The idea of Emmelpi is that it’s the in-universe fictional equivalent of our My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I keep saying I’m going to change the name but I’ve been calling it that for like 3 years now so I’ll probably stick to that unless a lawyer tells me it’s a bad idea
also there’s a bit of Yoshi and Mimiga because I enjoy
Thanks. I think I loosely gloss over the idea in parts here https://poppingspree.dev/ddocs/yozh-hylan-compenduim-wip-13nov2023.pdf but in short all of my Squee/Helibuster characters can be thought of as “What if somebody tried to make My Little Ponies real (but also the ponies were instead vaguely bunny shaped)”
Loosely based on our dog Biggum Puggles. He doesn’t really look like this, but sometimes he gets super excited about lunch time and bounces around super lots.
Based on Mel Syreth / The Syreth Clan’s BuKnight Order of the Golden Crest characters.
Please forgive my foul language, but predictably now that we’re heading for the capitalism mandated period of economic downturn and instability, a lot of the big near-monopolistic companies are cracking down in an attempt to squeeze more money from a user base that has already hit its cap.
Enshittification is the active and deliberate practice of making an existing product worse with the intent to force consumers to spend more money. There is no product benefit, there is no consumer benefit, nothing of value is created from this practice, and by any measure this should probably be illegal. This is one of those cases where people who believe capitalism is good should be screaming about how this is a perversion of the ideal, and people who are anti-capitalism will be making record of how this is yet another drop in the endless bucket of ways capitalism is fundamentally anti-human.
So anyway, here’s the most recent wave of Enshittifications:
Except. You know. People like me who have been paying for Premium for years? are still getting hit by these intentionally designed downgrades that make the entire site lag when typing, or cause resource usage spikes across the entire PC when multiple Youtube tabs are open. Rather than driving people to spend more money to make the site functional again, if this gets much worse it’s going to give paying customers a lot of good reasons to stop paying and stop using the site at all. I know I’m considering it. I lived without Youtube in the past, I can drop it and move on same as I have with Nintendo.
I was also going to complain about X/Twitter being bought be a foolish rich guy and burning itself to the ground in the span of a year, and Reddit seeing the bonfire and being like “Ooooh pretty, let’s do that too!” and burning itself to the ground, but eh. It sucks, but I won’t feel nearly as bad about those platforms going away forever when it seemed like both of those platforms have been actively hostile to their own userbase for years.
I guess I’m particularly hurt about the Capcom thing because Street Fighter 6 was arguably one of the best games at release of everything they have made in their entire history. And then they turn around and fail with a poorly paced model for selling character customization outfits at an unreasonable price, a poorly planned crossover DLC that can only be used in battle hubs, and an aggressive crackdown on modding on other games they weren’t even officially supporting anymore.
If big companies want to turn their iconic products into a trash pile, let ’em. May the next generation of startups take their place by simple value of not being intentionally awful.
I enjoyed Season 4 of “Go. Dog. Go!” a looooooot and I’m not even sure why? We got a bit more of the world fleshed out, we’ve seen how the community will pull together and help each-other out at the drop of a hat and that the age differences between the characters isn’t usually treated as a reason for them to not be friends. Lady Lydia got waaaaaaaay more emphasis in this season, which I completely welcome because she is one of my absolute favorite characters in the series (despite the fact that typically I hate hats, something about her really resonates with me? I guess I just kinda know what the one-topic fixation type thing feels like?). So we got to see her experiment with being more crafty and creative, and she participated in more Tag’s pretend type games with the super hero episodes (seems like Lydia enjoyed reading the comic book) and it’s just cool to see more of what she’s like beyond the hat.
Sometimes I wish I still had a social media account to share my feelings in a way where it’s super easy for people to find and re-share it. but I dunno. My weird jank blog will just have to do. And I highly recommend Go, Dog. Go! For a chill cartoon vibe with friendly warm feels.
I just found out Eighting developed Ghoul Panic and Namco published it. so now I’m sitting here like :eye: I would really like Lisa Ghoul Panic to show up in one of these fighting games somewhere. that or a new ghoul panic
Which basically means you can do whatever you want with ’em. Also means I can do whatever I want with ’em too. It’s fairly similar to Public Domain, just kinda works better internationally this way.
There’s very little sorting, there’s some random explicit or objectionable content here and there (meaning it’s 18+ only, sorry, I can maybe make a family friendly version later) but hey! It’s stuff! Anyway, if you want to download the archive of a buttload of my old doodles, you can grab it here: http://travisuped.com/cc0/revelromp-sketch-dump-2004-2022.zip
at some point I should come up with a more nuanced explanation of what I mean when I say that art is a “mood” rather than just an object. Like yes, art can take the form of objects as a means of expression. But there is also a sentimental term of “art” that people often use without explicitly qualifying it, and that sentimental form only makes sense in the form of a fleeting, transitory intent of a creation or expression, for which the actual output is a far less relevant than the immediate attempt at expression itself.
And I feel like a great deal of hostility between artists of different values comes from not separating those different senses of “art”. Or attempting to separate them to the point of trying to strip the value from one meaning or another.
Some hasty janky doodles of Pochette from Backpack Hero
also here’s some janky GPT4-generated fanfic custom tailored to my flavor of shenanigans:
Part One: The Quest Begins
In the dappled light of Oakshire Woods, where the sun played peekaboo through the dense canopy, Lily stood with a peculiar twinkle in her feline eyes. The little village had never seen such a peculiar request. “Purse,” she implored, her voice a melodious murmur akin to the rustling leaves, “I need balloons. Special ones that can only be found in the dungeon.” She swished her tail, the shadow it cast on the ground intertwining with the shade of the towering trees.
Purse, with her whiskers twitching in anticipation of a new adventure, couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the secrecy of it all. Balloons? In a dungeon known for its perilous pits and monstrous inhabitants? “I’ll help ya, Lily,” she declared, her voice echoing with the same resolve that had led her through countless battles. “I’ll bring back the finest balloons the dungeon has to offer!”
But as fate would have it, Purse’s plans took a sharp turn. A breathless scout from the village burst into the scene, panting and wide-eyed with urgent news. “The Dungeon King’s Goons are rallying! They’ll be upon us by nightfall!” The scout’s words fell like heavy stones upon the villagers’ hearts.
Purse’s ears drooped momentarily, but her determination was unwavering. “I’ll stop them,” she proclaimed, her voice now a steely whisper. “No Goon will set foot in our village while I stand!”
With time of the essence, Purse turned to Pochette, the hedgehog who had once stood against her but now stood beside her. “Pochette, I need you to do something for me,” Purse said, her gaze intense and unyielding.
Pochette’s quills bristled, a mix of surprise and pride at being entrusted with such a task. “I’m listening,” she replied, her voice steady and curious.
“It’s Lily,” Purse started, gesturing towards the young cat still clutching the hope of balloons in her bright eyes. “She needs… balloons from the dungeon. I don’t know why, but it’s important to her. Can you?”
Pochette pondered, her mind racing through the labyrinthine corridors of the dungeon, the traps that snapped, the creatures that prowled. Balloons would be a fragile cargo, and her quills were anything but forgiving. Yet, the challenge ignited a spark within her. “I’ll do it,” she affirmed with a nod. “Consider those balloons as good as gotten.”
Purse offered a grateful smile, clapping Pochette firmly on the back. “I knew I could count on you. Be careful with those spikes of yours,” she teased, before turning to prepare for the confrontation with the Goons.
Pochette watched Purse’s retreating figure, her heart thumping with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Balloons and dungeons? This would be a tale to tell.
Part Two: Trials of the Dungeon
Deep within the stone-cold heart of the dungeon, Pochette pressed on. The walls echoed with the faint drip of water, the distant growls of lurking creatures, and the occasional hiss of steam from hidden vents. She knew the delicate nature of her quest, for balloons were not the usual treasure sought by brave souls that delved these depths.
Her spines, perfect for defense, now posed a unique dilemma. Each step was measured, each breath calculated. The first balloon she found, a vibrant red like the setting sun, almost met its end upon a careless turn that brought her too close to a jagged rock wall. “Not as easy as I thought,” Pochette muttered to herself, wincing at the memory of the balloon squeaking in perilous protest.
Innovation was the key. Her pets, loyal companions unmarred by spikes, became the bearers of the precious cargo. She tied the strings carefully, ensuring each balloon bobbed safely above her quilled back. Her pack, meticulously organized to protect her prickly burden, held the few essentials she dared bring along.
The dungeon was unforgiving. Traps that clanged and snapped, seeking to impale or crush, were a constant threat. Beasts with gnashing teeth and claws that scraped against the stone were eager for a meal. Pochette’s reflexes were tested time and time again, each narrow escape a silent victory, each acquired balloon a triumph.
As she descended to the 6th floor, her shadow danced against the flickering torchlight, the balloons casting odd shapes upon the walls. She paused, her heart pounding in her chest, a chorus of danger whispering from the unseen corners. It was a crossroads of sorts—a moment of clarity amidst the chaos.
“Enough is enough,” she said, a resolve settling within her like a stone in still water. The balloons, now a small parade of colors and shapes, were enough to bring joy, enough to fulfill a child’s clandestine wish. It was time to return, to emerge from the gloom into the light of home.
Pochette retraced her steps, the dungeon protesting her departure with grumbling reluctance. But she had what she came for; she had succeeded. And so, with a pack full of air and a heart full of pride, Pochette began the journey back to the world above, where innocence awaited the return of its whimsical desires.
Part Three: The Prank Revealed
The morning sun cast a golden glow over the village as Pochette emerged from the dungeon’s mouth, a string of balloons trailing behind her like a colorful comet’s tail. Children gathered, their eyes wide with wonder, as the spectacle unfolded. Lily, with Raven peeking from behind her, stood at the forefront, their anticipation barely contained.
As Pochette approached, she could see the sparkle in Lily’s eyes reflect the myriad of hues bobbing in the air. “I’ve brought them,” Pochette announced, her voice carrying a tinge of pride. She watched as Lily reached out, her small hands grasping the strings with care, as if she were holding the very sky.
“Thank you, Pochette!” Lily exclaimed, her joy bubbling over like a springtime brook. “They’re perfect!” Raven, equally delighted, danced around the balloons, her laughter mingling with the soft rustling of leaves.
Pochette left them with their treasure, a smile gracing her lips as she made her way home, her thoughts already on a warm meal and a soft bed. The day’s end brought a peaceful slumber, her dreams a vivid tapestry woven from the day’s adventures.
But dawn’s light brought with it a revelation. Pochette awoke to a sea of colors, her cottage transformed into a balloon-filled wonderland. She blinked, her initial confusion giving way to amusement as the pieces fell into place. “Lily and Raven,” she muttered with a chuckle, her quills rustling with each movement, popping balloons in a symphony of tiny explosions.
Crawling out of bed was like navigating through a rainbow, each pop a playful reminder of the previous day’s quest. She couldn’t help but laugh, the sound echoing off her walls, as she pictured the two young pranksters plotting their delightful scheme.
With a shake of her head, Pochette accepted the harmless prank for what it was—a sign of affection, a memory made, a story to share. And nestled within that acceptance was the knowledge that Purse, brave and bold, owed her a favor. A smile played on her lips at the thought; in their world of adventure and danger, such a debt was indeed a rare and precious coin.
As the last balloon gave way with a soft pop, Pochette looked around her now quiet cottage. The laughter of children outside, the warmth of the sun through her window, and the promise of future adventures filled her with a contentment as buoyant as the balloons that had graced her home. The day awaited, and with it, the endless possibilities that came with each new sunrise.
