Here’s my streaming schedule during my vacation week. A few things:
The Miles Morales stream on Saturday will be a LONG one. I intend to start a new playthrough, basically turn off the music, and then complete it from start to finish (not planning to 100% it). Expect at least an 8-hour stream that day.
The episode of The Web Line on Sunday has not yet been determined, but it’ll probably be a solo episode.
On Monday 7/3, the intention is to play Marvel’s Midnight Suns to completion. It’s sat forEVER, and I want to knock out the story. I think I’m close, but it might be a longer stream.
For the Fourth of July, I’m not sure what we’ll be doing. Suggestions welcome, but tentatively I’m hoping/planning to finish out any of Miles Morales or Midnight Suns that I didn’t finish, but I’m open to other ideas. Hit me up in the comments if you have any ideas!
I’ll be live streaming a bonus episode of The Web Line podcast tonight at 8 PM central time. I’ll have two guests on hand as we talk about the film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, WITH SPOILERS! Come by, and talk with us about what you liked about the film! Hope you watched it already!
Now that Trouble is okay and I’m making some progress with paying down her medical debt, I’ve been able to turn my time and energy back to content creation. While I’ll never claim to be the world’s best blogger, YouTuber, or podcaster, I can at least add that latter term to my content creation resume again! I’ve started a podcast focused on one of the few subjects I can nerd out about ad nauseum–the amazing Spider-Man, of course–and have, as of this writing, streamed, edited, and uploaded THREE episodes!
Introducing: The Web Line, a Podcast About Spider-Man and His Amazing World! It’s the ideal place for Spider-Fans to discuss all aspects of our favorite webslinger in a fun, informal–but informative!–forum. Join me, the laughably loquacious Spidey Librarian, and my garrulous guests to hear about the timely topics related to the wondrous webslinger! Spidey news, analysis, reviews, and discussion, all in one perfectly imperfect podcast!
I mentioned earlier that I’ve already gotten THREE episodes out. Below you’ll see what they are, and when they originally streamed:
Episode 1 – Timeline to Spider-Verse: Video Games to Comics to Film (Really!) / May 28
Episode 2 – Reaction and Review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (non-spoiler) / June 4
Episode 3 – Character Deep Dive: Peter Parker / June 11
Below is a playlist of the original live streams of The Web Line on my YouTube channel. If you love Spider-Man and his amazing world as much as I do, you’ll want to tune in! As time goes on, this playlist will grow larger and larger, since I’m currently averaging an episode per week. And that’s not even talking about the bonus episodes I’ll be putting out on a semi-regular basis!
The podcast is also available in audio formats, on many of the podcast providers out there, such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Stitcher. I’ll create a link for The Web Line that has links to your preferred podcast service in the near future.
In the meantime, here’s a list of upcoming episodes, the date of they’re intended live stream, and any information I have about guests for them:
Episode 2.5 – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse SPOILER Talk / June 16 / Diane Maenad and Chuck Schiel (BONUS Episode!)
Episode 4 – Tier List: Rating Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery / June 18 / no guest
Episode 5 – Spider-Reads: What Are the Most Iconic Spider-Man Stories? / June 25 / Dan Gvozden of the Amazing Spider-Talk podcast
Episode 6 – Film Review: 2002’s Spider-Man / July 2 / no guest
I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy! I know it’s a good time to be a Spider-Man fan, and hopefully this little podcast will add a little fan-fueled flavor to all the Spider-Man content that’s out there.
This Sunday night, I’ll be holding a birthday stream for Trouble, who is now 5 years old. The goal will be to spoil her with attention, love, and treats while simultaneously raising some funds to help pay off her medical debt.
I’ll have her on camera during the stream, where people will be able to say hello, have me interact with her in various ways, and hear some stories about why I love this little furry orange demon so damn much.
Also, I am no longer raising money just for Trouble’s medical debt.
Starting with this stream, I will be pledging a percentage of the total donations made during the stream to Frankie’s Friends, an organization that helps save pets in need of lifesaving medical and/or veterinary care. For every donation made, either to Trouble’s GoFundMe or via Paypal Donations, I will donate to Frankie’s Friends at the following rates:
$20: 5% ($1 at threshold) $100: 10% ($10 at threshold) $250: 20% ($50 at threshold) $500: 30% ($150 at threshold) $750: 40% ($300 at threshold) $1,000: 50% ($500 at threshold)
I’m doing this because I felt so supported and nurtured and humbled by everyone during the Trouble Watch, and I wanted to figure out a way to give back and possibly help out any future pet owners. While the medical debt payments are a pain, I **think** I’m able to handle them, so anything you donate will be going to cover paying down the interest on it, and if your generosity helps me both pay down the debt faster AND donate to a worthy pet friendly organization, then I think we all win here. 😻
Tune in Sunday night, April 30, 8 PM central, at this link
This is Trouble. She will be 5 years old next month.
She’s my cat, and she has on many occasions, lived up to her name. These days, she spends most of her time hanging out with me when I’m around. She likes to curl up in my lap, to rest her head on my hands, and even sleeps against me in bed. To say I love this furry orange kitty is the pinnacle of understatement.
Recently, she was diagnosed with a perforated bowel, and nearly died. I was a mess during that time, which I’ve since termed the Trouble Watch.
Thankfully, she’s come through her surgeries with a clean bill of health, and is back to being a full-time cat again, with no movement restrictions, no need for medication, and no need for anymore surgeries. She’s still got some shaved sections of her coat to grow back, but otherwise is healthy, active, and back to being her former mischievous self. And even with a big medical bill to pay off, I am overjoyed to have her back.
The Trouble Watch started on Wednesday, February 22, and lasted until Sunday, March 19. It was a tumultuous time for me emotionally, as I dealt with the ups, downs, complications, and the uncertainty that came with the possibility that my beloved cat might actually die. I fought like hell throughout the entire time, determined to keep her alive. Some days I came home exhausted and scared; other times I just wanted all the lack of clarity to go away.
You learn some things about yourself when you have to deal with the possibility of a loved one dying, and the Trouble Watch illuminated a few things about myself that I hadn’t previously realized. Here are a few things I learned while trying to save my kitty.
I’ll Go to Great Lengths for a Loved One. I’ve lost pets before, and grieved for them, but during the Trouble Watch I had an active role to play. I was able to make a difference, and I reached down inside me and fought like I’d never fought before. Trouble was less than five years old, and I couldn’t let her die so young if I could save her. So I put down the financing for her (very large) medical care. I listened to the hospital staff and doctors. I drove 40 miles across town, every day, to visit her and let her know I hadn’t abandoned her.
And Trouble responded. She fought for her life, and was a strong, brave, well-behaved patient. To this day, I’m so proud of her. She kept alert, bright eyed, and energetic when many cats in her condition would have gone septic quickly and died. Trouble was fighting to come back to me, and as long as she fought, I would never stop fighting, either. That’s part of the reason I started Trouble’s GoFundMe, in addition to everything else.
Making Videos Is Therapeutic for Me. One of the first things I did after having Trouble hospitalized was to make a video explaining the situation. It took me a little time, but the act of recording and editing a video in which I got to talk about this crisis was really good for me. Using my creative muscles to confront a developing and uncertain event really helped me to process and rationalize it.
This is a far cry from when I first started trying to make videos, and nearly quit when the editing process proved so cumbersome. I’m glad I’ve come so far, and hope to continue developing my creative skills with YouTube and video creation.
Pet Insurance Is… Probably Not a Bad Idea. I’ve always wondered why pet insurance isn’t a more common part of career compensation packages, but after the Trouble Watch, I’m actively searching for a program under which I can insure Trouble. Medical bills for pets are ridiculously expensive, and the burden of those high costs can be mitigated if you have pet insurance. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not bank-breaking either, and frankly the peace of mind pet insurance can afford you may be worth it.
In Trouble’s case, I want to protect her as much as possible, so I’m looking into pet insurance for her. She’s worth it.
I CAN Make Content Every Day, If I Try. This was one of the tougher pieces of truth to digest.
At a certain point of the Trouble Watch, I just started posting updates on Trouble’s condition: on my YouTube Community page, my Instagram, and other social media. It may not have always been video content, but I did have things to say, and made it my business to make sure they got put out into the world. I came to realize: I have it in me to make content on a consistent basis, even with a full-time job and other things going on.
So now I need to put out a more consistent volume of content, even when I’m not in crisis. Content creation can happen daily, even if it isn’t video uploads. I will be trying to do one of the following things on a daily basis: upload a video; broadcast a live stream; write an article, blog post, or YT update, with accompanying photo or picture; upload a short-form video; or even Tweet out a short musing.
Having an Amazing and Supportive Community Around Me Is Wonderful. I mentioned earlier that the Trouble Watch was a tumultuous time for me emotionally, and while I hope never to have to experience something like it again, there came with it a BIG silver lining: my community. It is one thing to understand how a good community helps creators, but to experience it during a crisis enhances it by an order of magnitude.
I’ve cultivated a small but dedicated following of viewers during my time on YouTube, and when I made the situation with Trouble known, the outpouring of support was incredible, and really helped keep me afloat at a time when I really needed it. Be it from viewers, fellow YouTubers, or other content creators in my circle, you guys kept me going with supportive words, donations, and signal boosting, and helped me stay hopeful for Trouble, even as the situation threatened to bring me down.
To all of you in my extended community: my viewers, followers, subscribers, and so many more: please allow me to extend my deepest thanks, on behalf of both myself and Trouble. You guys are beyond awesome, and we are both extremely grateful to have you in our lives.
The first video in my Trouble Watch playlist on my YouTube channel, when at first I was told she had parvo.
If you’re not familiar with the Trouble Watch saga, you can see all the videos, live streams, and Shorts I made about it right here in this playlist. Thank you so much!
Yep, I must be crazy. Not only do I want to play this Souls-like game–a genre I’ve typically avoided for years because of its reputation for unforgiving gameplay–but I also want to stream it and share with others just how bad I am at these kinds of games.
Rather than my channel URL, which is ugly and has no preview, here’s a link to the channel trailer I made. Please find the channel page from there and subscribe if you’re interested!
Again, I’ve avoided Souls-style games simply because I’d heard of how unforgiving, frustrating, and even downright infuriating they could be. I technically tried Bloodborne out a few years ago, and while I could adjust to the difficulty curve, I had other issues with the gameplay that caused me to abandon it without really getting into it. My first experience with Souls-like games wasn’t all that great.
But then came Elden Ring. Elden Ring has proven immensely popular, and had a ton of hype built up before it even launched. I was curious, and tried it out. And I frickin’ LOVED it.
I often find, when I’m not as much in the mood for Contest of Champions, I’m thinking about Elden Ring. What kind of character I want to have, how to make him stronger, how to defeat the latest dungeon or boss that I’m freaking out over. What weapons do I need for my build? What armor? How in the hell am I going to find all the points of lost Grace and make my way around a world that has proven to be HUGE?
Don’t misunderstand–I’m not leaving behind Contest of Champions or other Marvel video gaming. I just find that I occasionally need a break from the grind of those games, and often when I seek other games out, it tends to be Elden Ring lately. Like, a lot. I’m also interested in possibly checking out Souls-like games as a genre, and would definitely appreciate any recommendations for what to play next, be it on console, PC, or even mobile. I’ve seen a few amusing ones (Duck Souls, anyone? Get it?!), and it makes me curious about what’s out there.
I’ve been working seriously on my channel for about a year now, and each of these milestones reminds me of how far I’ve come in that time. I’m looking forward to continuing my growth, and developing as a content creator, streamer, and writer. Thanks to all of you who come to my streams, engage with me, watch my videos, and generally support my creative endeavors for being an active part of this journey. I couldn’t do it without you!
I’m not generally a huge celebrator of many holidays, but it appears this July 4th I’ve got something to celebrate!
I’ll be reviving my live show, The Spidey Librarian Action Hour, this evening!
I’ll be discussing Spider-Man related news from the last week, answering reference questions related to Spider-Man, and giving a LIVE tour of a significant part of my Spidey Shrine collection: the Funko POPs! I’ll also talk about the MCU’s upcoming movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, and discussing the addition of Valkyrie and Gorr to Marvel: Contest of Champions, just in time for the movie!
The Funko POP segment will feature a LIVE unboxing of two new POPs! Come join me tonight!
For anyone who wants to see me stumble about and flail around with a champion in Marvel Contest of Champions about whom I know nothing, feel free to tune into tonight’s live stream on my YouTube channel. This is a weekly stream I’m conducting under the moniker of the You Train Me series, where my fellow MCoC players and viewers explain these characters in my roster and give me tips and pointers on how to better use them. I’ve had great success with their advice, and have learned how to better play Hercules, the Human Torch, Guardian, and Spider-Man 2099.
The video isn’t viewable as of this post, but should be live at about 8 PM Central time tonight.
If you’d like to vote on the next champion I train with, the poll is on my Discord server under the Marvel Contest of Champions channel. As of right now, it’s a 3-way tie between Emma Frost, Iron Man Infinity War (IW) and Odin! Join my community and go cast your vote so I can flail around in the content in which YOU want me to flail around!
It happened during my live stream last night, while I was playing Spider-Man PS4. I jumped from 398 to 402 subscribers by stream’s end.
So much thanks to everyone who’s enjoyed my content enough to subscribe! Here’s the link to the stream in question, in which I also react to the Picard season 2 trailer and unbox some Spider-Man merchandise. Enjoy!
Spidey Librarian 