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hitogatarock · 2 years

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takt op. illustration novel # 9

Belkis : "A Suitable Person for Me"

a special short novel entry for the game takt op. Destiny by the City of Crimson Melody by Ishihara Sora ( 石原宙 ).

illustrator : Inooka ( イノオカ )

All translations are belongs to me, make sure to credit properly if you plans on sharing this! Enjoy reading!

Link source • twitter post

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character appearance in order + color code : Belkis , Daphnis et Chloé

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I brushed off the military curtain of the command tent with my hand irritably and walked down the path to the Musicarts-only barracks, my footsteps higher than usual.

"Huh..... How dare he preach to a person like me. Does that man think he's some kind of a god?"

This is Innsbruck, Austria. It is an ancient city in the Tyrol region, close to the Italian border. We of the First Expedition are stationed in the mountainous area of the Nordkette mountain range, a short distance from the city. Just a few moments ago, I was summoned by the local commander and was given a personal word of advice.

The reason, I was told, was that the Conductor who had been my buddy had fallen ill from exhaustion and had to leave the unit. They were so mentally and physically ill from my day-and-night "education" that they couldn't sleep at night, and fell like a dead tree.

I have only educated them on how to behave in a manner befitting my Conductor, from every of their move to the raising and lowering of a fork.

— Hiiiii!! Don't let them near me again!

— They're a freaking lunatic!

— Belkis is a personality breaker!

They was shouting that at the end of the day. What do they meant personality breaker? There is no one with a more perfect personality than me. Even the local commander, who just now twisted his normally stern facade into a bitter smile and said, "Can you please stop with crushing your favourite Conductor?"

What sort of an intuition is it to crush Conductors? It's the wrong thing to do. How many times have I told that I am only trying to educate them? There is certainly no shortage of Conductors.

Rather, I am very aware that the number is limited. But they're so shallow and foolish that they don't realise how much of a positive impact my education has had on this corps. I would like to take this opportunity to personally present my education——

— If you're a commander-in-chief and want to make a statement to the people, why don't you think a little more?

— You should also pay attention to your appearance. The head of the corps should not be seen with stubble.

— And there are six more points to point out..... mggh! mgghggh?!

Two strong aides blocked my mouth and strangled me with their wings. What a surprise. I was in the middle of a conversation when they pushed me back and kicked me out of the command tent.

"What an outrageously rude thing to do!"

Stomping on the ground with a brisk pace, the footsteps become even more high-pitched. Why don't you all understand? I have been fighting so hard to make this corps a better place, and yet I am a lone soldier!

Then, in the direction of travel, I saw a dozen soldiers on a break, chatting and eating a meal of rations. Just the right opportunity. Let's see if my "education" has paid off, shall we?

"Pardon, entertain me?"

I gracefully walk past the resting soldiers with my arms outstretched. The soldiers then hand me food one after another. By the time I pass between them, my hands are full of colourful sweets and fruit.

"Fufu, thank you. My lovely students?"

I turn around and smile with satisfaction. Just look at it. This is "education". Now I don't have to queue for rationing. My proud students will avoid them and save only the precious quality ones for me. What I don't eat, I can share with another soldier. Then more and more of my followers will follow me.

"What a well organised team. You all learn so well."

I clear my throat, and from somewhere I heard a feeble voice.

"Oh, um... Isn't that just raising people who are convenient for you, Miss Belkis?"

"......Daphnis et Chloé."

Daphnis et Chloé. She is a Musicart who inhabits the score, which is a ballet music composed by Maurice Ravel. Because of her complicated name, it's often abbreviated to "Daphnis". She was staring at me from diagonally to the right and back, chewing on a ration. I sigh in return.

"Take a good look. They are all paying tribute to me, and they all look satisfied."

"Well, it seems to me that more might ran away as soon as they saw you....."

"......."

Sure, there were a few ordinary soldiers who ran away like rabbits, but who cares? Those without the will to learn are those without the will to live. I cannot devote my precious time to such people.

"Daphnis et Chloé? In other words, what are you trying to say?"

"N-Nothing....."

When I narrow my eyes at her, she immediately becomes amusedly silent. If she was going to be silent, she shouldn't have said anything in the first place. They are all so incomprehensible, it's disgusting.

"Had you have enough? If I behave in a way that is appropriate for me, then I am behaving in a way that is appropriate for the world."

That's how you create soldiers and Conductors who are second to none. I, too, will fight with all my might to protect those who are worthy of me. In other words, the more people who are worthy of me, the closer I am to an invincible force that will always win. Why can't they understand this simple fact?

I shake my head languidly and take a bite of the almond cookie I've been given. It doesn't taste very good. This is wartime. The cookies, with little butter used, made my mouth terribly thirsty.

"Tea."

"Y-Yes."

When I hold out one hand, Daphnis et Chloé rush to pour me tea from the canteen. As she holds out the mug of tea to me, she says again,

"Um..... if you keep doing this, you'll be alone one day.....?"

She is surely referring to the mediocre soldier who ran away earlier. Or the Conductor who left me. I pause for a moment and reply matter-of-factly.

"There's another one."

Daphnis bit her lip loosely and stared at my face as I said this. I continue without hesitation.

"But that's okay. It's what I wanted. It's a lot better than the pain of being with someone who doesn't deserve me."

"Compared to the pain of losing... right....?"

As she said this, her eyes took on a color of sorrow rather than fright. I wonder what it is? She's being strangely insistent today.

"What do you mean by that?"

"N-Nothing.... I've finished my meal so I will leave."

Daphnis et Chloé turned her back on me and ran off.

".....What on earth."

Don't say things like you understand it. I just want someone strong, someone who is worthy of me, someone who knows how to be polite and decent, someone who is witty and "will never die". Even if I can't protect them. But someone strong enough to survive.

Speaking of which, I hear that tomorrow new Musicarts and Conductors will arrive from Berlin. I'm not expecting anything. It's not easy to find a suitable conductor for me. But if I actually found one. Then I'm sure I'll wear it like an accessory and never let them go.

I take another bite of the almond cookie. After two or three bites, my mouth is soon become dry. I looked around and saw that the soldiers who were taking a break had already dispersed and no one was in sight. Unknowingly, a cough escaped from me.

"Can someone get me a cup of tea for.... me?"

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— translator's note: this week we have belkis! turns out she's quite the bossy-princessy or should I say himedere-ish😅 also daphnis et chloé finally makes her appearance! I'm not sure how should I translate her nickname ダフクロ (dafukuro / daphchlo) so I stick to "Daphnis" at the time being. I hope you enjoy as always!

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#タクトオーパス #my translates #translation #gata: game tls #takt op. destiny by the city of crimson melody #takt op.#takt opus #short novel #belkis

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aboutanancientenquiry · 3 years

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Some comments on Herodotus, Alan B. Lloyd, and the Egyptian historical tradition

A very wise person -“critical of Herodotus”-, associated with the notorious group of “F...k Herodotus” tumblr egyptologists, has posted some time ago on her main blog the following excerpt :

“Therefore, the character of this tradition indicates that an authentic image of Egyptian kingship was getting through to Herodotus, even if very little genuine history frequently came with it.“ - Alan B. Lloyd

Her comment was “I am sorry but I am laughing now”. Obviously she was laughing at Herodotus’ expense.

Sorry dear, but you missed totally (again !) the point here : the eminent Egyptologist and classicist Alan B. Lloyd is talking in this excerpt about the character of the Egyptian historical tradition in the fifth century BCE, as recorded by Herodotus.

This citation comes from A. Lloyd’s contribution to the Brill Companion to Herodotus and more particularly from the page 425 of this volume.

Almost all this page is devoted to the problem of the important alterations that the oral tradition brings about in the perception of facts and realities of the past and the different factors which operate in this alteration, more generally, but also in the case of ancient Egypt.

It is for Lloyd this Egyptian tradition which conveyed to Herodotus “an authentic image of the Egyptian kingship”, “even if very little genuine history frequently came with it”.

Lloyd thus says immediately before the passage quoted above:

“Neverthless, the general trend of the accounts of these rulers [my note : obviously the accounts in the traditions recorded by Herodotus] reflects the classic activities of Egyptian kings. Such actions appear in the traditions recorded by Herodotus, even when they are not historical, because they are part of the agenda of Egyptian kingship, i. e., the kind of things which Egyptians expected a king to do.”

Lloyd continues with the passage quoted at the beginning of my post (”Therefore, the character of this tradition...”), to conclude immediately afterward :

“It follows that the patent historical inadequacy of so much of 2.99-141 [my note : the part of Book II of Herodotus’ “Histories” dealing with the pre-Saite period of Egyptian history, i. e,. Egyptian history before 664 BCE ] should not be taken as proof that the narrative did not emanate, at least in some measure, from Egyptian sources, however much it may have been contaminated in transition.”

Moreover, I have showed elsewhere that, if Herodotus records this Egyptian tradition about the history of Egypt before the Saite period, and despite his high opinion about the Egyptian knowledge of the past, he is not unaware of the problematic character of what priests, interpreters, and other possible intermediaries have told him about the pre-Saite Egyptian history (https://aboutanancientenquiry.tumblr.com/post/653271152537583616/on-herodotus-and-egypt-iv-always-wrong-and-a ).

Now, as we have seen above, Alan Lloyd shows that the Herodotean narrative of the pre-Saite history of Egypt has a genuine foundation in Egyptian tradition (he insists even more on this point in other works of his and especially in the major one, his great Commentary on Herodotus Book II - in three volumes). But the truth is that in his contribution to Brill’s Companion he presents a complex point of view on what in this narrative may be the result of alterations in the transmission from the Egyptians to the Greeks or even the product of Herodotus’ own “artistic freedom” or creativity, which would have as aims to highlight the perceived significance of realities to his Greek audience or even to use the Egyptian history to illustrate and confirm fundamental Greek perceptions on life. Lloyd presents also in the same volume a complex point of view more generally on the relation between facts and “artistic fiction” in Herodotus’ “Histories” (see especially op. cit., p. 424, 426-427 ).

I believe that, concerning these very important questions, one must adopt the solution the more consistent with the general character of Herodotus’ “Histories’. Herodotus comes with an innovative approach of an enquiry about the human deeds of a non-mythical past and proposes principles of methodology concerning this enquiry and the establishment of facts (see on this question https://aboutanancientenquiry.tumblr.com/post/653271051238850560/on-herodotus-and-egypt-ii-sources-and and the scholarly authorities to whom I refer there). He takes often pains to establish the truth among conflicted versions of events and he can demonstrably be a keen and accurate observer of things. I don’t think that it would be consistent with this profile to accept that he could consciously and arbitrarily supplement or edit with fiction his material of facts (although there is of course the particular subject of “artistic creativity” in speeches and dialogues -see for speeches and dialogues in the “Histories” and more generally in ancient historiography https://aboutanancientenquiry.tumblr.com/post/658272476320645120/herodotus-and-the-causes-of-the-persian-wars ).

It is a different question that the line demarcating facts from obvious fiction and tale is not at all the same for us today and for a person like Herodotus who lived about 2500 years ago.

It is also another question that Herodotus certainly filtered, interpreted, and understood what he heard from his Egyptian sources about the pre-Saite history of Egypt (we may suppose as already customized by the priests and even more by the interpreters and other intermediaries for Greek consumption) according to his own Greek mentalities, preoccupations, and ideas.

But I will elaborate more on these questions in a separate post.

For the moment it is enough for me that I have showed once more that the quotations of some tumblr “critics of Herodotus” from scholarly sources are misleadingly and distortingly truncated.

PS : the same very wise person has written recently that “Landmark Herodotus was written by a non scholar”. Sorry again, but “Landmark Herodotus” has not been “written” by a sole person. It is a collective work, with translation of the “Histories” by Andrea L. Purvis, introduction by Rosalind Thomas, and 21 appendices-supplementary studies by various scholars (including A. B. Lloyd) . The “Landmark Herodotus” volume- as well as the other volumes of the Landmark series- has of course a person who has edited it, and obviously it is to this person that the tumblr critical-of-Herodotus authority refers, confusing... author and editor of a work ! Anyway, it is true that the editor of the Landmark series (Robert B. Strassler) is not an academic, but a retired businessman. This does not change the fact that the volumes of the Landmark series of classical authors have been generally acclaimed by scholars as perhaps the best editions of these authors for the large public in the Anglophone world.

#herodotus #Ancient Egypt #alan b. lloyd

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duongnguyenposts-blog · 3 years

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Interview on Animedia part 1

Thank to Mirai send the translation of this interview for me.

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TERAMOTO YUKIYO INTERVIEW

• < Tell us about the experience you most enjoyed in the production of the Kaitou Joker anime series. >

• Teramoto: The production was a fun experience and with a pleasant atmosphere, but the realization of episode 20 of the series, "Traveling Jokers" is impressive special. Because in the original manga, Takahashi Hideyasu-sensei made it to tribute the anime series "Giant Robo". But Akihiko Yamashita, who is in charge of episode 20 (storyboard), was once the character designer and animation director of "Giant Robo". It's like a parody of his own work and it was very funny.

• < Hãy kể cho chúng tôi về trải nghiệm mà bạn thích nhất khi sản xuất bộ anime Kaitou Joker. >

• Teramoto: Việc sản xuất là một trải nghiệm thú vị và với một bầu không khí vui vẻ, nhưng việc thực hiện tập 20 của loạt phim, "Traveling Jokers" là đặc biệt nhất. Bởi vì trong manga gốc, Takahashi Hideyasu-sensei đã dùng nó để vinh danh bộ anime "Giant Robo". Thế nhưng Akihiko Yamashita, người phụ trách tập 20 lại từng là nhà thiết kế nhân vật và đạo diễn hình ảnh của "Giant Robo". Nó giống như parody lại công việc của chính ông và điều đó rất buồn cười.

Corocoro Online Interview Part 1/2 Translation. ( correct me if you see there is any wrong translated )

-----------------------------------

---First of all, please introduce yourself.

Director Teramoto Yukiyo (Teramoto): My name is Teramoto, who was the director of the anime "Kaitou Joker". Nice to meet you today, Is it already two years since the broadcast ended?

Shimogasa Miho (Shimogasa): I am Character Design & Chief Animation Director, Shimogasa. Because I have been working on many jobs related to Joker, so I do not feel like time has passed.

Aihara Miki (Aihara): Fan of Kaitou Joker, Aihara. It embarrassed to say that the first time I saw Joker's anime was in its last broadcast year. I started watching him from the chapter with a boy in a wheelchair (Hayami Kyotaro) called "Countdown of Television" (Episode 33) in Kids Station, and I was shocked saying: "Who is that great anime guy?" A From that moment on, I became addicted and saw the entire season on Amazon. All the guys that appear are great!

Teramoto: Thank you very much. I'm so happy.

-----Shimogasa-san. How was it when you first heard about this series?

Shimogasa: I did not know "Kaitou Joker" at that time, so I immediately read the original manga. Because the original manga was so funny, I guess i can make it with confidence. Since the original design is very unique and very good, I made use the original design of Takahashi Hideyasu-sensei and added a taste for Anime to construction. When you remove the back cover of the Comic cover, it is full of material, and it is fun to find out important information written on the panel of Manga.

Teramoto: Again, since Anime is not a stop picture but it has to be moved, at the beginning there was a voice: "There are too many dialogue" from the scene where the picture is drawn, it seemed to be very difficult. However, as we continue, the scene side is also attracted to the work and the number of fans increases, and conversely comes from over there as "Please let me draw!" Everyone drew with love.

Aihara: I feel that. While watching anime

Teramoto: Even now, I'm really excited to think about that. By the way, there were also Animators who liked to participate in Takahashi-sensei's autograph session.

―― What kind of relationship did Takahashi sensei involved in?

Teramoto: Takahashi sensei was a generous one, he let me do it freely. Of course, the original is very interesting, but if you consult something like "Is it okay for me to do something here?", he say "It's OK". I really appreciate it as a creator, and if he want us do what he think "I want to do this", the tension on that time will rise. That is why there is a part that everybody making so much.

―― Surely, there seems to be a part that OK was done by love was also communicated to Takahashi sensei.

Teramoto: That's right. Because I already put plenty of respect and love in my works!

―― As a viewer of anime, how did you feel when seeing this?

Aihara: Because the quality characters is the root, anime has a very good tempo, I thought that the scenes shifts from one to the next is amazing.

Teramoto: Thank you!

Aihara: It is good enough with a lot of fun in 30 minutes .

Teramoto: Actually it not fit to say this. I'm very sorry because sometimes i cut ED

Aihara：It was . When making anime without ED, it will be tough as it will be about 90 seconds to make more animation. But it does not sacrifice the story and still having prioritized the quality of the work……it amazing. And the last story of Season 4 is memorable. Actually the characters and directing were cool and the contents were filled with fully crammed. Teramoto-san was in charge of parts other than the director, didn't you?

Teramoto: That's true. While doing the storyboard and directing, I remember I made a lot of effort to say "Oh, I will not make it in time, but I do not want to drop the quality"

Aihara: It was a very good time！

――There are so many female fans, what are your thoughts about that?

Teramoto: After reading the original manga, I thought about the fans and asked them around. Then, you know that there are female fans, I see. So while conscious of the part of female fans like: "I love Joker like this", I also made it so that everyone will be pleased by not to kill the quality of shounen manga (manga for boys). In addition, Shimogasa-san's illustration are so cute, i think that female fans received it

―― Tell me your favorite character, Shimogasa-san?

Shimogasa: I love all characters !! I love everyone !!!! I can't choose...

Aihara: Everyone is cool and nice, isn't it?

Shimogasa: What is pleasing to draw is bad expression of each character. Ah There was also a "Professor Clover's blonde wave" idea i wanted to draw.

Aihara: By the way, did President D (the leader of the mysterious organization "Devil Fang") of the anime original character were all launched from the design? Originally I was surprised that a fat boy / Dump appeared as a messy beauty

Teramoto: Although I ordered to make it beautiful, when I actually got the first rough (President D) from Shimogasa-san , I was surprised like: "Wow !?, I do not think that he will be beautiful like this

Shimogasa: Four patterns were drawn while just leaving aftertastes of Dump on the eyes and clothes. It is the shape that I chose one of them. In fact, I wanted to include the characteristic that the teeth of Dump were missing, but indeed it went too far. But I thought I wanted to add freckles that were attached at the time Dump appear, I can't see it in an important scene of President D.

Teramoto: You can see it when he cry.

Shimogasa: Yeah, when he crying

Aihara: Great rare information, i see.

Shimogasa: Ah, I think that the best scene of Dump is a scene that he says "You are the only one i talking to..." If I thought that director would realize that director would dare to say: "I want to let that crying face do with President D, by all means" and did it as it was.

Teramoto: Of course

Aihara: The scene he cry was really cute!！

――Who is Aihara sensei 's favorite character?

Aihara: It is Joker-san. I also like Phoenix (* Kaitou use flames, aiming at God Beast Hosshi and Joker), but after all Joker is coolest. He jumped down from the top at the OP and he is really cool looking at the bags and mantle. About the OP, I tend to skip it just when I see it at once, but I couldn't do this

Shimogasa: I also wanted to be like that.

Aihara: Each time, the notice letter changes, Isn't it? (※ At the opening, the contents of the announcement appearing on the way changed every time).

Teramoto: That was fun with who are working, didn't it?

Aihara: It was truly a wonderful production when the speech are included at that time. It is also cool to go to the climax part of song once more.

Teramoto: There used to be "Blue Comet SPT Layzner" anime, Digest-style dialogue of each story appear in the middle of opening. It is interesting and I like that directing. There is a part that got a hint from "Layzner"

Aihara: Oh! Layzner, I see.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Trước hết, xin giới thiệu về bản thân.

Đạo diễn Teramoto Yukiyo (Teramoto): Tên tôi là Teramoto, người từng là đạo diễn của anime "Kaitou Joker", chương trình phát sóng đã kết thúc từ 2 năm trước. Rất vui được gặp bạn hôm nay.

Shimogasa Miho (Shimogasa): Tôi là Thiết kế nhân vật & Chỉ đạo trưởng hoạt họa, Shimogasa. Bởi vì tôi đã làm việc trên nhiều công việc liên quan đến Joker, vì vậy tôi không cảm thấy như thời gian đã trôi qua.

Aihara Miki (Aihara): Tôi. Aihara, là một fan hâm mộ của Kaitou Joker. Thật xấu hổ khi nói rằng lần đầu tiên tôi xem anime Kaitou Joker là vào năm phát sóng cuối cùng của nó. Tôi bắt đầu xem nó từ tập có một cậu bé ngồi xe lăn (Hayami Kyotaro) tên là "Countdown Television" (Tập 33) trên kênh Kids Station, và tôi đã bị sốc và thốt lên: "Anh chàng anime tuyệt vời đó là ai?". Từ lúc đó, tôi trở nên nghiện và xem toàn bộ các tập trên Amazon. Tất cả những chàng trai đã xuất hiện đều rất tuyệt!

Teramoto: Cảm ơn bạn. Tôi rất vui khi nghe điều đó.

---- Shimogasa-san. Cảm nhận đầu tiên của cô khi nghe về series này

Shimogasa: Lúc đó tôi chưa biết gì về Kaitou Joker, vậy nên tôi lập tức tìm đọc manga gốc. Bởi vì manga gốc rất thú vị nên tôi rất tự tin để làm nó. Từ khi nhân vật trong manga gốc của Takahashi Hideyasu-sensei có design rất tốt và độc đáo, tôi đã dùng design gốc rồi thêm hương vị Anime để chỉnh sửa. Khi bạn gỡ bìa sau của quyển truyện, nó có đầy đủ nguyên liệu ở đó. Thật vui khi tìm thấy những thông tin quan trọng được viết trên các trang truyện.

Teramoto: Một lần nữa, Anime vốn không phải là một hình ảnh đứng yên mà là những hình ảnh động, lúc đầu có tiếng phàn nàn về một phân đoạn khá nhiều thoại được vẽ ra, nó trông có vẻ rất khó thực hiện. Tuy nhiên khi tiếp tục, bên phía thực hiện các phân đoạn đó cũng bị thu hút bởi tác phẩm và lượng người hâm mộ cũng đã tăng lên. Không chỉ không còn những lời phàn nàn mà ngược lại phía chúng tôi vang lên những tiếng nói như: "Xin để tôi thực hiện nó". Mọi người đã làm bằng tình yêu của mình như thế đấy.

Aihara: tôi cũng cảm nhận được điều đó khi xem Anime này.

Teramoto: Ngay cả lúc này, tôi thực sự rất phấn khích khi nghĩ về điều đó. Nhân tiện, cũng có những Animator thích tham gia vào buổi ký tặng của tác giả Takahashi.

----- Mối quan hệ với tác giả Takahashi như thế nào

Teramoto: Takahashi sensei là một người rộng lượng, ông ấy để tôi làm mọi thứ một cách tự do. Tất nhiên, Manga gốc rất thú vị, nhưng nếu bạn tham khảo ý kiến gì đó như "Tôi có thể sữa đổi một chút ở đây không?", Ông sẽ nói "Ok Không sao cả". Tôi thực sự đánh giá cao điều đó như một người sáng tạo, và nếu ông ấy muốn chúng tôi làm những gì ông ấy nghĩ "Tôi muốn làm cái này", sự căng thẳng tại thời điểm đó sẽ tăng lên. Đó là lý do tại sao có một số đoạn mà mọi người đã làm nhiều lần.

----- Chắc chắn, có một đoạn OK đó đã được thực hiện bằng tình yêu đã truyền đạt đến Takahashi sensei.

Teramoto: Đúng thế. Bởi vì tôi đã dành rất nhiều sự tôn trọng và tình yêu trong các tác phẩm của mình!

---- Như một người xem anime, bạn cảm thấy thế nào khi xem nó?

Aihara: Anime có nhịp điệu rất tốt bởi vì nó có cốt lõi là những nhân vật chất lượng, tôi cảm thấy những cảnh chuyển từ người này sang người khác là rất tuyệt vời.

Teramoto: Rất cám ơn bạn.

Aihara: Nó hội tụ đủ những cái hay và thú vị trong 30 phút

Teramoto: Thật sự thì không phù hợp khi nói chuyện này ở đây. Rất xin lỗi vì một vài lần phải cắt bỏ ED.

Aihara: Đúng là thế. Khi làm anime mà không có ED, sẽ rất kh�� khăn vì phải tốn khoảng 90 giây để làm thêm nhiều đoạn hoạt hình. Nhưng nó không lãng phí nội dung và vẫn đảm bảo cho chất lượng tác phẩm... Điều đó thật tuyệt vời. Và câu chuyện cuối cùng của Phần 4 thật đáng nhớ. Trên thực tế các nhân vật và đạo diễn rất tuyệt dù đã nhồi nhét khá nhiều câu chuyện. Teramoto-san cũng phụ trách các bộ phận khác ngoài đạo diễn phải không?

Teramoto: Đúng vậy. Trong khi thực hiện bảng phân cảnh và đạo diễn, tôi nhớ rằng tôi đã nỗ lực rất nhiều và nói "Ôi, mình sẽ không kịp mất, nhưng mình không muốn làm giảm chất lượng".

Aihara: Đó là khoảng thời gian rất vui nhỉ.

---- Kaitou Joker có rất nhiều fan nữ, bạn nghĩ gì về điều đó?

Teramoto: Sau khi đọc truyện tranh gốc, tôi nghĩ về người hâm mộ và hỏi họ xung quanh. Sau đó, tôi biết rằng có những fan nữ ở đây. Vì vậy, trong khi ý thức về một phần của các fan nữ như: "Tôi thích Joker như thế này", tôi cũng đã làm cho mọi người sẽ hài lòng khi không giết chết bản chất của shounen manga (manga dành nam giới). Ngoài ra, hình minh họa của Shimogasa-san rất dễ thương, tôi nghĩ rằng các fan nữ đã nhận được nó.

---- Nói cho tôi biết nhân vật yêu thích của bạn đi Shimogasa-san?

Shimogasa: Tôi yêu tất cả các nhân vật !! Tôi yêu mọi người !!!! Tôi không thể chọn ...

Aihara: Mọi người đều tuyệt, phải không?

Shimogasa: Điều làm tôi vui khi vẽ là biểu hiện xấu của mỗi nhân vật. À Ngoài ra còn có một ý tưởng mà tôi muốn vẽ nữa, đó là Giáo sư Clover với mái tóc vàng gợn sóng.

Aihara: Nhân tiện, phải chăng Chủ tịch D (thủ lĩnh của tổ chức bí ẩn "Devil Fang") nhân vật gốc của anime đã được đưa ra từ bản thiết kế? Ban đầu tôi rất ngạc nhiên khi một cậu bé mập / Dump xuất hiện như một người đẹp trai nhưng bừa bộn.

Teramoto: Mặc dù tôi đã bảo là làm cho đẹp, nhưng khi tôi thực sự có được bản phác họa đầu tiên (Chủ tịch D) từ Shimogasa-san, tôi đã rất sốc : "Ôi!?, Mình không nghĩ cậu ấy sẽ đẹp như vậy"

Shimogasa: Đó là hình dạng mà tôi đã chọn một trong số 4 mẫu đã được vẽ khi chỉ để lại đặc điểm của Dump trên mắt và quần áo. Trên thực tế, tôi muốn bao gồm đặc điểm là răng của Dump bị mất, nhưng thực sự nó đã đi quá xa. Nhưng tôi nghĩ tôi muốn thêm tàn nhang vào thời điểm Dump xuất hiện, tôi đã không thấy nó trong một cảnh quan trọng của Chủ tịch D.

Teramoto: Bạn có thể nhìn thấy nó khi cậu ấy khóc.

Shimogasa: Vâng, khi cậu ấy khóc

Aihara: Một thông tin tuyệt vời.

Shimogasa: À, tôi nghĩ rằng cảnh hay nhất của Dump là cảnh cậu khóc và nói "Cậu là người duy nhất mà tôi nói chuyện cùng..." tôi nghĩ nếu đạo diễn nhận ra và đạo diễn sẽ nói: "Tôi muốn để khuôn mặt khóc đó làm với Tổng thống D bằng mọi giá ".

Teramoto: Tất nhiên rồi

Aihara: Cảnh cậu ấy khóc thật dễ thương !！

----- Nhân vật yêu thích của Aihara là ai?

Aihara: Đó là Joker-san. Tôi cũng thích Phoenix (* Kaitou dùng lửa, nhắm vào thần thú Hosshi và Joker), nhưng sau tất cả, Joker vẫn là cool nhất. Cậu ấy nhảy xuống từ đỉnh tháp trong OP và cậu ấy thực sự rất cool với cái áo choàng. Về OP, tôi có xu hướng bỏ qua OP ngay sau khi đã xem một lần, nhưng tôi không thể làm thế với OP này.

Shimogasa: Tôi cũng thế.

Aihara: Thư thông báo thay đổi theo từng tập phải không? (※ Thư thông báo xuất hiện lúc mở đầu OP và thường thay đổi theo mỗi tập).

Teramoto: Đó là niềm vui với những người thực hiện phải không?

Aihara: Đoạn đọc thư thông báo được đưa ra tại thời điểm đó rồi đến phần cao trào của bài hát một lần nữa đều thật tuyệt.

Teramoto: Nó đã từng có trong anime "Blue Comet SPT Layzner", đoạn hội thoại theo Digest-style của mỗi tập xuất hiện ở giữa OP. Nó là thú vị và tôi thích cách chỉ đạo thực hiện nó. Có một phần có gợi ý từ "Layzner"

Aihara: Ồ! Layzner, ra là vậy!

Interview Online part 2

Will continue translate vol 15 chapter 1 part 2

-----------------------------

――So, what is Teramoto 's favorite character?

Teramoto: I like Silver Heart because I like a father. Every time, it seemed hard to think of the explanation corner, but everyone in the scenario writer enjoyed it and joined the plan, the scenario meeting was very exciting

Aihara: If I thought Silver Heart's explanation would come, I was surprised to feel like "Eh? This time Spade came!"

Teramoto: It was fun to get a different person occasionally

Aihara: Really very fine

Teramoto: Also, as a character may not be popular, but I like Mr. Kaneari

Aihara: That sounds good! It is surprising that beautiful secretary Kaneko was turned into as a super strong Commando Satsuko.

Teromoto: Actually, when I started making anime, Commando Satsuko was not in the original manga. In such circumstances, I gave Mr. Kaneari a original anime character called Kaneko. Then, that intense character (Commando Satsuko) comes out suddenly in the Manga, and will marry Kaneari. I am already surprised. What should I do about Kaneko's position? So, Commando Satsuko appeared from Kaneko with a hardship measure.

Aihara: No, but it's wonderful

Teramoto: Rather, Takahashi sensei who forgave that is wonderful.

――After all, did Takahashi sensei put out OK soon?

Teramoto: He told me "it was interesting, is not it?"

Aihara: That's great

Teromoto: His heart is too wide, right?

Shimogasa: On the other hand, Takahashi-sensei sometimes reimports elements of Anime back in Manga.

Teromoto: Oh yeah. Sky Joker's design

Shimogasa: I was surprised at the manga that time.

Aihara: Was the original Sky Joker originally a different design?

Teromoto: That's right. However, Takahashi-sensei liked the design of the Anime very much. During the serialization, the former airship was destroyed grandly and the same design as anime started from the next month. ( *Original Sky Joker was destroyed in Dracula arc vol. 19 )

Aihara: Sensei has good looking

Teramoto: I was surprised when see myself in the original manga. "I am with anime!"

Teramoto: Joker really is cute when he said can not live if there are no Hachi around. With other stories, in Traveling Joker he was really cool.

Aihara: I understand. A story about Joker and Shadow time-travel back to Edo period. It was similar to the movie version

Teramoto: I kept a close eye when making it

Shimogasa: I also like "Traveling · Jokers". Boiled Carey is delicious...

Teramoto: Also, "Idol · Stage" was also interesting. Stupid stories are still fun.

Shimogasa: After all the last episode.

Teramoto: It was pleasant that everyone was happy at the end.

Aihara: It really wonderful

―― So, what scenes are you into?

Aihara: There are lots ... ... The scene that Phoenix is becoming a black pita pita suit after he is caught is cool

Shimogasa: That scene, do you feel excited?

Aihara: Well, I do not know if I can tell you, but ... it's so erotic

Shimogasa: When I saw the scenario or the story, there was a scene where Phoenix (masks and some costumes) is off and I was really happy when I decided to draw the settings there.

Teramoto: Yeah, that scene is really good

Shimogasa: I really like to apply it based on the basic settings. I have clothed a new costume, but I like removing things and peeling already already. I also like such things like putting a jacket on my shoulder, on the way I am wearing it, only a shirt, and removing a tie. I always have a chance to draw it.

Teramoto: The character of Joker has a low degree of exposure, so it is sexy even if you take off a little.

Aihara: That's right! I will be excited

Shimogasa: Incidentally, I wanted to draw the appearance of Spade who took off his coat ... ... There was not much chance.

――The voice acting team was also luxurious

Teramoto: I thought that the voice of a boy was in charge of a female voice actor, but when I was auditioning for Joker role, I heard the voice of Ayumu Murase and felt "This is this person!" . The staffs around me also decided "Murase-san is not good" and decided. By the way, Hiroki Shimono who is the role of Spade is decided by not being covered with voice of Murase and not being covered with voice tone, so that it is better to know that it is Spade just by listening to the voice.

Aihara: Wow, that was right.

Teramoto: If it's another role ..... There is a very good image about Hachi and I decided to say "I would like to ask Yumiko Kobayashi-san".

Aihara: You were nominated.

Teramoto: I appreciate it.

Aihara: It is perfect

Teramoto: Miyuki Sawashiro who is a role of Queen started at the beginning but the schedule did not suit at first, but since it was empty by accident It seems that she did.

Shimogasa: It is really gorgeous.

Teromoto: Misaki Kuno, the role of Roko has come to receive an audition with other characters, but when I heard her voice "This is Roko-chan, isn't it?" So I hurriedly asked her to play Roko in the original line. Then the people around the staff became "Oh, it's Roko," and the role was decided as it was.

Aihara: Great. That's how it is decided.

――Do you have any stories you would like to work on if you can afford to animate it?

Teromoto: Of course there are still a lot of interesting stories I would like to animate it If I have the opportunity. Because I told that Blue-ray version appears in the first place but it did not come out at all, I thought that I had no chance at all and I was giving up already. Then I am really pleased that it will finally be released

Aihara: Moreover, the benefits will increase by the number of reservations!

Teramoto: The cover illustration of the box is also cool. Please let me put such a lot of characters.

―― Finally, in releasing the Blue-ray · DVD that was decided to be released this time, I would like a word from everyone to the fans.

Teramoto: It's a bit of a thing to say by myself, but I think that it's an Anime that makes me happy when I watch it. It was a happy feeling when we were making it, and it was a work that all the creators truly loved. I think that enjoyment will be conveyed to everyone who will surely see. It is a work that makes me absolutely fun and happy, so I'm happy if you can watch and enjoy it again and again.

Shimogasa: I think that it is a work that you can really enjoy as animation. Nowadays there are quarrel that many works do not allow ruin characters, but Kaitou Joker has freely drawn wide and wide. Works that can be done like that are very pleasant, from the animation. I want you to enjoy the movement and directing of characters unique to anime.

Aihara: Oh, Er, I'm a bird? Well, a bit comfortable comment ... .... Anyway the animation did not ruin, it is really cool. As Shimogasa-san say it animation very good, so i want to tell at people who are looking by a glance like "This just like Anime for kids". No, It is different. Kaitou Joker is so amazing. A good adult is really hooked and goes hooked. So your kids, of course, People of parent generation also want it. I will also watch it from now on.

――Thank you very much！

2 notes · View notes

illustration-ammuntion · 3 years

Text

Cursed Inc.

I enjoy writing comic book scripts, but found that I don’t have the patience to illustrate them. So I’ve decided to upload my latest one here. You are free to do what you want with it. Draw it, critique it, sketch characters from it, whatever. Just tag me. If you do critique it, it sucks isn’t a critique. Reasons it sucks and how I can improve is a critique.

Cursed Inc.

Page 1

Panel 1.

We are looking through binoculars at 4 individuals coming out of a door at the end of a dead-end neon-soaked alley, there are air conditioners, pipes, and wires everywhere. Anything happening in the alley should be lit by the harsh neon lighting until otherwise noted. The one in front, (looking like the security he is) is a large green orc covered in runic tattoos and wearing lots of bone jewelry with symbols and runes carved into them. On his lower half he’s wearing fatigue’s and boots, on his upper half he just wears a plate carrier. He carries a military looking rifle thar can be based on a real rifle or something made up. Behind him is a being in a trench coated. His head is a flaming skull stuffed in a fishbowl helmet. There are tubes and wires coming out of the back of the helmet running down to boxy satchel slung over his shoulder like an oversized purse. You can’t see his hands in this shot, but when you do se them they are robotic. Behind him are two individuals. A chubby man (Dwane) with long hair that’s been dyed blond, the dark roots are starting to show. He carries a very basic rifle with a wood stock and scope. There are runes carved in the stock. Next to him is a dumpy looking female (Halley). She also has died blond hair. We can see that they have elfin ears, but if they are ever shown close up, you should be able to see that the ears are bad plastic surgery that are pretty scarred. They are both wearing what looks like Adidas track suits, but instead of the three stripes running down the sides it’s one solid white with intermittent arcane symbols.

Andi (OP): There here. Looks like 4 of them.

Panel 2.

We are up on a rooftop looking down at a sniper who’s looking down through her scope. She has blond hair, a nice red jacket with tight black pants. If we can see her ears, she’s an elf with delicate but aloof features.

Joni: I see them. The heavy looks like he’s wearing some serious runic protection.

Panel 3.

We are inside a dingy hotel room. There is a girl, Andi, looking through the monocular holding a walkie-talkie. She has a short pixie cut and is wear jeans, a hoody (hood up), and a black pair of Chucks. We may or may not be able to see it, but she has a 1911 strapped to her right hip. She is facing left looking out the window in front of her. Off to her right sits a large shadowy figure we only see in silhouette. This is Ed. He has a massive shaggy head. He’s definitely not human.

Ed: I can take him!

Page 2

Panel 1.

Andi looking over at us with a serious look on her face.

Andi: Not yet. I need you to concentrate Ed. Do you remember the plan?

Ed (OP): I remember.

Andi: Good.

Panel 2.

Andi talking into the walkie-talkie again.

Andi: You think you can take him out?

Joni (OP): Possibly.

Andi: …sigh… You ready Matthew?

Panel 3.

On a back-alley balcony. We see what looks like the moth man with a mohawk dressed like an 80’s punker. His wings stick out of the back of a jean battle vest covered with patches and pins. He wear’s no pants or shoes. Definitely a guy who’s down to talk about how The Man is keeping him down. He’s holding a mechanical device about the size of a bowling ball that has a satchel sling that he wears over his shoulder while he talks into his walkie-talkie.

Matthew: You take out the heavy and I am.

Panel 4.

Close up of Andi talking into her walkie-talkie.

Andi: 10-4. Joni, take the shot. Ed, get ready just in case.

Page 3

Panel 1.

Side shot of Joni looking through her rifle. She is very put together. Flashy earrings and her nails are manicured.

Panel 2

We are looking at the orc through Joni’s scope. The cross hairs are on the orc’s forehead.

Joni: Damn…

Panel 3.

Glory shot of the orc.

Joni (OP): …you are a big boy.

Page 4

Panel 1.

Close up on Joni’s finger pulling the trigger.

Sfx: tkk

Panel 2.

SFX: BOOM

The sound effect is attached to the previous panels tkk sound effect to show they are happening almost simultaneously.

Panel 3.

The orcs head being slammed back from the impact of the bullet. Mouth open spittle flying. No blood.

Panel 4.

Close on Joni squinting through her scope.

Joni: He’s down.

Page 5

Panel 1.

Close up on Andi looking through her binoculars out the window.

Andi: But is he out?

Panel 2.

The orc angrily siting up.

Andi (OP): Nope! Not out.

Panel 3.

The orc is getting up pointing back at the skull guy.

Orc: Get him out of here!

Panel 4.

Andi yelling at the dark shape that is Ed while she gestures at the window.

Andi: You got you’re wish. Go!

Page 6

Panel 1.

We finally see Ed. He is leaping through the window to attack the orc below. He is surrounded by shards of glass that glitter and reflect the surrounding neon. He has a large muscular man body with head of a maned lion. He is wearing jeans and boots. Around his neck is a large green crystal on a heavy gold chain.

Page 7

Panel 1.

The blonds are grabbing skull head escorting/dragging him back towards the door.

Guy 1: Come on boss, let’s go!

Skull: I am not running from his goons! Dwane, take care that sniper! Halley, give Orson some focus!

Panel 2

Ed landing in front of the orc

Panel 3

Skull head has his robotic hand on the female (Halley) blond in the track suit’s shoulder as she shoots blue bolts of energy at Orson the orc. The Dwane is aiming up and off panel firing his AR looking rifle.

Panel 4

Joni is taking fire from street level. She is grabbing her rifle backing away from the bullets pinging around her.

Page 8

Panel 1

Ed flying towards the Orson the orc who looks like he’s more muscular than before as he’s being energized in blue lighting from off panel.

Page 9

Panel 1.

Caption: The day before.

We see Andi sitting in a very nice office. Behind the desk in front of her is a goblin (Heezer) in a suit.

Andi: Absolutely not. The job is worth twice that if not more.

Panel 2.

Close up on a smug mockingly apologetic Heezer:

Heezer: I’m sorry Andi. Maybe last year when you had a reputation. Now… well, you’re welcome to go find employment somewhere else. Maybe someone else is willing to take a risk on you without Ed.

Panel 3.

Close up on an angry looking Andi.

Andi: Damn you Heezer! Ed is still part of the crew.

Panel 4.

Smug looking Heezer.

Heezer: Tell you what, bring Edward in here and I’ll double the price.

Panel 5.

Close up on a furious Andi.

Andi: Damn you Heezer!

Panel 6.

Close up on a sneering Heezer.

Heezer: Rebuild your reputation. Bring me the artifact.

Page 10

Panel 1.

We see Andi running down some stairs. The walls are covered in graffiti. She is screaming into her walkie-talkie.

Andi: Matthew, get down there and shut the artifact down!

Panel 2.

Matthew fiddling with his doohickey as he talks on the walkie-talkie.

Matthew: I’m not going down there you have Ed clear the way.

Panel 3.

We se the Orc who is in full on hulk mode giving Ed an uppercut that is knocking him straight up into the air.

Panel 4.

Andi bursting through a graffiti covered door into the alley.

Andi: Damn it Matthew, we need that him down now!

Panel 5.

Andi running towards the battle between Ed and Orson.

Andi: Nobody get’s paid unless we turn in the artifact! Do your damn jobs!

Page 11

Panel 1.

We see Matthew talking into his walkie-talkie looking off panel.

Matthew: It’s way to hairy down there for me. At least have Joni take out the sniper.

Panel 2.

Joni crouching behind a larger roof mounted air conditioner that is taking in coming fire.

Joni: Incoming fire always has the right of way!

Panel 3.

Orson is on top of Ed just beating the hell out of him.

Panel 4.

Full body shot of Andy pulling off her hood. She looks pissed. We see tentacles starting to manifest through her clothing.

Andi: Do I have to do everything myself?

Page 12

Panel 1.

Close up on Andi’s hands she is flexing it into a claw as a tentacle starts to appear from her wrist. This can be one or two panels showing each hand and tentacle set. Depends how artists feel the overall page should flow

Panel 2.

Andi now has tentacles coming out from each wrist one from each thigh lifting her off the ground. The tentacles ignore clothes and where the state from the body they are semi-transparent. She is reaching out with her tentacles grabbing at Orson. Pulling him off of Ed by the throat.

Page 13

Panel 1.

The flaming skull points off panel ordering Halley to attack Andi.

Skull: Stop her!

Panel 2.

Halley is firing Red bolts of lightning from her hands now. Skully still has his hands on her shoulder.

Panel 3.

Andi who is holding Orson in the air is being engulfed in red lightning from off panel. It doesn’t feel good to either her or Orson.

Page 14

Panel 1.

Close up on Andi’s face as she wears a grimace of pain from electrocution.

Andi: Damn it Matthew!

Panel 2.

A bloody looking Ed looking of panel with furry in his eyes.

Ed: Grrr!

Panel 3.

Ed rushing towards Skully and Halley.

Skully: Dwane!

Panel 4.

Dwane now firing at Ed.

Ed getting hit by rifle fire. The bullets ripping into Ed aren’t going to kill him, but they aren’t making him happy.

Page 15

Panel 1.

Joni popping up from behind the shredded air conditioner starting to aim off panel.

Joni: Finally!

Panel 2.

Andi has released Orson and has brought all four tentacles in front of her to use as a shield to block the red electricity from Dwane.

Panel 3.

Orson who no longer looks like he’s in Hulk mode without the blue electricity, has recovered from being strangled by Joni is rushing back to grabbing a shot up and bleeding Ed.

Page 16

Panel 1.

Close up on Joni looking at us through her rifle scope.

Joni: Se ya poser.

Panel 2.

Dwane getting blasted back by a shot to the chest. It’s lifting him off his feet a bit.

Joni (OP): Gotcha! You’re up Matthew!

Panel 3.

Matthew finally getting up off his railing, palming the doohickey like a basketball.

Matthew: Fine.

Panel 4.

Matthew flying down towards Skully.

Page 17

Panel 1.

We see Orson and Ed locked in battle. Orson is definitely on the losing end of things. In the background is Skully and Halley throwing electricity.

Page 18

Panel 1

Matthew landing at Skully’s feet who still has his hand on Halley who is firing electricity of panel. She doesn’t notice Matthew, but Skully is looking down at Matthew.

Panel 2.

Matthew looking up at us pressing a button on the doohickey.

SFX: click

Matthew: Hi.

Panel 3

Mathew leaping off panel leaving the doohickey at Skully’s feet. Skully is watching him leave.

Panel 4.

Skully looking down at the doohickey.

Skully: What the-

Panel 5.

SFX (big

bold lettering): CLICK!

Page 19

Panel 1.

All neon light is out in the alley. It’s not completely dark, but there isn’t much light anymore. Skully is collapsing next to a surprised looking Halley.

Skully: Damn it!

Panel 2.

Andi is pulling out her .45 as she runs past Ed who is literally tearing out Orson’s throat with his teeth.

Andi: Damn it Edward! You don’t eat people! We’ve talked about this!

Panel 3.

We are looking up at a blood-soaked Ed who looks sorry.

Ed: Sorry Andi...

Panel 4.

Andi standing in front of Haley aiming her gun at her. Halley stands there her hands out like she might shoot more electricity of them, but she looks very unsure. Skully lays in a crumpled heap at her feet.

Andi: Stand down. If you get your boyfriend to a hospital now, they might be able to save him.

Page 20

Panel 1.

We are behind Halley looking down at Dwane who is clutching his chest laying in a pool of his own blood.

Halley: He’s… my husband.

Andi (OP): Well you’re gonna’ be his widow if you don’t get a move on.

Panel 2.

Andi looking down at Skully talking on her walkie-talkie. Behind her is Halley who is trying to deal with her husband.

Andi: Everyone, re-group on me.

Panel 3.

Andi is reaching down on us as if we were Skully.

Andi: For what it ‘s worth, you were worth a lot more than 500 credits.

Panel 4.

Andi is now holding the fishbowl helmet that holds the helmet. Ed is approaching off panel.

Skully: 500 credits!? Heezer is a cheap bastard, but that’s ridiculous!

Panel 5.

Andi handing Skully and the satchel he’s connected to, to Ed.

Andi: Take him to the truck, I’ll be there in a second.

Page 21.

Panel 1.

Joni and Matthew walking up to Andi. In the background we see Halley trying to drag her husband off by the armpits.

Andi: Ed and are taking the artifact in for payment. Meet us back at the shop for payment. I want an itemized list of expenses from both of you.

Panel 2.

Andi pointing at Joni.

Andi: I heard two shots, don’t bill me for anything more.

Joni: Whatever Andi. I’ll bill you for the shots I took. Just like always.

Andi: Yeah.

Panel 3.

No Andi is pointing at Matthew.

Andi: We are a team. I expect a little quicker response time out of you.

Panel 4.

Close up on Matthew.

Matthew: Pay me what I’m worth and maybe you’ll get a team player.

Andi: I pay you according to what I get payed. Step it up, and maybe we’ll get payed more.

Panel 5.

Both Matthew and Joni walking away in separate directions leaving Joni to stand there.

Matthew: Whatever. Don’t blame us for your problems. I’m not taking a bullet for this outfit.

Page 22

Panel 1

Ed is carrying Skully as he approaches a very banged up A-Haul moving truck.

Skully: Huh, haven’t seen that in a long time.

Panel 2.

Ed lifting the door to the back of the truck. Skully is looking at the crystal that hangs from his neck.

Skully: The amulet of Oondar.

Panel 3.

Ed sitting down sulking in the back of the truck.

Ed: It’s the Crystal of Skoor.

Skully: Skoor must have stolen it from Oondar. I should know, I made it for Oondar.

Panel 4.

Close up on a sulky looking Ed.

Ed: Shut up. You don’t know jack.

Panel 5.

Close up on the grinning skull.

Skully: If you say so my good Guardian.

Page 23

Panel 1.

A confused looking Ed.

Ed: What did you call me?

Panel 2.

Andi his getting into the drivers set of the truck now.

Andi: Edward! Quit chatting with the artifact. Are we good to go to Heezer straight away, or do I need to stop off at the infirmary first?

Ed: What?

Panel 3.

Close up on an annoyed looking Andi.

Andi: Payment or infirmary Edward! Which is it?

Ed: Oh… Uh payment is fine. I’m healing ok, I guess.

Panel 4.

We are looking through the windshield of the truck. Andi looks like she is in a really bad mood.

Andi: Well that’s something at least.

Panel 5.

The truck driving off.

Andi (OP): Maybe we’ll even break even on this one.

#my writing #orcs #mothman #comic book scripts #scripts #sniper #urban warfare #neon noir #shadowrun-ish

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recurring-polynya · 4 years

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It is time, once again, friends, for me to watch a Bleach Filler Arc and tell you about it. It is time for the Zanpakutou Rebellion.

I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do this one for a number of reasons, but we watched the second episode last night, and it featured Rukia and Renji fighting back-to-back, and sorry fam, we’re doing this, you’re getting the full force of my zanpakutou spirit headcanons whether you want them or not.

Chrome updated and stopped letting me take screenshots a while ago and I am too lazy to figure out another way, so I figured it would be easier to just illustrate these myself. Let’s see how this goes.

Okay, one thing up front. My attitude towards Bleach filler has always been that it’s just for fun, and it’s up to you, the reader/viewer, whether you want to take any of it as canon or not. I, personally, do not accept this story arc as canon, but I honestly don’t care if you do. My main problem is that I don’t think zanpakutou spirits should be humanoid as a rule, although I do headcanon that most zanpakutou can choose how to manifest themselves, and so they may have a humanoid representation, but that’s not necessarily how they usually appear, which also explains why a lot of the shinigami has trouble recognizing their zanpakutou. I also think Muramasa made Hozukimaru put on that skirt, Hozukimaru has the demeanor of a being who does not believe in pants of any variety.

Anyway, as usual, I am ahead of myself. We starts in a cave that looks exactly like the cave from the Bount arc, with some ominous stuff, but I don’t care, I want to talk about Byakuya! Fighting! Renji!

I think every filler arc has an OP with Byakuya fighting Renji that never actually happens, but right here! First episode! Byakuya fighting Renji while Squad 6 stands around and jeers! Kyouraku and Ukitake are here, too, for some reason! It’s super lit! Byakuya stops paying attention halfway through, but he wins anyway and negs Renji a little, and Renji thanks him for the fight very earnestly and Kyouraku and Ukitake tell Renji he did a good job. This is honestly all I want out of Bleach filler. This is my happy place. Thank you, Zanpakutou Arc for these beautiful Squad 6 hijinks.

As if I weren’t on a big enough high, now we cut to Squad 10, where Matsumoto is lounging on the Crash Couch. Hinamori and Isane come in to hand-deliver an invtation to a vice-captains meeting (Aren’t they just… like… on Wednesdays?) and to complain about their zanpakutou (boy, I wish we got to see Isane’s zanpakutou in this arc!! But no!!) Matsumoto, once again, claims to be training for bankai, mostly by complaining a lot. Hitsugaya grumps around, grumpily.

All of this is so, so perfect, I just need a trip with Iba to the shinigami pub, but instead, everyone gets a mysterious invitation from the Captain Commander to come to Soukyoku Hill at midnight. Really? I would not go.

Regardless, everyone goes. This scene is great because there are too many characters standing around and this is filler meaning the animators phoned it in, so whenever one character is talking, there are at least three people in the background not moving and making a facial expression that does not go with whatever else is going on. For example, Sasakibe shows up and falls over, and his body is just… there. In the middle of everything. Also, it’s mostly captains and vice-captains, but also Ikkaku and Yumichika and Rukia are there. Someone’s like, “Hey, Ikkaku and Yumichika, why are you here?” and they’re like, “Uh, Zaraki and Yachiru are on a business trip” and then someone else is like “Hey, Rukia, why are you here?” and she just does Big Shrug Arms. This is perfect Big Filler Energy. They are here because we want to see their embodied zanpakutou spirits obviously, why must you demand explanations?

Anyway, Muramasa shows up in hall his Hot Topic glory and waves his scary fingernails and cries blood and announces that all the zanpakutou have rebelled. Then follows a hilarious scene where everyone tries to do their releases and it doesn’t work.

Episode ends/next episode begins.

Ichigo is bouncing around Karakura, like he does, when Rukia falls out of a senkaimon in the sky. (They can make them next to the ground, I don’t know why they never do) Sode no Shirayuki then shows up and it takes Ichigo a phenomenally long amount of time to figure out who she is. To be honest, I would love if this arc went in the direction that Shirayuki has it out for Ichigo for taking Rukia’s powers (Zanpakutou Headcanon #2: Zanpakutou spirits have zero perspective outside of their shinigami being the most important thing in the world to them, and Shirayuki, especially brainwashed Shirayuki, would love to take a piece out of Ichigo. Obvs, they would become best friends after Ichigo defeats her, as is his way).

After being suitable ominous, Shirayuki ollies out, and Ichigo takes Rukia back to the Shoten for Orihime-heals and flashbacks.

Rukia recaps back to Soukyoku Hill, except this time, Renji’s the only one trying fruitlessly to do his release. One reading of this, is that it’s just a recap, we don’t need to see all this again, except that then they cut to Byakuya making the Mariah Carey “I don’t know her face” for like, 10 whole seconds, and it’s sublime.

Anyway, everyone starts fighting, and Ikkaku tries to attack Komamura’s zanpakutou, which is such a colossally bad idea. I am always hoping that they will kill off characters during filler arcs and then have them be inexplicably alive later, like they used to do on Teen Titans GO! and I absolutely would have offed Ikkaku at this point if I were in charge. The zanpakutou spirits start absolutely trashing the Seireitei, mostly setting things on fire and causing ice avalanches, and just generally going bananas. I really wish there had been a montage of someone cutting heads off parking meters and spray painting “Fuck the Central 46” on the side of Squad 1, but no.

We then see Rukia and Renji running around, fighting together, and I ascended. This is all I ever want. Bless this arc. They get attacked by Sasakibe’s Gonryuu (I wish there was a running gag of no one knowing who he is, and maybe there is, later, I don’t remember) and Hisagi’s Kazeshini, who is the best zanpakutou in this whole arc, he is an unhinged Nightcrawler with sick abs and I love him. I don’t remember what happened next, because I was so distracted by my OTP doing Battle Couple, but Byakuya shows up, standing on a tower (dude likes standing on a tall thing almost as much as Rukia does), so of course, we have to do “Nii-sama!” “Taichou!” B L E S S.

Then Senbonzakura shows up, also standing on a tall rooftop, dunh dunh DUNH! It’s too bad that the Fullbringer arc sort of ruins this because the whole time, I was like “just nail him in the safety zone,” and honestly, Byakuya having a “safety zone” is… well, it’s kinda lame when you say it out loud. Anyway, Rukia flips out, and Renji’s like, “no, no, I’m sure he’s fine,” and then they get avalanched by Sode no Shirayuki and that’s all Rukia remembers.

As usual, no one is the least bit concerned for Renji, but honestly, if anyone can survive being repeatedly Senbonzakured and Hakurened, it’s that guy.

There’s a part where Rukia is telling this story and Ichigo puts his hand on his chest, and you can see the little wheels in his head turning, like, “where do I keep my zanpakutou? Is it here? What is the ‘heart’?”

Yoruichi shows up to provide more exposition, as is her Filler Arc duty, and they establish that the rebellion seems to have only gone as far as Soul Society.

Ichigo goes home to sleep in his clothes, but the Mod Souls show up to tell him that Rukia went back to Soul Society in the middle of the night. Man, the Mod Souls are in this arc, W H Y ? ? ?

Urahara agrees to send Ichigo to Soul Society why WHY W H Y would you send the guy with the awesomest and most DNGAF zanpakutou to the place where the zanpakutou are rebelling??? At this point, if I hadn’t seen this before, I would definitely assume that Urahara was behind all of this.

Some other points: Why would you not take Chad and Ishida and Orihime (and Yoruichi, for that matter), people with powers who don’t have zanpakutou? Truly, I tell you, Chad does not mind being woken up for this, and Ishida would love the chance to smugly show up and lecture a bunch of powerless shinigami. Also, if I were in Bleach, you better bet my first reaction to everything would be to ask Orihime to try to reject it, no matter how dumb it sounded. It’s worth a try! I would not go anywhere without Orihime. Orihime is the GOAT. Did we all forget the part in the Bount Arc where she killed some friggin’ ninja? I sure didn’t.

Anyway, that’s it for this time, keep tuning for next episode, where Ichigo will surely have regrets.

#bleach filler #zanpakutou rebellion arc #bad sketches #the inherent eroticism of fighting back-to-back with your bae #squad 10 couch #extremely specific things polynya loses her mind over

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asurayuuhaven · 5 years

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Chapter 73 - Reaction & Analysis

(Spoiler for Seraph of the End / Owari no Seraph, chapter 73, that isn’t translated to English yet. Do not click the “read more” below if you want to avoid spoiler)

We haven’t had any great chapter for many months, and it’s finally here. Frankly this chapter is one of the best OnS chapter for the whole year. And that’s not an understatement. The action sequence is glorious. It’s like what you’ll see in the end of the season in the anime.

So you all fellas better go grab the seat belt...

Because this going to be one hell of a ride

You know a chapter going to be hype when Asuramaru is on the cover, and he didn’t looks very happy there

Another Asuramaru focused chapter? Sign me tf up

We start with Yuu being a happy little dork as always and-

DID MIKA BLUSHED

THAT’S ADORABLE

I maybe get annoyed by Mika sometimes (actually, a lot) but I love it when Mika shows his positive, humanly side like this

That being said, I still hate his obsession over Yuu

Yuu, Mika, Guren, Shinya and Kureto talk about something idk not like I could have understand the discussion, so let’s skip that lmao

Apparently, Yuu is strong enough to control his “seraph mode” at will, and the wings alone could tear apart the bound that restrict him

(Though considering that Seraph!Yuu can pretty much destroy the whole city easily, that’s not a big surprise)

FIVE MINUTES AND CHILLING

THEN WE’RE ALREADY ON THE HYPE TRAIN

LOOK AT THAT

SHIKAMA DOJI IS FREAKING BEHIND YUU

I got a bad feeling about this

FUCKING HELL REEEEEE

These, guys, these....

These.... are what I called as.... “the hype page”

It’s when Kagami gives a freaking goosebump over what’s gonna be happen on this freaking chapter

....And ironically, it’s VERY similar to the scene where Asuramaru confront Yuu at the manga chapter where he fought against Mirai

(This one, here, below)

Coincidence?

I really don’t think so

I can’t believe this

We’re living in a timeline where Shikama Doji, who’s pretty much the most powerful character on the series so far, and the “big bad villain” who control everything, who’s behind the whole fucking plot of the whole story, as the grand mastermind and the very first progenitor of all vampire....

....is confronting Ashera....

Who is, what we can consider, his favorite child

....Words cannot describe how hyped I am....

AND LOOK AT ASURAMARU THERE

MY BOY, THAT’S A BATTLE STANCE

HE’S GONNA WRECK HIS ASS

*announcer voice*

DEATH BATTLE! ONE MINUTE MELEE!

ASURAMARU VERSUS SHIKAMA DOJI!

Also anyone realized how he pull the sword outta his own body?

Well, apparently, that’s one of many thing that he could do

We finally see Asuramaru showing his true combat capability

Can we appreciate how badass he is there?

Hand down the most badass demon

Whoa whoa wait a minute

Shikama Doji throw his scythe, Asuramaru dodged...

AND HE CAN MAKE ANOTHER SCYTHE?

TWO OF THEM?

INSTANTLY!?

This guy is OP as heck, nerf pls

Oh my god

Let’s get a better look at that

THICC SHOTA TRAP DEMON THIGH

(lol jk that’s not what I wanna discuss here)

Apparently, Asuramaru is fast enough to react against TWO attacks at once, from two different direction

....Even Krul Tepes couldn’t do that, as shown that when Ferid and Crowley attack her at the same time, she’s distracted

Not to mention how Asuramaru attacked FOUR times in a second, against freaking death scythe of doom flying at ballistic speed

My boy is strong af

OHHHH MY GOOOOD

HE HIT HIM!

Also that special ability whoa

I can’t wait until Yuu can master that ability

So apparently, Asuramaru got more than one “special move” other than Asura Kannon to use.

Remember, Shinoa and Mitsuba said that “possession type” demon cannot use “special ability” and thus, the fact that Asuramaru (and Kiseki-o) can use special abilities, are exceptionally rare, nearly impossible.

Now we got to see that Asuramaru can do ANOTHER ability

AND WHAT CANONICALLY HURT SHIKAMA DOJI

...This is Shikama Doji that we talked about....

If you didn’t remember, Shikama Doji is someone who’s freaking goddamn powerful, not even Kureto with help of Raimeki AND Mirai’s Abaddon could even land a single scratch

And Asuramaru manage to hurt him

Reminder that Asuramaru is strong as hell

Oh no

Shi, please be nice

F U C K

Goddammit nooooo

My precious shota trap demon.. ;A;

Apparently, being bitten by Shikama Doi makes Asuramaru remember his past, which makes sense because he used to be his master

(Either that, or it’s just an illustration)

But what is that.... box.... thing?

Is that some kind of prison?

Apparently, Shikama Doji try to cut off his communication with Yuu, because we immediately switch to the scene where Yuu appeared

Annnnnd there you go

Some more Yuunoa moment for those who shipped them

So uhh... I couldn’t understand the dialogue (of course) but it seems that Yuu is in dire condition since he shouted at Shinoa before, probably asking about what the heck is happening

And Yuu seemingly tried to try to contact Asuramaru, but he couldn’t, which makes him went panic as he realized that something terribly wrong is happening right now

HOLY FUCK

GET THE FREAKING HYPE CANNON READY GUYS

YUU IS CONFRONTING SHIKAMA DOJI!!! o_O

AGHHHHHH

GODDAMMIT

Asuramaru is suffering and Shikama Doji give us the “come get me” face

Oh my god

My heart cannot take this

Look at them

I just.... cannot....

;w;

But ironically, VERY IRONICALLY, this is 90% similar to my headcanon on where Shikama Doji will visit Yuu and Asuramaru at certain chapter in the future. And at that time, Shikama Doji will awaken the forgotten memory of Ashera. Then, Yuu will try to save Ashera... in a pretty much NEARLY IDENTICAL visualization that depicted here on the canon

So apparently, Kagami and I think similarly

THEY’RE BAAAAACK TOGETHER

Oh god this makes me so happy

I mean, Asuramaru and Yuu working together to fight against Shikama Doji is pretty much the BIGGEST EVER PLOT DEVELOPTMENT IN THE WHOLE FUCKING STORY SO FAR

Like, hell.... this is a big jump on the plot

It’s like they’re gonna face the final boss

(Also wait.....)

We got a canon height comparison of Yuu and Asuramaru, at last!

My precious smol demon is so smol hahaha

But in all seriousness, let me appreciate this panel. Look at how they stand together, side by side,

Yuu, with Asuramaru... someone who used to be just a normal rookie in the army with his sword, is going far enough to get here.

The two are indeed friend, perhaps almost like a family, but I never imagine for them to stand by side like a comrade in battle, fighting against the big bad villain together like this

Honestly.... it’s an amazing development

God bless this chapter

According to a rough translation that I seen somewhere before, Shikama Doji said that seeing Yuu and Ashera being together makes him felt nostalgic.

Will we able to finally see the truth behind Yuu and Asuramaru? Will the next chapter going to be the chapter that finally reveal their backstory when they’re still together thousands years ago?

BOOOOY THE HYPEEEE

So yeah, this chapter is amazing and it’s been a long year since we can finally some freaking big plot development (not just character development) with the great plus side of a really epic badass battle scene

Great chapter 10/10

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glass-closet · 6 years

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My DC experience

I had the good fortune to attend the Supernatural convention in DC (technically Arlington, Virginia) during my travels. Several people have been asking about my experience, so I’ll explain what happened in my experience.

The gold panel

I had gone gold for the purpose of witnessing the gold panel, even though I only attended on Sunday. Senseless, I know, but it is what it is. I had the intention of photographing the panel, but for some reason made the decision to do it on my phone instead of my camera. Poor judgement call.

The lads came on stage around 20-25 minutes late, I’m not quite certain. Jared explained to have overslept and warned that he’s feeling sleepy and very honest. The beginning of the panel had gay vibes coming at me in waves. Jared especially was acting like a queen, which is something I always love seeing.

The details of what was talked about escape me now, three days later, but I remember enjoying the hell out of it. Both of these fine gents were in a good mood and their interactions were highly entertaining. I was a little surprised to see them live - as you do whenever you see someone famous live. They were even more captivating than I could have imagined.

Jared’s photo op

I didn’t manage to score myself a Jensen op, so my ops began with Jared. I was feeling surprisingly mellow, considering the circumstances, and enjoyed watching Jared interacting with the fans from the queue. He’s a natural with people.

I was debating between getting a hug picture and getting a reverse prom pose. I decided on the latter. ABBA’s Dancing Queen started playing, and that no doubt affected my decision. I walked up to Jared, saying hello and explaining that “I wanted to do a prom pose...” at which point he was already turning me “-- with a twist! I want to be the boy!” He went “Oh!” with a smile and we assumed positions. It was over very quickly and I thanked him and turned to go.

A volunteer came up to me and explained someone had blinked and I would have to redo. I went to the end of the line, which was very short at that point. I came up to Jared and explained that we’d apparently have to redo and he just grabbed me into a tight hug. I didn’t have the chance to explain my pose or anything, but it was wonderful. I had just gotten that hug that I had been debating with myself. I told him he had made me gone all gooey inside and thanked him as I left.

Turned out I hadn’t blinked, but that both of the pictures turned out well. Score! Obviously I’m too much of a pussy to release my face here, so here are the cencored versions.

The afternoon panel

At this point of the day, I was feeling the social exhaustion and just hung out at the smoking spot during Sam Smith’s and JDM’s panel. Luckily I made it back just in time, gazing from the doorway as J2 hopped on stage while Jeff was still talking. I made a sprint to my spot and dug out my phone to photograph it all.

That decision didn’t last for very long, because all the pictures I took were of horrible quality and the more sensible thing to do was just to sit back and enjoy the show. I quit taking pictures within the first five minutes of the panel. Further illustrations will be of random panel pictures I took at random times.

The schedule had been running late since the morning, ever increasingly so. I was worried with the development - what was this about? How on Earth do these beautiful fellows manage these long days? My concerns subsided for a while as the jolly men took over the show and proceeded to entertain us.

I remember a case of face-touching and some statements that made me wonder. I will have to take a look at the videos to find out just what these statements were - it’s considerably harder to follow these panels live, as you lack the option of rewinding and pausing. Many of the questions from other fans made me groan, but there were some good ones as well. I seem to recall one of the fans introducing herself and saying something along the lines of “I love you, but I love your wives more,” which actually made me say WHATTT out loud. Yikes.

I felt that the panel was over far too soon. Neither of the men displayed the exhaustion I had expected, and listening to them talk was something I could have witnessed for the rest of the day. I recall Jared mentioning that he had had some trouble with motivation as of late, and that made me feel bad for the guys. I remember one of them mentioning that the loss of anonymity was something that’s hard about being famous. That gave me pause.

J2 photo op

I was among the first 50 people to get my J2 op. The guys were a bit late in appearing to the op room and I entertained myself with the possible reasons for that. I swore I would take a discreet sniff of them to determine if they reeked of sex, but as you probably figured, I didn’t remember that.

I didn’t really have the chance to observe them for a long time while I was in the line, as there was a curtain covering the set up. From what little I saw, I determined Jared was mostly in charge of the situation while Jensen went with the flow. That was pretty much what I had expected as well. When I walked up to them, something awful came out of my mouth without a warning; “Can I be in a J2 sandwich?” They laughed and assured me it’s possible. Somehow I ended up facing Jared, when I had the intention of facing Jensen due to my lack of a Jensen op.

Regardless of my regrettable change of heart at the last minute, I was very happy with the way this picture turned out. I stumbled out, thanking them and heading out for a calming cigarette.

The wait

It was going to be a very long wait until the autos. My friend @hotdamnj2 and I headed down for food and drinks (and cigarettes for me). After I while, I took her to the second floor where I had accidentally found out the green room was located. The floor was guarded by a Creation volunteer, whom I had charmed earlier into letting me use the bathroom on that floor. I had come across Louden Swain earlier on that floor as I was exiting the bathroom.

The sound of laughter and chatter was echoing from the green room as we made our turn to the restrooms. After we came back, a bodyguard was holding an elevator. I blanked for a second and walked straight into it, and the friendly man allowed us to take it. @hotdamnj2 understood right away what was happening and suggested that we stay by the elevators to see who’s coming down.

Moments later, Jensen exits the elevator on the wrong floor, accompanied by the same bodyguard and other personnel we had just seen. He gave us one of his charming smiles as he went back to the elevator. He was needed on the floor below for the photo ops with Misha. I will never forget that radiant smile!

The autographs

I had gotten all my photographs by this point and was ready to have a couple of seconds of interaction with both of the J’s. We went up to Samantha Smith first, whom I had a lovely chat with. I complimented her on her very pretty jacket and she complimented me on my name, which being Finnish, she found exotic. She got me smiling, it was brief but very lovely.

Next up was Jared. I brought my op for him to sign and proceeded to tell him how I had come all the way from Finland. He thought it was cool and surprising. Then he said “Are you Finnish?” to which I happily chirped “Yes, I am!”. Then he started laughing and apologizing and suddenly I understood the joke. I slumped my shoulders in faux disappointment and went “aww.” I thanked him, told him I loved him and exited while Jared was still giggling to himself.

@hotdamnj2 was in line after me and later told me Jared had been super embarrassed of his own joke and kept asking the volunteers “Why did I say that?” Luckily she had told him I didn’t mind it. I should have probably stuck around for a while longer, but I was determined to do my best to be neat and quick, to not clog up the lines and delaying J2 from going home after such a long day. I felt bad about my own reaction, as the faux nature of it was not necessarily easy to read as such!

We went straight to Jensen’s queue after that. I had so many things running through my mind that I was intending to quip. What came out instead, after Jensen fixed his eyes on me, was “Thank you very much!” and I was once again rushing off to be out of the way. @hotdamnj2 had to do damage control on my behalf once again and she had told Jensen that the op I had him sign had been wonderful.

Oh my. Hopefully I will do better when I meet them again at Rome next spring! Despite my embarrassing behaviour, I was very happy to have had this experience. I had such a wonderful time at the convention! I was also very happy to discover that I could keep my cool around J2 and that, as I had suspected, I was not one of those crying fangirl types. Until the next time!

#j2 tinhat #long post #sera does dc #dccon17 #my pictures

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poweredbydietcoke · 4 years

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Favorite books of 2019

A *very* late continuation of my annual tradition … finally got a push to finish this in case you’re looking for book ideas while we find ourselves with plenty of extra time during quarantine. I read a little less in 2019, maybe because I’m working on something new (and have a new kid) or maybe just because I’m getting lazy as I get older? 48 books total, of which 4 were tree books and 23 were audiobooks—I did spend more time in transit last year (yes, it’s possible to listen to audiobooks and talk to ATC at the same time!), but it felt more productive.

Without further ado, my favorite books. (affiliate links get donated to charity at the end of the year). I’ve included some highlights from Kindle books, but many of my favorites this year were audiobooks, where I haven’t found a great solution to highlighting (especially those I get from the library on a variety of crappy - but free! - services).

Destiny Disrupted, by Tamim Ansary - this was probably my favorite book of the year. I liked it so much I cold-emailed the author and invited him over for dinner, and we had a wonderful time with he & his wife and a bunch of friends. Fundamentally, the book is a history of the world told from the point of view of Islam; the point he makes, quite compellingly, was that there are really two (and probably more) different histories of the world, with the same facts, that just depend on your narrative. This is starting to play on a lot of things I’ve been trying to understand recently, including Ben Hunt’s Epsilon Theory and specifically, his idea of the Narrative Machine, and all of the theory of Common Knowledge that includes. And he does all this with an easy-to-read but well-researched writing style. If you like this one, I’m still working my way through his next one, The Invention of Yesterday, and so far so good.

A ruler can never trust a popular man with soldiers of his own. One day, Mansur invited Abu Muslim to come visit him and share a hearty meal. What happened next illustrates the maxim that when an Abbasid ruler invites you to dinner, you should arrange to be busy that night.

On the Sunni side, four slightly different versions of this code took shape, and the Shi’i developed yet another one of their own, similar to the Sunni ones in spirit and equally vast in scope. These various codes differ in details, but I doubt that one Muslim in a thousand can name even five such details.

Let me emphasize that the ulama were not (and are not) appointed by anyone. Islam has no pope and no official clerical apparatus. How, then, did someone get to be a member of the ulama? By gaining the respect of people who were already established ulama. It was a gradual process. There was no license, no certificate, no “shingle” to hang up to prove that one was an alim. The ulama were (and are) a self-selecting, self-regulating class, bound entirely by the river of established doctrine. No single alim could modify this current or change its course. It was too old, too powerful, too established, and besides, no one could become a member of the ulama until he had absorbed the doctrine so thoroughly that it had become a part of him. By the time a person acquired the status to question the doctrine, he would have no inclination to do so. Incorrigible dissenters who simply would not stop questioning the doctrine probably wouldn’t make it through the process.

If a man commits a grave sin, is he a non-Muslim, or is he (just) a bad Muslim? The question might seem like a semantic game, except that in the Muslim world, as a point of law, the religious scholars divided the world between the community and the nonbelievers. One set of rules applied among believers, another set for interactions between believers and nonbelievers. It was important, therefore, to know if any particular person was in the community or outside it.

Range, by David Epstein. Thomas Layton recommended this to me (he was reading a derivative work on how to coach basketball while applying this theory), and it was fun. The fundamental thesis is that you can split environments into “nice” and “wicked” learning environments. In nice environments, feedback is quick and accurate, and rewards specialization early (eg golf ... you can practice every possible shot by yourself). In wicked environments, feedback is delayed (if available at all), and the rules — let alone the situation — are fluid. This rewards “range”, or a variety of experiences (Epstein uses tennis as an example, but much of life is even more obvious). The return of the Renaissance Man (or Woman) — yay!

When I began to write about these studies, I was met with thoughtful criticism, but also denial. “Maybe in some other sport,” fans often said, “but that’s not true of our sport.” The community of the world’s most popular sport, soccer, was the loudest. And then, as if on cue, in late 2014 a team of German scientists published a study showing that members of their national team, which had just won the World Cup, were typically late specializers who didn’t play more organized soccer than amateur-league players until age twenty-two or later.

A recent study found that cardiac patients were actually less likely to die if they were admitted during a national cardiology meeting, when thousands of cardiologists were away; the researchers suggested it could be because common treatments of dubious effect were less likely to be performed.

Whether or not experience inevitably led to expertise, they agreed, depended entirely on the domain in question. Narrow experience made for better chess and poker players and firefighters, but not for better predictors of financial or political trends, or of how employees or patients would perform. The domains Klein studied, in which instinctive pattern recognition worked powerfully, are what psychologist Robin Hogarth termed “kind” learning environments. Patterns repeat over and over, and feedback is extremely accurate and usually very rapid.

...

In wicked domains, the rules of the game are often unclear or incomplete, there may or may not be repetitive patterns and they may not be obvious, and feedback is often delayed, inaccurate, or both.

When younger students bring home problems that force them to make connections, Richland told me, “parents are like, ‘Lemme show you, there’s a faster, easier way.’” If the teacher didn’t already turn the work into using-procedures practice, well-meaning parents will. They aren’t comfortable with bewildered kids, and they want understanding to come quickly and easily. But for learning that is both durable (it sticks) and flexible (it can be applied broadly), fast and easy is precisely the problem.

Programs like Head Start did give a head start, but academically that was about it. The researchers found a pervasive “fadeout” effect, where a temporary academic advantage quickly diminished and often completely vanished. On a graph, it looks eerily like the kind that show future elite athletes catching up to their peers who got a head start in deliberate practice.

Hilariously, predictors were willing to pay an average of $129 a ticket for a show ten years away by their current favorite band, while reflectors would only pay $80 to see a show today by their favorite band from ten years ago.

In the spring of 2001, Bingham collected twenty-one problems that had stymied Eli Lilly scientists and asked a top executive if he could post them on a website for anyone to see. The executive would only consider it if the consulting firm McKinsey thought it was a good idea. “McKinsey’s opinion,” Bingham recalled, “was, ‘Who knows? Why don’t you launch it and tell us the answer.’”

There was also a “perverse inverse relationship” between fame and accuracy. The more likely an expert was to have his or her predictions featured on op-ed pages and television, the more likely they were always wrong. Or, not always wrong. Rather, as Tetlock and his coauthor succinctly put it in their book Superforecasting, “roughly as accurate as a dart-throwing chimpanzee.”

Deep Work by Cal Newport - this was an easy listen while on a couple of long runs in Palm Springs during Indian Wells weekend, and definitely worth it. Like classics such as How to Win Friends And Influence People, there’s not a lot fundamentally groundbreaking here, but he articulates some really fundamental principles well enough that you stop and take notice and ask, “I know that ... why am I not doing that?” Now I just need to review my notes...

Age of Ambition, Chasing Fortune in China - Evan Osnos. I think Scott Cannon originally recommended this book to me, and it was fascinating. It’s a bit of a long, slow read but a lot of insight into China’s evolution over the last few decades. I’m not sure what I’ll do with this knowledge (or the many other China books I’ve read recently) but it feels important for the coming decades. If only I could learn Mandarin like Matt MacInnis

Every country has corruption, but China’s was approaching a level of its own. For those at the top, the scale of temptation had reached a level unlike anything ever encountered in the West. It was not always easy to say which Bare-Handed Fortunes were legitimate and which were not, but political office was a reliable pathway to wealth on a scale of its own. By 2012 the richest seventy members of China’s national legislature had a net worth of almost ninety billion dollars—more than ten times the combined net worth of the entire U.S. Congress.

But unlike Zaire, China punished many people for it; in a five-year stretch, China punished 668,000 Party members for bribery, graft, and embezzlement; it handed down 350 death sentences for corruption, and Wedeman concluded, “At a very basic level, it appears to have prevented corruption from spiraling out of control.”

The Central Propaganda Department let it be known that reports that suggested a shortage of happiness were not to receive attention. In April 2012 my phone buzzed: All websites are not to repost the news headlined, “UN Releases World Happiness Report, and China Ranks No. 112.”

Over the years, the risk of being blamed for helping someone was a scenario that appeared over and over in the headlines. In November 2006 an elderly woman in Nanjing fell at a bus stop, and a young man named Peng Yu stopped to help her get to the hospital. In recovery, she accused Peng of causing her fall, and a local judge agreed, ordering him to pay more than seven thousand dollars—a judgment based not on evidence, but on what the verdict called “logical thinking”: that Peng would never have helped if he hadn’t been motivated by guilt.

At one point, Chinese programmers were barred from updating a popular software system called Node.js because the version number, 0.6.4, corresponded with June 4, the date of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

he vowed to punish not only low-ranking “flies” but also powerful “tigers.” He called on his comrades to be “diligent and thrifty,” and when Xi took his first official trip, state television reported that he checked into a “normal suite” and dined not at a banquet, but at a buffet—a revelation so radical in Chinese political culture that the word buffet took on metaphysical significance. The state news service ran a banner headline: XI JINPING VISITS POOR FAMILIES IN HEBEI: DINNER IS JUST FOUR DISHES AND ONE SOUP, NO ALCOHOL.

...

It didn’t take long for the abrupt drop-off in gluttony to affect the economy: sales of shark fin (de rigueur for banquets) sank more than 70 percent; casinos in Macau recorded a drop in VIPs, and Swiss watch exports dropped by a quarter from the year before. Luxury goods makers mourned.

Economists point to a historic correlation between “world’s tallest” debuts and economic slowdowns. There is no cause and effect, but such projects are a sign of easy credit, excessive optimism, and inflated land prices—a pattern that dates to the world’s first skyscraper, the Equitable Life Building. Built in New York at the height of the Gilded Age, it was completed in 1873, the start of a five-year slump that became known as the Long Depression, and the pattern repeated in decades to follow. Skyscraper magazine, a Shanghai publication that treated tall buildings like celebrities, reported in 2012 that China would finish a new skyscraper every five days for the next three years; China was home to 40 percent of the skyscrapers under construction in the world.

Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright & Bradley Hope - Mike Vernal told me to drop most things to read this, and he wasn’t wrong. A well-written account of the 1MDB scandal that I’d only vaguely followed, and tries to put it into context when it basically can’t … something like $5.XB stolen over the course of a few years.

Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky & Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - I put these two together, both recommended by Robert MacCloy, because they’re quick and fun. I listened to both on audio and they were both “mindless” but interesting…sort of the inside baseball of both the hospitality and restaurant industries. Don’t use a UV light...anywhere.

Smokejumpers by Jason Ramos - recommended by one of our fire captain neighbors at Oxbow and figured it would be good to understand a little more about wildland firefighting … this took me down a long digression of firefighting books that were interesting but if you want one, this one’s fun.

American icon by Bryce Hoffman - great audiobook that Scott Cannon recommended about Alan Mulaly’s turnaround of the Ford. The single most memorable part — after a couple of years working on turning the company around, a reporter asked him what his priorities for the next year were, and he responded with the same three things he’d said from the beginning. The reporter said something to the affect of “I can’t write about that again, it’s boring, you need something new!” And Mulaly responded “when we’ve got these three things done right, then we’ll have something new. We haven’t finished them yet."

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - my wife raved about this book after she listened to it, and it was all the rage, so I did too…and it lived up to the hype! Fascinating but managed not to be a tabloid-y gossip-y tale of excess so much as a “yeah, each individual step was only a little over the line, and look where it lead them.” A surprisingly poignant reminder about how “fake it til you make it” in Silicon Valley can be idealized until it’s not. This is the next generation in a line started by Barbarians at the Gate and continued by Smartest Guys In The Room.

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sticky-institute · 6 years

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Travel Diary: Zinefest Christchurch, by Bryce Galloway

I used to go to all of New Zealand’s annual zinefests, but now that there’s six of them (!?!?) I only go to my hometown zinefests - Hamilton/Wellington, and one other, in strict rotation. I’m weird like that, just ask my friends.

Last time I was here (2013) I was in a lonely hotel on the edge of Cathedral Square, telling the assembled locals to go zine, cos it was one of the best cultural vehicles for a city lacking infrastructure. Christchurch (Ōtautahi) was post-quake. Christchurch is still post-quake, just a little less so.

This time round I’m staying with friend, artist, musician and Content Manager at inde radio station RDU - Gemma Syme. I slept on Gemma’s coach, until drunken friends and flatmates woke me with their banter and late-night fry-up. I listened to the drunken Pakeha boys try and argue their iwi (tribal) status with the Māori girls. What, with the sleeping bag over my head, I totally missed that one of the boys in question was friend and zinester Spencer Hall. Once they’d left I got up and checked they’d turned the oven off. Those, “don’t drink and fry” ads, ya know?

I see nobody from Christchurch Zinefest 2013 at the 2017 event. This must be a completely new local zine spasm. However, Christchurch’s ongoing love of the risograph and the influence of designer/art school lecturer Luke Wood are still present, extended by Jane Maloney’s riso press (M/K Press Ltd) and her pre-Zinefest riso-zine workshops.

Christchurch Art Centre are providing this space by virtue of the fact that they have a zinester in their ranks - Louise Sutherland. Otherwise, Alice Bush is the primary organizer of this year’s event.

Louise’s zines precede her. She be the author of the wonderful Coaster Frenzy, here today for just “$1 or swaps”. Alice and I gush our respective roller coaster stories at the Coaster Frenzy author. Alice has the world’s highest rollercoaster under her belt. I have the world’s highest vertical-drop rollercoaster under mine, which is surprising, I HATE heights. I launch into the Dead Kennedy’s rollercoaster disaster anthem Funland at the Beach, and later kick myself for the inappropriateness of that song in the context of post-quake Christchurch!!!

Louise says she feels privileged to have been part of the Christchurch rebuild, “It’s a moment in history. How many of those do we get to share.” Louise contends that Christchurch art and music have benefitted from the quakes; that a formerly closed scene, full of hierarchies, is now open to all players. That’s very ziney. It’s a sentiment echoed in issue two of the riso music journal Cheap Thrills (at Zinefest with editor - Erin Kimber). In the opening article - On the Value of Music - Matt Scobie writes, “I believe these events allowed or encouraged us to break free of the shackles of competitive individualism driven by exchange values and start acknowledging the importance of seeing the Ōtautahi music community as a synergetic whole…”

Hey, there’s Cameron from riso design journal Strips Club. His Strips Club collaborator’s moved to Berlin. Maybe there won’t be another volume of Strips Club. “Awe, do a White Fungus.” I encourage. “Berlin/Chch to their Taiwan/Wellington. Interview White Fungus’s Hanson brothers.” We talk politics, voting patterns, Winston Peters, the “king-maker” in post-election New Zealand. Cameron tells me about the massive Justice Building, that cynically opened for election season photo ops with members of the incumbent National party, closing again for ongoing construction as soon as the polling booths were shut.

I do the stall-holder circuit, it probably takes about an hour to get a reasonable handle on the qualities of the various zines on offer. All the zinesters are doing the same thing; doing the whole circuit before deciding how to spend their budget of $5, $10, or $20. I spend every cent that I make in sales of my own zine - Incredibly Hot Sex with Hideous People. I get all zinesters to sign their work.

There are approximately 20 stall-holders here according to Alice: Asian exchange students have written about racism against their own, David Merritt has his foldout poetry housed in upcycled books and banana box linings, there’s a zine from the Christchurch Women’s Centre, Spencer’s pop-up comics and satirical propaganda commands (Spencer also passes round a folded piece of paper for a comics jam on fictitious FX pedals), there are other inde comics, second hand books, witch zines, potion zines, stickers, handmade jewelry, cassettes, CD-zines, creative writing, sci fi stories, photo zines, travel zines, cat zines, music zines, even a zine about zines.

I sell more zines when I’m not on my stall than when I am there!?!? I’m not surprised, zine shopping is a potentially self-consciousness experience in the extreme. Where else do you examine someone’s art while they examine your face for signs of enjoyment, waiting for you to decide whether their art’s good enough to purchase. Imagine being installed next to your own gallery painting, with your hand out!? But that’s also the best thing about zinefest, you meet ALL the artists.

Bleeeurh! A bit tired and hungover now. Need coffee. The worst busker in the world sits in her wheelchair outside Bunsen Café warbling some churchy dirges over karaoke backing. Too good to be full-o-character, too bad to forgive her genre of choice.

My zinefest neighbor is a scrapbooker from the US, so I’m compelled to ask her if she thinks the scrapbooker kits one finds in art/stationary shops are a rip. Thankfully, she does. She appears to be afloat in NZ, not knowing if her art school back in the US will be restructured out of existence or not. Is looking to find an arts program in New Zealand.

Cameron of Strip Club packs up early. Bastard! Makes a huge hole in the wee zinefest presence/footprint.

I’m just not acclimatized to this Christchurch cold. They’ve put the Wellington guy in exactly the wrong place, by the draughty doorway. Locals chit chat in tee shirts while I hug myself, jacket zipped, hat pulled tight!?!?

I’m encouraging Louie of Dunedin Zinefest and Alice of Christchurch to get committees of helpers. They’re both currently running their zinefests solo!?!?

Spencer tells me to check out his story about NZ alt rock legend Bruce Russel being the alter-ego of NZ alt rock legend Martin Phillips, as printed in his Lyttelton Rotten Radio zine.

It’s nearly 5 PM. I pack up and make short work of my farewells so that I can catch a bus to the airport and relax knowing I’m in the right place for my flight back to Wellington.

Back home and checking the best of my haul:

Cheap Thrills Issue 2 - an elegant risographed volume of NZ music past and present

Wandering Wolves is a gorgeous riso, the very first zine of Prabha Mallya, made at one of the workshops leading up to zinefest. Poetic mix of tagged animal narrative, poetry, illustration, photo and collage.

Field Notes from The Crescent City – July 2017 “It’s a very efficient and sensible method of burial that ensures you can never ever escape your family, even in death.”

Louise Sutherland’s holiday snaps and memories of New Orleans (including its cemeteries), well enough written and photographed to transcend any photo album limitations

A Most Elusive Species – by Louise Sutherland’s brother Robert. Photo essay of seemingly empty zoo enclosures. A subtle variety to the picture-by-picture approach creating a rewarding sense of narrative.

Burn Out is a pun. Yes, there are cars, but the scars are not the result of spinning tyres but of the sun’s rays peeling the paint off that once proud finish - by Robert Sutherland.

The cutest wee Untitled zine that pitches it’s teensiness against clipped horror narratives from Greek myth.

Cuss Weird cussing birds. Inexplicable.

OX OX OX... a CDR economically clothed in a folded A3. Rockabilly are the first chords, with hints of Ramones and Stooges. Next song is quite different, same vocal stylings but over “Dunedin Sound” meets Fall repetition. In the zine, we’re regaled with some pretty compelling “um and ah” misadventures from the band’s singer. Now they play a kiwified Joy Division cover. Sweeet!

Strawberry Stories runs some loopy narrative logic, or lack thereof. And some nice red spot-colour on the strawberry coloured one, though s/he’s not actually a strawberry eh, s/he’s like a person with a tree growing outta their head!?!?

A Zine Fanzine Beautifully designed and laid out riso about zines. Tightened up my own understanding about the provenance of zines, though changes to conjecture when talking about post internet zines.

Misc - Excellent poems by Arwen Miriama Sommer. “Snow is built of feathers and birds are built of trees”

All About the Sex* The Christchurch Women’s Centre decide to distribute their newsletter at zinefest, so it’s a zine now. An intro to the Woman’s Centre and their weekly discussion forum, plus an intro to the Red Tent movement and editorial about aging women’s identity.

Rotten Radio Zine - Spencer Hall’s good at writing original meandering comedy nonsense about music and culture.

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hotelbones · 5 years

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Deconstructing Scores

Flux Scores

Semiotics

Understanding Flux scores:

“They are people who are really trying to turn you on to the superlative activities you do everyday.” – Allison Knowles https://vimeo.com/36770983

“What I want people to see is how really simply things can be done if you concentrate on that’s what what you’re doing.” – Allison Knowles

Event scores were the dominant Fluxus work, which particularly was distributed in Fluxus Boxes. One of the first of these boxes was George Brect’s Water Yam.

Dick Higgins called Fluxus scores “intermedia”, “a dialectic between media”. Intermedia is not media supported by other media, but rather media that is at the same time another media.

Dick Higgins also published scores called “Danger Music”. These scores imply both visual and audible elements. Some of them are dangerous and pretty much impossible, while some others are mundane.

“How an event score should be performed depends on its notation it uses and the degree of freedom that the score offers. While some scores are so free that one could think that a performer could do anything, this freedom often compels the performer to restrict and edit their work.” – Virginia Anderson

What details can be understood by analyzing all aspects of the score? Does the title give more context to the score than the text?

Some of these pieces attempt to transcend the objects into music and theater. As Allison Knowles does with her performances of her salad piece.

From Virginia Anderson’s analysis of scores, it seems that event scores aren’t meant for the performer to experience, but simply as an alternative to performance. I’ll look for alternative takes.

As I go deeper into learning about fluxus scores, it seems that while these may parallel games in a sense that there are instructions to follow, they are not actually games. These are in fact performances that have play-like elements. How am I making this distinction? With event scores it appears that none of them were meant to be performed by a person for the sake of performing them, but they were meant to be performed for others as music or theatre would. For this reason it isn’t exactly helpful to state that these are forms of games, but it may be valuable to view them through the lens of games instead.

This also may change with later scores.

George Brecht – “a deeply personal, infinitely complex and essentially mysterious, exploration of experience. No words can ever touch.” (Project in Multiple Dimensions)

An aesthetic form that Brecht theorized was that of the “Chance-Image”. Chance being based off the latin words taken from dice falling.

“The word ‘chance’ (with a Latin root relating to the falling of dice) can conveniently be taken to mean the cause, or systems of causes, responsible for a given effect is unknown or unlooked-for or, at least, that we are unable to completely specify it. Of course, in the real world, causes are also effects, and effects causes.” – Brecht Chance Imagery

An appeal of chance-imagery is to place the artist’s images to be equal with that of nature’s images as the mind is capable of infinite image formation. Thus making the artist’s work nothing special.

“Words only permit us to handle a unified reality by maneuvering arbitrarily excised chunks.” – Brecht Chance Imagery

“In the event, everyday actions are framed as minimalistic performances, or, occasionally, as imaginary and impossible experiments with everyday situations.” - Hannah Higgins Fluxus Experience

Kotz and Ouzounian point out that part of the problem with Fluxus scores all being put into a single category is that their process becomes homogenized and Brecht’s work becomes known as performance.

In George Brecht’s notebooks he saw the idea of scores in other musical pieces and took note of them as study material: Anton Webern’s Symphony Op. 21 (1928), Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Klavierstücke XI (1956), an unnamed composition by Christian Wolff for prepared piano (probably Duo II for Pianists), and Music of Changes (1951). Brecht saw the number of pitches as “events” in these pieces. In some ways this could be similar to looking at event scores as games.

“My life is devoted to research into ‘the structure of experience’” – Notebook entry January 1959

George Brecht saw a really really scientific view of the world. Looking at everything from the causal and physics level.

George Brecht’s first exhibition “Towards Events” is weirdly reminiscent of my own semi-exhibition I had inside of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Objects were accompanied by instructions to be performed. There is probably some interesting things to be found by comparing my Irrational Games exhibit to this one.

“Brecht’s model of the Event was arguably an attempt to realize such an enlightenment by pointing to the chanced form as an arbitrary subdivision of the ‘unified whole’ of the universe. An arrangement of an object or objects is a ‘performance’ of this whole in that it frames moments or subdivisions within it, i.e. ‘[gives] order (physically or conceptually) to a part of the continuum with which [a person] interacts’.” – Ouzounian

“Some Event scores illustrate this concept quite explicitly. Three Aqueous Events, for example, lists three momentary states that an aqueous ‘object’ may occupy over time: ice, water, steam.6 A realization of this score entails performing (arranging, observing, ordering) these objects/states and, through this performance, revealing their condition as arbitrary points within a continuous field, and indeed their existence within a continuous state of flux between these points. In making this observation, the performer ideally realizes, and more precisely experiences, his or her own place within this continuum. Such an experience entails a kind of transcendence in which any stable sense of self is at least momentarily undermined through its connection to this larger system of flux” – Ouzounian

“In this way, an Event score not only structures occurrences, but also experiences, ones that are ultimately transformative in nature.” – Ouzounian

These event scores seems to have come from George Brecht’s interest in the systems of a score interacting with the systems of the world. Or maybe more specifically, he was interested in designing a score so that the systems of the two became indistinguishable.

Something else to consider when using Event Scores as precedents, is a lot of it was response to the forms of art in the 60’s. If I am creating something that is relevant to the field of games, ideas and theory should be translated. Again, the idea that just because Event Scores have game-like elements, doesn’t mean we should take them as games.

What are the conditions that make an event possible? Events are produced in a chaos, in a chaotic multiplicity, but only under conditions that a sort of screen intervenes. --Gilles Deleuze, The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque

“Events are an extension of music” – Brecht interview by Irmeline Lebeer (1971)

“Arguing against the commonsense, mass-media idea of an event, Deleuze pinpoints two qualities which will be relevant in this context: "even a short or instantaneous event is something going on," "events always involve periods when nothing happens.” – Liz Kotz

“The best Fluxus "composition" is a most non-personal, "ready-made" one like Brecht's "Exit"-it does not require any of us to perform it since it happens daily without any "special" performance of it. Thus our festivals will eliminate themselves (and our need to participate) when they become total readymades (like Brecht's exit)” – Maciunas in Fluxus etc./Addenda II

Intervention I by Jennie Hahn and Cory Tamler

Intervention III

So looking at modern scores, how have they continued this practice, and why have they? These interventions above were created by Cory and Jennie to reframe humans and non-humans as characters and participants in a dialogue about the ecosystem.

Why scores though? It seems like these scores are more of a personal and accessible way for people to reframe their actions, body, and mind in relationship to the environment. In the same way that George Brecht’s Word Event triggers a multitude of thoughts related to the concept behind the word “exit”, In Kinship provokes thinking about communities, objects, and psychogeography. Also similar to something like Yoko Ono’s Watch Piece I these pieces ask the performer to do something that may be seemingly illogical, but upon performing reframes abstract concepts in a new way.

CAConrad – (SOMA)tic Poetry Exercise

Something about CAConrad’s work really puts me off. I think part of it feels like there is an air of trying to make work similar to Fluxus and also trying to maintain the artistic elements of poetry. For example, listening to Phillip Glass on the floor, feels like a very artsy thing to do. Which sounds stupid, but idk it just seems like a bit much. However, in contrast to that feeling what I find interesting about CAConrad’s work is the communication of a personal narrative through the score. This score isn’t just for the reader to see the world in a new way, but to understand CAConrad in a new way. Thinking about the score in this way, listening to Phillip Glass may be artsy, but that is because CAConrad is artsy and they want you to understand how they felt at this point in time. In this way it is fairly reminiscent of Mattie Bryce’s EAT.

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shortend · 7 years

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Comic Script Prompt: Batgirl of Burnside

My Overwatch script got at least one artist working on it from what I can tell. One is more than the zero that I was expecting, so after what I consider to be a successful first attempt at this I’m gonna give it another go. I only read a few volumes of Batgirl from Stewart, Fletcher, and Tarr, and while I understand there were some controversies regarding certain villains, it was still stylish and entertaining. That being said, I only read a few volumes and have NO IDEA what’s going on in current continuity, other than what I hear about Frankie Charles apparently being dropped which is what inspired me to write this script... last year. I forgot it was even here. But I’m not worried about this script fitting into any sort of canon, are you? Good. We’re here for fun. You know what’s fun? Batgirl. Let’s have fun. THE RULES: For those who are new to illustrating comics: the rules are simple. Read the whole ten-page script. Outline and illustrate based on how you feel the story is best told. The panel counts and even the descriptions of the panels are only suggestions. The writer’s job is to give you the story to tell. Therefore you are the story teller. It’s only polite to stick to the dialog as closely as possible, but most writers can’t even draw stick figures, so the layout of the actual comic falls to your expertise. Go get ‘em. I would love to see as many takes on this script as possible, so I would be grateful to those who are willing to share this script in order for it to be seen by artists far and wide. I would appreciate writing credits, of course, but the rest of your work is yours to do with as you please. I also ask that you PLEASE TAG ME if you post your illustrations on tumblr so that I can ooh and awe. If you’re looking to get into comic book illustration, or are just bored and need something to mess around with before your own inspiration takes over and leads you to make your own art: this is as good a place as any to start. This goes to writers too. Do not be afraid to post fan scripts online. Everyone needs practice, and it could lead to exciting collaborations. Feel free to share any questions or comments. Thank you. PAGE ONE (Six Panels) Panel 1. Interior warehouse. Batgirl, clad in her ever-stylish bat-themed ensemble, and Operator, clad in a hoodie and several multi-purpose cybernetic enhancements including bulky gauntlets, backpack that converts into a small robot, and ever-important leg braces, lurk in the foreground behind some industrial barrels as they watch Killer Frost command her henchmen. I know Frost's kind of an independent homicidal maniac nutjob who don't need no hench-man, but this is only a comic prompt so mind your biscuits. BATGIRL: I think we finally found Killer Frost's lair. OPERATOR: What gave it away? The freezing cold or the fact that she's literally right in front of us? BATGIRL: Don't question the super sleuth.

Panel 2. Operator wraps her arms around herself to stay warm and restrain her shivering from drawing unwanted attention. Batgirl pulls a stick of lip balm out of her utility belt.

OPERATOR: Man, it's so friggin' cold my lips are chapped. BATGIRL: Here, I have something for that. Panel 3. Close up. Operator holds the closed stick of lip balm in front of her face and scowls at it and its patented bat motif. Panel 4. Batgirl looks concerned. BATGIRL: What? Panel 5. Close up. Operator continues to scowl, only this time it's directed forward at the camera. Panel 6. Batgirl lowers her head and fidgets nervously. BATGIRL: Never mind. Your eyes say it all. PAGE TWO (Five Panels) Panel 1. Operator applies the balm and raises an eyebrow to Batgirl, who simply shrugs. OPERATOR: Does Bat-MAN carry around a tube of lip balm too, or just Bat-GIRL? BATGIRL: Presumably? I guess? Why not? Panel 2. Imagined scenario. Exterior. Gotham City. The Batman looms atop a gargoyle and surveys his city with a brooding scowl. Such is the severity of his brooding scowl that it can easily be conveyed through his brooding cowl, which is itself designed to convey both brooding and scowling because it is a mask and the whole point of a mask is to hide your face regardless of its expression. BATMAN (Caption): “Somewhere, even now, Scarecrow is preparing his most recent batch of fear toxin.” BATMAN (Caption): “Any slip up on my part could cost thousands of lives.” BATMAN (Caption): “No time to be distracted by trivial aches and pains.” Panel 3. Extreme close-up profile view of Batman's gritted teeth as he juts his jaw forward and applies lip balm to his lower lip. BATMAN (Caption): “Thankfully...” BATMAN (Caption): “I came prepared.” Panel 4. Low angle of Batman leaping from the gargoyle with his cape flared out dramatically behind him as lightning strikes in the distance. His lips have a distinctly glossy sheen. BATMAN (Caption): “I am the night.” BATMAN (Caption): “Woosh!” Panel 5. Back to Batgirl stroking her chin in thought. OPERATOR: Really? The Batman says, “Woosh?” BATGIRL: I think? But only in his head. PAGE THREE (Four Panels) Panel 1. Batgirl and Operator turn face to face with their backs to the camera. Between them, in the background, Killer Frost looks over her shoulders and is surprised to see two figures lurking in the shadows. Wow, ladies, it's time to step up your lurking game. BATGIRL: Point is: You're not questioning the lip balm anymore. OPERATOR: I assume his sparkles too. BATGIRL: We all have our vices. OPERATOR: Superman doesn't have vices. He's Superman. BATGIRL: Uh, duh-hoy. Yeah, he does. Panel 2. Imagined scenario. Exterior. Batman crouches atop a building, ever the picture of disgruntled vigilantism, as Superman hovers in the air beside him with his arms folded. They both look out over the city. SUPERMAN: Hi there, Bruce. BATMAN: Clark. SUPERMAN: Chilly tonight, isn't it? Panel 3. Batman hands Superman his lip balm from off panel. BATMAN (OP): Here. SUPERMAN: Thank you. Panel 4. Same angle as Panel 2, except Superman hovers with one arm akimbo, as the hip Metropolisian likes to call having one hand on his hip, which is hip, and the other applying lip balm to his perfectly honed alien lips, which might be less hip. SUPERMAN: You know, my Kryptonian blood and Earth's yellow sun grant me resistance to chapped lips. SUPERMAN: I do, however, appreciate the cherry flavor and glossy sheen. BATMAN: Totes. PAGE FOUR (Four Panels) Panel 1. Operator gives a skeptical look. OPERATOR: Hold up. Batman's name is “Bruce?” Panel 2. Batgirl nervously rubs the back of her head with one hand and waves dismissively with the other at the easily dismissed notion of The Batman having a perfectly normal civilian name. BATGIRL: No! What!? Ha ha! No! BATGIRL: I just thought it would be funny to give them funny normal funny civilian names. Panel 3. Killer Frost strikes a dramatic pointing pose as she orders her hench-peeps to advance on the intruders. BATGIRL (OP): His name would obviously be “Battholomew Manchild” anyway. I mean, get real. KILLER FROST: Intruders! Get them! Panel 4. Batgirl and Operator bound over the barrels to bop some bad-guy noggins. Operator's gauntlets slide over her hands and form something along the lines of metal boxing gloves. BATGIRL: Wow. Really? OPERATOR: “Get them?” Uhh, cliché much?” PAGE FIVE (Five Panels) Panel 1. Batgirl and Operator bop and ka-pow the various hench-folk with ease and flair while Killer Frost gets angry and defensive. KILLER FROST: Hey! It's not my fault! It's a hench-people thing! KILLER FROST: They're trained to follow certain key phrases, like “Don't let them escape!” and “Take her to my chambers!” Panel 2. Wide angle of the skirmish as Batgirl and Operator dispatch the minions of darkness through the use of fisticuffs. One hench-individual comes up behind Operator, seemingly unnoticed. BATGIRL: I guess their handbook hasn't been updated in a while. BATGIRL: You can still order them to get you an “Iced Tea”, right? Huh? OPERATOR: Don't make puns. Don't be that girl. Panel 3. Batgirl notices Operator's encroaching assailant preparing to grab her from behind and gets ready to throw a batarang to intercept. BATGIRL: Who are you who are so adverse to base comedy? Panel 4. Operator raises her fist without looking and strikes the hench-being behind her in the nose with what has come to be known as the “Batman Punch,” seemingly validating her coming claim. OPERATOR: I'm Batman. Panel 5. Killer Frost prepares to engage in an assault of her own. KILLER FROST: You're not Batman... PAGE SIX (Five Panels) Panel 1. Killer Frost unleashes a freeze blast that Batgirl and Operator narrowly dodge. I say narrowly because that incites tension. Tension is important to action scenes. I can action scene. I can action scene real good. You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through. KILLER FROST (Burst): You're a dork! Panel 2. Operator takes a knee and fires off a small projectile. OPERATOR: Body Snatcher. SFX: Ptunk! Panel 3. Shot of the projectile streaking through the air. Panel 4. Same angle as the projectile expands into a net, or whatever sort of binding contraption you deem to be more “creative” as you kids like to say. You with your newfangled “Stylizes” and your “Welcome Tablettes.” In my day we had rock walls and our own blood. That was how we made comics. Panel 5. Killer Frost shoots the “body snatcher” out of the air. That's what she thinks of your imagination. What're you gonna do about it? KILLER FROST: Nope! Boring! PAGE SEVEN (Three Panels)

Panel 1. Operator's gauntlets take on a decidedly more “energy canon” appearance as matter-sucking vortexes begin to manifest. OPERATOR: H.G. Wells!* SFX: Voormvoormvoorm! CAPTION: *Hyper Gravity Wells. Not to be confused with iconic sci-fi writers. Panel 2. Killer Frost loses her balance as she struggles against the powerful current of pseudo-science pulling at her from off-panel. SFX:Voormvoormvoormvoorm! KILLER FROST: What the $#&%? Panel 3. Batgirl delivers a leaping kick to Killer Frost's noggin BATGIRL: Calling out my attack!* SFX: Boot! CAPTION: *Not to be confused with a good idea. PAGE EIGHT (Five Panels) Panel 1. Batgirl and Operator stand side-by side. Batgirl playfully jabs Operator in the shoulder as Operator adjusts her equipment. BATGIRL: Way to suck, Operator. OPERATOR: I'm serious about the puns. End them, or I will. Panel 2. Killer Frost nurses her aching head as she tries to prop herself up on the floor. KILLER FROST: You really think a kick to the head is gonna stop Killer Frost? Panel 3. Batgirl and Operator exchange knowing looks.

BATGIRL: Sedation? OPERATOR: Sedation. Panel 4. Close up from behind. Operator turns her head over her shoulder and talks to the device on her back, causing it to boot up. OPERATOR: Sic her, Rossum. ROSSUM: *Berp* *Wrrr* Panel 5. Operator’s backpack, now Rossum the Universal Robot, springs into the air above Operator. ROSSUM: *Keerp* *Zzzzt* PAGE NINE (Four Panels) Panel 1. Rossum drops like a sack of robot on top of Killer Frost and pins her to the ground. KILLER FROST: Ooph! Get off me! KILLER FROST: Don't you touch me! Panel 2. Close up on Rossum as a little nozzle comes into view. KILLER FROST (OP): What're you doing? Don't you do it! Panel 3. Rossum emits a colorful fog into Killer Frost's face, causing her to blink sleepily. KILLER FROST: Don't you--! ROSSUM: Blorp! Panel 4. Same angle as Killer Frost loses consciousness and drops her head to the ground. PAGE TEN (Six Panels) Panel 1.

BATGIRL: I had no idea you were such a sci-fi dork. OPERATOR: I, like many a prolific genius before me, have been burdened with an overabundance of time to sit on my butt. OPERATOR: Fiction helps. Panel 2. Operator starts to lose balance as her legs give out. BATGIRL: I'd call that a pretty satisfying field test though. Good work. OPERATOR: They're Qadir's designs. They just need my signature programming to work. Panel 3. Operator falls to her hands and knees in pain. OPERATOR: Aaaaaaand, maybe a better power supply. BATGIRL: Oh no! Are you okay!? Panel 4. Operator stares at the ground in front of her in frustration over her apparent weakness as Rossum scurries back up her back. OPERATOR: I can reroute Rossum's power to the braces. This is too much gear to carry on my own in my... OPERATOR: You know... condition. OPERATOR (Whisper): I swear I'm not a liability. Panel 5. Batgirl leans over and places her hand on her friend's shoulder to comfort her. BATGIRL: I never said you were. We'll get you home and figure out an energy solution. Panel 6. Batgirl stands up and looks over the mess of the warehouse. BATGIRL: Right after we figure out what Killer Frost was up to. CAPTION: To never be concluded!

#Batgirl #batgirl of burnside #comics #comic scripts #art prompt #art #illustration #webcomics #art challenge #DC comics #comic prompt #Operator #Frankie Charles #Battholomew Manchild #Batman #Superman #fanfic #fan fiction

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textsfromumbridge · 7 years

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Prompt for Enjonine? "I work at a movie theater and I'm trying to clean up but you're still here, ugly crying" :P

(ancient prompt? FILLED!)

dedicated to everyone who’s still reading and writing for this ship, in particular to the awesomesauce @aurimaedre who deserves some fluff.

She’s been here for a while. She’s seen things, some of them she will never be able to unsee, not even if she lives to be a hundred years old. She has seen everything from full frontal nudity to proposals to vomit in every direction - and she hasn’t just seen it on the jumbo screen

And the tears? She was around when PS I love you premiered (as a surly teenager) and for the hype surrounding The Fault In Our Stars (as the surly assistant manager).

So she gets it - even the tough guys needed tissues when Han Solo died. And she’s heard that the latest Star Wars movie involved some kind of heroic last stand, so she’d stocked up on the Kleenex.

She just was not expecting the most outspoken idiot running for Congress to be the weepy mess she would physically have to drag from his seat after the 7 PM showing of Rogue One.

The surly teen currently on cleanup duty, some friend of Gavroche’s she’d hired out of something resembling pity, had been way too terrified to ask the intimidating man in the three piece suit to get up and leave. Eponine had no such issues.

“Sir?” she had to force herself to stay polite. “I have to ask you to leave. Your weeping is freaking out my employees and we have another showing to prepare for.”

Zero tact. Yes, she was aware.

The face that launched a thousand swooning housewives is almost unrecognizable through the tears and the snot. Wow, if she’d still been as desperate for money as she’d been in her teens, she would have been able to make the big bucks off this image. Hell, she could still make the big bucks.

But she actually wants him to win. His opponent is a racist, misogynist douchebag who would crush all the benefits that had allowed a poor non-white girl to raise her siblings all on her own. Also, an openly pansexual senator? Fuck yeah! Azelma and her girlfriend totally approved as well.

“Don’t worry, I’ll still vote for you,” she just had to fill the awkward silence. “You’re still prettier than your opponent. And smarter.”

That made Gabriel Enjolras blush while he tried to discreetly blow his nose and wipe his face.

Adorable. No, no, she couldn’t think that.

“Thank you for your candor,” Enjolras was suddenly all formality again. “And I do appreciate your vote.”

He really did not understand that nothing he said would ever make her see him as that distant symbol of composure again. The vulnerability was what made her like him all the more. He was real now.

“Hey mister Robot Man,” she interrupted him while he was putting on his metaphorical armor. “You’re much more appealing when you’re human.”

She does love a good exit line, sashaying out of the almost empty theatre, picking up some empty soda bottles on her way out.

People are pigs.

The next time she saw Gabriel Enjolras, it was on a random TV appearance she totally had not recorded - because she’d kind of become a fan of his. She’d been reading up on the weepy mess, and she’d been so damn impressed by what she’d found. Though he could use some loosening up. Did he even own jeans? Or a t-shirt?

Was he capable of smiling sincerely, instead of using the professional fake smile from the campaign posters?

What was lurking underneath that? Who was he other than the passionate politician? His past, his present, his family, it was all pretty much a mystery. When asked about them, Enjolras just turned the conversation back to his campaign.

Nobody even knew if he had hobbies.

And then she watched the interview. The host was not expecting anything other than the usual forced banter and election talk, but she certainly was charmed when Gabriel Enjolras talked about wanting to interact more with his constituents.

Sure, the woman started off a skeptic, just like the others.

“How come you’ve changed your tune?” the host asked, completely straightforward. “Until recently you’ve stuck to your campaign only strategy.”

Eponine started off merely being intrigued by the change, and of course pleased by the humanity she just about ordered him to reveal.

“I blame it on Star Wars,” Enjolras spoke, shocking the host.

“How so?” the woman is trying not to appear too caught off guard, but the surprise certainly showed on her face.

Her wide eyes were caught on camera, just like the hint of a smile that was playing on the future Congressman’s lips.

“Well,” he continued his explanation, “I was recently blubbering my way through the ending of Rogue One. No spoilers, I promise! And while the movie really did move me, the incredible manager of the theater was the one who inspired my policy change.”

The crowd oohed and aahed at the appropriate moments, and Enjolras paused briefly to sip his water.

Eponine was completely frozen in shock, staring at her TV screen.

“Because there I was,” Enjolras gestured emphatically to further illustrate his story, “blubbering my way through the credits, snot-faced and splotchy in my best three piece suit…”

Here the crowd laughed and Eponine had to take a second to remember the fit of that suit. It was a damn good suit.

“I’m sure I terrified the teenager on staff,” the self-deprecating grin Enjolras was now sporting was also really doing it for her. “So they called in the manager to get me to leave. Just so they could start the cleanup, mind you.”

Eponine was not the only one who’d fallen for him just a little bit just now. All the females in the crowd were a little mushy over this - she could tell. Even the usually so straightforward host seemed to melt.

Ugh, so rude of him to give her feelings. She hated those.

Not the point though. Definitely not the point - that came later.

The point came when one of the office gossips found out that the best fluff piece in the election had occurred in their theater. It was a PR dream - especially for one of the less popular theaters in the city. Something about the lack of bullshit extra amenities made them less popular.

So when stupid Cosette - okay, Cosette was almost her friend - found out that Eponine was the manager who’d given the Tin Man back his heart, she just had to use it.

And Eponine couldn’t blame her too much - it put asses in seats, it sold tickets, and as long as she didn’t have to be directly involved in the hype, anything that did those things was fine with her.

But then the Twitter stuff started. There was a hashtag (#enjonine - what did that even mean?). People got way too into this one moment she had with an almost Congressman - they shipped it. There was fanfiction - extremely explicit fanfiction - about what had “really happened” in that theater.

Honestly, something had to be done. Not that the internet could be stopped - there was no undo button once something was out there. But she was damn well going to try to salvage at least some of her reputation as a badass.

Her sister kept sending her links to the fanfiction, and the manips people had made of them together from some pictures she still had up on Facebook. Seriously, her privacy settings were locked down tight now.

This stuff had to stop! But it was such an integral part of the Enjolras is Actually Human platform he was running on that it was impossible for her to do anything about it.

And then, his manager, a way too charming man named Courfeyrac, actually reached out to her about being a part of the conversation. Which was how she ended up coming face to face with Gabriel Enjolras again.

Of course they were surrounded by cameras, and their handshake was more of a photo op than an honest interaction. Cosette had begged her to agree - the words “good publicity” were thrown about at least a dozen times before she finally said yes.

“I really am pleased to see you again,” Enjolras stuck around for the actual chat.

The writers of the fluff pieces that would undoubtedly show up online that very day had already left, but the future Congressman was still here.

“I’m not sure I can say the same,” she sighed, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to soothe an imminent migraine.

His shoulders sagged and he suddenly seemed... sad? Why? Why would he even care? Shit, this was just a campaign move for him.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the robot mask came back on immediately. “If there is anything that I can do...”

She’d just become a random constituent to him. It shouldn’t have made her angry, but it did.

“Turn back to human Enjolras,” she ordered. “Robot you freaks me the fuck out.”

Enjolras laughed then, a laugh that bared his white teeth and made his blue eyes shine under the artificial lights. He’d thrown his head back and she had spent no time whatsoever studying the line of his neck.

It was rude to be that hot.

“Can human me ask you out?” he completely stunned her with his next question.

“I’m sure he can,” she tried for witty to cover up her surprise.

Also, she might have pinched herself just a bit to make sure that this was actually happening.

“I promise I will not be crying,” he continued, the charm completely natural at this point. “And no cameras. Just two humans, on a date.”

Oh, he really was good. And this was what he was really like? It was a good thing she could handle some charm, because this was just unfair.

“As long as it’s just us two humans,” she let her voice trail off. “We can start with coffee. You’re paying.”

He was still smiling - she liked that a lot better than the tears.

#enjonine #enjolras x eponine #you are my revolution #my stories #funny how my e/e stories consistently get liked even months after #so here's the latest offering #to hold y'all over until I finally finish the next chapter of mm

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spicynbachili1 · 6 years

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Cozy up to the dead with these recent Switch releases

Loss of life, dismemberment, and demons, all simply in time for Halloween

In keeping with Irish folklore, Samhain is the day on the calendar when doorways between the land of the residing and the land of the useless and different areas of the supernatural open at their widest. Over time, the day morphed into what we now name Halloween, a vacation the place kids’s minds are stuffed with ideas of monsters whereas they stuff their mouths with sweet that may ultimately kill their our bodies. Additionally it is the night time when the most individuals on Earth might be discovered sporting slutty Luigi. The Yin and Yang, life and demise relationship between teeth-rotting, blood sugar-spiking sweet, and the attractive Mario Bros. are simply a part of what makes this such a particular time of yr.

For those who’re a Change proprietor and also you wish to rejoice the day in a extra off-beat means, these 5 new-ish video games (most of that are additionally on PC) could do the “trick.” Not like most typical horror tales, these titles do not at all times work laborious to make you concern demise. As a substitute, they permit the participant to interact in contemplative, generally empowering relationships with the tip of their lives, making them an ideal match for Crom Cruach’s large occasion.

Pinstripe

I used to be not anticipating a lot out of this sport, nevertheless it actually blew me away with its writing and voice performing. It is not clear that any of the characters in Pinstripe are alive for any of our time with them, however they actually come to life emotionally, particularly Bo, your three-year-old daughter who faces a destiny worse than demise for many of your journey. The sport is about attempting to avoid wasting her from Pinstripe, a shadowy, devilish man who desires her for himself. It is uncomfortable stuff, however by no means exploitative. It is spectacular how shut the narrative involves straight addressing critical subjects like alcoholism and youngster abuse whereas by no means veering into territory that I would conceal from a ten-year-old.

The sport’s puzzles are extra hit and miss. They vary from quick re-appropriations of Flappy Chook to hidden object hunts straight out of Highlights journal, although they’re all tailor match for the narrative. There are additionally some limited-scope motion sequences, often involving taking pictures one thing with a slingshot or leaping on a canine with a giant butt. All of them vary from fine-to-fun, nevertheless it’s the Burton-esque artwork route, unsettling use of By The Mild Of The Silvery Moon, and underlying themes of paternal guilt and habit that actually make this one work. It is a rated-T 2D Silent Hill: Shattered Reminiscences for the fashionable period.

The Lacking: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Reminiscences

As Chris stated in his assessment, there may be much more to The Lacking than you would possibly glean from simply the trailers. I’ve heard some folks say that the sport seems like one other dread-filled 2D platformer within the type of Limbo or Inside, the place grisly shock-value deaths lie round each nook, besides that this time it is a beautiful younger lady who will get repeatedly massacred. That is not solely unfaithful, however one of many issues that makes The Lacking particular is the best way it turns participant motivations on their head, generally actually. As a substitute of desirous to run away from having your cranium caved in or your legs lower off, it’s essential to run into these brutal assaults in an effort to progress, and it hurts each time.

Hurting herself is the one means for J.J. to avoid wasting somebody very near her. In that means, The Lacking forces the participant to alternate between the roles of protector, victimizer, and sufferer on a relentless cycle, and that is all simply in relation to controlling the sport’s protagonist. It is extraordinarily intense, which makes me all of the extra grateful that the carnage is damaged up by the occasional bursts of surreal comedy and in-game textual content messages that really feel very actual. Regardless of some points with wonky physics and uneven issue curves, The Lacking is a must-play sport for followers of physique horror, survivor tales, and anybody who is aware of what it is wish to be hated only for being your self.

Black Chook

This new Fantasy Zone-meets-Steel Slug shmup from the thoughts of Yoshiro Kimura (Dandy Dungeon, Rule of Rose, No Extra Heroes, Little King’s Story) can also be a few lady who dies and comes again time and again, however not like in The Lacking, the violence right here is never masochistic. As a substitute of coming again damaged and bloody, the star of Black Chook reanimates as a ghostly raven’s head who wreaks havoc on every part she sees. The message can also be slightly tougher to parse. Do all of the soldier-peasants appear like Mario as a result of the sport is about struggling indie devs who wish to let free on the senseless mascot-worshiping client tradition that usually leaves them ignored? Would the world be higher off if the spoiled innocence of nature rose up in a rage and destroyed mankind and all its environment-poisoning expertise? Which has extra of a proper to exist, the vengeance of a useless youngster that left the world in wreck, or the lives of apathetic bystanders who did nothing however watch as that very same youngster died within the streets?

I haven’t got solutions to these questions, however I do know that Black Chook makes it very enjoyable to explode issues, and its soundtrack is already one among my favourite sport scores ever. It is a gibberish opera sung by passionate Muppets the likes of which we have not heard since LocoRoco, and higher but, many enemy spawn occasions are tied to the choral beats. This inherently enjoyable fusion of sound and motion mixed with non-linear development and a copiously deep combo system makes replaying the eight ranges (4 in the primary sport, 4 in new sport plus) a pleasure to blast via each time. Although the sport is technically fairly quick, it has tons of secrets and techniques, unlockables, and random occasions to assist each apocalyptic spherical of destruction really feel contemporary.

Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle

Sure, consider it or not, this makes the fourth sport to launch on Change this month the place you play as some type of a useless individual. This time although, the rotten face you tackle will in all probability look extra acquainted, even though it is hidden behind an cute hockey masks. Like within the movies from which he hails, Jason Voorhees is out for revenge once more, however this time his homicide spree takes place in a collection of human jigsaw-like puzzles. As a substitute of film items round a board, you progress Jason, who’s mainly the Superman of the slasher world; impossibly robust, capable of transfer into your private house right away, and susceptible to only a few obstacles. On this case, his types of kryptonite embrace lakes, bear traps, and even getting arrested by the cops. Jason could also be a mass assassin, however with regards to interacting with the police, he is downright well mannered.

These issues not often gradual Jason down although. His fundamental drawback right here is, he cannot stroll diagonally, and he can solely cease shifting when he hits a wall or somebody to kill. That may make it laborious to walk up and decapitate a camper who’s hiding in a nook down by a bear entice subsequent to the lake. Whereas the primary 10 levels or so are slightly too straightforward, the following 100+ greater than make up for it with sensible design and satisfying options. The devs additionally labored all of the DLC content material from the Steam construct into the Change port with extra pure, in-game unlocks. Now new variations of Jason are accessed through progressing via varied modes and coming into secret codes. That features the return of the NES’s inexperienced and purple Jason to Nintendo consoles, which is a trademark occasion for anybody who grew up with that individual iteration of our illustrious drowned boy.

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Streets of Purple: DDD

This can be the one sport on the record the place you play as a residing individual, however do not you are worried, it is nonetheless received loads of reanimated corpses to mess around with. In truth, there’s at the very least one boss that bears greater than a putting resemblance to the beforehand talked about Voorhees youngster, although this mama’s boy is extra of a parody and fewer of direct illustration. He is simply one of many many satirical tributes to horror movie icons. You could possibly virtually consider the sport as co-op horror Smash Bros., because it has equally easy inputs, however with a crossover of sport characters combined in with the lookalikes of The Demogorgon, Freddy, Colossus Titan, and the one who scares me most of all, none apart from Jim Sterling.

We additionally simply acquired phrase that the sport is about to get a complete lot greater. As you’ll be able to see within the trailer above, it is getting a free replace, tentatively set to go reside on Halloween. The patch features a good quantity of recent content material, together with new bosses, language choices, and the implementation of on-line leaderboards, all alongside a brief value drop.

I’ve helped advise the creator of Streets of Purple on varied points of the Change port for some time now, so any reward from me could come off as biased, however hey, I am not the one one who likes it. Whereas all of the video games on this record come extremely really helpful, that is the one one which’s constructed for 4 gamers, so in the event you’re planning on partying this vacation, placing this in your Change is the best way to go.

Bonus Deal with

This artwork by James “Illmosis” Beaver, entitled Horror Combat 2, is on the market proper now and I am unable to suggest it sufficient. I purchased an 11×17 print of this piece final month, so I can attest to the print high quality and paper inventory, that are each high notch. In case you have time for one final Halloween ornament earlier than the 31st rolls round, do not be afraid to choose it up.

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Journal - Delicate Individualism: The Architecture of Wes Anderson

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This autumn will see the release of a new film by Wes Anderson. The French Dispatch has been described as “a love letter to journalists set at an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city.”

Fans of Anderson know what to expect: a cinematic world that feels much more put-together than the one we inhabit everyday. As a child, Anderson admired the “slightly heightened reality” of Roald Dahl’s children’s stories and has spent his career bringing a similar sensibility to the big screen.

Not everyone finds Anderson’s distinctive aesthetic delightful. New York Magazine critic David Amsden once complained the director had become “pickled in a world of his own creation.” Image: Tony Revolori and Saoirsie Ronan in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

With meticulously decorated sets, droll dialogue, and perfectly symmetrical shot composition, Anderson’s movies are catnip for perfectionists. One gets the sense that his greatest pleasure, as an artist, is making sure everything fits together just so.

Architecture plays a central role in this decidedly un-naturalistic approach to cinema. Nearly all of Anderson’s films feature a central structure around which the action revolves. In The Royal Tenenbaums, it was a family home in Manhattan, while in The Darjeeling Limited it was a train that carried American tourists across India. In The French Dispatch, judging by the promotional poster, it will be the newspaper’s offices.

Promotional poster for ‘The French Dispatch’ (2020). The poster was designed by illustrator Javi Aznarez.

In each of these cases, Anderson uses various techniques to ensure that the viewer gets a complete picture of the structure. He doesn’t just provide an impressionistic sense of place, but actually lays out how the spaces fit together, sometimes using architectural models and cutaways.

This impulse toward diagramming and contextualization cuts strongly against the grain of most Hollywood directors, who like to throw viewers in the midst of the action to encourage direct absorption in the plot. In contrast, Anderson treats his viewers like an architect treats their clients, leading them step by step through the world he has lovingly created — whether they are interested or not.

The following structures have played starring roles in Anderson’s films.

The Harlem brownstone where The Royal Tenenbaums was filmed has become a popular photo op for cinephiles. Image via movie-locations.com

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

“Royal Tenenbaum purchased the house on Archer Avenue in the winter of his 35th year.” So begins one of the most iconic films of the aughts, a work that is as much about place as it is about character or plot.

The Royal Tenenbaums is set in a storybook version of New York that was inspired by how Anderson imagined the city while growing up in Texas as an avid reader of the New Yorker. The addresses and place names in the film are all invented, yet the shooting locations are all real and located either inside the city or in nearby New Jersey.

Kumar Pallana blocks the Statue of Liberty in one scene shot in Battery Park. Wes Anderson did not want any recognizable landmarks to appear in his storybook version of New York. Image: Movie Mezzanine.

Landmarks, however, are decidedly absent from Anderson’s New York. In one scene filmed in Battery Park, Anderson carefully positioned actor Kumar Pallana in front of the Statue of Liberty so the monument wouldn’t show up in the shot. Gene Hackman, who plays the charmingly roguish title character, was confused by this, according to Anderson’s former assistant Will Sweeney, asking why they were even there if not to film the Statue of Liberty. Anderson responded that he wanted to clearly invoke New York without the viewer, at any point, knowing exactly where they were. An idiosyncratic priority, for sure, but one that makes the movie uniquely evocative.

Most scenes in The Royal Tenenbaums were shot in or around the “house on Archer Avenue,” a magnificent Victorian Brownstone that is really located near Convent Avenue and 144th Street in Harlem.

“At the time I was very adamant that this would be a real place and that we have to make it a real place,” Wes Anderson explained to Matt Zoller Seitz in Seitz’s magnificent coffee table book, The Wes Anderson Collection. “It was also quite practical, I think. The roof was the real roof. It was all one place. The only cheat was with their kitchen, which was in the house next door, because this place had no windows — it was not going to work. But the rest of it’s all there.”

Each of the Tenenbaum children inhabits a room that reflects their passions. For Chaz Tenenbaum, that passion is entrepreneurship. Note the on-screen text identifying the room — a truly architectural touch. Image: WordPress.

The film crew rented the house for the duration of shooting and made careful renovations in order to capture the spirit of space, a family home that is stuffed with artifacts from childhood. The film tracks the lives of the Tenenbaum children, three former child prodigies who have grown into unhappy adults. Growing up, each Tenenbaum child was given their own floor of the house, and decades later these spaces are still decorated to reflect their childhood passions.

The director on the set of ‘The Life Aquatic.’ Image: Smith Gee Studio

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Wes Anderson followed The Royal Tenenbaums with The Life Aquatic, a film that is similarly invested in themes of memory and regret. The Life Aquatic follows Steve Zissou, an eccentric oceanographer and documentarian played by Bill Murray, as he attempts to exact revenge on the “jaguar shark” that killed his friend and partner. He’s brought a film crew along for the adventure, hoping that a documentary about this Ahabian quest will revive his floundering career.

The Life Aquatic is a bit less grounded in reality than The Royal Tenenbaums. It is not just stylized but actually fantastical. It’s fitting that, for this movie, Anderson made use of constructed sets. He utilizes the cutaway “dollhouse” effect for the first time in this film to introduce Zissou’s boat, The Belafonte.

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With a sauna, a laboratory, a research library, and an “observation bubble” that Zissou “thought up in a dream,” the scheme of The Belafonte tells us more about the main character’s aspirations than anything else in the film. This is very common for Anderson; his characters inhabit spaces that reflect who they wish to be.

Image: Pinterest

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

The Darjeeling Limited is named for its principle setting, a luxury train that guides three brothers on a “spiritual journey” through India. Nathan Lee of the Village Voice put it best in his review when he described the film as as “a movie about people trapped in themselves and what it takes to get free — a movie, quite literally, about letting go of your baggage.”

As in The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson insisted on shooting Darjeeling on location in India, mostly in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, but also in various parts of Udaipur. The train itself serves as the spiritual center of the film. Tracking shots of the train in motion beautifully reflect the characters’ emerging insight that, in life, you don’t have the option of standing still.

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As with The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson refused to create a studio set for the interior shots, insisting that they film inside of a real Indian train renovated to his specifications. This presented challenges, as Indian Railways were reluctant to cooperate with the headstrong American director.

Image: Mark Friedberg Design

“To this day I am not sure whether the greater achievement was the train’s design or securing the use of the train itself,” explained set designer Mark Friedberg. He admits that, at times, he was annoyed at Anderson’s insistence on shooting on a moving train but at the end realized the film could not have been done any other way.

“Wes’s confidence in his own vision is one of his finest qualities,” Friedberg explained. “The fact of actually being on the train and actually being in India gives the film its lifeblood.”

The exterior of the Grand Budapest Hotel is quite clearly a miniature model. That’s an important part of its charm. Image: National Geographic

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a remarkable film about place, memory, and how the values of a lost era can live on through architecture.

Inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig and his nostalgic depiction of early 20th century Vienna, the film proceeds through a series of nested narratives. The main storyline is set in the 1930s in a fictional Central European country called Zubrowka that is hemmed in by an approaching war. (This conflict is never spelled out as World War II. Anderson chooses to evoke the war indirectly, in the same way that he approached New York City in The Royal Tenenbaums.)

In the face of ominous political forces mounting in the region, the Grand Budapest Hotel — a pink and cream manor perched on a mountaintop and accessible by funicular — is an oasis of refinement. This is thanks to the careful work of master concierge, Monsieur Gustave, played by Ralph Fiennes, who oversees the hotel’s operations with pride and panache.

Model of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Image: Smith Gee Studio.

M. Gustave has an infectious elegance that at first seems campy, but over time is shown to be an ennobling reflection of his individuality. He represents the liberal values that totalitarian movements, both fascist and communist, would seek to stamp out in the ensuing decades.

Given the fact that the hotel is primarily a symbol of Monsieur Gustave’s humane way of seeing the world, it is fitting that it is depicted more as an idea than reality. The exterior shots of the hotel are a miniature model and no effort is made to conceal this fact. Many of the interior shots of the hotel, including those of the grand lobby, were taken in the vacant Görlitz Department Store, a palatial Art Nouveau structure built in 1929.

While most of the film showcases the Grand Budapest in its prime before the war, a few take place in the 1960s, when the furnishings have become drab and the exterior covered in raw concrete. All of the delicacy and whimsy have been lost as contemporary tastes have moved toward the utilitarian and (implicitly) collectivist values of the new regime.

By the 1960s, the Grand Budapest had lost its lustre. Image: Ultra Swank

With The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson comes close to proposing a theory of architecture. For him, built spaces come to life when they reflect the ideals, aspirations and longings of the individual. This is true of the bedrooms of the Tenenbaum children, the lovingly organized bookshelves in the Belafonte library, and even in the ramshackle luxury of the Darjeeling Limited, a vehicle that promises adventure. It is especially true of the Grand Budapest Hotel, a faded monument to a past era that is imagined to have been both kinder and more stylish than the present.

Meticulous almost to the point of self-parody, Anderson’s sets embody an ethos of individualism. Not the rugged kind one associates with the American frontier, but a delicate individualism that affirms the curatorial instinct.

“You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity,” M. Gustave tells his protégé, a young lobby boy named Zero, mid-way through the film. He adds that it is the mission of the Grand Budapest to uphold these civilized values in the face of encroaching barbarism, but then cuts himself short and mutters “ah, fuck it.” But no one watching believes he’s taken back the sentiment. No, it’s the heavy-handed rhetoric he rejects. M. Gustave, like the director who created him, prefers a light touch.

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The post Delicate Individualism: The Architecture of Wes Anderson appeared first on Journal.

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