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A sad notice: As many of you may already know, Comicality has been fighting an illness that took him away from us repeatedly for the last year or so. That illness as it turns out was a failing liver. On Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Comicality lost his battle and quietly passed away with family near by; taking a piece of all of our hearts with him. He leaves many of us with the amazing work that he has shared throughout the decades that he has been “COMICALITY” to us and much like that work, I know my heart along with many others, is now forever incomplete. We will continue maintaining the Voy forums but will need to ask for forgiveness as we figure out how to do that agin. It's been a very long time for me at least. - Jeff
Thank You all for helping us give Comicality's mom a hand with the unexpected final expenses that she no longer had help with. It made a huge impact and was very much appreciated by her! The campaign is now closed at her request. You can view the campaign here: https://gofund.me/7dadd629
Okay, you are whatever age that to you is the most nostalgic to look back at. There's no school today and there's nothing left that you have to do, so you can either do some chores, do some homework, or plant yourself in front of the TV. What do you choose? Of course it would be the TV, come on now! (No computers in this scenario, hehehe! Sorry Gen Alpha!)
I've recently chosen to revisit many of the shows that I grew up watching and more so than ever, it reminds me of lying on the floor in front of the TV, rotting my brain as my mother so often put it. There are so many that represent different parts of my childhood or teen years when I actually think about it. In chat we've had the conversations once in a while when a cool show some of us used to watch would come up, or talk about the teen celebrity in the show that we secretly had a crush on... yeah right, as if it was really a secret. We all seemed to be hiding two or ten secret crushes and as adults, why not finally get it off your chest? Let's compare notes!
Does a certain show strike a chord in your heart when you think back to it? Have you ever rewatched it as an adult? Is it way cornier than you remember now? LOL! Is that teen you used to drool over now some dude that is your own age or older and kinda scary now? You never know. It can and HAS happened!
So the question this month: When you think back to a show that you absolutely loved as a kid, what was it. Tell us a little about it and if there was a cute boy in it that you were dreaming about... we want names! LOL! 💜
No this isn't a question requiring input for the magazine (Thanks every one of you for those though!) It's poking a stick in the bush to see what comes out. LOL!
So, we have 9 issues under our belt with actual content since restarting. I was really worried that they were going to get really stale without Comsie really fast but, people have been giving feedback and it is both depressing and gratifying at the same time. Sure we are missing the heart and soul of what IMAGINE used to be but we've been able to to take the magic he gave us and use it as a reserve to keep creating content. I made the decision to keep doing a reflect issue to previous issues and added one that was intentionally only Comsie's voice. It's been a lot of work but, for so many, it was worth the effort.
On my end, it's been getting a little easier but, it's been difficult. Not so much in the creation of articles but in attempting to create something that he'd enjoy. That has always been my 'litmus test'. Anytime I created something new or tossed a "Story Brat" story at him, I'd be excited to see what he thought. Now it's still what i aim for knowing the feedback isn't going to come from him. That is what has been the hardest thing to deal with in all of this. I thought that part would eventually get easier but, every single issue reopens that wound just enough to make it hurt all over again. But with TurtleBoy, MykeD., The Story Lover, Night Auditor, MrM, ACFan, The EggMan, R. Eric, Justin, Jules Porter, and every single one of you interacting in the GA and Shack forums, the hurt of missing someone I have considered a brother for decades now is followed with a smile knowing that he would be so overjoyed that we loved him and his work so much that we are willing to keep it going. His sites and stories are safe for as long as we can safe guard them. So why post now?
Because we need voices. We need more of the people who loved him and his work to add a little of what they see in their online community to the living tribute that he built for us and we keep up for him. Right now, I must look like some kind of psychopath who loves to torture himself when the reality of it is, I don't want to let it go. I always loved being the guy behind the curtain for him and now that he has left and taken the curtain with him, I want more of his family to feel welcomed to be involved. I do need help and want to ask you all for it. (I meant with the magazine, stop laughing! LOL!)
Have you written a story you'd like to share? Have you read a really good story you want us all to be aware of? Know of a teen pop artist Comsie would have loved or did love that needs support or should be more popular than they are? Want to do a review of a special story or stories, maybe even review one from the Comet himself? There are so many unique ways that everyone could be involved, probably in ways we haven't even thought of yet. So I want to at least once invite the GA community and members of Comicality's Shack Outback a spot to show off a little Shack love I'll continue to put the work in but just like any other community, a dancing monkey eventually gets old and can't dance anymore. Normally not without his dance becoming something that becomes dull to watch for too long. I get sick of listening to "Me" why wouldn't you? LOL!
To protect IMAGINE Magazine for Comicality and those who still need it, I want to ask for the help of the people who loved and appreciated the man and all he did for us. For additions that are one offs or monthly, for ideas, for something new... anything to help keep IMAGINE "our" tribute to Comicality.
The pay is horrible, it always has been but the rewards have always been lasting! C'mon out and play with us Reply in this thread or email jeff@imagine-magazine.org and let's toss around some ideas...
I know we are (for the most part) all adults here. Our childhood behind us and all those childish things that society says you need to outgrow are all growed out of. (I'm not changing it, I don't care! LOL!) But you can't tell me you don't remember some of the cooler parts of being a kid. Before work, and bills, and responsibility did all it could do to kill the inner child off, I know mine is still alive and well in there, I just can't see him anymore when I look in the mirror. He makes himself known when I'm watching a movie, or listening to music, or reading. Which leads me to where our question comes from.
I can remember sitting in front of our TV on the floor in our living room when I was like 6 or 7ish watching "The Amazing Spider-Man". Glued to the screen watching this character crawl up walls and swing through the city on what was often an obvious background loop. Busting bad guys and leaving them all tied up and dangling there for the police to gather up. The animation may have been corny but, the idea of an ordinary kid being bit by a spider and then becoming a superhero as a result made me wish it could happen to me. I'd take a spider bite if it meant I could be special like Peter Parker was and not be 'just me'. I think that was one of the first times I found myself ever wishing I actually was a fictional character and of course, it was far from the last time.
Do I still sometimes do this as an adult? I'l be a liar if I said no. Of course with Tom Holland being the current Peter Parker I have entirely different fantasies regarding Peter Parker ::grin:: but often I can find myself wondering what life would be like if I was the person on the screen or on the page. I may not let my imagination take it to embarrassing levels but, I would totally rock a Spidey suit in private though! LOL!
So, who do YOU wannabe? Could be from any source too. A story, Anime, Cartoon, Movie, Comic... 💜
(If we get enough Avengers, we totally need to assemble! You know that, right?)
Hey folks hope you are all doing good -- Dom, 12:16:40 02/25/25 Tue
Just got back from a long weekend with my Dad to Nice in the South of France. Though if I never have to drive another hairpin bend again I'll be happy!
Went to visit my Grandfather's grave as neither of us had been since at least 2000, and thought be last chance my Dad would have.
So I was considering what Comicality story to add to my rotation. I have a few stories from other authors I'm currently reading but have had Comsie be a steady part of that lineup for as long as I can remember. Now I keep one of his in the rotation to re-read and now that I am nearing the end of "My Only Escape", I was scrolling through the seemingly never-ending list of titles on the mirror site and stopped cold when I hit "Waiting Outside The lines" and it made me think of all the times he and I would talk about past crushes, who we thought was cute now, of those which were crushes and which were total love for their work... or both. LOL! But looking at the banner he made, I remembered specific stories he shared about crushes on each which he used to bring a very believable character by the name of Evan Elliott into the picture.
It has me thinking of how many celebrities that i've had absolute crushes on in the past and what my understanding of my feelings for each were at the time. They all hold a special place in my heart for different reasons but, all stand out uniquely for the same reasons as well. Each with a unique story, the depth of the reasons all vary. I thought it would be cool to share one, two, or a few with the people who encouraged Comicality to write, resulting in my inspiration for this Comsie Q&A!
So of all the celebrity crushes you may have had, which one (or ones) stand out for you?
To all our Los Angeles Shackers.. hope you are all well,safe. -- Dom, 13:22:41 01/13/25 Mon
It's been quite heart breaking seeing one of the cities I have come to lome sucumb to such devistation.
I just hope any of our L.A. Shackers are ok and that they haven't lost homes or worse loved ones.
We in the UK are thinking of you!
Kayo Martin gives us much-needed Holiday Cheer -- Page Scrawler, 00:54:58 12/27/24 Fri
Hahaha! This kid from the "Gen Alpha" viral video is so chaotic! Santa must've really been scratching his head over this one, LOL!
Yup, it's that time of year again. Time to look at the entire sum of our life and decide what parts of it we want to change. It's the same thing every year, isn't it? Maybe you want to lose some weight, maybe you want to get more exercise, maybe give up a bad habit or even pick up a new bad habit... Every year we all bring some form of resolution to the table and way too often, in a month or so we learn how many of them are already off the table. The last person that asked me what my New Year's Resolution was going to be just got a blank stare as a response because, I just hadn't put any thought into it.
Honestly, I think it's healthy to consider things in life that we want to improve about ourselves, provided it's realistic. "I want to try to be less short tempered at work." Is a good one. "I want to stop eating so much junk food." is another that if followed through on would be an accomplishment. But aim too high and you are almost guaranteeing that you won't be able to accomplish it. "I want to invent a best selling gadget that will make me a millionaire instantly." Yeah, plan to pretend you never said that one by February.
So how about you? Do you have a resolution you want to try to stick to? Do you think that it's realistic and have confidence that you are going to make it stick or did you phone it in this year? If you have one that you want to keep, what's your plan to make it happen? You never know, maybe your plan is similar to someone else's and maybe you both can team up and help each other. It's possible. So is the New Year, how are you making a New You? Or, is the old you your best you in your eyes? (That makes sense, right? LOL!)
Santa Came Early!!! (Okay, stop snickering :P)
Just like when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to start opening presents so, you get to as well! This one is from us to you!
A young LGBTQ+ teen coming of age story for a new generation... -- bwctwriter, 23:41:11 12/05/24 Thu
So, I recently "came across" the movie Young Hearts ;-)....
It's a Belgian/Netherlands production that should be appearing in the usual places soon.
The story unfolds as a pair of friends, Elias and Alexander, find unexpected love in their developing friendship...
I honestly don't know how to explain just how this movie touched my heart. It is mildly dependent on dialogue, but much more heavily saturated with just... Unfiltered emotion. The interactions between the two leads, Lou Goossens and Marius De Saeger, as young teens wrestling with their feelings for each other is truly captivating. I don't often "feel" the emotions of a movie's characters as strongly as I did here. Again, probably because their eyes did a lot of the talking.
There's very little "camp" in the movie; it's much more nuanced than, say, my generation's queer youth movie, Beautiful Thing. There's not a lot of external conflict to their developing relationship either. Which makes sense, given how today's world, particularly in Europe, views queer love.
Just a lot of inner turmoil as the two boys make peace with their feelings towards each other, and take the brave step forward to see what might become of their "leap of faith" in trusting that they've placed their fragile hearts in each other's tender hands.
I can't say that I've ever seen such a nuanced portrayal of young queer love than in Young Hearts. If you're looking for a movie like that, I highly recommend it.
Whenever most of us are asked what we would like for Christmas (or whatever holiday or event you celebrate when gifts are exchanged), we typically choose the realistic items. Clothing, electronics, a vacation, something fun... Things that are not so selfish or just realistic. Sometimes, there are things that we may have in mind that we want but, it wouldn't be realistic to ask for. So the question this month:
"What I 'REALLY' Want For Christmas"
Let it be something selfish, or outlandish, maybe embarrassing, or maybe just something impossible. There's nothing wrong with having hopes or wants but, why keep it to yourself. I know I personally have plenty of things I'd love to ask for but then, where will I get all of my new socks from? Hehehe! What do you have on 'YOUR' list?
I want to post a final update to thank everyone for their kindness and for being a bit of a lifeline for someone who meant an awful lot to someone who meant an awful lot to us all. I miss Comicality worse than I ever could have expected and after decades of him always being out there and being Comicality, I don't think I could have ever anticipated how to handle saying goodbye to him; it still feels like that next post or email could come from him tomorrow, which is still hard to accept. Helping his mother at this time both gave me the opportunity to get to know someone in his life that he kind of sheltered from his online community and persona, for reasons that only he could explain, as well as show her how loved his son really was by so many. With each dispersement from this campaign, I got to witness first hand just how floored she was at how many people were affected positively by her son. But with the most recent dispersement, she feels that more would be too much. This is the text I received:
"Hi Jeffrey, A quick note to let you know that I received the check yesterday. Thank all of you for your kindness. You guys have done more than enough, if any other funds come in, please give it to one of the other members of your writers’ guild. Since there is so much bad weather happening, I am sure some of the other members can use a helping hand. This would make me happy. I look forward to hearing from at your convenience. Take care and be safe, and again, thank you very much."
So today I am disabling the campaigns ability to receive donations. For Comicality I want to thank each and every one of you for for making this positive impact in the life of the person who meant so much to him and for standing united with me as a "Shacker" which would have made him so proud. For him, I'll attempt to relay a hug and a thank you to each, and of course, one final "Seezya."
Feedback: 
JeffsFort (Perry), 23:31:31 03/23/25 Sun 
I'll continue to put the work in but just like any other community, a dancing monkey eventually gets old and can't dance anymore. Normally not without his dance becoming something that becomes dull to watch for too long. I get sick of listening to "Me" why wouldn't you? LOL!
Reply in this thread or email jeff@imagine-magazine.org and let's toss around some ideas...
