kobbers - Tumblr blog

[kobbers]

"why can't they just be friends" not in the homophobic way but in the "their platonic relationship in the source material is far more dynamic and complex than the sanitized personalities they gain as a result of shipping" way

[kobbers]

Just wanted to say I saw your Horizon art as the thumbnail for the community spotlight on the playstation stories and of course on full display in the actual video, it was so cool!! I'm doing the leo dicaprio meme pointing and going "THATS KOBB!!"

OH HECK I forgot to reply to this, but this was so surreal!! I'm lucky to have friends who have gone :OOO on my behalf over it :')

[kobbers]

ohoho. I've got no aspirations to complete this (especially since I'm planning a piece for the Mirage #1 anniversary itself, and have so much BtWD work to do besides) ...but if I keep it sketchy like I did last August for MH? Could be a fun excuse to toss some turdles around :]

REBLOG SO WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!

[kobbers]

oh... it's my guys 🥺

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ONLY BUY ONE COPY NOW

[kobbers]

me blocking accounts that drop AI images in my favorite tags

[kobbers]

Been poking at this list a while, for my favorite Solid Guy. It's a reflection of our time with Varl, largely constructed of Vibes but also laid out chronologically.

Song choice/vibe notes under the cut.

[Here I Am] - Just... baby Varl running around the Embrace. Out in the wilds, learning everything he'll need to grow into the warrior he becomes. I also like it in context of the Nora people in general, coming out into the world for the first time all those years ago.

[Hip to Be Square] - a cheeky nod to the fact that Varl is the exact flavor of dedicated, mostly-serious Good Dude that I'm drawn to in fiction.

[War] - Both in the matter of winning vengeance for his fallen sister and the decimation of Nora lands late in HZD, Varl is deeply grateful for Aloy's spear and bow at his side when things were at their worst.

[Let Me Try] - After Aloy saves the remainder of the Nora and asks for their aid on the Alight, Varl is eager to answer the call.

[Fatalis suite] - The Battle of the Alight, a fight against terrible odds and an enemy almost beyond comprehension.

[Into the Unknown] - Once the battle is won, the rest of the Nora gratefully return to the Sacred Land, but... Varl feels drawn to Aloy's side, to back her up no matter how far off the map she goes.

[I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)] - Seriously. You're not going to be able to shake this golden retriever off your heels.

[Someone to Fall Back On] - Rebuffed, but not willing to give up. He knows he's not up to Aloy's level, but that doesn't mean he's useless as an ally.

[Hey Brother] - the sibling language makes me happy here - I like to think that Varl mentally takes Aloy on as a sister once he gets past the whole Anointed thing.

[Battle Scars] - Especially appropriate for Aloy being injured post-Latopolis. Varl "carries her home," but also reminds her they both carry scars and are going to need each other.

[Count on Me] - Also good for Aloy recovery context.

[Accidentally in Love] - suddenly, T-boned by the most incredible Utaru woman.

[Shivers] - giddy infatuation ✨

[All Love Everything] - Varl as wife guy. I just. it's so cute to me.

[Conquest of Spaces] - Establishing the Base.

[Children of Planet Earth] - Study group begins. I'm devastated that in canon he wouldn't have made it to having access to the Voyager golden record.

[Count on Me] - a softer reaffirmation that Varl's got you - this time for Beta.

[Never Look Away] - Things are getting tougher and more complicated, but he's still dedicated to being the anchor point.

[Saturn Return] - More vibes than a literal match to anything specific, but things continue to get rougher and more dire leading up to the big mission.

[The Final Countdown] - Throwing a bone to myself here with something a bit silly, referencing the big Gemini mission and the fast approaching... end. There's also space imagery, which is a bonus. The aliens are not friends though :(

[Saturn] - Somber mood, reflecting on the beauty of life, a decent bookend to the opening song. Incredibly bittersweet. My boy didn't deserve this, in or out of fiction.

[kobbers]

I think I know why I love the Horizon story so much.

It's narratively post-apocalypse, but not thematically post-apocalypse.

This story isn't about a world that ended, but carries on under new laws and understandings, this is about an entirely new civilization. The history is gone, so far gone for so long that even if it were recovered now, none of it would matter because culture and science and art have already been rebuilt from scratch.

It also, unlike most post-apocalyptic stories, doesn't almost exclusively portray humanity as a plague and an enemy of life and the natural world. In this case, life didn't endure despite humanity, life endured BECAUSE of humanity.

The Horizon story is a fun, emotional, action-packed chronicle, but it's also a love letter to humanitarianism, and how important it is that we never give up no matter how hopeless the situation seems. We are a part of the natural world. We are a part of nature itself, and we are not the enemy of life. We, on our best days, are life's custodians.

[kobbers]

machine rider varl ♡

[kobbers]

in 999 years it’s HER day

[kobbers]

It's interesting trying to coach someone on style-mimicking! While it might not have ended up as watertight as Tem wanted, I think he did a great job. And I also got a cool drawing of my otter son, so it worked out very well for me, heheheh. :]

Also a very fun way to remind twitter that I am alive and the comic should be resuming before too long... it's been a heckuva hiatus @_@

Here's the drawing I posted with the reveal!

As an April Fools' joke this year, I did the same thing that I did last year with Kingdomblade, where I did my best to mimic their style in a drawing and then have them post it and see if anyone notices! This was the result of me copying @kobbers's style, with me specifically drawing their character, Dakkan. :3

I'd say I was mostly successful? After she posted it, nobody mentioned a thing until after the reveal of the joke a day later. So it seems a few people were suspicious for some reason or another, but not enough to outright say anything! It would have been nice to have completely fooled people, but for the limited time I had to practice, I'd say I did a good job. I think a big reason why it didn't 100% fool people is the brush I used to draw. I used my regular sketching brush which maybe people familiar with my style would recognize. I thought it wouldn't matter (because Kobb drew something with a new brush and I didn't question it), but maybe it did? Anyway, thanks again to Kobb for letting me do this, and all the advice you gave too! :D

Click here to see the comic I did last year in Kingdomblade's style!

[kobbers]

[kobbers]

Another poll as my hype for MHWilds has not lessened in the slightest and I must scream about something to let it loose, comment/reblog if you like for sample size.

I forgot to add my main, Switch Axe, I have failed you! I’ll assume everyone knows it’s the best weapon!!!

[kobbers]

Everything's coming up Milu!

This was my piece for the Focus Network zine (@horizonfanzine), collabed with @foibles-fables whose fic you can here here!

I'm excited to finally share it with all of you! Leftover sales are on now until April 6th, so head on over for your last chance to secure a copy!

[kobbers]

Still agonizing over the official "best monster theme" poll. I love many, many monsters but had a ready gut answer for favorite. Theme, though? I have SEVERAL gut favorites, and the harder I try to think about it, the more conflicted I get and the more excellent themes I remember. There are the catchy exciting ones I loved right away, the ones I bounced off at first but came to love later, there's also the fact they're gonna do a new arrangement of the winner and which do I really want to see get THAT...

Anyway, current shortlist in no particular order:

Bazelgeuse

Kulve Taroth

Ahtal-ka

Valstrax (original flavor)

Fatalis (Iceborne version - the most challenging on my ears but wins me over with its robust callback game)

Shara Ishvalda

Rotten Vale

Chameleos (Rise version)

[kobbers]

Giving the King and Queen their due. Happy 20th, Monster Hunter. I've only been here about 6 of those years, but it's been a blast beating the snot out of some excellently-designed critters to some of the best music in gaming.

[kobbers]

My yelling problem child Bazelgeuse made #52 on the favorite monster poll, which a lot of folks appreciate because the community has nicknamed him the B-52. However, I've personally been calling him the B-17 dragon this whole time because

I've been under a B-52 at a museum (MASSIVE) and a WWII bomber is more likely to be in the same size range, and

I'm very nerdy for WWII-era warbirds specifically, so the comparison makes me happier.

Well, finally looked it up to see if my first point was any good and... wow, yeah. The B-17 was 22.7m long, and Bazelgeuse can be in the range of 17 - 24.1m. Nailed it. The B-52 is 48.5m - over twice the size.

Obviously the solution is to rig the next vote so he places 17th, closer to where he belongs >:]

[kobbers]

I cleaned up an old fic and popped it back up on AO3! It is once again here to enjoy, and will be continued :)