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Been doodling wizards for a board game I'm working on. Each wizard has their own unique ability

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Root Beer is a superior soft drink that towers above all others, not because it predates them all or has a richer history behind it; but because of how it cannot be owned or trademarked. Grocery chains will always have their cheap off-brand varieties of course; but in every other case, Pepsi and Coke have the market on Kola nut-flavored soda; Nobody asks for lemon-lime soda; they want Mountain Dew, Sprite, Sierra Mist (yeah there's that new one, Sparkly or whatever, but I've never seen anyone drink that) The big 2 soda companies have the demand for these flavors locked down so nobody bothers; and there's really nothing quite like Dr. Pepper, except Mr. Pibb,so nobody else really tries that much. but who owns Root Beer? Not A&W, not Barq's, not Mug, not even IBC. The craft soda market is full of superior Root Beers made with quality ingredients and no corn syrup; are available in convenience stores, wine & beer shops, and gas stations.

Brownie and Sprecher's make the best Root Beer, depending on what mood you're in. A Virgil's is nice every now and again, but I wouldn't consider Virgil's Root Beer flavor to be what I associate with Root Beer; it's more of an old-fashioned sasparilla.

A continuation on my post about unloved foods, specifically this is my in-depth defense of root beer.

Root Beer isn't inherently gross, it's just one of those weird local flavors that's off-putting to people who didn't grow up with it. We all like different things and also we all tend to like flavors that are similar to what we grew up with. That's okay! But honestly root beer is pretty unique and, in my opinion, delicious.

One of the main complaints against root beer is that it tastes like medicine. Funnily enough, it was originally marketed as medicinal! This is true for most OG sodas actually. Pretty much as soon as carbonated water was invented, people were drinking it to soothe various ailments. A lot of the original soft drinks were actually invented by pharmacists. I just think that root beer is especially cool because the main flavor came from the root bark of sassafras, a common North American shrub. Because it's so widespread and aromatic, all parts of the sassafras plant have been used in food and medicine by many different Native American tribes throughout history and was subsequently picked up and used by European colonists. In the 1960s, some studies indicated that that safrole oil, which is produced by the plant, can cause liver damage. Whether or not this would actually remain true after it had been boiled and added to root beer is unclear, but it was really easy to replicate the flavor, so the sassafras in commercial root beer these days is artificial. Another fun fact about safrole is that it's a precursor in the synthesis of MDMA. None of this information has stopped my childhood habit of eating sassfras leaves right off the shrub whenever I walk past it on a hike. I'm like 85% sure it's safe and also mmmm yummy leafs go crunch.

Another root beer complaint is that it tastes like toothpaste. I think this is probably because another key flavor in most root beer recipes is wintergreen. I'm assuming that the people who think this are the same people who think mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like toothpaste. I can understand and even respect that some people don't like mint and associate it only with brushing their teeth, but like. Mint is a pretty common flavor. I mean I think it's safe to say that humans have been eating mint flavored stuff for longer than toothpaste has existed... anyway!

Other common flavors in root beer (real or artificial) are caramel, vanilla, black cherry bark, sarsaparilla root, ginger, and many more! There's not one official recipe, and root beer enthusiasts often have strong opinions about different brands. Some root beer is sharper, with more strong aromatic flavors, and others are mild and creamier.

Another thing I think is cool about root beer is that it's foamier than most sodas. This was originally because sassafras is a natural surfactant (and why sassafras is also a common thickening agent in Louisiana Creole cooking.) These days, other plant starches or similar ingredients are added to keep the distinctive foam. Root beer foam > all other soft drink foams. That's why root beer floats kick more ass than like, coke floats.

If you've never had root beer before, imagine if a sweetened herbal tea was turned into a soda, because that's basically what it is. If your first response to that is a cringe, fair enough. That's why lots of people don't like it. If your first response to that is "interesting... I might actually like it, though" then I encourage you to track down a can of root beer today, hard as that might be outside the US and Canada. Next time you see an "ew, root beer tastes like medicine/tooth paste" take, know that there's a reason for that, but also the same could be said for literally any herbal or minty food/drink.

My final take on root beer is that it would be the soda of choice for gnomes. Thank you and good night.

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Somethin' Spooky's goin down.

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10/10 halloween decoration

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Got this idea from a discord server I'm on; based off the old "is your refrigerator running?" joke/prank call. I referenced a few old 50s-styled fridges since they fit the vibe of Earthbound; and I already have an appreciation for the rounded, sleek look that appliances and vehicles of that era had.

it look me a while to get the motion lines to something I was close to being happy with; still uncertain about how it turned out.

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If you weren't aware, the MTG Circlejerk subreddit has been making fake Far Side Secret Lairs and it's probably one of my favorite things lately.

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I didn't have a funny caption for this one; but I really wanted to put him to the pen, as it were. Based off this delightful picture:

I have a fondness for amphibians, especially charismatic-looking ones such at this grinning pancake.

Transparent version for those who want it.

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12 years later, it returns.

From /r/tyranids:

God I LOVE weird little six year olds. Someone please get her a wee ripper costume immediately.

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Saltzpyre approves

is it fucking weird to anyone else to think that deer are like, everywhere

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"Have you ever heard of a Nogard? It's like a dragon in every way, except it flies backwards and breathes fire out the other end. Killing one is a labor in and of itself; but legends say that even then its bones might come back to life and continue to wreak its spicy expulsions as it did in life."

It took me a few tries to get the perspective and pose satisfactory; where it's both looking at the player and still have it's um...firing arc visible to the player. The shadow was a bit of an afterthought; I hope the perspective still works for the image.

I was originally going to have it crane its head around like how the Queasy Beast does, but having it point up vertical was infinitely more amusing to me; (I realize now as I write this down that I had the image of an extended bittern in my mind; a bird whose appearance never ceases to amuse me.)

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(whispering)

They're Perfect.

Poorly drawn Sentret line

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my life rn

I freaking hate it.

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The Goblin Proctspecter: A small but important fixture in the monster ecosystem. He digs around in monster shit all day to find gold and other indigestible treasure carried by less lucky adventurers. It's not much, but it's honest work. You'll find these fellows hard at work around dragons' caves and other mighty monster lairs; pockets jingling full of loot."

Based on this quick little doodle I made at work when inspiration struck:

I was originally going to have his little poop-smeared shovel in the foreground, but the 32x32 sprite's limitations would have meant deleting some of the detail I had in the foreground hand that I already liked; so I put it in the back. Mercifully, there were a few extra pixels of wiggle room in both dimensions, so I scooted the goblin up and to the right so I could set down a shadow beneath him and a little pile of crap to the left to associate what it is he actually does with his shovel.

I think my favorite part of translating the original doodle to pixel art was making sure the nose stayed as vegetable-like as possible.

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Nothing too special this time; one of the lesser enemies you might encounter in the Runny Marshlands; the Prune Goon.

"It's high in fiber and slippery to catch; but not too tough. Its cries might attract other monsters, so take it out quickly!"

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This is my favorite stock photo guy He does everything