EPISODE 4

Reviewing:
RedRevolver/Dr Salt: TLBOT/Ethanol Jones vs MisterKent/Video320: Jane Blonde/May Wu

Magistelle/Bechans: Mammon/Scrumpy vs Barnzi88/AJ: Gossamer Swan/Kojiro


Critics: Thresher, TINMAN, BoboJo(BLUE), Magistelle

Just putting out a quickie survey for tourney fighters to get some feedback. Share your stories and meditate on the aspects that may help you going forward into next round! Please state if you're okay if we use some of your answers in a future cast regarding the tourney and its critique!

KICKSTART THE DISCUSSION

Inception
1.How did you choose your partner? What qualities made them an appealing partner?

2. How much did your characters and story plans dictate this choice, if any?

3.How much research was required to craft your conflict with your opponents? If you did any at all.


Communication

4. How did you communicate your battle plans, brainstorming, progress with your partner?

5. Did you feel the communication was good or could be improved? If so, what worked/didn’t work?

6. What mediums or tools did you use to communicate effectively?

Workload

7. Who performed which duties to your comics creation? Plotting, Scripting, Pencils, Inks, Colors, Lettering?

8. How did you determine the division of labor between you and your partner?

9. What strengths or weaknesses did you attempt to manifest/cover up in your shared duties?

10. Did you encounter some snags in your process that your partner helped you overcome?


Editorial
11. Were there any disagreements that arose between the two creators? Script issues, art issues, final cut decisions?

12. How did you resolve any disputes that arose? Who made the final call?

Product

13. Are you satisfied with the fruits of your shared labors?

14. If yes, why? If no, what can you account that to and how can this be improved in the future?

Tourney

15. Who did you want to fight in this tourney?

16. Who did you fear to fight?

17. What was the funniest thing that happened between your partnership during the comics creation?

18. What was the most rewarding part?

19. What was the most difficult part of your comics creation?

20. If you could do it all again, would you and what would you do differently?

Heck YES! I can actually still sing every song from Ferngully. Batty was a childhood hero and Nexus a childhood nightmare. I'm stoked for Ted and Looper but I won't be home to join you till the wee hours. Though I know you're a creature of the night so I'll catch you on at some point I'm sure.

Just making it known that I, too, am watching all of your video in friendship- cheering you on in your endeavors and sympathizing in your struggles. It is good to know you in this way, its rather personal and I admire your bravery in being so forthcoming. So rarely do people get to see the life behind the artwork, the distractions, the sacrifices, the phobias and the triumphs in posting the final work. Its something only our kindred spirits could fully comprehend, that shared experience.

I really enjoy watching these to get me pumped to work, seeing how others struggle with procrastination or self-doubt in the skills, its a universal trait that we can push through together. I am just not technologically savvy enough to make my own.

As for feeling disconnected, there seems to be meccas of Voiders-I've met quite a few in person over the years-  used to be Chicago, now SoCal, Germany, London, Oz... but people on the outside should still be in the loop.
The modern marvel of Skype means we're never more than phone call away from face to face. So even with out globe spanning clan of creators, we can be the best of friends and cultivate meaningful relationships through our art, stories we share, podcasts, chatroom and particularly Skype. Since Void meetups don't happen terribly often, especially for those in the distant reaches, face time is crucial for that human aspect.

Maybe we could get a Skype listing going.

http://vimeo.com/58179094

An animated short in a gorgeous and fun style that serves as a reminder that the journey we share is every bit as important as the destination.

The simple character forms combined with hyper colorful and painterly backgrounds are a style I'd love to synthesize.

While I like that many major comics can be relatively easily turned into feature movies via Neal Adams' MotionComic technology or some other equivalent I feel they don't exploit the pages as well as they could.

This is a hand drawn comic being filmed and used as a popup/flipbook/multimedia and real time effects on the pages, all done in camera. Quite impressive and something maybe worth trying if only for its story boarding superiority and the lessons it could teach you about pacing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeNerIa9j18&feature=youtu.be

We are all counting on you. Cover design is crucial in capturing interest on a con table or on a shelf. But its hard to make an anthology cover when its not based on known quantities or properties and the theme is so amorphously sublime.

The trouble is we need a designer- of which we possess dreadfully few of here- for an anthology that covers the sum total of the works contained or at least pertains to the premise. Perhaps knowing the content would allow the artist to give that form.

For everyone doing comics for it, self included perhaps include a mission statement for your story so anyone doing covers has some conception to go on. Charlie did a great job on the last Anthology cover, keep it up- the more the merrier. I can only theorize but lack the technology to make something suitably sleek.

Suggested viewing- Ted talk by Book designer Chip Kidd. http://www.ted.com/talks/chip_kidd_designing_books_is_no_laughing_matter_ok_it_is.html

Typically anthologies are much more restrictive actually- such as Westerns or 24/7s robotic based stories. I think it may be helpful to know what sort of stories others are doing for the sake of diversity and inspiration. I was definitely planning on doing one as well. Not sure how many pages to shoot for but it looks like typically 6-10 is the standard fare so the book isn't cost prohibitively expensive to sell at cons and online and such.

Trust that I should very much like to battle you but I'm afraid this time of year is the absolute pits for my art timewise between Exams and Holiday commissions. I admire your zeal in getting back into the game and in coaxing me back into battles- as I'm rustily awaiting another tournament. Perhaps in the new year we can cross swords my friend.

Just listened to the Fourth VCast and wanted to thank you all for the kind words on my Fourth Round- truly appreciate it. Feels so long ago but it was only a few short months. It is always incredibly inspirational to hear discussion of ones art- please continue to spread the positive vibes and thank you for adding so much to the community with these ROFLQu.

Very good m'lady- seems I shall be taking on Base as an apprentice then!

True story- I yield. For today!

Classy women in vintage house dresses- my kryptonite. Beats that yoga pants booty text rubbish thats oh so en vogue lately for me any day.

I've had many a sleepless night drawing lately which required some savagery and sex to keep the mind wound tightly. Thus I've worked my way through the first four seasons of Dexter and the first two seasons of Game of Thrones.

I'm not much into the CSI type stuff but the narrative and format of Dexter, the psychological persecutive and the constants mystery and tension of each episode within the arc is taught storytelling at its best. Rooting for the antihero is always a joy and comparisons are even made to vigilante comic heroes. The villains change each season and worthy foes like Jon Lithgow's Trinity Killer are gloriously well preformed.

Game of Thrones is a gritty, epic take on fantasy that dwells more on the politics, double crosses and speechifying of a constantly shifting power struggle than the fantasy or battle elements- but it succeeds. The differing viewpoints of the main cast- and the massive extended cast keeps things interesting. Seeing conflict and resolution from all sides, not merely black vs white but rather all the shades of grey is fascinating. It can be a big talky but always makes up for it with sharp dialogue, clever twists and always just a dash of swordplay and sex to liven things up. If anything, my only complaint is that its quite dark- things progress from the frying pan to the the fire far too often for the characters you like.

Its the kind of stuff to keep you up at night and for someone who doesn't watch any tv- its well worth the time.