Welcome to the The Shipping News, I’m Adri and I am very very excited this week. We head from the very real San Diego to the very fictional Night Vale, but no matter where we are Ultimate Slash Madness is on.  Let’s get started.

SSDC’s Slashiest

The time is upon us, the time when you can hear the anguished cries of absolutely everyone who is not at San Diego Comic Con. And that buzzing whine that’s pitched just above everyone else’s? That would be shippers being hit twice an hour by video and direct quotes to light the fires of their shipping hearts for the coming year. Throughout the year a lot of shippers restrict themselves to shipping within the realms of fiction, but come SSDC and its myriad of panels and interviews that all goes right out the window. Here, for your flailing pleasure, are my slashy highlights for SSDC 2013 so far.

There are combinations you don’t think about and then turn out to be something chiseled by the careful hands of gods. The entire Teen Wolf panel was bathed in the self emitted light of beautiful people but I mean look at this, for example, Daniel Sherman and Tyler Hoechlin being beautiful in close proximity to each other..

(Source)

It stands to note that during the panel, Jeff Davis made a teasing statement to the effect of Sterek being over and making way for Scisaac now. I have two things to say to that, sir. First off, Sterek being over? Allow me to pause for the maniacal laughter of half the Teen Wolf fandom. And secondly? There is plenty of love to go around. Multishipping is the way of the future Jeff, keep up with the times.

Moving on, we’ve got your oldies but goodies, Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart. Sometimes we think the two gentlemen ship themselves with each other, but their bromance is legendary and incomparable; as is their love for all things Comic Con.

(Source)

These adorable captures, however, are nothing compared to the Comic Con phenomenon of actors being all too aware of how much we want to see them involved in some on screen loving. Take for example this jewel from a City of Bones cast interview. When questioned on the expectations of fans for his character, Godfrey Gao was intercepted by co-star Kevin Zegers with this cheeky clarification:

What makes this the number one shippy moment so far for me though, is that where others would giggle and nod knowingly, Godfrey went ahead gents and ladies, and brought us full circle.

(Source)

Welcome to Slash Vale

It happened again, someone started up on a show that’s been around for a fairly long while and posted about it on Tumblr. I’ve been seeing posts about Welcome to Night Vale on my dash for over a week now and for the most part I thought this was Homestuck’s cousin or something because one can usually get acquainted with the plot of any given story after two hours on Tumblr. Welcome to Night Vale took a little bit more digging but proved to be nowhere near as allusive as Homestuck (which, in spite of being explained to me in detail by at least four individuals I still do not understand).

An audio show served in twenty to thirty minute podcasts, my googling had prepared me for some Neil Gaiman style scifi humor. It had not, however, prepared me for the show’s narrator Cecil and his five minute ode to Carlos the Scientist with his perfect hair.  Slashiness in the Pilot episode? Ah, the heavy presence on Tumblr begins to be understood.

SPOILER ALERT: Cecil and Carlos are really the most adorable thing to ever become canon, which they did over the two episodes released in July.  If you don’t believe me just take a look at this piece of work while I sit in a corner and gush about them.

(Source)

Ultimate Slash Madness 2013: The Seeder Round

The Madness is ON. With a whopping sixty-four ships in our initial seeder round and a five selection vote repeatable every hour, things are picking up speed. (After two days over a hundred thousand votes!) I have to report, dear friends, that I fear a two party system even when pitted against such varied competition. Last year’s final race is rearing up it’s passionate head again as Destiel and returning champions Sterek take the lead of the seeder round at just above 16% of votes each. Will history repeat itself? Will the magnificent doubleship ship of Desterek rear it’s gorgeous mixed fandom head at us again?

If you support an underdog in this fierce battle, I urge you, take up arms now. Draw fanart, write manifestos, and reblog all your pleas and promotions with one of our Ultimate Slash Madness banners. This has only just begun and it’s anyone’s game. Claim victory for your ship or make your voting fingertips bleed in the attempt! Ahem. I may have had one Spartacus marathon too many (blame it on the Nagron), but the point still stands. Vote for your favorites every hour! The seeder round closes at 11:59pm this Wednesday.

That’s all for this crazy week guys, now let us return to our Royal Baby Watch and submitting to Tom Hiddleston’s will as he loses touch with reality at Comic Con.

(Source)