#the mcelroys

[thesevenofbirds]

You know... Here's the thing about the ethersea storytelling (spoilers).

TL;DR i like the good, flawed characters because i do think it makes for interesting storytelling. But Griffin keeps trying to add interesting nuance to challenge the characters' hard-headed good/evil mindsets, and it gets overlooked because the players are in-character too often.

So. I do think the characters are very interesting and good even though they're all, imo, dislike-able in many ways...

Amber is unabashedly hard-headed and unforgiving. She cares about people yeah, but she's so opinionated and refuses to hear people out. She's so conflict-averse that she's constantly walking away from things and refusing to hear other people's perspectives. I feel like the interactions with Shrett were a great example of this. Like, i understand that Amber had known someone who went off the deep end with drugs, but the whole ordeal was so no-nuance for her in a way that showed she's really just stubborn about her perspective and never changing her mind. Likewise i think this shows with the blink sharks when she's just happy to be rid of 3 more.

Then we have Devo. He's just as hard-headed as Amber but instead of being avoidant and running away, he fights and causes conflict in the hopes of everything landing on what he wants. (Side note this felt so real to me when he said, going up the tower, "i feel no better with you guys than when i was with the church." I know the feeling of wanting so badly to act differently with people but falling into old habits beyond your control and acting in ways you don't want to act. Irl, one solution is literally to just remove yourself from the situation like Devo is trying but unable to do.. cuz it's DnD and they can't just split.) But anyway so, he cares, but he acts really shitty and mean and manipulative towards people around him in a lot of scenarios, as his instinctual reaction.

Then, Zoox. I don't see people talking about him as much but imo he's part of the conflict. He's an airhead in a way i can also relate to a bit... But that causes problems. Rather than spending the time to find solutions he defaults to threats & "easy ways out." He doesn't threaten in an angry way - rather, in a way that feels like "this is easier than trying to talk through shit and come up with collaborative solutions :) I'm tired" lol. But this really comes to a head for me with the blink sharks. Why doesn't he tell anyone the things he heard from them? Why doesn't he ever even shout during the fight anything, like, "wait maybe we can figure out what's going on, i had a conversation with these guys!" or anything like that? Seemingly because he's spacey, he allows a race of intelligent beings that asked him for help- to be extincted by himself and his friends.

All of these character choices are interesting! And i think the interactions/fights between the PCs are a cool way of exploring their personalities and stories. I'm not ragging on the Mcelroys for making flawed PCs, because i literally think these are character choices, and the characters they've made are really complex and interesting.

My only frustration is... Griffin keeps introducing interesting nuance! Like Shrett, and Guidance, and the Alpha Shark, and even Toliver. These characters are ALSO fleshed out & flawed in interesting ways, but they offer counterpoints to the PCs. BUT! The players always feel so in character that the points of nuance seldom get satisfyingly addressed.

I'm reminded of Clint's "knowing chuckle" where he had to be pressed to say what he was thinking. I'm listening to a DnD podcast! I'm interested in the thoughts & theories of the people playing the game! I'm interested by candid moments where maybe the player would go "oh damn, i think/feel this way about this plot point, but i know my character wouldn't do this." Or "ooh i know more of this story than my character does and <commentary>" or whatever. I love the roleplay and it's very interesting... But i also get a bit frustrated by the dropped threads that seem to be dropped only because Griffin was the only one trying to add that interesting nuance.

Once again i do still think it's a great series. But i feel like this character seriousness leaves something to be desired.

#taz #taz ethersea #ethersea #amber/Devo fight #zoox anthellae #amber gris #devo la main #the adventure zone #taz commentary #the mcelroys #taz spoilers #ethersea spoilers

[firbolgay]

#Justin McElroy #The McElroys #Taz #Mbmbam #Sawbones #Tiktok

[hee-blee]

"I want to throw him in a kiln - he'll either be preserved forever or destroyed, either way it's a victory" sounds like it should be from hannibal but instead it's from monster factory and is said about justin and griffin's cursed super buff knock off bart simpson

#monster factory #the mcelroys #hannibal #memes #original #relatable content #no one can stop me from making my shitty posts on the internet.com >:) #barth sompson #borth sampson #(the wiki lists both which is funnie imo)

[favouritefi]

This is my petition for a McElroy cameo in season 2

#Our Flag Means Death #ofmd #my brother my brother and me #justin mcelroy #griffin mcelroy #travis mcelroy #clint mcelroy #david jenkins #mbmbam #the mcelroys #fanart #yes i already tagged david on twitter #now we can only pray

[clones-against-humanity]

what do you think of my comedian alignment chart

#comedians #Amy Schumer #the mcelroys #jerma #jim gaffigan #brian david gilbert #bo burhnam #jim carrey #Eric Andre #please don’t send me death threats #John mulaney #jerma985

[betweensleepinganddreaming]

So the MBMBAM live show from Minneapolis is out today, and there’s something I need everyone to understand.

The reason Clint sounds a little choked up/giggly in the announcements is because this was preceded by -no joke- 5 minutes of cheering and applause just for him. He kept trying to start talking, but nope! Finally he just stepped away from the mike and basked in it.

❤️❤️

Look at this adorable man!!

#mbmbam #clint mcelroy #the mcelroys #minneapolis #mbmbam live

[emiko-matsui]

Let's break down the McElroy brother team-ups once and for all.

Justin & Griffin vs. Travis: the most common. For some reason these two loves to rip Travis apart regarding everything. If Clint isn't there Travis will always be the first target.

Justin & Travis vs. Griffin: the second most common. They're his older brothers. They don't do it constantly but when they do it it's so brutal that everyone remembers every time it happens. It is hilarious.

Griffin & Travis vs. Justin: the rarest. They try but most often they fail. Is it because he's their older brother or because Justin is impossible to drive over the edge by making fun of him? It's both, one would not exist without the other.

#mbmbam #griffin mcelroy #justin mcelroy #travis mcelroy #the mcelroy family #the mcelroys #my brother my brother and me #taz #the adventure zone #taz balance #taz amnesty #taz graduation #mbmbam show

[destinyducknewton]

A beautiful day in Kepler, WV.

#taz amnesty #the adventure zone #taz #duck newton #aubrey little #ned chicane #the mcelroys

[jay-berd]

question for taz fans: when you relisten to balance, which arc do you start at?

#the adventure zone #taz #taz balance #tazb #taako taaco #lup taako #blupjeans #magnus burnsides #merle highchurch #mbmbam #mcelroys #the mcelroys #griffin mcelroy #justin mcelroy #travis mcelroy #taz ethersea #taz amnesty #ethersea #taz e #devo la main #amber gris #zoox anthellae #taz zoox

[moggettt]

My tribute to the Story and Song arc of The Adventure Zone: Balance! The good boys battling Final John, and the goddess Istus making her appearance ✨I’ll always love TAZ:B so incredibly much, it’s one of my absolute Favorite pieces of storytelling!

These panels will also appear in an upcoming TAZ collab project as well!

#the adventure zone #the adventure zone: balance #magnus burnsides #taako taaco #merle highchurch #taz #taz:b #the mcelroys #the hunger taz #istus #this was wayyy more ambitious than I usually go hahaha #I tried to pour my love for the show into it #tried to do these boys justice! #my scribbles

[amberjuni]

I've been posting more Dragon Age than TAZ lately, but this one I wanted to share. I needed a Taako with Howl vibes.

#the adventure zone #taz balance #the adventure zone balance #taako #taz taako #juni draws #the mcelroys #the mcelroy family #mcelroy shows #digital art

[flowersforvax]

[X] that addition, I can't 😂

#NO BECAUSE I WAS QUESTIONING IT TOO #mbmbam #griffin mcelroy #the mcelroys

[firbolgay]

No one ever make a tiktok again this one's perfect

#Mbmbam #the mcelroys #travis mcelroy #justin mcelroy #griffin mcelroy #hank green #vlogbrothers

[none-gender-left-man]

#travis mcelroy #the McElroys #mbmbam #my brother my brother and me #the adventure zone #taz #ableism #cluster b #adhd #npd

[thesnakethatmarches]

The startled laugh Justin McElroy does sometimes that sounds like he’s deflating reblog if you agree

#justin mcelroy #mcelroy family #mcelroy brothers #mbmbam #taz #my brother my brother and me #the adventure zone #the mcelroys #serotonin to the max <333

[jimothywiddle]

you’re laughing. roachie despawned and you’re laughing.

#roachie :(( #has this been done already... #griffin mcelroy #the mcelroys #polygon #justin mcelroy #monster factory #mcelroys #final pam #my post

[imgonnagetkilledbynutstink]

Sometimes i forget that the mcelroys not only exist they EXIST. Like, theyve been on tv since they where kids, they all do acting, at least one have been in OK KO, Clarence, We Bare Bears and Trolls World Tour (which they made a whole podcast for). Soeaking of podcasts, they each have at least one of their own and at least 2 that they all participate in. Mbmbam has a whole tv show that Lin Manuel Miranda was on, who they are friends with btw. They also know Hank Green. The Adventure Zone has a whole graphic novel series. And on TAZ, Lin and Hank, Hank has left good review on the book (you can see it on the back) and Lin played Taako in a live reading of at least 1 if the books. Griffin is the founder of a game company and youtube channel called Polygon which had Monster Factory which gained over 2 million views. They EXIST

#the mcelroys #the mcelroy brothers #griffin mcelroy #travis mcelroy #justin mcelroy #clint mcelroy #taz #the adventure zone #taz gn #polygon #hank green #lin manuel miranda #mbmbam #the mbmbam show #podcasts

[emiko-matsui]

Magnus Burnsides: I believe that no one is above the law and will stop at nothing to help someone in distress

also magnus burnsides:

#magnus burnsides #the adventure zone #taz #taz balance #travis mcelroy #the mcelroy family #the mcelroys #here there be gerblins #murder on the rockport limited #petals to the metal #crystal kingdom #the eleventh hour #the suffering game #624

[transformersweatpants]

I’m starting a patreon!

Support me at $1 or more for a comic a month! Along with the four bonus panels of this one, timelaspes, sketches, whatever y’all want to see!

#taz #taz balance #taako taaco #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #taz b #taz imbalance #the mcelroys #griffin mcelroy #justin mcelroy #travis mcelroy #taz davenport #Davenport

[labradoritefractiles]

The Final Pam

#the final pam #pam #monster factory #mbmbam #the mcelroys #final pam #mspaint #ms paint #fanart #fan art #art #digital art #monster factory fanart #fallout #fallout 4