So, that Homestuck Epilogue huh?
aka I ramble on about the new update to my audience of precisely one. Spoilers lurk in the paragraphs below, obviously.
I have some mixed feelings!! It’s been a while since the last time I read through Homestuck, so maybe it’s because I’ve fallen a little out of familiarity with the writing style, but it felt a little different from usual? Although I did also hear that it was written by a host of people as opposed to mainly Hussie.
I did really enjoy the introduction to the epilogue being structured like an ao3 fanfiction, though! It was a very nice and concise way of saying “these characters have been living outside of canon for a while now and their experiences on World C are not regarded as canon.” It’s a very recognisable format and shows that the format of the story continues to be just as important to Homestuck’s narrative as the narrative itself.
I was also a little alarmed seeing the tags on the front page of the epilogue. I’m of the understanding that these are only to cover every single controversial topic that may be brought up, even if it’s only a single word absentmindedly brought up in a conversation, but I’m still a little bit on-guard about some of the things I saw. I really do hope that some of those topics aren’t dwelt on for too long. I did, however, see a tag for polyamory. As someone with a personal affinity for polyamorous relationships, I’m excited to see some representation, even if it is only for a fleeting moment in the afterthoughts of an online comic.
Anyway, I’m going to return back to that point about Hussie not doing the writing for the epilogue.
WHY DO I THINK THAT HUSSIE ISN’T CREATING AS MUCH OF CONTENT FOR HOMESTUCK AS HE ONCE DID?
Do I think that he’s working on something big for the epilogue? Is there something even bigger coming? Another animation? Maybe SBURB; the actual real-life game?
Personally, no. I don’t think it’s too implausible that Hussie just burned himself out over the course of his comic and is letting some other people take on the brunt of the writing and content creation. I do think of course that he’s in charge of directing the plot, it IS still his story after all, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more people contributing to the canon of Homestuck in the future aside from the big man himself.
WHERE DO I THINK THE STORY IS GOING TO GO?
The important question that John had to ask himself at the end of the latest chapter; candy, or meat? What do I think he’s going to choose? Considering the fact that, 1. The choice seems to be a very difficult one for him to make (despite the fact that this isn’t really one he NEEDS to make, since he could just have the best of both worlds and have a bit of both) and 2. We see that the cover for the epilogue is the Homestuck symbol split cleanly between black and white, ying and yang, essential and inessential, I believe that he is going to choose to eat both. This makes the other big choice he must make interesting as well. As an Heir of Breath, somebody who embodies freedom and choice, I don’t think I can see him really actually confining himself to only one strict option. I think he’s going to do what he needs to do (Defeat Caliborn / Lord English) and have fun along the way. He’s going to do things that aren’t entirely essential to the plot, just because he wants to. However, this may just be me projecting my own hopes and desires onto the story. There are many characters I would have loved to see be better developed and to properly complete their character arcs, characters I’m sure many others want to see more of as well, and a retcon would be a great way to do this. Maybe we will get to see more of these less-developed characters, since many of them had their names listed in the character list. But I don’t want to get too optimistic over the possibility. I suspect we’ll see some development for the main cast of characters, and not much for anybody else.
INSIDE CANON, OUTSIDE CANON, NON-CANON
To be honest, I kind of adored Rose’s descriptions of the different kinds of canons, and the clean-cut categories she sorted each out into. The definitions felt a bit stiff but made sense. I do personally think that the significance of one other type of canon should not be understated though, this type being fanon. I suppose it does fit more or less under the umbrella term of “non-canon,” but in a story as fandom driven as Homestuck, sometimes even this form of non-canon can carry some truth. There are some things that are regarded broadly within the fandom to be “true,” not because of it being confirmed by the creators of the series, but due to the overwhelming popularity of the facts that the fans have come up with. Things like LGBT+ characters, interpretations of the aspects, things like these. Leave the fandom to its own devices for long enough, and eventually, they will begin making their own stories, often more collaboratively than they realise. And ultimately, even these stories and collective headcanons stick with everybody involved. Though they may not be true in the official sense, they’re true in that they very heavily influence the way we view and consume the original media and the way we view each of the characters as a whole. Sometimes fanon can be just as important and influential as canon, and like I mentioned before, in a story that’s as heavily influenced by the fans’ wills and interpretations as Homestuck, sometimes what’s fanon can be true in the canon world just by virtue of its popularity.
I think it’s also worth noting that the truth of a canon fact is very dependent on the willingness of the fandom to take it as such. If the author ends up saying some batshit crazy stuff and the fandom as a whole ends up denying it, that fact can be regarded as untrue; one content creators word up against the volumes of people who make a story what it is.
So basically, Rose’s descriptions of various types of canons were basically true but failed to account for the importance of the fans. This is just my opinion though. Maybe we’ll see that description expanded upon in the future, or maybe I’ve gone batshit crazy myself at this point.
That’s all I have to say for the epilogue right now. I’m very eager to see the direction that it takes in the next chapter or however many chapters we may next get. See you all at the next update!
