Categories

[JustNoPoint]

What categories should we have next year?

Current categories

BEST ABSTRACT/RANDOM COMIC
BEST ACTION SEQUENCES
BEST ADULT COMIC
BEST ADVENTURE COMIC
BEST ANTAGONIST
BEST ANTROPOMORPHIC COMIC
BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMIC
BEST BACKGROUNDS
BEST BLACK AND WHITE COMIC
BEST COLOR COMIC
BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT
BEST DIALOGUE
BEST DIGITAL ART
BEST EXPERIMENTAL COMIC
BEST FANTASY COMIC
MOST FRIENDLY DRUNK DUCKER
FUNNIEST DRUNK DUCKER
MOST HELPFUL DRUNK DUCKER
BEST HORROR COMIC
BEST HUMOR SCENES
MOST IMPROVED COMIC
BEST COMIC LAYOUTS
BEST MANGA
BEST MYSTERY COMIC
BEST NOIR COMIC
MOST DELICIOUSLY OFFENSIVE COMIC
BEST OVERALL COMIC
BEST PARODY OR TRIBUTE COMIC
BEST PHOTO OR STOCK IMAGE COMIC
BEST PIXEL/SPRITE COMIC
BEST POLITICAL OR EDITORIAL COMIC
MOST PROFOUND COMIC
BEST PROTAGONIST
BEST ROMANTIC STORY
BEST SCI-FI STORY
BEST SKETCH STYLE
BEST SLICE OF LIFE COMIC
BEST SPIRITUAL COMIC
BEST STICK FIGURE COMIC
BEST SUPERHERO COMIC
BEST TENSE SCENES
BEST TRADITIONAL ART
BEST WEBSITE DESIGN
BEST WESTERN COMIC

[JustNoPoint]

BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMIC----> This one seemed to have quite a bit of flack. I think it should probably be removed. It's pretty hard to say if a comic is autobiographical IMO

The categories we decide on should have a bit of description this year to help people understand what they are going to pick. We won't worry about that till we discuss/solidify the categories for 2009

I just don't want to see the whole

1 comic voted best Traditional and best Digital um wut?

T+ comics that are voted as Adult comics.
ECT. ECT.

After we solidify the categories a bit more I'll add the boards for each category and make the member groups for each one. For example, a person that will judge the Best Sci Fi category would have access to that forum but not the others.
I can assign multiple titles to users so no worries.

When the time comes that all judges are picked I can go ahead and remove the admin access from anyone that was nominated in the event people feel intimidated or pressured that me or Amanda could look in on the discussions.

In fact if need be, since this is on my server, I can take myself completely out of the running for next year. I want to make sure people will trust that I will not interfere in the judging.

New category Best Completed comic? No time frame for this one btw

[DAJB]

I think it will help if we break the list of categories into sub-groups.  For example:

Genre categories
These will be determined solely by the genre which the creator has allocated to the comic when setting it up on DD.  That way, no comic can be nominated in more than two genre categories and, in theory at least, they should be relevant.  It will also be easy for panellists to check if the finalists are eligible.  Some DD categories with very few comics in them can possibly be combined with others.

I don't think "Autobiographical" (or any other genre category) should be removed just because someone disagreed with the decision this year.  I'm sure there are lots of categories where the losing finalists are not happy (I know I can think of one I was shortlisted for!) but that will always be the case.  Some people are just more vocal about their disagreement/disappointment.  To my mind it merely heightens the need for clear definitions, a transparent process and better guidelines on the criteria which will be used.  Removing categories just because someone isn't happy could lead to more people objecting in the future and half the categories disappearing!

With regard to the "Autobiographical" category specifically, it does not appear in DD's list of categories, so - if my suggestion here is followed - these comics would become part of the "Real Life" category anyway.  There's still room for argument there but at least the definition is clear - a comic has been categorised as such by the creator or it hasn't!

Art style
DD does have some art style identifiers and I think these should be the starting point and main point of reference for verification.  Some of these should be combined, others may have to be split and some (e.g. poser comics) will have to be provided for.  Not impossible but some thought will need to be given to definitions here.  As you say, it should be impossible for a comic to be in both the traditional and digital art categories or - as Amanda pointed out elsewhere - in the colour and B&W art categories.

Tone
DD has a setting for comedic and serious comics, so it should be possible to differentiate here.  Instead of the top five, perhaps each category's list of finalists could consist of the top four humourous and the top four serious comics in that category, with an award going to each?  (No idea what we do with the "Randoms"!) 

Content
Protagonist, Antogonist, Best Scenes, Best Dialogue, Best Backgrounds etc.  Speaking as the grateful winner of two of these, it hurts me to say it but ... this may be where there is scope for cuts.  Best Action Scenes: isn't that likely to go to a comic which is already shortlisted in superhero or action/adventure?  Best Tense Scenes (mine - hooray!): I don't even know what this one means!  I suspect I won it on the grounds that some of my scenes are quite dramatic and, hopefully, moving but is that the same as "tense"?  Best Protagonist: means what?  Most inspiring?  Funniest?  Sexiest?  Also, if they are kept, why Dialogue and not Plot?  The writer's job goes far beyond the dialogue just as the artist's goes beyond the backgrounds.  We can keep one, some or all of these, obviously, but these categories are very grey and, I suspect, may be the hardest of all to pin down.

Okay.  First thoughts on categories over!

[JustNoPoint]

Not, ignoring the rest, I'll comment later. At the moment I must get ready for class.

These will be determined solely by the genre which the creator has allocated to the comic when setting it up on DD.

2 problems, by default everyone is Fantasy. Hopefully anyone that takes enough time to become noticed enough for nomination took the time to set the category correctly.

The other is DD has a bad habit of not showing the correct genre. My comic is still listed as Manga, that is not a genre, it is a style now. My comic should be listed as Sci Fi... or Adventure, I forget which I set it as.

I tried for a bit to use that as a guide for the categories I would vote in, but it made it very difficult and I just gave up.

[amanda]

I think a lot of the confusion with categories is that *I* knew what I was thinking when I worked up a list...but it didn't occur to me that not everyone can read my thoughts.  (Yeah, yeah, I'm totally a woman.  I know.)

Honestly, the only person complaining about the Autobio category (that I've noticed) is the guy who has been nominated twice and hasn't won either year.  He's a young, bitter kid (though I like his comic), and it turns out he's not even hosting on DD anymore.  Dunno what he was expecting.  Anyway - there probably aren't actually enough Autobio comics out there to support this category in 2009, so unless things shift in the next few months, we could toss it and just go with slice-of-life.

I like the idea of splitting some of the major genre categories into humor and drama - that will eliminate the need for the Best Humor and Best Tense categories.  The content categories were kinda vague, it's true.  Unless we can nail down some very specific guidelines/definitions, we should probably think about tossing them, too.

Also, to touch on your point, JNP - that's why I think it would be a really good idea to release a finalized list of categories about a month before the nominating process begins.  This way, comickers could spread the word and encourage readers to vote for them, citing specific, relevant categories.

[DAJB]

As far as I can see, DD does recategorise comics when you change them; it just doesn't change the relevant icon!  If you search SciFi Comics with the word "devon", for example, then DLP is in there.  (Well, if you use the word "devon" it's the only one in there!)

The default "Fantasy" setting is more of an issue, I think.  That category will obviously require tighter definitions.

[JustNoPoint]

Yeah, the relevant icon was the issue. I was using the search method, but DD's search isn't very good. Try to search for the comic titled j_u_x_t_a_p_o_s_e

It won't work. Not to mention DD is very slow at times and since you have to search Devon in Sci Fi, it means you kinda have to know what the author considers their comic.

If I thought my comic was mystery you may never find the correct category by browsing =p

[amanda]

If you change your comic's thumbnail after updating your categories, the designations *should* change.  Even if you just reload the previous image.  Well, it worked for me, anyway.  I changed Salt to Adventure from...geez, I don't even remember.

[DAJB]

It won't work. Not to mention DD is very slow at times and since you have to search Devon in Sci Fi, it means you kinda have to know what the author considers their comic.

It should work.  Most fans will not read the definitions anyway and some will nominate their favourite comic in all sorts of inappropriate categories, just as they always have done.  That's unavoidable.

But what I suggested in the DD Forum was that, when reviewing the comics in the shortlist, the panellists could check the comics as they read them.  That way, the only comics that would need to be checked are the shortlisted titles and the checking process is spread across many people.

[lba]

Give examples ( Non-competing comics of course. ) along with the genre description. Since comic people tend to be very visually and example oriented might help.

Best sketch style might be near impossible to judge if we're talking about an artists pencils with that one. Those don't often get shown.

[DAJB]

Give examples ( Non-competing comics of course. ) along with the genre description. Since comic people tend to be very visually and example oriented might help.

Best sketch style might be near impossible to judge if we're talking about an artists pencils with that one. Those don't often get shown.

I'd prefer not to have examples given.  If you give examples then - simply because you've brought those comics to people's attentions - it would give those comics an advantage over those that aren't quoted as examples.

Whether there is a sketch style award is still open to discussion (as they all are) but we're not talking about an artist's original pencil sketches before the comic is inked and/or coloured.  Some artists define their comic's finished artwork as being drawn in a "sketch" style (I can't remember who actually won this year but The Chronicles of Wyrden is one, I believe).  DD has a "sketch" identifier alongside manga, sprite and American, for example, so this category would be for those comics which have checked that box.

 

[JustNoPoint]

My comic should definitely be used as an example anywhere applicable =p j/k

Nah, examples won't do for the reason DAJB mentioned and for the fact it could sway users to only look for that kind of sci fi *for example.

Some brief descriptions will help. Having the panelists make sure they fit the genre will help, and hopefully we can get more people involved in telling voters what categories they would fit in the best.

[lba]

Just a thought.

I totally had a blond moment on the sketch category there. durr.

Anyway, do we want to start getting a couple teams set up to start researching and writing out genre and category descriptions?

[JustNoPoint]

We need to make sure we know what categories the Awards will have next year 1st IMO

Using DAJB's Parent Categories as a template

Genre categories
BEST ABSTRACT/RANDOM COMIC
BEST ADULT COMIC
BEST ADVENTURE COMIC
BEST ANTROPOMORPHIC COMIC
BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT
BEST FANTASY COMIC
BEST HORROR COMIC
BEST MYSTERY COMIC
BEST NOIR COMIC
BEST POLITICAL OR EDITORIAL COMIC
BEST ROMANTIC STORY
BEST SCI-FI STORY
BEST SLICE OF LIFE COMIC
BEST SPIRITUAL COMIC
BEST SUPERHERO COMIC
BEST WESTERN COMIC

Art style
BEST BACKGROUNDS
BEST BLACK AND WHITE COMIC
BEST COLOR COMIC
BEST DIGITAL ART
BEST EXPERIMENTAL COMIC
BEST MANGA
BEST PHOTO OR STOCK IMAGE COMIC
BEST PIXEL/SPRITE COMIC
BEST SKETCH STYLE
BEST STICK FIGURE COMIC
BEST TRADITIONAL ART

Content
BEST ACTION SEQUENCES
BEST ANTAGONIST
BEST DIALOGUE
MOST FRIENDLY DRUNK DUCKER
FUNNIEST DRUNK DUCKER
MOST HELPFUL DRUNK DUCKER
BEST HUMOR SCENES
MOST IMPROVED COMIC
BEST COMIC LAYOUTS
MOST DELICIOUSLY OFFENSIVE COMIC
BEST OVERALL COMIC
BEST PARODY OR TRIBUTE COMIC
MOST PROFOUND COMIC
BEST PROTAGONIST
BEST TENSE SCENES
BEST WEBSITE DESIGN

Tone
Yes or no?
Do we split some categories into serious and humor"
Which categories?
Which categories should be removed if yes? Best humor? Add in best serious comic?

Which categories should be removed in general? What should be added? I kind of like the Best completed comic award.

Heh, this is really easy to over analyze xD

EDIT: I may have missed or even "cloned" some categories by mistake.... you are warned

[DAJB]

For info, these are the numbers of comics currently in each of DD's "official" genre categories (approx!)
Obviously numbers don't tell the whole story but this might be a useful starting point for deciding whether categories should be split or combined.

Genre categories

BEST ABSTRACT COMIC - Comedy 1,300; Serious 128 (Note: there is no "Random" genre category)
BEST ADVENTURE COMIC - Comedy 667; Serious 460
BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT - Not possible to search
BEST FANTASY COMIC - Comedy 1587; Serious 1,012 (Note: this is the default category and so some further definition would be required)
BEST HORROR COMIC - Comedy 138; Serious 253
BEST MYSTERY COMIC - Comedy 17; Serious 69
BEST NOIR COMIC - Comedy 31; Serious 92
BEST PARODY COMIC - Comedy 726; Serious 18
BEST POLITICAL - Comedy 69; Serious 24 (Note: there is no "Editorial" genre category)
BEST ROMANCE COMIC - Comedy 230; Serious 161
BEST SCI-FI COMIC - Comedy 552; Serious 529
BEST REAL LIFE COMIC - Comedy 966; Serious 207 (Note: there is no "Slice of Life" genre category)
BEST SPIRITUAL COMIC - Comedy 32; Serious 45
BEST SUPERHERO COMIC - Comedy 207; Serious 138
BEST TRIBUTE COMIC - Comedy 834; Serious 218
BEST WAR COMIC - Comedy 33; Serious 70
BEST WESTERN COMIC - Comedy 207; Serious 10

Note: The following categories from 2008 have no official DD check box and are not therefore verifiable by means of a search.
BEST ADULT COMIC
BEST ANTHROPOMORPHIC COMIC