research poured into them. Especially those.

Below the cut you'll find links to read my various WIPs, stories, and fanfics which will increase my power every time you click one. Content advisories are at the top of each work and chapter.

Sign up to be put on the taglist for a project

Patreon (most of my writing is available for free)

Apophenia

Ao3

Genre(s): Paranormal/urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, vampires

Summary:

Mermaids don't exist. Every agent of the Coven, the organization that researches and governs the supernatural community, knows that. Accepting a classified assignment to investigate sightings along the Broken Coast is just an easy paycheck as far as Isaac Soto is concerned (not to mention another way to avoid dealing with his trauma and relationship issues).

A chance meeting with a charming stranger in a roadside diner changes not only the course of Isaac's assignment but the trajectory of his life. A life now in danger of being cut short unless he figures out how to escape the bloodborn who takes him hostage, a necromancer out to kill both of them, and the corruption at the heart of the organization he thought he believed in.

Apophenia is the introduction to Dysthanasia, a series that follows a cast of human and supernatural characters as they navigate a post-climate apocalypse Earth, fight against (or with) various factions vying for control, and find peril, solidarity, love, redemption, and purpose along the way. Discover what the world became and meet those who will determine what it might yet be.

The Primrose Path

Genre(s): High fantasy, erotica/rocky romance

Summary:

When his village is taken captive by an enemy nation, Illuminator Ân's priority is to make sure his people survive to fight another day. Faced with everything he's stood against as a priest of Cyanos, god of light and life, Ân prays for the strength to overcome and do what he must. It's not long before he receives signs that his petitions have been heard. Just not by the deity he serves.

A master list to my ShigaDabi or LoV fics, as well as related artwork.

Updated Nov 2023

Art Commissions by kofiscrib

1. Shigaraki from "Small Favor" -SFW

2. "Stitches" with Dabi and Twice - SFW

3. "Friendly Competition" with Spinner, Magne, and Kurogiri - SFW

4. Fuyumi and Natsuo having some fun in the snow - SFW

Salt, Sugar, Heat (Bakery AU, Tenko/Touya)

Chapter 1: Help Wanted

Chapter 2: Clock In

Chapter 3: Clock Out

Chapter 4: Overtime

First and Last and Always Series (ShigaDabi)

1. Peace Offering - SFW

2. Fringe Benefits - NSFW

3. Small Favor - SFW

4. Good Graces Pt. 1 - NSFW

5. Good Graces Pt. 2 - NSFW

6. Show Me Yours - NSFW

The Sum of Its Parts Series (LoV fics)

1. Comfort Zone Pt. 1 - SFW

2. Comfort Zone Pt. 2 - SFW

3. Pull Test - SFW

4. Dust to Dust - SFW Pt. I : Pt. II : Pt. III : Pt. IV : Part V

ShigaDabi Week 2020

1. Fantasy | A Small Price to Pay - SFW

2. Ugly | Warts and All - NSFW

3. Mythology | A Folktale - SFW

4. Trust | Burn a Bridge, Build a Raft - SFW

5. Civilians | Garden-variety - SFW

6. Distance | Absence - SFW

7. Redemption/The End | Reset - SFW

8. Free Day! | I Sense a Presence in the Room - SFW

Fic Ideas/Outlines

Spinnerakidabi Idea 1 | Idea 2

HC Asks

Spinner & Shigaraki Platonic Ask

Shigaraki & Toga Platonic Ask

Writing Asks

Send me a BNHA prompt or ask and I'll give it a go!

Ship prompts from this list:

1. Hanabi (Dabi/Shigaraki) - SFW

2. Touché (Dabi/Hawks) - SFW

Send me a ship and a number and I'll write you a drabble or ficlet.

1. Togachako - SFW

2. ShigaDabi - SFW

[amongwd]

Why you don't need WinRar on Windows 11

Let's find out what analog you can use instead of buying paid WinRar.

Why is it so popular?

It has been long time and a lot of Windows users got used to this application a lot. Since filesharing sites epoch, you know - those that let you upload a file up to 100 mb and then asking for a money to download it in higher speeds. I guess we all are happy that those sites are almost not used now during to clouds and the free space in clouds also has grown up to 50GB on some services and even more!

Though this doesn't mean that you don't need to be able to open archives in different formats nowadays. So, unfortunately, a lot of cloud shared files or old music archives that you probably have somewhere are in RAR format.

Is this format obsolete? Well, yes and no. This archiver is not Free and even if you can use it without any limitations to open files and just ignore the 40 day expired trial warning, it is almost ok, but that means that you actually do illegal thing! So, that means that you should decide if you want to buy WinRar or no after 40 days of usage, and, if you decided not to buy - just uninstall it. This will give you karma.

So, as it goes to the RAR format, it is old but WinRar is always updated and there are new formats available now - RAR4 and RAR5 (RAR5 is actually RAR4, which was old and replaced and renamed to RAR4).

Free analog

And that means that you actually need WinRar... or wait a minute - isn't there a free software to open all these stuff? Well, actually it is and for some reason reason many people don't know about it. It is called 7-zip (seven zip) and can be downloaded on official site.

So, I suggest to download the stable version though if you want to have more format support it is definitely better to download the newest possible.

Look, it even has version for Mac OS X! But it is only console version (on the screenshot). If you want GUI version, you can go ahead with Keka

It is the same 7zip console version that just has beautiful interface.

So, is 7zip better than WinRar? It is actually a difficult question, on the one side we have opensource archiver which will not have any problems with support as any developer can take the source code and compile a new archiver app. But on the other hand we have pros of WinRar - nice icons (custom themes can be downloaded) and the most important - performance. Well, 7zip is effective but slower than WinRar, but does it really matter today, when HDD prices are too low? Probably not, at least if you create backups a lot and open a lot of rar archives. This is not the case of most of the users today.

And about compression, let's perform a test: download the world's largest text file - "Leo Tolstoi - Wolrd and War" and try to archive it.

So, the original file size was 3.6 MB, and default zipped file is 1.4 MB, which is the worst out of the archivers. For 7zip filesize on Ultra comression is 1 MB, so we gain almost 4 times for disk space here. And rar4 and rar size is almost the same, it differs only in few kilobytes and actually the size of 7z is the smallest here, though the difference between 7z and rar4 is just a 70 KB, it is not the main pros for the WinRar - let's say we compress 460 MB of text files with 7zip. It took 1 minute and 08 seconds for me to add text files to archive. Result file was 1.6 MB. But WinRar with rar4 compressed the same directory just in a 3-5 seconds! Blazing fast, and the size was 2.3 MB. Slightly more, but much much faster.

Conclusion

WinRar pros:

Fast

Pretty icons

Everybody get used to it

Opens pretty much every archive formats

WinRar cons:

Not free

No binary for linux/mac

Can't create archives in xz, tar and etc.

7zip pros:

Free (Open Source project)

Opens a lot of formats (including rar)

Can create linux format archives

Available on Linux and Mac (as a p7zip packages for each distro)

High compression rate

7zip cons:

Can't create rar archive

Slower compression/decompression speeds

Summary: WinRar is good when you use it a lot for purpose (creation of archives). But if you are just a casual computer user and surfing internet it is better to use 7zip because it is free and powerful.

P.S:

Not all the files are compressed equally well. The best compression is done for text files, but if you will try to compress a docx file - the size of result will be the same because docx is actually a zip archive (really, just open it with 7zip). Also, video, audio and pictures (jpg) also have their own compression applied already, so adding them to a rar/7zip archive will do nothing for them. Though, for example, TIFF files can be well compressed to rar/7z with lossless quality (it is good for high resolution scans - saving space and not losing quality).

P.S.S:

And for experiment purpose I'll write here my configuration: Ryzen 5900x (stock) with DRAM 2666mHz (stock) and all the actions were done in a ramdisk, so we don't have a disk bottleneck in this experiment and also I created the archive 2 times. When Windows reads a file for the first time and if there is some room in RAM, the file will be COPIED to RAM and the second read of the same file will be done directly from RAM. That means that you DO really use all of your PC ram, so more ram is always better.

[lianabrooks]

This is a really good analogy actually, because, like the Library of Alexandria, it wasn't the only library.

The reason it's called The Library of ALEXANDRIA instead of The Library is because every major city had one. When a ship came into port, every scroll and book was confiscated and copied at the library. Sometimes the ship got the original back, sometimes they got the copy back, but either way, the original author was credited and it was done to preserve information.

In every country there is the equivalent of the Library of Congress, which keeps a record of every copyrighted work in perpetua and is free to anyone to access. When a work gets published, part of the agreement that makes it copyrighted to the original author or artist is giving a copy to the LOC as a legal proof.

Internet Archive started as a great way to save other things that the local libraries weren't. Basically, if the LOC is the Library of Alexandria the IA was the person sent to check the walls for cool art and listen for the great gossip so they could record it.

What the IA wasn't meant to do was be a repository for stolen work.

Libraries that you use in your city to access books pay for those copies. Every ebook. Every paperback. Ever hardcovers. Every audio book. They all have special library pricing and renew (or rebuy) after a set number of loans/borrows/whatever.

The IA doesn't. Which means copies of copyrighted works on IA that were not given to the IA under contract (which the LOC has) are pirated and stolen work. The IA went from recording the good gossip and the free internet stuff the LOC wasn't collection to outright thieving copies of books.

Because there's no contract, the IA can loan out a copy of the book to whomever any time they want and the authors get nothing.

If you're not familiar with how much the average modern author gets paid, please understand only a very few authors currently make a living writing. Most are writing as a hobby and working another job to pay the bills because books are undervalued and underpriced.

Pirated books like IA has started offering make writing less viable, and sometimes even impossible. Especially for our high-risk-of-loss authors who are queer, disabled, or from a minority ethnic or racial group. Those people are already underpaid (or unpaid) by their publishing houses and need all the help they can get to earn enough to survive.

The solution would be for IA to sign contracts with authors whose books they want to acquire. Either by letting authors opt-in and give a free copy of their books to IA (a lot of authors do have options for this for underfunded libraries or readers who can't afford their work), or by the IA reaching out themselves and asking permission to upload copies of the work.

That wouldn't cover the cost or loss of sales incurred by having a free copy available, but it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement wherein IA can promote authors (like this? buy your own copy!) and authors supporting IA (can't buy this? IA has a copy you can borrow!).

When asked about something like this the IA has, as of my last contact with them, refused at every turn. They argue that they have the right to the work because they found a copy on the internet and that their mandate to store all data (while being privately held and adhering to no known copyright laws) gives them the right to the author's work.

It does not, in turn, give the author access to the IA's bank account or the IA coder's fridge so the authors can eat.

In a capitalist society where food and shelter are only provided in exchange for work, taking someone's work without returning any way for them to obtain food or shelter is pure evil. It's theft and wage theft.

Will the IA change their procedures and be artist/author-friendly? Maybe.

If they don't, like the Library of Alexandria, it won't actually be a huge loss. There are other libraries doing this exact same thing across the world, and doing it in a way that doesn't hurt the creators of the work you enjoy.

if the significance of the internet archive being threatened has been lost on anyone, maybe these quick comparisons will put it into perspective…

Banning the Internet Archive would be the equivalent of burning the Library of Alexandria hundreds of times…

[mrsluggsthesentientsledgehammer]

On the one hand, DnD is a cultural icon, a much loved piece of gaming history and in recent years responsible for the slow movement of RPGs into the mainstream and out of grandma's basement.

On the other, if WOTC want to try and kill off a reason for DnD's continued success purely for the sake of monetisation then that can only be bad for DnD players, which might actually be good for ttrpgs as a whole. Let's be honest, few people use canon settings, learning the game feels more like work than pleasure and this sort of corporate nonsense has no place in the ttrpg market.

If only there was a sprawling community of enthusiastic games designers churning out absolute bangers on a regular basis so that people had other options....

So let's make a list of them. The easier good alternatives are for people to find, the more likely it is that WOTC and Hasbro get the message.

Like how many rules DnD has? - As above, try pathfinder! The SRD (system reference document) is free on the web, but the core rulebook is a bit pricey at $60.

"Less rules please!" - Have a look at the white hack, you can get the 3rd edition for just under $10. Explicitly marketed as "runs dnd encounters with little to no conversion" and is more or less setting agnostic. 160 pages.

"Still too many rules!" - Fine, try the black hack, its $6 and all the rules fit in 30 pages. You can get all the open licensed bits (i.e. not the art) for free to try before you buy via the online SRD.

Apocalypse vibes? - Mork Borg, the art is... striking, as is the rest of the game. Pretty version costs $15, but the barebones edition is free. It's also drowning in third party content if you want more.

"Dude, I have literally no money" - Have a look at the endless ream of 1 page rpgs from gshowitt on twitter, or hosted at Rowan, Rook and Decard. All free and literally fit on a page.

All about party dynamics and collaberative storytelling? - Try dungeon world, its $10 for the pdf but is based on apocalypse world rules. It has the same generic fantasy flavor as DnD but mechanics which put the players and the GM on the same side to tell a story.

"I really like the grand adventure feeling that comes with DnD" - Try mouseguard, reskin it if you don't fancy playing as a mouse. It includes pacing mechanics to produce that perfect flow that an adventure really needs. Alternatively, if you like Tolkeinesque fantasy then the One Ring RPG might be a good bet. Haven't played it but its well spoken of.

"Done with classic fantasy, I like more horror in my dungeons" - Try Heart from Rowan, Rook and Decard ($15, or free quickstart). Mechanics explicitly designed to drive interesting stories.

"What about doing a revolution?" - Spire, same people, same price, almost the same rules.

"My campaign is kinda crime centric tho" - Blades in the dark, $20. Fiction first mechanics for crime focused industrial fantasy.

"Currently playing a homebrew DnD derivative as a spacefaring octopus with a railgun, its just too niche"- Someone has beaten you to it pal. Eclipse phase, free on the internet courtsy of Rob Boyle.

"I haven't slept in weeks, leave me alone" - Don't Rest Your Head, $5 from Evil Hat. Surrealist horror about how you really need to get your sleeping pattern in order.

"Ah, but can you do a comedic piece of anticapitalist satire, in a fastasy setting with just two people?" - Yarp. Pitcrawler, made by people from the Magnus Archives. Free quickstart available from Macguffin and Co and honestly ideal for new players and GMs alike.

"Mechs?" - Mechs. Lancer, $25 from Massif Press. Similar grid-style gameplay to DnD but with giant robots and better rest mechanics.

"What about cyberpunk?" - You can play the literal cyberpunk rpg (now Cyberpunk RED), but personally I'm a fan of cy borg ($25, Free League Publishing). Its like mork borg but cyber, and frankly just that much more punk than all the others.

If you can think of any other games that might be useful and deserve to be played then start telling people about them. This could actually be a really good opportunity for new players.

So, what is the OGL and why are DnD creators thoroughly screwed?

Tumblr has not been doing a great job at talking about this, but:

With OneDnD, Wizards of the Coast has decided to update the Open Game License (OGL). Said license is what allowed people to create homebrew DnD content and sell it, and even larger companies to use certain sorts of content. Pathfinder, for example, is built on said OGL. This also allows streamers and artists to exist and benefit from said content.

With OneDnD (sometimes called “dnd 6e”), WOTC wants to create a much more restrictive OGL, which will, amongst other things:

Make WOTC take a cut for any DnD-related work (according to Kickstarter, a whole 25% of the benefits)

Let WOTC cancel any project related to DnD up to their discretion

Let WOTC take ANY content made based on their system, and re-sell it without crediting you, or giving you a single cent

And most importantly, revoke the old OGL, which will harm any company or game system that used it as a base, such as Pathfinder. And it means they GET ownership over any homebrew content you may have done for 5e in the past!

It’s important to note that OGLs are supposedly irrevocable. They were planning to use it for OneDnD initially, but they want to apply it retroactively to 5e, somehow. Which is illegal, but lawyers have mentioned there’s a chance they may get away with it given the wording.

This means that anything you make based on DnD (A homebrew item? A character drawing? Even music, according to them?), can get taken and used as they deem appropiate.

These news come from a leak of the OGL, which have been confirmed by multiple reputable sources (including Kickstarter, which has confirmed that WOTC already talked with them about this), and was planned to be released next week.

So, what can we do?

Speak against it. Share the word. Reblog this post. Let people know. Tumblr hasn’t been talking much about this matter, but it’s VERY important to let people know about what is WOTC bringing. 

Boycott them. Do not buy their products. Do not buy games with their IP. Do not watch their movie. CANCEL your DnD Beyond subscription. (Btw, they ARE planning to release more subscription services too!). They do not care about the community, but they care about the money. Make sure to speak through it. 

And maybe consider other TTRPG systems for the time being, Pathfinder’s Paizo has been much nicer to the community, their workers are unionized and are far more healthy overall