A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to personal reasons I am going to have to set this project aside. Anyone that feels froggish has my total approval, though, if they wish to begin it anew under their own name - obviously starting a new top-post. You can cut and paste what I already have into your top post or just go in an altogether new direction.

Best regards,

CharleyHorse.

=====================================================================================



Okay DrunkDuckers, here's the deal. A few of us forum geeks have decided to start our own promotion of sequential art works that we believe have escaped general notice. Ahem! This means that we want to highlight items that:

Not everyone and their parole officer already know about and at least hasn't been highlighted on the DD front page for a while. So we are rooting for the under-reported but really good works.

Now it would be nice if most of the recommends were DrunkDuck items, but I don't see why non-DD-based works can't be listed as well. Let's see how that plays out. Feel free to chip in your own hot topic items.

Anyone following the general recommendation format and not violating will find their recommends segment cut and pasted into this top post area so that future readers can find it right off the bat. So what are the actual mechanics of recommending a work?

Start out with the name of the sequential art piece - followed by a link to the page - the name or avatar identity of the artist/artists; the page current page count , when he, she, they, or it began uploading pages, and finally why it makes your motor run.




====================
The Recommends:
====================



Eskimo Dave
Recommended on January 15, 2008

http://www.drunkduck.com/Eskimo_Dave/ It's involves different artists on a revolving basis . As of January 9 2008 Eskimo Dave has uploaded 40 episodes. The episodes becan uploading to the DrunkDuck on December 12, 2006.


According to the chief artist/creator: "I'm a full time graphic designer primarily focusing on the web these days. I got my start in comics as a colorist working as an assistant on several books before being asked to color Dead Men Tell No Tales for Arcana Studios."

Our own DrunkDuck's Brock: " . . . It's a fun adventure story of an Eskimo and his Polar Bear companion on a quest to save their village from destruction. The comic plays fast and loose with the pop culture references and there's a real sense of fun about it.

The art is terrific and the colors are extraordinary.

In the interest of full disclosure: Eskimo Dave is put out by the same company that publishes my comic, The SuperFogeys. I'm listed as an assistant on Eskimo Dave for purely administrative reasons and have nothing to do with its actual creation. Just a big fan."

I am compelled to second this endorsement, the art work is supurb and definitely of professional level quality. I enjoy the story telling as well.


This recommend came from Brock of Super Fogeys fame
Due East http://www.drunkduck.com/The_SuperFogeys/index.php Thanks for the recommend Brock! It's much appreciated.




====================
The Recommends:
====================


Danielle Dark
Recommended on December 21, 2007

http://www.drunkduck.com/Danielle_Dark/ It's created by artdude2002 . As of December 21 Danielle Dark has 72 pages. Jay began uploading to the DrunkDuck on November 04, 2007.


According to Jay's DD bio he's " . . . Old enough to have a 26 year-old son.
Profession: Graphic Artist/Illustrator . . . Hobbies: Painting, Comics (drawing and reading), and Astronomy." He adds that "There really isn't anything particularly interesting about me. I was born, raised and live in Indiana. I was fortunate enough to land a great job in advertising in my home town, and have been doing it for years . . . My wife and I have three cats. Between life, work, comics, cleaning litter boxes and feeding cats, I'm kept pretty busy."

Ah, but according to Allen of the DD web Comic Due East, Danielle Dark deserves attention because it's " . . . not-your-average-vampire webcomic . . . I like it because it's not typical vampire lore. It's modern but Danielle is an interesting character who has an interesting and tragic history. The art style is unique, too. Nice perspectives, selective use of color (but not the oft-seen Sin City style) and solid emotive inks. And no slouching in the story department or character development. This one's a winner, check it out!"

To this I can also attest. I went, and I read, and I am quite happy to report that while the protagonist is nobody you'd want to antagonize she is a great person - even if she is a vampire. Go, read, see for yourself; but a serious word of caution . . . you just might find yourself hooked.

This recommend came from Allen S., co-author/artist
Due East http://www.drunkduck.com/Due_East/index.php Thanks for the tip Allen! It's much appreciated.



====================
The Recommends:
====================


Subnormality
Recommended on December 17, 2007

http://www.drunkduck.com/SUBNORMALITY/ . It's created by Yeould . As of December 17, 2007 the page count is 40 pages of comic goodness, and Yeould began uploading to the DrunkDuck on November 04, 2007.

As of yet, we know nothing about the author/creator of Subnormality from the profiles page; not age, nor gender, nor any life tidbits but we do know that the gag-a-day style strip is a hoot and a half. Look, here's the deal, This wasn't one of my discoveries, but I followed advice and went and saw and read and said "Wow!" So be generous to yourself and go have a 'wow' on me and TheMidge.

This recommend came from TheMidge28 http://user.drunkduck.com/TheMidge28 Thanks for the tip TheMidge!


====================
The Recommends:
====================


Super Temps
Recommended on December 12, 2007

http://www.drunkduck.com/Super_Temps/index.php . It's created by smkinoshita . As of December 12, 2007 the page count is 177 pages of comic goodness, and smkinoshita began uploading to the DrunkDuck on January 1, 2007.

Although the DD debut was in 1/1/07, Super Temps has been, in the words of its author," . . . in the making since 1998, but I didn't really give it life until late 2002." -- smkinoshita

Super temps begins with a cute but wannabe evil super female attempting to find suitable work after her evil college training -- or should that be after her college of evil training? I'm not going to reveal any spoilers. Go and take a look for yourself and see if you agree.

Next!

I stumbled across this comic on ComicSpace a while ago but forgot to bookmark it. Thanks for pointing it out, CharleyHorse.

It's so weird and yet so good.

I've actually never visited the comic before. I've seen the author multiple times on the forums, but never considered visiting.

Interesting comic, to say the least. I'll probably visit it again later on.

I think it's the humor brand or style more than the art, although I like the art too, that does it for me. I like that brand of humor.

I see your Super Temps...


and raise you SUBNORMALITY !

A suggestion -

Featured comics from forum users. Even just a forum thread and front page mention once a week would be nice. It'd give the news posts something consistent to talk about and involve the community in picking featured comics. Not the same as the main featured comics, but perhaps a community vote would decide who gets the front page mention?

Just an idea.

Also I'll recommend Horribleville , and mention that him and HPK are featured in Nickelodeon Magazine this month.

Oooooh, TheMidge28, yes! That's also another little hidden jewel. Me like much, thanks!

=============

marine, I think that's a fantastic idea! I would, however, suggest that we be careful not to step on Admin toes where featured strips and comics are concerned. That is, I just don't think the administrators would welcome a community vote where their decision making process is concerned regarding front page features. But I don't see why the other part of your idea wouldn't work out just fine,

Someone
Featured comics from forum users. Even just a forum thread and front page mention once a week would be nice. It'd give the news posts something consistent to talk about and involve the community in picking featured comics.

It would not be like the review segment forum where art work and story telling is examined in minute detail -- I mean, there's no point in duplicating effort here. But it should perhaps be just what we are already doing, which is to mention lost or seldom noticed DD strips and comics that, in our opinion, deserve a bit more attention from readers.

If we add a paragraph of information on the artist, when he or she began uploading on DD and why we personally find the work fascinating, that should be enough information, I should think.

If you or TheMidge also agree then either of you can top post an appropriate title for the thread and we can just keep the darn thing bumped for a week or two -- if we personally know of that many orphan strips or comics -- and see if the idea catches fire.

If, on the other hand one of you has a bit of a problem with the notion then we can hammer out the concept in this thread before transferring it to one with a better title heading.

What say you TheMidge and Marine? Anybody else want to work on this idea?

Here are some tittle possibilities for the proposed thread: Featured Comics From Forum Users; Lost or Forgotten Sequential Art jewels; Other Comics or Strips You May Enjoy.

Okay, so tittles aren't my bag, though I sort of like the one you done thunk up Marine, Featured Comics From Forum Users

Why not start turning this thread into just that...a thread where people post other people comics that are not getting much attention and that should and to explain why, seriously explain why in more detail than what I did in my above post?

Or we can just start a new thread along those lines. It doesn't much matter but I think the idea is fun and it is a comic community so why not highlight parts of our community that don't get noticed. I regularly search and browse new updates and regularly come across quite a number of new comics that are wonderful.

Okay, let's go with that idea for now. Do you want to start off by giving us a bit more of a brief on Subnormality?

Meanwhile I'll look over my favorites and see if there is any other under reported goodies lurking amongst the other gems.


Whoa! It also just struck me that we can clean out our top post and first replies to serve as an ongoing listing dock for these as we present them. Make our own first replies each a permanent sticky within this own thread. How's that. I'll go back and clean up my entry tomorrow to reflect a bit more of a deliberate and clean effort and you can do the same with yours where you first mentioned Subnormality. The other first responders can do the same with their's and thus we can keep this going for quite a while while keeping things both readable and on the first page. How's that?

marine
Also I'll recommend Horribleville , and mention that him and HPK are featured in Nickelodeon Magazine this month.

HV is the best goddamn thing.

This is a very proud moment for me, because I'm the one who convinced the artist from Super Temps to come to Drunk Duck. I'd followed ST at ComicGenesis for some time and I love it! I'm glad other people love it, too. smkinoshita is a pal of mine and I think he's very talented (and he's going to be working with Off Hours, too, in a future chapter)

And an artists' featured thread is a great idea!

I think Danielle Dark by artdude2002 deserves some attention, too, as a not-your-average-vampire webcomic. It currently has 67 pages online and started on DD on Nov 14, 2006.

I like it because it's not typical vampire lore. It's modern but Danielle is an interesting character who has an interesting and tragic history. The art style is unique, too. Nice perspectives, selective use of color (but not the oft-seen Sin City style) and solid emotive inks. And no slouching in the story department or character development. This one's a winner, check it out!

CharleyHorse
I don't normally do this, but this comic or comic strip just clicked all my buttons because it is funny and the art is very good and I just plain want other DDers to know that it is here.

Yes, I know that everyone but me might very well be aware of it, but just in case here goes:
=================
Super Temps is 177 pages of comic goodness. It has been, in the words of its author," . . . in the making since 1998, but I didn't really give it life until late 2002."

smkinoshita began uploading the backlog of pages on the DrunkDuck system on Jan 01, 2007, and the count as of this endorsement is 177 pages and is current with December of 2007.

Now, I'm not going to tell you what it is about, except that I like it. Go and take a look for yourself and see if you agree. Oh, and to make that possible, heeeeere's the
link! http://www.drunkduck.com/Super_Temps/index.php

Oh, one more thing. I don't know the artist, never traded words on DrunkDuck and haven't even let him or her know that I am alive. I just felt the need to spread the word. So it goes.

That's great Allen! I just love how artists help out other artists on the Duck. Danielle Dark looks great too. Why don't you cobble together a promo packet along the lines listed in my newly altered top post header and I'll cut an paste it into that block above!

CharleyHorse
So what are the actual mechanics of recommending a work?

Start out with the name of the sequential art piece - followed by a link to the page - the name or avatar identity of the artist/artists; the page current page count , when he, she, they, or it began uploading pages, and finally why it makes your motor run.

Have I arrived or what? Gods, above I'm quoting myself!

CharleyHorse
marine, I think that's a fantastic idea! I would, however, suggest that we be careful not to step on Admin toes where featured strips and comics are concerned. That is, I just don't think the administrators would welcome a community vote where their decision making process is concerned regarding front page features. But I don't see why the other part of your idea wouldn't work out just fine

Marine wasn't suggesting making them front-page features like the current ones (which Platinum does want us to have control over). I have no problem with a weekly sort of news announcement though.

However if something like that is going to happen it's going to need some kind of organization, like how is that picked 'by the community' - is there a vote each week or what? who's going to do all the ongoing organization stuff? etc.

If I could make a suggestion, I think this is close to the way it should be right now. Maybe we should approach it like the comic reviews: submissions sent to the organizer (but more like the announcements, send in PQ format) and then he/she puts up an artist feature once a week or however often they want to update.

It should be agreed that the suggestions should be from different artists, not the same one every week or two times in a row. Some criteria should be established to determine how often each artist's suggestion could be considered.

But it needs to have the spontaneity of the forum. Votes can end up being lopsided, this should be more random, like drawing lots.

skoolmunkee

CharleyHorse
marine, I think that's a fantastic idea! I would, however, suggest that we be careful not to step on Admin toes where featured strips and comics are concerned. That is, I just don't think the administrators would welcome a community vote where their decision making process is concerned regarding front page features. But I don't see why the other part of your idea wouldn't work out just fine

Marine wasn't suggesting making them front-page features like the current ones (which Platinum does want us to have control over). I have no problem with a weekly sort of news announcement though.

However if something like that is going to happen it's going to need some kind of organization, like how is that picked 'by the community' - is there a vote each week or what? who's going to do all the ongoing organization stuff? etc.

Allen and skoolmunkee, sorry I did not get back to this thread yesterday. I was helping my wife grade English literature final exams. It was the second of two all day long marathon grading sessions lasting from early in the morning to just before midnight, and during breaks my brain was already so fried I feared trying to produce anything coherent regarding this thread.

This morning, however, I feel human again because the grading part, at least, is done. No more five paragraph essays on literary works and ideas. Now we only have to enter the grades along with the final comments and grade the extra-credit material produced during the last couple of weeks as youngsters finally realized that, 'Yeah, you get as far as grades are concerned, something comparable to the amount of effort you put into your work.' Urk!

=============================

Now, so far as the issues you two raised, I'll be damned if I know. I'm not an organizer type. I didn't envision turning this idea into any sort of community project involving voting or submitting ideas to admins. That sort of thing sounds great but it doesn't fit into my available time frame for noodling around on DD not suit my psychology. I'm just being honest here.

If Marine or TheMidge28 or anyone else looking to assume the work and responsibility wants to do this, then I'm perfectly fine where they take this idea. All I'm interested in doing is providing a space for interested parties to plop down samples of their own favorite and relatively unknown sequential art faves with a bit of additional background and links back to the same.

Here's the deal. I'll keep this going for a week or two and if anyone else wants to do the contact work necessary to kick it up to a fully interractive level then they can copy what I've already done, and paste it into a new top post with a different title and take it from there. They have my full blessings in that regard.

I just wanted to say how pleased and flattered I am that my comic got a mention in here as an undiscovered jewel. Thanks Charley, for starting this thread... and thanks Allen, for bringing me into the Drunk Duck community. :)

You are welcome smkinoshita. I'm just happy to have stumbled across your fine body of work!

The list has been updated with the gag-a-day strip SUBNORMALITY, recommended by The Midge 28.

great thread, and a great way to get the underdogs noticed!

hurray for the little guys!
in this giant sea of webcomics, i'm surprised anybody ever get's noticed.

Thanks guys, but it's looking iffy at the moment. You see I'm probably not the best judge of what should be highlighted here because I wait until something hits me hard in the guts; and that doesn't happen very often. If this forum recommends segment is going to get anywhere I need other forum regulars to start recommending their own web comic preferences in this thread.

As I noted at the top. All they need to do is plop something down here that meets the requirement of deserving notice but not having had any official notice ever or at least not for quite some time. The DDer can also supply the above reasons why or I'll just go myself and have a look then and type up the standard boiler-plate recommend. BUT I NEED SOME INPUT HERE or this idea is going to go belly up in the near future.

I'd like to recommend a quality comic that's been on DD for a while, but that just hasn't quite cracked the little bubble it's in.

Eskimo Dave --http://www.drunkduck.com/Eskimo_Dave/ -- is a comic that's been around on DD for over a year and has yet to be featured. It's a fun adventure story of an Eskimo and his Polar Bear companion on a quest to save their village from destruction. The comic plays fast and loose with the pop culture references and there's a real sense of fun about it.

The art is terrific and the colors are extraordinary.

In the interest of full disclosure: Eskimo Dave is put out by the same company that publishes my comic, The SuperFogeys. I'm listed as an assistant on Eskimo Dave for purely administrative reasons and have nothing to do with its actual creation. Just a big fan.

The one personal tie I have to the strip is that my buddy and office mate Dave Schlotterback (Dirty Dingo here on the DD) just signed on as one of the rotating artists on Eskimo Dave, doing his first comics work ever.

Eskimo Dave has been plagued by scheduling issues, but with this real life Dave on board now, things are back on track and a new page appears every Wednesday.

Episode 40 is the latest page as of today (1/10/08) and it does indeed feature Dave's awesome artwork.

Anyways, that's my nomination. I think if you check it out for yourself you'll see why.

Why not simply make a sign up list. Then once a week or so who's ever turn it is can pick a "undiscovered comic" write a review, offer a sample comic and recomend the feature.

I'm sure if you guys do a good job and don't half ass this you'll get some main page support. The admins for the most part are trying to find comics worth attention and feature them. If you are helping that I doubt they would object. Further you can do something the main page can't, go into detail. The main page only offers a picture and blurb. If you want to make this work I recomend offering more then that and make this project its own thing.

For example this is a short version of what I suggest more or less:

Acquired Taste



AT is another entry into the random nonstop pop culture/gamer comedy catagory much like VG Cats or Robot Chicken. What sets it appart it that while it dibs into pop culture for a good joke here and there, it isn't a slave to it. Just as often AT simply finds comedic gold and pounds in out into comic form. Neither is it offensive or as in your face as many similar genre comics which means anyone can enjoy it.



Like many similar comics AT major bane is lack of updates but since the creator's recently replaced their computre slow updates should be comic to an end and 08 should be an era on non-stop AT quality. Further AT doesn't bog down the comic with filler or subpar quickly done pages. Each page on AT does its darnest to make you laugh in its quirkly sort of way.

While occastionally the comic can fall back on the Penny Arcade two gamers talking format it only does so when it has a strong joke to carry it. Many pages are histerical without any dialog at all.



The art quality can be a little shaky at times I admite but never to the point it harms and joke and it is well above the average. If you play games and like to laugh aquired taste is for yoy.

I think it really comes down to laziness.
EEN, I think that looks great, but I think people would not want to take the time to type up a review like that with sample art and the such.
More often than not people don't want to make the effort.
I love the idea of the community choosing a weekly or monthly comic which is undiscovered and recommending it to others.
What I have done on my own is take the active role of recommending these comics on my weekly updates. And seems to actually work.
A collective effort would be cool but I think you'll find people will either initially commit to later back out or not follow through, or people will not even give 2 cents to participate. Which is sad because the idea is more community supported and not based on the tastes of merely admins and mods. That is not to say thats bad but they are only a few people.

Also I have come across a comic which I think more people need to check out and I think you will not regret it. The comic is Nuclear Neal !!!!
Go check it out!
Fantastically fresh art work and a quirky story to being told!

Hey Guys I'm really sorry for not keeping up with this for the last two weeks. Truth to tell I thought the idea was dead in the water and nobody was interested in participating. I was just going to let it quietly scroll off the front page of this forum and chalk the experience up to good intentions gone south.

Anyway, I will vet these new recommends tonight or tomorrow and list the new ones accordingly, along with comments.

As far as changing things around I'm also open to starting anew down the line with a clean top post in a different format - or at least a better title. Oh yeah, and if anyone wants to take this over and do a better job of it, I also have no problem with that. I'm just interested in promoting the overlooked but good or promising underdogs.

Got to go see a dog about a man, but I shall return and get cracking on these recommends. Again you have my apology for overlooking this new input. I goofed up here.

CharleyHorse

This could be such a cool thread. One of the only major criticisms I have about the DD set-up is the lack of prominence given to new comics. This makes it sooo difficult for newcomers to build a following. This thread could go a long way towards rectifying that and I really hope it takes off.

Here's my first suggestion:

LYCORIS
By ftroman and queenelf (I think!)

Beautifully warped artwork, telling (what seems to be shaping up to be) an even more warped story. Only nine pages online so far but they are wonderfully surreal. Reminds me of a dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland.

Still not entirely sure where the story is going to take us but, if it's half as good as the artwork, it'll be fun getting there. Well - fun if you like nightmares, that is!

Whew! I finally got off my lazy duff and put up a new recommend. I promise that I will begin adding these others with about a two or three day break between. I want to give readers a fair chance to consider each one before the next one comes up.

Ummm . . . does that make sense? If you think I should put them up as they come in let me know, okay?

i hate to do this, but I'm going to bump this to give people a chance to read the new entry. Bump!

Sweet! Thanks for taking a look at my recommend, CharleyHorse.