AIMEE WAI

I HAVE BEEN FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED BY YOUTUBE FISHING VIDEOS

Does one ever really "stop" being influenced by the things they read, watch, play, or otherwise experience, fiction or otherwise? You can't endlessly tinker with the story of Unsounded, and I imagine you already know what you want to say with it... but do you see yourself still able to change or evolve, either during the making of it or beyond? Signed, someone feeling old and stuck.

>>Does one ever really "stop" being influenced by the things they read, watch, play, or otherwise experience, fiction or otherwise?

I think that's up to you. My sixty year old mom listens to the same Tom Petty albums for hours, and watches the same episodes of MASH over and over and over again. For her, media has become a warm and comforting bath after a long day. Maybe that happens to all of us as the world gets more alien and we need that comfort. I don't think it has to be that way, but I think it takes real effort to continue to connect with new stuff; to let it in. The new stuff won't be catering to you so you have to do more work to understand it. And work sucks. But if you care about staying connected to the changing world, you gotta do the work to change with it. Or don't. It's your call.

If you feel old and stuck, let new stuff in. Don't dismiss it, even if your experience lets you recognise the same old tropes repeating themselves.

That latter thing is a problem I have. The older I get, the smaller the world seems. We just aren't very interesting animals. We make the same things over and over because we're trapped in such a tiny, limited world. Teach a hamster to paint and all you're gonna get is canvas after canvas of water bottles and hamster wheels.

>>You can't endlessly tinker with the story of Unsounded, and I imagine you already know what you want to say with it... but do you see yourself still able to change or evolve, either during the making of it or beyond?

Unsounded's changed a lot as it's gone along. It's a very long comic, but it's broken into storylines that have reflected my own changing self as the years have dragged on. I'm sure you've noticed it's gotten a bit more cynical in recent chapters. Sette has sobered up as she and I have experience more of the world. It'll keep changing, too. There are places I want to go in it that I couldn't have gone ten years ago. There are things I want to say that I didn't even know existed back then. Fortunately, while Unsounded's narrative highway is complete, there's plenty room to traverse that highway dynamically, via vehicles I've yet to even decide on.

So yeah, if you're stuck, Anon, get in a different car. Maybe get on a hippopotamus.

Ironic, isn't it, feeding these bird-lover's tongues to the crows.

What caste were the Kings of Alderode?

There were a few dynasties before the last was ultimately overthrown. The founding family were the Rortides, and they were Copper. The Rortides were supplanted by the Wauns who were knocked out by the short-lived Caziers. The Jet Allards managed two kings before the Wauns came back and had every one in the family scalped. They were in power when the Council War broke out.

Second in the series. I’m really proud of how this turned out, I kind of let go and painted nonstop until this was done, really late last night. I guess you could call it vent art.

Hazel McNab, Last Light, linocut.

Do you think you could do a video with some Tainish readings? Is that too difficult?

Not a video but here’s a quickie http://vocaroo.com/i/s0Et5Nmmgxta

I have to take my dog to the vet now, she’s got like an alien growing out of her eyelid, this can’t be normal.

azula always lies

Your efforts were valiant, if futile.

Were there any extraneous scenes that you considered putting in the new Hellbent video but ultimately cut? If they're not spoiler-y, care to tell us a couple?

Unfortunately Muppet vivi didn’t make the final cut, but I want you all to know that I tried.

(Art by @isaiahdjstuff)