#being a person who draws but isn't like. a proper /art kid/ is so funny

[idontdowellunderpressure]

It’s funny how we project our own lived experiences onto the characters. I thought Garou was just genuinely avoiding the question because it’s awkward as hell to talk about that stuff as an 18 year old with a parent figure. But I’m a cis het woman. Of course i would see it like that; what could two supposedly straight cis men (ONE and Murata) meant to portray with Garou’s reaction? When it’s just as normal for kids to have crushes on celebrities. Every male straight OPM fan in the vicinity related to him liking the yellow ranger, having liked the yellow ranger themselves when they were growing up.

Sorry this is a bit long. I don't know when to stop talking sometimes 😅

You're right. It's very true that our own experiences affect how we interact with media. Everything -books, music, movies- is skewed by our own reality. I do not presume to know what ONE and Murata intended (if I ever do, it's mostly for comedic effect) and I am almost certain they meant to just have this silly little bonding moment between Garou and Bang as a moment of levity after several pretty intense chapters. (Do I genuinely think ONE and Murata intend to make Garou not straight? No. I love how ONE writes, but, having seen how they portray Puri Puri Prisoner, I doubt they would write a queer character as seriously and nuanced as Garou).

However, I just find it so interesting that what one person sees as "omg Dad, stop, you're so embarrassing" another person can see as "oh no, oh no, I can't tell them, what if it changes everything, what if they see me differently, what if they treat me differently, what if they can't reconcile their perception of me with how I actually am and leave me". And then when I picture Garou thinking the latter coupled with him only just now getting Bang back, it really makes more sense to me that Garou is freaking out because he's worried something bad will happen if he doesn't answer right.

But, like I said, that has to do with my own experiences. I couldn't tell people in high school "oh, I don't like people like that" because, at the time, I would get made fun of for being a "cold, unfeeling machine" or "a weirdo" or "a psychopath". Hearing the dreaded "you'll find someone someday" like the right person would come along and fix me. I didn't like being treated as someone less human, so I'd make up answers. I'd say my type was "Johnny Depp" because I really liked Jack Sparrow. Or I learned that everyone was really into Chris Evans and remembered that when people started talking about types so I could supply his name when asked about my own.

So when I see Garou squirming and sweating and stumbling along after being asked that question, I see my own experiences and recognize the signs of discomfort and the attempts to answer and move on. I see my own reality.

Even if that isn't what ONE and Murata intended when they wrote and drew this scene, that's what I felt. And, yeah, perhaps I'm not "interpreting" the texts correctly, but that's what happens when you make art. Draw a painting using blue and one person who sees it feels calm while another person might feel sad. Does one person feel incorrectly?

This is why I'm not a lit major. I don't really think I'm cut out for these kind of existential, unmeasurable questions 😂

Plus, with the end bit, expressly saying he likes Yellow Ranger because she looks like/reminds Garou of his mother, implies one of two things:

We've got a serious Oedipus issue on our hands, and I'm worried for Garou.

Garou doesn't really have romantic feelings towards Yellow Ranger and his feelings are probably closer to idolizing or hero worship.

Either way, poor Garou really needs a proper parental figure in his life. I'm really excited to see Bang fill that roll!

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week?

Superman #4 - How? How is this so good? How did Williamson go straight from Dark Crisis into writing this? Is it just because he and Waid are talking regularly per separate interviews with the two of them, because the rise in quality here is enough to give me whiplash. It's like Williamson has read my blog because he's making moves I've been begging to see get made. Tying Silver Banshee with the Phantom Zone! Giving Metropolis a personality of it's own by making it obsessed with the future and contemptuous of it's past, to the point there are ruins of old "Cities of Yesterday" underneath the current city, which perfectly connects with the Moonlight plot thread of her being the ghost that haunts it! Jimmy Olsen being relevant and useful because he's a native Metropolitan unlike Lois and Clark, so he knows the history of the city in a way they don't! Plus he's dating Banshee who isn't even in the top 5 weirdest dates he's had, but might be one of the hottest. Wasn't sure if the first arc was simply beginner's luck, but now that the quality hasn't dipped in the second arc I rate Williamson's run higher even than PKJ Action. And I still greatly enjoy Action! What a nice experience to have where both of the mainline Superman books are worth reading.

World's Finest #15 - Coming down off my high from Williamson, this remains fine. Feels like Waid is on autopilot with this arc, "Newmazo" is a terrible name. At least next issue promises more Supergirl/Robin interactions which will hopefully liven the story up.

The Brave & The Bold #1 - Got this mainly for the Superman story but the other three weren't bad. King described this Batman story as "burgers and fries", what you see is what you get. If you want a dark, gritty Batman vs. Joker story, that's what this offers. Stormwatch has great art, Jeff Spokes reminds me of Ryan Sook, but I don't love the team. Needs more proper Wildstorm characters, and seriously who the fuck cares about Peacekeeper anymore? Kill him off ASAP. Mora's story had great art of course but the plot was just an excuse for him to do cyberpunk Batman art. Finally the story I actually bought the book for was the strongest of the four which was nice. Cantwell has a good handle on Superman's voice, I was surprised to see this takes place in mainline continuity, but the real draw for me was always seeing Javier Rodriguez draw Superman. Glad to share he does not disappoint, loved the page where Clark and Lois are examining the decoder ring.

Vigil #1 - Less of a superhero book and more of a spy one, but no less enjoyable for that. Ram V said he was drawing on Wildstorm and Planetary for this book and that is seen in spades. Morally ambiguous anti-heroes whose goals aren't mainly concerned with saving people, and who don't shrink at lethal force are exactly the kind of protagonists you'd expect to see in a Wildstorm book. I like this team, they feel like a group that could be different enough from the Justice League to justify their existence, unlike quite a few other teams.

Cyborg #1 - Ok first issue. Hampton is a relative newcomer to comics and that shows in some places like the clunky dialogue from the kids. Raney's art isn't a favorite of mine, and the cover being so different from the interiors is going to turn some folks away.

Superboy #2 - Cosmoteers are assholes, not sure if Porter will be able to win me over into liking them, but it makes for funny interactions at least. Superboy resolving to TTK punch his way through an enemy fleet is the most like his 90s self he's been since he came back wearing that look.

X-Men #22 - Was on the fence about dropping this too, but Duggan bought himself a stay of execution by finally moving the ORCHIS plot forward. Makes sense that ORCHIS would move on the wider superhuman community after the mutants when you remember that ORCHIS is just a front for the machines to take over. Speaking of which, Omega Sentinel returns! Are they finally going to address that turning Moira into a villain means we now have two characters who are functionally the exact same on ORCHIS? OS and Moira are both former X-Men allies turned enemies, both have transitioned from organic to robotic bodies, both founded organizations to prevent the futures they lived through from coming to pass, etc. Hickman worked hard to make OS into Moira's opposite for the machines, yet now that the two are on the same side we've never even seen them interact! Fall of X needs to change that.

Hulk Annual - Meh main story, but the epilogue pages got me pumped to finally get my hands on PKJ Hulk in a month.

Avengers #1 - For all Aaron's efforts, this feels more like Morrison JLA than anything he came up with. Everyone is competent and contributes to the fight, the art is great, and the tease at a larger plot with Kang sounds fun. First time since Hickman that I'm planning on reading the Avengers regularly again.

Fantastic Four #7 - Another fantastic issue, this time finally featuring Doom. Hickman was my entry run into F4 and made me a sucker for "Doom's ego is so great he would rather destroy reality than lose face" stories.

[mothman-is-my-girlfriend]

Saw this making the rounds on my dashboard and wanted to add to the chain!

1. Are you named after anyone? Yes, actually. My mom was a very big fan of Jimmy Buffett in the 90s (and still is but it's not a daily occurrence anymore lol) so I'm actually named after his daughter, Savannah. Funny tidbit to mention when people ask if I'm named for the city in Georgia. 😅

2. When was the last time you cried? Oh, girl... I cry all the time. My brain has a hard time tracking emotions over time so I just kind of feel everything very intensely in the moment. I have to use journals to track my emotions over time, but I'm just a fairly sensitive person in general thanks to my upbringing. It is what it is, and I deal with it. I'm just glad I let it out frequently instead of bottling it up like I used to!

3. Do you use sarcasm? Ehhh.... sometimes, maybe? Depends on your definition of sarcasm. I have a hard time figuring out when people are joking with me though, especially at work.

4. What's the first thing you notice about people? Usually their personality to be honest. I had a really hard time making friends as a kid so I pretty much get along with someone right away, or we aren't ever friends. (Not to say that I'm ever outright rude to people, of course.) I guess that's just ADHD to ADHD communication? For example, I had a new coworker start in mid September and I just immediately knew we'd be friends outside of work eventually. Now we go on hikes and hang out! Idk how else to describe the feeling.

5. What's your eye color? Hazel - which is annoying because most people assume I'm full of shit until I'm in good light. 🤣 any other lighting and the green doesn't show through.

6. Scary movie or happy ending? I love creepy-scary vibes but actually watching or playing a scary movie or game is too much for me. I don't enjoy being scared. Happy endings for me!

7. Any special talents? I'm quite good at art when given proper direction. I'm thinking of taking some non credit classes at my local community college to really push me back into my old hobby in a way that isn't just drawing my little OCs on blank backgrounds. I have painted a few things this year, though, like a portrait of my cat, and a flower pot. I really need to get back into it. I'd say my stronger skill at the moment is making exceptional coffee! I love my job and enjoy brewing at home as well.

8. Where were you born? Maryland. (Mid Atlantic US) I still live in MD, but I made the jump from the teeny tiny town I grew up in, to Baltimore. I love the city, and this state. It's little, but we have the ocean, the famous Chesapeake Bay, Assateague Island, and a bit of the Appalachians. When you get past the terrible traffic, there's so much to do here.

9. What are your hobbies? Doodling, playing older video games, hiking/camping, and learning as much as I can about coffee.

10. Do you have any pets? This is such a complex answer for me. I have two cats currently living with my partner and I in our home. Our lease wouldn't allow us to bring my snakes, so my mother is currently caring for my two ball pythons. I hope to have a whole room for them one day when I get a home! My mom also still has one of my childhood dogs, Chance, who is 13, and struggling with dementia and arthritis. He comes to visit me sometimes. :) I miss that big old dopey dog.

11. What sports do you play/have you played? I was actually involved in competitive cheerleading growing up. I remember it fondly, even if I wasn't ever very flexible and kept losing my backhand spring no matter how many times I learned. I had the best jump on my team, though! Unfortunately, I do have permanent damage to my knees and shoulders from it. The knee pain in particular has kept me off the hiking trails for the last year. :(

12. How tall are you? VERY short! I'm 5'2 (even shorter than gillian anderson lol) which is hilarious because my partner is a solid foot taller than me!!

13. What was your favorite subject in school? Growing up, my favorite subject was definitely band class. I can remember every song we played in my 8th grade year. I still miss Mrs. Ewing! She was an incredible teacher and our simple middle school band was actually well known in the area for being better than most high school bands! I also adored Latin class and I'm even friends with my old magistra on facebook 😅 she had a tumblr back in 2015 when I had her class so maybe she's still bouncing around on here somewhere. She made a point to never tell us her username lol

14. Dream job? This has actually changed a lot recently. Now that I've been a barista for 2 years, I've really developed a passion for making coffee. I'm signed up for some business classes at my local community college next month and have ideas for my own coffee roasting business one day. I'm envisioning a shop named for my cat, Oliver. ❤️ Coffee tastes good, and I love the connections you can make with people through it. Idk, it just makes me really happy to see customers enjoy my coffee while catching up with an old friend, or sitting on their laptop doing work all day in the shop while I'm also working. Food service really isn't all bad when you have a great crew.

Thanks for reading all of that! If you see this and you're my mutual (or not) consider yourself tagged and free to copy this.

[italianteart]

i swear i didnt accidentally draw on the wrong layer or something,,