TWCL

[LukeSurl]

Procedure-wise, would it be fair to say that those who voted "no" would probably prefer one award to two?

[funnyninjas]

I'd rather have none, but one would be better than two, I think.
_________________
S*P*Q*R

[LukeSurl]

Seriously, who is voting for two awards? Can someone please give some justification for this?
_________________

[dooky]

I haven't voted yet, but I'm drawn towards two. I suppose it's because I do consider writing for male and female characters to be different disciplines, if only because I've never been able to write men particularly well (which is odd, since I am one). That and, well, I just like the analogue to Best Actor/Actress. My only reason for going for one instead of two would be that most of the organisers don't seem to want two, and there's no sense in forcing them to judge an award they don't want to do.
The comment about genderless/ambiguously-gendered characters does hold some water too, I suppose... but even speaking as somebody who has such a character in their comic, I don't see this as a major issue.

'Tis just my opinion. Don't shout at me >.>
_________________

S*P*Q*R

[hollylaing]

If this is following similar categories to say, the Oscars, there would be a 'best actor' and 'best actress' award, wouldn't there?

There are differences when writing and developing characters of each sex, I personally believe that it is a skill that should be recognized. It also gives more comics an opportunity to be featured. So why not?

Just my opinion, though.
_________________

My deviantART
TWCL Profile

[LukeSurl]

Acting awards have male and female divisions because the roles available to men cannot be played by women and vice versa, it is the actors themselves who are up for the awards.

In comics it is the artists who are the contendors, and one artist can draw men and women just as easily. Indeed, almost every story will have male and female characters - the writer having to show skill in developing them both.

[Max Vaehling]

Also, if it's about writing the opposite sex as well as your own, the award should be split into "best character of the author/artist's sex" and "Best character of the opposite sex, from the author's point of view". Or, to reel the other genders back in, "Best character of a sex or gender not shared by the author".
_________________

Webcomics - Blog - Twitter

[dooky]

But that's assuming it's easier to write characters of your own gender. I'm a man, and I have a comic with an entirely female cast, partly because I'm so bad at creating fully rounded male characters...
_________________

S*P*Q*R

[hollylaing]

LukeSurl wrote:

In comics it is the artists who are the contendors, and one artist can draw men and women just as easily. Indeed, almost every story will have male and female characters - the writer having to show skill in developing them both.

Actually, for a lot of artists (even pros) that isn't the case, but I suppose that alone wouldn't warrant a second category... if the award is based solely on the character design.

However, for the overall character I still believe that have two categories seems like the way to go.
_________________

My deviantART
TWCL Profile

[LukeSurl]

LukeSurl wrote:

Acting awards have male and female divisions because the roles available to men cannot be played by women and vice versa, it is the actors themselves who are up for the awards.

hollylaing wrote:

LukeSurl wrote: In comics it is the artists who are the contendors, and one artist can draw men and women just as easily. Indeed, almost every story will have male and female characters - the writer having to show skill in developing them both. Actually, for a lot of artists (even pros) that isn't the case, but I suppose that alone wouldn't warrant a second category... if the award is based solely on the character design,

I didn't mean it in that way. I meant that for acting there are male and female roles, and a male actor can only possibly play male roles (and vice versa). In comics, yes, some have more difficultly writing or drawing one sex (I find women harder to draw than men) but I am still able to have either male or female characters at my discretion.

The acting analogy doesn't work here.

If there is one category, we can say that we've identified which creator has done THE best job of character creation. With two categories, we'll end up with two creators winning two awards, neither of which means that they are the best at this skill. I just don't see how designing a male character and a female character are SUBSTANTIALLY different skills.

I think a single award here is worth more than the two awards combined. Plus we avoid any tricky sex-determining questions for robots, aliens, Vaarsuvius* etc.

*Not as trivial a point as you might think, Burlew did a lot of development of the Vaarsuvius character this year, and he/she could be a contender for best character.
_________________

[Chilari]

In general, I would agree with LukeSurl's above post. However, I would like to point out that male characters have been played by female actors before and probably vice versa. The example that comes to mind is Perry from Kevin and Perry Go Large, a male character played by a female actor. Also Bart Simpson, though that's really voice acting only and not quite as relevant.
_________________
"S*P*Q*R"

[hollylaing]

Okay, I guess I misunderstood the award. I thought it was to award a specific character, not the artist/writer's ability to design/develop characters.

Unless I am still missing something (which if true is probably really sad )
_________________

My deviantART
TWCL Profile

[LukeSurl]

hollylaing wrote:

Okay, I guess I misunderstood the award. I thought it was to award a specific character, not the artist/writer's ability to design/develop characters.

It's sorta both really, but, as the characters are fictional creations of their designer, it's only the creator that's actually being honoured.

[dooky]

Bumping this to save it from the Guest Account-Generated Abyss of Eternal Badness (GAGAEB).
_________________

S*P*Q*R

[Max Vaehling]

dooky wrote:

But that's assuming it's easier to write characters of your own gender. I'm a man, and I have a comic with an entirely female cast, partly because I'm so bad at creating fully rounded male characters...

Nope, just assuming there's a difference, not assuming anything about what the difference is. BTW, I'm still in favor of just one award. Exactly because the assumed difference is, at the very least, fuzzy.
_________________

Webcomics - Blog - Twitter