Ongoing Comic

[esper]

Dammit!!! I'm sorry guys, I posted this in the competitions forum without reading the rules... Even though they are posted largely directly there in front of your face when you try to start a new thread... Anyway, here's my idea, which then hopefully can be used to replace the ugly eyesore that I made in the stupid comp forum... How about an ongoing comic (as the name implies)... We used to do this in college when we had a boring professor as an alternative to sleeping.... One person will make a frame or a series of connected frames, and the next person will continue the story... We would just need to figure out what type of a comic it would be... comedy, adventure, superhero, an AGS fanfic (Larry Vales and Ben Jordan face off against Emily Enough and her minion, Earwig, as they try to take over RoN) Tell me what you think... And sorry for posting in the competition section prematurely...

[Tuomas]

Well, this sounds nice indeed, but as there probably wouldn't be no specific order, there'd be lots of people sending the same continuance, the next frame. I'd get frustrated, having drawn a frame and the noticing it was already done. But if you think the idea can be carried out, the I'm game...

[esper]

I'd thought aboot that. It might be difficult indeed, but I'm sure someone, in the combined semiinfinite wisdom of the AGS forums, can come up with a way to make it work. I was noticing that doesn't happen very frequently in things like the MSPaint competition, although it DOES hapen every now and then... I guess it could be like a mini competition in that case, and the next person in line picks the direction he wants to go (like a choose your own adventure)...

[Eggie]

Or Cointel.
I'd definately be on board with this, by the way.

[Scummbuddy]

just have someone mark their spot, stating that they are working on the next one, and for no one else to.

then later, they will edit their post wtih their comic, and then someone else will mark their spot.
with these boards features, if you edit your post it will show up as "New" on the forums, even if you had read it previously.

[Ubel]

I think this would definitely kill the current comic contest. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. This idea seems much better and would probably be more popular too. If you'd get it working that is. Gets my vote.

[Phemar]

Sounds Fantastic. Got my vote.

[Mozesh]

Pretty cool idea, get's my vote!
Maybe change the topic name to ongoing comic cause I didn't understand it at first

[esper]

Oh, sure, just because I can't spell...

... So, where are the mods? Take notice, forum gods! Thus is crafted a new competition!!!

I think Scummbuddy had the idea. When you see a frame you want to follow up with, just post something like "Mine! No touchy!" and then come back later with your frame and modify your post to show it. The rules for what you can draw would be up to three interrelated frames following up with the past posts. No "non-sequiturs" (going off topic) unless you are showing something related going on elsewhere. All we need is a genre and we're good to go.

[Gilbert]

It indeed is an interesting idea, if done correctly.
But I hope it won't go downhill like those previous 1-line story activities (similar idea, each time someone replies with 1 line to let the story flow).
I think we may think of a set format. How about this proposal:
1. Make it like the ASCII art/M$Pain activities that make them flow indefinitely.
2. Some one make a blank "frame", where ALL entries must be contained in such a set frame, preferably with some space at its corner marking the frame number.
3. Anyone who enters must wait at least 5 more frames to be posted before posting his next entry.

[esper]

1) Agreed. However, there might need to be an "end" to a set storyline... The comic will be indefinite, but there can be a conclusion to a "chapter" of it.

2) Also agreed, but as we found when we did this type of thing in colege, it is very difficult to show action in only one frame. As such, there should be a set frame size limitation (say, for instance, 640X480) in which the artist can do what they need to get their story progression to have logical flow. It would be ridiculous if, for example, you wanted to show someone hitting someone with a shovel, and it took four seperate artists four frames to do it. Also, I believe frame number is unnecessary.

3) Also agreed, based on how many people take part.

also, I'd like to throw in 4) Let's try to keep this on topic as much as possible. If it is a comedy, fine, but if we decide on some kind of survival horror thing lets not have somebody post something like this:


...Ready... Set...

[Gilbert]

2) The frame number is important for at least two reasons:
(a) it helps people to remember where did they stop reading last time.
(b) obvious there will be posts which are not entries, clogging the thread.

[esper]

gotcha. Frame numbers then. However, that might take up much-needed space in the post. Do you think it might be better to have it in the text of the post itself, or do you believe its absolutely necessary to be in the frame itself?

Oh, and btw, since some people have illegible handwriting, and even worse mousewriting, I propose a standard font... Something like comic sans serif, since that is the type they use in most comics... If for no other reason than for ease of reading and because everybody has that font...

[Paper Carnival]

Sounds great! I'll enter...

As for the font, I second Comic Sans.

[esper]

Okay, it looks like there's only one thing stopping this from getting started: we need a genre... I think it should be serious, since the best art and ideas will come out of it, but if I get outvoted on something cartoony and humorous I'll still go along with it. Would it be futuristic or modern, fantasy, science fiction, or horror? Would the main characters be superheroes, adventurers, or ordinary joes (or joettes)? As soon as we get some ideas to get a start on it, I'll draft up thread rules and, if someone wants to volunteer to lay down the first frame, that would be cool too...

Ã,  Ã, DRAFT OF RULES SO FAR:

Ã,  Ã, No going non-sequitur (off topic) unless it progresses the story in a logical manner.
Ã,  Ã, Make your work exist in a 640 X 480 frame. If you need to show action, you can use multiple frames, but they all must fit within a 640X480 space.
Ã,  Ã, If you want the next frame, post a space holding message. Once the frame has been drawn, edit the post to reflect the newly drawn frame. After twelve hours, someone else can take the post.
Ã,  Ã, In a fourteen-point Comic Sans font in the bottom left hand corner of the frame, insert a sequential frame number (the first being 1).
Ã,  Ã, To keep with ease of reading, uniformity, and legibility, use between a 10 and 16 point Comic Sans font. For "Bangs" amd "Booms" and such things, feel free to draw it yourself, but only if style calls for it (that type of thing wouldn't be found in, for example, a survival horror type of comic, but would abound in a superhero story).
Ã,  Ã, You must wait at least 5 frames before posting a new frame, to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate.
Ã,  Ã, The story will be indefinite. This does not mean that certain storylines will not end, but the main story should be kept going.
Ã,  Ã, Stay uniform. As nice as nonconformity is, it makes it difficult for readers to enjoy our work. If in one scene the main character is wearing a red shirt, do not change him into a blue shirt randomly in the middle of a scene in which said clothing change would be completely illogical. While we all may have different art styles, it does not mean that just because it is part of our "style" we should feel free to give the main character spiky anime hair and an eyepatch when he has never had these in prior frames...
Ã,  Ã, Have fun!!!

Ã,  Ã, Let me know how this looks so we can get it started!!!

[Gilbert]

Looks good, I think you may try starting it once you or some other people has idea for the first entry.

[Paper Carnival]

I'd go for humour style, but I don't mind if it's serious

[TheYak]

I'm thinking it'll stray to humor (or attempts) eventually.  The interesting parts will be when it's got a dramatic plotline and some genius actually introduces on-topic comedy.  I don't know which topic people would have the most in common with, even a modern tale would vary quite a lot between nations.  Why not try a mini-topic to give it a head-start and see how that goes?  Something like one guy's (or a couple for variety's sake) journey around the world.  Who knows? Might even see cool contributions by people from the nation they're visiting at the time.  Sci-Fi or Medieval might be easier, but it'd be more easily diverted, IMO.

[esper]

How's this: Let's just give it this mini-plot that YakSpit suggested (a couple of guy's journey around the world) a go, but not impose any other rules on it except the above posted ones. The original artist/author will then set the mode. Without purposely trying to give away the entire plot/setting in his one allotted frame, he can introduce a character and where they are at the time. The next artist or next couple artists can spend time developing the story from there. Thus, if the initial artist shows the character in a midieval world, a future artist could possibly show him travelling to a futuristic world using some kind of device and conceivably stay entirely on-topic. The initial artist could have him dressed in armor, but later we find this is just so he'll blend in with the people he's around and that he's really from the eighties (Marty McFly?) He might not even have been the main character, but simply a supporting character who was scouting for the main character. This way, the few of us coming up with these ideas or the first couple of artists won't be completely responsible for the entire story of the comic, thus making it everyone's baby.

I think we should be ready to go. If everyone's okay with this, then someone post in this thread that you want the first frame, and I'll set up the new thread in the competition forum with the rules and your placeholder...

[TheYak]

That suggested amount of versatility and artistic license sounds awesome.  Having never attempted computery-comicy-thingies, I'll wholeheartedly vote for Eggie to kick it off.