The Manga Memoirs Blogs!

ChiefZero

Tue Mar 24th, 2009 15:26

We're hoping to get these up as an ongoing campaign that will have multiple entry points - stay tuned!

BigRed01

Tue Mar 24th, 2009 16:49

Maybe we could do one featuring Canada-Afghanistan stories... That would certainly be interesting. **Continues to come up with dozens of ideas while spending countless hours throwing darts at Gutfeld's face tapped to dartboard**

Final

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 10:56

I like Big Red's idea. Criteria should foster new people to join with truly unique experiences. So far what I've really liked about Manga Memoirs is the criteria that limits submissions to specific/relevant kinds of stories and the idea of a judging panel. I've always been intimidated by the weight of Z2H and how easy it is for a pitch to get lost in the crowd. Personal principles won't let me do PR for myself either which doesn't help because Z2H is kinda about creating a following and doing the Facebook thing (which I don't). In a way, an open community becomes a closed community. I mean, most of you arrived here and you already knew each other, haha. This is why I like the idea of criteria bringing in new people and having regulars take a more mentoring/critique role.

BigRed01

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 12:07

Thank you Final... I'm fully in line with how you expanded on that. I'm with you, I really struggle with the "Hey, look at me! Check out my work! It's really cool isn't it!" I don't know, some people can make it work - and props to them... Giver. I'm just personally not down with it. Love the idea of pulling in as many fresh new faces and ideas as possible in the future.

Tenzil Kem

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 13:47

As the biggest non-self promoter from Z2H I totally agree with what both of you have said. What I found to work was rather than promote my own work I focused on networking, making contacts and friends, and promoting other people's works. I also would look over their pitches, leave comments and remarks, etc. It is great to have you along, Final, and you should come over to Z2H and become part of "the gang".

BigRed01

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 14:35

Absolutely TK. I should probably clarify my former post... I'm finding Z2H to be an incredible tool for many things (all of which TK has listed quite succinctly above). You really don't have to be a super-self-promoter to gain serious benefit from the site. There's a lot of fun to be had from just hanging around and watching the action. That being said, you should definitely come over and throw your hat in the ring Final. If the rest of your work is as strong as "Bushido" (which I assume it is), chances are, it will speak for itself.

crackwalker

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 17:05

The cool thing about a 'closed community' is that you know who to send a private message to! :-D Seriously, If you drop a line to any of the top posters on Z2H I guarantee you'll get some heat out of it. Whenever anyone asks me for help I try and make a point of responding in some way. I know a lot of the other cats on there feel the same way.

BigRed01

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 17:46

That's true for sure... It certainly worked out that way for me. First time I ever reached out for help, it came quick and in high quality. I guess I just related immediately to Final's opinion of being a new guy entering a tight knit community... It's never easy, whether it be in either the physical or virtual world.

Final

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 19:18

--Crackwalker -- Yes, I've come to understand that you guys are a very supportive group are kindly willing to help newbies find their way. I've even been surprised on this site where reaching out has worked the other way in that you guys have reached down to me without myself having to overcome my pride to ask for help. As Tenzil Kim has said, some of you guys have really figured something out as far as networking goes. I've noticed that it's almost an "I scratch your back, you scratch mine thing in some cases." I realize this now that I've been lurking for some time. The newbie perspective might be that you'd have to ask The Godfather for a favor, but now I see it's just some good neighbors.

Final

Thu Mar 26th, 2009 19:18

--BigRed -- Totally get where that's coming from. The icebreaker, the looking up at the peak before you chicken out of climbing the mountain, or deciding whether or not it's worth it to write 24 pages of script (sometimes dependant on immediate feedback, or lack thereof). I guess the initial draw for me to Manga Memoirs was that it was fresh and I'd only be competing with myself. There's this sense with the ongoing contest at Z2H that it's almost like a queue and coming in with a new pitch meant you were still behind as far as winners and followers go. It's hard to have patience when you just don't know where you stand. I can't comment on the validity of that feeling, but it's there and it can be intimidating. As we approach 30 days to this contest here, the reason I support BigRed's idea is that nearing the end of it, I am unable to review, rate, and comment on all the submissions and incoming changes. That "weight: is very real and I feel that unless we get a reboot (forcing new submissions), people are going to have the same concerns as I did back at Z2H. Anyone want to pull an Ozymandias?

Tenzil Kem

Fri Mar 27th, 2009 00:43

I think you raise some very valid points, Final, and I hope you will be along when I do bring it up in the Z2H community (after this contest is closed next week - one mega project at a time). It is easy for me to spew nonsense about the Z2H community. Of course it looks easy to me. And as supportive as we do try to be, it can be difficult for us to realize how hard it is for newbs to break in. The one point I will make in defense of how Z2H works is that first: people's lives change. Look at the original 12 CCCN winners. Ruroshen has never been heard from since. DoctorNaberius, Yen, and MrIrony are rarely around. There hasn't been a Lord Maim sighting in months. Fetternity, mariathedreamer, Mekikas and WillGibson all pop in from time to time. Only Crackwalker, genrewriter and I have maintained a steady presence on the site, really. When we won, no one had ever heard of Autolycan, MightyGeko, Steven Menszer, Juiceboy, JMcLeod, PsElliott, BDStevens, Riot, and so many more who are regulars now. So what? So this: anyone can become a regular and attain voting power. You just need to put in the time. The other thing is this perception that new stories have to wait their turn. While it is true that a virtual unknown to the community would likely have difficulties, when we did the last D2D2, one of the six selected stories was from a virtual newcomer to the club, and some of the ones that finished just out of the top six were also from relatively new people. Why did people vote the way they did? I don't know all the reasons, but two essentials I noticed were the writers got involved and engaged the community, and they also told very good stories. Right now you have at least one of those things going for you.

PsElliott

Fri Mar 27th, 2009 09:07

Perhaps a Canadian / American contest. Since there are so many American members on z2h and unless they find a canadian to contribute with are often left on the side lines of the contests.

Final

Fri Mar 27th, 2009 11:04

Z2H is definitely a positive experience as far as what it's done. I mean, the machine works for sure. I go there and there's more winning comics than I can follow. I don't mean to stir anything up. I normally avoid discussions because I can become exponentially long winded due to my reflex to follow up in detail. You're very correct that it may strictly be the perception of newcomers that is self-defeating. As I've said, one can't comment on the validity of feelings, just that they manifest very real reactions. I brought this up in the first place to preserve something uniquely special here. You mentioned a necessary combination at the end there, but what I love about this place is that every completed pitch that went up here got read regardless, and being given limitations, we've seen the creative capacity for people to do so much with so little. Approaching the end of the contest, it's starting to get heavy because there are more pitches than one person can track, but it's still within reason. It's not my intention to knock or change Z2H or it's groups and I hope others understand that these are just my personal observations/comparisons. I just know that the very reason I'm here and remain so is because there is a difference and it's awakened me to participate. Truth be told, I'm not that flexible of a person and my generation has grown spoiled with "choices" that have allowed me to be either uniquely me or comfortable with an alternative. We got Subway, Quiznos, McDonald's, Burger King, Pho, Sushi, Apple, Microsoft, Wood, Laminate, Facebook, Myspace, Electric, Hydrogen, Gasoline, Manga Memoirs, Zeros2Heroes.

Tenzil Kem

Sat Mar 28th, 2009 00:20

I'm glad you are participating here, Final, and I agree this place is unique. I fear that will change once this anthology gets out there, and especially if the success of that book leads to future contests and projects. In the meantime, let's enjoy the ride!

mariathedreamer

Mon Mar 30th, 2009 21:17

@Final -- I know what you mean - I love Z2H but it can feel overwhelming. If I had time to read and rate some pitches, I'm not sure I'd know where to begin. It's been so easy to get to most everyone's pitch over here, and it feels great to be able to interact on a quieter level. I see tonight there are a few new ones to read... but within the hour, I'll be caught up.