#anti-ryan wilder

[lazywolfwiccan]

Kate Kane is Batwoman, not Ryan Wilder!!!!!

[mediaevalmusereads]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up: the Good, the Bad, and the Meh

Below is a list of books that I read in 2023. I’ve sorted them into 3 categories: the good (books I loved), the bad (books I didn’t like), and the meh (books I thought were just ok). Other than these categories, the books aren’t listed in any special order or ranking.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

The Good

The Beautifu Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Civilizations by Laurent Binet

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis

Powers of Darkness by Valdimar Asmundsson

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

The Square of Sevens by Laura Robinson-Shepherd

Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn

Unlocked by Courtney Milan

Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

If We Were Villains by ML Rio

Under the Eye of Power by Colin Dickey

Proof By Seduction by Courtney Milan

Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill

Bea Wulf by Zach Weinersmith

Hen Fever by Olivia Waite

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by KJ Charles

Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Affective Medievalism by Thomas Prendergast and Stephanie Trigg

A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

Kent State by Derf Backderf

Anti-Christ by Mernard McGinn

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Meh

The Nothing Man by Katherine Ryan Howard

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

A Christmas Bride by Mary Balogh

A True Account by Katherine Howe

The Disenchantment by Celia Bell

Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

Penguin's Poems for Love by Laura Barber

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Trial By Desire by Courtney Milan

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Weyward by Emilia Hart

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio de Maria

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sara MacLean

How the Wallflower Was Won by Eva Leigh

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

Erotic Medievalisms by Elan Justice Pavlinich

Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

Prize for the Fire by Rilla Askew

Bisclavret by KL Noone

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

A Natural History of the Romance Novel by Pamela Regis

The Bad

A Love By Design by Elizabeth Everett

Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Finding Meaning by David Kessler

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

The Prince of Prohibition by Marilyn Marks

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

[ryantavey]

DLC Chapter: "Wise-cracking Survivor"

Survivor: Ryan Reynolds

Perks:

1. "Sarcastic Wit":

Your quick tongue and sarcastic remarks allow you to distract the Killer. While within the Killer's Terror Radius, press the Active Ability button to unleash a witty remark, stunning the Killer for a short duration. This perk has a cooldown.

2. "Charismatic Escape":

Your charm and charisma make it easier to escape from the Killer's grasp. When the Killer carries you, the wiggle effect is increased by 25%/50%/75%.

3. "Fourth Wall Breaker":

Your unique ability to break the fourth wall grants you a deeper understanding of the Entity's realm. After completing a generator, you gain a token. Each token increases your action speed by 2%/3%/4%. The number of tokens resets upon being hooked.

Legendary Skins:

1. "Merc with a Mouth" Deadpool Skin:

Ryan Reynolds' iconic role as Deadpool comes to Dead by Daylight. This legendary skin transforms him into the foul-mouthed, red-suited anti-hero. Complete with snarky remarks and his signature katanas, Reynolds embraces his iconic character.

2. "Detective Pikachu" Skin:

Inspired by the movie "Detective Pikachu," this legendary skin turns Ryan Reynolds into the cute, yellow, electrifying detective. Complete with a detective hat and a magnifying glass, Reynolds uses his wit and charm to survive in the Entity's realm.

3. "Van Wilder" Skin:

This legendary skin pays homage to Reynolds' breakout role as Van Wilder. Dressed in a stylish college outfit with a mischievous grin, Reynolds channels his comedic persona and brings the party spirit to the fog.

New Maps:

1. "Hollywood Studio":

A sprawling movie studio filled with sound stages, sets, and props. Survivors must navigate through the maze-like studios, avoiding deadly traps and hiding spots. The Killer's lair is a decrepit old soundstage, complete with eerie lighting and twisted props.

2. "Suburban Neighborhood":

A picturesque suburban neighborhood hiding dark secrets. This map is filled with cozy houses, white picket fences, and well-manicured lawns. However, the peace is shattered by the looming presence of the Entity. Survivors must navigate through backyards, basements, and alleys while avoiding the Killer's deadly pursuit.

3. "Wise-cracking Casino":

A lavish casino filled with bright lights, slot machines, and card tables. This map is designed to reflect the glitz and glamour of a high-stakes casino, with hidden passages, VIP lounges, and a luxurious penthouse suite. Survivors must gamble with their lives while trying to escape the relentless Killer.

Join Ryan Reynolds as he brings his quick wit, charm, and humor to Dead by Daylight. Survive the trials, break the fourth wall, and outsmart the Killer in this thrilling DLC chapter.

[gothamgirlgayngs]

My Dream is for Bruce to show back up in Gotham as Batman and try and shoo Ryan away from being Batwoman (like when he straight up Kicked Babs, Dinah, and Helena out of Gotham in the 00s) and Ryan just tells him to Fuck Off because Gotham is Her Town now.

[some-days-we-get-sundays]

Ryan Racism

The way yall don’t understand Ryan and actually are committed to misunderstanding her and mislabeling her motives is annoying. If she was yt I don’t think yall would be reaching this hard to paint her in such a negative light. And i’m speaking to everybody on this. Internalization runs deep. I’ve seen just as many Black folks not liking Ryan too. I think yall are really forcing it calling her emotionally manipulative, a user and abusive. I’ve been in emotionally abusive and manipulative relationships this is not that. First of all her and Sophie aren’t even really in a relationship right now as they are barely friends. Second, Ryan doesn’t have to be nice to Sophie. Sophie has acted like a typical Crow to Ryan in the past, and even said herself that Ryan had no future and was basically some thug. So I’m sorry if Ryan doesn’t kiss Sophie’s ass every time she sees her. Like can yall understand that Sophie just quit the Crows last week -_- don’t act like she’s been miss perfect this whole time. Also they both have “used’ each other to the others benefit. Sophie and Ryan’s “relationship/partnership” whatever you want to call it has pretty much been - Hey I can’t stand you but I need you right now. 

I also love how if Ryan shows Sophie any kindness for helping her or being on her side yall are like WOAH WOAH WAIT I THOUGHT SHE HATED SOPHIE NOW SHE JUST LOVES HER BECAUSE SOPHIE IS DOING WHAT SHE WANTS HOW ABUSIVE!! Like Jezusss let the girl have emotions. I already explained this in another post but Ryan has mixed feelings when it comes to Sophie and the Crows. So if and when Sophie does helps Ryan out GOOD but also when she’s not helping it’s like ok fuk you Crowphie why are you in my house (and honestly why are we acting like this was said with so much malice, she was literally almost teasing at this point and just being a little shit. if this was a yt girl yall would eat it up). What people fail to mention tho is that Sophie also has the same mixed emotions for Ryan. Because not too long ago she was throwing Ryan in jail and profiling her. They both have mixed emotions about each other and it comes out at different times. Ryan has stronger emotions about it because she was the one being locked up and profiled- BY SOPHIE (something yall casually fail to mention). 2.15 also SHOWS us why Ryan is so pissed, and why she has her guard up with Sophie (actually nearly every episode shows us why the Crows are trash). Yes Sophie has come through for Ryan but she’s still a Crow. And Sophie was actively choosing to be a Crow DESPITE everything. It had to take all of this for Sophie to come to her senses. I’d be irritated with her too and I’d make it known. *NOW* if after this episode, Ryan is still taking shots at Sophie or if she blames her for what happened to Luke THEN I would be upset with her. But right now she’s not done anything to warrant the hate. Also let me not mention how yall love Alice and she can do no wrong but you hate Ryan. And please don’t say it’s because she is the villain. It’s because she’s white and yall allow it. Next.

I hate how people think that if Ryan doesn’t kiss Sophie’s ass every time she sees her that she’s an angry moody aggressive manipulative Black girl. Ryan is allowed to harp on the fact that Sophie was working with the fuked up white supremacist Crows. Ryan is allowed to not want Sophie in her place. Also let’s stop acting like Ryan was cussing Sophie out and degrading Sophie and trashing her and making her cry every second. Sophie is grown. If she didn’t like Ryan or didn’t like how Ryan treated her she would have left the hang out, she would have not helped Ryan, she wouldn’t keep hanging out and having drinks with her. Yall actin like Ryan is a bully and like Sophie is some poor helpless little lamb is weird. 

Darker skin Black girls and women are misunderstood, misrepresented, and often hated. If we speak our minds we have attitudes, if we argue or we’re sassy or we just don’t take people’s shit then we’re mean and nasty, aggressive, hostile, and abusive. We don’t have to look any farther than Makhia Bryant to know that internalization runs deep and it’s often other Black women. I had to make this post because I’m noticing far too many people in this fandom hate Ryan simply because of her tone. She’s not an easy pill to swallow and she talks back and speaks her mind.She holds grudges and she’s a sass master and yall hate it. I feel like once again if Ryan was yt, more people would be calling her behavior towards Sophie, flirting, or you’d be coming up with reasons as to why she was acting the way she was. But instead, Ryan gets no grace or empathy. People just look for ways to crucify her and I can’t help but think it’s because she is a darker skinned Black woman and she is not docile. 

One last thing: I’m thinking about when Sophie says her and Ryan aren’t happening, “not even an enemies to lovers maybe” SHE CALLED RYAN HER ENEMY. Like pls stop acting like Ryan is just some big bully and oh poor Sophie. These two take the piss out of each other and give each other shit. Don’t make it into some “abusive” thing. 🙄

[jada-blr]

Let’s be real, Batwoman writers kicked Kate Kane out of her own story, to replace her with Ryan Wilder — who prior to the series announcement, didn’t exist in the DC Comics (she made a brief appearance in Batgirl#50) — for representational purposes. They should have recasted Kate Kane from the beginning, instead of tarnishing their show for the sake of being “woke”. 🤷🏽‍♀️

It was one thing to rule Kate off as dead, in light of Ruby’s departure — though, I still take some issue with that — but it’s another thing entirely to recast the main character, just to replace her with a character that didn’t exist until now.

Y’all are free to say, “Ryan Wilder is Batwoman now” but truth be told, that shouldn’t be the case.

[nerdsagainstfandomracism]

Mosley isn’t the first to be harassed because people in a given fandom assumed she was replacing a white actress (Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder on Batwoman) or because she was playing a racebent version of a “historically white” character (Anna Diop’s Starfire on Titans). And she won’t be the last, because fandom is not a space that protects Black women from misogynoir. Misogynoir, a form of anti-Black misogyny present in the ways that Black women and femmes are rewritten and dehumanized in order to excuse the way we are treated (no matter how much power we have), is alive and well in fandom spaces across the internet.

[batwomanupdates]

Erasing Ruby Rose’s Batwoman is a betrayal of her key role in the Arrowverse’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover. The actress announced she was parting ways with Batwoman following the end of season 1 in May 2020. Prior to all that, Rose’s Kate Kane took part in the five-episode mega crossover that saw the superheroes — including The Flash, Supergirl, and the Green Arrow — band together to stop the villainous Anti-Monitor from destroying the multiverse. However, in a recent 30-minute special called Superman & Lois: A Legacy of Hope, which aired after the series premiere of Superman & Lois, Rose’s Batwoman was edited out of an important clip from “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

In the fifth and final episode of the crossover, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Martian Manhunter, Superman, and White Canary came together to form the Justice League, an elite superhero team that could be called upon whenever the world needed saving, so forming a new team in a more official capacity makes sense. Per the Arrowverse, a world-threatening catastrophe happens at least once a year. Their gathering was the start of a new chapter as they said goodbye to fallen hero Green Arrow and moved forward as a unit. It was especially wonderful to see the heroes together on what is now Earth-Prime following the reboot of the multiverse.

However, where Rose’s Batwoman once stood next to Sarah Lance and J’onn J’onzz in the scene, the Legacy of Hope special removed her completely. This erasure is a bad look. Rose’s Batwoman may no longer be a part of the Arrowverse, but that doesn’t mean everything she was once a part of should be erased. There’s also the fact that Kate Kane played a crucial role in the crossover. She was revealed to be the Paragon of Courage after defeating the shady Bruce Wayne/Batman of Earth-99, offered plenty of support to Kara Danvers in a time of doubt, and assisted the rest of the superheroes in the defeat of the Anti-Monitor.

Kate also became a founding member of the Justice League and removing her from this pivotal scene from “Crisis,” even if it’s only in the special, disparages her legacy and acts as an erasure of her importance as a character. Yes, Rose is no longer a part of the Arrowverse and the role of Batwoman is now in the hands of Ryan Wilder, an original character played by Javicia Leslie. The actress is likely never coming back, but that shouldn’t mean her previous appearances need to be ignored and removed. If it’s an issue of legality, then the special could have used another scene without her in it. Going the extra mile to remove her is in poor taste.

To be sure, Kate Kane/Batwoman isn’t erased in the actual crossover episodes that appear on the DVD/Blu-rays of Arrowverse shows, so why edit her out of the scene in the Superman & Lois special?  It’s worth noting that Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), David Harewood (Martian Manhunter), and Cress Williams (Black Lightning) are leaving the Arrowverse since their respective shows have been canceled. It’s doubtful, however, that they will also be edited out of the crossover scene in the future, making Rose’s absence from the scene all the more noticeable. Ultimately, removing Rose’s Batwoman is to retcon and alter what happened in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, which is wholly unnecessary and disrespectful.

(xx)

[lusta-art]

y do you ship them they are like 12 years apart in age your writing is good but I just cant w/ the age gap

Okay, typically I don’t engage with Asks like this, I typically mind my own business, enjoy my content, doodle, write fic and that is usually that. I don’t hound people who ship my notps because I recognize how upsetting and annoying it is. but ya know what? You caught me when I was hangry. So here we are.

So, for those who don’t know, I ship/write/draw the DB pairing Broten (Bulla/Bra x Son Goten).

I’ve thought they would make a cute pairing since I was a teenager, for multiple reasons.

They’re both wildly underestimated and under-appreciated by canon and the fandom despite both having insane potential. They both have older siblings that I can imagine have made them feel somewhat overshadowed at one time or another. They’re both half-Saiyan. Now I’m sure a lot of people shrug that off as no big deal, but honestly think of the problems that keeping something like that a secret presents when one is looking for a significant other? They don’t have to hide that side of themselves from each-other. They can be 💯 themselves from the get-go. The fact that their Dads are rivals, (I’m sure Truten shippers can feel me on that one). Goten is Bulla’s brother’s best friend, and that is a trope that I personally live for, I’m sure a lot of people can relate to harboring a little crush for their brother/sister’s hot friend at one time or another. And really, who doesn’t love a Sassy Princess and an Adorable Cinnamon Roll? And you can’t tell me that they don’t look fucking adorable together, they do, it’s a fact.

Okay, now that I’ve covered a good chunk of why I ship them.

The Age Gap.

It seems to be the only argument antis really have.

Here’s the deal, no one is shipping Bulla and Goten when she is 9 and he is 22.

You say, my “writing is good” so I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you’ve read my fics, which leads me to believe you were hanging out in our tag, which is weird since you find the ship so squicky but I digress.

🕰T I M E S K I P S🕰

I use them, frequently.

In most of my works Bulla is anywhere between 18 -23. She is not a minor in any content I’ve created. Not a one, and that’s a verifiable fact dear.

Furthermore there are plenty of couples with age gaps that are perfectly happy healthy relationships.

To name a few,

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

George & Amal Clooney

Emilie Livingston & Jeff Goldblum

Gene Wilder & Gilda Radner

I could go on, it’s more common than you think, I assure you, not everyone ends up with someone from their graduating class.

The main concern most people have with age gaps is the imbalance in the power dynamic between the two parties. Bulla is the daughter of Bulma Briefs and Prince Vegeta, now we don’t have too much to go on as far as her personality is concerned from canon material, but if you honestly think that Bulla Briefs would be the one to take any shit or manipulation from anyone we really don’t have anything to talk about because clearly we aren’t following the same show/manga. And Goten doesn’t have a manipulative bone in his body, if anything he would be wrapped around her finger, not the other way around.

[lazywolfwiccan]

Batwoman got canceled

Maybe don’t replace an iconic character with a Mary Sue and give her all of Kate’s things including her girlfriend

[still-single]

Some radio for ya

Listen to these radio shows, will you? Put them on to soundtrack whatever it is you get up to on here. Your GIFs will thank you.

Heathen Disco #281 (happy V-Day ya fucks)

https://www.mixcloud.com/mosurock/heathen-disco-show-281-13-february-2022/

HOUR 1

Gabor Szabo – Somewhere I Belong

Atlantis – Mr. Bigshot (You Get the Credit)

Margo Guryan – Someone I Know

Air – Baby I Don’t Know Where Love

Betty Davis – Anti Love Song

Modern Nature – Masque

DJ Python – Angel

Bardo Pond – Tommy Gun Angel

Moose – Boy

My Dad is Dead – In Your Mind

The Reds, Pinks and Purples – Tell Me What’s Real

Cate Le Bon – Cry Me Old Trouble

Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard

Pete Yellin – It’s the Right Thing

Print Head – Dying the Way You Want

HOUR 2

Mdou Moctar – Tala Tannam

The Mountain Movers – I Watch the Sea

Levande Död – Unter Rotvältan

The Jesus and Mary Chain – Upside Down

The Chamber Strings – Telegram

Honey Radar – Sunrise Alphabet

J.R. Bohannon – Plum Village

The Main Ingredient – Work to Do

Dalibor Cruz – 02

Norma Tanega – You’re Dead

Vulcan – Lightning

Atomic Rooster – Lost in Space

Jake Xerxes Fussell – Washington

Banchee – “38”

HOUR 3

Konono No. 1 – Masikulu

Alleged Witches – Dukun

Sheila E. – The Glamorous Life

A;GRUMh… – nGUU (Petite Fugue)

Front 242 – Don’t Crash

Ava Mendoza – Apart From

Self Improvement – Firestarter

Link Wray – Beans and Fatback / I’m So Glad

Heavenly Bodies – Universal Resurrection

Cafe Racer – Pretty Trash

Heathen Disco #280 (Tribute to the late Jerry Weber / Jerry's Records in Pittsburgh, an important place in my history)

https://www.mixcloud.com/mosurock/heathen-disco-show-280-30-january-2022-rip-jerry-weber/

HOUR 1

The Dream Syndicate – The Days of Wine and Roses

Trees – Tom of Bedlam (live)

Jimmie Rodgers – Jimmie’s Texas Blues

Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance – Bye and Bye (Gonna See the King)

Wire – Blessed State

Matt Jencik – Yes Pussyfooting

T. Rex – Metal Guru

The Rolling Stones – Rocks Off

The Comsat Angels – Independence Day

The Soundcarriers – At the Time

Little Sister – You’re the One (Part II)

Ava Mendoza – Sun Gun

Marsha Hunt – (Oh No! Not) The Beast Day

HOUR 2

Cardboards – Electrical Generator

John Cale & Terry Riley – Church of Anthrax

Cabaret Voltaire – Protection

The Embarrassment – Celebrity Art Party

Bad Brains – Joshua’s Song / Banned in D.C.

My Bloody Valentine – I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It)

John Dwyer, Ryan Sawyer, Greg Coates, Wilder Zoby and Andres Rentaria – Yuggoth Travel Agency

BÖRN - Þú Hvíslar

The Pheromoans – S.B.’s / Greece Theme

The Fall – Gramme Friday

Balaclavas – Roman Holiday

Master’s Apprentices – Easy to Lie

DJ Harrison – City Lights

The Poppy Family – Happy Island

HOUR 3

Darryl Way’s Wolf – Game of X

Butthole Surfers – Jimi

Spacemen 3 – Lord, Can You Hear Me

Hollow Frames – The Forest Reveals Itself

Sly & the Revolutionaries – Sensi Dub

Public Image Limited – Solitaire

Hard Corps – Desolation Land

David Bowie – She Shook Me Cold

Sic Alps – Message from the Law

Mathematiques Modernes – Disco Rough (Long Version)

The Impossible Dreamers – Spin

Talk Talk – New Grass

[greatearthquakestudent]

Arrowverse Fanfic: The Anti-Monitor Crisis part II cast

What if the Anti-Monitor somehow finds a way to regrow himself. He comes back and  kidnaps the Paragons. But Barry was able to get away thanks to the Monitor. Novu explains that the others are no longer paragons due to their actions.  So they have to find six new paragons from across the multiverse to stop the Anti-Monitor. (Some of the new Paragons are from the dc universe).

Main Cast Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl Ryan Potter as Gar Logan/Beast Boy Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern Derek Mears as Alec Holland/Swamp Thing Diane Guerrero as Kay Challis/Crazy Jane Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman Melissa Benoist as Kara Danver/Supergirl Katie Lotz as Sara Lance/White Canary David Harewood as J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter Cress William as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lighting Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder/Batwoman Osric Chau as Ryan Choi/The Atom LaMonica Garrett as Mar Novu/The Monitor and Mobius/Anti-Monitor

Original Paragons Barry Allen/The Flash: The Paragon of Love Kara Danver/Supergirl: The Paragon of Hope Sara Lance/White Canary: The Paragon of Destiny J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter: The Paragon of Honor Jefferson Pierce/Black Lighting: The Paragon of Faith Ryan Wilder/Batwoman: The Paragon of Courage Ryan Choi/The Atom: The Paragon of Humanity

New Paragons Barry Allen/The Flash: The Paragon of Love Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl: The Paragon of Justice Gar Logan/Beast Boy: The Paragon of Loyalty Hal Jordan/Green Lantern: The Paragon of Willpower Alec Holland/Swamp Thing: The Paragon of Nature Kay Challis/Crazy Jane: The Paragon of Healing Clark Kent/Superman: The Paragon of Truth

[korra-the-red-lion]

Batwoman s2: thoughts.

Y’all, your homegirl finally managed to finish Batwoman. It was little dicey for a bit there, but me and my friend managed to pull through and actually finish the s2 this week.

Overall impressions? This season was pretty great. Considering they had to essentially rework the whole season and introduce us to a brand new Batwoman thanks to Ruby Rose’s sudden and unplanned departure, the cast and crew had to scramble to make things work. The Blackmask storyline was really good. The Kate Kane mystery was pretty well done. A standout episode was the Cluemaster episode.

Ryan Wilder, homegirl, I’m so so sorry. I judged your casting call description so badly. So badly that I nearly considered not watching it. I’m glad I ignored myself stupid self and gave this season a chance, because you did not disappoint. Javicia played Ryan to perfection, and I fell in love with her character much faster than I did Kate’s. They really managed to make a layered and complex hero out of a OG character that fit into the Batwoman lore nicely. I’m looking forward to see how they handle her journey in s3.

Luke’s character arc was really well done this season. Understandably, he was reluctant to hand over the suit to Ryan, because he didn’t want to admit that his best friend was gone. The last few episodes of the season when he got shot and then chose to put on the Batwing suit? Love it, love it, love it.

Mary was awesome this season! She really stepped up to the plate to help both Ryan and Luke work through some things, plus butting heads with Jacob on doing the right thing for the city really beefed up her character. Also, Mary and Alice are hilarious together and I can’t wait to see how s3 pairs them against one another. Fingers crossed for a Mary and Luke relationship too, I need my beans to get together.

Alice, sweetie, yes. The Safiyah storyline may not have been the best, but Rachel killed it with Alice’s conflicting emotional journey. I literally cried when Alice was taken away by the GCPD after she helped save Kate. All Alice wants is her sister to love her, because she is a broken and scared little girl trapped in the body of an adult. I have a feeling they’re gonna go anti-hero for her next season, but we’ll see.

F*ck you Jacob Kane, I never liked you. I liked Dougray Scott, but hated Jacob so much, so I’m not sad to see him not returning.

I’m curious to see what Sophie’s story leads next season. She really underwent some changes this season and they were all for the better. I cheered when she left the Crows. I wonder if now that Kate is gone they’ll do a Wildmoore romance next season? I kinda hope so. Will Sophie take for Luke in the Batcave or will she be an outdoor team member? I would love to see her on the field a la John Diggle in the early seasons of Arrow.

While I am disappointed in the choice to remove Kate from the show entirely, that won’t stop me from enjoying next season. I personally would include Kate in the show, just not have her as Batwoman this season, give her time to recover from her recent traumatic ordeal. OH WELL.

I’d say this season was a solid 8.5/10. The Safiyah storyline ended weakly. I found Angelique to be an annoying driving force for Ryan even though she was garbage. I loved Alice’s story, I like that the Crows were disbanded, I loved Ryan. Blackmask was a great villain. I think the season could have used one more episode personally, just because there was a lot going on in that last episode. See you next time!

[letterboxd]

Beautiful Day: The Don Hertzfeldt Q&A.

In which the singular creator of It’s Such a Beautiful Day and the World of Tomorrow trilogy answers 57 questions put to him by the Letterboxd community, about death, gills, snacks, back flips, the best time of day to watch a movie, and the sick pleasure of emotionally destroying people.

Since his first animated outings in the 1990s, filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt has had a way of staring deeply into humanity’s soul via a humble stick figure, and his skill at blending existential questions with situational humor breeds intense reactions. To browse Letterboxd reviews of Hertzfeldt’s animated works is to meet film lovers at a rare, collective gathering point: heaping great piles of love for films that do “the exact opposite of helping with depression”.

There’s something optimistically anti-feel-good in Hertzfeldt’s works; a bleak view of the future, and a frank appreciation of death’s inevitability, that makes viewers urgently want to fix the way they’re living right now. “I’ve built a lot of my life philosophy on the messages of this film,” writes Misty, of his acclaimed It’s Such a Beautiful Day. “It has kicked my ass completely,” writes Dirk of the first, Oscar-nominated World of Tomorrow instalment, “making me angry at myself for letting trivial stuff take over things I love and making me happy I have so very, very much in my life to enjoy and be grateful for.”

The filmmaker’s magic lies as much in the process as the content: “Hertzfeldt is able to make every moment count,” writes Artpig, of the second WoT instalment, The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts, “every line of dialogue, every moment of silence, every note of music, every line of animation.” The World of Tomorrow films, says animation expert Toussaint Egan in our Letterboxd Show animation episode, are “some of the best science fiction films, period”.

And his timing. Oh, his timing. Just as the northern hemisphere days were turning cold, and the drawn-out misery of the pandemic was really taking hold all over again, Hertzfeldt tweeted:

WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE THREE everywhere october 9 5pm est 🚀

— don hertzfeldt (@donhertzfeldt)

October 8, 2020

And like that, World of Tomorrow Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime was ours, an overnight gift to the quarantined and bereaved-weary, on Vimeo for all to rent or own. The gifts, they keep coming: a master list of movies that have their fingerprints on the World of Tomorrow universe, and now, in recognition of our community’s love for his films—and in his signature lower-case—the answers to questions asked in an exclusive Letterboxd Q&A.

To make things easier for Don, we grouped similar questions (and have noted which members asked what). Read on for more than you ever thought you might get to know about Hertzfeldt’s process, brain, heart and influences.

Filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt.

From “holograms that yell at you!” to the stunning colors, textures and folds of the blue mountains, to attributes David progressively deletes to make room for memories, would you please give us an insight into World of Tomorrow Three’s world-building process? —Letterboxd in the grand scheme of the series, episodes one and two still felt like baby steps to me. episode three was my first chance to really start blowing things up and exploring this universe. when i’m writing, i don’t want to worry about going over the top or think about structure or meaning or really much of anything yet. writing is playtime, it should be fun and messy. i want to go over the top. there is no top. i don’t want to start thinking too much until i’m rewriting and sorting through it all. thinking too much too soon can get in the way, like being too aware of when you’re trying to fall asleep. when you write a diary entry or a text to a friend, there’s no self-consciousness or creative blocks, you just write. it’s casual and fluid and automatic. but if you’re asked to write a term paper or a screenplay, suddenly all those lights turn off. it can be paralyzing. it’s hard to get to that place of truly not caring what anyone thinks and approach all forms of writing just as freely as writing those immediate thoughts in your diary. but that’s what i try to do.

When you start writing a new piece, do you usually start with a plot idea, a thematic idea, one uniform philosophical notion, or a little bit of each? —Kodiak J. Sanders, Trenz, Mr. Tables i don’t think i ever write in a straight line. i’ll jot down a hundred stray ideas over time, and one day i’ll sit down and see what connections might be made out of them. i really want this scene to be in the movie, so how do i get there? this is a good line, how can i get a character to say it? so the actual story usually only starts to reveal itself when i sit down to logic all these bits and pieces out. hey, in order to connect this strange idea to that strange idea, suddenly there is a very interesting third scene.

I’m astounded by how much the animation and the visuals improve with each instalment of World of Tomorrow. What have you done differently for each one? —Aske Lund, Cringetacular the characters needed to physically perform a lot more in episodes two and three so there were more demands put on the animation. when emily 4 dances or david staggers up a mountain, those sorts of scenes were animated in “ones”, which means doing 24 drawings per second versus my usual twelve. it’s still all 2D hand animation, just more of a classic disney approach that gives the movement a smoother look and a little more room for nuance. and obviously it takes a lot more work. but i hesitate to call such things improvements because i’m not sure i like the idea of different techniques being thought of as good or bad. it’s just another way of doing things. it really depends, sometimes super limited animation can be more effective.

Likewise, Part Three’s sound design is incredible. What conditions did you create it in, and what are all those sounds, and how do you have such an incredible command of the cut-to-silence trick?! —Letterboxd thanks, the sound design is always my favorite thing to do. other than julia’s lines, it’s easy to forget that all the animation starts with dead silence. obviously there’s no sound coming from a live-action set. so adding sound and music to everything, usually pretty late in production, is when all the stuff i’ve been working on suddenly starts to feel like an actual movie. this is not a future that works very well—particularly david’s, which predates everything else we’ve seen so far by a century or two—so you’re hearing a lot of creaky old hard drives booting up, electric distortions, and bent circuits from broken toys.

Emily and Emily Prime in a still from ‘World of Tomorrow’ (2015).

World of Tomorrow used to fill me with existential dread, but now with the current state of the world it’s become more and more comforting in a strange way. Do you feel that at all as you make new episodes? —mariano gg i wish that were possible but when i’m making something i’m usually so close to it i’m unable to see anything but all the things i need to fix.

Can you talk a little bit about sourcing the photo-realistic images for the backgrounds in Part Three? —Jack Moulton most of the environments were 2D images i built in photoshop, usually starting from close-up photos of different textures (like sandstone), all sort of reshaped and puzzle-pieced into something new. an easy to see example was david’s cockpit, which was cobbled together from all sorts of different old aircraft engine and machine parts. the trick in building and lighting these locations was always figuring out where the line was drawn in making these places realistic, but not too realistic for minimal characters to inhabit. i kept landing on a sort of painterly looking middle ground.

If the cloning process in World of Tomorrow existed right now, would you go through that process and create clones of yourself to prolong your life? —tim probably not, that process doesn’t seem to work so well.

If you were put into the world you’ve created, would you buy gills? —Lauren Torres i tend to avoid putting my head under because i almost always get water in my ears so i guess i wouldn’t need them. gills also seem like they’d be a real nuisance to keep clean.

What does love mean, and why do your characters go through so much effort to find it? —Andrew Michalko oh man.

In this year of years, what do you hope people will understand about death and its inevitability (or is it all there on the screen, and if so, that’s okay too)? —Letterboxd understanding death and its inevitability is maybe the most valuable thing a person can do for themselves.

Was the absence of Emily Prime in Part Three a practical decision [Don’s then-four-year-old niece Winona provided Emily’s voice] or an intentional departure from the first two films? —Michael it was both. i couldn’t find a way to fit her in naturally and i also felt like the series needed to start growing in other directions and not rest on the past. episode two had also been really difficult to write, it was so reliant on winona’s recordings, and it felt like the dam was really broken when i was finally able to write without any restrictions this time.

In a series like World of Tomorrow, where you headed in a direction that is a lot more plot-driven than your previous work, how far in advance do you plan? Did you always know this was in David’s past, or are these stories told one at a time? —Ryan Welch, Kodiak J. Sanders, julius, Alex Leon i could tell early on that this wasn’t a story like it’s such a beautiful day with a clear beginning, middle and end, but a much wilder thing that could continue to grow. the openness of it is still what makes it so interesting to me. i have all sorts of notes for the next episodes but if i already knew what would happen in episode nine i think that would take a lot of the air out of the tires and i’d start to feel like i was just connecting the boring dots. while writing, i’ve also had to be aware that there someday might be an episode nine so i can’t go wrecking the timelines before i get there.

What were the rocks and the gas pump that Emily fell in love with meant to represent? —Ekaneff she was learning how to love, and like all of us, in her youth she gravitated to a bunch of individuals that were wrong for her.

Aside from the ability to release more frequently, is there something about the episodic structure that you prefer/appreciate, as opposed to creating one larger feature-length film? —SiddFinch1 there’s just more freedom. the traditional running time of a feature film, 90 to 120 minutes, is a totally arbitrary number.

Have you ever considered writing a World of Tomorrow book or graphic novel? —Jay Smith the earliest ideas for world of tomorrow were sloshing around in a graphic novel called the end of the world that came out in 2013. but i don’t have any talent or much confidence in making another book like that. it’s a different world. when i look at someone like chris ware and then look at something like the end of the world, it’s like, “wow, baby made a mess”.

A page from Don Hertzfeldt’s graphic novel, ‘The End of the World’ (2013).

What attracted you to the unique style [of minimalist stick figures]? Is there a sense of intimacy that you feel you can achieve with this simplicity? —Evan Whitford when i was little, before i wanted to make movies i wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist. i think my drawings today might have more in common with newspaper comics than the sort of characters you usually see in animation. comic-strip panels were always composed in a very reserved way because they were generally intended to be skimmed. you needed to be able to read the strip in five seconds so you could be off to read the sports pages and obituaries. the comics pages were also under constant size and space restrictions. so they were minimal by design and the artists reduced their characters to only their most essential parts. there was no room for fussing. charles schulz said “i only draw what’s necessary”. and that’s actually incredibly hard to do. you’re accomplishing so much more with so much less.

i’ve also found that if there’s a scene that’s not playing right and bothering me, most of the time it’s because my composition was too cluttered. i almost always find myself removing things from the frame and trying to pare it down to only what’s necessary. very rarely do i ever think ‘i need to add more stuff in here’. because this shot is only five seconds long and i want you to be looking over here when this moment happens and this character says something, and if you’re distracted by this other flickering junk i put in the corner it’s going to throw everything off.

Animation-aside, which creative medium do you resonate with the most? —Bronkdan music.

How much did you pull from real-life experiences to make It’s Such A Beautiful Day, if any? What research did you conduct into memory? —Gunnar Sizemore, David Sigura, Micah Smith whenever i got a little stuck writing it’s such a beautiful day, i’d go back and reread my journal and pull more things out of it. dreams, conversations, small scenes. reading the journal now, it seems like i stole something from it every few pages. i also heavily researched neurological problems. it’s never said in the movie what exactly’s going on with bill, but i needed there to be a real diagnosis to base the medical writing on. so all the things he’s going through are real treatments or symptoms based on an actual condition. i didn’t want to ever come out and say, “he’s got terminal brain clouds”, or whatever in the movie, because then it becomes a “brain-cloud movie”, and that’s too easy for the audience to compartmentalize and distance themselves from… “brain clouds are so rare, that will never happen to me”. but not being told exactly what’s wrong with bill might help make the story more relatable and universal.

In what ways have you kept your mind fresh creatively? How do you keep yourself from slipping into complacency? —Watchmoviez, Drew’s reviews most creative blocks or stagnation come from anxiety, second-guessing and doubt. over the years i’ve learned to just sort of calm down and trust myself more. it’s like the old aesop fable: when you stop thrashing around in the water, the water becomes clearer and you can see more. if a scene isn’t working right, i can more easily chill out about it these days and trust that i’ll eventually figure it out—because i’ve figured these sorts of things out a hundred times before and i know by now that i’m not the sort of person who’s just going to allow a scene that isn’t working to remain in the movie. there’s a little more panic about that sort of thing when you’re young: “oh no, the movie sucks right now, will it always suck?!” i’ve reached the point where i know that i will not let it suck. and that sort of thinking allows all the movie gears to turn more easily.

Do you have a specific thematic, emotional or other miscellaneous motive in mind when including classical music pieces? —James Y. Lee when i’m listening to music and suddenly the right piece arrives, it’s usually blindingly obvious to me: there’s just no doubt this needs to be in the movie somehow. it’s like the idea has always existed and i’ve just finally uncovered it. it’s the same with writing. when the right thing floats along, it is striking and obvious and into the pile of notes it goes.

How much of your animation style lends itself to experimentation, such as discovering new tricks and pretty shots, that is then discarded if you learn it doesn’t work as intended? —Adam, Jacob i think i’m always experimenting. i figure if it doesn’t work, at least i’ve learned something.

What is the strangest compliment or critique you’ve gotten personally or of your work? —Elliot Taylor i’ve always remembered this one. i am so proud of you came out a couple years after everything will be ok. it was a continuation of that story, so it was basically the first time i had ever made a sequel. and everything will be ok had done really well when it came out. it won sundance and got all these great reviews. so i am so proud of you comes out and i remember reading this review that says, “everything will be ok was probably my favorite animated short of all time. it honestly changed my life. it was funny, sad, beautiful and just so wonderful. everything will be ok, boy did i love it. incredible. two thumbs up. truly, best thing ever. wow. so, unfortunately, its sequel, i am so proud of you, just feels like more of the same.”

A still image from ‘It’s Such a Beautiful Day’ (2012).

Are there any pieces of fiction that have influenced your work that we probably wouldn’t think of? —Gyani Wasp, Mikolaj Perzyna, Aaron McMillan, Harrison, Axel, Cringetacular, The25centman, Hunter Guidry one thing that pops to mind is the phantom tollbooth. my favorite children’s books were the ones with all the fun metaphors and clever wordplay. when i was plotting out episode two i wanted to lean into that, where visiting different sections of emily’s brain would be like milo visiting the land of math, the land of letters, the land of sound, with different looks and logic to it. so we had the bog of realism, glimmers of hope, broken memories, the logic center, and all the stuff in triangle land and square land. i guess that’s a lot but i wish there had been a bit more.

How did your friends and family respond to the “my anus is bleeding” part of Rejected? —Alex Tatterson they were pretty used to me by then.

Do you know of the work of David Firth, the internet animator? His work is also surreal and has dark humor, but more sinister than whimsical. Would you ever consider making an animation in the realm of horror in future? —KEVIИ HДWKIИS i’m afraid i don’t know him. i’d love to make a horror movie. from a certain point of view though maybe it could be argued that most everything i’ve made is a sort of horror movie?

My first tattoo is of Billy from Billy’s Balloon hanging from his ankle and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. How do you feel about people having your work tattooed and do you have any ink from other creatives that have meant something to you? —Elias it really fucking enrages me when people get my stuff tattooed on them. no just kidding. mostly i feel embarrassed but i’m glad you haven’t changed your mind about it yet. sometimes i wonder how many people have.

Have you ever thought about directing live action? —Abeer, Noah Thompson yes.

Is there an update on your feature film Antarctica? —Rylan California it’s one of many things swirling around.

Will you do a remake of Robocop and why not next year? —Simon no, because robocop is already sort of perfect.

Do you ever see yourself directing a large studio film? Or working with a large team to make something with a higher budget, maybe through a crowd-funded project? Or do you just strongly prefer working on your own? —Vteyshev, Monotone Duck sure. i’ve never preferred working on my own at all. it was usually just the only way to ever get anything made. i haven’t had the funding to pay a big crew, or really much of a crew at all. there’s the old saying: you can make something good, you can make it fast, and you can make it cheap, but you can only pick two. if you make it good and fast it won’t be cheap, if you make it cheap and fast it won’t be good, etc. so my only route in hoping to make something good and cheap has been to totally forget about making it fast.

What did you find digital animation added or took away from your work, and what did those changes do for your storytelling? Will you continue using the digital medium when/if you decide to move on from the World of Tomorrow project? —Alec Lai, Slipkornbizkit, Aldo digital just sped everything up. it’s still one person drawing everything, so we need to remember that speed is relative here, but i felt like i went from riding a bicycle to driving a car. there are many pleasant, wonderful things about riding a bicycle but you’re not going to get anywhere very quickly. and i’m not in my 20s anymore, in fact my 20s and 30s were mostly entirely devoured by making movies in what was maybe the slowest way possible. so these days i am appreciating the speed of digital.

If you could have a conversation with any filmmaker, dead or alive, who would it be and why? —ToBeHonest, Cringetacular if i could resurrect one of my heroes from the dead i think i would feel terrible wasting his time forcing him to have a conversation with me. he might also just sit there, covered with graveyard dirt, screaming in horror.

What is the best time of day to watch a movie? —Sammy night. i always feel a little nuts coming out of a movie and the sun is still up.

What’s your all-time favorite science-fiction film, and why? —Letterboxd 2001. because come on.

What is your favorite of Julia Potts’ films, and why? —Letterboxd i like the one with the severed foot.

Are there any animated films that you felt had a profound impact on you as a child? —Sprizzle probably fantasia. and ray harryhausen stuff. whenever there was a sunday-afternoon movie on TV, my brother and i learned that if in the opening titles there was a credit for “special effects” we should keep watching because we might eventually see something cool.

Which one of your movies is your personal favorite? —Jakob Böwer, RodrigoJerez i don’t know. sometimes it’s the newest one because it’s usually the one with the most experience behind it and therefore feels like it has the fewest mistakes. but then over time i realize they’re all riddled with mistakes. of the it’s such a beautiful day pieces, i think my favorite has always been i am so proud of you. and then i’ll see reviews that say “clearly the second chapter is the weakest one”, and i’ll think, man you guys don’t know what you’re talking about.

One of Don’s layout sketches for ‘I Am So Proud of You’ (2008).

What’s your favorite Pixar film? —Jordan inside out.

What film would you want to be the last one you watch before you die? —Gavin honestly if i’m in the process of dying i hope i won’t be watching movies at all.

Do you have faith in humanity? —Connor Kriechbaum not often.

What is something that worries you about where humankind is headed? —Felix_Bouchard social media.

What is the most valuable thing you have ever lost? How often do you think about it? —Siminup well now i’m getting sad.

Can you do a back flip, mister Don? —Doug maybe with the help of a catapult.

What is your take on the after life? What do you think happens to us when we die? —Luisdecoss i guess that it’s probably a lot like our memory of what the year 1823 was like.

Do you want anything from McDonald’s? —Andrew Rhyne only if i’m in an airport and desperate.

What’s your favorite meal or snack? —Pfitzerone, Evan lately in quarantine i’ve been discovering this particular breakfast burrito.

How’s your quarantine life, Don? —Ivan Arcena it’s okay thanks. eating lots of breakfast burritos.

Hi! I can’t believe you’re going to read this. I am currently filled with an unparalleled amount of joy, wow. This is a long shot but here I go. I’m 17 and your (self-proclaimed) biggest fan. I’ve seen It's Such a Beautiful Day eight times now and every single time I pick up on more details. I’ve watched a few of your interviews and in the AFS one about Rejected you said that the louder you play a movie, the funnier it is. On my seventh watch of It’s Such a Beautiful Day I hooked my laptop up to three huge speakers and I must say—you were so, so right. I made a video essay about the movie. Lol, I’m not sure if this will get to you but Michael Jordan once said something about missing shots or not taking shots or maybe about tequila, I am unsure but I know it was important. Thanks MJ. Not you, Mr Jackson. I’m sorry Ms. Jackson…

I actually do have a question, sorry about the rambling. Every single time I watch the guy at the payphone flip his pencil and go “fantastic, fantastic” I cry. And I think what really does it for me is that “we’ll finally have our day”. Earlier in the movie, Bill’s co-worker talks about how all of time is happening at once. So what I constantly ask myself is if the guy at the payphone is simultaneously having his day and waiting for it. And I’m no longer speaking to that one specific example or even to the movie as a whole but I guess I’m wondering if the idea of all events happening at once comforts you?

In Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut writes: “The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist.” When I read this I immediately thought about your movie. I think the idea of all of time happening at once makes all of life feel less important but more special. You know? Anyway, I suppose I’d just like to know what inspired the lines about time in the office scene. This isn’t much of a question, more an incoherent ramble but thank you so, so much for all you’ve done. I feel so incredibly inspired and so deeply moved by your work and I know that so many people in this comment section and around the world would agree. I can’t believe I’ve been given the opportunity to ask something. It really is such a beautiful day. :) —Eli Osei (co-signed by Vooder) that old guy at the payphone was someone i saw at the laundromat once and he borrowed my pencil and the whole thing just played out like in the movie. i just thought it was such a perfect little scene that i’d just witnessed. anyway, the idea of time being a landscape and everything taking place “at once” just came straight out of a science magazine. i don’t know how, but apparently it’s been more or less proven to be true? we perceive time in one direction, but the past and the future are always all around us. think of it as though we’re driving our car through a landscape. even though the mountains we saw ten minutes ago are behind us now, it doesn’t mean those mountains have ceased to exist. they’ve only ceased to exist from our point of view. we’ve only just driven past them. the mountains, like your childhood, are still going on back there. anyway, i had never heard of that before and thought it needed to be in a movie.

A still from ‘World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts’ (2017).

Are you a fan of Kurt Vonnegut by any chance? It may be coincidental, but I love how you both utilize science-fiction settings and concepts like being “unstuck from time/memory” to explore the human condition. I feel his writing and your animation are both capable of making me laugh wholeheartedly one minute and weeping genuine, sorrowful tears the next. —Vooder i’m embarrassed to say i’ve never read him and i’m told on a regular basis that i should. that all started after i am so proud of you came out with those discussions about time being a landscape. but i almost only ever read non-fiction. it’s a long story. but now i’m almost afraid to ever read vonnegut after all these years of build-up.

Hey Don, this is really cool. I don’t have as much of a question, more of a comment. It’s Such A Beautiful Day has gotten me through a lot of hard times, being in middle school sucks, I think everyone knows that: and your movie has made life just a wee bit better for me. It also gave me the inspiration and motivation to finish my first feature! Thanks lots. Love from Indiana —Blood Mountain: Experimental Cinema <3 hey thank you. yeah middle school was pretty much the deepest pit of hell. there’s this old saying, “if you find yourself in hell, keep going”. and i’ve never understood that saying. “keep going”, because, i guess, you can always just go deeper into hell?

Hi! Has the vitreous humour in your eyes started to deteriorate and have you experienced floaters within your eyeballs? If not, that’s okay. Just remember it’s part of life, so don’t get scared when it happens! Just keep moving on! But if you do have them, follow-up question: Do you think it’s funny that the body of vitreous fluid that allows your sight to be clear is called the vitreous humour, and when it detaches it’s anything but humorous? I find that pretty humorous myself, in, like, an ironic way. —Clbert1 i actually blew a blood vessel in my eye a couple weeks ago and the whole thing turned bright blood red. it didn’t hurt or anything, i just walked into the room all disgusting and my girlfriend was like, “what the fuck?!” and then the next day i had further weird eye problems. i just went to the eye doctor yesterday. i think i will be fine but i was thinking, wouldn’t it be like the most heavy metal thing ever for my biography if i just suddenly went BLIND? “and then in 2020, HE WENT BLIND.”

Will Intro ever be released to the general public outside of theater screenings? —Melissa okay yes you’ve talked me into it. on that note, i noticed that the poster of intro used on letterboxd is a weird fake and i’m not sure where it came from. someone just used a picture from rejected. if fake posters are to be made i would prefer it if they used a picture from raiders of the lost ark or something.

Do you have plans to combine the World of Tomorrow shorts into one feature-length film à la It’s Such a Beautiful Day? —David Sigura, Sam Stewart, An_Person no, it’s going to be much longer than a feature-length.

Will we ever get a ‘Hertzfeldt 4K Collection’? Or at least a Blu-ray with It’s Such a Beautiful Day and all episodes of World of Tomorrow? —Teebin, HippityHoppity there is actually already a blu-ray for it’s such a beautiful day. up next we’ll do some sort of world of tomorrow blu-ray of the first three episodes. but 4k is too many k’s. you don’t need that many k’s.

Would you ever consider comprising an OST album of all the songs you used and mixed from your films? —PhiloDemon i don’t think so. i read that for many years cat stevens resisted releasing his original songs from harold and maude on any records because he thought they were more special if you could only ever hear them in the movie. i like that.

Do you get a sick kind of pleasure from emotionally destroying people with your movies? —MaxT26 yep.

What’s been your ongoing experience of the outpouring of joy and love of your work? —Henry gratitude. how sad for me if, after all this work, nobody was watching at all.

Related content

Don’s invaluable Twitter thread about “old-school animation camera stuff”

A Few of the Fingerprints on the World of Tomorrow Universe: a list of influences curated for Letterboxd by Don Hertzfeldt

Modest Heroes: the Letterboxd Showdown for indie animation

The Drawn Cinema: Analena’s list of rough animation, pencil textures, watercolor effects, dynamic brushes and other poetic artistry.

Beloved Indie Animation: a list by Gui

Animated Sci-Fi and Fantasy: an extensive list by Stonefolk

‘World of Tomorrow Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime’ is available now through Bitter Films on Vimeo.