Catbirds, thank you for this! I will get back to reading as well as sharing my own thoughts. You are absolutely right, let’s celebrate what we have.
If I may suggest, maybe we should make a separate thread for things that we hoped or excepted to see but didn’t? Firstly it might attract comments from Forumites who don’t have such strong feelings about this, or who don’t feel like sharing their feelings publicly. Secondly I expect there to be a great variety of ideas and it would be easier to follow if the thread were dedicated to that.
I became involved in the Forum and was delighted to discover that some of my real-world skills and interests translated very well to this context and were of use and interest to others here. When I introduced some real-world friends to the comic and the Forum they liked it and have stayed, some joining in and some remaining as lurkers. I enjoy watching them have fun here.
SSSS also helped me stay sane and get through Covid back in 2020 - writing poems in the comments section was one little bit of consistency in my life. That was what prompted me into organising the first Chapter Break Filler event (I genuinely didn't know how I'd get through the break), in which I got to see so many creative works and also learned a lot about organising events and co-operating with other people. While Chapter Break Fillers have been taken over by others (thanks Jitter!) while my study's been ramping up, and won't really be a thing once SSSS ends, that first Chapter Break Filler was the one consistent task I could set my mind to doing in the midst of all the uncertainty of April 2020, when I wasn't sure how far Covid would spread, or whether school would go back, or how anything at all would turn out.
I guess my view on adventure 2's latter half is negatively biased after certain "faith related" events made my lose my faith in Minna's writing.
SSSS was the 4th or 5th graphic novel i encountered online by a Finnish artist. I enjoy seeing that comic art can fall into a "National School". French, Dutch, Japanese, English, Canadian, and American comic art seem to each have a distinct flavor (Don't know if I got the grammar correct in that last sentence).
In this regard, the artist who does A Year In Hereafter has what looks like to me a style very closely resembling Ms. Sundberg's. Were the latter to sell the rights to continue SSSS, I would nominate the former to take over. YIH also leans heavily of Finnish Folklore as the background for the story.
Well, here I am. I want you to know that I admire you regular long time forum members who have demonstrated only good will. Good will is something I admire but will not attain in this lifetime.
But, despite all that I still love SSSS AdvI and the beginning of IInd adventure and draw fanarts. Thanks to this comic I actually improved my inking skills- I have never drawn that many fanarts for any piece of media. I also got interested in Scandinavian culture and languages and found new hobbies, such as writing and learning Norwegian. Since April, SSSS became very important for me and seeing it end this way is just sad. I only hope that after it ends the fandom won't die out. I have some SSSS-themed projects in advance, but I'm sure of one thing. I will miss the unique atmosphere the old comic had.
One last thing, I regret not joining the fandom earlier *sighs*
I've also noticed this! Minna and the artist for YIH for one. I think the author might've been inspired by Minna, considering the publishing date and, as I've heard but not seen, the appearance of Reynir?I cannot offhand find a better source than this (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=278.msg130598#msg130598), but YiH officially is an SSSS-inspired work.
Spoiler: personal thoughts on the topic • show
I've also noticed this! Minna and the artist for YIH for one. I think the author might've been inspired by Minna, considering the publishing date and, as I've heard but not seen, the appearance of Reynir? Also, a lot of popular Finnish artists seem to know a great deal about painting nature, but I think that might veer a little too close to speculation. But nature's a pretty big deal in Finland :P
Side note, Minna's made it pretty clear that she doesn't intend for other people to complete things she started. I'm fine with that, honestly. But hypothetically, YIH does look visually close
Eeeeeee... Minna's actions kind of used up any remaining goodwill I had. But she has her boundaries and even if that bunny comic personally insulted someone, she probably wasn't willing to have a debate about it anyway. It's more just energy better spent elsewhere.
Notice how we’ve gone from “Oh no, it can’t be ending yet!” to “Oh no hope it ends soon, before something gets ruined!”
SSSS has been part of my life for a long time, and the community has been so dear to me that i have not left it despite being disgusted with the comic and its author for years.I'm a bit out of the loop, what specifically are you referring to? I've only ever read the comic ...
Im not surprised that its about to end with a whimper and no closure, Minna never truly was able to deliver on anything other than art.
Minna never truly was able to deliver on anything other than art.
Well then. Here we are. I’m sad, but less sad than I thought.
Even saying out loud “I’m not gay” could well be denial, or missing understanding of oneself, or just confusion of a youngster.Absolutely seconding this. There is a lot of confusion going on in the wide land of queerness.
My point exactly, even if one of them (or both) married, it would not have to mean they wouldn’t get together at a later date, or now for that matter.
For example I assume having children is something that would be strongly expected from both of them, being immune and Lalli a noita related to other powerful noita. They could well marry women and have children, and the whole thing could be based on all parties knowing and agreeing the marriage is to produce children and their real partnership is with each other.
Or, they are perhaps not very skilled with emotions, so one or both could easily be seen as “floating” into a heterosexual marriage because that’s how it tends to go, and then realize later that you are not supposed to feel like your marriage is nothing but a chore.
Even saying out loud “I’m not gay” could well be denial, or missing understanding of oneself, or just confusion of a youngster.
We don’t really know anything about relationships and family forming customs in the Known World, so we can come up with anything :)
Lueley, I’m certain that Emilalli will not be established in canon. I don’t think it ever was going to be, but especially now. Her church doesn’t approve. But as already mentioned, I don’t think it, or any romantic relationships, was ever intended to be openly written in. The Sig/Mik thing is surprisingly clear lately.
what exactly are the beliefs of "reformed baptist" christians in Finland? Especially in regards to homosexuality, gender, immigration (from places outside of western europe or from western europe), women, and wealth?Hm. Wikipedia has a page on "Reformed Baptists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformed_Baptists)", and when I open the infobox's "Doctrine" section, "Separation of Church and State" and "Freedom of Religion" jump out to me ...
Hm. Wikipedia has a page on "Reformed Baptists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformed_Baptists)", and when I open the infobox's "Doctrine" section, "Separation of Church and State" and "Freedom of Religion" jump out to me ...
(Also, "sola scriptura", which I'd guess mostly nails down their views on gender roles. No idea so far about the rest of your keywords ...)
Minna has named her favourite theologians: John Piper and RC Sproul
Their views are easy to discover, but ooof. Personally, I wish I had not read the stuff on gender roles.
I don’t know much about them, Baptism is tiny here in Finland with about 2000 members. I’m looking up some things, but I’lll have to write on the other computer later. Their stance towards homosexuality I checked before I wrote the above. They don’t approve gay marriage, it’s actually written in their rules that marriage is between man and woman. There are not many such questions in their rules, which mostly cover the organization of the parishes and the church. Equal marriage has been an issue for a few years now, and our main church (Evangelical Lutheran) is struggling with it. Civil marriage is equal in Finland since a few years.
Honestly, I wonder what her tradwife blog is. Because the fact that she likes some popular american theologians instead of looking into ones from her own country makes me think she has fallen into some reactionary online trad/conservative rabbit hole during the pandemic, maybe through her interest in nordic pagan stuff because those spaces are infested with these young new born christians reactionaries types and that's how were here.
SSSS has been part of my life for a long time, and the community has been so dear to me that i have not left it despite being disgusted with the comic and its author for years.As for my thoughts on the end of the comic, very similar to Super.
Im not surprised that its about to end with a whimper and no closure, Minna never truly was able to deliver on anything other than art.
Agreed, Lenny. This community is a joy, I have certainly made some good friends through it. Who knows, I might even get to meet you in person? Both of us have kin in Tasmania, I think?
Must say that even though Im sad the comics ended, at least im glad they did so with a nice conclusion story wise.
It was a really nice to be able to track the updates for almost a decade, and see the story actually end.
This is kinda late but whatever.
Most of my feelings on it's ending went before the epilogue. I was frustrated with the lack of closure with the defeat of the kade, the freeing of Ensi and with Tuuri's farewell (mostly that last one). I don't really hate the bears but I never felt much for them either and they had a better resolution with did not help my frustration.
The epilogue was cute though.
ssss and all that it's inspired deserve better than to be forgotten.
Today, March 28th 2023 is the first anniversary post-comic. It’s been a difficult year, for the world and for the fandom. But still, in the undying (pun shamelessly intended) words of Granny Weatherwax of Discworld fame, WE ATEN’T DEAD! It’s something, don’t you think?
I recommend this community’s deep and amazing stash of fanart, fanfic and creative speculation and discussion. We try to maintain the spirit of the original work. Join us and have fun!
Some insight to Minna’s process of thinking and of faith can be found in her personal testimony comic A Meandering Line. It’s still not recommended unless you want a great big portion of Christianity, but it’s about her and not about what everyone else should do / believe and therefore a lot more palatable to me at least.
We’d love to see you stick around! If you do write something, do post on the Writing board (you can poat a link to AO3 or other fanfiction site, or post the work directly here, or both, as long as it’s PG-13 / T rated. There’s a separate board for mature works). And we have the ongoing ”forum event” Prompt of the Week, which could well be a low threshold way to stretch the writing muscles as drafts are very welcome!
There are others whose work is equally good, but whose precise tags I can’t remember...SectoBoss.