Character "Stats"

Glarryg · Post by **Glarryg** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:52 am

I'm in the process of developing a sort of "companion book" to my comic, with various goodies like a brief history of the cast, character pinups, and a bonus sidestory. The thing is that I'm on the fence about whether I want to do those "character statistics" rundowns, with height and age and all of that stuff. Sometimes people like that kind of thing, and other times it looks kind of goofy. What's the general consensus on these?

Thanks,
Glarryg

Swikan · Post by **Swikan** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:59 am

The important stuff like character traits/history etc. is what I'm interested in when I read those things. The other stuff is just like an artist's reference for drawing (height, weight, distinguishing features) or RPG info, but the reader has an idea of that already if they're reading your comic.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:23 am

I doubt anyone would be terribly interested in character weight and eye colour, but a list of stats would make it look official and organised, like a personel file. That makes it a design consideration.

Well, to me.

- Joel Fagin

Swikan · Post by **Swikan** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:29 am

That's a good point. If you were doing it as a 'personnel file" or ID card or something, you would want that info.

MinekaC. · Post by **MinekaC.** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:46 am

I'd personally give each character a two page spread, if yer on the fenc on this. With one page being 75% text on the characters history and what not, with maybe a face shot, where on the adjacent page you've got a really cool full body shot with just a whole listing of their stats. That way it sorta makes everyone happy. People who aren't interested in the stats just look at the picture, and then flip the page, since it's sort of just an add-on to the full body picture, and they'll know "all interesting stuff here, all techniquel stuff here" no confusion that way, plus it fills up space, heh.
Anyway, just my opinion the idea. Good luck with it!
But that is of course assuming this is like a printed hard copy yer doing.....
if it's not, and it's strictly web page form.... erm.... I dunno how you'd work that to make everyone happy, sorry.

Blackaby · Post by **Blackaby** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:48 am

I'm always really excited to find out a character's blood type.

Doll · Post by **Doll** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:51 am

I don't even know my own blood type. That's... bad, isn't it?

Blackaby · Post by **Blackaby** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:53 am

Me either, but I'm guessing it's AWESOME

Doll · Post by **Doll** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:56 am

Yay! BEST BLOOD EVAR!!!

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:12 am

Your blood is full of guinness, paddies!

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:15 am

I didn't know till this spring, when I found out that it's 0+. Which means I'm a natural giver.

Here's a suggestion: write an interesting paragraph or two about every character. Write something that can't be read in a comic, but is amusing in the same way the comic in amusing, so something that can be read independently, for fun and not only for information.
Then sneak in things like stats and more official information besides those.

Tynan · Post by **Tynan** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:19 am

I'm O negative...I dont like having this blood.

Swikan · Post by **Swikan** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:30 am

I am LOL at the turn this conversation has taken. You all are so silly.

And just so I can be included in the sillyness, I will tell you that my bloodtype is perfect.. A+.

I didn't know that until I went to get my marriage license ... they still did blood tests back then.

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:43 am

Mr.Bob wrote:Your blood is full of guinness, paddies!

*taps a vein*

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:33 am

mcDuffies wrote:I didn't know till this spring, when I found out that it's 0+. Which means I'm a natural giver.

You can give blood to anyone except those with the ultra-rare blood types, and those with O-.

Tynan wrote:I'm O negative...I dont like having this blood.

Like poor Tynan here. He can give blood to anyone but the ultra-rare blood types, but can only receive O- blood.

Me? I'm B+. that's right, be positive!

Oh and, I'd be cautious about giving specific physical stats. Hair color and eye color maybe yeah, but when you do height and weight, the tendency is to compare characters and say, "Wait, XX is taller than YY and in frame 3, they're the same height!"

Czar · Post by **Czar** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:16 am

rkolter wrote:Me? I'm B+. that's right, be positive!

I may have to hurt you know.

Noise Monkey · Post by **Noise Monkey** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:54 am

rkolter wrote:...ultra-rare blood types...

what, like...F?

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:21 am

Noise Monkey wrote:
rkolter wrote:...ultra-rare blood types...
what, like...F?

"Null" comes to mind - there's 50,000 or so people in the world who have no RF factors on their blood cells at all. They are the ultimate donators - anyone can take their blood... but they can't even take O- blood; they can only take Null blood.

Noise Monkey · Post by **Noise Monkey** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:27 am

I need to find these people...

Not for any reason mind you...

Garneta · Post by **Garneta** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:30 am

I'm not sure what blood type I am...

I was gonna put all the stats up there when I first designed my character pages, along with a head shot from the comic. Now that I'm redesigning them, I'm thinking of a full body shot, and a paragraph telling some things about them.