TWCL

[vulpeslibertas]

TWCL used to have awards. There's still a page for the last awards given.

I like the idea of webcomic writers-only, as WCCA does. I am also favorable to select judges. Maybe anyone who wants can apply to be a judge, and then the top 7 (or other good number) applicants will be selected based on their own webcomic archive length, readership, etc.

I think that the general public, should be able to submit nominations, and the judges can discuss and vote based on those.

The most important thing to get right for our attempt, is to demote or ban previous winners from winning consecutive awards. Why should one Comic receive Best Webcomic 10 years running? It's also discouraging to new blood, and violates the idea of the awards as a means to promote undeserved comics. Maybe a "Double Winner" mention for comics which won awards previously. Also, I think winning in one category should disqualify you for winning in another category.
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[Midtoon]

I vote for Midtoon and Midtoon ends with ONE vote... If creators are not allowed to vote for their own comic, then Midtoon ends with zero votes.

If that's an ego trip, I don't dare mention the destination...

I nominate Girl Genius for best webcomic. Hands down, better than any of the "big ones", which btw, I really don't like (but thousands of readers cannot be wrong, so something must be wrong with me...

If not best webcomic, I would nominate Girl Genius at least for these categories...

Best Original Concept
Best World Building
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www.Midtoon.com

[Chilari]

Though the huge numbers of categories in WCCA was a little off-putting, it did allow a larger number of unknown comics to get their names seen, and meant that the big comics didn't get all the awards. So while I agree that too many categories would be a bad idea, I think the original six Novil mentioned:

Novil wrote:

Best comic Best new comic Best art Best writing Best story (long form) comic Best comedy (short form) comic

Plus the two Midtoon just suggested:

Midtoon wrote:

Best Original Concept Best World Building

But then divide "best art" into colour and black and white (which, after all, require different techniques in many cases), ending up with a total of 9 awards, would work.

As for who would decide... I agree that the awards should be voted on by webcartoonists who have, as Novil said, a minimum of 30 uploaded pages of comic, but I also think a judge's panel could be incorporated. I don't mean to make it overly complicated, but some system whereby the webcartoonists vote, narrowing down a shortlist of maybe 10 to one of 2 or 3, which the judges then decide upon, could work. Then the veryshortlisters get acknowlegement for being runners up, or honourable mention, etc.

Mind you, going back half a step, the 30 pages thing might cause trouble, since a random reader could draw 30 pages of a rushed pencil comic, upload it in a block, and have a vote, while a newcomer with 25 brilliant pages released one page a week, on time every week, wouldn't have a vote. So perhaps a time limit should be applied too - 30 pages minimum, for at least 4 weeks, for example - to prevent people from doing that. And then perhaps have special considerations for newcomers with 28 or 29 pages, if those pages clearly took longer than an hour or two each.

Might I also suggest having roles for people like me, who don't have uploaded comics but do get involved in the community here - something ancillary, uninvoled in the decision making but still involved in the whole thing.

I'm really liking the idea of TWCL awards; it's a real shame nothing's been happening on WCCA this year.
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"S*P*Q*R"

[Novil]

Specific rules like the exact number of categories should either be determined by the jury members or by a vote. It’s not possible to come up with rules everyone agrees on.

But here is a draft for the general rules I have written:

Quote:

Rules: To be eligible to vote you must be the creator (artist and/or writer) of a webcomic with an archive that consists of at least xx (30) strips and the first strip has to be been posted at least x (2) months ago. Works of art such as scans of your comic book uploaded on Flickr or sketches of your characters uploaded on DeviantArt do not qualify as a “webcomic” in our definition. You can nominate every other webcomic that meets these requirements. You cannot nominate your own webcomic! (The jury members are also not allowed to vote for their own webcomic.) Either way, other votes in the specific category are still valid. You can nominate up to three webcomics in each of the following categories: Best comic Best new comic (only x (20) published strips needed for nomination) Best art Best writing Best story comic Best comedy comic ... After the deadline for public voting, a jury consisting of xxx will examine the x (5) webcomics [The less this number the more important the first voting round and also the less work for the jury members to have a look at every nominated comic, but also the bigger the threat that only very popular webcomics are in the final round] with the most nominations in each category. They will then vote for the winner using the same voting system.

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[vulpeslibertas]

I recommend that the time to qualify as a nominating webcomicker be extended to at least 6 months. 12 months is really the big hurdle, if you've made it past that you're more than an amateur. Although, that may be a bit much.

New comic category also needs a maximum time limit: started within the last 12 months. After all, once you've made a solid year of updates, you're really not new anymore.

Also, making it wrong to nominate yourself could run into this wall: I nominate you, and you nominate me. Honest people need not apply. You might as well make it so people can nominate themselves, since all the low down dirty rascals will find a way to do it anyway. Jury members should still not be allowed to nominate or vote for their own comics, and that should be easier to monitor and control.
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[wendyw]

If the WCCA don't surface again then I'm all up for the idea, which I guess means this idea has a teensy bit of staff support at least.

Novil's draft seems pretty good, but I agree with vulpeslibertas on making the minimum period for having a comic running six months, in addition to the 30 strips.

I also like anezka's ideas for additional categories and of making it so community members with no comics can be involved. I personally would go with the idea of allowing anyone who has been a member for a year and has over three hundred posts to vote.

I'm going to go make a drink and put lunch on to cook but when I come back I'll play with the rules myself and see what people think.
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[wendyw]

Based off of Novil's rules and other people's suggestions:

Quote:

Rules: To be eligible to vote you must be one of the following 1) The creator (artist and/or writer) of a webcomic with an archive that consists of at least thirty strips and has been updated for at least the last six months ago. Special exemption will be made for comics that have been going for less time if they follow a now discontinued comic from the same author. Works of art such as scans of your comic book uploaded on Flickr or sketches of your characters uploaded on DeviantArt do not qualify as a “webcomic” in our definition. 2) An active member of TWCL community for at least one year with a post count of 200 or more. Users who have registered over a year ago but did not post until less than a year before the awards will not be allowed to nominate comics unless they meet the criteria for part one. You can nominate every other webcomic that meets these requirements. You cannot nominate your own webcomic! Comics belonging to Judges or staff members of TWCL cannot be nominated. In addition judges can not be involved in preliminary nominations. You can nominate up to three webcomics in each of the following categories: Best comic Best new comic (only x (20) published strips needed for nomination) Best colour art Best black and white art Best writing Best story comic Best comedy comic Best Original Concept Best World Building ... After the deadline for public voting, a jury consisting of xxx will examine the x (5) webcomics [The less this number the more important the first voting round and also the less work for the jury members to have a look at every nominated comic, but also the bigger the threat that only very popular webcomics are in the final round] with the most nominations in each category. They will then vote for the winner using the same voting system.

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[Casual Notice]

Pledge of voluntary action rescinded.
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What I lack in sincerity, I make up for in sarcasm.
S*P*Q*R

[Chilari]

Sorry to be off topic, but what exactly is this SPQR thing? I mean, I know the original meaning of that acronym (I do Ancient History), but I keep seeing it in people's sigs, and for some reason I doubt you're that interested in the senate and people of Rome.
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"S*P*Q*R"

[wendyw]

It's a secret.
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[dpat57]

wendyw wrote:

1) The creator (artist and/or writer) of a webcomic with an archive that consists of at least thirty strips and has been updated for at least the last six months ago. Special exemption will be made for comics that have been going for less time if they follow a now discontinued comic from the same author.

Man, tough rules! One of my man-size pages is the equivalent of thirty strips!

Quote:

2) An active member of TWCL community for at least one year with a post count of 200 or more. Users who have registered over a year ago but did not post until less than a year before the awards will not be allowed to nominate comics unless they meet the criteria for part one.

Heh, wouldn't that rule out Novil on two counts (join date, # of posts)? And me on one count (join date).
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[Novil]

I’m against a special rule for TWLF members. It’s supposed to be a general webcomic award, not an TWL webcomic award. For example I’m confident that at least one of the Halfpixel.com guys would be interested to be a jury member if everything is set-up nicely.

Quote:

Comics belonging to Judges or staff members of TWCL cannot be nominated.

I’m not sure about this one. This could prevent some famous webcomic creators wanting to be in the jury if they think their comic would have a realistic chance of being in the final round or even winning.
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[wendyw]

Actually you'd both be fine.
As we're only starting to talk about this now (and remember nothing's set in stone right now) we won't be ready for a while if it goes ahead. It would probably be a couple of months which would put your joined date within the right time and Sandra and Woo has easily a long enough archive to qualify Novil on that account.
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[oppernaR]

This would need proper discussion, organization etc, but I'm all for it and Ash gave us the green light as well.
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S*P*Q*R
-I use a ruler for everything.

[wendyw]

Novil wrote:

I’m against a special rule for TWLF members. It’s supposed to be a general webcomic award, not an TWL webcomic award. For example I’m confident that at least one of the Halfpixel.com guys would be interested to be a jury member if everything is set-up nicely.

I just felt that if we are going to do it under TWCL's branding then I feel it wouldn't be right to exclude long term community members here.

Either way this is something that will have to be discussed more.

And I just noticed that we have Ash approval.
Awesome.

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