but I would be so boring, you guys.

I went to the first day of my last semester Ever (holy shit, really happening), which was Portfolio/Self-Promotion/How to Get a Job, Stupid. Somehow a segue from mothers being the primary market for children's books dovetailed into the Twilight/supernatural YA lit trend, and every single person in the room groaned and whined and bitched and moaned about how terrible the whole thing is. One girl said, "didn't they see Interview with a Vampire?" to which I had to say "no, because they were fetuses." The instructor made some comment about the first time he ever saw the Sailor Moon cosplay society at Comic Con, which caused another collective groan. I finally had to say, "oh come on, how is this any worse than what you guys liked when you were teenagers?"

And that's just the thing. I may be particularly defensive about Sailor Moon because I still believe in how extraordinary it is, and not just with nostalgia-colored glasses. The Babysitters' Club, for example, doesn't hold up nearly as well. But that doesn't mean I'm going to apologize for having read it. And I don't think teenagers should have to apologize for reading Twilight, either. Twilight is bad because it's bad, not because teenagers like it. I read my weight in cliche, cheesy, over the top fiction as a kid - I devoured it, and then wrote my own, too. It's what kids do. I don't think any person who was scoffing at "kids today" was reading The Complete US Presidents for fun. (I did, but I was a weirdo.) And I bet every one of them would have started a war over Harry Potter if I suggested that it was anything but perfect. I think it's amazing world-building and competent story-telling, but I never found the writing interesting enough to want to pursue it, personally. That doesn't mean it's wrong to love it; quite the opposite.

Nobody would have been in that classroom if it hadn't been for the things they liked as kids and as teenagers, and that's just a fact. I don't know when that became some sort of shameful thing, to have been a teenager and liked stuff. Is it some sort of collective preening, pretending that we're all so much better because we're 4 years (or in my case, 7 years) out of high school and they're all babies? I don't get it.

It made me think about 7 years ago, what I liked and read and wanted more of. If it hadn't been for the infancy of Sailor Moon fandom (and Gundam Wing slash fandom) on the internets, I don't know what kind of person I'd be today. Heck, include bandom in that, too; where would I be now without My Chemical Romance? That's how important it was to me. I am who I am because of the artists who made the things I wanted to watch and read - and emulate. I should want to be that artist for some teenager out there, looking through their school's library or their local bookstore (depending on how long either of those things actually exist). So when my instructor went around the room and asked what market we were hoping to sell to, I said young adult. I was the only person in the room that did.

I also said "and sports merchandising," because everybody loves giraffes in baseball jerseys. That's been proven by science.

I blame saintawesome and Jason Mraz for this. And since I don't know Jason Mraz, I can safely say that this is entirely Em's fault. So there.

even if the skies get rough
Sailor Moon/The Vampire Diaries (Chiba Mamoru + Damon Salvatore)
summary: "I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not - and who I am" / Mamoru's parents are not exactly what he'd dreamed of. They're better.
warning: implied Salvatore incest and mpreg, complete and utter insanity

( how old is your soul )

Since all the cool kids have done it, I now have a Dreamwidth account: onewarmline.

I have no idea what I'll use it for, since I keep having to blow the cobwebs off this journal too, but if you're into that sort of thing, it exists! If you have DW, leave your username in the comments so we can not use them together.

Originally posted by gabrielleabelle at Mississippi Personhood Amendment

Oh god, my eyes burn and my wrist kills, and I'm so exhausted that I'm too tired to be tired, but I got this fucking assignment done and if I wasn't sure I'd break something, I would pat myself on the back.

Nero, from Star Trek XI, rendered entirely in Illustrator CS5.1 with the Pen tool (and some blend modes, and the Symbol Sprayer). ( Here. )

You would? Well you're in luck!

I've started making some of my best digital work available on RedBubble. Postcards, photo prints, posters and even canvas are all available! They've even provided me with a helpful widget. Please give it a look, and if you bought something, it would be totally rad.



Since nenena pointed out that the widget may not load properly, here's a stable link to the storefront: http://www.redbubble.com/people/swiener/portfolio

WARNING: This post contains some pretty heinous bald-faced sexism. I don't know if it's triggering, but I know that if I'm not sure, I'm warning anyway.

I've been having a lot of fun on Twitter this Giants' season; I've met lots of great new people with whom I've celebrated the wonderfulness of Brandon Belt, and lamented the injuries of ... um, everybody. 2011 has been a lot harder than 2010, but I'm glad to have found them.

Of course, as the man said, every rose has its thorn. One clever fellow got very upset by the amount of fangirl squee that was taking place on photos of Giants players. There's a pretty high volume of it, and some of it goes overboard, so I was fairly content to let it pass.

Oh, but then he said this: ( Here be stupid. )

That didn't go particularly well for him. I rolled up my non-existent sleeves and, as the kids say, "went off." ( To whit... )


Don't make me angry, internet. You won't like me when I'm angry.

Via the always perfectly timed righteous indignation of auronsgirl

This is why we need marriage equality. Not tomorrow, not six months from now, TODAY.

Originally posted by lavenderfrost at ...WTF.

First thing's first. School starts again next week, so I'm using the time I have left to do some boring real life shit (groceries, laundry, throwing out four months' worth of empty soda bottles). But I'm also using the time for art that is for cash moneys, and not for a grade! This means auronsgirl specifically. I haven't forgotten you, I just want to make you the best thing possible. I probably won't do that in two days, of course, but it's a start.

I owe saintawesome some stuff, too, but since she's still sitting on my birthday present from last year, she can probably wait a little longer. :P No, but seriously, you nice people will have some progress sketches by the end of the week.

I also kind of forgot to show everyone what I was up to last semester. The clothed figure and still life painting classes weren't all that exciting, but I took a digital illustration class (which ended up being my only A). I did some work I'm really proud of, so it seems only right that I share it. Thumbnails are above the cut; full images are below.


all you crashqueens and motorbabies
original character/mcr killjoys 'verse

My first project for this class. Assignment: create something you would use to promote yourself.

( Read more... )


spotlight
original; slightly NSFW
photoshop cs5

My final project.

( Read more... )


art is the weapon
my chemical romance/the fabulous killjoys
pencil sketch, photoshop cs5+painter 11

Done as an additional gift for MCR at the NSSN m&g. Getting their likenesses is hard, I don't know how theopteryx can do it all the time.

( Read more... )



graverobber
sailor metal papillon/sailor moon
pencil sketch, photoshop cs5

Done for extra credit.

( Read more... )