#it's mainly the reason why I switched it up and started writing dc

[bittersweetstargazer]

my facial expression when I go back and read thru my crk fics I wrote last year + early this year: 🤨🤨

(find them at https://archiveofourown.org/series/3139725)

[northsealight]

Hey, when you said RHATO Jason is the worst version on your last ask, were you referring to the first comic, second comic, or the Webtoon? (Honestly annoyed the Webtoon took that name, makes things even more confusing)

I have problems with all 3 (Webtoon most of all for sure, with the second and first switching places behind it based on what characters or plots I’m thinking about tbh), but I was just curious haha

oh. oh. oh you're not ready for this. I've been trying this entire week to find a good time to air out my thoughts:

so! in my opinion (again, this is not shaming anyone for liking what they like! if you happen to like RHATO!jason all the more power to you! dont read this!) all three reiterations of RHATO!Jason .. are not great. the one I think might have potential to be salvaged is the second one with Artemis and bizarro! (although roy harper is in my heart of hearts)

the way Jason is written in rhato... the rhato written by Scott Lobdell anyway, (who is actually a sexual predator and when you start to think even a LITTLE about how the women are written in RHATO makes so much sense) portrays Jason as yet another cookie cutter anti-hero-deadpool-esque personality who's mainly confined by the narrative restraints of his character.

I say this because hes so.... the way he goes about his vigilantism is so .. shallow. It's like the narrative is finding excuses to make him violent so the reader can be stimulated with Michale Bay explosions lol. You hardly see any stories in there where Jason is an actual champion for the people, and you hardly see his background as a street kid come into play... its like... he became... a vigilante because....he knows how the system can fail those... alienated and forgotten by those sworn to protect them... and thus channels his energy into said people through acts of radical protection... (also because the whole bruce thing yeah I know)

I keep thinking about injustice!Jason's monologue where he literally says something along the lines of "while bruce and clark were fighting I fought for the people who were being caught up in the whole thing" like if that doesn't just tell you who he is idk what will! and sure, injustice isn't Jason source material, so look at under the red hood! he literally becomes a drug kingpin TO CONTROL crime ... and then instead of getting these immense shows of care he has for the community in RHATO, we get panels like this:

like ok get it I guess 😭😭😭😭

this is the new and improved Jason!! he's suave.. hes American... he's... just like every other antihero now!!

I don't know how to explain it without sounding like an idiot- best bet is to read the comics yourself to kinda get what im saying! but even rebirth Jason is (kind of) getting what RHATO Jason doesn't-- he's a product of his huge heart. rebirth Jason has countless stories where we see how Jason ACTUALLY operates as red hood, and what his symbol means to the citizens of Gotham!

if you pour too much grit and "edginess" into Jason, then you kind of miss what he's all about- he can still be silly and sarcastic! in fact, one of my favorite Jason moments is from red hood: lost days, a series where he's portrayed as an edgy, "misfit" ruffian:

like. hello this is hilarious. and we can still have moments like these while balancing his emotional range as a vigilante that's motivated by his big fat heart! (ignoring the fact that he slept with Talia in the next issue 😭 Jason fans can't have shit 😭)

but anyway! ill likely add more when I'm not feeling so tired, but god!! is it so hard to show Jason's propensity for kindness!! is it so hard to realize that his character to the core is revolved around a deep understanding for others based on personal experience!!

there's a reason why DC (in the rare moments when they know what to do with his character) always writes stories with Jason consoling children, or Jason being good with kids in dangerous situations!

it's because he's been there before. he's felt the grief and confusion of being helpless in a situation of his control. he's felt the consequences of adults who were supposed to protect and raise him! he's been killed for daring to cling on to the notion of trust even after all he's been through!

and I don't know, I think his dedication to the people, children especially, is his way of forgiving himself- his way of telling little Jason that it wasn't his fault.

[herecomesnaya]

1/2 When I first joined DC fandom I used to be a top Jason stan (otp JayDick)but now I'm all about bottom jay. But, when I think about it, finding arguments for topJason is much easier and perhaps more 'valid' (you know,cause his bad boy attitude and built but also his insecurities and wanting to feel superior/in charge etc.)than him being a bottom and I kind of acknowledge that me seeing him as such is just a matter of my personal preference and tbh I couldn't justify my stance if I were asked.

2/2 So I’m interested to hear, if you had to explain why Jason as a character is more likely to be a bottom, what would your arguments be? (I hope you got both parts of this question)

I’ve been saving this one to give a nice, well-thought-out reply, so why not now when I’m already knee-deep in some kinda Jason discourse today lol

there are a few things to address first before I get straight into why I tend to write Jason bottoming more often than not:

first: I’m gonna switch it from “top/bottom” to “dominant/submissive,” because I believe that’s more accurate than whether someone gives or takes it in bed.

second, I’m a switch, so I naturally tend to think of characters in terms of what they’d be like both domming and submitting, and in general I don’t care what other people do with fictional characters’ sexualities anyway

and third, the interesting thing about human sexuality that I’ve learned through a combination of a bunch of sex-related hobbies and careers over my life is how completely incapable you are of telling what a person is like in bed just by how they act outside of it. there’s a reason the “shy geek who’s a freak in bed” trope exists!

that sex-related stuff also gave me very useful insight into male sexuality especially. and the thing about strong, powerful, or otherwise confident men? they want to submit in bed far more often than they want to continue to be dominant. sex can very much be a role-reversal fantasy for a lot of people, or a relax, an escape, “giving up the reins” for a little while to someone else.

now, how do I see this applying to Jason Todd specifically?

the first thing I can point to is canon evidence in how he treats his romantic and sexual relationships. in the few he’s had on-screen, pretty much every one of them has something in common: it’s the other person making the move, usually while Jason looks startled.

here’s him with Essence from one of the recent RHATO issues. notice her hand on his head, pulling him close. her eyes are closed, his are open, like she caught him in the middle of a sentence or took him off-guard.

there’s Artemis, who’s consistently been the stronger, taller, more dominant one between the two of them. check out this panel: her hands tangled in his collar, Jason telling her to stop talking and acting like that, eyes wide again right before she cuts him off mid-sentence with a kiss.

much as I hate new 52 rhato, even it reinforces this: Isabel makes the first move, while Jason is confused and flustered. he seems to get more confident with her in rebirth rhato, but by that point, they’d already been together/friends with benefits for a while.

and of course. of course I have to mention Talia. whether it’s their first kiss:

(which you could technically explain away since he’d just gotten his memories back and was confused and a mess in general)

or the time they actually sleep together (anyone who starts rape discourse with me is getting kicked straight in the teeth I swear to holy God):

he’s always the one to defer to what his partners want. and that’s with women, who are generally seen as the less dominant half of a m/f relationship (whether that’s actually true or not, it bears mentioning, when I write mainly m/m and we don’t have any scenes like that with Jason to compare it to)

but those are kisses. how can we extrapolate what he might be like once it goes farther?

in fact, I think it’s because of those traits you listed as likely to make him more dominant. bear with me here.

his “bad boy” attitude and insecurities: that’s just it, his whole outward persona is mostly a fabrication. he isn’t actually some cold, cruel badass like he’d like Gotham’s underbelly to believe. he isn’t even cool with the idea of being disowned by the batfamily, much as he tries to play it off. he keeps sentimental pictures and objects, he cries on-screen more often than any of the other Robins (at least from what I’ve seen), he bases his whole self-worth around being accepted by the people whose love he wants.

his need to feel superior/in charge: again, this is a direct reflection of feeling powerless and insecure. he projects a LOT in his day-to-day interactions with other people. and remember what I said about powerful men in the beginning?

I believe that Jason would be more likely to submit because he wants to please his partners. he wants their approval. he wants a release from the constant pressure of trying to be the biggest, baddest, most in-control version of himself. even if Jason were to top, I think he’d still retain these traits, as evidenced by the canon snippets provided above.

so that’s my viewpoint! again, though, I don’t think anyone who writes Jason as a top/a dom is “wrong” or anything. just different interpretations of the same character! and isn’t that what every comic is at its core, anyway?

thanks for the fun question!

[laurahphoto]

Amazing music photographers around the world

We’re currently facing a world crisis unlike we have seen in a generation. Due to shutdowns of pretty much all normal life, the music industry has completely shutdown touring. Festivals and tours all over the world have been cancelled, and the loss of income to all of those connected to that industry will be devastating. 

This is my very small attempt at trying to help out some of my favourite photographers, nearly all of whom are affected by these shutdowns. I’ve tried my best to link to all their print stores, instagram and websites, but if there are direct ways you want to help them, please reach out. Give them a follow. Share their posts. Tell them how amazing they are. Spirits are low right now, and boosting someone’s spirits is one of the best things we can do to get through this.

We’re all in this together. I hope you discover your new favourite photographer.

UK/EU

Bethan Miller // Cardiff, UK

Bethan Miller is a Cardiff based photographer who works within music, event and wedding photography. I’ve followed Bethan’s work for years, and seeing her come as far as she has, and being a full-time freelancer is incredible. She tours regularly with rising UK band Holding Absence, and her work with them truly captures their moody-vibe.  PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Corinne Cumming // London, UK

Best known as ‘Captured by Corinne’, one of the music industry’s NICEST humans on the planet, London based Corinne is also an incredible photographer, from her work with Rock Sound with some of your favourite bands, to her unmatched stunning studio work with Drag Queens. I feel so proud when I see her work - we would often share the pit together when we were newbies and now she’s a full-time photographer and owner of her own studio, Hot Dog Studios.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Isha Shah // London, UK

Honestly, a true legend. Isha’s work is so vibrant, innovative and quite genius. She’s able to work with a range of artists and musicians, and also inspires other creatives with her creative collective, Platform London. Never afraid to speak up, Isha’s no BS attitude makes her so unique, and honestly my feeds would be way too quiet without her. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Jennifer McCord // London, UK

Finding beauty in the minimal, Jenny’s work is emotive in the way she photographs some of the most delicate moments, no matter whether she’s shooting live music, portraits or weddings. Seeing her grow from shooting hardcore shows to working with Ellie Goulding, Jenny is IN DEMAND, and there’s a reason why.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Phoebe Fox // London, UK

It blows me away that Phoebe (SHOTBYPHOX) is only 22. She has toured with artists such as Anne Marie, SWMRS, Anteros and The Amazons and is a powerhouse of beautiful content. Her work is clean, bold, and simply stunning.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Zac Mahrouche // London, UK

Zac shoots a lot of live music, but also creates some really beautiful editorial/fashion photos. I can always look to Zac’s work for inspiration, and I love the way he presents his work across socials.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Doug Elliott // Brighton, UK

The moody cold tones of Doug’s work make it really atmospheric and cinematic. It’s been amazing to follow Doug’s journey over the years and see him work with artists such as Against The Current. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Martyna “Gingerdope” // Stroud, UK

One of the most unique viewpoints in music photography come from Gingerdope. She captures some of the most delicate, overlooked moments on tour, and has introduced me to some of the UK’s best indie bands. 

ONLINE STORE // INSTAGRAM

Ellie Mitchell // UK

Ellie is a machine, and seems to be always touring! I admire how she works within particularly male-dominated genres and has become one of the most consistent music photographers out there. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Arne Desmedt “CardinalsMedia” // Antwerp, Belgium

I’ve followed Arne’s work for a while, and he always delivers stunning, dynamic live photos across multiple music genres. His portfolio is an endless stream of incredible shots.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Sarah Louise Bennett // London, UK

Another amazing woman working in the music industry, and killing it with every shoot she does. Sarah is so hardworking, producing stunning covers/features for Upset & Dork magazines and continuously setting the bar high. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

CANADA

Brandynnleigh // Calgary, AB

One of THE most creative photographers out there, I love the concepts and essence of her work; there’s a story within every photo and there’s a vintage feel to them that works perfectly. Brandynnleigh is based in Calgary and shoots live music as well as portraits, conceptual projects and landscapes.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE 

Lindsey Blane // Vancouver, BC

Ok, I’m biased, because Lindsey is one of my closest friends but also a ridiculously talented human, a bit of a workaholic and someone who gives every project 110%. When we met, we were both working at a camera store (in different locations) and she stalked me on Instagram and messaged me on Christmas Day 2016, and within weeks she was sleeping on my sofa a couple times a month, so she could come over to Vancouver from Victoria and shoot some shows/build her relationships with artists. It’s paid off and seeing her work with some of the biggest artists in Canada is mindblowing.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Brandon Dacosta // Toronto, ON

Brandon works with a range of indie artists including Canadian bands Bearings and Belmont. His work is so energetic and he checks off everything live music photography is all about. Brandon always delivers stunning content, and as a photographer who tours so much, he will need as much support as possible!

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Shayla Lee // Edmonton, AB

A multi-talented incredible human, Shayla has continued to develop her own unique style and approach to her work, particular with electronic and EDM acts. We were introduced by Lindsey Blane (she threw us all in a car and took us to Bumbershoot) and have been great friends since. Shayla is also a writer and runs her own blog, Femme Riot. She attends more festivals than I knew existed and creates weird and wonderful photos/collages. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE // FEMME RIOT

Timothy Nguyen // Vancouver, BC

One of the most humble, kind humans I’ve had the pleasure of calling my friend. Having road-tripped down to Seattle for Warped Tour and Bumbershoot, Tim is always so much fun to be around, and you can always lean on him for advice. An amazing photographer with a big heart, you’ll see him catching no sleep and shooting 5 gigs in one night. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Kelli Anne // Vancouver, BC

My favourite Kiwi, and potentially one of the funniest people I know, Kelli has come a long way since she started taking photos on her phone at concerts. She is now one of the most consistent live music photographers, continuously producing incredible content. Her portrait work is always STUNNING and I’m jealous of how she achieves those warm dreamy tones.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Bailey Morgan // Vancouver, BC

I’ve only known Bailey a short amount of time, but she is slowly becoming one of my favourite photographers. She has a heart of gold and creates beautiful visuals, working mainly with music, portraits and families. She recently set up Rebel Gal Creators, a collective of womxn photographers.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE // REBEL GAL CREATORS

USA

Heather Hawke // Los Angeles, CA

Heather is more than just a photographer. She works within the music industry in PR, runs her own magazine - Decorated Youth and writes thoughtful articles and interviews. She also has really great taste in music. She’s a hard-working powerhouse, and a wonderful human. Support her work!

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE // DECORATED YOUTH

Sara Feigin // New York, NY

I met Sara at a gig in London waaaaay back. She moved back to the States, where she is currently working as a photographer and writer. Her artist portraits are among my favourite, and she continues to blow me away with her consistency. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Kaytlin Dargen // Fargo, ND

I know her as ‘kaydargs’, I’ve loved her work for so long. She has such a unique style and perspective, always putting out incredible work. She works with lots of bands, and I loved her recent album cover for Hot Mulligan. A true artist, and a big inspiration of mine.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Carter Howe // Los Angeles, CA

Carter’s work feels like a movie - dramatic and emotional. I love how her photos are so well executed, and how she finds beauty in the ordinary. 

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Alyson Coletta // NJ

A live-music photographer who’s work continues to always make me feel like I was at the concert she shot. She always captures ‘the moment’ whether it’s an arena or tiny sweaty show. Message her to buy any print off her IG/website!

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Maggie Friedman // New York, NY

One of the most active music photographers, she’s probably shot at least five of your favourite artists. Minimum. A content-machine, Maggie’s work is always outstanding. You can buy a print buy messaging her!

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Melodi Ramirez // Austin, TX

A versatile photographer, often switching between bad-ass live music and strong bold portraits.

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Cina Nguyen // Washington, DC

Known as her handle ‘ilikeyourface’ on IG, Cina creates art-pieces with her surreal, dreamy photos. I could honestly look at her work all day. 

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Victoria Sanders // Chicago, IL

Victoria Sanders does’t just photograph concerts - she’s an advocate for pushing for more women in music, and cofounded The Photo Ladies, bringing together a community of women around the world who work in music. Oh and she takes amazing pics, of course.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE 

Gina Scarpino // New York, NY

Inspirational portraits & live music photos, Gina’s got a real eye for visual concepts, and I always admire how well she executes all of her work.

PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Natalie Somekh // Newport Beach, CA

Natalie has a vintage feel to her portraits + live music photos which are super dreamy. Message her for prints!

INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE

Kat Nijmeddin // Los Angeles, CA

Kat is a photographer/designer who works with Pure Noise Records. I really love how energetic her photos are, yet her tones are soft and pastel colours which create a really cool style. PRINT STORE // INSTAGRAM 

[sophygurl]

WisCon 42 panel Black Lightning

Black Lightning panel description: 

The CW, host of DCTV shows Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, is now the network to go to for the television adaptation of the classic comic Black Lightning! The show focuses on a black family—the father, a retired superhero and current high school principal, dons his supersuit once more to protect his daughters. It seems at least one of the daughters are developing powers of theirs own. One of the daughters is a lesbian, adding more intersecting identities that are rarely see on TV. This show seems to be a smart, funny, political, action-packed family drama - with super powers. Let's celebrate, discuss, and critique this exciting new show!

Moderator Inda Lauryn with panelists Jennifer Cross, JP Fairfield, Alex Jennings, and Krys. 

Reminder that these panel notes are only my own recollections and the things I managed to write down - my notes are incomplete and likely faulty in places. Corrections and additions are always welcome. Especially please do correct me if I get names or pronouns wrong!

Also I name panelists as that’s publicly available information but not audience members unless requested by that person to have their named added.

[Ugh this was my first panel of the morning and my handwriting is extra-bad. I’ll be skipping chunks in which I can’t make out what I meant to write!]

Inda started the panelist intros off with the question of what DC comic character they’d like to see on TV.

JP answered with Nubia, Wonder Woman’s sister. Krys said Static. Jennifer replied with Monica Rambeau. Alex said Static might in fact end up on Black Lightning but gave his answer as Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern, but if Hal was black. Inda answered saying she’d like a proper Vixen live action show. 

Alex talked about how Black Lightning is standing up well so far against the comics, which he has been a fan of for awhile. He says BL is the linchpin for the black sector of DC comics. The daughters become part of the Titans for awhile, etc.

One thing Alex does not want to see on the show is Jefferson acting as a villain for an extended period of time as being undercover with the Outsiders.

Jennifer really liked the depiction of Freeland in the show as it’s own character, and showing black life in their own cities.

Alex explained that in the comics, it’s a black neighborhood in Metropolis. 

Inda said that technically, right now, BL is separate from the rest of the DCTV universe. Jennifer said there was that line about Black Canary, though. JP said they’ve waffled about it. She wants it to be part of the overall universe (even though Black Lightning is better written than the other shows), to deal with the intersectional issues of all these white vigilantes and how they fit in with police oppression of black neighborhoods. 

Jennifer said that Arrow had a storyline about police oppression but they All Live Mattered it. She added - let’s just keep the rich white man away. 

JP said BL could teach them how to be superheroes though, since they’re all a bunch of screw-ups. They’d have to pay him though! 

Krys said that Supergirl never addresses race.

Alex said the most recent Supergirl episode kind of dealt with it, but Flash never addresses it even though two of the main characters are black.

I asked from the audience - what if only James Olsen got to interact with the BL world (thinking maybe it’d help him to have some actual black people to talk to about these things?), and JP answered - oh they’d have to finally give him something to do?

JP wants Jefferson to “taser punch” Ollie.

Inda asked the panelists what they would change about the show.

JP wants more representation of black families, and not just one kind. She likes that they’re giving them room to grow and that the two daughters have different world views. She doesn’t like some of Jefferson’s respectability politics, however. 

Alex agrees and hopes the show will address that. He said the comic origins of BL are frankly hard to read - for example he puts on an afro wig when he dresses as BL.

Jennifer said the reason - not an excuse - that Jefferson has those respectability politics is that he is trying to help the kids in his community learn to code switch so that they can leave if they want to. 

Krys talked about the history with Jefferson and his powers and how that explains a lot of his worldview. She doesn’t like it, but she understands where he’s coming from.

JP added - but he low-key looks down on his own community.

Jennifer said that was addressed somewhat when Khalil comes back. She doesn’t like Khalil, but appreciated that he said what he did to Jefferson. 

There was an audience question about queerness - I didn’t get down the exact question.

Inda said they were going there - she was going to talk about the women on the show next, so let’s start with Anissa.

JP said all the women have different goals and needs in their life and they can disagree with each other and still support one another. Also with Anissa - her family is okay with her and her being gay is a non-issue for them, which is nice.

Jennifer said she likes to think it was intentional that it’s not addressed within the show - the family’s reaction to Anissa coming out could have been different, but the show starting with them accepting her destroys the stereotype about black people being inherently homophobic. She also likes that Anissa is openly gay, but that’s not the focus of who she is as a character.

Krys likes how involved Anissa is in the community and how that’s an important part of her character.

Inda wanted more of Grace once we met her, but is hoping there will be more of her in the next season.

JP liked that the minute Khalil got creepy, Jennifer got away from him. It didn’t turn into one of those “oh but I love him!” stories.

Inda said she did teenager well because she wanted to smack her around a bit.

Jennifer’s issue with Grace was that because she’s not black, there is a component of black queer love missing on her TV. Anissa leaving a black woman for Grace hurt a little bit because of the issue of black women being seen as the least desirable. 

Inda said she loved Lady Eve as a villain and hated the way she died, but at least she kept a sense of being human through to the end. JP said they should have kept her as the Big Bad for the whole season. Alex said - she’ll get better. (lol - this then became a repeated a line about any character that had died)

Jennifer talked about Tobias as being the literal embodiment of internalized anti-blackness. She loves a good villain who gets his own hands dirty, and loved that they chose an actor with albinism. 

Inda liked Tobias and that they gave him a good villain backstory. One of the best villains on DCTV.

Alex said he likes that Tobias is played by a pretty decent rapper. He likes the proper gravitas that he brings to the role, as well. He does wish that instead of intimidating his underlings, he’d have explained his worldview about how the world needs them - especially with respectability politics on the other side of things. He also loved the tattooed guy.

Inda brought up the music on the show. JP loved the music. Krys loved the mix of older songs and newer ones to match specific scenes, themes, and events.

Jennifer liked the aspect of multi-generational music and how it captured the themes. She gave a lot of examples that I was apparently too tired to write down beyond “lots of examples” - sorry about that. She also talked about how she wants the show to use it’s platform to feature more new artists like it did in the pilot. 

Inda liked when the show used music humorously. An audience member brought up the scene with Stairway to Heaven and how weird and confusing it was - lots of laughing about it. 

JP still wanted Lady Eve as the main villain and wanted to see her fight Tobias. 

Jennifer said to get rid of Syonide - she serves no purpose. “Why are you here? Are you our Becky translator?” 

JP liked that there were two dimensional white characters - it was the opposite of mainly white shows having two dimensional black characters and felt appropriate. 

Alex said some of the minor villains are “wack” - Khalil as painkiller for example. He hated him in the comics and his name makes no sense. (lol)

There was a whole discussion about black character’s hair and how quickly they change from one style to the other getting into costume and how ridiculous it is. Jennifer did love Anissa’s battle hair, though.

Jennifer also talked about loving the father-daughter relationships. She and Krys both had similar stories as Jennifer’s roller rink fight. 

Inda is thankful they already changed Anissa’s super suit. Then said that the show has been renewed for another season, and asked the panelists what they’d like to see next.

JP said Anissa and Jen kicking ass together. Krys said Jennifer getting a suit and training and generally coming into her powers. 

Jennifer said she’d like to see how these characters do time management? Anissa, especially, does a lot - how is she doing it all? Jefferson, too. This is an issue she was with superhero universes in general. (uh-huh)

Alex wants to see Jakeem Thunder introduced into the show as it would also introduce the universe to aspects of magic. 

Inda would like a little less addressing of police brutality in the future. More hero/villain stuff - but she does like that Freeland is a microcosm.

JP added that police brutality is not usually the focus of black lives - it’s just something that happens while going about their lives.

Krys wants more followup with the kids and the green lightning and Jefferson possibly being a mentor to them.

Jennifer wants more family stuff. Also Tobias showing some remorse - he got over his sister’s death really fast. She also feels they rushed Khalil’s origin story. As someone who is unapologetically Team Killmonger, she wants more complexity in her villains. 

JP said the story really missed out on the treatment of Tobias and his relationship with his sister. They established their relationship to the point of her even searching for their father so he could kill him. 

Alex interjected with “you don’t think Tobias will bring her back?!” An audience member said they should bring her back to save the actress from the Tyler Perry show she moved on to. Panelists all agree with this assessment. 

Someone from the audience asked about the role of the afterlife, as well as the Vice Principal character.

JP discussed how they brought back LaLa, so maybe they will explore that a little more. As far as the VP - she never trusted her. At first she thought she was after his job, then after him, then turns out she’s an agent. There were all of these different angles of trying to get closer to him, but the fact that she doesn’t want to believe Jefferson is BL indicates some of those feelings might have been real.

Jennifer said she doesn’t want to go on a rant about those mismatched wigs but... that character is shady but also conflicted. As “Big Bad Chad” pointed out, she was spending a lot of time with Jefferson. Is she compromised? Yea, she is. Jennifer would prefer the character not come back unless they give her something else to do, however. 

As far as the afterlife, Jennifer liked that the show is using subtle notes of black folklore and what people she knows have been raised with. She added “sorry white people, but this show knows it is not for you.” 

Alex said the afterlife stuff only makes sense if spirits are real with the tattoo guy. Maybe the guy Tobias paid to bring him back didn’t tell him that part, and that there is magic involved. 

Krys noted that the spiritual stuff in the show seemed personalized to each character.

An audience member asked about the sister’s different approaches to their powers. 

Inda said that Jennifer just freaked out and didn’t want them, but did use them to save her father’s life. She saw how it could be a good thing, and now she is on a journey of acceptance.

JP added that she’s not all into her powers, but sees the benefits of them - she’s like a battery for her father!

Jennifer talked about Anissa accepting her powers right away because she’s always been about wanting to help her community and so she immediately saw her powers in that light. Jennifer didn’t initially want them - but when it came to her family, she stepped up. She might struggle with having powers, but when she has to use them, she’ll do it.

JP asked Alex if in the comics, it turns out Jennifer is the most powerful in the family. He said yes - and also that they can use their powers together in interesting ways.

An audience member brought up an article about black heroes and that the powers they have tend to be elemental - earth, wind, fire.

Alex said this is true even in other media, such as Captain Planet. It happens a lot, even now. He would like to see more tech-based powers.

Jennifer said but we are on planet earth, and she loved Storm and how she could literally turn the earth against people. She would like to move away from the Magical Negro trope but also likes the idea of having earth-based powers at their disposal. 

More talk about issues of hair and fighting. Jennifer said you really don’t want loose hair when fighting. But the hairstyle Anissa chooses is an ode to Ashanti warrior women. It’s not practical, however. 

Inda talked about the suspension of disbelief as far as people not being able to recognize them with just masks over their eyes. An audience member said that they explained this at least with BL that it hurts to look directly at him. Inda said that was only in a conversation between the daughters, so it’s possible it has to do with their own powers and isn’t a function of BL’s powers alone.

Jennifer said she would like more investigation into green light and the vaccine and the organization behind it all.

JP said - let’s talk about Gambi and his guilt about being a part of the whole thing. 

Jennifer said she is tired of this trope of the the white guy who somehow didn’t know that this covert agency he was a part of was going to do some dirty shit. It’s almost better if he’s just guilty because he knew what he was getting into but wants to do better now. She lost interest in Gambi when Lady Eve died.

JP didn’t want Jefferson to forgive him so easily. Maybe he did it because they had to work together but she wants him to still be mad about what happened.

Inda mentioned the impulse for shows to give us white redemption.

Jennifer added that it might be more of a white-passing issue than white because of his actual last name being Esposito. 

Inda liked having a white character in that role because “we don’t question white people in our spaces” so he could have easily moved in those communities doing what he did. 

[And that’s all I got. Lovely, lively panel with gobs of info and just lots of fun!]

[aweirdkindofyellow]

Chasing the Missing Paths Pt. 5

Alex and Emma keep crossing paths, yet the universe just won’t allow them to be together

Sometimes we cross paths with somebody and take it for granted, only to regret not finding a method to stay in contact to keep paths aligned. It could be that cute guy you sat down next to on the bus or that charming girl who helped you pick up your books after you tripped in college. We’ve all had those mini crushes that we kept secret, only to forget. And so, you never see them again. You’ll remember them for a few days and then forget they ever existed, or they swarm your mind forever, making the agony worse. But what about the people that we bump into more than once at the most random of moments? They first seem like the stranger we’ll never talk to before, but then we see them again and again. Of course, eventually there will be communication along the lines of ‘hey, I saw you that one time at that one thing’ or maybe the flirty ‘are you stalking me?’, but what if the circumstances aren’t right? What if there’s always something holding one person back? This is a series of those events.

Part 5

The fifth encounter wasn’t as coincidental as the four that happened earlier. It was now the beginning of 2013, the start of February to be exact. Alex was going to have a full year of non-stop touring and Emma was still out trying to make a name for herself. She had gotten a little further since she had last seen Alex. She was happy with her progress, but a lot less happy about the breakup she had just gone through. It was what led to this semi-planned encounter. Emma went to twitter to ask her friends if anybody wanted to go on the trip she was originally going to go on with her (now ex) boyfriend.

@FeyThereEmma: Once again, all alone in this apartment. At least I’ve still got my cactus. 23 Likes, 0 Retweets, 5 Comments @FeyThereEmma: Anybody down to join my two-day trip to Iceland? I’ve got an extra ticket. 3 Likes, 0 Retweets, 2 Comments - Alex Gaskarth liked this tweet @FeyThereEmma: Everything has been booked already. 1 Like, 0 Retweets, 3 Comments - Alex Gaskarth liked and commented on this tweet @AlexAllTimeLow: @FeyThereEmma Hit me up 78 Likes, 10 Retweets, 2 Comments @FeyThereEmma: @AlexAllTimeLow I am being completely serious 1 Like, 0 Retweets, 1 Comment - Alex Gaskarth liked and commented on this tweet @AlexAllTimeLow: @FeyThereEmma so am I! 20 Likes, 2 Retweets, 0 Comments


They switched over to their direct messages afterward. Or at least, Alex did to show he really did want to find out more about this trip. He only came across Emma’s tweets occasionally and would sometimes like them. This time, however, he felt a pull that made him actually want to interact and go on a crazy adventure. He knew his year was packed, but he wasn’t going to let this opportunity of making contact again pass him by. Alex Gaskarth: I am 100% serious. Give me the dates and I’ll check my calendar. Emma Frey: Tomorrow at 9:10 in the morning from JFK airport and returning home two days later. Alex Gaskarth: Holy shit, tomorrow? That’s soon! Emma Frey: Yeah. I’m pretty sure nobody’s going to say yes, but it’s worth a try. I’m assuming you’re too busy based on all of those tweets about your band. Alex Gaskarth: Actually… I have five days before I need to leave again… Emma Frey: You should spend that time at home with family. Don’t worry, I get it. Alex Gaskarth: No. I’m booking a flight from DC to New York right now. It’s going to be an early morning. Emma Frey: Wait, hang on, really?! Alex Gaskarth: Image attached Emma Frey: Holy shit! Okay, umm, give me your details so I can switch around the ticket I have for you. Alex Gaskarth: Is this your plan to commit identity theft. Emma Frey: Really? Do you think I’m capable of that? I went to school for music and theater. Alex Gaskarth: Okay, just let me find the shit you need. And, just like that, Alex impulsively went on a trip with a girl he barely knew. She could have easily used all his details to take advantage of him, she could have easily kidnapped him, but he trusted her. While not knowing anything about her other than her name and passion--he didn’t even know her age--he felt like seeing each other briefly four times before was enough. He didn’t have a single worry. They met at the gate in JFK airport. Emma was already standing there with her suitcase, a coffee in her hand which she was sipping on. Her hair was up in a bun, prepared for the flight, and her leggings and oversized sweater were purely worn for comfort. She was looking around casually, both keeping an eye out for Alex and taking in her surroundings. When her eyes landed on Alex, who was only a few more steps away, she smiled. When he finally got to her, they shared a hug. “I didn’t expect anybody to come on this trip, and I sure as hell didn’t expect you!” Emma said as a greeting, still amazed that he just dropped everything to fly out with her. “I was just sitting at home and this sounded like fun,” Alex shrugged, acting like it wasn’t an all too big deal. It really was the restlessness in him coming out. He always longed for his own bed, but when he was there for a few days, he couldn’t wait to get out again. This was exactly what he needed. “My mom freaked out a little when I told her I was going on this trip with a guy I only met three times before.” “Four, actually,” Alex corrected, still remembering every single one of them. “But it was also a difficult one to explain to my girlfriend. I might have lied a little and said I was flying out to write some songs and that you’re a music-industry related contact.” This time Emma felt a little awkward. She was unsure exactly why, but she definitely knew it was about the word ‘girlfriend’ he used. Either she had wished something could have happened between them, or she felt weird going on a trip while Alex’s girlfriend didn’t know the whole truth. It was probably a little of both, but she was quite sure that it was her recent breakup talking. She wanted to get over Ethan as soon as possible even though it was going to take a while. “Is this the same girlfriend who walked out during karaoke?” Emma asked out of curiosity. “It is actually.” Alex nodded, smiling a little when talking about Megan. “We kind of have an on-again-off-again relationship.” “Oh, I would not be able to do that myself. I would get fed up with somebody constantly going back and forth with their feelings for me. it just seems so apathetic,” Emma commented and soon realized she probably shouldn't have said what she did. So, to change the subject, she made another cup of coffee appear. “Anyway, I got you some coffee too!” “Thanks, you shouldn’t have.” Alex accepted it and took a drink, hoping it would wake him up a little because he had been awake since very early in the morning. “You already paid for the ticket. Speaking of which, how do you randomly have one laying around?” “My boyfriend broke up with me three days ago.” “I'm sorry, that sucks.” He frowned and took his turn to feel bad for what he had said. However, neither actually felt offended by whatever the other person had said or asked. They were just getting to know each other a little and setting boundaries at the same time. Yet, since both were afraid to offend the other, they avoided any personal subjects while waiting to board their plane. They mostly exchanged words that were more related to small talk than actually finding out about each other. Alex mentioned some tour stories, but nothing was too personal; it was mainly what he felt okay saying in an interview as well. When they got to their seat and sat down, though, Emma felt the need to actually know more about the stranger she was actually going away with. She couldn’t imagine this trip only consisting of small talk and polite nods. This was the person she was going to have to share all her experiences on the trip with. “Tell me one interesting fact about yourself,” she suggested after staring out of the window from her small economy seat for a while. Alex looked at her in slight shock; he did feel the same, but it was so straightforward and out of the blue. Emma just made it a little more specific. “Just one for now.” “Okay…” Alex thought for a while, unsure where to start before deciding on something quite simple. “I’m originally from England. I was born there but we moved out to Baltimore when I was a kid. I’ve been here ever since. What about you?” “Where I’m from?” Emma questioned, knowing her answer wasn’t interesting at all. Born in New York, grew up in New York, and stayed there her whole life. But that was only because her dream was there. It wasn’t like there was any other city for her to break out to. “No, an interesting fact,” Alex said, watching as the last few people entered the plane. “If it’s where you’re from, then that’s cool, though.” Emma shook her head and thought for a little while. “Hmm… oh! I was actually adopted when I was two. I don’t know my biological parents and don’t have the need to. There’s a reason why I ended up with my parents and I love them a lot.” Alex felt a little guilty that her fact was a lot more personal than his. He literally just skimmed the surface of what he could tell anybody about himself. But then again, it wasn’t his fault she had decided to tell him that she was adopted. He did go first after all. Now, if he had gone after her with his lame fact, then he should have felt horrible. “You know what?” Emma rolled her head to the left in Alex’s direction and looked up to him. “We should turn this into a game. Whenever something significant happens, like getting on the plane now, we have to tell each other something about ourselves. That doesn’t mean we can’t get to know each other in between those moments.” “I’m down,” he agreed yet again in the past 24 hours.