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• Maintenance Phase - Maintenance Phase is a great podcast that Lewis got me into, and I've been catching up on a bunch of their old episodes of recent - Maintenance Phase is put together by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, and it's a podcast where they unpack common myths and outright lies told in the wellness and diet industries, especially common fatphobic rhetoric, bad science, and conartistry by fitspo and health "experts". They get so catty with unpacking this stuff and it's so cathartic to listen to, but it's all backed up with good, robust tear-downs of the shitty science behind a lot of what they're tearing apart. If you want to listen to just one episode to see how you feel, I would recommend, Is Being Fat Bad For You?, from 16/11/2021.
• Yellowjackets (2021--) - Presumably everyone and their mother has been telling you already to check out Yellowjackets - let me just add to the cacophony of voices and say, absolutely, do it. It's got cannibalism, it's got lesbianism, it's got toxic codependency, it's got mental health issues out the wazoo, it's got all the trauma, it's got a breakdown of the effects of misogyny on young sports women in the 90s, it's got cults, it's got the wildest gore, it's got bears, it's got a classic plane, it's got everything! It's fucked up and it's pretty fucking harrowing, especially in the second series, but I'm very much enjoying it.
• Lawn Dogs (1997, dir. John Duigan) - This is such a fun flick, and one that I think I related to a lot in regards to the childhood emotions depicted - this is about a young girl growing up in an isolated gated community and her friendship with a guy who mows lawns and is an outsider to that community. I really fucking dug it, I loved the fairy tale aesthetics contrasted with the miserable reality, loved the unpacking of class and gender feels, loved the trauma, love the particularly scathing depiction of emotional neglect. I did review it, and I also watched the same director's 1994 film, Sirens, which stars Hugh Grant. I was planning to go through Duigan's back catalogue and watch some more of his work, but I just want to forewarn that Thandiwe Newton has accused him of sexual abuse - this has obviously put me off going back through it and has tempered my feelings about the art to say the least. Obviously I believe Newton, and if you are going to watch Duigan's work, make sure to do it in a way that won't give him further payment or aplomb where you can.
• For new releases, I watched The Pope's Exorcist (2023, dir. Julius Avery) and Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023, dir. John Francis Daley & Jonatham M. Goldstein). These are obviously very different films, one a supernatural horror about an Italian exorcist on a silly little mopend and the other a fucking A++ adventurous romp of a DnD party on a disastrous and delightful campaign - I recommend them, glowingly and with love, in the same breath because both of them feel so completely sincere and earnest in their shameless love of their subject. There's no ironic self-effacement, there's no sarcasm about the plot from within the plot iself, there's no attempts to imply that the characters or the plot are above or superior to others in their genre. Everyone in these movies goes fucking ham, they camp it up, and it's absolutely glorious. I am so tired of Joss Whedon-esque quips about how shitty the tropes are while we're doing the trope - this sort of return to open sincerity is where it's at. I also watched Renfield (2023, dir. Chris McKay), which unfortunately is not nearly as good - I mention it because it's Nicholas Hoult and Nicholas Cage hamming it up as vampires, and there's some fun aesthetics even though the broader execution is unfortunately pretty shit.
• I was in a mood for classic musicals this week, and so I went back and watched Fiddler on the Roof (1971, dir. Norman Jewison) which is obviously one of the best film musicals ever made, and also Guys and Dolls (1955, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz) and Hello, Dolly! (1969, dir. Gene Kelly). They're fun, silly films, and I'm planning to dive deeper and watch a few more old musicals if I can stay on this kick. If you're in the mood for classic movie M/F/M threesomes, there's obviously Cabaret (1972, dir. Bob Fosse) and Singin' in the Rain (1952, dir. Stephen Donen & Gene Kelly).

• Some notes about casual sex and hook-ups as a disabled person, for which I would love if people do have resources to contribute!
• I gave some advice about approaching the introduction of new characters, especially when coming from a background in fanfic.

My card was The Fool, which was inspired by Duane Bryers’ Hilda pin up character, and I wanted to showcase the carefree and longing for adventure side of the Fool card, so I kept them looking forward to the bright future while also leaping into a waterfall, because fun!

I wanted to dedicate a piece of art to the fat folks in my family, to my friends, and to everyone who identifies as fat. And, for fat folks who are transmasculine, or gender non-conforming. Thanks for letting me be apart of this project!

The Hanged One is a card that’s been meaningful to me for a long time - I was very excited to get to combine it with my fondness for aerial performance.

I wanted to make something that felt true to the general meaning of the card. I wanted it to feel very hopeful.

I feel like my Ten of Pentacles art was a true challenge and a big creative muscle flex. So I’m glad it’s a part of such a rad project and will help do some good for charity!

The Devil is often indicative of constraints, in particular your shadow and all negative forces holding you in bondage, away from the best version of yourself. I wanted to show the devil constrained but all the same able to free themselves if they so desired, arming them with blades to cut away their cuffs to find freedom.

I wanted to reflect an amalgamation of all the fabulously queer and fat trans men in my life (including myself haha!) in my witchy boy for the card! I hope he inspires you too.

This project started as a little idea I had one night and seemingly sprang to life before my eyes. I am so thankful and grateful for all of the incredible artists who made this happen!

For my depiction of The Hermit, I’ve lovingly rendered my partner, a loner who loves his rats and appreciates the lessons they teach. I’d like this card to exist in memory of an extra special rat boy named Chip.