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Tuesday, May. 7, 2024

5:26am EDT

Members: 680

Guests: 616

Total Online: 1,296

The Book of Masks Homepage

by Seuzz

Rated: 18+ · Book · Other · #2156493

A hub for the "Book of Masks" universe.

The Interactives
"The Book of Masks"

: A high school student discovers a grimoire that can make magical disguises.
"The Wandering Stars"

: Sequel to "The Book of Masks."
"Student Bodies"

: A high school student is turned into a blue goo that can possess people.

For non-WdC Members
"The Book of Masks: Archives"

: Dodges the "Servers Busy" barrier!
"The Book of Masks (Abridged)"

: Introductory storylines for new readers.

Community
"BoM/TWS Message Forum"

: Community for readers of the interactives.
"BoM/TWS/SB Wiki"

: Notes and documentation for authors. Spoilers!

Current Polls
None

The Latest
5/6: Interactive: "Blackwell Has a Visitor"

5/6: Public: "Blackwell Has a Visitor"

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

ThePrussian

Apr 5, 2024 at 4:17am
In response to "Switching Conspiracies"

I like the chapter name today lol. That a reference to what I think it is?

Easy

Jan 27, 2024 at 12:48pm
In response to "Get a Bedroom, Guys!"

Loving both arcs at the moment

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jan 16, 2024 at 2:39pm
In response to "Taking Longer Than I Thought ..."

That's all OK. Take your time in Hollywood. Spending more time at a cabin in the woods is enjoyable while we wait for the next blockbuster.

Seuzz

Jan 8, 2024 at 12:10pm
In response to "Happy New Year!"

"The Five" is much older than "The Stalker," from a time before he joined up with the artist he now uses.

Tal

Jan 8, 2024 at 9:15am
In response to "Happy New Year!"

As a long time Chronicstuss fan, I can’t say I remember “The Five.” The premise you describe though seems to be more along the lines of “The Stalker,” but regardless of the name I’m excited to see what you wrote!

Seuzz

Jan 7, 2024 at 2:52pm
In response to "Happy New Year!"

"The Five" in question is from a long time ago, one he deleted from his account, so I can't link to it. It's my favorite chronicstuss story.

I'm not even sure I want to say anything about it because, y'know, spoilers.** So the only hint I'll offer is that it involves five high school students vacationing on an island, unaware that there's something sinister going on around them.

** My adaptation expands on the original, both with some prefatory material and also deeper dives into the characters, but is very faithful to the original, even to verbatim dialogue. So, seriously, there would be spoilers if I described the original in any but the most hand-wavy detail.

I did tone down the ... method ... by which identities are assumed, because I didn't feel like diving into some pretty grotty details over which the original webcomic glosses.

2 Like

Nostrum

Jan 7, 2024 at 12:51pm
In response to "Happy New Year!"

The Five? Like, the story about five tattooed guys that wear skinsuits of hot women to try to kill Saddam or something, where the tattooed guys are basically The Rock and Vin Diesel?

(Why yes, I am familiar with chronicstuss, which is why it took me by surprise. Not that I know him, but I've seen his work - specifically Simple Simon, The Cult, The Shaman, The Skinwalker, Fast Teddy, etc.)

Nostrum

Nov 6, 2023 at 6:37pm
In response to "Stolen Life Results"

I was gonna go with Jenny but I let that slide.

It'll be interesting to see a Gordon x Cassie relationship, though.

ThePrussian

Aug 24, 2023 at 2:49pm
In response to "A Party Crasher"

Sorry to hear that man, hope things get better soon. Putting down a dog is always heartbreaking.

rugal b.

Jul 24, 2023 at 8:49pm
In response to "New Poll; Another Interactive; Catching Up"

I'll mention that since the chapters are mine, any GPs will wind up going to me but I'll be sure to pass them along to Seuzz. So if you're the type to donate in these polls they'll still be going to the right place, it'll just involve a middleman.

September 13, 2022 at 2:17pm

#1037669

An Ending and a Return

Today brings the last chapter in the Round Robin.

* Interactive: "Wrapping the Present"

* Public: "Wrapping the Present"

I really liked this branch, and IMO at least, I think we brought out the best in each other. At least, I think Nostrum and rugal brought out the best in me. I wasn't even that enthusiastic about continuing this branch, and was bowled over by the invention and ingenuity the other two brought to it, and from which I derived all the inspiration I ultimately had for it.

Tomorrow, for my part, I will be returning to the branch that I had been working on before we did the Round Robin, the one that ends with "Corporate Strategies"

.

That is the branch where Will conceives a scheme for manipulating the school body by replacing certain key people with doppelgangers under his control, and it inspired two threads in the forums: "Doppelganger: The War Game"

and "Corporate Partnerships in Magic"

. I had already war-gamed out my own answers to the first question before I even posted those threads, and the branch will show the plan I came up with, but I paid close attention to the answers given by other people, and tried to build in choices that would let those alternate ideas develop. So although this branch is not going to be poll-driven, it does rely on public feedback.

2 Like • Comment

September 13, 2022 at 10:53am

#1037660

Spider-Man Commentary: The Hero or the Menace

"S02E16 "The Hero or the Menace""

This is part three of a four-part story arc, one that basically does the same job as the three-issue "Dying Wish" story arc in "The Amazing Spider-Man": swapping Otto Octavius and Peter Parker, and explaining how Otto comes to adopt something like the ideals and personality of the original Parker. But when you get to the end of this one, long-time Spider-Man fans will recognize that I cribbed most of the story from a different place in the issue run.

Okay, spoiler warning. Go read the script if you don't want things spoiled any more for you.

Are you back? Okay.

This was actually one of the first ideas I had when I sat down to outline this multi-parter. Issues 32 - 33 of "The Amazing Spider-Man" are one of the most famous in the continuity -- lots of comic creators have said it was the storyline that got them firmly hooked on the title when they were kids -- and I saw a way of taking it and turning it to my advantage in my adaptation.

Because the fact is that I don't feel like "Dying Wish" does a good job of motivating Doc Ock to pick up Spider-Man's mantle. Sure, the story says that he's influenced by the residual memories and personality he inherited with Peter Parker's body, but anyone can invent any "reason" for a personality change. The really believable personality change has to come from external and internal pressures that explain why a personality can change and adapt.

By repurposing a famous story -- one that puts Aunt May in danger while Spider-Man and Doc Ock battle -- I thought I could show Otto expressing legit concern for his new relatives, and that would show that he could and would try to fulfill Spider-Man's responsibilities instead of giving them up.

And, yes, there would be an extra twist of irony that in this adaptation the roles of Spidey and Doc Ock are swapped from what they were in the original story.

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