Coming From A Card-carrying Kitana Stan Who Also Thinks Jade Is Super Dope:

“Apocalypse in Pink” part 2 (see part 1 here), from the August 1983 issue of SPECTAGORIA Magazine. Sera Clairmont’s celebrated underground fashion magazine was always scratching at the bleeding edge of culture, deftly navigating the trends of the Reagan ‘80s by simultaneously coopting and corrupting its materialistic obsessions. Never was that theme on visceral display than in this controversial issue. Apocalypse in Pink found Clairmont’s “Barbie dolls” trying to keep their glamour and their plastic smiles in the flames of a Capitalist Cold War simultaneously obsessed with materialism and annihilation; an America that, Clairmont wrote, “relentlessly asks women if we’re beautiful enough, if our clothes are fancy enough, if our pursuits are ambitious enough, and at the end of every night, if we know where our children are.”

In true Spectagoria fashion, what begins as stylish playful “nuclear Barbie” iconography gradually descends into horrific flames and melting pink plastic bodies, with only the womens’ smiles in tact on their smoldering skeletons at the end of the issue.

Reportedly, this issue was sent to Spectagoria subscribers in a package that included a pink lighter and a note that read, “when you’re finished reading, finish the job.” When burned, the magazine was said to ignite in a dazzling show of hot pink flames that sparkled and crackled, a performance art to complete the issue’s vision. As a result, Apocalypse in Pink is one of the most rare and coveted issues of the magazine, with no complete copies known to exist.

Most who have studied Spectagoria lore conclude that the exterior of the magazine was likely coated in a chemical powder that created the fantastical pink flames. But such a magic show has been meaty fodder for those who believe the rumors of occult powers and dark witchcraft surrounding the publication…

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NOTE: Spectagoria is an ongoing work of fiction created by me. This alternate reality horror story is part of my NightmAIres narrative art series (visit that link for a lot more). NightmAIres are windows into other worlds and interconnected alternate histories, conceived/written by me and visualized with synthography and Photoshop.

If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon for frequent exclusive hi-res wallpaper packs, behind-the-scenes features, downloads, events, contests, and an awesome fan community. Direct fan support is what keeps me going as an independent creator, and it means the world to me.

I Love Christie Monteiro

The first time I was ever introduced to Christie was when I was 10 years old. My brother had Tekken Revolution on his Playsation 3, and I used to play the hell out of it after school. Revolution was like a demo version of ttt2, so there weren't a lot of available characters. I was surprised to find out she was my opponent, but only because I hadn't seen her before. It was like she was some kind of hidden character.

I noticed 3 things about her:

She's black or biracial.

She's dressed colourfully.

Her fighting style.

I had never heard of capoeira before playing Tekken, so learning about a fighting style that had African roots that resembled dancing entranced me. I was super into dancing (though not professional), and I grew up on martial arts films. I did some research here and there, and eventually, I grew an attachment to capoeira. I had never actually learned it professionally, but I do occasionally like to practice whatever I learned on the internet.

She's a black character, which means a lot to me (even though it's not about me). I had been using Xiaoyu as a self insert, and I still do. I was never able to do the same with Christie, and I think that's what makes her interesting. She was her own person, and someone I couldn't find pieces of myself in. Christie is bright, determined and mature. I think that was the difference. Her maturity. (I'm currently 20 years old, but I still have a long way.)

Her outfits were always colourful and sultry. It wasn't like Anna Williams, where it's dangerous, but more of a "product of environment" kind of way. Christie's outfits resemble what a lot of people wear in Brazil (according to the little research I've made), and have a party goer look to them. Some of her old concept art even gave me 'Rihanna' vibes. Brazil is an overall artisitc, warm and colourful country, so the developers did a very great job pouring all of that into Christie.

I had gotten super obsessed with Tekken, and did some deep dives, which led me to the 2009 film. I was pretty surprised that Christie was nothing like anything in the games, especially since she had a romantic relationship with Jin. On the other hand, her outfit was no longer colourful. Capoeira trousers are typically white, so movie Christie seemed to have a traditional approach when it came to her costuming. It's still, however, stylised to suit her playful and spunky personality (even though the film made her a completely different person. She was also played by a white actress. *Shaking my head*.). It could hint to her inexperience, and how she's not looking for revenge or greedier things, like everyone else, but is there for something as simple as finding Eddy. Or maybe even wanting to raise money for her grandpa's illness.

Back to her out of the blue and out of character romance with Jin. It hadn't occurred to me until currently on other potential relationships she could have outside Eddy. I understand that Christie doesn't have to have those things, especially since Eddy has an actual story. Thing is, why add her to the game if you're going to ultimately do nothing with her in the end?

Movie Christie is nothing like the game Christie, but at least the film was doing something with her.

You know what, let Christie have friends and romantic interests outside of Eddy. Tekken x Street Fighter doesn't count because that was heavily Capcom based.

I got some scenarios. Christie takes over the orphanage that Eddy runs, and enters the tournament to get some cash. She could cross paths with King, who visits his own share orphanages. Common ground. They both have good hearts.

Maybe even a friendship with Miguel. Christie kind of resembles Miguel's sister. They could be in a match, but he can't bring himself to lay a hand on her because of their resemblance.

EDIT: How could I forget, Bruce Irvin. She had one interaction with him in Tekken 5, and that's it? Romantic interest?

But yeah, that's all the info dumping I have for you guys.

I hate Reddit so much

I feel like the Sindel retcon has a lot of unfortunate implications. From the hypersexual personality (because evil = sexual) to the idea that because she looked evil she had to be evil to just turning a victim of abuse and colonization into a monster. I get wanting to show flaws in heroes but this wasn't what they did. And I feel like most of the defense of it is just people finding new Sindel hot.

I agree. To be honest, the reason why I always saw her as an evil character even with the context of the mind control is because of her white eyes and overall scary appearance in contrast to Kitana's more (arguably) soft appearance.

I did find it stupid when they retconned their character, but I didn't care much. After watching some ai generated intros where Sindel is good, I gotta say, I like good SIndel. It is bizarre that anyone would find her hot considering that she now canonically does slavery, which just makes my blood boil. They did ruin her character, and even though I wasn't apart of the mk fandom during the 2000s, I miss good Sindel.

Hisoka: The Villain Who Surpasses Expectations

I recall going on a tangent about Hisoka's magical abilities before Togashi revealed nen to the audience, and I went on a bit of a rant about how he had me in a choke hold back when I was ten years old, and I'd like to continue that rant.

Hisoka is that villain who can never be outdone when it comes to creativity.

The first thing that got me was his appearance. I remember seeing him in the opening, where he wears an outfit that he's never seen wearing in any of the episodes (not important, but eh). I remember thinking that he looked like a Jester, mainly because of Harley Quinn. Hisoka never really struck me as a clown, and I remember getting triggered every time a fanfic referred to him as a clown.

I was used to villains who wanted to take over the world for whatever reason, or sympathetic ones who had a rough background or were doing evil things for someone they loved. Or villains who were evil because their job required it, like assassins and hit men. And then there were villains like Joker, who are evil just because. Hisoka was none of that. We are not given any motive for why he's the way he is until much later. When I was ten the pedo stuff flew over my head, and I was still pretty new to sex education. I thought to myself "Pretty weird that fighting is like sex for you, but whatever tickles your fancy." And it's not even in an "Ah, finally a worthy opponent" kind of way.

I remember being so entranced by him because he was so unusual. As a ten year old I interpreted things differently. In the clearing (during the 1st exam) I don't think he would've attacked anyone, but he was provoked into doing so. Kurapika and Leorio run off, so he calms down for a moment, but saw that Leorio wanted the smoke, so he delivered. When he was strangling Gon and stopped, I legit believed he thought to himself "Woah, I was about to kill a kid." I believed he had limits. (Later on with the Alluka thing I see that's not the case)

Hisoka is pure evil, but he isn't some Michael Myers. He has personality and doesn't kill everyone he comes across. When he warned Illumi I thought he was being protective of Gon, but expressed it the only way he was capable of. I was hoping for a future friendship between him and Gon, or at least Hisoka being a somewhat mentor figure of some kind.

There's also Heaven's Arena. He told Gon and Killua to go back downstairs. Instead of seeing it like "Get stronger first so that I can have more fun." I saw it as "It's dangerous for you here, don't come back until you're ready."

I remember seeing the spider tattoo in the bathroom scene, and I was surprised for a moment. Even with the him vs Chrollo situation, if you take that out of the equation, what's in it for him to be a part of the Phantom Troupe? I remember thinking "He's in a gang?" Hisoka didn't fit with the troupe, and I was curious as to how he met them, and why they accepted him. Hisoka didn't/doesn't seem to be the thief type. Once more, he didn't get along with most of the troupe, and they even seemed to avoid him despite being quite close knit. I figured that maybe Hisoka had a similar upbringing to them, which could be why they accepted him, but then there's Kalluto. Kalluto, whose father fought the troupe, and grew up in a beautiful (yet abusive) environment. Kalluto seems well off in comparison, and Illumi comes off as put together despite what he went through. So with the Phantom Troupe it's not about sympathy or trauma bonding. And no, I don't think Kikyo coming from Meteor city has anything to do with it. The only spider Hisoka arguably gets along with is Machi, but she merely tolerates him.

Hisoka worked better in a group setting with Gon and Killua, even though he is an open enemy to them. They were willingly welcome towards him, with Gon even offering him to accompany them. Even though Hisoka gave him the creeps by staring at their arse, Gon still seems to enjoy Hisoka's company (Somewhat???).

There's also that Dodge Ball scene.

Hisoka did that just because that wasn't how Gon wanted to win. He didn't need to do that, but he did. That's pretty damn interesting, and dare I say it, heroic and honourable. There is the potential that Hisoka started getting a soft spot for Gon.

Speaking of the Dodge Ball game, it was interesting seeing Hisoka suffer for once. It felt very out of character, especially since he always comes out on top. But this time the opponent was incredibly stronger, and less familiar. But of course, Hisoka is quick thinking, with one last trick up his sleeve.

When Illumi informs Hisoka about the Chimera ants fiasco and Gon being on his deathbed, Hisoka genuinely appears shocked and a bit fearful. The kind where you hear about something bad happening to a close friend. "What? (Insert name here) has (insert life threatening disease)?". He even put his life on the line to alert Killua of him and Illumi's whereabouts.

Hisoka is a villain that isn't just entertaining, he goes against the expectations of what a villain is presented to be, especially against shonen expectations. He doesn't have a tragic backstory, nor does he need one. While he isn't the main villain, he is very impact-ful to the story, and not just for the main character. Sometimes he can be a hero, despite having his own self-serving agenda behind it.

Baby Reindeer Review + Rant

So I watched Baby Reindeer. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't interested at first, but it gained a lot of attention by Tiktokers. I don't have my own Netflix account, so when my mum travelled and I had access to her TV, I took a chance while I could. 7 episodes, 20-30 minutes each. 

I feel like the suspense was ruined since I knew it was a stalker situation, but I guess I was patient enough to see what would happen. I heard people talking about how Martha was scary, or how they found Baby Reindeer to be a horror, and I must admit that it wasn't the same case for me. When I think of horror I think of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Ichi the Killer. If we're going to argue about realistic situations when I'm going to throw in Audition 1999, a film about a man ignoring red flags and suffering the consequences of chasing after a woman he had no business chasing. Perhaps I have tainted my mind of so many disgusting images that I didn't register that I was watching a horror.

Speaking of ignoring red flags, I understood that Donnie was a victim, and I understand that trauma can affect how a person views the world and how they may navigate certain situations. I know Richard Gadd was sort of confronting himself when retelling that story, and how it's to investigate his psychology. But I also understood that he was an idiot.

A part of me genuinely thought his gender had something to do with it. How men will see a situation vs how women will see a situation. The Man vs Bear situation influenced that thought process of mine. But the episode that opens up about him being groomed and taken advantage of cancelled that out. Maybe he kept underestimating Martha because he sees a poor little woman who needs help.

Martha is a dangerous person, yet he entertained her, sort of. It was clear that he wanted to set boundaries, but didn't know how to, especially if her feelings were going to be hurt. Somehow Martha found her way around it, and when he did set a boundary for sure she started lashing out. She became worse, and yet somehow he was still able to hold sympathy for her. I think that sympathy is forgiveness, but not the kind that demands you to run with caution, the kind that convinces you to give one more chance.

One act of kindness was punished. Is punished. While I can relate, a vengeful part of me scolds him instead. Martha attacked Teri. I hated how Martha was made out to be someone to sympathise with. She threatened and hurt people, and is shown to be a bit of a racist and maybe a homophone, meaning she's an overall unpleasant person. I don't care if she has mental health problems, that doesn't make her innocent or someone I should sympathise with. Do you know what's also mental health? A 36 year old man stabbing a 14 year old boy to death in Hainault. That actually happened.

As soon as a mentally unwell individual starts harming people it's wraps. Donnie contacted the police, but didn't tell the police about Teri. He went along with his dead-end-job coworkers about not reporting what Martha did at the bar to the police because it would be bad for business. The same coworkers who looked through his email and sent that inappropriate message to Martha, making things worse for Donnie. He willingly associated himself with bad people, and willingly put himself through sticky situations. Also, faking who he is on a dating app? Scary. Yes, Donnie is a victim, but he's a massive idiot. Like people who continue to let others suck the life out of them even though they know they shouldn't. Dogs returning to vomit.

I didn't psychoanalyse him while watching the show, but now that I think about his actions, he's just as bad a person. Yes, he told off Martha after she attacked Teri, but it shouldn't have ever gotten that far in the first place. Richard Gadd was honest about not being a 'woe is me' character, and how his younger self made many dumb decisions. I also know that info on stalking was quite limited at the time, such as the fact that giving them attention makes things worse. Donnie saw her at the bus stop, spacing out, and instead of leaving her there to suffer he got her home. But even that act of kindness, Martha still contacted his family to send threats. She didn't stop being a horrible person. No good deed goes unpunished with people like this. No matter what way it is framed, Martha is not a poor little misunderstood creature, she's a monster.

Conclusion: Baby Reindeer, while an entertaining watch, just made me angry. It makes me think of people who are naive and are forced to learn the hard way. No matter how many times they learn, the lesson doesn't hit.

Daniel D'Arby is the cooler D'Arby

Just something I wrote in a youtube comment section, thought it was good enough to be a post and here I am.

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-DpwGvxN1U

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I love older D'Arby (Daniel). It's just how unassuming he is, and when we're first introduced to him we can tell that he has an involvement with the plot but we're taken aback by how normal he looks yet he stands out.

The fact that he's a dirty cheater is funny, but it all gets quiet when he takes your soul. YOUR SOUL, that's some demonic type stuff right there. There's also the classic casino look he has going on with him that reminds me of Mr Dice from Cuphead (also a game about your soul being taken by Satan and gambling).

I'm also taken by how much of a gentleman he is, supposedly at least. He has this old fashioned style to him that makes his presence feel more alien and maybe a little eerie whenever we zoom in on his red eyes. Like he's either timeless or from another time.

The fact that he and Terence are related is quite surprising, not just appearance wise, but it has more to do with the vibes they give off. Daniel gives off "trusty stranger you shouldn't trust, but end up falling victim to anyway", while Terence is "little boy wants to play and you can see the red flag". Terence is a wolf that you see coming, but Daniel unnervingly sneaky. Daniel will sort of play mind games on you (by cheating), but Terence is the kind that YOU play tricks ON.

Both D'Arby's have the ability to take souls. With Terence you feel like he's just being an a-hole, you kind of roll your eyes a bit. With Daniel there's this otherness, like "Why do you want my soul?". I get that it has something to do with pride, but what does he need it for? Terence watches them move as dolls with a conscience and they are stuck with him to the point where they develop stockholm syndrome (as seen with one of the dolls), but Daniel just has them stuck as chips and nothing else as if he's collecting rare cards.

There's a story to Daniel that I'm curious about. There's just something about him that makes me wanna separate him from everything and get to the bottom of his character. His face markings, his need for soul taking, and his upbringing. Why are him and Terence so different besides the age gap and growing up in different decades.

The way they just show up at his house is so... it just had no business being that funny. 3 dudes dressed in costume, the main one role playing, the one in yellow sizing him up, and the one in blue silently judging him.