#high camp.

[yellowocaballero]

SHAZAM SHAZAM SHAZAM pls tell us about billy batson. ive only ever seen the movies o great comic knower

Very very very VERY far from comic expert (that's brawltogethernow) but I have read a lot of Shazam. His history is actually really, really fascinating and involves more than one lawsuit that really defined very early comics. I'll focus on one thing, though.

There are two Captain Marvels: One from the 1940s to around 2013, and one from 2013 til now. The Captain Marvel you're familiar with (who is named Shazam) is from 2013. He's a more realistic, grounded character. He was created to be pretty much the polar opposite of his original version. The best summary is to say that the Wizard chose Billy Batman 1940 because he had the purest heart, and the Wizard chose Billy Batson ~2013 because he was there. My personal 'best' Shazam story is the "Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil" graphic novel by the guy who made Bone. It's good because it's for elementary schoolers yet acknowledges this small child as homeless. Which, don't get me wrong, you shouldn't always do. My personal favorite is the 1970s ones.

As some background: Otto Binder was the creator/main writer of the very early Captain Marvel comics. He was by far and away the best writer of the early Superman Silver Age comics, because all of his comics were batshit insane. Shazam has a complicated and legal history with Superman, so the 1970 run was a super fun high camp tongue in cheek reinvention of the best Silver Age stories.

So the 1970 Captain Marvel comics are insane.

I can't even summarize them without sounding crazy. Basically the conceit is that Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr, and Mary Marvel (Billy, Freddy, and Mary) are having 1940s Golden Age Adventures when they get somehow in suspended animation and are basically time travelled to the 1970s. This don't bother them too much. Why would it bother them. Nothing bothers these people. Nothing. I don't think anybody experiences a negative emotion in these comics. Not bc they were twee. Bc they were insane.

Many of the comics basically had three shorter comics inside it: one Billy story, one Mary story, one Freddy story. Interestingly, they all had different art styles, artists, types of story, genre, etc. Billy's stories had a cartoony art style with very over-the-top and silly plotlines that involved supervillain bad dudes. Freddy's art was slightly more realistic and was slighty more grounded, but still had some classic Marvel indescribable scifi that can best be summarized as that one meme panel people have seen where Sivana recites a science equation that lets him walk through walls. Mary's stories were much more realistically drawn and featured the most banal shit, like her starting a club with her friends. Somehow Mary Marvel gets involved in those.

Sometimes they worked together and did superhero things and fought bad guys. The average fight looked like this:

Billy was a twelve year old who lived by himself, in his own apartment, had his own radio show, a full-ass job, a whole thing as Captain Marvel. He paid fucking taxes. Everybody knew this and nobody cared. He's the most affable, good natured kid on the face of the planet. Nothing bothers him. Nothing. Nothing bothers any of these people. Sivana shows up and he's BIG MAD so he's creating another death ray and Captain Marvel shows up like "Oh you rascal! Time to punch this and go back to helping my friend eat his infinite Jello."

He has a friend named Talky Tawny, who is a talking tiger wearing a suit. He also has a friend named Sunny Smiles, a person of indeterminate gender who everybody falls in love with, for unexplained and unknown reasons. Not to be confused with Freddy's friend Gregory Gosharootie, the "World's Dullest Mortal", who is so boring that nobody notices him and he keeps accidentally comitting crime. There is also an old guy named Uncle Marvel who pretends he has superpowers, which they all find funny so they just roll with it. Freddy is a disabled orphan who has to sell papers on the street corner to make a living. Mary lives in a middle class suburban home with loving foster parents. It never once seems to occur to Mary's parents to adopt Billy, for Freddy to live with Billy. Everybody is happiest this way.

I do think this is partly why a good Shazam comic has to be aimed at the 6-12yo demographics. They have to be for small children, because Billy is living a complete and utter power fantasy that only a ten year old would think is a good idea. He's a kid, and he doesn't have drag parents or a lame family, but he can turn into Superman, and he can also do magic, and everybody loves him and thinks he's the nicest person, and his supervillains are Dr. Doofenschmirtz and a worm, and his supporting cast is like okay my sister if she HAS to be involved, but also my best friend who is a paperboy! but cool because he's disabled, and….

Look, you could engage with that seriously. You could go "holy shit this is a homeless child". That's fine. That's what they do these days, and that's what they did in the movies. Nothing wrong with that. Take the story more seriously.

But also they don't give a worm the electric chair in those stories, so.

To actually give some commentary on these comics: these comics really love people. I've never seen comics that were so entrenched in their community. The kids just know everybody they meet on the street. Freddy delivers paper up and down every block, so an average story for him is just talking to a butcher or baker or old man or grumpy housewife and helping them out with some batshit problem. Mary's a sweet girl who's always starting clubs with her friends and taking on neighborhood projects. Many Billy stories involve one of his many friends falling into some trouble and Captain Marvel helping them out - or just exploring some fun with Billy hanging out with Sunny Smiles, who is a person of indeterminate gender who for some reason has magic love brainwashing powers -

This isn't the biggest #Shazam take, but I think a good Shazam story stays grounded in that. These are poor street kids who love Fawcett City so damn much. They love fighting their supervillains, but they love helping out the random guy off the street with their problems even more. Way more so than Spider-Man or a lot of other guys, I think of the Marvel family as the friendly neighborhood superheroes. They're both larger than life and street level. They're Superman level powers but they just use the powers for wrapping up their hijinks. Isn't that nice? Aren't you tired of going apeshit? Don't you just want to be nice?

#captain marvel #shazam #mary marvel #freddy freeman #billy batson #captain marvel jr #mary batson #i pulled open the old comics to review to write this #and as a kid I was like. #“hah! silly old silver age comics! they don't know how dumb they are!” #but reading it now im like #“holy shit i think they're doing it on purpose. holy shit. i think this is the most sarcastic comic ive ever read.” #“I don't think this is the funniest thing ever on accident. I think these were jokes. This comedy is sublime.” #genuinely they hold up SO well. they're fucking delightful. #high camp. #my writing #my asks

[rrat-king]

an accidental renaissance moment found in this weeks adventuring party

#the blankets were so high camp #d20 #fhjy #fantasy high #dimension 20 #emily axford #zac oyama #siobhan thompson #adventuring party

[amberosial]

the day has finally come

THEY NEED TO POST A VIDEO AT 7:30 OF THEM AT AN OLIVE GARDEN ASKING IF THE TABLE IS READY.

will they get the table? will we have to wait another 15 years for the food? will they not have the reservation ready and have to make a new one? who knowsssss 😭.

seriously tho i would cry.

#suite life of zack and cody #suite life on deck #suitelifeedit #zack and cody #cole sprouse #dylan sprouse #disney channel #disney #90s disney #2000s disney #high school musical icons #wizards of waverly place #hannah montana #2000s nostalgia #early 2000s #2000s aesthetic #sonny with a chance #camp rock #jonas brothers #joe jonas #nick jonas #kevin jonas #radio disney #good luck charlie #november 16 2023 #2010s #sprouse twins #childhood nostalgia #childhood #childhood shows

[illithiddatingsim]

put peepaw down, halsin!!!

(original post under the cut)

#my art #bg3 #fun fact if you have a high enough strength stat you can pick withers up and throw him at people in camp and they won’t get mad the 1st time #i would never do that to my beloved peepaw but i’ve seen it happen #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate 3 #withers #halsin #bg3 withers #bg3 halsin #shitpost #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 fanart #bg3 memes #also pls don’t rep0st this without permission (sending to ppl/group chats is fine tho) #greatest hits #mausolart

[bigtittiecomitte]

Pov: You grew up with the swag

#aphmau #barbie #bendy and the ink machine #bijuu mike #bratz #camp camp #charmx #cookie swirl c #dantdm #denisdaily #doki doki literature club #don’t hug me i’m scared #ever after high #five nights at freddy's #gravity falls #kubz scouts #littlest pet shop #minecraft story mode #miraculous ladybug #monster high #my little pony #nightcore #pewdiepie #popularmmos #smg4 #star vs the forces of evil #steven universe #the dragon prince #the walking dead game #yandere simulator

[blessyouhawkeye]

love the 90s yellowjackets scenes because it's the funniest assortment of characters you've ever seen. you've got the virgin laura palmer, her homoerotic girl best friend who's pregnant from an affair with laura palmer's boyfriend, a hot prophet and her devotee who explodes, a lesbian who eats dirt in her sleep, her girlfriend who gets her face eaten by a wolf due to the sleep dirt eating, a girl who is trying to drug and manipulate an adult gay man into loving her, a bottle blonde who was complicit in the death of her father, and also some guy named travis. travis is definitely also there.

#you guys should all watch yellowjackets this show is genius and also high camp #women eating women in both ways ❤️ we love to see it #yellowjackets

[deadsetobsessions]

REVERSE TROPE WRITING PROMPT BY @out-of-jams

TOO MANY BEDS

DCXDP, GEN

——

The Wayne foundation was a giant in the corporate world. What made it impressive was that their company was based in Gotham where, despite or perhaps in spite of the frequent rogue attacks and general hostile environment, the Waynes managed to run a tight and efficient ship. Their operations run extremely smoothly.

However, that was not to say there were no mistakes. There were. Wayne Enterprises usually had enough-more than enough- budget to cover such mistakes.

The employees, after all, were humans (though their new CEO, Timothy Drake, might have been a vampire considering how pale he was) and were prone to make mistakes.

Thus, due to the nature of human mistakes, the visiting senior class of Amity Park’s Casper High found themselves in a rather baffling situation.

“Well, we can’t say there’s not enough beds.” Their chaperone-teacher, Mr. Lancer rubbed the back of his bald head.

Before them laid not ten, not twenty, but fifty five twin beds arranged in neat rows in Gotham Academy’s auditorium.

“What is this, the military?” Their other chaperone-teacher, Mr. Falluca, grumbled.

“It’s not like we haven’t slept in worse places.” Sam grimaced. The class collective shuddered as they remembered the junior camping trip from hell.

“Ugh, my hair is going to get frizzy if we sleep here.” Paulina muttered.

“I thought we were getting called here for cheer or something.” Star frowned. Her boyfriend of four years, Kwan, slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to comfort her.

The doors open as a harried Wayne Industries employee ran in.

“I am so, so sorry! This isn’t where we were supposed to have you stay but WE mistook the donation request and sent in beds instead of paying for hotel rooms!” They blurted out, looking panicked. “Your hosting class - we’ll have you meet them outside, maybe?”

“It’s fine, right guys?” Danny spoke up, arms crossed. Tucker hummed at his side, tapping quickly at his

“Yeah, whatever Fentina says,” Dash grumbled. After the reveal of Danny’s identity as Phantom, his hostility and bullying died a quick death. Though, Dash kept the nicknames as they were a hard habit to kick and there weren’t any malicious intent behind it. In fact, Dash quickly became one of Danny’s biggest supporters, hidden behind scowls and general posturing.

“We could just meet in here. Get rid of the bedframes and just have a giant sleepover while you guys get everything sorted out.” Valerie volunteered.

“That’s a great idea!”

The class, coordinated from years of ghost attacks, quickly assembled the giant floor mattress. Gotham Academy’s senior class filed in ten minutes later, gaping at the giant floor mattress(es) before whooping and joining Casper High’s seniors in tumbling around.

——

Danny threw an empty plastic water bottle at Kwan’s head.

“Hey! No PDA on the giant mattress!”

“Yeah, get that love shit out of here!” Someone else hollered.

“There might technically be only one bed, now, but it’s still multiple mattresses!” Stephanie Brown, one of Gotham Academy’s seniors heckled.

“Hey, Danny, it’s your turn for truth or dare!” Tim said.

“Truth.” Danny returned.

“Lameeee.”

“C’mon Fenturd, too chicken to do dare?”

“Danny, that’s so boring,” Sam smirked.

Danny scowled. “Hey, whose side are you on?”

Sam and Tucker grinned and said in unison, “The winning side, duh.”

Tim cut in. “So, what’s the worst thing that’s happened to you?”

Danny groaned. “Camping trip, no contest.”

“Camping trip?”

——

#dcxdp #danny phantom #batman #tim drake #Stephanie Brown #gotham academy #dc x dp #Casper high #star #kwan #mr. lancer #Mr. Falluca #Paulina #star and kwan’s relationship #camping trip from hell

[chushanye]

this girl is so cool (she couldn't read a social cue to save her life)

#kristen applebees #ylfa snorgelsson #scary marlowe #camp camp nikki #ayda aguefort #mabel pines #derry girls #dimension 20 #fantasy high #neverafter #dndads #camp camp #gravity falls #yknow what im about to say something controversial #legolas greenleaf #maya fay #ace attourney #temperance brennan #bones

[babylon5]

i hope morden throws water bottles at londo in the reboot when he tries to end their alliance a la tom wambsgans in succession 2x04 safe room

#starstuff.txt #high camp.

[kmnoarts]

When you recruit Minthara but realize her family is close to the Drow House that forced your Tav into a decades long servitude 😳

#tensions are high and interesting in camp rn #but it’s okay #we love a little drama here and there 😌 #minthara #minthara baenre #nightwarden minthara #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldur’s gate tav #bg3 tav #tav #drow #half drow #digital fanart #fanart #digital art #kimothys art

[moldyfridgee]

No comment.

#clone high #clone high fanart #abe lincoln #clone high abe #artists on tumblr #camp camp #david camp camp #metal family #glam metal family

[sunfloweraroace]

Ah yes my favourite genre… Be Gay, Do Crime

#the spirit bares its teeth #hell followed with us #nimona #d20 fantasy high #a court of fey and flowers #camp here & there #witherburn after school news #the magnus archives #the mechanisms #ramshackle #some of these are just based on vibes #if you disagree with these choices you can fight me #let the queer kids commit murder and arson

[vintagecamping]

Laying in a carpet of grass, surrounded by wildflowers in the High Uinta Wilderness

Utah

1983

#vintage camping #campfire light #utah #high uinta wilderness #hiking #camping #history #outdoors #travel #1980s

[kittyoverlord]

This scene could be taken straight out of one of the DnD games I ran when I worked at a LARP camp. I ran games for kids age 8-16 ish (not at the same time, that's just the complete range), and they really are this chaotic. Sometimes you just have to go, "no, that's not gonna happen my dude."

From the trying to supercede the rules with spells, to the non-sequiter bits in the side, to the one player that wants to take things seriously being annoyed, this is a perfect encapsulation of DnD chaos at the table - imo.

And it all ending in, "Vultures, yea or nea?" Classic LARP camp.

#“i'm not gonna kiss the vulture” #*the vulture leans in for a kiss* #amazing #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #fantasy high #fhjy #fantasy high junior year #personal #my time at LARP camp #LARP camp #dnd

[spittyfishy]

I’m eons late to this trend but whatever lol, fun character rainbow!🌈

#carmen sandiego #lizzie hearts #ever after high #volpina #miraculous ladybug #toralei stripe #monster high #grossology #Abby archer #chloé bourgeois #jessica cruz #dcshg #tsuyu asui #mha #iida tenya #abbey bominable #tsumugi shirogane #pokemon carmine #Pokémon #danganronpa #acerola #zee zatara #kotoko utsugi #Brooklyn jwcc #camp cretaceous #color wheel challenge #color wheel trend #color wheel character challenge #colour wheel challenge #dr udg

[royalrebelpropaganda]

something something literary parallels

#sockdoesart #ever after high #eah #apple white #raven queen #camp half blood au #<- I am probably going to post more about this #feel free to send me asks lmao I have most characters figured out and now I'm thinking about plot