I felt like there were a lot more characters associated with the old AC. Maybe it was a sort of snowball effect where once a core number of people created their compelling ORIGINAL CHARACTER DO NOT STEAL, everyone else started doing it. Like, Gibs had Gabe, Mike had his weird ninja monkey thing, Tauhid was the smiley with dreadlocks and absolutely nothing else noteworthy, Lexxy and Arisa were, well, themselves, but with cat ears.
EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
I do wonder how much of the global mellowness of the forum comes with the aging demographics. Median forum age now is probably in the late 20s, now, rather than right at 21 or so five years ago.
I think when I started here most people were either in highschool or university. That may explain some of the attitudes that were prevalent on the forum. I think Darren was the oldest at like 27. I think most of the mod staff is around 30 now. Except for Darren, who's still an old man.
I joined the forums when I was still in university. So young and optimistic. The world hadn't crushed my spirit yet back then.
I drew some Sparks McGee fan art for Wil Wheaton and gave it to him at the Calgary Expo this past weekend. I gave him a larger framed copy and he signed a smaller version for me with Sparks' catchphrase: "I've got a course you can plot!"
Age and maturity is probably the numero uno reason for the "settling" of the wild west AC. I only had experience with the Gangbunch Fora, maybe starting back in 06-07, why did Andrew end up making his own forum anyways? Was there a problem with the AC?
Age and maturity is probably the numero uno reason for the "settling" of the wild west AC. I only had experience with the Gangbunch Fora, maybe starting back in 06-07, why did Andrew end up making his own forum anyways? Was there a problem with the AC?
Was Andrew the dude that started War for Arcadia? I didn't know him, but I got the impression that he was pretty upset when all the old battle threads were just whisked away and wanted something more stable. I have no actual fact to base that on though. If we're talking about the same dude I know that that forum wasn't like shit talking the AC or anything like that.
I think the Gangbunch Fora mostly came about from a combination of Andrew launching his own site for his personal projects and a general dissatisfaction with the PA forums. The Gangbunch Fora were pretty laid-back until Problem Sleuth took off and then they got crazy very quickly.
When we were all in highschool/college, there were alot more activities. I've been trying to get some graduating mica kids to start posting, so that we can have some fresh blood.
There's also a percentage of regulars that don't really crit, either being busy or self conscious or both.
I had personal dissatisfaction with how negative this place had gotten (it seemed like people were joining up just to shit on others without actually knowing much themselves) but that passed as well. Gangbunch fora were originally the Team Special Olympics fora for Andrew's site and comics, but became Gangbunch when I collapsed my own personal forum and merged the communities. I didn't actually bring much to the table but it was all small scale back then. Problem Sleuth then exploded Andrew's popularity and we all hid in a secret forum that has also mellowed now.
There was a point when the critiques were harsh but fair and constructive and then they reached a point where everyone was just rushing to be the first to say how much something sucked without bringing anything helpful to the table. It got so bad that I hated posting anything here because it was just intensely negative all the time.
Things have mellowed but they've almost mellowed too much since nobody wants it to get back to that vicious sniping level again.
Lurking here made me want to buy a tablet, so I did and then I started posting here. That was in high school. Now I do everything traditionally? Curving path.
I remember I was a sophomore in high school when I first started lurking. By the time I was a senior I was posting (in '04). I kinda wish more of the ol' crew were around because the progress some of us/we/them have made is just so awesome.
I've just been too lazy/busy/distracted to post outside of the chat thread as far as the AC goes. I haven't even drawn anything in like.. a year. Work has sucked all the artistic creativity out of me.
I had to look up when I joined, 2005. I go through periods of lots of posting, then dropping off for months at a time.
I think my favorite pattern is when, for no discernible reason, the forum gets flooded with 6 or 7 new threads by new people, all of which fail to read the rules first and seem to not get checked on my the thread's maker. Seriously, you can watch the block of locks get slowly pushed away...
Every now and again a regular gets brought into the fold, but I can't remember the last time it happened. Who is the new one these days?
Well I mean, Art quality in general has also gotten better around here. People who understand what they are doing they dont have to call each other shit eaters to say that their anatomy is weird.
The first works I posted on the board are so crazy different.
I joined in 2007, which seems weird to me but whatever. I feel like I have a hit or miss relationship with this forum, in terms of i will either get advice/crit or not at all.
Which I assume happens to most of us anyway. But i still plod along doing my own thing, in hope that I get awesome-o-awesome.
I think this was my first illustration I posted here, because I remember the Gr. 11 Chemistry class I drew it in:
Surprisingly better than all my other crap from that era. I did okay when I was studying from reference.
I wonder about the ol' faces and what they might be up to. NeedOptic, Iridium_Ape, Arisa, Megamau_x, Shinpug, M2tm, Galen, DJ, nat, Deek...
0
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
Pfft, that's barely even terrible. You should've seen the shitballs I was drawing when I first arrived here.
The crits became flames too fast back then. But like MD said I'd really love to see where some some of the old crew are artistically now.
I started posting in like 1999 or 2000 under a different name. And have taken a year or two off here and there since. Consequently forgetting passwords etc. But this has always been a place I came back to for inspiration. Its much more comfortable as a community then some other art forums which feel elitest or arrogant. Even when I'm just lurking I like it but I do miss the activity.
Wow, I didn't realize that you'd made that many of those things. I remember when you had the other card layout and there were only like 20 of them maybe.
My first post was a portrait I'd done of Drew Barrymore, which in retrospect I don't think is a very good portrait, but people still figured out who it was, which was good! :P
yo for anyone curious about philosophy, I recommend the Philosophy Bites (aharrharr) podcast
it's interesting little summary tidbits that might spark your interest enough to read the body of work proper
Posts
We can do this, Bro.
We can make it happen!
Also critiques were good or something.
I drew some Sparks McGee fan art for Wil Wheaton and gave it to him at the Calgary Expo this past weekend. I gave him a larger framed copy and he signed a smaller version for me with Sparks' catchphrase: "I've got a course you can plot!"
Was Andrew the dude that started War for Arcadia? I didn't know him, but I got the impression that he was pretty upset when all the old battle threads were just whisked away and wanted something more stable. I have no actual fact to base that on though. If we're talking about the same dude I know that that forum wasn't like shit talking the AC or anything like that.
I think the Gangbunch Fora mostly came about from a combination of Andrew launching his own site for his personal projects and a general dissatisfaction with the PA forums. The Gangbunch Fora were pretty laid-back until Problem Sleuth took off and then they got crazy very quickly.
There's also a percentage of regulars that don't really crit, either being busy or self conscious or both.
I had personal dissatisfaction with how negative this place had gotten (it seemed like people were joining up just to shit on others without actually knowing much themselves) but that passed as well. Gangbunch fora were originally the Team Special Olympics fora for Andrew's site and comics, but became Gangbunch when I collapsed my own personal forum and merged the communities. I didn't actually bring much to the table but it was all small scale back then. Problem Sleuth then exploded Andrew's popularity and we all hid in a secret forum that has also mellowed now.
Things have mellowed but they've almost mellowed too much since nobody wants it to get back to that vicious sniping level again.
facebook.com/LauraCatherwoodArt
Omg I'm old
I think my favorite pattern is when, for no discernible reason, the forum gets flooded with 6 or 7 new threads by new people, all of which fail to read the rules first and seem to not get checked on my the thread's maker. Seriously, you can watch the block of locks get slowly pushed away...
Every now and again a regular gets brought into the fold, but I can't remember the last time it happened. Who is the new one these days?
The first works I posted on the board are so crazy different.
Which I assume happens to most of us anyway. But i still plod along doing my own thing, in hope that I get awesome-o-awesome.
Surprisingly better than all my other crap from that era. I did okay when I was studying from reference.
I wonder about the ol' faces and what they might be up to. NeedOptic, Iridium_Ape, Arisa, Megamau_x, Shinpug, M2tm, Galen, DJ, nat, Deek...
I started posting in like 1999 or 2000 under a different name. And have taken a year or two off here and there since. Consequently forgetting passwords etc. But this has always been a place I came back to for inspiration. Its much more comfortable as a community then some other art forums which feel elitest or arrogant. Even when I'm just lurking I like it but I do miss the activity.
http://www.firmanproductions.com/latrine/pacards/index.html
facebook.com/LauraCatherwoodArt
Wow, I didn't realize that you'd made that many of those things. I remember when you had the other card layout and there were only like 20 of them maybe.
But I get to add my awesome card to my iruka folder.
I don't remember you making one for me, that's so awesome! I'm SO POWUHFUL
I will forever have the black-and-green color scheme burned into my eyes.
I was 15 when I joined the forums in... shudder 2003.
I think this was my first post. Bombs said his nose was broken
Assuming we had any interest those would be fun to try again
it's interesting little summary tidbits that might spark your interest enough to read the body of work proper