The 'Shroom:Issue 171/'Shroomfest

'Shroomfest

Written by: Roserade (talk), Superchao (talk), and Hooded Pitohui (talk)

Art by: The Pyro Guy (talk) and Ninja Squid (talk)

THE 'SHROOM: AN ARTISTIC MESS-TERPIECE

'Shroom Research Lab: Hello from The 'Shroom Research Lab. We've finished our analysis of information on an explosion in the basement of The 'Shroom HQ, caused by a mishandled flamethrower, and in the process, we've discovered a trove of old documents related to a time when The 'Shroom's staff prepared a celebration for FunkyK38 and a division of the paper called Palette Swap. We're working to find out more, but it seems like The 'Shroom ended up with big trouble on its hands at this time.

Remarkably, after the passing of The 'Shroom's annual budget, there was a long period of peace at The 'Shroom HQ. The paper's staff and writers focused on their work, with no arguments, no alien invasions, no trips to farms, and no problems aside for an explosion in the basement which the janitor and Shadow Director, Superchao, had to clean up. For months, everything hummed along smoothly.

During this period of peace, the paper's staff even put together plans to celebrate one of their longest-serving colleagues. Everyone decorated The 'Shroom HQ to celebrate FunkyK38, who had directed the Palette Swap division through one hundred issues of the paper. All around the HQ, banners went up, special artwork was created, and festivities were arranged. The staff even decided to create a special art exhibition in the HQ's gallery, an open room with echoing acoustics and plenty of movable partitions, as the main attraction of the celebration.

About a week out from the big day that the gallery exhibition was set to open, the Sub-Director, Roserade, stepped into the gallery to check on the staff's progress. The Director at the time, Hooded Pitohui, had apparently left Roserade in charge of the project while he took some unscheduled leave. Nobody knew where he had went, but everyone was too busy working on the gallery under Rose's watchful eye to wonder about it.

There was, however, one staff member who didn't have to work on the gallery, and he was wondering about the Director's absence. Superchao, being the janitor, had less duties than the other staff members, but he still worried constantly about the state of the paper. So, in Hooded Pitohui's absence, he went to check on Roserade and find out how the work on the gallery was going.

He was glad to hear from Roserade that everything was moving along on schedule, but when Roserade told him that the Statistics Manager, Ninja Squid, had gone missing, and asked Superchao to find him, his mood soured. Superchao often had to clean up the messes left behind by other staff members, and he had noticed Ninja Squid leaving behind way too many messes lately... Ever since December, it felt like there was always something he had to clean up that involved the sneaky Inkling in some form or another.

Superchao thought he already knew where Ninja Squid had hidden himself, so he floated down through the floors of the HQ and right into the basement. He found Ninja Squid right where he expected he would, and he gave Ninja Squid such a scare when he suddenly appeared! Even more surprising for Ninja Squid was everything Superchao had to say. The Shadow Director scolded Ninja Squid, explaining that he knew what the Inkling was up to, always getting the staff to fight over pointless, abstract topics and launching great debates so that the staff would be too distracted to notice him sneaking off into the basement to work on his secret ninja projects. Superchao had noticed, though, since Ninja Squid always left behind strange messes in the basement. He even knew that it had been Ninja Squid, not The Pyro Guy, who accidentally set off the explosion in the basement!

Once Superchao had warned Ninja Squid to knock it off, telling the Inkling he would never be tricked into getting caught up in a silly argument and taking his eye off of Ninja Squid, he left to tell Roserade that Ninja Squid would show up to start his work in a few minutes. After waiting to make sure Superchao had left, Ninja Squid grumbled about needing to find a way to distract Superchao, and, now grumpy, gathered his things so he could go upstairs and work on the gallery.

You've been found out, Ninja Squid!

After Superchao had yelled at Ninja Squid, a few days of peace passed, with even Ninja Squid working hard on the gallery. It wasn't until two days before the gallery was set to open that something finally interrupted everyone's work. With less than forty-eight hours to go until the opening of the gallery, an announcement that suddenly played throughout the HQ told everyone to gather in the meeting room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and went to the meeting room, where they found, to their surprise, the Director, Hooded Pitohui, standing on the stage at the front of the room, ready to give some kind of a presentation.

Everyone had questions, but they sat down and listened eagerly, waiting to see what Hooded Pitohui would say now that he had returned. He started by thanking them for all of their hard work, and announced, to great cheer, that he had booked a vacation for the whole staff so they could rest after their months of working. Apparently, they were all set to go to a tropical island near Isle Delfino in September of that year. Hooded Pitohui was eager to start telling everyone about all of the birds on the island, but Roserade cut him off once everyone's cheering turned into groaning.

After agreeing to talk about the birds later, Hooded Pitohui told the staff that he had one more thing to show them. In front of everyone, he pulled out a strange-looking, oversized paintbrush that he kept calling the Magic Paintbrush. FunkyK38 asked him where he found it, and he told everyone he had bought it from an entrepreneur named Phineas J. Shoe, who had bought it from some strange running man in a Pianta costume and had run some tests on it to discover what made it magical. Doomhiker asked what it could do, and Hooded Pitohui replied that it could do anything they wanted. They could draw whatever they wanted to draw with it, and the Magic Paintbrush would make the drawing real. Finally, Alex95 asked why The 'Shroom, needed it, and Hooded Pitohui explained that the Magic Paintbrush would be the main attraction at the gallery, a special exhibit in the exhibition.

A work of art that can make art!

It seems that, while listening to all of this talking, Ninja Squid hatched some kind of devious plan, but nobody in the room noticed at the time. Ninja Squid kept quiet until Hooded Pitohui adjourned the meeting and went back to the gallery with the rest of the staff to put the Magic Paintbrush in a special display case. A few hours later, everyone in the HQ went home to rest for the night.

Or so they all thought at the time, at least. In the middle of the night, using his ninja skills, Ninja Squid snuck through The 'Shroom HQ and made his way into the gallery. He carefully disabled the security of the HQ as he went, and eventually was able to swipe the Magic Paintbrush from its display case.

The next morning, when the staff arrived at the paper's headquarters, a panic ensued. Where the headquarters should have been, they all found nothing except a mess of icky, paint-like brown and white graffiti covering the ground! The entire HQ seemed to have disappeared overnight, and nobody could figure out how it happened.

While everyone panicked and debated, Ninja Squid discretely pulled a typed-up note out of his pocket, then called the rest of the staff over, saying he had found a note on the ground. He read it aloud, and it became clear that the note was a ransom note - of a sort. Whoever had authored it claimed to have stolen the Magic Paintbrush and to have caused the disappearance of The 'Shroom HQ, and said they would only return the artistic tool and restore the paper's headquarters if the staff could create the world's most beautiful painting.

Well, with an idea of what to do, the staff got to work right away. Superchao, being in charge of janitorial duties, directed the members of the staff to go get mops and use them to start cleaning the graffiti. Hooded Pitohui ordered Roserade to go into New Wikisburg and gather BBQ Turtle, Magolor04726, Fawfulthegreat64, and every other artist he could think of. While Rose took notes, he happened to ask Hooded Pitohui what kind of painting he should tell the artists that they needed to come and paint, not knowing what a mistake asking this simple question would prove.

Hooded Pitohui started to talk about a painting depicting a tranquil, quiet scene, with soft earthy browns and greens making a forest, an icy ocean mixing blues of light and dark shades, and even ethereal violets encircling the scene to serve as a night sky. While Hooded Pitohui spoke and Rose took notes, Ninja Squid made a show of shivering and yawning.

Moments later, Superchao approached Ninja Squid to ask why he hadn't gone to get a mop, only to notice Ninja Squid shivering. Concerned, he asked if Ninja Squid was sick, but the Statistics Manager told the Shadow Director that he wasn't sick. He blamed Hooded Pitohui's description of the painting they were going to make, saying it didn't sound beautiful, only cold and tiring. Noticing that Superchao seemed to agree with him, Ninja Squid pressed even harder, telling Superchao that he was worried about Pitohui's idea, and he wondered if the thief who had stolen the Magic Paintbrush could really think a painting with so much cold imagery was beautiful...

Superchao started off skeptical, but, as Ninja Squid talked, he decided that the Inkling had a point. Letting Hooded Pitohui tell the artists what to create could spell the end of The 'Shroom, he realized, and, to Ninja Squid's delight, the Shadow Director rushed over to confront the Director. Superchao interrupted Hooded Pitohui, and began explaining how a beautiful painting needed warm, energetic colors, like blazing reds, shimmering yellow city lights, and vibrant oranges.

Directorial disputes...

Hooded Pitohui disagreed, and their arguing became pretty intense, enough so to distract the rest of the staff from their mopping and to prevent Roserade from leaving to go recruit artists to help the paper. It seemed like neither the Director or Shadow Director were getting anywhere, with both of them certain that their choice of colors needed to dominate the painting for it to be beautiful. With only a day to go until the gallery opened, everyone was getting nervous!

To everyone's relief, Ninja Squid stepped between the Toady and the Boo, offering a solution. He suggested that they both make their best case to Roserade, who would break the stalemate and decide on one idea or the other based on who presented the most convincing case. Hooded Pitohui and Superchao both agreed, so Roserade stepped up to listen to them both while the rest of the staff gathered around the three of them to watch the great debate.

As Hooded Pitohui and Superchao started arguing, Ninja Squid quietly snuck off, his absence - and his mischievous grin - going unnoticed as the rest of the staff focused on the unfolding debate.

'Shroom Research Lab: The 'Shroom Research Lab is currently sorting through more of the recently-uncovered documents to determine the outcome of the debate between the Director and Shadow Director of the time period. We're also trying to locate Ninja Squid's personal journal to find out whether or not it sheds any additional light on the event, but so far the Research Lab has only found random excerpts about his travels to places called Rogueport and Glitzville.

Staff Notes

Hey there, beautiful 'Shroom readers! I, uh, I guess I'm here now.

I'm totally honored to be the judge in 'Shroomfest this month, don't get me wrong, but Ninja Squid's robes are entirely the wrong size. Surely they have some other outfits hanging up around here? And this gavel hardly even fits my hand! But ah well, it's time for yet another 'Shroomfest, and I'm going to be the conductor of this kangaroo court. Am I going to be a biased judge? Only one way to find out!

For 'Shroomfest Round 5, our courteous Director Hooded Pitohui (talk) will be facing off against the ever-powerful Shadow Director, Superchao (talk). This'll be a tricky one, folks! What happens when colors clash, when hues hurt, when dyes die, when... I wasn't cut out for the announcer business. Maybe I need to phone in a certain Smackdown host... But regardless, who gets to come out on top? It's entirely up to you to decide! Whether you're fighting for the fiery passion of warm colors or the striking serenity of cool colors, there can only be one victor, and one of the two classes will become the objectively better class in 'Shroom law. Also, we want the painting to turn out nice, so, don't make the wrong call, yeah?

I'll be awaiting your arguments patiently. Remember to stow your fear, keep your head held high, and argue with all the heart you can muster! Only then can victory come your way.

—Roserade, Judge

---

What class of colors do you prefer, warm colors or cool colors?

Choose your side and cast a vote!

Join Team Warm Colors

Hello, 'Shroom readers! Am I not who you were expecting? Well, too bad, because you're stuck with me this month.

Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow grab your attention and dazzle you. They're associated with some of the most important things that keep our society running, like fire and electricity. Warm colors represent energy and heat, everything that keeps us going and puts us in a good mood. That's not mentioning how many fictional heroes wear striking warm colors. They're iconic to their designs!

Don't underestimate the importance of warm colors. Listen to me over the next few weeks, and I'll show you just how great they are!

—Superchao, Leader of Team Warm Colors

Join Team Cool Colors

Orange? The color of danger, a color selected specifically to warn and alert others, that's what orange is. Red? Red is a color of aggression, associated with war and bloodshed. Yellow? Why, it's the color of proverbial cowards.

Let's be frank here, these warm colors are not only overwhelming, practically shouting in visual terms to grab attention and cling to it jealously, but they also have such negative associations. Cool colors, on the other hand, are serene and inviting. They do not overwhelm. They enhance, working in the background, escaping notice. Their associations? When you think of nature, of life springing forth in the spring, do you not think of deep, rich greens? Do you not associate opportunity and exploration with the sweeping blue skies above and the blue waters of the ocean stretching out to the horizon?

Oh, but we'll get to all of that in due time. No matter what angle we approach this from, we will reach the same conclusion every time. Pitted against their warm counterparts, cool colors are simply more pleasing and elegant. As I have done before, I'll make my case for cool colors using a three-step structure.

This week, we will entertain a general discussion of cool colors and what makes them interesting and aesthetically appealing. Next week, we will turn specifically to color symbolism, and I will expand on my previous statements regarding the emotional and cultural associations tied together with cool colors and warm colors alike, comparing and contrasting the two to show why cool colors should command respect. As this debate nears its end, we'll discuss the use of cool colors "in the wild," if you will, and how they enhance objects and artwork you see in the world.

Now, shall we reject the overwhelming, blazing warm colors and that which they stand for and make an inviting artistic masterpiece together?

—Hooded Pitohui, Leader of Team Cool Colors

Rules

In order for you to earn points for each teams, we have opted to divide things into three categories.

Categories
VOTES	You can vote on the poll below once per week. Rally behind your side or give your votes to the side that convince you most each week after looking at the current debate!
ENDORSEMENTS	Show your pride in supporting a team by posting words of encouragement (such as "Warm Colors for the win!" "Go Team Cool Colors!") in the debate thread. Who will get the greatest amount of supporters? It's up to you!
EFFORTS	You think you can make a difference and tip the scales of victory towards your team? Bring this whole debate to new heights by posting fan arts, your own opinions, a silly story, roleplaying, drawings or even photos highlighting your favorite colors. Putting in the effort can be rewarding after all!

The result will depends on the number of categories a team will win. For example: If Team Alpha receives 12 endorsements, while Team Bravo receives 8 endorsements, that means that Alpha wins on the endorsements category. The team who wins the most categories will be declared the winner of the 'Shroomfest. In addition, the winner is officially and objectively the best according the The 'Shroom's law. Therefore, taking the win is very important!

Debate Guidelines

The debate’s thread will be opened by the designated judge who will make a brief introduction to the debate’s subject, along with the motivations of each team's leader.

Afterwards, for a period of three weeks, the team leaders and their supporters will try to convince you that their team is truly the best. They'll do this with arguments, arts, photos, and stories that will demonstrate the reasons why their choices is truly the better. After one week of debating, the judge will then write a brief note, highlighting the best cases from both team, and even question the various subjects raised by the team leaders and supporters. Afterwards, they will have to argue against the questions or subjects brought up by the judge, which will lead to further debating. This cycle will occur every week in order to keep the debate as fresh, and up to date as possible. Once the three-week period has passed, the judge will conclude the debate with a short message and invite the participants to come back for the results that will come out at the release of the 'Shroom's next issue. Any message or argument posted after this message won't be taken into account during the compilation of the results.

How to endorse a team: On the debate thread, you just have to post a simple word of encouragement for the team you choose to support. It is entirely possible to change teams at any time, by writing another word of encouragement to the other team to change side. Take note that only the last team you endorse before the debate ends will be the one that will be taken into account for the results. So be sure that the team you choose to support is the one you want.
How to give points to the Efforts category: To allow your team to score point into the "Efforts" category, you must add valuable posts to the debate. Lay out your own opinion/arguments, create art or photos including your favorite colors (caption are allowed), write entertaining stories, or even make a meme or two. Making the most convincing and entertaining case is an important part of the debate. If you are unsure if something is worthy of the "Efforts" category, just ask the judge about it on Discord, or with a PM. Our main goal is to make the debate as accessible as possible.

Please note that in an effort to keep the debate civil, fun, and lighthearted, please, we request that you respect all the instructions. Any inappropriate behaviors (spam, flaming, personal attacks, etc…), and discussions regarding politics, social issues, or any controversial topics that veer away from the light-hearted nature of this debate will not be tolerated.

The debate will take place from June 19th to July 10th. To join the debate, click here.

Cast a vote!

VOTE NOW!

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