Wayne Pygram as Scorpius (the big bad of Farscape).

barbara gordon in titans #7

bonus:

FLASH GORDON #1-9

1988

By Dan Jurgens, Bruce D. Patterson, Anthony Tollin, andJohn Workman.

When Flash Gordon and reporter Dale Arden are taken hostage to witness new technology that could allow them to travel far through space, they end up in a world ruled by a merciless and sadistic emperor.

Flash will need to discover the true hero inside of him to unite the population of the planet and take down Lord Ming.

SCORE: 10

Full disclaimer: I knew almost nothing about Flash Gordon before reading this book. Sure, I had the Queen soundtrack in my head while reading it, and I remember watching the 1980 movie... but I don't remember the plot or anything.

This is a "modern age" version of the character. That is, a very flawed and realized character, in a world filled with the excesses of power and sadism. This means there is a lot of implied rape and sexual slavery (and machismo).

That reliance on sadism kind of took me by surprise for a book that wasn't recommended for mature readers. Then again, this was a book that was meant for the direct market (comic shops), so they probably didn't need to specify that at the time.

Still, it is a lot, but it is also kind of justified in-story (Mongo's culture was filled with racism and sexism, to maintain Lord Ming in power).

The characters were also updated a lot. For what I can remember, the original Ming was supposed to be based on Asian stereotypes, but the character in this version looks more middle-eastern.

The story is what you would expect from a serial. Filled with cliffhangers (several per issue), with characters that bounce back from the frying pan into the fire. But there is character development and by the end, I imagined that what ended up happening, was the only option left for the character.

Now let's talk about the art. Dan Jurgens is known for his reliance on inkers like Brett Breeding and Art Thibert, but Bruce D. Patterson was also a very fitting choice for him.

Previous to this, I read his Booster Gold series, which was fun, but he wasn't still the Dan Jurgens that would end up working in Superman. The Jurgens in this saga is definitely the missing link between Booster and Superman. Some panels are simply hypnotizing by the use of perspective and background structures.

In many ways it reminded me of sagas like Camelot 3000, and even some of the early Valiant books (sans the digital colors).

Now, I know this saga wasn't popular among Flash Gordon fans, and I can understand why. But to me, it was a 10.

Note: There is an unintentional fart joke on the cover of issue 5. You're welcome.

I'm sooo good at drawing and painting and perspective and finishing pieces of art idk what you mean

Remembering classic film icon Max von Sydow on the anniversary of his date of birth.

R.I.P. (1929 - 2020)

"If it's amazing, they'll know."

When talking about "George Lucas' vision" and the original six Star Wars films, there's one thing to bear in mind and that's Lucas' style of filmmaking.

These are movies for kids, designed to emulate the Saturday matinee serial format from the '30s, à la Flash Gordon. You see this most of all in the dialog. But something else you notice is George Lucas' filmmaking style, particularly in how he films and edits.

Take Darth Vader's introduction, for example.

Look at the composition: Vader stands tall, in contrast to the - as the script puts it - "fascist white armored suits of the Imperial stormtroopers". They're all in white, he's all in black, he's bigger badder, emerging from a cloud of smoke. What an entrance.

But if you think about it, it's just a single full shot. Very basic.

Compare this to Kenobi, wherein Vader is treated like a monster out of a horror movie. First, you glimpse his shadow, people reacting...

... then ominous bits and pieces like his boots or his lightsaber...

... and finally Vader himself, in all his terrifying glory.

That's a modern way of shooting it and it admittedly makes ol' Darth seem that much more imposing and absolutely badass.

But Lucas comes from a background of editing, experimental filmmaking and used to work as a documentary cameraman.

So what he did is just put the camera down and have Vader walk in. It's a faster yet differently-efficient way to introduce the character. It's more about dynamic pacing and visuals.

And that is Lucas' style. In his words:

"The way these films were put together, they're shot very much like a documentary film and the action of stage, and then I shoot around it. I don't stage for the camera. And as a result, there are a lot of things that happen pretty much by accident. It lends an aura of authenticity to everything." - Star Wars - Episode I: Podracing Featurette, 1999

Another example: the introduction of General Grievous.

A door opens revealing his ugly mug and he walks in. Boom.

But in Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy, you find that - as envisioned by the storyboard artists - our introduction to Grievous would've been very different.

"We wanted to have the introduction to Grievous be a series of really close shots that would be a series of details: his creepy foot, his creepy hand...

... his scary alien eyes...

... but George brought up an interesting point. He didn't want the film to concentrate on one design detail or one element— but rather let the world be there and let the viewer find those things without necessarily having it shoved in their face." - Derek Thompson, SW Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy, 2013

"George nixed the idea, saying: 'I don't want something to be special because of how it's filmed, but because of what it is. Just put the camera on it and let it play out in front of the audience. If it's amazing, they'll know.'" - Iain McCaig, SW Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy, 2013

That's it in a nutshell. "If it's amazing, they'll know."

The above storyboards look awesome and seeing Grievous be introduced that way would be great... but it wouldn't be Lucas' Star Wars. It would be some other director taking a crack at it.

And this way of shooting can be weird, even boring, at times. I mean compare Mace leading his troops into battle...

... to Aragorn leading his, in Return of the King.

The latter is so much more emotionally impactful. For a number of reasons (eg: Aragorn is a deuteragonist, Mace is a secondary character with less development), but one of them is that the moment is just shot in a way that's more interesting.

First we have an angle on Aragorn as he smiles and charges. Then the rest of the other characters as they react and follow suit, then the troops do the same.

With Mace it's, uh, *checks notes* he flourishes his saber and charges, the clones follow. Hell, for half a second we're looking at just an empty screen.

But y'know what the shot does look like?

It looks like something out of a WW1 documentary.

It's that authenticity he was mentioning further up.

At the end of the day, you can call it campy or bad... it's Lucas' style. It's cinema. There's a logic to it.

"To me, the script is just a sketchbook, just a list of notes, and, sometimes, I prefer the documentary feel of free flow, so I let my instincts tell me where to go. I like to create cinematically; I don't like to have a plan. I like to have a rough idea of what I'm going to do-certain themes, certain issues I'm going to deal with-and then I try to do so." - The Making of Revenge of The Sith, page 116, 2005

He doesn't try to make a character look particularly badass with camera angles or make the shot too choreographed, he just goes with the flow, and makes the deliberate choice to shoot it that way, because for better or for worse... it's his movie.

So yeah, just a tidbit I thought would be interesting.

Edit:

@schilkeman added this very interesting point in the replies:

"He doesn’t stage for the camera, but he does compose for the camera. The documentary style, while somewhat detached, requires the filling of the screen with motion and light. The way things move through frame seem very important to him. These are things his films excel at."

How would you go about rebooting/modernizing "Flash Gordon" in a way that minimizes and/or mitigates the yellow peril in its DNA (e.g., Ming) but still keeps it recognizable and palatable to the fans? I always thought it'd be interesting to race-flip it, especially if one were to base Flash on someone like indigenous athlete and Olympian Jim Thorpe.

You know, when I heard about the Sex Archie show, at first, I thought it was a joke trailer from College Humor or something. But now, thinking it over, I realize it was absolutely genius.

The Riverdale approach (grounding something in sexuality) may not necessarily work for everything, but it would absolutely work for Flash Gordon specifically, because Flash Gordon always very much had in its DNA a kind of European sexuality mingled with experimental art direction, something like Barbarella or Heavy Metal comics. The comics always had whipping scenes, dungeons, seraglios, seductions, hypnotic compulsions into service, and arch enemies who pin their foe by pressing their wrists against a wall. It's very interesting to compare it to the far more non-sexual Star Wars movies that it supposedly inspired. If you do an adult version - emphasis on the adult - something like Game of Thrones but pushes it even further, it would absolutely work. Flash Gordon is not an antihero (he's more an audience identification POV character like Ned Stark who is a stand in for the moral values of the audience), but the planet Mongo is surrounded by antiheroes. Are you telling me that Prince Barin, if push came to shove, couldn't kill in cold blood?

The best possible person to helm a reboot of Flash Gordon would be a cokehead lunatic Italian who threatens his actors by pulling out a knife on set while yelling gibberish. You know, the kind of guy who directs all my favorite movies. I'm reminded of the very fascinating costumes and designs that Heavy Metal artist (and lunatic Italian, what a plus!) Milo Manara did for an aborted remake of Barbarella starring Drew Barrymore in the mid-2000s.

A project that absolutely captures the spirit of what I am talking about is Taika Waikiki's Thor: Ragnarok, which merely flirted with 80s Heavy Metal themes and suggested debauchery within the constraints of its' rating.

Or better yet, Steven Sommers, director of the Mummy (you know, the good one from 1999) would do something amazing with this material. The target audience for a Flash Gordon revival would be the people who share memes that say "my sexual orientation is the cast of the Mummy"). God, Tumblr would crack in half and get a new favorite show, which is why it amazes me that they haven't added Tigra to the Marvel movies yet. Incidentally, I think the Masters of the Universe who create our culture are absolutely sleeping on how absolutely essential that movie is to the generation that grew up around the turn of the 20th century (much like how Gen Z views Polar Express as a classic for some reason).

Hey...Lady Gaga loves to act, doesn't she? You know, I bet she would understand this material immediately, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a huge fan. I mean, she already dresses like she came from Ming's Throne Room. She loves art direction and burlesque. She's also of Italian origin (hey, it doesn't hurt). I'm not sure if she's ever read Heavy Metal (I doubt it, as she's not a pot dealer older brother who listens to Primus) but I think she'd get it, because she doesn't think pop "low" culture is a dirty word. Regular people who would sleep on yet another Flash Gordon revival would watch if she was in it somehow, or involved in production.

April 5th 2024, happy beloved 78th birthday to the one and only Jane! She’s been my inspiration for around 12 years since I first discovered about her. It’s been a wonderful journey getting to share new pictures I find, my scans, colourisations and accurate information in regards of the pictures I found. May I be able to meet her one day. 🤍

This post will be divided in two, as the picture shown was used for two different newspapers that I scanned therefore the subtle mark on the photos. And you might have seen the photos with my old username so I am sharing them with the new one!

Jane Asher and Gawn Grainger as Juliet Capulet and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” presentation while being on tour in the USA, 1967.

First picture is my edition and enhancement from historical picture auction scan, second one is my scan from the newspaper, and third one is the scan of the newspaper.

Jane Asher-More Than a Beatle's Bird

In cities all across the U.S. this spring Beatle fans are swarming to a touring production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet staged by the Bristol Old Vic Company. When Juliet appears on stage for the first time the reaction is almost always the same. Applause thunders through the theater. Flash bulbs pop—electrifying the scene like summer lightning. At the end of the play young girls scream the name of the actress who plays Juliet: "Jane Asher! Jane Asher!" This is the girl they have come to see. To a Beatle fan Jane Asher's romance is even more exciting than the story of Romeo and Juliet. Jane Asher, in case you haven't heard, is the girl friend of Paul McCartney-the last unmarried Beatle.

An Interview With Jane

To find out what kind of girl dates a Beatle and also has enough talent to

perform in one of England's most respected theatre groups, CURRENT EVENTS Editor Nancy Malone talked to Jane Asher in New York City. The 20-year-old actress seemed puzzled when asked why teen-age girls scream for her. "I don't really know," she said “and I don’t think they’re quite sure themselves. Once they’re with me, they seem a little lost and aren’t sure what to do or say”.

Miss Asher, in contrast to her fans, is not at all confused. She is looking the forward to a successful career in the theatre—on her own merit, not because of her friendship with a Beatle. The actress with the golden-red hair is well on her way to stardom. Her portrayal of Juliet with England’s Bristol Old Vic company has been highly praised. The company is nearing the end of 16-city american tour, which began in Boston last January. After appearances next month in Bloomington, Ind., Detroit, and Cleveland, the company will perform at expo 67 in Montreal. Then the actors and actresses will retur to England.

Does Jane Asher hope to do more Shakespeare? "Oh, yes." she said, “I'd like to do all the Shakespearean heroines-especially Lady Macbeth. But I'd also like to do modern comedy. I wouldn't like ever to stick to just one thing. For example, I don't want to do all movies or all stage. Though if I had to choose, I'd choose stage. I like having a live audience.

Movie Fame Unimportant

"I know you can become more famous by being in movies,", Jane said. "but I've had a taste of that kind of glamor, and I know I don't want it. I want to be a good actress." Jane, who has been acting since she was five years old, comes from a show business family. Her brother, Peter Asher, has toured the U.S. several times. He makes up one-half of the popular singing duo Peter and Gordon.

But Jane hesitates to encourage outer young people to become entertainers. "It's really not the glamorous life people imagine. It's hard work with rehearsals all day and shows every night. And when you come right down to it, acting is really only pretending you're something else on stage." Although Jane made several films during her childhood, she attended regular m schools—not acting schools for m professionals. "I'm glad I got a normal education," she said. "I think it gave me a more balanced view of life. In addition to several Shakespearean roles, Jane has played Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Wendy in Peter Pan, and Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. Juliet, however, is the highlight of her career.

Jane and the Bard

She is particularly delighted that she is helping to acquaint American teenagers with Shakespeare. She commented on her own attitude as a 13-year-old: "I suppose I felt as all English schoolchildren do-that Shakespeare was pretty dull stuff with lots of language I didn't understand. I know I wasn't mad about it." Now, at 20, she believes that Shakespeare wrote "the greatest roles in the world." She added: "On this tour, I've gotten a lot of mail and it has meant a great deal to me. Some of the letters from kids say “We came to see you. We were so surprised. We really liked the play.” “That’s great. That’s a real accomplishment to me —as an actress”.

The Flash Files: Folder 06

Brought to you by The Flash Gordon Archive of Howard C. Rushbourne in collaboration with Midjourney AI & The Friends of Flash Foundation.

Flash, Dale, Aura and Barin in a Disney promotional campaign for “Adventures at Intergalactic High: Senior Year” (2015)

Jeffrey Hudson (with roommate Gregory Kant), (1955)

Jeffrey and Gregory’s famous bachelor pad. (1955)

FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 25 JULY, 1955

In this golden age of Hollywood, two dashing actors have caught the public's eye with their incredible talent and undeniable charm: Jeffrey Hudson and Gregory Kant. These two heartthrobs, best known for their roles as Flash Gordon the space hero and Buck Howard, (sheriff of Dustbowl in the TV series “Hardwood”), are two of the most eligible bachelors on the planet! Nevertheless, these two bachelors seem to enjoy spending time with each other just as much as they enjoy attending glamorous star-studded  premiers with a beautiful starlet on their arm.

Their shared home, an elegant sanctuary hidden in the Hollywood Hills, is the epitome of style and sophistication. Decorated with tasteful, modern furnishings, the living room is a testament to their shared love for contemporary design. This warm, inviting space is where Jeffrey and Gregory spend countless hours discussing their craft, sharing stories, and enjoying each other's company and with close friends invited for a weekend getaway. 

Will these best friends stay single forever or will they find that special someone to marry and call their own then finally give up their bachelor’s paradise?

Jeffrey Hudson and Gregory Kant (1955)

“Flash Gordon and the Happening on Planet Mongo” (1968)

Brian Morse as Prince Thun (1994) 

Dorothy Thompson as Dale Arden in “Flash Gordon and the Invisible Phantom” (1951) 

Dale Arden, Flash Gordon fashion photo spread for Vogue Magazine, (2021)

Kenneth Williams as Emperor Omipalone in “Flash Gordon and the Conquest of Planet Polari” (1966)

Emperor Omipalone and his henchmen, Julian and Sandy, “Flash Gordon and the Conquest of Planet Polari” (1966)

Williams controversially only spoke in Polari during the entire film leaving some audience members baffled and confused. Subtitles were suggested for some theatres, (especially those located outside of large metropolitan areas), but this proved difficult as Polari was fairly obscure even in the 1960s, (although it had come into more common consciousness through some radio broadcasts). Finally, a small company called “Bona Lingo” was hired from a little shop in Soho, London, which was able to provide the translations. The following is a sample of Williams announcing his plans for universal domination:

“As Emperor Omipalone, the villainous nanti-bona emperor of the cosmos, I've nattered to me palones and omies about me bijou plan to troll over the universe, naffing it up as I go. Vardering me lacoddy, all zhooshed up, and me basket well-crammed, I cackle to them, "Varder at me, omies and palones, we'll dish the dirt on all the other planets, scarpering their bijou dreams and turning them into a meshigener mess. We'll screech our Polari lingo from the zhooshy stars to the naffest corners, leaving chaos in our wake. Let's charper the universe together and make it bow before our wickedly fantabulosa reign!"”

Kenneth Williams as Emperor Omipalone in “Flash Gordon and the Conquest of Planet Polari” (1966)

Flash Gordon costume design by Jennifer Sonders, (1989)

Other Worlds: An Anthology of Diverse Short Fiction

Short stories by writers from marginalised and/or underrepresented communities or backgrounds exploring the theme of "Other Worlds"

KICKSTARTER NOW LIVE and SUBMISSIONS OPEN!

Other Worlds is the second print anthology brought to you by A Coup of Owls Press - home of online quarterly anthologies from creators from marginalised and/or underrepresented communities or backgrounds.

As a follow-up to Other & Different, which explored what it is to be othered, Other Worlds will be an exploration of places, situations, communities, etc, that are other. These might be actual other worlds in a science or speculative fiction genre, or a community, or a situation in the historical or modern world that feels or is made to feel alien. Encompassing a variety of styles and genres, Other Worlds will feature stories focused on the theme of being part of those othered communities - however the writers wish to interpret that.

THE STORIES

We are thrilled to confirm that we have invited five fantastic authors to contribute to Other Worlds, and our submissions for the remaining stories are open from 1st October to 15th November 2023. 

For more submissions guidelines and to submit, check out our submissions page.

Eve Morton:  Strange people with strange purposes gather in Haven (Science Fiction).

Eve Morton is a poet, professor, and parent living in Waterloo, Ontario. She likes coffee, short stories, and horror movies--in that order.  Weblinks: website

Previous publications include: A Coup of Owls, Other Stories Podcast and Third Flatiron Publishing

Victor Okechukwu: A post-civil war community feels cut off from the rest of Nigeria when a woman's only son enters a train to Jos but  may not return (Modern Nigerian Lit). 

Victor Okechukwu is a writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. His writing takes a deep setting in arresting issues of mental health that have been overlooked in his country. He's an Associate Prose Editor at Zerotic Press and is reading mass communication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Weblinks: Twitter

Previous publications include: Gordon Square Review, Mycelia, Door-is-a-jar, and Rigorous Magazine

Von Reyes: Violence and intimacy become blurred and life might just be worth fighting for amongst a community of underground fighters (Speculative Fiction).

Von Reyes is an emergent fiction author, focused on uplifting the intersections of queer and trans masculinity and Asian diasporic identity. He focuses on genre fiction with themes of surrealism, queer sexuality, existentialism, and optimistic nihilism. He is passionate about creating a more socially conscious world where care for each other is at the core of all that we do. He hopes to tell stories that don't shy away from the horrors, but allows us to find the light within them. When he isn't writing, he can usually be found chasing the ocean and his next iced coffee.  Weblinks: website

Previous publications include: The Good Men Project. Forthcoming in Chill Mag.

Zachary Rosenberg:  A Jewish soldier and rancher must contend with mysterious monsters to build the home he longs for (Horror Western).

Zachary Rosenberg is a horror writer living in Florida. He crafts horrifying tales by night and by day he practices law, which is even more frightening. His debut novella Hungers as Old As This Land is out now from Brigids Gate Press and his second, The Long Shalom, is available from by Off Limits Press. Weblinks: Twitter

Previous publications include: Dark Matter Magazine, The Deadlands, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Samir Sirk Morató: When an Appalachian community clashes with their neighbors—a grove of sentient, dying chestnut trees—tragedy strikes (Horror).

Samir Sirk Morató is a scientist, artist, and flesh heap. They are also a 2022 Brave New Weird shortlister and a F(r)iction Fall 2022 Flash Fiction finalist. Samir spends most of their time tending to their cacti and contemplating the nature of meat. Weblinks: Twitter, Instagram, and website

Previous publications include: Neon Hemlock, bodyfluids, Catapult, and Seize the Press.

COVER ART

We can't wait to share with you the amazing cover art currently being created by amazing artist @pangaeastarseed.

Pangaea is a life-long artist and resident of the DC suburbs. A freelance illustrator with 20+ years experience, Pan’s work focuses on figure work and visual narratives utilizing the exploration of queerness, food as a love-language, and colors influenced by their florid synaesthesia.

Pangaea’s previous work includes custom illustration commissions and tattoo designs for clients; Starseed, an original gay-porn-space-opera comic, The Alien Dick Coloring Book, sketchbook zines Cardassia Prime and Cardassia Kotok, and the Washington DC-variant poster design of The Lambda Literary Awards 2022.

Portfolio: https://www.pangaeaillustrations.com/

WHY KICKSTARTER?

We want to ensure that we produce the high quality product that we know we can! Whilst design, layout and formatting happens in-house, Kickstarter funds will help cover pay for our authors, cover artist and editor. 

REWARDS

Add Ons!

We have a variety of extras available in the add-ons, from extra copies to special collected editions.  Whilst we've tried to create reward tiers to suit everyone, the add-ons will better allow you to mix and match to your preference! 

Our own @maxturnerwrites is once more offering some of his own work at discounted prices for supporters.

STRETCH GOALS!

£1000 : at £1000 we will add an Other Worlds bookmark for each physical backer

£1250 : at £1250 we will add an A5 print of cover art (without title) to each physical backer, and an e-copy of the same to each e-backer

£1500 : at £1500 we will add an Other Worlds tote bag for each physical backer

Thinking about D10 being run down by scrappers after being exiled out of sodor, and in a last ditch attempt, flees to sodor for refuge. >:]

He's flying down the tracks of the mainland at dangerously high speeds flying past Gordon on his take back of the morning express with a flash of mustard. a look of surprise turns to horror as he sees seven other frames of burgundy race down the tracks. the gaggle of newer modern diesels chase him like a pack of wild rabid dogs, cackling with a sick joy. There deep red paint shines off of them in a mocking manner.

He's almost there. Hes almost at the bridge that leads to the island, wheels spinning so fast sparks of flame rush out from under him, the smell of melting metal heavy in the air. He can't go on for much longer. They all know that.

The pain in his body is agonizing as pinchy snaps wildly, trying to keep them as far back as possible. He's wheezing like all the air is squeezed out of him, trying to keep distance. They've been going like this for a half an hour, and he's not sure he can take anymore before something gives.

The Atlantic races off with the empty express towards the station. The coach's don't complain about him being to fast. Not this time. They might not be fast enough.

Deadline: December 17th, 2023 Payment: 9 cents per word Theme: Science-fiction, fantasy and horror, inspired by classic pulp magazines, starring LGBTQIA+ heroes and villains. IWTTO! is seeking classic pulp adventures centring non-traditionally masculine queer heroes and villains. If you’ve ever found yourself reading Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Robert E. Howard or Fritz Leiber, and just wanted it to be more sodding gay then this anthology is for you. Whether fantasy, science-fiction or horror, we want to prove that hetero himbos don’t hold a monopoly on giant swords. We want out and proud thrill-rides starring queers who don’t give a frack what society says. Smash systems, kiss boys, be gay do crime. Concept: Pulp-inspired science fiction, fantasy and horror that explores or subverts classic genre tropes through queer protagonists and villains, particularly those who are non-traditionally masculine. What we’re looking for: Stories that take full advantage of pulp excess (“more is more”), and that have queerness at their core. The Editors take a broad definition of queer and we want to see stories that speak to our own community. We love our LGBTQIA+ heroes AND villains, and are just as eager for queer rage blood baths as we are for Flash-Gordon-style space opera. Bring us your femboy starship captains, bring us to trans berserkers fuelled by queer rage, bring us your literal demon twinks. Most of all, bring us stories that make you shriek... “I Want That Twink OBLITERATED!” Guidelines: ● We are seeking original science fiction, fantasy and horror stories written in English. This is an inclusive LGBTQIA+ anthology from a queer press and we want stories that uphold that ethos. ● Instructions: All stories should be submitted through our online form as a .doc or .docx file. If for any reason you are unable to use a Google login to submit this form, please contact bona.to.books[@]gmail.com (without the square brackets) and we will arrange an alternate method of submission. ● Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please withdraw immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere. No multiple submissions, but if you have a story rejected before the deadline you may submit again. (Although note: The editors make no promises about how quickly submissions will be reviewed.) ● Word Count: Stories should be no more than 6,000 words long, but 4,000-5,000 is ideal. Flash fiction will happily be considered, but as the exception rather than the rule. ● Format: We don’t wish to create barriers to entry, so if you have a story in standard manuscript format you’re absolutely fine. However, the editors are fans of Modern Manuscript Format, Garamond, and italics as italics. ● Rates: Authors will be paid $0.08 /word for worldwide English language rights (including audio, if that stretch goal is met). ● Cover letters: None! Nada! Not required! There is a box on the form where you can tell us any information that you think we really need to know about you (awards noms, pro publications, specific expertise relevant to the story). However, we won’t read any of this until after your story, so don’t worry about selling yourself. ● Reprints: We are seeking original English language stories and will not consider reprints. ● Enquiries: Please contact bona.to.books[@]gmail.com (without the square brackets) if you have any questions or problems, but do not send any submissions to this address. ● Responses: We are aiming to respond to all submissions by 31 January 2024. Please query if you have not heard back by then. ● AI-Assisted Writing: ...can get in the bin. At once. Off you pop. ● Notes on Stories: ○ The editors define “twink” very broadly and encourage authors to do so too (indeed, break the concept apart and subvert it if you fancy). Our real focus is on exciting, queer stories with non-traditionally masculine heroes or villains. ○ We are seeking all types of science fiction, fantasy and horror, as long as it is queer and fits with our pulp/genre vibe.

○ For the editors, queerness embraces a full spectrum of identities and experiences. Ace/aro, trans, nonbinary and intersex stories are all welcome. ○ The editors are particularly interested in submissions from trans, non-binary, or intersex writers; aro or ace writers; disabled writers; neurodiverse writers; black, south asian, or east asian writers; or other writers of colour. ○ Given the long, fabulous history of queer-coded villains, the editors would love a mix of stories that explore heroes’ and villains’ perspectives. ○ The editors have no interest in gratuitous sexual violence or unexamined prejudice. Great stories can grapple with these things, but if you’re using them as window-dressing it’s not for us. ● If you’re in doubt whether your story fits, submit and let our editors take a look. Don’t self-reject! The Submission Portal is now LIVE! Via: I Want That Twink OBLITERATED!'s Kickstarter.

I haven't taken part in one of these chains in a long time. But, @n-talia-a tagged me in a "top 5 on repeat" chain and so here we go. This is all the more recent on repeat, not in totality.

1. 3TEETH - Slum Planet feat. Mick Gordon

Do you like Industrial? NiN? Metal? Punk? Cyberpunk? and the music from Doom (2016)? Well 3TEETH has what you need, and this track was produced by the man behind Doom (2016). I am blasting this likely 3x a day, at a minimum. Warning: Video features flashing.

2. Yard Act - The Trench Coat Museum

Found this one recently, and the bass line is just addictive. Video is pretty great as well, especially the ending.

3. TURNSTILE - UNDERWATER BOI

Turnstile has been a group I've been listening to a lot since 2020 or so. Typically more hardcore, but this one is just a nice seaside vibe. They even just did a remake of their last album as a jazz album. Really good stuff.

4. Drain - Feel The Pressure

Following in the water-related theme I suppose (pretty apt for myself, personally speaking). This is a hard and heavy punk metal groove.

5. WARGASM (U.K) - Your Patron Saints

Wargasm is by far my favorite band of the last several years. I found them at the tail-end of 2019, and went deep during the early pandemic and never got out. I am addicted to every song of theirs, this is an incredible act. I highly suggest everyone checking out their entire discography. Industrial meets nu-metal (with heavy prodigy vibes). Warning: Video features flashing.

Bonus: FIDLAR (anything and everything by them)

If I said Wargasm is my favorite band of the last several years, FIDLAR is my favorite band of the last decade. I am playing their albums back-to-back multiple times a week.

Notable Mention: Seaway. Love that band. They were my most listened to in 2020 I believe. Classic pop punk style with a modern bend. I don't usually continue the chain, but I'll add @swordarmsaxelegs, @the-alex-xander, @oyeden, @tomandgeriatric @myfriendgoo94

Robert Liston (1794-1847) was a Scottish surgeon who is most famous for amputating a patient's leg in under 2.5 minutes, operating so quickly that in the process also amputated the fingers of his assistant and slashed the coattails of a spectator, who dropped dead from sheer terror. The patient and his assistant later died from gangrene, making it the only recorded operation with a 300% mortality rate.⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣British surgeon and author Richard Gordon described Liston as the following:⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣"He was six foot two, and operated in a bottle-green coat with wellington boots. He sprung across the blood-stained boards upon his swooning, sweating, strapped-down patient like a duelist, calling, 'Time me gentlemen, time me!' to students craning with pocket watches from the iron-railinged galleries. Everyone swore that the first flash of his knife was followed so swiftly by the rasp of saw on bone that sight and sound seemed simultaneous. To free both hands, he would clasp the bloody knife between his teeth."⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣Gordon's book, "Great Medical Disasters" (1983), lists some of Liston's other surgical procedures: ⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣"Removal in 4 minutes of a 45-pound scrotal tumour, whose owner had to carry it round in a wheelbarrow."⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣"Amputated the leg in 2​1⁄2 minutes, but in his enthusiasm the patient's testicles as well."⁣⁣

⁣"Argument with his house-surgeon. Was the red, pulsating tumour in a small boy's neck a straightforward abscess of the skin, or a dangerous aneurism of the carotid artery? 'Pooh!' Liston exclaimed impatiently. 'Whoever heard of an aneurism in one so young?' Flashing a knife from his waistcoat pocket, he lanced it. Houseman's note – 'Out leaped arterial blood, and the boy fell.' The patient died but the artery lives, in University College Hospital pathology museum, specimen No. 1256."⁣⁣⁣⁣ In 1846, Liston went on to perform the first operation using modern anaesthesia in Europe. He also invented bulldog forceps (a tool to lock artery forceps) and a leg splint to help with fractures and dislocations. Both are still used today.⁣

How would Vox, Alastor, and Mourningstar Lucifer handle their darling little baby having a nightmare? Their little has such a bad dream that they are nonverbal and won't let go of them or try to fall back asleep due to how scared she is.

Vox and Alasot are oddly enough very similar. They're not exactly sure what to say or do beyond the usual platitudes of "there, there, it's okay" and rubbing her back while holding her closely. Where they differ is how they might help them feel better after they've calmed down a little. Vox would opt for the visual with things like Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, The Uncle Al Show, Howdy Doody, or newer things like Sesame Street. Or maybe a movie like The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Snow White and the Eeven Dwarves, Lady and the Tramp, basically anything Disney pre- 2000s era Like I said he's partial to the classics himself, specifically American classics, though if his Little has something they want to see that's newer he won't object I imagine he becomes a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies and other things, would love it if during the musical movies his Little busted out into song, would likely record it for personal viewing later since if he shares it with Velvette she will definitely post it.

Now Alastor on the other hand will either listen to old radio programs with you, different music and songs and such. He might even listen to newer (still pre 50s) radio shows like Buck Rogers, Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon, Lassie, Little Orphan Annie, and The Land of the Lost with them. He likes the stuff of his time sure, but honestly the radio shows only improved on the medium, unlike the trash of the newfangled hip poppy techno screeching malarkey of the modern era.

Both would sleep with them if prompted, or Vox would let them have Vark in your bed for the night if they asked. They would wait until their Little were in deep sleep to leave if they didn't ask for them to stay though.

Normal Lucifer and Mourningstar have pretty similar methods, however Mourningstar is much more concerned about his princess going nonverbal if this is the first time it's happened, what if his babygirl never speaks to him again?!

They both hold them close and sing little songs to them, either lullabies or just silly little rhymes they made up. When things were calmed down they'd ask if their Little wanted to talk now, but if not that was fine. They'd make a late night drink of hot chocolate to help further calm them down and lift their spirits. It'll be like their own little tradition.

Hot Take: but as a fanfic writer I hate the attitude that the only way to transformative engage with a work through the written media is through fanfic

People go on and on about how fanfiction gives mythology back to the masses and other really flowery pretentious things but like even before commercial IP existed, artist’s works weren’t just in response to one singular thing

Yes Paradise Lost uses Biblical figures, but honestly what it is more in conversation with than the Bible itself is with epics like the Odyssey, Aeneid, Beowulf, or even Milton’s own experience with the English Civil War. He wanted to create a modern epic for the English language and his culture specifically, the Biblical backdrop was just equivalent mythological base that those other works used

Yes the Aeneid is a commissioned sequel to an already popular work, but the most powerful connections to Homer comes through Virgil’s original characters like Dido. Rather than plop down just any already established "delaying seductress" like Calypso or Circe, he crafts a sympathetic and compelling figure that humanizes Rome's greatest enemy and gives complexity and conflict to Aeneas' fated conquest

Ppl argue for the end of copyright by saying we can get queer Harry Potter and Star Wars adaptations quicker but like why must we be so tied to fundamentally limited texts? Why cant we use those works as springboards for how we think about wizarding schools and space mystics without feeling beholdened to play in another creator's world

For example this video recounts all of New Hope purely by using footage from Lucas' influence. Yet despite this unavoidable lineage, Stars Wars is not Flash Gordon or Kurosawa fanfiction. It stands on the shoulder of giants and wears its influences on its sleave but it is able to go to incredible far off galaxies by being an original project

Transformative media is about more than just namedropping an iconic character or retelling a story from a different POV. Literature and media is always in conversation whether you want it to be or not. Dont think the only way to comment on your latest passion is to demurely play with your dolls in the creator's shadows