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The first time I read vol 3 I couldn't stop thinking about this, I inevitably wanted to make a fanart of It

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Jack after everyone thinks he’s dating everyone:

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calling sick to work makes me look weak compared to this guy.

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ANOTHER NIGHT AT THE GAS STATION

done for a worldbuilding assignment in 2023

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i just think more 30-40 year old men should be more whorish. act your age for once.

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TAKE A CHANCE JACK!

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Tftgs volume 3 random things that’s stuck with me

Jack canonically having a youthful enough appearance that makes people mistaken him for a late teen if his hair grows out

Rosa’s crush on Jack being obvious to everyone except Jack, it’s a wonder how him and Sabine even got together in the first place if he’s this oblivious to Rosa

Spencer being Jack’s sleep paralysis demon, out of everyone and everything Jack’s seen it’s this guy from high-school that tried to kill him + Jack being so embarrassing Spencer had to tell him to get it together

Jack’s will where he wants Jerry to commit arson

The short Sabine and Jack flashback, I hope Volume 4 has more flashbacks of them

The conversation between Jack and Pops where he’s granted a day off; in some way I wonder if the owners knew that they were gonna die soon

Jack calling Howard “Doctor Huge Dick Howard” + the strange way he comes off as accidentally flirty to Howard, Dr V, and Rosa

Benjamin waving around a candy bar to Rosa whilst saying “you want the candy? come get the candy!” like she’s a dog

Jerry pissing to close a portal whilst sporting a boner

The shapeshifter’s true form being Bill Murray

O’brien letting Jack tag along during her job and forming up all kinds of lies from him being his assistant to someone from the FBI

That one moment where Jack was proud and amazed that he beat up a old woman (he failed btw)

God’s request for Jack to send a message only being for humanity to “Please stop being mean to each other”

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Tftgs Volume 4 thoughts and rambling

Finally, I finished volume 4. Instead of finishing it in one day like the other volumes, I had to put it off due to some things which kind of sucked cause i love binge reading but whatever.

First off all to begin with, I personally believe this volume is the best in terms of characterization. It’s the first time the author uses other character’s povs even if it’s jack experiencing their memories. It gave us more insight into Rosa and Jerry, two of my favourite characters, and it made me like kieffer more as a character especially with the portrayal of him being a naive child and Spencer as a sort of father figure to him.

My favourite has to be Jerry’s, I loved how the reveal of him being the prophet and disbelief at the cult’s mass suicide ties in to how he was a mess at first in volume 1, crying so much. It makes more sense on why he was like that because it wasn’t just the fact he considered them his family, but also the fact he was the one who started all of this and had believed that everyone wasn’t that serious about only to be faced the fact that yeah they did, and now they’re all dead. The alienation from his family, from his friends after that never have I ever game, and the repetition of “why can’t you be normal” was lovely, it really did humanize him a lot similar to the parts in volume 2 about Vanessa and the Russian radio which were some of my favourite parts about Jerry in the books.

Rosa’s pov was amazing, a close second to Jerry’s. Her being the reason why her uncle couldn’t do anything anymore, the implications of her relationships with her family and how it changed after the incidents. It’s obvious that Rosa’s mom loves her, but with the information that her grandmother was always mean to her and her uncle’s warning to Jack about her, there’s a subtle distance between Rosa and the extended family members other than her parents and brothers because of their superstitious belief and religion that contrasts Rosa’s more logical way of thinking like her being annoyed being brought to a church instead of a doctor.

I feel with this information, the dynamic between Jack, Rosa, and Jeremy just becomes even better. They already bounce off of each other well and are pretty enjoyable to read whether it’s a comedic or serious moment. All three were alienated from others in a way, always felt different from others and kind of held that belief (Rosa and Jack both being closed off to others, with Jerry it’s more so his father’s question lingering in his mind, always at the scene of the crime when something happens) yet they found each other who accept the strangeness and didn’t really care for their “freakish” traits unless it’s something that affects their mental or physical health. They’re all ride or dies, and now they’re off traveling in a van like an off-brand scooby doo.

Second, Jack and Sabine’s relationship, I loved the small flashback in volume 3 albeit it was short and said i hoped volume 4 has more of them AND IT DID.

Jack and Sabine were amazing together, Sabine’s bluntness and playfulness paired with Jack’s awkwardness and personality was enjoyable to read. They clearly love each other yet it wasn’t perfect. Sabine herself admits that it may have never worked out and I think that’s the beauty of it? Like even if Sabine lived and they broke up, it’s the fact that it happened what matters since they are so important to each other and their relationship is something that develops them, I imagine they’d still be friends after the break up too if it did happen. I think they’re pretty similar to Paul and Emma from starkid in the same way they’re inevitable in where their love ends tragically, Jack and Sabine are two people I can’t see realistically being alive and together even if I want to because of the circumstances they are in with Roger’s eye on Jack and Sabine being a sort of guardian. Maybe in another life if the two weren’t burdened with the supernatural and the gas station they’d be out of town, opened up a bookstore possibly and they’d be happy, but it’s not this life or any. They’re yuri to me.

Her screen time in general amplified a lot, her brief dynamic with Spencer (the one in Jack’s head btw) I really liked because of the contrast between the two’s relationship with Jack and their personalities. Spencer is much more willing for Jack to face the truth and everything whilst Sabine is more willing for it to drag on as a way to protect Jack. Also the whole time I imagined her looking like a green-eyed miss holloway from star kid, if I didn’t then it’d be a scene girl with many accessories on her.

Third, Jack’s history of violence and relationship with his father, Wendy, and Spencer. Volume 4 gave us official appearances and dialogue of Jack’s foster family and his father. To put it simply, it’s all shit.

Off note, one thing I’ll give is the use of names and titles in Jack’s pov, he never calls Miller by dad or pappy but instead a more formal way such as father because they never had the closeness for him to use a casual variation. He has a thing with that, especially with how he upgrades with O’brien with her name to even calling her Amy. Depending on what name it defines how close Jack is with some characters along with how well he knows of likes them.

Miller’s the worst, everyone knows this and hell even Travis thinks he’s the worst after seeing him interact with Jack. He’s a violent abusive drunkard that could have had the capability to be good but never tried to be and instead tried to make Jack be more “manly” in the way of violence and no matter how Jack or Miller sees it, he did succeed.

The violence is a way of reacting for Jack, like in the files where he beat up a kid for food and a girl for sticking her hand down his hands and Deacon. Jack’s violent tendencies and anger issues is what he got from Miller, this is from the years of resentment and fear that turned the automatic response for reacting is to beat the shit out of someone, he got his father’s worst flaws and turned out to be worse. Just as Spencer has said, Miller’s got a temper but Jack’s got something else. It’s something much more cruel and brutal because of his personality and circumstances, it’s where Spencer comes in as a gateway for all of Jack’s repression and blame shift towards him.

There’s a clear difference between the real Spencer and the one Jack sees, he’s got loose questionable morals but doesn’t seem as psychotic and violent as Jack believes. He’s even helpful in his own way. He’s the object of Jack’s hate not only for all the things he’s done like tryna kill him and beat up his friends, but also the fact that Spencer is a mirror with a reflection he despises. It’s why it’s so easy for him to put Spencer as the person for torturing bugs back when they were kid, because Spencer had a bad reputation, because Spencer is violent and brash, because he sees himself in Spencer. He’s quick to push blame to more reasonable targets whom would commit murder and violence such as Benji and Spencer cause he can’t confront his own actions and believes it, unreliable narrator at his finest.

I actually really liked Wendy, she’s the least shittiest in terms of family members for Jack and she’s got her priorities straight even though she does blackmail and pyramid schemes, she’s still getting the bag. Her interactions with Jack are more or less just average older sister behaviour with embarrassing his friends with a story from high-school, teasing and making fun of him, etc. Jack saw her as a foster sister whom he’s not close with, he distrusts her a lot and doesn’t believe her words even if she’s apologizing. But, even then he never saw her as a threat it’s a contrast to how Wendy feels about Jack.

She was terrified of Jack back then, their dynamic was completely different in her eyes because she was walking on eggshells around him the whole time. It’s what made me reconsider and think more deeply about the two’s relationship knowing that she was scared of him, which lead to wondering if their foster parents, Sid and Dianna were a bit scared of him too as they clearly didn’t like him. He didn’t have any worries attacking an adult, he attacked a teacher, he had no problem attacking his foster brothers too, whose to say they wouldn’t be next?

Fourth, O’brien and Jack. I really liked them in volume 2 and 3, it was sad to see Jack so clearly missing the O’brien he knew and trying in almost every interaction to bring back O’brien’s memories only for distance, indifference, and hostility from her because he’s suspicious, a culprit with mental issues that can’t distinguish between imagination and reality.

The new dynamic was a bit funny though, him admitting to crimes and smiling about while O’brien is squinting her eyes at him and already has her gun ready if he tries anything. I did wish to see more of O’brien and Jack in the later half, along with maybe a scene where they confront about the memory erasure thing after she got them back.

Overall, I really did like this volume although the Karen bit was a bit underwhelming and disappointing, Roger as a character and antagonist did make up for that along with everything else. This was less tales from the gas station and more about the town itself and focuses them outside of the gas station, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

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Tftgs designs

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hoped onto the DTIYS started by @my-oh-my-thats-a-big-giraffe and I... Might have done a bit more cuz it ended up looking so good

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I know all I post is W.I.Ps I promise I'll finish one of them (at some point)

Jack n Sabine! And a very special guest; Karen

Hopefully this uploads correctly

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jack townsend (the author) naming the main character of his book jack townsend, which hammers in the idea that the gas station could exist in our world, is so iconic

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extra tftgs stuff i have on hand that i either like or am working on for later...

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YOU KILLED KIEFFER! (this is a normal Tuesday) TFTGS Vol1

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Vol 3 Jack really went though it huh

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gangs all here at least, himbo supreme, sweet "normal" lady, totally sane terminal insomniac and their police officer baby sitter. tftgs vol3