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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
Please help us give Comicality's mom a hand with the unexpected final expenses that she no longer has help with: https://gofund.me/7dadd629
Every once in a while I'll get hit with a question that to be honest, I need to think about before answering. To be honest, I don't think I've ever come up with the right answer to it either.
"What is IMAGINE Magazine? What category does it fit into?"
Because of course, we need to put labels all over everything and make it fit neatly into a category, right? ::groan:: That's our culture today. What are we? What is our demographic? Are we for gay people? Yes but not exclusively; I don't think. Are we here for gay teens? In part yeah, of course. Are we for the Boy Lover community? A part of us fits there too even if we don't push the ideals. But we do acknowledge it and in some ways can even relate to it. Gay, Trans, Bi, Agender, Cisgender, Pan, Poly... Why should there be a limit on who fits and who doesn't?
When Comicality threw himself into his community, it was warts and all. And trust me he took some fairly harsh criticism for it at times. In the end, he wanted something that was all inclusive and would speak to the brunt of the Shack community on the topics that were the most focused on by it's members. Not all members were in 100% agreement but, what family agrees on everything anyway, seriously.
So our question this month is this: "What Are We?" in your opinion? The next time I'm asked that question, I'd like to be able to answer for "all" of us if I can :)
Something that I used to secretly do as a reader was to get an image in my head of what a character in a story actually looks like, then go find a picture of someone who looks similar to what i imagined. Years down the road, as an author I used to do the same thing but post those images to share what my view of some particular characters looked like. Sometimes people would totally agree with my pick, others would share their own to compare, and some would disagree with my effort to taint the image in their imagination. Who knew that would be a thing yet, here we are!
So our question this month is: Do you enjoy seeing representations of an authors character by the author posting a picture of a "Stand In"? Does it add to your own image of what the character looks like to you or does it ruin the mental picture you have created?
(Sorry, this should have been posted a week ago. Sooooooooo overloaded at the moment, LOL!)
America's Got Talent Update -- Page Scrawler, 02:18:13 09/11/24 Wed
A brief note: the beatboxing kid on AGT is named José David Sánchez, but he goes by the stage name "Jollux", which I apparently misheard as "Douglas". Sorry about that, dude!
Sadly, he and Brody Schaffer were eliminated during Deliberations, and did not advance to the Quarterfinals.
And now, the performances from the kids who did make it to the Quarterfinals!
The results from Quarterfinals:
Flewnt and Inkabee: Eliminated
Menudo: Eliminated
Oscar Stembridge: Eliminated (Grrr!!)
Reid Wilson: Advanced to Semifinals
I can't say I'm really surprised Inkabee and Menudo didn't pass on to the next round, because those acts were always going to be "niche". It takes a certain audience to enjoy those styles of music, and I guess they simply didn't reach enough voters. With that said, I was absolutely ticked off that Oscar didn't make it to the Semifinals. How can anyone possibly NOT like Oscar's music?! That's like, not liking BREATHING! >:o
I know, most of the time when you are reading a story, the fact that the character may have been based on a real person is not the first thought you have and probably doesn't even matter. Often times we'll find this out while reading and the the character that we already have created a mental image of when reading, may change a bit to us. Learning they could have been based on the person who wrote the story or someone they are close to could make them more real or even taint the image we created for them. But does it really matter? Does it change anything when you learn of this whole other origin. Do you even want to know?
So our question this month is: Does it matter if an author tells you that a character is based on a real person? Does it change anything for you when reading? Does it make the character more or less endearing in your eyes? Do you even want to know?
Finn and Gaten Have a Great Friendship -- Page Scrawler, 23:42:43 08/26/24 Mon
Gaten walking around with his girlfriend, Lizzie, but he's holding hands with Finn? Awww! That's kind of adorable. See, we need more bros who aren't afraid to show that they're bros!
Hey Com -- Johnny, 19:55:32 08/15/24 Thu
At least you won't be able to pull your hair out in November if Trump becomes President again. Can't you do something from up there? Go ask that Daddy Angel we see in movies if you can go back home for a month. :} Pete's still with us so will have 5 years of suffering.
My first music video I posted all those years ago -- Johnny, 19:22:31 08/15/24 Thu
I remeber I had to shrink some figures so it didn't go full screen bit can't remember which so apologies if it does go full screen. I know how it used to annoy me and others.If it doesn't work maybe Pete can help. Belle and Sabastian The Boy With The Arab Strap
We are firing on no cylinders this month... Um... That's not right. I mean we are totally out of gas... Misfiring like an old... Forget it, the new issue is up! I've got nothing left tonight! LOL! https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/volume-106/
Yo Pete -- Johnny, 18:31:30 08/14/24 Wed
I haven't been here since May and thought I'd check the site out tonite. I came across your message and birthday greetings, yeh I should have guessed it would be in you little black book. :) I will mail you I decoded your email addy lol. Rob and me are fine older but still as stupid I just realised I'm over twice the age when I first found Com's site. I saw the roll call post and you were in hospital I hope you're alright. You were always like a Grandad a brother because we both liked older music as well as new and of course you were always a friend so yes I'll mail you.
Scrolling through the posts tonight and other times in the past I saw a few guys that were around like forever. Turtle, Mike, Matt, Dom, Ice, Page. I didn't know Jeff from the site but enjoyed a lot of his stories on his site. Damn time flies but I hope life is treating you guys good. Some of us had our fights but families do always have done. I was a teen then and hey teens always know better.:) As I said I will mail you Pete and it will be good catching up with Chris and Erick. In the meantime you take care of yourself and don't have too many of those mega size burgers at that place you went to/go to. Hugz.
Wow! America's REALLY Got Talent this year! -- Page Scrawler, 00:41:36 08/08/24 Thu
AGT has really blessed us with some cuties this year. These kids are so talented, and they deserve every respect.
First, a father-and-son duo from Australia! Personally, rap isn't my favorite, and I had to watch on TV with the closed captions to understand what they were chanting, but they really are "Dat Good!"
Next, there's a little guy named Douglas who can beatbox as well as Inkabee can rap! Maybe they should form a team?
Then, there's Brody Schaffer, AKA "Boss Baby Brody", because of how much sass he fits into his tiny frame! Awww, the missing teeth are so adorable!
Following Brody, it's the latest generation of Menudo! These kids are so good, Simon asked for an encore!
After Menudo, we have an absolutely adorable Southern cinnamon roll named Reid Wilson! He was trying so hard to be polite, but some of those "manners" can be hard to keep straight in your head.
And, saving the best for last, we now present a Swedish teen heartthrob who's already earned some notoriety as a busker and environmental activist. (And if memory serves me correctly, he's already been featured in the magazine.)
Mike! >:O -- TurtleBoy, 22:57:54 08/07/24 Wed
I hope you're all right! I've been looking out for your name to appear since we lost our Comsie, and I haven't seen you pop up. I've misplaced your email, so this was super hard to do in private :P
Just wanted to make sure you're what passes for okie dokie these days. In the meantime, toodloo!
I just found out. I can't believe he's gone. -- Magnus, 08:57:17 07/23/24 Tue
I'm in shock. I just found out.
I used to be a daily visitor to the forum and saturday night chat from my teens into my early 20s. I'm 40 now. I had conversations with Comsie multiple times a week. We got to know each other very well. I drifted away but would check the forum a couple of times a year. I had a dream about him last night and came to the forum to lurk and see how he was doing. The first thing I read was that horrible message. A couple of sentences in and I was knocked off my feet. I reread it a couple of times just to make sure I wasn't getting it wrong. It's only been a few minutes; I can't believe it.
I thought of Comsie often and even though I wasn't around I loved him dearly. Everybody has those people in their lives that leave them changed. Comicality was one of mine. I feel so horrible. I just want to keep saying 'I love you' over and over as if expressing my love for him will somehow call him back to me. I don't ever want to stop saying it. My dear God, I can't believe this. It's been three months and I'm just now finding out! How could I have not known you were gone for three months?! I wanted to be here with you all the years that I was gone, but I was afraid you were mad at me for how we left things. I wanted to reach out to you for so long just to tell you I love you but I was too afraid. And now I can't, and I'll spend the rest of my life wondering if you ever knew that I never stopped loving you.
I love you Nitz. I always have and I always will. I'm so grateful that I had you in my life and I wish you were still here. I gave you a piece of my heart and you took it with you when you left. I pray with all my soul that it brings you some kind of comfort and peace. I'm going to feel your absence for the rest of my life. A part of me will be missing until I see you again. I hope to God that I get to see you again. Thank you for everything you gave me. I love you. I love you with all of my heart. I hope you knew that and I hope you know that now. God, why didn't I just be brave and tell you that while you were still alive? I'm going to miss you everyday. I don't want to miss you everyday. I love you so fucking much.
IMAGINE Magazine Issue 105 -- JeffsFort, 16:53:51 07/16/24 Tue
Oops... I just realized that I forgot to start posting the notices on Voy as well as in Discord... Still figuring out the new schedule :( Anyway:
I was worried about this one because I thought we would have a hard time filling an issue without Comsie. Turns out he was with us right along. Thanks to Myke D., The Story Lover, Turtleboy, ACFan, our 3D cast, and all the authors who lent us their work, we have Issue 105 and I think we did okay (Of course I'm a little biased... )https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/volume-105/
Today is Tuesday July 16th, exactly 3 months since Com left us :( -- Dom, 11:09:28 07/16/24 Tue
I can't beleieve he has been gone so long already!
Have to send a shout out to Jeff though for all the imense work he has carried on doing, while like us all grieving.
Thanks Jeff!
And Com where ever you are know you left things in good hands mate.
This is the Funniest Thing I've Seen in a While! -- Page Scrawler, 22:19:17 07/06/24 Sat
HAHAHAHA! This kid walks into a gas station diner, looking for a Doner kebab. Instead, he accidentally uncovers an illegal gambling ring?! Classic! Comsie certainly would've approved.
(Also, in another video, he mentions that he's gay, so, definitely a bonus!) :P
Today is Canadia Day -- TurtleBoy, 21:33:46 07/01/24 Mon
And it's a mighty weird one. It's the first Canada Day, minus the pandemic, that I'm not volunteering at the community center for the ENTIRE DAY. Literally from 8am until 2am. I don't miss heat stroke.
This is also the first Canadia Day I've ever had without my mom, and just thinking about that really messes with my head. I'll never spend another Canada Day with my mom. :'(
Today's been soooooo god damn long. I don't know what to do with myself (hehehehe). It's usually one of the most busiest days of the year, and I've literally got nothing to do today. No one's even in the chat or on this forum, or people are busy doing Monday things. Here I am. Alone. For the first time.
There may be some alcohol involved, though. It's Canadia day. I'm celebrating. Alone. On a Monday.
finding a story help -- rickgayaz, 13:49:35 06/19/24 Wed
there are a couple of stories that involve a performing arts high school and a couple of guys who attend then go onto hollywood to be involved in films. i really enjoyed them, but can't find them, or the author.
Today is the first day of the ShackOutBack's 28th year... -- Pete, 12:29:11 06/19/24 Wed
On Friday, June 19th, 1998, an unknown writer named Comicality posted the first two chapters of a simple story called "New Kid In School"
The hardest step is always the first one... IMAGINE Issue 104 is now live. ::HUGZ:: to everyone who helped hold me up while getting this one put together. It means the world to me! - Jeff https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/volume-104/
After quite a few conversations with other readers of the works of my favorite online bossy boss ::giggle::, I've come to the conclusion that we all have many things in common when it comes to how we respond to the characters in our favorite "Shack" story. I think it's funny that of any other author, if you ever said you had an honest crush on their main character in 'X' titled novel, everyone in the room, including the author, would probably give you a weird look. That's commonly not the case with our Shack group and a day going by without some form of character crush being outed is an off day for any of us. (I see you nodding over there ;)
So, of all the stories that Comicality wrote, in all the worlds that he created, which character is your "I wish he was real..." character. You can wish it for any reason. You want to help him, you want to hug him, you want to be his boyfriend and do unspeakable things to him... You get the idea.
Not sure if anyone noticed. -- TurtleBoy, 10:02:01 05/06/24 Mon
In the last issue that Comsie released, the Christmas issue, #103, there was a piece about Trey Braine, a talented 10 year old dancer on TikTok. It probably didn't get as much attention as it deserved because Comsie didn't include any videos of him, which is literally what he's know for. :P
Words for Comicality -- Cirrus, 14:51:44 05/05/24 Sun
It feels like I’ve spent about a week writing this and re-writing this and adding to it and changing it. But eventually you just have to get it out there. You may see this cross-posted in a few different places. Just trying to reach out to different audiences.
WORDS FOR COMICALITY
It seems only a few weeks ago that I learned Comsie was going through such serious health issues. And now, just like that, he’s gone. It’s dreadfully unfair that he was taken from us with so much unfinished business. On NIfty, a site he contributed stories to for 26 years, his departure is marked by the message “Author Comicality passed away”. That’s it? That’s all after the hundreds of thousands of words he wrote? Comicality deserves more words remembering him. Hundreds of words. Thousands of words. All of the words. And I can’t write all the words he deserves, but I’m going to give my best effort at writing some of them.
I first stumbled across Comsie in 1997 or 1998? I can’t remember the exact date, but I started reading “New Kid in School” from the very first chapter. Then he started the website and got an email address and I reached out to him to say how much I liked the stories. The internet was a different place then. Everything seemed hand-made in Times New Roman, Facebook, Google and Amazon and their algorithms hadn’t taken over the internet, and communities were finding each other for the first time around topics like how hot teenage boys were.
I kept emailing him on and off ever since then. People you only know online tend to flitter in and out of your life - closest confidant one minute, vanished into the ether the next. But for over 25 years, Comsie was a constant. He’s the friend I’ve known the longest that I never ever met. Because I wrote to him so occasionally, I would write these long, rambling emails with many, many questions. And Comsie being Comsie, he would feel like he would owe me a decent reply, so sometimes it took weeks or even months for him to respond. They were always worth it though - my long emails sometimes got even longer replies.
Comsie was the exception to most of the authors you’d find on Nifty or Gay Authors or elsewhere. Through his forums and emails, he put so much of his own life out there, the good parts and the bad. Being so open brought on a lot of hate mail. I’m not sure how he put up with it year after year. He shared parts of his difficult childhood, the constant money worries of being a retail employee, his love for Chicago. I’m sad he never made it back there, but glad he was surrounded by family at the end.
You felt like you knew him, but maybe that’s the illusion on online-only friendships, where you only know the parts of someone’s life they share with you. Despite being so open about some parts of his life, he guarded his privacy zealously in others. In over 25 years of emails, he never shared a picture of himself with me. I visited Chicago a couple of times (he had numerous suggestions on where to visit, and was very amused by my attempt to eat a whole Chicago deep dish pizza by myself) but we never met up. Maybe it’s better that way: the Comsie in my head will probably be forever in his early 20s, the age at which we first started talking.
The Comicality writing process could be maddening as a reader. He never liked to focus on just one story at a time. I think he wrote chapters about whichever characters were interesting to him at the time. And he always had ideas for new stories. It seemed like for every story he brought to a final conclusion, he would start four more. And some of his series had epically long hiatuses between updates (“Taryn’s Song” had a SEVEN YEAR gap between chapters at one point). I used to joke that he never wanted to finish a series because he never wanted to say goodbye to the characters he created. Now my Comicality thoughts will be filled with questions that will never be answered.
* What was going to happen at the party and would Brandon and Billy ever get back together in “Billy Chase”?
* Would Artie and Scotty start talking to each other in “Jesse-101”?
* How was Eric and Dustin’s story going to end in “Untouchable”?
* Would Justin fulfil his vampire prophecy in “Gone From Daylight”? And how did Taryn and Alec get separated in “Taryn’s Song”?
I’m sure everyone has their favourite Comicality storyline that they wanted to see resolved. It seems somehow appropriate that Comsie’s legacy will be dozens of dangling plotlines. Even “New Kid in School”, the story that started it all, was still unfinished after 27 years.
If there’s one story I’m glad Comsie did finish, it was “My Only Escape”. It’s the most deeply personal story Comsie’s ever written, built on memories from a very dark part of his life. Being able to write from his real lived experience gave the story a reality and rawness I could never emulate on that subject. From the first chapter to the last, it took him 21 years to finish. It was sexy and heart-wrenching and moving. I’d urge everyone to read it again - even just the very last chapter. I was in literal tears during Zack’s conversation with Mr Raffe. It wasn’t just a conversation between Zack and his teacher - it was conversation between Comsie and all the people both real and in his head that told him his stories weren’t good enough. Out of all his stories, I’m glad his readers got to see that one in its full, final, finished form. Did you know at one point the early chapters were adapted for Australian radio? Wild to think about.
Comsie did soooo much in his online life. It wasn’t just the stories. It was the website, the forums, “Imagine Magazine”, the advice to other authors, the advice to people young and old going through tough times, the YouTube channel, the gallery. I have no idea where he found the time, and the volume of work probably didn’t get nearly the appreciation it deserved.
He motivated me to write my own stories and share them (although very carefully). My major interactions with him over the last year revolved around submitting the chapters of “Dear Ronan” to “Imagine Magazine”. I told him I was holding the story hostage, and wouldn’t let him see the finished complete product until he published chapter 450 of “Billy Chase”. He laughed at my threats and happily ignored them.
He deserved better. He deserved longer. He deserved the time to finish all of the stories he started. I think I’ll always have regrets that I didn’t write to him more, that I didn’t tell him everything I liked about his stories at every opportunity. I always wanted him to stretch himself, to challenge himself to be a better writer because he had that talent in him. I teased him about some of his tendencies as an author: like starting every new story with a three paragraph inner monologue from the protagonist, or his fondness for “wise sage” characters who dispense advice in long soliloquies. Like perhaps most authors, he remembered every negative thing I ever said about his stories. But I hope he remembered all the positive things I said too… like how much I like Ariel’s “voice”, or how hot the game of footsie on the couch in “Sneak Away” was, or how moving I found the conclusion to “My Only Escape”.
I’m not sure I believe in an afterlife, but I’d like to believe in one for Comsie…. Something like “The Good Place”, where he has all the time in the world to finish all the stories he started, preferably with a cute speedo-clad teenager (or three!) by his side. And then when he finally puts his pen down for the last time, he could return to the universe with a sense of mission accomplished.
May the 4th be with you! -- TurtleBoy, 15:15:25 05/04/24 Sat
Since it's Star Wars day, I'm not going to post about Star Wars :D Instead, I'm going to share Maddox Batson's latest release. I know Comsie would approve.
Happy Birthday, Comicality, wherever you might be. -- Pete, 05:03:27 05/02/24 Thu
You've been a true and loyal friend over the years and I hope you're happy in your present life.
Today would of been Com's 49th Birthday .. -- Dom, 01:33:32 05/02/24 Thu
Happy birthday my friend! Hope you are having a massive rave with lots of scantily clad boys dancing with you up there!
Oh and lots of cake... you LOVED your cake!
Missing you loads buddy!
Comsie loved music, so why don't we send him off with a musical tribute? -- Pete, 18:01:00 04/28/24 Sun
Your tribute song can be somber, joyous, secular, religious or humorous.
Just so everyone knows... -- bwctwriter, 12:34:24 04/20/24 Sat
I have no intention of shutting down the Shack Chat, as it's still a great way for us shackers to keep in touch on the daily...
So if you want/need to, feel free to come in and share your grief with those of us who loved him so dearly.
Creating an account is required, however instructions are listed on the server, for the uninitiated among us. It's a simple process. Just thought I'd throw that out there for those of us who might be struggling right now.
Feeling like me, mostly... -- Comicality, 10:12:26 03/02/24 Sat
Physical therapy has been exhausting, to say the least, but I've learned to walk just fine and my coordination is great. I want to start writing again soon. I'd love to pick up where I left off. Wish me luck! Sorry that it's taken so long to write back to so many of you. My hands didn't really work right
(Been catching up on a lot of old movies. Their so weird. Hehehe!)
Even from the grave, Chester brings joy to us all... -- bwctwriter (), 20:48:51 02/25/24 Sun
From what I can tell, the song was more of a concept Chester, et al created, but was never finished before he died... They released this short song a couple days ago, and I honestly hope they do more with it. I don't even care if they AI the shit out of it, because Chester Bennington's voice was just.. Unique and gritty, full of lots of emotion... But who knows if the rest of LP would be willing to go that route.
At any rate, it's still pretty cool hearing something from Chester that we never heard before. :-)
I truly TRULY cannot thank a few of you enough for all of of the amazing help you've given me to help me start my way towards putting back online and getting things back online here. It took some hours of dedicated help, and thanks to you, I'm starting to get back in working order, and they are both making it possible thanks to their expertise.
Also, my health is picking up. I still have to go through a bit of physical therapy, but I'm able to walk again, and I can think straight again and I'm I'm thankful for as well. So I will be in contact again soon, and I'm happy to say that my email is up and working again as well! Cool? I'm catching up as quickly as possible. I'll be in touch soon, and I love you lots!
Even though I wish all of Marvel could have been together...I'll take it! Hehehe, ESPECIALLY if it's Deadpool and Wolverine! Lets go! I'm ready for it!!! God bless your wacky hyde, Deadpool!
Ok...soooo...ummm I died. Just about as good an explanation as any. I will try to give more details as I can, but I was recently released from the hospital yesterday, and I'm rebuilding my life as best as I can, and I'm also working from an entirely different laptop that I don't understand at all. I can't reach my old files, I can't even seem to find a way to login to my email right now. I'm going to try my best this weekend, though to at least find a way to make contact again. I spent the last month trying to survive some really tough times, and now I have to retrain myself all over again. Hang in there with me so I can find and rebuild everything that I lost. K?
I love you all. And I'm sorry for being so lost here. Everything looks so alien to me right now. :(
Why? -- MeLoveYouLongTime, 13:56:49 01/28/24 Sun
Why Why Why can't or won't you ever finish a story?? You're so concerned with vampires and zombies and other weird things about boy celebrities that you've never satisfied the desires of your original fan base when you actually used to have a fan base. It's no mystery why you've got like 4 or 5 guys that still converse with you anymore on any of your formats. Finish something! Bring us to a resolution on something! Make Billy actually get a driver's license after he should actually have children! Make the new kid in school actually go to college for God's sake! He'd be like 28 by now! The reason your readership has waned is you've ignored your readership. You're extremely talented. But being talented isn't enough. Self indulgence is great if that's all you're looking for. But you could and should be so much more. A fan.
Feeling much better today, but I've still got some things to fix up on my end. It's a headache, believe me. :/
BUT...I can still find my giggles, regardless! Like...seeing what "Home Alone" might look like if it crossed over with "Gone From Daylight"! How awesome would that be?
I am having some internet problems at the moment that I've been trying my best to solve, but I am totally out of ideas and was hoping somebody here could give me some help.
Does anybody here work for Yahoo.com, or have a connection to someone who does? What I need to do is seriously a ten second fix. Ten seconds, and everything is back in order. But I can't get to the place I need to be in order to put the ten second fix to any use. If that makes sense.
Please...if you think you can help me somehow, just send me an email at Comicality@shackoutback.net as soon as you get a chance so I can get everything back on schedule. It's been a few weeks now. Ugh! Frustration!
Do you ever really think about it? Every single second, more time passes you by. Time that you could have been using to have fun, to make love, to pursue your goals...there it goes. There goes another one. And another one. They add up pretty quickly, believe me.
Do you have any goals for this year? Maybe you want to ask for that raise at work. Maybe you want to travel to that place that you've always wanted to visit. Maybe you've been building up the courge to ask that one cute boy out on a date. Maybe you want to get in the gym and drop ten to fifteen pounds and get a routine going. Who knows? Whatever it is that you might want in the future...what happens if you start working on it as soon as you wake up tomorrow morning? Better yet...where would you be right now if you had started working on it one year ago?
Nobody gets to live forever. And while procrastination is an art...do you ever stop and think about how much time you waste just doing nothing? I know that everybody has their responsibilities and we all get tired from time to time and end up having to crunch everything together all at once when the pressure is on...but how much time do we just 'waste'?]
]
Watching TV. Playing video games. Sleeping for more hours than we really need. Watching Youtube or hanging out in chatrooms or reading Facebook. Think about all things you could accomplish in a single day with just a little bit of focus and determination.
Our first question for the new year is...do you feel as though you waste too much time doing nothing? Or are you a real go-getter when it comes to the things you want most? Maybe there's a balance between the two? Who knows?
Give us your thoughts on this one! I'm curious as to what you might say. And be sure to tell us why! He give me a couple of sentences at least, will ya? Think about it. It might just help you put things in perspective!
It's about to be New Years Eve, and I hope you guys have a fun and safe time this year/next year! So be careful! Don't drink and drive, and be sure to watch out for OTHER people who might be out drinking and driving! K? Take care! :)
And here's a new chapter of "Shelter" to entertain you when you get back! ((Hugz))
A brand new chapter of the short series, "Sneak Away" is now up and ready to go! Enjoy! And let me know what you think when you get a chance! Cool? Seezya soon!
I hope you guys had a safe and happy holiday season this year! My mom and I took a bit easy this year. I mean, I love my family something awful...but they outnumber us to the point where we feel like Spartans in "300" sometimes. Like...a break was seriously needed.
Anyway, I spent yesterday and will spend a few more hours tonight answering emails! When I get to about 200 or so, I'll release them all abd they'll be heading your way. Some of them might be from a few weeks ago when I was in my unholy writing frenzy...so if you get something from, like...Thanksgiving or something, it's because I didn't get a chance to answer them until now. So sorry for that, but you might get some of those emails tonight. K? I'll keep my fingers crossed! And I'll try to answer more next week as well! Start off the new year with a few hugs and giggles!
Stories start again this weekend! So I'll seezya then! MWAH! Take care! And stay beautiful, Shackers!
Merry Christmas, Shackers! Sit back with some hot chocolate so you can have some fun this year!
”Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special"
Whether you're a big Marvel/MCU fan or not, this was a one time holiday special that is definitely worth a watch for the sake of a couple of chuckles today! Now, I know that all 25 to 30 movies and TV shows are all connected and you may think that you have to know them all before you get into this one...but you really don't. Basically, the lead character was abducted as a child in the 80's and has been a Han Solo type of space smuggler ever since, with his new family of other misfits. Oh...and someone he loved very much died in one of the movies not long ago. There. Everything that you need to know in order to watch this is all summed up right there. Done.
Guardians is one of the most beloved Marvel series of the bunch, and this is just a Christmas special that they put together for a good time. You get plenty of laughs, some action, some warm and fuzzy feelings, and some music on top of it all. Basically, even though everyone is in it, the story is mostly center around Drax and Mantis...who make for a ton of giggles just by themselves as they visit Earth for the first time in order to kidnap Kevin Bacon! Hehehe, long story...
Anyway, stay warm today, put on those new slippers you got from under the tree, and let this hour long presentation leave you with a great big holiday smile on your face! :)
A new chapter is up and ready to go, folks! And welcome to your Xmas break, youngsters! Be safe, and have fun! Be sure to check it out! And let me know what you think when you get a chance!
Hehehe, maybe we shouldn’t leave Bill Murray alone around children any time soon! LOL!
”St. Vincent"
Despite being funny in some of the grumpiest ways, there are a lot of really heartfelt moments in the movie that people who haven't seen it yet missed out on. And it just makes for a good time, you know?
Bill Murray plays Vincent, a grouchy older man who smokes, drinks, gambles, and is always a few dollars away from being completely broke. And that's all that you get to see of him until some brand new neighbors move in next door, including an extremely hard working single mother who ends up needing someone to watch after her young son when she can't get home. Despite his frustration and annoyance, the isolated Vincent agrees to babysit the boy...for a fee of course...and the two find a bit of an uneasy bond between them.
This is one of those movies that just makes you feel good once you realize what's really going on here, and it'll leave you feeling warm and fuzzy by the end. Sometimes a gruff exterior isn't representative within. Enjoy!
Happy 15th, you guys! A brand new issue of Image Magazine is now up and ready to go! So go and enjoy a bit of a dark Christmas, and let us all know what you think! And huge thanks to everyone who worked hard, even during the holidays, to get things together and put it up! MWAH!!! Love you all! :)
...does anybody here know how to make a 'cover letter' for Nifty.org? I never needed one before, but I might this time, and when I tried to look it up the internet was NO help at all. :( And all Nifty says is "Be sure to put this in your cover letter". Ummm, WHAT cover letter? Can I see a sample? Get an explanation? Can anybody hear me?
I don't want to send an email to ask and be a pest, but...I'd like to know what the heck they're talking about.
I'm feeling a bit better. Sorry. It kind of hits me without warning, but I'm doing ok. Just needed a bit of medicine and rest. So that's cool.
Starting on Monday, I'll start our Christmas Cutie Jukebox on the Shack's main forum! ( http://www.voy.com/15900/ ) And that's every day for the holiday season. Might as well have some fun and get our hearts in the spirit, right? Seezya then!
Sorry to say that I'm feeling a bit sick at the moment, but I'm so used to being ill every couple of weeks that it barely gets me down anymore. I guess it just is what it is. ::Shrugs::
BUT...I've been writing so much over the past few weeks, that I'm still close to being on schedule! So all of that hard work isn't going to waste. :P
So check back in an hour or two for the stories to continue while I get myself back in working order. Cool? And more emails are going out tomorrow! Promise! And I love you lots!
Also, hehehe, I got a Christmas pressent as a donation to the https://paypal.me/Comsie account! And that was super awesome! So thank you so much! And a couple of you asked what I might want for Christmas so they can help out! Hehehe, well...I want what I wanted from you guys EVERY Christmas! And it's free! ::Giggles:: So yeah, bring me that!
LOL! Just wanted to feel silly for a little bit! Makes me feel good! Mwah! I'll be back in a day or two when I feel better...
This week’s 3M selection was quite the surprise, and just as creepy as you would ever hope that it could be!
”Talk To Me"
I never, in my wildest dreams, would have thought that the hilarious crew behind the Youtube ‘Racka Racka’ videos would have eventually evolved to the point of making one of the creepiest internationally released horror movies of the whole year! And yet, here we are!
There’s just something that’s fundamentally unsettling about this movie in general, to be honest….and it seems to touch a nerve deep down that you can’t quite explain, but it sticks with you, regardless. The movie is about a dark ritual that causes a temporary possession by the spirits that lie just beyond the limits of our physical world. And what do we use this for? We have a group of college kids making a game out of the evil practice and using it to basically get ‘high’! Hehehehe, like you didn’t see THAT coming! :P
However, when a young woman and a couple of her friends take things a bit too far...they find themselves dealing with an evil power that refuses to let go of them! And our creepy movie begins to unravel from there! A very cool surprise, and definitely worth a look! So check it out, and have yourselves good time. ::Nods:: Hehehe! >:)
The last chapter of the "Smoke And Mirrors" series is up in the Premium section. Thank you guys soooo much for the comments from chapter to chapter, and for supporting the story! Love you lots! And now your ending is ready! :)
Swords just look like they hurt! Hehehe, like...a lot! This week's 3M does its best to make you all remember that!
”Blue Eyed Samurai"
Now this is a show that I'm still watching, so I haven't reached the end yet...plus I saw that there are plans for a season 2 so I may not get a bunch of answers...but what I've seen so far is pretty badass! :)
It is both an action story, a tragic story, and a mystery, that you sort of have to get in to and follow the twists and turns to watch the story unfold naturally. So, it is what it is, and there will be blood! Oh yes! Quite a bit of blood! :)
Just...if your gonna cute me up, break my bones, and knock out my teeth...can you not drop pearls of wisdom and deep quotes on me while you do it? Hehehe! How embarrassing, you know? LOL!
So check this amazing animation out! It can be a lot of fun!
I've completely worn myself out. I really don't have anything more to give...//////////////// -- Comicality, 11:52:04 11/19/23 Sun
But...it'll pay off. I'm sure of it. :P
Also...
"What If...?" Season 2! Sweet!!! If you missed the first season, you've been missing out! A little Adam Warlock this season? A little Shang Chi? And wait...is that BILLY at the beginning??? That would be awesome! Not nly is Julian Hillard older and 'Young Avengers' age now, but he'd be the first (and cutest) openly gay teen boy character in the MCU! Sighhhh...dreamy!
Don't know why people are giving this show so much hate without seeing a single episode yet... -- Comicality, 20:01:17 11/16/23 Thu
...Other than people who think it's funny or necessary to complain about everything...but the show looks fine to me. What's the big problem? I've never read the books, so maybe that's it. But I saw the movies and didn't have any problem with them. So what is it...? I feel so bad for people who can't enjoy anything in their lives. It must suck to never EVER be happy with anything! You know? And then hate other people for finding some joy in their lives where you can't. Yikes...what a meaningless existence.
I'll be there. I wanna see this. :) Let's check it out together!
Feedback: 
JeffsFort, 21:42:08 10/17/24 Thu 
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