Too School for Cool

Adult. Canadian. Actually not very cranky at all. Not much of a lime, either.

[crankylime]

The Giants Meet the Dwarfs

Jupiter and the other outer planets visit some of the dwarf planets in an attempt to make them feel more included in the Solar System!

I wanted to make a comic focusing on more unity in the Solar System since everyone is getting split up in the actual series right now and it's super depressing, haha.

[crankylime]

Wait a Sec...

We all know Guillermo, right?

But what about these guys? The SolarBalls Wiki just calls them "Painted Asteroids," which is hilariously vague but...accurate, I guess.

Do they have names, too? Are they also friends of Neptune? Are they Guillermo siblings? Guillermo prototypes?

Was Neptune out there Frankenstein-ing it out with asteroids and paint until one iteration achieved "sentience" (or whatever Guillermo has) and these are the discarded remains of failed experiments?

I must know their story.

[crankylime]

Hey do you know what you're going to do for Libra in your zodiac series? It's the only sign that's an inanimate object and I was wondering how that would work with how you're transforming the planets into the signs.

Thanks for the ask, Anon!

As of right now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Libra. Actually, all the Air signs are troublemakers so far, haha.

I think I've got an idea for Gemini that's...maybe not necessarily clever, but not as basic as it could be. It involves space stuff, which is appropriate I guess!

Aquarius is probably the easiest conceptually of the Air signs, but there are a lot of different ways to represent "water bearer" so I'm trying to figure out which representation I want. Also, I'll have to draw water and I'm not looking forward to that, haha.

But yeah, other than having Libra's ruling planet hold a scale OR putting the ruling planet on a GIANT scale, I haven't come up with a cool Libra idea yet. Hopefully I'll think of something!

[crankylime]

"In the Interim" - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of "In the Interim" is up for anyone who wants some more UraX fun.

Also, happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

[crankylime]

This might seem like a strange idea that wouldn't make sense to anyone but me, a Neptune and ceres comic. They're honestly some of my favorite characters and I think they are both different ends of what isolation can do to you, ceres went insane and neptune just turned odd but at the same time I can see some similarities as both of them are what each other could have been if they went down a different path of handling isolation.

Thank you for the ask!

Oooh, I like it! That's an interaction I haven't thought of. There are so many different directions it could go, too. I'll put it on my list of ideas future comics if you'd like! :D

[Also, if I use someone else's idea/prompt for a comic, I like to credit them! I can credit you as "Anon" or you can let me know who you are if you're comfortable doing so!]

[crankylime]

Do you actually like limes?

They're certainly better than lemons. Those guys are a bunch of jerks!

[crankylime]

Let's Talk About Saturn

There's been a lot of discussion recently about Jupiter due to all the stuff with the Rogue Kingdom and his guilt over the survivors of the Grand Tack. Which has been great; I love Jupes and it's interesting to see everyone's take on his actions and feelings during this big arc!

But I want to talk about Saturn for a bit.

Very mild spoilers for the newest episode below.

[Also, this is kinda long, sorry. I am incapapble of shutting up.]

Just to get the two small episode-specific items out of the way first:

I love Saturn standing up for Jupiter (or at least trying to). I've got more on this below, but his "nobody speaks to Jupiter like that while I'm--" is both so in character (he cares so much for Jupes) and out of character (he doesn't raise his voice much if ever) that it's very impactful. Look at Jupiter's reaction to it; even he's surprised.

"I'll miss you...so much." JEEZ, RIP MY HEART OUT AND STOMP ON IT WHY DON'T YOU. I'm a Patreon member so I saw this episode last week and I can't get that line and its delivery out of my head.

Edit: they left in the brief second when Jupiter’s eyes turned white again after making his decision. I thought that was an animation error in the Patreon version, but maybe not. And if not, interesting…

Anyway...

Saturn is one of my favorite characters. He's my second favorite character, actually, after Uranus. I know a lot of people complain that he is underutilized; to an extent, I agree. But maybe he's not as underutilized as we may think.

I have a lot I can say about Saturn, but I tried to focus on aspects of his personality, relationships, and character progression that relate mainly to his overall "use" in the progression of SolarBalls' stories and arcs. Think of this as just a superficial little romp through some of the things I find most important and intriguing about him within the context of "how does Saturn relate to the plot?"

SolarBalls and the Character Arc

SolarBalls has a distinct approach to character arcs. I think they've tried to give most of the main characters (and by that I mean the planets and several of the major moons) arcs, but it's clear that some characters' arcs are seen as more important than others. Like, even amongst the planets themselves, some are considered more central characters than others. Main main characters, let's call them.

This makes sense, I guess, to a degree. Having eight big main characters is a lot for a series like this (one with lots of characters and a huge variety of directions of focus) presented in its medium (short-ish animation). Also, in terms of "science," some of celestial objects have bigger roles in shaping what our Solar System is than others just by virtue of their size, placement, and composition, so giving them more focus is logical.

Earth, for example. It'd be weird if Earth wasn't a main character in this show, right? You could probably argue the same thing for the Sun and Jupiter. The big dudes have had a huge influence on shaping the Solar System. These three having big character arcs makes sense.

But at the same time, it seems weird to me that Mars has had basically zero focus or character development, especially looking at things through that "science" lens. Mars is probably the planet we're most interested in science-wise, but so far he's really just been relegated to the "main character's best friend" role. Absolutely no hate to Mars. He’s great, which is why I want to see more of him! Venus, too. Another planet with an interesting history, science-wise (and our second closest neighbor) and we've not gotten too much on him. He's had more character exploration and character development than Mars has, but a good amount of that was via the Theia arc.

Venus and Uranus, I think, are good examples of how SolarBalls treats what I consider their "secondary" main characters. They've gotten their own arcs - kinda - but their arcs have not had the same degree of focus as the arcs of the Earth, Jupiter, the Sun, Proto/Theia and even Ganymede. Their arcs were like little subplots within larger character arcs and were used mainly to advance these larger arcs. Venus was used to advance Theia's arc by (eventually) pushing the Theia/Proto relationship (do they even have a ship name?). Uranus was used to advance the Earth's arc, Jupiter's arc, and the Sun's arc (Uranus leaves the Solar System -> Jupiter breaks his "I'm not breaking the rules" rule to try to bring Uranus back -> Earth follows Jupiter and ends up in the Kuiper Belt -> all the planets return but their absences set the Sun off and kicked off the newest arc).

[Edit: heh, perhaps one could say that Uranus actually has had the biggest role in progressing SolarBalls' story since the end of the Planet X arc, as his actions set everything after that into motion, much like how people always say that Neptune kicked off the Moon Revolution by asking about rings. Too bad Uranus himself still got cheated out of getting any real focus and/or satisfying resolution...yes, I will forever be bitter about that.]

The tl;dr: there are SolarBalls' main characters and then there are its Main Characters. The latter's arcs take precedence over the former's, which kinda sucks but also kinda makes some sense.

Saturn's Role Thus Far: The Catalyst

So what does all this have to do with Saturn? Saturn's an interesting character because right now, I don't think he really falls into any of the above categories. He's not one of the main main characters (like Earth, Jupes, or the Sun), but he doesn't really fit into the "secondary main character" role either (Venus, Uranus, maybe Pluto and Triton, too?) since he has yet to have an arc of his own. But also, he's not quite on Mars' level, either, as he's played a bigger role in certain things than Mars has.

He's kind of on his own level character-wise.

A big part of this is his personality. He's so kind and so sweet and so...subdued. I absolutely adore Saturn's personality, but it doesn't lend itself to a major main character role the same way Earth's (previously) arrogant personality did or Ganymede's (mostly previously but still present) desire to be seen as a leader and the "Jupiter of the moons" does. Saturn obviously plays a role in things, but it's more of a catalyst role than an ongoing active role.

Example: he reacts with guilt and the desire for forgiveness when he learns about how his rings were formed. This leads to him talking to his moons, which helped to set off the Moon Revolution. But in terms of this revolution itself, Saturn played basically no role. He essentially was absent for that whole thing. Like Mimas said when he and the other moons reunited with Saturn after the revolution, "is he aware all the moons rallied up against the planets?" It's like...he produces consequences, but he doesn't play a big role in their resolutions.

Another big part is his relationship with Jupiter. I think this relationship automatically pushes him out of one of the main main roles, as he's sort of stuck being seen as the sidekick/best friend/partner of a major main character. But we can't discount Saturn's role in shaping how things have panned out plot-wise because of this relationship with Jupiter.

Examples:

Saturn was the driving reason behind the Grand Tack. Jupiter wanted to be with him, and Saturn didn't deter Jupiter from making the move so they could be closer together (despite X's warnings). This obviously had a lot of consequences.

Saturn discouraged Jupiter from trying to go get X back after expelling him. I don't know if Jupiter really would have gone after X, but Saturn reasoned with him and talked him down by emphasizing that leaving would probably cause even more destruction.

Saturn was the one who pushed the "our penance for the Grand Tack is to try to keep things stable" reasoning to Jupiter in the first place, too. "We make things right from now on," he said. I don't know how Jupiter would have handled the guilt from the Grand Tack/expulsion of X had Saturn not been there to ground him.

And it's all the same sort of thing: Saturn is obviously playing a role in things, but it's more of a catalyst role. He's like, "here, let me influence your actions for a second...and now my work is done here, bye."

Also related to this is how many times Saturn's stood up for Jupiter (or tried to stand up for him but got silenced in some way or another). He outright lied to the Sun for Jupiter after the Grand Tack. He advocated for him during the "planets ordered by size" episodes. He tried twice to confess his role in X's expulsion as a way to show that it wasn't entirely Jupiter's sole doing, but Jupiter silenced him both times. In the most recent episode, he stood up to SIMP and the other Rogues over their treatment of Jupiter (before becoming too frightened to continue...but everyone else was frightened by that point, too). There's so much potential for Saturn just in the way he is always trying to defend Jupiter. And, of course, in the way he's always trying to get Jupiter to open up to him and talk about his feelings, too.

What's Next for Saturn: Action?

Basically, all the above rambling comes down to this: despite not getting a major focus or even a minor arc of his own yet, Saturn has had a huge influence on things. This puts him in a unique place in the series, I think.

Specifically, it feels like there's been something building for Saturn for a while. While he hasn't had the spotlight, there have been hints that something big is going to happen with him and the focus is finally going to be on him specifically. There are a lot of possible avenues of character development - his relationship with Jupiter, his role in the Grand Tack/expulsion of X that has yet to be revealed to the Sun, what he knows/doesn't know about his rings, his memory issues in general - and we're just waiting to see which avenue we go down to give him the attention his character so desperately deserves.

Perhaps it will be the separation (or threat of separation) from Jupiter that pushes him towards something. Perhaps an off-hand mention of something about his rings from one of his moons or one of the Rogues will set off the Chrysalis arc (if there is going to be one). Perhaps he'll get his chance to actually stand up for Jupiter instead of being talked over or frightened into silence. Perhaps he'll eventually have to atone for his role in the Grand Tack and X's expulsion.

I dunno. I'm writing this now because my heart was just breaking for him in this most recent episode and so I had to express my Saturn feels. Also, it really seems like there's been a big tonal shift in how Saturn's character has been treated during the last several episodes; I'm hoping it's all just building up to a much-needed Saturn-centric arc. He's had such a big but understated role in the series; let's please give him some actual focus!

[crankylime]

Origami for Europa

Ganymede wants to make some origami flowers for Europa, but runs into some difficulties.

This comic is a little silly, but we need more of the Galilean moons being nice to each other.

Also, I know I have Uranus giving art supplies and/or art advice in like every other one of these comics, but I like to think that being helpful with his art and art supplies would make him super happy, so I'm going to keep doing it, haha.

[crankylime]

I didn't expect to find you in this app LMAOAOAOAO I've seen your comics on TikTok and I followed you ✌️

Hahaha, yup, I'm here on Tumblr, too! The same set of comics that are on TikTok are here, but Tumblr also has all my SolarBalls-related ramblings. 😁 Thank you for the follow!

[crankylime]

Have you done a uranus and earth comic?

Thanks for the ask, Anon! I...don't think I have?

*checks*

Nope, I have not! I'd be happy to, though, if you or anyone else would like to see them interact!

[crankylime]

What's the most aesthetically pleasing ship name in the fandom?

Spoken, I'd say Trillisto. It trips off the tongue nicely.

Written, I like UraX. I know it looks like the name of a cleaning product but I like the capital-lower-lower-capital look. I kinda like Marth, too. It's like a little visual punch.

[crankylime]

I hope you're aware of the number of Saturnus shippers your newest comic has created on Tiktok lol 😂😂

Hahahaha, I have no idea what's going on over there! I was not expecting such a huge response to that comic.

Like, I didn't explicitly try to push Saturnus in it, but my love of that ship must have shown through underneath with all the subtlety of a brick being thrown through a window.

I'm 100% cool with people reading it that way, obviously, but I just was not expecting so many comments about it.

At least the vast majority of said comments are positive.

TikTok is a strange place. XD

[crankylime]

The Thing About Rings Is...

Saturn is feeling self-conscious about the inevitable loss of his rings. Uranus tries to help.

I still believe that Uranus is incredibly kind and caring (here's my post on the evidence for this) even if the actual show doesn't necessarily highlight that. So even though he's envious of Saturn's rings, he doesn't like to see Saturn upset and does his best to help.

These two have a lot more to talk about than just Saturn's rings, but for the sake of fitting this conversation into 30 images, rings had to be the sole focus.

[crankylime]

Random Thought!

It feels like it's kinda implied in one of the early episodes that the existence of The Dark Side of the Moon as a distinct personality/entity from Luna is due to Luna being tidally locked with Earth. At least, that's my interpretation of it.

If that's the case, then would this mean that all the other moons that are tidally locked with their planets have "dark side" entities as well? If so, then all the spherical moons and some of the little guys (e.g., Proteus, Phobos, Deimos, Metis, and a few others) would have them.

That would have some fun implications. Do the Dark Sides have the ability to govern the movement of their whole moon like the Light Sides do? Do they all gather and get into shenanigans while their Light Side counterparts sleep? Or maybe they're all really chill and just like sit together and read when it's their time to be in charge. Do they argue with their Light Sides like Luna and DSotM do sometimes? Are their personalities opposite of their Light Sides?

Interesting comic idea, maybe...

Edit: hahaha, this NASA animation of Pluto and his moons:

Spin, Hydra, SPIN!

[crankylime]

Zodiac Series: Taurus

It's time for the second installment of the zodiac series! Here is Venus representing the bull of the second zodiac sign, Taurus!

I figured I'd do Taurus next since we're technically still in Taurus as of right now (at least in my time zone).

I originally wanted that back horn to be behind the little circle thingy, but it cut it off at a weird angle, so I kept it in front, haha.

Also, to explain the background/text colors: these colors are going to relate to the element of the zodiac sign. Water signs get blue (like Pisces did), Earth signs get green, Fire signs get red, and Air signs get...purple, maybe? Purple's a good color.

Any Bulls out there? I think there's at least one of you... 😊

[crankylime]

"In the Interim" - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of "In the Interim" is posted for anyone who is interested. :)

[crankylime]

Unrest in The Small Moon Club

Phobos' and Deimos' idea of starting a club for just the non-spherical moons starts to fall apart as they realize how many non-spherical moons there are in the Solar System.

(Follow-up to this comic)

[Also, I totally lied in my last comic post; I was originally going to do a comic talking about Saturn's ring rain this week, but I'm delaying it because I'm not happy with how it's turning out just yet. Maybe next week!]