February is one of those months where you feel like you have to do everything. Maybe it’s tax season, maybe it’s other stuff. All that I know is, if I’m gonna do anything, I gotta do it for me.
Gutternaut Updates
Most of my time on Gutternaut wasn’t so much about posts, not new ones anyway, but updating older ones. Like Edenfrost, continuing the saga of Ukrainian Jewish refugees on the run.
But the part that takes up the most of my time is the Underrated DC Comics list. It was a long time coming but I finally managed to replace all of the out of date picture links with regular ones. Even managed to find some gems to add. It wasn’t the most fun, but at least it won’t take time and energy from people visiting those lists. After Amazon took off anything with pictures from their affiliate links, those thumbnails can really drain a device’s battery. And that was just my laptop when I was making those edits.
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And I gotta do it all over again with the Marvel, Dark Horse, and Image pages… Manga’s lucky since I didn’t get those pics from Amazon.
As for updated posts, my old April Fools posts covering other people’s adaptations done right post got more attention. Mainly because I’m a fan of Sasha of Casually Comics and her comic adaptations playlist.
New Posts
As for new posts on the website, it’s mostly reviews of Mad Cave Comics like Morning Star. Funny how these 50s period pieces relate in some way to nostalgia without indulging in them. Especially since it starts with a heartfelt opening about a family going through loss. The thrills that come later are definitely something to come back to.
Meanwhile, When The Blood Has Dried is a real wait and see kind of deal. Sure commentary about those Adventure Guilds you might see in fantasy video games is fine and well. Especially since they really aren’t in D&D like people think they are; even Baldur’s Gate knows that. Not on the regular anyway; bit of an unbuilt trope is all. That any kind of in-world shorthand for a game master are more like mercenary agencies. Problem is, I didn’t get a sense that was the case in that first issue. Just that the hero left. That’s a problem some writers have, that they think readers are supposed to know the story going into it. I’ve been there and needed laymen to shake me out of that. Otherwise, I might’ve lost any new audience’s patience.
As for any other posts, my main one is explaining how manga and webtoons became the go-to comics of most people. Why? Because it turns out that competing with scanning is way better than throwing lawyers at them.
Owning Time
I like to manage my time with subjects that interest me. Hence why I jumped onto the first opportunity I had to a lifetime subscription to Nebula. It cost me 300 dollars, but being able to watch some content creators on YouTube without the ads and the adblocker blockings is well worth it. Especially since I don’t need to pay them another penny as long as I have my gmail.
Not to mention AdBlock Plus gets rid of those stupid cookie windows that have been on too many websites lately.
The only problem is, finding something to spend my time on that doesn’t exhaust me is starting to get exhausting. So Delicious In Dungeon on Netflix was a big reliever.
As for reading material, it shifts around most days. I finally got to finish some stuff from Comixology Unlimited instead of letting them sit in my library. Both were second volumes of Martian Manhunter and The October Faction. Plus I’ve gotten into the original Milestone’s Hardware. I like how this series is more character driven than plot-driven like the modern version is. It gives Curtis Metcalf clear character development with how people around him can push him in a better direction.
As for GlobalComix, I finally got to experience the Energon Universe through Daniel Warren Johnson’s fist issues of Transformers, to feel the height and kinetic action of these robots. All the while, seeing GI Joe through Duke, a guy stuck in the moral grey areas of a world about to change for the absurd. There are definitely other ones, but the one that sticks out to me the most is Hell Inc. Mainly because I was a fan of the creator and his other works. It also helps that loading the strips on my phone doesn’t take as long.
As for other stuff, long videos that keep popping up on YouTube because I want the full scope of games like Siren 2 are best paired up with Vampire Survivors. Once you get into the rhythm of things, feeling invincible becomes no bother.
What Makes Me…Me
But more importantly, I wanted to do stuff that gets me to feel like I can get a connection to something. Maybe even others for the long run. Because my Goodreads reviews have been getting likes by some people after a long time. Apparently seeing things that a few other don’t is a very underrated skill.
But I also wanted to explore stuff that excites and gives me a new perspective on what I want out of my life. I’ve been finding that my biggest fears aren’t so much mobs or cults of civilization but scapegoating. Getting the blame for something because it’s convenient for someone else. Not even because of something like looking at someone weird, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that’s in so much of that in online discourse, I don’t want any part of it.
I found that getting through a hard days work is more fun when I fantasize about Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel crossovers. Because those characters are just so fun to think about. Especially since I really have no idea about how the copyright would work since Hazbin Hotel’s copyright explicitly said it was co-owned by A24 and Bento Box Entertainment.
Besides seeing independent creators give great performances is probably what makes my day more than worrying about little things. Hence why Port By The Sea came at the right time.
Now I gotta find the right time to watch that indie tokusatsu movie ORK.
And not the other Ork that invaded my brain, the Warhammer 40k Orks. Because honestly, when I took personality tests on how to feel the most comfortable with tabletops, I found that I align more with Space Marines, Imperium footsoldiers, Chaos Marines, and the C’tan. Laymen’s terms, the least salty Orks are what I want to be, the others are what I am. Someone who wants to be capable and do the best I can in situations I had no control over while striving for free will that feels worth it. I’ve lived my entire life needing some kind of structure; but once I actually needed to apply myself, I just couldn’t get anywhere. For a neurodivergent, a checklist keeps the pressure off; but when you’re expected to not use one, it feels like you’re a parasite to that structure.
It’s why I admire people doing what they really like doing instinctively. They have a direction to go no matter how challenging it is. It’s one reason I keep supporting Calvin Nye and Jon Proudstar with donations. It’s tough, especially when things outside of this window can slow everything down. But it sure does feel worth it when it comes out. If only supporting other things like this could be as easy.
What’s My Gut Saying For This Month?
Do the same stuff you’ve been doing for the last month. Find comics that you actually like or seem interesting enough for the long term. Like Peacemaker Tries Hard, curing my Peacemaker withdrawals with surreal absurd comedy that has a heart. But also Batman: The Adventures Continue, The Night Eaters second graphic novel, and my favorite Marvel character The Thing in Clobberin’ Time! Ebon Moss-Bachrach better do Ben Grimm right…
As for posts beyond Mad Cave… definitely something rawer and experimental in MeSseD. And maybe something about a certain war no one was asking for. Whatever doesn’t feel like it’s just more work.