Rebirth of Webcomic Above Discussion

[geoduck] · Post by **[geoduck]** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:07 am

I imagine that American slang is more accessable to other people because we export so much of our culture via movies and television...

Getting back on subject, I posted a few comments about School Spirit.

Dutch! · Post by **Dutch!** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 3:54 pm

Your fanny is your front bum Down Here.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:00 pm

Indefensible Positions Review is up.

http://forums.comicgenesis.com/viewtopi ... 54#1310354

Sincerely · Post by **Sincerely** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 5:27 pm

Dutch! wrote:Your fanny is your front bum Down Here.

"front bum"? Oh lord.

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 5:29 pm

Thanks, Rkolter!

Yes, I've realized the problem with Foil. His power level fluctuates wildly throughout the comic...but as the point of view character, that causes confusion in the reader. They see things through Foil's reactions, and they don't understand that what he's seeing changes due to changes in him, not necessarily in what's around him. Lesson learned -- main characters need to be more constant, or explained more fully, than everything else in the story.

Let's just say that Foil *is* a very capable shaman...*and* completely out of his league.

The 'anti-moral' slant is interesting...something I hadn't really considered. The end of the story may add wrinkles to that viewpoint, but it's neat...especially since it's not what I intended. I love it when things pop out of a story by themselves.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:11 pm

Hey Thanks JackHass!

I uh... wasn't next in line for a review though.

But thanks!

I would have someone else do the artwork. But that would require me writing the story, then drawing the art, then showing the story and art to someone else, getting THEM to understand the story, and then drawing scientifically accurate, but much better, art.

Besides, who'd want to draw science art? Legostar's no better than I am. Tellurider's impossible to get ahold of. YarpsDat likewise. Remus might do it, but he has hard enough time keeping on his own schedule.

No, it'd have to be me. I -am- getting better. Just toooooo slowly.

Levi-chan · Post by **Levi-chan** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:16 pm

Note to Komi: Review's gonna be late, things came up. I'll try to have it up tomo.

Komiyan · Post by **Komiyan** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:24 pm

Levi-chan wrote:Note to Komi: Review's gonna be late, things came up. I'll try to have it up tomo.

S'ok duder, I've got like a 350 comic archive and I don't expect you to put everything aside for a thread on the internet

Thanks for the heads up though!

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:51 am

Yeah, my review for 8:1 is taking me a while. It's going to take some extra time to flesh out my thoughts on it.

Killbert-Robby · Post by **Killbert-Robby** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:03 am

The Neko wrote:Yeah, my review for 8:1 is taking me a while. It's going to take some extra time to flesh out my thoughts on it.

A.K.A. find more original insults?

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:43 am

Killbert-Robby wrote:
The Neko wrote:Yeah, my review for 8:1 is taking me a while. It's going to take some extra time to flesh out my thoughts on it.
A.K.A. find more original insults?

Yeah, that was constructive. But no. You're a bit late for the criticism train, it departed several pages ago.

Killbert-Robby · Post by **Killbert-Robby** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:57 am

The Neko wrote:
Killbert-Robby wrote:
The Neko wrote:Yeah, my review for 8:1 is taking me a while. It's going to take some extra time to flesh out my thoughts on it.
A.K.A. find more original insults?
Yeah, that was constructive. But no. You're a bit late for the criticism train, it departed several pages ago.

Awww I found your critiques entertaining...

Perk_daddy · Post by **Perk_daddy** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:44 am

I thought Neko's reviews were some of the better thought-out ones. If someone really wants honest feedback, they shouldn't feel insulted if the reviewer backs up what they say with examples and specifics, which Neko's done well at.

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:14 am

Neko also has the advantage of being a capable artist and writer. I can make guesses about what's wrong with someone's art, but I may not be able to point to specifically what is wrong because I have no art training. I can say 'the anatomy's wrong, somehow', where someone who actually knows anatomy would be able to pinpoint the problem and give examples.

It would be interesting to split this up into 'Webcomic Art Above' and 'Webcomic Writing Above', so people could aim for what they want reviewed and what they're best at critiquing. I'm not sure it would be a good idea, but it would be interesting...

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:22 am

I don't think being capable at writing or art (which I'd argue I'm really not at either by my standards) is what really determines a good critic, but rather the ability to compare and deconstruct. A lot of my critical thought process was demonstrated in the side-by-side image comparisons in the Lightbringer review. I compare the piece to something in a similar vein that works, whereas the original is lacking. And then I try to deconstruct both to see the moving parts that cause one to function and the other to falter. Really, it's looking at the mechanics of what makes something good and what makes something bad.

Unfortunately, I can't always do the same with my own work.

The hardest part about critiquing to define, I think, is "a sense of good taste" when it comes to media. Some treat taste empirically and others say it's subjective. I look at it like someone who has good taste in design, which people don't seem to argue against as often in comparison to when someone has a good taste in film or literature.

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:28 am

Yeah, but you have the tools to be that kind of mechanic, where others may not. (And I've told you before that I think you're way too hard on yourself and your abilities.)

I just looked at the next comic in the queue because I'd never heard of it before. And although the art is lush and talented, I don't like it...and I can't say why. It just seems wrong somehow. I can't review it if I can't offer specific, constructive suggestions.

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:47 am

A lot of people have trouble "reviewing" their own work, or checking it for problems, etc. Just ask net, and his writing/scripts.

I hope we're not going back to the <3 neko/bash neko's critiques bit again. Man, these webcomic above things cause a lot of trouble these days. When did these forums get so gosh darn emo about everything? :S

Komiyan · Post by **Komiyan** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:15 am

Artists have always been touchy about their work. Making the thread is a guarantee that drama will follow, but it'll also hopefully help a lot of people at the same time.

Killbert-Robby · Post by **Killbert-Robby** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:36 am

TdotOdot2k wrote:A lot of people have trouble "reviewing" their own work, or checking it for problems, etc. Just ask net, and his writing/scripts.

I hope we're not going back to the <3 neko/bash neko's critiques bit again. Man, these webcomic above things cause a lot of trouble these days. When did these forums get so gosh darn emo about everything? :S

We're not emo! You just don't understand us!

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:03 am

I'm leaving the internet forever! For the 20847th time!