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Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:20 pm
by SergeXIII
I picked this idea up from a convention and have been meaning to try it out. Its a reformation of the comic Jam concept to produce a cohesive story (v.s. the jumbled mess resulting from multiple artists struggling to make their characters the center of attention) and do so in a very quick time, and in a way that can produce a minicomic for all participants in the end. Here's the basic method: The head of the jam picks a topic and establishes a few simple characters that everyone can draw. Then plot points based on how many participants are involved are set down. Each participant is assigned a point and describes the beginning and end of the page for the plot point, the middle being all up to the artist in question. Each participant goes about drawing their page at the same time, when everyone is finished we have a complete story! Let me give you an example

Concept: Boy is late to school.
Cast: Boy and Dog.

1. Boy wakes up.
1-2.Boy watches cartoons.
2-3.The bus leaves without the boy.
3-4.The boy runs to school.
4-5.The boy encounters a dog.
5. The boy gets detention for bringing a dog to school.

So the person assigned to page 2 would start with the boy watching cartoons and end with the bus leaving. In the meantime the Boy could need to use the bathroom, set some furniture on fire by overheating the tv, become entranced by it, daydream about being in the tv, thats all up to the artist, so long as it opens with watching TV and ends with the bus leaving.

So as you no doubt guessed I would like to try this out. I'll take the lead role as I'm introducing this idea. Sign up if you're interested, and by the weekend I'll post a general concept and cast sketches to see if everyone is capable of drawing them. We'll assemble our plot points and regroup in a week to see what we came up with. Ideally we'd be able to make a book out of this to ad to our portfolios so I'll post some specs to shoot for.

I must also stress that we should not add exotic characters in this for several reasons, first and foremost being the spirit of the activity. And by this I mean our avatars. This shall serve as exercise in writing and composing comics and inside jokes and name dropping are, well, they're crutches that don't do so well off of these forums. I don't mean to offend by that, but thats what I think.

Anyway sign up if you're a bad enough dude.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:13 am
by Phact0rri
think I'd like to know the subject matter. be kinda horrible to sign up to draw something and not really dig the material at hand.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:44 am
by LibertyCabbage
Seeing as I'll be on summer vacation in the very near future, I'm sure I can muster a page.

And I don't care what the story's about. If it's something I don't like doing, then that only makes it more challenging.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:29 am
by SergeXIII
Phact0rri wrote:think I'd like to know the subject matter. be kinda horrible to sign up to draw something and not really dig the material at hand.
I think you're missing the point dude. Its about thinking on your feet. If you're worried about it being too obscure of exotic it won't be, as its meant to be accesable to everyone.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:49 am
by Laemkral
So pretty standard improv training set to artistry. If I could draw, I'd do it. But then again I love improv.

I've said, and others have said, time and time again, that the key to proper participation and contribution in a jam is a good understanding of the fundamentals of improv. A jam is just improv done with drawings. Whatever ruins an improv comedy show, is exactly what ruins a jam. And the same goes for a successful show/jam.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:27 pm
by Dreamaniaccomic
I'd love to join in. My improv needs sharpening.
That is, if you'll still take me after my horribly self-centered and moronic previous attempts at joining jams.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:45 pm
by SergeXIII
No biggie. Thats pretty much how everyone goes about it.

AW SNAP.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:51 pm
by SergeXIII
We don't have that many people on board but lets see how this goes anyway. Since its coming up soon I'm making this story about Free Comic Book Day and think it should revolve around our mascot, the Genchan, in a current day setting, suburbia. I drew this up as a model to work with as the Genchan has many forms but let me know if you guys want to change it or if theres something on it you'll have too much difficulty drawing.
Image

So, plot point one is mine

-Genchan leaves her home intending to arive at her local comic book shop for free comic book day.

Dreamanic is up for the next plot point, followed by LC, and well, thats everyone who signed up right now so that'll be it.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 1:56 am
by Dreamaniaccomic
Sounds good.
*gets to work on figuring out how to include ninjas and a giant robot for his section*

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 3:25 am
by Killbert-Robby
Shouldn't you give the battle comics a conclusion first? I dont wanna spend time on this if its gonna peter off and die.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:01 am
by McDuffies
Blue leg thing reminds me of this film.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 8:47 am
by LibertyCabbage
Killbert-Robby wrote:Shouldn't you give the battle comics a conclusion first? I dont wanna spend time on this if its gonna peter off and die.
Take a chill pill, bro. It's comin', it's comin'.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 10:51 am
by Ti-Phil
Might be tempting to try that.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 12:56 pm
by Phact0rri
I'll throw my hat in.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 8:58 am
by Dreamaniaccomic
Yay Phact0rri!
Join us, Ti-Phil!

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 9:05 pm
by SergeXIII
Okay Dream lets have the plot point. This is the quick and easy part, you dont need to be too specific, just give a simple statement. This is improv so you shouldn't need time for deliberation.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 9:22 am
by Dreamaniaccomic
- The taxi she takes to get to the shop gets involved in an impromptu street race and she ends up in Ontario, Canada.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 10:13 am
by SergeXIII
Okay cool, LC, your turn.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:15 pm
by LibertyCabbage
She gets dropped off in the Furrytown district of the city.

Re: Collaborative Story sign ups

Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 8:16 am
by SergeXIII
Good. Ti-Phil, its go time.