#often i just emulate the movie's style but idk... wanted to do something different this time

[sketch-shepherd-art]

May your Lunar New Year be cunning and full of tricks 🐇

Redbubble link 

[wewerebornsextuplets]

idk how but you draw in the Oso-san style so good i need to know your secret please

HAHA thank you very much!! im glad you think so :D unfortunately im not very good at explaining how i work, but ill try my best to show what i mean!!

once again this is long as hell. you know the drill at this point

to be honest, half the battle i fight with drawing in the osmt style is just. Looking at it. the ososan art style actually fluctuates pretty wildly depending on what you're looking for, whether that be the mobile games (for instance, tabimatsu and hesowars look nothing alike in terms of style despite both being the same source material), official art and merch, or even the seasons of the show itself!

using ichi as my example here since i draw him the most, but its pretty easy to play spot the difference with the varying styles. even within a specific season you can do this across episodes, especially with season 1!

when i draw, i tend to be a bit sacrilege and use references across different media; usually ill use the show [especially season 2, if only because its a bit more "uniform"] as reference for the actual features and colors/poses/etc, but i like to use hesowars to reference proportions, since they seem to be most consistent there.

SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO NOTE: theres a WEALTH of fanartists that have styles that are INCREDIBLY similar to the show, so be careful to check your sources! these artists deserve credit for their hard work, which they often don't get since their work is reposted under the guise of being official art.

once you've pinned down the exact style you'd like to emulate, and the character you're looking to draw, its really just a matter of finding references, which is pretty easy! you can scrub through different episodes for good angles/shots, or if you're going for one of the game styles the AU wiki has most of the games catalogued to my knowledge. if you're looking to draw an oc, use characters you think they would look similar to in the show. if you really wanna waste your time, though, you can always scrub through crowd scenes in the show to see if any background characters might look like what you're going for; the season 3 episode Mt. Takao comes to mind, there were a lot of cute mob characters there.

using keiko as my example here, you can see that i pulled her features from multiple different characters to get her to look right in the style. with ocs, its important to reference a number of different characters, since the likelihood of a background character being a 1:1 for your little guy is unfortunately pretty low. there WILL, however, be a lot of characters that look KIND of like them. the key is to figure out what parts go where!

to this point, most prominent ososan women have very similar stock anime girl faces with very minor differences, so if youre looking to make a cute girl oc, most of the womens' faces can be used somewhat interchangeably. if you want your cute girl oc to have a more unique face, though, the movie gave us some women with more unique faces in the form of the NEETs' old classmates! theres also no harm in referencing male characters faces in this regard. #butchswag #kiruminikuya

BUT. going back to the assumption that you're drawing a canon character, today I'll be drawing oso for my example

when you're first getting a feel for the style, tracing some of your references can actually be a really great way to acclimate yourself to the characters proportions and features. think of like when you were a kid, and would trace over pictures of pokemon or cartoon characters so you could draw them better. its basically the same principle! this was especially helpful for me when it came to eyes; they vary the most wildly of any other trait that characters have in ososan, so going over the different shapes to get a feel for each of them was very important.

when you trace, though, I recommend doing so a bit more loosely, sort of like if you're doing a photo study for anatomy; block out the basic shapes and do small markers for different features (i.e small lines to denote where the eyes start and and, distance from nose to mouth, things like that), and from there draw the rest on your own.

after long enough you'll get a feel for the basic placement of where everything should go! the eyes and nose are undoubtedly the hardest when it comes to the sextuplets, since they shift around a LOT between games/seasons/etc. so don't feel bad if you have a hard time with that, since there isnt really a "right" answer with how frequently it changes. i still fuck it up all the time myself!

as for some basic tips, heres some stuff i try to keep in mind when drawing them that just helps the finished product look a bit nicer!

when drawing the hair + fringe line, its important to swoop it downwards a little bit; the flat across look Can work, but if you're not careful you risk showing the tops of their eyes, which is um. ew! ick! nast!

when a matsu is facing forward, their hair will usually tend towards one direction to keep the silhouette. in most screenshots i saw, the bowl cut points left! that said, dont be afraid to point rightwards if its better for your specific drawing!

and lastly: USE THE LIQUIFY TOOL. LIBERALLY. i am not joking when i say this has saved my ass so many times, its hard to get the placement right on the facial features and even harder to get everything to LOOK good, so if its available to you i HIGHLY suggest just squishing everything around with a liquify tool until it looks right. you can always go back and correct the blurry lines. its really a life saver

BUT YEAH! i dont know if this was very helpful but i hope you're at least able to gain something from it :-))

[streetkid-named-desire]

uwu @luvwich tagged me for a writer interview (?!) so let's get to the navel gazing

i tag @wanderingaldecaldo and @medtech-mara

When did you start writing?

Since I was like 8. I'm not joking. When we were selling the condo after I'd moved out my mom and I pruned the "kid art" boxes together because she kept nearly everything creative we ever did. There was this assignment where we had to write our own version of the tortoise and the hare in second or third grade and it was honestly pretty witty. Like, it was still very much in the voice I still write with today.

Then in middle school I wrote vampire rescue stories (girl is mid-assault or nearly assaulted and near death, vampire rescues and has to tun her to save her life, she wakes up in a castle) but it was way more gory. I never finished one. As I got older I dabbled here and there but again, rarely finished something. I've written a variety of short fiction and you can read some of my stuff here.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Nooo. Even with movies I generally stick to horror and sci-fi which is also what I enjoy writing. Although, I do enjoy like literary fiction? Satire? Idk I really love Chuck Palahniuk and Doug Coupland.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I don't think I've ever been compared to anyone, no. I know my style is influenced by Weird Al, John Scieszka, Chuck Palahniuk, Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson. Probably some others but I can't think of their names.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

GOD either my phone in bed or at my desk. My desk is messy and there is a cat bed on it so the cats can be close to me without being fucking pests and walking over my keyboard. I bought a new desk in like June of last year when I first moved into me new place and I...still have not put it together.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Watching horror movies. Also just starting to write. I have to remember to trust and just write, just start writing.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

I will say I was SO shooketh when I picked up A Streetkid Named Desire again, especially for how much of myself, my past, my experiences, my history I put into Bea and VG. Otherwise, recurring themes are cynical optimism, push and pull love, autism, kinda antiheroes, body horror, and complex characters. Not to toot my own horn on that last one.

What is your reason for writing?

I have to. I have to get this story out of my head. I play in my imagination. It's actually the only way I can really daydream, that's why I call it my imagination playground.

Mostly because it's part of who I am. I write. I'm a writer. That's all there is to it.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I have...so few comments. The best ones are about my characters and emotions. But any comment is motivating. Mostly because I'm just putting all this out there and it would be so nice for other people to read and share in this experience because it's not just a story it's kind of baring my soul.

I want someone to see me through my writing.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Eeeehhhhhsgghasgbdf I don't wanna think about being perceived. I think just a good author.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Snappy dialogue and character dynamics.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I feel very neutral until I re-read it on AO3 and go "damn, I really cooked." I kinda get excited when I am re-reading for the first time and it's actually good.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Completely and purely for myself. My story and characters are very close to me and I feel just compelled to tell it. I mostly let the characters decide as I write. I write for myself because it's fun and I like seeing the story in my imagination in my head. I want other people to enjoy my writing too but unfortunately I am not likely going to cater to readers lol

This is why I likely will only ever be self-published if I do publish an original story because I could not fathom or tolerate an editor wanting to cut certain things or make it more marketable or something. My writing is all a part of me and part of my soul and not staying true to that, not writing what I want or how I want is crushing.

[corvuscrowned]

how r so good at writing everytime i read something of urs i look at ur username and like go Ah This Looks Familiar and i discover that ive already read some of ur other stuff. whats ur secret. would love to know about ur Inspirations and such if u dont mind

hi!!!!! thank u so much for saying all of this and for all of your comments, they are all so sweet and make me really happy. i've been sitting on this ask because i really don't know how to answer it!!

i certainly don't have a "secret" to writing, tho if i did it might be the age old advice of writing a fuckton and reading a fuckton more, bc i think those are the two most valuable things to my writing... i've been writing for a very long time but only got into fic writing recently, and i find that it's really useful just to have a loooot of practice writing because it helps me learn my strengths and flaws and to iron out the kinks in my writing and to take my writing less seriously and allow myself to be experimental and have fun, which sounds a little woo-woo, but i truly think if you want to improve as a writer (which i know i do and it sounds like you do), finding the type of writing you enjoy doing and doing a LOT of it is extremely valuable. for me it was very important to learn the ways that perfectionism has been holding me back and trying to work on that, because just like any skill, it's vital to practice in writing to improve, and my perfectionism was stopping me before i even started a lot of the time. working on letting go of that was really useful bc even tho i still struggle with it a LOT, it goes a really long way to just commit to writing and enjoying something and seeing what happens and not being super attached to how the final product comes out.

as far as inspirations go, i definitely don't read as much as i'd like to, but when i do, i read a lot of literary short stories, which i think are really useful for learning how to maintain tension and focus on prose in shorter works. but i try to read pretty broadly across genres bc i think it gives me a more well rounded sense of how vastly different writing can be? it's hard to point to any specific writers i'd consider influential tho recently i'd probably name mariana enriquez, marilynne robinson, aimee bender, and gabriel garcia marquez as far as writers who really shaped the way i read and write... as far as fic writers go i think @letteredlettered, @shiftylinguini, and @firethesound really shaped my views of harry and draco and the tones i like to take up in fic. i also just watch a lot of horror movies and that has influenced my writing a lot too? i think film in general influences my writing more than i once realized

i have found myself often either intentionally or unintentionally emulating the prose styles of my favorite writers, and i think that has been useful for me - it's helped me sort of find my own voice, pick up things i like, put down things i don't like, and i think all writers' styles are sort of an amalgamation of their influences so i dont think it hurts to try things out and see what sticks. i've been writing fic for almost a year now and i think there's a pretty broad range of styles within my fics, which is all a result of me testing out new things and seeing which styles fit certain tones/topics!

but also!! i think doing what youre doing and talking to writers about their interests/methods/influences has helped me a LOT! that's something ive found super valuable within fandom - talking to people about their writing and learning about their techniques has been suuuper useful in figuring out what works and doesnt work for me!

dude idk if i really answered your questions at all?? let me know if you want me to ramble more about any of this (as if it's not already super long) and ur also welcome to hit me up on discord crow#5501 if you ever wanna chat! thank u again for being so sweet!!

[celestialsilhouette]

Do you mind explaining some of your thoughts on the cosplay post? I'm Asian too and have been thinking a lot about it. When you say white cosplayers need to listen to Asian voices, whose should they listen to? The Asians who are offended or the Asians who don't care? Is it not yellow face if cosplayers don't change their facial features but still wear black wigs like in those plays and movies? When does white people's access and comfort become more important than the Asian people who are uncomfortable? When does cosplay (attention, sometimes selling accessories, making money off YouTube revenue) become "profit" and therefore bad for white people to do in certain contexts vs good? Why are historically inaccurate cosplays less offensive than historically accurate ones?

hi nonny! i don't mind explaining my thoughts at all, altho i do want to be clear that these are just my opinions and how i view cosplay. but i think that these things are super important so here we go!

so yeah, what ur saying is totally right, and i honestly think it's a really fuzzy line between yellowface and just cosplay. personally, i think that so long as it's not purposefully offensive, and the cosplay isn't coming from someone who's looking to silence asians/mock asians, then it should be fine? it's not as if there aren't asian actors in china who are acting in plays such as shakespere, or others that take place in a primarily european background, or asian cosplayers playing white people.

ofc, it's different between having white people play asian characters and asian people playing white characters, because the system of oppression does come from white people taking things away from asian people. but my point is: i don't think we should gatekeep cosplaying if it's truly for an innocent purpose. i'm not going to stop cosplaying castiel, or peter parker, or dean winchester. who am i to stop white people from cosplaying wei wuxian or jiang yanli or whoever?

as for how far the cosplaying should go, in terms of simply wearing a wig or actually changing facial features using make up, my line of thought comes from how much people go to actually change their facial features with characters that are of their race. for the wigs, i just think that there's nothing inherently offensive about saying most asian people have dark/black hair? it's like this: gamora from gotg has red hair. therefore, many gamora cosplayers have a red wig. it's not offensive, it's just staying true to the character.

having black hair is not something that's used to target asian people, and it's not something meant to make fun of asian people. it's just a fact. therefore, if you're cosplaying an asian character, it makes sense if you have black hair.

on the other hand, for facial features, there is a long history of people making fun of asians for squinty or small eyes. it might not be true to everybody who's playing these asian characters, but it is often exaggerated, and turning people into caricatures of asian people. i just think that emulating and exaggerating facial features that have been used to mock asian people for their looks is maybe a step too far into yellowface. especially when the end result is something that doesn't even look real, and doesn't stay true to the characters.

as for the historically inaccurate clothing, i suppose i wasn't very clear in my last post abt this. all i mean, is that for historically inaccurate clothing, it is impossible to really do a lot of research into it. it might be a very complicated mix of styles from all different dynasties and time periods. i just don't think that it's very necessary? especially when a character isn't even from a specific time period like mdzs characters, and many chinese people view hanfu in a similar way europeans view victorian clothes.

also, when i say white cosplayers need to listen to asian voices, i mean, generally try to pay attention to what's being said? it's not about who's offended and who don't care -- if someone doesn't care, often, they wouldn't comment on the cosplay at all. i mean, if there's something extremely tone deaf, or something that squicks out asian people, the cosplayer does need to pay attention, and does need to understand.

it's kinda difficult in this situation, but even if i don't think that a white cosplayer is in the wrong for cosplaying an asian character, if an asian person is uncomfortable with a cosplay because they feel it's veering too close into yellowface, i'd still think the white person should take it down. on the other side, if an asian person is uncomfortable, i do think that it would be more beneficial to these types of conversations to explain why it makes them so uncomfortable, beyond just 'it's yellowface'.

now, as for profit, that's also something that honestly i'm not even sure about, and my own opinion changes from moment to moment. what i mean with profit, is in a major place like a hollywood movie, or something like that, shouldn't have a white person take an asian person's role. not only is it taking an asian person's place, it also just doesn't look right, especially when an asian person would play an asian character much better.

however, youtube/tiktok is a completely different story. i wouldn't go very far in supporting a white cosplayer playing asian characters, but i'm also not really comfortable with completely not letting them cosplay asian characters? same thing as above -- i cosplay characters that i like regardless of color, who am i to stop people from doing it? and for cosplaying on a social media site, even if it gives revenue for the cosplayer, it's very easy for someone to simply not watch the youtube/tiktok, and support actually asian people instead. idk. it's complicated, but i think that cosplay is completely different from actual movies and tv shows.

tysm for ur ask, and i hope this makes my thought processes clearer!

[mikumutual]

answers aa themed questions nobody asked because i’m cool and sexy

also i havent played the 5th or 6th games so

YOUR FAVOURITE…? 1. Favourite Ace Attorney game? honestly? phoenix wright ace attorney! everything’s fresh, there aren’t many weak characters, and the plot is remarkable (especially the fifth case). the whole trilogy is really good as one unit though 2. Favourite case? 1-4, 1-5, 2-4, and 3-5 are tied lol, i can’t make a decision to save my life. 2-1 is really really funny tho 3. Favourite defendant? as a defendant, lana skye. as a person, edgeworth 4. Favourite prosecutor? as a prosecutor, franziska von karma. as a person, edgeworth 5. Favourite ship? wrightworth obviously... ive probably put more thought into them over the last 3 years than any other ship 6. Favourite victim? probably mia fey or gregory edgeworth... but for non-relevant victims, neil marshall :( 7. Favourite murderer? shelly de killer, i LOVE that guy. but dee vasquez was very cool as well 8. Favourite assistant? maya fey!!!!!!!!!! but i like kay faraday a lot too (im so sorry ema) 9. Favourite witness? adrian andrews... or maybe iris? i mean i didn’t like iris but god what a person 10. Favourite quote? “It doesn't matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses... The truth will always find a way to make itself known. The only thing we can do is to fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one... It's never easy... We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you.” - Miles Edgeworth i made this one of my senior quotes :]

YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE…? 11. Least favourite Ace Attorney game? uh fucking apollo justice. literally what the hell was that 12. Least favourite case? turnabout visitor wasn’t very strong? i guess it’s fine as an intro, but it’s also wonky with the timeline of aai 13. Least favourite defendant? max galactica. he’s better in the anime though 14. Least favourite prosecutor? manfred von karma, obviously. i like every other prosecutor (who i know of) though, even winston payne is pretty funny in hindsight 15. Least favourite ship? “miles edgeworth/female oc”. there are a lot of bad ships though, mostly involving phoenix & his assistants. dont do that please 16. Least favourite victim? zak gramarye for kickstarting that shitty, shitty game 17. Least favourite murderer? again mvk... but also fucking frank sahwit LMAO 18. Least favourite assistant? i guess trucy 19. Least favourite witness? fuck everyone from turnabout big top unless it was the anime episode 20. Least favourite memory of Ace Attorney? repeatedly trying and failing to download the emulator for aai2 hbjsjhdb i eventually got it but someone had to send me the download fully pre-patched and i felt kinda useless DO YOU PREFER…? 21. Phoenix Wright or Apollo Justice? phoenix wright. fuck that “GOTCHA!” mechanic jesus christ 22. Maya Fey or Trucy Wright? maya fey. nothing personal against trucy but i just dont like aj hbjsdjhsdb also maya is really sweet and fun and she has the best sprites. she seems like she’d be a good friend, it’s too bad that she doesn’t have the time for them as a spirit medium and all :( if maya ema and kay got to hang out together itd be wild 23. Investigations or trials? trials are easier in my opinion because investigations have several things you could be doing without such a linear style, so if you miss something, you won’t really know until you wander around forever 24. College Phoenix or Hobo Phoenix? college feenie!!!!! he’s like trilogy feenie but more emotional and less witty. i like to pretend that hobo phoenix doesnt exist 25. Klavier Gavin or Kristoph Gavin? who would say kristoph 26. Ace Attorney or Ace Attorney Investigations? ace attorney but only because phoenix is in it lmao. im actually rewatching a playthrough of aai now, and playing aai2 at the same time, so while it is on the mind, i feel like the cases characters and mechanics - while loved - don’t hold up to the OGs 27. Apollo’s perceive, Phoenix’s magatama, or Athena’s Mood Matrix? i actually kinda like the mood matrix more than anything because it has a really good UI and the magatama is kinda grating. but FUCK the gotcha mechanic it is SO FUCKING STUPID and IMPOSSIBLE TO USE.  where is logic chess 28. Ace Attorney trilogy or Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies? you already know my answer to this one 29. 3D models or sprites? i do like the 3d models a lot but i like the original sprites more! imo original pixel sprites > 3D models > HD sprites. mostly bc the hd sprites are garbage (see here, here, and here) 30. Ema Skye as she is in Rise from the Ashes or Ema Skye as she is in Apollo Justice? rfta !!!!!! shes actually really nice as an assistant, esp considering the fact that we actually see her interact with her sister, which is something maya didn’t have very often. also her random appearance in aai was well appreciated by me

MISCELLANEOUS 31. Did you like what they did to Phoenix in Apollo Justice?

NO I AM SO FUCKING MAD WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT TO HIM ISN’T HE A LAWYER WHY COULD HE NOT JUST DEFEND HIMSELF FROM THE FACT THAT HE “FORGED EVIDENCE” IT WASN’T EVEN HIS IN THE FIRST PLACE SOMEBODY ELSE FORGED IT AND HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT, MANFRED VON KARMA GOT AWAY WITH A FUCKLOAD OF NONSENSE AND SO DOES EVERY OTHER LAWYER SO WHY IS IT THAT PHOENIX CAN SURVIVE EATING A POISONED GLASS NECKLACE AND GETTING HIT OVER THE HEAD WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND FALLING FROM A BURNING BRIDGE INTO A RUSHING RAVINE AND BEING HIT BY A CAR BUT HE CAN’T FUCKING DEFEND HIMSELF LIKE HE DOES IN EVERY OTHER CASE BECAUSE THAT’S THE POINT OF THE GAME AND ALSO HIS ENTIRE CHARACTER

32. Your opinion on Dai Gyakuten Saiban? haven’t played it! it looks pretty cool though

33. Do you think Dai Gyakuten Saiban and/or Miles Edgeworth Investigations 2 will get localised to the West? doubt it, since the creators have said that it won’t be. but the fan translations are pretty good, so i think it’s okay

34. Do you think Miles Edgeworth should get another Investigation-game or do you think another character deserves a spin-off? i mean he already has two, so i guess he doesn’t need another? like i love edgeworth but he’s not as fun without phoenix around. ngl i would play a franziska game. or a maya game, or any spinoff revolving around a side character. hell i’d play hotti game if it meant it took place in the trilogy era

35. Opinion on the soundtrack of the Ace Attorney-franchise? REALLY good. really really good. i love how each game of the trilogy has different composers but each track has the same theme and feel!!!

36. Do you like where the franchise is heading or did you prefer the atmosphere in the original trilogy? seriously absolutely completely prefer the trilogy. i’m sorry but the rush of youth and trust is way, way more enjoyable than whatever “i’m 35 and therefore middle aged” nonsense is happening in the 2020s

37. Capcom suddenly announces that Phoenix will no longer appear in the Ace Attorney franchise! Your reaction? He’s been replaced by Penny Nichols. Fuck you.

38. Capcom suddenly announces that the Ace Attorney franchise has ended for good! Your reaction? it was me i ended it

39. Would you like there to be another Ace Attorney/Professor Layton crossover game? i didnt play it but i really like the idea!!!!!! aa crossover games are really funny to me, i mean have you seen edgeworth in project x zone 2, lmao

40. Would you like an Ace Attorney anime? we have one now! honestly i don’t think it did a very good job of representing the cases, but it did do a good character remix of turnabout big top so that they’re not creepy anymore. they also did a really good job with the anime-specific cases, like the one on the train! it feels a lot better paced when it’s intended for that medium rather than just adapted.  also the childhood episodes made me cry

41. Opinion on anime cutscenes in Ace Attorney? like in 5 and 6? mm, the art style is kinda weird, and i don’t really like the voices, but i guess not everything can be pachinko and prozd

42. Would you want to play an Ace Attorney game where you take on the prosecutor’s role? YEAH ACTUALLY!!!!!! it might be kinda weird being on the right side of the screen though lmao

43. Do you like having DLC in Ace Attorney-games? uhhh i hate having to buy extra things, but i’ll admit that they are pretty funny

44. Opinion on Lamiroir’s storyline? i only played aj so if shes in other games idk but i thought she was fine

45. One thing you think the Ace Attorney games can improve on? stop having creepy characters please. also jesus christ if phoenix and edgeworth arent wearing rings in aa7 i will become the ceo of capcom myself

46. Capcom suddenly announces an Ace Attorney movie! Would you like it to be based on an already existing case or would you like an all new storyline? i mean the musical did a pretty good job of adapting existing cases, so it might as well be new. it would be kinda hard to balance the games’ timeline & character development without being repetitive or an au

47. Capcom suddenly announces an Ace Attorney movie! Would you prefer it being live-action, 3D animated or 2D animated? stylized 2D animation, probably? i would want it to feel more like into the spiderverse than an anime, though. in my dream ace attorney movie, they’d just need a high art budget, several plausible deniability wrightworth scenes, and prozd to voice edgeworth

48. If there could be an Ace Attorney crossover with whatever franchise you’d like, which one would you choose? (Does not need to be a video-game franchise) your turn to die is probably closest in characterization, although its premise is more “locked in a room” than the open-world investigation of aa

49. Opinion on recurring witnesses? (Wendy Oldbag, Lotta Hart, Larry Butz, etc.) honestly, i like them a lot! i don’t know why people hate them so much - i mean, i know lotta lied, and wendy is a horrible old flirt, and larry just kinda sucks all around. but they’re also pretty funny to have around! larry is a constant comic relief who reminds you how much better nick & edgey are in comparison, lotta is likeable as a general character (like in 2-4, although yeah, not remarkable), and wendy oldbag is really funny. she’s so fucking funny. none of you appreciate wendy oldbag’s quirks and you are SLEEPING ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

50. Do you think Dual Destinies deserved its M-rating? no idea, holy shit, it got an m-rating? i mean every game before it has had blood violence and very mild swearing, and since DD probably doesnt have anything too sexually risqué, i doubt it deserves a rating any harsher than the rest of the series

okay thanks thats all

[comicteaparty]

December 6th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on December 6th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST.  The chat focused on Pin Porter Girl Detective by Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Pin Porter Girl Detective by Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett~! (http://pinporterdetective.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Tenor | Shinavar

1) Spense's backstory for how he came along is probably my top fav? It was short, concise, but also revealed the personality of him, King, and Queen all in one go that I feel has definitely helped develop the characters in a way to really flesh them out further and has me curious where it's all going to go now what we know whose 'stakes' lie where. /wording yay.

(Also Shadow!Pin is adorable fight me )

RebelVampire

yeah i liked how spense's backstory was executed. cause at the end it didnt just develop spense, it developed the world, other characters, and so forth. which is not usually something you get with backstory so i liked seeing backstory actually further the story in other ways without it suddenly being a story about spense.

my fave scene is the one where pin is being kidnapped for the king and then she just 180s her opinion cause of the evidence being in her face and then she kicks the fairfolk out. i not only enjoyed seeing a character who wasnt stubborn and basically went "this is my life now," but i enjoyed how many things we learn about her personality from this single instance (like the fact that for someone who didnt believe, she sure knew a lot of those fae rules).

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd like to blame her grandfather for that one a little? But yeah, her survival skills and adaptability and good to see - she'd have been royally screwed if she hadn't been willing to.

(Except, y'know, throwing your only weapon you have )

Han

I just started on this comic and I just wanna say I really love the noir style of writing its going for its really enjoyable

RebelVampire

tbf to pin, shes still a kid. so still gotta make those kid mistakes of throwing the weapon and hoping for the best.

welcome Han~!

i enjoyed the noir style writing as well, though i enjoyed that it took a comedic turn. like the opening scene was not where i expected it to go at all with them commenting on the line quality

Tenor | Shinavar

On Pin being a kid: True! I suppose all her detective work she hasn't had to deal with violence too much.

Hullo Han~ :D

Han

yea!! Im really enjoying it

Tenor | Shinavar

The speech patterns threw me off initially honestly - I thought everyone was much older than they were because it was stuff I've only heard from old detective movies wheeze

Han

the comedic and weird creepy vibes scattered throughout are really nice, definitely stuff thats right up my alley

I assumed a lot of it is Pin is kinda playing it up as kid tend to do, but then everyone started talking the same and I was like oh!!! its a reference, but it seems to be set in a sort of alternate reality to ours

I like how theres no explaining really it just hops in and allows the story to make the world-building as it goes

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes, I did enjoy that too~

Like Spense's introduction just made me go "wat" and need to keep going because "Can't believe in people disappearing but we have a talking bird a'ight what's going on"

RebelVampire

i feel some of it is kind of playing it up. i mean tbf most of the characters are kids or the fae. the only adults have been i think a ghost and pin's mom for 5 seconds? so in a sense it could be like a group thing of playing it up. cause kids do that too. play pretend in large groups.

not to say i think it is pretend. just the noir thing i could see still as the kids just hamming up their weirdo lives

although wait prudence had that whole backstory

although that seemed less noir to me too

more wild west

Tenor | Shinavar

-Nod- That was the impression I had. But yeah could be kids playing it up - considering the fae did it too maybe it's a weird influential thing - - What if it's because they picked it up from the local fae trying to be under cover over the years?

I just have this amazing image in my head of them watching old human films to get an idea how to emulate humans wheeze

RebelVampire

that could be. although i think the kids at least have some sense of difference given that iola corrected that one fae for saying thy(edited)

mathtans

I'm now here, for the moment. ^^ I got as far as about page 150.

Yeah, I really liked the opening as far as setting the mood, the detective and noir style.

I rather liked that flashback scene with Penelope "Pin" (I wonder where the nickname is from) going off on the town history, being very suspicious of the founder. Thought it rang true to her character.

Superjustinbros

Hey there!

Just felt like dropping in and saying ello

gonna be a bit busy tonight but I'll see if I can return later

Tenor | Shinavar

Math: I agree~ also showed she seems to have always had a history or knack for looking at odd things and picking things out that weren't quite right

mathtans

Right. I wonder when she decided to go into the detective business.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Pineburg is not just filled with the supernatural, but numerous human characters up to their own things. Do you believe that Iola is truly on Pin’s side now? Alternatively, do you think Iola might betray Pin in the future (and if so, what for)? Do you believe that Riley will overcome his addiction, or might he find some other way to get Fruit? Besides withdrawal, what long term consequences do you think Riley might suffer from his past usage of Fruit? Will Iola and Riley be a boon to Pin’s detective work, or are they going to end up becoming burdens? Also, do you think it’s significant Pin doesn’t know what her mother does for a living? What role might her mother play in regards to events going on in the town?

Jonny Aleksey

I read from 100 to the current page so I probably missed a lot. I did get confused. Best part I saw would be that whole backstory to Penn's ancestor. Most interesting character stuff.

mathtans

Yeah, that fruit thing really threw me when it first came up. Oh, which reminds me, another scene I liked visually was when Pin got sucked into the other place and there were just all these street signs floating in the air. Great callback, how things made sense later (like the fruit).

RebelVampire

yeah i totally forgot about the street signs thing until they were in that place and i was like "gasp it all makes sense now"

but yeah i agree the fruit thing made me what

Han

oooooohhh the twist with the founder of the town is really cool

RebelVampire

pin has a super interesting family line going on

so many threads

Tenor | Shinavar

2. I believe Iola is on Pin's side as long as her revenge is being sated by the Queen, and the Queen seems interested in Pin if just a little bit. I'm waiting for Riley to drip back into addiction, sadly. I don't believe this will be something he can 100% beat without something to literaly cure it <_<; Magic n' all that. On Pin's mom: With what's all been hinted with the family I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to keep away from Pin fo rher safety due to what all they're wrapped up in. Sure her father might have been the link but who's to say she wasn't aware/told some shit?

mathtans

Seems like the only way to cure a fruit addiction is to have another fae do it, like what happened with Spence.

Tenor | Shinavar

Maybe! I wouldn't be surprised, at least

mathtans

Pin's mom doesn't play a role... but her Shadow does! Gasp!

Tenor | Shinavar

Her shadow wants to be Johnny Badass, I love it

RebelVampire

spense might of been a special case though being a bird and all. and tbf it seemed everything with spense happened in one day? and while magic is involved, you dont usually get addicted in one day. at least in a way that comes with withdrawal

i...actually also think riley is gonna fall back in with fruit if he can get some

cause his withdrawal seems pretty long term atm

without signs of getting better

and that sounds like hell on earth

i feel like her mom has to know something given the fam she married into. but then again pin's mom was kind of oblivious to pin dying

Tenor | Shinavar

IDK man - magical addiction might just wreck the body - though usually depending on lore Fae magic is pervasive but slow, often with intent to make permanent damage. But, that is kinda hinted too with how Riley describes how the fruit tastes and what it's like, and how eventually that goes away and what you're left with. I'd say that at least has shown a long term addiction.

TO BE FAIR - did anyone notice all the street signs were gone too? <_< How much do we know can be seen by others? Her sickness might be seen as lesser and just like, exhaustion. Though at least a doctor's visit c'mon. If my kid can't walk for a few days she's goin LOL

(I'd also want to know wtf my kid is doing to being so exhausted but it seems like Mom is pretty... not on the ball about her kid)

mathtans

The Spense thing on one day? I thought it took a bit of time to get hooked, then he was with the Queen for a little bit too. Though he was unhooked in a day, I grant. Riley needs to find a fruit substitute.

Well, the whole town was exhausted for a while, what with passing out while walking their dogs and things.

Incidentally, I didn't immediately clue in that the King was the graffiti artist, and that's how he was doing his thing. Only dawned on me when the shadow thing came back up.

Not sure if that's a me thing.

RebelVampire

but i guess it depends all about what mom is going. like what if shes fighting the forces of evil and if she stops everyone in the town dies? i could understand just kind of hoping pin is fine for the sake of the multitude of other ppl to save.

i realized it was him when he was revealed as the king

just cause the graffiti artist stuck in my mind

cause he was creepy

complimenting shadows and all that

who does that king

nobody

thats how you give yourself away as a fae

mathtans

He kind of stuck for me what with Pin pointing him out near the start, but I'd kind of forgotten later on, reading in batches. ^^;

Tenor | Shinavar

Shhh he was hiding, so good at hiding

mathtans

That and speaking weird.

He was fae-king it all along.

RebelVampire

brave math, bravo

but tenor brought up a good point. who all saw the missing signs. cause we are walking the borderline between whether this is real or whether this is pretend.

like i think some adult would go "wtf is going on? im gonna catch the punk kids who did this"

cause its an adult's perogative to assume it was punk kids

mathtans

Probably more like, "About time the mayor took those in for cleaning".

Though it could be one of those things you simply can't believe. Like, all of them gone? Must be a problem with me or my eyes. I won't let on, I'm acting normal, yup.

Han

tbh I feel like if it was spread out over time eventually people wouldn't notice they're gone anymore

Tenor | Shinavar

Some fae lore falls into a veil-like magic - which I htink may be applied here. It's hinted Prudence had the ability to "notice things" and this system has been used a lot - basically, you see what should be there because you know it should be there, you can't see the magical reality because your brain either wouldn't handle it, or you haven't been brought into the magical influence yet.

Han

an adult whos busy with jobs etc would become unobservant, and also Im assuming a lot of them could be fruit addicted

yea thats also very true tenor

RebelVampire

yeah i do feel like we are going by veil logic if everything is reality.

mathtans

Ohhh, good point, about the noticing. (A handy skill for a detective, incidentally.)

Tenor | Shinavar

So how much do we the audience get to see?

Han

oh man yea...

and the tree and overgrowth signifying the queens rise of power now that the king is gone is a nice touch

aw man Im all caught up now and I want more

I've most definitely have saved this comic to my bookmarks for sure, its too interesting to pass up

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah I have def enjoyed this and am keeping it on my read list :D

Han

I honestly just feel bad for poor riley at this point, this kid didn't ask for this magic addiction...hopefully he's cured of it eventually

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Much of the comic’s conflicts are driven by the supernatural Faeries around Pineburg. Do you believe we’ve seen the last of the King, or do you think he’s planning some sort of comeback to once again take the town? What do you make of the King’s ominous warning before he left? Do you believe that the Queen is relatively benign, or is she up to something considering the sudden overgrowth of nature? Could it have something to do with the boon Iola asked the Queen for in order to get rid of the King? If the Queen is up to something, what might her goals be? What other rules of the Faeries might trip Pin and other characters up in the future? Have we seen the last of the Fruit with the King’s departure, or will it come back somehow? Lastly, what do you think the Faeries’ interest with Pineburg is specifically?

Han

hmmmmmm well I have a feeling that Pineburg has some sort of easier connection with the faerie world

like, maybe its easier to journey there and live among humans

either that or because its something they've owned for what I assume almost 100 years they're attached to it like a stuffed animal

Tenor | Shinavar

3) THe Queen clearly has a temper, but I'm not sure what she's up to be. I imagine they're eventually going to be in a territory spat - the Queen understands she can't control the area yet due to the deal, but they could influence things, persay, to garuantee this generation is the last generation <_<

Han

yea I agree, I don't trust the Queen one bit

mathtans

Heh, a lot of that is after where I've read to. As to their interest though, didn't the humans kind of come along and settle there? Technically the fae were there first.

Han

The Queen has clear motivations for sticking it to the King most definitely

mathtans

Makes me wonder about their marriage.

Han

im assuming the overgrowth is the queen claiming what is originally hers---maybe shes upset the king gave away the area that the town now overtakes and is trying to claim it back?

like I know the deal with the founder was kinda like an yea sure u can have the town for a while but its an iou situation eventually, he would've had his way if pin didn't outsmart him

RebelVampire

if they are married

im really confused on that

Han

yea I am too?? I feel like they arent actually married and are in actuality two seperate factions of fae

thats how I interpreted it anyway

RebelVampire

yeah thats how it feels

although the queen kind of acts the jealous wife to a degree

so idk

i could make arguments on both side

Han

mmm yea, maybe they had a fling and it dropped out

its a battle of bitter exes and the town is smack dab in the middle of it

RebelVampire

tho i think at this point they are representing two diff factions. so it might be a political marriage

Han

true!

tbh i would be kinda funny if it just wound up to be like a very long winded version of some sort of divorced couple custody battle over the whole town

mathtans

The liberals and conservatives thought a marriage would unite the fae politically.

Han

im also a little suspsicious of lola, seeing as how she seemed to switch sides so quickly

mathtans

Anyone think Pin might become the new ruler?

Tenor | Shinavar

I think they just need marriage counseling

Hm If Pin were offered, I don't think she'd accept it unless she has no option.

Like life or death over people levesl of accepting

RebelVampire

i think that is a good descrip of whats going on between the king and queen tho. this is just some custody battle XD and yeah im with tenor. i dont think pin would want to be the new ruler unless circumstances dictated it was to protect the town

Han

yea I agree

I feel like Pin is a protector of sorts

RebelVampire

i 100% think the queen is evil and is just more cunning to the king. i think her ultimate goal is to completely push the people out of the town and let nature reclaim it. cause that seems to be her thing. and i think theyre going to be forced to go get the king and say "hey king the queen is worse than you bro"

Han

oooo yea

and then its like the villain becomes the gruntled protagonist

which is a trope I adore

mathtans

King would probably want them to do him favours in exchange for help though.

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh god.

Personally I hope they just manage to mend whatever is allowing such a strong fae connection and just boot them all out because no fae can be trusted

mathtans

Gotta outsmart them somehow.

RebelVampire

i feel that that is more the inevitable end

they somehow get all the fae booted

decide to add to the history books that dealing with fae is the worst thing and just dont

mathtans

Gotta defeat them with iron.....y.

RebelVampire

actually ya know

maybe that is what will play a role

is the iron

cause i forgot about that

Tenor | Shinavar

Iron dome around the town

RebelVampire

but this comic is good about bringing up stuff again

in conjunction with the last question, i trust Iola as far as i can throw her. i think she knows exactly what the queen is trying to do and is just riding the train to the end

and even if she doesnt know

Iola is a side switcher

never trust

Tenor | Shinavar

Well at the ssame time, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and apparently she's taken what the King's done as one hell of a personal slight. Which if he was truly pretending to be her BF I can't blame the rage, but that's dangerous lol

RebelVampire

maybe this is the real lesson from the comic

dont scorn women

because then they go to the fae

and nobody wants that

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd believe it <_< Los of pissed off ladies. Even Pin's ancestor was a woman scorned

mathtans

Maybe Pin's mom is a fae. And Pin is part fae.

RebelVampire

the twist of a century

Tenor | Shinavar

Actually that is a question - why was it her father would have been the end of the contract, and not her? She's still alive. THey hint Iola's family is because the family line was assumed to not continue there so...

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. Despite overcoming her trials with the King, Pin has many other problems left at her doorstep. Will Pin be able to solve the issues plaguing Prudence and free her ancestor? What do you think Pin will have to do to be able to free Prudence? Do you think she’ll have to consult the King, or might someone else have the answers? Do you think Prudence is being honest about just wanting to rest, or do you think Prudence is going to betray Pin after being set free? If the latter, what do you think Prudence’s ultimate goals are? Additionally, do you think Pin will be able to maintain a good relationship with her shadow, or will her shadow attempt to leave to be her own person? How might the split with her shadow continue to help or hurt her?

i assumed it was a generation number thing?

Tenor | Shinavar

4. Even if she has to consult the King I doubt he'd help her - it's his contract in place. Unless she gives up something good I can't imagine he'd be willing to try.

RebelVampire

cause its not iola herself who stays the fae hands

its iola's father

so once iola's father kicks the bucket

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh, then that would make more sense.

mathtans

I feel like Prudence is sincere, because after hanging around for that long, you'd figure it's time to move on. Unless she really wants to struggle with what an iPad is.

RebelVampire

i wouldve thought prudence was sincere

but then her backstory

her backstory is not one that makes me go "ah just sincere old lady"

mathtans

Hmm, guess I only got about halfway through that. Still, centuries to reflect.

Tenor | Shinavar

I do believe she may be sincere in he "I'm done, I'm tired, I want to leave" because "immortality" can be baaad. And boring, esp if she's by herself

mathtans

It wasn't what she signed up for either.

RebelVampire

i feel like she wants rest, but that doesnt mean it doesnt come with strings. like for example, i doubt shed care if the only way to free herself was for pin to take her place in that mirror limbo whatever it is

mathtans

Mirror limbo... how low can you go.

Is it mentioned how Penelope got the nickname Pin?

Tenor | Shinavar

Rbeel: Oooh that's a good point God forbid she get tired of waiting and trying to make that deal wheeze

RebelVampire

i dont think its been mentioned yet, how she got her nickname

but it might have been said in passing and i just missed it?

but yeah i dont think prudence cares how she gets out and at whose expense

chateaugrief

hey everyone, i'm super late but I arrived! was eating fruit but am trying to stop...

RebelVampire

LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

I didn't catch it either.

FFF also hELLO

chateaugrief

I really loved this comic, writing was very good

RebelVampire

the fruit thing still makes me laugh to a degree cause at first i was like "pin why are you mad about ppl eating fruit? most kids dont eat enough fruit so this is a good thing"

glad to hear you liked it

mathtans

It's all about the veggies.

RebelVampire

maybe thats how riley will get over his addiction

hell start doing veggies

mathtans

Or birdseed. O.o

chateaugrief

haha stay away from fruit children! oh man the birdseed stuff I was dying

and before I knew it I was eating out of his hand!

also the lock picking ad that pops up in the middle

RebelVampire

im reminded of that page

http://pinporterdetective.com/index.php/comic/page-22/

now what i expected but horribly hilarious

mathtans

That reminds me, I was amused at the end of Spense's story when Pin saves him and he talks to her and she drops what she was holding.

chateaugrief

@mathtans another great moment. This comic was full of wonderful pacing and humorous beats.

the character expressions were tops too

mathtans

Yes, the pacing was really good in places. I also liked insulting the shadow ... cut to everyone in a dungeon.(edited)

chateaugrief

yes!

Hanging in chains, no less!

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes, I loved that. I am curious how much of Shadow's personality matches Pin's more basic in he sense of someone who hasn't been taught to be human. How violent can Pin be, for example? <_<

mathtans

That's a good point. Does a shadow represent our darker half? One that our soul still needs to survive?

RebelVampire

that usually is it although im not sure id describe the shadow as dark

less cunning and without the same regard for polite behavior

but not dark persay

chateaugrief

the id, in other words?

mathtans

Except shadows are kind of dark by nature. Because the light is blocked.

RebelVampire

i was really surprised that the shadow did not recombine with pin tho

and that shes still around

mathtans

I kind of suspected there'd be more to it. Maybe because of the one banner showing the shadow behind her.

Tenor | Shinavar

I think because hey've been seperated, they can basically let go and back again? Which may be contributing to Pin's health

mathtans

Which reminds me, I mentioned this a couple days ago, but interesting that there's, like, three different banners for the comic depending on what page you're on.

chateaugrief

did the shadow not rejoin Pin? I could have sworn it did, and that was why she got better?!

mathtans

One needs to be as observant as the characters.

Not permanently, I think?

Anyway, will be interesting to see what the fae get up to. When road signs aren't enough.

chateaugrief

yeah, page 124 http://pinporterdetective.com/index.php/comic/page-124/ did I misinterpret this as the shadow rejoining pin?

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett, as well, for making Pin Porter Girl Detective. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://pinporterdetective.com/

Robin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/RlittlemissG

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about My Dad is a Magical Girl by Shinavar / Tenor. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, December 13th, from 5PM to 7PM PST for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://mdiamg.shinavar.com/

Comic’s Tapas Mirror: https://tapas.io/series/My-Dad-Is-A-Magical-Girl