Best of. ........ suggestions.

[Brian Peck]

Since we just completed the Best of 2013 and its all fresh in our minds I thought I would open it up to suggestions for changes. Not promising anything but would like everyone's input.

 

 

So far people have suggested:

 

1)Increasing votes from 3 each category to 5.

I am open to that for the big categories Covers, splashes/pinups, panels and Commissions which get around 100 entries each. Though for the smaller ones strips (28 entries this year) and con drawings (43 entries) 5 votes seems too much.

 

2) Adding an Illustration category

Best of is mostly about comic art related but many post non comic art in their own CAF galleries, illustration, rock poster art, animation drawings etc.

 

3) Adding a Commissions category

The unpublished other is mostly commissions and the non-commissions usually get lost. How about a Commissions and Other categories. The Other could have style guides, drawings prelims, unpublished which doesn't fall into any of the other 6 categories. Plus illustrations (which addresses #2) rock poster art etc.

 

 

What other ideas do people have? Please post to the list not to me. I want other people's feedback on them. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bird]

Illustration art seems like a good addition.

 

Are there enough other non-commissions to make a category if you break out commissions?

 

I like 3 votes as I have said.

 

I would like some guidelines for categories to clear up convention sketches (which seem to have commissions from home/hotel con rooms in there) and pinups/splashes (where I see panel pages). I know it gets crazy once you start. I myself vote in splashes only for full page images whether they are the first page in the story or not...but what about panel pages that are the first page with the titles and everything? Like I said, it gets crazy quickly. But I think one or two sentences would help because I think some very awesome pieces loose votes because people feel they are in the wrong category. great commissions placed in the convention sketches category loose votes from some and take away from the true convention sketches. nice panel pages placed in the splash category loose votes, I know it to be true as I skip them entirely. I wouldn't ask you to police, but guide. A few sentences might tighten the categories a bit.

 

I don't like the idea of levels for value or anything like that. it is already a level playing field...each piece stands there alone.

 

Please please please make the categories like a gallery so you go from piece to piece without having to come back to the Lowry each time. This would increase the chances that all pieces get seen in the categories.

 

Okay, that is it from me for now. Brian, please realize that whatever you do is the best decision in my eyes and however you go you cannot please everyone. thanks for soliciting thoughts on this great annual event.

 

Even if I got more votes and placed much higher last year!!!

 

 

 

[theflashunc]

Probably something that's already been considered, but any thought to breaking the categories up into commonly accepted eras (Golden, Silver, Bronze, etc)?

 

Bit of a variation on the break-up by price idea that's been floated, but just a thought.

[Doc McCoy]

I think if you were to expand certain categories, then you wouldn't need to expand beyond three votes, so I would agree with options 2 & 3. Especially 3, commissions could easily be a category unto themselves, while unpublished other would leave plenty of room for unpublished covers, interiors, pre-lims, designs, etc.

 

My first year participating, so just my

 

Either way, I enjoyed it. Thanks again!

[Brian Peck]

Probably something that's already been considered, but any thought to breaking the categories up into commonly accepted eras (Golden, Silver, Bronze, etc)?

 

Bit of a variation on the break-up by price idea that's been floated, but just a thought.

 

But how do you know where to breakdown the eras? How many do you have? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Dark, lead, modern? Too crazy. The current ones I still get questions on where a piece goes.

[Catwoman_Fan]

Thanks for polling for ideas.

 

I have some technical recommendations,

 

Have the Lowry pages link back to the same art in the person's CAF (if it's posted it there). Why should I have to dig, if I want to comment on a piece?

 

Have the ability to re-post an existing page, to the Lowry. This allows people to easily post existing art from their gallery. Plus, they could copy over their existing description - too many of the Lowry pieces have no description. Why did you buy this piece, doesn't it mean anything for you? The art can't speak for itself.

 

 

 

[Meeley Man]

I like the idea of doing away with the votes entirely. Just let it be a retrospective of the best of what you got in a given year.

 

Other than that, my only suggestion is to do away with the whole thing entirely.

 

[malvin]

Thanks for polling for ideas.

 

I have some technical recommendations,

 

Have the Lowry pages link back to the same art in the person's CAF (if it's posted it there). Why should I have to dig, if I want to comment on a piece?

 

Have the ability to re-post an existing page, to the Lowry. This allows people to easily post existing art from their gallery. Plus, they could copy over their existing description - too many of the Lowry pieces have no description. Why did you buy this piece, doesn't it mean anything for you? The art can't speak for itself.

 

 

 

I asked Bill about that before, it was purposely kept separate because the Lowry was traditionally separate and some people want it that way.

 

Malvin

[Coach]

I thought it was fine as is. I enjoyed looking at the various artwork.

[J.Sid]

5 votes for the three big categories is my only request.

 

 

[Catwoman_Fan]

Thanks for polling for ideas.

 

I have some technical recommendations,

 

Have the Lowry pages link back to the same art in the person's CAF (if it's posted it there). Why should I have to dig, if I want to comment on a piece?

 

Have the ability to re-post an existing page, to the Lowry. This allows people to easily post existing art from their gallery. Plus, they could copy over their existing description - too many of the Lowry pieces have no description. Why did you buy this piece, doesn't it mean anything for you? The art can't speak for itself.

 

 

 

I asked Bill about that before, it was purposely kept separate because the Lowry was traditionally separate and some people want it that way.

 

Malvin

 

 

Too bad.

[Speedy-D]

Five votes.

 

Ability to browse a category, so one does not have to go back to the index to look at the next entry.

[Speedy-D]

Also, and I guess this was probably just me, but...I missed the boat on the instructions, and thought we could only submit one piece for each category. Maybe that could be a bit clearer in the rules next year.

[Brian Peck]

Also, and I guess this was probably just me, but...I missed the boat on the instructions, and thought we could only submit one piece for each category. Maybe that could be a bit clearer in the rules next year.

 

I post the instructions twice in december then when it started and twice while entry window was still open. I also post the instructions on CGC (http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7337899#Post7337899). Here is what I posted:

 

You will have up to 5 entries and they can be in any of the 6

categories:

Published Covers

Published Splashes, Pin-Ups

Published Interior Panel pages

Published Strip Art

Unpublished Convention Sketches

Unpublished Other

 

If you have a better way to word it let me know.

 

 

 

[Raymondb0]

5 votes for the three big categories is my only request.

 

 

Like that idea or do pre and post 1990 for 3 votes was my other thought for those categories...

[Brian Peck]

5 votes for the three big categories is my only request.

 

 

Like that idea or do pre and post 1990 for 3 votes was my other thought for those categories...

 

Breakdown by dates is just too confusing. Some people may not know. Its easier to just do categories by type of art but that still gets questions.

[Pete Marino]

How about categories for each vote?

 

like:

 

Page I'd love to add to my collection

 

One I never saw before and blew me away

 

Prettiest girl not wearing a tu-tu

 

Most Heroic Pose

 

I never saw that artist before, but now I want to see more!

 

 

 

(ok maybe some of these are better than others)

 

-Pete

[Speedy-D]

You will have up to 5 entries and they can be in any of the 6 categories

Yep, that made me think I could pick five things and put them in any of the six categories. How about something like

 

We have six categories, and you can enter up to five pieces per category. The categories are:

 

Published Covers

Published Splashes, Pin-Ups

Published Interior Panel pages

Published Strip Art

Unpublished Convention Sketches

Unpublished Other

You can probably word it better, but you see what I'm trying to get at.

[Brian Peck]

You will have up to 5 entries and they can be in any of the 6 categories

Yep, that made me think I could pick five things and put them in any of the six categories.

 

Then the description is correct. The Best of is ONLY for 5 entries per person not 30.

[theflashunc]

Probably something that's already been considered, but any thought to breaking the categories up into commonly accepted eras (Golden, Silver, Bronze, etc)?

 

Bit of a variation on the break-up by price idea that's been floated, but just a thought.

 

But how do you know where to breakdown the eras? How many do you have? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Dark, lead, modern? Too crazy. The current ones I still get questions on where a piece goes.

 

It doesn't have to get too granular, and there's clearly a general consensus on where the broad eras fall timewise and the owners know when their purchases were published. Gold, Silver, Bronze, Modern. Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

Five votes per broad category, gives you essentially one vote per era with a wild card fifth vote across any era in that category.

 

Just spitballin' on this one.