#gloria firefly

[charleslee-valentine]

Firefly family name etymology:

It’s no secret their names are chosen from stories, a coverup of sorts, but the family does have real names as well, at least for the most part, with the exception of Otis. That’s because he chose his own name, giving it at least some significance still.

We’ll start with him, since he’s the oldest of the Firefly children. The name Otis means ‘leisure.’ He’s a man who doesn’t feel threatened by much. Even when shit starts to hit the fan in the second two films, he remains joking, cocky, and proud. Leisure is in his relaxed bones, even when he’s furious and scolding and violent. Even in the way he stands, with his shoulders sagged and his crotch forward, is a leisurely poster.

The second child is RJ. Full name Rufus Junior. More complicated because of its simplicity, the meaning of his name is ‘reddened.’ While there’s no personality connections there, it can possibly offer insight on his killings. Blood is red and the Firefly family home is deeply soaked in blood. It’s assumed they’ve been killing for the entirety of the children’s lives, though that’s somewhat unclear. However if Rufus got his hands ‘reddened’ when he was young (accounting for the secondary meaning of junior) then it does imply that the family allows their small children to kill as well. A minor detail, but considering the shared insight on the whole family, shows RJ being dedicated to them first and foremost.

Next is Baby. Of course this, along with Angel Baby, are her nicknames. Her true name is Vera Ellen. Together, the double name has the meanings ‘true’ and ‘brilliant.’ She was her parents pride and joy and was named ‘truly brilliant’ after the way she shined to them. However I see it as a signal that she isn’t just a pretty, happy face too. She's also as intelligent as others in the family, despite her mental health and delusions. Thus it serves as a warning not to underestimate her. She’s every bit as cunning as her brothers, in on all the plans, with twice the protection because she’s her Mama and Daddy’s little star.

As for the Firefly parents themselves, there’s Mama. Her real name is Gloria, which means ‘honor.’ Befitting of the common matriarch in the family, everything they do is to her liking. Even Otis comes down to supper and brings Wolf because he knows that would make her happy. After her death, they raise hell and fight to survive and honor her. They made a promise to her, and to the other family they lost, to not go down without a fight. All those bullets they took was to honor her. Her name represents the symbol she presents to the rest of her family.

Except Earl, who we don’t see her interact with. Because of what he did he’s been exiled from the Firefly family, but it’s worth noting that his name can mean ‘lion.’ It would seem the man had a bad temperament to do what he did, and likely without much warning. He pounced and struck and Tiny was hurt, so Earl was no longer part of the family. In that sense, it reflects his nature as a dangerous animal, a monster to them.

His replacement as consistent patriarch and father to Baby is Spaulding. While his nicknames include Captain Spaulding and Cutter, his government name is Johnny Lee Johns. Combining the meanings of Johnny ‘graced by god’ and Lee ‘poet,’ he’s symbolically been gifted his ability to wax poetic and monologue. Spaulding spends his very last moments of life ranting and monologuing in that disturbing and cruel way the Firefly family does. To us, it doesn’t seem like poetry, but his wisdom to the family is important. His poeticism isn’t his word choice, it’s the way he can use words to crush a victim’s spirit, or to scare and unsettle them right into the arms of his waiting family members down the road to be hunted.

The final member of the family, at least in order of introduction, is Foxy. He’s Otis’ half-brother, so he has his own surname that he doesn’t share with anybody else. His name obviously is not a Marx character like the rest of the family’s nicknames as well. Foxy is just the shorthand of his middle name, Foxworth, full name Winslow Foxworth Coltrane. Winslow means ‘grave’ or ‘burial.’ His rescue of his brother, and thus his entrance into the story, is necessary because of death. Cutter is dead, Mama is dead, RJ and Tiny are dead, and Otis and Baby likely aren’t long behind. Foxy is a figure of the family, who is only essential in the loss of life, so his name is significant in marking him with that death. Foxworth can mean ‘homestead’ which only adds to the tragic meaning there. His family is dead, his home gone and burnt to the ground, and he wasn’t there to see it or defend them too. The death of all those family members and the loss of his home is the reason for his determination to save his remaining two siblings, and be included in the family. Baby and Otis don’t consider him part of that fight, but he’s just as wounded by it. Coltrane is symbolic of ‘wild energy.’ The result of the above trauma for him is his manic attitude. Even as calm and flat affected as he can seem, he turns cruel and sadistic when push comes to shove. All of the Firefly family can fit into that trope, of completely unhinged assholes, but Foxy wears the specific name that says it’s a part of him. Showing that he is a memeber of the family regardless of his prison stint that had him separated from the rest.

Firefly, of course, is a name chosen from characters and likely not their legal name, but it’s the one they use. The little insect fireflies symbolize ‘hope.’ The family reminds each other to be hopeful, because they see themselves as untouchable. Nobody can stop them, it seems at least, and Baby has to be reminded of that when she’s in Mexico grieving her Mama and Daddy. The love they have and the hope they share exists despite their evil and destructive nature, showing that they are a family unit deep down. Afterall, the point of these three films was to show what happens when the killers have support and love and family behind them for once, and how less likely their victims are in such a case to survive.

[seraph5]

Been listening to the super fun sci-fi podcast lately called Midnight Burger and decided to draw the gang (minus Effie and Zebulon but they are on the to-do list). If you like Star Trek, Firefly or Star-gate I would get on this podcast. It’s very like that while totally being it’s own fun thing. I have heard up to episode 24 so my illustrations are based on what I’ve heard up until there.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One #1 by Sam Humphries, Giovanni Fabiano and Gloria Martinelli. Cover by Ejikure. Variant cover by Suspiria Vilchez. Out in September.

"Despite starting from an unlikely place, Malcolm Reynolds has always been a troublemaker, and becoming a Browncoat was always meant to be. But what unexpected obstacles lie on that path to him becoming the Captain fans know and love, before assembling the crew of the spaceship Serenity? One of modern comics most witty and beloved writers Sam Humphries (Harley Quinn) takes on the world of Firefly, along with the comics debut of stunning artist Giovanni Fabiano!"

[comicbooksaregood]

Detective Comics

Volume: 1

Issue: 1000000

The Bug That Ate Tomorrow

Writers: Chuck Dixon

Pencils: Greg Land

Inks: Drew Geraci

Colours: Gloria Vasquez, Android Images

Covers: Pat Garrahy

DC

[mrcrepsley]

hold on if you put it into perspective that otis named cutter after one of his favorite groucho marx characters it’s insane i mean just the fact alone that he NAMED HIM and spaulding liked it enough to make it his whole persona is like. ok man.

but otis really met this guy and he was like dude you remind me so much of my favorite character. my favorite character who is fucking hilarious, kinda pathetic, everyone worships the ground he walks on, is a major asshole, makes well disguised dirty jokes about underage girls, prostitution, rape, racism and gays and hes misogynistic on top of it? thats all of otis’s favorite things embodied in person!

AND it matches otis’s own alias. i could keep going

[graphicpolicy]

Discover the Hidden Past of Zoë, Serenity’s intrepid first mate in a new Firefly origin story from BOOM! Studios!

Discover the Hidden Past of Zoë, Serenity’s intrepid first mate in a new Firefly origin story from BOOM! Studios! #comics #comicbooks #firefly

[smashpages]

Writer Sam Humphires, artist Giovanni Fabiano and colorist Gloria Martinelli will explore the early years of Firefly’s fearless leader in Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One.

Read more

[geekcavepodcast]

Firefly Origin Stories Continue with "Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One"

BOOM! Studios has announced that the next Firefly Year One story will be Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One from writer Sam Humphires, artist Giovanni Fabiano, and colorist Gloria Martinelli.

"War between the Alliance and the Browncoats is hell, but when a bank heist is abandoned for a fateful team-up between Mal and Zoë, an altruistic bond is formed that sets the stage for the future fans know and love!" (BOOM! Studios)

Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One #1 goes on sale on November 20, 2024. The first issue sports a main cover by Ejikure and two color variant covers by Suspiria Vilchez.

(Image via BOOM! Studios - Ejikure's Cover of Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One #1)

[comicbookclub]

'Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One' Kicks Off The Origin Of Mal's Trust Lieutenant

BOOM! Studios has announced Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One, a new comic detailing the origins of the character.

[comicbookclublive]

'Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One' Kicks Off The Origin Of Mal's Trust Lieutenant

BOOM! Studios has announced Firefly: Zoë Alleyne Year One, a new comic detailing the origins of the character.

[vampireassistant]

List of names Rob Zombie used or referenced in House of 1000 Corpses/The Devil's Rejects + where they're from:

The last name "Firefly" is from Duck Soup, 1933

Captain Spaulding -> Captain Spaulding (Animal Crackers - 1930), Ringo (Stagecoach - 1939)

Otis B. Driftwood -> Otis B. Driftwood (A Night at the Opera - 1935), Mr. Hammer (The Cocoanuts - 1929), J. Cheever (At The Circus - 1939), Quincy Wagstaff (Horse Feathers - 1932)

Baby Firefly -> Vera-Ellen (Vera-Ellen, actress/dancer known for lip syncing, who also starred in the Marx brothers film Love Happy), Baby Jane (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? - 1962), Bunny (Love Happy - 1949)

Mama Firefly -> Gloria Teasdale (Duck Soup - 1933), Eve Wilson (Marx Brothers Go West - 1940)

Rufus "RJ" Firefly -> Rufus T. Firefly (Duck Soup - 1933)

The Professor (Earl) -> The Professor (Animal Crackers - 1930)

Ravelli -> Signor Emanuel Ravelli (Animal Crackers - 1930), Ravelli (The Big Store - 1941)

Charlie Altamont -> Wolf J. Flywheel (The Big Store - 1941)

Doctor Satan/S. Quentin Quale -> S. Quentin Quale (Marx Brothers Go West - 1940)

Grandpa Hugo -> Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (A Day at the Races - 1937) (Hugo's is quite interesting since he was originally intended to be Doctor Satan, I'm assuming thats why his name was derived from a character with the Doctor title)

[annabelle--cane]

Hiii! Your podcast recommendations have been so fun and helpful when trying to find new podcasts to listen! Do you have anything for fiction podcasts with women/non-binary protagonists?

sure thing! despite ostensibly being a Podcasts Guy I haven't actually listened to that many audio dramas in the grand scheme of things, so this will overlap somewhat with any general recs I have given out before, but:

the strange case of starship iris: firefly-esque scifi show. biologist violet liu is the only survivor of her research vessel's explosion and gets picked up by a passing ship who help her investigate what happened. explores the aftershocks and political consequences for if humanity won a space war.

midnight burger: quirky scifi/fantasy. after her restaurant closes down in the pandemic, gloria gets a job at an all-night burger joint, not realizing that it changes location in time and space for every opening. the plot goes in all sorts of directions every season, it's hard to give in an in-a-nutshell vibe description.

mirrors: scifi/mystery. in three different locations in three different time periods, three women start seeing the same ghost and make audio logs about it. if you're willing to dive in on that description alone, please do. it's a really short listen and it is my number one recommendation for anything of its length and quality.

alice isn't dead: americana horror. keisha, a long haul truck driver, can't accept that her wife is dead and goes on a mission to find her. I keep starting and stopping this one because it's objectively really good but just never seems to fit my moods so I can't give much overarching description, but it is scary as hell and I would listen to jasika nicole read a grocery list.

trice forgotten: nautical period drama. jaded ex-pirate alestes just wants to keep herself to herself as she sails her merchant ship around the indian ocean, but nooo she keeps picking up these pesky "crew mates" who "need help" and are "useful to have around." has some extremely good scenes of toxic yuri.

[richincolor]

Mid-Autumn and Mooncakes

With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up at the end of September, mooncakes have been on my mind. Several conversations have revolved around the festival and food in my real life and on social media so I started wondering if there were YA books for that. And yes indeed, here are a few books featuring the moon or mooncakes that I've read or have on my TBR.

Retellings Related to the Moon

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Harper Voyager

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm. Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Mooncakes 

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu Oni Press [Jessica's Review]

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao Viking

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding Of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and their changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Underlined

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

[hrefna-the-raven]

Slasher songs

Songs, that for whatever reason, my brain connects to some slashers 😅

Otis Driftwood

Mother Firefly (Gloria Teasedale)

Baby Firefly

Michael Myers

(I know I know this is a given one^^)

Bubba Sawyer

(I imagine that every time this song would come on, Bubba would just happily dance to the tune^^)

[gurumog]

The Marx Brothers in Duck Soup (1933) Paramount Pictures Dir. Leo McCarey

Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Gloria Teasdale Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly

[batmanfruitloops]

MORE ASKS? YOU BET I WILL

number one: are there any general fun facts about anyone you guys would like to share, but haven't yet?

number two: anything you can share on your poison ivy? i love her. woman of all time

and lastly: are there any lesser-known (or less popular) rogues that'll be in the au? anything yall can tell us about em?

(sorry for multiple questions. this au scratches my brain)

So many questions is not a problem at all! I'm glad to have so many to answer,

Along with being a scientist, Viktor used to run an ice cream parlor with Nora and it was like a winter wonderland come to life. With his freezing expertise, it snows inside and their display window has a snowman built weekly to advertise their business.

They sold all kind of ice cream, frozen treats, and hot chocolate. Also, since Nora and Viktor were unable to have children, seeing so many come into their parlor was a way to vicariously live as if they were able to. After Nora's MacGregor's Syndrome reached stage 4, both of them stopped working there personally.

Cleo, or Ratcatcher, is very asthmatic, and so she has a mask to help with that. She also has an optional pair of goggles that I affectionately call "Boggle-goggles" because boggling is the something that rats do when they're happy. It's kind of like their eyes are vibrating.

Our Creeper is based on a Mandrill monkey as that's what he reminded us of when reviewing clips. Very silly animal brain. He drank all the funny chemicals and now his brain makes coo-coo sounds sometimes.

But of course! When Ivy plant pheromones don't work and she feels threatened, she grows thorns over her body and pulse and move like thorny veins.

Ivy has many sentient plants, but her closest is named Gloria. Mostly inspired by Audrey 2 from little shop of horrors, but also the piranha plants from Mario.

Ivy can photosynthesize, I don't know if she normally can, although eating and drinking food as a human normally would works too and is more efficient.

As for less-popular, or less-known rogues, yes! With that post I released earlier, there is quite the cast. This is also a good time to mention that there will sometimes be appearances of mine and Fluffy's favorite Justice League members and later down the line, the Titans too. This won't be often, but they will be here.

If I had to choose one for now though, I'd love to talk about Lynns, a.k.a. Firefly;

Lynns was born with body deformities that makes them look more bug-like, but also they were born intersex. Like most kids born as such, their parents (mainly father) decided that Lynns was specifically a male and named them Garfield. It didn't take Lynns long to decide that that was not how they wanted to be viewed, and pretty adamantly said this to their father to which, after a lot of trying to "convert" Lynns and a lot of back and forth, backed off albeit begrudgingly.

Because of this, Lynns isn't particularly fond of being called Garfield, or restrictive masculine things, although masculinity itself Lynns is not against. As they grew up most of their friends were pretty supportive and understanding, although there are some who view Lynns as just "Fi" and as a female, but they're fine with that. So long as it's not meant to be offensive.

Lynns had regular old prosthetic legs growing up, but as an adult, Lynns made their own legs that were meant to look more bug-like, as they like appearing that way. Lynns was always a pyromaniac and so they became a pyrotechnic for movies as an adult. They weren't badly scarred and burned until someone else accidently made a trick faulty.

Hope this info-dump is entertaining, :3

-Sarsee