Hello - just a reminder that, if the DD Awards will live this year, it's a good time to start nailing down what categories you guys want and maybe start establishing some ground rules/qualifications/etc.

I didn't really know if I should start this month or next. I was going to start next month =p

I didn't figure you'd want to do much this year. But we can start now ^_^

Do we want to use the same forum from last year?
http://www.justnopoint.com/drunkduck/forum/index.php

JustNoPoint
I didn't really know if I should start this month or next. I was going to start next month =p

I didn't figure you'd want to do much this year. But we can start now ^_^

Do we want to use the same forum from last year?
http://www.justnopoint.com/drunkduck/forum/index.php

I say next month :3

The detailed mechanics can probably wait a little longer since last year's awards went so smoothly. JNP and Amanda did such an excellent job, I'm sure most of the arrangements can simply be carried forward.

But I do think Amanda has the right idea about starting some of the preliminary preparations. It's certainly not too early, for example, for the organisers to start looking at which categories worked last year, which ones should be dropped or combined (perhaps because they had very few credible nominations?) and which ones could be split (because they had too many!) etc.

At this stage, however, that kind of early work probably can't be a public debate because only last year's organisers have the full details of how many comics were nominated in each category, which ones they were and how many nominations each one received.

Just my two-penn'orth!

not that I have anything to do with it but surely it is never too early to start preparing.

JNP, I hadn't planned on being involved... really at all XD But I *do* want to make sure the Awards keep happening because I love them!

Ah, well... I'm working on it now since you brought it up. Moving stuff in the forum (had over 7000 pages of spam since last year lol, the bots must LOVE that forum!!!)

Getting a list of all the categories and seeing which categories didn't get very many nominees and which ones maybe got way too many.

You don't have to worry about it, I'll take care of it all this year. I might only ask you to remind me if I forget something. Like last year I forgot all about the award banners =p

Holler if I can do anything before judging, I it might be good to get a preliminary list of who judged last year and do they want to again this year. I humbly *shakes head, me humble?* it might be worth considering recruiting more readers as judges. After all the writers and artists want to know what appeals to the reader so they can possibly turn their project into something people will buy.

Okay I'm getting on the ball with this now. I also have a comic convention coming up in August so this awards may be a tad later to finalize than last year. But better late than never, right?

These are the categories we had last year.

Best Dialogue

Best Manga

Best Website Design

Best Tense Scenes in a Comic

Best Superhero Comic

Best Sci-Fi Comic

Best Romance Comic

Best Socio/Political Comic

Best Pixel/Sprite/Stock Image Comic

Best Photo Comic

Best Parody/Tribute Comic

Best Overall Strip Comic

Best Overall Story Comic

Most Deliciously Offensive Comic

Best Mystery/Noir Comic

Best Layouts in a Comic

Best Humor Comic

Best Horror Comic

Best Fantasy Comic

Best Community Project

Best Color Art

Best Black and White Art

Best Background Art

Best Character Design

Best 3D/Poser Comic

Best Completed Comic

Best All-Ages Comic

Best Slice-of-Life/Autobiographical Comic

Best Writing

Best Philosophical/Spiritual Comic

Best Simplified Art/Stick Figure Comic

Best Adult-Oriented Comic

Best Action Scenes in a Comic

Best Abstract/Random Comic

Most Improved Art

Best Anthropomorphic Comic

Best Adventure Comic

Best ProtagonistComic Name

Character Name

Best Antagonist Comic Name

Character Name

Most Supportive Reader

Most Helpful DDer

Most Friendly DDer

Funniest DDer

The 2 categories that got very few votes were 3d poser and community projects. Though I think they should stick around. Any suggestions for this this year? Additions? Subtractions?

I'm not sure what Best Protagonist/Antagonist Comic Name is supposed to mean. Did you mean to say Best Protagonist/Antagonist? Other than that I like the categories the way they are.
I know I'm not going to qualify for any awards this year but I'd still really like to help out in any capacity I can-- presenter, panelist, etc.

Ooops. I copy pasted these all from how it was worded on the voting forum. I didn't notice that :P

Yeah that's what I meant :)

Most annoying award. Or biggest troll.

Humorman will no doubt win biggest troll..

I guess people are still satisfied with these categories? ^_^

I'll set up the old voting forum and get the Panelists forum ready. Darn, if I was still updating my comic much I could promote this more!

Guess I'll ask the admins for a news post too!

If nothing new is suggested by Tuesday I'll proceed with things as they are now :)


Oh and @ PatrickDevine: I won't be eligible either XD

Well, I have no life, so I'd be glad to help out in any way I can. I have practically no coding ability and limited art skills, but I have, um, time -- and a winning personality! :)

So anyway, I probably won't be able to judge 20 categories (*cough*), but feel free to use me within the limits my physical and mental capacity.

looks good!! Count me in as panelist. Otherwise I think I am not eligible for anything any longer xD

I'll gladly help out with panelist and presentation duties.

JustNoPoint
The 2 categories that got very few votes were 3d poser and community projects. Though I think they should stick around. Any suggestions for this this year? Additions? Subtractions?

I wonder if the 3D/Poser category could/should be combined with the Pixel/Sprite category, to make one "Computer generated art" category?

It's not something I feel strongly about, but if there are only a few comics in each of those categories, it might make sense.

Keep community projects in there!
I recon I could win that one!
(What? That's a perfectly good reason! Don't judge me!)

DAJB- I think that's a great idea! Sprites and 3D art combined would make a single, far more meaningful award! That should definitely happen!

I'm happy to help out, time is on my side.

Ti-iii-iii-iiime is on my side, yes it is...

How about a best scene category? or best dramatic scene and maybe a best gag.

Combining Pixel and 3d/poser eh?

What do you pixel and/or 3d/poser authors think about this? Computer Generated art is a good idea. But the name might not carry the context enough by itself. And I'm not sure if pixel art and 3d art go together well at all. Then again I do play a lot of pixel based games that have a lot of 3d backgrounds and enemies =p

I'll wait for more thoughts. And community projects will stay for sure :)

How about a best scene category? or best dramatic scene and maybe a best gag.
I'm not sure how something of that nature would be voted. Best gag would probably be in the funniest comic. As best dramatic scene might fall into the drama category too.

Glade you're willing to help out! ^_^

jgib99, Tantz Aerine, usedbooks: Thanks for offering help!!!

JustNoPoint
I'm not sure if pixel art and 3d art go together well at all.

Maybe. I don't want to make a big thing about this but, it seems to me, that they are similar, in the same way that comics produced with, say, watercolours, pens, pencils or oils would all come into the same "Best Colour Art" category. You wouldn't have a separate category for each of those, even though they do all require different techniques.

Anyway, if you find there are only two or three comics being nominated in each of those categories, it may be something to think about. That's all.

Pixel art and poser art seem very different to me. IMHO the only reason to combine these two awards is that they get so few votes. Someone doing pixel art AND someone doing poser art should probably voice their opinion though. If they don't, well, I guess you can in fact just go ahead and combine those - we're pragmatists after all :P

As I have tinkered around in both 3d stuff and am a sprite author, I suppose this might be the point to say my words.

I personally think that those two categories shouldn't combine, as the workload for each of them is completely different. Spriting/Pixel work can be alot faster than 3D stuff, and we spriters tend to take less time in our work. 3D stuff such as what Dark Pascual does seems to take alot more time and effort.

Another reason:
Most sprite comics aren't anywhere near as good as the 3D ones, because they don't have to take as much time to get everything posed right, make sure any scenery looks right etc.

Probably not worded the best way, but I hope this message makes some sense...

DAJB
I wonder if the 3D/Poser category could/should be combined with the Pixel/Sprite category, to make one "Computer generated art" category?

It's not something I feel strongly about, but if there are only a few comics in each of those categories, it might make sense.

I don't see them being the same at all. I view Pixel/Sprite and Photoshopping/screenshots as being the same as they're 2D images and manipulation. But 3D/Poser is using and positioning 3d models, lighting, and environments, that's a whole different system and skill set. Oil, pencil, markers, and pen are all a similiar system just a different choice of drawing/coloring medium.

If the segments need to be combined due to lack of participants, then so be it, but I don't them as being similiar at all. Mind you I don't have anything that can be nominated in those catagories, but I've done comics in sprite, 3D/Poser, and pencil drawings and to me all three are very different.

AND ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Why are there two "Character Name"s and no "Lettering", I'd think "Best Lettering" could be a good category. :P

I'm ready to help out with this year's awards for the third year in a row!

I'll be able to help this year. I can cover three categories at most.

I'm qualified for:

Best Dialogue
Best Superhero Comic
Best Sci-Fi Comic
Best Parody/Tribute Comic
Best Overall Strip Comic
Best Overall Story Comic
Best Humor Comic
Best Color Art
Best Black and White Art
Best Background Art
Best Character Design
Best Writing
Most Improved Art

The other categories I'm either extremely biased about, or not competent enough to judge.

Let me know if I can help!

DAJB
I wonder if the 3D/Poser category could/should be combined with the Pixel/Sprite category, to make one "Computer generated art" category?

It's not something I feel strongly about, but if there are only a few comics in each of those categories, it might make sense.

Well, in one hand, the set of skills that are required to work on sprites are totally different than the ones needed to work with Poser (or any other 3D software). As Ebenezer Splooge pointed, 3D work deals with modeling (at least in my case, I do use DAZ-Poser pre-made models, but I build some props myself), posing, lighting, camera angles, etc.

Work on sprites deals with other composition tools.

Besides a "Computer generated art" as label is too general. Some may feel that any comic done directly in some software (Adobe Illustrator, for example) should be under that category.

But if there aren't enough 3D-Poser and sprite comics to have separate categories, then I'm OK with a single category for both styles.

DAJB
I wonder if the 3D/Poser category could/should be combined with the Pixel/Sprite category, to make one "Computer generated art" category?

It's not something I feel strongly about, but if there are only a few comics in each of those categories, it might make sense.

I don't want to make a big thing about this but, it seems to me, that they are similar, in the same way that comics produced with, say, watercolours, pens, pencils or oils would all come into the same "Best Colour Art" category. You wouldn't have a separate category for each of those, even though they do all require different techniques.

Anyway, if you find there are only two or three comics being nominated in each of those categories, it may be something to think about. That's all.

With all due respect...creating, rendering and layout of 3D comics, compared to copy, paste and layout creation of Sprite comics makes the two as different as night and day.
I disagree with this suggestion because I have taught 3D at college level. Just my two cents.

@Salamar You're exactly right. I have no intention of disparaging the creative efforts that go into Sprite comics, but they and 3D are indeed very different.

Not that it even seems necessary at this point, but I agree about not combining sprites and 3d/Poser comics. The creation processes couldn't be more different and both categories have their own niche audiences. Spriters aren't going to vote for a 3D comic and 3D fans aren't going to vote for sprites.

There shouldn't be any problem finding enough nominees; this site's got plenty of 3D comics to choose from. There's my Knossos comic, for one (shameless plug. NOMINATE ME!!!), and to name some others: House of the Muses, Shaman Quest, Deadman's Curse (which was Featured), 3-D Glasses, Trapped in a Comic, Purgatory, Found Art, Muse of A Knight... plenty. And gawd, there's a mountain of sprite comics out there!

Hahahahahahahahahaha....Well, Cid...I mean, well said! XD