#1983 all original parts

[johnnydany]

Vintage 1983 Limited Edition Original Parts 40th Birthday Gift T-Shirt

Get yours now: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/46815771-vintage-1983-limited-edition-original-parts-40th-b

vintage1983 #classof1983 #40thbirthday #40yearsold #40yearsofbeingawesome #madein1983 #bornin1983 #madein1983 #birthday #bday #vintage #retro #limitededition #originalparts #1983birthday #1983legends #birthdaygift #gifts #tshirt #since1983 #retro1983 #birthday1983

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

Written by Russ Ballard

[lovlelymama]

(via T-shirt classique « Les personnes nées en 1983 sont des légendes » par LovlelyMama)

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Michael Sembello - Maniac 1983

"Maniac" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance that was written by Dennis Matkosky and Michael Sembello. The original idea for the song came to Matkosky while watching a news report on a serial killer, which inspired gruesome lyrics that he and Sembello expanded upon after finding a 1980 horror film with the same name. When Flashdance director Adrian Lyne grew attached to the demo of the song used during filming, his music supervisor Phil Ramone requested lyrics more appropriate for their story of a dancer and worked with Sembello to produce a new version for the soundtrack. The new recording was used for a scene in which protagonist Alexandra Owens trains rigorously at home. After the film became a surprise success, a music video was made using scenes from the film and began airing on MTV in May 1983, coinciding with the release of the single. The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and performed well in several countries. Because its video was shown extensively on MTV and Flashdance became the third highest-grossing film of 1983 in the US, Hollywood began to see music videos as a profitable way to market films.

"Maniac" earned Sembello Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, and a nomination with Matkosky for Song of the Year. As part of the Flashdance soundtrack, it gave them and all of the songwriters who contributed to the album the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, and a nomination for Album of the Year. "Maniac" was nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song, and the music video for "Maniac" was awarded Best Editing at Billboard magazine's Video Music Awards.

"Maniac" received a total of 90,3% yes votes!

[conflictofthemind]

Montauk, The Project Rainbow, and Experiments in Time

It’s fairly common knowledge that Stranger Things is based on Montauk. The unfortunate part is that Montauk has been attributed to another ‘vaguely MK-ULTRA mind control related side project’ and not the big narrative that it is, with details incredibly close to plot points in Stranger Things that resulted in an attempted lawsuit years back. Montauk does not just set the general ‘spooky scientific experiments on kids’ tone for ST - it is the backbone of the whole lore. 

‘The Montauk Project’ Book / Conspiracy explained simply is that the US government unofficially experimented on humans with ‘great psychic ability’ to allow their psychic brain waves to interact with the normal electromagnetic waves of our world. The end goal being manifesting thoughts into reality, and opening up wormholes in time. This would give the military great advantage and potentially control over the outcomes of war. It then turns out the whole narrative of Montauk occurs within a time loop from 1943-1983, when the disappearance of a ship called the USS Eldridge opened up a wormhole which was connected with by a research subject in 1983. The time loop is self-causing - the entire reason the Montauk experiments take place are to further study the events that occurred on this ship, but part of the reason the ship disappears is because of the Montauk Project. Due to all of the other time travel references within the series - trust, we will get into those - this leads me to believe it’s very unlikely there isn’t time travel / a time loop involved. Here I hope to posit the basic information about Montauk/The Philadelphia Project, how the powers work within ST, Will’s clear involvement in all of it, and the time travel element. 

Ahahaha why does that look like a bowl-cut…

Let’s put this out of the way first: the idea that Montauk/Philadelphia is the direct inspiration for the show is not based on flimsy grounds. The original series the Duffers planned to make was going to be an actual retelling of Duncan Cameron’s (think El and Henry - main research subject of Montauk) story. This was later changed to become the story we know today with the characters we know today, although with different names and the title remaining Montauk. Some of the characters had names from Montauk too… like Mr. Clarke being Mr. Nichols. I’ll save that for a later post. The entire design of HNL is based off of the ‘Camp Hero’ / Montauk lab with the iconic banana-shaped radar disk. El’s Void ability comes from the ‘Seeing Eye’ power Duncan has in Montauk, where focusing on a personal item belonging to a person lets him see into their mind. The research subjects’ power is amplified by white noise and a sensory deprivation chamber - again, seen with El. 

The Rainbow Ship and the Electromagnetic Connection:

The Electromagnetic Spectrum is usually mentioned at least a little in every season. Joyce’s magnets falling off, El needing the radio, etc. Lights are another focus, with the kids in the Rainbow Room being tested on how they can manipulate lightbulbs, and the emphasis on lights flickering whenever powerful forces are being used or the Upside Down is interfering with Hawkins. I expect them to really start pushing it in Season 5, and we can already see evidence of this (below: the WSQK Squawk Van). They’re at a radio station, the Middle School kids are learning about light from Scott Clarke most likely, and you can see the abundance of rainbows everywhere. It’s my opinion that rainbows and light are the mechanism in which these gates open, and also when at high enough power, how time can become warped. ‘Project Rainbow’ is another title basically interchangeable with the USS Eldridge and Philadelphia Project. This was because “the mechanism involved was the generation of an incredibly intense magnetic field around the ship, which would cause refraction or bending of light or radar waves around the ship”. However as we remember, this had the unintended effect of teleporting the ship across space-time. In the ST Universe, this results in the Eldridge being teleported to Dimension X temporarily (without a gate being opened).

The eagle shoots out beams of a rainbow which are meant to represent the radio waves being broadcast. 

It’s a commonly asked question as to how Will ‘blinked’ out of that shed without a gate, considering only El was able to open them at that time. The close-up on the lightbulb is the last shot we see before he just vanishes. It’s not just powers interfering with the surrounding electricity; this bending of light is what took him to the UD. But when this happens, it doesn’t result in a gate. I also believe this will end up being the mechanism for the eventual time-travel plot we’ll be seeing. Again in Montauk, there is a ‘time-tunnel’ made between the Eldridge and 1983 Montauk that was caused by the disappearance. My original post investigating this was me hypothesizing that being able to bend light to travel faster than it could result in temporary anomalies that allow one to time travel. 

Anyway, back to the rainbows. Rainbows are one of the most common recurring symbols in Stranger Things. The Rainbow Room exists of course, and there’s a deliberate costuming choice, especially in later seasons with the brighter atmosphere, to have characters wearing rainbow patterned items. Holly’s room is full of rainbows, and there are multiple rainbow props scattered around other locations (Mike’s basement, Erica’s room, etc). Scott Clarke (seriously what is up with him) is introduced in Season 1 doing a lesson on ROYGBIV. The BTS pictures of S5 Hawkins Middle School have him teaching yet another lesson on the visible light spectrum. And space for some reason. This brings us back to the Rainbow Ship.  Now we know the USS Eldridge is a marine ship, not a spaceship. But for the characters who seem to have some connection to it, it is represented as one regardless.

Will drew something representing the USS Eldridge (which it is mentioned was not from a movie i.e. he came up with it using his own memory and mind). The main fixture of Henry’s playground, where a ‘significant’ memory took place also features this representation of the Eldridge. I suspect there might also be a larger reason it took the form of a spaceship, but for now, consider that the ST Universe’s version of aliens are the Demogorgons. And outer space is Dimension X. The ship ‘flew’ to ‘outer space’ (D-X) and encountered ‘aliens’. In Montauk, that is kind of what happens. It’s more metaphorical in Stranger Things. The comic book Henry is obsessed with in TFS is seemingly changed from the real life Captain Midnight who was an airplane pilot, to be an astronaut. I think there is some kind of “alien abduction” theme with both Henry and Will being suddenly transported to another dimension that is alien in itself. Even when the lab scientists enter the UD in the first few seasons, they use hazmat suits that are deliberately similar looking to spacesuits. Stranger Things is a story about UFOs and aliens that also isn’t exactly about UFOs and aliens. 

And then, I’ll mention the weirdest part of this all - Will knows about the Eldridge somehow. And he knew about it before he was ever kidnapped and attached to the hive-mind. 

This is either possible because 1) he was in fact involved in research projects at HNL, and maybe the Project Indigo before the age of 8 like the original “rainbowshipgate” suggests. Or 2), there is an element messing with time in this situation, just like in the original Montauk book series. Montauk is literally named ‘Experiments in Time’. They’ve nabbed Linda Hamilton from Terminator (a movie about time travel) for this final season. They’re referencing a Wrinkle in Time with the Episode 6 title and Holly plot. Then we have everything else involving Henry’s clock theming that hasn’t exactly explained itself yet. Thinking time travel is a far-fetched idea at this point is a bit ridiculous. 

It really depends on how crazy they go with the whole concept. One of the other main characters from Montauk I haven’t mentioned yet is Al Bielek. Al Bielek was the original “whistleblower” who came forward with his story after supposedly recovering his repressed memories of the events. He claims to have been on the crew of the USS Eldridge in a previous life as Edward Cameron, Duncan Cameron’s brother. When he was sent forward in time he ended up staying in 1983 whereas Duncan Cameron was effectively sent back to where he came. Very confusing. But the story is, the man’s a time traveler. 

I do wonder if Al Bielek is loosely the inspiration for Will’s part in the story. Will who has seemingly repressed memories of many points in his life and has been suggested to be a time traveler many times. His name appears on the grandfather clock. He wears Marty McFly’s outfit in the first season. He has knowledge of an event that happened in 1943. He has lines about “seeing into the future” and Mike calls him a time-traveler in the VR Game where the writing staff had access to scripts and a writer from the show. The Upside Down is stuck on “the day of Will’s disappearance” (in the Duffers’ words), though that one probably has a slightly simpler explanation. 

The exact mechanics of how that would work are unclear. Right now, as young as an eight year old Will needs to have the knowledge of the Eldridge - so this isn’t something he will only end up connecting with this season. My theory is that there is a time loop involved, and Will’s actions in the future of Season 5 have him interfere in some way with the 1943 Philadelphia Project / Project Rainbow. The time loop is cyclical and self-causing. Our Will Byers already has a past iteration in yet another timeline where he already went back and tried to interfere with the past (and likely died trying in 1943). Then he is reborn again in 1971, and awakes a very small portion of his past memories of the previous loops. If that doesn’t make sense, I created this handy-but-ugly flowchart to help you out: 

Basically there is no beginning, since the future causes the past and vice versa (a bootstrap paradox). Every Will would then have memories of a past self(selves). The time loop also gets more complicated than this. Did Henry create the mindflayer? It’s presented like that within the show, but let me remind you that shows with heavy mystery elements can and will purposely deceive you. In the First Shadow, Mr. Newby is attacked by the Mindflayer and produces a drawing of the entity - it’s purposely not shown to the audience, but considering the Mindflayer was supposedly just a black mass then why is that? And regardless, in order to have Henry become possessed by it, the Mindflayer was definitely not created by him in 1979. A few have written up theories about this already, I’ll link to my friend's two posts on this element of the time loop.  

I don't have anything else super definitive yet. But I believe wholeheartedly that this is the right direction to search in and I hope we can put more attention on the subject. All of this makes sense, from the military connections they keep pushing in the show, the time travel hints we have been getting, the origin story of Brenner (whose dad died aboard the ship) and the Rainbow Room, everything ties back to the Eldridge events being incredibly incredibly important going forward.

Here's a link where you can read through Montauk Experiments in Time for free.

[colleendoran]

Misunderstanding

I received a note from someone who was upset I “failed to cite Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics” in my research for my work on Neil Gaiman's Chivalry and the essays I wrote about it. 

I really appreciate that people want to make sure credit goes where it's due, and I have a lot of respect for Scott McCloud's accomplishment with his wonderful book.  

I haven't read it myself in some years, and didn't cite it in my articles because I didn't reference it. I don't even know where my copy is so I don't know what McCloud referenced, either. 

The information in my articles re: illuminated manuscripts and the Bayeux Tapestry, as well as other theories about the development of sequential art from prehistory, not only predate McCloud's work (and in fact, predate McCloud's birth,) but they are so common and so well known in comics circles that asking me to cite them seems as weird to me as asking me to cite the information that George Washington was the first President of the United States.

A part of me wonders if someone is trying to play, "Let's you and him fight." 

No.

But I’m happy to bring to your attention some reading material.

Stephen Becker in his 1959 work Comic Art in America: A Social History of the Funnies, the Political Cartoons, Magazine Humor, Sporting Cartoons, and Animated Cartoons was among the first to discuss the Bayeux Tapestry as comic art. I read that book sometime in the 1980’s. I think a lot of people assume the Bayeux tapestry as comic art was McCloud’s idea, but we don’t all walk around with a reference library in our heads, so there you go. I can’t find my copy of Becker’s work to quote, but I did find an article by Arthur Asa Berger with a mention of the Bayeux Tapestry as comic art in the summer 1978 issue of The Wilson Quarterly.

My first exposure to the idea of comics as descendant of fine art was Maurice Horn’s 1976 The World Encyclopedia of Comics which was my first read re: comics history. I still have my tattered 1976 edition. 

While Horn scorned the idea that tapestries and manuscripts could be comic art (see, it was a matter of discussion way back then, so much so that authors were writing snarky asides to one another about it,) he believed the origin of sequential art was in the Renaissance sketches of Leonardo da Vinci - which I think everyone now agrees is kind of a bonkers idea.

I think Horn was just intent on elevating the comic art form by hooking up with da Vinci.

You go, boi.

Comics as descendant of art on scrolls is a very common theory, the easiest to trace being in Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics by Fred Schodt published in 1983 when I was still a teenager. I can't find my copy to show examples, but this text is still in print and you can go read it for yourself. 

I was introduced to manga by cartoonist Leslie Sternbergh and bought Schodt’s book at Books Kinokuniya on (I think) a trip to New York around the time of first publication of Schodt’s work. And years later took a trip to Japan with Fred Schodt and a group of cartoonists including Jeff Smith and Jules Fieffer, Nicole Hollander, and Denys Cowan as the guests of Tezuka Productions.

Here we all are.

So, I’m familiar with manga, see.

As for comics as descendant of cave paintings, hieroglyphics and ancient art in general, Will Eisner’s 1985 Comics and Sequential Art not only made all of those points, but made those points with comic art examples. Like these.

And this.

And this.

And more than a few words on this:

I find it amusing that someone is questioning why I didn’t cite McCloud when what you should probably be questioning is why more people don’t cite Eisner who produced his book eight years before McCloud published his and who is well known to have influenced McCloud.

Whatever. My book's autographed.

I also danced with Eisner. Eat your heart out.

Understanding Comics is a terrific work with huge advantages over every book (that I know of) about comics that came before: it taught comics entirely in the language of comics. 

But the discussion in it about the origins of comics and my work especially re: illuminated manuscripts/tapestries, did not originate with McCloud. I research illuminated manuscripts because it’s my hobby and it informs my art. 

I encourage everyone to read Understanding Comics because it is an outstanding work.

But it’s not the book that introduced me to the concepts of the development of comic art. It’s not even the point of origin of those concepts. So, there is no reason to cite it.

Also, shocking as it may seem, I occasionally come up with ideas on my own. While I'm younger than McCloud, I've actually been a comics pro longer than he has. So I've had plenty of opportunity to, you know, read things and toss things around, and decide for myself.

When I first read Chivalry and first begged Neil Gaiman to let me adapt it, my head full of the work of Alberto Sangorski and his art for Tennyson’s Le Morte D’Arthur, Understanding Comics hadn’t been published yet.

It's been a good twelve years since I last read McCloud's work, and I don't think I've spoken to him five times in the last three decades. But I'm pretty sure he never mentioned Sangorski.

I hope that clears everything up, and maybe introduces some of you to some works you might not be aware of.

Have a great day.

[punkeropercyjackson]

It's finally here!!!

Graphic design is my passion LMFAO but as i said i would do a while back,i've created a masterpost of all the Jason Todd content that's worth your time!This is rather long but he's existed since 1983 so!!

Base edit is my little sister @mayameanderings and tagging @coffeemilkcatz and @nanaonmars since they said yes when i asked if they wanted me to!Let's dive in then!

Batman 408-426,Detective comics 568-582,Superman annual 11,New Teen Titans 18-31,Blue Devil 19,Action comics 556 and 594,Batman Annuals 10-12 and Batman(The cult)for pre-reboot Robin!Jason my beloved

Nightwing Year One 101-106,New Teen Titans 55,Nightwing 10(1997)and Legends of the Dark Knight 100 for Dick and Jason siblinghood,Gotham Knights 34 for the short story of him and Alfred and Detective comics 790 for Bruce telling Cass about him as it takes place on Jason's birthday

Lost Days aka the Red Hood prologue

Under The Red Hood(2010)-The original comic is good in it's own right but the movie is leagues better written(Rare comic book adaption exception lmao)

Robin 177 and 182-183 for the actual Tim and Jason beef instead of 'replacement' and 'enemy to caretaker' bs

Azreal:Death's Dark Knight 3(Can't give commentary on this one since i don't know Azreal like that,sorry)

Red Hood and The Outlaws(2016).Unlike the Utrh comic vs the Utrh movie,the original Rhato has nothing positive like the reboot

Not TECHNICALLY Jason BUT Duke is his favorite brother and Stephanie's the only Batfam girl he's truly close to so you should also stan them since he'd want you to /lh

Red Hood:Outlaw for the confirmation that Red Hood loves black women from infinity to infinityyyyy(meaning his love interest Dana Harlowe is introduced and featured as an mc in this run)

Urban Legends 1-6 for his return to the Batfam-Messy tbh but i do enjoy parts of it!

Task Force Z for him and Stephanie being a vigilante team and it has a prelude,that being Detective comics 1041-1043

Unkillables and Joker:The Man Who Stopped Laughing for Jayrose goodies and more of the above

Gotham War if you feel like turning off your brain to look at good art and laugh at dogshit writing

Red Hood:The Hill is his current run and when our queen Dana comes home from comics limbo!!!

The following is a misc list that's not required to include in your Jason knowledge but HIGHLY recommended you do just for fun!

Tiny Titans 23,29,33,39,45 and 47,Bombshells 46,60 and 62,Bombshells United 18-24,Lego Batman:Family Matters,A Death In The Family 2020,Batman:The Adventures Continue,Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5-6,The Doom That Came to Gotham 2023 and The Teen Titans Go episode 'The Best Robin'(Pre-Reboot Robin Jason rights!!!).Also look up 'Nobody cares about Tim Drake' if you don't know what that is,you'll love it

Jason also appears in the Lego DC Super Villains games that i highly recommend as well especially because my girlfriend is a mega fan of it and i don't know much about Lego Batman 3:Beyond Gotham but please avoid the aformentioned original Rhato,Red Hood:Outlaws and the Gotham Knights game as they feature extremely problematic writing not limited to but including racialized misogyny and ableism and do disservice to Jason himself anyway so you wouldn't want to consume them to begin with if you want to like him.I have mixed feelings on the Arkham Knight and Injustice games series' but they are objectively fairly good so i wouldn't say no to giving them a shot to see if you like them

And for the finale we have Wayne Family Adventures-Definitely a good read but to be totally honest it does Duke DIRTY and it sucks so much of DC to have marketed as his series to not only not follow through at all and make it an ensemble cast instead but ALSO deprive him of his actual characterization and story to make him a demure weak black boy stereotype.I won't judge you at all for liking it if you decided to read it or have already but kindly keep this in mind and consider joining me and my mutuals in our rewrite of it to give our Signal of Hope and Chaos the writing he deserves or at least support us through likes and reblogs!Happy Jason readings and have a good day💕

[vintagerpg]

Once Little Soldier and Phoenix went belly up in 1981, Lou Zocchi’s Gamescience bought the “Book of” series. I believe either dead stock or reprints of Monsters and Demons came out with Gamescience branding. Later, all six were collected in this, The Fantasy Gamer’s Compendium (1983).

I have seen the digest versions of three of these in the wild (for frankly bonkers prices): Book of Shamans, Book of Treasure and Book of Sorcery. Shamans is a whole new class, complete with a custom spell list, that is framed around accessing the spirit world in a way that reflects I guess broad assumptions about tribal magical systems. Its OK! Treasure is what you’d expect, a collection of magic items pulled from myth and legend in the first part and from genre fiction in the second. It is pretty good! Sorcery is an interesting, if slightly unwieldy reconfiguration of the magic user class, explicitly arranged around demonology and pulp notions of Western occult traditions. Basically, it’s intended to provide mechanics that allow a class to summon all the folks listed out in Book of Demons. It also has a collection of occult-themed magic items, like the Hand of Glory, that I find delightful. That’s probably the most useful thing for me, personally, in the whole “Book of” series.

The last Book collected here is the Book of Mystery, which I am not sure ever saw print as a standalone Little Soldier product. It presents a new class (Lord of Mystery), the new skill system those characters use, and an organization they belong to, which safeguards high science for a time when humanity is ready for it (the Lords of Mystery are descended from the original humans, who crashed here [wherever that is] in a colony ship millennia ago). Many of the classes skills are trained and require quests. They seem to get access to a lot of abilities. It seems like a pain in the butt, but an interesting one, almost like a more monastic version of Dave Hargrave’s Techno class from Arduin.

[seat-safety-switch]

So-called motorcylists love to shove their beloved bikes away whenever there's a little bit of snow on the road. That's because motorcyclists are famously concerned with their public perception. They don't want to drive around town with wood screws run through their tires, shrieking profanities at stopped traffic before ripping a perfect 12 'o' clocker and driving across the iced-over multi-use-pathway, comfortable in their knowledge that the police will not and can not follow. Or it's because they don't have heated grips, and their handsies get cold.

Heated steering wheels are the single greatest innovation in cars in the last two hundred years. Unfortunately for me, they hadn't been installed into cars of the age I own. In the late 1970s, the newest innovation in steering wheel comfort was "maybe make them a little smaller, for the ladies." Seems like I was cursed to a lifetime of wondering if my thermostat was seized, freezing to death even through many layers of mittens and work gloves while waiting for the tow truck to arrive and clean up the commuters in front of me.

Of course, Plymouth also didn't equip this car with a lot of other modern features. For instance, liquid-cooled active speed laser and radar jamming was not available. Active pursuit drones pre-programmed with a seek-and-destroy order for all speed cameras were not yet on the market, unless you worked for the CIA. And also the good people of China had not figured out how to make $35 45-millimetre ball-bearing turbochargers capable of adding nearly four hundred horsepower to any engine strong enough to keep its guts on the inside when presented with one medium-sized jet engine's worth of boost. I had to add all those things myself.

Easy, right? Run some wires to a heating element on the steering wheel. There's just one complication: steering wheels turn. If I keep spinning the car left and right, eventually the wire will get tangled up and rip itself out, causing an electrical fire. Admittedly, that will also keep my hands warm, but the walk home after is inconvenient.

The original "engineers" who took a whisky-soaked gander at this car before slapping their secretaries on the ass had a solution, though. In every steering wheel, the horn button has the same problem. Unfortunately for me, the horn hasn't worked in this car since 1983, which complicated my attempts to reuse the wiring.

Ultimately, I came up with what a rocket scientist would call "a compromise." A pair of bolt cutters and a map to the local truck-supply warehouse's storage yard soon provided me with a nifty diesel-fired interior heater, a roaring flame that consumes all and produces enough heat to make toast from three feet away. Ratchet-strapped to the place where the passenger seat used to be, it will keep my fingers warm, as well as my feet and every other part of my body. Sure, it's inconvenient having to continually refill it with stolen farm diesel, and I could have run the exhaust pipe out of the cabin a better way than through the rust hole in the floor. Once you get that heated seat feeling, though, you simply can't go back. If you'll excuse me, I need to get going: if I don't get to work in the next five minutes, my boots will melt again.

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

I have the Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down: The Official Behind-the-Scenes Companion book, I got it in 2018, so here are some fun facts from it

In the party’s dnd charts it says Will’s class is “magic-user” 👀👀 and one of his abilities is “true sight” 👀👀

The first scene written and the first scene filmed are both the dnd game at s1 ep1

Mike supposedly has rainbow blinds in his room (as a reference to E.T since Elliot also has rainbow blinds)

When El throws Lucas against a wall, that was Caleb, not a body double. Apparently he was excited to film without a double and asked for it (he was thrown against a mattress). Called said he had so much fun.

During the scene where El sends the van flying, the duffers said than when they first tried it (without filming) it all went as it was supposed to, it flew the right directions. The first time they filmed, tho, the van fell on top of one of their cameras and destroyed it.

Steve is in his last year of high school (as opposed to Nancy, who is in her second, or Jonathan who is in his first)

Steve plays basketball and baseball. He was supposed to be an asshole and die the first season, but Joe Keery came and gave a bit more depth to Steve’s character.

243 people auditioned to play El

Some of El’s powers include biokinesis, teleportation, and psychometry

Hopper fought in Vietnam 

At first the upside down wasn’t supposed to appear on screen at any moment. We would have heard what happened over walkie talkies or radios.

A demodog is just a teen demogorgon (I think this was explained at the show, but I have seen people say they are different creatures)

Jonathan does cycling, is in the school newspaper, and the photography club

Caleb is very good crying on command

Mike’s bike is the newest because his family has the most money, Dustin begun painting his bike but hasn’t finished it yet, and Lucas has a fluorescent saddle

At first they weren’t allowed to use ghostbusters costumes but they talked to Ivan Reitman and eventually got green light 

Dart was supposed to appear in the first season but they didn’t have enough time

The upside down was originally called the underworld 

Nancy and Jonathan (their relationship) are inspired by David and Jennifer from WarGames (1983). Also by Willie Scott and doctor Jones from Indiana Jones

Bob was supposed to die on ep 4 instead of ep 8

For the scene with Will and Morse code (when he’s tied to a chair) the duffers just told Noah to watch a YouTube video on Morse code the day before 

Talking about Noah, after being possessed and convulsing to the point everyone was amazed with his acting, the moment they stop filming he just gets up and asks for a cup of tea like nothing happened

For the upside down spores they actually used dandelions 

Hopper is repeatedly described as a cowboy lmao

In s1 when the boys dress El up in a wig and a dress and Mike does her makeup, they are dressing her up in their vision of what a girl is

Finn said than it was only halfway through the second episode than Mike realized than El is a real girl, a real person, and not E.T.

The duffers were inspired by the breakfast club for the making of Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve’s characters!!

Nancy played volleyball, was in the cheerleader team (?!?!?!), was in the French club, volunteered at church and did social volunteering, and did a writing workshop

Barb played softball, the clarinet, was part of the Mathematical Olympiads, volunteered at the library, and was a babysitter.

[jokeroutsubs]

Yugoslavia and yugo rock

Joker Out’s new song, Šta bih ja, was inspired by yugorock! Not sure what that means? JokerOutSubs has got you!

‘Yugo rock’ or ‘Yu rock’ is rock with some elements derived from traditional/ethnic/folklore music, as well as other musical genres, including blues, country, reggae, jazz rock and rockabilly. They were added to appease the public, since rock itself was considered a western influence. 

Rock music in Yugoslavia became popular in the sixties. Before that, after the second world war, partisan songs were more popular. This is music associated with resistance groups that fought German occupation across Yugoslavia, Italy and other parts of Eastern Europe. However, in 1956, the Cominform (a coordinated body of communist parties across Europe, designed to keep all communist governments following Stalinist principles) was dissolved. After this point, the connection with the Soviet Union was severed and music tastes began to change accordingly. 

With influences from the west, rock music started gaining popularity. At first, musicians only sang covers of foreign songs (as closely to the original as possible) but in the sixties, bands such as Indexi started making original music. In the seventies, Bijelo dugme were formed and became incredibly popular. At the same time, Parni valjak were also rising to fame. However, the ‘new wave’ of Yugo rock was said to be started by a group called Buldožer.

Some characteristics of New Wave were more political lyrics and taking inspiration from punk. The most famous New Wave bands in Yugoslavia were Azra, Idoli, Prljavo kazalište, Električni orgazam, Psihomodo pop and, in Slovenia at the time, Lačni Franz, Buldožer and Pankrti (an interview with their singer Peter Lovšin can be found at    • [ENG SUB] Bojan Cvjetićanin about roc...  ). 

A second New Wave generation from Belgrade emerged in later years. Among their representatives were Partibrejkers (formed 1982). They combined the blues with British R and B, rockabilly and classic rock and roll. 

In 1982, the groups Ekaterina Velika and Disciplina Kičme (Disciplin A Kitschme) were established, contributing to the second New Wave generation, along with Slovenian group Videosex (formed 1983) with singer Anja Rupel. One of their most famous songs, a cover of 'Zemlja pleše,' can be found at    • Videosex - Zemlja Plese - The Original

The New Wave was characterised by a burst of creativity and activity in the music scene across the region, with many artists emerging and creating excellent music in a short period of time. Many have drawn parallels between the New Wave era and today, where in Slovenia many young bands are gaining recognition. This parallel is only strengthened by the fact that Joker Out, one of the most successful young bands in Slovenia today, have a song named Novi val (New Wave). 

The socio-political significance

Yugoslavia (1918–1992), a federal republic, was made up of six republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia). Despite the differences between the republics one could argue that the pop-cultural identity was so strong, having influence that went beyond government control and the ability to connect people through the region, that it could be named as the seventh republic. Besides sport, yugorock was one of the last connecting links within a  country that was drifting apart in a variety of areas, including economic. 

Important yugorock bands 

Bijelo Dugme: Considered by many to be the biggest Yugo rock band, Bijelo Dugme were formed in 1974 in Sarajevo. They were the biggest trendsetters in rock music at the time. They had a huge influence on Joker Out since their earliest days as a band. In the 'Kofi brejk' interview Bojan shared that the first concert he ever attended was by Bijelo Dugme, and they were also mentioned several times by Joker Out as having had a big influence on the whole band. In addition, Joker Out covered two of their songs, ‘Selma’ (Radio Koper, 32 min) and ‘Djurdjevdan’ (Belgrade concert, 3.11.2023). You can check out some more of their songs on our playlist linked at the bottom of this post!

Plavi orkestar were formed in 1983 in Sarajevo and had a rich career with eight albums, releasing hits such as ‘Ako su to samo bile laži’, ‘Lovac i košuta’, ‘Odlazim’, ‘Bolje biti pijan nego star’, ‘Suada’ and many more. Some media outlets, like Jutarnji list and Mladina have compared Joker Out’s style to theirs, and Bojan also mentioned Plavi orkestar as one of the bands that influenced him.

Parni valjak are a Croatian band, formed in 1975 in Zagreb. They had many ‘evergreen’ hits, including ‘Sve još miriše na nju’, ‘Jesen u meni’ and ‘Zastave’. In the Carpe Diem series, when asked whom they would listen to forever if they could only choose one artist, Jure chose Parni valjak. At Arsenal Fest in 2023, Bojan interrupted an interview to sing along to ‘Jesen u meni’ as they were playing in the background! 

Indexi were a Bosnian band, who were active from 1962 to 2001. They were extremely influential, with hits like ‘Svijet u kome živim’ and ‘Negdje u kraju, u zatišju’, and became known as the ‘pioneers of psychedelic rock and roll.’ In the Kurir interview, Bojan mentions them as one of his musical role models.

Ekatarina velika, sometimes shortened to EKV, were a Serbian band who were active between 1982 and 1994. They are considered one of the most influential artists in the yugorock scene, with popular songs like ‘Krug’, ‘Par godina na nas’ and ‘Srce’. In the Rdeče in črno interview, Bojan’s voice was compared to that of the lead singer in Ekatarina velika. 

Idoli were one of the most remarkable new wave bands based in Belgrade, active during the early 80's. They are regarded as one of the most outstanding and influential representatives of the Yugoslav rock music and their album 'Odbrana i poslednji dani' ('Defense and The Last Days') was voted as the greatest Yugoslav rock album of all time. During the Kurir interview, Bojan mentioned that ‘Ona’ was inspired by Idoli and their unique sound.

Songs Joker Out have mentioned 

‘Računajte na nas’ by Đorđe Balašević is a very important yugorock song in Joker Out’s history, as it inspired the lyrics of ‘Carpe Diem’. While ‘Računajte na nas’ (‘Count on Us’) is about a generation standing up and fighting for peace, Bojan switched the lyric to ‘ne računajte na nas’ (don’t count on us), meaning that you cannot count on them to join in with the ‘game of hatred’ pervasive in modern society. 

‘Kreni prema meni’ is a song performed by Partibrejkers, a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, known for their rebellious energy, both in sound and spirit. The band is still active and well received all over former Yugoslav countries. The song was covered by Joker Out at the Lent festival in 2018.

‘Sanjao sam moju Ružicu’ by Leteći odred was covered by Apokalipsa, Bojan’s former band, in 2015 during Vičstock Avdicija. Bojan also sang it at the Prulček bar with Buržuzija, Kris and Jan’s former band. Leteći odred is a Croatian pop band with a prosperous and successful musical career and performances for over 30 years.

In September 2016, Joker Out posted a setlist from one of their earliest gigs on their Instagram. It included three notable yugorock song covers - ‘Frida’ by Psihomodopop, ‘Motori’ by Divlje jagode and ‘Ne Zovi Mama Doktora’ by Prljavo Kazalište.

If you’d like to listen to any of these artists or songs, check out our curated playlist on YouTube or Spotify!

Sources:

Kregar, Tone, et al. Za domovino - z rockom naprej! Jugo rock: slovensko-srbske paralele. Muzej novejše zgodovine Celje. 2020.

Perković, Ante, and Lah, Klemen. Sedma republika: pop kultura in razpad Jugoslavije. Zenit, 2018.

[johnnydany]

Vintage 40th Birthday Decorations Men Funny 1983 40 Birthday T-Shirt

Get yours now: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/42920142-vintage-40th-birthday-decorations-men-funny-1983-4

[capcavan]

Hey! As We know, Our Ravens have a lot of memorabilia. I figured that after the team's disbandment (💔) in 2007, it would be good to keep track of it all for archival purposes. Hold onto those items, they will for sure go up in price as time passes! (Or give them to me!). Let's start with Anniversary badges! There are three! Starting from when the team was founded in 1977, they were released every 10 years. 10th anniversary

My favourite one !!! 20th anniversary

30th anniversary

Yeah this one ..... looks unfortunate We missed the 4th anniversary in 2007 🥺 Okay now team logo badges! The logo went through a lo of changes over the years. 1977-1980 Our original Raven was designed by Tetsuji Moriyama himself!!!! That's something!!!! Right?

1981-1983 The next design is much more safe, it's cute how he holds the ball in his beak! 😳 ... yeah this was unfortunate choice as well. That's why it lasted barely 2 years.

1984-1985 Guys, Ravens were not a cult, I swear!

It's one of the more unusual logos. I wish they had kept it longer!

1986-1988 From three headed raven to three legged one! Meet Yatagarasu, a mythical crow from Shinto mythology! (Again, they are all so cool!!!).

1988-2007 Back to the basics! Personally I prefer the symmetrical logos more, but people seemed to be fine enough with this one, and so it stayed with us for better and worse.

Now last but not least, some miscellaneous badges! There are some very fun ones!

First of all, Evermore badge! It's badge given to all graduating Ravens, who aren't Ravens anymore (Which is all of Ravens ever existing, since the team is no more F)

This badge started fun tradition of ex players getting a raven skull tattooed on their left arm! I wonder if Jean got his?

Nevermore badge is twin of their previous one. This one was given to all Ravens who were on the lineup in 2007, when the team was disbanded. Nest ❤️ is cute little badge that was keeping our Ravens company during away games! Home sickness can get to anyone!

Evermore Stadium badge! It's cool (Have we finally agreed if it's a castle or not?)

Raven King memorabilia badge was made and distributed for all Ravens who played or trained with Riko. Anyone want to part with theirs? They refused to give me mine 😟.

Special thanks to @noomyart and @deadliestpieceontheboard for help with dates and spelling ! Look forward to more in future <3

[lizardsfromspace]

Okay, Matrix plagiarism case postscript

One thing I didn't answer is how she got the Wachowski's timeline wrong. I still don't know, but it appears she essentially shifted their lives back a decade

She says less than a decade ago they were running a construction business, but actually, working at a construction company is what they were doing in 1986. In 1976 Lana and Lilly were eleven and nine years old respectively. I can't explain why she messed this up, beyond having to age them up a decade for the story to work

But this screencap also brings up another thing she mentions repeatedly that I didn't mention - the smoking gun in her claim is that...the Matrix ripped off her words verbatim for its opening crawl. The opening crawl...to The Matrix.

Huh?

So her story is - and unsurprisingly the timeline here is jumbled, for instance, citing production interviews from 1997 when the film wouldn't enter production until 1998 - the original version of The Matrix contained a Star Wars-style opening crawl, and this was the most directly plagiarized part of the film.

She claims this opening crawl was, in fact, in the theatrical release of The Matrix and only removed when it came to home media, because she. Because she called the FBI on the Wachowskis for stealing the idea of opening crawls from her

The theatrical cut does differ from later versions slightly - most infamously the Wachowskis made the green color filter much more green in the second DVD release, to make it consistent with the style of the sequels - but if there was a opening crawl mandated by the studio, nobody but her has mentioned it, and I find it hard to believe critics wouldn't mention it.

Because this is Dark City. She's clearly confused The Matrix with stories about the studio's meddling with the 1998 film Dark City.

Dark City was the dystopian sci-fi film that had a opening narration explaining the whole plot foisted on it by the studio, and critics mentioned it. Basically every review mentioned it (some even suggest covering your ears or muting the film the first time you see it, at least until the Director's Cut removed it). Meanwhile, reviews of The Matrix praised its opening from the very beginning: how it drops you right into things and lets you find out about its world as Neo does. It's just not possible that the theatrical release has a opening crawl no one mentioned when I can pull up full comparisons of theatrical vs first DVD vs second DVD vs Bluray. Whatever story she read either was about Dark City, or was a Wachowski saying in passing "yeah the studio wanted us to add one but we didn't".

Another thing I didn't touch on is just how much it hypes her up as a untouchable genius of cinema. For instance, she claims to have come up with the effects of The Matrix in 1983 too

(one funny part is how little she brings up The Terminator at all? She just threw it in as a bonus I guess)

I looked up how they did the bullet time effect in particular and...it would have been impossible in 1983. It's not just high speed photography; it's entire banks of cameras, placed in the right place by computer previsualization, their sequence programmed, and with all the elements composited together by CGI. Even stylistically - the true creator of the effects cited Akira as a influence, and Akira the movie didn't exist in 1983. Neither did the type of Hong Kong action film that heavily influenced it. I guess it would be possible to write down "someone goes really fast and we depict it like they slowed down time", concepts of a plan etc

But like.

She's destined to be one of the most profound master writers of the 21st century. This is a book proving she's never written anything. It has a pitch for The Third Eye, it has a second film treatment tacked on at the end, and it has copyright registrations for her sequels to Terminator and The Matrix. M. Night Shyamalan's character in Lady in the Water was destined to be a great writer too, but he actually wrote a book. He didn't put out a book with a decades-old synposis that was never finished & reams of legal documents and a bio saying, I'm one of the greatest authors of all time. Because who needs writing when you have destiny, God, and the ancient superrace living in the Pyramids on your side?

This is my for real last post on this since I ended up just depressed about it in the end. I think the worst part is, she knows she lost. But she still goes to the press telling a story she knows isn't true, and people believe her. Some of it is transphobic - "stop saying it's a trans allegory when they stole it"; some of it runs with the Christian oppression narrative (full disclosure, I was inspired to look for her book again bc while looking up another crank, I saw an interview with her in the sidebar of a religious website); but a lot of it is just people who innocently want it to be true.

One of the few pieces debunking her story is on a website called Black Excellence - it doesn't even have a byline - said this:

"There are many people, especially Black people, who wanted the story to be true. It symbolized a Black person, especially a Black woman, finally winning against the system. When Sophia Stewart spoke about how mainstream media would not give her the time of day because almost all of them were owned by Warner Brothers, some Black media embraced her. Blogs spread her story, especially the initial story on Globe that contained errors about the case.

"But the story is not true. Sophia Stewart did not become the richest Black person in the country. But that did not deter her from going on several shows and publications to tell her story."

She took advantage of people's urge to root for the underdog against a corporation - and seized on a lack of mainstream coverage to claim her story was being suppressed. But it just isn't true. Also yeah she ridiculously claims that Warner Bros owns every news website and newspaper and that's kind of funny I guess. Well, that's it. I'm never doing this again

[mifhortunach]

Horror Short Films You Can Watch For Free - Right Now!

Just a 'small' post collecting some less well known horror short films that you can find mostly on youtube & vimeo! All worth a look!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUNGAZER 9min, 2020 (You'll have to log in to vimeo to watch this one!) "A short, wordless horror film about the terrors lurking just beyond the veil of reality." - Or, a man waits, and performs a ritual. Wicked atmospheric, manages to really paint a world despite the run-time. Looks great as well. [TW: flashing lights, body horror, harsh noise]

The Color Out of Space 5min, 2017 "A meteorite, strange vegetation, a colour: an experimental take on H.P. Lovecraft's spiral into madness, shot with a vintage camera on truly unique LomoChrome 16mm film." <- All accurate! Eerie little film.

My House Walk-through: 12min, 2016

Short, sweet, and unnerving!! The person who made this has done a tonne of other (more classical) 'internet horror' shorts, but this is a really wonderful & understated piece. Visually it feels very PT inspired, but its even more about atmosphere and repetition. Worth checking out the making of as well, pretty much the whole thing was done practically!! [TW: unsanitary conditions, blood]

Possibly in Michigan 12min, 1983

Cecilia Condit mostly does weird, dreamy short films. They have a kind of cake with a worm inside feeling, if you get me; things are rotting inside. This one is a cannibal musical! [TW: cannibalism, unreality, insects, murder, animal death]

The Black Tower 23min, 1987

More unsettling than scary. A man finds himself followed by a mysterious building. I really love how this one gets built up visually. The most like a tma episode out of all of these, or something out of Blue Jam. You can read more stuff about it here! [TW: unreality, talk of mental institutions, disordered eating]

Heck 29min, 2020 If you've seen any of these, I think it'll probably be this one. Its the short that originally inspired Skinamarink. I personally kind of prefer this. Digitally gritty and mean. [TW: Same warnings as skinamarink for the most part, there's a kid in danger, a little body horror].

Juliet in Paris 18min, 1967

Juliet moves to Paris for college, is lonely, and keeps losing blood. Kind of a vampire thing? But also not a vampire thing. Vibes and vignette heavy.

[TW: blood, animal death, self harm]

Dawn of an Evil Millennium 20min, 1988 (in 3 parts!)

A palette cleanser! Getting a honourary nomination through me hearing about it on a found footage podcast (lol). A trailer for an 18hr movie that doesn't exist; staring demons, 'olds mobiles', space-travel and cops. Deeply 80s, kind of ooey-gooey, pretty fun! [TW: some vomiting, a lot of fake blood gets splashed about]

Thanks for reading!

[sir-yeehaw-paws]

"The Reason Was Always You"

AKA: The timeline of Metal Gear Solid as per Ocelot’s intervention. Even more specifically, this is my attempt at helping a friend understand what Ocelot was about, and all the nonsense he got up too and why. Of course, the why in this case is simple: Big Boss. Big Boss has been the singular motivation for absolutely everything Ocelot does in series since the day he met the man, and it remained so up until his death.

Yes, all of this.

So. How to explain? I've gone with a general "summary and timeline" compilation that I'll do my very best to keep concise. But given that this is me don't quote me on that eh? ;)

So let's get to it!

Below is a quick-notes version of people and agencies that’ll serve as a sort of fast guide for who I end up talking about that show up more than once in the summary. It’s very messy and if I’ve forgotten anyone or anything I’ll have it included later.

People and Agencies:

Ocelot himself (okay that’s not funny I just included it because it was to me for ten seconds shh)

Big Boss (obviously, ‘father’ of Solid and Liquid Snake)

Colonel Volgin (AKA the Man on Fire: Colonel commanding the GRU during the time of Operation Snake Eater)

EVA (AKA Tatyana, AKA Big Mama: Chinese Philosopher Agent who later became the surrogate mother for the twins)

Paramedic (AKA Dr Jane Clark, the main creator of Les Enfants Terribles, and later the Genome Project which is part of what turns Gray Fox into the Cyborg Ninja, as well as having a driving force behind the PMC’S in 2014, during the events of MGS4. The ‘perfect soldier gene’, more on that later)

SIGINT (AKA Donald Anderson)

The CIA Director

Major Zero (AKA David Oh: The Founder of FOX, The Patriots and Cipher)

Kazuhira Miller (MSF and Diamond Dogs Sub Commander)

Dr Strangelove (A scientist who specialises in AI, works with the CIA and the MSF, she creates the AI that powers the unmanned weapons Big Boss fights in MGS Peace Walker, and eventually the AI that powers the Boss in the mammal pod in the 1980s’. She marries Huey Emmerich and has their son, Hal Emmerich aka Otacon with him. Killed by Huey Emmerich sometime between 1983 and 1984)

Skull Face (Originally the XO of Major Zero, and the head of XOF)

Venom Snake (aka the Medic, later the commander of Diamond Dogs and Outer Heaven, killed in 1995 during Operation Intrude N313 by Solid Snake)

Solid Snake (Dave, a Foxhound Soldier who kills Venom Snake, and later assumes to have killed Big Boss in Zanzibarland in 1999. Meets Ocelot in 2005 during the Shadow Moses Incident)

Liquid Snake (Eli aka The White Mamba, meets Ocelot in 1984 when he's with Diamond Dogs as a captured child soldier, later works with him in 2005 under the 'new' Foxhound

Solidus Snake (aka George Sears, aka the third clone 'the perfect' clone of Big Boss aka the 44th President of the United States)Dr Dr. Naomi Hunter: (Part of the New Foxhound and the creator of Foxdie, a virus that attacks a certain gene to kill the infected person very quickly. Said Foxdie is implanted in Solid Snake as revenge against him for killing her brother, Gray Fox, during the Zanzibarland Incident)

Sergei Gurlukovich (Head of the Russian Mercenary Faction the Gurlukovich Mercenaries)

Olga Gurlukovich (Daughter of Sergei, takes over the Gurkulovich Mercenaries after his death)

Raiden (AKA Jack the Ripper: Former child soldier adopted by Solidus Snake, later a Foxhound agent unaware it's not real, per se)

Agencies (I couldn’t think of a better word for them but ‘agencies’ is a kind of loose term in this sense)

I have not included the CIA and the GRU but they are there.

The Patriots 1.0 (Not an official way of terming them, I’m just trying to distinguish between that and the later, AI only version of the Patriots)

Cipher (Another name for The Patriots when it was under the command of Major Zero)

XOF (Assumed to have been Cipher, they are a rogue faction of Cipher headed up by Skull Face, originally the XO of Zero, he breaks apart from him)

The Patriots 2.0 (After Major Zero becomes non-functional due to being infected with parasites by Skull Face, SIGINT takes over the Patriots before they slowly begin to fully convert to being an AI controlled system. By the 2000’s, the Patriots are little more than AI, and only AI)

MSF (AKA Militaries Sans Frontiers: The first PMC created and headed by Big Boss)

Diamond Dogs (A PMC created by Kazuhira Miller and Revolver Ocelot, later commanded by Venom Snake)

Outer Heaven (A PMC under Venom Snake that absorbed Diamond Dogs and became something 'bigger' or new. This is a touch confusing, as Venom Snake refers to Diamond Dogs base as 'Outer Heaven' and Solid Snake storms Outer Heaven in 1995 but it's moved inland by that point)

Foxhound (A special forces group headed by Big Boss within the US military)

Zanzibarland (A private military nation headed by Big Boss. Where he is 'killed' by Solid Snake)

The 'New' Foxhound: (Foxhound after it's been created for a second time, with Liquid Snake in charge)

Dead Cell: (A faction Ocelot works with designed to bring about the SSS Project, aka the Solid Snake Simulation project, more on that later)

Who's Ocelot? (Speedy Ass Biography)

Revolver Ocelot aka Adamska aka Adam aka Shalashaska and eventually Liquid Snake was born in Normandy, on D Day. 6th June 1944. He is the son of the Boss, and the Sorrow. Both part of the elite COBRA Unit.

Ocelot was removed from the Boss very shortly after his birth and raised by the Philosopher's as one of their agents. Up until being sent to infiltrate the GRU for the CIA sometime before 1964.

Then, Ocelot was established as a Major under the command of Colonel Volgin. His birth aside, there are almost no confirmed details of his life before this.

Ocelot dies in 2014, of the new Foxdie virus, after fighing Solid Snake. He's 70 years old at the time.

The world's fastest biography out of the way, let's get into the more nitty-gritty of it-the timeline.

RUSSIA: 1964

*One of the few times Ocelot wasn’t doing things for the sake of Big Boss, as they don’t meet until Operation Snake Eater. (That I'm aware of at any rate)

Key Events:

The Virtuous Mission ( Late August)

Operation Snake Eater ( Early September)

As quickly stated above, Ocelot is a Major within the GRU under Colonel Volgin but secretly working with the CIA. (In the post credits, Ocelot reports directly to the CIA director in the USA.) He was sent in to recover part of the Philosopher’s Legacy. He succeeds, and gives the USA blueprints that are assumed to be Metal Gear.

EARLY 1970’s:

NOTE: Portable Ops canon is in debate within the fandom. I personally take it as canon, but some don’t. So Ocelot’s actions in this time period get argued. The way Portable Ops often gets argued. Since I take Portable Ops as canon, I included it. I’m using Wiki Fandom’s summary of events here, so again-there is interpretation that could be up for debate.

This could also be another portion of events that are not directly for the sake of Big Boss. But when the Patriots are formed, Ocelot helps them use the Legacy in it’s funding. The Patriots operated (at least originally) to ‘execute the Boss’s will’ post-humus for her. And create what they believed to be her desired world.

Ocelot recovers the second half of the Philosopher’s Legacy, and assassinates the DCI.

Foundation of the Patriots with Major Zero, Big Boss, Eva, Paramedic and SIGINT.

1972:

This is what I believe is the turning point for where Ocelot begins to put almost all of his focus into making sure everything he does serves Big Boss and his efforts.

Solid and Liquid Snake are born as the first successful experiment from Les Enfants Terribles. Big Boss leaves the Patriots. Ocelot remains.

Big Boss founds the MSF, and eventually takes on Kazuhira Miller as his sub-commander. Ocelot is not directly involved with the MSF. During the days of the MSF, Kaz forms a secret deal with Major Zero, which is how Zadornov (a KGB spy under the alias of Professor Galvez) and Paz Ortega Andrade (A Cipher Agent posing as a Latin American school-girl) are able to get Big Boss into Costa Rica. This is also where Chico (a kid Big Boss meets who is the younger brother of Amanda, the new commander of her late father’s rebel unit) meets Big Boss and is taken into the MSF.

1975:

XOF attacks Mother Base when Big Boss is coming back from his mission to save a captured Chico and Paz. Paz jumps from the chopper and dies before XOF shoots it out of the sky, killing Chico and the pilot, MORPHO in the process. The Medic jumps in front of Big Boss to shield him from the worst of the blast, but Big Boss ends up in a coma for the next nine years. Kaz is left with only minor or non-life-threatening injuries.

"This is an emergency, otherwise I sure as hell wouldn't-"-Ocelot, when Major Zero contacts him after the attack. The betrayal of Big Boss has forever left a sour taste in his mouth, regarding Zero.

Sometime later, after Kaz has been released from the hospital, Major Zero gets in contact with Ocelot and fills him in on a plan he has to keep Big Boss safe from his enemies. First, he has Big Boss and the Medic transferred into Cipher’s care through Eva, at the military hospital in Dhkelia, Cyprus. He proposes to Ocelot the idea of turning the Medic into a body double for Big Boss. Ocelot agrees and this begins the creation of Venom Snake through (as Ocelot puts it ‘powerful hypnogia’) and intense plastic surgery. In addition, he also spends the next nine years creating Diamond Dogs with Kazuhira Miller. The intention being that while Kaz, himself and Venom work with Diamond Dogs, Big Boss is free to get himself back up and running with his own base and men safely, away from the radar of XOF. With Diamond Dogs and Venom at the helm, nobody will know Big Boss is alive and building his own army (what eventually becomes Foxhound and later Zanzibarland) and will be safe.

XOF ATTACK ON DHKELIA, 1984:

Sometime in late February, Big Boss awakes from his coma and is filled in on what Ocelot has been up too. Ocelot and he prepare for the upcoming attack on the hospital, and when the Medic (now officially Venom Snake) wakes up two weeks later, Big Boss ‘helps’ escort and protect him from the hospital. XOF annihilate the place searching for Big Boss. Leaving nearly (if not every) occupant killed in the line of fire. The assault on Dhkelia is deemed necessary by Ocelot, and serves as a way to get Big Boss and Venom Snake out and free, without XOF continuing chase.

After they escape, Venom is left briefly unconscious. Ocelot retrieves Big Boss, then Venom. He puts Venom on the Heiwa Maru for transport to Afghanistan to save Kaz (who has now been captured by the 40th Russian Army and needs to be saved by Venom) and says his goodbye’s to Big Boss before joining up with Venom. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Big Boss before Ocelot lights his cigar, 1984.

"We'll meet again."

At some point, Ocelot hypnotises himself, to keep up the ruse that Venom Snake is the ‘real’ Big Boss, so that he won’t blow his cover to soon.

After Venom rescues Kaz, the three of them work with Diamond Dogs and take down Skull Face. During this time, the vocal chord parasite is present, and Venom eliminates Skull Face, XOF and the virus. Around this time they also have Huey Emmerich (after having ‘saved’ him from Skull Face, who he’d been working under since the attack on Mother Base back in the 70’s)

"I maintainted limited contact, though in truth, we were just keeping tabs on each other." -Ocelot about his relationship with Major Zero, after LET and the dissolution of the Patriots. Keeping tabs on Zero was of course, useful for keeping Big Boss safe. Including from Zero.

I’ll also note real quick that it is around this time in the early 1980’s that Ocelot is dubbed ‘Shalashaska’ due to his torture techniques being so feared amongst guerilla’s he interrogated during the Soviet Afghan War. A monikers he’s given before Venom Snake is awake, and one that’s fully established by 1984.

TIMELINE UNKNOWN (Assumed to be sometime in the 80’s)

The details are unknown and undetermined, but at some point Ocelot reveals to Kaz that not only is Venom Snake a body double of Big Boss, but that Big Boss is alive and ‘safe’ doing his own thing to establish himself with Foxhound. Kaz, infuriated at being mislead and lied too, vows his revenge on Big Boss. Ocelot, simply says that eventually there will only be one Big Boss, and if Kaz wants to keep that vow, so be it. They’ll fight when the time comes (against each other, that is).

Venom Snake (at another undetermined time) learns the truth about himself. He remains in his role until his death.

At some point between 1984 and 1995, Kaz and Ocelot both exit Diamond Dogs/ Outer Heaven. The time period for when they do this, is unknown.

OPERATION INTRUDE N313, 1995:

Outer Heaven is no longer necessary, and is in possession of a Metal Gear. The time for there to be ‘only one Big Boss’ has come. Venom Snake fights Solid Snake, and is eventually defeated and killed by him. Venom Snake’s exploits are absorbed and attributed into the legend and legacy of Big Boss, leaving Venom to be forgotten. Having ‘done his job’ and outlived his usefulness.

THE 90’s:

Ocelot does some mercenary work around this time, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Ocelot does not directly work within Foxhound, or the later Zanizbarland with Big Boss, but supports him in other ways during this time period. He is keeping a close eye on the Patriots 2.0 and establishing what will become his eventual take down of them completely.

But why take down the Patriots?

At the risk of veering off into headcanon territory (which a lot of this post already does so I’m not even sure why that’s a concern as it isn’t) I believe Ocelot wanted to eliminate and dismantle the Patriot’s because they wronged Big Boss. The Patriot’s harmed him, and later served as a threat to him. In many respects they threatened the world too; but for Ocelot, I believe Big Boss matters to him far more than the world ever did.

Leading into,

ZANIZBARLAND DISTURBANCE (Christmas Eve, 1999)

It is assumed that Solid Snake managed to kill Big Boss. However, the Patriot’s swoop in and steal his remains, placing him in a coma before he can expire. Following this, Ocelot teams back up with EVA, and they form a plan to eventually steal Big Boss from the Patriot’s. A process that ends up taking decades. And during which ends up requiring Ocelot to eventually make new ‘alliances’ and later, even develop into Liquid Ocelot.

But, before all that, comes a slow, methodical take down. Starting with Ocelot joining the New Foxhound in 2000.

I like this summary of it the best.

26th February, 2005

Death of Kazuhira Miller.

Canon has never confirmed if Ocelot killed him but I headcanon that he did and I stick with that headcanon. Kaz’s glasses are given over to Liquid, to help him take on the impression of Kaz to fool Solid Snake with the ruse. Ocelot would be one of the most efficient people to achieve that, and they have that talk about it in the end of MGSV so ANYWAY. That is a bit of a ramble.

Shadow Moses Incident 2005

The elimination of the New Foxhound. All but Ocelot are killed via the Foxdie virus that is implanted in Solid Snake by Dr. Hunter. This also ends up killing Liquid Snake. Ocelot reveals (to the audience) in the ending, to have been working behind the scenes the entire time as well with the then-President George Sears. Solidus Snake.

The Arm, 2005

Ok.

So. Bare with me. The Cyborg Ninja (Gray Fox) takes off Ocelot’s right arm with his sword during their fight. Sometime after the Shadow Moses incident, Ocelot has the right arm of the then-deceased Liquid Snake surgically grafted onto himself. This arm, ahem. Takes on the soul or spirit of Liquid Snake, and it can possess Ocelot periodically. Creating the character of Liquid Ocelot that is first seen in 2007. Two years later. When Ocelot is working with the Gurkulovich Mercenaries to steal Metal Gear RAY, before Ocelot betrays them. The “Liquid Ocelot” persona is up for debate.

2007

Mentioned quickly up above, Ocelot steals Metal Gear RAY and the Tanker Incident.

2009

“Sergei was my best friend!” Ocelot to Olga during Big Shell in 2009, when she accuses him of betraying her father and killing him (which he did). Loyalty to no-one is important. Unless it’s Big Boss.

Big Shell and the Solid Snake Simulation. Ocelot believes that the Big Shell is an experiment by the Patriots to establish any old person as Solid Snake. In this case, the unwitting patsy being Raiden. Dead Cell being a replacement for Foxhound. However, the Patriots are now completely an AI and they claim that they mislead Ocelot, and that their real goal was something else entirely. A system to control all people in the world. It is also revealed during the events of Big Shell that the Patriots are in control of every single aspect of society. And that the presidents are little more than Patriot selected plants, that are meant to exert their will unto society. Solidus Snake is killed by Raiden. Post Big Shell: The Creation of Liquid Ocelot.

Following the events of the Big Shell, Ocelot and EVA (now operating under the alias of Big Mama) are covertly working to dismantle the Patriots. By this point, the Patriot’s are in full control of society. The control PMC’s and other militaries with nanomachines that are a step up from the Genome Soldiers, and are an even more ‘perfect’ establishment of the Perfect Soldier Project. This is a project that used DNA from Big Boss to create the best soldiers. As said before, the Patriot’s are also a fully AI system. It is assumed that around this time, Revolver Ocelot is ‘possessed’ completely by the spirit of Liquid Snake (via the arm). And that Ocelot as he was known up until that point no longer exists. (While I’ve also found it kind of fun to toy with this theory, especially because the Sorrow was a medium and I really like the idea of Ocelot being supernaturally inclined) for the sake of this, I need to go with the way Ocelot himself ends up describing what happened. Ocelot is an extremely skilled hypnotist. (At least in Metal Gear’s lore sense of hypnotism). We already know that he hypnotized himself back in the 80’s, and it was using a more advanced version of this technique that he put himself ‘away’ and took on the persona of Liquid Snake. Said persona included the creation of more PMC’s, to help fight in a society of near total war. By 2014, an aged Solid Snake and Otacon are working to bring down the Patriot’s as well, but they have different motives. Ocelot wants to recreate Outer Heaven (in a sense) for Big Boss and the world he would’ve wanted. Philanthropy is for the salvation of the world and society. While I do still believe that Ocelot had a personal beef with the original Patriot’s for betraying Big Boss, I imagine that both things can be true. Ocelot knows the Patriot’s AI has infected everything in their society. Liquid Ocelot is created as a way to fool and interrupt the system. By working within the system itself, Ocelot takes it down from the inside, deliberately going against the AI’s predictions and algorithm to annihilate it. Solid Snake and the new Foxdie killing him, helps to bring about that goal. In the process, EVA is killed by the New Foxdie. Liquid Ocelot and Solid Snake fight, culminating in the death of Liquid Ocelot (and Ocelot entirely) via the new Foxdie. Outer Heaven 2.0 does not come to pass, but the Patriots are destroyed thanks to Philanthrophy’s efforts (and a worm created by Sunny Emmerich, the adopted daughter of Otacon and Solid Snake). Around this time as well, Big Boss briefly comes back to life (using body parts from the deceased Solidus Snake, I think Eva and Ocelot helped with that one but don’t quote me) and kills Major Zero (who is barely alive and only functions with life support) and dies of the new Foxdie virus. Thus a lifetime of betrayal and deceit, or torture and more alliances than one can shake a stick at, comes to a close.

"She's in love with the legend." "What makes you so sure?" "I was the same way, once."- Ocelot and Kaz arguing during Quiet's interrogation. Only for all the lies Ocelot tels, he was never lying about that. Except he loved the man, not just the legend.

CONCLUSION

So, at the end of the day, if one looks to the question ‘what was Ocelot’s motivation’? The answer is simply “for Big Boss” the motivation is sometimes debated, thrown around, tossed up, etc. So, for the sake of my own personal argument I say it’s because he loved him.

Not the purest kind of love no. We’re talking the devotional (one could even argue obsessive) intense kind of love that has a lot of toxic or ‘dark’ to be blasé about it kind of love. The kind of love that drives a person to do countless immoral, sometimes world-ending things in the face of it. From the time Ocelot met Big Boss to the time he died, nearly everything was in service of him. It did not matter to Ocelot how long that took, or how much ended up destroyed because of it.

It did not matter that it had a body count in the thousands. It did not matter who became necessary collateral along the way. Or whether Big Boss could ever even appropriately acknowledge or reciprocate it. At the end of the day, at the end of it all. For Ocelot it was all for him.

Everything.

I probably didn't need this entire post to explain it but I am who I am and here we are.