Regular followers of this blog may be aware that from time to time I like to entertain myself with Fun Stupid Timewasting Internet Things (see: Neill's A-Z of Awesomeness, Hashtag Funnies). It's been a little while since the last one and I guess I was starting to get too much actual work done, so brace yourself for a little experiment I am choosing, in lieu of anything better, to call EMERGENT COMICS. The plan is:
I am going to draw ONE PANEL of a comic strip every day.
YOU are going to write the script. Yeah, you. Come on, it'll be ace.
To clarify: I will write and draw one panel to kick things off, and then each day I'll be accepting scripts for the next day's panel via twitter. And also possibly via blog comments / facebook etc, depending on whether forcing people to script a panel in under 140 characters seems *too* restrictive. (Frankly, there are many comics writers who I feel would benefit from such enforced brevity, but we'll see).
The idea is that from the random suggestions of the internet, some kind of coherent narrative, or some kind of entertainingly incoherent narrative, or just something interesting, will emerge. Hence the name.
One other thing I haven't yet decided is whether I'll just pick my favourite script from the suggestions, thus maintaining some semblance of Authorial / Editorial control over the story, or if I should try and use some kind of a random number generator to pick from the pile, thereby throwing it all wide open to the winds of chaos. The first sounds more sensible, the second potentially more interesting. Also potentially more catastrophic. Your suggestions on this point are welcome!
Anyway, hopefully I'll have finalised the 'rules' by the time I post the first panel, tomorrow!
Why not try both and see if the numbers and best script overlap. :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the first panel, and I don't think writing a panel in under 140 characters is too restrictive.
OH MY GOD I'm very excited about this. Perhaps the random generated idea for picking might be a little fairer? Also, if you end up with like, 500 submissions for one day, it would take all morning to read them through! Do it for your sanity XD
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool idea :D I am sure it's gonna be awesome. I like the idea of choosing random.
ReplyDeleteFrankly so simply brilliant that I hate you more than I did already. But in a good way. Can't wait to see the results!
ReplyDeleteRandom. Otherwise proper writers like that Cobley fellow will have an advantage. ;)
ReplyDeleteOn that basis, perhaps I should declare myself out?
ReplyDeleteJason must play! That is the other rule.
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