I misunderstood the point of this ride

I've been in bandom for almost three years now, but I'm still occasionally taken by surprise when that whole 'overinvestment in celebrities' lives' thing rears its head. And yet here I am, reeling sadly over Pete/Ashlee divorce proceedings. Real life, IDEK. :(

It's a little odd that I was already working on a bunch of FOB-related art for the first time in ages. I have a larger Killjoys!AU piece to finish at some point, but in the meantime, jjtaylor requested some Patrick art, and this happened:



I couldn't resist the reference to his opening comments on "Love Selfish Love," though I'm not sure this is even quite in character for the whole BL/ind concept I was going for. Also? My first attempt at drawing him (in an approximation of his current look) wound up looking an awful lot like David Bowie (whose likeness I have struggled with, off and on, for years). I'm sure he'd be pleased.

In other fandom news, I received my white_lotus gift yesterday; it's another amazing vid, full of gorgeous swoopy motion shots and heart-catching character moments. CAST OF MY HEART, basically. ♥ I appreciate my mystery vidder very much.

I've been back to not having time for much fic, the last week or two (although I've torn through three volumes of The Invisibles on the bus; I'm liking it more and more as I go on); however, after last night's White Collar, I find myself really craving some OT3 kinkfic. I don't suppose anyone has any recs? ;)

Thank fucking goodness it’s a three-day weekend. I may, at times, have wondered if I was blowing this time of year out of proportion a bit, but really, not so much. Once again, I’m grateful that the windows on my floor don’t open – defenestration of particularly uncooperative faculty members does get a bit tempting now and then. (Seven more months ... and only three more weeks of Admissions season. I'll just keep daydreaming about dyeing my hair outrageous colors the second I can do that again, and maybe other things too.)

It’s just as well that bandom has eaten my brain again, really; it’s a pretty great distraction. A few days ago, I randomly dreamed that Greta Salpeter asked me out on a date and we cuddled in the middle of a big, sunny field (there was some sort of festival setting up nearby). My subconscious isn’t usually so fluffy, but it was nice. Of course, it’s probably only a matter of time before all the Grant Morrison-related ephemera I’ve been consuming catches up to me. (I watched the Disinfo speech a few days ago. I don’t even know, nor am I sure I want to. I do want to finally get back to reading The Invisibles, though.)

Seriously, how did this even happen? Fandom in comics and comics in fandom … I’ve watched the Talking With Gods documentary twice in the last week, so I suppose fanart is only a matter of time, really. Particularly since I seem to have made illustrating jjtaylor my fannish occupation of late.

Speaking of which! It was her birthday yesterday, a fact which helped me decide which scene from “The Detective’s Secret” I’d play with next. (I have a longish list.) Hope you like it, bb; happy belated! ♥

( Not going into the pool. )

It occurred to me recently that I miss using this space for conversation, rather than just as a slightly talky gallery. I’ve seriously gotten out of the habit of commenting and communicating on DW/LJ, and I’m finding getting back into it something of a challenge. Definitely want to do better on that.

In a slightly more interactive vein (and to prove that I do in fact have other fandoms still): there’s an interest-gauging poll going on for trekreversebang right now! That’s the reverse Star Trek bigbang where ficcers sign up to write stories based on fanart; an awesome idea that I’d love to see spread around a bit more. You guys should check it out.

Before I go work on my actual minicomic for awhile, one more thing I have to share: the spectacle of Pete Wentz interviewing himself. I still love his stupid face.

I've been buzzing around trying to make a few more art deadlines for next week (fan & original), but I did take the time to whip something up for theopteryx's Killjoy Art Meme. You should definitely check it out, and perhaps join in - theopteryx has thoughtfully provided a raygun template for decorating, if you don't feel like designing a whole Killjoy. Here's ( my Mary Sue contribution )

I enjoy the creative philosophy of this new MCR album so much. It feels absolutely perfect for where I am in my life right now (and so did TBP when I discovered it, though I was several years late on that one - funny thing).

I enjoy ... pretty much everything ELSE about it, too. I'm not sure I could nail down favorite songs, really, but "Vampire Money" is certainly up there. Also "Planetary (GO!)" and "Bulletproof Heart" for sure ... really, the only track I'm not completely in love with is "Summertime" (I like the New Wave style all right, but the lyrics aren't really clicking with me, IDK). I'm psyched to see them play some of it live (in a week already, yikes)! Anyone else going to the New York show with Gaslight Anthem? (Apart from the people I already know about, of course - you know who you are. ♥)

On another fannish note, I see that the white_lotus comm has opened Lunar New Year Exchange sign-ups. Okay, SERIOUSLY, guys ... there needs to be so much more Avatar: The Last Airbender fanwork around here. I rewatched the third season over the course of last week, and goddamn, that show. My heart. (This was only the second time I've watched the finale, and damn, Zuko and Iroh made me cry.)

I desperately want more fic, but if you don't write (like me), you can still participate! They're taking "fic, vids, art, icons, crafts, and (potentially) other stuff," which is deeply awesome; plus, the deadline isn't until the end of January! Of course, sign-ups do end this Monday already, so GET ON THAT. (The comm is on dreamwidth, but you don't need to have an account!)

I should probably get back to family times now, whoops. I'm so disoriented, after spending most of my fall in an art cave; the holiday season has never crept up on me this badly before.

Oh um, hi internet! /o\ I am kind of swamped these days. I've taken on a number of original comics projects for the summer (not to mention my grad school application). So it looks like I'm just going to have even less time for fandom stuff than usual. (Although, I say this five days before Leverage comes back, so IDK. Grain of salt.)

That said, the fabulous bandombigbang story I drew for has gone live! Only Going One Way, by ataratah and jjtaylor, is a BANDOM/DUE SOUTH CROSSOVER. Yeah. :DDD It is fucking hilarious and cracked-out and amazing, and you should totally go check it out! Not only is the main pairing adorable, but these two have a real gift for writing great secondary characters as well - in both fandoms. (Buck Frobisher, omg. :DDD)

You can see my four illustrations on LJ or on DW. How could I possibly pass up the chance to draw Gerard Way in a Mountie uniform? I had so much fun with this, seriously. It was particularly appropriate, since I started working on it during the drive to/from Canada for my brother's graduation.

Of course, now I've done fanart of Fraser and Kowalski, but not Vecchio ... which means that at some point, I'll have to make time to rectify that. ;)

On a less gleeful note, you've probably all heard about the most recent, sickening bit of fandom racefail by now? But here's a rather belated signal boost, just in case, because I think it's important to be aware of shit like this. (Link goes to the most comprehensive round-up post of the debacle, by amazonziti.) In a nutshell: a SPN fan decided that the tragic (and ongoing) aftermath of the Haiti earthquake would make a great backdrop for her two white dudes to ~find themselves and have hot sex, piling on plenty of painful racist and imperialistic tropes along the way. Her betas, artist, cheerleaders, and quite a few commenters apparently agreed. Eurgh.

I'm sorry for both being so late and so brief on the matter ... I may try and get a post together later about some different instances of pop culture/fannish fail I've been encountering lately (much of it about race). I hope.

theopteryx has been running a highly enjoyable art meme, so I pretty much couldn't resist making a contribution. :D

( a Black Parade Mary Sue )

Anyway, there are kickass, super creative contributions throughout the comments on the meme post, so you should really go check them all out. ♥

At some point soon I have to poll you folks about your journaling habits, as I still have to make some choices about what I'm doing with all this. (Crossposting test, check!) Meanwhile, though, I am all sleepy (I was up stupidly late having this rambling discussion about the British Empire and philosophy and gods know what else with my roomie last night). I have to try and whip a stir-fry together, and maybe watch some more Star Trek (Original Series). Taking my mom to the movie for Mother's Day, wheee.

So yeah, the Desolation Row video. Holy fuck, I don't know if I've ever found them all so collectively attractive before. *_* I hope there is all kinds of fic in the works; I want long, plotty AUs and kinky PWPs and everything in between!

(Also, just, Gerard's enthusiasm is infectious. I am getting myself a copy of Watchmen to reread tomorrow.)

I was messing around with ideas for fanart on the way home from work today, so while sitting around watching BSG I started trying to work out Gerard's outfit, and then I wound up idly inking it during the West Wing. Since I was concentrating on the clothes rather than the person . . . he looks like he'd like to EAT you, but his arms are stuck awkwardly down at his sides. :p ( Ack. )

I'm not very good at the fast art; I love love love his crazyfaces (guh), but that's . . . well. I'll do something better with it. *g* After I finish the other stuff I'm working on.

Must crash now, feel almost as zombieish as my drawing looks.

Hey, so, I'm home. My laptop's still squirreled away in a drawer at the office, but one of my roomies was nice enough to lend me his.

The trip was pretty fabulous, and I'll have photos and stories later if everyone wants. I have to catch up on holiday exchange comments (and responses), various posted things, ninety kajillion yuletide fic, etc . . . and work is likely to descend into madness almost immediately (I'm back tomorrow). So I should probably go to bed, but first!

Holiday exchanges were lovely this year, though I was sad to be away for much of the posting & anonymity. Now that the reveals are all done, however, I figured I'd share.

For go_exchange, ( the holidays with Newt and Anathema. )

For yuletart, ( Pete goes down on his knees for Patrick. )

For yuletide, I wrote a little story based on the comic series Hopeless Savages, which is far and away the most obscure fandom I've tried yet. any taste that you feel is right describes a day in which young Twitch Strummer Hopeless-Savage feels a little off-balance, but the usual familial antics help to put things right. I'm a little shaky on this one, it feels like . . . it could have been longer? Or possibly just worked better as a comic. Prose is kind of awkward and difficult for me these days. Need to work on that.

I also received some lovely gifts. :) From mandyvonblandy, a cute little Good Omens comic in which Crowley's Christmas card upsets Aziraphale's sense of propriety. From derawr, a classic (flying) moonlight kiss, starring Karolina & Nico from Runaways. And from hikaru, Nothing Is Innocent Now, a sensual coda to Sarah Waters' Fingersmith. Much appreciated. ♥

I've been trying not to crash for hours, but I really should go do that already. I hope you guys enjoy the art. Happy New Year, I missed you all!

This . . . is a piece of fanart for auburnnothenna and monanotlisa's fantastic (continuing) SgA AU, Ardhanarishvara. (If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? It's fucking fantastic.) It's not of any particular scene, just two of the (altered) characters.

( John and Ronon. )

I should do more black and white stuff. I've been forgetting how much I love it, even better than computer color, really.