Rebirth of Webcomic Above Discussion

[Mo]

For the record, I've started mine... I'm moving on Sunday.

[Jackhass]

I'll go as far to say that Neko's reviews are entertaining and refreshing to read. He's the forum's Simon: everyone dislikes him and thinks he's a jerk, but his scathing remarks are infinitely more amusing and insightful than what the other judges say and I'll bet he's the real source of the show's popularity.

This ain't American Idol. We're a community here...we should be trying to help each other out, not trying to write the most "entertaining" devestating reviews. Hell, even Simon usually leaves it at a short catty remark. He doesn't keep them there for 20 minutes berating them.

It's easy to look at an artist at the top of his/her game and ignore all the years of struggling, failing, and learning it took for them to get there.

Exactly, so we should be trying to encourage fellow amatures, not stomping them down. We don't need to throw up extra roadblocks.

Anywho, whaaaaatever. I've said my piece on this...don't feel like turning this into a big deal. Keep on a' reviewing people.

[LibertyCabbage]

Yes, sometimes they sleep with the EIC, other times they are the nephew of the owner. Oh, and there's always "The current EIC likes me and fired everyone that disagreed with him".

Thanks for completely ignoring the subject of my post in favor of making a witty comment.

The point is being the most skilled in the industry doesn't always mean you'll get the job.

It's about who you know.

Stan Lee got his start him comics because his uncle was the owner of Timely.

What the hell kind of attitude is that?

[ChaosBurnFlame]

a realist's...

The industry is jaded, full of internal politics. Trying to get in is harder than one thinks and having a 'kickass' style and portfolio isn't enough anymore.

Getting in 'The Big Two' is notoriously bad.

Image offers a good way for those individuals that are exceptionally skilled to get a start, but again, you have to impress someone, and knowing that someone is a better guarantee than being 'joe blow off the streets'.

Indie and underground publishers are still growing, but it's still, and always will be, about who you know, or (in the case of Devin Grayson), who you sleep with.

[Col]

For the record, I've started mine... I'm moving on Sunday.

Don't worry, there are people a looooooot more behind than you.

[McDuffies]

My, my, Jackhass, you aren't at all supportive of Neko's review. What if the poor guy gets disspassionate about reviewing and never reviews another comic in his life? It will all be because of you.

[LibertyCabbage]

a realist's...

I'm as cynical as the next guy, but shouting nepotism and favoritism isn't constructive. I'm advocating hard-work, perseverance, and upping craftsmanship -- is this so wrong? I assume that the webcomickers here make comics because they enjoy doing it, so what's wrong with aspiring for greater things? It's easy to make a million excuses and preach about the evils of the world and never get anywhere or do anything. It's easy to give up. Trying, and growing, and taking risks aren't easy -- and that's why they're laudable. Personally, I'm working on the much-maligned English major right now, and I know that this path has minimal chance of success or worth, but I'm doing it because it's what I enjoy and am interested in, and I decided that if I took an easier and more reliable route that I'd always wonder, "What if?" and contemplate what could've happened if I'd picked the difficult and risky but potentially more rewarding option. So, I feel it's more virtuous to give one's full effort and passion, regardless of the results, rather than making excuses and giving up.

[McDuffies]

Kirby wasn't an inker, he was a penciler.

Kirby, from what I knew of the man, based on what I'm told by people that worked with him, never inked...

In fact, in the early days, he still didn't ink his own stuff... HIS WIFE ROZ DID!

Misconceptions of Kirby are one of the few things that bug me.

Hm, I guess that's a goof on my side. I did have in mind Kirby's comics that your inking reminded me of, but apparently I wasn't aware that he wasn't an inker of them.

As for the review itself, a lot of what you say is stuff I've heard before, but as for the over simplifications.... It's based on the idea that morality isn't too complicated if you don't let it be...

Hm, from my experience, morality turns out to be complicated even in much more mundane situations than the one you're describing... the vision that is so simple simply clashes with our daily experience. One thinks: doesn't Ultra ever have a bad day? Doesn't he ever get carried away with the power trip?

Overall, Point Guardian is a learning process for me, it's a moving exercise to build on my skills as an artist and storyteller. When Point Guardian ends, I realize I probably wouldn't be able to market it, but by then I figure I can be able to market and work on one of my many other ideas.

And as I learn, I take steps closer to the pros that I wish to one day become like(switching to a brush for inking, switching to 11x17 paper over letter sized, stuff like that).

That's the best attitude, though it's going a bit slowly considering how much you've drawn and how much you've actually tried to challenge yourself into improving, I seriously suggest that you change something in your approach.
About the brush, I know that most of professional inkers prefere brush over a quill, but many of them addmitedly do that simply because they never properly mastered quill. European artists, on the other hand, are rather keen on quill, and also, around here, you'll hardly find anyone who is skilled with a brush. So it's not as much a default artistic choice as it's a matter of personal preferation, and I always thought that it has something to do with temper, with speed you're used to and with how your hand acts, which one of those two you'll choose.
What I'm saying is, you gotta be open to both options, and to markers as well, I guess, try to work with them all and see which one works out best for you. Brush isn't neccesarily what you'll get best results with.

[Rkolter]

[soapbox]
Every time we have a Webcomic Above thread, we end up with some kind of arugement about the reviews.

A review is not (well, very rarely) an attack on your personal character. Some are done diplomatically, some are done with a rusty sawblade and a blowtorch. Some provide advice, some merely point out the bad.

But it's not designed to give you a warm fuzzy. Get your warm fuzzies from your readers, or good grief, show some strength of character and get them from yourself looking over what you've done. The whole point of having someone review your comic is to get at the eyes and mind of someone who isn't emotionally tied to your work.
[/soapbox]

[ChaosBurnFlame]

Hm, from my experience, morality turns out to be complicated even in much more mundane situations than the one you're describing... the vision that is so simple simply clashes with our daily experience. One thinks: doesn't Ultra ever have a bad day? Doesn't he ever get carried away with the power trip?

Actually I tried a script like that, but in the end, it felt more like a 'revenge fantasy' than a good story.

Which is one of the bigger problems comic books have, mainly political revenge fantasies the mostly predominant left has as writers and using that majority to write illy conceived revenge fantasies against public officials or ideas they disagree with.

Not to sound too political at all or wanting to bring politics into it, so don't misunderstand. It's a fact of life, most comic book writers are liberals. Just like the film industry, we just learn to get over it and pray they don't shove it into your faces too hard, regardless on which side of the political spectrum you're on.

The script I'm taking about was an early abortive version of PG Issue #32, where the original concept was a reporter printed lies about Ultra's private life, and James Gardner, both as himself and as Ultra, made the reporter's life a living hell. In the end, I trashed it when I realized "Hey, that's not who James Gardner is!".

I'm trying to find a happy medium between 'believable characterization' and 'obvious morality', and well, I'm still learning

EDIT: as for the brush?

My previous brush work was before I switched to larger media, and even then I use a size 0.

Legendary inker Wallace Wood used a size 2.

[McDuffies]

For the record, I've started mine... I'm moving on Sunday.

You've written:

A review of Little White Knight:

haven't you?

[Joel Fagin]

I'm moving on Sunday.

Good luck! Hope it all goes smoothly.

- Joel Fagin

[Dutch!]

Okay. Now, somebody please take the steering wheel and turn this argument off the roundabout it's been on, eh?

You'll end up grizzling and getting the threads locked and we'll still be waiting for our reviews!

For the record, I reckon you're both wrong on the basis that you're not right.

[McDuffies]

I disagree. I think that you think that we're right, therefore your basis that we're wrong is without a basis!

[Carlin]

Okay. Now, somebody please take the steering wheel and turn this argument off the roundabout it's been on, eh?

*snip*

I hereby claim this land the name of my trousers. For my first action as self appointed King, I declare WAR against all public nudity laws and ordinances.



*drops pants*

[Mon Ami]

Okay. Now, somebody please take the steering wheel and turn this argument off the roundabout it's been on, eh?

*snip*

I hereby claim this land the name of my trousers. For my first action as self appointed King, I declare WAR against all public nudity laws and ordinances.



*drops pants*

-A censor bar promptly covers his 'nudity'.-

[Vorticus]

Okay. Now, somebody please take the steering wheel and turn this argument off the roundabout it's been on, eh?

*snip*

I hereby claim this land the name of my trousers. For my first action as self appointed King, I declare WAR against all public nudity laws and ordinances.



*drops pants*

*launches a preemptive assault against Carlin*

[RemusShepherd]

I'm as cynical as the next guy, but shouting nepotism and favoritism isn't constructive. I'm advocating hard-work, perseverance, and upping craftsmanship -- is this so wrong?

Um...it's a little wrong, if I may say so.

All those things are important, don't get me wrong. But at least as important are social and networking skills, and business skills if you work for yourself. And this isn't just in comics, it's in just about every field.

All I'm saying is, kids, don't neglect your social skills and don't dismiss the value of good contacts. Or you'll end up like your Uncle Remus here.

[Zhongda]

Placed up a review for LC's comic.

I hope it was constructive in some way.

[Dave Against The Machine]

Review for Somewhere I belong is up, and ZOMG, Sparrow is doing mine.
I am gonna die.