Issue 947 Discussion - Halloween

[June Scarlet]

Issue 947 – Halloween Edition

My word, there’s so much in this box! It’s almost as if they compressed as much as they could into these small kits. All the same, these pieces are strange. Magic eyes with “invisible finger paint” and screws that adjust “for every doll head”, a stamp on mouth “that talks back”, hinges to make “living limbs”, what does all of that mean? It’s not too complicated for a proud purveyor of general goods, but it’s incredible. Of course, nothing fanciful or pretentious either, as I don’t need that. In the end, I would like to think of myself as an ordinary man. I have no desire for lavish mansions, decadent lifestyles or anything. All I need is proper funds to live a nice life to myself, a tranquil and peaceful one at that. Have I fallen for some two-piece conviction operation? Or is this the work of sorcery? Well, no point in planting my own behind on the floor and pondering, it’s time to build!

—homsareggplant

Articles
Halloween Spirit in the Haunted Woods: A How-To by randompurplepigs
A Toy Maker Folly by homsareggplant
Technology: Trick or Treat? by RielCZ

Short Stories
Ixi Rare Gem by joanna_lewis and kebicorn
Salt and Sugar by xxskyisfallingxx and draiklover139
Purloined Presses and Procrastination by queen_potema
The Return of Zombom by Kat
Void and Faeries by saviorfoxowlis

Comics
Blossoms~ Heart to Heart Part 10 by Twillie
Bad Idea, Dude: Halloween Part 1 by fluffy_bumbkin
A Scientific Inquiry by bohneevair
An Outfit to DYE For by _brainchild_
Four Reasons to Love Slorgs by preksolanx, corrina404, and theguy2020
Soy Sauce by black_kisa
An Alien World by ssj3gotenks18
The Off Season by pokemon_master_a74
Car Troubles by sunbathr , rawbeee, and silakbo
Pumpcorn? by ravencrow_23
Pumpkin Carving Contest by bea , fishmas, and ghatna
Trick or Treat by squin, fullinventory, and fpsantini3
Random Oddness: Halloween by mistyqee
Halloweeneo Crossword by riparu and mikurubeam297
Oh, for goodness’ cake! by verna_, myncithemonkey, and timothy1692

Continued Series
A Hero's Ballad: The Knightmare (For Surreal) by Carolyn
For the Love of the Game by 77thbigby
Rosalina and the Way-Weird Beast by downrightdude

And don't forget The Editorial.

All reviews of all pieces are welcome! However, if you would really like your piece to be reviewed, post and let others know!

[Twillie]

A scattering of comic reviews:

Bad Idea, Dude: Halloween Part 1

This one has me intrigued! I always love seeing comic series with a more dramatic tone to them, and I love the effort put into this one with the length and atmosphere! I also like the personalities of the two pets haha, they come across as a little dude bro but ultimately likeable and good natured. I'll be curious to see if this one will continue the spooky tone, or if it'll take a turn and the Acara will turn out nicer than expected.

A Scientific Inquiry

This one had a good punchline at the end haha, I liked the promptness of the Uni's answer and that extra panel of the Gelert processing it. The comic also has an endearing art style to it; I like the the simple yet distinct design of the pets, and the minimalist backgrounds. This led me to reading some past comics from this user, and they've got some good stuff, I'm glad they're a regular contributor!

An Outfit to DYE For

Ha, a cute pun and seasonably appropriate outfit x3 I also couldn't help but notice the coloring of the sky in the second panel, it's a neat use of the medium. I'm not terribly experienced with traditional markers, but whenever I've used them, I've always worked to avoid those visible stroke marks. Making shapes and motion with those lines instead I think works here, it looks very stylized and adds to the Halloween vibe.

Soy Sauce

I neomailed this comic's creator shortly after reading, and apparently this is based off a true story x3 It's a lovely comic to make a return with, I love the facial expressions and experimental backgrounds! That plushie Ixi also looks adorable haha (although admittedly I got confused on first read that that was the toy and the real Neopet was the silhouette in the foreground).

The Off Season

This joke got a genuine laugh from me on first read, and it's still amusing every time I come back to it xD The twist and the Chia's face at the end all come together, I love it. This is also a specific detail, but I love the way they drew Psellia's profile; I've always been a fan of stylizing faces to where the nose and chin are pushed further out than the forehead. The color palette is also nice, I like it when they're lower saturation.

Pumpcorn?

A great comic, both joke and art-wise! I like the twist dialogue in the last panel, it really sells the whole comic's concept and what makes the joke. The art is also wonderful, it looks so clean and expressive and knows how to make good use of the comic medium. The little details add to it as well, like the popcorn strapped to the Jubjub's head, and all their popcorn spilling out as a result xD Makes me wonder how these two feel about other Halloween traditions involving pumpkins...

Random Oddness: Halloween

I'll admit, I kind of didn't get this one at first because I didn't catch what Dartenne's costume was referencing. Reading it again, though, I can see now that he's dressed as Apathy from the Obelisk plot, hence why his costume comes across as "lazy" x3 Makes me wonder if this is lowkey criticism of the character design, or more just a play on the original character's name and concept haha.

Oh, for goodness' cake!

This takes me back to that NT comic series all about that bread making Kacheek, I think it's called Bread Master or something? (I could actually check, but too lazy right now lol)

Definitely a comic for pun lovers haha, for which I feel this character is prime real estate.

[saviorfoxowlis]

This was my debut.

I don't really read much of the Neopian Times anymore, but I thought I'd start posting since, well, the issues are biweekly now. Not as much pressure.