Open Critique Day #7 / Art vs. Writing

Hi, there!
I'm Weilyn, and I'll be posting here on Sundays for the Open Critique Days.

Some people might say that the major appeal of OCD was Jeff's professional input, and that without his critique it's simply not the same thing. I can't argue with that, mainly because those people are absolutely correct.

Still, OCD is a pretty integral part of the blog, so I will keep it running, and to make it a little more interesting I will not only offer my opinion of any artwork posted in the comments, but also a little something extra.

This little extra thing will vary from week to week. It might be a short review of an underappreciated comic, a reflection on pop-culture, a poll, a joke or a silly anecdote. Just throwing this concept at the wall, to see if it sticks šŸ˜‰

Please post your artwork in the comments section below. Avoid copyrighted characters and characters from copyrighted settings.

 

And now, a little something extra: Art vs. Writing

What is more important to a comic, the script or the artwork? Can a good comic have its terrible artwork redeemed by great writing, and vice versa? One might argue that seeing as how graphic novels are a visual medium, the visual elements are what define the entire thing, and that those are therefore more important. But one could just as easily make the argument that a story is worthless without a solid script, no matter how pretty the pictures are.

Personally, if I had to choose (and I do, because I asked the question in the first place) I'd go with artwork on this one. I've never been able to get through Maus, for instance. I know the story is amazing, but since I can't find anything engaging about the artwork, I find myself wishing I was just reading a novel instead.

What do you think?

The Big Question

Ok, I've decided to bring on of my things over from the forums onto the main blog. Basically I ask a question, you guys discuss, like the old share days but different.

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My question for this week is: How important are the actors in making a good superhero movie?

Before anyone says anything I'd just like to remind people that Robert Downey Jr. had pretty much no career before Iron Man, Christian Bale wasn't exactly a top draw leading man before Batman Begins either and who knew who Chris Hemsworth was before Thor? However, if we look at some of the biggest names in hollywood, George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Halle Berry, Nick Cage..... These guys can make a good movie, but unfortunately not a good superhero one (half discounting Halle Berry, I don't think her part in X-Men fully makes up for Catwoman). Then again, would Iron Man, or even The Avengers, be as great if it was someone other than RDJr. in the tin can?

Discussion below please.

Anime Talk: Subtitled or Dubbed?

Sub or DubThis week on Anime Talk I want to discussĀ SubtitlesĀ and Dubbing. Ā What I would like to know from the Anime fans in our community which do you prefer ? When I first got into Anime myself I went out of my way to avoid Dubbed Anime Ā because at least 85% of all Shows I saw that were dubbed had HORRIBLE voice actors. IĀ preferred Subtitled because though I did not ( and still don't ) speak Japanese I could hear the emotion in the voices of the actors which in my option made the shows more enjoyable. Ā The Voice actors of the English Dubs usually have bad character voices and can't get the emotion right most of the time.

Now however as I am getting older I find I am seeking out Dubs more then Subtitled works. It seems the theĀ EnglishĀ voice actors are getting better maybe because Anime is becoming more mainstream. I do still find the voice overs could be better but now a days I find less enjoyment in Anime if I have to focus a portion of my attention on reading words that are flashing by at a rapid pace at the bottom of my screen. Plus if you are watching anime on the go on your smart phone or tablet it becomes harder to read the subtitles on the smaller screens. So unless the dubbed are truly bad, or I just can't find a copy dubbed and is only available in Subtitled format I will choose not reading while watching Anime, how about you ?

Batman is confronted on all his Heromachine Poll Wins!

Poll Position: Uniformity!!

This weeks poll position question is Do you think that SuperHero Teams should have a common matching uniform?

[polldaddy poll="7097543"]

 

Personally I don't think that the Heroes ( orĀ villainsĀ for that matter ) need to have matching costumes, however they should have some kind of commonĀ element to tie them all together. Weather that element is a matching color scheme, or a prominent team logo ect. I believe the team members needs something that allows you to identify them as a member of that team at a glance. SO what do you think ? Should Super Teams have a matching uniform ? Take a moment to let us know by voting in the poll and leave a comment below to let us know why you feel the way you do!

 

My Last Post

I am typing this with a heavy heart. Due to my health problems with my back and my hands, it has gotten hard for me to spend very much time on the computer. I am no longer able to make my post without being in pain, so I must step aside and retire from the blog. I will miss posting on the blog and talking to all of you. I am also stepping down from moderator in the forums. I will still be around from time to time, here and on the forum. I have had a wonderful time and I wish that I was able to keep posting. I wish everyone well and God bliss.

P.S. If anyone would like to offer their time to help Kaldath please let Jeff know.

Character Design Contest #22 ā€œSilhouettesā€ Winner

The winner is Sylhua by prswirve, great job.

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Character Design Contest #23 ā€œGreek God Heroā€ Poll

[polldaddy poll="7099070"]

Share Day / Open Critique Day #6

It is Sunday morning and time to share. So show us your art or tell us one of your stories, let us see how artistic you have been.

Rules for posts, contests, and challenges that I am hosting: Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games. The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way. I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warnings.

Saturday Morning Cartoons #6 “Dungeons and Dragons “

Today's topic is "Dungeons and Dragons", the show originally ran from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons. Hank, the Ranger, Eric, the Cavalier, Diana, the Acrobat, Presto, the Magician, Sheila, the Thief, and Bobby, the Barbarian, along with Uni and the Dungeon Master take on Venger, Shadow Demon, andĀ  Tiamat the Dragon. Let's hear what you have to say.

Dungeons and Dragons DVD boxset art.jpg