Express yourself Freely

Once a little boy went to school. One morning The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; And he took out his box of crayons And began to draw.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make flowers.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make beautiful ones With his pink and orange and blue crayons. But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And it was red, with a green stem. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at his teacher’s flower Then he looked at his own flower. He liked his flower better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just turned his paper over, And made a flower like the teacher’s. It was red, with a green stem.

On another day The teacher said: “Today we are going to make something with clay.” “Good!” thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks And he began to pull and pinch His ball of clay.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make a dish.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make dishes. And he began to make some That were all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And she showed everyone how to make One deep dish. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish; Then he looked at his own. He liked his better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just rolled his clay into a big ball again And made a dish like the teacher’s. It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon The little boy learned to wait, And to watch And to make things just like the teacher. And pretty soon He didn’t make things of his own anymore.

Then it happened That the little boy and his family Moved to another house, In another city, And the little boy Had to go to another school.

The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher To tell what to do. But the teacher didn’t say anything. She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy She asked, “Don’t you want to make a picture?” “Yes,” said the little boy. “What are we going to make?” “I don’t know until you make it,” said the teacher. “How shall I make it?” asked the little boy. “Why, anyway you like,” said the teacher. “And any color?” asked the little boy. “Any color,” said the teacher. And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.

Brad grew up a totally normal kid, went to college, joined a frat, and decided to get in touch with Bruce, who now has an awkward situation on his hands

now the other Batkids have to deal with fucking Brad Wayne, whose normalacy is absolutely insufferable... he tells Dick to try yoga and suggests that Tim will sleep better if he gets more exercise... Bruce goes out of town and Brad decides it’s time to throw a house party with his frat friends

They’re all braced for the inevitable reveal that he’s a villain, an imposter, or an interloper there to usurp the Wayne fortune or spy on Batman. They have all sorts of plans to foil his schemes and the only thing they’re not able to prepare for is the fact that he’s just. Brad. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not a saint, either—his problems are just so mundane, so ordinary.

They TRY to understand what his life is like, but how are they supposed to relate to someone who doesn’t text back because he’s hungover or his phone died, not because he’s tied up in a death trap somewhere being menaced by someone in a Halloween costume?

Dick, stiffly: “Um. Yes. I think so.”

Brad: “Really? Guy sounds like a turbo-virgin to me. I mean, he fights crime in a fursuit! Come on!”

Tim: “I have it on reasonable authority that Batman fucks. Unfortunately.”

Dick: “Scaled. Not feathery. He wore an armored leotard.”

Brad: “Nah, man, they were totally feathery! ‘Cause robins have feathers. I never really understood that—why would Batman’s sidekick be themed after a songbird? Robins aren’t scary. They don’t fight crime, and they don’t come out at night. Why not ‘Batboy’ or ‘Owlkid’ or something?”

Dick: “I’m pretty sure Robin’s schtick was based off Robin Hood the outlaw, not the bird. That’s why he wore green, and had a uniform cleverly blending medieval costumery with, uh, acrobatic attire.”

Brad: “Whatever. I’m just saying, it was weird.”

Dick: “Not really? Look up classic strongman costumes and historical illustrations of Robin Hood. Or Google Jules Leotard.”

Brad: “But the bare legs! The pixie boots! Why would Batman let him wear that? It’s creepy.”

Dick: “It wasn’t! Look. It was a different time. In context, that costume was obviously heroic. Besides, he was a little kid. I’m sure he’d wear something different now.”

Jason: “Yeah, but didn’t he keep wearing the short pants until he was old enough to vote? I’m pretty sure I remember that Robin wearing the pixie boots through college... he must have spent a fortune getting his legs waxed. I think I’d die before I’d do that.”

Dick: “This is Gotham. People do weirder things all the time.”

Brad: “Haven’t there been a lot of Robins? What happens to them? Do they die and Batman just hopes no one will notice when they’re replaced?”

Dick: “I—”

Wanted to animate a bit so I used my OTP. :3

As based off of the Shance demon AU @rigb0ner and their brilliant Anons have been dreaming up: Lance displaying his…power.

Shiro: Wait, was that it?

Lance: Don’t patronize me!

Shiro: The townspeople said you were scary.

Lance: *pointing at his horns* Are you saying I’m not?!

Shiro: I mean, almost but, you have candles everywhere.

Lance: So?

Shiro: They’re scented.

Lance: Lemongrass calms trespassers!

Shiro: Is that why you have a carpet leading to your throne?

Lance: After that long hike to get here your feet must be killing you.

Shiro:

Lance: I was going to install a pedicure treatment too by Hunk said it was a bit much.

Shiro: *internally* I should leave before I fall in love.

Lance: Wait, where are you going?

Shiro: Home. You’re not a threat.

Lance: Please don’t leave. I’m lonely.

Lance: *rubs calf against Shiro’s cheek*

Shiro: You shaved.

Happy Black History month!

We’ve been working on something special and are so excited to announce that we’re partnering with Tumblr to bring the best of Black excellence straight to your dashboard. How is this February different from the usual BHM celebrations? This time around, we won’t stop on the last day of February. We and Tumblr are committed to shining a light on the Black community throughout this entire year. This is #BlackExcellence365.

Our goal for #BlackExcellence365 is to the showcase the importance of diversity in Black history, present, and future. The Black community is not monolithic. It is a pan-African community, one consisting of a myriad of ethnic identities from African-American, African, Caribbean, Latinx, etc. Blackness encompasses different religions, sexual and gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, and more. Celebrating these identities and their successes is what #BlackExcellence365 is all about. We’ll be doing this by showcasing the continuous achievements of and contributions by Black people in history, science, music, art, media, social impact, fashion, gaming, poetry, and so many other areas of prominent cultural and historical importance.

Here’s a peek at just some of the things you can expect to see from @action (unless otherwise indicated!), Tumblr’s official blog for social impact:

February

2/4 — Artist Spotlight: Artist Jessica Spence - @jessmyart

2/7— MAKERS Conference livestream - @makerswomen - with:

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, Ciara

CEO & founder of Times Up, Lisa Borders

Actor, Producer, Entrepreneur, Jada Pickett Smith

Founder and CEO of Backstage Capital, Arlan Hamilton

2/11 — Artist Spotlight: Photographer Josef Adamu - @josefadamu

2/18 — Artist Spotlight: Artist Pea the Feary - @peathefeary

2/20 — “My Black Is Beautiful” livestream, a panel discussion featuring NaturallySheIsDope, Kennedy, Tarynn, Kahlana Barfield Brown, Minda Harts, and Ashley Akunna, streaming on @action at 6 p.m. ET.

2/25 — Artist Spotlight: Artist and Filmmaker Asaph Luccas - @asaphluccas

March

#BlackExcellence365 video series, a round-table discussion of important issues in the Black community. March’s theme is Black Girl Magic: The Importance of Black Women’s Work in the Media.

June

#BlackExcellence365 video series X #TheBlackout: Content & Conversations Surrounding the Black LGBTQ+ community

August

#BlackExcellence365 video series X #TheBlackout: Music in the Black Community

December

#BlackExcellence365 video series X #TheBlackout: Mental Health in Communities of Color

Be sure to follow both @theblackoutofficial and @action to stay on top of the latest #BlackExcellence365 news all year long.

PS, our Black History Month stickers are back!

Look, that thing you want to do? Stop being a weenie and just do it. 

When I originally made this dumb comic in 2013, I was a Graphic Designer for a Radio Station in Ohio. As of this writing in 2018, I am a Storyboard Artist at Warner Bros. Animation. I am now one of “””the professionals””” referenced in the third image. And let me tell you:

…I am still making things up as I go. 

…I still don’t have character turnarounds.

… I have… some worldbuilding done. Not all of it, though. That’s going to be a permanent work in progress. 

…Making the comic is the character study/studies.

…I am still convinced I’m not working hard enough.

…You will never, no matter what you do or how far you go, ever feel like you’re completely ready to do something until you actually do it.