#comics not things pbbt

[sharpace]

46. What Home Feels Like

One of the comics I wrote while I had COVID. Pulling the curtain back a bit, I had to be completely isolated and had a particularly rough time for two and half weeks. I had so little energy, I missed out on a lot of my usual social time so I felt pretty lonely on top of physically terrible. The only “social” interaction I could get through that time was through Animal Crossing and that became my countdown until I could be allowed to rejoin the world. But I will say, the original comic written during COVID was... incomprehensible but, at least, I remembered my fevered thesis. Ha.

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[rpgworldcomic]

#733 - Howard Used "Mug"

Hoo boy babes, babettes, dudes, dudettes, and the various and sundry of those between and outside those permutations-- I am burnt! Not even out, just burnt. Crisped. My juices are locked in.

What are we talking about.

I haven't updated in 3 weeks! I am JUST as upset about it as you are! Probably moreso. It is taking every ounce of existence I have to muster the energy to type the sexy words I'm typing to you right now. (They are voluptuous; you may look but not touch. … Okay, maybe just one touch.)

The FIRST week I did not update because I was out of town, which in this day and age is not even an excuse, because I have the magical ability to carry a whole-ass computer with me in a bag. I can open it! The computer, not the bag. The bag, however, is also openable. (And must be.) I can open that computer, set it on some computer-having surface, and do all the things that are necessary to upload a page. Heck! On a lucky day I can do that from my PHONE! But I didn't do ANY of those things! Because I didn't want to!! Because I was spending time with family!! Because of a funeral!! I DO NOT WANT CONDOLENCES DO NOT POST CONDOLENCES I HATE CONDOLENCES THEY DO ME NO GOOD.

The SECOND week! …. I was depressed!! Not from the funeral, from general life stuff. You know, existence, capitalism, past horrors of trauma that loom daily. All those good things you surely suffer from too.

The THIRD week, my true love gave to me… Wait, no. The THIRD week, I was on vacation!! Yeah! I vacated! But that wasn't even why I didn't update! I was just DEPRESSED again!! Two weeks in a row! Golly gee damn! But you'll never guess what, we're going for three, baby!!

But I'm actually updating this time. I -assume-, anyway. I'm typing this immediately before finishing the page and uploading it to the various places that no one will read it.

I'm just running out of steam, fellas (and fellettes, see first sentence above). Not on the comic! No, the valve for steam is fully on the… on?.. position? For that? I don't know how steam valves work. I just have no steam in general. If you turn the little steam knob (again, no idea how steam works), you just get a little poot. A little steam poot. It goes "pbbt!" and makes a fart noise. Over and over. No matter how many times you do it. You'd THINK that if I'm running out of steam, eventually there'd be no steam for that fart noise. But no, dear reader, no matter how empty my take gets I will always have steam for a fart noise. If I ever DON'T make a fart noise, I'm dead. I might still make fart noises, depending on how my carcass decides to handle the festering gases built up by bacteria feasting on my delicious (again, sexy) body. [The gasses might slip out my rectum, is what I'm getting at here.]

Whew! All this talk of my delicious rectum has got me all heated. Not heated enough to produce more steam, mind you. That requires -liquids-, of which I am devoid, presumably. What say we all read the comic page above and/or below, shall we?

What? You already read it?? Because it's above the author note (in some countries) and you read the page before the author note, using the author note as a tasty delicious dessert?? Like I'm some sort of sorbet??? Like I'm some sort of delicious rectum sorbet????

I've been called worse things. See you all next week! Probably. I hope.

Man, this author note is long. You know what else is long? Ha haaaaa, that's RIGHT! The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America! Which is relevant right now, because shooty-fireworks day is coming up. So go shoot some fireworks (with guns, also available in America), but be safe (unless you're using guns, because you're already safe), and eat some hot dogs (the FOOD, not the sweating Schnauzer). Turns out I didn't know how to spell Schnauzer. I spelled it snauser. I also didn't know it was a breed, I thought it was a general term for dogs.

ALSO, dogs don't sweat you fucking idiot!! Ha haa get beaned.

[goth-giraffe]

🖊 + your cyborg character (I mean? Cyborg?? Tell me more! xD) 🖊 + for any of your OCs (I'm just really curious to get to know more of your characters :D) I wold also suggest another one for Meredith... (if you want to ramble more about her xD)

Oh awesome! Yeah I always love to ramble about my OCs, I just wish I had more motivation to draw them haha xD Maybe this’ll help though- thank you!

Kaedyn~

Ah- my cyborg character is a pretty underdeveloped, for instance I’m not entirely sure on all their technological enhancements. They basically have really fancy prosthetics in place of at least one leg and one arm too. But anyway I’d love to ramble about them anyway! Their name is Kaedyn and they’re nonbinary! (I use neutral or feminine pronouns with them, I’m currently trying to use they/them but sometimes I slip up- it’s mostly because of my indecisiveness, but I don’t know, maybe they’re genderfluid?) And they live in a futuristic setting which is part of the reason they’re a bit underdeveloped compared to some of my other OCs, because I’m a dummy that wants to create characters in weird settings in theory, but then you have to come up with all these things about the setting to get to know the character better so… haha yeah.

But anyway! Kaedyn is really smart about some things but also very competitive. Not the type to back down from a dare. Whether it’s eating something gross or fighting the Hulk, to be honest… (And that may have had something to do with them losing a couple limbs, but who knows.) They call themself a cyborg mostly to intimidate people to be honest… there are still a lot of prejudices about cyborgs. And they do have at least two fully functioning robotic limbs so. Anyway they get kind of a “Don’t mess with a cyborg” attitude when people look at them weird or are just in general being rude.

They’re dating Numbers, who’s kind of the opposite of Kaedyn - she’s more of a brooding genius type. And she works for her eccentric aunt’s robotics company. They supply robotic prosthetics and other medical stuff like that, and yeah I imagine that’s how they met each other- Kaedyn calls in for tech support and talks past the remote control hologram or whatever, and immediately starts flirting when they start talking to an alive being… which was Numbers. Numbers speaks exclusively in number code though, and she doesn’t talk to a lot of real people (she lives with robots and her aunt Madlin) because a lot of people don’t understand her. But Kaedyn is smart, especially with mathematics and deciphering things so it doesn’t take them long to understand, and they think Numbers is adorable so, basically their relationship is the “extrovert takes introvert under their wing” trope.

Anyway, they like inventing things together. Kaedyn has a degree in engineering (or something? details fuzzy, sorry) and loves tinkering with stuff or rather tearing stuff apart pbbt and Numbers brainstorms schematics for new robots and stuff. Kaedyn is actually really smart, you just don’t see that a lot with their beat stuff up until it’s fixed attitude. (I don’t know if anyone here has seen The Red Green Show but Kaedyn’s motto? “If it ain’t broke you’re not trying!”) Besides that they cuddle or deal with Numbers’ mood swings… and eventually Madlin disappears and they have to take care of this prototype robot which is basically an experiment in artificial mental illness. …Which is not as fun as it sounds. xD

Oh. And Kaedyn refers to Numbers exclusively as “babe”. (Numbers is a nickname but her real name is actually undecided so…… Kaedyn just gives her another nickname haha.)

Okay. I get the feeling I am making absolutely no sense, I’m sorry. Mostly this is like, a vague comic idea I had? Mad scientist aunt disappears, no one really knows where. Her introverted niece has to take care of a prototype robot who thinks he’s a child and is kind of scared of everything… and cope with her partner who picks fights with anyone. …Yeah when I think about this goofy little story I for some reason imagine them in a black and white comic style. Like, Kaedyn’s got their tools and a broken robot on the table and they’re like “Babe where’s my wrench” while they’re scratching their head with it. Very smart but also very stupid is one of my favourite tropes ahaha  

Okay I’m not sure who to ramble about next?? My characters are so underdeveloped, good golly.

Nicholas~

I’m gonna ramble about him even though I have seriously been thinking he needs a lot of work, I’ve actually been considering giving him a new name but, anyway.

He’s in a weird fantasy setting and he’s a dragon! His race of dragons though are basically humans that have can transform into dragons. Except the horns, tails, wing stumps, and some of them have weird eyes. But dragons have some magic and if they master it they can hide those things while they’re in their human form. Nicholas himself though has really only figured out how to get rid of the wing stumps. Still sleeps on his tummy out of habit though.

Nicholas is probably the most innocent character I have, to be honest. He’s very soft- he really likes flowers, braiding his hair or having his hair braided, also he’s very curious about humans. Which is weird for dragons, most of them think of humans as either very dangerous or mid-afternoon snacks. But Nicholas was raised differently, so he’s curious. Not to mention lonely. Dragons are actually pretty rare and he only ever met his parents, but he doesn’t remember his father very well (who died when he was young) and since his mother died in his teens he’s been alone.

I imagine at some point he befriends a witch and they possibly become a love interest for him but this is where it gets fuzzy and undecided. I do like to imagine he meets a human character and becomes close to them, I just haven’t really decided how that happens or if he meets just one witch or a family/household or what. But he also finds out he likes poetry, but he’s illiterate so he has to have someone read it to him. I imagine this in medieval times, so not many people can read but that’s also why I imagine a witch character because. Learning from spellbooks I guess. And just generally not really being part of the human population… and not being scared of dragons. Even though Nicholas would probably not scare many people pbbbt. xD Yeah, anyway. He likes to be read to.

I don’t know, most of my characters are just kind of vague ideas. He’s just a cute little forest creature who happens to be able to grow really big and breath fire. xD I’ve thought about making a more modern AU which would probably be easier to develop but yeah I really can’t decide.

Anyway, except for a couple forgettable doodles I haven’t actually drawn Nicholas… but fortunately, I do have an awesome drawing of him by @iridiscreate! I hope to do a serious drawing of him myself sometime, but I’m actually okay with that being his main reference for now- he looks very pretty! :D

Meredith~

Oh I’ll pretty much always take any chances to ramble about Meredith! Haha she’s the OC I know the most about to be honest xD

The first time her hair was cut short was because her mom was tired of having to chase her down to brush it. So there was a time when she was pretty young that her parents made her wear these big bows in her hair when she went out… she hated them, she still hates them, and her mom still tries to convince her to wear them when she comes to visit, because she cut her hair again. (Yeah… she has some family issues…)

Okay, Meredith loves music. She has kind of a complicated relationship with it, but she loves music. She usually has classical music playing in the background at her apartment, while she’s reading or whatever. She also plays violin, but she’s weird about that, she doesn’t usually listen to it when she plays (she wears ear plugs), and she mostly uses it as an outlet when her emotions get the better of her. She was much more enthusiastic about violin when she was a girl. She’s always had a love of music, it kind of runs in her family. She originally wanted to play piano like her grandfather (who was a singer/pianist in a bar) but her father wouldn’t allow that. Though when the violin option was allowed she was very excited, and when she was little she dreamed of being a concert violinist. Her parents mostly favoured violin because of the discipline it would require to learn and practice, and their past attempts to discipline her? Ehh, not so great. xD In the end though her parents killed her enthusiasm for violin. Their habit of displaying their daughters’ talents to their friends but otherwise having little interest was a bit discouraging… and for Meredith, very damaging. The older she got and the more she thought about it she felt her parents were disinterested in her from the start, so that led to a very rocky teenage years. (For instance she spent ages two to six (ish) being sent to her grandparents’ house a lot. Not with her sisters, no, just her- because she was being difficult and her parents were tired of her. So that hurt when she really thought about it.) So… anyway now she kind of loves and hates violin. Now when she plays it still brings her back to being the trophy her parents preferred to keep on the back of the shelf, but it also brings her back to being the little girl who was in love with music… so. Mixed feelings there. …

Did I have way too many Meredith feels while I was writing this and have to edit out most of my emotions later? NO absolutely not I’m not crying you are SHUSH

Oof I know I’ve already rambled a lot but one more thing. Just a cute little fact, not exactly about Meredith but still. She is her nephew Aidan’s favourite aunt. He’s like four years old and has blonde hair with bright blue tips, because he begged his mother (Meredith’s sis Jessie) to dye his hair blue. Anyway yeah, Meredith is pretty good with kids… they probably like her because she’s so weird. Funny though, because with her looking pretty much like the insomniac goth mess she is, she definitely doesn’t give off any maternal vibes to anyone else she meets… except kids. (It’s the blue hair again, it has magical powers. Haha okay I’m kidding. xD)

Anyway! Sorry for getting this answered so late ahh!! I swear I wasn’t avoiding this ask (I was actually very excited about it) but I kept getting interrupted in the middle of rambling so.. yeah. Anyway thank you again for the ask!! Sorry I rambled an ungodly amount!! xD

Send me a 🖊 to make me ramble about my OCs! (yeah no kidding about the rambling)

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: Hilda

WARNING: Always carry shoe bags if you plan to wear suede shoes on a wet day. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.

The Wonders of Nature can Beckon the Youngest of Minds

You know, even as 19 year old me has become technologically obsessed par the course of this, I’ve always had a fascination to the outdoors to where I would call nature a friend and a character in its own right. Which is why when I see or play media that takes place in a luscious, quiet outdoor world, best ex. Breath of the Wild, I feel a bit at ease and immersed in the simple yet varied beauty that lies before me. So when I see Hilda, based on the comic with the same style and look to it, I can’t help but feel relieved and joyous of this honest “feel good” series.

With a cuddly deerfox as the cherry on top like... yes

Now, the animation... it's BOSS. It’s only honestly the first cartoon I’ve seen where the drab colors make it pop the most. The fact that it captures both the muted fall color palette and the etchy character lining from the books are one thing, with the character designs looking softer than the books which is a great touch, but having Mercury Filmworks animate this season brings a tear to my good eye. I will keep saying this, Mercury is the best company to go to when you want a cartoon to feel animated, and this is no exception. It has the perfect blend of snap and jump to it, and the first episode was enough to keep me watching. You gotta see it to believe it.

I especially love the grand scale it gives from time to time, really giving you the ‘wide’ in ‘wide world’

Speaking of first episodes, let it be said that the tone or mood of the first can set things for the rest of a season and I love the tone Hilda has for itself. Serene, peaceful, sometimes somber, with a looming sense of mystery hiding underneath. The first seven minutes of the season captures the whole season in a way that if you removed the dialogue, it would be a perfect example of visual storytelling, something I’ve grown to love in the 5+ years of being a cartoon reviewer.

Just saying, “a picture’s worth a thousand words” isn’t some deplorable artistic idiom

But really, what can I say about this series that I haven’t already said about True and the Rainbow Kingdom? (coincidentally both Netflix shows) I mean I could go on about how surreal it can be or how it has those tender moments or how it’s “Gravity Falls meets Over the Garden Wall” like I’m a simple ass normie, but pbbt. Of all the hyperactive or zany stuff I’ve seen this year, it’s just nice to have that one series like this where you can relax with what you’re watching. It’s simple folklore filled adventures with a girl, her friend, and her deerfox companion, what else is needed? Not to mention, like Gary and his Demons, it felt complete. I could applaud for a season two, but I don’t feel it’s necessary; as an adaptation, it did its job superbly and I’m fine with it either continuing or stopping after one.

Tho as long as Mercury’s still on board, I would be down for a season 2

Like True, I just…felt at peace, happy watching this, and this happiness resonated with me and it’s something I feel everyone should know and hold dear. This show is ‘peaceful’ in every sense of the word. This lifted my spirits in a way that feels refreshing and for the fall season, I say Hilda provided the necessary starting point and is a great, timeless seasonal series worth remembering and watching.

5 Out of 5. A bountiful masterpiece

[papa-abel]

This isn't an ask but I'm L I V I N G for all over you veddie art okay have a nice dayyy:)

aw thank you! more is coming..i know i say that every time..i have SO many ideas but i either want to put more effort into them or they're lengthier comics so..pbbt.. but i do have a dumb self-indulgent thing I hope to get out tomorrow!