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jerreeeeeee · 26 days

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i also read the suffering game graphic novel. here's praises and criticisms. this one is also more negatives than positives unfortunately, i tried to be fair and thoughtful but i did not like it very much

things i liked:

-lucretia prologue establishing that she went to wonderland + talking abt missing the crew. fun & mysterious

-hi mavis and mookie :) they are cute

-HI BARRY sometimes i forget he stalked merle’s family outing. i love that freak

-magnus and angus scene!! fisher showing angus the statue drawing!! ango detective subplot!! this is a nice and natural addition since we know he was sleuthing around the BOB

-merle teasing taako about his date is kinda cute actually love seeing them be friends

-thank god they got rid of the chimera. idk if this is a hot take or anything but its probably my least favorite fight in the podcast its so out of place and unnecessary. there are lots of fights that didnt really matter in the beginning like all the gerblins and the slime swamp in rockport but they were still like getting their bearings and the show was more like a real dnd campaign than a typical actual play, but by the time you get to the suffering game there’s more interesting things to do and you're like god why are we still doing random forest encounters just get to wonderland already

-not a positive per se but i’m not that upset about sterling and his party being cut. i feel like an adaptation would’ve had an opportunity to make that little c-plot matter more, and that would’ve been awesome, but as is in the podcast, i never felt particularly strongly about it? not enough to miss it. idk like magnus and merle were already for ‘trust’ even if it were strangers and taako never seems all that regretful about it (which like. fair. he’s the pragmatist and that’s how the prisoner’s dilemma works. he played the game right because he couldn’t afford to lose, knowing they hurt some slightly-less-strangers doesn’t really change that).

-i dont remember which of the boys discovered it in the podcast but merle noticing the smoke thing is good. he actually is competent and especially in an arc that’s meant to make him feel useless that’s a good little reminder

-i do like that the liches say the bell is very powerful & is threatening to destroy them like both keeping in theme with the rest of the relics and an introduction to the idea that sharing an incredible and dangerous power between two people makes it easier to keep your sanity, similar to lichdom

-griffin getting cut off with the hunger is awesome finally we’re taking advantage of the medium. nothing more to say that choice rules

-posts on tumblr hyped me up for taako recognizing barry’s dick but unfortunately that’s not really what happened and now i’m disappointed. but the graphic novels arent canon so i’ll just have to continue with my barry/taako awkward past one night stand agenda despite it all

-i dont quite know how to feel about the umbrastaff leaping to barry to replace the “love barry, trust barry” moment. on the one hand, having lup actually speak to taako wouldn’t work super well in graphic novel form, not to mention the whole band of projected thought thing was kinda convoluted and they are clearly very limited on time, and taako choosing to trust the umbrastaff in this way is a creative way to get that same effect. on the other hand, its so unclear what even happened or why it changes taako’s mind without podcast context. that’s one of my big gripes, you’re expected to be familiar with the story already, but if you’re familiar with the story, the graphic novels are… worse in every way. also, i really really liked the original scene so even though it doesn’t work, i miss it. this isn’t as effective—we don’t find out there’s a person missing from taako’s memory, his heart doesn't swell at the sound of her voice, he doesn’t know with certainty that she’s someone dear to him. it's just like, another instance of the umbrastaff acting weird. maybe you put together that 'LUP' is a person but you don't have any indication until the moment of remembering how important she is. all of that would be really difficult to get across in a visual medium anyway, but still, yknow, it doesn’t hit as hard.

-ango!! his mage hand is coming along so well!! although. why is his wand just like a stick. did he pick it up off the ground. taako needs to take better care of his boy this reflects badly on him as a teacher lmao

-i felt this way about the eleventh hour too but there’s so many little details of taako and merle’s friendship i feel like they have little asides and jokes together a lot and i love that

-the looming dread of the hunger is done pretty well (as well as it can be with such time restraints)

-merle trying to commune with pan and seeing john instead is good. very ominous and intriguing for new readers and exciting for podcast listeners

-really liked the panel of barry in the red robe against the stars and the bond engine’s white ring as he’s remembering. very cool very cinematic

-i actually also really like the framing as taako remembers, filling in the memories we’d seen previously and clearing out the static while he looks so broken, and merle asking him what he’s remembering, and then finally speaking his sister’s name. its framed very powerfully. i wish he and lup didn’t look awful so i could actually feel something at that part. like they are my favorite characters ever their story makes me so emotional and i just. they’re unrecognizable. the character designs are terrible and taako has spent 6 books now being mischaracterized and flattened to hell so i just can’t muster any emotion. maybe i'll redraw that page someday though because the panelling is genuinely very good

-the ending lucretia monologue is good she's the narrator she's the main character she's everything. love the portraits staticking out and mirroring and changing, and ending on the beach painting is great. very cinematic and a natural way to phase into the stolen century

things i didn’t like:

-i dont think taako’s deepest desire is his own brand of fashion forward athleisure wear if i’m being quite honest. these little things irk me

-why is liches get stitches all the way in the beginning… ill portent for how the rest of this book will go

-i think they shouldve introduced the flaming raging poisoning sword of doom way earlier. the payoff isnt nearly as good without the setup of having been magnus’ white whale for like fifty episodes. maybe they did mention it in earlier books and i just forgot though

-^ i hate his stupid ugly oversexualized stereotyped ass so fucking much its unreal

-why are edward and lydia ugly :( —(they're not ugly because they're chubby they're ugly because their color schemes and outfits are fucking awful) (fr though why are all their colors so muted and dingy?? why are their outfits boring?? at least their heart attack looks are fun)

-oh so there’s just no trust or forsake at all. yeah i don’t like that. in the end no great loss since i don't think it really says anything about thb's characters that hasn't already been said, but so much of thb's characters and arcs have been cut from the gns already

-i get that they’re low on time trying to fit in reunion tour but like come on part of the suffering of the suffering game is how long and painful it is cutting it down really just. makes it not matter as much

-magnus looks no different after aging LMAO he gets like 2 gray hairs and that’s it

-edward and lydia’s lich forms are also boring unfortunately

-no tasha’s hideous laughter on the heart attack mannequin? lame. although i have for the first time realized that dnd shows kinda have a thing for characters uninterested in romance being forced by mysterious powers to be haunted by creepy puppet-like “romance partners” huh

-magnus doesn’t forget kalen?? why cut that out? i guess because there was never closure for it in the original story?

-no boss rush?? that was fun :(

-magnus and taako aren’t surprised merle has kids??? did they know???

-dupree looks terrible but i guess props to carey for giving him feathers even though it looks bad

-just axed the liches’ backstory?? that was kind of important?? the fact that they turned to necromancy out of love for their family & powered themselves with positive emotions too? that like, has relevance later…

-NO BAD LUCK FOR ARMS OUTSTRETCHED? COME ON

-the framing of magnus’ soul being removed is so anticlimactic in general like the POINT of a VISUAL adaptation is to have interesting & cinematic VISUALS its just so messy

-all of arms outstretched didnt look very good in general sorry. its just such a big important moment and to make it so mid… a tragedy

-“i guess we still needed each other after all” doesnt work anymore because they removed all of edward and lydia’s backstory and character but it was an interesting line to me that i wish had been kept. hammering in that liches need anchors is, again, pretty relevant later on, getting rid of that foreshadowing sucks, and it also humanizes these villains in an interesting way that really highlights their powerlust as their downfall rather than just, like, cruelty for evil’s sake. like yes they torture people and find it fun because they’re so distanced from their own humanity but they also truly believed it was necessary for their own safety and seemingly only became sadistic after they desensitized themselves. i wrote a post about this a while ago but idk if i’ll ever post it

-not a fan of barry killing lydia either. idk why, its not like he hasn’t killed other people to protect the boys before. but that’s earlier in the show before we know he’s not just a villain and is in fact meant to introduce him as a villain. now he’s a friend so idk if you can just go back to having him murder people? again its not a wrong choice but it feels like messy storytelling. also like i think seeing a lich grieving her anchor and a sister grieving her brother would pull some heartstrings for him. it would maybe remind him of some people he loves and garner some sympathy and give him some pause. and i liked that in the podcast even though lydia was so distanced from the idea of positive anchors, killing edward just immediately undoes her, fits in with the themes and the way we understand liches to work, another powerful example of what bonds can do, and that's kinda lost here

-magnus’ answer to the bell sucks so badddd lmao when these books NEED context they’re devoid of it but when they actually have the necessary plot points/character arc established for the reader to put something together they have to go and spell it out like the audience is stupid. there was something so raw and powerful about magnus’ original “i’d hate it. shut the fuck up.” like just shutting it down and not even considering it. that’s completely lost when he has to be like “recap time! my wife, julia,” eugh just didnt like that. there are so many powerful lines from balance that i don’t hate on principal that they’ve changed, but there was no good reason to change, and so the new version just falls flat and there was no reason not to include the original lines verbatim? i get not wanting to just deliver a podcast highlight reel and have the gns be their own story or w/e but if you’re gonna do that you have to do it well, and they just keep being worse unfortunately

-they don’t get the chance to go off the grid themselves and choose to trust barry?? come the fuck ON that is IMPORTANT to the STORY

-this may or may not be an unpopular opinion but i’m not a fan of barry’s design either. i don’t like the hair and he’s not fat enough. less egregious than others but its still another instance of being like who tf is that

-barry’s little coin monologue was kinda fun and dramatic and i (finally) liked the visuals of him falling from the sky/silhouette of the starblaster against faerun’s single sun. but i wish they’d kept more of the original. add drama that’s fine but the point of it is to humanize him after we’ve spent so long thinking of him as a villain and a ghost and a force of the story and now it turns out he’s barry bluejeans. he’s just a guy. he loves his mom. he’s allergic to dairy. he’s afraid of the dark.

-especially not a fan of cutting out the “love that defined and redeemed you” and “dull weight in your chest” in barry’s coin monologue. those are important parts of his character. whether you interpret the love and the weight to be for lup or for the whole crew, you need to know that the red robe has lost people, and that everything he does is to try to get them back. he’s the lover and he’s grief personified. his mission is to save the world AND recover his family. thats like. kinda important for his character and role in the story. if you ask me.

-again the “we’ll get em next time” magnus flashback is not BAD but it could’ve looked so much better? carey definitely has strengths as an artist but her fight scenes and character design tends to be very weak so its unfortunate that this is an adaptation of a dnd podcast where those 2 things are like, the most important. idk i feel like i should be articulating what i mean better but i’m not sure how. the fights just are often really cluttered and framed in an odd way that doesn’t look very good or dramatic or dynamic. i don’t want to say carey is a bad artist, i really don’t think she is! but i think she was not the right artist for this project. the magic of a visual medium is, well. the visuals. when they’re mid the whole story suffers.

-taako and merle not just saying magnus is dead is sorta unnecessarily confusing since everyone like assumes he’s dead anyway? idk i don’t understand that choice. kinda fucks with his moment with carey. not a big deal in the end but it does seem unnecessary

-MAGNUS DOESN’T GO SEE FISHER?? the mannequin dies in fantasy costco??? what about johann???

-“you stole half of my fucking heart” i know a lot of people loved this line but it genuinely baffles me. Why Only Half. not only referencing one of the most heartwarming (and heartbreaking) lines in the original show with no context for why its meaningful at all yet—but also minimizing it? why soften that blow? why detract from the raw intensity of that grief? why reduce a very powerful sentiment? an adaptation of balance that doesn’t allow itself to be earnest and wholehearted (ha) about its platonic bonds is not a good adaptation, straight up. maybe its not that deep but it is To Me. maybe it has no real import and i’m just being stupid but like they made that choice to write half instead of just “my heart.” Why, genuinely

-hey what the fuck happened to johann for real though. that was a really important part of the story. hey. hey. what about johann. like are we just ignoring johann. am i insane. how has no one mentioned this. what’s up with johann

so all in all, again, rushed pacing, axing of a lot of very important plot points, shoddy visuals.

it did not make me relive the emotional journey of the suffering game and reunion tour. it inspired a vague nostalgia for the first time i experienced reunion tour, reminded me of how much i love the original show, and made me want to listen to the podcast again. especially reunion tour good god i love reunion tour. and it made me desperately wish for a good adaptation. i would do fucking anything for a good adaptation. the longing is making me sick. at least we always have podcast reunion tour.

the graphic novels are just so empty and soulless compared to the original show. i wouldn’t have an issue with changes, except that the changes, at every turn, gut the emotional core of the story that makes it so special, and ruin the strong themes throughout the story. they fundamentally misunderstand what is so good about balance. and also, like, basic storytelling. they’re poorly designed and poorly written, so they don’t even stand on their own as a different story. i'm not expecting an exact replica, but i am expecting good writing, good changes when necessary, and respect for the original beloved story. without those, the soul is gone, the spark of what makes balance so compelling and emotional.

i am dreading the story and song graphic novel. i don’t think it will be any good. the themes and character arcs and plot of the show have been mangled beyond belief so nothing is really meaningful anymore. can we go back to the johann thing for a moment—

#mine #taz graphic novel #taz graphic novels #taz gns #the suffering game #the adventure zone #taz balance #the adventure zone balance #maybe they're just changing up the order of things wrt johann and maybe it'll all work out in the next book but idk #doesnt look good atm

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herotome · 1 year

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Special Informal Devlog

Hi-ho, Wudge here! Aaaa. I missed the update last week... as we crawl closer and closer to release, it's become harder for me to write devlogs. I'm making progress every single day, and that makes me so frustrated that it isn't done yet, you know? 😭 Something something curse of perfectionism...

Anyway.

I thought I'd try something a little different with this post by chronicling a specific screen I've worked very hard on, from start to finish!

(Pictured: a preview of where we're gonna end up)

It all began on... August 2021?! Yowza, two years ago! When I posted a poll on tumblr and on itch about how I should handle flirt indicators. The votes were split 50/50 between two popular options, and I was able to surmise that yall would really, really love an option to toggle between the two.

It didn't take me long to figure out how to implement the toggle itself.

The following year (September 2022), I came up with the idea of putting in an illustrated tutorial on how my flirt indication system works - after all, poll participants had told me that they loved the idea and had never seen it before in other games. I was on a treadmill at the time, so I quickly doodled the idea on my phone. It looks like this:

Then when I got home, I did a rough pen draft to solidify the idea...

I worked on the digital version over the next 2-3 weeks, and asked my friends for help with editing the text to ensure clarity.

.... Then I took a looong break from the infographic to, uh.... write, edit, playtest the game, draw expressions for Griffin CG, draw expressions for the landlord, work on a new Clammy Lady sprite, playtest the game again, make all the characters blink, make the first glowing animation for Jade's powers, code in Griffin's CG expressions, stress about paypal making changes in my country, do concept art for upcoming npcs, write some more, playtest some more, draw a birthday picture for Dart, write devlogs every single week, make sure all my files were safely transferred to my new laptop before my old one completely died... etc.

So it was February 2023 by the time I came back around to try implementing the infographic in code :')

... It was functional, but no matter what I tried, I didn't like how it looked with everything crammed into one page.

... Then I got really sick... but after I recovered and did some more work (drawing, writing, playtesting, etc) I came back to the infographic with the intention to learn how to code pages in renpy.

Still didn't look phenomenal, but there's a whole lot more breathing room! This was in April 2023.

I took another "break" (worked on a million other things) and then... FINALLY... in late August 2023, just a few weeks ago, I had an art breakthrough!

I had garnered a better understanding of color and poses, and as a result my chibis became a LOT cuter! I was able to redraw most of them without too much hassle - whereas when I first started, it would take me all day to draw a single one.

I also drew custom heart icons (a plain heart, a golden heart, and a broken heart), figured out how to make text buttons look more fun and intuitive..

And here's where we're at now!!! I still need to draw eyes for Dart.... but I researched and absorbed a lot about screen compositions, and had a rather late realization that I could re-use backgrounds and assets I already have in the game.

That's it for the special edition. I'll update with more soon!

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

#herotome update #herotome highlights #interactive fiction #indie game #oelvn #otome #visual novel #otome game #english otome #indie #chibis #anime

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camellia-salazar · 2 years

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More ponies!! (You have no idea how long I've wanted to post these-)

That one scene where Orel saw Christina for the very first time. I may have been over-doing it.. 😅

Scout drawings because I love drawing pegasi. I also love drawing him too so it's a win-win.

Love Händel (who may have gotten me to watch Phineas and Ferb for the first time in y e a r s)

More of them to see their dynamic as ponies. (Just a heads up I did change their designs just a tad later on.. and by that I mean Danny's eye color changes, the rest probably didn't change tbh).

Can't forget about the Flynn-Fletcher siblings. It was fun designing them especially Phineas and Candice.

The Louds (I will draw Lynn senior in a sweater just you wait). I love how this one turned out colorful, they really did hand out every character's colors and said 'here make them into ponies'. That's how it felt like anyways.

Finally Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Griffin. Yes I made perry a griffin, mostly because just like I consider dogs as dragons I consider cats as griffins.

But since Perry's a Platypus in the show I made him a griffin anyways because he has a duck bill and ducks are considered birds and griffins are half bird so.. but then again there was an episode where he was a dragon and maybe I should've stick with the dragon... But I already made him a griffin so it's too late. (Also the cutie mark for Doofenshmirtz might change, it doesn't look much of a cutie mark to me it looks off in this idk).

Anyways thank you for taking the time to read and looking at my pony art. Have a great day/night! ✨💖👋😁

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faintedincoils · 1 year

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7, 10, 11, 12 & 34 ^_^

7) Are you the "token" queer person in your family? Nope! My sister and niece are both queer, and by their own description both my mom and her mom are on the ace spectrum, though they didn't have the language to label themselves that way. My mom's cousin is gay too.

Putting the rest under a cut because my answers got long. 😅🙈

10) Something that gives you gender euphoria (whether you're cis or trans): All of my cute, colorful, silly skirts. All through my childhood and young adulthood I was told by all sorts of folks that I was "bad at being a girl." Which was okay, because a lot of the time I didn't really feel like a girl, although I couldn't say what I did feel like. I had some broomstick skirts that were long and flowy and so much fun to spin in. I loved the sensation of wearing them. I didn't love how people would say it made it even more obvious that I wasn't a good girl, or that I looked or 'felt' weird in them. So I just stopped wearing them for the most part. Then as I got older I tried wearing them to work on occasion, which was just as bad or maybe worse. I kept getting comments on how dressed up or pretty I looked, or how they weren't used to seeing me looking so girly, or questions about if I was trying to find myself a man now, because if so this was definitely going to help. So I stopped again. Then a random patron at work one day gave me a hard time about wearing a pastel purple polo shirt, how it wasn't a good color on me and made me look even bigger than I already am. This is after years of wearing nothing but polo shirts and khakis to work, or jeans and t-shirts on the weekends, being as bland as possible and hoping nobody paid any attention at all to what I was wearing. I got so angry and so offended and so fed up that I was like you know what? I am going to make my off the wall, probably questionable taste and fashion everybody else's problem and I am going to be happy. So I bought myself two maxi skirts in very bold designs: a desert landscape and some flying griffins. Then I decided to finally buy the Maya Kern skirt I'd always wanted, even though a midi skirt seemed too short because it might draw attention to my big calves, which happened a lot when I was younger, and got my legs groped by strangers more than once in my 20's. And every single time that I wear any of those skirts or the other ones I've bought similar to them, I'm so so happy. I can twirl around in my midi skirts and they flare out around me! I can put my hands in my pockets and swish my skirts around and I feel like a fancy dancer or something even though I'm an awful dancer and won't actually dance around at anyone. And everyone compliments what cute patterns they are, or how happy I look wearing them, but nobody really says anything about me being girly. I don't know. That was a lot of words but I still feel like I'm doing a lousy job of describing it. Some days I feel like a girl, but the skirts don't make me feel like more of a girl. Other days, more frequently, I feel like not a girl. I feel nebulous, or like nothing, so far as gender goes. And even though skirts register largely as feminine, and I'm sure they help a lot of people feel more feminine, they actually enhance my neutral gender feelings. Somehow.

11) Favorite (or just one you love) piece of LGBT media: Oh wow, there are so many! I'll start by saying that I have a huge soft spot for pretty much anything put out by Wolfe Video in the early to mid-2000s. I probably need to watch a bunch more of their recent stuff honestly. Anyways, Make the Yuletide Gay is a fluffy holiday favorite I watch almost every year. Were the World Mine is the gay movie I would have killed for in high school. Camp is the one I got as soon as I graduated from high school; it and But I'm a Cheerleader came into my life at just the right time and I'm forever grateful for them. On a similar note, Mercedes Lackey and Tanya Huff's books will always hold a place in my heart for being so matter of fact and lovely with their gay characters, which helped me tremendously as a tween and teen. More recently, Cat Sebastian's books have been game changers for me in the romance field. Her queer characters are so varied and have so many lovely little idiosyncrasies, and even the romances that you assume are straight aren't, because her characters are often by or because gender and attraction are a little more complicated than what you're used to.

12) Name some queer artists/bands or songs you like most: I'll be honest, I don't really listen to a ton of music. Once podcast became a thing I switched over to them by and large for when I have time to listen to stuff. But Placebo was one of the formative bands in my early life and they were queer. I didn't listen to a ton of Green Day, but American Idiot looped in my CD player nonstop, and boy howdy did the line "maybe I'm the faggot America" resonate with me and get me all pumped up. And t.A.T.u's "200 km/hr in the Wrong Lane" was my entire experience for a year in high school.

34) What are you needing most right now (what would make your life easier or more fulfilling in regards to existing as queer)? It would be so nice if people would stop using so much gendered language and phrases about me or in reference to me. I don't mind she / her pronouns, but being called Miss or ma'am or lady skeeves me out a lot of the time. It doesn't bother me at all coming from some of my friends who aren't cisgender, because there's always an implied asterisk, so to speak, but from randos it's the actual worst even though I know they're probably just trying to be polite and don't think anything of it.

#askbox answers #thanks for asking #queer stuff #gender stuff #faint thoughts

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darkpoisonouslove · 1 year

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for the writing ask game!

💫 what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

🦋 what are you most insecure about when you post a fic?

🕯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

💌 share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

💫 what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

I love it when the commenter lists specific things that they like/caught their attention (and possibly tells me why they liked them). It really helps to know which parts of my writing work and if I'm conveying my ideas comprehensively enough. It's also nice when a comment sparks a discussion about some headcanons or worldbuilding. Other people's ideas/understanding of canon elements can be fascinating to hear about!

🦋 what are you most insecure about when you post a fic?

Answered here.

Engaging with other fans is awesome because it can spawn theories, headcanons, discussion and the like. It can motivate people to create or help them overcome their fear of sharing what they've already created. It can also make you feel seen and understood by other people who relate to/love the same characters as you. And all of that usually leads to wonderful, strong friendships. It's the foundation of fandom because that's what we're here for. You can be a fan just fine on your own, closed off in your bedroom. But it's the engagement with other people's ideas and interpretations that makes the experience so much more fun and more fulfilling. Interactions with other fans can multiply the joy and satisfaction that you get out of creating for your favorite piece of media and that just makes fan life a 1000 times better.

I myself am very anxious in social situations but when I read a fic or see some other fan creation, I remind myself that feedback makes such a big difference for creators. It makes it almost impossible for me to not leave some comment. (I don't know super much about art so it's harder for me to comment on it but I try to at least compliment the piece when I reblog it.)

💌 share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

I already talked about the Griffin draws Faragonda to her side (instead of vice versa) during the CoL times AU and I haven't made much progress since then but it's always on my mind.

Because chapter 1 is such a fucking mess, I have turned the first part of it into a mix of five different lectures on magic courtesy of Valtor. It takes place on Oppositus where I've created a legend that parallels Griffin and Faragonda so closely that Griffin is instantly feeling dread when she first hears about it.

I think I finally managed to use the chaos with their emotions to my advantage and tie it into the theme of the first chapter. I am planning on including an older idea of mine in which when things are too hard to say, Griffin and Faragonda say the opposite of what they mean and the other one knows what the truth is. (I wrote out a ficlet with the idea here - under number 31.)

I think I'll just have to start writing it, though, because the outline has become too much of an unsalvageable clusterfuck at this point. I was hoping I could figure some things out before diving into the first draft but it looks like chapter 1 at least won't agree with me. To be honest, I am kind of anxious about starting this because it will require a lot of careful maneuvering with the characters' feelings and motivations and it will be quite long. I don't think I will be able to motivate myself to finish it all before posting but posting every chapter as I write it will probably mean long hiatuses in-between. I am unsure of how to proceed but I'll mull over it once I've done the first chapter.

Send me ((REAL)) fic writer asks

#ask #folkloristico #griffin x faragonda #my wips #my fanfic #fandom #storming sun

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vampirevalentineblog · 11 months

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October 25 2023

ok! hello! back to regular blogging. if you weren't aware i'm now hosting the old blog on tumblr so this should be easier for me to update than manually adding to the html and dealing with archiving past posts. best part is you can barely tell save for the photos are handled a bit odd now o_<;;

so i'd like to catch up on errrrr Feb to October LOL a whole year practically. lets see what i've been up to...

did wondercon in Anaheim, uh then KawaiiKon in Hawaii. spent some extra time there afterwards as well, I always enjoy snorkeling ^_^ you regularly see many turtles but i even saw a pufferfish! honolulu is nice and walkable if you've got sun protection! plus lots of other people also walk around with a parasol so nobody heckles you for it (like where I live :|||) their bus service is decent as well. i had a pretty greasy plate lunch the first day i was there so it had my stomach upset like, the whole time ;_; did an escape room with friends for the first time that was pretty fun! unfortunately kawaiikon's moved to being juried and apps are not even open yet ??? so no guarantees i'll be back next year :/

also did another Las Vegas con, it was meh. i don't care for the organizers of this one they steal art for their advertising, overcharge for tables, and then put us next to a loud ass stage. don't like that! i'd already done Omegamart the year before but i was staying in Freemont which i've never visited. i'll be back very soon and hopefully get to Nevada early enough in the day to visit Goodsprings bc you know I am a New Vegas girlie ehehe. also did an Anime Impulse back in Anaheim. I usually don't care for them for the same reasons as those other organizers but at least the crowd is better! this past january one they stuck us in a leaky barn ;_; for the table price its pretty ridiculous but i always come back despite it all because the attendees treat me well lmao

left off with pins last time, but since then got shirts made! there's two designs, my "fallen angel" girlie and my cherubim design.

you can see them off to the side there, this is my booth Colossalcon East in Pennsylvania this September. super fun! great con, lovely weeby people in PA! along the top you can also see some of my new big prints i made in like 3 weeks. just drawing drawing drawing -w-!! this con i also got to meet Grey DeLise/Griffin and she signed my Azula print for me hehe <3

my plane ride home got delayed for thunder which was stressful bc immediately after i had a flight to Japan! eek! this was my second time going this year. i had been in 2022 right when it reopened to tourists so it was a much different experience this time, wayy more tourists about. ended up arriving right at the peak of a heat wave i took it easy though just doing some figure shopping and enjoying the food. i love family restaurants there so much lmfao they're so good and cheap. also met up with a friend from all the way back in middle school who also happened to be in shibuya the same night ??? made her and her partner go to Denny's with us later on lol! also visited Odaiba and Hakone this time on my birthday! Hakone is where Evangelion's Tokyo-3 is meant to be based in so they've got their own EVA store. I got a Unit 02 strawberry drink thing, should have got the matcha-taro swirl Unit 01 soft serve icecream >:)

got back and did some house keeping up until i found out there's a halloween party! i made a very quick costume out of stuff i had lying around. only spent like 5$ for some plastic fake chains. here's my alice (sans chains ofc) i made that apron in like a day out of an old pillowcase -w-;;; i don't sew much!! maybe i would be good at it if i bought plenty of fabric and followed instructions but we'll never know because i only try it out to make something silly with no pattern using scraps all in 1 day and then i get fed up and start using hot glue and hem tape. as one does! its got a little bow in the back too but i had no interfacing so its just a piece of printer paper giving it shape. this is what halloween is about!!

please ignore the background i'm in the middle of painting my bathroom lol

up next i've got Sin City Anime in Las Vegas and Kumoricon in Portland. i like these two, completely different vibe and size but Sin City was cozy last year (they've since moved soo well see ??) and Kumori has some interesting people lmfao. i will see you guys at the swap meet +w+!! for sin city they asked if i'd be interested in an extra free booth for the 18+ lounge event and i was like ok sure why not and come to find i'm like one of 5 tables??? i don't know how it'll go over but whatever its something to do! i will have my tres leches cows and some new ones...here's a preview!

whole milk is soOoO popular i'm so happy lmfao he is for the girls and the gays <3 i've got to do some more boys....its what the people want. maaybe a whipped cream to go with whipping ? ^_^ <3!

alright that's all for now! ttyl!

#artists on tumblr #artist alley #vampirevalentineshop #neocities #blog

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shirecorn · 3 years

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How to Draw and Design Gryphons and Hippogryphs by using photo references of eagles, lions and horses?

Draw everything individually, from multiple angles.

How to draw horses || How I practice anatomy || Gesture drawing

It's like juicing up for a very tasty dream by consuming your favorite genre, characters, settings, etc and hoping your subconscious combines them.

If the final result is your target, and you see your drawing arm as a gun taking aim, then references are your bullets. Fill the chamber with reference unless you want to play roulette.

Your first step in reference gathering is to be specific. Know what you want and stick with it. I searched specifically for African Lion and Gold Eagle. Being specific helps you observe detail more accurately, and it already puts you one step ahead of generic designs.

I'm only going to tackle Lion + Eagle today for simplicity, but you can use this advice to combine two, three, or dozens of animals including horses.

Get your reference, and start practicing. Keep it simple and undetailed, only drawing the essence of the photo, rather than exact position and proportion.

Use action poses to practice! Even though they're more challenging, they will infuse your final result with action as well. Look up things like hunting, fighting, walking, running, landing, etc to get action reference.

Practice most on the creature you're having the hardest time with. That was Lions, for me. I even did a separate page where I studied the structure of their manes, since I wanted that in my griffin design.

Remember: you can trace photos as part of study! This is helpful for correcting proportions and anatomy. Make sure you are tracing mass and bones, not outlines.

Now that you're weapon is loaded with reference, you'll be able to design freehand without copying a photo. This is IDEAL because you won't be slowed down by anatomy. Now what we're here for: Design.

Creature Design Masterpost || Splice Vs Blend

This is going to be yet another visit to Splice vs. Blend technique, so strap in. Here's some guys I drew after I finished studying. No photos needed at this stage because I've eaten them all.

The most common creature design technique is something I call Splicing. You take pieces of animals and graft them onto each other with stitches. Griffins are notorious for this with their bird talons on the front legs and lion paws on the back. That's a creature that was formed through magic, not evolution. This automatically makes your griffin less believable. And probably a bit awkward in the walking department.

So here's a new challenge: Blending. Take bits of each creature and put them in a mixer, letting the ingredients land all over the place and amongst each other. What if we had a lion skull, with an extra-thick bird beak in place of the jaws? What if the lion chin was still there in the form of a tuft of fur? Maybe the tear duct from the lion, and the eyelids of bird? Let's give it lion ears with the furrowed brow so typical of raptors.

It already looks like a new life form, rather than a photoshopped amateur hour of recognizable animals. I could cover it in either feathers or fur and it would still be distinct as a new species. I want the classic lion mane in some form, so I'm taking the shape and turning it into long, fluffy feathers.

Don't stop there! Try identifying what traits make an eagle and eagle, or a lion a lion, and sticking them between each other.

Keep combining! Challenge convention! Add and omit parts and pieces to your heart's content.

Take this practice to all parts of all creatures. Throw new stuff in a blender instead of stitching it together. This especially includes color! You see a lot of spliced markings in novelty griffins, with a specific cat and bird. Artists get stuck on copy-pasting animal patterns because they're afraid the ingredients won't be recognizable, or they're just lost in the sauce of loving tigers they forget to actually have fun with it.

It's still recognizable as tiger and peacock, but much more compelling, wouldn't you say? Go for something unique rather than staying with what feels "safe." There's a million griffin artists out there, but only one You.

#art tips #art tutorial #creature design #griffin #splice vs blend #gryphon #tiger griffin #tiger peacock griffin #design tutorial #creature design tutorial #griffin tutorial #how to draw griffins #how to draw a griffin #animal design #shire draws

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bodycountgame · 3 years

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what are the RO’s like while playing monopoly?

Adegoke

Just there to have a good time haha. Always plays as the boot, the buys the properties in areas that he knows and likes rather than with any real strategy in mind, has a great time goading his more competitive friends.

Arthur

Is always the banker and a real stickler for the rules. Will absolutely not give anyone their 200 Monopoly pounds for passing go if they forget to claim it as they passed go. Buys one of every colour property to force people into negotiations with him and sell them off at extortionate prices.

Atticus

Always plays as the car. Very mercenary and strategic – the sort of person who would enter into lengthy and serious negotiations to procure the property he wants from someone else. Absolutely not above bringing real life into it (which, in more heated games, may or may not devolve into him being like “Arthur, you will sell me Coventry Street, or I’ll break your fucking legs”).

Avery

Takes it Very Seriously. Has a tried and tested strategy based complex and specific mathematical theory. Usually the first to build a hotel. Finds it extremely hard not to explain to other players why their strategy is flawed.

Charlie

Honestly doesn’t really know the rules and absolutely doesn’t listen every time anyone tries to explain them. Every time he lands on the same square that someone else is on he’s like “Hey look we’re on the same street! My …iron, for some reason… can be friends with your hat!” Always wants to own all the train stations.

Ellis

Can’t get through a single game of Monopoly without explaining the origins of the game and/or ranting about the flaws of capitalism. Plays as the thimble. Ends up with about three properties that no one ever seems to land on.

Florrie

Wants all the pink properties because they’re the cutest. Always tries to land on chance/community chest because she thinks they’re fun. A very cheeky lil cheat who constantly tries to call everyone else out for cheating.

Griffin

His family have a lot of game nights, so he’s very used to letting his nieces and nephews win. He’s generally just way too helpful (“Oh you need Regent Street to make a set? Well, I just landed on it so I’ll pick it up for you”). Will definitely team up with the underdog to help them win (if he hasn’t already fizzled all his money away).

Imogen

Makes way less of a fuss than anyone else, just quietly cracks on with it and subtly accumulates an absolute empire. Feels bad every time she bankrupts someone, though.

Nyra

Seems really lowkey and not at all fussed about the game at first but them gets really impatient when anyone is taking too long to have their turn. Most likely to get annoyed and flip the board.

Rowan

Very non-committal – spends most of her time distributing snacks and drinks and doesn’t really care about the outcome of the game at all. Thinks Monopoly is a particularly boring game – would much rather go for Articulate or Pictionary or something more entertaining. Always wants to play as the dog, though.

Syd

They play an alternative set of Monopoly rules (every time you get sent to jail you have to let another player draw on a prison tat, whoever has the most money gets to sit in the nicest chair, whoever has the least money is responsible for refilling everyone’s glasses, etc etc). At some point in a Syd game, everyone inevitably forgets what game they’re even playing and it gets abandoned.

Vinh

Extremely patient in explaining the rules to anyone who isn’t getting it. Constantly puts down their money pile in random places and forgets where it is. Reluctant to actually buy any property – just kind of roams around the board until they run out of money in the end.

#ch: avery #ch: atticus #ch: adegoke #ch: arthur #ch: ellis #ch: charlie #ch: florrie #ch: griff #ch: imogen #ch: nyra #ch: rowan #ch: syd #ch: vinh #long post

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grimm-the-6th · 2 years

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My entry this month for @far-side-skies oc bird challenge

Little bit different this month as I already mentioned I hurt myself and can't draw. So this will be a fully written entry. Eventually I'll post art of this character but it'll probably be a little while.

Enjoy!

Helena

Age: Physically 17

Terra: Xoam

Appearance: long red hair in low pigtails, teal blue trailing feathers. Blue eyes. Cat ears and tail. Can shapeshift into a griffin.

The daughter of War and Death (Aka Arygyn and Hobo cat) has mostly been raised by Arygyn.

You wouldn't know it if you met her though as she definitely acts more like Hobo.

She is temperamental, strong willed, and mildly violent. She can be sweet and usually just wants to have fun but feels stifled by her overbearing father.

Background (there's a point to this early stuff I swear)

- Hobo cat is a reincarnating ex-deity

-- He must reincarnate 9 times and live 9 heroic lives to regain his divinity.

-- He is always himself but never the same twice.

-- His third incarnation is female.

-Arygyn keeps an eye on Hobo during this time (it's his fault hobo is an ex-deity to begin with)

--Hobo cat is rightfully pissed about this but still willing to talk to Arygyn.

--Hobo gets attacked by thugs and Arygyn saves her.

--She asks him to stay until she feels safe again

---A few hours becomes a few days

---Things happen

--They have Helena about a year later

-Arygyn sticks around to help raise her.

-Helena is a very sickly child

--Spends a lot of days in bed

--Arygyn and Hobo get very worried when her sick days out number her good days.

--Arygyn asks the other deities for help

-(Bear with me and the weird lore) they are told that because Hobo is mortal and Arygyn is divine the duality of Helena's parentage is killing her.

--Fearing for their child's life Arygyn takes her to the pantheon (the home of the deities)

--He has to leave Hobo behind

--He also did this impulsively and didn't fully explain everything before taking Helena.

--She was 4 years old

--Hobo's 3rd incarnation ends two years later

-Taking Helena to the pantheon slows her aging significantly

--Arygyn does his best to raise her with the help of the other deities.

--He is paranoid and overbearing

--- Afraid she could grow sick again at any time

-- Also he feels guilty about having to leave Hobo behind

- Helena hates living in the pantheon.

-- There is no one her age and she finds the spectacle of living with gods boring after a few years

-- Angsty teenage years

- She runs way back to the mortal plane when she is the equivalent of 17.

-- It's been roughly 40 years since Arygyn took her to the pantheon

-Hobo is still in his fourth incarnation and not happy with Arygyn

- Helena is searching for Hobo.

-- She's also just there to cause problems.

- She stole Arygyn's staff and causes mayhem for both Cyclonia and the skyknights.

-- She meets the storm hawks and while she has fun talking with them she also stands them on a terra for 'survival training'

-- She also stranded Dark Ace, Ravess, Snipe and a handful of talons on the terra as well.

--This child is basically chaos incarnate.

-- She watches both teams try to survive for a few weeks

-- Setting things up to where both parties run into each other and forced to work together rather than fight.

#storm hawks #art #storm hawk fandom #storm hawks ocs #oc challenge #@far side skies #written entry

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baekuras · 3 years

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Fun Kraken lore I thought you'd be interested in given your love for griffins.

There are three rites of passage you can choose from that make you a Kraken witcher - you can either dive into the underwater caverns below the keep and find a black pearl (aka get it from an elderly siren named Ursa who likes to play games with the younglings and can be bribed with toffee, gossip or jewellery), recite the entirety of that one fancy book (borrowed from Griffins) or, while you're witchering for your first year with a mentor, you find and tame a creature - animal or post-Conjunction (since there's very little difference between the two.)

Mira chose the third option and ended up befriending a griffin she named Sara (she's a griffin geek and always had love for them.) Sara was her loyal partner for a long time (though she was initially iffy about that bard her mistress has adopted recently) until she was killed in a fight with a chort (the thing had rabies and needed to be put down.) Mira took it really badly and in fact that's how Anton was allowed to go to and stay in Kaer Voeda - he didn't want her to be alone as she went back to KV for the winter.

Fast forward a couple years of healing, it's springtime, the Krakens are hunting in the woods when Jesper finds a nest of griffin chicks - two dead of starvation, three barely hanging on. The parents were nowhere to be found, so they took the chicks in. One chick didn't make it through the first week but the other two hung on and gained weight well (via griffin muppet feeding to not make them accustomed to witchers.) Mira informed the rest of the Krakens that she'll be in charge of the chicks (named Beak and BeakBeak because Jesper is very creative with names) because she knows everything about them and also won't let another one die on her watch.

Eventually the chicks grew up enough to be released into the wild, but by then Mira got Attached and asked if she can keep one of them for company. Jenna was initially a bit iffy about the idea, but she remembered how badly Mira took losing her buddy and decided that, sure, BeakBeak is pretty attached to you, isn't she? You can keep her on the condition that you name her anything other than BeakBeak.

And that's how Mira got Frida - Beak had returned to the wilds and probably has a nest and mate by now, while Frida has a witcher mama and a funky bard who gives her scritches and will never run out of writing quills again.

(The buddy trial was also undertaken by Bronn who got a wolf, Basia who got a plumard, and Jesper who aced it automatically because he already came into the keep pre-equipped with a smol wyvern buddy.)

"...given your love for griffins." i feel called out in a good way

"or, while you're witchering for your first year with a mentor, you find and tame a creature - animal or post-Conjunction" i know the first two are probably the fastest ways to get your medallion, BUT yes to that specifically

"named Beak and BeakBeak" those are the best names and I will stand by that (I am about as creative-don't look at the griffins I have drawn, none of them have actual name-names they only have words I think of when drawing them i am so sorry to my babies but at the same time....names are hard) Would be funny if Frida may have been renamed, but only responds to BeakBeak anyway

"will never run out of writing quills again." best perk of a Griffin buddy with/near you

Love the variety of Wolf (bascially a doggo in my eyes but BIG and just as loveable, dorks really) Griffin (!!) Wyvern (also !! tbh, anything dragon-esque in aesthetics gets a 👍 from me)

and then-a Plumard rat-bat(affectionate) who I think is bigger than I imagine right now but hey-details

#asks #shadowy-dumbo-octopus #also to me personally going out and getting a friend sounds more fun to me than #diving down into cold wet even if a nice siren is at the end of it #i love the ocean-i hate water in my eyes or nose or having to get dry afterwards #and don't even get me started on the dryness of memorizing text #it's why i am so bad at anything that's 'just memorize it you have to know nothing else'#give me context #not 'it is that way because it is'#then again if i like a song i can and will be able to sing along to it 10years afterwards so who knows if i could memorize a book #the answer is no because its a BOOK but hey could have been possible #the looooooore #but also witcher trials are fun to think about bc thats just another point where differences can shine through #so its nice to have them show here as well <3

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bansheeoftheforest · 3 years

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*give you a lil kiss* /p

What's your opinions on tgs animals! And ranked, who is the best? (Ex: Zosi, The Unnamed Church Grim, any of Jasper's animals, Brokenshire's terrier puppy, The Invisible Mice (that can actually been seen in one page of Maijabi's room), Griffin's cat, Maijabi's Monkey, Jekyll's rented carriage horses, etc)

Also heres a picture of Spider :>

Im not kidding when I say that lil kiss boosted my serotonin. Its skyrocketing, i got goosebumps, my day is made sdjhsdjf

SPIDER BABY. LIL CRIME BABY. She looks like two different cats. Lil bby girl ;-; (this is a long post, I'm putting a read more just to not clog anyone's dash sdfds)

Now, for the actual question... To put it simply; I love all the animals in TGS. I love them all. I want them all so badly. Even the mice. I think Sabrina did a wonderful job designing them and make them all unique!! Now, I have no idea if you actually wanted me to rank all of them but I'm going to do so anyway, so- heh.

1. Zosi. That's a very obvious choice because that lil baby owns my heart. I can remember first checking out TGS, reading the first chapter before going to sleep that night, and I remember spamming my sister with "OMG I LOVE ZOSI ALREADY", despite her not knowing shit about TGS, so that was fun. Plus... How can that lil boi not deserve anything but a first place? I have also forced one of my artist friends to draw Zosi multiple times, despite her refusing to read TGS... :(

2. Griffin's cat. We see them for like... A page? Maybe two? But that lil kitty is absolutely adorable. I do wonder what Griffin did to them that made their eyes like that, though. Maybe we should not question it, as long as Griffin better take good care of that kitty!! As you might have noticed from my Honey Muffins series you requested, I like to imagine that the cat and Zosi are friends as well <3<3<3

3. The unnamed church grims/hell hounds. That page where we see Jasper's creatures?? That three-headed hellhound and the bulldog grim?? I wish I could have them as pets. I hope they are friends with Zosi, he deserves friends!!

4. The pigs we see in Jasper's flashbacks!! Jasper The First is adorable, or was... But I also used to be a GF fan so maybe that's why that pig owns my heart as well <3

5. Christopher the mud phoenix! We don't see a lot of him but he is cute. 10/10 would let him warm up my room during the winter <3

6. The Carriage HorseTM. They are such a pretty horsie!! Look, I'm not necessarily a horse person but... Coming up with Mayhem and having one of my best friends being a giant horse nerd is getting me weak for horses. The horse is so pretty!! They are doing such a good job being a majestic bastard, I bet (and hope) Jekyll spoils all the horses he meets/that drives his carriages.

7. The soot and invisible mice! I love mice and rats (when they aren't... Well... Pests, that is) and what we can see of those mice in the comic... *chef's kiss*. Wonderfully designed. I want a bucket full of them, they are adorable!!

8. All of Jasper's other animals, mostly because there are so many of them that I couldn't possibly try to rank all of them. As a whole, they are all lovely and I love their designs, so they get grouped together quite high <3

9. Brokenshire's terrier puppy. I doubt we will ever see him in the comic so that's why he is ranking so low but, lil bby, I bet Brokenshire is such a good dog owner and I bet (and hope) that he and Henry take Zosi and Ralphie out for walks together (esp if... Ya know, Jekshire... 👉👈👀)

10. Lastly... Maijabi's monkey, mostly because I think it's a liiilll... Creepy? Off-putting? Maybe it's the teeth and the giant holes where the eyes should be, but then again, I think it's a... Doll? Toy? I don't know if it's an actual live animal or a "body" for something to possess and I, I'm sorry to say, I have always thought dolls are creepy 😔

#dfsfsddsf #my artist friend i talked about on the zosi note is now mad at me bc i took a long time answering this #instead of acknowledging her and giving her attention #😔😔#ask #darling-dolly-darlene

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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years

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What I Thought About The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is up there as one of the best installments of the MCU. Sure, the action and CGI sucks, and the season finale could use a bit more polish, but there is so much more of what it does right. It brings up an engaging discussion through Karli; the bromance between Bucky and Sam is incredible; Zemo's surprisingly a riot, and U.S. Agent is a character whose inner psychology is something I would like to study. Plus, the series really dives deep into the themes of race and the realistic hesitance that comes with making a black man Captain America. It's easily an 8/10 series that is worth an in-depth discussion.

But f**k that s**t, because I'm talking about The Mitchells vs. the Machines instead!

I know it might be questionable that reviewing a movie starring a predominantly white family of idiots saving the world instead of the TV series about the powerful journey of a black man taking the mantle of an American icon...but this movie is fun, alright? And yes, I'm going to spoil it to explain how. So if you still have a Netflix account, I highly suggest you check it out when you have time.

Because, random people on the internet who most likely won't read this, this Ordinary Schmuck who writes stories and reviews and draws comics and cartoons is going to explain why The Mitchells vs. the Machines might just be my favorite film of the year (steep contest, I know).

WHAT I LIKE

The Animation: Let's get this out of the way right here and right now: If a single person ever tells you that this movie has awful animation, or the worst animation they have ever seen, just go ahead and assume that person is an idiot. Because holy hot cheese sticks, does this movie look amazing!

Say what you want about most of Sony Pictures Animation's movies, but you have to admit that they nail making a CGI movie looking like it could be in 2D. And The Mitchells vs. The Machines is the peak of that style. Every character in nearly every frame looks like they could work well if the movie was hand-drawn, and I love it. I am addicted to seeing films that look 2D with a 3D makeover because there has to be ten times the amount of effort to get that look just right, what with modeling each character in unique ways to nail that style wherein a hand-drawn film, you could just, well, draw it. Not to mention that the cell-shading and certain hand-drawn elements also add to the aesthetic.

Plus, there is so much attention to details, such as most of Katie's character model being covered in sharpie, or how you can see a hint of Eric and Deborabot 3000's drawn on faces even though their black screens are showing something else. Seriously, you can listen to any criticism this movie gets, but don't you dare let someone get away with telling you that it looks awful. It doesn't. It's incredible, and I SO wish that I could have seen it all on the big screen.

The Comedy: On top of being incredibly well-animated, this movie is also incredibly funny. Like, really funny. I shouldn't be surprised since it's made by the same people responsible for Clone High and The Lego Movie, but yeah, I found myself laughing, chuckling, and snorting with nearly every joke in the film. Not every joke works, to be fair. But because of the fast-paced humor, the bad jokes are almost immediately followed up with better ones soon after. What's even better is that the writers know when to take a break with the humor and let some surprisingly compelling drama take over. And even then, when there are jokes during the dramatic moments, they add sincerity to the scene rather than take anything away. Looking at you, The Amazing World of Gumball...I mean, I love you, but sheesh, you need to learn to let a solemn moment play out.

Anyways, the comedy is hilarious. And while I won't spoil every joke, I will go over some bits that might have gotten to me the most.

Katie Mitchell: Let's just go ahead and add Katie Mitchell to the list of characters I highly relate to on a personal level (which is getting longer by the minute, hot damn). But jokes aside, I really like Katie. Her love and desire to make movies is something I identify with, and her goal to just go to a place where she feels like she belongs is easy to understand. Trust me, if I found out there was a group of weirdos who like the same things I do and enjoy the things I make, I’d be willing to pack everything I have and go to them as fast as possible too. Plus, I feel like a lot of us can relate to a character who lives in a household where people question if our career goal is something we can make a living with. I remember two years ago when I told my aunt that I wanted to make my own animated series, and her reaction is a little too similar to Rick's when Katie showed him her movie. They mean well, but sometimes it's for the best to have a cheerleader rather than a critic, especially if that person is family.

Now, Katie isn't perfect as her enthusiasm can get a little annoying at times, and her desire to leave can be conceived as a little too harsh as well. Still, she's pretty cool and serves her role as a protagonist pretty well...also, if the movie gets a sequel, let's hope she and Jude become cannon by then. GIVE KATIE A GIRLFRIEND, DAMN IT!

Aaron Mitchell: But as great as Katie is, it's this goober that earns the reward for my favorite character. At times it looks like Aaron is nothing more than a source of comedy, but he handles some dramatic moments really well. Partial credit goes to Michael Rianda for that one. Yeah, having a child actor would have made Aaron sound more like a kid, but no other voice could have fit him better than what Michael offers as he comes across as weird but never obnoxious.

Also, let's give the writer points for making a character who is clearly neurodivergent. Yet also refraining from having him be annoying or useless to the rest of the cast. No one ever really disrespects or belittles Aaron and instead chooses to work with him rather than against him. Especially Katie, who forms a solid sibling bond with Aaron as a fellow weirdo. It's genuinely sweet to see, and I loved every minute that the writers showed that just because someone acts on a different wavelength doesn't mean they shouldn't be treated any less because of it. You get that with Katie, a little bit, but I see it much more with Aaron, for some reason. And I love him every minute, so that’s a win.

(Plus, I may or may not have had a dinosaur phase when I was younger, so go ahead and add him to the list of relatable characters too.)

Rick Mitchell: This is probably a character you will either love or hate, and I can see both sides of that argument. Because on the one hand, I really like Rick Mitchell. His motivation is clear and understandable from the first set of home videos with him and Katie, both near the beginning and the end. Sure, he messes up a lot, but he is still a man who cares deeply about his daughter, as well as his entire family. He gets to the point where he would make great sacrifices for all of them, especially Katie. Plus, it's just pleasant seeing a cartoon dad who isn't a complete idiot or overprotective regarding his daughter's love life.

However, there are times when Rick comes across as an irresponsible d**k. When he does things like smash the family's phones without telling them or giving them screwdrivers for "presents," you're either gonna find that funny or you won't. Personally, I enjoy Rick and his antics, and I have no problem with irresponsible cartoon dads. As long as they don't cross the line toward Modern-Peter Griffin territory, I've got no problem with dads like Rick, who I believe has never even got that bad. Still, some people might think differently, and I can't blame them. Because after getting great cartoon dads like Greg Universe, I can understand if some people won't be interested in characters like Rick Mitchell.

Rick’s and Katie’s relationship: Alongside the top-notch animation and gut-busting comedy, Rick and Katie's relationship is what I consider the movie's most essential asset. These two are the main characters of the film, and as such, they develop through each other. And what's crazy is that they have very conflicting goals. Katie wants to escape and be with her people, where Rich just wants one last chance to have a good memory with Katie before she leaves. To do so, they first have to understand each other. Katie has to learn why Rick is so desperate to spend time with her, and Rick has to realize why Katie is, well, Katie. What I love most about it is that they try. These two don't spend the entire movie arguing and being at each other's throats until a sudden "Oh" moment in the end. No, there are actual moments when they genuinely try to understand one another and fix their relationship. It's nice to watch, and I especially love when it cuts to Linda and Aaron celebrating each time Katie and Rick get closer to each other. When recommending this movie, I'd say come for the animation and comedy, stay for the phenomenal relationship building.

Monchi: There are probably people already comparing Monchi to Mater or the Minions due to being a comic relief with nothing else to add...but gosh dangit, do I love this little gentleman. Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I find Monchie to be incredibly adorable, and I will fight anybody who disrespects this king of kings. Probably not physically, 'cause I'm a wuss, but I will verbally. So WATCH IT!

“HeLlO. i Am DoG.”: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

Rick’s videotapes of him and Katie: And right there. Rick's motivation for everything is set in stone through a solid case of visual storytelling.

PAL: The writers do almost everything they should have with this character. PAL might not have the most creative evil plan in the world, but to me, a villain can have a generic scheme as long as they're funny. Thankfully, PAL is funny. Not only is the idea of a smartphone ruling the planet hilarious in all the right ways, but Olivia Colman delivers such a great cynical energy that the character needs. The way PAL reacts to people explaining why humans are worth living is just the best, and her flopping around in a fit of rage successfully gets to me.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I wish PAL had more of a meaningful resolution to her character. The movie builds up that she makes a big deal about Mark dropping her, so it feels weird that neither of them really get any actual closure with each other. I'll get more into that in the dislikes, but I wish PAL had more of a fitting end than just dying after accidentally getting dropped in a glass of water. Other than that, she's a great comedic villain for a comedic movie.

PAL MAX Robots: These guys are the funniest characters in the movie. Half of it is the bits of visual humor, while the other half comes from the solid line delivery from Beck Bennett. Especially with Bennett's and Fred Armisen's Eric and Deborahbot 3000. These two are definitely the comedic highlights, as nearly every line they say is both hilarious and kind of adorable at times. And just like with Monchi, if you dare disrespect these characters, I will fight you. Because they are funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

PAL demonstrating what it’s like to be a phone: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

(Don't disrespect your phones, kids. Otherwise, they'll try to take over the world.)

PAL turning off the Wi-Fi: Again, have I mentioned this movie is funny?

“I love the dog. You love the dog. We all love the dog. But at some point, you’re gonna have to eat the dog.”: It's the sick jokes that get to me the most. Everyone booing Rick afterward is just the cherry on top.

Attack of the Furbies: Have I. Mentioned. That this movie. Is funny?

Seriously, if you haven't lost your s**t during every second of this scene, then you never had to deal with the demonic entity that is a Furby. In a way, I commend you. But you also don't get to appreciate the comedic genius of all of this. So I also weirdly feel bad for you.

The Mitchells deciding how to celebrate: You don't have a real family if you spend more time arguing about how to celebrate after saving the world than you do about how to save the world. I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

The PAL MAX Primes: There's not much to say about them. The PAL MAX primes look and act pretty cool, are brilliantly animated, and raise the stakes while still being funny at times. I love 'em, but I don't have much to analyze with them either.

The origin of the moose: ...I'd make the "I didn't need my heart anyway" joke, but to be honest, it's still shattered after WandaVision.

(For real, though, this is a really effective scene that establishes why Rick makes a big deal with the moose and why he might feel hurt that Katie is willing to disregard it completely)

The Theme of Technology and Social Media: There's a theme about how family is important, and working hard on making things work is worth the effort. But that's a bit too generic for my tastes, so instead, I'm gonna talk about the equally important message this movie has about technology. Because as twisted as she is, PAL makes a great point. The technology we have today helps us in a variety of ways. It's especially useful with sites like YouTube, allowing content creators like Katie to reach out and share their voices. The only issue with technology is how people use it. Take note that the main reason why the Mitchells stand a chance against PAL is by using her own tech against her. Yes, over-relying on all the advancements around us can be dangerous, but if we're smart with how we use them, we can get by just fine. This movie isn't about purging all technology like most robot apocalypse stories are. Instead, it's about using it correctly and not being helpless sheep the second the Wi-Fi gets turned off. Which might just be the most unique thing this movie has going for it story-wise (more on that later).

The Climax: The Mitchells vs. The Machines has everything that I think I climax should have. First off, it utilizes callbacks and jokes that I wouldn't have thought twice on actually coming in handy for how the Mitchells win the day. But showing that Monchi causes the robots to malfunction turns a pretty "eh" joke into a solid case of foreshadowing.

Second, everyone does something. Some characters do more than others, sure, but the fact that every Mitchell, even Monchi, has a hand in beating PAL and her robots is a great sense of writing to me. It shows that you really can't cut anyone from the main cast, as they each add value to how they are essential to the plot. Even Aaron, who arguably does the least in the climax, still manages to be the catalyst to what is easily the best scene in the movie. Speaking of which...

Linda Kicks Ass: By the way, that's the actual name on the soundtrack. I'm not even kidding. Check it.

Anyways, for the most part, Linda seemed like a decent cartoon mom. She's insanely supportive but still has the common sense to keep her foot down, like agreeing with Rick to stay safe in the dino stop the second the apocalypse starts. A pretty fun character, for sure, but nothing too noteworthy...but the second she loses her s**t, Linda Mitchell frickin' SKYROCKETS to the best-cartoon-mom territory! Believe me when I tell you that seeing her slice and dice robots like a middle-aged female Samurai Jack is as awesome as it is hilarious. Does it make sense how she can suddenly do this? No, but at the same time, who gives a s**t about common sense?! Because this moment was epic, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching it over and over again.

Rick Learning How to Internet...Again: I consider this the funniest moment in the movie. Trust me, the Furby scene is a close, close, CLOSE, second...but I think this scene was funnier.

The final goodbye: This is what I'm talking about when I say humor adds to the dramatic moments. The Mitchells saying "I love you" in moose is pretty funny, but it's also a sweet moment given that this is absolutely how this family of weirdos would say goodbye to each other. And, yeah, I got a little misty-eyed during this scene. Especially when Rick saw Katie pocketing the moose. That s**t just cuts deep, man.

Alex Hirsch Voices a Character: ...That's it. I look up to Alex Hirsh as everything I want to be as a creator, and the fact that his name is on this movie fills me with joy. He's also a story consultant, so that can also explain why the movie turned out as great as it did...although there are some imperfections.

WHAT I DISLIKE

Katie-vision: What's Katie-vision? Well, throughout the movie, we get to see how Katie views the world as there are these hand-drawn elements that look like effects Katie would add if she was the one who made the movie. At times it can be subtle and cute, like when this little beating heart appears when Katie is talking with Jude and her other friends. It's when the movie is in your face with Katie-vision does it get annoying. Like showing how Katie is lying about being certain she can drive up a vertical ramp or signifying what is the Rick Mitchell Special. Even if you justify that this would be how Katie would edit the movie, it still doesn't change how obnoxious these moments can be. For instance, Monchi is justified to be essential for the plot, but that doesn't mean people won't hate him...I'll still fight them if they do, but that's beside the point.

I can totally accept this being a personal issue, as I'm sure some people enjoy it. As for me, I think Katie-vision works best when used subtly instead of crudely.

The Meme humor: It's something similar here. Because some people like meme humor...but I don't. To me, it just dates your story if you reference memes even once. Now, a show, movie, or book being partially dated is nothing new. We Bare Bears, a series that I love, reference memes, apps, and social media constantly. Yet, the show still has a timeless feel to it as it doesn't rely on those references too much. The Mitchells vs. the Machines doesn't rely on memes as much either. But even then, that doesn't make a difference about how annoying that gibbon monkey joke was. Seriously, what the f**k was that? And how is THAT the joke that gets used twice!?

Underutilizing Mark Bowman: It really bothers me how this guy barely does much. I mean, Mark Bowman is the main reason that anything happens in the movie. Because he mistreated PAL, Mark acts as the catalyst for events to come. So the fact that he could have been written out the second PAL takes control doesn't make sense to me. It's worse since I could see more potential with his character through his relationship with PAL. These two could be anti-Rick and Katie, as Mark and PAL show what happens when people disrespect their family. So separating them halfway through the story, and keeping them as such, is a huge mistake as it results in neither having a proper resolution to their arcs. Like I said, Rick and Katie develop through each other, and the same could have happened with Mark and PAL. It doesn't, making it something that I can't help but feel disappointed about.

The Poseys: These are characters I feel like work better with multiple appearances. Sure, they only have the one joke about being a perfect family, but at the same time, you can make a joke like that work. Look at Yvonne from Shaun of the Dead (Which might just be my favorite movie). That's a bit-character whose only purpose is showing how better she is than Shaun despite being in an eerily similar situation. But she works well as we constantly see how great she's doing in every instance we see her. The same could be done with the Poseys, as using a similar joke for one scene is underutilizing great potential to make an already good movie into a better one.

Plus, if you're gonna shoehorn in a romance between Aaron and Abby Posey, the least you could do is have more than one scene developing that...just saying.

Katie’s and Rick’s “Oh” Moments: I want to make it clear that I actually like these scenes. They're well written and effectively emotional. My problem is that they also happen two seconds apart. There's nothing wrong with having a character realize the error of their ways through a tear-jerking moment. It's a popular tactic for a reason. And given how both Rick and Katie are the protagonists, they both need their own "oh" moment. But you gotta space them out, as it makes things easier to see the emotional manipulation that you're clearly trying to pull on the audience. They work, but putting them back to back is an issue easily solved with at least two minutes of padding, not two seconds.

Katie’s Death Fakeout: This is one of the few instances that a joke doesn't work in the movie, made even more annoying with the fact that I could see the punchline a mile away and kept thinking, "Just get to it already." I'm pretty sure no one bought this, especially when Katie didn't look like she could have gotten killed in any way after throwing PAL. It's poorly handled and proof that even the funniest comedies have a stale joke every now and again.

Nothing New is really being done here: Keep in mind that in terms of style, this movie is incredibly innovative. And here's hoping future animated projects can take notes. But narratively speaking? Yeah, there's nothing really new that this movie is offering.

A story about how technology will be the death of us? Been there.

A story about a group of idiots miraculously saving the world? Done that.

A story about a father forcing their teenager on a road trip so they can spend quality time with each other, thus ruining the teen's chance of hanging out with their girlfriend? Believe it or not, I have seen A Goofy Movie...multiple times...both as a kid and as an adult.

Now, I have no issue with a movie's plot being a bit by-the-books, and in some cases, cliche. If done effectively, and if I still have a good time, I don't think there’s much to complain about. And there isn't with The Mitchells vs. The Machines. The problem lies with that I'll forget this movie along with the dozens of others like it in a couple years. Which might just be the biggest issue any film can have.

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Overall, I'd give The Mitchells vs. the Machines a well-earned A-. It has nitpicks, sure, but it's still a blast to watch. It might not be innovative or groundbreaking as movies like the last Sony Pictures Animation movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. However, it is fun. And when the world is burning down around us, it's nice to have a fun movie that can distract us from all of it. So feel free to log in to Netflix the next time you're in the mood for a film that is great for the whole family. You won’t be disapointed

(And I will talk about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pretty soon. I just needed to get this out of my system first.)

#the mitchells vs the machines #what i thought about

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