Just something that was on my noggin today. I notice that an increasing number of "good movies" get rated low by the mainstream critic score but get rated high by the audience score.

As artists we take flak for our opinions and personal beliefs. Separating the art from the artist seems harder today than ever before. We've entered this turbulent time of virtue signaling fervor and witch-hunting others over the stupidest and most baseless of accusations.

Chances are if someone rates you low yet refuses to express "why" they're just an asshole. Don't feel bad. "Maybe" you posted something somewhere they didn't like. "Maybe" they take issue with the subject matter that's your focus or they'd "love" your work if only you were another gender (And cuter) or your face wasn't so annoying! Doesn't matter,really. You're not beholden to bend knee to them if they will not even justify their score with actual critique.

Much akin to rotten tomatoes you must remember for every silent hater you probably have at least five silent admirers as well! And even if someone "does" post something whether or not it's relevant is up to interpretation. I "could" write a negative review about Alien, one of my favorite sci-fi horror films of all time if I "tried" hard enough,if I was that determined to paint it in a negative light despite the fact it's brilliant. I'm sure many bad reviews of Joker use verbosity and fancy yet relatable terminology that "seems" legitimate yet "most people" enjoyed it anyway and it has already exceeded expectations with its' opening numbers.

This is why we shouldn't be so tied up judging things via ratings and committees. See it yourself and make your own analysis! (Always "think" for yourself as well!)

"Naw meng, I just wanna watch a good movie then go home and eat some tendies!"

At least with "my characters" I'm allowing the internet to have a bit more freedom over using them so long as I'm credited and they share alike as it were. I've always feared being taken advantage of (Even though a lot of my ideas suck or are not cutting edge that doesn't mean no one will steal them. "Idea thieves" steal stupid stuff all the time!) but if I smother my ocs and never let them out into the world they'll just remain obscure and die forgotten.

I'm also going to place Alexander McLean's creations I've collaborated with him on under similar conditions and in that case I'll simply kindly remind folks to give him credit too. For those wondering, my true name is Ben Sprague. Please use it along with my pen-name "Broken" too. Thanks much!

Over time I'll change the commons license for each character. (Though certain characters may remain protected for whatever reason)

Below is the original "legal draft" I thought up when Alex and I began expanded Ultranet-worlds and I came up with its' spin off Gutter-delve. It's long-winded but also attempts to be very fair! Go by that and we'll have no problems!

Terms of use

"I don’t mind people using Gutter-Delve as a source of reference or even inspiration. If you want to make ocs (original characters) within the Ultanet-Worlds/Gutter-delve universe based upon the info provided here that’s entirely fine. (After all this is the internet,rule 34 and things stranger still are bound to happen!) So long as these ocs are not merely re-colors or renamed versions of preexisting characters I could care less. Similarities between ocs and our own characters are okay (Heck,similarities cannot be avoided! Nothing is 100% "new" under the sun!) but too many uncanny similarities ( including a lack of diverse elements between written background-stories) will be considered an attempt at creation theft. (Unless you're aiming for cheeky satire in the context of "Original character,do not steal!" as well as freely distributed memes! That's fine!) You "can" write fan fictions or draw fan-arts of our preexisting characters without permission so long as you're not profiting monetarily from it (Unless it's a commission of modest payment between you and a patron) and are honest about your inspiration. Just be courteous enough to list us somewhere in the credits!

In other words, I’d ask that no one monetizes upon these ideas to make a profit on a much larger scale (Aka creating film adaptations,television series,comics,cartoons,action figures,etc.) without express consent from both myself and Alexander McLean. (And we "both" must agree to any "deal" being presented)

Lastly myself & Alex retain the rights to use our characters. You can do whatever you want (satirical or serious) with your own ocs and spin off fan fictions and we will just consider it "another reality" among a multitude of "infinite earths". However "we" maintain the right to continue to draw our characters,write stories for our characters,create new characters in our canon,redesign/rewrite/reboot all our characters,and earn monetary gain from our characters/core canon franchise if such opportunities arise. I know what happened to Jack Kirby and anyone who tries to put us in a similar compromised position can fuck right off!

"Readings" and "character critiques" via streaming video/streaming audio.

Doing "readings" of my stories and giving "character reviews/critiques" of my characters or Alex's are permitted so long as credit is given. This is one time I'd make an exception for people making a profit off our work as I'd consider this "free advertising". I know those who recite stories or do character criticisms on youtube (And similar media platforms) often have patreons or other means to procure income which in this case I have nothing against.

Such people can be kind or completely go into roast mode! All we ask is any criticisms focus on our works and never stray into the realm of untrue slander or defamation of character. (Aka, I realize scantily clad big booty wenches are not everyone's cup of tea but trying to insinuate what I draw or how I draw it makes me a misogynist (woman hater) or dangerous pervert is a false equivalency and will be treated as such.)"

~Ben Sprague (Broken,nightsavior)

So to get as far away from "identity politics" and "intellectual penis fencing" as I possibly can, I thought I'd simply go into some good ol' video games that have remained favorites of mine over the years!

Best super hero games: Arkham asylum/Arkham city

I list both these together as I believe they are complimentary halves that tie into one great story. Just everything about the early Arkham series was the perfect Batman experience. The exploration,brawling,stealth,and "detective work" all managed to somehow be enjoyable with not a single element standing out as tedious or poorly done. (This coming from a guy that's not the fondest of busy work and "sneaking around" segments.) Boss encounters in both these games were memorable as well.

Furthermore, even by today's standards these games look beautiful! (Er, in a dark,foreboding,and spooky "Gothic urban sprawl" kind of way!) Matter of fact, the other genre Rocksteady would be great at tackling someday would be some kind of action horror thriller hybrid. Much of Arkham asylum also reminded me of the Arkley Mansion in Resident Evil and the "psychological segments" with Scarecrow made me reminisce about Silent-Hill and Evil Within.

Lastly? The voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series returned and reprised their roles so to us fans old enough to make that connection it was a nostalgic treat! Definitely good titles to pick up in October assuming you're one of the few people who has not played Arkham Asylum and Arkham City repeatedly already.

Best Weeb game: Onechanbara Z2 Chaos

Initially I thought I was going to put Senran Kagura Shinovi versus here simply for the fact despite the obnoxious fan-service the game still had endearing likable characters and a somewhat decent story-line. (As decent of a story line as you can get about buxom ninja girls attending their own private schools whilst they deal with the trials and tribulations life has to throw at them!) 

"But" Onechanbara Z2 Chaos really drew me in with the crazy over the top hack n slash gameplay,B-movie horror themes,and the outrageous yet strangely touching dialogue between the 4 main characters. (Two sisters that are from a vampire clan and the other two sisters who are from the "baneful dead" clan.) Imagine if "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" were all hawt scantily clad monster-girls instead who went around the world slaying all matter of supernatural creatures. Yeah,it's a strange premise but it kinda works.

Each protagonist specializes using three weapons which they can switch between on the fly. (Every once in awhile you have to sling the blood off your weapons to keep their damage output high as well) In addition to executing gorgeous yet lethal combos you can also call in the three other girls to fight at your side when "Ready" flashes next to their portraits or go into a ridiculous devil trigger/super saiyan form once you've built up enough energy for it.

I originally hesitated getting Onechanbara Z2 Chaos because some people complained the campaign was "too short" but I found it to be a reasonable enough length and enjoyed doing the many challenges/side missions as well. Playing thru all the difficulties and side content will net you more outfits and you'll also acquire points to spend on various mystic rings that boost certain attributes,increase the chance of item drops,or just buff your stats. Beyond all that you have new moves to learn,weapons to upgrade,and "chaos gems" can even increase your overall health gauge.

If your a fan of games like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry this is one I highly recommend despite it's more humble "low budget studio" origins. (And Senran Kagura as a series still gets an honorable mention too!)

Best horror game: Silent-Hill 3

Here's the thing. I've played horror games that were "more fun" and had more side content than Silent Hill 3. Resident Evil Revelations 2's "raid mode" is a testament to just how many hours you can invest into something that has NOTHING TO DO with character development,scary ambience,creepy tension, or spinning a decent narrative. Sometimes it's fun just to blast away zombies,collect guns with a ridiculous number of unrealistic side properties,and dress your choosen avatar in the most unrealistic slutty attire possible! Guilty pleasures,fam. What can I say?

However, SilentHill 3 was "something more". I get it,most "Silent Snoots" praise Silent Hill 2 as if "the twist" with James was something revolutionary (It wasn't) and somehow it's unique take on psychological themes makes it the best Silent Hill ever. (It's a good game don't get me wrong but nope,not my personal favorite in the franchise!)

Heather's journey represents a lot of things. At the heart of it all I'd call them "growing pains". As we become young adults we tend to lose someone close and dear to us and gradually learn we're not "right" about everything and as invincible as we initially thought we were. We move on with the epiphany the plans we make for ourselves are not full proof. The world outside our initial safety net is a strange,unforgiving, and coldly impartial place.

To quote The Doors.......

"When you're strange

Faces come out of the rain

When you're strange

No one remembers your name

When you're strange

When you're strange

When you're strange!"

There's definitely this initial feeling of alienation and isolation as Heather has to confront her past and deal with people who mostly do not have her best interests at heart. This doesn't even touch on the nightmarish other world sequences or strange grotesque creatures that litter the various hell-scapes. (And the most terrifying ones don't even attack you,they just watch you!) In the end you strike down a cult-leader that on the inside is merely an abused shy little girl who wants to bring her best friend back to life as well as her failed "left overs" of that plan. It doesn't feel "grandiose" or triumphant. It simply feels sad yet simultaneously cathartic. (Very bittersweet.) Luckily Heather did make a trusted companion along the way and the good ending suggests she can finally move forward without being shackled to the past.

(And bandaged Alessa giving us the "thumbs up" during the SH1 credit roll is still best prettiest waifu!)

Best rpg: Nier Gestalt/Replicant

Imagine a cute lass who exhibits the alluring come hither traits of elf princesses (Zelda!) but she cries all the time and may or may not be diagnosed with schizophrenia and manic depression! Who knows? She (He?) might be a trap too! (You haven't gotten that far to find out yet!) That's Nier. Melancholy and awkward yet sheer perfection in the way it pulls your heart-strings. One moment you're laughing your ass off because Kaine (Your hermaphrodite hawtie companion) is cussing out your sentient floating spell book Weiss whilst he retorts by calling her a hussy! The next moment you learn Emil's backstory and it breaks your fucking heart. All the characters in Nier are outcasts and misfits yet never before have fictional beings been so relatable,vulnerable,and "human".

At it's crux Nier is an "action rpg" structured in a similar way as a more modern Zelda game but set in a much more tragic setting. "This gloomy mood" is sometimes broken with crude humor, heartfelt touching interactions between key characters, or Emil (The "innocent soul" of your adventuring party) doing something utterly "adorable"! As "The burly man" you and your homies are trying to save your sickly daughter from the black scrawl curse. (Xbox 360 version to be precise. In the PS3 version you are a bishounen looking lad trying to save your sister who is still the same character. Er,riiiighto!) Obviously you get wrapped up in more far reaching mechanations as you face head spinning plot reveals and heart crushing unexpected betrayals. (Whilst you smash shadow monster thingies, giant abominations, and robots for the express purpose of experience farming!)

I don't know if I can recommend Nier to just anybody. It's sort of that "Jack of all trades but master of none" as far as combat,exploration,side quests,and boss encounters go. But the music,voice acting, and character building are superb and worth the multiple play thrus it takes to uncover the whole truth!

(Oh Yoko Taro,you lovable mad lad you!)

Best "Something"-Vania: Ritual Of The Night

I'll level with you all. I "liked" Lords Of Shadow. That's right, I said it! Lords Of Shadow was a competent action exploration game that to me was cut from a similar cloth as Super Castlevania (SNES) only with that modern spectacle twist. (Along with a pretty intriguing alternative take on CV lore) Stay with me,alright? Don't make any misplaced assumptions just yet! I "also" was sad to see Igarashi leave Konami and though I enjoyed Lords Of Shadow "Symphony Of The Night" was my all time favorite game in the series.

After the failure of "Mighty No. 9" I was paranoid of Kick-Starter gaming projects. When Iga wanted funding for a new Igavania type adventure I wished him well but was very cautiously optmistic. "If the project gets released I'll buy it if it has good reviews but not 1 cent will be given before then!" I said to myself with steely conviction.

Welp, after having put 50 something hours into ROTN (Which I bought from GOG) I can confidently say it's at least "tied" with SOTN as my all time favorite Igavania game! Even without the plethora of "additional content" that's been promised for further down the pipe line, it still stands strong as a complete side-scrolling Fantasy/Gothic/Horror/Action/Exploration/RPG/Boss Rush extravaganza! If you are a hardcore SOTN acolyte you may prefer the old school sprites over the 3D renders used in ROTN but everything "still" had painstaking detail put into it and looks phenomenal. (The gameplay will also immediately appeal to anyone who blazed a bloody trail thru Dracula's cursed castle alongside his rebellious son Alucard!)

As Miriam you were an orphaned child made into a sacrificial shard binder that can seal away demons. The alchemists made you this way to prove to the industrial steam powered world they still have knowledge and skills beneficial to the modern era. Alas, your childhood friend (Also a shard binder) uses his powers to call forth and ally himself with the demons as an intimidating monster infested manor conjures itself into existence on the bleak horizon.

From there on out Miriam will interact with helpful npcs and use her shard binding abilities to steal powers from the surrounding bestiary or even to bind some of them to her soul as familiars. As expected there's also a "recipe system" to make a plethora of foods that improve Miriam's stats or enhance her items. (Miriam finds everything from weapons,to armors,to helpful trinkets. Some which give her special abilities needed to explore deeper into the demonic domain.)

The only criticism that can be leveled at ROTN is for certain people it might be a wee bit "too much" like Iga's past offerings. However, if you were like me and starved for another good SOTN-Like experience ROTN delivers in all areas! (Including the music composed by Michiru Yamane,concept art by Ayami Kojima,and voice acting from David Hayter and Uncle Alucard himself!)

Best open world "I can do what I want!" game: Saints-Row2-4

Want an open world game without the GTA bullshit of in game Casinos and in game rarities that will end up costing you REAL money? Do you agree bowling with your cousin is about as adrenaline pumping as watching paint dry? Saints-Row should be your first stop then! As of "today" you can get Saints-Row 2 and Saints-Row 3 and 4 bundled with all their content for "very cheap".

To start, I'm a sucker for games that let me make my own character. I don't know why GTA is so hellbent on "never" letting you do this (Except in their multi-player bullshit modes) but it's a lot of fun to make your own quirky avatars that are total bad-asses within the criminal underworld.

Some lament the obvious "mood shift" between SR2 and SR3 and SR4 but I enjoy all the games based on their own positive attributes. It's not often you get to go from being a regular gang leader to surviving a zombie apocolypse then finally taking on hostile aliens who have plugged you into a virtual reality simulation with super powers! (Did I mention by this point you were the president of the U.S.A?!)

To me SaintsRow 2 is best when you want a game "somewhat grounded in realism" and it seems to be the largest game with the most to explore. SR2 also has that trademark zany sense of humor, it's just more subdued and peppered in with a few somewhat more serious happenings.

By contrast SR3 and SR4 "Jump the shark" but in that "At least I'm having a great time!" sort of way. Both these games seem a lot more colorful with a lot more gag reels and pop cultural satire.

Regardless, I can't think of a better distraction to eat away at your time whilst alleviating your boredom than the Saints-Row collection! Highly recommended! (Even with the floppy purple dildoes!)

Best fighting game: Skull Girls

For decades I waited for a new Dark-Stalkers entry. My prayers were eventually answered but in a very round about way! You see Skull Girls is sort of that "unofficial sequel" to everything I enjoyed about obscure fighting games that were forgotten and taken for granted. It plays a lot like capcom's "ye olde" versus games and has a setting and story line rooted in supernatural creatures, mad scientist experimentation, and eldritch creatures scheming to "do bad things" unless they are stopped. All this framed within a strange alternate-earth time period that borrows from the 1920's and 1940's.

At its' heart I believe Skull-Girls is a humble attempt to give us the best parts of the genre minus any unnecessary fluff. That being a cast of "mostly" very attractive female characters with cool powers that pay homage to both traditional western cartoons and Japanese anime! (And that classic horror vibe endears me to Skull-Girls that much more!)

Their are fighters with "more characters" and fighters that I believe are just as worthy of a mention. But Skull-Girls tickled my nostalgic funny bone and had me play thru each character's storyline just to see what happened to its' endearing cast.

Supposedly this game was even censored (Why? Who knows!) but there's still a lot of fan service and sexiness to see!

In his newest comedy act (Sticks And Stones) Dave Chapelle said the hardest thing to talk about was the LGBT+ community. He brought up both "cancel culture" (Holding people accountable for stupid yet harmless crap they tweeted or said years prior) and how you cannot really criticize the sacred "LGBT" without immediate backlash. (He was right!)

After debating with people on aspects of the LGBT I questioned it indeed seemed like the usual run-around. I gave "real examples" of things that seemed "wrong" (Allowing children to transition to another gender as young as 5, articles defending letting kids attend gay pride parades even with kinky shenanigans present,and how I feel about the amazing Desmond.) Keep in mind I'm not criticizing "being gay" or "being trans". My bigger beef is introducing certain aspects of the adult experience to children way before they're ready for it. For this I was given the usual run around and the usual "meh-meh-meh" about how straight CIS people are oh so privileged and that I'm "out of touch" and don't know what I'm talking about. Same types of people always seem to use the same tactics. I would have brought up many of my friends are in fact gay and trans but then I'd get accused of tokenism. (Social Justice is a game no one can win!)

Honestly before puberty I couldn't be bothered to think about my identity or sexuality. I splashed around in the creek behind my house and occasionally played with my Transformers, Voltron lions, or Star-Wars figurines. I suppose that's "typical boy behavior" but I simply engaged in things I thought were fun. I later took a shine to Jem And The Holograms and Sailormoon too but it didn't mean I suddenly decided to identify as a girl! So, what made my experience "different" from kids today? There didn't seem to be any weird propaganda separating kids into their own categories. There was no equivalent of "Queer kids stuff" (An actual channel targeted at children) or Bill Nye handing over his mic to a wannabe flamboyant pop star singing about "Butt-Stuff". If you think I'm just an outdated boomer for being concerned about all this,fine. Yet it's not really the content so much as "when" it gets introduced that irks me. I certainly think 14-15 year olds are ready to talk about sexual feelings,sexual preferences,and gender identity to a certain degree. 5-10 year olds? Er,not so much. Again, being a child is a whole different experience compared to being an adolescent. That's why in my time teachers waited to discuss certain topics until after puberty had already kicked in.

Another thing I noticed was an all out attack on masculinity. We've all seen it play out. If boys are hyperactive in class they're given ritalin to calm them down. (What the heck happened to recess?) Statistically girls now excel in school better than boys and this is based upon how the new curriculum has been structured. The suicide of young males is "also" at an all time high. The result? Many men and boys straight up withdraw from society and refuse to socialize and pursue relationships. Otherwise terms like "incel" and "mgtow" would not exist. I also noticed a subculture of young men who take estrogen pills to look more effeminate simply because even being a trap/fem-boy with an anime-girl voice can garner it's own fanbase and generate more instant likes and positive attention than being a normal regular guy. I'm actually a subscriber/follower of many of those people! They're just "playing the system" the best way they can and though it's not something I would do I certainly understand the psychology behind it. (Though I think anyone who does any kind of transitioning should ALWAYS talk to their doctors as altering one's natural body chemistry can come with health complications later on.) That and many of em are genuinely funny and talented!

Anyway, I'm done. I talked of length about most of these things in the forums only to be called "insecure". If that was true I would not even have brought it up in the first place. I do not think anything I've brought up here makes me a "bigot" and if anything I'm surprised so many people really have no idea what is going on around them. That must be quite the thick bubble. Regardless,it's not my job to pop it. Hopefully future blogs will be more lighthearted and much less about identity politics!

PS: "Eventually" I got some more rational and friendly people to respond. Just wanted to say I appreciated their participation immensely. Even if they didn't agree with me on everything they were still willing to engage me respectfully during the discussion!

Additional info

The amazing Desmond

Queerkidsstuff

Gay Pride Children can handle the kink Huffington Post

Bill Nye Butt-Stuff Guy?

Do men need to check their privilege?

Funny stuff but still relevant!

Bussy gang!

Momma!

E-rp

The growing chasm between people

Even as an introvert things were not so bad in 1999. I actually had female friends and a few of them made advances at me but you know how it usually pans out when you pick up on signals and gestures from others a bit too slowly! (Oof!) Gotta learn to seize the day as they say! Opportunity windows don't last forever! Regardless, I went to a couple nightclubs and even was in the middle of a few parties. At least I can say there were chances for even the most antisocial book-worm to occasionally hang out with like-minded people and have a good time! This was one of the few "positive" aspects about college and believe it or not, everything was mellow! Aka, I never heard rumors of any rape accusations. People who got together at least attempted to make their relationships work and even if they didn't,"normally" there were no valuables getting thrown out windows or other acts of passive aggressive extreme angst! I recall one time one of my female dorm-mates had issues with a guy stalking her awhile but it never escalated into anything that you'd read in a reddit or 4 chan creepy pasta. "Eventually" the guy got the hint and stopped making a fool of himself. I don't think he was dangerous,he just crushed out on this one chick too hard and saw her as some sort of perfect angel lost on earth! (What a smuck!)

The internet was "different" then too. Yeah, there were chat rooms. There was stuff like angel fire and myspace. (I think?) Internet explorer was as powerful as google is now! People were more cool with getting to know each other in cyber space. Aka, asking for a girl's email after you gave her a good hard sexting in pms wasn't considered "risque" or "weird". Being pen pals via emails to get to know each other better was entirely "okay". If at some point the two of you no longer "clicked" you just wrote one final goodbye email and moved on. However,certain people found the loves of their lives online to the point they got together in real life and got married. That definitely appealed to the romantic in me!

So,what changed?

+Chatrooms began encouraging promiscuity over getting to know people

I still occasionally haunt sex/roleplay chatrooms today and one thing that strikes me as weird is that "exchanging emails" has become taboo. You're expected to always go to the same chatroom to meet your regulars but if they get a wild bug up their ass and decide to create a "new profile" whilst not telling you there's nothing you can do about it. And believe me,I've seen others do this often enough! In other words, you don't truly feel like you can get to know the person behind the characters they portray nor do you feel as if you can make lasting impressions. I find it odd people will try to get me onto skype or whatever (I prefer discord) yet me asking us to be pen pals and exchange emails is beyond the pale. I always found people tended to be a bit more themselves when they write emails but maybe that's just me. All I know is I really miss simply having a list of people I could write to/talk to yet without being restricted to having to go to a specific chatroom to do so! (In which they constantly change their ids and avatars as if everyone is in a constant state of ADHD!)

+Thot-pocolypse

I'm probably not as angry at e-thots as certain other people are. Young lasses making money off of "being pretty" or "being sexually alluring" is a transaction as old as time itself! "But" I will add the caveat at least back in the day the pretty women us doods crushed out on could "do things". Alanis Morisette would sing with a provocative erotic allure all her own. Paula Abdul could dance her ass off whilst setting her microphone ablaze! Tracy Lords started porn at 16 but then moved on to become a musical prodigy. Jewel came from a good and pure place and her lyrics always expressed empathy for others. Samantha Fox was....she was friggin Samantha Fox need I say more?! Remember who played as Nancy in the movie The Craft? Gawd, I'd fuck her to infinity if she came at me with that same look everyday! (And yeah,she is a great actress in my opinion to boot.) Granted there were gorgeous women who simply posed nude for playboy or penthouse whilst not doing much else so sure,I guess you could argue there were still thots in the 80's-90's. Yet those women were professional models and got chosen for "being interesting" beyond their obvious "assets". (At the very least the ghost writers hired by the erotic magazines to make up their bios would put effort into their background stories to intrigue the readers! It was like wrestling for porn collectors! Extra work was put even into our fap material! Those were the times!)

Today? Go ahead,be mean and be greedy! Literally "ask" guys for money with no veiled pretense of politeness! So long as you're a hawt female you can be the most despicable person ever and still get beta-simps to orbit you so long as you flash your tits and twerk your ass!

Y'know what? All this makes me miss Belle Delphine. At bare minimum she had a quirky sense of humor and got creative! Strangely enough, I think had she grown up in my generation Belle might have had her own weird yet endearing kid's show similar to Pewee Herman's. I dunno, there's just something about Belle that makes me think she'd be wonderful around children (Probably her projection of the manic pixie dream girl) but I digress!

My point is lotsa young men throw all their money and time and these "e-stream-entertainers" with there being no chance in hell they'll ever get with that person. At least when I picked up a titty mag my expectations were realistic. I knew I wasn't ever going to be with any of the models within and their photographs were just there to help me rub one out! By comparison when an individual talks to someone else face to face it's more insidious as the con artist with the

upper hand can manipulate and lie to their mark in real time. E-thots have often fibbed about being single (Whilst having boyfriends) just to plant false hope among their donators. It's a vicious cycle liable to ruin quite a few lives before it ends. (If it ever does)

+Cancel culture

There's a line in the original Spider-man in which Green Goblin confesses to Peter that "the masses" get off more on watching a hero fall than they do watching a hero triumph. Sam Raimi was truly a brilliant visionary ahead of his time in many regards. Indeed, merely log on to twitter for the juiciest most deplorable gossip about anyone you previously believed was a decent human being! Whether it's outright sexual assault or having an indecent relationship with a minor (Who can be as old as 17 but everyone always immediately jumps to the assumption its' a child and pedophilia is afoot!) get ready to gaze into the mouth of madness and lose all hope for mankind!

The mob being right or being wrong doesn't matter,we all feel like we're a few pointing fingers,scything stares,and shouts away from being targeted ourselves and even if we've done "nothing wrong" someone will be more than happy to make up some absurd accusation! Proof is not even necessary as all this amounts to is one big popularity contest. If your reputation cannot endure copious amounts of slander than you're literally in a boat without a paddle!

Is it no wonder why we're afraid to try to form relationships amidst all this mad-cap hysteria? The knife of betrayal in the back always hurts whether it's from an ex friend or ex lover. It seems as if now days the vampires truly go for the jugular and are not happy until whole lives are ruined!

Pro-Jared was able to "bounce back" after being the victim of cancel culture during his turbulent divorce but Zoe Quinn's accusations made Alec (A game developer) end his own life. You'd be right to say the accusations might hold some truth but given Zoe Quinn's dubious record at hoaxes and fabrications I certainly would not believe her myself!

+Cliques actually do help us socialize and we tend not to be in cliques as adults

In HS and college we often bemoan "the cliques". Aka, people of like mind that dress the same and think the same. Yet at least in HS and College you had "no choice" but to interact with others. Eventually you too had your group of friends,united by common goals and common interests. As an adult I found myself outside my small town once I settled down. All the lasses I liked are now married and have kids. Most everyone is still the same. Y'know what? At least they're happy! So many films and big city artsy snoots "make fun" of the simplicity of small town life but my friends who believe in God,go to church,and have families are very content. That's not to say you cannot be a happy bachelor or happy bachelorette BUT on average those who are lonely tend to be miserable at least sometimes. Cliques may seem shallow but they help us connect to others and and help us be apart of the greater community.

I think the reason so many adults stay in hot-topic-mode and get tattoos is because fashion and body art can give the onlooker a quick run down on whether or not they like the same things that are being displayed by the other person. A Bathory band T-shirt or tattoo of Pyramid head can easily start a discussion! (An automatic ice breaker!)

Of course you have to have money to buy cool clothes and money to hire a good tattooist! This is why when I get dreamy eyed around a cute Goth babe wearing nothing but my plain red T-shirt and Old navy jeans she curls her lip and rides her broom off into the night! (I'm a Goth INSIDE,damn it!)

The whole reason I became an illustrator was because I always had a difficult time verbally communicating with people and I was too poor to peacock so there was always the hope some people could look at my art,decipher where I was coming from, and befriend me if they resonated with me on the same level. It "did" work sometimes but other times all I've done is scare the shit out of the normies!

Can we fix it?

Being the chasm between people is growing ever larger I often ask myself if we will ever remedy that problem. So long as technology persists and social applications remain such addictive dopamine and narcissism dispensers I really don't have many answers beyond it would seem as if the internet would have to be entirely destroyed for us to become tighter communities again. (And by proxy be encouraged to form deeper, better quality, and longer lasting relationships locally.) What do you think? Will it take a "tech apocalypse" to remedy this problem or can we eventually coexist with our technology whilst avoiding the pitfalls and destructive temptations it constantly flashes in front of our faces? Is the solution simply re-learning how to go outside more frequently while simultaneously socializing with people in the same physical space? What about people with behavioral,mental,and economically based disabilities? Is there any hope for "them" too? Have we learned enough to "cancel" cancel culture before it destroys us all? Discuss!

I remember when I was young I wanted to live in San Francisco. As a young artist at the time, I was simply told that's where the "art community" was and I wanted to be apart of a creative collective that would understand me.

Boy, have times changed! I don't think I ever felt apart of "the art community". Sure, I always enjoyed illustrating and there was a time under my art teacher's tutelage I met diverse and interesting people. But I never really "clicked". Years later I went to the art institute in Minneapolis which was in my opinion one big scam. I recall being excited seeing a colorful flyer that boasted people who intended AI colleges had worked with everyone from George Lucas to Jim Henson. When you're a dumb 21 year old you don't think more critically. I mean those people were probably working in cubicles or taking out the garbage! They definitely were not the creative minds driving everything. Maybe guy A designed a single battle ship in clone wars that was seen for 30 seconds or girl B got to do some famous person's make up. And for them those were "highlights" in their careers. Regardless, I floundered around in that environment like a fish out of water. At the time I didn't even know much about digital art programs or web site designing software so of course that put me at a major disadvantage in "everything"! I didn't even know what photoshop was so let's be real fam, I was "doomed" from the beginning!

As wonderful as my vocational counselor had been, we never really talked about my very limited knowledge of computers. All she knew is I could draw "aight" for someone my age and that was it. Regardless there's a huge divide between liberal arts and commercial arts. Sure, I had a few classes where I actually got to draw or paint but the majority of it was over my head. I'm not going to go into specifics but after I shattered my ankle and was struggling at all my courses I knew it was over. I returned home and meandered around awhile until "eventually" after having gone thru paying rent at a boarding house whilst being a dish washer,couch surfing with friends,briefly being re-institutionalized into a mental asylum,and becoming homeless, I "finally" got my shit together enough to get an apartment and get the help I needed to maintain a small but steady income. It was "hell" and probably the hardest time of my life. I'm grateful some people cared enough to keep me motivated enough to not completely give up because I certainly was tempted!

Anyway, the small city I settled in did have its' own art community and lotsa coffee houses if you were more into the "poetry night" side of things. By that point I finally had a computer and was experimenting with coloring my art digitally but I was utterly awful at it! Regardless, I didn't fit in with all the people welding together metal sculptures,painting surreal landscapes,and running around naked and streaked with random colors just to make some kind of "profound statement". All my hardships had made me more withdrawn so I retreated to online to showcase my stuff there. For years I was an obnoxious train-wreck of a fool. I contribute that partially to the medication cocktail I was on but also having major arrested development issues. Things got "a bit better" after I ditched the "mental wellness" pills that made me a total mess, got into gaming, and began writing about game design while simultaneously cranking out the occasional game review. I found gamers were a friendlier audience than avante garde art snoots and to be frank I had more in common with geeks and gamers anyway! Needless to say, my 30's were filled with less turbulence and better decisions when compared to my 20's. I had finally become an "adult" albeit being a late bloomer. Oh, I still made mistakes and was probably still more naive when compared to other people in my age group "but" I arrived at a point it was like I was a whole other person and better off for it.

Regardless now I'm 41 I can attest I've improved at my craft. Perhaps not as much as I want to but to a point I do not feel it has all been a total waste of time. But there are things I've learned about the "art community" even being an outsider looking in and they are as follows!

-No matter how good you think you are thousands of people are better!

-"Age" doesn't make you the best at your craft. If anything younger artists are growing up with better and better technology to help them learn and refine their illustration ability.

-You can't please everyone,even when you try. Hopefully you can at least please yourself!

-You will encounter people who discriminate against you based on your age,gender,beliefs,past,and the subject matter you choose to illustrate. It sucks feeling as if you're at the other end of the hipster-artist-beatnik-inquisition but if you love what you do enough,don't let "the haters" make you quit.

-For me art is therapy so even when I don't get much attention and even when I'm not making money it's still helping me mentally and spiritually!

-Would I like to be successful? Sure, but this is my passion so even if I continue to go unnoticed I will continue on for my personal well being! What can I say? Drawing is fun,yo! Hopefully it's just as fun for you too!

-Just being a guy who draws attractive women and erotica comes with its' own unique social stigmas but keep in mind even if you try to edit your work to appease the thought-police they will "never" be happy and always come at you with a new list of ridiculous demands. Change your subject matter if "you" want to try something new but don't EVER succumb to the morally outraged mob!

So this is the "dump" of future projects. Aka,things I've sketched out but need to refine and color. I hope some of you get some enjoyment out of it!

So,there's a straight pride parade happening. Let's be honest. "Any" pride parade is just an excuse for people who have something in common to meet and greet each other! I wish I could make a holy religion or public celebration out of sticking my cock in the butts of attractive goth wenches but at the end of the day my sexual preferences are simply how I'm encoded via biology, fetishes ingrained into my brain that started out as reactions to erotic stimuli, and chemical/hormonal balances. It's nothing to be "proud" of. Likewise your skin color and gender "simply are". How can you be "proud" of things you did not even pick out for yourself? You're simply given a meat-car with random features and have to make the best of it regardless! Any "pride stickers" you slap on your random meat-car are just platitudes to comfort yourself. That's it. ( Of course it's appropriate to feel pride on occasion but only for things you accomplish thru your own trials and labors.)

Ey, wanted to thank my friends Nacho and King-Pug for scouting me! I mean I'd be happy just to have my page regardless but it's nice being seen once in awhile. However, the portal invite/scout option seems a wee knit picky as the first time I was scouted I got taken down again and I've heard rumor "patrons" share the downs with those they recommend along with the ups. Aka, it's cool if ya'll just want to look at my art but not take any unnecessary risks beyond that. I wouldn't want a friend/follower of me to suffer for simply trying to be overly kind!

Yo,not that I'm popular enough for you read my blogs or anything but I just wanted to tell my homies I'll probably refrain from the forum section. Being a bit of an OCD jerk-off, I thirst for debating a wee too much and I know eventually I'm gonna write the wrong thing in the presence of the wrong mod and get canned! This would hurt not only me but the person who graciously scouted me so my work could occasionally show up in the art portal. Aka, I'm starting to figure out how the Newgrounds gears and cogs are interconnected. A very interesting system to say the least! Be all this is the case,most of my future ranting will end up on my blog and you're all free to comment or react as you wish.

Honestly, I don't like being abrasive or controversial but I guess in this day and age some of my opinions/stances are not the norm. Politics wise? My family was always strongly Democrat and so was I until the last 10 or so years where goal-posts were moved around so much I just didn't know where I was anymore. I learned being idealistic and being pragmatic/realistic could not always coexist in the same space. It's that conundrum where there are 50 kids and you want to be nice to them all but there's only 15 happy-meals to go around because someone made a clerical error. That is to say in life we don't always get to be the savior and the good guy for everyone no matter how much we long to be accepted and loved by those we meet. Heck, sometimes it's more beneficial to make someone mad or tell them something they don't want to hear. Even parents learn this lesson. (At least the ones that do their jobs raising children correctly.)

Since surpassing my more vanilla derp-pill days I've embraced such edgy philosophies as "Racism against white people is just as wrong as racism against everyone else!" , "While it would be great if we had the technology and infinite resources to save the world we actually do not so open borders is a bad idea!", "That's not hate speech that's a shit-post!", "Censorship is bad even when it's content that offends!," "Citizens having guns to protect themselves is a novel idea!" and the real doozy "There's a difference between illegal immigrants and those who go thru the proper procedures to become legal citizens!". Uh oh,we have a real "alt right degenerate" over here! (Wink,Wink)

Oh don't worry, I've butted heads with the fringe right too! I mean I'm still pro abortion because though I don't like it treated as a cheap form of birth control so hedonistic party-people can constantly evade responsibilities there are always cases where a woman or girl gets raped or a fetus is proven to be deformed and may risk the mother's life if it comes to term. I also don't believe in relocating all non-whites to reservation cities just so certain white supremacist boomers can have their eugenic paradise. Besides, by this point we're all Heinz 57s anyway so how much "purity" is actually left? (However, the left is better off abandoning the white guilt/white privilege narrative that probably in a round about way created more angry white people in the first place. Just saying!) Lastly the type of art I draw would get me labeled as a degenerate by those "heavenly" evangelical types!

I don't really have a dog in either race. Both sides have a few good ideas and both sides compromise those good ideas with radicalized rhetoric and dumb-ass extremist bullshit. Thus it's sad many consider me some sort of loon for coming to these conclusions.

Regardless I hope I can entertain some of you......just don't expect me to be some impossibly idealized polished Adonis you have in your head. I'm offensive, I've made mistakes,I've put up dank memes on certain social media aps you'd find to be sexist or racist, and I greet even friends with a middle-finger! Only a flesh sac filled with bones,meat,gas,cum,and blood here! If you want gold or platinum go down the street to the nearest pawn-shop!