#How to Care For Your Monster

[thatsbelievable]

Not only were these two books an unforgettable part of my childhood, but they heavily influenced the writing of The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles!

Movie Monsters by Alan Ormsby offers a glimpse at each of the classic movie monsters like Dracula, the Wolfman, and (of course) the Mummy. This is followed by illustrated pages that teach you how to do your own monster makeup. There’s even a script for a monster play you can perform with friends!

Meanwhile, How to Care For Your Monster by Norman Bridwell gives you pointers on exactly that, so you can make your very own vampire, Frankenstein Monster, werewolf, or mummy happy.

As a kid, I loved these books to death. As an adult, I still do. They made me who I am, and I’m happy to do my part in keeping the love of monsters alive.

If you or someone in your life enjoys monsters, spooky stuff, goofy humor, and fun, please give The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man and Waffles a try. You can order it by clicking on the book title here, or ask for it at your local library!

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[theartingace]

Your centaurs differ pretty wildly from the base DnD centaurs, but what I am curious about is old people. DnD centaurs travel in migrations that last generations and just leave the old or infirm behind to keep on (at which point they become Chiron types); how do your centaurs handle the elderly?

I actually had no idea that DnD centaurs did that, kinda cool, kinda wild cultural practice?? While I have always encouraged folks to use my workarounds and patches for centaurs in their TTRPG games, I actually have very little idea of what ideas are already in any of the systems that do actually include centaurs! my advice on centaurs is usually much more niche daily life stuff than most game developers and story writers tend to delve into.

For my centaurs the elderly are treated much like any human elder, what do you do with them? You cherish them!! Particularly with my centaurs, who across all their cultures depend a lot on family and group dynamics to compensate for the challenges that come with having a horse body. So elders would be an important font of knowledge and cultural memory! Now MY centaurs in particular tend to be pre-history to medieval style cultures, with access to higher medicines pretty much limited to the Port city of the Merchant's culture so living to a super advanced age would be fairly rare, but that would just make those who DO get to that age generally more important and respected (at least according to Nana)

As mobility issues arise with advanced age, there's lots of options to keep Nana mobile and healthy, from supportive corsets and harnesses to support the back to senior comfort hoof trims and special shoes- but most end up opting for being (literally) carted around in small wagons by the grandkids. Or the more independent minded seniors may drive their own carts with pet ponies and donkeys (or even goats!)

Of course wheelchairs are also an excellent choice to help with mobility at any age!

And even in my semi-nomadic Rider culture, elders are simply packed up with the yurts and tents and travel in the carts that way. No reason to leave them behind when you have stuff to be carrying anyway in my opinion!

[asofterepilogue]

I know that penelope saying "don't tell me you're not the same person, you're always my husband" is just supposed to be her saying that all she cares about is that he's odysseus and he loves her (and don't get me wrong it IS incredibly sweet and romantic and it makes me tear up a little)

but considering the first thing odysseus does in the musical is commit war crimes and then he just never stops at all, it tickles me to think that she's also saying he's always been a horrible little monster, she's always known, and she thinks the horrors are part of the fun.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 81

Danny blinked at the small children Ellie was holding the hand of, looking quite proud of herself. The small children- between ten and twelve so somewhere similar to Ellie’s age- who both practically stank of magic and Gods. 

He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose even as Dan cackled while opening the door more to let them inside. “Alright, what’s your name, kids?”

“B-billy…um, Billy Batson...” “‘m Percy! Percy Jackson.” 

“Nice to meet you two- any idea where in your family you have a god or two, because one of you definitely smells like Zeus and I’m pretty sure Poseidon and I am not dealing with either of my half-brothers.” 

[kittyscabin]

hoffman's nightmare

[gr8otaco]

I can personally do a whole analysis rant about why raditz deserved better, based off this one manga panel image if anyone's interested.

[fatedroses]

And some days, I just wish you wouldn't look at me at all.

[wellijustfinnihedoneofthebooks]

Coming out as marius pilled since reading blood and gold

[littlefankingdom]

Does anyone have ever written a fic about Jason realizing that Bruce made the Red Robin's suit for him??? The fact that Jason canonically knows that, but it's making me crazy how it's never addressed.

For the people who don't know, in Countdown to Final Crisis (2007), Jason goes to an alternative Earth where Bruce killed the Joker after Jason died. Once he believes Jason to really be Jason, he presents to him the Red Robin's suit, explaining it's a suit he made for when Jason would be older and have grown out of Robin. And they go fight crime together, as Batman and Red Robin, father and son, until Bruce is killed in front of Jason. There's more to it (Bruce has given up on his morals, but also the whole batfam and JL has given up on him), however none of this is ever used again (a shame, really).

It's not explicitly told if Tim first Red Robin's suit was also made by Bruce for Jason, and the third Robin found it. And there are no other explanation given.

So, is there any fic out there about this??? Either Jason who did go to the alternative universe and thought "it was another Bruce, mine didn't do it" until he saw Tim as Red Robin ("time to beat my lil brother for stealing my shit" the second act), either Jason who never went to this alternative universe but learns that the suit was originally for him?

Because, Jason's whole thing is that he wants signs that Bruce cared about him, and a suit, for his son when he gets older? The man spent his free time making a suit for his 15 years old son for when he would fight crime in college! It was so early for him to already be working on that, it shows the love Bruce had for his boy.

[puddleofpins]

people who misgender g3 Frankie while “critiquing” g3 designs and then ignore everyone correcting you in your comments, I’m swinging at you with my sword.

A popular media franchise makes a they/them-using nonbinary protag and it’s actually canon and they still can’t get any respect.

[blerghie]

would you fall in love with me again but it's kdj/od saying the "i would fall in love with you over and over again" part to yjh's 1865 regression turns 🥹

[ttrpg-smash-pass-vs]

On the left, the Pixie! 5e made them around 1 ft, or 30 cm. They're pranksters, they turn invisible, can entangle you with vines, and create an illusions/sensations which your body treats all aspects of as real!

On the right, troglodyte! Sadistic human-sized reptile people! They may be rough and have weaponized body odor, but look at that confidence and thirst! Literally, abs that defined typically note dehydration or starvation. Though I'm sure that's just the designers wanting to indicate their sizeable strength.

[britneyshakespeare]

you: nicholas alexander chavez, the actor from ryan murphy's recent work

me, a mama's girl and daytime tv viewer:

[mad-hunts]

okay, but it's the way that listening to songs sometimes reminds me of these random OC's that i have come up with over the years though JSJSJ like i have nottt thought of this one in a WHILE... but i once had an OC named ilias whose parents basically had a dream related to wealth due to his birth + so they took it as a prophecy because they always wished to have money as they lived in poverty for as long as they could remember. thus, they were superrr overprotective of him growing up to the point of obsession because they started seeing him as like their 'savior' in a way. and at the age of like six years old, he ended up developing the 'midas touch' or the ability to turn things into gold with a touch except he ALSO couldn't turn it off like midas + it only started with small things like insects at first but then spread to things like people and animals being turned into gold by his touch?

and that is SO incredibly sad whenever i think about it?? but also, IDK... i think i might've been cooking slightly whenever i thought of this idea. not to brag or anything, of course LOL buttt the commentary i could be using this kind of story for related to how capitalism is horrible and how greed can quickly overpower people is something i'd definitely be interested in now, i think. but SKSKS if y'all have any thoughts about this, then please feel free to comment them below because i'd love to hear them :)

[artist-on-crack]

Happy birthday to me:3