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Applications / Clarifications: Read This Before Commenting or Applying!
« on: July 19, 2005, 04:07:38 am »
This thread is going to be used for clarification on the various rules and what-not that relate to applications. I will try and keep this first post up to date with a total listing of all "rulings" that may arise out of various application threads. Feel free to discuss such stuff below as well, but remember that only this initial post is "official." :-)
Violence: I notice a lot of people trying to point out that their comic (or what-not) will keep violence to a minimum. Most of these are not what I'd even consider borderline cases though. This suggests that many people are thinking I'm a lot stricter than I really am about this.
Violence Ruling: Violence shall not be excessive. I've yet to see an example of excessive violence in any application or site here. Violence is allowed for anything short of "violence for the sake of violence." There are people who get their kicks from things like watching snuff films, or seeing horrid depictions of blood and gore. Most anything short of that is probably okay. Basically, if the violence is plot or story related, no problem. Start posting pictures of dead babies to get your jollies, and you're out. What I do ask for anything above about a PG-13 rating is that you post some sort of warning before people see it.
Porn/Sex/Nudity: This is another one that comes up quite frequently, and a lot of confusion seems to revolve around it. It's pretty much the same as the violence one though.
Porn/Sex/Nudity Ruling: Nudity is allowed. Sex is allowed. Porn is not allowed. Let's seperate the three. Porn is nudity and/or sex only for reasons of carnal gratification. Are you drawing or writing a scene as part of a real story or plot? Or just for purposes of arousal and pleasure? I really think this one should be pretty obvious to most people... with the possible exception of anyone who genuinely reads playboy for the articles. :-) The easiest analogy is the difference between R and NC17 rated movies. NC17=No (most of the time.) R is allowed, but like violence, I ask you to have warnings for any content above about a PG-13 rating.
Drugs/Drug Use: This is again, similar to the prior two.
Drug/Drug Use Ruling: Promotion of drug use is explicitly forbidden. That doesn't mean you have to make every story into an after school special or anything, but rather that you can't post instructional materials for creating, obtaining, or using drugs or drug paraphernalia. Can you show a character shooting up or doing a bong hit? Yes, if it's part of a legitimate story, and not just a ploy to circumvent the restrictions here. Like the above rules, if drugs come up in context, that's okay, but drugs should not be the focus of the content.
Multiple Accounts: Some people have multiple, distinct projects they run, and sometimes it's useful to have them under seperate accounts/sites.
Multiple Accounts Ruling: You can have and/or apply for multiple accounts. Getting a second account is going to be tougher to justify though. You'll need to truely have two independant sites that independantly qualify. Usually this happens when a single artist has multiple comics, both of good quality. In cases like that, it actually can make things easier on me to keep them seperate, as I can assign seperate domains to each one, keep stats seperate, and even promote them more directly though things like the newsbox. Bottom line: If you think you need a second site, then feel free to apply. Be sure to note that it's a second site though. The worst that'll happen is I say no. :-)
Personal Sites vs. Home Pages: I've said in the past that I don't accept simple "home pages" or blogs. However, I do take personal art/comic sites, many of which have blogs.
Personal Sites vs. Home Pages Ruling: While I will not accept a site that is merely meant to be a person's daily journal or contact point, I do allow people to do most anything that want on the side. That is to say, if your site is accepted for the comic you run, or an art showcase you have, you are free to also keep a personal journal, pictures, links to your favorite band, or other things that would normally be part of a "home page" site.
Violence: I notice a lot of people trying to point out that their comic (or what-not) will keep violence to a minimum. Most of these are not what I'd even consider borderline cases though. This suggests that many people are thinking I'm a lot stricter than I really am about this.
Violence Ruling: Violence shall not be excessive. I've yet to see an example of excessive violence in any application or site here. Violence is allowed for anything short of "violence for the sake of violence." There are people who get their kicks from things like watching snuff films, or seeing horrid depictions of blood and gore. Most anything short of that is probably okay. Basically, if the violence is plot or story related, no problem. Start posting pictures of dead babies to get your jollies, and you're out. What I do ask for anything above about a PG-13 rating is that you post some sort of warning before people see it.
Porn/Sex/Nudity: This is another one that comes up quite frequently, and a lot of confusion seems to revolve around it. It's pretty much the same as the violence one though.
Porn/Sex/Nudity Ruling: Nudity is allowed. Sex is allowed. Porn is not allowed. Let's seperate the three. Porn is nudity and/or sex only for reasons of carnal gratification. Are you drawing or writing a scene as part of a real story or plot? Or just for purposes of arousal and pleasure? I really think this one should be pretty obvious to most people... with the possible exception of anyone who genuinely reads playboy for the articles. :-) The easiest analogy is the difference between R and NC17 rated movies. NC17=No (most of the time.) R is allowed, but like violence, I ask you to have warnings for any content above about a PG-13 rating.
Drugs/Drug Use: This is again, similar to the prior two.
Drug/Drug Use Ruling: Promotion of drug use is explicitly forbidden. That doesn't mean you have to make every story into an after school special or anything, but rather that you can't post instructional materials for creating, obtaining, or using drugs or drug paraphernalia. Can you show a character shooting up or doing a bong hit? Yes, if it's part of a legitimate story, and not just a ploy to circumvent the restrictions here. Like the above rules, if drugs come up in context, that's okay, but drugs should not be the focus of the content.
Multiple Accounts: Some people have multiple, distinct projects they run, and sometimes it's useful to have them under seperate accounts/sites.
Multiple Accounts Ruling: You can have and/or apply for multiple accounts. Getting a second account is going to be tougher to justify though. You'll need to truely have two independant sites that independantly qualify. Usually this happens when a single artist has multiple comics, both of good quality. In cases like that, it actually can make things easier on me to keep them seperate, as I can assign seperate domains to each one, keep stats seperate, and even promote them more directly though things like the newsbox. Bottom line: If you think you need a second site, then feel free to apply. Be sure to note that it's a second site though. The worst that'll happen is I say no. :-)
Personal Sites vs. Home Pages: I've said in the past that I don't accept simple "home pages" or blogs. However, I do take personal art/comic sites, many of which have blogs.
Personal Sites vs. Home Pages Ruling: While I will not accept a site that is merely meant to be a person's daily journal or contact point, I do allow people to do most anything that want on the side. That is to say, if your site is accepted for the comic you run, or an art showcase you have, you are free to also keep a personal journal, pictures, links to your favorite band, or other things that would normally be part of a "home page" site.