#so i can see as many finnish artist as i can

[annamariemir4ge]

following the finnish music festival season this year made me realize that kuumaa aren't the only artists that i actually need to see live if i happen to visit finland

[eldoradofineng]

Heyyy! 🤗

I realized that since I started to be a bit more active here a couple of months ago I forgot to introduce myself. So, to not be a complete random on the käärijä tag here goes:

I'm 32 and from Helsinki. Favorite things about Käärijä include tiddies, pits, pötsi and baby girl personality.

The song I sing in the shower: Paidaton riehuja

The song that make me feel extra sexy: Rock Rock (especially the remix)

The guilty pleasure: Auto jää (I hate how much I love this live)

With the most important stuff said, a funny story-time of how käärijä appeared to my life very unexpectedly (I'm putting it under the cut to not disturb the tag too much lol):

In around 2013-2014 a then co-worker of mine asked me to join her on a pub gig in Pukinmäki Helsinki of some rando rapper from her home hoods. I wasn't really into Finnish rap so agreed to join if she buys me some drinks. And oh did she deliver! By the time the gig started I was pretty smashed.

I only remember from that gig that the audience was maybe around 30-40 people and we kind of formed a circle. And in the middle was a small intense dude hopping around like crazy. I remember him thanking her mom for showing up and that was sweet. Loved the show, loved him! But the next morning was very Morganesque for me and I didn't even remember his name 😞

Then many years later at a student party somebody played me Välikuolema and I heard the name Käärijä for the first time. I started to listen to him a bit more but didn't really follow him much.

As for many, the shit truly hit the fan in 2023 when I heard CCC and saw the mv. I was up until 5 am. Something in my brain shifted and I have been on that road ever since.

That spring I told that old co-worker of mine that I finally got tickets to see my new fave dude Käärijä for the first time live! You can only imagine the pure shock and horror when she revealed that "Bro, we saw him years ago on his first ever gig, maybe you don't remember... I remember you had some weird drunken shenanigans with a chair that night". And then she showed me this picture:

During these past 1,5 years this image has haunted me. So let it now come to light and stand as a warning: Kids, don't drink. You might miss a historically important moment. That night I indeed chose to obsess over a chair instead of Käärijä and forever I will carry with me a sense of shame because of this 🥲 (as a disclaimer: no I'm not a weirdo that is turned on by furnitures, I truly have no explanation to this chair stroking activity).

So yeah, thanks for coming to my Ted talk!

I have loved the humour, art and the overall sense of welcoming community in this fandom so wanted to also give something back 🥹❤️ I am not an artist nor do I have the chance to go see his gigs atm, so may my contribution be (for the time being) sharing this embarrasing moment and hopefully it brings you joy 😂

[frikatilhi]

Thanks for your answer. I’m also not trying to make this a competition, I think I’m just very sad and feeling deluded. Because while you’re right and we don’t know them and what’s going on and how much time they have, I think we can say for sure that joker out, all of them, keep making the effort to include Finland in their tours, for Jere and their Finnish fans both, while Jere has made an effort because he followed them around in Finland? Where it was literally the most convenient for him? Where the boys started almost all their tours/had it included? How many gigs did Jere have in Slovenia or even mentioned it? How many gigs did he have in his euro tour? That's like... five countries.... he's doing things that are convenient for him and Bojan makes an effort to include Finland every time while Jere has done nothing.

And when was it said he was supposed to be in London? Because Tomi was there? That doesn't mean Jere also was supposed to be there and if he really would've cared then he would've found a way to make it happen, but he hasn't and every time he's firing up your Bojere hopes by mentioning Bojan, because he knows you eat that out of his hands and tbh its just sad. Delulu doesn't hurt if you know you're clowning, but some of you thinking your delulus actually could've happened/were supposed to happen is honestly so sad to see, cause ngl, I WISH that's what would've happened as well. But it doesn't, it didn’t and it wasn't supposed to, and I can't keep making excuses for myself, cause I clearly see how this is going atm.

Wow, okay?

I know it's literally in the name we have given ourselves, but really, this is a nice hobby that isn't actually supposed to make anyone sad. In reality, whether Jere goes to Slovenia or not doesn't actually affect me or my mood. It's not... that serious? It's something we enjoy clowning about. Does this really need to be spelled out?

And about where Käärijä's gigs are... It doesn't work that way. The artists don't actually get to decide where they perform. The fact that Jere hasn't had a gig in Slovenia has nothing to do with his relationship with Bojan or Joker out, and everything to do with where venues want to book him to perform and are willing to pay enough to make it worthwhile to go there.

And vice versa, Joker out have not been in Finland so many times because they've made a special effort to proritize it, but because they are popular here and venues want to book them. They kinda have a gold record here... Unfortunately, Jere does not have that kind of pull in Slovenia.

Here is Jere saying in the UMK chat that he was supposed to go to London but couldn't.

The rest of that... oh dear.

[bcbloodmass2024]

Gather around, my braindead friends. I am so happy to announce the first annual

LOST SOCIETY FAN WEEK!

This event will run from Friday, August 9th, 2024 to Thursday, August 15th, 2024. You can participate by creating fanart, fanfic, moodboards, edits, or anything else that expresses your love for the fabulous Finnish metal band, Lost Society!

NSFW content is allowed, but must be tagged appropriately.

While I would love to see y’all participate in all 7 days, it is not required. Create as little or as much as you want.

Without further ado. Here are your PROMPTS:

Day 1/August 9th: SAMY

August 9th is Samy’s 29th birthday! 🥳 Let’s celebrate by creating something where our favorite tiny, slutty singer is the focus. 🥰

Shipping two band members together in your creation is allowed, but Samy must be the main character.

Day 2/August 10th: MIRKO

Please create something that honors the badass, bearded, biker bassist, Mirko Lehtinen! 🐺

Shipping two band members together in your creation is allowed, but Mirko must be the main character.

Day 3/August 11th: ARTTU

Let’s post something in honor of the grumpy but gorgeous guitarist, Arttu Lesonen! 🎸

Shipping two band members together in your creation is allowed, but Arttu must be the main character.

Day 4/August 12th: TAZ

The focus of today’s creation should be Taz Fagerström, the big blonde beast who plays the drums! 🥁

Shipping two band members together in your creation is allowed, but Taz must be the main character.

Day 5/August 13th: FRIENDS OF LOST SOCIETY

Many other artists - including members of Blind Channel and Santa Cruz - have close relationships with the members of Lost Society. Let’s focus on those relationships today!

At least one member of Lost Society must be a main character in this creation.

Day 6/August 14th: FAVORITE SONG

Create something inspired by your favorite Lost Society song - or just tell everyone which song is your favorite!

Day 7/August 15th: BRAINDEAD/FREE DAY

Create something pertaining to the concept of being “braindead” - or just create anything you want! This is your last chance to share your love for Lost Society, so please express yourself however you like. 🖤

Please use the tag #lostsocietyfanweek24 when sharing your creations!

[ilikecarsandlike4people]

Today on Finnish facts, I want to tell you guys something about the Moomins, since I've been drawing them a bunch:

This is artist Tove Jansson (9.8.1914 - 27.6.2001), the woman behind our beloved Moomin characters.

She was a Finnish-Swedish author, painter and a cartoonist, best known for her Moomin characters. She is one of the most well known and loved artists in Finland. Tove was a rebel, a woman who liked to break expectations and stereotypes.

She never married, but found the love of her life in fellow artist Tuulikki Pietilä, who was one of the most influential women in Finnish art of woodcarving graphics. Tove and Tuulikki became the first LGBTQ+ couple to ever attend the independence day president's ball, and they travelled the world together. Here they are, shaking hands with the President and his wife.

Tove and Tuulikki lived together until Tove's death in 2001. Tuulikki died in 2009, aged 92.

Many things in the Moominvalley reflect Tove's life:

Tiuhti and Viuhti are based on Tove and her first girlfriend Vivica Blandner, and the big King ruby they carry with them is a reflection of their love. A light so bright, you can see it up to space. "Tuntui kuin he kiven liekeissä olisivat nähneet kaiken kauneimman, rohkeimman ja hienoimman mitä he halusivat ajatella ja kokea kerran uudelleen." (Taikurin hattu, 1948) "In the flames of the stone, they felt like they could see the most beautiful, bravest and finest they wanted to imagine and experience once more." from the book Finn Family Moomintroll (1948)

Mörkö (The Groke), that follows them, is the coldness of the world that wants to take the ruby away and freeze them over. Tuulikki inspired the Moomin character Tuutikki.

The Moomins are and will always be a story of love and acceptance. We need to remember Tove and Tuulikki and their love. And to remember them as artists. Here are some of their works: Tove Jansson:

Tuulikki Pietilä

Sources: Anteeksipyytelemätön Tove Jansson | Amnesty (only in Finnish) Tove Jansson - Wikipedia Tuulikki Pietilä - Wikipedia

[teal-skull]

Sometimes something you hear a random person say in a museum sticks to you so much you buy a magnet and never forget it.

Let me set the stage

I spontaneously went to an art museum, and it had an exhibition on impressionism. It showcased works from classic impressionist masters mixed in with nordic impressionists.

I walk up to what is obviously the crown jewel of this exhibition. It has been given it's own wall, with good spot lighting and a big junk of text beside it. I orientate myself so that I can take in this painting.

The painting is Les glaçons (Floating ice) by Claude Monet.

A pair of youngsters walk up to the painting. I think they are somewhere between 16-20. They had cool outfits, emo-ish style. They stop to look at the painting. Then one says to the other in finnish:

"This is fine/fancy but in my opinion meaningless." (Tää on hieno, mutta musta merkityksetön)

I, a person who has visited Monet's house in France, stand there, baffled by this. I'm white guy blinking at this person. In my mind I say: "Bro, that's Monet!!"

I kept examining the painting for solid five minutes, thinking about what that person had said. I was conflicted because while I disagreed hard, because a scenery painting in my opinion can have a fuckton of meaning, I could see where they are coming from, and in some sense, I saw a little spark of truth in that nihilist take. More of my thoughts are behind the read more link.

In order to never forget this moment (and perhaps out of some sort of spite) I bought a magnet with the painting on it.

Now whenever I see it on my fridge I think "fancy but meaningless...."

The thing is, while I don't think thats honestly might not always be the best way to look at art, and especially older paintings, there is some truth to those words. It's a very nihilistic take, but I find myself unable to completely disregard it. We have beautiful things in the world where their only meaning is to be pretty. They don't have any deep meaning given to them. Beauty is nothing but an obscure subjective experience we project into things. A fancy decorated hand mirror is indeed "fancy but meaningless". It's just a pretty object. And in some sense, that applies to art as well.

But then again, couldn't the meaning be that these beautiful things bring us joy, and turn the mundane into something that sparks happiness in us? Is that not meaningful in itself? Is the experience of beauty meaningless when it can awake so many emotions in us? Could it be that the purpose of this piece of art isn't to convey a deep message about society, but to capture a passing moment of natural beauty into something that will last long after the moment is gone? Or perhaps for the artist to show us what he he sees in nature, how the colors play, how there are no lines how light plays on the water's surface? In the text it's said that Monet had to paint this in freezing weather, and it was a huge labour, undoubtedly also physically. But he withstood the cold for art, to get his vision and to capture the moment. Saying the painting is meaningless is like completely disregarding the actual hard labour and years of practice that was needed in order to produce this particular piece.

It it not about being a physical manifestation of the artist's work, and technical skills and mastery of depicting light and color? Fancy, and therefore meaningful.

[lageografiademicamino]

UMK 2024 Song Review - Windows95man

The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues with another entry!

Windows95man - No Rules!

Windows95man is a shy family man from the Finnish capital area who's made a name for himself as multitalented entertainer. The man is a visual artist and a photographer plus owns his own gallery in Helsinki but is the best known aka Windows95man. It all started from Youtube but quickly grew to become famous as a DJ who wears cut off shorts (magic shorts according to him) and Windows95 t-shirt.

He represents the same liberated crazy spirit as Käärijä last year. He does a lot of things that are not seen suitable for a Finnish man of his age in style and in music and feels no shame of doing so! Good for him!

No Rules is his first song in which he collaborates with Henri Piispanen who delivers the vocals.

No rules is a throwback from the 90's which according to Windows95man influenced his musical style the most (as born in the mid 80's). Musically this is part of the eurodance genre and reminds many of E-Type.

Musically it holds all the necessary elements that a proper 90's banger needs and Piispanen impresses with his high notes (can he deliver live?). However, what is a strong point for No Rules can be also its death.

This is a nice, funny, catchy add to UMK24 selection but doesn't really meet the high quality of the previous songs, does it. This can be seen as a joke entry especially with the music video which reminds me a sketch on TV. Musically this can be quite irritating for many. It doesn't offer anything new and some listeners might tune off before the song has reached its 3-minute run.

Last year Portion Boys delivered a similar entry but still bringing their own musical value to the table. I just don't see No Rules doing the same despite of possibly becoming a guilty pleasure for some UMK fans. In Eurovision this is something what we could have sent a decade ago but now UMK as Eurovision has topped its game since. Wiwibloggs were on point with their a Nokia reference - it's nice to down a memory lane for a moment but would someone still buy one? No.

This is still a decent first single and I hope nothing but the best and love in the future!

What do you think of the fifth UMK24 track and would you vote for Windows95man to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!

[toyahinterviews]

This interview by Markku Fagerlund is from a Finnish music magazine Suosikki conducted in Stockholm 1.12.1981 during the Good Morning Universe European Tour

THE NEW WILD GIRL OF ROCK: I'M CRAZY ABOUT BUNNIES!

Now I’ve seen her – the hottest rock girl in the world Toyah (Willcox) Compared to this red-headed hurricane other female singers – and some men – look like statues of salt. Toyah is 145 cm of pure fizziness and sex After the concert Suosikki was granted a special interview with her. An honour that only a few magazines in the world have had. Toyah had a look through the latest issue of Suosikki and liked what she saw. Her message to the readers is “keep going strong!”

Toyah Willcox is a 23 year old multitalented artist who has finally had her breakthrough during this year. The latest album “Anthem” has been well received in Europe (currently n:o 2 in the UK) and the gigs have been massively successful Toyah is also famous as an actress. Her sexiness has been noticeable in films like “Quadrophenia”, “Jubilee”, “The Corn Is Green” and countless TV series including “Shoestring”, in which she played an uninhibited punk singer. The episode aired in Finland as well. In December Toyah was on a European tour so we got the chance to get to know this ferocious singer On stage Toyah is like a small red-headed whirlwind. Despite her small size she is an entertainer of a great calibre. She is a bundle of speed who does not give her audience a moment’s respite. Toyah has a very talented four peace band which is lead by guitarist Joel Bogen, her musical partner of many years On the records Toyah’s music is mystic, melodic rock which plays with different themes. Kind of a mix of David Bowie and Kate Bush. On stage the music is a lot more untamed. The drums and the synths create a pulsating platform which Toyah directs with her tight sexy voice She knows how to control the audience. Dressed in black mini-skirt (which is just a belt really), black tights and a tiny top Toyah dances around the stage with a wireless microphone. She squats down by the front of the stage to pose, gets up and continues to move quickly around, singing the whole time

The majority of the songs are from “Anthem”. At first the audience sits completely still, not knowing how to react to this devil but then they start to move to the music. During the most famous hit “I Want To Be Free” the fans rush to the front of the stage and sing along. Another conquest for Toyah The Toyah I meet after the gig is thankfully a bit calmer and very sympathetic. There’s no signs of being a diva but even in normal clothes and makeup she still looks so damn good it hurts MARKKU: Which one is more important to you – singing or acting? TOYAH: Both. Otherwise I wouldn’t do both. I’ve loved acting since I was a kid and it’s a part of me. But then I couldn’t live without music either because I can be myself. When I’m acting I’m playing someone else MARKKU: How did you get interested in acting? TOYAH: Even in school I made up all sorts of stories and pretended to be whatever just to make my life more interesting. That’s where it all started, I guess MARKKU: What about music – did you have certain idols? TOYAH: Of course, many. But above anyone else David Bowie and Marc Bolan. I admire Bowie because he’s like a chameleon. He's always changing his image and music. He’s constantly ahead of his time MARKKU: Judging by the record covers, stage clothes and makeup image is important to you TOYAH: It’s very important. I spend an enormous time designing the record covers. One took 24 hours to shoot before I was satisfied with it. Somebody might say it’s dangerous to concentrate so much on the images but we’re a live band If I was creating these looks only in a studio without people seeing me in real life that might be the case. It’s happened to a lot of bands. The different mystic images are just a part of me

MARKKU: During your gigs you have a habit of going amongst the audience to sit and talk. Isn’t that dangerous for a woman? TOYAH: Only in Enland where the audience starts to grope me. But I think it’s fun to get involved with the audience MARKKU: How do you deal with the troublemakers? TOYAH: Feel that (Toyah shows me her arm muscles, which feel really hard and trained) I punch them to the floor MARKKU: When are you thinking of slowing down, maybe getting married and having kids? TOYAH: Not for years. I think I’m still a kid myself. My biggest love at the moment is bunnies. When I find a suitable place I’m going to start a funny farm. They’re so cute, do the stupidest things, wave their big ears about and eat grass. I’m mad about them MARKKU: I’ve heard you have your own makeup line? TOYAH: Yeah, so the kids can imitate me. No, not really. I’ve designed an affordable collection of makeup which is named after me. The idea is also to give the kids tips as well because I know all the makeup tricks. The makeup is being manufactured in 3 different factories and it’s selling better than in my wildest dreams Toyah’s career isn’t just a bed of roses. Last spring she fainted during a gig due to overexertion TOYAH: According to the doctors it was a close call. I might’ve died. I should’ve stopped the tour but carried on to the end with willpower. After that I’ve made sure something like that never happens again I exercise daily (ballet, jazz dance, gymnastics) and have a good diet. One experience of overexertion was enough. It was horrible. It was like as if my heart exploded and I felt the most awful pain. I’ll never forget it 

You can read the interview in Finnish below (click on the image to view a large version)

[artharakka]

ohhhh OC questions 11, 13, and 20?? 👉👈

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”?

Nila, I think. He/they (the language Nila speaks has no gendered pronouns so eh?) are an old old oc of mine I recently resurrected to be a companion NPC in a ttrpg/dnd campaign "Llehia" I'm currently DMing (more behind the scenes material for that on my patreon). He wants to trust people and see good in them which is why they can come across a bit naïve at times. But I don't think he's necessarily stupid, just trying to break the cycle of being cynical and if things go south, he's fast to dodge (he hopes).

Another one is Willow. Not necessarily in the usual sense but more like "can sometimes be overwhelming and irritating". Might also make you a cup of tea so also warm I guess (expect their hands, they are always cold). We also enjoy a good olde sun & moon symbolism with @artist-rat whose character Ash we associate with the moon. Willow and Ash are twins 🌞🌙 Also Willow started as my Skyrim character Paju (willow in Finnish) and you bet I had the Dawnbreaker.

(Nila on the right, Willow on the left with very fast sunglasses)

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs?

Ohohohoho so many! But two that do and say stupid shit in order to get a reaction from other people are my Dragon Age inquisitor Sonera, and once again, Willow. Willow enjoys irritating their twin sister Ash's short temper (and Ash's girlfriend Rhea). Too bad those two are strong butches, which is why Willow is always ready to flee with a shit-eating grin. (Don't worry though, Willow and Ash are actually really close). Sonera's humour is lewd her hobby is trying to see how far they can throw a dagger and still hit some poor fool's toes. Both Willow and Sonera would be the types of friends who see something cursed online and immediately send it to everyone.

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

Not many! In fact right now I could only think of one, which might tell more about my own musical talents and how much I think of singing. But I think Rhiam would sing in bath/shower (would never admit that though. They are very shy). And to be honest I don't exactly know what kind of voice they would have! I just know the tone I use when we play the campaign. But I think their singing voice might be a little higher than expected.

Rhiam is good at inventing and sometimes freestyling their own spells, so I think they might even invent their own songs. Or in modern AU where they haven't lived on a farm without electricity, do very dramatic imaginary covers of their favourite songs. I think they would like Lady Gaga and Marina 💕

So many thems I notice! But tbh my first language doesn't have gendered pronouns either so that causes it a bit. But Nila as said is he/they, doesn't matter to him. Sonera is bit same but with she/they, mostly she. Willow is just they, and Rhiam is... kind of at crossroads. Has been he but doesn't really vibe that. So vague they for now.

[iibislintu]

i'm honestly a pretty picky reader nowadays bc i've read so many fantastic books in my life, but my biggest pet peeve is reading something that's been translated from another language and seeing the original language's conventions through the translation

like, i'm reading a french book right now, and i don't even know french and i can still see the language's syntax and grammar under the layer of finnish words

(one of the top finnish translators, kersti juva, says in an interview that in creating a translation, you have to ruminate on the text, to understand what the author is trying to say and then use the instrument of your own language to transmit those ideas)

(and this is what i try to do when i'm moving between languages - just like i can't play a tune the same way on the piano and the guitar, i can't do two languages the same way)

(and the thing with ruminating is that it takes time)

and that's why reading a bad translation makes me feel so strongly - oftentimes these are foreign books that have become hugely popular in the original language, and now are being translated by big publishers at breakneck speed so that the popularity is still there when the translation comes out

and i hate it that artists - translating literature is an art form - are forced to perform badly so that the money making machine that is the publishing industry, can profit even more

[protocolseben]

dunno if someone asked this before but top 5 helmets????????

heyo! nope, you're the first person to ask~

my memory of helmets is governed mostly by mr Seb because he just loves changing it so much, and all of them are recent year ones because there is way more creativity in all of them!

#5: Lewis' 2022 Monaco Helmet

I actually liked the concept of this helmet! I'm a huge sucker for close ups so when the came up with this one together with an artist, I was pretty please. It's a shame that the sponsors were unhappy that they couldnt see their labels and he had to change it out, but I think if he tweaked it and made it permanent, it easily could be his signature!

#4: Kimi's 2013 Helmet

Kimi's helmet is like, the maximum amount of swishy-swooshy lines that someone should/could have, without just being a mess AND keeping his character + his logo. It's subtle, but the gold on his helmet paired with the suit's red and gold accents on black is (CHEF'S KISS)

#3: Sebastian's 2012 Singapore Helmet

I'm just mad biased at this part! Seb's LED helmet is so iconic that it has to be in this post one way or another. I mean the thought process behind it was probably the most straightforward, let's just stick some cool blinking lights up there. Even when turned off and by itself, the glitter adds more 'life' to just basic black. Made even better by the FIA saying NO WE ARE BANNING THAT right after. What a guy.

(I'm horribly biased to any and all helmets he brings to Singapore. I'm glad he does the same and tells Jens Munsen to really work it every race in SG)

#2: Sebastian's 2011 Korea Helmet

Boy. I genuinely thought he couldn't get better than this. Dark dark dark navy + gold? Like, what else do you need? I'm shocked he didn't use this combo often, it's so sleek and classy, especially in the current era where all helmet designs are just (vague gesturing). (Todd Howard voice) It Just Works!

#1 however goes hands down however to...

#1: Valtteri's 2023 Australia Helmet!

Completely can't be beat. Everything about this piece of art is just gorgeous, In so many shades of blue and white of his Finnish flag, and designed with an immensely experienced hand. Best of all, it's auctioned for a good cause. This one just stuck out to me because I can really see the care the artist put in it. It just delights me in so many ways. What a great shade of blue and navy!

Bonus : Sebastian's 2020 Steiermark Helmet! Matte and white....wohohohoho.

[frc-ambaradan]

UPDATE!!! on the Lo$ mess

Given the rising wave of panic about the latest news according to which The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck won't be published anymore, Don Rosa has intervened to give some clarifications. And basically anseering my questions as to what role Disney exactly has in the publishing of Disney stories, since they're not produced by Disney and they are published by different companies in the world which most of the time are in fact the producers of said stories and thus they do detain the rights over them for a degree.

Here's Don Rosa's post (read it all and carefully, pls):

What he says here is: he never had a word from Disney. It was one of his publishers who informed him about the thing and currently there have been no official confirmations nor denials from Disney.

Second: there's only one story banned which is "The Empire Builder from Calisota".

Third: he had to clarify about the role of the publishers 'cause apparentely there are some people who lashed out at the publishers accusing them of being co-responsible of the decision which is not the case! Guys, don't jump at people throat with no reason like that! Why do you that?!

There may be many people who think that the Disney comics are produced and published by Disney: this is not the case. I speak for what I know: Disney has barely no say in italian Disney comics (and I suppose the same applies to Egmont). Stories and art do have to fall into Disney's main guidelines but aside that, authors and editors-in-chief of the different Disney magazines and Panini Comics can basically do whatever they want.

All Disney comics are created by writers and artists working for independent publishers who hold the license to publish "Disney" material. The decision on the Lo$ therefore comes from the company, which is not a publisher, but rather owns the publishing rights to the comics and decides what can be published and what not.

So, basically: Don Rosa was pissed and vented it all on the social media XD Totally understandable.

Now people... CALM DOWN, LET'S TAKE A DEEP BREATH, LET'S STOP LASHING OUT AT DISNEY AND JUST WAIT AND SEE HOW THE PUBLISHERS WILL HAND THIS.

Let's trust our publishers. They'll find a way.

And most importantly: let's do not attack them.

They do a wonderful service to us and to the characters we love. If it wasn't for them, especially for publishers/producers like Egmont or Mondadori back in the days and Panini Comics now we would have no stories by Don Rosa, we would have no stories by the amazing finnish/italian/danish artists and authors. We must keep our publishers dear. I know they sometimes do things we don't like, they raise prices and take decisions we're not on board with, but the most they do is good.

It is good to be angry, I was angry, everyone was angry... but... why would you lash out at publishers? What did they do wrong?! 😭 What are they? Scapegoats? They're on the same boat as we are!

We must learn to read nuances. We must find a way in between. We must find common ground. This applies both to Disney and to us fans :)

(Also, thank you, Don Rosa, for asking us not to panic when you were the one to start the panic wave in the first place XDDD).

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Iku-Turso

CR 8

Neutral Evil Medium Aberration

Bestiary 3, pg. 153 (Pic source)

Let me tell you, when I looked into the real-world mythology behind the Iku-Turso, I was sorely disappointed to see that Paizo made them eel-men instead of... whatever the hell is going on here. There’s a lot of wiggle room when trying to interpret the Finnish myths, and I mean literal wiggle room; part of its name is the Finnish word for octopus! Then again, by the time they reached Bestiary 3, I’m sure Paizo didn’t want to make a fifth octopus-themed sea horror. I can understand that. But they could have at least went with the walrus!

These sadistic undersea beasts have barely anything in the book describing a potential culture or civilization, seemingly existing solely to cause misery and bring death to any creature that crosses their path. Even a close look at their statblock vs their art suggests they have little in the way of a civilization; the bangles covering their art--both above and in the book proper--and the wicked-looking trident they’re depicted as wielding are fabrications of the artists. They wear no armor, have little treasure they don’t pilfer from others, and use a CCB attack instead of wielding any weapons. They CAN wield weapons, but many available to them would be less effective than just using their bare limbs (1d6+7 per claw, 1d8+7 bite)... and much less satisfying. You can’t taste the pain unless you bite down yourself, y’know?

Consummate sadists, Iku-Turso attack ships and beachfront property to kidnap potential victims, squirreling them away to undersea pockets of air to torment them until they expire, devouring choice pieces and sacrificing the rest to their vile gods. They don’t particularly need nets, though plentiful seaweed and scavenged ropes allow them to tangle up their prey if they need to. Really, though, that’s a lot of work when they could just make victims come right to them! Though they’re blinded by bright light, they can nonetheless create one to lure food and toys right into their clutches. They can create any number of Light Lures they need each day, the beautiful, luminous spheres sending out a subtle psychic call to every creature within 100ft of them. Any creature that sees the lights must make a DC 19 Will save or be compelled to move towards them via the safest method they have, the compulsion only ending when they take any damage or they finally reach the light and see the gruesome anglerfish behind it.

Immune to their own lures, Iku-Turso work to swiftly disable their victims with their CCB before they snap out and retaliate. They have no special defenses or even a particularly high AC, and when above water are agonizingly slow, meaning they have to fight as dirty as possible and be quick to retreat below the waves, where the average adventurer dares not tread, if the fight turns against them. For the average Commoner, though, their fate is swiftly falling to the fish-beast’s claws, knocked unconscious and spirited away for the aforementioned ritualistic torture. There is only one particular way to avoid this prolonged and agonizing fate: Be visibly ill.

Not because they think disease is icky, mind, but because Iku-Turso specifically venerate gods of disease and sickness, typically the likes of Ghlaunder and Apollyon, the latter of which they share an alignment with. They see disease itself as a blessing and a sign of their foul gods’ favor, and often leave obviously, visibly sick victims in relative peace while kidnapping and brutalizing everyone around them. Immune to disease themselves, Iku-Turso spread a particularly nasty one with their bite, a DC 20 Fortitude save needed to prevent a Tursas infection. Tursas is a fatal disease that causes painful scaling of the flesh and hallucinations as the victim’s mind wears down, taking 1d3 Wisdom damage every day they suffer... while also, bizarrely, gaining the power to breathe underwater so long as they suffer at least 1 point of Wis damage. Worse, however, is that the victim’s sense of self gradually and permanently erodes, the poor soul taking 1d6 Charisma drain every day their Tursas progresses as they dream of the open ocean and fevered ceremonies. If their Charisma is drained to 0 by this disease, the victim forgets their past and all abilities they already have... and then instantly transforms into another Iku-Turso.

And would you believe it gets even worse? Because unlike other terrible, transformative afflictions at this particular level, the transformation is impossible to undo, even by killing and resurrecting the victim! Only Wish or Miracle undoes this viral transformation, the victim otherwise seeking out and joining the nearest colony of Iku-Turso in their depraved and debased worship to spread the sickness to everything they can reach.

You can read more about them here.

[sandutita]

sandu • 20yrs • they/them • finnish • digital artist

hi there! i'm SanduTiTa or Sandu for short. i make digital art and post it on my art blog @sandu7174 :)

on this blog i mostly just reblog whatever appears on my dash from funny and stupid memes to serious political stuff. i hardly ever tag with content warnings when i reblog on this blog, but with original posts (#my post) and on my art blog, i always do (at least i try to).

more info under the cut:

so what type of person am i? well, art is a big part of my life. i mostly make digital art but i do have a musical side to me as well, it's just not blossoming as well as my visually artistic side is. i'm also an aspiring writer. i wish to make a dramatic comic book someday.

when it comes to social interactions, i am quite shy but i've been trying to work on my social anxiety (and i've been making progress lately). i've always struggled with loneliness but since last year i've been managing to fight that off a little as well. being autistic interacting with people has always been problematic for me, since i tend to overthink things and get things wrong.

i also tend to ask a lot of questions, which annoys some people. being an overthinker and a question-asker and trying to find the middle ground between asking too many questions and not knowing enough, it's... distressing :,D. like i don't wanna be annoying, but i also want to know if i'm being annoying, y'know? but recently i've been asking fewer questions since i've slowly been learning that the voice inside my head which tells me i'm being annoying is lying to me most of the time. but i'm also asking more questions since i'm not as worried about people thinking i'm annoying as before. that's confusing...

i'm transmasculine and nonbinary and i wish to go on HRT someday. since summer 2023 i've known it's something i want to do at some point. unfortunately, i have to get my life together first before i can actually pursue this opportunity, which has turned out to be challenging... (yes, i have depression, how did you know?)

i'm also asexual, greyaromantic, panromantic, and agender.

i'm a very enthusiastic supporter of topfreedom and the Free the Nipple -campaign, and it shows in the posts and the art i make. we as a society need to work towards eliminating this misogynistic double standard that sexualises female-presenting nipples if we value gender equality and wish to move towards a fairer world. anything men can do topless (i.e. go to the beach or a public swimming pool, appear on tv and social media etc.), women should be allowed to do as well. there is no gender equality without nipple equality. if you claim to be a feminist but don't support topfreedom, you're a hypocrite.

tags i use the most: #finnish #swedish #my post #my art #important #topfreedom #abso fucking lutely (i use this tag on posts with hot takes) #character inspiration (i use this tag on posts that give me ideas for the stories i'm working on, so if you see me reblogging your post and using this tag, that means i might implement whatever was in your post into my own characters and stories) #a magical place (i use this tag on posts that include imagery of environments that have magical vibes. it's inspiration for my story involving magic.) #incredible future (i use this tag on posts that have futuristic vibes. it's inspiration for my story involving a futuristic setting.)

if you wanna talk to me about something, don't be afraid to send a message! i'm always up for making new friends :)

more info can be found on my carrd: sandutita.carrd.co (seriously, check out my carrd, there's a lot of info there)

last updated: 27.1.2024

[lageografiademicamino]

UMK 2024 Song Review - Sexmane

The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Malmö continues!

Sexmane - MANIA

Max Scene aka Sexmane is currently the most streamed artist in Finland and also he has a connection to UMK. His little brother Isaac Scene competed in 2022 with Kuuma Jäbä.

Since releasing his debut album Sextape in 2019 he has been Emma awarded (Finnish Grammys) and he's managed to beat his previous successes with each release. He will no doubt have a lot of loyal young voters out there!

As a background info he and his brother grew up in a religious community where hymns were in and commercial music was not. He mentions this fairly often in the interviews so I believe it had an impact on his creativity and that he even ended up in the music industry.

MANIA is a song about mental health. "It's ok not to be ok" he says.

The song slaps you right at the face with MANIA. There's a lot of autotune in here from the very beginning and many have questioned if he can pull this through live. This is no basic pop tune you can put into a box within a certain genre. This is a hip hop / rap song with a heavy rock push. Music experts can peal this like an onion because it has plenty of layers to go around for all.

The song goes on smoothly having a strong pre-chorus and the anthemic MANIA is catchy and difficult to forget. I'm not a fan of rap music but I do enjoy listening to this even though my very first reaction was fear. The guitar solo at the end of the song is impressive and much needed add. The song ends with a scream.

Musically there's a strong pull towards our last ESC entry and a lot of people are criticizing of sending MANIA right after Cha Cha Cha (can anything be better?). In contrast to Käärijä's drinking party hit, there's some real pain and seriousness here. The beat is pushy and urges you to rush to act. And him desperately screaming in his pain and getting it out of his space - we see a lot of symbolism in the videoclip.

I kind of play with the idea of this winning because of the orange theme. In 2022 we had The Rasmus with Jezebel having a yellow staging, Käärijä last year obviously with his green effect, this would be a great continuity with the orange look.

What do you think of the second UMK24 track and would you vote for Sexmane to go all the way to Malmö? UMK final takes place on February 10th!

[kaus-quietis]

The circus videoclub - November, by Rainer Sarnet

There are movies that haunt you, years after you watched them. These movies give off a particular feeling, one you cannot get out of your mind. Today in the circus videoclub, I want to share with you November, a masterpiece produced by estonian director Rainer Sarnet.

Hello there! I'm the circus resident poltergeist, Eliott, managing this blog until Lav comes back. Here in the circus videoclub I share with you my most recent discoveries / films I wish everyone would watch one day!

Rainer Sarnet was born in Rakvere, Estonia, in 1969. He is an estonian director and writer who started his work in animation. His film, November, was released in 2017, and is based on Rehepapp ehk november (the currants of november), a novel by famous estonian writer Andrus Kivirähk.

I have a lot of passions in life, which include black and white movies, folklore, good movies, books, and beautiful sceneries. November might have been just the perfect work for me in all these regards. Released in 2017, the movie is based on a novel, Rehepapp ehk november by Andrus Kivirähk (we will get to this author in another episode of the Circus Bookclub).

A quick note on Rehepapp ehk november, which happens to be one of my favourite novel: I cannot recommend it enough, however it hasn't been translated into english yet, from what I am aware of. You can read it in many other languages though, including finnish, latvian, russian, hungarian, french, etc. It is a great novel and has inspired a lot of artistic creations in Estonia (including this movie and a beautiful graphic novel).

In November, we follow the life of a nameless, fictional estonian village in the 19th century. The action takes place during the month of November, when winter is already there and life becomes harsher. In this village, however, things are not as ordinary as one could think. The villagers seek the help of treasure-bearers (kratts) to steal from each other and accomplish tasks, make deals with the devil at crossroads to buy a soul for their kratt in exchange of their own (fooling him, each time), trick the Plague and some turn into werewolves and ask the advice of witches. It is a strange and fascinating ballet of folktale, mythological themes, somber atmosphere and strange, beautifully written interactions between the villagers and the strange creatures/habits/phenomenas they live with, without questioning them. These strange things are part of the life of the villagers, and their acceptance of them gives to this movie a beautiful and particular ethereal feeling.

I simply love when such weird, strange situations are not perceived as weird and strange by the people living them. In November, these are just part of the story, without taking too much space or being put into question. As we see a kratt stealing, it is simply that: a kratt stealing, not a mystery to be solved. This is I think part of what makes Rainer Sarnet's movie so powerful, this perfect balance between the strange and the mundane.

November is a beautiful movie, with great images and well-written dialogues. It is strange and ethereal, but this strangeness is masterfully crafted, and does not put us outside of the action. From the first shot, the movie creates an atmosphere, a space from which it is impossible to free ourselves from: we have to wait for the credits. November is described as a fantasy horror drama film, and this mix of genres creates an original, unique and inspiring work. There is no movie like this one. As Hideo Kojima said on his twitter account: November is the movie for me.

I cannot encourage you enough to watch it. Not only is it a unique masterpiece, it is perfectly crafted from every angle, be it the scenario, the acting, the photography, the dialogues, the rythm, everything. Everything feels perfectly thought about, controled, and therefore flows perfectly in this strange yet fascinating film that unfolds. The main story itself -although there are many, many stories in this film, is quite simple, and it is a good thing. It allows the universe to unfold and takes all the space it needs and the atmosphere to settle.

This is it for November! I discovered this film a few years ago and it has been one of my biggest cinematic shocks so far. As time goes, I see this film gaining more and more recognition, and this makes me extremely happy. I hope you will enjoy it as well!