August Newsletter
Hello everyone! I have been very busy with my shiny new fandom, and my interest does not look like it’s going to be waning anytime soon, haha.
I wrote a bunch the last couple months, but I’ve been taking a bit of a break recently because writing has gotten really difficult. It might just be fatigue from some sleep issues, it might be that I’m hitting that frustrating slump in the art cycle where my eye is more developed than my skill, or it might be the beginnings of burnout. Time will tell! I’m trying to go easy on myself for the time being.
July was also artfight, which I participated in as I do every year! I didn’t do quite as much as I did last year, but I’m happy with what I managed in the time I had, and I got to meet and draw some extremely cool characters, which is the entire point!
I did more art for the final volume of Swim On, the yearly shark zine for charity! You can grab a copy from the shop through the rest of August: https://topazcomics.com/swimon/downloads/swim-on-10/ all the proceeds are going to finfree.org :)
I’ve been thinking a lot the last few months about how Helluva Boss is my biggest fandom (in terms of how much I’m participating and friends I’ve made, not the size of the fandom itself) since Homestuck, and how similar the properties are in some ways. They both have some problematic elements but also have a few really poignant things that I’ve never related to harder or felt more seen by, characters I love like breathing. They're messy and relatable, and the story is such a fun playground! All my favorite fandoms have huge potential for fans to explore, worlds that feel welcoming and open, and seem to encourage people to have fun experimenting with.
One of the biggest things I’ve been learning as I get older is that the best stories are a little problematic! They have some stuff that's not great, because the creators aren't perfect. And they inspire some discomfort! Because the best art usually does, when it hits something personal and vulnerable.
Helluva Boss definitely has some issues. I strongly dislike the casual, unquestioned fatphobia. I wish it wasn't in there, or at the very least there was a character calling it out as being mean. One could justify it as the characters being shitty because they're in hell, but I myself tend to just cut it out of my fan content because I don't like it and don't want it in there. It would be nice to see the creators address it, either by discussing it outside of the show or within it.
But I can sit with that, discuss it with other fans, and still enjoy being in the fandom having fun. Because it's not perfect and I recognize that, and it's okay! I can be uncomfortable with the things it doesn't do well, and tweak them to be more comfortable for me in my own spaces when it's something I truly object to. The fact that the series has me thinking about it is a GOOD thing.
And if every once in a while I stumble upon content that makes me uncomfortable, if I just don't want to see it, I can always block and move on. But maybe, sometimes, I explore it a little bit, and try to understand why it bothers me, or what the appeal is for other people. Maybe I start to see why, maybe I don't. But either way, my world gets a little bit bigger. And more thoughtful. And more understanding.
And I think that's something we desperately need.