Two things to mention to everyone! First, I am preemptively pushing back the Music Caption Contest deadline to Monday, May 2nd. Providing only one weekend to caption and burying the contest post below two caption review posts has produced very few responses, so hopefully the added time will generate more submissions. In regards to Part III of the caption reviews, that is in the works but may not be for a while - I'm trying to do multiple cap reviews per participant for this final batch, and simply haven't had the time to do them. So stay tuned for that in maybe a week!
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Monday, April 25, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Caption Reviews (Part 2)
Business first - the Music Caption Contest is up and running, with the new option to use whatever images you want! The first part of this caption review series can be found here if you want to see more. Finally, if you are mentioned in any of these review posts and would like a shout out to your blog, Tumblr, DeviantArt, or whatever, let me know and I will add a link!
Here comes the second batch of reviews! These go out to people who've stop by more than one during the last ten contests and have produced at least a couple caps apiece. Two things to note about this edition - first, there are some people who wrote long series, so I decided to count those as one "cap" to review because the series itself is what I wanted to analyze. Secondly, there are two people who have two caps reviewed - this was done because these captioners each produced 10 caps apiece, which I felt warranted a little extra attention from me. This will also be the case on part three, where the "regulars" have all produced double-digit caps. But for now, enjoy the work of these seven artists!
Here comes the second batch of reviews! These go out to people who've stop by more than one during the last ten contests and have produced at least a couple caps apiece. Two things to note about this edition - first, there are some people who wrote long series, so I decided to count those as one "cap" to review because the series itself is what I wanted to analyze. Secondly, there are two people who have two caps reviewed - this was done because these captioners each produced 10 caps apiece, which I felt warranted a little extra attention from me. This will also be the case on part three, where the "regulars" have all produced double-digit caps. But for now, enjoy the work of these seven artists!
Amy Harris
- Captioner Summary: Amy is a captioner whose stopped by to share her talents with us more than a few times - she's also got her own blog with some truly awesome captions! Amy's signature is a pink background with black text, often with sissy related themes. She's also got some really excellent family/college caps that are niches I enjoy, so if you like that too go check her work out!
- Caption Review: I ended up going with one of Amy's cap in the most recent Workplace Contest. The basis is good - a typo in an airline employee handbook means that all males must be flight attendants and wear the classic blue and silver outfits. But Amy's cap works so well because of the twist ending, where the change is actually voted-in permanently by the male staff :) It's a short and sweet piece, but one with enough of a surprise to make it a unique and enjoyable cap!
Aleksi Andrews
- Captioner Summary: Aleksi is another familiar face who has participated in contests with me on and off for a while. Aleksi dropped by for two contests in the recent set of 10 contests, and produced some really good pieces that I'm excited to talk about!
- Caption Review: There were two really good pieces in the recent Workplace Contest that Aleksi submitted, but this specific caption is too good to not discuss. First, I like the use of a title and punctuation that capitalizes certain words - adds a lot of weight to certain aspects of the piece. I also really like the use of first person narration, which enhances the already strong plot that Aleksi develops. In fact, the plot itself is what really makes this cap special - Aleksi tells a brilliant story of revenge through willing feminization, detailing every step in the process and the cold calculation the protagonist goes through to fuck (literally and figuratively) his former business partner. Truly an excellent piece.
Slippery
- Captioner Summary: Slippery is someone who just recently started participating in my contests but is someone I've had a lot of respect for after seeing the work he did in Wes Mantooth's caption contests. As you may be able to guess from that, Slippery leans towards interracial themed captions, and does a great job with the sissy/alpha dynamic that I really enjoy about that theme.
- Caption Review: This selection comes from the Wedding Contest, which I'll admit I had a natural bias towards because this was one of my favorite images in that set. However, Slippery also did a fantastic job integrating that image into his story, referencing details about the sissy bridesmaid's appearance multiple times in the cap. The use of dialogue is also key, setting up the power dynamic between the sissy and the ex-girlfriend with what is said and how it is said. And of course, the entire idea of a feminized sissy bridesmaid pushes a lot of my buttons, which combined with excellent writing by Slippery makes for a wonderful cap!
Alexvyaz
- Captioner Summary: Alexvyaz has joined contests somewhat frequently, always producing a trademark cap with a red title, blue text, and white background. There isn't a general theme that I can pick out, but Alexvyaz always produces something enjoyable!
- Caption Review: This cap came from the Wedding Contest (clearly, based on the wonderful image!) and was a nice role reversal caption. I think what I enjoyed the most was being able to match the descriptions of what the wife was doing to the husband with the image on the left, which was paired together quite nicely. The last line was also intriguing to me - is "taking what is now hers" referring to a little bit of chastity...or a little bit of sweet lovemaking to his ruffled rump? Either way, it was fun imagining :)
Mr. Holl
- Captioner Summary: Next we have Mr. Holl, who only stopped by twice but produced some wonderful captions! Mr. Holl liked to use a black background with usually colorful text, which provided a nice contrast and easy to read captions. The themes were generally sissy/interracial themed, and have a lot of strong dialogue in them!
- Caption Review: So you may notice that I have six captions for Mr. Holl...that's because they're all part of the first series I'm going to review! This came from the Gameshow contest and was structured very nicely in that regard. A gameshow host (with the wonderful name "Chuck Youbetcha") is utilized very effectively to convey plot and converse with contestants from the show "I'd Bet My Life". The dialogue itself is what makes this series - it's very good at conveying personality, keeping the flow of the caption moving nicely, and generally mixing up interactions from the very unique characters in the plot. I also liked how it went through the contest, but then jumped into the future for two glimpses into what happened to Kate Suckers and Bottom after the contest. Overall, a really well-written series!
Dr. Jerry
- Captioner Summary: Next up we get to talk about Dr. Jerry, who has produced quite a few captions in the three contests he has entered. Dr. Jerry's style seems to be a white background with simple black text, although I have done the layout for him a few times. The captions themselves are mixed - most are a little bit longer stories without much dialogue, but it works well for him! Also, because Dr. Jerry has entered 10 captions, I'll be giving him two reviews.
- Caption Review: The first selection comes from the Wedding Contest - I'd like to note that one of my favorite aspects, the layout with two pictures, was done by me, but Dr. Jerry requested it when submitting his cap so I'll give him credit for the cool idea. The use of two images/two sets of characters really drove the caption for me - I am a sucker for family transformations, but the concept behind a literal "Bridal Package" (and Two-for-one, no less!) and identical transformations for the feminized brides was really great.
- Caption Review: The second selection is a series from the Pageant contest and one of my favorite pieces in all 10 contests. I love the tone of the writing and the entire premise that the winner must commit more to his feminization to win. The images chosen are excellent, and help drive the story by displaying increasingly beautiful "women" and explaining why they finished where they did. Finally, Dr. Jerry also did a good job transitioning from cap to cap, keeping the reader entranced and wanting to read more!
Lara Yvess
- Captioner Summary: Finally, we end with Lara Yvess, a staple on both my blogs and the TG captioning community in general. She's a wonderful person who always produces really unique themes and ideas, and she's captioned with me frequently enough and produced enough caps to warrant two reviews!
- Caption Review: Dipping back into the Pageant Contest for this cap, Lara did a good job utilizing an excellent picture and turning it into a caption theme. The reference to the fur coat and creating a pageant for a Faux Female was a really clever plot background and was explained really well. I also loved the sweet ending where "Eva" now really wants to win the title of Faux Female Queen (and who wouldn't looking like "her" ;) )
- Caption Review: We end with another series from the Gameshow contest that really highlight Lara's creativity. Two things to note - first, this series does have another follow-up series which relates to this three-parter, so feel free to check that out! Secondly, I did do the title and layout (which I was really pleased with), but it was inspired by Lara's incredible work! Speaking of which, I'm really glad Lara picked up the theme of sports-related gameshow, It allows for some really interesting backstories, which Lara produces beautifully. Although each cap is technically standalone, you definitely get a feel for the overall gameshow theme and the feminization results that can occur. All in all, a really well done set of caps!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Caption Reviews (Part 1)
Hi everyone! So a while back I alluded to something for people who have been participating in recent caption contests. To those who were maybe hoping for caption prizes, that unfortunately isn't something I have the time or motivation to do at this point in time :( However, I did want to bring back an old feature that I used to do for every caption contest - a personal review of captions!
Given that there have been a lot of contests since I started contests back up again (10, starting with the Halloween Contest) and a lot of people captioning (20 different people!), I'm not going to be able to do a review of every cap. Instead, I've broken this post up into three parts - this first one will cover people who have participated in just one or two contest or made only a single cap. Part 2 will include people who may have stopped by more frequently and produced a respectable number of caps over a few contests. The third and final part will include the "regulars", people who participate quite frequently and have a variety of caps for me to comment on - so in other words, don't worry if your caps don't appear yet - they will be coming :)
Finally, the last thing I want to note is that I wanted to give a chance to advertise the blogs/work of captioners who participate. If you have a caption blog, DeviantArt site, Tumblr, or some other place you post caps, feel free to email me that link and I will attach it to your review so people can get access to your other work!
Whew! A lot of text, but now onto the main event! In no particular order, here are the first seven reviews!
Luke Langton
- Captioner Summary: Luke Langton is an excellent captioner who does/used to run a blog called "Ebony TG Captions" - I think there is a very white-centric bias when it comes to TG caps (something that I myself am very guilty of) and Luke writes some amazing caps that cut against that grain. Luke's storytelling is also very strong, making me wish they had stopped by for more than one contest.
- Caption Review: Luke's lone cap came in the Halloween contest, but told a really good story. The dialogue in this cap was strong, which combined with the blocking did a really good job of referencing the image and making me feel like I was watching this conversation happen! I'm also a little biased because I loved this image and Luke was the only person to use it.
Hahaprincess
- Captioner Summary: Hahaprincess is someone I met on her DeviantArt account and she dropped by for a contest after I entered a few captions into hers. Haha is known for a white background and blue or red text, but also for captions were the victim suffers an over-the-top transformation into a drag queen or effeminate sissy.
- Caption Review: This piece came in the most recent contest, the Serial Transformer theme, and uses another great image. The set up for this is nice, but felt like it could have been better suited for a longer or a caption series - I would have liked to learn more about this TG gun and what it does to other men :)
Spurius
- Captioner Summary: Spurius only gave me a fleeting glimpse into their work based on an entry into a single contest, but man was it impressive! Seemingly coming from the tradition of interracial caps popularized by Wes Mantooth and that I've tried myself, Spurius' caps have excellent dialogue that really emphasize the alpha/beta relationship between the weak and feminized and those tormenting them.
- Caption Review: I adored two of Spurius' caps so much that I thought about discussing both, but decided that this one eeked out the win in terms of my favorite. The cap does a good job establishing setting/context, both with the introduction in the beginning and the internal monologue soon after. That monologue is definitely the best part of the cap for me - the slow process of succumbing to lust and describing what that boi has done to keep his job is lovely. The ending was also nice, as I liked the idea of getting the next sissy hard enough at the sight of the fucking to repeat the process.
Anderson
- Captioner Summary: An old friend who recently rejoined us after discovering that contests are still running. Anderson started out captioning in my contests and others, but now has his own site that has some delicious interracial caps and bimbo caps that I just love - go check him out if you like that sort of thing!
- Caption Review: The only (recent) cap Anderson has submitted has a nod to a theme on his blog, the SISSY Service, and my old work, Bimbo Inc. The cap was one of the few in the Serial Transformer contest that explictly referenced the idea of feminizing in the image of someone, which I was really happy to see! I also like how the three paragraphs break it up cleanly into an introduction, middle, and conclusion - worked out nicely from a visual and literary standpoint.
The Zoligomyst
- Captioner Summary: Speaking of old acquaintances, The Zoligomyst is a phenomenal captioner who've caps I've had the pleasure of hosting on my blog before. Zoli is, in my opinion, one of the premier captioners out there, and has an exceptional range of talent when it comes to captions. Specific themes like hypnosis, bimbos, and sissies all crop up on Zoli's site, but what makes Zoli so exceptional is the ability to create amazing multi-part series with a wide variety of themes. The captions are also always beautiful, marked by a specific font (that I can't name off the top of my head) and great background/image combinations to make Zoli's caps a work of art as well as good literary pieces!
- Caption Review: Zoli has been busy as of late, but stopped by during the Pageant Contest to offer up this delicious little number. The dialogue is very strong - you get a good sense of both character's personalities and motivations based on what they say and how they are described saying it. The extra descriptions are just bonus - background provided in the largest paragraph tells the wonderful tale of how a Miss America contestant produced a Miss Drag America/Universe competitor. The references to a timely current event (Harvey as the male name was a nice subtle touch) rounds out this wonderful piece.
Q Slave
- Captioner Summary: A first time captioner who only joined us once, Q Slave produced an enjoyable piece for the Rivalry Caption Contest. I ended up laying out the cap, so I'll mostly focus on content in the review!
- Caption Review: Q Slave produced a nice sissy cap using an image I adore. The theme is pretty straight-forward, with a pair of sissies giving in to demands for a promotion and learning they can't actually earn it after sissifying themselves, but Q Slave does a good job describing a lot of the details so we can enjoy the transformations. Overall, a good first try for someone just starting out - definitely hope to see more at some point!
Tyrus
- Captioner Summary: Finally, we end with Tyrus, who was the only captioner in this batch to participate in more than one of the last 10 contests. I honestly don't know if Tyrus captions much or not (I ended up doing layout for both caps he submitted), but I really hope he continues to try because I LOVED his work. Both focused on willing feminization and have really great dialogue that show how men turn reveal themselves to be sissy sluts.
- Caption Review: This cap from the Holiday contest is honestly one of my favorites in all 10 contests. The cap starts out simple enough - a man goes holiday shopping for his wife, runs into a sex shop, and gets convinced to try a few things on. But the amazing part is the details and description of how the "victim" slowly gives in to a fuller and fuller transformation. The dialogue is also superb, displaying a meek willingness to try things "just to see if she might like it" at the start, and then even after his girlfriend sees him and dumps him wants to try a big black dildo "just to see how it might feel for the next girlfriend". Extremely scrumptious storyline combined with a fantastic image that pushed all of my buttons in the right way - great work Tyrus and hope to see you again at some point!
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Music Caption Contest
So although this is coming like three days later than I was hoping, I'm really excited about this contest! The theme of music is not something I've done ever, but I think its a topic that can resonate with people and provide a lot of possibilities. However, given the broad range of possibilities, I'm going to experiment with a new rule this time:
YOU MAY USE ANY IMAGE YOU LIKE, EVEN IF IT IS NOT A PART OF THE SET IN THIS POST.
The reason for this is simple - there are a lot of amazing artists, specific songs, or other things you might want to base your caption around, and I don't want to limit you to whatever 20-30 images I pick. Obviously there will be some options for those of you not interested in searching for the "perfect" picture. The deadline will be Thursday, April 28th! Rules as usual:
YOU MAY USE ANY IMAGE YOU LIKE, EVEN IF IT IS NOT A PART OF THE SET IN THIS POST.
The reason for this is simple - there are a lot of amazing artists, specific songs, or other things you might want to base your caption around, and I don't want to limit you to whatever 20-30 images I pick. Obviously there will be some options for those of you not interested in searching for the "perfect" picture. The deadline will be Thursday, April 28th! Rules as usual:
1. I will post images and a general theme to focus your work slightly (NOTE: ANY IMAGE, INCLUDING THOSE NOT POSTED, MAY BE USED FOR THIS SPECIFIC CONTEST)
2. You all will take these images and send either a completed caption (meaning image and text formatted together) or text with the image to go to it (I will put a cap together if you don't know how or would rather that I format it!) to starzcaptioncontests@gmail.com (my contest specific email).
3. You may submit as many captions as you want, but only one caption per image. All captions must be TG or crossdressing in some format (F2F is not really a theme of this blog, but in case any of you wanted to try this, I would prefer that you didn't).
4. After the submission deadline, I will sort post all the captions that you sent me in a single post!
THEME: MUSIC - A lot of possibilities here, because music means so much and can involve so many different things. Here are a few options you might consider:
- The always classic "band/musician must undergo image change to hit the bigtime"
- Music hypnotizing audience/specific person
- Tribute to a song or artist - write a cap based on song lyrics or the personality of a musician
- Music competition, where skill in both male and female roles is evaluated!
- Bodyswapping cap (not my favorite, but could be good given the number of celebrities in the music world)
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Workplace Contest Presentation
Wow! Waiting three days produced almost 11 extra caps from about four different people, so definitely glad about that! Thanks to all that sent in work - there were definitely some great caps in this bunch (as there always is :) ). Images for the next contest will be up tomorrow, but for now enjoy these caps!
C2Sanon 1
C2Sanon 2
C2Sanon 3
Edi 1
Edi 2
Edi 3
Edi 4