#media recommendations

[curious-trickster]

Please help a Reader find new content!

Hey there. I recently finished reading 'for the want of a jewel', an original work written by @formlessvoidbeast and I absolutely loved it!

Just like I loved the 'Accidental Warlord' series, a AU based on the Witcher, by @inexplicifics.

Those fics are both an absolute delight to read and they have a few things in common which kind of caused a want of more in me.

Please help me find fics/original work/books/shows... with these tropes (they do not have all the things I mentioned but it would be nice to have them meet several):

Character gets traded for peace to a most likely hostile party (warlord, king, pirates, bandits, just something they expect to be bad or different)

The trade-in-character expects to be hurt/killed/abused/hated/...

The second party they are given too is not aware of the circumstances of the way the trade-in-character had to leave their home

The second party which the trade-in-character expects to be hostile turns out to be not so bad

The trade-in-character finds true home with the party they were given to

The trade-in-character finds true friends/family not made by blood/love/their way of life/... with the people they were given too

Shenanigans (optional as the rest of them, but they would be greatly appreciated)

If you can think of something which has some or even better all of these tropes, pls comment/send a message! I would be very grateful and you'd help my adhd brain by feeding it with its new hyperfixation!

Feel free to drop the number of the trope(s) your recommendation has, or don't it's up to you!

A big thanks to @formlessvoidbeast and @inexplicifics for writing these amazing stories and allowing me to mention you in this post!

#Help wanted #Fic recommendations #book recommendations #media recommendations #Traded for piece trope #Sold out to hostile party #fear of death #The accidental warlord @inexplicifics #for the want of a jewel #For the want of a jewel @formlessvoidbeast #accidental warlord au #Finding home #finding freedom #finding friends #finding family #hurt/comfort #pirates #Enemy Kingdom #pls recommend #Being treated right #Warlord au #Slavery #kinda? #Expected slavery? #I am open to these tropes as long as the character is freed again i guess #But i will try reading anything because I am always surprised by books i didn't think I'd enjoy #Original work recommendation #fic tropes #fic talk #Bamf character

[nothuman-tips-and-tricks]

I’d love some ways to elevate antler dysphoria! :(

Also any media recommendations for deer therians?

Different ways to solve antler dysphoria:

Media recommendations for: Deers

Bambi (1942)

Bambi II (2006)

Sweet Tooth (2021)

Elliot The Littlest Reindeer (2018)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & The Island Of Misfits (2001)

#alterhuman #alterkin #otherkin #therian #therianthropy #theriotype #deer therian #deer theriotype #deerkin #moose therian #moose theriotype #moosekin #gear #media recommendations

[griseldagimpel]

Media Recommendations for Harry Potter Fans

Alright. So you’re a Harry Potter fan. You’re a Harry Potter fan because you love Harry Potter and you love the community you’ve built with your fellow fans, but J. K. Rowling is using her vast fortune to harm people and she says asinine shit about how anyone who likes Harry Potter agrees with her transphobia, and you know that’s not true, but maybe you’re wondering if there’s a different fandom you and your friends could go to, where if nothing else the creator isn’t using a massive platform and massive amounts of money to harm transgender people. This is a guide for you.

You really wish you could have a Harry Potter that’s just not Harry Potter. You want a magical school and aerial sports games and fighting a tyrant and the equivalent of Hogwarts Houses.

Check out The Owl House. It’s about a girl named Luz who wanders into another world and attends a magic school.

You can watch it on YouTube: Link.

You like the idea of a modern-ish fantasy book series (British, pre-Smart Phone technology age) with a big, rambling world to play around in.

Check out The Chronicles of Chestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s set across a multiverse and follows the lives and trials of young magicians.

Start with Charmed Life, which can be purchased on Amazon: Link.

You want a fantasy series with chosen ones, suffering, and sacrifice where anyone can die. Also, you like magical animal companions.

Check out The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, which is part of the broader Valdemar series. It’s about the life of Valdemar’s greatest – and last – Herald-mage.

You can find it on Amazon: Link.

You love Harry Potter for the mysteries. You’d be fine with something for a bit of an older demographic, and you love supernatural horror and angst. You want to see the protagonist go through it. But you’d also love it if there was something akin to the Hogwarts Houses that you could define yourself by.

Check out The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir or The Magnus Archives. The Locked Tomb series is science-fantasy set in the far-flung future and has necromancy. The Magnus Archives is a podcast about an institute in London that takes down statements from people who have had encounters with the paranormal.

The Locked Tomb series begins with Gideon the Ninth: Link.

The Magnus Archives can be listened to on YouTube: Link.

Your favorite part of the Harry Potter series is the wizarding war, and your favorite house is Slytherin.

Check out The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s about a necromancer who’s been resurrected. The necromancer in question is like 95% brat-turned-cool-uncle and 5% evil-necromancer.

The volumes are numbered and can be found on Amazon: Link.

There is also an adaptation entitled The Untamed that I have not watched yet, but it can be found on Netflix.

You really enjoy the social satire aspect of Harry Potter and think Hermione was right about House Elf liberation. Also, you’re okay with science fiction instead of fantasy.

Check out The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. It’s about an enslaved cyborg finding freedom, making friends, and healing from trauma.

The first book is All Systems Red: Link.

You like Harry Potter because it’s comfort media. Life is rough, and you want a piece of media that’s engaging but gentle.

Check out the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. It’s presented as the community radio broadcast out of a small, deeply weird town in the American southwest.

You can listen to it on YouTube: Link.

If you want something in print form, there’s The Lord of the Rings: Link.

If you like movies, there’s Jupiter Ascending: Link.

Don’t hesitate to ask if you want more information (such as content warnings) for any of the above.

#harry potter #long post #book recommendations #movie recommendation #podcast recommendations #television recomendations #media recommendations

[theonlymadmanonmars]

Does anyone know any media with Cool Autistic coded stoner characters with abandonment issues because of child neglect who want to be their parents and along the way lose the sense of who they actually are underneath that?

Because so far I have

1.Nick Close

That's the end of the list.

#nick close #nicky freeman #nicholas foster #dungeons and daddies #dndads #Nick as a character actually means so much to me. His relationship with Glenn is so uhhhg #hes literally me #media recommendations #show recommendations #autism #please more food

[doorbloggr]

Long Form YouTube Videos: Documentaries and Video Essays

Thursday 8/12/22

Media Recommendations #41

Content:

The History of Wii Sports Resort Golf World Records (Summoning Salt)

Disney Channel's Theme - A History Mystory (Defunctland)

The Line Goes Up (Folding Ideas)

Treasure Planet - Disney's Biggest Mistake (Breadsword)

YouTube and new TV

YouTube is one of, if not the most popular ways to engage in video media in the modern age. I am in my mid-20s now, and I do not watch broadcast television at all. Subscription services like Netflix and Disney+ have meant that users can now curate their watching experiences, watching what they want, when they want, instead of having to watch for a certain time of day for a show to air.

Netflix is a giant in today's media consumption

Unlike these other subscription services, YouTube is a user driven site and thrives off the very low bar of entry for creators. All you need is a camera, and/or microphone, and a computer. This means that videos can be and are about anything. Videos of people playing videogames, rating their personal preferences of foods, tourist commentary, chemical demonstrations, original animation and music, or just educating other on your favourite things.

Some of my favourite Youtube Media. Clockwise from the top left: NileRed, SoloTravelBlog, LunaiMooney, TerminalMontage

Getting paid for your creations on YouTube is a tricky topic I do not want to get into deep today, but to get to today's topic, there is a sweetspot of length. A very short video does not pay well, and a very long video does not either. And it is tragic that longer videos do not get the recognition, reward, and engagement they deserve, because I have recently become very aware of how good the long form video catalogue is on YouTube these days.

Long Form Video Content

Now it can be quite easy to make a long video, but what I'm talking about today is beyond just stream archives and let's play compilations. I'm talking about feature length discussions of topics that the creators are passionate about and have put their passion into. In the early phase of planning this article, I came across two terms to describe my taste: Video Essays, and Documentaries. And there is a difference.

Now, Documentaries exist as a broad appealing form of media outside of YouTube. But the difference between a David Attenborough narrated exploration of nature and an explanation of the history of speedrunning a Wii game is resources and interest. The BBC would not greenlight funding for a History of Speedrunning, because it is a niche topic that will not have the broad appeal necessary to return on the cost to make that documentary at a BBC level budget. But just because it does not have mass appeal, does not mean it doesn't have appeal. The reason why I'm writing this article is because these are topics that will engage a niche audience, and these videos would not exist without the passion of the creators.

GenoSamuel's documentary of ChrisChan is a very unique case of something that can only exist on the internet.

The point of a documentary is to document. It is a presentation of collected facts, with little room for interpretation other than the presentation itself. BBC's Blue Planet is not a narrative any more than the the History of Wii Sports Resort Golf Speedrunning is. They are a curated presentation of knowledge on the topic that is enjoyable because it is easier to enjoy in one complete package rather than the interested party having to seek out and consume the scattered information themselves.

A Video Essay on the other hand is exactly what the name suggests, it is an essay in video form. It is the creator making an analysis or argument on a topic, often by dividing their video into sections, presenting information supporting their point of view. Video Essays are often more emotion driven, targeting the viewer's empathy to support the creator's opinion, either by making them happy, sad, or angry with the information presented. Video Essays do not exist as a popular form of media outside of YouTube, since their scholarly/professional equivalent are written essays. The idea of the Video Essay is not unique to YouTube but it is the best platform for independent long-form media. On the internet, there's an audience for everything, and a someone willing to present their opinion on it.

Contrapoints is a trans video essayist that discusses societal values, politics, ethics, and trans rights.

It might be my personal taste evolving, but even if YouTube doesn't financially support the models of Documentaries and Video Essays, the rise of crowd funding e.g. Patreon, has meant that the model becomes more feasible, and as a result, the general quality and variety of good long form videos has increased on the platform. So I'm take a bit of more of your time to recommend some of my favourite creator's of such media, and my favourite videos they've made.

Documentary Recommendations

The History of Wii Sports Resort Golf World Records

Summoning Salt

Summoning Salt is a historian of videogame speedrunning. To the outside observer, speedrunning may not seem like a topic that needs or lends itself well to documentation, but in reality it works very well. Since Speedrunning works around reporting your records via footage, there is lots of footage to demonstrate the topic. And if you fear getting lost in the jargon of techniques, Summoning Salt is very good at explaining the runs in laymen's terms. His sound design, narration, and how the video is formatted makes it easy to follow a topic, and the Documentaries go at fast enough pace that you never feel bored down by unnecessary detail.

The video that introduced me to Summoning Salt and the true depths of speedrunning was their video on Wii Sports Resort Golf. It was a tale of competitive spirit, flukes of ingenuity, and tenacity. What was one person's whim became a series of trials for many. How far can you stretch the technical ability and exploits of a Wii Motion Control Game? Very far it turns out. At 36 minutes, it is a shorter doco, a great introduction to Summoning Salt and his genre. It is a gripping tale that I implore you to experience for yourself.

Disney Channel's Theme - A History Mystery

Defunctland

Defunctland is a historian on theme parks, children's media projects, movies, and shows. Their origin was in extinct theme parks, but the breadth of topics discussed has expanded. While theme parks documentaries are not an uncommon subject area on YouTube, nobody does their research quite as thoroughly or directly as Defunctland. Much of the information presented in their works are things the creator had found out themselves via interviews with involved parties, or trudging through deep internet archives, all to put together complete packages.

The first video I watched of theirs is the latest (at time for writing) and is a story of how Defunctland found out who wrote the theme song for the Disney Channel. Given it is only a four note melody, it seems like it would not be difficult to find, but there are several layers of intricacies about channel tones, Disney's marketing teams, and composers that make this a very long journey. It is an emotional tale that does great tribute to those artists involved. Do watch!

Video Essay Recommendations

The Line Goes Up

Folding Ideas

Folding Ideas is a documentarian who discusses ideas that often affect society at large. Some topics are meta discussions of how to make media online and analysis of certain media products, others are societal level analysis of phenomena such as Flat Earthers. Folding Ideas has a sort of university lecture style presentation unique to Video Essays, where a large part of the video actually features the speaker in frame, while images and videos are used secondarily to better demonstrate his points. Folding Ideas videos are very long, but easy to follow; any concept brought up during explanations is quickly explained in layman's terms, so the entire essay can be followed.

The video that introduced me to Folding Ideas was their 2 hour explanation of NFTs, which also explored market capitalism, cryptocurrency and Web3. It is a Video that can be enjoyed in the background of other tasks, but I advised that for a first watch, you may want to set aside a couple hours near bedtime to sit down and absorb the explanation. Like many other Folding Ideas videos, it is overall neutral on the topic itself, but he is not afraid to make clear his stance on what he thinks of cryptocurrency and NFTs. If the NFT craze passed you by and you had no idea what any of it meant, this is THE source to educate yourself on what it all means, and why it is so bad.

Treasure Planet - Disney's Biggest Mistake

Breadsword

Breadsword is not your typical video essayist, I would describe them more as a story teller. Breadsword's target content is nostalgia bait for people who enjoy feel good media, be that older anime, disney and dream works movies from the 90s and early 00s, or even videogames. The videos of Breadsword are a love letter and analysis of childhood memories, stories from their internal development, deeper meanings, and why we should (or do) enjoy these pieces.

The first video I watched of Breadsword was their exploration of Treasure Planet, one of the last 2D Disney feature-length films. The video is both an exploration of all the technical and narrative techniques that made this movie great and how Disney tried to sabotage its success. Breadsword makes the argument that since movies like Treasure Planet are so technically demanding, and 3D animation was on the rise, Disney wanted the film to fail, so they had the excuse to change medium. It is an emotional story and a heartbreaking one, and Breadsword tells it very well.

Thanks for Reading

The irony of my article about Long YouTube Videos being very long was not lost on me, and I understand that this length will be intimidating to readers. I will not expect a lot, if any, to read the while post, but if you did, and you're reading this, thank you so much.

Like many YouTube creators, my input on this blog is for the benefit of my creativity first, and if it turns out others enjoy it, then that's fantastic. If you want to see what my other recommendations are, I have a list of them in pinned post on this blog.

#Youtube #blog #blogpost #media recommendations #video essay #documentary recommendations #documentary #youtubers #folding ideas #defunctland #breadsword #summoning salt #genosamuel #contrapoints #long post

[heartmush]

i really admire your writing!!! i wanted to know if you have any book or story recommendations :D thank you!!!

thank you so much!! ;__; writing is an incredibly important part of my life (as well as my creative process), so i really appreciate the compliment.

here are some of my favorite short stories:

Prime by Caoilinn Hughes

Wolf Alice by Angela Carter

Funny Little Snake by Tessa Hadley

Onion by Caitlin R. Kiernan

annnd some favorite books:

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Half Bad (from the Half Bad Trilogy) by Sally Green

Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette Winterson

literally show me a healthy person by Darcie Wilder

please be warned that these stories contain heavy and/or potentially triggering topics, so approach with care. i have listed the triggers (that i can remember) under the read more. please note that these content warnings may also contain spoilers for the story.

It's been a while since I've read these stories, so most of these trigger warnings are from sources I found online— take them with a pinch of salt, and take care of yourself as well.

Prime: implied parental abuse, child death, insect mentions (crushing a wasp/being stung)

Wolf Alice: parental death, descriptive gore, description of character's first period

Onion: xenophobic remarks, fatphobic comments, anorexia/ED mention

House of Leaves: animal death (graphic death of a dog), adultery, unreality, rape, incest, sexual abuse, alcoholism, child abuse, agoraphobia, suicide, family death, gun violence, stalking

Half Bad: graphic descriptions of torture, violence, and physical abuse, much of which is directed at or perpetrated by children

Frankissstein: sexual assault, rape, transphobia and trans misogyny, animal cruelty/death, miscarriages

literally show me a healthy person: suicidal thoughts, suicide, parental death, self harm, sexual assault, domestic abuse, terminal illness, drug use, alcoholism

#asks #media recommendations #stay safe y'all

[thatone-churro]

there’s really not enough sci-fi sapphic stories out there fr

#plz send recs for any sort of sci-fi sapphic media plz and thanks 🙏 #grace being stupid #text post #sci fi #sci-fi #sapphic #wlw #book recommendations #show recommendations #movie recommendation #media recommendations

[wayfaresociety]

What to expect from us:

Happy timezone, fellow Wayfarers!

We previously introduced our values, but we also wanted to introduce what you can expect from us in both our original and reposted content.

We explore various themes relevant to our contemporary society and the society we wish to build. Here is some of what to expect:

A highlight on current events.

Discussions of urban design and transportation systems.

Diverse community building and maintenance for online and in person.

Conversations about sustainability.

On topic book, podcast, and video reviews and suggestions.

And so much other content that aligns with our values.

Please engage, share your thoughts, and follow to be a part of the conversation!

-Wayfarer ❤️

#urban design #community building #Sustainable Living #Current #Events #innovations #Media Recommendations #Empowerment #Social impact #solarpunk #hopepunk #Environmentalism #social good #climate solutions #anticapitalism #anticonsumerism #decolonization #wayfarer society

[and-knowing-is-half-the-battle]

Serious question: can anyone think of a piece of visual media where a child expresses concern and is taken seriously by thier adult caregivers? Someone i know needs the corrective experience of seeing that.

Please reblog!

#mental health #help #media recommendations #media recs #trauma

[aevyk-ing]

2023 review stuff

Here we go again. Gotta keep up with the tradition because it's always interesting to go back and reflect on a whole year. While things have improved ever so slightly, my life isn't good yet. But hey, I'm doing my best to keep on fighting until I get there.

2020, 2021, 2022

Health (mixed)

I started out this year with a surprise: I'm autistic! And while it's not a bad nor good surprise, it has changed completely the way I treat myself. I used to feel useless and an idiot but now there's an explanation for most of my quirks and I can use my newly discovered "superpowers" to make me feel better. But hey, it's still a secret. I'd like to get a formal diagnosis (I mean on paper) before talking to my parents and family.

That being said, I've used this new knowledge to fight the many bumps I've encountered this year. There's still a long way to go, but I feel like I know myself way better now.

2. Writing (freaking good)

I started the year finishing a book, then I wrote another one, translated three, wrote four short stories, a full comic strip and lots of stuff more. I've created a whole new continent for Gingaria and new places for the next books. I had a great presentation for my book Kylkos and lots of people have praised Legends of Gingaria, which makes me so happy! It all gives me the strength to go on the days I feel bad. And I can't wait to show you what's in store! Also, shout-out to all my AO3 readers.

3. Art (quite good)

I'm getting the hang of Clip Studio Paint and I think you can see the leveling up. I'm trying to improve with more character, creatures and places designs. I've drawn more comics and some illustrations I'm really proud of. While I sometimes have bad days when nothing seems to work, I can just go back when I feel better.

4. Cosplay (eh...)

Believe it of not, I've managed to keep on sewing some new stuff. I can't share it for now, but hopefully next year. I've done some clean-up and while I'll use most of my time to fix stuff next year (once I can get it out of the boxes), I'm planning to do more photoshoots.

Now I'm going to talk about the stuff that has helped me go through this year. But first...

I'm sure nobody cares, but this year has been worse because we've had some problems regarding the documents so they can demolish our house and pay us. The thing is some... baddies have been meddling with the process and we were in the middle, so that's why our case is getting longer to resolve. Hopefully, now that we've got the papers we need, things will start going on more smoothly.

Movies & series

I've watched a lot of stuff this year. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse was so good, I loved Suzume and The Boy and the Heron and, about series, Over the Garden Wall and The Blue Eyed Samurai.

2. Gingaria

While writing is not always easy, I've had so much fun making this world even bigger. And I made a doll maker! There's a lot to come and I hope it keeps on growing.

3. Webtoons & reading

I still struggle with reading but my mind is calmer this year. I've read some books from a public place where you put one and get one (left one of my Zem copies just because). I'm currently following some Webtoons and my favorites are The Blind Prince and Your Smile is a Trap.

4. Side projects

I was commissioned to make 35 fabric cubes and a replica of Gladys from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Also made some props for cosplay and fixed other stuff.

5. Therapy

I'm so lucky to have found someone who gets me and understands what I'm going through. Sometimes is hard because she makes me rethink everything but I've improved so much this year thanks to her.

Someone asked me recently about my New Year's resolutions and turns out I don't want to have any, I'm going to rely on my projects. I've had an interesting idea recently and I'm going to search for someone to make it come true, I have more stories to tell (currently writing yet another book) and more surprises along the way.

Thank you so much for being there. I hope you all have a happy New Year. Keep on shining!

#me #personal #2023 #writing #art #cosplay #autism #neurodivergent #media recommendations #happy new year

[stripesysheaven]

popping in to say i love your lost + poi posting (it made me rewatch poi lmao) and to ask if you've ever watched pysch and/or firefly? both are pretty popular, but! if you haven't ! highly recommend. esp since sci-fi & sitcoms seem to be your thing.

that’s so sweet <3 both shows are both so dear to me, awesome i got you to rewatch :) i watched some episodes of psych from time to time as a kid but never watched the entire show or anything. since i grew up watching monk, i always figured i’d watch psych at some point, that’s a really good idea! i watched some firefly a few years ago but never committed to it, i should give it another try. when i watched it always reminded me of the syfy show dark matter but like. with cowboy vibes lol. and i LOVED dark matter so i need to try that one out. thanks for the recommendations!! i’m always happy to learn of new shows to check out and add to my watchlist, i appreciate it :)

#this was so sweet thank you ❤️ #asks #anons #my posts #show recommendations #media recommendations

[nothuman-tips-and-tricks]

May I please ask for some media recommendations for an alienkin?

Media recommendations for: Aliens

Steven Universe (2013)

Steven Universe: The Movie (2019)

Steven Universe Future (2019)

Invader Zim (2001)

Invader Zim: Enter The Florpus (2019)

Alien Xmas (2020)

Megamind (2010)

3 Below: Tales Of Arcadia (2018)

Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016)

Home (2015)

Home: Adventures with Tip And Oh (2018)

She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power (2018)

Futurama (1999)

Down To Earth (2020)

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Planet 51 (2009)

Monsters VS Aliens (2009)

Wonder Over Yonder (2013)

Solar Opposites (2020)

Escape From Planet Earth (2013)

Ben 10 (2005)

Ben 10: Alien Force (2008)

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010)

Ben 10: Omniverse (2012)

Ben 10 (2016)

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Strange Planet [Books] (2019)

Strange Planet [Animated Series] (2023)

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003)

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch (2005)

Superman (1978)

Superman II (1980)

Superman III (1983)

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Superman Returns (2006)

My Adventures With Superman (2023)

Superman: Unbound (2013)

Superman: Doomsday (2007)

Superman VS. The Elite (2012)

The Batman Superman Movie: World’s Finest (1997)

Superman: Man Of Tomorrow (2020)

Superman: Brianiac Attacks (2006)

All-Star Superman (2011)

#alterhuman #alterkin #otherkin #therian #therianthropy #theriotype #alienkin #media recommendations #alien kin

[missbliss12]

your art is so beautiful and full of emotion, I've adored it for a while now. particularly your reylo comics. you seem to prefer light/darkness/balance themes (same!) may i ask if you happen to have watched Cloak & Dagger? you might like it

Thank you for your kind message! (and for your patience as I finally checked my inbox!) I definitely connect with themes of balancing light and darkness, especially as it connects to empathy.

I've heard a lot of good things about Cloak and Dagger but haven't checked it out yet! But thanks to your rec, I'm bumping it up on my "to watch" list. I'd love to hear any more recs if ya'll have 'em!

#catching up on messages! #light and darkness #media recommendations #thanks for the kind words about my art!

[kittycat-in-the-dark]

Bizarro - Reading List and some other appearances

Bizarro Superman, or just Bizarro, is known as the clone and "mirror image" of Superman. He was created in 1958. And he is usually depicted as a villain or an anti-hero in DC comics.

Bizarro was created as a "Frankenstein's monster pastiche" with an odd speech pattern, aka the words that he says always mean the opposite of their actual meaning.

There are 3 main versions of Bizarro, with different origins. *i call them the "main versions" because there have been probably like billions of Bizarros, aka failed Superman clones, at this point, but 3 of them are the ones that the DC comics follow more deeply through out their stories

Note: feel free to correct any of the general descriptions i made for each version of Bizarro and to point out if i missed a comic or other media with Bizarro

Bizarro #1: Pre-crisis

The original Bizarro was created when Superman was exposed to a "duplicate ray." Bizarro, because he didn't fit on Earth, felt the need to move to "the Bizarro world," that is a cubical planet called Htrae which operated under "Bizarro logic" (aka it was a crime to do anything that is good or right on Earth) and which Bizarro populated with inverted versions of Superman’s supporting cast and other DC heroes (such as Bizarro Lois Lane aka his wife, Batzarro, etc.).

- Superboy #68 (1958)

- Action Comics #254-255 (1959)

- Action Comics #263-264 (1960)

- Superman Vol. 1 #140 (1960)

- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #50 (1961)

- Superman Vol. 1 #143 (1961)

- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #24 (1961)

- Adventure Comics #285-288 (1961) - small appearances of Bizarro World

- Superman Vol. 1 #148 (1961)

- Adventure Comics  #289- 292 (1961-1962) - small appearances of Bizarro World

- Superman Vol. 1 #150 (1962)

- Adventure Comics #293-294 (1962)

- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #32 (1962)

- Adventure Comics #295-299 (1962)

- Superman Vol. 1 #157 (1962)

- Superboy Vol. 1 #111 (1964)

- Superman Vol. 1 #169 (1964)

- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #80 (1964)

- Superman Vol. 1 #174 (1965)

- Adventure Comics #329 (1965)

- World's Finest Comics #156 (1966)

- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #74 (1967)

- Superman Vol. 1 #305-306 (1976)

- Secret Society of Super-Villains #10 (1977)

- DC Special Series #6 (1977)

- Superman Vol. 1 #333 (1979)

- Superman Vol. 1 #379 (1983)

- DC Comics Presents #71 (1984)

- Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? -> Superman #423 & Action Comics #583 (1986)

Bizarro #1, #2 and #3: Post-crisis

Images in order show Bizarro #1, Bizarro #2 and Bizarro #3

In the event Crisis on Infinite Earths, Htrae was eleminated from the continuity, and this is where the most known origin of Bizarro is introduced, that Luthor created a clone of Superman, only that he created several clones,but one stood out as Bizarro #2, because he was the one created to save Luthor from the "Clone War", and Bizarro #3 was actually created by the Joker when he adquired the powers of Mister Mxyzptlk. And Bizarro #1 from Pre-crisis still passed into this new continuity. So, there are 3 main Bizarros hanging around. Though, Bizarro #3 claims to be Bizarro #1 or a "direct" clone of Bizarro #1 with all of his memories and personallity.

- Man of Steel #5  (1986)

- Superman Vol. 2 #87 (1994)

- Adventures of Superman #510 (1994)

- Action Comics #697 (1994)

- Superman: The Man of Steel #32 (1994)

- Superman Vol. 2 #88 (1994)

- Superman Forever #1 (1998)

- Superman Vol. 2 #160 (2000)

- Adventures of Superman #582 (2000)

- Superman: The Man of Steel #104 (2000)

- Action Comics #769 (2000)

- Superman: Emperor Joker #1 (2000) -> in this story is where the Joker gained the powers of Mr. Mxyzptlk and used them to recreate reality in his twisted image, and created Bizarro #3

- Adventures of Superman #583 (2000)

- Superman Vol. 2 #161 (2000)

- Action Comics #770 (2000)

- Superman Vol. 2 #164 (2001)

- Action Comics #777 (2001)

- Action Comics #785 (2002)

- Harley Quinn #15-19 (2002)

- Superman Vol. 2 #181 (2002)

- Superman Vol. 2 #187 (2002)

- Adventures of Superman #609 (2002)

- Superman: The Man of Steel #131 (2002)

- JLA/JSA Secret Files #1 (2003)

- Superman Vol. 2 #198 (2003)

- Superman Vol. 2 #221 (2005)

- Action Comics #831 (2005)

- Superman Vol. 2 #222 (2005)

- Infinite Crisis #1 (2005)

- Superman Vol. 2 #225 (2005)

- Superman/Batman #20-25 (2005)

- Action Comics #844-846 (2006- 2007)

- Action Comics #851 (2007)

- Action Comics Annual #10 (2007)

- Action Comics #855-857 (2007)

- Action Comics Annual #11 (2008)

- Rann/Thanagar Holy War #1-8 (2008-2009)

- Superman Vol. 1 #682 (2009)

- Action Comics #873 (2009)

- Solomon Grundy #1-6

- Strange Adventures Vol. 3 #1-8 (2009)

- Trinity #44 (2009)

- Superman Vol. 1 #693-695 (2009-2010)

- Superman 80-Page Giant [7th story] (2010)

- Superman/Batman #66 (2010)

- Superman/Batman #67 (2010)

- Supergirl #53-57(2010)

Bizarro: New-52

In the New-52, Bizarro, or Subject B-0, is a failed Superman clone created by Luthor and that joins the Crime Syndicate. This Bizarro dies.

- Adventures of Superman Vol 2 #1 (2013)

- Superman Vol 3 23.1: Bizarro (2013)

- Forever Evil (2013-2014)

- Bizarro mini-series (2015)

Bizarro: Rebirth

Here Bizarro #2 is back, being that he was one of the many failed Superman clones made by Luthor that were scheduled for destruction. Roman Sionis aka Black Mask took an interest in Bizarro and saved him from termination. Bizarro meets Red Hood and Artemis, whom he joins after rebeling against Black Mask, forming the Outlaws.

- Red Hood and the Outlaws #2-25 (2016)

- Superman #42 (2017) -> Bizarro World, where a version of Bizarro lives with his wife and son, paralleling the Kents in Rebirth

- Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual 1 (2017)

- Dark Destiny Arc / Trinity Annual #1, Trinity #12-15 (2017) –> Jason, Artemis, and Bizarro get possessed and have to be helped by Diana, Bruce, Clark, Zatanna, John Constantine, and Deadman

- Suicide Squad Vol 5 #16 (2017) -> the Suicide Squad finds Lex's Bizarro Army

- Red Hood: Outlaw Annual 3 (2019)

- Red Hood: Outlaw Vol 1 #49 (2020)

- Detective Comics Vol 1 #1016 (2020) -> flashback of Subject B-0

Alternative Universes (Elseworlds and Alternative Media)

(Keep in mind that, in some appearances, just any clone/failed clone of Superman is considered as Bizarro, even if they don't look and/or behave like the Bizarro we know)

Comics:

- Justice League of America: The Nail (1998)

- The Superman Monster (1999)

- Bizarro Comics (2001)

- Superman: Red Son (2003)

- Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity #1-3 (2003)

- All-Star Superman #7-8 (2007)

- Year Five Injustice: Gods Among Us (2016)

- Weebtoon -> Red Hood: Outlaws (2022-ongoing)

Some notes:

- Earth-29 is the newest version of the Bizarroverse: Earth 2: World's End #1 (2014) -> first appearance of this Earth

- A Bizarro version of Batman debuted in World's Finest Comics #156 (1966)

Animated Series:

- Challenge of the SuperFriends (1978) -> season 3 eps 1-16; 1980s shorts: Revenge of Bizarro; 1981 shorts: Bizarroworld; 1983 shorts: Revenge of Doom; 1983 shorts: Video Victims; season 9 ep 2

- The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985) -> season 1 ep 3

- Superman: the Animated Series (1996) -> season 2 eps 6 & 20; season 3 ep 5

- Justice League Unlimited (2004) -> season 1 ep 9; season 3 ep 1 (cameo), 4 (cameo), 6, 8, 12-13

Animated movies:

- Superman: Doomsday (2007)

- JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014)

- Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (2015)

- Superman: Red Son (2020)

Live-Action:

》Movies:

- Superman III (1983)

- Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987) -> but a version of Bizarro only appears in deleted scenes and in the novelization and comic book adaptations of the film; and this Bizarro is called Nuclear Man, but his characteristics and origin are that of a Bizarro

》TV series:

- Superboy (1988) -> season 2 eps 6-7; season 3 eps 1-2; season 4 eps 11-12, 17 and 19; also appeared in the comic based on the TV series Superboy Vol 3 #8 (1990)

- Lois & Clark : The New Adventures of Superman (1993) -> season 1 ep 18

- Smallville (2001) -> season 6 ep 1, 19 & 21 (on these 2 eps appears as a reccording) and ep 22; season 7 ep 1, 9-10 & 11 (on this last one he is only mentioned); season 10 ep 22 (flashback)

- Superman & Lois (2021) -> season 2 eps 1-7 and eps 8-12 & ep 14 (on these last ones he is only mentioned or in flashbacks); season 3 eps 5-6 and eps 8-11

Games:

- Superman 64 (1999)

- Superman: Man of Steel (2002)

- Superman Returns: the video game (2006)

- Injustice 2 (2017) -> Bizarro is a Premier Skin to Superman

#bizarro #bizarro superman #dc pre crisis #dc post crisis #dc new 52 #dc rebirth #superman comics #red hood and the outlaws #dc animated series #dc animated movies #dc movies #dc tv shows #dc tv series #dc games #dc comics #reading recommendations #media recommendations #dc

[doorbloggr]

Getting lost in fictional worlds

Wednesday 1/3/23

Media Recommendations #46

Content:

Dungeon Meshi

Disco Elysium

Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon

Ryoko Kui

Dungeon Meshi is a fantasy action/comedy manga that has been running since 2014. At the time of writing, the manga has not reached its conclusion, but I feel its getting close. Its funny, heartwarming, has an interesting world and an endearing art style.

Pitch

The story is set in a classic high fantasy world, where underground structures called Dungeons litter the landscape. Dungeons are a complex set of biomes in their own right with advanced magic systems, including the unique quirk that adventurers who die in a dungeon can be revived fairly reliably. It is fairly standard D&D in its initial presentation, but the world has a uniquely real spin on the standard fantasy format.

We follow the party of Laios Touden, a human fighter, who's sister, Falin, a human cleric, was killed by a dragon and eaten deep in the dungeon. Due to the laws of the dungeon, if they find her remains soon enough, they will be able to revive her, but before her end, Falin teleported the party to the surface. A few members of their party quit on the spot. They do not have the funds or resources to do that trip again, and without a healer, their party would be in even more danger. Laios, not wanting to waste any time, decides the best course of action is to head back in immediately, and use the resources of the dungeon for food on the way. He is accompanied by Marcille, an elf mage, and Chilchuck, a half-foot trap-finder.

Soon into their journey, they run into Senshi, a dwarf who has lived in this dungeon as long as adventurers have known about it. Senshi is very knowledgeable about how to prepare and cook monsters of the dungeon, and intrigued by Laios and his journey, accompanies the party. Laios grew up obsessed with monsters and knows the ins and outs of their biology, ecology, how to kill them, and what parts are inedible. Combined with Senshi's knowledge on how to cook them, the party (Marcille and Chilchuk begrudgingly) are well equipped to delve deep into the dungeon surviving on nothing but the wildlife of the dungeon.

My Thoughts

Delicious in Dungeon is such an easily likeable story. The artstyle is cute and unique, but at the same time, portrays such intense action and interesting monster designs. The story starts out as a quirky little romp, but very soon it becomes apparent that every detail about the world is meticulously crafted to make it feel real and lived in. Monster Biology is based in real anatomical rules, but Magic is still part of the world too. For example, spirits are a real type of magical creature, and some monsters are adapted to filter feed on them.

The party all have very one-note personalities at the beginning. Senshi is obsessed with healthy habits, Laios is a bit of a dunderhead, Marcille is squeamish, and Chilchuck is selfish. But as the story progresses, you get to know each better and their personalities and ideals evolve as they encounter new challenges.

As I touched on above, the art style is gorgeous. The food looks delicious, the monsters are fun to look at in action, and the character design of each of the main and supporting cast of characters is varied and fun. Without spoiling anything, the story goes in a direction deeper and is more engaging than I thought possible from as simple a pitch as "adventurers eat the monsters in a dungeon", and although at the time of writing the manga is not finished, I am very happy with where the story has gone and am very keen to see where the ending takes us.

If my description has piqued your interest at all, I highly recommend seeking out Delicious in Dungeon. It's a fantastic read. And I just found out while writing this that an anime is being produced by Studio Trigger. So keep an eye out for that too.

Disco Elysium

ZA/UM

Disco Elysium is a role playing game released for PC and all main consoles, I personally played the Final Cut version on Nintendo Switch. Now when someone says Role Playing Game, the first thought is usually a random-encounter, turn-based combat system with parties, health and magic meters. But Disco Elysium is more like the classic table top RPG type, a point and click narrative adventure with dice rolls and branching narratives depending on the player's actions. It was a very engaging experience that I will probably go back and play again for a whole new experience.

The Pitch

Disco Elysium is based in a fictional post-war European-type city called Revachol. You play the role of a very broken man who wakes up after a few days of binge drinking, having forgotten literally everything about who you are and why you are here. A bit of briefing with the hotel staff and discussion with a police officer named Kim Kitsuragi, you find that you are a police officer too, and your precinct sent you to help Lieutenant Kitsuragi solve a murder case.

You interact with the world through walking up to objects, people, and landmarks, and making observations, growing your knowledge base of the world and who you once were. The player character's progression is through assigning points to various skills to build the type of cop you want to be in this story. Split into 4 main categories of skills; Intellect, Psyche, Physique, and Motorics; you start the game by assigning base points to a few different areas that will make it easier to be better at certain skills.

A character with good base Intellect will be better at general knowledge, conceptualisation, and talking smart, while a character with good base Motorics will have good hand-eye coordination, composure, and reaction time. You have the option to start from a few base pre-builds, or customise your stats to your preference. But you can't be good at everything. Are you the type of cop that talks down people in your way or the type to punch them in the jaw? That's up to you. Anytime you attempt a challenging task, be that persuasion, violence, or anything in between, you can attempt a dice roll. And depending on what skills you have points in, you will have better odds in different challenges.

Getting more skill points requires experience, which can be gained by pursuing the main objective, and by solving side-story mysteries. And the world is full of mysteries! There are cults, supernatural hauntings, post-war trauma, Eurobeat ravers, and much more to interact with. You are a broken man in a broken world, and there's nothing stopping you from being the worst kind of human being to get your way. Unless you don't want to upset Kim Kitsuragi.

And Kim is the one light in this dark, sad world.

My Thoughts

Disco Elysium is an experience like no other. The absolute depth of the world is just immense, you could get lost in centuries of in-game lore for hours. Even though the entire game takes place in part of one city, you have the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the entire world, decades of conflict, and the political matrix of powers that has led to such a desolate world.

Just as deep as the world are the characters, particularly the player character, Harry Dubois. You can play the entire game multiple times and not find everything wrong with this poor little meow meow. I neglected to mention this above, but each Skill talks, offering input from their area of specialty. Most dialogue in the game is from the inner thoughts of our cop, and what he can make of the situation. Putting more points into different skills will mean you hear the perspective of that skill more often. In my playthrough, I heard a lot from Encyclopedia, Drama, and Perception, but in a future playthrough, maybe Savor Flaire, Inland Empire, and Electrochemistry might have more to say.

Although the game is full of choice, there is ultimately one ending. I initially thought this as a bad thing, but it makes sense on further thought. This city was boiling towards an explosive conclusion no matter what two policemen do. What we can change however, is if we can save anyone on the way there, and what sort of person you make yourself into by the end. What kind of cop do you want to be?

Thanks for Reading

This recommendation has been a long time coming, as I've had these two series in in the back of my mind for ages. If you have engaged with either, please spread this post and tell me what you've enjoyed from them.

If you enjoy my style of writing, I have made 45 other posts just like this recommending all sorts of media. Check the pinned post on my blog.

#media recommendations #videogame recommendations #manga recommendation #blogpost #blog #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #disco elysium #harry dubois #kim kitsuragi #Youtube

[companionwolf]

Anyone know any media with themes similar to the game SOMA? ie identity, selfhood, consciousness, personhood, etc.

(Murderbot Diaries actually is already on my list, funnily enough, due to how the narrative handles MB - ie its experience as a nonhuman. 17776 is on my list also.)

Any media type from book to game to movie is welcome-- thanks in advance :3

#wolf barking #media recs #media recommendations #game rec #book rec #movie rec #soma (game) #thx #do Not rec amazons upload series. i have personal BEEF with it <- he does not want the return of brain scan nightmares