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writersmilex · 1 year

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My Only Friend

Anonymous asked: hi smilex nice to see you again, can i ask a scenario where hank and reader knew each other before hank became well... a murderer? basically reader was hank's only friend and they were very close, over time hank begins to have a crush on reader but he couldn't confess until the fateful day came with the boombox accident and from there they parted ways but after years they meet again

___ Nice to See you too... ‘I don’t know who you are’ Here is the request, Tumblr is always screwing me over one way or other and now I can’t respond to my asks. Here it is!

___

Hank Wimbleton X Fem | Reader

Summary: Just before the crimson skies, Hank had a friend. You were the only friend he had at the time. _____________________________________

(Art Belongs to Rightful Owner)

"It sounds like fun, you should try it." Your eyes gleam with intrigue as you point at the flyer for a volleyball tournament. Hank crosses his arms and huffs in annoyance. "I don't want to." He growls, by this time Hank's crappy moods hardly threaten you. "You want more friends, right?" You reason with the stoic man beside you. He doesn't answer and looks away from you. Yeah... He does want more friends, but he just doesn't know how. He has an intimidating stature, and stoic expression acts rather aggressively at times and making friends difficult for someone like him.

"Tell you what, we go together." You say, taking a pen from a string to write your name neatly on the flyer. "(Y/n)..." Hank tries to reason, but he knows there is no point in reasoning with you. "Fine..." He agrees and takes the pen from you to write down his own name, right under yours. You look at Hank and beam at him, the brightest gaze he has ever seen, it could blind him if your face produced light like that. "Awesome!" You laugh with glee, Hank just huffs in annoyance once again. "Whatever..." He grumbles. He feels you tug on his arm. "I'm thirsty, come on let's get a drink." You're not strong enough to pull Hank out of balance, but that will change soon as you have been working out lately. Hank follows along with everything you want to do. He has nothing better to do anyway. And you're always so hyper and like to do things that end up being very fun for him always. Even though he will never admit it out loud, he doesn't have to because you always seem to be ideally in tune with his mood every time. ~~~~ The volleyball tournament was indeed fun, doesn't matter if you were good at it or not. You personally thought you did well. You noticed Hank acting a little looser after the games, he had fun as well. If you squint you can see him smiling slightly. "See? What did I tell you?" You ask playfully, patting your friend on his arm. Hank lets out a low chuckle, "It was alright..." He replies that means he had fun. His response only makes you gleam brighter. You cheer with a little jump, "See? I knew it would be fun!" You skip alongside your stoic friend. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, as he slanders along with whatever you want to do. You're the best at finding fun things to do in his opinion. ~~~~ Hank started to feel strange around you for reasons that are still unclear to him. Seeing you happy made him happy, he did everything just to please you, he'd even do murder for you if you asked. Anything... Anything to make you happy. That smile of yours makes his day brighter. As far as he knows his life is very mediocre, and you make it better. He wants to see you every day to bring colour to his grey world. There is a place, Hank's favourite place in the park where he can find some peace. By the tree, it is a very serene place for him, ever since he was little he went there to be alone, as none of the other kids wanted to play with him back then. He didn't have friends back then, but now he has! He has you! His best friend and his only friend. He almost feels protective of you, and you don't have any enemies whatsoever! Perhaps some people find your bright and bubbly nature annoying, but that's normal he assumes. You can't get everyone on earth to like and respect you, no matter what you do. But he likes you but isn't really sure how he could show you that. So, he's going to show you his favourite place. "Are we there yet?" You ask for the fifth time. "We're really almost there," Hank repeats for the fifth time. You don't reply this time, merely holding your own hands behind your back as you trail behind Hank. You're usually the one with the plans for fun activities, and how he's the one with an idea and you don't want to ruin this for him. So you'll go with everything he wants now, just to make your friend happy. "This is a really nice place though, very tranquil." Your comment on the grassy fields of the park, There are not as many trees around as he remembered from when he was little, but his favourite tree is still the in the same place as it should be. "The quietness helps me think," Hank explains as he comes to a stop by the tree. "I can imagine that," you reply and keep looking around the fields. The park is rather crowded today, many people around and you saw one guy in the distance walking around with a boombox. "I like to just stand here and enjoy the silence... If I can..." Hank explains as he takes a stance, crossing his arms. He gives the random guy with the boombox a side glare. Hank never like that genre of music anyway, not to mention that it's rather distressing, such loud music in a place that's supposed to be peaceful. "I'm really thirsty, I'm getting a drink by the bakery. Do you want anything?" You ask your friend as you point in the general direction to the bakery that is right outside of the park's fields. "Just a soda." Hank requests with a dismissive wave of the hand. You nod and smile at your friend and skip off to get drinks. ~~~~ Hank waits for you to return, feeling a little tense at the loud music getting closer to him. The boombox guy is really getting on his nerves by now. Destroying his zen moment with that obnoxious music. It's clear that the boombox guy is not stopping on his own, so Hank has to do something about it himself. He walks around the tree and approaches the guy, "Hey, could you turn it down?" He asks as politely as he could. But instead is met with a rough push that causes him to stumble and lose his balance, falling on the grass. "This is a public place, I can do what I want!" The guy says matter-of-factly. Now Hank is angered enough to get physical with this guy, and he does. It was madness that day... ~~~~ Hank hasn't seen you since that fateful day with the boombox, it feels like he lost a piece of himself, which he might as well has. Nothing has been the same since that day... a day he curses still. The crimson sky doesn't change how he is feeling, as he looks over a war-torn city with very little left from the rooftop of the building where he and his comrades have taken shelter, a light breeze brushes by. But a part of him also wishes he never sees you again, you might think he's a monster. And he would agree with you if you did think that. His only friend that has been missing for what feels like years. He has kept you a secret from his comrades in the force, even Doc is not aware of your existence. Your memory is only his to cherish closely to what the last pinch of innocence remains in the endless void that he calls a heart. He still misses you so dearly, even when he can hardly remember your face. He is really conflicted about what he is feeling: He wants you back, but he doesn't. If he could meet you now, everything would change again. What if you weren't even alive? That thought saddens him. If you were out there somewhere, he hopes that you can survive. And meet him again one day. _____________________________________

There, I hope this is something that you want. It's very light-hearted, but it feels kind of bland, to be honest.

Anyway, there is nothing else much I think I could add to this.

Thanks for reading.❤️

- Smilex🙂

#madness combat #madness combat x reader #madness combat reader insert #x reader #reader #imagines #hank j. wimbleton #madcom hank #requested

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just-an-enby-lemon · 1 year

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Some of My WTNV/DC AU no one asked for:

Janet Lubelle: Then he goes "Janet we can't keep going like that, there's an ethics code for a reason."

Jonathan Crane: What a coward!

Lubelle: Right?! I tried to make him see reason, I went: "Carlos, the pursue of answers should meet no bounds. That what we call ethics are just arbitrary rules created because people are just too emotional over the truth and it's methods" and the absolute asshole just packed his things and left the university! He got transfered to Gotham because his lil baby fewings got hurt. People die all the time. They should be honored they died for science.

Jonathan: Exactally!

Lubelle: Well I couldn't let he have all the fun while not being totaly driven to understand Gotham. So I'm here.

Jonathan: And you want for us to exchange research pappers and text subjects?

Lubelle: Only some of those. Make it peer reviewed.

Jonathan: It'll be a pleasure.

---

Kevin: And the family would never ever stop smiling again, not only because of the scars they carved in adoration but because the Smilling God entered their minds and broke them until they were happy even as their house burn with their grandma inside. The end.

Joker: *amazed and a bit spooked* Say what?

Kevin: Oh! You only heard the end part! This is my favorite childhood fairy tale. Is soo heartwarming!

Joker: I like you!

Kevin: *smilling even wilder* Thank you, newcommer. *points to the bloodied spot in Jokers suit* You have a great taste in clothing!

Joker: Why, thank you. I also like yours. I'm Joker!

Kevin: I heard about you! Your smilex killed some of my followers.

Joker: *ready to fight* Oh bummer.

Kevin: No, no, it was great. I never saw them so happy their smilles were so wide. I had to try it for myself. Didn't work unfortunally. *almost drops smille* But not to fret! The Smilling God knows what He does, they were unable to smile by themselfs. I have no such a problem and need no solution.

Joker: And people say I am crazy.

Kevin: *threatning* This is a mean thing to say, don't you think?

Joker: Oh no, my new friend, I consider madness to be a compliment.

Kevin: Friend? Are we friends? I always wanted a friend. The last one gave me a letter and leaved!

Joker: *a bit too much in manipulative mode but also genuinally impressed with this random new crazy rogue* I would love to be your friend. Nay, your best friend. I'm a clown and it's a pleasure to meet other people focused in making everyone smile. What do you think?

Kevin: YES! *jumps excitedly* Best friends, please!

---

Charles: All I am saying is...

Tim: Look I am impressed you figured out mt secret identy and you're a really nice guy but I don't think Batman needs your help.

Charles: Carlos helps!

Tim: Carlos is a scientist!

Charles: I could help you with cult leaders and mystical stuff.

Tim: How many cult leaders Gotham even has?

Red Hood: Hey, theologist guy, I just found a third evil cult and I might be needing some- Tim?

Tim: Hood?

Charles: Hi. Jason.

Tim: Wait you know Jason's identity as well?

Charles: Yeah. And Robin's.

Tim: And you don't know who Batman is?

Charles: No clue.

Tim: How???

Jason: Can we talk about it after we deal with the new cult leader? We have two of those minor ones with dangerous cults every day in this hellhole and Huntress and I are the only ones dealing with it.

Charles: Is Helena okay? She and Sage were having some relationship problems.

Tim: I give up.

Batman: This is an emergency! There is a weird person following me around. They think they are hidden but they are not, they send minions sometimes, others they are there, they aren't tall nor short and dress with things like furry pants and a bow tie, no shirt; a rocking dress with a poncho and other odd combinations and always always has recording equipament . I still don't know the identity of this individual. But it seems to be a new criminal force studying their target and we should be cautious.

Dick: Furry pants and a bow tie? Recording equipament... Oh you're talking about the radio host.

Bruce: Who?

Dick: Me and Babs always listen to his show.

Barbara: I think I recorded today's show just in case we were unable to watch it on time. I'm sending it to you, B.

*recordings*

Cecil: The man who calls himself Batman striked again. Everyday he walks in the night, beats up people and buys a slice of Big Rico's Pizza. No one does a slice like Big Rico's. No one. As of late he again took out a normal family operation on the nightvalean area because apparently the taming and possession of too many antics is "iligal" and "dangerous". Now at first I was a defender of this new guy, yes it is weird he calls himself Batman and isn't visibly part bat but isn't it worse to define he isn't and has no claim on his heritage just because it isn't obvious? And he has a bunch of armed kids! Has Tamika Flyn not showed us we should trust armed heavilly trained kids? But that was then. Now he is attacking our comunity! Arresting and beating up members of our comunity and friends of our comunity. Shame on this Batman and shame on his heavilly trained kids and a bit less shame on his super cute and sexy scientist guy cause he is new and obviously is being tricked because someone as perfect as Carlos would never.

Cecil: On other news Waylon Jones also known as Killer Croc wants to talk with you. He wants to just talk something as friends and to apologize to your neighboor for potentially eating his grandma but also wants to discuss some more important details of your plans, he is going to do it at... my house? *reading* "nanana uh-hu Cecil please keep this friendly get along private" oh listerners, I'm sorry, it appears I was reading my personal text mensages instead of my notes. I'm so sorry. Silly me. The one who is going to visit you is Victor Zsass, he already has a scar with your name and his knife is ready, you know what you did.

Cecil: Finally the neigboorhood concil wants to inform that there is a Scarecrow attack planned for this friday. They recomend you cancel all your apointments and lock yourselfs at home with the aproved gas masks. This is of course the Gotham tradicional protocol. They do add to the protocol however that if you want to be hitted by Scarecrow's fear toxin do not scream degrading things like "Scarecrow hottie hit me hard with your fumes" nor be disrespectfull of his power by being overly friendly, simply go to public spaces and screem "I'm not afraid of you" or idealy scream "please no have mercy". If you are imnune to the toxin decorum also recomends you should pretend to be scared, you don't wanna hurt his feelings, do you?

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thewomanwholaughed · 1 month

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[Continued from here] // @peranarkia

It felt so nice to be out of Arkham again. She had been taking longer to recover than usual; not too surprising given that she really had a number done on her. But that was then, this is now.

She needed to get back to the Amusement Miles but was starting to feel frustrated that Lonnie after their initial curiosity concerns about any relations between the two had ceased to interact with her. Seriously, and after such a TOUCHING reunion between mother and child, too?

Seeing as she had a park to get up and running again, might as well rekindle that bond. So after a quick stop at one of her many safe houses to get refreshed, here she was, ready to take her one and only offspring on a little trip.

A girlish giggle escaped as she inhaled the Smilex fumes all around her, shaking her head with reinvigorated energy. It wouldn't be too difficult to grab Lonnie, even with all their planning and scheming. And obviously she didn't come alone; well she had entered the house by herself, but there were plenty of thugs waiting outside.

"Come on kiddo! It'll be fun! I'll even teach you how to properly make a noose! HAHAHA- GHGH!!" Laughter cut short as something sturdy made contact with her face, sending the Clown Princess reeling against the wall. One hand trying to support her while the other gripped harshly at the neck of her cane, sliding down to the bottom and swiping out in the direction from where she had been struck.

Sure, a cane could hurt, but it wasn't the best blunt weapon around in case of combat. So Joker had done a little modifying! The handle was replaced by the curve of a crowbar; a personal favorite, you understand. And the rest of the metal cane had been run through with nails. Haphazardly sticking out in various directions with just enough spots for her to grab hold without risking injury to herself, making it an excellent close combat tool if necessary.

And right now, she was hoping to get Lonnie- well somewhere. Just a hit to even the odds. "This isn't what they mean when they say 'Right in the ol' kisser' offspring, HAHAHAHA!" Pushing away from the wall and finding her foot as she lets the cane slip back down to the floor to lean on. Free hand running along her face as she wipes away some of the blood trickling down her nose. She had gotten hit pretty good...

Not that it'd stop her.

In her daze, she looked around the darkness, feeling more disoriented than she started. "Oh, you want to play hide and seek next? Just know that my friends outside are ready to play too! The more, the merrier, after all!" She finally shut up, listening for any clues on where Lonnie had gone, tapping her cane to the wall to figure out her position.

#IC - Let's put a smile on that face!#Verse 00 - Main #peranarkia #Tw: Violence #Tw: Blood #Tw: Clowns

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arkhamcalamity · 13 days

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"Oh Roooooooommiiiiieeeeeee!" Two fingers to her lips and a harsh whistle. With a flourish she revealed a large barrel of what was clearly Smilex. A grin on her face as she tapped the side of it with her cane. "If you don't come out here and talk to me, I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll douse the Gotham Academy with my special perfume, HAHAHAHA!"

@thewomanwholaughed made a surprise visit

"You would have had quicker time at the cemetery." Well, the asylum too but she doubts the clown wants to return so soon. For the first time in who knows how long, Amity's secretly pleased that Olive took the Mizoguchi family up on their offer to tag along on their end of semester trip. Though, it did come with one particular drawback...

The usual flame-like quality to her form, was lacking to say the least. More translucent, less red, sometimes fading into a silhouette that was barely visible. Need to visit the sigils in the tunnels, she mused, glancing over her wisps. Without Olive for a major boost, the city's architecture was the only major point to keep the spirit grounded.

"I cannot sustain this visit long. Thou hast poor timing." Her irritation was showing in her glare even if she wasn't quite to the point of mustering flames. "You disappeared awhile. What is it you want?"

#//amity rn: you couldn't have waited like a week more?#thewomanwholaughed

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saltymongoose · 1 year

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Hoi, it's me Smilex. I wanted to thank you personally for that kind message in the reblog chain. I haven't been all that confident about my writing lately because I'm migrating to a new fandom (that's always scary in the beginning you know?) And I'm rewriting old stories that are cringe lol. Also there seems to be something wrong with the tagging I can't see my works in the tags I added. Or maybe people just don't like me that could be a possibility as well. That little message in the chain made me feel better, I'm happy to be your mutual, even though we don't communicate all that much lately. And I'm gonna try and post a new story or headcanon real soon.

Thanks again. Kind regards.

Of course, you're more than welcome! You deserve all the compliments and more, and I'm glad it made you feel better about your (excellent) work. I've really enjoyed reading all of your writings, even including the stuff from fandoms I'm not involved in. And I get that going into new fandoms can be kind of scary too, that's kind of how I felt when I started writing for Madcom lol. 😅

As for the visibility issue, I searched you up and your blog doesn't come up in the results (writersmilex, specifically), so I think there is a possibility you may have been shadowbanned on that blog. I would send tumblr a support ticket or two for this since I can see no reason why they'd do that. This would explain why none of your work appears in the main tags though, since all your tags would otherwise be functional for sending them to the results. It's an issue with tumblr, definitely not your writing or people's opinions on your stuff.

Anyhow, I'm happy to be your mutual too! :) Even if we don't talk a lot, I appreciate it when we do, and I always look forward to seeing you on my dash. ❤️❤️❤️

#You're so nice dude omg <333 #I believe you sent me the first part of this in a msg too so this is part of my draft regarding that #although do feel free to msg me if you need anything else #they're always open even if my activity isn't shown <3 #ask #chat tag #seamsmilex #mutuals ✨

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ratwhsprs · 1 year

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"Hey Piper, need you to come to the Miles. There's a bunch of rats nestled in the old Astroglide slide's top area. And I am working on more renovations... So consider how NICE I am to ask you before just throwing a few canisters of Smilex up there."

Otis felt the blood drain from his face.

"Please, please don't do anything, I'll be there as soon as I can and then you'll be rat-free."

At least they weren't nested in a restaurant or somewhere with food. Those were always so much harder to convince to go with him, even with Petra's help.

In about twenty minutes he was carefully climbing up into the outskirts of Joker's territory. He didn't dare take the sewers any deeper with her reputation for traps. He found his head turning as he looked around, taking in the colorful and macabre surroundings. He'd never actually been here before, and he couldn't see anything called Astroglide where he was.

"Hello?"

#Answered #thewomanwholaughs #sld this is what he does he's glad she asked him first :'))

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king-crane · 1 year

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CRANE STYLE.

Jonathan Crane and the Scarecrow are two sides of the same coin. The first thing to recognize is that they both inhabit the same body, but they are wildly different in how they assume their roles. The physicality of both affects their fighting styles greatly, and for the purpose of providing a better picture, I will be detailing how these fighting styles differ and manifest, and the physical abilities of both.

SKILLS.

Both Jonathan Crane and Scarecrow share a great deal in common when it comes to their physical capabilities. Much of it comes from many, many years of hard labor that has trained the body to its peak. It is only Crane's poor nutritional habits and Scarecrow's overuse of toxin that has damaged the body to make it perform poorly.

ENDURANCE. As a man who has been working in the sun and performing back-breaking labor since an incredibly young age, Crane has a surprising amount of stamina and resilience, at least when it comes to outlasting an opponent. When it comes to physical toughness, Crane has a glass jaw. At best, Crane can take three or four hits before he's down for the count, but many find it hard to land a hit in the first place.

AGILITY. Thanks almost entirely to his training at the hands of Quorum, Jonathan Crane is capable of great acrobatic feats and reaching high speeds (though still well within the range of humans) with astounding reflexes, all in the name of reaching a destination and accomplishing a goal. In close combat, Crane's speed and reflexes are terrifying, and the longer a fight drags on, the closer Crane will come to winning.

PREPAREDNESS. Crane never likes to go into a fight unprepared. As a paranoiac who is always imagining the worst outcomes, Crane plans ahead of time for engagements. Possible enemies, terrain, weapons, if he knows he’s heading into a fight or even something that could involve a fight, he prepares.

TOXIN RESISTANCE. Thanks to the Fear Toxin flowing in his veins and his voluntary exposure to countless other chemicals, Crane is immune or near immune to most toxins. Tear gas or nerve gas has no effect, and even the incredibly brutal Smilex, Joker’s laughing gas, will, at worst, cause minor damage to his lungs.

STRENGTH. While Crane may not be the strongest, he’s got the physical conditioning and strength of a farmboy. Despite his lean appearance, he can knock any unsuspecting foe out with a good punch. His strength extends in his physical feats, such as putting enough force behind a swing of his scythe to cleave metal in twain. His strength is only reinforced by the adrenaline in his veins, granting him full access to his hysterical strength, letting him achieve feats such as lifting cars or denting metal with a solid kick. Crane’s strength borders on superhuman levels.

WEAKNESSES.

WEAK-WILLED. Whether it be Crane or the Scarecrow, both men are notoriously weak-willed while in the heat of combat. Any being capable of psychic manipulation should be able to make short work of Crane... usually. Most of Crane's perceived cowardice comes from "losing" a fight or flight response, a query constantly being posed in his adrenaline-fueled, constantly terrified state. When his mind chooses flight, he will stop at nothing to get out of the situation he is in - but when his mind chooses fight, he will lash out like a cornered animal, maiming, killing, doing anything it takes to survive. His unpredictability is one of his greatest weaknesses.

EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY. Crane is not the most stable of people, even in the best of times, and this bleeds through even to the Scarecrow. Any foe capable of exploiting Crane's trauma or emotional state will find Crane just as incapacitated as though they had knocked him out.

POOR EYESIGHT. Thanks to an incident as a child where he hit his head during violent convulsions, Crane's left eye is almost completely non-functional. Crane lacks depth perception and as such as incapable of using any long-ranged weapons that are not projectiles with a wide area of effect. He must get in close to even be capable of engaging an enemy on even footing, making him a poor combatant at long range.

FRAIL. In spite of his stamina, resilience, and strength, Crane absolutely cannot take a hit. A combination of the debilitating effects of his fear toxin, his incredibly poor nutritional habits, and his numerous physical maladies all lead to Crane being able to take two or three hits at most from a man like Batman, and even less from someone who doesn't pull their punches.

WEAPONS.

While there are very few things they actually agree on, Crane and the Scarecrow both possess the same strengths and weaknesses, and rely on the same weapons to exploit their strengths and cover their weaknesses.

IAEPETUS. Named after the Titan of Mortality, Iaepetus is a sickle blade made of "Rust", a compound of Nth Metal, Iron, Steel, and even Promethium. Iaepetus itself is nigh-indestructible, and designed to cause immense pain in whoever is hit by it, even if it does not leave lasting wounds. Crane can attach it to a chain cinch to throw it from a long distance, gouge an enemy, and pull it back. He can attach it to the Bo Staff, Clymene, to turn it into a fully capable scythe for both harvesting and slashing. And, of course, he can use Iaepetus as a sickle by itself.

CLYMENE. Named after one of the Three Thousand Oceanids, the wife of Iaepetus, and the Titan of Fame and Renown, Clymene is a powerful Bo Staff made from wood gifted to him from Slaughter Swamp, after a chance encounter with Solomon Grundy became cordial and outright friendly. Clymene is rarely separated from Iaepetus, though Crane will also oftentimes use Clymene to help support his weight after a fight, or simply as a walking stick. At times he has disguised Clymene as a cane, painting her in black and gold and putting an eagle's head at the top, only to destroy the top and replace it with Iaepetus. Strong, sturdy, and reliable, Clymene is the backbone of Crane's fighting.

PHOBOS AND DEIMOS. The twin sons of Aphrodite and Ares, of Love and War, Phobos and Deimos represent Panic and Terror, so it is no wonder that Crane named his left and right hands after them, respectively. More accurately, Phobos is the name of Crane's left hand, replaced by a prosthetic made of "Rust", and usually covered with a serrated, syringe covered glove in combat, while Deimos is the name of Crane's right hand, similarly covered in a serrated glove and used more commonly to deal killing blows or decisive strikes.

"POP-POP", an 1887 Winchester Lever Action Shotgun, named for his nickname for Grandpa Abraham, and for the loud pops when the shotgun fires. He VERY RARELY uses Pop-Pop, mostly because of his poor eyesight, and when he does, it's in close to mid-range combat, and mostly when hunting in and around his property, or for quick home defense.

STYLES.

When it comes to combat, having a wide array of skills is important, and being able to apply these skills to techniques and movesets is important, especially when you're a criminal as notorious as Scarecrow, with so many enemies in Gotham and very few allies.

CRANE STYLE: As obsessed as Crane usually is with controlling situations, even he realizes he cannot control or accurately predict an enemy's movements in the heat of combat. For this reason, Crane is a very defensive fighter and prefers to outlast his enemies, or wait until an opening gives him the opportunity for a decisive strike. Having been taught Krav Maga and MCMAP while being trained by Quorum, Crane prefers to focus on self-discipline in a fight, as well as breath control, redirection, deflection, and avoidance altogether. Crane is almost never unarmed, keeping Iaepetus on him either as a chain sickle, or attached to a pole staff as a scythe. Even if he is without Iaepetus, Crane will usually have Phobos and Deimos on his left and right hands, serrated gloves with syringes on the ends that are more than capable of delivering quick blows. Crane Style is characterized by quick, precise movements and reactive fighting, as opposed to offensive fighting. Speed and agility over power.

LAUGHING MAD: Crane has never been the most sane of the Rogues, and in certain cases, his madness becomes harder and harder to ignore, and it bleeds through into a style that is characterized by wheezing laughter. As opposed to focusing on speed and agility and breath control, Crane uses a bastardized version of "Systema", a form of Sambo taught to him by his ruthless instructor back in Quorum, focused more on brutally precise strikes and grappling than just deflection. Even so, his swings and slices are wide and incredibly fast. His movements are clumsy, but incredibly unpredictable. He has been likened to a drunken crane attempting to stand on one leg when he's laughing mad - and yet, it's extremely effective.

DISPERSAL: Much like Crane, the Scarecrow does not care much for larger-scale engagements. However, unlike Crane who will simply actively avoid fights, the Scarecrow will instead thin the numbers by spreading his fear toxin eagerly and freely. Whereas Crane uses his fear toxin to keep himself alive and as a challenge for improving his mind, the Scarecrow uses it as a tool, a crucible of fear - those who come out the other side must face him, and those who are rendered frozen in terror are one less obstacle for him in a fight. The Scarecrow is a dirty fighter, and he will focus on hostage-taking, releasing as much toxin as he can, or, if all else fails, disabling his enemy and rendering them unable to avoid the threat he poses. The most common example is destroying any gas masks or face concealing masks that one might wear, or simply injecting them with fear toxin through the veins. Once they have been sufficiently weakened enough, Scarecrow will attempt to break them thoroughly. Psychological attacks, taunts, and brutal, heavy attacks are common. The Scarecrow focuses on making his enemies lose the will to fight, rather than actually physically hurting them.

SLEEPER AGENT: In life or death situations, or situations where The Scarecrow's usual style isn't working, especially in prolonged fights, he will fall back on the styles he learned as a government tool - first subconsciously, and then fully consciously. Though the trauma of recalling these times is immense, Scarecrow is good at compartmentalizing it and being able to take full advantage of the training he received. After all, he was present for most of the training, not Crane. Krav Maga, Judo, Brazillian Jiu-Jutsu, MCMAP, Systema, and dozens of other martial arts bleed together into Quorum's fighting styles, mixed with intense pragmatism and a burning desire to live. Disciplined but visceral attacks focused purely on killing, a complete and utter silence, and a seeming lack of any fear whatsoever are what characterizes this style... as well as the immense mental breakdown that will follow.

TO SUMMARIZE: Neither Crane nor Scarecrow particularly seek fights, but when push comes to shove, they are more than capable in combat. The main issue in fighting Crane or Scarecrow is in being able to land a hit on him while also avoiding his own attacks, but after a solid hit or two, he's down for the count.

#theories and practice ( meta. )#plague the mind ( headcanons. )

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reallca-blog · 1 year

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Unwrapping the Wonka Bar Vol. 1 - Where is Charlie’s Town Located? Part 5

If you haven’t read the previous post, click here for Part 4 to make sure you are caught up to speed. If you’re already read the previous posts, then welcome back and let’s get back to the show!

Exhibit #4: The National Origins of Background Items

The key to making a film seem believable is to litter the background with real-life items that the audience could find at a store or in their own homes, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is no exception. But with regards to this analysis, the national origins of these background items can also shed light into just where in the world Charlie's town is located. And so, let us look into just some of the items featured as background set design pieces and the history of their brands.

First up for analysis:

The Bucket Family's Teleton television.

One of the ways Charlie and the Buckets stay up to date on the Golden Ticket contest is by watching the news reports of the different winners on their Teleton television set. In line with their socio-economic status, the Bucket's sole television is incredibly small, out of date and beaten up after decades of wear and tear. But as it turns out Teleton is not a made up brand of televisions, like Smilex Toothpaste at which Mr. Bucket toils away at their factory screwing on the caps, but a real-world television brand. Some research on the internet reveals that the history of the Teleton brand begins in 1964 when Teleton Electro Ltd. was registered in the United Kingdom as a company specializing "in the import and distribution of hi-fi products in Europe." However, by 1970, the Japanese electronics giant Mitsubishi acquired half of Teleton Electro Ltd., which had been its official distributor into West Germany up until that point. As part of the acquisition, Teleton Electro Ltd. simplified its name to Teleton and began selling Japanese products under this new name all throughout Europe. Additionally, Mitsubishi claims its acquisition of Teleton Electro Ltd. resulted in them controlling "about 50% of the UK's television market and aims to introduce color" television to the UK as well. In short, it appears that the Bucket's Teleton television is a piece of British history commemorating the country's connection to the Japanese economic miracle of the latter half of the 20th century that saw the Asian nation become a powerhouse in high-tech manufacturing.

The magazines at Bill the Shopkeeper's shop

Of the many items littering Bill the Shopkeeper's shop in order to make it look like any run-of-the-mill corner store in an urban area, all the magazines available for purchase pop out as significant. Since many of the magazines are not focused on by the camera, it is difficult to decipher the identity of all of the magazines available for purchase. Yet, I was able to uncover the names of many of the magazines geared towards those with niche interests, such as gardening, classic cars, trains and other hobbies.

Garden Answers Magazine

This magazine can be found both inside and outside of Bill the Shopkeeper’s shop and after conducting some research into the magazine, I found out that the magazine is published in the UK by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd., but unfortunately I was unable to find a copy of the same issue featured in the film, so I chose one that also featured a catchy tagline based around a type of flower.

Practical Classics

Just like the previous magazine, Practical Classics is another magazine published in the UK by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd., but unlike the other, I was actually able to track down an image of the same issue used in the film. According to my research, it was the October 2004 issue, which lines up with the timeline for when the film was being filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK.

Rail Magazine

A simple Google search revealed that Rail Magazine is “Britain’s No. 1 Modern Rail Magazine” as the copy I used for the example markets itself as, adding another UK-originating item to our list.

Steam Railway

Once again, we come face to face with another magazine of UK origin being sold in Bill the Shopkeeper's shop. Additionally, following an extensive dive into the history of this magazine, I can confirm that the issue being sold at the time Charlie wins his Golden Ticket is Steam Railway Issue #299 which was published on July 16th, 2004, around the same time as the Practical Classics magazine issue I was able to uncover was released as well.

BirdWatching and Golf World

Once again, UK-based magazines shows up at Bill the Shopkeeper’s shop, with BirdWatching being another publication of Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. and Golf World apparently ceasing physical publication in 2014 following commercial shifts to digital content and marking the magazine as another victim of the death of print media.

Your Horse

And for the final magazine on this list, Your Horse is a, you guessed it, UK magazine which markets itself as “Britain’s best-selling equestrian monthly.” And I was once again able to track down the exact issue on display in the film, with this one being Your Horse Issue # 259, published between July and August 2004, once again lining up with when the previous two magazines I was able to find a copy of online were also published.

The Times Newspaper

And now, before we move on from Bill the Shopkeeper’s shop, I want to go over this final item being sold. The Times is one the UK’s oldest daily newspapers, publishing its first issue in 1785, and is thus a staple in the British media market. The inclusion of a copy of this London-based newspaper stands out since even though the film features many different newspapers, such as the Evening Bulletin, The Morning Chronicle and others, all of those other examples are completely fictional and thus cannot be pinned to a real-world location, unlike The Times.

Now, for a shift in our analysis, let’s move from items at Bill the Shopkeeper’s shop and onto items found elsewhere in town such as:

Mail Drop Boxes in Charlie’s town

In a shift from what we’ve been seeing for the last few examples, the blue oblong-shaped mail drop boxes shown in Charlie’s town are not British at all, but clearly inspired by United States Postal Service Drop Boxes. However, the logo on the drop box is not that of the USPS’ iconic bald eagle, but a generic envelope that appears to be traveling at rapid speed. Additionally, the logo heavily features the color red, which the USPS logo does not, and something more like the UK’s equivalent, the Royal Mail.

$10 Bank Note

When it comes to creating the illusion of a location with “both an American sensibility and a British sensibility” as Tim Burton desired for this film, one of the cleverest ways the crew went about doing this is through the use of fake currency. The $10 bank note that Charlie finds on the corner of First Street that he uses to purchase the Wonka Bar containing his Golden Ticket looks near identical to a US Dollar $10 bill, however on closer inspection it becomes clear that this prop is not an American Dollar as the bank note features a coat of arms on the left side with what appears to be some sort of deer and a lion flanking a shield that is reminiscent of the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom and many coat of arms of previous British colonies. Also, the opposite side features a quote in Latin from the Roman-era Egyptian poet Claudius Claudianus which translates to “Whoever desires is always poor,” something which, let’s face it, is a take on the pursuit of money too clear-eyed to be from an American.

LYPC gumball machine

And finally, the gumball machines that a young Willy Wonka buys gumballs from during his rebellious phase where he indulges in all the candies he could get his hands on is clearly a LYPC brand gumball machine, an American company based out of the Chicago area. However, upon further research, I discovered that the LYPC website states the company started in 1993, well before the filming of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began in our universe, but nearly two decades after 1975 when the item first chronologically appeared in the film. This is to say that we actually do not know whether the LYPC company in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory universe is American, British or something else entirely as the history of the LYPC company is not the same in both universes.

That is all for the items being analyzed as part of this inquiry, but before moving on, one final observation should be stated. The items in this list can be classified into two categories; private goods, or items that are or can be one’s property, and public goods, items that are sponsored by the government so that everyone can use them. In short, all of the private goods in Charlie’s town are clearly of British origin, except for the LYPC gumball machine and even then we cannot confirm that the version of the LYPC company that exists in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory universe isn’t actually British, whereas it is the public goods, like the mail boxes that are American-ish. And by American-ish I mean that while the items are clearly inspired by those found in the United States, they are also slightly different from the original inspiration.

That’s it for Part 5, click here for Part 6 when we analyze the fictional news station that appears the most throughout the film and what the range of its coverage tells us about where Charlie’s town is located.

Also, if you have better quality images of the scenes from the film I included in this post, feel free to share them with me so that I may replace the ones I used to improve the experience for the reader.

#unwrapping the wonka bar #Charlie and the chocolate factory #charlie and the chocolate factory 2005 #unwrappingthewonkabar #charlieandthechocolatefactory #catcf #catcf 2005

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roguespodcast · 1 year

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kevinsreviewcatalogue · 29 days

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Review: The People's Joker (2022)

Just because I left Fort Lauderdale, and with it Popcorn Frights, behind when I moved to Boston last year doesn't mean I have to give up on horror festivals. And just as I managed to sneak in a trip to the Telluride Horror Show amidst my adventures in Utah back in 2022, so too did I find that -- where else? -- Salem, Massachusetts hosted the annual Salem Horror Show in April and May. Tonight was the first night, and they screened one of the festival's token non-horror films in The People's Joker, a queer Batman spoof made without any official approval from DC Comics or Warner Bros. (They originally had a screening of Hocus Pocus planned with Kathy Najimy as a special guest, but Najimy had to cancel at the last minute.) How was it?

The People's Joker (2022)

Not rated

Score: 4 out of 5

The People's Joker exists in a place very similar to that enjoyed by Escape from Tomorrow. In both cases, you have independent filmmakers making unlicensed, unauthorized use of American pop iconography, Disney in the case of Escape from Tomorrow and DC Comics in the case of this film, as a way of satirizing and critiquing it with a particular focus on its corporate ownership and its role in the modern economy. Unlike Disney, which permitted the release of Escape from Tomorrow, DC Comics and Warner Bros. actively tried to clamp down on this film, which was ultimately saved by fair use laws protecting parodies like this. And of the two, I'd argue that this film pulls off what it was trying to do a lot better. While both films are elevated by a particular psychedelic edge and punk-rock attitude, Escape from Tomorrow was too incoherent to really stick the landing or even really convey what it was trying to say, while The People's Joker manages to successfully pull off being not only a dark parody of Batman in which the Joker is the hero, but also a hilarious comedy in its own right, a queer coming-out story, a satire of the entertainment industry (especially stand-up and sketch comedy), and a film that manages to get its message across loud and clear. For obvious reasons, I don't expect this to be more than a cult classic, but it's one I enjoyed and do not regret watching.

In this take on Batman's most iconic villain, one that's most obviously based on the movie Joker but draws on many versions of the character (as well as elements of Harley Quinn), the Joker is now a trans woman who leaves her disapproving mother in Smallville, Kansas for Gotham City in the hopes of becoming a comedian like her idol, UCB Live star Ra's al Ghul. There, upon being exposed to the gatekeeping and hypocrisy of the world of mainstream standup comedy, which here serves largely to prop up a corporate-run dystopia even as it still claims the legacy of those who once spoke truth to power, she starts her own underground "anti-comedy" troupe in an abandoned carnival that comes to be comprised of many of Batman's traditional baddies from the comics. (Her trademark gag is inviting people onstage to tell the world their saddest experiences and then huffing Smilex and laughing her ass off at their misery, because after all, this is still the Joker we're talking about.) This eventually puts her on a collision course with Batman himself, who's depicted as not only the jackbooted thug that more cynical deconstructions of superhero comics have framed him as, but also a perverted closet case on top of it. (Let's just say, this film gets a lot of mileage out of all those jokes you've heard about his relationship with his sidekick Robin.)

The film ain't exactly subtle in what it's saying. UCB Live is a clear-cut parody of Saturday Night Live, right down to the fact that Lorne Michaels is a character in the film, and moreover, its initialism is lifted straight from the famed Chicago comedy troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade that played such a major role in the development of standup and sketch comedy in the '90s and '00s, including producing multiple SNL stars. And while the film never names him so directly, you also get the sense that its writer, director, and star Vera Drew really isn't a fan of Joe Rogan or the standup circle he's built around himself, either. The Joker's introduction to UCB Live's casting has her body being scanned and her being deemed a potential comedy superstar because she has a small penis and is therefore mistaken for the kind of insecure man who the industry is built upon. Her comic idol Ra's starred in a Borat-like film whose main joke was making fun of foreigners. The whole reason Batman, an avatar of the elite if ever there was one (being the CEO of Wayne Enterprises and all), comes after her is because she directly criticizes and threatens the ruling class in a way that the corporate, sanitized world of UCB Live merely pretends to. Drew is somebody who clearly has experience with comedy and the people who inhabit it, and is very much writing that experience into the meat of the story, a metaphorical representation of an entertainment industry that, in her view, only cloaks itself in populism and progressive language enough that it can fend off criticism without actually making any meaningful changes.

Much of this is told through a mix of a riotous and raunchy comedy and the Joker's romance with her fellow comic Jason Todd, aka "Mr. J", a trans man who's envisioned here as a mix of Robin and the edgelord Jared Leto version of the Joker from the DC Extended Universe. The gags came flying at a mile a minute, and often had me busting my gut in laughter. The whole cast is game for the material, with Drew making the Joker a compelling anti-hero not just as a comic presence but also as somebody whose journey from a Midwestern girl-trapped-in-a-boy's-body to a flamboyant Clown Princess of Crime was one that I found myself genuinely invested in. Kane Distler as Mr. J was also an interesting presence, somebody whose relationship with the Joker starts promisingly only for him to turn emotionally abusive and self-centered (complete with a "gaslighting" pun that had me cracking up), indicating that, when he transitioned, he wound up embracing the most noxious forms of hypermasculinity. And as for the style of the film, Drew goes for an exaggerated feel that combines live-action filmmaking, highly stylized CGI, what appears to be a mannequin representing Poison Ivy, and very crude animation both 2D and 3D to create a feeling that reminded me of watching Adult Swim or surfing Newgrounds back in the 2000s. There clearly wasn't much of a budget here, so Drew instead leaned on creativity, both her own and the dozens of artists worldwide who each contributed to the film. It was as unique a film to watch as it was an entertaining comedy, one that demonstrated a lot of talent and commitment on the part of everybody involved.

The Bottom Line

There's no way in hell that The People's Joker is ever getting a wide release, but if it plays near you, I highly recommend seeking it out, as a twisted, countercultural sendup of everything from superheroes to mainstream comedy to who gets to call themselves "the counterculture".

#the people's joker #2022 #2022 movies #comedy #comedy movies #superhero #superhero movies #romance #romance movies #the joker #joker #batman #jason todd #poison ivy #tim heidecker #bob odenkirk #vera drew

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