#too niche?? or do we all collectively remember this

[lukeslonghair]

if i ever met calum hood i’d tell him i loved him in the sacconejolys new york vlog

[orange-orchard-system]

The annoying thing about bigotry is that it often repackages and repeats itself for whatever its current target is, always bringing up the same tired arguments with some words swapped out or reframed to fit its new audience. The good news about this annoying thing is that it means any instance of breaking down and rejecting bigotry of any form is a hit against bigotry in all its forms; once you can point out the flaws in one "my bigotry is okay" argument, people can start to recognize those flaws in all such arguments, and know to reject it themselves. Though we may seem to be divided into completely separate groups working on completely separate issues, it's more like we've organized into task forces dedicated to pulling at each and every loose string of oppression, discrimination, and other such horrible things, working together to dismantle the world's worst giant ball of yarn.

If you feel like you're not doing enough because your community or your work is too niche or small, just remember that all effort makes a difference. If you feel overwhelmed because there's too many issues for you to personally solve, remember that it's not all on you personally – it's on us collectively; any push you make for a better tomorrow, no matter what area you focus on, ripples out to help others, and it's our collective efforts that get the job done. The world keeps turning day by day, and we're gonna make it better little by little, one step at a time.

[youremyheaven]

I think you mentioned somewhere in your blog about a nakshatra/s that is/are prone to being copied, but i can’t remember which is it.

Venus !!! Mars definitely has trendsetter vibes too but it does not feel the same???

If we think of Venusian it girls, people dress like them, copy their style etc but THEY become it girls and icons, kind of irreplaceable and unforgettable. Ex: Bella Hadid, Purvaphalguni Moon & Rising, Song JiA, Bharani Sun etc its more so that THEY themselves become the face of a generation??

but with Martian women, they are 100% icons and people do copy them and imitate them but I feel like they kind of give rise to an aesthetic or niche that's more known ??? like Audrey Hepburn, Dhanishta Rising is big in the coquette community, Marilyn Monroe, Dhanishta Moon is big in the soft pastelcore girliepop community, Kim Kardashian, Chitra Sun spearheaded the BBL and blackfishing craze and Mrigashira women are kind of the face of bimbocore

I dont see Venus creating that kind of impact??? which is funny because Venus is so cult-y and clique-y BUT i think thats the whole point, Venusian exalt themselves in society instead of bringing together people who are inspired by them or want to be like them??

Mars, the soldier, has more themes of community and brotherhood because as a soldier, you really have to have a strong sense of togetherness and fighting the battle with your fellow comrades etc I think??? Claire also mentioned how Martian women are the most common nak influences among "body positive" content creators and it makes sense as to how Mars influence kind of brings people together to create a hive of similar interests and inspirations. Martian women are also OBSESSED over by people. So it makes sense if everybody kind of collectively try to emulate their vibes and embody them?? All those Marilyn Monroe fangirls who talk like her and style themselves like her (looking at u Jasmine Chiswell, who apparently lives in Marilyn's old house) come to mind.

Venusians are iconic but in a "no one can be me" type of way??? many people copy Bella's style but do you see people dress, talk, behave and act like her??? Monica Bellucci, Purvashadha Rising, is a beauty icon for the ages but she's iconic in a way no one can aspire to be like, if ykwim??? I think the exclusivity of Venus makes them that way. They're alone at the top. Widely copied but they can't be replicated ???

[xinfinityl0ve17]

-As usual when i interview MALICE MIZER my mind starts to dry up a bit (laughs).

Gackt: If you don’t get caught up in rigid notions or long held beliefs i think a lot can be understood. People attach years to the concept of time for clarity but that’s just a human made record for our convenience, not a true representation of time itself.

- Is it that before crossing or not crossing the sky, it was never something that was defined in the first place?

Gackt: I wonder? Also, within this album, various characters and shapes come to light but i believe it’s important to note that everything is linked in some form.

-However, this album really delves deeply into everything from the concepts to the sounds.

Gackt: The sound is so rich that we didn’t have enough channels. Even in parts of the songs we didn’t touch on in this interview there're various mechanisms woven into the fabric.

Gackt: Rather than mechanisms everything is inevitably included.

-It’s quite a niche no, a freaky endeavor, isn’t it?

Kozi: That’s MALICE MIZER’s characteristic after all.

Gackt: It can’t be helped. The people creating this are all quite freaky. After working on this album i realized something: discussions about MALICE MIZER often tend to concentrate on visual performances.

Mana: That might be true. But it’s more than that. It’s not limited to visual aspects; we aim to enhance our world in every way possible through all the elements we can use to create. This album made that very clear.

Gackt: Absolutely. Well, since our appearance is what it is i can understand why people would focus on visuals whether they say it’s impressive or over the top. However for MALICE MIZER we want to express our thoughts through sound and stage in all aspects, so if they can understand that it’s great. Of course i believe that in this album the individual growth and evolution as a collective are clearly represented. Given that it’s natural for the quality to rise.

-By the way, will there be any continued performances of "Bois de merveilles" in the future?

Mana: Who knows? (laughs)

Kozi: It’s too precious to just give away (laughs). I think there might be a performance around the next show though.

Gackt: I can’t say anything just yet.

Kozi: Plus performing the songs from this album live requires extensive preparation. They’re so intricate!

Gackt: Regardless MALICE MIZER inherently has the characteristic of deliberately taking a perplexing path.

- I think this has been discussed many times before but can you share your thoughts heading toward the final performance?

Gackt: Just remember that beginnings and endings are always back to back.

Mana: That’s right, everyone, please give it your all and feel it.

Yu~ki: Look forward to it.

Kozi: Absolutely!

Mana: What’s that in reference to?

Kozi: Well...

Gackt: What should I do? If it’s to myself (laughs).

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

Who Run the World? (Girls!) wrap-up post!

Check out the new art and fics that were posted for the second theme of our Pool Noodle Party!

Cassandra Cain/Peter Part art by @kingcrow01

Interview with the CEO by @somesortofitalianroast

To Steal a Princess by @carcrash429

The rest of us are trying by @wyxan

glissade in purple by @bittercape

Up next: To Hell (or Hell's Kitchen) and Back - intro post coming later today.

For now, feedback week!

We came up with feedback week to give writers who are doing a fic for every theme some breathing room, because long events tend to get stressful if you do a fic a week, but also to spread the love and encourage comments, fanart, and all-around celebration of pool noodle fics. Rarepairs get very little love on Ao3, let alone crossover rarepairs, and we want authors to feel encouraged to write more of them!

To that end, please go leave some comments on the fics above. You can also share rec posts for your favorite relevant fics - submit for us to post, or just tag us in the post. Make moodboards or fanart for your fave. Write a meta post about why you think a particular crossover pair would get along. Anything you want to do to celebrate these niche pairings.

Just remember that a) these should be DC/Marvel crossovers and b) the central relationship of the fic should come up with less than 30 hits on Ao3! Feel free to bookmark your faves to our "DC/Marvel Rarest Pairs" collection, too.

[anticmiscellaney]

no pressure to answer and im sorry if you've said this before but where did the title new/old/rare come from?

It's named after a very average record label compilation that I bought way back in 2002 because it included a song I couldn't get anywhere else by a band I used to go see all the time. I always liked the title and it seemed appropriate for this project for a range of thematic reasons, but also Blueline Medic came from a band called Caustic Soda, who wrote a song called Photocopied, which was the first song I successfully turned into visual artwork, and I discovered Jawbreaker from the sticker on the bass guitar when I saw that video on Rage one night as a teenager, and then when I finally saw Jawbreaker in April 2022 I came home and wrote this comic about Louis seeing them in March 1996, which led to me figuring out the overall story of what had up until then just been a series of loosely connected drawings.

Before everything was available on the internet, releases being old or rare often meant you couldn't get them, you might not ever hear/see them, and new releases may take months or even years to become available to you. Part of being into film and music was searching, archiving, collecting, sharing, bootlegging, waiting, and speculating. These days I likely wouldn't have to buy a whole CD just to hear one song. Smalltime local band singles are available on Bandcamp, not just at their shows. Archives of old or niche films are often hosted on streaming sites, or even lovingly restored and rereleased. This is all cool and I enjoy it, but it's new. Please remember that it's new, that in my relatively short lifetime it has changed hugely.

People have always cared and now it's so much easier to share these things, but there's still value in things being tied to times and places, in parts of life being ephemeral and transitory. I think you need external markers of times in your life that you can revisit or avoid as you choose, otherwise you'll end up adrift. Something being rare or limited isn't always bad; of course we don't get to experience everything we'd like to and it's important to pursue and value what you can. I pursued live music single-mindedly from when I was 12 or 13 until I moved overseas at 19, and while I've never stopped going to see bands or being very into music, that particular time of my life was unique. I can't replicate it and I don't want to because as much as I joke I've not changed (and wear band t-shirts I bought in 2001), I'm not the same person. I still remember though.

This story is partly about the balance between digging through the past and making space in your life for new things, about handling change and choosing what to let go, what to archive, what to keep, what to keep looking for. It's also literally about music and film.

Most of the places I used to go are gone now of course, and most of the bands have broken up and moved on. I'm gone too, I live on the other side of the world, but I like to put references in my work. I guess it's my way of saying this happened and it was important to me, these things other people made, those places, that time, they were small and brief but they mattered and I remember. Some things don't come back and all you have is memories of them, but sometimes bands who broke up in 1990 do a reunion show and you score a ticket.

Don't count on it though. Enjoy what you can when you have it, and if you miss it, don't dwell too much. Looking for the next thing to be excited and intrigued by is the best way to find it.

In the comic linked above, when Neil says they'll have a chance to see Jawbreaker together soon, he's wrong: Jawbreaker broke up a few months later and didn't play again until 2017. I think they would have gone together then though, I think they both remembered.

[talesfromthebacklog]

Tales From The Backlog: Super Mario Bros Wonder

9/10

ALRIGHT. I LIED. The fomo got me after I saw the singing piranha plants OKAY?

And to be honest, I picked it up on (employee) discount after a bit thinking I wouldn’t get to it as soon as I did. But I’ve been knock out drag out sick since Sunday before Thanksgiving and platformers are traditionally my feel good sick games. I was sick two weeks in a ROW WITH TWO DIFFERENT ILLNESSES. (Neither of which were COVID shockingly.)

BACK TO BACK.

I couldn’t even taste vinegar that well. VINEGAR. I debated on just writing fanfiction and skipping this week too but weirdly I found inspiration in Wonder and Rayman Legends. Both types of platformers I am not historically drawn to.

BUT TODAY IS ABOUT MARIO.

I mean this in no uncertain terms, Mario Wonder is THE BEST 2D Mario experience to date. Hands down. No questions asked. I will die on that hill. I feel like Nintendo has really made it a priority to try and knock their mainline Switch titles out of the ballpark and they keep landing the hits.

Now I think Nintendo always has decent quality titles. At their core they’re almost always built well, functional, and decently fun. But the opinion that their 2D “New” Super Mario franchise was getting old, repeated, and stale is not a new one. I think Mario Wonder really encompasses how I feel about the Switch in general. As always Nintendo has stuff they can improve on, but it is clear they really are pushing to make the games truly special this generation.

WiiU (which the short lifespan is partially to blame for this) is so… empty of personality in comparison to the Switch library even at launch. Like the indie and niche selections? Don’t even get me STARTED.

The WiiU sank so the Switch could fly.

But this isn’t a review of the Switch. It’s a review of Mario Wonder. If you can’t tell I really love it. And this is a legit opinion. I’m not in the paid corporate pockets of IGN or Nintendo. No. The game really is just that solid.

Firstly Mario Wonder has so much personality. I dare say it has old Paper Mario levels of personality. It has a small selection of power ups, but it makes up for this in satisfying level design and… general amusement.

Those singing piranha plants are a really great example. As that is what made me crawl over and go “fine”. I don’t buy 2D Mario’s on launch. I just don’t like them enough. But I think it’s such a good example as to what the game is like as a whole. Mario Wonder is constantly finding new ways to be entertaining and enjoys doing so.

It even starts off with a “bit”. You choose your character and for the intro you walk to the kingdom through a stage as your selected character. The other unselected characters? They’re all here too walking to the kingdom! We were all walking together! Everyone was accounted for! It was so cute and a great introduction to the experience.

On top of standard levels there are all sorts of hidden areas, secret exits, alternate routes, challenges, and collectibles that pay off.

And listen. I know the series is called the MARIO series, but seeing multiple female characters to play as that weren’t locked behind easy mode or late game is amazing. I still distinctly remember being a child myself and us girls fighting over who got to be the ONE GIRL in any of the older Marios.

And then we’d fight about who got Yoshi. Because if we couldn’t be pretty we wanted to be cute.

Anyway most of the time I played Luigi. Now that I’m older and have refined taste Luigi is my favorite.

…But I still pick Peach or Rosalina preferentially! Sorry buddy I like being the pink one and I’m healing my childhood hurt! I DESERVED A TURN TO BE THE PRINCESS BETHANY!

Whatever. I was annoying anyway. They had to eliminate pink carpet squares from a preschool because I was so territorial about having them to myself. So don’t feel bad for me.

Anyway.

Mario Wonder is also a departure from the “New” Super Marios Bros style. Which is… thank god. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that style looks bad. It doesn’t.

But it does look like nothing, especially in comparison to the more stylish pieces they’ve been putting out as of late. Mario Wonder exudes style from start to finish. We are finally in an era where it’s okay for cartoons to look like cartoons again. Sorry if you like the older style, but its blankness was always a turn off for me. That doesn’t make the games inherently bad though. They’re… solid Marios. Just not solid… interesting Marios.

Stylistically I do like it when companies like SEGA dip their toes into “realism” like with Sonic. (Sonic gets to have both. They’re clearly not as consistent as Mario but they have both styles to satisfy all tastes. Though Sonic could use some stronger stylization too. We’re getting there.).

But Mario… is so unique in concept and aesthetic that when they stray from the more intense stylization, I think it’s a disservice. Sonic is unique too! But Mario almost reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. That is another franchise that demands strong aesthetics for its weird choices and suffers without them. Mario is weird in every sense and I think it IS very much like Alice in Wonderland in terms of style and story. I see very strong parallels. Mario is a weird fantasy story. Wonder especially seems to really take note of this stylistically.

And I’m not suggesting “New” Super Mario Bros is realistic per se… but I wouldn’t call it stylized in the same way Wonder or even Odyssey is. It’s cookie cutter and easy to produce. Which I do get, I don’t necessarily dink companies for that. But it’s still obvious that effort on this level produced results.

The color choices of Mario Wonder are also… wow. This game is just an amazing glow up. Can you tell I think the game is pretty? The backgrounds, the colors, the models. I love how we’re exploring a different kingdom which allows for even more environmental diversity.

Then there’s the levels themselves.

Again. I like 2D Marios, but normally I solidly enjoy his 3D endeavors more. (This is not unique to Mario. I feel this way about Sonic as well. So I’m not blaming Mario for player preference).

Mario Wonder is a big exception. Mario Wonder hits all the sweet spots in my brain and takes a lot of the stuff I liked about 3D World and enhanced it. The collectibles to unlock standees is cute. I like that the seeds lock progression because most areas don’t require a lot. (Well. I’m 100%ing each level so I’ve not actually run into an area that told me I didn’t have enough)

Most of the levels have two faces to them which has so many benefits! For example when I mess up the flag pole, if I simply skip the wonder flower for certain levels it physically shortens the level so I can try again. This can also provide alternate exits which net you additional seeds.

The effects the wonder flower have on each level can also be wildly unpredictable. I don’t always know what challenge or activity I am walking in to and I think this was an awesome tactic to keep players on their toes.

For those who like challenge there are more challenging levels available. I don’t often ‘struggle’ in Mario games as an adult but there were a few stages that required real skill to get through and 100%.

Right off the bat there are lots of little explorable avenues clearly off the intended path on the map. I like the player autonomy in that and I like finding weird little nooks. You also get rewarded for this by getting extra seeds, special areas, and badges.

Oh yeah. Badges. This was a weird idea to see pop up outside of Paper Mario, but honestly about time? This was another choice I liked a LOT. Special abilities used to be adhered to certain characters (Hence Peach being treated as easy mode). Now you can apply a badge with special abilities onto any character! And there are lots of badges and abilities. Levels will even have side areas and challenges that require the use of certain badges. Of course some levels are clearly geared to support certain badges as well. And you can change them out darn near at any time. Badges are great. I love swapping them out and problem solving. While most are just functional; some badges are just small rewards throughout a level. I like those too.

The only thing I really can’t commentate on is multi-player. It supports local multiplayer which I’m sure is solid.

I know some people are split on how they feel about the talking flower. I like it. That’s it. Also the caterpillar prince sitting on your shoulder as you run around is dumb cute. He wears the little badge you’re using and you can see it in the levels.

The weird online multiplayer shadow thing I haven’t tried (which is what those standees are even for). I may try that this week and amend the post to include my thoughts on that.

I think the inclusion of an almost brand new set of power-ups was a strong choice. It’s a new kingdom with new activities. It’s okay to be different! (As long as it’s good). The costumes for the power-ups are killer on all of the characters. I like pink Bubble Mario. He makes me happy! I’m rocking that as my Nintendo Avatar right now! 🤣

Overall Wonder is so solid! We can’t keep it in stock at the small game store I work at! When I go to look physically at other big stores I’m not seeing them in stock there often either. Along with Mario RPG, we can’t keep that in stock either.

It’s crazy how on point the new Mario voice actor is. Makes me wonder if they searched for new voice actors during auditions for the movie as a cover. (Initially, not after they announced Chris Pratt as Mario) They managed to keep it under wraps somehow. Cause how else would you hide Mario voice auditions? That’s speculation though. I do need to rewatch the movie to see if they out any Wonder easter eggs in. Probably not.

If you’re looking for a strong AAA title this is it. I think I’m out of nice things to say and I have to prep for my birthday tomorrow! (I’ll be 30.)

So! Take it easy! And don’t get sick this season like I did.

[granny-griffin]

Original Story Recs: Halloween Edition

From the author of the bnha fic Butterfly comes another very creepy story! Except this one is way shorter and also not a fanfic. One day, people and animals freeze in place, and if you touch them, you freeze in place too. Nobody knows why this is happening or how to stop it.

Another super messed up short story from the author of ABOT. But I actually found this story genuinely sweet! You know. despite all the child abandonment and murder. Anyway if I say anything else I’m gonna end up spoiling it so just read it.

Considerably less of a horror story than the previous two, but it has a werewolf so it’s very festive. Also if I’m remembering the protagonist is an epic middle aged woman who sits there and knits (maybe crochets??) the whole time while she’s talk no jutsu-ing the werewolf. It’s awesome.

Okay listen. I just have to confess. I’m super biased toward this one hdlshd but listen. It’s pretending to be a romance story, but it actually exists to answer the age old question: what would happen if a vampire took communion? Anyway come and get your niche theological metas here.

Okay I had one with a werewolf and one with a vampire so here’s one with a zombie! Eve is one of the walking dead, but she’s determined not to eat people. You know. since that’s kind of a mean thing to do. But this is very difficult since all her friends are eating people! maybe this was why I liked it hdksdh I’m here for the difficult moral struggle. Stay strong Eve! (btw this one is multichapter while the others are oneshots)

Gotta round out my halloween monster collection! This one is about a guy wandering a deserted battlefield and being angsty, but he also has a loyal pegasus friend so that’s pretty rad. Also there’s a storm blowing in so its also very aesthetic. And there’s ghosts.

[katesprocessblog]

Week #1

Introduction

In class I had explored the topics of Belonging, Movies, and the Uncanny Valley. After doing the mind mapping exercise, I decided that for this week I will explore the idea of belonging and nostalgia in unsettling media. I don't have a particular destination in mind with my research, so for this week I want to expand upon those ideas and just go wherever the internet took me.

Research

Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

With the sequel coming out, I thought it would be interesting to rewatch the original which I haven’t seen since I was a kid and then watch the new one in theaters. After watching them both as well as looking into the reception of the new movie, I realized how Tim Burton occupies a very niche place in Hollywood. And I think it makes sense to research him because I guess I am interested in exploring things that are unsettling, but I am not a fan of typical horror.

What I found out was that Burton got his start as a Disney Animator but slowly transitioned towards things that were more “spooky”. Here’s a list of all of the spooky movies he’s done: Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Frankenweenie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Hansel and Gretel, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more. Looking into his background, Burton grew up in Burbank, California. Burton said that growing up there left him deprived of seasonal change, and the spooky holiday was a time he could experience that without actually having it.

Now knowing his background, it makes sense that most of his work is about a young outsider “suspicious of adulthood's normalcy”. I loved learning about his work. Going into this I actually was not a fan of Beetlejuice. I just thought it was too creepy as a child, but being able to look back as an adult now I was able to relate a lot more to the themes behind the films. While researching him, I also checked out some work from an art exhibit of his. I think the aesthetic in Beetlejuice is not for me, but I enjoy some of his other work a lot more.

"Untitled (Ramone)," 1980-1990.

"Untitled (Romeo and Juliet)," 1981-1984. 

Room of installations at the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA

I Saw The TV Glow (2024)

Another movie my research made me think about was I Saw The TV Glow.

The director Jane Schoenbrun uses nostalgia and horror tropes to portray the feeling of queerness but that can be expanded to feeling alienated in general as a kid. In the movie, the main character Owen is introduced to this one show that he becomes obsessed with called the Pink Opaque. We see many clips from it throughout the movie. There’s a really powerful scene near the end of the movie where many years later he rewatched an episode from the show and it looks nothing like it used to be. It was far more childish. I think the movie really captures the feeling of rewatching something and your perception of that media being completely different from what you had in your mind. Sometimes a memory of something from your childhood persists far past the actual thing itself if that makes sense.

Don't Hug me I'm Scared

Salad Fingers 3: Nettles

Going down a bit of a nostalgia trip, I remembered some videos on YouTube that went viral when I was younger. I remembered how my brother liked to show me things like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared and Salad Fingers because he always liked to freak me out and scare me.

These series were huge for my generation and they tap into this like collective cultural fear of unsettling dangerous things that are hiding “beneath the facade of normality”. It goes into the idea of the uncanny valley, the phenomenon whereby nonhuman objects or creatures’ resemblance to a human creates a feeling of unease and fear. You definitely feel this when watching these videos, where the characters depicted are seemingly harmless because they’re 2D or animated and resembling kids toys that should be safe. But then it devolves into a more sinister world and nature. While these examples don’t go super deep into a meaning or explanation, I thought it was a good starting point due to their huge popularity.

Other Sources

DeSalvo , Robert. “Exploring Tim Burton’s World of Outsiders and Misfits.” AV Club, www.avclub.com/tim-burtons-world-of-troubled-misfits-1850735603.

Southern California Public Radio. “Last Chance to See Tim Burton’s LACMA Exhibit.” Southern California Public Radio, 14 Oct. 2012, https://archive.laist.com/programs/madeleine-brand/2011/10/31/21195/talking-with-tim-burton-lacma-exhibit-winds-down/.

“‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.’” Spotify, The Big Picture, 6 Sept. 2024, open.spotify.com/episode/4vC26kGPTqJmboI8nJIZ1E?si=0968e62393964919.

Reflections

I think I explored some really interesting ideas pertaining to the topics that I started with. I like how this eventually led to where I am now. I also like how a lot of the media I watched and researched centered around the idea of not belonging and the feeling of being alienated. Going forward I’m not sure if I want to continue down such a creepy path and I might explore the topic of belonging through a different lens.

[onegirlatelier]

Film costume analysis | Daisy's red dress in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(mild spoiler alert!)

Intro

I have a million and one things to write about, and I have to start somewhere, and I can’t believe that no one’s done a costume analysis on this specific dress. The film (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, dir. David Finch) came out in 2008. I was far too young back in 2008 to remember anything about the internet, so I’m not sure whether it’s because there had not developed a niche for film costumes on the internet yet or that this film was generally overlooked (imo), but there is really very little coverage of this dress on the internet. Besides, some links do not work anymore and some pages are archived.

For me, though, it has a permanent place in my mind because it’s a combination of period drama plus ballet plus contemplation on time plus the one and only Ms. Cate Blanchett. Dunno if one could ask for more in a film.

Red also happens to be my very, VERY favourite colour.

I haven’t made a Western (as in opposition to Chinese) dress for absolute ages, and I have never done a couture dress with a boned bodice. Hence I would love to grow some skills by attempting to replicate this red dress, probably making it a bit more haute couture than the original one as I imagine the industrial standards for a costume are slightly different from a couture gown.

(I cannot, for the life of me, find the current location of this dress via internet – so my best guess is that it’s in the storage of the film studio, if not in a private collection. If they put it on display I would totally book a ticket to the US okay.)

The film clip

The biggest source is of course the film itself. This section of the plot starts from around 1:26:00, and the dress appears in what is called ‘the gazebo scene’ several minutes later. There is not much material because its appearance lasts maybe five minutes in total, and mostly in dim lighting and mist. Still there are a few things to be noted. (Excuse the subtitles, ahem.)

First of all, the V-shaped neckline and the V-shaped low back. I love love this style. Looking closely, you can also see the placement of gatherings along the neckline and the back.

The sleeves are in one piece with the bodice, which is known as kimono sleeves (which feels a teeny bit strange because they have little to do with actual kimono sleeves). There is some underarm wrinkles, which is totally necessary as she needs to raise her arms when dancing.

The neckline is technically not off-shoulder, but it’s really barely on the shoulders and I doubt that the shoulder area had any major supporting role in the hanging of this dress. It certainly wouldn’t for me, since I have very slope-y shoulders and a bodice like that with no inner support would slip right off. The bodice has to be boned and its weight should be distributed to the waist instead of the shoulders, if I am to keep this beautiful neckline. I think the original was likely boned anyways, as suggested by this still. However, we also know that Daisy danced in this dress and it seems flexible like a tutu bodice, which means another source of reference is tutus/ballet costumes. I know the side panels of tutu bodices (when made in non-stretchy materials) are cut on bias, as shown in this picture.

The reason for this is to make the side panels fit tightly to the dancer’s torso whilst allowing some room for movement and breathing. I’m not sure how to use this piece of information, though, because as far as I can see there are no extra seams except for the CF, CB, and side seams. Perhaps I will try structuring the boned inner support on bias, as I’ve seen actual corsets being done like that. Ultimately the goal is to make a bodice that can cling to the body without shoulder hangings.

Back to the film clip. I try to choose a suitable fabric by observing how the dress moves and reflects light. (This has a lot to do with the film lighting, on which my guesses are based, and I understand that in real life and under other types of lighting the effects could be much different.) Let me start by stating that I’m choosing a silk because if I’m going to spend all this time on this dress, it had better be made of proper good materials. (The gazebo scene is available on YT should you want to see it in action.)

First thing I’ve noticed is that the dress does not reflect the light in a sharp, shiny way. It’s easy to think that the fabric has a matte finish, especially when referring to the film clip only, but the clip from blue-ray actually suggests a subtle lustre. The fabric also does not have heavy slubs so I’m ruling out dupioni.

Secondly, the fabric feels quite solid, so no chiffon/georgette/organza.

The skirt has some volume, but we do not see a petticoat (or at least not a separate lining) when Daisy raises her leg as she dances, so the fabric has to be airy and not too drapey. This is where I’m eliminating charmeuse and crepe de chine because I feel that they are too fluid and will not hold the bell shape of the skirt.

The gathers around the bust and the waist are quite soft and delicate, and when Daisy dances we see the fabric slide gently down her leg. For these reasons I’m hesitant about taffeta. I happen to own about five metres of cheap taffeta, and I don’t know whether it’s because it’s cheap and therefore low quality, but it’s very crispy and papery, and produces ‘dry’ gathers. Perhaps the quality/hand has to do with weight too (the one I own is 19 momme and feels too thin for this project). I don’t remember ever touching an expensive and heavy taffeta, so I’m not sure if paying more could remedy the plastic feel.

The above brings me to a choice between a heavier, better taffeta and raw silk (I’ve been told that ‘raw silk’ is the English translation for soie sauvage). Currently, my plan is to make a skirt with my very cheap taffeta and go from there. I will also get samples for both taffeta and raw silk, probably from multiple sources too, because there’s no point in rushing when you are already investing this much, right?

(EDIT: looking at how soft the sleeves hang in the blu-ray clip, I'm willing to consider charmeuse, but at a heavier weight than 20 momme. Duchess is also possible but I worry that 1) it's too heavy for the gathers, 2) it's really not very affordable at the moment.)

Blu-ray behind the scenes

There is a specific section in the blu-ray in which Jacqueline West, the costume designer, talks about the costumes. She specifically discusses this dress, which is actually based on an original.

This shot wonderfully shows the front closure: seven pairs of hooks and eyes with the skirt opening almost directly in the front, though it could be slightly to the right (left side of picture). The hooks and eyes are functional. A layer of fabric from the left side extending as a modesty panel of some sort down the CF. I also noticed the shiny spots on the top of the right side opening and bottom of the left side, but I'm not sure why they were there. The writing overlapping the mannequin reads: ‘Make in deep midnight blue/This is a genuine Claire McCardell dress/Jazz club'. (David Finch had wanted to change the colour until he saw Ms Blanchett in it.)

There are also two sketches.

I have not seen this second one anywhere else on the internet and I’m really pleased about finding it because it illustrates so clearly the intended effect of the bodice and the skirt.

McCardell and the front closure

The Claire McCardell bit is supplemented by an ELLE interview with West. I will quote one specific question and answer from that interview:

Did you have a favorite look for Cate Blanchett's character?

The red dress has become kind of an icon piece. It was a compilation of some different Claire McCardell designs that I loved. The long ballerina-length skirt in 1947—no one else was doing that really in America. It was strictly in Europe, in France. McCardell's favorite color was red, and I put the hooks and eyes that she used on a lot of her clothing down the front as an homage to her. Those hooks aren't made anymore.

This blog article by Isaspacey also helped so much by quoting a Claire McCardell dress at an Augusta auction. The links to the auction have expired so the pictures I’m posting here are reposts from Isaspacey’s blog. (Credits probably belong to Augusta.)

There is also another Claire McCardell dress on Ebay that has hooks and eyes down the front.

I’m going to put the pictures here just in case the link stops working (when someone buys it for $945? I mean, I would.) The pictures were presumably taken by the seller enokiworld. One of these pictures is particularly valuable, as it offers such a clear view of the hook-and-eye closure. I’m not sure about the hooks, but the eyes are sandwiched between the outer layer and an inner layer that simultaneously cover up the seam.

I also really like this dress because it has a dog leg closure for the skirt. I would like to use this type of closure for my replica as I feel it’s more elegant. Then I recalled this tutorial for a mid-19th century dog leg closure, which I first read many years ago for an actual 1850s dress lol. It looks very adaptable to my purpose.

Here is also a picture from an FIDM display a few years ago, showing the left side seam where the gathers are stitched down and not just floating. Also note that 1) again the fabric is not super reflective/shiny, 2) it's just so red I love it. -------------

EDIT 9 September, 2024

I found another Claire McCardell! It's here. I don't want to repost the pictures but please let me know if teh link doesn't work anymore.

And of course, this gown at MET. It has a 'boot-hook' closure in the front.

[godstaff]

What do you like about Diana and what do you like about Clark?

I’m talking separately and why do you think Steve and Lois will be bad for them?

Curious question.

Because what I like about them individually is very similar.

Is also very similar why I think Steve and Lois are wrong for them.

So, let's go:

What I like about them is they both are the summit of the food chain and they both chose to dedicate themselves to care for those less fortunate than them. They know they are not alone in the World and enjoy the company of humans. Not as entertainment, of course and not as gods in need of constant worshipping, but as fellow inhabitants of this planet with whom to share the beauty of existence, the joy of another day. The miracle of life is a wonder best enjoyed with fellow sentient beings. They learn from us and wish we appreciate their point of view. They regret we can't see the advantages of peace and the joy of serenity, but they marvel in our constant struggle for improvement. They take our example because they also want to improve themselves. They really, remembering Jor-El words, want us to join them in the Sun, they know we wish to be better, good people, and want to help us do it. They, like us, believe in the promise of a better tomorrow and want to work alongside us to achieve it, beginning with a better today. They can only help us up when we stumble and fall and it pains them to not being able to do more. What I most like about them is they are constantly learning, just like us, and they are not afraid of saying so. They don't have the answers, they want to find them together with us. They have feelings, they have doubts and fears, just like us, they just have a few more tools to prevent and correct some wrongdoings. Unlike some human heroes, Diana and Kal have the vantage point of seeing the Globe as a whole, and as such, they want us to also see that salvation can't be individual, not even tribal: we have to succeed together or there won't be any lasting salvation. These are things I think they share, that's because I can't separate them individually, because these are the things I like most about them. Things I think should distinguish them as the best superheroes.

Trevor and Lane are the opposite of that. Their human partners are also two of the same kind, so it's for me difficult to judge them separatelly.

They are selfish career individuals. As career individuals, both of them, they believe in personal realization, personal growth, screw the rest. That's curious because they belong to huge organizations, yet, their path they prefer to walk in solitude, climbing the social ladder stepping on others to achieve their goals. Trevor, at least, understands the advantages of group effort, since military operations are usually planned as a group endeavor. But he believes in being the first one to take the enemy's banner, by himself and collect the medals.

They both are certain their work is far more important than that of their superheroe partners, so they usually dismiss them as something unimportant, insulting them with pseudo affectionate nicks as "Angel", like she's nothing but a Bimbo, or "Smallville", like he's just a Hick from mid-america, like a father encouraging his children saying "Yeah, you're doing great 'Slugger'. Keep going!", because they see the constant struggle of the heroes like little things they do without effort. Steve and Lois should see their partners as the centre of their universe, yet they position themselves in that central point for all to see, specially their superhero couples.

They are toxic people, too proud of their niche of social importance to see beyond themselves. The one mistake Diana and Kal make is letting the humans set the rules by which the pairing should move. But they do it out of love. Problem is the humans also act out of love, but love for themselves.

[w2nv]

I just want you to know that I am obsessed with ur It Devours! Fanart and anything and would like to ask if u have special hcs based solely on the book?

OH IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE MU IT DEVOURS FANART THAT BOOK MAKES ME SO HAPPY. So I have like. A VERYY long list of very specific Nilanjana x Darryl headcanons but. For the general cast of It devours I do have a lot of weirdly niche headcanons,, for the main characters of the podcast I have a lot toooo but. Lemme give these characters a spotlight for a sec i care them sosos much

Stephanie is a character I really like actually! and I wish we had more on her. Especially at the end when Darryl says she’s changing the church for the better I REALLY wanna know how! And if I remember correctly she was actually the one that draws the pamphlet art and I just took that and went to town with it. She’s one of those creepy artists that looks intimidating but is actually rlly sweet?? I genuinely want to believe she’s doing good for the church!!

Another small headcanon I have for her is that she dresses all black with small specks of gold. Before becoming the pastor she used silver as an accent instead! Lil symbolism ooooo :3c

Jamillah and Stephanie should be besties I will not hear anything else ever,,,

JAMILLAH IS A LESBIAN I DONT KNOW WHU DONT ASKKKKKKK‼️‼️ SHE JUST ISS‼️

OKAY MOVING ON FROM THOSE 2. Mark looks like a graphic tee guy? Also very straight I don’t know why

He’d be listening to ed Sheeran but also ed Sheeran in nightvale would be 5 ducks tapped together that run around in circles because this is nightvale we’re talking about

OKAY I CANT HOLD IT IN ANYMORE HERES SOME DARRYL AND NILANJANA HEADCANONS :3c

NILANJANA DOESNT SHAVE SHE DOESNT SHAVEEEE‼️ she felt the pressure before she got to nightvale but then. She arrived to nightvale and saw that no one cared, so she stopped caring herself

Darryl uses the dreaded 3 and 1 shampoo and conditioner meanwhile nilanjana just goes to Carlos for any good hair products he can recommend cause she doesn’t Trust Night Valian hair salons

Darryl collects pins and stamps from places outside night vale, he has never left the area but he still manages to find em somehow! He likes hearing about Nilanjana’s time in Indiana and she’d buy him some cool pins from there when visiting her parents too :]

Okay last one before I go deranged she hates hair over her face meanwhile Darryl just uses clip ons:3

Nilanjana‘s left handed and Darryl is ambidextrous because he’s just that good at writing

Darryl would put The Book Of Smiles quotes on his profile. This kinda shit would ensue

[rubykgrant]

If all of the Reds and Blues and Freelancers played instruments, what do you think they'd all play? All I can think of is Doc/O'Malley on violin (probably gets really into it like Devil Went Down To Georgia), Sarge on trumpet (cuz bugles but can actually play it nice too), Florida on ukulele, and Maine and Locus taking up classic guitar and cello respectively for therapeutic reasons and ending up getting really into it.

Those all sound really good!

Hmm... it depends on what kind of music they're going for. I think in general, most of them haven't had the chance to really practice much music, but in season 15, we saw some of them formed a band! Carolina sings (so good), and it looked like Grif and Tucker were both on guitar, while Caboose did drums (if I remember right).

Sarge is certainly musically inclined, in regards to how much he likes to make up songs about killing stuff he doesn't like. I'm gonna say he knows how to play guitar, generally classic-rock/folk/country with what he does, but he surprises people by listening to wide range of musical genres (he's got a big collection that includes heavy metal and hip-hop). Oh, and he rocks on the harmonica!

Grif is good with guitar, and he'd probably be good on drums as well, but I'd like to think he secretly hides a gift with piano. Like, he can just naturally do really amazing/complicated pieces with ease (but when he was younger, little jerks he went to school with called that "sissy music", so he was awkward about sharing it with anybody). He's good with a uke too, and a very nice singer (again, if he's not feeling embarrassed)

Simmons WISHES he could play something like the violin or cello... but he just doesn't have rhythm, and gets too frustrated to practice properly. He doesn't have a bad voice, but he's a nervous mess if he tries to sing in front of people. He's able to get decent on the piano (with some help from Grif), and since he's a tech guy, he finds his own niche with electric keyboards (nothing too extravagant, but still very good)

Carolina is the one who had fancy music lessons when she was younger, but she's out of practice (she used to be good on clarinet and violin). She gets back into music and singing, picking up some guitar and piano... but surprises everybody by randomly deciding to get REALLY good at the harp (just to show off, haha)

Doc and O'Malley would certainly learn to play violin and fiddle, but I think they'd also practice different kinds of unique instruments; the kalimba, the tabla, the veena, the dholak, the balafon, and various types of flutes (they both also know how to make small little instruments with woodcraft; various things that Doc knows from his own traditions and heritage). They also are very good singers, Doc being especially into acapella/using voices to simulate instruments (though, O'Malley tends to ham it up for "villain" songs~)

Kai is more into mixing music, creating beats, maybe making something new with samples, and she is a killer DJ (dance music, electronica, techno remixes, and all similar variations. she's pretty good at changing up the "tone" of a song, but still keeping the melody strong)

Church is kinda-sorta good at a few things, but nothing he's invested in/practices often. However, he's pretty good at writing songs when he can focus on it (the Fragments all help, and they have a variety of musical genres they are into)

Tex is also OK with certain instruments, but not especially passionate to play anything often (she can sing though, but is the opposite of Carolina, who tends to lean toward more energetic songs. Tex will sing lower and slower)

Wash learned how to play the recorder in middle school. He can also play a kazoo, and can shake a tambourine on the beat. That's about it... with some help, he's OK on drums (he likes to back-up sing/harmonize with other people rather than sing solo)

Caboose is good on drums, he can put all his energy into making a strong rhythm! He's also good on various horns/brass and woodwinds, and really vibes with free-form jazz

Donut gets more caught-up with performing, he loves two come up with songs, sing and dance. He mostly likes pop-rock, but gets into other genres occasionally (he knows how to play the melodica very well). His big dream is to write a bunch of musicals~

Tucker is very good at different kinds of guitar, and he's a great singer as well (he didn't think he'd be into it, but just for practice, he tries out some classical/opera, and he's actually VERY impressive, he can project his voice very well and change the tone/pitch easily, and so he plays around merging old-school stuff with newer themes of music)

Locus hasn't had time for music in years... but he learned how to play different things as a kid; quena, siku, and some percussion instruments

Lopez can play basically anything he wants. People outside the loop will think it is just because he's a robot, and is therefore "copying" music that is already recorded... but Lopez will combine two completely different instruments and use them together in ways most people couldn't think of (he also leans toward very sappy loves songs, inspired by his adoration for Sheila~)

I don't have too many thoughts for the Freelancers... but if they could have had a different life path, York would probably have done well in a boy band, and South would have been a punk-rock star~

[capybaraonabicycle]

For the art ask game, 3, 15 and 16?

Thank you for the ask!! I was so hoping someone would send one in :)

3. What artist do you wish people knew more about?

This is difficult because I am mostly aware of the standard artists you meet in art class - almost all of which are western men - and the most 'niche' of the ones I love would be like Georges Braques and Wassily Kandinsky and Umberto Boccioni and Edward Hopper and Canaletto and Ai Weiwei and Franz Marc - and I feel like for any one of those names I will have people at my throat for mentioning them in a sentence that includes the word 'niche'.

There are two that I can name though, that I don't know from art class and I believe they are at least somewhat niche:

There is Kent Monkman, a contemporary queer Cree artist who I was introduced to at uni. He uses a multitude of art forms (and you can check them out on his website) but I am most familiar with his paintings, especially the "Shame and Prejudice" exhibition that we looked at in class.

The exhibition features Monkman's genderqueer alter ego Miss Chief Testickle who tells Canadian history from her perspective and the paintings are, in my opinion, very clever and impactful. I analysed "The Subjugation of Truth" for class and there is a ton of subtle symbolism to drive the political message (painting in traditional settler style, putting the viewer into the position of the indigenous men, having the queen hover menacingly above it all) in the art work.

This is it:

Another really famous of the works is "Resurgence of the people" which references an old settler image with George Washington replaced by Miss Chief:

I'm not sure whether this one is the exact reference but it quotes some picture like this:

I really like Monkman's style and I think his images are very strong and often for the topic of indigenous history with settlers, the violence in them is palpable. Another impressive one would be "The Scream" :

Then I would like to mention the possibly most important artist of my childhood, Estonian-Swedish illustrator Ilon Wikland. She illustrated most of Astrid Lindgren's books and her style is just - so cozy and soft, I want to live in her art.

I feel like many people do know the books and her art, but few will know her name. So she counts :) (she's still alive btw, I had to look that up and was surprised)

15. Share a photo of your favorite contemporary artwork

I'm not sure I have one special favourite art work but this is something I saw at the documenta exhibition semi-recently and it really stuck with me. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to find the title, but I remember it was something similar to "deep belly breath".

(It's the blue one in the front)

It's a pretty big plastic, higher than I am tall and it is fluffy and blue and there is water in the middle. I love it mostly for looking like an alien being, but the fluffyness has a nice feel to it too (or rather 'a nice look', I obviously didn't touch it). Together with the title and the water and the dark fur on the inside, there is a sort of desperation and drowning feeling to it, softened by the fact you really want to hug it and climb into the water and be safe in your cocoon.

No idea whether any of this was intentional, but I had to stick with it for a good 10 min before being able to walk on (even though I was already tired) and I had to come back multiple times. I also had my aunt take a picture of me with the art and I am wearing a dw shirt so it's perfect :)

The work was made by someone from the art collective *foundationClass, an organisation based in Berlin who prepare students for art school. They made a bunch of cool, often political, art for the documenta

I have to say I am also particularly fond of the Möbiusship, though, that has been circulating on tumblr

16. What museum or gallery do you want to visit?

I really want to visit the Munch museum! He is one of my favourite artists and when I was in Oslo once, the museum was closed for renovation. But now it should have reopened, so I just need to get myself to Norway and reserve a full day for Munch :)

[yuhi-san]

I used to have 658 Manga. I started collecting when I was very young, at a time and in a place where it was harder to find them online, let alone in german (back when I didn’t speak english). so what else was there to do but buy them? I also loved having the copies! But, it was expensive, already like 25 years ago. Prices have more than doubled. Not to mention, back then most had to be ordered on demand because it was a very, very niche thing even in bigger cities.

The point is, I had 658 manga, that is a lot of money and also some space they take up.

Had a special shelf made that took up an entire wall. I loved them. I moves out from home and into an apartment with a friend. I was in my early twenties and below us was a family with three girls. They weren’t quite poor but they also didn’t have much spending money for fun stuff. The oldest girl was 14, I think, and I was talking to her mum once outside when she came begging to get money for the new volume of some series (I can’t remember which one, it was an ongoing one that I knew of but didn’t read). She promised to clean the bathroom, vacuum the house, everything.

I remember saying, “oh, you like manga? So do i!”

The girl was so excited. I mean this stuff was more common overall these days but still more niche in a backwater place like the one I lived at that time. I was like the first person she met that didn’t just loosely watched the shows and was aware what manga were but was really into it, too. I told her if her mum was okay with it, she could come see my collection and pick any she would like to read.

Her mum was a little reluctant. The younger ones would maybe want to look at them too, she was worried they might get signs of usage and so on. I said as long as they don’t split the back, that’s fine. They aren’t collectibles. Like 6 different elementary schoolers went through the dragon ball ones back in the day. Yes, treat your books with care but at the same time, they are made to be read.

Girl was over the moon when she saw my collection. At first she would just ask to borrow new ones when she happened to see me come home from work but later she was less hesitant and came knocking on occasion.

We moved to a different place like two years later. My room would be a lot smaller. So, so many of the manga I have read once and left in the shelf ever since. I put the nostalgia one and the ones I liked a lot into boxes.

The ones I only ever read once into another. I told the girl later she could pick any she wanted and keep them. She could also keep the shelf because I knew hers was cramped and overflowing ( mine was big, actual wood and designed in depth and all to perfectly maximize the space for manga.) and I would no longer need such a big one, let alone have the space.

She was absolutely losing it. Shrieking and jumping and going, really, really? All over again.

I was so excited that she was so excited.

Her mum came to me and asked me at least 5 times if I was sure. Its so much money!

The truth is, second hand manga, even in top condition, don’t sell super well. I did sell some, but couldn’t and also didn’t want to keep the others in boxes until they did sell.

I said, “yeah, sure. I haven’t read them in years. What’s the point in keeping them like decorations in my shelf or in boxes? It just makes me happy that they can make someone else excited the way they excited me.”

(I randomly found her on Pinterest almost 10 years later, she is still super into anime and manga and still has the shelf)

I have a bit of a problem of letting things go because, what if I want to use it later? So I still had like 400 when I moved the second time. My cousin was over to pick something up and saw my collection. Mentioned her neighbor kid was really into it, too. (they didn’t have much money, bad family situation all around, she just moved to live with the grandparents). I sorted my manga out again, put them in a box, got into contact with the girls grandparents. Explained the situation and learned her 13. birthday was coming up. the weekend after her birthday, I showed up with a giant box, told her who I was and that she could have whatever she wanted from the box.

Just like the other girl, she was so, so happy. I loved it.

Could I have made some money back if I sold them? Sure. But it’s a hassle. And see, if I had met someone like me when I was their ages, that would have been such an amazing thing. I like to share the thing that made me happy.

Now, I bought the trigun and maximum manga. They don’t fit into my perfectly filled, current shelf anymore.

The manga now have been there for years. I love them. Re read some of them. But there is still a bunch that is good but… not enough to have re read them in like the past 10 years.

So what do I do? Keep them? So I have physical copies still if I ever want to re visit them?

For a whole while the talk about getting physical copies of stuff has been going on, especially with what is going on with streaming. I get it, though there is more to it than just ‘unlike with streaming they cant take it away and you actually owe it’ (mostly its money and space but also the ability to check it out before having to invest too much).

The point is, trigun had me actually wanting to own physical copies of something again. And with the rooster teeth situation going on I am glad to know I have all available dvd and Blu-ray from rvb and rwby.

Then again, they sit on my shelf, just in case, looking pretty.

I decided to cut down again. Keep the best and the nostalgia one (I don’t think I will ever reread dragonball or even inu Yasha but that’s the nostalgia. Fma will stay. Durarara, d.n.angle… bunch of shorter series that are mindblowing like blood+ or another).

I don’t know any kids big on manga personally right now, so lets go to the library nearby (that also offers manga drawing courses) and see what they want.

Yes, owing physical copies is important. But if they stay on my shelf untouched for years on end, I think they serve a better purpose with someone what gets to actively enjoy them.

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

Super Week wrap-up post -

This concludes our fourth theme of the summer! Up next is "Mercs and Murder Husbands." More on that later.

You can find our Ao3 collection right over here.

Safety by @amaraangelicus

ring (ring) by @capriciouswrites

Must Hate Dogs by @river9noble

Tis but the way of the universe. by @somesortofitalianroast

Five Supersoldiers Walk Into a Bar by @bittercape

Time for feedback week!

We came up with feedback week to give writers who are doing a fic for every theme some breathing room, because long events tend to get stressful if you do a fic a week, but also to spread the love and encourage comments, fanart, and all-around celebration of pool noodle fics. Rarepairs get very little love on Ao3, let alone crossover rarepairs, and we want authors to feel encouraged to write more of them!

To that end, please go leave some comments on the fics above. You can also share rec posts for your favorite relevant fics - submit for us to post, or just tag us in the post. Make moodboards or fanart for your fave. Write a meta post about why you think a particular crossover pair would get along. Anything you want to do to celebrate these niche pairings.

Just remember that a) these should be DC/Marvel crossovers and b) the central relationship of the fic should come up with less than 30 hits on Ao3! Feel free to bookmark your faves to our "DC/Marvel Rarest Pairs" collection, too.