#sosa-sketch

[piamastea]

Shout out to my favorite loser!!!!

Amy Sosa!! <3

[guys I’ve only had her for 3 episodes and I love her already..]

[waebakstudios]

Happy #IndieAnimationDay! Check out Waebak’s two current series! 

First up, Failing Upward is a series about two 20somethings  and their surreal phone calls!   We're having a trailer/sketch stream for "OK Nightmare" on 5/20 at 1 PM PST!  $10 Sketches: https://ko-fi.com/waebakstudios

Stream: https://twitch.tv/mutantastronaut

Art: @jackbowdlerart Next, Starstruck is a sci-fi comedy about a girl from Earth PAing for the universe's biggest rock star! Trailer coming in June! Poster by Vic Sosa

[honeyleesblog]

Astrological Outlook and Personality Analysis for Those with a May 15th Birthday

They are portrayed by instinct and a potential wonderful capacity. They partake in a forlorn life. They are individuals of a somewhat peculiar and strange person. In spite of the fact that they are frequently encircled by others, others consider them bizarre in light of the fact that they live in their internal world and show little interest in respects and notoriety. Steady, persistent, exceptionally courageous. They show extraordinary movement and extension throughout everyday life. Fairly impolite in conduct, they endeavor to disengage themselves from others. They are haughty and glad commonly. In spite of the fact that they are by and large fair, they are fighters of character and go ahead and savage power. They endeavor to ensure their situation throughout everyday life and ably use conditions and savagery. It additionally frequently happens that few individuals become subject to them. His companions, be that as it may, are not many. What undermines them: The finish of their life can be ominous or disagreeable. A kid brought into the world on this day needs a cautious instruction. At the point when let be, he can become noxious and a liar. He additionally needs to take things forcibly. At the point when left unprotected, he turns out to be exceptionally insolent and communicates damaging senses. Astrological Outlook and Personality Analysis for Those with a May 15th Birthday 

 On the off chance that your birthday is May 15, your zodiac sign is Taurus

May 15 - character and character character: generous, forthright, ready, urgent, deplorable, disdainful; calling: agent, legal advisor, chief; colors: blue, green, dark; stone: hematite; creature: canine; plant: Sycamore; fortunate numbers: 9,22,29,36,55,58 very fortunate number: 25 Occasions and observances - May 15 Colombia: Educator's Day. Global Family Day. Global Day of Scrupulous Protest. Mexico: Educator's Day. Paraguay: Freedom Day. Paraguay: Mother's Day. Madrid (Spain): Holy person Isidro Labrador, benefactor of Madrid. Argentina: Clean Laborer Day. Chile: Pisco Day. Palestine: Al Nakba (the day of the fiasco). Kyoto (Japan): Aoi Matsuri. May 15 Superstar Birthday. Who was conceived that very day as you? 1901: Luis Monti, Argentine soccer player (d. 1983). 1903: Germaine Dieterlen, French anthropologist and movie producer (d. 1999). 1903: Marდ­a Reiche, German mathematician and classicist (d. 1998). 1905: Joseph Cotten, American entertainer (d. 1994). 1905: Abraham Zapruder, American financial specialist (d. 1970). 1907: Aurelio Mirდ³ Quesada Sosa, Peruvian writer and student of history (f. 1998). 1909: James Artisan, English entertainer (d. 1984). 1909: Clara Solovera, Chilean music (f. 1992). 1910: Constance Cummings, English entertainer (d. 2005). 1911: Max Frisch, Swiss essayist (d. 1991). 1911: Herta Oberheuser, Nazi German specialist (d. 1978). 1915: Paul Samuelson, American market analyst, Nobel laureate in financial matters in 1970 (d. 2009). 1915: Mario Monicelli, Italian movie chief and screenwriter (d. 2010). 1918: Swirl Arnold, American vocalist and entertainer (d. 2008). 1918: Joseph Wiseman, Canadian entertainer (d. 2009). 1920: Michel Audiard, French screenwriter and movie chief (d. 1985). 1920: Carlo Coccioli, Italian essayist (d. 2003). 1920: Nasrallah Pedro Sfeir de Reyfoun, Lebanese cardinal. 1923: Richard Avedon, American photographic artist (d. 2004). 1923: Leocდ¡n Portus, Chilean government official (f. 2006). 1924: Maria Koepcke, German ornithologist, sketch artist, picture taker (d. 1971). 1925: Bert Bolin, Swedish meteorologist (d. 2007). 1925: Ernesto Foldats, Venezuelan botanist, researcher, orchidologist (f. 2003). 1925: Horacio Guaranდ­, Argentine artist (d. 2017). 1926: Anthony Shaffer, English writer and screenwriter (d. 2001). 1926: Peter Shaffer, American screenwriter (d. 2016). 1929: Juanjo Menდ©ndez, Spanish entertainer (f. 2003). 1930: Jasper Johns, American painter. 1930: Juan Carlos Plateau, Argentine entertainer and maker (d. 2016). 1936: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian entertainer. 1936: Wavy Sauce, American dissident and comedian. 1937: Madeleine Albright, American government official. 1937: Trini Lდ³pez, American artist and entertainer. 1938: Tommy Olivencia, proto-Rican artist (d. 2006). 1940: Lainie Kazan, American entertainer and artist. 1940: Wear Nelson, American ball player and mentor. 1944: Ulrich Beck, German social scientist (d. 2015). 1945: Duarte de Braganza, Portuguese blue-blood. 1948: Brian Eno, English artist. 1948: Kathleen Sebelius, American government official. 1948: Jaume Sorribas, Spanish entertainer (f. 2008). 1949: Elvira Rodrდ­guez, Spanish market analyst. 1950: Nicholas Hammond, American entertainer. 1950: Ana Rossetti, Spanish essayist. 1951: Straight to the point Wilczek, American physicist, 2004 Nobel Prize champ in material science. 1952: Chazz Palminteri, American entertainer and dramatist. 1953: George Brett, American baseball player. 1953: Mike Oldfield, English performer. 1953: Joaquდ­n Vial, Chilean financial analyst. 1955: Lee Horsley, American entertainer. 1955: El Gran Wyoming, Spanish comedian. 1956: Dan Patrick, American observer. 1957: Kevin Von Erich, American grappler. 1958: Ron Simmons, American grappler. 1959: Andrew Eldritch, English performer, of the band The Sisters of Leniency. 1959: Luis Pდ©rez-Sala, Spanish Recipe 1 driver. 1960: Leopoldo Barreda, Spanish legislator. 1960: Burglarize Bowman, American movie chief. 1961: Katrin Cartlidge, English entertainer (f. 2002). 1961: Melle Mel, American rapper and lyricist, of the band Grandmaster Streak and the Irate Five. 1964: Digna Ochoa, Mexican legislator. 1964: Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Danish legislator and head of the state. 1965: Ana Cacopardo, Argentine writer, TV moderator and narrative creator. 1965: Carlos Castano Gil, Colombian paramilitary. 1965: Raდ­, Brazilian soccer player. 1966: Josep Linuesa, Spanish entertainer. 1967: Madhuri Dixit, Indian entertainer. 1967: John Smoltz, American baseball player. 1967: Orlando Zapata, Cuban extremist (d. 2010). 1968: Cecilia Malmstrდ¶m, Swedish legislator. 1968: Seth Putnam, American performer for Butt-centric Twat, Posthumous and Attack (d. 2011). 1969: Assala Nasri, Syrian vocalist. 1969: Emmitt Smith, American football player. 1970: Miguel დ?ngel Benდ­tez, Paraguayan soccer player. 1970: Honest de Boer, Dutch footballer. 1970: Ronald de Boer, Dutch footballer. 1971: Phil Pfister, American strongman. 1972: David Charvet, French entertainer. 1972: Isidre Esteve, Spanish assembly rider. 1973: Rafael Mercadante, entertainer, moderator, vocalist, commentator of worldwide person on Mexican TV. 1974: Carolina Castillejo, Spanish legislator. 1974: Ahmet Zappa, American performer. 1975: Peter Iwers, Swedish performer (On fire). 1975: Beam Lewis, American football player. 1976: Jacek Krzynდ³wek, Clean footballer. 1976: Ryan Leaf, American football player. 1978: Edu, Brazilian soccer player. 1978: Caroline Dhavernas, Canadian entertainer. 1978: Kosei Inoue, Japanese judoka. 1978: David Krumholtz, American entertainer. 1978: Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian footballer. 1978: Krissy Taylor, American model (f. 1995). 1978: Flavia Gleske, Venezuelan entertainer and model. 1978: Tino Zaballa, Spanish cyclist. 1979: Adolfo Bautista, Mexican soccer player. 1980: Josh Beckett, American baseball player. 1981: Patrice Evra, French-Senegalese footballer. 1981: Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player. 1981: Zara Phillips, English blue-blood and horseman. 1981: Jamie-Lynn Sigler, English entertainer and vocalist. 1982: Alex Breckenridge, American entertainer. 1982: Bradford Cox, American performer of the band Deerhunter. 1982: Veronica Campbell, Jamaican competitor. 1982: Segundo Alejandro Castillo, Ecuadorian soccer player. 1982: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Japanese entertainer. 1982: Jessica Sutta, American vocalist, of the band The Pussycat Dolls. 1984: Sდ©rgio Jimდ©nez, Brazilian engine dashing driver. 1986: Matდ­as Fernდ¡ndez, Chilean soccer player. 1987: Kevin Consistent, French footballer. 1987: Ersan Ilyasova, Turkish b-ball player. 1987: Jennylyn Mercado, Filipino performer. 1987: Andy Murray, English tennis player. 1988: Marcus Collins, English vocalist, lyricist and beautician. 1989: Bright, American vocalist of Korean beginning. 1990: Lee Jong Hyun, South Korean vocalist. 1991: Mollee Dim, American entertainer and vocalist. 1995: Kseniya Sitnik, Belarusian vocalist. 1995: Ryosuke Yamamoto, Japanese entertainer and model. 1996: Birdy (Jasmine van sanctum Bogaerde), English artist. 1996: Nerea Camacho, Spanish entertainer.

[torawro]

sosa baby what’s your favorite bleach art style/animation???? me personally i’m a huge fan of the first few episodes 🌝 very nostalgic

hi hii !! this is such an interesting question i love it! i think all of kubo art style, from beginning to end to all the sketches in between— even when he’s drawing characters from other manga— is one of the most satisfying things to grace my eyes. but as for animation i have to say i like the later style a bit more so from the fake karakura town arc and onwards ( i think it hit its peak during the fullbringer arc ) and then THEY TOPPED IT AGAIN WITH HOW TYBW ARC LOOKS AND IM OBSESSED WITH HOW CRISPY AND CLEAN IT LOOKS! i agree with u tho i appreciate the early days of animated bleach too🙈

[purapinchefortalezacomics]

https://purapinchefortalezacomics.com/gallitocomics61

¡Los materiales para resistir la realidad están de regreso! ¡Bienvenido al número 61 de GALLITO CÓMICS!

Autores: Raulman, Luis Erre, Alba Glez, Alejandro Gutiérrez Franco, EFS, Sareki, Cucamonga, Alberto Calvo, Omar Soto, H.G. Santarriaga, Alfredo SBG, Patricio Betteo, Carlos Ramber, Logan Wayne, Portaveritas, Diana Noriega, Carlo Chable, Edgar Clement, Cöld Sinistar, Abraham Martínez Cuervoscuro, Arturo Saíd, Sergio Neri, Dan Lee, Miguel Ángel Hernández Cedillo, Daniel Ortíz Celestino, Edu Molina, Diego García, Javier Gutiérrez Exeivier, Eric Proaño Muciño “Frik”, Gabo Sosa, Sergio Ríos, Guto, Josh Candia, Fernando “eL HiNO” Hinojosa, Luis Fernando, Ricardo García Micro, Millo Sketch, Mudo Martínez, Francisco Arce, Darío Rodriguez, Humberto Morales Humo, Pavel Ortega, Ricardo Camacho rickamacho, Heretto Dos, Tebin, Ricardo Peláez Goycochea, Fernando García Rosales, Luis Alberto Villegas Muñóz y Lalo Labs. 

Portada Aviador: Chubasco. Portada Rockera: Rafahu Extensión: 176 páginas en blanco y negro Medidas: 20x26 cm. Fecha de publicación: Marzo 2023. Editado por: Pura Pinche Fortaleza Cómics, Editorial Perro Muerto y Nostromo Ediciones Sinopsis: Hace 30 años, en 1992 apareció por primera vez la revista EL GALLITO INGLÉS dirigida por VÍCTOR DEL REAL, misma que fue el bastión más importante de los creadores de cómic mexicano independiente de esa época. Esa revista de historieta, música y contracultura fue legendaria pues, contra viento y marea, publicó 60 números hasta que desapareció a principios de este siglo, dejando “huérfanos” a los miles de lectores que adoraban el proyecto. No hay duda de que los míticos autores que publicaron en dicha revista han inspirado a muchos más y esta publicación es la prueba de ello. ¡Hoy el cómic mexicano está más vivo que nunca! Esta antología viene a forjar un sólido puente entre ese pasado y el presente. Aquí encontrarás a más de 50 autores, decenas de historietas y textos muy interesantes en torno a la escena del cómic nacional. Todo esto aderezado de esa música que siempre será parte importante en la historia de cada lector. Nosotros somos Pura Pinche Fortaleza Cómics y… ¡No estamos aquí de visita!

GALLITO CÓMICS 61:

🛒 Pasta Suave: https://bit.ly/gallito61SC

✅ Valóralo en Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3Lopm9k

🎵 Playlist en Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3JEXyvR

[xaviergalatis]

Xavier's Rap phrases

XD'

Fuck around give you my last name

Draco fire

You ain't got mineuts in your phone then you inlove with me

No condom

For the money im a savage

I got a play on my phone

watch me get this money nigga

tired of being hungry nigga

I'm out here popping ollie's switch

this the start of it

bitch I'm high as fuck I can't even roll my weed

there

I'm in the hills

I keep a FN57 and a G Tuck

told my bad bitch let the camera man hit for me

I go 200 and I crash out

love to beat that till it creame up

you see us scorin'

V.I.P in the plural, while yo section borin'

Bitch I got the Tommy no Hilfiger

Pull the checks, receipt stashed, straight to the palm, drippin'

space ghost coast to coast

ride around with a kill tec

he got shot he ain't get back

I got a whole lot of money coming in

ran off on the plug

Justin Bieber

I need a bitch with a real butt

jugg

I gotta know who you fucked in ths room

codine and a lot of cups

niggas think o can o broke

I can not go broke nigga

Xanny, help the pain, yeah

Please, Xanny, make it go away

know I'm misunderstanding

cuz skin complexion

free my nigga out of that jail

every other night another dollar getting made it

goddamn it

hot sauce

balling

Fast car, NASCAR

bag on fire

you gone fuck around and drowned of this wave

every other night another movie getting made

I spend in the club what you have in the bank

hate

my AP going psycho

had so many bottles gave ugly girl a sip

I'm in the Lambo I'm on my way

my money thick I'll never fold

can't really trust nobody with all this Jewelry on me

take you to the smoke shop we gone get high

got the racks and they all C-Notes

in the rental

all vvses put you in a necklace

diamond district in the chain

certified you know I gang

in the morning or the late

you got that yummy yummy

said she wanna fuck the homie we gone team up

my chain straight from the ocean

niggas think it's sweet

got free wifi they ain't got 3g

I really hate niggas I'm a Nazi

breaking the seal

Jesus piece

the audience

can we get married at the mall?

My shooters gon' shoot, can't miss

pouring up lean

backroom

money falling out the ass I got a lot of cash

I don't

just got up out it they like there he go

really spinny

really drippy

Moscow face

hand deep up in her purse

diamonds hitting

hide it in my sock

I'm her dad

xanny make it go away

I want drugs

college

I'm getting sketched out

shoot out

backroom

do the dash

2am in the A

wanna come to my room

Clancy ( ofwgkta manager )

iraq

hunting em down

backroom

foreign

Afghanistan

hell no nawh

every night

switch lanes

no face no case

club going up on a Tuesday

throw that to the side yeah

press my line

I'm different

wanna go it how I do it

i don't sell Molly no more

stupid lil bitch

lil bitch

put this Greek dick i

water

I didn't do it but fo

smoke

smoke crack

I cannot go broke

Octobers very own

Calabasas

locked in

late night in the studio you can't be wasting all my time

100k for a feat

niggas think it's sweet it's on sight

my new bitch ass fat like that ass on Kim k

I used

I used to

pink and yellow diamonds

my diamonds

diamonds hitting

beat the beat up

think it's sweet it's on sight

crying in a bag

I don't write I ain't got no time

if you is my son

I did it overnight, it couldn't happen any quicker

Always move right so my watch is on the other hand

Pullin' up on exes

old man told me this the way shit had to go

I had my best-friend die

In the middle of the hype

I don't give a fuck what you sayin', huh, you already heard w DC DSS as do s sad d so ass as do DSS s as dddßss sadhat I said

Y'all be cappin' online, on the Instagram

A-a-all we do is just go number one (

pass the Draco hit em with this and that

Yeah, take this X every day just so I can feel more

Diamonds hitting hard on my fucking watch (

Sosa take him down for his pack

Fill up my cup with that Wock and that Tris

I been geeked as fuck and stay right in the party

I'm too high, I can't stop it

I just left the bank, ain't made a deposit

n I got his hoe 17 floors up

island boys in this bitch

we 1700 in this bitch

mask on my face so nobody know

can't post no pictures cuz my case too hot

now she missing me used to fuck her till she sleep

had to cut her off now she just a treesh

cracking penthouse views

could a made some guap today but I was too lazy

I took her to backroom

my new bitch

I live in a house with a pool in the back

cut her off

Bitch, I'm married to this X, i

get high than a pelican

Think I'm addicted to guap

Think I'm addicted to Wock

I pour the Tussionex right

Up in that Limo tint, know it's me

I'm

Fuck up my racks then double 'em

Walk in Chanel, we cash that bitch out

Fuckin' that bitch and I'm fuckin' her friend

I just turned a fifty to a hundred

riding around with the stop'

Ayy, how you wanna get rolled up,

Catch me out in public

Y'all be cappin' 'bout the fashion, y'all some Helmut lames

Zay just flew out to LA

Heard that court date comin' up, fuck it, finna run

They say, "How'd you get it up?" I did it everyday

limousine tints

bust all over her face an

Uh, that's his hoe, that bitch, she came to fuck

murder suicide

Thirty minutes later, Kobe told me put my mask on

We go rack for rack, it ain't no cap in my rap (

Talkin' 'bout y'all wet? Boy, my bitch got more drip than y'all

If you ain't up a milli', it ain't shit you should be telling me

fell asleep off a four of yeah

I got the data to turn your body into anti-matter

Everybody let's agree that MC's need a tissue

Left the dubs and fifties at the crib, got a knot of Franklins

Green Nike tech, cutter on me, popping out like Zelda

Shut up, bitch, don't give me migraine

I don't wake up in the mornin' for cereal

Flip the brick, make the whole shit do an aerial

My shooters gon' shoot, can't miss

don't be chasing bitches stack you money up

Burberry pants, I got Burberry tennis shoes

gotta sip slow in case I die quic

I'm bout to sip on the suryp till I drowned

imma iconn nigga u just on icloud

imma thank God I'm not in the system

therapy session I'm in the waiting room reading Forbes

can you catch my drip

come my way

I'm catching a case I'm beating the case

I did not get in Canada

But when I'm in Toronto they treat me like Drake

n I show my face the case you know it's me

all in your girls mouth use her like a toilet

I don't ever get no sleep

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

heyyy! Firstly, I'm a big fan of your writing. Secondly, I was hoping if you could help me out with some things? Maybe I'm just ridiciously fried, but I can't figure out how to create a taglist for the story I'm writing. I also want to be able to link work on chapters. For example, on chapter 4, I want to link the first chapter and the previous chapter. Do you mind teaching me how? Thank you for your time!!

sure np! my taglist is pretty low-maintenance, i have everybodys url in a single post in my drafts

so when im finalizing the editing, i just save the draft of the fic, scroll down, copy paste, and add it to the new post

theres probably better ways (i know some people use google docs) but im hashtag lazy

i dont know how to link on mobile, but on desktop its not too hard - copy the link, and then highlight the word you want the link to be attached do (so in your case probably “first chapter,” “chapter one,” “beginning,” something to that effect)

when you highlight it, all those little black bubbles that pop up, for italics, bold, etc? the one that looks like a crooked 8 is the one you click for links, and you paste the link into the pop up

you can also highlight the text and hit Ctrl+k but i know i am utterly incapable of remembering keyboard shortcuts myself

and i so glad you like my stuff! i hope this was helpful

[wiiildflowerrr]

Ashton Irwin by Simon Sosa, 2022

Based on photo by Ryan Fleming

[lifedistractions]

a stolen simmosa kiss

[natt333]

Wanda Maximoff x Amy Sosa

Art trade I'm making with ViewsTheLearyne uwu

[saiskulls]

just a lil ren doodle i did during the SOSA stream. honestly can't thank them enough for bringing people together on it. it was all incredibly heartwarming,, :')

[artsubrosa]

22: Ghost

benjy! dead but delicious ✨

[nonrebreather]

Jesse doodles as requested by @galactic-empress and @jesse-mills !

love it when tumblr Ruins my quality haha

[demifiendrsa]

Gege Akutami x Tite Kubo special talk that was featured in Jujutsu Kaisen Official Fan Book.

This exclusive interview was arranged at the ardent request of Gege Akutami, who was motivated by Tite Kubo’s works. We are pleased to present this hefty 10-page transcript of their first long, heated discussion about manga.

Gege Akutami

Born in 1992 in Iwate Prefecture. Debuted in 2014 with the one-shot Kamishiro Sosa. His current series Jujutsu Kaisen has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2018.

Tite Kubo

Born in 1977 in Hiroshima Prefecture. His previous series Bleach, which started in 2001, was a massive hit that received universal acclaim and numerous multimedia adaptations. His current series Burn the Witch began serialization in 2020.

Learning About “Mangaka” by Reading Bleach in Fourth Grade

Is this your first time talking to each other?

Akutami: This is our first proper conversation, though we did greet each other once at a Jump Exhibition.

Kubo: Briefly. Back then you told me, “I started a new manga that’s inspired by Bleach,” and I replied, “Don’t you mean ‘by Togashi-san’?” [laughs] (TN: Yoshihiro Togashi is the creator of YuYu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter.)

Akutami: I was too wound up at the time to say this, but Bleach was actually what introduced me to the concept of “mangaka” (manga artists).

Kubo: Oh really?

Akutami: When I was in fourth grade, my older brother would always buy Weekly Shonen Jump. However, he never let me read the issues he bought since he was very possessive of his belongings. One day when he wasn’t around, I secretly opened an issue and it happened to be the one Bleach debuted in. That first chapter was so impressive, it made me realize just how incredible mangaka are. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Kubo: Did you start following Bleach on a weekly basis after that?

Akutami: Nope… I could only manage to sneak a peek whenever my brother was gone…

Kubo: You had to read in secret every time? [laughs]

Akutami: Yup. [laughs] And soon enough, something happened that pushed me to become a mangaka myself. When I was in fifth grade, we moved from Iwate Prefecture to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. I was surprised to find out that one of the friends I made at my new school drew manga-style art. I was blown away, like, “Are you telling me art isn’t just fun to look at, it’s fun to draw too?”

Kubo: Wait, did you not love drawing as a kid?

Akutami: I didn’t draw anything outside of school assignments, and frankly, I couldn’t care less about it. I neither loved it nor hated it.

Kubo: Yet you grew up to be a mangaka, huh.

Akutami: I-I guess… Anyway, I started to mimic my friend by drawing my own manga, and that’s how my dream of being a professional mangaka was born.

Kubo: Amusingly, I was the exact opposite. When I was in second or third grade, I loved the GeGeGe no Kitaro anime. Then I became an avid reader of the GeGeGe no Kitaro manga, which influenced me to draw nothing but pointillist art—I even added dotted shadows to yokai sketches. The whole reason I got into drawing was to become a mangaka.

Akutami: Whoa… Sounds like you had it all figured out…

The Whereabouts of Kumo no Kyojin

In a bonus chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen, Akutami-sensei made a bombshell reveal—he wrote and compiled a Bleach-inspired poem anthology called Kumo no Kyojin (The Cloud Giant) in middle school.

Kubo: This I gotta see.

Akutami: I was young… I’m sorry!

Kubo: Did you bring it with you today?

Akutami: Well, the truth is I don’t have it anymore. And the scariest part is… I have no idea who does.

Kubo: Nooo!! [laughs]

Akutami: Poems aside, there were also a bunch of sketches in that notebook. I ended up giving it to one of my juniors who wanted it. Back then, I didn’t have the crisis management skills to recognize it could be used as blackmail, so I handed it over without a second thought…

Kubo: That sucks!! Do you have their contact info?

Akutami: I do not. I hope they threw it out for recycling…

Digital with an Intentionally Analog Touch

Kubo: Akutami-sensei, what kind of digital pens do you use? I recently made the switch to digital. My goal is to make digital art with an analog flair, but I’m not sure how to achieve that.

Akutami: Did you go full digital?

Kubo: At least for coloring.

Akutami: I’m no expert at digital art either. I can’t even create my own custom brushes…

Kubo: Uh, neither can I!

Akutami: I just give every feature a whirl, and stick with whatever’s most convenient for me.

Kubo: Same here. Though I have to say, your designs have a very analog texture to them. I asked if you’re a traditional artist during our introductions earlier, and was shocked to learn that you draw digitally.

Akutami: I intentionally draw with an analog touch, so I’m happy to hear that from you!

Kubo: In that case, do you deliberately roughen up your art too?

Akutami: That part’s not deliberate… I draw as carefully as I can, but I guess it just doesn’t come out right.

Kubo: Got it! I thought you were purposely going for that style.

Akutami: No matter how much effort I put in, it doesn’t seem to come across in my designs…

Kubo: It’s still amazing how analog your art looks despite being digital. Have you ever drawn manga the old fashioned way?

Akutami: All the one-shots prior to my first serialization were drawn traditionally. However, I switched to digital once I realized I’d never qualify for a weekly series unless my art improved. I genuinely wanted to keep drawing on paper, but I was so stressed out from not being able to control a G-pen that I abandoned my existing manuscripts and worked only on new storyboards for a while.

Kubo: Yeah, G-pens are a pain to use!

Akutami: I was like, “Seriously?! Do people seriously enjoy using this thing?!” Since it was taking me forever to master the G-pen, I figured I definitely had room for improvement! [laughs]

Kubo: Some of the art I see in Jump makes me go, “Were these lines really drawn with a G-pen?” They’re extremely tricky. I once ditched them in favor of markers, so I would know.

Akutami: My thoughts exactly. In the past, I also heard that a decent amount of people draw with fineliner pens. But when I tried them for myself, I drew the most un-Jump-worthy art I had ever seen, so I gave up.

Series Oozing with the Creator’s Personality

Akutami-sensei, what’s your impression of Kubo-sensei?

Akutami: His series and designs always struck me as stylish—and when I met him for the first time, I got the impression that he himself was equally stylish. I was astonished that a mangaka could have so much in common with their series.

Kubo: Hahaha. [laughs] From looking at your series, I assumed you’d have an evil personality. I mean, don’t you get a sense of an author’s disposition or temperament by reading their work?

Akutami: [cackles]

Kubo: But our interactions today made me go, “Huh? He’s behaving nicely.” [laughs] It’s almost terrifying to see the person behind a manga such as that acting in a manner such as this.

Everyone: [bursts into laughter]

Akutami: It’s precisely because I’m a mangaka that I try to behave myself. You see, my generation has a rather negative perception of a mangaka’s occupation. [laughs] So I want others to view me as a respectable adult.

Kubo: In other words, you want to set a good example. [laughs] I notice you’ve been using “watashi” (gender neutral, formal) as your first-person pronoun this entire time—what sort of image are you trying to project?

Akutami: Back when I attended an all-boys middle school and high school, I tended to use “ore” (masculine, casual). (TN: “Ore” is Kubo’s pronoun of choice.)

Kubo: ‘Cause you’d get teased if you used “boku” (masculine, formal)?

Akutami: Exactly. Later on, when I got more opportunities to speak with superiors in college, I switched to “boku.” Then before my series went weekly, I decided to act more respectably and defaulted to “watashi.”

Kubo: Do you use “watashi” even when chatting among friends?

Akutami: Basically. Sometimes I let an “ore” slip if I’m in a good mood.

Kubo: Fascinating… Although you’re certainly careful with your words, I still feel a darkness emanating from your series. [laughs]

The Ins and Outs of Characters: Hidden Lessons From Bleach

Kubo-sensei, who’s your favorite character in Jujutsu Kaisen?

Kubo: Kento Nanami. I began to grasp the meaning of the story once he was introduced.

Akutami: I also consider his introduction to be a turning point in the series.

Kubo: The powers got more interesting around then. Early on, I wasn’t sure if Megumi Fushiguro’s technique had anything to do with shadow puppetry. I was growing impatient while reading ’cause even though he was fighting at night in a place with windows, he didn’t utilize shadows the way I expected him to. But after Nanami came along, the direction took a sharp turn; even the strangest techniques became easy to understand, and more standout characters like Aoi Todo joined the fray.

How did you feel when your dear Nanami was killed in action?

Kubo: I was like, “Aw man, he died.” But I wasn’t shocked, since this is the type of manga that doesn’t shy away from killing off characters.

Akutami: Bleach taught me a lot about when to retire characters and how to make use of them until their time is up. The Arrancar arc in particular involved a huge cast, and even though some characters obviously weren’t around for long, you got to learn the bare essentials of who they were before they left.

Kubo: It’s true that I started to actively kill more villains during the Arrancar arc. However, those weren’t calculated decisions. I mostly relied on my gut, which I suppose was for the better.

By the way, have any other Jujutsu Kaisen characters piqued your interest? Among the girls, for instance.

Kubo: I hate to say this in front of the man himself, but none of the female characters in Jujutsu Kaisen are my type. They’re all pretty formidable, aren’t they? When characters of the opposite sex get preferential treatment, they usually reflect the creator’s tastes, so that must be Akutami-sensei’s type.

Akutami: No, that’s just me taking the easy way out… I’m aware I suck at drawing women. In fact, I often put on the brakes before I create so-called “ladylike” characters.

Kubo: While your male characters come in all types, I feel like your women largely fit the same mold. Could it be that you have an aversion to creating female characters who conform to gender roles?

Akutami: That’s not quite the case…

Kubo: For real? And you don’t have a preference for the “strong female” archetype?

Akutami: Well, it’s not as if I prefer any archetypes in particular. If you were to ask me about my favorite female characters, I’d freeze up. Besides, I don’t know if the readers even want to see any ladylike or seductive female characters from me.

Kubo: I’m sure Jujutsu Kaisen readers are perfectly content with the current roster of women in the series.

How would you two respond if Todo asked what type of girls you like?

Akutami: I wouldn’t. He’d probably beat me up.

Kubo: I’d answer, “Busty ones.” Ah, that’s not my type in real life though. I only prefer big boobs on fictional characters.

Next question is for Akutami-sensei. Who’s your favorite character in Bleach?

Akutami: Either Mayuri Kurotsuchi or Kenpachi Zaraki—if I had to pick one, Kurotsuchi. He was the earliest to perform Bankai, after all. I loved how utterly disgusted I felt when I saw him for the first time. His Bankai’s final form, Matai Fukuin Shotai (Demonic Recumbent Womb), made me scream “Yes, yes, that’s my man Kurotsuchi!” in excitement.

Kubo: Mayuri’s pretty popular among mangaka. Perhaps they relate to his inventiveness and creativity. Speaking of which—Akutami-sensei, I can tell from Jujutsu Kaisen that you must be a fan of the grotesque as well.

Akutami: You’re right. I enjoy series that depict scary things in a genuinely scary way, and I strive to practice what I preach.

Surprises Regarding Favorite Scenes and Quotes

Akutami-sensei, what’s your all-time favorite scene or quote from Bleach?

Akutami: I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but I love the Kido spell “Raikoho” (Fiery Lightning Howl).

Kubo: Due to its incantation?

Akutami: In my opinion, what sets your incantations apart from the other magic chants I’ve heard over the years is that yours evoke the strongest sense of impact. That’s what I love about them.

Kubo: Thanks.

Akutami: On that note, even though everyone seems eager to do the full incantation for Kuro Hitsugi (Black Coffin), I personally prefer the incantation-less version. First of all, Sajin Komamura getting wrecked and Gin Ichimaru saying “A level 90 unspoken Hado! Now that’s scary! When did you achieve that?” are such an iconic duo. They really made Kuro Hitsugi shine. How, you ask? By highlighting that it annihilated Captain Komamura in an instant, for goodness’ sake! To put things into perspective, Kubo-sensei routinely fills the “opening songs” of his volume releases with walls and walls of text, followed by a brief verse like Kurotsuchi’s “Born and then fall is the same as death” or Grimmjow’s “Break down, every single one of you.” The transition from long sentences to short phrases creates a sharp dichotomy that brings to mind a Kuro Hitsugi with no incantation. (TN: Those verses are from Volumes 35 and 24 of Bleach, which feature Mayuri and Grimmjow on the cover, respectively.)

Kubo: Wow, you’re a hardcore fan. [laughs] Nobody’s ever referred to my introductory poems as “opening songs” before. Maybe I should call them that from now on. [laughs]

Kubo-sensei, what’s your all-time favorite scene or quote from Jujutsu Kaisen?

Kubo: Since the Jujutsu Kaisen manga is still ongoing, I believe its best scenes are yet to come. But if had to choose from the existing material, I’d say Junpei Yoshino’s “Don’t you think that whoever first said, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference’ must be rotting in hell?” It’s the quote that left the deepest impression on me. Some of the references you make, and the ways you make them, are familiar; I feel a certain affinity for Jujutsu Kaisen when I read it every week.

Akutami: Thank you…

Kubo: I love incorporating Buddhist concepts as well, so I was pleasantly surprised to find someone else covering obscure topics like Death Paintings. If you recall those rings that appeared when Tosen used his Bankai, they actually had the names of the nine types of Death Paintings written on them. (TN: Jujutsu Kaisen‘s Death Painting Wombs are based on kusozu art that depicts human bodies undergoing nine stages of decay.)

Akutami: Are you serious?! That’s awesome! Bleach was my first source of inspiration in elementary school, then Hunter x Hunter and Evangelion were added to the mix in middle school… Since Evangelion was steeped in mythology, I concluded that I should take a different approach by turning to Buddhism instead.

Kubo: Which is basically Japanese mythology.

Akutami: Be that as it may, I haven’t been able to do it justice… My approach is bound to fall apart at any moment.

Kubo: You’ve done well enough in my book. As long as you understand the terms you’re using, it’s fine!

Akutami: If you say so! Kubo-sensei, did any other series influence you besides GeGeGe no Kitaro? When I read your early one-shots that were included in the Zombiepowder. volumes, I had a feeling they were heavily inspired by certain anime. (TN: Zombiepowder. was Kubo’s first weekly series. It ran from 1999-2000 and was collected into four volumes.)

Kubo: Saint Seiya comes to mind.

Akutami: Saint Seiya!!!

Kubo: I started with the GeGeGe no Kitaro anime and manga, then my parents showed me the Saint Seiya anime in fourth grade, and then I started reading Weekly Shonen Jump in sixth grade because Saint Seiya was being published in it. After that, I was probably influenced by Bastard!!: Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy.

Akutami: Bastard!! also inspired Togashi-sensei, if I remember correctly.

Kubo: I might’ve taken inspiration from Bastard!!‘s anime-style art. It’s just, I didn’t know how to apply screentones, so I would frantically draw all my effects by hand. [laughs]

Akutami: That answers another question I’ve had for years.

It’s Not Recommended for Rookie Manga Artists to Copy Bleach

Akutami: Personally speaking, if a newbie manga artist were to say to my face, “I plan to use Kubo-sensei’s Bleach as a reference,” I’d stop them right then and there. After all, that’s something only Kubo-sensei could have produced. Everyone tells me all the time, “You must’ve been influenced by Bleach.” Of course I’m influenced by the things I read, and sometimes they affect my work in ways I don’t notice until I look back on it later. In that sense, yes, I’ve been influenced in a major way. However, I think it’s dangerous to methodically analyze Kubo-sensei with the intention of imitating him.

Editors often pay attention to the quirks that make up an author’s “identity”—the traits that are indicative of a person’s writing style, so to speak. For instance, my identity revolves around my ability to not be bogged down by “whys” or “hows”—my ability to craft a story without having to explain every little detail. I consider people like Kubo-sensei and Chainsaw Man‘s Tatsuki Fujimoto-sensei to have strong identities, and it’d be unwise for commoners like me to carelessly imitate authors of their caliber. Since their creations are products of the instincts and talents that come with having a strong identity, I’d only hurt myself if I tried to copy their methods. That’s why I go out of my way to avoid this pitfall. I’ve always loved reading Bleach, but I know that imitating it would be the death of me. Ultimately, I can’t copy it because it’s too unique. So whenever I hear people say that my series reminds them of Bleach, I hesitantly reply with something like, “Well, sure, I guess… But…”

Kubo: That’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten. I’m flattered. Ah, can I have your LINE I.D.? (TN: LINE is the most popular messaging app in Japan.)

Akutami: O-Of course! My pleasure!

Special Grade Art Exhibit

Following their talk, we had Akutami-sensei and Kubo-sensei each draw one of their favorite characters from the other’s series. Feast your eyes on these exquisite illustrations.

[holidays-events]

"I never thought that I would sing for a living," said Mercedes Sosa, the powerful Argentinian vocalist widely known as “the voice of the voiceless ones.” Also known as “La Negra” due to her long, black hair, Sosa’s powerful voice afforded her opportunities to perform at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum in Rome. A driving force behind the “Nueva Canción” movement, her songs married traditional South American folk music with powerful lyrics advocating for human rights.

Mercedes Sosa - Gracias A La Vida

"Gracias A La Vida" Lyric Video in English

Born on July 9, 1935 in the northern Argentine province of Tucumán, Mercedes Sosa’s family lineage came from the indigenous Aymara people. Her heritage deeply influenced her stylistically and by 15, she won a radio talent contest for her traditional folk music. A dramatic tipping point of her career happened on this day in 1965, when singer Jorge Cafrune invited Sosa on stage during his set at Argentina’s renowned Cosquín Folk Festival. Her performance received a massive ovation and by the following year, she had signed a recording contract.

Many of Sosa's best-known songs were written by others, but her performances of songs like Violeta Parra’s "Gracias a la Vida" (Thanks to Life) and Horacio Guarany’s “Si Se Calla El Cantor” (If the Singer is Silenced) helped catapult her into fame. She released some 70 albums over the course of nearly a six-decade career, exploring diverse genres such as Argentinian tango, Cuban nueva trova, Brazilian bossa nova, rock, and sacred music. In later years, she collaborated with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Joan Baez, and even Shakira.

Fearlessly singing truth to power, she went into exile from her homeland for several years and was finally able to return home in 1982. She continued to perform around the world and later became a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.

Here’s to La Negra!

Today’s Doodle was created by guest artist Shanti Rittgers. Below, she shares some thoughts on Sosa and the Doodle:

Q: Do you have a favorite Mercedes Sosa song?

A: Everything she sings sounds so good, it’s hard to choose… So far, I keep going back to “Luna Tucumana.” It’s a beautiful song, one that makes me think of melancholic tangos, fleeting feelings of intimacy and grappling with inner troubles. English lyric translations further helped me understand the context, and built a romantic vision of Mercedes singing to the moon, wistful and alone on a winding midnight path.

Q: What quality in her music did you seek to express in the Doodle?

A: Her resonance. She can sing the deepest, saddest song or the brightest tune, and regardless her voice hits you like a river of wind and carries you away.

Q: What inspired your selection of a brown, black, and red palette?

A: In this case, reds and browns help create an earthy final color palette. In photos, she’s often wearing red and black patterned ponchos of Native cultural descent, and black is relative to one of her nicknames, “La Negra.”

Q: What can you tell us about the percussion instrument Mercedes is playing in one of your initial sketches?

A: The Bombo is a drum of Argentinean origin, and though it is large the sound produced from it can be considerably soft. I included it in the final after hearing and seeing Mercedes Sosa play it in many songs. I believe it was a symbolic and favorite instrument of hers throughout her career.

Mercedes Sosa Sus Mejores Exitos

Mercedes Sosa 30 Grandes Éxitos

[kolwyntjie]

Yeah so you see my reasoning behind THG. Still it was not bad at all, but my expectations were 📈. But I agreee, I love Lucy’s wilderness and Josh’s grumpiness that evened it out. Also I loved their heigh difference, it made me SWOON 🦋🦋

Omg you deserve each other sounds amazing! I added it to my tbr. Do you have any other recommendations for me?- 🦋 (imma chose this instead of the 🍨 one cuz ya knowww)

Oh yeah, I can absolutely see your THG reasoning! Also I absolutely agree on the height difference (I'm a short stack - not Lucy short, but quite short) and I love tall guys, and the whole thing made me swoon. At one point I had a sketch of Lucy and Joshua in that scene after her date, but I bailed on it because it could meet my expectations - maybe I'll try again at some point!

Also yessss! My YDEO agenda is working.

Keeping in mind our discussion on tropes being a bit overused, and lot of these using those tropes, I definitely have a few to recommend! I'm going to try and give some basic blurb-info, but not spoil anything! (Also please note: when it comes to RomComs, I am VERY easily pleased. I try to keep my expectations low as possible, and some of them may not be for you, which is absolutely fair!) I'll also pop it under a Keep Reading. I'll pop smut warnings too, because I know sometimes that's a deal-breaker!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is another one of my faves! Another enemies to lovers, where, after a few mishaps, they're forced to go on a trip together. I actually had a few moments where I had to put the book down because I was laughing so hard. (Top Rec) (No Smut)

I loved Beach Read by Emily Henry! It's not so much enemies to lovers as rivals, and I thought the premise was really cute and funny. It's about two authors, stuck in writing-slump, and they sort of challenge each other to write a different genre. It was funny and emotional all at once. (Top Rec) (Smut)

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas I actually bought on a whim, because I saw it in the store and it seemed nice. I looked up absolutely 0 reviews on it before hand - and I actually really enjoyed it. It does rely on some common tropes, but it was still quite funny. I do warn you, though, this book was EXTREMELY steamy for a RomCom. Like my mouth dropped when I realised how steamy. If that's not your thing, then I would give this one a miss! (Rec) (Heavy Smut)

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn was unexpected and I enjoyed it a lot - sort of a fake-dating trope, with a twist. It was funny in places, but overall just a fun read. (Rec) (Smut)

The Best Worst Man by Mia Sosa was also a funny read, and actually touched on some points about being a career-driven woman and also being a woman of colour. (Rec) (Smut)

Some Honour Mentions:

I just finished The Layover by Lacie Waldon. It was very cute, and I related A LOT to the main character, lot. (Slight smut? Let's say touching.)

99% Mine by Sally Thorne was also cute, but I think my fatal flaw with this one was that I read it after THG, and MY expectations were HUGE. It's a bit different in that it's friends to lovers, and having cooled down at bit now, I can say that it was actually really cute. Thorne does angst really well, I think! (Smut)