the magnus archives is a romcom—no what the hell it’s not. it is, however, a gothic horror romance between jon and elias. because you see, the thing about jonelias is that their canonical dynamic is built around an absurd number of gothic genre tropes. jon sims obviously fits the mold of the tortured gothic protagonist quite nicely who’s facing both external (the other avatars targeting him) and internal horrors (his progress as the Archivist weighing on his conscience). but he’s also trapped in the gothic manor which is the magnus institute. there are secrets (the place being a temple to the eye), locked doors, forbidden chambers, and bodies in the attic which serve as evidence of past misdeeds (the panopticon; gertrude and jonah’s bodies in the tunnels), the institute/archives is ultimately destroyed by fire - purging the gothic manor i.e. the symbolic destruction of the previous order with fire is a common motif in the genre. and jon’s work in the archives is haunted by the figurative ghost of gertrude who remains a curious mystery he must unravel and will serve as a constant reminder to jon of his own inadequacies (just like du maurier’s rebecca fr)
elias is then —
1) his personal bluebeard figure who murdered his predecessor, a comparison which only gets stronger with the jonah magnus reveal since he’s been cycling through archivists for two hundred years, all having met gruesome ends in service to him and jon being his final and most notable choice. are you seeing the maxim de winter rochester imagery. are you.
2) his gothic double. doubles as a literary trope are your hidden self made manifest, the horror lies in the double (elias) revealing the gothic protagonist’s (jon) hidden, true self to them. elias as an avatar of the eye is entirely unrepentant for his nature, he revels in it. which is a mirror to jon’s own self-flagellation because despite how much he feels torn about his own metaphorical vampirism, he likes it. he admits as much to gerry as early as s3 when asked about his feelings on his ability to compel truths. and why wouldn’t he! after being kept in the dark so long, why wouldn’t he like it? and jon and jonah had in common their natural curiosity even before they found the beholding. elias is a mirror and jon looks in it and sees someone who is him, but not quite. someone who is what jon would be if he could simply let go, but jon can’t. like most gothic protagonists he will kill his double because it is a reminder of a self-truth he can never escape.
and watcher’s call. like what even is that. what do you mean that’s a thing. what. literally wuthering heights. “why did you heed the call?” // “because this is the place i know i should be” <- normal dialogue to write for two guys definitely not starring in a gothic romance.
^ same genre of images. so the spider, the mother of puppets, the web which is the symbolic representation of narrative thread in the magnus archives universe WEAVED them together? red string fated, that’s what they are? so they’re soulmates. that’s what you’re saying. they’re literally soulmates. soulmates as existential horror? just enough of an illusion of narrative agency for jonah/elias to claim, “the Chosen One is simply that – someone I chose” but paradoxically joined by fate, which isn’t a good thing! because no god-like powers of hope, or love, or indigestion, or whatever, only fear. because even though both help the other achieve narrative self-actualisation (elias making jon the archive and jon making elias the king of a ruined world), their union also irrevocably destroys their lives as they hurt each other in deeply personal ways which signify their greatest fears. elias manipulating jon, whose biggest fear is mr spider, i.e. loss of control and jon repaying by being the very thing that kills jonah, who has spent multiple lifetimes trying to escape the end. and that’s romance <3
Okay so, he doesn’t have a mouth, he cannot speak as himself. He can only speak as a conduit, reciting the horrors others are experiencing. (I do think he could use that to speak a bit, by borrowing the words, but it’d be hard.) Which, combined with a body that has not moved for a while while suspended mid-air, leaves it (he/it pronouns BECAUSE) rather vulnerable.
His head is a void, it leaks an inky substance that is not ink. You could put your entire arm into it. The thing is, though, that can hurt him. It’s where its mind is, the memories, the remains of self. You can KNOW HIM when you do that, you can mess stuff up, but you can also be gentle. This is why the assault tag is under this, because well, that is kind of what the second drawing is.
Also, his halo thing reacts according to his emotions. Stress, anxiety, fear etc. make it collapse into itself a bit. Anger, shock etc. make it do the opposite.
We’ve received plenty of amazing entrants so far, but we want to see it ALL! If you’re a fan of JonElias and want to draw, write, sketch, photograph, or show your love in another creative manner, please apply - we’d love to see all sorts of fans, old and new, come together to make a great zine!
Please note that this project is strictly 18+, and may contain NSFW and dead dove materials. The completed zine will be a free digital file for all, with the possibility of at-cost print copies and merch.
For an FAQ, rules on applying, and other info, please read through our site! (It won’t end the world, we promise!)
“I don’t excuse the actions of this character–” well I do. I kiss them about it directly on the mouth. I think they should have done worse things. I think that would have been funny.
chapter 3 of look to your laurels is here! yeah, I know, it took. a while. and it’s kinda mid. who Cares. it exists! there’s a Jon pov! the three of them have a shipname now (treyead, courtesy of mach)
Goal: During the month of September, make one (or more) zine of any quality, that is in some way related to fiction podcasts. You can share it using the tags #fiction podcast zine event and #fiction podcast zine festival
On Zines: A zine is a paper booklet that can function as art or an informational pamphlet. These are traditionally very cheaply made and hand-folded.
Zine vs Art Book: Sometimes, fandom or personal projects function under the title “zine” to produce glossy, professionally printed projects. These are more often elaborate, gorgeous group art efforts, and more art books than true zines. You could make one of these if you really wanted to, but I’d encourage you not to, and instead spend just a spare hour (quick), afternoon, or weekend (long) on it.
What should it be about? Whatever you want, so long as it is related to fiction podcasts! Click here for a list of suggestions, or ignore those entirely.
What medium should I use? Literally whatever you like. Hand-drawn/written zines that can be photocopied are traditional, but digital art or documents are fine too. You could experiment physically with all kinds of mediums, too.
Do I have to make them printable to contribute? You do not! While I’d encourage you to if you’re able, you can also just make one for yourself.
I want to make something, but it won’t be very good. Do it anyway.
I don’t own a scanner/printer/copier but would like to make use of one. Any suggestions? Associates who work in offices and schools might be willing to scan or print them for you. You can also check your local library, post office, corner store, and university (in that order, probably). The first three will often charge a small fee for printing, rarely more than 20c, the last will definitely charge a fee higher than that.
Hey, I’ve got something to add! Let me know! If you have advice to give (to me or more generally speaking), or useful resources, I’d appreciate you sending it my way.
