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I saw the Backrooms last weekend, and it's a very ironic experience for me. I've been seeing posts from people who were watching the movie in near-empty/abandoned malls that are still open because of their theatres. The theatre I went to see it at wasn't part of a mall, but it was a popular movie theatre when I was growing up. Still, it suddenly shut down when the company that owned it faced financial struggles and when the pandemic happened (I won't disclose who for privacy reasons, not to reveal where I live).
The movie theatre was abandoned for years, and the building and parking lot gave off an eerie vibe until it was bought by another movie theatre chain, which completely renovated the building's interior and exterior and reopened it. Now it draws large crowds on good days. The original 90s version of the movie theatre is gone, but I'm glad it's back in operation, as it is a very nice place. Far different from the time when the entire building was abandoned years ago, standing still in time like it was part of the Backrooms itself.
As I'm working on a crossover comic, and for those who like the Poppy Lived AU, I'll leave you all something to enjoy. An AU where no living toys were a thing, YAY! But it comes with a catch. NO! Think of that Tree House of Horror episode, where Homer Simpson accidentally time-traveled to the past when Dinosaurs were still alive. Still, Homer caused chaos that messed everything up in the future, to the point that he went back and forth to return to a normal reality, and the closest he got was having his family with reptilian tongues. It's the best way to describe this AU, as some of you might be able to tell, I took inspiration from Mouse: P.I. for Hire.
This might change over time if my theory is correct or not regarding Rich Lovitz, or whether the Kid employee he was talking to is the Player/Poppy's Angel/Playtime Butcher. At this point, it's just a guess. All I can say about Elliot Ludwig's little found family is WORST FOUND FAMILY EVER!!!
As I promised, a few rough sketches of the Ludwig family, if none of the illegal experimentations didn't happen, if Poppy Ludwig didn't suddenly pass away, and was not reincarnated into a doll. These are not final designs; I created them before I started my other important projects.
First off, Elliot Ludwig is still alive in the 1990s, but the clock is ticking as he's nearing his final days. What does that mean? Every executive in Playtime Co. will have to decide if they're going to take advantage of a possible power grab or watch a disaster unfold. Especially if Poppy Ludwig, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Playtime Co., will take the reins from her (adopted) father, hand the reins to someone else, or sell the company entirely. Elliot probably didn't go down the rabbit hole of horrible deeds, but he still made questionable deals that will haunt him before death does his part, for sure.
For Oliver (Ollie) Ludwig, he's a now scientist at Playtime Co. in this AU, but a troublesome one. His antics get so bad that when the previous Head Scientist up and quit, Elliot had to ask Leith Pierre to send a letter to a former member of the Young Geniuses Program, Harley Sawyer, to come back to keep Ollie under control. When the news broke that Ollie's adoptive father was dying, he started going downhill to the point that he started his villain arc. Oliver would rather destroy livelihoods like Leith Pierre's to make sure nobody tears his only family apart.
Since Poppy has grown up dealing with adults acting like children in this AU, her daughter, whom I'm calling Violet Ludwig, is filling in some of the roles in befriending some of the orphans. Don't worry, Poppy is also involved in the story like she is in the game. However, Violet is dealing with personal family issues when her mother might need to become the CEO of Playtime Co., Adoptive Grandpa Elliot is now dying, and Uncle Ollie is having a slow burn breakdown that just might burn the factory down. If Violet's anxiety levels aren't that bad already, one day, while in her grandfather's office, she finds some mysterious adoption papers and a contract, and she discovers the biggest family secret that might blow up into a scandal that involves one of the most dangerous families in the state. Will the Ludwigs survive the worst times of their lives, or will this found family crack like a little broken porcelain doll?
A while back, I made an AU sketch of Poppy Ludwig if she lived and had a normal life, AKA no experimental crimes against humanity. However, Poppy would unfortunately have to deal with an Hour of Joy where all the adults are fighting each other like it was a scene out of Mean Girls, Oliver's epic crash-out, being a mother (not sure if she's single or married in this AU yet) of a daughter with anxiety issues, getting the world's worst haircut, and Poppy's and Oliver's adopted father, Elliot Ludwig, being close to death. No matter the universe, Poppy can't catch a break!
In this AU, I might consider this idea too, unless we get any other lore reveals on Poppy's past. Rumor has it that Poppy is indeed the biological daughter of Elliot Ludwig. How? According to gossip, after Elliot's wife divorced him, he began dating another woman in private who worked in the Innovation Department during Playtime's World War II days and was from a wealthy family well known in the area. But suddenly, the woman left her job and Elliot out of the blue, and a month later, she wasn't seen by anyone who knew her since. One unexpected night, a group of people showed up at Elliot's home with a baby and some paperwork, saying, "Here! It might be yours since the mother is dead. Don't you DARE say anything about that thing being related to us, or we'll ruin you!"
Nobody has evidence to prove the rumors, and Poppy lives in bliss, assuming she's adopted. But little does she know that her own daughter is about to discover the biggest family secret that might blow up into a scandal. Will Playtime Co. in this AU survive its Chaos Years?
I might do a few more sketches and a family portrait of the Ludwig Family in this AU, but I won't do much with this AU until we get more lore, and if I have time. All I can imagine is that the orphan characters and Poppy's daughter in this AU end up finding themselves in conspiracies or circumstances where they play roles in Oliver's Hour of Joy plans, whether they know it or not. Otherwise, this AU was fun to play with.
Sorry, I was away for a while due to life events, a road trip, and playing a certain game that IGN said was "too cheesy". To politely say this in a safe work environment, FORGET what IGN is saying, this game is a solid 8.5/10 for me! The cheesy jokes are the best parts of the game, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU GUYS SAYING IT'S "TOO CHEESY" WHEN IT'S A GAME ABOUT CARTOON MICE!!! If anyone here loves My Friendly Neighborhood, you'll love Mouse: P.I. For Hire. The same goes for Mouse: P.I. For Hire fans, you'll also love My Friendly Neighborhood. Enjoy this meme in the meantime, while I do a crossover comic of Gordon O'Brian and Jack Pepper. Stay Tuned!
Hope everyone has had a wonderful day so far. And for something that goes well with this day, have a living Poppy Ludwig, if she lived and had a normal life, AKA no experimental crimes against humanity. HALLELUJAH! In this AU, however, Poppy would unfortunately have to deal with an Hour of Joy that was a scene out of Mean Girls, Ollie's crash-out, and Elliot Ludwig close to death. No matter the universe, Poppy can't catch a break! Everyone, have Poppy in your thoughts and prayers. She's going to need it.
Random post of the day, after a friend and I were talking about this random thought yesterday. Spoilers to the game below.
If in some alternate universe of Poppy Playtime, Poppy Ludwig never died, so no experimental crimes against kids and humanity bullet was dodged, but there would still be horrible people working at the factory. Playtime Co.'s version of the Hour of Joy might still happen; however, it's all the adults fighting each other like it's a scene from Mean Girls because of multiple petty dramas that got out of hand across all of the departments, probably Ollie had something to do with it, and an all-out war ensued. Only for the fighting to stop when Poppy, who's dealing with her father possibly dying (maybe Elliot is still breathing somehow), sets off a fire alarm and commands everyone involved in the drama to an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, the orphans who witnessed it would give that day a name and down the road ask newer orphans, "Have you ever heard of the Hour of Joy of 1995?"
To make a long story short, the orphans watching the adults acting like children would be like…
Um… not a Poppy Playtime fan artist, but you guys want me to make an alternative universe Poppy if she didn’t die in this timeline, saying a famous quote from Mean Girls by Principal Duvall while holding a baseball bat to stop an out-of-control factory war everyone would eventually call the Hour of Joy, caused by a mysterious email sender/leaker??? I'm willing to do it!
Due to recent events tonight with The Amazing Digital Circus, I'm going to do this to help everyone heal.
Like, Reblog, and Spread this image of Humpe Trollsson into the wind to help not only you heal enough for a good night's sleep, but also help others heal if they come across this on your blogs! Humpe Trollsson is here to help!
Random post of the day, after a friend and I were talking about this random thought yesterday. Spoilers to the game below.
If in some alternate universe of Poppy Playtime, Poppy Ludwig never died, so no experimental crimes against kids and humanity bullet was dodged, but there would still be horrible people working at the factory. Playtime Co.'s version of the Hour of Joy might still happen; however, it's all the adults fighting each other like it's a scene from Mean Girls because of multiple petty dramas that got out of hand across all of the departments, probably Ollie had something to do with it, and an all-out war ensued. Only for the fighting to stop when Poppy, who's dealing with her father possibly dying (maybe Elliot is still breathing somehow), sets off a fire alarm and commands everyone involved in the drama to an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, the orphans who witnessed it would give that day a name and down the road ask newer orphans, "Have you ever heard of the Hour of Joy of 1995?"
To make a long story short, the orphans watching the adults acting like children would be like…
Just saw Hoppers over the weekend. My friends and I weren't sure about seeing the film at first, but after seeing the positive reviews, we decided to check it out. Really good movie! Everyone of all ages was having a blast, and some applauded at the end, too. Check it out while you all can! In the meantime, have an Angry Goofy Car Gang edit. You're free to use it for any future Draw Your Squad ideas!
Doing some character design practice with this little guy based on the art of John Bauer, Humpe Trollsson. This little troll cub is about to flip a bunch of scientists and several of their children's lives upside down. As for the story that I'm working on featuring this guy, it's progressing well. The final draft of the Prologue is almost ready for release, but Chapter 1 is taking some time to introduce the future world Humpe will eventually find himself in.
If you are a current or new follower of this blog, do you like dark fantasy stories like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and The Last Unicorn, science fiction stories like Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog, fantasy world-building adventure stories like Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Super Mario Bros., and K-pop Demon Hunters, or a big fan of 1980s Epcot or Swedish Folktales? Wake up into the future in A Troll's Future Folktale.
Personal Thoughts on Poppy Playtime Chapter 5: Analysis and New Theories
Welcome to a late-night Part 2, where I'm going to break down my thoughts on watching the game and come up with new theories. Spoilers down below.
After that creepy intro, all the chase scenes with Huggy were AWESOME! The bit with the elevator was my favorite part of the terror Poppy's Angel/Bucher had to endure, which was later cut to the main title.
After that explosion in Chapter 4, everything is slowly collapsing downward, giving off massive Portal franchise vibes here.
Giblet! Oh my Goodness! Someone fetch me a pen and the adoption papers from Playcare now! He's one of the best new characters, and I'm glad Mob didn't do the twist villain arc for him. Giblet, even though you claimed you weren't a hero at the end of the chapter, you were for Poppy's Angel/Bucher at that moment to bring them back.
We finally got to see Bron, but at what cost? I feel horrible for him.
With the little screentime we got of Chum Chompkins, I adore the guy and how far he goes to protect us as a double agent on the good side. I'm worried about his reaction when he finds out what happened to Kissy and Huggy. That might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for him to be fully on our side.
One of the convincing reasons why the toys did the Hour of Joy was that the company was planning to expand and build a factory in Tokyo, Japan. This relates to real-world events, when American companies started building factories overseas. Was it to cut costs and get away with layoffs, move the entire company there, to move their research because the American Authorities were catching on, or, worse, to make more Bigger-Body Toys with a spin-off game in the works?
Regarding Edward "Eddie" Ritterman, did he miss the Hour of Joy, or did something force him to return early, or did something keep him from going? If he wasn't there that day, Eddie either went on the run or was arrested by the cops and was blamed for everything, making him the perfect guy to frame, even though he deserved it. If there was a change of plans and Eddie was still at the factory, he either survived, was killed in the attacks, or found out Stella and Preston's plans that they fed him to a random toy. And since we finally found Eddie's office and his health problems in a note, the latter theory wouldn't be surprising if Stella and Preston took advantage of his health issues and had him walking close to a cliff edge. We'll have to wait and see.
Again, the Prototype is now my #1 most hated villain for all the horrendous things he has done. I really do like his cross design of Possessed Pomni, Cy-Bug King Candy, and the vintage Jack in the Box Jester. I wonder if Elliot's first successful toy was a Jack in the Box Jester, until Poppy overshadowed it and became the company's mascot, until Huggy came along, almost foreshadowing the Prototype's future obsession with Poppy. The Prototype shows how horrible he is, as this guy pulls a classic physically abusive act on Poppy by hurting her. He had it coming when Kissy gave the guy that slap! Plus, I won't believe that this manipulator killed the surviving orphans unless we have proof. If there are no bodies, they're not dead. Also, that train chase scene was wild, like it was out of a wild west movie!
We finally discover who the Prototype is. PLOT TWIST! He is not Elliot Ludwig, but Elliot's adopted son, Oliver "Ollie" Ludwig, who was the dead child found in Ludwig's house. I had to look up the Wiki for more info. The reason the Prototype has an unhealthy obsession with Poppy is that he found out his transformation from a child to his current form was meant to be a test to bring Poppy back, and that he was only second-best. Elliot somehow convinced Prototype to try to be a good brother, but oh boy, Elliot created a monster that it seems he killed Elliot!
As I said in Part 1, I cried like a baby after a tragic turn of events.
And the reveal we knew was coming. In Leith Pierre's journal entry, Poppy is none other than the daughter of Elliot Ludwig, Poppy Ludwig! That's right, just like Barbie was named after the creator's daughter, Elliot named the doll toy line after his own daughter. But that wasn't the only lore reveal that changes everthing...
PLOT TWIST! LEITH AND POPPY KNEW EACH OTHER BEFORE SHE WAS TURNED INTO A TOY!!! Even Leith was shocked that the toy was her and she recognized him years ago. This could mean two things: Either Leith knew Poppy while working for Elliot, or they were childhood friends/besties. And get this: Poppy and Leith share the same initials reversed. Poppy Ludwig, P.L., Leith Pierre, L.P. In a way, Leith and the Prototype are both the Skeksis to Poppy's Mystic (YES! I am comparing this twist to The Dark Crystal), and Leith Pierre's name was actually a foreshadowing hint to Poppy's true full name this entire time! And now we know Harley Sawyer's pet project was focused on finding a way to clone someone and/or their conscience. Was Leith trying to find a way to turn Poppy back into a human that the Prototype found out and decided to cause the Hour of Joy to keep his control of Poppy? Whatever it is, I'm so making another theory about it because Leith, you are just messed up, just like the Prototype is!
For the final plot twist, I always had the gut feeling that the Doctor, Harley Sawyer, was going to come back! I had that gut feeling! He's going to be the GLaDOS and the Captain Barbossa character of the game now. Whatever happens, if those orphans are actually still alive, he better stay away from them or else...
If anyone wants me to develop expanded theories from this list, I will! In the meantime, thank you all for reading, reacting, commenting, and reblogging, as it means so much. Please be free to like my other posts from my other projects if you want. Also, if there's a theory here you like, please credit me as well and add your own thoughts to it.
Personal Thoughts on Poppy Playtime Chapter 5 Part 1: Theory Check
I was trying to post this yesterday, but I needed another day to process. Where do I begin??? This is THE BEST Chapter in the series, especially with its take on the hero's journey, which I'll cover in another post down the road. I had to split this post into two parts. With this post, I'm going to break down my thoughts on watching the game and how it affected the three theories I brainstormed, and whether I was correct. close, or not. Spoilers down below.
It's not confirmed yet, but that conversation between Leith Pierre and Eddie Ritterman strongly hints that Poppy's Angel/Butcher is either Richard "Rich" Lovitz or the Kid he mentored. I'M CALLING IT! Right now, I'm leaning more toward Rich, but it doesn't hurt to discuss both sides.
If Angel/Butcher is Rich, he somehow missed that bribe meeting, which is why the secret message in the hallway in Chapter 3 was roasting our character for missing it. Either someone like Stella warned Rich not to go, or something happened to Rich's wife, like she died or needed help to recover, or he had to take a sick day because, well, he was actually sick that day. Even though the sick day saved his life, he lived with the guilt that he never got to know what happened to his coworkers who admired him as the true leader of the company, until now. Whatever happened, I'm scared for Rich's fate!
If Angel/Butcher is the Kid, something happened to Rich where the bribe went wrong, and he vanished or was killed, that caused suspicion and anger to spread throughout the factory. I could imagine everyone discussing striking, and the factory leaders like Leith shaking when he learned Rich's wife decided to sue the company and get the authorities to investigate, finally getting enough evidence to make the arrests. Thus, this could be why the Prototype rushed the Hour of Joy. But for the Kid, what happened? If our character were the sole witness to Rich's death or heard something incriminating about Rich's disappearance that led him to rat the factory to the cops, then Leith would want Kid to stay quiet and demand that he attend that so-called meeting. Again, either someone like Stella warned the Kid not to go, or the authorities told the Kid not to go to the meeting as they were supposed to do the arrests that same day, or he had to take a sick day because, well, he was actually sick that day. Maybe the Kid wasn't a whistleblower and took a sick day to grieve, or was probably sick, who knows. Either way, the Kid probably returned to solve what happened to Rich once and for all.
So I was slightly right that Lily was not Stella, but I was wrong about Lily being a child close to Stella. However, Lily's backstory was darker than I expected. She was another employee, Ms. Gracie Green, the lead counselor in the Wellness & Integration sector, who was just as awful as the company leaders, with the way she tortured the kids with the brainwashing. She deserved to be jailed; however, it seemed it was a terrible idea to turn her into a toy, given how crazy she became afterwards. I believe the company was about to make a Bigger Body Lily with the branding already up, but when the Hour of Joy happened, the toys took over that experiment and chose her. It was for the best that Poppy's Angel/Butcher took her out of her misery by getting her head out of the clouds, literally. Gracie deserved it! I'll still leave a pin on Stella getting revenge on a kid she was close to or was trying to save, though, just in case we get a reveal. Stella wasn't mentioned or heard anywhere in the chapter, so perhaps they're saving the lore in the next one.
Now, for the elephant in the room, I was so happy to see Huggy and Kissy reunite, only for the Prototype to ruin it! The Prototype is now my #1 most hated villain for all the horrendous things he has done. I CALLED IT! Kissy sacrificed herself to save Huggy and our character. We don't know, unless confirmed, whether Huggy is alive, but I won't be surprised if he comes back to help kill Prototype in the name of Kissy. When Poppy's Angel/Butcher was in the Gel later in the game, everything just hit me. What happened to Huggy and Kissy, the Prototype surviving the train crash, then the Prototype backstabbing Poppy's Angel/Butcher literally, which leads to the Prototype kidnapping Poppy and throwing Poppy's Angel/Butcher into the Gel. I cried like a baby for a very long time. You can imagine how relieved I was when Giblet revived our hero.
That's my analysis of my ideas right now. See you next time for part 2!
