Please vote for 'Girl'!

[Bekul]

Alright, hmm. I hope this is okay!

A really good friend of mine has had a comic in the Amazon 'Comic Strip Superstar' contest, which basically took 5000 entries of potential comics for syndication from the public, narrowed them down to 50 to be reviewed by professionals, and then to a final 10 for public voting. And she's made it to the top ten!

If you want, and please do look at the other comics there - and you've got to have an Amazon account to vote I guess, but - please give the comic 'Girl' your consideration. She's worked pretty hard at making it the best entry she possibly can, and she'd really love it if she could win! She's been doing comics for about ten years now, and being paid for it all finally, regularly, would be a relief.

Anyway! Here: http://www.amazon.com/books-used-books- ... 2128878011

Please look at the 'Girl', by Dana Simpson! Even if she wasn't a friend, I'd still think her entry was among the best, and even trying to be objective, I think it's /the/ best. I mean, c'mon:

She's a kid who's awkward at school, awkward at home, and comfortable in the forest, where her friends all live. She has a name, but her forest-dwelling friends all just call her "Girl."

Isn't that just cool?

[Misty Rydia]

I voted. I hope she wins!

[Tails]

Since Dana is actually the Ozy and Millie artist, and a good portion of the comics are the exact same, seems kinda lazy. Some may say the artist is just using a character the mainstream public may "get" better, I dunno. Maybe its just me.

(there are others exactly the same too)

[Bekul]

Four are the same or similar! On the other hand, some of the other entrants are already syndicated, have book deals, and etc. When you're going for something this big, you gotta use your best material!

[Tails]

So why not redos of your actual old comics. Not a rehash. I dunno, I would love to see Ozy and Millie syndicated, I get no such feeling for "Girl"

[Bekul]

Well, they main reason was, after over ten years of doing Ozy and Millie, she felt like she'd dragged it on probably too long already. I mean, ten years! That's a long time to do anything, let alone a webcomic where the characters don't really age. She really felt she'd done everything interesting she could do with most of those characters, more than once. (minor secret: there's a possibility of a future restart of O&M, at a dragon High School, but that's just talk at the moment, mostly)

The other main reason being that as per the rules of the contest, no pre-existing comics could be used for the contest. Ideas are fair game - but Ozy and Millie, being an already existing IP, wasn't allowed to be submitted. Plus, with 'Girl', it gives her to explore a whole new setting and cast of characters, world, and etc. Which is another reason for keeping things a little vague in the entry - not only was the entry limited to about (I think) 10 comics plus 2 full-color 'Sunday style' strips, but it takes time to develop interesting characters and situations, something that ten comics just doesn't give - the focus had to be on introducing 'Girl' and some of her words. Likewise, just reading the first ten comics of Ozy and Millie might not be all that impressive, unless you really liked foxes (and many do!).

She did try to get Ozy and Millie syndicated, about five or so years ago, which would have been the time for it, but - after ten years, it's time to move on. Like if Dan had continued Angel Moxie for the past couple of years - which, well, I personally would have loved, and others too, but - he'd told the story he wanted to tell, and to drag it out endlessly would be a disservice to both the characters and his own creativity. It sucks to feel trapped by what you've created.

[Tails]

I respect all of that, but I just don't like seeing exactly Millie in Girl. Similar situations would have been fine, but carbon copies? Like I said, maybe I'm just weird.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but huge respect for the artist. Reading Ozy and Millie for 10 years has allowed me to grow up with it and everything the artist can do. I dunno, it's up to the artist I suppose.

Either way, I hope he/she wins.

Also, are you insinuating a person who is named after an anthropomorphic fox likes foxes?

[Bekul]

Thought it worth mentioning - voting ends tonight!

Haha, and well, I suppose there is a bit of Millie in Girl. They're both girls, after all!

[Tails]

Thought it worth mentioning - voting ends tonight!

Haha, and well, I suppose there is a bit of Millie in Girl. They're both girls, after all!

Nah, a bit of Millie would have got my vote =/

[Bekul]

You honestly see 'Millie' in there? I dunno, I'm having a tough time seeing it. Some of the clothes, maybe.

Well, I guess how 'Sugari' is Olivia, and Tristan is Zoey, and Miya is Weesh.

[Tails]

It's not similarity in design, it's things like this:


Verbatim of another comic

and this:


Also verbatim right down to Girl's face being exactly like Millie's from that particular comic.

The characters are quite different in styles, and I know he/she is just using material they already have, but I guess as a long standing fan of Ozy and Millie, it just irks me a bit.

I do hope he/she wins though.

[Bekul]

I dunno. Is it possible to write jokes without ever repeating one? There's only so many that are possible. And after 10 years, a good chunk of those get used up.

[Sgt. Mongoose]

I'm with Tails on this one. If you can no longer be creative, you have no business entering a contest of creativity.

[Bekul]

Haha, in that case, I'm surprised /anyone/ is able to do anything considered creative anymore. People've been around awhile, there's not much new unless you're pretty far into the theoretical sciences and mathematics.

[Misty Rydia]

If the contest rules are that no pre-existing comics could be used, what's wrong with using some of the best stuff from your pre-existing comic in order to make a new one? Sure, it's not creative, but at the same time, if there's a deadline and you're scrambling to meet it, then yeah, you might be reaching for something you've already done. I can understand why the artist might have done that.

I can also see why some of you folks are upset about it -- it may seem lazy, but if you're facing limited time in creating a NEW comic for a contest and you've had a comic you've loved running for a few years, why is it "lazy" to steal a few ideas from something you've created? You're the one who created them, how is that not creative? Yes, it would probably be "more" creative to make new stuff, but life does tend to get into the way.

Anyway, I stand by my vote. It's tough to get by nowadays, and if it means you have to use some of your old work to make new work, it can't possibly be the worst. It's still YOUR work, no?