The villain is a counter balance to the protagonist and it is their role to push the protagonist into action and, with any luck, do it in an entertaining way. If there is one type of character that knows how to hold an audience’s attention is a villain you ...
A face you love to hate
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Jan. 22, 2021Everyday Joes and the Best of the Best
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 21, 2021
Everyday Joes and the Best of the Best
Star Wars and Star Trek are long-running siblings in science fiction pop culture. I don't know if there's really a “rivalry” between the two; SW has always been more popular I think, and the two are very different.
One big ...
Giftwrapped Toxicity
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Jan. 16, 2021
There is a gripe that I have when it comes to romance. It might be the reason I don't really like reading romance as a genre, and while I am aware that not all works in the romance genre are like this, there are too many for me to ...
How to Retcon
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 12, 2020
Retconning has a bad reputation.
Usually because it's done in big IPs and franchises when writers change and decide to drastically alter the development of a plotline, and do it by changing established canon about the characters or the history of the setting. Usually it's sloppily done, dealt ...
Danko's Flaming Heart
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Dec. 5, 2020
I couldn't have been older than 11 when I read The Flaming Heart of Danko by Maxim Gorky. And boy, did it cut me with the finest of fine glass. Even now thinking about the short story hurts somewhere deep in my soul.
And yet, I love it so ...
Romanticising Something Terrible
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Oct. 24, 2020
Who doesn't love pirates?
Kids love to dress up as them in Halloween or during carnival season. There was whole a whole era of Hollywood where pirate movies were the blockbuster vein of gold. Pirates in fiction are charming, fun, dastardly, and the epitome of adventure.
Pirates in real ...
Horror in Pieces
Banes at 12:00AM, Oct. 1, 2020
Now that's a little TOO scary!
Horror is perfect for metaphor and allegory. In fact, a horror story is often allegorical by default, what with its bizarre landscapes and freaky beasties.
Here are some categories of horror and some thoughts on what they symbolize:
Reality Bites
psycho killer! Qu ...
Cultural Significance
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, Sept. 26, 2020
So the other day I watched a very interesting video about the new Mulan movie. It was by a Chinese person, explaining why several things were done in a way that is inherently alien to the Chinese culture.
I also recall that the original Mulan was not a hit in ...
You
Banes at 12:00AM, Sept. 24, 2020
They talk about ‘writing what you know’ and we've talked about it around here, too.
Does that mean the characters you write and draw have to match all the surface details of your identity, sharing your gender, race, and hobbies?
Of course not.
The characters and stories you create ...
The Non-Arc Arc
Banes at 12:00AM, Sept. 10, 2020
I have been a fan of the writer Peter David for many years. After being away from comics for some years, I discovered his run on the Hulk, and also found his work on the Star Trek novels. He was the best writer for those, for my taste anyway. There ...