#plastickatz

[pissjesus]

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

I’m full of myself so I have a lot gsjfkfkdkc but here’s some:

From When the Lights Go Out:

“Hey Muds, did the girls you have sleepovers with teach you to build blanket forts?” Russel says.

“Yeah, I build blanket forts with 2D’s girlfriends all the time,” Murdoc replies.

“No, you don’t!” 2D snaps

From Last Living Souls:

Given the choice between walking a mile and sprinting in place for ten, all she wants to do is run until her breath becomes sandpaper and her legs go numb. No one has been around to punish her. She must do everything herself.

From The Nose Job

(In reference to Murdoc’s nose)

There’s something to be said about its personal nature, the way a handful of clay will never share the same character when molded in the palms of two different people. It’s strange, sure, but to change it would be like changing the smirk on the Mona Lisa. Alright, dial it back a little . Cleaning the grime off ol’ Mona might be more accurate. Sure, it might look prettier, but everyone pays to ogle the one they know and love. One of their many differences, however, is that Mona Lisa bird doesn’t have sleep apnea.

[poltergeistsoup]

Yeees give us the fun-facts about the making of them plsss 👁️v👁️

Gorillaz

* Siggy is an amalgamation of a lot of middle aged women I’ve met who are loud and outgoing and like motorcycles— I always thought they were cool and felt safe with them. Her appearance is drawn from Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Tig Notaro, and Beth Hart

* Cello’s name “Cello Questrel” just came to my head and I liked the sound of it so much it’s the name I went with

Hagfish Slime

* When coming up with names for the three of them, I made 3 lists with a bunch of names that I felt suited each of them and asked their co-parent @plastickatz which ones she liked and she pointed out that Barb, Midge, and Kenny— like the dolls— were all included and I didn’t even realize it, so it only felt right to name them as such

Plan Z

* I fucking hate drawing Wyvern’s wings dude, so if I’m drawing him in a little outfit sans wings you know why

* Z’s character was very different at first, where they were more typically more feminine and pleasant and their cold exterior was an alter ego named Z. The former was scrapped and they just became the latter

* Daisy’s default design has not changed since her first sketch in 2016, down to the color palette of her sweater and bow-tie

* Asami and Val started off as a separate story from Plan Z, but the story wasn’t coming together, so Val became Z’s cousin and they ended up in the Plan Z world instead

* Calvin and Ghost were the last of the group to be conceptualized and they, along with the cemented concept for Plan Z, were thought up at a hockey game. Calvin’s name was the first name that came to mind and it stuck

The B Positives

* I’ve had a few scrapped ocs named Frank cuz I like the idea of Frank as a girl’s name, and this one finally stuck around. I like the contrast of her being feminine and classy but with a name like Frank

* Juno was inspired by Suki in Fast In the Furious 2

* Each of them are meant to have design elements that allude to their “times” — Lennon is 90s grunge/skater, Juno is early 2000s goth/numetal, Rottie is modern day so he’s a little bit e-boy. Frank being several hundred years old has a lot of different styles from a lot of different eras.

[pissjesus]

I think 2D has always been sort of a little bastard, but I also think Murdoc probably had an influence on him. He made him worse 💔. I wonder how 2D would have turned out if he hadn’t met him… 2D looking up to Murdoc (or at least that he used to) is really interesting. I definitely think he started going after other people’s girlfriends just because Murdoc does. What’s your thoughts? I’ve been thinking about this all day 😵‍💫

I love that 2D is a sweet boy at heart with bastard tendencies (for seasoning). He’s gotta be enough of a douche to hang out with Murdoc, and I think Murdoc definitely had a lot of influence in shaping him.

I actually think 2D was the only one with a chance of a normal life before Murdoc showed up. Or at least, he strikes me as someone who would’ve been happy with a menial job, exploring hobbies without worrying about doing something important.

Music, for him, is something he just has to do to express himself and he plays around until he works something out, and doesn’t seem to worry too much about whether or not it’s the greatest thing ever made. For example, The Fall was just a tour diary he made because he wanted to and it didn’t seem to matter all that much to him if it was successful. By contrast, Russel and Noodle describe the way they work with a lot of intent, using very intentional samples and looking at history and genre, very purposefully combining elements for a desired effect, constructing narratives through the track order. (Murdoc claims he makes music to make money and get pussy but that’s probably to cover the risk of vulnerability, we’ll get into that another time). All this to say if he didn’t meet Murdoc he probably still would have made a fulfilling space for himself in the world. However, once the band was his life, there would be no going back, I don’t think he’d be satisfied doing anything else now, and that’s why he keeps doing it no matter what.

As for him going after other peoples girlfriends, I’d actually buy that it’s just his luck women flock to him in spite of their boyfriends cuz he’s just so charming. He didn’t know they had boyfriends (but he also didn’t ask 😗). Idk, he just doesn’t seem *that* malicious as to do it on purpose. Maybe for the occasional ego trip, but it’d be kinda fruitless to enact the same thing Murdoc did to him on people that have nothing to do with it. I suppose for 2D, it’s willful ignorance

Oh and you KNOW milfs would love him too. I guess he could’ve make an alternate career as a sugar baby. Might be too late now though 😔

[pissjesus]

What’s your take on Noodle and 2D’s relationship? Specifically, do you think he’s more of a brother figure than father figure to her?

I read him as a brother figure. I say “Noodle’s 3 dads” as shorthand, but I think it’s overall kinda reductive to try and strictly apply nuclear family dynamics to them. Regardless, he has older brother vibes. While Russel is only 2 years older than 2D, he seemed to have a little more independence and maturity when he joined the band, so while I don’t think it’s possible for Russel to have been *perfect* as a caretaker as a mentally ill 23 year old, he took on more responsibility than 2D. If Russel is “I’m trying my best to take care of her and keep her best interests in mind even if it means saying no” dad and Murdoc is “fun dad until he isn’t” dad— 2D is most likely the one helping her break rules.

They likely have the most casual relationship— Noodle would probably be most comfortable going to him to talk and banter because he’s goofy and non-judgmental. However, I think he wouldn’t necessarily go to *her* for everything because he doesn’t want her to feel responsible for him. He’s protective in a “hey let’s go do something else” when something bad is about to go own kinda way. While Noodle knows *why* he doesn’t tell her everything, she hates being left out of the loop.

I think they also annoy each other in sibling ways— namely by barging into each other’s rooms and bothering each other, or getting in each other’s space in the back of the car on long trips. Most of the time they’re both down to hang out but if they’re not in the mood, it’s “get out of my room!!”

“She’s touching me!”

“No I’m not I’m touching the air”

“Dee, you’re a grown man, you’re *not* having beef with a 10 year old right now, are you?”

“I’ll turn this car around and we’ll go right back to Kong, how’s that? Is that what you want?”

[pissjesus]

8 and 25! 🤭❤️

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Whatever your interpretation of Noodle’s character is, it’s wrong. Yes her writing is inconsistent if she gets to talk at all. Yes you’re still managing to write her incorrectly. I don’t care what they’re doing with her right now either, she would not be online. She’s not updating her Instagram because she’s busy planning her Gone Girl era. She needs to be weird and standoffish and poorly socialized. And not in a quirky meme queen way. I know it’s because everyone is like 20 but everyone writes her like she’s 20. If she’s looking at memes, it’s cat memes. The millennial ones. Facebook ones. She and Russel send each other the most unfunny cat memes. Murdoc is a Twitter chud and every time someone posts about wanting to get 2D pregnant, he screenshots it and sends it to him. Anyway. Noodle deserves to smash a fan’s phone because they won’t stop trying to take a picture with her

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

“RuSsEl iS sLePt oN wE nEeD mOrE RusSeL cOntEnT”

YEAH HE DOES. Everyone loves to complain about it but do they actually add to the conversation?? NO. To quote philosopher Kim Kardashian: “no one wants to fucking work anymore. Get off your lazy ass and work for what you want”

[pissjesus]

… Which one of Gorillaz’ members do you think has the highest chance of being able to be in a “normal” relationship? Because I’ve pondering this question myself and I can’t come up with an answer. Other than “not Murdoc” but then again, he might be most likely to be seeing someone, not in any serious or committed way, but still. Everyone else also got their own quirks and oddities that might make being in a relationship difficult. So, what do you think?

Hmmmmmm there’s a lot to unpack. I know other people might interpret them differently, but based on the way I tend to write and headcanon them:

First off we know Murdoc is a chronic disaster and professional home-wrecker. Though he claims his enlarged heart is open to love, I think he enjoys the pursuit more than the actual relationship, if his mountain of personal issues isn’t standing in the way to begin with. I don’t think his relationships last because he’d either sabotage them out of fear or just get bored. He’s also jealous, but doesn’t see commitment as a two-way street. (Siggy has pretty much wormed her way into girlfriend status by now, but it’s because it’s my OCxCanon era and I want to dream. The loophole to making it work is by not living together— not even entertaining the prospect of doing so)

Pros: Probably very exciting and spontaneous; treats you extravagantly to show off

Cons: Jealous, non-committal, bored easily, has a slew of baggage he refuses to unpack

Noodle seems pretty adjusted on the surface but she completely missed out on socializing with people her age as a kid/teenager, which *has* to make her a little strange. I think she’s competitive and compares herself to others. She’d be bored by someone who’s not as smart or interesting as her but also jealous if they were smarter/more interesting. I also think she’s stubborn and tends to assume that what *she* wants is what everyone else wants, so she’d do things with good intentions but they might not be what the other person wants or needs. I also think she’d take rejection and criticism *very* personally. I also headcanon her as going back and forth between identifying as bi/lesbian, which isn’t a bad thing— just something she’s also going through.

Pros: Adventurous and passionate, would kill and die for you

Cons: Competitive and can come across as condescending; doesn’t take it well if told she needs to do something differently

Russel seems like he’d be very private about his relationships if he has them, and I don’t think he has many. Having his dead friends possessing his body means his thoughts and feelings were never truly private, so he’s probably a little repressed. That, and I think he’d have trouble moving on from losing Del— both feeling like he’s betraying his friend by moving on and also being afraid to get close to someone in case something happens to them too. I also think he’d feel responsible for the other person’s feelings all the time, but also won’t accept help.

Pros: Incredibly giving, sweet, and attentive

Cons: Distant and closed-off; feels too guilty about things that aren’t in his control

2D, I feel, is probably the most likely to pursue romantic relationships and I think he falls in love often and hard and is heartbroken over all of them. He’s definitely the most conventionally romantic, but he’s not very good at putting in the actual work: like communicating, setting boundaries, and attentiveness. Hot take, but I think he has the capacity to cheat. He’d feel really guilty, but he’d give in to temptation. I also think that if anyone wants to date 2D, they’d have to realize they’re basically dating Murdoc too because he won’t fucking leave

Pros: Romantic, fun to be around, patient, and trusting

Cons: Not very attentive, too invested too fast, would rather avoid conflict than work through it, has a tendency to develop co-dependent relationships, has a horrible little friend that’s always there and is also trying to fuck you

I don’t have a very conclusive answer to who’s the best at relationships— I’d say they’re all probably a little disastrous but if they found the right disaster who can handle their microcosm of strangeness, there’s hope for any of them

[pissjesus]

Speaking of old Gorillaz interviews, Noodle saying that Murdoc can pick up boys with chopsticks. It’s from 2004 and it’s the first time (I think) it was mentioned he’s bisexual, so that makes it quite special. I also find it funny that she just outed him like that 😭 That’s one of the tidbits from interviews that’s constantly in my head.

Oh it lives in my head rent-free. I read Noodle’s “that’s very funny” as being dry and sarcastic too, which I love for her. I’m sure all the time, Murdoc spouts jokes she doesn’t get, and she’s just learned to say “okay” and move on

Also included this bit about 2D being a filthy little minx in the screenshot cuz she’s just exposing everyone in this Q&A

[pissjesus]

How much are you willing to woobify the old man?… This is a question, not an accusation 😭

Let it be known I’m a Murdoc apologist first and a person with a brain second. Yes he’s a terrible person, and yes I made an oc to smooch him ten ways to Tuesday

But fr, it depends on the kind of story I wanna explore, cuz sometimes I like to look at it from a more cartoonish and goofy perspective and sometimes I like it more grounded and analytical.

Idk how to put it, I cherry-pick aspects where he’s “nice, actually” just like everyone else. I think he’d be really friendly with fans but an absolute nightmare when you get to know him. He loves Noodle with his whole enlarged heart but it doesn’t mean he’s good at doing the right things for her. I think he’s tragic for a lot of reasons that are his own fault but also a lot of ones that aren’t. He’s a lot more sensitive and lonely than he lets on but he lets those feelings rot within him until they become toxic to everyone around him.

I draw cute Murdad moments and him being friendly with 2D and Russel cuz obviously I just don’t wanna draw scenarios where he’s a piece of shit. I do, however, love to write him being a piece of shit, but it still depends on the story I’m trying to tell. He’s gonna be a different flavor of mean depending on the context and tone. I don’t think different depictions are right/wrong ways of looking at him.

I guess my limit to how much I wanna woobify him is whatever the fuck they were doing in Song Machine. Enough with the tears you miserable beast if I wanted to see you boo-hooing I’d kick you myself. I don’t want him crying unless he’s in complete and utter despair in a hole he dug himself into

[pissjesus]

What do you make of the whole situation in Désolé? I’ve been pondering on it recently and I wanna hear your thoughts, because you’re smart. I don’t have much sympathy for Murdoc in this situation. It’s understandable they all seemingly want a break from him at times, considering how he is and has been. What I find interesting is that, they seemingly don’t care that it upset him? Which I find somewhat strange. They all just seem sort of tired of him and indifferent toward him. I think the indifference is also sort of seen currently. They all just joined his cult like “sure, whatever”. That’s not really new behavior for 2D, but I find it odd for the others… I don’t know if this is making any sense, so basically, how do you think they all currently feel about Murdoc?

Since there was a lot of time between phase 3 and phase 4 I’m willing to suspend my disbelief and assume they worked through some things in that time. I think ever since Plastic Beach, Murdoc’s been in his “I don’t want to be evil anymore I want to be loved” era (with occasional relapses). Desole shows how truly insecure he is about being left behind because he knows he’s on thin ice. When I first watched it I was actually kinda invested cuz it was unexpected and then they ran it into the ground and now I’m like “pull yourself together you wet beast.” I think that’s where they’re at too.

I do think it’s strange how indifferent they are to him, but I kinda chalk it up to the writers not knowing how to write them as a unit anymore. Therefore I have to do everything myself 🙄

It makes more sense in song machine where they’re like “ok sure Murdoc” cuz he spends so much time trying to pull attention but it’s all so pitiful that it’s not a problem, it’s just old to them.

However it’s a little baffling for them to just roll with Murdoc starting a cult. I could buy a folie a deux but they just seem like they have nothing better to do. Like come on guys. I honestly don’t know what to make of it so I guess we’ll put a pin in it until further developments unfold.

So current storyline aside, if we’re going off of what we’ve seen, it seems like Russel and Noodle are just kinda over his bullshit and tolerate him as long as he’s on his best behavior. 2D seems to actually be on good terms with him, and I think it’s because he just doesn’t like to hold grudges and would rather have Murdoc as a friend than an enemy.

If we’re living in MY personal fantasy land, the same point still stands for 2D, but at the same time, he and Murdoc both know now Murdoc needs him more than he needs Murdoc. Russel and Noodle still don’t trust him as far as they can throw him, but since I give him and Noodle a more substantial father/daughter relationship, she still cares about him. Russel respects him as a musician and sticks around for the sake of the music and also for 2D and Noodle, but he’s not going to forgive him for his CVS receipt of offenses.

If we’re being really self indulgent, and we know this is where I prefer to live, they all love each other and they all hang out and enjoy each other’s company now that Murdoc’s been neutered and is more of a rehabilitated pet villain than an actual threat. I’m well aware this is delusional, but he who doesn’t enjoy playing with the occasional utopian version of their found family may throw the first stone

[pissjesus]

Beloved mutual I FINALLY got the art book!!! So what were your favorite pieces???

I have a lot and I had to severely limit myself cuz so many were so cool 😭 I have way more but tumblr is limiting me to 10 images (and excuse how shitty my pictures are my lighting is piss yellow and I was fighting for my life trying to avoid glare)

Art book spoilers below

First of all ok Jamie you did go off with the new art. I can never forgive you for the feet one though. Jail. Look at these Murdocs I’m going to start barking sorry these are mostly Murdoc I just want him so bad it makes me look stupid.

I just love the lineart and coloring style of the one on the left, it's just a great style that reminds me of the art and cartoons that inspired my style. The Plastic beach one is just... insanely cool. All of the classic art references in it are a gift that keeps on giving as you keep looking at it. It almost makes me forget about the cyborg panel on the next page.

The vibes are impeccable, they look like they're having fun. Obsessed with Murdoc's lounging. And the fits in the second one shred, Russel is eating everyone else up, no notes.

Once again, the style and line art itches my little peanut brain.

This whole comic was so sweet. No text, yet beautifully conveys this little story of healing and self-love. It's about time!! I very much enjoyed seeing art of Noodle done by artists that clearly seemed to care about her as a character and not just...boobs :I Same with Cyborg-- the one where she escapes the submarine and reaches the surface to see she's being left behind?? AUGH!

I'll reblog with more cuz I can't be limited to ten

[pissjesus]

Have you listened to The Stuart Podcast? I haven’t until now because I thought it would be sorta stupid in a bad way and I don’t like Kevin Bishop’s voice for 2D. It turns out it’s sorta stupid in a good way and though I’ll never love Bishop’s voice, it’s not bothering me as much as usual. I find it really amusing and it got a laugh out of me 🙈

What do you think of it? (Assuming you have listened to it.)

I just listened to all of them cuz I also haven’t for the same reasons, and yeah that was pretty stupid.

Some of them are kinda funny but mostly the combination of Kevin Bishop’s voice and how stupid they write him makes me want to hit him over the head with a frying pan. Perhaps I’ll keep up with them though, since they’re so short, and hopefully some of them might make me chortle, perhaps chuckle. Guffaw even

The idea of 2D starting a “podcast” where he just chews into the mic and falls down the stairs for 15 seconds at a time is pretty funny though

[pissjesus]

I just randomly remembered you once made a post that was like “everyone in Gorillaz except for Russel would sleep with a married woman”… Is this because you hc him as gay or because he’s not a bastard? 🤔

It’s because he’s gay bsjjdjkkdk I’d say he’s not a homewrecker either but perhaps he’s just never been presented with the option. It’s not too late for Russel’s Electra-Heart-Female-Manipulator-Side-Piece era

[pissjesus]

Del for the bingo? 🤔

Ah Del. So tragic. So underutilized. We don’t really get to know anything about him outside of being Russel’s best friend, and on one hand I wish they didn’t exorcise him so he could potentially show up again, but also Russel losing him a second time adds to Russel’s tragedy

Also the fact that Noodle seems to be friendly with him and they place bets and talk to each other? We were robbed of Uncle Del moments 🥲 what if they took turns? Like Russel is too depressed/overwhelmed/exhausted to take proper care of her and Del takes over?

Also I’m very curious about how the rest of the band would interact with him. In the 2 videos where Del is there, he’s kinda got this trickster energy where he shows up just to mess with them for amusement. I think it’d be fun if they have a sort of Beetlejuice situation where he and Noodle are in cahoots to terrorize the boys

I totally get why people ship Russel and Del cuz of how much Russel talks about how close they were, but my controversial take/headcanon is that Del is straight and it was one-sided. Hear me out. Imagine being in love with your best friend and being too afraid to say anything because you don’t want to lose them, they die, and now they live on in your body so you still have a part of them with you but also none of your thoughts are private. Can you imagine the narrative potential? I can, cuz I’m writing it. It will be discussed in my Cello fic :]

I do wish his design was different though 😬

I know I checked the “I don’t have much to say about them” box but I guess I’m a liar. We should all know by now I don’t shut the fuck up

[pissjesus]

“I don’t shut the fuck up” Do not put yourself down like that! 😡💔 Your thoughts are always well thought out and you have such good takes on everyone and everything. It’s a joy to read 💖

Everyone else log off I need to be alone with plastickatz

[pissjesus]

🎵 Plan Z crew pretty please? 🙏

It’s been a while since I’ve assigned some songs to them so good opportunity to come up with some fresh ones for them. Since they’re my ocs I also don’t have to defend my choices if they literally only make sense to me hehe :3c

Wyvern: I/Me/Myself by Will Wood

Z: Locker Room Bully by Destroy Boys

Daisy: Imposter Syndrome by Sidney Gish

Asami: Pink Panther by Scene Queen

Val: Capillary by Human Bloom

Calvin: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen

Ghost: On the Outside by Oingo Boingo

I almost gave Z The Main Character by Will Wood but it’s far too easy. It would be the 2023 equivalent of assigning your villain character I Can’t Decide by the Scissor Sisters or You’re Gonna Go Far Kid to your angsty protagonist

[pissjesus]

SO!!! THOUGHTS ON CRACKER ISLAND? I’m flabbergasted and I keep watching it over and over… My first coherent thought after finishing it was “Murdoc is not that tall though.” 💀

It’s not enough to watch this music video I have to eat it 👁👄👁

I actually really enjoyed it— I loved the visuals and it actually felt like it had a concept. It actually has me interested in what they’re gonna do with the lore, and I was totally ready to just ignore any new lore they tried to throw at me. But ok, fine, I’m intrigued, let’s see what this is all about

Ugh I was humiliatingly delighted to see my boy. I wanna pick him up like a squeak toy and throw him at my wall. I wanna take a bite out of his CGI head like a gnocchi. Would love to know what is up with that slimy ghost thottie too