#hoh time answers

[houseofheroesau]

Blorbos :D

Time, what's your favorite song to play on the ocarina?

Which blorbos snore in their sleep and do they wake everyone else up?

Sky, have you made any birb friends where you are?

Blorbos! :D

Time: I enjoy the Song of Storms. It's a fun tune, and engaging to play. And the sound of a storm is oddly relaxing. I enjoy playing Epona's Song as well. Malon would judge me if I didn't say that.

None of them snore particularly loud, thankfully. Though Warrior is notable enough. Meanwhile Wind and Sky talk sometimes in their sleep and Wild is a flailing octopus.

Sky: Of course! I love all birds! No matter the size!

Warrior: Even cuccos...

[sciderman]

Demanding more lisp

posts in which it is imperative that wade be read with a fruity obnoxious little gay lisp:

[thatdeaffeel]

genuine question— why is the “d” in D/deaf sometimes capitalized? i’ve seen people say Deaf but i’ve never seen like any explanation as to why so i’m just curious

deaf is the condition

Deaf is the community

coda (child of deaf adult) often speak sign as a first language and consider themselves as culturally deaf so a lot of them use big D only because they aren't hearing impaired in any sense

in general i think it's a word game that i dont take part in largely, i say deaf and i write deaf and i specify deaf community when i need to, specifically to avoid this confusion

[strawberrybabydog]

how to get adhd medication when u got diagnosed 10 years ago so ur doctor uses it as an excuse to delegitimize ur diagnosis even though adhd's brain rot is forever and he should know that

how to get adhd medication when ur not a hyperactive 10 year old white boy

how to get adhd medication when you mentioned having rejection sensitive dysphoria because nobody told you its not a real thing so now ur doctor is acting like u forged ur diagnosis

how to get adhd medication when i dont want to beg and convince my doctor that being fat isnt distracting me and losing weight will definitely not help this

how to get adhd medication when ur doctor says "well if this was a real issue you would have talked to me about it sooner" but you didnt because you didnt want to be mansplained or face medical fatphobia or have ur diagnosis questioned or be drilled for answers u cant remember because u have adhd and it impacts ur memory

[mrcowboydeanwinchester]

let's be honest. mr dean "magic fingers" winchester who once turned a walkman into an emf meter DOES try to hijack his hearing aids so that they vibrate and give him a little head massage. the question is: does he succeed?

oh absolutely incredible concept here kath i wish i had your brain. i think that dean's priority would actually be to make his hearing aids bluetooth though, because i'm not sure how effective hearing aids would be as head massagers because they don't sit exactly against your head (mine don't, at least, they follow the back of my ears around a little). dean WOULD want to make that a possibility though and he's deranged enough to attempt it. he'd build a slightly chunkier more comfortable 'vibrator box' to sit on top of them that would give him a funky lil massage. that becomes more of like an external device which he makes out of bits he has on hand though rather than him actually fiddling with the physical hearing aids. when it comes to actually tinkering with the hearing aids themselves he would want bluetooth sooooooo bad but not be able to justify the cost of buying them when he could just always try and make them himself, right? and turns out he CAN'T just make them himself because he's not That Good but what he DOES manage to do is put a little radio inside each of them so he always has access to a classic rock station which he can turn on and off.

dean probably takes his hearing aids off the first second he can because he finds them kinda uncomfortable so it won't happen at home or in the car but sometimes when they're hanging out researching a case in a diner sam will look over at dean and see his ears and head vibrating slightly as dean mouths the words to a zeppelin song only he can hear <3

[justiisms]

*pikachu heard his name being called so he goes into the living room to see what's up. the only issue is that he ends up coming in at the worst possible time! his expression goes from shocked to incredibly annoyed in just a few short seconds, the tiny detective catching the tail end of a certain snack commercial! his eyes are narrowed and his fur is all puffed up, looking over to who he had heard call him earlier*

"What."

"Ah, there you are, Pikachu! I was wondering if-" And then he trails off when the commercial outright says Ichiban Confections! It occured to him a little too late that he probably should have waited until the commercial was fully over before calling over the mouse detective!! "Ahh..." And now he's indirectly made him a very grumpychu...

His smile turning much more sheepish and sweating nervously, he replies: "I-I was... just wondering if you wanted to head to the coffee shop with me, since I was in the mood for some from there. Buuut I guess now, that's gonna be a 'no' isn't it. .......I am so sorry, I did not do that intentionally, I swear-"

[theplantbish]

I feel awkward asking my friends to repeat what they said to/asked me during their streams, so instead I write down the time stamp, watch that part of the VOD later and then never answer their question because that would be awkward too 🙃

[nicossunshine]

“Jason was so boring” “Jason had no personality” what are you talking about

Jason Grace was a child soldier and the son of the KING OF THE GODS. The pressure on him was so huge and the training of the Roman legions was so intense all he ever really did was train. As soon as he was old enough he was put in positions of leadership and power cause he’s the son of Jupiter, leader of the gods, he must be a natural born leader, right?

But his entire character arc revolves around him realising that he can be more than what the Romans made him into, that he can have his own opinions, his own hobbies, love who he wants, live where he wants.

He was the first person to start defending Nico, the first to accept Nico and tell him sincerely that there was nothing wrong with him and that everyone at BOTH camps would accept him and have his back - and if they didn’t they’d have Jason to answer to.

He was sure to always give Reyna the credit she deserved and constantly felt guilty for when he made her shoulder the responsibilities. Throughout HoH he’s got half of his mind on her, praying she’s okay, tracking her progress in his dreams because gods FORBID anything happen to that brilliant woman whom he loved platonically but wholeheartedly.

When they found Leo again after he was at Ogygia, Jason recognised in an instant just from the way Leo was sitting that something was off. When everyone pestered him with questions, Jason took charge to get the limelight off of Leo as much as possible, and checked in with him the minute they were alone.

Jason Grace is fiercely loving, always looks out for those who need support, always sides with the underdogs, always does what’s right even when it’s hard, often does what’s expected even when he doesn’t want to, but if he can take the burden off of someone else he will ALWAYS step up.

He has the honour and bravery of a soldier and carries all of the trauma and doubt that comes with it.

And on top of all of this he was just seventeen years old.

Jason Grace isn’t boring, it just took some time for us to understand why he acts the way he does - always composed and in charge. He is not perfect, but he was always trained/expected to be, and watching the perfect mask crack and seeing his true inner thoughts throughout HoO is what makes his character so interesting.

[whumpinggrounds]

Writing Deaf Characters

I am making this a series now so pls drop requests if there is something you’re curious about!

Disclaimer: This is all based on personal experience and research, all of which relate to the American Deaf experience. It’s not perfect, nor is it representative of a global experience of d/Deafness. If you plan to write a d/Deaf or hard of hearing character, please do your own research! This is intended to give people a few ideas about where to start.

Vocab

Deaf = Refers to the cultural experience of being deaf and immersed in Deaf communities.

deaf = Inability to hear some or all sound.

Profoundly deaf = Inability to hear almost all or all sound.

d/Deafblind = Inability to hear some or all sound and as well as having some level (usually high) of visual impairment. 

Hard of hearing or HOH = A person whose inability to hear may not rise to the level of deafness or profound deafness, or simply may not identify with the term.

Deaf of deaf = A Deaf child born to Deaf parents.

CODA = Child Of Deaf Adults. This refers to hearing children, not d/Deaf children.

Manualism = Refers to the belief that d/Deaf children should be taught only sign language and should not be taught or expected to learn to speak.

Oralism = Refers to the belief that d/Deaf children should be taught only to speak and should be discouraged from learning or using sign language.

Bilingual-bicultural or bi-bi education = A school of thought that combines oral and manual education for d/Deaf children.

Mainstreaming = The belief that d/Deaf children should be educated in the same schools and classrooms as hearing students. (More widely refers to the belief that disabled students in general should be educated in the same schools and classrooms as nondisabled students.)

Deaf gain = The Deaf community’s answer to the term “hearing loss.” Rather than losing hearing, a person is said to be gaining Deafness.

Cochlear implant/CI = A medical device implanted into the inner ear which (debatably) produces sensation that is (somewhat) analogous to hearing.

American Sign Language or ASL = An American system of communication consisting of hand shapes, hand movements, body language, facial expressions, and occasionally, vocalizations.

Signed Exact English or SEE = A manner of communicating that directly translates English words into signed equivalents.

Home sign(s) = Signed communication that is specific to the signer’s home or community, which may not exist or be recognized in the wider world.

Identity First Language or IFL = A system in which someone is described first by an identifier that they choose and feel strongly connected to. Examples include describing someone as an Autistic woman, a disabled individual, or a Deaf man.

Key Elements of Deaf History

Can’t emphasize this enough - this is a VERY abbreviated list! It is also not in order. Sorry. That being said:

For a long time in America, Deaf children were not educated, nor was it considered possible to educate them. When this did change, American deaf children were educated in institutions, where they lived full-time. These children were often taken from their families young, and some never regained contact with their families. Some died and were buried at these institutions, all without their families’ knowledge.

In the early 20th century, oralism became popular among American deaf schools. This mode of teaching required lip reading and speech, no matter how difficult this was for students, and punished those who used or attempted to use sign language. Pure oralism is now widely considered inappropriate, outdated, and offensive.

Hopefully you’ve gleaned this from the above points, but d/Deaf schooling, education, and the hearing world’s involvement are a very sensitive subject. Proceed with caution. It’s unlikely your d/Deaf character would have a neutral relationship with schooling.

Helen Keller is probably the most famous deafblind person in America. In her time, she was also known for being a socio-political activist, a socialist, and a vaudeville actress. There are dozens of other famous d/Deaf people who are a quick Google search away. Give your Deaf character Deaf heroes, please.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was passed in 1991, and represented a landmark victory for disabled activists in America. Among its provisions were closed captioning for Deaf individuals, ASL interpreters for public services, and the right for d/Deaf children to attend accessible, accommodating public schools. The ADA is a HUGE deal. It’s also not perfect.

In 1961, cochlear implants were invented. I was going to write more about cochlear implants here, but it’s too long. New section.

Cochlear Implants

Massively massively massively controversial in the Deaf community. Always have been, potentially always will be. For people who strongly identify with Deafness and the Deaf community, CIs are an attack on their identity, their personhood, and their community’s right to exist. 

Do not allow people to “hear.” The input that a person receives from CI can, with physical therapy, training, and time, be understood and processed in a similar way to sound. This does not mean it would be recognizable to a hearing person as sound. It is often described by people who have them as being metallic, buzzy, or robotic. YouTube is a great resource for sound references.

In order for a cochlear implant to be effective, a personal will have to participate in years of training and therapy to correct process, understand, and interpret the feedback given by the CI. This is not negotiable. Even if your character just lost their hearing in an accident last week, a CI will not allow them to instantaneously regain that hearing. Nothing that currently exists in the real world will do that.

CIs, to be most effective, are almost always implanted when the recipient is very young. This decision is often made by hearing parents. This, again, is massively controversial, as Deaf activists argue that it violates the child’s bodily autonomy and is inherently anti-Deaf.

A cochlear implant, once placed, irreparably destroys any residual hearing that the recipient may have had. This is because it penetrates the inner ear in order to function. This residual hearing cannot be regained, even if the cochlear implant is not used.

Deaf people do choose to get cochlear implants of their own accord. Many d/Deaf people are very happy with their cochlear implants! It is still a highly charged choice in light of the political history surrounding d/Deafness and hearing.

Notes About American Sign Language

ASL is not a signed version of English. It is a distinct language, with its own vocabulary, slang, and grammar. Just a sentence would not be constructed the same way in Russian, Spanish, or Tagalog, a sentence in ASL would not be a direct translation of its English equivalent.

Deaf people have historically lower rates of literacy. This is not due to a lack of intelligence; it is because ASL and English are two different languages. ASL has no written equivalent. In order to be able to read or write, d/Deaf children must learn an entirely different language. This means that it is not realistic to always be able to communicate with d/Deaf people through writing.

As ASL is a visual language, many signs started out as very literal gestures. This means that many older signs are continuously being phased out as they or their roots are recognized as stereotypical or offensive. Please be careful in researching signs. I recommend Handspeak or Signing Savvy for accurate, relatively up-to-date information.

Many online “teachers” do not have credentials to teach ASL, and especially due to the prevalence of “baby sign,” home signs, invented signs, or false information spreads unchecked. If you see multiple different signs advertised for the same English word, please be diligent in checking your sources.

Not every English word has a distinct signed equivalent, and not every sign has an English equivalent.

SEE is almost never used by Deaf people. It’s rarely used and is generally thought of as a “lesser” version of both English and ASL.

ASL is a complete, complex, nuanced language. A character would not switch into SEE for a technical conversation or really any reason. Complex ideas, technical terms, and even poetry can all be expressed in American Sign Language.

Just like in English, there are some signs that are only considered appropriate for certain people to use. For example, the sign for “Black” when referring to a Black person has a modified version that is only used by Black signers. This does not mean it is a slur or the equivalent of a slur. It is a sign reserved for Black signers referring to other Black people.

Things to Consider/Avoid/Be Aware Of

I hesitate to tell anyone to avoid anything, because I don’t think I have that authority. That being said:

The Deaf community has a complicated history and relationship with cochlear implants and the concept of being “cured.” What message are you sending when you write a story in which a d/Deaf character is “cured” of their d/Deafness?

Generally speaking, d/Deaf people do not identify with the “disabled” label. Each person has their own preferences, and those preferences should always be respected. Your character(s) may choose differently than their real life community, but you should put thought into why that is.

Generally speaking, d/Deaf people use IFL. This means that a majority of d/Deaf people in America would describe themselves as d/Deaf people, rather than people with deafness, people with hearing loss, people that are hard of hearing, etc.

Okay I lied I’m going to tell you what to do here: Do not use words like mute, deaf-mute, or dumb when describing d/Deaf people. Hearing impaired is also not ideal but is considered outdated, rather than outright offensive.

The best lip readers are judged to be able to catch 30% of the words people say. How realistic is it to have a character that relies 100% on lipreading? What do you gain when you write a character that lipreads, and what do you lose?

Yes, Deaf people can drive. I don’t know why so many people wonder about this. It’s okay if you didn’t know, but please don’t come into my ask box about it.

Assistive Devices/Aids

Cochlear implants ^ see above

Interpreters. Will have gone to school for years, might have specific training for certain environments or technical terms, etc. For instance, an interpreter that works with Deaf people that have mental illnesses would be fully fluent in ASL as well as having requisite mental health training in order to interpret for them. Interpreters could be a whole other post actually, but I won’t tackle that now.

Closed captions. Self-explanatory.

Alarm clocks, fire alarms, and doorbells that use light instead of sound. This is sometimes a typical flashing light, but particularly fire alarms in predominantly d/Deaf spaces can be overwhelmingly bright. Bright like you’ve never seen before. Bright enough to wake someone from a dead sleep.

Some assistive devices also use sensation - alarms that actually shake bedframes exist and are the best choice for some people!

Service dogs - can alert people to sounds like the above - fire alarms, doorbells, knocking, etc.

Hearing aids. Generally not controversial in the way that CIs are. Only effective if people have residual hearing. Do not really expand the range of sounds people can hear, just amplify sounds in that range. Very, very expensive.

Microphones. If a d/Deaf or HOH person is in a crowd/lecture setting, the speaker will want to use a microphone. If this is a frequent occurrence, the microphone may be linked to a small personal speaker or earbud used by the d/Deaf or HOH person.

TTY: Much less frequent now that everyone can text and email, but stands for Text Telephone Device and was/is a way to send written communication over a telephone line. The message is sent, the phone rings, and a robot voice reads the message. Obviously, this is not effective for d/Deaf people communicating with other d/Deaf people, but it was often used to communicate with hearing people/hearing establishments, as when setting up appointments.

Media About/Including Deafness

No media is perfect and unproblematic, but here are somethings I have seen that I can verify do at least a pretty good job -

CODA is a movie that features Deaf actors, ASL, and a story about growing up, family, and independence vs. interdependence. 

The Sound of Metal is a movie that features ASL and a story about identity, recovery, and hearing loss/Deaf gain.

A Quiet Place is a movie features ASL and Deaf actors, although Deafness itself is not necessarily integral to the story.

BUG: Deaf Identity and Internal Revolution by Christopher Heuer is a collection of essays by a Deaf man that discuss a wide range of topics. This book is not always up to modern standards of political correctness.

Train Go Sorry by Leah Hager Cohen is a memoir by the granddaughter of a Deaf man, which discusses the intersections of the hearing and Deaf worlds.

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon is a research book about the effect of horizontal identity on parent/child relationships and features a chapter on d/Deafness. This is a good look at how d/Deafness can impact familial relationships. Some aspects of the book are outdated, and it was written by a hearing author, albeit one who extensively interviewed Deaf and hearing parents of Deaf children.

If you made it this far, congratulations! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my lil/not so lil primer :) If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback, please feel free to hit me up! If you have any requests for a diagnosis or a disability you’d like me to write about next, I’d love to hear it. Happy writing!

[houseofheroesau]

hello Links!! (i suppose this question is to any of you XD)

favorite season?

Time: Winter, I suppose, if I have to choose. There's something serene about the quiet stillness that snow brings to the world.

Sky: Autumn. I love how colorful the leaves become! I like spring, too, but it tends to make my allergies act up a little.

Wild: Don't really have one. Though in winter, snow makes for excellent shield surfing... Then again, nothing beats roasting food over a campfire on a cool night...

Twilight: Hmm...probably winter. It's not a good time for farming, but there's nothing like running through a snow-covered forest as a wolf. And being covered in fur, I don't get cold!

Warrior: I'd say spring. I'm not a fan of the cold, and the humidity messes with my hair. And the bugs...eugh.

Wind: Summer. All the cold months can kiss my-

[literallyaflame]

i don’t know what it is about sign language that makes ppl say the most buckwild most uninformed shit you’ve ever seen in your life. like. i’m hoh and only conversationally fluent. i have access needs, sure, but i’m not qualified to educate anyone about sign language. so i generally stay out of it.

the thing is, there’s only so many times you can see someone confidently say some shit like “why didn’t they just make ONE sign language???” or “actually every country has their own asl” or “wait, i can answer this! i don’t know anything about sign language, but i read a wattpad fic about a Deaf girl in 2015—” before you start chewing on walls

[doberbutts]

That question you got asked about "what if a white person calls themselves black" just immediately shot to mind a Tiktok I saw a while back of a black teacher whose white student (8yr old iirc) called him a "fellow brotha" and said he was "step-black" because his black step father told him so. Wish I could find it, the way he described the kid and how he answered questions was adorable

So to distance from race for a moment:

I am a CODA- a Child Of a Deaf Adult. My father is Deaf, I've talked about his deafness before many times. The Deaf and HOH community came up with their own label for people like me who are not Deaf themselves but have found space within the Deaf community due to their proximity to their Deaf parent/s. This adjacency means that while many CODAs do not experience the world the same way their Deaf family members do, we also are in a weird position where we have witnessed or even been required to help directly with the problems Hearing society throws at Deaf people.

In other words, despite not being Deaf myself, my worldview still more closely aligns with that of my Deaf father as a direct result of having been raised by him. I don't have nearly as much proximity to the Deaf community as a guy whose videos I see every so often but can never remember his name, who is also a CODA and typically signs in all of his videos to make a point to his Hearing audience. This is partially because *my dad* was denied access to the Deaf community and Deaf culture for a long time due to both being black and also being raised by the abusive asshole that caused his Deafness in the first place.

Not all communities have words for this type of adjacency, but some do. Ghat's why I said that a white person calling themselves black probably does have some sort of proximity to blackness. Were they adopted by black parents? Are they part of a blended family where they are the whitest person of the lot? Are they mixed race and just have more dominant European features? Are they black but with a genetic difference such as albinism that causes white skin and blonde hair? Since it's not always possible to know at a glance, there could be very legitimate reasons for someone you pegged as white to call themselves black.

Or, they could be an asshole that's lying for clout. But I find those are a lot less common than (general) you'd think.

[mrcowboydeanwinchester]

bc i love him so

THE PINK HEARING AID YOURE SO REAL FOR THIS also this is so well drawn like the shape and the way it goes into his ear!! perfection!!

[justiisms]

"Go in there and just tell him what you told me, okay? He may be a little startled at first but I'm sure he'll understand." *bobbery's voice can be heard right outside bobby's room followed by a quiet tch and some low grumblings! shortly after, mondo opens the door with a stop sign underneath his arm, the boy unceremoniously sitting on the floor while he pouts!*

"Should've figured I wouldn't be able to keep this one either. Look, this one's not really my fault. One of my boys messed up real bad last week and gave me this as a peace offerin' but I didn't know where he got it. Hell, I don't know if it even came from this area, but I'll go attach it if that's what ya want. Last thing I need is detectives houndin' me about signs again... Tch..."

Bobby's face instantly scrunches the moment he saw that stop sign. He can only imagine the explanation he's about to get.... and as Mondo explains, Bobby does stay quiet, so that he can talk. "A-Ah..." He's actually surprised to learn Mondo didn't take the sign, himself, this time, which was honestly a bit relieving to hear.

And once his nephew was done, he begins. "S....So I see.... it was your boys who did it by accident, huh... though I'm not sure that should exactly be a peace offering!!! Bus signs are bad enough, but carrying around a stop sign i-is an especially bad idea!! Yeah, exactly! If detectives other than me saw that, they might not let you off so easily, you know!! B-But anyway, okay... okay. I.... I-I understand. I believe this has to be the same stop sign a couple of streets ahead, since it's suddenly not there anymore.... so thankfully not too far. I talked to Bobbery about it and I thought it was one of your sign stealing escapades again! ...Which... I now know the truth. I'm sorry for instantly accusing you... as a detective and uncle especially, even I should have known better to do that."

He slumps his shoulders, a look of guilt on his face. Yes, with how often his nephew liked his bus signs, he naturally thought of him suspect, but he still knew it wasn't exactly right to him, to instantly accuse him of being at fault, when he did not know the whole story. "...You don't have to worry about that, Mondo: I'll take care of the sign, so that you don't questioned for the sake of your boys. More than likely, they might have to put a new one there anyway, but I'll still let them know I 'found' this sign.... somewhere! I won't speak a soul about you guys, of course: and if they'll have no need for this one, then... I suppose I will let you keep it, l-long as you don't parade about it in public!! ...And thank you for being honest and telling me, Mondo. I appreciate it. You'd still better stay away from them bus signs, though!! I'm stiiill keeping my eye on you, mister!"

He jokes with a wink and a chuckle as he pats his back, of course just being playful to hopefully lighten the mood. "In all seriousness though, you all make sure to get careful next time, okay? Not even just because of the sign, just don't want you all possibly getting hurt out there!!"

[gayelderstourney]

GAY ELDERS BRACKET ROUND 1

Propaganda:

Dr. Coomer/Bubby:

theyre both so fucking weird<3

They're the old man yaoi of all time. Their official ship name is Boomer. Bubby has no canonical gender as his creator said he's "too cool." Coomer is canonically bisexual. Please. They're all I have.

theyre old as fuck. coomer is one of bubbys only friends, if not his ONLY friend, they play off of each other so well… i love them

not canon but very very popular ship in the fanon. they're both genetic freaks of nature. one was made in a lab and the other is just cybernetically augmented and also has a shit ton of clones. they're very old gay men. their ship name is Boomer. what else can I say. two freaks in love <3

test tube baby with fire powers married to sentient scientist ai who packs an insanely strong punch

love blooms in the apocalyptic scientific research facility. a man whos become increasingly more cybernetic than man who has an infinite number of clones and has unlocked the secrets of the universe and really likes boxing and led an underground boxing ring for the best research facility in america meets a man(?) who was made in a test tube already as an old man who has pyrokineses and "prototypes" which are just really fucked up and creepy versions of himself and is canonically agender. they fall in love and together they slaughter hundreds of innocent scientists and aliens <3 aww so cute

Gay grandaddies for the win

Statler/Waldorf:

is there anything gayer than being a hater with another gay old man. Those two queers have done so much for the lgbt community

Waldorf has a wife, but it's literally just Statler in drag. In the wiki it says "Astoria often wonders why her husband keeps coming to this 'irritating, mindless, incessant nonsense' while he could stay home with her. The only answer from Waldorf was 'no comment.'" And I like to think it's because he gets to go on dates with his boyfriend. Every show they're always heckling the Muppets but end up sitting back in their balcony seat every show, meaning they must have to enjoy it enough to come back. They're, like the kids say, a little tsundere. -"The internet is a completely different culture isn't it." -"You said it. Everything here is immediately followed by sarcastic comments and nasty responses." -"Yup, we're finally where we belong." -"Do-ho-ho-ho-hoh!"

They hate everything together

[tobi-smp]

well ! if I'm posting about my other interests ! have a little how-to guide for getting into marble hornets:

firstly, what is it.

that's an answer in two parts! it's a foundational indie horror web series on youtube that was beloved in its time for its mystery, atmosphere, and editing (pioneering or popularizing many of the techniques that you'll see more commonly now in the analogue horror genre, just with the budget of college students in 2009).

and it's remembered fondly Now for its fascinating representation of mental health (in how it subverts the harmful ways that horror tends to depict more stigmatized disorders, but Also in how it depicts mental and physical health in general), and the underlying queer themes that While subtext at the time have ultimately been confirmed as intentional as one co creators (and actor for the main character) has come out as bisexual!

it is Also a wildly creative and beautiful comic series. written solely by troy wagner (the aforementioned co-creator) and illustrated by jackie reynolds (a long time fan of the series and insanely talented illustrator). taking place after the events of the webseries, the comics take full advantage of this new visual medium to express the horror, atmosphere, and emotions of the series in a more visceral way. and being self published they're free to make whatever they'd like

done entirely in water color and ink, it builds beautifully on what was laid down with the original series and carves out its own identity and legacy.

it's also just very lovely seeing queer creators who were once writing subtext be able to just. Be Open about it. both about themselves and their characters. it's a horror story that happens to have queer characters mind, but it's just ! nice.

.

now ! being internet horror that's sat in that weird space between args and analogue horror (nightmind would call it Unfiction, but unfortunately that term hasn't caught on as much as I'd have liked) it's not as simple to get into as just like, Watching A Show.

that's not to say you Can't just watch it, but rather I have ways to help you get more out of it :>

1: The full chronological playlist for the marble hornets web series, including the totheark replies: [Link]

this is exactly what it says on the tin ! the entire series in order, I've even included the dvd extras at the end of each season !

two notes: firstly, the full series is captioned, and I think they're very nice captions! and secondly, there's a lot of loud noises in the series, which the captions help mitigate a bit. this is due in part to the nature of the kind of horror it is (though it doesn't have straight up jumpscares), but Also because troy wagner was HoH at the time he was doing the audio editing for the series.

there's significantly fewer issues with the audio as the series goes on (troy actually got surgery for his hearing!) but for the most part it's fine just keeping it Somewhat lower. except entry five. entry five is so very loud <3

.

2: The in-character twitter for jay merrick (the main character of marble hornets): [Link]

much like the youtube channel is presented as being ran by the main character/pov character of the series (jay merrick), the twitter was created to run along-side the main series! it mostly exists to give us further insight into jay's mental state and personal life that you don't get in the main series, especially early on!

it's a little cumbersome nowadays, especially since twitter doesn't Like being archival. but you kind of just have to scroll all the way to the bottom to when the twitter was created and scroll up to follow along jlkfasdjlkfdas

this is made a Little more difficult because the account got hacked in 2020 and reinstated 2021, so all of the dates are wrong now. but the account always posted when new entries were uploaded so it's easy to watch an entry, check what was posted after it was uploaded, and then see the link for the next entry and know to stop until you've watched.

you don't Have to do it this way, but I think it's the way to get the most out of it!

.

3: All of the translated codes for totheark/tta listed in order: [Link]

back in the day, youtube allowed you to make Video Replies, which would be displayed Under whatever video you were responding to! this feature was ultimately removed because of the tendency to do make clickbait in response to whatever was currently popular, but it was Wonderful in this instance !

the youtube channel and twitter were presented as in character, and they took advantage of this by having a second channel created (named totheark) start Replying to the entries as they were uploaded. these videos were highly edited and contained codes and secrets that were meant as messages to the main character (and the audience)!

there was a dedicated community for code breaking throughout the show's entire life, and this list here goes through every one! I like this one in particular because it Also gives us information on How the codes were broken, in a digestible way.

.

4: Nightmind's marble hornets explained series: [Link]

this is definitely Optional. it's obviously not official media, is outdated now that the comics have started, and I'd say was flawed even at its release. (it's not a spoiler if nobody knows what I'm talking about, so I'll say now that I'm not a fan of his theory with masky, and the seth theory is very famously silly).

BUT! I Do think it's a very good resource when it comes to putting certain crucial things together. as the whole point of the series is that it's a Mystery. you see nearly everything out of order and you're intentionally limited in what you know about characters and their motivations. this series works as a good jumping off point in that it helps to put things into Context and change your perspective on certain events and character With the benefit of said context!

like I said, it's not Required, it might just be helpful! a starting point to help chew on things once you've watched the web series in full for the first time.

.

Comics!: [Link]

comics ! they're all available on troy wagner's personal website! (along with other goodies that are periodically available!) you can buy them either physically Or digitally ! personally I'd recommend digital, as it's cheaper, instantly available, and the digital extras are wonderful!

they come with the script for the comics, a commentary version (including comments from troy and jackie on every page), and other extras like backgrounds, behind the scenes sketches, character art, etc!

I would very much so suggest buying the comics if you're interested. this is an indie project being ran and funded by two people (and again! there's other goodies in the store that are worth looking at). buttttttt, my friends may dm me <3

.

Extras! [Extras]

Anniversary streams [Link] on a few different anniversaries for the series several of the creators have done streams rewatching the series and reacting to it live ! this is a playlist where I've collected all of the instances that I could find :>

I Also included the dvd commentary here ! the format is different, but it's a similar concept so, why not ljkfsdajklfasd

.

Interviews, QnA's, and con appearances: [Link] exactly what it sounds like !

I was, at one point, overtaken by some kind of madness and hunted down for every single Person Records Marble Hornets Creators Talking About Marble Hornets thing I could find, and then attempted to put it in order. this is just ! for fun. I do so adore it though, I have one con panel that was recorded on someone's 3ds.

.

My silly posts:

some analysis posts I've main on my main account since having watched the series ! these all contain spoilers so I wouldn't suggest watching them until you've seen the show (though I Would suggest reading them if you do choose to watch the explained series)

this is my post going into what I think masky is supposed to be/represent, and why it's Important [Link] which I think pairs nicely with this post by tim sutton (one of marble hornet's actors) [Link]

my discussions on jay's mental health and behavior and how they're often misunderstood (which won't necessarily be needed if you've read through his twitter jlkfasdlkjafds) [Link 1, Link 2]

confirmation that jay is canonically queer :> [Link]

.

Social Media

Social media for various marble hornets creatives !

Troy wagner (co-creator, actor for jay): Tumblr [Link] Twitter [Link] Instagram [Link]

Jackie Reynolds (main artist for the comics): Tumblr [Link] Twitter [Link] Instagram [Link] Linktree [Link]

Tim Sutton (actor for tim (I know)): Tumblr (inactive): [Link] Twitter: [Link]

Joseph DeLage (co-creator, actor for alex): Twitter [Link]

.

and here's art jackie drew of masky marble hornets punching richard spencer in the face <3