A Closer Look at Our Other Terrible Twin!
Howdy Amazing Adventurers!
We’re finishing out the month with another great weekly update! In this newsblog, we’ll be giving you a closer work at another one of the main characters of our upcoming webcomic, show you some great entertainment that you should check out, and share other fun stuff. In any case, we hope this newsblog brings some joy and fun into your week!
1) A Look at the Other Side of the Terrible Twosome Duo! -
From the Visual Development Division
This week, Pixie thought it would be cool to share you the turnaround that she put together for Addy (one of the titular Terrible Twosome) for our upcoming webcomic, Terrible Twosome. In visual development part of any story, these turnarounds are super common as it allows for the artists to have a reference guide that they can use to make sure the character is consistently drawn in any situation during further construction of the project. As Andy and Addy both grow older, they will continue to change over time but, in the first year of the comic’s life, this is what we’re wanting Addy to really look like for the beginning of this comic that we hope you all love. Our goal with this project is to create a comic that all people can’t wait to keep reading, laugh a ton with as they scroll through each panel, and create a story that is both heartwarming as well as something that all people can become emotionally invested in. If you like what you see here, and would like to see more in the future, keep your eyes peeled for all things Bear & Pixie Art Studio for more updates on Terrible Twosome!
2) A Ghibli Film That is Really Just So-So –
From the Anime Movie Division of the Department of Animated Storytelling
Pixie and I recently watched an animated movie that was unfortunately quite underwhelming for us. Tales of Earthsea, directed by Goro Miyazaki, was a film that really felt like it dropped the ball on itself midway through. Unfortunately, this film stands as another one of those examples of a missed opportunity and a film that could have been great if it had been better executed. It follows the story of a young prince who fights with an inner darkness in himself throughout the film and, in some places, quite obviously draws from Goro’s own life experience as the son of famed Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki. There are some interesting characters and fascinating worldbuilding. However, none of those elements are ever fully fleshed out or explored as thoroughly as they should be. This, overall, brings the film quite noticeably down in quality as it often feels disjointed, not well executed, and sloppy. Nevertheless, it at least is average in quality throughout which does earn it a watch at least once in our opinion. We at Bear & Pixie Art Studio give this movie a 5 out of 10. If you have a little bit of free time on your hands, bored, and looking for something to watch, then we recommend this film for you. Honestly, it isn’t terrible. It just suffers from not being as well-developed as it should have been. If it had a little bit more time in the oven, it might have been something truly great. However, know going in that you won’t be blown away by it by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, you will be able to see some amazing animation as the film boasts several vignettes that are at the Studio Ghibli level of pretty that you know and love. If you have an HBOMax subscription, you can watch it by clicking the picture below. [WE ARE NOT SPONSORED BY ANY COMPANY. We are only giving you a genuine, un-sponsored recommendation.]
3) Artist Shout-Out -
From the Artist Relations Department
Our pick for this week’s Artist Shout-Out goes to the amazing illustrator that goes by the name of Axbraun on Instagram. Axbraun’s art is highly detailed, incredibly vibrant, and boasts some unique, amazing designs to boot! So much so that we’d love to have prints of Ax’s work to hang up in our humble abode. If you’re looking for a great artist to follow, Axbraun is a great pick as the stuff Ax puts out is always inventive and engaging. If you feel up to it, we highly recommend giving Ax a follow on Instagram and checking out Ax’s website to support their art. [We are not sponsored by Axbraun. We are only fans and genuinely wanted to give a shoutout.]
Artist’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axbraun/
Artist’s Website: https://axbraun.com
4) Scientists Potentially Using Artificial Embryos for Medical Transplants! -
From the Fascinating News Division
Just recently, an article came out talking about how a group of scientists in Israel successfully created an “synthetic mouse embryo” without the use of sperm, eggs, or a womb. In the future, they are looking to do the same thing with potential “synthetic human embryos” to be used to harvest organs for medical transplants. In the article, the scientists behind this discovery detail out how these embryos can’t develop into full-formed members of its species and could even be created without lungs, a heart, or a brain. This puts away some of the ethical issues of this potential breakthrough, but we’re still interested to see what you think about this development! Write in to us here at thebearandpixieblog@gmail.com to let us know what you think. Interested to find out more about this topic? Go check out the article to find out for yourself! [We are NOT sponsored by any news organization. We are just wanting to share something cool with our incredible fans.]
5) An Amazing Finale of a Truly Great Story! –
From the Comics Division of Impactful Storytelling
Last week, I recommended the second comic in a trilogy by Faith Erin Hicks called The Nameless City. That comic centered around the titular Nameless City, a location in the world that was a strong economic and resource heavy city that many conquering nations have taken over in the past few centuries. Over time, each conquering nation named the city differently and tried to hold onto as long as possible until the next conqueror came around. In the second book, we again find ourselves following the adventures of the same characters from the first two books in Kaidu (a boy who had just recently moved to the Nameless City in the first book) and Rat (a girl who is a native of the Nameless City) as, in this latest installment, are trying to save the Nameless City in a last ditch effort from those who would continue to perpetuate the cycle of violence that has locked the city, its inhabitants, and its conquerors in their centuries long struggles for power.
This week, I really wanted to talk about the third, and final, installment in this story. Faith Erin Hicks is a master of keeping the story at the same quality from start to finish. From the first book through this last piece of the story, Hicks never sacrificed on the story, the characterization, or the ideas she chose to address across each story. Usually, it is quite hard to end a story, especially when it comes to ending a trilogy. There’s a reason why most people’s third installment of a story usually isn’t as good as the ones that came before it. However, in this case with The Nameless City, the last chapter in this epic is fantastic from start to finish. In fact, I would even say that it is better than the second installment and maybe even the first too! This comic continues the trends set in the first two books and wraps up the characterization of existing characters that we know and love, story beats that need resolving, and putting great finishing touches on the great commentaries on cultural differences, racism, and other societal issues previously present in incredibly satisfying ways. Here at Bear & Pixie Art Studio, we give this show an official rating of a 9 out of 10. We think you should add this comic, and its previous installments, into your collection. If you feel so inclined to do so, you can click the picture below to get it on Amazon! [We are NOT sponsored by any company. We are only giving a genuine opinion/recommendation.]
That's it for this one! Thank you for reading our newsblog. Our sponsor for this newsblog is…us! We don’t accept sponsors for our email list, and we never will. If you feel so inclined, it would mean a lot to us if you would like to support us in making our dreams and stories a reality. Ways to support us are all outlined below. Thank you so much for your time and love. Hope you have an amazing week!
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Warm hugs and happy wishes,
- Bear & Pixie