What To Do In Isolation
Isolation is a blessing and a curse.
That’s how I’ve chosen to look at it. Isolation has given me much more free time, but at the same time it’s given me too much free time. An idle mind is a wasted mind they say. Or so I think? I read that somewhere I’m pretty sure. It sounds profound, so I won’t take credit for that one.
But what can you do to keep your mind from slipping and ending up like Barry after escaping the Speed Force? Endlessly consume media of course! There are other things besides that, some of which I shall mention later on in this post. But how about we tackle the simple task of media consumption first?
Read Comics/Manga
First things first, read! Reading keeps your brain active and keeps you thinking! I’m not much of a books with only words kind of guy, so comics and manga tend to be my go-to! So here’s a list of some easily accesible comics and manga for your reading pleasure.
Sunstone - Sunstone is a romantic comedy written by Stjepan Sejic and is one of my favorite comics of all time. It’s raunchy, it’s funny but overall, it’s emotional. He has provided a link to the currently released 6 volumes for anyone to read digitally! Click Here to check that out!
Witchblade - Witchblade is one of those Image/Top Cow franchises that seems to always find a way back and do something different. It’s an indie superhero classic in my opinion. Humble Bundle currently has pretty much the whole original run and newest run on sale for $20USD until April 7th. Click Here for that!
Subscription Services - If you can afford them, there are some great comic and manga based subscription services out there! Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe, and Shonen Jump are the ones I find myself using a lot. Marvel Unlimited and Shonen Jump both have free samples, whereas DC Universe does not. I linked to MU’s free issues for ease of access. DC Universe and Marvel Unlimited both have recommended storylines/reading orders as well.
MU Recs - Claremont Uncanny X-Men (Start with Giant-Size #1), The Amazing Spider-Man (2018), Darth Vader (2015), Ms. Marvel (2014), She-Hulk (2004)
DCU Recs - Batman (2011), Batgirl (2011), Booster Gold (2017), Bombshells (2015), Super Sons (2017), Doom Patrol (1987), Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica
SJ Recs - My Hero Academia, One Piece, Dr. Stone, Bakuman, Dragon Ball & DBZ, Yu-Gi-Oh, Naruto, One Punch Man
Comixology - Comixology allows you to buy essentially any comic/manga currently available on a digital format. They also have a subscription based service that allows you to explore a very large portion of those available comics/manga.
Webtoons - Webtoons is a great place to find indie comic artists and what they’re working on. Some projects from the site have even begun adaptation into animated shows.
Watch Anime/Cartoons/Movies
If reading isn’t really your thing, there are also tons of places to watch anime, cartoons and movies!
Tubi - Tubi is a free streaming service filled to the brim with all kinds of things to watch! It has an extremely user friendly organizational system, so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
VRV - VRV is a streaming service run by Crunchyroll that includes many different sites/services. Crunchyroll, RoosterTeeth, HiDive, Nicksplat, Boomerang, Mondo and Cartoon Hangover make up the contents of the site. As well as some movies/shows that VRV has licensed itself or gets through ShoutFactory. This is a great streaming service if you’re not looking to pay for tons of services.
Netflix and Hulu - I doubt these two need explanation.
Disney+ - Disney’s streaming service that has their product exclusively. It’s missing quite a lot of media involving acquired licenses, but if you like Disney originals, then this is the service for you. I highly recommend watching Clone Wars and The Mandalorian if you’re a Star Wars fan.
Funimation - Funimation is the most prominent dubbing company in the Anime industry at the moment, so they’ve got a decent selection. They’re mainly english dubs of shows, so if you see a show on VRV you’d rather watch in english, there’s a good chance Funi has it.
Other Stuff
If mindlessly consuming media isn’t your thing, here’s some ideas.
Write A Comic! - Gail Simone ran a public course on how to write comics. I know it greatly helped me. You can find all the info for that by following this link to the Comics School website.
I’d have more for the Other Stuff section, but that’s all I’ve done aside from mindlessly consuming media. Whoops? Hopefully this list has helped you find some activities to fill your time during these trying times. Seriously though, do something creative! I only listed things that have ease of access. I’ve been practicing my voice acting and streaming games on Twitch. If you’re able to do those things, do it! Write that novel you want to write! Don’t think you have to write your magnum opus, but write something if that’s what you want to do.
The hardest part of anything is taking the first step. But now is the perfect time to take that first step to do what YOU want to do. To begin down that path towards the dream you want to achieve. With endless time and the internet at your fingertips, there’s no excuse beyond yourself. Your biggest roadblock is YOU. So take that first step.
Or mindlessly consume media.
