#this collab also made us both improve as artists :3

[pixelatedraindrops]

RAINCODE COMIC COLLAB~☔️

BEHOLD THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR!!

3 full weeks of work and its finally completed!

So @kazinsblog and I did another raincode art collab together but this one was a HUGE project! This one's a full 18 page comic!

Idk if you all remember the comic idea that Kazin was planning to do that involved Yuma overworking himself until he gets sick and then gets tended to by everyone else. But when I saw it, I decided to ask her if she was willing to possibly collaborate on it, remaking it where she sketched it and I colored it.

Kazin's Beta images: 1 2 3 4

So here's the results of all that work. We've been at this since December 17th so this has been an almost full month collaboration. And of course mine's a bit more altered to my own style as well as adding my own touches and making it a little more whumpy/extreme... X'D I also freehand drew shinigami in my version as well.

Both our versions look pretty different! The only thing that are the same are the poses. So feel free to check out Kazin's traditional version as well!

Since its an 18 page comic, I decided to put it under a keep reading so it won't clutter everyone's timelines. Also, I will be narrating the pages because I love narrating sick filler type stories. So brace yourself for a VERY LOOONG post!! Def need time to read this one! (and no purple tinted filters here this time!)

Also note: If the writing is blue, it means the character is thinking, just like in the game! :)

And I apologize on the inconsistency of Yuma's bangs... I thought it was one way before so half of the comic he looks like he has square bangs... oof XD I fix it around page 10

ANYWAY, hope you enjoy this soft buffet, Raincode Community! 🌡️💕

(Page 1)

Our story begins on an ordinary day in Kanai Ward. Rainy gloomy and depressing as ever. Our little victim... wait... XD I mean protagonist Yuma decides to go out to investigate more about Kanai Ward to try to track down it's supposed ultimate secret. Yakou sets him off wishes him well and tells him to be careful. However, as he's out, he finds out a lot of people in the city need help. Because of his good nature and unable to turn down someone in need, he decides to help whoever he can. (the ultimate side-questing lol) Before he knows it, he's soaking wet and he had helped 10 people in total. Time passed and it was almost evening so he returns to the submarine. Yuma was completely unphased by this. (and he didn't dry himself off for 4 hours due to being occupied with tasks)

(Page 2)

Yuma returns to the Agency's submarine to greet his chief holding his meatbun order. (that also got wet) But Yakou notices that the trainee is sopping wet to the core and shivering. He immediately loudly demands that he sit down so he can tend to him. Yuma does as he's told and sits on the checkered sofa. Yakou rushes to the shower room to grab some small towels to help him dry off. But because Yakou is so panicked, he ends up being very rough in drying Yuma, pulling his hair and causing the small boy pain. After he dries him off, he tells Yuma he isn't allowed to leave anymore for the rest of the day and demands him to rest. Yuma tries to retaliate using puppy eyes, but it doesn't work. Yakou is immune.

(Page 3)

The next day Yuma asks Yakou if he can go out to work after he finishes his morning chores around the place looking very eager. Yakou still looks a little concerned by how tired Yuma looks, so he tells him to not go out alone. He assigns him a partner to go with the rest of the week.

On the first day he's paired with Halara. The two of them are asked to investigate the art gallery of Ginma. (maybe after the nail man case) But over time, Yuma starts developing a lingering cough that persists for quite some time. Halara asks Yuma is he's okay, to which Yuma lies saying that it's due to the dust of the room. But of course being sharp, Halara isn't buying it. But they decide to not persist him further.

On the second day, he's paired with Desuhiko. They're asked to go help out at the Aetheria Academy with another case (not murder related this time) However on the way to the school and in Ginma, Yuma starts slowing down, he's shaking and is a little wobbly. Desuhiko notices this and asks if he wants to go to the cafe for a drink. Yuma nods and as they go to the cafe and order some coffee, Yuma takes off his hat and coat and Desuhiko finally realizes how pale he looks. He's even slower at replying to him as he speaks, as if he's in a daze. Desuhiko decides to take Yuma back to the agency after this.

(Page 4)

On Day three, he's paired with Fubuki. But he doesn't even make it to the case as when he goes to the sun and moon hotel to meet with her, Fubuki notices and points out that Yuma's face looks red. The boy clearly had a fever building. Yuma argues with her but Fubuki persists. The two of them try to go to the case but Yuma nearly collapses. So Fubuki returns him to the agency.

On the fourth day where he's supposed to be paired with Vivia he spends a majority of the day passed out. Vivia decides to watch over him using his forte to not disturb him. During the night while he's asleep, his breathing gets more labored and he's completely restless. Vivia looks at him deeply worried for his dear friend's well being.

The next morning Yuma somehow finds the strength to get himself up. Maybe that one day of rest was enough. But Yakou insists that he stays put today. Angrily yelling at him to be still and take today off as well.

Meanwhile, a certain two seem to notice each other...

(Page 5)

Vivia's spirit notices Shinigami and decides to give her a warning. Make sure Yuma listens to Yakou and doesn't leave. Giving her the iciest glare, Shinigami fearfully agrees.

But this effort would be for naught, despite how he feels, Yuma's relentless determination forces himself up, putting on his rain attire and heads up the steps of the sub to the outside when Yakou isn't looking. Shinigami does what she can to stop him, but he doesn't listen...and Shinigami being a ghost, there was nothing she could do to physically hold him back. All she could do was follow, and prepare for the inevitable.

By some miracle he makes it to the church, up the stairs to speak to the nun. Who tells him to play therapy again for the townsfolk. He nods and heads to his first client. But when he returns to kamasaki to speak to him, he can barely make out what he's saying as he lets out a few more coughs.

Once he leaves the client, before long, Yuma could hear something in his body snap.

(Note: I direct most of the story, but Vivia conversing with Shinigami in spirit mode was actually Kazin's idea! So credit to her for that, So silly and fun! ^^)

(Page 6)

Yuma's body had finally reached it's limit. All the fatigue, chills and body aches had hit him all at once at full force like armed weaponry. His head began throbbing, he was shaking violently and uncontrollably, he felt nauseated by the rain's smell, and his body heat and the lingering dizziness was unbearable. He found a safe corner in the alleyway of Kamasaki to collapse. Telling Shinigami she was right and he should have listened to her, while the burning fever and cold rain wrecked his delicate frame even further. His voice was hardly audible, but Shinigami still heard and practically tells him to go back. But Yuma had no strength left...

Then like clockwork as they finish speaking, he could hear his name called. At first it sounded kind and questionable. But that rapidly changed, the voice now angrily yelling out his full name. As he looked up this voice belonged to...Yakou. He looks down at the boy in pure disappointment and anger.

Turns out a certain someone was tailing him. And alerted Yakou what happened just in time.

(Note: I make the red darker the more extreme the temperature and lighter the less extreme. I got to experiment with all sorts of new ways to color fevers hehe~ >w<)

(Page 7)

Yuma shockingly looks up at Yakou. Oh no, he was so BUSTED! Shinigami even says as much. Yakou practically scoops Yuma in his arms carrying him back to the agency. As he was lifted Yuma's world begun spinning. He could barely hear the chief nagging him in a panicked tone. It was all distorted and it was making his head hurt more. Yakou placed a hand to his cheek and was shocked by how hot it felt. All Yuma could do was apologize and hope his world stops spinning and that Yakou eventually stops yelling... (also I put numbers for the order to read the speech bubbles in)

Upon returning to the agency, Yakou dries Yuma off, asks Desuhiko to give him a warm set of clothes to borrow and put him to his own bed. Grabbing a basin of very cold water, washcloths and a digital thermometer. He placed one of the wet cold cloths under his bangs and upon reading the boy's temperature, it was high. Almost high enough to visit the ER. Yakou was even more mad, but speaks in a non yelling tone. Giving Yuma another stern warning to not leave the bed. To which Yuma weakly agrees to.

But Yakou's back to yelling again, feeling paranoid Yuma would be missing by the time he gets back from getting the supplies. So he drills that message right into the boy's already throbbing head once more. Everyone else in the office awkwardly listen in as the sick trainee gets scolded.

(Note: Just an FYI, Yuma's speech bubbles being wavy is a sign his voice is raspy and the text being a bit hard to read means his voice is hardly audible)

(Page 8)

Yakou leaves Yuma alone and walks into the office in his raincoat telling the other detectives that he'll be leaving soon and to watch over Yuma in his absence and NOT let him leave. He is so full of anger and anxiety that he yells at all of them too.

Everyone agrees and as Yakou leaves, they all discuss among themselves Yuma's state the days they were partners with him. He was in bad shape. And he only got worse as the days went by. They all knew.

(Page 9)

Meanwhile back in Yakou's quarters, Yuma was getting lectured yet again. This time by his death god partner, Shinigami. The poor trainee only wanted peace and quiet to make the pain in his head go away, using what little energy he has remaining speaking in his head he tried telling her to stop.

But the aggravated spirit persisted, saying that as his mentor she had the right to scold him just as much as Yakou. She continued her rant, until an abrupt sound from her master shut her up.

The few coughs that came from Yuma eventually erupted into a full blown coughing fit. The coughs sounding more wet, rough and serious. After coughing 10 to 15 times in a row Yuma was exhausted. Shinigami looked down at him panting with concern and pity in her eyes. She decided to stop the lecture for his sake.

After the fit, Yuma was left raggedly breathing. As Shinigami gave him her permission to rest and take it easy, he didn't answer. He couldn't. That fit completely mangled his throat. He was not able to speak vocally or in thought process anymore due to his head being in too much pain. As was the rest of his body, aching and burning. So he didn't answer her. All he could do was hope sleep would eventually take hold of him to make all this awful heat and pain stop even if for a just moment.

(Note: That's the penalty Yuma... x'D Sorry I gotta make him suffer lol. Also this is the only page that’s actually read left to right. I messed that up, sorry!!)

(Page 10)

After some time passed it was time for the Master Detectives to all take part in taking care of Yuma. The whole agency had a day off to do this. So upon his return, Yakou instructs everyone to look after Yuma in 2 hour shifts through the day. Even if it was just to watch him sleep. He couldn't be left alone.

Halara was first. Their task was to help Yuma take the medicine that was bought. There were three types of medicine for him to take. Antibiotics (white pills) for the general illness symptoms, painkillers (red and white pills) for the headache/fever, and finally...cough syrup. (aka his least favorite... XD) Halara made sure to be very gentle with Yuma propping him upward as his whole body was burning and he was very shaky. He even had trouble drinking the water, so Halara had to get a mug instead so they could help him drink it by holding the handle, and using the other hand to support his back. Despite the struggle, Halara worked diligently to complete their task as a caretaker in full. (as for who paid them to do this...idk I'll leave that to your imagination XD)

(The cough syrup idea was inspired by this fic :3)

Desuhiko had the second shift and the whole time he was waiting for his turn, he was writing a song for Yuma. Having the delusion that his angelic voice would lul the sick boy to sleep, he played his guitar and began singing. Yuma's headache did improve enough to speak in his head now, but that wouldn't last, as the loud noises from the guitar made his head pound even further with every strum. Shinigami begs for the noise to cease fire on her poor eardrums, but Yuma doesn't have it in him to stop Desuhiko. The gesture was kind so he decided to try to listen to the whole song, despite the noise. He does eventually tell him to stop though (using hand gestures) when another song comes afterward. So then the two spend their time conversing for a bit, (though desuhiko does more of the talking as yuma just nods or makes small noises/hand gestures due to his throat still hurting too much to talk) Desuhiko even telling him he could keep the sweater and shorts he had lent to him. To which Yuma softly smiles at him as a thank you before he eventually falls asleep again.

Fubuki has the third shift, and her task was to feed Yuma the warm vegetable soup that was bought earlier and that Halara had just finished making, along with Fubuki's help. She volunteers to feed him as she remembers a time she was ill as a child in the clockford mansion and one of her servants tended to her, feeding her soup just the same. Unfortunately, because this was a memory of her early childhood, she repeats similar phrases as the servant did when she was feeding Yuma, who was clearly not a small child. Yuma's fever had dropped enough to where he could find a bit of strength to try and sit up on his own now, and his once mangled throat’s condition had improved for him to speak a little bit. As he listened to Fubuki's rambling he tries to play along with her despite the whole thing being a bit embarrassing for someone his age. At least the soup was nice and warm. It felt good going down his very sore throat.

(Funny Fact: The order that Yuma is both partnered and tended to by each detective, is the same order as the chapters in game he's partnered with them LOL)

(Page 11)

It was evening, and now it was Vivia's turn to take the fourth and final shift. At first he was just going to sit and watch Yuma while he read his book quietly, but Yakou suggested that he read one of his books out loud to Yuma to help him relax better like a bedtime story. Vivia was unsure at first, as he's never read to anyone before. But he decided to give it a try. He asks Yuma what his preference in literature is before he starts, and Yuma tells him he enjoys detective novels the most. So he pulls out the novel that was in his reading list and begins to read it out loud to him. Turns out he was quite a natural at narrating, and his slow voice was very soothing. Yuma felt so relaxed that he felt like he would fall asleep any minute, but he tries to stay awake to listen to the story a bit more. Shinigami however, conks out immediately. (fyi: yes this is the novel Vivia talks about in his final gumshoe gab. I tried to make up stuff based on it.. X'D)

Once the clock strikes 9pm and night falls, the Master Detectives all wish Yuma well and leave to return to the hotel to retire for the night. It was just Yakou and Yuma now. Yakou, who had just come back from another errand, walks over to Yuma who was now fast asleep. He looked a little better so Yakou removed the towel from his forehead and places his hand onto it. It still felt warm but no longer as hot as it did hours ago. Meaning he was out of the danger zone, much to Yakou's relief. He places the towel back in the water basin wringing it out and re-applying it to his forehead. Then he lets out a yawn. He was pretty tired. He decides that instead of sleeping in the office on one of the sofas, he'd stay by Yuma's side. His removes his jacket, goes and turns off the overhead lights, sits down and places his head down on his desk. Then after telling the sleeping trainee goodnight he turns off the small light by his desk.

OKAY FUN FACT: The comic WAS going to end here going on to the final page... Buuut~ We were STARVING for some good ol' Yakou Fathero :3 So... Enjoy these bonus 6 pages of Yakou having a shift of his own to look after Yuma in the middle of the night. And its the longest shift.

This ones for you Yakou Fathero fans! Eat your fill!

(I know we sure did :3)

Also I apologize if the lighting here is inaccurate ;w; I tried my best I'm no pro LOL

(Page 12)

A little past midnight, Yuma was stirring in his sleep. Making all sorts of groaning sounds as if he was in pain. He was likely having a nightmare. This is confirmed by his eyes suddenly opening and him violently flinging himself up screaming, and the cold cloth flying off his forehead.

This sound wakes Yakou up immediately as he puts his glasses back on asking Yuma if he's okay. He flicks the light by his desk on to check on him. Yuma's found shaking with tears in his eyes stating quietly that it was just a dream. Yakou sympathizes with Yuma as fever dreams were usually not fun, but a fever NIGHTMARE was always bad. The chief offers the shaking trainee some water to try to help him settle down.

(FYI: Shinigami is going to be absent from this part of the story because I think her banter and antics would ruin the fluff, so she'll just be lurking above in the shelf like a cat the whole time.)

(Page 13)

Yuma accepts the water practically snatching it from Yakou's hands and quickly gulping it down. Yakou tells him to pace himself not wanting him to choke. Once he exhales from the water drink, Yuma sheepishly apologizes for waking Yakou up with his scream, feeling like a burden. Yakou reassures him it's okay and decides to ask him the question of why he pushed himself this far while he was still awake. Hard enough to make himself sick. Why did he do it?

Yuma was surprised by this but decides to try to tell him. He hands the water glass back and began talking. Under his raspy voice and somewhat heavy breathing, he says that he wanted to be useful as he felt like a burden to everyone since he lost his memory. He also says that he likes helping others and that it feels familiar to him. Determined to try to unlock a core memory of his past he kept doing this, even to the point of pushing his limits.

Then he suddenly stopped speaking...

(Page 14)

...aaand cue the coughing fit. Yuma's throat got scratchy and irritated after his long explanation, causing him to cough about 5/8 times in a row. Not as bad as his previous fit but it was more than enough to startle and worry Yakou.

Yakou quickly hands Yuma the water glass he had just taken from him hoping it would soothe his throat. He tells him that helping others is a good thing but he shouldn't push himself to the point that his health gets affected. Yuma quietly nods and as he sips the water still shaking, Yakou feels bad and decides to apologize to him for being harsh before. Stating that he only lost his temper because he was scared and worried for him. He also places his hand to Yuma's cheek in both comfort and to check his temperature. It felt slightly warmer than a few hours ago.

Yuma quietly apologizes to Yakou for worrying him, still holding the water glass. Yakou forgives him. Then he takes the glass from him and then the towel that fell off Yuma's forehead. He grabs a fresh one and soaks it in the basin wringing it out and places it back on the trainee’s forehead unintentionally a bit roughly. Yuma groans and shivers a little from the cold of it.

Yakou then lies Yuma back down, tucking him back in trying to make him comfortable. But his actions were a bit too comforting. He was not meaning to in any way and he wasn't sure what came over him, but he was treating Yuma like a little kid. Yuma notices and feels a little embarrassed by it, but decides to only say it in his head.

Yakou decides to do one more thing before he lets him go back to sleep.

(Note: Hey far as anyone's concerned Yuma, you are practically his BABY when you are having a sick day, so deal with it hehehe :3c)

(Page 15)

Temperature taking page time :D (my favorite, teehee! I know some cultures and in anime they take the temperature under the arm, but there's just something so endearing and adorable about a sickie with a thermometer in their mouth <3 OKAY MY RAMBLING ASIDE...)

Yakou is now a bit concerned that Yuma's fever spiked again after that little harsh coughing fit so he decides to take his temperature one more time before letting Yuma go to sleep again. Yuma obliges and goes along with it opening his mouth as the device is inserted.

After 15 seconds the device beeps and Yakou takes it out. Yuma shyly pulls the duvet up to his face and hides as he meekly asks if its any better feeling a little nervous. Yakou responds that it is better than it was the first time, where it was a dangerous degree.

However, he still wasn't out of the woods yet. The fever was still there and although it went down, it was still in the red. Yakou states that he's still feverish to which Yuma just apologizes. Poor thing just wants this to be over, he really doesn't want to trouble anyone anymore.

(sorry yuma I can't let you off that easily hehe 😈)

(also yes I put an instruction manual for how the thermometer works, I am so obsessed that I even give the thermometer lore LMAO. Sorry if I'm inaccurate in any of those readings. I used google... ^^;)

(Page 16)

Yakou places the thermometer back on the desk and tells Yuma to go to sleep. Saying the fever will likely break by morning. To which Yuma states that he's in Yakou's bed and that he should return to the checkered sofa so his boss could sleep, attempting to try getting up. But Yakou puts a hand on his shoulder stopping him and denies this and says his desk is fine and that Yuma needed the bed more than him.

He also says that if Yuma had another bad dream that he would be there for him. Yuma smiles at Yakou quietly thanking him as he's tucked back into the duvet. Yakou pats it gently telling the trainee to close his eyes.

It isn't long before Yuma is back to being fast asleep. (and shinigami too)

Yakou monologues to himself for a bit groaning at how much trouble this small detective has been for him since he showed up. But then he switches his tune and places a hand to Yuma's head petting it softly. He says he's happy he's working hard for the sake of his memories but right now he needs to work on getting better. Saying it would help everyone in the agency if he wanted to help people.

He wishes him well continuing to pet his head for a bit longer to soothe him before going back to sleep himself turning the light off again.

(Page 17)

2 hours later, Yuma was stirring and whining in his sleep once again. Yakou groggily wakes up wiping his tired eyes upon hearing the soft noises the small trainee was uttering. And he was crying again. Can only be one thing: Another nightmare.

Instead of turning the light on to wake him up, Yakou moves his chair close to him sitting at his side. Not saying a single word. (cept in his head lol) He reaches his hand for Yuma's as it twitches and he takes hold of it gently.

Yakou eventually leans on the bed as he does so and falls asleep sitting up again. Yuma's groaning and and heavy breathing begin to settle down a little as he felt Yakou's presence close by.

Then he smiles as he closes his hand in his sleep holding Yakou's hand back, leaning a bit close to it. He felt safe again... <3

(Note: This poor thing has way too much trauma... ;w; I headcanon that he's prone to night terrors on occasion, but when he gets a fever, its even WORSE. Fevers do be messing with your head... x3)

(Page 18 Final)

The next morning when Yakou wakes up, he checks on Yuma. He still felt slightly warm but he looked much better. Seemed the worst was over and it would likely last just one more day.

When he's fully awake and at his desk, Desuhiko shows up asking Yakou if Yuma's okay and offered to wake him up. Yakou denies it saying Yuma needed one more day of rest, the fever may have been only slight now, but in the rain it would rise again easily.

Desuhiko agrees and declares that he's going to work hard today. Likely to make up for Yuma's absence. Yakou teases him and the two have a bit of a banter.

Yuma meanwhile is asleep peacefully. Still having a slight red tint to his cheeks, but he's able to sleep a lot easier now. His fever was slowly but surely breaking. (now in the yellow) Shinigami sleeps beside him, making sure she protects him from any nightmares in yakou's absence. (after all only SHE can give her master nightmares)

He wakes up fully recovered the following morning thanking everyone for taking such good care of him, and he makes sure to not push himself anymore. And continues searching for the city's ultimate secret while pacing himself to help others from now on.

THE END ❤️

(I practically made this into a sickfic in its own right... XD)

Thanks for reading!! Hope you enjoyed!! This is just a little artist credit page I made for Kazin and I c: Also art semi-face reveal?? xD Kinda?? Idk lol (we just two gals that like our sick comfort haha x3)

Anyway thank you again Kazin for doing this with me!! It was hard work but it was a blast and the final result came out amazing. Its surely a project I will cherish forever~ 💜🩷✨🌡️

A wholesome story to start 2024 on a good note.

[liches-covered-in-lich]

A bit late but *glares at tumblr* it's better be late than never ey?

But here is my 2023 art roundup! :D

General retrospectives under the cut per month if anyone is curious 😘

Jan: This was a gift I made for a buddy of mine! It was of his oc that the friend group collectively simped for and cultivated together, as a family. He's a great lad and a starting point for me to use stock textures for the general look of my art

Feb: An older design of my Miraak, but I really still like this piece. It was the starting point of me trying to learn how to draw characters interacting together. While I do think I can improve in some aspects, I still think it holds up really well and looks super cute!

Mar: Ah, gore. This was the beginning of me doing a 'soft' art style. It's of a melting Emperor Belos for the Tales of a Tyrant Zine (I believe the link is still active for access to the pdf? If curious, I should still have it around somewhere. It's pretty sick ngl). I really like this piece, it helped me deal with my imposter's syndrome in the group of Amazing artists as they really liked this piece of mine! And generally I love drawing gore

Apr: This was a commission for someone on tumblr! I used my softer style for this piece and had fun figuring out how to make the light imposing but not loose the main colors and details! Also fun fact - I had a friend pose for me holding a sign so I can get GOOD hand references as google was no help

May: Ah the first full drawing on Krita. This was a test on the art program as Autodesk Sketchbook was no longer working for me on desktop (tho I still use it for my ipad art!). It's of my HOK who I don't talk much about as they're just a Dude. Sorry Jhyth, I should do more with you

Jun: This bitch. Elyden I adore you, you're my favorite oc and one of my longest lasting ones but. . . It took so damn long to get a good design with him that showed his personality and wasn't a pain to draw. I really like his design here, I think he looks wonderful

Jul: A commission done for my Skyrim fanfic's editor actually! She's pretty cool and greatly improved my writing skills! And she paid me to draw a mudcrab in Sovngarde! What more do you want? I love this piece too as I learnt how to do backgrounds in my style that won't kill me in my detailed art style

Aug: Another commission done for a friend of mine! It was based off a doodle I did of his oc as a gift but he paid me to finish it as a full rendered piece! :D I got to draw a tiddy window and an evil throne!!!

Sep: An art collab I did with a friend of mine! Where we split the image in half and drew each other's ocs interacting! It's actually the same dude as the Jan's piece. I both hate loved working on this. His hands gave me so much trouble

Oct: My second favorite oc's revamped design, Lorelei <3 I love her a lot and I really love her design. I think it fits her perfectly and you can tell what she's about immediately by just looking at her. I adore this lady (also fun fact, she's the older sister of Elyden!). This drawing means a lot to me as it was me figuring out that I like drawing character references only in more fun poses in a sense

Nov: Funny thing, I finished that drawing yesterday. But it's a reference of my Rahgot! I chose this as my Nov piece as I feel like it was when I was getting better at character designs. In terms of practicality, function, aesthetics, colors, and visual language

Dec: A commission for an old friend of mine that I knew since...fuck me, I think...6 years? He wanted me to draw an antagonist for his body horror gundom ttrpg campaign! Even though he doesn't draw, his designs fuck so hard and I'm so glad I got to draw one fully <3 I love this piece and I think it was a great send off to the end of this year

I feel like I exploded in improvement this year. My skills and my methods for art became more practical and made my life a bit easier in general in the process (especially in the coloring department). And I cannot wait to see what I'll make for next year :D

Thank you all for coming with me to this journey <3 and have a blessed new year

[domos-gallery-wall]

Alrighty, now that everything's a bit more settled, here we go: I cannot believe this is finished, Smy and I have been scheming this up since the end of April and I think we can both say just how proud we are of making this together. I learned a lot as an artist here and the entire process was just so much more than I usually do.

Long post under cut!!!

The idea was simple, but I tried out many new things this time around! I wanted to focus on the light specifically because it was so important as a character in both in the art and the story. A technique I used this time was trying to have a higher contrast in the light and lower contrast in the shadows.

For the composition I used the rule of thirds (like I usually do) but I also was experimenting with first and secondary subjects (Curt/Owen and the table with the radio and bottles) Finally I had leading lines forming an x with their combined hands at the intersection. I really wanted where they touched to be focal points with higher clarity and prominence.

I did SO much research here, for the 1950s hotel rooms, the suits, etc. Smy helped out so much with making it really historically accurate with the song and radio! https://www.vintag.es/2019/04/1950s-and-1960s-american-hotel-rooms.html

Not only with the research, but I did the whole proper process with thumbnails, floor plans, sketches

This was my first time having a collab with someone, so I wanted to make sure my idea was communicated properly.

With the sketch I was focusing on my anatomy and likeness of the characters, and for the background I used 1 point perspective. This was a huge undertaking with 2 interacting characters, in proportion with each other of different body types, situated in a room that I created with correct perspective, and specific vintage decorations. My largest painting yet! Rendering took the majority of the time and it was pretty rough at times to get through. My art program tends to darken the colors more than they actually are so I kept sending the images to my phone in the progress. I have sent 136 emails of the image in progress to my phone!

I am so so proud of what I was able to do here and improve as an artist. The background I am especially proud of (This is a zoom in kind of painting!). I was going for a more real, down to Earth tone so I kept my colors and rendering very subtle. It was a tricky balance for sure! The radio by itself took me around 3 hours because I kept messing with it!!

Finally I used a variety of filters to give it a more vintage look, a bit of desaturation here, a bit of sepia there. Funnily enough, I made a filter out of another painting of mine (Andrew Neiman piece) to give it that yellowish tone!

As a birthday gift, I'm getting some of my paintings printed out professionally to hang on my wall, including this one! So I'll be sure to post pictures of that when it's time :]

Reference/Inspiration photos: (Thanks to Smy for the screenshots!)

You Belong To Me

Prompt: First Kiss/Pre-Canon "Owen had internally used a lot of words to describe Curt over the course of their partnership- stubborn, charming, irritating, gorgeous, chaotic. But he had never considered him to be gentle."

Rating: Gen Word Count: 2611 No Archive Warnings Apply

In collaboration with the wonderful, amazing @smytherines!!! She wrote the fantastic story and I made art to capture the moment. Made for the SAF community event, @curtwen-week!

Also, listen to the central song for this fan collaboration, "You Belong To Me" by Jo Stafford (and the 1962 version by Patsy Cline)!

[legionofpotatoes]

I love your art, it is very detailed in a neat way. Was wondering how you got started making it as a source of income? How did you get your first paid work, I'd love some advice on how to get started, if that's ok

Thank you. Of course it's okay, although I doubt I have enough work experience in art to really delve into this. I only went full freelance this year, and had been juggling art as a side hobby until then. If you're still interested in my somewhat narrow perspective, and are okay with my long-winded rambles, I'll give it a shot:

So to answer your question fully, I'll describe how I started and move into personal advice and learnings later on. As a disclaimer, I am a white cishet dude in my late twenties with a moderate cocktail of mental illnesses, but overall I can pass for a functioning adult so a lot I have to say may come laced with privilege I cannot fully identify.

So uhh I began drawing in around 2012? I think? Maybe halfway through 2011? And I mostly made fanart for things I enjoyed and tried to branch out in communities that felt nourishing to my style and interests (I caught a bug for alt posters and enjoyed mainstream movies so I spent a long time on posterspy early on). There were a handful of opportunities that came from there but I could only accept a couple because of primary workplace commitments. Still, it showed that networking in a focused community was definitely a good place to start; I myself have huge trouble committing to social networks and really staying socially active, but I knew it was an essential ingredient in succeeding so I tried to make myself be involved in challenges and art support trains etc. as much as I could.

In parallel to all that I also ran a few third party online stores (redbubble, teepublic) for disposable income and would sometimes, if rarely, hit around $100-150 a month from those sources combined. It is a sort of thing that requires helper accounts on other social media sites to promote it on, because the stores themselves have a huge volume of content that translates into low organic discoverability. Obviously it was never gonna be the way towards financial independence through art, and with community projects being few and far between, I opened private commissions in around uhhh 2017 I think, focusing on offering a few styles I knew I could do well, and sometimes operating in individual fandoms (it was mostly a bioware thing to be frank). But I had to close them back down after a year or so, again because of work-life conflict and how badly it was burning me out. The reason I kept trying to monetize this hobby is because I honestly hated what I did for my main job and wanted to see a way out in some shape or form in the future.

And then in 2020 I had to quit my main job altogether because of *gestures at pandemic* and deal with a mental breakdown from all the wonderful things it did to us and me specifically. I took a short break and decided to give art a shot full-time, and that was around May this year. I was planning on opening up commissions again (and I still am), but a few sudden opportunities that fell in my lap moved that timetable down and now I'm grateful to even be doing something I am getting adequately paid for.

So, with that somewhat limited perspective, here's what I've learned that I'd tell myself if I was just starting out:

1. Being a fan of something can be a shortcut towards effective networking kickoffs. Which are important evidently. If you love something and enjoy making content for it, join communities, settle into a combination of social media websites that feel right for those interests + your body of work + your inner rhythm, and try to play to content discovery as much as your mental health allows you to. Like I said, I know that I myself am incredibly bad at self-motivating to talk to people, so I found that synergizing common interests into fanart - which I enjoyed making anyway - could be a way to give myself a gentle nudge forward and build those bridges leading to community activities, which then net experience and coverage. Sometimes even freelance projects from official avenues. Again; picking the right spaces for what you're after is key. Companies roam twitter, concept art recruiters scour artstation or linkedin etc, instagram can land you private commissions and collab opportunities, so on and so forth. Find your niche and try to kick up dust. However...

2. I do not believe that any social profile can replace a good portfolio. The thing that made an immediate difference to me this year was building a coherent, simple website with my best work front and center and a contact form on top. Every single opportunity I got came from that form (maybe via twitter or instagram initially, but always sealing the decision after going through the website), so I firmly believe that showcasing your skills and portfolio in a visually arresting and user-friendly way is a big priority. I had some reservations about tackling that task but fortunately I had help from a savvy life partner and we slapped it together via wordpress in less than a day. Twitter/whatever social media is prevalent in your target groups is definitely important to get the right eyes on your shit, yes, but those eyes will then look for a second stop where your work and rates are more clear and concise. Simplicity is key imo, I cannot overstate this. So make a cute, simple portfolio!

3. Your skills and rates will grow and change as you do. Let them. Over the years I built several lasting professional relationships from my obsession over mass effect and kept getting opportunities both from bioware and their partner companies, some small and some a bit bigger. A one-off job earlier this year opened an unexpected door to another much larger commitment, and then the work I did there brought some attention from small businesses looking for commercial commissions. These were all incredibly different projects in terms of scope and budget, and I've been tackling them all on a case-by-case basis and slowly coming into my own irt my needs, rates, and SOW thresholds. It is still a work in progress (and a LOT of literal work as well), and very much a thing I struggle with in publicly marketing, which is why I felt a tad underqualified to answer your question in the first place (obviously I did not let that stop me). But what it means for me now is that I am rapidly developing into whatever my "version" of a functioning freelance artist is, and when the conditions for that guy are met, I need to be able to confidently plant myself and operate from that space despite past precedents. Do not let anyone bully you into downpricing what you yourself perceive as legitimate products of personal growth and development. Speaking of which...

4. The shitty challenge of turning envy into inspiration, and paddling outside your comfort zones in full riot gear. it is hard, but realizing that being a miserable, self-hating artist in my early days got me nothing but more misery back was the first real step I took and what truly blew the hinges off. I was just not pleasant to be around, I would badmouth my work all the time, and it all somehow made sense in my broken mind because the validation I sought was purely external and the way I sought it was through eliciting sympathy via self-victimization (even when I made something objectively nice). It all led fucking nowhere. Except perhaps to my own narcissism that I one day managed to identify and start managing. So I started looking at things that made me seethe with envy and calmly deconstruct and figure out their inner workings instead, do studies, and find nuggets of inspiration or discover new ways to approach rendering or building up specific elements. It was an application of analytical diligence to what I wanted to be a purely emotional, esoteric workflow, but that I deep down knew wasn't. Art is a discipline and a skill, and maybe it isn't a straight line, but you gotta find some line to thread nevertheless. Being self-hating was almost an identity I had to break out of, and despite it still being like, 4-5% there? I realize its cause and effect on me, my work, and those around me, so it is with a conscious choice that I gently set it aside when I work and especially when I learn. It won't always stay quiet, but the effort is the difference. Your doors towards accepting true growth and venturing into uncharted territories, art styles, and networking will really open from there. But there's a huge caveat...

5. Toolsets, accessibility, privilege, and all the good things that enable artistic expression and profitability are not given equal to all. you might do all the mental work I mentioned to be ready to rock and roll and learn and draw your way out of anything, but digital art is a fucking money pit that asks almost too much at times. I don't got a good case study here but identifying and ensuring accessibility to the tools you need to do your best work is, like, super important. The ergonomics can improve as you make money and settle into the job, but the basics have to be made available to you. And some of that might not even be under your direct control. That can be anything from pen tablets to software subscriptions to opportunities in hiring sullied by sexism or what have you. You gotta navigate all that through careful networking and money/time management. I don't do a good job of devoting specific slices of time to work/study, and my primary clutch is iPad software which went from a good deal to a nightmare scenario over the years. So all I can say here is do what I didn't; network, invest in a PC/tablet, and pick a software you'll learn that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

6. Be nice to work with? This one is hard to articulate and has landed my own ass in hot water in my early years because of how socially inept I am, but nothing is more worthwhile than being.. like. a good person to work with. That can be anything like meeting deadlines, or sometimes missing them but eloquently articulating why, being generous in early stages, being communicable and not too wordy in your emails, having a good grasp on abstract artistic concepts and how to describe them in simple terms, having a clear, laid out framework of your working rates in commercial and non-commercial projects and sticking to those guns with grace, understanding when you need to say no and saying it well, the works. Just being nice. Sometimes that might mean going headstrong with something you believe in, or simmering down and sucking up to the big man, all relative and adaptive. Part and parcel of the service provision dance that we all have to do in order to make bank. Know your lines here, obviously, and don't like. work for nazis. or uh.. *shudders* exposure. but be nice and empathetic and communicable and word will travel eventually. Skill may be in abundance these days, but good people are most certainly not, and capitalism has a way of bubbling up scarcity. Grim, but uh, them's the breaks.

I know I'm ultimately telling you to like. Have a body of work, make a portfolio, grow, and network. But that's really how I see it for now. And being nice can be a cherry on top that sets you apart, along with the inherent irreplaceable voice of your artwork. I think I rambled on enough, but if there is something specific you need my help with, even if you want to come off anon and talk in private, please feel free.

[jadethest0ne]

35! Go for it! ✨

Oh right, for this ask game! I had nearly forgotten about it XD

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want! 

If there was one fic-related thing I’d want to ramble about it’d be specifically being a comic artist, and the different things I experienced going from the Pokemon fandom to the RotTMNT fandom as a comic artist.

I spent 5 years creating a Pokemon comic called “Liberty”, based on a nuzlocke playthrough of Pokemon Soul Silver (basically pokemon on hard-mode with permadeath involved for those of you who don’t know what a nuzlocke is). Meanwhile, it’s been just over a year since my first foray into creating comics for the Rise fandom.

The Similarities

The Disparity between Fanart and Fanfiction

Being a comic artist is odd sometimes because I basically do both fanart and fanficiton at the same time. I can understand and vibe with what a lot of both fanartists and fanfiction writers go through and deal with. This is why I feel like I can answer a lot of these fanfiction questions despite a good chunk of my story-telling being visual.

I am also aware of the disparity between fanart often getting a lot more eyes and attention than fanfiction. Deciding to write a piece of fanfiction instead of draw it out in comic format is often a calculated choice on my part, because writing prose takes more energy from me and often gets less rewards via views and interaction from readers. But despite it taking more energy, it takes less overall time for me to write something out than draw the same story, so I often factor that in when deciding which medium to create a story in.

I feel bad that a lot of fanfiction writers don’t get the attention that they deserve because of this disparity, so may I remind readers to please please PLEASE support your fanfiction creators and interact with their work! It seriously means a lot to them! Even a little message or a reblog will do! The main similarity between these two fandoms is this disparity, and I think it’d be awesome if we could get the number of interactions between fanart/fancomics and fanfiction to be more equal.

The Differences

I’m more popular as a Rise artist?

So, as I said, I spent 5 years making a Pokemon comic and 1 year creating a bunch of Rise comics. And yet I think I got more (or at least the same number of) viewers on my Rise comics in that one year than on my Pokemon comics in 5 years. I certainly got a similar number of followers, despite the differences in time. One of the main reasons for this is likely due to the social media platforms I posted on. I posted “Liberty” on deviantart and on the Pokemon Nuzlocke forums, the latter being particularly niche. As for my Rise comics and artwork, I branched out to other sites including here on Tumblr, Instagram, AO3, and Twitter (though insta got fewer comics due to the image size restrictions). The number and popularity of the sites I posted Rise artwork to are more than deviantart and that is likely a big reason. The other reasons for my increase in popularity may be for some of the other differences...

There aren’t that many comic artists in the TMNT fandom

I could probably name only a handful of consistent comic creators in, not only the Rise fandom, but in the TMNT fandom. And I mean the long-running, over-arching story type of comic creators. There aren’t that many of us. There are tons of artists and fanfic writers out there, yes, but very few that combine the two.

Meanwhile the Pokemon community has TONS. Especially the nuzlocke community. Heck, the Pokemon nuzlocke community started and was named because of a popular comic detailing the events of the creator’s nuzlocke challenge playthrough of Pokemon Emerald. You get a little bit more lost in the crowd amongst so many other comic artists in the Pokemon community, but at the same time have more people to learn from and relate to in that way.

My involvement with the Fandoms has been different

There’s been a lot of collaboration and working together among creators within each respective fandom. I feel like personally, a lot of my collabs with Rise creators has been a lot more direct and more personal than the kind of things I did in the Pokemon fandom.

For example, in the Pokemon comic fandom, it was really common to cameo each others’ characters in your comic, or include each others’ comics or characters in memes. This wasn’t always a planned thing, though we would ask each other for permission. I joined a Pokemon comic discord, but most of my interactions there and on other platforms involved brainstorming help. Not only that, but sometimes the community was a bit more competitive as well. For instance the Nuzlocke Forums would hold an “extravaganza” every year where folks voted on various categories to vote for the best nuzlocke (I won “Best Pokemon” and “Most improved” in 2018 :3 ).

Meanwhile with the Rise fandom, I did more things like art trades, collaborative art pieces, and zine work. These were a lot more direct and planned out and involved a bit more trust and interaction with other artists. I also became close friends with the folks in the discords that I joined as part of a Rise server, beyond just “fellow creator”.

As a result, I found myself doing a lot more serious artwork and even created other fics for the Rise fandom beyond just my comics, while when it came to Pokemon I stuck mainly to my “Liberty” art/comics.

More eyes, less interaction and visa versa

Again, this could be mainly a differences in what social media I’m using, but a big difference I found between readers of my work is that I got A LOT more people commenting on my Pokemon comic than on my Rise comics. I may be getting more views on my TMNT comics, but boy did I get more interaction with my Pokemon comics. I would get at least 5 people leaving these in-depth analysis or guesses of what would happen on each page for my Pokemon comic, not to mention the dozens of other reactions I would get in the comments. And despite that comic being on hiatus for a year, I still get some comments on it!

So, unless I know the commenter personally, I feel a little less involved with my readership with my Rise comics than my Pokemon one. Which is a little sad. I do appreciate you all who appreciate my work, but I feel like I appreciate you from afar and can only go “awww” at the things y’all leave in the notes or on the anonymous asks I get, instead of being able to thank you more directly.

Rise readers are a bit less patient

I get lots more people asking me “when the next page is coming” on my Rise comics and fics much more often than on my Pokemon comic. This virtually never happened with my Pokemon comic. Granted, I was way more consistent with “Liberty” and it had a set schedule, whereas my Rise comics/fanfics never have. But still.

I really DO NOT like those kinds of asks/comments. Please do not ask me when the next one is coming out. It makes me feel stressed and ashamed and pressured, which can create negative feelings around my work and make me less likely to finish them. I get that you’re excited, and that’s cool. But literally no one likes those kinds of comments.

For perspective, “Liberty”, my Pokemon comic, has been on hiatus for nearly a year and I’ve gotten maybe two comments to that effect, and they were newer readers who weren’t around at the time that I announced my hiatus and the reasons thereof. My “Liberty” readers have been so patient with me (bless them), and I feel a real loyalty to that kind of readership. I don’t know when, yet, but I really want to get back to “Liberty” someday, not just for myself or that story that I lovingly crafted, but also for them.

Pokemon was a hobby, Rise is a passion

Likely due to the fact that I have made a lot of close friends within the Rise community, and the fact that it has helped me immensely through this really tough year, I feel so much closer with the Rise creator community. Pokemon was a thing that I did for fun as a side hobby. My TMNT related comics and art have pushed me so much further in my art, gotten me involved in various projects, gotten me into creating animations, holy heck was I sucked into this fandom in such a short amount of time, and I love it so much.

I have been a fan of Pokemon since I was a kid, and I never thought I’d find a piece of media that would capture my attention and adoration as much. I think at a point when I was shifting from the Pokemon to the Rise fandom I said something along the lines of “I feel like I’m cheating on Pokemon with Rise”/j but it’s kinda true, haha!

In the end, both fandoms and the people in them mean a lot to me, and I’ve grown a lot from them as an artist and a person. I will be forever grateful to the other creators, readers, artists, writers, friends, collaborators, etc in both.

Thank you all very much!

[deitiesofduat]

BASTET: “As it turns out, the project has been due for this type of update for some time -- which the artist @tenicola​ (aka @teninini, colacanvas, and "Teni") finally got around to, after having enough headspace to approach it. 

“And just to avoid worrying anyone seeing this -- nope, Teni is not dropping DEITIES project anytime soon. She's not going anywhere, and neither am I! Or the rest of my pantheon! 

“But Teni mentioned she was worried about projecting that outcome, due to how inactive she's been online, and how quiet she's been about progress. She's hoping this update can add some clarity on what's actually going on, and what to expect going forward.”

“The rest of this update is below the cut, as text mixed with panels. It's on the long-ish side, and while it's best to skim through everything for context, you can also skip to the section "SHIFT IN [PUBLIC] SCOPE" if you just want to get to the point.

“Without further ago, let's start with some history that Teni wanted to share for full context -- again, under the cut!”

--------------------------------------------------

[ HISTORY OF DEITIES PROJECT ]

BASTET: “DEITIES Project -- and the main story for said project (Deities of Duat: The Chaos Seal), which is intended as a long form webcomic -- has been in development, privately and offline, since late 2014. Teni meant to keep it private for as long as possible, until she felt “ready” to share it.

“However, she was motivated to take the plunge and reveal the project's existence with these color tests and with this comic, as part of her coursework for her visual storytelling class. You know the one…”

“The surge of encouragement from both her classmates and her followers motivated Teni to create this blog -- the one you're visiting right now! It was Teni's full intention to use this blog to share progress on the main story, as a full-length webcomic, while building and engaging her audience.”

“However, along the way were a few... unforeseen obstacles that reared their head. Some obstacles were mitigated by making steady updates to the story and blog, but some were much more challenging, and she thinks it only fair to disclose some of them for context...”

--------------------------------------------------

[ OBSTACLES OF LIFE ]

BASTET: “The first obstacle was the sudden onset of chronic lower back pain -- just before the launch of the DEITIES blog in 2016. She still has it to this day, and says this ache makes it unbearable to sit or stand in the same position for too long. Among several inconveniences this causes, it also means she can only draw in short bursts before her stamina taps out, or before needing pain relief -- like heat, ice, and pressure.”

“As you might imagine, it's not the most fun condition to have when you enjoy drawing! And it's taken a while for Teni to cope with this daily frustration. She's still planning to find answers and a treatment to help reduce it, but has also accepted that she's been dealt this hand -- not unlike other creatives that deal with some form of chronic pain.”

“The back pain was one obstacle, but having to deal with different interpersonal struggles and friction was another. Some spiked her usual feelings of anxiety, and in one relationship's case, made her question whether or not the project was worth continuing. (On that note -- Teni does not want to call out anyone or guilt them, she just wanted to bring it up as a factor for the larger point she's making — just bear with us!)

“The third big obstacle a few years back, was having a day job that had an... ‘unfriendly’ work environment, and was paying a lot less income than she fairly deserved. And near the beginning of 2018, she was laid off from said job, putting a halt to any income she was earning only a week after signing the lease to her first apartment!”

“Teni didn't go into detail about those months of job hunting and taking tech classes, though she explains bits of it in previous updates. But the lack of financial stability at the time hung over her head constantly. The way she put it was: ‘It was hard to motivate myself to indulge in something I loved, but that didn't provide income, while I was in the middle of an extended job hunt.’"

“She didn't expect all these obstacles in succession when she launched the project. And she admits that she felt a combination of frustration, impatience, and disappointment for not updating the project at the same pace she started.”

“This was not because of any pressure from followers -- she told me you all have been incredibly understanding and patient! It was because of the fact that the project had been publicly promoted for so long, and she set her own expectations and goals so high -- without factoring the likelihood of life getting in the way. There was also the lingering fear of disappointing a lot of people, if one day she had no choice but to stop the project for her own livelihood and health.”

“Ah, why am I adding to this creative angst -- Teni didn't want this to be a sob story! I'll move on haha.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ IN A BETTER PLACE ]

BASTET: “Thankfully, in spite of all those obstacles, things are turning around for Teni in this new decade. A year ago she found a job with a feasible income to support herself, and an overall healthy work environment within her team. She's also fostered healthier relationships with her family and friends, and even made closer connections with the best friends she's had for ages!”

“And while her back pain is… still there, it's a manageable part of life that she's still determined to find answers for and improve.

“Not to mention that in the past year, she's been able to work on other projects, more quietly, and indulge in drawing other characters and fanart for fun. She's consumed more of her favorite media in the interim as well to support others, and to sate her own curiosity and interests.”

“Moving on to how this relates to this update, now that we have some backdrop for what's been happening...”

--------------------------------------------------

[ AREAS OF INTEREST ]

BASTET: “Again, Teni is not dropping DEITIES Project -- she admits the fear of having to make that call had crossed her mind, but it's not something she thinks she'll need to reconsider right now. Her bigger concern has been how to approach this project publicly, moving forward. And after giving it some thought, she's made some observations that may shed light on this answer.

“Teni wanted me to emphasize the idea of her doing a ‘reset’ for the public presentation and development of DEITIES Project -- not to change or hide the development thus far, but to reframe the project's scope -- what it's focus and goals are, more or less.

“...Oh-- looks like she made some visuals to help with this -- you two mind lending me a hand?”

“You all might have figured it out by now, but Teni absolutely loves drawing character art and designs. She also likes panel-style comics, as well as the dialogue, expressions, and SFX that comes with it. She can work on them offline without prompting, but she also loves sharing what she comes up with!

“What she's less fond of sharing is some of the other... *ahem* unmentionables and time-consuming work that comes with traditional comics. Things that take hours to set up and hours to practice, let alone execute for the final product -- an unfortunate hurdle when you're a one-person production team, and you can only draw in small bursts at a time.”

“She initially tried to put off the more indulgent art that she liked, in order to focus the less-favored obligations... but she realized that this just made her feel demotivated to work on anything, and less got completed as a result.”

“Overall, Teni's coming to terms with both her own limitations and her personal drive, and wants to shift her priorities accordingly for the project -- even if it goes against the grain of what's considered ‘good’  or well-meaning advice for a personal project.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ SHIFT IN [PUBLIC] SCOPE ]

BASTET: “Instead of treating the DEITIES main story/comic as the ‘end game’ goal of this project -- and pouring all her available energy in preparing for it and hyping it up -- Teni wants to shift the main story as a future, and more private ambition, until she's in a better place to execute it and share it publicly.

“No, she does not have any estimate or TBD date for when this will be, or when she'll make public updates on it’s progress or launch. It may even remain private indefinitely. And for now, she's okay with this.

“Because (1) The main story "The Chaos Seal" is not the only story that's worth telling from this project. Smaller side- and backstories, and even small character interactions, have their merit as well -- something Teni learned from drawing askbox responses, completing memes with the cast, and character exploration with friends. And with the main story not sucking up all the oxygen, she thinks it'll leave room to tackle the others more easily -- whether they're planned ahead of time or are spur-of-the-moment, and as comics or different formats.

“(2) Removing the DEITIES main story from its public pedestal will also allow her to work on other non-DEITIES things as they crop up -- and with less irrational guilt to indulge in things that aren't ‘priority’ for completing the comic. Meaning more art of her original characters, fanart, giftart, collabs, memes and bandwagons, and other smaller projects. Heck, she might even give herself permission to relax.

“And (3), perhaps most importantly -- Teni realized that DEITIES Project shouldn’t have to start and end with the so-called main story, and placing the story aside wouldn’t mean the project suddenly becomes a waste of time -- as she originally worried about projecting when her life took a twist.

“DEITIES Project just… is. It already exists, and the characters and world already exist -- with or without a completed webcomic to validate that existence.”

“But anyway, I side-tracked. The point is, Teni's planning to shift DEITIES project to just that -- a project, with room to continually grow, explore, and experiment with, and to engage with others as she feels comfortable, without the pressure of having a giant epic to tell.

“So while the main story and comic is going to shift to something more gradual and private -- the way it was originally meant to be -- this shift in scope will help adjust the project’s longevity, and also set the stage for some changes to be made around the blog, and for the public presentation for DEITIES.” 

“However, that content will be less scheduled and remain sporadic -- things will ‘happen when they happen,’ but what Teni has in mind will hopefully be enjoyable for those following the project.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ WHAT'S NEXT-- ]

BASTET: “Here’s the thing: we actually had more to share, but Teni made the call to save it all for another day -- to avoid making this update longer than needed, and to also avoid announcing any plans prematurely. No need to risk building pressure all over again or burning out, right?

“She asks for everyone’s patience and to give her another few weeks to re-calibrate things, address pressing questions, and work on some overdue housekeeping on the blog -- and to just draw whatever pops to her mind, cuz hey, why not? After that, she'll wait until any project items are already in the works and on the road to completion, before she announces that they're coming -- an ‘under-promise but over-deliver’ approach.

“But one thing you can look forward to are more featured deities from the main cast and the supporting cast -- including those colors tests she's been working on since last year, and then some! There's no shortage of inspiration or fodder, so to speak.”

--------------------------------------------------

[ IN CONCLUSION ]

BASTET: “So to recap! DEITIES Project will be shifting its scope and priorities, so that the main story and comic is developed more privately, and more characters and lore will be explored online at a more manageable pace. On the surface, that may not look like much is changing, but hopefully this update can make expectations more clear.

“Teni knows that there may be some in the audience who may feel down about this decision, or who were looking forward to the webcomic to be completed above all else. She says that's totally fair, and encourages anyone looking for stories to check out her recommendations. But she also hopes you'll understand, and be willing to stick around for other content in the meantime.”

"That brings Teni -- and me -- to one final point. Which is to sincerely thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and patience these past few years. In addition to things that are still in the works, there's a lot of content on this blog that had been inspired by everyone's engagement, which we can't thank you enough for!

“Teni and I, and everyone else from the pantheon, are excited about what’s next for Deities of Duat and DEITIES Project. And we’re looking forward to sharing more content, more freely, in the upcoming year for you all to enjoy.”

[magmahurricane]

A decade of friends - in no order, here’s to all the amazing people in my life old and new!

@shinkumancer : I remember following your work waaay back in the Archie Comic days. I had always been too shy to approach you, but I loved your work. I still remember so much of your Egg Boss art and it’s insane how far you’ve come. You’re still one of the sweetest, kindest people I know and I always enjoy the little drawpile sessions we have! 

@zlatis-art : We haven’t been friends for very long - it’s roughly been a year, now, but it feels like we’ve been friends longer. Something just... clicked when we met, and god I came on strong looking back! I don’t regret it tho - taking the plunge and letting you into my life was such a good call. You’re super patient and you strive so hard to treat everyone fairly and give people so much love. You’ve come such a long way with both your OCs and your art, and our calls are always so much fun! 

@sege-h : Would you believe I actually don’t remember exactly how we met...? I know it had something to do with the Sonic RPC iirc. But you’ve always been such a wonderful source of optimism and joy, and I love our talks! You’ve always been so supportive of me and I don’t know how to thank you for it?? I need to draw Storm and Carey doing more shenannigans when I get better!

@rainingautumn : I also don’t recall how, other than vague recollections of the Sonic RPC I think. I feel like I learned so much from you - you’ve provided me with different perspectives, which really helped me open my eyes to a lot of things. You’ve always been such a warm, positive presence while still standing firm and speaking up for yourself, which is so hard to do. I love your little messages, even if I don’t always know how to respond to them!

@boy-of-silence : You’re legit one of my oldest friends around and looking back on where we started it’s honestly kind of insane? We met on dA and we were practically babies like??? It’s insane, I remember so much and it all blurs together like mad, but we’ve always just sorta stuck by each other and I’m always so happy to see you on my dash. You got me into Homestuck, and you made me curious about Bioshock (I still need to finish Infinite), and I still remember the little art collabs we used to do...! I got nothing but good memories!

@kismeti : We don’t talk much, but I’m hoping to change that soon! I love your work, and you’ve put so much into your OCs. Seeing you tweet about petsites makes me think about Neopets and I age 500 years every time,, You honestly seem so sweet and kind and I can’t wait to see what more you’re gonna share with us in the new year!

@fini-mun : I don’t talk with you as much as I should (purely because I’m shy as all get out) but you’ve honestly been such an inspiration to me. You’re so incredibly kind and patient -- I still have that doodle you sent me while I had been down in the dumps. I remember I found you so intimidating when I first met you on dA, when I first tried to commission you -- and watching you grow as an artist and getting to know you has been so great! You don’t know how much I smiled that night when I expressed how I knew nothing about BatIM and you up and streamed the entire game live. I know we were both excited to play FO76 together and that was a let down for like, the entire fandom. But we should definately hang sometime and do stuff! Give your ratties my love!!

@oddpastrys : JAAADE,,, I vaguely remember meeting you in one of Kaden’s streams,, and then in Joan’s weird campaign. You’ve always been such a fun, energetic person and you always bring the best jokes. Deadass, watching RWBY with you both ruined it and enhanced it. You’re so much fun to be around and you always work so hard to cheer everyone up and please everyone, and we don’t say thank you often enough - I don’t thank you often enough. You’re so sweet and fun to be around and I’m 100% not sorry about all the horrible, horrible things I’ve made you see. 

@calderscauldron : Kaden!!! You’re another one of my oldest friends, and it’ll never be wild to me how insanely lucky it was that I happened to move to the same state as you. I remember when we were dumb kids on dA, and how you used to joke about kidnapping me -- and how my first thought when getting to Texas was “I should see where this guy lives and meet up!” sjkfdjkfs It’s been a helluva ride and I don’t regret it. We had our bumps and fallouts but we’ve always worked through it all -- and your art has come such a long way. You’re always so sweet and so much fun to be around.  You deserve so many nice things and I can’t thank you enough for sticking by my dumb ass for so long!

@haunted-pixel : Yet another decade-old friendship! Bronwyn it’s been such a fucking wild ride. I still remember your old OCs from back in the day; I remember our gryphon friend group, and our lizard group and screaming about digimon, I remember getting really into Kimba/Jungle Emperor Leo cos of you and your OCs, I remember all the drawings of Z and Miki. I remember Nuki and the others. It’s been such a long time and so much has changed around us both. We don’t talk as much anymore but I’m always thrilled when we do hit eachother up on twitter!! I seriously gotta draw more Carey x Zanity sometime. You’ve also just, improved so much as an artist and branched out so much?? Your plushies and your fursuits are absolutely amazing and I can’t believe how far you’ve come! I also still have the sketches you and your sister did for me when I was technically homeless and stuck in the hospital and I’ll always treasure them - and the Nack you made for me is still sitting cozy on my shelf, along with the yeen and Sonic you sent!

@nuttyrabbit : My absolute best friend!!! And probably most unexpected friend! I remember seeing your posts in the Archie Sonic tag way back when, and how my asshole ex used to rant about how she hated you for w/e reason. I used to be so intimidated by you because you told it how it is, and I respected your opinion so I was always lowkey afraid you thought I was stupid and hated my ideas/OCs. But even before we got close, you stuck your neck out for me when things got bad between my ex and me. And in 2018, we finally just started to click with our OC stuff.  Lady Luck became a huge comfort dynamic for the both of us. You always argue against it but I still say you’re one of the kindest people I know. You always try to look out for me and find ways to lend a hand when things get tough, you’re always trying to help me when I’m down and you go out of your way to cheer me up and I can’t thank you enough. Meeting you at RTX this year was incredible.  Thank you so much for being you. <3 

@finitevus : We don’t talk much but I can’t not add you!!! You’ve been so kind and supportive to me, and artistically you’ve always been such a big inspiration. I love your character designs and your writing is so so good, and you always strive to be so positive and warm to others and I promise I’m not ignoring you when you reach out; I’m just very shy and dumb ankjdjkfs I need to,,, say hello on discord sometime. And draw you many things!

@lightdax : You’re always a whole lot of fun and I refuse to apologize for your eyes with half the shit you’ve been exposed to by proxy. You’ve always been really sweet and you’ve really been pushing to improve this past year and it shows! Take time off your mayoral duties for the town of Cuckoldia and put up your OC bios tho! @nvllspace : I,, gotta tag ur RP blog cos IDK ur personal but JACKKIIEE. You’re so sweet and fun and your art is always such a treat. You came through with helping me realize just how toxic a certain person I needed to cut out of my life was, and you’ve always been so kind and supportive. You’re always a blast in our calls and I love your AUs so much! Also you need to stop having so many gorgeous characters cos holy shit,,,

@frecklefacefromouterspace : Nixe!  You’re usually busy these days but whenever we do catch you it’s always fun. If it wasn’t for your old server, the current server wouldn’t have even existed and you brought us all together! You’re always so sweet and bubbly and you have one of the cutest, most distinct styles I know.

And to all my other mutuals - thank you all so much for sticking by me!  I’m having difficulty typing now so I’m sorry I couldn’t get to everyone but sincerely: thank you, all of you, for making these past years such an amazing ride. I’ve learned so much from each of you and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2020!

[alexandrasavior]

Alexandra Savior AMA !!

COMING IN HOT BITCHES!!!!

Hi Alex! How much of the instrumentation was figured out before heading into the studio? Did you just bring in bare minimum demos and then fleshed them out in the studio? Or did you have most of it prepared and just recorded it? I really loved the album by the way!

Thank you! It was different for each track. A lot of the songs I had full fleshed demos that my band and I had recorded in Portland, and Sam Cohen and I worked around those. Some of the tracks like "But You" I had some Garage band demos I made on my own that we worked around, and some of the tracks like "Soft Currents" were just raw iPhone recordings of me playing and singing, and Sam and I worked out together in the studio.

Your music has some really interesting chord progressions and melodic phrases. To what extent do you consciously apply music theory to your songwriting, and how much just comes naturally from ear and instinct?

To no extent :/ I am not super skilled in music theory, I just play around until it seems like it makes sense to me

You described your desire for Belladonna of Sadness to sound "murderous", and I thought that darkness and dangerous feeling really shone through. What adjectives would you powerfully ascribe to your sophomore album? What tonal differences were important to you while recording?

I like this question! hmmmmmm. “honest"

I'm pretty new to your music, but, everyday I can't stop myself from liking it more. My two current favorite songs are “The Phantom” and “Bad Disease”. I've seen that many people prefer other songs from the album, so that made me think. What is your personal favorite song from your new album? Thanks!

“But You”!

Hypothetical: You’re making a new album and need to assemble your dream band. Anyone dead/alive. Who are you choosing?

My best friend Emma, my boyfriend, Mel, and like my therapist

Is there anything that you do in terms of practice when it comes to vocals/guitar/songwriting to improve yourself? Interested to hear

Try to play everyday

I'd love to know if you've got any cool, hidden talents that you haven't shown in public. Also I badly want to know who's done the cover for both “Saving Grace” and “Crying All the Time”.

ME! I painted them

What are your tips for marketing your music and getting more people to stream/buy your music?

I am lucky because I have a team that guides me through social posts, and a publicist. But don't post pics of your butt

Your music and music videos have so many cinematic elements to them. Does an affinity for film influence your music? If so, do you have some favorite films you can mention?

yes! Bonnie and Clyde, Rosemary's Baby, Don't Look Now, Fargo, Daisies

I've seen a few people comparing your latest work with Lana del Rey's. Do you listen to her? Was she really an inspiration for the record?

I like Lana she's talented, I understand the comparison in some ways , people tend to compare things naturally. But, no she wasn't my personal inspiration in any conscious way

Did you make a conscious effort to distance yourself from the sound of Belladonna of Sadness with this new album?

No, I have gotten mixed feedback some people say its the exact same sound, some say it is different, I just created what came naturally to me and used sounds that I am personally drawn to.

If you were to try to make someone a fan of your music, but could only show them three of your songs, what songs would you show them?

oooooh! hmmmmm. “But You”, “Audeline”, “Crying All The Time”.

Excuse me Ms. Savior - I fell in love with your duet "We're Just Making It Worse" many moons ago. What can you tell us about that song?

Thanks! Well my homie Cameron Avery wrote that tune, he just asked me to sing on it and I was glad to!

What do you think was the biggest difference between writing The Archer and Belladonna of Sadness?

i was alone

What advice would you give to up and coming musicians in the LA scene? Any Dos or Don’ts? Thank you :)

Don’t be gross and creepy! Don't worry about that hipsta shit. Do be nice and make your own shit!

What is the most unusual thing that you do to help you write or to help you get some inspiration?

Stalk all my exes’ new gfs on insta and then eat an entire chocolate cake

Will we ever get to hear your version of “Miracle Aligner”?

probs not

When does the vinyl for The Archer ship? I am hoping to get one of you drawings with mine!

First batch tomorrow 1/17/2020. Second batch Tuesday 1/21/2020. Thank You!

I saw a clip from a concert you gave recently. It was you with a couple of bandmates singing something acapella. What's that song? Is it yours? It was gooorgeous. Any chance you're coming to Barcelona?

"The Oak and The Ash", an old celtic song. I will be playing Sala Nau May 13th!!!!!!!!

Can you talk about the differences in recording your first album while signed to a major label and this album while signed to a indie label? I know you’ve spoken about why you left Columbia, but I was wondering how your personal process differed this time around, especially with different resources and personnel?

Yeah it was a lot less pressure making this record, I had more say and more freedom of expression.

You said in an interview that you wrote the songs for The Archer on piano or guitar and brought them to the studio recorded on your phone. Would you ever consider releasing these as bonus tracks? 

I might ya! They’re probably a lot less interesting than you think

Do you have any tips on how to overcome writers block/find new ways to approach writing ? I've been struggling a bit lately... Have you been reading lately? If so, what books would you recommend ? :)

Just be kind to yourself, do what is natural, don't beat yourself up. I just re-read "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Otessa Moshfegh, now I am ready " Conversations With Friends" by Sally Rooney. I would recommend any Joan Didion, also I enjoy Salingers "Nine Stories"

This album feels a lot more personal than the first one. How would you say it compares in relation to how you expressed yourself as an artist?

I was very insecure while writing my first record, and I was co-writing so I used a lot of techniques to shelter my own opinions and feelings, in The Archer it was just me, so it was more of a journal entry than a big fancy record

Which artists did you grow up admiring, and inspired your style? Also, do you have any poetry recommendations, seeing how all your lyrics are poems in their own right?

hmmmm. ok Hilary Duff, Elvis, The White Stripes, Billie Holiday. Poetry: I don’t read much poetry but I like Rimbaud and Sylvia Plath

How did you feel when you found out “Risk” played on True Detective?

I cried

On Belladonna, what inspired the lyrics and melody for “Till You're Mine”? That song is always on repeat in my household.

Thanks! I would say my own insecurities and jealousy towards a specific woman in my life

Do you write the melodies as well as the lyrics or is it a collaborative effort?

For this record I wrote the melodies, lyrics, and chords for every song aside from "The Phantom" which was a collaboration with Sam Cohen.

What inspired you to make this new album?

I just make songs, and each song was inspired by something different, but mostly I needed to show people I WRITE MY SONGS

Do you have plans to sell more merch? I would really love to get my hands on signed stuff or one of your drawings/crafts.

yes workin' on merch now! <3

As a budding songwriter and musician myself is there any advice or wisdom you could pass on when it comes to making a career out of it?

I think writing as much as you can and trying to write honestly is important. I was lucky in a strange string of events that started my career, and every dream is different, but I suppose just keep writing and releasing your songs wherever you can

Often when I listen to music I tend to relate the song to places I've been to or places I'm at while listening. Is it the same for you when you write your songs? Do you think about a specific place for each song?

Yeah totally!

Would you ever be interested in collaborating with another artist on their record?

Yeah! Depends on who, I have always wanted to sing on a rap song.

Collab with Weyes Blood coming anytime soon?

i wish brah

Any tips on staying sane with dating apps?

don’t do dating apps

Romance is a topic which you touch upon in both of your albums. Do you have any words or phrases that have helped you through a difficult time, both in dealing with or exploring relationships past or present, if so what are they? What is your favorite set of lyrics ever, i.e. phrases etc.

"fuck hem he's a deck", "Kathy's Song" Simon and Garfunkel, "I Remember" Molly Drake

Do you use more real life experience or do you use more imagination/creativity when writing lyrics?

Depends how boring my personal life is at the time haha

What's your favorite Beatle, favorite Beatle album and favorite Beatle song?

Georgie boy <333333333

Are there any plans to record/release that “political song” with the violin that you played at Homiefest last year? For a third album maybe? Thanks, loved you since 2015 when I first heard that “Risk” demo for True Detective. The Archer is a masterpiece no bullshit.

maybe! lol

Where is the love for Chicago? How come we haven't had any shows yet?

Give me a break homie I don't plan this stuff! Would love to come to Chicago! It all depends on timing and $$$$

What was the most challenging song to write on this record?

maybe bad disease

Will there be more music videos?

I dont think so :/

I noticed for both of your releases, theres been a decent amount of time.. between when they were recorded and released. Have you found this frustrating more than anything or is it nice to have time to sit with the album?

Well, sometimes it is hard to move on and write more, with so much time between the final touches of the record and the actual release.... But, it ebs and flows and its out now so its no difference to me now

Who are some artists/bands that you personally enjoy listening to?

Jessica Pratt, The Jhamels, Molly Drake

You also seem like a prolific painter, who would you point to as inspiration/muse? My best guess would be Picasso.

Alice Neel 100%

When you feel like you’re stuck when you’re writing a song, what do you do to get around it?

I stop writing for a while, don't force it. Everyone's process is different so I try not to beat myself up too much about it

When Kevin Parker hit reddit someone asked him about if he can upload a new song and he did so... Can we hear a new song ?

If Kevin Parker jumped off a bridge WOULD YOU ?!

Who's your dream musical collab? If you were to make a soundtrack what director would you work with?

dream collab: Snoop Dogg, director: Quentin

Can you say a little bit about the creation of the album art? It's understated but there is definitely a mood there!

my dear friend Dana Trippe took the photos, and my dear friend Aaron Mitchell did the fonts

Noticed your music has a very “old horror movie/spaghetti western” vibe to them. Any films/soundtracks that inform your sound you’d recommend?

ooooh Anything Coen Brothers or Wes Anderson

How much was growing up in Portland an influence on your music?

I would say the rain had a lot to do with my melancholy, but also the music scene in Portland has always been very DIY and rock-based so “ guess that influenced me in some way.

What’s your favorite song of your’s lyrically and your favorite song to perform?

fave lyrically: Bad Disease, fave to perform: But You or Mystery Girl

The whole record was amazing but “Soft Currents” keyboards are really something else, are you planning to write more on the piano?

thank you! yes been writing a lot on the ole ivories

I love how a lot of your songs sound very cinematic - would you like to get into movie music in some capacity? Either scoring or soundtrack?

Awh hell yeuh

Is there a particular song that you're most proud of?

But YOu!

What would you say is your favorite guitar that you own and what is your dream guitar to own?

I am not much of a gear-head though I would love and old nylon string

Do you think that “Risk” will ever be made available on Spotify and Apple Music?

Unfortunately, because it was released on T-Bone Brunette's label, there was a legal situation that made me unable to release it separately. :/

Will you be making more of those amazingly weird embroidered underwear for your new tour? Obvs need some Savior swag on this tush.

I wish! I don’t have a sewing machine anymore but I will be selling my lil boxes online soon

Any chance for a show in Toronto? I'm a big fan, and I introduced my mom to your music and she absolutely loves you (her words) so I'd love to take her to one of your shows

hahah awh <3 None planned at the moment :(

What song on The Archer was a struggle to finish? Or were they all easy?

easy peasy lemon squeezy

Don't want to take away from your latest release (because it is an amazing album) but was there a reason you decided to not work with Alex Turner or James Ford for any of the new songs, writing or producing?

-__-

Since both your albums have been about relationships mostly, would you ever consider making a political song/album? What is your stance on that old debate?

I write what comes naturally to me

What should I name my snail stuffed animal?

gail

Why didn’t you get a proper promotional run from Columbia for Belladonna? It’s an amazing album but I just found out about you through The Archer (which is equally amazing).

I can't really say, but I don’t think I was ever gonna make the kind of $$$ Columbia wanted

Would you like to tour South America at some point in your career?

awh hell yeuh!

Is there any particular era/motive which inspires your music visuals (album covers, music videos)? All the best from Split, Croatia!

70s!

Based on your Spotify stats, what are the countries that listen to you the most?

IDK! France seems to be very supportive

Any artist that you like that you could recommend?

Jessica Pratt, Sudan Archives, Vagabon

What's your favorite thing to draw/paint?

women

Who is your favorite artist / what is your favorite album at the moment, and how would you say this impacted on how The Archer sounds? Also please come to the North of England 😂

I AM!!! CHECK MY TOUR SCHEDULE AND COME BB!! favorite album rn "The Colour Green" by Sibylle Baier

What’s playing in your head now?

the click clacking of a mac keyboard

How do you like your coffee?

a lil bit of almond milk

Will The Archer be getting a cd release?

no :(

That's all folks! Thank for all of the questions, and most of all thank you so much for listening to my songs, it is a dream come true <3 Come see me play at my upcoming shows ! Can't wait to see you there <33333 amour my homies

[kbeeds]

Pre-Assumptions and Post Mortem

Pre Assumptions - Your pre-assumptions (what you thought about the brief, team, lessons from last semester both good and bad)

  This semester the brief requires us to create a 3rd Person Game in 3D, and after some voting, the genres available were racing and platforming. I thought that developing a racing game would be boring and uninspiring so I was really looking forward to making a platformer because you have so much more creative freedom. 

  Since it is a 3rd Person game, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in comparison to a 1st Person game because your character needs a model and animations, but since I am a programmer I started shifting my focus towards taking what I knew from the 3D 1st person game and applying it to a 3rd person setting. There were a couple of other things I was worried about such as AI agents which was something I never learned before but I was looking forward to it because it would be challenging. Despite this Brief being a little bit more challenging, it was also very exciting because as a team we could develop anything as long it was a platformer.

  When it came into assembling a team, we were allowed to work with who we wanted, and this was the best part because it meant that you could assemble a balanced team of people who you can trust to work on the game with you. Our group was made up of Me, Harry, Will, Thomas and Jay. Our group was really solid because some of us had worked together in previous modules and previous year but we also all specialised in different areas of game development. Me and Harry were both programmers, however we liked to write scripts for different things, for example I like working on parts of the game like collectables, and minimaps and some of the programming side UI elements, and I also volunteered to develop the Enemy AI. Whereas Harry likes to work on character movement and setting up Interactables. He also likes to be involved in level design which is very helpful. Jay specialises in 2D UI Art and 2D Animations which are crucial for the game. Finally Thomas and Will are both Environmental Artists so they can work on developing the level in which our game would take place by modeling various assets.

  This time around we essentially had all of the tools to make a great game to submit at the end of the semester and there were definitely lots of aspects of game development that we wanted to avoid and improve upon. For example, more people should have access to the Unity collab so that sharing work would be easier, but also if one of our versions encountered any problems then we had multiple ways of backing it up. Also Time management is a big one, I wanted to manage my time more efficiently so that I can also help the people in my group if they needed help. This was great, because we had people specialise in what they liked doing so that everyone could be as efficient as possible

  There were lots of lectures that I found helpful last semester such as the week 3 lecture where we did a workshop where we had to create a theoretical game on pen and paper, and at first we had these rules that we were supposed to follow and we had 15 minutes to create this game. Once the publisher looked at the game, they then wanted to add lots of different features and we as game designers had to meet their requirements by adding various things to the game, and removing others. This lecture helped me get a better understanding of how when you are developing a game you have to account for a variety of different things and you have to be ready to adapt if something does not work, but if you have a solid foundation then you can change parts but keep your integral idea.

  The other lecture that I found quite useful was the developing mistakes lecture. This lecture was very useful and helped me understand what makes a good game and what traps to avoid. For example, it doesn't matter how good the story of a game is if the gameplay is lacking and this is something a lot of people end up doing. A lot of the time developers are worried about aspects of the game that are not the core game itself and the game sufferers because of that.  

Post-Mortem - (your reflective analysis on the project, looking back at your pre-assumptions and comparing with reality)

Looking back on this project there is a lot that I learnt from but there is a lot that given different circumstances, I would like to improve on.

Starting off with the Covid-19 Pandemic, this was something that nobody could have predicted that it would have happened or planned around it, but this really impacted my work in a multitude of ways. Firstly I was not able to work on scripts for a long time which put a bit of a break on the game, however it also meant that I had to adapt and change what I was doing to make sure that I could keep working, so I started working on documentation. Since I lost the majority of the resources available to me at Uni I also had to account for that and we as a group made a few changes to the game to help us continue to work on it even during the lockdown. Despite this, I think we created a game that we were all happy with and whenever a new problem surfaces we as a team would figure out a way to work around it.

As for group choice, I was really happy with the people I worked with. Having another programmer by my side at all times sped up the development process a lot, and if I had any issues or he had any issues we helped each other trying to fix the code. We also had 2 Environmental artists and this helped a lot in terms of creating new assets and building the scene. Because we also had a dedicated 2D UI artist who also specialised in animation, assets like menus and various animations were created with no issue. This was only possible because we had a team that covered a lot of groups, rather than having a team made up of random people who’s skills can overlap with someone meaning that sometimes you could have somebody working on something that wasn't their specialty,worst case scenario would be an artist who is forced to do programming. There were some other advantages of allowing us to pick our group of people, in our case because we are all part of the same friendship circle, communication was very easy because we all spoke to each other regularly and it was quite rare when we were not talking about the development of the game at some point in the day.

Finally looking back at the Pre Assumptions, we wanted to make sure everyone had an updated copy of the game at all times and that we had back ups, and I think we all delivered on that aspect, despite this not seeming like a huge deal, I believe that if the fear of losing your work at some point because a program decided not to work in the way that you expected it to is eliminated, people can be more productive and focus on working part of the development work for the game. As for Time management, I would say it was really good minus the weeks where the health crisis was at its peak, but not counting that I would say that I was able to manage my time quite well, and I feel like this applied to my group as well since we all had assigned roles so we were able to be efficient. Overall I was happy with the work i put out, and I was not only happy with the group I was able to work in, but also the game we made as a team.

[dilfhakyeon-moved]

thoughts on each nct unit

oh thats a good one... ok this got so fucking long IM SORRY

nct 127 - i love them a lot they're obv my main fandom and as individuals they're breathtaking just like all of nct but... the line distribution is always terribly unbalanced with mark and taeyong eating up the entire song every single title track. moreover i definitely have a problem with taeyong's voice ( though that's not only in nct 127 ) and it really sucks because in baby don't stop he had sung lines and his voice was perfectly fine - they're obsessed with making him a rapper and they shouldn't ? he's a great vocalist, sm should acknowledge that more often. i get wanting more rappers but like if you're gonna have a rapper idk make it one of the boys who barely get lines like sicheng or yuta lol, even jaehyun is more of a vocalist than a rapper so making him a rapper is weird... johnny's right there anyway he needs lines too and i think he is supposed to be a rapper so. i really wrote a lot just for taeyong i'm sorry skshsjsb just a bit annoyed his actual skills get overlooked by sm even though he's nct's poster boy with mark.

we need ot10 back together soon but honestly having sicheng in both nct 127 and wayv was... a terrible move. very different units, both very busy bc they're focused on different marketing when it comes to who they want to reach, sicheng will have to sacrifice more than one nct 127 or wayv comeback to be with the other group that's promoting at the time like we saw with superhuman, wakey wakey, while he was with wayv for regular and take off ( even tho he got no real lines in regular... clowns sm ). it's just a shame sm can't even stick to their actual units and give them proper managing. also nctzens need to realise taeil & doyoung aren't the only vocalists, jaehyun is amazing and in fact so is jungwoo ? nobody ever talks about his vocals but he is... great hello ? i'm gonna waste so much time on hyuck rn so hold on.

the way sm won't acknowledge hyuck's vocal prowesses also bothers me. he's been improving a LOT and if your focus is on hitting high notes this boy can hit crazy high notes just like taeil, sm just won't give him the lines bc they're milking taeil's voice and that's all they use him for ( which i hate... i love taeil so much when will sm treat his artists right lol !!! ). he's also a great dancer but i think people forgot he was great because of his hiatus and like ok but he's been back for months haha. one last thing... let the members collab w/ artists who aren't jason derulo please n thank yooou.

now... to stop criticising sm's management for now... nct 127 is a great subunit. the members have real chemistry and work off one another very well, the unit remains diverse and the songs are PHENOMENAL. i don't care what anyone says about cherry bomb or firetruck it's just that people have bad taste i won't hear it. the visuals are always amazing, except johnny's wig in wakey wakey but that's in the past... i like the differences we see from cb to cb and yet it remains true to nct 127. you know which subunit you're listening to even with the contrasts and that's Cool, yeehaw ! i think i can shut up abt 127 now lmao.

wayv - TRANSCENDENT. seven members, not too few nor too many, the line distribution isn't too bad for once ( except regular but that's just how regular is i GUESS, also ten is definitely being favoured ), the main dancers get to show their abilities ( though i'd have enjoyed more centre time for sicheng in take off bc... that was really ten's song in all aspects lmao ), i don't know about the other wayv rappers' singing abilities but chill rapper lucas was a good pick. i'll say yangyang and hendery aren't too bad either ! xiaojun's vocals make a man dreamy ( i am a man ), kun... should get more lines hehe of course he should i love his voice and he just doesn't get enough yet. like i said they really favoured ten with their actual debut, looking forward to see how they handle the line distribution in the future. the management must be a bit different given wayv isn't only sm from what i understood ? it's a bit too soon for me to properly have an opinion on wayv aside from what i said about sicheng earlier and well, the line distribution and centre time overall. ten is my wayv bias but like, the others should still get some attention, they're not idols just to look pretty in the background lol.

nct dream - as individuals i LOVE them of COURSE i do... but this subunit's concept is a bit clanky to me. the whole graduating thing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth especially considering mark just graduated which means the 00 liners will graduate this year... all four of them... and hyuck hasn't even made a cb with dream yet. they'll probably introduce new members in the upcoming months but watching it unfold makes me worry about an nct dream with just chenle and jisung, now i'd love a song with both of them but maybe not as nct dream lol. thankfully they also hope they'll be able to have nct u songs as og nct dream which is what i was definitely hopeful for so it might happen, not yet but maybe some day.

sm made nct dream but everyone including nct dream got SO attached to the og unit it just feels like it can't work, especially since it's been three years and no new members have been introduced yet. it's been og nct dream up until december 2018, there had been no changes, sm just... handled this bad once again ? lmao. idk how to explain it but that sums it up ? aside from that i have nothing to say about the line distribution and all, i think it's handled pretty well on dream's side... even though the only dream content we've gotten this year was dnyl akshdjh. i love it of course but like it's not an actual dream cb so it's a bit... yeah.

and now the one we can all agree on,

NCT U THE BITCH

this unit has SO MUCH potential. it could be used SO WELL if the management wasn't done by sm. we could get the best bg content sm could put out without shinee and ot9 exo but we are let down TIME and TIME again. i won't even develop on that because i know everyone thinks the same so i don't have to do the maths for you skhsjsdjdhdj, this just gets me so Mad i hate sm's management so much. it's like they think that bc they've got the best artists out of the big 3 and so they can just do whatever they want and it'll pass but i can't STAND THIS holy fuck bring back f(x) you fuckin uglies stop clowning rv let suju disband at LAST do SOMETHING RIGHT

tl;dr the boys good sm bad

[zhu-xingjie]

Ok so who is this lovely zhennen how old is he wuts his favorite food how do I get him to laugh all the time cuz wow he’s so cute

hnnnhfgfhghdng okay it’s only been a short while since i started stanning him after watching 明日之子 but im going to try my best to introduce him in hopes that other people will start to notice him as well bc he is indeed v cute and v talented ;;

okay so this turned out to be a bit long, so i’ll just summarize in a list and put everything else under the cut:

name: 周震南 (zhou zhennan)

english name: vin

birthday: june 21, 2000

hometown: chengdu

discography: 整整年兩年了 (feat. 馬伯騫), V (debut EP)

tv show appearances: 明日之子 s1, 放開我北鼻 s3, 潮音戰紀(CYZJ)

talents/skills: composing, rapping, dance/vocal

likes: music, jazz, women’s clothing

dislikes: cooked cucumbers, putting the toothpaste cap back on

uwu

so firstable 周震南 (zhou zhennan) was born on june 21, 2000. if you, like many other ppl on tumblr, are getting to know him through 潮音戰紀(CYZJ) then you’ve probably seen the banners that his fans were holding during recording for his recent 18th birthday. he’s actually the second youngest on CYZJ, as well as on 明日之子 so he’s still just a young and tiny bean ;;

his english name is vin, and he is pretty good at english since he went to an american/english type of high school in chengdu. he actually grew up in chengdu, and he has an older sister and a younger brother.

his debut scene into the industry was in last year’s season 1 of a show called 明日之子 (ming ri zhi zi). season 2 is airing now, but it was basically a type of elimination show for idols/singers (if you’ve heard of 毛不易 maobuyi, who’s been all the hype this past year, he was the winner that came out of season 1). he showed that he was able to rap, sing and dance, and he also went on the show along with his good friend, 馬伯騫 (ma buoqian), who was another one of my talented faves from the show ;; (he’s also really heckin h*t but thats beside the point) they’ve also lived together (they might still be living together now but im not really sure), and from what i can tell from interviews, they’re pretty close friends. here’s a link to a vcr type thing that was made during the show (0:40-1:46) and it’s really heckin cute like…. really cute. everyone thinks he’s intimidating bc of his looks and personality when he’s not familiar with someone but he can be a really precious squish :((( you can also find the rest of his performances on that show if you just search “周震南 明日之子” on youtube or something.

anyway zhou zhennan ended up placing 4th overall in that show, and made his official debut afterwards.

his debut EP album “V” was released last year in december, and it’s completely self-composed. there’s five songs on it, and you can stream them on spotify (god bless). he actually also released a remix of a song called “整整兩年了” with 馬伯騫 right before the released the EP (it’s also on spotify). and it’s the song that he performed first on CYZJ.

since then he’s been on a show called 放開我北鼻3 with jackson wang and huang jingyu, and he basically plays with little kids and takes care of them on the show, and it’s really cute and if it doesnt make you uwu then idk what can. here is a link to a short cut in case you’re curious

and now he’s on CYZJ doing collabs with other people and you can watch the episode subbed on youtube since svt/ptg/samuel are also on it and they’re like popular and stuff so…

as a person zhou zhennan tends to come off as cold or intimidating, partly due to his looks. but even ma buoqian, with whom he is very close with, said that zhou zhennan was almost cold to the point of being rude when they first met lol. but obviously around people that he’s more familiar with, he’s a lot more carefree and becomes very cute n precious :(((

oh and idk about his favorite food but i do know that he hates cooked cucumbers with a passion. ma buoqian apparently loves to eat them lmaoo so zhou zhennan was complaining about that. chinese people cook cucumbers sometimes, and he hates the smell of it when its cooked or something asdffgjfdkl oh and ma buoqian says that zhou zhennan never closes the toothpaste after using it hngfgnfhngg

zhou zhennan also tends to wear mostly women’s clothing (and i think ma buoqian mentioned that he likes to wear more gender-neutral types of clothes as well). also his look for his first performance on CYZJ was honestly my fave look on him so far.

he seems to live breathe and die for music (obviously), but contrary to most of his songs/performances, he says he actually really likes to listen to jazz as well. his rap is the strongest aspect of his performance, and i think he’s really driven to improve himself as both a musician and a more well-rounded artist. he thinks that his dancing and singing are only mediocre, so i think he wants to find something or become someone that’s truly and uniquely him in terms of being an artist.

so that’s about all i have for now, and i know i love to digress so it got a bit long…. but if you or anyone else ever want to talk about zhou zhennan then im always free as the #1 zhou zhennan enthusiast

[cheltranslations]

SILENT SIREN-san (2018-7-5)

I’m Miki Nonaka 💗

  Recently I’ve been eating tofu。👋

For the second half of the year I decided on the goal of ｢self-improvement｣、and since I made sure to declare it on my blog〜！

 For the things I’m eating、I’ll take care！I’m thinking this and since we’ve entered July I haven’t eaten any sweets！笑💪 And so I’m kinda into tofu 💗

 Since there’s lots of types of tofu、it’s interesting〜！It’s fun〜！

 If I'm into it for a while、maybe I’ll write about it on my blog again。笑❤

  Moving on to the answer to yesterday’s English problem〜！

   WHAT SONG AM I LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

 The correct answer was…💗

SILENT SIREN-san’s songs！✨

  I feel like when I listen to SaiSai-san’s [Silent Siren] songs my girlishness increases〜❤ I’ve loved them for ages！SILENT SIREN-san、I was able to meet them 3 years ago、and take a photo with them🌸

  Even now I occasionally come back and look at this photo〜 💗

Y’know…I’m、so young。笑 

  After that、1 time I passed by them at a radio station！笑✌ But I was embarrassed and didn’t say anything to them！I have this kind of memory (It was about 1 year ago！笑)

   Somehow、being held in August

ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2018✨

 There we will both appear〜 💗 On the same day on the same stage〜！I’m personally looking forward to it！

   And I’m excited for my first FES〜💕 What kind of songs do you think Morning Musume。will sing〜？！

   At the FES all sorts of artists will appear、so it’ll be a waku waku exciting event🎉 For sure everyone too、please come and get fired up together with us！

   And tomorrow on Music Station Morning Musume。'18 will perform！

 Are you Happy?

We’ll sing this✌

 At the studio、Matsuoka Mayu-san will also come so I’m excited❤ Not long ago she called me｢Chel〜｣ so I'm super happy and can’t forget that✨

 The other day on Kanjam we were able to do a collab with them、and Kanjani∞-san will also perform！

  From when we collabed on Kanjam、a selfie〜✨笑

  Since I didn’t upload it then I’ll upload it late〜 💦

   Look forward to it〜！

Tomorrow’s M Station、please watch it okay！

  Well thenー！

Original - https://ameblo.jp/mm-12ki/entry-12388745472.html

[starryseo]

youtuber!minho

idk an elimination, stray kids was ot9 since day 1

Chan | Woojin | MINHO | Changbin | Hyunjin | Jisung | Felix | Seungmin | Jeongin

time for this. . .

dancing l e g e n d

so, obviously, he mainly posts videos of him dancing

omg?? he’s so good???

he’s a rather quiet, lowkey youtuber at first glance

like his Video Descriptions are always just “Artist - Song Name. Thank you for watching.”

and his dancing is always so clean-cut, he seems like a pro already

but then he rolled out the collabs with hyunjin and felix

the three of them decided to do a dance together and it was the best thing ever

he posted it with no warnings

and it blew up so quickly

they had also kept in parts where the three of them were just interacting before & after the dance 

so viewers got to see his charm more

and that’s how his fanbase grew

said to himself he’d never collab with them again

bc they’re absolutely insane in so many different ways

but that failed lmao

it was cute seeing minho play about with them

especially because he tried keeping up this sliiightly more mature persona

because he’s older

but that went down the drain

they were all acting like utter kids

literally playing tag and chasing the others

probably also tried having a 3-person piggyback

that failed because a) felix kept laughing so hyunjin couldn’t get on top properly

and b) felix kept strangling minho

so, as mentioned in chan’s one, the three of them are really close because they all go to the same dance club

he also helps felix out with his korean which he appreciates so much !!!!

they’re <3 bros <3

hyunjin invited the both of them over to his house once and that’s when they all started playing games together 

so now all they ever do together is dance or play

literally no in between

but it’s such a cute friendship i’m jealous

hyunjin also introduced the two of them to seungmin

this guy from his school that also gamed with hyunjin at times

hyunjin had also befriended jisung through games so minho vaguely knew about both of them through that

and they had played together in a large group a couple of times

but they officially met at that convention

he thought it might be a bit awkward initially

jisung and seungmin both being younger than him

but it was great because they had such different personalities

jisung was a lot more hyper in comparison but minho liked the balance between the both of them

minho probably got a lot closer to jisung though

and after that convention they started talking/ texting a lot more

when they became really good friends jisung invited minho over to his place

for a collab because minho had accidentally let it slip that he sang a bit

so he thought the worst jisung would do was make them sing together

boiiii was he wrong

turns out this wasn’t a collaboration

but quite literally

the boyfriend tag

more specifically, the: ‘Boyfriend Does My Make-up!’ tag

minho was just like -_- you’re not doing my make-up

jisung was like pffft i know. you’re doing mine!! :)

minho was like friendship: cancelled “?????” but he went along with it

actually had a fun time

made jisung look like a massive clown

but jisung was still smiling so clearly he didn’t hate it??

that definitely brought them closer

he also learnt that jisung really!!! loves skinship !!!!

like when minho was putting on eye shadow

he didn’t even ask where/ how jisung got the make-up

jisung had his eyes closed

and had his hand on minho’s hand (the one not holding the lil’ brush)

and obviously that was part of the final video jisung uploaded

so after that people have been shipping the two of them together

#JinhoFTW

jisung always brings that up around minho now

and the other guys can’t use it to mock the both of them

because jisung is always like !!! omg i know, we’re cute together!!! look at this fanart i found of us--

meanwhile minho is just constantly facepalming rip

but honestly he doesn’t mind it because it’s all harmless banter, y’know

he invited jisung over to his place too once

as soon as they got into minho’s room

jisung jumped onto a bundle

thinking it was one of those bouncy yoga balls

damn,, that was not a nice collision

but minho could. not. stop. laughing

like, that was the most jisung had ever heard him laugh

and jisung was there like ?? why didn’t you tell me?? you’re not moving to help me now either???

minho was too busy dyING of laughter on the floor to even hear that lmao

this one time all the guys also met up at a park

they had such a great time there

getting felix to order food by himself

(to improve his korean obviously)

minho was getting piggyback rides from e v e r y o n e

this boy just has a thing for being carried to be honest

loves the feeling of weightlessness

but has learnt to not ask changbin for a ride

because that boy will straight up d r o p yo’ ass with no regrets

changbin carries nobody okay

n o b o d y

minho loves laying on people too

after they had eaten the food felix somehow managed to order

they were all just chilling, letting the food do its thang

and minho was laying down on seungmin who was probably dozing off

and obviously felix went and took pictures of that

and posted it on their shared instagram

so now there are two things going on in the comments section of that pic:

1: #MinminFTW

2: wtf!!! jisung vs seungmin; the prize is minho’s heart!! <3 etcetc

truth be told,,,,

jisung saw this and just,,,

joined them lmao

he sprawled on top of both of them so no one could move

and that spurred on a massive dog pile oh gosh-

guess who was on top though??? 

jeongin obviously

this precious boy was just laughing the whole time

he definitely took a picture for their instagram

“all the hyungs are beneath me!”

it was so cute seeing all this happen

but seungmin (and minho) were seriously dying

(back to the youtube-y parts lmao)

after meeting these guys minho has changed so much and that’s really obvious in his videos

he’s showing more and more of his charm in his videos now as he gets more comfortable with all the guys

and his Video Descriptions have changed!!!

they’re now “Artist - Song Name. thanks for watching &&&& check-out [sk member]’s latest video - it’s hilarious!!”

he always feel like, as one of the older members, he should care and look out for them all the time

but he really appreciates the fact that the guys have shown that he can rely on them, whenever, as well

and that they’ll always be there for him, through thick and thin

he loves this massive family that he’s part of

cherishes all the times they spend together

thank you for reading!! i hope you enjoyed it :) feedback is welcome too

[quiznakchronicle]

Thoughts from a Zine Mod

Hello!  I am a zine mod who has some differing opinions about parts of the recent posts (anon messages masterpost + advice masterpost) on QuiznakChronicle.  For context, I have experience running zines that are both in progress and are close to wrapped up.  I’d like to talk about the idea of too many collaborative zines and respond to some of the things being said.

1) Too much competition:  Saying “There are too many zines in this zine market” is like saying “There are too many artists in Artist Alley.”  The idea that zines shouldn’t encounter competition is silly because we are selling a product for profit.  What’s wrong with competition?  We are entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial competition begets a stronger standard of product.

I’m perfectly happy to be in professional competition with other zines and at the same time, I absolutely want every zine to create beautiful merch and be successful.  People who do zines are able to make informed decisions going in, and it’s unfair to tell people to not create zines because of competition, or because there are already people creating zines.  Creatives compete with each other professionally all the time.  Fans spend hundreds of dollars on merch at cons - if customers would rather spend money on other merch than zines, it’s up to zines to improve their standard of fanwork.

2) Zines lose money: If zines sell preorders at a markup, it basically guarantees at least breaking even because the zine uses the money from preorders to pay for production.  The preorders model is made to avoid loss from overproduction, and it’s very difficult to run a deficit as long as mods account for production + shipping + participant copies* + spares/misc. costs + taxes.  Making significant amounts of $$$ is a whole other kettle of fish, but money loss is really not a problem.

*The only place where zines could run into money trouble because of sales (rather than bad planning) is from free participant copies.  However, a) one sale referral per participant should cover participant copies, and b) failing that, many zines both in and out of Voltron fandom charge participants for part of production and/or shipping for their copies.   It’s also possible to promise a discount on participant copies, and amend that to free if they make enough revenue.

3) Success rates: Ultimately, we (mods, participants, buyers) are contributing to various charities as a fandom regardless of the success of individual zines.  Participants lose nothing if their zine makes slightly less money.  For-profit collab zines are a different story, but it’s my opinion that there is no paid collaborative zine that will ever make enough money to pay its creators fairly at an industry price.  Money adds up when you’re donating it all to charity, but it pretty much breaks down to a few hours of low wage labour in America when you split it across 40-80 people.

We do zines for because we love creating and because we want to see physical manifestations of our work, not to make a sustainable living (money is a nice bonus) or even to generate an audience (because generally more people will look at free content than paywalled content).  We can only hope as many people want to share that fandom enthusiasm with us as possible.

4) Too many zines to buy: Lastly, as for fans not having infinite money - it’s cool, nobody has to buy all the zines. :0  Merch is a luxury and not a necessity, and having extra fan merch options means you have a greater choice in what to buy!  Zines indirectly compete with other, non-zine merch, but they are also an addition to the pool of available merch.  Posters tend to cost 15-30$, charms go for 7-13$.  20-30$ for zine + bundles is just an addition to your merch choices in a similar price range (for, arguably, more things).  We don’t need a bunch of Voltron zines on the market, but having options is nice.

Thank you for hearing me out, and I hope this offers a positive perspective when you are thinking about zines.  I firmly believe that more zines are not inherently a bad thing, and I hope you consider this avenue of thought as well!

Some thoughts from someone on the other side of the conversation, I very much appreciate hearing this perspective. Hopefully this helps to assuage some of people’s misgivings on the topic. 

[thelocalshooter]

The Local Shooter Vs. Emmitt Dupree

05/23/18

1. (LS) How are you doing today, let’s get right into it, so introduce yourself, where are you from and what do you do?

(ED) I’m doing very well, I’m blessed man. I’m Emmitt Dupree of course I’m from AZ and I’m an artist with a purpose greater than my own to put it simply.

2. (LS) We see you’re also in a group Krown Sound how did that come about and what’s your role within the group?

(ED) Krown Sound is a collective I founded, it started as “Kings&Kings” when I was in HS with Turo & DZE back when we were all close. Later it just became me, then I recruited other individuals, but only the ones I knew I could believe in just as much as I do myself. The official members are Charley Brown, my brother K Zone and me, Trip Rexx is an affiliate and he represents but he has a home with his homie Chaz. DZE is a good friend from way back and I extend help when I can offer it but he just represents like Trip as well, I’m like his life advisor in a weird way.

The meaning behind the name is just to spread self confidence, self respect, and things tied to the elevation of who we feel we can become. Everyone is royalty, we just happened to call it out and do our best to live up to the name of kings.

3. (LS) How long have you been into music? What was the spark that made this all happen?

(ED) I’ve been into music since I can even remember, the spark was just me writing spoken word, that was my first attempt at my own art and it went very well. I wrote my first poem and rap around 7 or 8 years old. I’ve been singing since I was a toddler because my moms voice is amazing and I got it directly from her. Y’all think I can sing? You hear my mom and you’ll be like “Damn, when that mama Dupree feature coming.”

4. (LS) Now as we surf your SoundCloud etc, we see you do both rapping and singing, now which one of the both do you feel more comfortable doing and which one do you see yourself getting recognized for?

(ED) Ok, so I’m gonna break down both sides. I am definitely more comfortable rapping just because It’s just talking with a rhythm mostly. Rapping give me goose bumps, it helps me vent more aggressively, it’s a faster cleansing and people love when I do it in person. It’s a whole other side of me so that is where KLAUS (red mask) comes in play. I feel I’ll be noticed for my rapping before my singing just because of the shock factor people get when they hear it.

Now singing takes a lot of focus and real talent I feel. It challenges me a lot more, especially during performances, you got one chance and one wrong note can have the crowd looking at you sideways. However, creating R&B and pop songs are very therapeutic and I can write a good R&B song better than I can write a quality rap song. So there are strengths and weaknesses for both.

5. (LS) We see that your latest single “Drunk AF” (SoundCloud.com/Emmitt-Dupree/drunkaf-prod-by-charley-brown) got a quite some buzz especially after Lyrical Lemonade picked it up, how did you feel on that whole situation? Were you expecting such great feedback?

(ED) Man I feel blessed and highly favored bro, I though it was a joke at first cause DZE & Charley Brown called me telling me before I even knew, I was just like “BRUUUH, NOT NOW IM WORKING” until I got on twitter myself and seen it was true. I was not expecting that at all just because it’s more of a throw away R&B track To be completely honest.

6. (LS) Continuing to surf through we see you have numerous features with local talent, such as TripRexx, SonnyFromMars, Jalopy Bungus, Chaz Ultra and many more, but what’s the chemistry behind working with another artist, what do you look for musically? How can we get a Emmitt Dupree collab?

(ED) I look for true talent first off, and I look for someone who really likes the craft as well. Me & Jalopy always make great music and I KNOW his execution is going to be tip-top and same for all the others. For random artist, If it’s a decent song and you’re from AZ, the hometown, then I got you for the most part.

S/O Guera an AZ native & we just did some beautiful work called “Sundown” look out for that. Some stuff is case by case basis but yea I get paid for features as well, I just did one with this artist name Broadday from Cali S/O to him for reaching out and seeing my potential with a random singing video on IG. Featuring on my songs are very different however, lowkey on my J. Cole shit right now but I have to know that your execution is going to match mine, & I also want someone who isn’t so wrapped up in an ego that I can’t tell them to go harder. Any feature I have on my actual songs is usually someone who can make me go harder than I normally do anyway.

7. (LS) Having such a long list of artist you’ve already work with is there anymore you’d like to work with? Locally or not?

(ED) My squad of course, including “Yetto Comme” but I’m looking to work with PK the Poet, 20pounds, Cuzn It, Dali, Syrin, DYLN, Brownboi, Kapo Bravado, Dyce, Eddie Wellz and anyone devoted enough really. As far as the whole industry, I’m looking forward to Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino Justin Vernon, Paramore, Anderson .Paak and my favorite artist Kid Cudi.

8. (LS) So we know you have the talent of singing and writing lyrics, is there any other hidden talents “King Emmitt” has?

(ED) Hmmm, I’m good at public speaking as you can imagine haha, I used to play running back and corner in pop warner football too, I had speed but I have now eaten too many pizzas so music it is.

9. (LS) What are your thought on the Arizona music scene, considering the fact that you’ve been in this for a while? Is there still some improving to do? What do you have to say?

(ED) There is definitely some improving to do with our pride because we all still wanna be the one  who made it “first” however, the direction it’s going looks good and the pace is healthy as well, because you don’t want to just blow up right away, then you will not understand the struggle and the character you build throughout the journey. People are definitely looking now though, there’s no other way I’d be able to land lyrical lemonade without even submitting. S/O Seamus Fay for the write up

I’m forever grateful.

10. (LS) Is there anything else we should be expecting from you this year? Musically, personally, or just in general?

(ED) Yes, I won’t go into much detail right now but I have a Diplomatic Immunity 3 minute verse dropping soon, like really soon! Then I have 3 singles lined up with production from the family Charley Brown & K Zone that will definitely shake shit up, but before then you guys will get a KROWNSound track titled “Hennigans” Prod by Charley Brown as well. Thank you for having me, Im honored that I was in mind.

The Local Shooter Vs. Emmitt Dupree

[lightscamerabitchsmileee]

Top 10 BEST songs of 2016 :)

          Now as I’ve said in my worst songs list 2016 has been pretty shitty in terms of music on the hot 100 this year with basic mediocre slow pop music, more terrible hip-hop & bad dance music and I’m sure most of you will agree with me on that BUT while most of the good music came outside of the year-end or the regular hot 100 itself there were some good music that managed to stand out there aside from the pile of shit on the year-end chart to try and make 2016 a good year in some way so let’s switch things up and talk about some of the good music that we had this year with my Top 10 Best Songs of 2016 :)

         Again the rules are the same as always:

      - The songs must appear on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 from either the American or Canadian charts

      - NO leftovers from last year’s year-end that sneaked in again this year

      - NO songs from my top 10’s last year (so Adele’s “Hello” for example won’t be on this year’s list again)

         So now that the rules are set let’s get started on my Top 10 Best Songs of 2016 but FIRST here’s some honourable mentions to start this amazing list:

          DNCE – Cake By The Ocean (#18 US/#15 Can.): Now I have to say I’ve always been a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers since they released SOS back years ago when I was in junior high and when they separated they’ve had decent enough solo careers Nick Jonas had a pretty good year last year with songs like “Jealous”, “Chains”, “Levels” and did pretty well again this year with his song “Close” with Tove Lo which ended up on the year-end this year I didn’t mind that song I thought it was decent production-wise and vocally & both Nick & Tove Lo had great chemistry but it got old pretty fast for me but as for Joe I never really was into his solo stuff but this year he formed his new band DNCE and this is their debut single and tbh I wasn’t into it at first but it definitely grew on me as the year went on.

         A lot of critics have really been tough on this song with some worst lists having this song on it but let me make my case about how this song works. Yes the lyrics are very corny and unsexy in every way…Cake By The Ocean as another way to say sex on the beach is so weird, all the food & candy references for sex really grosses me out for some reason, the Diddy/Naomi reference was odd to use since their relationship has been forgotten long ago & the “AH YA YA YA YA”’s get annoying after a while BUT the strumming funky bass guitar riff throughout the song is so catchy, upbeat & fun to dance to with the added groovy electric guitar & percussion that works very well in the mix plus Joe’s vocals and the other members singing in the background also helped the song sound more exciting and convincing that they had sex on the beach and in a year where we’ve had a lot of mid-tempo slow dreary pop music and way too many ballads it was nice to have an upbeat pop song for once. Anyways it’s only an honourable mention because of the corny lyrics but still a great song overall.

       James Bay – Let It Go (#44 US/#75 Can.): While we had a lot of slow ballads and way too many at that there was some that managed to work very well without being boring and making you fall asleep (Gnash take notes) and this is one of them. Now I don’t mind James Bay’s music he’s a very good vocalist and his songs are not bad I really enjoyed his song from last year called “Hold Back The River” and I did enjoy this track too. I loved the slow acoustic guitar throughout the song and the production was pretty good in general. The lyrics is your typical break up ballad about a love gone wrong in other words a relationship that started out good but went sour and became forced & James is suggesting to break-up and just let it go and move on and focus on themselves individually (“why don’t you be you and I’ll be me”). It’s a nice easy listening kind of ballad to listen to if you’re going through a break-up or just want to sit back and relax. It’s only an honourable mention because there just happened to be better songs out there this year but it’s still a great song.

        Adele – Send My Love (To Your New Lover) [#26 US/#29 Can.]: Now a lot of critics have said that this is Adele’s weakest and most commercial song that she did in her career and while I agree that it’s not the best song on “25” (Water Under The Bridge, All I Ask & River Lea definitely earn that title) I think for an Adele song it’s pretty good I don’t mind the production & instrumentation that Max Martin did with the strumming guitar riff with the added percussion and handclaps that makes it catchy & upbeat although I think that Max should’ve gave Adele more breathing room for her vocals in the song I thought Adele still sounded great regardless and the lyrics again another break-up song of how Adele’s ex is trying to take her back but she’s over the relationship as she ended it herself and has moved on and is happy and is enjoying being single but yet he hasn’t and she’s sick of it she’s not angry but she just doesn’t care anymore & wants him to stop acting like a kid, be an adult and move on and instead of sending love to her ex she sends it to whoever his new lover may be because that’s someone else’s problem now and not hers anymore. Anyways it’s only an honourable mention because of some production nitpicks and Adele could’ve done a little better vocally but it’s still a great song overall.

       Calvin Harris Feat. Rihanna – This Is What You Came For (#17 US/#11 Can.): For my fellow Swiftie friends this wouldn’t surprise you at all but for the rest of those that read my best & worst lists you may be thinking why do you have this song on here?? Well I thought for a Calvin Harris song it’s his best song for sure both production-wise and lyrically thanks to Taylor (his other song “My Way” was a disaster). The beat is decent with some good production to dance to, Rihanna was pretty good vocally throughout the song and I love the backing vocals that Taylor brings to the table and obviously Tay sounds amazing it sounds like Rihanna & Taylor are singing together in some parts of the song too and they sound great like I hope Taylor & Rhi Rhi does more collabs together because they sound awesome and the lyrics while simple were pretty good as well “Lightning strikes every time that she moves” is like my favorite lyric from that song & the song is definitely about how Calvin used to feel about Taylor during their relationship (it sucks that they broke up but oh well..). Taylor knows how to write a great song in any genre (It’s been a quiet year for my favorite country-pop superstar musically but along with this song she also wrote Little Big Town’s hit country song “Better Man” this year & recently was featured in the new hit song with Zayn called “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” for the “Fifty Shades Darker” soundtrack and it’s like my new favorite song right now <3) but anyways I would’ve put this song in the top 10 in a heartbeat but there were a lot more better songs this year sadly still tho it’s one of my favorites from this year.

        The Weeknd – In The Night (#61 US/#67 Can.): The Weeknd had an excellent year in 2016 with the continued success of “Beauty Behind The Madness”, more collabs this year with artists like Beyonce (who surprised us again with her highly critically-acclaimed latest album “Lemonade”), Kanye West, Future & fellow Canadian rapper Belly & released another album who’s title track I will be talking about on this list (such a bad giveaway I know but where will be on the list?? You’ll have to find out ;) ). Anyways this was the last single from “Beauty Behind The Madness” and I got to say it’s like “Can’t Feel My Face” combining with his signature dark lyrics from “The Hills”. I love the percussion heavy beat with the added creepy-like 80’s-inspired synth in the background that builds up in the pre-chorus and goes full force in the chorus itself & the Weeknd’s voice is amazing as always and again like in “Can’t Feel My Face” he’s channeling his inner MJ in both production and vocals and the lyrics reaches some very dark territory where he tells a story about a woman who was abused by a musician and becomes so traumatized by that event that she becomes a stripper and works late at night and through it all she’s trying to find whatever relief and joy she could find to make herself happy & loved again which is sad and The Weeknd is just standing there trying to make her feel better but nothing seem to work overall it’s truly one of his best songs but personally I gave it an honourable mention because like his song “The Hills” it’s a little too dark of a song for my taste but still it’s a great song.

        One Direction – Perfect (#100 US/#61 Can.): Wow this one really snuck up on the year-end this year but that’s awesome because this is one of my favorites by a boy band that I wished stayed together because it seems like they were improving with each album that came out as a group now this song came near the very end of their career before they all went solo when Zayn left the group first & started his successful solo career (who I’ll discuss later on this list J) and it was on the final album without Zayn called “Made In The AM” which I actually bought earlier this year as it grew on me and again this is my favorite on the album.

        Now as for this song itself while it sucks that Zayn is not in this song I thought they all did pretty decent vocally with Harry sounding the best out of them all and did really well filling in that gap with Zayn gone as Zayn was known for his more lower range in his voice and I thought the production was good with that amazing guitar melody & the hook was catchy then we get to the lyrics which have been rumored to be about Taylor who dated Harry back in the “Red” era and as a response (& has a similar bassline) to Taylor’s own hit song “Style” (which was #1 on my best songs list last year & is rumoured to be about him) & I can see how it could be about Tay with lyrics like “If you like midnight driving with the windows down, and if you like going places we can’t even pronounce if you like to do whatever you’ve been dreaming about” & in the entire bridge where he says “If you like cameras flashing every time we go out” & “If you’re looking for someone to write your break-up songs about” and in all those instances he still thinks that she’s perfect in some way which shows a lot of emotional maturity (as did Taylor with “Style”) because in this song he acknowledges that the relationship wasn’t gonna work out and he was OKAY with that and that last lyric that I mentioned is very significant as he knows that when he dates a fellow musician or artist that he’s gonna be the subject of some of their songs if anything happens in which he could fill that role & it’s something that he’s gotta accept anyway that it may end up in their work as an artist if it doesn’t work out and he does do that which is the mature thing to do & that’s something I never thought I’d find in a One Direction song.

       But hey this song may not be “perfect” as it’s an honourable mention because I’ve heard better songs this year and it’s no “Night Changes” (which was also on my best songs list last year and is the best of their career) but it’s a good song nonetheless and is definitely a good farewell kind of song to their fans with their last album.

       Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza (#15 US/#5 Can.): I never expected out of all the comebacks we had this year that we’d be getting a huge comeback from Mike Posner you remember that guy right? The one that sang that awful egotistical pop trainwreck “Cooler Than Me” back in 2010 (as you can tell I couldn’t stand the guy) but anyways after a few failed attempts of following up his big hit from 6 years ago (he had a minor hit called “Please Don’t Go” that never really did well and had some other songs & collabs that barely charted or never charted at all) He came back in 2016 with this song that got popular on a remix.

        Now the original version is pretty AWFUL production-wise with the typical “nice guy with acoustic guitar” production that didn’t fit well with his voice nor the incredible lyrics in the song about life after having that one big hit and nothing else. Like how he did drugs and alcohol that one night that he regrets doing, how he wasted money on girls and shoes yet can’t keep a woman outside of a typical one night stand because he’s vulnerable and insecure & doesn’t really know how to have a relationship, how he wanted to prove that he’s famous with buying a sports car yet he wasn’t happy with it and wasn’t happy being rich in general for “a pop song people forgot” & how so many people don’t remember him for that one song that they maybe heard back in the day and liked it but probably forgot it years later except for his hardcore fans and people in his hometown that he gets along with (which he mentions and give a nod to in the 3rd verse that was omitted in the remix) & in the chorus he gives advice to those that want to be famous or asks him about the secret to making it big to never do what he did to stay in the public eye that it’s not the life that most people make it out to be anyways it’s a pretty “sad song” for sure. As for the remix by DJ Seeb it helped improved the song a lot both production wise and vocally with that amazing EDM production with some tropical beats and synth that worked really well with a bass drop that was so groovy and fun and while I thought that he could’ve just used the whole song in general it’s still pretty good and definitely an amazing comeback that really no one expected at all this year.

     Now the reason it’s an honourable mention is because I thought well this only got famous on a remix and not the original version itself and if the original was much better production-wise than maybe it would’ve cracked the top 10 of my best list this year but I’ll definitely give it the honour of “Most Improved Song of 2016” because the lyrics are some of the best I heard this year no doubt about it anyways it’s a great song and I hope we’ll hear more from Mike in the future as he truly made me reverse my opinion on him I really think he has potential.

      Well that was a good start wasn’t it? Now let’s get to the good stuff and talk about the amazing songs that managed to make me smile during a very dismal year in terms of pop music overall with my Top 10 BEST songs of 2016 starting with:

     10. Zayn – Pillowtalk (#22 US/#20 Can.): as much as it sucks that Zayn is not with One Direction anymore he sure proved everyone (including me) wrong when he made his debut with this epic track from his first solo album “Mind of Mine”. It definitely broke his boy band image from One Direction as this song is very openly & explicitly about sex & it’s truly an amazing slow jam of a song with production that’s really great with the loads of synth, the added percussion with the scattered backing vocals (or moans) throughout the track and even added a bit of electric guitar in the chorus and near the end of the bridge & Zayn’s vocals are IMPRESSIVE like he really shows his range in this song and also provides his signature lower tone & range in his voice that he’s known for which is really good when it comes to very slick sexy pop & R&B as he fits really well into that vein. The lyrics are pretty straight forward about his sexual life both in the physical and the emotional & intimate sense and how through it all he loves the woman that he’s with and is happy to wake up next to her in the morning & he describes the love in detail  as he wants to take it slow and be caring towards her and even describes that the sex could be “paradise” or a “war zone” how it could happy & loving one minute or a living hell the next & while most songs about sex that’s very open and explicit in nature kind of turns my stomach the wrong way. This one didn’t as it was very catchy and the production is very slick and while it’s not as upbeat it’s decent enough to groove along to so overall I really enjoyed this track.

        9. Tim McGraw – Humble & Kind (#96 US): If there’s one genre that had a good year in 2016 it was country music and the charts was full of it this year and tbh most of it was good as bro-country was declining and neo-traditional country music that started popping back up last year made a huge impact in 2016 both in the mainstream and the underground with new names in country like Brandy Clark, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Stapleton & William Michael Morgan to recent bro-country acts trying to make the transition either successfully or not like Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell & Brett Eldridge to of course the current mainstream artists like Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Charles Kelley (from Lady Antebellum), Keith Urban, Brad Paisley & Kenny Chesney.

         The year-end chart tho was very weird because even though we had a lot of good country music in 2016 only 3 of them made the chart due to some random issue between the genre and streaming services like Spotify that’s making it difficult for country music to become popular hits which is sad. The three songs were FGL’s song “H.O.L.Y.” a song that was ok I guess and I’m glad the group is going down that traditional route but using a religious word as a pick-up line for women was just weird on so many levels and probably pissed off a nice few religious country fans no doubt then there was Thomas Rhett’s “Die A Happy Man” which is not a bad song but it’s sort of a complete rip-off of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” with the same acoustic production, same kind of lyrics & content only just with a country twang & on the Canadian year-end we had Keith Urban’s “Wasted Time” which almost made the honourable mentions as it’s such a fun carefree kind of song about having a good time but unfortunately there were better songs this year but here we have this gem that managed to sneak through on the American year-end chart & it’s this song that I’m gonna be talking about today by the legendary Tim McGraw.

          Now Tim McGraw has always been one of my favorite country artists ever since I was a child listening to songs like Just to See You Smile, It’s Your Love (with his equally successful country legend wife Faith Hill) & I Like It I Love It, I even love his recent stuff too like Southern Voice, Back When, Meanwhile Back at Mamas (again with Faith) & of course Highway Don’t Care (with my fave Taylor Swift & Keith Urban). Humble & Kind while not the best country song in 2016 is another one of my faves. It definitely symbolizes how big the genre was doing this year and how traditional country music is making a comeback and who better to lead the pack in the mainstream than Tim McGraw right? I love the acoustic traditional country-pop production and the guitar really shined in this song with the added strings to make a song as simple as teaching everyone especially kids to be good people, have manners & respect and of course being Humble & Kind among other lessons so great to listen to & Tim McGraw has had a career that spanned over 2 decades and songs like this are definitely something you can expect from him now at this point in his career and he does it with such ease and he let’s the song do the talking & frames it really well. Overall again while it’s not the best country song from this year (I’ve had a nice few in mind that should’ve made this list) it’s still really good and it definitely deserves a spot on this list no doubt about it.

          8. Justin Bieber – Love Yourself (#1 US/#2 Can.): Yeah yeah I know what you’re all thinking…”Jeremy you must be nuts to put another Bieber song on one of your lists this year let alone in the top 10” if you remember on last year’s list I put “What Do You Mean?” as an honourable mention for being a decent song with some good production and lyrics it’s honestly the first Bieber song that I ever truly enjoyed but his music got even better in late 2015 and entering into 2016 as he released “Sorry” a song that I was ok with as I liked the reggae-inspired production and the lyrics seemed sort of sincere but it got old for me after a while but then he released this song that I’ll be talking about right now and it’s the first Justin Bieber song that I can actually say that I really like so much so that I did a mini review on this song late last year on my blog http://classichollywoodswift.tumblr.com/post/135297456549/i-dont-know-why-where-or-how-this-happened-but

          Just to sum it up I liked the stripped down acoustic production & the guitars in the instrumentation was brilliant with the trumpet solo being a nice touch to the song, Justin’s vocals were on point & the lyrics (that was co-written by Ed Sheeran) were pretty solid basically telling a sad break-up story with the message of loving yourself first before loving someone else in order to be happy with your life anyways the rest of my thoughts on this song is in that link above if you want to check it out. This would’ve been higher only that we’ve seen some better songs this year and it kind of waned on me a bit but it’s still a fantastic song and probably the best song that Justin has ever done I’m glad it was a #1 hit and I’m happy that it’s #1 song on the year-end & I’m glad that it’s on this list

          7. Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman (#36 US/#41 Can.): I have to say if there’s one artist that consistently put out good pop music this year it was definitely Ariana Grande now back on my list in 2013 I had Ari on the list with The Way as an honourable mention & Almost Is Never Enough in my top 10 and since then she had some really good songs like Problem, Break Free & Love Me Harder but this year truly was Ariana’s year for sure and this song started it with Ariana showing more of a sexier side of her in this song.

         I love the touch of organ in the background, the percussion was good, I love the electric guitar and the solo near the end, the pounding beat in the chorus was brilliant & Ariana’s vocals are of course GORGEOUS despite her having trouble enunciating some of her words but I’ll let that pass as she’s still an incredible vocalist as her range is impressive & the lyrics are excellent because while obviously Ariana is FAR from being dangerous & more cute and adorable than anything what she meant is that she FEELS like a Dangerous Woman when she’s with this certain guy who’s dark and mysterious and totally different from her as he’s more sexual and she was slowly beginning to enjoy that and it’s a side of Ariana that we’ve never seen before and she plays that Dangerous Woman role very well in this song. Anyways it’s a truly great song and it’s not the only Ariana song this year to make this list so stay tuned for that

          6. The Weeknd Feat. Daft Punk – Starboy (#58 US/#32 Can.): Like I said earlier it’s been a good year for The Weeknd and the 2nd part of his good year came when he released the album “Starboy” in October and it’s probably one of his best albums for sure & the title track of this song really blew me away because he collaborated with legendary EDM duo Daft Punk who can turn any song into a masterpiece (don’t believe me? Listen to their own hits like Around The World, Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger & hell even Get Lucky with Pharrell) and Starboy is no exception with the groovy percussion, the muted piano, the dark beat that is a very signature sound for The Weeknd with a touch of EDM to make it perfect with Daft Punk’s signature backing vocals & The Weeknd’s vocals are pretty good too so in other words the production provided by Daft Punk are GOLD and it’s The Weeknd’s most polished sound of his entire career.

        Then we get to lyrics now if you remember on my worst songs list when I talked about Me Too by Meghan Trainor I said that “one of the worst things you can ever do is insult your audience” but the difference between Meghan & The Weeknd is that yes The Weeknd is saying that he’s better than YOU with all the fancy cars, how he has so many women, how he’s rich and has a mansion with all the fancy furniture he’s basically bragging about his success BUT he has the charisma to pull it off unlike Meghan & the huge amount of successful mainstream rappers like Drake, Future & 2 Chainz that does the same thing over and over who are just being nasty and mean & have no charisma at all. The Weeknd also has self-awareness he knows what he’s saying and he does say in the song that he hasn’t changed to get to where he is now he’s still the same dark mysterious guy that we know and enjoy through his music it’s just now he’s at the top of his game thanks to his fans but yet he knows he don’t belong in this famous world so yes he enjoys the success and will enjoy this moment in his career where he’s at the top while also pointing at his fans & singing “look what you done, I’m a motherfucking Starboy” something he longed dreamed of but is unsure if he really wants it as he’s just there to make music and while he doesn’t mind the success he really doesn’t care either. It’s an ego-trip song done right It’s really the better version of Me Too Meghan should be taking some notes haha.

          5. Flume Feat. Kai – Never Be Like You (#60 US/#51 Can.): So I did mention this song already on my worst list when I was discussing that horrid track “Gold” by Kiarra that odd production choices was a thing in 2016 and this song is the best of them this year while the former was the worst and that if you dare make that challenge as a DJ or producer then this is the song that you should look at for trying to do it right. At first I didn’t like this song BECAUSE of the production as it was new to me and I just didn’t really know what to think of this song because the production was so odd & confusing but with more listens I got into it and really liked it and the production which I mentioned on the other list was stuttered muted wobbled synth that fitted really well with Kai’s incredible voice was really good plus there’s also extra percussion, some trap-inspired beats with snaps & claps that made the song better & the twinkling star-ish kind of sounds added with the strings in the verses was a nice touch as well.

       The lyrics are pretty straight-forward how she’s upset over a break-up with a certain guy caused by her self-doubt and tore it apart and is looking for forgiveness as she realizes that she’ll never be like him & is sorry for what she did overall it’s a weird song but it’s done extremely well in the coolest way possible and I’m happy that it made this list because this is one of my favorites of the year

        4. Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling (#9 US/#14 Can.): While it’s not Justin’s best song by far this is still truly one of the most upbeat, happy & catchy songs of 2016 something that we desperately needed in such a sad terrible year both in music and in real life. Now I’ve always been a huge fan of JT from his time with NSYNC with such pop jams like Bye Bye Bye & Tearin Up My Heart to his success as solo artist with songs like Like I Love You, Sexyback & of course my all-time favorite Mirrors and he’s been a regular on these lists since I started in 2013 I had Suit & Tie on the list (and if I could go back I would probably put Mirrors there also) and in 2014 I had Not A Bad Thing on that list and this song is certainly no exception the beat is so catchy and fun with that bubbly bassline and groove with hints of guitar and horns added with that disco inspired retro sound and Justin’s vocals are as always impressive so he doesn’t disappoint here and he has so much charisma & energy to back it up and he’s having so much fun on the track which is good to hear

        & yes I know it’s a song from the “Trolls” soundtrack so it’s not like lyrics are really gonna matter here but I love it’s simplicity lyrically as Justin is singing about telling people to never let go of that feeling of excitement and fun and just enjoy yourself and get up & “dance, dance, dance” the night away it’s a very uplifting fun track to dance to no doubt about it and it’s one of those songs that I kept coming back to all year long and it was truly my summer jam as well it’s 2016’s Happy or Uptown Funk basically now let’s hope he releases another album already please god…

      3. Kungs & Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This Girl (#37 Can.): Now if you noticed I couldn’t really find a lot of good Canadian music this year on our version of the year-end chart to choose from for my lists & even though my #1 pick was by a Canadian that became popular in the states there wasn’t a lot of horrible all-Canadian songs for me to choose from for the worst list this year outside of ones that probably crossed over from the US because our charts are normally a whole lot better than our neighbours down south where this year a little over 35 songs were in contention and the other 5 or 6 songs that I had from the Canadian one were only mediocre at best with the worst probably being Alan Walker’s “Faded” & that’s not even by a Canadian but was popular in Canada it was a shitty EDM song that was boring as anything but it wasn’t as bad as the ones from the American chart.

       On the best side well while we did get some really decent tracks on the year-end this year like Hedley’s “Lose Control” (which almost made this list as an Honourable mention), Alessia Cara’s “Wild Things” & MAGIC & Sean Paul’s “Lay You Down Easy” they weren’t the best that I could find but there was one song on the Canadian chart that I was really happy to see because it was another summer jam that I really loved this year and yes it’s not by a Canadian but while it only gained minor success in the states it was a HUGE hit around the world and it was a big hit in Canada too & this is the song I’m gonna be talking about today.

       Now EDM continued it’s trend this year of more chill-like house music which became popular in 2015 by DJ’s like Kygo & Robin Schulz. Kungs was this year’s popular DJ in 2016 in the genre when he released “This Girl” with the group Cookin on 3 Burners. It’s truly one of the best dance songs of the year with that very bouncy EDM beat with that nice guitar put in the beginning and in the 2nd verse, the build-up to the chorus is brilliant and when we get to that bass drop it was pure genius with the trumpets & horns & the added synth that makes it fun to dance to & Kylie Auldist who sang this song was brilliant also then we get to the lyrics where it’s another pretty straight forward kind of track of how she’s talking about this guy who keeps trying to buy her love and affection when really she doesn’t want that and wants this guy to SHOW that he loves her and cares about her and that her love can’t be bought. Yeah it’s a pretty simple storyline that’s been done many times since the 60s with The Beatles but this song had good production and instrumentation to boot to make this song great and I’m glad it made the Canadian year-end chart to get on this list because this is truly one of my favorites

          2. Ariana Grande – Into You (#51 US/#30 Can.): I told ya Ariana had a good year in 2016 haha…this song was truly the best upbeat pop song we had this year and is honestly one of Ariana’s best songs of her career. Dangerous Woman was good hell Side By Side her third single from the album with Nicki Minaj was good too (and almost had a shot of making this list too) but Into You was perfect in both production, vocals, instrumentation, lyrics & everything in between.

         It’s a powerhouse of a song with this nice 80’s retro sound with the loads of synth with the added snaps in between with the chorus just kicking the synth into overdrive and wow it’s just fun to dance to and Ariana’s vocals does not disappoint as it’s incredible as always because she does a lot of cooing which works on this track and only belts when she needs to which is on the bridge with a fantastic blend of synth with the added chords on the track that builds to this epic crescendo and then goes back to the beat that dials back a little where she sings the chorus and has impressive backing vocals to boot plus her voice sounds so sexy on this track and really has a perfect balance of sultriness in her voice in this song. The lyrics are pretty simple as it’s just basically how she hooked up with a guy and how much she’s so into him. But overall definitely one of the best tracks I heard all year and is definitely on repeat on my iPhone even to this day it’s such a memorable song but there’s still 1 more song left to talk about…

          Now we get to our #1 and wow what can I say about this artist? she’s truly one of the best pop stars of not only this year but in the entire 21st century so far as she’s had amazing success from her last two albums (her 2nd one being one of the best selling albums of all time) and this year was no exception when she released her third album last year in the latter part of 2015 (and in fact the lead single off that album almost topped my best list last year) and the success from that album continued into 2016 now I already talked about one of those songs from that album in the honourable mentions but this song while only a minor hit on the charts managed to crack the year-end this year and I’m so glad it did because this is honestly THE best song I heard all year long and one of the best from “25”…oops did I just give that away? oh well you all know who this is so here it goes:

     1. Adele – When We Were Young (#83 US/#73 Can.): I’m sure I’m not only person that thinks that this is the best song of the year and even if 2016 was a good year for the charts this still would’ve been #1 in my books. Again this song is literally one of the best on 25 a beautiful sad piano ballad with that wonderful stripped down piano melody, with the added bass and the percussion that starts out very light and then really builds up in the final chorus with some impressive backing vocals and then we have Adele herself and what can I say? She was brilliant and her vocals really shined in this song very soulful as always with so much emotion and tone to this track as in the lyrics it’s about reuniting with an ex and all the complicated emotions that come with it, the fact that you may be over this person & thoughts of that person were long gone and that you’ve moved on but the feelings come rushing back the moment you see that person again and we’ve all had that moment in our lives I know I’ve had them and in this situation they broke up because she didn’t want to be committed to that one guy at that moment in her life and while she has changed he hasn’t & yes the ex has moved on with his life and she’s happy for him of course in some way but she just wants to have that one last moment with him before it fades away like when they were together when they were young & she hates that feeling but it’s hard to get rid of or forget. In the bridge she’s questioning whether he still has that same feeling as she do or if he even still cares at all and it’s incredibly heartbreaking to hear her sing that. It’s heartbreaking song that really brings a tear to your eye & Adele just blows this out of the water with her incredible vocals and the amazing production as well. No wonder this is Adele’s favorite song & I can see why & it’s truly my all-time favorite of this year, a masterpiece of a song and it’s definitely my #1 pick for the BEST SONG OF 2016.

      Well there you have it folks my best & worst lists for 2016 I hope everyone has wonderful 2017 this year and let’s hope that next year we will have much better music than what we had in 2016 :).