#Tape-E

[theendorisit]

apropos of nothing, I made Tape-E

Who is Tape-E?

During one of the TMA livestreams (trying to remember which one), a fan question was asked ‘Is there a mascot (for the Archives or the show itself not sure)?’ One of the team suggested ‘Tape-y?’, to which everyone else responded with ‘Oh no!!’. So I thought, oh yes! So yeah, this is your fault 😘

What is Tape-E?

As Mr Bonzo is a parody of Mr Blobby, Tape-E is a parody of Clippy (these last two names rhyme).

Who is Clippy?

Clippy was a microsoft office assistant, introduced in 1997. He was a little virtual paperclip (officially called Clippit, but that name never caught on) who sat on the bottom right corner of the page, and was programmed to give advice in popup speech bubbles when certain actions were taken. For example, if you wrote out an address and ‘Dear’, Clippy would say ‘Looks like you’re writing a letter. Would you like help?’. The name Tape-E in the livestream seemed to be referring to Clippy, as there are many similarities in the behaviour of Clippy, and the actual tapes/ tape recorders in-universe:

always on by default

appears at inconvenient times

provides help you do not want

hated by (mostly) everyone

watching you with cold dead eyes

enjoyed by nostalgia and retro seekers

Why make Tape-E?

As I am of the same generation as some of the RQ peeps, I unironically loved Clippy and Mr Blobby as a child, and it gives me great joy to imagine, in the TMP universe, Sam getting a little pop up: ‘Looks like you’re trying to code a case file! Would you like some help with that?’ In our world this would be impossible - Windows NT (as the official name) was dropped in 1996, one year before Clippy was born, BUT there is voice recording on TMP’s ancient computers, so it’s not totally impossible! 😅😁

What are cassette tapes?

Just a little recap for those who didn’t grow up with tapes: Cassette Tapes contain information embedded in magnetic tape, wrapped around one spool and attached to a second spool. When played, the spools are turned by the machine and the magnetic tape is wound onto the other spool, the information read out through speakers as the magnetic tape moves through sensors. As the magnetic tape can contain different information depending on the direction of tape movement, you can flip the cassette tape over in the machine, and play the tape again, hearing another load of information. This concept is never utilised in the show, but it does mean that cassette tapes have A-sides, and B-sides (as Vinyl records do). Here, of course, this stands for Archivist-side, and Brutalpipemurder-side. On occasion, the magnetic tapes would become damaged, or bent, and could be pushed out of the cassette, causing a horrible noise, and terror to small children who were only trying to listen to their Just William tapes. When this happened, a pencil (or in my case, my little finger) could be jammed into the spiky spool ‘teeth’, to rewind the magnetic tape back into the cassette. Maybe that’s why the eyes are red? 🩸 I am very glad that the TMA tapes are magic, and record endlessly, never need flipping, and never get chewed up by the hungry machine.

Why is the name Tape-E?

Canon answer: the name stands for Tape-Eyes. Possibly Tape-Entity? Undecided.

Actual answer: Tape-y, Tapey and Tapie spellings look weird to me. I think Tape-E looks best.

Why a tape and not a tape recorder?

if you can crochet a tape recorder, you’re a genius and I love you.

What gender is Tape-E?

I might refer to Tape-E as male sometimes because that’s how people often referred to Clippy. But Tape-E is whatever gender Tape-E feels like being.

Why now?

Why not? also now is a good time because TMP episode 15 is an excellent episode

What’s going to happen to Tape-E?

I’m going to gift it to Jonny sometime, if we get more liveshows or book signings. It’s his fault this exists after all. Plus you can write whatever you like in the speech bubbles! Hopefully I can give it calmly? But maybe Tape-E will be yeeted in his general direction in a fit of ADHD-fuelled social anxiety. Only time will tell.

Tape-E is a pattern and design created entirely by myself. The inspiration and world building from whence it came, is entirely the genius of @jonnywaistcoat Jonny Sims, Rusty Quill @rqbossman and The Magnus Archives, which is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under a creative commons attribution, non-commercial share alike 4.0 international license.

Clippy was invented by Microsoft and Kevan Atteberry, who now illustrates children’s books.

Mr Blobby is an adorable abomination, created from a fevered mind.

[warakami-vaporwave]

Sakura Rewind (Off Air)

[psykopaths]

Solaris, (1972)

Dir - Andrei Tarkovsky

[perrylemon]

This one’s for the Robert Sean Leonard Girlies! For the past few months I have consumed every crumb of Robert Sean Leonard content I could get my hands on and I have put it all in this quiz! It’s a pretty long one lads as there are over 20 characters in this quiz but I hope you enjoy!!

Additionally inspired by https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJKoqGw8/

[russellius]

2024 BRITISH GP : Thursday | © James Moy

[mangatxt]

[ne0nthc]

[philibetexcerpts]

On 23 October 1955, Princess Margaret spent the weekend with the Queen, Prince Philip, and the Queen Mother at Windsor Castle after a tough week discussing her wedding plans with Group Capt. Peter Townsend.

“At one point, with Elizabeth, Philip, Margaret and her mother present, there was an awkward episode when the Queen Mother pathetically said that Margaret hadn’t even thought where they were going to live, whereupon Philip said ‘very sarcastically’ that it was still possible even nowadays to buy a house and the Queen Mother left the room angrily slamming the door.”

Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen by Sarah Bradford

[fauxfickle]

The concept unification tape is one of those oddly soothing tapes I like to watch every so often, even if I have mixed feelings about it. As a Rock-afire fan, it makes me sad to see them go. As a Pizza time players fan, the glow up is real. As a carpenter, seeing the conversion going smoothly and come out looking nice is very satisfying

[dailyanimatronics]

[ID: a drawing of tux helen henny at the beach smiling widely. she's drawn fat and tall, with shorter hair. she's wearing a yellow polka dot bikini with white frills. it has bows on the straps. she's posing with one hand on her hip and the other behind her head. /end ID]

specifically, an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini

[filmjunky-99]

h a p p y b i r t h d a y

Darren E. Burrows

12 September 1966

🎈🎈🎈

[pic: burrows as ed chigliak, sex, lies and ed’s tapes, northern exposure]

[warakami-vaporwave]

Supercassette Neon Sky

[beetlbi]

This is technically for @less-depresso-more-espresso’s dtiys but I went so far off prompt,,, raph is there in a dress and she’s cuddling mayhem but.. uh anyway! This is inspired by the fact I’ve been swaddling my cat a lot lately and he absolutely LOVES it

Here’s how to swaddle your mayhem

Congrats espresso!! Ur the one who got me on the transfem raph train and I salute u for that o7

[northernexposuregifs]

If adventure has a name, it must be... Chris in the Morning?

[looks-at-you]

I am:

🚫 Single

🚫 Taken

✅️ thinking about the parallel of the tma season 1 finale to then ending of the podcast

[bacchuschucklefuck]

Hi! I just need to ask after seeing your recent Bad Kids Class Swap piece - do you have an online store/do you think you might ever consider printing the piece as a poster? I’m in love with it and I know I’d absolutely buy it right away XD

huh you know what let's get a poll goin! lemme know if folks want to like buy prints from this blog and such. there are literally Two (2) pieces eligible for prints here anyway lol

more information: I'll probs use inprnt if I put up a storefront and I'll only put up standalone illustrations for prints. fully leaving the future open for this one I'm truly not pressed either way abt this