#why yes this is basically the same composition as the art in my pinned but consider this: i don't care <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[secondsonaym]

already reaching the point of 'i want to stop looking at this' but i at least have all the main art pieces done so blaaaaahhh

[yunjitsu]

Hey Jitsu! I hope you're doing well. I know this has nothing to do with your art but I saw in your pinned post that you're a graphic design student. Although it's not exactly what I want to pursue, I'm going to study it next year as well. I just wanted to know how long you're studying this degree/diploma for, what modules you do and how you're finding it! Sorry if this is a little personal or if you don't want to answer. I just wanted to get some insight before making the mistake of studying something I'll regret. I don't know many people irl who do graphic design :)

P.s. I absolutely love your art. Keep going and have a good one 🫶

Hiii there! Thank you for your mail, for loving my art and I'll be really happy to answer your questions in any way I can ❤️ I had the same exact questions before I attended my university for the first time.

First off - I live in Eastern Europe, so it might differ in your country, but I did study graphic design for three years to earn my first degree. Then I worked for some time in the commercial industry but moved on and decided to take up traditional art (with specialization in comics) because of my longing for more creative activities and to earn my second degree because I simply like to study. So, it's 2 more years of attending uni for me - I work on my thesis and final project rn which annoys the shit out of me because I have little to no time for creating my own fanart stuff :(

Second - I understand your feelings pretty well because I literally NEVER aimed to work in the graphic design industry too. BUT! It doesn't really mean you shouldn't pursue this way or at least try it. I did learn tons of useful stuff, studied modules like drawing, traditional painting, sculpting, animation, 3D modelling... but they weren't really the star of the whole subject. What they taught us the most about was stuff like commercial designs (logos, headers, posters, book covers, magazines etc.), also some illustrations & UI/UX/game design. I can definitely say you get to learn many softwares which is really useful, both for work and for your personal projects.

So, it depends what you're looking for tbh. You might get slightly disappointed because yes, they will teach you some straight up art stuff, but not too much, just basics to get a grasp of them and to be able to use them in the graphic design field - it is unless you get to choose your modules like concept art or digital painting specificially, but I didn't have such possibilities sadly.

So why did I study it? To secure my future I'd say, because they pay pretty well in the industry. It was a good start to my artistic adventure tool, and it made me yearn for more knowledge in terms of drawing and digital art - I was never the talented sort of kid so it helped me get through the first stages of learning things like colour theory or basic composition rules.

And why didn't I keep working in the industry? Because I just felt like it kinda drained off and worsened my creative side after some time. It had become a burden to just do one logo after another, then make some social media graphics or menus for restaurants. I wanted to draw stuff, colour it my way, and I wanted people to like the way I create without customers dictate me each and every detail of the commercials I had to obey and follow.

So, to sum it all up - I think you should try, it might develop your artistic side and it's always good to get to know various fields of artistic work and then focus on one or two things.

I hope I was able to help you in any way, I'm sorry if it's not clear enough because of my messy English D: I hope you enjoy your uni time next year!

[bettsfic]

march pinned: ending the sex project

in the march edition of my lowkey writing-related newsletter, in addition to my writing-related post roundup and upcoming consultation availability, i have personal essay recommendations and a segment on the definition of a project!

for more information on my creative coaching services, check out my carrd.

if you want to receive my lowkey writing-related newsletter directly, you can subscribe here.

full newsletter below the cut, or you can read it here.

fuck february, amiright?

i thought january was bad. but february. february was the stuff of nightmares. my cousin passed away from covid (you can read about her here; she was really an amazing person and i feel so lucky to have known her). i was finally formally diagnosed with PCOS (bittersweet, i guess). my car broke down. i took two (2) days off and it took me two and a half weeks to get caught up again. i can only hope march treats us all a little more gently.

the good news is, i finished revisions on my short story collection to send to my agent, finished workshop submissions for the semester, and now i can return to my first love, fanfiction. that i am constantly working through original fiction to return to fanfiction has been making me think a lot about the nature of a creative, capital-p Project. so, this month’s BTALA (been thinkin a lot about) is going to inspect the concept of a “project.”

new resource

last month i unveiled a folder of my favorite short stories which i’m pleased to hear several of you have perused and gotten some inspiration from. this month i’ve compiled my favorite personal essays. there are fewer essays than there are short stories because i’ve broken them into two groups: personal and craft. next month i hope to have the craft essays compiled.

i’m always looking for more things to love, so if you have recommendations for your favorite short stories and essays, i’d be happy to hear them!

writing-related posts

how to physically maneuver the revision process

the difference between M and E ratings of fic

resources for worldbuilding (check out the reblogs for more!)

a couple syntax/prose book recs

how to break a long work into chapters

march availability

unfortunately i have to cut my coaching hours down a bit, so i don’t have any openings left in march, but i have some availability in april. if you’re interested in a writing consultation, please fill out this google form!

you can learn more about my services on my carrd.

what i’m into rn

for the past year, i’ve basically been trapped in a 10x10 room, and my health is definitely reflecting that, both mentally (does anyone else feel like they’re living in groundhog day? just, every day being exactly the same except fractionally worse than the day before??) and physically (i reorganized the kitchen and could barely move for two days).

reader, i have discovered something called “walking,” in which i put on real human shoes and go outside. it feels strange, bestial. neighbors wave hello to me. a harrowing experience.

while doing this, this walking, i’ve been listening to the lolita podcast which a friend recommended to me, a ten-episode series that dives into everything lolita: the novel itself, its context, adaptations, greater cultural responses, and — as a sticker on my laptop says — vladimir “russian dreamboat” nabokov. as far as i can tell it seems well-researched and presents the many perspectives of lolita in a fair way. i’m only a few eps in, but i’m entranced so far. highly recommended if you, like me, have a complicated relationship with lolita.

i’ve also found myself mildly addicted to a mobile otome game called obey me, which. look i know it’s like the definition of cringe but it’s also mind-numbingly fun and if i want to spend my minimal free time pretending 7 demon brothers are all vying for my affection then that’s between me and god. it’s a lot of what i loved about WoW: frequent events, bright colors, a daily to do list of simple but satisfying tasks, many many rewards, and it doesn’t take itself very seriously. and if i have 4k fic written of mammon/reader that’s nobody’s business but mine and my longsuffering ao3 subscribers.

i’m telling you this because i don’t know anyone else who plays it and am desperate to trade headcanons. so if you play, or start playing, hit me up!! i will give u mad tips and daily AP.

been thinkin a lot about

the project. the project. even the word “project.” PROject (noun). proJECT (verb). what is the project? “project” comes from the latin pro and jacare which means “to throw forward,” or projectum which means “something prominent.” a projector throws forward an image. to project onto something means to throw your perspective onto something else. to embark on a project is to make something prominent in your life. the concept of “the projects” comes from public housing projects, the government throwing forward affordable housing.

what is the project? in joseph harris’ essay “coming to terms” he says that “to define the project of a writer is…to push beyond his text, to hazard a view about not only what someone has said but also what he was trying to accomplish by saying it.” harris’ perspective is that of an english teacher encouraging his students to read critically, not just to summarize a text but to find its project, its greater purpose. and while i first read this essay in a seminar on composition pedagogy, it stuck with me as a writer. it made me reconsider the greater nature of the creative project.

how many of us, if asked to describe our writing project, would begin with a plot or character premise, the nuts and bolts of a specific story? maybe even the working title? but i wonder, is breaking out the plot really the project? is the discipline of sitting down and typing really the project? and when the story is finished, is the project over? what is the project?

in 2019, i wrote 86k words of a novel. i began revising that novel last fall, and i’m finding that i’ll probably keep maybe less than 10k of that initial draft. i’m not bothered by that. the novel i wrote before that started at 125k, then i rewrote the entire thing to 200k, then i whittled it back down to 160k, and next i’ll be tasked with paring it back down to 80k. i’m not bothered by that either. in the past five years or so i’ve written about 2 million words, and i’ve only published 20k of them. only 1% of what i’ve written, i’ve published. in the words of lauren cooper (catherine tate), i’m not bothered.

i used to see publication as the birth of the project, and writing it akin to a long gestation period. then i saw publication as the death of the project, and its life was lived in its drafting. now, publication seems irrelevant to the project. the confines of a story and its many revisions are also irrelevant to the project. the beginning of a story is not the start of the project and the end of the story is not the end of the project. the project is larger than the story, its revisions, its publication, and its eventual readership.

i think it took me so long to see this because for so many years i was still in my first project, the sex project, an exploration of trauma and sexual identity, which began in 2014 with destiel fanfiction, endured through many fandom shifts, my MFA, years adrift as an adjunct, all the way through 2020 with the completion of my short story collection. i used to wonder how anyone could write about anything other than sex. to me it was the only topic worth my attention. i was certain that i would spend my entire life being a sex writer and i’d never find fulfillment writing a young adult sci fi adventure or a highly literary novel about complicated family dynamics. i was baffled by people who were interested in other things, who could write entire novels without using the word “cock” even once.

then my sex project ended. i don’t know when exactly it happened or why, but suddenly i realized i never wanted to write another artful description of an orgasm or find a tactful euphemism for a vagina ever again (personally i prefer “wet cunt” because not only is it blunt, i find it phonetically pleasing). obviously i’m still writing explicit fanfic but it doesn’t feel the same as it used to. sex feels more sidelined to me, even if it’s still the center and drive of a fic. i no longer get any personal satisfaction from writing it, although i do get satisfaction in sharing the work for readers to enjoy.

it’s like i’ve somehow solved the biggest puzzle of my life. or i guess made peace with my meanest monster, that extremely complicated double-mind of desire that some non-sex-repulsed asexuals feel: you want to feel desire you can’t actually feel so you write it into fiction, to try to understand this thing you can’t have and which society tells you you’re missing, and you don’t even know if you don’t have it, because you still feel desire for affection and intimacy, and maybe even a desire to be desired. and for those of us who are asexual and have c-ptsd, sex you don’t actually want (but don’t know you don’t want, because maybe you’re ambivalent and mildly curious and touch-starved) and an unrelenting drive toward people-pleasing can be a dangerous combination. how can you ever know what consent is if you always put other people’s desires above your own?

maybe i’m alone in this. maybe i’m not. maybe for most people, wanting sex is a light switch: yes i want it, or no i don’t. but for me, i had to write a whole lot of words to figure out things like desire, consent, intimacy, forgiveness, the shape that good love takes. the lengthy theoretical flowchart of “i might be interested in having sex if this and this and this and this and this happens in this exact order and under these exact circumstances.”

it was hard to write something into reality that i have never seen except in pieces, in subtext i clung to with no lexicon to give it shape and meaning. te lawrence in lawrence of arabia. some of tarantino’s early work. the film benny and joon. and weirdly, the star wars prequels (that one’s hard to explain; i’ll spare you). i don’t think the sex project was about coming to terms with my asexuality as much as it was trying to organize my thoughts and feelings by continuously rendering my own experiences within a greater, shinier ideal — like how you sometimes have to unravel the entire skein of yarn to find the loose end, and only then can you get started.

i guess i’m in the infancy of the power project now. i’m moving toward themes of control, infamy, greatness. the exact circumstances in which atrocity occurs. how people rise into leadership and fall from grace. the consequences of success. i don’t know why this project has come to me, or what, if anything, it has to do with me. i’m not famous and have no intention of becoming famous; i don’t have social power or influence, at least not beyond my little corner of fandom, and i’m not interested in having it. and yet, here we are, already hundreds of thousands of words in.

my fics digging for orchids (tgcf) and a standing engagement (the hunger games) deal with the detriments of fame. and even float (breaking bad) to a degree is about the aftermath of being so close to power. my novel cherry pop, loosely based on macbeth, is about an ongoing power exchange between two teenage girls. my other novel, vandal, is about a girl who believes she has magic powers and casts a spell on her neighbor to fall in love with her. and i’m in the very early stages of a novel called groundswell, a cult story i’ve been wanting to write for years. i had no idea why i couldn’t write it until i realized it wasn’t yet my project. i’m not even to the stage of developing characters, let alone a premise or plot. i’m still just building my aesthetic pile (i discuss the aesthetic pile here, as well as vandal in more detail), watching documentaries on cults, reading books, finding inspiration, marking down ideas as they come. it may be years before i’m ready to sit down and write it.

now that i know what the project is, i have more patience with myself. it doesn’t bother me to rewrite a novel from the beginning, or to scrap novels altogether, because the story isn’t the project. the project cannot be diminished by cutting words, sentences, paragraphs, entire chapters. the project does not have a product. the project cannot be published. the project is in the practice, in dragging the impossibly large into clear, acute existence, so you can see it. so you can see the very center of what you thought was an unknowable thing.

[comicteaparty]

January 6th-January 12th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from January 6th, 2020 to January 12th, 2020.  The chat focused on The Demon Archives by Daniel Sharp (Author) and Sebastian Piriz (Artist).

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on The Demon Archives by Daniel Sharp (Author) and Sebastian Piriz (Artist)~! (https://demonarchives.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until January 12th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. Who do you think Konstantin Yakovlevich’s benefactor is and what is their goal? Why exactly are they having him build death bots? Overall, do you think Konstantin’s choices to team up with them have done more good or bad for his community?

DaemonDan (The Demon Archives)

(oh hey, this is me)

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Do you think that Viktor will be able to recover from his brain damage as Tenzin did, or is it a lost cause? Regardless of which you deem most likely, how do you think that will affect him and those around him?

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What moment of Tenzin’s PTSD stuck out to you, and why? What do you think this story shows us in regards to PTSD’s affects and the path it takes to heal? Ultimately, do you think Tenzin can overcome his PTSD?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene is probably when Jane and Viktor forcibly stop Tenzin from going out as the bait. It is a heart wrenching scene watching Tenzin being forced to stand idly by while the others take the risk for him. And I like that there is a mix too in whose side you should be on. Cause on the one hand, Jane and Viktor have logic on their side, but on the other hand I super empathize with Tenzin. And at the end, you wind up feeling angry, sad, and a slew of other emotions, and I think it really helps sell the scene. 2) I don't have enough evidence to make a good theory on who the benefactor is. However, I do feel the factions who are attacking Minerva are involved. It's just a little too convenient that they're suddenly attacking on the eve of Aegis taking a massive hit. Someone there knows something. As for the benefactor's goal, I assume domination. Cause this is really the only reason you build death bots, is when you want to murder a bunch of people and take over. I feel like Konstantin's choices have been more of a mixed bag then one way or another. There's a lot of "what ifs." Like, if he had rejected the offer, what would've happened without the supplies? Or "what if" he had rejected the offer, and everyone was killed because they were going to take things by force? At the end of the day, while I might think his choices have probably done more bad in the long term, there was probably no good that would've come from the situation regardless. Either way would've had bad results, which is really the shit thing about the world sometimes.

3) My favorite character at the moment is probably Tenzin. I really just like how he's this imperfect character. He cares deeply about people, but at the same time can be a major asshole. But at the same time you understand why he's an asshole cause he's dealing with a lot of bullshit and trauma. So all around, he's just this interesting and complicated character that I enjoy exploring. 4) I feel like Viktor's fate may be more bittersweet. Like maybe they'll be able to recover his brain somewhat to a degree that he won't be catatonic. However, I don't feel that he will ever recover as well as Tenzin, and probably be bed/wheel chair ridden for the rest of his days. Not to mention the obvious mental trauma he's gonna have to live through which is a whole other horrible topic. I feel anything less than a full recovery is gonna 1) cause everyone to lose some hope and 2) send Tenzin into a reckless rage where he just wanted to murder the enemy three times overkill. And that attitude will inevitably alienate him until the others can talk sense into him again. However, I think it will really force him to maybe address how he feels personally responsible for Viktor's condition, so maybe he can get some help. Maybe.

RebelVampire

5) My fave illustration is definitely this page https://demonarchives.com/chapter-4-page-18-shattered/ This is just the perfect use of exaggerated, distorted lensing to express both the horror and grief going on. Plus with the beautiful addition of the montage in a circular composition, everything is just tied together really well and puts you in the head space. 6) The moment of Tenzin's PTSD that stuck out to me the most was more just the overall fact/idea that his own reliving of the trauma was slowly killing him. I kind of feel like this was a direct, physical consequence of what trauma feels like it. Cause no matter how many years you put between yourself and certain traumas, you will always remember them clear as day. And if you're not careful, you can get lost in them and relive them over and over and over. So I kind of feel like this representation really caught that. As for whether Tenzin can overcome it, yes. But I think it will take years and not something we will see 100% until like...and epilogue chapter or something. Especially cause Tenzin is in a situation that is only going to bring more and more trauma. I do not expect him to get over anything anytime soon.

snuffysam

All right, a bit of catching up to do. 1) My favorite scene was the one where Jane first inserts herself into Tenzin's mind. It was a big moment that showed that no, she isn't just a cold, calculating machine. She really cares about Tenzin, and she doesn't want to be responsible for any more pain. 2) I think either Oculus is straight-up the benefactor (creating discord to give themselves more power in Minerva), or whoever is the benefactor is also controlling Oculus. Like, there's clearly something fishy going on there. 3) My favorite character is Jane. I just really like how... human she feels, and how she cares for others. Sometimes, I'm not sure if she's actually calculating all of the tactics she says, or if she's making some of the numbers up so she can act like she isn't clouded by emotions (e.g. giving higher priority to protecting Tenzin).

RebelVampire

@snuffysam I'm more in the line that Oculus is in control of the benefactor. Cause your henchmen don't have such menacing and vague replies unless they're working for someone else and using you. https://demonarchives.com/chapter-12-after-credits-4/

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What do you think Commander Kubek of Aegis and President Smith of Oculus are up to (if anything)? What role do either of them have with the current attack and sabotage going on with Minerva?

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What do you think the attack on Minerva has to do with the APERs? Also, why do you think Jane and Tenzin are now deemed the biggest threat, and how will that affect the people around them?

RebelVampire

7) I probably enjoy seeing Tenzin and Jane interact the most of the characters. I feel they have the most interesting relationship since its this weird mix of being close and being antagonistic towards each other. But I also like seeing how the two kind of challenge each other in different ways and force each other to grow as people. So everytime they interact, I know one of them is gonna change in some small way, and who doesn't love character growth? 8) While I don't think President Smith is the big bad behind everything, I do think he helped the enemy in some regard and potentially manipulated things to make Aegis look even worse than they did. All in an effort to gain more power and steer diplomacy in a way he thinks is best. Meanwhile, I feel the Commander is using Tenzin somehow to ruin Smith's attempts at power. However, I also think he could care less about the actual stakes. I really think he's being driven by his own desire of power and keeping things squarely with Aegis. So in the end, I think together they're making everything worse because neither cares about protecting Minerva as much as they should, and that the attack and sabotage are made worse because they're solely focused on their own duel for influence.

9) I've really enjoyed all the little details in the world building. Like how people are getting essential things like food and water, how technology has adapted to suit the needs of the current state of the world, and even the small spiritual touches because of how dire everything is. Overall, there's just a lot of thought put both into the designs and additions here that really make the world feel all encompassing and like it's an actual place where people exist. 10) I do think the benefactor of the APERs has the factions under their thumb. So I think it was all an orchestrated thing to make sure Minerva's defenses were basically in shambles, thus vulnerable to attack. And the APERs were created to make domination easier since so far Tenzin and Jane have been the only effective force against them. As for why Tenzin and Jane are the biggest threat now, it's cause they're basic killing machines, but Tenzin and Jane have shown they can adapt as well to them. So of course, even if it's only two people, they're a threat to an easy path to takeover. Which sadly, I think they're gonna get people around them hurt and killed, cause collateral damage is a thing.

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What do you think the story shows us about the dangers of AIs? What about the potential humanity in AIs? In general, do you think AIs like Jane and SOPKA are more useful or more dangerous, and what is your reasoning?

Comic Tea Party

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. With Minerva behind them, what do you think Tenzin, Jane, and everyone else will ultimately do? Or, in other words, what do you think will happen to them on their journey for answers? Also, how will events in Minerva continue to affect them?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strength is a combination of the tone and character writing. As I mentioned in an earlier answer regarding Tenzin not being all good or all bad, I kind of feel this is present throughout the story. Characters are forced to make difficult choices because of the circumstances, and in general, none of these choices are really that optimal. Someone is always going to get the short end of the stick, someone is always going to be mad, and so forth. However, I think this makes the setting feel uber real, because when it comes to survival situations like this, there usually aren't good choices. So in the end, the consequences in the story have real weight, both on a character level and on a political scale, and it just makes for a worthwhile read since bad stuff can and does generally happen. 12) I think the story shows us that AIs or any similar program aren't a universal bad or a universal good. In the end, the scenario in the society is one I feel is the most likely. Some AIs will go rogue, some will find a way to understand humanity and even respect and emulate human traits, and others will remain machines focused on the purpose they were programmed for. In the end, though, I think Jane kind of reminds us maybe its worth the risk, since AIs can be our allies if we respect them.

13) I am looking forward to Konstantin actually. Especially cause at this point, he surely feels like things are his fault. And when people feel like things are their fault, they tend to do desperate things to make up for it. So I'm interested to see how that situation plays out. 14) I think Tenzin, Jane, and everyone else will first find the source of the APERs i.e. SOPKA but then change motivations to find the benefactor when they learn the thread of corruption runs even deeper. Obviously, the whole way they're going to be fighting death machines, but I also think Oculus might get more and more involved. I feel like ultimately, their journey is going to make them question if Minerva is worth saving a bit. It's kind of easy to forget a place, whether it be a country, city, or even a village, is more than just the people in charge - especially when you aren't there any more. So murdering a specific person become synonymous with killing the whole place. Granted, I do feel eventually they'll remember the people, but I think at the very least, their eyes will forever be opened to how easily corruption springs up.

Comic Tea Party

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about The Demon Archives this week! Please also give a special thank you to Daniel Sharp (Author) and Sebastian Piriz (Artist) for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked The Demon Archives, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://demonarchives.com/

Daniel’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheDemonArchives

Daniel’s Paypal.me: https://www.paypal.me/TheDemonArchives

Daniel’s Gumroad Shop: https://gumroad.com/daemondan

Daniel’s Zazzle Shop: https://www.zazzle.com/store/thedemonarchives

The Demon Archives’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemonArchives

[silverquillsideas]

Salmon and others were openly discussing rape and talking about drawing rape and there were people in the replies talking about how seeing a “rape drawing” changed the way they consumed content and shipped things (they meant that they liked the rape btw). If she hasn’t gone back to private, you can probably find those for yourself since they’re pretty recent. I thought you seemed nice but I’m really disappointed in you. Will be unfollowing and blocking.

Hello! I was debating on how (if at all) to answer this, since you seem to have already made up your mind to not hear anything further about this issue altogether.

But I do have a few things to say, regardless, because I found specific phrases you used, to be sketchy/unclear at best.

Warning tho : this is going to delve into a discussion of "rape and sexuality" from a real life perspective, since the fandom seems so bent upon drawing parallels to reality and compare fiction and irl examples. If you find that uncomfortable, block the tag "tw:rape" and scroll past.

_____

So, my first point of discussion : "Salmon and others were openly discussing rape and talking about drawing rape"

Putting aside the issue of the subject matter of the threads for a second, I'll focus on the other part : about *posting publicly*. I talked to three separate followers of the twt artist, who also happen to be my tumblr mutuals, and they basically confirmed the same thing : there was no "open discussion", in the sense, that, they did so either on Privatter (assuming you know how it works) or they did in the comment threads on their *personal twitter account*, and only those who were willing to engage in such a discussion, went ahead and joined. They did not encroach on anyone's space and invite them in forcefully.

I'm putting the screenshots of conversation I've had with one of my friends regarding this, and as you can see, none of it was *open for public viewing*

Also, here's the artist's own message that's pinned to their account :

Let me put this in perspective : suppose you're not into kpop (I picked a random example, btw) and find it weird and flamboyant, and you generally avoid it altogether. While scrolling through tumblr, you stumble upon a hardcore kpop blog, you're totally put off by the contents and you complain to your mutuals about how ABC person indulges in kpop and you found it weird and unappealing.

But my point is, there was nothing public about the said blog or account, because, by nature, every blog or account is a person's private space for expression of ideas. Yes, tumblr, twitter and other social media platforms are all *public* in the sense that they are hosted on public domains and anyone with an access to the Internet can stumble upon any website or blog listed therein. But, you, being a responsible, well discerning person, willingly stepped onto a personal blog or acc on which the owner was likely to present their own views, and started complaining about what you found there. Your statement implies, that you willingly browsed through the comment threads until the point you spotted these uncomfortable discussions and you voluntarily exposed yourself to the same.

My second point : "there were people in the replies talking about how seeing a "rape drawing" changed the way they consumed content and shipped things (they meant that they liked rape btw)"

I find it highly confusing how you generalised something as sensitive and complex as psychological behaviour on behalf of a bunch of strangers you never actually interacted with (or confirmed their views on the said matter) and proceeded to label them as "people who liked rape".

What does the statement "liking rape" mean anyway? And, does anyone who talk about or discusses rape, in the context of fanarts and fanfiction, and that too, "rape fantasy" in this case, (but I'll get to it in a moment) automatically becomes someone who likes the act? Or condones it happening in real life, to real people or situations? I'm curious as to which aspect of rape they talked about 'liking' (since your statement implies they explicitly stated so) : was it the pain, the trauma, the physical and psychological stress, or the violence and the sense of dominance over a helpless, real life person?

If you do have an answer supported by evidence, let me know, I'll modify my response gladly.

It brings me to my third point : these artists or the people who commented, were discussing, not about real life rape, but a fantasy situation in which they put two fictional characters together and made a fanart of them (the composition of the art in question is described in the conversation above).

Deriving pleasure from the actual act of rape or sexual violence is a pathological condition and needs medical or psychiatric treatment.

Deriving pleasure or indulging in paraphilic sexual fantasies, however, is not uncommon. I'll redirect you to @iamtrashforash 's post here that describes this issue more coherently. I'll also point you to articles written on PsychologyToday, based on research done on this specific topic of "Rape Fantasy" that I found, and I think everyone should have a look at them :

Article 1

Article 2

If I remember correctly, the actual comment I saw in the screenshot circulating around, regarding the controversy, went something along the lines of "I love seeing Ash's pained face in this situation", and that's what made people lose their minds. There was outrage over "How could you do that with Ash, a CSA survivor? It sends a bad message to them, it's triggering, it's disrespectful, you are disgusting, etc etc."

But, my own conversations with three people who are in real life CSA survivors, two of them who reached out to me in my DMs over the last two days, have given me a very different idea about what these people actually think regarding the art. Here's the hot take : they did not find it disturbing or offensive to themselves personally.

In fact, they pointed out, that they saw it as a fictional scenario, were well aware of the differences between the artist's intent and their potential real life behaviour (FYI, none of them drew the conclusion that either the artist or the people discussing it, "liked rape").

The fact that the comment threads were openly talking about indulging in such a fantasy is what seemed to baffle the more outspoken and outraged people, who proceeded to harass and send hate messages to the creators. But here's the fact : these fetishes have existed for as long as humanity has, and will continue to do so, regardless of whether you crucify a handful of people in a small corner of a fandom or not.

If you're familiar with the yaoi manga genre, or any adult erotica games (I can't cite any examples bc I don't have enough details, but I do know they exist), you'll find a plethora of works where all sorts of fantasy situations are presented : rape is fetishised, there's shape-shifters (vampires or otherwise), A/B/O dynamics, even bestiality. In other words, a major prevalence of themes like dominant, aggressive behaviour contrasted with helpless, passive behaviour as far as sexual situations go. And they are thriving. They have a huge pool of audience out in the world.

Whether these fetishes are "morally right or wrong" to indulge in, is not a question I have any authority to debate, because I'm not a clinical psychologist, or a behavioural scientist.

Personally speaking, I happen to be a demisexual person. Any discussion of sexual situations or scenarios outside of my own very narrow comfort zone or mental compatibility scares the shit out of me. And I find all of the above scenarios I described, as plainly unappealing and downright weird or scary. I will never, as long as I have my faculties in control, go out seeking any of them voluntarily, in either fanarts or fiction.

My point is, this is a complicated issue, I fully acknowledge that beforehand. We, as a fandom, got attached to Ash as a character, for so many different reasons. We all love him, respect him for standing up against all odds, and fighting against his fate all his life. That's the reason why the back-lash against these depictions got so violent, I think. People are more willing to see him heal, to see him make peace with his scars and move on. The general consensus with this line of thought was so ingrained in our minds, that people lashed out as soon as something "against the norms" and "potentially harmful" came to their notice.

But, the thing is, both these outcomes, are fictional. The fandom's biggest purpose is this : we weave fiction out of fiction itself. That's why we have fanarts and AUs and headcanons and a hundred other things. And different people will find different aspects of said fictional scenarios appealing. It's why we have so many ships on one hand and unfortunately, *ridiculous* ship-wars and toxic discourses on the other. But, it's okay to accept that there'll always be differences in such a wide space where everyone is coming together. It's okay to find content you don't agree with, and simply, move on.

But, I'll repeat myself : I'm not going to persecute people, who have carefully tagged, classified, and filtered their content, being mindful of the others in the fandom, and barge on their doors demanding "why they liked what they liked" and "how could they like such a thing??". Especially because it is fiction, involving fictional characters, separated from reality.

Had it been a real life discourse, involving actual people, I'd have definitely spoken out against it.

Also, to anon, if you find my views or ideas unpleasant, or find my completely sfw multifandom blog a safety hazard, then you're more than welcome to unfollow and block me. Your mental peace is all that I ask for. :)

[ask-de-writer]

DARING DO AND THE COMPASS OF DISCORD : Progress Post #2 : MLP Fan Fiction : WORK IN PROGRESS

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DARING DO AND THE COMPASS OF DISCORD

by De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

3192 words Presently written The story is incomplete THIS A WORK IN PROGRESS Because this is a Work In Progress, new writing or changes to older text will be indicated by BOLDFACE TYPE.

© 2017 by Glen Ten-Eyck Writing begun 01/24/17

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author. ////////////// Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

For those wishing to read the story from the beginning, it starts HERE.

///////////////////////

Chapter 2 Withers

Daring Do sat across the cluttered desk from Withers. The washed out yellow unicorn with a mane and tail to match but even paler, looked over the list of locations, comparing the written notes to many maps. He had a nervous habit of scratching behind his right ear, which he was doing now.

“You are working for DISCORD?” he asked, incredulous.

Daring Do nodded, “Basically so, yes. Actually, she was in her female form as Eris. Still, the same being.”

Withers shook his head in puzzlement. “Why would you want to do ANYTHING for Discord, even if it is Eris in form?”

Daring Do grinned lopsidedly and fished in her briefcase. “Here is why. The Princesses both asked me to.”

She laid out her letter from the joint Crowns of Equestria.

Withers took one look and pointed out, “They do not say what the task is, do they? Did Eris bother to tell you what these places and times mean?”

Daring Do shrugged both shoulders and wings at once. “Partly. We all know that magic is not instantaneous. Especially, long range magic can have quite noticeable delays. The places and first times are where Eris began to do some unspecified task. The second time is when she encountered disruption of her work.

“I hope that you can reduce this data to give me a search area for the source of the disturbances.”

Withers looked up and nodded slowly. “I see.”

He pulled down a well worn volume from the crammed shelves of his office. He opened it and flipped through with practiced ease.

“Let me see, variables and constants of magic, humm, speed of propagation. Here we are. 6000 meters per second, roughly. That will give us a starting point.”

He began to click beads and move a sliding rule back and forth, adjusting a hairline and reading results. Those he entered into a neat table.

Looking up with a bit of a grin, his nervous ear scratching at a total standstill, Withers announced, “This could become a fascinating exercise in spherical trigonometry, or we could just make a few measurements on the world globe in the University Library!”

Daring Do snickered and pointed out, “Much as I would love to sit and watch you calculate for the next week, I think that the library is our best option!”

As she was opening the door to the office, Daring Do heard hooves scurrying down the hall. Checking quickly only allowed her to see a bit of a black tail vanishing around a corner of the hallway.

As they were crossing the tree lined University Commons, Withers commented, “There is a Rom band camped down at the fairgrounds. The commissary found out that they were there and bought a bunch of their famous Ka'check pastries and flavored coffees to go with the Rom tea that they always stock.”

Daring Do almost slid to a stop. “We are going the wrong way! Saving the world can wait! Rom pastries await us!”

She turned onto the path for the Royal University Commissary, almost sprinting! Withers was not far behind!

As they entered the big building, a glossy chestnut colored mare with a single perfectly centered eye, a mane and tail that were so deep a blue as to seem almost black, raised a hoof and called out, “Doctor Do! Professor Withers! Over here! I took the liberty of getting us all big tray full of pastries and got us some of the Rom coffees to wash them down!”

They dodged through the maze of dining tables. As Daring Do pulled up her seat, she snagged the nice hot caramel flavored coffee and an apricot filled Ka'chek roll to dip into it.

She sighed happily and said, “This is how I should be treated! Thank you Cy.” Turning to Withers, Daring Do introduced, “Withers, I would like you to meet Cyrene Yvonne Clopes, special assistant to Eris. Cy, this is Professor Withers, a brilliant statistician. He may have a handle on the problem that you suggested that I work on.” She finished her introduction by dunking her apricot roll into the coffee and munching serenely.

Withers helped himself to one with apple filling and took a simple honey cream coffee for himself. As he was dunking his pastry into his coffee, he asked, “Is it alright if I call you Cy?”

Cy nodded and offered, “If I can call you Withers, sure.” Before he could ask, she replied to his thought, “I am a third generation spell fallout pony from the Great South Bay Invasion Mage/Tech blast. The first generation, the ones exposed to the spell fallout, showed no overt ill effects. About eighty percent of their foals died before or soon after birth from fatal magical mutations. The foals of the third generation, mostly lived, though many were severely affected. I am one of the lucky ones who was affected but not too severely.”

Withers looked down, a bit ashamed, but forged ahead, “I know about the spell fallout issue. I did a major statistical work on the survivors. I never heard of your particular case before this. I am sorry. Seeing you, sort of brings home the abstract numbers.”

Cy reached across the table and touched Withers gently. “It is quite alright. I am used to those who stare because of my appearance. It pleases me in a mean sort of way to know that I make far more than most of them. Eris regards me highly and rewards me accordingly.”

Withers looked up, dunked his pastry in coffee and spoke around a mouthful of goodness, “Thank you for that. Now, I am quite sure that you did not come all the way from the Eris Inc. enclave outside of Ponyville just to get us pastries and coffee, however good those are.”

Cy sobered down. “True. I have three more data points for you and I brought Doctor Do a few things too.” She pushed sealed envelopes across the table.

Daring Do looked to Cy for permission to open hers. At her nod, Daring Do opened the envelope and examined the drawing within, minutely.

Cy nibbled at some of the pastries too, while the others were working. Withers looked up first, frowning slightly.

“Either all this data is wrong, the ones giving the orders are not on the world of Equestria, or the orders being given are going through a relay. To solve this, we are going to need to locate the relay point. It would be a big help if I knew whether the detection at the initiation point was active or passive.”

Cy pulled out a Magic Net mirror and tapped codes. They could see her speaking but a mute spell kept them from hearing either Cy or the speaker at the other end of the connection.

Giving Withers a calculating look, Cy suggested, “Doctor Do, I think that if he is willing to go with you, not only will Withers be a valuable asset, we could risk telling you two what it is that Eris does.

“First, though, the Compass tracks Eris passively. It is somehow being abused to locate where she is doing her works. Does that help, Professor Withers?”

Scratching his ear as he thought, his eyes brightened. His smile was nearly angelic. His pen nearly flew as he added columns to his present table.

Looing up to Cy’s single eye confidently, he stated, “It does make it absurdly simple. The link from the Compass to where the orders are being relayed is approximately a constant.

“The detection leg and the order leg will vary by their relationship to the work site. We will plot the work sites on the globe and measure arcs based on the difference between detection and action legs.

“It will take a few trials but we should have the length of the constant relay leg in only an hour or two. Arcs drawn based on the speed of magic propagation will pin down the areas where the Compass is and where the relay point is.

“It won’t be too accurate, but it will give us useful areas to search, depending on what it is that you want to do.”

Cy sucked in her cheeks as she thought. “We wish to recover the Compass of Discord or, in the worst case, destroy it.

“That last should be reserved as an option of desperation. There is enough non equine magic wrapped up in it that doing so will rival the Circle Lake blast at the end of the Nightmare Wars.

“We do not care about the Discordians as such. Whether some are killed or not is of no consequence.”

Withers mulled that over while they finished off the pastries and coffee. Finally he suggested, “Let us repair to the Library and start plotting this data on the world globe there. Now that we have done justice to these goodies, it is time to save the world!”

As she got up from the table, Cy remarked dryly, “That is more literal than you may think.”

Entering the Library, they were greeted by the silence and the scent of books and manuscripts. With assurance, Withers strode up to the main desk.

“Hello, Morail! I need to use the big world globe again. I have a commission in geographical statistics that I wish to demonstrate to Doctor Do and Cyrene, here.”

Morail gave Withers an almost adoring stare as she replied, “Certainly, Sir! I know that it is not officer training class, but I want you to know that I have burst fire on the MT84 held to fifteen centimeters at 60 meters.”

Withers responded, “That is excellent, Morail! I believe that it is a unit record. I can’t wait to see you shoot when it is time for class!”

To the others, Withers said modestly, “I am a retired Major in the Equestrian Army. I teach both reserves and the officer training program, besides statistics.”

Morail opened a door and they were faced with a room that had five globes of the world in it. The largest was almost two meters across. Withers strode confidently up to the big one, picking up a rack of objects with tags attached, a cloth measure tape and a marker.

He began placing the objects on the globe and filling in the tags. From each object he measured and marked off an arc.

He commented, “These are wrong. They assume that the relay/action is one half and detection is one half. They will give us a rough cut for the action center.”

Daring Do noted, “That rough cut puts things into the Selene Mountains on the border of the Zebra Confederation and the Eland Republic.”

Cy consulted with her Magic Net mirror for a moment. She picked up one of the sticky things with a tag and put it into the Selenes at a specific spot. “Mistress Eris has ordered me to reveal the location of the Hidden Temple of Discord. If they had remained basically harmless nut cases like they were in the past, she would never have done so, no matter how much she detests them.”

Withers took one look and erased his old lines and arcs. He drew new lines directly from each place to the Hidden Temple, carefully measuring each one and entering it into a new table. He began to subtract the new entries from entries in his old table. In only minutes, he smiled.

Withers measured carefully from the Hidden Temple and struck an arc across the Selene Mountains. From each of the other points he struck arcs that intersected his first one. They all came together in one small space.

Confidently, he pointed and stated, “There it is. The Detection center is in that spot. Of course at this scale, that is about a twenty five kilometer circle.”

Cy observed, “That is about twenty five kilometers better than we knew it before. The problem remains, that Eris and I cannot go to get it. They will detect us and move it before we can get there.

“Doctor Do, it is up to you. Can you go to the Zebra Confederation and get the Compass of Discord for us?”

Withers nodded, “Hate to put you on the spot, Doctor Do but if you go, I would be honored to accompany you.”

Daring Do Took a sheet of paper and drew a few small runes on it and laid it over the Selene Mountains. The paper conformed neatly to the globe. A perfect copy of the globe surface with Withers’ intersecting arcs appeared on it. She removed the paper and flattened it out on a table, then folded it neatly and put it into her saddle bag.

Finally she commented, “Can’t go without at least some sort of map! At least now I have some idea of where I am going!”

(To Be Continued)

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[patricia-cs]

ENTRY N.3

       I come from a family where everyone is oriented towards business. Art never really was a topic in our household. The only memory I have of it is my drawing and painting and my mum would call it art. But just because art wasn’t talked about doesn’t mean it didn’t get to me. I found art in school when making biology project, I found it in make-up and clothes, movies, music and the world around me when I first looked through a camera lens. 

     I like more edgy clothes, more “high fashion” inspired pieces, I always argue with myself if what I like is tasteful or kitsch. I always feel on top of all advertisements, I feel like I know what the ad is trying to tell me and so I try to find the real intention. I guess it can also just be part of the ad, me feeling like  I truly know. It is a war between me staying behind my opinion and me not giving up on it. Because time changes my mind. 

      When I was trying to get to traditional art school in Slovakia, I realized how very uneducated I was about art. Which may explain why my work wasn’t really “tasteful” at the time. I was creating under no knowledge of what everyone else ever did or is doing. My work was a masterpiece of kitsch - cheesy, “cheap”, silly ideas. And yes, I had a purple lava lamp in my bedroom. But I believe there was something very valuable in that and I still try to get into that bubble where it's just me and my ideas.       I like to get inspiration from other artist but I am learning every day how not to copy them. I know it does sound stupid but I feel like, once I see somebody’s execution of what I want to do, it’s difficult for me not to do it the same way since the image is already stuck in my head and I can’t see my vision through it.         Politics doesn't influence me, or not in a way that I would know of. In fact, (unfortunately ?) I think I am quite an unaware person. And I really didn't know much until I had no time to find out. It only happened in the last year of the high school that I realized that right now I have to make the decision and it will influence my whole world. I am a kind of person who would avoid every uncomfortable situation if possible. So when I had to confront myself about my future, I was quite lost. Especially because, I knew I was creative and I wanted to somehow be part of the art, anything connected to it, but comparing myself to an artist always felt "funny” and I never had guts to even tell someone that I like to draw because I always felt judged.        A place affects me a lot. For example, if I shop in clothes in Italy, I feel like I am buying an Italian fashion and that I have a “taste” when maybe, in Prague, I would consider the very same piece to be awkward. Speaking about Prague, it is truly the second chapter of my life, since I came, everything changed. I go to galleries, I research thing that I like, I am interested in finding what I actually like when before it was more like: wow I like this, I will pin it on my Pinterest board, and that was it.  I am now collecting images, works of other artists that speak to me, sometimes I even feel special when I know not many of my friends would like this image, but I authentically do and that brings me joy.  At the same time, especially with photographs, I am always wondering if they speak the same to other as they do to me.       Working on personal projects is now important to me and I try to do it as often as possible, I try to grow as an artist with every opportunity. Whether it is cooking food, I always think about colour palate of it when I dress, I always want to look like I can walk on a movie set, when I take photos, even the most basic ones like somebody’s doorbell, I think about composition, when I start to write a blog entry, I have to set up a typefaces and sizes otherwise I don’t feel comfortable.       Taste is such a complicated thing. I realized this properly when my boyfriend and I decided to paint a huge acrylic canvas together. We almost broke up because of it… I absolutely hated what he was doing and he hated what I was doing. This was supposed to be a fun, creative activity, but ended up being a huge lesson. Just because somebody doesn’t like what I like, doesn’t mean his/her taste is less important than mine or he/she is less aware, art educated, bright person than I am. Of course, I always knew that not everyone else likes same things as me. And I always thought that I like nice things, so it was surprising that somebody who I know so well and who I believe has similar taste to mine will create something so different from me.       Quite recently, I started to understand myself and my aesthetics and I still can't explain it to anyone which is fine for now as long as I am sure of it. The world today is my inspiration. I really have this crazy feeling that keeps me interested in what everyone else is doing in the very same time as me. I can’t stand the feeling of being left out. And I continuously get depressed when I realize things like: I haven’t updated my website, I will never be able to draw so beautifully, my mind is not strong enough to come up with a brilliant concept, how do people create images like this in Illustrator, etc. As much as it is an advantage, it is a disadvantage at the same time. I can’t compare myself endlessly because I might lose what is true to my personal style. But if I don’t keep effectively present in this non-stop buzz, will I ever become “the buzz” myself?

US Patricia and Andrej acrylic on canvas 2017

     This is the painting which we painted together, it now sits on my table and I appreciate it every day. The top left is him and the bottom right is mine. He was dabbing the paint on with tissues and I was spreading it evenly in flowy spahes with a brush.

[comicteaparty]

October 14th-October 20th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from October 14th, 2019 to October 20th, 2019.  The chat focused on Lanterns of Arcadia by Beth Zyglowicz.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Lanterns of Arcadia by Beth Zyglowicz~! (http://www.lanternsofarcadia.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until October 20th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What exactly do you think the shadow creatures were that burst out during the explosion? How are they tied in to the magic disappearing in Arcadia, and what other mishaps might they be causing? Lastly, how can they be stopped?

snuffysam

1. My favorite scene is probably the scene where Phineas is explaining all the bad things he did to the university chairs. The cold, calculated way he describes all the horrible things he did is sickening, but fascinating. Plus, the scene helps display what a scumbag the Director is, with how he claims he knew nothing about this scandal but subtly leads the conversation along to the information he wants Phineas to spill.

2. The shadow creatures are perhaps... "anti-magical" creatures of some kind? Like instead of generating magic like some other beings do (e.g. the magic fireflies), they just endlessly absorb like a black hole. And if they completely absorb a being, their memory is erased from the world? Not sure what that has to do with turning Peggy into a wolf though. Perhaps the anti-magic ghosts can release the magic they absorb and cause mischief that way? (alternatively... Peggy has always been part wolf, and it's just the lack of magic that's keeping her from hiding her true form)

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Who do you think changed the Library’s pledge in Arcadia and for what reason? Is it simply discrimination, or is something else going on? In general, what do you think is the cause in Arcadia’s general hostility towards non-humans?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. Do you think the other shards are in danger, or will magic naturally return to normal? In what way do you think the council at the Hub will play a role in the events going forward?

SpaceTurtleArt

Author here! I'm very excited to see people's answers to these, they're all great questions. :D

Also if you have questions for me, please feel free to ask, I will do my best to answer as long as it's not spoilery.

RebelVampire

@snuffysam I really like that scene as well, even if it made me feel flabberghasted with just how non-chalant Phineas is about everything.

1) My favorite scene is probably the one after the board decides how to punish Phineas, where Avani's sponsor is throwing shade at the Director. I really kind of like how cut-throat the scene was an disconnected from how the students might be hurt. Instead, it was just all politics at that point, and it was kind of nice to see that sort of pettiness reflected. Since office politics really are a thing and makes people just as petty as you see in that scene. 2) I have to agree with @snuffysam on this. They scream anti-magic or at least things that eat magic up wherever they do go. I imagine this goes beyond just taking magic away but also extends to warping the intended function of magic. Like magic is operating with a wheel that's missing some spokes now. As for how they can be stopped, I imagine that's gonna involve creating another artificial ley line and banishing them back to where they came from. However, that will be harder than it sounds since you'd have to do it in a way that doesn't produce more of them. Alternatively, it could be they'll dissipate on their own naturally if they're just wrangled and cut off from all sources of magic. Basically starve 'em out.

3) My favorite character is Phineas. This is one of those instances where I love the villain. Like he's just...he's just so villainous. No remorse, even when caught red-handed. I can't help but appreciate that sort of ruthlessness. However, he does have that nice balance where there's a twinge of sympathy. Cause you gotta wonder how much of this twisted personality was caused by spending too much time with dear old uncle. 4) I feel like it was the Director or the Director's evil predecessor who changed the pledge. I think discrimination is involved in the reason, although I don't feel that's all of it. Cause this seems more like the sort of thing you'd do to create a legal loophole. So when you do get caught, you can say "ah ah ah, read the fine print there." So it could've been more that they wanted a way out should the worse come to pass. As for the general hostility, it's probably just from non-contact. People fear what they don't understand. So if they aren't getting an opportunity to interact with those who aren't human, of course resentment, bad rumors, and etc. will crop up. As, unfortunately, people tend to judge groups by the worst people of those groups, since people listen to more bad news than they do good news.

RebelVampire

5) I gotta go with the obvious of one of the opening pages, namely this one: http://www.lanternsofarcadia.com/comics/10/ I super duper love the composition as well as the color contrasts. I also like the shadow-y figure foreground as well and that they're so close to the bottom of the frame. It makes them feel so small and really overall expresses the direness of the situation and that there is nothing in their human powers that they can do at the moment. 6) I do think the other shards are in danger. And that while I don't think things will escalate super fast, I feel that if the issue isn't contained, the magic eaters will spread until there is no magic left. Granted, it is questionable if eating all magic means ambient magic can't return at some point. I think the council is gonna be feeding Avani and Guardian some pretty essential knowledge down the line and that the two teams will have to work together in order to solve the crisis. Cause even if they can find a way to contact each other, I feel there will be other difficulties with the council being able to act in person in Arcadia.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Why do you think Avani’s grandfather burned research and hid information he had about artificial ley points? How does this tie into current events? Ultimately, do you think artificial ley points can actually be made safely?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Why do you think Silas Kane was having his nephew continue research into ley points? What other information do you think he knows, and can he be stopped? Lastly, what might he have to do with other creatures disappearing in Arcadia (if anything)?

RebelVampire

7) I enjoy seeing Phineas and his uncle interact the most I think. I like this dynamic where even though Phineas is a jerk and pretty evil, you can tell his uncle is far more so. So there's this interesting dynamic where it's hard to tell how much of Phineas' personality might be different if not for his uncles influence. So to me that kind of makes all their interactions an interesting exploration of character degradation as it were. 8) Consider the director mentioned that he'd seen the shadow creatures before, I think Avani's grandfather did the exact same experiment and had the exact same results on a smaller scale. Thus noped out of, ya know, destroying the world. I mean all the pieces fit so well to make that answer seem the most likely to me. As for whether an artificial ley point can be made safely. I want to say the answer is yes, but it's a question of should you and becomes ethics. Like for example, take our world. Arguably the advances we've made our amazing. I mean here I sit, at my computer, talking to people on the other side of the earth like it's no big deal, sipping my water I don't have to worry if it's fresh or not. But all these advances have come at a cost to nature. And I kind of think ley lines fall into the same category. Where maybe you could, but is the cost of doing it worth it?

9) I've really liked the consistency of the unique words. For instance, the other sorts of areas as shards etc. Like it's not so foreign it's hard to kind of grasp what they mean by shards, but at the same time it's just got the right amount of weight and difference to add that nice in-depth fantasy feel to the world and make it feel unique. 10) I think Kane is just the type to be obsessed with progress. Like the sort of man who 100% believes the ends justifies the means. So if he has to kill half the population to advance science, then so be it. However, as director, he obviously needs to maintain his position to have access to the resources for experiments. Hence why you delegate to minions. At the very least, I think he knows 100% the consequences of what his experiments are and how to replicate at least some of the old research into ley points. But as for can he be stopped? Sure. Of course. He's not some immortal or something as far as I can tell. It's just a matter of will everyone wise up quick enough to his antics. As for the creatures disappearing, again, I definitely think it's him and it's for the sake of progress all living creatures be damned.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What role do you think Isaac will have within the story given his previous involvement in the ley point experiments? Additionally, how is it that Isaac can’t seem to remember the name of his friend who died?

snuffysam

I feel like an artificial ley point can be made safely without harming nature, but... capturing magical creatures probably isn't the way to do it? Like I feel like the lesson of the story is building up to a "harmony with nature" thing, and that a new ley point can only be made by respecting all beings.

This comic's greatest strength is absolutely its worldbuilding. Like we haven't even visited many shards yet, but I can tell just from the way the world has been established that each one will be its own unique and diverse area. And that really excites me for when we do get to visit another one.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. What do you think will happen to Avani and Guardian once they reach Morning Glory’s place? Will Guardian be able to make a report? Further, what do you think Avani will decide to do regarding the situation in Arcadia?

RebelVampire

11) For me. the comic's main strength is the balance between fantasy and science in the world-building. I love fantasy, I really do. But sometimes the genre treats the idea of science like it's the plague and creatures don't progress. This comic has struck a great balance where sure, magic exists. But theres also ppl researching magic like they would any energy source. And I like seeing the theme of progress thrown in, as it feels like the world can grow and change just as much as the chatacters. 12) Isaac is definitely gonna be the one who tells the good guys more specifically what Phineas was doing. And I think he'll provide a much needed eyewitness account for deciding what to do. Third, I think just in general, he's gonna do all he can to set things right out of guilt. As for the memory issues, perhaps the shadow things are eating more than just magic but also the connection to magic. And that every creature is reliant on this connection. So as it erodes the connection, people forget things they were once connected with.

RebelVampire

13) I am looking forward to seeing more Phineas and for when his uncle inevitably screws him over. That's gonna be some delicious, horrifying drama that will really send Phineas in a different direction (though whether that direction is good or bad who can say). 14) I think Avani and Guardian are gonna discover they still can't make a report and dive head first into research and trying to learn all they can about ambient magic. And start trying to piece together how they can bring magic back. I think overall, though, Avani will endeavor to do all she can for Arcadia. Cause honestly, given it was her grandfather's research at the heart of this, I think she's gonna feel some familial duty to make it her responsibility to fix. At the very least, she's gonna see it through far enough to help Guardian call the proper authorities.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Lanterns of Arcadia this week! Please also give a special thank you to Beth Zyglowicz for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Lanterns of Arcadia, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

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