#Linus and Lucy style :]

[shepscapades]

how's your current project going?

WAU THANK YOU FOR ASKING! My exhibition reception is this coming Monday, so the past few weeks have been me scrambling to make sure orders are in, writing my thesis, organizing all the bits and bobs, everything that would make any normal person stressed beyond belief! /silly

All of the artwork is officially done though :) so I’m very excited to share more soon!! For now have a silly warmup of the Souls cast uhhh uhhhh dancing!! Celebrating the completion of all of this work! :D

[linesonscreens]

Let's Read Peanuts (Yup, still at it) – May 1954

There are lots of great strips I just don't have room to comment on. I strongly encourage everybody to read the full month at the official GoComics page. Today's month starts HERE.

May 3, 1954

~tugs collar~

Yeah... About that.

May 9, 1954

Aw yeah, here we go! I was wondering when this would pop up.

May 15, 1954

1) That's not a joke

2) Yes, Violet. I got that from him kicking the radio.

Also I hope you enjoyed this strip because “Charlie Brown doesn't like coconut” is now a running gag.

May 16, 1954

This definitively proves that adults exist in the Peanuts Cinematic Universe, they just happen to be 20 feet tall for some reason. Or maybe the kids are like 2 feet tall? It depends on how you look at it I guess.

May 23, 1954

Oh man! What's going to happen!? I'm freaking out!

May 24, 1954

Lucy is so unbelievably awful to Linus in these early years. Granted, she's literally four(?) years old so I can cut her a bit of slack but god damn do these kind of interactions not endear you to her.

Weirdly enough though, I actually like that the strip doesn't punish her for doing stuff like this. Others have made this observation long before I came along but the fact that Schulz is willing to just sort of... let bad things happen without immediately having the universe make an example of the perpetrator or teach them a lesson is one of the things that sets Peanuts apart from the competition. Life just kind of be like that sometimes and it's OK to show it.

May 30, 1954

(No, really. That's the last one)

Thoughts:

The golf tournament arc is kind of notorious and nobody really knows what the hell is up with it. You have continuity in the Sunday strips (very unusual due to how they are made), weird off-model art, the cast acting out of character, and of course, on-screen adults. Then it all just kind of... stops. It's very odd.

I've heard people speculate that this might actually have been ghost drawn (is that a term?) by another artist but I'm not sure if I buy that. The art is a bit different but it still very much feels like Schulz to me, particularly in how he draws his backgrounds. I ~do~ think there might be something to the idea that this is a repurposed experiment from another project though.

What this feels like to me is Schulz experimenting with “bigger” stories, perhaps something intended to be sold as a proper comic book rather than just a collection of strips. The art looks different because he's trying to set it apart from the strips by adding more detail and action (kind of like when an animated TV sitcom gets a theatrical movie).

As for why it just ends like that? Well that's a sort of punchline Schulz does in a lot in his daily strips so it's not actually that weird if you think about it. I think he just didn't realize that this kind of anticlimax punchline works with a 4-panel strip but not a 4-page event comic.

There's no official word on the matter though so your guess is as good as mine.

[a-space-rock]

Peanuts but something doesn’t feel right

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

ANIMATED DOGS WITH HUMAN TEETH -- A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

PIC(S) INFO: Part 2 of 2 -- Spotlight on more animation stills of the Peanuts gang in the American Dental Association's public service announcement on tooth-brushing, c. 1978

Source: http://misstraceynolan.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-childrens-treasury-of-bizarre-peanuts.html.

[addictedgallery]

Get Your Art Fix!

"Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people." ~ Nicholas Sparks "Gone BFFs (Special Edition)" by Whatshisname, 2019

Arty-Fact: Do you remember them? Were they a big part of your childhood? Even though you might not have realised it before but some cartoons affected us when we were children and helped to shape us into the people we are now.

"The art that I make can only be described as joyful pop art. I draw influences from current mass culture, my childhood and TV programs I used to watch as a kid. My art challenges traditional fine art by bringing an element of fun and creativity." ~ Whatshisname

See It On Your Wall

[dontuwishuwerehere]

[Image ID: A romance novel-style illustration of Arthur and Linus reclining on a sand dune and watching Chauncey, Lucy, Phee, Sal, and Talia play in the ocean while Theo flies overhead. The cerulean sea stretches into the distance and the sky is full of puffy clouds. Text reads: "Don't you wish you were here? March 17, 2023. A fan event celebrating 3 years of The House in the Cerulean Sea." End ID]

See our pinned post for information on the event!

[jwcartoonist]

Colors by Will Carroll.

When I was a kid, I would often attempt to draw my own Peanuts comics, but I just couldn’t nail Charles Schulz’s art style and writing style. Even now decades later I still don’t think I’ve nailed it. There’s something so simple, yet bizarrely complex about the way he drew, the way he wrote. What on the outside looked to be a simple comic about a bunch of kids and a dog sleeping on his roof is under the surface a commentary about human nature, society, failure, and how one often escapes into their imagination.

Many people state that Schulz was Charlie Brown, and to a certain extent they’re right, however Schulz put a little bit of himself into all of his characters. He had the philosophy of Linus, the love of classical music of Schroder, the sportsmanship of Peppermint Patty, the crabbiness of Lucy, and of course the imagination of Snoopy.

Snoopy is for the most part a happy character and is often seen succeeding where his owner fails, but at the same time he’s not without his struggles. In many a strip he rants about the fact that his life as a dog is rather dull and often pretends to be something else, whether it be a buzzard, a snake, an astronaut, or World War I flying ace, and even in his imagination he isn’t guaranteed success as he was never able to defeat his arch nemesis the Red Baron.

There is also the fact that much like Charlie Brown, Snoopy has dealt with failure, specifically when it comes to becoming a successful author. He pours his effort and heart into every word on the page, only to be greeted with rejection from the publishers (in one special he was even told in a letter “Give up! You are a terrible writer! Why do you bother us?”). Snoopy often brushes these rejections aside and goes back to writing soon after, but at some point I couldn’t help but wonder, would being rejected so many times ever get to him?

That’s where the idea of this tribute came from, thus finding the connection between Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Both are seen struggling with failure in their lives (though obviously old Chuck gets the worst of it), but both deciding to move forward despite failing and try again. They have both lost multiple times, but they’re not losers. Perhaps that’s what Charles Schulz wanted to communicate to his readers, life is cruel, life is tough, and life can often be unfair, but loosing doesn’t make you a looser, you’re only a looser if you stop trying. After all, he failed and was rejected by a news paper syndicate in 1949 and one year later he ended up creating the most famous comic strip of all time.

I could go on forever talking about Charles Schulz and how his work inspired me, my favorite strips, my favorite characters, my favorite specials, but I think I’ll just end things with a quote from the final Peanuts strip that truly says it all;

“Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy... How can I ever forget them...”

[krenenbaker]

Stardew Characters' Spirit's Eve Costumes

This is a repost of a post from my old blog from a few years ago!

Happy Halloween / Spirit's Eve / Blessed Samhain / whatever you may celebrate today! Many people dress up in costume for this holiday - what might the residents of Stardew Valley be dressed as this year? (note: there are a few costumes of characters that likely wouldn't exist in the Stardew Valley universe, but I believe that if they did, it would be a likely fit for certain peoples' costumes.)

Abigail: Westley (from The Princess Bride)

Alex: a zombie, maybe even a zombie gridball player

Caroline: a witch

Clint: a ghost (white sheet style)

Demetrius: Gomez Addams (from The Addams Family)

Dwarf: likely doesn't celebrate the holiday (due to not following many human customs), and therefore wouldn't dress up

Elliott: Howl Pendragon (from Howl's Moving Castle)

Emily: A ghost, but full out with a - historically accurate - dress recreation from 170 years ago, white face/body paint, and shimmer powder

Evelyn: The Bride of Frankenstein

George: Frankenstein's monster

Gus: A stereotypical summer tourist (including a bum bag/fanny pack, white face paint as nose sunscreen, a floral shirt, and a far too large sunhat)

Haley: Daphne Blake (from Scooby-Doo)

Harvey: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (one on the right, the other on the left)

Jas: Rapunzel

Jodi: A bee

Kent: Either doesn't dress up, or dresses as a pun (such as 'ceiling fan' or 'when life gives you lemons')

Krobus: Like the dwarf, he may also not celebrate this holiday, but if he does, Krobus would dress as a jack-o-lantern

Leah: Sally (from The Nightmare Before Christmas (or I suppose The Nightmare Before Winter Star?))

Leo: Pretty new to the celebration, but dresses up as a flower

Lewis: A clown (in the classic circus way, not a horror way)

Linus: A mummy

Marnie: A scarecrow

Maru: A monster truck (with actual mechanical elements)

Pam: A pirate

Penny: Ms. Frizzle (from The Magic School Bus)

Pierre: A vampire

Robin: Morticia Addams (from The Addams Family)

Sam: The Headless Horseman (likely carrying around a hobby horse and a jack-o-lantern as props)

Sandy: Lucy/Nyu (from Elfen Lied)

Sebastian: One of two options: either a last-minute skeleton costume consisting of items he had in his closet, or an Inuyasha (from Inuyasha) costume that was in development for months, and made completely from scratch

Shane: The Grim Reaper

Vincent: a bat

Willy: A cowboy

Wizard: doesn't dress up, but simply by nature of being a wizard, he is dressed as a wizard

[movedto-bunny-lovers]

Any unanswered questions for both of your f/os? 😃

Hope you have a wonderful weekend & thank you for the ask! 😊💛

Keigo/Hawks

Charlie Brown: How do you and your f/o comfort each other when youre down?

Hawks comfort me by wrapping his crimson wings & arms around me & using his words of comfort. I comfort Hawks by holding him in my arms & use sweet words. Sometimes one of us would bring the other their comfort food.

Linus: What comfort objects do you and your f/o have from each other?

What I have from Hawks are cat plushies. What Hawks have from me are jewelries & shirts.

Snoopy: What kind of pet do you and your f/o have?

We have a cat together!

Woodstock: Who is your s/i's best friend?

Best Jeanist

Peppermint Patty: Is your f/o clingy? Your s/i?

Yes, we're both clingy!

Franklin: What kind of hobbies do you and your f/o enjoy together?

We enjoy cooking/baking, doing puzzles, dancing, star gazing, card games & listening to music.

Rumi/Mirko

Charlie Brown: How do you and your f/o comfort each other when youre down?

I comfort Rumi by holding her in my arms, using my sweet words & bring her one of her comfort foods. Rumi comforts me by laying next to me while holding me in her arms & use her words of comfort. She would also bring me one of my comfort foods.

Sally: Whats you and your f/o's love languages?

Rumi & I's love language is physical touch.

Linus: What comfort objects do you and your f/o have from each other?

What I have from Rumi are the crescent moon necklace & bunny plushies. What Rumi have from me are cat plushies & yellow active top.

Lucy: Do you and your f/o pull pranks on each other?

No, we don't pull pranks on each other.

Woodstock: Who is your s/i's best friend?

Moe Kamiji (Burnin)

Marcie: What pet names do you call each other?

Rumi calls me bunny, sweetie, babe & love. I call Rumi honeybun, babe, love & bun bun.

Franklin: What kind of hobbies do you and your f/o enjoy together?

Exercise, walking, hiking, cooking/baking, yoga, pilates, dancing, weight lifting, kickboxing, hair styling & board games.

Pigpen: Which one of you and your f/o is messy and which ones tidy?

I'm the messy one & Rumi is the tidy one.

[cometcrystal]

b/c schultz’ art style is so limited, it’s hard to put defining characteristics on the characters, but is there any specific apperance headcanons you have for the characters?

oh of COURSE

charlie brown - ik he technically has hair but i am looking away i do not see it. i think he has a LITTLE hair but its a very light blonde peach fuzz. you'd think he would style it with a dad who is a barber but no he likes to keep his hair buzzed. he's also heavyset and about average height

sally - nothing in particular but she's got the same build as her brother, just a bit shorter. always wearing colorful makeup as soon as her parents permit it

lucy - this bitch is SHORT and she is mad about it. shes the shortest one in the gang. ofc she's got the van pelt eye wrinkles but i also think a trait of theirs is a round nose.

linus - a little shorter than charlie brown but not by much

schroeder - tall string bean. terrible posture ofc. has some acne. an almost-perpetual resting bitch face

peppermint patty - she gets a mullet when she gets to high school. look into your heart. you know it to be true.

rerun - the tallest of the van pelt sibs. ALSO he wears glasses. im giving him that because linus had them at one point but then never wore them again, and rerun sometimes needs something to distinguish him from his brother

violet - the only thing i have for her is that she has green eyes. idk why but i want her eyes to be green

if someone's not listed it bc i dont have a specific image set in my head for them other than what we're given in canon. i also don't have any race headcanons for anyone and am open to all interpretations as far as that goes

[unfortunate-arrow]

Bridgerton Next Gen OC Character Skecthes - Benophie Edition

warnings: discussions of death, famine, and period typical attitudes

𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙖 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙙

Helena Jane “Nell” Shepherd, born January 19, 1821, was the only child born to Norman (1798-1836) and Abigail (1800-1826) Shepherd in Bottesford, England. A distant cousin to the Baron Bastable, Nell was placed in his custody at the age of 5. Her parents had succumbed to consumption. Cecil Bastable (1790-1844) and his wife, Henrietta (1796-1844) graciously welcomed Nell into their home and raised her as their own. Unfortunately, their son, Horace (born 1812) did not take to Nell with any kindness. In fact, upon the moment that the mourning of his parents ended in 1844, Horace proposed to Nell.

Fleeing Horace Bastable’s incessant and forceful proposals, Nell stumbled into the position of governess. She worked for a handful of rich families before agreeing to meet with Viscount Anthony Bridgerton to discuss a possible place of employment. Nell was officially hired by the Bridgerton family in April of 1846 as the governess to the five youngest children of Mr. Gregory and Lady Lucy Bridgerton’s nine children. Ant, Ben, Colin, Eloise, and Frannie Bridgerton were intense children, who had run off a series of previous governesses. However, they didn’t scare off Nell. In addition, Nell also befriended the eldest daughter, Katharine, who was 18 and nearing her first season.

June of 1846 saw Nell meeting the man who would capture her heart, Dr. Charles “Charlie” Bridgerton. They married in late 1846 and had five children together: Norman, Sophia, Meg, Franklin, and Linus. Their eldest son, Norman Benedict, was born in January of 1848. Their eldest daughter, Sophia Abigail, followed a few months later in June of 1849. Their youngest daughter, Margaret Helena “Meg,” was born in 1851 with their middle son, Franklin Charles, being born three years later in 1854. Their youngest son and child, Linus Edmund, was born in 1858, four years after Franklin and a little over ten years after Norman.

Nell is of average height, about 5’6”. She has an average, albeit slightly lean, build which is mostly due to her struggles with finding consistent employment. Her eyes are hazel, often becoming darker in low light and greener in bright light. In addition, Nell has curly black hair, inherited from her mother, which she keeps at an average length. She also has a small splotchy birthmark on her right shoulder, which is rarely visible to the public’s eye. She keeps a simple and functional yet elegant style, although it’s generally much simpler during her employment as a governess.

Nell is a reserved person. She’s very private, rarely sharing her thoughts with others. Despite this, Nell is very intuitive and thoughtful. She’s thoughtful and considerate and caring. In addition, Nell is compassionate and empathetic which comes to be very helpful in her chosen profession of governess. In addition, Nell is quite intelligent and well read. She’s charming, principled, idealistic, and sensitive. She thinks through quite a bit, sometimes even overthinking her every action. Nell is also a perfectionist and is very organized with hopes of everything going exactly to plan. She’s often found reading, working on embroidery, or playing the piano. 

𝓔𝓶𝓶𝓪 𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓡𝓾𝓽𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮

Emma Catherine Rutledge, born January 24, 1824, was the fifth born child to the duke and Duchess of Ashbourne, Lady Catherine (1792-1824) and Lord George (born 1787) Rutledge. She had four older siblings: Susannah (born 1814), Charles (born 1816), Laurence (born 1818), and Giles (born 1820). Her mother died of childbed fever, shortly after Emma was born and as such, Emma has no memories of her mother. Shortly afterwards, her grandmother, Lady Arabella Rutledge, the dowager duchess, moved in with the family to help supervise the children as Emma’s father refused to consider marrying again. He had loved his duchess, and couldn’t stomach marrying another. In 1836, Emma’s sister, Susannah, married Bernard Fitzhugh (born 1809). They had three children: Dudley (born 1837), Maria (born 1839), and George (born 1843).  Of her four siblings, Emma was closest to her eldest brother, Charles.

Emma had a pretty good childhood. Everything was fairly simple until she began preparing for her debut into the ton. Her grandmother had high expectations for Emma, which included the fact that Emma was not supposed to wear her spectacles. She felt like a fool without them, especially on the dance floor. In addition, her grandmother had strict ideas about who it was appropriate for Emma to interact with, given that she was the daughter of a duke. Luckily, Emma’s father held the power of final approval and he kept Emma’s opinions in mind.

In 1847, Emma was introduced to Alexander Bridgerton, an architect who had gone to school with her brother, Giles, by the dowager viscountess Bridgerton. Her grandmother fiercely disapproved, but Emma found herself falling for the young Mr. Bridgerton. He was handsome and kind and swoon worthy. After a lot of convincing and promising to her grandmother, Emma eventually married Alexander. They had two children, identical twins named Vincent Charles and Beckett Nicholas, in 1857.

Emma stands at 5’3” and has an average build. She has light auburn hair that’s kept to a fashionable length and often styled in the simplest fashionable style available. She has green eyes, which are often obscured by spectacles. Emma’s eyesight is quite poor, therefore she wears spectacles whenever possible. In addition, Emma’s style trends towards whatever’s most fashionable at the time but she has no qualms about picking simpler styles. She generally wears blues and greens, as she feels like those colors complement her appearance best.

Emma is a private and thoughtful person. She prefers to keep to herself, only suffering through balls and such to please her grandmother as Emma also has some people pleasing tendencies. She’s reluctant to open up to most people. Often, her only confidant was her eldest brother, Charles. In addition, Emma is creative and principled and kind. She’s also quite stubborn and sensitive. She can take criticism to heart. In addition, Emma feels like she’s under a lot of pressure to live up to her “perfect” sister, Susannah who married an earl and never needed spectacles. Emma is also very supportive and organized. She will often struggle with decisions, before ultimately giving into what her heart is telling her to go with. 

𝗥𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗢’𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆

Róisín Mary O’Connolly, born May 2, 1824, was the only child born to John (1797-1830) and Mary (1800-1830) O’Connolly on their small farm in County Donegal, Ireland. From an Irish Gaelic speaking family, Róisín did not learn English until the age of three, when her parents were forced to relocate from their farm to the small village. At the age of 6, Róisín was orphaned after her parents fell ill and moved to Galway, where her father’s elder brother, Michael (1794-1847), and his wife, Ellen (1798-1846) lived. This arrangement lasted until the 1840s. In 1845, the potato crop failed and poor Irish farmers fell into a deep famine. Róisín’s Aunt Ellen fell ill first and with little money, there was nothing that either Róisín or Michael could do. Then, Michael fell ill and passed away as well, leaving Róisín to weather the year known as “Black ‘47” alone.

In late 1847, Róisín received correspondence from a distant cousin. Margaret Bolton, the countess of Fotherby, had written to Róisín with an offer to sponsor her for a season amongst the ton. Reluctantly, Róisín accepted and shortly after, traveled to London. Raised Catholic and devoted to her identity as an Irish Catholic, she refused to attend the same Anglican masses that Margaret and her husband, Peter, earl of Fotherby did. Instead, she found a Catholic church to attend and did so religiously. In addition, she continued to use her first language of Irish Gaelic. 

It was early in the season of 1848 when Róisín met the quiet William Bridgerton. With chestnut hair and green eyes, William immediately captivated Róisín. But after their first meeting, she had never believed that she’d actually see him again. She did, though, and as they came into a deep acquaintance, love blossomed. A much more forceful personality than William, Róisín also found herself struggling to stay silent when she heard the pompous and spoiled lords discussing the famine in Ireland. In fact, she was rarely able to stay silent. Her people were suffering and they deserved help. Róisín herself had donated the majority of her pocket money to those working to alleviate the effects of the famine. Altogether, it was an interesting season that had a stranger conclusion. Róisín married William that fall of 1848. Together they had four children: Maeve, Kathleen, Ivy, and Oscar. A daughter named Maeve Sophie was born in 1850 followed by another daughter, Kathleen Mary, in 1852. Two years later in 1854, their third and final daughter, Ivy Róisín, was born. Finally, their only son, Oscar William, was born in 1857. 

Róisín stands at 5’5” and holds a lean build, that during the famine years in Ireland was an unhealthy lean. She has black hair that’s as short as fashionably allowed for women. Her eyes are a dark green, a sharp contrast to the light green of William and his sister, Violet. In addition, Róisín has freckles all over her face. The sun brings them out more, but she’s always had a smattering of freckles dotting her face. Róisín prefers a simple style with a fondness for blues and greens, similar to her sister-in-law, Lady Emma.

At first glance, Róisín appears to be very outspoken, and in some ways, she is. However, she also has a more reserved nature. It’s only the things that she’s passionate about that can get her to be outspoken. She can also be argumentative, especially when it comes to her beliefs. She holds steadfast to her beliefs, and can be reluctant to change those. In addition, she is very stubborn and intelligent. Róisín has good practical skills and she’s quite hardworking. She also can be compassionate, although the extent of her compassion can depend on several different factors. She can take things personally and tends to keep her innermost thoughts private. 

𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧

Jonathan Frederick “Jack” Fullerton, born April 6, 1821, was the fourth child born to Lady Josephine (1792-1835) and Tom (1791-1831) Fullerton in London England. He had three older siblings, Henry “Harry” (1812-1831), Anne (born 1815), and Isabel (born 1818). Jack was ten years old when his father and older brother passed away in a carriage accident, and four years later, his mother passed away from an illness. For the next few years, Jack was raised by his unmarried sisters and insisted on helping the family make money. Anne married an upcoming merchant by the name of James Clarke in 1838 and they had three daughters: Martha (born 1840), Frances (born 1842) and Thomasina (born 1845). His sister, Isabel, married a shopkeeper by the name of Benjamin Moller in 1842 and they had two children: Joseph (born 1845) and Elizabeth (born 1847).

Between the ages of 14 and 23, Jack held many different jobs. At the age of 23, he found a position as an apprentice in a printshop. He was content to work there until December of 1847 when Lady Christina Worthington, the dowager marchioness of Insley — and Jack’s aunt — appeared. She had spent the previous year searching for Lady Josephine and her children, as an old loophole stated that the Insley marquessate could pass down to the son of the most recent female relative as long as she held the blood of the marquessate in her. Her husband, Martin (1790-1844) was Lady Josephine’s elder brother and the second son. Their eldest brother, Frederick (1784-1838), had died unmarried with no heir. Thus, Lady Christina had deduced that Jack was the marquessate’s heir… much to his own confusion. But there was no turning down the dowager and Jack found himself entering a world that was completely foreign to him, a world that was scandalized by his existence. After all, his mother had been the daughter of a marquess and his father had been her brother’s valet… and to make matters even more surprising (and scandalizing), his mother had jilted an earl to marry his father, a lowly valet. 

As his first season begins in 1848, Jack feels more and more adrift. But a chance meeting with a Miss Violet Bridgerton changes everything. She’s made it her mission to help him acclimate to the ton. She’s kind and pretty and dear lord does Jack want to know her better. And while there’s a lot of unexpected things that occur during Jack’s first (and only) season, by the end of the season, he’s found his marchioness in Violet. Together, they have four children: Thomas, Levi, Josie, and Leo. Eldest son Thomas Benedict was born in November of 1850, with their second child, Levi Jonathan, being born about two years later in July 1852. Their only daughter, Josephine Sophia “Josie,” followed in January of 1855, with their youngest, Leopold Harry “Leo,” being born in September of 1856. 

Jack stands at 6’3” with a lean and athletic build. His hair is dark blonde, which is so dark that it’s almost brown. His eyes are a dull blue, almost unremarkable. Jack also has freckles across his nose and cheeks, which come out more in the sun. In addition, he has a small scar by the left corner of his lip. He tends to dress very understated and very simple. Jack is not a fan dressing ostentatiously or in bright colors. He prefers to stay under the radar, with navies, browns, blacks, and the occasional green. 

Jack is a reserved, generally level-headed man. He’s practical, responsible, dutiful, and an organized planner, all traits that one would think would help Jack in his transition from print shop apprentice to marquess. However, Jack’s also very awkward in situations where he’s uncomfortable and unfortunately, he’s very uncomfortable with the ton. He can be quite direct in these situations as well, which doesn’t help him with his fellow aristocrats. He’s also quite intelligent and logical. He prefers when things can be thought through and Jack’s not known for making impulsive decisions. In addition, he’s also fairly private and prefers to keep his cards close to his chest. To deal with his stress and anxiety about assuming the responsibility of the Insley title, Jack takes up running, boxing, and fencing. He also spends quite a bit of time with his nieces and nephew. 

[linesonscreens]

Let's Read Peanuts (Only 45 more years to go!) – March 1955

There are lots of great strips I just don't have room to comment on. I strongly encourage everybody to read the full month at the official GoComics page. Today's month starts HERE.

March 1, 1955

Like a third of this month’s strips are dedicated to this LARPing as a martian bit.

March 9, 1955

What the actual hell is this face Linus is making?

March 11, 1955

Lucy has started yelling at insects. A recurring gag that will have a surprising amount of staying power.

March 13, 1955

FORCED PERSPECTIVE DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!

March 18, 1955

Settle down, Beavis.

March 27, 1955

God damn, Charlie Brown is getting fed up with Lucy’s bullshit.

March 31, 1955

I appreciate the creative use of Zipatones in this one.

Thoughts:

Is it just me or does Charlie Brown still seem a bit shell-shocked from last month’s existential beatdown by Patty? It’s like his entire personality suddenly got about 20% more deadpan at the start of this month.

Actually, it might be my imagination but the whole style of the strip seems to have shifted ever so slightly recently both in the type of emotional reactions we’re getting and in the way the kids are drawn. They’re just a smidge more… Rounded? Hefty? How do I say Charlie Brown looks kind of fat without offending anybody?

You can really see the difference if you compare this month’s strips to one’s from a couple years ago.

I think a lot of it has to do with how small Schulz is drawing faces these days (which has the added effect of making them less expressive) as well as the general shape language he’s been using. The cast (especially Charlie Brown) we’re always a bit pear-shaped but they had fairly narrow shoulders which gave them a kind of triangle or cone shape overall. Recently though Schulz has been letting the shoulders stick out more as well as making everyone significantly wider overall. This has had the effect of changing that triangle into more of a rectangular box and is making everyone look just a wee bit more heavyset as a result.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though I'll admit I kind of prefer the earlier look. Mostly though, to me this shift kind of marks the final end of the scrappy chaos gremlin version of Charlie Brown we've seen up until now and the emergence of Charlie Brown as the universe's punching bag. He just doesn't push back at the world the way he used to going forward. Patty apparently owned him so hard in the marketplace of ideas that it fundamentally shifted his personality, and by extension, the way the universe is presented to us. Honestly, I'm impressed.

It's kind of sad because I liked those more active aspects of his character. Everybody dumping on him made a lot more sense when it was understood that he was kind of a jerk in his own way and ultimately the author of his own misery. But that's just the nature of art and long-form storytelling I suppose. It either moves forward and evolves or goes stale and dies. So it goes.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

MY POLICEMAN (2022)

Starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, David Dawson, Rupert Everett, Kadiff Kirwan, Emily John, Dora Davis, Joseph Potter, Richard Dempsey, Jae Alexander, Freya Mavor, Sean Jackson, Maddie Rice, Richard Cant, Chris Ma, Lucy Briers, Jack Bandeira, Gareth Kennerley, John Sandeman, Nicolas Tennant, Charlotte Randle and Patrick Brennan.

Screenplay by  Ron Nyswaner.

Directed by Michael Grandage.

Distributed by Amazon Studios. 113 minutes. Rated R.

 With a heart wrenching love triangle, the challenge of societal norms, and beautifully saturated seaside views, My Policeman is a forbidden love story for the ages. 

The story takes place during two different timelines. The first is sometime during the 1990s and the second in the 1950s. Marion Burgess (Gina McKee) and Tom Burgess (Linus Roache) live in a charming seaside residence, the pair being two parts of an anything-but-charming marriage.

The ongoing subconscious feud between the couple is brought to light when Tom arrives home to see that Marion has brought in a guest to stay with them, an old friend Patrick (though it is clear that “old friend” is a loose term for Tom). This angers Tom and he storms out of the house, leaving Marion to care for their sick and crippled guest. 

Mostly depicted in flashbacks from the trio’s younger years, a love story is illustrated – actually two love stories. First, we are shown the blossoming relationship between young Marion (Emma Corrin) and young Tom (Harry Styles). Much to my surprise, Marion and Tom’s relationship was once pure, innocent, and loving.

The couple seemed to grow closer and closer until another love story begins revealing itself. This is that of young Tom and young Patrick (David Dawson.) As Tom and Patrick’s relationship is fueled with the fires of passion, intimacy, and secrecy, Tom and Marion’s relationship begins to dim. 

Aside from the tale itself, the visuals we are presented with are magnificent. Ben Davis’ cinematography in this film captures the essence of each timeline, using nature, lighting, shadow, and temperature to aid in telling the story.

The clear contrast in lighting and color between the 1950s and the 1990s is so telling of the innocence, hope, and longing followed by the lack thereof as time slips out of the threesome’s hands. The warmth and luminescence of scenes that took place in the 50s are reminiscent of brighter days, enveloping me in feelings of nostalgia. The melancholia and shadows of the 90s scenes cast a longing shadow over the tone of the film, effectively highlighting the development of the two love stories over the last 40 years.

What makes My Policeman the alluring film that it is is not only its incredible cast but the fact that it is the untold truth of thousands of queer people over the years. The abominable way that queer individuals were treated in the 1950s is illustrated accurately in this story, making it that much more heartbreaking. This is such an important story for anyone who feels ashamed about their feelings to see so that they know that they are valid, worthy, and deserving of love. 

Michael Grandage did a phenomenal job of bringing Bethan Roberts’ novel to life, even the TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey agrees. Stars Emma Corrin, David Dawson, Harry Styles, Linus Roache, Gina McKee, and Rupert Everett were awarded the TIFF Tribute award for their roles in the film at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival. I can absolutely see My Policeman racking up the nominations in the coming awards season. 

If you haven’t already, check out My Policeman in theaters on October 21st and streaming on Amazon Prime on November 4th. 

Kayla Marra

Copyright ©2022 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: October 22, 2022.

[drewdevinecartoonist]

Today is the birthday of my main man, Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz. We know Schulz best as the creator of Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy. We know these characters for our own reasons. Maybe there was a stuffed doll. Maybe you caught the classic tv specials that had really great jazz tunes and brooding shakedowns on the bittersweetness of the holiday seasons. But some of you may wonder why I am so militantly committed to the whole Peanuts crew as an adult, given that in the age of the internet all Peanuts stuff that is televised or commercialized may seem reducible to a blasphemous cliche. All I can say is this: jam with or against the specials if you want—Snoopy has your back either way—but my zealotry is tied almost entirely to the original sacred scriptures of modern American cartooning, AKA the actual daily comic strips that appeared in newspapers worldwide. (Those strips can be bought through the various Complete Peanuts volumes put out by Fantagraphics, and I would say that the essential years for me are basically 1955 to 1970. Start in that era, or maybe if you want to mainline the Greatest Hits, a cool volume called Celebrating Peanuts: 65 Years ties the whole room together.) Issue is the toys and merchandise make you think Peanuts content is capitalist baby stuff, then the specials make you think the style is some 8/10 slow burn sadness. SOS: the original Peanuts comics are substantial suburban existential post-Beatnik angst as sliced up through wrenching Kierkegaardian sensitivity, and stylistically the golden era strips are snappy and inspiring in their Zen pop precision. Truth is, being funny every single day of your life with a complex cast of characters is hard work when you’re dealing with the depressing upheavals of the second half of the 20th century, and for real people: Charles Schulz is the ultimate G for airing out his neuroses in public for so long in such an honest and trackable way. And I just want to say, for most of my 20s I was wishy-washy Charlie Brown, but due to recent events I’m going to try and keep it pretty Linus in my 30s. Any objections? Thanks Schulz, you was a real one.

[dark-ink-drinker]

I've heard a lot of TJ Klune this year and he's been on just about ever 'must read' list I've seen, almost always The House in the Cerulean Sea. I found Under The Whispering Door first and the themes of that one appealed to me more. Even halfway through the year, The Whispering Door remains my most favorite book of 2022. But the writing, style, characterizations, and themes made me want to read more so The House in the Cerulean Sea was the obvious next choice.

I've mentioned before that fantasy/sci-fi/magic/supernatural/outside the relm of the real world (with the exception of vampires) are not really my thing. But I've also mentioned that I've been trying to branch out a little and try new things. Part of what TJ Klune-- and Adam Silvera in the past-- does that makes me as a reader feel comfortable about branching out is that it feels like real world with little magical hints. Outside of these key details, everything about the world he's built and the characters is just... normal. They love, work, feel, die. There isn't some great mythos you have to learn or subscribe to or a new world with politics and systems you have to learn. Not that there is anything wrong with those things either-- there's something special about watching an author build a whole new world from scratch. And there's a huge market for that-- but its a little daunting for someone like me. I want to dip my toe in, not jump in the deep end.

Under the Whispering Door was all about death and what happens after. The House in the Cerulean Sea in some ways is the complete opposite, in that it's about people outside of society's norms trying to live the best life they can... and people lost in the mundane repetitive everyday life trying to find something to live for. The book is about Linus Baker-- a quiet, lonely 40 year old man. His whole life is working for an organization who is charged with keeping track of magical beings. Linus is a case worker who spends his whole life going to orphanages for magical being and making sure they are cared for properly, closing down the one who aren't doing what they're supposed to do. He doesn't worry what happens to the children after he closes one down, that's for management. He doesn't get too close or build personal connections, because it could skew his opinions. Work is everything. There are no loves, no friends, no social life. The closest he has to a friend is his cat, who other than food seems not to care much whether he's there or not.

The insecure, angsty soul in me relates to Linus on so many levels. Early on in the book, it says: "He'd accepted long ago that some people, no matter how good their heart was or how much love they had to give, would always be alone." and "It was just that he felt... dimmer than others. Like he was faded... he wasn't meant to be seen."

In the book, The Extremely Upper Management assign Linus to a secret mission to go investigate a level 4 orphanage and more importantly the man running it, Arthur Parnassus. Everything is shroud in secrecy and heavily redacted files. The children there are different from any he has ever met before, and he's used to magical beings. A lady garden gnome, Talia, who is over 200 years old but still considered a child in her species; a forest sprite, Phee, who is distant and loves trees more than people; Sal, a skittish young boy who turns into a Pomeranian when frightened who has been through a lot in his young years; Theodore, a wyvern who values buttons more than gold and family even more than that; Chauncy, who no one knows what he is that wants nothing more than to be a bellhop (he tugged my my heartstrings so hard); and the one who terrifies everyone but his fellow orphans and caretakers, Lucy, a six year old antichrist child, capable of all the worst things but who loves music and cooking and cries when the nightmares of where he was born break through his mind.

At first, Linus is determined to keep his distance but its too hard to not fall for these little children who had been abandoned and forgotten by the rest of the world... and maybe how handsome and charming Arthur isn't doesn't hurt. Linus world before was nothing but grey and rain but here on the island is color and richness and the family Linus didn't realize he was missing. He bands with the island to change the minds of the residents of the island, the world, and the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth.

The characters are rich and well rounded, complicated and complex. They make you life and cry and hope for them in ways that is hard to find in most books. I will admit that after reading, I found some reviews on goodreads that weren't very flattering about what may have inspired the book. According to these reviews at some point TJ Klune mentioned reading the Sixties Scoop which was something that happened in Canada where indigenous children were taken from their homes and put into government-sanctioned schools, with the goal of white families to adopt them. As an American, I never learned about this and because I didn't find out until after I read, I haven't done any research about it. I would never pretend to know how horrific that must have been for generations of indigenous people or the lasting effects that resonate today. The reviews I read were not happy about him using something so horrific and turning it into a magical, whimsical tale. And I understand and don't judge those people for being offended... and I wanted to mention it in the review because I wouldn't want someone blindsided by it later. But I also wanted to voice that I didn't see it that way... fully admitting that I may not see it that way because I'm so far removed from the situation and its after-effects. For me, as a reader and a writer, often times ideas for a story come from unusual places; reading or watching something that moves us or enrages us, sparks an idea. There are plenty of dystopian style books that are written based off very scary things happening in the world or that have already happened and either reimagining them in a different setting, modernizing them, or imagining what would happen if they went to the extreme.

I personally think this book has themes that carry over into our lives right now-- about how people can be ostracized and isolated just for not being who we want them to be... not being exactly like us. In the book its magical, mutant-like children who grow into magical mutant-like adults... but it could be used as a metaphor for people of different races, genders, sexual preferences, religions; people with disabilities or ailments we can't understand, people who look different or think different or speak different or don't speak at all. Its about seeing past the differences to realize we're all human and we all hurt and cry and love, we all yearn for acceptance. to be wanted. The book talks about learning to accept and welcome everyone not despite the differences but because of them, seeing differences and strengths rather than weaknesses. And I think that's beautiful. And however, you can tell that story, teach that lesson, to get people to listen and not repeat the mistakes of the past is a good thing. And I think people who feel ostracized or different could read this book and know people are always going to be there to fight for them. But maybe that's me being too privileged or too naive.

"Change often starts with the smallest of whispers, Like-minded people building it up into a roar."

"But it's funny right?" "What is?" "That there's so much hope even when it doesn't feel like it."

Anyway, I loved the characters in this story. They're sweet and a little broken and heartbreaking in the very best of ways which is always my favorite. And if you can get passed the controversy tied to the book, it's really worth the read. TJ Klune's writing is amazing. His world and characters break me and make me cry but also make me laugh and hope.

[darklingichor]

The complete Peanuts vol. 1, by Charles Schultz

The Peanuts is a happy place for me.

The first Christmas Special I remember watching was It's Christmas, Charlie Brown

I would be a teenager before I realized that I knew two Bible verses, without knowing they were Bible verses. One from the Byrds song Turn Turn Turn, and the other recited by Linus.

All through my childhood, I read the weekly strip in the Sunday paper. I can still whistle "We're The Best of Buddies" from Snoopy Come Home. I love these characters so much

I have read some if the early trips, but I have not read them in order and I have not seen an unabridged collection.

When this one showed up on Kindle Unlimited, I jumped into it.

I enjoyed the early strips, though they are very different in style and tone to what it would turn into later.

The characters are not really the philosophical bunch that I was first introduced to in the late 80's. They can actually be pretty mean. But, that's a part of the joke. The kids can be mean to each other and then literally turn around and forget the whole thing.

I think my favorites were the comics involving toddler Lucy. She's hilarious and you can really see the character she will become in these early stories. Linus and Schroeder were introduced as babies and that was cool because you see Schroeder 's obsession with Beethoven develop, and Linus's nature from the beginning.

I think I will continue to read these complete volumes, just to see things evolve.