Two Professional Writers React To Alan Moore's CHAOTIC Writing Advice

[@WeRNotAlive]

I am The Last Living Cartoon and Alan Moore's musings on art and nostalgia remind of the iconic media of my past: kzbin.info/aero/PLW3Q6zalzJ8W9-FXddo4T73ACNX_7vCte

[@johnny196775]

I mentioned this on the thread where you attacked me personally for commenting negatively on your wonderful wonderful work, but I wasn't sure you would see it: I really want to say thank you for this, so I will put it here: "Hey, I am impressed... Based off of your previous replies, I expected you to come back at me calling me the "R" word when I told you I am autistic. Good for you, that you refrained. I bet that took a lot of self control. Thank you." You can see the original as a continuation of our conversation there.

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@johnny196775 I’m also autistic. The only “R word” I will call you is rude. Especially since you can’t take a joke.

[@johnny196775]

@@WeRNotAlive So you weren't being sincere in telling me I'm smart... I see. You were attacking me personally because I didn't love your wonderful wonderful work... Very mature and professional of you.

[@WeRNotAlive]

@@johnny196775 What? Dude, you were rude, so I sassed you. Move on.

[@johnny196775]

@@WeRNotAlive So, like I said before, since you can't stand unflattering comments about your art, maybe you should either turn off comments or warn viewers you WILL seek to humiliate them in the comments section if they comment unfavorably. I hadn't expected that and wouldn't have commented honestly or watched your video if I had known that anything but adulation would warrant a personal attack.

[@JeevesAnthrozaurUS]

The "guy whose only ever seen Boss Baby watching their 2nd movie and saying 'getting a lot of Boss Baby vibes from this'" tweet is the modern Plato's Cave

[@WhaleManMan]

What does this mean

[@joshraid1550]

⁠​⁠@@WhaleManManThere’s a tweet that goes “Guy who’s only seen boss baby watching their second movie: Getting a lot of boss baby vibes from this”

[@SairanBurghausen]

@@WhaleManManDumb

[@Ema_Not_Emma]

Iconic comment

[@ivycat_]

why are you right though

[@Finn_01]

43:32 To kind of quote a tumblr article I found: "Logan and Joker are interesting movies to compare bc on the surface they seem like they're doing the same thing: A darker, more grounded take on superhero stories. But, honestly, I think they're kind of opposites in terms of how they approach their source material. Joker's use of comic book elements rings kind of insincere to me, lifting shallow iconography from the Batman mythos and tacking them on to a mostly unrelated movie. With Logan though, for all its gritty realism, it actually stays true to a lot of what I'd consider to be core to the X-Men series, mainly the mutants as a stand-in for oppressed classes in society. It just takes this element to its darkest possible conclusion. The movie strips away most of the comic-book iconography in order to reveal the complex human characters underneath. It also doesn't have the same pretension of trying to transcend its genre. It still has action and super powers and weird sci fi elements. Those elements are just in service of a different kind of story."

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

What do you think about The Batman?

[@Finn_01]

@@stefanalexanderlungu1503 Definitely falls into the Logan vein, there’s a clear love and respect for the source material, and the depth of the story comes from pushing these characters that are just starting out, straight out of their comfort zone. Moreover, it’s a story about taking Batman to task, so it isn’t only reverent to the mythos, it questions and in some cases improves upon what was there

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

@@Finn_01 Thanks for your response! I still haven't seen it because I'm not really into comics, but I'm trying to expand the things I watch. I've heard contradictory things about whether it's good or worth watching or not, but I'll seek it out.

[@nomukun1138]

Tumblr has some good stuff.

[@YouAreStillNotablaze]

As great as they say Joker is, that's a pretty spot on analysis and comparison of the two

[@cw2010]

I agree with most of what you said about fascism and art but actually there’s a ton of artists that are still discussed that were nazis. The nazi/ fascist part is just usually left out. For example Emil Nolde and a ton of German expressionists. A lot of them destroyed their own art as they got more involved with the nazi party, but fascism tries to infiltrate every movement and community to destroy it at the end. But you can’t just leave out that these guys were later nazis when discussing such artists. So it’s true that nazism doesn’t really have an art movement of its own but it tries to steal every other. Source: grew up in germany and study art history

[@stingerjohnny9951]

Alan Moore is actually the guy that introduced me to neopaganism and thereby helped influence my religious and spiritual views. He is a FASCINATING dude, and the fact that he’s actually a respectful adult about sex and porn is (sadly) very praiseworthy.

[@afellowpotato]

The small victories

[@RahkshiMaster]

I'm not one of those people who demands kids media be more mature because they don't want to accept that they're aging out of it, but thanks for the existential crisis Henry you hit me in the crossfire.

[@austinreed7343]

I think of that in a different way. “You can throw all kinds of shit at kids as long as it has a happy ending.” - Don Bluth, famed animator. Which is to say, I feel like stuff like Megaman X4 is crud because it doesn’t give a remotely happy ending after all the crap the heroes go through.

[@RahkshiMaster]

@@austinreed7343 Oh you can absolutely do mature storytelling in childrens media, some of my favorite works are kids media, I just don't get mad when those shows stay for kids and don't turn into game of thrones.

[@MeemahSN]

I don't think kids media has to be mature, but I do think a lot of it needs to be reworked. So much of it is just colour and noise intended to be treated as a distraction. Kids media should include more competent writing, more fleshed-out characters, more impactful narratives that don't talk down to their audience. Kids aren't smart, but they're not stupid either. They deserve to have stories with care and thought put into them, without the confusion and complexity of adult media. They should be given stories that cater to their level of development, without treating them like idiots. The kids shows that I sometimes revisit are not the ones that threw loud songs and assaulting visuals in my direction, but rather the ones that tried to foster some kind of imagination and appreciation, even if I was too young to fully understand everything being shown to me. Kids media needs more substance because kids themselves need more substance. It's not healthy to throw distractions at kids all day. They deserve something that they can engage with, just like us with our stories.

[@henrygalley2831]

Wouldn’t be a true Alan Moore video without some blistering hot takes!

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

He's spitting facts.

[@starmaker75]

Well there some take I kinda agree/kinda disagree(but not really). It complex

[@casperchristiansen2458]

His scovile levels are beyond comprehension.

[@You-Tube-n5k]

@@starmaker75 Yeah same.

[@oliverordgar5166]

36:16 “Cartoons haven’t gotten worse, you’re just not 10 anymore.” I love that quote from Henry. It reminds me of the Douglas Adams quote on technology and how as we get older we’re suddenly so much more hostile towards it, even though we embrace it in our youth. Both quotes could be applied to so many more topics. I’d love to use it with regards to politics ie Social progress hasn’t gone too far/ruined the world, you’re just not the cool young rebel anymore. Maybe you should just accept that you’ve stagnated but the world is moving on past you, and it’s not some new evil of the modern age, it’s actually just the natural passage of time and is actually really good.

[@jasperthecrab2661]

the thing about comic books shifting audiences towards middle-age hobbyists just makes me think of the trend of how childrens' media (toys, books, comics, and so on) from decades ago could go from being priced cheap to being priced luxury car levels of expensive, given enough passage of time nostalgia and capitalism, a pretty unhealthy combo

[@starmaker75]

I think that what alan moore is trying to said, but kinda being a snob about it

[@lrose5522]

@@starmaker75 I don' think he was a snob about it. I think he was talking about how it's a poor man's vehicle of expression, but the prices take power out of the already powerless. It SHOULD be accessible to those with little money, started that way, but then was co-opted by people who already have money and a voice to spare

[@starmaker75]

Okay looking at his quteos and saying, he his right and totally agree, but Alan kinda has attitude that can come across as dickish.

[@brendanb2982]

See also: Nintendo.

[@_-insertname-_]

@@brendanb2982 that’s just videogames in general dude (except for indie games, they’re cool)

[@royalratusurper7796]

I’ve been a big fan of Joker since it’s release, and was surprised to hear that you guys didn’t like it. The reason why was pleasantly surprising. I’m glad you included that in this video, because I had no idea those two movies existed. I will definitely check them out! Thanks guys. Great vid as always.

[@sideways5153]

Joker is, to my knowledge, exactly what these guys are talking about when they say that a bad perspective on art produces nothing but shallow reproductions of the original inspirations

[@HipsterShiningArmor]

Tbf, Ghana actually has one of the highest GDPs of any African nation, both in total and per capita. GDP of Seychelles would be more accurate lol

[@krasmazov1959]

Says who? Ghana is 14th by per capita and 9th total.

[@yourlocalnerd7788]

I don't know why this popped in my head watching this, but I'd be curious to see you guys go over Sir Terry Pratchett writing advise.

[@raikaschieck1634]

Yes! Henry, Gus, go for it!

[@benjaminsuess447]

That "don't beat yourself up" advice is something I've really struggled with and it has killed many story ideas I've had. So hearing that bit of advice was something I think I needed.

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

When you guys pointed out that Joker was just a rip off of two Martin Scorsese films, it made me realize that Joker might have been made to just specifically spite Scorsese by ripping off his films.

[@majora6767]

honestly based. making an entire movie because some guy said you don't make art. can he even call them out on it? or say the movie is bad? techinically it's his movie

[@BunnyLove5763]

10:07 something that I’d like to add to this one is that CG animators. The people who are making most big Hollywood movies look as good as they do these days, get paid in fucking pennies. These movies have such huge budgets, and where does it all go? Certainly not to the people that are doing most of the work.

[@zinkheroofyoutube8004]

Of course, it doesn't That's how all our industries work Hard-working people do it all, get pennies, and the rest of the money goes to the people whose only contribution was owning the industry

[@ScttDynamite220]

You said it as a joke, but a replica of Michelangelo's David with Squidward's nose entitled "Now it's Art," sounds like it could be a real piece of post-modern art. Hell, if you displayed it with Andy Warhol's soup cans on one side and "The Treachery of Images," on the other, that's a whole ass three act play that I'd pay good money to see.

[@phantomkitten73]

In defense of Joker, whatever you think of the movie, it helped get me out of the comic book/blockbuster movie comfort zone I had been stuck in, and opened my eyes to what movies could be (even if Joker wasn't that). Without Joker, I very possibly never would have went on to watch movies like Parasite, Nightcrawler, Birdman, and many more. So whatever your opinion on the film, I will at least praise its merits in potentially turning people to more interesting cinema (even if that isn't the most common result of the film).

[@RahkshiMaster]

While I do think Joker falls flat by too heavily copying what inspired it to the point of being largely a ripoff, the fact that a mainstream superhero blockbuster film came out and it was budget Taxi Driver rather than... every superhero movie for the last 20 years was so interesting and refreshing that I almost can't fault it (almost)

[@phantomkitten73]

@@RahkshiMaster: I hope more artist get a chance to use the power of superheroes to tell new and interesting stories. You can have more traditional stories that still push the boundaries like Daredevil, Logan, or Invincible; or stories that completely twist the format like WandaVision, The Boys, or Thelma.

[@Jamesharveycomics]

I really hope you continue to push yourself even further out of your comfort zone, since everything you listed is still very blockbuster/superhero adjacent.

[@phantomkitten73]

@@Jamesharveycomics: Oh yeah, I've mostly been pushing myself with horror: The Wolf House, One Cut of the Dead, Apostle, Blood Machines, Cheap Thrills, The Guest, Better Watch Out, The Night Comes For Us, Southbound, Mayhem, Hausu, Blood Quantum, Lake Mungo, Await Further Instructions, World of Tomorrow, Possessor, Re-Animator, WNUF Halloween Special, etc.

[@Jamesharveycomics]

@@phantomkitten73 Coooool. Watch There Will Be Blood next. It's not horror but, as the title promises, there will be blood

[@iexist1300]

Your bit about genre reminds me of how I've never been able to say what kind of books I'm interested in. It also reminded me of how some of my favourite games in terms of story are horror, although most of them don't feel like they were designed only to be scary.

[@sleepin9713]

Art about some taboo topics always have to feel like its transgressive and rebellious, it can never simply be authentic and comforting” im so happy someone put that to words

[@carverbrauchle891]

I disagreed with a lot of what Moore said and with this channel's views on Joker but I did enjoy hearing your opinions.

[@highlander2705]

Alan Moore is a man who I will always appreciate for both his worship of a snake god and the acknowledgement it was probably bullshit.

[@starmaker75]

I swear Alan Moore is what happens if Karl Marx was a graphic novelist

[@krasmazov1959]

He's all the socialist, including double agent Rasputin. Eat the rich, one flap at time.

[@theonetrueslimeking6042]

The difference is that Alan Moore at least has some experience in the real world.

[@marocat4749]

Probably Haha ,with repect to moore , he is brilliant but marx would probably be very excenttric now. An his advice, is really good.

[@malaizze]

The only difference is that Moore is more based

[@purpleshutin]

Something I thought of while listening to the part about drafts and that you can always do better is, believe it or not, is from the game doki-doki literature club. It was a quote from Monika along the lines of "if you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you'll just get a big puddle of ink. Just write then clean it up later." (That was paraphrasing). And I took that to heart and it made writing a lot more fun. Despite being a horror game first and foremost, it has a few pieces of good writing advice imo.

[@Nevri.]

I found your channel recently by accident through Lily Orchard writing tips video and I have been listening to all your videos from playlist of 2 professional writers reacts to since then. Today I finally caught and for the most part I agree with everything you guys say and I'm loving your discussions. Watched few other random videos and at some point I intend to go through all your stuff. With that in mind something you said in this video really rubbed me the wrong way. I really like that unless advice really just have no merit, you do try to find anything good about it or at least use it as springboard to talk about stuff being useful. That's why I really took issue with your take on people watching "children's media/stuff made for kids" and how mean and condescending you came across. To be clear, I'm not saying you need to watch or enjoy it. Everyone has their taste and that's fine. My issue is the reason why you don't watch it. You yourself said that saying something is for kids doesn't mean it's bad, but you kinda act like it do. My biggest problem with general approach for media for kids is assumption that kids are dumb and as long as it has pretty colors and moving images, they'll be entertained and cartoons/movies made for them are only supposed to keep them occupied and give parents time to do something else instead of actually spending time with their kids (that's another whole topic). Of course that's not true, as kids are way smarted and observant than most people like to admit, that's why they can actually learn a lot from stuff they consume. That's why it's important to actually make stuff for them of higher quality and insert good lessons into it. What it have to do with anything? Well I agree there are some shows that are made specifically for kids and are not meant to be entertaining in any way when you're beyond certain age. But there're also shows that try to be more complicated than that. Of course they probably won't really takle too complex themes or in general try to shy away from stuff like getting too bloody/gory, killing too many characters if at all and go into more morally gray stuff. But in theory the quality of *writing* of that stuff should still be just as good as if you were writing for a adult. Isn't that the whole point of movies for all ages? That kid can follow it, but it doesn't mean adults can't and even that there might be some stuff that only they can appreciate, because it'll fly over kids heads? Like do you not watch Pixar stuff, because it's technically for kids? Disney is a no-no for you because it's definitely for kids? It's your right to watch whatever you want, but the way you phrase and lump all of those shows and movies into just 1 lable of "stuff for kids" kinda gives a impression that you *do* consider it to be inherently lesser thing or of lower quality. That shows "made for kids" *can't* create good characters or character arcs or tell good stories we can look at, dissect and learn from. Or hell, that you can't learn things you *shouldn't* do from it. Again, you're free to watch whatever you want, but the way you're so fast to dismiss them comes off to me as you admitting there's *nothing* you can gain from watching them, which I find somewhat limiting and unexpected for people who consider writing their profession. Let's look at Avatar since it's best example of it and it was already brought up. Is it made primary for kids? Yes. Does it dump down some more heavy stuff? Sure. Does it avoid blood and actually freaking *war* has way too little casualties? Definitely. Does it mean the story is shallow and has little value that you can't learn anything from it? Far from it. For a kids show it is actually very complex and has some very heavy themes and teaches very good lessons on top of having very strong character writing and world building. Sure it has its flaws and some episodes were hit and miss for me, but I think it's actually very mature show despite it being primarily for kids. Contrary to popular believe you don't need to have blood, gore, violence, swearing and/or sex to make a mature story. A lot of talented people put a lot of effort into making this show good and there's a reason so many people are very fond of it and consider it a golden standards for media for kids. Could it be even better? Could it go more into its themes, show even more mature stuff and explore it even more, without just adding mindless violence or nudity. Obviously and if that's really your issue, that it doesn't explore that stuff more and that's just not complex enough for you, that you consider all that stuff too basic, then say so. Just say it's not complex enough for you. Don't dismiss it just because it was made with kids in mind. I can't talk for everyone and sure, there're probably people you're completely right about. People who only watch shows made for kids and expect them to be super mature and cater to their interest, while refusing to engage with anything actually more complex and doing stuff they desperately want to see. I'm not one of them. The main reason I watch that stuff is because I'm fan of *animation* . I feel like it's a very underused medium that can really give birth to different things and allows for much more creativity and expression than life action or 3D. I really like more abstract and stylized designs of characters etc. Unlike supposedly most people, I don't need to see actual real people to be able to relate and connect with them. Corporations spends so much money on special effects and trying to make them as realistic as possible, while you can blend things much easier and much cheaper using drawings. There's so many things that work much better in animation and in fact, only work in animation. Yet everyone is obsessed with being realistic. It's the pitfall modern games fallen into. They spend so much time and effort into visuals that'll get dated anyway, instead of actually making sure their game is good first. Gameplay and story should come before everything looking realistic. And that's exactly the issue. Animation is so commonly stereotyped and stigmatized to be only used in shows aimed at kids, if you like it and want to watch good animation, you pretty much *have to* watch stuff that's primarily made for kids. And that's another thing. You focused so much of "it's stuff made for kids, why are you watching stuff for kids, watch adult stuff", so you didn't even stop to consider if some of those people watch it *because* it's animated. That maybe either because of their own preference or because they connect with it more, they prefer to watch stuff that's animated. You said you know animation is a medium, not genre, yet still you give of a impression that you do think animation is a genre that only kids watch. I was actually waiting for you to recommend animated stuff made for adults, to show those people that you don't need to watch stuff only for kids, but all you gave was stuff that's life action. So yeah, for that reason I found the way you talk about it very condescending, because you completely didn't consider that some people just like animation as a medium and want to be able to watch and experience, mature, complex stories in that medium and that's why they complain and insist of stuff catering to them. It's wrong for them to demand it from media aimed at children, but honestly they don't really have a choice.

[@Nevri.]

That's why I got into watching Anime and reading Manga. The fact I'm afraid saying that will automatically label me as weeaboo and "one of those people" and give you reason to dismiss anything I'll say really says a lot. I remember in one of videos you said some really harsh things about anime and I kinda feel like part of the reason was that you see and dismiss it as stuff for kids etc as well, exactly because it's animated. I don't remember which episode it was exactly and entire conversation (after listening to so many videos in a row, all the info kinda blends together), but I remember getting a little hurt by some dismissing statements. Sure, majority of anime and manga is technically "made for kids" and some stories aren't as mature etc. as they could be, but again that's just issue of being into animations and drawings more than life action. For the most part I'm only watching and reading stuff I actually like and I do understand and acknowledge when stuff isn't exactly made for me, but again I'm kinda forced into doing that, because there's not much alternative. I didn't choose my preferred medium to be discriminated and seen as inherently worse. If I only watch/read animated stuff that is aimed at me, I'd pretty much already saw everything that I can. And to finish it off, I feel like similar thing is about comics and superheroes. Of course most of that stuff will be aimed at younger audience, but what if you're a adult that likes those kinds of stories? There's really not much you can do, cos for most people comics/superheroes are inherently childish/immature stuff too. Like Moore saying that he thinks it's weird for adult people watch old superheroes movies. Sure, part of it is that those characters sold so corporations will milk them, but also those are characters that stood the test of time and constantly find new people gravitating towards them. It doesn't always have to be nostalgia, sometimes you just like character and enjoy stories about them. And again, while comics started by being mainly for kids, they also evolved and tried to tell more mature stories so again just lumping everything into "infantile" label sounds limiting and dismissing. Like Moore wrote comics too and tried to make them more complex and mature, so why does he think they're only for children? Especially since before he got offended when people called comics "childish and illiterate". In your previous video I had a little issue with your talk about not wanting to be edited, but it was already old video, so there was little chance you'd read my comment so I didn't post anything, but since this comment already had turned into wall of text, I'll spare you from that. Also for this and last video from playlist your audio was much lower compare to before, so it was harder to listen to, especially as I was doing so during my walk. EDIT/ Formatting got ruined and fixed some few small errors.

[@234edog]

you really put some words in my mouth as to why it kind of weirds me out to dismiss one medium when each can offer something new to the table. it feels so anthropocentrism in a way, 3d humans get empathy and sympathy but lord forbid you think one anime character moved you in a way. granted, I hate shallow people who simp over rich movie stars rather than praising actually good actors who add enrichment in the movies and shows they're in. Likewise, the same people who worship high fidelity graphics but treat anything stylized as worthless, ignoring the fact that these games will age better than the realism brown turds that are triple aaa games. I hate these souless consumerist husk who call themselves human and don't want any of these people near me.

[@Wince_Media]

The team of diregentleman enjoy animation too. (And so do I!) I think gus and Henry are trying to specifically target people who complain about childrens' cartoons not being 'mature' enough, as if they believe they are part of its target audience. Kids cartoons can be good or bad, it's OK to criticize the bad, but the quality of a children's show is not dependent on its maturity or tone. Lighthearted episodic kids' shows have a right to exist (not saying you don't believe that, but there are people who are like that) TLDR: I don't think diregentleman are talking about people like you

[@Nevri.]

@@Wince_Media That's exactly why they didn't even bother commenting? I put a lot of thought in what I was saying, hoping I'd get some respond, even if it'd be just like telling me I'm wrong without reason or insulting me, but since I was completely ignore, seems like I had to say something they can't easily dismiss. Just made me regret wasting time and will probably never ever bother commenting about anything else.

[@Wince_Media]

@@Nevri. don't feel that way! Opinions like yours matter! Discussion is incredibly important otherwise we would all learn nothing about the world. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad.

[@aquamarinerose5405]

"You're watching cartoons that nobody with hair on their genitals should be watching, and getting vaguely pissed off about it" Alright. I was working in perfectly good faith with you on the topic before, basically agreeing with you that Manchildren and Lily Orchard are the villain here, but honestly I'm going to have to directly step in and directly oppose your statement. Any Good piece of Family/Children's media should be one that you are able to still appreciate as an adult. Whether that be through thematic depth that one can critically engage with, deep world lore that makes one want to keep exploring and learning about it long after the finale is over, or even just that the animation in and of itself is well done enough that just it's a treat for the eyes. Like even throwing out my obvious ammunition of Avatar and its ilk. Beauty and the Beast isn't a story that's particularly engaging as an adult, but learning that the Ballroom scene basically changed the game in regards to animation forever because of its combination of 2d and 3d assets makes that film incredibly interesting (on top of just... Generally looking amazing even at other points in the film) Mulan is a pretty simple story, but its core themes can resonate with people of all ages (On top of it looking just plain amazing, again, classic disney.), and some can even re-interpret the story as being Trans Rep (even though it kinda isn't). Or like... Admittedly I haven't seen Steven Universe so I can't speak to its overall quality, but it's also a perfect example at least in theory. It has those "Fun Kid Adventures" while still dipping its toes into narrative complexity. (Though then it kinda falls apart when Steven manages to Talk No Jutsu genocidal space rock queens into not being genocidal dictators anymore) Heck, even the overly obvious "Why are adults watching this show" show of Gen 4 MLP can be a good example where the legitimately sincere and well executed take on its "Friendship Show" trope managed to make it basically the first time that "Adults watching kid's cartoons" became public knowledge, and almost immediately after that things like Adventure Time and Steven Universe and Gravity Falls started to crawl out of the woodwork and purposely engage the "We're a kid's show but adults will find us fun too". Your point on the people getting seriously angry that children's media isn't tailored to them is a legitimate argument, but I despise your wording and the insinuation you create with that.

[@aquamarinerose5405]

And I still stand somewhat by the point that a lot of people don't know how to find the thing they actually want, especially in the case of Fantasy In General since it seems that the stuff that hits the mainstream is either for children (your steven universes and adventure times), gritty grimdark (Game of Thrones, the Witcher TV show), like 1 actually good show that only got made because it was able to ride on the back of the popularity of Critical Role (And even then it's not really "Deep" in its own narrative any more than the original CR was), or it's High Guardian Spice. Edit: Should probably add a descriptor like "Animation" or "Television" to these since this is in the context of looking for tv shows and usually looking for animated tv shows.a Edit 2: Forgot about Arcane, that also goes into the examples of good animated fantasy.

[@BooksandBuns]

Funny you should mention GoT & the Witcher in the grimdark category. Netflix's Witcher is a rich white woman's attempt at making the next game of thrones, & (ignoring all the blatant cultural erasure of it) it is nothing like the source material. The books aren't grimdark, the games aren't grimdark, even the kinda shitty (but still far better & far more enjoyable) Polish movie wasn't at all grimdark. Netflix's Witcher is a grimdark copy of GoT created to make money off of nostalgic fans of the games & the books while spitting in the face of those same fans, many of them Polish & Slavic, who grew up with the source material & see it as part of their cultural heritage.

[@aquamarinerose5405]

@@BooksandBuns Admittedly yea I might've been mis-using grimdark to an extent. Though I do think that at least PART of the descriptor fits (Although I admit I haven't consumed THAT much witcher content, most of my info is from an incomplete run of Wild Hunt). It's a world with a lot wrong with it both in terms of the supernatural monsters roaming around as well as the political tensions between kingdoms, as well as the fact that the protagonist specifically is part of a hated minority. so... Pretty Dark. It's not quite fully Grim since there ARE chances for good people to make a change, but no individual is ever expected or capable of fixing EVERYTHING. You can't Witcher your way out of the raising tensions of imperialism and civil war, or stab racial prejudice with a silver sword. Although if you wanted to pull out the alignment chart it's more Neutral Dark than Grimdark, perhaps leaning on Nobledark. Edit: and more generally, ALL the variations of witcher have the general vibe of "Gritty Low-Fantasy Medieval Dark Ages"

[@DrewLSsix]

I wish I would have thought of the "genre is for marketing" thing earlier today, someone was arguing that my like of a particular franchises recent changes in aesthetic and tone means I'm just a consumer. Inferring that they are something other than a consumer, the fact that he was utterly obsessed with the franchise sticking to utterly artificial confines actually shows that they are far more the consumer than I, like someone who demands his fast food be produced exactly the same every single time. While others welcome varied dining experiences.

[@kidkangaroo5213]

You can make any position seem sane, if you're the one describing the discussion and controlling the narrative. Be more specific, which franchise and what changed

[@peacefultengu6384]

Yeah, same with the brazilian Kamen Rider fandom, a bunch of salty and lazy old men they are, they prefer to expend time complaining about new series instead of actually watching the damn things and expanding past their late 70s Black duology, which is only popular because of the dub, being forgotten by the overall international fandom. In fact, the international fandom loves the current series, with it having hundreds of 5/5s and 4/5s in a recent reddit pool, with only thirteen or so 3/5s, two 2/5s and one 1/5s.

[@DrewLSsix]

@@kidkangaroo5213 what does the franchise matter? It applies to basically any franchise that's long lived enough. It could Teen Titans vs Teen Titans Go, star trwk star wars Battlestar Galactica the entirety of the comics industry the constantly changing Indian film industry. So why do you need to know the exact franchise? Are you going to prove they are fundamentally right or wrong by deciding that particular franchise was right or wrong to change its aestetics and tone? My point is that demanding a creative endeavor maintain a narrowly defined eastetic and tone over decades and through several production teams is inherently more consumerist than accepting change as it comes and judging things by their merit. Hence my metaphor of only eating McDonald's because you can demand it'll be the same thing no matter when or where you are vs being open to trying new cuisine that exists as an actual creative expression of potentially talented people.

[@unfoldingspace8]

On the talk of showing/laying out parts of yourself (around the 23:28 time stamp). I can’t agree enough, I have a couple of different diagnoses, Autism (Aspergers specifically), ADHD, and Generalised Anxiety among some of them, and I constantly have ideas and concepts going through my head, and all of them are some form of self-insert, or at least start out as such. And after some of them keep coming back again and again, they start to change, the self-insert is still there, but less direct/immediate, sometimes they become their own characters, other times they melt together with some of the others and become a different sort of character, still pretty self-insert, but also different, in a way I can’t properly explain.

[@williamongjiajiang1734]

Themes don't make the story, but it sure helps shape it to something we can recognize

[@angrycat1232]

My writing advice is hidden in my 67 hour review of the Last Jedi. If people can't find it, it's technically unassailable.

[@raikaschieck1634]

From personal experience, taking walks and focussing on nature is really important. It calms you down and gets your head free. Also you can find all sorts of interessting, funny, bizarr or other things, which can inspire you.

[@I_love_dr_stone]

Just wanted to say I love this channel

[@CloudyDaze]

34:39 This is hella topical now considering Mysterious Mr Enter's whole twitter meltdown with demanding "Turning Red" include references to 9/11. I do think children's media can work well tackling mature themes but some people are fucking weird about it. (Though it doesn't help that on the opposite end of the spectrum we cannot escape the stigma of animation "just being for kids" and not given any sincerity at all. Looking at you with contempt; academy awards. 👀)

[@Jo-bs2uu]

I'd love an Alan Moore reaction channel where he just watches junk. it'd make me unreasonably amused

[@samescourt3801]

God what an amazing writer Alan is. Watchmen was such a brilliant take on the superhero/comic genre that I can't really go back and haven't gone back since.

[@aegis_knight]

If you can find some advice from him, you should do a Jordan Peele writing advice video. The horror comedy of his work would provide a curious insight for us.

[@unfoldingspace8]

Ironically at the discussion at around 35:30 that was kinda how my friend got me into Invincible. Because I told him that I tend to, in my head, thinking up, what I call ‘mental fan fiction’ (because it is technically fan fiction, but it’s not something I actively try and create or write down, it’s more just my brain processing it and adding more flavour to it). And in those mental fanfics I usually end up elevating children’s media (for example Hotel Transylvania) to something more mature with more blood and violence. We then started having a small conversation and by the end he recommended me to watch Invincible, and I did, and I loved it.

[@Nevri.]

So having blood and violence makes something mature?

[@unfoldingspace8]

@@Nevri. I mean when a main character punches through someone’s chest and is holding said other character’s still beating heart in the hand that just went through. I’d say yes. But also, I did say “somewhat more mature” cuz I know there is some blood and violence in kids media, I mean look at Power Puff Girls, they had no qualms deep-throating a Kaiju with its own forehead horn, so much so that it goes out the back of their head. But even with that there’s the ‘disconnect’ because it’s a giant monster/Kaiju, and not human at all, plus there usually isn’t much blood spilling when they do that (if my memory serves). I haven’t actually watched the new Power Puff series, so I don’t even know if they still do that in that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t, or did it a lot less. Because kids media has become less and less directly violent and such. I rewatched Lilo and Stitch a few weeks ago, and I hadn’t watched it in over a decade, and I was instantly reminded what made me connect with Lilo as a kid (like her straight up jumping on the girl with glasses when she insults her (Lilo). But I was also able now to see/understand things more from Nani’s pov and the severity of their actual home/family situation which flew right over my head as a kid. Of course sometimes senseless violence actually makes something more appropriate for children’s media, just look at Tom & Jerry. That was both fun/funny for its senseless violence, and also a sort of outlet, at least for me. When I was little, and very angry/upset, watching Tom & Jerry actually helped me get some of that anger out. It satisfied that ‘craving’ for senseless violence I had as a kid, because that is the easiest way to express yourself as a kid, being physical, especially when you’re angry, and having an outlet like that in the form of the cartoons back then was great. 😄😁😊

[@bezka3545]

Want to be a writer? Don't. Give up. Really want to? DIE FOR it. Any less than 1000% is not enough. Love this kind of advice. Really motivates you, and doesn't make you feel like shit for doubting yourself, or wonder if writing just for fun is worth it because you're not moving to a shack on a beach to focus on your craft while some rando farmer gives you crap that washed up on shore.

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

Im going to share this video with my older Brother since he likes Alan Moore's stuff.

[@littleeusbee]

So there was this one time in college where I took two weeks and I just wrote, to the detriment of other things, like eating. At the end of it I had around sixty single spaced pages (this was before I bothered double spacing), and a slight understanding of what it takes to be a professional writer, and frankly I'm fine with it just being a hobby. There's a certain joy to being able to write when I want without it having to worry about a paycheck or grade or whatever.

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

While I know you have your hot-take opinions regarding “Joker” and such being highly derivative, is it really a bad thing for a film to take heavy influence from other works? After all, as the saying goes: “good artists steal.”

[@henrygalley2831]

It’s bad when it’s worse, like Joker is

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

@@henrygalley2831 Is it worse? I've heard mostly paise for the film, so it must've done something right, even if it is highly derivative.

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

@@geoffreyrichards6079 I feel like the idea I get here is that the Joker is very derivative but even being a worst version of the movies it copies it was great still. However, in the eyes of those that know the Joker's sources see everything about them being better executed than in Joker. I still have to watch Taxi Driver and King of Comedy, but from what I have seen people commenting on, I think the most right thing Joker did was deriving from movies that most people didn't saw or wouldn't remember. Or just mostly got away with it for the general audience.

[@cortomaltese5206]

Some things. -While what he said about movies being too expansive is true, I think we should take into consideration how many people are working on them for a living and aren't particularly rich. Look at the cgi workers, for example. They dont earn much. But without movies they'd be starving. -I'm honestly surprised by the fact Moore said back in his day comics weren't as serious as today, when he himself was influenced by Hugo Pratt(the creator of the Corto Maltese series). Maybe Im just confusing dates but comics have been arthouse even back in the day. Maybe not in America's DC and Marvel but in Europe they were and Moore read them. That said, Corto Maltese was always appealing to teens in the end so if thats what Moore means by that then it makes sense

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

Broken windows

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

I'm sure that if they're skilled artists they could find better work for themselves than as another underpaid nameless part on a bloated assembly line for a bad movie

[@zinkheroofyoutube8004]

@@stefanalexanderlungu1503You don't know how capitalism works, do you?

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

@@zinkheroofyoutube8004 Broken windows

[@bubs4581]

I love the star wars prequels. Themes are epic!

[@hiruyabebaw807]

Alan Moore is still a legend in my book no matter what

[@davidrossi3914]

No he is just a nowhere egy emo boy

[@hiruyabebaw807]

@@davidrossi3914 blasphemy

[@HaapainenRouske]

1:01:42 absolutely, any creative career is a huge time sink and while it can be really rewarding, it will affect every other part of your life as well. When you aren't creating art, you are thinking about creating art. And that will put stress on your relationships if for example your partner just can't understand or deal with the fact that you will emotionally disappear for hours at a time and it will make you tired, just like any other "real job". Creative careers have a lot of flexibility, but they will also consume so much of your time and energy that it makes it scarily easy to get too isolated and it will be awful for your mental health. I'm just an avid hobbyist but art is such a cruel mistress. It gives life meaning and depth, but it can also just eat you alive and cut you away from that life. It's the problem of work-life balance dialed up to 11. The hours just disappear. It's amazing. It fucking sucks. Still somehow worth it.

[@yalilitman849]

"If your gonna be inspired to go and kill a bunch of people, at least let it be because you saw taxi driver" fucking genius!

[@debrachambers1304]

Alan Moore recently made a series of web lectures on writing for "BBC Maestro", and some clips from it are up for free. I think they're pretty interesting, but my favorite moment is when he says he invented gangster rap.

[@seekingabsolution1907]

Finally gave Less is Morgue a listen. Decided that whilst it probably is well written it is not so well written as to overcome my extreme discomfort and revulsion for the horror genre.

[@rotomfan63]

My favorite part of Kyle's Extraordinay Gentlemen video is how he just calls it "an Alan Moore happens" when an Alan Moore happens

[@xboxgamer474246]

Challenging assumptions in your process is really strong to me. I don't know how familiar you are with jazz, but Miles Davis took this approach in the mid 50s to reinvent his approach to harmonies, solos and what was possible in the format. What resulted was a sea of enormous changes to jazz that reinvented what the genre could even be, and many of those works are wholly unique and powerful today. Another unique example to me is Halo: Combat Evolved. The health system in Halo has two tiers: Shields and HP. Shields are the bulk of your health and regenerate if you haven't taken damage for X amount of time. HP damage is more permanent, requiring health kits to regenerate, but only depletes after your shields fail. It allows you to take some risks with your positioning, so long as you can retreat when those risks pop your shields. When you port this single player health system to a multi-player framework, you end up with an entirely different attitude to damage, positioning, control and gunfights. Halo is so unique from other shooters because they changed their assumptions on health and damage.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

I definitely need to broaden my media palete, which has been fantasy, scifi, and superheroes for decades now. So I'm currently reading my first Danielle Steel novel. This, and the book Phases of Gravity, are the only books I can remember reading, which are 100 % realistic in their plots. It's quite a swerving change.

[@j.a.ogrady7783]

Thank you so much for that cartoon rant! I got into the brony community when I was 10 and kept re-adapting my opinions to the common consesus until I realized I didn't like my vision of the mlp show, with all this dark stuff for the ponies that'd finally make it officially good. I left the fandom when I got older, and was disappointed when I returned for a nostalgia feast to see the showrunners had listened to the odd demands. I've recently started watching Pokémon Journeys and honestly, it might be my new favorite show. I made the mistake of checking opinions online, most of which amounted to "This isn't how they usually do it, bad." or "When will we see the lore and dramaaaa like Sun&Moon", forgetting that they are referring to the finale climax of S&M that of course had the most lore and drama wrapped up into that small time period. They also forget this is the same reaction they had with S&M when comparing it to the climax of X&Y. Let me enjoy the happy bfs going on a happy pokémon journey for happy pokémon! What are you looking for from a ahow that blatantly doesn't offer what you want?!

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

Bro that's what you get for talking to adults that still watch MLP or Pokemon. What do you personally get out of them? Do you just like watching them because they're animated?

[@j.a.ogrady7783]

@@stefanalexanderlungu1503 Tell that to 10 year old me who just wanted to watch videos about her favorite shows, 6 years later I'm only occasionally (if even) dipping into that stuff for nostalgia at this stage, seeing at least the titles and thumbnails of reviews are inevitable with KZbin's sensitive algorithm and recommendations. I wouldn't hold anything against adults simply liking MLP or Pokémon, only if their reviews overlook the intended audience, *children* , with oddly assertive mildly selfish demands, idk i shouldn't ramble like this for smthn that doesn't bother me much, as much as my cartoonishly long typing suggests otherwise

[@kiki.7094]

im able to apply the point about synergy to your channel quite often! a lot of ur advice translates really well to music

[@nomukun1138]

1. Do not think dishonestly 2. The Way is in training 3. Become acquainted with every art 4. Know the Ways of all professions 5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters 6. Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything 7. Perceive things which cannot be seen 8. Pay attention even to trifles 9. Do nothing which is of no use

[@Arkholt2]

39:11 I'm sorry, I have a huge problem with anyone who proudly states that they haven't seen a large swath of an entire movie genre and in the same breath tells you how terrible every single movie in that genre is. Alan Moore has said the same thing about superhero comics, that he hasn't read any since the 90's but somehow he knows that they're not only all terrible but also are all trying to copy him. Look, I get the overall point here, that people like a simple, comfortable view of reality and that leads them to put people in power that truly should not be. I get it. It's a fine opinion to have. But trying to throw superhero movies *that he hasn't even seen* under the bus while making that point is just ridiculous.

[@MyArchive930]

I like how 58 minutes into the video you guys inadventantly summerize the plot of Breaking Bad.

[@EyeOfEld]

How to tell me you disagree with Lily Orchard without telling me you disagree with Lily Orchard. Also, sadly, I am mildly allergic to bananas. They irritate my lips and throat. Watermelon does too. Any other suggestions?

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

bagels. with cream cheese. Lots of Protein easy to make.

[@nomukun1138]

Apples are good (certain varieties suck).

[@Anodyne_Akôn]

"Vandalism on the human experience" ; that's a good one.

[@apieceofbitsandpieces342]

I’d love to see you guys talk about Grant Morrison’s writing advice.

[@RedTailedSmeargle]

From one magic user to another.

[@Redem10]

"Grant this isn't writting adivce this is a list of hallucinogen" "Exactly"

[@magnetizedmaltese1779]

i was a little worried about the talk about "it's not good if you can't enjoy a movie unless the character is exactly like you" bit until i realized you were talking about cishet white men xD i do think i hear very similar concepts aimed at creators with primarily POC and/or LGBT casts; so i'd add an addendum that, it's not weird to primarily consume or create media with characters that have traits similar to yours- issue comes down to more if you are unable to understand why it's good to read outside of your experiences and take in different perspectives- which tbh, i think most writers of any sort of minority already follow anyways! anyways! good vid as always. alan moore is a v interesting guy, love watchmen

[@lonesavior]

A good example of it going beyond white men would be the trend that has mostly passed of isekais, and not just among Japanese media. It felt like the most myopic pandering, as if we couldn't relate to a protagonist in an unknown setting unless they started as a average joe or a modern soldier beforehand.

[@Lio_Convoy]

On nostalgia stuff; it’s worse then you think. You’re off base on some of the history of MOTU, but there’s quite a bit going on with that community, and many others from that era. There is a LOT of arrested development there beyond the processing and compartmentalizing (or failing of) these stories and properties. To the point that if you criticize a new toy, or a new cartoon, they lose their minds. They act like it’s an attack on them as a person. I genuinely don’t know what happened to my generation. But they’re not functioning properly.

[@WeRNotAlive]

Gotcha. I'm sure there's more to the story, but I was specifically talking about how the toyline was marketed over time. Ironically, the new Kevin James MOTU series has put some new marginally more affordable toys on the market.

[@Lio_Convoy]

@@WeRNotAlive The collector-focused, online exclusive line of MOTU Classics was actually pretty affordable when it came out: about $35 a figure. The line ended a few years ago, so the after market prices are absurd. No one should be paying $300 for a Skeletor. I will say though that the most affordable MOTU line, MOTU: Origins, has nothing to do with the Revelation cartoon. The line you’re referring to is Masterverse. Which, honestly……isn’t doing all that well. And that’s not even getting into the fact that Mattel has gotten caught not only copyright striking toy reviewers, but one of their previous lawyers got caught in the comments of a friend of mine’s channel on a video criticizing Mattel. It’s wild out here, man.

[@ohitsstar1241]

Solid advice from Moore accented by deep insights from y’all. Reading the title and seeing “chaotic,” I was worried Moore was giving out bad advice.

[@alexdowns9282]

Maybe I'm just sick and angry but does this episode feel a bit more caustic than the others. Like woke up for violence. Also personally I don't like the advice lots of people give that artist should never think making for money or fame at all ever. Like I want to make writing/drawing a career, full stop. Like yeah me making content I want to exist in the world comes before that. And I don't plan to be stupid rich (tho I would take it. That would be nice). But I think having a goal of getting good enough where I can quit my job and spend more time working on my passions could be a healthy goal. That and I think this type of advice causes people to massively undervalue their own work. That they'll take $10 for 5 hours of work cuz they're doing it just for the "passion." Also putting a lot of time into something and near no one cares sucks and people shouldn't be shamed for having that emotion cuz if it matters to you, you are coming in with the wrong mentality.

[@Tyxaar]

This video is what introduced me to Alan Moore's philosophies, and damn, I didn't know he was so based before this!

[@17raysplays29]

21:47 But what if there's a planet eater in my universe? How do I make sense of that?

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

Hey Henry, I really want to get back to reading books, specifically books without pictures or comics. Unfortunately, my ADHD makes it extremely difficult to read, because I will immediately forget the meaning sentence I just read or just not process it. Do you have any advice for me? Edit: I actually got into reading regular books again, because I got into a book called "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhao. I guess I just really needed a protag that had really strong convictions in order to actually care about the plot.

[@henrygalley2831]

I’d say give audio books a go, they’re also a valid form of reading

[@ThatGreenMach1ne]

@@henrygalley2831 Thanks! I need to get off my ass and actually get Audible, or some other kind of Audio book service.

[@lydialuton4402]

I've got adhd and audiobooks really help! there's library apps that let you borrow them from your phone so super convenient too

[@kat8559]

@@ThatGreenMach1ne fuck audible, libby is free!

[@Oshacompliantshibari]

This is a bit late, but I have the same issue and here's what I do: Make a playlist of music that is instrumental or has lyrics in a language you don't understand. Play that in the background while you read. Personally, my reading playlist has a mix of vocaloid songs (which are typically in Japanese) and the instrumental versions of pop/rock songs I already liked.

[@krinkrin5982]

Um, Actually the middle ages were a time of prolific development in philosophy, law, technology, etc, and a lot of texts from previous periods were being preserved, commented, and studied. The main reasons that the 'dark ages' happened was the collapse of centralized power, de-urbanization, and the disruption of trade, and it mostly lasted only about 500 years.

[@majora6767]

fuck yeah! it's like, 2 am here and I'm gonna watch this in the morning but still, I'm happy you made a new one

[@mahrinui18]

I might be wrong but I feel like I'm your last two videos Henry's audio has been a bit quiet

[@yourlocalnerd7788]

I managed to click on this right before youtube gave me the notification.

[@FunkMcLovin]

Alan Moore and Albert Camus are my heroes

[@sciencefantastic]

Sees headline “react to writing advice” : 🙂 Headline says “Alan Moore’s writing advice: 😃

[@cyan3714]

53:50 "why would we sit here and tell you how to build a hard magic system[...]" *Looks down at playlist* "Ten hot tips to write a hard magic system" I guess You either die a hero...

[@iantaakalla8180]

I mean, neither of them told us about building hard magic. A third person told us some rule.

[@carwyn3691]

14:00 "You can't really create that well if you worry that what you make might have you taken by the secret police and shot" *looks at all the soviet cinema made under Stalin's dictatorship*

[@smidlem1117]

i mean it may not be impossible but it would certainly be more difficult, looking at the history of Dimitri Shostakovich as an example shows a composer who had to very carefully toe the line with his symphonic work to ensure it could be interpreted in some way charitably towards the USSR even with his own negative feelings of the country seeping through the work still, tantacrul did a great video on the subject

[@sfwelles2712]

Man, how do I deal with the psychological pain that is letting go of my dreams. I already know after this video that me ever making a good story for me is impossible and I hate it. I really, really,really hate it. I have too many commitments in my life that I can't sacrifice or lose because they are all equally important to me.

[@Howdyasdo]

Sorry if I will sound like a douche but even doing a hobby for 15 minutes a day Is better than keeping it inside. If your dream is to be a writer then just starting is good. Hope it helps :)

[@tripwire202]

If you do tons of work you have tons of experience! I've read memoirs and stories from people who weren't professional writers and I enjoyed them just as much as ones by professional writers. You don't have to give up just because you can't dedicate all of yourself to the craft. You have you and you have your life and that's more than enough.

[@sammywatokohom172]

34:48 "Don't ask questions. Just consume the products."

[@WeRNotAlive]

We're literally saying not to consume the products, so... what?

[@williamongjiajiang1734]

Random Thoughts I'll add on as time goes on: 1. Cause and effect may be a property of the universe, but reasons are a human creation 2. Thoughts affect thoughts, so are humans a society of thoughts and the self its democracy? 3, The Joker looks at the possibility of an inevitable end of anything, decides in omnicidal fit to bring it closer, and people call it chaos. That isn't chaos, that's just ruin and destruction, Chaos doesn't destroy, or it would've been called destruction. Chaos disrupts and changes the status quo. Just because it's unrecognizable doesn't mean it's gone; it's just different. 4. The best way to write about a life, is to have a life

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

God you're pretentious

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

You're the kinda guy that posts Joker quotes, aren't you?

[@williamongjiajiang1734]

That actually hurts...

[@faeagenda7995]

Henry I adore you but I'm going to need to defend the honor of Obi-Wan's mullet The Movie

[@curlyhead360]

I would like to hear some elaboration on what you think would be a superhero movie attempting to do something different. On the one hand you say that if they are to be so prevalent they should challenge and be less of the same. But on the other you say that those challenging ideas are cheapened by them being put into superhero movies (which I'm not really sure why that is?). Those two ideas feel a little contradictory. When I think of a superhero movie that really did something different and more challenging the first thing that comes to mind is Logan, so I'm curious what your thoughts are on that, are the themes in that movie cheapened because it's attached to a well known superhero property? I'm not trying to do like "ha I found a contradiction in your worldview" kinda thing, I'm genuinely interested in what your thoughts are because I've come to really respect your guys' opinions in these videos, I'm just not really clear on what your overall point is with regards to the superhero movie thing.

[@blakchristianbale]

What I think they mean is that superhero movies could be offering authentic human experiences, but Joker is stealing those from other places, meaning they aren’t authentic

[@eliswanson4195]

please do a review of the blog Mythcreants. they were a formative part of my writing career but eventually out grew when I realized they would put opinion with advice too often

[@tripwire202]

I would enjoy a mythcreants review also! I used to love them, but then depressed me came across a piece of advice saying to remove explicit references to trauma because traumatised people would never want to read about that and I realised a lot of their advice was baseless opinion. I want to read and write about my trauma because I want to be strong enough to face it - I want to make others feel less alone, but apparently I must not really be traumatized since I want to write about it. What they said felt very disrespectful and I take whatever they write with a heavy grain of salt now. They have good intentions but their advice is often very limited. Much of the time, it suggests writers avoid difficult techniques instead of equipping them to face greater challenges. I have no issue with them warning new writers away from difficult techniques but to do so and give no to little alternative is painfully limiting.

[@nullval7198]

regarding the mike tyson quote, a writers quote could be, "everyone has a synopsis, till they write the first draft"

[@benepic3101]

You should read "The Invitation" by Incase! good, thought provoking short story, just happens to be transformation porn. It's really great

[@thedarkmasterthedarkmaster]

24:25 Ironic from the people who wrote from the heads of Sierra Blanca

[@VooshSpokesman]

Love from a Sai and Vaush fan!

[@YggdrasilAudio]

What he said about the comics industry is true...almost. Yes, Marvel and DC have become more oriented towards adults, but this has actually damaged their profits from the comics. They are insanely small in compared to the big comics players in the US, who mostly produces stuff for children. Only reason they've managed to stay afloat is that the comics market their movies.

[@smidlem1117]

not to be like "Alan Moore is based BC he was an old-school ancom and you can say something similar for Brian Eno since Moore mentioned him and that's why a certain crowd is allergic to both Moore and Eno's words" but

[@aquamarinerose5405]

I feel like the issue of "People who want children's media to be full adult stories" is that... There's a demographic of people who feel their needs aren't being met... I don't want to point out any specific fandoms, but will basically do exactly that in another section. A lot of people who grew up with (Insert Childhood Fandom Here) want something that can still keep the core of whimsical adventure across magical lands, while "Aging it up" to fit with a more adult demographic as they've matured and gained SOME more mature tastes. But... outside of MAYBE anime (And even then most adventure anime is aimed at teens anyway), there isn't really anything out there to get that. Mainstream media would rather assume they want blood and guts and moral ambiguity like your Game of Thrones'es and Witcher's (Not saying either of those are bad shows, just using them as example) and they feel starved for content. And so, when they feel starved, they start to act emotionally. Latching onto some kid's cartoon as being the thing that will be what they're hoping for, and then being disappointed in one way or another. Now the section where I call out specific fandoms for the sake of example. Not saying that all members of a given fandom are like this, just that using specific shows as a point of reference helps describe ideas. Like for Avatar Fans, Korra almost hit the spot for them, but it had some writing screwups that undermined its own success, and Dragon Prince for all the good and bad I've heard about it still stuck to being relatively "kiddy" Or for Teen Titans fans who watched something they loved get turned into... Whatever the hell Teen Titan's GO is and basically taking that thing they loved and desperately wanted to return get twisted into something they hated. Or for something like Adventure Time, those fans are eating decently well with things like Owl House, but OH is more of Gravity Falls' blood, and still sticks to the young demographic. And of course even with the massive glut of media out there, actually FINDING the stuff you want is incredibly difficult just because it can be buried in an ocean of other media. So they just grab what they've heard about, hope it's what they're looking for, and then complain when it isn't because they feel like it's all they have.

[@aquamarinerose5405]

Also also on the more general topic, I don't think that EVERY piece of media should be tailored to adults even if it's a children's cartoon, but I think there's a difference between "can be enjoyed as an adult as well as a child" and "Specifically tailored to (insert speaker here) tastes" Using Teen Titans again, the original Teen Titans had some childish humor, but it also has a lot under the surface. Likeable characters who go through emotional issues together and work together as a team to overcome both physical and emotional obstacles. And then GO is basically if you took the original teen titans and did none of that. Making all the characters into jackasses made purely to supply jokes and quips and completely forget to give them distinct personalities.

[@draconicfeline6177]

Theres also an element of, speaking as someone who consumes children's media and whose father prefers to watch childrens' media, frustration with the world as a pretty nasty place with social media and newspapers that shove despair in our face. My dad likes to watch shows targeted to tween girls because there is drama, there are lighthearted ideas, there is some delving to the dark... but there is also a resolution at the end of the episodes. Real life has failed to give us the joy and fulfilment we want. We want a happy ending, with plots that don't hurt us, where we know things aren't going to end on a miserable cliffhanger that doesn't really give us catharsis. There's drama and depth and real art in these children's media so why can't an adult enjoy things that don't delve into the darkest parts of the psyche and "make us think" about how stupid we are/shitty the world is/whatever edgy shit the media wants us to think about? Why does that mean we are "immature?" It's very pretentious to say so. To note, though, I don't want those shows to be tailored to me or to older gentlemen, I want them targeted to tweens. Its not made for me, but I can enjoy it. If I want "that but deeper and darker," I'll go to fanfiction.

[@johnny196775]

I made a different comment, and then realized I really wanted to say this: Unless you think that conspiracies literally never happen, you have to recognize that some conspiracy theories arise not because people find them comforting, but rather because a conspiracy occurred in fact.

[@LeadenSparrow]

You know it’s a bad copy of a better movie when game theory is able to predict the entire movies plot off of the director saying they like taxi driver and the trailer

[@TheMousePokemon]

Is there a video where they did that? I want to see that

[@17raysplays29]

I think that the best kid's movie, by value of being a *kid's* movie, is Captain Underpants. Well animated good dumb fun. Yeah, I think depth in kid's media is really good, but it most definitely is not all it is.

[@alexramey2062]

I had heard that Joker had ripped off of those other movies but I had no idea how blatant it was lol. Might have to check those movies out.

[@sharkjumpingwalrus6744]

It should be noted that being austere when it comes to sexual lifestyle should not mean sex shaming. A spiritual leader who I can't remember the name of shot down members of our church who were shaming someone for wearing a two piece by saying "All I see is beauty." The point of having a strict code of conduct in regards to sex is not that sex is inherently bad, but rather to promote the idea that certain forms of beauty are above monetary values, and that certain acts should be treated with a degree of reverence. In other words, sex between consenting adults should be treated with respect, regardless of how sinful the circumstances might be considered. Likewise, avoiding certain art should not mean shaming it, so long as it depicts consenting adults.

[@WeRNotAlive]

Sexual Austerity seems like the wrong word for what you're getting at. Don't get me wrong, commodifying sex appeal is an issue in the modern world, but that is a capitalism problem and is best understood as such. There's nothing inherently different about sex as a form of human expression that makes it more marketable, otherwise it would be marketed to the exclusion of all other emotions and desires. Which it isn't.

[@sharkjumpingwalrus6744]

@@WeRNotAlive Fair enough. My point was more that ones code of conduct should not lead on to seeing the act itself as gross, but you have given me a bit more perspective on the matter.

[@jackchichei8761]

You should post these on spotify. That is all thank you.

[@DudeOfTheRoach]

Top 10 is an Allan Moore comic series that you guys seriously gotta read. It scratches all parts of the nerd brain.

[@brendanb2982]

You dont know how long I've been needing to hear that verbal slaughter of these manchildren (and occasionally womanchildren) who only watch cartoons and literally nothing else. All art has influences. We should at least give those influences a glance. Though I will add this applies to any medium, especially anime. Just a reminder that *CONSUMING ONLY ANIME IS A HORRIBLE IDEA.*

[@samuelstarrick8487]

You… you have an anime avatar. Devils advocate i see!

[@kingbubbles9461]

For some reason KZbin won’t let me watch this video on the app? All it says is: No stream Tap to retry This is only a problem on this specific video, does anyone know how to fix this?

[@thevioletbee5879]

Same here.

[@humanmusic6409]

Ditto

[@henrygalley2831]

I’m having the same issue, it’s bizarre

[@astridstarr2787]

Big sad

[@thevioletbee5879]

@@henrygalley2831 Damn, you too?

[@insupportofjunhado]

I never fell off a bicycle because I stopped and thought about it. Maybe missed a free throw or penalty kick, buy bicycles were pretty simple. You can't balance on it standing still, but can put off gravity with forward momentum. Caffeine for writing stories? How about caffeine for child care, or maybe elder care. Especially elder care.

[@brachylp3400]

I love it when you cover stuff Like this and I like what Alan Moore tries to say about writing and art and all the Other stuff and Really find it all resonate with me. Sadly I am not here to just appreciate that... I am here on a Trip to all my Favorite YT-Creators that React/Review Media Comment sections to ask them to either React or Review the Show "The Legend of Vox Machina." Because i feel like it deserves more Awareness but if you wont it's fine too. Just want to nudge people to try it.

[@WeRNotAlive]

I can't promise a video, but I've seen and had a great time with The Legend of Vox Machina.

[@brachylp3400]

@@WeRNotAlive For One didn't think you guys would respond, because of the Size of your Channel and the Fact you do more than KZbin. Secondly bit Sad to hear but I guess a Show that is basically a condensed version of a TTRPG dosen't really give much to analize from a writers perspective I guess. Still love your Work and Have a Great Day, Greetings from Germany

[@twrags201]

I generally agree with what you guys say but there's one thing I think genuinely is an awful take that of joker being a ripoff. My favorite movie of all time is taxi driver your take that joker was a ripoff of that film is completely shallow and purely surface level. Taxi driver and joker seem to be identical on the most basic of levels but they were talking about 2 very different issues. Taxi driver was about masculinity and violence how a man can't take the daily grind and gets so disgusted by it he goes on a vigilante killing spree. Joker on the other hand is about mental trauma and breaking points, arthur is beaten down repeatedly to the point where he can't take it anymore whereas Travis isn't beaten down he's a purely disinterested bystander who after a while of the status quo becomes disgusted with the "scum". These 2 movies while on the surface might share some common elements are about 2 very different situations 2 very different men and simply put are both masterpieces

[@humanmusic6409]

Don’t know if this is gonna be good or bad advice, but coming from Alan Moore it must be insane

[@MiMi-xc7ks]

Wow… this feel called out re: the imposter syndrome bit

[@RedTailedSmeargle]

So, what they said on the Marvel movies gave me a bit of an existential crisis. Rather, I agree with them wholeheartedly, and always have. But I also like super hero movies because I like comic books, and I like comic books because In like Reading and Writing. What I get out of the movies (fun romps, okay dialogue, different perspective on characters, etc) are not what others get out of the movies. My views are essentially 'old fashioned' and not filled with (just) trying to make the world look more comfortably escapist and simple. Those things help me deals with reality and the tough life I've lived to get to this point. It's not idolitry, or nolstagia. Just wanting to have something that's good in the world, that can present the world as is in a roundabout way. It feels weird to have a very long body of work of my own (I've written countless fanfiction and bits of advice, have a few books out there and what have you), but still feel like you've done nothing but play catch up because you got hit with a deep cut by an offhand comment by a literal warlock. But here we are.