The opinions expressed in the Editor’s Rant! Are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily the opinions of the other members of the Original Comic Creator’s Club. Any questions or responses to this article please post in the club. I thought I would spend this time and this edition of the Editor’s Rant to vent about how people act in the Yahoo clubs and on the Internet in general. I also thought I would talk about the proper etiquette for acting in the club.
The first and most important thing I want to address today is the lack of conversation and constructive opinions that are being given in response to someone posting their club comic pages. I mean it is a crying shame that after someone works so hard on their pages they do not hear a lot of intelligent and ongoing compliments, advice and constructive criticism on their work. People are not being paid to do the work so the only compensation they receive is the good feeling they have when the work is done, growth from doing the artwork to improve their skills and the “Good Jobs” and praise and impute form their fellow club members.
I can still remember the day when I was to upload the first pages of our club comics (there was just one at the time) up on the Internet and everyone was very excited. People were paging and bugging me the whole time as I tried to make the first version of the web site in a big hurry.
As soon as the pages went up, they inspired a lot of great conversation among our 20 or so members. I learned a lot from listening and talking about each and every new club comic page myself. I would like everyone to give their opinions on the club comic pages. I want to hear what you thought each person did good and how they can improve. I want you to talk about how the story progressed and how you think it should and will move in the future. I want you to help each other.
Now I have noticed that a few club members have given their opinions, but have done so in a less than nice way. Please remember to not be “Holier than Thou” and to not be mean. You can give advice and point out ways people can better their work without coming off as Smeg Heads. Remember to give constructive criticism and not asinine, arrogant and bitchie sarcasm. All this takes is a certain amount of tact and to also remember to point out the good points of the work.
Still of course we cannot worry about people talking about club comics if there are no pages to talk about. At one time we had people signed up so far in advance that we decided to create another club comic so they wouldn’t have to wait as long. Then, all the comics were clogged up so we created more. But now people are not assuming their respsabilites and helping out the club and them-selves by working on the club comics. Unless you people want to see this club become like all the other Yahoo comic book clubs you had better take a stand and show a little action in the club. And not only does this imply to writing and drawing comic pages, or posting your opinions about other’s works. It is also about showing up regularly to the club and giving us your ideas and opinions from everything like the web site, the Editor’s Rants, people’s pics that they have put in the club’s albums& people's ideas on comic book characters and so forth.
Another thing I have noticed are these people who pop in once and a while and state “I need an artist to draw my comic.” Or “I need a writer.” They do this and just expect someone to jump right in and say, “Heck I don’t know you, I don’t know what your work is like and I don’t know if you are honest or not, but OK I’ll work very hard for you.” When you think about it, it really is absurd. If you are really a writer and you seek an artist you should at least show something that proves you are good and dedicated to a project. If you are an artist you at least should have some art, and not just pin ups, but also some panel work as well. Then and only then will you possibly inspire other people to give you their valuable time and expensive sweat to do your project. It is my humble opinion that the best way to show that you are truly a writer or an artist is to do something for one of the club projects. Also while I’m on this it reminds me of people leaving their URL’s and expecting people to drop by their web sites. Often it is someone who just joined the club with no real intention of coming back and helping out, or someone who just drops in long enough every once and a while to Spam their site or club. But trust me, the Original Comic Creator’s Club and its members are not your whores and will not jump each time you call them. You are far more likely to have people take an interest in you and your site when you are someone they are familiar with, and someone who is a kindred spirit in the club. If you are not that someone, then you are just wasting your time.
And one last thing before this rant gets to be way too long, it seems like very Joe and his brother are starting a Yahoo comic book club? Is there really such a demand for comic book clubs? Or are people just making them on a whim without any real direction, goal or purpose? The last thing we need is another pointless club when it is hard to sustain activity in the only true active one there has ever been. Anyway there was a lot of other stuff I hoped to rant about, like how communication is hampered on the Internet, and how some people can be too sensitive and whiney, but there is just not enough room and time today. So I’m off, until week after next, you folks have a nice day. Oh and wish me luck, I am starting a new job Monday and I am dreading it! BYE!
Still Stupid:
Dwayne Ferguson