The Authors,The Fics and The Bad Wallpaper Maniacs - FINALE!

[watty]

the hero factor / Survivors - I think I'm one of the lucky people who've actually watched an episode of Survivors (bt is a wonderful thing). You've captured how bleak and isolated they are. I especially like the Survivors font (kind of nuclear apocalyptic feel about it) and the dark clouds.


petal of roses/ You Make me Smile -- what a great contrast between this wallpaper and the previous one. It's so cheerful, and you've really done justice to Emmy's drawing. We don't see screencaps of the dancing scene that often, it's inspired!


tarebear / A Dream Come True -- Ces Boss! Another brilliant dreamscape captured to perfection. Great job!
[br]

[Emms]

the hero factor (Survivors) Wow I can’t believe I missed leaving feedback for this one…’cos it’s one of my favorites. I think you captured the feel of Justin’s story to a T. It’s perfect…the desolation, but inside that, there’s still hope. It’s lovely, really.

Ces (A Dream Come True) what a beautiful creation. I love the up-close kiss and that cute picture of Willow to the left. Wonderfully done.

[Artemis]

Another great wallpaper. The attention to detail is lavish - the doubling of the text, and the sparkles behind the title, the way the descriptive words are larger and spaced on their own, which to me seems to make them 'look' as if they're sort of resonant, echoing. And even the black bars at the bottom, which just add that little bit of extra style, to make the wallpaper more than just a collage. Of course the main pictures themselves are very well-chosen, and adding that canvas-type texture to Willow's dream was a good touch - but it's the little details I'm really going to remember, and that I think make this a great piece. Bravo!

[Spighy]

Some late replies:

DreamLover: I'm glad I didn't give you nightmares And a lot of Tara is essential for a good wallpaper Thanks!

Sandman78: thank you very much! I'm happy you think that I managed to capture the theme of the story, that was what I was striving for.

watty: thanks watty, I love OST and I read it many times, I guess it helped me to create a faithful rendition of it in the wallpaper and I'm glad you think that I did that wonderful fic justice.

hermitfish: I struggled a bit with the coloring of the wp, but the one thing I kept constant was to have a dark color on Oz's side. I'm happy you liked the result! Thanks

Kaia: even tho you addressed the fb to Angie, I think it's my job to answer you Thank you, glad you like the blending and of course I had to use NMR outfits! Even if Oz was facing the wrong side and the pic proved itself to be hard to work with for what I had in mind, I didn't want to change the base image precisely because it was from NMR, so I'm happy to know that you think I did good!

GayNow: Having someone who loves the fic say that I managed to capture its spirit in this wp is truly one of the best fb I could hope for. I'm happy you found it disturbing in a good way: in the fic Oz is violent but he hides it with the excuse of the wolf, and I wanted to address this duality, make it come to the surface, and the best way I could think of was to have him partially shadowed by his wolf side. And everyone loved the scratches, yay!! Thank you so much.

[Spighy]

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[petal of roses]

DIBS!!!!


Darn!!! another story I haven't read But I do know how much work and effort you've put into this one and it really shows. Especially the flames, the fire and the sparkles look amazing and of course Willow and Tara and their somewhat adjusted dresses look great too

Great job


~Rosey~

[Kaia]

Why am I always late with the fb?? Grrr...I need 36 hour days.

Ces ("A dream come true"): I had to go find Sally's short fics so I could read this one again. What can I say? Lovely wp, the sleeping Willow face is just too cute for words and the colors and the blurred kiss in the back really captures the feeling of the story. Good job!

Spighy ("Fire good"): I don't remember this story, so I probably haven't read it yet (something I need to take care of asap), but I really liked the wp, I think Giles looks really funny. Did you add Will's necklace or was it part of the original pic? Great wp! Thanks for sharing.

even tho you addressed the fb to Angie, I think it's my job to answer you

Oh, yeah...sorry about that, I don't know what I was thinking. I fixed it tho. Thanks.


Karinna

[Thianne]

oh goddess, this is great! i LOVE the colors and...i'm afraid i haven't read this story yet, but i'll be sure to do it very, VERY soon. in fact, nowish works pretty good for me.... *runs off to read the story*

great job!

ETA: i'm really....well, something bad! i missed the wallpaper in honour of sallymcfine! mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! but now that i've seen it, i love it. why shouldn't i? willow and tara kissage....what's not to love?

E (again) TA: i actually read fire good, i just didn't realize it till now. i think it's one of my favourite short stories.....

[tarawhipped]

Holy crap! That was awesome, Spighy. I have to admit when I saw Ceci's 'coming up next' teaser, I had an inkling it was gonna be me, but I was expecting one for "Fire," not "Fire Good." I was so freaking psyched, not only 'cause I love Chris' original Fire wallpaper, and didn't want to have to compare the two, but I forgot I wrote that short. Heh.

I LOVE Giles in the magician's outfit! So much more fitting an image than him as Sir Bedevere, who was the inspiration. The overly pleased with himself expression is spot on. Thank you!

This has been such a wonderful series, and even though I've been too lazy to leave feedback til now, I bow before your artistic skills. Truly impressive, all of you.

-Cam

ETA: Thanks for the compliment, Thianne!

[SJ]

Great wallpapers!

[Artemis]

Wow - I know it's the figures and the graphical adaptation you've done that leaps off the screen first and foremost, but what I'm really finding myself gazing at is the background, the way the colours seem to glow out of it. It's like looking into the middle of a log on a simmering fire, the way it's not so much burning as sort of glowing red and orange. There's a hazy quality to the figures as well that lets them blend into the general feeling of heat.

And incidentally, the flames coming off the title are outstanding - how did you do that?

[FineyMcFine]

This wallpaper is fabulous! They seem like they're magically glowing on the page - fits in spectacularly with the flame theme. I love the expressions they have also.

[JustSkipIt]

Thanks for adding the links to the fics. I think that helps.

This wallpaper is very cool. All glowy and instense. I like the contrast between Tara and everything else. Great job.

[Spighy]

[center]Replies for the Fire good wp[/center]

petal of roses: Mom maniac! Thank you as you know, for this wp I had to tweak so many things, starting from that pic of Tara that officially doesn't exist! so I'm glad you like the outcome

Kaia: No worries for the mistaken identity and yep, the necklace is my doing - the original pic is Willow from OMWF, I changed the neckline of the dress and its color, and the pentagram was a detail mentioned in the fic, so I added it. Giles is from the episode No place like home (S5ep5), I just erased the stars from his costume cos he's supposed to be all against the magic Thank you for the feedback!

Thianne: ciao Vale, glad you liked the wp and that it made you want to read the fic! grazie, e un bacio.

tarawhipped: gulp, The Author! I know the teaser was a bit misleading, but I didn't want to make a wp for Fire precisely because Chris already did a great job with his version, plus I couldn't pass on the opportunity of portraying Lady Tara of Lesboland I'm sorry I didn't leave you feedback for the short (big lurker, here!) but I hope this wp is proof enough of how much I love it! Thank you for writing it, and for thinking that my wp is worthy of it

SJ: thank you!

Artemis: thank you so much Chris. The background is a regular photo of some woods in plain daylight I got off Google, and I spent an insane amount of time tinkering with the color balance and the burn tool to achieve the "glowing in the fire" effect, so I'm happy it paid off and you found it believable.

About the flames on the title... I'll never reveal my secrets! *cough*checkyourPMbox*cough*

SallyMcFine: wow, magically glowing! must be the effect of the slight blurring I gave them, just like when you look at things through the reflection of a hot surface... but magically glowing has a much nicer sound to it Thank you, I'm happy you like it

JustSkipIt: I wanted Tara to really stand out from the rest of the wp, just like she stood out in the fic. Thank you!

[Willow]

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[SJ]

Like the layering of images,lovely wallpaper!

[Thianne]

second dibs

i abso-fucking-lutely LOVE this wp! it's....wonderful! too bad that i can't really tell what i like about it.....but i don't think it matters. really, REALLY good job!

[DreamLover]

Hi Willow,

Great WP. Maybe this is going to sound weird but when I see your WP.. it's sort of like watching a flash back on memories. Like being inside Willow when she thinks back on Tara.

Henny

[FineyMcFine]

Me gusta mucho! I love the layered pictures, it's just like looking at a memory. Makes me swoon!

[JustSkipIt]

Wow, that wallpaper is amazingly beautiful and smooth. I love the way the images are layered to really show the passion. Excellent.

[Auburn]

Catching up because I'm a bad maniac.

the hero factor: I absolutely loved the 'Survivors' wallpaper. I think somebody said it was moody and haunting, although the house and field add an element of peace. Great job, Angie!

petal of roses: With the half-smiling Tara, and the dancing and kissing and picture.... sigh. I love the colours too, they remind me of a rainbow. Great wp for 'You Make Me Smile, Rosey.

Boss Maniac: Wow, I really love the texture on the wallpaper for 'A Dream Come True' and their eyes closed just before they kiss, with the sleeping Willow? It's just perfect! Nice wp, Ces! Oh, and I love the little cloudy affects around thee words on the bottom right, really good!!!!

Spighy: This wallpaper 'Fire Good' looks so mystical and enchanting! And the way Giles and Willow are floating, it's kind of funny. I like the people with the 'devil forks' in the bottom left corner. Great wp!

Willow: The blending of the wp is excellent! And I love the detail in the top left hand corner. It's a very dreamy wp, and I love it. Well done.

[SithLordWiccan]

Another great wallpaper of a fic I've never read. This and WTTV certainly have expanded my horizons.

Can't wait to see what's next.

[Devi Crystalseeker]

Ohhhh, spiffy wallie! *applauds*

[the hero factor]

Well, I've got a bit behind this week. Some feedback for my fellow maniacs.

Rosey - Love the You Make Me Smile wall. That cap of Tara from the Willowhand scene is one of my favorites. And spazzy dancing at the Bronze! Great job!

Ces - A Dream Come True. Great job! I love the texture on the background pic. And you used Hush for the kiss, which is nice, since it's my favorite W/T kiss.

Spighy - [i]Fire Good. A very cute and funny wall. Giles in that wizard's outfit is alway hilarious, and it works really well here. You did a great job of melding all the elements together. Nice work!

Willow - Ooo, so pretty! Great blending, and I really like the little effects around the edges. Especially the hearts.

[AntigoneUnbound]

To all you incredible Maniacs~First of all, please accept my sincere and profound apologies for not writing sooner. I've been completely away from the KB for a while and Car had told me about your wonderful work. I didn't want to head back until I really had some time to settle in and catch up on things, and now that I have I just want to say THANK YOU!! for the incredible work you've done! Of course, I'm honored beyond the telling (and yet, I'm trying to tell you) that I was included in this collection. There are such great authors here, and to be included among them is simply very, very flattering.

Most of my creative gifts reside within the realm of the narrative. When I attempt to do something visual (paint, sculpt, draw stick figures), my right hemisphere first shrieks, and then laughs at me. I'm also profoundly technologically inept (ask Car; she's had to help me through more Board snafus than I can count). Thus, the idea of combining both visual and computer-related skills fills me with fear and fills those around me with a sort of stunned, dread-filled curiosity as to what will emerge. ("Oh my God...It's Garfield on steroids--and he's about to detonate a thermonuclear device!!!")

Ah, but you...You've taken these works and illuminated them (literally and figuratively) through these images. Spighy, I loved your paper for "OST." As the author, I nodded in great satisfaction as I took it in. Oz's transition, his battle with himself, was such a key element of that story and it was manifest in your work. The positioning of the characters was also critical, and wonderfully captured: Willow stands between them; closer to Tara, but certainly within reach of Oz. The scratch marks...Well, that was inspired, esp. the way they cut across the point of Willow and Tara's physical connection. The part that affected me most, though, was the softer image of Tara, and the incredible sadness of her countenance. It captured so well how bereft she felt during their time apart. The placement of that image with Oz was inspired, given that he was the source. The thing that jumped out at me in so many ways: there are 3 characters here, and the spacing and juxtaposition tells us that there's only room for two. It was just exquisite.

The others...God, they just continually impressed me. I'll leave fb on each one, but I wanted to jump in and say a huge "Thank you."

Mary

Mary

[tarawhipped]

Wow, that was beautiful. I love the superimposed images of W/T...very dreamy/surreal.

The only thing is, I want to read terra's fic, 'cause I can't remember that one, and you're still linking to Fire Good. Not that I don't love the extra publicity, of course, but I figured that was an oversight.

Great job, Willow!

-Cam

[terra21]

I'm very touched to be included in this series. I have been caught up in RL lately and haven't had much time to devote to the KB. Thank you so much Willow for the beautiful wallpaper, looking at it makes my heart yearn for more time to write W/T stories. I consider myself very lucky to be included in this tribute to authors that I think are waaaaaay out of my league.

Thanks to all the Maniacs for a wonderful job!

t

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hey Maniacs--Some thoughts on other papers...

Cecile, your work on "Coming Back" was beautiful. I love that story, and it was a perfect choice to start the series. God--nobody does pensive sadness like Tara, does she? That profile shot is beautifully haunting. The thing I loved most, though, was the blurring of the words because--as Car has so aptly shown--their words were all they had for so many years. They kept them so close, and then--a year ago--those words turned ugly and now they have to find a way to make peace with them. You did a fantastic job, Ceci. Thank you for this project.

Angie, I just looked at "Mission: Improbable" and cracked up. I loved the black-white choice because it reminded me of a 40's film noir poster. Great in and of itself and even better b/c, as Chris pointed out, the story is anything but noir. Your paper was compelling and ironic--gotta love that. And I agree: You couldn't pass up the chance to use "crazed ex porn star." The universe would have been displeased. Great work--thank you!

Gemma, your poster for "No Matter Where You Go" captured so many essential elements. I think I most loved the tiny fist resting in the middle. It seemed so vulnerable, somehow, in the midst of all those grown-up images. I also thought that the B/W and color mixing was really effective as well. Dark Wiccan writes great stuff--I was so glad to see this chosen!

More later, Maniacs Most Marvelous~
Mary

[petal of roses]

Hiya Willow maniac

Really nice wallpaper especially the merging of those 2 hot W/T pics.

Great job


~Rosey~

[petal of roses]

[center][/center]


[center]by the[/center]


[center][/center]


[center]present our next tribute, based on a fic by[/center]


[center][/center]


[center]also available in:800x600[/center]


[center]You can read watty’s wonderful storyhere[/center]


[center]Coming up next:[/center]


[center][/center]