Howdy y’all, thanks for stopping by! (^^)/ There’s so much to say about these movies ‘cause they’re so cool - but it was really cathartic to indulge my media-studies brain and ramble for a bit about the impact that the sequel had on me in the visual communication & representation department! It’d be super cool to hear everybody’s different takes on it, so please go ahead and lemme know what aspects of the Spiderverse really resonated with you here in the comments! 💖🕸
First of all, that ending made my CRY, HARD. No movie has ever resonated with me on such a personal level, it's amazing!!! All of the characters feel extremely human, all of them have flaws and times they get to shine, so much mystery and excitement for the next movie! The entire movie felt queer, like REALLY queer and it really inspires me to make those typea of stories myself! Animation is jaw dropping, only issue I have with the movie is how rushed and overwhelmed the animators were, because all of them were overworked, and ir just makes me sad how exploited they were. I'm hoping that they delay the next movie for a few years, cause yes, animators need to be treated with respect and time to actually make something come to life. End of ramble 💙
Hobie is my favorite character! Also, if you like Spider-Verse, you should watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. Just like Spider-Verse, it's about different universes, and has these amazing special effects.
hi!! ive been getting into back into art recently and i love your art! i saw you use clip studio I was wondering if you still recomend it over other programs like photoshop thanks!
"A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving." That brought me to tears. I'm so used to just seeing hate for just trying to exist that just subtle support in a superhero movie and finally seeing attention brought to it made my heart ache. I will admit, I openly wept during that part of the movies and those words made me weep yet again
I didn’t cry during spiderman but I started tearing up when ABD said that, it’s so unsafe in the world sometimes and knowing that a fictional hero recognizes and want to make up for that is so cool especially as a trans kid, Gwen wasn’t my favorite when I watched it but as I thought about her character and all the implications she started to grow on me and her choices made way more sense to me
god same, my second time watching this video and yet it still makes me tear up hearing that. someone, a _superhero_ , thinks im worth saving that just... ughh!! hits so hard
I loved this movie! made me cry too lol- As an Indian person, Pavitr is actually very acurate. Made me very happy to see more diversity in the film industry
YEAH! not only is pavitr's voice actor indian but he mentioned once in an interview that the production team had asked him about indian culture so they could incorporate it properly in the movie!
...I watched the movie today and just thought and loved it. I also saw a meme a few days ago with chai tea, being tea tea... now I have an existential crisis if it was a meme made because of this movie or if I have to live with the knowledge that I learned that fact before the movie and no-one would believe me... Loved Pavitr, he was just the funny up-lifting guy who genuinly cared, which is strange to say considering what this movie is about... But he had the carefree joyful attitude that I really enjoyed.
Watching Gwen and Miles struggling to tell their parents about being spiderwoman/spiderman in this movie was honestly the closest to seeing someone come out to their family I've ever seen in a movie other than actual coming out scenes. I was sitting in the theater feeling like I was about to cry because of how much it resonated with my experiences as a trans person. People arguing against this sort of reading of the story really don't know what they're talking about or how good it feels to see yourself like this in a character. Edit: Thanks so much for the likes omg
miles scene with his parents genuinely made me so emotional. the feeling of _"yes_ i DO having something huge and important but _NO_ i cant tell you!" and how much strain he felt at his dads party in a clear internal struggle of wanting to tell them but not being able to because is was so public and also not being _ready_ to tell them. it felt so analogous to wanting to come out but being scared. and god the scene of gwen... as a trans person her entire arc Hurts Me. literally having her father _pointing a gun at her_ as he finds out she is the one thing he has been talking about hating for months - something he sees a _monster_ as a _threat to people he cares about._ and her begging "please stop being a cop for one second and be my dad." and him _not listening._ and just the general arc of her. essentially being homeless throughout the entire movie because she ran away/was kicked out of home for Being [spiderwoman/trans] like ughhgghgh. spiderverse crew Gets It being a superhero is about being queer
Just a small critique about Hobie’s drawing; his hairstyle is referred to as wicks! His are specifically Freeform, and they are way less uniform and not all the same size, and are honestly somewhat gravity defying towards the top of the scalp lmao. A lot of artists have been struggling to draw them correctly, but there’s some great videos out there with the express purpose to get them a bit more accurately! I appreciate you making sure to include his black facial features, a lot of people aren’t as careful. I’m sure any other art you make of him will continue to do him justice 💕 You did such an amazing job with these spiders, love your work as usual!
Thanks for putting the name of the hairstyle out there! I knew what they weren't but I also didn't know what they were either (aside from being super cool!). Thanks for taking the time out of your day to educate the comment section!
I tear up at the Qwen scene with her father at the start every. Single. Time. I am very close with my own father, and watching that and feeling the crushing weight of what he says to her punched me directly through the heart. The animation style of her world is so beautiful as well, the stark coloring and the watercolor dripping was so cool. Gwen was hands down my favorite character this time around, watching her try to navigate everything and watching her make devastating choices that she thought were the right ones was ARGGH. SO GOOD. I could go on about Gwen for hours, just such a fascinating and well executed character and arc.
same!!! im surprised it hit me as hard as it did bc im also really close with my own father, but sitting there watching that happen and drawing all the parallels with coming out as trans just broke my heart
This is why I love comic book heroes their story can be relatable to so many people. Gwen having that real raw moment with her dad in the movie just hit the feels. Love your take on the spider folk
When he said a super hero believes that someone like me is worth saving I started bawling by eyes out, I’m glad that this representation is present in media ❤
As a trans person, the movie resonated with me in so many ways, and not just during Gwen’s arc (although heartbreaking family struggles and secret identity blowouts hit close to home). The whole point of the main character’s arc was about doing what he thinks is right no matter what anyone else has to say about it defying his destiny. Spider-Man Mumbai reminded me how important joy and a sense of community is, to everyone but especially to people who have been historically persecuted. There is so much to learn from people who are different from me, even or sometimes especially when they’re fictional spider-people on the silver screen, so to ignore a narrative just because it isn’t yours is to miss out on so much learning, healing, and understanding… If just the possibility of a character being trans turns some people away, those people will be closing their eyes to some truly beautiful parts of being human.
I relate to this sm. As a enby lesbian myself, when I watched the movie, I kinda wondered why those moments hit so hard for me, and then I realized that it reminded me of when I came out to my mom, and then my step mom and father. That being said though, I’m an adult, but I know I can’t come out as enby for a decent while because of my father’s transphobia. I don’t mind, especially since I’d rather wait to give him the old, fuck you for being so bigoted. But I resonated sm with Gwen having that conversation with her father, because for me, even as a young adult, my relationship with my father is shallow and shitty due to my childhood (my father bein a pos.) so yeah.
this is absolutely beautiful because not only are your depictions of my favorite characters fantastic but it also showed me how much the fact that Gwen is trans actually means to me. I saw the flag in the her room and I smiled but continued on watching the movie and didn’t think much of it but hearing you talk about it made me realize that it meant to much more than I thought and how happy it makes me that myself and every other trans person can find a place not only seeing themselves in a superhero but also deserving to be heard, seen, and protected.
Like you said it’s up to interpretation for each person and not everyone is gonna agree that she’s trans or not. It’s just how you feel personally, like I’m non binary and I personally don’t see Gwen as trans but I’m just so happy for others who do cuz they relate so much to her cuz of the movie. But that’s just my opinion and ppl are allowed to have different opinions
Hell yeah dude! Cis, Het, Straight, Queer, if anybody resonates with any character in any way I'm sending high-fives to their coordinates 'cause people emotionally connecting with fiction in a way that speaks to them is always something that makes me so happy to see! 💖 (Obvs I see Gwen through a trans lens 'cause that's the lens I see life through so for me it was fun to dive into that kinda interpretation here for a bit lol)
@@ABDIllustrates and I totally respect that, head canon or canon. Gwen will always be Gwen and I’ll love her just the same. Tho I do head canon her as bisexual
I agree with ya, @freakshow2951! I didn’t personally see her as trans, though I love that some trans folks are able to see themselves through her. As a non-binary lesbian myself, I completely understand having HC’s that are interpretive. My fav ship in Shonen manga is that way actually, and I love how beautifully the characters’ relationship was portrayed, even if it’s seen as friendship to most. I personally love the fact that I can love my comfort ship as both a platonic friendship, and or a romantic relationship.
I personally don't see Gwen as trans, but I love Gwen as a character. Its SO REFRESHING to see a female character who isn't All Powerful Girl-Boss, like most movies do nowadays (which feels forced). Love your drawings and your interpretations, keep up the good work
The film was emotional for so many different reasons, I almost cried and my partner was an emotional wreck for a week, they covered different experiences and feelings so it’s no wonder it has affected everyone differently 🥺❤
I love these pieces! Gwen is one of my favorite characters in Spiderverse for sure! I didn't personally read her as trans since her color scheme was initially chosen by someone who didn't know the color association, but I definitely think all the spider people's stories and "coming out" and self actualization journeys leave room for queer readings and headcanons! I definitely would enjoy if they made her (or any of the characters) more definitely queer, but until then I love seeing all the different interpretations in fanart etc!
Being cis and having avoided spoilers, a lot of the trans-coding went over my head when I saw ATSV (aside from the "coming out" scenes, which I'm much more familiar with as a lesbian) ; but when I saw people discussing it, it fully made sense in my head and I can't interpret it any other way now - and it made me so, so happy for all the people around me who ARE trans, and resonated with it so deeply. It's a truly wonderful feeling to be seen. The pieces you made today are stunning ! I love how you interpreted all the different styles of the characters. Thank you for this beautiful analysis ☺🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Hello!! I just gotta say that I really loved Spot's entire character arc and how he turned into a more intimidating villain. He turned from a goofy and loveable side villain to an actual terrifying one (yet still lovable). It really just spoke to me and made me love him even more!! Also a bit off topic but I loved how you drew everyone ^^. Anyways, the movie was amazing and I feel like everyone should give it a chance!!
“everyone is assumed straight until proven queer” holy SHIT THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING , MAN .!! i’ve Literally been saying “sure , gwen hasn’t been confirmed to be trans , but she hasn’t been confirmed to be Cis , either” . like christ almighty lmfao i’ve Also been thinking about how ,, every artistic choice in this movie (the colors of gwen’s world , the trans flags , etc) is Very likely to be intentional and to probably have a deeper meaning/implication (especially something like a character having a trans flag in their room) , because it’s an Animated Movie . god you are Really telling me my own thoughts back to me bro thank u 😭 and the whole thing with people constantly refusing the idea of a character being queer unless explicitly stated otherwise , even when there might be massive signs and implications that specifically point to them being queer , is so real . like they’re the same kind of people who go “i hate queer people who constantly go shouting that they’re queer , as if it’s their whole personality” while Also going “well , the character didn’t outright Say they were queer , so they still might not be !” ,,, Like . they reject the possibility of us being queer unless explicitly stated that we’re queer , while Also being annoyed when we Do explicitly state that we’re queer . like what do u want LMAO i also find if gwen Had to specifically state that “Yes Hello I Am A Trans Woman” in the movie , it would just be . So random . like where would they even fit that in the dialogue ? - the reality is that the easiest and most Reasonable way for them to show that gwen is trans is to imply it with certain artistic choices and details throughout the movie (like the trans flag in her room and on her dad’s uniform lmfao) . “show , don’t tell” is what they say , right ? like i simply do not care if you think that gwen is cis and is just a trans ally . and i don’t care if you think she herself is trans , either . because Neither Possibility Has Been Confirmed . so it’s just So idiotic and irritating that people are fighting over it as if there’s a concrete answer , when there literally isn’t one . we don’t know if she’s cis or trans - all we know is that she’s a woman . whether or not she was assigned that gender from birth is unknown to us , and that’s Fine . you can interpret it however way you want , just remember that the way you Interpret it isn’t Factual . so don’t go pushing your Own interpretation onto others (and saying that their’s is incorrect) , when it hasn’t even been confirmed in any way ,,, can you tell im bothered by this whole thing ? i just find it so stupid LOL - it’s literally just media literacy and media interpretation , and people just can’t wrap their head around the fact that others might interpret and read said media differently , which is .,, So stupid , and very much driven by transphobia lmao welp .! it seems like i went back into this ramble again after hearing abd’s similar points/thoughts lmfao - whoops (btw , i Really loved how you imitated hobie’s art style ??? very well done)
As a writer (and someone who is literally going to school for it) I absolutely LOVED the subtle storytelling of this movie. The whole "cis/straight until proven gay" thing is entirely antithetical to good storytelling! I'm sure everyone's heard of "show not tell", right? Visual storytelling is equally powerful and this movie did an excellent job at utilizing both literary and visual techniques. Plus, if every character in media had to spell out their identity like some people expect of queer characters, it destroys the beautiful, fluid, and ambiguous nature of identity itself. It would make media tedious and uninteresting! There would be no room for discussions like this and remove the need to analyze the complexities of media! With all that being said, lovely drawings! Protect trans kids and adults!
My dad's not particularly against or apart of the LGBT+ community, but we were talking about pride "agenda" in a back and forth neutral way and at one point I made a good point he resonated with: "The loudest opinion isn't the only one." And I think that helped him see a little more into my prospective. So If you ever feel like there is too much hate over your community, just remember; The loudest opinion isn't the only one.
Spiderverse made me cry so hard. I’m the same age as Miles and seeing someone my age finding people like him but realizing he’s not welcome really hit me in the gut as a trans person. I’m so happy that this film came out when it did. It made me feel more empowered. Love the art as always 💛💛
One of my favorite parts of Gwen being un-offically trans is that she is still an extremely interesting character, no matter your headcanon (those mine is that's she's totally trans)! For once, there is queer representation in media that reflects life: you're whole personality is not that you're queer. Anyone can be queer, and there's no "tells" or whatever people call them. It's just so refreshing when a character is intriging and queer, and that queerness is not exploited. It's such a refreshing movie in general and really brings me hope for the future of animation and art in general.
I almost started crying at this video. I am not an LGBTQ+ person myself, and I missed most of that theming in the cinema and was mostly told about it afterwards. Even though it didn’t resonate with me at all, hearing how much it resonated with you and made you feel seen really made me so happy for you. Not really sure where I was going with this, but I’m glad we all agree this is an amazing film, and I hope you have a great day.
I'm glad you discussed the trans headcanon stuff, it feels incredibly validating to know that yes, i can headcanon something to comnect it to my life, and that's ok. I'm ok.
It’s been a pair of movies that has resonated with me on so many levels. From being a trans person, an artist, and someone whose life hasn’t exactly been surrounded by such supportive environments. The character arcs of Gwen and Miles, the writing of spider punk & Mumbai spider.. They create a source of connection I am always thinking about but not always good at grasping. Sometimes it’s easy to forget loving and caring people exist and you can find them in yourself and others. The movie made me feel connected to the world I sometimes forget I’m apart of, and that connection is something amazing to have. You can learn so much from people different then you if your open to the idea of diversity, and that movie threw that point across so clearly. Every character, even ‘antagonists’. had stories and histories that backed up their decisions and wants, which is something incredible to see in comparison of stories that paint black and white pictures of good and bad as innate human things. And on the end of artist. A reminder that whatever style you have, whatever your pace is, wherever you find your goals to be with your art, it’s possible. And able to be used in stunning ways! The burst of spidersona’s that followed was such a testament to the true feelings and community the movie created. A feeling I hope to add too one day. Thanks for the video abd. Loved your artwork and thoughts,, Gwen’s story and the very visual tones of trans allegories were so beautiful.
One of my favorite arguments against the whole "gwen is canonically cis" idea is that the whole movie is about how the "canon" should not be strictly followed. Like the whole plot is about miles disagreeing with the notion that the canon needs to be followed. Considering my whole experience of being one of them trans genders, the gwen's struggles and story really resonated with me with her dad finding out at an unfortunate time and the 2 struggling to accept each other despite how much they want to love and care for each other and eventually finding a ground they can both settle on. I didnt even notice the trans iconography on my first viewing and it still hit like a ton of bricks and seeing a character that faced similar struggles to myself be, like, cool and confident character is just like very motivating and inspiring. Even if its never explicitly said, its nice to have a character trans people can look up to and be inspired by. Anyway, good movie, it was really long but i wish it was longer, want more scenes with hobie. 10/10
something i love about spiderverse as well is how much it actively supports fandom creativity. the whole idea that, of course, "anyone can be spiderman" is just ripe for fan content, and it incredible to see it happen when it does. so often stuff like this is what I'd call "closed" media, where every last role is filled and there's nowhere to put your own content, so it's nice to see something so "open" again
That scene where Gwen and her dad finally talk made me tear up cause it resonates with how I feel towards my own parents "I tried so hard to wear this thing the way you would want me to" reminds me of trying to express my identity in a way that would make my dad proud had it been the one I was assigned at birth, even though I will never be able to tell him
I am cisgender and when I saw people on twitter saying she was trans, I didn't know what to expect. When I watched the movie, I didn't see it immediately. But when I got curious and actually listened to some trans folk explaining their interpretation, I was 100% on board. And then I drew fanart of Gwen in a trans coloured dress with trans coloured flowers and other pink white and blue motifs, and I saw similar reactions. Some people left hateful comments saying she can't possibly be trans among other things, but there were some people who simply asked "wait is she trans" and allowed me to explain what I'd learned to them. And they began to see it too. It was that easy for us cis folk to understand the trans perspective all because we didn't shut down the idea immediately. My main advice to anyone who isn't part of a certain minority and hears a take or idea that they don't agree with or don't understand is to actually listen to the reason said group has. I've learned so much from so many people on the internet and I've still got more to go. I think we all do. And when interpretations and ideas I have to do with minorities I'm part of come up, I'm so happy to share and educate people. (I made a Reddit post and thread explaining the neurodivergency in Fire Emblem Three Houses characters and being granted the agency to explain myself and be granted understanding was so cathartic). So let's learn together. There's so much more beauty and love in this world, so let's share it!
as much as it would be absolutely great if it was there, unless confirmed by the creators it just isn’t. the people who make media and characters are the only ones with the authority of deciding this stuff, not fans.
@@colorbar.sThere’s a separate comment on this video that explained it better than I did, but it’s so strange that characters are assumed to be cis until proved trans. Gwen is from an entire other universe but for some reason people can’t handle that she could be trans? And while it’s left ambiguous, if she had outright said “yeah I’m trans”, it might not have felt natural with the flow of the story and it would have made bad people angry (although they’re angry either way). It’s just an interpretation and again, the writers haven’t stated that she’s cis either.
I actually LOVE your art so much, this is so gorgeous and I love your art but I would definitely study how to draw Wicks!!! Hobie has Freeform wicks and that means they’re all different shapes and sizes, and they aren’t exactly attached to the root the way you drew them. The drawing is gorgeous, everything is but I just wanted to point it out so you could know for the future :))
oh thanks for the tip! I had a bunch of screenshots of him pulled up as reference while I was doodling to try and study them directly, but I always appreciate the extra advice so I can know what to look out for next time! 💖
watching this movie almost made me cry several times, and they're such a masterpiece of film with the different ways they use visual storytelling (like the colors in the background and the like) to tell you which world you're in. On top of that, though, they're just so pretty! Loving the Sketchbook Sessions, I listen to them while I'm writing!
As an indian. I loved pavitr. And when I noticed the flag, I couldn’t react much because I went with my family. But I was so happy! Really, good job to the film. Cant wait for more. The movie was fantastic! I loved this video. :)
i enjoyed this sequel/ whatever it is according to marvel, especially due to the zooming into very diverse cultures and lifestyles. For myself, i enjoyed the whole Gwen character building scenes, and Spider-punks introduction was too good. On the other hand, i love all your work, and started watching you a while ago through the heartless restoration(concept corner series) which inspired me to create my own kinda super-system. So.. Thank you, and please continue doing what you do, as watching your videos are so calming and satisfying to me. :)
i love this artwork so so much, but i love even more to hear how happy this movie and specifically gwen made you. i'm so happy to see trans folk feeling appreciated and seen from this movie, you guys deserve everything and so much love after everything you have had to go through. i'm queer myself but not trans, and while this movie spoke to me from that perspective, i just feel so much joy seeing gwen supporting you guys if not being trans herself! anyway, much love for all of you and what an amazing artwork!!
This was so heartwarming to watch, and listen to. I think it's pretty fitting that I got to watch this on the day of my one year on HRT. I hope yall stay happy and healthy and get to be the most colorful version of yourself
Ahh I've seen the film 5 times now and I have cried EVERY SINGLE TIME. That scene with Miles and his mom? Gets me EVERY TIME. But the first time I saw it I spent the entire last hour just crying from just the apprehension of what was to come? Just so in awe of all the art styles? Just all the emotion from every character? It's so good but my god I was exhausted after that first watch 😂
As a trans-fem it meant so much to me that Gwen was so heavily coded like me, and I'm also so glad you made a video on this movie, awesome work as always Alex!
The movie was amazing! I cried the first time I saw it, mainly because of Rio Morales. Seeing a movie about people who look like me and present like me is just so cool! Im happy to see you post abt this!
the fact that my (closeted trans) sister & i (closeted nb) went to dinner before the movie & had almost verbatim the same conversation miles & gwen had while starting at the sunset… how very few people understand what they’re going through & how it matters that they stick together. we cried like babies during this movie on at least three separate occasions; it touched our hearts & i’m glad to see this video!
I still have yet to see the movie but I am absolutely in love with the screenshots that I have (accidentally) seen so far. The art from today was AMAZING and I really need to go see the movie in all its glory
Man, you articulated what I think about interpreting characters as queer so well. Straight is not the default and queer people just exist, there doesn't need to be a narrative reason. And literally everything in this video was so well said too, amazing as always!!
Some fun facts that I learned and enjoyed about this movie: 1. Pretty much every voice actor reflects their character. The spiderwoman in a wheel chair? Voiced by a black woman with a disability. The Lego scene (not voiced but) inspired by a 13 year old kid (here on TH-cam) who did a Lego Spiderman trailer, and the producers were SO pleased with it that they asked him to do a scene for the movie. That scene is 100% that kid. 2. The Vulture's design stands out so much because not only was he hand animated and made to "look" like parchment, he WAS parchment. They animated him on paper and used that directly in the film. 3. Each character's colors/drawing style reflects their original comic appearances. Gwen's comics always had a watercolor look to them. 4. Spider-Mumbattan was written by white people originally, but when the directors/etc asked their Indian cohorts what they thought of him, they said he didn't feel real and representative. So they scrapped him and had Indians help rewrite his lines and actions and everything. This movie gives me SO MANY feels and the amount of DEPTH and VOICE and LOVE that Sony Animation not only allowed, but encouraged, the team to have?? Disney needs to step WAY up.
While I’m not trans, the line (I might’ve gotten this a bit off, I haven’t seen the movie in a hot minute) “You’ll only know half of who I am” hit me in the HEART.
I personally feel like my literacy on the complex identities of the LGBTQ+ community has been severely skewed due to the way I was raised, super religious environment etc etc. I remember seeing a lot of the arguments over Bridget from GGST and personally I could never really understand either side of the spectrum. I've been a viewer of your Channel for a few years and this Sketchbook Session opened my eyes, truly. 15:35 This line here "A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" blew my mind! I hadn't considered that that's what people are trying to convey when they say X character is Y. It's a sign that regardless of all the messed up stuff that happens in the world, there are people out there that not only see you, but care about you enough to include you the same way everyone else is included. Not with a massive spotlight or speech in your honor, but genuine respect. Gonna keep this revelation close to my chest from here on. Amazing piece as always!
I finally watched Across The Spiderverse the other day and man I may have missed the trans flags while actually watching the movie 'cause I was just so entranced by the artstyle of Gwen's world but the idea of her being trans or even just knowing that she supports people like me is so incredibly nice. There's so much hostility towards us right now and like, the creators didn't have to put that in the movie. But they went out of their way to do so in a time when it's become increasingly controversial to do so. And that makes me so so happy that the creators felt it was important enough to put in the movie. Not just in a tiny trans flag in the background of an easy to miss scene, but in a big flag on the wall saying Protect Trans Kids and in the flag on the uniform and in the literal colours of Gwen's world. ALSO I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HER DIMENSION BEING BASED OFF MOOD RINGS THAT'S SO SO COOL. I RAMBLED FOR LIKE AGES TO MY FRIENDS ABOUT HOW COOL THE DIFFERENT ARTSTYLES WERE AND WHAT A GOOD STORYTELLING DEVICE THAT ALL IS. But yeah, seeing that in the movie makes me really happy. (Def similar to how seeing the trans flag in the Nimona movie end credits made me happy, 'cause it didn't even occur to me that they *purposely* made her to be an allegory for trans people or to actually *be* trans herself. I was just like holy shit this isn't *just* a story about a girl being mistaken for a monster, this is about *being trans*. I loved her before realizing that and I loved her even more after realizing that.)
AHHH YOU WATCHED IT YAYYYYY! I really love watching artists taking in the movie and seeing all the different styles, characters, and interactions. Gotta love a review and a sketch in the same vid 🤩
I think it’s amazing that they don’t say if Gwen is or isn’t trans. That way she can be whatever you prefer, and that’s awesome. I love when movies leave that choice to each viewer 😊
With the trans Gwen debate that happened on Twitter, I like to think of that interview of Mark Hamill where he said that they would go up to him and ask him "Could Luke be gay?" and he follows up with "if you think he's gay... and I would say it's meant to be interpreted by you. Of course he's gay!" meaning that things of fiction are meant to be interpreted by people however they like to. So if that means you headcanon someone as gay or trans or whatever, then yes!!!! They are!!! And I think that if someone like him says that then, there's no place for bigoted hatred.
this movie is the most gorgeous piece of art I've ever seen and it really meant the world to me. your drawings are really lovely and your videos never fail to make me smile! thanks for putting art into the world
I genuinely love your art and ur videos, and after watching the movie and seeing for myself gwen's monologue with her dad, that scene RLLY stuck w me (*especially* when the colors shifted to trans colors ..I almost cried . it was like a punch in the face) it's nice to see someone talk ab this !! even nicer it's one of my favorite creators is what I'm tryna say lol (& also I was wondering if other trans ppl felt the same way ab *that* scene as I do, and watching this pretty much proved that right ,,,which is cool !!)
I loved this movie so much, watching it for the first time were the best 2 and a half hours of my life (not only as a animation student). I especially loved how Gwens struggle of not being able to open up and her isolation was handled. It resonated so much with my own personality problems and I'll probably watch this movie over and over again when I struggle with it again
Dude, your Spider Punk looks amazing! That movie truly was awesome. It's so sad to read tho that the artists working on it were under a lot of pressure.
I love this film and your artwork for it. The amount of attention that was given to each character and their corresponding world was more than I ever could have imagined. I love that Gwen is heavily implied to be trans, and one of my favorite head cannons that I've heard about her and her Peter Parker is that they were the only trans kids in town and that's why they became so close.
Love this piece so much! I adored Gwen's whole storyline in AtSV, especially the use of colour in all of her sequences (as you mentioned). One of my fave things has been discovering the canonically queer Spiderman known as Web Weaver
God, Spiderverse is currently putting Disney to shame, the character design and animation concepts were GORGEOUS. I was ABSOLUTELY THRILLED to find out about Spider-Gwen was transfem. I really feel like MtF is always more underrepresented, especially in action movies like this, once again I'm so excited that you're back with another Sketchbook Session Alex! ^^
I'm a trans person myself, and I knew about the "debate" around Gwen going in, so I was apprehensive as you'd expect. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I PERSONALLY don't read Gwen as trans specifically, but I DO read the story as a whole as a take on being true to yourself, loving yourself, and of course I read it as coming out (as anything) to your parents and family. Those references and ideas are everywhere in the dialogue, subtext, and even character expressions. And not just from Gwen either, but from Miles too during their talk where he wants to tell his parents he's spiderman and she warns him against it. You talked about this movie making you cry, and it made me cry too, but for almost the opposite reason, sadly enough. I watched the movie sitting right next to my dad, someone who I know would never except me if I came out. Which made me want to cry even more. It took all my willpower to not just bawl right then and there. So while I agree this movie was made to at least reflect coming out, I don't see Gwen as trans. Would I be against it? F*ck no! Do I see where you and a lot of trans/queer people are coming from? Of course! I just hope that, no matter what, people just respect what other people believe. The art was beautiful as always
As someone in a group chat with my partner and two other friends whose an artist hearing them scream about the art from the movie is absolutely amazing Edit: Correction all three of them are artist
I was so happy to go see it for my birthday it was such an emotional rollercoaster for me like god they put so much work to the movie the little details and work meant so much, but it’s really just nice to see more communities getting representation in media now.
I'm finding a role model to follow to motivate me to achieve my goals and practice practicing drawing, and I thank god that I got interested in seeing your video
I was a very, very sheltered person growing up, so I never really knew or understood subtext that others could easily resonate with, and I never really found something in media I truly resonated with. But there was one thing I know now about media, if it makes someone else happy, great, let them be happy.
everytime i watch your videos, it seems that with every new video your style improves more and more and is even better than the last time. and honestly it makes me smile a lot and i’m so happy to be alive at the same time to experience something so beautiful and magnificent and just- world changing!! you have inspired and influenced my art in so many ways and i cannot thank you enough for just posting your silly little art videos and being the person you are. you are the coolest Alex and i hope your day is well
Watching you work is so inspiring! I’ve also found myself feeling very disheartened by all the news with AI, to the point where it’s sometimes hard to create at all. “Spider-verse” definitely helped combat those negative feelings and was a much needed burst of inspiration 💖 Also: I absolutely need that art of Gwen on my wall!
Not as emotional but Gwen Stacy was like reason i finally decided to cut my hair last week. I’d wanted to cut my hair like hers even before I saw the first movie, and seeing her, oh god she is so pretty. And I finally decided that I wanted to be pretty too.
I've grown up watching the horrible, horrible things done and said to the trans and queer communities, and as I'm not trans myself, I never truly understood what facing all that must feel like on a daily basis. But oh my goodness, "A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" caused a sudden rush of emotions that brought me to tears. The trans community is so unbelievably strong, thank you so much for this video that brought so many things to light for me!
"If you go in without the subtitles and don't understand what's being said throughout the film, that doesn't mean no words were said. It just means that you don't speak that language." How perfectly expressed!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who cried. I was straight up BAWLING when miles was talking with his mom and the reveal shocked me straight out of it. I was there with my 9 year old sister and 11 year old cousin they were looking at me like i was some kind of alien
I didn't catch that in the film, but it changes nothing about Gwen's plot-line while adding new layers; and with the struggle to have representation in mainstream media as is... I'm glad the producers and filmmakers on this feature chose to be inclusive. I'm also glad creators like you are willing and able to discuss it, so folks like me can be enlightened ^^; ALSO your artworks incredible (as always!) Love the vid!
I personally don’t necessarily Headcanon Gwen as trans but like I think it’s really cool that she is in canon! Like was I expecting that? Nah bro I’m here projecting myself into Gwen with no evidence like BAM! She ace! BAM! She’s nerodivergent! But am I glad she is? HECK YEA BRO!!! I have trans friend that are gonna be so excited for her to be trans!! It adds so much depth and naumce to her character! Also it’s really fricken stupid for them to be like “SHE DIDNT TELL THEM THO” like well crap shanon I didn’t announce my asexuality to my coworkers either guess I’ll just be straight
Howdy y’all, thanks for stopping by! (^^)/
There’s so much to say about these movies ‘cause they’re so cool - but it was really cathartic to indulge my media-studies brain and ramble for a bit about the impact that the sequel had on me in the visual communication & representation department! It’d be super cool to hear everybody’s different takes on it, so please go ahead and lemme know what aspects of the Spiderverse really resonated with you here in the comments! 💖🕸
First of all, that ending made my CRY, HARD. No movie has ever resonated with me on such a personal level, it's amazing!!! All of the characters feel extremely human, all of them have flaws and times they get to shine, so much mystery and excitement for the next movie! The entire movie felt queer, like REALLY queer and it really inspires me to make those typea of stories myself! Animation is jaw dropping, only issue I have with the movie is how rushed and overwhelmed the animators were, because all of them were overworked, and ir just makes me sad how exploited they were. I'm hoping that they delay the next movie for a few years, cause yes, animators need to be treated with respect and time to actually make something come to life. End of ramble 💙
okay but ABD what about YOUR spidersona??
Hobie is my favorite character! Also, if you like Spider-Verse, you should watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. Just like Spider-Verse, it's about different universes, and has these amazing special effects.
hi!! ive been getting into back into art recently and i love your art! i saw you use clip studio I was wondering if you still recomend it over other programs like photoshop thanks!
Boys have feelings and opinions brother. Even tho I can tell you are sensitive you are brave for doing content like this.
"A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving." That brought me to tears. I'm so used to just seeing hate for just trying to exist that just subtle support in a superhero movie and finally seeing attention brought to it made my heart ache. I will admit, I openly wept during that part of the movies and those words made me weep yet again
I didn’t cry during spiderman but I started tearing up when ABD said that, it’s so unsafe in the world sometimes and knowing that a fictional hero recognizes and want to make up for that is so cool especially as a trans kid, Gwen wasn’t my favorite when I watched it but as I thought about her character and all the implications she started to grow on me and her choices made way more sense to me
I was about to write almost the exact same thing
Same here! Those words mean more than most know
god same, my second time watching this video and yet it still makes me tear up hearing that. someone, a _superhero_ , thinks im worth saving that just... ughh!! hits so hard
That part had me crying…
I loved this movie! made me cry too lol-
As an Indian person, Pavitr is actually very acurate. Made me very happy to see more diversity in the film industry
YEAH! not only is pavitr's voice actor indian but he mentioned once in an interview that the production team had asked him about indian culture so they could incorporate it properly in the movie!
this makes the Chai Tea/Naan Bread jokes funnier
...I watched the movie today and just thought and loved it.
I also saw a meme a few days ago with chai tea, being tea tea... now I have an existential crisis if it was a meme made because of this movie or if I have to live with the knowledge that I learned that fact before the movie and no-one would believe me...
Loved Pavitr, he was just the funny up-lifting guy who genuinly cared, which is strange to say considering what this movie is about... But he had the carefree joyful attitude that I really enjoyed.
@@jackwriter1908it was in the trailer
@@eyezzzaza and I didn't watch the trailer
“A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving” AAUUGHFKS YOU PUT IT INTO WORDS THANK YOU!!!
Watching Gwen and Miles struggling to tell their parents about being spiderwoman/spiderman in this movie was honestly the closest to seeing someone come out to their family I've ever seen in a movie other than actual coming out scenes. I was sitting in the theater feeling like I was about to cry because of how much it resonated with my experiences as a trans person. People arguing against this sort of reading of the story really don't know what they're talking about or how good it feels to see yourself like this in a character.
Edit: Thanks so much for the likes omg
Same!! It's so crazy to think that some people just don't see the connection because it's crystal clear in my mind.
miles scene with his parents genuinely made me so emotional. the feeling of _"yes_ i DO having something huge and important but _NO_ i cant tell you!" and how much strain he felt at his dads party in a clear internal struggle of wanting to tell them but not being able to because is was so public and also not being _ready_ to tell them. it felt so analogous to wanting to come out but being scared.
and god the scene of gwen... as a trans person her entire arc Hurts Me. literally having her father _pointing a gun at her_ as he finds out she is the one thing he has been talking about hating for months - something he sees a _monster_ as a _threat to people he cares about._ and her begging "please stop being a cop for one second and be my dad." and him _not listening._ and just the general arc of her. essentially being homeless throughout the entire movie because she ran away/was kicked out of home for Being [spiderwoman/trans] like ughhgghgh. spiderverse crew Gets It being a superhero is about being queer
Just a small critique about Hobie’s drawing; his hairstyle is referred to as wicks! His are specifically Freeform, and they are way less uniform and not all the same size, and are honestly somewhat gravity defying towards the top of the scalp lmao. A lot of artists have been struggling to draw them correctly, but there’s some great videos out there with the express purpose to get them a bit more accurately!
I appreciate you making sure to include his black facial features, a lot of people aren’t as careful. I’m sure any other art you make of him will continue to do him justice 💕
You did such an amazing job with these spiders, love your work as usual!
Thank you so much dude! I've always got more to learn so I really appreciate the advice! 💖
@@ABDIllustrates it’s always a pleasure helping our fellow artists! You’re lovely :)
❤
WOOAAAHH I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST LIKE REALLY STYLIZED HAIR, I JUST LOOKED UP PICTURES THEY LOOK SO COOL !!!!
Thanks for putting the name of the hairstyle out there! I knew what they weren't but I also didn't know what they were either (aside from being super cool!). Thanks for taking the time out of your day to educate the comment section!
I tear up at the Qwen scene with her father at the start every. Single. Time. I am very close with my own father, and watching that and feeling the crushing weight of what he says to her punched me directly through the heart. The animation style of her world is so beautiful as well, the stark coloring and the watercolor dripping was so cool. Gwen was hands down my favorite character this time around, watching her try to navigate everything and watching her make devastating choices that she thought were the right ones was ARGGH. SO GOOD. I could go on about Gwen for hours, just such a fascinating and well executed character and arc.
same!!! im surprised it hit me as hard as it did bc im also really close with my own father, but sitting there watching that happen and drawing all the parallels with coming out as trans just broke my heart
This is why I love comic book heroes their story can be relatable to so many people. Gwen having that real raw moment with her dad in the movie just hit the feels. Love your take on the spider folk
I took my little sister to see it, and we both loved it lol, it almost made me cry but my sister cried a few times. Man, I love Miles’ parents
When he said a super hero believes that someone like me is worth saving I started bawling by eyes out, I’m glad that this representation is present in media ❤
As a trans person, the movie resonated with me in so many ways, and not just during Gwen’s arc (although heartbreaking family struggles and secret identity blowouts hit close to home). The whole point of the main character’s arc was about doing what he thinks is right no matter what anyone else has to say about it defying his destiny. Spider-Man Mumbai reminded me how important joy and a sense of community is, to everyone but especially to people who have been historically persecuted. There is so much to learn from people who are different from me, even or sometimes especially when they’re fictional spider-people on the silver screen, so to ignore a narrative just because it isn’t yours is to miss out on so much learning, healing, and understanding…
If just the possibility of a character being trans turns some people away, those people will be closing their eyes to some truly beautiful parts of being human.
this is a beautiful read and I am SO here for all of ur takes thank u 🤌✨
I love this.
This was so beautifully written and could not be more reflective of SVATS's overarching message ❤
I relate to this sm. As a enby lesbian myself, when I watched the movie, I kinda wondered why those moments hit so hard for me, and then I realized that it reminded me of when I came out to my mom, and then my step mom and father.
That being said though, I’m an adult, but I know I can’t come out as enby for a decent while because of my father’s transphobia. I don’t mind, especially since I’d rather wait to give him the old, fuck you for being so bigoted. But I resonated sm with Gwen having that conversation with her father, because for me, even as a young adult, my relationship with my father is shallow and shitty due to my childhood (my father bein a pos.) so yeah.
Yesssss, ABD Spiderverse sketchbook sessionnnnn!
Additional edit: Surely we get an ABD spidersona right..?👀
this is absolutely beautiful because not only are your depictions of my favorite characters fantastic but it also showed me how much the fact that Gwen is trans actually means to me. I saw the flag in the her room and I smiled but continued on watching the movie and didn’t think much of it but hearing you talk about it made me realize that it meant to much more than I thought and how happy it makes me that myself and every other trans person can find a place not only seeing themselves in a superhero but also deserving to be heard, seen, and protected.
Like you said it’s up to interpretation for each person and not everyone is gonna agree that she’s trans or not. It’s just how you feel personally, like I’m non binary and I personally don’t see Gwen as trans but I’m just so happy for others who do cuz they relate so much to her cuz of the movie. But that’s just my opinion and ppl are allowed to have different opinions
Hell yeah dude! Cis, Het, Straight, Queer, if anybody resonates with any character in any way I'm sending high-fives to their coordinates 'cause people emotionally connecting with fiction in a way that speaks to them is always something that makes me so happy to see! 💖 (Obvs I see Gwen through a trans lens 'cause that's the lens I see life through so for me it was fun to dive into that kinda interpretation here for a bit lol)
@@ABDIllustrates and I totally respect that, head canon or canon. Gwen will always be Gwen and I’ll love her just the same. Tho I do head canon her as bisexual
I agree with ya, @freakshow2951! I didn’t personally see her as trans, though I love that some trans folks are able to see themselves through her.
As a non-binary lesbian myself, I completely understand having HC’s that are interpretive.
My fav ship in Shonen manga is that way actually, and I love how beautifully the characters’ relationship was portrayed, even if it’s seen as friendship to most. I personally love the fact that I can love my comfort ship as both a platonic friendship, and or a romantic relationship.
"A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" I'm crying
I personally don't see Gwen as trans, but I love Gwen as a character. Its SO REFRESHING to see a female character who isn't All Powerful Girl-Boss, like most movies do nowadays (which feels forced). Love your drawings and your interpretations, keep up the good work
THANK YOU i agree with this so much!
The film was emotional for so many different reasons, I almost cried and my partner was an emotional wreck for a week, they covered different experiences and feelings so it’s no wonder it has affected everyone differently 🥺❤
I love these pieces! Gwen is one of my favorite characters in Spiderverse for sure! I didn't personally read her as trans since her color scheme was initially chosen by someone who didn't know the color association, but I definitely think all the spider people's stories and "coming out" and self actualization journeys leave room for queer readings and headcanons! I definitely would enjoy if they made her (or any of the characters) more definitely queer, but until then I love seeing all the different interpretations in fanart etc!
Being cis and having avoided spoilers, a lot of the trans-coding went over my head when I saw ATSV (aside from the "coming out" scenes, which I'm much more familiar with as a lesbian) ; but when I saw people discussing it, it fully made sense in my head and I can't interpret it any other way now - and it made me so, so happy for all the people around me who ARE trans, and resonated with it so deeply. It's a truly wonderful feeling to be seen. The pieces you made today are stunning ! I love how you interpreted all the different styles of the characters. Thank you for this beautiful analysis ☺🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Thank YOU for this beautiful comment dude! 💖
whether or not shes trans: she supports our community and that in itself means the absolute world to us
cishet is not the default
in character writing, it usually is. it shouldn’t be, but it is
LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK
Hello!! I just gotta say that I really loved Spot's entire character arc and how he turned into a more intimidating villain. He turned from a goofy and loveable side villain to an actual terrifying one (yet still lovable). It really just spoke to me and made me love him even more!! Also a bit off topic but I loved how you drew everyone ^^. Anyways, the movie was amazing and I feel like everyone should give it a chance!!
“everyone is assumed straight until proven queer” holy SHIT THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING , MAN .!! i’ve Literally been saying “sure , gwen hasn’t been confirmed to be trans , but she hasn’t been confirmed to be Cis , either” . like christ almighty lmfao
i’ve Also been thinking about how ,, every artistic choice in this movie (the colors of gwen’s world , the trans flags , etc) is Very likely to be intentional and to probably have a deeper meaning/implication (especially something like a character having a trans flag in their room) , because it’s an Animated Movie . god you are Really telling me my own thoughts back to me bro thank u 😭
and the whole thing with people constantly refusing the idea of a character being queer unless explicitly stated otherwise , even when there might be massive signs and implications that specifically point to them being queer , is so real . like they’re the same kind of people who go “i hate queer people who constantly go shouting that they’re queer , as if it’s their whole personality” while Also going “well , the character didn’t outright Say they were queer , so they still might not be !” ,,, Like . they reject the possibility of us being queer unless explicitly stated that we’re queer , while Also being annoyed when we Do explicitly state that we’re queer . like what do u want LMAO
i also find if gwen Had to specifically state that “Yes Hello I Am A Trans Woman” in the movie , it would just be . So random . like where would they even fit that in the dialogue ? - the reality is that the easiest and most Reasonable way for them to show that gwen is trans is to imply it with certain artistic choices and details throughout the movie (like the trans flag in her room and on her dad’s uniform lmfao) . “show , don’t tell” is what they say , right ?
like i simply do not care if you think that gwen is cis and is just a trans ally . and i don’t care if you think she herself is trans , either . because Neither Possibility Has Been Confirmed . so it’s just So idiotic and irritating that people are fighting over it as if there’s a concrete answer , when there literally isn’t one . we don’t know if she’s cis or trans - all we know is that she’s a woman . whether or not she was assigned that gender from birth is unknown to us , and that’s Fine . you can interpret it however way you want , just remember that the way you Interpret it isn’t Factual . so don’t go pushing your Own interpretation onto others (and saying that their’s is incorrect) , when it hasn’t even been confirmed in any way
,,, can you tell im bothered by this whole thing ? i just find it so stupid LOL - it’s literally just media literacy and media interpretation , and people just can’t wrap their head around the fact that others might interpret and read said media differently , which is .,, So stupid , and very much driven by transphobia lmao
welp .! it seems like i went back into this ramble again after hearing abd’s similar points/thoughts lmfao - whoops
(btw , i Really loved how you imitated hobie’s art style ??? very well done)
Exactly!
As a writer (and someone who is literally going to school for it) I absolutely LOVED the subtle storytelling of this movie. The whole "cis/straight until proven gay" thing is entirely antithetical to good storytelling! I'm sure everyone's heard of "show not tell", right? Visual storytelling is equally powerful and this movie did an excellent job at utilizing both literary and visual techniques. Plus, if every character in media had to spell out their identity like some people expect of queer characters, it destroys the beautiful, fluid, and ambiguous nature of identity itself. It would make media tedious and uninteresting! There would be no room for discussions like this and remove the need to analyze the complexities of media!
With all that being said, lovely drawings! Protect trans kids and adults!
YEAH I AM SHAKING UR HAND 🤝💖
I, too, am shaking your hand!! Beautifully said, fellow writer! 😊🤝
I don't think gwen is trans herself, honestly I think her Peter was the trans one.
My dad's not particularly against or apart of the LGBT+ community, but we were talking about pride "agenda" in a back and forth neutral way and at one point I made a good point he resonated with: "The loudest opinion isn't the only one." And I think that helped him see a little more into my prospective. So If you ever feel like there is too much hate over your community, just remember;
The loudest opinion isn't the only one.
Spiderverse made me cry so hard. I’m the same age as Miles and seeing someone my age finding people like him but realizing he’s not welcome really hit me in the gut as a trans person.
I’m so happy that this film came out when it did. It made me feel more empowered.
Love the art as always 💛💛
One of my favorite parts of Gwen being un-offically trans is that she is still an extremely interesting character, no matter your headcanon (those mine is that's she's totally trans)! For once, there is queer representation in media that reflects life: you're whole personality is not that you're queer. Anyone can be queer, and there's no "tells" or whatever people call them. It's just so refreshing when a character is intriging and queer, and that queerness is not exploited. It's such a refreshing movie in general and really brings me hope for the future of animation and art in general.
Yeah!! I always have such a hard time articulating it but that's exactly the kind of queer rep that always feels so fulfilling to see 💖🤌
ive been waiting for my favorite artist to do something with spiderverse!!!
a homestuck in the wild! nice to see you,comrade.
@@Doubl3_Black yo :3
I almost started crying at this video. I am not an LGBTQ+ person myself, and I missed most of that theming in the cinema and was mostly told about it afterwards. Even though it didn’t resonate with me at all, hearing how much it resonated with you and made you feel seen really made me so happy for you. Not really sure where I was going with this, but I’m glad we all agree this is an amazing film, and I hope you have a great day.
spiderverse was PHENOMENAL ❤ glad u loved it too
I'm glad you discussed the trans headcanon stuff, it feels incredibly validating to know that yes, i can headcanon something to comnect it to my life, and that's ok. I'm ok.
It’s been a pair of movies that has resonated with me on so many levels.
From being a trans person, an artist, and someone whose life hasn’t exactly been surrounded by such supportive environments. The character arcs of Gwen and Miles, the writing of spider punk & Mumbai spider..
They create a source of connection I am always thinking about but not always good at grasping. Sometimes it’s easy to forget loving and caring people exist and you can find them in yourself and others.
The movie made me feel connected to the world I sometimes forget I’m apart of, and that connection is something amazing to have. You can learn so much from people different then you if your open to the idea of diversity, and that movie threw that point across so clearly. Every character, even ‘antagonists’. had stories and histories that backed up their decisions and wants, which is something incredible to see in comparison of stories that paint black and white pictures of good and bad as innate human things.
And on the end of artist. A reminder that whatever style you have, whatever your pace is, wherever you find your goals to be with your art, it’s possible. And able to be used in stunning ways! The burst of spidersona’s that followed was such a testament to the true feelings and community the movie created. A feeling I hope to add too one day.
Thanks for the video abd. Loved your artwork and thoughts,, Gwen’s story and the very visual tones of trans allegories were so beautiful.
One of my favorite arguments against the whole "gwen is canonically cis" idea is that the whole movie is about how the "canon" should not be strictly followed. Like the whole plot is about miles disagreeing with the notion that the canon needs to be followed.
Considering my whole experience of being one of them trans genders, the gwen's struggles and story really resonated with me with her dad finding out at an unfortunate time and the 2 struggling to accept each other despite how much they want to love and care for each other and eventually finding a ground they can both settle on. I didnt even notice the trans iconography on my first viewing and it still hit like a ton of bricks and seeing a character that faced similar struggles to myself be, like, cool and confident character is just like very motivating and inspiring. Even if its never explicitly said, its nice to have a character trans people can look up to and be inspired by.
Anyway, good movie, it was really long but i wish it was longer, want more scenes with hobie. 10/10
something i love about spiderverse as well is how much it actively supports fandom creativity. the whole idea that, of course, "anyone can be spiderman" is just ripe for fan content, and it incredible to see it happen when it does. so often stuff like this is what I'd call "closed" media, where every last role is filled and there's nowhere to put your own content, so it's nice to see something so "open" again
Glad to see you back Alex! Your art is such an inspiration for me and i hope you're doing well!! 💜
right back at you dude, hope you're havin' a good one! (^^)/
@@ABDIllustratesI'm a Fellow Trans Person (Demigirl Btw I Go By She/They Pronouns)
That scene where Gwen and her dad finally talk made me tear up cause it resonates with how I feel towards my own parents
"I tried so hard to wear this thing the way you would want me to" reminds me of trying to express my identity in a way that would make my dad proud had it been the one I was assigned at birth, even though I will never be able to tell him
I am cisgender and when I saw people on twitter saying she was trans, I didn't know what to expect. When I watched the movie, I didn't see it immediately. But when I got curious and actually listened to some trans folk explaining their interpretation, I was 100% on board.
And then I drew fanart of Gwen in a trans coloured dress with trans coloured flowers and other pink white and blue motifs, and I saw similar reactions. Some people left hateful comments saying she can't possibly be trans among other things, but there were some people who simply asked "wait is she trans" and allowed me to explain what I'd learned to them. And they began to see it too.
It was that easy for us cis folk to understand the trans perspective all because we didn't shut down the idea immediately.
My main advice to anyone who isn't part of a certain minority and hears a take or idea that they don't agree with or don't understand is to actually listen to the reason said group has. I've learned so much from so many people on the internet and I've still got more to go. I think we all do. And when interpretations and ideas I have to do with minorities I'm part of come up, I'm so happy to share and educate people. (I made a Reddit post and thread explaining the neurodivergency in Fire Emblem Three Houses characters and being granted the agency to explain myself and be granted understanding was so cathartic).
So let's learn together. There's so much more beauty and love in this world, so let's share it!
as much as it would be absolutely great if it was there, unless confirmed by the creators it just isn’t. the people who make media and characters are the only ones with the authority of deciding this stuff, not fans.
Yeah exactly! Thank you!
@@colorbar.sThere’s a separate comment on this video that explained it better than I did, but it’s so strange that characters are assumed to be cis until proved trans. Gwen is from an entire other universe but for some reason people can’t handle that she could be trans? And while it’s left ambiguous, if she had outright said “yeah I’m trans”, it might not have felt natural with the flow of the story and it would have made bad people angry (although they’re angry either way). It’s just an interpretation and again, the writers haven’t stated that she’s cis either.
@BaobhanloreArt I completely agree and I am so glad I wasnt the only one to see the neurodivergency parallel in FE3H.
So basically just be open minded
I actually LOVE your art so much, this is so gorgeous and I love your art but I would definitely study how to draw Wicks!!! Hobie has Freeform wicks and that means they’re all different shapes and sizes, and they aren’t exactly attached to the root the way you drew them. The drawing is gorgeous, everything is but I just wanted to point it out so you could know for the future :))
oh thanks for the tip! I had a bunch of screenshots of him pulled up as reference while I was doodling to try and study them directly, but I always appreciate the extra advice so I can know what to look out for next time! 💖
Love Miguel's cake 🎂 and the entire spread! Great job!
watching this movie almost made me cry several times, and they're such a masterpiece of film with the different ways they use visual storytelling (like the colors in the background and the like) to tell you which world you're in. On top of that, though, they're just so pretty!
Loving the Sketchbook Sessions, I listen to them while I'm writing!
I love Pavitr so much. He was definitely my favorite spider in the movie and I hope we get to see more of him in Beyond.
As an indian. I loved pavitr. And when I noticed the flag, I couldn’t react much because I went with my family. But I was so happy! Really, good job to the film. Cant wait for more. The movie was fantastic! I loved this video. :)
i enjoyed this sequel/ whatever it is according to marvel, especially due to the zooming into very diverse cultures and lifestyles. For myself, i enjoyed the whole Gwen character building scenes, and Spider-punks introduction was too good.
On the other hand, i love all your work, and started watching you a while ago through the heartless restoration(concept corner series) which inspired me to create my own kinda super-system. So.. Thank you, and please continue doing what you do, as watching your videos are so calming and satisfying to me. :)
i love this artwork so so much, but i love even more to hear how happy this movie and specifically gwen made you. i'm so happy to see trans folk feeling appreciated and seen from this movie, you guys deserve everything and so much love after everything you have had to go through. i'm queer myself but not trans, and while this movie spoke to me from that perspective, i just feel so much joy seeing gwen supporting you guys if not being trans herself! anyway, much love for all of you and what an amazing artwork!!
This was so heartwarming to watch, and listen to. I think it's pretty fitting that I got to watch this on the day of my one year on HRT. I hope yall stay happy and healthy and get to be the most colorful version of yourself
Not me literally sobbing when Alex said "a hero thinks someone like me is worth saving"
Ahh I've seen the film 5 times now and I have cried EVERY SINGLE TIME. That scene with Miles and his mom? Gets me EVERY TIME.
But the first time I saw it I spent the entire last hour just crying from just the apprehension of what was to come? Just so in awe of all the art styles? Just all the emotion from every character? It's so good but my god I was exhausted after that first watch 😂
As a trans-fem it meant so much to me that Gwen was so heavily coded like me, and I'm also so glad you made a video on this movie, awesome work as always Alex!
The movie was amazing! I cried the first time I saw it, mainly because of Rio Morales. Seeing a movie about people who look like me and present like me is just so cool! Im happy to see you post abt this!
the fact that my (closeted trans) sister & i (closeted nb) went to dinner before the movie & had almost verbatim the same conversation miles & gwen had while starting at the sunset… how very few people understand what they’re going through & how it matters that they stick together. we cried like babies during this movie on at least three separate occasions; it touched our hearts & i’m glad to see this video!
I still have yet to see the movie but I am absolutely in love with the screenshots that I have (accidentally) seen so far. The art from today was AMAZING and I really need to go see the movie in all its glory
Man, you articulated what I think about interpreting characters as queer so well. Straight is not the default and queer people just exist, there doesn't need to be a narrative reason. And literally everything in this video was so well said too, amazing as always!!
Some fun facts that I learned and enjoyed about this movie:
1. Pretty much every voice actor reflects their character. The spiderwoman in a wheel chair? Voiced by a black woman with a disability. The Lego scene (not voiced but) inspired by a 13 year old kid (here on TH-cam) who did a Lego Spiderman trailer, and the producers were SO pleased with it that they asked him to do a scene for the movie. That scene is 100% that kid.
2. The Vulture's design stands out so much because not only was he hand animated and made to "look" like parchment, he WAS parchment. They animated him on paper and used that directly in the film.
3. Each character's colors/drawing style reflects their original comic appearances. Gwen's comics always had a watercolor look to them.
4. Spider-Mumbattan was written by white people originally, but when the directors/etc asked their Indian cohorts what they thought of him, they said he didn't feel real and representative. So they scrapped him and had Indians help rewrite his lines and actions and everything.
This movie gives me SO MANY feels and the amount of DEPTH and VOICE and LOVE that Sony Animation not only allowed, but encouraged, the team to have?? Disney needs to step WAY up.
While I’m not trans, the line (I might’ve gotten this a bit off, I haven’t seen the movie in a hot minute) “You’ll only know half of who I am” hit me in the HEART.
I personally feel like my literacy on the complex identities of the LGBTQ+ community has been severely skewed due to the way I was raised, super religious environment etc etc. I remember seeing a lot of the arguments over Bridget from GGST and personally I could never really understand either side of the spectrum. I've been a viewer of your Channel for a few years and this Sketchbook Session opened my eyes, truly. 15:35 This line here "A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" blew my mind! I hadn't considered that that's what people are trying to convey when they say X character is Y. It's a sign that regardless of all the messed up stuff that happens in the world, there are people out there that not only see you, but care about you enough to include you the same way everyone else is included. Not with a massive spotlight or speech in your honor, but genuine respect. Gonna keep this revelation close to my chest from here on. Amazing piece as always!
I'm so grateful that you could get somethin' so meaningful outta this dude, thank you so much 💖🥺
@@ABDIllustrates And thank *you* for sharing your insight! ❤
"A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" literally sobbing. I'll be thinking about that line instead of sleeping tonight
I finally watched Across The Spiderverse the other day and man I may have missed the trans flags while actually watching the movie 'cause I was just so entranced by the artstyle of Gwen's world but the idea of her being trans or even just knowing that she supports people like me is so incredibly nice. There's so much hostility towards us right now and like, the creators didn't have to put that in the movie. But they went out of their way to do so in a time when it's become increasingly controversial to do so. And that makes me so so happy that the creators felt it was important enough to put in the movie. Not just in a tiny trans flag in the background of an easy to miss scene, but in a big flag on the wall saying Protect Trans Kids and in the flag on the uniform and in the literal colours of Gwen's world. ALSO I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HER DIMENSION BEING BASED OFF MOOD RINGS THAT'S SO SO COOL. I RAMBLED FOR LIKE AGES TO MY FRIENDS ABOUT HOW COOL THE DIFFERENT ARTSTYLES WERE AND WHAT A GOOD STORYTELLING DEVICE THAT ALL IS. But yeah, seeing that in the movie makes me really happy.
(Def similar to how seeing the trans flag in the Nimona movie end credits made me happy, 'cause it didn't even occur to me that they *purposely* made her to be an allegory for trans people or to actually *be* trans herself. I was just like holy shit this isn't *just* a story about a girl being mistaken for a monster, this is about *being trans*. I loved her before realizing that and I loved her even more after realizing that.)
beautiful art with an even more beautiful message, thank you!
AHHH YOU WATCHED IT YAYYYYY! I really love watching artists taking in the movie and seeing all the different styles, characters, and interactions. Gotta love a review and a sketch in the same vid 🤩
I’m so happy that there’s that representation in this film
I think it’s amazing that they don’t say if Gwen is or isn’t trans. That way she can be whatever you prefer, and that’s awesome. I love when movies leave that choice to each viewer 😊
With the trans Gwen debate that happened on Twitter, I like to think of that interview of Mark Hamill where he said that they would go up to him and ask him "Could Luke be gay?" and he follows up with "if you think he's gay... and I would say it's meant to be interpreted by you. Of course he's gay!" meaning that things of fiction are meant to be interpreted by people however they like to. So if that means you headcanon someone as gay or trans or whatever, then yes!!!! They are!!! And I think that if someone like him says that then, there's no place for bigoted hatred.
""A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving." i actually had to pause the video because i started crying
this movie is the most gorgeous piece of art I've ever seen and it really meant the world to me. your drawings are really lovely and your videos never fail to make me smile! thanks for putting art into the world
There's theories about Gwen's dad being trans too, which are just as fun I think as Gwen being trans herself
I genuinely love your art and ur videos, and after watching the movie and seeing for myself gwen's monologue with her dad, that scene RLLY stuck w me (*especially* when the colors shifted to trans colors ..I almost cried . it was like a punch in the face)
it's nice to see someone talk ab this !! even nicer it's one of my favorite creators is what I'm tryna say lol
(& also I was wondering if other trans ppl felt the same way ab *that* scene as I do, and watching this pretty much proved that right ,,,which is cool !!)
I'm a Demigirl And Go By She/They Pronouns And I Know How You Feel
I loved this movie so much, watching it for the first time were the best 2 and a half hours of my life (not only as a animation student). I especially loved how Gwens struggle of not being able to open up and her isolation was handled. It resonated so much with my own personality problems and I'll probably watch this movie over and over again when I struggle with it again
Dude, your Spider Punk looks amazing! That movie truly was awesome. It's so sad to read tho that the artists working on it were under a lot of pressure.
Listening to you talk is always such a treat! All the love your way
I started watching your videos when the first Spiderverse movie dropped, and watching this just made me really sappy and sentimental. All the best.
one of the spider people has my disability (eds) and tho she only had one line i cried when i saw her because someone like me can be a hero!!!
I love this film and your artwork for it. The amount of attention that was given to each character and their corresponding world was more than I ever could have imagined. I love that Gwen is heavily implied to be trans, and one of my favorite head cannons that I've heard about her and her Peter Parker is that they were the only trans kids in town and that's why they became so close.
Love this piece so much! I adored Gwen's whole storyline in AtSV, especially the use of colour in all of her sequences (as you mentioned). One of my fave things has been discovering the canonically queer Spiderman known as Web Weaver
It's so nice that people make movies that make alot of different peoples feel seen. I LOVE that. That's art and moviemaking at it's greatest!!:DD
“A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving”. holy shit why did i tear up
God, Spiderverse is currently putting Disney to shame, the character design and animation concepts were GORGEOUS. I was ABSOLUTELY THRILLED to find out about Spider-Gwen was transfem. I really feel like MtF is always more underrepresented, especially in action movies like this, once again I'm so excited that you're back with another Sketchbook Session Alex! ^^
i was rewatching two videos of yours and at the same day you you post a new video, hell yea
15:35 “a superhero believes that people like me are worth saving” made me cry 😭
I'm a trans person myself, and I knew about the "debate" around Gwen going in, so I was apprehensive as you'd expect.
It might be an unpopular opinion, but I PERSONALLY don't read Gwen as trans specifically, but I DO read the story as a whole as a take on being true to yourself, loving yourself, and of course I read it as coming out (as anything) to your parents and family. Those references and ideas are everywhere in the dialogue, subtext, and even character expressions. And not just from Gwen either, but from Miles too during their talk where he wants to tell his parents he's spiderman and she warns him against it.
You talked about this movie making you cry, and it made me cry too, but for almost the opposite reason, sadly enough. I watched the movie sitting right next to my dad, someone who I know would never except me if I came out. Which made me want to cry even more. It took all my willpower to not just bawl right then and there.
So while I agree this movie was made to at least reflect coming out, I don't see Gwen as trans. Would I be against it? F*ck no! Do I see where you and a lot of trans/queer people are coming from? Of course!
I just hope that, no matter what, people just respect what other people believe. The art was beautiful as always
As someone in a group chat with my partner and two other friends whose an artist hearing them scream about the art from the movie is absolutely amazing
Edit: Correction all three of them are artist
Yay more of your great work. I love the work I do so fabulous.
I was so happy to go see it for my birthday it was such an emotional rollercoaster for me like god they put so much work to the movie the little details and work meant so much, but it’s really just nice to see more communities getting representation in media now.
I'm finding a role model to follow to motivate me to achieve my goals and practice practicing drawing, and I thank god that I got interested in seeing your video
I was a very, very sheltered person growing up, so I never really knew or understood subtext that others could easily resonate with, and I never really found something in media I truly resonated with. But there was one thing I know now about media, if it makes someone else happy, great, let them be happy.
everytime i watch your videos, it seems that with every new video your style improves more and more and is even better than the last time. and honestly it makes me smile a lot and i’m so happy to be alive at the same time to experience something so beautiful and magnificent and just- world changing!!
you have inspired and influenced my art in so many ways and i cannot thank you enough for just posting your silly little art videos and being the person you are.
you are the coolest Alex and i hope your day is well
Yay you're back! Spiderverse is literally my favorite movie of all time, glad you loved it too! :)
i cried so hard at the big monologue.. ehen the colors went pink and blue and white it was like the biggest hug to my younger self
Watching you work is so inspiring! I’ve also found myself feeling very disheartened by all the news with AI, to the point where it’s sometimes hard to create at all. “Spider-verse” definitely helped combat those negative feelings and was a much needed burst of inspiration 💖
Also: I absolutely need that art of Gwen on my wall!
thanks for making this, you are wonderful
AAA SO GLAD TO SEE A SPIDERVERSE SPEEDPAINT UP!! AND FROM MY FAV TH-camR!!
I saw it finally yesterday and I'm so glad I avoided spoilers because OH MY GOD it was amazing.
A very cool discussion. I really like your fanarts too!
Not as emotional but Gwen Stacy was like reason i finally decided to cut my hair last week. I’d wanted to cut my hair like hers even before I saw the first movie, and seeing her, oh god she is so pretty. And I finally decided that I wanted to be pretty too.
I've grown up watching the horrible, horrible things done and said to the trans and queer communities, and as I'm not trans myself, I never truly understood what facing all that must feel like on a daily basis. But oh my goodness, "A superhero believes that people like me are worth saving" caused a sudden rush of emotions that brought me to tears. The trans community is so unbelievably strong, thank you so much for this video that brought so many things to light for me!
More spiderverse content please you’re my favorite artist!
"If you go in without the subtitles and don't understand what's being said throughout the film, that doesn't mean no words were said. It just means that you don't speak that language."
How perfectly expressed!
Yay! I absolutely love you're style it makes me feel so inspired to do my own art work
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who cried. I was straight up BAWLING when miles was talking with his mom and the reveal shocked me straight out of it. I was there with my 9 year old sister and 11 year old cousin they were looking at me like i was some kind of alien
Saw thumbnail and have only one thing to say AHHHHH
I didn't catch that in the film, but it changes nothing about Gwen's plot-line while adding new layers; and with the struggle to have representation in mainstream media as is... I'm glad the producers and filmmakers on this feature chose to be inclusive. I'm also glad creators like you are willing and able to discuss it, so folks like me can be enlightened ^^; ALSO your artworks incredible (as always!) Love the vid!
I personally don’t necessarily Headcanon Gwen as trans but like I think it’s really cool that she is in canon! Like was I expecting that? Nah bro I’m here projecting myself into Gwen with no evidence like BAM! She ace! BAM! She’s nerodivergent! But am I glad she is? HECK YEA BRO!!! I have trans friend that are gonna be so excited for her to be trans!! It adds so much depth and naumce to her character! Also it’s really fricken stupid for them to be like “SHE DIDNT TELL THEM THO” like well crap shanon I didn’t announce my asexuality to my coworkers either guess I’ll just be straight