#that one panel where they show kid him with the text box “i grew up idolising captain america” will haunt me forever

[gossippool]

i'll be out here having a good day and then i'll think about wade wilson and the fact that he was a kid once and suddenly i'm not having such a good day anymore

[lurking96]

Chapter 324 or a step in the right direction

Opinions are my own. I do not claim them as fact. Things are tagged accordingly and more under the cut

We start out with a flashback to a very young Uraraka. She says how she always liked to see happy and smiling people. The scene skips back to now. the people are finally looking at Izuku. They finally see his ragged and weak state he is in. The fox lady Izuku has rescued is there too. Saying that he has saved her and kept fighting the whole time. A civilian asks her if they should be covered in the same filth too. Uraraka says that only heroes are covered in it and that they should give him rest. She tells them that right now she can not reasure them because right now they are all having the same fear. Right now they are neighbors. We get a flashback to young Uraraka and her parents cheering on a hero. She asks them to lend him his strength so they can smile again in the future. There is a flash of togas face in a panel. She asks them if they could find it in their hearts to let him rest and recover. We see Inko crying. That Izuku is trying to shoulder the responsibility that comes with his power. But that he still got plenty to learn and is a regular high school kid. We see flashback panels of how Izuku and Uraraka first met while she screams in the megaphone that “This is his hero academy”. In the flashback panels we have the words of the adult Izuku narrator. “This is the story of how I became the greatest hero”. Izuku falls to the ground.He is crying and incredible emotional looking. Fox lady and Kota rush over. We get a flashback to Kota picking his shoes. We get a callback to last chapter in which Nezu tells how humanity always struggled to take the first step to make true progress. But Nezu now seems shocked. Thinking that it is “One step away” that this is the step. They try to help and be there for Izuku. We get two text boxes saying “And also the story of how we all became the greatest heroes.” Now with the summary done we can talk more about the chapter. This chapter certainly is a turning point. This chapter is one of Urarakas big moments. She actually brings the light back into Izukus eyes. Her words are actually reaching him unlike the ones before. And not only does she reach him. She reaches the civilians and the other heroes. Best jeanist has a shocked expression after she tells that she is not there to reasure them. This is a callback to when we first met him. How he tells that one of the heroes jobs is to reasure people with their presence. She is breaking that idea slowly. We see the heroes watching. We see Hawks and Present Mic surprised too. We see Aizawa in his hospital room. Not his face though. Endeavor looks kinda wistful. Every panel that shows Izuku has more emotion come back to him.He even calls for her. It´s good to see the callback to Nezus words. Because what Uraraka is doing is taking the first step. She has the people around glued to her words so they may also take it. What Uraraka is doing is humanizing the Heroes. The society in BNHA has put heroes on a pedestal. We see that very much with All Might. They have made them into living gods. They grew up in a time of relative peace. Heroes were perfect. They don’t do mistakes. Heroes were not called out. Heroes could not do wrong as they are gods. We see that with Izukus fanboying. We see that with Endeavors treatment of his family not really being hidden. But as it is with All Mights muscle form and skeletal form it is facade. Under the facade of glory, victory and flashy heroism not everything was good. Society has been blinded by the picture of heroes they and the HPSC made up. And with the war this picture has been attacked. People don’t know how to react. The perfect gods they made up made mistakes. Of course they are gonna blame them. Because they have forgotten that Heroes are just humans. Uraraka is reminding them that behind every hero is a human. That Izuku even with all his power is just a teenager trying to do his best. That they are not gods. That heroes do need help. That they can not do it alone. It is important to see that we have Kota and the fox lady run in to help him. That the civilians are starting to act. Starting to support the heroes. That the ones that Izuku helped before are now helping him. This is something that can change society. A society where Heroes still probably exist. But where they are more controlled. More seen as humans. Where ones that majorly screw up do not get a pass because they are heroes. Where those become heroes that actually want to save people. Maybe even a world where there are no rankings because these just build up strange competition as we saw with Endeavor trying to be number 1. Uraraka wanted to be a hero that saves heroes. And here she did it. She is saving Izuku and she is taking the first step to change and save society. Overall I really enjoyed this chapter. It seems like change is in the future for the story. Maybe there is hope that after AFO is defeated that society won’t just go back to how things were. That people will be held accountable and that society will change for the better.

[kimamanitranslate]

Filled It With My Feelings Text Translation

Sorry it took so long, but I finished the text translation of Filled It With My Feelings, the Senyuu 10th anniversary book! I didn’t translate the Season 1 Episode 1 redraw though because I’m sure we can all recite what happens in there by heart at this point. 

As it’s an illustration book, the translation is meant to be read along with the pictures - you can purchase the digital PDF of the book at hiaruron.booth.pm/items/2329424. You should be able to purchase it through PayPal or some international credit cards.

I’ve included the text under the cut, but you can also read it on the Google Docs here. 

Please note I do not give permission to anyone to use this translation for scanlations. There’s a reason why I’m posting this as a text translation rather than as a scanlation - it reads perfectly fine along with the raw book.

However, feel free to use this for text-only translations to different languages, just send me a message about it.

Page 1

Title: Filled It With My Feelings 10th. senyu.

Page 2

<no text>

Page 3

[Panel 1] SFX (Slime): *squeak* SFX (sword): *slam*

[Text Paragraph]

The story of Senyu first arrived on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 12:39 PM. Naturally, at that point, the name “Senyu” didn’t yet exist - a email was sent to my inbox entitled “A discussion about a new project.”

It was a rather vague email with few details, but at the time, I  was working as a day labourer in a certain distribution centre in Tokyo’s Ota Ward. As I hauled around boxes, my days were filled with uneasy thoughts of my future- I gave up on becoming a mangaka, I started work at an anime company but I quit there too, what am I going to do from now on? So I pounced on that vague email- Maybe this will shine some clarity into my life!

Senyu. was the product borne out of that email, and to my great appreciation, it really did shine clarity into my life. My future, which had been dark and uneasy, was illuminated bright by the light of Senyu. I would like to say that was why I made the protagonist’s name “Alba” - which means dawn - but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. I only learned the meaning of Alba’s name later - it was a total coincidence. 

Anyways, a lot has happened, but it’s now Senyu’s tenth anniversary.

Thank you very much. I never thought that I could continue for this long. This is all thanks to all of you, for supporting me all this way. 

Senyu. is a part of my life at this point - I don’t plan to end it any time soon, so I will be counting on everyone for their continued support.

Haruhara Robinson.

Page 4

Alba

While this may be obvious, the character I’ve spent the most time with in this work no longer feels like a mere “character” to me. 

He had a beta design with bangs. But since I thought he might seem more cheerful with his forehead showing, I settled on his current design. I intended to give him a haircut that was similar to characters like Kirimaru, but my lack of artistic skills at the time ended up giving him a hairstyle with a bizarre composition. 

I struggle now with how to draw his hair well.

Hero Symbol

I’ve always liked the idea of accessories that had the symbol of a hero, so wanting to have the same concept in my own work, I did my best to think up a design. I was really happy when it came out as merch.

Page 5

Ros

His backstory is really something!

I feel like he carried the entirety of Senyu’s serious plotlines on his back. I thought of Senyu. as like a story that uses the protagonist Alba to give the completed story of Hero Sion a happy ending? 

There were times when I was drawing things out that I thought, He feels kinda pitiful? But then in the story, Ros says, “Don’t judge people as pitiful by your own standards,” so then I thought, I-I’m sorry.

His equipment at the start was supposed to be like a machine that let him whip around his heavy sword like it was nothing, but everything ended before I explained any of that.

Page 6

Rchi

At the start, I just thought of her as a cute little girl. But gradually, she grew darker and darker, and by now, the dark aspects of her personality are a part of what makes her unique as a character.

Her hair accessory often disappears. Near the start, there was the explanation that it was confiscated when they were arrested, but beyond that it’s just because I forgot to draw it.

There was an explanation for why she was naked under her cloak during her first appearance, but I’ve forgotten it. I believe it was because since she was camping outside, she washed herself outside as well but her clothes were blown away by the wind - so she wrapped an old cloth around herself…?

Page 7

Foyfoy

The name “Foyfoy” was decided by an audience poll. At first, I was planning to make him Chinese-inspired, but before I realized it that concept had disappeared. His mark is leftover from that original idea.

Foyfoy’s hairstyle is one I drew often when I was a student. I often gave rivals or secondary main characters this hairstyle. 

I’m glad I could draw a design like this in an official work.

Page 8

Alles

A character drawn specifically with boobs that a Haruhara who was too embarrassed to draw boobs drew because “I can’t run from boobs!” The reason why I stopped drawing her midway through isn’t because of my embarrassment, but because I wasn’t used to drawing them, so since I never practiced it, I forgot how to.

Princess-chan

TL: This is written with the kanji for “Princess” rather than the katakana for “Hime” as her name is usually written.

She was meant to be a cute, elegant girl, so it shocked me when she immediately ended up as a violent character from her first appearance.

Since I hadn’t decided on a name for her, in the anime her name was listed as ???. I caused trouble for the anime staff.

Page 9

Rudolf

I can’t help but feel that eldery soldiers are cool. When I was doodling for fun, I often drew eldery soldiers.

Himendam

I thought of a development where a cute girl pops out from a nice big suit of armour, so I created the Himendam.

At the time, I thought, “This is a pretty unusual development, it’s great!” but now that I think back on it, it’s actually pretty common.

Slime

The first monster to appear. The first monster you fight should be a slime! Slimes should be blue! I’ve been influenced by Dragon Quest in that way.

I had this child of mine show up as your standard old monster in order to increase the impact of the panda who would show up right after.

Page 10

Minister

While I honestly have no idea why the minister is always standing next to the king, usually that’s the case in RPGs, right? 

So I had him stand next to the king in the same way. I feel as though his overall image is influenced by Magical Circle Guru Guru’s Kaya. While I hadn’t realized it while designing him, Kaya’s design affected me unconsciously.

The King

His whole thing was “a super serious old man that makes a stupid face during funny scenes,” but before I realized it, his stupid face became his default expression.

He just may be the nastiest character in the series, considering he wrapped up the entire world in his schemes for his own personal desires.

Mob Characters

The mob characters in my work tend to have this face. I like how they tend to make cutting comments while having non-descript faces.

Page 11

Suit

When Ros’ design went from complicated equipment to this thing, I was shocked at how much easier it was to draw.

I think this thing was what triggered me striving for easiness in my work. Can I blame everything on this thing instead of me? 

Just kidding, it’s all my fault.

Fake Foyfoy

If you don’t make careful enough observations, you can’t make a perfect disguise, and you end up in an idiotic costumed-character-like disguise. I wanted to use this plot device a few times more after this, but I didn’t have any chance to use it at all.

Mii-chan

Haruhara happens to have had a stuffed animal for as long as he can remember, and he still has it since he’s never been able to throw it away. I feel as though that stuffed animal served as the model for Mii-chan. In terms of his colour and overall atmosphere.

But my stuffed animal isn’t a pervert like him!

Page 12

Samejima

A delinquent overflowing with manliness. What’s with his hairstyle, I wonder. It’s actually pretty easy to draw. 

He just might never lose against anyone so long as he thinks, “There’s no way I can lose.”

Januar

I stuffed in everything my little sister likes into his appearance. “Straight-cut bangs, black-haired, one-eyed, droopy eyes.” But it isn’t as though I went and got her feedback directly so she might just tell me, “He’s not my type at all.”

I chose his personality based on my tastes- “A kind idiot.”

Page 13

Teufel

I thought of a “butler who doesn’t obey orders” around the same time as a “soldier who doesn’t listen to what you say.”

I wanted to have him appear at some point in the future, but then I saw a book called The After-Dinner Mysteries in a book store, which made me think- “M-m-m-m-maybe this book has a butler who doesn’t obey orders as well?!” So I panicked, ran back home, and drew out the head butler’s story. 

That’s why the head butler’s story was shoved in out of nowhere.

I read The After-Dinner Mysteries after I wrote in all the butler plot devices I wanted to use, and it was interesting.

At the start, Ros had his three burrs hairstyle so his design was differentiated from Teufel’s, but from Season 2 forwards I struggled with differentiating them. 

So Teuf-kun has been going through some small design changes, a bit at a time.

Page 14

Nisepanda

Before Dwango reached out to me, there was a manga I thought up with the plot “a zoo with an easily deceived curator.”

I planned to have a nisepanda appear in that work. The plot device was, “They thought it was a panda, but they were given a mysterious lifeform instead.”

Death Hot Dog-kun

A character that was born during the enthusiastic atmosphere during a meeting with my editor.

We happened to be eating hot dogs during the meeting.

I barely ever have these meetings for my other works, but for Senyu, I’ve been having meetings like this for years. So through sheer enthusiasm and cheer, things like mysterious characters and plot devices end up being created during the meetings.

Page 15

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Page 16

Dezember

Mysterious characters in manga often show up with their face cast in shadows. Dezember was born because I thought, “Why not make those shadows real?” But he ended up as a cooler character than I expected, using his shadows to attack and such.

I wanted to base him off of a toy for future plot developments, but I’m really glad I decided to based him off of dice. He became a really good character.

August

I think he’s actually a really nice person.

My editor for Main Quest really liked August, so whenever they got the chance they tried to push for more August.

Avril

A character that’s rather rare for Senyuu - one that just genuinely does bad things for bad reasons. I planned to draw her as really evil so you could tell she was a bad person, but she ended up just casually munching on bread - it really surprised me.

Neun

Back when his only appearance was a silhouette, I just wanted to make people think of that character at first. But now that I really think about the design I thought up for him after - isn’t he pretty cute?

Juli

Just like Foyfoy, I often drew characters with this hairstyle back when I was a student. I usually gave it to trustworthy ally characters. I like his design and personality quite a bit - sorry I haven’t used you much…

Page 17

The Shadows

It’s super cool to be able to split your body for each die face. I also feel like it’s a great character setting that each split has his own personality. A thought just crossed my mind - couldn’t I draw a manga just based around the Dezembers’ home life? 

...I guess it would end up like Osomatsu-san...? 

Page 18

Zwei

I wanted to use the concept that she was old despite her looks because she was a demon, so I had her dentures fly out - but now that I think about it, there’s other old demon characters, including some characters older than Zwei. So that would make her dentures a result of her own problematic lifestyle, not because of her old age…

Wanna Stab~

A mob among mobs, who ranked high in a popularity poll. I shall now grant him a name - “Phoenix the Rich”.

Mortmome

The stuff on his shoulder does some mysterious things, preventing his body from turning as well when the drill turns.

Page 19

The Great Mage

The cape he wears is very warm. His research assistants gifted him the cape as a present for his birthday sometime in his later years of life, as they were worried about his health. That’s why Alba always wears the cape.

Elf

He’s meant to be someone who knows the secrets of the world - but I can’t count the number of times I considered whether it would be better to just make him a regular old funny character. Good on you for surviving through all that, Elf!

Alf

While I did want there to be a “Elf’s best friend” character, I hadn’t thought about his name at all. So when it came time for him to appear, I really struggled with it. I wanted to make his name like Alba and Ros (Albatross) or Salt and Lake (Salt Lake)…

I may have struggled the most with Alf’s name among all my characters, considering I usually just pick names on instinct. 

Page 20

Salt and Lake and Lym

The Hero Academy trio. At first, I planned for Salt to become the Demon Lord, but when I sat down to draw everything out, Lake ended up in that role - it really shocked me.

I had always planned for the story to shift from the adventure setting of Seasons 1 and 2 to the school setting of Season 3. Though the end result is completely different from what I imagined. 

Season 3 was really fun to draw since it defied my expectations at every turn.

Page 21

Lyman

I wanted to draw a pathetic older man. I also want his scar to be because of some pathetic reason like “He tripped at a bar.”

Elmer

I reused the soldier design I thought up prior to thinking up Alba and Ros. He’s a little older than Rchi.

Justice

Justice is her ally. In other words, I wanted to make a character where no matter what she does, “I’m doing it, so it’s just!”

But it was too difficult to figure out how to deal with a character like that, so I ended up just making a regular old hotheaded reckless character. 

In the end though, she ended up as a character I quite like.

Page 22

Grandpa

A character who loves money. Since I love characters who love money, he’s a character that’s fun to use. It doesn’t actually have to be money, I like characters true to their own desires in general.

Hasegawara-kun

He was originally meant to be a silent character, but I got the urge to make him talk right before I was going to send in the manuscript. Since I wouldn’t make it if I typesetted his speech, I wrote his lines myself. By writing his lines in a way that can only be expressed through handwriting, I made it seem like I planned that from the start.

I made his speech typesetted again after I did that plot where he speaks super eloquently. 

Rib Man

He requires no explanation! 

It was funny when he moved in the anime.

Page 23

Sochi and Co.

There’s a game called Medabots - in that game, a character called Samantha leads a three-person team called the Screws. I’ve always liked that team since I was a kid. And then, I learned that my editor for Senyu was close with people who were involved with creating the original Medabots. So I had my editor tell them, “I want to put in characters I respect! Please leave it be!” 

Please google the Screws that I respect, I respect them.

Lucop

I had vaguely thought up what was going to happen until the end of season 4 of Senyu. But since I’ve done everything I originally thought up, F5 - which I’m drawing now - is all based on plot developments I thought up in +. 

-I’ve been saying that for a while now. Lucop as well was just a throwaway joke at first. But as I started moving him around, amazing developments like “Huh? No way… you had a past like this…?” burst out of him, and so he became the current Lucop.

Page 24

Midnight

A travelling doctor. As he treats his patients, he’s also searching for a cure to Mom’s mysterious disease. He’s a completely normal person with no special powers. He wanted Alba to become strong through his own power, not through familial connections.

Cecily

A mother who adores her children. I think it’s pretty amazing that she managed to raise Lake up herself and send him off to school despite being blown off to a mysterious place out of nowhere.

Page 25

Rchimedes the Second and his wife

Rchimedes the Second and his wife. (T/N: Yes, it’s written twice.)

Daromeon-san, who’s currently illustrating Kengan Ashura, was the one to draw the ridiculously beautiful backgrounds in the flashback arc in Season 2 when the Second was imprisoned. When I complained that I couldn’t draw it, he drew me amazingly beautiful.backgrounds. 

The Second’s design is based off of a mysterious preconception I have that “Demon Lords should wear raggedy capes.” Mama’s design is based on those soothing, kind moms you often see in anime.

The Mana Maker that he holds in this picture isn’t any particular Mana Maker. I just wanted to let a Mana Maker show up in a group picture.

Page 26

Rchimedes

While he’s tremendously evil, he ended up being quite loved. The Senyu characters I designed near the start wear clothes that I would never design now - I really think it’s amazing. Why did I dress him up in a jumpsuit when I decided to draw a Demon Lord?

On a side note, I imagined that the white part of his clothes peels off smoothly like tape if you pull at it from his neck. 

Crea

Since he took back his body from Rchimedes, his height shouldn’t have changed, but for some reason he mysteriously shrunk. 

Page 27

<no text>

Page 28

Originia

In a way, the story of these three marks the start of Senyu. Originia comes from me messing around with the the word “Original”. 

Rchimedes' scariest era just might be when he was living alone with Sion in Originia. Even though at first glance, it seems like he was living a peaceful, cheerful life with Sion, though occasionally getting beat up by him. But in reality, just what was he thinking deep inside, as he lived out his life, watching Crea and Sion?

Since I’m the author, I can generally imagine what my characters think just by thinking about it. But when it comes to Rchimedes during this time, all that comes to mind is “Scary scary scary”, and I can’t really think any further in detail.

I’m often asked “What’s Rchimedes’ original eye colour?”, but I think it was probably blue. I feel like I drew his eyes as blue somewhere, but I can’t remember…

Crea’s clothes slung around his shoulders that don’t fall off for whatever reason are actually sewn on - that’s why they don’t fall off. Crea sewed it on himself. While his threadwork is rough, it’s very sturdy. I think it’s wild and cool.

I showed a bit of what Sion did in the main story, but he generally did things like hauling supplies for hunting, looking far in the distance since his eyes are good, and going shopping in far-off cities for the village. Things like that.

Page 29

The two from Season 4 Episode 0

The two from Elf and Alf’s universe. Since Rchimedes’ magic research hasn’t progressed that much, they mostly fight with brute force. Since Crea never had his body stolen, he’s doing well. (He’s not doing well at all.)

Page 30

Creasion

When I was a kid, I read in a manga, “‘Hero’ isn’t something you call yourself - it’s a title you’re granted by others.” I remember thinking, “I see, that certainly makes sense,” and agreeing with it. I also thought, “While you generally think of heroes as being brave and splendid, the person who’s actually adventuring might not be able to stand expectations like that sometimes.”

Creasion may be a character borne out of those feelings of mine.

Ros, please have tons of sweets and smile tons as well.

Page 31

<no text>

Page 32

Sleepiez

When I thought of the name “Sleepiez” in Senyu+, I didn’t think much of it except “There’s an anti-Alba organization”. I also planned for Boss to be a new character. But after I took the time to think about it properly, the Sleepiez in their current form were born.

Thanks to the current Sleepiez being created, F5 was able to start even though I thought before “I’ve already done everything I want to do with Senyu, I can’t make another proper season.”

If there was no Sleepiez, I feel like + would’ve lazily continued, then at some good cut-off point, I feel like I would’ve been told, “Do you think it’s about time to end it?”

A tenth anniversary for example… it would’ve been a good cut-off point… how scary!

Boss

I can’t write about most of the Sleepiez members just yet, so I’ll be talking about Boss as their representative. 

Boss is an alternate universe’s Alba, so despite being Boss, he’s still Alba, and so I want to make him feel like Alba still. But since he’s Boss he can’t retort or make jokes, since it would ruin his dignity. So at the very least, I gave him Alba’s fashion sense to keep his Alba feel. Since his heart stained black and he became evil, his fashion sense naturally became eviller as well, but he’s still Alba, the base is still Alba. He’s wearing clothes that kinda feel like a middle schooler who just discovered fashion for the first time, like he hasn’t managed to go full evil in terms of clothes just yet.

Now I can keep Boss as Boss while still giving him an Alba feel! ...is what I thought, but… does he actually still have that feel…?

Page 33

Alba with Mana 

It made me happy that my wish for my protagonist to become the strongest at the end was granted. I thought up a lot of reasons for why only one of his eyes is red, like how it’s because his awakening is still incomplete, etc., but the number one reason is “it’s cool.” 

A single red eye is cool, right?! It’s cool right?!

Now that he can use his mana to some extent, he controls his overwhelming mana to hold it back, so his eyes are both back to black now.

Page 34

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Page 35

SQ Senyuu.

I had this conversation once-

Y-san from Dwango told me, “I want to take Senyu to a magazine to have it serialized!” 

I thought it would be awesome if it actually happened, so I approved it. Then I was like, “If you do take it to a magazine, where would you take it?”

Then Y-san responded, “Well, if you say ‘magazine’, you think Jump.”

And I was like, “Nah nah, Jump would be impossible, ahahaha.”

I never thought that Y-san would actually bring me an offer for serialization in Jump - Y-san was way too capable. Since my personal experience with Jump all started from there, I’m really grateful!

Pages 36-43

<Season 1 Episode 1 redraw>

Page 44

Afterword

Since I’ve remade Senyu Episode 1 many times before, I thought that I would never remake it again. But then I thought- why don’t I remake Episode 1 at the exact time it was originally released ten years ago, as celebration! So I ended up remaking it again.

But I think it may be my first time remaking it without changing any of the jokes or content.

[leftnipsdoodles]

also i think i finally grew the brain to be able to put into words why i hate narration boxing: bc its basically like having two different movies going at the same time.

you have a character who’s fighting off 12 guys so you’re looking at the panels and seeing the action, only to then be taken OUT of the action bc of the narration boxes.

the reason i keep saying ‘it worked for hellblazer and that’s where it should’ve stayed’ is bc hellblazer was never abt the action (i mean. towards the end it was. but hellblazer had a huge dip in quality at a certain point anyway lol). hellblazer didnt show you a picture of john fighting someone while the narration boxes talked abt his depression. hellblazer gave you john having his depression and then narrating it. the narration and the ‘action’ went TOGETHER. when john talks abt how cows will walk towards a body in the grass, he does so while there’s a body in the grass. which might sound lame in theory, but in reality, is just how storytelling should be handled and also it never FEELS lame. the narration boxes - his thoughts - are about what’s happening on screen. he digresses sometimes and over-analyzes and all that, but that’s his personality.

also, it wasnt used as much as you’d think! it depended on the writer ofc and again, after a while, hellblazer became more of a spin-off of itself if that makes sense so it became more used... but in general, there were a lot of times where you’d go pages and pages without a single narration box. but, tbf, even in hellblazer the narration boxing became too much sometimes. but, again, it was in-character. john constantine was a guy who was stuck in his own head. who could always count on ruining his own life. so when the narration got too much, when you got sick of hearing his thoughts, it was still in line with what you were reading and how you’re supposed to understand john.

anyway, to illustrate, i uploaded those pages: pages 1 and 2 are of the family man arc in hellblazer (sry for late arrival spoilers?) and imo it shows how to use narration boxing perfectly. these pages are AFTER the big fight. DURING the fight, there were no narration boxes. there was dialogue (and in this particular case, flashbacks. but even those were worked into it in such a way that it lead back to dialogue. you’ll have to trust me on this lol) page 3 is of the first new lobo issue which got the narration boxing right as well. there’s a bit of characterizing chit-chat from lobo while we’re waiting to get to the action; then his narration is worked into the action we’re seeing (and even cleverly subverts our expectations). it’s nice. it’s definitely not how most of the issue went tho, unfortunately. then pages 4 and 5 are of the new lobo series proper, and my bad examples. page 4 literally has one panel dedicated to rushing through the fighting action and then on TOP of that, the narration boxes are literally lobo talking abt something only slightly related (while also only giving you vague information abt it. ceremonial daggers, alright. given in peace times to remind you peace doesnt last? ok? are we ever gonna go into the cultural implications of this? no? alright. also then you waste two narration boxes on making a quip that carries no information whatsoever, not even characterization, bc we’ve heard him quip before. alrighty then.) page 5 has the same problem of taking away from the fight that’s happening on screen, but it also, again, uses narration boxes for NO reason. ‘can’t fret over it right now’ ‘i’ve got more pressing issues’. yes. we can SEE that. there was no reason to write this out. it’s a case of ‘tell, don’t show’ and its bad. its why very old comics are so hard to read, bc usually they would bombard you with text thats literally just telling you whats happening right now. the narration boxes need to ACCOMPANY the visuals, not make them irrelevant or be completely irrelevant to them. (the first two narration boxes in that page are excused bc a page earlier, the kid in question showed her tech expertise and it affected the fight that’s happening, plus it’s a hand-wavey way of explaining why she is and will be the tech guy throughout the next few issues. so that’s fine. the last two are justified too but im on the fence abt them anyway just bc the info we get from them is nill. we already know lobo’s not happy with the situation. in general, i think everything said in the narration boxes here could be worked into the story either visually or through actual dialogue)

SO.

overall, narration boxes are used more as a cop-out nowadays. it lets you tell your audience your character’s entire personality and deep characterizations without having to work up to them. it lets you basically write down their bio while also having the plot happen. it leads to ‘lazy’ writing, meaning: stories that don’t seem to have a real character arc (for the protagonist at least). i couldn’t tell you new lobo’s character development bc honestly i dont think there was any. he was presented to us on a silver platter. we didnt have to follow his story to get to know him. which, in turn, left a very weak impression. it’s like the difference of a metalhead friend you’ve known for 5 years telling you they secretly love knitting, and coming across someone’s tinder profile stating ‘i love metal and knitting’.

anyway if you’re still reading this you’re a weeniehead

[1863-project]

Big Fat Summary of Everything

I’ve been rewatching all the Big Fat Quiz episodes for...well, no reason, really, other than that I felt like it. So without further ado, here’s the important stuff I’ve taken from each episode.

BFQOTY 2004:

The first-ever episode. It takes a little bit for the series to hit its stride, and it’s probably most visible here.

Simon Pegg is here, though, which is always a nice plus.

BFQOTY 2005:

Another quieter year, although major celebrities appear alongside the comedians - namely Sharon Osbourne and Gordon Ramsey.

Jon Snow appears reading songs as news stories for the first time. He doesn’t start dancing to them until much later, though.

First appearance of panel show master David Mitchell on BFQ.

BFQOTY 2006:

This is where it goes off the rails, because 2006 is the first of the three appearances of the team that becomes known as the Goth Detectives, Russell Brand and Noel Fielding. Teams gave deliberately weird and funny answers to things they didn’t know before this, but they took it to another level.

Ironically, despite this they end up winning as a joke, which is hilarious.

Big Fat Anniversary Quiz (2007):

First appearance of Richard Ayoade on the show. He and David Mitchell are a team, to boot (and go by the name “Speccy Nerdy Fucknuts,” at that, after their plan to be seated in the middle yet call themselves “Team Three” is thwarted). 

BFQOTY 2007:

Noel and Russell return to defend their title, the only time the winning team has returned so far intact for the next year’s episode. Jimmy Carr isn’t as lenient with them and their bullshitting this time around.

This is the first time regular Rob Brydon is on the winning team even though he’s been in every episode up to this point with the exception of the anniversary episode.

BFQOTY 2008:

Jonathan Ross is glaringly absent this year, but it’s because he and Russell Brand had gotten themselves into some pretty serious trouble over the course of the year. Rob Brydon is also absent, meaning that the Bipedal Seal is now the only constant on the show.

First appearance of Claudia Winkleman.

First appearance of two for James Corden, and he flawlessly sings a verse of That’s Not My Name from memory, foreshadowing his future career as Carpool Karaoke maestro.

Davina McCall and Claudia Winkleman talk about wanting to double-team Jon Snow.

BFQOTY 2009:

Despite what had happened the year before (not on the show), Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand are allowed to be a team.

David Mitchell refuses to dance. It’s very funny.

Rob Brydon does the man in a box voice.

BFQOTY 2010:

First teaming of absolute dynamo surreal dream team Noel and Richard, clearly the best idea this show has ever had. They set a then-record with a score of 12. Team name this year is The Electric Moccasins (although as a joke Robson and Jerome comes up as an alternative).

“How can you throw a live wasp?”

“Why do you think it’s weirder throwing a live wasp than a nightmare?”

BFQOTY 2011:

David Walliams and Miranda Hart set the all-time low score record with a measly 4. Which is impressive because Noel and Richard have been a team eight times over the course of the show’s run as of early 2019.

BFQ of the 80s (September 16, 2012):

Not the most notable of episodes, but still worth it. At least go watch the Mitchell Brook kids act out Live Aid.

BFQ of the 90s (September 23, 2012):

Two words: Mr. Blobby. Jack Whitehall is traumatized for life now.

BFQ of the 00s (September 30, 2012):

Noel and Richard’s second appearance as a team, and most notably, the episode where they make their legendary “your mom” joke at Jimmy’s expense. (Team name: The Indoor Kites aka Hot Shame.)

BFQOTY 2012:

Jack Whitehall’s first non-special appearance on the show. He and James Corden proceed to behave like a couple of giggling schoolboys the entire time, even ordering pizza and white wine and having it delivered to them. Oh, and they’re in tuxedos.

Richard Ayoade’s first win on the show. He’s teamed with Gabby Logan.

Russell and Jonathan are a team again. Apparently this is working out for them.

Charles Dance reads 50 Shades of Grey.

BFQ of the 80s (September 22, 2013):

Again, a quieter special by comparison to some of the episodes of the show, but David Mitchell and Phill Jupitus are a team, so if you’re a fan of panel show team captains appearing on other panel shows, it’s worth it.

BFQ of the 90s (September 29, 2013):

Jimmy Carr gets gunged (slimed for the Americans who grew up with Nickelodeon).

BFQOTY 2013:

Dream team Noel and Richard return as a team for the third time and are actually joint winners, marking their first victory as a duo on the show. Sadly, there’s no team name.

Jonathan Ross brings a turkey and makes sandwiches for everyone else.

BFQOTY 2014:

This is the notorious Mel B episode, but it’s also the first appearance of Sarah Millican, who is wonderful.

Richard and David Mitchell are a team again.

Jon Snow’s dancing career begins in this episode, if I recall correctly.

Big Fat Anniversary Quiz (2015):

Third and as of now final appearance of the Goth Detectives. Russell hands out his phone number to audience members and gets them to text him the answers, which isn’t caught until fairly late in the show.

Jack Whitehall does some texting of his own and interacts with Chico, and it’s honestly one of the funniest things that’s ever been on the show. Claudia hugs him as if she’s his mom when he gets a response for the first time.

BFQOTY 2015:

BAD DONG. I’m pretty sure this doesn’t need to be elaborated on, but if you’ve never seen Bad Dong, you need to see Bad Dong. The episode is worth watching for Bad Dong alone.

Of course, if you like Taskmaster, Greg Davies is here, so that’s a good reason to watch too.

BFQOE January 5, 2016:

First-ever Quiz of Everything. Chelsea Peretti of B99 fame is here, if you’re a fan of Nine-Nine.

Richard and Noel (under the team name The Ladder Collars, named after Jonathan Ross’s giant shirt collar) almost win, but Richard insists on making a joke on the last question and they end up in second. Noel of all people calls him out on it.

Mel Giedroyc takes her shoes off to get more comfortable at one point. Noel notices and proceeds to compliment her shoes (high praise coming from him), then says he’d like to drink Bailey’s out of them (which is a reference to probably the one Boosh thing everyone on the internet has seen at some point in time).

BFQOE 2016 Series Episode 1:

Worth it alone to see Jon Snow doing YMCA.

Jonathan Ross and Bob Mortimer’s team name is One And A Half Condoms.

Two dancers from Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing With the Stars in the US) perform a series of dances for the teams to identify. Somehow, despite hosting the show, Claudia doesn’t get most of them right.

BFQOE 2016 Series Episode 2:

Noel and Richard have the team name “The Sultans of Bhunai.” Also, by some bizarre set of circumstances they actually win outright. 

Richard goes on an absolutely legendary rant after Rob Beckett steals his tray of candy, which amongst other things leads to him renaming Jonathan Ross and Adam Buxton’s team “The Ancient Fucks.”

Personal highlight for me besides Richard’s candy rage: Noel drawing himself and Richard on the bottom of the screen at one point. Cute as hell.

BFQOE 2016 Series Episode 3:

The only time Noel has won two episodes in a row. Here he’s teamed with Eddie Izzard, which is honestly inspired.

Alan Carr and Romesh Ranganathan call themselves “The Twins.”

BFQOTY 2016:

Romesh’s father has been dead for three years and Jimmy didn’t bother to find that out before asking him what his father thought about his tour of America with his mother, which led to the show breaking down before it even got started this time.

Mel Giedroyc is obsessed with Crossrail. It’s great, trust me.

BFQOE 2017:

Noel and Richard’s team name this time is Humanity’s Last Hope:

Katherine Ryan and Aisling Bea bring puppies on. Real puppies. And it’s wonderful. Everyone takes turns holding them.

When the panelists wonder who owns the moon, Noel just flat-out raises his hand. Because, you know, he IS the moon.

Noel draws an eel in a top hat, which I suspect is a Hitcher reference.

BFQOTY 2017:

First appearance of Big Narstie, who ends up fitting in surprisingly well on the show.

Noel and Richard’s team name is Cakes in the Maze.

Oh, and Noel is dressed as the podium.

BFQOE 2018:

Vic and Bob are a team! An actual double act is a team for the first time! (Their name is Strike Force One.)

Personal highlight of this one for me is the Mitchell Brook kids acting out Kasparov’s loss to IBM’s Deep Blue.

BFQOTY 2018:

Noel and Richard’s team name is Discount Fireworks.

Mo Gilligan flosses to Baby Shark.

On that note, upon learning Baby Shark was the biggest hit of 2018, Noel throws a tea mug and shatters it...then immediately goes to pick the shards up so that nobody gets hurt.

“That’s right! I’m on Bake-Off, motherfuckers!”

BFQOE 2019:

Sandi Toksvig and Big Narstie are becoming friends and it’s the cutest thing.

On that note, Sandy (a lesbian) and Joe Lycett (bi/pan) answer a question asking what three songs have in common with “Gay. They’re all gay.”

Also, Sandy knows weird facts about everything, in case you were wondering if QI is in good hands. It definitely is.

Jon Snow brings all the boys to the yard.

[thevampsupdate]

What is The Future of Men?

Yesterday at The Festival of New Masculinity, a brilliant panel discussed a current time of flux for men, and what positive things may lie ahead.

“You wouldn’t have got an event like this, with all these people on a Sunday night, two or three years ago, there’s just no way…”

No way at all, but now things are indeed changing. James Scroggs, the Chair of Trustees of CALM, was right to marvel and we can scarcely believe how these events at The Festival of New Masculinity are going. One, just how well attended they are, but also the level of honesty and spirit of emotional sharing that is emanating from the stages and being reciprocated by the audiences. Discussions around masculinity and male mental health are vital topics which are now truly beginning to take hold all around the world, and no matter what side you’re on in some of these discussions, the fact we’re even talking about them means deconstructions of what it means to be a man are occurring and help is becoming more likely for the men who need it.

At the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen last night such ideas were discussed in depth by a panel of James McVey from The Vamps, presenter and musician George Shelley, Deputy CEO of the Diana Award, Alex Holmes, and CALM’s James Scroggs, The event was hosted by author Poorna Bell, who guided the group through conversations on how masculinity is changing, what people can do to help men in crisis, and the new ways in which boys are now being taught at schools. You can read some highlights from the discussion below, and you’ll probably agree with us in hoping that the future of men is exhibited by the fine people up on that stage.

Thanks to the panel, and the audience, and everyone who made it happen, particularly the SuperCulture folk, Freedom Brewery, and our partners, new grooming range SEB MAN, who’s messaging around ‘undefinable’ men are exemplary for the way brands should be working. Thanks all x

On the way masculinity is changing

George Shelley: “I still feel like men today have to follow stereotypes. Provide, protect and procreate – that’s men’s To Do list. I grew up in an all-female household, where I went to bed with a hug and had all this open love. Yet I go to my Dad’s now, and he’s a single parent, bring up four little boys, and I’m seeing my Dad being both the dominant female and  the male – it’s interesting seeing how my dad is in their lives, and how he has evolved.

James Scroggs: “I look back at my childhood in a good middle-class family but where there was a divide between my father, who was the stoic provider. He had a pretty horrid childhood from what I can work out, but he wouldn’t talk about it, it was an unmentionable part of his life – he decided he wanted to be the hunter-provider, the classic male stereotype. But on the other hand there was a massive matriarchal presence from my mother. And I look at the world now and think all those things are getting really nicely jumbled up. Matriarchy is shifting, and I think the patriarchy is being broken down bit by bit and the world is beginning to work out that actually both can play a fundamental part in how we live. I have a 13 year-old boy and I cannot wait for him to be at the age where he starts to redefine what power structures look like, what earnings look like, what role he has to play with a male or female partner, because I think it’s all up for grabs. And I think a session like this is a real sign of that.”

James McVey: “When I was 14 or 15 and started making music, I was slightly strange, I had long hair, a pierced nose, and I didn’t really fit into a certain group. I had friends but when I started writing openly emotional songs about girls it wasn’t received particularly well. I grew up in an area of Dorset where it was all about rugby and football, and I liked football, but I liked girls more! But I’d sing about girls and was ostracised for that – people didn’t understand why a 15 year old boy was being openly emotional rather than playing rugby. Now, it’s not so much of an issue. There’s millions of kids on YouTube talking about how they feel – there’s been a shift. As a man I don’t’ feel ashamed as my emotions anymore. In the last 10 or 15 years there’s been a big change.”

Alex: “You spend 11,000 hours of your life at school so it’s a huge amount of time that affects the person you are today. For me, I was mixed race – still am – and gay, and in my classrooms I’d hear the word gay used in a really negative way. ‘My homework’s gay’ or ‘My Xbox was gay last night’. But for the one kid in that class who wasn’t sure of themselves and wasn’t sure if they can talk about their true selves, that’s really damaging.

The old school teachers I used to have, weren’t able to broach these subjects, but we’re going into schools now and kids and teachers are championing it, talking about their feelings, talking about LGBT issues, and I think that’s really powerful because when I was at school I was seen to be different, and I didn’t figure out who I was for a long time. But now I see kids helping each other talk about who they are and accept that that thing that makes them different I actually a strength in disguise.

I think because you’re seeing more of that in the mainstream, and the biggest brands in the world are embracing that, so I think things are really positive, and are changing.

Where there could be more room for improvement is in some of the media that the younger generation consume, because we’re only just at the point where the BBC has appointed an LGBT correspondent and we’re not quite seeing enough diversity, and you have the likes of Piers Morgan who aren’t enabling people to see the other side, and what it means to be young.”

ON MYTHS ABOUT BEING A MAN

James McVey: “I’m 25 but up to the age of 12, the idols I looked up to were soldiers. I wanted to be a soldier, soldiers were cool – why were these role models for our generation? Basically, a lot of boys were taught to suppress how you feel. Actually going into the jungle for me was when I truly let go of everything. It’s strange that show, what you see on screen is very different to how you experience it. When you’re with 10 strangers for 3 weeks there’s a lot of soul searching and I realised after that I let all my walls down. I maybe cried twice in my life before that but I cried every day for 3 weeks there. It was only after I embraced my emotions that I figured out who I was as a person, and to have that revelation at 25 was big for me. It made me realise the difference between the role models I had and the role models future generations are going to have, which will be more rounded.”

George: “Being in a female dominated environment I was always a crier and throughout my career I’ve cried a lot. People have said, ‘Oh man up, stop being a baby, stop being a girl…” I hear my dad sometimes say that to his kids, ‘stop being a girl’ which is really bad because you’re putting them in a box that you have to be in as a boy.

There’s intelligence and then there’s emotional intelligence, where you can figure out what’s going on inside you. We need to be teaching kids that it’s ok to feel, it’s ok to have emotions and communicate it. And I think that’s what’s missing. Kids don’t really understand what they’re feeling and how to communicate their emotions so it just stays in and it gets suppressed. Then it can come out destructively later in life.”

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP MEN WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES?

George: “My dad left home when I was two and a half, and I felt it hard to talk to him – it wasn’t until he had a motorbike accident and losing my sister Harriet, that it changed. My brothers are seeing my dad now speak openly and honestly about this, and it’s really powerful to see that. He’s teaching them not to be embarrassed about who they are. And it’s sweet for my brothers to see a dad isn’t just at work, he does laundry, cooks, cleans the toilet – he has flourished in the last 2 years.”

James Scroggs: “If a woman’s having a tough time in the office she’ll be surrounded by a group of people, who she maybe doesn’t know very well, but there’ll be a kinship, as they try to solve her issues or whatever she’s going through, whereas if a guy in the workplace is found in tears at his desk the chances are HR will be escorting him from the building.

I think that’s changing fundamentally right now. We’re engaged with lots of big and small businesses who are trying to change that culturally in their business.

For men it’s not just about speaking out and opening up because there’s a lot of men who are resistant to that, and being that kind of emotional person. But having a network of people who are going to surround you and help you with the issues that are going to get you to the point of mental distress and crisis, is absolutely fundamental. Since the mental health revolution, which we’re still in, we’re now in a moment where men are realising that if they send each other a text a couple of times a week, it just gives people a chance to offload. And I think that level of male counsel is really powerful. And palpable at the moment. It’s very real and it wasn’t here a few years ago.”

James McVey: “I’m in a band and have been for 8 years and we were very lucky that our first song went to number two and we sold out our first 4 tours – it was up and up. But then that levelled off for me and I realised I got quite lonely. It sounds bizarre, when I was touring the world with 3 of my best mates – and I was in a position where any thought that it wasn’t amazing was seen as, ‘Oh what’s he on about, he’s a celebrity, everything must be great’ and showing any sign of weakness or that I wasn’t enjoying it wasn’t an option.

Since meeting Kirstie things have changed – we’re now engaged and she’s been there for years for me, and I’m able to share my experiences with someone. Before meeting Kirstie I  was doing all these things with the guys and it was great but I couldn’t say to them, ‘I’m not really enjoying this,’ That was really really tough.

Nothing against the fans but when every day your life is on a screen, and you’re jetlagged, and under constant pressure, being in that position really affected me.

I grew up quite a shy boy who was catapulted into this world of The Vamps, which I’m eternally grateful for, but we went from a small town in Dorset to selling out The 02. You can’t predict how it feels until you’re there and obviously it’s really amazing, but having someone there when you are struggling like Kirstie really helped.

A lot of us guys suppress how we’re feeling and even a slight bit of unloading is really helpful. I nearly left the band a couple of years ago. I’d been hiding my emotions for ages and it took a step to get through it, which was Kirstie saying, speak to the boys, speak to Brad the singer about it. I was scared to say anything to him, but I think opening the door to other people really helped me as a man. To succeed in that and embrace that it’s fine to feel a bit shit sometimes, and knowing I have that support network around me is really really important. Kirstie has a group chat where she’s talking to her mates every day but most men don’t have that. I’m not saying we should have that, but it’s good to every now and then have a chat with your mate and ask how they’re doing…A lot of us guys are scared to fail, and having someone there to talk you through it so important.”

Poorna: “From my experiences of trying to help the men in my life, especially my late husband, there is a point at which you can’t help them because that is their own relationship with how quickly or easily they can access their own emotions – however it’s just about being there and a lack of judgment and just being the person who they can talk to about their stuff. As a woman I would love to say I could come up with the perfect response that would emancipate a man from the shackles that are holding him back, but that’s not how it works. I’ve been brought up with the same stuff, and I’ve learned to hard way that you have to just go out for dinner or a drink, put the flag up and say I’m here if you want to talk.  They may not take you up on that straight away, but they might further down the line.”

James Scroggs: “I’m a massive believer in active listening. Which isn’t saying much but is about providing a space for someone to start unloading. The other thing is the average person in distress doesn’t need sympathy they need empathy. Empathy is a practical thing where you help them or put them with people who can help them. Particularly with men, you need to deconstruct it. We have a motto at CALM, which is that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Because the average man gets to a point where there’s no solution, and actually suicide for a certain type of man feels deeply rational. Yet if you can deconstruct some of the rational problems that have got them to that point, it all goes away quite quickly. And so I think active listening, rationality and showing empathy are really important.”

The Festival of New Masculinity is running throughout February and March.

[dsmadmin]

#ReturnofAdam

Written by and posting order: @ForgotAboutAdam @DeanWinchester_ @SamWImpala83 @TridentHunting

Adam has been out of the cage for the last few days, he was still trying to get his head around the freedom. he knew he had many issues going on but he wanted to try and be normal as he could < possibly be. okay, he might have Michael in his head but he quietly sleeping for him. Adam had headed up to put some flowers down on the local lake as he knew they weren't an actual burial place when Dean and sam burn her remains of his mom. he wasn't ready to deal with the hatred he had for his family especially his older brother Sam. if it wasn't for him he wouldn't have ever been in the cage. noway, I was going to let him have the satisfaction of him knowing I was out just yet. they say revenge is best served cold. adam was angry and hurt at his family but he knew one day will come and he will face them all. he just wished he could forget them as they forgot him for many years.

Colt - Colt was oblivious to Adam and Michael's escape from the pit. He sat at the office finishing up some paperwork which he'd rather avoided and sent it off with the secretary. He stood looking out at the window at downtown Austin. There was a lot on his mind and he didn't know how to deal with it all. Jo was gone, he and Ethan were fighting regularly. Plus he hadn't seen his father in a few days and that always made him worry. He knew the ole man could take care of his own but he worried still.-

Adam had made his way home on this home he once shared with his mom. He knocks on the door go find a young family that had moved into the home that he shared some happy memories with his mom and dad, the family had settled into their home now. Adam couldn't call it anymore. With his prison sentence, he had in the cage. He was locked up and everyone in this world just moved on with their lives. No one ever had a second thought of me. When he stood talking to the couple who owns the house. He explains that he was born and grew up in this house He shared some stories of the house go them. When they let him in just to have one last look at the old place. Since his dog was buried out the back under the big oak tree. Adam had a coffee with the family after taking a tour of the old place. When they came out with a box of items that they have found in the attic. Adam had smiled and taken the box of memories with him when he left the house. He made his way into the truck putting the box on the passenger seat. When driving off to the motel that he had checked into. When he reached the motel he picked up the small box putting it under his arm. Making his way out of his truck locking it up and going inside to his motel room. He threw the box on the table sitting next to the window. Before taking a seat to look throw the box of pictures and letters that his father John had written to him over the letters. When he came across A photo of his dad with Dean and Sam. The photo made him see red he crumble the photo in his hand. You are all going to pay especially Sam.

Colt - -Things hadn't gone as planned, Sammy had been cremated and he hadn't bothered telling a bunch of people he couldn't handle it. He'd been buried out on the property under an Oak tree. John was off on a hunt down in Colombia and couldn't make it back. And his Dad had bailed without a word leaving Colt to deal with it. So the remaining Winchesters were pretty far from being close and he, in particular, knew that he'd have to get his shit together for his kids if nothing else. Asher was a big help and he was happy but somethings you a gotta break on your own. His /issues/ could get pretty severe so he'd chosen to start seeking professional help. It was a step in the right direction, he couldn't expect anyone else to save him from himself. Ethan wasn't gonna come sweeping in to save the day either so he'd need to take things seriously. He was devasted but he pushed that down and refused to wallow in it anymore. Going on back to the office he made his rounds to see what was going on in the world according to their analysts. -

Sam - Through a wild turn of events, Sam had managed to not only escape his dying world but land in the same one as his brother. Luckily, they’d found each other as well as Dean’s doppelgänger and his family. Colt and the rest of the family had been very welcoming, even allowing

Sam to move into the family house back on the ranch. Sam had found it easy to get along with everybody and was glad to see his brother was happy. But . . . Sam couldn’t be just yet. According to Colt, multiple worlds were collapsing for some unforeseen reason. Sam was sure it had something to do with Chuck, but when he joined the firm’s analysis team, they seemed to have a handful of possible causes. Sam tried to follow his brother’s advice to relax and let it go. Their world was dead, so it wasn’t their responsibility anymore. But deep down, he knew Dean was just pushing down his true feeling. But Sam couldn’t do that. He needed to figure out what was happening and why everyone he ever loved and cared about, besides his brother, was dead.

John - John had decided to send a text to the boys to have a get together at the headquarters building so that Sam and he could meet one another. They'd lost one Sam and gained another in a short amount of time. John couldn't fathom what the big guy upstairs was doing but they had to make a plan get everyone on the same page. So as he sat with a hot cup of coffee waiting for the boys to show up he read through the mornings briefing. Specifically about the rifts showing up here and there, depositing at this point Winchesters but he had his suspensions more was going on that they didn't understand.-

Adam - Adam had been quiet for a few days. he hadn't had any control over his body for the last few days, to be honest. Michael has put him in his trance. as the last few days were kind of a blur. as he never knew what going on with his so-called family. he logged onto his laptop to track on his family to see where in this miserable world where exactly they would be. living their perfect lives. he could see his elder brother has gone up in the world living in texas Austin. when he google him to see what's going on with the three Winchester his father didn't even care about him. it was always about him and dean and sam from the minute I meet him as a child. adam knew if he could track his elder brother sam and his father wouldn't be too far behind him. so he made a plan to head to Austin texas the following day. he was booked into this crappy motel for one more night.

Colt - He'd gotten a message from his father about meeting up with him and Sammy. Looking at his watch, he had somethings to do but he text'd back he'd be there but late. A local haunting had caught his attention when the guys mentioned it. Normally he didn't roll on things like this anymore, honestly didn't get the adrenaline pumping and he lived off of that. Since booze and sex had been quelled adrenaline was pretty much all he had to get through the days. Of course now with Asher in his life and again was a good thing for him and the kids. He worried about them, he knew he wasn't grade A father material but he made efforts to become more of what they'd need. Adapt and survive that was what he did.

Lost in thought till Justin reached over and slapped the back of his hand against his arm. "We're here Colt." Looking up at the old abandoned mental institution with a laugh. "Hope you did your homework Justin, hell, place like this could have multiple spirits haunting it. What did the construction workers say exactly about this place?" Listening to Justin describes a young teenage girl bloody and bruised up dragging a bloody axe down the corridor. And that the lead formen clutched his chest and dropped right there in the floor. they described the young woman like he flickered like an old movied projection glitching something out of horror movie. One of the guys had grabbed the guy by the wrist and trying to get him into the elevator but the girl snarled at them punching her small hand into the foreman's chest, like he was squeezing his heart literally. They guys ran for it and managed to get out of there, but they said when they looked up at the window she was standing there dead and pale staring at them. Fire, EMS and cops rolled and they searched the place best they could but couldn't find no trace of the young woman. EMS starting CPR right away but the foreman was DOD (dead on arrival) at the hospital.

Rumors had gotten out and apparently, no one wanted to take a stab at the renovations. So the recent owner called in a Catholic Priest, Father Gentry. He went in and never came out. Fire and cops searched what they could again but they didn't find him. Colt grabbed his duffle and shotgun. There was a chance the priest could still be alive so he slung the bag over his shoulder and went in, Justin guiding with top of the line GPS and map configuration of the building plans but as soon as they crossed the threshold the equipment began to falter. Colt didn't need EMF to tell him they had a very real problem here but one of the guys held one holding it up. It's was going off like crazy. "Okay stick together, this place has been searched twice but we're looking for anything out of the ordinary. Be suspicious of everything. These places used to do underground work trying to find ways to fix people and who knows what kind of evil went down here. Gotta be a place big enough to hold a grown man but if he's already dead it may be smaller. Check for hidden rooms, panels in the floors or ceilings etc. Break into teams of two. Work back to back if anything goes down and make damn sure to use your training. Everyone's going home tonight and hopefully the priest as well."

Sam After settling into the ranch, Sam had tried to spread out, get to know a few people here and there and actually go out on cases with the crew. It was still jarring working, talking and hanging out with people he recognized from his past, but didn't have the same history with him. He'd found that out a lot of the people still had the personality, some for the best and some . . . not so much. Either way, he was glad to at least have found his brother.

Sam was sitting in the kitchen at the main ranch after just having another hacking lesson with Ali when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw there was a message from one of the John's floating around this universe, requesting he and some of the others meet him at the main headquarters downtown. He quickly wrote back, letting John know he could be there in about an hour before tucking his phone away. Sam headed upstairs to change, grabbing an apple as a snack, before saying bye to Ali and heading towards the meeting.

John - -John checked his phone and laughed, might be different worlds but typical responses from both. He laid the phone down and went down the hall and into the Operations Command Room. Monitors up all over the places and people monitoring each hunt from their station. He talking to Gilbert to get an update of what was going on. John sipped his coffee as they rattled off several vampire cases, hauntings and a possible ghoul problem. They talked a little and he was about to walk out when one status came back "We've lost coms with Team 8." John walked over and watched them try to figure out any possible problems. "What's the case they are working and where are they?" The analyst looked up. "It's a haunting sir, one confirmed dead and one missing. John looked at the computer screen to see if he recognized any of the operators on the case. He recognized /Justin Hartgrove/ and then the next name /Colt Winchester/. He frowned and shook his head no wonder the kid said he was going to be late.- "How long have coms been down?" The analyst answered "Twenty minutes sir." John took a breath. "Keep me posted on the situation and send me the case file to my office." With that he turned around and walked out. Colt was a top tier operator but that didn't matter, everytime these guys went out in the field he worried. Not just for his son but all of them.-

Adam - The next morning Adam couldn't wait to check out of this motel. He liked to have his morning coffee outside watching the world go by. This might be normal to others around the enclosed motel with the busy parking lot. He stood watching the people coming and going in their lives. When they were doing the hustle and bustle. He had been locked up the cage of hundred of years with Lucifer and Michael. When somehow Lucifer managed to escape with some ease. Whereas Michael and himself took a lot longer. Now they were finally Free he had Michael for the company on his body and mind. This one thing that was on Adam mind was a showdown with his family. Since they never ever looked for him. They simply just forgot about him. It's so true out of mind out of sight. Both Michael and himself had issues that needed to be settled. Michael was helpful since he would often help Adam to track his so-called family with a location. He knew that the Winchester had moved on from Kansas now they have a headquarters n Austin Texas. This Is where he was going to be heading too. Michael had the offered to get him there in seconds but Adam wanted the surprise on his side. When he had chose to make the three days drive down to texas. But he may change his mind in due course. Adam finished his coffee-making his way back inside his room. Putting his coffee cup on the sink. When he turns to pick up his bag. Leaving this motel room, to head towards the reception area to check out. He stepped in placing the key card in the drop off box. saying ”Cheers” to the receptionist. Making his way outside. Walking to his truck. Unlocking the trunk throwing his bag in. Making his way into the driver seat. To begin the drive down to Texas.

Colt - -The top floors had been searched first and they'd found nothing now the team descended the stairs to what they believed to be the basement containing the bowler room etc. Dank and dark the basement was pretty damn big with rooms in itself. This was making Colt wished he'd called for a backup team but them again more men, meant higher possibilities of casualties. Signaling they split up, weapon at the ready he went point and led his guys down the east hallway looking for anything that stood out. Lights flickered overhead which could be a sign but could also show the date and faulty wiring of the place. Moving on coming up on a thick door to his right, Justin moved to the left and Colt turned the knob pushing it open. Quick scope of the room then pulling back, having not seen anything he moves around the frame and disappears into the darkness, Justing reaching for where normally a lightswitch might be flipping it on. Fluroscent lights overhead flickered and Colt moved further into the room checking it. Papers where strewn across the floor. He thought he saw what could be fresh blood on the floor and disappeared behind an old bookcase. Cast in darkness he thought he saw something in the distance. On the other side of the basement, the rest of the team was mirroring his actions with nothing in sight yet.-

Sam - Sam climbed up into the truck he had procured from Blackwater's operations for his personal and business use. Colt had really done a lot to make him feel at home and it was nice not to worry about the

little things sometimes.

He drove to the main office downtown and after clearing through security he was directed up to John's office. The fact that two John Winchesters were floating around here had him on edge. After all, his own father had been dead for over a decade and now to be thrown back into this situation with not one, but two of his twins, it was a lot for Sam to handle.

Sam was directed into John's office only to find him sifting through a pile of files and papers. Knocking on the door, he cleared his throat, "Um, John? It's Sam. I'm . . . I'm here."

John - John: -John looked up from over the frame of his glasses at the young man coming through the door. The circumstances could not have been weirder but the love he felt for his boys had his heartwarming at the sight of Sam, even if he wasn't technically his son. Standing he pulled his glasses off and laid them on the desk and walked around to meet Sam, offering his hand.- Welcome to family Sam. I'm hoping we can put your mind to ease and help you any way we can. Would you like something to drink?

Adam - Adam was taking his time his drive down to texas to go and see his family. Driving along the interstate. Sometimes the roads were busy and quiet. The road that was black in the day time just melted into the darkness of the night. When a car passed its headlights were reflected in the water that lay over the surface. There were street-lamps but they looked like they all had been sabotaged for their solar triggers. They rig things up with dirt over the sensor and then after some rain whatever they have rigged up explodes. roads are dark and the days are anxious, who knows what days would bring and what would strike would be next. The quietness of the traffic goes on his travel to Texas. He was getting tired from all the miles he was putting down. When he stopped off to a local gas station. When he needed to fill his truck up with some gas to make the rest of the journey. Stepping out of his truck. Cracking his neck side to side. ” wow that's felt good” asking the attending to fill her right with up. Throwing his keys to the attend. Making his way inside the station to pay for the gas. Taking a Break from the drive when he orders a coffee and bagel. He sits at the window. Nursing his coffee when he mind wondered to his recurring flashback that saved him from the torture of when he was in the pit. His dream as of the day when him Dean Sam and Father would have a day out with no stress. They dreamed of the day when all the guys. They were all on a fishing boat on the lake doing some fishing. Even when he had never gone fishing before, trying to catch some fish from a bbq when we're intending to have that day when the sun when down. Having a a real family day together with no worries and having some beers. Telling jokes and have some beers. He laughed when he could see the day ended end too well with himself falling in the lake trying to catch the bloody fish. But this was only a dream and he doubts this day would ever happen. With his family, all moved on with their lives in their own ways. Adam shaking his head to come back to this reality knowing he needed to get back on the road to get down to Austin. Where his father and Sam was. Taking his coffee and bagel with him. Leaving the gas station to walk over to his truck. Stepping in and buckling up his belt to set himself on his way. He wondered where his brother was. Michael sensed he wasn't with his father and Sam.

Colt -Moving forward he knew if this was a spirit they already knew they were here and where but if the priest was down here somewhere he wouldn't so Colt spoke loudly.- “Father?! You down here! If you can help me somehow let me know where you are it would help! We're gonna get you out of here!! -As he moved further into the darkened area books began fly at his head from around the room, concentration on avoidance of being knocked out he didn't see the teenage ghost until she'd rammed her hand into his chest squeezing his heart. Gun had dropped from his fingers as he gasped, face straining of the lack of blood flow. Seconds later Justin fired a salt round causing the ghost to disappear, Colt grabbed his own chest trying to recover, his other team mate handed him back his shotgun. “You okay boss? Looking peakish.” Colt laughed despite how bad his chest hurt and took the gun. “Spread out, look around. He's gotta be here somewhere.” They looked for a lightswitch, finding one but it didn't work. Cracking glow sticks they tossed out several. Looking things over Justin spotted some echoplasma near what looked like another bookcase. Colt came closer and listened looking the book case over running fingers under the shelves when he felt a cold rush of air go past him and behind the bookcase. “I think there's a passage back here.” Check the books as they did Justin pulled one and the lock clicked, the bookcase swung open. “Good job man, let's see if we can't find a priest and send casper home.” Colt tossed several glow sticks out into the darkness ahead and the three hunters worked their way down a narrow hallway.-

Sam - *Sam looked around the empty office and wondered how different his life might’ve been if this was his own world. He was still getting used to his surroundings and the people. Shaking John’s hand, he nodded.* Sure. Whatever you’re having to drink is fine by me.

John - -Pours them both a glass of whiskey and takes a seat.- So how are you doing with the displacement? I know all this has to be a shock to the system.

Adam - Adam stopped when he saw a woman hitchhiking at the side of the road. Letting down the window when he popped his head out the window with his shades on. Where Are you off too? When she wanting to get a break and get to Oklahoma. Deep down Adam was a good guy but never giving a break with his family. When he told the young woman to give in as they were in his direction he was going. The woman was grateful for the lift. When she was talking about her broken-down relationship with her boyfriend. When she needed to get moving. Adam just listened and kept his eyes on the road. In a few hours, he had reached the state of Oklahoma. When he stopped to let the woman #Toni to buy him a coffee. When she thanked him and asked him what's in texas for you. He relies simply upon saying payback on the decisions of his life. He wished #Toni a goodbye and wondered what to do next. Alex was in two minds to whether chase after his dipshit of a brother Colt or keep driving down to Austin go have it out with its so-called family members of His beloved father and Brother Sam Not. Michael was monitoring where Colt was. He had run off to be the goodie to shoe guy away running off trying to save someone else other than his brother. In that instant Adam was pissed. Loud and clear Colt he muttered to himself. You want to play two of us can play. When he turned up the radio when highway to youtu.be/ikFFVfObwss to hell was playing. Typical just my life in a nutshell. When he started up his engine. putting his foot down and speeding down to Austin.

Colt - Colt and the other hunters worked their way down the hall, he spotted a figure slumped over in the dark and went to him. It was the priest, checking for to see if he had a pulse he sighed a breath of relief. Turning things over to Justin he picked the priest up over his shoulder and carried him out. About that time backup from the firm had shown up and after the priest was checked out and cleared to go to the hospital he spoke with the backup team. Overwatch had done their jobs and they thought they knew who the spirit was and where to look a young girl had went missing and had never been found. One doctor had been suspected in her disappearance but they couldn't prove it. Blackwater had sent someone out to go talk to him and being in his nineties he'd caved to killing her and burying her in the back of the asylum. Colt joined the part of the team to dig and pulled the rest out for safety. She was going to be mad as hell when they salted and burnt her bones.-

[neighbourskid]

Future?

(original date: 06 May 2017)

People keep asking me what I want to do with my degree, why I’m studying English and Art History. I’ve been asked this question so many times, I lost count. When I was in grammar school, people asked me what I wanted to do afterwards, what I wanted to study. When I was in secondary school, people urged me to go look at jobs so I could go into an apprenticeship afterwards. Other people urged me to go to grammar school. In the end, I repeated a grade so I could go to grammar school without having to do the entry exam. Why? Because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Or too many ideas. When I was in primary school, my best friend wanted to be a marine biologist. I had no real interest in marine biology. Nevertheless, in primary school I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up.

See, I never really thought about myself much when I was a child. I didn’t live much into the future, I always lived in the moment. Of course, I looked forward to things. Like seeing my dad again the next weekend. Or that holiday that we were planning for a while now. Or going to the swimming pool next summer.

I remember my mom telling me once that she always thought I would be too dependent on my brother. My brother and me, we’re pretty close, I think. We weren’t the “typical” siblings that fight a lot because they are siblings. Of course, we had our rows, but I think most of the time we’ve been kind to each other. I think what played a lot into that, is that we’re only 18 months apart. We were the same height for a while and some people even thought we were twins. We also shared a lot of interests, I guess. Our parents never forced me into this typical girl role. Of course, when I was four, I think, my godfather gave me a doll for Christmas. I burst into tears upon seeing it. The next year he got me police cars. My mom and I always had our fights over clothes, but she never really forced me to wear dresses or exceedingly girly things, if I didn’t want to.

Our parents treated my brother and me pretty much the same. When my brother got a gameboy for Christmas that one year, I got one as well. I wasn’t forced into liking super girly things, and I don’t think my brother was forced into being super manly. I’m sure, if I were interested in STEM fields (or good at them anyway), my parents would support me in studying in them. I’m sure if my brother would’ve wanted to, I don’t know, be a professional dancer? They would have supported him.

I never really thought much about what I wanted to be when I grew up, though. My brother knew very early on that he wanted to make games and now, several years later, he studies game design. He’s there.

People keep asking me what I want to do with my degree, and honestly? I have no fucking idea. When I graduated secondary school I went to grammar school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life, who I wanted to be. When I graduated grammar school, I tried working for a year, because I didn’t really know what to study yet. I was unemployed for the better bit of a year. I’ve started studying English at university last summer. I am in my second semester now and in one month it’s already finished again. I have 4 semesters left getting my Bachelor at this university. What I want to do with my degree? Not the faintest idea.

Okay, well, that is not quite true. I know what I would like to do with my life, and I suppose my English degree is only helping me achieve that. But it’s not an obvious final destination for that degree. My peers will become teachers or work in advertising, PR, as linguists or do research. Me? I have seemingly unachievable dreams.

When I was in 6th grade, I wanted to be a mangaka, I wanted to draw mangas for a living. I even had the presentation we had to have about jobs about mangakas. My teacher criticized that it was a somewhat invented job (joke’s on you, Mrs W, every job was invented at some point). I soon dropped that dream because I found out just how little life mangakas have once they’ve managed to produce something worthwhile. At the same time that I got into mangas, I also got into fan created stuff related to that. I scrolled through pages beyond pages of fanart, I read some good and a lot of really crappy fanfics, and when that wasn’t enough anymore, little me, who had no computer at that point, started to handwrite fanfiction myself. Handwrite. On paper. Or when we weren’t at home, I wrote them in unsent text messages on my crappy old phone that didn’t have a note application yet. I still have a box full of pages scribbled full with ideas and stories I wrote when I was probably about twelve.

I’ve been writing stories for nearly ten years now. I started in German but from 8th grade on, I wrote in English as well, and once I was in grammar school, English was the only language I wrote in. That’s why I’m studying English. I want to improve my English. Make it flawless. Exercise that muscle, write as much and as often as I can. If I could be a writer, I would take it in a heartbeat. It’s not easy and not something you can study at university, but at least I can study something to help me with my writing.

What I tell when people ask me what I want to do with my degree? Sometimes that, sometimes not, because it’s not all of it. I don’t know if being a writer is the one thing that I want. Especially, what kind of writer do I want to be? That question ties into one of my other dreams.

This might be obvious, but I love movies. I absolutely love going to the cinema, I love the experience of it, sitting in a room with a handful of strangers (sadly, nowadays it isn’t more), experiencing the same thing and leaving the cinema, not as strangers, but as a collective, as a group, as people who have something in common, who have experienced something together. I love that. But I also enjoy watching movies alone at home. I do it all the time. I love watching tv series. Getting into that excitement of what will happen next. Of course, I always whine about how I have to wait a week when I’m caught up with a show and can’t just binge-watch through it all, but it’s actually a very good feeling. You get to think about it for a while and then (hopefully) get the answers to your questions. What I love about the cinematic media, is that it can make you think. It can give you questions, make you reevaluate opinions you had, thoughts you had, knowledge you thought you possessed. Movies have done so much for me. I’ve learned so much about myself through movies and tv shows. I come out of the cinema inspired, ready to go and change the world. I watch interviews or panels from conventions, I hear actors and directors and writers tell stories about their work in the film industry, about their experiences, their life and I… I feel so inspired by that. These wonderful, beautiful, intelligent people create worlds out of thin air, out of nothing, and kids, teenagers, adults, so many different people see these movies and get inspired, they are touched by it. That is so beautiful!

I am so often inspired by movies and I see what they have done for me and I…. I want to give that back. To pay that forward. I know that there are a lot of kids out there who are like me, who find themselves in movies, and I would like to give this back to them. To create things that inspire them. Make a movie that will change their life. That’s what I want. I want to inspire people. Give back to them what the film industry has given me.

Do I want to be an actor? I don’t know. Maybe. I’d have to try it out. I don’t… I don’t actually really care that much what I’d do, I just know I would want it to be there. I would happily bring cast and crew coffee every morning if it meant I would be part of something bigger, something that will someday inspire someone to do great things.

Right now I feel like going into screenwriting would be my number one choice. It has film and writing combined. It also helps that my brain usually comes up with story ideas in cinematic from rather than written. It’s hard writing a scene in a book when your brain supplies things like “establishing shot backed with lord of the rings style music” when you can’t actually write music into your book.  So yeah, I think screenwriting is my choice at the moment.

Why I don’t tell that to people when they ask me what I want to do with my English degree? Because they look at you like you’re a crazy nutcase or a poor child with a dream that will never come true. I know, I live in a small ass country not even close to where I want to be. I know I still have a long way to go. But why look at me like I’m mad? Didn’t you ever have dreams? Did you not want to go out there and change the world? I can not and will not believe that your dream has always been sitting in a stinking office from 9 to 5, typing numbers into a computer and whining about how crappy the coffee in the cafeteria is. If it is, then good for you and your mediocre life. If you gave up on your dream? That sucks, man, and I’m sorry. But please stop shitting on my dream.

I’ve always been a dreamer and I will never not be one. So what do you care if my dream seems unachievable? It’s not your dream. What do you care if I fly too close to the sun? It’s my own damn problem if I fall, not yours.

So please, I ask you kindly, if you feel like asking me what I want to do with my English degree with that wonderful undertone that screams ‘you should’ve chosen some other degree’? Fuck off.

[robertkstone]

Celebrity Drive: Randy Stine of Straight No Chaser

Quick Stats: Randy Stine of Straight No Chaser Daily Driver: 2013 Audi S7 (Randy’s rating: 9 on a scale of 1 to 10) Other cars: See below Favorite road trip: Chicago to Colorado Car he learned to drive in: 1983 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser First car bought: 1997 Mercedes-Benz E 420 sedan

Straight No Chaser’s Randy Stine thought a lot before he took the plunge and bought a 2013 Audi S7. Before this, he was driving an Acura RL, but since he’d made it in the successful a cappella group, he decided to buy a splurge car.

“I kept thinking I want to go back to a German car, I missed having a V-8,” Stine tells MotorTrend. “I was on the fence about getting the Audi S7. I couldn’t force myself to think about spending the money.”

His brother-in-law’s car was totaled and he’d asked Stine if he would consider selling the Acura. “[The Audi] was my dream car, but I thought it’s just a little too financially irresponsible to do unless I had a good reason, and suddenly that reason presented itself,” he says. “I was helping out my brother-in-law and going for the car I’d always wanted.”

Stine rates the Audi a 9. “If it had all of the space and usability to make it a 10, it would take away from the appearance and the sporty feel if it [had] a more spacious back seat,” he says.

With his dad, he went to a marketing event Audi held at a track outside Chicago. Both fell in love with the S7. “We drove the S6, S7, S8 and R8, and RS 5 on a racetrack,” he says. “Did a bunch of hot laps for the day, both with ourselves driving and having a professional driver take us around and really show us what the cars could do, and from that moment forward, I knew I wanted to get an S7.”

His father ended up also buying a car after that event—the A7. “It really is an impressive way to experience a car rather than just leaving a dealer lot and doing a five-block drive around the block and thinking, ‘Do I want to spend tens of thousands on a car after that little drive? I’m not quite sold.’”

What sold Stine on the Audi was the car’s stability. “It felt more planted and more secure on the track than the S6. I wasn’t planning to track it, but the way it drove, to me, felt sportier and more secure even than the S6, which is the car I was looking at,” he says. “I was like, ‘Do I pay extra?’ The back seat’s a little more cramped, but just the appearance of the car was enough to push me over the edge.”

He loved the way it looks. “I loved the design, and the hatchback was a more practical way of having more storage instead of a conventional trunk,” he says. “So those were the things that really got me—the look of the car, the design of the interior, and of course the performance, that V-8.”

The only downside is that the backseat has begun to feel more cramped in the last year, when he tries to secure a rear-facing child seat for his 10-month-old son. So they often go in his wife’s 2018 Acura MDX for longer drives. “We’ve had a lot of great road trip memories and trips in that car, but [when] that child seat goes in, the front seat’s not nearly as comfortable sitting so upright to make room for it.”

Stine has always test-driven cars for fun, and he thought a dream job would’ve been to work at an automotive brand like MotorTrend.

“I’m that much of a car nut,” he says. “I’ve been getting MotorTrend since I was 12. I remember going to Osco drug store with my dad, and I saw MotorTrend in the magazine rack. I picked it up and [asked if I could get it.] All of a sudden I had a subscription. I had every car magazine organized on my bookshelves or in boxes.”

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New guy is parking right next to me. I was happy with my car until he showed me up with his new two-tone coupe. @Audi @Acura #LittleTikes @ItsTheGrandTour @JeremyClarkson1 @RichardHammond #Audi #AudiSport #AudiS7 #S7 #Acura #MDX #AcuraMDX #polyspartic #epoxy #epoxyfloor #garage

A post shared by Randy Stine (@randy_stine) on Jun 19, 2018 at 4:22pm PDT

Stine researches everything, to the point where friends ask him what car they should buy. “At least once a week I get a text from someone. I always wanted to know all things about cars even if it wasn’t the most exciting model,” he says, adding that he used to read minivan reviews, even as a kid.

Car he learned to drive in

Stine grew up in Naperville, Illinois, and learned to drive in his parents’ 1983 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wagon. “A silver station wagon. No wood paneling. Which was pretty in vogue at the time,” he says with a laugh.

Both his parents took turns taking him around. They’d talk through what he should be thinking about and watching for at an intersection.

“My dad would tell me that you’re always watching the other cars even when you’re stopped. Try to think of an exit route if there’s an accident, if there’s going to be a car coming toward you, if you see someone coming out of their lane,” Stine says. “He always had me paying attention to what possibilities were there, even if you thought you were in a totally safe spot and stopped.”

One time, they were at a stoplight when Stine was 13, and an accident happened in the intersection in front of them.

“We were the first car at the red light. Someone blew a red light and T-boned, and the one car spun and slid right past the front of our car just missing us by inches,” he says. “[My dad] just told me, ‘You always have to be aware; you never know what might happen. As soon as the light turns green, doesn’t mean you step on it. You still look both ways because there might be a car that disobeyed the signal.’ He always taught me to be a very aware driver, which I appreciated.”

Stine’s old station wagon was a popular butt of jokes for his friends in high school. “People joked, called it the ‘grocery getter,’ the joke was it was the ‘honey wagon’ because you weren’t really going to pick up girls in a station wagon,” he says, with a laugh.

But it ended up being a popular car because it could transport nine passengers. “Any time there was a home football game or a school event, everyone was like, ‘Let’s just take your car!’ I think my parents didn’t really love that idea because they didn’t like the idea of the new driver having the liability of nine people in a car. But it was a great car for high school life, and I have fond memories of it.”

Although it wasn’t the coolest car in high school, Stine was thankful for it. “A lot of people aren’t lucky enough to have a car passed down to them,” he says. “It wasn’t the car I would choose if I could pick a car, but I was happy to have wheels and to be able to drive to high school and school events and give people rides.”

First car bought

After he’d worked a bunch of summer jobs in college and saved up, Stine was looking at the classifieds for a car during his senior year and came across a 1997 Mercedes-Benz E 420 sedan.

“The price just seemed way too good to be true,” he says. “I looked at the price. It was in the mid 20s. It was way off. I took it to my parents, and it was at a dealership that was 60 miles from us, so we drove up there. When it came time to negotiate the price, their price was not at all what was advertised. I pulled out the newspaper and said, ‘This is why I came in.’ They looked at the ad in the paper and the price was not correct in the paper. Much, much, much lower.”

The dealer sold other brands, and Stine’s dad looked around and the sales guy came up with a solution. “They said, ‘We’ll honor this price in here if you guys agree that you’re going to buy your next car from us.’ My dad said, ‘That’s pretty honorable. If you’re going to stick to the pricing mistake, then we’ll do that.’ My parents ended up buying their next two cars from that dealership.”

Stine had enough to buy a car that was around $20,000 because he’d saved up from working odd jobs in high school and college. “I used to detail cars, I ran my own detailing business in summers, and I worked at Best Buy and Structure, and a restaurant as well, I bussed tables,” he says.

It was unusual to have a car on campus, and he liked that it was silver and didn’t attract a lot of attention. “It was a car that really sparked my love for German cars in general,” he says.

Up to that point, his family had only owned GM cars. “We had a Pontiac Bonneville, the station wagon, a Chevy Suburban,” he says, but “I had so few problems with [the Benz] and enjoyed it so much that my father ended up buying an E-Class for the first time. The way that they drove was so night-and-day different compared to what I’d experienced with U.S. models up to that point.”

The family tried to write GM because they had to replace a timing belt three times before one of their cars reached 100,000 miles, he says, adding that the car once died in the middle of an intersection while his sister was making a left-hand turn. His dad wrote GM a letter listing 15 cars he’d owned that were GM models, but Stine says, “GM responded with ‘Here’s $250 off a Cavalier,’ and we’ve never bought a GM vehicle since.”

Favorite road trip

“In ’92 I was still in high school, and once [my parents] passed the station wagon down to me, they bought a Chevy Suburban,” he says. “We spent four or five years going to the dealership looking at Suburbans in the showrooms, thinking about them, not buying one.”

His dad always wanted to do a big road trip, so the following summer, after they’d finally gotten the Suburban, the family went on a 6,000-mile road trip, covering 18 states in 21 days.

“I was keeping a log while we traveled, all the places we visited, and having to stop and get an oil change during a road trip was crazy to me at the time,” Stine says. “I was 15 and had my learner’s permit so my dad let me drive as practice in every state. By the time I was 16, I’d practiced driving in 18 states.”

They stopped at all the obligatory tourist places including Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, ski towns in Col from PerformanceJunk WP Feed 3 http://bit.ly/2CBXydN via IFTTT

[terrordave1]

How do I love thee, Godzilla? Let me count the ways…

For a monster-loving kid like me growing up in the ‘70s, giant Japanese monsters represented the pinnacle of entertainment. Those glorious films were just about the only thing worth staying inside for back at a time when kids actually wanted to be outdoors. Of all the notable behemoths to have ever graced the silver screen, there were none I revered more than the “King of Monsters” himself, Godzilla. The moment his iconic roar filled my living room I’d be transfixed, especially if he was up against my second favorite kaiju, King Ghidorah (sorry, Gamera, but you were a distant third). Back then it never occurred to me that I was cheering on a guy in a costume as I’d fully embraced the idea of giant monsters roaming the earth and Japan just happening to be the only ones “lucky” enough to see them. Adolescence ushered in the grim reality about “men in rubber suits” and it wouldn’t be until years later that I’d gain a true appreciation for them. The reality is, these folks gave rubber-suited monsters an edge in the personality department that many of the stop-motion ones lacked. This was especially true for those played by the quintessential suit actor himself, Harou Nakajima. Nakajima has the distinction of playing the original Rodan, one of the Gargantuas (which I did a retro piece on last year), and Godzilla from 1954-1972 among others. Needless to say, when I learned that the eighty-eight-year-old legend would be attending Days of the Dead’s 2017 Indianapolis show, I knew I had to be there!

I’d already had the pleasure of meeting Nakajima back in 2008 here in Chicago. He was being honored at G-FEST XV and I remember standing in line with my two young sons, Alex and Luke, to see him.

At the time, poor Luke was way too young to remember the experience but, in truth, I didn’t tell him who he was standing with either for fear of ruining Godzilla for him. I laugh thinking about it now but this daddy was way more concerned with preserving his kid’s belief in Godzilla than he ever was in Santa Claus! Now that both of my boys are of age, and still Godzilla fans, Days of the Dead would offer a second chance…at least for the now thirteen-year-old, Luke, as eighteen-year-old Alex would have to stay green with Godzilla envy back at his Air Force base in North Dakota.

Luke & Godzilla prepare for Indy!

Days of the Dead also offered a professional photo op with Nakajima which I took full advantage of; packing along a big Gojira model specifically for it. I also brought a much smaller X-Plus Godzilla 1964 figure for the signing photo as Godzilla vs Mothra (1964) had always been my favorite movie growing up with Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (also in ’64) a close second.

We found Nakajima’s signing area in the first vendor room. Sitting at the booth to the left of him was yet another Godzilla, Tsutomu Kitagawa who wore the suit during the Millennium series (1999-2004). So, just to put things into perspective, my son and I both got to see the Godzillas we grew up with, sitting right next to each other! I noticed one of the organizers of G-FEST, Tim Bean, assisting Nakajima which made me feel better as it meant he was being looked after by someone who truly appreciated his importance in film history and legitimately cared about him.

After taking a good look at the frail Nakajima, I was certain I’d made the right decision in coming here. Traveling from Japan to Chicago would take its toll on anyone let alone a man nearing his nineties. Having an opportunity to see him again was a true gift and one I’ll always be grateful to Days of the Dead for providing me. I had a small poster of Gojira (1954) which I had its lead actor, Akira Takarada, sign at G-FEST XXIII five years ago. Once blessed by Nakajima, it would have the classic film’s main antagonist and protagonist’s signature and be ready for a permanent frame. I felt a sense of sadness as I watched his daughter gently guide his hand while Bean held the poster in place. Although the fan in me would have liked to have brought a box full of things to have signed, I was glad I only brought one. I’d already felt guilty enough putting him through this!

After meeting with Nakajima, we moved over to Tsutomu Kitagawa. He was very spry and friendly and even offered fans some of his own original artwork which I must say was pretty incredible!

A couple of Christmas’ ago, the other Dave bought me a framed sketch of the Millennial Godzilla from Basil Gogos. Unfortunately, the frame shattered on its way from Rhode Island so I carefully removed the drawing and rolled it up for safe keeping. I’d forgotten all about it until a week before this event when I was digging through poster tubes in search of the Gojira print. It was almost as if it had been waiting for this moment all along.

Tsutomu took one look at it and lit up. He had a big smile and patted me on the shoulder enthusiastically. Looking back, I’m thinking he probably thought I was the artist and, being one himself, appreciated “my” skills. If only!

With just thirty minutes before our scheduled professional photo op with Nakajima, Jason headed over to see a film screening (The Night of the Virgin and covered in our last post) while Luke and I took off to change our shirts and grab the larger Godzilla at our hotel across the street. Unfortunately, we were halted by a force of nature akin to Godzilla himself. To say it was raining outside would be a gross understatement as the word deluge seemed much more appropriate! We had two choices: face the elements and look like drowned rats in our photo op, or just stay where we were and get another photo with him (albeit a much better quality one) wearing the same clothes and holding the smaller Godzilla toy. Actually it wasn’t much of a choice at all – Luke and I both looked at each other before sitting down in the lobby.

When it was time to get in line, I grabbed myself a vanilla bean Frappuccino from the Wyndham’s Starbucks and headed over with Luke. The volunteer crew member handling the area redefined the word obnoxious but it did seem a lot more organized than the Alice Cooper line from the Chicago show last November. At first Luke seemed a bit overwhelmed but I explained that once the line starts moving it’s a fast process and that would definitely be the case here.

Afterwards we returned to the vendor’s area and looked around before picking up our photo which was ready on time. By then it stopped raining and I brought Luke back to the hotel and fed him some dinner. Jason texted me as soon as his movie was over and I rejoined him at the event. We did more shopping before calling it a night early. After all, tomorrow there was so much more to do.

Coming Up…Days of the Dead’s “Dawn of the Dead” panel!

Dave Fuentes

Not one, but TWO Godzillas Stomp “Days of the Dead” Indianapolis! How do I love thee, Godzilla? Let me count the ways… For a monster-loving kid like me growing up in the ‘70s, giant Japanese monsters represented the pinnacle of entertainment.