[Grandmaster]

Have any of y'all seen this? Is anyone going to enter? http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=140485

WHO WANTS TO CREATE A SUPER-HEROINE?

Most contests in the comic book business are geared toward artists. Shadowline is bucking the tide and creating a contest geared toward writers!

According to Shadowline editor, Kristen Simon, “I’d been hoping to see a super-hero book with a strong female lead to act as a counter-point to our popular Bomb Queen series, but none were forthcoming. So I decided to come up with a contest to create a super-heroine for the 21st Century.”

The character will be 100% creator-owned as all Image and Shadowline books are (Trademark and copyright to be shared by writer and artist). The winning entry will be featured in their own self-titled three issue mini-series to be drawn by fan-favorite artist, Franchesco! (She-Dragon, Green Lantern Corps Quarterly) and back-end profits will be split between the creators.

Contest regulations are listed below. Neither Image nor Shadowline can or will be responsible for synchronicity (similar ideas appearing at the same time).

No feedback will be provided on submissions, just a confirmation of receipt.

Contest will be divided into three parts as outlined below, deviation will result in immediate disqualification:

Round One:
Contestants e-mail a BRIEF one paragraph story synopsis by January 31, 2008 to: superheroinecontest@gmail.com. Stories/concept must be original with original characters. No pre-existing characters may be used unless owned by contestant.

Round Two:
Ten semi-finalists will be chosen from all entries received by the above date and notified by e-mail. They will then be required to turn in 5 (five) fully scripted pages by February 29, 2008.

Round Three:
The five finalists will be announced and their synopses published on March 10. Readers will be encouraged to vote on their favorite. (Writers are strongly advised to direct traffic to the contest via message boards, myspace, etc…every vote counts!) Polls will close on April 4, 2008.

The winner will be announced April 28 with initial concept art/character design by Franchesco. First issue will be solicited with a cover date of November, 2008.

Please tell me someone who frequents this forum is entering! :-

[CDR]

Good lord!
Wait for meeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
Certainly worths a try.
Tracy Fox Tales may appear as a comic before going 3d 😀
Wish me luck!

CDR

[TC2]

I want to enter but it says that the copyright, trademark will be shared by the writer and the artist which I am not too happy about.  There's a lot of potential with my character and I'm not so sure I want to risk splitting ownership with someone I don't know.

[Grandmaster]

Yeah, this is obviously not the contest for anyone with only one character in development that s/he is too possessive of to share with a professional artist in a mutually beneficial professional agreement.

But before you pass, think about this: How often does an opportunity like this come around for comic book writers? When will you be able to send out a comic book proposal that is guaranteed to be reviewed (barring your sending out a mess of typos and disregarding the rules) at no monetary cost to you–no hiring a proposal artist, letterer, etc.? How many good comic book artists do you "know" now, who will work on your comic book series with you, right now, for nothing?

Let's go with the best-case scenario, Collector_2–you win the contest. Franchesco draws the series and its indicia reads, Copyright 2008 "The_Collector_2" and Franchesco. The mini-series sells well enough for Image/Shadowline to offer you another one, and/or the featured character becomes a valuable licensing commodity (which I assume is the reason for your guardedness). You have to share some dough and creative credit with the artist who helped get the attention you're now banking on by drawing your story. How would your arrangement be any different from those of some of the most popular comics out today, from Invincible to Y the Last Man? (It's hardly likely that all copyright-sharing writer/artist teams, Independent or Big Two [Three? Four?], knew each other before an editor bought the writer's property and hired an artist to work on it.) Even if you hated Franchesco personally, would you pull a…DC boner, and simply not make use of a popular co-owned property (as that company has done with Milestone Comics'/Warner Bros. TV's "Static Shock") out of–I don't even know what to call it–spite? "I wrote this comic book–he didn't do anything but draw it!" He couldn't use the character without your profiting, you couldn't use it without his (is that the greater issue?), but even that wouldn't be legally binding in perpetuity. If you're making the kind of bank that you want to keep to yourself, you could buy him out.

If "The_Collector_2's Super-Heroine" became a success enough for you to make a living with it tomorrow, would that 50% be too much to share with today's stranger who put it on the map?

I'm not trying to convince you to enter!  😉

[TC2]

Don't worry I entered a different character that I have developed whom I can live with splitting the 50/50 deal.

The character that's guarded however, don't think I can part with mainly because once the company has a hold of it they can do all the stupid soap opera stuff they do with comics, like someone being a skrull, clone, someone being killed and brought back to life.  Don't think I'd be too happy with my character being thrown around like that, not to mention I looked at Franchesco's style and I don't think he'd be able to draw the physique I want for this particular character.  I already drew her and her body and I'm not a big fan of his style.

So instead I submitted a different character who I enjoy but can let go as her appearance and storyline isn't as locked down as the other one.  The other one is going to be in a feature length movie and I'd rather have ownership of all that is hers.  Oh, and unlike most people who are all talk I am actually going to be doing something with this character instead of letting it sit on the shelf, just need to jump through a few more hoops before the ball can get rolling.

[Devon Cory]

Oh dear. Maybe I'll give this a shot. Maybe they'll like my Veldt?

Attachments:

• XwnsItzC__Veldt.JPG

[drum monkey]

I sent like five in.  I live for this stuff.  Wish me luck!

(unless you enter too)

[TC2]

Cashews, Veldt looks familiar.

If she is in City of Heroes in anyway shape or form via comics, in-game, or the paragon articles.  You -cannot- use her for your contest submission because she is technically not yours under the NC Soft legal agreement.  Just letting you know now that if she's in the game you would have to delete her as it would violate the terms of service.

[Devon Cory]

Cashews, Veldt looks familiar.

If she is in City of Heroes in anyway shape or form via comics, in-game, or the paragon articles.  You -cannot- use her for your contest submission because she is technically not yours under the NC Soft legal agreement.

Yah I know, it was only wishful thinking on my part. She's costing me a fortune in commissioned artwork, but she can never go public.

Makes me a sad cashew… :'(

[mercblue22]

Woooow,
I really like her Cashew, she looked POed and ready to kick someone's arse! And you know what, if she were mine and I thought she had a good shot at winning this contest, I'd delete her in a heartbeat from COH. Take it from someone whos been in game 41 months, suffers severe altaholicism -24 characters on 2 servers–never made it past 30- I wouldn't let little NC keep my own creation from striking BIG! If you feel confident in her that much Cash, drop her from game and see what happens. And if nothin, simply recreate her again, if shes not a lvl 50 of course. 😛

Good luck with V, shes awesome!

Fonzie

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