#unsung fandom heroes

[adhd-merlin]

yes, prolific fanfic writers are awesome but you know what else is cool? people who take only a passing interest in a fandom (usually early on), do not interact with it in any way, write one, maybe two fics with their mind completely unsullied by fanon and then move on to the next shiny thing. and sometimes it'll be the most amazing fic you've ever read and you'll look for more but you won't find it, because paperclipbitch69 has already moved on with her life

[finifugue]

The real unsung heroes of this fandom are people who are fans of Carlos, Charles, Lando and Max in genuine equal measure. It's like being switzerland during WWI, except you're also being attacked by every single person you're supposedly neutral towards.

[brandileigh2003]

Someone just commented on like 6 of my chapters, y'all don't know how happy that made me. 🫠

TY to all my readers though, but if you have a second feedback means a lot to me. And this person is a hero to me today... Bc like, it helped to even lift my mood.

[uptoolateart]

I wish so hard that Plagg had at least told her Cat had given up his ring because he feared akumatisation and he wanted to do the right thing. This excuse hardly expresses the magnitude of what Adrien did.

[thund3randrain]

Regulus haters be complaining about how we invented a complex layered 3d character from someone canon deemed was an asshole out of thin air but if its James Potter its fine

[theyhadlightinsidetheireyes]

the tennant civil war of ao3 poll is incredibly funny to me. literal brother against brother stuff

[chattycups]

people who leave comments on fics or send you a reaction on discord MY BELOVED

[viserya-firstofhername]

The unsung heroes of HOTD • prologue

So here is the thing.

I was planning to make this a singular post, but at this point I am at I don't even know how many names but surely above at least five dozen, so I shall instead jump into my nerd shoes, and shall make of it a series.

The premise is as follows: The writing room of HOTD this season to a large extent failed a rich and marvelous piece of modern media and especially so, the incredibly gifted teams who worked on its production. It saddens me deeply how we only focus on the bad, while we fail to reflect on the enormous amount of talent and hard work so many people put into it. It happened in 2019. It will be happening again.

So what are we to do about it? Whine, dine, overanalyze, scream, cry, laugh, eat cake, repeat the same three curses until D&D reincarnated show up in our mirror?

Yap Condal this, yap Hess that? Condemn Martin for the next damned ungodly reason? Some folk may chose to slander and throw vitriol at the writing team and while I might indeed in the future yap along mine own hopefully constructive criticism (because some is positively and absofuckinglutely in place), I respectfully disagree with this approach of consuming media; yap about the bad, overlook the intensely good.

I should also state that I am sometimes that person to critique the let-people-enjoy-things movement for their certain lack of media literacy, but tis a lack that is often visible in the hotd critical tag as well.

To that statement, I should add, I refuse to become an apologist for Hess or Condal (the latter - let us all for a moment remember and admit - was one of the last saving graces of the rubbish inferno that was GOT's last couple of seasons and if you disagree - here be your invitation to enter a discourse with me). I might in due time issue a detailed post in a mock Shakespearian lingo mixed with High Valyrian & rap rhymes, but the point of this post is:

I should much more delight in praising the talented people who 1000% broke their backs and their hard labor is very clearly visible, because such is the topic I prefer mine own time be invested in.

We all agree across the board (right?) the actors are phenomenal. More than, even. I would love to touch on that as well but it shall be later on. I am much more interested in discussing the production value, because I'm here for this medium with all senses. Thus, I plan to focus on the production teams in this small nerdy series, sharing thoughts hopes griefs and all, as a way to fill the void in my heart until we get episodes 2x09 and 2x10 (my humorous brief on that: here).

For chapter i, we shall be focusing on the casting department, led by one Kate Rhodes James, for she is pure professional peak, more so than Nina Gold, dare I say, and everything she and her team have done for HOTD is purely and utterly ethereal, otherworldly, three-eyed-ravenesque, phenomenal.

When shall this post be posted will be decided by mine own nerdy brain and whether or not it decides to pen a 6000 words essay on a topic I know next to nothing of (surely, I could delve into research and this might be a source of delay, I suppose you see the potential for issues there).

-

TLDR version: I just want to spell the names of the folks that showed up to work and did fucking brilliant, and marvel at a their masterful craftsmanship.

Disclaimer 1: I cannot stress the following enough: I do not lend my support to anyone who would cast shade and hate or outright criticize the opinions of others simply because they diverge from their own. If thou dost desire to experience the show by critiquing the writers, then by all means - you do you, i do me, and we shall be in courteous and merry accord to agree to disagree.

Disclaimer 2: I know just about nothing of producing cinema and tv. I have one (1) friend who works in the industry. Come at me with professional opinions - very very welcome.

If thou would like to follow this endeavor, thou can keep an eye on the #the unsung heroes of hotd tag, no need to follow my daily fulminations.

I've done and made my peace.

[theregressionlibrary]

Omg....

✨🧸 Librarian Caregiver flag (please reblog if you save)! 🧸✨

(Overlay Credit)

[offtopicstevie]

Authors who put their long ass reader insert fics behind a read more when I dive into the tags I am kissing you on the mouth

[leroiestmortvivelareine]

masterlist of aftg essays

mostly so I can find them - but you may as well have this too

Other Masterlists

Why aftg is well written by @feelingthedisaster

(the OG - symbolism, structure, and other examples of Nora's brilliance)

Numbers in aftg

(includes timelines for aftg events)

Plot insights

Parallels / exy positions by @atticusfinchismydog - also in the masterlist above but deserves special mention

Andrew’s protection was not physical by @awildtei

Andrew agreeing to go to the Hemmicks by @afurtivecake

The effect of cults by @cultpastorkevin

Why steal Wymack's painkillers by @i-did

Why Kevin needed to keep his distance by @cowbilover

What was Mary's plan by @your-local-mixed-race-bisexual

Fun lists

Jean’s awesome descriptions of everyone by @swampthingking

Unsung heroes of aftg by @problemduetest4life

Character insights *

(* many more are in the Masterlists at the top, this is for posts that don't fit otherwise)

Nathaniel / Neil - flip a coin by @neilljcsten

Neil as an uncanny creature by @sncwbaz

Andrew wanting to be known by @foxholecore

Andrew really nailed by @afurtivecake

Andrew and Kevin by @afurtivecake

Andrew and Roland by @afurtivecake

Andrew cursing Nicky by @afurtivecake (technically a fic but too perfect not to include)

Andrew and losing control by @palmettoshenanigans

Andrew and breaking the cycle by @palmettoshenanigans

Andrew's promise to Kevin by @coldsaturn

Kevin as the sun by @adaysgrace

Kevin as a bitch by @thatsnotevenmyname

Kevin as a temptation but never a connection by @jeanmoreaue and @afurtivecake

Kevin and Wymack by @fairvstairs

Kevin learning to live in the light by @odetojupiter

Understanding Aaron by @minyard-05

Aaron's need to feel normal by @interstellar-productions

Aaron and Andrew by @figuringthengsout

more Aaron and Andrew by @allforthegaymes

Neil through Aaron's eyes by @bloodfiresandabram

Dan as captain by @minyard-05

Riko hmm I wrote an essay on Riko

Nora's ec

The extra content (master link provided by @peggyrose19)

The ec link

on tumblr

Nora's now-deleted kandreil scenes (fyi scene breaks show as ".....")

How the fandom started and grew - by @coldsaturn

For writers generally

(because we all are, aren't we)

not aftg, but a list of most interesting essays

what emotion do you create from (quiz). I can send you the text of all 15 answers, if you're like me and want to see it all

Feel free to share others that you know of.

I'll keep a running list of anything else i think of in the reblog.

[bluestjayy]

Shout out to betas and cheer-readers. The unsung heroes of fandom spaces

[cheylouwho]

Thank you John!!!! Your list is almost identical to my personal one on a lot of ways. (And I am grateful to be considered ;u;)

I've got my own answers to this but I'm very curious if it lines up with the consensus of the fanbase:

Who would you consider to be some of the most iconic/influential figures in south park fandom history? Like who's names immediately come to mind when you think about the fandom?

This could be the usernames of people who were/are artists, writers, bloggers, maybe just people who were enough of a nuisance to garner attention. This isnt just limited to tumblr (though thats how I've experienced the last 12 years), this could even be things as far back as chatrooms and forums that are now defunct, or on other socials that maybe I'm not aware of their impact.

Maybe reply to this post or shoot me an anon ask if you're shy about it? I really would love to hear for research purposes

[blakbonnet]

Ed + Saying Goodbye continuing my poison into positivity series where I shout out all the amazing unsung heroes of the fandom, today I'd like to thank @ofmd-ann for the incredible daily ofmd gifs and sets of Rhys and Taika doing stuff that sends the rest of us to Costa Rica :)) plus the incredible memes and the brilliant work keeping the main tags so joyful! I love your edits so so much, thanks for being such a ray of sunshine <3

[crazy-ache]

the unsung heroes of fandom are the ones who comment on every single chapter of your multichapter fic. they deserve all the praise. congratulations you're singlehandedly holding fandom together babes

[blazeismyname]

There's a unsung hero of The Mechs Fandom I feel I must address. If you've searched up The Mechs or Mechs' lyrics, you'll have seen a video by TheVoidSings probably. We'll, THEY'VE DONE IT FOR EVERY SONG. They're super awesome and if you know about them, just share this around for the other mechs fans who don't!

Link to their playlist: