Cue evil laughter.

Um... It's okay if it's *little* tongue-in-cheek? I've been playing Plants vs Zombies and can't switch my brain to "serious mode" (and I kinda don't want to - but I will if you prefer).

Like this is what I have so far:

~~~~

3D/Poser:
Comics that make use of the THIRD DIMENSION (oo, ah) or appear to.

Action:
Chase scenes, fights, big explosions; CRASH POW ZOOM -- you know the stuff

Abstract/Random:
Fish

Adventure:
Quests, missions, explorations,, and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures.

Adult-oriented:
XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

~~~~

I just wanted to check if I'm doing this appropriately. I can make it all stone serious if you'd prefer.

@usedbooks -- I LIKE it, altho I'm clueless bout fish for random. as in the card game?

A little tongue-in-cheek humour is always a good thing! Serious feedback:

"Fish" might need to be expanded. As much as it made me chuckle, I'd hate to think we might end up with no nominees because none of the random comics do actually feature fish!

The Action and Adventure descriptions possibly need to be differentiated more. I can't help thinking the "and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures" bit pushes the adventure category precariously close to the action one.

DAJB
A little tongue-in-cheek humour is always a good thing! Serious feedback:

"Fish" might need to be expanded. As much as it made me chuckle, I'd hate to think we might end up with no nominees because none of the random comics do actually feature fish!

The Action and Adventure descriptions possibly need to be differentiated more. I can't help thinking the "and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures" bit pushes the adventure category precariously close to the action one.

Hmm. There is overlap for sure, and I didn't want to create exclusion via definition. But I leave it up to discretion of others here. Pick apart and rewrite as you see fit. :) My goal is to make a jumping off point.

I'll rewrite/add to the random one. And I'll write something for the rest of the categories -- maybe by tonight. (This is fun.) Btw, I am being more, um, cheeky with the more obvious categories.

I don't think I like the tongue-in-cheek descriptions. :/

The whole point of the descriptions are to make the categories clearer and easy to understand. I'm all for fun, but I can't help but think that they might add more confusion and/or not adequately explain what one is supposed to vote for.

usedbooks
Adult-oriented:XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

Like this one. I think it needs to be clear that only comics rated "A" are to be nominated for this, and that "A" comics aren't allowed to be nominated for any other category.

I mean, my comic was had a vote for best Adult last year. There is nudity in it, and violence, but it's not "adult".

usedbooks
Adult-oriented:A-rated comics. XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

Fixed.

:)

That's why I want editors/checkers. I recall some categories that cause confusion and what needs to be specified, but I can't remember all myself. Each erson has a couple categories they know more about. And some categories are very self-explanitory. I'll finish writing them my way and then we can have something to work with. (I don't even care if they are entirely rewritten, but it will be easier if we have something to start with.)

So, um, I'll post the whole thing as soon as I can.

GENRE/STYLE AWARDS


3D/Poser:
Comics that make use of the THIRD DIMENSION (oo, ah) or appear to.

Best Action Comic:
Chase scenes, fights, big explosions; CRASH POW ZOOM -- you know the stuff

Best Abstract/Random Comic:
Now for something completely different. Comics that march to the beat of their own drum, may have varied subject matter or mismatched jokes.

Best Adventure Comic:
Quests, missions, explorations, and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures.

Best Adult-oriented Comic:
A-rated comics. XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

Best All Ages Comic:
Child-friendly comics that the whole family can enjoy.

Best Anthropomorphic Comic:
They act like people and think like people, but they look like foxes or dolphins or toasters.

Best Community Project:
Comic/project created through the collaborative efforts of three or more people.

Best Fantasy Comic:
Magical, mythical, mystical, marvelous. Comics set in fantastical settings, involving magic or mythical creatures, abilities, or beings.

Best Horror Comic:
The dark, scary, and twisted. Monsters, psychological thrillers, and ax-wielding psychos all have their place among these wonderfully horrible comics.

Best Humor Comic:
Gags, jokes, lols, roflmaos, and such.

Best Manga:
Comics that follow the rules, practices, and conventions of Japanese cartooning.

Best Mystery/Crime/Noir:
Crime drama, police, mobsters, mysteries, hard-boiled detectives, and/or meddling kids.

Best Parody/Tribute:
Comics that use the characters, worlds, or creations of other creators. It's not copyright infringement! It's an homage!

Best Philosophical/Political Comic:
Make-you-think comics that address deep topics from the spiritual and philosophical to the cultural or political.

Best Photo Comic:
Smile! You're on Comic Camera!

Best Pixel/Sprite/Stock Image Comic:
These comics take existing (or created) sprites/images and assemble them in different ways to create new strips/pages.

Best Romance Comic:
Love love love love love love love love. Maybe some hate too, and some other things, but romantic relationship(s) take center stage.

Best Sci-fi Comic:
A form of speculative fiction so named because the fantastical elements are rooted in or explained by actual or fictional scientific theory.

Best Stick Figure or Simplified Art Comic:
o.o ^_^

Best Slice-of-life/Autobiographical Comic:
Autobiographical comics as well as fictional comics that revolve around the struggles and triumphs of everyday life. Sitcoms and/or melodrama.

Best Superhero Comic:
Too super for other categories.

Most Deliciously Offensive:
Mmmm. Aborted fetuses on a bed of eagle feathers and rhino horns procured by minority orphans in...

~~~~~


TECHNICAL AWARDS


Best Background Art:
The background, setting, environment, and surroundings. Including architecture, scenery, furniture, vehicles, etc.

Best Character Design:
The artistic design of the characters. This includes anatomy, facial expressions, and clothing (but not speech, mannerisms, or personality/actions).

Best Comic Layouts:
The components of visual storytelling that harmonize the artwork into a page and direct flow and pacing. Includes panel shape and position, placement of speech balloons, lettering, and general readability.

Best Dialogue:
It's all about what they say and how they say it.

Best Plot Development:
The overall story composition and pacing, and the use of storytelling elements.

Best Use of Color:
Creative and technical mastery of color to create mood and interest.

Best Use of B&W:
Best utilization of line-art, contrast, screen-tones, and other black and white techniques.

Most Improved Art:
The comic that shows the most artistic improvement between July 2010 and now.

~~~~~


CHARACTER AWARDS


Best Protagonist:
The (or a) main character, leading man or lady.

Best Antagonist:
Opposes the main character, a foil, usually a rival or villain.

Best Supporting Character:
A noteworthy secondary character; can be good, bad, or other.

Best Couple/Duo:
A memorable pairing of chums, lovers, associates, partners, or co-conspirators.

~~~~~


USER AWARDS

Nicest User

Funniest User

Most Helpful User

Most Supportive Reader

Most Dedicated Creator

Most Promising Newcomer

~~~~~


THE BIG ONES


Best Completed Comic:
Comics that were concluded sometime between July 2010 and now. (Indefinite hiatus doesn't count.)

Best Overall Comic Strip:
Best webcomic with stand-alone updates or short, unrelated story arcs, usually in a horizontal or vertical strip format.

Best Overall Story Comic:
Best webcomic that tells a continuous story, usually in full page format.

~~~~~





Okay, have at it. :P
(Obviously some definitions are in more need of sprucing up than others.)

While I'd still prefer more straight-laced descriptions, but most of these seem fine to me.

Just a few things:

usedbooks
GENRE/STYLE AWARDS

Best Adult-oriented Comic:
A-rated comics. XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

I feel there still needs to be something in there stating that this is the only category that A-rated comics can be voted in.

usedbooks
Best Horror Comic:
The dark, scary, and twisted. Monsters, psychological thrillers, and ax-wielding psychos all have their place among these wonderfully horrible comics.

Maybe replace "horrible" with "horrific", I know they're synonyms but I think it'd sound a little better.

usedbooks
Most Deliciously Offensive:
Mmmm. Aborted fetuses on a bed of eagle feathers and rhino horns procured by minority orphans in...

Maybe something more blatant? Like "These f&%#@ comics might p^@(# you the f*^^@* off?" xD

usedbooks
TECHNICAL AWARDS

Best Use of Color:
Creative and technical mastery of color to create mood and interest.

Best Use of B&W:
Best utilization of line-art, contrast, screen-tones, and other black and white techniques.

I don't consider line-art a black and white technique, really. People used color line-art and line-art is important in color comics as well (if they have lines, I mean, some black and white comics don't have lines either).

usedbooks
USER AWARDS

Nicest User

Funniest User

Most Helpful User

Most Supportive Reader

Most Dedicated Creator

Most Promising Newcomer

They are pretty self-explainatory, but I think they should have short blurbs for consistency.

Nicotine
...I feel there still needs to be something in there stating that this is the only category that A-rated comics can be voted in.

Say what?! Is this a new rule? Last year my A-rated comic was nominated for two categories besides Best Adult-Oriented, and even won one of them (Most Deliciously Offensive). So it's only eligible for one category this year?

Also, I wasn't aware that only A-rated comics can be voted Best Adult-Oriented, and don't see any point in limiting the field there. If an M-rated comic fits the bill, then there's no reason to leave them out!

I really dig the descriptions btw!

Something I wanted to reply to that someone else didn't respond to already

DAJB
- New categories. I wouldn't get too hung up on creating new categories. The more categories you have, the harder it becomes (a) to find enough judges and (b) for the judges to read through all the finalists.

This is something I'm worried about too. Before voting officially starts I may ask for volunteers only. Just to get an idea of how many ppl we have to work with. I have a cintiq again so I should be able to contribute art again soon :)

We may have to trim it down if we don't get enough volunteers (not that every volunteer pulls through but it's a better indicator than nothing :P)

@ Vickie: You are doing an awesome job. I guess it should be noted on all categories the 1 year time frame. (unless it doesn't apply obviously)

And the user awards need to mention that you cannot vote for an admin or mod
Well for Most helpful User (What about Nicest user? I think maybe this should just apply to most helpful)

Or should the "employees" not be eligible for any user awards? I personally don't like that idea.

Dedicated needs a description bad. Just based on comic updates? How much they advertise? Networking? Heck... I'm still trying to figure out the criteria for this one :P

El Cid

Nicotine
...I feel there still needs to be something in there stating that this is the only category that A-rated comics can be voted in.

Say what?! Is this a new rule? Last year my A-rated comic was nominated for two categories besides Best Adult-Oriented, and even won one of them (Most Deliciously Offensive). So it's only eligible for one category this year?

Also, I wasn't aware that only A-rated comics can be voted Best Adult-Oriented, and don't see any point in limiting the field there. If an M-rated comic fits the bill, then there's no reason to leave them out!

There was a rule about that last year. Honestly, I don't mind if it get changed, but no one ever mentioned changing it so I assumed it still stood.

El Cid

Nicotine
...I feel there still needs to be something in there stating that this is the only category that A-rated comics can be voted in.

Say what?! Is this a new rule? Last year my A-rated comic was nominated for two categories besides Best Adult-Oriented, and even won one of them (Most Deliciously Offensive). So it's only eligible for one category this year?

Also, I wasn't aware that only A-rated comics can be voted Best Adult-Oriented, and don't see any point in limiting the field there. If an M-rated comic fits the bill, then there's no reason to leave them out!

I really dig the descriptions btw!

Not sure why I missed that.
No, A rated comics should be eligible in any category. BUT only A-Rated should be eligible in Adult only.

@ Nicotine: There was?

This was the only posted rules we had last year

~One ballot per person.
~No voting for yourself.
~Drunkduck hosted (or mirrored) comics only.
~Comics must be actively updating or completed within the last year.
~You may enter a comic in more than one category.
~You don't have to fill out every category.
~You can come back and edit your votes later.

Obviously A rated comics are not eligible for all ages :P

I was considering making sure the presentations themselves were a bit more kid friendly. I have a mixed feeling about censoring contributors and the idea that anyone should be able to view the awards from anywhere at any age.

Can we squeeze input on this idea too or should we wait? We have a lot going on right now :P

I could have sworn there was either last year or the year before (09). If I can find it I'll pull it up, but I'm not passionate about it. If they can be voted for other categories I don't mind, I only brought it up because I remember reading it somewhere.

I think the awards should definitely be Safe For Work, so nothing above T+ would be a good rule of thumb, I think. (and I know I'm the worst offender there, so I'll have to behave myself!)

Also, if my comic does manage to get nominated for any non-Adult awards (not holding my breath, but lightning can strike twice sometimes), I guess I could post a list of Pages To Avoid to make things easier on the judges.

That still won't keep them from seeing the animated GIFs though. Hmmm...

We don't need to state the general DD awards rulesin EVERY category (the "in the last year" thing, for example), just at the top of the ballot. The category descriptions aren't really the place for rules, imo.

The "completed comic" guideline is unique to the category. I put the material time-frame reminder in the "improved" category because that's the one where it makes such a difference and bears repeating. The others go without saying (at least no more than on a general rules/criteria list).

Someone
Dedicated needs a description bad. Just based on comic updates? How much they advertise? Networking? Heck... I'm still trying to figure out the criteria for this one :P

I don't see why it needs criteria. It isn't being judged by a panel. People can use their own criteria -- just as for "most supportive reader" could be the person who leaves a lot of comments, the person who makes fan art, or whatever. It's a popularity award. Teenagers get voted "most likely to succeed with no criteria whatsoever for potential success. (And I should know, because I'm one of those. XD )

Btw, speaking of clarifying nuances/guidelines/exceptions, I must've been somewhat tired when I wrote this up because I forgot this part:

usedbooks
Best Community Project:
Comic/project created through the collaborative efforts of three or more people. (DD Awards are not eligible. They do not need to award themselves for their obvious greatness.)

Someone
I don't consider line-art a black and white technique, really. People used color line-art and line-art is important in color comics as well (if they have lines, I mean, some black and white comics don't have lines either).

Yeah, I'm not sure why I wrote that. :P We used to have a "line art" award, so I guess it was in my head. (I thought that award was quite silly, myself.)

Someone
They are pretty self-explainatory, but I think they should have short blurbs for consistency.

Okay. You write 'em. I'm tired. ^_^;

El Cid
Also, if my comic does manage to get nominated for any non-Adult awards (not holding my breath, but lightning can strike twice sometimes), I guess I could post a list of Pages To Avoid to make things easier on the judges.

That still won't keep them from seeing the animated GIFs though. Hmmm...

I wouldn't worry about it. We have a list of finalists before judges sign up for categories. Those who don't want to go through the NSFW stuff won't judge those categories, whatever they are.

I'm not sure is "A-rated only" has ever been the stated rule for the "adult" category, but it might as well be. Judges and non-judges always end up discounting (or even criticizing) inclusion of non-A comics. I think maybe people misunderstood what "adult-oriented" means (you know, like serious grown-up topics like world hunger and politics).

For the black and white description, I think it could be cut down something like : "Best use of black and white techniques" and put some techniques in parenthesis. Or "most efficient use of black and white" because best art is not always the most technical.

But for the rest, seems fine to me. :)

Here, let me try;

Funniest User: The user who makes you laugh with their witty comments and forum posts!

Most Supportive Reader: It might be the person who comments on nearly every comic you do or read, or maybe someone who draws a lot of fanart!

That's what I got so far...

I don't have time to think about all these as thoroughly as I probably should, but here some initial reactions:

Best Community Project. This definition doesn't work. Shades, for example (not a plug since it's not eligible for anything this year - sob!), had four people working on it but I don't think anyone could argue it was a Drunk Duck Community Project (me being the only DD member!) I'd suggest the definition really needs to capture the idea that the contributors are all (or mostly?) DD creators who have comics of their own here, but who are pooling all their wonderful skills in order to make another.

Best Humour Comic. Is this intended to be for gag strips only, or would a story comic which just happens to have gags or humorous characters/situations in it also qualify? No strong feelings either way, but I think the definition should be clear.

Best Manga Comic. Being picky here but, from the focus on conventions etc, this definition could be taken to exclude comics which, for example, read from left to right. We're really only talking about the art style, aren't we? What else really defines a manga comic for most people?

Best Romance Comic. One of the big debates here has always been whether it should include gay/lesbian romances. Just to clear that up, I'd add something like "Girl/boy, boy/boy, girl/girl. Whatever." before the "Love, love, love "

Best Protagonist. After all the debate this one has generated over the years, I really think, if this is going to help, it needs to say something about the possible inclusion of villains. I'd add something like: "Hero, villain, cockatoo - it doesn't matter. Who does the comic want you to root for?"

Best Couple/Duo. I'd add something like: "Scarlett and Rhett or Batman and Robin. It's the relationship between them that counts!"

JustNoPoint
Or should the "employees" not be eligible for any user awards? I personally don't like that idea.

I don't like it either, but it does make sense. Even in categories like "nicest" many (most?) voters will still tend to vote for the names they see most often and, by definition, that's likely to be an admin or mod, while votes for other Users are likely to be spread over a greater number of names. It's a bit like Coca Cola running a competition that employees can't enter, even though most of its employees would have no advantage at all. It's a matter of transparency and being "seen" to be fair.

What about excluding mods and admins from all these categories but adding a new one just for them? Something broad like: Most awesome Mod or Admin. The definition could specify: "The nicest, most helpful or most funny admin or mod on the Duck!"

Best community project

Comic/project created through the collaborative efforts of three or more people and continually open to new collaborators.

usedbooks
Comics that follow the rules, practices, and conventions of Japanese cartooning.

DAJB
Best Manga Comic. Being picky here but, from the focus on conventions etc, this definition could be taken to exclude comics which read from left to right. We're really only talking about the art style, aren't we? What else really defines a manga comic for most people?

I think usedbooks' definition works perfectly exactly because it's so vague. There is NO WAY you could specify what criteria a non-Japanese comic needs to fulfill in order to qualify as manga. Manga just refers to Japanese comics, and taking the Japanese out of this definition, the only chance you have is to refer to "rules, practices, and conventions" (and probably clichees :P). You just need to have judges who recognize manga when they see it.
But, roughly, here are some things I associate with Manga beyond being Japanese:
- Dynamic storytelling (which involves a lot of diverse things, and among these would be "decompressed storytelling" just as much as an abundance of speedlines)
- B/W zip-a-tone artwork
- Specific exaggeration of anatomy (also "super-deformed"/"chibi" styles)
- Layouts relying heavily on negative space (i.e. the yin/yang principle)
- Stereotypical expressions (I believe someone has written a book about these, classifiying these)
But I must stress that these characteristic are so vague and tentative that counter-examples will easily be found. Anyone who is not really familiar with manga couldn't apply these criteria anyway :/

Also, most Western readers are used to reading Manga "flopped", so left-to-right or right-to-left shouldn't make any difference.

JustNoPoint
I was considering making sure the presentations themselves were a bit more kid friendly. I have a mixed feeling about censoring contributors and the idea that anyone should be able to view the awards from anywhere at any age.

Can we squeeze input on this idea too or should we wait? We have a lot going on right now :P

I think it's a good idea. The awards can be a good way for readers to discover excellent comics they haven't read before. If the "awards comic" isn't available to pretty much everyone, then it loses that benefit. It's also a matter of courtesy to the other creators. One M or A rated page means the awards comic as a whole would have to be rated M or A, and then all the other pages become inaccessible too.

Any presentations or acceptance/concession comics which aren't rated T+ or lower, can always be posted unedited on the subject comic's own page, but creators should be told that anything rated M or A will be banned or censored for the purpose of the awards comic. As long as people know that up-front, I don't see why anyone should object.

Abt_Nihil
There is NO WAY you could specify what criteria a non-Japanese comic needs to fulfill in order to qualify as manga. You just need to have judges who recognize manga when they see it.

No, that's not the point. Not here. The judges, in my experience, tend to be pretty thorough (and, contrary to what some losing creators may think, surprisingly fair!)

The issue is having a definition that won't stop voters voting for a comic that deserves to be included. Getting into that final five so that the judges even get to review your comic is the hard part. And a regular manga reader is quite likely to think that something which reads from left to right (again, just as an example) doesn't conform to "Japanese conventions" and therefore can't be voted for.

The kind of thing I was thinking of, was even more vague than usedbook's definition, not less. Something like: "Comics drawn in that familiar Japanese style that we all know and love. Chibis optional!"

I don't disagree with anything you've said but, at this stage of the judging/voting process, it's all about practicality and having a definition that most voters will immediately be able to make sense of.

(And also, of course, one which losing creators and/or their readers won't be able to challenge later! Based on gripes we've had in previous years, I can already imagine a disgruntled reader complaining that the judges' final choice didn't conform to "Japanese conventions" as well as their favourite comic because it didn't make adequate use of negative space and speedlines!)

My original draft for the manga caregory said "are inspired by or conform to" instead of "follows." Is that better?

Yeah community project needs to be better defined. I don't know about romance though. I don't think anyone had any trouble identifying romance comics... Or humor ones. I think getting detailed can create exclusion. Vague is better, at least in the majority of categories which basically work without them.

I think manga is pretty obvious but some people will only consider a comic manga if it's japanese in origin and reads right to left. Perhaps "best manga style comic" would help.

Genejoke
I think manga is pretty obvious but some people will only consider a comic manga if it's japanese in origin and reads right to left. Perhaps "best manga style comic" would help.

Yes, that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. Everyone thinks everyone knows what something means but, in reality, we all understand different things by the same terms.

The problem here, I believe is not with the term "conforms to" and wouldn't therefore be solved by changing it to "follows". The problem is the reference to "Japanese conventions". It's what those conventions are that everyone will have a different opinion about! Simply referring to the style of art is far simpler, says what we want it to and is less open to misinterpretation. (In my opinion!)

usedbooks
I don't know about romance though. I don't think anyone had any trouble identifying romance comics...

With respect, Vicky, yes they do! I've been a judge on the romance panel twice, and there's always a debate about what constitutes a romance! If the judges need to clarify the guidelines even after the finalists have been chosen, then it's even more important to clarify it for the voters!

Abt_Nihil
But, roughly, here are some things I associate with Manga beyond being Japanese:
- Dynamic storytelling (which involves a lot of diverse things, and among these would be "decompressed storytelling" just as much as an abundance of speedlines)
- B/W zip-a-tone artwork
- Specific exaggeration of anatomy (also "super-deformed"/"chibi" styles)
- Layouts relying heavily on negative space (i.e. the yin/yang principle)
- Stereotypical expressions (I believe someone has written a book about these, classifiying these)
But I must stress that these characteristic are so vague and tentative that counter-examples will easily be found. Anyone who is not really familiar with manga couldn't apply these criteria anyway :/

Right, modern manga usually follows those guide lines, but manga is so broad, I mean, look at the manga "Joan", it fits none of those criteria, but it's still manga! (And your avatar is Captain Harlock, I'm sure you know how different old manga can look! xD)

usedbooks
My original draft for the manga caregory said "are inspired by or conform to" instead of "follows." Is that better?

That's much better, I think.

We'll only be dealing with the top 5 comics in the section, and if they aren't manga or heavily manga-inspired (which should be obvious), they can be replaced by another nominee.

JustNoPoint
Considering making sure the presentations themselves were a bit more kid friendly. I have a mixed feeling about censoring contributors and the idea that anyone should be able to view the awards from anywhere at any age.

I agree with this. We want as many people to be able to view it, and it should be safe for work, so I think T+ is a good limit.

usedbooks
You write 'em. I'm tired. ^_^;

Nah, I can't be bothered :P No, actually, I can't think of anything good for them either!

DAJB
Best Humour Comic. Is this intended to be for gag strips only, or would a story comic which just happens to have gags or humorous characters/situations in it also qualify? No strong feelings either way, but I think the definition should be clear.

You mean Best Humor? Are we going with British spelling or American? xD Just kidding, I'm just being cheeky.

But I see your point. I always thought this was for gag comics ^^;

DAJB
Best Romance Comic. One of the big debates here has always been whether it should include gay/lesbian romances. Just to clear that up, I'd add something like "Girl/boy, boy/boy, girl/girl. Whatever." before the "Love, love, love "

I feel it should include all romances, I agree with clarifying that.

DAJB
Best Couple/Duo. I'd add something like: "Scarlett and Rhett or Batman and Robin. It's the relationship between them that counts!"

Agreed.