I misunderstood the point of this ride

Ooh, I have had a week. It's been long and tiring and mostly dark and rainy to boot, and I've been singularly unproductive in spite of just having taken on some new (creative) professional responsibilities. This is about as grateful as I've been for Friday in awhile, especially since the femslashex archive opens today at 8pm EST! There are currently 179 new pieces of f/f fanfic & fanart all ready to go; I'm so excited! (My own contribution will be here, though naturally I'll do a post here as well when I may.)

I'd say things have slowed down a bit, but that's not true so much as that I've been working more on deadlines than at my own pace. Here's a small roundup of exceptions and the like ...



( Revisiting Rachel Summers. )

Oh, speaking of X-Men comics, I've also been listening avidly to Rachel and Miles X-Plain the X-Men, which does what it says on the tin in an entertaining, clever and deeply nerdy way. Highly recommended.

Meanwhile, on a more contemporary note: ( A tiny Braeden tribute. )

Last but very definitely not least, my contributions to the little fanartremixexchange! Which deserved to be bigger, so I really hope the idea catches on! ( And for extra fun, I was matched with ataratah. ;) )

Huh, I've been doing a lot of color work lately; I suppose that's good practice? I'm never fully satisfied with any of it (except sometimes the flats), though; I might make an effort to go back to more of my b&w inks for the next little while. Coming up: tw_fallharvest, teenwolf_bb, allydiareversebang, and teenwolffemslashexchange. Um. Oops?

So I almost didn't watch the current season of Teen Wolf (which might have been a wise choice) because I was so sad and frustrated about Allison Argent's death. She was my favorite character, and I was not at all happy with how she was handled in 3B; even given that Crystal Reed wanted to leave the show, she was one of the main characters and deserved a much better closing arc. So as the new season was approaching, I started daydreaming about a spin-off. I mean, we have werewolves and banshees ... why not ghosts?

It's a shame that I can't find a functional reversebang, so I can try to get someone to fic this properly ... but I'm just going to go ahead and make so much art.

( Here's a montage of 'excerpts' from the 'pilot episode.' )

And of course, there's the promotional image I posted awhile back, and ghostly embraces! ataratah even drew this lovely piece based on my original musing. I plan to do a whole bunch more "excerpt" images (although probably not another whole episode's worth). I guess I kind of needed an ongoing fandom project? :D?

Also, speaking of ataratah, here's one more piece of TW fanart based on a hilariously awesome prompt from her. ( Werewolf cabbage babies! )

Gotta dash (new temp job, whee), but before I forget - you guys REALLY SHOULD consider signing up for femslashex! It's a MULTIFANDOM FIC AND ART EXCHANGE, focused on pairings with no canonically male-identified characters! There are so many amaaaazing fandoms. :D I'm so excited! It's great that more fests are starting to include art. <3

Also, this month I'm reccing Teen Wolf over on fanart_recs, which is a great comm you should know about. I'll post a round-up here when I'm done. (Next month I'm doing Sailor Moon!)

... and then I fell into an anxiety-riddled funk and kind of disappeared (online and IRL) for awhile. /o\ But hey! I've been doing a bunch of fanart to help pull myself out of it. Have a roundup? :D?

( Sailor Moon/Killjoys fusion (like a neon pink raygun to the face) ) Also, CHECK OUT the gorgeous Teen Wolf/Lost Girl fusion art that ataratah drew for our exchange! <3 <3 <3

( Teen Ghost: the Teen Wolf spinoff that exists only in my head )

( Quickie illo for thingswithwings's America Chavez/Kamala Khan fic )

( Scribbly little Teen Wolf & Pretty Little Liars doodles )

Aaand last but not least, here are two more pieces for my birthday female characters doodle fest: the Queen and the Soldier (Serenity/Pluto) and Utena's birthday present. I know it's been months, but I'm still carrying the remaining prompts around, so you never know when more might pop up. :)

I can't believe there hasn't been any MCU fanart in all of this. I should fix that. Although I do kind of have (original) porn to be drawing, too.

At some point I really need to check around and see if there are any exciting bigbangs or reversebangs I want to participate in. I miss doing fic illustration so much ...

Hey guys, you should leave me some prompts to doodle from for my little informal female characters fest! I encourage making things too, but give me something to do, yeah? ;)

This one’s not a doodle, but ... I’ve been meaning to draw it since early on in Teen Wolf season 3(a), and after this week in television, I needed something really ridiculous and fun. Plus, the theme song for the new Sailor Moon anime has been going around, and I am exciiited.



More appropriate tribute art later, I suspect, but I enjoyed this way too much. ;)

There will be time for life updates later, but for now ... have some relatively quick TV fanart drawn as warm-ups/procrastination on my real work.

I enjoyed last week’s episode of Teen Wolf, possibly because of the blessed absence of all the various characters from season 3A that I could never really care about (although of course the alpha twins will be back tonight, bah). The nightmare-within-a-nightmare thing was overdone, sure, but there was some good character stuff. I love the parents being in the know now ... seriously, could we maybe have the Melissa McCall and Sheriff Stilinski show? That would be a fresh take on all the teen supernatural business, to have it through the parents’ perspective. Yes please.

And there was even some silly stuff! Like the introduction of Kira and her father. I had the irresistible image of a show where the Nemeton, contrary to everyone’s expectations, did not turn out to be a magnet for evil killer beasties, just ... regular folks, albeit not quite folks, who start moving into the neighborhood. The creature from the black lagoon next door; the mermaid in your Geometry class (wheeling herself around, Lori Lemaris-style). Conflicts that would be more at home in a sitcom than a horror movie!

( You know; a supernatural beacon for supernatural creatures. )

I’m sure we’ll get our usual serving of grimdark instead. So glad I have some reliably fantastic shows as well ... I really haven’t seen nearly enough meta about Elementary 3.13 yet! I had a ( predictable reaction )

Well, there are other things I should be drawing, probably. Hope everyone’s weathering this bizarre winter well (if you’re in this hemisphere)! <3

On the train back to Vermont ... probably for the last time, as a resident anyway. :) I had two fairly good interviews during my trip; really hoping they pay off. The end of July looks awfully close, now.

It's been a busy few days, but whee, I got my ( Kink Bingo card! )

Meanwhile, I am feeling pretty frustrated with Teen Wolf right now. My expectations for the show aren't what you'd call high (and that's okay, most of the time I'm happy to be taken for the ride of ridiculousness, that's what it's for!), but this season is in desperate need of a little less action and a little more character development time. SIGH.

Well, whatever. Life is pretty great! I will be moving soon, I am making all the comics and porny artwork in the meantime, and I attended the most wonderful wedding this weekend. People were comparing bluestalking and feverbeats's wedding to a con, and that was pretty apt; it was full of giddy, joyous fans. Also umbrella dances, and two people who love each other SO MUCH that it's just palpable. Best. <3333

So I don't think I've actually mentioned this here (somehow), but I am in the midst of job search times right now. The clock's ticking, and I need to come down from my mountain and try and have a post-grad-school life (i.e. pay off loans). And I got my first interview request today! For a position I'm really kind of into! Fingers crossed? I haven't done this properly since, oh, 2007.

I don't even know what to say about last night's episode of Teen Wolf, really; gonna watch it again tonight with chaiminda and see if I can straighten my head out a bit. And perhaps finish the hilariously fluffy Allison/Lydia art I found myself drawing. (I meant to go for intense and bloody, but I guess I was in a mood? Although after mainlining an entire season of Pretty Little Liars, I'm not sure WHY. I suppose the lesbians on that show are pretty adorable.)

It's generally looking like the kind of week where I want to draw everything at once, but seeing as I should be getting the script for my first paid freelance project today(!), I may have to reign that in.

Happy Tuesday! How's everyone doing? <3 Oh hey, kink_bingo has started ramping up for the new round; lots of interesting meta and goodies getting posted! And meanwhile I'm in a fandom where actors (who are twins) are actively and pre-emptively making twincest jokes in public. Whyyy.

Gaaaaah. It's ninety-plus degrees out, humid and sunny, and the air conditioning in this old building (the school, where I'm working 'til I find more gainful employment) is kaput. I feel like I've been put on a slow broil, here.

Here are some current fandom-related articles I've been reading lately, since I'm too fried to try and provide much in the way of my own content right now!

The Truth Of Wolves, Or: The Alpha Problem - written with urban fantasy fiction (mostly novels, I think) in mind, but interesting to reflect on with regard to Teen Wolf and TW fic. I was talking about the whole intensely stratified Alpha/Omega 'verse thing with a fannish friend a few weeks ago ... something I haven't exactly been surprised to see proliferating in TW fandom? But I was surprised to hear that she's been seeing it in other places (like hockey RPF, apparently?), and even being used separately from anything related to (were)wolves. IDK. It reminds me of how fascinating I found the concept of Recognition in ElfQuest (if anyone besides were_duck and myself have read that) as a kid, only to grow up and be kind of disturbed by the whole 'biological imperative" thing.

The Mary Sue's Star Trek: Into Darkness review - WARNING: not squeeful. A rather good, articulate analysis of the same problems I was having with the film.

Elementary, My Dear Joan Watson: An Egalitarian Sherlock? - a bit of a love-fest for Elementary and Joan Watson, cosigned 100%. I was trying to convince a non-fannish classmate of the show's amazingness some time back, and he was very dubious, citing less-than-gripping mysteries. Which I would only sometimes argue, but as s.e. smith writes, "On Elementary, the real case study is in human beings, not in criminology." Fantastic (platonic!) relationship dynamics FOR THE WIN.

Watsons, Hudsons, and Invisible Labour - a fantastic post by thingswithwings that does a beautiful job of articulating my thoughts on various Watson portrayals (and the reason why I always, always prefer the active, smart Watsons, and find Joan to be the most rewarding of all) ... and makes some really excellent point about the way Hudsons are and aren't (generally the latter) valued in Holmes adaptations. (I agree: I really hope we see MUCH more of Elementary's fantastic Ms. Hudson next season!) All outlining a point about decentralizing and reversing the worshipful, exceptionalist white dude genius centric narrative that I often find so troubling (even though I love Holmes, and so much of Holmes--canon and adaptation--is all about that).

Oh god, okay. Almost time to go. Tonight I am taking the excuse to go hole up in a movie theater and watch the story of another troubled white dude genius ... and his robotic armor. :p Finally.

Oh jeez, I am having such a crazy morning, you guys. We have a huge deadline next week, so I've been pretty hunkered down, but there's this Halloween decoration painting party tonight, and I've just realized that I have to run it single-handedly. (My boss slipped a disc and my coworker's leaving early for a family wedding.) Ahahahaaa. Thank god I'm actually in really good shape for said deadline, and I managed to scrape a much-needed night out. (Complete with the most swoonworthy alum buying me a drink and kissing my hand. She was kidding around, but you know, nice.) I have a lot of energy right now.

Anyway hi! I haven't had much time to think about fandom lately, shocker. Although I keep right on listening to deeply fanon-y Teen Wolf podfic while I'm working. (I want all the pack dynamics, so that's good, but I really crave fic that shows us how they got there from the interpersonal mess they are in the show.) And lately a few things have been filtering through; I might have to try and celebrate my deadline with fanart!

I'm sure everyone in bandom has already seen this by now, but this interview with Gerard, Shaun Simon and Becky Cloonan from New York City Comicon last weekend fills me with glee. The Killjoys comic, finally. I'm not going to lie, I'm at least as excited for this as for the "new" music. Gerard and Becky are such a dream team, and I love the Killjoysverse so much; I'm absurdly excited to get more story.

Also, I've been marathoning Warehouse 13 all week, and wondering why on earth I didn't get to it sooner. It has some definite issues, but some fantastic characters (I love Claudia so much, especially), and um, hello, femslash. I have such a ridiculous crush on H.G. Wells, and I really hope there's fic ... although honestly, it's so blatant that I'm getting a little frustrated that they haven't just paired them up in canon. (Unless that happens in the current season, which I'm not caught up on yet.)

Well, I should stop babbling, finish my work shift, and try and offer some comfort to the twenty-year-old classmate who is moping around in my office about her first unrequited crush. (Alas.) How are you all? I miss you!

Okay, so it's Monday ... and it's Teen Wolf finale day, only I won't get to watch until tomorrow night. (Which probably means staying as away from the internet as I can mange for all the time in between!) Tension! Suspense! STIIIIIIIIILES! Here, have some extremely silly cracked-out fanart, courtesy of a prompt from ataratah.

( Jinkies! )

Well, anyway, it feels good to be doing that again, even if I need to slow it down and go focus much harder on my other work, like, immediately.

In non-Teen Wolf news, this Britta vid is perfect and choked me the fuck up. Whee, VVC premieres, I can't wait to watch more. And ... that's about it, really. Life recently has included a sprained ankle, greater levels of financial competence, hanging out with someone very attractive in a sadly platonic fashion, drawing comics even smaller than usual (somewhere back in Somerville my friend A.W. is self-righteously annoyed and does not know why) and my little brother being home from France after almost a year. So all in all, pretty great. But mostly, werewolves.