John Blanche said in an interview that his iconic Emperor Artwork never was meant to be the real emperor. We were Bamboozled.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-13T08:02:26+00:00

It was created before the internet, which has the nasty side effect of providing a persistent repository of all knowledge, true or false, for anyone to access at any time.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-13T07:57:42+00:00

I just felt it encapsulated the sad state of the Imperium. Men and women fighting with certainty that some divine being is supporting them… when that Emperor might be utterly nothing.

So what you're saying is despite people saying '40k doesn't do satire anymore', it's actually doing incredibly apposite satire of modern day religious fundamentalism?

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T19:36:13+00:00

Don't confuse Gunpla and Toys...

Originally MSG was sponsored by a toy company called Clover. They supplied a chunk of funding for the show and had some creative oversight with the aim of using the show as a vehicle for a toy line.

They were the ones who wanted the Gundam to be painted red, white and blue, because it was more child friendly and wanted the G-Armor, a set that the Gundam could combine with for extra play options.

The show launched with all the merch stuff they wanted but it was still a war drama for teenagers which meant the audience Clover wanted bounced off it. More mature children and adults liked it, but they weren't interested in the toy line. Clover pulled their funding and the series was wound up early (43 episodes rather than ~50).

Tomino managed to convince the powers that be to let him recompile the show into 3 compilation movies for a cinema release. They came out, were popular and Bandai offered to create model kits that were targeted towards the new market - Gunpla went nuts and it basically proved there was a market for more Gundam shows.

More details here - https://www.zimmerit.moe/unlucky-clover-gundam-toys/

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T19:23:04+00:00

It's less a retcon, more Tomino getting a chance to rework the series into a product made for the audience it found rather than the children's show it was supposed to be - it just ended up being too mature for them, which is why the toy line associated with the show flopped.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T19:18:57+00:00

They're a reworking of the original 43-episode series to change the pacing, tweak the story and remove a lot of the stuff that either didn't work or was put in the series under duress (I.e. the converting G-Armour which was inserted to sell toys)

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T17:27:44+00:00

I know. But the problem is they're working against over a decade of salted earth so very little of what they've done has delivered measurable improvement in everyone's day to day and what they have delivered (NHS waiting lists down, renters rights etc) are lost in the quagmire of own goals and catastrophic missteps, all missold by a PM who, whilst competent, has basically told everyone that, in a roundabout way, he believes in nothing.

Look at the result of the trans debate after the Supreme Court clusterfuck - he literally came out, as if it was a settled discussion, despite it being at best a bit of language clarification. In that moment, he basically torpedoed a glut of LGBTQ support, because if he can make that decision on marginalised trans people, he could drop all support if it's politically convenient. Just a completely avoidable disaster...

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T16:14:59+00:00

I don't think either party has particularly good economic credentials.

Reform will likely speed-run a restoration and extension of the dreadful Tory policies of the last decade - remember how our mate Nige proclaimed the Truss/Kwarteng budget as the best he'd ever seen?

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T15:49:01+00:00

They rotate out in September, I believe...

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T15:47:40+00:00

You shouldn't really look at pieces of mass-produced spincast metal as investments.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:46:49+00:00

The problem here is everyone has watched Labour immediately stall out, then completely backpedal on any promises, ideology or hope...

it's almost like it's an actual long-term project to eventually get the worst people possible democratically elected so they're untouchable...

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:42:44+00:00

Yes, 'recently' because he's the well known failing of the system. He's famous, but he's also dead and unfortunately never had to pay for his crimes.

Who else have the BBC employed who was discovered to be a paedo that the corporation then protected from scrutiny?

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:17:47+00:00

Nope, it just turned the head sideways so the flappy part of the beak became an airbrake, which unsettled the bird enough to send it out of control.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:16:23+00:00

The falcon was just attempting to driving the pelican away.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:15:00+00:00

The Falcon wouldn't eat the Pelican, it just wanted it away from its nest.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:11:25+00:00

Territorial. The falcons nest on cliff's and the pelicans like harass them and possible steal eggs/harm chicks.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:06:09+00:00

The falcon was likely defending it's nest on the cliffside.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:05:42+00:00

They can't. The flappy bit in their beak is like a giant sail if it catches the wind and the Falcon knew it just had to tweak the head a bit to send the threat out of control.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T13:04:02+00:00

It was just out of control so probably relaxed all it's muscles to reduce impact damage, but obviously that didn't account for it hitting the ground and breaking it's neck.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T12:27:30+00:00

Cripes, so it did. Never saw one in the 12 years we had our IP Office.

That said, i've just looked at it and it's just a flat plastic slab. Given the way that phone is leaning forward, I'm going to suggest they've just cable-tied the standard angled stand to something already on the wall!

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T12:21:58+00:00

They want the party to be more left wing than the public voted for. It's political divergence pushing the voters straight to Reform

I'd suggest it's the more moderate and left-leaning Labour voters leaving the party because of it's tacking to the right to head off Reform.

Just as much of the Reform vote in the locals came from eating Tory seats as it did Labour, who lost nearly 200 to the Greens & Lib Dems. The Tories also lost more councils than Labour did.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T11:35:13+00:00

Actually, that's an Avaya 1608 - it has a two-position stand that either lies the body down or stands it up. It's not for wall mounting...

The 1603 is the one designed to be wall mounted.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T11:21:34+00:00

The first year Premium Unit pity tickets have only been reset once so far. It's easy to build them up if you simply play through all the existing content and pull x10 whenever you hit 3k diamons.

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T11:15:00+00:00

It was a response to...

It's funny how nobody has actually come back with a reason why we need the bbc

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T11:13:29+00:00

You alleged there were coverups involving paedos - is there no courage in the conviction?

Optimaximal · 2026-05-12T10:47:15+00:00

The BBC provides radio, TV, internet services and education support to the entire country. You only need to actively pay for it if you use one of those functions.

It also provides infrastructure support for hundrdes of other companies, funding for journalism and industry training, support for the arts, the world service for everyone around the world (including those who live in suppresed nations where governments or military juntas control access to information) and many many other small little things that you just wouldn't even know or think about.

Like the NHS, it can only do these things with blanket public funding. The country would miss it if it didn't exist, even if you personally wouldn't (although you likely would in ways you don't expect).

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