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Post by Carolyn on Jun 27, 2020 15:53:30 GMT -5
Issue 905 The month of hunting, 18th day, penned in fine blue ink. A ghost-coloured Techo sighs, slumped upon a creaky and well-worn wooden chair. His attire, equally as drab as his surroundings, makes him look as though he's becoming one, melding into his environment. Glossy eyes fight lids shuttering, like docking bay door blocking off the cold harshness of outer space. With a crackling stretch, the Techo attempts to write within the journal pad.
-- homsar_eggplant
NTWF entries Hansos Guide to Escaping Dungeons by by charming thievery Series: Selected Volumes from Brightvale Library by Herdy The Adventures of Armin @dewdropzz And of course don't forget the Editorial If I missed you, let me know. And if anyone wasn't published and submitted, please let me know and I will add you here, if you'd like.
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Post by charming thievery on Jun 27, 2020 17:24:42 GMT -5
Signed copies to everyone who gives my book a good review! WHO is your biggest fan?!Don't worry, Jazan, buddy, your copy's already on its way!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My comic was a bit of a rush job towards the end there, so...I hope it's not too awful, ahaha...OTZ
But congrats to everyone who got in! This will be a fun issue to read. :3
Hmm, small text + bad quality is not a good combo. I'm going to have to post a better quality version on my art thread. That size limit is not kind to hand-drawn stuff. OTZ Here's what the Acknowledgements page says:
Dedicated to my fellow thieves and anyone who finds themselves in this unfortunate (but soon to be very temporary!) situation. Special thanks to my fans: Jazan <-- my biggest fan! <3 The Official Hanso Fan Club Kentucky Dew It also was going to say the following, but when I tried to squeeze it onto the page, it looked ridiculously cramped and barely fit. Dedication pages don't look so crowded, lol.
"To Brynn, Without you, I'd never have seen the inside of the Brightvale cells, and so this book could never have been made.
To the Brightvale guards, Thanks for making my escapes easy, yet thrilling, and allowing me so many opportunities to test new techniques."
^ Something along those lines. Was iffy on the phrasing, so perhaps it was good it couldn't fit. Special shout-out to Dew, who offered some general suggestions on how to approach the dungeon escaping methods - like, bribe the guard, distract the guard, etc. - when I was overthinking it a bit and only had specific things in mind. Of course, I didn't feel right using her suggestions without at least crediting her in some way, so that led to the Acknowledgements page idea. And *that* led to the classic Disney storybook opening (so my comic doesn't begin on a boring note, lol) and eventually blossomed into the book reading/signing idea. :3
There was this other brilliant line I wanted to use that was her idea, so maybe I could extend this to 3 parts - I have some ideas - and properly credit and/or collab with her on it. ^^
Anyway...I wanted to include at least 3 silly methods, but I was rushing and couldn't think of anything else good enough in time. Although the exclusion probably helped with the compression part of this, lol.
Given more time, inspiration, and a less strict file size limitation, I probably would have included more from the actual book. But since I was frantic about finishing and didn't want to make this too long, I was happy to find a way to conclude it as a one shot, especially if I ended up not wanting to continue it. (This took FOREVER to make, so I'm a little burned out and kind of never want to make another comic again, lol.) Also, I wanted this as the comic description (the actual book's description), so pretend it says this: Now you too can be a master escape artist with these handy tips from Hanso himself!
Although Aesop intentionally bolded "innocent", so maybe he thought that description was better (or he didn't see my neomails). *shrugs*
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Post by Blueysicle on Jun 27, 2020 19:43:17 GMT -5
Once again, congrats to everyone that made it in! Any reviews for my series would be very highly appreciated! It is part of my Infinity saga, but it's a stand-alone series, so no prior knowledge is needed. (Though there are a few references to rest of the continuity here and there, and some of my older characters do eventually show up)
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Jun 28, 2020 18:46:51 GMT -5
Selected Volumes from Brightvale Library by Herdy I loved it!!! I really liked the use of Phebiya's academic voice; it made the style of each Sakhmetian tale more noticeably quaint. I'll just quote some examples of how you masterfully used each type of voice: I did notice some small errors, like here: But they're quite minor, and overall this was a very enjoyable read. Quarry Life by BlueysicleThe intro confused me a little since it says that what follows is a memoir of how oppressive life used to be in the Moltaran mines. But then, instead of getting a memoir, we get something that more closely resembles modern fiction. When I think "memoir" I think more along the lines of a diary or biography.
Intro aside, though, I liked the setting up of the bleak atmosphere and the introduction of the two characters. I especially liked these sorts of interactive moments:
It helps us see Monazite as a dreamy, hopeful character and Agate as someone who's more down-to-earth, more resigned. The dynamic between the two is very nicely built and I can see it driving the rest of the plot.
In terms of critique, I don't have much to suggest except perhaps to add more detail to show the fatigue of the miners:
This sentence relies on a lot of adjectives to carry its point across. I'd like to be shown, more vividly, how the characters feel.
Overall though, it's a great start to a series!
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Post by Blueysicle on Jun 28, 2020 19:48:37 GMT -5
Stephanie (swordlilly) : When brainstorming for this series, I was thinking of a way to turn what seems to be a non-fiction book such as Quarry Life into my comfort zone of fiction. So the easiest solution would be a memoir that would be used as a source for the actual book item, like what the foreword alluded to. The big problem with that is that I am not confident in my ability to write in first-person. So my ultimate work-around is that this story isn't so much the memoir that the foreword mentioned, but the lead-up into what happened to cause that memoir to be written in the first place. That will all be addressed at the very end of the series. (Along with why it is that the story is in Monazite's point of view, even though Agate is the one with the writing skill) Yup, that is precisely what I was going for when writing their personalities. Part of me is a little concerned that I'm treading old ground with Monazite and Agate; they're new characters, but I've also written the "optimist vs. pessimist" with other characters elsewhere in my Infinity stories. But I did try my best to make Monazite and Agate's dynamic distinct from said older characters, and that their relationship is more focused down to "dreamer vs. realist" as you said. I very much agree with you. Admittedly, and much of it in hindsight, I feel like my descriptions in this series isn't as detailed as they should be. A lot of this was written in a rush to meet the deadline - which is much more of a reason than an excuse. For my next story that I can take my time with, I'll definitely be more mindful about painting the actions and scenes in better detail. Thank you very much for the review!
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Post by Twillie on Jul 9, 2020 14:55:27 GMT -5
Neopian Literature Behind the pages: 381 Dirt Jokes! by andypopo Lol bold of her to judge patrons for buying the books she stocked in the first place! I also find it funny how proud that Meerca looks in the first panel x3 He just really loves dirt puns, I suppose. In Depth by Huntress Oh gosh, this scenario feels like an actual nightmare for me xD Having to take in every word of a book for the whole thing to count, I'd never finish a book ever. What a tragedy as well if you didn't notice when you were skim reading, so by the end when the book doesn't disappear, you have to start all over because you don't know where to reread xD Lol this is a take on the poofing book mechanic I haven't seen before! Usually it's a reverse where the character will accidentally poof a book away before they were really finished. There's just no winning either way, it seems xD The changes in lighting and outside scenery as the time progresses is a cool touch! Gives even more punch to the ending knowing how long it took him to read that thing haha Hansos Guide to Escaping Dungeons by charming thievery Haha, well I guess at least he's trying to make some money in a more honest way with book writing xD Not that that's gonna stop any future thieving of course, but hey, they always say to diversify after all >w> I love your art in this, it looks great with the amount of detail in coloring and how you emulate the Neopets style so well. The colored pencil also gives it a soft look, makes it all feel pleasant. The other characters have cute designs, that white Aisha in the bottom left keeps catching my eye! (I also love how the line is most all women haha x3) The pacing of the comic was a bit hard to follow. The first four panels that introduce the book got me confused and what to read and in what order, and it felt like I was reading a lot of repeated lines. In this case, I'd suggest moving the "Once upon a time" line to the first panel with the book cover, and then the next two panels could be cut out, or at least one of them.
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Post by Twillie on Jul 10, 2020 16:35:26 GMT -5
Quarry Life by Blueysicle Ooh, just from the dates given at the beginning, I'm intrigued by what may happen! If this takes place close to the year Granite presumably lost power in Obsidian Quarry, it'll be interesting to see how this story may tie into that.
On the note of dates, the more I read your stories the more I think about what an official timeline and map of Moltara caves would look like for your Neo-verse xD I don't remember, are those things you've made before, or have a mental image of? Could be a cool resource to go along with the stories!
But back to this story specifically, looks like the ground work for some good character development! Right now it seems like this is set up for Mona to someday realize her dreams and perhaps help rejuvenate Agate's along the way, but against their current circumstances sounds like there'll need to be major changes for that to happen (*glances at intro dates again >>*). Mona saying that dreaming helps the days go by easier is something that resonates with me, I have a lot of feelings about how stories and fantasy can impact real life like that. In such circumstances, though, Agate's perspective also makes sense in a way, and it's a question I wonder about often, on how to find that balance between dreaming of more and understanding the limits and realities of your actual life situation.
It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, then, if Mona does eventually get what she hopes for or if there'll be more wrinkles to it. Basic Potion Brewing by Carolyn Aw, Kayla is such a bubbly character, I feel like I don't see/read about her often so it's nice to get her point of view here Haha I love all the asides you included. The anecdotes are fun in their own right (Jeran the coffee was probs one of my favorite), but them paired with Kayla's unwavering optimism adds another layer of enjoyment to it. She talks a lot about failing in potion making, but never views this as a bad thing or gets down about her own mistakes. Makes me wish this kind of potion making actually existed, I could probably spend all my time playing around with recipes and ingredients like Kayla does xD Awkward Social Functions and YOU! by Kat Haha, while reading the intro I was reminded of a university class I took that taught us how to navigate social gatherings and network (among other things)! xD That class had one of my favorite professors, so it's fun remembering the mock social functions and conversations he had us practice x3
Lol I love how the article so quickly escalated to rivalry xD Do you have a rival trying to do away with you? Well, since you're in a public place, you don't have to worry about them trying anything! And lol, all this other advice is something else xD If only I could be so bold as to compete in telling embarrassing stories or jump into a random conversation to cover myself x3 Haha there's an extra layer of amusement for me just because I can't help but imagine aforementioned professor reading this article as well, he'd get a good laugh out of it xD Sophie's Leave Me Alone Notice by Liou The title didn't click for me at first, so only after the first couple paragraphs did it finally hit me what this was and I got a good laugh out of it x3 I love the idea of Sophie being so averse to visitors that her Keep Out sign is just this infinite sign of additions and post-its and probably more signs attached and beside it to cover everything.
I was curious how the concept would escalate throughout the rest of the story, but wasn't expecting the kind of ending it got. I'm a little fuzzy on Tale of Woe and how exactly that antidote potion works, so was this story suggesting that after drinking the potion, Sophie turned into a child?
It's really sweet seeing how her family members still want to be connected to her, but also respect the boundaries she may have due to the past traumas of ToW. Also nice that Edna is there to support a fellow witch :3
Overall, I really liked the way you still told a story through such a limited format, and also turned what was initially a joke into something deeper for Sophie's character and an expansion on the Faerie's Ruin story that hadn't been touched on originally. I don't think Neovia was mentioned at least in the plot, but yeah that is interesting to consider how such an event would affect a town already recovering from a previous magic tragedy. The Culture and History of Faerieland by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 The detail in this! It's cool not only the general history and current culture of Faerieland that you created, but all the little details like the books and their publishing dates in the references list, the governors for each region, the regions in general, stuff like that! I know Faerieland and Fyora have always been some of your favorites for Neo worldbuilding, so have a lot of these details been ones you've had in mind for a while now? Or did writing the article help you think of a lot more worldbuilding?
With Faerieland and Faeries being a significant part of my own Neo worldbuilding, it's really cool seeing how others imagine the land, especially since I don't have nearly as many of these details worked out xD It really opens the mind to different possibilities for Faerieland beyond what's on the site!
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Post by Blueysicle on Jul 10, 2020 18:54:02 GMT -5
Quarry Life by Blueysicle Ooh, just from the dates given at the beginning, I'm intrigued by what may happen! If this takes place close to the year Granite presumably lost power in Obsidian Quarry, it'll be interesting to see how this story may tie into that.
On the note of dates, the more I read your stories the more I think about what an official timeline and map of Moltara caves would look like for your Neo-verse xD I don't remember, are those things you've made before, or have a mental image of? Could be a cool resource to go along with the stories!
But back to this story specifically, looks like the ground work for some good character development! Right now it seems like this is set up for Mona to someday realize her dreams and perhaps help rejuvenate Agate's along the way, but against their current circumstances sounds like there'll need to be major changes for that to happen (*glances at intro dates again >>*). Mona saying that dreaming helps the days go by easier is something that resonates with me, I have a lot of feelings about how stories and fantasy can impact real life like that. In such circumstances, though, Agate's perspective also makes sense in a way, and it's a question I wonder about often, on how to find that balance between dreaming of more and understanding the limits and realities of your actual life situation.
It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, then, if Mona does eventually get what she hopes for or if there'll be more wrinkles to it. The story of Granite's downfall is told in Infinity II, so I don't go into much detail about what eventually becomes of him beyond a few lines later on. I mainly wanted to assure readers that haven't read the rest of the saga that Granite does not get away scot-free with his actions and policies in this series. (Neither does anyone else that abused their power in Obsidian Quarry. Let me just say that they all fell from the karma tree and hit every branch on the way down)
Ohhh, I've actually been wanting to make a full timeline for quite a while now, but I never seem to get around to it. xD It'd be quite an undertaking, since I can't always remember what I've written off the top of my head, so I'd have to go digging through all of my stories for all the dates and such. But I'd still like to do it, so maybe I'll get a burst of motivation and actually do so someday. I have a vague mental image of where certain caves in Moltara are (The City of Lights and Pillar Grove are located very close to the surface, whereas Central Cavern is -obviously- in the center and Obsidian Quarry is right next to it), but I don't have any exact visuals made up of it. But I did touch upon the subject back in Keep Smiling, that complete maps of Moltara are very hard to come by, since you not only have to account for the distance between one cave and another, but their elevation in relation to one another. (So basically, maps of Moltara exist in flavors of a top-down view or a cross-section view) Haha, there's much I want to say about your third paragraph, but it involves spoilers, so all I can tell you is to just wait and see. Thank you very much for the review!
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Post by Twillie on Jul 10, 2020 19:17:54 GMT -5
Blueysicle Ahh, gotcha! Haha I need to get back into reading the main Infinity series, I think I'm partway through Infinity I iirc, but really I just need to go back and recheck what looks familiar xD Also, did I finish The Sisters of Pillar Grove yet? I remember giving reviews for each part, but that might be something I need to pick back up. Either way, though, good to hear they all get what's coming to them eventually >w> The more time goes on, the more institutional oppression like that hits a nerve, in part just because so much of it irl goes unchecked or the oppressors get away with it. Seeing actual consequences is all the more satisfying then.
Haha, that's understandable yeah xD If you ever need help with something like (and a map too if it's something you'd ever want to do), I could give some however I can :3 And ooh yeah, that's true about elevation, that can add another layer of complexity to maps for that.
Ooooh >w> I look forward to reading more then! While I'm at it, I've also been meaning to react to some Editorial questions! First off: !!!! This sounds very intriguing >> Not sure where exactly they want us to reach out, I guess the general support email? But I might just try and check out what said options look like, just because contributing to official Neo art/merch sounds like a lot of fun x3 I meant to do this when the issue originally released, but of course it slipped my mind. Hopefully a couple weeks later there's still a chance of talking to them about this. Eyy, they answered my question! I'm really grateful to get some clarity on this and that they've got a solution to it! The in depth answer on how to proceed from a TMGE as well is great. It's good knowing better their process for that, especially since TMGE's have always been rather elusive. So many warm fuzzies from the veteran staff members still around introducing themselves and sharing their favorite Neo memories <3 I still miss all the old staffers no longer there, but it's nice I guess seeing some familiar faces still around. I hope they're still doing well at Neopets~
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Post by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 on Jul 10, 2020 21:30:30 GMT -5
The Culture and History of Faerieland by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 The detail in this! It's cool not only the general history and current culture of Faerieland that you created, but all the little details like the books and their publishing dates in the references list, the governors for each region, the regions in general, stuff like that! I know Faerieland and Fyora have always been some of your favorites for Neo worldbuilding, so have a lot of these details been ones you've had in mind for a while now? Or did writing the article help you think of a lot more worldbuilding?
With Faerieland and Faeries being a significant part of my own Neo worldbuilding, it's really cool seeing how others imagine the land, especially since I don't have nearly as many of these details worked out xD It really opens the mind to different possibilities for Faerieland beyond what's on the site! Thanks for the review! Worldbuilding has always fascinated me, but I haven’t really done much of it because I have this thought that I have to cover almost everything to actually do it. I’ve had these thoughts about Faerieland for a while, but never really found the time to gather them all in one until now. I just felt like I needed to lay a foundation so I wouldn’t have to explain it in future stories and articles.
That said, I haven’t figured everything out yet about Faerieland. The government system still has gaps in it. However, I thought that Fyora couldn’t possibly be in charge of everything. She looks to me like someone that prefers delegating responsibility. However, I sort of glossed over how the justice system works and didn’t really delve into details about the legislative body either. Also, right now, Fyora can overrule just about anything which might be fine if she was in power forever. But I wonder if a future queen decided to abolish all the institutions, would she be able to? Or would Queen Fyora nerf the powers of the Queen before stepping down? I still have a lot of questions, but I think what I have now is something I can base all my future Faerieland stuff on.
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Post by charming thievery on Jul 18, 2020 4:15:43 GMT -5
Twillie - Thanks for the feedback! (I apologize for the long delay in replying to it though!) I do see what you mean about being confused on what to read and such. My intent was to open the book and then gradually move in closer so there could be a smoother transition to the type of framing I wanted each page to have - while also making it clear you were actually reading from the page itself.
So I hadn't wanted the third panel to be read, but like...why wouldn't it be? You were supposed to read the prior panel, and that establishes that the next panel, which offers a closer view, should also be read. OTZ I'm pretty sure I meant to obscure half the words with the turning pages, but obviously I forgot/neglected to do that when actually adding in the text. (Who knows if that would have worked anyway.)
(And now I also notice the lack of consistency in the book cover's position, eek!)
I did initially consider starting the "Once upon a time" bit at the beginning, but I thought that might not have synced as well since the book wasn't even opened yet? (Not the syncing is great as it is now though, lol.) Maybe it might have been better. Anyway, I just wanted to establish that Hanso had been reading aloud from the book, but perhaps it wasn't necessary to include the textboxes (though it did offer a quick solution for the section headers of the doodle pages, haha). Overall, I'm not happy with the text at all (that was where the rushing came in!). ^^;
In terms of pacing...I suppose if I hadn't been so set on the zooming in effect (and trying to copy the Disney storybook animations), jumping from the view in Panel 2 to the view in Panel 4 would have been effective enough.
Anyway, I did keep your review in mind when I worked on a new (separate) comic and managed to trim it down quite a bit. (Apparently I'm rambly and long-winded not only in prose, but also in comic form. OTZ) I definitely made sure to clearly draft out my panels first before getting started on the art - which had been a problem with this comic. The amount of art needed to finish within the given time frame + AC made me panic and rush into the art first before tightly planning (and editing) everything out as thoroughly as I maybe should have.
Also, thank you for the comments on the art! Clearly that was the part I spent the most time and effort on, haha! I wanted to add some reviews & Editorial comments when I finally replied, but...I think I'll have to save that for later. OTZ
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Post by Carolyn on Jul 18, 2020 16:53:09 GMT -5
Twillie- Gah! Sorry for my reply time. Thanks for the read and for taking the time to review it. :* I'm really glad you enjoyed all of the anecdotes! I have some plans to try and make them into stories, at least some of them. Coming up with silly situations was a nice exercise in itself. And I love Kayla. She's so optimistic, cheery, and (in my mind) a smidge chaotic good. Emphasis on the chaotic. I love a character that's a bit unpredictable. And her joy in trying--no matter what crazy shenanigans happen--is something I've always enjoyed about her, too. There's that unbridled love of science, creating something new and an unrestrained curiosity that makes her one of my all-time favorite characters on Neo. I, ah, may have written a poem for MD Discovery Day. Here's hoping it makes it in! If not, I'll just post it here. =)
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Kay
Occasional Commenter
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Post by Kay on Jul 21, 2020 2:05:52 GMT -5
I'm slowly making my way through this issue. There are so many good submissions! I'm still reading through it so I may add to/update this. Kat "Awkward Social Functions and YOU" was so good! I really enjoyed the "Surprise, It's a Rivalry!" section. The style felt really frantic and I imagined as someone was genuinely thinking through each possible option in order to ignore their rival. It gave me a good chuckle You managed the "how to" self-help book style incredibly well. I kept rereading it because I could not believe how clever the article was. Twillie I started getting into Blossoms quite recently, and A Day Out might be my favorite arc thus far -- it is the arc that really got me interested in what was going on. I really like the body language in this page, especially towards the end of the page. Zath's emotions were really conveying how impromptu and by-the-coattails her plan to get into the castle was. The panel structure is really clever too; when I first read it, I thought it was a little cluttered, but when I looked more closely, it conveys the sudden changes well. Excited to read more! charming thievery I love the art style in this comic! It's very close to the official Neopets art style, which is a feat in itself. I also love the storybook Disney-esque opening. I do agree with Twillie though, I feel that the pacing is a bit odd and it made the comic feel like it ended abruptly. I most enjoyed the "in text" illustrations and the design of the book itself, and I would have loved to see more panels from the book itself!
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Post by Twillie on Jul 26, 2020 18:53:26 GMT -5
KayAw, that's really cool to hear that it's your favorite so far! I was actually kind of worried it suffered from introducing and building up to later plot points that it didn't have much standalone quality. I'm glad it's gotten you interested :3 Important things are definitely starting to come to surface, haha.
Ah yeah, I can see what you mean about it being potentially cluttered! That's good a second read through made things clearer, but yeah there's some panel structure in this part specifically that I felt a bit iffy about myself. I'll be keeping that in mind for sure on good panel flow!
Thanks for the review! I hope future parts deliver for you as well ^^
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Post by charming thievery on Aug 29, 2020 22:46:56 GMT -5
Kay - Sorry for the abysmally long delay in replying! OTZ Thanks so much for the review! ^^ I'm so flattered you think the art style is close to the official Neopets style! Being able to emulate it is definitely a goal I'd one day like to reach. As for the pacing...I was afraid of that... ^^; I guess this is a lesson to spend more time working on panels and pacing and less time on the art (well, at least not until the aforementioned things are finalized).
Those two things are my favorite parts as well, so I'm glad they worked for you too. I had been hoping to come up with at least 3 pages minimum, but I ran out of time and inspiration. I definitely would have wanted to include more of the inside of the book! Ookay. I've procrastinated long enough to just acknowledge that I probably won't add a review myself at this point. But I do have some comments on the editorial. I was really excited to see this! I've seen a lot of people selling unofficial Neopets fanart/fan-made trinkets, and I was hoping this would be aimed at those artists. I frequently like their work better than "official" merch these days but was always kind of hesitant to purchase much, if any (if I go down that rabbithole, I may never come back out, lol). --- I loved hearing from all the remaining old TNT staff! T-T I will never stop missing the old team and what Neopets used to be like. So I always appreciate these reminders that some of them are still here. (It does make me wonder how they decided who got to stay though...) I hope they do more staff features like this, as it does help to endear them towards users (and with this, I mean both old and newer staff). I mean, Van Doodle's board post during the AC definitely made more people like him for that. ^^ I'm glad they're allowed to post on the boards more though...From what I can gather based on what Kikocat said, this is a new thing. (Kikocat's boards on the Art chat are especially great! ^^) --- This section was much appreciated, and I'm glad he included this. It was especially helpful to get a way to contact him, but it does make me wonder if nt_editor's inbox will ever be cleared out. I know that's a pretty minor thing considering everything else that needs to be worked on, but it seems like such a waste of an account since it was made for this purpose. ^^; Though I'm going to assume Aesop uses his own account more often, so this actually makes things easier not having to log in to another account. Okay, nevermind. Petty remark, lol.
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