Open Projects Forum Discussion

[Bryan E.Warner]

On Pencil Jack collaberations,( though I'm not ready yet but getting close,still building my skills ) Do the projects get published?
and if so,when going to print is it a Pencil Jack publication?
I'd like to know more.
And when I'm ready how hard is it to become part of a team.
Thank you for your time.
Blessings!
Bryan E.Warner

[CWmax]

Hi Bryan,

The stories created here on the PJ Projects board are not 'officially' published....But if a team member takes the initiative, we can end up with a pretty nifty product...

You can see the results of a previous Conan jam here...

http://www.cuddlyfamily.com/crom/

Board Member/Mod Cuddly went above and beyond to create this site...it's pretty awesome.


To join in on a PJ Project ...Just sign up on a thread....The only thing is....if you sign up, make sure you come thru on your commitment.

(Hint: The Iron Man Jedi Zombie Jam is still way open....Check it out if you want to join in.)


Hope to see some art from you soon.


CW

[xadrian]

On Pencil Jack collaberations,( though I'm not ready yet but getting close,still building my skills ) Do the projects get published?

Not yet they don't. While the idea has been floating around for some kind of name branding and the ability to turn these into published pieces, there is nothing at this time. These are mainly for fun and an exercise in working with other people. Hopefully the next jams they will also be an exercise in getting things done on a deadline.

...and if so,when going to print is it a Pencil Jack publication?

If these ever went to print, it would be hard to be a PJ publication as all the characters we've used have copyright protection. PJ has its own character creation group, the PJU over on the Writer's Desk. Check there for more information.

I'd like to know more.

The Projects forum is basically a place where people can get together and have fun with some existing characters and work together to get a few pages of a story done. It's a Jam atmosphere in that the more people that work on it, the better and more in depth the project is. But these are not meant to be pitches or proposals to any company. You should feel free to use them as portfolio pieces on your own.

And when I'm ready how hard is it to become part of a team?

It's not hard to become part of a team, it's a little harder to organize a jam. Project Editors should have a good amount of organizational skills, a lot of time, a strong desire to see the project complete, and probably some webspace to host images. To start a jam, you just send me (or another Mod) a private message with your proposal and we'll start a new thread up.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

/edit

Bryan, I hope you don't mind. I've editing your post a bit. I'd like this to be the thread for questions and answers.

[Deunen]

I was thinking that maybe for future projects we could work with original characters or maybe even stories from the PJU that is being created in the writers forum. This would help with avoiding copyright issues and hopefully make it easier to get stories published. Its fun drawing Indy and other well known comic characters but I don't know the copyright laws well enough to know if we could get sued for publishing the Jams we've already completed.

Maybe instead of basing a Jam on a character, choose a genre and style? For example: Horror, Tomb of Dracula style
or Horror, Mignola style or Futuristic, Moebius style or Action, Anime style. After that is when the writer begins the actual story.

Just some thoughts. I realise that would make things more complicated but if we have the dedicated ppl aboard it could be done.

[xadrian]

A lot of this will undoubtedly come up with the impending reorg, but suffice it to say the legalities stop at Fan Art. We're not distributing so that's ok.

I know the PJU guys will at some point want a visual representation of what they've slaved over, and that may come out in here, but we'll have to see.

Good points.

[xadrian]

Thoughts on Time Frame

Open for discussion...

I think one of, if not the major drawback to these jams is the length of time till completion. We've beaten ourselves up and taken slack from viewers and contributors alike that something like 8 pages takes 15 months to complete. On boths sides of the fence you have the idea that this is for fun, not pay and relatively miniscule exposure so what's the rush? But if you can't keep with a deadline here then what hope do you have out there

I've actually thought about this, and personally, I'd rather not spend a year of my life asking for inks over and over again only to have 2-3 people come in at the end and finish it all up. That's not the spirit of the forum.

I don't want to set up too many more rules here, but what would you guys think of a time limit per jam? Theoretically, if each person has a week to work on their duties, and you have enough people, the thing shouldn't take more than a month. Doesn't matter the page count; 5, 8, 10, 22 pages. You have 10 pencilers, they have a week, then the 10 inkers take over, then the 10 colorists/letterists.

What I'd be proposing is a moritorium for floundering jams. If a project is started, you have 2 months to get it done. After two months the thread and project are closed. To me that's plenty of time to recruit, plot, script, draw and post. I know this will spark a lot of thought as to the effort some people put in and how they are punished for others bailing out, but that's a part of the comic world, or any other world. If you're behind, or don't follow through, you're let go.

Now, what comes up is "Well, what happens if after one week I get someone saying they can't finish in time or at all." That's why this is up for discussion. Should we make it three months to give you time to replace a penciler? What happens if that guy bails, four months? You see how this goes? Or should you just put your foot on the gas and really bust hump to get a replacement. If you start a project, you're in charge, it's your baby. What would you do to see it finished?

At this point we've got a few jams under out belt, but they've taken a long time. I'd like to get some turn around in here, get new jams, new people. If old jams are killing the process, then lets cut line and move one.

Discuss.

[Deunen]

I agree with alot of your ideas. I think a 22 page Jam being completed in less than two months is totally within reason. I think we just need to be a little more strict. Maybe if someone doesn't post for a week they are automatically replaced? I also had the idea of setting up a group of artists who are like the emergency artists. Some ppl who are regulars and who are reliable. If a jam gets to a certain date it is automatically given to this group to finish ASAP with what ever work that has already been completed. No hard feelings to whoever couldn't meet the deadline.

Also I think if the Jam has alot of pages it should have an artistic director. I think something that will help to get a job done quick is to have everything prepared at the beginning. Story, all dialogue, maybe thumbs. Then the art director would do up character sheets, notes about them, photo references for any buildings, vehicles, whatever... Just a thought. I had this idea because I saw that if 2 ppl are drawing 2 different pages at the same time there is sometimes the excuse that " I have to wait for X to finish his page inorder to see Y blah blah" The main director would be the person asking for pages assigning the work, collecting and distributing the files.

Just a few more ideas.

About cutting the line I nominate the IronMan Zombie Jedi Jam. I'm sorry CMW but it seems like there is alot that has to be done to get it done. I think I saw only 2 pages one of which was 100% complete. I respect the fact that you've tried to pick up the reigns and get it done but I would like to see a new jam where we have alot of interest from alot of artists. I would nominate the Indy jam but its very close to completion. Its just hard to get people interested. Maybe make stickies in the other sections of the board with something like "About the latest Jam.." When I first joined I just checked out the drawing and sequential boards. I didn't know what the PJ projects section was for the longest.

Ok I typed alot

Deun

[Bryan E.Warner]

a Comic to publish or for publishing

Just an idea,( I'm booked right at the moment with "Nick Dean" a comic I created that has gotten several bites,but I have to complete it to hook,)
Do you think coming up with a project with Pencil Jack Characters,( no copyrighted characters ) that would be for actual print,The project or projects would be 1-shots, gathered for an anthology of sorts,no presure on Pencil Jack,just when they thought they had enough good stuff to go to print,
I think that would get the people who are serious to take action,
just a thought,I chose 1-shots because an on going project would probably get the best of us,( unless ya really had something so hot the X-men would pale to it,)
If I was to engage,my work would have to travel ala U.S. postal system,just like some of the Big Boys,
But no time right now,I was just brain storming away to get the results you good folks are looking for,
God Be Blessing Ya!
Bryan E.Warner

[xadrian]

First off, I'm going to merge this with the discussion thread to keep the rest of the board clean.

As far as "Jam to Publish" goes, that's an idea penciljack has, not eschewed completely, but has said it may be in the works for MUCH much later.

There's been no official discussion about incorporating PJU characters into the Projects design either. The idea has merit because it involves complete creativity at Penciljack. I think that the organization, branding, publishing costs that are involved would steer us away right now, but it's definitely open for discussion at some level.

There's a lot going on right now that would put this on the backburner, but I really urge people to make the jams a thing to be proud of. Maybe having shorter jam time would show that going to print with something would have a better chance.

Good points, thank you.

[Deunen]

OMG I just had a cool idea!!

I just picked up my comics along with the new Wizard. I was thinking dam this issue sure has alot of Hollywood stuff and not too much art. I remember the good ol' days where every month there was a section devoted to reader art as well as contests.

So my idea,..... Pencil Jack or Xadrian...(not sure who the boss is) work out a deal with Wizard!!! Maybe have a jam ready every other month for them. Maybe other forums could submit jams as well so there could be a section every month. Our Jams/Projects are like the evolution of a simple fan art and I think Wizard may be interested. And if printed, it will bring more artists and stir more interest so we won't have to be hunting down colorists.

Hope you guys like the idea. I'm just putting it on the table for you guys to pick up and run with if you want.

To the future !
Deun

*edit* I'm not sure how the money situation would be but I don't really care about that. I would just like people to enjoy the story's, get our names out, bring more attention to the website. Maybe any revenue could go to maintain this website.

[penciljack]

Highly, highly doubtful we'll ever be working out any sort of deals with Wizard. Sorry.

I appreciate the ideas, though!

[foxmerquise8]

As a former jam organizer I have this to say;

Jams already complex enough, no reason to go all out on publishing. I like the idea of deadlines, but who will enforce them? It was easily organizing things, the hard part was getting people to meet deadlines. I was giving people more then 2 weeks to do things like character sketches and they still they didn't get it done. Sometimes it would get to the point that I had to track people down just to ask them if they couldn't do it. Some said they forgot!

Seriously, we should close this forum down if we can't do it in under 2 or 3 monthes max. Some people can do an whole comic by themselves in that time. If the jam is not around the top of your to-do list then you shouldn't do it.

Its no point starting another if only 4 people are going to go to the end with it.

[penciljack]

Well, fox, I must say it seems to me that you yourself semi-disappeared in the midst of one of the jams you started. I'm not trying to point fingers necessarily, but I think, given that, you can understand how it is that life can get in the way of things like this. Right?

The trick is going to be finding a method of doing these projects that is still fun and yet still motivates folks to finish. I'm working on some ways to do that. I have some ideas, and as Xadrian and I are able to get to it, we'll be instituting some of those ideas.

[foxmerquise8]

I was watching most of the time, but posting "Hello anyone there" every week like I was doing for 4 monthes was not working. So I just waited.

I tried contacting people and recruiting new people, but most of those conversations went no where. It was nothing much more I could do, and I don't have to miss until the project is done. I went on vacation hoping someone would finish one of the pages and I could put it all together.

Anyway, my point is the people that want to finish it are left on an island alone towards the end and their should be a way to prevent that.

[penciljack]

Well, fox, therein lies the problem. On the one hand, the only way people will sign up is if these things are fun. On the other hand, it seems like the work isn't getting finished without someone being a taskmaster, and that's not fun for anybody.

My suspicion is the subject matter will have a lot to do with the signups, but it's just a fact of life that some folks aren't going to finish their commitment to these projects, and for various and sundry reasons. I myself had to drop out of the Hellboy project that happened a while back, even though I LOVE Hellboy, and I really wanted to work on it. Stuff just happens.

If it's to the point where we're forced to try to "prevent" people from bowing out (which is impossible anyway), then I don't think this forum is serving any real purpose. I want to try to defibrillate it before we give up on it, though.