#valuable comic books list

[livelaughpeg]

I'm writing this from a throwaway account, because you know...Scientology.

I want to preface this post by saying I am not one of those "I knew it all along!" people. I can't stand that attitude. I was pretty ambivelant towards Neil Gaiman. Prior to the allegations, I didn't hate him but I wasn't that interested in him as a person either. I don't think you can always tell when someone is a bad or good person simply by the topics they write about. If that was the case we'd be arresting every horror writer on earth.

But one thing that did always rub me up the wrong way was the way he talked about getting work.

I borrowed and read "Make Good Art" (a small book based on a speech he gave to graduates at the University of the Arts) at a time in my life that I was really struggling to get by (I still am to some extent, but in a different way). I expected to see some practical advice. Instead it was a bunch of glib shit like:

I got out into the world, I wrote, and I became a better writer the more I wrote, and I wrote some more, and nobody ever seemed to mind that I was making it up as I went along, they just read what I wrote and they paid for it, or they didn’t, and often they commissioned me to write something else for them. Looking back, I’ve had a remarkable ride. I’m not sure I can call it a career, because a career implies that I had some kind of career plan, and I never did. The nearest thing I had was a list I made when I was 15 of everything I wanted to do: to write an adult novel, a children’s book, a comic, a movie, record an audiobook, write an episode of Doctor Who… and so on. I didn’t have a career. I just did the next thing on the list.

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Yeah, well, no shit. If you're a writer or artist you probably do anyway. Whether you get paid for it or not, whether you draw fan art or original art. But the point of Gaiman's speech was to give advice to people who wanted to be paid for their art. To make a career of it. Making art every day isn't always enough. You have to pay the damn rent, you have to eat, you have to network and do social media and promote yourself, and you have to do it while thousands of other people are doing the same thing in a massive crowd of people who want the same thing. Practical advice is much more valuable than platitudes and theory.

I am not a writer, I'm an illustrator, and let me tell you that for most people, 'getting your foot in the door' isn't a one time thing. Quite often you have to work at getting your foot in the door again and again until you become established, and it's very easy to be forgotten. I still feel like I'm in that stage now.

I watched my peers, and my friends, and the ones who were older than me and watch how miserable some of them were: I’d listen to them telling me that they couldn’t envisage a world where they did what they had always wanted to do any more, because now they had to earn a certain amount every month just to keep where they were. They couldn’t go and do the things that mattered, and that they had really wanted to do; and that seemed as a big a tragedy as any problem of failure.

The implication was that he was successful because he wrote every day and his friends weren't because they didn't, because you know, working a second job is tiring. He called this a tragedy, but there was something very glib about the way he narrated this.

I think someone had more financial cushion that he was letting on.

And yes, sometimes it does work that way, (some people are very lucky and make all the right connections) but Gaiman was getting Big Jobs right off the bat and something about that never smelt right to me after the way he talked about it.

And then I saw Jeff's tweets. Oh, that's why...

I suspect the truth is he was living off his family's money and connections, and while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that if you're a struggling artist, his family are Scientologists, and I don't think he ever struggled.

I suspect it's all a lie.

[junkworldusa]

HI I love my copy of Junkworld btw!! Thank you!!

Idk I might have asked you this before or someone else may have but I was wondering if you would talk some about your art practice like. Routine and the like? I think I remember you doing Lynda Barry exercises?

Well either way thank you!!!!

Oliver!!! Yes!!! I'm so glad!

I have to preface this by saying that I don't even work on art every day, much less comics. Last October I picked up knitting on a whim and spent all my free time making hats while listening to an audiobook of Moby-Dick. I made a lino print for the first time while sending out JW #1, fell in love with it, and have spent the last month or so carving and printing and experimenting. I go on painting jags, collage jags, writing jags, and I have two (2) guitars that are sitting in the corner patiently waiting for asteroid Kiana to circle back to them. I've been this way my whole life, and I am trying to work with it and not against it. HOWEVER. There is a hardcore Type A perfectionist inside me that wants nothing but consistency. This part of me abhors the flightiness, the mutations, the bouts of melancholy -- if there must be a Quest, it cries, let it be towards a singular Goal!!!!

For recovering perfectionists there really is no better teacher than Lynda Barry. She has a list of materials, she has dozens of exercises, she has you set time limits. According to her books she is quite a strict teacher in-class, demanding a lot of time, effort, care, and attention. All of this is wonderful. She boxes you in and sets you free.

"Making Comics" is the essential text. My favorite exercise is Monster Jam.

Here are a few of mine, all done left-handed to minimize the influence of the Type A chatter who lives in my brain. I have dozens and dozens of pages of these monsters. Barry recommends this specific process a lot: lay down the lines under pressure before your brain can catch up, then add color/patterns/details, under no pressure at all, while watching/listening to something you like.

There are several iterations after this - you draw their parents, an older sibling, a lover. Then you go back to the beginning and draw, in 6 panels, the story of their life. It somehow always presents itself.

As valuable as they are, I don't use these exercises to actually make comics nowadays. I use them to loosen up and activate that aforementioned feeling. Most of my comics come from doodles or notes scribbled down in a tiny notebook I carry everywhere. The process of making a longform comic is something I have bashed my head against for YEARS, and now involves divination, random image generation, a deck of Nancy cards, a lightbox, and a ton of panels chopped up and spread out on the floor so I can move them around. This is why I still only work in grids!

[pompadourpink]

hi ive always wanted to learn french but i dont have a lot of time and not really discipline either what is your advice? thank you, love your blog

Hello,

About the time: you don't need that much. Fifteen minutes every day is better than five hours once a year.

About the discipline: you don't need that much if you know why you're here. Make a list of small goals and try to hit one every week (read an article about fashion, translate a chapter of your favourite children's book, watch a Bluey episode, write a diary entry). Have a bigger one, like chatting with natives when you visit in Year X, get a picture of the city you're going to, frame it, put it up.

If feasible, book me! If you are a student, I take 25 euros (or US$27 or £21) an hour - and if your currency makes it hard, I'm always open to discussion! I have been blogging since 2016 so reading the blog and exploring tags will help but having someone experienced signal the right direction is very valuable to avoid learning blindly or memorising the wrong rule or pronunciation, etc.

What fifteen minutes look like:

1/ Re-read what you read yesterday, study your notes: read them out lout (la chaise - the chair), repeat them while looking away, write them down again, hide one half then the other, from top to bottom then from bottom to top. I recommend Notion for this, handwritten notes get messy.

Do an activity: the Linguno A1 crossword in level, theme and present conjugation (move up when you get bored) is great. When you get better, you can write down what you did yesterday or record yourself summarising something out.

Reading: anything you like as long as it's fun, whether it is a Reddit post, a newspaper article, your daily horoscope, or a few pages from a children's book or comic.

I understand that a lot of reading may seem like a narrow way to learn but I have been doing this job for almost four and a half years and one thing is clear: trying to simultaneously learn every aspect of another language, let along one that has very little to do with your own, is the best way to get discouraged.

Reading will get you to learn vocabulary, understand how syntax word, memorise conjugation, get you an idea of when to use what tense, which will then make your life easy when you start listening, speaking, or writing, because you know how the choreography goes, you just need a minute to put your feet down.

Hope this helps and good luck! x

[meanbossart]

Hello! May I submit 2 related questions:

1 - I was wondering what would be the movies / comics / video games / books that inspired you as an artist? I can't press how much I enjoy your art and the general vibes of it.

2 - Would you have any recommendations of your fav' book / movie / comics? :3

Have a pleasant day!

Hello, thank you! There's a ton of media that influenced mostly "the vibes" I strive for in my story-telling and art. I would consider my favorites/inspirations/recommendations to all be one and the same, so, here's a short list of some of the media that I think about often when I'm indulging in creative outlets of my own:

THE DEVILS (1971) Is probably my favorite movie of all time. I feel like watching it set off a shift in my work that's been ongoing since then - I realize that this film is in every stupid "MoSt diSTurBinG mOVIeS oF AlL tiMe" article but like, it REALLY isn't at all as disturbing as it is an amazingly shot, written, and acted film. I borrow a lot from the type of humor in the movie (I even feel like that's Particularly blatant in this blog) and the absurdity of the plot that's sprinkled in with truly grounding and heart-wrenching moments. To me, this is a highly valuable piece of art and history that I hope survives it's "fucked up movie"-branded resurgence.

I also think often about Green Knight, The Lighthouse, and ... The Sopranos LOL

I like a lot of games, but the ones I feel had an impact on my art the most would be Pathologic, Scorn, Fear & Hunger and, of course, BG3.

I don't read a lot, and when I do it's rarely ever fiction, but I did read Blood Meridian last year (kind of fiction, kind of not, but mostly narrative driven rather than historical I'd argue) and it undoubtedly had an impact on me on top of becoming my new my favorite book.

Unfortunately I'm not really a comic's guy, I really like Jason Shawn Alexander's and Sean Murphy's stuff but only for the art.

[enchanted-lightning-aes]

Writeblr Re-Intro

[ID: a banner with red-yellow gradient with floral banners at each side, a splatter of gold at the middle left, an open elaborate book floating at the lower middle, a dark cloud at the center, a golden filigree beneath it, three green crystals at the lower right, three flasks floating at the middle right, a quill below it with yellow text that reads 'Enchanted Lightning Writeblr Re-Intro (Take 4)' / finish ID]

*trumpet fanfare*

basic info: enchant | they/them | early twenties | asian | aroace | follows from princessfairysparkle (i’d change the url except i’m too attached, lmao) | writes any genre of the T-rated and sorta above sort

heyo, enchant over here! i’m a writer who writes original stuff and fanfics! it’s been a long while since my previous re-intro, and i decided for a new one. just the same basics, just a new post.^^

i’m a hybrid sort of writeblr and a semi-fandom blog. however, i tag appropriately as much as possible. whether it’s salty or positive. i try writing as much as i can! yet i also take breaks when necessary. my motto in general about storytelling is: write what you want to read. and i write any concept stuck in my mind.

my main fandoms are adaptations of marvel comics and dc comics. a big fan of characters who don’t get enough appreciation (whether from fandom or canon). i love canon divergence and AUs bc it gives me more freedom. i enjoy them yet i’m also aware of their problems especially with the former.

top-tier tropes to me are: chaotic found family, enemies to friends to lovers, subverted expectations, reluctant allies to best friends to lovers, exhausted™ protagonists, strong friendships, find recovery after all the pain, morally grey characters, and self-discovery.^^

i have some active original stories listed below.

Blasted Scorn: A group of pirates somewhat succeed in their latest quest, only for knights to be their accidental stowaways. They’re assigned to search for a missing princess who’s been captured. Dread Pirate Titanarin strikes a deal with them in exchange for valuables. Along the way and dozens of broken bones, this team contemplates on whether this was their worst decision or not.

True Devotion that Remains Constant: A ballet dancer encounters difficulties while trying to find her own path. A painter is only trying to thrive after escaping a difficult situation. An awkward circumstance leads them to meet in college where they slowly learn about each other.

Lines of A Script to Ignore: An unemployed graduate struggles on getting a job as she adjusts from getting back from abroad. A scriptwriter slash theatre actor seeks to share her story while dealing with setbacks. They reconnect as they see each other, forming a bargain that’ll provide help for both of them.

other than all this, to know what’s posted on this blog, here’s another guide. so you can avoid tags, you don’t want to see. and here’s a list of stuff i shared: enchant starter kit guide.

and when i’m a fan of someone’s writing, you will see it reflected throughout here. just in case you needed to know. ✨✨✨️

[notenuffbees]

I have many responsibilities in my personal and professional life, so naturally I used my valuable time to create this rating of every single one of Dick Knubbler's outfits. I know next to nothing about fashion, so naturally I'm the most qualified person to make this list. Bold fashion choices and wrong opinions under the cut. Let me know what you think!

"Pre-Accident" Outfit. Appears in Dethwater. What an iconic look to start the series with. Songgu Kwon's concept art that's available online has Knubbler in a traditional suit, so I wonder when they made the switch to this style jacket. It's a shame he never wore this exact outfit ever again. Maybe it doesn't go with his robotic eyes? Do you think Dick had to get a whole new wardrobe after his eyes exploded since he stopped being blue eyed? And what do you think happened to his collection of different shaded glasses? 9/10

"Award Show " Outfit. Appears in Dethwater. It's a suit. Boring. And it's just the same color scheme as the first outfit? Extra points for the bowtie and the pocket square. I just realized while making this list that he's not wearing shades in this outfit. 6/10

"Prison" Outfit. Appears in Dethwater If there was any justice in the Metalocalypse universe, Knubbler would have spent the rest of the series in this outfit in a jail cell. Not much else to say about this one. I like the red-rimmed glasses. 3/10

"Disco" Outfit. Appears in Dethwater.

Hideous. The bell bottoms, the clashing colors, the star patterns, whatever the hell kind of dance moves he's trying to pull off. Absolutely iconic. I would rank this outfit higher if it didn't physically hurt my eyes to look at it. 6/10

"Magazine" Outfit. Appears in Dethwater.

It's the same as the "Pre-Accident" Outfit, just with a green turtleneck. For some reason I don't like this outfit nearly as much. Maybe because the green matches the eyes? But aren't you supposed to match colors in fashion? I don't know. Again, I'm probably the last person in the world that should be judging clothes.

5/10

"Court" Outfit. Appears in Dethkomedy. Interesting color choices. This is why Knubbler's outfits are so great. You've got a basic suit-and-tie that becomes a fashion win/disaster with the lilac coat, black shirt, and pink striped tie. The stripes on the tie make it a little too busy for me though. 7/10

"The Knubbler" Outfit. Appears in Dethkids, Dethrecord, Dethrelease/Black Fire Upon Us, Dethhealth, Doublebookedklok. Step away from your phone/computer for a second. Close your eyes. Take a few breaths. Then picture Dick Knubbler. What outfit is he wearing? I bet you pictured him in this. If you didn't, well then it's what Murderface pictured him wearing in his gay crisis fantasy. So yeah. There's a reason this outfit is the one they put him in over three seasons. Knubbler wore this style jacket before and since these episodes, but the plum really makes this version of the outfit shine. Absolutely perfect. No notes. 10/10

"Recording on Water" Outfit. Appears in Dethvengeance, the cancelled Metalocalypse video game. Again, I love how Knubbler spices up a classic suit and tie with wild color choices. My personal preference for warm colors has me wishing the colors were a bit bolder than forest green and purple. But I gotta give love to any outfit with a pocket square. 7/10

"White Dethmas" Outfit. Appears in Dethmas, Fertilityklok, and in issue 3 of the Dethklok comic book. This one's great. It takes a brave man to wear an all white outfit, and he pulls it off. My only issue is that it's kind of weird that he also wore it to Toki's birthday party which, according to the calendar in Fertilityklok, is late summer or early autumn. I assume they made this Dethmas outfit all white to go with the snow/winter/Christmas theme, but apparently Dick will just wear it whenever. 8/10

"Christmas Special Host" Outfit. Appears in Dethmas. Perfectly average. Just a tuxedo. The red bowtie/pocket square with the green vest is a nice Christmas-y touch. Loses points for being so boring otherwise. 6/10

"Nativity" Outfit. Appears in Dethmas. I don't know if I've ever been able to watch this clip all the way through without having to pause due to the secondhand embarrassment. Sometimes I think about how there exists a 30 second clip of this man screaming in agony as the blood vessels in his face swell and his eyeballs eventually explode, but this is the clip that makes me cringe myself inside out. I can barely look at this outfit long enough to rank it. The necklace is pretty cool though, even if I can't tell what the charm is supposed to be. It kind of looks like Facebones? Or the old DeviantArt mascot? I don't know. Let's just get the hell away from this picture. 2/10

"Dealing with a Murderface Tantrum" Outfit. Appears in Dethsiduals The first of two suit-without-a-tie outfits. The purple and black go well together, and the pocket square makes another excellent appearance, although it pairs with the dress shirt this time rather than the ascot. Heh. Ascot. That's a funny word. 7/10

"Season 4" Outfit. Appears in Writersklok, Goingdownklok, Breakupklok. I'm disappointed that he had so few outfits in season 4. That sours my opinion on this suit a little. But I love that there are three completely different colors with this outfit. Someone teach me how color coordination is done so I can understand why this outfit works.

And we've got another pocket square paired with the ascot! So I get to think about the word "ascot" again! 8/10

"Flawless Disguise" Outfit. Appears in Writersklok. I love the running joke of a tracksuit and a baseball cap being the ultimate disguise in the Metalocalypse universe. Leave it to Knubbler to turn a tracksuit outfit into a capital L Look. I like that his baseball cap has a blue star on it like the pink shirt from the "Disco" Outfit, and that the suit itself is lavender like the "Court" Outfit. 8/10

"Clergy" Outfit. Appears in Army of the Doomstar Another boring outfit compared to what he wears for most of the series. I wonder why they picked green for the color. Because that was the color of his robot pupils for most of the series? Because it's the same color as the nuclear seahorse from Dethwater? Because it makes him look more like Yoda? I'll give bonus points to this outfit since he was probably free-balling under that thing. Or should I take away points for that? Honestly my least favorite part of these robes is that Dick didn't get to die in a zazzier outfit. Hopefully in the Metalocalypse universe, ghosts can pick what outfit they wear when they haunt the shit out of the band. 6/10 And that's that! Please tell me how wrong my ratings are and where you would rate them instead. I need fashion lessons!

[vanoefucks]

book recommendation tag game!

rules: recommend as many books as you like. please include genre and some basic information on it (either your words or a copy+paste synopsis). feel free to include cover art, a personal review, trigger warnings, and anything else! just don’t spoil the book!

Tagged by @dekarios <33 ty!!

BITTERTHORN : Kat Dunn

Genre: Gothic Fantasy Romance (sapphic) (adult)

Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch. Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her – never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more... Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald. So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up.

I adore this book and although it took me a while to warm up to the prose (it had been a while since I’d read anything other than ya) it drew me in and I finished it over the course of 2 train rides. It’s beautiful and made me cry but it’s so??? Comforting in the strangest way.

ALL THESE BODIES : Kendara Blake

Genre: Mystery & Horror (ya)

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody. Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to.

I love a small town vibe & saw this at the charity shop with its shiny! Cover so obviously I picked it up. I read it slowly but only because I didn’t want it to end. It was so cool to read it from the point of view of Michael and the details get pretty fucked up so warning with that. Heavy discussions of murder and gory details.

PRINCE OF THE SORROWS : Kellen Graves

Genre: Fantasy Romance (lgbt) (adult)

the book gives you a list of tws at the start worth looking at

Without an academic endorsement to make him valuable to the high fey, Saffron will be sent back through the veil to the human world. When mistaken identity leads to Saffron learning the true name of brooding, self-centered, high fey Prince Cylvan, what begins as a risk of losing his life (or his tongue) becomes an opportunity to earn the future he wants. But as other human servants soon fall victim to a beast known only as “the wolf”, Saffron realizes he has embroiled himself in a manipulative reach for power like he never anticipated. Between the wolf, uncovering forbidden magic, and his growing feelings for the prince, Saffron will have to decide which is most important to him

Now this series is literally what made me buy a kindle in the end. I love the rowan blood books even if the second one after this had me tearing my hair out. It’s the first and only fae book series I’ve read and I don’t think any will ever hold up to this. The characters are to die for and the author does so well with having you root for saffron. I love it so dearly.

Bonus: the Spider-Man and & Deadpool comic run LMAO

Ok so!! I’ll do 3 for now ^^ thank you again for the tag <3 i love reading even though I’ve slowed down due to work :[ & I'll take any chance to share some of my faves.

Tagging @leonbastralle @landgraabbed @ambrozians & @gallusneve (no pressure whatsoever as always <3)

[uncannysam]

PARTIES: @magmahearts, @uncannysam TIMING: Early December SUMMARY: What's supposed to be a fun hangout sesh turns serious when Sam shocks Cass with a secret she's been harboring. WARNINGS: grief tw

If it was one thing that had become valuable since Zach’s death, it was spending time with the other friends that Sam had made over the years, and even more recent friends, like Cass. And the planned get together had given her something to look forward to all week. Of course, anything that was related to comics and cosplay had been right up Sam’s alley as well, even though she had promised she wouldn’t take part in the sewing of her friend’s new Marvels costume she was working on, but Sam would put her hot glue gun skills to use.

With her apartment looking cleaner than it had in weeks, and Scout laying curled up on the couch, Sam was ready for her company. The only thing that might have been a bit of an issue was her lack of sleep and the rambling that had seemed to come from her brain going a hundred miles per hour, but that was okay right? As long as her foot didn’t live in her mouth like it normally did, Sam would be okay. But that was also banking on the fact that the weird shit that had been happening to the twenty-eight year old lately wouldn’t bleed over into their hanging out time tonight.

—

Getting to talk comics with people was always exciting. With most of her friends, Cass was very much in the process of converting them to her various fandoms. Some, like Milo, were already as deep in the world of superheroes as Cass herself, but others were just getting into it. She’d given Alex and Aria recommendation lists about as long as her arm, and waited with excitement for them to finish each issue. Even then, she wanted more. Sam was someone who could provide her with that. The two had a lot of shared interests. It meant that, when they were together, there was scarcely a moment of silence between them, each breath filled with rambling discussions on the latest issues or casting news.

So she was excited as she made her way to the door of Sam’s apartment, practically skipping over. She rapped her knuckles against the wood rhythmically, settling back on her heels as she waited for the door to swing open. When it did, she wasted no time, preferring to launch into discussion immediately. “So, I’m thinking bright colors. The movie was great, but I’m not big on how muted everything is in those movies, you know? Like, comic books are so colorful, and the movies are like ‘oh, no, it would be silly if our people who fly around and shoot lasers out of their hands are wearing bright red! It would —” She cut herself off, noting the odd look on Sam’s face. “Hey, are you good?”

—

When Sam heard the knock on the door, she knew it was go time. Her hot glue gun was going to get some use, but even better, having someone to hang out with again wouldn’t make things seem so quiet and lonely in her apartment. Sure, Scout was a great companion, but he couldn’t talk – at least she didn’t think he could. She wasn’t really quite sure anymore, but that's besides the point. Though she couldn’t help but glance down at him as the thought briefly crossed her mind, No. Don’t even go there, Sam.

As she shook the thought from her mind, she moved to the door and pulled it open with a smile, but the smile quickly faltered when she saw what looked to be a talking pile of rock standing in front of her. Which must have been pretty damn obvious, because when Cass – if this was even Cass – had commented, she blinked a few times and forced an uneasy smile on her face, “Uh, I…I thought we were doing The Marvels cosplay…not The Thing from Fantastic Four. But hey! If that’s what you’re currently vibing with…” Sam had completely ignored all the stuff Cass had been saying as she opened the door. I’m losing my mind. I’m losing my fucking mind. That’s what this has to be…

—

Sam was still looking at her strangely, and Cass took a moment to glance down at her outfit. Maybe she’d done a poor job washing her clothes. She’d been using the washer and dryer at Alex’s cabin instead of the stream lately, but the last time she’d cleaned this particular outfit, she was pretty sure she’d done it in the cave. Had she missed something? Maybe it was ripped? But, no — it looked fine. Clean, normal. So why was Sam staring at her?

The question, too, was perplexing. “Uh… I don’t even know how you’d cosplay the Thing? I mean, styrofoam, I guess? But I’d need to be a lot taller to really sell it, and I don’t really want to commit to all that right now. I’d rather just do the Marvels?” Why was Sam bringing up the Thing? In a moment of panic, Cass wondered if her glamour was unstable, but… She’d feel that, wouldn’t she? It took concentration to hold it up, sure, but it wasn’t as if her concentration could fall enough to be noticeable without her being somewhat aware of it. “Sam, are you okay? You’re not making a ton of sense.”

—

The look on Cass’s face had left Sam even more confused. Is this some kind of joke? Cass didn’t seem the type, but Sam had only known her a couple of months. Still she couldn’t help, but cock her head to the side and raise an eyebrow. Moving forward she even reached out to touch Cass on the cheek. It was legit rock. Firm and not giving when the twenty-eight year old pressed in on it, “If that’s styrofoam…How did you make it so hard?” This didn’t make sense. And as rude as Sam was being right now, she couldn’t get past Cass’s firm rocky exterior.

Hearing a couple of barks from Scout is what had seemed to snap her out of the trance she was in and also made her realize how close she had become to her friend, “Okay, I’m, wow, I’m really sorry. I just, uh…I wasn’t sure if this was a joke or…I mean, it looks great. The rocks look super realistic. You must have worked months on this.” Sam had completely ignored what Cass had said about making a Marvels costume, “I’m being rude though. Come in.” Her mind didn’t want to believe what she was seeing. She wanted it to be a costume, and that’s what she had defaulted too until Cass said otherwise.

—

Sam touched her, and Cass pulled back uncertainly. The glamour was only a visual thing, she knew; beneath it, she was always what she was. She’d come up with a few lies here and there over the years — a skin condition, a need for more lotion, all kinds of things — but with Sam already asking questions she didn’t particularly want to answer… She swallowed nervously, eyes darting down to her body again. The glamour was there, so why wasn’t it working? Nora saw through it, but Nora had always seen through it. Sam, as far as she knew, hadn’t. If she had, she would have said something before now, right? 

“I — I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Was that sick feeling in her stomach because of the lie or the nerves? Maybe it was both; a tag-team of nausea delivering a brutal punch. Cass took a step back. “Sam, seriously, you’re freaking me out.” Not a lie. “I didn’t — I’m not wearing any costume.” Not a lie. “What are you talking about? Please tell me. Please. I don’t — I don’t understand.” Definitely not a lie. 

—

Sam had felt horrible for touching Cass, and when her friend further explained about being freaked out, the twenty-eight year old stammered, “I - Uh…I’m…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you. I just…Why do you keep saying you don’t understand?” Now, she was starting to panic. Was this real? Did Cass really have rocks all over her body? She had to by the way she was denying everything Sam had said. Unless, Sam really was losing her mind. The only thing she could do would be to actually straighten this out and have a discussion. That or slam the door in the girl’s face and never come out ever again. And as much as she wanted to go with the second option, she knew she couldn’t.

“Cass, please come in…We need to talk. I need to figure this out…I…” Sam was trying not to let tears come to her eyes, but the realization of the whole thing was freaking her out and now, with Scout barking, it seemed as if he was confirming what Sam knew was true in the back of her mind, despite how much she wanted to deny it and hope it wasn’t. But she wasn’t about to have a discussion about being made of rock, in the hallway, even if nobody was around at the moment.

—

“Because I don’t understand,” Cass repeated, a little bit of frustration bubbling up. Her glamour was there. It was in effect, it was hiding her from view. So why was Sam giving her the same look Kuma had when she’d stumbled upon the oread without it? The confusion, the fear… Cass felt a panic gripping her chest, constricting her lungs. If her glamour was messed up somehow and she didn’t know it, no one would want to be around her anymore. No one would want to be her friend, no one would like her.

She took another step back, still uncertain. “Figure what out, Sam? I — I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Nausea rose up, her stomach churning. Was it because she was lying? She didn’t know. She didn’t know if she was lying or not. “I’m not coming in until you tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

—

It was like they were talking in circles. Sam didn’t understand what was going on with Cass and Cass didn’t understand what was going on with Sam. It was frustrating to say the least, and she was starting to hear it in Cass’ voice. If Cass said she wasn’t wearing a costume, then this meant that she was like the other things Sam had seen around town. The unexplained that always seemed to occur after little sleep. How did she explain that to someone who swore up and down that they weren’t in a costume and believed they were normal? She had always seen Cass as just a human. Nothing strange, except for maybe her taste in comics sometimes. But then, would Cass think Sam was losing her mind if she told her what she had been experiencing lately? And did Cass know she was covered in rocks? Someone was going to have to give in, and by the looks of things, it was going to have to be Sam.

“Fine. But as soon as I tell you, you have to come in. I haven’t told anyone this…ever, and I’m not about to start with any of my nosey ass neighbors.” Sam took a deep breath trying to find the words that sounded the least…ridiculous. Looking at the ground, she took in a deep breath and let out a long slow sigh, before looking back up at Cass, “So a few months ago I saw something really bad happen to my best friend, and I started going to see somebody about what I saw, and I thought that everything was good, right? But I started having nightmares again and started, pretty much, not sleeping. Well since then if I don’t get enough sleep, I start seeing weird shit. Like people with horns and wings, and now, you…with the rocks. It’s like my comic book obsession has come to life, and I don’t know what to do about it…” She knew Cass was probably going to turn around and run, but there it was. The truth. “Please, don’t say anything to anyone…” Sam stammered before looking down and kicking at the floor embarrassed.

—

“Deal.” It was an easy enough bind to agree to; after all, Cass wanted to know what Sam was talking just as badly as Sam wanted her to come inside. The best deals, Cass knew, were the ones where everyone involved got something out of the agreement. But even knowing that, there was some part of her that would always prefer the deals where she was the one getting more. It was selfish and meanspirited, but that was her, sometimes, no matter how well she hid it. She was getting the better deal here, too. Stepping inside an apartment was easy. Telling someone something you’d never told anyone else? That was a lot more complicated.

As Sam spoke, Cass listened. She felt a mixture of different things: sympathy for what Sam must have seen happen to her friend, understanding for the nightmares that had followed, curiosity for what the lack of sleep had done to her, relief that her glamour wasn’t failing. She ducked into the apartment, taking a deep breath and motioning for Sam to shut the door. “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice, shifting her weight. “I wasn’t — Um, I wasn’t totally honest with you. About the rocks. I can — I can tell you, but… I mean, I’m gonna sound crazy, so…”

—

A wave of relief seemed to wash over Sam when Cass agreed to step inside, but she still didn’t feel any better about the revelation of her big secret coming out. However, she shut the door and made her way over to the couch to sit down. If Cass wanted to follow, she could, but so many questions were popping up in her mind. Would Cass break the couch? Was it comfortable being rocks all the time? Was any of this actually real or was she just stuck in some nightmare of a former life she once knew? All questions she wanted to ask, but felt ashamed to, “You’re more than welcome to sit wherever. Do you…want anything to drink or?” Do human rocks need water?

Sam didn’t want to outright admit that she was a bit nervous. Never had she invited anyone that wasn’t strictly human. At least to her current knowledge. That could have all been a lie. At this point she was starting to wonder if Zach had been lying to her… “So…you’re telling me, you…are covered in rocks right now? I’m not just seeing things because I’m tired?” Sam let a yawn escape her lips at the word tired. A bad habit that had started to pop up in her life, since all of this started, “Sorry.” She yawned again, covering her mouth and blinking a few times, before setting her eyes on Cass again.

—

Already, Sam was looking at her differently. Cass could feel it. She thought of Kuma, of the way her attitude towards Cass had changed so quickly the moment she saw her without the glamour. Sam wasn’t screaming, wasn’t demanding that Cass leave, but she was looking at her differently and it hurt just a little, so she shrugged. “I’m okay.” She didn’t want to be a burden, didn’t want to give Sam any more excuses to hate her. It was funny — she’d met so many people in this town that thought nothing of her glamour that it felt strange to meet someone who considered it strange at all. She longed for the underreactions of her friends now, or for Alex, who thought it was a thing of beauty. 

She shifted her weight a bit, shaking her head. “Well, it isn’t… I’m not covered in rocks. It’s more like… I am the rocks. And it’s not just right now. It’s all the time. I don’t know why you can see it right now. You shouldn’t be able to. I have a — it’s called a glamour. It makes me look more… um… human. Because I’m not. Human.” She glanced up just in time to see Sam yawn. “Are you okay? You seem… really tired.”

—

Not human? Cass is actually made of rocks? Sam was so confused. Comic books had been one thing, but all she had experienced within the past few months had been more than nerve-wracking. She couldn’t quite put her finger on any of this. Why was this happening to her of all people, but regardless, at least it hadn’t been Deer Lady sitting in front of her asking her to pay her debts for being bad, “Does…Does it hurt? I mean being rocks?” She didn’t know what she was saying. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ve just...There are stories that my family has passed down, but none of rock people or half of the other types of people I’ve seen walking around Wicked’s Rest since this…thing happened. I don’t know whether to call it a gift or a curse.”

Sam squeezed her tired eyes shut for a moment, before looking back over at Cass. “I’m sorry if I seem judgemental. I don’t mean to be, but I’ve just never experienced this before, and all of this happened so fast…And what do you mean you’re not human?” She paused for a moment, “If I don’t sleep, I can see through, what did you call them? Glamours?” She sighed, “Aka…I’m afraid to go to sleep…Afraid that what got my friend, might come for me too or worse…Deer Lady…”

—

Did it hurt? No one had ever asked her that before. The question confused her a little, and that confusion was written clearly on the oread’s face. “Not any more than it hurts you to not be rocks, I guess?” There were probably ways of being that did ache a little, but Cass didn’t think hers did. The things that hurt her were outside forces. Not what she was, but other people’s reactions to it. “What… kind of stories do you have?” Maybe she could find some explanation that fit in with what Sam already knew, some way of explaining things that would slot nicely into her existing worldview. If nothing else, at least it would help her to know that Cass wasn’t nuts or anything like that.

“I’m fae,” she replied. “A nymph. An oread, to be, like, super specific. A rock nymph. Or, um, technically a volcano nymph, in my case.” How many times had she explained this now? She was starting to lose track. It never got any easier, especially if the person she was explaining it to wasn’t someone who already knew what a fae was. “What do you mean by that? What… got your friend? And who’s Deer Lady?”

—

Cass’s answer made sense. Sam didn’t physically hurt as a human unless she was injured or sick, which almost led her to her next question, but she refrained. She could see the hurt on the girl’s face. This had definitely not gone like it should have. They were supposed to just be working on a cosplay together. Not discussing what Cass actually was or that Sam could see the truth of what people really were, “That makes sense.” She nodded, before stopping for a moment. There had been many legends from her people, and sharing them could take a while, so instead, she tried to aim for something that might have sounded familiar or really just aimed for the first one that came to mind, “As for your question, my stories are legends passed down from my Mohawk ancestors that my grandparents, aunties, uncles, and parents have shared with me growing up. You may or may not have heard some of them, but one popular one, Sky-Woman, is about Atsi'tsiaka:ion, a celestial being who fell from the sky after being cast out the heavens for doing something wrong. Some versions of the legend even tell of her bringing strawberries and tobacco to the Earth.” Sam had loved hearing legends and tales from her family. Even to this day, when she would occasionally return home to visit her family in Canada, she would get her aunties to tell her the same tales she had heard many times before. But now that some of these things were coming true in their own ways, Sam was struggling to adjust.

“Fae…” Sam repeated the word over and over in her head, and the more Cass described, the more familiar it all started to sound as she began to recall more of her people's lore. She had heard of something similar, but Cass looked nothing like what she imagined in her head, “You’re Gahongas!” She figured Cass probably didn’t know what the word meant, “It means Stone Thrower. But you’re taller than what I was taught, and I don’t believe there was ever any mention of Gahongas having rocks for skin. I’m sorry for prying, but do you happen to live in a cave?” The legend had spoken of such, and if Cass had said yes, her family’s legends were starting to become reality. Her realization soon faded into something else though with the question of what happened to Zach and the mention of Deer Lady.

Sam stood up from where she had been sitting and walked over to the window to look outside. Did she really want to rehash this? Cass had been kind enough to explain herself when she could have easily told Sam to fuck off, “You’re probably going to think I’m lying, but…I’m pretty sure it was vampires…There were puncture marks all over his body, and he was as pale as the snow outside when they were finished with him…I ran though. I did nothing to help him…” She trailed off, tears coming to her eyes as she continued to stare outside, “It’s why I fear Deer Lady is after me. She comes for people who have been bad. And if you’re living proof of the Gahongas, then that means that Deer Lady is real too, and I’m never going to be able to sleep again…”

—

The story wasn’t one Cass was familiar with, though she wasn’t familiar with most human stories aside from the ones she’d immersed herself in on television or in comic books. She liked this one, though; liked the idea of something bigger than herself, just as she always had. For Cass, and the oreads she’d grown up around, that bigger thing was the Earth. The stones, the volcanoes, the mountains. “What did she do wrong?” It was hard not to wonder. What could be so bad to see someone cast out from their community? If Cass understood, maybe she’d be able to work out why she’d been turned away from hers.

Her brow furrowed a little at the unfamiliar word. “Some fae are shorter. Some are taller. Like everyone else, I guess.” She thought of the nymph she’d met in her cave, the one who towered over everything, or of the one at the BMV who was shorter. “I, um…” She hesitated. Would Sam judge her if she admitted to living in a cave? Shifting her weight, she nodded sheepishly. “I do, yeah. I lived in a volcano in Hawai’i, but…” There were no volcanoes in Maine. She used to think about leaving to find one somewhere else, but that was long before she’d made connections and carved out a place of belonging for herself here. Now, she couldn’t imagine leaving. Not unless someone forced her to. 

She watched Sam walk towards the window, wondering if she’d said or done something wrong somewhere along the line. “I wouldn’t think you were lying,” she replied quietly, trailing behind her friend at a safe distance. “I… Vampires are real. I know a few. So… You could be right.” Was it okay, telling Sam all this? Would she feel better knowing it, or was ignorance bliss? Cass didn’t know. She didn’t know what she’d want if she were in Sam’s shoes. “I don’t think you were bad, Sam. It sounds like you were afraid. Anyone would have been. Being afraid isn’t the same as being bad.”

—

Sam hadn’t expected the question of what Skywoman had done wrong, “Different versions claim different things. But it’s a story that represents creation and sometimes the contrast of good vs evil, because some legends claim that Skywoman had twins.” She took a moment. Was there still a lesson that Skywoman could teach Sam at this moment? Good vs evil? It was something she could ponder on another time. She had other things to discuss with Cass.

“That…makes sense about the height differences.” Sam listened as Cass continued to explain Jogah as well as admitting to living in a cave and once a volcano. There was no judgment from Sam at all. Instead, the more she knew about legends and the reality of some of the creatures in them, the better prepared she would be if she were going to keep seeing the world for what it really was. Turning around to face her friend, she let her eyes stay focused on Cass’s. She had seen what the woman was made of and there wasn’t any need to study her rocky exterior, “That’s actually really cool, Cass. Thank you for being honest with me.”

A small smile had slipped over her lips, eyes still holding lingering tears, but soon dropped again with the confirmation that vampires were real. Knowing that Cass actually knew vampires was something that scared her, “How…aren’t you afraid of them?” Had that been a dumb question considering her friend was made of rocks? Vampires couldn’t bite rocks. But they could easily bite human skin, “But I could have done something. I could have fought. Tried to get them off of him. Anything! But I hid like a coward, Cass. And then ran! I left him there to die!” By now the tears were streaming down Sam’s cheeks as she found herself collapsing to the floor defeated.

—  

Good and evil were difficult concepts to understand. Cass knew that. Even in the comics and stories she adored so much, there were gray areas. No villain was completely wrong, no hero completely righteous. The truth always fell somewhere between two extremes. She could only assume that the stories Sam’s family had shared with her were similar. Skywoman may have done something wrong, but it was wrong to cast her out, too. It had been wrong for Cass’s aos si to cast her out, to leave her to fend for herself as a child. There were no right answers; that was the hard part.

Sam didn’t seem to be judging her for what she was, and there was some relief in there. Cass almost took the thanks reflexively, almost tightened a bind around her friend’s throat before remembering herself. She didn’t want to do that to friends, except… except she did. There was something she could never quite shake, some inclination towards chaos that was hard to rid herself of. She forced it down now, forced herself to swallow it like a dry loaf of bread that she needed to save herself from starving. “You shouldn’t thank me,” she said, the words hard to force out because she didn’t quite want to say them. “Or people like me. We can use your words against you.” 

She hummed at the question. “I know some who are kind,” she replied. “Vampires, werewolves, fae… they’re like humans. There are bad ones out there, ones who are cruel and violent and evil. But there are good ones, too. A vampire I know has been more of a parent to me than my actual parents ever even tried to be.” She ached a little as Sam continued. Her pain was so obvious, so tangible. Cass was gentle when she spoke again. “What could you have done, Sam? Honestly? If you hadn’t run, they would have turned on you next. I didn’t know your friend, but… I don’t think he would have wanted you to die with him.”

—

Sam looked at Cass through tears. What had she meant? Shouldn’t thank her or people like her? This hadn’t been in the lore she had heard, at least, if it had, she couldn’t remember. She would have to go back. Call her elders for clarification. If there were more Jogah living in Wicked’s Rest, her sight would give her the answer. But she knew not all people were Jogah. Not all who walked around with wings and hooves and horns, “Right…” She nodded softly, forcing down the words of thanks out of respect for the warning she had just been given.

Sam wiped her eyes and forced back the knot in her throat. The confirmation of more than just what Cass referred to as fae, included a creature Sam was already fearful of and another she had grown up hearing many legends about. But Cass’s words, and the way she explained how a vampire had taken her under their wing was slowly opening the young woman’s eyes to an idea she let slip her mind the night Zach was killed – that not everything in this world is made of evil intentions. Though it’d have to be something she reluctantly experienced for herself, and with the way things were coming to light in this town, she knew it probably wouldn’t be far off. Until then, she opted to remain quiet on the subject.

“I…I don’t know. And I know you’re right. But I was a coward in the face of fear, and I’ll never be able to get the sound of him screaming out of my head.” Sam released a quivering breath. Cass was right. She knew Zach wouldn’t have wanted her to end up in the same position, neither would her parents. Wiping her eyes one final time, she slowly got back to her feet. “I’m sorry again, about earlier. This…new ability, it’s taking a lot to get used to, and it’s a lot to take in. Can you forgive me for earlier?”

— 

“I can tell you all the rules.” Because wasn’t that what she’d want someone to do for her, roles reversed? Whether she wanted to be or not, Sam lived in this world now. And living in any world without knowing the rules of it was a very dangerous thing, a very risky ordeal. Binds could kill people; Cass had seen it. And the idea of something like that happening to Sam, who talked about comics and made cosplay with her, was absolutely nauseating. She couldn’t even begin to accept it. 

Sam had been through enough already. That much was clear. It seemed unfair, seemed unjust. Cass had been born into this world and, as a result, the things she suffered made sense. They were expected, they were normal. Not deserved, she didn’t think — imagining that she’d somehow earned her experience with Rhett made her angry just to think about — but not unfair, either. For Sam, things were different. She shouldn’t have been attacked and victimized by a world she hadn’t even known existed. It wasn’t right.

“You weren’t a coward,” Cass insisted. “You saved yourself. That was the only thing you could have done. What happened isn’t your fault. The only people who are to blame are the vampires who did it, okay?” There were bad people out there. Cass knew that better than most. But she also knew that Sam wasn’t one of them. So it was easy to offer her a small smile, to nod her head. “Of course I can forgive you,” she said quietly. “You didn’t mean anything by it. I know that. It’s… a lot to take in. I get it.”

—

“You’re not gonna get in trouble or anything right? I-I don’t want to get you in trouble.” Sam had cared deeply about Cass. She was starting to see her as her kid sister, and now, an even cooler kid sister, because she was practically a volcano. It didn’t get any more badass than that the more it started to sink in. And as much as she wanted to tell her parents that the Little People were real, she didn’t want to break Cass’s trust nor put her family in any kind of danger. This town was full of scary things, and Sam was only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Sam further listened to Cass knowing the younger woman had a point. As hard as it was to accept, it was fight or flight in that moment, and as much as she had hated herself for it, she had chosen flight, which had given her a second chance at life. Now, the best thing she could do was educate herself. Learn more about the creatures and people of Wicked’s Rest, so she hopefully wouldn’t be caught off guard and would be able to do something about it.

But first she wanted to make it up to Cass, “I can’t say what I want to say, but you’ve really opened my eyes today and given me a chance to see a different side of this new world. It means a lot. And I would love to hear about more of Wicked’s Rest’s residents, if you have time. I’ll spring for pizza, and we can work on that Ms. Marvel costume?” She knew it was a lot and wouldn’t be just a one evening thing, but Sam had seen the true identity of her friend, and there was no doubt in her mind that Cass wasn’t anything other than her friend.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Raising Prices

So I've fallen upon a claim that states: "Customers purchasing more of a product, means that product can sell for a cheaper price". This has to do with bulk purchasing, and easier money flow within the business entity.

This is one of the reasons behind "Trickle Down economics." It enables them to sell more for less. Though, whether or not they opt to take advantage of that is shady business.

What this means is that high demand forces supply chains to provide more supply, which increases demand on productivity and material acquisition.

Those end points of productivity and material acquisition are some of the worrisome key points we as employees think about, because it often results in an attack on wages first, instead of, utilizing technological advancement and ethical material prospecting.

This may tie in with another concept that says "as the supply of a product dries up, the cost of the remaining supply goes up in price." This happens for multiple reasons, at the end of the day it's to increase the operating budget for as long as possible.

Which is supposed to come with increases on expansion of productivity and material acquisition... Supposedly. Business people could probably tell you that's not always how it works.

What happens, is that sometimes entities decide to increase price in order to increase profit. Despite material and production costs remaining the same. They do this in an effort to expand and grow the business.

What ends up happening many times [citation needed] is that the increase in price, drives less people to purchase them. And they expect that the current customers will continue to purchase the product without going to a cheaper competitor.

Their reasoning is that they are selling the "normal" or "luxury" product, and their competitors are "inferior" products. Per the economic definition, though I'd wager some don't actually *mean* the economic definition.

In some cases this works out. Especially if a product can be resold for at least half of its purchase value at a later date. Retention of value is part of the reason to buy goods after all.

And there's thrift stores and goodwills all over that can make profit on used goods. But that's where it gets tricky; in this day and age, used goods are what we consider "inferior goods". And new goods are our "Normal Goods".

There is no "Luxury" brand, because our current definition of "Luxury" includes things out of reach for a normal person. Like a Yacht, or a house, or a Luxury Vehicle.

Which isn't quite true, because vehicles either drop in price like any other used good, or they are verblan goods. Which only retain their value *because* of the initial sale price, and manufacturing name.

No your Tesla truck will not be a collectors item until 20 years from now. There's really people on the waiting list expecting to resell their Tesla truck at 10x the purchase cost.

I bet a handful of people might even spend that much.

Which is actually a problem for Tesla, because they need feedback on the operation of the Truck in order to improve the quality in the future, but if people don't use them, they can't get that feedback.

And as we've already discussed, Used goods are Inferior, and so using a thing that you buy makes it worthless. So people buying goods as an investment won't use them, because that'd make them worth less.

It reminds of people collecting comic books, that don't realize the only reason golden age comics are so valuable, is because most of them were destroyed due to the war effort requiring the production of paper and cardboard.

Where the f* was I? because I went on such a tangent.

So they raise the prices thinking they're *luxury goods* which might initially look good on paper; less purchases, same profit. But what often happens is it kickstarts a cycle where less and less purchases happen. If you're calling yourself a "luxury product" eventually, people are going to start treating you like one, as they purchase alternatives instead.

Because of that key factor that consumers will purchase less of a luxury product, because of the budget requiring other luxury products.

Like Homes, and vehicles. Necessary Luxuries as opposed to Inferior Luxuries.

[primeministerofantarctica]

HI BOO coming for the smurf ask with number 3 and 13 <33

HI EMIII!! 💖

3. Do you have a favorite comic book story? If so, what is it?

I've read "The Finance Smurf" so many times, I think it'd be a lie to say anything but that 😅

I don't see it topping anyone else's list, but I am deeply, deeply fascinated by the sociopolitical messages happening here. "Capitalism Money is the source of all our problems and is the root cause of people's greed, desperation, and selfishness" is absolutely wild to publish in a children's comic (/complimentary).

13. What are your lore/ worldbuilding headcanons?

putting this under a cut

Smurfs were originally created by an ancient moon deity, so long ago that the deity has since "died" (been forgotten about). That's why they're seen as so magically valuable, and why they're so connected to the moon.

Speaking of the moon, early Smurfs followed a lunar calendar. Current Smurfs follow a solar calendar, but several holidays and festivals are still decided on by the phases of the moon.

The formula Gargamel used to make Smurfette actually used to be pretty common. Wizards could make fake Smurfs to act as assistants or test subjects, until people started asking questions like "is it ethical to create a sentient being just to serve you?" and the spell got banned.

Papa and Grandpa were the only survivors of a plague epidemic because they were away from the village (albeit, not together) at the time. Papa was out on a hike looking for plants to make potions with when Scholar Smurf (then-second in command and de facto leader) sent him a letter by bird ordering him to travel across China to find a special herb. It was only when he got back, years later, that Papa realized it was a distraction to keep him away until the disease had run its course.

Papa did NOT get 99 babies at once, dear god no. They were brought over a twenty-year timespan (which granted is only like two years in smurf development stages, but it's still better than nothing). Also a few smurfs like Painter and Miller are refugees from other villages that have been destroyed thanks to humans encroaching on the wilderness.

The current Smurf language is a pidgin of the original Smurf language and [whatever language you're consuming smurfs content in]. Original Smurf language had only one word and was completely tonal. As a result, today's Smurfs have extremely sensitive hearing regarding pitch, and that's why the Smurfs who struggle with pitch due to neurodivergency sound "strange" (Clumsy with his autism and southern american accent, Harmony with his amusia and dear-god-i-don't-know-what-hamilton-camp-was-going-for?.) (Brainy, on the other hand, made up for it by intensely studying the ancient language, and now he's annoyed that the other Smurfs aren't even trying to pronounce words correctly).

You know how Belgians have that holiday where they take a tree from the forest and replant it in the middle of Brussels? Smurfs have their own holiday a day after where they plant new trees. And of course, throw a party, because when is it not a good time for a party?

[kayla-kai]

Someone called me wise today and at first I laughed but I think it was probably a good thing that someone resonated with my policy when it comes to learning how to write, so maybe other people will too. 

Value can come from anything

Worth can be derived from anywhere

I’ve always had this policy when it comes to media, that high art isn’t the only kind of art that should matter. When I suggested some books for one of my students (I’m a tutor, not a proper teach), I said ‘you like fantasy and action, so here are some suggestions.’ My super told me that I should be suggesting real books, and gave me some samples that suggested books I recognize as classics. So I made up a list of classics. And I included ALL of the same books. Instead of ‘the Percy Jackson series’ it was ‘the lightning thief’ specifically. The idea that some genres are inherently less valuable than others is ludicrous. Quality is quality no matter where it’s found. And isn’t it more important for the kid to be interested in reading at all?

And shit media doesn’t have to be award winning to be valuable either. A mediocre series can still teach you things. Analysis, even just paying attention to media is engaging in a useful way. If you look at something you’re enjoying and go ‘I like the way they portray such and such’ or ‘I feel this could have been done better,’ then you’re doing GOOD WORK. It doesn’t matter if it’s high art or a webcomic, paying attention to something, giving it time and effort, engaging meaningfully, that’s what gives something value. 

In other words, value isn’t something inherent, it’s something created by the reader. You are the one who creates value, not the author, not some stuffed up administrator. 

Classics are worth reading because they have the potential to be valuable. There is value commonly derived from them. They portray common concepts that’s worth teaching to people, and kids especially. But to say that media that isn’t two hundred years old is automatically worthless, or that art that isn’t meant for the sole purpose to be studied rather than enjoyed, it’s an insult to art and the history of humanity with their tendency to create art with anything they have at their disposal, berries, or a block of wood, or even just their mouths and voices. 

This policy goes for teaching too. I’m an English tutor without an English degree. Most places I tried to work were scared off. But I put in my hours, I practiced and learned and taught myself, and hell, I even taught someone else. I watched YouTube videos, read writing books, wrote and wrote and wrote. I read, and more than that, I watched things with intent, squeezing everything I could find for every drop of value I could. I used sword art online and sao abridged as an example to my mentee of what power editing can have, I learned how to marry the concepts of theme and character arc from red vs blue, I read every single page of tv tropes to familiarize myself with techniques and common motifs. High learning only has as much value as you can derive, and same with “low” learning.

Now that’s not to say that you should listen to the advice of every random asshole, but rather that any research you do is REAL research, that any form of trying to improve yourself is Good and Important. Even if you don’t have a fancy piece of paper to go with it at the end of the day. 

Read the classics, but read that show you’ve been liking lately. Read that comic, read that podcast, that fanfic, that YouTube retrospective, that fake-musical album, that indie animation, just READ. It’s never a waste of time. 

[pjigsoul]

Two Worlds Between Gods And Heroes: Greek Gods vs Avengers

Hello Everyone!! 👋 Today, let's step into a world where Olympus and Earth's mightiest heroes. 💥 where Greek gods, 🌟 an immortal glory, with the indomitable Avengers, defenders of the universe.🦸🏻‍♂️

A Wonderful sight of Olympus the place of Gods ✨

Cruel and fickle, passionate and vindictive, jealous and insecure, petty and insane: the inhabitants of Mount Olympus represent an attempt by the ancient Greeks to explain the chaos of the universe through human nature. Thus, like every deity invented before and since, these gods and goddesses are embodiments of human solipsism. (Of course lightning is caused by a giant, angry man in the sky…obvi. I mean, what else could it be?) The stories of their battles, bickering, and sexual conquests have indelibly influenced the course of Western language and narrative. Here is a selection of some of the A-list names of the Greek pantheon.

Aphrodite:

Aphrodite was the goddess of love, sex, and beauty.

Athena:

Athena was the goddess of reason, wisdom, and war.

Artemis:

Artemis was the fleet-footed goddess of the hunt.

Ares:

Ares was the god of bloodlust.

Apollo:

The twin brother of Artemis, Apollo was among the most important (read: feared) of the gods.

Hades:

ruled the world of the dead, with which he was sometimes synonymous.

Poseidon:

Poseidon is best known as the Greek sea god, but he was also the god of horses and of earthquakes.

Zeus:

Zeus is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, known as the king of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus. He is the god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice.

They are the Greek Gods people today still love these old stories about the Greek gods. They're in books, movies, and even games! These stories teach us about bravery, wisdom, and how things like nature and seasons work.

Earth's mightiest heroes place earth 🌍

On the other side, Avengers the Earth's mightiest heroes. The Avengers isn't your typical heroes. They're a team of super powered people who save the world, but they're more than that they're just like us in many ways. 💥 In a world where superheroes soar across the skies and face unimaginable threats, there exists a team whose story goes beyond their superhuman abilities, the Avengers. They are not just a gathering of extraordinary individuals in colorful suits; they represent the triumph of unity, resilience, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. 😮

These are the members of the Avengers 💪

Iron Man (Tony Stark)

Captain America (Steve Rogers)

Thor

Hulk (Bruce Banner)

Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)

Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

Vision

Black Panther (T'Challa)

Doctor Strange

Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

Ant-Man (Hank Pym, Scott Lang)

Wasp (Janet Van Dyne, Hope Van Dyne)

Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)

Falcon (Sam Wilson)

These characters among others have been members of the Avengers at different points in the comic book series and have also been featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in various Avengers movies. The roster has changed over time, and different story arcs and events have introduced new characters to the team. 🦸‍♂️

Differences Between Greek Gods and Avengers: ✍️🙌

• The Greek Gods are myths from the ancient Greeks, while the Avengers are fictional team of superheroes.

• Greek Gods are related to one another, while the Avengers are just a team and they are not related to each other.

• Greek Gods have a supernatural powers, while some of the Avengers does not have a supernatural powers.

• Greek Gods consists of all gods, while the Avengers are mostly humans and aliens. Thor is the only god in the Avengers. So, no matter if you chose the team Avengers of team Greek Gods these people show us Courage, Heroism, Unity and Teamwork 🤝 Overall, the stories of the Avengers and Greek gods impart valuable lessons, by showing what is good over evil, the power of unity, and the importance of virtues and values.🌟

#GreekGodsVsAvengers #BattleofTitans #Avengers #GreekGods References: https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/29/17380862/avengers-4-title-release-date-trailer https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/avengers/in-comics https://www.britannica.com/list/12-greek-gods-and-goddesses

[glassedplanets]

template source!

jan | feb | mar | apr | may | jun | july | aug | sep | oct | nov | dec

this year i read a ton of art books, so i'll drop a big list + reflections under the cut:

i'll split these up into art books and instructional books, though there are a few that did a bit of both.

art books:

the art of heikala

the art of loish

beautiful scenes from a fantasy world

mysterious scenes from a parallel world

a sky longing for memories: the art of makoto shinkai

expedition sketchbook

windows to worlds: the art of devin elle kurtz

reverie: the art of sybilline meynet

the man who leapt through film

instructional books:

framed perspective vol. 1 & 2 by marcos mateu-mestre

master the art of speed painting

sketching from the imagination

sketching from the imagination: characters

sketching from the imagination: storytelling

beyond art fundamentals

figure drawing for artists

that's actually more than i thought, lmao. standouts for me were a sky longing for memories, windows to worlds, master the art of speed painting, and figure drawing for artists -- each of these offered some really valuable insight for me and helped me think about something in a different way. i got all these via library and at this point i'm worried that i've exhausted the catalogs of every library i have access to :/

i've only ever taken one art class in my life and it wasn't a really great experience, plus i'm not great at teaching myself things, so finally reaching for instructional books about art this year felt like a big leap and i'm glad that i took it. i also watched some of the drawclass VODs that are up on youtube and started looking for resources like studies and sketches from artists i like. idk, i guess it's kind of been about demystifying the process for me. there's a lot of stuff i've been doing the long way round for years and years or not doing at all because i didn't know that you were "allowed" to take a shortcut, or that it was even possible (eg. foliage brushes).

this year was pretty wobbly in terms of how happy i was with the art i made and how much of it i made, particularly bc Life Happened in august and just has not stopped, and i know that i felt really bad and unhappy with art for a big chunk of the year -- but now that i'm past that, i can see that i've improved a lot in a lot of the ways in which i've been wanting to improve. you know what's nuts? i only started actively drawing backgrounds for every piece last year. now i can't imagine not doing something for a background.

i think i also gnawed through a lot of... idk, shame? inadequacy? some yucky feeling i had about tagging my art for tumblr search. i think it's partially that we're all back on this hell site and i just don't care about showing my ass anymore. whatever. y'all either get to see my fucking anime Poasting or unfollow/mute/block/whatever, i don't really give a shit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the art goals i set for myself at the start of the year were to try making a short comic more than once, which i did! twice, actually, though i didn't post one of them. that's ok. i don't remember if this was a goal, but i submitted art to a digital zine this year too! i need to check if i can post it yet actually... lmao. and i joined a fandom event as an artist, which i'm really excited for. i haven't done a fandom event since 2013 and i've never done one as an artist.

my art goals for 2023 are to do thumbnails for most of the big pieces that i draw, and to draw people interacting physically with each other when i draw 2+ in one piece. that'll be tough since i honestly enjoy the subtlety of Two Guys Standing Next To Each Other but it's an area i want to improve in.

[quidam-sirenae]

🤗📚 coughs loudly

I’m interpreting this as a sign for book recs and very well. Here are the top ten books I’ve ever read.

10. On the come up. Same person that wrote the hate u give but I really liked this one. I would check out everything else she’s written, though, cause Angie Thomas is a chefs kiss writer.

9. The bachaae. Yes, the play by Euripides. Look it desconstructs queerness and masculinity and femininity and madness and also there’s a lot of gore, what else do you want?

8. Obligatory comic book: batwoman bombshells. I love gay people. I love historical gay people. I love comic books. I love looking at batwoman ass, I’m a simple girl. Sometimes you read for fun.

7. Last night at the telegraph club. If you want a book with lesbians that are Chinese in the red scare, this is for you. It’s heart wrenching, it’s about the small things and the big queer things, but it’s so much about love during dangerous times.

6. The autobiography of Malcolm X. This will change the way you look at the world. This will change the way you look at the civil rights movement. Especially if you are white. 100/10, the only reason it’s not higher on the list is because I read for fun and while this is an amazing book it’s also not the most easily digestible.

5. The picture of Dorian gray. I think this book is so important when you look at censorship, the idea of growing up female, the way stories can have both positive and negative ideas behind them, like how this book is so queer and transformative and made me love myself again but it’s also disgustingly antisemetic. I actually think every afab person should read this book. Anyway I think about this book every time I put on drag.

4. Outlawed. This has ambiguous relationships, genders, and a really good way of exploring femininity that I think is very valuable. Featuring gay cowboys and really, what else do you need?

3. The serpent king. Maybe this one meant a lot to me personally as a religious person from Appalachia, but it felt so real. Would recommend this book with heavy warnings for religious trauma and suicidal ideation that could potential trigger someone, but I also think it’s an amazing read that you shouldn’t pass up.

2. Arc of a scythe series. This holds a special place in my heart. Neal shusterman was one of my favorite high school authors so much that I have gone SO far to collect his books, even some that have gone out of print- it took a lot of work to get my collection of shusterman and this series plays around with death and what it means to be moral and surveillance technology in a really fun way. If dystopia is your thing, this is where it’s at.

1. If we were villains. This lives in my head rent free. God I love it. It has everything: murder, trauma, undefined relationships, and shakespeare. I love it. I can’t even begin to say how much this book is to me. It’s made me cry multiple times. I’ve actually annotated my copy iirc, and I never do that. It is so well told and once I got into college I was like “wow there’s more murder than normal but actually yeah college is sometimes like this” and then it juxtaposes the silly with the horrifying and. Ough so good.

[ear-worthy]

HVAC School Podcast: For Techs, By Techs: A Masterclass In Indie Podcasting

Podcasting before 2008 was a content landscape with two competing strategies. The mainstream strategy, which had worked for radio, TV, books, and music, was to appeal to the widest audience possible. The more revolutionary strategy was for podcasts to appeal to a small, niche group and offer content and a supportive community to a group of listeners with shared interests.

I remember seeing early 2008 podcasts that focused on such narrow topics as Superman comics, The Beatles White Album, a man who wrote reviews on local bakeries, a sewing podcast called Sew What, and a show about welding. 

As large, corporatized networks have invaded podcasting, they've largely reverted to the mainstream strategy -- broad appeal to generate the largest number of ears for advertising.  

Fear not, podcasting fans. Independent podcasting is still a fertile ground for those shows that may have only 1,000 listeners. For example, there is a podcast about watercolor tattoos. One about bananas. Only bananas. And one about sounds that storms make.

Today, I will introduce to an independent podcast that exemplifies that the revolutionary strategy to serve a well-defined, sometimes limited in potential listeners, but focused exclusively on its granular topics.

The podcast is called HVAC School -- For Techs, By Techs. It is a show by HVAC Tech Bryan Orr, an Orlando, Fl-based HVAC professional. The show has been on since September 2016. If you think Bryan's podcast is some local-yokel operation, check out his website.

Orr has courses for HVAC techs, information on events like HVAC symposiums, HVAC job posts, merch called HVAC Rocket Science Collection, videos, tech tips and quizzes. He even has a tool list, recommendations for HVAC apps, and software recommendations specially for HVAC Techs.

In effect, Bryan Orr has it all for an HVAC tech.

"I started the podcast eight years ago, mostly out of curiosity and a desire to share what I was learning," notes Bryan Orr.

The focus of Orr's podcast is on the HVACR Tech (The R is for Refrigeration). That's why it's called For Techs, By Techs. His episodes, while murky science and magical Harry Potter-type wizardry to laypeople like us, are valuable knowledge and training for an HVAC Tech. 

Here are some recent episodes: Modulating compressors, testing dehumidifiers, preventing low voltage issues, pressure limiting valves, and using refrigerant.

In case you think all the episodes are HVAC technical in nature, read just a slice of his other more philosophical and mentoring episodes: Stubborn old techs, STOP overthinking, stewarding younger techs, Teaching communication confidence, starting an internal training program, focus on your goals, and women in HVAC. 

I've listened to over 20 episodes, and it seems that any HVAC Tech can garner so much knowledge and practical tips from listening to this show. Orr is smart in that he has these periodic Q&A episodes where he plays a question from a tech and then answers that question. For example, answering a question about the resistance of older techs to change, Orr recommends understanding the older tech's perspective and recognizes that fear of change can overwhelm us. Instead of confrontation, he recommends collaboration. It's a thoughtful, modulated view. There is a persistent trope that people in blur-collar jobs are there because of a lack of analytical acumen. Yet, in every episode, Orr proves that he has the intuitive sense and investigative skills to master the job.

Orr explains his journey on the technical side of podcasting.  "Initially, I ran into quite a few technical challenges, especially with audio quality. I tried to fix a lot of it in post-production, which was time-consuming and not always effective. It wasn’t until I started using the Shure SM7B and the Electro-Voice RE20 microphones, along with the Rodecaster board, that things got a lot smoother."

"As for being a host, I don’t actually consider myself all that great," Orr says modestly. "I listen to people like Ira Glass, Jad Abumrad, and the team behind Radiolab, and I feel pretty inadequate by comparison. But like anything else, it’s a journey. I think it’s all about staying curious, wanting to improve, and practicing a lot."

Here, Orr's modesty gets the best of him because he is an excellent host. He's articulate, excellent at explaining complex concepts, empathetic, and has a natural understanding of narrative dexterity. Co-founder and President of Kalos Services in Clermont, Florida (20 miles from Orlando), Bryan Orr started the company with his dad when he was 17. He regularly helps his team train and troubleshoot as a working contractor. But if you ask him about it (and we did), "He’ll say he’s just keeping busy."

"The same goes for my HVAC career," Orr observes. "I’ve always been driven by a desire to learn and a general dissatisfaction with my past work. That’s what keeps me pushing to get better." As for monetization for an independent podcast, Bryan Orr could hold a class on it. First, he has a slate of sponsors -- all in the HVAC industry, so there's a natural synergy there. Sponsors include Carrier (AC), Refrigeration Technologies, and ESCO Institute, which publishes training manuals, curriculum packages, assessment exams, specialty training packages, and custom publishing solutions for the HVACR and building science fields.

Orr's website is a champion LEGO set with building blocks of content from training courses, podcast episodes, events, job postings, and merchandise. It's safe to say that Orr has a more comprehensive and "sticky" website than high-dollar, network-supported podcasts do.   Look, I realize that the majority of the people still reading this article are not HVAC Techs. You may never listen to Bryan Orr's podcast. However, HVAC Tech Podcast: For Techs, By Techs should serve as a model for many independent podcasters on how to develop, produce, and monetize their podcasts. Maybe it's because Bryan Orr is from Orlando, where magic is in the air, but his podcast proves that podcasting can be successful when properly positioned for a dedicated niche audience. 

Finally, as a society, we burden blue-collar jobs such as HVAC Tech with myriad negative connotations. Listen to some of these episodes about air flow, negative pressure, humidity, wiring, venting, and refrigeration, then you will discover that these techs are indeed climate control detectives of the highest order.

I may be too hasty in describing HVAC Techs as a niche audience. There are over 390,000 techs working in the U.S. Roughly 110 million American households (89% of the total number of households in the nation) are equipped with air conditioning units, according to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey  

Employment of heating, air conditioning, and ventilation mechanics and installers is projected to grow five percent from 2021 to 2031.

Check out HVAC Tech Podcast: For Techs, By Techs. When Bryan Orr was asked about his legacy, he replied, "Creativity for the betterment of others."   

[jameslharding]

Are Vintage Collectibles Worth More on eBay?

When selling vintage collectibles, the right marketplace matters. eBay is often the first choice for many sellers. It has a large, global audience. Collectors from around the world use eBay to find rare items. This demand can drive up prices. Sellers can list their items in auctions, where bidding wars can lead to unexpectedly high sales. For example, John sold an old comic book on eBay. The bidding started low but quickly soared. By the end, he got double the expected price. This shows eBay’s potential for high returns.

However, eBay isn’t the only option. Other marketplaces can also be valuable. Sites like Etsy and Ruby Lane cater to niche markets. Etsy is popular for vintage fashion and handmade items. Ruby Lane focuses on antiques and collectibles. These platforms attract serious buyers who know what they want. For instance, Sarah sold a vintage necklace on Etsy. She found a buyer who appreciated the item’s history. The fixed price was higher than what she might have gotten in an eBay auction. These platforms often have lower fees, which means sellers keep more of their earnings.

Choosing the right marketplace depends on the item. If you have a rare or highly sought-after collectible, eBay’s broad reach may fetch a higher price. But for specialized or unique items, niche platforms might be better. The key is knowing your market. Research where similar items sell best. Consider the fees, audience, and competition. In conclusion, both eBay and other marketplaces have their strengths. Sellers need to choose based on their item’s value and target audience. With the right choice, you can maximize the value of your vintage collectibles.

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