#the Discworld

[3gremlins]

wanted to do a more minimalist discworld inspired piece with the elephants and the discworld inside the turtle, so here it is :) using the text from small gods ("the turtle moves")

the font is orbitron and it's an open license font from the lovely people at the league of moveable type. normally i try to handletter my stuff, but i really wanted a sci-fi-ish blocky font for this.

for all that the discworld is one of my absolute favorite book series ever, i feel like i haven't really done much fan art from it at all (idk sometimes things are so big/important to you, it's hard to even do fanart for them somehow). i mostly just wanted a more simple/graphical design for a shirt for myself. might do a limited screen print run or stickers? but don't want to run afoul of the estate either so idk (it's available as wallpapers through my patreon)

here's a 15 sec timelapse if you're interested!

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

Tis the Season

Specifically, it's Hogswatch Season. That magical time of year when I get my closest friends together, and have them watch the "Hogfather" miniseries with me. Also, something about the sun rising

Now, if you know me, you know I'm a theatre kid, through and through. In this case, it means I have a weakness for the aesthetic, and everything has to be as over-the-top as possible

In the Spirit of that, I have baked 2 Pork Pies, from "Nanny Ogg's Cookbook" (with a few changes, because I don't drink alcohol, and Ham Stock is surprisingly hard to find). I'll keep you updated about how it is at the party tomorrow. My current thoughts: "could look better (but it's my first pie ever, so...), but it smells pretty good"

[the-mercurial-star-o-vesper]

TF: ONE - A REFIRE

Alrighty its been a bit, and still gotta give both kudos (and null rays) to the TF medium that got me into Transformers.

I already did an initial critique, so more or less I'm gonna end up repeating myself (like I dunno remember entirely what I said... And its my blog anyway, BROKEN RECORDS BABY!)

As it were though, just in case, Spoilers Below.

I'mma reiterate. The art style and the environments? Gorgeous. And the animation, smooth as hell. The animation and art departments out did themselves here, this shit is Awesome.

( And who ever is doing model placement is clearly a fan, because you can spot just about everyone in the crowds everywhere... even if its a bit nonsensical. )

And the Quintessons? Scary as Hell.

The concepts behind the story, are also awesome. There's a lot of implications to think about, there's a greater world build going on... Also glorious.

And the history of relationship between Orion and D16? That's a new one, that's something to think on. (D16 effectively replaced Dion in this canon).

...

The problem is, is that all of this would make a great series... ... But an awful Movie.

And while several of the lore changes are cool, most of them are also nonsensical.

That results in a Lot of Character Breaking, even for TF.

Its an awful movie because of the pacing issues. Everything is too Damn Fast. Certain scenes are placed in areas that, honestly, break the line of thought. Fights are too fast. The environments go by too quickly. Character Personas and choices are rushed.

The movie wants to fill itself to the brim... and instead of overflowing, the damn cup broke beneath the weight.

All that's going on, would've benefited its story far more, by having a TV series (Or hell, a book). Slow things down, let us get a real good look at the environments being shown, at the characters being portrayed. Because so far, the environments are speeding by too fast, character decisions are being made at a flip of a switch as opposed to build up (leaving some pretty nasty implications, given the overall messages of the film).

The lore shifts are... nonsensical. What I mean by that, is less backdrop (because that shit has been nonsensical since after Beast Wars), and more character lore.

Like, why is she going by Elita-1, when she's mean to be Ariel? A fanfic could prolly have a damn good answer, if not more, but I'm asking the Movie why that is, not the fans.

( I suppose in a sense she's meant to replace ironhide, which okay, cool--but bulld up to the why would've solved the question. This goes back to "This need to be a Series, not a Film". )

Elita-1 was built along side Optimus, they're a paralleled pair here, so the shift here comes off as less story and more like "Oh fans will recognize Elita-1"

(And I gotta tell you, a movie by recognition alone isn't a movie, its a budgetted fanfic--you want substance. )

Over all though, Elita-1, historically, has always had issues with inconsistant character portrayals, because she really wasn't treated as a character in the OG Comics and OG Cartoon, and its hard to make any kind of homage to "CHARACTER WHO IS A GIRL". Dat shit wasn't good in the 80s and its still not good now ( turns out, if you're sexist, you're also an awful character writer--Who knew. )

So her taking the place of Ironhide, one of OP's longest companions and friends, is honestly a pretty awesome idea. The problem here, however, is that its not explored within the time it needed.

(ONCE MORE FROM THE TOP: It needs to be a SERIES not a MOVIE )

Why is Bee there? Bee is the kid character. He's explicitly portrayed as the former Rookie of the Autobots, and the youngest member. But him here, in this canon, makes him one of the Oldest Autobots instead.

Which okay, that's an idea... And he is funny and comedic...

... But he's not really a character, is he?

By what this film has built up within itself, this Bee is one of the OG autobots and has received the absolute worst the system has to offer (bar being executed), and still comes off as optimistic even by Optimus' standards. ( There's an idea of "The only thing you can control is your attitude" going here--which is a real life lesson to take if you're looking to get your morality from TV. )

However. The moment the line happens. They get captured, Bee is along side Dee when all the shit goes down, and Dee doesn't actually explicitly do anything to Bee (and in fact, goes out of his way to avoid upsetting Bee--albeit, prolly to avoid upsetting the nusto-bot on level 50, and in fairness, I can't blame him). And its at that point that Bee, kinda stops being a character, and more or less stays a joke.

Because imagine, what kind of scene you'd get, if Bee actually stepped in and tried to talk Dee down or do Something.

You wanna tell me that Bee, the guy that is explicitly going to become Bumblebee one of the most Iconic Autobots, just... gives up on the thread entirely? Goes nuts with Knife hands and decides that "Y'know my new buddy I just saw being tortured really isn't worth the trouble".

Hrm.

A character has impact in-story that isn't just upon their audience. Characters are fancy talking objects within the story, their actions create the story as it goes (which is another reason why this should've been a series), their core character gives reason to those actions even as their surface character gives irrationality.

(Welcome to complex Character Dynamics!)

If you have neither, then it become Plot Demands, and you've effectively just made kindergarten storybook. If that's what you were trying to achieve, congratulations! this will be the greatest kindergarten story ever, and you're going to inspire a lot of kids to like robots.

( I know back when I was in kindergarten, this story would've have fucking Awesome as is. I'd prolly try to draw all the cool robots. )

If not, back to the drafts with you.

Dee and Orion.

Y'know, there's a history here that needed more time to explore. The on surface character relationship is great, but it does rob the nuance of the situation the moment the Line happens.

FOR ONE THING ORION KILLS A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THIS FILM.

Every bot we see is a person, even if they look like a Vehicon. That's still people. If this is a dictator regime, then guess what, your guards and your army are still folks in a bad situation (even if it comes with more perks than mining).

Circumstance Makes Us. Judging Circumstance as Intention is part of why governing systems get so bad.

[ ONCE AGAIN, it would've benefited being a series, that explore who these folks are. ]

So far, the film is going "Its okay to kill folks if they're faceless and you have good intentions and ideals and its all Impersonal!"

The OG Optimus would have Agonized over it. These are all people, and he's having to kill them--that would burn something bad in him. That would make him Sick. That would take him outta commission for a while.

Meanwhile, Dee here injures one guy (In a fight that was expect to occur--like he didn't just haul off and attack him, the Bandits the High Guard became did fights like that for position), and kills a dictator, and that's apparently a start of darkness.

And oh yeah, he's angy, he's passive aggressive, he's kinda selfish...

BRAH IF THIS WAS A DISCWORLD BOOK, YOU JUST MADE DEE INTO FUCKING STONEFACE VIMES. You made him into mother fucking Tiffany Aching.

Quote: Turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine!

TF:One Optimus is a character that is far scarier than Sentinel ever was, because he's charismatic, and he still kills people as he holds his high ideals and thems who follow him are just, Okay with that.

( You can excuse a lot of death and destruction if you think its for the greater good. )

( OG Optimus, would not have liked TFOne Optimus )

Meanwhile, TF:One Megatron talks big, and but realistically loses his mind over the course of some heavy revelations--he was already coping to survive, and now he can't cope and has to face it. He takes the pragmatic options, he uses his selfishness as a weapon to stop someone (Even if its for personal vendetta, the point is, Sentinal had to be Stopped--and let's face it, the Public Opinion thing wasn't going to work anyway. Back to the Discworld: The dictator is just as often in power because the Rich are also benefiting from him, and the rich hold power over the system--if you're going to play the Fascism Analysis, You have to include EVERYONE).

For the guy who says he won't show mercy anymore, he is the most merciful. The most hesitant. And yeah he's brutal, but he also isn't Wrong. He mostly just talks big.

( And frankly I wouldn't fuckin believe in Primus either. Gods don't help people. People help people. )

But at the end of it, because Hasbro is obsessed with the status quo and boiling complex people down into base components, and our over enthusiastic filmmakers want Iconic over Substance and Aesthetic over Character (You can convince anyone of anything if you have enough music and lights), Megatron is still the "Bad Guy" and Optimus is still the "Good Guy".

( Evil starts when you treat people as things. That's an idea from Granny Weatherwax of the Discworld. I would argue that Optimus treats people like things more than Megatron does here, Megatron agonizes every step of the way, where Optimus doesn't even mention the bodies he crushed up. )

And now the Character Breaking Backdrop...

... You mean to tell me all this happened in less than two days? They snuck outta a secure city like Sherlock Holmes, had a trip to effectively the Tomb of Durin LOTR-style, got caught by TinTin Bandits, and then got coptured by the Wicked Witch Sentinal and his Flying Monkeys...

... In just... Two days?

Yeah... Yeah no. No. The pacing is Fucked brah.

And. Shockwave doesn't act like that brah, your argument is invalid.

ADDENDUM:

Y'know, I don't actually take that much issue anymore with Starscream having more experience, but I still question him being older than Megatron. But again, it's an interesting twist that separate TF:ONe from the rest of the "usual" canon. And in an ironic parallel, he becomes just as effective in story as Bee does. You could've just removed him entirely, removed the entire bandit scene, and frankly, not a damn thing would've changed about the film. Dee could've gotten his cannon any other time. If anything it might've improved the pacing by a lot.

It does however raise a lot of world-build questions--like if he's High Guard, who was his Prime? Who outta the 13 did he serve under? ( Someone is gonna bring in the idea that he worked with Sentinal to betray the primes--but I think that's too easy. Its far too easy to make Starscream into one-sided evil, and this film, even at its stupidest, doesn't like doing that. And frankly, I'm tired of one-note Starscream Portrayals. Like Bee, you gotta give him more depth than his Sunbow Counterpart. Look the guy is petty but he ain't shallow. )

The fact that the High Guard has hit and run tactics and didn't really try to help anyone... is because they can't. They're jets. They'd be shot outta the sky by every bigger player Iacon, and good chance they've been whittled down consistently over the years.

Of course, there's the "Dee shot Orion" thing. Orion ran right in front of a gun, and frankly, there... wasn't any saving him after that. He still would've died even if Dee had pulled him up. Orion was being Stupid. Good intentioned... still fucking stupid, man. Good intentions don't save you from guns. And Sentinal here was a Dictator who did awful things, and frankly, likely would've continued if spared. I sure as hell wouldn't have stepped in defense of him. And of course, remember that Orion has killed a lot of people by this point, and now he's trying to save the Dictator.

The best aspects of the film are the things that kept getting skipped over for pLoT. I'm tired of the gods damn Plot, give ME CHARACTER. I am beyond tired of Shiny Pretty Graphic mediums who have no character or writing beyond a Rag Magazine. Immediate fail if you have good graphics and bad writing. I've had Years of It. Decades even at this point, and I ain't havin' it no mores.

[i-am-worm]

Inktober 52 2024 - Week 27 - 'Free'

"Is It Frightening To Be Free?' 'You said it.' 'You Say To People "Throw Off Your Chains" And They Make New Chains For Themselves?' 'Seems to be a major human activity, yes.' - Terry Pratchett 'Feet of Clay'.

Have some discworld fan art.

[klinefelterrible]

I bet from the Vimes/Sybil/Vetinari trio:

Vimes has the roundest butt (but not the biggest)

Sybil has the biggest butt (but not as eager as her husband's)

Vetinari has the best ass-eating skills (he's practically a fanatical Vimes's ass-gobbler)

[klinefelterrible]

Behold!

Moustache Colon!

Goblin Nobby!

Rami Malek Vimes!

Whale Carrot!

Guards, Guards fanart very much inspired by @snippit-crickit !! ILIVE for their designs and I wanted to give mine a new coat of paint

[approximateknowledge]

ok so hear me out

[dreamingdormouse]

Okay so this is a big deal

To me, and to a significant subset of Sir Terry's fans (including most of you who've found this by the tags), his writing is serious commentary on the human condition - politics, prejudice, self-control, revenge vs. justice, religion, idealism, faith in people vs. cynicism, and more - dressed up with fantasy settings and a hefty leavening of humor to make it fun to read. And it is WILDLY fun to read, actual laugh-out-loud or at least a snicker averaging about every page.

But there's this common idea among the "important literature" people that fun and funny books are not also worthwhile or important in the same way.

This is a Discworld book being released WITH ACADEMIC COMMENTARY and AS A PENGUIN CLASSIC. That's a HUGE amount of recognition.

[jurijurijurious]

What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.

--Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

[akboro]

[sighed-the-snake]

The Paris Olympics insisting that athletes compete in the Seine is so absurd it feels like something Terry Pratchett would want to make fun of. Like can you imagine him writing a Discworld story about a mad Ankh-Moorpark city official deciding to put on some ancient extravagant game, creating havoc in the city by bringing in all these foreigners to compete, and insisting the Ankh river, which is so filthy it's basically solid, is perfectly fine to swim in, because that's what they did in ancient times so that's how they're going to do it now. I feel like it would be a Night's Watch story about the people hired to clean the river and all the friends and horrors they discover along the way.

Good luck to all the athletes swimming in the poop water.

[higgsbison]

happy glorious 25th of may

[callmebliss]

Intro to the 1989 reprint of The Color of Magic the first Discworld book by Terry Pratchett.

“At least ten.” Lmao

[klinefelterrible]

Last time I posted here it was Fifth Elephant but I managed to read Small Gods afterwards without taking a pic and now I chose Mort because why not and here’s my another re-reading Pterry’s books journal entry thanks for reading Turtle Bless You