Apologies for disappearing again briefly, I got a bit overwhelmed. I'll be posting more stuff later this week! But now for something different...

I love movies, so I thought I'd just go over my quick reviews of movies released last year. I use a 4-star rating scale and I rate things pretty harshly; I consider 2 out of 4 stars to be average and anything 2.5 stars or higher should be considered a recommendation from me. Also, my reviews are my opinions and art is art; I encourage you above all else to like what you like and to view reviews of mine you may disagree with as some maybe-useful insight into a different perspective.

First, let's talk the Academy Awards, which is a heavily-flawed institution that really does a terrible job of actually celebrating any given year's film accomplishments. Some of the nominees this year are fantastic, and others are not (which is par for the course). I also once again didn't get around to seeing all of the nominees, nor am I of a mind to. There's always a number of films I'm open to seeing that inevitably just get added to my Watch List, where they sit for years unless I get a good recommendation from friends or critics I respect (or until they become easier and cheaper to see). This year, those films are: American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, The Boy and the Heron, Elemental, The Holdovers, Io Capitano, Killers of a Flower Moon, Past Lives, Perfect Days, Society of the Snow, and The Teachers' Lounge. I am also waiting on seeing Across the Spider-Verse until part 2 comes out (whenever that will be), and Robot Dreams hasn't been properly released yet in the United States.

The Oppenheimer Rant: I did not see this movie, and I do not want to see this movie. I have seen a lot of Christopher Nolan films at this point, and there isn't a one of them I've actually liked. I do not consider him to be a bad director by any means, but I simply do not care for his approach and I find his films to be a case of style over substance. Does that mean his films do not have substance? Not at all. But I have rarely ever connected with his vision and I find that vision tends to overwhelm whatever depth the film is presenting that I could otherwise connect with. So I'm just skipping this one. I don't need to do this again.

Barbie: 2.5 Stars - Considering this is a big Hollywood blockbuster ostensibly made to sell toys, it's surprisingly thoughtful and creative. I'm pleased this was such a success and I hope it further empowers writer Noah Baumbach and writer/director Greta Gerwig to bigger & better things. Because, speaking honestly, they've both made far better movies than Barbie and it would be a waste of their talents to see them returning for a sequel. Barbie itself is a rather clumsy movie, with bizarre pacing and a tone that vacillates between parody and poignancy in a way that rarely effectively juxtaposes the two in a meaningful manner. It is fitfully fun, insightful, and purposeful... but as a whole it feels disorganized and ultimately unsatisfying once all the madcap adventure wraps up. With all that said, if the highest grossing movie of the year can be like this every year, I think the entertainment world will be a better place.

Poor Things: 2 Stars - Ugh. UGH. UGHHH... I really want to love Poor Things. There are so many things I love about it. The set design is astounding, the type of work I literally dream about seeing. The performances are all great. The story is rich and rewarding and relevant to our times. It is philosophical, it is personal, and it is also hilarious when it is of the mind to be. Perhaps the final act has some issues with its pacing and theme resolution, but this is a minor quibble. The problem, and the only problem, is one of morals. Some people will be able to watch this film and see the dubious ethical situation being presented as something excusable within the narrative. But I cannot. While I understand why the film presents this controversial subject matter, I object heavily to the way it is exhibited and the aspects of it that are left ambiguous. There was a way to tell this story that avoided such pitfalls, but unfortunately too often I found the filmmaking itself to be indulging in the same immoral gaze as the characters it was presenting. Was the purpose to make the audience feel complicit in this behavior? Perhaps. But if so, my choice will be to not watch again.

The Zone of Interest: 4 Stars - This is the perfect example of what I would consider to be a perfect film. While not without some minor flaws (no piece of art of this length will ever be truly perfect), this film is a unique artistic expression with ambition and intent that communicates and executes its vision expertly at every aspect of filmmaking. It is easy to dismiss a film about the Holocaust that is nominated for Best Picture as some sort of 'Oscar-Bait' affair, but that could not be further from the truth with The Zone of Interest. This was not made to appeal to any awards committee. This film is experimental, uncomfortable, and unrelenting. Thrillers have been up for Best Picture before, but I consider this to be the first actual horror film to earn a nomination. It is unlike almost anything I've ever seen; a heightened portrayal of reality with an innovative filming approach and bold sound design gambit that come together to feel like a blend between a documentary and a dream... well, a nightmare. Most certainly a nightmare. The film manages to portray the mundane in a manner that feels apocalyptic, a type of despair that is almost impossible to bear at times as you remember all of this is true. And although this tragedy is the most documented event in all of human history, the ending of this film still comes with a force that left me breathless. The edit that brings this film to its denouement is one to rival the match-cut in Lawrence of Arabia, however this time we go not from the brightest of light but to the darkest of dark. This is not a pleasant film, but it is one of profound resonance. The horrors of the Holocaust have haunted this world like a background radiation since 1941, and The Zone of Interest feels like a broadcast tuned directly from that frequency. It is haunting. We should be so haunted.

Nimona: 2.5 Stars - What a fun surprise! Animated films that got lost in corporate-merger nonsense and unceremoniously dumped onto a streaming service have no business being this good. While I have plenty of problems with the film overall, the ultimate impression I'm left with is this is ironically how modern Disney films should feel. A fresh and clever spin on what is ultimately a conventional story with fun characters and a found-family dynamic that properly represents its modern audience. And when it decides to get emotional, it really goes straight for the heartstrings... Also, it has a shark in sunglasses dancing to a Metric song. That was made just for me, I'm sure of it, and I want it to be know that I appreciate such consideration.

And now quick for some non-Oscar things that I saw last year...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 3.5 Stars - Fun, funny, and traumatic. It's the GotG formula perfected, with everybody involved working at their highest level and clearly having a blast while doing so. In a time where superhero fatigue is rising because every superhero film seems to do everything bland and wrong, this one is exhausting because it does just about everything right. The whiplash between the fun and the melancholy and the heartbreak can be disorienting, but ultimately proves exhilarating. This is everything I want to see in a superhero movie.

Talk to Me: 3 Stars - Is it possible for a grueling horror film to be a hangout movie? The cast, their dynamic, and the writing for this film do an excellent job bringing its young characters to life... which of course makes it all the worse when terrible things start happening to them. The story for this one really shouldn't be able to support its weight, especially when the scares start becoming derivative in its second half, but the performances and expertly-crafted presentation are enough to keep its momentum going until it reaches a transcendentally macabre conclusion.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: 3 Stars - While it is certainly rough around the edges (most notably in its first act), what ultimately emerges from the ooze here is a refreshing new iteration of the classic characters that is full of charisma and comedy. Delightfully bereft of stakes, until suddenly it has stakes that seem entirely insurmountable, the off-beat and unpredictable plot here is held together by properly following and exploring the turtles themselves as they amusingly confront the teenage aspect of their characters for once in this franchise. The side-characters here are radical, the setting feels bodacious, and I found the ending to be just as much of a surprising out-of-nowhere tearjerker as Nimona. Furries in particular I think will really be able to relate to this one.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: 2 Stars - Did the comedy feel clumsy and the setting feel empty to anybody else with this one? Was that just me? I really wanted to like this more than I actually did. The commitment to bringing D&D to life with practical props and animatronics was certainly commendable, and I really appreciated the surprising meta-level jokes like the NPC Paladin or the dragon being nerfed by chubbiness to properly match the party's power level. It isn't a bad film, but it also feels like a very ordinary film, which is odd for just how strange many aspects of it are.

Five Nights at Freddy's: 1.5 Stars - I'm sorry. I was actually hyped for this one before it released, and I even did my homework into the lore to prepare. I love the animatronics, and I love the weird hang-out vibes tone the film deploys, and I love how goofy it often is. But it's also really boring for most of its running time, isn't it? This franchise can do a lot better, and I hope for the sequel things get weirder and goofier.

Anybody reading this probably has questions about where I've been. I'm not really ready to answer those right now (but if you must know I had a bit of a breakdown and am on the verge of a panic attack writing this right now don't look at me). If you are an old friend (or a new fan) and really want to connect, feel free to shoot me a PM. I'll get around to those this weekend.

IN THE MEANTIME... Like it says. Use this journal space to 'Ask Me Anything' about the new comic I just did, or just tell me something you want to get off your chest about it, or even leave a compliment if you feel so compelled.

What new comic? This one, of course: https://www.swallowtailproductions......st-pantry-raid

'Round Campus sort of spawned organically from conversation Humbug and I had ages ago. Back then we had dreams of making it a long ongoing thing, like a sort of vore soap opera, where characters would naturally come and go quite regularly (we were really planning on churning through them). And boy, were there a lot of ideas we threw around behind the scenes. In the event that anybody on earth out there cares about those long-lost missives of madness and tomfoolery, well I'll share here as the areas of inquiry arise.

Unfortunately I had a bit of a personal collapse and everything fell apart. Humbug and I are still buddies and I'm sure we'll work together again (likely on something Gobbletoons related... Hey you should go check that out too if you haven't!). - https://gobbletoons.com/home - In the time sense I've grown, changed, grown again, changed again, and so on at a very arduous and often discouraging pace until I finally got here. Ready to come back to this community and to creating/sharing art and generally showing my 'face' in 'public' again. But I didn't want to do that with unfinished business. If I finish nothing else in my life, at least I finished this. 'Round Campus. For all of you. And especially you, Humbuddy. <3

So, there's one thing that needs to be said first, before anybody starts to talk about 'Gravity.' It's kind of a prerequisite. Like an elephant in the room, that will gore you with its tusks if you don't talk about it: This movie is breathtaking.

HAH. But seriously though, 'Gravity' is one of the most impressive technical achievements ever put to film. It is arguably THE most impressive technical achievement ever put to film. I would disagree, by nature of every field and achievement having its own individual degrees of difficulty, but what this film does it does like no other you've seen before- and I doubt will again for the immediate future. Computer-effects aided filmmaking like this will one day be commonplace, but that will not be for another decade or more, and at the rate that technology is improving that's practically an entire generation. To say what's been accomplished here is impressive is an understatement: It's like nothing else, period. It's a game-changer, and the progress made here will influence films and filmmakers for lifetimes to come.

With that statement of the movie's greatness out of the way, I can now say that 'Gravity' is not a great movie. It's a very good movie, but it's not a great one. Impressive technology alone does not make great art. Great art must work on multiple levels, and have more noble ambitions, in order to properly move and captivate an audience. 'Gravity' is certainly engaging, and it makes a valiant attempt to be something more than a special effects showcase, but it never quite ascends beyond its own visual accomplishments. It's difficult to critique intentions, and there's no reason to really criticize a movie that's very good, but throughout my experience with this movie I constantly felt a divide. It is certainly a powerfully immersive experience some of the time, but the issue is the rest of the time it's merely visually, awe-inspiringly, jaw-droppingly stunning to look at. Is that a bad thing? No. No, it's a very good thing. But it's not a great thing.

This divide results from, not sensory clash, but sensibility clash. The problem with 'Gravity' is that it's too smart for it's own good. Alfonso Cuarón (remember that name if you haven't heard it before, it will forever be the mark of a quality movie) directs this movie in a way you have never seen before (unless you've seen 'Children of Men'), taking the long and elaborate gliding shots of your Steven Spielbergs and your Quentin Tarantinos to unimaginable heights. His camera swerves and pivots and glides through solid objects, utilizing motion to build spacial awareness and carefully blocked interactive moments in place of individual shots. You don't watch an Alfonso Cuarón film, you go along for the ride. That can fascinating when it works, but distracting when it doesn't. You aren't familiar with these filmmaking, so when you're bombarded with them for the length of a feature, without break, the innovation can steal focus and a technique that was meant to facilitate immersion begins to defeat its own purpose. The trouble with revolutionary art is that the message is often lost beneath the method, and it's hard to determine if you are being disengaged because you were not prepared to deal with it or if the art itself was simply flawed in execution at some point. I believe the answer is in the middle. Once films like this become commonplace audiences will be less inclined to lose themselves in its presentation, but by nature of its innovation the presentation will take some priority in its institution.

The simple fact is that, at times, it's obvious 'Gravity' is being impressive only to be impressive. Many of its show-stealing effects are warranted, highly-effective filmmaking techniques, but plenty more feel like they are just there for show. Instead of emphasizing the story or themes on screen they cover it up. And, crucially, the film frequently feels likes its story and themes are in support of its technical achievements, not the other way around. The story here is slight and bare-bones, a simple and generic Hollywood-ized survival tale. In a lesser film with lesser distractions its plot holes and narrative conveniences would be far more glaring, but even here they can not be overlooked. Things happen because they must, events are overly-simplified to enable easy drama and ticking-clock scenarios (quite literally), and characters show all the depth of a screenwriter who's learned how to properly mime character depth from other superior sources. It's fine stuff for movie-of-the-week material, and it's guaranteed to keep your interest, but that's because the formula's been proven to do just that. Even the symbolism (mankind's humble infancy in the scope of the universe) is handled as bluntly as the biggest of space-babies, although without any of that other space story's more subversive and intriguing elements. For a revolutionary film, it's awfully mundane.

Which is probably more than acceptable. We need passionate filmmaking: No matter where that passion lies, the end product will be engrossing. If Alfonso Cuarón is more interested in exploring visual experiences than he is intellectual or emotional ones, that's perfectly fine. And it's not that he's adverse to engaging the mind and the soul. There is plenty of heart in 'Gravity,' because good melodrama is good melodrama, and one can't help but be captivated with existential awe when confronted with the vastness of space and fragility of life. He would be better served to realize where his ambitions lie, however, and next time allow somebody else with a focus purely on engaging those other elements to handle the script, but for now he's proven to be more than capable of delivering the goods. The very goods. But not the greats.

You still have to see this. If only to enjoy the view. 4 out of 5 stars (HAH).

https://vimeo.com/75402303

The internet is weird.

The question remains: Is it the first truly human creation, or the first truly inhuman creation? By attaining the former, does it then become possible to attain the latter? Is that transition an inevitability? Discuss below. Assignments will be collected at the end of class.

EDIT:  Lapseph adds this to the conversation: http://i.imgur.com/FJBCPbi.jpg

I'm contemplating a major change, as hinted above. It's something that's been on my mind for awhile, and is the reason I've been so absent lately. Not just the last couple of weeks, but for the better part of a year now. The last thing I want to do is further offend my remaining friends and supporters, though, so I figure it's only right that I let you guys have your say in the matter.

I really messed up with the -VST- a year ago. I made a conscious decision to violate my own principle and place a priority (in this case money) over the audience. I disrespected you as fans, as viewers, and as people. Even though this is the first time I can ever recall compromising one of my core moral values in such a deliberate way, it nevertheless doesn't matter. Once is all you need to lose your integrity, and I have justifiably lost all of mine to many of you. I've already apologized for this and I will continue to do so, undoubtedly the rest of my life, but I know I can not ask for forgiveness. What I did was unforgivable as an artist, violating the central unwritten contract of respect between the creator and his audience, and everything I do from here on out should appropriately be tainted by that act.

That knowledge sent me into a depression, first purely out of personal grief from my own conscience, and recently because circumstances revealed this issue is indeed far from over and will likely never be resolved. My productivity has clearly suffered because of this, as has my connection to the community. Most of the time I can barely face the few furry sites and chatrooms I visit, because the shame is so great, and if it were a choice I could make I would leave the community entirely as penalty for my foolish arrogance. But I can't. I have too strong of a connection to it, no matter how badly I've abused it. I still feel the need to contribute, if only now to try to overcome the great deal of harm I've done, but the stress of facing the consequences of this action is often too great for me to properly motivate myself to actually move on.

I tried to move on with Gank. I put a great deal of effort into it, and I tried to make it something everybody could enjoy. A lasting legacy to the community that would offset my other despicable one, but its resounding failure proved that even though I have a lot I still wish to give, there is nothing left I can offer you. You don't want to see anything I make. You don't want to participate in anything I do. You want nothing to do with me. And I can not blame you. I've ruined my reputation and I deserve all the neglect I get, and then some. But that doesn't mean I can take it any longer.

It may be cowardly to make a secret new account. To start over again with a new name, new face, and potential new audience. It's possibly the most cliche of 'furry drama' moves there is, right up there with stealing art or appearing on Tosh.0 to do a furry yiff party sketch. But to me it seems like the only credible option: I can't leave the community, but I can't continue to post art on this account because I've betrayed everybody that follows it and it's now marked with the black paw print of exile. By making a new account, free entirely from relation to my mistake, I can at least continue to participate in the community. At least people will actually look at and comment on my artwork again. If I have to scrub clean my entire identity, deleting all my characters and abandoning all my previous creations, just start over new without the stigma of a traitor it's worth it. I will gladly pay that harsh a penalty just so the community will give me a chance to entertain it once again. To live in anonymity and obscurity, unrecognized by past viewers and even fans, just so that they may in passing look at my work again free of negative context. It's all I want, and it's certainly a privilege I will never abuse again.

I won't do anything that drastic without giving the few of you who have stuck around a chance to speak their minds, though. Let me know what you think about this idea or this situation in the comments below. If you have other suggestions please bring them up. I'll do anything I can to repair my image at this point, but I just don't see how it's possible. And once again, I'm sorry for what I've done. I don't want to be the one that causes drama, but like it or not I am. I've kept it all to myself for the better part of a year now, and it's eaten me up inside. I have the drama in me whether I want it or not, it's in my furry blood, so maybe bloodletting is in order from time to time. I know by nature of me saying this here that none of the people I have irrevocably wronged will respond, that's the nature of being shunned, but any comment from the community at all at this point will help me fix this mess. It will at least help me heal myself and finally move on, whether on this account or elsewhere.

The great thing about sequels is they give us a chance to go back and revisit past films that we may have enjoyed. To recall a time and a place both haunting and familiar, to hear memories once again pass by our ears we'd though were long since forgotten, and by chance catch a glimpse of a faint and ill-defined specter that only upon careful consideration some time later we realize to have been ourselves all along. It's fitting, then, that 'At Worlds End' indulge itself in similar flights of nostalgic fancy; not over the two films in its series, but over the past of the filmmakers themselves.

For the uninitiated, 'At World's End' is the concluding chapter of the Cornetto Trilogy, a series of films that started all the way back in 2004 with 'Shaun of the Dead.' If you think that wasn't all that long ago at all, I'll remind you that if you went to High School with it then you'd be preparing for your ten year reunion this coming Winter. 2007 saw 'Hot Fuzz,' and the two creative minds behind the series splitting off to pursue fame in the glittering glory of Hollywood. Simon Pegg would re-teamed with his perpetually-inflating comedic partner Nick Frost in the atrocious 'Paul,' as well as popping in for much-needed comic relief as Scotty in the not-quite-so-atrocious Star Trek re-launch, while Edgar Wright gave a valiant effort to bring the impossible to life in 'Scott Pilgrim -vs- the World.' Now, six years later, they've reunited for a final round. But the uninitiated need not stop here: Like the previous films, World's End has little-to-nothing in common with its predecessors beyond a couple running gags, genre satire (this time taking a shot at science fiction), and most importantly inspired filmmaking.

Shaun of the Dead is undeniably the best of the trilogy, and remains so even with the release of World's End. It was made by movie fans on a mission with something to prove, and for one and a half glorious hours they poured every ounce of their considerable talent at an unsuspecting audience. I can not start to talk about how good it is because I won't be able to stop, but the best way I've found to describe it is 'unfair.' Unfair to anything that would come next, which in this case was Hot Fuzz. While not a poor movie by any stretch of the imagination, Hot Fuzz would prove to be a second round: Refreshing in his own right, and certainly just fine to give you a good time, but at this point the party's already started and you're looking around for something to throw darts at. These two films both came at important points in the careers of Wright and Pegg, times when they were fresh rising stars eager to expel a young lifetime's worth of ambition as quickly as possible. It would be unfair to expect At World's End to match its predecessors in that sort of madcap, fearless enthusiasm. Wisely it makes no attempt to do so, and it is a far better film for it.

It feels far too early for a retrospective on two careers still relatively this young. Neither are even of the age to have a proper midlife crisis yet: In fact, this is only Edgar Wright's fourth feature film as a director. But At World's End proves to be just that, feeling more like the final observation of a dying celluloid legend than the sugar-addled expulsion of careers still very much in their teens. The comedy is here, yes, but now it is more subdued and better incorporated into the film's structure. There is plenty of action, but unlike the previous films these scenes seem content to just come and go, leaving very few moments of 'eww!' and 'ah!' to stand out from the rest of the movie. Pegg and Frost remain a brilliant comedic duo, but here they play characters that appear to have the intention of subverting their natural chemistry, and as a result their relationship thrives more on conflict than comedy. These changes leave a film that is distinctly less enjoyable than the previous two films, but undeniably more cohesive. Which only goes to compliment the true message at the heart of World's End: Maturity.

If that sounds like a bummer I assure you it's not. Maturity to Wright and Pegg is not what it is to the rest of us, and reliving one's past glories can still be a blast when those past glories were such a riot the first time around. Especially when one is not as far removed from those riotous instincts as they may fear. The blessing of time is perspective, and though that comes with losing the rebellious spirit of youth it is also comes with the bounty of insight: Perhaps you are not having as good a time as you remembered and wished to relive, but by recognizing that absence you come to realize just how much you've grown as a person, and recognize finally just who you really are. To come to terms not with who you were, who you want to be, but who you are- that is the true essence of maturity. And it is only then that you can truly experience freedom and all the joy that comes with it. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz may have been celebrations of life, but At World's End is a celebration of the freedom to live. It's a slight change in perspective, but it's one that makes all the difference, if you ever want to keep living that is.

It may seem like I didn't describe what this movie was about. At all. That's because, like the previous films, this one is a tad bit twisty and I'd rather not spoil any of it if at all possible. Rest assured, though, that it is zany, unique, hilarious, and crucially: smart. There will be plenty of discussions to be had about elements that were a maybe a bit clunky and set-ups that didn't quite pay-off, but with an ending like this I can't imagine those complaints amounting to anything more than a petty drunken quibble.
8/10

I'm tired of nobody interacting with the comics. Especially when I put a ton of effort I could (and should) be spending on other things into them. I'm not complaining, and I'm not upset (at you at least, I am mildly at myself), but I am practical and I recognize the need for proper time management. I want to continue Gank as it is now, and I know that the voter base would grow in time, but with this level of non-interest I don't want to take that risk. Besides, I could do so much BETTER...

So I will.

Gank is not dying, no matter how badly you may want it to. Instead it's going back to the shop. When it comes out it will have changed formats and blossomed as a full-fledged RPG video game! As in something you can click and interact with and everything! I think that's the format you guys want to see, and it's one I want to explore, so it's time we both got what we really wanted. Besides, there are a ton of interactive vore comics popping up, and I certainly would rather be an innovator than a copy-pole-cat. Even though I know this type of thing has been done before too... At least this one is fresh to me, okay? And it's more enjoyable for you, I think, in the long run.

So you heard that ramble right: I am moving into the world of VIDEO GAME DEVELOPMENT. Wish me luck.

The Gank Role-Playing System (you know that think you can use on your table tops and chat rooms and all that stuff) will also continue to be developed. In fact, expect a major expansion on it shortly. I also want to continue to explore the world of Areth, so in the near future Gank will continue as a small comic series intended to do just that and serve as an introduction to the video game, in whatever form that will take. More info on that as it develops.

In the mean time, this does free me up to get to some other projects (and commissions) I've been meaning to start on. Expect some major productivity before the month ends...

Sorry I'm so spastic, and thanks for the support.

Voting ends tomorrow, because I'm lazy!

Pick your option below. The one you choose will be the next course of action for the crew of the Fancy Yarn!
Comic: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11289658/

1) Send Marl and Nyesha through a ballast port on stealth reconnaissance.

2) Infiltrate the ship through a ballast port with the goals of looting and sabotage.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11282892/

I beg all of you to please click that link above. It'll take you to a very special post by a very special draco... strix... thing... named
 dracodarastrix

He's started a Gank series of his own, complete with kobolds and dragons and action and adventure and groovy music accompaniment! If you guys are liking what I've been doing you're going to love what he has to offer.

CLICK ON THE STUFF I'VE THROWN AT YOU NOW!

Select the next course of action in Gank!
Page: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11219391/

1) Send Nyesha into a ballast hole to infiltrate the warship while the Fancy Yarn attacks from behind.

2) Check ship Inventory.

3) Sneak the entire crew through a ballast hole of the warship, loot what you can, and sabotage the vessel.

4) Throw explosives into a ballast hole of the warship.

Voting ends Friday at Midnight! Vote in the comments section below this journal!

**UPDATE: Voting is over! The winning option is #2. Now I have to find a way to make that interesting tomorrow.**

I was trying to be too cute again. Not anymore!

You now get slots if you spend money on stuff, like the way it used to work. Those are still 'Lottery Slots,' and you're not guaranteed they'll ever be chosen.

However, you can also buy a 'Guaranteed Slot' now, which as it indicates is guaranteed to give you artwork. This slot is something you have to buy right-out, though, as if it were a commission option.

That all said, Perversion Pool is still closed for another couple of weeks.

I also just got my first Gank Donation! So that's one slot earned in the Pool! The system is in motion, folks, and I can't stop it now!

'I have no idea what's going on here... So I favorited it.'

'Just because I like this doesn't mean I like that I like this.'

'I found the hidden penis!'

'I bet you can't find the secret alternate account I just posted this stolen image under!'

'Whenever I see something like this, I always wonder... 'What yiff?'

'Stank told me to post this new meme comment on images.'

'You are now one degree removed from an axe murderer.'

'I've wanted to say I love your art for a long time, but I could never make the commentment.'

'This is not at all what I thought it was in the thumbnail. :<'

'This is EXACTLY what I thought it was in the thumbnail. :<'

I've tweaked the system a little bit (again). From now on the comment section on the actual comic page will just be used to suggest actions and discuss strategies for the next page of Gank. Come Thursday (today) I will post a journal collecting those suggestions into neat, easy-to-select options. Just choose the one you want and leave a comment below. The journal (this journal) is the vote that matters, everything on the comic pages is just to get us to here! Please vote by including the number associated with your choice, as it makes these things easier to tally.
If you need a refresher on what you're voting on, here's Page 1

1) Hide in the midsection of the frigate hull, since the ballasts will fall from its sides (additionally: Scream like sissy children).

2) Abrupt change in course in an attempt to evade the falling ballasts.

3) Act against self-preservation in order to get crew eaten.

4) About-face and attempt to retreat while the frigate crew is caught off-guard.

**EDIT: VOTING OVER! 1 it is!**

I've seen a couple instances of people already building characters and experimenting with the recently re-vamped Gank Role-Playing System. This couldn't make me happier, and if I needed any more indicators that they changes were in the right direction, they're actually doing everything right! :D

 dracodarastrix was the first to link me to his characters sheets, over here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11155148/

They are incredibly awesome, and even have unique character art included. I'm not sure just what he's using them for yet, but the best aspect of the Gank system is you can use them for ANYTHING! There is no limit on setting, and there are no dice involved, so you can in theory apply these numbers and this system to any role-playing scenario where you want to fairly challenge one character's skill level with another.

If anybody else is messing around with the Gank RPS please let me know! Draco, and a couple of others, have already sent me some wonderful ideas for new spells and abilities. I'll try to update the rules tonight with some of their suggestions, and perhaps yours if you have any! This system is still unrefined and open, so I really love (and need) you guys to test things and contribute new things to it. Thanks for already showing your support! This system is for you, I want you guys to like it and tweak it accordingly! And this is a wonderful start.

~<3, Crookstanks

... will be late. Sorry. I was on schedule, but I had a fairly bad day today and it's not exactly getting more productive as the night wanes. Hopefully I'll be able to dump the thing early Tuesday. Which will still give you three days to vote, so huzzah for a versatile system and planning around my own incompetency!

The Eka's page did get up on time, however. You can check it out here to see what you're in for with the new motion comic layout: http://aryion.com/g4/view/245117

It's EXACTLY like the previews.

3 Kaiju emerging out of 5.

So, a couple things about me:

1) I'm not a typical furry, in that I don't obsess over normal furry things like role-playing or Therians or MLPs or the like. But I'm not normal either. I do have my particular furry proclivities. My biggest one is I'm obsessed with seeing skunks in the media. Any skunk, in any media. I don't know why, but I just love it. It's life-affirming, bringing peace and order to my world, and sometimes almost feels like a religious experience. That is not to say I bow down and worship the 'Lets Read!' poster at my local library or anything, but it does mean I feel slightly transcendent during these moments. I'd get the same feeling when I walked into the Sanctuary at church when I used to go. Just a feeling of heavy, enveloping tranquility. I could ramble for a great deal of time about all the implications of that comparison, but all you need to know is that's a thing I do. I keep track of all the new cartoon shows, in order to determine which ones are most likely to have skunk characters or even one-off skunk jokes. I've watched far too many bad camping films because skunks are often used as gags in those. I even own Stewart Little 3 on DVD. Another thing I do is keep track of new toy launches, and that leads me to...

2) I love Legos. Yeah, nothing special there. But they were a huge part of my childhood. I would spend all day in my room, which was at least 55% Lego by the time I entered High School, playing out epic tales that would last for days or weeks on end and feature a cast of hundreds of unique Lego characters. These things weren't particularly furry (this was before that part of me awakened) but that aspect was there. I recall using the Gungan figurines far more often than I should, and when I finally got a werewolf figurine head it quickly became a main character. I still don't play with these things (they're currently in storage) but that doesn't mean I still don't feel their ever-growing call pulling me back even now... So when Lego announced their new 'Legends of Chima' line a year ago I got a little excited. These were furry Lego figurines! And even though I didn't buy any, that still made little Stank very happy to see. And it also meant... there was a faint chance, but still... that perhaps my two peculiar interests may yet finally meet...

I mean surely there would never be a Lego Skunk Figurine. Surely. Even with Chima animals, a skunk species is impossible. Nobody would want that. It would look ridiculous. The tail would just be nonsense. The lions and wolves didn't even HAVE tails, so what good would a skunk figurine be without a tail? No, these were surely the dreams of a madman and I would go wanting the rest of my days...



Well then this happened: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/_.....70107_alt1.jpg

This has made me happy in the way that I can only imagine normal people feel after they make out with their sexy boss hard enough to earn a promotion.

I will never cease being fascinated by my own life.

We get this:



And my furry god (which I can only assume is a multi-colored wolf/husky hybrid of some sort, although a lamb or elephant would totally make more sense and are both actual animal species too), does it look like everything it should be. Not just as a lego movie, but as a facsimile of life itself. My only complaint is that there isn't somehow a sequel being made and rushed out at the end of this year in response to the awesomeness of this preview.
~Stanky-Poo, WHY?!

Taking a break from school and commissions to announce, last minute, I'm going to try to go to AC. The only problem is I don't have a room. Anybody out there able to help me out, either directly or by pointing me in the right direction? I'd appreciate it immensely.

~Stank Venture

In case you haven't noticed, I've been away for a couple of days. This is, in part, intentional. I will be tweaking the process of Gank! to make it a bit more user-friendly. When it comes back it will be rid of partial pages and its two-process suggest/vote system will be gone. Every update will be a complete page, and there will be one viewer vote per page that will determine the course of action in the following page. For every vote I will offer 4-5 vague courses of action, always including the option to ignore all the options I've suggested and write-in your own, and the audience will be able to vote on these. Voters will be able (and encouraged) to elaborate on their vote, filling in the finer details of the course of action they voted on (or explaining their new idea if they are suggesting a completely new direction). Other voters will be able (and also encouraged) to support comments they like. When voting ends the winning vote will be the next course of action, with its finer details being pooled from the best voter submissions. These details will be at my discretion, although I will never stray far from popular consensus. That means that the vague course of action will be decided by the voters, but its finer details will be chosen by me from your suggestions. Additionally, voting periods will be extended to two or three days.

But you will have to wait to test this new system for another couple of weeks, because Gank! will be taking a prolonged break while I finally wrap up my long, long, long overdue commissions.

~Chad "Stank" Ridderson

But I'm hung over. Which isn't as sexy as being hung, but only if you're into being hung. If that's the case you're unfortunately living in the wrong century.
~Ratchet and Stank

Still tweaking my next project. It underwent some major last-minute changes, otherwise there would have been some teaser art posted by now at least. It's going to be another vote-influenced thing like the -VST- was, however this time money will not be able to influence vote options. There will be options within the comic that can be influenced by money, but like I promised earlier they are separate things that will not dramatically influence the story. Votes will determine outcomes of stories, whereas purchase options may determine an element of the story (like inserting a character or purchasing an item). This will be my primary commission system for awhile, and you will be able to redeem commission art through it. Specifics on the system to come at a later date.

The project itself is tentatively titled 'Frame by Frame' and will be a social simulator set in a cartoon world. There will be a selection of characters to choose from, between which you can alternate at any time, and you will be directing them through their individual storylines in a large open-world setting. It will be full of action, drama, humor, and the greatest variety of shenanigans. Also possibly some questionable scenarios, though the primary comic will be free of adult content. It will not be a combat-oriented affair like the -VST- was, though it will have strong Role Playing elements and I am even in the process of designing a unique RPG system around the project. Once again, more information is on its way.

I'm also in the middle of finally resolving my commissions backlog. Hopefully that will be done in another few weeks, which should give you a decent timetable on when I want to get the above-mentioned project rolling. Thanks again, everybody, for your patience. For what it's worth I'm doing well in my classes. ;)
~Stank's Wild Years

So schoolwork took a bit longer than I expected... I won't be able to get to the -VST- page until tomorrow. Sorry.

To make it up to you, here's some random new music I loved:







Anybody care to guess which one made me cry?
And which one sounds like it samples that odd synthesizer from the end of Raising Arizona?

It's over. FINALLY, right?

That's never a good feeling to have when a project as large as this is completed. I mean some matter of relief is fine, but when you're happy to see something end that means you're happy to see it go. Not exactly the feeling I wanted to foster for a project I was hoping to continue, but I think a lot of people share that sentiment... It's unfortunate, but it happens. I'll try to explain why that's the case in the following journal, so future furry artrepreneurs take note:

First of all, to anybody reading this who still feels upset over the tournament... how can I put this delicately... DON'T. Stop taking this personally! Just stop it! This is a silly little competition for silly little characters and fans of a silly little adult theme. I understand that some people have strong personal attachments to these characters, but I am not affecting those here! These characters are not being changed or injured or affected in any permanent way! It's just an inconsequential scenario, a hypothetical occurrence, after which everything will go on as if this never happened. You should root for competitors like you root for a sports team, but to form any greater attraction or to admonish any particular side for liking what they like while sitting in completely oblivion to the fact that you like something equally as much for entirely different arbitrary reasons is the absolute height of immaturity. I appreciate the passion, but you guys have to learn how to control it and when to properly apply it. Like towards things that actually matter. Speaking of that...

The vote buying. Holy crap was that a bad idea on my part and I am so sorry for instituting it you guys. In theory I still think it COULD work with the proper balance level (which obviously wasn't used here), but for all future projects I'm just going to avoid anything like this. This was one of the rare moments in my life where I let my capitalist spirit overcome my ethics. Yeah, I did need the money and OH BOY did I get it (really regret that was all made public, by the way. Please nobody think I'm rich. I'm currently unemployed and going to college so that all won't last long or be spent superfluously). It won't happen again though, no matter how in need I am. I prioritized cash over the voices of my audience and I apologize sincerely for doing so. I honestly thought the vote-buying option would regulate itself a little better (I was expecting 50-100 votes being bought for each page tops). There are many options that can be considered to better balance such an option in the future, but this experience has taught me what I already knew: The best way to balance the influence of money in a democracy is to remove it entirely. So I'll be doing that from now on. Again, sorry guys. Please stop complaining about the people that took advantage of the system. You can't fault somebody for how they choose to spend their money. Blame the system itself. That's on me.

I still think the tournament itself was a good idea. If vote buying had not been an element at all I would probably have considered this a smashing success. Public vote totals rose increasingly as the thing went on, along with page views, and it seemed like (for the most part) people behaved themselves. Yes there was drama, there still is, and there always will be, but that's why it was expected. It's an unfortunate fact of life that when you get enough people together, odds are, one of them will be THAT GUY. The more people you gather, the more of THOSE GUYS will appear. But they can be easily ignored and I want to commend the rest of you for, by and large, behaving yourselves and not feeding the resident trolls. We can't let immaturity affect our lives or our love of competition. This was fun and I had a good time offering it to you all. I hope those of you that enjoy competition (and vore) enjoyed it as well.

I do have a project that I'll be unveiling in the coming weeks. It will be a vote-influenced thing and you will be able to contribute money to it (because I still don't have a job, remember). But it will be entirely different from the -VST- and the money-buying parts of it will be kept separate from the vote-influencing parts. Much the same way jelly is kept apart from peanut butter until they are combined to make sandwich nirvana, they will be two elements that combine with one another to support a greater whole. And don't you dare mention that two-in-one jar stuff. That never offers the proper balance of jelly and you know it.

... I think I got side-tracked. Anyway, the details of my new project will be journaled in the coming days, so keep an eye out! I will be very public with its rules to make sure everything is at least partially troubleshot before pulling the trigger, so hopefully we can avoid some of the bigger problems the -VST- ran into and come up with a project we will all look forward to seeing continue instead of end.
~Frankly Mr. Stankly

Where has everybody's favorite rat gone?

I dunno...

But I do know that Humbug is currently without internet. He'd post a journal updating all his followers about that, but... he doesn't have internet...

Thankfully we share a lot of the same fanbase, or at least that's what I assume. I don't exactly have statistics and a Venn Diagram ready to display or anything. Either way at least a couple of you must also care about my good Humbuddy, and as such it is my duty to report the cause of his absence. Hopefully the whole issue will be cleared up shortly (knowing my timing it probably was half an hour ago). Until then his projects like Manquee and Predquest will just have to wait. Hopefully you all can understand. I mean you're following internet series, so you've got to be used to unexpected delays by now.

If you're not, then now's the time to start! Check out Manquee and Catch Up on Predquest during this convenient downtime:
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/manqueecomic
http://aryion.com/g4/view/221209