Enter The Florpus - Blog Posts

One big shift I noticed in Enter the Florpus that the fandom uses a lot in fanfiction is how the Tallest talk to and about Zim.

I would like the point out, the Tallest never say anything bad about Zim when he’s in earshot.

This isn’t disqualifying the fact that they talk shit about him to each other, and to the other Irkens on the Massive. Just never in front of him. They try very hard to keep his exile a secret, correcting themselves very quickly the few times they do slip up.

For example, most prominently, Backseat Drivers From Beyond the Stars, where Zim calls them to show off a plan of his and annoys them for three hours straight. When trying to come up with an excuse, the Tallest (Red, at least), make up some story about an enemy ship going up against the Massive, despite knowing that to any other Irken, that would raise doubts. They know Zim’s unbridled, faulty loyalty better than anyone, and know that they need to placate him, no matter how wild those aforementioned placating words are.

Another, much larger example is Battle of the Planets. Zim calls his leaders in a bear suit for seemingly no reason. the Tallest, along with every other Irken, watch him ramble about whatever Zim-like things he talks about, trying to stay completely calm. a noteworthy detail; they were laughing at him and mocking the fact that he wasn’t around to mess Operation Impending Doom 2 just before this. It’s only when Zim calls do they stop, and even then, they’re trying to hide laughter. Zim soaks up the “praise” of his leaders and his fellow Irkens before hanging up. Then the Tallest spill into laughter again. It’s rarely ever been in front of Zim. Ever. Because I’m sure that, as oblivious as they know Zim is, they must also know there’s a point where he’s going to realize they’re not laughing with him (even if this is never the case).

They don’t seem to completely despise him as they could have simply hung up when Zim’s constant yelling of ‘my Tallest’ got too annoying, but that’s a different story entirely.

Purple seems to have less of an issue of bullying the invader to his face, and Red is obviously the more work-focused of the two (which is debatable, as both of them seem to slack off a lot), as well as the one who keeps the secret about Zim’s mission and his disdain for him under wraps.

The movie, while admittedly changing a good few things about characters, butchered the Tallest the most, in my opinion. For Purple, it made complete sense to want to fly straight. he’s been childish a few times, and a lot more open about when he doesn’t like an order or anything else (see Megadoomer). However, Red was always the one that seemed to have things under control, at least a few times. When the Massive flies out of control, his first instinct is to run a diagnostic to find the problem, while his companion tries to save the donuts (this is not to say they differ too drastically in personality, as Red also wanted to save the donuts). For him to insist on flying straight, especially when there’s a very large and dangerous rip in space some miles away that he no doubt knows could hurt him and his companion, is a bit out of character.

When Zim calls, they make no effort to hide the fact that they’re annoyed with him, with Purple outright stating he liked him better when they thought he was dead. Red yells that they really don’t care about whatever he has to say. These are minor things, the only interaction they have with him in the whole film, and admittedly isn’t that telling. But I feel that short five minute was very telling to how they interact with him. Especially for newer fans who didn’t analyze every character in the show in comparison to the movie I’ve watched 20+ times now,

And a lot of fanfictions make the Tallest unnecessarily cruel, even going as far as to tell Zim, unprompted, to his face, that his mission is fake. Understandably, it’s possible for them to reach their limit and blurt it out in anger, but even then, Zim would just laugh it off, never taking it for what it is. Hell, the best example of the Tallest I’ve seen written ever is Forced Perspective, where they stuck to expected behaviors and, even when Zim asked about the legitimacy of his mission, stopped him from finding out. Zim finding out his mission is fake would make him want to go back to Irk, after all. And they can’t have that.

They know keeping the secret of Zim’s mission is crucial for keeping him away from them and causing destruction away from them, yet I feel that’s easily forgotten.

Yesterday I watched Enter the Florpus and notice this. I hadn't noticed it before, even though I'd watched the movie a few times.

I don't know if anyone has noticed this before, but here.

And the fact that the Zimvoid arc was released parallel to the movie makes this find even more interesting.

(sorry, I'm dumb, so I use Google translate, but I still want to share it)

Best alien 👽✌

i’m sure it’s there...

...somewhere

him has tallest nendroids hashsjskc

I gave him jammies,,, look at him,,, he loves them

Disguise ver:

Maid Zim? Maid Zim.

Also, here’s the sketch ig

Imvaber Zimb

click for better quality tumblr hates art

Wtf I love them

New Zim and Gir plushes up for preorder over on bigbadtoystore

Zippermouth Zim is perfect 🥰

Man, this show/movie was brilliant, as is this analysis.

How Dib “inspired” Zim in ETF or How Zim Learns the concept of Family in a negative way

“My schmoop was no act. I truely felt I had failed the Tallest, but then, you told me about the power of the bracelet, inspiring me. It’s funny, really.” 

I wanted to talk about this for a long, long, long, time because it’s my favorite scene ever in Enter the Florpus, but I didn’t know if I wanted to make a comic about it specifically or not. (like I probably will but.. with far more emotion….) 

But like… screw it. Because it’s just my favorite thing in the whole Movie and I rewatch it so frequently I could probably lipsync it when I show it to my friends.

I might just be stating the blatantly obvious here, but I really did miss it my first viewing, and I wonder if a lot of others did too? I said I had theories in a bucket for how Dib “inspired” Zim… and if it wasn’t all that obvious to everyone else, I thought I’d share. 

 “I lost the respect of my Tallest” 

I’ve talked at great length about Dib sympathizing with Zim here. He feels almost bad for this alien he’s been hunting for most of his childhood. Like Dib has been uncomfortable the moment he walked in the door and was just trying to ignore the obvious about Zim. Because Zim is his greatest enemy and alien scum. He can’t really be…. sad… because that means Dib needs to admit all the tormenting he put him through in the series and humanize him in a way. It visibly makes him uncomfortable, and Dib does have a moment of weakness expressing empathy for Zim. 

Like he was happy to win, once and for all… but it’s not really at all how he imagined. (we saw his imagination play out in the glorious anime intro) 

You know, my dad, doesn’t respect what I do either

Dib is relating his situation to Zim’s and it’s the only time one acknowledges that they are actually pretty similar. He even uses the same exact word of… “Respect.”

He is directly comparing HIS DAD to ZIM’S TALLEST

This is the best and worst thing Dib has ever done. 

Because Zim didn’t really understand what Dib’s Dad means to him. 

He even labeled the clone (Clembrane) “Dib’s Master” in the tank. And pronounces the word like “DAAAUAAAHHHDDD” and just thinks his job is ground him forever and make him pudding (food?).. because he doesn’t know what it means. (Even in Future Dib when he was imitating Dib he called Dib’s Dad “Membrane” because he was just unfamiliar that Dib refers to Membrane as “Dad” ) 

Zim does not know what Membrane means to Dib at all. 

So when Dib expresses empathy for Zim’s situation, that his leaders aren’t coming and don’t respect him, and relates that to his own family situation…..Zim just doesn’t ignore that sentiment. 

“He thinks I’m crazy like the rest of the world, the world I just saved without anyone even knowing”

Zim listens. 

I am for certain the zoom-in on the bracelet is meant to foreshadow future events, but I do not think Zim has the mind to betray Dib at this moment. 

Dib compared his Dad to his Tallest and things are starting to click for Zim!

No wonder Dib was trying to stop him at every turn, annoy him and consistently ruin his plans. HE WAS TRYING TO GAIN THE RESPECT OF HIS TALLEST TOO!!! 

Membrane is Dib’s Tallest. 

Zim knows that he is defective and his leaders think him as crazy. Zim already knows all these things about himself which is why he tries so hard, and because Dib compared that situation he is beginning to understand why Dib tries so hard as well. 

Which is why Zim even bothers to kidnap Membrane and lock him in prison in the first place:

“If you’re so worried about the Florpus, just get your DAD to help!” 

He knows what his Dad means to Dib now, and uses that as a huge gloating point over him. (The way he instantly broke into Dib’s house to gloat about his plan. After his schmoop he is SUPER SUPER proud about this one and wants Dib to acknowledge what he did was truly amazing) He is doing exactly what he imagines what a “no-win” scenario is like, and for him, it’s a scenario where Dib takes away his Tallest and locks them up somewhere. Because he figures without Dib’s Tallest, Dib won’t try as hard to stop him, because there is no Tallest to gain the approval of. (and that is so sad) 

And who knows what would have really happened…

If Dib didn’t decide to completely repress his feelings of empathy towards Zim in favor of approval and recognition from the whole world and his Dad. Hoping to completely take advantage of Zim’s mental state to actually show the world that he won. Because Dib was upset that he did save the world, without anyone knowing. Dad’s keynote is the place for him to show the world what he did and have his Dad look at him as not crazy. (I still stand by this is one of the most awful things Dib has done. Understandable, yes. But terrible.) 

He reached a hand for empathy out at Zim, and Zim doesn’t think it was EVER sincere, because Dib follows his sincere sentiment with completely selfish motivations. 

Which makes this moment:

Make way more sense. Dib’s complement isn’t sincere, because his empathy wasn’t sincere. Zim pretty much had to betray Dib if he were to not die. Dib really put Zim in a pretty bad unwinnable situation. Zim just can’t believe the hand of empathy Dib reaches out to him was ever genuine at all. Even for a brief moment, because why would it be. Of course, Dib would just use him to expose him. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself….. what…. exactly about Dib’s speech triggered Zim’s “inspiration”

“The keynote! Dad’s announcing the new Membracelet tomorrow! The whole world will be watching!” 

“If I could somehow take control of Dad’s Keynote Stream….”

“…I could expose a real alien, you, Live in front of the entire planet!”

“I believe you, Dib. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

The parallels to Zim’s plan and Dib’s speech are for more evident then you could ever imagine. 

And it makes way more sense that when Membrane gets involved in killing off GIR’s robot brothers (and Maria) That this line is really the one I think about way too much: 

“DESTROY THE MEMBRANE FAMILY” 

Not just Dib. His whole family. He acknowledges them as a unit and a team. Saw how Membrane had Dib’s back through the thick of it all. GIR is terrible, Mini-moose ended up working with the enemy, Clembrane’s programing for wanting to be “Dib’s Dad” overrides orders from his Master, He had to FORCE his Tallest to come to Earth (again) He sees Dib’s whole entire family as a not only a threat to his mission but angers him in ways he can’t understand or describe. The Tallest would never work with him and have his back in the way that Dib’s Tallest does. 

Zim’s desperate need to be acknowledged by the Tallest in the same way that Dib’s Dad does for him is…. heartbreaking. 

Not only that but for Dib to acknowledge him but have his family acknowledge him too. 

Because the Membrane family is closer than ever before and it’s all Zim’s fault.

And I really mean that. Every single part of the Membrane family becoming “better” is a direct result of Zim tampering like the hurricane he is.

Membrane spending more of an effort to come home for mealtimes and request that Gaz be “more patient” with her brother is because of a direct result of Dib’s obsession with Zim. Witch only intensified due to phase one of Zim’s plan.

Membrane having Dib’s back throughout the majority of the Florpus climax, and I think realizing that he was “wrong” in some of the ways that he has treated Dib in the past and how he’s handling it currently.

Zim’s Florpus really gave Membrane full freedom to express things that he felt afraid to say or just didn’t really know how to convey properly. 

Zim’s Florpus really gave him the freedom he needed to get things off his chest he’s been wanting to say to Dib for awhile. Considering how he told Gaz that giving up the paranormal would be like giving up videogames. He does know on some level of what it means to his son, even if he thinks it’s nonsense. (I might talk about that on its own… but Membrane can be a controversial topic in this fandom.) 

But every little facet of the Membrane Family development, Gaz and Dib, Membrane and Dib, it is just all Zim’s fault that they become closer than ever before, as shown in the shot when Dib is at the dinner table. 

TLDR:

SOMEONE HELP THIS MISERABLE SPACE GOBLIN! 

ZIM AND HIS LIL MEAT MAN!!!!

Jhonen: Zim isn't cute!!!

Zim:

All images are from the movie, series and comics.

And oh would ya look at that another Zim is cute meme. Sorry to say but this meme may never die-

did a leeeetol screencap redraw frum florpus!!!!!!!! :D suuuper happy with it ahaha

Enter the Florpus

Heya!

Does someone want to participate in a small event?

‘Cause I’d like to suggest one. There are no rules, just dress the bug in some fancy clothes! (you can use the base down below - PNG file is under the cut)

For those who can’t draw: feel free to give me your suggestions - I’d be happy to draw some!

I saw a lot of Zim’s alternative designs or different interpretations of his clothes and they all are so unique! I’m willing to draw a few of them - that’s my way to show admiration.

Underwear concepts:

I’ve already drawn the second one before (there and there), but here’s another two.

I tried to figure out which palette of Zim I like more. Still not sure, honestly… [From original series | From my AU | From Enter the Flopus movie]

Space bugs in clothes:

I wanted to visually separate the EtF design from the OS one. As you can see, Zim is now a fashion disaster.

  Naked bug!

Feel free to ask if you need PSD file or anything qwq And thanks if you decided to participate. I haven’t hosted events before and I’m not sure how well it will go…