Comic Genesis Forums

ok, for now this is just a thought, but if many will like it, it might just be a pilot for an ongoing comic project:
a comic, updates 2-3 times a week
but, every time it will be drawn and written by another artist (i suppose many would come back, but the general idea is that it won't have only one or two artists).
let me explain:
let's say i saw today's strip, and i got an idea for the next one.
i draw it, and send it to the manager (who is, let's say me).
the manager gets 3 strips that acts as the next one (mine's, bob's and billy's strips) and puts on the best one as the next strip
in case of no strips or no strips worth adding, the manager makes his own strip and puts it as the next one.
how cool is that?
noy

I think this thing is already going on. Over at Comixpedia, they call it a "Jam," where a different artist continues a comic week after week. It sounds like fun--sort of like those campfire stories where you pass it along to someone else in the group.

Would be nice to have a central theme, though, maybe central characters different artists could use and abuse.

You mean something like The Exile, yes?

It also sounds a lot like HNTRAC. The only thing that would bother me about it is the 'not good enough' idea. If a comic like the one you're cooking up is created, I would think you'd get the most participation by included everyone. Here's a suggestion that you may or may not accept.

Sign-Ups. The Mod of this comic could do the first one and other artists can sign up. say Bob and Billy both want to do one, so they tell you they want to. Instead of making them both do a comic to follow directly after yours, have Bob do comic #2 and Billy to comic #3 and so on so it would look like this:

#1: Mod
#2: Bob
#3: Billy
#4: Whoever sends in the next email...

And if anyone forgets to send in their assigned comic based on the comic preceeding theirs, they are skipped and it's up to the next person in line to do that particular comic.

Just an idea so no one is forced to be excluded based on artistic talent or personal preference.

Another reason behind the sign up idea is that a lot of the people who would want to participate are, of course, comic artists. And, though I can't speak for everyone, I wouldn't be happy if I put some effort into a comic and then have it rejected over someone elses.. especially when I had my own comic to update. It would be a big slap in the face to someone who has a limited amount of time and just ended up wasting it on something that wouldn't be used.

I've participated in a few such comic jams in my time. They tend to be fun for a while, and then peter out. They never ever result in any kind of coherent narrative.

The most successful jam ever is probably comicollage, but that runs on a predetermined rotation (which has gradually evolved over the years), rather than the free-for-all system.

The idea of 3 people submitting one comic for a single space is never too popular. If it takes me over 4 hours to make one comic, I'd rather stick to my own comic where it's guaranteed to go up.

Exactly.

I think one writer (maybe two) and multiple artists would work infinitely better. Or perhaps a head writer that the artists submit their scripts to for verification and editting before they start drawing.

It's the whole disruptive narritive flow that's recently made me finally decide to abstain from making any more Exile strips. Too many people wanting to be the one to make all the big plot points, wrench the story in completely new directions, or otherwise move it all along way too fast.

This also reminds me (vaguely) of the project Scott McCloud had dgoing on his site where people submitted ideas for the next panel in a long-form comic, then he picked the best one to draw and add to the story.

Alternatively, you can have an unlimited number of people submitting comics for any week, choosing what branch of the story tree they want to follow.

Let's say that guy A draws the first strip on week one. On week 2 there are 3 strips that take from there, submitted by B, C and D.

WEEK 2

A
|-B
|-C
|-D

If I want to send a strip in week 3, I can choose to make it for any of the three story branches that we have now. Let's say that three more people send in strips for week three, E follows B's plot and F & G follow D's plot.
So you have at week three:

WEEK 3


A
|-B-E
|-C
|-D---F,G

Now, people who want to send strips for week 4 can choose whether to attach theirs to the storyline A-B-E, or A-D-F, or A-D-G.

And so on, and so forth.

The advantages of doing it this way are that:
1) everyone's art is showcased;
2) people have a choice of various storylines so more inspiration for strips;
3) readers have fun exploring how a story can branch into totally different directions.

As long as the index page has clear enough linking, it could be pretty cool.

Actually, most of the idea sounds like what we've been doing for the KSGD or Keenspace Cluedo games in the Forum Games forum. I think McD has them archived in SpaceJams

ok, first, Bekka: eep!
second: i was pretty sure i was the very first to come up with that idea :-b
third: i still want to do it(-:
so let's say this: a small arc of 4+ strips to start the comic, discussed together as a group but drawn separately, than the comic becomes a gag-a-strip with arcs every once in a while.

a second, not too different idea is to continue (and remake while we're at it) MY comic, so we'd have a basic plot, a beginning, and a less copywrited comic :-b.

or if you have a suggestion, i'm all eyes...
noy

Bekka wrote:Alternatively, you can have an unlimited number of people submitting comics for any week, choosing what branch of the story tree they want to follow.
[...]

The advantages of doing it this way are that:
1) everyone's art is showcased;
2) people have a choice of various storylines so more inspiration for strips;
3) readers have fun exploring how a story can branch into totally different directions.

And the disadvantage is that after just a couple of pages you have hundreds of completly different branches to continue.
And unless you get a person, or a group, that decides to follow only one of these branches (thus recreating one of the other schemes), all of the branches will be moving at unbearably slow (and growing even slower) pace.

that's why i said "eep"
noy

noy2222 wrote:noy

You should team up with JexKerome.

He keeps saying "nyo"

YarpsDat wrote:

noy2222 wrote:noy

You should team up with JexKerome.

He keeps saying "nyo"

And draw Pokemon porn!

i so should not :-b
noy

No, wait.. I think Warren's on to something. Tell us more.

pokemon porn would be a problem.
being as pokemons are... naked most of the time(-:
noy

This idea reminds also of (sadly failed) continue my story. After a while, noone was willing to submit a new story, and they were sure that it'd go up.
Other thing, don't get me wrong, but it seems like discrimination of artwork. A ground for a long discussion about what makes one comic suitable, and the other not-suitable, plus we have to account that manager is partly subjective, in wors course of events it could end up with picking the same few authors all over again.
So, it's your decision - risky project (I mean, you don't risk particulary anything but your time and effort, the only risk is to put too much of it in project and then it fails) so it's your decision. I don't think I'd be personally interested in it, but if story goes interesting way, maybe.

YarpsDat wrote:

Bekka wrote:Alternatively, you can have an unlimited number of people submitting comics for any week, choosing what branch of the story tree they want to follow.
[...]

The advantages of doing it this way are that:
1) everyone's art is showcased;
2) people have a choice of various storylines so more inspiration for strips;
3) readers have fun exploring how a story can branch into totally different directions.

And the disadvantage is that after just a couple of pages you have hundreds of completly different branches to continue.
And unless you get a person, or a group, that decides to follow only one of these branches (thus recreating one of the other schemes), all of the branches will be moving at unbearably slow (and growing even slower) pace.

You know, Kisai had a similar idea: writing a script that would allow to set a site like this. Then, authors would be asked to do a strip or few (with Kisai's authority I think it would work out) and the whole construction would slowly grow. I think that idea was abandoned. Too bad, I liked it very much.