#one of my favorite pictures of hugo

[nyhti]

Batman #354 (1982)

It is a TRAGEDY that this is the only real Hugo ~outfit~ we got in all of Gerry Conway's run. During most of this run he was either A. in the batsuit or B. pretending to be a ghost so he was in the outfit he "died" in (shirtless) or just completely naked for honestly no fucking reason other than he's just Like That. And I'm obviously not complaining about any of that, but Hugo was always such an outfit haver going all the way back to his first appearance. This man was always wearing the most deranged things. His hideous wardrobe is one of my absolute favorite things about him and I'm genuinely shocked how consistent the writing and the art was about that up until after Prey, when everyone at DC seemingly forgot all about it over night and started putting him in the most boring outfits known to mankind. Even worse when they started putting him in labcoats and calling it a day. The only time Hugo ever wore a labcoat during all of Pre-Crisis was when he was disguised as Dr. Todhunter. Labcoats were clearly never his style. Anyway, imagine an alternative timeline where Hugo would've had a bigger role in Conway's run and we would've gotten like 5 insane Hugo outfits illustrated by Don Newton. Perhaps even,,,,, a skimpy little maid outfit,,,,, with cat ears,,,,, please,,?

[caswensworld]

One thing about me is I will always respect a good villain gang when I see one and THIS gang! The gang of Merlin Academy running the shots! No exception. Rent. Was. Due! Disney, from here on out, if your teen villains do not look like these baddies who are serving seductive, poisonous cunt, Respectfully, Ion want it.

So let’s run down the line. Let’s take attendance.

Dara Renee said she looks cute as Ulyana, NOT HOT! OKAY GREEN! Look at her smile! First her daughter, now her sister, Ursula’s family has me in a chokehold and they are never letting me go (and I don’t want them to hehe). This look gives very much Ursula from Once Upon a Time vibes and I love it! So much! I wanna be part of her gang! Like, Ulyana, baby girl, what are you insecure of? I don’t care about Ursula anymore. I got Uma and I got Ulyana, I don’t want Ursula. I’m trying to keep it pg-rated, but…I would let her top me. I want her tentacles all over me, I’m so sorry…I’m not.

Hades has left the Underworld and he is looking sharp! I love leather. I love spikes. I love the whole punk persona! I have a punk persona! So I love the fact that me and Hades, one of my favorite villains…Are the same. Exactly the same. I am going to find a studded leather jacket and choker so we can match. We also got similar taste in music, like Hades, let’s be friends. Let’s start a band. We can call ourselves “Fire!”

Queen Maleficent, Mistress of Darkness may be lurking in the back, but I’m seeing her. Now her horns look a little weird right now but I’m gonna wait for the official posters and pictures with better quality before I start to give my full judgement. But like…y’all, she’s Maleficent, when have we ever had a Maleficent who doesn’t serve with looks, darkness, and attitude? Like, girl, come for Ulyana! Pull Hades! I expect you to use magic! I demand at least ONE Dragon transformation! DEMAND it!

Ulyana is the Captain here, jot that down, but Hook is still serving so let’s have a conversation. Looks are clearly a strength in the Hooks family, so what do the girls look like? The men are handsome, so let’s have the girls do some Justice please. His fit almost exactly replicated the cartoon and I love that. The only problem I have is…where’s the hat? The iconic red hat with the big feather? Disney, he better have that hat. Don’t be playing with me.

Morgie…he’s giving kinda Carlos and Gil vibes. That is indeed a compliment. Now is his outfit as extravagant as the others? No. Is it still good and is he still killing the game? Absolutely. These VKs stay with the drip. Who else is looking good in a scarf? I don’t see anyone else wearing one! Now his mother is said to be the Morgana Le Fay in Sofia the First so…Is our dear Princess in the Descendants Universe lol? Is my girl enrolled in Auradon Prep? Is she with Hugo? I’m sorry, I just find this so funny, where is Enchancia on the Auradon map? Watch Morgie reference this in the movie, I just, I can’t!

One thing about villains is they will always be looking good and I will always be wanting to find a way to thrift their clothing. I can’t wait to see these looks with better qualities

[harrowscore]

to take your mind of the foreboding WH movie adaptation disaster: Are there actually some non-English gothic titles you would like to recommend?

ohhhhh, what a good ask!

now, i'm actually not that well-versed in the gothic genre as i'd like to be, and if anyone has more recs they're welcome to add them to my list. but still, let's begin with:

gaston leroux, le fantôme de l'opéra (+ andrew lloyd webber's musical - which is hugely popular, as it should be! - and i'd also recommend the 1925 silent movie with lon chaney. it's probably the most faithful film adaptation of poto... too bad for that ending tho. there's also a prequel/retelling book by susan kay called phantom, which is very good - but not flawless - except i heavily dislike christine's characterization in this one; you can always read until the counterpoint section and call it a day)

victor hugo, notre dame de paris + the musical adaptation by riccardo cocciante. it's in french, but i also enthusiastically rec the italian version - you can find both of them on yt!

so, besides these two super famous classics, there's the poem the demon by mikhail yuryevich lermontov. you can find an opera rendition of it by anton rubinstein.

speaking of opera, béla bartók's bluebeard's castle - aka a gorgeous adaptation of the fairy tale by the same name. this version is particularly excellent, and there are also a lot of good album recordings on spotify. musically-wise, tho, it's maybe not easily accessible to people who aren't already familiar with opera...?

charles gounod's faust (again, an opera!) and various non-english versions of the story, like goethe's. by goethe there's also the poem der erlkönig. here a beautiful musical rendition by franz schubert.

panna a netvor aka "the maiden and the monster", my favorite beauty&thebeast movie adaptation. it's a 1978 czechoslovak film, you can find it here on yt with eng subs. and idk if i would say it's gothic but there's also the jean cocteau 1946 film + another french one filmed in 2014 starring léa seydoux and vincent cassel.

fyodor dostoevesky, the double

carlos ruiz zafon, the shadow of the wind (which i enjoyed, but i wasn't personally crazy about, though)

it's not gothic - it's magical realism, actually - but fans of the genre would possibly like gabriel garcia marquez's one hundred years of solitude for its themes

again, not gothic (i've seen it labeled as "dark academia" but. for some people anything is ~dark academia, including dostoevesky and the picture of dorian gray, for some unfathomable reason), but i'd rec vita nostra + its sequel, assassin of reality, by ukrainian authors marina and sergey dyachenko. there's an english translation and an italian one for my mutualiani, plus a third and final book coming out in, maybe, 2025.

the cabinet of dr. caligari + the man who laughs starring conrad veidt (😳😍) - the latter is an adaptation of the victor hugo's novel by the same name

for other movie recs, the original nosferatu + dario argento's suspiria (which has also a more recent remake by luca guadagnino of challengers fame)

fosca by igino ugo tarchetti. didn't read the novel, but i watched the musical adaptation by stephen sondheim, passion, here (and that's in english). again, idt if it's gothic or even gothic-adjacent but fosca's character has been compared and contrasted as a female version of the phantom of the opera by musical theatre fans, so. here it is.

now, for things i didn't personally watch/read so i can't vouch for them, but they seem all well-written/made nonetheless and belong to my unending list(s) of books to read/films to watch:

vampire hunter d. (anime)

john ajvide lindqvist, let the right one in (novel + movie adaptation)

marina enriquez, our share of the night + things we lost in fire (novel + short stories collection)

(mind you that these recs conflate a lot with the horror department. but i still think they could be interesting for gothic fans)

two book series that are written by english authors but i think they deserve more attention:

mervyn peake, gormenghast

jonathan l. howard, johannes cabal (which contains huge references to faust, dracula, and works by poe and lovecraft. the protagonist has also become one of my favorite characters of all time, i've fallen in love with him at first... page, i guess lol)

and that's it! again, if anyone has any other good rec, please feel free to add them!

[drawthethingdoppelganger]

Bob's Burgers Fanfic Rec List!

Babs thinks she can just trick me into trying whateeeeever things that involve making a list (she can. she's evil). A ship-oriented list cuz umm, I think that's all I've ever read.....

Boblin

do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life? by @jimmypesto - Linda is unhappily married to Hugo, when she meets her soulmate in a bar. Rated E.

for a moment, I knew cosmic love by @jimmypesto - Boblin Soulmate AU. Rated G.

still my patron saint by @jimmypesto - A Boblin Ghost AU. Rated E.

everything’s alright when she calls me back by @jimmypesto - Bob and Linda relive a decades old memory. Rated M.

I see you every day now by @jimmypesto - Five times Bob and Linda should’ve moved in together (and one time they actually did). Rated T.

Old Cape Bob by @babsvibes - Old Boblin Beach Day fic. Rated G.

Stairway to Lemon by @babsvibes - New parents Bob and Linda spend a well-earned night off… sitting on the stairs. Rated G.

i want to know what love is by @https-hunter - A collection of short fics for boblin week 2024 on tumblr.

An Indecent Proposal by @golden--doodler - Bob has decided that the day has finally come: He's going to propose to Linda. Rated T.

Tinimmy

Honey Combed Hair by @babsvibes - (summary? what summary? incredibly important fic to me personally is what it is)

Beach Glaze by @babsvibes - At face value, Tina's goal was quite simple: Have a beach day with Jimmy Jr., just the two of them. So why did it always have to go wrong? Rated G.

the night we snuck into a yacht club party, pretending to be a duchess and a prince by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Tina and Jimmy Jr. decide to sneak into the Glencrest Yacht Club's annual Christmas party. Rated T.

a message in a bottle is all i can do (standing here, hoping it gets to you) by @jimmyjrsmusoems - that time that Jimmy Jr. texted Tina on the emergency phone. Rated G.

all i know, is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Tinimmy Faking Dating AU. Rated T.

don't be afraid to jump, then fall (into me) by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Jimmy Jr. plans a (semi-)romantic surprise for his girlfriend. Rated G.

it always leads to you in my hometown by @jimmypesto - Over the years, Tina and Jimmy Jr. reunite when he returns to Seymour's Bay for Christmas. Rated M.

my gold rush to cold touch favorite ex by @jimmypesto - After a nightmare, Jimmy Jr. pays Tina a late night visit. Rated T.

Bits and Pieces by @eroticfriendfictions - A collection of ficlets and one shots. Rated T.

After Hours by @eroticfriendfictions - Tina and Jimmy Jr. have a closing time rendezvous. Rated T.

Dance Me to the End of Love by @waytoomanyhobbies - With their wedding about a month away, Tina has been going out until very late every night for the past two weeks. Rated M.

Wagstaff Side Story by @https-hunter - West Side Story AU.

Louigan

Logan's Run (-ning away) by @babsvibes - (something something roadtrip romcom). Rated T.

Territorial Swisspute by @babsvibes - Louigan Coworkers AU. Rated E.

Stacy's Cardamom by @babsvibes - Logan commits unthinkable crimes to get Louise’s attention. But in like a romcom-y way. Rated M.

Dread String of Fate by @babsvibes - A soulmate AU where each person has their own identifying tell, and Louise isn't happy with hers. Rated T.

Cry Me a Liver by @babsvibes - Louise and Logan break up for a reason unbeknownst to a pair of deeply concerned and meddling siblings. Rated T.

Pie v. Cake by @babsvibes - Louise and Logan have their stupidest argument to date. Also, there's a puzzle. Rated T.

i don't blame you for being you, but you can't blame me for hating it by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Jimmy Jr. and Logan fighting to figure out who, exactly, is Bob and Linda's "favorite". Rated T. (This is both louigan and tinimmy and I love it sooo much)

take a dirty picture, babe by @jimmypesto - Louise can’t let Logan leave for his trip without giving him a surprise first. Rated M.

small talk in the kitchen (dated, dumb traditions) by @jimmypesto - On Christmas, Logan and Louise have a disagreement about the merits of PDA. Rated T.

Christmas Proposal Proposition by @sailoreuterpe - Louise asks Logan an important question about an important question on Christmas Eve. Rated T.

Rarepairs

BLT- A Commit-y of Marriers by @sailoreuterpe - Bob and Linda are marrying Teddy. Of course, thing don't all go according to plan. In the end, however, their wedding is still (almost) perfect. Rated G.

Chloise - we might just get away with this by @jimmypesto - Chloe and Louise meet up in private. Rated T.

Tinimeke - Veals Like The First Time by @babsvibes - Tina, Jimmy Jr., Zeke. Where one goes, the other follows and usually with a hand tugging the last along with them. Rated T.

Tedmort - Unpack Your Heart by @cosmic-hoboandthehighlander - Teddy gives Mort the key to his house - indicating he wants him to move in with him. Rated G.

[nart-is-a-monster]

This is the process‼️

the actual final thing is here 😺

this fucKing bass

Aaaaaallsooooooo

All this text is made with the tool that transforms your voice and whatever you're saying into text so don't expect this to have sense in too many ways okay?

Okay so this is part of the process that I end up making cuz there was a bunch of trial and error in this process because whenever I was doing like the front the front the front and the thing I was getting a little bit confused cuz I was having too many ideas at once and it didn't work out as you think it will but at the end I end up like merging some of those ideas into one and end up looking pretty good that this is the stupidest sketch of how it was looking at the beginning in the terms of the title and stuff

Now the bass that instrument took so long to get it right cuz listen I end up studying technical draw in architecture and if I see something that doesn't have the right perspective I'm killing myself

So of course I was going to get into technical details with creating or drawing the bass

And also in the first parts you can kind of see how it was at the beginning like the colors and stuff trial and error yada yada yada

And I end up making some color arrangements cuz I want this to be bright and stuff and I didn't want this to be pale or look a little bit weird I wanted to have the right contrast

And also talking about contrast you can see the pictures in black and white that's because I wanted to get rid of the contrast and I didn't want something to not pop up right using the wrong colors so that's why there's black and white pictures yes

And also as I know that @aziraphalesbookkeeper favorite color is green cuz I asked that in the ask box I end up placing a bunch of green and several places in the complete piece or the complete render

And also yes the thing that Google was wearing it was going to have some pins with like some flags or whatever and that didn't make up to the end because I was tired and I was lazy and I didn't want to do more things in the jacket

:b

In for the boots I end up searching on Pinterest several things regarding I don't know ehhh Punk boots or something like that and at the end of the day I end up just getting in genshin to look at my wriottesley and admire or have a treaty view of some boots that are similar to the things that I wanted to draw

And also talking about the boots yeah there is not that many things on the boots and I end up getting lazy and tired of drawing details on the boots but it wasn't worth it at the end of the day

And also in the part of Hugo's pants I was thinking into creating like this patches that punk pants end up having with some band names or something embroidered into them cuz that looks cool and I think it matches his personality in some sort of way and I kind of did that it doesn't look that much in contrast with they're saying something his pants but they're there and that's what it matters

I tried okay I tried

Also another little detail in the part of the front I was just searching for several inspiration on rock or metal covers for albums and stuff and I didn't find much of inspiration into that but then I look into some posters and stuff like that and that was just a boost of inspiration and that's why the fronts in the thing end up going from whatever you see on that thing that has like pngs of a scrap of papers and something is already in some kind of text of a chat cuz I remember that in the story both of them end up talking on chat and stuff

On my head it was looking right but then I put it into the actual canvas and it was looking like shit to me so that idea was a scratched and he didn't make it up to the end hehe

And I think that settled it and that's it basically for all maybe I will read all this shit later and find out something that I missed but that's it

:b

[presidenthades]

Since you did a modern/au fashion on Velargirls, I wanted to ask you if you could do the historical (like actual timeline) version of it, you said you collect pics of clothes, both historical and modern that you can imagine them wearing. I know Jace often wears Sunfyre’s palette, Joff wears mostly red and black Targ colors and Luce is in Velaryon colors. But perhaps their signature styles or some pics of what you imagine them wearing would be nice like you did it with the modern!au version! If you'd rather not do this one, that's completely alr! I just wanted some pictures of their clothing to imagine the dresses they would wear when I read the books.

Disclaimer: GOT/HOTD is a pseudo medieval setting, so not everything about the fashion I choose is 100% accurate to the Western European medieval era.

I took a lot of cues from the official GOT costumes book, where the designer talks about how she was inspired by clothing from places like Japan. I also like Bernadette Banner’s video explaining how in GOT (or the earlier seasons at least), costuming tried to be historically accurate according to the rules of its own universe, not ours.

HOTD has different costume designers than GOT. I have a very amateur interest in historical fashion, but it seems to me that GOT was a bit more exploratory with its fashion (like Cersei’s kimono dresses) while HOTD generally tries to stick closer to more Western European medieval styles (with exceptions, like Aemond’s Hugo Boss coat). So I have a headcanon that in the 170 years between HOTD and GOT, more and more Essosi fashions come to Westeros, which leads to the changes that we see between the two shows.

In my series, these fashion trends are sped up quicker than in canon. One of Jace’s goals is to be a cultural icon at court, so her fashion choices (which are heavily influenced by Rhaena, who spent her childhood in Pentos) spread among the other highborn ladies.

Jace’s wedding gown is based off Margaery’s purple wedding gown, with some differences, e.g. gold color scheme.

Jace’s wraparound dress that she wears to the feast announcing the pregnancy is based on Cersei’s early season dresses.

Other outfits that give me Jace vibes:

Luce is tricky because most days at Dragonstone and Driftmark, she’s stomping around in really plain dresses that she can get messy. But at public events and in KL, she has to dress according to her station. Maybe some of her gowns are secretly pants underneath.

(Dany’s Qarth dress is by far my favorite reference photo for Luce’s outfits when I get art of her.)

Joff, to nobody’s surprise, is the most Targ-coded in regards to her wardrobe. I tend to reference Rhaenyra’s outfits for Joff’s. Joff is definitely hoping to inherit Rhaenyra’s clothes one day.

[flightfoot]

Do you have recommendations for future fics starring the current cast's children? Preferably ones where the kids have become superheroes themselves, but not required.

Sure, I've got a few! I dunno how much focus is required to qualify, but I'll do my best!

a story retold by @hanaasbananas

“No, no no, darling,” he shushed Emma, “don’t cry, your maman needs her sleep.” Rocking Emma slowly until she settled again, he continued “What if i tell you a story, hm? Shall I tell you all about how I met your maman–you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” or: 4 times Adrien told his children how he met their mother, and 1 time someone else told it instead.

---

Cheating Cat by @11jj11

When Emma and Isaac Dupain-Cheng realize that Adrien is Chat Noir, that can only mean one thing... that he's cheating on Marinette with Ladybug, and they're the only ones that know!

This is really cute, with Emma and Isaac being worried about Adrien supposedly cheating on Marinette and wanting to talk to Ladybug to stop her from dating Chat Noir. That’s not all that’s going on here, though - Isaac’s actually adopted, but he and Adrien are still related, which puts an interesting twist on the tale. There’s a reason he’s especially sympathetic to the fact that Adrien being Chat Noir means he would have had to fight his own father…

---

Turtle-y Awesome! by chatonne-rousse

Hugo Dupain-Cheng loves turtles, and by extension, he loves Carapace, his favorite superhero of them all. He doesn't know yet that his idol is also his Uncle Nino, and Nino hasn't yet seen the Carapace shrine that is Hugo's bedroom. But the little man is turning five and has just two wishes - a Carapace-themed party with friends and family, and the latest, greatest Carapace play set. This is a story of best friends, laughter, good kids and even better parents, and a whole lot of turtles.

---

Into the Unknown by NUMBER1ANGIRL

Marinette Dupain-Cheng has been Ladybug for 12 years now. She’s been fighting Hawkmoth by herself in this time, without the partner she was promised. When Hawkmoth is defeated, she starts fighting a new villain, and the strange ache of something she wasn’t aware was missing.

---

Growing Fangs by @rosie-b

Louisa Dupain-Cheng has always liked to keep secrets. When she finds out that her parents are the heroes of Paris while spying on them as they transform for a patrol one night, she decides to keep this new finding all to herself. But as the years go by, will she change her mind?

---

This last one's incomplete, but it's got quite a lot of focus on the future kids.

Primary Sources (And Other Historical Epiphanies) by Hoover_the_fish

Mary Beauréal hates history, so she's not too jazzed for the history reports and group presentations that Caline Bustier assigns for her class. However, the people in her life have an odd connection to an era her teacher refers to only as, "Ladybug and Chat Noir," a connection that none of them seem to want to remember. "For some reason, there aren’t a whole lot of newspaper articles, but there’s an old blog online that might be worth checking out. As far as I know all the pictures, interviews, the articles that still exist- they all ended up there at some point or another." "Do you know what it's called?" "I believe she named it the Ladyblog."

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What are your favorite royal wedding looks and flowers

I answered a lot of these in the other ask so I'm going to use yours to do a deeper dive into most of the Millennial royal weddings. You want opinions, you're getting opinions today!

Quick aside: I mainly follow only the British royals. I pay some attention to the other European royal families and a little bit of attention to the Jordanian Royal Family. So that’s what this commentary will focus on. Because I don’t follow the Middle Eastern, Asian, or African royals (and subsequently don’t know much about them), I don't feel it's appropriate for me to give commentary on their wedding looks/styles when I don't know who they are. Obviously, as you'll see, my favorites are the BRF so the commentary does skew heavily towards them.

Adding this halfway through: This is a really text-heavy post so I'm going to break up the rambling with my favorite photo from each wedding.

Crown Princess Victoria, June 2010

The Cameo Tiara is my favorite. It paired very nicely with the heirloom veil. Loved that she went for off-the-shoulder short sleeves. Not really a fan of how the train attached at her waist (vs being all one dress), but it really worked for her.

Kate, April 2011

I loved how timeless her whole look was. If you take everything out of the picture and just look at her and the dress, it's magnificent. It works in black and white 1950s vintage. It works in the modern fashion era. It works for her as the individual girl she was at that time. It works for the future she's growing into.

Not a fan of the hairstyle and the tiara. It was a complete miss for me. She should've gone full updo or full Chelsea blowout instead of the halfway compromise. The tiara, meh. Didn't really add anything to me. After seeing the floral headpiece she commissioned for the coronation, I would have loved to see what she'd have done for the wedding since a floral headpiece is what she originally wanted to wear. I also thought her hair was a smidge too dark, but maybe that's the contrast with all of the ivory around her. I much prefer the golden/bronzey highlights she has now and I think it would've helped the contrast better.

Thought the flower girl dresses were a tad too long and that her bouquet was out of place. It needed to be more substantial for such a formal occasion. Either more flowers/bigger shape or bigger blooms.

Something about Hugo Burnand's work always throws me off. I think it's the scale and the perspective he uses; the subjects are too far away from the camera that their backgrounds seem to swallow them up. Didn't like most of their wedding portraits because of that. They kinda ended up looking like cardboard cutout versions of themselves.

Overall, a perfect day. It was nostalgic without being maudlin. Modern without being trendy. Celebratory without being excessive. Traditional without being stodgy.

Charlene, July 2011

I like her dress. Reminds me a lot of Crown Princess Victoria's, but with a lovely embroidery detailing.

I don't really have a lot to say about the Monaco wedding. It looked like a lovely occasion. The dress is fine. The veil is fine. The photos are fine, but Charlene looks like she'd rather be anywhere but there marrying Albert (and the rumors that have come out since about the wedding makes me side-eye a whole lot).

Stephanie, October 2012

Very pretty dress, very pretty veil, very pretty look. Not really very memorable for me. A lot of the gorgeous detailing in her dress gets lost in most of the photos; the close-up photos of her dress are gorgeous and I wish there were more.

I do really like her bridal bouquet; that's what I expected from Kate.

Her tiara got lost in the look and her veil not being closer to the tiara makes sense (since the tiara really would have gotten lost) but I think we've come to expect royal brides wearing their veils and tiaras together so this is something different. I do, however, really like how the veil flows in this picture.

Princess Madeleine, June 2013

I don't mind that it's a lace dress. I cannot with the dust ruffle hem. This photo just killed the whole look for me, but this one (above) and this one redeem it to where I can pretend the dust ruffle doesn't exist.

The neckline also had its issues. It went rogue at one point during the wedding and ended up giving her a 1980s-one shoulder style look.

Her hair was very Swedish (they do like their big buns). Her veil was gorgeous too, tying with Beatrice for second. I prefer the way Madeleine styled her veil over how Victoria styled hers.

Madeleine has my favorite makeup look; dramatic eye with a nice pink lip.

Sofia, June 2015

My feeling is that this isn't the dress Sofia would have chosen for herself. I think she went more demure and modest because of her controversial background but she's had a lot of fantastic style choices otherwise. Something about the cut of her dress reads maternity to me - the skirt seems like it starts too high in the bodice.

She has the traditional big Swedish bun, but it's quite a slicked back/severe look for her. I think with the wide open neck in her dress, a softer, looser hairstyle would have made it work better. I do feel like her earrings needed to be bigger with the open neckline, or at least should have had emeralds to match the tiara. (This may be my least favorite tiara styling -- a little too "on top" of her head, not very integrated into the hairstyle so it looks kinda like an afterthought.)

Loved the colorful flowers she chose. Her wedding colors were my favorite before Eugenie came along.

Pippa, May 2017

I know, I know. Pippa's not royal and it wasn't a royal wedding, but it had a big royal turnout so it counts!

THIS is how you do a lace wedding gown without it looking like Granny's tablecloth or Miss Haversham (yeah, I'm looking at you, Kitty Spencer). THIS is how you do a classic English country garden wedding. The way she decorated the exterior of the church was a dream.

Her headpiece was invisible and added nothing. I get why she chose the piece she did, but come on. Hugely missed opportunity to get a major piece from her new husband or to pay homage to Carole in something like this (which I realize is Kate's coronation headpiece) or like this.

The matron of honor/children's minder was perfection. The flower girls were perfection.

Meghan, May 2018

I'm glad Prince Philip was able to attend. I feel like he attended more to support The Queen than out of joy for the couple. I kinda wished Zara would have gone into labor during the service.

Everything was just so darkly lit, even the bridal portraits too.

(Edit: Let me know if you're curious about why I like this picture for their wedding.)

Princess Eugenie, October 2018

Her floral design and colors were my absolute favorite. She wins, hands down, bar none. I loved the moody dark florals and loved how she embraced the autumnal vibes by making the chapel feel warm and inviting.

I thought the sleeves of her bridal gown were too long and too big, and felt oversized. They needed to have been more tailored, like Kate's were.

Eugenie's wedding portraits are my favorite. The scale and perspective was pleasing and the simpler white background of the Windsor room made the people pop.

Overall, it was a very princessy wedding. Very well done.

Lady Gabriella, May 2019

Her veil is my favorite. I like the fuller veil style, but it almost seemed too full because the details of her tiara was lost in all the tulle.

I love the story that she had originally planned for a pink/blush gown but changed it to white when she learned The Queen wanted to attend; that says a lot about her character and respect for tradition.

Bridesmaid dresses were a tad long. For some reason, her Hugo Burnand portraits don't bother me as much as Kate's do. LOVE that she got to do some portraits outdoors, and her outdoors portraits are so quintessentially England. I kinda wish Kate had had that opportunity given how meaningful the outdoors are for her.

So sad about her husband. Sending her all the strength, especially with their anniversary coming up.

Princess Beatrice, July 2020

I loved that she went for sentimentality above all else. She really made the best out of a terrible situation. Their wedding photos make it seem like she (and Edo) are the sort of people who prioritize the marriage over the wedding so I sense they don't mind all the changes too much.

Loved her simple make-up and her grandmother's dress. Loved the veil too. The hair felt undone; this hairstyle would have polished the look nicely.

Princess Iman, March 2023

Iman squeaks into this review by 3 months. She is the youngest millennial royal bride.

I love how soft and golden her portraits are. She ties with Gabriella's outside portraits for the #2 spot for me.

Her look was simple, and I feel this is romantic minimalism done correctly. The drape of her skirt reminds me a lot of Sarah Chatto's, a soft delicate look that's unusual for most royal brides (who tend to go with stiffer, heavier fabric for the formality). It works really well.

The tendrils are a little much and too loose for me; I'd rank her use of tendrils #2 between Eugenie (#1) and Meghan (#3).

Rajwa, June 2023

I appreciate that she went for a look befitting her own individual personality but it was a choice. Her bridal look is a case of "too much pageant fashion, not enough wedding" for me. The draping was strange, the fit of the skirt versus the train seemed like she was wearing pants with a huge overskirt behind her. But the dress "sits" very nicely and I suspect since the Jordanians do most of their weddings sitting (like above), the overskirt style may have been an intentional choice for the photos.

Veil was nice. Bouquet was too small. Not a fa of the earrings. I do think her tiara is a little too far back on her head.

Many congratulations to them for the new baby.

[bellysoupset]

i’m sorry you’re having a bad night soup :(

if you’d like to would you mind just telling me some random little things about jonah

the more obscure and miscellaneous the better 😭

- 🧝‍♂️

Hi Elf! Eh, it's fine, my brain is constantly running a mile, but this will calm down soo enough, fingers crossed.

Alright fun facts about Jon!

He's big on gift giving. It's an art and he's really good at it.

Jonah has never been to a pride parade before. In fact, only Wendy out of all my OCs has.

Jonah has both his ears pierced, but nowadays he doesn't wear anything on them. He did wear diamond studs on them during a stretch of high school.

Jonah wears makeup pretty much every day. Not as in fashion (colors/glitter/etc), but he's really really good with concealer. You'll never see this man with a pimple.

Jonah DID want a sibling, which is something he'll not say out loud. It was such a huge disappointment to him when his step mom didn't let him be a big brother to Angie and then he was enrolled in boarding school. Like he eagerly waited during all of the pregnancy and was thriving when random strangers told him he'd be a big brother.

Jonah's favorite movie as a kid was the Parent Trap, he's the child of divorced parents and had an annoying, much younger step mom. Nowadays he likes indie queer/horror stuff and will not own up to this, but Luke knows.

If you're tenacious enough and look at teen magazines from the early 2010s, you'll find him in some of them. "Jackie Mallory's heartrobber son" you might read. You may even find pictures of him and Luke together if you search enough.

Jonah's granparents from his father's side are still alive, although he's not close with them.

His letterbox is his pride and joy and he leaves these long, winded reviews.

He's got a signature perfume: Hugo Boss Boss (the green one, that's got notes of green apple)

[enter-the-performapals]

With the new pokemon DLC and Hatsune Miku Project Voltage coming out recently, I've been really inspired to draw some more Yugioh x Pokemon. This time I'll be drawing the Dragon Boys with the Paldea starters, in outfits themed as their final evolutions. This one is Yuya with Quaxly!

Yuya (you are here!)|Ute|Joeri|Hugo

Extra context and doodles under the cut:

So, back when Scarlet and Violet first came out, I drew this little doodle:

I really think the newest batch of starters really give off the energy of these boys. The Fire/Ghost typing of Skeledirge gives me huge Phantom Knights vibes (and I love how it has a little birdie). A smirking, Grass/dark cat that's looking down on you screams Joeri to me.

While I don't really think the typing of Quaquaval really fits Yuya too well, I think it's design fits the best. I looked at it and immediately thought 'omg it has hippo carnival energy'. And blue and orange make me think of Yuya.

Here's a quick doodle I did recently to show the full outfit:

If I were to choose any starter to represent Yuya, I would probably choose my personal favorite, Prinarina. He has fairy type energy. And silly little clown seal Popplio works so well for him honestly.

(I might clean & color this later and post it separately :3)

If anyone is interested, I will happily do a bit of a deep dive discussing what Pokemon fit him (complete with pictures, of course!) But if you've made it this far, thank you for reading! Ute is mostly finished, so you should be seeing that soon! Have a lovely day!

[simon-roy]

A BRIEF REMINDER:

The final order cutoff for the Image Comics edition of GRIZ GROBUS is TODAY! So if you're a comic book store owner, a independent bookstore manager, or anyone who reads comics, consider ordering the book!

What is Griz Grobus? Here, from the solicitation text:

On a distant planet, a prying scribe, a sentimental constable, and a mayor resurrect a sleepy town’s long-defunct priest-bot. But "Father Stanley" is not what he seems. Meanwhile, in another universe, a hungry wizard accidentally conjures a war-god into the body of a goose. These two intertwined tales make up GRIZ GROBUS, the hit Kickstarter graphic novel sensation now at Image Comics!

Perfect for fans of Hayao Miyazaki, Asterix, and Arthur C. Clarke, and readers 12 and up!

Arriving: June 5, 2024 Lunar Code: 0424IM239 ISBN: 9781534397866

Nice things other comics professionals have been saying about the book:

 "Griz Grobus' dual dovetailing narratives let us discover an alien world and a human heart, full of Ghibli style and the finest Tor-novella poise. The team creates a universe, and is generous enough to let us live there." —Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + The Divine, Die, Phonogram

"Rich, beautiful and very funny—one of my favorite comics. Get every book Simon makes." —Tonči Zonjić, Lobster Johnson, Who is Jake Ellis?

"Simon's worldbuilding skills are yet to be matched, but on top of that his stories are both crazy and profound!" —Carlos P. Valderrama, Giants

“It’s amazing. You won’t get a better world builder than Simon Roy. He’s taking us places and I am here for it. Do not miss this.” —Daniel Warren Johnson, Transformers, Do A Powerbomb, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth

"When Simon Roy announces a new book it's an event - and a must buy for me and anyone who loves the medium of words and pictures!!!” —Geoff Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy, Hard Boiled

“Simon Roy’s science-fiction embraces heady ideas of futurism while never forgetting for an instant the foibles and frailties of the humans that exist in it. Griz Grobus is no different—an alien world made lived-in and real by the very human characters who exist within it, where at the end of the day, a full belly is what is worth aspiring to. Another extraordinary piece of work, an addition to a growing body of modern classic science-fiction, Griz Grobus continues the trajectory that began with Habitat.” —Jed McKay, Avengers, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange

“Simon Roy has a way of making strange & alien worlds utterly charming. His world building is unique & filled with quirky characters I strangely want to eat with. AND—I really want an Elaphure.” —Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night

"Griz Grobus combines beautiful art and mystical storytelling with an intriguing look at humanity on a world half-alien, half-familiar. A sly and often funny take on the creation of new myths and the rediscovery of the past." —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hugo and Nebula award winning author of the Children of Time series

"Seriously, it's the perfect kind of Ursula Le Ghibli world and I adore it. The right measure of everything from the writing to the art." —Goran Gligovic, Dagger Dagger, Company of the Eagle

PS - If any of this piques your interest, I'm also running a kickstarter campaign for the hardcover edition of REFUGIUM, - the sequel to this very book! If you or your customers enjoy Wayne Barlowe's strange creatures, or the work of Dougal Dixon, it might scratch a particular itch for you...

[rollercoasterwords]

hii 29, 32 and 43 :)

hiiiii <3

29. How many books do you have on your 'to-be-read' list?

199 lmao...i have a slightly smaller to-read list for this year that focuses on just books i own physical copies of but haven't read yet. that one is 35 books rn...

32. Name your favorite author(s).

hmmm ok gonna try to make this list like. authors who i've read multiple works from & enjoyed as opposed to just really liking one novel or series so. hannah moskowitz for sure. also victor hugo and mervyn peake...kurt vonnegut...neil gaiman...have also read & enjoyed multiple works by han kang, ursula k. leguin, octavia butler, and gabriel garcia marquez but i feel less familiar w them so...not sure if i'd confidently call them favorites...have also read a lot from v.e. schwab but not sure if she'd quite make the favorites list either bc there's wider variance in how much i like her works...

for nonfiction donna j. haraway, judith butler, leslie feinberg, bell hooks, audre lorde, angela y. davis, andrea long chu, gloria anzaldua, and lee edelman

for poetry louise gluck, e.e. cummings, natalie diaz, franny choi, and richard siken

43. Title of a book you own that's in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

not by my bookshelves rn so can't take a pic but pretty sure it's animorphs book #6 the capture which i found at a used bookstore & half the cover is like...ripped + falling apart. i buy animorphs books pretty much anytime i find them in a used bookstore tho regardless of condition so <3

book ask game

[lesmissocials-fuckedup]

Twitter 2022 compilation

So more like a 2022 archive but you get the spirit

In chronological order, we have :

• On barricade day : the infamous Queen jubilee, featuring a starving child supporting the monarchy as a plate decoration. Not only does it go against the musical's whole message, but it was also posted on barricade day.

• On June 21 for some reason. You go, oppressive capitalism ! The working class can't stop us rich people from having fun :)

• Queen Elizabeth's death, because again we strongly believe and support the monarchy. Four months later, we are still left wondering who "we" is supposed to be

• On November 30. This one seems like a perfectly fine post, until you realize Victor Hugo never actually wrote this line in les mis since it's from the musical and Hugo had been dead for a good century when it was written.

• And finally, the Christmas one, my personal favorite. Probably not the worst but there are a lot of things wrong with this picture, starting with the quality pun

Another good thing to add to this 2022 wall of shame is that not only did they post very embarrassing stuff, but they were also bullied into deleting three of those (the jubilee, the rail strike and the Queen's death) a few hours after posting them. Looking good for the fandom, looking bad for the musical industry.

[marlesbian]

How i perceive Sirius Black

Starting with the basics

- gay he loved men

- genderfluid

- graysexual

- androginy THEY ARE ANDROGINY

- any pronouns (preference for using different pronouns in the same sentence)

- Has BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and ADHD

- french/east easian/plain white idk i like these 3 hcs

- 1,78m tall (told everyone was 1,80m)

- Sirius was trained in ballroom dancing, piano, violin and had etiquette lessons as a child. Speaks French, English, German and Russian. She can play almost any instrument tbh.

- Loved to paint, write poetry and draw. (drew mostly on black and grey). Sirius also kept a journal he learned to charm so only his eyes could read it.

- Favorite band was Queen, also loved Bowie, KISS, Led Zeppelin, T. Rex and all of glam rock (later found a passion for punk) and secretly loved Tchaikovsky. Found muggle music through Andromeda. She was like her older sister and his biggest protector, he was destroyed when she was disowned. She kept buying sirius vinyls and sending it to her while she was at school.

- Sirius was a natural born rebel, they defied everything just by existing. "My existence is a scandal" was his motto.

- Sirius loved to read, but at home was only allowed to read russian and french classics like Dostoevsky, Victor Hugo, Tolstoy, Dumas etc.

- Once their uncle Alphard gave him Oscar Wilde books and that became her whole life. She loved 'The ghost of Canterville' and 'The Picture of Dorian Grey'. Sirius never really talked to other ppl about liking books though.

- At home, her life was shit, of course. Her parents were abusive and it started really young, they were manipulative and narcissistic, neglected Sirius's emotions and feelings, and prohibited him from showing their true self. But the abuse was discreet, quiet, it wasn't obvious to him. She knew it wasn't alright but also couldn't recognize it was abuse, to her, their parents just wanted what was best for him, wanted him to be their best self. Her mom still told him she loved them, they still gave star things, they treated them well and like shit at the same time.

- As Sirius was growing up the abuse kept getting worse, they started using curses and hexes and beating him, hurting her in many ways, but she thought he deserved it because that would help them become a better person, she still understood the abuse as care. As he turned 13 he was thought dark arts at home stars parents used his wants and needs as a way to control her, she always had to do something for her family to get basic human treatment. As she got older they started getting more violent, using unforgivables and curses that hurt her physically.

- Walburga was literally one of the worst people to walk on this earth, she was bitter, heartless, prejudiced, violent, ruthless, she was an awful human being and Sirius HATED her. Walburga was obsessed with keeping up appearances, making the family name justice, being better and superior to everyobody else, she had these delusions of grandeur, of maintaining a superiority status. He was scared she could become like her mother one day, that she was as insane as the woman who gave him life but also literally tortured and tried to kill her own children just for the sake of "the family name".

- Her relationship with Regulus was very complicated. When Reg was born Sirius loved him so much, he couldn't even explain. Reg was everything Sirius could never be. He was everything her parents wanted her to be, he was quiet, polite, patient, never spoke out of turn, he did everything his parents wanted him no without question. Sirius could feel in all the ways their parents acted that they loved Reg more, that Reg was what they actually wanted.

- Sirius hated herself for it because she hated his brother for something he could not control but they also loved him more than anything. So their relationship was unstable, some nights they went to each other for comfort, others they wouldnt even share looks. Around 9/8yo Reg told Sirius that he just always knew he had to play a part, to pretend in order to survive in that family, that he had to be literally a perfect child. For most of her life, Sirius did love his brother more than anything. After Reg grew up and started to get more brainwashed by his parents, they drifted apart he resented Sirius, he despised him for being a blood traitor, for being queer, for being wrong. (Abused children deal with abuse in different ways so i would never say regulus was a bad person, he was victim) Sirius had to leave and it was the right thing to do.

- Only started to have longer hair by the end of 4th year

- He was a happy child, a little star, brighting people's days, always laughing and being just loud. Her mother hated it. Orion was just neglectful and complacent with Walburga.

- Sirius was very loud, just a loud person, who talked loud, walked making noise, talked with their whole body

- His presence was always noticed, because she could not shut up. They always knew something was wrong in the way her family worked, every night she cried looking at the stars wishing to be saved, because she knew life could be better, she always felt something was missing, like a void in his chest, like he wasn't complete. That void was filled with James. He felt how real normal people love for the first time with James. He was the brother she wanted Reg to be, James was supportive of his every action and trait, they could hug and show affection.

- James was so much more than just a best friend, he was truly Sirius' brother, their relationship wasn't platonic nor romantic, their loved surpassed these notions we have of love. Their love just was. Nothing could compare to Remus though, he was her soulmate, her other half, they were connected by the red string, they were born to be together. He probably fell in love with Remus the second they met.

- Sirius was sensitive and also strong, she cried himself to sleep sometimes bc he didn't wanna bother anyone. He used humor to hide the fact that she hated himself, he was always cracking jokes and making people laugh, because that made her feel loved.

- Sometimes she lost her sense of self, she dissociated and wondered who she even was, if that person was actually them, if he wasnt pretending just to cause a scene, those days she became distant, nobody recognized him. He was agressive and impulsive and somehow was always hurting the people she cared most.

- Some days she felt like a complete failiure and waste of space, other days she felt he was better than every other living human, some days she loved who she was, others he wanted to die and be born as someone else. He didn't know how he felt about himself, nothing in her was constant, except the change. She didn't know how she felt, it was empty and simultaniously overwhelming because she felt everything and nothing at the same time. She was insecure and over confident, rude and also sweet and polite.

-His boggart was being left by everyone he loved.

- There was a time in his life where she treated everyone like shit on purpose because she was convinced that everyone would leave him and some point so it would be "her choice". That didnt last and it was awful, he felt awful, she cried every day, she began to self harm and hate himself.

- She hated being impulsive and always hurting people. She hated that sometimes his mind kinda shut off and he lost control of what he was doing and saying, hated that she couldn't remember it after, he hated that on these times she always did the worst things imaginable.

- Sirius dressed fem and masc, depends on the day and what he was feeling, they wore lots of leather jackets, croptops, low waisted jeans, oversize jackets, coats and sweaters. loved something showing chest, very flamboyant and sparkly. Their color palette was black, red, grey, purple and dark brown.

- Sirius loved tattoos and piercings. She got her first tattoo on sixth year, along with Remus. She had many ear piercings, nipple piercing and a stud nose (with a ruby on it)

- The relationship with his sexuality was complicated, he always knew she didn't like women the way boys were supposed to. In Hogwarts, he did everything to show everyone that he, in fact, did like girls. Until fifth year, she just couldn't take it anymore. she did hook up with some random girls just for show (nothing sexual, he couldn't physically put themselves through that). But then he met Benjy and that's when it all changed, Benjy helped him discover who she was, what they liked, what felt good and comfortable and what didn’t, helped them with the whole gender thing (Sirius did not give a fuck, sometimes he felt like a boy, sometimes not and that was it, couldn't care less about how ppl referred to or perceived her). So basically the only people he ever had anything with were Remus and Benjy. 

-Sirius found it easy to hate and dislike things and people and she hated herself most of all for it. Because good people can't hate, good people only love, good people don't get angry and destructive. Therefore, in her mind, he was a terrible person.

- Sirius felt like a mistake sometimes, like a waste of space, like he was useless and could have done more to save his brother, to save her cousin, to be loved by their family. For a long time, that was all she wanted, that's what he would see in the mirror of Erised, him being her true self in front of her family, dressed however he pleased, and their family behind smiling, supporting and loving her. 

- His boggart was himself, with the dark mark on her arm. The slytherin green tie, pale skin, hair all short and well cut. His biggest fear was being evil, ending up being the horrible person the voice inside their head kept saying he was.

- His biggest dream for years was being loved by his family, but becoming what they wanted was her biggest fear. She had always been torn.

- James was the one that made them realize that her family was fucked up, that they were wrong, that Sirius was enough and that he did not need to change in order to be treated like a person, that her family wasn't worth it and that she had to let go. It wasn’t easy, it took James five long years, but on December 1975 Sirius came all bloody to the Potters, left her family behind, and began to heal. 

- Sirius was unstable, as established here, he hated herself for it. Sometimes she felt like she only did the wrong thing, like she was rotten and couldn’t be fixed, like she would die being a mistake like he could never be loved and never truly love.

- Sirius just has a very androgynous feminine aura, loved to explore gender expression, and never really cared what people said.

- Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are connected by the red string, they are head over heels in love with each other, they ARE love. Their relationship isn’t toxic, its beautiful and pure and genuine and sweet, it may have had its ups and downs but they never treated each other poorly. Even when they were mad or fighting, if one needed help or comfort, the other put everything aside to come to their aid. They were always touching and holding hands and exchanding looks, their love was so strong you could feel it in the air, everyone around them could see it, it was undeniable.

[ravenadottir]

naming characters from s5

now listen, i never played the season and don't know their names, so i thought it would be fun if my partner saved the pictures and i would name them in the dark! feel free to add because honestly there's definitely culture shock when it comes to names since i'm not american or european, so a name that sounds good to me might not sound good for y'all lol

like gary, i didn't think it was a bad name and then found out people think it's an old guy name ??? anyway, here are my guesses/names for season 5 characters:

so bland looking, jesus christ! why is he sleepy here? is this his standard self? anyway! he looks like a jordan to me, because honestly jordan is a bland ass name and it fits right in!

she's anaís (anah-ees), look at those eyes! magical! she's gorgeous and deserves a name on the same level. also, is she an li? 'cause i would be so down for her!

she's giving "i'm pretty and i know it, i'm also composed and my name starts with a D", so i'm naming her deena. she's really hot, love the blonde hair for her!

oh... can we talk to the designers and ask what the thought process was with this one? why does he look like a dad in gossip girl?? anyway, generic guy asks for generic name, and i thought of eddie or tommy, but i know there's a tom in s4 (?) so... eddie is a good one. although, his face alone is giving nordic, so i'm naming him viggo.

alright, much better, this is definitely more my style! i would name him flynn, because one, white, two, red hair, and three, flynn rider, and he also looks like a smug little shit (affectionate).

the personification of my dream girl... but not quite because she's pixels, but still! oh my god, if she's not an li you should ask for a refund! i feel like she fits with a small but impactful name, like quinn, so that's what i would name her.

wait, so minors can apply for the show now? it's giving kindergarten, i'm sorry! cody and noel made so much fun of bobby but look at this small little child! he's definitely an evan, because he looks 14 and the adolescent vibes are there.

HAVE YOU SEEN A KATRINA MORE KATRINA THAN THIS KATRINA???? THIS - IS - A - KATRINA!

retro hair, probably vintage clothes, a bland of crochet and hemp... i actually have two names for her, because it's either mona or a name with a repeated syllable, like lala. the quirky vintage crochet girls are always a lala, or lulu, so i'm naming her lala.

this girl is giving isabella, or isadora, something that starts with -isa, but i believe isabella would fit in with her face. she's absolutely stunning, holy shit!

the designers did the boys dirty this season huh. i feel absolutely nothing for him, and it's kind of hard to find a name for someone that i feel so indifferent about, so like... gabriel, 'cause i feel nothing about the name either!

THIS CANNOT BE A REAL CHARACTER ON A REAL SEASON, I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS ONE! they took the time and money to draw this??? he's the human version of a ransom note written with magazine cutouts! like, every part of his face belongs to a different design, i can't!! i'm naming him hugo because who the fuck is named hugo? the human ransom note!

i know this one! his name is suresh, i've seen him on my dash a few times last year, and he was very popular (?), so... i actually like this name for him, but i think i have one that suits him better: devaj (born from the gods);

((now the reason why i have some favorite names from different ethnicites and cultures is because i did a lot of research for an upcoming project, so there's indian, korean, chinese, japonese, spanish, among others. so when you see my favorites in the other posts, that's why))

[aaronsrpgs]

DAWstruck

A Quick Look at Sci-Fi/Fantasy Publisher DAW and My Desire for Cheap Entertainment

If you've ever been to an American used bookstore, flea market, etc., you probably recognize the distinctively uniform yellow (or faded-to-brown) spines of the DAW books pictured above.

From Wikipedia: "DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim, along with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company claims to be 'the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy.'"

Wollheim was active in sci-fi publishing and fandom circles; he published the Ursula LeGuin's first two books at Ace, and as a youth, he was kicked out of the New York Science Fiction League club for getting a group of unpaid authors together to sue writer/publisher/organizer Hugo Gernsback after they weren't paid for published stories:

"It grieves us to announce that we have found the first disloyalty in our organization… These members we expelled on June 12th. Their names are Donald A. Wollheim, John B. Michel, and William S. Sykora—three active fans who just got themselves onto the wrong road."

I've worked in bookstores and libraries for decades, and my eyes always glossed over the shelves full of yellow spines. But I started to reconsider after listening to Sean at SFUltra talk about Electric Forest by Tanith Lee. (Once you're equally convinced, go back his Patreon, which is literally my favorite criticism on the internet.)

I started devouring Lee's work. In my opinion, she outstrips most of the "greats" of that era of sci-fi. Her prose is awesome, her plots are great fun, and she's prolific across science fiction and fantasy. Had I been sleeping on DAW Books? Were they all this good?!

They are not all that good.

DAW Books books run the gamut of sci-fi and fantasy, from alternate histories to barbarian tales to postmodern reactions to the post-war West. And taken as an overview of the sci-fi field at that time, they reflect the good (Tanith Lee) and the bad (libertarian cryto-fascism, coercive sex freaks, tired cliches).

So why am I writing about them? Because they represent a type of publisher that, as far as I know, doesn't really exist anymore. They published authors who'd never been published before, and they printed straight to paperback.

I have no idea if anyone was making a living being published by DAW, but I assume this was a foot in the door for lots of these authors. And the books were so cheap! The one I have on hand was $1.25 in 1976. Adjusted for inflation, that's $6.93.

And listen, I read difficult books. I read literary fiction and academic histories and complicated, confusing cross-genre works. But I also like to read trash! I think everyone deserves to read some trash. But I want that trash to be cheap and easily accessible.

And with modern publishers focusing on established authors and Next Big Things, it's hard to find trash! And when you do find it, it's often dressed up to look like a Next Big Thing and priced accordingly.

Please give me more cheap trash.

And god, look at those covers. Again, I don't know if any painters were making a living by selling work to DAW, but they were definitely putting in the work. You got classic Frazetta horniness, you got '70s psychedelia, you got "what if the Bible was weirder?" classicism.

I want to decorate my walls with these.

The nice part is that they're mostly shorter than 200 pages, and I've never spent more than $5 on one of these, and I can usually find them even cheaper. So next time you're at a library sale and you see a faded yellow DAW spine, take a closer look.

Just stay away from Gor.

(DAW is still in business today, as a subsidiary of Astra House Publishing. I would say they occupy the same spheres as Tor: popular, readable, and usually left-of-center science fiction and fantasy. Such as The Forever Sea, a sapphic ecological fantasy book about sailors on a sea of plants. They cost, unfortunately, more than $7.)