#unfortunately a lot of artists struggle to make ends meet

[sambeawesome]

I've always had it be an unspoken goal to consistently be at 100$ for "Last 30 Days" reports, and while that hasn't happened (though I've hit 100$ a few times now), it's been a while since I've gotten over the threshold again. So I just wanna say--thank you! 🥰

Even all the likes, retweets, and comments really help boost my posts & let them be seen by more people--and worth of mouth is huge!

While I won't be making a living off my art resources any time soon, the extra bits of income are still greatly appreciated! Thank you so much <3

I've had a LOT of people think I make a full time living from my art, so part of me sharing this is also some transparency. I consider it a 'good month' when I reach $100.

Hopefully this helps shed some light that follower count or other public stats aren't everything.

I'm not sharing this to complain or anything. I just can't tell y'all the number of times I've had people tell me it's amazing I can do this for a living, just based off the stats they see, when the back-end tells a completely different story. Lots of other artists are the same!

[not-terezi-pyrope]

Recently saw someone chastising a friend on their commission post complaining about them charging too little, and how doing so is an insult to the value of artists' work, when said friend is struggling to make ends meet while living in a 3rd world country.

I have pretty much always taken issue with that talking point, which gets around a lot. Not "artists should value their work and charge their worth" but specifically "if you are 'undercharging' by my standards then you are hurting other artists by being too good at being competition".

Individual artists are not to blame for the economy, and this mindset fails to take into account pretty basic economic concepts like "different countries have different cost values for goods and services and sometimes someone is selling their work from somewhere that is not the US" and "capitalism is in fact a violent coercive force that pressures people to set their prices based on the state of the market vs their own desperation and need".

"Don't you dare charge so little for your work, third world artist, because other artists who are privileged to be able to charge more might lose work for it" feels like an incredibly entitled worldview. The discourse around the value of art-as-labour is genuinely so toxic sometimes, to the point of hurt its own.

Anyway, if somebody wanted to pay my friend $1000 to do a three second animation then please go ahead and do it, unfortunately I cannot afford to but if you can then it'd be more than worth that amount. But I sure bet nobody complaining in that thread is going to do it.

[jesncin]

Hi there!! I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what the process of being published was like for Lunar Boy? Were there any struggles you faced trying to get it seen? Any tips for others trying to get their work published? Thank you in advance and I love your work! :)

Hullo there! Sure! Unfortunately things have changed a lot since I pitched years ago so I don't know how replicable my publishing journey is nowadays. But I'm willing to share!

So! I always knew I wanted to write for kids, but in art school we were trained to be cape comic artists. Back then (if you can believe it), making middle grade comics was considered something that would sink your career. At that point in history, American comics was trying so hard to prove "we're not for kids!" that they left a chasm in the market for children's comics. Then Raina Telgemeier's bestselling books proved there was a hungry readership of kids and suddenly the trad pub industry is excitedly picking up middle grade graphic novel pitches (ironically, including cape comics).

I was studying my Masters in the US as this was all happening, and decided to use my time in the program to generate as many middle grade pitches as possible! The first one I made was Lunar Boy, but the story was so well received that it ended up being the one we pushed forward as a pitch and develop the most across classes. On Twitter there was this event: #DVPit, which is a pitching event for marginalized authors looking to seek editor interest on their pitches but also! To get agented. In its heyday (before Melon Husk ruined everything. This event is no longer on twidder sadly. Many pitching events have ceased to happen or are on hiatus from how unusable that platform is now) it was a fantastic event. I got agented on my 2nd try of the event, and it got the industry an early look at Lunar Boy and made them excited to see it out on submission.

My agent, Britt Siess, was extremely helpful with giving us feedback on how to refine our pitch. Not only did she give us story feedback, but I was surprised also by her comics feedback- that was more nuanced than I expected (little did I know that she's a huge comics nerd). She had connections to all the editors I was interested in pitching Lunar Boy to, and we were out on submissions right as we graduated with our Masters degree (during the start of the pandemic lmao).

I already had early editor interest in Lunar Boy which I think helped a lot with getting it picked up. I've been told that it helps to meet editors in person and get chummy with them before pitching to heighten your chances, but that wasn't really the case for me. I've never met my editor (Carolina Ortiz, I love her she's amazing) in person, but she did actually reach out to me long before we went out to pitch- on a Simu Liu tweet trend of all things lmao.

(I didn't end up looking like evil boy band members in pastel clothes in the final book, I went for cultural clothes instead which I think is the more bespoke choice haha) Carolina reached out to me from this tweet and we actually talked back and forth about Lunar Boy, refining the pitch. I felt like she understood the story despite asking for big changes. I don't think she'd do something like this anymore, but I really appreciated it at the time (I wasn't even agented yet). All the editors I met in person for events like Editor's Day at school liked my art (and would even hire me for colorist work and the like) but they weren't interested in Lunar Boy. This was reflected when we finally went on submissions too.

We got a lot of rejections, vague language like "we don't know how to edit this" or "we already have a book like this" (??? press X to doubt). Compounded with all my interactions with editors in person, I felt like I was "marketable" as an artist but not as a storyteller because our stories were so unapologetically QPOC- with culturally specific queer identities to an already underrepresented identity. The editors that were interested in Lunar Boy had personal connection to the story (they were either also from blended families or QPOC themselves). But hey, you only need one yes to get a book deal. We ended up with Carolina as our editor and she's been our rock and champion for this book since the beginning. We were out of submissions in just a week (which is really fast in the industry).

My big tip for getting into the trad pub graphic novel industry is to study the market. A lot of people mistaken publishing as a vessel or platform for their untold story, when really it's a business we compromise with. Pay attention to trends, book deals, shifts in the industry, read your peers' books, everything. Research is key with getting your foot in. Lunar Boy may look like an out-there book, but at its heart it's a story about culture shock, trying to fit in, along with family and friendship problems. In trad pub especially, locking in to sellable tropes and trends is key. Find clever ways to innovate and work within those limitations at the same time. Be open to feedback and changes. I know so many people are held back from getting book deals because they're too attached to their story. It helps not to be phased by rejection and or take things personally. I've been very desensitized to talking about books like a business, since that's what it took for someone like me to make it out there.

I hope that was helpful!

[kebriones]

Idk if you have answered this before but how do you see the future for artists in Greece?

I know a small country with mostly agricultural and many people try desperately to meet ends meet and work a lot. Of course that's a global issue what work people prefer but i don't like art being discriminated.

In Greece how's it looking?

Unfortunately, greece is no longer a mainly agricultural economy. Tourism and shipping are by far our main industries.

It's true that many people struggle here, and the way things are going, will continue to struggle. And it's true that artists in general, not just here, always have the most unstable jobs and struggle.

It's not looking good. And for greece specifically everything seems to keep getting worse. The arts are overlooked on all levels, from primary school to university to funding for theaters or even exporting art. Nobody seems to understand how important it is for a culture to be producing and 'consuming' its own art. You slowly lose yourself when all you ever read and watch is from other cultures. Of course it's vital to interact with the arts of other cultures. But not exclusively that. Plus most of it is from the US/the anglosphere anyway.

All types of art are suffering here, but I see people keep trying. Not the majority, the majority of artists I know feel hopeless and defeated. But there are still artists who try to make it here. They make great music and comics and indie movies and great theater plays. And i do think that we can do so much more. The gaming and animation industries are almost non existent here, and there's so much potential there. You don't need some great infrastructure for those, you just need people who are willing to work, and a little financial support because so many people genuinely live in poverty right now. And it's these people who, upon given the opportunity will work the hardest. Many rich kids I know from art school don't care about working hard and making it, because it is actually very hard to be an artist, and it's easier to just go work for your dad's business than slave away in a moldy basement you're paying half of your income in rent for. In other countries with developed industries in these things, you don't need financial support to kickstart them, because there actually are studios you can go work for and learn in etc and the industry exists already.

The prevailing attitude here is that you need to migrate to find work, to be appreciated, to have a good life and do something that matters and not waste yourself. Which is, currently, the most reasonable route for an artist, and what I dreamed of when I was in highschool. But seeing a place like this destroy itself and become nothing but a fancy amusement park for rich foreign people sucks. There's talent and there's people with things to offer here and a culture that gets lost because everyone, including ourselves, sees our culture as just antiquity. Modern greek culture is seen as insignificant, wrong and bastardized, it's not something to care about beyond the tasty food, it's not as great as it should be and it will never live up to a past so idealized it's fake. This is connected to our perception of our own artistic production right now. You have Euripides, you don't need to worry about writing great plays yourself. You have all these ancient sculptures, you don't need any more amazing sculptors. A kot has been said about this problem modern greece has. Antiquity is inescapable and you need to look at it and accept it on one hand, but it is a crutch and a discouragement on the other. We struggle to exist alongside it in a healthy way.

Anyway I am hopeful that things can get better, because i think we can make them better. We just need to work harder and focus and make ourselves heard through our art, chase opportunities and build communities here and not give up when everyone around you is telling you you're better off in a soul-crushing job that will at least provide you with a steady salary for the next 40 years of your life that can barely afford you rent and groceries.

[noctilin]

Hi jez!! ive been a long time follower of yours and your art has been a huge help when i was struggling in school. Hope you dont mind me asking this out of the blue but Im graduating soon and i still dunno if the careerpath i'll be taking is one i wanna take for life. I really like art, but im not really good at it, and i dont rlly have the means to "follow my passion". Im curious, do you do art for a living full time, or are you doing art while also having a quote unquote "real job"?

it doesnt really help that my parents arent very supportive of my art hobbies as of now, especially since im not making any money out of it. Money speaks as they say... LOL

hello!! i answered a question similar to this before you might be interested in. but tldr, i draw for a living! mainly freelance illustration.

commitment to art as a career is such a... complicated topic, i won't lie. even more difficult when you don't really have a sturdy support system like you say :( unfortunately, most people don't realize this is or isn't what they want until they take that leap.

personally, at first, it felt good, affirming to earn a living out of my art, it still does, but after years of it, i realized i would rather not monetize my work. it caused me to develop a complicated relationship with my creative process over the years. it often makes me question if i feel fulfilled with what i do, or if i'm only making this a means to survive. it burns me out constantly. even in the present, i have to continuously recondition my own perception of my process. but i'm currently not in a good position to just switch out my career.

i have been incredibly lucky that my art garners interest the way it does, and i make sure not to take it for granted. but i cannot hide how mentally draining it is to draw because i need to make ends meet instead of drawing because of the joy of it.

i like my art, i just wish i could enjoy it without worrying about a hungry stomach at the same time. 😅

i guess the point i'm making from all this is that money as a motivator in a creative field can be a mind killer. some people can do it, but i've rarely met such personalities... so what i'll say is this: if you want to learn and be around creatives, i would encourage going to art school, if you can. but going to art school isn't the end of it all either if you find it difficult to enroll yourself in one. art is accessible to all nowadays! just take a few google or youtube searches and maybe a little trip to the library, regardless if you want to keep it as a hobby or pursue it professionally. i've met a lot of artists who've landed full time jobs in studios without finishing an art degree. it's just a matter of letting your portfolio talk for you, a little bit of luck, and surrounding yourself with people who spark and uplift your creative spirit.

i know this is all still uncertain, but if there's anything i'm sure about, it's the fact that you don't have to give up art to live. art is living. it can still be your hobby if it doesn't end up as your job. and even if it doesn't become your career now, it's not impossible to have it in the future. i hope you find your way and, for what it's worth, congratulations on your upcoming graduation :)!

[redgoldsparks]

March Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 4 by Ryoko Kui

I'm reading these books so fast I can barely remember which parts of the plot happened in which volume but know that I am still having a great time!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 5 by Ryoko Kui

Oh, this story has taken a darker turn, and also just introduced a whole bunch more characters. Will I be able to keep track of them all? I hope so!

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, read by Anne Flosnik 

Unfortunately, this is definitely the weakest Robin Hobb book I've read so far. I was expecting to like it less than the glorious, 5-star previous trilogy, but I actually think I'm going to skip the rest of the Rain Wild Chronicles and read summaries online to get to the next Fitz books. This book follows five main POV characters. This works fairly well for the first half, when the characters are all in different physical locations. However once all of the characters meet up, we start getting the same scene from multiple different POVs, which feels extremely repetitive. Also, almost EVERY SCENE includes a flashback, often a lengthy flashback, sometimes to something that happened only the previous day and could have been told as present-moment action. This writing choice baffled me. It's something I can't remember struggling with in any of Hobb's previous books, but by the end it was driving me up a wall. The book also moved very slowly; the stakes feel lower, and the character far less emotionally true than in the two Fitz trilogies. Disappointing, but I will keep moving forward towards the next part of the series I want to read.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 6 by Ryoko Kui

Damn, a lot of characters get murdered in this volume! Good thing almost everyone who dies in the dungeon can be revived. Also, very excited to finally meet the cat ninja I've been seeing fan art of since before I even started the series :3

Delicious in Dungeon vol 7 by Ryoko Kui

I am still completely caught up in this series. I love the glimpse of Senshi's past revealed in this volume, and the lore of the dungeon that is still being revealed. There was a line in here about how the dungeon leaves you alone if you don't ask much of it, but that if you have strong desires it throws even more obstacles into your way. Our heroes have such big goals right now, but they're marching ahead regardless!

School Trip by Jerry Craft 

A satisfying new installment in the New Kid series from funny, talented, charming Jerry Craft! I appreciated how this volume started to complicate some of the students who had been left a bit one-dimensional in previous books. Several people stood up to and called out a bully; new friendships were built; and Jordan Banks left Paris even more inspired than ever to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. This series has a lot of jokes, but also a lot of heart!

A Frog in Fall (and Later On) by Linnea Sterte 

Minor frog is less than a year old, and is dismayed when winter begins to steal all of the light and warmth from his world. Instead of bunking down safely with his mentor to wait for spring, he sets out on a journey with two vagabond toads passing by on a quest to make it all the way to the tropics. They tramp through the Japanese countryside, encountering tree spirits, new friends, dangers, and views the likes of which minor frog had never even imagined. This is a gorgeous book; every page worth pouring over, an economy of line and detail building a beautiful and mysterious world of talking animals and miniature packaged foods. Made me want to draw.

Dark Rise by CS Pacat read by Christian Coulson 

In 1820s London, orphaned Will tries to earn enough as a dockworker to survive- and evade the killers pursuing him. Violet dresses in her half-brother's clothes and sneaks onto a ship in the Thames to watch a man be branded with his master's mark. Katherine excitedly anticipates her engagement to one of London's richest and most mysterious lords; his gallantry nearly makes up for the fact that he's twice her age. And in the bowels of one of that lord's ships, James tortures a man for information. All of these characters are 16 or 17 years old, but all of them are tangled in an ancient conflict between the Light and the Dark which stretches back into an age of magic before history. This is CS Pacat's YA fantasy debut, and it contains a lot of tropes very familiar to both YA and high fantasy- there are shades of both Tolkien and Rowling in this. Its fast-paced and action-packed, but especially in the first third of the story, the characters all felt fairly thin. None of them have quirks, hobbies, career hopes, relationships outside of immediate family, school, or work; or much more than a brief sketch of past. It took until the mid-way point for what I consider Pacat's major strengths as a writer to emerge: intense, homoerotic interpersonal sparring between characters operating under major power imbalances. Every scene in which the seductive, manipulative, powerful evil gay faced off against the good boy chosen one crackled with energy. Unfortunately, there were only four of these scenes in the whole book. It ends on a cliff-hanger, because of course it does, with a tempting set up for book two; but that doesn't entirely excuse the fact that the first 50% felt like set up. I will definitely keep reading, but long-time Pacat fans should take note that this is toned down version of what I expected based on Captive Prince.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls (re-read before event)

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do. Re-read it for a second time and got even more out of it on a second pass.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 8 by Ryoko Kui

Laios and company realize that their encounter with changling mushroom rings had more consequences than they'd realized- its the body swap episode! This visual humor is contrasted against increasing dangers from both above and below, as nastier monsters and political machinations begin to close in on our heroic adventuring party. I'm now over halfway through this series and almost feel like I should start reading it more slowly to savor it, but I'll probably just keep devouring it instead.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham

High school senior Val grew up knowing her family was unlucky in love; for generations, relationships in her family have ended in heartbreak. Her childhood love of Valentines Day ends with a shocking family revelation and what feels like the beginning of a curse. Then her Vietnamese grandmother sweeps her off to a Lunar New Year celebration in downtown Oakland and a pair of cute lion dancer boys catch her eye. Could one of them break the spell on her heart? This story offers a classic and satisfying rom-com, with Val torn between an outgoing, rich, but flaky boy and a broody, shy, loyal one. The story takes several kdrama style twists and includes ghosts, saints, red envelopes, confessions, fights, reunions, tears, and kisses. For a comic, its wordy; the pages are dense with small panels and thick with dialogue, but also illustrated with such warm, humor, and realism. I really liked that the story included as much of Val's relationship with her family and best friend as romance. And the lion dancing scenes practically leap off the page with color and energy!

Witch Hat Atelier vol 10 by Kamome Shirahama

This series remains as visually stunning as ever but I'm struggling with how every single book expands the cast. There are so many characters now that I don't care about that much, and have trouble remembering from volume to volume. I wish the story line would stick more closely to Coco, her classmates, and their main mentors!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 9 by Ryoko Kui

Oh the stories are all converging! The savior at the bottom of the dungeon is probably a demon! Ituzumi saves the day! I am still having a great time reading this series.

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson read by Abby Craden 

A short, very queer, very poly retelling of Dracula focusing on his coven of enthralled lovers. I liked the way the book breezed through history, as the dysfunctional little family moved from one major European city to the next, with snatched moments of glittering joy interwoven with violence and plague. The story is fairly simple, and has a happier ending than I expected, or honestly think the characters deserved.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

I DNFed the previous book in this series and just read a summary online before skipping ahead to this one. I think that was a very good choice for me. This third one was more engaging and a bit more action packed, with some cool discoveries about the city of Kelsingra and the nature of Elderlings. But the Rain Wild Chronicles as a whole do not stand up to the quality of the Farseer books. There are so many POV characters that a few of them get only two or three scenes in this whole book. I don't feel that I deeply know any of these characters; while at the same time watching Hobb pair them off at an extraordinary rate- in the last book five sets of characters got together and in this book an additional two couples are developing feelings for each other. Between this and a kidnapping, a birth, a murder, and a lot of blackmail, this series feels like a soap opera.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 10 by Ryoko Kui

Almost two TPKs in this volume, yikes!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 11 by Ryoko Kui

You know shit's getting serious when the character who has been the series main villain up until now is partially devoured by a different, worse villain. Exciting changes coming to this dungeon under it's new lord and master!

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

When Becca gets invited to sit with the popular girl clique at her new high school, she's thrilled. But the friendship turns bloody and complicated when she learns that her new friends are actually werewolves who need to kill and feed on a human once a month. If she joins them, Becca will gain superhuman strength and a pack; she'll never have to fear a male predator again, because she will be a predator herself. I loved the queer rep and the twist on werewolf lore; I wish it had been a little longer and more developed. Give me multi-page transformations sequences!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 12 by Ryoko Kui

I love seeing all these plot lines come together! Building towards a wild climax.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 13 by Ryoko Kui

I went out and *bought* vol 13 of this series because my library didn't have it yet, that's how hooked I am. And now I have to wait until JULY for the final volume! (But also, thank goodness I didn't get into this series any sooner or I'd have a much longer wait).

[datarobotsuggestion]

i apologize for the lack of activity besides boosting posts, they're for two people who are incredibly important to me. i would like to highlight them specifically and provide both links in this post.

jocula-trixie and i have known each other for over a decade, and she has been in my life longer than any other friend. they are one of my best friends, and not only does she bring so much joy to my life, they live with me and help me with everyday problems, and i am forever grateful to her. edit: unfortunately their aunt, who they loved a lot, passed away. her family needs help to cover expenses for arrangements, remaining medical bills, and financial aid for their cousin, who is her aunt's son.

post you can share: https://www.tumblr.com/jocula-trixie/746390491455750144

donate directly: https://gofund.me/248efb4f

dragabond is also a dear friend of mine. they're funny and a ton of fun to spend time with, and a talented artist to boot. i've gotten commissions from him quite a few times, and they all came out beautifully no matter the subject. unfortunately, they constantly struggle to make ends meet and have to work themselves very hard to do so, and often have to make donation posts for it.

post you can share (and you can message a commission inquiry!): https://www.tumblr.com/dragabond/739517701882609664/in-need-of-help

donate directly: paypal.me/dragabond

if you have given money, shared the posts or read this far, thank you. this blog wouldn't exist without friends like them working with me and supporting it, so i want to give back to them as much as possible. every bit helps.

[missywritesfor7]

❤️‍🩹Lifeline | MYG❤️‍🩹

Synopsis: It’s long been controversial for idols to date, but idols dating each other can be really beautiful or a complete nightmare. When Yoongi's relationship with another idol is discovered, he decides maybe it’s time to break the taboo and show people it’s ok for idols to date. Instead, they find themselves caught in the midst of one media frenzy after another and struggle to keep their relationship as strong as it had been the past 2 years. Yoongi finds a self destructive way to cope, and it causes even more problems than it solves. As they fight for their relationship and their careers, they discover that sometimes, the only way to truly be free is to let go.

Pairing: idol!Yoongi x idol!OC

Warnings: nsfw, alcoholism, cheating, depression, anxiety, Yoongi goes through a bisexy ho phase, Yoongi is also in his alcoholic phase, post-military BTS

Previous chapter | Next chapter | Masterlist

Ch. 38: Drip

The tour has been going great so far. The two shows in New York were full of energy which set off a great start to the US leg of the tour. Before they knew it they had already played 5 shows in 4 cities across the eastern part of the country. That also means Hyeri has also received 4 packages of gifts and treats so far and she can’t wait for the next one.

The guy’s next stop is Chicago. Another sold out show and a few events and gatherings are on their schedule for their time here. They gave themselves an extra day of freedom in the city for a bit of rest and recovery as this is the midpoint of their US travels.

Yoongi is excited. He never stopped being excited since day 1. He and Hyeri have spoken everyday as much as possible. Hyeri’s drama will be premiering the following week so she’s been on the promo circuit, but she answers every one of Yoongi’s messages as soon as she can get to it.

The day before their show in Chicago, the guys are at a reception held at a gallery for an exhibit that was inspired by them and their music. They meet the artist and everyone with the gallery who is responsible for making this happen. There’s a brief ceremony where the artist, curators, and gallery owner and executives will say a few words and officially open the exhibit for its 3 month tenure at that location. At the same time, the grand opening is being live streamed across all of the gallery’s social media accounts. It feels intimate, but there are a lot of eyes watching.

The guys feel honored and sit in the front row of seats before a small podium on a low stage with smiles across their 7 faces. Everyone who speaks at the podium gives them high praise for all they’ve done musically and otherwise. At the end, everyone who spoke returns to the stage for a toast. The guys are invited to join them in front of the small crowd of people and cameras as the men of honor.

The guys weren’t expecting to be called up to the stage, but they go along in stride, albeit a little nervous. Yoongi smiles along standing right in the middle between Hobi and Taehyung. Out of the corner of his eye he notices one of their managers quickly step away as if something urgent came up. He continues smiling not wanting to look as if something were wrong. For all he knows it could be nothing.

For now, nothing will have to wait because Yoongi finds himself suddenly being handed a glass of champagne. A toast isn’t complete without a drink. A drink only the 7 of them and management knows could be a problem. Unfortunately the problem wasn’t noticed until too late. The manager Yoongi saw leave has returned with a look of defeat in his eyes. The manager mouths a silent apology from across the room letting Yoongi know his urgent retreat was to try and save Yoongi from the surprise beverage, but unfortunately he was too late.

The spontaneous toast leaves Yoongi standing paralyzed as more praises are piled on to the group. The longer they draw this out the harder it is for him to maintain his fake smile and keep his hands from shaking.

It’s just a small glass of champagne. It’s practically water.

Taehyung and Hobi notice Yoongi’s struggle and are unsure themselves of what to do. This is live and even the slightest change in facial expressions could send the rumor mill spiraling out of control. The other guys haven’t quite turned to notice Yoongi’s struggle, though they’re aware that this champagne no doubt has him in a dilemma.

There could be millions of people watching right now.

This tour has been perfect so far. All rumors of Yoongi being on drugs or an alcoholic are a thing of the past. Any mention of Chelsea or any other person he encountered during that last tour has practically disappeared. It’s been great. He can’t do anything that could possibly bring that wave of torment back. Not now. Not in front of millions.

The quicker you do it the quicker it will be over with.

“…we’re honored to have you join us today. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone raises their glasses and without another thought Yoongi quickly puts his to his mouth and takes a drink. In that brief moment he felt as if he had no control of himself. He felt like a spectator of his life and couldn’t do anything about it. Yet the moment the sparkly beverage hit the back of his throat his consciousness was sucked back into his body and he quickly pulled the glass from his lips. The sound of applause gradually breaks through his momentary deafness and he remembers where he is. Through a mix of muscle memory and stress induced autopilot he instinctively follows Namjoon’s lead. Namjoon is clapping so Yoongi claps. Namjoon is smiling so Yoongi smiles. Namjoon bows and walks off to the side where managers are waiting, Yoongi follows on his heels. Namjoon finishes his glass of champagne, and Yoongi nearly tosses his to their manager as if it were a scalding hot ball of metal.

“Hyung,” Jimin says trying to get Yoongi to slow down.

“Car,” Yoongi mumbles heading towards the exit.

Jimin quickly follows him giving the rest of the guys a nod to ask they give the two of them a moment. Jimin can hardly keep up with Yoongi, and a couple of managers and security are hardly able to keep up with both of them. Yoongi throws the door of the SUV open and crawls to the back with Jimin closing the door behind them and sitting next to him.

“Hyung,” Jimin says again.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Yoongi says with his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have-“ he sucks in a sharp breath. “I messed up.”

“It’s ok,” Jimin assures wrapping his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders. “You didn’t mess up, you did the best you could in the situation and I think you did a really good job.”

Yoongi slowly lifts his head out of his hands and the moment his eyes meet Jimin’s he begins tearing up. Something about Jimin’s gentle nature, caring tone, and soft touch never fails to break Yoongi down.

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi cries again.

“Don’t be,” Jimin smiles. “I’m proud of you, hyung.”

Yoongi wants to cry more but he notices the rest of the guys exiting the building. He takes a deep breath, wipes his tears, and looks at Jimin with a nod of gratitude. Jimin chuckles at Yoongi’s habit of transforming into his hardened self when he’s trying to avoid the embarrassment of showing his emotions. The guys have seen him emotional many times, yet like a game of roulette, it’s a gamble whether he’ll let it ride out or harden his shell back up at some point.

Namjoon and Jin both enter the SUV while the others load up into a second one waiting behind. No one is sure what to say at the moment. Jin and Namjoon can tell Yoongi was just crying but they’re not sure they should bring anything up right now.

“Are you ok?” Namjoon asks softly. He doesn’t want to put Yoongi on the spot or try to get him to talk if he doesn’t want to, but he at least needs to know that he’s ok.

“Yeah,” Yoongi replies quietly. Namjoon isn’t convinced but he nods and leaves the ride to continue on in silence.

The guys all planned to go out for dinner together so they have about 3 hours to spare after returning to their hotel. An entire 3 hours for Yoongi the pace the floor in panic, fight nausea, cry into a pillow, then finally send Hyeri a distress signal asking her to call if she’s free.

Hyeri is home getting a bit of rest before going out for another day of interviews promoting her new show. She’s lounging across the couch sucked into a video on her phone when Yoongi’s message comes through. Her heart immediately begins racing fearing the worst possible scenarios. She calls him right away and can’t stop herself from spitting out a slew of panicked questions the moment he picks up.

“Is everything ok? What happened? Are you ok?” She asks rapidly.

“I’m so sorry,” he cries through the phone. “I fucked up and I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know what to do so I just had a sip but I feel fucking terrible because I let you down again.”

“What?” She asks trying to make sure she heard correctly. “Slow down, Yoongi. What happened?”

“They had champagne and they did a toast and I didn’t know what to do. There were so many cameras, Hyeri. I didn’t want people to talk. Not again and definitely not now. Hyeri I had a sip so no one would think anything was out of the ordinary but I hated it. I fucked up so bad,” he exasperates.

“Yoongi, sweetie, take a breath.” While this isn’t exactly the worst she thought would be happening, she still feels a small bit of disappointment. He seems very remorseful now, but what happens if he falls to the temptation again? The very thing she feared before he left home weeks ago.

“I’m so sorry.” He takes a deep breath, then another. “I fucked up. I’m so sorry for letting you down. It was only a little-“

“Yoongi,” she quietly interrupts. “Switch to video.”

“What?” He asks confused but doing as told anyway.

The video connects and Hyeri can see he’s been crying. The panic and distress on his face is clear to her and it only breaks her heart.

“I’m right here, love,” she says compassionately. Her only goal right now is to ease him and she knows he usually feels better when he can see her.

“I-I…” he stutters then takes a deep breath. Seeing her glow through the phone screen is exactly what he needed. Not just seeing her, but seeing her looking totally fine. She’s clearly concerned about him and seeing that on her face rather than the anger or sadness he was expecting to see from her makes his chest feel lighter. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, Yoongi. I just want make sure you’re ok.”

Yoongi nods while still focused on her. While it’s nearly night time in Chicago, the brightness of the Seoul morning is like the sunshine after a storm. He wipes his tears and takes one more deep breath. His heart is finally slowing a bit and the fog of panic is starting to dissipate.

“You’re doing great,” Hyeri smiles. “I’m proud of you and I really appreciate you being honest with me.”

Just like Jimin’s words in the car, Hyeri’s words give him an added layer of assurance that he definitely needed. Hearing the people he loves say that they’re proud of him at a time he thought he truly fucked up is such a refreshing feeling.

“You and Jimin,” he says cracking a small smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I’m sure you’d be fine,” she jokes making him feel even more lighter.

“Not at all. I have the best support, I just feel so stupid for not talking to you the last time. I almost lost you all.”

“We almost lost you,” she stresses. “All I want is for you to be honest with me, and I’m glad you did that.”

“I always will.” He pauses hearing the voices in the hall. The guys are gathering for dinner and Yoongi realizes he’s likely the last one to join them. “I wish I could talk more but we’re going out for dinner.”

“It’s fine, I have to leave soon too,” she says. “I’ll try to text you before it gets too late over there.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They end the call and Yoongi rushes out to join the others feeling much more happier than he did 3 hours ago. The shift in mood makes the rest of the guys feel better as well. They weren’t sure what state Yoongi would be in, but it seems he’s back to his normal self.

Hyeri gets herself ready to leave with a mix of emotions swirling through her head. She’s glad Yoongi was honest about having a drink. She’s glad the call ended with smiles and not tears. But she’s so afraid of that champagne turning into wine, then beer, then whiskey, and whatever else.

When her manager picks her up she can’t help but search for video from the gallery while sitting in the backseat. He was in such a panic that she can’t help but think he inhaled the entire glass or something. However, she watches the video and sighs in disbelief. For Yoongi that moment lasted two lifetimes. For Hyeri, and everyone else on the outside, the moment was only a split second. Hyeri replayed the video 3 times just to make sure she was seeing correctly. It’s hardly noticeable that Yoongi even swallowed any of the drink, and some comments from fans are joking that Yoongi must not have liked the champagne because he didn’t take a drink. Hyeri shakes her head and smiles. This is much better than any scene she created in her head. She can understand why he felt pressured in that moment, but to anyone else it’s not even noticeable that he was having an issue. For the first time in what feels like ages, Hyeri feels like she can trust him a little more.

[Hyeri]: My Yoongi I just watched the video.

[Hyeri]: You have nothing to worry about. You did very well and I’m so proud of you! I love you 😘

Yoongi sees her message while he and the guys are discussing what to order at the pizza place they decided on. The 7 of them are deep in discussion on culinary preferences when Yoongi goes silent only staring at his phone with a goofy smile. He taps a quick response and looks up to notice 6 pairs of eyes focused on him.

“What?” Yoongi asks feeling overcome with embarrassment.

“You look so cute,” Hobi teases.

“Can we order now?”

“Like a cute grandpa,” Jimin giggles.

“Are we getting 2 or 3 pizzas?” Yoongi asks still trying to change the subject.

“If you were paying attention you would know,” Namjoon smiles. “I’m glad you’re ok though.”

Everyone nods in agreement. Namjoon doesn’t have to specify what he means, and for the sake of keeping the mood light as it just was, he certainly didn’t want to either. However as the leader he is, he felt it still needed to be mentioned as a way to tell Yoongi that they’re all there for him and no one is upset with him. At the same time, Yoongi’s nod and smile in response is what they all need to confirm that all is well and they don’t need to worry. It’s a silent conversation that can only be held telepathically between 7 people who have spent nearly half their lives together.

After that brief moment everyone returns to poking fun at each other and discussing what they plan to do with their free time after tomorrow’s show. Aside from his usual routine of buying everything he sees for Hyeri, Yoongi is also wanting to use that time to plan that two week vacation that he was very serious about taking her on. Somehow he also got talked into joining Taehyung and Jungkook on a quest to find a burger restaurant that Taehyung learned about that’s supposed to be the best among locals.

The night goes on with all smiles and good vibes. Yoongi has missed the time spent trying local foods and enjoying the company of his brothers. He can’t even remember any of the meals they had together the previous tour because he was so far from reality all of the time. Now he feels like he’s taken a breath of fresh clean air after breathing smoke for so long. He’s present and alert and so very happy.

[222-justfornow-333]

We don’t have a home anymore, despite the signed contract agreement that made the house ours. We had an attorney that was supposed to halt the eviction, but suddenly disappeared and left us out for the birds. It’s really the landlord’s son who ended our stay at the house. He had the workers stuff our belongings in black garbage bags and toss them out to the street, breaking some things in the process, despite the officer telling me to my face when I was in panic, “We are professionals and will be careful with your items.”

One of the things that blew me away is that my dad (now battling cancer) volunteered as a first responder during our time here, and yet many in the neighborhood stopped by with comments or made fun of us, and what I think I understand is that because they know that we are artists and were always making the exterior of the house look pretty and well kept, they felt high enough to insult or make fun of our situation.

From overnight to the next day, frantically hustling and carrying/dragging our belongings, even bigger than us such as furniture and whatever was left of our stuff into a couple of moving trucks, the landlord’s son also called the cops on us multiple times since we had our “trash” on the property. He did this anyway even after watching us in the direct sun, going without eating, or taking breaks for several hours, desperate to collect our things and bring them off the property to safety in the midst of his request for the Town Garbage to dispose of our belongings. Literal blood, sweat, and tears were shed that day. He destroyed a lot of furniture that I remember taking a few years for my parents to save up for. I will never forget the sound my grand piano made when I watched it be lifted into the air and drop, shattering inside that larger dump truck. We suffered bruises, scratches/cuts (due to anonymous sharp items we couldn’t see in many bags), bug bites, poison ivy, and sunburns. We are even getting sick (such as testing positive for covid) due to going and sleeping at hotels to motels, inns, etc.

In November, the landlord’s son sent workers to remove/destroy our own plants, rare shrubs, self-built wooden planters, and other of our wood framing to “clean up” the yard. He also had them destroy and take down our fence that we built too, which was supposed to enhance my brother’s safety, as he can’t help himself suffering from Asperger’s/autism. The house was poorly constructed, in which my Dad (battling cancer), has been making improvements and repairs to the house throughout the years. The lease shows that we were on a “pay to own” plan, which we've already invested for around 15 years... We paid out of pocket and were very rarely compensated to fix any issues with the house, but kicked out anyway…

At this point, I am not looking to cover the cost to replace what was ruined or lost, but we are running out of resources, going from motels to hotels, while struggling to pay for storage, as well as any other form of shelter.

Unfortunately, we live in a relatively expensive part of New York, and it would be a lot of gas to inspect houses and meet with real estate agents, including bringing our things from the storage units to the new location even if we found a more affordable, well built house in another state. I would especially like my little sister to continue her education here as well, but the market for homes here aren’t in a very sparing range.

Since middle school, it was always my biggest dream and concern to buy a house for my family; in fear that something like this would happen. I have tried so hard to find ways to make it happen, but around where I live, these corporations are either not hiring, or I am believed to be inadequate for the job, even though I applied to many fields I’ve had experience and felt confident in.

I would like to secure a final place for my family. FULLY paid off. No longer needing to worry about the greed and control from heartless and unconcerned landlords, like the many years ago growing up, and now.

Your help and contribution is abundantly appreciated.

-Rachel ( aka MW ) ❤️❤️❤️

[louizandmusic]

Music-streaming platforms, good or bad ?

Hello everyone,

Today I wanted to share with you something that we saw in class and that aroused my interest. I want to focus this article on the music-streaming platforms and their impact on the general listening experience and on the music industry. These platforms (Deezer, Spotify, Apple Music or even YouTube) have revolutionized the way people listen to music.

Music-streaming platforms give instant access to a huge selection of songs, which allows listeners to discover new genres and artists from around the world. Digital access is much different from what we had before (CDs, tapes, vinyls) which were physical materials you had to actually buy. On platforms, you can create your own playlist but you can also listen to recommendations or even your friend’s playlists, which helps you discover a lot of new songs. Access on-demand has made listening to music much easier and more unconscious. We pay much less attention to what we’re listening to and engage in passive consumption. We listen to songs but not to albums anymore with these platforms and few people nowadays focus on immersing themselves in the music but rather listen to it as a way to fill silence.

The impact on the music industry is absolutely crazy. Sales for physical music have considerably dropped as most people use a streaming platform today. Artists obviously are paid directly as their revenue comes from a different place. Unfortunately, as they mostly rely on streaming for income, they aren’t paid much as you can see on this graphic we saw in class.

This means, streaming platforms have completely revolutionized their income, usually in a bad way. Even though artists benefit from a broader and international exposure, a lot of independent ones are struggling to make ends meet.

I think we can say that the development of music-streaming platforms have as many pros as they have cons.

Enjoy your holidays !

[greatqueenanna]

Talking about Honeymaren and her Importance

*Note* the art used in the title card I think is by Jin Kim as per what the website I got it from says -however, if I'm wrong, please let me know so I can credit the original artist.

One of the most important lore and world-building aspects in Frozen 2 was the introduction of the Northuldra – a group of people to which Iduna originally belonged that is loosely inspired by the Sámi of Scandinavia.  They are a racially diverse group in F2 that live within the Enchanted Forest and have a close relationship with the Magical Spirits and Ahtohallan.

Unfortunately, the Northuldra do not get a lot of screen-time in the film, however, the prominent Northuldran characters still managed to stand out and be recognizable even with their small roles - one of these major characters being Honeymaren Nattura.

Honeymaren is described in The Art of Frozen 2 as stoic and strong, and in guidebooks as bold and brave. As said, although her time is unfortunately short, each time she does appear, she is shown to be a very important aspect in Elsa’s story and helps her realize where she truly belongs.

Honeymaren - The Mentor

As said, Honey is an important aspect in Elsa's story specifically. It seems that Honey takes on the role of a mentor character archetype, which is a character that usually serves to provide guidance to the protagonist, having a key role in shaping their character development and self-realization. Furthermore, the Mentor character typically has characteristics that the protagonist wants to have or is destined to have at the end of the story.

Taking these two aspects into account, Honey does indeed fit this archetype.

Elsa and Honey spend a moment together in front of the fireplace, where Honey delves deeper into the meaning behind Iduna's scarf. It is Honeymaren that tells Elsa more about the Fifth Spirit and Ahothallan. Honey is the one that guides Elsa, the protagonist, in the right direction to meet her destiny. On top of this, it is Honey that tells Elsa that she belongs in the Enchanted Forest, ultimately helping Elsa make the decision to stay.

Honey is often described, as said, as bold, brave, stoic, and strong - I don't think this is a mere coincidence. Elsa at the beginning of the film is struggling to go after the voice because she fears that she will ruin her family's lives. Earlier, in Frozen and other shorts, Elsa is always shown to be ashamed and scared of herself. Honey, on the other hand, shows bravery and is very bold - she basically straight up tells Elsa to stay without any hesitation. This is who Elsa desires to become, free of fear and less apologetic.

It's also good to note, that while Elsa is talking to Honeymaren in the camp, Anna is talking to Mattias at the same time - who acts as Anna's mentor archetype in her own story. thus, both girls are getting advice and direction at the same time, mirroring each other.

Elsa's First Genuine Connection

Another role that Honeymaren plays is to act as Elsa's first genuine connection outside her immediate family.

Yes, technically Kristoff is a connection she has that is not blood-related. However, Kristoff came into her family through Anna - Elsa did not meet him on her own accord and he was already introduced as someone important to Anna. Basically, he was not a complete stranger and Elsa did not approach him on her own.

Honeymaren, however, is someone that is shown to become close to Elsa without any prior introductions or relationships with Elsa's family. Elsa meets Honey on her own and has a conversation with her that is unrelated to anyone she already knows. She sits close to her and even sings a lullaby that was once only shared between her mother, Anna, and herself. Then, Elsa tells Honeymaren (and Yelena) about her experience with Ahothallan, and listens to Honey's advice to stay in the forest.

Elsa went from keeping her distance from everyone, including her family - to forming a close bond with a complete stranger.

Future Potential

It is because of these aspects listed above that Honeymaren deserves to be featured more heavily in upcoming projects. Honey is more than just a side character - she is Elsa's mentor and first connection outside her family. This gives us the beginnings of a possible closer relationship, whether as another sister to Elsa, or maybe something even more ...

Regardless, as with all the Northuldran characters, Honeymaren deserves to have her time to shine and have her character explored in more depth. I only hope in future projects we see more of this character and her amazing potential.

[oneofthepowerful]

Blog 1

Introduction

Hello all, I hope you are all well! Welcome to my Tubmlr blog where I share updates and ramble on about behind the scenes content related to my web-series One of the Powerful!

Now "what is One of the Powerful" you may ask? For those who don’t know, OotP is an upcoming indie semi-animated web series on YouTube!

One of the Powerful is about a world divided in two, between Powerful (who are beings with magical abilities) and Powerless (ones who possess no magic) due to a war many years ago. As a compromise to stop most of the conflict, the leaders of Powerless and Powerful decided to have their own territories.

The series follows Erin Indipend, being a Powerful raised in Powerless Territory, Erin had to supress their magic for most of their life, due to the fear of being found out. Those Powerful who are unfortunate enough to be discovered in Powerless Territory are taken away never to be seen again, what truly happens to them or who is behind this, is all unknown to the public eye. Erin eventually saves up to move away to Seaside in Powerful Territory with their friend Cassidy, who’s in a similar boat to them, for a new start, for things to be better. However, is their new life in Powerful Territory really as great as Erin thinks it will be, or is everything not as it meets the eye.

This synopsis is really just the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot I have planned for the series that I am super excited to share!

I have been developing OotP since 2020 (4 years already!!) being inspired by the many things I loved growing up - originally it was going to be a comic, however I kinda struggled with motivation as animation is more of my cup of tea, so I decided to develop this story into a semi-animated series (”semi-animated” meaning that the series will be an animatic with some animated segments due to currently being a one man animation team). And due to that, episodes may take quite a while to make, so I decided to create a blog to share what goes on behind the scenes in between the wait for episodes!!

Since this is my first post, why not introduce myself! I’m Ray, an 18 year old aspiring animator from Scotland - I love anime, video games, rock music and coffee!!

Ever since I was a little kid, I LOVED learning how things worked, I remember opening up any electronic toy I had, trying to figure out how they functioned. XD At Primary School, I saw some of my friends were into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which I then got into myself, and adored. I vividly remember looking at behind the scenes content on YouTube of the show, and since I loved seeing how things worked, I was fascinated by seeing the process of how cartoons were made and how much went into them!

I remember being very artistic as a kid, and was always creating something! XD However, I never got into animation properly until 2022, I had tried it a few times in the past, but never got very far due to being intimidated with how time consuming it all was XD - until late 2021 when I got re-introduced to the medium by making a video project for a class I took in High School. The remainder of that year I was making a few animatics here and there and I found it really fun!! Then for a final project in the same class, I wanted to create an animated episode of my series, and creating its opening back then was really memorable for me, I had so much fun animating it! And even though I ended up scrapping the project in the end, I kept on making Oc animations in my spare time and here I am nearly two years later basically went around full circle!! It is my dream to someday become a professional animator and help create shows and movies, so OotP is great practice for that!

I hope this gives you all a little introduction to my series and myself, thank you all so much for reading, until next time!! ^^

[daveslutstaine]

While I have other posts in works right now, I figured I would go ahead a make a post on my top 15 favorite singers. I'll also be splitting this list into two posts since Tumblr unfortunately only allows me to put ten images on one post (boooo). This list is specific to the heavy metal/rock genre, so while I enjoy the voices of Loreena McKennitt and Rory Gallagher, I will be excluding them from this list as Rory is a blues artist and Loreena is a folk singer. But enough with all that, on to the post!

1. Sean Harris

I don't know about you dear reader but I love Diamond Head a lot. This was one of first few bands I listened to when I was discovering the older metal bands as a teen. I grew up with Nu metal and some of the cores, so my only true exposure to the metal bands of old was Iron Maiden, and while I love Dickinson to bits, Diamond head managed to captivate my heart way more. I couldn't believe I hadn't discovered them sooner. I was completely blown away by them, but most importantly, I was completely in love with the voice of their former front man, Sean Harris. The guy has a voice alright, hitting notes I wish I could hit these days (oh how I will always mourn the loss of my voice). While many of their songs are good examples of the might of Sean Harris's voice, the first ones that come to mind are Helpless and It's Electric. I would link them here but unfortunately the versions I personally feel are best are difficult to find on YT, but can be found on my blog if you're interest!

2. Rob Halford

And it would not be a proper list if I didn't add in Rob Halford. What else can I say that hasn't already been said about this man's incredible voice. He has range and still manages to impress many despite his advanced age. I know I have mentioned this so, so many times before, but I saw Judas Priest live once during their Firepower tour and it was an unforgettable experience. They played "Painkiller" and WoW. I am actively struggling to find words that accurately describes what I experienced that night. I never thought Rob could be capable of still being able to go as high as he did during the end of the song at his age but damn I was wrong and I'm glad of it. I truly never forget it, and while I know 99% of my followers know who Rob is, the songs I feel best represent his vocal capabilities are "Here Come The Tears" and "Painkiller".

3. Ronnie James Dio

And next up is my favorite Rainbow and Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio (sorry Ozzy). A tiny guy with a big voice, Ronnie first caught my eye, or should I say my ear, when I first heard the song Holy Diver. I thought his voice was so pleasant for a metal singer I was almost questioning why he decided to go into the genre to begin with, but I am extremely glad that he did. His voice was a big factor in Heaven And Hell becoming such an important album to me and I cannot picture any other singer doing that album justice. Hell, I can't see any singer taking his place in anything he's done, and though I do love Rainbow, I will admit I don't bother with anything that doesn't include Ronnie in it simply because the other two do not come close to being as good as he was. Ronnie had something special to his voice that not many singers do, and while I am aware that I am biased, I do believe him to be one of the best there ever was in the genre, and so this list would not be complete without him as he has damn well earned his spot in my heart. My favorite songs of his include "Heaven And Hell", "Temple Of The King", "Sunset Superman", "Lonely Is The World", "Man On The Silver Mountain", and "I".

4. Klaus Meine

And now for a singer that I don't necessarily consider a metal singer, but he is definitely a rock singer so I am adding him to this list because he truly deserves it, everyone meet Klaus Meine of the band Scorpions. Though a lot of people dislike the way he sings due to his accent showing through, I've never been bothered by it. I actually like hearing his accent in his singing! It gives his voice a unique quality in my opinion! Personally, I don't believe one or two songs can really show off his vocal capabilities, so I would say the albums "Blackout", "Animal Magnetism", and "Love Drive" would be good ones to check out!

5. Joey Belladonna

Back to the metal singers! This time we have Joey Belladonna of my beloved Anthrax. He too is a singer that is way too good for the music he plays but I'm glad he does so anyway because as much as I love Anthrax with Neil and John, I would probably not love them as much if they had a different singer. I will also say that Joey's voice is still going strong! I haven't gotten the chance to see them live yet, but For All Kings was an enjoyable listen! I do hope to see them one day though! Best songs with him are "Madhouse", "Neon Knights (Black Sabbath cover)", "Medusa", and "Lone Justice"!

6. Till Lindemann

Next up is one man with a voice to be reckoned with, Till Lindemann. Though I don't post about them as much as I used to, I hold Rammstein very near and dear to me as they pretty much got me out of a, "musical funk" so to speak, and Till's voice had a lot to do with that. I think Rammstein is the first band in which I actually paid more attention to the vocals than I did the instruments in the background. His voice is not what I would describe as generically pretty. Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful, but it's rougher, brutal, and yet it has this soothing quality to it that I haven't found in other singers. It's also impressive to me that he naturally has a voice like that without training. I know, I know, plenty of other singers have a pretty voice without ever needing training, but Till is different to me okay. Favorite songs in his case are "Seeman", "Klavier", "Stein um Stein", and "Reise Reise".

7. Bruce Dickinson

And of course I am going to put Bruce Dickinson on here. The man's voice is simply too iconic for me to not include him, and as much as I love Paul, his voice does not compare. Bruce's voice has a might that is insane to me and you have no idea how glad I am for that. His training as an opera singer truly paid off because boy oh BOY does man SING. "The Trooper", "Wasting Love" and "Powerslave".

8. Geoff Tate

Now we have Mr. Geoff Tate of Queensryche! The way I would describe his voice is that it's similar in strength to Rob's. Obviously it doesn't sound the same. Geoff has his sound and Rob has his, but I would argue that the range and strength is very similar. Geoff does have a slightly higher pitched voice than Rob, but overall, he can go into the lower notes when needed. Songs I feel best represent this are "Queen of The Reich", "Is There Anybody Listening", "Night Rider", "Silent Lucidly", and "Another Rainy Night". Truly one of my favorite singers of all time!

9. John McDonald/Midnight

We now have a man that I hold incredibly, and I mean deeply, dear to me. John McDonald, or better known by his stage name, Midnight, is best known for his work with Crimson Glory. And let me tell you, it did not take long for him to become one of my favorite singers. One listen at Crimson Glory's self titled album was all it took for me to fall in love with the strength and ferocity of that voice of his. Seriously though I cannot recommend that album enough it's so good! Their second and third albums are also major bangers in my honest opinion I love his voice so much!

10. Michael Kiske

And last but certainly not least (for this post anyway) is Michi, my personal favorite of Helloween's singers. The dude has one of the best voices I have ever heard and AAAAAAA it's so good. He has such a crazy range and powerful, beautiful voice that is suited to what he does and yet it's almost angelic. "A Tale That Wasn't Right", "I Want Out", "Helloween", and "Future World" are personally some of my favorites because they show just how strong that voice of his is! GAH I love it!

[aworldforastage]

entertainment industry melodrama, x2

Since I'm not an entertainment/culture news reporter, I do get a bit embarrassed at times when I somehow end up too knowledgeable about celebrity gossip. And it's an entirely different level of awkward when that becomes true for a fictional universe.

But in my defense, I saw a lot of it twice, since 冰块儿/Bing Kuai'er has two stories in the celebrities/entertainment industry genre with overlapping timeline, cast, and plot events:

专属深爱/Exclusive Love

黎明之后/After Dawn

The main love interest in Exclusive Love and the protagonist of After Dawn are best friends dating back to childhood and make cameos in the other CP's story.

Even though these two stories are closely related, they are in very different genres. Exclusive Love is a mostly "sweet" entertainment industry story, and the major plot elements are centered around the main characters' artistic careers. After Dawn is a bittersweet (dog blood) reconciliation story, and is really centered around the family/business rivalry that caused the initial break up; the main characters just happen to work in the industry.

(Audiodrama cover art for Exclusive Love, After Dawn. They even made audiodramas with the same cast for the main characters! Unfortunately it is not on Mao'er and the reception, especially for Season 2, hasn't been great.)

Synopsis [Spoiler-free]:

专属深爱/Exclusive Love -- Idol singer Xia Xi'ai is an orphan from a humble background, and despite having accumulated a massive fanbase within a year of his debut, is still a relatively powerless newcomer in the entertainment industry. He meets award-winning actor Jiang Liushen, who comes from an elite family in the industry and has been famous since childhood. Xia Xi'ai wins over Jiang Liushen with his talent, kindness, and tenacity, and Jiang Liushen helps free Xi'ai from his exploitive management agency and realize his full potential as a musician.

黎明之后/After Dawn -- Star actor Li Luo's management agency is acquired by his ex Duan Mingyang, with whom he parted on very unpleasant terms. However, now they agree to work together to take on a common enemy in Duan Mingyang's half-brother, who is both Mingyang's competitor in the family business and the business rival who framed Li Luo's father for serious crimes. During their collaboration, new information forces them to re-evaluate their perception of each other and their understanding of what happened during their relationship five years ago.

[Minor Spoilers]

专属深爱/Exclusive Love is really a "sugar pie", fairly straightforward story in which unlucky but resilient idol find his true love in the confident and powerful star actor. Xia Xi'ai has endured some of the harshest hands dealt by fate, but remains determined, optimistic, and grateful. However, losing all the important people in his life at a young age has left him with deep insecurities about attachment and abandonment. Jiang Liushen comes into his life with the kind of confidence and kindness that can only come from someone who grew up extremely talented, loved, and supported. With Jiang Liushen's help, Xi'ai works through several major setbacks in his musical career, and stops needing to brave every storm all by himself. Meanwhile, Xi'ai's experiences and resilience inspire Jiang Liushen to work through some recent personal and professional struggles.

In contrast, 黎明之后/After Dawn is just a waterfall of "dog blood". These two people nearly destroyed each other with heartbreak and betrayal, but they refuse to move on even after five years of having no contact, to the point where it's irrational and unhealthy how attached both of them still are. They talk about their bitter separation multiple times because they are not over it, but their choice of a few crucial words always make the misunderstanding worse. This novel is one of my favorite guilty pleasures: all the evidence points to them making bad decisions out of stubbornness and desperate hopes to rekindle a dead romance, but eventually the plot vindicates their choices and gives them a happy ending. [Warning: This story has made some people very mad. It's the kind of story for wanting to be taken on an emotional roller coaster on "head empty, just and love and feels" kind of mode, not for when you want to think critically about relationships and personal growth whatnot.]

In the end, I just want to laugh a bit at Jiang Liushen. Since Exclusive Love is written first, Jiang Liushen plays a more extensive role in After Dawn than the other other way around. He is a movie star and romantic hero is his own sweet romance novel, but in his BFF's story, he is providing Li Luo with friendly brotherly support, drawing Duan Mingyang's ire as an imaginary romantic rival, and also very active in foiling financial crimes -- who would have thought being s a supporting character would take more work?

[murphnturf]

intro. ╲ KIERAN MURPHY. CON ARTIST. THE SYNDICATE.

BASICS

NAME: Kieran Murphy

NICKNAMES: Murph, Kiers, Special K

AGE/D.O.B: Age 34 | 12.10.1988

GENDER/PRONOUNS/SEXUALITY: Cis Male | He/Him | Pansexual

HOMETOWN: Dublin, Ireland

AFFILIATION: The Syndicate

POSITION: Con Artist

EDUCATION: Secondary School

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Divorced

CHILDREN: N/A

POSITIVE TRAITS: Gregarious, Debonair

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Scatterbrained, Impulsive

QUICK FACTS

(tw: drugs, alcoholism) 

Growing up in Ireland, Kieran got into a bit too much trouble with the law and with his peers, swindling all the lads around him for anything of value

He realized from a young age he was pretty good at it and decided to capitalize on his talents full-time

Though he wouldn’t label himself as a grifter (instead likening himself to a really bad car salesman), that’s precisely what he is. He picks out his mark, worms his way into their life, and bleeds them dry

Unfortunately for Kieran, he is terrible at picking them

He has snorted, drank, smoked, and tried just about every drug he could get his hands on

The man lives with a carefree attitude, very rarely worrying about finances or keeping a roof over his head; it’s so easy for him to try and charm his way into people’s lives

Speaking of charm, he was a cult leader at one point

He’s left-handed, doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and has a particular fondness for birds and small dogs. Also, the occasional cat

He dresses as lavishly and as provocatively as possible. Of course, this gets him a lot of stares, but he loves the attention

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Dublin, Kieran grew up in a relatively average household with his failure of a musician father, and his mum, a schoolteacher

His poor parents struggling to make ends meet gave little attention to their wayward son. His father was a deadbeat alcoholic, and his mother just didn’t have the time to spare

Being as unruly and attention-seeking as he was, his parents eventually sent him to live with his old aunt Fiona at the age of 15 in London, who was far from lucid, bless her soul

Fortunately for him, his aunt thought he was his dad and seemed to think they were living in their old childhood home instead of her rundown flat in Hackney. He used the opportunity to try and make a name for himself instead of attending class like all the other good schoolchildren

Up until 18 he worked the odd job until he’d befriended an ex-pat American woman, 7 years his senior, and married her. He convinced her the life they would build together when she returned stateside would be everything she ever dreamed of, and so, several years later, they returned together to California

Whenever anyone asks how he managed to get a green card, he states he sought political asylum in America on account of ‘the potato famine’ in Ireland

By 25, all his hard work had finally paid off. And by 26, one year after living in America, he was divorced. Nobody had told him how difficult it would be trying to build a life for himself here

Determined to live out his sole dream of living a rock n’roll lifestyle, it was then he used up all his savings to buy a minibus, cruising across the West coast and picking up stragglers along the way

He began looking into establishing a non-profit religious organization that would allow him to become tax-exempt, giving him the perfect opportunity to rake in tons of money while never paying a cent to uncle sam

His ‘organization’ did not hold. His followers eventually exposed him as a fraud, causing him to make a quick getaway to Mexico before the authorities could get involved

Only when things quieted down did he return. He completely changed his game, deciding to capitalize on the health & wellness industry instead. With all the barefoot, bohemian, goat yoga fanatics that LA had to offer, he finally felt he’d found his calling moonlighting as a Yoga instructor and scamming many Angelenos out of their hard-earned money 

But eventually, like most of his business ventures, things fell apart, causing him to drive cross-country in his minibus in pursuit of other opportunities. Namely, New York.

His involvement with the Syndicate wasn’t always so peachy keen, as he’d obviously made an attempt to scam the wrong guy. He was sure he was done for until he’d managed to convince some of its members that he could prove useful with his cons, given the ease with which he works to build trust and cultivate relationships. Thankfully, he was given a chance.

Kieran is under no illusion of the precariousness of his situation, knowing the rug could get pulled out from under his feet at any moment. As a result, he is working hard to successfully pull off a con that will prove him an invaluable asset to the gang

WANTED CONNECTIONS

MARKS (AKA VICTIMS): Anyone who paid Kieran for his services that he ended up overpromising and underdelivering on. Anyone he’s swindled. Anyone who he happened to use for information or gain their trust to successfully pull off a con

FIXERS: Friendly police officers or political connections that help ensure his scams run smoothly

THIEVES/HACKERS: No con is successful without all its players working in tandem. No further explanation is needed on this one

EXES/FLINGS: He’s pissed off, manipulated, and screwed over so many exes they’re all beginning to blur together into one angry mob

FOLLOWERS: Being he was a cult leader at one point, he probably still has some poor lost soul still wrapped about his finger somewhere

MORE SOON.

[kiermurphy]

✽ . ˚ &. 「 ROBERT SHEEHAN. 34. MALE. HE/HIM. 」 KIERAN MURPHY occupies LEVEL FOUR: #405. you'll know THE SAGITTARIUS is home if you hear send me on my way by RUSTED ROOT blasting through their speakers. the YOGA INSTRUCTOR has been living in wisteria for 2 WEEKS. since then they've built a reputation for being lively and scatterbrained, typical for THE VAGABOND.

■ BASICS ■

NAME: Kieran Murphy

AGE: thirty-four

GENDER: male

PRONOUNS: he/him

SEXUALITY: pansexual

HOMETOWN: dublin, ireland

EDUCATION: secondary school

OCCUPATION: con artist yoga instructor

tw: drug mention

■ QUICK FACTS ■

Growing up in Ireland Kieran got into a bit too much trouble with the law and with his peers, swindling all the lads around him for anything of value

He realized from a young age he was quite good at it, and decided to capitalize on his talents full-time

Though he wouldn’t label himself as a grifter, that’s exactly what he is. He picks out his mark, worms his way into their life, and bleeds them dry

Unfortunately for Kieran, he is really bad at picking them

He has snorted, drank, smoked, and tried just about every drug he could get his hands on

The man lives with a carefree attitude, very rarely worrying about finances or keeping a roof over his head, it’s so easy for him to try and charm his way into people’s lives

Speaking of charm, he was a cult leader at one point

He’s left-handed, doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and has a special fondness for birds and small dogs. And the occasional cat

He dresses as lavishly and as provocatively as possible. Of course this gets him a lot of stares but he loves attention

■ BIOGRAPHY ■

Born in Dublin, Kieran grew up in a relatively normal household with his failure of a musician father, and his mum, a schoolteacher

His poor parents struggling to make ends meet gave little attention to their wayward son. His father was a deadbeat alcoholic, and his mother just didn’t have the time to spare

Being as unruly and attention-seeking as he was, his parents eventually sent him to live with his old aunt Fiona at the age of 15, who was far from lucid, bless her soul

Fortunately for him, his aunt thought he was his dad, and that they were living in their old childhood home instead of her rundown flat in Hackney. He used the opportunity to try and make a name for himself instead of attending class like all the other good schoolchildren

Up until the age of 18 he worked the odd job until he’d befriended an expat American woman, 7 years his senior, and married her. He convinced her the life they would build together when she returned stateside would be everything she ever dreamed of; and so, several years later, they returned together to California 

Whenever anyone asks how he managed to get a green card, he states he sought political asylum in America on account of ‘the potato famine’ in Ireland

By 25 all his hard work had finally paid off. And by 26, one year after living in America, he was divorced. Nobody had told him how difficult it would be trying to build a life for himself there 

Determined to live out his sole dream of living a rock n’roll lifestyle, it was then he used up all his savings to buy a mini-bus, cruising across the West coast and picking up stragglers along the way

He began looking into establishing a non-profit religious organization that would allow him to become tax-exempt, giving him the perfect opportunity to rake in tons of money while never paying a cent to uncle sam

His ‘organization’ did not hold. His followers eventually exposed him as a fraud, causing him to make a quick getaway to Mexico before the authorities could get involved

Only when things quieted down did he return. He completely changed his game, deciding to capitalize on the health & wellness industry instead. With all the barefoot, bohemian, goat yoga fanatics that LA had to offer, he finally feels he’s found his calling 

If hired as a Yoga instructor he will teach it - but his fees are exorbitant. Luckily for him, LA is full of people where money is not an issue