What do you even put in these

E | Ace ♠️ | Pisces | Does anyone actually ever read these?

[monstermonger]

AAAAA PHEW i just finished binding a bunch of new zines that compile my PNW fantasy sketch pages :”) just in time for when I get to table at the Portland Zine Symposium tomorrow!!!!! if anyone’s in the area come say hi!!!

I’ve loved walking through this event for several years now, I’m so happy that i get the chance to table this time 🥹🥹🥹

[monstermonger]

Thanks for the interest folks ;_; I went ahead and added it to my ko-fi shop for those who want one but can't make it to Portland!

(Since I'm tabling this weekend and next, I might be a little slow sending them out, but i'll do my best to do it asap, definitely within 2 weeks! Thank you ;v; )

[monstermonger]

So this zine managed to sell out twice, and your guys' support on it kinda actually changed my life. ( <- I've been anxious to say it that bluntly,.. but it's true.) Thank you, seriously ;_;

For this reprint, I made a new cover (since the old one was just a repeat of one of the inner illustrations), and also added one more ecoregion: The High Desert :D So now it has:

The Coast Range

The Valley

The Cascades

The High Desert

I'm definitely going to expand on this idea into a bigger project as soon as I have a bit more time-- like an actual book :") But this will be the final version of the zine! Thanks so much again yall.

[monstermonger]

Zines are open again!! 💜💜💜🌲🌳🌲

Thank you again everyone :”)

IN LIGHT OF SHIPPING UPDATES... (price has gone up 70%+ in the last year), I've made it so you can choose two shipping options: Default Shipping: $7 Includes tracking number, no bending Large Envelope (enter code "NO-TRACKING" at checkout): $3.75 off No tracking number, experiences a little bending in the mail (the zine is very sturdy so it should be perfectly fine)

[pr0cyon-lotor]

I remade the MS color picker UI because I wanted it for a drawing, but I forgot what I was going draw

So do you guys want the png and cut parts to customize?

And the selection thingys. They're blurry because they're tinyyyyyy

The color slider arrow, the color picker thing for the color wall, and the color selection box

I'm so sleepy. I don't remember what names of things

[lodgerlodger]

One interesting thing about old Chinese society was that merchants/businessmen were basically considered the bottom feeders of society (nobody likes the middlemen!) They were pretty much beneath everyone except for professions such as entertainers, barbers, and sex workers. Basically, trading was not considered “honest work,” which is why you don’t often see fantasy stories that heavily feature merchants unless if it’s one of those “I transmigrated into 800 ad and created magic taobao and became a zillionaire” light novels. I don’t think historically, there was a strong concept of a middle class. Tradespeople and farmers were much higher on the official social hierarchy than merchants, despite being poorer, and this kind of thinking is sometimes reflected in historical fantasy narratives despite the 21st century turning all this on its head.

Historically, a merchant clan could get very wealthy but still be stuck with extremely low social standing. The suppression of the merchant class was a pretty common theme throughout Chinese history, since they were for the most part regarded as societal leeches and potential threats to the Confucian social order. Merchants were often forbidden from entering into civil service and getting any kind of foothold among the ruling class (made up of the scholar caste and the aristocracy), and their influence and wealth was kept in check this way.

It’d shock nobody if even the most destitute of scholar clans looked down their noses at merchant families. Some would probably rather starve to death than have anything to do with them. You see a lot of historical narratives where a wealthy merchant would sponsor some poor peasant boy so he could study and sit in the imperial examinations, hopefully scoring high and gaining some kind of political office, transforming the fate his entire family (which would of course include one of the merchant’s daughters). You also see some stories where the peasant boys do a bit too well and go, actually I have better options now, thanks but bye 😅

I mostly bring all of this up because if sj were to craft a fake backstory for himself at cqm, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me that he’d go for any kind of mercantile background. Like this is probably the worst possible option for him lol. One there’s no way he can fake being rich when he’s got absolutely nothing, and two it wouldn’t even help him. I don’t think the og text shows any meaningful discernment when it comes to this sort of thing, but a lot of it is implicit in the setting. For pure posermaxxing purposes, you’re probably better off being the homeless descendent of some old clan or even an extremely gifted peasant than the son of some random rich merchant

[doppelgangerleaverite]

can anyone on this gay ass website give me an opinion on which translation of the epic of gilgamesh i should read? ive been wanting to read it for ages but theres a number of common translations and i know translations can make or break a story; i dont want to start with the wrong one

[gilgamesh-enjoyer]

I've read a few so I can offer recommendations! I started with the Sandars translation, which is a good starting point but a pretty early translation. Benjamin Foster's translation is one of my favourites, and the version I read (Second Norton Critical Edition) includes some really interesting discussion essays with it. Andrew George's translation received an update a couple of years ago so is up to date with Foster's translation, though I prefer how the language flows in Foster's.

I would also recommend Gilgamesh Retold by Jenny Lewis for a translation with a more modern poetic take.

[perrenlore]

GILGAMESH TRANSLATION MASTERPOST:

Benjamin Foster’s Gilgamesh condenses all the different tablets we’ve found together to make one cohesive narrative which is way less intimidating and therefore my go-to if you want something that feels cohesive while also sticking very close to the language of the original. 10/10

Andrew George is the most thorough and up-to-date, and sticks as close to the text as you can get. It does, however, separate out all the different tablets, and feels very unedited in its style. Definitely not a “pretty” version. 10/10 cuz he’s a legend and this is the most definitive scholarly edition but don’t start with it.

Maureen Kovacs has a lovely translation with some very interesting footnotes on word choices. Her Ninsun is absolutely incredible and if you want to cry your eyes out over Gilgamesh’s fate that’s the one for you. It’s one step up from Foster’s in terms of poetic-ness but still pretty close to the original. 8/10

Sophus Helle is more poetic than Kovacs but BRILLIANT, one of my favourite Enkidus and his Shamhat is wonderful. Top favourite of all time. This is a very good starting point. 9/10

I wouldn’t recommend Sandars simply because it’s prose, and also condenses the twelfth tablet into a nice tidy ending that doesn’t really work with the Standard Babylonian narrative. 6/10

Lewis’ Gilgamesh Retold is more of a poetic retelling than a translation; it’s beautiful but definitely not a starting point. Sweet and gentle Enkidu though, very charming. 7/10

Stephen Mitchell I’m not a fan of. He smooths the poem out into something tame and very expected. This is my personal bias but I really dislike his Shamhat. His Enkidu and Gilgamesh are also explicitly more like brothers, which is a valid interpretation but also again not one I lean towards. 5/10

Herbert Mason’s Gilgamesh has some stunning moments in it (Enkidu! They do not know you like I know you!) However it is nowhere near the real text BUT closer than Lewis’. Changes the ending of the poem so it’s about Gilgamesh mourning Enkidu rather than mourning his own mortality; a much sadder conclusion with less resolution than in the Standard Babylonian. 7/10

BONUS ROUND:

Derek Hines’ play GILGAMESH is fucking DERANGED guys. Ten Gilgillion out of ten.

[ohmybookshelves]

for all you can say about it as an adaptation, i think it's still absolutely wild that the untamed made xiyao canon. like you read the book and you're like "what the fuck is wrong with lan xichen" and the show answers: he was head over heels for the guy. first time meeting him he's rubbing his hands in front of everyone's salad. and don't get me started on zhu zanjin's interview that's like "you know how lwj and wwx are VERY GOOD FRIENDS well lxc and jgy are VERY GOOD FRIENDS also". deranged. incredible. fantastic. the best thing that's ever happened to me

[vitariesocks]

just received the best text message I’ve ever had. from my mom

[vitariesocks]

2 pics. no caption

[shaeeldera]

I had to draw this beautiful lady

[deathcomequickly]

The Drowned Halls

Ko-fi

[jimbles-archive]

[mxvendetta]

oh brother

[maidthings]

secretary birds look pretty normal but for some reason people have collectively decided to photograph them like they're [takes a moment to find an acceptable way to say this] women

[maidthings]

<-normal bird photography | typically reserved for pin-up posters ->

[landleopard24]

[fl0ffly]

You guys eat first 🤤❤

[atrusovaartist]

Acrylic on canvas 50*70 cm “The Fire Horse” 2015

[itgetsbetter]

I'm asexual, and I'm 10 years into a loving marriage! I'm never pressured into doing anything I don't want to do, and I'm loved Exactly the way I Want to be loved. My family knows, my friends know, and I'm so delighted to have what younger-me thought was impossible. Happy pride everybody!!

so happy you have this kind of supportive relationship! <3

[countlessimpossibilities]

Look, I know LBH cut his hair, but, I like it better long

[evidently-endless]

the odyssey (2026)

[hapalopus]

Sometimes when I'm sad I look up pregnant guinea pigs

And then if I'm still sad I look up baby guinea pigs

And if THAT somehow didn't work, I look up baldwin pigs who are in the middle of molting their baby fur

[itstimetogo]

the only “data centers” we need are public libraries