I could've saved this one for Halloween -
When I was a kid, my aunt (only a few years older than me) sent me up to the attic to get a boardgame. When I opened the attic door, a plastic doll that was taller than I was fell forward on ...

these dreams
Banes at 12:00AM, June 1, 2023Character Analysis: Levana from Vampire Girl
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 27, 2023
It’s been quite a bit since I last made a character deep dive, but since I got a bit more time on my hands, here we are! Today’s Character Analysis is about Levana from Vampire Girl by Marie Kerns and J_Scarbrough!
So, first things first! Vampire Girl is ...
The Destruction of Monuments⚡
lothar at 12:00AM, May 26, 2023
Somethings that are part of the landscape can disappear overnight. Spring still arrives on time and the grass and bugs don't care. The fountains turned off to save water. The lights in the vending machine turned off to save power. And the memories of the dreams of the future ...
Orphans
Banes at 12:00AM, May 25, 2023
It never really occurred to me how many of our heroes are orphans.
Superman was the last survivor of a planet that perished. He was adopted by loving Earth parents, but he's one of the iconic orphans in fiction.
His counterpart Batman, of course, lost his parents at an ...
Panel By Panel: Our First Scavenger Hunt (The Results!)
hpkomic at 11:43AM, May 19, 2023
Hello everyone, and welcome to Panel by Panel, a periodic exploration of comic panels around The Duck. This week we are checking in with the scavenger hunt launch in the last post, where I asked you to find specific examples of a panel in your work, and we have some ...
Wrapping Up
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 13, 2023
So as some might know, my 12+ year-old webcomic Without Moonlight is about to end!
Ok well its first volume is about to end. I have probably something like 3 more volumes to go.
If I live long enough
Still though, it is basically one book done, and it does ...
My Own Private Central Valley
kawaiidaigakusei at 12:00AM, May 1, 2023
Photo: “Windmills through the Passenger Side Window”. Photo taken by me. (June 2022).
“When June came
The grasses headed out
And turned brown,
And the hills turned brown
Which was not a brown
But a gold and saffron
And red—
An indescribable color.
And from then on until the next ...
Fanservice and Nostalgia
Banes at 12:00AM, April 27, 2023
Picard Season Three hit the fan service HARD. I absolutely loved it.
The final season of Star Trek Picard is winning very good reviews from fans and critics.
Of course, in some corners there is criticism of fan service, nostalgia and ‘member berries’ being the driving force behind the season ...
Writing Overpowered Characters
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 22, 2023
One of the most frequent ways to make characters stand out in fiction or myth is to give them a staggering, amazingly powerful ability. Something that mere talent doesn't give you. Something miraculous, larger than the largest life, unique and insurmountable:
Like a dude that can part an entire ...
Creator Feuds and Hidden Messages
Banes at 12:00AM, April 20, 2023
Jon Favreau played Maz Kanada. Or Pablo Hidalgo. Or something like that
There are Easter Eggs hidden in media that might be spottable by viewers/readers, and others that the audience would never know unless they got the inside scoop from somewhere.
It's one reason I like commentaries and ...