karmada

[karmada]

I love it!

Spooky on Main.

[karmada]

[karmada]

[karmada]

On Fandoms, Age, and Gender: The Politics of “ Putting Away Childish Things”

Weighing in on yet another round of “fan spaces are youth spaces” (aka “go home and knit, old lady” or “You’re old enough to be my/someone’s mom! gross!” )

Consider these thoughts:

There’s a whole set of interests and behaviors that you might become interested in as you grow from child to adolescent to young adult and take greater interest in the wider world.

You might like horses, or dolls.  Or building models.  You might play soccer, or follow baseball every summer and learn about  box scores.   You might follow the college football draft, or love a pop band.  You might deeply admire a rock band and learn to play the guitar.  You might love superheroes and see all their movies.  You might love space opera and collect paperback books.  Maybe you collect trading cards of your favorite team players – or movie moments.  You probably get t-shirts and posters of teams, or media outlets.  You might get deeply into a social or political cause.

Those are all expressions of interest in the world, all with associated social aspects, many with associated creative actions. 

And then you get older.  And here’s the thing about that list.  The things on that list that are “for boys?”   Are also “for men.”   But the things on that list that are “for girls” or “for nerds?” Are only “for children.”  

Adult men wear brightly colored team clothing and paint their faces without shame.   They join fantasy football leagues and hang out online.   They follow Phish (or continuously talk about how they did when that was a thing).  They spend vast sums on tickets to bowl games.   They get excited all over the internet about Geddy Lee’s greatest hits.  They spend long afternoons on the golf course, playing very bad golf.

No one tells them to grow up 

An adult woman who turns a childhood dollhouse into a beautiful scale model of a real Victorian home is “eccentric.”  An adult man who builds a vast HO train layout in his basement is a “train enthusiast.”   An adult woman who displays her favorite Bryer horses is “odd,” an adult man with a shelf of signed baseballs is “a collector” or even “an investor.” 

Adult women making fanart of attractive movie stars is “creepy,’ while adult men decorating their garages with calendar art of scantily-clad very-young women is “just what guys do.”

Interests and hobbies that were feminine and are taken up by men become acceptable.   When The Beatles were greeted with mobs of fainting teen girls, they were a “boy band.”  When young men discovered them, they became Serious Musicians.  

Over and over, across fields of interest, things that girls like are “toys and games and childish” and should be left behind by adults, while things that boys like are “hobbies and sports” that are lifetime pastimes.  And acceptable “hobbies” for adult women?   Most are things that could be coded as household chores, but generations of women have worked to turn into enjoyable pastimes:  knitting, sewing, quilting.  Home decor.  Baking.   Many adult women (myself included) enjoy doing those things in their free time and have elevated them to art forms.  But that doesn’t change the fact that they’re rooted in utility, while “men’s hobbies” are, by and large, rooted in leisure.

Look around you and follow the pattern.  And then, before you ask “Why are adult women in fan spaces,” maybe ask “why do I feel like adult women don’t get to have fun?” 

[karmada]

I noticed when I was a kid that adults seem to forget that everything is real, no matter how young you are. A seven year old doesn’t feel like a helpless infant, they feel the oldest and most mature they’ve ever felt. And they will when they turn eight, too. And nine. Twenty. Thirty. Fifty.

You never feel as young as you are, because you’re always the oldest you’ve been. You can only look back and equate childhood with ignorance and silliness, because there were things you didn’t know then. But there are things you don’t know now, too, that someone older is looking down at you for.

I promised myself I would never forget that, growing up. I put it in a time capsule when I was nine because I wanted to be certain. And sometimes it slips away, and I catch myself scoffing at people younger than me, but you have to fight that. You have to hold on. You have to keep a little bit of your younger mind inside you, so you don’t forget.

I think that’s important.

Remember that you’ll always change, but know that the person you’ll become isn’t going to be any more real than the person you are, or the person you were. They’re still going to feel like You.

[karmada]

This is simply amazing XD I love it

New goddess idea: She’s an earth goddess of the new age who’s domain is spinning and weaving, but specifically spinning and weaving gigantic structural steel cables for construction and other industrial purposes. Her skin is steel grey and hard to the touch and her hair is like long dredlocks of woven steel. She laughs at shitty architecture deigns that will fall apart if actually built and protects well-made bridges and buildings she likes. She might warn you of unforseen danger if you always wear your proper PPE.

Okay now what do I name her

[karmada]

Tubors 👑🥔✨

[karmada]

@lunaladyoflight, for you

nintendo please im begging

[karmada]

The craft stores have started stocking pumpkins. My body is ready. Give me fall. Give me sweater weather.

Secret: I cannot stand summer clothing, I just...don’t really like it in general? (props to those who do, and may you enjoy the summer heat) I like to be wrapped up like a cozy burrito, so days with a high of maybe 50-60 are my favorite, where I can wear a nice cozy sweater, some leggings, and maaaaaaaaaaybe a scarf (like the pic above) yet still go outside and not freeze to death.

And crunchy color-changing leaves. Gimme dem leaves.

🎃Cozy Autumn Blog👻

[karmada]

New comic! How comparison is the thief of joy because no one ever gives me pie.

Check out my new webcomic at everythingisgoingtobeokcomic.com!

[karmada]

It would be amazing, ngl ;D

Today’s #thisisbookishcommunity theme is fan art, and I’ve actually got several to share with you! This first one is by the talented @karmada_arts, who did the cover for my geeky mystery CON JOB but then surprised me with this fabulous fan art for a fictitious manga/anime franchise art book I invented. I love it. #fanart #CLAMP #writersofinstagram #amwriting #anime #manga — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2UXyjIP

[karmada]

Note to self : order later. I see it cross my dash and daaaaang it looks so lovely I keep thinking about it.

“confetti” is now up in my store!

it’s an 11x8.5″ full color art book printed on thick, glossy paper. it contains a bunch of my traditional art and sketches from the past 2+ years. all the art in this book was scanned and reformatted at 600dpi. i’m really, really proud of all the work i did for this book and i think it came out really well!

“confetti” is $25!

[karmada]

Ahh the Mint Discourse returns and I am loving it

What is wrong with mint and mint relatives? Thank you.

They’re lovely, but they MUST be kept in a pot, or a raised bed, or on a good-quality leash with a chest harness, because mint and its cousins spread like… IDEK, like a rash. Like dandelions. They’re tough, hardy and highly motivated. Even a tiny root fragment will suddenly turn into a Mint Tree if you don’t tear it up. I swear I’ve seen new plants popping up from BURIED SCRAPS OF LEAF. Once they’re in the ground they establish a beachhead and spawn secretly, possibly through osmosis. I cannot advise you to stick a mint plant in the ground unless you are a bold and unconventional disciplinarian.

The joke is that after running around after the mint like a spaniel chasing a whack-a-mole for a year, Dr Glass then planted a plant that would do the same thing.

Great plants, hard to kill, keep them in a pot (ESPECIALLY where invasive)

[karmada]

Oh oh oh! I have advice, but it’s not immediate SPEEDY advice, if that makes sense. Page layouts are definitely an art form, and a lot of it I’ve found is finding ways to progress time in a stationary medium. And then using those tricks to your advantage to guide the emotions of the reader - telling them where to pause, where to move faster, and frankly where to look on the page; whether that’s size of panel, bleeding to the edge of the page, layering multiple speech bubbles, and the like.

Honestly I will always, hands down, recommend checking out Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Chances are likely it’s even in your local library - I’ve found it kind of changed my life and how I look at page layouts. I use those ideas to change up my pages so I fit juuuust enough story into a page before heading to the next.

Arrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh I had this great (haha it seemed so at the time) idea for a comic and I tried to panel it out and now I’m remembering why I quit drawing comics like 15 years ago.

@karmada @zjtimekeeper How do page layouts not… just… eat your brain? How many times can you split dialogue boxes or merge panels to make the spacing work before it utterly destroys the pacing? MY CLIFFHANGERS WON’T HANG and I’m about to just draw the whole stupid thing on Post-It Notes™ and stick them on a wall as an art installation.

I’m only like 19 panels in and I want to stab something. why can’t everything be pretty splash pages. why am I not automagically good at this skill I haven’t practiced. where is my “MAKE ART” button. booooo learning curve. whine.

/sigh/ And now back to drawing.

[karmada]

Just thinking about people making year-end summaries of their accomplishments and also about reasons to keep yourself alive through the next year. Sorry, it’s a bit of a sappy comic.

[ patreon | commissions | eevachu.com ]                   do not remove comment

[karmada]

i don’t really know why i made this or why it was on my mind today but here it is i hope you like it 

Instagram | Twitter | Webcomic | Patreon

(obvious disclaimer about how if it isn’t hurting anyone, then what’s the harm)

[karmada]

Greetings and Happy Holidays, everyone! It's that time of the year again and Karmada Arts is celebrating with a 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE ETSY SHOP SALE! 20% OFF sale lasts until NOVEMBER 30, but don't worry! It switches to 10% for the rest of December. The shop has been recently updated with a whole host of new products that I've introduced this year, along with SIGNAL, my single issue sci fi comic! Get something you, find something for your friends! There's all sorts of lovely things to be found in the Etsy shop - along with some great package deals on products. Visit today and take a look at the brand new stock! Check out the store link in my profile! . #sale #etsy #karmadaarts #karmada_arts #blackfriday #cybermonday #art #books #comics https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqi1l6AhM_H/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tkv7vn9k7as6