#TJ and Amal

[bigbigtruck]

In 2018-2019, I started a TJ and Amal side comic that I ended up dropping bc I couldn't quite get it to gel. But the first 7 pages (all that I inked) are up to read for free on p4treon!

[miliunembolics]

Ah! At last, after so many years, I have a physical copy of The less than Epic adventures of Tj and Amal from @bigbigtruck! I have wanted to buy for so long but the shipping to Spain is pretty expensive.. But I git the opportunity to buy it since my father was going to America for a few days and he brought back for me ❤️ Wasn't expecting it to be so big (reading in webcomic form I didn't notice how long it was) but can't wait to read it once again!

[librarydilf]

thought about dick piercings for .3 seconds; wound up rereading tj and amal. as one does.

[circuitmouse]

Paper diorama of TJ and Amal fan art

97mm x 25mm x 72mm

[pastelcybunny]

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal, page 152

[glycerineclown]

as i say goodbye to the laptop that has served me well since 2017, i would like to pay tribute to the wallpaper i used for all of that time and have carried over onto my new machine. bottom bar cropped out for the aspect ratio, obviously.

this is a digital painting by ek weaver @bigbigtruck as an extra panel illustration for the glorious gay road trip webcomic the less than epic adventures of tj and amal. it's a perfect example of my favorite pace and style of personal storytelling, and it was a joy back in college to watch come out page by page. i should really give it a reread.

[mostlyanything19]

I guess this will be my last post of 2023 - who'd have guessed - but I just very randomly remembered, and then set out to re-read, the wonderful

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal

and I've found it just as good as I remembered it to be. If you've never heard of this comic, I guess this is my recommendation to check it out! It's about two young men: Amal, who just came out to his parents, which didn't go too well, and who is now driving cross-country for his sister's graduation and to get away from it all, and the laid-back TJ, also on his way away from things and needing a ride. The two band together and get on their way, and what unfolds is a wonderfully atmospheric, sweet and earnest and funny story set right in the liminal space that cross-country roadtrips inhabit ... the sort of journey that you don't finish as quite the same person you started it as.

The author manages to tell so much of the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters simply through "camera angles", skillful moments of silence and clever work with panelling, plus the fun and natural dialogues and the careful, though-out way it all unfolds, which all results in something I'd call just as much a love story as it's a story about growing up a little more, facing the things you're running from, making decisions in life ... but also sometimes taking a little time to sing along to terrible songs in the car, see some nature, fall into it, and accidentally rob a store. I've read it a good three times now and I highly recommend it!

(Content note: It contains explicit scenes; in the way of people-being-physically-close-with-each-other that I probably can't name on tumblr anymore without getting blocked from tags? But YKWIM, in case it matters.)

[word-saladai]

This is a good comic.

go read it.

[tangledskeleton]

first time thinking about tj and amal in 2024, going down the rabbit hole and re-reading my physical copy of the comic by candlelight tonight

[bigbigtruck]

still learning

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Red/Blue- This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Mac Gladstone

Kiram Kir-Zaki/Javier Tornesal- Lord Of The White Hell by Ginn Hale

Carter Bennett/Gavin Livingstone- Brothersong by TJ Klune

You Huo/Qin Jiu- Global University Entrance Examination by Mu Su Li

[circuitmouse]

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by EK Weaver

Miniature paper diorama

94mm x 25mm x 35mm

[submissiveblender]

I was just looking for Friendly Hostility content, but oh man i cant believe I forgot about TJ and Amal! That was a fascinating read

I always thought I'd like to see a Hollywood adaptation of some of these, but I saw the live action Marry Me (by Bobny Crosby) in theaters and they massacred it. I know if they ever adapted Friendly Hostility it would spiral like Riverdale immediately

However, I would love to see YU+ME Dream by Rosalarian animated. There were so many different art styles in the latter half and it would be amazing to see that in motion

My Top 10 Webcomics

I used to be a webcomic fanatic. I’d have upwards of 20-25 daily reads. But lately, I haven’t focused much on them, even though I’d love to get into making one myself one day. But a post on twitter got me to thinking about what comics I’ve read that I’d like to see animated, so I went a step further and compiled a Top 10 list of webcomics I was, at one point or another, infatuated with. I would gladly go back and reread any of the following titles through to completion, or even to catch up if I’ve fallen behind. I 100% recommend all of these to anyone who finds their genres or my write ups interesting.

Note: this was written for twitter, so the descriptions are vague and tweet-ish length. Tumblr gets the unedited version. Enjoy!

Keep reading

[menderash]

my 70yo mom is dragging me. (she means merlin sheldrake's 'entangled life' and icc's 'the art of kaneoya sachiko' respectively)

[pallas-cat]

reading shot and chaser and teared up for a second woops

[shy-sapphic-ace]

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune (mlm, ace main character!!, sci-fi, now THIS is found family, oughh feelings. argh, tj klune you’ve done it again, a human and his family of funky robots… I love them)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

His Quiet Agent - Ada Maria Soto (mlm, asexual, fiction, about like spies but this book was so gentle and sweet I wanted to cry in the best way possible)

Some By Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (wlw, historical fiction(?), theatre drama!! rival romance!! duels!!, a very good read in general)

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend - Emma R. Alban (wlw, historical fiction, I’m not usually one for regency romances, but I really liked this!!, very cute and lots of drama, and there’s a sequel coming out soon!)