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astoldbygingersnaps · 1 year

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HARPER’S 2022 FIC WRAP-UP

WELL GANG, WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN!

first off, i know i’ve fallen off A Lot on tumblr in the last year, so my deepest and most sincere apologies for that. 2022 was a chaotic, frustrating, and overall deeply transformative year (for both better and worse) for me, and with all the changes/struggles in my professional and personal life it’s been difficult to maintain a decent posting schedule along with like. continuing to talk to people and function as a human being lmfao.

alas, another year has come to an end, and though i considered not doing my annual wrap-up, it’s become something of a tradition for me at this point, so fuck it, we ball.

without further ado, let’s talk fanfic:

projects i updated/completed in 2022:

oceans between us (shiita; 38,737 words; complete)

it’s a testament to how heinously long and strange this year was that when i sat down to draft up this wrap-up i genuinely fucking forgot i finished this fic in 2022. wild!

like a lot of fics i write (or want to write, and then do not) this fic was born from an attachment to a particular image or idea that inspired inspiration and then i had to pull a whole plot out of my ass to justify its existence. this was very much the case with the first chapter of ‘oceans between us’ aka atonement au, where the spirit of doomed historical romances and period-typical repression and sexual tension possessed me like a ghost and caused me to cough up the first chapter of that fic in like two days. i also wanted to write something that was very different than the typical character interactions and tone that existed in my previous works, and even looking back on it now i still think it’s a really unique and interesting addition to the works i’ve published thus far.

like i’ve said before, originally this was going to be a oneshot that ended where the first chapter does, i.e. with shisui going to jail and the relationship between him and itachi purposefully left without resolution. but that idea reeeeally much did not go over well when i discussed it with other people (aka my wife), which left me with the very real problem of how to conclude this goddamn fic. and that’s where itachi came in.

hilariously, i feel like this fic ushered in an unofficial (and accidental) era of itachi pov takeover where nearly everythng i wrote last year (and definitely everything i published in 2022) was in itachi’s pov exclusively. that said, after the events at the end of the last chapter, it felt necessary to have itachi tell the final chapter because i knew i needed to have a good explanation for his lack of action at the conclusion of chapter one and i also needed to get people back on his side for the end of the fic to land successfully.

in terms of structure, the switching of tenses and time periods was both incredibly fun and incredibly annoying in terms of editing and consistently, but i do feel like it added an immediacy and level of fear to the fic that enhanced the reading. if you’ve read the original book, you know that the characters itachi and shisui are (loosely) based on (cecilia and robbie) both die and never have their happy ending in real life, only in fiction. so i wanted the reader to feel real concern that these two crazy kids might not make it after all.

overall, i ended up being really, really happy with how this fic turned out, and some of my favorite scenes i’ve ever written (namely, the reunion scene between shisui and itachi in the cafe) are in this story. more than anything, it was just nice to start the year by finishing something.

lazarus taxon (shiita; 38,256 words; in progress)

quite frankly, this fic was the bane of my existence in 2022 for a variety of reasons.

first off, this chapter was an absolute Nightmare to write. as many of you may remember, initially i had planned jurassic world au as a three-part fic, whereas now it is... not quite that anymore. having written and published the first two chapters within a pretty short timespan, when i sat down to seriously work on (what i thought was) the final chapter, it rapidly became clear that there was no way to successfully wrap this shit up in one more installment. and as i was writing, it was pretty obvious that i was rushing from plot point to plot point trying to get the fic finished rather than taking the time to make it a story i was proud of and would want to re-read. once i realized that, it became a guessing game of what i was missing, and once i thought about it, the answer was obvious: conflict.

(we will have this discussion again next year when i tell the tale of how, in january 2023, i ended up scrapping almost the entire (actual) last chapter of this fic because i had to learn this lesson all over again.)

narratively speaking, blue’s injury served a few important purposes. first off, it’s a chance to see shisui--who’s been something of a handsome and charming enigma--soften up and appear a lot less composed and in control than he’s previously been. that vulnerability was necessary if he and itachi were going to push their relationship to another level, and also necessary to motivate itachi to take a real, genuine stand against fugaku and all his fugaku-ery. (it was also, admittedly, a chance for me to continue to play in the sandbox i’ve created where i get to use a lot of my real world knowledge and skills--namely, animal behavior and veterinary medicine, the two things i do for a living.)

once i unlocked that piece of the puzzle, everything started to fall into place, and then i knew that i would need an entire chapter to devote to itachi and shisui as a couple--what their relationship would look like, how dating would change them, and if, given the differences between them, it was possible to even sustain a relationship in the first place. which is why i ended on the confession scene, so everything that came after would be something of a blank slate and the finale could just be the--pun intended--evolution of their bond.

all that said, by the time i was finished with this chapter i had spent so much time, effort, and energy trying to wrangle it into something readable i was kind of drained by it, and that fact along with the knowledge that it’s never been my most popular fic (and that the reception to this update was a little quiet) left me burnt out by fanfic for a bit. it also didn’t help that, as i’ve previously discussed, this was around the time my entire life was uprooted by losing my job so there were just. a lot of factors working against me that really zapped my inspiration. if only another project could have come along and truly inspired me...

pack up (don’t stray) (shiita; 63,923 words; completed)

hilariously, i had way more Profound and Meaningful shit to say about this fic, but tumblr ate a chunk of my post when i was trying to save it and i’m too annoyed at this stupid website to try and recreate all of my previous comments in depth.

what i will say is that, if there’s any fic that stands a chance of surpassing star trek au as the fic i’m most known for, i’m really, really happy it’s this one. i love this fic from beginning to end, i think it’s one of the strongest pieces i’ve published, and i’m honored that other people have become as invested in the sad, weird little world as i am. honestly, it’s been so touching to see how many people have connected with this story and how it’s gone from a piece i mentioned in my 2021 wrap-up as really loving but being kind of sad about the lack of traction to a fic that developed a really dedicated reader-base who provided some of the best comments and feedback i’ve ever gotten. and since the two updates were so different from one another (and the final chapter is so, so long) it only feels appropriate to give them each their own sections.

chapter two:

to be blunt, there’s a really good chance that the second chapter of band au is my favorite thing i’ve ever written, full stop. part of the reason i think i have such fondness for this chapter (besides the fact that that i accomplished all my goals for this section of the story with this chapter and i feel like the writing itself is pretty good) is the fact that i wrote almost all of it in the span of about six or eight hours like a madman. in doing so, it was really easy to stay focused, maintain a tight grip on the pacing and narrative, and let everything flow from there.

like i said in my 2021 wrap-up, part of the appeal of this story was to push itachi and shisui to the brink of likability and test how many crappy things they could do to one another while people still had empathy for them (the answer turned out to be: a lot!) i think part of why so many people have reached out to tell me that this fic affected them so much is because, in some ways, all the pain and misery is just so mundane. there’s no spaceships or magic ninjas or genetically-modified dinosaurs; it’s just two people breaking each other’s hearts, over and over again, the same terrible shit that happens every day and there’s something really relatable about that. (for more on this point, see my answer to this ask.)

(speaking of relatability--as someone who has struggled with substance abuse for the entirely of their adult life and is always working on their sobriety, the prospect of dipping into that well was incredibly daunting, and i’m happy that it felt authentic to people who were reading.)

i don’t want to gush over my own writing because that seems tacky, but man oh man. there’s just so many things about this chapter i love and i’m just so happy other people felt the same way. anyway, time for the finale!

chapter three:

in some ways, the final chapter of band au was one of the pieces i was most nervous to write. after spending two chapters taking a wrecking ball to the shiita relationship in this fic, the prospect of piecing it back together in a fashion that felt genuine and respectful of the trauma they both experienced seemed kind of impossible.

like most of my projects, i knew from the beginning what the end of this fic was going to be. i actually knew the ending to band au better than most of my other stories, because before i even finished chapter one i knew the last chapter would end with the airport scene and i knew the specific lines of dialogue that would conclude the fic itself. the problem was how to justify even the possibility of shisui and itachi considering getting back together after everything they did to one another in the last chapter.

the first step seemed to be presenting how much they’d grown (itachi is sober, shisui got married--and divorced!-- and had a kid, both of their careers had progressed in different directions, etc.) to show that perhaps they were evolving to a point where they could learn to be in each other’s lives again. i really enjoyed re-imagining this characters as, in theory, older and wiser and adding in newer characters and original details to flesh out the lives they had created when they were apart from one another. honestly, my heart is so soft for both millie and heather, and i’m genuinely so happy that my ocs--always a dicey prospect in fic--got such a warm reception. i also really loved getting to show the band as a functioning, familial unit and all the different relationships that existed amongst the four of them. and how can i not love mean little sasuke with his suburban chickens and burning hatred for shisui.

the second step, as it often seems to be for me, was making peace with the fact that this chapter was going to have to be approximately eight hundred thousand years long if i wanted to stick the landing. if i was going to trace itachi’s journey from suspicion and lingering mistrust, to warily allying himself with shisui, to realizing he actually enjoys being around shisui again, to realizing how much he still misses and loves shisui, to taking a risk and giving shisui a second chance despite literally every reason not to do so, i was going to have to take my time and earn that decision. even though writing this one chapter ate up the majority of my writing time this year, i’m really happy with the length of this chapter and the different locations and events it followed, because i feel like it gave the story a lived-in quality that was necessary given how over-the-top the second chapter was.

on the other end of making this reunion functional and believable, inevitably this chapter also had to be the shisui redemption tour. i’ve made it clear in the past that, as shitty as his behavior was post-break-up, i don’t think he’s entirely responsible for the nuclear end to he and itachi’s relationship. that said, i knew it was going to take a lot to get both itachi and the reader back on board with Shisui and Itachi: The Sequel, which is why we get to see so much more of him than we did in previous chapters: rather than itachi quickly summarizing events or the narrative presenting small bits of dialogue, we actually to spend a lot more time with shisui the flesh and blood person now that he’s not the idealized or villainized version that lives in itachi’s head. and it wasn’t until he was a fully realized person again that there was any hope of him and itachi making things work, which... let’s talk about that ending.

i knew from the very beginning that i didn’t want to end this fic with shisui and itachi officially getting back together. considering all the shit they’d gone through, it didn’t seem realistic to have them suddenly live happily ever after. this was always a messy story about messy people and i didn’t want to give it an easy ending. i always wanted to end this story on the idea of a new beginning, of a better future, rather than a tidy resolution to this relationship, because it seemed so much more authentic to their journey and, to me, more meaningful. and, though i’ve had people tell me they wish i’d written a better ending, it’s a decision i still stand by 1000000000000% as the right choice. that and i’m writing a sequel oneshot as we speak so it’s not even really the ending anyways

i really could talk forever about this au. of all the fics i have, published and unpublished, it really does stand out as one that’s special and so very close to my heart, and i’ve spent so much time thinking about these washed up losers that i think i could keep returning to this ‘verse again and again for as long as i continue to write fanfic.

so, that’s it! it’s kind of hilarious i had so much to say given that i fell far below my own expectations for 2022 in terms of writing, but what can you do.

in the spirit of being a little more productive (and certainly a lot more positive), let’s set some goals for 2023:

i’m finishing the last chapter of jurassic world au even if it kills me

I AM ALSO FINISHING THE NEXT STAR TREK AU CHAPTER EVEN IF IT KILLS ME

after, like, three years of hibernation i actually dusted off my pacrim au and yep, you guessed it--i want to finish that sucker, too

finally, since i’m hoping to take two (2) fics off my plate, i’d like to finally get serious about publishing the first chapter of the shiita enemies to lovers vampires and werewolves au i’ve had in the works, which i’m very excited to share with everyone

if you made it this far, thanks so much for reading! if you’d like to find me elsewhere, i’m a lot more active on twitter, so feel free to stop by and say hello.

see you soon!

#my fic

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ficbrish · 3 years

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I’m curious about the mass effect 4 fic!

It’s basically the result of my end-of-OT depression, and my stupidly-high hopes for the new game. So I was finally like, FINE! I will write down exactly what I want.

I have the first chapter written, and some plot drawn out. It will take place right after the Reaper War with the Destroy ending. It’s f!Shenko. It’s Tali/Garrus. Eventual Joker/EDI/Traynor [which I am HYPE for—EDI will have two different body units too (each has different gender expression), but they’re still the same mind/being, basically she can be in 3 places at once—w Joker, w Traynor, on Normandy], and Miranda/Jack. And I think I’ll have Liara fall for a non-binary Asari OC I haven’t developed yet (probably some tentacle smut for one of my besties will ensue—but all my smut is in side-story posts), and there’s ex-Feron for LiLi (I don’t know if he’s dead, or they just fall apart).

As for plot, the finding Shep/recovery will be quick, and it’s just another trip on the Normandy from there. They go from system to system as the galaxy rebuilds. They solve problems, more relays get repaired/systems connected, they go other places.

Some of the overall plot stuff:

1. Using Miranda/Lazarus project to restore EDI and the Geth (and Legion, why the fuck not?! I’m totally bringing their metal ass back).

2. Humanity vs the galaxy (Citadel is stuck repairing over Earth, and with Humanity at head of Reaper war, they try to take over—Shep has to unite galaxy towards diversity/democracy and away from imperialism—It’s what made their cycle strong, and others fall apart) — also stuff like sharing planets/colonies with other species and working that out in the pro-Human environment

3. Reaper tech being recycled and creating powerful bands of pirates; also new militaries popping up/police states in local places more disconnected from the galaxy

4. The leviathan bitches floating around (disappeared after the war, plotting chaos/imperialism) causing trouble--while others want them to pay for cycles of war crimes via the Reapers

5. Local conflicts (pockets of Quarians who don’t want the Geth restored), (miners who want to take over ownership of their mining colonies, etc.—Shep helping workers fight their company overlords)

6. Anti-AI folks (especially with EDI/Geth/Reapers)

That kinda stuff.

Bonus: Here is Shep waking up in the hospital--

Shepard blinked. The pain was different now.

She was lying down on something soft. It was still way too bright.

Before Shepard was aware of anything, her vision began to clear. Something large and alive was with her wherever she was.

She closed her eyes and opened them again.

“Wrex?!”

“Shepard!”

“Wrex!”

“Shepard!” he repeated, jumping up and clapping his hands against his head, “Grunt! Get in here!”

The younger Krogan slammed through the door, bursting it off its hinges. The surprised screams of hospital staff could be heard through the walls.

“Shepard!

“Grunt!”

“Shepard!” Wrex called again.

“Wrex!” she cried out.

“Shepaaard!” Grunt grumbled.

“Grunt!”

It went on for a while like that, even after they started embracing and crying.

It’s good to wake up to family after supposedly dying in an explosion.

A lot better than waking up alive and alone to more explo—

“Oh, fuck, she passed out!” Wrex called out, “Nurse!”

“Nuuurse!” Grunt shouted, barreling out of the room. The door hit the floor with a loud smack.

#shenko #wip ask game #Mass Effect #post me3 #BrishFics #Urdnot Wrex #urdnot grunt #aftermath fic

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stxleslyds · 2 years

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THE BEGINNING. A RECAP OF TASK FORCE Z #1.

Reminder: this is a recap; I have a full review of the first issue here!, a post with the context of this book here! AND a review of the story that acted as a prelude to Task Force Z here!

Alright, the first issue starts with Jason asking Quilt Man who he is working for and what is it that they are smuggling. Then we get to see the team work together for the first time, their mission was to find out what they were smuggling. Which was Lazarus Resin, the newest product in Gotham.

We find out that TFZ introduces (partially) the concept of Lazarus Resin to the current timeline and that’s why the people working in Project Halperin don’t “know” much about how it works, but they do know something in particular, “the Lazarus Resin should not come in contact with living tissue”.

Which meant that they had no idea of what would happen if the Lazarus Resin came in contact with a living person. The LR was given to the villains to revive them and then enhance only a little their cognitive abilities, but they were pretty much zombie like. They intended on finding out what would happen if a living person came in contact with the LR though, that’s why one of the doctor ladies watched Jason in the shower after he was getting rid of the residual fluids from Man-Bat.

Later, Jason meets Hanna (red haired lady), who acts like a psychologist and seemed and overall shady person. Jason seemed to not find her shady but instead acted like a protective person with her (Jason has a massive soft spot for women).

When it comes to the team, Jason says that “there is no team” and that he was “barely here on my own free will”, but he knew that his job was to lead the others and to keep them away from harming civilians. He also doesn’t believe in redemption for the villains that Project Halperin is using.

Project Halperin has Crispin as the head of the project but he is under orders from the government who use the TFZ as a secret team of sorts. Crispin is a massive creep, that, we learn from the get go.

Other properties that we get to know about the LR infusion is that it also controls the zombies’ need to eat humans. And let’s just say that maybe they were working with very low doses because they ate everyone in their way.

We also got to see some of Jason’s morals, he was deeply against Crispin and the doctor using scare tactics with Quilt Man, he even threatened Crispin and the other villains over it, so, Jason is back to feeling a certain way about who needs to be punished and how things are done.

Crispin also said this about Jason “I don’t have a problem with you. I have the solution to the problem that is you…”

Jason thinks that the people that are smuggling whatever it is they are smuggling are just crooks so they don’t deserve to be killed. Back at it again with Jason being judge and jury, love to see it.

Jason had no problem with the idea of the LR pills and because he knew that the others needed them, he also had no problem using the pills against them. If they didn’t follow his rules then he wouldn’t give them the pills and they would eventually die again. Which meant that on some level, villains like Bane, Arkham Knight and Man-Bat deserved to suffer or be treated as weapons and not humans.

Mr. Bloom wasn’t dead, like Jason in TFZ #1.

It is revealed that the crooks were smuggling Lazarus Resin and Bloom was the first to mention that it was weird that Crispin was getting them to retrieve something that supposedly they already had, thus revealing his distrust of Crispin.

The leader of these people was Freeze, who seemed not impressed at all when Jason told him that he was arresting him “under the power of the federal Task Force Act”

Yeah, Freeze made fun of Jason for saying that and I have to say, it was a weird thing to say because if they were supposed to be a secret team working for the government, why would you say that it is a federal act?

At the end of the issue shit hits the fan, the team almost eats everybody and Freeze froze everyone. Most of the team was incapacitated, except for Astrid (Arkham Knight) who was approaching Jason’s frozen body with intentions of eating him.

Yeah, that’s “Team Building with Red Hood” right there…

Anyways that’s where the little recap ends, next post will be an overview of the second issue which I didn’t do a review for. This post is mostly for me to remember most of what happened at the start easily but I guess it can help anyone so here you go!

#jason todd #red hood #task force z #dc comcis

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thattimdrakeguy · 3 years

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I couldn’t finish Batman and Robin 2009. It was just... mentally exhausting and I stopped shortly after Bat Dick put fake Bruce in the Lazarus pit. Based on his appearances in Teen Titans, Bruce Wayne: Road Home, as well as his big fan base, I assumed Damian’s character development was executed nicely in his own series. But then again in Gates of Gotham (literally read it just for Cass) he’s impulsive, arrogant and rude to Cass both to her face and behind her back-even after she saved his life 1

Don’t get me started on the sexist things he’s said to Steph. I want to like Damian, but writers don’t make it easy. I got into comics because of batfam fanfics and he was a fave of mine. Dude was extra violent and displayed borderline sociopathic tendencies in his first appearances, cool beans. There’s a lot they can do with a character like that. I just felt like his bad behaviour was never properly dealt with before B&R, and I couldn’t muster the energy to see him through his own series. 2/2

IMO, Damian felt like a Gary Stu at times.

I don’t know if that last one was from the same person or not, but I just got the feeling it is, and if it’s not, then well it blends well enough and don’t feel the need to answer it separately.

Like all I can really say is that I don’t really like Damian. A lot of people confuse that for me thinking he’s an evil monster. I imagine cause I have a Tim icon and other Tims do rage on about that every now and again. As well as just plain taking things I say the wrong way (though I have probably said things in the moment I imagine). But I just plain don’t really like his writing, and if I can’t really read a comic he’s in that I actually like. Idk, I just find it weird to say I like him, when all I really like is what he could be. I don’t feel like that really equals me liking him, cause when I think about it, I kinda realized that meant the opposite, and didn’t wanna project the wrong idea.

But I wanna say this about Damian. He is insanely inconsistent as a personality and character. To this very day. So, as I do with every character, I start from the beginning, figure out what was meant to be by the writers that helped develop them, and figure out what’s in-character and out of character from there. I just feel like it’s the most objective way I can look at anything if I want to review things with standards that are more than just “I like this” or “I don’t like that”.

And in the case of Damian he’s never not been inconsistent. Like one of the main reasons I reread Batman and Robin (or at least Morrison’s run) was for plans of a post about flanderization in the Bat-Family, cause it was pretty rampant in the 00s and still continues often to this very day, and I think is the cause of a lot of lost sales and unhappiness and overall fandom diminishment.

However also to say it, I liked to see a lot of what Damian could be within B&R 09.

But anyways, basically just because I can’t really do a part of the post on Damian without trying to figure out what he was like to begin with, and what he was supposed to be per his creator.

Cause you can’t really tell in fandom. Cause his most popular comics are from stuff that isn’t in the main universe and was purposely a lot lighter, or in the main universe from writers that really surprisingly didn’t get the character despite the popularity--which continues my thinking on it was less about the quality of the writing and more about the lazy fan service. They honestly really flanderized him in a similar yet opposite way then what they did with Tim in the 00s.

And while I can’t act like the sexism and homophobia wasn’t an actual part of the character of Damian at the time--he shows both of those traits in the series (at least the homophobia, cause I’m now realizing that I might be thinking of another series for the sexism). He was flanderized even then by other writers from the different series.

Like how he’s written in Red Robin, is not freaking Damian. It’s not Damian to me. I don’t accept it as Damian. Even a lot of the content of him in Batgirl I even less feel like is Damian--besides unfortunately some of the sexist comments, but they never really proper developed him on that as far as like--actively showing that, at least that I can recall. So all I can really say is it’s uncomfortable, and how they don’t delve into it is the only real reason I say “That actually sadly does fit in with him”. But it’s not like it doesn’t make sense, he was raised to fight, not to handle emotions or feelings, he probably would do and say really creepy things when he has a crush--I just wish they’d actually acknowledge that what was going on rather than sacrificing a good story for more fan service.

The other writers make him too much of a bratty, snotty, kid. And I found that, that is an absolutely terrible interpretation of Damian, because beyond his origin, he isn’t a typical brat, and he doesn’t really act like a kid (in some ways yes, but general mannerisms and personality no). And even then he was a different kind of brat. He was entitled and bitchy in his origin, not immature (at least in the same way) and snotty. They have him act more like some spoiled brat from next door rather than a kid that was abused into being obedient to be what his abusive mother wanted (Talia shouldn’t be abusive, but like I said before, I think the series sucked overall for reasons like that and more).

(I also find that stupid line cutting scene in RR where I presume he was trying to kill Tim to be even stupider, cause Damian wouldn’t freaking do that at that point. They make Damian come off as so stupid in that issue, I hate it. Cause it was all just a cheap way to force sympathy for him, but it doesn’t even make sense when you think about it and is a huge stretch.)

Damian doesn’t make jokes when he’s written better--it’s like his thing. He’s got quite the temper, and understandably why of course. He’s violent with criminals, but he’s also mostly just stoic as his base state when not in a stressed situation, and even shows remorse (which is a big stretch from his origin, but I blame that on the writing which could be very rushed and lazy). He was treated like just another adult for the most part, and it had a weirdly endearing quality despite the maturity of it, and general edge of the series. It was Damian’s place and it worked really well. It just felt right for their dynamics. Damian’s a unique kid, and they respected him for who he was. He just needed help on his morals and stability.

But other series didn’t really get that. He would still be really rude like his origin, and not really the same tone of rudeness (I’m not sure if I can really explain what I mean by that), he’s aggressive, but putting him in Teen Titans never made sense to me, because I don’t see Dick doing that. Dick had a lot more respect than to force Damian to do something like that. Dick was more patient, and while he did lightly smack (not any kind to hurt him any. literally to demonstrate without pain. more taps really) him to teach him a point about aesthetical weaknesses in his costume like the hood, it was mostly done out of finding a way to teach him that would speak to him. So just forcing him to do something he didn’t want to do--which would clearly not work on him--was just contrived and plain bad writing wise. Something they did more as a stunt so they can say “TITANS NOW HAS THE SON OF BATMAN” than to use him well or continue his story in a natural way.

With Cass I can’t say anything, because that’s like the one time he talks to her, and that basically shows their dynamic. So that’s just them, I can’t really say anything on it. If he felt challenged by her I could see him being a total jerk. It really depends on the scenes themselves. I never read the series myself cause I genuinely really don’t like that Batman Reborn era of Bat-Family. Too much of it was just done for publicity and random changes, and for the most part didn’t work much to me.

But overall, at the same time, despite me singing the praises of what Damian could be, and was for a little while. The overall writing for the character arc was super lazy. Stuff just kind of happens, and way too quick to fit in with what they introduced. He just kind of goes “this is right, now”, which makes his whole brainwashing thing feel a bit--useless, and makes how he went from chopping heads off to that in very little time sort of cuts out depth that could’ve really made the series more rereadable. Damian actually comes off surprisingly as a very flat character for stretches of time in the issues because his character arc is never focused on as much as you’d think until they need to be like “Oh yeah...uh, here’s an emotional moment”. Which just felt really cheap to me.

So the series to me isn’t worth it if you want a good story. None of the stories were good to me, I think I was questioning each one cause it was either schlocky, out of character, or both. I know people like Grant Morrison, but they aren’t for me, I’m not a fan of their writing. Damian was a Gary Stu a lot, which they try to explain with the League thing--but having the League give him experimental surgery so he could walk the same day (or next) after being legitimately paralyzed was just way too freaking much to me. But he does make mistakes, so he’s not at base a Gary Stu really--the writing just really stunk badly sometimes.

This isn’t me putting in a bid to say “OH YOU JUST NEED TO READ THIS, AND YOU’LL FREAKING LOVE HIM”, because to be freaking honest, when you already have a bad taste in your mouth, it’s best to just wait a bit till trying again. I read the fandom recommended comics and felt there was so many problems that I couldn’t read Damian for literal months. And he still has a lot of the problems you said. I’m just saying Damian is surprisingly different when written by his creator than others, cause honestly nearly every single other writer for him has gotten him wrong. Like mind-blowingly wrong. He does not feel like the same character anywhere else. It’s nuts.

To put it another way, it’s a generally speaking bad series, but if you want to see what Damian was meant to be like before they kept regressing him, and diminishing him, and turning him into more a joke, and see what his dynamic with Dick and Alfred was meant to be like, it’s a brilliant and perfect series to read it for.

It’s better for learning about them--then it actually is to enjoy it. Because it’s most likely not a series I’m going to be returning too often unless to research something again.

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katiehepburns · 4 years

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so, just binged Legends of Tomorrow, and for some reason, I wanted to write this down.

So, Legends is a really unique show. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and ridiculous but fun, reminding why I loved The Flash early years (season 1 & season 2).

apologies, for this rambling mess. this got written in a burst of energy which faltered towards the end.

What other show would have plots about time travel, Sisqo singing Thong Song during a battle scene, and a child toy’s furry toy Beebo helping the heroes or being seen as a “god.”

The time travel aspects have been a lot of fun. It’s really hard to pick my favorites (but I am a sucker for 1920 - 1950′s stories), and kudos to the casting directors who have gotten some great actors in guest starring parts (The actors who played JRR Tolkien and Elvis Presley were real highlights for me. Also I loved the young Marty Stein episodes). Also, Jonah Hex is probably my favorite recurring characters on this show, and I really hope that the writers find a way to bring him back.

Sara Lance, who I loved from Arrow, is the reason among other Arrowverse recurring players (Stein, Ray, Jax, Mick and Snart) that I started to watch this show. Sara’s storyline in season 1 and season 2 was really unique and fun to watch her evolve from dealing being brought back by Lazarus Pit, and opening herself open to being a hero and embracing her grief and pain, turning it into becoming a hero and the captain. My issue is with the later seasons (season 4 & 5) aside from the blindness incident (which became more of a plot device than actual storyline, which could have been really interesting to delve into) is Sara’s main purpose, aside to being a captain and kickass leader, is to be a love interest to Ava. She has some great moments being a surrogate sister to the other characters, but I wish she had more of an individual storyline (also that job offer thread was also dropped too quickly - I wish we got more of insight into what exactly it was and why it came about).

Ava, her growth over the past three seasons has been interesting and integrating her as part of the Legends has given some fun moments, especially to have her interact with all the other characters and become friends with them, but aside from those smaller side moments, her storyline is so wrapped up and her identity is purely revolves around being Sara’s girlfriend. I wish that she and Sara had individual storylines than just everything being just about their relationship. It’s great to see Sara (and Ava) happy and in a healthy relationship but wish that they weren’t just each other’s plot device.

Mick - it’s interesting that out of all the original cast outside of Sara, that he has lasted the longest. I always loved the Snart / Mick dynamic (partly because of I love Wentworth and Dominic from their Prison Break days as brothers), so it’s nice to see his character change very slowly, and evolve as the show has gone on. I just wish he had more scenes with Charlie - I loved their moments together and they were such kindred spirits. I am still not a 100% sold on the whole give Mick a teenage daughter, but Lita has been actual a fun side character. Lita works because she isn’t a bratty/angry/ annoying teenager, but as she spends her more time with Mick, I get that it’s about seeing a new side of him, and they have found a way of having her interact with the rest of the cast. Lita’s scene with Charlie in the season five finale was really moving and I liked how she was the one who motivated Charlie to help her friends.

Nate - I have mixed feelings about him. Yes, he’s fun, pretty, and amusing but sometimes, it just feels like he’s wedged into the show. I love all his friendships on the show especially with Sara, Ray, Behrad, but all his romantic relationships have fallen flat with me. I love love Zari and Amaya (they were both wonderful kickass women) as individual characters but I never could get behind their pairing with Nate. I did enjoy his interactions and meeting Grandpa Steel (I love the actor), and even his flawed and messed up relationship with his Dad. I am failing to express why Nate just doesn’t work as a love interest for me, but all his pairings, I could never get into, and it’s too bad. I wish the writers would give him a more interesting storyline that has nothing to do with his profession (his knowledge of history is important but they also have Gideon at their disposal soo..), his family, or a romance. It feels like of late, he’s just shoehorned into the show and it makes him very meh to me.

Ray - I was likely one of the few who liked his character from Arrow and it was nice to see him really evolve and become his own person (aside from a member of a ill fated love triangle) on LoT. He was fun and a real great asset to the Legends team, and I really enjoyed how of all of the characters, he interacted with most of all the cast and had relationships with all the different characters that were unique and fun. One of the great highlights was seeing how he was so welcoming and became a real genuine friend to John Constantine (one of my favorite moments of his was bonding with a dying Constantine). Also, what other character could bond with the man who was their enemy (Vandal Savage) over Jenga while being stuck in hell?! I’m just really bitter that the writers choose to write him out because while I loved the second half of season 5, something was missing with Ray gone. Based on Brandon’s comments about his exit, not to mention the COVID related challenges, I am not sure if Ray will pop up again so soon in season 6, but really want him and Courtney back on the show in an arc or full time. While the reason behind his exit was disappointing, the storyline did leave the door open for circumstances to change, and Ray and Nora could easily rejoin the Legends.

Nora - she was a real surprise to me. I didn’t mind Damien Darhk in Arrow but in Legends, he worked really well as a big bad, and plus Neal seemed to have a blast playing him. Nora was one of those characters who didn’t capture my interest in the beginning, but as time went on, and she became more than Damien’s daughter, she was such a compelling character. Aside from Charlie, her evolution on the show has been so interesting and it was amazing to see her change and learn to love all of herself, dark and light sides. At first romance with Ray had me skeptical, mostly because of my feelings of real life couples playing a on screen couple, but it just worked. Mostly, I love how as Nora slowly changed and evolved, that her relationships with the other characters grew (those Book Club scenes with Sara, Ava, Mona were soo much fun - wish that they had more moments together), there was so much more potential for Nora to bond and really become good friends with Charlie. Also, the small moments with John and Nora were great, and wish that the writers had given us more scenes with them, because of their unique and dark history. Also, Courtney as Marie Antoinette was a real blast. Like Ray, there was so much rich storylines to mine with her especially with Astra in the picture, aside from the fun and amusing places that they could have taken her as the new Fairy Godmother

John Constantine - this will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely love him, and thought bringing him into the show in season 3 gave it a nice boost of energy. The beginning of season 3 was a bit rocky for me (it had some great moments, but it was also really hard to get into for some reason). I know some people say that there is too much of him, but I disagree. The writers found a way to write him into the show in a natural way without shoehorning him. Yes, he’s had storylines about him (Astra, Desmond) but also those storylines have also been part of the larger arc of a particular season. It’s not just about Constantine, but how it has a ripple effect on the overall big bad. I find him refreshing and fun. Also, I really enjoy his dynamics with the cast (I love the Sara/John dynamic and god, I adored the Charlie/John friendship SO much). John and Zari 2.0 attraction and growing relationship in season 5 was a real highlight - they have my OTP kryptonite (polar opposite couple who bicker and banter but also are kindred spirits, who call each other out on their BS but they just get each other even if they won’t admit it). Can we also have a Mick / John team up in season 6?

Zari(s) - I really love them both. While I will miss Zari 1.0, I am interested to see how they will explore this new Zari and how she’ll fit into this team, and if she’ll struggle with having another version of her in the Totem, she has a chance to become more than she is. Also, how amazing is it to have a smart, brilliant, and kickass character, whose religion (Muslim) that doesn’t make her a stereotype and is embraced as part of who she is, and how it defines her. It’s not made into a joke. Also, an aside, I did really love the interactions with OG Zari and Constantine - their side adventures with Charlie in season 4 were so so much fun. Also, really wish for Zari 1.0, the writers had explored other romantic avenues for her than Nate (I would have loved to have seen a Charlie/Zari romance or more of a flirtation with Jonah Hex). And cat Zari? so cute.

Charlie - There aren’t enough words to say how much I loved her. She was another character who just interested me from day one, and I just loved everything about her. Amaya was fun and kickass, but Charlie, I fell in love with her. She was snarky, fun, and just fit so well with the team. Her evolution was really well done. I loved all her friendships with the other Legends especially Mick, John, and Sara. I was really crushed when the actress wanted to leave the show and work on other projects but glad that the door was left open for her to return for an episode or two.

Since this is soo long, remaining briefer thoughts:

Behrad is a precious bean. I am so glad he’s going to stay on the show.

Gary, while I like him and he’s worked well with the show’s hijinks, hope that his goofiness doesn’t get too old now he’s a season regular.

I still really miss Jax and Stein.

Aside from the really disappointing “love story” of Carter and Kendra, Wally was a character was so poorly used on the show and they did such a disservice to him.

Rip, while it took me awhile to warm up to him, still wish they had written off his character better in season 3. Hope they find a way to have him return for an episode or two.

Human Gideon? MORE PLEASE

I’d love to see Leo Snart again. Also, more Jonah Hex!!!

Probably a long shot, but it would be great to see Captain Lance pop up, or it would be fun to have Earth 2 Laurel and Tommy Merlyn team up with the Legends. Mostly, I’d love see Sara interact with her sister’s doppelganger.

Astra’s storyline in season 6 - really hope that the writers do her justice and watch her change as she spends more time with the Legends.

Nyssa, Sara’s former beloved, come on the show, pretty please?!

Gary Junior II, please don’t destroy the Waverider or try and kill the Legends

#legends of tomorrow #ramblings #this is so long #wow #john x zari #i don't know how to tag this #hellstar

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theseerasures · 3 years

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Conspicuous Media Consumption, 2020

it’s that time of year again! *saddest toot from the party horn*

for those of you just joining us: it’s a “consume a different content every week for 48 weeks of the year” challenge. for a longer explanation, check out last year’s write-up here, and as always, feel free to pop in and ask questions about any and all of this content.

(same disclaimer as last year too: content for this project ONLY here, and not certain...*looks at my billion Sad Cop Lady posts*...hyperfixations.)

(man remember when i was big into X-Men comics earlier this year? better times than these, if only because no one's discoursing about Emma Frost’s woobie/war criminal ratio anymore--her w/w, if you will)

(...i swear at one point i didn’t exclusively like platinum blondes but alas)

Bitter Root (comic, 1 issue finished 1/1/2020): still very cool on a basic concept level, but runs into the Image Comics problem of just not having enough content to keep my interest beyond that. part of that is on me, for picking it up again BEFORE the second arc rolled out, but the first five issues didn’t really follow (or resolve) any cohesive story either, so...meh.

Immortal Hulk (comic, 3 trades finished 1/17/2020): still not gonna be something i care deeply about (maybe one of Bruce’s Hulksonas dyed his hair???), but i do want to give kudos to Al Ewing for sheer consistency in terms of sustaining this level of quality storytelling month by month for more than two years now. working with the dense archive of the Hulk mythos and managing to make it interesting and thoughtful is impressive even if i personally would not expend the same effort.

Disco Elysium (game, finished 1/18/2020): honestly i should have twigged onto what this year was gonna be like when the third thing i drew from the barrel was pure uncut Eastern European flavored depression. i faintly recall people ragging on it for being pretentiously cynical, but i actually thought its core slid more towards idealism than people give it credit for. also gratified that i haven’t heard anything about Robert Kurvitz using slave labor to finish it, which is a thing we have to say about our video games now!!! fun.

Watchmen (TV, 7 episodes finished 1/27/2020): i am a fool who wants to believe in Damon Lindelof and I WAS RIGHT!!! honestly still cannot believe that he pulled off this highwire act with such deft aplomb. might be my favorite TV this year, which is a pretty high bar given how much TV i ended up watching.

On a Sunbeam (comic, finished 2/1/2020): Tillie Walden rightly deserves all the praise for inventive queer storytelling, but i will say that on reread--since i first read this as a webcomic--there ARE some issues with pacing here that clearly come from the foibles of its original intended medium. still just excellent, even if after some plot significant haircuts i was having trouble telling a few folks apart.

Lazarus (comic, 1 trade finished 2/8/2020): it’s so good and i want moooooorrrreee--though obviously Rucka and Lark have the right to take all the time they need. the newer longer issues work really well with the epic prestige drama vibes of the story! i’m into it.

The Good Place (TV, 4 seasons finished 2/18/2020): i’m gonna be super honest: i actually wasn’t a big fan of the finale, nor the last season as a whole. it felt like all of Eleanor’s flaws vanished for a majority of the season, and the Chidi-centric episode where they tried to give a legible justification for why he’s Like This was...i didn’t care for it. still, it’s so good and unique on the WHOLE that we’ll literally never get anything like this ever again, and that counts for a lot.

The Old Republic (game, finished 2/21/2020): it’s an MMO so it will never actually Be Finished so long as the servers aren’t shut down, but i caught up on the content i’d missed in the intervening months. Onslaught thus far has mostly been...kinda bland tbh; going back to Imps vs. Rebs after all the shakeups in the previous expansions feels like a waste.

High Road (album, finished 2/22/2020): someone should tell Kesha not to say that word!! otherwise i was very happy with this album, and happy FOR her even though we don’t know each other. being able to find joy again in the same genre of music you made while you were being horrifically exploited is very cool.

Young Justice (TV, 13 episodes finished 2/28/2020): given how much the middle stuff dragged--STOP KILLING YOUR HIJABI CHARACTER IN HORRIFIC WAYS--i was...actually kinda mad by how the end managed to stick the landing anyway. the day being saved by Vic’s self-acceptance and Violet’s sublime compassion was A+, and even the Brion/Tara switchup was a pleasant surprise, though it relied on me caring about Brion MUCH MORE than i actually did.

Manic (album, finished 2/29/2020): do people still care for/about Halsey? i feel like even That One Song that was on every tumblr gifset ever has kinda faded into obscurity at this point. this album was...okay. i feel like people give Halsey a pass for extremely obvious lyrical turns that they wouldn’t for other folks because of her subject material--which is fine. not really my cup of tea, but i also listened to lots of Relient K this year, so that’s probably a good thing.

Jade Empire (game, 3/10/2020): the only 3D-era Bioware game that didn’t franchise out, and for good fucking reason!!! the Orientalism and appropriation really haven’t aged well, and even beyond that the story was...standard Bioware faire. even my usual “my wife’s a bitch i love her” Bioware type didn’t do it for me, and i just ended up romancing no one. it did make me think a lot about what level of cultural borrowing is accepted nowadays, and why: people still look fondly at Avatar and talk about how ~accurate and respectful it was, for example, despite it being staffed almost entirely by white folks, and the Orientalism ALL OVER the monk class in DND is still fine for some reason.

Alif the Unseen (book, finished 3/31/2020): interesting to have read this AFTER reading The Bird King last year, because it highlights how the intervening years have shifted G. Willow Wilson’s thematic interest and improved her craft. i’m actually quite fond of how her characterization work is rougher here--Alif is extremely flawed to the point of being insufferable, but it makes his development by the end more satisfying. Dina is also just good and i love her

Baldur’s Gate (2 games, finished 5/31/2020): well, having finally finished the series i’m happy to say that it...still doesn’t really do it for me, sorry. any awesome story moments were overshadowed by the EXCRUCIATING inventory management system and the combat (i still don’t know what a THAC0 is and at this point i’m afraid to find out). these games crucially lack the Home Base that later Bioware games were so good about, and that (coupled with the huge cast of characters you can drop off and never see again) really hurts the intimacy for me. by the time we finally did get one it was the Hell Dimension in Throne of Bhaal, and i was just...trying to get through it. (yes, i did just say that about one of the most beloved expansions ever to one of the most beloved games ever.) THIS particular iteration of “my wife’s a bitch i love her” was very good, but the game wouldn’t let me romance her :(

The Underground Railroad (book, finished 6/19/2020): honestly what is there even left to say at this point! it was exactly as good as every critic on the planet said it was, even with my usual aversion to hype. draining and horrifying in turns but still insistent upon a future for Black folks.

Steven Universe (6 seasons and a mooooooviiieeee, finished 7/11/2020): yes, i DID finish the show and almost immediately begin a rewatch. this series is now one of my top five most formative things, and the amount of love and respect i have for it is incalculable. that said: i once again did not love how the central conflict of Future was resolved (just the resolution--i loved the finale just fine). for all of Steven’s breakdown was built up, resolving it with “EVERYONE HUG HIM UNTIL HE CRIES” felt...cheap, especially since up until this point the show had been so good about treating trauma and mental illness with the respect and nuance it deserves. it made me wish some of the earlier, less substantial episodes had been cut so we could spend more time at the end.

What It Is (comic, finished 8/19/2020): y’all i love Lynda Barry SO MUCH. for the longest time i was worried that One Hundred Demons was more a lightning in a bottle situation but every book of hers i pick up makes me feel obscure emotions i didn’t even realize existed. the compassionate way she’s able to describe her child self and how weird and fucked up she was (and still is) is honestly aspirational.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (TV, 5 seasons finished 9/26/2020): so here’s a reversal of what i’ve been complaining about with other shows: i was mostly lukewarm-to-warm about She-Ra, but the later seasons and the finale made me much more into it as a whole. more shows should improve in stakes and overall quality as they age tbh!! i still don’t actively love Catradora (my sole quibble with season 5 actually has to do with the way Adora kept backsliding as a character to make certain Plot/Relationship things happen), but i’m very happy for them nonetheless. i can certainly appreciate a show that will go for High Feeling over tight plot. dark horse standout moments: trees growing everywhere proving that Perfuma Was Right, and Hordak and Adora seeing each other--that weirdly intimate moment of recognition.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters (album, finished 10/7/2020): again i find myself not having much to say that no one else has said. it’s good! once again love it when an artist reclaims something they’d attached with negative affect (anxiety, depression, disordered eating) for better and brighter things.

Solutions and Other Problems (comic, finished 10/25/2020): i was very into Allie Brosh’s ambition with this book, which feels weird to say but i stand by it. it’s cool to see an artist try to make a new medium work for them instead of just sticking to what already works. not all the experimentation was 100% effective, but it was still delightful and occasionally devastating to read, so.

Legend of Zelda (3 games: Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Link Between Worlds, finished 11/1/2020): this was the third time i’d played Ocarina of Time, which made it the nice, comforting groove i settled into before Majora’s Mask blatted me in the face. i’m not usually a completionist Zelda person because...the gameplay in Zelda is bad, do not at me it just is, but i really felt like i HAD to be one for Majora’s Mask since the whole point is to get attached to the banalities of the town. i’m sure nobody’s surprised that i loved it, even if it gave me an existential crisis about how life goes on in the game for NPCs when you’re not there to save them from it, and there’s not enough time to save them all all the time (also not a surprise to anyone: Romani and Cremia gave Personal Feelings). Link Between Worlds...bad. not like in a “this is a bad story by every measurable gauge” way, but i was already struggling with the 2D playstyle shift enough that for the whole story to end with some “yes it’s v sad that Lorule is Like This but trying to steal Hyrule’s privilege is Even Worse Actually” noblesse oblige bullshit left a VERY poor taste in my mouth, this year of all years. i did audibly gasp when Ravio took off his mask, though. i’m currently playing Breath of the Wild in cautious increments; it’s the first time i’ve enjoyed early Zelda gameplay, but if they wanted fully voiced cutscenes i wish they got voice actors who...knew what words sound like.

folklore (album, finished 11/6/2020): my belief that Taylor Swift is Just Fine continues, i’m afraid. i LIKED this album, don’t get me wrong, and respect her constant drive to innovate, but i didn’t love it substantially more or less than any other Taylor Swift album. mostly i’m just tickled by how she thinks leaning into the indie aesthetic means borrowing Vita Sackville-West’s entire wardrobe, though i will admit to feeling Something when she swore in a song. i think it was like. savage vindication?? you go ahead and swear, Taylor Swift. you deserve it.

Shore (album, finished 11/19/2020): do people still care about the Fleet Foxes? i think there was some Drama with Josh Tillman a while back but i don’t remember where the discourse landed with who was being more problematic. it was nostalgic for me to listen to their new album--made me remember being an undergrad who exclusively listened to men who mumbled and played acoustic guitar all over again.

Star Wars (3 movies: original trilogy, finished 11/27/2020): there is So Much bad Star Wars these days that every time i rewatch the original trilogy i’m afraid that they will suddenly be bad, but guess what! they’re not. i love these children and their hot mess stories, i love that Lando doesn’t know how to say his best friend’s name. what stood out to me this time was the way Obi-Wan described the Force in A New Hope, which strongly implied that ANYONE can be Force Sensitive; that obviously faded with each subsequent movie, but part of me does wish they’d kept it.

X of Swords (comics, 22 issues finished 12/5/2020): i am enjoying Hickman’s X-lines!!! not so much here for the Grand Conspiracy or whatever, but the character work and highkey weirdness is fabulous--they FEEL like X-Men, despite all the shakeups in-universe. this crossover is a nice microcosm of all that: grandiloquently all over the place, but still full of cool standout moments and genuine hilarity. ILLYANA DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SPELL MAGIC.

Fire Emblem (4 games: Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Awakening, finished 12/14/2020): this was the thing that i was closest to giving up early on, but i ended up hyperfixating on it instead. that’s a credit to what the gameplay does to my lizard brain more than anything else, because the story and character writing is...insipid. it was very bizarre to witness this franchise blunder around with its animal-people racism allegory around the same time i was getting back into RWBY, and ITS animal-people racism allegory blunders. Awakening was the first time i felt anything for the franchise beyond “teehee red units disappear make exp bar go up and brain go ding,” so i’m excited for more mature storytelling in subsequent games (they MUST get better. they MUST). the child husbandry thing is...very bad tho, and Apotheosis being “challenging” entirely through the game changing all the rules is also bad.

once again no vidya games that came out this year--i’ll probably pick up Spiritfarer or Hades after the New Year, though (or maybe TLOU II! but probably not. sry Laura and Ashley). more TV and franchises this year, which made me feel In Touch with the Children but was also kinda exhausting. nothing was so egregiously terrible i dropped it without finishing! in a year like this that feels almost like an accomplishment

#conspicuous media consumption

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sophiaannecarusos · 4 years

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SOPHIA ANNE CARUSO TALKS LEAVING 'BEETLEJUICE', NEW SINGLE, EP AND LIFE IN QUARANTINE

Sophia Anne Caruso, a young multi-talented entertainer is adding music-writing to her impressive résumé with her upcoming debut EP. From starring in the musicals 'Lazarus' by David Bowie and Broadway's beloved 'Beetlejuice' (as Lydia Deetz) to performing for TV shows such as 'Smash', 'Evil' and 'Celebrity Ghost Stories', Caruso has our attention. We at MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) spoke with the promising actress and singer on her upcoming new music, her departure from 'Beetlejuice' and how she managed to write music during the quarantine.

I: At just 18, you’ve already made quite a name for yourself on Broadway and have been a part of some top-notch productions in the midst of winning a Theatre World Award for your role in 'Beetlejuice'. What has the journey been like for you so far?

S: Sometimes people assume that young people are new to the business but I moved to New York when I was 10, so I've been swimming in this sea for 8 years. It's a lot of hard work and I've had to give up a lot to bring myself to the wonderful opportunities I've had, like 'Lazarus' and 'Beetlejuice'. But I love what I do and all of the hard work is worth every moment. Being recognized for the Theatre World Award was a very special moment for me. When I see the glass award on my credenza while watching old movies every day It inspires me to keep going... to keep working hard and keep doing what I love. It reminds me that if I keep doing that, I can achieve my biggest dreams.

I: You’ve received recognition for your work in ‘Beetlejuice’, but still chose to part ways with the show this year. Did you feel you had reached a saturation point with ‘Beetlejuice’ when you left or were you just eager to try new things? Was it an amicable parting of ways?

S: If you asked me when I was 10 years old what my biggest dream was, I would've told you it is to be a leading lady on Broadway. That is still a truth. Today if you asked me, I would tell you I'd like to sing on the moon. I have so many dreams and I worked on 'Beetlejuice' for almost 4 years. It is full of so many beautiful memories for me but of course, everything has an end. I decided I would like to leave to work on TV. I miss my friends from the show so much, but we do stay in touch and I treasure that experience greatly.

I: What was the experience like working on 'The Liz Swados Project' and singing a song from the iconic 'Runaways' musical?

S: Liz Swados was a magnificent artist who bolted around off-Broadway with important, inspired, works. I admired her so much. Her ferociousness, and passion... being able to sing from 'Runaways' on 'The Liz Swados Project' in her honor was so soul-fulfilling. When I was asked to sing for it I remember tearing up and immediately saying yes.

I: What's your new single called, and what's it about? Considering how important first impressions are, is it designed as a statement of intent?

S: This single is called 'Toys'. It is a collaboration between my friends Henry Hey (David Bowie's 'Blackstar') and Nicholas Littlemore (Empire of The Sun). The song is about someone seeing the one they love crumbling: when things fall apart, the innocence of a child that comes through. I think that the song itself is open to interpretation. The plot will appear different to each ear. I think Henry, Nick, and I each have a different meaning behind our work in it. Although the overall feeling is universal.

I: Can you give us some details about your upcoming debut EP? What's the backstory behind it, and how long were you working on it? Given your edgy sensibilities, what can we expect to hear on this effort?

S: I can tell you that each song has its own backstory. Each song I have written - I was at a different place in my life. I've been working with Nick and Henry since I was about around 15/16. So much goes on in a girl's mind from that age to where I am now, at almost 19. The work I tend to do marks me as edgy certainly. There is a lot of edgy teen girl music out there, but what you can hear in the music I created during this time is pure. It is a manifestation of not only the teen girl blues, but the beautiful light that shines from youth.

I: Has it been particularly difficult putting an EP together, given the current world situation? Did you find it challenging to complete the record during a lockdown?

S: The vocals for 'Toys' were recorded right before quarantine began. The rest has been remote. My video was made with the loved ones I'm quarantined with. No fancy crews and sets. Just me and a 1950s film camera.

I: How different has the experience of recording an EP been to working with the music on Broadway? Do you find you prefer one to the other, currently?

S: The style of what you usually hear on Broadway vs my music is dramatically different. My personal music is an expression of myself, or the me I feel at a time. The music from shows I've done is an expression of a character from that show, written by someone else. I love to sing and tell stories, mine or not.

I: If your solo career really takes off, would you consider moving into music full time, with musical theater taking a backseat? Or will Broadway always be your first love?

S: There's no need to cut one out when I can do both. Be it acting in a movie, writing a score for a movie, or performing on Broadway, I will always be happy, so long as I am doing it.

I: Are there any roles or projects you would be eager to try your hand at in the near future?

S: I would love to go back to straight plays, play Joan in Bernard Shaw's 'Saint Joan'. I would like to write something in French. I would love to do... so many things. The list gets longer every day.

#sophia anne caruso #interview #meaww #beetlejuice broadway #broadway #liz swados #the runaways #runaways #henrey hey #nick littlemore

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berijogurtblog · 3 years

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Album review: ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ is the second studio album by UK rapper Santan Dave. Dave is a rapper raised in Streatham with Nigerian roots, who has been in the UK rap scene for years with multiple mixtapes, EPs and freestyles on various popular British platforms. He has been hailed as the next best thing from the UK scene, and won the Mercury Prize in 2019 for his debut album ‘Psychodrama’, which is awarded annually to the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. The project opens up with ‘We’re All Alone’ which explains hardships his parents went through as Nigerian immigrants coming into the UK, and a moment in which a fan claims he saved their life. I really enjoyed this track. ‘Verdansk’ is a great follow-up from the intro track, which pays some homage to Call of Duty: Warzone. Dave is braggadocios on this track and I love it. ‘Clash’ featuring Stormzy follows up with the same tone as ‘Verdansk’. It also features a great beat progression which I absolutely love. ‘In The Fire’ featuring Fredo, Ghetts, Giggs & Meeks Manny all rapping passionately about their lives and telling their own stories which I loved a lot. I also liked the minor beat changes from all their verses. I enjoyed ‘System’ (featuring Wizkid) and ‘Lazarus’ (featuring BOJ), with both tracks giving an Afrobeat/Afroswing sound, similar to what he did on ‘Location’ featuring Burna Boy. ‘Heart Attack’ is a 9 minute long song and an apparent sequel to ‘Panic Attack’ from his EP titled ‘Six Paths EP’. Although the storytelling is great, I just couldn’t get into it because the instrumental/beat for such a long track was not exciting. Overall, I have mixed feelings. I love the highlights a lot but the low moments I really disliked. Dave is a fantastic lyricist and the album has great tracks. My main issue is instrumentation and beat selection. I feel this could be improved. It’s also the same issue I had with his debut album ‘Psychodrama’. I hope when Dave releases his third album, I can get to enjoy more of the production and instrumentation. I’ll be looking forward to see where Dave goes next with his music and sound 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTK9j9N8De/?utm_medium=tumblr

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ashxpad · 3 years

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Surreal Photo Series Developed with the Unusual Mordançage Process

A photographer has documented the disappearing American West using a unique alternative photographic process called Mordançage which gives the finished images a surreal and ethereal look.

When J. Jason Lazarus, an Alaska-based photographer and educator, first started showing his work at a local gallery space about 15 years ago, he realized that the effort he puts into his darkroom printing is not always recognized. People browsing his work would often presume that his silver-based prints were digital black and white images, not hand-printed by the photographer in a darkroom.

Lazarus tells PetaPixel that, although he enjoys shooting and printing digitally when he creates work in the darkroom, he wants that element of the image to be called forward.

“Even though the processes I use are rarely intertwined with the actual concept behind the work, I enjoy getting my hands dirty and like it when some of that workmanship shines through,” Lazarus says.

“Whether that’s the brush strokes on the edge of a Cyanotype print, the handmade texture of the watercolor paper peeking through, or the accidental thumbprint left behind on a Lumen print, those imperfections are a bit of the artist in the final print and a great story for a client that may want to know more about the image and process.”

His interest in alternative processes began when he started pursuing his MFA in Photography through the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and Lazarus started challenging himself to learn these antiquarian processes. He spent time teaching a few of the processes himself, as well as relied on the university’s alt-pro courses to learn others, and also began a mentorship under Christina Z. Anderson. The latter, Lazarus reveals, completely changed his perspective and understanding of “the hidden complexities behind truly mastering some of these processes.”

The idea of the project, titled “The Westward Consumption,” arose naturally during the hands-on process. Whilst waiting in the darkroom for images to expose or for prints to process, there is a lot of time that can be spent on thinking, brainstorming, and processing ideas and thoughts. Combined with Lazarus shooting new material in the American Southwest, it gave him a reason to pursue this project.

“You start thinking about what sort of imagery works best with the process, how you can use and manipulate the process to encourage a story or theme, and then, if it’s something you’re keen on developing, your passion for the subject matter fills in the rest of the blanks,” he explains how his projects originate. Although any planning prior doesn’t completely eliminate “misfires, failures, and restarts.” In fact, Lazarus welcomes them as an important part of the learning process as well as that of creative exploration.

The initial traces of the project started around four years ago, when Lazarus shot infrared (IR) film with his medium format cameras and enjoyed the unique, alien-looking landscapes that it created. He created a selection of IR landscapes — although without an underlying concept or theme at the time — and shelved them for a couple of years. This body of work was later resurrected in 2019 when he had to test out some Mordançage chemistry for a workshop. Simultaneously, he realized that the black skies in his IR landscape shots gave him the necessary tones to start experimenting with the fragile veils that the Mordançage process creates.

The fragile veils produced using Mordançage chemistry

The way this technique begins is with a bleaching process. The darkest areas of the print’s emulsion lift, creating very fragile veils that can be moved and manipulated with paintbrushes and the gentle flow of water. The print is then washed thoroughly, reprocessed through developer and fixer, and then washed thoroughly again. While transferring to each of the separate baths, utmost care must be employed, as the veils tend to carry a lot of water between them and the print’s paper backing, making them heavy and easily spoiled.

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An image isn’t ruined if one rips — in fact, a lot of photographers rip them on purpose for a creative result. However, photographers have to be willing to change the intended outcome of the image drastically if they are careless or rushed. Lazarus also employed this unique characteristic of the process by allowing the veils to burst — which adds an additional dimension to each print — as it creates an impression that the landscape is “quite literally falling apart.” After working on this process for some time, Lazarus realized that perhaps this is something special to continue working on for his project.

Each individual Mordançage print takes him about five hours to create, from loading up the negative in the enlarger to final print. He only spends about one hour on his initial black and white print, one-hour processing it through the various chemicals and washes, and two to three hours manipulating the veils in the final rinse.

As this type of process uses a traditional fiber-based darkroom print that is then bleached in a fairly toxic mixture of chemicals, Lazarus urges anyone interested in this technique to first attend a workshop to learn in a safe environment. If the chemicals are mixed incorrectly, the process can create chlorine gas. It is important to follow safety procedures and to wear appropriate gear to enable safe handling of the chemicals, which, Lazarus points out, can and will eat through metal.

Overall, anyone who tries their hand at delicate processes like these has to be prepared and willing to go where the process takes them, with any imperfections that may arise. “The more you make this creative process a conversation between you and what the process is willing to grant you, the more successful you will be,” explains Lazarus. “If you’re used to controlling every variable, Mordançage might not be for you — although if you can relinquish some control, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Having said that, Lazarus recommends all artists get their hands dirty and try alternative and historical photographic processes hands-on. Immersing oneself in a different way of creating can provide a different perspective on the process, especially for those who have grown up familiar only with digital work.

As complex as the technique is, the shooting stage hasn’t always been easy either. Working with IR requires strong sunlight for maximum effect, which means overcast days are out of the question. Lazarus is also required to shoot through an R72 filter — that decreases the light striking the film by five stops — and needs to shift his focus slightly, too.

As for the imagery present in the project, most of the early work was captured on or around Route 66 with the initial project focused on this “disappearing slice of Americana.” The more he traveled around the American West, and the more he explored its history, Lazarus realized that the neglect on the Route 66 was “just part of a much greater problem of land misuse throughout the region.”

This was the moment when Lazarus shifted the focus of his series away from just documenting Route 66 to photographing the scenes that define this continued development of the land and what is in danger. “Whether nuclear dump sites, failed power stations, ceaseless urban sprawl, toxic mining remnants, they all represent failed experiments toward progress that now taint this once pristine landscape — and what hasn’t been touched is under increasing danger from fires and floods caused by climate change,” says Lazarus.

“Iconic historical photographs of the region have defined it as an unspoiled paradise, so vast that crowding, pollution, and overuse are unfathomable. These early images, along with the ideals surrounding ‘Manifest Destiny’ encouraged each successive generation to reap the benefits of the land without regard, leaving hundreds of years of detritus littering this vast region — while saying all of it was done in the name of ‘progress.'”

The resulting body of work is intended not just to challenge what the people define the American West as, but to also show where this neglect of it has lead to.

“Much like the Mordançage processes’ veils suggest, the American West is going up in flames, crumbling at our feet, and disappearing in the wind,” he says.

More of Lazarus’ photography, including a variety of projects using alternative processes, can be viewed on his website and Instagram.

Image credits: All images by J. Jason Lazarus and used with permission.

from PetaPixel https://ift.tt/2SKC49u

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annikapaletzkihws · 4 years

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Too Hard To Keep

Too Hard To Keep by Jason Lazarus was an extremely powerful piece. He is devoted to collecting photos from random people that are too painful to keep yet are too manful to destroy. I really thought this was such a meaningful project because it showed the importance of life and told a story through every picture even though You may not have known what it was about. I also really like how he arranged them, photos with negative space are placed higher on the wall where as photos with less space are placed lower on the wall. I really would like to see one of the people who submitted a photo look at the wall and see how it makes them feel. Overall I thought that this was an extremely powerful and interesting project that I wish I was able to see in person myself. This project relates to our project, Neither Ordinary or Extraordinary by showing that even a simple empty picture can be so meaningful to someone. It doest matter what is in the photo to make it important to someone.

https://vimeo.com/67000918

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astoldbygingersnaps · 2 years

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Harper’s 2021 Fic Wrap-Up

[sighs]

in some ways i’ve been Dreading making this post because my output this year is just

so much less than the previous year, and it’s lowkey depressing to see that reflected in words and numbers.

for all that 2020 was weird and messy and horrible, 2021 was easily a much worse year for me, and frankly one of the worst years of my life thus far. i’ve made references both on here and on twitter to why the year sucked so much ass and why i spent so much time away from social media and writing, but suffice to say a lot of factors contributed to me being The Ghost of Fanfiction past this year.

still! even though writing was hella difficult for me, i at least managed to turn a few things out this year, so let’s talk about them!

projects i worked on/completed in 2021:

lovers alone wear sunlight (shiita; 70,450 words; in progress):

on the one hand, it’s a fucking tragedy that after all the work i did last year i only produced one (1) chapter of star trek au, on the other hand, if i had to produce a single chapter of this fic in twelve months, i’m glad it was this one.

overall, i’m a lot less happy with LAWS than i was with the first two parts of star trek au, but i think that’s because this section of the story is so crucial and everything i’ve been building up to since day one so i feel like i’m kinda choking under the pressure.

THAT SAID, i AM happy about how 3.3 came out and i’m glad that (almost) all of the cats are out of the bag. the truth is i’ve been waiting to write the confession scene between shisui and itachi for AGES, and it was both freeing and terrifying to rip that bandage off because i knew after this chapter things would never be the same. after danzogate we’re never going back to the comfortable mission of the week formula filled with wacky interactions with the crew and flirty, will-they won’t-they? banter between itachi and shisui that peaked in parts one and two. and, i’m sad to say it, but in the backend of part three things are only going to get Worse, my loves. whoops!

HOWEVER, i also feel Incredibly satisfied comparing this chapter to the very first chapter of SBTTS, and seeing a) how much these characters have changed and b) how believable i feel like that journey has been. we’ve watched itachi go from an overly logical, pissy, stick-in-the mud fighting with his own nature to someone who, while conflicted, has found a way to make the two very different halves of himself far more cohesive. (whether this mindset will stick around after the events of the next few chapters of LAWS, well.. we’ll see!)

meanwhile, shisui has gone from someone who, while a genuinely good person and a good leader, has let his flaws and fears take the wheel and has made some... um... interesting! choices! as a result! and said choices have pushed that deeply buried darker side to him that we first saw in the confrontation scene with kabuto in part two closer and closer to the surface. with that in mind, maybe don’t be too surprised if our boy goes just a liiiittle off the rails post-danzonapping...

wow that was stupid long, but hey. i’ll always find a million and one words to say about my beloved star trek au. more than anything, i’m excited to get this story back on track and bring part three to its very explosive close, so stay tuned!

lazarus taxon (shiita; alternate universe; 22,315 words; in progress):

oh how i love this silly little fic. the funny thing is i originally came up with this idea for an entirely different ship and fandom YEARS ago, but i was never able to use it because said fandom went completely nuclear and was unfuckingtouchable (no, i won’t name names.) still, i loved it so much i was determined to find a way to reuse it, and considering i could find a way to turn a paper bag into a shiita au it was only inevitable we’d end up here.

more than anything, i love how fun this fic is. i love itachi as a cold, cynical businessman with a very deeply hidden heart of gold and enough daddy issues to fill a mosasaurus’ stomach and shisui as his manic pixie dream paleontologist one night stand. and, it was also a great opportunity to show off two of my biggest passions: dinosaurs and animal behavior. frankly, the levels of self-indulgent content in this fic are Unreal.

as always, it’s a delight to write a less depressed, less traumatized version of itachi and see what kind of person he could be if he was just a weird little man with a dad who’s mean to him instead of y’know. a child soldier manipulated into committing genocide. meanwhile, it’s been a blast to peel back the layers of shisui as a character, and go from presenting him as this handsome, morally righteous man of mystery who shows up in itachi’s life to challenge his beliefs and push him to be a better version of himself to seeing the person he actually is.

the last chapter of this fic is like. halfway finished, but to be honest i’m not super happy about the plot beats and the pacing, so i might end up scrapping a good chunk of it. either way, i’m excited to bring this story to its conclusion and my goal is to have it finished by the end of the year, so we shall see what happens.

take my hand, wreck my plans (shiita; canon divergence; 19,517 words; completed):

confession: in some ways, i kind of hate this fic.

don’t get me wrong: i think it’s one of the better things i’ve written technically as the character/relationship progression is solid, the dialogue is solid, and i feel like it flowed really well. but also, there’s a not nice part of me that resents the fact that of all the things i’ve written, THIS is the fic that’s blown up when there are other projects i’ve put more work into that have gotten a lot less attention. and i hate to say that because i don’t want to be ungrateful, because i truly do cherish the comments and feedback, but it’s hard not to be a little bitter seeing other works of mine that i feel are more deserving flop.

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, i do love the way itachi and shisui’s relationship came through in this fic. it was a nice change of pace to take things back to canon and imagine the better future they could have had (and deserved!). and by working in a canon setting, it made the transition of a friends-with-benefits situation more believable to me because i think their friendship is genuinely one of the most compelling aspects of them as a ship.

i also really like the potential of this setting and how in the moment where this story takes place both itachi and shisui are in a transitional period. they’re both growing up in a world where neither one of them really expected to live that long and dealing with what that means for them. for itachi, that’s moving towards a goal that previously seemed impossible (i.e., becoming the hokage), and for shisui that’s realizing he needs to get his shit together and stop hiding from the things he really wants (i.e., the cagey settling down conversation he had with itachi).

also... the sex. i’ve said before i’m not a person that writes a lot of sex, but this fic definitely helped me get more comfortable working it into my writing.

i’ve gone back and forth about whether or not i’d want to add anything else to this ‘verse. while i’d certainly be interested in exploring what a hokage itachi would look like in this au and how that would affect shisui and itachi’s relationship, there’s also something deeply appealing in having a project that’s actually finished. so, i’ll never say no to a sequel, but maybe don’t hold your breath waiting for one.

pack up (don’t stray) (shiita; alternate universe; 4,967 words; in progress):

seguing into what may be my favorite thing i wrote this year! i have to say i am sad that band au hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, especially because it was born from a period where i was really creatively struggling and really excited to share something i was genuinely inspired by, but what can you do.

in a lot of ways, this fic came to life because i was experiencing a lot of super intense and negative emotions and a bunch of stresses were piling up at once and i needed a place to put all the ugliness. but! it also came, like most of my fic ideas, from a shitpost alexa and i exchanged via text message that rapidly spiraled out of control.

mostly i was feeling like i was in a rut and like i was writing a lot of the same interactions and dynamics, so i wanted to take two characters i’ve worked with a lot and use them in a very different fashion than i usually do. in some ways it was weirdly nerve-wracking to intentionally write itachi and shisui, characters i genuinely love, in a way that was so unflattering and at times deeply ugly, but it was a good challenge.

birk put it best by saying the tragedy of band au is that it’s just the story of two adults growing up and growing away from each other. the most important thing for me was that even though this was a story in itachi’s pov, i never wanted things to be one-sided or for there to be a villain, because i do feel like at the end of the day they’re both responsible for the demolition of this relationship (and, if you’ve read the previews for chapter two you’ll know that itachi is handling their breakup, um. poorly)

(if you ask alexa tho she’s Team Itachi and shisui can die in a fire in this fic)

(lowkey i’m Team Shisui but we don’t need to talk about it!)

anyway, i really deeply love this fic. i think it has some of the best writing i’ve ever produced and there are lines that to this day still kind of suckerpunch me in the heart if i think about them too hard. i won’t lie, the reception has dimmed some of my original interest in this fic, but it’s definitely still an active wip.

goals i have for 2022:

to be frank, i’m in a not cute place with a lot of things in my life and with writing in particular, so i don’t want to make a lot of huge goals and then feel crappy about not accomplishing them

that said, since the second chapter of atonement au is a scene and a half away from being finished, i think it’s a safe bet it’ll be done soon-ish.

the second chapter of band au is about 40-50% finished, so you should expect that by the end of the year.

jurassic world au is... well, we’ll get there.

to save the best for last, my love and light, star trek au. so help me god, if i don’t publish a chapter for her this year, it’s all over.

and that’s it! i wish i could feel as proud of this wrap-up as i did last year’s, but really all i can do is hope that 2022 will be a better, and kinder, year. as always, thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos and bookmarks, it really does mean the world even if i’ve been super MIA and haven’t been great about saying so.

until next time!

#my fic #this came out more than depressing than i wanted so uh. oops

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usfwspacific · 6 years

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This Valentine’s Day, Get to Know Your Dancing Birds!

So you think you can dance, but can you top these dance moves? From the sagebrush sea to the middle of the Pacific Ocean these fab birds have some of the best courtship moves around.

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Get to know more about these amazing dancing birds...

The Grouse of the Sagebrush Sea

A greater sage-grouse preens and struts hoping to attract a mate.

The sagebrush ecosystem is the largest interconnected habitat type in the country. Home to more than 350 species of plants and animals and bridging portions of 13 states, America’s sagebrush country sustains iconic plants and wildlife, and a uniquely western way of life. Sage-grouse have danced at leks across their 173 million-acre, 11-state range for hundreds of thousands of years.

Although the birds once occupied more than 290 million acres of sagebrush in the West, the bird has lost more than half of its range. Habitat loss and fragmentation by are the primary threats to sagebrush country. Stopping the spread of invasive plants and restoring the native plant communities destroyed by extreme wildfires are two of the most critical land management challenges today. Check out the maps below to get a sense of their current and historic range.

These maps show how habitat loss and fragmentation have impacted the Sage-grouse range land.

Sagebrush Portraits

Private landowners, states, and federal agencies have been working together for years to reduce threats to the sage-grouse and other species that depend on the sagebrush ecosystem. Meet some of the amazing people who live and work with Sage-grouse in Sagebrush PortraitsThe People, Plants, and Animals of the Sagebrush Ecosystem.

Duane Coombs, Intermountain West Joint Venture, is holding up a sign to show that sagebrush helps sustains life. Duane says, “ “For a lot of us in the West, we are sagebrush dependents like sage grouse in that we make our homes, find our food and raise our families in the sage. That’s what we’ve created our livelihoods around and, economically, our communities are put together around the sagebrush ecosystem. To me, the sagebrush is my life.”

Sneak Attack: Researchers Explore Bacteria in Fight Against Invasives on Sagebrush Steppe

One of the primary ways the Service is investing in sagebrush is by providing funding for scientific research on sagebrush habitats and associated species. Service scientists are also collaborating with state and federal agencies to develop a body of “best available science” to inform all of our work.

One of the cool projects our scientists are working on is using bacteria to help fight invasives on the sagebrush steppe. It might be a tiny solution to a huge problem. Check out our tumblr blog to learn more!

Brynne Lazarus, USGS, lays out a measuring tape while doing vegetation sampling in a bacteria plot near the Soda Fire burn area, on the border between Oregon and Idaho. Photo Credit: Merry Davidson, USGS.

To learn more about the greater sage-grouse visit fws.gov/greatersagegrouse

The Albatross of Midway

Albatross dance on Midway Atoll. They are practicing their moves and looking for a mate.

Albatross spend 90% of their lives at sea. But for a few month of the year, they come from all across the northern pacific ocean to a tiny spot of land in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Over 1.2 million birds come to Midway every year to rest, find a mate, and raise their chicks.

To find a mate, juvenile albatrosses do what humans have been doing for thousands of years, they have dance parties.

Groups of young albatross gather in twos and threes to practice courtship dances. They will spend several years learning the elaborate dances until they eventually find a mate.

Laysan courtship dances can have dozens of ritualized movements that are distinct from other species of albatrosses.

They are looking for just that special bird to dip, bow, and preen with, and once a pair bond forms they stay bonded for life.

The incredible about of time and work necessary for albatrosses to survive to adulthood, find a mate, and become a successful parent means that each adult pair bond is incredibly important to the overall survival of the colony. Albatrosses have been known to live and continue hatching chicks well into their sixties.

Wisdom the Albatross

MIdway is also home to the oldest known wild bird in the world: a Laysan Albatross named Wisdom. In her 67 years she has raised as many as 36 chicks, and has clocked over six million miles of flying.

Read more stories about Midway Atoll and the Laysan Albatross

My Month at Midway

The Return of Midway’s Albatross

The Laysan Albatross: A Lovesong

Learn more about the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service addresses threats to the world’s largest albatross colony at:

Removing Threats from Midway Atoll

A Future To Count on at Midway Atoll

Midway’s Albatross: A New Threat Puts the World’s Largest Colony at Risk

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rickhorrow · 5 years

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15+5+5 To Watch : 3419

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 4 with Jacob Aere

The MLS ball is rolling. This weekend saw Major League Soccer kick off season 24, complete with new teams, new messaging, and a new playoff format. New this year is the addition of a 24th club in FC Cincinnati, along with a new stadium in Minnesota, Allianz Field. MLS also launched the league’s new mobile app campaign – “Live Your Colors” – which will run on broadcast and digital platforms throughout the season. The league will look to top last season’s successes, which included record revenue for attendance and record TV viewership. On the sponsorship side, Sporting Kansas City and Hallmark locked in a creative new partnership designed to align the brands around “opportunities to put more care into the world by reaching fans, players and families across the soccer community.” In Indianapolis, the Indiana state senate has approved legislation that "keeps the effort alive to fund" a $150 million stadium for an MLS team, according to the Indianapolis Star. The bill would also fund a proposed 25-year lease extension for the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and an Indiana Convention Center expansion.

D.C. United holds “Kick It With Qatar,” a free pre-season event at Audi Field in association with the Embassy of the State of Qatar to kick-off the 2019 MLS season. Highlighting the first World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East and preparing for a continued relationship between health and wellness, sport, and communities, “Kick It With Qatar” is a D.C. United soccer festival and a free event to the public featuring food, soccer, and culturally significant activities for families at D.C. United’s home at Audi Field. The event took place on Saturday, March 2, the day before global soccer icon Wayne Rooney and D.C. United took on 2018 MLS Cup Champions, Atlanta United, in the 2019 home opener. 3,500 free tickets were made available for the event. Andy Bush, D.C. United Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We are very pleased to introduce this preseason open day in association with the Qatar Embassy for our Black-and-Red supporters. We would like to thank the Ambassador of Qatar and his colleagues for their support.” The Embassy of the State of Qatar looks to strengthen bonds between Qatar and the U.S. through a cultural showcase.

To commemorate fans and players across Latin American and US Hispanic communities, the NBA is celebrating its 13th annual Noches Éne•Bé•A Latin nights program. Throughout the month of March, NBA games will feature celebratory warmup shirts and merchandise as well as 15 games with in-arena festivities. All 30 NBA teams wearing specially-designed Fanatics Branded Noches Éne•Bé•A warmup shirts during the first two weeks of March. The celebrations will be supported by unique content on the league’s English and Spanish-language social media pages. The NBA has proven time and again that it is a trend setter in cultural outreach across the globe, whether than means signing signature Eastern European players or conducting off season marketing tours in China. The annual Latin nights program is just another example of this mindset, albeit conducted here at home.

The NBA sees a big payoff for a little patch. The NBA’s jersey patch program is more than halfway through its three-season test and the results are clear: It’s a slam dunk. As the league continues to search for new revenue, the patch program has delivered. The 29 deals – the Oklahoma City Thunder remain the only club without a patch partner – generate more than $150 million per year in new revenue for the teams, while sponsors receive 25%-50% more exposure than they would have on a comparable spend, according to Navigate Research. With that in mind, the league is trying to figure out how to make more money off the program. One way is to expand where jerseys with team patches are sold. Fans want exact replicas of what players wear on-court, but those can’t be found at a department store or sporting goods website. Fans can only get those at team-controlled stores or sites, and even then they are tough to find. The patch sponsorship pilot program has far exceeded league expectations. In April, 2016, Commissioner Adam Silver projected the sponsorships would generate around $100 million in newfound revenue, so the league has exceeded its goal by more than 50%.

Human Kinetics and Mascot Books have launched one of the most anticipated sports business chronicles ever assembled, The Sport Business Handbook: Insights From 100+ Leaders Who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry. This anthology, compiled by Rick Horrow with Rick Burton and Myles Schrag, will take fans, students and those involved in the sports and entertainment industry into the lives of more than 100 executives during the boom era of sports business and marketing. The collection features pieces from league commissioners such as Gary Bettman of the NHL, Don Garber of MLS, Paul Tagliabue of the NFL, Oliver Luck of the XFL, and Nick Sakiewicz of The National Lacrosse League; executives such as NBC Sports president Mark Lazarus, Liverpool’s Peter Moore, the Vikings’ Kevin Warren, and Larry Lucchino of the Red Sox; administrators such as the University of Oklahoma’s Joe Castiglione, Arizona State’s Ray Anderson, and N.C. State’s Deborah Yow; and professional athletes such as the Miami Heat’s Shane Battier, Olympic champions Scott Hamilton and Angela Ruggiero, and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. These leaders tell stories in their own words about lessons learned, achieving success and overcoming failure, and ultimately inspire readers to forge their own paths in the industry.

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin tops NHL jersey sales since season's start. The Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin has "surged back to the top of the NHL's best-selling jerseys" after winning his first Stanley Cup last season, according to ESPN.com. Ovechkin last season finished sixth in "overall jersey sales," with Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews "topping the list for the first time." Matthews currently has the "fourth-best selling jersey in the NHL." Penguins center Sidney Crosby was "second to Matthews last season and is currently second to Ovechkin" in 2018-2019. Two trends in NHL jersey sales have continued this season. Las Vegas Golden Knights "mania is still running wild," as Marc-Andre Fleury "moved from No. 4 in the team's inaugural season to No. 3" in 2018-2019. The league’s annual outdoor games "still fuel sales,” including participants in this season's Stadium Series in Philadelphia. Another factor in jersey sales this season has been the return of third jerseys for NHL teams – alternate jerseys are perennially popular in all pro sports leagues.

Bryce Harper signs with the Phillies in record 13-year, $330 million deal. Bryce Harper agreed to a record-setting13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies last week, completing a "protracted, four-month journey through free agency," according to the Washington Post. Harper’s deal surpassed Giancarlo Stanton’s 2014 extension with the Marlins, a 13-year, $325 million deal, as the "largest contract in the history of major North American sports." Harper's deal includes a "no-trade clause and has no opt-outs," according to sources, indicating that he is "committed to the Phillies for possibly the rest of his career." As soon as Harper's No. 3 jersey "hit the shelves at the team store at Citizens Bank Park," cash registers "started racking up sales soon after,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, Phillies Managing Partner John Middleton said that the team has "already sold 220,000 tickets in the first 48 hours since the signing."

PGA Tour now accepting gambling related sponsorships. The PGA Tour has revised its regulations toward sponsorships with gambling brands, which can now be considered for Official Marketing Partners for all six tours overseen by the PGA Tour. In addition, tournaments and players also can seek sponsored deals with such entities. “As the situation with legalized sports betting in the U.S. has evolved since the Supreme Court’s ruling last May, we’ve seen broader acceptance in sports betting and gaming involvement with pro sports,” PGA Tour Senior Vice President Andy Levinson said. “We felt it was time to look at our policies, given the public perception around gaming, and to update those policies to be consistent with public sentiment.” The PGA Tour is making major sponsorship changes by allowing certain gambling deals and broadening the liquor category for players. At a Tour meeting at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, players were briefed on the changes that now will allow sponsorships with casinos and gambling resorts, effective immediately. The Tour is also allowing official marketing partnerships and tournament title deals with certain gambling entities and daily fantasy sports concerns.

Mars and Joe Gibbs Racing announce partnership extension. Mars announced a multi-year extension to its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) that will see the confectionery giant continue to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 18 M&M'S Toyota in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In addition, JGR has extended their relationship with Kyle Busch, which will continue to see NASCAR's "Candyman" behind the wheel of the No. 18 M&M'S Toyota. Away from the track, JGR and Kyle Busch are also an impressive partnership for Mars, pioneering the use of driver and team star power through savvy social and digital marketing techniques to strengthen the relationship with NASCAR fans, while also expanding into new audiences. As Jackie Gleason might say, “How sweet it is.”

JP Dellacamera and former U.S. Women’s National Team player Aly Wagner will serve as the lead broadcasters for Fox Sports’ coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer. The network will have more than 800 hours of linear and digital coverage of the tournament and will air all 52 matches live, including 22 on broadcast television – more than any Women’s World Cup to date. Fox Sports will air two daily studio shows from its set at Place du Trocadéro in Paris, as well as a Twitter live-streamed show every match day. "Fox Soccer Tonight," a late-night studio show shot in Los Angeles, will wrap up the matches and air Concacaf Gold Cup highlights. With fewer than 100 days left until the tournament, Fox Sports will begin airing a new spot titled “Remember Us,” part of the “All Eyes on Us” campaign. It features the USWNT and will appear across Fox, FS1, FS2, Fox News, and its RSNs. In the U.S., the FIFA Women’s World Cup has consistently produced ratings and attendance that rivaled the men’s tournament. Organizers are expecting more of the same this summer.

Fanatics will sell sports merchandise via South Korean site Coupang. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Fanatics is taking the wraps off a 10-year deal with Korean e-commerce site Coupang, in which Fanatics will launch a store offering hundreds of thousands of licensed sports items in May. The “marketplace” deal includes an exclusive provider designation for Fanatics, and follows a similar arrangement Fanatics made with Walmart.com, announced last month. Renowned as the “Amazon of South Korea,” nine-year-old Coupang is that country's largest online retailer, with a valuation of $9 billion. Late last year, Coupang got a $2 billion capital infusion from a fund controlled by SoftBank, which in 2017 made a $1 billion investment in Fanatics. Like the majority of America’s pro sports leagues, Fanatics is fully appreciating the growth potential in Asia; South Korea is only its latest conquest.

As the California pro tennis season gets underway in Indian Wells, Orange County Breakers owner Eric Davidson has been named World Team Tennis' new Chairman of the Board after acquiring an ownership share in the team tennis organization. Davidson now shares the largest stake of ownership in the league with San Diego Aviators owner Fred Luddy, billionaire businessman who is the founder of ServiceNow, a cloud computing company, while league founder and tennis legend Billie Jean King also remains a co-owner of WTT. As WTT Chairman of the Board, Davidson will oversee the general direction of the league, WTT CEO Carlos Silva, and WTT's Board of Directors. Meanwhile back in Indian Wells, tennis season has officially arrived in the Coachella Valley, and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is in full bloom as the festivities surrounding the 2019 BNP Paribas Open are underway. The picturesque venue is bursting with greenery, palm trees, flower walls, and even a Secret Garden ahead of the main event, to be held March 4-17, and attracting the vast majority of the world’s top men’s and women’s players.

Epic Games laid out the road ahead for Fortnite esports, where $100 million is up for grabs this year, leading into this summer’s Fortnite World Cup. The Fortnite World Cup, where $30 million will be on the line, will take place in New York City July 26-28 with each player guaranteed a minimum of $50,000, and featuring both an individual competition (Solos) and a two-player-team event (Duos). Leading up to the championship, players can punch their ticket well as providing prize support to select third-party tournaments. These initiatives will allow the developer to award the remainder of the $100 million in prizing it committed to Fortnite’s first competitive season last year via ten weekly online qualifier tournaments beginning on April 13. Each qualifier will award $1 million in total prizing. The news was announced in an esports update from Epic Games, which also noted that the publisher will offer an additional $1 million a week in separate tournaments through the end of the year, with competitions that will “feature a wider variety of modes and formats.” In another sign of its reach, Epic also vowed to continue to offer prize support to select third-party tournaments.

HBO, MLB Partner on "Game of Thrones" bobbleheads. HBO has announced a partnership with MLB and all 30 clubs to release "team-branded 'Game of Thrones'-themed bobbleheads in conjunction with the April 14 premiere of the show’s final season." According to SportsBusiness Journal, every team will offer a “Night King” and an “Ice Dragon” bobble. A dozen clubs "have held a 'Game of Thrones' bobblehead game-day giveaway over the past two seasons," but these are the "first such 'GoT' bobbles that HBO has licensed for retail sale." Fans can now begin ordering the items. The bobbleheads are being manufactured by FOCO, which also is a licensee of the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, and many colleges. This latest MLB-Hollywood tie up is much less controversial than the league’s most infamous deal, a 2004 agreement with Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios to allow “Spider-Man 2” logos to appear on bases and on-deck circles.

U.S. Women’s National Team wears names of iconic women on jerseys during match. The USWNT "wore names of iconic and influential women who inspire them on the back of their jerseys" in a 2-2 tie against England last night at Nissan Stadium "in connection with the SheBelieves theme of the SheBelieves Cup." The names, according to the Tennessean, "ranged from Nobel Prize winners, athletes, activists ... all of whom are women from diverse backgrounds." Among the names that "made an appearance" were Beyonce, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Serena Williams, and Mother Teresa. An "announced crowd of 22,125 fans" were on hand for the game, played with less than 100 days left until the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer in France. The SheBelieves Cup, far from a marketing gimmick, is a singular opportunity for U.S. women’s soccer’s best of the best to honor the best of the best in other disciplines.

Tech Top Five

MLB gives Sportradar AG its exclusive data for sports betting wagers. A multiyear contract has authorized Sportradar to sell Major League Baseball’s official data to bookmakers and media companies in the U.S. and on an international scale. According to Bloomberg, the Swiss firm will be the exclusive gatekeeper for MLB data starting at the beginning of the 2019 season and will serve as an intermediary for sports-betting operators that want to offer in-game bets on baseball games. With the deal, MLB joins the NBA as the only major sport leagues to have U.S. gambling data deals. In addition to data for sportsbooks, Sportradar will have the rights to distribute live game video to overseas gambling houses to pair alongside odds. With the naturally slower pace of baseball, gambling provides huge potential to draw in new fans around the globe who will want to place wagers throughout the 9+ innings of each 162 regular season games.

In addition to expanding into sports gambling, MLB is diving into esports. With the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS all sporting their own gaming leagues, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred now describes esports as a “weak spot” for his organization. The only moves that MLB has made into the esports market so far are two Home Run Derby virtual reality tournaments at the All-Star Game and Little League World Series. According to SportsPro, Manfred stated that esports are a “real priority for us going forward. It is tough to say more than this but I’m pretty confident that in 2019 we will have a nice announcement in that space in terms of platform-based games.” Manfred noted the soccer video game FIFA as a dynamic way to engage fans, and with the video game R.B.I. Baseball resurging over the past handful of years and MLB The Show dominating the baseball gaming market, Manfred and crew have multiple options.

Sports betting is increasing the subscriber count for Bleacher Report (B/R). Subscriptions are flowing in for B/R’s betting channel which has grown three times faster than all other general content channels. Although the B/R subscriptions are free, the company can use the channels to mine user information on programming, advertising, and marketing. According to Reuters, B/R’s app has been downloaded more than 20 million times since 2011 and has nearly five million active monthly users. B/R also announced that it will open a studio inside one of Caesars Entertainment Corp’s Las Vegas casino sometime in April. After the Supreme Court ruled to legalize, regulate, and tax sports betting last May, now roughly 63% of fans between 21-34 years of age think wagering on sports is acceptable, while 51% of all sports fans welcome sports gambling. Many companies have rushed in to be the gatekeepers of sports betting knowledge and it seems that B/R is one leading the pack.

Nike becomes the League of Legends Pro League’s (LPL) official supplier of footwear and apparel in China. NIKE China announced a four-year partnership that will make the sports company the exclusive apparel and footwear partner of the LPL through 2022. League of Legends is one of the most popular multiplayer online games in the world and Nike is capitalizing on a booming esports market. According to Inven Global, the LPL comprises 16 teams that compete in a season, group stage, and playoffs with the ultimate goal of winning a spot at the League of Legends World Championships. Fueling esports passion in China is last year’s homegrown team, Invictus Gaming that won the 2018 League of Legends (LOL) World Championship. With China at the epicenter of new esports culture, Nike will continue to grow its esports relationship after also recently signing LOL player Jian “Uzi” Zihao. Going beyond the gamers’ outfits, Nike will use its cutting-edge sports science research to serve esports athletes through customized physical training programs, further closing the gap between hardwood and screen.

NBC Sports jumps into the gambling scene with “Golf Pick ’Em.” Available on the NBC Sports Predictor games app, “Golf Pick ‘Em” will feature two weekly contests with cash prizes and a $100,000 grand prize for the season-ending championship in August, 2019. On a weekly basis, “Golf Pick ’Em” will feature a Thursday through Sunday game as well as a Sunday-only game, each with $1,500 up for grabs. According to Golf Channel, fans get to pick from six head-to-head matchups starting on Mondays by predicting which player will shoot a lower score for that week’s tournament, along with picking a tournament champion and their final score. For the Sunday-only game, fans still pick from six head-to-head matchups which are based on the leaderboard heading into the final round. To end the season, top scoring fans from each week’s games will earn entry into a three-week FootJoy $100,000 Championship that ends with the TOUR Championship. “Golf Pick ‘Em” is now the second game to be released on the NBC Sports Predictor app and the media network seems to be ahead of its major broadcast competition on integrating live sports betting.

Power of Sports Five

Rich Eisen’s annual run for charity at the NFL Combine took an interesting twist again this year when Bill Belichick stopped by. NFL Network personality Rich Eisen once again capped off the week in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine with his signature 40-yard dash for the "Run Rich Run" charitable campaign in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Just like last year, during Sunday’s broadcast, the Patriots head coach dropped by the booth to hand Eisen another check to St. Jude’s. Eisen was so appreciative that he had to step away to personally thank Belichick with his headset off. NFL Network through “Run Rich Run” benefits the NFL PLAY 60 relationship with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world studies, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

The NFL held its third annual Women's Careers in Football Forum around the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week. The program is "designed to promote and increase the number of women working in NFL jobs," according to the Indianapolis Star. According to the NFL, 19 women have "landed a total of 26 jobs with nine NFL teams, six colleges" and three AAF teams in the first two years of the program, and 42 women in attendance this year are hoping to follow suit. NFL Senior Director of Football Development Samantha Rapoport said, "We're seeing progress, we're certainly seeing a lot more women enter into the pipeline, but women are still vastly underrepresented." Colts GM Chris Ballard is one of five execs in attendance at the event, along with Giants Senior VP and GM Dave Gettleman, Rams GM Les Snead, Eagles VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry, and Chargers Director of Player Personnel JoJo Wooden. Ballard is there because he "believes in the program's goal: increasing the number of women in NFL front offices." Ballard offered Colts co-owner and Vice Chair Carlie Irsay-Gordon as an "example as somebody who's brought a different perspective to the Colts organization by constantly asking the right kinds of questions.”

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball detailed plans to more than 60 young women (ages 18 and under) to participate in “MLB Grit,” an inaugural high school invitational designed specifically for girls who play baseball. The inaugural event this month will feature a special opportunity for these young high school baseball players to play a game in a Major League ballpark – Globe Life Park, the home of the Texas Rangers – in addition to being a part of a development experience. Games will run March 8-10 and offer high school baseball players from 21 states, Washington D.C., Canada, and Puerto Rico, including players who competed with Team USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico in the Women’s Baseball World Cup in August, 2018. In addition to the on-field action, participants will be treated to special panel presentations designed to prepare the young women for the collegiate recruiting process and offer information about alternative careers within baseball.

U.S. Club Soccer announces international junior tour with major assist from Nike. U.S. Club Soccer, a prominent member of the U.S. Soccer Federation and the leading organization developing soccer clubs across America, announced the 2019 id² National Selection International Tour roster that will travel to Belgium and France, March 29-April 9, for a multi-faceted experience highlighted by friendly matches against top academy clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain. The U.S. contingent, made up of 18 of the top boys born in 2005, will also be immersed in culture with excursions throughout the neighboring countries. For the 10th consecutive year, id2 Boys Program Director Gerry McKeown will lead the team, which has played the likes of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, Inter Milan, Everton, Celtic, Atletico Madrid, and Ajax over the years. The id2 Program is an Olympic Development Program approved by the United States Olympic Committee and U.S. Soccer Federation. Consistent with U.S. Club Soccer’s philosophy that identification and development should be free to players, the organization is funding the trip in conjunction with the strong support of Nike; there is no cost to players, including airfare, lodging, meals and gear.

Sesame Street collaborates with lifestyle brands as part of its 50th birthday celebration. As part of “Sesame Street’s” yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, Sesame Workshop – the nonprofit behind the show – is collaborating with TOMS, Bombas, Out of Print and DIFF Eyewear on new lifestyle collections that support those in need with buy-one-give-one initiatives and outreach programs. “One of our key strategic goals is to expand and diversify our Consumer Products’ offering so that fans across generations have new ways to enjoy “Sesame Street,” and we are thrilled to create these unique opportunities for fans to contribute to caused they care about,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President of Licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop. Sports figures who have appeared on “Sesame Street” over the last 50 years are numerous, including Jackie Robinson, Joe Namath, Arthur Ashe, Joe Torre, Michael Chang, Venus Williams, Drew Brees, and Dominique Dawes.

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