#that 90s comic style aged very well

[allyouneediskilly]

Alien vs. Predator (1991) by Randy Stradley and Phill Norwood

[meanbossart]

Misc. Ask compilation

These aren't all of the asks I want to reply to, just some that I can answer relatively quickly to clean the ol' inbox out before things get out of hand. Thanks for your patience!

HAHAHA THANK YOU FOR PERUSING AROUND and for enjoying my work! I had a... Weird Gale experience my first playthrough which led to his characterization being what it is in my comics. Here's the beat-by-beat of all the shenanigans: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/740827466716807168/alright-i-am-like-90-sure-there-is-one-line-in-a

And here's just some of my personal thoughts on him! https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/736193145686114305/can-you-tell-me-more-about-how-you-would-make-gale

I would be lying if I said I'm not conflicted to know my style still bears some remnants of my edgy teen roots (not your fault not noticing it though, you aren't the first and won't be the last) BUT... That comic did mean a lot to me as a youth, so I guess I should be proud 🤷 and honestly it is a little cool that such a thing would survive for so long in what I do, crazy how that works.

LMAO, re: the bottom/top debacle, I was honestly so surprised to see people react to it like it's something novel. If I ever expected to get any push back on the matter, I thought it would be from people assuming DU drow was the top and taking issue with how violent and big he is (and yknow, some people are weirdly protective of Astarion as if he isn't a sneaky murder machine rippling with lean muscle)

Very disheartening to see that mindset still so alive and well among young people, but I guess it just means I gotta draw DU drow throwing more back and Astarion drooling over more ass until the stereotype is forcefully banished out of people's minds!

(more asks below the cut)

"Sleeper agent activation phrase" absolutely took me out, Thank you so much LOL

YEAH I got it pretty late though, Astarion had already told my durge that he was a vampire of his own accord (and the response was, of course, "no duh") I forgot wheter this happened before or after the first romance scene triggered, but I think after.

Since this was after DU drow decided he was gonna fuck him out of pure contrarian spite and was shamelessly laying it extremely thick, He happilly let Astarion drink his blood. Hell, he was probably a little Too Eager - the guy likes pain and he likes letting people he trusts do with his body whatever they will, and while he didn't yet trust Astarion at that point, that event might've very well reminded him of something from his past that planted a seed which would eventually grow into his genuine affection for the guy.

Ah, he definitely got a half-chub as it happened too. I'm sure Astarion noticed it and just walked off rolling his eyes and thinking "eugh of course" lmao.

Hello!!!

Oh man, I grew up fascinated with horror things. I remember from a very young age just looking at the covers and backs of horror movies at the film-rental even though I wasn't allowed to watch them. I was also easily scared but I sought those things out anyway - I think i just enjoyed the visceral reactions it drew out of me and was always curious about most things taboo.

When I got access to the internet that just opened a (very unfortunate) door to all things vile and awful like it did for so many people at that age in time. Though my tastes have changed a lot since then (Less August Underground, more The Devils kind of guy nowadays) my stories and art are just always going to fall into a horror-y category because I just... Don't think there's many better ways to showcase the human experience and emotional range without many of the elements native to the genre, and I'm all about that.

Thank you for your question and your sweet words, have a good week yourself!

I did a little write-up about that over here! https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/742508493562593280/i-dont-have-a-particular-question-in-mind-sorry

That's the result of a scene that happens relatively early in the story I'm writing ("A Novel Experience" on Ao3).

{SPOILERS} DU drow accidentally passes out on a blade which puts a relatively deep gash on his hip. Meanwhile, Astarion is weakened and starved after certain events that transpired the prior night. They have a private exchange both in a somewhat hazy-state of mind and Astarion ends up prodding and prying at his wound while feeding, so it's a laceration and bite mark that just scarred over badly.

Elves apparently don't grow body hair so never LOL guess they'll just have to slip&slide up on each other for heat

[buriedyou]

𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍.

previously found at: masocholyism, brandofhercin, etc.

I have been writing Edward for a long time. I have a very specific interpretation of him and I often draw on many other media when it comes to his characterization. I often compare him to both Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, as well as the Horatio Alger myth, among other stories and legends. Additionally, I draw on a variety of sources when it comes to vampire lore, including Stoker’s Dracula, the Blade comics, Anne Rice’s vampire compendium, the Castlevania animated series and video game, and others. This portrayal does not see Edward as a misogynistic ass, nor is he a virgin or entirely inexperienced when it comes to relationships. In fact, he dated several celebrities prior to Bella, who he will not namedrop, and had a boyfriend for a brief time in the 90s. Also, he doesn’t fucking sparkle.

FULL NAME: Edward Anthony Masen Cullen NICKNAME: None that he approves of GENDER: Cis-male SPECIES: Vampire HEIGHT: 6’4” AGE: Old BIRTHDAY: June 2, 1901 SPOKEN LANGUAGES: Many, including several dialects of sign language

HAIR: Light auburn, almost bronze in appearance. Styled well EYES: Dependent on hunger and diet. Gold when satiated. Black when ravenous. Red when dining on human blood. SKIN TONE: Pale, nearly ghastly white in some instances. No signs of flush. Any visible veins appear grey. BODY TYPE: Tall and long-limbed. Not at all brawny, but there is strength to his stature in subtle ways. Broad shoulders. Large hands. ACCENT: Chicago (x and x, singing voice x) VOICE: Soft and lilting. In some ways seductive. Enticing. You want to hear more of it. You’re drawn in. Vulnerable. DOMINANT HAND: Ambidextrous SCARS: All healed after his transformation NOTABLE FEATURE(S): His striking eyes. The Hair��. His height.

HOBBIES: Music: listening to it, writing it, playing it, performing it. Flying, planes, and jets. Cars and bikes. His family. Education. Baseball. MENTAL ILLNESSES: Depression. PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: None (vampirism) ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good VULNERABILITIES: His hatred for himself. Direct sunlight.

CURRENTLY.

Professor at Dartmouth. PRESENT DAY. Edward begins research on vampire history and folklore. He pursues this information via personal and academic routes, as well as via Carlisle and various other covens and vampires he meets over the years. Edward is compiling a bestiary of sorts and traveling to obtain information with which to fill it.

QUICK FACTS

he still loves bella 

he is not presently living with his family members 

carlisle and esme remain in washington, but have relocated to seattle 

he is in regular contact with everyone except bella, who he has agreed to let dictate their communication (which is at least monthly, though sometimes less) 

i write chronologically, so my edward is set present day as in this year. currently, he is a history professor at dartmouth. however, i am not opposed to writing previous years; i only require some plotting beforehand. 

no sparkles. your muse CAN’T know he’s a vampire unless they themselves are of supernatural origins or ability, or if edward has told them (which he most likely would not have prior to plotting or interactions). your muse CAN be suspicious of any characteristics or actions of him though.

MISC HCS:

Edward is very much so an empathetic man. This is most certainly due to his telepathy, but he is also incredibly emotionally driven. Though he mercifully remembers very little of his human life prior to being turned, his biological father had fostered toxic masculinity and aggression in the Masen household. However, what was driven into him as a boy growing up human very quickly was replaced by the gentle and sensitive nature that Carlisle exuded and passed onto Edward as he grew as both a vampire and man. So much of who Edward is, is thanks to Carlisle and, later, Esme.

He is a certified pilot. He has his private pilot license, which he obtained in the 90s. He owns a Cessna 172 in a privately owned hangar. He doesn’t talk about this too much, but if one were to find out and ask about it, he could talk about flying for hours.

EDWARD CULLEN’S NET WORTH ( WHICH INCLUDES : 2 homes, 5 cars, various personal investments, business interest, investment accounts, and personal property, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE : his inheritance ): $12,212,209,782on top of this: Edward Cullen inherits the Masen family fortune every 10 years, which is approximately 620,000 USD. He donates more than half of it anonymously to various charities and whichever hospital Carlisle is working at the year he receives the money.

ALT VERSES TBD...

[adarkrainbow]

I was talking with @themousefromfantasyland about the French cartoon from 1995 "Il était une fois..." (Once upon a time...).

Do you remember it? Probably not because the few posts I started to make about it were completely ignored. To recap what I previously said, this short-lived cartoon was a "concept-creation". An anthology of fairytale adaptations - each episode a short animation centered around a fairytale, each episode made by a different artist or animator. This cartoon was made to highlight several of the big names and famous creators of BD (comic books) of France in the 90s. Plus, on top of each episode being done in a different style, the rule of the series was that each episode had to twist or re-adapt the original fairytale. It could mean changing the story's outcome, or changing the time-period and location of the tale, or even just completely parodying it all.

This series is, as a result, very unequal with some episodes very interestings, other boring ; some aged very well, others not so much... But it exists, you know, and it is part of the history of fairytales in modern-day France.

Now the show is fully disponible on Youtube with Portuguese subtitles and I was wondering why... Turns out, because the show apparently aired in Brazil! And from what I learned, it apparently traumatized an entire generation of kids or so, the weird animation, strange stories and bizarre parodies definitively not meant for kids leaving the poor audience scared and filled with nightmares...

[havendance]

new(ish) comics time!

Most of these are from last week but I was on vacation so we're doing it now.

Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #4 -- This continues to be light and fun. Well, except for the fact that apparently the cannibalism last issue wasn't a fake-out?? I guess I'll have to see how the last couple issue go, but why does this mini have a cannibalism subplot in the first place? It just feels tonally out of place. Also, appearently Fire and Lobo are/were a thing? Didn't know that. Anyway, I am enjoying the Fire and Ice conflict and I liked the joke about Tora leaving Krypto to guard her cave full of potential reformees.

Titans: Beast World Tour: Gotham #1 -- dang that's a mouthful of a comic name. I read this for Helena scraps and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed most of the stories! Sadly her story was one of the weaker ones (I do think Cass would be a cat person) but I think I'll at least rate it above the Harley one. The Dick and Bruce story was fun (though why we had to have Barbara in the Batgirl costume when she was doing Oracle stuff anyway beats me.) I really liked the Jason one--that felt very strong. I liked eating/hunger imagery and also the Ratcatcher as a naked mole rat. (I have simple pleasures sometimes.) For the Steph story, I thought it was interesting having her go up against killer moth and having her call back to his 90s moth creature form. It got me remembering that really weird killer moth story in Jon Lewis' Robin run where he was like reproducing or something? Anyway, I really like what Kelly Jones is doing with his art these days.

Birds of Prey #10 - No Zealot this issue :( I will be honest, I think this arc is loosing me a little. There were some nice Cass and Barda moments, but it felt like there was a lot of infodumping this issue where the birds are and what they're up against and I just wasn't that invested in it. Maybe that'll change but I guess I'll just have to see. The other thing about this issue that felt weaker was the art. While I've been a fan of how Bellaire's been coloring this series in the past, this issue really felt messy, blurry, and hard on the eyes in a way that the past issues hadn't. I think it's because there were just too many kirby dots. I get why she's doing it as the homage to kirby and his creation of Barda but the whole effect doesn't work. It's too much. I'm going to keep following this arc, but I hope the art and story have picked up next issue.

Shazam #12 -- The Shaz-van returns! My new favorite character <3 In other news, Billy's going through it this issue :'( I enjoyed the interplay between Billy and the Captain here and seeing the payoff of the introduction of his mom last issue. Since picking up Campbell's run on Shazam, I've been reading this in two directions--the current arc, and then six months previously on dcu infinite and reading issue 6 made me realize what plot threads this was picking up on on which helped me to better understand what was going on and help me to enjoy it more. I've really been enjoying the ride.

As a final side note, I also read the Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age preview in the back of the issue, and while I'm probably not going to read this in full, I think it was interesting to see more of Fernandez' art. I can definetly see some of his touches, but it also feels more scaled back in the pages here than the caricature-like features his faces could have in The Old Guard and Queen and Country. It's always interesting seeing how the work of artists with distinct styles can change.

[chibivesicle]

Gokinjo Monogatari got an English release. I am just - feeling like I got my wish from 1998.

That's right, I'm alive but not very active on the meta for the time being. 2023 sped up for the second half; work got crazy busy for Q4. I worked up to Dec 18th through several weekends so yeah, needed some recharge time.

I don't know how I missed this, but thanks to watching Coleen's Manga Recs, I discovered that the one shoujo manga title that I had been wanting an English release for has finally arrived. Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa!

I discovered Gokinjo Monogatari in '98. One of the local comic stores had the first three tankobons and I bought them based on the cover artwork alone.

It wasn't until undergrad I was able to meet a few more people and figure out more than just the name and artist. I tried to find the translation of the manga online, but was unsuccessful. I have to remind people that before scanlations, you had to buy a tankobon and hope you found the text based translation which would have the text according to page number and what panel location. I read a fair bit of Kenshin that way, but sadly, this series was not that popular with readers in the States. I've been moving my entire adult life hauling my three precious volumes of the manga hoping that someday I would first, collect volume 4-7 to complete the picture and that I'd have my matching English version. Granted, I haven't done a good job of looking for volumes 4-7 when I've been in Japan . . . or using the internet either.

As if to spite me, the follow up manga, Paradise Kiss, did get a translation in 2002 from Tokyo Pop which exists in the same universe as Gokinjo Monogatari. Note that a previous manga's characters show up at the Flea Market in Monogatari as well and Yazawa likes to keep a lot of her series tied together. Eventually, the scanlation of the series appeared and I read it around 2011. I'd only found an episode or two of the anime during the golden age of file sharing, but didn't follow through on it. I wanted to read the manga before watching the anime. In 2017, I visited the Manga Museum in Kyoto, got to see a cool display about Ribon magazine and of course they had Gokinjo Monogatari merch! I bought the file folder set and stickers! I bought the Gokinjo Monogatari UT shirt from Uniqlo featuring Ribon series. Yet each time I found more stuff, the universe got the last laugh. Japan released the collectors set with four volumes, there was a French translation, German etc and never one for English. So, you have to realize how I absolutely lost my mind when the thing I'd figured would never happen, happened! Not only was it a thing, I'd even missed the December 2023 release date -at least I didn't have to wait for a pre-order to get volume 1.

I'm happy to see that this version included some of the original color pages!

It has a few more at the end with a photo wall of Mikako's outfits. Everything about the style of this manga, I absolutely love. The fashion goes so hard even now. I get nostalgic with all of the mid-90s Japanese street fashion which has a mix of 60s mod and 70s flare. I think the series also does a good job of capturing that awkward time in your teenage life when you are trying to figure out how to act with people you are interested in. But failing to sort things out. Unlike a lot of other high school manga series, this one stands out with the much more "normal" appearance of the students. I remember picking it up and thinking that the characters looked like they could be my peers; though there is no way Mikako's outfits would pass my high school's own liberal dress code where dyed hair and piercings were permitted. Her bare midriff would get her in trouble . . . Funny how now when I look at it, this is a very unusual high school set up for a Japanese reader likely coming from a more regimented school environment with a uniform and strict dress code. I never thought about it at the time. More that I was plotting my own hair dying plans for when I moved out of the house for undergrad just like the characters had - while still in high school. I did read Parakiss back when it came out from 2002-2005; however, it never really resonated with me the same way a series that I couldn't even find a decent translation for. I started to watch Nana but couldn't get into it at all. Maybe it was my mindset or the fact that I wasn't the mood for young twenty-somethings figuring their shit out.

Yet, here I am in the winter of 2024, and I have volume 1 of the collectors edition format of Gokinjo Monogatari and I'm still loving every little bit of the story as I read it. Perhaps, Parakiss and Nana were more edgier/grittier than something like this which is why they never quite clicked with me. I wanted my fashionable shoujo drama but not over the top. I'm not sure what I'll write about it. It isn't a well known series both due to the fact it is from the 90s and that it is shoujo but perhaps I can reflect on what I was drawn to it all those years ago and what I think about it now.

[spongebobafettywap]

My stance on Rogue originally intended to be black and based on Grace Jones is coincidentally the same as when I first heard Nightcrawler was supposed to be based on Michael Jackson

I was very surprised and somewhat intrigued but then I thought about it and realized that the excuses we got as to why there wasn't more efforts put in representing that intended inspiration sounded cheap AF and whatever was done in canon didn't corroborate with those intentions at all

Rogue had the artist not know what the actress looked like so... Let's just give up on the idea ! Claremont couldn't describe Grace Jones or get for one of her albums or one of her movie posters ! Nothing can be done for this black character now so let's make her white instead of anything else for representation !

The issue with Michael Jackson for Nightcrawler is the same as Grace Jones for Rogue since Michael Jackson started his musical career in the 60s, switched to a solo one in the 70s and was a big global star since the end of that decade onward so Nightcrawler would have been more than aware of his existence... But not once does he make a single reference to that big star. He makes references to Errol Flynn most of his time, an actor who had been dead for decades by the time he came to America, as well as other pop culture icons, yet MJ gets nothing when he would have already started making his famous music videos or short films. Not even Nightcrawler's fake appearance on his image inducer which he gets to choose and change at will is based on MJ, it's based on Errol Flynn. None of his mannerism are tied to Michael either, he was based on Dave Cockrum. His original concept was a demon that Dave thought off while in a submarine and when Len Wein took the character, he made him German-born. When we finally got a glimpse in the 90s at what Nightcrawler looks like when he was depowered, he was an average white dude with blue eyes... What part of him is supposed to be based on MJ

Youre right and I don't see how Nightcrawler could be based on MJ, when Nightcrawler was made it was actually back in the 60s but Cockrum never published him. The oldest sketch we have of him is from the 1973 Pitch for Legion of Superheroes.

Michael Jackson started his career at age 5 but didn't get famous until he was 10 going on 11 in 1969 with I Want you Back by the Jackson 5. How could Dave Cockrum look at kid Michael Jackson who didn't even have his 80s style by that point and come up with Nightcrawler? And even in 1975, Michael was still with the Jacksons and still rocking the big afro and wasn't really known for wearing red. So again this only works if anachronisms in real life are a thing.

Michael Jackson didn't get the Jheri Curls until like 1980 a whole 5 years after Nightcrawler's debut. He didn't get the Thriller Jacket which resembles Nightcrawler's suit until 1983.

The resemblance between them is coincidental, after 1980s you could probably some instances are based on MJ and I hope there are some examples.

And I'll be honest I would love it if the modern comics tried to add MJ influence such as his hologram device when he wants to look human. Though the quality of the comics now makes me doubt that happening.

I also feel like whoever keeps claiming X-Men characters were based on Black Musicians be it Claremont or otherwise just seem to be unintentionally showing everyone just how bad X-Men actually is in terms of representation if there's like 3 characters who are meant to be black but two have been depicted as white and one is ambiguous but Marvel loves depicting as white then wtf.

Of course Dazzler is the only one we actually have art of as a Black Woman and the only one who doesn't sound inconsistent with time with Michael Jackson or raises too many questions like how would Claremont not be able to describe Grace Jones or find a picture of her? Still though they are admitting to whitewashing a black character with that..

I'd like it to be the case that these 3 are actually depicted as black characters or a racially ambiguous brown but I don't think Marvel is gonna do that.

[13eyond13]

Don't know if it's late, but your top 5 fav books (fictions)?

Ahhh, a good yet very difficult question. I sometimes have very fond memories of books I read years ago, yet they do not hold up for me at all when I reread them again at an older age? So some of the ones I might put on this list in the past I might not feel the same about anymore, so unless I've revisited it recently I don't feel confident enough in my memories to really add them to the list. I went to my GoodReads account and looked at everything I had logged, but I'm quite fussy about the criteria I use for this? As in I feel like the book has to be so beloved by me that it almost feels like it's one of my oldest friends or something. And I just don't feel confident stating that about most of the books I have read, even the ones I've given 5/5 stars. In the end I might only be able to give a top 3 list, but other than 1. Death Note the other two I love the most are: 2. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith - I just have such a big crush on Patricia Highsmith's writing style, and I'd say she's probably my favourite writer right now. I don't know how to describe it other than it just draws me in every time with its deceptively soothing and understated prose, and I also love the aesthetics of her settings and characters and plots. This is by far my favourite work of hers. Tom Ripley is one of my all-time fictional characters, and if you're a fan of creepy conman stories and anxiety-inducing thrillers than you'll definitely enjoy reading this one. I had such a good time reading this entire series a few years back and grew really attached to hanging out with Tom, though he really is only at his best and most interesting and complex as a character in this first book, I think. (BONUS RECOMMENDATION: Both the American 1990s The Talented Mr. Ripley movie and the 1960s French movie Plein Soleil are worth a watch as well! I think the 90s one does some interesting things to translate the story from the page to the screen, and certainly doesn't shy away from the homoerotic undertones - also has a fun scene-stealing performance by Jude Law as Dickie. And the French one is just beautiful to look at - particularly because of Alain Delon at his prettiest and scariest, who I unfortunately developed a massive embarrassing crush on as soon as I laid eyes on him!) 3. Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice - There wasn't a book in the world I was ever more obsessed with at some point in my life than this one when I was 15/16! I created an elaborate comic adaptation of this story for a book report that took me entire months of my life to make, I was just that obsessed. It just hit the spot for me so perfectly at the time because I was a lonely and confused little thing that was still very much caught between the guilty obligation of my strict religious upbringing and the frightening burgeoning realization that MAYBE I wasn't actually that straight (because boy-oh-boy is the vampirism in this book and Louis's guilty wrestling with his nature very easily read as a metaphor for struggling with being gay, hahaha). I loved Louis so much, I identified with him so strongly and immediately, and I think Anne Rice is just great at painting a descriptive scene and fleshing out a unique universe full of colourful characters and worldbuilding/lore that stretches back for literally millennia. Upon rereading it again older I definitely found the prose to be a bit silly/purple and the melodrama a little eye-rolly at times, but you know what, that is exactly what a Byronic gothic novel is kind of supposed to sound like, too. Lestat is obviously the real star of the show in The Vampire Chronicles, and Claudia is also a stunner of a character, but Louis has my heart simply for being the one to initially invite me into that interesting world, and for feeling like the only bro who truly "got me" during that particularly angsty and guilt-ridden period of my life. (BONUS REC: the 90s movie starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Kirsten Dunst is a really good adaptation of it as well!)

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Note to self: do not stitch in every ditch when there are so many ditches to stitch.

It took nearly 11 hours to machine quilt June's Joy, and today shall be spent binding it. Then pics to see a before and after washing because the effect is always fascinating. I rarely prewash fabrics because we use a laundromat, and it will cost more money to get it done. When we have a working washing machine (ideally a Speed Queen because they make the laundromat machines), there will always be a prewash. This means less shrinkage, yes, but it also means the risks of fabric bleeding will be greatly diminished. Toss in some salt, a couple color catchers, and wash with like colors. Can't really do "with like colors" for a finished quilt.

After the binding, I'm likely to read my Dragon Age comics again, while typing out notes. I'm a HUGE DA fan, and intend will be preordering the game as soon as that comes available. I may not be able to play it when it arrives due ot the lack of a necessary console (XBox Series X), but I will have a copy of the game...and blacklist all things Dragon Age until I can play. Just in case I do get to play when it's released, I'll be giving my hands necessary rest so using my controller won't cause me problems or worsen current ones.

This means commissions will be for short quick things, and nothing larger than a table runner. It'll be coasters, mug rugs, placemats, and table runners when I open commissions in September. These will all be machine quilted. Commissions will close November 1st, and likely not reopen until next Spring. I'm seriously considering not offering commissions larger than 50x50 inches, simply because of time and the effect on my hands.

If, however, I'm diagnosed with EDS and fitted for and acquire splint rings for my fingers and thumbs, things will be very different. My joints will be stable and I'll be in less pain. I've got several friends and followers here who has suspected I have EDS because of how my hands move, and the other joint issues I have. My kneecaps like to slide out and dislocated, an issue I've had since early childhood, my thighs pop out with little effort and have been doing this for the last five or six years, and my legs collapse accordion style when I try sprinting. Then there's the orthopedic folks I saw for my wrist who told me my elbows, shoulders, wrist, and fingers aren't supposed to bend the way they do. I honestly didn't think it was odd that when I give a thumbs up, my thumb bends back to form a C at an almost 90 degrees backwards. It also appears my bruising like an overripe peach is also a symptom, so that's been interesting to learn. I'm being evaluated on July 5th. Honestly, I'm hoping for the EDS diagnosis. It'd explain sooooo much of why my joints are the way they are, and I can make accommodations for it. Like getting the quilting frame I want/need. Handquilting with the ring splints will also make a HUGE difference.

The ring splints may also result in the controller being easier to hold...after an adjustment period.

A couple physical therapists here told me to get the exercise equipment I have on my wishlist seeing as strengthening my muscles will help keep my joints stable. The muscles will work like natural splints kind of thing. The stuff I want/need, an air walker and squat assist, are relatively inexpensive, but right now we can barely afford groceries and our bills. My husband has a job interview for a dishwasher job today, so let's hope he gets it and it pays a decent amount. Minimum wage in Oregon is I think...$12/hour in our area. Not great, but better than nothing. He wants a relatively mindless job so he isn't so stressed and can focus on things that matter, like painting his miniatures. Stress does not mix well with diabetes nor hypertension after all.

I'm gonna finish my lunch and get back to sewing. When the June's Joy is done and in the laundry, I'm taking another five day break for my hands. It's gonna be boring, but I'll find things to do that won't be so taxing.

[collindelade]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM REVIEW

There have been countless interpretations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across various decades. From the original black and white comic books, the 80s cartoon and 90s movies, and the most recent Michael Bay produces live-action movies, the franchise has spanned multiple generations. Does "Mutant Mayhem" bring a fresh take that'll satisfy all levels of fans?

Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael have spent their lives underground being raised by their father figure, Master Splinter. As the four brothers grow into teenagers and are curious about the above-ground world, they sneak out at night and get involved in stopping an army of other animal-based mutants trying to make their species dominant over humans.

Across the various iterations of the franchise, the biggest element "Mutant Mayhem" has nailed is portraying the four leads as genuine teenagers. Voiced by younger actors; Nicholas Cantu, Shamon Brown Jr., Micah Abbey, and Brady Noon; there is a perfect balance of immaturity and adolescent curiosity between the four distinct turtles. There is so much charm and comradery between the four brothers that's insanely entertaining to follow as they learn about the world.

The supporting cast is well performed, especially with Jackie Chan's Master Splinter and Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil. Chan's Splinter is not the typical strict ninja master this time around, as he is portrayed much more as a single father simply trying to keep his kids safe by training them to fight and defend themselves. April O'Neil is also different than in previous adaptations. This time, she is a high schooler trying to build her confidence to become a reporter. Making April closer in age to the Ninja Turtles allowed for a stronger connection and allowed for more character growth.

As for the villains, there are too many of them forced to share screen time. Ice Cube's Superfly is very good and menacing, but his henchmen and woman struggle to stand out. With seven different side characters following Superfly, only three really leave any sort of impression while still feeling underused due to the other four that waste screentime. Each actor is delivering in the vocal department, but some of the side villain characters easily could have been dropped.

Visually, the movie is wildly energetic and creative. Both the animation itself and the unique way some of how the fight scenes are coordinated are very memorable. Even though the style is very similar to "Spider-Verse", "Mutant Mayhem" does show off its unique style that fits the world and characters' designs.

"Mutant Mayhem" is the defining cinematic Ninja Turtles adaptation. The movie is full of great humor, charming characters, plenty of heart, and a deeper story about acceptance that works well. While it does suffer from too many characters, hopefully, these characters that didn't get to shine in this film get the chance in a sequel. Both for newcomers and established fans, "Mutant Mayhem" will not disappoint.

9/10

[paragonrobits]

usually a visual artist disliking comic books in general is someting that immediately makes me go to instant dismissal of whatever they have to say but I give Bill Watterson a hesitant pass on this, not specifically because of his artistic contributions, but because everything I've seen him speak directly about it (which isn't much), seems to be a damning criticism of the Dark Age of comics specifically; Calvin And Hobbes was written during the expanse of murderous and callous antiheroes dominating the genre (and to this day there is still a petulant persistence in people claiming that Real Mature Art is only about those sort of characters), and while Watterson remarked that 'comics are stupid', he prefaced this statement about what was very clearly the hallmarks of the Dark Age of comics; murderous heroes, gratuitous violence, blood and gore, ect.

this is about the only thing I've seen him speak directly about it. one sunday panel shows Calvin getting deeply disturbed and overwhelmed by the graphic violence (in a very well executed imitation of the Liefeldian style) and turning on cartoons, only for his mom to complain about the violence on TV

in comparison, Calvin's Stupendous Man fantasy seems much more based on the likes of Superman and potentially Captain Marvel/Shazam; if its parody born from dislike, its not actually much different from the vast majority of the sorts of things Calvin fantasizes about, and I don't believe I've seen Watterson speak critically about, say, the noir or Flash Gordon-era of sci fi genres. it feels like mildly snarky parody at the worst

the likes of Sandman and Swamp Thing WERE written at roughly the same time as Calvin And Hobbes' publication, but i'm not sure if they would have been on Watterson's radar; truth be told I'd LOVE to hear his opinion on them to see his thoughts and perhaps clarify the matter; if he has a broader dislike of comics, it wouldn't much help that the likes of Warren Ellis, Frank Millar, Rob Liefeld and their edgelord ilk dominated the genre and unfortunately still do. Which is a shame; the likes of Chris Claremont's almost soap opera storylines, Gaiman's stellar work on Sandman and pretty much everything ever done by Grant Morrison all deserve significantly greater attention than those edgelords.

(given how Tawky Tawny the talking tiger was at one point reimagined as something similar to Hobbes in the late 90s, there's a fun back and forth element there of adaptations, but I digress)

[orchidyoonkook]

BTS ask game:

5, 21, 30, 38, 45! 💝

Violet, my love. My darling. I adore you.

5. Favorite album?

Goddamnit uhhhhhhh. That’s a hard one. My lazy ass wants to say proof cuz it has 90% of my favourites. But I’ll answer properly and say probably a tie between Love Yourself: Tear and Love Yourself: Her

21. Name the feature you like the most about each member!

Let’s go with physical features so I don’t lose my mind.

Jin: cheek bones dude. Cheek. Bones.

Yoongi: 🫠🫠 hands or face. Or literally everything.

Hobi: SMILE. Or his nose tbh.

Joon: mmm. Big. Uh I mean Um aside from his brain and all it’s inner workings his eyes. They are what made him my initial bias and I credit them for making me army.

Jimin: jawline. It’s unmatched.

Tae: His ratios. Like his body proportions. Top. Notch.

Jk: all of him. Nose. Eyes. Thighs. Tattoos. TATTOOS. Heart. Brain. Abs are cool. Forearms.

Take away the fact he’s JK. Pretend he’s a nobody on the street. He’s literally my ideal physical type. Muscular but not too much. Taller than me by a bit. Tatted up. Strong features. Good nose. Kind eyes. Cute smile. Good hands and legs. He matches up with everything.

30. Rank the dance line in terms of favourite dancing style!

Jimin. JK. Hobi. V.

38. What accessory would you bring for a fansign and for which member?

Like to give them?

I’m kind of anal about gift giving. I like them to be something the person would genuinely want and use or admire. So I don’t quite know what I would give?

Funny enough, I’ve actually done this with another band. My mum and I gave them all bracelets on tour and they wore them for the rest of it and I have the pictures to prove it.

My very first thought though is something signed by Nas for Joon. But I would most likely do hella research first to see what I could reasonably get one of them and they’d use and enjoy it.

45. If money, distance and the like weren't a problem, what kind of gift would you give them to their birthday?

Well. That being said with the previous question. I literally spent like 25 minutes on this. Yoongi and Jk were the hardest. Tae was the easiest.

Jin: a motor fishing boat, one he could take out and use any time he wanted or needed to

Yoongi: a bottle of nicely aged whiskey, the day off in bed (or just at home) with holly, and a fresh, black leather bound notebook with a personalized inscription on the inside to write down new ideas.

Hobi: collaboration collection deal with Kaws where he’s the creative director for the figures

Joon: lunch or dinner with his three biggest life and musical influences.

Jimin: a trip to a national Korean ballet company show and dinner at his favourite restaurant

Tae: original drawings//stills from the early simpsons episodes signed by the creators

JK: an anonymous day back home where he could walk anywhere he wanted like any other person and not be recognized by people or paps or dispatch. Just a regular normal boy. // or \\ a home cooked meal, a night in with his favourite movie and a signed iron man comic book by Stan Lee and RDJ.

[theaceofskulls]

Okay but since it’s been on my mind a lot, I feel like this works for certain very specific subgenres.

For example, I’m a huge sucker for superhero stories that are clearly aiming for DC’s style of classic superehero setups with the almost spelled out assumptions that there are systems in place like henchmen, archrivals, team up rules, and so on all set in a world with “superhero cities” that all have their own specific vibes (the reason I say DC over marvel is that the super hero cities and organizations are less grounded and more fantastical and they also tend to have “icon” heroes).

City of Heroes, Henchman Story, Fallen Hero, and so on. Most of these stories get their own lore and do get around to world building and don’t just immediately trim all the fat to get to the highlight reels, but they use a lot of shortcuts because they assume you’re going to meet them with a degree of familiarity of tone.

While no story should ever start with a loredump that feels like homework, works in this incredibly small subgenre are the type to hit the ground running and do their world building when needed because they use saturday morning cartoons and silver/bronze age comic familiarity to prop themselves up. It’s part of why I like these kind of settings since they work well enough with this.

However to expand on OP’s point while shifting to a complete different end of the spectrum of storytelling, I once again drag out my favorite whipping boy: the isekai.

It’s comically well known by now that 90% of “I died and now am in super heaven where I solve all the problems and everyone loves me except for the comically evil villains” are set in Dragon Quest.

And often it doesn’t matter because the protagonist gets to skip all the work that makes a Dragon Quest game engaging. I can’t count the number of isekai where the world only expands when the protagonist goes to a new area and the world exists solely for that adventure. Hell, that includes the ever growing harem usually where women will be added for the new adventure they go on and then just stick around doing nothing.

These stories continue to sell because it gets immediately to the point but they tend to have the staying power of a head of lettuce and you can watch as they immediately begin to spin their wheels as they continue to come up with new stories past the point where the original idea ended. There’s rarely an overarching story that they’re following, more bursts of ideas that the authors pursue as they come, which as OP stated feels like stories rather than a book

this comment on that vulture article about the "fanfic-to-romance novel pipeline" is very interesting and not something i've seen articulated...much to think about...

[wolfreader]

december 2024 wrap-up - comics / manga

this month i read six (6) comics and manga.

fullmetal alchemist volumes 15-18 by arakawa hiromu 📖 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

i finally finished fullmetal alchemist! and it's so fucking good 😭 i can see why so many people recommend it to people just getting into manga as well - i think it's a very good "baby's first manga" if you're unfamiliar with the medium.

because it's so deep the end of the series there's not a lot i can say about what i liked without spoiling the whole thing, so i'll be very brief and very vague. i think the ending was really satisfying; i think it's the perfect balance of just open-ended enough that you can imagine so much more happening after the end but not so open-ended that you feel lost. as always, the art (especially the art in the fight scenes) was amazing. very gripping writing - i read these late at night but did not at all feel compelled to put them down and wait until the morning.

x-men: the manga: remastered volume 1 by hiroshi higuchi 📖 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

there's not too much to say - it's essentially just the first half of the first season of x-men: the animated series adapted into a manga. but it's a really good adaptation! i really love the specific style that the artists use. it's a certain type of manga / anime art style that i feel like you saw a lot in the 90s and 2000s that i really like. and even though multiple artists worked on this, their styles blend together pretty seamlessly. i don't think you'd really notice the shift in art unless you were looking for it.

the complete elfquest volume 4 by richard and wendy pini 📖 🌟🌟🌟🌟

i love elfquest a whole lot <3 yes its very stupid at times and yes its aged very poorly at times but its so much fun. i love these bixexual polyamorous commies so much.

something about this volume - idk if at this point in elfquest's production they switched to digital art, or if its just a shift in art style generally, but it's a lot more heavily shaded than it was previously and i don't think it translates as well to black and white as the prior volumes did. it's just really noticeable to me idk.

[hoskinsvarietyshow]

I still don't believe piracy is the real reason the raven boys books didn't do well. Do I love the books? More or less. I think they're certainly good if you're 13-15 year old dealing with the angstiest period of your life. I don't think Goodreads is a good place for primary marketing. I don't think 2013-2016 was a great time to be releasing teen fiction as every teen dystopia was dying on the vine. I don't think she wrote a series that would ever be marketable as a TV or Movie property. I don't think the books are even possible to translate to a visual medium. I think presale of The Raven Boys movie rights before the book had ever really hit shelves meant that there was a big initial cash flow before they realized the movie would never really be made. A bunch of teens walking around and talking about relationships? Most of the book happens in internal monologue. Not really gonna move numbers for the age demo, Nicholas Sparks is one of the few guys who can pull that off. The cover art is very... Not edgy enough to attract the alt folks. Six Of Crows sold most of it's copies by being so edgy they had to read it, no matter what bs was between the covers. If Stiefvater had dropped this during the 90s comic book boom of holofoil covers we're in now with special store exclusive fomo only editions and sprayed edges to sell style over substance, I think it might have helped. But she published during possibly the deadest time I can remember to do anything for teens or in fantasy in general. I do think her demo was teen girls with no money so there would be piracy. I do not believe for an instant that she found more than five comments total of people saying they'd choose piracy over purchasing. The authors drive to embellish how much hate they receive is legendary. I think blaming piracy is a great scapegoat for poor sales, poor follow through, and poor publisher support. Maggie Stiefvater was not Stephanie Meyers. There was no leak of her book before it could be published. There was a two year wait for book 4 to drop. People age out of books and the years 2013-2016 was a marked end of the young millenials and a confusing pause as gen Z kids started working their way into older mediums. She was unable, mid series, to find a new audience as the old audience moved on. I was around and actively buying her books from 2012 to 2014. About four different life changes happened in the faze from me graduating, living at home with no plans, and then enlisting. I guarantee college kids didn't have the money to keep up with the last series they read in high school. Gen Z was not angsty enough to find their way en masse to her works. So her books dropped in sales because of a cultural shift, a dead zone in publishing sales, and a gap in age group carry over.

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

Hollywood Throughout History

Mikela Picard

From the readings assigned this week I learned a multitude of new information based on the world of film, directors, Hollywood, technological advancements, and the decline of cinema attendance. 

Since this week I will be watching Billy Wilder’s Sabrina (1954), I read a source talking about the unique story that Wilder explored in this film, “Not many filmmakers would have imagined a comic conclusion to the bizarre situation in love in the afternoon- a teenage girl living happily ever after with a 50-year-old millionaire who has collected women for a generation. In fact, the happy ending is not convincing, and Wilder glosses much too quickly over the perversities that would have to exist in any such relationship. But he does believe strongly in the mutual attraction of innocent and roue” (Farber, 15). Further, another source I read referenced the costume and makeup design for the film Sabrina and how Audrey Hepburn’s character style was very well-known, “The relationship between Hepburn and the young Paris couturier, Hubert de Givenchy, who provided clothes for her roles in Sabrina (uncredited), Funny Face, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (as well as dressing her offscreen), is more documented than any other relationship between a Hollywood star and a designer” (Black et all, 92). This was especially interesting since Audrey Hepburn was a huge star and face during her time.

Additionally, in the other readings, I learned much about the use of widescreen and technology. I decided to read sources these since I will be watching That Touch of Mink (1962) which is both a widescreen and technicolor film. It was discovered that “This study of the near total (90%+) conversion of United States-produced feature films to color contends that favorable conditions for such conversion were needed in three areas: technology, economics and aesthetics. Hollywood converted from black-and-white to color cinematography only when technological in novation, economic incentives for industry and public acceptance of color representation converged in the 1960s. This history of color conversion in the film industry between the late 1920s through the 1960s demonstrates that while economic considerations might be regarded as primary, technological modifications and aesthetic preferences posed important obstacles or incentives which account for the time span between innovation and near total conversion to color” (Kindem, 29). In addition to color was the use of widescreen, which as author Paul Schrader puts it “WIDECREEN IS JUST COMMON SENSE. IT'S HOW WE SEE THE WORLD. OUR EYES sit side by side, not stacked on top of each other. And we tilt up and down much more than we pan left or right. So a widescreen presentation in film is a more accurate representation of the world as we see it” (Schrader et all, 62). 

Lastly, I did a reading pertaining to "The Decline in Average Weekly Cinema Attendance, 1930-2000" which was a research article by Michelle Pautz, who explored this topic through a study. In her study she found “Essentially, there have been three phases for the cinema: the birth of the cinema, the age of television, and the multiplex era. Only during the first era did cinema attendance increase. During the latter two eras, cinema attendance has decreased particularly substantially when one considers the percentage of the U.S. population. The birth of television explains the decrease in the 1950ís and 1960ís while the multiplex and other windows of distribution explain the decline in recent decades. Despite the fact that the data analysis does not clearly support the argument about the total number of screens, it seems more than believable that this factor is largely responsible for the decrease in attendance, in combination with televisions and VCRs, recently. Intuitively, this overview of cinemaís history provides some explanation, however, such an explanation requires data analysis to be validated.” (Pautz, 7). Overall, all the readings were very informative his week and I learned much about the film world and how it has advanced through time. 

Works Cited

Black, Prudence, and Karen de Perthuis. “POSTWAR HOLLYWOOD, 1947–1967.” Costume, Makeup, and Hair, edited by Adrienne L. McLean, Rutgers University Press, 2016, pp. 75–98. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ffjrn6.7. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

KINDEM, GORHAM A. “Hollywood’s Conversion to Color: The Technological, Economic and Aesthetic Factors.” Journal of the University Film Association, vol. 31, no. 2, 1979, pp. 29–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20687473. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Farber, Stephen. “THE FILMS OF BILLY WILDER.” Film Comment, vol. 7, no. 4, 1971, pp. 8–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43752857. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Pautz, Michelle C., "The Decline in Average Weekly Cinema Attendance, 1930-2000" (2002). Political Science Faculty Publications. 25. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/pol_fac_pub/25 

SCHRADER, PAUL, and Robert Brink. “WIDESCREEN.” Film Comment, vol. 51, no. 5, 2015, pp. 62–65. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43577950. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.