Heeeey peeps!

So, first off, the Homestuck Shipping Olympics are going on. It's just a bunch of people getting together to have fun and ship all kinds of relationships with all kinds of characters. Just fun all around.

Now, I think it'd be fun to have a RoseJade team. There isn't one yet, but I'm now submitting to start one. We have a week to get at least 5 members total. So, who's with me? Who wants to join in the human girl femslashy goodness? You know you want to. Don't fight it. Dooon't fight it. Come to me, my dahling. Step into my world. Let me hold you like a lover should. _{The creepiness will not be an everyday thing if we're on the same team. Or maybe it will, if you're into that. #winkwink}

So if you're interested, read the info HERE and then go and add a comment to sign up HERE. Be sure to read everything, though, so that you're sure what it is you're getting into.

You are all wonderful, sparkly stardust particles, regardless of if you sign up or not. I love you already.:3

Hello dear friends and watchers! I hope your day has been wonderful so far.

I have something I'd like to talk about. Today I came upon two very different videos, both communicating the exact same end message. The interesting thing was the completely different approach that each video took to presenting that message and I wish to address my thoughts on those differences in this journal. The topic is marriage rights.

I realize this video is from last year so maybe the points I'll bring up on it have already been made, but I only just saw it today: Exhibit A

This video has a strong message and it's carrying it on its sleeve. I appreciate what it's trying to do and the points it brings up. What I don't appreciate, is how the message is being presented. I am one of those people in full and strong support of marriage rights for homosexuals (I'd love to marry a lady of my own someday!) but watching this video, having all these people yell and swear at me to support people's right to marry whomever they want, I honestly started feeling my support for it diminish. Based on the opening lines, this video is specifically aimed at the people who don't support marriage rights for homosexuals. So my thought is, "If someone's demeanor over an issue I do care about is so confrontational and mean-spirited that it makes my own support for the issue wane, imagine what it could do to people who don't support the issue?" With a campaign called "FCKH8" the video feels very hateful to me.

[Side note: I don't mean to single out the people in support of marriage rights as the only in your face, angry shouters. I know the other side has posted videos with just as strong a presentation. I am only using this one as an example]

And now the second video: Exhibit B

This video presents the same side of that argument, makes just as strong a case for gay marriage and yet the speaker is presenting his case with such a kind, soft and earnest manner. His argument is just as strong, just as compelling, and his manner of delivery doesn't make me wish I were on the other side of the argument. It makes me want to join his and in a stronger capacity at that.

The point I'm trying to make is it's important to be strong and passionate about what you believe in, but there are perhaps better ways to present our opinions that might help others not just understand better, but actually want to listen to that opinion. If we start a discussion by swearing, yelling and cussing out the person we're trying to convince, that could easily cause them to shut their brains off from the start and then none of the well-thought or researched points you want to make will matter. And if the other person "started it" by being mean to you first, reciprocating their wrongful behavior will not, in any way, persuade them either. This in no way means you should be any less passionate about what you believe in, but there's a difference between passion and yelling in someone's face.

Just some stuff to think on.

Thanks again for all of you who joined. It was a very special time.

Even if I was a little sick. XD

****

Only for a bit, but come join if you have nothing better to do! Who knows, you might even have fun.

Uh, just as a reminder, so you know, my music is very random. Alright, let's do this thing!

[link]

EDIT: Thanks once more for joining me! Lots of fun to be had!

****

Now (badly) coloring the lineart I finished last time: [link]

Shit, let's livestream!

EDIT: Thanks to everyone that joined me! I had a wonderful time! Definitely want to do it again. You're all awesome!

****

It is ON people. Come watch me embarrass myself. WARNING: I've been told I have terrible taste in music. And I'm playing it. 'Cause s'what I do.

[link]

I'm going crazy with schoolwork, so my free time is taken up with mindless things. And also checking up on trends and joining them. What? I don't want to be a square. I wanna be hip! But I move too slowly to be a hipster, so I gotta be a regular person and like things once everyone else is doing them.

I have a tumblr! It's just a start, but tumblr looks like fun. I'll probably start posting linearts or sketches in progress, as well as whatever random things I find and like. I gotta find all the cool tumblrs to follow now.

Look forward to a livestream on Thursday! Here's hoping I get everything done and can do it. But it's more yes than no.

Oh, and: you. Yeah, you. Right there. Yes you! You're awesome. That's all. ^^

I've seen a lot of artists using livestream to allow followers to watch them during their drawing and coloring process, and I've watched a few myself and found it very entertaining. The artist gets in there and draws and plays their drawing music usually. And there's this chat and people can talk, ask questions, offer critique as the artist works.

So, I started wondering: would anyone be interested if I did a livestream broadcast of me working on an image? I just think it looks like fun! A bit nerve-wracking, since it always feels strange when people watch me draw, but, I dunno, it'd be fun to try it out at least once. Whatta ya say?

There are a lot of fun fads out there, and I'm not one to fight them for too long if people might be interested. I've even thought about a tumblr to submit all the sketches and drawings not up to dA posting. But, those are more embarrassing to share, so I don't know yet. X)

~Mag

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Got a question? My Formspring

EDIT 2: IT HAS BEEN POSTED TO VIMEO NOW. Go see it if you missed it!


EDIT: So the link was taken down (MONSTERS!!) but for some reason I could still watch the video through the artist's blog. SO, go HERE and scroll a few entries down. DO IT NOW BEFORE IT GOES AWAY AGAIN!! D:

And even if you can't see the video, she at least has some images of the storyboards there.

END EDITS


WATCH THIS! WATCH IT NOW!

[link]

THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN YOU GUYS!! IT WOULD BE SO COOL!!

Pardon the yelling, but I got totally emotional watching it. And IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN! XD


Love,
~Mag

A new journal so I can get rid of that long sappy one! Woo!

Announcement! I have a Formspring account! In case you don't know, Formspring is a website where you get an account and then people can ask you questions. I opened it to follow some comic artists that were there and I thought, since I have an account, I might as well share it and see if there's anyone out there that wants to ask me a question. So, this is the account if you want to go ask me anything. You know you want to!

I really have enjoyed this extended Christmas break. I've gotten to draw a lot and enjoy family time. And the food. Gosh, I love Puerto Rican food so much. I want to just marry it. Whoever I end up with is going to have to be happy in a polygamous relationship: Her, Me and Puerto Rican Food. We will all be very happy together, I'm sure.

Plans for the new year:
-Keep on drawing, never go away for too long. Get even just a smidge better.
-Smile more.
-Spend more time outside. Not necessarily the great outdoors, just outside.
-Learn a few more recipes by heart.
-Write, write, write.
-Sing in public at least once a week.
-Promote Jane/Lilo more. Get with me on this people!
-Get a girlfriend. (This one's pretty much every year. ) Fingers crossed for Allison Pill! She knows she wants me. Let's all ship Me/Allison Pill, see if we can make this happen. XD

And that's it! Here's to a promising new year! It's gonna be bad, good, bad in a good way and good in a bad way, I just know it!


~Mag

I recently had my 5th dA birthday on October 22nd. I actually hadn't been aware it was coming until people started posting on my profile and it really took me aback that I've had this account for 5 years, and, even with the occasional hiatuses, I still love putting up art here. This got me thinking about why I started this account in the first place, and I don't think that's something I've ever really talked about.

Five years ago I left home having just barely started to realize that I was a lesbian. Because of my conservative and religious upbringing, coupled with entering a highly conservative university, it would be a few years before I would feel comfortable even saying that word, let alone feel fine and content in my own skin. During that first year away, I had nothing and no one to help me figure out who I was and what all that meant for myself and I was still feeling conflicted over everything I'd once thought I'd become. And as odd and strange as it sounds, the one thing I did have was art and dA, a place I'd found where I could put it up, put it out there, and achieve a catharsis that far stretched beyond the regular hidden diary sketchbook.

With this account I started drawing girls kissing, hugging, falling in love, and having relationships with one another. I lacked even the possibility of having any kind of relationship like that in my life, but through drawing it and projecting it onto fictional characters, I was not only able to release my own frustrations at myself and my situation, but was able to find others who appreciated such relationships as I did. I was drawing the kinds of things I wanted in my life and, in a way, keeping myself hopeful and sane that I could have that someday. I could get through every angry, disappointing, frustrating and fearful moment because I could shut it off for a moment and idealize about some other happy place I could strive for. And that helped me survive. Some might think that's a bit out there, to put so much value in fanart (which is sometimes not considered real art) but we all have limitless possibilities of how we can choose to express ourselves and this just happened to be the way I found best for me.

If I may take a small tangent here: I've been deeply touched by the ongoing and very supportive 'It Gets Better' campaign. I think it's an incredibly positive and hopeful message. However, had I received this message earlier in life, I probably would've completely disregarded it in my cynical views of what my future could possibly only hold for me. Obviously, I'm still around, so it never got bad enough for me to do anything drastic, but I think not having that message and having to fight through my own problems alone has taught me something I'd like to add to that message: yes, it gets better, but only if you work at it. It is good and sometimes important to sit around and be frustrated and sad for a while, but the important part of that is to pick yourself up, find something to be happy about and make it better.

If I were asked what kind of artist I am, I'd say I'm a fanartist. Without taking a studious look through my gallery, I'd wager about 85-90% of it is comprised of fanarts. And I'm extremely happy about that. Drawing is a hobby, I don't have what it takes to do it professionally, and I love re-interpreting other's characters. I love taking a show or movie that I love and making it my own, having fun with it all the way through. I love the power, both positive and negative, a fandom can have and I love being a part of it in my own little femslashy corner of each one. This might and does upset people whose views clash with mine, but I don't really mind or fault them. I see these characters my way and it's helped me deal with certain things just as their view and opinion of them might've helped them through their own issues. Slash is fun and sexy, and it's helped me express a part of myself that I've gotten better at expressing, which is why it's what I draw and it's art and it expresses things about me that I couldn't in any other way. Also, it's sexy. :3

So, thank you to everyone here, watcher or of the occasional peruse, old or new friend. I'm thankful to be here and thankful that you're here, for whatever reason you have. DeviantArt can be a tough, imperfect community, but there is much good to be found if you're looking. Here's to more years to come!


~Mag

**End sappy transmission. You may return to your life.**

...to read the entire comic series in one sitting. (That's right. I'm in grad school, I'm getting older, but I still shirk off sleep to enjoy things.)

Loved it. Loved it, loved it. Every moment of it. Every character in it. Yes, even Envy. God, even Julie. And especially Knives. She broke my heart several times. Call her stalker, call her crazy, but my heart will forever have a mushy spot for Knives (both movie and comic versions) and the comic made me realize why: she is so me during and after my first love. She tapped into a teenage me I've tried so hard to forget, and am now happy and sad to remember.

While I do enjoy the movie as its own entity and I completely see how there was no way to fit so much awesomeness into two hours, there's still no way not to compare the two. And the comic wins. Halfway through the first volume, it won. By the end, it kicked the movie so hard in the crotch, it threw up a little.

Ramona wuz robbed. 'Nuff said on that. And now I'm thoroughly convinced Michael Cera was the wrong casting choice. I was expecting a really wimpy Scott in the comic, but he is completely, heads over tails, different than how Michael Cera performed him. Because Michael Cera is always Michael Cera. Whether he's George Michael, Evan, Paulie Bleeker or Nick, he's really just Michael Cera. He was a good, different Scott, though, just not the Scott that I totally loved in the comic.

New life goal: marry Kim Pine. Or at least kiss the lips that kissed hers. And I don't mean Scott. Or Jason, if she ever kissed him.

Now I have to get ready for school. =_=

THERE ARE SPOILERS TO SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (THE MOVIE) IN THIS JOURNAL. I just saw the movie but have not read the books, so this review is solely on the film. I do want to read the books to see how they compare, so please do not spoil the graphic novels for me.

So I went to see Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World today. It was a much-needed and welcomed break after a week of moving and settling into my new apartment. I needed some time out and I'd been told I'd love this movie, so I decided I should go see it.

Things to get out of the way: I enjoyed this movie a LOT. The style, the cleverness, the throwbacks to video games and comic books, all of it was fun, fantastic, polished and well-informed. Perfect homage to all of it. There were things only a few would get and things more open to general audiences. Overall, a fantastic film experience with a story and characters much deeper than I had been expecting. It was hard not to have high expectations when everyone was telling me that I'd love this movie and the film surprised me even more by surpassing those expectations. I really loved it.

Now, there was obviously something I didn't like as evidenced by this journal, and that was the ending. I didn't want Scott to end up with Ramona. Now I know she's the girl he's been fighting for the whole movie and she's exciting and mysterious and a bad girl, but halfway through the film I was already starting to feel that the film itself was pointing for Scott ending up with Knives. I'm not joking. At the very beginning he says that he likes being with Knives, it's comfortable and simple and nice. Then he meets Ramona and the danger starts. And not only is it dangerous, but she's kind of a jerk. She makes the calls on everything, she brings danger into his life and everyone around him, she is literally bad news.

Which brings me to my point: Scott Pilgrim's story is the male equivalent of Twilight. NO, Scott and Ramona are NOT AT ALL like Bella and Edward. They have a personality (well, at least Scott does.) The similarities really are in the story: okay guy, could be in a good relationship with a good girl, but he goes with the bad, mysterious one. Why? Because she's bad and mysterious. At first there's no other reason why. Then as we not only learn about her baggage of evil exes, but then her own issues with relationships and breaking people's hearts, there's even less reason to like her! But he still does. He shouldn't be with her, but he ends up with her. It perpetuates the very pinnacle of what is the Twilight paradox: be with the bad guy/girl, because, deep down, they have a heart and you can fix them. Everyone in Twilight tells Bella how bad Edward is for her, just as everyone in Scott Pilgrim tells Scott how bad Ramona is for him, and they both go against those warnings because the other is cool, mysterious and bad for them.

The entire film seemed to be pointing against Ramona and towards Knives for me. Ramona was never any good to or for Scott, and while Knives was underage, she cared for what Scott was doing and cared about him. It seemed to be one of those stories of what a person wants versus what they need. Scott wants an exciting, mysterious, bad girl but what he needs is a nice, caring, down-to-earth girl. And the film completely betrays itself on that one in the end.

Maybe I just don't understand "true love." I'm not saying love should be this Brady Bunch ideal, real couples do fight and it strengthens a relationship. But, in most cases, dating the "bad person" doesn't end up well. "Oh, he hits me because he's so troubled, but I know he loves me." I've had too many experiences with friends to think that entering into a relationship because you can fix someone's problems is a good idea. And I'm not saying even that I'm looking for someone perfect, just someone who's worked enough on themselves as I have on myself that won't depend solely on what I can do to "fix" them.

On a last note: Despite all her coolness, mystery and independence, by the end of the film Ramona was reduced to a damsel being fought over by two men. It's as if she has no role, no say in the matter, to even declare herself independent from whoever wins. She's the prize to be fought for, not a woman who can think for herself. I wasn't so upset that the guys were fighting over her, just that in all her cool and independent-ness, she never asserted her own wishes and desires, just left it up to whoever was the victor. She doesn't want people to get hurt fighting for her? Then make a damn choice!

I'd like to repeat, I did really, really, really like this film. Just, once the credits began rolling, my reaction was: 'Aww, really?'

PS. I want to marry Alison Pill.

I'm sure there have been countless journals, blogs, YouTube videos ranting about how bad The Last Airbender was. I agree with what most everyone says: bad acting, BAD WRITING, bad cinematography, surprisingly good wardrobe and set design. But I do have something else to add, in as non-spoilery of a way as I can.

I think the first mistake was making this movie in the first place. Now, mind you, I am not against adaptations. The thing I forgive more about book adaptations (which some can be good) is that we're taking a medium that is fueled through words and making those words visuals. I think that's great, let's adapt a book and make it all visual and spiffy, I usually have no issue with that because it makes sense. But when you take a story that is already a visual medium, where places, actions, and characters have already been established and we re-adapt it into live-action, my first thought is: what's the point? So we can see what they'd look like in real life human form? So we can see how we'd pull off those effects in the "real" world (I put real in quotations because those effects are still as computer generated as animation, so, again, what's the point there?) My vote was to leave it well-enough alone. It worked as animated series. It didn't need a movie.

And, digging in deeper, it didn't need this movie. I went into the theater actually lowering my expectations as far as I could (considering the 8% it got on rottentomatoes.com) I was trying my very best to like it, but it was an insurmountable task. The storytelling is choppy in the worst possible way. Parts seemed like Shyamalan couldn't wait to get past all that "useless" exposition we don't like, just so we could get to some fun fighting times. It was story being told, then fighting, nothing was incorporated together. And it was talking down to its audience. When a character TELLS me what happens and then I SEE it happen and then we're told AGAIN what happened, I just have to groan and roll my eyes. I get it. SHOW it to me (this is a film, after all, a VISUAL medium) you don't have to tell me also. And then tell me again. This film wasn't as geared towards children as the show was, and yet it was still more annoyingly catered for children, in that annoying way that adults don't know how to talk to children.

And I'm not complaining about changes made to the story itself. I think in any adaptation, things have to change in order to make it all fit into a much shorter format than they were originally presented (I COMPLETELY disagree that EVERYTHING from a book or series needs to be in the movie. I've seen a movie where EVERYTHING from the book was incorporated into its movie adaptation. It was six hours long and the most boring thing I'd ever seen.) But Shyamalan, who wrote, directed and produced (which is, in my book, never a good sign. When you do all of that for a film at the same time, you NEVER focus on each one well-enough) made, simply put, the wrong changes. Things that didn't need to be changed (we don't need to pronounce the names differently) and then other things were glossed over that should'nt have been. We didn't focus on anyone as the main character and Aang's preoccupations towards having to be the Avatar were so terribly contrived and just the wrong things for him to be preoccupied for an 11-year-old monk.

(The coming part might be a spoiler, because I talk about how they changed the motions of the bending.)

The worst of these changes was how the bending was handled. Fire-bending having to come from a nearby fire source aside, the bending forms were SEPARATED from their own element. In the show, every motion for water bending moves and shapes the water elegantly to the point of attack. Here, bending was reduced to the Naruto-like hand gestures to bring everything out. Not that they used hand gestures, but that they had to get past certain movements and gestures, as if casting a spell, in order to THEN make the element move. It wasn't fluid, it wasn't a part of or connected to the movement; it was an aftermath. That, I think, disconnected the bending characters from pivotal parts of themselves, which is their element.

(Possible spoiler over.)

I commend the actors for trying as hard as they could, even though failing from obvious lack of talent, but, what really killed it for them, was the dialogue. We believe to believe, because believing in beliefs believe that they believe...FFFFffffff! (That dialogue line isn't like that in the movie. I exaggerated. It was still bad.)

I won't deter anyone from seeing it if they want to. Go forth and watch and enjoy it or not as you will. The design is great as are the sets and the effects are more than half-way decent at times. In the end though, shouldn't we want, I don't know, more than that? I hate it when people say, "Well, the effects were good" or "I only went for the fighting and effects" and I just want to punch myself. Not them, myself. Can't we expect a little more? We're all shelling out about $8 a pop to watch something for 2+ hours, shouldn't we expect to not be talked down to, to not have our time and money wasted with pointless prettiness? We are the reason movies like this get made. My tirade isn't against "mindless entertainment" at all, I love and enjoy romantic comedies or action movies made just for the fun and funness of it. I don't expect much deep thought from those movies, I just want a good time. But movies like TLA aren't a good time. There is too much wrong with them for anyone to think it was a good time. Imagine how much greater the film experience would be if we had just a little more to work off of, a little more work put into a concise, well-plotted and structured story, instead of just sitting and letting this barrage of shit (pretty-looking shit, but shit nonetheless) attack our senses. I left with a headache.

Sorry this was so long, but there they are. My thoughts. Share with me yours, what you liked and hated, because I always love to discuss film. :3

Have you ever not known how much you missed something until you started doing it again and just were like, "ah, yes. I remember what this was like"? That's how I've been feeling about drawing again, which is why there has been so much production recently. Thank you all for having stuck by still even after such a long absence and then still supporting my coming back all of a sudden. It's been so nice and a lot of fun. :3

That being said, I wanted to let you all know that I will be slowing down a bit now. I'm not all drawn out or decided I've drawn enough, I'm just going on a month-long vacation with my family. I'll still draw as much as I can (vacations with my family aren't to rest, they're to sight-see and explore, so I might not have as much time as I have now.) Mostly it's that I don't know if I'll have internet. So whatever I draw will just get posted when I get back if there isn't internet. Just didn't want you all to think that I was gone with the wind as quickly as I came.

So, love you all, it's great to be back, thank you for being awesome.

~Mag

Crap. My last journal was all the way back in September. Geez, I have been so out of dA for a while. But that's what life's for, right? To get in the way of all of the things you really want to do.

So, updates on life (Do you care? Do you want to know? I don't care, I'm telling you anyways. tl;dr my ass!):

-One more year and I graduate. Woah. Crazy. Almost done with my BA in Media Arts.
-Been writing a whole lot more than drawing. Plays and screenplays (which is what I want to grow up to do) and since January I've gotten three short plays performed already and one of my short screenplays gets filmed now in March. Things are pretty intense, which is why the lack of drawings. But I haven't forgotten about it. Hopefully I can find some time soon to finish the next YCMD image and the next page of 'First Move.' Those are the two projects I do want to finish. And even if I don't find the time soon, well, I'll find the time eventually.
-I'm in like! And she likes me too. I say "in like" because things are still pretty new, so we're not going to go too fast into the other 'L' word that's followed by 'O,' then a 'V' an ends with an 'E.' She's amazing and I'm pretty happy about it.

That's all in a nutshell. I have no excuse for not drawing, and I still don't get how I'm still getting views and faves and watchers. I'm also very sorry I haven't been able to respond to many of you and thank you for those faves and watches. I still appreciate all of them. There are just too many to respond to, and, as has been apparent, I've just been busy.

I love you all. Thanks for still watching and still checking in. I really have not forgotten about all of what I owe you.