Secret Santa Fanart Swap

[Linkara]

Sure, it's a bit early to suggest, but I figured this would give people the maximum amount of time to do it considering how busy the next two months can get. ^_~

I'm assuming something like this has been done before, but hopefully it's a good enough idea that people will join in on it. I'm assuming everyone is familiar with the concept of a Secret Santa, a person who will buy a gift for another person without letting them know who it is until they actually give the present. In this case, here's my idea: we have people sign up here with a link to their comic and in about two weeks or so from now, I'll put all the names into a hat or something and randomly assign people to do a fanart picture for someone else!

What do you think, sirs and madames? Too simple? Too stupid? Too 'Linkara's a moron; we do this on an official basis every year without him needing to step in?'

[LibertyCabbage]

We did it last year and I had a fun time with it. There was another Secret Santa comic thing, too (and I got The Noob which resulted in some awesome linkage ... thanks again, Gianna!)

I dunno who's supposed to be in charge of it this year, but it'd be a good time to get it going.

[The Mortician]

I'll put all the names into a hat or something and randomly assign people to do a fanart picture for someone else!

If YOU are taking the step forward to run this... Simply assign people a number... and use http://www.randomizer.org to randomly assign people a number. It can be set up so at least the not repeat the number and assign it in a order.


I'm in.

[Noise Monkey]

I hit a rough patch last year around this time and have yet to make good on mine. I feel enough like a jerk, so I won't be signing up for anything anytime soon.

[MinekaC.]

I'm totally in.
Yea, starting it this early is a good idea, gives plenty of time to come up with something.

[Hallonpress]

Sounds like fun. Count me in!

[Perk_daddy]

I am all over that.

[Mercury Hat]

Too 'Linkara's a moron; we do this on an official basis every year without him needing to step in?'

http://www.taoofgeek.com/ss/info.php

[Kirb]

Jesus, it's like Christmas starts earlier every year.

You consumer pawns.

[Kisai]

Too early if it's CG only. Do you really want people who just started a comic to decide to go on hiatus and stiff you, meanwhile they get something?

Typically in the past (including REAL LIFE), santa swaps are successful provided everyone involved likes each other, and there is no hard feelings towards anyone in the group, otherwise the person who intentionally, or unintentionally gets someone they aren't fond of, will "do whatever" minimum possible to fullfill the requirement.

When it involves actually purchasing gifts, there is usually a dollar limit minimum/maximum, so nobody with deep pockets goes overboard, and nobody with little money tries to squeeze by with a 1$ scratch ticket (which in the past has been the cheapest thing I've seen people get.)

The analogy for webcomics is that the people who are involved need to have a variety of people who are honestly updating, or doing other art, of around the same skill level/effort willing to put in. I know some people can turn out a full CG'ed page in under an hour, and others would barely have finished drawing, let alone scanning. Not to insinuate that people who neither draw [well] would join just so they could get a well done CG from a better artist, but you have to ask the question of "would they regularly have done this as fan/gift art?" .

In my opinion, before everyone is given their "match", a list of participants should be listed, and given a quick "is there anyone on this list that does not draw, doesn't put in effort into drawing, or may be highly controversial [if matched up with anyone/someone]?", remove those names, then generate the secret santas.

A different arrangement, would be for someone to simply pair off people of similiar drawing skill/willing to do only a specific style. Like say pair off the people that are going to do full CG, then pair off the ones going for fully inked, and then sketch-only, etc

I don't know, I never participate in these things because I can't commit the time and I don't believe my drawing ability is good enough.

[VinnieD]

Fanart. I love getting it and I love drawing it. There's no part of this that I don't love.

Some good measures to keep it honest. Keep it to comics that maintain a regular update schedule and haven't had any recent long periods without update, regular forum posters, and as for quality. Well Honestly differnet people draw at different speeds and have their own prefferences. Just keep it to the standard at which one draws his or her own comic.

I'd love to to be CG/keenspace/spot thing but I understand if it were just handled privately among a consenting group.

[LibertyCabbage]

Re: Kisai, I prefer it the current randomized way. Trying to manage it makes it too complicated, and I like the idea of getting assigned to do a fan art for someone you wouldn't normally do or even don't like. Regardless of the persons involved and their levels of skill, it's a nice gesture to draw fan art.

[Tim]

Too 'Linkara's a moron; we do this on an official basis every year without him needing to step in?'

http://www.taoofgeek.com/ss/info.php

There's this (which typically includes webcomics from all over the Internet), and there was also a CG-exclusive Secret Santa swap last year that Pimpette and KrisX handled, which I felt went over pretty well.

And considering neither of them are on CG anymore, unless they're willing to do it again, it sounds like we've got some volunteers to run it again.

[Kisai]

Re: Kisai, I prefer it the current randomized way. Trying to manage it makes it too complicated, and I like the idea of getting assigned to do a fan art for someone you wouldn't normally do or even don't like. Regardless of the persons involved and their levels of skill, it's a nice gesture to draw fan art.

I wasn't implying to do it my way, just that like everything else on the internet, it only takes a few idiots to ruin it for everyone, and then nobody wants to do it again.

[Linkara]

After looking at the site Kisai gave me, it doesn't seem to have had any activity since last January... also it's not accepting the ability to join the list. ^^;; As such, I'm still going to go ahead with planning and plotting this one. ^_~

[Tim]

If you're referring to the ToG site Merc gave, then yeah...typically sign-ups start around the beginning of December. It's just kind of early (for some of us, at least) to be thinking about Christmas.

[Mercury Hat]

Because it doesn't start until December.

DARN YOU TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM

[Escushion]

Am I still eligible to give art even if I just do the writing for my own comic now?

[Linkara]

If you're referring to the ToG site Merc gave, then yeah...typically sign-ups start around the beginning of December. It's just kind of early (for some of us, at least) to be thinking about Christmas.

Meep! Yeah, sorry, I meant Merc. ^^;

Still, I prefer a bit of a head start here since once Thanksgiving comes around, probably the majority of American CG-ers are going to busy either:

1. Planning for Christmas
2. Getting ready for college/school finals
3. Dealing with the general business of the season
4. Working at a place that probably is busy around Christmastime

While this is a generalization, I tend to feel that more time to plan = more chances of success for this sort of project.

[Linkara]

Am I still eligible to give art even if I just do the writing for my own comic now?

I haven't hammered out any rules yet, but for the moment I'm inclined to say yes.