Homestuck: An Internet Defining Comic

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Hey, are you interested in getting into (or back into) Homestuck after watching this video? If so, the best way to do that is through the Unofficial Homestuck Collection, a fan made archive of the work that preserves flash elements and addresses accessibility and content issues. With the original site and comic being neglected in current day, it's the best way to read experience Homestuck in its full glory. twitter.com/Bamboshu/status/1323607582724907008

[@tnttime1144]

wait that existed

[@Quantumironturtle]

@@tnttime1144 Yep, and I've got a copy on my desktop. If I ever recommend Homestuck to someone, this is how I'll present it. The read aloud is cool and accessible, but it undercuts a great deal of what made the flash animation parts special by having most of the story being shown like that.

[@tedtolliver572]

Hi, could you tell me what the music at 23:58 and 1:04:21 are? Thanks in advance!

[@MewnFrostFang]

I am back in the HS bs... I was there at the end and I joined around Cascade, now I am back, fucking dammit.

[@essoexpresso728]

r SlUr 13:36

[@gigey]

I love your unabashed positivity when talking about Homestuck. I feel like so many others are cynical.

[@clownmonomaniac2630]

i think its usually bc they were once super into homestuck or they currently are and bash on it jokingly

[@Krixwell]

In the current era of essays about the flaws of Homestuck and takes of "Homestuck bad actually", this video is a breath of fresh heir.

[@doremysheep7864]

People said homestuck was bad?

[@MasterCrowCard]

​@@doremysheep7864Yup, a lot of people said that.

[@k1ngbl4d33]

A much needed heir of breath

[@Lokoso7]

I've been in love with Homestuck since I was a preteen, and never stopped. I hate all the negativity around it right now, because people tend to forget the comic itself is so wonderful and influential. Thank you for shedding some light on how truly life-defining it can be for people, as it was for me.

[@JazzyWaffles]

If you want to have an idea of how far in advance Hussie planned the overall structure of the comic, the first thing he wrote was the comic's ending, and we can see the completed 8-planet Act 6 Act 6 session on one of the Skaianet monitors all the way back in Act 3, when Rose finds the secret lab area near her house. While I doubt the ENTIRE comic was planned, it's clear Hussie had a general outline of how he wanted the comic to play out.

[@Cri_Jackal]

One detail that people always overlook is the curtains in [S] Seer: Descend. 4 red curtains, followed by a blue curtain then another red curtain, _6 green curtains,_ and finally 1 white curtain. The entire act 6 act 1 through act 6 act 6 thing, that people often interpret as Hussie meandering around and bloating the story, was planned at least before Cascade was even released.

[@basiliskgenesis]

do you mind linking the page this panel is on?

[@kpt.gwiazdka7705]

I fucking cried at the end of this video... I was presented to Homestuck definately too late to experience this huge hype surounding it on my own skin and though the fandom isn't and won't die anytime soon, here I am. I'm 18 years old, soon I'm finishing high school and I feel that my childhood lacks the feeling of being included in a community filled with love, support and a bunch of growing queer teenagers. Listening to people talking about the greatness of Homestuck makes me, both, inspired and afraid that if I have already missed a thing like this, I may find myself missing other stuff in the future. Afraid that even if I have the opportunity to witness something alike breathtaking and ispiring as Homestuck, I won't have much time to enjoy it. Afraid that because of my responsibilities or even myself, I won't be able to become the part of the community. Just... I miss the things that I haven't even witnessed, it makes me so emotional... And Homestuck as a whole, not only the comic, is one of those things...

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

I don't think you're too late, not at all! I can absolutely understand the feeling though - after coming back, I felt like a fool for giving up Homestuck while it was still ongoing, like the best years were behind me and I would never be able to capture any sense of community or delight from it in the present. But what I've found is that the current Homestuck community is a much more fulfilling and nice thing to be a part of than what I did back in the day. Sure, I'm not gonna be going to local meet ups with other random homestucks at a mall or skate rink like I did circa 2013, but I also don't really want to. I'd rather hang out with the thoughtful and creative people who've made their nest in this work now, and I've found a lot of joy in that. I'd recommend checking out optimisticDuelist's channel, the community surrounding their work is the one I've been in since I returned and its genuinely wonderful. Fandom doesn't stop with the end of your childhood. I remember having the same fear when I turned 18. But just a little after that, I met new, amazing, and kind people almost a decade my senior who were some of the most talented and caring people I'd ever encountered. In the 5 years I've known that group (and met others older or the same age as me) I've had such an incredible time. Your experience with fandom and media will change as you age, but I've found that change is for the better. You grow, you gain freedom and wisdom, and you cultivate a community. It's maybe less kinetic and wild, but its still fun and more than anything, it's something that fills your heart and becomes an immensely meaningful part of your life. My interactions with my fandom friends are no longer limited to cons or talking about the media we share in common. As I've grown the friendships build on shared passion have become treasured lifelong connections. People who started as con friends helped me move to a new house, come over to bake and have tea parties with me, we have movie nights or holiday parties. But we also still game together and do group cosplays and share our favorite animes with each other. Quite long winded, but what I'm trying to say is that the future is bright - both in fandom and in Homestuck. I think this community is trying its best to heal and become an amazing place again, and in the right places, it already is. You're gonna find those places, and you're gonna love it.

[@kpt.gwiazdka7705]

@@TheDigitalDreamClub I don't know what to say, just... Thank you

[@anecro]

Sadly the fandom is pretty much dead I'd say. What's left are modern ghosts scattered on social media. As someone who discovered it right before the final update and caught up with 2 friends right before the end dropped, I can say that it's all decaying ruins. The majority of Homestuck artists have all long moved on, some even completely vanished from the face of the internet, all the fan projects from games to alternate universes are pretty much dead and cancelled, Homestuck 2... well it exists (sadly) and the fandom is not being held together at all by anything, the largest connected piece is probably the unstable subreddit. I've just seen so many people come and go, and mostly go. In 2015-2016, it all was well, alive and stuff. That can't be said now, it's a relic. Kind of being the devil's advocate here, presenting the reality I'm seeing that happens to be the opposite of what's shown here. Don't let that discourage you, just the way it is. It's been 10 years after all. You can still have fun and experience Homestuck with the people who are still around. But damn was it different with all the cogs moving and people being around back then, and this is coming from me, someone who found out about it near the end. I can only imagine the peak of its popularity.

[@tw0tr1ckp0nyficated]

Feeling the exact same way, thank you for this comment

[@lzk4891]

That's not how you spell "definitely". 🤓🤓

[@optimisticDuelist]

This video made me tear up with joy which is how you know its a good time. Thank you so much for making it

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Didn't expect to see you here

[@optimisticDuelist]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 lol I've been here for years, DDC is one of my favorite youtube channels

[@Ang3lUki]

Your section on the stigma of Homestuck was very bold and moving to me. I hope more fans can come to appreciate it without shame, and take a closer look at it.

[@coraliacries4209]

that section made me cry from how close it hit to home

[@FunkMcLovin]

I thought I was the only one who made Homestuck Content in 2021 🤔 You have my sub, DDC, the Homestuck renaissance is coming

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Lol I just discovered your channel a couple of days ago and have been watching your stuff since, perfect timing. The Homestuck renaissance is coming. We're making this happen.

[@attingerr8395]

Do I sense another guest in the Homestuck Rewritten Podcast?

[@RedstoneAnimatesandmore]

@@TheDigitalDreamClub or as one should say _where making this happen_

[@noszelias]

honestly? This encapsulates perfectly my feelings towards the webcomic and my relationship with it. Because that's what it is: HS isn't just a webcomic or a journey either, it's a relationship. It demands your time and attention, for you to care about it or else the entire things falls apart. It requires from you to change and grow as a person as you go along, but in return it will grow alongside you, and will gift you some of the sweetest, saddest, most emotional moments of your life. It has its ups and downs, but that is an important part of life too. I haven't read homestuck in literal years, and I used to have a pretty negative relationship with it thanks to it reminding me of people that are gone from my life, for better and for worse, but I always defined it as the story I have ever read. Dave's relationship with his toxic brother hits very close to home, and his personal journey of learning how to open up, alongside accepting sides of himself he denied for his whole life, were the first very small pushes towards a long journey of mine (of which I'm still walking on, it's a long road). Davesprite's descend into depression and destruction of his relationship with Jade is another one that just stings in the right place, because it is something that I did. Multiple times. And something I'm trying to not do again. Hell, I'm so attached to those 2 that I ended up cosplaying as them, and wore the same sunglasses until I had to get actual glasses 8 years later, and still went with the same model because it just feels right now. Homestuck truly changed me as a person, and I refuse to deny it any longer.

[@matthueloose7172]

Happy 413 everyone. If you're here, it means you've read it, are reminiscing about it, are considering reading it, or reconsidering your feelings. Plenty of art has good and bad in it to varying degrees, some of the best films and shows don't get the seasons or funding they need, some get too many and make it harder to appreciate the good stuff. Homestuck is no different, and can be simultaneously ridiculous and emotional at the best and worst of times. There ain't anything like Homestuck. To read it, to experience it, is take part in a conversation. That's what Homestuck is at its core. The conversation is very different now with the story being fully told and the height of fandom and number of readers firmly in the background, but people are still talking. People still remember. People are still inspired, and people are the people they are with the building blocks of inspiration and art that Homestuck gave them. Give it a try if you like. If the humour is funny to you, try out Act 1. If you like the style and characters, finish Act 2. If you want more story, a bigger world, and answers to some of the mysteries and questions, keep going. Engage with fan art, stories, comics, and discussions. Listen to music. Read Andrew Hussie's other works for helpful references and context and their own lovely worlds. There's something in it for everyone. It is a mirror for everyone. Enjoy this journey, this continuous conversation. There's always someone talking and listening. Thanks for reading this. Take care and have a great day, evening, and night. Where doing it man Where MAKING THIS HAPEN Edit: wait did Homestuck make me queer holy fuck hell yeah

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

I wish I could pin a comment cause you get it. This is what its all about.

[@matthueloose7172]

@@TheDigitalDreamClub Thank you! And thank YOU for the wonderful video! For me, it was a perfect capstone yesterday...!

[@scarydeery]

ive been wanting more of these kinds of analytical videos in support of homestuck for so long, been so sick of all the drama and shitty things going on recently. im so thankful for this kind of stuff!

[@Schmatzediekatze]

same!!! so often i still look up homestuck content here on youtube and i’m so happy i finally found something that doesn’t involve the drama going on rn

[@geneirai]

it fills my heart to see someone take the time, and care to go this deep into the comic, not to the degree where you are speaking with authority(TM) but to the degree that as a fan I can tell you are a fan, it makes me feel inspired, makes me want to go back to writing my own how to read homestuck guide. it made me smile when you mentioned writing fanfic fleshing out the ancestors cause I did that, I literally did that in 2020, it was the most productive with writing I had been in years, and it felt good to contribute something to the fandom. I donno, I guess that's a really long way to say you've earned a subscriber, I look forward to binging through your channel!

[@LostSwiftpaw]

WAIT 😭 me and my friend group have been ironically enjoying homestuck for the impact it had on internet culture (think shock blanket cop, broadway karkat, you cant stop the homestuck, etc.) but none of us had ever actually seriously attempted reading the comic (100 pages of act one was enough for us) until i sat down and read 3000 pages in 4 days. Suddenly ironic enjoyment transformed into real interest and then obsession, and it was contagious. "Haha guys what if we made trollsonas lol wouldnt that be funny" by the end of the day everyone in the server had a trollsona. The only thing stopping me from cosplaying Aradia is the obscene price of modeling clay and gray face paint in rural Mexico. If you still have a Hiveswap code im 👀

[@GenericClient]

That awkward moment when after act 1 homestuck has really interesting lore (Sburb mechanics are cool tbh)

[@AceLad]

Incredible essay ;_; Homestuck makes me incredibly emotional and so did this. Also while watching I realized Nepeta wrote "probably not!!!" under Terezi/Gamzee. She Knew. anyway my favorite troll is probably Tyzias from Hiveswap and Friendsim :p

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Nepeta was right and we should have listened

[@ox5606]

I haven't read Homestuck and I don't think it's something I could get into, but your passionate praise helps me get much closer to understanding the appeal. Thank you.

[@ectojacked1830]

Finally something not hating on homestuck ;(

[@Manzisme]

Thank you so much for a genuine appreciation of a media I still hold dear to my heart despite societal influence

[@optimisticDuelist]

thank you neku. i knew you were a homestuck i could feel it in my heart

[@sokaroid]

I hit the end of Homestuck almost exactly the same way, after a 5 year skip following dropping out during act 6. Coming back, the catharsis at the end hit like a freight train, starting at Dave hugging dirk and at every little moment from that point. Reading through the end was physically difficult because my glasses kept fogging up! Mind I was a fair bit older when I first encountered homestuck in 2009, so being so emotional over the end of this silly story felt like a luxury I no longer deserved in 2019. I've never been able to articulate why Homestuck could affect me so deeply, but I think your essay, one of the best I've seen on youtube, really helped me understand. Thank you so much for writing this.

[@blurmarsh2265]

This video is one of the most fantastics breakdowns of Homestuck I've ever seen. I only read Homestuck this year at the recommendation of some friends and I absolutely wasn't ready for how much it would impact me. I actually almost teared up near the end... This story means so much to me and seeing such a passionate breakdown of it is incredibly cathartic.

[@winteriris13]

sobbing so hard right now. homestuck really came into my life and hit me like a ton of bricks, especially since I was still in the closet and really unsure of myself and I was trying to figure out who I was. i met my best friend of several years because we both drew trolls in art class, I'll never forget the hours we spent classpecting and diving deep into the characters we loved. we're now adults and we're still kinda in contact but it's been so long since I've actually read homestuck again or even thought about it. but it is so wonderful to see several years later that there are still people on the internet talking about and creating content for homestuck, this video isn't the most recent of course but I've been kinda on a binge and its so crazy to see that some fan series are still ongoing and there are still fandom circles that are thriving in the aftermath of everything. it's really inspiring, and as someone who has not changed their pfp since i started this account, it will always be very important to my journey as a person and fandom enjoyer. i feel like going crazy and making myself some really cozy knight of time pajamas, i know my younger me would be so jealous of how far I've come haha

[@MysteryMachineX]

This account is shared by a couple. We met through Homestuck. Literally crying now. Thank you.

[@whirl2418]

Maaaaaan i've been thinking about rereading HS for like a month now, then i see hussie retweeting this video (and i didn't even know i was following him lmao)... and after watching this i'm fully in tears and ready to reread, thank you for this fantastic piece!

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Thank you for sharing in all these beautiful emotions with me! There are definitely a few points in the recording where you can hear me getting a little weepy.. Stupid comic makin me cry :')

[@crustycrustacean5267]

That hiveswap offer looks real tempting 👀. But in all genuine seriousness, this was a really good retrospective. Its not everyday that someone talks about homestuck in any sort of positive light nowadays. I'm subscribing.

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

I still have two codes for Hiveswap left if you'd like one! I'm here to spread the love, and I'm glad you enjoyed the vid. Homestuck and everything surrounding it has its issues, but I think the good outweighs the bad and I'm tired of it being steeped in negativity all the time

[@crustycrustacean5267]

@@TheDigitalDreamClub Thanks for the offer, but im good.

[@Spiney09]

Caliborn being the negative side of the fandom makes act 7 much more interesting. It explains why Vriska disappeared: the negative side of the fandom kinda ruined her for a lot of people, so while she plays an enormous role in ending the conflict, English manages to take her down with him (if we don’t consider the epilogues at least).

[@nono-lz9qr]

Did they ruin Vriska though? Afaik Vriska was always a douche, with or without user input. Your interpretation of Vriska vanishing alongside LE is interesting due to both being toxic, and I like that idea.

[@Spiney09]

@@nono-lz9qr I wasn’t referring to the fandom making her way more toxic, I was actually referring to the fandom making her an icon, and shoving her in people’s face. Undertale fans didn’t make Sans a jerk, but they still easily ruined him for a lot of people. Homestuck fans did pretty much the same thing with Vriska, but they did it first.

[@nono-lz9qr]

@@Spiney09 Oh, I see your point.Yeah, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for explaining.

[@Spiney09]

@@geekzombie8795 the fact you had to add ‘partially’ should tell you exactly why I had to add that clarification in the first place.

[@autumnwyvern489]

sure sounds to me like someone got bit by the homestuck bug real hard ;0 that being said thanks for being like one of the only video essays about homestuck on this forsaken webbed site that doesn't act like its some dead and dusty relic. I don't know how people can see an active community of music, fanfic, art, ocs, and entire full blown comics and go "oh the fandom is dead" smh

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Got bit so hard I had to get tested for Lime bloods disease. Yeah it's wild that people think its a dead fandom. If I can search "homestuck" on twitter or tumblr and see multiple new fanworks every hour, that's a very alive fandom.

[@wizardgeek3722]

Reading homestuck during quarantine at the age of 14 and with 0 spoilers was a crazy experience

[@tedtolliver572]

Music used: 00:57 Homestuck - Mark Hadley 07:35 Infinity Mechanism - Thomas Ferkol 13:30 Gold Pilot - First Turn Fold ??? 31:25 Candles and Clockwork (Alpha Version) - Tyler Dever 36:57 Moonsetter - Toby Fox 38:12 Green Ghost - Monobrow 48:40 Do You Remem8er Me by Malcolm Brown 52:07 Even in Death is a track by Clark "Plazmataz" Powell 56:40 Voidlight - Thomas Ferkol ??? 1:08:25 Moonsetter - Toby Fox

[@Blocky_Frog]

About a week ago I just finished reading homestuck for the first time. I know how late I am, but over the course of a month I read homestuck for the first time under the guidance of two friends. I am amazed at the worldbuilding, and can think about any item and its story for hours, from puppets, to rings, to fridges. Everything about homestuck is amazing.

[@LehkiBug]

This is an incredible retrospective, and I think I'm finally gonna have to go and re-read Homestuck myself. I haven't re-read the whole thing since it ended. Love that you managed to talk for an hour about Homestuck and managed to not once mention Vriska by name. ((And I swear I had this comment written out before you literally said it in the credits)) My favorite troll is probably Aradia, she's just out here in the fucking void, vibing.

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

YEAAH!! Aradia is best girl and I love her so much. I originally wrote the vriska thing as a joke for myself, a stand in before writing up the final blurb thanking people, but I kept it in cause.. well, Vriska is just powerful like that. I hope you enjoy your reread, I'm glad you liked the vid and thank you for your kind words!

[@yurifairy2969]

it really sucks how aradia didn't stick around for most of act 6

[@goldengrecha]

Thank you. Just thank you for this video. It made my day so much better. This video is really a breath of fresh air, while the most things that I saw - it's the criticism or just complaining about homestuck post-canon. This video made me so much happier. Because I deeply care for homestuck and for its post-canon (even if it "bad" or "shitty". I don't care.), I still deeply care for characters, I deeply care for everyone. And this video made me feel better, made me feel great. It finally destroyed my feelings " damn, everyone talking so bad about epilogues and next things, maybe it's just me who stupid and don't understand obvious? Am I stupid for loving epilogues and such?" Just.. Thank you, really. Also, you have such a nice voice!! Love you already.

[@vriskazone9721]

For months now, I've wanted to leave a comment on here saying thanks for the video, but I've never been able to find the words until now. This video moved me in a way not a lot of videos on here about Homestuck really have, and I firmly believe it's due to the love and care you clearly have for this comic. After years of "Homestuck is bad actually" and cringe culture bullshit, seeing this video, so clearly distinct from other, more cynical takes on Homestuck, so clearly motivated by a desire to express your love for a work that was important to you, it just made my day, and has continued to provide me with so much joy every time I rewatch that I don't think there's been a time that I haven't shed a tear at some point while watching the video. Thank you, thank you so much, there is nothing I love seeing more than just people breaking through the weird shame and stigma around the comic and unabashedly sharing their love for it, because this comic has been so important to me for so long and it's just nice to know I'm not alone in it.

[@medmed5436]

bro i started crying at the end and im literally a just new fan that is getting into homestuck a decate after its peak... it really makes me feel inspired and idk.. whole? and happy! thank you for creating this video! the passion and love for homestuck and everything surrounding is really showing and i appreciate and love that! :]

[@kyriedarling]

Thank you. From the very beginning I thought, "Wow, they had a really similar experience...!" and well... I guess we're the same age and read it and left off at the same times. Homestuck holds a special place in my heart. It was formative for me in so many ways and it's somehow cathartic to hear a retrospective that echoes what I feel and felt. I still come back and listen to odds and ends from the soundtrack. I see bits and pieces from people across the internet on social media. I miss the days on Tumblr with the community and art and friends... but it's warm to know even today people still remember and have fond thoughts about it all like me. Thank you.

[@CrunchyCrispy-pt8yv]

I am so sick of feeling bad about loving Homestuck intensely as a teen. This video makes me so happy, as it truly captures the experience I had while consuming it. Thank you for not being a complete pessimist about this influential and unique piece of culture. :)

[@cyberpunk-2O77]

The best video essay about Homestuck, hands down. And ending it with Pale Rapture is just the icing on the cake. Your call to action is distinctly powerful

[@curlyeyebrow111]

Once again here to say that i still watch this regularly. The completely unabashed boldfaced positivity about homestuck being Good is a balm against the cynicism of the internet and dwindling numbers of fans as the years go by. Thank you, I still dont know how to say just how much this video means to me.

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

You're everything to me, it always warms my heart to see a comment from you and know you're still enjoying this vid. Just want you to know I was just having fun talking about classpects with a friend. We still love HS here :]

[@Т1000-м1и]

I watched a bit less then 9 minutes and I know that this is 100% the kind of video I dreamed of making when I discovered the whole video essays thing, even if I have no idea what the thing this video is talking about actually is and looks like hallucenogen imagery to my untrained brain

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Love the energy here, thank you for saying so

[@curlyeyebrow111]

Having also gotten into the comic in my early teens near the height of things, though I never fell out of the fandom, this video really does such a wonderful job of summing up the experience. 4th time I've watched it now because I can't help but want to burn every bit of it into my mind forever. I'll be shoving this (gently) into the face of everyone I care about for the next month.

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

That makes me so happy to hear. I'm so happy I was able to make something that resonated with the community, it makes me feel closer to it all after returning, and it inspires me to make any more. So basically, thank you so much for taking the time to watch!

[@sumbuddy4088]

I’ve been searching for over a year for an answer to just how Homestuck worked, and just how it was created. I think right here I found it, or at least the closest answer I can possibly get.

[@christofferoff]

There are elements of this that I disagree with, sure. I don't think you could get a group of people to all agree with every single take because Homestuck is so expansive and means something to so many people who will all have their opinion on discourse or where the story should have gone, or the degree of Homestuck's relevance in the modern internet and where that influence is felt, etc. But fundamentally you reflected my feelings of Homestuck, which are that despite whatever dumbass drama there is all the time, it's really a great though flawed story (including act 6!) with a still alive and passionate fandom. When the fandom is so often bitter and cynical (we can argue the extent to which that's justified, but that would be beside the point) it's easy to lose sight of all the things that make it truly special - and the fact that people have discourse is ultimately a sign that we're all passionate enough to engage with this stuff to begin with. It's lovely to have a retrospective which represents a more hopeful perspective of the story, fandom, and future. Like you, I feel Homestuck is the greatest piece of media I've ever read, and it's always great to see someone engage with it in a way that aligns with many of my own feelings towards the story and the impact it leaves on a reader and its fandom.

[@Parzivle]

I miss my old tumblr friends so much. Homestuck helped me create so many connections I’ve let collapse over time. I hope they’re all still alive and doing well. I hope they think about me sometimes too

[@rachelbbq]

man I gotta reread homestuck. I stopped at the pauses as well. my favorite part was probably the music/fan music back in the day :) I would go on tindeck and just keep listening to the recommended stuff and download the songs on my phone to blast (my family hated it lmao)

[@abby7204]

the line "i wrote 13k words about homestuck and didn't mention vriska once." made me fall out of my chair onto the floor laughing. And i need you to know i am being so serious right now, i beg you to believe me.

[@marcylee]

This is a beautiful retrospessay !! Perfectly encapsulates what I love about homestuck's writing/storytelling. It's somewhat comforting to know that there are still people so fond with it years after its original ending.

[@katbrechtel499]

man, I haven't played Hiveswap, if you've got a code left! Thank you for making this. I've loved Homestuck for years in part because of its incredibly unconventional approach to narrative and format, but yeah, honestly it was the heart of the thing and the earnestness with which it ended that trapped me forever.

[@karinazagirova]

i have incredibly bitter memories of homestuck and have for a long while held a grudge against it. your retrospective has made me remember what made me so obsessed with it in the first place

[@NikolaZimmer]

As someone who read HS as it was coming out, pauses and all, I love your analysis! It truly captured the way I felt about it: a series that shaped who I am today, both good and bad, and showed me how complex life and love can be. Even the worst people (*cough* Vriska & Gamzee *cough*) can be understood and sympathized with. And as a polyromantic asexual, I loved how the LGBT representation was played out as realistic and not pandering. Even the best people can get caught up in despair and fear. Despite all the sadness and rage it brought me at time, HS will always have a fond place in my heart for all the joy and excitement it gave. Though any pictures of me running around in a home-made prince of void cosplay will remain locked up in a box in my basement.

[@juliasofiagalindo2106]

God I love homestuck. I want everyone to see this video.

[@LunaChann02]

Finally, a video that encompasses every feeling I have about my favorite piece of media. I can't thank you enough for making my day with this incredible essay, great video and great thoughts overall!

[@crimewizards]

thank you so much for this discussion - i've been falling out of the fandom since the sting of the epilogues, but there is something undeniable about its staying power and how important it was to me throughout my life. homestuck was one of those things that kept me going in high school, and i think you definitely summed it up in your discussion of calliope: it felt like these characters were my friends, and seeing them succeed helped me feel like i could succeed. a homestuck fanwork is what got me interested in my major, i came to conclusions about my own gender identity and orientation because of how i related to characters, and i got my start in writing and character voice because of the comic. there were parts of this that really made me tear up, because it's rare to see the work treated with such reverence and respect, even for someone who has fallen off some time ago. also moonsetter always makes me emotional :')

[@katejadi]

the way the dsmp fandom gets treated currently reminds me a lot of how the homestuck fandom was back then people who have never even attempted to get into it hating on it for stuff the creators said or did people making stuff up just to hate on it people who get bullied out of the fandom who become antis of it, giving into the hate and forgetting that they loved the content as much as they did the internet really has never learned from itself :(

[@tunafishblub]

Yes! I was a huge Homestuck fan during middle school and I'm currently a dsmp fan. It's really fascinating looking at how similar the fandoms can be at times while also having respective differences. The amount of hate each has and still gets along with very passionate communities is so interesting to look at. :)

[@thebreeoche]

this video makes me so happy as a homestuck fan. ive been in this fandom for 10 years and it still inspires me every day, and i dont know how to explain that to people. ive tried, and the only way i can explain why im still here after all these years is that as an aromantic this comic is the only thing that has ever made me feel love. i truly think that this comic has affected me so deeply, not loving it anymore would change a fundamental part of who i am. anyway, im a prince of hope and my favorite troll is vriska!

[@Т1000-м1и]

Here when 39k views and 14,2k subs. I just remember seeing a megalovania version literally once

[@L4Vo5]

this video is really good at explaining the many, many different things that each make homestuck... just so great! with so many genuinely different things going for it, the fact that it even exists. is kind of unbelievable :o and it has such power on it's fans that most of them, regardless of who they are in life, even if they haven't thought about homestuck in years, and with only the slightest of prompts, could probably gush about it for hours and hours

[@LivingNightmarez]

Welp, 4/13 is coming around soon and I’ve been feeling the call. This video is so beautifully made I cried so many times bc it made me relive my childhood in a way I never experienced before. I remember being there in the heat of the moment of hs, waiting for upd8s, listening to Broadway karkat, other unspeakable things.. anyways I really appreciate you shining a positive light on this gilded dumpster fire of a comic (I loved this comic more than life at age 12)

[@Patchouliprince]

The amount that homestuck had a hand in raising me is unsettling,,, but I wouldn’t change it for the world

[@juliadickerson2528]

This video was absolutely beautiful. As someone who is currently reading homestuck for the third time, it really is a fantastic piece of work. I'm reading it with Hussie's commentary, which makes it extra fascinating to see what their thoughts are all these years in the future. This video was beautiful though, and did make me tear up a little with your pure joy and love for this comic. I had that same type of love when I first read it too, and I think my reread will spark it again. Thank you for writing and recording this, it was absolutely lovely.

[@wowmynamechanged]

literally the most inspiring video essay I've seen, thanks for treating homestuck like more than just its fandom horror stories

[@Foxpawed]

I wish I had the time and patience to give it a re-read, but I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity, short of getting the rest of the physical volumes as ideas for gifts my family can throw at me when I don't have any other good suggestions. I was there for the whole run. I came in mid-Problem Sleuth. I helped moderate the forums. As the resident furry mod, when he PMed me for suggestions, I gave Andrew Hussie some links to my favorite artists which he then used for Jade's desktops and art fixations (Sorry, Tsampikos) I backed the kickstarter and ran multiple forum adventures. I stuck through the pauses, and then the slow spiral of madness that was the various sub-Acts 6. I was there for the moment that the webcomic literally became an anime like we had all memed about it being, and I was in the throng of voices that was disappointed that after all that wait and build up, the initial ending left so much anti-climactically unresolved, because of the meta-narrative aspect that the only way to beat the final boss was to basically stop paying attention to the story where he was in, and with the forums now dead, I had no place or reason to stick around and wait for resolution. And then I heard about... choice decisions in the long delayed continuations. Just... ugh. I can't ever bring myself to read them, knowing stuff like Yiffy is waiting for me.

[@janetestherina7169]

oh wow, i read homestuck while in quarantine and got so deep in it. thanks for letting me know that it's never late to get into homestuck! my fave troll is karkat btw, not a cope out answer, i really REALLY love him

[@farron2551]

as someone who got into homestuck way back in middle school, it makes me so happy to find that there are still new fans that are able to get into it outside of when it peaked!! homestuck is truly one of a kind, i hope you enjoy your time here along with all the amazing stories and fanworks that exist (and great taste in characters btw, karkat is also my fave

[@BowJish44]

Not the 56:55 zoom in on NiGHTS when talking about dead fandoms... :( (love homestuck, love this look back at the comic itself, very big fan of the work you've put into here. You struck some very relevant chords in me, especially about shame towards loving and being unable to share it with others unlike with any other beloved piece of media, and I love some truly CRINGEY pieces of media and still fully share them with abandon. Homestuck? I could never share that openly and entirely with even a fourth of my very closest, best friends without outright acknowledging they either won't care at all or just truly and utterly hate it as I talk about it to them. There is no place to discuss homestuck unless its with people I already know like it or love it just as much as I do. It's beyond reason to try, because throwing myself into a fire and expecting not to be burned multiple times is at best desperate and at worst insane. Every swelling praise I give it publicly has to be prefaced AND bookended with self deprecation and snarky mocking of what I love, just to feel safe enough to not invite the very known disgust people have for it and people who like it. To beat them to the punchline I'm making of myself for ever wanting to talk about it in the first place. How can somebody think me lame and go on the offensive when I rag on myself more knowingly and harsher than any passive hate-fueled outsider to the comic ever could? Who can take me down a peg when I willingly dig my own grave and bury myself alive? Nobody. Not very effectively, anyway.) ALSO WAAAAAAAA MOONSETTER FOR THE CLOSING MUSICAL PIECE OF THE VIDEO :''')

[@samhayes-astrion]

January 2013 was my darkest point. Fired from my first job and outcast from people I thought were my friends. Homestuck pulled me back from that after I decided to read it one night on a depressed whim. That summer was the greatest I've had yet, and it's what propelled my desire to write my books. My novels were a pipe dream and a few crude chapters. A decade later, I'm finally editing the final draft of my debut novel. Thank you, Hussie, and thank you, fandom.

[@4ndr7a82]

i think this might be the first good video about homestuck ive seen

[@terribleTerrestrial]

people being so unabashedly happy and in love with homestuck makes me feel so good and it makes me feel better about enjoying it so much. thank you .

[@RustiesCrusties]

I joined the homestuck fandom wayyyy too late, I mean that by simply because my age (the webcom was freaking started before I was even born) and because I didn't think homestuck was anything out of the ordinary, I had no idea it's literally about children causing the end of the world and doing funny haha shenanigans. But luckily I finally gave up and decided to read it and I'm halfway but I'm going to finish the "Let's Read Homestuck" series because I'm too lazy to actually read it myself.

[@_alternianIdiot]

this is so real

[@mysticxjuice]

Joined in 2024 It's so barren 😭

[@imogenmangle]

The absolute brick-to-the-head feeling of whiplash I got from clicking onto a video about homestuck and getting hit with that Utena parody intro....

[@mushykitten]

Thank you for making this video. I don't think I have ever seen someone succeed so much in flattering Homestuck, so unapologetically too, and in encompassing it's meaning and impact - both as a story, and as a piece of media in the web. Thank you.

[@sycrop1479]

This video made me cry. I love Homestuck so much.

[@cameronwyatt9467]

Andrew Hussie created a platform and the fans helped him build something truly amazing on top of that. Together we ascended.

[@messeduppotatocp6749]

I had just started reading homestuck when I was 12 (now 21) and I never finished it through all the long pauses in act 6 where I stopped. After revisiting homestuck as an adult I expected to be filled with nostalgia but I felt like I was reading it from a whole new perspective. Getting more into the lore than I ever have and I truly am sad that homestuck had to end and I don't think we will ever see anything as revolutionary as that was when it came out. Makes me glad I pushed through my middle school depression to see it end at least.

[@oopitstat]

Wow this was made 2 years ago and I only found it yesterday, I was starting to finish up my last minute con crunch only having my wig left to do and was looking for something to set the mood. I was wondering about the fandom of Homestuck being quiet nowadays as for some reason a big wave of it hit me which led to my last minute con crunch of finishing up a fem! Jake English cosplay for a convention starting in a week. I felt very alone as a good amount of my friends were judging me for getting back into the work and being overly excited regarding it and I was looking for something to help keep my hopes up that maybe I’ll run into some other HS cosplayers at the convention when I stumbled upon this video. I watched the entirety of this video until the completion which lined perfectly up with the completion of the wig as well and god damn this video was beautiful and inspiring in so many ways. Thank you so much.

[@MGame0042]

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this video! I was really into HS back in when new issues were coming out. I even started voice acting through dubbing fan comics! I can't write or draw, but my voice is pretty good, so I figured I'd do some audio and video editing, and put them on my VA channel (which needs updating). The first one I made was 11 years ago! With me voice each of The Midnight Crew. It was so much fun! Anyway, great video! Have an awesome day!

[@undercurrent32]

Gosh this was a wonderful piece to relive such a fun time of my teenage years! Great video.

[@cloudfilum2678]

This is the best video essay I have seen on homestuck. amazing work, amazing takes. I so deeply relate to your feelings on this comic and it was such a delight to watch and remember a webcomic that was so important to me 🌻🌟 thank you and take care ✨🌞

[@banukaii]

Ok this is the video that's convinced me to reread Homestuck. I've been thinking about it a lot recently, and you've gone and done it. Thanks : )

[@ChineseVikingVoices]

Thank you for writing this all down! It’s really interesting to see the full journey in one place.

[@MysteryMedia2001]

This video left me very emotional near the end. Homestuck is one of the most important pieces of fiction in my life and sometimes I forget just how much it has touched me. My lexicon will forever be shaped by its strange dictionary, I still say abscond, often find myself going pchooo when I need to go somewhere, and add -ify to the end of words. I’ve been feeling the urge to go re-read homestuck recently and I might do that soon. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this wonderful video.

[@Golnax]

Very rarely have I felt so almost completely in sync with someone on a shared opinion on a medium of entertainment that I enjoy. You said everything I've ever felt, more or less, about Homestuck, and I'm glad I found this video. Now I can use it as a point of reference to others that I would try to get into this series as a clear, positive introduction to the vast galaxy that is this fandom. Thank you very much for making this video :)

[@fleromor]

Honestly if people want to get a look at the passion for the characters that Homestuck demands the neverending controversy surrounding vriska is a good place to start. For instance the existence of Vriska quarantine threads on the mspa fourms because every topic eventually became Vriska discourse.

[@KuroYamigetsu]

I really hope this gets more people into Homestuck, I fear that it's been slowly dying out after HS² went on hiatus.

[@GabrielJuk]

A truly heartfelt essay. Wonderful. I hope someday in the far future someone sees this video and gets to have the same unique experience we all had when reading it for the first time.

[@belladonnaatropa6915]

Seeing people talk about homestuck in 2021 just fills me with absolute joy also have you got any hiveswap codes left? Prolly not but anyways great video!!

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Sadly all codes have been claimed, but hiveswap is only 8 bucks on humble bundle and it is well worth it!

[@ezarky]

You summed up a lot of thoughts and feelings I've had about homestuck that not many people that have talked about it have talked about i hope you talk about it more!

[@omeg5473]

HOMESTUCK WILL HAVE A GREAT REVIVAL IN 2024 YO

[@Kissingerzones1311]

N O

[@AcidDollie]

Thank you such for this!!!!! I wish I had something deeper to say but this filled my heart with so much joy. I was like you with Tumblr and I was even part of things like Frandomstuck lol as an Adult now this was just, Perfect! Thank you!

[@annolismyrene823]

Homestuck will forever invoke immense emotions and nostalgia within me. I am so grateful to having experienced it while it was ongoing.

[@dandyspacedandy]

I think I needed this perspective

[@demonkiller8000]

Happy 413! Thank you for uploading this. I'd love to see any other Homestuck content you produce

[@gabidecastro]

This went straight to my good videos playlist, phenomenal work!

[@gabidecastro]

Haha, "straight", that's ironic.

[@robboharwood3669]

I recently started rereading Homestuck and this whole video just makes me happy to have ever been a part of the fandom :)

[@curlyeyebrow111]

I think I've watched this at least a dozen times since it was posted, back again for 413. This really is such an incredible video, thank you so much for making it

[@gegor41311]

I wanna play Hiveswap Act 1 really really much.

[@feveraven]

John is still the biggest comfort character for me 6 years after reading it, and his whole journey is something i deeply related to. The end of his arc together with the entirety of homestuck gave me such a wave of catharsis that despite everything, i can't help but think extremely fondly of the comic when i do. However, as much as HS is about its fandom and the relationship between media/ fans, i feel like that applied to an older version of HS' fanbase. It used to be fun, bustling with life and excitement and creation, but in its later years to now it's just a cesspool of arguments, it's intolerant and jaded. The dramas that littered the end of the webcomic were what drove me off the fandom and the subsequential material that was released later, i just couldn't handle a piece of media that sought out to piss off its audience so much, and an audience that loved going on tirades about it. They essentially took the fun out of it. But regardless of that it sure was a ride, and i'll never forget what it was like being in the midst of it all while it was happening. Thank you for making this

[@feveraven]

actually now that i think about it, maybe it applied to a different type of fan entirely. back in the early to mid 10s, we were still exploring this very same media relationship, and with HS the reciprocation of it all felt more like idk, a gift. nowadays it's an expectation, a requirement almost, that media is responsive to its fans, that it tries to cater to their every whim. i feel like that has to take away from the story a game/film/comic is trying to tell. just a thought really.

[@feveraven]

that's a lot of words!! sorry, homestuck just does that to ya lmaoao

[@templebeast1324]

@@feveraven I agree with you. I believe not every work fiction has to have a relationship with fans to be good.

[@JhuanVSales]

Love the careful editing and choice of panels in the video. I got into homestuck real late (2020) and since i'm from a non-english speaking country it's actually way harder to get anyone into this godforsaken comic

[@TheDigitalDreamClub]

Hey thank you so much for noticing the editing and how intentional it was! Definitely the most difficult editing job I've ever done, but I'm super happy with how it turned out. Rea;;y makes me happy that you noticed :]

[@HeronHero]

This uh...this made me cry. I can't thank you enough for your love for this work. So often it's mocked, or at least when it's complimented, it's blunted by some fan drama nonsense from years ago. It was just such an amazing effort of empathy that you afforded Homestuck and I want to thank you so much for that. And again, thank you for talking about the comic...as a comic! As a work of fiction! Such a breath of fresh air from all these articles talking about Homestuck purely as it relates to fandom! And lastly, thank you especially for the Act 4 section. About feeling shame for loving this thing, and feeling small and alone and bitter, because even good friends talk shit about this while not really knowing what it is. This was unbelievably moving. I'm sharing this everywhere, and you more than got my subscription. Btw, Hussie retweeted your video, if that counts for anything regarding this video's quality. Thank you so much for reminding me why and how I fell in love with this story.

[@poeticcinema5857]

God. This is the BEST video ever. Made me genuinely emotional and I was almost brought to tears ! 😢

[@CorvidaeMagician]

thank you

[@CinnamonKnightEntertainment]

I have so much I could add to this diologue, but most importantly welcome home..... never feel stuck by the expectations of others. Be comfortable.

[@roselalorb7386]

Just started, already thrilled to bits.