CG Forums Future - How can we help it?

[Mo]

Yeah, an overhaul would be needed to ensure long term changes. A complete overhaul, COMBINED with a big PR stunt, that would work. Too bad I'm deep down too apathetic to actually do anything myself.

Although I might start drawing and posting drawings again in the near future, not like that will make any difference much.

[Derek Dragomir]

See, my theory/fantasy is that if we do something big to advertise ComicGenesis and the kind of artists we have, that new people will want to join the forums. Which will hopefully revive the forums and in turn show the higher ups that ComicGenesis is up and running again and that's safe to return. Or something like that...

So what would that something be? Well, I think I mentioned before, getting together to create an art book, filled with pin-ups, posters or even short comic strips, all this with only the comics at ComicGenesis. The book would be printed through Ka-Blam. Funding would come from Kickstarter. The book would be distributed through all forum members to sell at conventions, or wherever they can. Money gained from the book and whatever is left over from the Kickstarter funds would go to a donation... Breast Cancer being my personal choice.

I have more to say on this, but I g2g now. Laters.

[Turnsky]

Yeah, an overhaul would be needed to ensure long term changes. A complete overhaul, COMBINED with a big PR stunt, that would work. Too bad I'm deep down too apathetic to actually do anything myself.

Although I might start drawing and posting drawings again in the near future, not like that will make any difference much.

clearly a CG war coinciding with the place's renovations (i.e: place getting blown to smithereens and then rebuilt into something shinier) is the way to go.

[Derek Dragomir]

Yeah, an overhaul would be needed to ensure long term changes. A complete overhaul, COMBINED with a big PR stunt, that would work. Too bad I'm deep down too apathetic to actually do anything myself.

Although I might start drawing and posting drawings again in the near future, not like that will make any difference much.

clearly a CG war coinciding with the place's renovations (i.e: place getting blown to smithereens and then rebuilt into something shinier) is the way to go.

Back.

Well, what I was going to mention before is that, as you can see I added a Comic Genesis ad on my sig. I've also done the same thing for my Gaia Online account. When I went on their Comic Creators' forums I noticed that most of the people on there had their comics on smackjeeves. I used to have my comic on smackjeeves and I didn't like it very much compared to ComicGenesis. I even had some trouble with their forums too cuz I was being a n00b.

So I guess my point is, maybe start a war with SmackJeeves? Or do we have to war with DrunkenDuck? Like, I'm not really sure who CG has beef with.

What I also would like to be enlightened in is, how do these wars work? Is it just, you spam your sig with ComicGenesis ads and you start posting about how great ComicGenesis is when possible, following their forum rules of course?

[Mastermind]

I pasted a link to the war thread earlier, you can find your way to the source of the "conflict" from there.

[Derek Dragomir]

I pasted a link to the war thread earlier, you can find your way to the source of the "conflict" from there.

Oh, right, I remember that link. I did check it out. The number of pages that I'd have to go through might've scared me back then, but eventually I'll look at it... soon.

[McDuffies]

What I also would like to be enlightened in is, how do these wars work? Is it just, you spam your sig with ComicGenesis ads and you start posting about how great ComicGenesis is when possible, following their forum rules of course?

You draw a comic depicting you winning and them losing. Then you post it. Then you don't want for them to respond, but draw another one and if they haven't responded by then, tough luck. Also you try to be funny and not to be too meanspirited.

[Derek Dragomir]

What I also would like to be enlightened in is, how do these wars work? Is it just, you spam your sig with ComicGenesis ads and you start posting about how great ComicGenesis is when possible, following their forum rules of course?

You draw a comic depicting you winning and them losing. Then you post it. Then you don't want for them to respond, but draw another one and if they haven't responded by then, tough luck. Also you try to be funny and not to be too meanspirited.

Okay, I finally took a look at the old thread and the wiki entry on DrunkDuck. I even searched SmackJeeves on there, but there's no entry, so I guess you guys are either cool with them, or don't care.

My Conclusion:
- Let's do another war on DD (But first let's try to e-mail all other CG'ers who haven't been here in a while. Also, can we design a CG helmet to put on our characters' avatars to represent us during the war? I'm thinking something along the lines of a Power Ranger helmet without the visor. But we should go to voting with everyone's ideas.)
- Let's publish an anthology of CG works.
- I also want to change my username before the war begins. It seems like it's not possible to do it on my own, so I'll just create a new forum account. Is that cool with the Admins/Mods?

[IVstudios]

I'm all about picking a comic forum at random and deciding to have a beef with them! Man, I hate those guys. I mean who do those guys think they are!? WE are the original comic forum! I WILL SMASH WHOEVER THEY ARE! JUST TELL ME WHO TO HATE!

[Derek Dragomir]

I'm all about picking a comic forum at random and deciding to have a beef with them! Man, I hate those guys. I mean who do those guys think they are!? WE are the original comic forum! I WILL SMASH WHOEVER THEY ARE! JUST TELL ME WHO TO HATE!

Well, personally I'd like to smack Jeeves in the face. But after I get my last post thoroughly answered, I will start working on things and create a thread with a poll on who to wage war on.

[Mo]

Why limit yourselves to ONE enemy? Take on ALL of them!

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

My hesitation is that a war while this site is in its current condition won't do much. But what do I know, I never done any of this kinda thing before. I'll leave any of this sort of engagement in the hands of the the Old Guard professionals who know what they're doing before I run in and make a fool.

[Warren]

Why don't we just declare war on someone who doesn't do webcomics? Like CNN or something?

[Derek Dragomir]

Why limit yourselves to ONE enemy? Take on ALL of them!

I didn't know we could hate more than one group. Although hating one group at a time would be better in the sense that we could focus our energy in one group without being distracted by other groups. On the other hand, if all the major free webcomic hosts waged a yearly War between all of them, preferably during the summer, that would probably be a great advertising campaign. Would winners be chosen, or would the war just cease and we'd all laugh and drink Dragon's Milk in the end with a giant feast Asterix & Obelix style?

EDIT: And just like the ComicCookout, these Wars would have their own website where the wars would be documented in some form, organized by year with some member highlights. The highlight of that website would probably be reading through some the short comics created by the members of each webcomic host for the war. Make sense?

[robotthepirate]

You've lost me there. I'm just imagining a teenage angst slagging match that's essentially spam. Maybe I'm missing the point.

Personally i'd like to quote a song I think you all know:
"War! huh! yeah!
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh"

[Derek Dragomir]

Ultimately, the point of it should be to bring more activity to the CG forums. So what does everyone think the war should go like?

[Mastermind]

I really think we should wait for the community to grow some more before we consider something like that. This isn't Thermopylae.

There was a time when all the alter egos, nsfw, reviews, fanart and other fun threads were basically immortal. They drew attention with the awesomeness and lulz that occured. Now there's only doodles and avatar drawings and I think that's not enough to keep the aura of creativity strong. What I'm trying to say is that if we don't have time and numbers to keep these threads alive, anything else is also likely to fail.

and why don't you like your username?

Personally i'd like to quote a song I think you all know:
"War! huh! yeah!
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh"

I should now start tap dancing and singing Jared Emerson-Johnson's song:
War!
What is it good for? Oh, it strengthens the economy!
It shows the world that we've got stones!
And carriers... with fighter drones!
War! Oh, what is it good for?
It's good for you it's good for me!

[Derek Dragomir]

I really think we should wait for the community to grow some more before we consider something like that. This isn't Thermopylae.

There was a time when all the alter egos, nsfw, reviews, fanart and other fun threads were basically immortal. They drew attention with the awesomeness and lulz that occured. Now there's only doodles and avatar drawings and I think that's not enough to keep the aura of creativity strong. What I'm trying to say is that if we don't have time and numbers to keep these threads alive, anything else is also likely to fail.

That's why I suggested to bother the still-members of CG (the ones who haven't been around for a while) asking them if they'd be interested in participating. Maybe after the War is done they'll start posting here again.

In any case, if everyone else feels the same as you, I'll leave it alone. Otherwise, count me in.

and why don't you like your username?

Long story. Today I go by the username of spoonyliger on any other site I'm signed up to. My real name is actually Derek Calixto, but I'd prefer to be known as spoonyliger online.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

My issue with trying to get oldbies to come back is that it seems ... just weird to me somehow. I feel like most of the people left because they didn't have time to devote to the forum anymore, got involved in their careers, families, et cetera. The forum was a hobby for them, not a way of life. Asking them to return might bring them back for a little while, but who knows if they'd want to stick around really?

I don't think we lose anything by waiting before we start engaging in wars and such. And the thing is that many of the ideas you've come up with, while I appreciate that you really want to change things here, require participation on everyone's parts beyond what they might have time or be willing to give. I barely have time to work on my own comic, I haven't even contributed to the jam thread yet, so I would only be able to do so much. I mean, I could cut out spending time here on the forum, but I enjoy doing that, so it would kinda bum me out.

[Mo]

Eh... in the old days, people wouldn't spend several days planning and talking about what they could do, they'd just... do it. Chaos ensued. A CG war is only fun if people make it fun and are having fun doing it. Don't overthink or overcomplicate things I say, but then what do I know.