Humble request for nomination

[Glychn]

Hi guys! It's good to see the WCAA back in action. Puts a bubble of love in my tummy. ^_^ Apparently my old username "glych" isn't an active account on these forums, so I had to re-register. *shrugs* oh well...

I humbly request that I...you know...be nominated this year for something.

I'm aiming at Outstanding Website Design (p2p as a whole...Though Blank Label has a pretty good design too), Outstanding Story (NS), Outstanding Black and White Art (NS), and Outstanding Dramatic Comic (NS).

I've been overlooked in the past, so I thought I'd pipe in and remind you guys that I'm out here, plugging away too. I'm just not as vocal as other creators out there, what with mine plugging away.

Thank you for your time and attention.

-glych

[Faub]

So this is the obligatory "Pimp your comic" thread?

I'd like to think my comic is worth nominating too. 8)

[Glychn]

I've been doing online comics for over 7 years now. I was on keenspace when there was only 1000 of us, Drunk Duck when there was only 100, and Modern Tales within the first year of it's existence. I used to teach classes at the Keenspot store for awhile. I know the veterans of comics because I am one.

I hope I didn't start the "pimp your comic" thread...

But if I had, i apologize to you luv. I didn't mean to.

-glych

[McDuffies]

Hey, Glych, I remember reading your comic back before I started mine.
Yeah, I know it's not easy looking at relative newbies getting rapidly popular and snitching the awards.

[K-Dawg]

I've been doing online comics for over 7 years now. I was on keenspace when there was only 1000 of us, Drunk Duck when there was only 100, and Modern Tales within the first year of it's existence. I used to teach classes at the Keenspot store for awhile. I know the veterans of comics because I am one.

I hope I didn't start the "pimp your comic" thread...

But if I had, i apologize to you luv. I didn't mean to.

-glych

I remember ya, back in the early days of Keenspace with people like Scrubbo, Damonk, and any of those other four toon tellers.

[Glychn]

Forgive me. I didn't mean to sound so snippity. *slaps hand*

And I've nothing against the newbies. We were all new once. If they do good work, and work hard at it, then they'll only become the best comickers out there... It's just that I feel like "the ghost of webcomics" sometimes. Always around but rarely noticed...save for a chill that runs down your back when you feel like you're being watched by something unseen...

*watches*

-glych

[McDuffies]

Dunno, active campaign on your site seems to help. You know, "vote for me" button and the likes, probably with reccomendation in which categories you'd like to be nominated...
After all, eh, your readers are the most likely choice to call to vote for you.

[Corgan_dane]

Good god, at all costs, do not nominate my comic! It's unworthy of any sort of award, or even notice!


Just the fact that I make it makes me sick!

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(Sits back and waits for the reverse psychology to kick in.)

[Zortic]

Hiya Glych,

As a fellow veteran I know exactly how you feel. I'm still awed by your work. So if any of you haven't seen what Glych does, do check it out. Even if you don't end up voting for her, there's a lot there to learn from (and enjoy).

One of the weird dynamics of these awards is that I definately feel that webcomics as a whole have improved over the years. "New" stuff no longer means "need's to improve" stuff. I don't know how much striving for awards like this has contributed to that, but that means there's a lot more competition and a lot more GREAT comics each year that don't get nominated.

So everyone PLEASE read more webcomics! Both old and new, we can definately all learn from each other.

[Glychn]

Does that mean there's going to be an "Honorable Mention" catagory next year, luv?

Part of be doubts a "vote for me" icon would generate a lot of movement on my site. The majority of my readership are the cool, collective, quiet types that lurk on forums, read books by Homer and Shakespeare, and debate about different philisophical styles in writing and art in the flesh. The majority seem to be computer programmers, Trekkies, and Star Wars fans.

The majority of webcomic readers, the active vocal forum posters, are college and high school students; the majority of those who read gaming comics and manga. Those out of the majority that have read my work (And contacted me or have posted in the forum) say they like it, but since I don't advertise or fall into the habit of listing my comics on "most popular" lists and such, eager for votes, most people don't even know if they're there unless someone tells them. I've chosen to concentrate on the work rather than the readership. We'll see if that makes it worthwhile in the end.

I'll just float through the floor now in my ghostly form and get back to the drawing board.

-glych

[McDuffies]

Well, on the other hand, award is given by authors, not by readers. Though (by the number of lousy copies) it's evident that most of authors are still PA and Megatokyo fans, I think that still shifts the voting population more to the ground of people who have more insight in hows and whys of webcomics.

The way I see it, success in webcomics is usually brought by ballance of quality and advertising (or perhaps better word would be Public Relations? Because some people got quite the following not by advertising but by participating in many webcomic communities).
I know that for author who isn't here prrimarily (or even secondarily) for popularity, it's always hard to plug themselves everywhere, but if you end up seeing weaker comics doing better just because their authors are unstoppable PR machines... Well, it doesn't seem right, but in the end it's not their fault.
I guess what I'm saying is, your comic depends on you. If you think that it's worth advertising, then by all means, advertise it the best you can, otherwise you won't do justice to it.

[Glychn]

A good argument and you bring up several good points. unrealistic for me however...

I am one of the few in webcomics who make my living off of drawing print comics (scary no?); a job I got through honing my skills working on my webcomics. They are still every important for me...but since the most of my workdays involve anywhere between 6-18 hours at the art table, my time spent at the keyboard are usually reserved for coloring, scanning, lettering, checking e-mail, and coding my site.

The time it would take me to advertise my webcomics with the same vigor as other creators out there would sacrafice that sleeping time that's oh so sweet to me. In the end, fame is only 15 minutes while a body of work will last a lifetime.

It's nice to be noticed and appreciated, sure... But the sacrafice in time I make I believe is a good one. In the end, the work wins out.

[McDuffies]

That's a good excuse.

Incidentally, what are you drawing in print?

[Glychn]

Since you asked...

"Tales of a Forgotten Planet" from Narwain Publishing is currently available in comic book stores, where my story "Polarity" is printed right in between of Ben Dunn (the creator of all of those "How to Draw Manga" books we love so much) and Bryan Talbot (a print comics alumni of many years). There's several printing errors in the book (including but not limited to dropping the letters off of a complete page of mine >_<) but Narwain is a new company, so they're still learning.

I have 3 graphic novels coming out from Sonic Publishing next year entitled "Destiny's Kiss," and another Sonic Publishing book that I'm coloring called "Measure of Darkness" to also be released next year. A book for the now dead publisher Speakeasy (if you hadn't heard, it was tragic) I was coloring bits of called "Half Dead" was also to be released next year, but since the company folded we're shopping that around again.

I've also been working on an animated show pilot (to be announced) for several months now, a few pages of the story "Seismin Shift" for an anthology book written by Stephen Withrow (co-writer with John Barber of the "Webcomics" book that was released last year).

These are just my most current projects. I had been an artist and colorist at Archie Comics working on the "Sonic the Hedgehog" books for several years before then not to mention storyboard, set painter, puppeteer, and P.A. work in Hollywood for the Thumb featurettes from O Entertainment, several short films for various independents, TV shows, and some larger movies.

I'm only 22 years old, and am still attending university. If I can do it, you can do it. It just takes many, many hours in front of the art table alone, with nothing to keep you company but your music, DVDs, and the occasional good friend who drags you screaming back into the sunlight to remind you your alive. I also paint, sculpt, and write. Wow, I have no life.

-glych

[McDuffies]

Thanks for incouragement, though my geographical position makes USA comic scene the lesser target. I'm just being curious.

Actually, I was interested in hearing how much of your work work in print is author work and how much is, well, Sonic the Hedgehog. Or in other words, how much prospect is there for publishing your personal author work.

[Glychn]

Destiny's Kiss is written and drawn by me. I had Red Dahlia printed in the 2nd Drunk Duck Anthology which is co-written and drawn by me, and the story Polarity is written and drawn by me. I've a few other projects I'm currently writing, and several others I'm currently drawn not mentioned above.

Archie, like many other companies in the US market, is interesting in that most of the time, you don't get credit for your work when you're starting out (Ask anyone who's worked for a coloring studio, Marvel, DC, or the like, and they'll tell you the same thing). I drew, inked, and colored several pages and pinups for the series over the years but only got ONE credit for the colors on Sonic #145's opening splash page. It was also my last work with the company. They've gone through so many editors in the 4 years I worked with them, that it wasn't even funny. The only reason why I got credit with that last piece, was because I was threatening leaving if I didn't. They did, finally, but because my contact with the company, Ken Penders, left for similar circumstances, I decided to not push my luck and concentrate on other horizons. Sonic was a dark, dark chapter in my comic history....oh the horror the stories...the horror...US Comics (as a business) are not what people think it is. It's just as backstabbing and currupt as any other publishing medium...

I understand that Eupean Comics are a bit different in that regard. I certainly know that they expand far beyond the single genre of "superheroes." I also know my work is much more accepted in European countries than in the US.

-glych

[McDuffies]

US Comics (as a business) are not what people think it is. It's just as backstabbing and currupt as any other publishing medium...

So I've heard.

I understand that Eupean Comics are a bit different in that regard. I certainly know that they expand far beyond the single genre of "superheroes." I also know my work is much more accepted in European countries than in the US.

Euro comics are far more open and far less concearned for profit. Of course, even there, the best sellers are commercial assembly-line products. Several artists from my native country (Serbia) found steady job there, mainly drawing routine work, spin-offs of popular series and that kind of stuff. So it's still not easy to manage to get creative control, but it's a lot easier than in USA.
Incidentally, they don't draw superheroes at all. When they need superheroes, they buy American. French commercial crap varies in genres from space opera to western.

[Glychn]

Mostly derrived from Blueberry and Metal Hurlant, I'm sure.

My personal work is mostly love stories, some sci fi, some fantasy, time travel, and political thrillers.

Red Dahlia is my "one" superhero title but that was as a "I can do superhero work too you know" piece to get more work in the US market. I'm limited to the US market right now because I'm finishing school, and it's difficult to corrispond with European publishers over such a great distance. I do plan on visiting, if not living in Europe when I finish with my schooling and try out my work there. But I am limited by my ignorance of other languages; America has terrible schooling in that regard...

Are you currently still in Serbia?

-glych

[McDuffies]

Yep. Studying electroengineering in Belgrade.

Mostly derrived from Blueberry and Metal Hurlant, I'm sure.

Yeah, Bluebery and John Difool spin-offs drawn by various art labour are everywhere, but there's also Jeah Van Ham (comic incarnation of Sidney Sheldon, I think), "Corigans" (style-less airbrush art, story based of Gaelic mythology) and of course, Asterix will always be bestseller, no matter how poor his albums currently are.

But then, Trondheim is doing very well and he's dragged a whole line of different artists into his game, "Sky doll", Bilal, Satrapi, etc, etc, you just have to browse through one average comic shop in france to realise that they're not limiting to any style or genre.

[Glychn]

I've only seen pictures and video of french comic shops...

and have drooled over the collections therein.

Asterix is quite good from the collections I've read. I also know that Donold Duck, Uncle Scrooge, and other Disney comics sell volumes in Europe. The superhero genre specific emphasis over in the US sickens me. I've recently moved up to Canada on sebatical to get work done, and the variance in comic genres op here is almost as diverse as the french stores. Almost.

So you're going to be in Electrical Engineering. My brain spins when it looks at any mathmatical equation more complex than a quadratic; you are far stronger than I.

-glych