Hmmmm, you might be onto something there, Riles 🤔🤔
More speedpaints up here.
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Brandi's Repatriation and Memorial has reached 70% of it's goal, with an update this week that reads: "I spoke with the funeral director in Cambodia yesterday. He is waiting on the death certificate from the local authorities so he can book a flight to return Brandi's body. He estimates that he can repatriate Brandi next week. Thank you for all the donations and your support." Seconding this thank you to everyone who has donated and shared the page so far <3
I know you’re already gonna get a bunch of comments on Blaire’s outfit (it DOES look v cute!) so I’m just gonna add that I love how everyone’s hair looks here! And Jaden’s loosey goosey outfit looks cute as well!
Also thank you for keeping this nightmare scenario in the void where it BELONGS. I hope Faith knows how much her mother and the women around her love her and protect her <3
Blaire. BLAIRE. Stop. How are you this annoying even in a fantasy?
I zoomed in on Faith to see if she’d gotten a special look for Riley’s fantasy, and the sassy little butt looks like an EarthBound protagonist. I want an AU where she busts her bully’s kneecaps with a bat.
Faith looks SO cute!! She dresses just how I wanted to dress at her age 🥹
Poor Jaden, feeling so nice bc of how seemingly sweet Blaire’s gift was. And if it was just to show an old cartoon that Blaire actually liked (funny enough, we never see if Blaire liked it, just that her friends thought it was so *enlightening* bc of the meaning they read into it) then it would be sweet. But intent changes everything.
Nightmare Violet scenario, thankfully she is protective of her child and would never blind agree to someone throwing a pamphlet at her. I can never get, and Ive experienced it irl- ppl trying to bring up discourse, debate, and force their ideas unto others who are literally at a gay club to dance and enjoy themselves. Faith looks adorable with the lil cat hat.
Riley is peaking! Im sorry Riley wisdom will come with a cost.
“I’ll get her to a specialist” is such a creepy sentence. Not to throw shade on Violet but even her facial expression in that panel subtly adds to the creepy factor. Unsettling in the best way. 👍
The “faceless” shots of Riley are making my brain whir. Especially while everyone in her imagination has a face and an expression and is showing feelings. Riley has spent much of this comic hiding her own feelings (or ignoring that she even has them and they’re influencing what she chooses as “the right way to respond”) to keep a lid on Blaire and make sure the people around her are happy and keep her world conflict-free… until now. Does this mean Riley is realizing that about herself? That she’s the one “keeping her face blank”? It’s a thought-provoking artistic choice.
Blaire sees a GNC child and is like: Oooo GET *THEM, Oooo GET *THEM
I haven’t been commenting lately because talks about death stress me out for personal reasons, but I’m here now 🙂
The thought that Violet could’ve been swayed like many parents sadly have been scares me, Violet doesn’t stick up for stupid stuff like transism especially when it comes to her daughter, but a part of me knows she’s also very sweet and when being told what would be good for her daughter from a manipulator like Blaire, I’m worried if her reaction would be like Riley’s imagination. Riley is doing the right thing by Keeping Blaire and Violet at bay. I hope everything goes ok for little Faith…
I love how even in her mind, Violet would be kind enough to talk with Blaire and accept the “theythem” on her child. And of course you feels like is wrong, because it is.
Riley imagining Blaire
Preying on GNC children with a creepy, predatory smile
Riley imagining Jaden
Adorable ‘aw shucks’ blushy smile cuz she has friends now
This is a Jail moment. To me.
All Riley has is a lifetime of learned conflict avoidance and a gut feeling that her wonderful! Caring! Heart-the-right-place girlfriend who she loves very much is pushing something harmful onto a child. Riley doesn’t know that Violet will stand up for her daughter. Riley doesn’t know there are other women, women she is surrounded by in this very party, who would agree with her gut feeling and articulate it in ways that she is struggling to. She’s just alone in a bathroom with no idea what the right thing to do is.
Hey, Rusty! It’s been a little while! I decided not to read the comic until the new year hit so I could read multiple pages instead of just one!
I really like this page. It gives a swirly type of sick feeling and I think Jaden looks really cute. I know it’s a serious page and everything but I really can’t get over how hot Jaden looks here lmao.
what’s even more sinister here’s that Blaire is trying to ‘educate’ Violet on genderIDs to ‘help’ Faith exactly when Faith is struggling with some social conflict at school that is most likely was a result of sexist bias and it bothered her greatly. there’s a ground of vulnerability that is soooo fruitful for any genderID stuff in children of such age. there’s a very real risk that Blaire’s ‘education’ might work. thanks goodness Faith has a female support network that she trusts. Riley’s cautiousness is justified.
Damn… Yeah, it is wrong to go sneaking behind people’s back like this to convince of something that’s not even good… Or telling parents what to do like you’re a professional… Transgenderism is not even well studied, why do people go preaching it around like the last scripture? Ofc, it’s a rethorical question, we know why. I’m glad Riley is questioning that cult-like attitude. And wow…. She sees Jaden and Blaire in such a gorgeous light 🩷 goddamn 🩷🩷🩷🩷
Rusty, I loved the way you swirled the texture of the imaginary people in the panels! It adds to the vibe of worry that Riley feels towards them!
Regarding OOC Violet, Riley’s socks confirmed 200% cotton. Also being locked in a toilet stall couldn’t be more symbolical of her situation save from standing up directly in the non-empty bowl I suppose. But that’s no transportation system to the Ministry of TQ, so sorry love there’s no way around le shit storm but I promise it will be worth it in the end.
I really like the tones of this internal world of hers, sure today’s it’s to the service of gloom and doom but it, too, doesn’t have to be!
Make sure you REALLY push those right-wing talking points about the nefarious trans agenda corrupting the youth. It’ll do so much good for the community!
Not related to the page but related to your art.
1) why are all the clothing choices (sans maybe this chapter) so bland and uninspired? I get you have a heavy preference for masc-presenting fashion but mascs are allowed to wear more than just tees and trousers! I find it hard to tell their fashion tastes a part which is a very important thing when creating recognizable characters.
A follow up would also be have you considered creating color schemes for each characters clothes? This would also go a long way in differentiating their personalities from one another.
2) Why are you against depicting skin pigmentation? I saw you talk down to another commenter saying it’s just their make-up bias, but that is literally something that occurs in all real life skin. The face, especially the cheeks, ears and nose are warmer than other areas of the face. Without it your characters end up looking flat and lifeless. Was that your artistic intent?
3) Why have you only depicted disabilities that are caused by violent men? It reeks of abelism (however unintentional). I would suggest even including simple things like yellowing teeth for depression, or sh scars on some characters for some more variety.
I have more questions but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Thanks for reading I look forward to your response.
Riley: is blair perhaps
not a good person?
Also Riley: I will imagine her in a cute little outfit though
Hmm I guess i’m against the grain this time because I didnt like how Blaire looks here. Like it’s not that she looks ugly, it’s like she kinda looks like another person but wtv wtv the plot be advacing prepare your seatbelts
It’s funny, I actually expected Riley to awfully trip or crash onto someone while fleeing so the pamphlets end up on full display all over the floor the music stops abruptly Blaire notices chaos ensues yknow, but pretty sure that would give Riley a literal Stroke or full blown cardiac attack so yeah i like this route better so the RiDen shipping can continue lol 👍 Let the girl live, feed the people
[ Why have you only depicted disabilities that are caused by violent men? It reeks of ableism (however unintentional). I would suggest even including simple things like yellowing teeth for depression, or S.H. scars on some characters for some more variety. ]
AU where Rustyhearts accepts… She wont put it on the genderified crew because then the complain will become “WOW so you’re saying trans people are unhygienic?!?!!! 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩” So
Behold! Next month on LB BIOS: new ladycharacter1 has yellow teeth… because she is depressed and drowning in coffee to keep afloat… Because she ruminates over the pervasiveness of misogyny to the point of paralysis.
But that’s NOT all, ladies and otherladies! Character 2 has selfharm scars… because she think it helps her (maladaptively) cope with trauma…………which was (Ari drum rooooll)….. caused by men 😁🤷
do people never learn?? Rustyhearts doesnt like Endless Diversity Checklists. It’s like, so pointless, throw barely-disguised snark at her & she’ll just troll back. These accusatory inquiries pretending to be concern for minorities and ‘isms’ are pointless. Engage in good faith or don’t engage, just idk go watch Emilia Perez for your DEI shot or something.