#it's from a graphic novel i had no idea existed

[notshounenprot]

guys, new reaction pic just dropped

[utilitycaster]

OGL misconceptions

Since I am still seeing a lot of misinformation out there, I figured I'd do a fact check post. Note that I do not personally have a copy of the leaked draft; some resources are given at the end of the post. See also the 2000 OGL v1.0a here. This is noncomprehensive, is only touching on some of the things I've seen most commonly in the tags [sidebar: the only tag I check regularly is the Critical Role tag, and much of what I've seen on Tumblr is coming from people spamming that tag for general D&D content that only tangentially mentions CR, so...stop doing that.] Finally, this is based on what is a draft, and there are quite possibly going to be updates to the final document. I would also assume that the January 13th effective date will be changed based on the release date of the finalized OGL.

Free fan content is not affected. That is covered by the Fan Content Policy. Your personal homebrew or the weird-ass build you saw on Reddit or the item you saw in a post last week are all fine.

Actual play shows should be largely unaffected, and only merchandise containing WoTC IP would be. (NOTE: original posting of this post had a typo of "affected" for "unaffected"; check your reblogs) Shows like Critical Role, NADDPod, and D20 all use homebrew settings, so that's also unaffected (as is any Exandrian content that was published in the Explorer's Guide and Call of the Netherdeep; that is CR's IP that WoTC has license to use). A show might be affected if they've set the game in a WoTC licensed setting or with a WoTC module (eg: Eberron, Ravenloft), but most of the shows that do that are put out by WoTC anyway. Critical Role and TAZ have, notably, already avoided using copyrighted terms for deities, races, etc. in published non-WoTC works (this is why Melora is exclusively the Wildmother in the Tal'Dorei guides, because "Melora" is WoTC IP, but the idea of a nature goddess is obviously not; this is also why Cree in the Nine Eyes is referred to as catfolk and not a tabaxi, or why Phandalin's name in the TAZ graphic novels is changed to Haverdale). The only reason why a show might need to switch game systems would be if they use a system that is not D&D but is based on D&D's SRD and which will be subject to the OGL changes. Most Pathfinder shows I'm aware of use the Pathfinder SRD (ie, free), and SW5e as used in Starstruck Odyssey is also free. This also only affects the future of those shows.

VTTs (Virtual Tabletop Tools) may be affected, but most of their core features aren't. Battle maps and virtual dice rollers are not WoTC IP. Incorporating the mechanics of D&D into the VTT is, but that would mean actively having a character sheet or monster statblock available within the VTT. You could still just have a dice roller that prompts you for a modifier (which is how I always personally used Foundry). D&D Beyond will not be affected, since it is owned by WoTC. Additionally, many VTTs already have existing agreements specifically with WoTC that will take precedence over the OGL, which is a catch-all for companies that do not have specific licensing agreements. See the WoTC/D&D Beyond blog post here.

Only creators making over $750,000 specifically on material licensed under the OGL will be subject to royalties, and only on income in excess of $750,000. This means that if you put something up on DMs Guild and make $500, you are fine and owe nothing. If you make $749,999, you owe nothing. If you make $750,100, you owe the 25% royalty only on the $100 you are making above $750,000. WoTC predicts under two dozen companies will actually be affected by this at this time; they are all fairly big names within the D&D content arena such as Paizo, Darrington Press (CR's imprint), Hit Point Press, Green Ronin, Kobold Press, etc. Royalties also are said to begin in 2024, so companies have a year to decide what to do.

Now for the editorializing part:

Paizo is specifically in the crosshairs and anyone telling you to switch to it is either misinformed at best, or does not have your best interests at heart. Paizo is the main target here. The others are publishing material that serve as supplements to the core WoTC products, but do not replace them. For example: if you have either of the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting books, you will note that they do not have stats for the races mentioned, nor the core class information. If you want to play a Cobalt Soul Monk, you still need the PHB in addition to the Tal'Dorei setting books. On some level, this is almost certainly due to Paizo being like "look! we're like D&D but we're not! switch to us!" And, understandably, WoTC is saying "hey, you took our SRD game engine and are now our largest competitor", which is also almost certainly why this is overriding the OGL 1.0a under which Pathfinder was originally created. I am not saying not to switch to a different TTRPG if you want to! You should always feel free to switch to a different TTRPG if D&D is not meeting your needs! I am saying that Pathfinder is probably your absolute worst bet in terms of things likely to be affected by the OGL, and anyone telling you to switch to it is telling you to jump from an ocean liner into a slightly smaller ship heading straight for a waterfall solely because the ocean liner stopped serving bottomless brunch.

People throwing this to actual play shows do not know what they are talking about and are just trying to start shit. Self-explanatory; why should Dimension 20 or whatever put out a statement on an unofficial leaked draft that minimally affects them.

Bad faith is common and everpresent. As discussed extensively on this blog in scattered bitchy shitposts, there are a lot of people who hate D&D/WoTC, or Critical Role, or other popular actual play shows. Sometimes their reasons are valid and sometimes their reasons are stupid. It doesn't really matter though; what matters is that their minds are made up and they will be telling you to switch game systems/stop listening or watching pretty much regardless of what the companies do. If you want to switch or stop listening, that's fine! But, as mentioned, I remember a few months ago someone arguing that you should switch from D&D because they were obviously going to start licensing NFTs for profitability reasons, and now the OGL specifically prohibits that. There's a lot being pulled out of thin air to make spurious arguments. In general, it is helpful to ask yourself "is this person recommending a game because they genuinely believe it will improve my life and better fit my individual tastes and needs? Or are they just being a dick about D&D or this specific actual play show and don't give a shit about my happiness, just as long as I'm not playing the game/watching the show that they, an internet stranger with bad vibes to boot, do not personally like."

YouTubers are trying to get views, and that is usually their primary goal. Also self-explanatory. If you're trusting the same people who decided that Silvery Barbs would ruin D&D which had also already been ruined by the chronomancy class, the fact that some sorcerers get more spells than other sorcerers, the fact that healing word exists... to tell you that this has ruined D&D? I don't think I can help you.

Several of the things people are freaking out about are either standard boilerplate now, or were in the original OGL. OGL 1.0a reserves the right to terminate the license with 30 days notice as well (item 13); stating that material you make via an open license can be used freely by the owner of that IP is fairly standard legal practice.

Sources:

OGL v1.0a

WOTC Fan Content Policy

Gizmodo/io9 coverage

D&D Beyond/OneD&D blog post

Screenrant coverage

[kingdomoftyto]

I've started and deleted three drafts now trying to get my thoughts into a coherent recommendation, but there's just so much.

Let's start with the basics: You should read the graphic novel if you're a fan of the original show. You just should. It's new content of your old faves, and I'm telling you now that the art and writing are great and that you should give it a shot based on that alone.

But as for exactly why I'm losing my mind over it this much...?

It... feels like watching the show. But a version of the show unafraid to explore its own worldbuilding. A version of the show where continuity and character growth matter. A version of the show without jokes written by people far too old to understand mid-2000s teens.

And it is actually, honest-to-goodness funny. I went in fully braced for a badly shoehorned "fruit loop" one-liner, and instead I got incredible deadpan asides like this:

The art, too, manages to perfectly ride the line of looking enough like the original style to be convincing, but improving on the expressiveness of the characters' faces and actions to elevate it to something arguably better than the show:

(Like, I'm being so serious when I say the fight scenes are among the best I have ever seen in comic form. I'm the kind of person who tends to go for anime over manga because the fights are harder for me to follow in little sequential snapshots, but I can tell exactly what's happening in these battles AND they still look super cinematic and cool.)

And the story. Man, the STORY.

I won't spoil any of the plot here, but it's... really good. A little winding and goofy toward the beginning, but once things get serious, it really grabs you and refuses to let go til it's done. (Much like the best episodes of the show! Funny how that works.) It has a satisfying conclusion, but it also leaves a massive door open to continue telling more stories in the setting.

And I want more stories in this universe. The threads being dangled here might be even more enticing than those left by the original show. There is potential here for an INCREDIBLE series of comics.

We just have to prove how badly we want it.

If you can't buy the book yourself right now (it's relatively cheap for a graphic novel--I think it was about $15 even with tax from my Barnes & Noble), then please at least let other fans know it exists (I wouldn't have had any idea if not for tumblr) and keep the hype going on social media. I'm stoked to see that DP is trending on tumblr, at least, and I hope the same is true elsewhere. It's a small thing, but it's something corporate decision-makers take note of.

Fingers crossed we get to see more someday. This is one series that deserves to come back from the dead.

But, whether or not we get that continuation: welcome back, Phandom. Congrats and happy release day. 💚

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

In 1954 a man named Fredric Wertham wrote a book called 'Seduction of the Innocent' -

A book detailing and theorizing that violence and suggestiveness in comics and pulp fiction novels had a measurable, negative effect on the reader that inherently reflected the psyche of those who consumed them at length.

The book made Wertham famous, starting a moral panic across the country.

In Wertham's - and much of the countries eyes:

[also yes I had to verify that he did in fact say this as sourced by New Yorker Mag. Stan Lee should've kicked this antisemites ass]

In response - the Comics Code Authority was created - a code that dictated what could and couldn't be in comics, for the 'safety' of the reader.

This Code almost killed comics, almost putting Marvel out of business, until ten years later when Spider-man was created. Although it wasn't law - it was the panic of the public that enforced the Comics Code, completely sanitizing the industry for decades.

Gwen Stacy's death - a clear show of violence in panel - was one of the events to first 'break' this social code.

The issue it took place in - TASM #121 was released in 1973, almost twenty years after Wertham's moral panic.

It showed clear, unpeaceful death and tragedy, with NO resolution.

And fans ATE IT UP.

To this day, The Amazing Spider-man #121 is one of the most iconic issues in Spider-man's entire lore, with Gwen appearing in almost all of his movie franchises (Raimi, TASM, and ITSV), and her death characterizing MUCH of modern-day Spidey storytelling.

The reason I want to highlight this story is because I will always find it baffling, and SAD to see people saying that fanfiction or fandom art or favorite characters inherently reflect - or damage your psyche.

So often in fandom spaces - COMIC fandom spaces - I see this rhetoric parroted. That people who consume x are inherently more dangerous. That y shouldn't exist because it inherently damages those who consume - and enjoy it.

Unknowingly, but wholeheartedly claiming 'Seduction of the Innocent'.

That rhetoric comes from somewhere.

That idea - when it comes to video games, violent rap music, loud rock music, graphic TV shows, that such content warps the viewer simply by design - comes from one place.

Fredric Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent, and moral pubic panic.

Such an idea had a visible measurable effect on canon comics. So why does it persist in comic fandom?

They say those that do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

[hkthatgffan]

Well, today's the day! Hilda comes to an end. I figured now more than ever is time I make this post on just…how I feel about this incredible show ending and why it means so much to me…and why I'm grateful to Luke Pearson and the whole Hilda team. So, long post below ahead!

I found Hilda in 2018 via a post on the Gravity Falls sub of the trailer. Right from the start, something felt special about this show. And like many, I tuned in to watch it when it began. I didn't know what would be in store as I began it, but I was excited. This was at the end of the summer as GF hype for Lost Legends and the box set died down. So, getting in to a new show seemed like the best idea. It took literally hearing that theme song for me to instantly fall in love with Hilda. There was something so familiar and wholesome just bursting out of that opening. It was a feeling hard to really explain. By episode 3 and specifically the ending of it…I knew I had my next favourite show.

Everything about Hilda just felt perfect to me. The animation was incredible, Hilda as a character was enjoyable and full of life, the story felt fresh even if the core concept seemed familiar and all in all, I just loved the atmosphere this show radiated. It also made me so happy to see Canada have a part in Hilda. The Canadian animation industry is one I love given how much of a part of my childhood it was. And so to see it have a hand in this incredible show just made me so happy. Mercury Filmworks did amazing with Hilda. And I think that's how I began to understand why Hilda feels so familiar; it reminds me of those old cartoons I grew up on. Those Canadian Nelvana shows that were so wholesome & yet so fun to watch…while also not afraid to be bold. Hilda was that kind of show for a new generation!

I also didn't shy away from poking some nods to Gravity Falls. It was a great way to help spread Hilda's existence to more people and to this day I get messages from people who tell me they found Hilda because of my tweets, or videos or more. That means the world and I am grateful to have helped you discover this show. And like any show I fell in love with, I also bough the books and other merch for it. The Hilda graphic novels were amazing to read and see how the show grew from them, the figurine still just fits in my shelf, and the tie in books and more are always fun to collect. I'll miss it. Not to mention the memes…of which I made a few. The Hilda fandom is insane, yet so funny. Like all fandoms it has its ups and downs but I've met some amazing people because of Hilda and some who I remain great friends with. You know who you are <3

Hilda's conclusion means that the last of my holy trinity shows is now over…and with that, the end of an era. Truthfully, IDK what my plans are post Hilda. It was the last show still airing that I truly was 110% passionate about. That's not to say there aren't other shows, But there will never be another Hilda for me. Hilda is a show unlike any other I have seen. Yeah, perhaps it's not the most popular or the biggest or the best cartoon out there. But OMG, no other show since ever made me as happy and passionate as Hilda did. It's one of a kind!

I said in 2018 that Hilda is everything out of a cartoon that I wanted. I still believe that.

No cartoon is perfect and our definition of perfection is our own. If you ask me though…Hilda is the closest cartoon I have ever come across to my definition of perfection!

With that, while I am heartbroken to bid farewell to Hilda…I am happy I got to experience this show as it aired. I'm grateful for all the memories I made in the 5 years I had it. I'm grateful for the adventure and above all else…I'm grateful to have seen Hilda! ❤️

2018-2023

[medusamagic]

So you want to know more about Big Barda

As Tumblr's resident expert on all things Barda, and as Kelly Thompson's Birds of Prey run brings far more attention to the character, I figured it was high time someone stepped in and gave the tumblr world a primer on DC's biggest and boldest heroine.

The Basics:

Introduced in Mister Miracle #4 by Jack Kirby, Big Barda was once the leader of Apokolips' premier death squad, the Female Furies. Trained from birth for a life of violence by Granny Goodness, Barda spent the first 250 years of her life as a living weapon. This all changed when she met Scott Free, a gentle Parademon-in-training with a mysterious past and a knack for escapes. Eventually, she and Scott both escaped to Earth, where they fell in love with both the Earth and each other. She's a lover, she's a fighter, she's a Pokémon card expert, but most of all, SHE BIG.

Barda's signature defining attribute is her raw strength. Her raw muscle allows her to keep up with heavy hitters like Wonder Woman. This isn't to suggest that she's a simple-minded brute, however-- Barda has centuries of military experience under her belt as leader of the Female Furies. She's mastered multiple weapons, including spears, swords, and her signature Mega-Rod.

Below are some reading recommendations for anyone interested in Big Barda:

Essential Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 1 #4-18 by Jack Kirby (1971-1974)

This was the run that introduced the world to Big Barda, as well as the Female Furies. If you want to know the basics of Barda, there's no better place to start. This run is collected in a trade, as well as a part in The Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1.

(NOTE: Even though Barda doesn't appear until issue #4, I suggest you start with Issue #1. It'll help you get acquainted with the rest of the mythos.)

Justice League International #14-24 by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (1988-1989)

Big Barda was on the JLI! She plays off the other characters as well as ever, and a lot of what's great about her in Jack Kirby's original run is still here! Definitely check this one out if you want to see her in another team setting. This has been collected in this omnibus.

(NOTE: Once again, I recommend you start from issue #1.)

Popular Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 4 #1-12 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (2017-2018)

Yeah, I know.

Listen, Tom King is a writer with... idiosyncrasies to put it nicely. The characters in the periphery of his stories tend to act really out of character, and his dialogue can be clunky at times. That being said, The Scott/Barda dynamic in this book is excellent, and this book has some of the best art that the Fourth World has seen since the 80s. The series has been collected in a trade.

(NOTE: Did you know that the CIA has over 2003 files on Tom King? Look up "Tom King CIA 2003" for more info!)

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles (2022)

If you're at all interested in the idea of a Young Adult reimagining of Mister Miracle and Big Barda's origin story with an all-black cast, this book was made for you. It's a bit heavy on the YA tropes, but the Scott/Barda dynamic is really solid. It was released as a standalone graphic novel.

Birds of Prey Vol. 5 #1-??? by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero (2023-)

Admit it, this is the reason you're here. The Cassandra Cain & Big Barda is so instantly iconic, I'm surprised no writer has paired them up sooner. It also helps that this book has the single best Barda look since Jack Kirby's original run. Plus, she gets to throw down with Wonder Woman! What's not to love? This run is still ongoing, but the first 6 issues should be getting a trade pretty soon.

(NOTE: I started writing this before BOP #8 dropped, I had no idea about that thing that happens in the newest issue.)

Stories to Avoid:

Action Comics #592-593 by John Byrne (1987)

This is not a comic book-- it's an infohazard designed to cause pain and suffering to anyone who knows of its existence. Its premise is vile and disrespectful on the surface, and it becomes more insidious when you learn the context of its creation. This pair of issues is profoundly evil, rivaling even Avengers #200 in terms of loathsomeness.

For those who dare to investigate this, Content Warnings for rape, mind control, and human trafficking.

Anyway, let's end on something a bit lighter, shall we?

Remember that Mister Miracle YA graphic novel I mentioned earlier? Barda is getting a graphic novel of her own this summer! It's not out at the time of writing, but the preview pages look promising!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that introduction to one of my favorite superheroes ever. Please get back to me on this, I have no one else to talk to about Fourth World stuff.

[vndev]

Free VFX & Consultation for NaNoRenO 2024 Jammers!

Hey everyone!  I hope you've had a great time participating in NaNoRenO this year!  I'm Nai from Make Visual Novels, though I imagine more of you know me either through our live team building events in DevTalk, or from the other jams and competitions I run.  I wanted to let you guys know that, for a limited time, I'm offering free consultations for jammers participating in NaNoRenO2024.  With those consultations, I'll also be creating VFX for your title screens to help you make a stronger first impression.

So you might be asking...

Why would I even want a consultation, Nai?

Something went really wrong and you want to know how to fix it .

Something went really right and you want to know how to take advantage of it.

You had an objective that you got close to, but couldn't quite hit it.

You want to go Pro with developing VNs, and you'd like guidance.

You feel lost in some part of the process, and need help setting goals for your circumstances.

You tasted VN Dev, you can't imagine a life without it, and you want tools, resources & opportunities.

Okay, but why you?

I've spent nearly a decade supporting and coaching visual novel developers reaching their personal and professional goals.

I've read over 500 indie visual novels.  I know what your peers are doing, and where they are succeeding and where they're struggling.

I run & judge for the largest sponsored visual novel development competition.  That 500 was a conservative estimate.

My network includes VN engine & game developers, game, book, comic & VN publishers, merchandise providers & manufacturers, marketing professionals, crowdfunding experts, professional programmers, illustrators, animators, graphic designers, VFX artists, 3D Artists(specifically modelling, texturing, rigging, and lighting) editors, pixel artists, Live2D capable artists, authors, narrative designers, translators, composers, musicians, singers, casting directors, voice actors (so many voice actors).And, probably most importantly, people who are living the experiences you're looking for.

In short: If I don't know the answer and/or can't come up with a solution to your very specific goals, I know someone who can.

I'm in.  Now what?

To be eligible for the free consultation and the VFX, you need to have a game submitted to the NaNoRenO 2024 jam page and follow its rules.

Having a list of questions to ask is a good idea.  Having goals is an even better one.  If you don't have goals, we can work on setting them.

For best results, you or a team representative should be present for the consultation.  These are conducted between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM ET on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Message me over on Discord (discord:naidriftlin) or in DevTalk(https://discord.gg/devtalk) to set up a time and day.

Some things to keep in mind: 

Don't ask me to roast your game/be brutal.  I don't do that.  I can provide critique with suggestions and examples.

These consultations will be conducted live on https://twitch.tv/makevisualnovels.  My viewers are typically your peers and VN industry folks, and usually not exceeding 10 concurrent viewers.  A VOD recording will be provided to you to download for 30 days afterwards.

The free VFX for your title screen is eligible for those who complete the consultations.  It will be tailored to your existing title screen visuals and delivered afterwards.  I may opt to stream and record the process of making them.

[sapphicbookclub]

Author Spotlight: Apolline Lucy

This week, we're excited to bring you a guest essay titled Exploring the Dark and the Romantic in my Upcoming Novel: THE SILVER BIRDS from author Apolline Lucy. THE SILVER BIRDS will be released on September 26, 2023.

When the idea for my novel struck me, I immediately knew I wanted it to be a sapphic enemies-to-lovers story. Sapphic, because I wanted to write about women; enemies-to-lovers because I basically live for this trope. But I didn’t want romance to be at its core. I wanted to craft characters filled with rage and wants for revenge, characters so fiercely protective of the ones they trust enough to love, that they became monsters.

By mixing gore—the visceral, the violent, and the gruesome—and sapphic—love, desire, and identity—I wanted to explore the darkest corners of human existence, defy expectations, and create a space for queer characters to exist outside the confines of heteronormative narratives. My novel isn’t about characters being lesbian—they just happen to be. It’s about them grappling with their own demons and external threats.

That being said, the horror elements in THE SILVER BIRDS do serve as a metaphor for the discrimination and violence LGBTQ+ individuals have historically faced. The book explores the themes of survival and resilience, reflecting the real battles queer people face in their daily lives. But it’s more than just thrills; it's about empowerment. It’s about wanting to give voice to characters from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities, and make fantasy a more inclusive and richer genre.

As THE SILVER BIRDS is self-published, I had the freedom to explore taboos and delve deep into themes of obsession, vengeance, and the blurred lines between love and violence. Some scenes are quite graphic and might have faced heavy censorship in traditional publishing. But I believe they challenge readers to confront uncomfortable truths and question the boundaries of desire, love, and violence.

Despite the darkness, my novel ultimately celebrates sapphic love. It’s a reminder that love is a powerful force, even in the face of adversity. I’m committed to writing happy endings because the world is already a terrible place, and I want my books to offer an escape. Yes, I will torture my characters, present them with impossible choices, and reveal terrible consequences for their actions. But I will also grant them happy endings. Love must triumph, even in the darkest of places.

[michelleleewise]

I know your not taking requests rn, but I think this would be a really good idea and I don’t want to forget.

So the reader is an aspiring author/artist, whatever u want. They always go to Loki for ideas and help articulating ideas/anatomy. Again, whatever.

One day he comes into their room, and sees the reader crying. When he finally calms the reader down enough to speak, he learns that the reader had accidentally knocked over their water bottle, spilling it on (device), and lost all their work.

Whatever happens next is up to you!

Again, I know your not taking requests rn, but I think it’s just a really cute idea and I’m going to kick myself if I start writing smthn other than the 12+ docs I have open.

Hope u have a great day! I really dont mind I’d u don’t do this, I just wanted to put it out into the abyss. 😁

Also, I absolutely love your stories, they are my only source of dopamine rn! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Heeeeeeey!!!!!!! Sorry this took me a minute to get to!!!!!! I have also had too many to keep up with hahaha but......I'm doing this!!! Thank you so much for sending me this, i hope i did it justice and i did ok, and thank you for all the love and support!! Your aaaaaamazing!!!! Here we go....

===================================

Let Me Help

Pairing: Loki x female reader

Warnings: crying, a disastrous anniversary, a broken computer..... and all the fluff imaginable

Summary: you are an aspiring author working on your first book, when an accident derails your plans...

A/n- graphics by @harlequin-hangout

You grabbed your pen and paper, making sure to save your progress on your computer before scooting the chair back to hunt for your lover. You were writing your very first romance novel and you needed his perspective. When you began this endeavor he was nothing if not supportive, telling you how proud he was that you were doing what you loved, and offered his assistance with anything you needed, and to be honest you were more then grateful. Who better to ask advice from then a thousand year old God who has probably read every book in existence.

You walked into the living room seeing him settled in his chair, book in hand of course blowing on a cup of tea "Hello love, how is the writing coming?" He asked smiling up at you "Loki...when did you know you loved me?" You asked sitting on the ottoman in front of him "from the minute I laid eyes on you." He purred as you stared blankly at him making him laugh "ok, real answer." He said sitting up a bit "I would say it had to be our one year anniversary, do you remember?" He asked watching you "God Loki, that was the worst night ever." You laughed remembering that fateful evening.

You had just bought a brand new dress, emerald green silk that hugged every inch of you, pairing it with strappy black heels. You had had your hair and make up done professionally and made sure everything was perfect. Loki had come to pick you up, wearing your favorite suit that made you want to climb him like a tree, where you had set off for the evening, until one disaster after another hit in full force. First, as soon as you stepped outside a cab drove past a puddle spraying water all down your front making you gasp...loki had magicked you dry but it wasn't looking good. You made it to the restaurant finding they were out of half the menu when a waiter past by with a flaming you didn't know what and got to close to your hairspray coated hair igniting it, causing you to panic when another waiter dumped a bucket of water over your head.

You sat back at the table as Loki stared at you wide eyed "Darling, did you want to call it a night?" He asked standing up "no, no its ok. Its over let's....just enjoy dinner." You smiled seeing him slowly sit down. "Are you certain? We can go out another time." He smiled grabbing your hand. "It's our anniversary Loki, I'm fine." You smiled again. You were not going to let whatever was going on mess this up. But the evening wasn't done with you yet. You broke a heel walking to the bathroom making you trip and rip your dress, the sink in the bathroom broke spraying water in your face. Anything that could go wrong did as you sat back down at the table, the waiter bringing your food setting Loki's down in front of him, about to do the same with yours as he tripped sending it into your lap.

So there you were, dripping wet, makeup long gone, your hair a singed mess covered in food as you looked up seeing Loki looking at you with a softeness in his eyes "let me help." He said, waving his hand a green mist traveled down you, righting everything as you sighed. "Thank you Loki." You smiled at him. "Anything for you my love." He said grabbing your hand he pushed his plate between you "allow me." He said digging his fork into his food bringing it to your lips. "I cannot tell you how much I adore you love." He said smiling making your face heat up. The rest of the night going more smoothly.

"Well that can't be, I was an entire mess." You laughed looking at him. "No my dear, you were like a valkyrie facing battle. And no matter what happened, or what the evening threw at you you would not allow it to deter you, to ruin our special evening." He said leaning forward "I knew then that you my dear had the spirit of a warrior, with the heart and patience of a saint." He said cupping your cheek "and I couldn't picture the rest of my life without your light in it." He said leaning forward kissing you gently. "Lokiii...." you blushed as he pulled back smiling "is there anything else you would like to know my love?" He asked rubbing your cheek "no, I think I got it, thank you love." You said pecking his lips as you got up. "Anything for you love." He said sitting back picking his book back up.

You walked to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of water before heading back to the bedroom to continue your work, new ideas sprouting in your mind as you sat at the desk, popping the lid off your bottle you got to work.

Loki looked up at the clock seeing it had been several hours since he last saw you. Usually you would have come out to hunt for snacks or a drink but he hadn't seen you since that afternoon. He set his book down slowly standing up stretching as he made his way to the bedroom, expecting to find you asleep on your computer as he had several times before. He reached up grabbing the knob hearing a whimper come from inside "Darling.." he said walking in seeing your cheeks a deep red, your eyes puffy and red as tears spilled down your beautiful face, what had happened since he saw you last.

"Darling, what's the matter? What happened?" He asked as he saw the towel in your hand, reaching up trying to wipe the keyboard "i...l..loki....i...." your voice soft and strained, his heart aching hearing you sound so broken. He rushed over kneeling in front of you. "Take a deep breath love." He said rubbing your arm as another round of sobs broke his heart "i...I d..dropped m...my w...water..." you said through broken sobs pointing at the computer, loki looking over seeing the screen black as you covered your face with your hands "oh darling." He said pulling you forward wrapping his arms around you, rubbing your back as you cried into his shoulder "just breath love, it's ok" He said holding you tighter.

You pulled back looking at him, the site making his heart hurt as you wiped your face "a...all of my work...." you trailed off looking at the blank screen "it's.....gone loki....a...all gone." You said, a new wave of sobs wracked through you. He pulled you into his lap, rocking you back and forth as the sobs slowly quieted to soft snors. He looked down seeing you had cried yourself to sleep in his arms. He looked at the computer sighing as he slowly looped his arm under your legs, genlty standing as to not wake you He carefully walked to the bed laying you down pulling the blanket up around you hearing you sniffle. He pushed your hair back seeing the tear lines streaking down your cheeks making his heart clench in his chest, they had no business being on your beautiful face.

He waved his hand over you, the lines disappearing in a green flash as he leaned down kissing your cheek "I love you darling." He whispered against your skin hearing you groan as he stood, turning back to the computer. He stode towards it, taking the seat that you had been in staring at the black screen, he had no idea if he could fix it, he hadn't tried to fix these Midgardian devices before, turning when he heard you sniffle again seeing you had shifted but still sleeping. He turned back around, hovering his hands over the keyboard he closed his eyes, summoning his seidr as he concentrated on the task...to help you. As his hands glowed green he hoped he could do this for you, after everything you had done for him.

You woke to a pounding behind your eyes, groaning you rolled over to hug Loki but were met with cold sheets...and no Loki. You popped your head up as confusion swirled in your mind, looking over seeing his side hadn't been slept in. You dropped your head back to the pillow remembering what had happened, the water meeting the keyboard as the screen went black. The pit in your stomach returning remembering all your work was gone...in the flash of an eye everything you had put into it vanished. You rubbed your eyes trying to relieve some of the pain sitting up. You had two options, either give up, or start again, and with as much as you had written that was a discouraging thought.

You opened your eyes, confusion hitting you seeing Loki slumped over at the desk, his arms tucked under his head as he softly snored. "What the.." you started when you looked up seeing the computer screen on. You jumped up, stumbling over the blanket as you ran over, seeing your words written in black and white on the screen making you smile. It wasn't gone....you looked down at your sleeping God, gently brushing his hair back seeing his nose twitch. He looked so peaceful like this, so carefree. You carefully leaned down pressing a kiss to his cheek hearing him groan "no mother, I don't want to go to the tutor today." He said furrowing his eyebrows making you giggle. Apparently not wanting to go to school was a universal thing.

"Loki, my love wake up." You said genlty shaking him "no, I'm not doing get help." He groaned confusing you "umm Loki, your sleeping love, wake up." You said nudging him a bit harder when his eyes slowly opened "mm hello darling, what.." he trailed off slowly sitting up seeing he was at the desk "I'm sorry love I must have fallen asleep." He said rubbing his eyes "Loki, did you do this?" You asked pointing to the computer "oh, yes. You were so heartbroken I wanted to help, so I used my seidr and luckily I was able to get it working again, I started reading what you had and I must have dozed off. It is quite good love." He said smiling up at you.

"Oh Loki." You said jumping into his lap wrapping your arms around his neck hearing him laugh "Thank you so so so much! I can't..." you said "I was gonna have to start over, but you..." you trailed off pulling back to look at him "my savior. What can I do to repay you?" You asked smiling at him "Well, there are a few things I could think of." He said winking making you laugh. "I can't thank you enough Loki, this....you are utterly amazing" you said running your fingers through his hair. "To help you my love, I would do anything." He said cupping your cheek. "I love you Loki." You said looking deep into his eyes "and I love you my little warrior. Now, about that payment" He said making you laugh as he picked you up carrying you towards the bed "anything for you love." You said as he laid you down.

@vbecker10 @mochie85 @lokisgoodgirl @springdandelixn @kinky-faerie @xorpsbane @midnights-ramblings @simping-for-marvel @holdmytesseract @kkdvkyya @slpnbty2001 @lokixryss @vane28282 @violethaze @coldnique @aniar4wniak @nate-ate-hate @buttercupcookies-blog @brattymum96 @dukes2581 @your-taste-on-my-lips @mybabyh @blog-the-lilly @irishhappiness @sinsandguilt @filthyhiddles @lovebyloki @kikster606 @javagirl328 @misunderstoodself @highkeysimpingforloki @eleniblue @commanding-officer @athalialaufeyson @stupidthoughtsinwriting @lokiandbuckysdoll @loopsisloops @joyful-enchantress @jaidenhawke @silverfire475 @high-functioning-lokipath @kittiowolf210 @slytherclaw1227 @joyfullymassivewhispers @wolfsmom1 @libbybeaz @lokikissesmyforehead @goblingirlsarah @thomase1

[dharmafox]

When I was researching the Mononoke 15th anniversary celebration, I discovered this spin-off novel written by Niki Hideyuki. It contains six new stories - written in Japanese of course, but nothing the liberal usage of Google Translate can't decipher. Take a look at this neat cover art!

Note that classic Kusuriuri is holding the new Kusuriuri's exorcism sword. And while the colors are somewhat inverted, he's also carrying the new backpack. In the background, the top eye graphic is new. On the bottom left corner is a rather faded O.G. eye graphic.

I'm reeling from the lore implications of this. Are the movie and anime versions of Kusuriuri actually the same person?? What circumstances caused the costume change??? I'm rather curious at what your theories are for this!

(Also, the cover art is created by 2964_KO, an artist who drew lots gorgeously illustrated Mononoke fan comics back in 2019. How lucky they are to get early access to production art of the new movie, possibly months before anyone else even got a glimpse of it!)

This looks so cool! I'd love to read a translation. It looks like the electronic version is available here for less than $5.

I've definitely seen that artist's work around, and I think some of his fan comics have been translated.

I've been assuming the design update was due to licensing issues, but that's only because I've seen people say that. This cover art does make me wonder if they just chose to do a new design and based it on this artist's work. He must have had some kind of agreement with them in the first place to release his book (and get it hyped on the official site, no less).

I do assume movie Kusu and original Kusu are the same person, albeit maybe at different... stages of development? For now I'm rolling with the idea that's he's just our Kusu but younger. Whatever that means when you exist outside of time. :p

[3rdvoice]

Letter Column

I remember a while back somewhere seeing some concept sketches of an early Spondule and Navichet, and at the time you indicated that you were working on a much much shorter version of the comic than what you have now. My question is, was there any specific thing about the short comic that you were working on before that made you want to explore the world more? Or was it more along the lines of lots of really little things that interested you as a whole? Also, did you have to change the characterization of Spondule and Navi? Did you have to remove any characters that would not fit the story as it is now? - Louie * November 22, 2023

Yes I initially had S&N in my head as characters for a series of black-and-white graphic novels that were sort of self-contained. As I was coming up on the end of Vattu, I got together a coherent little pitch for a 200-250 page graphic novel, which overlaps significantly with the material now online as the “1st Passage.” Publisher was not interested in this book! Which was fine and kind of expected. And then I was in a sort of open-ended spot: Vattu would be ending, I was going to have the first Clean Break in years where I wasn’t working on anything at all, and I had to decide how to move forward career-wise !!

So I go back and forth about this a lot, between thinking about THE WORK and THE CAREER, that is, the material conditions that make it possible for me to make the work. I did feel, in developing the early S&N work, that there was potential for it to be a Bigger Thing. But it can only exist in the way that it’s possible for it to exist! It feels like it would’ve been useless to explore the idea of a much larger story if I was aiming to just pitch a self-contained graphic novel. But after the pitch fell through, I got obsessed with this idea of doing a really Maximalist self-published thing. I don’t know what to DO with my career but I know the sort of work I can make, and I figured I could double down on that in the most intense and enormous way possible, and HOPE FOR THE BEST?? So that was the context in which I started thinking about the bigger 3V thing, and I still don’t know if any of this makes sense career-wise, but it does at least feel like I’m making the best thing I can and as I move forward through it I’m building something that amounts to Some further stability for me to keep doing it. I dunno if that makes sense. I am lately just drifting away from the idea of art as the execution of an uncompromising vision. The whole thing is compromise! Would I be doing better work if I was independently wealthy or had a partner who made a lot of money or whatever and didn’t have to worry about fitting what I’m making into “the industry”? I don’t know! But every part of it is some sort of compromise!!

Characterization of S&N themselves has been pretty clear from the start, though they have gotten specified and the vibe has changed a bit as the setting shifted towards something denser and bleaker. Well I guess Navi is somewhat more affectless and inward-looking than she at first seemed. And the dynamic between the two of them has really clarified in ways that I didn’t foresee.

rice-boy.com

[dinolich]

Hi! Congrats on Hellaween, I’ve been a big fan of the characters since they were first designed and it was so cool to see their journey from the shorts to starring in a full length graphic novel.

I wanted to ask about how you felt transitioning into working with a publisher. Did you find yourself thinking about or handling the characters and story in a different way compared to before? What did you take away from the experience?

For anyone new here, I’ve been working as storyboard artist for tv and film for almost a decade and these characters have been on the sidelines since my first studio internship in 2014. When I started figuring out my footing, I started putting pitches together for shorts programs that went nowhere and doing short comics before seriously pitching for a series around 2019… but obviously the last few years have been rough in the world and also rough for the animation industry. So when my editor found me on twitter and proposed the idea of a graphic novel I jumped on it. Nobody wants to make original shows or features without existing IP so I guess I’ll make the damn thing before I try again to make the damn thing, and if the second part never happens I have a book that’s 100% mine.

The switch felt pretty natural, I’ve always had a fondness for making comics. The hardest part was easily writing the damn thing. I have a good sense of storytelling and character from my years as a board artist, but actually putting words on paper is not something I’ve ever done outside of a couple class assignments and I’ve never had the chance to work on board driven shows (where the board artist also writes the episode) One of the big reasons I wanted to make a show was to hire actual writers and designers, talented people I could DIRECT. But i’ve learned I’m much better at writing than I give myself credit for, which is a nice thing to find out. But yeah turns out if you want to make your OWN comic you have to do every part of the process (unless you hire someone or have a partner, thank you Tory Harris for coloring Hellaween) compared to animation where I never have to do a finished illustration or design a background.

With my day job I’m eternally thankful I’m doing traditional publishing and not going indie. My editor is great and I would never have the patience to handle printing, promotion, distribution on my own. Hellaween would not be possible with out that support.

I’m also still working full time in animation, so time management and regular exercise are essential or your back will go shrimp mode and your brain will turn into goop.

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite Books I Read in 2022

I read a TON of books in 2022- roughly 62, (and 54 separate graphic novels/manga series, but we’ll cover that in another post).  You can see them all here- the print books start with Hench.

This was thanks to how I started listening to audiobooks while doing chores/working out in addition to reading, and some downtime at the office where I checked out low effort reads. So I thought it would be fun to just give some very quick overviews of the best books I read this year.

First up is:

 This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar 

Deliciously lyrical and lovely, this novella tells the story of two dangerous women who are rivals on the opposite side of a war fought through time-travel- they taunt each other through letters and ever-so-slowly fall in love. I failed to finish this when I attempted it a couple years ago, I wasn’t in the best place and while I knew the writing was great, I had a hard time processing all the information. I’m really glad I gave it another shot with the audiobook- the narration is wonderful and drew me right in. I would to each letter and then read it in print, tasting each word again like a drop of sweet, dark syrup. It’s got a wonderful fairy-tale element despite being a sci-fi and the colorful picture it paints of time-travel and the ever shifting identities and forms the characters take on is worth getting lost in.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

I listened to this on audiobook, and it was a great experience. I still have an image in my head of huddling in bed late at night, the narration like a dark, icy wind rattling the windowpane, yet each sentence cradled me and made me feel even cozier under the covers. Based on Polish folklore, the narrative follows a girl who tires of how the villagers spurn and scorn her family for being Jewish moneylenders, so she decides to take matters into her own hands- but her business saavy and talent for multiplying silver catches the attention of some fearful supernatural beings who want to cut a deal. Her story intersects with two other women- one a princess on the run from a demon, one a girl with a family in debt and a cruel father. It’s a sharp and biting fairytale with a lush sense of a setting. I had a few matter-of-my-own-taste quibbles with the ending, but it was a wonderful winter journey.

One Last Stop and I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

One Last Stop follows a college girl new to NYC who gets in a romance with a woman who seems to be mysteriously bound to a the subway- and bound to the wrong decade when she should be in the 1970′s! This is a full on mega-cheesy, tooth achingly sweet romance, but for once it’s kinda laser-targets at my gay, awkward self, so I actually really enjoyed it. I wasn’t even bored by the sex scenes and liked reading them, which is unusual for me.

I didn’t enjoy I Kissed Shara Wheeler quite as much, but it’s still worth a mention. The protagonist is a gay girl trying to adjust to existing in a Bible-Belt school, who receives a kiss and a mysterious letter from the supposedly perfect fundie popular girl Shara Wheeler- right before Shara disappears. It’s a YA, and it does a good job capturing what it’s like to be a teen-in-denial of how much they love mess when it comes to love interests, and touches on some of the struggles being queer in the conservative area, while striking down the idea everyone should just move to New York for salvation.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

This novella tales the tale of Yetu, a member of an undersea race descended from pregnant African women who were thrown off slave ships. She is tasked with carrying the memories and pain of all the generations of her people. It’s an affecting and gut-twisting examination of generational trauma and how one copes with it- is it possible to carry all that agony, or is it best to forget? The narration was a bit dry at times, but it’s a story that stays with you.

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

Heartbreaking but at times darkly funny, McCurdy’s memoir about her relationship with her abusive mother and struggles with child stardom is worth all the hype, in my opinion. The writing is punchy  and the story is told in short vignettes that make for an addicting read/listen. McCurdy does a great job communicating the degrading horror of both familial abuse and exploitative studios, while sardonically highlighting the absurdity the abuse thrives.

Otherside Picnic Vol 7: Funeral of the Moon by Iori Miyazawa

Otherside Picnic truly has my heart. The stories themes of healing from abuse and trauma come to a triumphant crescendo in this volume where Sorawo decides to deal with the Satsuki problem once and for all. It actually inspired me to write a whole article about the themes surrounding trauma, abuse and recovery in this series and how wonderfully they’re handled, which should hopefully be out it couple months!

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Cows. Free Mustache Rides. Barbie. Nona is impossible to spoil. I got even more hype for The Locked Tomb series after re-experiencing the first two installments in the excellent audio books narrated by Moira Quirk, and Tamsyn Muir cracked my brain open all over again. We get to see a little bit more of what life is like outside the Nine Houses in this one. I found it a little more plodding than the previous two, but it’s still a great installment of my current favorite book series. I’m probably going to listen to the audiobook version soon, which considering I only read it a few months ago, that tells you just how much I enjoyed it.

Loveless by Alice Oseman

A YA following a university girl on a journey to realizing she’s aromantic-asexual.  Her fears and feelings of alienation drive her to make some bad choices and risk losing what’s really important. This book almost felt too painfully real- I’m not aromantic, but I came to terms with being asexual in college, and struggled in a similar way. I still struggle sometimes. But while the relatability was almost painful, I felt a deep kinship with this book, and these messy, silly teens and their messy, beautiful friendships. Asexuality is still so rarely talked about and represented that I’m really glad this is out there.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

A haunting YA horror, the story follows Mars, a genderfluid kid who was chased out of a fancy rich-kid summer camp that enforces a strict gender binary. His sister remained at the camp and hung out with a group of beautiful, popular girls nicknamed the Honeys. After she ends up dead under suspicious circumstances, Mars goes back to camp to find the truth, but now he himself is hunted. With spooky and visceral prose, some pointed and well deployed social commentary, and an A+ atmosphere, this was a great October read. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’d been stinging from disappointment from some books I’d been anticipating but found myself trudging through at times, so this page-turner was a breath of fresh air. The book is about a woman interviewing a movie star from the golden age of cinema known as Evelyn Hugo, only to find that her life was full of secrets and her seven husbands are far from the most interesting relationship in her life. The prose might be too simple for some, but I think it made sense in the context of a woman narrating her life to someone, and it made it very accessible. I knew the main 'twist' of the story, but there were lots more twists it pulled off well. I appreciate that Evelyn was so flawed, and that the book wasn't afraid to let the reader wrestle with a lot of the bad things she did while still showing areas where she deserved sympathy. There were a lot of parts I wish the book could have gone more in depth with (though in the context of a woman telling her life story, it did make sense she didn't in certain areas) and that the viewpoint character was a little more developed, but overall I really enjoyed this as a quick read.

Norse Mythology By Neil Gaiman

A great primer on Norse myth- there were only a couple of these I knew in detail, with a few other I knew about vaguely, and I found it to be a really entertaining and accessible read. Probably not as useful for a Norse Myth know-it-all, but it did a good job piquing my interest.

Bonus reads- these weren’t quite five stars, but were interesting enough to be worth mentioning!

Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

In Hell, there’s a library for unfinished stories. The problem is, the characters sometime escape their stories and cause mayhem. It’s up to Hell’s librarian to wrangle them. This had a killer premise and likeable characters, but I found the narrative a little detached and thought it tried to do a little too much at once. Still definitely worth checking out for fans of stories about stories.

 Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

I read Dracula this year, but I found the classic lesbian vampire story held together a bit better overall, even if the ending was really anticlimactic. I loved the titular vampire. You can check out my reactions here!

T.J. Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo

This was a really sweet little YA story about an Indian-American girl dealing with the stigma around her body hair. I did find the debate parts a bit dull though, despite the fact I was in debate in high school

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

 A story steeped in Jewish folklore where two siblings inherit a Baba Yaga house. I found the middle a bit of a slog (and there were a few characters who didn’t have a real reason to be there) but the ending came together really well.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

A temp worker in the henchmen-for-supervillains business gets injured by a hero, and nursing a grudge, uses her statistics know how to destroy the superheroes in creative ways. Her talent catches the eye of the premiere villain, and she gets in deep. It was a really creative concept and biting look at the gig economy and the world of celebrity, and I enjoyed a lot of it! While the heroes are assholes, the stuff the villains do to them (and especially their families) can get pretty uncomfortable, which I found interesting in a morally-grey way but I did wonder about the weird fixation the book had with kidnapping children. I know it’s a go-to for supervillains, but it’s still weirdly overused. And while I don’t mind body horror, the ending was so fixated on it that I actually had to flip ahead to get through it, it was so repetitive and a little bizarre. Still, it stuck in my head and I’m down for a sequel.

---

It was a good year in books and I’m looking forward to the next one!

[tscfsr25w]

Yume Nikki DS Theme!!

(for TWiLightMenu++'s Original R4 skin)

A fun little project of mine from a while back, I dread not having my special interests on my devices... so here's what I eventually came up with.

It never wound up on the official twlmenu theme site, due to me submitting another theme along with it, a template theme I used for exact measurements of UI elements' positions and size (yes, they cannot be altered in this skin :c )

The Theme Itself!

Here are the raw photos! Saving these with the filenames logo.png, bckgrd_1.png, icons.png and bckgrd_2.png should do the trick and make it work! Otherwise, you can just extracting the ZIP with all of the working files I've used onto your console:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/477151458257535003/1112134104142577674/Yume_Nikki_original.7z

With that out of the way, I will talk about my process making the theme, including whatever else I had in mind for it!

Process

I wanted this theme to feel... dynamic, I always try to go for this whenever I do customize something, make the best of what I have and even try to tell a story with it, or make it immersive... make it relevant. Do all themes need to do this? Not really, I'm just like this.

My vision was pretty simple really, since this skin in particular does not allow for a lot of freedom, just four images and all the interactive buttons are... not customizable (in size)! But, they lack graphics, so we can use the background to make graphics for them (the only button with a graphic is the manual which you can see in the first picture, bottom screen, top right).

So let's start! For the three main buttons on the first screen, they represent choosing a game, booting the cartridge, and launching GBARunner2, the GameBoy Advance emulator/hypervisor/whatever!

I believe what I originally had in mind was making all the buttons part of Madotsuki's room, but... that plan soon fell down since I realized... Madotsuki's room was too small! But I realized it was big enough for two buttons... and I thought, huh, I suppose the first and second button DO seem more related than the one for running GBA games, so boom, both of them are now packed in Madotsuki's tiny room... Selecting a game is Madotsuki playing on her console, while launching the cartridge is... an indescript boxart I referenced of NSMB, it's not great but it's also like 2 pixels large so... I didn't think it mattered that much.

And so, only the GBA button remained, my initial plan was to have Uboa on a separated white-desert-like island, but that plan fell through quick as I did not want to make more custom graphics than thhat little DS box...

Thinking what I could replace Uboa with, Poniko came to mind! And there couldn't have been a better fit, I loved how well it just worked! Madotsuki's room was latched to the bottom of the screen, while Poniko's was latched to the top...-right corner, but alas!

The final touch was making Poniko look at the door, almost as if looking at Madotsuki, I feel like this is my favorite detail out of all of them, plus some funny little gay subtext (/j /j but also the light novel exists so.)

That's it for the bottom screen of the intro images, the top screen is just Madotsuki's balcony at day, which when entering the file selection, turns to night time!

And as entering the file selection is represented by Madotsuki playing NASU, you also have NASU on the bottom screen, albeit a very squished down version of it... along with the TV and a graphic for quitting... (since it's an input that I just don't see mentioned anywhere else ever...? The graphic for "START" in it was also made by me!)

Scrapped Ideas!

Only the bottom screen in the first set of images is changed, it's just a minor alt of the placement of Poniko's room and her sprite, now facing forwards.

The second set of images is a different background for the top screen, the file selection screen, that of Mars-san... I wanted to convey the idea of going deeper into Mado's mind when you select a game, but that's still conveyed somewhat in the original, as the day turns to night, and you see NASU on the bottom, speaking of! Another difference in that screen was just hiding Uboa instead of FACE, an entirely inconsequential change, but one I wanted to mention nonetheless.

Another idea I had for bottom screen during file selection was Masada looking at the game or folder you are about to pick! This one... just didn't fit at the original resolution of the screenshot, and with the other UI clutter (the unremovable microSD/SD text in the bottom left...), it just seemed too busy, I feel with a bit of tinkering something nice can be made... but honestly I didn't want to mess far too much with it, despite my perfectionism in every other aspect of this theme.

[sistervirtue]

making a copy of this bc op disabled reblogs and i just got reminded it existed and would like to not lose it

ok so . im outing myself to the world but thats fine this is too funny to not share

so. ive run a roleplay blog for a few years. i keep it separate from my main, yknow, its just a side hobby and ive been doing it since i was like, 12. its cringe but hey yknow at least im not 30 and writing ya novels

now its pretty common for rp blogs these days to have rules. right? you dont want to just bag any weirdo on this website, and as you can imagine bnha roleplayers are batshit crazy (see: conversion therapy todoroki) so mine are pretty strict and detailed. because ive been doing it long enough to be exposed to what counts as carbon monoxide poison from a screen. one of those rules is "if youre mutuals with people who write porn of the kids even aged up im blocking you we're keeping a ten foot pole on this". because as a 20 year old man i have a healthy disinterest in seeing paragraphs of teenagers fucking

so the dash is astir with talk of a guy writing age up bakugou porn and im like ok whatever. make a post bitching about it . mutual likes those posts but then the mutual is turning around and being buddy buddy with this guy so i dm the mutual like hey whats going on here . mutual is like "well why dont you talk it out with him hes not as mean as he seems i prommy" and im like sure whatever i can have civil conversation and if it ends with One Less Person writing weirdo porn then i might be able to get into heaven

so i dm him and he loses his fucking mind. it lasted all of 10 minutes because he was sending paragraphs like this and i was too tired to give a shit

(take note of my icon thats a special tool thatll help us later)

(also he goes by the name rxgelord. WITH the x. thats also important just because its funny as fuck)

so the guys clearly bothered by the idea that people might possibly talk about him without his permission and im a little miffed after being misgendered (which hed do again later) so i just post our dms. swing first and hey batter batter lets play ball i dont give a shit this is bnha roleplay

once again: loses his damn mind. he makes a psa post about me talking about how im just some pussy infant and hes too HARD for me and shit and also they do bakudeku muffin roleplay in the comments of that post which is fucking insane

anyway. at one point while joking about the whole thing i called him a "wannabe bakugou kinnie" as a joke and apparently he felt a very serious need to address this

and im like holllllllllllllly fucking shit

you may have noticed that his posts are incredibly over-formatted. this goes for everything he does he is pouring a LOT of time and energy into typing his 9 paragraphs about how im an insane bitch or whatever. (if theres literally one thing i can give him credit on its that his graphic editing skills are kinda good. i will be honest) his rules document is also just as insane and features gems such as:

(this dude thinks hes pulling bitches on a bnha roleplay blog)

so we're just full on ragging on him at this point and hes getting MADDDDDDD MAD. he misgenders me again and when i point it out he has the following excuse:

(art by @/pcktknife. anyways)

after a certain point i get dmd an old copy of a 130+ page callout he had a year prior and im like WHAT and it included his yugioh rp blog career and various allegations like having been involved in gang violence, doxxing, etc. also a picture of the hickies he bragged about leaving on his uwu pink glitter gf which looked more like he was trying to go for the killing bite but hey. yknow. apparently im a toddler idk how that works

along in this we also find his twitch account, which was under the name rxgelord, and it featured edited graphics of his real life face with bakugou. he posts selfies a lot too i wont share them even if theyre public but he has knuckle tats and a goatee and uses the greyscale filter. if this gives you an idea. he also had 5 twitch followers and detailed his desire to be a rapper/dj and im like holllllly fucking shit this guy cant be a real person. holy fuck.

anyways. skipping a lot of unnecessary bullshit and paragraphs of text with gifs from 2013 attached hes constantly going on about how we wont just "say it to his face" which i think is hilarious bc i was, the entire time. but im like ok fine you want me so bad

so i send him this. he posts about how "he won when he got all might" (for some reason hes calling my ex mutual by the character name. i dont know) and then hasnt posted in 4 days. he deleted his twitch. im a little worried bakugou. dont say that. may have actually chased this man off the internet . to go have real life sex with his real life girlfriend so he isnt so mad

anyway we ended up turning one of his posts into an eminem uberduck

im honestly probably forgetting something this was so much and it was so fucking funny and honestly im glad to have been there

update: he has not in fact posted since last summer. god bless.

[jasonball34]

After years of knowing about it but never knowing what was actually in it, I have finally acquired a copy of the rare 2008 UK promotional book "Who is Artemis Fowl?"

I was very excited to get my hands on it, as there was the possibility of exclusive content! To lay eyes on official AF content that I’ve never seen before, in 2022? Very exciting. Join me as I explore this tiny treasure!

First, a little background info on this thing can be found at: artemis-fowl.com/the-books/artemis-fowl-book/

So, it is quite small and thin, being a free promotional item included in a magazine. It's got 64 pages, and is roughly 4x7 inches in size (11x18 cm).

The bulk of the pages are devoted to short extracts from all 6 (at the time) Artemis Fowl books. It came out before Time Paradox released; it has a little blurb at the end advertising that book as releasing soon, in August 2008.

The extracts are: Book 1: The brief prologue, plus the scene where Artemis enters Angeline's bedroom and she has the mannequin of Timmy. Book 2: The scene right near the beginning where Artemis views the ransom video message on his laptop. Book 3: The scene where Holly agrees to heal Butler. Book 4: The scene after Holly saves Artemis from the hotel missile and they talk. Book 5: The opening scene where Artemis swaps fingers. Book 6: The exchange of money for lemur between Little Arty and Kronski in the leather souk, cutting off just as Holly and Artemis go in to intervene.

There is also a short extract from the original 2007 graphic novel. It's the first few pages of the Holly intro chapter, printed in black & white.

The extracts are all well and good, but I was of course most interested in the prospect of exclusive content. And there is indeed some stuff that isn't found anywhere else!

-A multiple-choice quiz on the characteristics of the different fairy species, with some very amusing wrong answers. -A list of Artemis' top 10 heroic moments (according to Eoin, I guess?). Not sure what the point of this is. I guess it’s just to hype up Time Paradox, since it wasn’t out yet but it’s included in the list. -A bit from Matt (of AFC website fame) saying why the series is so special, interspersed with other fan testimonials. -A promo for the "2008 LAFTA Awards" that was held on the AF website(?). Lol.

But the most exciting part of this little book, in my opinion? Official illustrations from Giovanni Rigano (graphic novel guy) are included in the Time Paradox extract! There are 3 illustrations, and they're exclusive to this little book. I had no idea that this existed. We now have official art of the lovely human being known as Damon Kronski!

I am including images of the book's exclusive content for your viewing pleasure, which I've never seen shared online before (though I could be wrong). Since this book is evidently rare and elusive, I think it's important that this stuff be accessible in the public record. There's nothing mind-blowing or earth-shattering here, but I think it's still pretty neat! Now we know what's in this thing!

(tap/click on an image to view full uncropped size)