HOMG AMAZINGFACE

So, um, I was all ready to snark about Sarah Palin joining Fox news, but then I saw that bossymarmalade has recast the X-men with actors of color, and my grumpy basically exploded in fireworks of utter gorgeousness! GO FORTH AND BEHOLD THE CRITICAL MASS OF PRETTY, GUYS. IT IS X HOURS OF YOUR LIFE WELL SPENT. :D

reclist of doom addendum: orig-fic/webcomics

1. Orig-fic first: Chaobell's 100 Candles! Slashy supernatural stuff; hilarious and really fucking creepy by turns. This one's a completely different genre than Shadow of the Templar, but there's a good chance that if you are a Templar fan (aka a sucker for banter/humor), you'll enjoy this one as well.

2. Webcomics commence! Tab Kimpton's Khaos Komix series explores the lives and relationships of various LGBTQ (not just L and G!) teenagers. This one's, well, kind of cutesy, but hey- it's about high school kids, after all. The lack of epic (non-teen) angstfests is a good thing in my book. Also, there's a good proportion of POC main characters, so extra bonus points for that!

3. Jesse Hajicek's Metanoia: really damn gorgeous artwork. &hearts Another slashy supernatural-type story, rather grittier than 100 Candles. This one's got some graphic violence, although it's not particularly gory.

4. Bayou, by Jeremy Love and Patrick Morgan. This one was recced to me by ruffwriter, and... holy shit. Totally mindblowing. First off, the sheer amount of effort that went into this comic is incredible- the artwork is stunning, and the setting and details are palpably well-researched. The story is a sort of Alice-in-Wonderland derivative, but it's also so much more than that. It's set in the south of the US in the early 20th century with a young black girl as the Alice-like figure, and draws on many folktales/cultural references that I know I'm missing.

Because of the setting, it's also an incredibly difficult read. The creators never flinch away from showing us the interracial power dynamics: the prejudices, the stereotypes, the racially-motivated violence. This is a horror/fantasy story, it's true, but much of the horror is rooted in the reality of USian black/white race relations in various historical contexts; there are many, many instances that may be triggering. The pacing and the intricate plot arcs helped me to get past some of the difficult parts, but please take care if you decide to give Bayou a try.