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Posted this a while ago re: great opening lines, but OOP turned off reblogs so I'm sharing this again.

#the dresden files #dresden files #harry dresden #blood rites #jim butcher #writing

Me when Harry comes out the other side kinder, gentler, more understanding, a better father/brother/friend, surrounded by community, wanting to live, doing his best:

#Dresden files #twelve months #harry dresden #Dresden files book 18 #the Dresden files #The Dresden Files: Twelve Months

“That’s the problem with you nearly immortal types,” I said. “You couldn’t spot a pop culture reference if it skittered up and implanted an embryo down your esophagus.”

There's a recurring element in Dresden Files in which Jim Butcher will use pop culture references as a means of demonstrating whether a character should be considered good, likeable, or trustworthy.

Harry Dresden makes a lot of pop culture references. References are fun, and they help the reader feel more related to Harry. Likewise, these references are how Harry can relate to his friends. It's one of the primary ways he enjoys joking around with them.

However, the antagonists of the series, the vast majority of whom are supernaturally long-lived beings, have not bothered keeping up with popular works and media of the last century. They haven't bothered maintaining connection with the everyday human experience, the art and pastimes most people have in commonality and can bond over.

Madeline Raith has never heard of Buck Rogers. Nicodemus doesn't know who Peter Parker is. Drakul doesn't even know how baseball works.

This lack of interest in pop culture is equated to a lack of interest, connection, or care, for humanity in general.

References can be a signal for the reader that a character is someone to be trusted or empathized with before the story even confirms it.

Thomas wears a Buffy the Vampire Slayer shirt a whole book before he's revealed to be Harry's family in Blood Rites.

In Skin Game, Harry and Goodman Grey have a good-natured back and forth about the film The Black Hole several chapters before it's revealed they were secretly working together. Fittingly, the reveal itself is initiated by a reference, with Harry using "Game over, man. Game over" as a signal to drop the facade.

We learn Mab has been to rock concerts and Disneyland in Cold Days, the same book in which we're hit with the line, "I was mortal once, you know." Going further back, the first time Harry met Mab in Summer Knight, he makes a comparison to Godzilla, but he can't actually tell whether she understood the reference, which, in hindsight, she likely did.

And then we have Marcone, who, when faced with one of Harry's references, opts to ignore it.

"'Elvii?'" Marcone inquired. "The plural could be Elvises, I guess," I said. "But if I say that too often, I start muttering to myself and calling things 'my precious,' so I usually go with the Latin plural." Marcone did smile that time. It was a cool expression. Tigers with full stomachs wear smiles like Marcone's when they're watching baby deer play. "Ah. I hope you can find something to suit your tastes tonight."

and

“Do you at least have a gun?” I asked. “Maybe you can distract her.” “I have a knife,” Marcone said. “Jusht like a gangshter,” I said. “Bringsh a knife to an apocalypshe fight.” Marcone gave me a level look and then said, in a much more conversational tone, “Honestly, Dresden. If you used your mind half as much as your mouth, you’d be running the place by now.”

John "Who do you think I am, I am not a charitable organization, I am a professional monster" Marcone, does not directly acknowledge the reference. He won't go as far as to pretend he's not at least passingly familiar with Gollum, or that he never watched The Untouchables. But he refuses to respond or play off of it the way one of Harry's friends would.

Doesn't change the fact that he does get the reference though.

#Of course this isn't an ironclad rule. Harry's allies and friends and Harry himself have all missed references at one point or another.#Jim Butcher #The Dresden Files #Dresden Files #shoutout to Harry for being willing to misquote a reference in order to avoid using a prejorative #Harry Dresden #John Marcone #Kincaid understands Harry's Bolshevik Muppet reference #Uriel is a fan of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars #River Shoulders studies human culture and is familiar with King Kong and Overwatch #Bear makes a Mighty Mouse reference and uses the phrase “take the W”#Vadderung is familiar with Peanuts and chuckles at Harry's Andre the Giant reference #Bob. Just in general.#Hades is familiar with modern media's depictions of himself...#...although this may be standard for divine beings to know how they or their archetypes are perceived by mankind in general #like Mab with Frozen and The Chronicles of Narnia #Lara's an interesting case because she's familiar with mortal media but she uses it as a tool to expand the White Court's influence #(e.g. through works like Dracula or through her - ahem - acting career)#I'm sure I'm missing even more examples.#See also: Luccio is an older member of the White Council yet she studies computers in her spare time.#Listens to Wind re-attends medical school every so often to keep up with modern practices #On the flipside: Lasciel weaponizes her use of pop culture references as a means of ingratiating herself with Harry to manipulate him.#Hannah Ascher does the same in Skin Game.#So I guess that means if a new character appears and makes fun pop culture references - it means they are a trusted ally...#Or it's secretly Lasciel again.

#wizardbaron #art #drawing #my art #digital art #sketch #digital drawing #fanart #dresden files #gentleman johnny marcone #john marcone #harry dresden #harry blackstone copperfield dresden

Was a difficult challenge painting a supernaturally beautiful man but we did it

“Let's get something clear up front. I'm not Harry Dresden. Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44 revolver in his pocket. He'll spit in the eye of gods and demons alike if he thinks it needs to be done, and to hell with the consequences -- and yet somehow my little brother manages to remain a decent human being. I'll be damned if I know how. But then, I'll be damned regardless. My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster.”

― Thomas Raith, Backup

#my art #thomas raith #dresden files #harry dresden #jim butcher #timelapse #the dresden files #fanart

Watching Dresden operate was usually one of two things: mildly amusing or positively terrifying. On a scene, his whole personal manner always made me think of autistic kids. He never met anyone’s eyes for more than a flickering second. He moved with the sort of exaggerated caution of someone who was several sizes larger than normal, keeping his hands and arms in close to his body. He spoke a little bit softly, as if apologizing for the resonant baritone of his voice.

—Jim Butcher, Aftermath (short story from Murphy's POV)

#dresden files #the dresden files #harry dresden

A new live-action Dresden Files idea??? Also I can’t believe I missed this AMA

#dresden files #harry dresden #the dresden files #jim bucher