A Social Experiement…
So…over the last few weeks I’ve had several discussions about what sells. Especially regarding Wowio.
For the last month we have not been in the top 10 on the comics list. But…6 of the books that were up there predominantly showed girls with large breasts.
So the consensus was…”Sex Sells”.
It’s sad…but true.
As a goof. I threatend to do a “Sexy” cover and see if it got more downloads on Wowio.
Last week I put up issue 27.
So far it’s doing ok. But nothing special.
I don’t know if it’s a fair test as honestly. Sexy isn’t something I feel comfortable about doing on the covers of Dreamland.
Even for a goof. Even as a joke. Or a social experiment. I couldn’t do it to my fans.
I’ve already recieved quite a few emails and posts about the cover. All positive.
But I wanted to let you know why I did it. And let you in on it so you can see for yourself.
Here’s the cover.
You can see a larger version in the download.
I did two things to make it more OBVIOUS that I was selling something that’s un-Dreamland…
1) I made Nastajia’s breasts larger. These are NOT her normal size. (and no don’t ask me for a close up) 😛
2) I angle the camera down on her and focused on her breasts and face only. Blurring out her feet and hands.
I’m always torn between making money and doing what I believe is right. No. Maybe “what’s right” is too definitive.
I want to do what makes me feel like I’m doing something GOOD in the world.
The world has enough sexy vixens in small costumes. It has enough sex and violence and such.
What it DOESN’T have enough of is a Safe Haven.
A place of wonder where kids can be kids.
A place where young and old can enjoy a fantastic journey, magical landscapes, and adventure and romance.
That’s what I want Dreamland to be.
Either way. I asked my friends about the image before puting it up.
They assured me it wasn’t “offensive”.
But I wanted to let you all in on the experiment.
I don’t know if you’ll ever see this image again. I doubt I’ll use it in the books. And I’m not sure I feel comfortable making it a desktop.
But I may be too close to it. I feel like the father of these characters. I don’t want to exploit them.
Please let me know your thoughts.
And thanks again for all of your support.
Scott
Well,
There is a difference between your approach and most other comics. Main thing is that you are doing the design off of a 3D CGI comic. Thats great and all, but most hand drawn ones, the “sexiness” appeal can change slightly per comic. Since your’s is all calculated through a computer (that and her outfit doesn’t really scream “sexy” and everyone’s facial features aren’t really that of a “normal” human), its also that everyone in a hand drawn is usually have “perfect” features and they can associate them to be whatever.
However,
I, for one, am GLAD that you are not going with that method! Your comic is about the adventure and story line, not about their sexiness. You are up there because its a good storyline and great looking comic. I don’t normally go for looks on anything, but thats was drew me (well, that and it was CGI, the first one I’ve seen on the web) to view it. What kept me was the interesting storyline and how well you kept it updated.
Lately, I’ve been too busy with other items to download any of from Wowio, however, I will start that back up.
Keep up the good work and remember: Sex sells, but its only a temp. selling point, most lose interest after a while. Give them something that satisfies them from beginning to the end!
Hey, I think that’s a really awesome way to do an experiment. As a psychology student, I know how much ethical issues get in the way of the testing…and this is ethical…but if you have issues with yourself about it, well, YOU are the one who is important, so do what YOU want. As for me, as much as I think the picture is hot, I would want it as a desktop or in the books…it just isn’t Nastajia!
Sex sells…for a bit. But great story sells better over a long period of time. So don’t use it unless you want to. 🙂
The problem with Wowio is that only Americans can use it….your fan base extends way further than just them!
Sorry, but I don’t think it’s sexy enough….. nah, just kidding! =D
But Quite honestly… I think She was pretty much “very sexy” to start with before. After all, look at her… she basically wears tube tops that shows her midriff and a lot of it. and she already had a little bit of a clevage before…. regardless of big breasts or not. Yet… did anybody complain that she wasn’t kid-friendly? No.
I think one can be Sexy and still be kid-friendly. And I’ve seen all the WOWIO Covers, and I don’t think they all scream “I’m sex inceratate! Come read me!” All they show is appealing characters that people of ALL ages can be intersted in.
Sexy doesn’t always mean Slutty or indecent. All it can mean is that the person can be very appealing in appearance, the mind and personality, regardless of her/his state of dress. Heck, our elven princess here could dress like a old lady and still be sexy just simply because. 😉
I understand where your coming from, truly I do. I’m one of a few teenagers that beleive in no pre-marital… copulation *hopes kids might not understand that term* so I assure you I’m not some kid thats overjoyed a little too much to be looking at her breasts.((which dont get me wrong arent bad.))
My honest opinion on the experiment is simply that most people that would be buying it simply because of her enlarged bousom would be expecting a lot more… adult oriented art to also be published aswell. And if they actually bother to check the rest of your art and find out they wont find any, would most likely just leave to find something that is to their tastes. To simplify it, you dont need to worry, cos no one would bother to download/buy your awesome books if they only looking for boobs when they can go elsewhere and actually get what they want.
People buy your things because they’re fans and apreciate the effort you put in for them.
Lastly, while I’m not sure how much this will mean to you, I promise I dont read your comics simply because of nastajia’s or kiwi’s bodies. I read it, because I love the innocence it portrays.
Umm…so I meant that I WOULDN’T want it in the desktop or books…..
Hey Scott-
Unfortunatley in a lot of ways “sex sells” is a truism that will probably never go away. We are hammered with it every day, in advertisement, music videos, tv. It’s hard to escape.
However, in my eyes, “Dreamland Chronciles” is yours. It is a gift that you share with all of us, and if making it more “sexy” feels wrong then don’t do it. We read “Dreamland” because of the story and the characters, not because the women are falling out of their tops or the men are overly muscled titans.
I also agree w/ Aurora that being sexy doesn’t necessarily mean sleazy. The two words are usually used to mean the same thing, and I often think it’s a mistake. An example, we had a patient yesterday in the office wearing business attire who was amazingly sexy, just by his personality and his cute smile. We girls didn’t need anything else to start all of us drooling. lol!!
So do what you think is right, and if people don’t read “Dreamland Chronicles” because it’s not “sexy enough” then that’s their loss.
Arrgh! I SO know what you’re talking about. As a webcomic writer myself, I struggle with the eye candy that is sooo popular! I worked hard on my story, trying to make it intricate and involving. I worked hard on the plot and tried to develope the characters to be ‘real’ people. I’m not interested in selling sex or violence. My site is rated PG. Could be close to G maybe, but I think parents should guide their kids in all internet viewing. That’s what I find so captivating about Dreamland. It’s safe and really good. Unfortunatly, that kind of thing appeals to the minority of poeple who have really good taste and that can appeciate a intregueing story line. PLEASE don’t change Dreamland to suit the down hill spiralling trend!! Oh, and Nastajia has a lovely figure without the triple D. 😀
Scott,
Don’t change anything. Do what you feel is the right thing creatively. If you create a quality product that you believe in, people will continue to find this place and see you’re product on Wowio.
I read a pretty wide spectrum of fiction, comics & webcomics, and this is one of the only places that I can enjoy something as much as my 7 or 12 year old can.
I don’t think the problem is that you’re not able to attract readers through Wowio as much as that the current demographic of Wowio’s user base is (I suspect) much more prone to seek out “the sexy”.
Just keep letting your readers (especially your new readers) know that a great way to support Dreamland Chronicles is by downloading your free content at Wowio. I’ve been a member there for five or six months (I think since you first put your books on there), and I don’t remember ever getting any email (or other kind of) solicitation from them. It really is a service where the consumer gets what they want for free and the content creator gets a great payout with little headache.
Stay true to your vision.
Thank you all!
I really do appreciate the encouragement.
To clarify…just in case I wasn’t clear.
I have NO intention of changing Dreamland for ANYONE.
This was JUST an experiment. Nothing more.
But thank you all for your support of friendship and encouragment. It means so much to me.
Hey, I’m sorry I don’t have a huge long and helpful critique like everyone else, but I did just want to say that I totally support your views. I think the world does need more of the “safe havens” for all ages and less of an emphasis on sex. The sad thing is, that it’s just a perpetuating cycle. It was so appealing when people were first learning to not totally hide sex appeal in the shadows, but now that appeal has just become an expectation. Even those who might not think otherwise are raised to believe that’s what is “cool” or that’s what to look for.
So way to be someone to buck up against the crowd and try to break the cycle and make the world a better place! :3
Quality over quantity. Even if you’re not in top spots on voting sites, I bet you’ll remain somewhere in the middle of them all longer, while the top spots just keep switching between “sexier” comics as people get bored with them.
And as far as the cover goes, I’m sure it looks sexy to the general crowd, but to me it’s so out of character for Nastajia it just kind of makes me go.. “Wha..?”
To be honest, I initially liked the cover image purely because of the perspective, and only noticed the accentuated sexiness after you pointed it out (I’d say that maybe that means that my mind is clean and chaste, but I know that that can’t be true:).
I think it’s really great that you are making efforts to hold onto that childlike purity that attracts us to comics/fantasy in the first place. A lot of that is lost in today’s comic book world, and the ones that hold onto it aren’t typically doing it as wonderfully as you.
Lastly, I wouldn’t worry about trying to attract more readers with adding a sexy flare to characters. It’s not what attracted readers before. Nastajia may be the attractive lead female of the comic, but striking a sexy pose is out of her character (I think). It stinks that a great comic like Dreamland doesn’t get the attention it does, but I’ll vouch for the idea that nice guys finish last.
Hello there! I think it’s fabulous that you don’t want to join the sex-sells-so-I’ll-give-her-giant-boobs crowd. Please, please don’t. I come here very often to read your comic because as an adult, I think it’s fairly innocent in this day and age.
However, I guess one might call me a prude, because I honestly do not want my son or daughter to read this comic at a young age because a couple female characters have already gone beyond “sexy”. I personally think Nastajia would be more respectable in some more armor. Safer too perhaps. 😉
Anyway, that’s just one mom’s opinion and certainly not a popular one here in the 2000’s, so. Please don’t tilt Dreamland even farther “that way”, not even to sell it harder. 🙂 Most of the movies that do the best at the box office are children/family movies.
Keep up the good works!
Scott,
Not to overuse a cliche, but only you know what’s best for your work. You will have to decide art vs. commerce, “we” can always use more money…. But this is your art, would you have it any other way?
The work is wonderful just the way it is. As an old guy, I wish ViewMasters were still in vogue as I would love to see this in ViewMaster3D…
Best of luck. When my son was in San Diego for school and visited Comic Con I asked that he visit your booth and pick up a few things. I’ve never thought of doing anything like that before but I did because I enjoyed your work and your stories, not because I thought your characters were “sexy”. Reading your work at lunchtime when I was at work was something I looked forward to, and it was because of the stories.
’nuff said.
Hmm…
Just a quick thought as most of my more elaborate opinions have already been done justice by those above, but actually, I think what makes her look good (or sexy or whatever) is all about her face. And to me this image isn’t that sexy precisely because her face doesn’t look natural, at least to me. The expression just doesn’t seem to fit. In complete contrast, desktop 24 is one of THE coolest desktops to grace my screen in a very long time, and I’m always glad to see it (my Mac rotates the desktop image daily). It’s sexy, cool, striking etc. all of which without being obvious, sleazy or anything else of that nature.
Your character design is far too good for being used in such a way, and I for one hope you continue with it just the way it is. I think you’ve got the balance of all the characters just right, ESPECIALLY Nastajia. She actually LOOKS like someone of importance, a young, serious, beautiful but slightly bitter young lady of power who seems older in mind than body precisely because she’s got too much responsibilty for one so young. That sad/forlorn look that she gives most of the time is breathtaking as it tells so much of what she’s been though without saying a word. And THAT is why I started reading the comic in the first place!!!
Honestly, I saw a banner with her in it (a very tight crop of her face) and straight away I had to find out what the story was behind that intruiging expression!!! (and for shame I read the whole comic in one go, yup it was that good… O_O)
So yeah, awesome design, great story, wonderful characters and absolutely lovely balance all round. Contrary to what R.H. said (and with all respect to him as he seems a nice chap), I think you’ve got the look of everyone just right, not too over the top but spunky and ‘lively’ enough to be belieavable and interesting. (Although I’d have made Nicodemus darker and more sinister but then I am quite jaded 😉
So yeah, please don’t change anything to accommodate the shallow masses who would pass this up simply because it’s not vulgar enough. You’ve got something truly magical here. And though I know you hear this ALL the time I’m 27 years old and this has me feeling like a kid again, and that’s the truth! 🙂
A.C.
“I feel like the father of these characters. I don’t want to exploit them” is what you said.
Word. I hate it when people do that to characters.
I always thought that Nastajia and Kiwi were a little too sexy for the target audience. Nastajia’s outfit in particular doesn’t make any sense compared to what she wore as a child and what her mother wears as an adult.
The wowio numbers don’t mean anything except that someone else is spending money on advertising.
Sex attracts interests, and that often translates into a short term sales boost. But readers won’t come back if the story sucks.
DC has a unique art style, great characters and a wonderful story. That’s a slower selling point, but a better one by far 🙂
I agree with the other. Your art, do as you please.
Quite honestly, this is one of the few comics that I find that Isn’t focused on the sex appeal. There are a few comics out there – no names – that over years have changed in overall looks, namely in the ladies getting rounder. Of course, there are some that are focusing on that with their own tone, but generally they are either “semi-mature” or mature themed.
As far as personal preferance goes, I think Nas looks fine as she is. So she doesn’t have 40DD’s, big deal – plus it would be almost typical, if not stereotypical.
If you look around, there is a fare number of comics that are good about no true violence, and little or no cursing. They might/do contain that presence of “sexy factor”.
OTOH If you Really look closely though, there are very few Truly kid friendly comics out there. Out of my list of ~50 comics that pay attention to, only 2 or 3 comics – including Dreamland – that I would show/read to my 4 yo niece. She might say that it’s scary, but hey! She thinks Cruella de Vil is scary… Which she is at that age 🙂
Forgive the length of my post and my terrible sentences, please.
“The world has enough sexy vixens in small costumes. It has enough sex and violence and such.”
Okay, violence in your comic… Very little violence, very little gore. It’s acceptable and not scary. As far as a the “sexy vixens in small costumes”, have you looked at Nastajia lately? That’s some of the most useless armor I’ve ever seen. It’s all to show off her body, isn’t it? Her skin-tight pants must giver her one heck of a wedgie. What about Kiwi? Stockings and a loincloth. Felicity? She definitely has a midriff thing going on, even if she is dressed more than the others. If you had a daughter, would you think it’s okay to let her walk around in that shirt? Well, it is a comic, it is a rogue catgirl, and some Disney princesses have exposed tummies, but does that make it right? And there’s the tiny mermaid with the DD implants (or any of the mermaids)? Okay, mermaids don’t wear much, ever. But they all looked like they must’ve been wearing invisible push-up bras. There was a lot of cleavage.
You’re still guilty of making characters sexy whether or not all of the girls look like lacy thong-clad Pamela Andersons. Just because you’re not putting them in compromising positions and showing “panty shots” doesn’t mean you can forget to give them clothes.
I am totally fine with them being dressed this way. I’m sure the kids don’t have a problem with it. But, really, think about it. Skin tight and/or skimpy still holds true for your main female characters in Dreamland. That’s not sexy? I’m not really trying to be mean or anything, but that sort of thing seems to sneak into the comics, whether you want it to be like that or not. It’s what you see everywhere else, so it’s what you use, even though it is toned down enough for a younger audience.
Anyway… Extreme amounts of cleavage and skimpiness show up in most of the most popular comics on Wowio. They’re about sex and sexiness, or at least the characters look like they’ve had experience working the street corners. The one that bothers me most is “Flare”. Have you ever seen ads for that comic? It sickens me. I read the first few pages on their website (I refuse to support it by downloading). Flare is supposedly a role model (in the comic) for teen girls. She got drunk, walked around naked, had topless photo shoots all in the first few pages… And her temporary replacement superhero (a teenager?!?) wears less clothing than she does. Bikinis cover more than that. Superheros of any sort don’t wear much, especially the girls. But this one is just gross.
I decided I hated that stuff a few years ago and I drew up a superhero comic about people who actually wear clothing. Aaand practical costumes. How many people have that much Spandex, leather, and amazing sewing skills, anyway?
I actually have also been inspired, a few months ago, by TDC to create my own children’s comic. I really ever doubt I’ll be satisfied enough to put it online, but I never have with any of my stories. Well, at least it’s fun to do. And it all makes a good inside joke for me.
I’m going to conclude by saying that this is a good, safe comic. It does what it’s intended to do. It’s probably going to draw in some snickering junior high boys laughing at everyone’s boobs, so don’t count on them ever being an audience. Most everyone else can pass that up. If I notice the cleavage, so will fifth and sixth grade boys. Actually, so will many second-graders. I’ve babysat plenty boys and I’ve been through elementary school.
But really, I’m going to emphasize that this is a good, safe kids’ comic. And it’s good for teenagers, too. And people older than teenagers. It definitely seems to achieve what you want it to.
“What it DOESN’T have enough of is a Safe Haven.
A place of wonder where kids can be kids.
A place where young and old can enjoy a fantastic journey, magical landscapes, and adventure and romance.”
Yyyyyep. Please refrain from exploiting them, just like you said. I like showing this to the younger kids.
I won’t give a repeat of all the stuff mentioned here, so let’s just say I agree.
I HATE the concept “sex sells” and I am SO GLAD you are not jumping on that doomed bandwagon.
Reading Dreamland is being a kid again, and being a kid again doesn’t require that stuff!
I read a bunch of comics, but this is the one I am truely in love with.
Well all I can say is kudos to you for treating the whole thing as an experiment. I am sure I’m not the only one who would be interested in the results of the number of hits you get as a result. Of course, this will only be representative of the American audience, so I am not worried that the entire world will be branded perverts… but only because wowio won’t let people outside the US on!
The picture looks like the bad fanfiction version of Nastajia. She looks nice enough normally, but the phrase ‘come hither eyes’ keeps running through my head in regards to this one.
While several other folks have commented that many of your female characters normally dress ‘sexy’ (and I agree), this image feels comparatively blatant.
Hi, I’ve actually been pondering the issue of Nastajia’s outfit and if it’s appropriate or not for the children’s market. I’m starting a book selling business and am working strictly with elementary schools and a few middle schools and am concerned if Nastajia’s regular dress (not the sexy test cover which is definitely not appropriate) would make the books inappropriate to sell to elementary school kids. I don’t want parents mad at me for selling the books, especially since the area I live in is highly conservative. What do you think? Is there an age limit on the books? Other than her clothing and Alex’s bare chest I think the books are great. I would appreciate the thoughts of you (Scott) and the other visitors to your site.
Again thanks all.
I wish I could answer ALL of your posts individually. But I’ll try to at least try and explain a few key points.
1) My personal opinion about the clothing is that it is quite TAME.
Compared to Disney movies (Ariel having sea shells covering her breasts, Jasmine’s tube top, Pocahantas, etc.) I feel the book’s characters are within reasonable limits of taste.
Please remember. I’m both a parent and a Christian. My pastor’s have read the books. Their kids. My parents. And of course MY kids.
Everyone has their own standards of what is acceptable to them and their children. And I respect that SO much.
I’m a prude when it comes to my boys. They’re 4 and a half twins.
I won’t let them watch some Power Rangers, Teen Titans, Justice League, etc. for the violence.
Heck. I won’t even let them read the Spider-Man comic I did because Greg Rucka (the writer) wasn’t able to write the All Ages story Marvel hired me to do.
That’s what parents are for. To let their kids grow at their own pace.
So for all parents who feel that Dreamland is not right for their children yet. Good for you.
I commend you for letting your children retain the innocence they have.
When the time is right. I hope they enjoy it.
2) As for whether it’s good for schools. I think it’s good for ages 10 and up.
I have books for early readers (6-10 years old) at my store or on Amazon (See Ed’s Terrestrials and Pet Robots).
All Ages means as best as you can say it…that pretty much ANYONE can enjoy it.
Like my kids who are in pre-school.
But…again. I’d recommend you make the decision of what suits your class.
3) I want to re-itterate that it is in NO way my intention to change the look of my characters or to change the story in any way.
Please remember the story is written. The personalities are already in motion. So I will NOT be changing it to meet any standards that the industry may throw at me.
I know my book isn’t a “mainstream” book. I’m HAPPY with that knowledge.
The test was simply just to see if anyone noticed. And if that issue got more sales.
It was a success (in my eyes) as it did NOT make a difference.
I wanted to share that with you all. But please do not think I will be in ANY way changing the story or anything to make them more sexy.
I recieved some really nice letters today regarding this and one of them mentioned that Nastajia was already Sexy to that reader just by her facial expressions and the voice I gave her.
That to me is what I want to convey. A character who appeals to both girls and guys on various levels. Not a one dimensional sex kitten.
So again. Thank you for your great insight, encouragement, admonishment, critiques, and objections.
I take it all to heart. It means a lot to me that you ALL took the time to voice your opinion.
I hope you can continue to enjoy Dreamland for what it was always intended to be and I hope I can exceed your expectations in the years to come with both my art and writing.
Thank you
mmm, i understand you rproblem. but i believe that it’s better without the big chested and barely clothes girls
sure it may attract more people, but they’d be a different sort of people. the ones you currently attract are ones who genuinely love the story for the plot and the feel of the characters. they love the ‘family’ ness of it and they are a lovely fan base.
i support your ideas and it’s just terrible that that is what many people seem to like nowadays… anyways, as you continue doing what you’ve always done remember that we don’t mind =P we love Dreamland
I don’t see what’s wrong with this cover. It’s a nice pose, a nice render, and a dynamic angle. If you’re that concerned, put a little more blur on her chest so her face is the sole focus. I agree, it is tame. PG at the absolute highest. Sounds like some of these folks would rate a public pool PG13. And Kiwi is a cute little fairy… I mean… A FAIRY. She actually wears more clothes than Tinkerbell. What’s the big deal here?
I never would have thought anything about this cover if you hadn’t said anything, because after 27 issues, it’s been well-established that Nastajia is not that kind of girl.
Oh yeah, someone mentioned that Nastajia doesn’t dress as conservatively as her mother. Well, her dad wears hot pants, how about that.
Well, allot of what i would have said has been said previously by other people, so my response should be a bit on the short side. I believe that scott has done a fantastic job balancing the “innocence” of a children’s fantasy story with the more “in-depth” side you see in more adult-oriented stories of the same genre. (main char is asking for a date, comes back to dreamland in his undies, and subsequently applies a cheesy pickup line on a cple of busty mermaids) ect. The first time we see felicity, her chest / stomach get a frame of their own, ect ect.
So its obvious that the comic isnt meant PURELY for children. Its a masterful blend of mild-innuendo and fantasy that i, for one, appreciate greatly.
So thanks scott, for a great comic. Keep up the good work 🙂
Like the rest, I’m here for the story. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a guy and I do like the cover pic, but it would be plain distracting if it was a regular change to the pages and detract from the characters themselves.
That being said, you’re missing a golden income opportunity. The Dreamland Chronicles Swimsuit Edition. 🙂
/I keed, I keed
While the cover you posted is kind of appealing, it’s definitely not in the dreamland style that I’ve come to love. I agree that while it’s not offensive in any way, it really doesn’t fit in dreamland as you’ve created it.
It’s a neat experiment, but I’m glad you’re sticking your ground in a world awash with sexuality, violence, and everything else that takes the innocence out of childhood.
Thanks for not making it a desktop or using it in the books :).
Hi Scott,
Second post here, which has to be a first for me on the internet.
Admittedly, I didn’t read everyone’s comments on this one, so forgive me if I’m covering redundant ground here.
Question: Why is J.K. Rowling as ridiculously successful with the world of Harry Potter? I’m sure there are academics and economists that could (and probably have) answered that in painful detail, but I will give you a hint: no matter what happened in the stories, there was an enduring sense of innocence, a coming of age; timeless themes that everyone can relate to. As dark as the subject matter became in the latter books, Rowling held true to her characters essential natures; great kids in a bad situation. But kids all the same. Layer magic, good vs. evil, and an accessible writing style in, and you have a modern day classic.
What does this have to do with Dreamland and the topic of sex appeal and commercial success? Simple. Less is MORE. Many folks enjoy a sense of mystery, especially in a world where so much has been made flagrantly base and thrust-in-your-face. The world doesn’t need anything to get any more explicit… my wife and I have two children, and the last thing we want is for them to grow up being warped by the pervasive media message that sex is some goal or end in itself. Childhood and adolescence are difficult enough without the fuel-injected turbo-enhanced augmented airbrushed clevage spandex legions getting in on the action.
Leaving some things to the imagination is a GREAT thing. I remember vividly having some of my own innocence ripped away at a young age by a friend who had stolen a pornographic magazine from his father’s stash. (how many things can you spot that are wrong right there). He wanted me to see it and share it so badly, and when I looked (still being at the tender age of “ewww girls!” and meaning it), found it fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our society has been going down a slippery slope of sex-as-commodity, while at the same time preaching and screeching “family values” with hypocrisy in the headlines every week (for more details on where we seem to be headed, see every hegemony in history and their declining years). There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that a beautiful face and figure is interesting. Just beware moving from beauty to gross objectification. There’s a law of diminishing returns on explicitness… a burn-out factor, if you will. Think “Britney” or “Pamela” and you’ll get the picture. They still sell headlines, but have moved from idolized to scandalized in a few short years.
I think what I’m meandering towards, Scott, is this: If you truly want to succeed, make up your mind about the core message and values that underscore Dreamland and be true to them. Sex appeal can be a great thing in moderation, and you should use the tools in your visual arsenal to promote your business. But no matter how good the clevage, people come back for the story, not the wonderbra.
Lastly, here’s something beautiful to consider on the Art of Dress:
http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Galaxy-Costumes-Star-Wars/dp/0810965674
Disclaimer: Up all night working on a deadline. This post may not make any sense or have intrinsic value.
Mark
My first time posting here, but I have to agree with everyone else. I mean yes, Nastajia, Kiwi, and Felicity are all rather sexy looking(I’m a male, I notice these things), but it’s not why the characters are interesting; it’s not why I come back. I’m here for the storyline, the character development(and I don’t mean bodily, like in that test cover), and the ability to lose myself in a fantasy world just for a little while.
But yeah, that cover looks so out of place it’s almost comical. It’s just not something Nastajia would do, not as you have her now. And to be honest, I don’t know if I want to see a Nastajia who would do something like that. I can see Felicity doing something like this directed at Alex if only to get under Nastajia’s skin. But that’s a whole other tangent.
Still, I’m glad this was just a test. The Dreamland Chronicles is just what you said: a haven. And in an internet so saturated by NC-17 stuff that you can find it blindfolded within about ten seconds, it’s a much needed one.
At the end of the day, it’s your story, your characters, your Dreamland. You need to do what you are comfortable with. I think that if you you stray from that, in the interest of making your web comic more marketable, you’ll lose that spark that makes your comic the interesting and thoughtful place that it is. And that would be a shame indeed. Not to mention that your readers would pick up on it, and eventually turn away from your site, in search of more genuine stories and people.
Don’t worry about being protective. Any good father would be the same way about his children, whether they exist in the real world, or in the Dreamland.
Keep up the good work! This is definitely one of my favorite sites
I do like the cover, it has a nice angle.. I didn’t notice the breasts at first, but I’m sure I’d like the image more if those were just Nastajia’s normal size. Now you’ve said it, it bothers me.. :S
I thinks the costumes you use on you characters are fine, they fit the characters’ personalities, and the fantasy-genre.
And about the stuff Jason said about Alex.. I thinks its cool you let Alex behave himself like a normal college guy. It wouldn’t be natural if he was a total a-sexual person, not interested in girls whatsoever.
I think that there is another reason…
A lot of top downloaded comics are comics from the crosby family (chris crosby and boby crosby) and well with all their websites they have a lot of marketing power…..
Plus, they say that they will update more often in exchange of a lot downloads…
While I do agree that sex usually help marketing, you have to see that it’s not the only technics they use to get those results….
Yup, I fell for it, must have, I suggested (maybe along with others maybe not) about making a desktop. That being said, it’s never been about modes of dress, etc for being a DC fan. It’s the story. And the artwork. It’s good. It’s also a ‘Safe for work’ site so I can read it during downtime.
An earlier poster mentioned a level of innocense in the Harry Potter series and a coming of age motif. It’s there in Dreamland Chronicles.
I have to agree with Anja on the pose and breast size. I didn’t realize you changed her size until you pointed it out, but I do rather like the pose and I think with her normal “size” it would be a great tribute to the artistry of just how pretty of a character Nastajia is. As far as showing off her personality as well… well that’s why you read the comic right? So personally, I would like to see this pose after a re-render of normal proportions.
What got me interested in your comic is the mix of known fairy tales and new original ones. The starting idea of someone dreaming as a kid and then coming back to his dreams with grown up eyes is a stroke of genius.
Your strips are very detailed and very colorful so there is a lot of dedicated hard work involved here. It shows and it is very much appreciated by real comic fans.
Sure, sex sells, I myself still fall for that (and I’m 53, guess I don’t learn fast) but although it sells, it is very superficial and nothing beats a great storyline especially when coupled with a a quality drawing, those are the ones that “grow” on you and you remember.
I have an 11 year old daughter that loves elves stories and I think I’ll download all of your wonderful story and translate it for her (she speaks french).
And, please, don’t fiddle with Nastajia’s breast, she is just perfect the way you created her, at worst, use the same camera angle but with her normal size and it will do the trick without compromising your artistic ethics. And believe me, not all men go nuts over oversized breasts :-).
And, just an idea, to make $, may be a poster of Nastajia (normal size, of course) ?
i dont know if you are still reading comments, maybe you get an e-mail notification? anyways…
your recieving a lot of flak over how little the girls of the story wear, may i point out the real culprit though? Mr. Paddington! he wears NOTHING AT ALL 😛
and he’s a dancer, for shame XD
but back to seriousness. has anyone considered the acual reason behind clothing that covers the non sexual areas of the body? a four letter word: HEAT. it makes sense not to cover most of your skin in a tropical and subtropical location, the usual garb is somewhat skimpy save the armour, which for the main character at least, is magical and probably has air conditioning built in 😛
if wouldent be too worried about natasha’s outfit (all the others make perfect sense anyways), personally i wouldent mind seeing natasha in a heavier set of armour, however she is an elf, female and rely’s on quick movements in a conflict rather than brute strength, in short, she doesent wear restricting clothes because that would make fighting harder for her.
and whoever made the comment about skin thight pants giving a wedgie, i point you to sport shorts, yes they conform to the shape of the body, no they do not give you a wedgie.
finally, appearance only is sexy for a certain demographic that wouldent care for your story anyways, its the personality that makes them sexy, that being said, you need not worry of any of your characters (save maybe the mermaids) being “too sexy”, their personalities are golden.
now thati think of it, for being a king of all dreamland, nichodemous is pretty… naked… as well, you’d think he’d at least wear jewlery.
just promis to make them wear fitting clothes if they ever go somewhere really cold, otherwise dont change a thing, your comic is great.
I read TDC with my 5 year old. He hasn’t said antyhing about the hooters, yet, so no harm done. However, if I was a college aged kid and new a young woman who looked and dressed like Nastaja, Kiwi or Felicity, I’d be RIGHT THERE. When the other posters talk about dressing for the environment – why would mere-people wear anything at all? Floating actually helps improve the “push-up” factor by the way – take a peek at female astronauts when they are in space. Even -they- have commented that zero-G helps alleviate “sag.”
As far as the audience goes, my 5-yo and 2.5-yo have discovered “Ultraman” that most excellent predecessor of all other live-action manga-style Japanese Sci-Fi hero adventures (wow, that’s a lot). The violence in that is about on par with that in TDC and they get along with both just fine. But my kids are more protected in some ways (the only broadcast TV they are allowed to watch is PBS and, other than Ultraman, the remainder of their videos are Wiggles, Bob the Builder, Thomas, Wubbulus World…, and other things in that vein) and more wordly in others (being from a multi-cultural family).
My 5-yo old keeps asking, “Have they drawn any more, yet?” So if you want us to download faster from Wowio, you need to upload faster.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Scott, I’m late for this train, but I’ll put my $.02 in. First penny for you, second penny from me. I think I’ll be getting a lot more from the second penny in words, but the first penny is the most important one.
A) If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Period. It will cost you in the end.
Although I’d suggest you try something, redo the cover pic with Nastajia’s breasts at normal size and post it here. I think that you will first find that the pic will be just as “hot” unless her actual breast size is too small for her body. You could also do a “normal” front view with bigger breasts from one of the comics for comparison to see the difference.
B) I actually noticed this post after rereading some of the earlier pages (on 97 now). Your characters have had a low level of sexual tension for the entire comic. After all, Alex is a young man now, somewhat insecure and likes girls in a normal way. Notice his reactions to Nicole, the mermaids when he first came back, Kiwi, Nastajia and Felicity. Notice their reactions back. Heck. look at comic #3, you foreshadowed quite a bit there. Then go to the Chapter 3 cover.
Now, is there anything wrong with this? No. Perhaps if you dislike sexual tension (the word sex has been too screwed up in definition the last few decades), then romantic tension might be a better thought. It is G rated and IMO, similar to older Bugs Bunny cartoons with a two level approach. Mainly for kids but with a whiff of sex/romance for the adults. Nothing wrong with that.
Now, I don’t know where you are going with this comic ultimately, but at some point some serious romance will enter into it, at least at the ending. It does not mean porn. A beautiful wedding between Alex and Nastajia would work fine. Reading too much into your work (probably), you are dealing with late adolescent identity and sexuality (or romance), the return of the boy to the childhood sweetheart (who just happens to have grown up a bit on the b*tchy side because of Alex’s disappearance) and a fairly cliche epic adventure (nothing wrong with cliche as long as you tell the story well). Part of the identity/sexuality “crisis” includes Nastajia growing up (as the latest comic scene (up to #504) shows, she is still working on it). Which makes that cover pic perfectly fine (unless you want to quibble over boobies) and in the storyline. It isn’t pornographic, it is sexy, but it also shows a young woman who is learning (perhaps too early) to stand on her own feet, make her own decisions and carry them out. Ok, maybe that last bit helps make her sexy too, but that would say more about the viewer than the picture.
Looking over the ssava’s deviantART site, I notice two pictures of Nastajia, one computer and one traditional. The headshot for the computer is nice, the portrait is beautiful (and sexy). Since I’m in critic mode, try capturing the same pose as is in the computer head shot as a portrait. Make her look at her viewer.
*******
This is way too much penny. Remember that “A” above rules. If it feels wrong, don’t do it. “B” is just to give you one fan’s POV as an amateur critic. Maybe if you do some more studies of all the girls in various poses/views you will change your mind.
Enjoy the comic.
And now I’ll have to find your stuff on Ebay. It probably went past my budget, but I wouldn’t have minded hanging that Nastjia portrait on my wall.
Here you get me posting for the first time and then I go back and read the thread.
I’ll second the motion on a Dreamland “Swimsuit” calendar. The pictures you would need for the first couple of years are already in the comic and you could easily derive others. Think #357, second panel of #358, third panel of #363 (heh, I love the way you did the three panels there shifting the focus), the top panel of #364, #371 and the third panel of #378.
Can you tell the part I’m rereading…..
I just found your comic today (through your ad on Sheldon, if you want the ad data), and I just wanted to let you know that it is a really pleasant surprise to find comics as engaging and enjoyable as this one that don’t have any objectionable content. I’d stick with the original stuff, but that’s just my opinion. Anyway, keep up the good work!
I do enjoy your comic myself, but, due to the cleavage of the girls, I would be very uncomfortable sharing your comic with any male, period, or any female I felt had lust problems. The young boys I know are uncomfortable with and fascinated by the barely dressed female form. I would be horrified to believe I had any part in leading them down the wrong road.
You are very talented, and your storyline fits well with the fairytale lands we heard of and dreamed of as children. I look forward to each day’s comic, and can’t wait to find out what will happen next.