Aim Part 22 (Join my Patreon for $2 a month to read all future parts in full and 7+ parts IMMEDIATELY! 💖 (Link in bio or go to Patreon.com/Smudgeandfrankillustrations)

Voice of God: Luckily for Crowley THIS fall came with a soft landing.

I thought everyone could use a little fluffy levity, so here's another part of Aim for you darlings! 💖😘💖

Hi there, I recently finally got around to watching The Sandman and while I overall enjoyed the episodes and the show.... I do have a genuine question. I'm a plus size woman and it was quite disheartening for me, to see Despair being portrayed in that way. She's only seen as frumpy, depressed and not really loved by anyone. Is there any chance we'll ever see some positive plus size representation for someone who looks like me in the series? It would be nice to see more of that in media for women my size.

Mostly, what I hope is that the next time you see Despair on the screen you won't think. of her as frumpy, depressed and unloved. She isn't in the comics, and I think we missed what we were aiming for in Sandman Season 1.

But yes, as well, on casting.

(You'll see Donna Preston in Season 2 of Good Omens, as well, playing Mrs Sandwich, a part a long way from Despair.)

(disclaimer, this is coming from a heartstopper fan! i love heartstopper this is not hate!!)

i think at least part of the annoyance with heartstopper isn't just that isn't a light fluffy ya series, it's also that its another example of how the queer media that gets the most mainstream attention tends to be this kind of light fluffy ya stuff that focuses on two conventially attractive queer boys or men and it also tends to be written by people who aren't queer men on top of that, so not only can it feel very samey but it can feel like other queer people are relegated to side characters in the stories of cis gay men. and as someone who loves heartstopper i get that on some level.

btw by "written by people who aren't queer men" NOT saying that isn't not written by queer people. alice oseman is genderfluid and aroace, becky albertalli is bisexual, etc. and while i think the point is still valid there is a misogyny element in that a lot of the focus is put on things that are written by women or people they perceive as women while tumblr darlings like good omens and ofmd (written by presumably straight men) don't get the same treatment.

nah y'know what, that's fair, I can get how frustrating it can be for a lot of popular queer stories to feel samey, I've definitely gotten BL-fatigue in the past on platforms like WT and Tapas because many of them ARE the same and feel like they're just piggybacking off trends for the sake of clout (and this is a problem in the heterocis romance stories too, don't get me fucking started on how dark romance has turned into torture porn where vulnerable women are constantly being victimized by rich powerful men and we're just supposed to root for that ??), but it's one of those things where like, what might be seen as just more corny shit could very well be the revelation another person needs that they're gay / trans / etc. that the story helped them realize. there's just a point where i see these arguments against cheesy popular queer stories that teeter dangerously close to being queerphobic and, as you said, misogynist, simply because "it was written by someone who i perceive as a woman so that makes it BAD!"

and I didn't mention it in the original post because I didn't want to @ OP in any way but in the comment section they literally said "i dont think heartstopper itself is all that bad but it has pretty much aimed the direction of all mainstream gay comics towards wholesomeness instead of anything more interesting so i want to destroy heartstopper to destroy heartstopper clones" and that gives me massive ick because it implies their sole reasoning for including it was "chill and happy queer stories bad, if a character doesn't suffer enough then they're not interesting"?? why can't LGBTQ+ audiences have more 'vanilla' stories that aren't all sad and angsty all the time? are we not entitled to the same corny romcom vanilla shit that the heterocis are entitled to? why do LGBTQ+ characters - and by extension, people - have to suffer to qualify as being 'interesting'? You're already interesting, you're you! like i'm sorry, are we trying to scare people straight??? 😭 shit, that's even a plot point that's touched on in Heartstopper itself where Nick is questioning his sexuality and he starts googling shit and it's just ALL the terrifying news stories of queer kids being ostracized / bullied / murdered / etc. and as much as it's important to be aware of the ongoing issues so we can keep fighting for our rights, we ALSO need to find balance and remember to celebrate the stories that AREN'T that because we need something to be hopeful for, something we can find peace in. I don't think Heartstopper is some deeply profound piece of work, but it also doesn't seem like it's trying to be? It's a low stakes celebration of the LGBTQ+ experience that's very warm and comforting, especially for those who are the same ages as the main characters who are often being persuaded by the grown-ups around them that it's a death sentence to be gay / trans / etc.

and it's not like we HAVEN'T had popular pieces of queer representative media that explored things outside of cheesy BL, like are we forgetting about Nimona which explored both the gay and genderfluid experience in a very accessible and fun way while still being mature and not pandering to its audience over how society has made monsters out of queer people?

(and even then I'm sure there are folks who would argue "actually, here are the issues with Nimona" , and that's fine tbh, we can like media and appreciate what it brings to the table while also discussing what it lacks in, such as what we're doing now with Heartstopper! progress is a never-ending journey!!)

and also okay, not me trying to be argumentative in the slightest BUT I don't really get the argument that 'other queer people' are being sidelined for the main characters? unless there's something I'm missing here lol (I will apologize for that because it's admittedly been a while since I've re-read Heartstopper so I should probably go do that to refresh myself on it). like i say that in the sense that Heartstopper is clearly meant to be about two gay male teenagers. just like how Nimona is about a shapeshifter who is not a girl or a boy (they're Nimona!) and a gay man who are both trying to change the system that's other'd them for years for the better. that is the story Heartstopper is trying to tell and it achieves that. it also has a trans character plotline that I could see people arguing feels sidelined but I think there's a massive difference between 'sidelining' and just having a B plot ? my honest take with that is not every piece of representative media is going to be able to cover every single topic, it's just not doable for one piece of media to be a monolith for everything, the same as how one person can't be a monolith for an entire community of people. BUT that doesn't mean works like Heartstopper and Nimona can't inspire others to also lend their voices into the medium and create that representation that's needed. That's why we need ✨variety✨ and Heartstopper is part of that variety by offering a more vanilla cutesy story full of good vibes for people who want that sort of thing.

IDK, I think there's just a lot of nuance that's being missed in that poll, and in the difference between Heartstopper inspiring more people to write happy cozy BL stories vs. implying that it's had an actual negative influence on modern art and media in the same way that series like Homestuck and LO have to the point that people think it needs to be destroyed, like wtf LOL Like they're not even comparable IMO and a lot of the arguments I see people making about why it is just feel a little backwards, and those arguments obfuscate the real issue which is just "popular thing is popular and people like to piggyback off popular shit". That's a fact for basically any niche and genre, these trends come and go. Even if the whole cutesy BL trend passes one day (which it will) it'll be replaced by something else that people will also inevitably find samey and boring after a while. This is not a concept that's unique to LGBTQ+ media, it's universal.

Balance is important and I think finding that balance is as much a responsibility on the shoulders of the consumer as it is on the creator. And I don't think Heartstopper deserves to be put into the same camp as stories like LO which literally straightwashes its canonically queer characters and gives those queer identities to nothingburger characters who are easy to shoo out of the plot to make way for the heterocis ones (while still parading itself around like it's actually 'queer rep' which... it really isn't.) Like all three of the comics in that poll are vastly different, serving different audiences, with different goals and intentions. It's comparing apples to oranges to pineapples.

The worst Heartstopper has to offer is just a low stakes plot that might not appeal to everyone or feel 'samey' which yeah, valid, but in the grander sense of whether or not it's had a negative effect on queer media just for being... cheesy? And inspiring other people to write stories like it? I don't get the argument, it feels like it's severely missing the point of what we're fighting for here - to live happy little unbothered lives - but that's just me ╮(￣ω￣;)╭ I'm definitely not trying to be a dick about it in any way and I don't want anyone to think I'm not open to the opposing points here, I do agree with you on the oversaturation of samey BL stories, but it just rose some massive red flags to see Heartstopper next to frigging Homestuck and Lore Olympus LOL

The second season of "Good Omens" will give us more of many people's favorite supernatural entities: Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), the angel with a penchant for fine wine and old books, and Crowley (David Tennant), the demon who can't help but have a conscience.

The supernatural entities' time on Earth, however, gets disrupted when an amnesiac angel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) shows up (naked, no less) on the doorstep of Aziraphale's bookshop. "I loved playing the scenes where Jon just sits there with that stupid grin on his face and just drives Aziraphale bonkers," Sheen told me in an interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike about his experience shooting season 2.

Sheen and I talked about what it was like to don Aziraphale's robes once more, how the story in season 2 grabbed him, and his favorite details of the production's Soho set.

What it was like for you to don Aziraphale's robes again in the second round of episodes?

Well, it was wonderful. Yes, it was absolutely wonderful. I mean, during "Good Omens," the first season, was one of the most enjoyable professional experiences I've had — working with David [Tennant] and playing these characters and working with Neil [Gaiman] on something that I've been a fan of since the book came out. So it was just an absolutely joyful experience, that first [season].

So to be able to come back to the character and that world and to take the story forward into new places, it was just glorious. Yeah, I loved it. And it was very moving, the first time I put the costume back on. It was very moving to meet the character again, to feel him suddenly appear again. It was wonderful.

Then seeing David appear as well, because David was ill when we started filming on season 2. I think he had Covid and so he couldn't start. So I did the first week or something, or the first four or five days, without him, and then suddenly there he was. He walked onto the set in full Crowley garb and it was very emotional.

How did Neil describe what Aziraphale would be doing in season 2? How did he lay out the season at a high level for Aziraphale?

I can't remember now. I'm sorry. I can't remember that, how he described it, because having done it, I now have no memory whatsoever of how he described it to begin with. But I know what we wanted to explore and I always remember what he was aiming to get to by the end of the second series, because of ideas that he and Terry [Pratchett] had talked about with where the story might go. So I remember him talking about where we were aiming to get to, and obviously it begins with [Aziraphale and Crowley] no longer working for their respective companies. They're sort of out on their own. They're a team unto themselves now.

And then this fly gets stuck into their ointment and everything changes again. So I feel like, if my memory serves me correctly — which it invariably doesn't these days — I think it was about the idea of Gabriel coming into their lives again in a very unexpected way, and then that eventually building to the point that they get to at the end of this series, which I won't say because that would be to give things away.

Speaking of Gabriel, and you see this in the trailer and especially in the first episode, Crowley and Aziraphale are like an odd couple in certain ways and it's almost like they got a child. How is that dynamic with Jon Hamm [who plays Gabriel]?

Well, certainly for a character like Aziraphale, it's great comic material. For a character like Aziraphale, who frets and worries, stresses, and gets exasperated, to have a character who just is totally exasperating that he has to look after was just a very rich area to explore. But yeah, very much so.

I mean, they are like a married couple, even though they're a very odd couple, they do complement each other in all kinds of ways. And yes, they suddenly have this person who's dependent on them […] but they're also aware, having had past experiences with him. So it was a brilliant idea to have Gabriel suddenly show up with apparently no memory of who he is and to have them have to look after him and deal with him. It's a brilliant device, I think, and it was great to play.

I loved playing the scenes where Jon just sits there with that stupid grin on his face and just drives Aziraphale bonkers. They were great scenes to play, and I really enjoyed them. And it was great to see Jon again. I mean, we had such a great time together on the first one, and I know Jon anyway, outside of "Good Omens," and it was just so great to get to spend more time together.

I know for the second season, the Soho lot, it was a whole street, right? Created in Scotland?

It was a whole block, or more than a block even, of Soho that was built in the studio. It was extraordinary. I mean, in this series, not only do we expand the world of Soho in story terms to where we meet all the people who run the different shops and cafes and stuff around there, and we get to know that community a lot more. But also it physically grew as well.

I mean, in the studio, in Bath Gates up in Scotland, there was just this huge Soho set with cars driving around in it and hundreds of people and all these shops and the detailed work in these shops. I mean, this is what I always get blown away by on productions, is the detail that goes into the design. I mean, Maggie's record shop, every single album in there had to be made up. It was just made-up albums, made-up names of bands. I would spend hours in between takes, just wandering around looking at the designs of these records and the ridiculous names of bands that they'd come up with. It was brilliant. And the pub and the magic shop — oh my God, the magic shop, I just wanted to live in. It was just brilliant. All that detail and all that design work was fantastic.

You've had a long and very impressive career, and among many other roles, you've played now an angel, a vampire, and a werewolf. Is there any other supernatural being you'd want to play next?

I played a lot of different things. I'm not sure. Have I played a ghost? I'm not sure if I've played a ghost. Maybe I have. Yeah. I'm up for any supernatural beings. I'm open to any and all.

I haven't really checked on this since this blog was super new so I'm going to run this poll again bc I think it's fun to know

Michael Sheen’s Best Roles Show Why He’s a National Treasure

After his rallying cry to the Welsh football team, and now a part in the newly announced Wagatha Christie drama, we celebrate the roles that have made Michael Sheen such a beloved actor.

Michael Sheen recently went viral for an epic ‘pre-match’ speech to the Welsh football team on A League of Their Own – so much so that he was actually invited to address the Welsh World Cup squad for real – but anyone who’s seen a Michael Sheen role won’t have been remotely surprised he had such a rousing monologue in him.

The man has range, charisma, and an extraordinary talent for channelling the characteristics of real people without resorting to impersonation. He’s also clearly game for anything, as the news he’ll be playing Coleen Rooney’s lawyer in Channel 4’s newly announced courtroom drama Vardy v Rooney shows. Here’s our pick of Sheen’s best on-screen performances to date:

Quiz

Throughout his career, Sheen has been unmatched in his terrifyingly accurate depictions of real-life figures, and his portrayal of Chris Tarrant in this ITV drama about the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? cheating scandal is the epitome of his talent in this area. Uncanny to the point of actual witchcraft, it’s easy to spend the whole three episodes so mesmerised by Sheen’s genius that you forget about Matthew Macfadyen’s coughing Major altogether.

The Damned United

You’d think it would be tricky to stand out in a film when you’re alongside acting greats like Jim Broadbent, Stephen Graham and Timothy Spall, but The Damned United gives Sheen one of his finest roles as controversial football manager Brian Clough. Another spot-on example of capturing the essence of a well-known personality, we see the story of Clough’s tumultuous 44-day reign as manager of Leeds United in 1974, including – as you can see above – a pre-match address that doesn’t quite have the same magic as his recent one.

Good Omens

When Sheen met Tennant in this on-screen adaptation of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel, something truly magical happened. Good Omens is a comic delight with an all-star cast including Miranda Richardson, Jon Hamm, Daniel Mays and Anna Maxwell Martin, but the show’s real USP is the exceptional partnership between Michael Sheen and David Tennant as angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley respectively. Want news of season two? Read our report from the Good Omens NY Comic Con panel.

Frost/Nixon

A razor-sharp portrayal of the infamous interviews in 1977, Frost/Nixon sees Sheen taking on the role of legendary broadcaster David Frost, an undertaking that he yet again nails with breathtaking accuracy without resorting to mimicry. This is one of Sheen’s greatest performances, and yet he somewhat criminally missed out on any major Best Actor nominations thanks to his co-star Frank Langella’s extraordinary portrayal of President Nixon (Langella was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe).

Staged

If there’s one upside to the global pandemic, it’s Staged. David Tennant and Michael Sheen reunited as an epic double-act in this satirical lockdown comedy, playing self-mocking fictional versions of themselves as they rehearse a play over Zoom. It’s a rare opportunity to see them playing alongside their real-life wives, Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg, who expertly and comically manage their spouses’ fragile egos and childish bickering. There are also jaw-dropping cameos from the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Judi Dench and Samuel L Jackson. 

Twilight: New Moon

An appearance in the Twilight movies might seem a bit left-field for Michael Sheen, but the man’s got range. He plays Aro, the leader of an ancient Italian vampire coven. His role isn’t the most meaty of his career, but it shows that he can play just about any genre, somehow even including a vampire-themed fantasy romance mainly aimed at teenage girls. And, yet again, he gets to do a pretty rousing speech.

30 Rock

The delightfully ridiculous (and amusingly named) role of Wesley Snipes is one of Liz Lemon’s ill-fated love interests over the course of four episodes. Deeply irritating, contrary and full of disdain for Liz, you’d think Wesley would be completely unlikeable, and yet the hilarious back-and-forth between the couple is richly funny and Sheen plays his role to comic perfection. It’s worth watching for the perfect delivery of the line ‘I can’t suffer through the London Olympics – we’re not prepared, Liz’ alone.

The Queen

Michael Sheen has portrayed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on no fewer than three occasions in his career. The first was in movie The Deal, the most recent in TV movie The Special Relationship, but his best-known and arguably best portrayal of Blair is in The Queen. Close your eyes, and you’d have no trouble believing you were listening to the real deal – but please don’t actually close your eyes, or you’ll miss out on his spot-on and often very comical physical tics and expressions, too.

Passengers 

Sheen takes on a supporting role in this sci-fi romance movie starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, playing a sophisticated and erudite android bartender called Arthur. Passengers may not have been a hit with the critics, but Sheen is a scene-stealing highlight every time he’s on screen.

Masters of Sex

His portrayal of Dr. William Masters in this American period drama earned Sheen a Golden Globes nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series. Often as seductive as the name suggests, Masters of Sex tells the partially true stories of two pioneering researchers of human sexuality during the 1950s, and ran for four series until it was cancelled in 2016. Sheen stars alongside Lizzie Caplan, and the two have an electric partnership, both earning critical acclaim. And yes, as you’ll see in the clip above, Michael Sheen gets to do another pretty good speech.

Prodigal Son: Playing an unnervingly charming serial killer is a new direction for Sheen, and he takes on Dr. Martin Whitley with pizzazz, adding disarming comedy to the two series of this thriller.

The Good Fight: Roland Blum is a riot of a character, allowing Sheen to shine as an outrageous, no-filter lawyer that is equal parts hilarious and terrifying.

Underworld: This action horror film sees Sheen take on the role of Lucian, the leader of the Lycans, and he later also starred in the film’s prequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

Doctor Who: Sheen’s voice only made a very brief appearance during Matt Smith’s reign, as a malevolent entity called House in The Doctor’s Wife, an episode penned by none other than Neil Gaiman.

Written by:

Laura Vickers-Green

Source

Hey, guys? Maybe less of the "you're doing it wrong!!" thing, aimed at fan meta/art/fic? Please?

I pulled back from Stranger Things specifically to get away from that fun-destroying nonsense, and it's disheartening to see it popping up more and more around Good Omens and OFMD, which have otherwise been wonderfully open, diverse, accepting fandoms.

Not to be a Fandom Old at you, but: don't like, don't read. You know? Even if it's completely wrong, in your opinion. Even if it conflicts with canon (seriously, what do you think fanwork is FOR?)

If something isn't your cuperty, GO FIND WHAT IS, or create it yourself! Unless the take in question is genuinely harmful (not just questionable or cringe to you), the wide variety of perspectives is a feature, not a bug. Play in the space! Let people have fun!

What was that old comic... no, honey, I cant come to bed, people are wrong on the internet!

My thoughts and theories about Power Girl's future

As you may know, I am a big Power Girl fan. As such, I couldn't be happier with her getting so much new content as of lately. After vanishing post n52, and ignoring her n52-Earth 2 incarnation, it is really refreshing to see her again.

But, after some thinking I reached a theory about her present state, which I plan to present and explain my train of thoughts. Let's get to the point then, what did I "discover"?

Well, I am pretty sure Power Girl is going through a revitalization process right now.

And I am not talking about just coming back after so many years, I am saying full on new solo and stuff. Well let's get to it and start explaining!

As you may know, in 2023 DC is doing a soft "relaunch" called Dawn of DC. The purpose of this is to: 1) bring back old legacy characters, that have not had content for quite some time, 2) present big names in a welcoming manner to new readers, or 3) presenting new names altogether.

In this scenario, Power Girl stays right on the first category. That being said, DC has been revealing stuff in a slow pace, letting people savor the hype. BUT, I think they already making preparations for PG's return.

First off, we have Action Comics. PG got a mini backup story in three chapters there, done by the QUEENS Leah Williams and Marguerite Sauvage. The story actually started in Lazarus Planet Alpha, but the meat and potatoes is in AC.

This story served as mini reintroduction, quickly going through her most important lore points, all the while establishing a new and very interesting status quo for the character. Having developed psyonic powers, PG has united forces with Omen to open a psychological support clinic for heroes, with their first patient being Beast Boy. This is a great set up, and opens up MANY possible adventures and cool plots. Imagine if they got a chance to talk and help all kinds of heroes! Like Kon or Tim Drake. Heck, current Power Girl could have helped Wally West back in the event-I-shall-not-name. That's a really cool way to reinsert her in the bigger DC universe, and differentiate her from the rest of the Superfam.

Even more than that, she even got an AMAZINGLY GREAT redesign! This might not seen much in the great scheme of things, but why else would you contract and pay people to do a redesign, if you don't plan on using it in the future. Commercially it makes sense to think they plan on using her more now, if not they would probably just stick with the old design.

And the last thing I wanted to bring attention to is: DC will release a new edition of her Power Trip TPB in March, which contains the start of her 2009 solo. Considering that this TPB brings back a more in depth look at her origins (in JSA Classified) and some solo adventures, and looking at the fact that it comes out just some days before her last issue in Action Comics, it looks like it's a product aimed at showing even more of her for new readers.

It would not surprise me if later they release a new edition of her TPBs from Judd Winick's run (I want this so fucking much) , and even later on the year start a solo limited/miniseries, like Superboy's in April.

And that's it! Sorry if it got kind of convoluted, but I had so many thoughts, and I had to put them out there somewhere. I know this might jus sound like a mad fan spouting nonsense while drowning in copium, but I really love this character, and knowing she might have a chance to finally be under the sun again (no Kryptonian pun intended) is such a good prospect I cannot help but feel excited to what the future might hold for us!

The future looks bright for our Queen! And I will be there, on the first row, NO MATTER WHAT!

“Yeah Sure. Anyway, What's with the fashion show?” Crowley motioned over to Muriel’s clothing which once again put a smirk on his face.

“Fashion sh- Oh? My clothing! I am trying to appear more…well native.”

“Ya mean Human?”

“Yes!” Muriel grinned. “Is it working?”

“If you were aiming to look like someone who shops at a thrift store, you're spot on!”

Muriel’s look of confusion caused Crowley to have some pity for the angel.

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New fic I just put out! Please follow the link to A03 to check it out!

Might post a comic based off of it if I ever finish it!! Love you guys and thanks for reading

tv tag game

— list 8 shows for your followers to get to know you better. tagged by beloved mootie @michaelmandog

1.Good Omens

This is such a feel-good show for me and cleaning out my drafts made me remember how much I love it. Also a reminder that I need to finish Staged. The friendship between the authors and the ways it impacted the book and show is so important to me...

2. Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul

"oh watch it it's the best show ever" "yeah yeah sure" and then... Meth show for middle aged dads sent me on a *checks calendar* FIVE MONTH FIXATION? I need to be euthanized. Also Michael Mando. That's all.

3.Final Space

SHINED SO BRIGHT AND GONE TOO SOON. This was THE underdog adult animation and though I've separated myself from it a lot it's still one of the best out there. Space fantasy dramedy about a convict out in space that is a testament to all that adult animation can be, but often isn't. If you can stand a bit of exec-meddling awkward humor, this one is the hardest WATCH NOW on this list. Also, catboy above voiced by Steven Yeun and he goes so hard.

4.Invincible

Continuing on the thread of amazing adult animation with a much more popular entry, this is an adaptation that is so far so much better than the source material. I stayed up til 5 am binging this. It has 4 things I love: great animation, (comic) trope subversion, GORE, and Steven Yeun (again!)

5.Futurama

This show is older than me, and I never watched it growing up, yet it still feels like home whenever I watch it. If I need to cheer up and have my TV on, this is the clear choice. It's so nostalgic and has so much heart while also being really, really fucking funny.

7.Gravity Falls

Similar to Futurama: another comfort show!! It brings back so many memories, even though I watched it after its original run. One of the rare things I own official merch of (I loved it enough to pay for shipping from the US)

7.Mob Psycho 100

Obligatory singular Anime entry. This is the one anime I'd recommend to non anime watchers, as it subverts a lot of typically annoying anime tropes and is a rare entry where the adaptation is as good if not better than the source material, and yet it's AMAZING because it OOZES with love of the source material! I'm definitely biased because it's the kind of story my middle school self needed, and that my current young-adult self... also needed. It's about growing up, about how people need other people, and it rewired my brain.

8.Rise Of The TMNT

JUST LIKE FINAL SPACE, SHINED TOO BRIGHT AND GONE ENTIRELY TOO SOON!! I was a HUGE fan of 2003 series when I was a kid and this one completely reignited my love for TMNT. The animation is poppy and dynamic and tastefully stylized, the story goes from monster of the week to the absolute insanity that is the netflix movie, and it has the kind of personality that a reboot of such an old series needs and benefits from (partially also ended up being its undoing because people hate fun). Like Final Space, if you're not averse to a little cringe humor aimed at a younger generation, I have 2 words for you: MUST! WATCH!!

HONORABLE MENTIONS BECAUSE ITS HARD TO PICK

Arcane! because all that can be said about it has already been said about it. But it is fantastic and if you have not watched it yet because "its league of legends ew" and "its a cartoon" quit being a boob and go watch it.

Mrkomir Prvi! Because it's a really funny sitcom set in medieval Croatia, and it's only here because it's incredibly obscure on a global level, but it's really the kind of original TV I love to see and rarely do. They did a pandemic episode in which they called the diseased "influenzers", enough said.

Tagging! @its-me-ej, @djcranberry, @hellomingo, @lemonykleonella, @mediasploshion and @bamsara(long time no talk!! i hope this isnt a jumpscare)

No pressure, and happy reminiscing >:)

Aim Part 20 (Join my Patreon for $2 a month to read all future parts in full and 7+ parts IMMEDIATELY! 💖 (Link in bio or go to Patreon.com/Smudgeandfrankillustrations)

Voice of God: And so the drunken demon hit his mark with the help of a very patient drunken angel. The fact that only one fatality occurred during the archery lesson in question was a miracle within itself.

Good morning Mr. Gaiman! I was wondering this morning about how the presence of a fandom affects (or doesn’t affect) the business decisions that are made in the media and publishing world. I’d be so interested to hear your thoughts on it as someone who has a foot so strongly planted in both worlds—I at least can’t think of very many other creators who work on IPs as big as you do who are as engaged with and aware of the surrounding fandom culture as you are.

In your experience, are the studios and executive Powers That Be generally aware of the fandom cultures that surround their media properties? And is it considered a good thing, or more of a liability to an IP’s potential commercial success? When a show like Good Omens, or Our Flag Means Death, or Lucifer comes up for another season, are the studio execs aware or thinking about the active fandoms when they decide what gets greenlit? I would imagine that the scads of fan content and online chatter those fandoms have generated would be a good indicator for the success of those shows, but only if the decision makers knew about it and thought of it as a good thing, which of course not all creators do. You’ve shared with us a few very good reasons why some creative distance with fandom is strictly necessary at times. Is an active fandom something that a creator like you would consider part of the pitch when you’re trying to get more content greenlit? Or do the studios not get it or not care?

I think the truth is that for Networks the numbers of people in a fandom are so small, proportionally, to the numbers of viewers, that the fandom doesn't really even show up on anyone's radar. It was very important to me that the Good Omens fandom was treated well when we launched Season 1, but I doubt that Amazon or the BBC will be thinking much about the fandom when they plan the roll out for Season 2, as they already have an existing worldwide audience now in the hundreds of millions, and they will be aiming their promotion at those people and the people who have yet to try it, and not the fans. I'll remind them that Good Omens fandom exists as we get closer, and there are fans out there now in the promotional world (like whoever runs Prime Video's Twitter feed) but pretty much everything will be aimed at the viewers rather than the fans.

Studios and networks like knowing that there's an existing fandom, it reassures them, but it's never big enough to make a difference beyond the possibility of helping get something greenlit in the first place -- and that's not fandom, that's potential audience. The existence or non-existence of a Sandman fandom didn't help sell Netflix on greenlighting Sandman; the fact we've sold over a hundred million Sandman comics and graphic novels around the world definitely did.

As a writer, I realized in early 1989 that I had two choices: I could do things I knew would make fandom (back then, the early early Sandman fandom) happy, and risk making myself bored and dissatisfied, or make myself as the writer/creator happy and hope that enough of the fandom would come on the journey with me. I chose the latter route and it worked, and so it's the route I've always chosen since then.

Sighs, let’s try again…

I return again, to tell you people, again, that I will be back again…

Unfortunately Tumblr on my phone takes up so much of my already non-existent storage that it’s a pain in the ass to keep redownloading when it offloads, so I keep giving up. However, I’m gonna aim to be active and remember that this social of mine actually exists uhhh-

So, what’s the plan?

I have a quite a few new pieces to post, and have more planned

Both Good Omens and Oopsie Omens related stuff to squeal on about

In my absence, s3 was announced, and I wanna partake in theory discussions because I want to see so much

I’ll still have a small focus towards my series (Reality’s Tale) and my comic (The Yawning Grave) i’m really holding back on them though until i’m certain I can keep them consistent

For now however, here’s list of my socials as well as my Discord Server link

I’ll see my self out o7

i recall you mentioning fay was a character from an original work of yours, if I'm not wrong? is there anything you can tell us about that?

fay is one of the most developed and precious oc's I've read, the thought and attention you paid to her character is very apparent when reading your work! also what would you say are some of your favourite books?

thank you and wish you all the best!!

When I first started writing Providence it was during lockdown when I also had more time to do other things. My intention was to write an original work and use Providence as a sort of draft, then I realized that if I did write something original, I would have to develop Fay's world far better. I do have this whole story in my head that's been there for years and has been taking shape particularly in the last 2 years. Batfam/DC Comics would not have anything to do with it but the fandom has definitely helped me delve into a lot of different character analysis.

My original work has been on the back-burner for the past year and only recently I have gone back to it. I am hoping that by the end of the year I will have an actual - first- draft but I do want to get better at writing. So I have been doing some online courses in creative writing. 😊 there are some elements of Providence that have been created entirely for this fic, others that I would like to keep in my original work (like Fay and her parents and Maysoon).

Thank you for your kind words! I have always aimed to develop the characters as much as possible.

Favorite books: tough to choose but definitely Stephen King at the top of my lis5. I just love how he fleshes out every character and location in all of his books.

Jules Verne's stories for the sense of adventure and because he is a childhood favorite. Neil Gaimans' Good Omens because its such a funny, original take on demons and angels.

Lately, have been reading stories by Ted Chiang. I highly recommend. He is an incredible science fiction writer. It was on his book that the movie Arrival was based on! I would also say Wicked the book is something special and something I revisit a lot.

As you can see I enjoy discussing books so any other questions let me know! Have a great day 😊

Wednesday Spotlight #46 - March 10th 2021

What’s new? Absolutely bugger all. But you know what? YOU can change that. If you know of a zine or fanbook that I might not have found, do throw a link in my general direction!

Also, your Ineffable Planner is allergy ridden this spring and update times will swing wildly and unpredictably for the next couple of months XD - I aim for somewhere still Wednesdays and Saturdays, but the time of the day is anyone’s guess.

As of last week, you are getting another spotlight that will go on rotation. I’ll link to one etsy/redbubble/insert-platform here, every week. The rotation goes by order of me finding the links and whatever links you guys might send to me.

Store Spotlight (GO Merch)

Redbubble shop of andycwhite

Shoutout to the colours of these pieces. Yes, your ineffable planner is biased and has an entire wall of some of these.

Good Omens Fanzines/fancomics open for orders/pre-orders:

Sweet Hereafter Digital Art Book by GingerHaole

Sweet Hereafter: a 70-page digital fan art book about Crowley & Aziraphale, two sweet idiots in love!

Thwarting Wiles A bottom Crowley Zine [18+]

Pre-orders for Thwarting Wiles, an 18+ bottom!Crowley Good Omens zine, are now open! Over 100 pages of wonderful content, made by an amazing group of contributors!

The link has been updated to a direct link. Get it while it’s hot!

RESTOCK:

Unleash the Chaos

A limited number of physical zines, merch (stickers, postcards, keychains), and discounted items with minor damage up for grabs in the store now! If you missed out on ordering the first round, now is your chance!

Seductive Sins - A charity ezine by Kinks4Kindness 18+

A bottom Aziraphale Charity Ezine.

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Note: Zine pre-orders have been moved from Saturday’s newsletter to Wednesday’s Spotlight post. Zine’s will be spotlight’ed until pre-orders/orders end date. Personal comics will get one spotlight for now - if more weeks go by without any new ones, I’ll re-boost some of the earlier ones.

If you have a fanbook/comic for sale or a fanzine up for pre-order, please PM me to let me know or email me at ineffableplanner (at) gmail.com. I may catch it on my own but better safe than sorry ;) - same goes for any events or zine signups you’d like boosted in the Saturday newsletter. Also a shout-out to those of you who ping me with links, both for events as well as comics and zines.

You can find older editions of the Wednesday spotlight by following the tag #Wednesday spotlight

Ineffable Eras Zine

What Is Ineffable Eras?

Ineffable Eras is a print and digital zine to feature different canon (and non-canon) eras as showcased in GOOD OMENS. Each Edition focuses solely on one Era at a time. The zine will feature artists (traditional and digital, cosplay, photography) and authors (fiction and poetry) creating visual and written stories within these Eras.

Physical copies will be printed with all contributions. Depending on the number of SFW vs NSFW pieces, if it makes sense to offer different versions digitally (removing the 18+ content for the one), we shall do so.

BASIC INFO AND GUIDELINES: Blitz 1941

What is this edition about?

"Ineffable Eras: Blitz 1941" is a Blitz-era focused GOOD OMENS zine, with a printed and digital publication date aim of 10 May 2021. This date was chosen because Neil Gaiman said he imagined the church seen in the Hard Times cold open to be St. Dunstan-in-the-East, which was bombed during the Blitz on this evening 80 years ago! (The bombed-out church is now a public gardens.)

Who’s organizing this zine?

The Edition Lead for “Blitz 1941” is Caspian (CaspianTheGeek). Joining for the Blitz are fellow teammates North (SeedsOfWinter), Claire (sungmee), Sam (D20OwlBear), and Lauren (Ditherwings).

Will this zine be printed?

Yes! We intend to physically print this zine, in addition to the digital version. The print version will include all written and visual art, which is highly likely to contain 18+ material. (If it makes sense for the amount of non-adult contribution received, we may offer a SFW digital download in addition to the full digital download.)

What is the schedule for the zine?

Applications Close at 11:59pm EST on 15 December 2020.

All Applicants will receive a message by 2 January 2021 whether one of their general proposals is accepted OR passed on. (We wish we could accept everyone who loves these Eras as much as we do!) Accepted Applicants will receive information about which of their general proposals has been accepted for Blitz 1941.

Contributors will have roughly 6 weeks to complete their pieces.

Applications Open - 16 November 2020 Applications Close - 11:59pm EST on 15 December 2020 EST Inform of Application Outcome - by 2 January 2021

Work Weeks for Creators - 3 January through 16 February 2021 First Check - 18 January 2021 Final Check - 8 Feb 2021 Pieces Due - 11:59pm EST on 16 February 2021

Pre-orders Open - 17 March 2021 Pre-orders Close - End of day 5 April 2021 EST

Release Day - 10 May 2021 Email Digital Zines - 10 May 2021

Physical copies may arrive after Release Day depending on shipping to your home, but all Digital copies will mail on the 10th!

What are the requirements for contributing?

Any artists, writers, or cosplayers interested in creating content for this Era are encouraged to apply! We ask that works for the zine be new, and that applicants have enough example work for us to get a good feel of what they intend to submit. This zine welcomes NSFW content, so you must be 18+ to apply. Thank you for understanding!

Basic zine guidelines? Contributors are expected to create new pieces for the zine.

For Written: - No longer than around 1941 words - For Fiction, 1k-1.5k is ideal; Poetry can be shorter - Must feature the Blitz Era: before, during, or after the events of the “Hard Times” Blitz sequence from the television series - No other era may be visited in-story, though past events may be referenced

For Visual Art:  - Limit to 2 pages per artist - Art may be any visual medium—including appropriately themed cosplay, photography, and comics—that tells a visual story fitting to the Blitz era - Must feature the Blitz Era: before, during, or after the events of the “Hard Times” Blitz sequence from the television series - No other era may be visited in-story, though past events may be referenced - Specs for art contributions will be available upon application acceptance

We encourage interpretation over recreation.

Basic content guidelines?

This zine is strictly GOOD OMENS but not strictly focused on Aziraphale and Crowley. While the Ineffable Spouses are to be the main focus of accepted contributors, we'd love to see proposals for other era-appropriate Good Omens characters. Example: any angels or demons on Earth during the Blitz? A scene where ‘Rose Montgomery’ recruited Aziraphale? Something wholly unique? Delightful!

Characters may be in any or no pairing, using any pronouns, and presenting or perceived as any gender. ("Ineffable Wives" can present masculine; "Ineffable Husbands" can present feminine; etc. Genitalia and secondary sex characteristics do not equal gender.)

No contributions may feature: - Physical violence/Graphic depictions of violence  - Major character death (temporary discorporation acceptable) - Sexual violence (including both noncon and dubcon)  - Abuse (including emotional abuse)  - Underage and grooming  - Slurs and bigotry - Drug or alcohol abuse (canon-typical drinking acceptable)  - Eating disorders  - Suicide and self-harm - AUs (alternate universe) - Crossover with other fandoms

Anything that could be considered heavy kink must also be cleared with the mods.

Further guidelines and information will be available to Accepted Contributors. Thank you!

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Questions, comments, concerns, fan mail? Message us here, on Twitter @IneffableEras, or email [email protected].