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CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

@crossroadart.bsky.social

8.8K followers 1.7K following 7.2K posts

A slumbering cryptid and artist of characters u shouldn’t like but worryingly do. They/Them No AI/ No NF🫖’s 🍁 https://www.patreon.com/crossroadart (if u want to feed the lurking shadow) 🍂 https://bio.link/crossroadart [ #henchmensguide ]

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CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit) @crossroadart.bsky.social · Nov 14

My name is Bear,

I’m an illustrator,
& I’m to blame for all of this.
bsky.app/profile/did:...

I’m also to blame for ‘The Henchmen’s Guide’, the story of a stoner who was kidnapped by a werewolf, made to become her henchmen and, despite his best efforts, continues to survive his employment.

#art

A tattered book cover with the title ‘The Henchmen’s Guide, an observation in staying alive’
On it is the sparse red Australian outback. The horizon of the red plain is long flat and without a single tree. Above it the is a pale grey dusk sky with a few thin gold and orange tinged clouds. In the middle of the landscape, on an outback road, a young man flees for his life as he is pursued by a woman in punk attire who seems to be enjoying the chase a little too much. Their shadows are stark below them, and while the young mans shadow is a normal reflection of his physical self, the women’s is that of a huge werewolf with an open jaw and long teeth stretched open above the shadow of the fleeing young man.

Though a rain splattered windscreen a terrible woman stands in a dark, vast, near empty parking lot. From the waist up she is in shadow and below that she is illuminated in the headlights. She has pallid skin, an untamed mane of black hair whipping in the wind and wears a black knee length coat, a pair of dark shades and black knee high boots. Her stance is causal and patient, breathing a cloud of vapour while one hand sits in her pocket.
A pair of windscreen wipers pulse across the visage of her.
She is looking directly into the car at the young man in the back seat who is reflected in the review mirror.
He is wearing a pink hoodie and sees his miserable fate in her. The top half of his face is in shadow, while the bottom half of his face is lit with the warmth of street lights that cast the shadows of rain drops onto his cheek and nose.
He is defiant, but he is also scared.

On a wet road in a dim foggy forest, a werewolf so dark it could be described as a silhouette with white eyes, looms over a young man laying on the tarmac in a frozen state of fight or flight.
The young man is in a dark pink hoodie which contrasts with the otherwise cool, dark pallet of the scene.

It’s hard to convince yourself that everything is going to be ok in the face of someone like Sloan.
Theo had tried to put up the arrogant front of a deeply unimpressed teenager, however his failure was evident in her shades, where he could see the reflection of his own uncertainty in his eyes that watched the face of the predators before him with a frankly primal calculation gear towards survival. Her smile was the foremost object of disturbance. It was distinctly wrong. A little too wide and crowded with jaggard hyena like teeth. It could, arguably, hold a candle to the definition of a maw. The fact that her skin was scored with a hash of pale scars didn’t help the impression either, it told the story of one not easily dissuaded from any given intention. All this set in the backdrop of a mane of black hair with webs of silver that Theo still had decades to possess. She raised one eyebrow behind her shades. Theo noted it too, and smoked his joint with a sinking feeling. Even in the bright, safe light of the beach they stood on, Theo estimated that he was the nameless victim in the prologue of a horror.
If only he was so lucky. This is not in fact the prologue, this is chapter one and he is the P.O.V.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Crispy Parsnips @crispyparsnips.bsky.social · 19d

Another not-a-newsletter newsletter Outliers comic, this time exploring how Jay & Kay deal with a rough patch in their relationship. Perfectly sensibly, of course. Mal fully understands.

On a rainy evening an almost entirely dressing gown-clad young man Malakhi, not long roused from sleep, opens his front door. There, much to his concern, he finds his childhood friend Kay standing in the rain, carrying bags in either hand.
Kay: Hey bud. Jay and I had a, uh, tiff.
Mal: Oh. Fuck.
Kay: You got room to crash?
Mal: Sure mate, any time, you know that.
Kay: Cheers.
Kay walks into the house as Mal turns and gestures for him to enter. Before he can close the door however, the aforementioned Jay stumbles through carrying an ill-assorted gaggle of bags and cases. Malakhi is taken aback by their presence, let alone their rather chipper welcome.
Jay: Thanks Mal! You're a solid.
We cut forward to Malakhi in bed, laying wide-awake beside the cuddling couple who Mal had very much assumed were going through a rough patch. As the two of them snooze in each other's arms Mal stares at them, very confused as to what they needed him for in this equation.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Crispy Parsnips @crispyparsnips.bsky.social · 8d

The second instalment of my not-a-newsletter Parsnip Supplement saw us diving into the generally unfulfilling life-story of Beth, the half-orc (and half-elf, if you cared). Thus a plethora of doodles and a singula of painting were hurriedly scribbled as accompaniment.

A rough digital painting of Beth, half-elf, half-orc. Superimposed on a fiery orange background, presumably of a steaming forge, Beth looks over her shoulder with her bright blue eyes and a look of quiet intrigue. Her tied red dreadlocks contrast with her pale green skin clad with a pale fraying shirt and the straps of a leather apron.

Brown-tinted doodles of Beth. In the top-left Beth and ChibiNetherlands' dragonborn character Misha bounce along in fantasy armour in a silly dance, repeating the chant ‘Don’t be suspicious. Don’t be suspicious’.
To their right sits a Jamie Hewlett-styled Beth sitting grumpily on a box staring at and holding up a manic-eyed torch-bound Flameo.
Beneath them is a scribbly, grumpy doodle of Beth staring into the middle distance.
Below that sit Beth, a sleepy Flameo and a small goblin Pal, engaging in a short chat. Beth asks them a question as Pal scratches their chin in thought.
To the left of them we see a doodle of Beth suited up in shirt, waistcoat and tie, beneath a fedora and staring inquisitively toward the viewer through sunglasses. A small, scrungly cartoon goblin clings onto and bites her shoulder.

A variety of brown-tinted doodles of Beth on her Citadel of Chaos adventure, decked out in apron and chain-mail sandals, holding her blacksmith hammer and lantern containing Flameo. On the top left Beth faces nonchalantly behind her, as Flameo gasps noticing that she’s about to step into a giant hole in the floor.
To the right, Beth grasps a wine glass by the base and tips it up over her, cascading the wine within into her wide-open mouth.
To the right of this Beth clutches her hammer with both hands as she sings a lullaby for a giant, whose murderous intent has been thrown off-guard by this sweet gesture.
Below the giant are doodles of Beth and Flameo holding up middle fingers and blowing raspberries.
Below that we see Beth, holding out Flameo and a loaf of bread, wander concerned into a room containing a box of toys and three baby orcs piled up mid-play fight.
Above them Beth stands barely lit in a pitch-black room assailed by a ghastly face.
To the left of them Beth finished her night-time free-fall by landing face-first in a patch of grass.

A brown-tinted nighttime doodle of four characters around a roaring campfire. On the left Beth, decked in plate armour, attempts to roast some melting marshmallows on a stick. She is perturbed by the elbow of the floating elf Quill, belonging to DarkSunRebel, resting on her head. He lounges in the air with a big smile stretched beneath his cursed tiara. Also staring up at him is ChibiNetherlands' dragonborn Misha, unimpressed, clutching onto a steaming-hot backed potato. Beneath her lies KiroSveta's halfling Melaina sprawled across the floor, looking away from Quill whilst stifling a giggle.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Crispy Parsnips @crispyparsnips.bsky.social · 11d

Someone once said, in a vaguely aggravated manner, that Stoic seems to be able to pull off any style. So as the weather takes a turn for the Autumnal, he thought he'd remind you of his Summer look.

Stoic, a monochrome man with a Moai-esque stone mask, stares forward through a large pair of bright pink, butterfly wing-shaped sunglasses. He is superimposed on a background of blue/green/yellow decorated with pink, scattered blossoms. You know, for effect.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Crispy Parsnips @crispyparsnips.bsky.social · 4d

Sometimes I have ideas for what ought to be simple comics that inexplicably get a little too big for their abstract britches. So this time I though 'Why not experiment with making an animatic out of it?' Several reasons, it transpires, but here it is! www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qr2...

Mother's Day ~ An Outliers Animatic

YouTube video by Crispy Parsnips

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Nov 24

"What have you done, you monster?", but rather then an expression of horror you're genuinely confused as to what to fuck the villain is doing.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Apr 27

Reverse hitman who tracks down the undead and restores them to life so they lose all their cool powers.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Dec 9

Eldritch abomination who threatens to show you "horrors beyond your comprehension" and then shows you a weird bug and it turns out they just think you're an idiot.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Feb 27

Enough of villains who are responsible for your tragic backstory, I'm responsible for your tragic forestory. C'mere.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Mar 19

Cower as I make your worst fear come to life!

Assuming your worst fear is snakes.

Please say your worst fear is snakes.

I can only really do snakes.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Apr 9

The Dark Lord would take over the world and bring ruin to humanity, but you know, there's TV to binge. It'll wait until tomorrow.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Apr 21

Instead of being ontologically evil, orcs are ontologically tsunderes. They're only invading so you don't think they like you.

Baka.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Jul 19

The evil twin "which one do I shoot" cliche except the other guy looks nothing like you and you're starting to worry I'm just looking for an excuse to shoot you.

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CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit) @crossroadart.bsky.social · 2d

It’s giving Adams family, but it’s the whole world.

Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Oct 3

Rather then the gods of death, pain, war, misery or other such areas, the Evil God of your domain is the god of baking.

It's unrelated to their domain, they're just a bastard on a personal level.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Aug 6

Turns out the orcs are having discussions on whether it's problematic that all their RPGs portray humans as being ontologically complete losers.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Aug 19

Character Creation Update

Player one: I think my character's goal is to live a happy life with their wife and kids

Player two: Aww! I think my character's goal is also to live a happy life with your character's wife and kids.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Aug 30

Demons who drink diluted holy water to get buzzed

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · Sep 2

self-conscious weapons

not self-aware, just easily embarassed

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Probably Bad RPG Ideas @badprobably.bsky.social · 3d

False Utopias are too common, let's have more False Dystopias

Everything looks cold, miserable and oppressive, but that's just aesthetic. Behind closed doors, everyone's having a great time. They're all super into this.

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Reposted by CrossRoadArt- Bear (is writing Sloan shit)

Noah Hawthorne (they/them) @noahhawthorne.bsky.social · 13d

One of the goals we hit on the Kickstarter was a hardback, and @crossroadart.bsky.social has been working on the cover.
These fellas are not the main focus, surrounded by details, but boy are they handsome.

Only 26 days until release!

neshamapublishing.com/noah-hawthor...