[DEBATE] PokéChow: Me or the Comic?
I wanted to start an intelligent debate about PokéChow. I started it here because it obviously requires one to be familiar with Fan Comics and what not. Here are the rules.
1) Read my essay fully before replying.
2) No flaming, please.
3) No one-lined support for me.
4) No one-lined criticism of me.
5) No one-lined posts period.
This is rather lengthy, but I ask that you read it in its entirety.
DEBATE :: PokéChow: Me or the Comic?
Do our opinions about someone shape our views of their work? Do we judge not the work of one but their character? Throughout PokéChow’s run I have had many a positive comment (to the point where I am ridiculed solely because I have fans) as well as negative, yet it seems that in the eyes of some, PokéChow will never be good enough. Is it because my comic truly is repetitive drivel supported by a myriad of “idiots” or is it because they simply dislike me?
When I first arrived on the scene of Fan Comics I admit that I was the biggest jerk alive. I denied every criticism and opinion that was thrown my way and paraded about like I was the best thing since sliced bread. I was wrong in doing this, and it seems that these actions have defined the collective opinion of me by my detractors. But I have learned from the events that transpired and have moved on. If an unbiased person, neutral to the various flamewars and disputes that involved me in days of old, were to be asked if I was an *******, would they agree? If only my recent actions were judged, would I be an ******* then? The answer is probably “not”.
But should and does how I used to act influence opinions over my actual comic? It shouldn’t, as one’s personality or demeanor is not always directly related to their creative offerings, but I am fairly certain that it plays a monumental role in the way some view PokéChow. If I were to have merely posted my comic in my early days, responded positively to the blunt criticism I received and graciously accepted would people still detest it today? I think that they would and they wouldn’t. There would be those that would like my comic, and those that would hate it simply because its success overshadowed that of their own comic.
Are the various criticisms I have received relevant or current? Or are reviewers and critics simply making obsolete and outmoded references and points? I am constantly criticized for an overuse of the character the Murderous Pidgeot. I am criticized for my frequent and incessant use of him in jokes. Is this point valid? Is this point remotely accurate at this point? The truth is that the last comic to feature the Murderous Pidgeot was released February 23, 2006. Ask yourself the question again, “Does blueguy use the Murderous Pidgeot too much?”. Ask it. Do you find that you think he IS, or that you think he DID. The difference lies in the tense. While there was a time when even I will admit that Murderous Pidgeot jokes were in excess, the Murderous Pidgeot hasn’t been featured or referenced even vaguely for quite some time. So, perhaps I DID, but for the past while I DON’T. Another criticism refers to the use of “Stardust” as a comedic device. Stardust was last referred to in Episode 57, which is actually quite current, but let’s compare that occurrence with its previous mention. It was last referenced in Episode 13. 57-13=44... so, Stardust had actually not been referenced for a grand total of over forty episodes and quite a few months. Doesn’t it strike one as odd that the two main focal points of any critic’s review are quite honestly irrelevant? The main criticism has always been that I am repetitive and uncreative, which given what I have produced in the past could be seen as true, but it is a key point that it is the past. Even so, I defend the reoccurrence of jokes. For those who actually read the comic regularly, instead of glancing at a few to feel entitled to mock me, a running gag is quite funny. There are times that these can be overdone, but in my own humble opinion I have yet to do this.
People have claimed that I have never, in my entire run as a comic author, ever accepted or used criticism to better my comic when this too is false. Given, I DID earlier refuse advice that was perfectly acceptable, but again think of the tense used. It was earlier often said that the bubble order was confusing. I was later quick to make it clear and it has since not been an issue with readers. It was said that it was difficult to see from whom a speech bubble was coming. I changed this too, making the points clearer and easier to pick up. It was said time and time again that I used the Murderous Pidgeot too much, and, what do you now, I conceded and stopped using him when I was good and ready. It was said that my battle scenes were a little bit “off”. I recently decided to heed this piece of advice as well. So, you see, there have been times when I HAVE listened and have changed my style based on criticism, but this is when I wish to, and don’t I, as the author have a right to listen when I want to, and to decline a piece of advice when I want to too?
People have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, this is MY comic, not theirs, and I have all the right in the world to reference the Murderous Pidgeot a hundred times in a single comic if I want to. I have all the right to make jokes referencing Nadia and stardust and whatever else has been cited as repetitive simply because it is my own comic and my own artistic work.
Looking back I wish desperately I could have done things better and have been a better person, but there’s nothing I can do to change the past. And this is truly unfortunate, because I know that no matter how hard I try there will always be some who detest me and therefore detest my comic all because of bad choices and terrible mistakes I made. It is one of the disheartening things in the world to realize that people hate you just because other people do, people hate you because it’s fun to, and that people hate something you work so hard at without reason.
Getting back to my point, are PokéChow’s critics current or relevant? I don’t actually think so. I have brought up the main points that are generally used in a “review” of my comic and I think that most would agree that while they COULD apply they don’t really do that any longer. They don’t because they apply to what this comic was and not what it is. The same goes for opinions of me. I am judged for who I was and not who I’m trying to be now.
Critics also bring up the fact that I have a considerably large fanbase. They criticize that only “idiots” and “n00bs” read PokéChow. I will agree that there are some who do me no good by their one-lined and unthoughtful posts, but there are quite a few people who are intelligent and well-rounded in their comments who don’t deserve to be bashed or insulted. But what does it really matter if “n00bs” read my comic? Does it reflect poorly on my actual work? Does it mean that my comic must really suck if it is read by “n00bs”. Critics apparently think so. I think the underlying truth in most criticisms of my fanbase is that the person is usually jealous, and I really can’t help it. I do not choose who reads my comic. I can’t force people to. I can’t control if my comic is more or less popular than someone else’s. Many of my critics are comic authors themselves. They probably feel that their comic is much better than mine, that their comic is so damn great and is being overshadowed by the great stupidity of the fanbase and author of PokéChow. They probably feel jealous and angry, but I can’t help that either. But... wait a minute. Aren’t I constantly called quite self-involved, overconfident and full of myself? Wouldn’t a jealousy of someone else’s “inferior” work gaining attention and a “justified” hatred of someone based on their “undeserving” success count as “full of oneself”. If that is true then my critics are all what they claim I am. They are what they hate. They are the kinds of people they despise. If they despise me because they think they are better than me, then they are no better.
Is PokéChow bad? That’s subjective. Is it good? That’s all in the eye of the beholder as well. You can decide for yourself. It’s your right to hate it. It’s your right to love it. It’s your right to ignore it completely. But I ask you, is it just to judge it because of what I have done? Is it fair or honest? The truth is that your opinion about me probably influences me more than you think. As much as some would like to pretend that they are unbiased, they’re not. If one would like to see PokéChow be scrutinized fairly I’m all ears. I’m waiting and watching, but no one ever has anything to say, because the truth is that they don’t read my comic and won’t; they will continue to criticize me based on what they have heard and what people say about me.
I urge anyone to read my comic and read it fully and completely, first to last, top to bottom, front to back, and THEN to review. And THEN to give me your two cents. If you don’t “have the time” or “don’t want to” it’s perfectly fine, but then I expect you not to go about criticizing it because you have no basis to do so.
And that’s my rant. It’s been a long time brewing in my head and I hope I have provoked some thought of the matter.
I wanted to start an intelligent debate about PokéChow. I started it here because it obviously requires one to be familiar with Fan Comics and what not. Here are the rules.
1) Read my essay fully before replying.
2) No flaming, please.
3) No one-lined support for me.
4) No one-lined criticism of me.
5) No one-lined posts period.
This is rather lengthy, but I ask that you read it in its entirety.
DEBATE :: PokéChow: Me or the Comic?
Do our opinions about someone shape our views of their work? Do we judge not the work of one but their character? Throughout PokéChow’s run I have had many a positive comment (to the point where I am ridiculed solely because I have fans) as well as negative, yet it seems that in the eyes of some, PokéChow will never be good enough. Is it because my comic truly is repetitive drivel supported by a myriad of “idiots” or is it because they simply dislike me?
When I first arrived on the scene of Fan Comics I admit that I was the biggest jerk alive. I denied every criticism and opinion that was thrown my way and paraded about like I was the best thing since sliced bread. I was wrong in doing this, and it seems that these actions have defined the collective opinion of me by my detractors. But I have learned from the events that transpired and have moved on. If an unbiased person, neutral to the various flamewars and disputes that involved me in days of old, were to be asked if I was an *******, would they agree? If only my recent actions were judged, would I be an ******* then? The answer is probably “not”.
But should and does how I used to act influence opinions over my actual comic? It shouldn’t, as one’s personality or demeanor is not always directly related to their creative offerings, but I am fairly certain that it plays a monumental role in the way some view PokéChow. If I were to have merely posted my comic in my early days, responded positively to the blunt criticism I received and graciously accepted would people still detest it today? I think that they would and they wouldn’t. There would be those that would like my comic, and those that would hate it simply because its success overshadowed that of their own comic.
Are the various criticisms I have received relevant or current? Or are reviewers and critics simply making obsolete and outmoded references and points? I am constantly criticized for an overuse of the character the Murderous Pidgeot. I am criticized for my frequent and incessant use of him in jokes. Is this point valid? Is this point remotely accurate at this point? The truth is that the last comic to feature the Murderous Pidgeot was released February 23, 2006. Ask yourself the question again, “Does blueguy use the Murderous Pidgeot too much?”. Ask it. Do you find that you think he IS, or that you think he DID. The difference lies in the tense. While there was a time when even I will admit that Murderous Pidgeot jokes were in excess, the Murderous Pidgeot hasn’t been featured or referenced even vaguely for quite some time. So, perhaps I DID, but for the past while I DON’T. Another criticism refers to the use of “Stardust” as a comedic device. Stardust was last referred to in Episode 57, which is actually quite current, but let’s compare that occurrence with its previous mention. It was last referenced in Episode 13. 57-13=44... so, Stardust had actually not been referenced for a grand total of over forty episodes and quite a few months. Doesn’t it strike one as odd that the two main focal points of any critic’s review are quite honestly irrelevant? The main criticism has always been that I am repetitive and uncreative, which given what I have produced in the past could be seen as true, but it is a key point that it is the past. Even so, I defend the reoccurrence of jokes. For those who actually read the comic regularly, instead of glancing at a few to feel entitled to mock me, a running gag is quite funny. There are times that these can be overdone, but in my own humble opinion I have yet to do this.
People have claimed that I have never, in my entire run as a comic author, ever accepted or used criticism to better my comic when this too is false. Given, I DID earlier refuse advice that was perfectly acceptable, but again think of the tense used. It was earlier often said that the bubble order was confusing. I was later quick to make it clear and it has since not been an issue with readers. It was said that it was difficult to see from whom a speech bubble was coming. I changed this too, making the points clearer and easier to pick up. It was said time and time again that I used the Murderous Pidgeot too much, and, what do you now, I conceded and stopped using him when I was good and ready. It was said that my battle scenes were a little bit “off”. I recently decided to heed this piece of advice as well. So, you see, there have been times when I HAVE listened and have changed my style based on criticism, but this is when I wish to, and don’t I, as the author have a right to listen when I want to, and to decline a piece of advice when I want to too?
People have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, this is MY comic, not theirs, and I have all the right in the world to reference the Murderous Pidgeot a hundred times in a single comic if I want to. I have all the right to make jokes referencing Nadia and stardust and whatever else has been cited as repetitive simply because it is my own comic and my own artistic work.
Looking back I wish desperately I could have done things better and have been a better person, but there’s nothing I can do to change the past. And this is truly unfortunate, because I know that no matter how hard I try there will always be some who detest me and therefore detest my comic all because of bad choices and terrible mistakes I made. It is one of the disheartening things in the world to realize that people hate you just because other people do, people hate you because it’s fun to, and that people hate something you work so hard at without reason.
Getting back to my point, are PokéChow’s critics current or relevant? I don’t actually think so. I have brought up the main points that are generally used in a “review” of my comic and I think that most would agree that while they COULD apply they don’t really do that any longer. They don’t because they apply to what this comic was and not what it is. The same goes for opinions of me. I am judged for who I was and not who I’m trying to be now.
Critics also bring up the fact that I have a considerably large fanbase. They criticize that only “idiots” and “n00bs” read PokéChow. I will agree that there are some who do me no good by their one-lined and unthoughtful posts, but there are quite a few people who are intelligent and well-rounded in their comments who don’t deserve to be bashed or insulted. But what does it really matter if “n00bs” read my comic? Does it reflect poorly on my actual work? Does it mean that my comic must really suck if it is read by “n00bs”. Critics apparently think so. I think the underlying truth in most criticisms of my fanbase is that the person is usually jealous, and I really can’t help it. I do not choose who reads my comic. I can’t force people to. I can’t control if my comic is more or less popular than someone else’s. Many of my critics are comic authors themselves. They probably feel that their comic is much better than mine, that their comic is so damn great and is being overshadowed by the great stupidity of the fanbase and author of PokéChow. They probably feel jealous and angry, but I can’t help that either. But... wait a minute. Aren’t I constantly called quite self-involved, overconfident and full of myself? Wouldn’t a jealousy of someone else’s “inferior” work gaining attention and a “justified” hatred of someone based on their “undeserving” success count as “full of oneself”. If that is true then my critics are all what they claim I am. They are what they hate. They are the kinds of people they despise. If they despise me because they think they are better than me, then they are no better.
Is PokéChow bad? That’s subjective. Is it good? That’s all in the eye of the beholder as well. You can decide for yourself. It’s your right to hate it. It’s your right to love it. It’s your right to ignore it completely. But I ask you, is it just to judge it because of what I have done? Is it fair or honest? The truth is that your opinion about me probably influences me more than you think. As much as some would like to pretend that they are unbiased, they’re not. If one would like to see PokéChow be scrutinized fairly I’m all ears. I’m waiting and watching, but no one ever has anything to say, because the truth is that they don’t read my comic and won’t; they will continue to criticize me based on what they have heard and what people say about me.
I urge anyone to read my comic and read it fully and completely, first to last, top to bottom, front to back, and THEN to review. And THEN to give me your two cents. If you don’t “have the time” or “don’t want to” it’s perfectly fine, but then I expect you not to go about criticizing it because you have no basis to do so.
And that’s my rant. It’s been a long time brewing in my head and I hope I have provoked some thought of the matter.
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, & if their jealas(sorry can't spell) they can't change that Pokechow is still number one in peoples minds, but I only read three pages! Sorry but the more popular they are it's more pages & my attention span is low, but even I can say, it's a damn good comic!