#like books comics dolls monster cans etc

[moodyvamp]

did i tell you guys about my adventures in searching for a wall shelf to put in my room

[scary-friend]

30 Day Moodboard Challenge

Anyone is welcome to join at any time~

Rules:

No explicit imagery. (Nudity, Gore, Violence, etc.)

You can skip days if you’d like to.

Mention triggers if used.

No bullying.

Tag me please, I’d love to see your boards.

💖 Challenge 💖

Day 1: Your favorite song.

Day 2: Current Favorite Movie, Can be any genre.

Day 3: Favorite Season.

Day 4: Favorite Book.

Day 5: Favorite Show.

Day 6: Favorite Fairy Tale, can be any version, Disney or original.

Day 7: Your favorite singer/band. One you’ve listened to since you were young.

Day 8: Favorite Animal, not sea creatures as that’s a different day.

Day 9: Favorite Color.

Day 10: Your Zodiac Sign.

Day 11: Dream life aesthetic.

Day 12: Favorite Fashion Aesthetic.

Day 13: Favorite Mythical Creature

Day 14: Favorite fictional character.

Day 15: Your f/o, or real partner if you’re comfortable.

Day 16: Favorite Holiday.

Day 17: Favorite Game.

Day 18: A song that feels like it was written about you. Just one you connected with.

Day 19: First fictional crush

Day 20: Most recent fictional crush

Day 21: Favorite childhood show

Day 22: Favorite childhood movie

Day 23: Another singer/band you really like, one that you’ve started listening to more recently.

Day 24: Favorite Hero, any comic, show, or movie.

Day 25: A fictional character you’d love to be friends with.

Day 26: Another blogger you really like, your dear mutual.

Day 27: Favorite fashion doll. Can be from Barbie, bratz, monster high, etc.

Dat 28: Favorite Goddess from any Mythology. Day 29: Board inspired by your pfp.

Day 30: Board based on You.

Have fun 💕

[m4ggotbunnii]

𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔 𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝕴 𝖌𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖘?? 𖦹︎

★ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁.ᐟ➤ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ʙʟᴏɢ.↶

"📺;; 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠,𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞

𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝...༉‧₊˚🕯"

-𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 - 𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

𝖇𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖘:

┈┈┈┈․° ☣ °․┈┈┈┈

★ Name: Raine/Jupiter/Lenore

★ he/they/star/it/ze

★ trans masc/pansexual/polyamorous/asexual

★ I love my partnersᰔᩚ(taken x3)

★ i have ADHD and autism so please be patient with me<3

★ emo

★ im the number one Eli kisser ong

★ sleeping or cuddling him♡♡

★ free palestine. 🇵🇸

★ im currently hyper fixated on:

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

𖤐 ride the cyclone

𖤐Lenore the cute little dead girl

𖤐MCR

𖤐ruby gloom

𖤐 monster high

𖤐 Tim Burton films

𖤐 the Addams family

𖤐invader zim

𖤐 various doll brands like living dead dolls, once upon a zombie, begoths, bratzillas, etc.

𖤐 the munsters

𖤐 bride of Frankenstein

𖤐 Child's Play franchies

𖤐 Hotel Transylvania

𖤐 nerdy prudes must die

𖤐 Evanescence

𖤐 Beetlejuice

𖤐 hocus pocus

𖤐 phantom of the opera

𖤐 dangerously yours masquerade

𝕯𝖓𝖎:

——— ☆ • ♧ • ♤ • ♧ • ☆ ———

★ standard dni (homophobic, racist, ableist, etc), Zionists, anti therian/otherkin, anti agere, age play, etc.

𝕴𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖘.

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

★ cartoons, animation, comics, crystals, witchcraft, emo bands, horror movies, dolls, sleeping, various animes, music, musicals, stuffed animals, anatomy, various bands, various games like omori and fnaf and class of 09🙏, making kandi, bones, space, bugs, skelanimals, Gris grimly books, Roman Dirge and Jhonen Vasquez comics, the owl house, gravity Falls, etc.

𝕺𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘??

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

★ I can be slow at times.

★ I tend to repeat phrases a lot so if I do I'm sorry:[

★ I'm kinda stupid I can't lie🙏

★ I yap a lot :3

★ i may sound uninterested in having conversations but I'm not! I'm just not great at conversation:(

𝕸𝖞 𝖋𝖆𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖕𝖊𝖔𝖕𝖑𝖊 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 ♡♡♡♡

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

★ Eli, allium, ace, ivy, Timmy, my mutuals, and my cats

𝕭𝖞𝖊 𝖇𝖞𝖊!!

๋࣭ ⭑🕸🦇🕸๋࣭ ⭑

★that's all for now(I'll add more if I can later!! ^_^)

★ remember that you're loved and important! ♡♡♡

𝕳𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖞 𝖉𝖆𝖞!

[improbablecarny]

oh my god ya'll are so fucking people to people who don't like horror. it's great if you enjoy it but some of us just get scared too easily so we can't enjoy in the same way! there's no reason to write paragraphs upon paragraphs about how we're judgmental and don't appreciate the genre and are making "asses out of ourselves" just because some of us have a lower threshold for fear than you!

I specifically said it's okay if you don't like horror movies and I could not care less if you personally do not like them, especially if it's for reasons like this. What I WAS objecting to was people being belligerent, ignorant assholes over subjects they know nothing about. I used horror as an example because it was what I was dealing with (guy getting on my case for being part of the "lowest common denominator of weirdos" for liking fake movies about ghosts and monsters), but it absolutely applies to ANY subject where people have to deal with cruel and ignorant remarks directed at them for a profession*, hobby or general interest.

(*I'm talking about people being snobby to minimum wage retail workers or, idk, telling librarians that all they do is "read books all day" or something, not being a cop or designing military weapons or whatever)

Anyone who's owned a pet bug or gotten into specific music scenes or have a niche interest in, idk, doll collecting or something, have come up against people who know nothing but act like they know everything for the specific purpose of being mean to someone for no reason. This is not the same thing as having actual criticism or just not liking something because it doesn't fit within your interests or preferences. There are much more malevolent manifestations of this in, say, people who deny climate change and say climate scientists are lying/don't know what they're talking about because "the weather is normal where I live".

I don't care about superheroes, I think the MCU is a blight, but I'm not walking around being a jackass to people with encyclopedic knowledge of comic books and personal investment in these characters! I'm not making asspulls about half-remembered badly-received story arcs or pointing at Rob Liefeld to make the claim that all superheroes suck and you're stupid for liking them! Why? Because I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, and though I'm not particularly interested in learning much more, that doesn't give me the high ground to mouth off at people who know this stuff better than I ever will. In fact, a whole ton of the notes on that post are people discussing their similar experiences with mindsets like this, but in different genres/media/topic/etc!

like I'm sorry but if you read the "paragraphs and paragraphs" of what I wrote, but missed this part:

If you’re just not interested in horror, or if you dislike certain subgenres of horror, then that’s fine, you’re not obligated to like anything at all. but smugly announcing that you don’t like horror because you dislike a handful of VERY specific non-universal tropes is just as stupid as saying that you hate comedy because you don’t like adam sandler movies.

Then maybe you can go back and read it again, this time trying not to get offended over the fact that there are people out there more knowledgeable than you on subjects you aren't even interested in.

"I don't like horror because I get scared easily" that's cool!

"I don't like horror because everyone who likes horror is a regressive freak and a danger to society because i saw one that i didnt like in 2006" is not!

[incorrectinfinity]

🌾 & 🦚 for the queer asks

🌾 - How queer do you think you look? Would it be obvious to someone that you were queer if they looked at you?

I uh. Ok. This is complicated actually.

I have a very big undercut that goes around my entire head and half pink hair (though it's washed out) overall I think my hair is kinda queer.

So I wear rings and bracelets (one of which is the aromantic flag) every say which I would think is pretty queer.

But here's the thing. I wear a hat every day. And the hat?

This.

I think that can either add or subtract a million Queer Points (tm) from my overall swagger.

Also no I am not joking ask Fri or Clumsie and they will confirm.

🦚 - Are there any queer books/shows/etc. that you would suggest?

Oh sure

Actual media that is very queer

Nimona (book)

The Girl from the Sea (book)

She-ra reboot (show)

They Both Die at the End (book)

The House on the Cerulean Sea (book)

Sunflowers and Lavender (web comic)

Now uh everything else I am gonna list isn't explicitly queer but does have good queer rep in it!

The Last of Us (show and video game)

Cookie run (either one, game. Also this is o ly included as like... a half joke)

Monster High reboot (doll series/online series)

Epithet Erased (Book/online series)

The Percy Jackson series (book series, you already know about this lmao)

36 Questions (podcast/musical)

In the Heights (movie/musical)

.

There is DEFINITELY something I'm forgetting but whatever that's a good amount B)

[supercollectibles]

Why do Kids Like Collectibles?

Collectibles are not toys. But kids love to collect them. Why? The reasons are many. A collectible occupies a unique space in kid’s imagination and collection. It might not be an action figure or a doll with which your children can play. But kids are kids. You will be surprised to know that even some adults love to gather the collectibles and pride over it. Though, you might have to wait for the next series to be released and the collectibles to be available in the market. The kind of collection, kids pursue depends on many factors. The first is the ease of entry into the game of gathering collectibles in a particular domain. Then there are more like gender norms, current fads started by movies or cartoons and the current version.

Children like gathering collectibles because of the following reasons. The process itself is enjoyable and keeps them engaged. The character or the domain they are collecting is reflected in their behaviour. Kids especially in the age of 5-7 years imagine about the characters they are collecting and try to enact the same in their daily life. It helps them escape boredom and live in their own imaginary world. The collectibles satisfy their curiosity and they learn a lot from them. They might trade a few collectibles with their friends and learn some new things especially family and friends. They also learn the passion for the object they desire and how to acquire it. They find ways and means to get it into their possession. 

Brands such as Funko, Marvel, Star Wars, Warner and more are exploding the market with their collectibles. Thus we at Super Collectibles bring to you all the brands of collectibles at one place. These kinds of collectibles are driven by the age old passion of completing collections, owning things related to a brand, video series, movies, comics, etc. At Super Collectibles, you can shop for collectibles, Anime, TCG, Board Games, Comic Books and accessories etc. 

This new type of collectible is driven by the age old passion of completing collections, owning something linked to a brand or a movie or find them that you love. Trading card game (TCG) is popular among certain age groups of kids. A universe based card game, Yu-gi-oh! The Trading card game is a game played with monster, spells and traps. The franchise includes Manga Series, television series, various video games, The Yu-Gi-Oh TCG and etc. The one piece card game is a kind of TCG collectible which is based on the world of One Piece. You can shop from the various characters found in one piece.  Next comes, the popular Pokemon. Loved by every kid and even adults Pokemon trading card game contains various collection boxes from the well known Pokémon series on Television. If you are looking for board games online Australia visit https://supercollectibles.com.au/ and avail the launch offer.

[dopaminerjic]

Greg Heffley is mischievous, lazy, paranoid, arrogant, and dishonest. He is known to become jealous easily. He also tends to be a poor friend, something even he agrees with. He doesn't like taking the blame for negative events, and attempts to twist any situation he can in his favor, so that he may go up his "popularity ladder." Despite all of these negative traits, he has displayed a kinder side. Throughout the series, Greg's schemes to acquire money and popularity always backfire. He also enjoys playing video games, particularly the fictional "Twisted Wizard".

His best friend is Rowley Jefferson (they often get into arguments). Rowley takes part in Greg's schemes and is sometimes a victim of Greg's manipulation and deception. The two have a very complicated relationship, as Greg sometimes takes advantage of Rowley's good nature, and his own schemes fail due to Rowley's foolishness, such as Rowley's "confession" to the vandalized wall. Rowley's parents, mostly his father, view Greg as a terrible influence on their son. This is because Greg has a tendency for getting himself and Rowley into trouble. In 'Wrecking Ball', it is revealed that Greg truly does have a soft spot for Rowley, as Greg cries when it is time to say goodbye to him.

At school, Greg receives bad grades, gets bullied, deals with the hardships of middle school, and is always trying to earn popularity points in order to gain attention and respect (though his plans to do so often result in either his own popularity dropping, or unintentionally boosting Rowley's popularity). At home, Greg has a mixed relationship with his family, especially with his younger brother Manny, who is overly pampered and protected by his parents (particularly his mother Susan). His mother tries to devise ways for Greg and his older brother Rodrick to get along but which never work out. Greg's father, Frank, is annoyed by Greg's antics and laziness and tries to make him more active. Greg has a love/hate relationship with his older brother, Rodrick. Greg is often tormented and bullied by Rodrick and is also the victim of his pranks yet they do care for each other deep down. In addition, he has inherited many of Rodrick's traits (such as laziness, large ego, disdain for sports, being a trickster, etc.). In fact, many of Greg's teachers dislike him because they originally had Rodrick as a student even though Greg's classroom behavior does not mirror Rodrick's.

A notable trait of Greg that becomes more apparent as the novels go on is his lack of logical and critical thinking. A lot of his actions are shown to have no thought or consideration prior to being acted out, and usually end in disastrous repercussions. This is shown in when he delays his family by drying his sock after stepping in a slush puddle while heading to an airport, and later burning the sock while attempting to dry it. Greg also has been shown to display constant forgetfulness as well as no linear thinking. A good example of this is when he constantly has to remind himself to put his socks before his shoes after a string of incidents involving him doing the opposite act.

Greg is a fan of video games and comic books and he sees them as talents, which annoys his father Frank. His greatest gift is for cartooning and dry humor, evidenced by the many comic strips he has drawn.

Another character trait of Greg is his paranoia, which sometimes seems to get the better of him. A notable example of this is in Cabin Fever, in which he is worried that his old doll, Alfrendo, will come back to haunt him, and the Santa's Scout doll that he fears is actually following him around before finally realizing it is Rodrick who is doing it. Another notable example is in 'Wrecking Ball', when Gregs fears an imaginary monster called 'The Grout' and locks himself in his room until his father screws the door out.

Greg rarely learns from his ill-fated mistakes and continues to scheme and plot for his various goals. Because of this and his impulsive nature, he usually puts himself and others in trouble, and will often try to find another person to take the blame.

Neighboring Greg is his awkward, unpopular and eccentric schoolmate named Fregley, whose vast variety of oddities disgust and befuddle those around him, including Greg, who tries to distance himself from Fregley as much as possible. Though Greg detests the fact that he is next-door-neighbors with Fregley, the only time he has ever shown interest in acquiring friendship with Fregley is in the eighth book Hard Luck, where he becomes friends with Fregley (though this was really to Greg's advantage to become popular).

Greg is also noted for having many attractions to girls throughout the series, most notably a girl named Holly Hills, his classmate. His schemes usually fail in the hope of attracting girls though. One very notable example is The Third Wheel, where Greg attempts to use Rowley as a wingman to get himself a date for the upcoming Valentine's Day dance. He succeeds in obtaining the chance to take a girl named Abigail to the dance, but Rowley, who tags along as a third wheel, hence the name, proves to be a better date than Greg at the dance

[thenightling]

Review of Werewolf by Night

I just saw the Marvel / Disney+ “Special” Werewolf by Night.   It was very good.  I liked it.   I will pick apart some things, particularly about Disney / Marvel policies, but know that in general I did love this Special (as they called it).

Most of it was shot in black and white and it has very good atmosphere and ambiance.  It does feel like an old Universal or even Hammer (though those were usually in color) monster movie.  

It is good to see the MCU (Marvel cinematic Universe) finally tap into its Gothic properties.  This was the first time I had seen the character of Jack Russell (Yes, that’s really his name but they never say the last name in the special) in something other than animation.  It was also good to see a depiction of Man-Thing that wasn’t in a low budget schlock film that technically counted as a Syfy Original movie. 

I wish Marvel would use its supernatural / Gothic properties more than just around the Halloween season.  As someone who loves Gothic Horror this is what turned me off of Marvel in recent years, the way they downplay their supernatural and Gothic properties in favor of scifi.  Even the director of Doctor Strange (Who is supposed to be the Sorcerer Supreme) patted himself on the back about how everything in the movie could be explained with theoretical physics.  If you want real elemental magick you have to hunt down the animated Doctor Strange movie from 2007, actually titled Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme. You may notice that was before Disney purchased Marvel.  It was after Disney purchased Marvel that they started to heavily downplay the supernatural content. This was both to appeal to the Chinese market (who don’t like Western depictions of the supernatural) and to differentiate Marvel from Disney proper.  Disney would have the magick while Marvel would be (as they intended) superheroes only.      

I feel that if this had been just twenty or so minutes longer it could have been released theatrically however Disney is still obsessed with getting that coveted Chinese market and China will not allow “Western depictions” of the afterlife.  i.e. Ghosts and things they consider occult (Though they allow the Fantastic Beasts franchise through...)  The Chinese market has hindered supernatural horror here in the US for years. It’s why so few movies with supernatural content have large budgets.  Most are made on a shoe string budget so that it doesn’t matter if it’s released in China or not to earn a substantial profit.  It’s also why films like the Child’s play reboot went with an evil / malfunctioning AI instead of a possessed doll. Same with the movie M3gan. 

 Don’t let them trick you into thinking modern horror audiences don’t like supernatural content, or think it’s silly, or not scary. No.  That’s not the reason.  Real horror fans still love the supernatural.  There’s nothing quite as scary as the unknown.  And evil artificial intelligences have been done to death since the 60s.       

  The cynic in me feels that the gimmick of making it look like it was made in the 1930s had a secondary purpose of showing blood that was not red- and thus bypassing regulations that would have gotten the “special” an MA TV rating (The TV equivalent of an R rating).   

When I was a teenager I loved Marvel’s horror properties.  Tomb of Dracula, Werewolf by Night, Legion of Monsters, etc..  But by the twenty teens it was as if Marvel was shying away from the supernatural, even in their comic books.  The only good vampire story they did in years was Avengers: Vampire Wars in 2019. And that was barely promoted.  Most people didn’t even know the story arc happened.

The plot of werewolf by Night is Ulysses Bloodstone has just passed away, the Patriarch of the Bloodstone family and a secret cult of monster hunters. You can tell right away from the dialogue that these aren’t like Doctor Abraham Van Helsing trying to protect the world from evil.  No.  These are paranoid and self-righteous fanatics with a blood lust, looking for the freedom to kill anything they deem non-human.  The only one that might be different from the rest of this sect is Elsa Bloodstone.

In the comics of the 2000s Elsa felt like a little bit of a knock-off of Buffy The Vampire Slayer but I think enough time has passed and they made enough tweaks to the character that this version stood on her own without anyone thinking of Buffy.  Unfortunately now there might be comparisons to Syfy’s Van (Vanessa) Helsing.  One day I’d love to see a woman vampire hunter in the style of Peter Cushing’s Dr. Van Helsing.  An older woman at least in her fifties, and perhaps dressed like a Victorian era man instead of in tight leather, as female vampire hunters have been forced into in pop culture since the 90s.      

This gathering of monster hunters had a competition in mind, hosted by Ulysses widow (Elsa’s stepmother). They are allowed to kill each other in the process.  The contest is to find and kill a monster, which they have attached the bloodstone amulet.  The amulet grants near-immortality to its wearer, as well as enhanced strength and stamina and can weaken supernatural entities.  “Monsters” (beings of the supernatural) cannot touch the bloodstone without being hurt.

A man is there who appears to be after the prize. This is Jack (Werewolf by Night).  He’s actually there to rescue Man-Thing.  If you’re not familiar with Man-Thing, he’s pretty much Marvel’s version of Swamp Thing only mute and his touch can burn and kill you if you are afraid.  If you are not afraid his touch will not harm you.  In this story Man-Thing answers to his previous human name of “Ted” much like how sometimes Swamp Thing answers to Alec.

Trivia:  The creator of Man-Thing was roommates with the creator of Swamp Thing so it’s unclear which came up with the idea first.

Elsa learns the important lesson that not all monsters are evil as she helps Jack and later both Jack and Ted help her.  Needless to say the other hunters (and her stepmother) end up dead and Elsa inherits The Bloodstone amulet.  

My one big complaint was something that I thought as clever at first. They made the body of Ulysses Bloodstone look like the literary Frankenstein Monster as illustrated by Marvel comics own “Monster of Frankenstein.”  In the teaser I almost thought it would be the Frankenstein Monster, who used to be portrayed as intelligent and articulate in Marvel comics and went by the name Adam... until they started to let people who never read Mary Shelley’s original novel write the character... Then he was portrayed as simple-minded like in some cliché horror movies.  

The reason Ulysses resembling the literary Frankenstein bothers me is this homage indicates that Marvel has no intention of ever using their version of Adam Frankenstein with the literary look. And that’s a shame. They had one of the best versions of the Frankenstein Monster.  He was even good in the kid friendly game Superhero Squad Online.     

This felt almost like a TV pilot so I hope Werewolf by Night or Elsa Bloodstone end up with their own TV series as a result.  The story appeared to be set in the 1930s.  It would be nice if Marvel actually allowed some of its characters to be immortal. In the original Wolfman movies, Larry Talbot was immortal. DC doesn’t shy away from its supernatural properties or immortal characters. (See Lucifer, Doom Patrol, The Sandman, and Dead Boy Detectives). 

They also implied that usually Jack only changes form during the full moon like in The Wolf-Man, which is ironic because when someone wanted to do a Werewolf by Night movie in the 90s, Stan Lee cynically suggested that they use any werewolf, that they didn’t need to waste money by using Marvel’s. Stan Lee had implied that Jack was so under-developed that there was nothing special to him.  I don’t think Stan Lee was that fond of the Marvel horror properties even though Tomb of Dracula is considered a classic now. 

Back when I was reading Werewolf by Night comics Jack was changing whenever emotional or he could shift at will, a bit like The Hulk.   I guess someone didn’t want any “confusion.” I hate idiot proofing. Idiot Proofing is the impolite term for when Hollywood over-simplifies things because they underestimate the audience’s ability to follow the story.     

 I would like to see Marvel brave enough to use characters like these in the “Off season” that is to say outside of just around Halloween.  It would show that they have faith in the property as being able to stand on its own and not just as a Halloween gimmick.  I had forgotten how much I had loved Marvel’s Gothic properties and there certainly was good ambiance with this, even if it was a bit predictable.  But sometimes predictable is good.  There’s an entire generation that doesn’t know these tropes and never watched the classic monster movies so this could be a gateway for them to get into traditional Gothic Horror.

[rielzero]

Apparently I had an empty account, so hi!

I never use tumblr despite it looking appealing for blogging, but mostly because I’m unfamiliar with the platform despite a few attempts in the past that I’ll probably never remember.

I go online by two aliases in case one somehow is taken, my other username is actualevil, all though it seems that that one is already taken by someone else on tumblr. My more ‘’known’’ one is just Rielzero. Which is only used by another person once in my many curious searches, so if you see a warframe forum account, that isn’t me. They used the username way before I came up with it, lol.

You’ll see me use this username on deviantart too, for example.

Here’s my carrd, I’ll add tumblr later if I don’t forget: https://actualevil.carrd.co

What does RielZero even mean tho, lol

Riel is the name of my main persona, while I’d rather roleplay a personality online to conceal my privacy better, there’s a distinction between me and him for the fact that he is a character and a story telling tool.

Riel is pronounced as the word ‘’real’’ kind of intended as an inside joke. I feel like there’s a lot of possible answers to that, but that’s gonna mean spoilers.

The zero part adds to it, to the character himself it translates into ‘’real nobody’’ since he’s had in his lore.. Many aliases, but no ‘’true name’’ if that makes sense.

So he goes by Riel in the current timeline. In past timelines he usually swaps around several aliases.

Why is ‘’actual evil’’ your other preferred username?

I view ‘’actual evil’’ as a brand name, I use it for twitter and youtube. Its trivial to a personal philosophy of mine. That doesn’t mean I think other people shouldn’t use that as an username, its just kinda difficult building a brand sometimes when by chance someone uses the same name. Because it can make people assume you’re connected somehow, while its just a rare coincidence. I don’t want to withhold that from anyone. But the possibility of impersonation is a thing too. Thats why you’d have to be wary. At least carrd is a way of showcasing where you have an ‘’official’’ account, and everything else is just someone else with the same name.

But slapping copyright on words can often be.. Chaotic? So. Lets not do that. I’m staring at you, Apple. You damn fruit technology brand.

So Rielzero is usually my back-up.

Why tumblr?

Long twitter rambles give me anxiety, and I don’t want to use that longtweet thing. I’m not here for followers to be honest.

I’ve always wanted to blog just a little bit. Share my random existential dread somewhere. I genuinely don’t worry if people see it or not. Somehow I feel like maybe I want to leave an archive of myself if per chance a future gen was curious about me. Who knows.

And I’m lonely too, sometimes. The void awaits.

Details

23 year old gay man, Artist, I make a webtoon (Might post here), neurodivergent, mute (aka non-verbal), disabled. 

And a gamer. I like conan exiles, skyrim, elder scrolls online, a bit of runescape 3. Fallout 4 is one of my favorites too.

My favorite mobile games are marvel strike force, and monster super league.

My favorite manga are one punch man and black clover.

My favorite movie franchise: the MCU.

My favorite comicbooks: I loved the superior spider-man run. I also adore the spider-man and deadpool team up comics.

Fav shows: Invincible, the witcher, korean odyssey, many more (having a brainfart with recalling sometimes.)

Fav music stuff: band: Set it off, Melanie Martinez, Bryce Fox, etc

I LOVE Collecting marvel legends figures amongst other action figures. I’m a nerd if that wasn’t clear by now.

Sometimes I write ‘’lyrics’’ or just poetry that look like lyrics. I have no music skills, and I obviously can’t sing.

I dabble in a variety of creative stuff, like book-binding and hopefully doll customizing in the future.

Face reveal?

No.

I’m also a vtuber, kinda.

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7SnPgRwO_u0EFxtHURzWQ

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/actualevil

I go on break from streaming very often lately because my health just is being a disruptive F-word. (I don’t know how to describe my frustration without cursing.)

Do you take art requests?

Blockhammer for you. Nope.

Ok, do you take commissions?

Limited. Not cheap. I have health issues I will not disclose at this time. The best way I can summaries is that no matter how hard I try to improve my health, my energy reserves are very limited. I’m kinda frail and prone to headaches too.

Check my deviantart commission sheet gallery for this.

I find it easier to make ‘’pre-made’’ adoptable batches and sell those instead.

Can I be your friend?

IF you’re asking, you’re probably a minor and I’m terrified of teenagers.

People become friends due natural interactions. You can’t force that. If you have a motive to become friends, please leave me alone.

Please avoid me if you’re a minor though. I’m very uncomfortable around kids. I think you should have friends around your age who understand you better.

Advice?

I’m not a teacher, so don’t see my words as gospel. If you have a question I might be able to answer, then perhaps. I can be wrong. Everyone is flawed after all.

Derp

My brain empty now. See ya around.

Edit: Also important, I have dissociative amnesia- So I randomly forget stuff or randomly remember stuff.. Its very frustrating to deal with in daily life. And no, its more common than you think. It can be caused by depression, medication, trauma, etc.

I don’t want to explain it in detail, but at times remembering stuff no matter how small is kind of hard for me. I try to keep notes and memos often.

[kathyprior4200]

Alastor Ascension Arc

Alastor Ascension Arc

 Part 1: 1896-1933 Human Life in New Orleans

Part 2: 1933 Arrival in Hell

Part 3: 1933-1940s Meeting Rosie and Mimzy

Part 4: 1950-1952 Making a Deal with Niffty

Part 5: 1953-1966 Alastor vs Vox

Part 6: 1970-1975: Making a Deal with Husk

Part 7: Alastor Prequel Comic

 Part 8: Alastor in the Pilot: That’s (Alastor’s) Entertainment!

Part 9: Alastor on Hazbinstagram

 Part 10: Alastor’s Parents

Part 11: Three Vs Attack Pt 1

Part 12: Manipulating Charlie and the Magnes

Part 13: Evil Charlie Unleashed

Part 14: Alastor Temporarily Takes Over Hell

Part 15: Rosie’s Deception

Part 16: Eldritch Family Rise

Part 17: Three Vs Attack Pt 2

Part 18: Adina influences Alastor

Part 19: Heaven and Hell War, Alastor joins Hell’s rebellion

Part 20: Alastor’s Redemption – Mother Reunite and Heaven

Part 1: 1896-1933 Human Life in New Orleans

“Murder On The Air”

Art by Ashley Nicholas

“You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

  Chapter One: “Down in New Orleans”

  Alastor Roscoe Moreau (A.M.) is born January 24th 1896 (VA born Jan 24th 1986) to his parents in New Orleans, Louisiana. Alastor has medium olive brown skin, short brown hair and brown eyes with glasses. He is lanky and thin but appears stronger than he looks. He often wears nice shirts with bow ties and dark pants and shoes. He wears overalls, boots and the occasional straw hat whenever he hunts or explores the woods and swamps outside. During his rise to fame, he wears fancy suits and top hats, complete with a microphone cane with golden antlers.

 Armand Louis Moreau is Alastor’s French Canadian white father. He is a tall strong man with white skin, dark brown hair and a beard. His hobbies include going to church, hunting, taxidermy and drinking with his friends. Armand meets his wife and they soon fell in love. But Armand’s parents, Eugene and Manette disapprove of his interracial marriage. He becomes distant with them, only allowed to be back in the family when he divorces his wife.

 Antoinette Loretta Moreau (formerly Duvalier) is Alastor’s French Creole mother. She has short curly black hair and dark brown skin, often wears cotton dresses and round ladies’ hats in bold red. She is part African American and part Native American and can speak Haitian Creole. In secret, away from her Christian husband, she asks her ancestors for guidance and reveres the Loa and saints, sitting at an altar she made. Antoinette’s white mother, Odette is a Voodoo Queen who reveres Yemaya and the saints. Odette’s husband, Mathis, is an African American musician, who later helps Alastor start a music career. Armand’s parents wanted Antoinette to abort her child as Alastor was perceived as a “troubled mixed child of sin,” but she refused. Manette offers to put Alastor in an insane asylum “for his own good”, but Antoinette fights back to keep him. Mathis was also wary of Alastor, but later grew to like him, while Alastor’s paternal grandparents always treated their grandson like he was stupid and dirty.

  Antoinette is the one who taught Alastor all his favorite hobbies: cooking, sewing, Voodoo rituals, French and playing instruments. From her, Alastor learned how to play the piano, sing and dance while listening to the gramophone in their living room. At school, Alastor loved theater and leaned to play the trumpet, violin, saxophone, and piano. He also improves on his dancing and singing. Alastor is bullied for being mixed, doing women’s work and not liking girls.

 New Orleans culture is introduced, along with popular festivals, 1900s language and Haitian Creole. Armand and Antoinette briefly talk in French as well.

  Chapter Two: “Runnin’ Wild”

 Early 1900’s Alastor’s youth

 In his early innocent days, Alastor goes with his family to theater shows and Mardi Gras festivals. He eats king cake and watches jazz bands play. As a kid, Alastor is marveled by the colors, sights and sounds of the parades, costumes and delicious Creole food. Young Alastor is oblivious to the fact that others look down on the Moreau family for their interracial marriage. The insults affect Armand, reminding him of his chiding parents, but Antoinette insists that they must keep raising their son to be strong and kind. Alastor meets his uncle and aunt and cousins, celebrating St. John’s Day, Christmas and Fet Gede (All Soul’s Day). Alastor could often be found playing in the woods and the swamp. He even makes friends with the alligators while keeping a safe distance from them.

  Chapter Three: “What a Wonderful World”

 Early 1900’s more Alastor childhood and learning

 Alastor’s mother teaches him how to make jambalaya and the dish becomes his favorite food. It nearly killed her when a drunken Antoinette put gunpowder in the pan and it blew up in her face. Antoinette would always tell Alastor, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile,” and Alastor smiled ever since. Alastor likes black coffee, hard liquor, deer meat and elegant meals. Alastor does not like tea, Oreos, strawberries, canned foods or anything sweet.

 Alastor also learns Native American myths from his mother, including one about the Wendigo. (Alastor’s shadow and full demon form would be associated with the Wendigo monster).

For the only time in his life, Alastor enjoys being around dogs without fear. Despite being perceived as “abnormal” by many, he is one of the nicest kids around. He reads a lot, and really got into cookbooks and joke books. Alastor and his mother dance together to the gramophone, singing together in pure bliss.

  Alastor starts school in 1901 at age 5. He learns Creole from his mother and some French as well.

 When Alastor goes to school, he eventually joins the band, despite him being bullied by both whites and kids of color.

 Chapter Four: “When The Saints Go Marching In”

 Early 1900s, Voodoo rituals

 Along with sewing, cooking, and dancing, Antoinette also teaches Alastor about Voodoo/Hoodoo rituals, along with his Grandmother Odette Duvalier.

 Alastor sews Voodoo dolls (but doesn’t use them to harm others), collects animal parts and herbs, later using them to curse the houses and hideouts of criminals. He learns the veves of the Loa and conducts rituals with red and black candles. He uses alligator blood for healing magic.

 Alastor learns how to consecrate objects, mediate in front of altars and how to connect with his ancestors. He learns of Antoinette’s Native American heritage. He eventually connects with the Loa, most of all to Met Kalfu, the fiery trickster Loa. He learns of his mother and grandmother being prominent Voodoo queens/figures in New Orleans. Antoinette had to curb back her involvement ever since she married Armand, but Odette still maintained her strong connection to the community. Antoinette and Alastor frequently do rituals out in nature, always showing respect to Papa Legba, the Loa of the Crossroads first. Ironically, the child-like Papa Legba and his dogs shared a spiritual connection with the young boy before Legba’s Petro aspect Kalfu took over as Alastor grew up.

 (The dogs being part of Alastor’s death could represent the consequence of Alastor abandoning his innocence and former faith in his family/ancestors. The dog is sacred to Papa Legba and Ogun, Loa of iron and warriors/hunters).

 Odette and Antoinette warn Alastor not to use magic and Voodoo for evil (which he later does anyway). His spirituality would reflect what path he goes down. Antoinette told Alastor that Voodoo magic is used for healing and guidance. Alastor formerly used Voodoo magic for good until being corrupted by the dark influences of the Goetic demons and Met Kalfu. Antoinette reveres the Rada Loa and discovers that Alastor has a spiritual connection to Met Kalfu, a Petro Loa. This explains Alastor’s affinity with fire magic.

 Odette and Antoinette’s hidden magic is a reddish blue, the colors of the Petro and Rada mixed. Alastor’s magic eventually becomes Petro red. In 1919 after making deals with Gnostic demons Abaddon, Furfur etc. (kill souls on Earth as sacrifices to gain more power in the afterlife), his magic becomes exclusively evil and powerful. As a consequence, he loses touch with his ancestors and the other Loa after the deaths of his parents. (Souls can use magic in other worlds but lays dormant on Earth).

 Alastor later gets his magic in hell with Kalfu’s influence and on Earth, he calls upon Ogun to assist him with using knives, axes and other weapons. None of the Loa accept human sacrifices but the Gnostic demons do, thus how Alastor gained more souls and eventual power.

 Antoinette notices her husband slowly growing more distant from his son as Alastor bonds with her more.

 Chapter Five: “Smile”

 1903: age 7

 At first, Armand is friendly with Alastor, watching with pride as he grows up. But as time goes on, he becomes more distant and harsh. Armand’s exposure to church made him believe that Alastor was a spawn of the Devil. He forces Alastor and his mother to memorize parts of the Bible and to pray to God every day. When they refuse, they get beaten up. Antoinette always cries in despair when she has to watch her son get beaten and whipped. She gets beaten up as well when she doesn’t clean the house or cook food to his liking. When Armand displays more “appropriate manly” behavior, he receives approval from his male friends and his parents.

 During the better moments, Armand teaches Alastor how to hunt for game, prepare deer meat and skin deer for fur and deer heads. He also taught him some French. Armand has a taxidermy collection at the family cabin, even having his own business selling the stuffed prepared animals. He also teaches Alastor self-defense and how to run and be strong like a man. Alastor didn’t play sports like his father wanted but he was skilled at hunting and doing outdoor work.

 Armand is mostly at work or with his buddies. Other than teaching Alastor skills in the woods, he doesn’t spend time with him. When he does interact, he chides his son for various things. Armand brings a hunting dog into the woods and the dog attacks Alastor, thinking he was a deer. Armand chides Alastor for not defending himself and being careless. This begins Alastor’s fear of dogs.

 Chapter Six: “You Rascal You”

 1906: age 10

 As time goes on, Armand and Alastor begin to hate each other. Armand doesn’t like the fact that Alastor cooks and sews, calling it “women’s work.” Alastor’s love of theater and musicals doesn’t please him either. Alastor gets bullied for his heritage and interests at school. Armand stamps and breaks Alastor’s ribs when he doesn’t behave. Armand gets jealous that his wife seems to spend more time with Alastor. In darker moments, Armand soon begins drinking alcohol and hooking up with other women, even in their own home. When Alastor witnesses the horrific sight one night, his father beats him, whips him and molests him, calling him a “half-breed sissy faggot who likes other boys.” His mother comes in later and comforts him.

  Alastor at a young age remembers the feeling of violation, his father’s hands on his waist and thrusting penis in his ass. This begins the cycle of trauma and Alastor’s aversion to people touching him, other than his mother. His mother soon finds out of his actions but can’t do anything about it as he is the head of household. Alastor’s mother sings “Smile” to her son as a song of comfort and lament. Alastor begins to think about killing his father.

 Then one day when Alastor was ten years old (1906), Armand announces his divorce. He says that he will take most of the family income and the cabin, leaving Antoinette alone with her son and poorer. Having been pressured by his parents and wanting to reclaim his status in society as a white Christian man, Armand announces his leave.

 Armand is about to leave one early morning to confirm the divorce when Alastor arrives. His father briefly beats him again, almost choking him to death and threatens to violate his mother as punishment. Not wanting his mother to go through more beatings and rapes, Alastor grabs the hunting rifle and shoots him square in the chest. The gunshot wakes his startled mother. Stunned at what he had done, he hides the evidence from her and promptly burns his father’s body. Though his mother has a suspicion it was him, she doesn’t say anything.

     Chapter Seven: “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen”

 1909: age 13 Alastor witnesses discrimination

 Alastor begins to play instruments and sing really well, his skills backed up by his mother’s teachings and the school band practices.

  Alastor watches many old films including…

“The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

“Chased by Dogs” (1904) traumatized him/foreshadowing

“Satan Finds Mischief” (1908)

“Frankenstein” (1910) One of Alastor’s favorites as a teen, he emphasizes with the monster

“Oliver Twist”

“White Fawn’s Devotion” (1910)

“L’Inferno” (1911) another one of his favorites

“Peter Pan” (1924)

“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) Watched it with Mimzy

“The Wizard of Oz” (1925)

“The Jazz Singer” (1927) One of his favorite musicals

“Sweeney Todd” (1928) Another silent crime film he enjoyed

“PopEye” (1929)

“King of Jazz” (1930)

“Dracula” (1931)

“Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1932)

“Smilin’ Though” (1932)

“Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1932)

“Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932)

“The Big Broadcast” (1932) Alastor relates to the radio broadcaster main character

Radio City Music Hall started showing films in 1933.

  Chapter Eight: “God Moves on the Water”

 1912: age 16

 Alastor witnesses the Titanic sinking in 1912, reading the newspaper (the same year that Baxter died). During the same year, he and his mother are forced to evacuate due to hurricanes. Alastor helps save people’s lives from drowning. They move closer to the city but their cabin in the woods remains intact. Alastor and his mother frequently pray to the Loa and saints associated with disasters.

 World War One

 World War One begins in 1914 right after Alastor graduates high school, and Alastor is drafted for it at age 18. He tearfully hugs his mother goodbye, unsure whether he’ll see her again. During his time there, he discovered the use of old radios used for communication. He was one of the soldiers who fixed and transported said radios on the front lines. Alastor watches several comrades die around him, the only thing keeping him sane is his task to operate the radios. After the war ended in 1918, Alastor returned to the city, now with more of an idea of his career. He applied to several radio stations but was rejected due to his race. But the Spanish Flu also occurred…

  Chapter Nine: “Willow Weep For Me”

 1918: age 22 Spanish Flu

 …and when Alastor gets home in early November, he finds out his mother is gravely ill. He is able to embrace her as she says her final words: “Don’t be sad for me. Remember, you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Heartbroken, Alastor is forced to bury her at a nearby cemetery as it rains. He kills two intruders in a blind rage and feeds their remains to the alligators in the bayou. He visits her grave and leaves offerings every October and November.

 It is at this time that Alastor makes his deals with Kalfu, Furfur and Baron Samedi demons: wealth and power for the sacrifice of human souls. Only Furfur accepts human sacrifice, the Loa do not (they are not necessarily evil, they just want to help guide Alastor and teach him important lessons). Alastor is instructed to retrieve a grimoire in the afterlife that will seal the deal and grant him his powers (plus his shadow as he already had his microphone staff and basic radio powers beforehand).

 Alastor even gets a chance to meet his cousin Dr. Facilier in the future (who later becomes his snake demon slave in Hell).

 Alastor calls upon Baron Kriminel to help with getting revenge on those who tormented him and bullied him around. Alastor loses touch with his ancestors and the more beneficial Loa, opting instead to work with Furfur.  

 Chapter Ten: “Dr. Jazz”

 1919: age 23

The Radio Corporation of America is founded in 1919. In 1922, WWL, Louisiana’s first radio station started broadcasting, founded by the Catholic Loyola University to help raise funds to build six new campus buildings.

Alastor dreams of becoming a jazz musician. Louis Armstrong becomes his role model and encourages him to join a band of his own. More people start to recognize his talent.

  Axeman

 Alastor takes care to avoid the Axeman killer and is spared from his attack by playing jazz every night. At one point, Alastor hacks a couple and copies the Axeman’s actions, leading to more panic in New Orleans. The rumors spread that the Axeman had killed twice as many victims, which was entertaining for Alastor as he reported it on the radio.

 Time goes by (Roaring Twenties) and Alastor performs in an attempt to make some money. His uncle then connects with someone who works for CBS. More people flock to hear Alastor and his band perform. Alastor earns more money when he begins to fix radios for people. Alastor then applies for a radio DJ position but ends up getting stuck in a lower position, organizing files and cleaning up the studio rooms. Alastor kills off the higher ups and gets a position at NBC. He plays the top tunes but it soon gets boring. After getting fired, Alastor decides to broadcast on his own.

  Chapter Eleven: “Sitting on Top of the World”

1920s: Young adulthood, career peak

 During the Roaring Twenties, he would become the most famous radio host in Louisiana. Alastor often smokes both during work and during his free time. Alastor basks in wealth and fame.

 Chapter Twelve: “Mack The Knife” (Alastor’s killing sprees)

 1919, 1920: age 25 - 1933

During the Roaring Twenties, Alastor begins his killing spree of racist men, rapists, and criminals. He is called the Vigilante and the Louisiana Lunatic by those in New Orleans and kills his victims in various ways. Guns, knives, traps, and fire were his favorite tools to use. However, in this version, Alastor doesn’t kill women or children, he only uses them as tools.

 Alastor flirts with women and manipulates them because it’s fun to do. People who made deals with him often found their money stolen by him. Many women are charmed by Alastor but Alastor doesn’t get intimate with any of them. He enjoys dancing with women, especially Mimzy. Alastor lavishes in wealth, buying new red suits and top hats, a fancy red car and a microphone cane with golden deer antlers. He also likes black, brown, blue, and green outfits. Alastor pulls pranks on people for fun (thumbtacks, kick me signs, soap in drinks, whoopee cushions, plastic doorways), some like it, some don’t.

  Chapter Thirteen: “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile”

  Chapter Fourteen: “Pack Up All Your Troubles and Smile, Smile, Smile!”

 Alastor meets flapper woman Mimzy and the two bond over drinks, dancing, and singing. Alastor discovers that she killed her abusive husband and took his money. Mimzy finds out that Alastor kills criminals but she doesn’t say anything to anyone else.

 Chapter Fifteen: “Charleston”

 Mimzy and Alastor dance the Charleston.

 Chapter Sixteen: “Let’s Misbehave”

 Mimzy is deeply in love with Alastor, but he doesn’t love her back. He only sees her as a friend, which Mimzy doesn’t quite understand. She questions whether Alastor has a sexual disorder when Alastor tells her how he feels, which offends him. The two of them get intimate and nearly have sex but Alastor holds back, saying he’s not ready, much to her shock.

 Chapter Seventeen: “Cold, Cold Heart”

 Mimzy later dies after Alastor accidentally poisons her drink that was left for a racist man. Alasor would later sing with her and Rosie, bonding again in Hell. Alastor gets tired of people assuming he has a sexual disorder. Alastor was heartbroken at losing his only friend.

   In this version, Alastor doesn’t eat people until Rosie introduces him to cannibalism in Hell via her elite group of associates. They later sing a cannibal song in Hell. Alastor is also not an Overlord and doesn’t go after women or children.

 Chapter Eighteen: “When You’re Smiling”

 Alastor cheerfully broadcasts peoples’ deaths on the air, not being found out until the thirties. On the radio, Alastor tells dad jokes, talks about special Creole recipes and always ends with the song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.” Alastor also talks about the Axeman and when he says “play jazz and I’ll spare your life.” Alastor takes great care to avoid the Axeman. Alastor also talks about Clementine’s killings and voodoo practices as well.

 Hell, 1929

Esteemed Mortal of New Orleans: The Louisiana Lunatic

 They have never caught me and they never will. They have never seen me, for I am invisible, even as the sound waves that surround your earth. I am not a human being, but a demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians call the Louisiana Lunatic. Down here, I’m the inevitable Radio Demon.

 When I see fit, I shall appear and claim other victims as I see fit. I alone know whom they shall be. No clues will be left behind, save for what you might hear on the next broadcast.

Tell the police and the racist, elite scum of the world to beware. Let them try not to discover who I am, for it’d be better for them not to have been born than to incur the wrath of the Louisiana Lunatic. You’ll have a deer in the headlights look and won’t have any idea what hit you until after it’s too late.

Undoubtedly, you Orleanians think of me as a monster and murderer. But if I wanted to hurt anyone else here, I would have done so already. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. I could kill every one of your best and worst citizens, for I am in a close relationship with the Shadows of the Other Side.

At 6:06 pm next Friday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans and then visit those in Hell. I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I am very fond of jazz music, electro swing, and jambalaya. I swear by all the Loas and deities that I will spare those who can provide me with some great entertainment when I visit. Word of warning, I can read you people like a book, and see into your very souls. Anyone foolish enough to challenge me will have their corpses consumed and their screams muffled by the lovely sound of jazz bands jamming the night away.

I have been, am, and will be, the worst spirit that ever existed in fact, fantasy, or realm of Hazbins.

Smile and stay tuned!

 Chapter Nineteen: “Crazy Rhythm”

The Great Depression comes into effect as well as the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Alastor enjoys reading about the chaos in the newspaper. People frantically sell their stuff and beg for jobs and money. He also enjoys seeing the orphans suffering homeless in the streets as it reminds him of his better off status. He also finds children annoying and undisciplined, a left over trait from his father.

 But soon, things take a downward turn. Alastor begins to lose money and food, his former glory days over. Alastor hoards radios and radio furniture in his house. He grows bony thin and his eyes have bags under them. (He takes on a similar gaunt appearance arriving in Hell, remaining weak until he gains his powers and eats other demons. Magic also takes some of his energy.) Alastor grows unhealthy due to lack of food, and (almost!) resorts to cannibalism. He also fears losing his radio audience due to the prospects of TV. He meets Vox, an ABC broadcasting company CEO who taunts him for his race and career. They get into a fight but victorious Vox leaves, saying to him that his days are over.

 Alastor becomes depressed, cutting into his skin for rituals or just to taste his own blood…to feel something. His self-inflicted cuts add to the scars on his back and body from his dad and struggling criminals.

  Chapter Twenty: “Video Killed the Radio Star”

 Alastor ironically dies when a full Hunter’s Moon is present. Alastor becomes more careless with his killings, and is soon discovered by police in 1933. The police sends dogs after him, a German Shepard, a Pit Bull, and a Black Lab. As he runs, he is bitten by a rabies infected dog in an alley. Alastor races through the snowy woods, experiencing painful headaches, and hallucinations of drowning and his parents being killed as deer. The police dogs bite at his legs but he shakes him off and runs some more. A deer hunter spots him, fearful and disgusted by the madman who rushes at him head on. (The hunter is Vox’s friend and the soon to be TV Overlord smirks). Alastor’s insane eyes beg the hunter to finish him off, as he didn’t want to be arrested. The hunter almost shoots him but finds he can’t do it. Vox then shoots Alastor between the eyes and his body falls. (Video Killed the Radio Star). The dogs maul at him moments before the gunshot before the police arrive. They turn him over and see the hole in his forehead, his glazed eyes, bloodied clothing and frozen smile. Alastor’s body is promptly burned, his belongings destroyed and his radios given away to an antique shop. His death is announced on his own radio station by none other than Vox before it, too, is done for. Many of his fans are saddened but the majority of New Orleans is relieved that he is gone. Vox is hailed as a hero before he returns to his job in another state.

 (This is why Alastor hates Vox so much, not just because of their different tastes in technology!)

 “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile” (finale)

A lone old fashioned radio (the one with the smiling grin on it and Alastor’s favorite radio) lights up in an antique store. His creepy voice says “Stay tuned” as the next part begins.

  Part 2: 1933 Arrival in Hell

“Beware the Radio Demon”

Tagline: “It’s time to tune in…”

  Chapter One: “Heebie Jeebies”

  Alastor arrives in Hell in 1933. He lands in the street between a jazz club and a strip club. He arrives naked and afraid, shocked by his new deer-like appearance. He has a black and red deer tail, antlers, red and black hair, sharp yellow teeth, red eyes, scarred gray back and chest, a regular size penis and gray scarred body. He is revolted by the tan gray gnarled state of his clawed hands and feet. When he talks, his voice has a radio filter, which surprises him. He realizes that it must be how he sounded to his audience. (Mimzy catches a peek at him but doesn’t yet know who he is). He summons his microphone staff, who is stunned to see Alastor nude. The microphone briefly glows, allowing Alastor to go on the air. Alastor realizes that Hell is a lot bigger and scarier than New Orleans. Demons mock him, including perverted ones. His memories coming back to him and instincts, Alastor quickly takes out the surrounding creeps with his bare hands, stealing their overalls and clothes. Alastor first wears brown too-loose pants and a white torn v neck shirt. So far, his only powers consist of controlling radios and brief bursts of fire.

Alastor then witnesses the harsh reality of Hell, daily discrimination, turf wars, killings, rapes and stealing. He then realizes that he has no place to live. It was the survival of the fittest from here on out. Alastor witnesses Tom Trench on TV, Sir Pentious and Baxter creating inventions, Mimzy performing at the jazz club and, of course, he learned of the royal family. Helsa and Seviathan and other Hell born spit at him, complaining that “common sinner scum” don’t belong in Hell. Alastor also sees a man with a radio head called Muse on an advertisement for 66.6 FM. Alastor gets mad that he was sent to Hell with his black stag demon father Neleus while his mother Poena got to go to heaven as a beautiful red doe humanoid sorceress.

 Alastor camps out alone in the woods, deeply missing his mother and his old life. He wants to do something about all the sinners in Hell. A sense of duty came back to him…how he wanted to get rid of bad people, lost causes… an obligation to continue his work he had done on Earth. There were only a few people he could trust…and he decided to be untrustworthy and manipulative to everyone else.

Chapter Two: “All Of Me”

 Alastor is reminded of what Furfur said after he sacrificed other humans to them on Earth. His microphone told him to find a grimoire that would allow him to summon Kalfu, and Abaddon to gain his magic. He asks a blue deer overlord and he tells him to look in Stolas’ palace, knowing that it was near impossible to get out alive. Rosie witnesses the conversation and decides to follow the sinner newcomer. Alastor sneaks into the palace to retrieve the grimoire, only to be caught by an angry Stolas. Alastor retrieves the book and is rescued from Stolas by a floating Rosie Poppins with an umbrella in her hands.

 Alastor summons Kalfu, Baron Samedi and Furfur.

 Furfur grants Alastor with heightened deer senses and destructive powers.

Baron Samedi grants Alastor with darkness and shadow powers.

Kalfu grants Alastor with fire and voodoo magic.

 Alastor’s powers over radio were already his own when he arrived in Hell. This was why no mortal souls before him were seen with that much power; only powerful Hell-Born/Overlords had similar powers.

 The prices Alastor paid for his powers were the collection of souls over the years, loss of his loved ones by fate, his own brutal death, being sent to Hell for his murders and a limit on his powers. Kalfu’s demons got a part of Alastor’s powers and Alastor can get tired after using a certain amount of energy. Alastor using blood magic drains energy, and he requires food, meat and rest to recover. Alastor can also be killed by angelic weapons.

 Alastor’s powers include teleportation, shadow magic, portal creation, reality warping, conjuring fire and objects, possession, destructive magic, blood magic etc. The shadow demons get part of his power and after a painful separation, Alastor’s shadow is formed. The shadow, representative of Alastor’s darker thoughts, acts as a guide and bodyguard. Alastor creates his red tattered dress coat, black shoes with red deer tracks, his pants and his monocle. Alastor’s microphone allows him to be on the air anywhere to broadcast his massacres. The device reflects his mood as well, playing music and songs. The microphone can hypnotize demons who stare and listen to it and creates fatal radio waves that can blast brains out and destroy nearby buildings. With the help of his shadow, Alastor can travel from one shadow spot to another, through doorways and in small spaces. He can also travel through radios too.

  In addition, Alastor can also shapeshift into others and into his red deer form. In his most powerful form, he appears as a bloodthirsty wendigo.

 Alastor’s shadow is a manifestation of all his dark subconscious thoughts that are freed after he dies. The microphone staff is a manifestation of his radio host personality he had as a human. Alastor turned into a deer in Hell to remind him of his fate: “the hunter becomes the hunted.”

 Chapter Three: “I’ve Got the World on a String”

 Taking advantage, Alastor soon uses his powers to topple Overlords and take over many areas of Hell. He takes over 66.6FM, killing Muse and many Overlords (including Newspaper, Telephone, Clock, Car, Plane, Textile, Telegraph, Book and other Overlords. He makes a truce with the Overlord of Film.) Vox, Valentino and Velvet would arrive later. He forms an army of shadow demons and voodoo imps, his minions killing demons, burning stores, looting, feasting on deer and causing havoc.

 Alastor becomes friends with the blue deer Overlord, a descendant of Furfur. The Overlord tells him where he can find his father, Neleus.

 Alastor spends time with Lucifer too, drinking whisky, booze and singing. Lucifer likes polka music while Alastor prefers jazz. He treats Lilith well and watches as she performs on stage with her Resist band. (“God Spelled Backwards Is Dog”) Lucifer had been notified of Alastor’s powers and was intrigued. No mortal soul had power like the Hell Born elite before. Alastor even got a chance to dance with Lilith, him treating her like a lady and temporarily entranced by her beauty.

 Alastor learned to stay on the king’s good side but can’t help getting curious about his unique daughter, Charlie. Lucifer talks about how Charlie sees the good in every sinner and her bond with Seviathan in Inferno high school (Charlie had not met Vaggie yet and Alastor wasn’t in love with Charlie, just curious about her, like finding a new specimen.). Knowing that getting too involved would lead to trouble, Alastor shrugs it off. Lucifer allows Alastor to do his chaos, provided he leave the royal family out of it, which he agrees.

 Alastor makes deals with several demons and even temporarily gains access to Earth, gaining more souls. Alastor creates two hideouts: one a cabin with radio towers near a forest and an underground lair where the shadow spirits are (Deer’s Den).

 Chapter Four: “The Axeman’s Jazz”

Alastor terrorizes Hell and uses an ax to kill off demons who don’t play jazz on his birthday. He even writes a letter similar to the Axeman’s letter:

 Hell, 1933

 They have never caught me and they never will. I am not a human being, but a demon from the hottest hell. I am what the Orleanians called the Louisiana Lunatic. Down here, I’m the inevitable Radio Demon.

 When I see fit, I shall appear and claim other victims. I alone know whom they shall be. No clues will be left behind, save for what you might hear on the next broadcast.

Tell the Overlords and every sinner and Hell Born of the world to beware. Let them try not to discover who I am, for it’d be better for them not to have been born than to incur the wrath of the Radio Demon. You’ll have a deer in the headlights look and won’t have any idea what hit you until after it’s too late.

Undoubtedly, you denizens think of me as a monster and murderer. But if I wanted to hurt anyone else here, I would have done so already. If I wished, I could pay a visit to your city every night. I could kill every one of your best and worst citizens, for I am in a close relationship with the Shadows of the Other Side.

At 6:06 pm next Friday night, I am going to pass over Pentagram City. I am going to make a little proposition to you people. Here it is:

I am very fond of jazz music, electro swing, and jambalaya. I swear by all the Loas and deities that I will spare those who can provide me with some great entertainment when I visit. Word of warning, I can read you people like a book, and see into your very souls. Anyone foolish enough to challenge me will have their corpses consumed and their screams muffled by the lovely sound of jazz bands jamming the night away.

I have been, am, and will be, the worst spirit that ever existed.

Smile and stay tuned!

 To make a deal with Alastor, call 666 - 024 - 1929 on your hellphone.

 (Edward’s number is 24, 666 is the Beast number and 1929 is the year of the major Stock Market Crash)

  Chapter One: “Practically Perfect In Every Way”

Hell Born Rosie Marie Poppins and Alastor properly meet shortly after he gains his powers. Rosie introduces Alastor to an elite group of cannibals, and Alastor happily accepts her invitation, thus further increasing his influence. Under the teachings of Rosie, Alastor learns how to increase his status, despite being a sinner. Due to being close to Rosie, less people insult Alastor as he walks by. He learns what it’s like to be a cannibal for the first time, and his hunger never ends since. Alastor begins to miss Kalfu and his Loa interactions (and his mother). He originally thought that he would pass through the seven gates of Guinee, the land of the dead in Loa culture. Rosie and Alastor bond over tea, coffee and murder. Rosie offers Alastor the position of Overlord but Alastor declines, as he wants to be free to wreak havoc without rules. He also shows a distaste for the greedy Overlords and authority figures. Rosie said that there are several sinners who are Overlords as well, but he still declines. Alastor would be his own Overlord!

 “I was never destined to be part of any high hat group of leaders. I’ve worked exclusively for myself in my last life and will continue to do so in this one. With enough allies and the right timing, I could take them all down one by one. Besides, their meetings sound boring anyway.” - Alastor

  Rosie used to work with her girlfriend Franklin until she died and Rosie got to own the shop for herself.

 In return for Rosie helping Alastor get the spellbook, Alastor treats her like a lady and helps promote her emporium and spqeakeasy. Rosie recalls how she treats her employees cruelly and uses their wages to live a lavish life. Rosie is a cruel CEO who pursues rich and powerful men (and like the Dolly Sisters, she dances and performs as well). They both laugh as they share stories of taking advantage of other demons. Despite being Hell Born, Rosie does not treat Alastor with contempt due to his status as a sinner. (Or if she does, she hides it). Rosie becomes a stern-mother-like figure to Alastor, chiding him for any stupid mistakes he makes.

  Rosie later gives Alastor advice such as being more open with Mimzy or to not fall for Charlie and be at the Hazbin Hotel (she finds the idea of redemption ridiculous. Despite this, Alastor still offers to help Charlie anyway due to seeking entertainment and potentially the trust of the royal family). Rosie also is a model for an All Soul’s Day/Death Day festival. Zombies, ghosts and other denizens watch as she poses on a blood red carpet in her rose garden. Like Day of the Dead, Death Day is a day to celebrate when sinners arrived in Hell and when the Hell-Born were born.

 Unbeknownst to Alastor, Rosie secretly hopes she can gain some of Alastor’s power for herself so she can create Hell into a more orderly place where people admire her and her beauty. Deep down, she believes that Hell Born are superior to sinners, and would be pleased to see the lower class be her slaves! She forms an alliance with Lucifer, Lilith and the Eldritch family who are frequent buyers of her dresses and wares. Rosie works with Lucifer and the Eldritch family to try and bring Charlie down, saying her idea will never work. From Lucifer, Rosie learned of Charlie’s plan to redeem sinners. Redeeming sinners could mess up the hierarchy system and Rosie and the higher ups don’t want that. Her demonic form consists of a vulture like creature hovering in the air with an umbrella. Being in a position of power, it’s no surprise that she wants more of it! She even attempts to hold Mimzy and Charlie hostage to try and bring Alastor down.

  Chapter Two: “Eat a Little Flesh Fantastic”

 Alastor and Rosie sing the cannibal song after Rosie introduces Alastor to the elite cannibal group of Victorian ladies. Everyone dances like in the Mary Poppins movie as Rosie calls on her group members to ”go forth and feast.”

  “Eat a Little Flesh Fantastic”

Alastor and Rosie strolled arm in arm after Rosie finished going to an Overlord meeting.

“Hey Alastor,” said Rosie turning to him. “Have you ever considered joining my exclusive club of socialites?”

“No, I haven’t…but do entertain me.”

“It’s mainly me and my group of ladies. We meet up for tea and coffee at this nice café not too far from here. We discuss the latest news, perhaps exchange jewelry or deserts.”

“Sounds lovely, my dear.”

“Oh and here’s the best part. My group and I have…exquisite tastes when it comes to meals. And I’ve heard about you and your slaughters.”

Alastor couldn’t help but puff up his chest in pride. “I was also a very skilled hunter in my other life. I’ve made many meals including jambalaya with venison in it. It is my favorite.”

A grin of sharp teeth stretched across Rosie’s pale face, her black eyes shining. “Have you ever considered eating the flesh of your victims?”

Alastor’s stomach growled at the thought. “I had a feeling that something was missing after I killed all those men as a human. I’ve hunted and ate deer and game many times. Perhaps I was too unsure about doing the same to other humans.”

Rosie laughed. “No restrictions now, though. This is Hell. Feel free to eat whatever…and whomever you’d like.”

Rosie handed him a blue arm of a nearby dead demon. Alastor maneuvered it into his mouth and sliced it to bits with several noisy bites. The sharp fangs effortlessly tore through the muscle and bone. The tangy taste of blood and juicy meat filled his mouth before he swallowed.

“That was quite tasty,” he remarked, licking his lips. Alastor then realized something extraordinary: there were countless demons roaming around in Hell. It was as if Hell had decided to provide him with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not only would he have more meat to eat, but being a cannibal would also help with his fearsome reputation. Cannibalism was considered one of the worst taboos to do on Earth.

Why not add another sin to his list?

Alastor bowed and kissed Rosie on her hand in thanks. “Even in death, I learn something new every day. I’d be honored to join you.”

Rosie introduced Alastor to her group of friends: a bunch of demon women dressed in fancy Victorian dresses of many colors and round ladies’ hats on their heads. Violet, Lavender, and Poppy were some of their names. For a brief moment, Alastor felt like he was back in his time period on Earth. He ate demon meat to his heart’s content. Hell-Born or sinner, raw or cooked, it didn’t matter. He used the flesh and the sinner’s hearts in his jambalaya recipes. As the sinners had previously been human like Alastor used to be, he was now a cannibal.

The thought of someday tasting actual humans in the living world made his mouth water more.

On Sunday mornings after Alastor had coffee, he would be greeted by his new admirers while he walked outside, humming a cheery tune.

“Hello ladies,” Alastor said with a tip of his red top hat.

“Hello Alastor!” they chimed, as they sat on the ground in front of a mutilated body of a demon. One woman picked up the demon’s separated arm and used it to wave at him. Alastor chuckled and strolled on.

During one moonlit night, Alastor and Rosie decided to sing a song to strengthen their bond. They were already good friends, if not that then at least compatible associates with similar tastes. She looked like a gaunt Mary Poppins entering a Day of the Dead musical.

Rosie:

“Let’s say you’re bored and want to be full,

Sure, you can go about your day, dull. Or…

You can eat a little flesh fantastic with me.”

 Alastor:

“If you live your days in wonder, but can’t focus due to hunger…

Just eat a little flesh fantastic with me.”

   Rosie:

“For if you decide to kill a person, their body will someday rot away. But if you make haste and not let it go to waste…

Then you’ll be satiated for the day!”

Alastor:

“You don’t need to be Lector Hannibal, to consider the life of a cannibal.”

Rosie: “Want to be robust?”

Alastor: “You know I must.”

Both: “Come eat a little flesh fantastic with us!”

Rosie (speaking): “My fellow epicureans, answer my call. May your gluttonous desires led the way!”

“Welcome to the club, Radio Demon.”

Rosie and Alastor:

“The life of a cannibal The feeling is so wonderful Hunt and kill, munch, munch, munch, A few screams later, you’ve got your lunch!”

“Have some style and show some class It is us among the mass When you’re feeling beat and want to eat A demon can never have too much meat!”

“Eat a little flesh fantastic with us Give in to another kind of lust A sweet treat you are, come near or far

Our food as you bite the dust!”

Rosie:

“You can refrain and boldly exclaim ‘Eating your brethren’s not right!’”

Alastor: “But we know well, to maim in Hell The blood will be shed tonight!”

Rosie:

“The life of a cannibal,”

Alastor:

“The feeling is so wonderful,”

Rosie:

“Hunt and kill, munch, munch, munch…”

Both:

“A few screams later, you’ve got your lunch!” “Eat a little flesh fantastic with us!” (oh- oh- oh- oh- oh) “Eat a little flesh fantastic with us!” (oh- oh- oh- oh- oh)

  Chapter Three: “Hello Mimzy!” (Hello Dolly! By Louis Armstrong)

 Alastor bonds with Mimzy Dolly Hannigan at the jazz club and they recall their memories together in New Orleans. Mimzy works as an employer for Rosie at her emporium and squeak-easy. Rosie, enamored with Mimzy’s performance, decided to offer her a job to increase her influence. Like Alastor, Mimzy is more protected thanks to Rosie’s overlord status. Mimzy helps sell Rosie’s custom made clothes and antiques and performs almost every night at the underground bar behind Rosie’s shop. (Behind a door, down a stair-case. The password is “Practically perfect in every way.”)

  Several times, Alastor and Mimzy dance and sing at the squeak-easy, to the joy of the crowd. At the squeak-easy, influential people and criminals gather there to discuss business, drink and have fun. Husk also goes there on occasion to serve drinks. Mimzy is popular both there and at her own jazz club: Mimzy’s Place. Rosie, herself, has performed there after her shifts. When asked if Rosie treats her cruelly, Mimzy says, “Almost never.”

 Mimzy had died in the 1920s before Alastor. They agree to sing and stay friends, along with Rosie, creating a trio of singing, dancing, drinking and murder-spree-loving friends. They also terrorize orphans as they sing “Little Sinners” (Little Girls). Alastor apologizes for accidentally killing her and being aloof. Mimzy then apologizes for being too clingy with him and claiming that he didn’t know how to love back on Earth.

 Mimzy lives a lavish lifestyle (like the Dolly Sisters, she pursues wealthy men and dances).

 Alastor later offers Mimzy an invitation to visit the Hazbin Hotel and discusses the idea of redemption. Mimzy accepts his offer and decides to stay there, so long as she can still do her performances. Mimzy eventually becomes a guest at the Hazbin Hotel along with Baxter, Tom Trench, Molly, Arackniss, Cherri Bomb and Crymini. She bonds with Alastor, Niffty and Charlie as the girls gossip about men and the group performs in musicals together. Mimzy shares her story about being in New Orleans and with Alastor’s encouragement, she also thinks about pursuing redemption…as long as she gets more fame/recognition. Like Niffty, she gets jealous when Alastor pursues Charlie more. Mimzy thinks that Alastor loves Charlie more, but Rosie suspects he has another motive.

 Alastor and Mimzy dance some more together and frequently perform at the jazz club.

  Prequel Comic:

“Let’s go for a stroll.”

  Comic by Liam (Pencils), Fautisse (Lineart), Lunetta (Colors), Magpie (Backgrounds) and Vivienne (Story).

 Alastor enjoys coffee on a Sunday morning. Alastor hums down the street, goes to a café and watches birds fight over food. He stops to smell the roses, making one wilt with his touch. Everyone flees when they see him, making him a bit lonely inside. While visiting Rosie’s cannibal colony, he tosses his hat to the four admiring well-dressed women who eat a demon body. Alastor tosses a coin to a cat jazz player and swears after seeing Vox. He hates him so much, that his gentleman demeanor was gone. Alastor then saves a sheep demon lady from a butcher boar, kills the man, then enjoys the meat. (More to come)

  Part 20: Alastor’s Redemption – Mother Reunite and Heaven

                        The villains eventually get defeated. (Assuming no one dies a second time) Eventually, Alastor gets redeemed and turns into a human/hart hybrid angel. Alastor never forgets about Charlie and how wonderful a person she was. They share a hug and kiss before Alastor leaves with his mother and Charlie stays to rule Hell. He reunites with his mother and they go to Heaven for a while. Alastor hosts shows in Heaven, and teaches the Angels how to make jambalaya and do dad jokes (He remarks their food is plain and boring). Alastor and his mother eventually depart for the seven Guinee gates with the Loa after they are accepted at last by Baron Samedi. For the only place where Alastor truly belonged was not Earth, Hell or Heaven, but with his family and culture.

 Angel Dust gets to have private fun with guys in Heaven, while he continues to work on curbing his addicting habits. Molly, Arackniss, and Angel/Anthony reunite with their white spider mother Aranea. Husk finds true love with…Angel Dust! Husk performs magic shows for everyone and plays card games without betting as he has plenty of money and comfort. Alastor reunites with his mother and spends quality time with Mimzy before going to Guinee. (But Alastor will always remember Charlie!) Autumn, the Zoophobia deer and Alastor become friendly rivals. Vaggie reunites with her family (minus Valentino, her father) and marries another woman in happiness (but of course, never forgetting Charlie and what she did to help make their new lives comfortable!). Tom Trench, now mask free and blonde, hosts Holy 333 News. Zoophobia animal characters make cameos as denizens of Heaven. Sir Pentious or Baxter creates inventions and healing potion for the greater good instead of drugs and weapons and evil aquatic creatures. Roo and Cherri are BFFs along with Angel. Niffty marries a kind man in Heaven. All the characters take their time in healing from their wounds and experiences.

  Vaggie, Angel Dust, Husk, Alastor, Baxter, Mimzy, Crymini, Roo, Villa, Tom Trench, Cherri Bomb, Arackniss and Molly all get redeemed. (Niffty may be is secretly evil). Charlie succeeds in redeeming sinners but eventually has to let her redeemed friends go.

 I.M.P. and C.H.E.R.U.B. are still in business for many years. Blitzo lives his musical theater dream and Loona is by his side, arm in arm with Crymini.

 Centuries later, Charlie marries a woman similar to Vaggie in Hell. Through a willing man, Charlie gives birth to two children who eventually take Charlie’s place as the Hotel managers when Charlie grows old. (Yes, she ages very slowly!) Her children are the next generation of do-gooders in Hell.

 The show ends with all the characters dancing and singing under rainbows while “That’s a wrap!” shows up.

[comicteaparty]

June 1st-June 7th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from June 1st, 2020 to June 7th, 2020.  The chat focused on Phantomarine by Claire K. Niebergall.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Phantomarine by Claire K. Niebergall~! (http://www.phantomarine.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until June 7th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

copperine

Ooh I'll answer a few asap!

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

As another creator/reader, I feel Phantomarine has a lot of good parts: 1. So it starts off thrusting us into the middle, which is unique. Even though we are underwater, the creator gives delightful warm palette. You can identify the spooky 'evil spirits' from the protagonist without the page looking cluttered. 2. I quite enjoyed Ch 2 (The Horizon Child) where I'm presented with more world building and how the story ties with the Red Tide King's lore. My favorite part is the Fracture Day Festival, the colors and the clever plot tactics written. 3. As for character(s), I love Phaedra's noble character. She is a future Queen and has a heroic presence. I also like Vanna, seldom I see great parent writing as her. She is both nurturing and an intelligent doctor. I admire how Lady Lazuli ties her job to Paval's condition. I have a soft spot for silly Paval, his character is both silly yet wholesome (he's not bratty <3) 4: So far, I enjoyed Cheth's interaction (in Ch 1) it told alot about his character; his tendency to shapeshift into different forms. I like his unusual character, hitting my nostalgia buttons for a good villain.(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

For themes, it seems to explore family grief and sacrifices within the chapters I read. To have a stable life, one has to endure hardship such as Phaedra taking on the burden of her father's role. I enjoy reading that life philosophy theme not often explored in web comics. Also Vanna and Paval's interaction gives me good family vibes 7-8. I feel Phantomarine storytelling is intricate and expresses the vibe of an experienced creator. Tackling multiple plot points, stringing them into good beats; is tricky but Lady Lazuli pulls it off almost effortlessly. Initially chapter 1 left me with questions and it starts to reveal itself as the story progresses. I came into the story following Phaedra's adventure and will be in for the ride. 5. I have some favorite illustrations: this one http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-27-the-maritime-fair/ I love the colorful festival. and also the opening page was quite impressive with the crowds of souls, where they become silhouettes, yet convey enough visuals. I LOVE this page in Ch 3 (Fata Morgana), the way the words 'RUN' echos through http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-fata-morgana/3-33-the-dark-shoreline/ There's alot of things I like about it: pacing, the plot progression and as I struggle with stringing multiple plot points, I marvel at this skill in the comic.(edited)

Miranda

1. I love that the stakes are high after just a couple pages. There's no dallying and it draws you in so well. Also Cheth is just fantastic and his introduction is so well done! 2. I really loved Pavel eating pancakes and Pavel hiding in his stuffed animal hammock nest to point out a few scenes. It's so hard to choose a favorite moment, but sadly I'd have to say the end of Chapter 3 and just how that all unfolds. 3. GAH! Pavel? Ya...Pavel. Cheth is wonderful, but I feel like Pavel is so young but already has such an interesting personality and I love his spirit. 4. I really enjoyed Pavel and his Mom. But Cheth and Phaedra's interactions were very entertaining. But Pavel and Vanna are just so close and supportive it's just heartwarming sniffle because I know what happens And the warmth and love there stands out a lot against the harshness of the "convent-like" place and Halea's temple, etc. 5. OMG. where to start? I don't even know. I love it. I love the colors. I love the designs. I love the pages with all the tiny little details, they are wonderful. But I think one of my favorites is: http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-fata-morgana/3-34-the-prayer/ because I love the contrast between Pavel and Cheth and I think there's just a whole bunch of emotion in this page. 6. This might not be a purposeful theme, but in general I've caught a theme of how danger and bad stuff is handled and I love seeing such strength in all the characters. Phaedra with he just outright defiance, Pavel with his positive outlook and Vanna with love and compassion but also with a analytical mind. They all handle tragedy and loss in their own ways and it's very well done. 7. Everything. This is a very difficult question. 8. Use of color and characters that all stand out from each other.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

cracks knuckles Alright, let's GO! 1. I loved how we immediately know the stakes. We see Phaedra's personality in the challenges Cheth offers, and we know that she's well aware of the situation she's in. It gives it a mythological feel, of the hero in the underworld fighting to the surface. Only this time, there's a caveat; she's still technically an underworld denizen, but allowed to roam the land of the living. The colours set the mood very well too; I loved that the Red Tide King's ghosts were all rimmed in red, while the protagonist were either yellow or blue (diametrically opposed to the red.). And of course, Cheth; he's a wonderful villain opposed to the protagonist, and they have great rapport.

2. Oh dear, there are several to choose from. My favourite one so far is when Cheth asks Phaedra how many people were made into orphans after the war. It was that scene that immediately made me hooked onto the story; a story that went there and isn't afraid to go to that deep, dark place will always get me to keep reading. Another more minor moment was when Eddy was revealed to bully Pavel due to not having his family visit him; it's a great way of having an antagonist show that they are not truly all dark; rather, it's a morally grey area that the characters are in. Even an antagonist can have layers and it makes them seem more human. Finally, Vanna's passing into the Fata Morgana. The scene where she said that she was glad to have saved him, and where they said their goodbyes made me cry. As someone who's had to say goodbye to my own mom as she goes abroad....and not knowing when she'll be back, it hits a deep part of me. I really thought Vanna would be one of the main protagonists.....but alas, it was not to be.(edited)

3. CHETH! Hands down, CHETH! Notwithstanding my bias for underworld cthonic deities, I LOVED his personality. The fact that he reminds me of one of those deliciously personable villains from Disney helps a lot. And I loved how he never let's Phaedra forget that he is a threat, a blue/orange morality villain throughout; he uses his collection of souls to yell at her to be quiet, points out that she's a monster like him, and impersonates her dead father. But he also shows signs of not being a completely inhuman god; like when he shows a slight look of pity/sympathy for Phaedra mourning her father, or when Pavel mourned his mom's passing into the otherworld. Also, I don't see a lot of deities who fluidly go between genders like he does. It makes him so much more interesting, that he shifts into different identities that way. One of the best portrayals of a death deity I've ever seen.

4. Cheth and Phaedra. There's an interesting power dynamic going inbetween these two; on one hand Cheth is a literal god, and he holds a lot of power. On the other hand, Phaedra has shown time and time again to outsmart him both mentally (e.g. winning the questions) and physically (e.g. cutting off his hand). And yet Cheth recuperates from those injuries fast enough to go against her again. It's a back and forth game of David and Goliath. Interestingly enough.....Cheth seems to hold some measure of interest with Phaedra, as if she is an entertainment to him. However, there's also his slight contempt with where she came from, and it's as if however entertaining she is....he'll never forget that. Meanwhile, Phaedra outright wants to kill him....which I don't think anyone can blame her for. It would be interesting to see how their relationship evolves throughout the story as foes.

5. THE ART. IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. The colours balance each other well, the painting style gives it a soft feel, like going into a new world. But I absolutely, absolutely HAVE to give kudos to the details LadyLazuli gives in the backgrounds and the world in general; worldbuilding wise, it shows strong potential for show and don't tell. Several of these pages can be standalone posters themselves!

http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-1-king-of-the-red-tide/

Several. http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-31-the-echoing-graveyard/

I mean it http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/schooner-of-the-moon/4-1-schooner-of-the-moon/

6. One theme I'm really interested in and noticed is the idea of paranoia of the vulnerable/sick. Cheth has brought up the idea that a living soul is needed to help Phaedra; however, as she is a seaghost, many people would either be too scared or repulsed by her to aid her. And the seabitten were generally treated as needing to fear or be ashamed of their own "afflictions". Pavel and his mother, however, seem to take exception to that rule and are more interested in helping or accepting these afflictions, trying not to let the fear and paranoia prevent them from being charitable. It would be interesting to see how this theme develops more, as Pavel and Phaedra eventually meet. Would Pavel still keep to these views? Or will society....or....something else, convince him to fear them even more. Or worse, would his mother's death make him more frightened of the seaghosts?. I can see a lot of parallels with this theme to the lepers and other people with diseases; people were scared to even interact with the lepers and they were considered "dirty". It is a common and sadly still very prevalent theme in real life to this day.(edited)

7. I have to say....everything. It just sucks you in very easily.

8. The strength is that it reads like an epic, and not just any epic....a true to life one. The story and dialogue flows amazingly and the colours are vibrant. Overall, it's exactly how I imagine a perfect seafaring mythological story; sometimes I feel like I'm watching a film. I will note that one thing LadyLazuli nailed is pacing. She knows which panels to have dialogue and which ones to not. Sometimes we get dialogue and other times we're just....enjoying the atmosphere and the beautiful backgrounds. Hayao Miyazaki once clapped his hands slowly, making sure to leave a pause inbetween. That was ma, the emptiness, where there is no noise, but just the peace to enjoy and savour. Where there is no action needed. I think Lady Lazuli nailed the concept of ma perfectly. Because she lets the readers enjoy her world.

SkewricArt

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it! The backgrounds and color choices are stunning every single time. The page where we first see the fata morgana, with the off whites and ethereal blues looks absolutely haunting to me and it's a favorite (The Archer, 3.26) and the context makes me wanna CRY but that page is so incredible zjsfskf(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Wow, a mountain of words after the first day And all of them extremely kind. Thank you all so much! This has seriously lifted my spirits today

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

You are welcome, Lady Lazuli! I binged in 3 days. oh dear I feel like I was writing a book review more than a Q&A at this point (edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

These honestly feel like book reviews! Extremely passionate book reviews It’s a wonderful sight. And it helps me know what people respond to, and how they respond to it. I will be going back and reading these like direction notes, ohoho~

RebelVampire

What I like about the beginning is kind of how much world lore is snuck in. We learn a lot about Cheth, the state of the sea, how death works, get name drops of other people like Cheline. So without having this long narrative about the world, we get to know a lot about it in the conversation without that necessity. For favorite moment, it's probably when Pavel and Vanna met Halea. Cause I've never seen a scene scream danger at the top of its lungs or feel a child was so threatened by anything. My favorite character at the moment is definitely Pavel. Pavel is just a cute boy who wants to heal the ocean even as most of the adult's around him say "Nah bro dat bad." I also just think it's cute how much he takes after his mother in regards to his appreciation of science. I also just in general like his design. I enjoy(ed) seeing Pavel and Vanna interact the most. They had a super cute parent-child relationship. I like how Vanna kind of balances keeping Pavel in line while also acknowledging that he's ultimately kind of the odd man out both in regards to his physical situation and his beliefs that he shares with his mom. Just all around I love the artworks color. There's a lot of great palettes, a lot of atmosphere, a lot of great contrasts, etc. All around it's just beautiful colorwork that really knows how to make the mood of each scene and character work. As for themes the comic explores, definitely for me science and the opposition scientific pursuits science can face. It's easy to say "But science", but when people are afraid of science or just don't like new ways of doing things, it can become hard no matter how much promise your work has. And I think the comic captures this really well, while at the same time combining more fantasy elements that still blend together really well.

What I like about the comic's overall story insofar is, as a personal bias, the high stakes political plot where people are getting assassinated, souls are being bargained, and so forth. I am a sucker for that since even if it's not the main focus, it adds a sense of danger and high stakes that otherwise would not be presence. For overall strengths, I refer back to the art question. It is definitely the entirety of the beautiful artwork.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Once my work day is done I'm going to comment on some bits of feedback - before other questions come out soon! These observations are tickling my brain. Some are things I haven't even considered before which is extra fun as an author.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Something interesting is that... right now, I'm not entirely sure Cheth is the bad guy? Like, Pavel noted that the red ghosts don't actually attack people. And Halea is definitely all sorts of suspicious, despite being a follower of Cheline. Yet if Cheth isn't a bad guy, he sure didn't make any effort to convince Phaedra of that. So there's a question of who's actually responsible for all the stuff that's going down (all the assassinations, all the attacks, etc).

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Good point! Not only that.....but did you notice that the Fata Morgana has feathers? Kind like how the followers of Cheline do...

mariah (rainy day dreams)

I think the page where Pheadra reveals it's the year of the bonefish was the moment where I was like "oh, I don't think Cheth's bad. I think he's a lonely jerk trapped essentially by himself at the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of soulless dead people." Just the look on his face on this page and the second one make me think that it hasn't been his year in a long time. Or maybe ever XD which would probably turn anyone into a jerk. http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/king-of-the-red-tide/1-10-mark-of-the-bonefish/

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this but I very much hope at the end all of the Seaghosts are released from the ocean and balance is brought back to death. And I'll stand by my original comment at the end of the chapter still. Still team Phaedra as a Persephone figure at the end XD

I'm looking forward to actually meeting Cheline. Currently I'm pretty anti-Cheline (because I'm a Cheth apologist lol) but I imagine she will also be complex and neither 100% good or bad.

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

@mariah (rainy day dreams) so it was YOU who made that persephone/hades comment!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this

@mariah (rainy day dreams) HDM is one of my favorite series ever so this pleases me MUCHLY. Absolutely a big influence!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

It’s an amazing book series. For quite a while I imagined what my daemon would have been when I was younger.

mariah (rainy day dreams)

@mariah (rainy day dreams) so it was YOU who made that persephone/hades comment!

Lol yes, that was me XD

@mariah (rainy day dreams) HDM is one of my favorite series ever so this pleases me MUCHLY. Absolutely a big influence!

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) It's so good has definitely left big marks on my own writing and I love seeing it's influences other places :3

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I feel Phantomarine storytelling is intricate and expresses the vibe of an experienced creator. Tackling multiple plot points, stringing them into good beats; is tricky but Lady Lazuli pulls it off almost effortlessly.

@Joichi [Hybrid Dolls] This is very kind! This is my first experience making any sort of long-form story, and my first-ever comic but I think my background in animation has given me a crash course in storytelling - how to convey information as simply/quickly as possible while still being impressive and fun to watch. I watch a lot of storyboards all day, so I'm sure that certainly helps! And I don't have any other stories in my head right now, so I guess I'm throwing everything I have into this one. There are still things I’m discovering as I go along, too. I know all the major destinations, but the paths between them are sometimes still a mystery to me. It's like a puzzle I'm solving slowly

6. This might not be a purposeful theme, but in general I've caught a theme of how danger and bad stuff is handled and I love seeing such strength in all the characters. Phaedra with he just outright defiance, Pavel with his positive outlook and Vanna with love and compassion but also with a analytical mind. They all handle tragedy and loss in their own ways and it's very well done.

@Miranda I like this very much. One of the main themes I wanted to cover in the comic is the idea of brokenness. The circumstances that break people, how they react to it initially, how they react to it as time progresses, and how they try to solve it... if they can, or want to. Being threatened by danger and darkness is absolutely a source of fear, and can lead to a broken feeling, so this lines up!

2. Oh dear, there are several to choose from. My favourite one so far is when Cheth asks Phaedra how many people were made into orphans after the war. It was that scene that immediately made me hooked onto the story; a story that went there and isn't afraid to go to that deep, dark place will always get me to keep reading. Another more minor moment was when Eddy was revealed to bully Pavel due to not having his family visit him;

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) YES. I'M SO GLAD.

4. Cheth and Phaedra. There's an interesting power dynamic going inbetween these two; on one hand Cheth is a literal god, and he holds a lot of power. On the other hand, Phaedra has shown time and time again to outsmart him... It's a back and forth game of David and Goliath.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) I never thought about it like this, but that's absolutely the mood I wanted. A pair of characters in constant conflict, and even though one seems far stronger/scarier, there is more of a balance between them than expected.

6. One theme I'm really interested in and noticed is the idea of paranoia of the vulnerable/sick.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) A lot of the big emotional segments of the comic are drawn directly from my experience with an illness I developed in my early 20s. I felt like I had lost not just my strength and health, but everything I had worked so hard for. There was also a risk of being physically marked by the illness, so everyone would be able to tell I was sick, and therefore write me off as unreliable or broken. I never meant to write a whole story about that feeling, but it seemed to happen on its own

I will note that one thing LadyLazuli nailed is pacing.

@shadowhood (SunnyxRain) I think my pacing is incredibly fast in chapters 2 and 3 but it's only because I wanted to get back to the main story SO badly. But maybe the things I had to cut were unnecessary. I do like to keep the plot moving; with how long the pages take, I don't have much time to lose!

Miranda

(I have to second that pacing comment. You do it so well!)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

For favorite moment, it's probably when Pavel and Vanna met Halea. Cause I've never seen a scene scream danger at the top of its lungs or feel a child was so threatened by anything.

@RebelVampire WELL, GOOD By the time this story is over, I wanted people to feel physically ill whenever they revisited that scene, knowing everything that will happen. I hope I eventually succeed... (edited)

As for themes the comic explores, definitely for me science and the opposition scientific pursuits science can face.

@RebelVampire Ooh! This was unintentional from the start, but is absolutely something I'm exploring as I'm planning the rest of the story. I like where it started to go on its own, so I'll be doing more of it for sure

And it maybe have also been that I had just finished rereading His Dark Materials when I originally read this but I very much hope at the end all of the Seaghosts are released from the ocean and balance is brought back to death. And I'll stand by my original comment at the end of the chapter still. Still team Phaedra as a Persephone figure at the end XD

@mariah (rainy day dreams) I actually have a couple different potential endings in mind, depending on how the plot goes and how audiences react, so... nothing is out of the realm of possibility here for better or for worse!

I'm looking forward to actually meeting Cheline. Currently I'm pretty anti-Cheline (because I'm a Cheth apologist lol) but I imagine she will also be complex and neither 100% good or bad.

@mariah (rainy day dreams) Can confirm no one in this story is 100% good or bad. That is all I will say. As I scream internally.

Okay, that was a lot. More than good enough for now

Deo101 [Millennium]

Okay, so I finally managed to get caught up on this one. I've been meaning to for a while! I don't do very well with questions so I'm just gonna kinda ramble on about how much I absolutely love this so far. The worldbuilding is seamless, it never feels like infodumping even though a ton has been revealed to us. I'm also endlessly curious about everything that's been brought up. The kinds of themes being covered; Light and dark, Death, Nothing being quite as it seems (Cheth being sympathetic, and Halea seeming like she has some dark secrets...), The trickery, The need to do what's right, Just all of it! This comic is making me think, and that's really pretty rare! (For something to get me to think about it and theorize, I need to not get caught up on anything else... The pacing, the visuals, the way the dialogue is written and arranged, it's all very clear and easy to follow. I might not remember all the names, but I know who is who and I know who is being referenced) It made me cry, and I am so excited to see where it's going. It's really hitting everything I love about a good story so far. Really this is incredible. I'll be trying to keep up with the discussion this week!

I only read it once and I went through it pretty fast so forgive me if this is a crazy theory but I wonder if Halea died, and won back her soul? Or, if she was seabitten and traded more than just her eyes so she wouldn't die. I notice all of the seabitten people have red eyes, and hers being glass would certainly hide that. She also specified cremating phaedra, rather than burying her, and I don't know if that's customary or just cause it took so long to find her, but I wonder if it's partially to try and make it harder or impossible for phaedra to return... Not sure if that would do anything but hey why not spill all my thoughts while I've got the chance?

(now after having said that it's time for me to backread and see if i've embarassed myself)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

does mental calculations No, no. This checks out with what's been stated so far. Theory is legitimate! And... is focusing on all the right things

Deo101 [Millennium]

phew lol

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Ayy, you finally read it!

Was it as good as we hyped it up to be :p

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah, Ive been meaning to read it i didnt need to be so thoroughly peer pressured... ;)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Sorry I haven't participated in this book club yet ;; I will before the end of the week, I promise

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Also WOW what incredibly kind words again. Thank you!! And did it really make you cry?? I'm always so confused when people tell me that - I keep thinking there's too little story there yet to cause tears

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah ;a;

I work with children

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Maternal love resonates very strongly with me

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Ohhh god. Um... okay... then.... checks notes Have a bucket ready after chapter... six, ish??

Deo101 [Millennium]

so just the line "I didn't know how much it would hurt. How... how did you handle this pain...?" really got to me

(sorry had to go find it so I could get the qote)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

AHHHH

Yess

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

That scene was a slog to get through. Every penstroke hurt.

Deo101 [Millennium]

and yet you say "I'm always so confused when people tell me that"

-_-

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

for me it was these lines

the obvious ones lol

Deo101 [Millennium]

spoiler that

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Maybe I don't think people are getting as hurt as I am

Deo101 [Millennium]

you dingus

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i did...

Deo101 [Millennium]

oh my god I must have clicked as soon as you sent it

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

you-

Deo101 [Millennium]

sorry I obsessively click while I'm reading things

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ugh what even is the point of spoiler tags when there are people like you around

Deo101 [Millennium]

people who click every spoiler tag even if they know they dont want whats underneath? or people who click with reckless abandon

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

BOTH

(sorry off topic i will stop now)

Deo101 [Millennium]

Yeah so anyways back to my theories. I need to remember them now, you DISTRACTED ME.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

your theories were too good, i didn't want to be shown up

Deo101 [Millennium]

ugh. I don't remember but it was something about what must have been used to save pavel. It must have been some kind of a relic like the one phaedra needs (which can complete her and her friends souls, again, This would be assuming that being seabitten involves a part of your soul being taken which I assume to be true), something like phantomarine which repels the seaghosts (This would be assuming that seabiting as a disease is akin to being a zombie, which I am less convinced of because it turns you into a fata morgana- not a seaghost, but there could be some reason for that difference), or something with a sacrifice (goes along with my other theory)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

It's similar with me, I don't often see good parent writing with indie comics. (I'd love to read more on good family writing) So Phantomarine convinced me of Vanna's believable maternal nature. I was counting the pages, and you have a good pacing, it has a good balance of world build with showing in pieces. I'm impressed because I've drawn comics for afew years but it's always a learning process whenever I draw a new series, explore new themes. So I admire your skills(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

Also, Cheth suggested that there is not really a way for souls to come from nowhere. They are consumed by the ghosts or him, And in Phaedra's case she had to split her soul among her friends; they couldn't get theirs back, they were gone. I'm at least partially convinced that The relic will be a way to steal someones soul to restore your own, or that there will be some kind of moral dillemma with needing to feed on other's souls to bring yourself back. I don't think it will be a "and then everyone gets out scott free" sort of deal

again I read it once and really fast so I'm assuming a LOT here sorry if im like. way off base

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

WOA

I love that. I felt like there would be something about relic that was too easy

I really like that theory

Deo101 [Millennium]

continuing the last little bit, I think that there is potential, if it was a sacrifice on his mother's part that he is alive now, that pavel is going to start deteriorating and his seabite will begin to spread. I think I could imagine phaedra giving up the part of her soul she has to restore his or something.

okay im getting crazy now sorry GASJDGKLGJSKLGD

depends on what's gonna happen in chapter 6 that rips our hearts out I guess, doesnt it?

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

hm, i'm not sure phaedra would do that. i think she has too much of an obligation to her country to give up her soul to a random kid?

Deo101 [Millennium]

well theres a lot of development that would happen before then :/ Just a thought!

im not saying "yeah this is what its gonna be"

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i know

Deo101 [Millennium]

but I think phaedra does have a lot of growing she needs to do, in many directions

and. she's also clearly compassionate towards children. who have lost their parents. just. as an addition

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

@Joichi [Hybrid Dolls] My brain is a web of red threads connecting random pieces of paper The first chapter took me about 2.5 years to complete (I was slow... and Photoshop is slow... and work was overtime-y... and crowds are a terrible idea, please don't do them) so it gave me lots of time to build up the story beyond it. And I didn't post it publicly as I went along - I went back and changed a lot of things as I came up with new ideas. It's only now that I feel comfortable enough to say the machine is 'rolling' But there were some elements that I only came up with, like, a week before posting a page?? The Fata Morgana didn't exist for the longest time, for example, and now they're crucial to the plot. But you don't see me mention them at all in the first chapter I'd go back and change that if I could.

Deo101 [Millennium]

not a random kid I thought it was p obvious that hes the living person who would be willing to work with a seaghost

and then they'll get to know eachother and phaedra is gonna be changed by his big heart.. obviously...

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yes of course

wholeheartedly looking forward to them meeting

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

wholeheartedly looking forward to them meeting

@Eightfish (Puppeteer) ...THIS SUMMER

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

ayyy

Deo101 [Millennium]

coming soon

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING

literally

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

STARRING!

A bunch of people who all don't know anything!

Join them in not knowing anything!

Deo101 [Millennium]

hey! all the time and effort more than shows

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it's a reference to all the dang mystery and complexity in this webcomic!

like dang, claire, why you gotta make us think?

was trying to relax, geez(edited)

not even your characters know what's going on

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

only one does

...sort of

......ish

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Cheline?

Deo101 [Millennium]

probably whoevers doin the dang murders(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

...Keep thinking

Deo101 [Millennium]

omg

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

someone we know so far?

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

nods

...Claire STOP NODDING

IT'S DANGEROUS

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

second guess would be halea, but i don't think she knows about phaedra or about the specifics of vanna's research. third guess Vanna(edited)

hey

Deo101 [Millennium]

guy who died I forget his name and hes not in the cast list(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

maybe that's why you got rid of her(edited)

Deo101 [Millennium]

wait he didnt die my b he was silenced(edited)

thats my guess

sssfrs (JOE IS DEAD)

I still need to read the most recent chapter ahh

Deo101 [Millennium]

im so sorry. fish you lulled me into not spoilering. I'll go edit

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

oop

oh claire left

did one of us get it right

Deo101 [Millennium]

probably me

imagine us elbowing eachother trying to get through the same doorway, here(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Everyone wins. You all get candy.

But no answers

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

cool mail it to me

my address is 2938..

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah i noticed all my theories didnt get answers either... damn. waiting is hard.

fish you've got my address too can you just pass it along, thaaaaanks

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

it'd be cool to read the book club back in like

a year or two

:0

finally a chance to doxx someone

what i've always wanted

Deo101 [Millennium]

I feel like this is implying i'll forget my theories. I wont. they live in my brain now.

literally forgot them in the middle of this conversation

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yeah but i might forget your theories

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Go put 'em in the theory channel where I can't see them. Even though I've seen them now OHOHO

I am literally not allowed in my own theory channel

Deo101 [Millennium]

wait WHAT? you made a channel you couldnt see...????

I would die

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

oh what you can't see the theory channel? always just assumed you lurked there

Deo101 [Millennium]

we are polar opposites I will go off about all my plans if someone even hints at me that they want them

maybe i could learn a thing or two from you.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i would too but no one ever asks

Deo101 [Millennium]

I wont. but I'm sure I could

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I do not! I don't want anyone thinking I've stolen their idea, and I don't want my original plans to be changed... so... Off-limits

Deo101 [Millennium]

That's fair ^^

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i thought you had several plans :0

how are you choosing between them?

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I have told the full story to... um... three people so far? And by told, I mean... screamed at them

I have minor changes I can make to the ending, but the pathway to them is pretty much the same!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

woah, okay!

i don't think anyone would think you stole their idea though

if anything, i think they'd feel smart for getting it right!

Deo101 [Millennium]

yeah I'd just be like yesss I was right

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think, before the theory channel opened, I saw one theory that was spot-on

And I was like you children are smart

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

time to look through chat logs

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

HAHA. Best of luck

Deo101 [Millennium]

but there is a history of some people having literally been sued for ppl stealing their ideas from their fanfics and whatnot

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i've heard if you send an unsolicited pitch to a big studio they will always return unopened partially for this reason

Deo101 [Millennium]

so its safe for you to not see them.. but I would be sad in your shoes. but I can tell that you're definitely not like me in this aspect. Plus your story is really pretty clearly woven very tightly to be a mystery and I have a feeling you want it to unravel in a specific way, where spoilers would actually change how it's percieved.

vs. yknow. spoilers don't change how ppl read my story. so I get it! I hope to one day write a story i need to keep secret tbh

n youre doing a good job of it, clearly

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

yee. It's "aaaaaa" now, but I can't wait to be "WOAH" when secrets are finally revealed!

Deo101 [Millennium]

and then the re read party

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

THough to be honest, I'm looking forward most to character interactions, not worldbuilding details

Deo101 [Millennium]

I'm not, I want to know the mystery!!!

I mean im looking forward to the character interactions and all that yadda yadda

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

even just like, "pavel and phaedra meet" is enough to keep me engaged :)))

yeah for me, i don't usually care as much about world details

I'm more like

I wanna see what happens to Vanna!

I wanna see Cheth sad

I want to meet Phaedra's friends

And I want to know everyone's backstories

which is probably not possible to piece together from present plot details

Deo101 [Millennium]

Anyways phantomarine kicks ass and I've already sent it to someone asking them to read it.

also full disclosure I thought that phaedra's name was phantomarine for like a long time

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I am absolutely fine with this.

By Twitter naming conventions she will be Phaedra Phantomarine anyway

Deo101 [Millennium]

I was literally just imagining. one sec.

I need to do an edit. one moment please.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Zelda is a cute boy\

love playing as him

Deo101 [Millennium]

I was gonna edit her introducing herself as phaedra phantomarine but I'm struggling to find the perfect page for it

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Well I'll just have to draw more of her then

I really haven't drawn her looking happy or confident very much yet

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

She always looks so cheerful and sure of herself in concept art

and then in the comic it's like

">:(" "D:"

Deo101 [Millennium]

the range

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

She's just... stressed

A very stressed character

Deo101 [Millennium]

Lord do I feel that

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. In what way do you think Pavel’s story will with connect with Phaedra’s? How might the two help or hurt one another as they pursue their individual goals?

10. Do you believe that Phaedra will succeed in her quest to restore her and her friends’ life? What challenges do you think she will face along the way? Also, what do you think will happen to her even if she does succeed given the shady origin of her death?

11. Why do you think Pavel and Vanna were attacked? What does this have to do with them being given Phantomarine? Also, what might this all have to do with their chance encounter with Halea and the coincidental Fata Morgana attack?

12. What do you think Cheth’s ultimate goals are besides collecting souls? What do you think caused Cheline and Shoshana to banish Cheth during the Fracture, and what might all this backstory have to do with the seaghosts and potentially fixing everything?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Miranda

9. Well I definitely think they will work together to help restore souls...in some way....and I'm thinking Cheth might guide Pavel towards Phaedra, either knowingly or not. Or Phaedra will come to save Pavel. But I think they will work together for the most part and be able to commiserate over their lost parents. Once they get the relic, there might be some tension regarding how it is used. 10. As people mentioned, her soul is split between her friends. I think she'll be able to restore her own soul, but likely at the cost of her friends dying. I agree that the relic Cheth told her about can't be as easy as he made it seem. There has to be some trick to it. I think she's already facing her challenges of trying to help and get help as a partial sea ghost. I think there will be a bigger challenge once she gets the relic for the afore mentioned reasons. I think her coming back will upset certain people significantly. But I don't think know enough about Halea's plan to know just how upset she'll be at that. 11. Possibly, sea ghosts are drawn to Phantomarine, but are unable to get close enough. So they swarm because it's a beacon to them. So while the Phantomarine protected them, it also put them in the line of fire. I'm liking the idea that Halea was seabitten and that ties in to why she has glass eyes, so discovering another seabitten that's survived is going to be very interesting to her. I'm not sure what it had to do with the Fata Morgana attack besides drawing the swarm towards them. From what we've seen, Fata Morgana seem to appear where there are a lot of sea ghosts. But they very well could be Halea's assassins.

12. I think he wants to return/go on land (as he been on land before) and return to his "rightful" place. Maybe they banished him because he was preventing people from passing on properly, so they banished him thinking he would be less able to meddle with the passing on of souls. But obviously that didn't work. I would imagine if Cheth leaves the sea somehow, the souls he's gathered would be able to roam the earth as well, and that could just cause chaos for the living. But maybe it would also require him to leave his souls to pass on finally, leaving the ocean at peace?

Deo101 [Millennium]

I keep thinking about how the sea keeps being referred to as being "broken", and I wonder so much what that means. Could have something to do with the nature of cheth being banished off shore, and perhaps the existence of phantomarine itself? It seems to be linked with the seaghosts and him, and we've already seen prices being paid to gain power, and I assume the price that a god would pay is far steeper than what humans do... And then that leads me to thoughts about why cheth would have been banished. I think he knows something, or his sister wanted more power, or something like that. The people very obviously are dead set against hating cheth and loving everyone else, and I can't help but think how history is written by the Victors..

RebelVampire

My friends, just as a reminder, even if you spoiler tag here (which is fine for the chat), spoilers cannot be hidden in the archives.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Are we not supposed to talk about them? I'm a little confused sorry

RebelVampire

No you can. I'm not gonna stop it. Just saying it as a reminder.

Miranda

I was just spoilering for people that maybe aren't caught up that wanted to read in this channel.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I guess if people read everything after the fact, spoilers will still show up in the conversation's archived state but hopefully no one reading it will be unfamiliar with the comic. At least I hope so. Dunno why they'd be reading the archive and not the comic

Deo101 [Millennium]

Kinda what I was thinking, I was just worried we were being like, edged into "hey maybe stop doing this thing in particular" but idk what that thing would be

RebelVampire

I have no clue why anybody would be reading an archive before the comic, but sometimes people be crazy? XD But again, just as a reminder in case there's super secret information that reveals all.

Deo101 [Millennium]

My theories are too good apparently

I'm kidding. thanks for the reminder!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Your theories are indeed very solid. I didn't intend to write a mystery, but here we are

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Alright! my turn to give this comic more love! 1. The absolute Tension that was created between Cheth and Phaedra, and the fact that we jump right into this conversation involving SO MUCH! It's an incredible way to start off with so much intrigue and suspense as to what happened with Phaedra, her crew, her father, her family- and to have it all tied to a challenge set by Cheth to essentially put all the pieces together- sublime! What a way to kick off! 2. My fave is probably the beginning of chapter 2, with Pavel and his wee adventures and curiosity about the sea. It really gives that light to show just how much potential Pavel has about uncovering those mysteries of the sea he so lovingly interacts with (and on the same hand the one who gave him his pain and purpose). 3. Vanna. Hands Down. She's loving, she's fast acting, and she's someone who holds that ground for characters. I also really love Fata Morgana for her design and her energy. Super chaotic and mysterious hunter of death for the red tide king? sign me up. 4.Lady Halea and Pavel! That was such an interesting moment of her being knowing and foreboding at the same time. I can't wait to see what more of a role she plays in the future! 5.http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-1-the-horizon-child/ This is my favourite panel, along with the entirety of chapter 3's colour vibe. Claire has an incredible way to create and lead with atmosphere and design- the characters and world feel so well lived in and alive. Each page is given breath and love, it's astounding to see! 6. I love the theme of honour and accountability that Phaedra leads with in the beginning. Her drive to defeat the wrongs done to her by the red tide king, and her perseverance to do more for those also affected. Pavel and his themes of hope, light, and a second chance also really strike such a chord with me. He's a character that has the power to alter the decisions of those around him for sure!

7. Phenomenal and wonderfully put together. You can instantly tell that this story is going to be a classic with the way it's set up, and with the care and thought of each chapter reading like an epic, Phantomarine has a lot to offer! 8. There are so many to point out, but I definitely want to re-iterate the design. It's insanely solid and so recognisable on it's own. I love the lore and the thought that was out into making this world as alive as it is!

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

9. I think Pavel is more or less a 'bringer of light' I think his decisions will cause major rifts in the story, and help Phaedra through looking at her situation with a different perspective. I think he's a really strong character! 10.I do believe that there is going to be loss and love along the way, like any long journey. The amazing thing about this is the possibilites of their actions, and where Phaedra may actually end up in the end. Her firey personality certainly can be her down fall to a degree, but I think that her goal will be reached in the end, though perhaps not in a way she expected ! 11.Vanna certainly knew more than she let the readers know, and Fata Morgana (and cheth) knew of that potential on that island. Im also feeling like Lady Halea, shady as she is, knew about such a possibility of an attack (but that is based on my own personal hunches !) 12. Cheth misbehaves and he's ready to make some waves in the water (literally ) I think he's ready to strike against his imprisonment, and Phaedra and Pavel are his 'potential pawns' along the way. I don't know if he is really behind a larger part of the plot, tbqh, and think that he's more so an opportunist who's ready to get out of time out. Halea and the gang on the other hand strike me somewhat differently

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Krispyyy these are all so lovely AHH

And some your readings are spot-on I’m so glad

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I think peoples’ reaction to Pavel is such a pleasant surprise. I was very unsure of adding him initially, and some people have said that seeing him right after ch 1 made them worried to keep reading... but he’s absolutely the link between the two conflicting sides of the world. I honestly tried to think of kid characters I liked in various forms of media, and ones I DIDN’T like. I considered him a challenge, and I wanted to do right by him. If Phaedra is the brain of the story, and Cheth is... whatever Cheth is... then Pavel is absolutely the story’s heart. He’s so important.

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I did find Pavel as a good refreshing take on the 'energetic boy lead' or deuteragonist in this case. At first I thought he was that usual rascally boy who does what he wants. I think of Hogarth in Iron Giant. But the nice bits of sympathy you put into him, made him a stronger character.(edited)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Hogarth is pretty much a perfect child character in my mind. Still learning, still reckless, but capable of understanding deeper concepts than most would expect. His naïveté drives the story, but not in a bad way.

Deo101 [Millennium]

I absolutely love Pavel. He rings true to the kinds of children i work with, rather than the endlessly annoying types that are for some reason more typically depicted

Granted some kids are annoying but not usually how they're shown to be

Miranda

Oh Hogarth. I love that movie

But yes. Pavel is such a great character. There's so much to him and he's only a child but it doesn't make him seem less childish...if that makes sense

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Yes or you didn't run into the issue of him making adult choices even though he's a child. He feels like a geninine child character. I second with loving Vanna(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I admit at first I thought, oh no, unrealistic child character, but I kept reading to see Phaedra. But then you really proved my first impressions wrong as the chapter went on

Also, Vanna

Vanna's great too

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Pavel has actually skewed a lot more toward Aang from AtlA. He doesn't have this grand destiny on his shoulders, but in terms of his maturity, and trying to see the good in things, that's absolutely him.

And yes, Vanna is absolutely essential to his character. I specifically wanted a scene where she had to turn on the mom face. Pavel's not perfect, even if he's well meaning. He still has to be careful.

Miranda

ya, maybe that's it. He doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders like most kids in shows these days. He just has kid problems.

copperine

I love Pavel, he feels very genuine to the world and his life

copperine

He feels very confident and naive at the same time, which is something I relate to (from when I was a child anyway) but I don't see portrayed as well and real-feeling that often

spacerocketbunny

Ok FINALLY JOINING THIS TEA PARTY, here we go: 1. Phantomarine has an incredibly solid start, from foundations to characters to motives, everything is so concrete and CLEAR. We enter in with huge stakes and high tension, it's immediately gripping and very effective! 2. So far is the introduction of the Fata Morgana! The chapter starts pretty tense and it goes from "can we trust Halea?" to "OH NO WE CAN'T AND EVERYTHING JUST GOT 100 TIMES WORSE" Wonderful execution on this scene, it's tragic and all the heavy hitting moments and spot on! Plus I love the FM's design it is just so GOOD 3. My favourite would have to be Halea so far! There's a lot of shifty mystery behind her and I'm super intrigued to see what her business is all about. Also would it be fair to say that the Fata Morgana is an instant favourite at this point? might be soon but have I mentioned that I love that design yet? LOL 4. Cheth and Phaedra I think is just a no-brainer there.The tension, the drama, the high stakes, Phaedra's conviction and Cheth's underhanded tricks, it's all there folks 5. The art is so fluent and feels like a beautiful whimsical puzzle that all fits together so perfectly. The environments are solid and thoughtful, the character's expressions are clear and amusing, it all just goes together wonderfully

spacerocketbunny

There's so MANY strengths for this comic, it's fun, it's beautiful, the pacing is impeccable and the characters are so strong and unique to each other. Everything about it is just so MEMORABLE, there really isn't anything I don't like about this comic. it's the kind of work that you can see getting easily adapted into animation/movies/WHATEVER it just has everything going for it honestly!

I'm not super great with speculating about events and all that but I will stand on top of a mountain to SCREAM MY PRAISE FOR IT

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

SPACEEEEEE

Would you actually like to know something fun about the Fata Morgana? TOO LATE I'm gonna tell you anyway

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

TELL US

copperine

YES

TELL US

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

So just before I had finalized the design of the Fata Morgana, @FeatherNotes(Krispy) had sent me this guest art for the hiatus

And I was like........ that's a freaking awesome motif I haven't thought of. Like a cursed halo.

copperine

a cursed halo.

@LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) yes

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

So... I had the mummy/bandage motif already set, but I knew it needed more. So I slapped some of those rectangles all over the fata morgana as... like... cursed jewelry that evoked the same mood as those divine bands.

SPOILER

ET VOILA

copperine

Omfg

That's incredible

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I couldn't do a full halo, but I could do lots of smaller ones

I loved that idea so much. Like... black bone jewelry, mourning a dead king

And I was like SOLD

So congratulations. Cartridge directly influenced a major design in Phantomarine

copperine

God, I aspire to that kind of thing

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

Ditto......damn

and it's one of the best designs too....

okay...gonna try my hand at round 2

spacerocketbunny

YAY OH MY GOSH THAT MAKES ME HAPPY

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

9. I believe that Pavel will be that living soul that helps Phaedra find the relic. But here's the thing....he just lost his mom to sea ghosts. The question is that while he's usually really helpful....would a part of him be scared of the seaghosts, and in extension, Phaedra? Would Phaedra be positively influenced by Pavel too?

Furthermore, Pavel and Phaedra both lost parents in violent ways; Phaedra lost her father last year, while Pavel just saw his mom seabitten and vanish. I think they can gain solace/a sense of camaraderie from that common factor.

10. Even if she does succeed, she'll always have people try to kill her. I wonder....I really wonder....if she'll consider abolishing the monarchy in place of a democracy for the islands. Phaedra seems to want to save everyone, but like other people have mentioned.... what if she can't? I think she's going to lose someone....and if it's not her, it'll be someone

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Ohhmyy gaoihhhgs that is so cool Claire!???? Im so happy that that inspired u to make....the Bae even Bae-er

copperine

@FeatherNotes(Krispy) you're famous

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

11. Halea seriously....she gives me the creeps. And I think the Phantomarine was supposed to protect Pavel and Vanna from being attacked or seabitten. But unfortunately, someone wants to silence them....and Vanna wasn't close enough to the phantomarine to be protected. I think as soon as she saw Pavel was still alive, she didn't like that....that someone who was seabitten hasn't been taken yet.

If she IS in control of the Fata Morgana, or specifically, CHELINE, wouldn't she want more to flow through the ranks. What if they found a treatment, or worse, a CURE for the fata morgana? Doesn't that mean their assassin army could be diminished? What if it meant, I don't know.... less power for Cheline? If there's one thing that the gods in Phantomarine don't seem to like, it's their power being questioned.

12. Deo made some VERY good points. Cheth strikes me as a trickster god....but he's also not stupid. What bothers me is that he's not an omniscient god; he is only tied to whatever the ocean tells him. But like Deo said...what if that's the point, to prevent him from knowing more? Was he banished because he wanted more power? Or was it because he knew too much AND opposed Cheline?

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Man... I have a theory for something that might happen later down the line, but it makes me sad

Vanna returns as an assassin

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

I wonder if Cheth/Cheline have had an arms race and they are trying to outcompete each other....somehow. And thousands of years ago, Cheline won. Because she had a mortal on her side. But this time....maybe Cheth is trying to use Pavel/Phaedra as his mortal champions now, just like how the Greek gods used their champions in the Trojan war. Like someone said....Phaedra and Pavel may just be pawns in Cheth's great scheme of things, and maybe he ultimately wants to be free of his chains.

Also....who said that the relic ONLY brings back seaghosts? What if it can bring back Cheth too? Maybe Cheth is just using Phaedra to bring him the relic so that he can escape the sea. Food for thought.

@snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights) with how the panels introducing the Fata Morgana seemed to mirror Vanna's face.....I think you might be right. And she'll try to kill Pavel.

It's a lot easier to kill someone if they're frozen in fear.

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

ok I've only read chapter 1 so far but I'm just bowled over by the sheer beuty of the comic. Going to try for the first round before going on to the next chapters just because I want to gush about it a little.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Snuffy... I had the same thought

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

1. The opening scene is an instant win. The challenge and how the dialogue naturally reveals the stakes and the strengths and weaknesses of both Phaedra and Cheth make for one of the best openings I've ever seen in a comic, print or web. Just amazing. 2. Favourite moment in Chapter 1 was the turning point- right after Phaedra won her bet, and how she crossed a line that leads to a pretty underhanded emotional attack on the part of Cheth. Master strokes. 3. As a favourite character I have to go with Cheth, though I like Phaedra as well. he's just so deliciously sleek and evil, and his shapeshifting and soul possessing are very entertaining- thanks to the wonderful art that illustrates it. Great work. 4. I haven't seen more characters yet than Cheth and Phaedra but their interaction is superb. I will be surprised if I get to prefer another set and not those two interacting going forward. 5. The art shines the most when Cheth does his thing with the various shapes he takes and souls he wears. Going to hold on answering the other questions until I've read some more.

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

Finished reading through, but it's 2 am and I won't be coherent answering questions. Gotta wait till tomorrow but I had to say, what a compelling tale. So glad I got to read it. Bookmarked to stay on for the ride. Congrats!

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

You're very kind. Thank you

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

6. I think there's nuance on and about a wide range of issues. From religion and faith to politics and bias, discrimination and the fear of death. Complicated, fascinating stuff. 7. I like how characters feel alive, each with their own agency. I also like how it might come down to a competition on who actually is the villain- don't want to spoil anything. 8. The comic's strengths are many- art, plot and dialogue deliver an engaging story with good suspense. I'm a sucker for suspense, so I'm hooked (edited)

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

9. It seems Pavel might be the living person Phaedra needs, with enough quid pro quo to keep them on the same team at least for a while. 10. I'm not actually sure. I'm leaning towards 'yes' but the story might surprise me. If she resurfaces alive, she will have to deal with plotters in her court for sure, and perhaps uncover truths about their clergy that will be ...let's say at least uncomfortable. 11. I think the attack has everything to do with their chance encounter with Halea, considering the warnings they were given. I also have this inkling that their connection to the throne might be a bit more complicated that the average islander's there, which is why they were told to run and hide. 12. Cheth reminds me of Loki a lot (including the male/female ghost wearing) so I'm assuming he pulled a prank or attempted something that potentially would break the world, or some such thing, which got him banished. I'd expect his goal is to escape his banishment, which might then make him more likely to be a big and deadly threat. The seaghosts I think are connected to him directly which is why he knows everything in the sea, or some such thing. But I'm still forming my own theory on that so I can't say I feel confident making any kind of guess on that!

Once again, congratulations @LadyLazuli (Phantomarine) I thoroughly enjoyed this.:)

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

7. I also like how it might come down to a competition on who actually is the villain

@Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight) Ooh. Maybe there are still two! And it’s just a question of who is worse

12. Cheth reminds me of Loki a lot (including the male/female ghost wearing) so I'm assuming he pulled a prank or attempted something that potentially would break the world

@Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight) The Loki/Lady-Loki similarity was something I realized far later than I should have. It’s totally true! Might have been a subconscious influence. I always thought the idea was awesome

And thank you very much again for checking it out!

RebelVampire

Given that Phaedra is basically a ghost and Pavel is basically the only person who likes them, it is destiny he will be the only living person who can help her. However, my impression of Phaedra was that, at first at least, she may be overly concerned with her own goals and kind of forget that Pavel is just an adorable boy who needs help. So I kind of feel why Pavel will help her at first, it won't be a two-way street for a while. I definitely think Phaedra will succeed, but I also definitely think that won't be the end of it. Cause there's clearly a conspiracy to kill her. So sure, she may succeed, but then whoops have to stop corruption and the work is never done. As for challenges along the way, I'm sure there's gonna be some occassional Cheth's appearances of mocking. Mostly, though, I think it's gonna be protecting Pavel from the various dangers of the sea. I'm just gonna go definitive on this one with my theory. Halea is the one who had Phaedra assassinated and Halea somehow controls the Fata Morgana. And when she saw that whoops, maybe no more minions, she had Vanna and Pavel attacked cause they were clear threats of power. Cause Halea's power is entirely derived from the fact the sea is broken. If you unbreak the sea, no more power. So gotta maintain that status quo. As for the Phantomarine, I think it's more that in order to escape the dangers, Vanna and Pavel would probably have to travel far away from the safety of the lighthouses. I think Cheth just wants to be not trapped. I kind of feel like there's some unfairness going on here and that while maybe Cheth wasn't the greatest person, but also probably didn't deserve to be cast into the sea forever. And if I'm honest, I think it probably is what made the world worse than anything else.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Solid answers, all of them. Sometimes the strongest theories are the simplest ones

boogeymadam

Oh nO these ended up so long asdfg my bad 9. They’ll probably be connected by a shared-quest. They can help by retrieving things for each other they couldn’t otherwise. We know Phaedra’s gonna need someone to go on land for her and retrieve that Sacred Relic capable of reviving the dead, so I’d be curious to see if Pavel would need the opposite for some reason. Whatever the case, my vague theory on how they’ll connect revolves around Katja! Simply because she seems like the perfect friend for him (and tbh, anyone). And because Pavel seems to like quite a few Seaghost animals like Salty Joe..... and because petting and playing with a fluffy sweet dog is exactly what Pavel deserves Hurt?? Is a more difficult question. I would imagine it’s Cheth related. So far Pavel has shown a lot of sympathy for Cheth and could almost be considered a fan of him based on the costume he wore to the maritime fair. Meanwhile Phaedra has very personal reasons for despising him. 10. Hmm.. Maybe… All the twists and turns in the story so far have taken me by surprise so I really don’t have a clue what kind of challenges she’ll encounter next, or whether she’ll end the story alive. LadyLazuli doesn’t seem to be afraid of breaking reader hearts (and i say that with love lmao). Almost certainly Phaedra have more challenges involving her dad. I’m very curious to know more about him and if he’s as honorable as he seems. If she succeeds, assuming she learns about Vanna’s Seabite cure from Pavel, perhaps she’ll make that a more widespread thing so Seabitten children aren’t abandoned at the aquifier. However, seeing as she was assassinated (or at least Halea claimed she was) she’d probably have to unravel the mystery of whoever is out to get her before she can safely return to the living life, or risk ending back where she started.

11. My interpretation of the exciting latter-half of chapter 3 is this: The instant Halea learned that Vanna cracked the code to curing or at least strongly delaying Seabite, she made up her mind to have her and Pavel killed. For some reason she doesn’t want knowledge of the cure to spread. Perhaps so she has more Fata Morganas under her control? So meanwhile, knowing how Halea operates somehow, Garth gave Vanna the Phantomarine a means of protection, one that a Fata Morgana would not be able to destroy with a bone arrow perhaps. His reasonings for summoning Cheth are very mysterious to me, but I think someone Garth once cared for, this “Snowbelle”, may have had a positive-enough interaction with Cheth that Garth thought “yeah okay I’ll trust you to help my friends” :0c 12. I haven’t picked up on a clear indication of Cheth’s goals, so I’m pulling this mostly out of my bum, but I think it has to do with his skull. It’s on an island so he can’t reach it (unless the lighthouses go out apparently, http://www.phantomarine.com/comic/the-horizon-child/2-21-golden-feronia/ ) and Vanna makes it sound like something terrible would happen if he could reach it. His manifesting and wearing all these other souls, but never appearing close to any of the bonefish imagery makes me think he can’t assume that form without his skull being in the water, but maybe that would unlock some other powers too. Maybe that would undo the banishment, and he’d be free to leave the sea. Which is really funny to me that only once he unlocks fishmode, can he go on land lmao. What he’d do once he’s got that freedom tho, who knoooows I kinda think the relic Cheth told Phaedra of could be the skull, but it’s so... huge… Phaedra and her friends would have no means of getting it into the ocean that I can think of. Maybe they don’t need to in order to revive themselves though?

WAIT i sent that and it just clicked for me that seaghosts can go on land but Cheth can't so whether or not the lighthouses go out, that skull's off limits. but still.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

boogeymadam

13. most looking forward to meeting Phaedra's friends and learning more about the world they live in. Every place we see is dripping with character and a unique atmosphere and unexpected purpose, like the aquifier vs. the venue Vanna and Pavel were in at the end of the maritime fair. 14. It's just such an absolute treasure of a comic, one that is immediately so intriguing that I couldn't have stopped after the first page if I wanted to. (And with a premise and style like this, who would want to!) Its tone is whimsical and a wonderful balance of heartwarming and heartbreaking. Makes me feel nostalgic for old animated movies. Also the pacing great! Phantomarine can pour so much progress and into a single bubbly page and then others have thoughtful pauses that allow for plenty of breathing and digesting of that information. Aside from it being just overall enjoyable, it's also great learning material~

Miranda

13. Honestly, right now I’m really excited to see Cheth and Pavel interact. But besides that I’m looking forward to Phaedra and Pavel uniting 14. KEEP IT UP YOU BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU! WE LOVE YOUR COMIC AND IT BRINGS JOY TO OUR HEARTS. But seriously. It’s a work of art and you are telling an amazing story in a spectacular way.

Ryccomics

I eschewing the prompts I cannot find them anymore. Good: First, love the art, and color scheme. Second, probably the best backgrounds I have seen in a webcomic, they useful for the telling the story. Love the crowd shots, and the people in the crowd being detailed and different. Pavel’s design quite unique. I really adore the self-contained story of chapter 1, it set up main character, their goal very efficiently, and at least temporary villain (we’ll see about that later). Chapter 2 and 3 I was little less keen on, now we are focussing a different set of characters, and I am waiting for the stories to re-converge. Although, the Vanna death(?) scene was very well done. Most of dialogue has this will matter later tone to it. I feel confident the story has a direction, and a route to get there (this very important given the nature of web comics).

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

13. I'm looking forward to Phaedra and Haldea interact. That should be juicy. 14. Just keep on going. You're doing great!

shadowhood (SunnyxRain)

13. I can't wait to see the lore unfold in Phantomarine. It's a world that I want to keep exploring along with the protagonists. And I do want to see how the crew would react and cope to being seaghosts and what that would mean for their relationship with Phaedra. And of course, Cheth. I want to see more Cheth. 14. Claire, your webcomic is amazing, and just want to say that you're doing a wonderful job with it. Please keep up the good work, and I look forward to reading and drawing shitmemes for it

eliushi [a winged tale]

Everyone has already said so much more eloquently of what I wanted to say! I also love the very creative use of typography and background art as Pavel ran through the house to escape in the last chapter. Excellent suspense and tension! As always, looking forward to more!!

Jiblish

Ahhhh I’m late but 13. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the threads come together and seeing all the tension that has been building up unravel. It’s always cool, in stories with different viewpoints happening simultaneously. to see them all crash into each-other. More specifically with Phantomarine, there’s so much we feel like we know and don’t know so it’ll be exciting to get more pieces to the puzzle about people’s true identities and intentions as time goes on. Oh, also, I hope my man Garth is doing okay haha 14. I’ve said this before, and people have said it here, but you can tell this story was crafted with love and somebody with the intense desire for good storytelling. It’s wonderful. Keep doing what you’re doing! We’ll be excited for whatever you cook up next

RebelVampire

I am looking forward to learning more about Cheth cause I really feel like there's something deep just under the surface that's waiting to burst out and scream surprise. As for final words, this is all around a beautiful comic with some really interesting lore with lots of detail and thought put into it. And I think that along makes it worth a read even if it's not your cup of tea!

FeatherNotes(Krispy)

Im looking forward to seeing how Pavel really develops. I've said in my questions before that I believe he's a character that has the power to alter and change the course of events-! I think he's going to really turn Cheth on his head with these next new pages too. Also, Fata Morgana is DEF a fave, i want to know so much more of her purpose in the cogs and gears that turn the story U-U All in all, i cannot express how much I truly love this comic. I discovered it a while ago and was instantly hooked with the visuals, characters, and power of story. There's definitely a sense that Phantomarine will easily become a classic amongst the webcomic medium, and that it's certainly a work of art to keep tabs on!

eliushi [a winged tale]

I love the comic layout, the colours and the theme of Phantomarine! It really feels like I’m watching a show since it’s so polished with great movement between each panel. I’m super looking forward to all the character developments and unraveling more mysteries

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

I wanted to thank everyone for your kind words before this Book Club officially closes up. I've jumped into the webcomic community without much prior experience or exposure, and I've been amazed by the outpouring of kindness and guidance from everyone I've met, including the people here. Thank you for all the encouragement this week - to me, Phantomarine's story is just barely getting started, but to know it's already this well-received is very affirming (and a little overwhelming!). I consider it my duty to deliver a satisfying story from here to the end, and I'll keep aiming for that goal until my job is done. Big hugs from me, and thank you very much for the feature! I'll have a blast looking back on this in the future

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Phantomarine this week! Please also give a special thank you to Claire K. Niebergall for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Phantomarine, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.phantomarine.com/

Claire’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/phantomarine

Claire’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Phantomarine_

[the-sassy-composer]

October Composition Prompts! (Comptober)

Hi all! I thought it would be fun to have an event like Inktober but for musicians, composer, and audio engineers, so I made some daily, weekly, and month long “Comptober” prompts. The rules are simple: write a piece for each of the prompts. “A piece” is sort of loosely defined to make it more accessible. As long as it’s some form of audio, anything is fair game! For example, you could do a performance on your instrument, compose a piece to be played, or make a soundscape to name a few. Feel free to add a description of what you’re writing about, as I kept the prompts fairly vague. If you decide to participate, make sure to use the hashtag #comptober so people can find your work. With that being said, here we go!

Daily Prompts

No time limit, but feel free to add a description of your piece.

October 1st: Write a piece for autumn/fall

October 2nd: Write a piece about the woods (scary or not scary, it’s up to you)

October 3rd: Write a piece about a ghost/spirit

October 4th: Write a piece based on a liminal space

October 5th: Write a piece that makes the listener feel nervous or unsettled

October 6th: Write a piece about entering a dark basement

October 7th: Write a piece about your favorite Halloween/horror movie or TV show

October 8th: Write a piece about *something* at the end of a hallway

October 9th: Write a piece based on a scary place (real or fictional)

October 10th: Write a piece about insects

October 11th: Write a piece based around children (toys, arranging a children’s song to make it scary, etc.)

October 12th: Write a piece about the deep ocean/abyss

October 13th: Write a piece about a cursed object

October 14th: Write a piece about a corn maze (scary or not, it’s up to you)

October 15th: Write a piece based on any Stephen King book (or movies/TV shows based on his books)

October 16th: Write a piece about your favorite monster or cryptid

October 17th: Write a piece about zombies

October 18th: Write a piece about a graveyard/catacombs

October 19th: Write a piece based on Dr. Jekyl and Mister Hyde

October 20th: Write a piece based on your favorite horror video game (if you don’t have a favorite horror video game, choose another horror medium including books, movies, or comics)

October 21st: Write a piece about a humanoid object (including dolls and mannequins)

October 22nd: Write a piece about a haunted circus

October 23rd: Write a piece about someone being pursued by…something

October 24th: Write a piece combining horror and space (think Alien/ Alien Isolation)

October 25th: Write a piece about a serial killer

October 26th: Write a piece about a neighbor but something about them seems…odd

October 27th: Write a piece about a haunted house (either a house that’s actually haunted or a haunted house attraction)

October 28th: Write a piece based on a work by Edgar Allen Poe 

October 29th: Write a piece about one of your fears

October 30th: Write a piece about tunnels, trenches, sewers, or other underground space

October 31st: Write a piece about Halloween

Weekly (Picture) Prompts

For the weekly prompts, there will be one picture for each week. Write a longer piece focused on each picture (at least two minutes), and write a little bit of backstory too!

Week 1:

Week 2: 

Week 3: 

Week 4:

Monthly

Theme- Transformation

Write a piece about some sort of spooky transformation. Examples of this could include a person being bitten by a vampire, a werewolf transforming on the full moon, or a person slowly going insane. The only other requirements are that the piece should be at least five minutes long, and that you provide a little information on what you’re writing about. You have all month to do this prompt, but if you finish before Halloween, feel free to post it early!

Happy Comptober everyone! I’m looking forward to seeing what you create!

[sebeth]

Crisis On Infinite Earths #5

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

 Psycho-Pirate’s master is very upset – he’s destroyed the two prime universes, murdered the Monitor, and he still isn’t able to level up!

The Monitor - via pre-recorded message – reveals the he used his death energies to create a netherverse that absorbed the Earth-1 and Earth-2 universes.  However, the two universes are merging and will cause the other’s destruction.

Alex Luthor (son of Earth-3 Lex Luthor and Lois Lane) reveals the Monitor left him with instructions to save the two universes.  The rapidly aging Alex is now a teenager.

The Flash and Red Tornado are prisoners of the mysterious master.  Psycho-Pirate abuses poor Barry out of sheer boredom.

Lana Lang for WGBS-TV reports on the current insanity of the newly-created planet. In one city, you have dinosaurs, Neanderthals, Viking ships, blimps, horse-drawn carriages, and buildings from the 30th century.  

Sinestro himself has a “What the hell?” look on his face – and he’s seen some stuff!

Alex Luthor and Harbinger have gathered an assembly of heroes and villains.  Big two page spread of the assembly.  We have the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Outsiders, Infinity Inc., the Metal Men, Cave Carson & his team, the Teen Titans, the Sea Devils, the survivors of Easy Company, Dr. Light II, Swamp Thing, All-Star Squadron, Ragman, Riddler, Captain Boomerang, Kamandi, Rag Doll, Star Sapphire, the Persuader, Elongated Man, Steel, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Captain Comet, B’Wana Beast, Bir Sir, Solomon Grundy, the Mist, Aqualad, Tula, Lori Lemaris, the Blackhawks, Phantom Stranger, the Cheetah, Robotman, Per Degaton, Dr. Polaris, the Creeper, Cinnamon,  Monsieur Mallah, Phobia, the Legion of Substitute Heroes, Batgirl, Batman, Earth-2 Robin, Earth-2 Superman, Earth-2 Huntress, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Martian Manhunter, Celsius, Arion, Scalphunter, Green Arrow, Killer Frost, Firestorm, Deathstroke, and Plastic Man.

The main thing I love about George Perez’s artwork – the man is not afraid to draw a large group of characters.   The groups are never standing in straight formation either.  The characters are reacting and interacting.  A few examples:

1)      Easy Company is clearly freaked out by Swamp Thing.

2)      Beast Boy (Changeling) re-uniting with the missing Cyborg.

3)      Aqualad and Tula assisting Lori Lemaris.  Lori can’t stand because she’s a mermaid.

4)      Solomon Grundy is very annoyed.

5)      Couples are standing next to each other: Nightwing/Starfire, Brainiac 5/Supergirl, Lightning Lad/Saturn Girl, Bouncing Boy/Duo Damsel, etc.

6)      Elongated Man, Plastic Man, and the Metal Men are using their stretching abilities to great effect.

Lois Lane – also from WGBS-TV – interviews people on the street:  Tomahawk and Grixx of Ceti Alpha 6.   Poor Tomahawk doesn’t even know he what a television is – only moments ago he was fighting with George Washington’s troops.

Back to the assembled heroes.  Adding to the roll call:  Sargon the Sorcerer, Firehawk (the Western character), Black Orchid, Gizmo, Deadman, Gypsy, Penguin, Brother Blood, Validus, Jemm (Son of Saturn), Amethyst, the Warlord (Travis Morgan), Catwoman, the Atom (Ray Palmer), Jonah Hex, Vibe, Captain Cold, Earth-2 Wonder Woman, Ocean Master, Dolphin, and Black Canary.

We take a quick peek at Rann where Adam Strange battles monsters from the pre-historic era.

Superman steps up with the big hero speech: “Maybe I’m wrong talking for everyone but I will. Send us back. Let the doubters decide. But I promise you this, if we can save the worlds that remain, we will!”

The series has consistently shown Superman as the standard bearer of the DC Universe – the one you turn to when the end of the world is here. It has also demonstrated the struggles Clark has with the role: he has fears and vulnerabilities but has to ignore it and order to be the “shining light” for the other heroes.

A team of Green Lanterns, including Arisia and Katma Tui, arrive on Oa.  They discover the Guardians in stasis but are quickly taken out themselves.  

Lois Lane is attacked by a sabretooth tiger but is quickly saved by Earth-1 and Earth-2 Superman.  

Rip Hunters and his Time Masters are adrift in time.

Alfred and Jason Todd call for aid as Anthro, Embra, and a host of Neanderthals are invading Wayne Manor! Batman responds and he brings back-up. The back-up consists of Earth-2 Robin, Earth-2 Huntress (logical as they know the secret identity and are part of the family, Katana & Halo of the Outsiders (Batman’s team, also in on the identity), Nuklon (he’s trustworthy), Per Degaton, Kung, the Brain and Monsieur Mallah, Poison Ivy, Plastique, and Weather Wizard.  What?! Bruce is obviously not concerned about maintaining his secret identity at this point.

We have a brief panel of Batman putting his arm around Jason Todd’s shoulders. Jason is in civilian attire, not in his costumed identity. Earth-2 Robin (an adult Dick Grayson) is clearly looking at the duo with an unhappy “Who are you” expression. Again, George Perez – master of small details.

Unfortunately, my adorkable Anthro has no dialogue. The world is missing out on what would have been an awesome Alfred-Anthro interaction.

Starfire, Sun Boy, Firebrand, Firestorm, Polar Boy, and Killer Frost head to the Soviet Union to assist Red Star.  Killer Frost has reverted back to her lovable “I will kill you all” self.

Red Star refuses the aid until Starfire reminds him: “It’s our world. Please, we have to work together if we’re to save any of us.”

Red Star concedes: “Your words should be heeded by all. I apologize. You are right. Perhaps if we all survive, the politicians will remember this cooperation and build a better world for us all.”

Good luck with that!

Psycho-Pirate is still picking on my poor sweet Barry.  Meanwhile, the master is transforming the Red Tornado from machine into a primal force.

The Legion, The Justice Society, Zatana, and Sargon are attempting to combat the out of control weather only to discover that it’s being caused by the Red Tornado. Wildcat’s spine is shattered by a lightning bolt – he will never walk again.  We also get a quick two panel glimpse of Yolanda Montez.  Yolanda will become the second Wildcat.

The heroes and villains unite to save the universe.  Alex Luthor informs the group there are five universes that need to be saved.  

The master reveals himself to Psycho-Pirate and Flash:  Call me…the Monitor!”   A very corpse-like Monitor.

We end on Earth-X: “An earth where World War Two had continued for more than forty years.” AKA the home of the Freedom Fighters (Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady, The Ray, the Human Bomb, and Black Condor).  

So…Five Universes to save…

We have:

1)Earth One

2)Earth Two

3) Earth X

4) Earth F – Marvel Family

5) Earth C – Charlton characters – Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Question, Nightshade

Earth One and Earth Two are DC’s golden and silver age characters. The remaining three earths feature characters from various comic book publishers DC bought out over the years: Charlton, Fawcett, Quality, etc.

[blackhawkcomics]

Snakes: Would your muse ever keep an unusual/exotic pet?Clowns: Does your muse prefer comedy? Or horror?Dolls: Has your muse ever collected something? - For Julie, maybe?

Snakes: Realistically? No, Julie would just get a cat. But when she was little she went through a horse phase and wanted to own a ranch when she grew up. Now living anywhere she can’t see the city skyline sounds like a nightmare scenario.

Clowns: Definitely comedy, but when she does do horror she prefers psychological horror to monster/demon movies. 

Dolls: Comic books mostly. And she unwillingly collected sewing supplies bc her grandmother kept gifting them to her, and she didn’t have the heart to say she hated sewing. (Those supplies came in handy when she started making cosplays tho) Now she collects articles, journalists, newspapers, etc... any trustworthy source she can use for her superhero blog.

[fourteenacross]

Hey! Do you have any Stranger Things readalikes and/or middle grade & YA horror recs?

I can, in fact, provide that thing!

I could give MG and YA horror recs all day, so I stayed sort of close to the Stranger Things readalikes part of it. 

(All links are to Amazon via the WBS referral code, but buy local if you can, etc.)

Middle GradeThe Riverman by Aaron Starmer - This is a trilogy that takes place in the early 90s. Alistair is approached by a neighbor he hasn’t spoken to since they were younger, who asks him to write her biography. She explains that she is older than he thinks, as she passes time in another reality and has since learned that something from that reality is stealing the souls of children in their world. Creepy coming of age in a similar time period with a similar feel.

Doll Bones by Holly Black - Three friends have been playing the same epic game with their dolls and toys for years. When Zach’s dad tells him he’s too old for dolls and has to start playing boy games, the bone china doll who they cast as the queen of their world is unhappy. Same “kids on a epic quest against evil” vibes.

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste - Corinne has never believed in the tales of the jumbies, figuring they were something adults made up to scare kids at night. But after a close encounter in the forbidden part of the forest, a mysterious woman shows up and starts to affect their island. She has to convince her friends to help take down the evil and save their home. Creepy and with that classic “the kids see what the parents don’t” trope.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Jacob grows up hearing fantastic stories of people with strange powers from his grandfather. When his grandfather dies suddenly, he finds himself on a journey to the remote Welsh village where he grew up and stumbles upon a place without time, full of strange and wonderful things, and stalked by an evil only he can see. This one has gr8 pictures, so def do a print or ebook if you can, even though I’m usually a big audio proponent. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart - After answering a strange and vague classified ad looking for gifted children, four kids find themselves in the house of the eccentric Mr. Benedict, who’s training them for a perilous undercover mission to bring down the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Smart kids pitted against a sketchy government institution.

The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhilll - After surviving a rafting accident that kills his more talented twin brother, Ned has been told his whole like that “the wrong boy lived.” Áine, daughter of the Bandit King, was warned by her mother that “the wrong boy” will save her life. When the two meet, they discover it’s up to them to stop a war brewing between two kingdoms and save Ned’s mother’s magic. Read this and then read all the rest of Kelly Barnhill’s books.

Young AdultFiendish by Brenna Yovanoff - Ten years ago, the people of New South Bend decided that the strange things happening in town were the fault of the families living in the Willows and burned their houses down. Clementine was kept alive by magic, walled in the cellar until a boy stumbles upon her and sets her free. Now, with the help of her cousin and her friends, Clementine is determined to figure out what really happened ten years ago and how it’s connected to the magical and terrifying place called The Hollow.

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older - Sienna planned to spend her whole summer working on a mural in her neighborhood, but after being chased by a mysterious entity at a party, she discovers that she’s a part of something bigger. Her family are shadowshapers, people who can direct spirits into art to make it come alive. But someone wants to see the shadowshapers exterminated, and now Sienna and her friends have to uncover the mystery while fighting for their lives. READ. THIS. SERIES. I LOVE IT. HONESTLY. THE SECOND ONE CAME OUT THIS YEAR.

Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak - Aidan’s life is ordinary and unremarkable until his former best friend, Jarrod, moves back to town. That’s when Aiden starts being haunted by visions of the past and visions of the present and things his mind has tried to hide from him. This is a weird, great (queer!) story.

The Walking Dark by Robin Wasserman - On a perfectly mundane day in a small down in Kansas, twelve people are abruptly murdered by friends and family members who then go on to kill themselves. Not long after, a strange tornado cuts the town off from the rest of the world, and as the adults descend into chaos, it’s up to a group of teens–including the sole survivor of the murder/suicides–to figure out exactly what is happening to their town.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby - Roza was a beautiful outsider who was, against all odds, accepted by a small farming community when she stumbled into town, alone and frightened. The town, then, is devastated when she disappears, none more so than Sean, one of two brothers who had been boarding her. Younger brother Finn claims to have witnessed her abduction, but his lack of helpful evidence has ostracized him even more from the rest of the town, leaving him on his own to put together the clues of what’s happened and why and how to get Roza back. This book is weird and complex and sad and beautiful and magical.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron - Every twelve years, the city of Canaan descends into chaos, because every twelve years everyone’s memories are wiped completely clean. You remember nothing–your parents, your children, your spouse–unless it is written down. Except for Nadia. Nadia remembers. So it’s up to her to use her memories to solve the mysteries of the city as the next Forgetting approaches, before everything resets again and it’s too late.

AdultLet the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist - Oskar has spent his life being bullied and mocked by his peers, but a new girl has moved in next door, a girl who seems ignorant of most things in the world, but is brilliant. Around the same time, a string of horrific murders start to rock their small town, and Oskar slowly starts to put the pieces together. This is a terrible description of a great book that has SO MUCH happening in it that it’s hard to describe well. I also recommend the original Swedish movie, which is awesome.

It by Stephen King - Yeah, okay, you probably guessed this one, but there are reasons everyone is making the comparison. Just read the first half, and skip the sex stuff.

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue - After Jack nearly drowns, he begins to refuse to leave the house, staying inside and drawing terrible monsters. It’s three years later and Jack is ten and strange things are starting to happen, things that are connected to his drawings and what happened to him.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - A strange carnival has come to town and it’s pulling in all of the townsfolk, regardless of age, with the ability to grant their true desires. But it’s not that simple, and there’s something dark at work that takes more than it gives. Two thirteen year old boys, Jim and Will, need to overcome their own fears and desires to defeat the evil within the carnival and save the town and themselves.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - I have to admit, I haven’t read this one yet, though I’ve been on the hold list for an age so hopefully I will soon. But it sounds like it fits–it’s billed as what happens to a group of teens like the Scooby gang twenty years later, when they’re all adults and have mostly left their mystery solving behind. Or mostly left it behind–something about that last mystery is still haunting them and brings them back to their hometown to try and put it to rest once and for all.

ComicsLumberjanes - A great comic about the weird and wacky happenings at a scouting summer camp and the weird and wacky group of girls who run into the trouble head-on.Paper Girls - It’s 1988 and four twelve year old girls are about to stumble on to a mystery that will rock their world.Spill Zone - Three years ago, Poughkeepsie was destroyed by an event that has changed reality within its borders. Addison lost her parents in the event, and now supports her sister by taking illegal late night rides into the closed off area to take photos for collectors. One collector offers her enough money to quit for good, but to fulfill his request, she’ll need to take a risk that may keep her from ever leaving.

[ramajmedia]

10 Things From Gremlins That Haven't Aged Well | ScreenRant

Part horror flick, part comedy, part holiday film, Gremlins is one of those movies that has a little something for everyone. The Spielberg-produced 80s classic was a hit when it debuted, securing itself a placement as one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of 1984, behind such franchise giants as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters. It followed the Pletzer family of Kingston Falls who, after inviting a mysterious creature into their household, are forced to confront the ramifications of their purchase when it multiples into dozens of demons.

Audiences couldn't get enough of the gross-out humor and revolting shenanigans of the gremlins, the creature effects, or the over the top nature of the holiday farce. As entertaining as the film is, there are aspects of it that are dated to audiences today. Some of the gremlin effects are painfully hokey, some of the fashion screams 80s, and who gets excited about cable today? Here are 10 things about Gremlins that haven't aged well.

RELATED: 10 Things From Back To The Future That Haven't Aged Well

10 Cable Being A Big Deal

Gremlins takes place in smalltown, USA, so Billy Peltzer having a Mogwai is probably the most exciting thing since... cable? The film takes place in the '80s, so, having cable was something of a big deal because, otherwise, everyone gathered around their television for a few channels and some static.

Judge Reinhold plays some smarmy VP at Billy's bank, giving him an unending mountain of verbal abuse and trying to get Phoebe Cates to go out with him instead of poor Billy. So, what does he use to ingratiate himself to Ms. Cates? The fact that he has cable now.

9 The Gremlins

After Billy and his brother Pete (Cory Feldman) accidentally get his Mogwai wet, they discover what the old man at the oddities store cautioned about it; one Gremlin turns into five Gremlins, with the mean-spirited Stripe as their defacto ring leader.

As adorable as the Gremlins are, and as good as the puppeteering of them was for the day, they still look more like adorable Furby toys than actual terrifying supernatural creatures. Even later on, the jerky stop motion and lizard-like appearances don't help make them any more lethal.

RELATED: 10 Best Movie Aliens, Ranked

8 The Bathroom Buddy

Mr. Peltzer is something of a mad scientist/Doc Brown inventor in his workshop, conceiving of all sorts of strange and unusual gadgets that he tries to impress his family with. He develops the Bathroom Buddy, the Swiss Army Knife of toiletries, to "revolutionize" travel and save consumers hours on grooming.

The fact that the gadget is as big as a person's toiletry bag already is the least of its problems. Its made from gaudy plastic and looks like a cross between a pager and a child's toy. Even for the 80s, no discerning traveler would buy this monstrosity.

7 Hill Valley

The town where the film takes place, Kingston Falls, is something out of the Andy Griffith Show. It's corny and quaint, and, while it services well for a Christmas story, with its single post office, drug store, and bank, it's the same sort of set used for dozens of 80s films.

If it looks familiar, it's because from the clock tower on down, it's the same set for another quaint town: Hill Valley from the Back to the Future films. It's even populated by all the same stereotypes: the miserly Mrs. Beagle who hates Christmas, the selfish bank manager, etc.

6 The Fashion

From Billy's tweed blazer he wears at the bank (is he 17 or 65?), to Kate's ruffled neo-Victorian blouse and clip-in plastic barrettes, 80s fashion is everywhere. And, because Steven Spielberg watched a lot of It's A Wonderful Life before making this Christmas classic, lots of characters look like they stepped out of the 1940s.

The anachronistic and vintage fashion of that time period was alive and well in the 80s, so it wouldn't be uncommon for Mrs. Beagle to wear pillbox hats or Jack at the bank to wear an obnoxious fur-lined overcoat. It doesn't have the same charm today.

5 The Gremlins Hatching

It's a strange occurrence watching what look like dryer balls exploding out of Gizmo's back, grow into melon-sized furballs, and unfurl like daisies in the sun. The process may have been incredible for its time, but now the methods of making the movie magic are too transparent.

Audiences today are very aware of the fact that the Gremlins are puppets and animatronic components. They can only move in certain positions, have very simple ranges of motion, and often don't look any different than the dolls created for the film's release—which was probably intentional.

RELATED: 10 Horror Movie Monsters That Scared You as Children

4 Mr. Futterman

The racist, chauvinistic neighbor of Billy's hates foreign cars, hates anything un-American, and likes to shamelessly hit on young women at the bar. While there are sleeze-balls like him everywhere, the film gives him a particularly wide berth.

He's geared towards being a sympathetic character in the film, his behavior excused because of the fact that he's depressed, and Kate's worried he'll commit suicide. Today, there'd be a scene were someone questions his actions or his word choice, if the character was even included at all.

3 The Corny Plot

For audiences used to a faster pace, the plot may not prove engaging enough. It's also predictable; the Gremlins are brought into the Peltzer's home, Billy does everything the old man at the oddities shop told him not to do, and then he has to save his town from their shenanigans.

Billy's entire life is also incredibly mundane and predictable, from being given juice by his Susie Homemaker-type mother who stays at home baking cookies all day, to him trying to "support his entire family" on his bank job and drawing comic books.

2 The Bar Scene

While the Gremlins are out terrorizing Kingston Falls, the eventually wind up at the local bar where Kate works (presumably the only one in town). They proceed to break everything in sight, drink everything in sight, and one Gremlin is seen smoking several cigarettes at once.

What was no doubt supposed to seem like real "bad" stuff to kids of the 80s seems pretty tame now. Maybe the only no-no would be smoking indoors? You could actually do that in bars of that era. The whole idea that this scene was considered crass makes it more comical now.

RELATED: 10 Best Christmas Horror Movies

1 Chinese Stereotypes

When first we meet Rand Peltzer, he's being taken to an oddities shop by a young boy, the grandson of the owner, in fact. He looks suspiciously like Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and you half expected him to say, "Okie Dokie, Doctor Jones".

But the stereotypes are all confined to the store and the zen-like kernels of wisdom dispensed by the old Chinese man who owns it. He wears a long robe, a round hat, a long wispy beard, and says things like, "With Mogwai comes great responsibility".

NEXT: 10 Things From Goonies That Haven't Aged Well

source https://screenrant.com/gremlins-movie-aged/