#currently zooted

[thethingything]

men love me for my ability to spill one little bit of honey and then keep finding more honey in unexpected places for the next half hour or so

[palettepainter]

Today I would like to remind the Raph fans of the glow up Raph had from his first design, ya guy was rocking a whole different colour scheme and outfit

[murdi0r]

such a peaceful & cosy evening 🍃

[honeypleasejustkillme]

you give me all new levels of a high, my darling

[gaybabything]

Guys, my cat is high as balls right now

[koro-is-caffeinated]

♣️ :D

You're my: Beloved mutual who has introduced me to a lot of media

How I met you: Through Watcher, absorbed into the fray like water to a sponge

Why I follow you: Came for the Watcher stayed for the person behind the blog!!

Your blog is: having the world's best color pallette

Your URL is: The ultimate bergirly url, 10/10 spirits

Your icon is: The lil guy himself

A random fact I know about you: Fuck. I'm so tired. Um. Um. Shit. You're older than me

General opinion: Your posts are always bangers and I'm glad you're here

A random thought I have: You make me want milkshakes for some reason. I call you Gooze in my head

[horror-horo-hollow]

I want orange sherbert icecream so baddddd

[thethingything]

did you know if your connective tissue is fucked up enough you can dislocate a rib while changing your bedding? I am suffering

[bleureux]

Diet culture is so ridiculous like we demonized sugar so much that people are now convinced that drinking straight up vinegar mixed with sparkling water is good and healthy thing to do as opposed to soft drinks

[gojos-fr-bae]

𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔰 𝔇𝔬 𝔓𝔱. 1 (ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡)

Pairing: CEO!Gojo x Fem!Lawyer!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, drinking, smoking, strippers, giving head, thoughts of su1c1de, mentions of sex, vomiting, shameless flirting

Word Count: 2.2K

A/N: Heyyyy, so I finally redid this. It is mostly just part 1 and 2 together but I fixed it up to make it make more sense. I hope this is more like, uk, coherent and enjoyable to read. Hope you enjoyyyyy ❤️

Minors DNI

A lawsuit.

He scoffed at the thought that someone would dare try to make an attack at him. He thought that it took a certain level of stupidity to try to attack the CEO of the most powerful tech company in Korea.

For once, someone had managed to leave his army of lawyers speechless.

A person was suing Gojo Industries because their phone had exploded in their hand. This at first didn't phase him. But as he sat there being served a 20,000 dollar fine, he couldn't help but stare at the woman who had caused his amazement as she walked out celebrating her victory with her client and associates.

How...curious.

~

That was a week ago, a week before he had to sit through the most brutal court hearings he had ever experienced. 

"Did you find her?" Gojo asked his assistant Nanami as he entered his office.

"Yes actually, now get off my back," He said in his monotone voice, slamming the file down on his desk

"Thanks Nanamiiin," He said, giving him his signature toothy grin, opening the file. "And you reached out?"

"Yes, her contract with Hanbada ends in two days and I've already scheduled an interview tomorrow at 11am."

"Alright that's all, you may leave."

"Now that that's settled, what the fuck are you thinking!?" Nanami asked, speaking to Gojo not as his assistant but as his friend.

"What do you meeean, why do I have to have some hidden motive to hire such a brilliant person to my legal team?"

"Well first of all, that's the first time I've heard you use the word brilliant in reference to anyone but yourself EVER, and second of all the last time you did this it was with that lady in marketing and got caught fucking her in the board room,"

"...details, details, wanna go to the club?" he asked, getting and picking his phone and car keys.

"Sure I guess," Nanami replied, sighing and taking off his tie, "But lay off the drugs for once will you, we have a meeting tomorrow morning and I don't need you to show up wrecked like last time."

"We both know I can't promise you that," He said, turning around to face his friend and lighting a cigarette.

~

"So, you excited for that interview you got comin' up?" your best friend Toji asked, placing your wine on the coffee table while opening his bottle of beer and sitting next to you on the floor.

"Mmm, I don't know, it's for the company I went against in my last case."

"The asshole who kept staring at you in court?"

"The very same."

"Fuckin' shit" He groaned, taking u gulp of his beer "Need me to take you?'

"Nah it's ok, if he does anything weird I'll kick his junk and call you.

"That's my girl" Toji laughed before playing the movie and pulling you into his side. "If that doesn't work pull out your knife and aim for the jugular."

"Yes sir."

~

"Satoru get your ass up so we can leave this shit hole." Nanami seethed at his so calledbest friend who was currently fucking some random stripper's throat. He was absolutely zooted.

"F-fuck Nanamiin, come on don-mmmhh," Gojo groaned, puffs of shisha escaping his lips.

"Fucking asshole," Nanami whispered under his breath, planning how he would murder his stupid friend. Why on earth did he still put up with his bs.

~

Everything hurts.

His head hurts, his arms hurt, his legs hurt. But worst of all, is the ache he felt in his heart. It was so unbearable it caused him to shed silent tears, wishing for his torture to end.

Why did he have to wake up? Why did he have to keep breathing, keep living, why couldn't it all just...stop.

"Get up, you need to get to work." Nanami said from across the room, feeling pity for the man laid down before him.

"Am I really that insufferable and unlovable?"

"Satoru, please."

"Why did she leave," his voice croaked, tears spilling from his eyes as he gazed out his bedroom window, laying still in his bed.

"I don't know Gojo, and I wouldn't say you're unlovable, insufferable sure but you know."

Gojo just sighed before falling out of his bed, and sprinting to his bathroom. All Nanami could hear were his friend's sobs while he threw his guts up.

~

"Sir, Miss L/N is here to see you."

Gojo sighed, running his hands over his face, careful not to rub the concealer and foundation covering his eye bags, contacts, blocking how red his eyes are from the bottle of whiskey and two cigarettes he had for breakfast.

"Send her in," he groaned, plastering his most charismatic smile he could on his face.

"Miss L/N, please, have a seat," he said, motioning to the seat across his desk.

"Thank you sir," you said in a soft tone, bowing slightly before taking the seat he offered.

"So, tell me about yourself"

"Oh, well I studied law at The University of Br-

" uh uh uh, that's not what I meant, I already saw all that on the resume, I want to know more about you" he said in a deep tone licking his lips while looking you up and down. Strike 1.

"Oh.. ok, well um... I'm from (Country name), I'm 22 and I love dogs…."

"(Country name) huh? No wonder you're so beautiful" Strike 2

"Hahaha, yeaaahhh. Anyways I would really appreciate a spot on your legal team. I researched it and noticed a lot of prestigious and highly respected advocates and attorneys and it would be my honour to work beside them," you said trying to shift the conversation back to a more professional tone.

"I'm sure you would do well considering how sexy you look in that suit," Strike fucking 3

"Alright you douche bag I'm not going to sit here and let you sexualize me knowing there's dozens of companies in the country who offered me well paying jobs so I wi-"

"We'll pay you 50,000 dollars per month"

"And where do I sign,"

So, you ignore all his passes on you but hear him out when he talks about work? How...curious.

*****

Gojo stirred from his sleep...again.

He's waking up...again.

Why couldn't he just be at peace for once.

Suddenly he felt so nauseous. And then came the pain. The strong, unbearable, disgusting, white hot pain. 

He ran to  the toilet and gagged so hard, trying so hard to throw up the food he hadn't even eaten. 

When was the last time he ate? 

He couldn't even remember the last time he had a proper meal on a ‘good day’ let alone when he was throwing up so hard his vision was blurring. But then again, maybe those were his tears as sobs racked his body.

Make it stop, make it stop MAKE IT STOOP!

Why wouldn't it all just stop. Maybe it was the two bottles of gin he took before bed...or the five sleeping pills...or the 50mg cocaine. All he knew was that he was sitting on his bathroom floor wishing he took the entire bottle of pills, maybe then they would've been enough to stop his heart.

*Knocks*

"Satoru, you're going to be late!" Shouted Nanami, annoyed on the other side of the door.

Gojo slapped his hand over his mouth to muffle his cries.

"Satoru?" Nanami tried again, voice sounding slightly more worried this time.

The lack of a response caused him to open the door, his stoic expression softening ever so slightly as he looked down at his best friend.

"Again?"

Satoru looked up at him before letting his shoulders shake, tears cascading down his face as he nodded his head.

"*sigh* Alright, let's get you cleaned up"

~

"She's here," Nanami said to Gojo, now in his office.

"Really?" the latter perked up, rising from his seat.

"Yes but if I may ask, why are you so interested in her?"

"You know she shut down my flirting?"

"And this shocked you because?"

"When was the last time you remember me being rejected by someone?"

"You want to go there?" Nanami asked, smirking at Gojo who rolled his eyes.

"Just tell me where she is"

"Staff room, pretty sure she's getting breakfast, you should try it some time,"

"The staff room?"

"Breakfast,"

"Oh you're soo funny"

Satoru groaned before walking out of the office to go find you. 

Who knows, maybe he'll get lucky today.

~

"Hey~" a deep voice whispered in your ear, making you jump in shock and turn around ready to kill whoever was behind you. Unfortunately, that happened to be your new boss.

"Oh, Mr. Gojo, how may I help you?"

"Not much just um... getting coffee."

"Ah, let me make you some then, how many sugars?"

"Five,"

"FIVE? What the hell, it's like you don't even want teeth."

"I guess not."

You looked at him in confusion before making him the coffee but putting 4 sugars instead of 5.

"So, there's a company dinner tonight for all the new staff, would love to see you there."

"Of course sir, now if you'll excuse me I have to get working."

"Please, go ahead"

"Yes sir," You said before bowing and walking away from him as fast as possible, who knows, maybe you will trip on your heels, twist an ankle and have to miss the dinner.

~

"Woah, woah, woah, and where are you going dressed like such a slut?" Toji asked, leaning on the frame of the bathroom door, looking you up and down while smirking.

For the dinner you chose to wear a light pink, knee length satin dress with a sweetheart neckline. You even straightened your hair and were finishing up on your makeup.

"Well if you MUST know, I'm going for a company dinner."

"Dresses like that? Might as well just go naked and take birth control. I call dibs on Godfather."

"Yeah yeah, you're just happy ‘cause ur going to be alone tonight."

"Says who? I'm going to be so busy I had to fill up on condoms."

"As if you'll use them." you snorted, walking past him to pick up your bag and leave.

"You look gorgeous by the way" He whispered, making you turn around and smile at him softly.

"Thank you"

"Uh huh, yeah now fuck off the strippers get here in ten, I don't need them seeing your weird ass, might think I'm cheating on them," He snorted, making you role your eyes and walk out of your shared apartment, wondering why you still put up with him.

~

You walked into the reserved room with a few of your colleagues, making the meeting complete. And you did your best to ignore the fact that your boss saved you the seat right beside him.

"Great! Now that we're all here and situated, I would like to raise a toast to all of you and to all our new employees, welcome you to Gojo industries. I look forward to working with all of you. Cheers"

And while everyone was toasting, you couldn't help but notice how Gojo's hand was shaking. You also looked at his face and noticed his pupils were dilated.

"Uhm, excuse me sir, are you okay?" you whispered once everyone had settled down and were immersed in their own conversations.

"Of course, why would you ask?

"Well, it's just that you're shaking, so I was slightly concerned."

"Ah, I didn't even notice, maybe I just need some fresh air, excuse me."

He rose from his seat and made his way out of the room, but you couldn't help but notice how his breathing had sped up slightly and his shoulders tensed. Kinda weird but then again he seemed like a pretty odd guy so you chose not to question it.

~

You were walking through the restaurant when you passed the back door and heard some heavy breathing. You slowly walked towards it and cracked the door open and shock cannot even begin to express the emotion you were experiencing at that moment. 

There was your boss, squatting while leaning against the building wall. But what caused your surprise wasn’t just his heavy breathing. He was shaking so violently that even though you technically hated his guts you couldn't help but worry.

"Sir? A-are you ok?"

Instead of a response, his breathing quickened. He was...having a panic attack? What the...huh? 

"Uhm sir, please calm down." you said in the softest tone you could muster, putting your bag down and trying to pat his back.

"Make it stop, please" you hear him croak, his voice sounded so soft, so weak, so...broken. You'd had your fair share of panic attacks but through the more recent half of them, you had Toji to be a shoulder to cry on so you know that being alone while suffering like this was hell. And because of this, you kneeled down and pulled him against you, wrapping your arms tightly around him and placing his head against your neck.

Once you did he began to sob so hard you were pretty sure it was ripping his throat raw. He grabbed your dress so hard he feared he would never be able to let go.

He didn’t want to let go. Not yet.

@porridgesblog

BOO! Two in one day?! who am I ?! That pole was absolutely useless wasn't it? also, am I picking up some toji x y/n?!

© gojos-fr-bae

[infictionalwonderland]

pairing: john b x fem!reader

warnings: drugs & alcohol, it’s so fluffy i wanna die, crude language 😯😯😯, PDA, swearing, talks of marriage and money!

Your best friend was high out of his mind.

Gone. Zooted. Wiped-out. Whatever. He was all of that and more. And the culprit here was a certain JJ Maybank—the blonde had shown up at your front door, your red-eyed giggly best friend in tow and simply left him with you, laughing manically as he scampered away and John B eagerly latched onto you.

Bastard.

He’d destroyed your night of serenity—or the night you were planning on having, a piping mug of tea ready alongside your chosen book of the night—already in your cozy silk pj set, candles alight in your room and bringing you into a sense of comfort and relaxation.

Well—if would have if your best friend wasn’t trying to set fire to his hair on them, to see what burnt hair smelt like.

“Smells nice.” John B smiled dopily up at you as you urgently tugged him away from your burning candles—as you turned your head to look down at him, you only caught a brief look at the vibrant twinkle of mischief in his honeyed eyes before he was leaning forward into the crook of your neck and inhaling dramatically, “not as nice as you though. Never as nice as you.”

“Oh dear.” You blinked.

Yep, he was absolutely sloshed.

“Whaaaat?” John whined out at your startled tone—he pulled away from smelling you with a soft pout that looked unfairly adorable: he didn’t move far, keeping the distance between you two to a minimum as he gazed at your face longingly, almost.

“What, what?”

He seemed to not hear you or he just outright ignored you completely—now frowning down at the button up Hawaiian shirt that he currently adorned, “it’s itchy.”

You blankly gazed at him as he pouted harder and drew his hands to the material of his shirt, continuously pulling it away from his skin only for it to fall back the next second and making him pull it away again.

“For the love of all things holy.” You sighed, gazing up into the sky as though looking for a higher power for guidance—you grasped both of this large, warm hands within your own soft ones and he seemed to gasp a little at the contact which you ignored.

You pushed him softly onto the bed and then squatted down before him slightly, gentle fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt and unintentionally brushing over the muscled, bare skin of his chest.

When you help him ease it off his broad shoulders, you looked up, only to find your best friend staring down at you like you were some angel—eyes hazy and lips twitching into the softest smile you’d ever seen.

“You’re really pretty.” He mumbled gently, the sugary words and his timid tone flowing like a soothing, cool breeze across your ears—his eyes drilling into your own. “I—I always thought so but I never said it, because I just thought you wouldn’t think I was pretty! Like—like, beauty and the beast—you’re the beautiful-est beauty and I’m the beast-y beast.”

An abashed flush touched at your skin, heart stuttering, but before you could speak, he was at it again.

“I personally think you’re um—like, the prettiest person that I’ve ever seen. You’re—you’re like this beautiful princess and ball of sunshine all in one and like the sun—being around you just lights me up, I think that makes sense? You’re like the perfect person in my book! But… don’t tell JJ I said this, he won’t let me live it down. Actually—no, tell him I’m a proud fan of yours.”

Your best friend continued rambling on, not seeming to acknowledge the weight of his words.

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

He stared down at you suddenly, hazel eyes round and slightly red rimmed with a flustered shade of crimson dusting over his tanned skin, corners of his lips tipping into a shy smirk.

“I think you’re very pretty.” You confirmed softly, a hand gliding up his knee gently as you still remained crouched before him, you have a soft squeeze to his lower thigh before standing and his eyes stayed on you the whole time—looking at you like you made every worry in the world go away.

“Really?” He gasped in disbelief, eyes wide in awe.

“Yeah.” You giggled—eyes crinkling affectionately in the corners as you stared at him with a sweet smile.

“Good, good, my future wife has to think I’m pretty. First rule to marriage.” John B nodded enthusiastically—your face slacking shock, lips slightly pouted in wonder. He didn’t seem to notice as he continued to grin and suddenly he reached forwards, arms lovingly entangling around your waist before laying down on his back and tugging you atop him.

You let out a soft, startled squeal and his glazed eyes glittered at the sound—hands respectfully rested on your hips as you put your arms either side his head and used them to balance and not be fully on him.

“No, stop—“ He whined in disappointment, reaching to either side of him and softly removing your hands from the bed, intertwining both your hands with his own and making it so all your body weight was on him. “Better.” John B grinned dopily, looking exceedingly lovesick.

“You’re so intoxicated.”

“You’re so pretty. And perfect, and kind and beautiful and sexy and funny and cool and cute—and you’re gonna be my future wife.”

“I—“

“What flowers do you want.. at the wedding?” John hummed, thumb rubbing against the back of your head in contentment. “Oh! I’ll buy you your dress too—when I get the money—because, only the best for my pretty little wife. Only the best.” He rambled.

“Tulips could be cute.” You finally admitted, soft toned as you traced gentle patterns against his bare, muscled chest that you lay slumped across.

“I’ll get you all the tulips in the world.” He vowed immediately—“I’ll get you all the tulips for everywhere! From—from Mars too, they might be a little burnt but it’s okay, we won’t judge them on their appearance.”

“From Mars? Are you gonna be an astronaut?” You gasped dramatically. “First Pogue on the moon.”

“Do you want me to be?” John B innocently inquired, twirling strands of your hair around his fingers.

“I want you to be what you want to be.”

“I… I’m too pissed to understand whatever you just said but your voice is always really—really nice to hear, so thank you.”

“.. thank you for my voice?”

“Yep.” He giggled childishly, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of your head. “It’s a very, very nice voice.”

“Thank you.” You hummed back in amusement, leaning your head against his tone chest and looking up at him—hands still entangled with his one and he stared back, eyes glowing with affection in the dim lighting on your room and smiling at you with an expression you’d never seen on his face.

“Night, night future wife.” John B softly mumbled, squeezing your face together briefly on an impulse before thumping his head against your soft mattress and closing his eyes.

“Night, night honey.”

“I’ll get you those tulips.” He promised, voice slurring with sleep and intoxication. “I’ll—I’ll get you a dress, too, and a pretty ring. Whatever you want.”

As he dozed off, you could only stare at his sleeping face, still wrapped against his chest—your heart fluttered involuntarily within your chest but what the fuck. You were fucked (hopefully).

[cinnamon-stixs]

The Cinnamon_Stixs master post!

About me! (READ FOR BOUNDARIES)

My Redbubble Sona Ref Ask submission guide

Tadc art

TadRPG Au master post

Tadr Au masterpost

Full art

Valentine's 2024 special!

Saying a lot of things as Caine

Abel design sheet (outdated)

Abel + Sun/moon (current)

Kerfuffle (someone else's oc)

Tadc designs (current)

Tadc designs (outdated)

Sun and Moon designs (outdated)

Eepy digital circus

zooted royalteeth

swap au royalteeth

sick caine :(

couple's shirts

au blorbo stuff

drunk royalteeth

royalteeth vampire au

Craftyinternetland fic fanart

Jax Toy!

Kinger's royal soap opera fanart

Kinger pining

Opposite AU caine

Doodles

Memes One, Two, three, four

incorrect royalteeth quotes one, two

Caine's pickup line

teaser doodles one, two

royalteeth + misc doodles

royalteeth doodles, part 2

Ragapom and kingleader

the amazing digital bake-off

new program-royalteeth

new program-ragapom

Abstragedy + understand my ship charts

Caine x Kinger finals doodles

Ragapom finals doodles

misc doodles One, Two, three, four, five

rating new ships

Comics

Caine's costumes

Caine's costumes-sequel

royalteeth-pet names

kingleader uh..

Fortress 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

Terrible AU fancomic

Ai unrequited fancomic

Kiss part 1 part 2

All-seeing eyes

Kingleader wedding!!

Requests/asks

Kinger's insect collection

Eepy caine

Kinger's gift

art by zay667

more zay667 art

zay667 art part 3

Caine's intervention (gone wrong 2024)

Zooted nymble and fluggy

Caine has ADHD

opposite au kingleader, part 2, part 3, part 4

royalteeth birthday

Kingleader kitties

Moon hates kingleader

DrSkitto fanart!!

Maid dress Caine

Goldeneclipse RPG au ragapom

people being nice to me

Sottie-oc

Sottie in Aus

Sottie in Aus2

4 fandom ocs

Non-Tadc

New art program

Scott pilgrim style test

Clown week

Bittersweet daze chicago

Trashsona

Spirit's Creek-oc

Poison coma

Pride month 2023

potion making

loser baby redraw

Chocolate covered strawberries-oc

Scott pilgrim style

Doodles One

[tymime]

Public Domain cartoon characters from Golden Age comic books

Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit going (mostly) into the public domain is a pretty big deal. In the next ten years a lot of animation from the 1930s will wind up in the hands of all artists who want to use them. But did you know there's a huge amount of cartoon characters from the 1940s that are totally free to use? It isn't just cartoons that starred on the silver screen that have fallen out of copyright. (Of course, I'm using the word "cartoon" somewhat loosely...)

See, when US copyright law was revised in 1976 and went into effect in 1978, works created before 1964 were required to have their copyright renewed before the end of 1980, or else they would become public domain. Hundreds if not thousands of Hollywood movies and other types of media had been made by studios and publishing companies that went bankrupt and were completely dissolved decades prior to this new law. This included the cartoons made by studios such as Bray, Van Beuren, and many others- but it also included comic books.

If you weren't a big comic book company like DC or Marvel, chances are you shuttered your doors sometime in the 1950s or early 1960s. And during the 1940s, with the rise in popularity of Looney Tunes, Woody Woodpecker, Tom and Jerry, and Droopy, comic book publishers were printing tons and tons of comic books starring wacky, slapstick-oriented animal characters. Most of these titles went out of copyright, and there are lots of fun and interesting characters to be found in them.

One of the most historically notable is Supermouse. When the first Mighty Mouse cartoon premiered, he was called Supermouse, but what they didn't know was that Pines comics had already taken the name, and successfully sued for copyright infringement even though they were both parodies of Superman.

One of the most interesting titles I've come across is Funny Films. The conceit of the series is that these are actually cartoons you can watch in a movie theater, except it's a comic book. A bit confusing, I know.

The end result is a series of fourth wall breaks so absolutely thorough in their scope that the fourth wall really doesn't exist anymore, barring actually jumping out of the page (or your computer screen) and blowing up your living room. They talk to the audience, jump out of the screen, and even show up late for the cartoon to start. This is of course the bookends to a whole bunch of slapstick gags and goofy dialogue.

Another interesting series, especially if you're a fan of Archie, is Hi-Jinx. They basically took the premise of teeny-boppers in high school and made them into funny animals. Most of the stories have something to do with swing music and dancing.

And although they're crudely drawn, one of the more unique character concepts is Pussy Katnip, found in various titles scattered across the mid-1940s, usually buried amongst a bunch of more normal stories with ordinary human characters. Pussy Katnip looks like one of your classic film noir glamorous beauties, except she's an anthropomorphic cat. Think Minerva Mink but feline. She may appear to be a femme fatale at first, but she's actually a crimefighter. To do this she chugs a mysterious beverage that gives her enhanced strength and intelligence. She's sort of a mystery-solving superhero.

Her appearances are random and kind of hard to find. Here are the titles of the ones currently circulating online: All Your Comics (1944 issue) All Top Comics (one-shot) All Good Comics Everybody’s Comics (1944 issue) Green Mask v1 #11 Ribtickler v1 #1 All Great Comics (1945 issue) Book of All-Comics Green Mask v2 #2 Rocket Kelly #2 Zoot Comics #1

Often these comics, especially in the early '40s, remind me of the artwork of underground comics of the '70s- not quite rubberhose, not quite Looney Tunes. The kind of thing you might find on a punkabilly album cover.

And ocassionally you'll come across characters with a suspiciously familiar name:

One thing to watch out for is the occasional Donald Duck knock-off, some more obvious than others.

Now you may be asking: Where can I read these comics? Simple: https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/ Just be sure you have the right software to read them. I use cooViewer. Another incredibly useful resource is www.comics.org.

So if you're like me and you're too impatient to wait for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck to fall out of copyright, and you want to do something more unusual and unexpected, there are dozens and dozens of comic books with silly, wacky characters that can be utilized in your own original stories, cartoons, and what have you- and you can monetize them too!

[nitrateglow]

Favorite films discovered in 2023

2023 kind of sucked, but it was a fruitful year for me as a movie geek. I finally got around to seeing films that have been on my TBW pile for years now. I also gave myself a challenge that I actually completed: watch at least one film from every year between 1900 and 2023.

Anyway, I'll stop beating around the bush. Here are my top 20 favorite film discoveries in 2023. (The order is very, very loose from 5 on down. I genuinely had a hard time narrowing the list down to 20, let alone ranking everything.)

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (dir. Mikio Naruse, 1960)

This well-regarded drama follows Keiko, a bar hostess who's just turned 30 years old. She has limited options as an unmarried woman in postwar Japan. Considered "old," she has to marry soon or scrape enough money to buy her own bar. With its jazzy score and first-person narration, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs has a noirish vibe but it certainly isn't noir at all. Though the film is tragic, what moved me so much was Keiko's character. She has a tough lot and her story is ultimately tragic, yet she is determined to keep going, even if life won't give her a break.

The Boy and the Heron (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2023)

Miyazaki's current "last film" is certainly his most abstract and puzzling. I imagine it'll be one of his more divisive titles in the years to come, but count me among its fans. While being "in the know" regarding the current state of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki's 60+ year-long career in animation allows one to better appreciate the many allusions and themes within the film, it stands just fine on its own as a surrealistic adventure about grief and the power of art. Also, damn, I LOVE hand-drawn animation so much.

Black Cat (dir. Kaneto Shindo, 1968)

Kaneto Shindo's Black Cat is yet another confirmation of my feeling that horror pairs best with humor or heartbreak. While there are some morbidly funny moments, Black Cat is largely a devastating supernatural horror story about a young samurai who encounters two mysterious women in the woods, not realizing they are the ghosts of his murdered wife and mother. Even worse, they've sworn to kill any and all samurai they encounter, since their deaths were the result of raping, pillaging samurai-- but they remain human enough to desire an exception. I was creeped out thoroughly by the chilly atmosphere and imagery of this film. I liked it even better than Shindo's Onibaba and that was one of my favorites from 2022!

Malcolm X (dir. Spike Lee, 1992)

I usually dislike big movie biopics for being stuffy and formulaic. Malcolm X avoids both of these issues. Directed to the hilt by Spike Lee, this film is passionate and compelling, about as far from a stuffy Oscarbait biopic as you could imagine. Also, Denzel Washington is AMAZING in the titular role. Like, we're talking one of the best performances I have ever seen because not only is Washington convincing as Malcolm X, he also perfectly portrays his arc from zoot-suited young criminal to uncompromising activist leader. I was absolutely mesmerized the entire time-- it's a long movie that never feels its length and I'll definitely be revisiting it in the future.

The Kiss Before the Mirror (dir. James Whale, 1933)

James Whale’s horror movies are listed among the finest 1930s cinema had to offer, but his other works remain woefully overlooked. The Kiss Before the Mirror is a strange marital drama set in a dreamlike interwar Vienna. A lawyer defending a murderer who shot down his cheating wife comes to discover his own wife in the midst of a casual affair. Will this discovery lead to another killing? Despite the lurid plot elements, Kiss is closer to Kubrick’s introspective Eyes Wide Shut than a typical 1930s melodrama. Both husband and wife are complex characters struggling with destroyed illusions, making the story a hell of a lot more complex than you'd expect.

Five Miles to Midnight (dir. Anatole Litvak, 1962)

I am so glad I ignored the meh reviews on this one because I would have missed out on one of the best thrillers I've seen in years. Sophia Loren is a woman desperate to shake off her narcissistic, abusive husband played by Tony Perkins. When Perkins is wrongly believed dead in a plane crash, he hides out in Loren's apartment so they can collect the life insurance money, split the funds, then part amicably. This being a Hitchcock-style thriller, it doesn't work out that way. What sells the film is the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Loren and Perkins's miserable, mismatched married couple, and a noirish sense of doom lends a great deal of atmosphere.

Shoes (dir. Lois Weber, 1916)

Shoes is the best Lois Weber film I have yet seen and it still packs a wallop a century-plus since its initial release. Mary MacLaren plays a young woman single-handedly supporting her family on a five dollar a week salary. She wears shoes that are falling apart but can never seem to save enough for a new pair-- that is, until an unsavory way of getting the cash presents itself, much to her horror and temptation. This is a heartbreaking little film that showcases a lot of what I love about 1910s American cinema. There's less glamor in the settings and nothing at all genteel or cleaned up about the poverty on display. MacLaren is wonderful in the lead too, her performance a quietly compelling portrait of quiet desperation.

Jeopardy (dir. John Sturges, 1953)

Barbara Stanwyck was in such a wealth of films that I can forgive myself for not realizing this one even existed. After seeing it, it's easily in my top five favorite films of hers. On the surface, the plot sounds like fodder for sleazy sex fantasy: a housewife on vacation is kidnapped by a hot escaped convict. She's racing against time to save her husband from drowning after the tide comes in at the beach where he's trapped; the convict has a very specific price for any aid he's willing to offer. Stanwyck's characterization complicates the situation and the direction amps the tension to a breaking point. Great, great stuff!

Girlfriends (dir. Claudia Weill, 1978)

This film came across my path in a weirdly personal way. One of my sisters got engaged this year. We've been close all of our lives and shared an apartment for years, so this is going to be a big change for both of us. Girlfriends is about a young woman whose best friend is getting married, meaning she'll be on her own for the first time. In addition to making this adjustment, she's a photographer currently hired for weddings and bar mitzvahs, but dreaming of entering the larger world of art galleries. I guess you could say it's a 70s version of a quarter-life crisis film (Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha takes A LOT from it). The performances and direction are exceptional, having that unglamorous, lived-in vibe I love about the films of this period. It also just happened to come into my life at the most resonant time, so there's that.

Ivan the Terrible, Parts One and Two (dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1945 and 1958)

As a person who hates the idea that realism is the only valid form for cinematic drama, Eisenstein's hyper-stylized Ivan the Terrible movies are a joy. The compositions are like something out of a painting, the acting is operatic, the writing mythic and sweeping. The dance number in Part II is one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever. Best of all, the films rise above their propagandist origins, becoming a fascinating study of institutional power set against individual charisma.

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (dir. Emilio Miraglia, 1972)

I've been getting more into giallo lately and The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is among the more memorable titles. You have the fashion world setting, a disguised murderer running around in a red cloak, over the top kills, a villainous junkie who looks like Bucky Barnes, a spooky castle with death traps, the works. It's a movie where I don't really care too much about the plot. It's the off-kilter, sinister atmosphere that draws me in, as with most giallo movies.

Little Miss Sunshine (dir. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, 2006)

It took Alan Arkin dying for me to finally get around to seeing this much beloved 2000s gem. I expected to only be interested in Arkin as the drug-addled, foul-mouthed grandpa, but the entire movie is so warm-hearted and hilarious that I fell in love with it whole hog. The characters are all quirky without being Quriky (tm), if you know what I mean. And I love the final message about just living your life and not worrying about whether or not you're "successful" in the eyes of society. An old theme to be sure, but done so, so well here. (Also, the mercilessly satirical jab at child beauty pageants is pure gold.)

Pom Poko (dir. Isao Takahata, 1994)

I feel like a lot of western anime fans only see Pom Poko as "lol that movie where the tanuki have comically oversized testicles." And yeah, that is indeed something in this movie but there's so much more. It's one of the boldest films I've ever seen, an "animated documentary" (to use Takahata's words) about a village of tanuki waging war against humankind's encroachment upon the natural world. It's such a genre grab-bag, critic Daniel Thomas' description fits it best: "The story weaves through slapstick comedy, social commentary, satire, surrealism, and tragedy. It changes moods much the way the tanuki change form, bending and molding into a new shape, and relentlessly moving forward." I still think Only Yesterday is Takahata's best film, but Pom Poko is strong competition and yet another film I can see myself rewatching many times to come.

Bullet Train (dir. David Leitch, 2022)

I still kick myself for not seeing this in the theater when it came out. Bullet Train is a wonderful lark of an action film. On first watch, I recall thinking it was like a live-action anime shot in a very Tarantino-esque style. I've seen it a few times now and I enjoy the hell out of it every time. And if you don't like it, well, you just might be a Diesel.

That Cold Day in the Park (dir. Robert Altman, 1969)

Another film with a so-so reputation that I really enjoyed. Sandy Dennis (who's gradually becoming one of my favorites with every performance I see from her) plays a virginal rich woman who takes in a handsome young guy one cold day. Her initial kindness quickly curdles into erotic obsession and her house guest has his own secrets. It's an early Robert Altman film and not his most polished work, but that makes it all the more fascinating to me. It's a creepy psychological thriller with a haunting ending, as well as an interesting time capsule of the late 1960s.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (dir. Russ Meyer, 1965)

Where has this movie been all my life?? It's a bizarre campfest about three criminally minded go-go dancers who romp across the California desert, strewing all kinds of havoc in their wake. It's such a strange movie that I don't know how to describe it properly: it's got a New Wave sensibility to it all the while indulging in exploitation B-movie nonsense. Definitely a fun film to watch with a group.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (dir. Chantal Akermann, 1975)

I finally bit the bullet to watch this one after it topped the 2022 Sight & Sound list. Do I think it's the greatest film of all time? No, but I don't like singling out any work of art for such a designation. Putting aside all the drama that ensued when this was granted GOAT status, Jeanne Dielman is a striking film. It's definitely not something you just throw on casually-- you need to set aside the time to watch it and be in the right headspace. My initial mild interest morphed into a sense of anxious dread as the film ground along its three hour runtime, its protagonist struggling to retain her total sense of self-possession and control as she's thrown off her groove by unexpected events.

The Wicked Lady (dir. Leslie Arliss, 1945)

This is not high art by any means. It's melodrama with a capital M, laying the cheese on thick. Margaret Lockwood plays a devious, scheming femme fatale in 18th century England who's a gold-digging noblewoman by day and a highwaywoman cavorting with bad boy James Mason by night. This is easily the most entertaining of the Gainsborough melodramas I've yet seen, dripping with soap opera antics, sumptuous costumes, and camp-a-plenty.

War and Peace (dir. Sergei Bondarchuk, 1966-1967)

There is no substitute for reading Tolstoy's massive novel, but this 1966 Soviet version is definitely a fine work in its own right. Filmed in three parts, it's about nine hours long and it does a good job capturing the interior lives of the characters in the source material. Everything about it is just breathtaking: the costumes, the sets, the massive numbers of extras during those battle scenes. It's the kind of intellectually and emotionally stirring epic that makes all those hours fly by.

The Sweet Smell of Success (dir. Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)

I often chafe when people act as though all 1950s American cinema were Leave it to Beaver wholesomeness and buttoned up repression. Some of the nastiest Hollywood movies I've ever seen came out of the 1950s and The Sweet Smell of Success is prime among them. Among the best of the late classic noir period, it follows Burt Lancaster as a popular but monstrous newspaper columnist who uses his power to control the lives of everyone around him, particularly his sister, to whom he has a borderline perverse attachment. The dialogue is as sharp ("You're dead, son. Get yourself buried." "I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic.") and the cynicism as thick as the best of Billy Wilder. If you love noir, you can't miss out on this one.

What were your favorite film discoveries of 2023?

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Okay i know i just sent something but this is before i forget to do it another time.

What are some of the most common/ most ridiculous arguments for zvtara and antikataang? A friend is watching the show for the first time w me and he is a massive fan of kataang and hasnt even thought of the concept of zvtara once (havent told him anything myself, crazy how zoots try so hard to lie to people into thinking their ship is canon?)

I would love to have a laugh with him about the fandom after we finish our watchxD

Current ones i have: Necklace argument, zvtara was originally planned, “most” writers shipped and vouched for zvtara, “chemistry”, kataang is onesided and zuko is better for katara (than aang)

My favorite one is "Kataang has a weird age gap of *gasp* TWO WHOLE YEARS, unlike Zutara's much more reasonable *checks notes* two whole years."