Land of Shrines and Glass

Rose | ♒ | 25+ | carrd idk what i even post anymore. main blog for rose-of-the-valley

[sonandheirofnothinginparticular]

[yffresbeard]

i think it is important to recognize the ways in which your favorite thing sucks. i think it keeps u normal

[rabbithaver]

prev im so sorry to put you on blast like this but please know this had me in hysterics

[gayvampyr]

what is your go-to brainteaser/puzzle game?

sudoku

minesweeper

solitaire

crossword

kakuro

mahjong

nonogram

chess

reversi/othello

something else that i will reveal in the replies

Remaining time: 6 days 16 hours

[valtsv]

my problem is if i enjoy something enough i will be nitpicking. i Will have things to say about where and how it failed. out of nothing but love straight from my heart. unfortunately this often makes me indistinguishable from a hater who has never experienced joy or kindness. such is the amateur critic's burden.

[pokeballvictimized]

hey there welcome to superpower school, where we teach you to use your dangerous superpowers in a school-like environment. here's your syllabus. as you can see, this class will consistent entirely of occasional world building lectures of no use to anyone who has actually lived in this world for more than a day, and unsupervised practical assignments that place your life and the lives of everyone near you at risk. also we have a tournament arc in around 50 chapters that will inevitably be rife with cheating and will be infiltrated by people who actually for real want to kill you. grading will be on a curve.

[feathernotes]

So, we need to talk about what webtoons(the company) has done to webcomics

Over the past 7 or so years, we've seen this absolute shift in expectation, migration, and stagnation in the webcomics sphere which applies to style, sustainability, and the platforms grip on readers and creators

I'll be the first one to say that webcomics are not an easy way to make money and a majority of folks who make them rarely see profit. This has always been the case! But when virality, siphoning audiences from all over, and opportunity to 'get printed' presented itself, that expectation shifted.

So let's talk about what those expectations are now: 🔴Demand for Higher quality- less readers will check out beginner looking works or comics that feel too 'faulty' in style meaning less excitement to see webcomics grow over the years. Polish is expected and commented on consistently by readers

There is also an expectation for specific visual and narrative styles. This applies to other social media platforms too- in that works that take less investing in are often promoted and prioritised. That means less risks on narratives, less nuances, and shorter series running.

🔴All on one site/app- That may seem pretty fantastic for getting new readers (and is the absolute main sticking point for so many artists) but when algorithms and specific series are wanted, your works have a harder chance getting to the people they need to. The search function is trash for a reason

I'm not one to toot the competition flute, but there's a level of that at play when the spotlight for that platform is actually pretty small. What you get is a lot of readers checking out the same comics, and not spreading it all out to find yours (their subs have a cap for this reason)

🔴Sustainability (and lack thereof)- The creator of these comics are often burnt out and given little support- all while fighting to see what is allowed on the platform with its excitable censoring. I won't speak for originals (there's many testimonies you can find) but their experiences of burn out are harrowing

With the high production expectation for a person who is rarely given help (often has to hire out of pocket for that) and the readers who want Updates Now, it's a frustrating place to post your comics with no rest. It's 2026, we shouldn't be treating cartoonists this way still.

Webtoons (the company) is always going to be interested in making a profit. That's sort of where it all starts and stops here. They'll embrace the slop machines (more slop sources) for investors, they'll mistreat creators, cancel 'unprofitable' comics, censor work, and protect that bottom line. That's their MO, always!

So when I see these conversations that inevitably float around about Webtoons and how the only response is 'stop using it', I think we also need to deconstruct what it's done to creators and readers and how they engage with/create works too- because it doesn't seem that simple of a solution

Webtoons has solidified itself in webcomics as the Place to start and stop with comics. They want you to use their app of course, but they've conditioned folks to think it's the only way to share your stuff. How do we break this? How do we get people to stop using it?

We share resources 😎

Alternative Comic Platform: comicfury.com Comic Resource List: cartoonist.coop/resources/ Screen Tones Webcomic Website: screentonescast.com Webcomic Website Template: rarebit.neocities.org How to make a webcomic: thestarfishface.com/products/how... And feel free to reply with even MORE!

[allidrawscomics]

I use >>>Dreamhost<<< for hosting my sites, which has Wordpress built in.

I only know the barest minimum about coding so I use the free version of the >>>Breakdance<<< plugin to design my sites. The backend looks like this:

It takes some playing around with but it's not as intimidating as coding from scratch. It was actually even fun once I got the hang of it.

Coding webcomic navigation can be tricky so I use the free version of the >>>Toocheke<<< plugin to handle my archive and navigation buttons. There's even a >>>guide<<< to help.

Yes I have to pay for domains and hosting myself. I think it's worth it.

I use Feedly to keep track of comic updates. It's like a subscription system you can use across different sites (look into RSS feeds if you've never heard of them!)

As a personal preference I don't maintain comments on my sites anymore and simply run a discord server instead. I like it much better when folks' comments are not permanently tied to my pages. I think it allows every reader to have a focused experience catching up to the story.

_______

The day Webtoon started advertising in Times Square I was actually pretty upset because I KNEW it was going to bring an unhealthy culture of expectation towards webcomics. I knew it was going to define what a webcomic was to millions of people who were unaware of what they were outside of that app.

But much worse was how Webtoon normalized pressuring webcomic creators to appeal to the widest audience possible, because now normal everyday people who don't share your interests might see you and judge you and leave nasty comments on the work you care so deeply about. You don't HAVE to use that platform. You don't HAVE to cater to that audience. You don't HAVE to design your narrative to appeal to the widest audience possible. I will tell you a secret:

You will be loved for the same things you are hated for.

In the world of entertainment the worst thing you can be is not hated, but forgettable.

Please build your own space and understand that you don't want numbers, you want people dedicated to the story only you can tell.

[synthfagz]

"if yr stabbed dont take the knife out" okay so thats basiclaly cockwarming

[bilesandthesourwolf]

i can never leave this place

[sleepyjim2]

ⓘ Tip: while sewing, you can unlock scary sewing by losing your needle somewhere on your bed.

[peregrine-rnendicant]

cried today bc i missed the ocean. clearly doing well

[variousqueerthings]

do think when people say "we know marriage is a social construct, but it's a legal way to be able to take care of someone else and vice versa" as if those of us making a point about marriage (i would say, a lot of us being aromantic people especially) don't know this fact, are missing a bit of the point about why this is stressed and potentially not giving enough grace to (again especially aromantic) people who say this.

when it's framed as a "so just get married for legality reasons" and im like. you mean like how gay people married/marry people of the opposite gender for legality reasons? and that's considered to be a symptom of a problem, not the solution? you want people to "just" get married against their will because it's the only solution this system has available?

if people cannot or will not get married for whatever reason -- not just for being aromantic, but, say, due to inefficient disability support measures within marriage, because of having had bad experiences with marriage in the past, because of being polyamorous, because some element of marriage is ineffective, unwanted, limited, discriminatory, or hell, because you can't find somebody to marry or nobody wants to marry you, or maybe because you just plain don't want to without there being a distinct Reason -- then it's a problem that this is the only framework in place for people to be afforded certain legal and social protections.

i am glad for others that more people can get married, but it's a flawed institution with gaping holes that isn't for everyone and builds social structures that leave so many people behind and unsupported. this is abundantly obvious in the way that we saw why people pushed for the need for equal marriage in the first place.

that's what's said when making a point that it's a social construct. and also what's meant (partially) when pushing against the idea that "love" as concept isn't at the core of queer (amongst others hinted at in this post) activism, because it's about building better structures. if the only people we care about are those we "love" within a family unit, or those who successfully manage to pretend that unit without actually really wanting it, and if not being in that unit for whatever reason means that care isn't going to be/is no longer afforded, then are we really doing any better than heteronormativity?

more people need to read up on "amatonormativity" from the original source (this is a summary from the same person written in 2012 and so doesn't include aromantic, but it's all in there) before they start pushing marriage as the ultimate goal of queer liberation, or indeed any liberation.

[spin-the-wheel-polls]

you were almost turned into a vampire, but before you could be fully turned, the vampire was staked. This left you with a vampire weakness, while still being human.

Spin the wheel to find out your weakness!

How much does this effect you?

Nothing changes

It's inconvenient but I can deal with jty

It will be hard to adjust but I'll figure it out

I don't know if I'll be able to live like this

Maybe I can find another vampire to finish the turning?

I might just kill myself

Results/other

Remaining time: 1 day 19 hours

thanks @theemmjay for submitting this poll idea!! Seriously it's such a cool concept I love it so much

[molabuddy]

its kind of fun to uninstall programs you arent using to free up space and see them all beg for their lives

[what-even-is-thiss]

Adult life is full of so many filters you need to change out. You’re probably forgetting to change out a filter right now.

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

OP: I've seen this on X and it turns out the design aesthetic of White Rabbit candy wrappers is genuinely fantastic.

Cnetizens: The older generations truly had such great design taste.

(This whole thread kicked off after international users on X marvelled at White Rabbit candy wrappers, and Chinese netizens found this and shared what art style and design aesthetics looked like back around the 1960s-1980s on xiaohongshu.）

Old designs posted by cnetizens(cr蝎虎郎子，應永會YINGSTAR，字游漫步，飞雁faye)

And old art styles during those days(cr三口草莓):

Chinese netizens also shared today’s White Rabbit candy, which features many different flavors and cross‑overs with multiple IPs(cr六角盐，骨架).

大白兔奶糖(dabaitu naitang)/White Rabbit Creamy Candy is one of China’s most iconic nostalgic milk candies. The iconic red‑blue‑white wrapper of White Rabbit Creamy Candy was finalized in 1959. Its vintage‑styled wrappers are widely admired online, and the brand now rolls out new flavors and IP collaborations. 金丝猴奶糖(jinsihou naitang)/Golden Hair Monkey Creamy Candy is another beloved classic Chinese milk candy from the 1990s. Wowo Creamy Candy also officially launched in 1991 and blew up in popularity throughout the 1990s. Together with White Rabbit and Golden Monkey, it formed the big three iconic domestic milk‑candy brands. Its signature wrapper bears a brightly colored rooster. The same brand also made Jiajia Creamy Candy, whose packaging featured a little monkey. Alongside White Rabbit, they carry warm childhood memories for generations of people in China.

That said, White Rabbit creamy candy remains a big‑seller to this day, while Golden Monkey and Wowo milk candy has faded into history. Many people find it a real shame, as its flavor was just as good as White Rabbit’s. Lots of people also recall that early‑edition White Rabbit candies were really soft. For some unknown reason, the recipe was changed later, making the candy much harder. You have to let it sit in your mouth for a while for it to soften up.

[bombusbombus]

Everyone except me is wrong about The Character

[bombusbombus]

And my beloved mutual who fills a sort of "scheming advisor" role in my opinions about The Character

[myfairynuffstuff]

Erika Toliusis (b.1969) - Pacific Angel. 2022. Oil with palette knife on canvas.

[sunshinetheinspiration]

@teaboot

[teaboot]

Painted with a FUCKING PALETTE KNIFE?

[n7punk]

When Erika Toliusis paints, every application is deliberate and precise. As she slashes and sculpts her way across the surface of the canvas using only a palette knife, the pictures created are stunning examples of hyperrealism. She retains, however, the spirit of an impressionist; her output occurs in series, devoting specific attention to a landscape feature, examining its visual phenomena and manipulating colour and tone to develop a range of atmospheric effects.

I genuinely couldn't comprehend this was really done with a palette knife and it turns out that's just her entire thing.

Here's her with her paintings IRL and this video shows her process!

[coldstream]

i love having friends who can communicate like adults it's so cool

[coldstream]

imagine being like "hey this made me feel bad" and they're like "oh sorry i'll try to be better about that" and that's all it is