Don't you love frogs? Do you WANT a frog? You can buy one. A handmade Little Lenny! On my Ko-Fi! For as little as US$16! And international shipping is as low as US$15! It's handmade, stuffed with recycled materials, and NOT AMAZON! Yippee!
(Please buy one.)
[Image ID: A small plush of the 2024 Paris Olympics mascot, La Phryge, sits behind a handmade tomato frog plush.]
Behold! The world's most specific drawing that appeals only to me! Dave Strider as a Phryge. Do you like my art? Consider dropping a tip on my Ko-Fi.
[Image ID: A drawing of the 2024 Paris Olympics mascot, La Phryge, with arms raised. The Phryge resembles a Phrygian cap and has been restyled to look like Homestuck's Dave Strider. End image ID]
You know what’s cooler than a shitty, wearable AI “friend” (AKA spyware)? Supporting your local weird artist and Homestuck fic churner by buying a handmade froggy plush! (Sadly only available in the US.)
If you’re not in the US or can’t afford a tomato froggy right now, I have other doodads on my Ko-Fi page, including easy to print and distribute educational zines about United States corruption, America’s history with “internment camps”, and fully cited quotes from GOP “leadership”. All the zines are free, but you can always drop some dollars in the milk jug.
(No, I will not link my AO3 on my “professional” business account. I’m not that stupid.)
[Image ID: A crocheted tomato frog, primarily orange, made of yarn and stuffed with recycled materials. End Image ID]
Despite it being 2025, Homestuck has returned. To celebrate the launch of the animated pilot, I present to the world what may be my most cursed idea yet! Behold: Dave Strider Devouring His Smuppet, digital ink on digital canvas.
Do you “like” my art? That’s mildly concerning, but thank you! If you feel so inclined, you can always leave me a tip on my Ko-Fi page!
[Image ID: A Homestuck-themed parody of Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son (1820–1823). In this version, Dave Strider, wearing his god tier outfit, is attempting to devour a yellow smuppet. The smuppet is missing its arms. End Image ID]
Charlize Theron's 97% RT Fantasy Masterpiece Is a Must-Watch for K-Pop Demon Hunter Fans
NOTE: This article is a sample of my medium-length content writing. To view the full article, click the “read more” link. If you enjoy my writing, consider contacting me via my Ko-Fi page.
It’s easy to call Maddie Kang and Chris Appelhans’s KPop Demon Hunters 2025’s quintessential cultural touchstone. The Netflix-backed musical masterpiece has captivated hearts worldwide, and its toe-tapping songs are popping up everywhere — from TikTok and Instagram to ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Fans are chomping for more, and an Oscar-nominated Laika film may be the perfect solution.
While Kubo and the Two Strings focuses on Japanese culture, Travis Knight’s 2016 adventure is no less thrilling. Audiences may not find tracks as catchy as “Golden” and the nigh inescapable “Soda Pop”, but a shamisen-heavy score by Dario Marianelli promises plenty of auditory thrills.
Kubo and the Two Strings Is a Musically Focused Family Adventure
FUN FACT: The giant skeleton is based on Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s 19th-century triptych Takayasha the Witch and Skeleton Specter (or Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Specter Invoked by Princess Takiyasha).
Learn more about this delightful woodblock print and see the full triptych on Wikipedia.
By genre alone, these two films form a colloquial circle on a theatrical Venn diagram. Both are solidly classified as musical fantasy adventure films, although Kubo’s instrumental inclinations are less vocal than KPop Demon Hunter’s. That said, sharing a genre isn’t a surefire formula for fandom cross-pollination. Fortunately, the links between Kubo and KPop Demon Hunters are far from superficial.
Narratively, Travis Knight’s 102-minute masterpiece revolves around the same “harmonious found family” ideals as Netflix’s Kang-Appelhans film. Its plucky protagonist, Kubo (Art Parkinson), shares more than a few similarities with Huntr/x’s Rumi (Arden Cho/Ejae). His mission, however, is not quite as widespread. Where Huntr/x strives to seal the Honmoon that protects all of Korea, Kubo merely wishes to escape his grim, foretold fate at the hands of his grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes).
To do so, he embarks on a pseudo-mythical journey. Like the Huntr/x girls, he meets and befriends (albeit with markedly more enthusiasm) two mysterious companions: Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey). The anthropomorphic duo may not sing and dance with as much style as Demon Hunters’ Saja Boys, but they have just as much heart.
And this is where the narrative diverges from the path laid by Kang and Appelhans. Kubo and the Two Strings takes a decidedly more Odyssean route. Huntr/x never steps foot outside Korea, but Kubo’s ragtag crew undertakes a grueling journey across Travis Knight’s fantastical vision of feudal Japan. That said, fans of KPop Demon Hunters’ stellar fights will be pleased to know that Laika’s musical adventure is stuffed with edge-of-your-seat action sequences.
KPop Demon Hunters and Kubo and the Two Strings Are Homages to Cultural Traditions
FUN FACT: The giant skeleton was a fully constructed and rigged figure. It stood sixteen feet (five meters) tall and weighed 400 pounds (180 kilograms). Moving the behemoth required a custom-built robotic rig.
See amazing behind-the-scenes footage of the skeleton on YouTube.
Obviously, there are some stark differences between Kubo and Demon Hunters. The most obvious is that, unlike Kang and Appelhans’s ambitious piece, Travis Knight’s fanciful fantasy film aims its lens at Japanese culture. Everything about Kubo and the Two Strings — from its visual style to its narrative structure — is a loving homage to Japan’s rich cultural heritage.
For example, in a post-Oscars interview, director Travis Knight specifically cited the minimalist, texturally rich works of Kiyoshi Saito as the driving force behind the film’s unique landscapes. The story, meanwhile, draws on the stylistic trappings of esteemed Japanese storytellers like Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki.
And despite the two films’ seemingly incompatible narratives, there’s an undeniable spark of earnest admiration that links them together. Where KPop Demon Hunters embraces Korean culture, Kubo and the Two Strings celebrates Japan’s cultural impact. Both films also spotlight the mental aspects of a classic hero’s journey. Rumi’s struggles with acceptance and self-love, for instance, closely parallel Kubo’s search for a family. These films thrive on whimsy and eccentricity, and their characters are archetypal “odd one out” misfits with musical magic.
That said, Kubo and the Two Strings obviously lacks the club-ready soundtrack of KPop Demon Hunters. (Unless one includes skillful remixes.) It was never meant to be a musical, after all. The titular Kubo’s powers are more traditional, and his magic hails from purely instrumental shamisen interludes. That said, Dario Marianelli’s score (available on both YouTube and Spotify) is no less captivating. There’s even a smidgen of pop, as the end credits sync up with a Japanese folk cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, as sung by Regina Spektor.
Kubo and the Two Strings is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Netflix, and YouTube (in the United States). Even better, you can purchase and own the film forever by snagging a Blu-Ray/4K DVD combo pack from SHOUT Factory. The film’s producer, Laika, also sells some delightful Kubo-themed merch, including an amazing tie-in art book.
Don't you love frogs? Do you WANT a frog? You can buy one. A handmade Little Lenny! On my Ko-Fi! For as little as US$16! And international shipping is as low as US$15! It's handmade, stuffed with recycled materials, and NOT AMAZON! Yippee!
(Please buy one.)
[Image ID: A small plush of the 2024 Paris Olympics mascot, La Phryge, sits behind a handmade tomato frog plush.]
Another zine is out! This one covers the disparity between what Trump and the GOP have said about the Epstein Files and what's actually playing out. Keep pushing this issue; it's deeply unpopular. Who would've thunk that making an entire movement around Epstein and then refusing to release the files would make a lot of people angry?
(The logical answer should be "anyone with at least two brain cells to rub together." But somehow the real answer is "the entire Republican party.")
[Image ID: Three photos of a free printable zine about MAGA and the recent Epstein Files cover-up. End image ID]
This zine covers direct quotes from Trump and his allies. Topics covered range from disparaging suicidal women to ableism. Every quote and fact is fully and properly cited.
Like the other zines (Japanese-American internment camps and lawless ICE deportations), it's easy to print black-and-white. No glue necessary; just a pair of scissors. Print and distribute these as you see fit. And maybe consider tipping me? Maybe?
[Image ID: Photos of an informational zine containing quotes from Donald Trump and his GOP allies. Each page is a different subject, including Trump, Vance, Mike Johnson, Joni Ernst, and RFK Jr. The final page includes information on folding the zine. End Image ID]
Here's another handy educational zine! It's free on my Ko-Fi. I designed this one as an introduction to how and why ICE is basically an unregulated Gestapo. This one includes stories about unfair and inhumane deportations with appropriate citations. The download is free and includes other PDF and JPG.
[Image ID: Two photos of a zine about ICE deportations. The back cover includes folding instructions. End Image ID]
(Typo is fixed.) Download here, use the July 4, 2025 file.
This zine includes information about Japanese-American internment camps and their parallels to Trump's disgusting "Alligator Alcatraz." It's available as a PSD and JPG. Black and white for easy printing, no gluing required, and made from a single sheet of paper. Go wild.
(Typo is fixed.) Download here, use the July 4, 2025 file.
This zine includes information about Japanese-American internment camps and their parallels to Trump's disgusting "Alligator Alcatraz." It's available as a PSD and JPG. Black and white for easy printing, no gluing required, and made from a single sheet of paper. Go wild.