#the tool collection

[littleraccooncarl]

Carl stimming

[genericpuff]

Tbh at this point you should just make your own webcomic app/website because it would probably be 100 times better than whatever going on with webtoon right now.

hahaha it wouldn't tho, sorry 💀

Here's the fundamental issue with webcomic platforms that a lot of people just don't realize (and why they're so difficult to run successfully):

Storage costs are incredibly expensive, it's why so many sites have limitations on file sizes / page sizes / etc. because all of those images and site info have to be stored somewhere, which costs $$$.

Maintenance costs are expensive and get more so as you grow, you need people who are capable of fixing bugs ASAP and managing the servers and site itself

Financially speaking, webcomics are in a state of high supply, low demand. Loads of artists are willing to create their passion projects, but getting people to read them and pay for them is a whole other issue. Demand is high in the general sense that once people get attached to a webtoon they'll demand more, but many people aren't actually willing to go looking for new stuff to read and depend more on what sites feed them (and what they already like). There are a lot of comics to go around and thus a lot of competition with a limited audience of people willing to actually pay for them.

Trying to build a new platform from the ground up is incredibly difficult and a majority of sites fail within their first year. Not only do you have to convince artists to take a chance on your platform, you have to convince readers to come. Readers won't come if there isn't work on the platform to read, but artists won't come if they don't think the site will be worth it due to low traffic numbers. This is why the artists with large followings who are willing to take chances on the smaller sites are crucial, but that's only if you can convince them to use the site in favor of (or alongside) whatever platform they're using already where the majority of their audience lies. For many creators it's just not worth the time, energy, or risk.

Even if you find short-term success, in the long-term there are always going to be profit margins to maintain. The more users you pull in, the more storage is used by incoming artists, the more you have to spend on storage and server maintenance costs, and that means either taking the risk at crowdfunding (ex. ComicFury) or having to resort to outsider investments (ex. Tapas). Look at SmackJeeves, it used to be a titan in the independent webcomic hosting community, until it folded over to a buyout by NHN and then was pretty much immediately shuttered due to NHN basically turning it into a manwha scanlation site and driving away its entire userbase. And if you don't get bought out and try your hand at crowdfunding, you may just wind up living on a lifeline that could cut out at any moment, like what happened to Inkblazers (fun fact, the death of Inkblazers was what kicked off the cultural shift in Tapas around 2015-16 when all of IB's users migrated over and brought their work with them which was more aimed towards the BL and romancee drama community, rather than the comedy / gag-a-day culture that Tapas had made itself known for... now you deadass can't tell Tapas apart from a lot of scanlation sites because it got bought out by Kakao and kept putting all of its eggs into the isekai/romance drama basket.)

Right now the mindset in which artists and readers are operating is that they're trying way, way too hard to find a "one size fits all" site. Readers want a place where they can find all their favorite webtoons without much effort, artists wants a place where they can post to an audience of thousands, and both sides want a community that will feel tight-knit. But the reality is that you can't really have all three of those things, not on one site. Something always winds up having to be sacrificed - if a site grows big enough, it'll have to start seeking more funding while also cutting costs which will result in features becoming paywall'd, intrusive ads, creators losing their freedom, and/or outsider support which often results in the platform losing its core identity and alienating its tight-knit community.

If I had to describe what I'm talking about in a "pick one" graphic, it would look something like this:

(*note: this is mostly based on my own observations from using all of these sites at some point or another, they're not necessarily entirely accurate to the statistical performance of each site, I can only glean so much from experience and traffic trackers LMAO that said I did ask some comic pals for input and they were very helpful in helping me adjust it with their own takes <3).

The homogenization of the Internet has really whipped people into submission for the "big sites" that offer "everything", but that's never been the Internet, it relies on being multi-faceted and offering different spaces for different purposes. And we're seeing that ideology falter through the enshittification of sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. where users are at odds with the platforms because the platforms are gutting features in an attempt to satisfy shareholders whom without the platforms would not exist. Like, most of us aren't paying money to use social media sites / comic platform sites, so where else are they gonna make the necessary funds to keep these sites running? Selling ad space and locking features behind paywalls.

And this is especially true for a lot of budding sites that don't have the audience to support them via crowdfunding but also don't have the leverage to ask for investments - so unless they get really REALLY lucky in EITHER of those departments, they're gonna be operating at a loss, and even once they do achieve either of those things there are gonna be issues in the site's longevity, whether it be dying from lack of growing crowdfunding support or dying from shareholder meddling.

So what can we do?

We can learn how to take our independence back. We don't have to stop using these big platforms altogether as they do have things to offer in their own way, particularly their large audience sizes and dipping into other demographics that might not be reachable from certain sites - but we gotta learn that no single site is going to satisfy every wish we have and we have to be willing to learn the skills necessary to running our own spaces again. Pick up HTML/CSS, get to know other people who know HTML/CSS if you can't grasp it (it's me, I can't grasp it LOL), be willing to take a chance on those "smaller sites" and don't write them off entirely as spaces that can be beneficial to you just because they don't have large numbers or because they don't offer rewards programs. And if you have a really polished piece of work in your hands, look into agencies and publishing houses that specialize in indie comics / graphic novels, don't settle for the first Originals contract that gets sent your way.

For the last decade corporations have been convincing us that our worth is tied to the eyes we can bring to them. Instead of serving ourselves, we've begun serving the big guys, insisting that it has to be worth something eventually and that it'll "payoff" simply by the virtue of gambler's fallacy. Ask yourself what site is right for you and your work rather than asking yourself if your work is good enough for them. Most of us are broke trying to make it work on these sites anyways, may as well be broke and fulfilled by posting in places that actually suit us and our work if we can. Don't define your success by what sites like Webtoons are enforcing - that definition only benefits them, not you.

[odinsblog]

iconic

[bixels]

As cameras becomes more normalized (Sarah Bernhardt encouraging it, grifters on the rise, young artists using it), I wanna express how I will never turn to it because it fundamentally bores me to my core. There is no reason for me to want to use cameras because I will never want to give up my autonomy in creating art. I never want to become reliant on an inhuman object for expression, least of all if that object is created and controlled by manufacturing companies. I paint not because I want a painting but because I love the process of painting. So even in a future where everyone’s accepted it, I’m never gonna sway on this.

if i have to explain to you that using a camera to take a picture is not the same as using generative ai to generate an image then you are a fucking moron.

[bee-sidebranch]

The Beasts' Den, @skybristle @druidshollow i stole your women

[unauthorized-output]

a message from TOOL found in the insert for ÆNIMA (1996). zoom for details.

[cherriielle]

“who are you?” ♖ ♞

[vonecent]

> wanted to give dragonfly v1 another go, this time it's more crittery :]

> here's a fun art thing, v1's lineart is blue so it immediately stands out and reads as less natural! colour theory! 👍👍

> 13h 29m

> species and close up under cut

[pinkunoisu]

I uploaded a whole collection of STH fan art from 2018-2019! Check it out ✨👉🏻 www.artstation.com/artwork/3EevPv

[kinokoshoujoart]

romeo!! or rock….? idk he’s the ds guy. y’know

[littleraccooncarl]

The Tool Collection and The Stick Collection recap!

The Tool Collection

Sheldon gives Carl a universal screwdriver for his birthday, something he really wanted. Maude warns Carl that tools are not toys, and that the kids shouldn't build anything without a grownup being there. Carl then decides to secretly "borrow" some screws so that he can use his universal screwdriver. Sheldon isn't sure about this, but Carl insists that they aren't building anything, so it's fine, and he doesn't need to tell Maude about it. Carl takes some screws off stuff around the house, making them crooked, and thinking that it won't matter. Just when Carl is about to get a screw from the kitchen sink, his parents catch him in the act. Carl finally tells the truth about what happened, and he gets to go on a new mission: to put every screw back where they belong. Carl has his birthday dinner, and Maude gives him a gift. What is it? Screws.

This episode was really funny, especially when Harold thought that he needed glasses, and Sheldon started sweating and pretended that he needed to go to the bathroom. I like how Maude and Harold are gentle, but firm. They know that Carl has to take responsibility for his actions, and get him to tell the truth, but they don't get angry or yell at him or punish him. A much better honesty-focused episode than some other cartoons. I think Maude and Harold are some of the best kids show parents.

I also like the little detail of Carl not wearing a party hat, even though it's his birthday, because some autistics like Carl don't like the feeling of wearing hats. Zachariah OHora mentioned this in an Instagram post.

Also, Harold mentioned that he was making spaghetti and vegan meatballs. Carl's family must be vegan, then.

The Stick Collection

A rainstorm leaves a bunch of sticks on the street, and a hole suddenly appears in the walkway to Carl's house, upsetting him greatly. He and Maude go back inside to research ways to fix the hole, while Carl's friends play with the hole and the sticks, making a little city called "Stickville." This was not part of Carl's plan, but he joins in on building Stickville, suggesting that docks and an ice cream stand be added. The hole still needs to go, though, but now, Carl is sad because he's grown fond of Stickville. Carl is confused by how his feelings about the hole changed, but realizes that his feelings can change over time, much like the weather. The kids decide to have fun with Stickville before the hole gets fixed the next day, and then they leave little marks on the concrete.

This episode really shows how resistant to change Carl is, and how even he can warm up to changes over time. I also like the little bit where he takes the phrase "smart cookies" literally, and then says "cookies are not smart." I really liked the music in this episode, especially in that silent montage where the Fuzzy Friends build Stickville. They need to release the show's soundtrack ASAP.

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 64

and why she ourple

(bc we love a spooky clown is why)

[kollector-of-stims]

So...my sugar ball collection grew once again...

I should have it stay like this for a good while longer. They're just such a special interest for me when it comes to stim items-

[cutiepieautistic]

Here's our new stim toy photos! We have a few more to show you all,but we'll take photos of those later,okay?

List of items below the cut

Ghoulia doll

Bigfoot plushie,mothman plushie

Diy sensory jar

Diy bead fidget

Diy ribbon stim toys

Steiff piff brown mouse

Autism bunny

Crazy aarons thinking putty,evergreen

Tangle jr metallic

Tangle jr fuzzies

Tangle jr touchdown keychain

Enigma beanie baby

Chewigem green swirl

Green frog sand animal

Wacky sack

Webkinz brown Arabian horse

Curly plushie (commission)

Tangle jr textured classics

Dollar store scrunchie

Mini figures from drinks

[158590]