#so nic can beta it for the podcast

[kingsofeverything]

4124/36012

[lululawrence]

lululawrence’s January 2021 Fic List

Previous Fic Lists / Fic List Podcast Masterpost

January came and gave me the tiniest bit of a break by allowing me to read more than just four or five fics and I was so happy! As always, the fics I was able to sit down and read were amazing and I’m so happy to share them with you. If you’re interested, you can also listen to this month’s podcast episode where I talk about all the fics on this list in some more detail and discuss what I enjoyed about them here.

As always, be sure to show your love and appreciation for all of the hard work our fandom authors have put into their fics with kudos, nice comments, and (when applicable) reblogging their fic posts!

Canyon Moon by @girlthatsnotafraid / beautifully_cyan (9k, G, Harry/Louis, Fine Line Fic Fest fic, Song Fic, based on Canyon Moon, canon compliant, established relationship, fluff, travel, this fic was so soft and sweet)

You can remain unaware (if you want) by @harryanthus / harryanthus (7k, NR, Harry/Louis, Walls Fic Fest fic, Song Fic, based on Always You, Soulmates AU, soulmarks, pining, SO MUCH PINING, friends to lovers, the soulmarks are colored once you realize you love the person who is your soulmate, it is SO SWEET, I loved it so very much)

We Can Find a Place to Feel Good by @uhohmorshedios / yeah_alright (8k, T, Harry/Louis, Fine Line Fic Fest fic, Song Fic, based on TPWK, coming of age fic, historical (1960s), period typical homophobia, closeted characters, American AU, school dances, first love, first kiss, secret relationship, but they find the place where they can be free and be themselves, oh gosh oh gosh, ALL THE CUTE THINGS OMG I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH I CRY)

Hung Up High in the Gallery by @chloehl10 / lovelarry10 (14k, M, Harry/Louis, Fine Line Fic Fest fic, Song Fic, based on Sunflower vol. 6, friends to lovers, artist Harry, paint, body painting, pining, eventual smut, the build up to them finally figuring their shit out was so great, i loved it)

I'm Falling Again by @jaerie / jaerie (3k, M, Harry/Louis, Song Fic, based on Falling, canon compliant, established relationship, loneliness, break up talk, angst, alcohol, making up, this fic is just, SO SO SAD, which is to be expected from the song, but HOT DAMN YA KNOW)

don't you call him baby by @femstyles / Femstyles (8k, T, Harry/Louis, Fine Line Fic Fest fic, Song Fic, based on Cherry, exes to lovers, fake relationship, jealousy, listen if you read this for nothing else than Sarah setting Harry and Mitch up for the fake relationship herself, you’ll still be beyond pleased, this fic is amazing)

What Side Of Love Are You On? by @fallinglikethis / FallingLikeThis (25k, T, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, Because I Said So AU, bi Harry, Cara/Harry at the same time as Harry/Louis, it’s complicated but it makes sense in the end, all I’m gonna say is I love this movie so very much, and Tabby did INCREDIBLY THINGS with it!)

Singing Harmonies in Neverland's Embrace by @zanniscaramouche / zanni_scaramouche (21k, M, Harry/Liam, Omega Harry Fic Fest fic, a/b/o, omega Harry, alpha Liam, bodyguard Liam, pop star Harry, hypersexuality, sex as a coping mechanism, angst, tour, tour bus, travel, beta Niall, side Narry... kind of? but not really?, ugh listen, this fic is just beyond words kinds of incredible, and it is so sad, and so hard to read at times, and SO INCREDIBLY LOVELY, the way a/b/o is woven throughout the entire thing, but at the same time isn’t really the focus, i cannot even explain, just read it please give lirry a chance lollll)

Campus Creatures by @kingsofeverything / kingsofeverything and @louandhazaf / YesIsAWorld (25k, E, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, American AU, College AU, Werewolves and Vampires and all that’s magical haha, vampire Harry, werewolf Louis, enemies to lovers, lab partners, competing species and frat houses, listen, in a discussion we had about this fic one word that kept coming up to describe the characters and the world they live in is chaotic, and it’s so real, Nic and Lauren are our real heroes for writing this world in a way it makes sense, and it just was so amazing, i loved every moment)

I Hear Them Calling for You by @jaerie / jaerie (6k, E, Harry/Louis, Omega Harry Fic Fest fic, Shape Shifters AU, Wolves, prince omega Harry, rogue alpha Louis, this fic has a rape/non-con tag, so please please please be careful with that and also take heed of other warnings on the fic, that said the way it was written was incredible omg, i love it so very much)

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1301

Monday, February 17, 2020

 Happy Family Day. I'm grateful for my extended family of fellow comic book aficionados. Sharing the love of our hobby keeps me young and brightens my life. I miss seeing many of you but you are in my thoughts.

 Catwoman #20 - Joelle Jones (writer) Fernando Blanco (art) FCO Plascencia (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). Mrs. Creel poisons her party guests showing us what a nasty woman she is. Catwoman fights through a bunch of zombies to get some Lazarus Water to save a friend. Selina's final obstacle will be Mrs. Creel. I can't wait for this story to end. It's been kind of blasé.

 Thor #3 - Donny Cates (writer) Nic Klein (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Lots of KRAKKABOOMS this issue as Thor fights Beta Ray Bill. Horseface doesn't have a chance with All-Father Thor boosted with Galactus given power cosmic. Don't build a funeral pyre for Bill yet. Someone comes to his rescue and that person is a surprise.

 The Dollhouse Family #4 - M. R. Carey (writer) Peter Gross (layouts) Vince Locke (finishes) Cris Peter (colours) Todd Klein (letters). Alice and her daughter recover from the horrible explosion from last issue but their survival cost them an arm and a leg. When Alice gets back to the dollhouse, she finds there's a new tenant and she's not nice at all. This horror title isn't horrible. You should come visit.

 Hawkeye: Freefall #3 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue explains how Clint can be in two places at one time. It's dumb but I don't mind because this story is kind of dumb. I like it for the guest stars. The Black Widow shows up and the hero on the last page is a favourite of mine. If the new Ant-Man mini had been this much fun I'd still be reading it.

 The Batman's Grave #5 - Warren Ellis (writer) Bryan Hitch (pencils) Kevin Nowlan & Bryan Hitch (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) Richard Starkings (letters). I don't know if it's just me, but I find that I lose interest in a Warren Ellis story somewhere and this issue might be it. I've forgotten what the mystery is that put Batman in detective mode even though he's following a lead in Arkham Asylum this issue. I like seeing Batman kick bad guy butt as much as the next fan, but 8 pages of it here seems to be padding the story. Methinks this 12-issue story could've been told in 6.

 Savage Avengers #10 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Patch Zircher (art) Java Tartaglia (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan and the two Doctors, Doom and Strange, battle Kulan Gath. Guess who wins? This issue made me laugh out loud.

 Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #3 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Mattia De Iulis (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Now this is a much more enjoyable murder mystery than Batman's Grave. I know exactly what's happening because Kelly Thompson recaps as the investigation continues. There's even an extended 5-page fight scene where Jessica and Elsa Bloodstone fight creatures from the Black Lagoon but it isn't boring because they're bantering about the case all the while. The rest of this 6-issue mini can't come out fast enough for me.

 Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #6 - Jody Houser (writer) Adriana Melo (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Gabriela Downie (letters). Harley and Ivy's adventure comes to an end with a battle between good and evil Ivy. I liked how they left the fate of Poison Ivy a mystery. Who knows how she'll act the next time she sees Harley?

 X-Force #7 - Benjamin Percy (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This issue features Domino who was rescued from the bad guys recently. The bad guys managed to steal her good luck powers and have transferred them to someone else. This newly empowered individual is an assassin going around killing mutant supporters. Neena's not too happy about that. I wasn't too surprised by the reveal of the assassin's identity on the last page but I'm sure some new fans will be.

 X-Men #6 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Matteo Buffagni (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue features Mystique. She's my favourite shape-shifter. She's sent on a mission to infiltrate the space station designed to fight against the mutants. I liked how the flashbacks merged with this story to culminate at the ominous last page.

 The Immortal Hulk #31 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (main story pencils) Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo & Cam Smith (main story inks) Paul Mounts (main story colours) Javier Rodriguez (McGowan sequence pencils & colours) Alvaro Lopez (McGowan sequence inks) VC's Cory Petit (letters). We get into the heads of Scientist McGowan and the Hulk this issue. Matters of the mind shouldn't surprise fans what with Xemnu being in this story.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #39 - Nick Spencer (writer) Iban Coello (art) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This issue reminded me of the Odd Couple, Oscar and Felix. Spider-Man agrees to be a guest on Jonah's podcast and sparks fly as the two antagonists butt heads. It's all talk radio until the super villain crashes the party. Next issue should be less talk  and more action.

 Superman: Heroes #1 - Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction & Greg Rucka (writers) Kevin Maguire, Mike Perkins, Steve Lieber, Mike Norton & Scott Godlewski (art) Paul Mounts, Gabe Eltaeb, Andy Troy & Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Troy Peteri, Clayton Cowles & Simon Bowland (letters). This $5.99 US one-shot is tied-in quite closely with what's been going on in Action Comics & Superman. It looks at the consequences of Superman revealing his secret identity and it's well worth reading.

 Doctor Strange #3 - Mark Waid (writer) Kev Walker (art) Java Tartaglia (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This is a great one issue story if you want to check this new run out. Doctor Strange fights an artistic demon to save lives.

 Gwen Stacy #1 - Christos Gage (writer) Todd Nauck (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I liked this better than The Amazing Mary Jane maybe because it deals with a younger high school aged Gwen. This story takes place before Gwen and Peter become friends and lovers and involves her father Captain Stacy and his investigation of New York's mob. There are a trio of bad guys that you'll recognise but the big deal super villains don't show up until the last page. If they don't get you to pick up the next issue, nothing will.

 Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1 - James Tynion IV & Peter J. Tomasi (writers) Eddy Barrows & Eber Ferreira, Chris Burnham, Marcio Takara, Diogenes Neves, David Lafuente and Sumit Kumar (art) Adriano Lucas, Rex Lokus & Nathan Fairbairn (colours) Travis Lanham & Thomas Napolitano (letters). This one-shot tribute to Alfred shows us what a dysfunctional family Bruce has created. I would have preferred a more touching send off to this beloved character like the one Brian Michael Bendis wrote for Ultimate Spider-Man/Peter Parker. Damian, Tim, Jason and Barbara reminisce about the butler and then Ric Grayson chimes in with a story about Nightwing. Who the heck is Ric Grayson? I thought Alfred deserved better than this.

 Nebula #1 - Vita Ayala (writer) Claire Roe (art) Mike Spicer (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I'm ambivalent when it comes to this cyborg killer but I wanted to see if that might change by reading this 5-issue mini. She finds a scientist who has built a device that can predict the future and has him implant it so it's integrated into her cybernetic system. The untested tech winds up screwing with her head. I didn't change my opinion of Nebula with this first issue and I can see where the rest of the story is going so I'll leave the rest on the racks.

 Superman #20 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Oclair Albert (art) Alex Sinclair & Jeremiah Skipper (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). There's action: Superman dukes it out with Mongul. There's drama: The Daily Star is trying to discredit Clark, Lois and the Daily Planet. And there's a surprise appearance of an old friend. There's everything a good comic book needs to grab my attention and want to keep reading.

 Marvels X #2 - Alex Ross & Jim Krueger (writers) Well-Bee (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I was fooled by the truck driver who picked up the kid because of the red beard, sunglasses and No Fear baseball cap. I thought it was Matt Murdock in disguise but I was surprised by who it actually was. Daredevil does turn up later in this issue as he and Spider-Man help to keep David safe. The kid's important because he could help find a cure for what's infecting humanity.

[caveartfair]

Artists on Kickstarter’s New Drip Platform See Potential for Extra Income

Courtesy of Elizabeth Haidle.

In November, Kickstarter announced the launch of Drip, a new online platform that serves to provide funding to creative individuals. Beginning on an invite-only basis with a group of over 60 artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, podcasters, and other creatives, the site allows these individuals to drum up funding, and asks ordinary people to become arts patrons. For as little as $1 per month, a user can subscribe to the artist of their choice and gain access to exclusive content on Drip. The platform is currently in beta, with plans for a public launch early next year.

While the concept is not new—a strong competitor in this space is Patreon, which officially launched in 2013—Drip is compelling, not in the least since it arrives under the umbrella of one of the best-known crowdfunding websites. Artists already using the platform are optimistic. “Having funds come directly from people who trust my work ethic and vision allows me to spend less days in doubt, and more days creating,” says artist Nic Annette Miller.

But could Drip actually replace a struggling artist’s day job? At the moment, the average returns are modest—in the range of a few hundred dollars a month—but once the site launches to the public, it’s safe to say its overall user base will grow, and so too could artists’ incomes.

Kickstarter, which takes a five-percent cut of the subscription revenue creatives earn (plus credit card processing fees) on Drip, didn’t launch the service from scratch. It was created by record label Ghostly International in 2012, geared toward musicians. Kickstarter bought the platform in 2016, when it was on the verge of folding. Over the past two years Kickstarter has supported Drip’s operations, before replacing its product with a new one, intended to suit a broader range of creatives—and to reflect the company’s values, namely, its Public Benefit Corporation charter.

Kickstarter’s co-founder and chairman Perry Chen acknowledged that there are existing platforms that operate similarly, giving creatives the opportunity to earn profits from subscribers (he cites Flattr and Steady, in addition to Patreon). But Drip, he explained, will find its own niche, engaging those who don’t necessarily consider themselves “serial content creators” (unlike YouTubers and podcasters, who create a steady, often week-after-week stream of content). Over a third of Drip’s first crop of creatives falls under the Art category—including artists like Joshua Citarella, Shantell Martin, and Molly Soda—with others working in Design, Theater, and Food.

Courtesy of Kickstarter.

Courtesy of Kickstarter.

Kickstarter does not want to lock creatives into using Drip, should they decide to move onto another comparable platform in the future. “Creatives work really hard to build relationships that kind of fuel their practice, and they own those relationships,” says Cassie Marketos, Kickstarter’s new vice president of community strategy, who will be focusing on Drip. To make good on this, they’ve promised to “port” Drip content to other sites, meaning artists won’t lose their posts and subscriber contacts if they leave the platform.

Something that sets Drip apart from its competition is that creatives who are on the site launch their pages with a limited-time founding membership program (it can last anywhere from seven to 30 days), incentivizing fans to get in on the ground level. Creatives can offer special perks to these early supporters. Painter and illustrator Elizabeth Haidle invited her founding members to a live-drawing livestream and Q&A; Nic Annette Miller offered hers a behind-the-scenes look into her printmaking process, and a print in the mail once the limited-edition series is complete.

Marketos notes that the founding membership period mimics the “urgency and social cred” that’s made Kickstarter campaigns successful: “I think people like knowing they got there early—being designated on the page, and being able to interact uniquely with the creator.”

Beyond the founding membership period, creatives on Drip develop various subscription tiers, with incentives for each. Molly Soda has a $1 per month tier, which gives subscribers access to images and text related to her current projects; a $5 per month tier, which also includes exclusive .gifs and videos; and a $10 per month option, which also includes previews of her work and Twitter shoutouts. (The average Drip subscription is $4 per month, Marketos says.)

Other artists have tiers that ask for a bit more of an investment. Shantell Martin, for example, has a $20 per month tier where subscribers receive an enamel pin and a drawing each month in the mail. (More cash-strapped users might prefer her $10 per month tier, which involves online access to live music recording sessions and conversations with her artistic peers.)

“I think an ideal subscription tier is anything that makes your community feel closer to you,” Marketos says. “You’re asking someone to give a couple bucks, maybe indefinitely, so it just takes time to establish some trust and build that relationship.”

Miller, who’s currently earning $255 per month from 35 subscribers, notes that she’s considering her Drip as a kind of monthly stipend. Meanwhile, she’s writing her subscribers with updates on her work, a beneficial exercise in its own right. “This has been a great challenge to dedicate time into writing and documenting the beginning phases,” she says.

After roughly one month of use, Drip seems to have offered a fairly seamless adjustment for video and internet artist Soda. She’s now earning about $136 a month via 52 subscribers. “Generally everything that I make goes online immediately, or it will eventually,” she tells me.  “Kickstarter really stressed that Drip didn’t need to be creating more work for artists. It could be something that supplements what I already do.” Her process, which can involve mining the internet for stock imagery and making videos of herself while dressed in eccentric costumes, is well suited to the site. “I’m updating people on what I’m working on currently or how I make things or just generally more behind-the-scenes things,” she says.

Courtesy of Kickstarter.

Haidle, who creates lush figurative illustrations, sees Drip as a long game in terms of seeing returns. “I didn’t want the Drip page to detract from other projects I have going on, but I also realized that I had been wanting to offer tutorials and art education-type stuff,” she notes. “I thought a good compromise would be to post three items every Sunday, on a weekly schedule.”

She also keen to use it as a way to find out who her most engaged followers are. “Since I’m doing a lot of long-term projects, I thought it would be a good way to find out who really wants to hear about the release dates of graphic novels, comics, books,” Haidle says. “So this way I can send something straight to their inbox and they aren’t going to miss it.”

While Kickstarter is publicizing the launch of the platform, it’s up to the creatives themselves to get the word out and build up their subscription base—which is best suited to artists who already have an eager online following. (Soda has over 68,000 Instagram followers, for instance; Martin has around 151,000.)

Brooklyn-based artist Sean J Patrick Carney likewise turned to his existing community, through email and social media, when launching his Drip. He’s using the platform for his writing and podcast project Humor and the Abject, which delves into the intersection of comedy and contemporary art; the podcast, which launched in June, features interviews with comedically minded artists like Brian Belott and Casey Jane Ellison.

He’s taken to plugging his Drip page on the podcast, encouraging listeners to subscribe and gain access to bonus episodes and other content, like drawings. “Instead of reading ads for mattresses, subscription food boxes, or fashionable underwear, I get to treat every podcast episode like its own sound sculpture,” he says, “and I create ridiculous satirical sponsorship spots and psychedelic radio theater.”

That’s not to say that there aren’t kinks to work out with the platform. Multiple artists note improvements that Kickstarter may want to implement. First and foremost, there’s currently no way for creatives and subscribers to engage in discussion, or for subscribers to share their feedback.

“Right now it feels a little bit like I’m shouting into an empty void,” Soda says. “I would really would like to see a comment or messaging feature so that I can actually talk to people.” That would allow for a space for critique or to test out content before it goes public.

“There’s a potential for artists and subscribers to be almost like collaborators on the site,” Martin adds.  

Other possible improvements: an easier way for subscribers to choose how long they want to support an artist for (rather than the “indefinite” default that current exists), as well as the option for a “pay what you wish” sponsorship.

Marketos notes that new features and bug fixes are in the pipeline ahead of the 2018 public launch, which does not have a hard date yet. “When we go wide in the world, my goal isn’t in terms of how many people want to be on Drip, it’s just that it’s the right tool, and a good tool, for the people who do want to use it, and that we can continue to defend the integrity of the creators,” she explains.

At this early stage, where the majority of contemporary artists on Drip are currently making in the $100–$300 per month range, Drip seems to be poised to offer artists, at the very least, a small stream of extra cash, which can also be a source of encouragement. “Right now, it’s encouraging to see people signing up and to be getting a little bit of ‘walking around money’ each month,” Carney says.

“Overall, the more that we have these kinds of platforms, the better,” Martin offers. “You can give three dollars a month, or even one dollar, and that little bit really helps. You don’t have to be very wealthy—you don’t have to be in this art bubble—to go out and support artists.

from Artsy News