Excited to see the movie on Friday! I'm popping out of social media until then, so I guess I'll leave a teaser of what I've been working on!
What if the troupe's plan was halted by an unexpected blindside? What if the mad god hadn't been stopped from his mind-shattering tantrum? What if it was just CAINE and the only two humans left in this entire dark, howling world, running rampant with abstractions?
When the show is stopped, even the ringmaster is no more than another lost toy.
Just my way of coping: trying to argue it'd be just as bad if he was around ahaha! Anyways, I'm not very experienced with comics, but I hope to keep this one going for a little bit. Think some survival horror, maybe some hints of messed-up Showtime (and even Funnygummy?). Expect to see me start posting pages beginning tomorrow! I will NOT be posting TADC Ep. 9 related art until the June 18 release (any similarities to whatever happens is pure coincidence).
However, I MAY make some spoilers-related discussion posts, so please be wary. I will do my best to make sure all spoilers are warned and under a "read-more".
He's probably talking about a show from odd 20 years ago.
Just a reminder now that we're getting close to the movie release: posting your review/opinions on the finale is a spoiler! Please remember to tag your posts!
Well, looks like spoilers have hit the TADC scene early. I can't say I'm entirely surprised, just a bit disappointed in how certain people have been acting. I guess it goes without saying, as I have already been exposed to a few stills and comments: I want to go into this movie mostly blind.
Given how social media works, I'm not going to pretend I'll be able to avoid everything. However, if you want to interact with me, please note that I am NOT planning to discuss spoilers. If you post spoilers in the comments on my posts or asks, I will block you.
If you are posting spoilers to your own blog, PLEASE also remember to tag them, and ideally, hide them under a read more as well.
In addition: I will not be replying to comments on my X, the website which seems to be particularly prolific with spoilers.
I am planning to see the TADC movie on June 5. When I do, I will be tagging my spoilers in any related TADC post thereafter until the public release on Youtube on June 18. I feel like I will probably do a review/thoughts cap after the finale, but that will be clearly marked as spoilers.
I will also be preparing lots of spoiler-free art to be going up between June 4 and June 18. I want my blog to be a safe place for those who are looking into go into the experience with fresh eyes.
I am still looking forward to seeing The Last Act in theatres, and a bit of drama doesn't affect my honest opinion on how I see the series. Looking forward to discussing it... after the release.
People is selling keychains with your art in temi, I dunno if that's you
I don't think I'd have to say this so quickly, but my chibi TADC art and other art postings are not permitted for use without permission. If you see people reselling my art, please send me the link so I can get things taken care of.
I am currently NOT SELLING my art as keychains/mugs/etc. I have given a few people permission to print them for PERSONAL use, not reselling. PLEASE contact me if you plan on using my art for any reason.
Warning: sort of suggestive?? it's more like anti-suggestive lol.
While there is a certain tickle in my soul for Caine learning human sensation, part of me imagines that even if Caine opened himself up to a wider range of human experiences, he still doesn't have a frame of reference for it.
Like imagine he finally listens to Zooble's suggestion, but when everybody expects pleasure and ecstasy it just ends up being like the feeling of a deep tissue massage or a warm bath instead, because it's a pleasant feeling. Or like Caine tries but there's a slide whistle noise every time he starts getting undressed. There's a sims-style pixelated box blocking everything from view and the only noise anything makes is "BONK" repeatedly.
It's somehow disappointing but not at the same time.
I would definitely like to discuss TADC theories and discourse more, but before I do, I think I just need to let off some steam.
For a show that asks a lot of the viewer in terms of empathy for its characters, I've seen a strange lack of theory of mind in a lot of TADC discourse? A lot of people seem to have trouble reconciling the fact that characters can genuinely believe false things.
WARNING: Barely organized ramble below.
Honestly I mostly see this in relation to Ragatha, Caine and Jax, but it drives me nutty to no end. There is a kernel of truth to each of them, yes, but it's clear that each of them has unhealthy coping mechanisms that lead them to false beliefs. Ragatha thinks that people hate her - that's not necessarily true as even Kinger points out.
Or that Caine is made to make adventures, Kinger (again) gives us the explanation that Caine was only made to make his own ideas. That doesn't mean Caine is lying when he says his purpose is to make adventures, he could 100% believe that his purpose is to take care of the circus. Because he doesn't KNOW about C&A, not really, all he knows is that he was abandoned and "cut off" from the macroverse. It's a destructive belief which puts himself as apart from humans, and ties his worth to his job to the point at which he breaks down on believing he is anything less than perfect, but not (just) out of pure egotism, but because he has this flawed belief in what he has to be to be loved.
And the king of misbelieving, Jax himself, in his belief that the cast members are all cartoon characters who aren't truly real or don't matter. But AGAIN, the show has shown over and over, through Gangle and Zooble, through Pomni and Gumigoo, that this belief is truly misguided. It's clearly a coping mechanism that Jax had developed to overcome the absurdism of the reality he now inhabits, one that's breaking down if episode 8 is any indication.
Yet... I still see people genuinely defending this belief like its not a narrative construct and mindset that's been intentionally shown to be holding Jax back. Like no, they aren't cartoon characters! But Jax is forcing himself to believe this, perhaps because of what happened with Ribbit, maybe because of the "real" world. He does seem genuinely surprised when Gangle doesn't act according to his archetype of her. It's a wall he put up to protect himself, but it's not true, not even by the show's text. Sure the cartoon torture may look silly, and perhaps it doesn't feel as bad as normal torture either, but it's still bullying, and Jax is still doing himself no good by this false belief.
If we wanted to buy what is doing good for Jax as a person, he should be brought out of this unhealthy coping mechanism, not defending it. Neither would I argue does this make Jax irredeemable either- I think it's clear that he's acting according to what he thinks. And for all the characters in this show? I think the point is more showing what these unhealthy coping mechanisms DO to them, not necessarily casting a moral shadow on them for being right or wrong.
At the risk of making this more of an unorganized ramble than it already is: I think the beginning of episode 8 really brings to a head what the show wants to say about mental health and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Jax is NOT right, what he does is harmful. But he is also a person- and if is a chance for things to get better, it is by showing him empathy. Giving him a path to choose something else, not necessarily excusing what he has done, but giving him the choice to be something else, which would ultimately benefit everyone in the long run.
After all, we already saw the outcome of making someone feel unwanted and unloved at the end of the episode. It's a tragedy, and not a victory.
After doing that Kinger doodle the other day, I decided to illustrate some more quotes from Frankenstein I thought were Relevant. The moral of the story is: if you make a sentient abomination and then abandon him, he's probably going to have some emotions about it, SMH. I think I just like how Caine is a sort of "Frankenstein's monster in clown shoes," trapped in a way that's both horrible but also ridiculous— Mary Shelley in comic sans. [and let me know in the replies/in my askbox if there are any other Frankenstein lines you think are Relevant and I might illustrate them as well!]
I have a lot of doubt about the "Bee Caine" poster thing going around, but it would be super hilarious if Caine was rebuilt and came back as his (semi) fursona.
