#the production design is the best part of it lol

[of-fear-and-love]

Halle Berry in Boomerang (1992)

[unproduciblesmackdown]

the sense of having any lore about the ancient [ten to thirteen years ago] of marble hornets times like granpa granpa tell us a greentext story....the only hitch is not having stories and instead having "i guess you had to be there" tales from the fringes, unless instead of a hitch you frame this as a bit

[calocreek]

OK here it is, a ton of 'production' stuff for the Hot Guy Comic Zine! I've never been part of a project like this. Even though I was working on my comic mostly solo (shout-out to my editor Violet!), the world-building and story arc planning was completely collaborative. For example:

We started out on the world-building by voting on character's superpowers! Plenty of powers were almost unanimously agreed on, but Cuteguy was a HUGE campaign. We were pretty much 50/50 split between can fly/can't fly. Propaganda was exchanged LOL, like this piece where I campaigned for limited flying capabilities 😂 And thats what we ended up settling on!

From there we worked on a ton of brainstorming/world-building that I mostly spectated with an occasional doodle like these haha. I'm new to such elaborate AUs!

Pitch time!! I had pitches for each era and they were all pretty light and banter-y, so my year 1 pitch ended up fitting the vibe the best. My original pitch was 'HG + CG learn some key things about each other and plan to set up a base they can use together.' But when I started my script, I got really caught up in how they were navigating a partnership without knowing each others identities. The more I wrote through that, the more I wanted my story to be ABOUT that! So thats where my script started coming together.

Designs! I'm definitely not a confident costume designer. I was trying to go for low-tech + practical since it was early in their careers, and of course, easy to draw 😂

Process went more or less like this! Full color comics take a LONG TIME but it was a total labor of love. I had the graffiti bgs in mind from the very start since I knew it was dialogue heavy, I wanted to make sure the art was interesting and worth spending time looking at. Oh lord did I get carried away. I'm OBSESSED with the symbolism the fandom has put to the life series and so I tried to sneak in as much meaningful symbolism as possible. AND THE RESULT:

Guess I did pretty well! 😂😂😂

Anyway, I can't overstate how proud I feel to have gotten to work on this project. My whole goal as a hobbyist is to get to work with other artists I look up to and respect so this was a dream come true! Thank you everyone for reading, for 15k downloads (!!!), and for just being an awesomely creative fandom space to make art in! I hope to do more stuff like this again some day 💕

[kozachenko]

Finally decided to play around with my old lineless style again! Also figured out a way to draw Reimu that I actually really like!

Artist's Notes;

I've mentioned in a few earlier posts that I've been wanting to draw in my lineless style again for a while as a way to test what I've learnt from my previous style in regards to lighting. I did the face first and then for a while was thinking about doing a full body illustration of Reimu just to draw her outfit again. I'll talk about the face first since that's the first drawing I did in this batch.

For the longest time I really couldn't find a way to translate Reimu's face into my style. I was able to make her clothes work out well, just not really her face. I did like elements of how I drew her face a few other times, namely the tiny eyebrows and her pupils, but they didn't really feel like Reimu to me, or at least how I imagined her in my head. I then realized that it was less of a problem with the entire face and moreso the eyes, and it took me quite a bit of trial and error to make something that I was happy with. Also, as much as I thought the tiny eyebrows were cute, it didn't really make sense with her character. Like, from what I know about Japanese history, plucking your eyebrows was something that nobles (rich people) would do, and since Reimu is...neither of those things, I decided to just give her some thicker eyebrows instead (I will be saving the plucked eyebrows for another character though, so they will return). After I got to a face I was happy with, my next challenge was the hair. I did the front part first and liked that enough to continue, and then after more trial and error I realized that deep down I was a short-hair-Reimu-is-best-Reimu-truther this whole time because once I gave up on the long hair and gave her shorter hair something just clicked in my brain. And so, after drawing her outfit in again (this time without the yellow tie which is kinda sad but I'll find a way to incorperate it into future designs because it just was not making sense to me in context with the rest of the outfit) and finnicking around with the bow, I came to a version of Reimu's face that I actually liked. I thought that it made more sense for her character to have her cut it short, mainly because she's doing a bunch of Youkai extermination and she has to keep her hair out of her face somehow. I still wanted to make it kinda messy though, as Reimu is probably too lazy to clean it up herself. I think another reason I like it so much is because in Forbidden Scrollery, Moe Harukawa gave Reimu short hair and that really suited her, so I guess that was just a subconcious reason as to why I liked it so much. I also think that the shorter hair helps to separate her a lot from Marisa, as I think Marisa looks really good with longer hair. Speaking of, now I wanna do a drawing of her and Reimu together to really solidify how I draw them (unlike the previous version where it was just them standing). As much as I do like the face, I am concerned if she looks too much like how I drew Keiki now, but that might just be a product of the stylistic choices I made with her eyes and I might just be overthinking it. I am hyperaware of same face syndrome so that's probably the reason I'm so concerned about it lol.

Now for the fully body drawing. I was struggling to think of a good pose for her, so I just took a picture of myself and used that as a reference while still making slight adjustments for readability's sake. This is another case of, "I've looked at this too long and can spot every single issue with it" but this time I'm still happy with the final product mainly because this was a test drive for how I want to develop my lineless style in the future and for what it is I am more than pleased with the result. The main reason I deviated away from my lineless style was mainly because I was having a hard time with the lighting and making it interesting, and I am so glad that I've finally found a way to make it work! I'm especially happy with the clothes, as I think clothing folds are really fun to draw. I was somewhat inspired by the works of J.C. Lyendecker and the way he draws clothes, though admittedly it is not a one to one, since I mainly wanted to try implying the shading of the clothing folds with shapes (I do really want to do a study of his style one day as his art is incredible). So for the sleeves, I drew in a bunch of triangles where I wanted there to be a strong highlight, roughly coloured in the inside, and then blended them all so it looks like a more subtle. On both of these drawings, I also added in a noise filter to give it some texture (as that's what I used to often do with my drawings) and while I do like it, I might want to experiment with making it more subtle in the future, as it's pretty noticeable in both these drawings. Overall, I'm really happy with the lighting and colours of this drawing, and while I could nitpick several aspects of it (her hand holding the gohei looks too tense, I tried making her look like she was standing on the balls of her feet but the positioning of her Gohei's trail of papers ends up making it look weird, and I could've put more effort into the hair and bow and so many more things), this is more of a piece for me to experiment with my style again, and I'm excited for when I get a new idea for a piece, as I really wanna try some more stuff out with this style!

[velvet-games]

he’s so normal :)

I actually drew this before a lot of the recent stuff I've been posting; it was just me trying to figure out a good redesign for vox. I might make a proper redesign explanation later, but here are some quick notes while I'm still playing with it:

vox trapzod and alastor trongle :)

^^ ok but unironically this was kind of a hard decision since I have mixed feelings about vox's body type

stuff I was considering:

1) vox is alastor's foil and has a similar body type to alastor at least in part because you're supposed to be comparing them (It's actually so cool cause I was watching TB Skyen's reaction to ep 2 and he immediately predicted that they would have beef lol)

2) tumblr sexyman bod <3

3) I LOVE @/bestosunglass' way of drawing him, and it made me realize that I kind of love the idea of vox being a little bigger than alastor? it's very big himbo puppy + lithe cat energy

4) not sure what my headcanons about vox's body are in terms of biological vs tech yet, but I think I want to lean toward tech (which is customizable)

I love the angst concept of vox having the freedom to change his body with relative ease, which makes him feel like he has to constantly update and update and update and update and update and it's never good enough because he could always change something and he'll never quite be good enough--

basically being a victim to his own progress-oriented mindset

and also treating himself like a product; if it's not working, if it's not the best, newest model, then it's broken and useless and disposable

tbh alastor's ability to find beauty and art in the old (not necessarily based on function, but on character and care) would be good for him

ooc or not, as someone with dysmorphia issues myself, I really want an "I like your body because it's yours" moment from alastor

I think all of that + toxic masculinity would probably mean vox would make himself comically buff (at least at first) lol

5) but I like drawing him kinda scrawny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it's just weird because I kind of want to audience to pick up on the fact that he's not actually hypermasc but vox would totally (mostly successfully) broadcast that to the characters in the show

6) I think a trapezoid is a good shape for him! it contrasts well with alastor being a kind of sly and striking triangle shape. trapezoids are more interesting and dynamic than rectangles, but are still more stiff and business-like than triangles (p sure I am completely misunderstanding shape theory here but it makes sense to me lmao)

vox is such a mess of vibes? like he's a cult leader he's a televangelist he's a hypnotist he's a business shark he's a tech CEO he's a newscaster he's a TV he's a computer he's a literal shark he's a mastermind he's a pathetic fanboy

still not sure which of those is the most important/what should be obvious in his design

obsessed with the concept of TV knobs as buttons but it's kind of old fashioned

I headcanon him as having been a nerdy kid that got kicked in the shins for being obsessed with TV/tech lol

also hc him as being vaguely and very obliviously transfemme; the buffness can also be overcompensating for a lack of masculinity both physically and mentally

[u3pxx]

I'm a big fan of your drawings, especially your drawing process!

Question, what brushes do you use to make your backgrounds more dynamic? And any recommendations on how to implement backgrounds?

ahhh thank you! on implementing backgrounds, the way i do it is that i usually thumbnail before starting on what would be the final drawing. here's some thumbnail vs final drawing stuff lol

they dont have to be the most polished but they should give you an idea on what you want the final drawing to look like! though, sometimes, i don't thumbnail (WHICH U SHOULD THUMBNAIL, IT MAKES THE PROCESS SM EASIER BC U ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT THE FINAL PRODUCT TO LOOK LIKE) --

BUT!! when i don't thumbnail, i do use references that have a similar perspective on what i want to draw and go from there. i also add some extra stuff to it to give some personality and atmosphere to the background i want to draw (i wanted to draw an overgrown and abandoned building so i added tons of plants everywhere! which is my favorite thing to do lol)

i'm extremelyyy inspired by how steven universe's backgrounds look, so i implement some things I've observed from them! namely, how the lineart of things offset with the object itself, i like to do it a lot with plants bc i feel like it adds pizazz

also, something i try to do with every drawing with a background is to make use of a foreground element that would lead the eye of the viewer to the main focus of the drawing (which is usually the character) having some moving parts to your bg whether that be leaves, petals, curtains or whatever add some dynamism to bgs i feel

and uhhh another piece of advice that i heard that i thought was pretty useful to me is to treat designing backgrounds like you're designing a character! is this place neat or messy? brand new or ancient? what kind of person/people hang around here and what kind of stuff do they leave here?

also, if fullass bgs are difficult for you to draw, sometimes you don't even have to draw the whole thing! you can just give the suggestion of a background via some props and scene elements! put that background in a box for all i care!

(also if you're struggling to draw props, 3d models are your best friend)

ok onto the brushes LOL it depends on the background really bc when i draw rooms or buildings, i just use my regular brushes for that since i just line and ink them like i do with characters.

when it comes to backgrounds set in nature, however, i tend to go a lot more free/abstract with it so here are the brushes i usually use! they're also pretty helpful for painting, i just try to achieve a lot of texture with em

Custom Brush (i use this one for the leaves i gave in my examples!)

Stamp Table Pen Set スタンプ台の線画

Flat_Dirty_Archv

Rake Brush

Oil Brush

Thickpaint Superflat

MB_Wood

Smoke Brush (used this on that abandoned building drawing and could lady, it's really fun for like fog and mist too)

anddd that's it, i think! hopefully these are helpful!!!

[eggluverz]

halloween with the hsr boys

pairing: dan heng; jing yuan; blade x reader

sof's note: guess who is in a halloweeny mood :> meee! and i'm sure a lot of y'all are as well so let's bask in these autumn vibes together LOL special shoutout to the anon who suggested dan heng would watch like 15 vids before he carves a pumpkin fhsjkghdf that is so accurate <3 pls enjoy and happy fall!!

dan heng

not big on the spooky parts of halloween, but he loves getting in the halloween/autumn spirit by watching twitches and halloween town with you

you host a pumpkin carving contest on halloween eve between the two of you and dan heng 100% takes it seriously

days of prep before the big night, hours of youtube videos in his history… he even reads up on the origins of pumpkin carving—just to be fully immersed and prepared

when the time comes, dan heng has his tools lined up in the most efficient order as he readies himself to make his design

he, of course, wanted to carve a tree with maple leaves falling in the night sky

you stare at his template with wide eyes, quickly scrapping your happy face idea to think of something more creative…

noticing this, dan heng chuckles in amusement. “you don’t have to change your design to match mine”

you shake your head. “and risk losing the competition? no way”

“then may the best carver win”

when the two of you are done, you take a photo and send to your friends to vote

it was a close call, but dan heng ends up winning by two votes

“maybe i should’ve joined your pumpkin carving research…” you pout, staring between your finished product and his

“there’s always next year,” dan heng soothes, giving you a hug. “besides, you’re always the winner in my eyes.”

jing yuan

he would make all the pies for you

pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, apple crumble pie…you name it 

he doesn’t even know how to make pie he just googled a bunch of recipes and winged it

you think something tastes off but you try to encourage him anyway 

of course, jing yuan sees right through it

“it‘s not that i don’t like your baking, i really do, but i may have some suggestions for the future…”

“there is no need to sugarcoat your distaste, y/n,” he says with a laugh. “we can redo them together.”

the pies turn out even better the next time

the two of you end up picking up pie making as your fall-time hobby this year and bake pie for all your friends

he tries to make a mimi-safe pie as well

mimi hates it (pumpkin spice is not good on the lion’s tongue) 

but you think the effort is cute :> 

he ends halloween night off by sharing a yummy slice of apple crumble pie with whipped cream on top with you

“so sweet!” you state happily as he feeds you the first bite. 

jing yuan leans forward and smiles. “not as sweet as you” 

blade

goes all in for halloween

is dead instead most of the year, comes to life for the halloween spirit

he likes to decorate the house with you, even making a mini “haunted maze” in the driveway for the trick-or-treaters

accidentally makes a kid cry in it…

really, he just went in the maze to do a quick maintenance check, but he looked so menacing in his costume that a kid saw him and started crying 

blade is too confused about what happened to feel bad 

you give the kid extra candy and apologize to their parents while stifling a laugh at blade’s blank expression

“i didn’t even say ‘boo’,” he murmurs curiously.

you just pat him on the head and give him a kiss on the cheek

after the trick-or-treat shenanigans, you and blade relax and unwind on the comfort of your couch

his definition of unwinding on halloween is watching old horror movies

[or, if you cannot handle horror like me: he watches the barbie movies with you to help you take your mind off the halloween scares and go to sleep :3]

you cuddle him as you doze off while eating leftover halloween candy 

blade carries you to bed and tucks you in for the night bc you deserve a good night’s rest <3

[thebowieconstricker]

Stagedoor Sparks! (Matthew Patel x Reader) ✨🔥🔱

masterlist link

AN: OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS WERE FEELING THIS ONE OKAY-

I’m so glad to see people hyped up for my pathetic pirate boy. Please enjoy and if this goes well I may turn it into a series lol

We’ve got a gender neutral reader, idiots in love, I saw someone say pathetic x pathetic and YES, theater kid lingo, mild swearing, and your favorite cutie pie. ⚠️Also, this is heavily based on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, so spoiler warnings for that if you haven’t seen it! ⚠️ Enjoy!

“Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Musical”, was what the bright lights of the massive sign on your local theater boasted. Recently, your coworker Julie had been telling you about the ridiculous life of this ‘Scott Pilgrim’, ranting about the conga line of characters that filled his (frankly, pathetic sounding) existence. She had also alerted you to this… musical. A musical that had been written about his life.

You sighed to yourself and adjusted your bag. Making your way to the golden, elaborately designed doors, just barely dodging all the paparazzi (why was there so much paparazzi?), you somehow successfully made your way into the main lobby of the theatre. Ivory and gold filled your vision as you observed the plush red carpet that lined each of the three floors. You had visited this theater before, and it’s gorgeous grandeur never failed to amaze you.

Now, you did not at all care about this guy. Yes, you had been silently internalizing every minuscule part of this random guy’s daily shenanigans, but that was because you were being a good friend to Julie! This Scott guy seemed like a tool, and you weren't particularly interested in listening to a…?

You checked the playbill the usher had just handed you.

…THREE HOUR MUSICAL?!? You almost started laughing right there.

But anyways, you weren’t here for this Scott guy.

You were here for musical theater. You had always been drawn to the fantastical world of lights and costumes and music. Plus, this was a community production with actors from Toronto, and you were always happy to support your local theater kids.

As you finally made your way to your seat, you sat down in the plush red chairs and opened your playbill to the cast section. You didn’t see any names you recognized, but one stood out to you.

Matthew Patel - Scott Pilgrim

Obviously, Scott Pilgrim was the lead role, but what really caught your attention was the picture attached to the name. Matthew Patel, you respectfully observed, was mad cute.

The lights suddenly began to dim and you settled in for whatever was in store, keeping a keen eye out for this ‘Matthew Patel’.

~~~ Holy shit, this is the best thing you’ve ever seen.

From the moment Matthew Patel walked onstage, you were absolutely smitten. He wore a bright orange wig that clashed horrendously with his dark skin, and an oversized jacket, but he was the hottest thing you had ever seen. Also, holy shit, Matthew Patel could sing. From the first line, you were completely enraptured by his high tenor belting. As you watched him onstage, you saw literal sparks in his eyes, his excitement and passion for the stage radiating off of him.

At the curtain call, you stood and enthusiastically clapped for each of the cast members, but hooped and hollered for Matthew especially. Even though you knew he couldn’t see you from the stage, you found yourself blushing at the thought of him looking at you.

That’s when it hit you: You’ve gotta book it to stage door to meet this guy.

~~~ Matthew Patel was completely exhausted. As the curtains flew closed, he sighed and turned around to smile at his cast mates. Although he was drained by his performance, he always took this opportunity at the end of a show to look to his fellow caste mates.

And hopefully someone would invite him with their group to an after show dinner.

He walked through the crowd, giving pats on the back and thumbs ups as he made his way to his dressing room. Lots of smiles, lots of “great job!”’s but… no invitations.

Slamming the door to his room he quickly took of his wig and put on his regular clothes, deciding that he would take off his stage makeup at home (aka the makeup he regularly wore but no one cared enough to know that). His room had a window where he could look down at the stagedoor line, the line that had been non-existent since opening night. He didn’t take it personally, since this musical was for a very specific audience of people and he understood that outside of them, no one knew or cared who Scott Pilgrim was. But still, he was onstage. He was singing and dancing and his art was being celebrated. Yes, he was lonely, still, but life wasn’t too bad right now.

As he did every day, he quickly glanced out his window to check for audience members at stage door and, sure enough, no one-

Wait-

Someone was there?

He did a double take and physically walked to the window, his hands placed against the glass and his now quickening breath creating a fog.

SOMEONE WAS THERE??!?!?

From high up in his dressing room, he saw a small figure holding the bright red playbill of his show. They seemed to be moving back and forth on their feet, bouncing excitedly. From so high up he couldn’t see their expression, but could make out what he thought was a smile.

He broke out into a wide smile. Running around his room, gathering his things and throwing them into his backpack, only one thought raced through his mind: He had to get down there.

~~~ As you waited, the cold Toronto air stung against your flushed cheeks. You were still high on endorphins from the show, the songs already worming their way into your head as you tapped your feet in anticipation.

Suddenly, and without warning, a man burst out of the dark black door you were waiting out, out of breath and panting. He was so hellbent on running out the door that he ran right into you, knocking you over!

“AH-“, you both made the same sound as you fell, the man directly on top of you.

“Oh- apologies, ma’am, I uh-“

You would have said a number of rude things to this man but, seeing his face, you were starstruck.

“Matthew Patel?”

His eyes widened in shock. Carefully, he got off of you and onto his knee in front of you. Gently, he took your hand and pulled you up, the both of you now back on your feet.

“You know me?”

You couldn’t help but notice the faint blush on his cheeks.

“Of course! Well- I mean, you know, you’re Scott Pilgrim! You were absolutely incredible up there, just amazing! My jaw was the floor the whole time! I mean, your voice and your dancing and the fight scenes-“

As you rambled on and on, Matthew was unable to snap himself out of the trance you had put him in. Visually, you were breathtaking, so much so he didn’t know how he had ever found anyone else attractive. But more so, you were genuinely complimenting him. He was never complimented on his theater work. He’d get the rare one from his cast mates, but never an outside fan.

Noticing his silence, you suddenly stopped talking.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to rant, it’s just- one theater kid to another, you were so amazing.”

He shook his head at your apology. “No, don’t be sorry. You’re- you’re very kind. Thank you. And I’m sorry again for… running you over.”

You laughed- a leitmotif to rival Sondheims to Matthew’s ears- and looked at him with a goofy grin.

“Would you sign my playbill?”

“Would you like to have dinner tonight?”

The two of you spoke at the same time, and one’s question made the other blush furiously. Matthew’s entire body tensed in embarrassment that he had been bold enough to ask you out like this, not even knowing your name.

You were absolutely over the moon.

“I- uh- yes. Yes, I would love to.”

Your smile got impossibly wider, and the sparks in Matthew’s eyes that you had noted during his performance returned. With a huge grin, he reached out his hand to take your playbill. You handed it to him and a marker appeared in his other hand as he quickly scribbled his signature.

“What’s your name?”

You told him and his blush deepened. He turned back to the playbill and scribbled a bit more, then handed it to you. You squeaked in excitement and looked at what he had written.

To my biggest fan,

(Y/N)

Looking back up at him, you were certain this was the start of something new.

“So… do you like Italian?”

~~~ HEY MATTHEW FANS TAKE THIS FIC! GO, FETCH! This’ll make a lot more sense if you like musicals, so have fun! Like I said at the start, if y’all want more and I’m feeling up to it, I’ll write more! Happy holidays, folks!

[kirkscarr]

ok so i just finished my book cover for First, Best Destiny - Part 1 by the amazing @ophelia-j !!

admittedly i was going to wait until i actually attached the text block to the cover before i posted this haha, but i was SO excited after making this cover that i decided to just post it and then update with the finished product later!!

this book is absolutely embedded in my soul, and words cannot even describe how gorgeously it’s written. it’s a book that made me realize - hey, the adventure doesn’t end as you grow old.

you can read it here. i promise you won’t regret it!!!

anyways!!! here’s all of my other bookbinding steps for anyone interested.

cam’s somewhat incomplete bookbinding guide

please note that i am an AMATEUR hobbyist. please do not actually use this as a tutorial.

oh also!! bookbinding terminology will have a * by it which will be explained at the end in order to make this flow better. i’ll also link the tutorials i used at the end of this for anyone interested.

1) Formatting the document! I downloaded the original text as a PDF, and then designed a cover page, grabbed some art from the internet (i know, frowned upon, but this is just a personal copy so it is what it is), and then designed a table of contents and chapter icons!!

*side note! i added which episodes each chapter follows to the table of contents (pictured below) as this book was written as an accompaniment to TOS and the movies.

2) Next, I printed out all NINE HUNDRED PAGES??? admittedly i could have done it in less if I’d used a bigger page size, but sending things out to be printed is expensive so we made do. after printing, i folded them into signatures*.

*there’s an additional note about the paper i used at the end

3) punching out holes in all the signatures! although not technically necessary, I honestly don’t think i would’ve been able to sew this behemoth without doing it.

4) sewing the pages into a real!! actual!! book!! this was the part i was most nervous about. i’ve NEVER attempted to sew anywhere near this large of a book before, so i tried out a new method of sewing in hopes of making it a bit more sturdy. we won’t know if it worked until this book endures some wear and tear, but i’m pretty optimistic!

5) next up is glueing the spine! this is where it really hit me that a lot of bookbinding is just…glueing shit together. later i also added cardstock to the spine in hopes of helping it adhere to the cover better, and a book headband* for decoration.

5) now we’re onto the book cover!! they only sell bookboard in minor bulk around here, so we’re not even gonna discuss how much bookboard i now own… anyways! i glued the faux leather onto the bookboard and then let that dry.

6) last up! off to the cricket! a huge thank you to my friend for letting me borrow her cricket AND supplies! anywho, this is where i designed my cover art. i then adhered the design to the cover. after this step, i realized i…definitely need some kind of sealant - so, if any more seasoned bookbinders have suggestions for this i am all ears!!

all in all, this was a super fun project, and a great way to kill some time while i recover from surgery! i absolutely plan to bind the sequel at some point, but that may be a…ways away. i’m a STEM major and school starts back up soon so…time will be in short supply lol!

To be continued...

Terminology

*signature: group of sheets folded in half, to be worked into the binding as a unit.

*book headband: just look up a picture if you’re curious because tumblr says i can't add any more pictures lol.

*about the paper!! i actually got it from a local specialty paper store, but if you want something similar i've heard amazon has some good bookbinding alternatives!

Tutorials

please PLEASE go check out Jess Less on youtube. she's phenomenal. here are her vids and what i used them for.

don't laugh!! i actually stole MOST of my techniques straight from this video.

i used this one to help me format the book correctly! although i still ended up with some goofs haha (see: any pages on the left side have the page number in the margin LMAO).

[justafellr]

Now let's talk about the tense and shaky lil frazzle of energy, Anxiety

Anxiety is Anxiety, not much change in their character. Very overzealous, hyperactive, impulsive, overly anticipatory and very unstable. They eagerly consider and prepare for every possible outcome. They wish for the best possible outcome while also considering the ways things could go wrong. They contradict themselves often and is constantly jumping from one problem to another in an attempt to fix it in hopes of things will go smoothly. They are restless and always feel like they need to do something or be productive. They represent my constant worries for others and my desire to be more productive Anxiety is very much different from Fear in many aspects. While Fear only freaks out when there's a visible or potential threat and calms down once it's gone, Anxiety always thinks there's a threat even if the visible threat is gone. They always feel as if something is wrong and constantly tries to figure it out and subdue it. As a result, they rarely get sleep and is often the hawk of the group Despite their constant worries, Anxiety ultimately is doing all of this to ensure a good, stable future for themselves and everyone else Anxiety didn't go through much change design wise as well. The design philosophy is still the same, just made a few tweaks here and there. Their look is very much inspired by 1, 3 and 5. Made the mouth smaller, the eyes bigger, and the sweater slightly over sized. Wanted them to feel very loose, wild, very small dog like in behavior and looks, specifically a chihuahua lol. I love the idea that although they bare similarities to Fear with their big worried expressions there are some keen differences. With Fear, they are mostly dull in their colors until provoked and flashes a bright pale, representing the fleeting and spontaneous nature of the emotion. Anxiety however, has no dull or cooler parts in their design. It's all a bright, oppressive and intense orange with no signs of rest or complacency, representing the longevity and intensity of the feeling compared to Fear

[pluckyredhead]

hi! i'm new to comics and i got in through reading your fics and wayne family adventures. i've since started reading more of the mainstream verse and i realized that most comic fans consider wfa to be totally fanon. you're one of the few i saw that disagrees. would you mind elaborating a lil on why? i'm too new to really form an opinion either way but i'd like to know your's!

(also yes i really did stalk your blog back years worth of posts i'm sorry! 😭😭)

Aw I love this! Welcome!

So I think it's really important to be clear on definitions here:

Canon means it's part of an official text. It's literally in a comic (or book or movie or other property) published or licensed by DC.

Fanon means it's made up by fans. That doesn't mean bad or good, it just means that it comes from fandom and is not part of the official text.

Wayne Family Adventures is an official licensed comic by DC, so by definition, it cannot be fanon. That doesn't mean everyone has to like it, but it's not a fan comic. It's an official DC product. It's not fanon.

Now, WFA isn't part of the main DCU canon. It takes place in a separate universe. The Jason in Batman #138 and the Jason in WFA are not the same and they are having very different experiences. (And I'm sure the Jason in WFA would be grateful if he knew.)

But that's no different than a comic that takes place in an alternate universe, like Dark Knights of Steel or DCeased, or a movie like Blue Beetle or a show like My Adventures with Superman. They all take place in their own universes, but all of those universes are canon. None of them are fanon.

What I think most people mean when they say WFA is fanon is that WFA draws on tropes and characterizations that are popular in fandom. Which...yes, absolutely. This is on purpose, and honestly, it pisses me off when people complain about it. (Not you, anon! Your question was lovely, you just triggered my unskippable cut scene of dialogue. Sorry lol.)

Wayne Family Adventures is probably the single best idea DC has had in the 20 years I've been reading comics. (The second best was the kids and YA graphic novel lines.)

I just checked, and WFA has 1.3 MILLION subscribers. That's more than every floppy comic starring Batman sells in a month, combined. It's more than literally any superhero comic has sold in decades - in this century! The combined strips have over A HUNDRED MILLION VIEWS. That is bonkerstown. That is a readership like DC hasn't seen since the 1970s. That is unparalleled success, and it's introducing characters like Kate Kane and Duke Thomas to a whole new audience.

Now, WFA was clearly designed to appeal to Batfans who were active on social media and fanfic sites like AO3 and Wattpad, and Webtoon readers. The readership of Webtoon is mostly young and female. Fandom as a whole is mostly female. The writer of WFA is female.

And maybe I'm not being fair here, but when I see people dismiss WFA as "just fanon," I always catch a whiff of "It's not a real Batman comic. It's a girl comic for girls."

I have spent the past 20 years begging DC (and Marvel, DC is not alone in this) to see women as a viable audience - as their largest potential growth audience! I have watched in dumbfounded frustration as they ignored the juggernaut success of Raina Telgemeier and Ngozi Ukazu and Alice Oseman running rings around the NY Times bestseller list and counted a 50k shipment here and there as a resounding triumph. I have literally seen them throw out survey responses from women because "those women had an agenda." (This is a true story. 2011 was rough, y'all.)

And all of a sudden, they gave us a comic actually catering to women and young people and fandom, and they put it on the most popular, current, modern platform for comics availably - and it's brilliant. It's smart and funny and stunningly drawn and every episode makes clever, inventive use of the scrolling format. They FINALLY gave us a girl comic for girls, and it's a masterpiece.

And yes, it riffs on fanon concepts. It also has its roots firmly in mainstream DCU canon. It references deep cuts. CRC Payne and StarBite know their shit. Jason Todd being a bookworm may be a fanon staple, but he does plenty of reading - including Jane Austen - in the 100% canon mainstream DCU comics.

It's not going to be for everything, because nothing is. It's completely fine if you don't like WFA. No one has to read it or enjoy it. If you're into Batman for the darkness and the crime and the ongoing plotlines and the angst, WFA won't be for you, and that's totally fine!

But to finally, finally be valued as a reader by DC, to have them do something smart and innovative and so, so well executed, and have the exact people they made it for dismiss it out of hand because Bruce has a "World's Okayest Dad" mug or whatever? Yeah, that chafes.

[buriedpair]

Just a simple ask…

Reader as a MILF/DILF?

For example: once the reader gets comfortable, they start to open up about themselves and one day bring up that they have a child?

(I joined the discord, the people are very lovely and lively)

YESSSS THIS ASK IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!! Fun little fact: Gambit was ALMOST a dilf, but I didn't feel like designing him a kid, lol!

I did more of how they'd react to the news that you have a kid and how they'd respond to a darling's child in general, if that's okay!

THANKS FOR JOINING THE DISCORD!!!! I'm glad you like it there!!!

Yandere!OCs x GN Reader

Amias

He's so happy you trust him enough to tell him! Um... but... that does mean you have more experience than him, which is kind of interesting. Amias is a huge loser virgin who can't even take care of himself, let alone a child! It's a strange situation for him to end up in, but he cares a lot about you and you trusted him with this information, so he'll definitely try.

He isn't against your child, but he isn't thrilled about it either. You'll soon learn to keep the kid away from Amias lest he try to feed it cup noodles for every meal. He doesn't know the first thing about caring for a child.

Edge

Edge is the absolute king of self-care. He'll definitely be protective of your kid, and you. However, he cannot stand the little rodent sometimes. You're his priority, and as much as he wants to care for your child with you, it isn't his... Even if you can't birth children yourself, he's annoyed that this thing is the product of you and someone else.

He'd be good at the basic taking care of children part, but he's awful when the kid starts crying or complaining. He'll just yell, and get annoyed. Honestly, he's not prepared for a child in the slightest.

Double Down

"Want to make more?"

Yeah, he doesn't really have much experience in this department. He used to be a 'hit and quit' kind of guy, so even if he knocked someone up he didn't stick around to see the result. He'll probably forget your kid exists most of the time until you remind him.

He's a good babysitter. He knows how to keep a child happy. Though, similar to Amias, he isn't really the best at taking care of himself, let alone a child. He'll do his best, though. Definitely better than Amias.

Jackpot

Oh my god, a mini you! He loves you, he loves your kid. He would die for the little thing, honestly. He's probably the second best person with a darling who has a kid, mostly because he's the only one who's responsible enough for himself.

Though, don't let him get ahead of himself. He loves that child, but he might grow protective of it over time, as he does with you. If he's taking them to school, they'll have a long lecture as to why they're never allowed to date anyone for their own safety because everyone is rotten garbage compared to someone who came from HIS darling.

The kid might end up terrified, in the long-run.

Gambit

If Jackpot is second, Gambit is definitely first. He'd be like a father figure to your child, and love them unconditionally. He's gentle at heart, even if a bit misguided. He's caring, and he's well-mannered

He'd know exactly how to calm the kiddo down, and would always be a second parent to them. They can trust him! Except, he may get a bit too comfortable and start sharing his twisted ideologies with the kid. Before you know it, the kid starts replicating Gambit's less than ideal tendencies.

[greatcheshire]

hey, how'd you learn how to do your makeup? i'm kind of a novice over here

Hey!! So I learned via a lot of methods - tips from friends, videos, googling. It's hard for me to remember a lot of my sources over the years. That being said, I'm going to try to link the ones I know help the most.

The Pretty Fix - this channel hasn't updated in a while but has a lot of tutorials designed to be trans-inclusive and beginner friendly. It's a great resource for just starting out and for understanding a lot of basic techniques and things to keep in mind without it being overwhelming or throwing too many product types at you.

How to Apply Eyeshadow PERFECTLY (beginner friendly hacks) by AlexandrasGirlyTalk - This video is short and simple and yet probably the most effective one I've seen when it comes to breaking down eyeshadow. I still haven't fully 100% mastered doing eyeshadow, but I feel a lot more confident with it after watching this a few times.

Dude, eyeliner changes your whole face by Alexandra Anele - Another good technique and theory video that helps a lot when trying to figure out eyeliner, which IMO is the hardest part of trying to do eye make up and something I'm only starting to feel good with as of this year

NEW Updated 2021 E-Girl Makeup Tutorial! by hannah owo - This one might seem silly at first glance because, y'know, E-girl, but honestly this is one of the most helpful makeup tutorials I've found and has drastically affected how I've done my makeup. What makes this one so good and helpful IMO is that unlike a lot of other makeup tutorials you can find, this one uses a lot of drugstore and bargain brands (at one point it recommends using a Crayola marker to create freckles) and shows the ways one can make a super elaborate look using a surprisingly small amount of products.

FACE BASICS: Hide Facial Hair (using Makeup!) Part 2: Makeup by David K Davey - I don't really do a lot of this anymore (I used to go way overboard on covering that area early in transition lol) but for those worried about beard shadow or discoloration in that area, this helps teach how to be cover that up and the colour theory behind it. Mastering this can be a godsend.

Those are the main links I can think of right now! For someone still getting in, my best advice is to get the basic tools you'll need - primer, concealer, foundation, eyeliner, mascara, blush - as well as a sponge or brush kit and play around with them, using tutorials and googling every time you think you come into an issue. Then you can start looking at more advanced things like contours and eye shadows, and the good thing about eye shadows is that most palettes have a bunch of videos online of people doing various looks and tutorials with them, meaning if you find yourself stuck, you're almost always guaranteed to find something you can use as a reference.

Makeup is hard and I still don't feel like I have a perfect understanding of it, but it can be quite fun once you find a set up you like and start getting comfortable enough to experiment with new looks and products! I hope this could help at all and I wish you the best of luck going forward!

[hollowtones]

I've been thinking of getting into oldschool runescape, but I don't have any friends who play it. I like watching videos of it on youtube, but that doesn't give the best idea of what it's actually like to play. So I wanted to ask, what is it that you enjoy about the game and why?

Graphical and sound limitations are played with in fun ways. Quest design is largely very fun. It feels like an old 90s point and click adventure game but also you can go online people-watching at the same time. I can play it as a largely-solo experience, which... kind of makes it feel not very much like an MMORPG, in a few regards? But sometimes you get to have a chat with strangers while you fish or butcher weird tongue guys, and sometimes that's nice.

There's a very large amount of somewhat esoteric mechanics that all kind of intermingle with each other in mostly interesting ways, and I like when games do that if the mechanics are fun to engage with. (It's part of why I enjoy stuff like "Warframe" for the same reasons others find it intimidating or overwhelming! I like having a big box of toys to play with and going "okay I will play with my trucks today & tomorrow I might play with my dolls"!) It's an itch a lot of games don't scratch because deciding "we're going to make something old and rough and clanking and massive and complex & then we're throwing you in to figure it out amongst yourselves" is daunting and difficult to design and largely a product of Many Many Years Of Being A Video Game. But it works well here in my experience. I think it helps that all the individual pieces of how content works, & how you control the video game (it's all point and click babyyyyy) are all relatively simple to grasp.

You can go wherever the fuck you want and engage with whatever contents of the game you want in any particular order. It's a sandbox! There is no real concrete end of the game! There is no overarching goal unless you want there to be one! The game is either done when you want it to be or it's done when you have done literally everything there is to do in it. (It feels like the antithesis of "Final Fantasy XIV" in a way? That one's designed to be a traditional JRPG linear structure that's built around multiplayer / social mechanics. It's interesting contrast IMO.) And that's cool! And doing any individual bit can feed into unlocking other things, or providing resources for other tasks or challenges or goals, but you can also just decide "I just want to fish and that's it" and there's a lot the game does to support that and make that as compelling and engaging as you want it to be! Some of that's going to be a grind, but the grind (improvement over time, the celebration of labour and hard work for its own sake, learning a trade or a skill or a hobby) is kind of the point. The grind isn't going to be for everyone and that's fine. It's for me. I respect it being so unflinching in being the sort of video game that it is.

This is a sidebar (and a low bar at that) but I also appreciate it not being crammed full of microtransactions and advertisements. LOL

[barksenji]

Kidkiller modern/real life (?) AU: College or something, idk.

Holy, this is my first time writing on Tumblr lol. This was originally in Spanish but I decided to translate it because it's cute. Anything that doesn't make sense is there for narrative purposes. Also, this is how college works in my country (Venezuela), I have absolutely no idea how it works in the US much less other countries. Lol. Anyways. Enjoy.

Sitting in the bleachers of the gym, the two guys watched as the ball skidded across the feet of the students playing football. The game, meant to be a simple friendly match, had devolved into what resembled a WWE brawl, complete with the loud thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

"I'm way better at sports than these losers," the redhead boasted, his thick Scottish accent sharp with arrogance.

"I know, Kid," replied the blonde, equally as Scottish, if not more.

"I'd have my team winning every damn game."

"I know, Kid."

"I'm gonna be the best football player in the world."

"...You're studying robotics engineering."

"That's beside the point, Killer."

"I know, Kid."

Both men had classes later in the day and lived quite far from the university, often finding themselves with long stretches of idle time between lectures. Their days sometimes began with a class at 7 AM, followed by hours of nothing until their next class at 4 PM. Rather than wander aimlessly around campus or venture out for errands, they found amusement in watching the medical students attempt to play sports, often failing miserably. Or more specifically, they enjoyed watching Law making a fool of himself.

The funniest part? It was an elective. He chose it himself.

"Hey! Trafalgar! Keep eating dirt like that, maybe it'll improve your grades!” Kid mocked.

“FUCK YOU!” Law shouted back, red-faced and indignant.

Kid threw his head back in laughter, oblivious to the enchanted eyes fixed on him. Killer watched Kid’s antics, a soft smile playing at his lips. He couldn't have asked for a better companion. Having Kid by his side made him feel incredibly fortunate.

“What are you staring at, bozo?” Kid asked, breaking Killer’s reverie.

“Nothin',” Killer replied, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness despite his attempt to sound nonchalant.

“Wish I could see behind that motorcycle helmet to know just how much you're judging me.”

“I'm not judging you! I'm just... contemplating.”

For a moment, silence hung between them.

“Uh-huh.” Kid arched an eyebrow, then laughed again.

Killer blushed beneath his helmet, trying to hide his embarrassment. They were bros, and such feelings were out of place.

“So, what's your next class?”

“Confectionery and ice cream,” Killer answered.

“Confectionery and ice cream?! Is that a real class?”

“Well, I am studying gastronomy.”

“Do you have a super hard exam on how to make a sandwich? Like 'Oh no! I failed my toast exam! I'm toasted!' Haha, get it? Toasted... because of toast."

"You're so hilarious, Kid,” Killer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But they actually teach you how to design amazing products using sugar, icing, chocolate, and other ingredients. You know, the kind of things I cook for you that you love? Like that Dundee cake you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"

"Ok, you should've led with that. Never stop making those, they’re delicious,” Kid said, practically drooling at the memory. “Nothing beats the pasta though."

"I agree, nothing beats the pasta..."

They both fell silent, lost in thoughts of food, debating whether their lunch money should be spent on actual lunch or saved for a taxi. No, they did not have a car. No, they didn't have money for one.

"So... what's your next class?" Killer asked, snapping them both out of their pasta-induced coma.

"Physical fundamentals of mechanics.”

"...Confectionery and ice cream does sound kinda funny next to that,” Killer admitted. “What do you even learn there?”

"Well, we study kinematics, point dynamics, work, power, mechanical energy, that kind of stuff." He was still baffled by the fact that Kid could comprehend all that.

"Yeah, I'm sticking to the ice cream," Killer laughed, but as soon as he noticed, he quickly covered his mouth over his helmet. "Ahem. Sorry about that. Uh—when did you say that class was?"

Kid frowned, noticing Killer's reaction to his own laugh. Killer had something called "PBA," or something along those lines; he didn't know—he wasn't that smart. What he did know was that it caused uncontrollable bursts of laughter in inappropriate situations. It had started after a brain injury from a mishap they got into together. Killer was self-conscious about it; he was already insecure before, but after the accident, he grew absolutely sick of it, even when it was genuine. Kid felt guilty; if he hadn't dragged him into that, he would feel okay. First, he lost his arm to stunt riding, giving Killer the biggest scare of his life, and now this—

"Uh...Kid?"

"Oh yeah, yeah," Kid snapped back to reality. "It’s at 3 PM."

"Kid."

"Yeah?"

"It's 2:56."

"Fuck, you're right!” Kid said, scrambling to gather his things. “Sorry, dude, don't want to leave you here all alone but—y'know."

"Yeah, no worries. I have to get to class soon anyway," Killer reassured him. "Plus, you'll need to study hard if you want to make that giant metal arm you showed me."

Kid paused, surprised that Killer remembered. A blush crept up his cheeks, followed by a wide grin. "Hell yeah, Kil! I will! I'll make you some sick cooking utensils too. Like—knives that spin like chainsaws."

"Why would I need knives that spin like chainsaws?"

"Because they'd look cool. And they'd be faster. Plus, there's the risk of adding a finger to the menu, which is metal."

Killer let out a soft giggle and a sigh. "God, I love you, Kid,” he muttered under his breath.

“HUH?!” Kid turned as he walked away, cocking his head.

“I said you'll miss your class, Kid!" Killer corrected himself, blushing furiously.

Kid raised an eyebrow. "...Love you too, bro, I guess," he responded with a smirk, then dashed off.

Fuck.

[throwing-in-the-towel]

you are actually a hero lol. All us people who can’t see the show are desperate for info. I’ve gotten lucky in that I got a playbill sent to me, scoured the internet until I found a copy of the script, and finally got a full audio recording of the show but no videos. It’s unhealthy the amount of times I’ve listened to it 😬 I know you said there’s no reunion scene between the brothers, but in the script is says during Hoods Turned Hero’s Soda runs to Pony and hugs him, then Darry kneels down next to him, clearly apologizing, and they hug. Did they cut that or is it just lost in the chaos of the song/ acting out the fire. Can you tell us more about how the fountain scene plays out?

thanks again for being so kind and taking the time to share! I’m glad that there are other Brent Comer/ Darry fans too. I ADORE him, but may be a little biased since we actually went to college together!! Sadly never met as he was 2 years older but I’m pretty sure I saw him in a school production of Parade, I lost my playbills though so can’t quite remember!

of course! i try my best to describe things as accurately as i can for you guys but it still doesn’t do justice to how amazing the production is!

for the “hoods turned heroes” bit that you’re referring to, that may have been part of the la jolla production from last spring. that was not in the broadway previews version of the show or the current broadway product.

the fountain scene is some of the most awesome staging i’ve ever seen. it’s done very well. the socs come on stage in the corvette right after “far away from tulsa” ends. they confront pony & johnny and bob slams pony’s head against the hood of the car, which gives him a concussion. the sound design for this is amazing, everything starts to move in slow motion and the sound goes muffled in the theater to simulate pony’s head trauma for the audience. they take pony’s head and dunk it into the tire (which has a pool of water in the middle of it) and again the sound in the theater makes it sound like the audience is underwater, it’s amazing. during that johnny moves in slow motion, beating up the soc that’s holding him back, then moves to stab bob. we see johnny stick the knife into bob’s side. then a white light flashes and the entire theater goes dark. after a few seconds, the lights come back on and you see bob bleeding out reaching for help. then the light flashes, goes dark again. then the lights come back again and bob is hanging over the side of the tire, dead. it’s extremely immersive.

and im more than happy to share this info! i acknowledge how lucky i am to be able to experience the show as often as i am and that is not lost on me. i want everyone to be able to enjoy the show in any capacity possible! :)