Random Boy... animated!

[ObsessiveTougaFan]

My webcomic, Random Boy, gets very few visitors, so here's a shameless plug in an attempt to get more. However, as well as a shameless plug for the comic itself, it's also a shameless plug for the Christmas special that will be online from tomorrow. It's a Flash animation lasting a minute and a half, and I put far too much effort into it for no one to actually see it. All the more reason for the plug =)

So, anyway, please visit it:
http://randomboy.keenspace.com

[Heffaloop]

umm.... ever thought that there was a reason as to why you have few visitors? I don't even know where to begin with this one, and so I'm not going to.

All I'm going to say is that there is PLENTY of room for improvement. On everything.

And that your header in the archives doesn't work. And it's nowhere near as random as you would have us to believe

Sorry, just don't like it :\

[Odd1]

DEAR GOD!... smoot came right out saying it's bad. That's bad. smoot; she's like a saint compared to most of us! I became instantly scared of clicking the link you supplied. Of course that never stops me from checking something out anyway!

I'm not one to sugarcoat my opinion, so I'll just say it sucks, dude. It loosely defines the word crap. You didn't ask for a rant though, so I won't bother continuing. I recommend everyone go read an in comparison highly entertaining comic like Pupkin. It's got less i-net slang and better art! Granted, Random Boy features doesn't feature any orange testicles.

*Exits quietly*

[McDuffies]

DEAR GOD!... smoot came right out saying it's bad. That's bad. smoot; she's like a saint compared to most of us! I became instantly scared of clicking the link you supplied. Of course that never stops me from checking something out anyway!

I'm not one to sugarcoat my opinion, so I'll just say it sucks, dude. It loosely defines the word crap. You didn't ask for a rant though, so I won't bother continuing. I recommend everyone go read an in comparison highly entertaining comic like Pupkin. It's got less i-net slang and better art! Granted, Random Boy features doesn't feature any orange testicles.

*Exits quietly*

Smoot? Saint? Girl, she eats everyone!
Btw you can now officially join the club of people who linked P*****. I'm sure Sortelli's keeping the evidences of that.

[Odd1]

Smoot? Saint? Girl, she eats everyone!

She's an exceptionally nice cannibal though...

Btw you can now officially join the club of people who linked P*****. I'm sure Sortelli's keeping the evidences of that.

Hah! On the contrary, dear Srdjan. I just pretended to link to Pupkin.

[McDuffies]

Eh... Well, Random Boy is a comic that contains nothin' that would attract a reader. No involving plot, no succesfull attempts of humor, no charming development of characters, no pretty art... It seems like it's your determination to do a comic like that, to hook readers using apsurd humor (I assume that you care for having readers from your post above). But apsurd humor is a hard thing to create. Many authors think that they can produce it just by writing (drawing) on the first thing that comes to their mind. But, not everybody is Monty Python, you know.
Well, when you said that you put too much effort in it for noone to actually see it, I assumed that you talk about the animation, not about the comic itself. Cause looking at the comic, it's pretty obvious that you don't put anny effort in making it. That's ok, we're all allowed here and we all do the best we can (or not), but if you do a comic without even trying to do it good, don't be surprised or grate noone reads it.
Oh, yeah, gay jokes... In that surrounding that just seem so out of place... I mean, like a cheap shot to hook the audience. In light of what I said above, that's the only effort to hook the audience, and a very cheap one. That's the thing that leans my opinion from supportivness toward what Odd and Smoot said.

But then again, I would never compare Random Boy with Pupkin. P***** is undeservingly popular comic. Yes, it's contetn offends the inteligence, but noone is beaten in the head to read it. But it's popularity and aggresive "marketing" is what offends everyone who spends a few hours on making a comic and puts effort in organizing the story and characters development. On the other side, Raddom Boy is just your experiment - you try to make comics, you see how it goes... Nothing dishonest in that. Actually, that's what we all do.

Well, don't be mad for bad comments. They were as honest as it can get (mine as well as Odds and Smoots) and I hope I gave you a few usefull hints in where you can improve your comic.

[ObsessiveTougaFan]

Thanks for your comments. They're scarily negative, but those are the ones that are the most helpful, right?

I definitely can't say I put a lot of effort into the comic. The art is bad (and very inconsistent), and almost everything that happens is either based on real life, or just something that popped into my head. (The cartoon is the same way, except that I did a lot more drawing and colouring and had to do the animation. It took time, but the artwork and the stuff that happens are of no higher quality.) And yes, it really was just a case of "I feel like making a comic, so I will".

Bearing in mind that, as mcDuffies said, the art, humour and character development aren't meant to be good, it all boils down to whether or not you find it funny. I do know people who do (and not just people who are being polite), but then a couple of those are people who appear in the comic. Maybe it's too in-jokey. Maybe it's just that you don't share my sense of humour, or theirs. Either way, it seems that most people just don't find it funny, which of course leaves absolutely nothing. Which kinda sucks :\

mcDuffies: I find it quite odd that you said the gay jokes were a cheap shot to hook the audience, and that's what leant your opinion away from supportiveness, since there _are_ no gay jokes. Sure, the fact that OTF is gay is brought up a few times, but I've never tried to use it as the butt of a joke. Arguably the bit about OTF coming out is a gay joke, but it's just a heavily condensed (and much more visual metaphor-laden) version of what really happened, so I'm not sure that counts.

Oh well, live and learn. I guess what this has proved is that Random Boy's never going to be popular - and, most likely, that I can never make anything that could be popular. Anything based around comedy, anyway - my sense of humour isn't likely to change. But Random Boy will keep on going... it's fun, and I like it, and a few other people do too. Again, thanks for your comments.

BTW, the Xmas special is online now. All of you will hate it =)

[Heffaloop]

I'm not one to sugarcoat my opinion, so I'll just say it sucks, dude. It loosely defines the word crap. You didn't ask for a rant though, so I won't bother continuing.

And I thought I was being rather harsh ^_^

The comments are only helpful if you decide to do something about it, OTF. If you don't put much effort into it, you can't expect any readers at all.

It's understandable that you want to keep the plot/comic content as is [I'm in the same boat], but you shouldn't rely on the fact that it's "funny" to draw people in. If it looks horrible, it doesn't matter how funny it is, no one is going to want to ruin their eyes just for a joke. Same with site design.

Oh well, live and learn. I guess what this has proved is that Random Boy's never going to be popular - and, most likely, that I can never make anything that could be popular

Umm... I hate vocal self loathers. Sure, hate yourself, I don't care, it's your business. But don't tell other people. Chances are, they don't care either.

We weren't saying it couldn't be popular, but rather, pointing out that if you want it to be, it's going to need a hell of a lot of work and EFFORT. Wow, de ja vu. It's just this big never ending cylce that you're not going to get out of until you pull your head out of your ass.



McDuffies, how can you not think I'm a saint?

[KedaDibandion]

I didn't understand a lot of it, though I did think the animation was good, and funny. ^_^ I have no problem with the art, or the layout. It's unusual, but I don't hate it. If you could come up with some better jokes or a story or something, you could probably do better, but if YOU like what you're doing, fuck us and keep at it.

[Indybuda]

That's my girl, nice to a fault.

Damn that comic sucks.

[Cindermain]

LOL!!

See, Snow White and Ozzy Osbourne, together at last!

BTW, folks, let me take this moment to say that indybuda is a CLASS ACT...Indy, got the note, and now feel GUILTY AS HELL for not buying AMWAY.

That said, ObsessiveTougaFan, STOP IT.

Not stop making the strip, as you obviously have your reasons, go with it if you like. However, STOP with the self-admonishment. Your strip is only as good as you make it. No-one is going to put it on a pedestal if you, the creator, start slapping it around...you made it, it's an expression of who you are, so stand up for your work! Show some pride!

Go down kicking & screaming if need be! To simply roll over on your back and admit defeat like this is pathetic...there must be SOMETHING you're proud of in it.

However, to simply admit to your detractors that your stuff sucks is asinine.

Think Picasso listened when people said "My kid could paint that stuff"? You KNOW they had to at some point.

So stop buckling, and learn what you can from these posts. Otherwise tell us to 'fuck off' as Keda so 'eloquently' put it.

Give me a reason to read your stuff!

[KedaDibandion]

So stop buckling, and learn what you can from these posts. Otherwise tell us to 'fuck off' as Keda so 'eloquently' put it.

Well, I'd rather see a response like "fuck off" than "yes, I agree, my comic sucks." Jeeze...we don't want another BC running around in here, do we? No. No, we don't.

[Cindermain]

Well, I'd rather see a response like "fuck off" than "yes, I agree, my comic sucks." Jeeze...we don't want another BC running around in here, do we? No. No, we don't.

True.

True.

[Odd1]

I'm not one to sugarcoat my opinion, so I'll just say it sucks, dude. It loosely defines the word crap. You didn't ask for a rant though, so I won't bother continuing.

And I thought I was being rather harsh ^_^

I might have gone a bit far with the "defining crap" bit, yeah. But I was just testing his strengh of character and motivation. Putting this poor boy through an experiment on the night before Christmas. So evil. (BTW he failed this test miserably...)

Also, it felt like this guy was just waiting for someone to tell him that his comic sucks. Was that the underlying reason for posting it here in the first place?

The comments are only helpful if you decide to do something about it, OTF. If you don't put much effort into it, you can't expect any readers at all.

Another thing he had to hear from somebody.

[Heffaloop]

Another thing he had to hear from somebody.

It's what we're here for!

[Indybuda]

Jeeze...we don't want another BC running around in here, do we? No. No, we don't. [/color]

Heh, no we don't. Though it was a bit fun

Cindermain: I've still got room on a timeshare if you're interested

OTF: Just try harder. Not everyone can be as lazy as I am and still get fans

[ObsessiveTougaFan]

"If you don't put much effort into it, you can't expect any readers at all."

I admitted that I didn't put much effort into it, but to me that's not automatically a bad thing. The funniest online comic I've read is Pokey, which looks horrible, and was clearly thrown together in 2 minutes. To be honest, if Random Boy had detailed, intricate art it just wouldn't go, and if I sat there for hours deliberating over each strip's punchline rather than just happening to think up each one while I'm doing something else, I'm sure it would feel like I'm trying too hard (like recent episodes of The Simpsons). In Random Boy I actively make fun of the fact that it has no plot, so adding a detailed plot would cut a huge chunk out. And so on.

I'm happy with Random Boy as it is, so I'll probably have to accept the fact that it will never be popular. _That's_ what I meant by my last paragraph. If I ever make another online comic, these comments will ensure that I'll try to make it very different, but if it's going to be comedy-based, how different can it be? If I think Random Boy is funny, that's my sense of humour. The fact that my sense of humour can't really change is the reason I said I probably wouldn't be able to make a popular comic.

If that's the fuck off you were looking for, I hope you enjoy it ^^ Merry Christmas!

[McDuffies]

Easy on poor boy, people.
Cinder: Oh, gosh, all I need is another guy running around, claiming that his comic is great but nobody understands it, and that's just what you're asking OpsessiveTougaFan to be. I think he had very fait attitude: he wasn't mad we criticised his work, he didn't call us "srudtics" or something like that, he was completely ok. His statement was "My comic sucks" which is not just his own impression, but a matter of fact, you'll agree. He says he might decide to listen to our advices, but if he doesn't, he won't be bothered by having no readers, nor look around for victims, like B.C. does.
That's ok to me. Comics can be just a way of expressing, not only potential cariere.

[Sortelli]

It wasn't really the worst thing I've ever seen. I actually chuckled a bit at the dancing duck stalling for time. And the cartoon wasn't bad either, with everyone running out of breath in the caroling.

That said, there are just far too many "random no-effort" comics in the world. Yes, they can be hilarious, but there are just far too many to stand out. And I think the "This is my life and I can't express certain things in the real world so I'm making a comic out of it" feeling I get from Random Boy is what makes me the most disinterested.

It's like a comic done by two guys about two guys who play video games and watch movies and make jokes about them, and then pad their site with movie and game reviews, and call it Penny Force Movie Arcade Comics We Rule Ctrl Alt Del Monkeys. It's just been done, man.



Still, it's much better than a random no-effort comic drawn by a bitter little man who hates comics and calls everyone a fucking moron like that OTHER comic that was mentioned far too many times in this thread but that's okay because that comic is dead now. *shifty eyes*

[McDuffies]

but that's okay because that comic is dead now. *shifty eyes*

It is? Oh, no way, Sortelli, it is just one of your ways to make us go read it.