Talenthouse SuperHero Contest

[Omen]

Hey how did you all feel about the Talenthouse Superhero Contest?

Try to keep it clean... but DEFINITELY be honest!!

My opinion: I think it was an EXCELLENT opportunity to present! When I first discovered it, I felt the fierce excitement from my youth-filled dreams jump out of my soul!!! I was running around the house in my underwear screaming, yelling, and dancing in front of the mirror acting out the parts of each of my superheroes! It all concluded with the daring thought of, 'What if I won?'

This excitement followed me into the contest... until the first challenge of 'SINGLE HERO' entry set in. Nowhere in the rules had this been posted for the contest and even the staff was at a loss (they originally told me that I could post as many as I wanted).

I must say in their defense... these guys were GOOD!! They emailed me and communicated with me about their issues and about how they were fixing them. For me, this garnished a high level of respect!

I don't know if they planned on the level of response that they received, but when the contest began... SHEESH, so many pictures hit there servers until it fell to a crawl. This was an immediate sign to me that they needed some type of filtering tool to break things up. There were ALL types of entries!!

When I started, all I cared about was winning. That was until I began going through some of the other characters created by other artists. When I scrolled through the lists... picture-by-picture and creation-by-creation... I saw TRUE magic!! I instantly felt humbled. I felt the power of creative spirits from all around the world! Each character was a piece of something embedded into each their creator.

The contest then degraded into a popularity contest in which a single student in school who announces it to all of those at their college (where almost EVERY student has Facebook), quickly moved up on the list because of votes.

This IMMEDIATELY crushed the lone creators who merely had close friends and families to vote for them. It also didn't help that the same pictures were coming up at the top of the scroll list making them some of the first things seen by visitors.

While Talenthouse did their best to present a DREAM opportunity... true fairness for choice was something that eluded their grasp. Once I accepted that, I took the contest for what it was... a harvesting center for contacts.

Out of the megatons of entries... they chose one. I saw MANY that were great; some had great art, some had great stories, and some had great characters. I knew when the contest ended, many of these great creations would drift back into the shadows with some being buried amongst lost hopes.

This is why I decided to reach out! This is also why I wanted to create a place here on the website... in OUR world which would invite all of those creators so that we can share experiences and resources so that MORE of us can win from this single contest on Talenthouse!!

-Omen

[fantasma]

I think the contest itself had some major flaws. The opportunity was great. But the website's shortcomings made it a nightmare for some of us.

For me, they lost all my information, including my submission. All my votes were gone, friends and family didn't know how or couldn't vote, and many who tried to vote became frustrated and gave up.

I will say that, my concerns were heard and honest effort was given by the staff to resolve these problems. But somewhere along the line, some web developer dropped a big, BIG, BALL! Even now, thumbnails of all the submissions are displayed except for-- GUESS WHO? Yep, it happened again.

I currently have 3 submissions in the "Animal Charm" invite. Here's the problem: Only 1 submission is being displayed (one I didn't choose and would not have chosen to represent the triad). I am getting votes but, for WHICH ONE? Where does your vote count? If an artist works to present multiple entries, then why shouldn't they all be judged or voted on by their merits?

The voting system is sketchy. If you have 1,000 friends on Facebook, then guess what? I guess you win. Those on the site (Talenthouse) should be allowed to vote regardless of whether they have Facebook status. I mean, what does Facebook have to do with Talenthouse anyway?

I think that Talenthouse presents some unique opportunities to be sure. But they need to get some basics together and allow the artist, creators and designers a little less to worry about.

[clavis4hire]

OK. The contest was a great opportunity for all artist. I agree with you on several strengths and flaws that contest had. The one thing that stood out the most in the contest, was there were so many talented artist with great concepts and vision. I liked that the most. Im glad you started this forum too. (cheers)

The one thing i thought about, and im sure you"ll agree. Is "what-if" all our our characters were in one mega production format. Like "Worlds Collide" type series. That was an idea i had, becuase i knew everyone had great submissions. Everyones submission felt like that character came from their soul. And i'd hate to see those artist get discouraged becuase of a contest they didnt win.

[fbwash]

My feelings on the whole experience was that it was a fun thing to do. The concept was a product of my wife's imagination and my artistic skills. I will say that I was surprised to see the character descriptions for many of the other artist was a pretty much packed with info yet when I tried to have my description put in- I was told it was too long and the talenthouse person did their edit version of my description
Also I was amazed to see some people with 300- 1000 votes in the space of 1 day (How is that possible?).
I'm actually pleased to see the winning art and I congratulated the artist. My only question now is... Are we going to get any Prisma Markers ;D

[Omen]

okay - okay... the contest has ended and a winner was chosen. I salute the creator and the character!!! CONGRATS!!!!

I think the thing that got me most was the write-up written and signed by Todd Mcfarlane afterwards:

“Creativity is the biggest component of what this contest was all about” says McFarlane. “I was looking for some originality for a character, as well as trying to imagine if this particular idea could be put into a comic book and have decade’s worth of stories spin out from it. This submission by Thomas Leopold hit on all of those criteria.”

He adds, “though, at first glance, this character might not be the most flashy looking, the contest was to create a new HERO, not create the best looking COSTUME. The fact that this hero, The Counselor, was covered from head to toe with a secret identity and mysterious background would allow for many different types of story-lines.”

...I THINK THAT SOME OF THESE COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WERE IMPORTANT TO MENTION IN THE CONTEST CRITERIA!!!

I saw MANY awesome characters posted!!! If you went to many of the creators' profiles, you would notice that some had MULTIPLE characters!! It was the CONTEST that limited us to ONE character! What guideline did we have in choosing amongst our characters?

When you think of Stan Lee and Todd Mcfarlane you think of Captain America, Thor, Spider Man, and Spawn!!

Hmm... Let's do the math, what do they ALL have in common?

COSTUMES!! SUPER-POWERS!!

If they wanted to challange this 'Standard' that THEY created... THEY should have mentioned it!!

Do they have ANY idea what they have done to the masses of creators who participated in this contest? Can we say... misled?

As for the comment about a character that could provide a decade worth of stories... those participating NEEDED to know this!! When many of them had to choose amongst their characters, don't you think that this requirement would HELP?!?

Some people have characters designed for a short story arc which might be a complete story or adventure. Some have characters, that lay the foundation for a greater plot. The catch is that only ONE was allowed to be submitted.

There was a lot to learn from this contest, in my opinion. It is what we refer to as a 'Blind Contest' in which the criteria is so ambiguous that anyone can enter and anyone can win.

In the world of marketing, business, and war... tests such as this usually have an alternative purpose. Getting upset over the intended results is useless, becoming aware of the true results is enlightening. This contest was about harvesting contacts.

So for me... I can continue to whine about it... or I can learn from it.

CONGRATS, once again, to the WINNER!!!

[sssk76]

I thought the contest was a great idea even though I didn't enter. I knew it would become a popularity contest (who had more friends).

I loved seeing all the artwork and bio's. I supported a ton of people. Voted both ways on a few entries even.

What is disturbing about the contest however is, all the finalist. I saw 4 of them when the voting started. Where were all the others? I never saw those other 21 entries.

Anyway, I hope some of you may consider collaborating on a project someday. Contact me on talenthouse or da.

Good luck and keep following your dreams.

[Omen]

Clavis4Hire brought up a GREAT point in his earlier post about a collaborated world inwhich characters from different creators meet and journey within one story. This has been done many times and it is VERY powerful... as well as challenging.

When we, here at Visual Adjectives, came together to form this company we used this technique to better and enhance each of our stories. ALL of our stories have been influenced by one another and ALL of them have grown in quality.

I will tell EVERYONE this when it comes to Visual Adjectives and everyone who joins here becoming a part of this community...

NO ONE has a Masterpiece here!! NO ONE!!

We have all united to open doors in order to take those that follow us on to our journey into success. This is about a JOURNEY in order to become the best that each one of us can be. Only then, Masterpieces are 'realized' instead of created!

As I stated earlier... this forum has not been released to the public yet. Those who are here viewing and participating have joined this adventure.

...And with all great adventures come sacrifice. For any one of us to 'make' it, all of us must help. Those that have gone into the battle of 'getting out there' KNOW what I'm talking about! It is ROUGH doing it alone.

Collaborate..? That's NOT even a question! It's a gift waiting to be unwrapped!!

[derictorres]

If they do another contest like this, talent house have to fix some of the problems and limitations. To me the contest was excellent was a great opportunity to show your stuff and see if they could actually work.

The first problem was to post the description of the character (wish influenced a lot in the character wining)... the page only give you this little space to post it, and so, assuming they only need a fast description I resumed it the most I could. I saw other participants that used the same character page to post their description, so I thought they have the same problems about this issue. Some moments later I received an email explaining that the contest have some issues about the description posting and the voting could start later for trying to fix that problem. The thing is that my character was ported by then and I didn't have the opportunity to fix those descriptions.

Second, they must have a bigger and voting button, some people I gave the link, specially people that doesn't know much about internet and want to help, I have to explain where the button is various times to actually have their vote. I don't know maybe they could move it down the portrait because I noticed they send you a message in the facebook board instead of having the vote (Ohh how cool this looks... but where I vote? Know what I mean?).

But actually, the contest was fun, I have a great time, I wish I did something for that description issue but It was a great opportunity, if they should do another one of this, I'll play again. I actually end up as finalist.

[Omen]

I TOTALLY agree with almost everything stated by those who went through the pits of tartarus just to upload their character and description.

Tomorrow, my team is meeting and we will be discussing the lessons learned from this experience.

Currently, we are getting about 60,000 to 90,000 hits on our main site (www.visualadjectives.com) per month and I would like to make sure that these opportunities are shared amongst our community. Currently we create Wryter's Challenges on a weekly basis, that pushes our Scrybes (writers and artists) to produce a small piece of work based on their stories and creations. We vote on them and then spotlight the winning challenges to our fans.

It is an AWESOME opportunity for our fans to get to know our stories and artstyles while also getting each participate in the practice of producing work on a constant basis. Most of us work in spurts. Success can only be achieved through persistence, consistency, and perseverance!!

When you get a chance, go to the FAN ART section and read my write up about finding a good artist.

I will talk with the team about opening up our Wryter's Challenges to all of you so that we can grow together.

I will also begin to post some of our completed one's here in the forum so that you can see what they're like. They are REALLY fun!!

[clavis4hire]

I agree with you Omen. The possibilities are endless.

[defynt70]

I was hoping that this was an actual contest that would judge entries based on originality and marketability. I submitted my entry The Crimson Knight in the hopes of reaching parents who are looking for something for their children that is not a reboot, remake or update..and Im glad for the winner, but it seens the criteria they were judging wasnt that clear..perhaps if they do it again they might rectify that. After reflecting I will say that it has given me the confidence in my talent and a big rush to see my work out there, and I connected with Mr. Stinson and introduced to this site.

[kevinp]

Eh, it was really a hit or miss contest. I had the problems too, but oh well. I had fun! I can see why they were looking for what they were looking for -wait... yeah, I said that right. These days heroes are rebooted, revamped, and redone from the start and it's because we all grow up. For ex. Look at why Frank Miller did the batman series with an older batman. I don't want to die before I know how the Spiderman, Spawn or Spongebob series really ends? btw, did you guys know that Al Simmons, spawn's personality died, well, blew off his own head and handed the costume to another skitso personality trait... and now he's white, and a beach bum... or lord of Dogtown. He's apparently a vampire too, eh... well, at least he didn't sell out so mush that he glitters in the sunlight -whew, close one. Congrats to the finalist, really, but... us losers can now hate, right?
So... the Counselled-er, the winning guy, will have decades of stories, ideally? Here's my thoughts on that: House is a great show, right? Awesome acting, people almost die, that Aussie guy killed a black guy didn't he, there's a lesbian -it's a really good show! Buuuuut, it's kind of old, you know how it's going to turn out. What is Donnie Darko's Counselled-er(or Dr. Drew) going to do, new, 30, 50, 100 issues from now? Is he (unless it's Chyna -the seventh wonder of the world or whatever -under those garments the hips don't lie, right, right *nudge-nudge) going to have to counsel every F-ing person on Earth, and if so, how many times? Who Counselled the councilor? What does the Councilor tell a person with AIDS, or some malnourished refugee? Does he have a sense of humor? Iron Man does. Thor does. I don't think the Councilor can because it may push the suicidal fat girl over the edge.

Eh, next contest, remind me to import Progressive's insurance lair as my background.

I'mmmmm kidding. This contest was great and I had a lot of fun, no lie. I hope there's a villain edition next time! -Bring that gumdrop on, Todd, you F'ing gimp Canadian, you delirious vampire loving, Buffalo-Bill-clone, idk, F yo couch!



P.S. I know it's text and text is often read with different states of perception, so, to cap it off, I'm really-really-really just kidding. I think the winner has an awesome character, great style, and I wish him/her the best.

[markthemanbear]

First I wanted to say I think the reaction to the contest was great. There were so many great artists and characters placed out there it was wonderful to see.
I understand Mr McFarland's reasons for choosing the character he did (it was a cool character) but it didn't match the reason they stated the contest in the first place.
When they first announced the the contest they said it was looking for a superhero to represent the Stan Lee foundation. The character I created was for that purpose to be kind of a PR man for the Foundation. If I knew they wanted a character to have 50 years worth of stories out of I've got a dozen others that would better suit that category.
It was a great Idea and a great opportunity but I think there was a clear lack of communication between the group and the fans submitting there work. However it has brought a great deal of artists together which was the point of Talenthouse so I guess in that it was a success

[defynt70]

@ Kevinp; I agree wholeheartedly..I think what really will help the medium or evolve or grow will be characters changing and growing..I thought a long time ago they should end the saga of Al Simmons, why must a person who makes a deal with the devil be good? Couldnt they have decided to make a new Spawn be a villain? That would shake things up for the status quo. And while the character of the Counselor is unique, I don't see 10 years of stories from the description, like Kevin said how does he counsel a terminally ill person or Arab/Israel conflict? Would he counsel Bush or Cheney ? Does he take action if his advice isnt taken? Is he ALWAYS right? These are questions off the top of my head.

[fantasma]

Sorry, but I have to say it.

I think "The Couselor" is lame. A guy who walks around in a jacket and dockers with a book that only he can read and gives advice to he world??? I know a guy just like that. I see him almost every morning when I go to work. I give him a few bucks and a coupon so he doesn't starve. He gives advice to everyone he sees and comes close to getting his ass beat by commuters whom he annoys!

The Counselor's mask may as well be a paper sack. A total lack of imagination of regarding a characters' appearance. Lazy..

So many who entered the Talenthouse contest had imagination enough to create distinctive features, costumes, powers, situations, etc. Really beautiful material was submitted.

And not to disrespect some creators who entered, (because some artists' talents aren't as developed or natural as others), but some of the entries submitted where very, very crudely drawn, or were lacking a tangible background plot, seemed to have an unusual amount of votes. Because they were fantastic? No-- because their social networking skills were better. If it's all a popularity contest, then no one's judging art.

The Counselor breaks down to just another politician. And his super power must be BS.. either that or he'd better be a good sprinter!

[Omen]

Hey guys, I'm back!!! Just a quick update because there is a lot of good stuff going on... FIRST OF ALL...

YOU GUYS ARE MAKING SOME RIPPLES!!!!!

I received a direct email from Talenthouse (out of respect I won't say what was written), but it was overall 'good' in the sense, that what is being written here IS being READ and HEARD!!

ALL of your words and opinions matter!!!! As a matter of fact... go to Talenthouse now and look at the superhero list and 'AMAZINGLY' the list has been TRULY shuffled around to display many character submissions that have NEVER seen the top of the list!!!

I KNOW that its a day late and a dollar short... AND that it is frustrating, but looking at the big picture... your words have touched them and they are trying to make changes.

I do have to say that there were a CRAP load of AWESOME characters that were missed in that contest now that I am going through the list. It's REALLY a shame.

[Omen]

Hey guys, when you get a chance... go to the Wryter's Challenge area!!!

[artboy]

Hi, just thought I would pass on an email I sent to talenthouse.

*****************************************
Hi,

First off, I just want to say Congrats to the winner and thank you Talenthouse for a fun Superhero Character contest, well structured and on time in most respect.

With that said, I would like to provide possible suggestions for future contests.

I've participated in contests on all sides from Judging to contestant and have found several areas that provided across the board satisfaction and transparency for everyone.

A rubrics system for the contestants and judges is a huge plus.
For example:
10% - Anatomical/Proportional Structure
20% - Creativity and Design
20% - Originality and Marketability
40% - Character Description and writing ability
10% - Personal likes

If the judging is based on a rubrics, the judges as well as contestants stand a fairer opportunity to work toward a common goal. I rarely enter contests anymore due to the fact that they are always bias towards an 'unknown' factor causing frustration among the contestants and typically an odd winner coming from it. Unfortunately, the winner of this contest falls in to that category.

The rules stated that Stan and Todd had the option to choose outside the highest facebook voted finalists and select a winner they felt was the stronger design. I realize the opportunity was there to choose another entry, however I would suggest that 'facebook' voting not be a part of the actual contest decisions at all. Having more friends than others on facebook, or Talenthouse using that as a means to grow their connections shouldn't reflect on the suggested finalists.

Again, just as a suggestion, I would attempt to create a rubrics that allow judges a simple 1-5 grading scale, or percentage points (above) to grade with so that points are fairly distributed and so that contestants clearly understand what the judges are looking for in their submissions. Simple transparency.

I've been involved with judging contests with 300k on the line, and even in those instances, there was rarely a rubric system in place, which provided poor results from the judges and confusion among the contestants when it came to the winner.

In conclusion, if the Stan Lee Contest was purely a 'who has the most friends', and not 'who has the most creative idea', then for clarity, the contest should have been properly titled, "Who can get the most votes for their Superhero Character, Stan Lee Contest". This would then be interpreted as, just draw a smiley face and spend the rest of the time networking votes on facebook.

I realize some of this may be direct in its structure, but I do hope it provides some additional ideas for future contests.

Thank you.

[Omen]

Your response was well thought out and made ABSOLUTE sense, Artboy!! Not only does it re-enforce the frustrations of the ambiguous crtiteria, but it offers a VERY viable solution!!!

In the Marine Corps, we have a saying, "Whining is complaining about a problem without a proposed solution!'

Your comment is legitimate! We have a lot of relationships with writers, artists, multimedia specialists, and organizations that are always searching for talent to aid them on projects. We have established a different scale for judgement (rubrics) in order to identify an individuals strengths and weaknesses, but I REALLY like the one that you've introduced.

In the future we will be offering different types of opportunities in our Wryter's Challenge area for people to get involved in to show their skills. Many people seeking those with certain talents and drive are attracted to those who participate in them.

We have been doing Wryter's Challenges for a while here in the company, but this is the first time that we've opened it up to the public. I became motivated for this AFTER the Talenthouse situation... especially when I sat on both sides of the fence listening to what WE all felt as participants and what potential TALENTSEEKERS felt while trying to locate the best person to offer an opportunity to.

Talentseekers want individuals that can NOT ONLY create, but those that can PRODUCE in a timely manner. Those that can handle a project that is given to them. Some also look for those who have creations with high potential that they can get involved with in order to help it to grow.

Contests are powerful for situations such as this, because.., if it is handled fairly (such as using the scale you proposed), then the results of how the public respond to the entries gives a Talentseeker somewhat of an indication of the public feel towards the creation. This helps them to analyze and manage the risk of investing into it.

[earthling]

Firstly I'd like to say what an amazing initial post Omen made for this topic. I really enjoyed his exuberance and the way he relayed his journey. I too had my own journey entering the SuperHero contest. Although it took me three days and much patience just trying to find my entry in amongst (way down the bottom of) the fray. I was SO grateful, proud and relieved when I finally saw it there, and even though I came less than no-where (I had just one lonely - but very important to me vote) I was pleased to have entered, if not just to see what came out of me.

In truth I found myself having love for my character - like a child born from my creative womb, and many a time I verbally apologised to her for;
Not being better at the craft
Not being popular (I have never been a 'popular' person)
Not having the guts to ask people to vote for her
And I also felt sorry that the 'idea of her' was not put into better hands/mind - 'cause she may have had a shot of actually being seen, if that had been the case.

Do I regret entering? No! Do I feel like a loser? Again no!

I am glad to have found a superhero within myself, and have vowed to make and paint my own statue of her (when I get the time)!

Did I have any problems with the way the competition was run? To be honest, I was so busy being grateful for the opportunity that I never gave that sort of thing a thought. It's only after the show is over and everyone has an opinion that it even occurred to me that it could have been different, but truly I don't mind - it was what it was and I was stoked to take part in it.

But I do remember coming across a Super Hero that I felt compelled to vote for and was dismayed that I could not do that through my Talenthouse account!
Facebook?!? - what does an unpopular person like me need with facebook? That was stretching the friendship! However, I did sign up to do my bit for the artist, but I was confused about how to get anywhere near voting and became anxious in the end I gave up and I am still sorry that I was not able to support the artist!

This experience opened my eyes in that it would be useless for me to enter any Talenthouse Contests where success depends on votes (this one had the disclaimer that the winner may not be one of the highest voted - which prompted me to enter) 'cause I know realistically that I would have zero chance of getting more than a handful of (very appreciated) votes.

I am sure that we are all proud of our created characters, and would have liked to have won, but as they say...there can only be one winner at least in the terms of the Grand Prize. And Congrats to the winner! No matter what the said requirements were, this artist came up with the goods instinctively and deserves every credit for it! Would it have been my choice? In truth no, but that is why I am the lay artist and the experts do the judging. They found what they wanted - so good on them too!

There was only one flaw that occurred to me about The Counsellor - as he is written - he has no 'super' abilities apart from being able to read the book...this situation screams..."sitting duck!" to me. What's stopping any villain from coming along and saying let's have a little look under that mask, mate? Or, I'll just relieve you of that heavy book - I'm sure you could use a rest! Just because a villain can't read the book, doesn't mean he wouldn't be happy to dispose of it to stop all that good being done!

But in the end, I am sure that the gaps will be filled in and the edges will be smoothed out. The fact that the character had the Essence of what the judges were looking for, is the most important thing.

The lastly I would like to say I am glad I wasn't on the judging panel - I'd still be deciding 'cause ALL THE ENTRIES ROCKED!!!

[Redmage]

Earthling, This is a great way to describe the way many of us feel when we let our characters down in any way.
I am not an artist and wish I could draw my characters the way I envision them, but sadly, I can't and the feeling of disappointment for not being the one able to, lingers.


WOW to:
...........................................................
In truth I found myself having love for my character - like a child born from my creative womb, and many a time I verbally apologised to her for;
Not being better at the craft
Not being popular (I have never been a 'popular' person)
Not having the guts to ask people to vote for her
And I also felt sorry that the 'idea of her' was not put into better hands/mind - 'cause she may have had a shot of actually being seen, if that had been the case.
...........................................................

[corleonis]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give my feedback on the Superhero contest but I had to take some distance from it first and also got really busy with other stuff lately. For those who may wonder I am the creator of PSYKIK.

First, a little recap of how the contest was presented and what it promised :

-The ''Stan Lee foundation'' associates with ''Talenthouse'' to create a contest promising ''global recognition and an award''
-They ''invite comics artists to create a superhero character that will excite a global audience.''
-''Talenthouse will facilitate introductions for the winning designer with the film and television studios and social gaming industries. The selected design will be made into either an action figure or sculpture .''
-The winner will also be presented with an award by Stan Lee at Comic-Con San Diego 2011 and will spend a day with Todd McFarlane at his art studio production facility. Travel and accommodation to San Diego and Tempe, plus tickets to Comic-Con will be provided for the winner. The top 100 highest voted submissions will receive a Prismacolor Premier Illustration Markers Set. The 20 highest voted submissions will also receive an official movie poster from one of the Marvel movies signed by Stan Lee.

+from the Todd McFarlane video : ''They want you to create THE NEXT BIG SUPERHERO. From my experience, all it takes is that ONE moment where somebody actually says YES to you, and you get that little foot in the door, and it may actually turn out to be a lifelong career.''

Now here 's my feedback / analysis :

I had heard about the contest this fall but it is Todd McFarlane's involvement and video (announced in January) that ultimately convinced me to give it a serious shot. The key word here being ''serious''. So, as I decided to enter this I thought I'd give it everything I've got and for 1 month I made it my absolute priority investing as much time and energy as humanly possible into the creation of my entry and afterwards the promoting of it.

Now like all artists I believed in my character and hoped I had a chance to win. Seeing all the entries certainly was humbling and inspiring. Overall, I would say that yes it was FUN to participate but the way the contest was managed and all negative aspects coming out of it almost overrided the positive ones in the end if it wasn't for the fact that I would not have created this new character if I had not decided to enter.

I tried to approach this in the most logical manner possible taking in consideration all the information available. I've created a character with a unique costume design and set of powers. I invested many hours in the visual design, trying to push my skills to the limit. I've created a logo / comic book header, a comic cover mockup (Jack Kirby homage), even made a statue design. All the time, keeping in mind this contest was sponsored by the creators of Spider-Man and Spawn, keeping in mind the criterias I thought would be used to decide upon a winner, that being : artistic skills, sense of design, depth of background story, drive of the artist and serious desire to pursue a career in comics, etc. Plus the fact that they were going to facilitate introductions to the film/tv/gaming industries AND make a statue action figure of the winning character. So I considered potential for film/video games and derived products. To prove some of this, I even managed to get an interview on Talenthouse.com as a featured artist the week after the voting, and I'm the ONLY artist who did. More than than, my character even has a facebook page : www.facebook.com/psykikowns

Major flaws started to appear when the voting started. Server failures in the first days did not allow for many of us to share the link and get people to vote. Also the voting system, mostly related to facebook, proved complex and unefficient. For the time of voting it seemed that to win you just had to email/spam/wall post as many friends/contacts as possible in a desperate efforts to get noticed, which many artists did, including myself. Even though I wanted my creation to be seen, I thought it was more bothering to my friends, and a real burden to put in action, than anything. And so like many said, it seemed like it would be a popularity contest.

An anecdote regarding this, I took part in a facebook discussion on Erik Larsen's page, where he was stating how tired he was of getting voting requests. He called the competition, and I quote, a ''CRAP CONTEST, that will not break or make anybody's career.'' Need I remind you he is the editor of IMAGE COMICS and an employee of Todd McFarlane?

Yes I strengtened a few friendships through this facebook posting and also reveived LOTS of support, but it was still a pain in the ass. Another thing worth mentioning I believe, is that I received positive feedback on my SUPERHERO , on facebook, from DAVID MACK (creator of KABUKI) and EVERETTE HARTSOE (creator of RAZOR) and that, WITHOUT ASKING. It did give me a boost as to me this little recognition from such creators was worth more than 1000 votes.

So, all my hard work promoting my entry got me to finish in the first 100 and should one day reward me with a box of markers.

As the painful voting ended, came in the finalists and winners. In the rules, they state :

''The winner will be chosen from the 20 highest voted submissions, however The Stan Lee Foundation may look beyond these finalists to select the submission that they feel best fits their requirements.''

Requirements of which we had no idea of. And that is what frustrated me the most, not until the winner announcement did I realize how much the guidelines and rules were unclear. In the end, it seems the 20 finalists and winner were handpicked by Todd. And I wonder, was Stan Lee involved and were there other judges and clear criteria at all? If I had finished in the top 20 after the voting and did not get my autographed poster, I'd be pissed. But then again, does anyone seriously cares about markers and posters compared to the GRAND PRIZE? And that is another major critic, it's very cool that Todd got involved and added to the prize, but why reward ONLY ONE artist when there were SO MANY good entries. Why not divide the grand prize, have 2 or 3 meet in SDCC, have others go to the McFarlane studio, another could have gotten a statue of his character, etc. There is a huge gap between giving markers and posters (kid stuff) and promising a break into a professionnal artist lifelong career.

Some folks at Talenthouse said that probably most artists used a character they already had in their portfolio for chance to have it seen by Stan Lee and Todd, or by the world. I did not. I created one especially for the contest. Plus, ask around and most pros will tell you to do the exact opposite, that is keep your best ideas to yourself until you're in a position to market them. Way to give away a bunch of free ideas, with almost no way of protecting your copyrights.

Certainly hand-picking the finalists and winner settled the ''popularity contest issue'', but it also hurt the credibility of the contest and its sponsors.

Now, as for the winning entry, I'm sincerly happy for the artist and wish him the very best. But here's my 2 cents on Todd's decision and justification :

''Creativity. It was the biggest component of what this contest was all about, So, I wasn't always looking to see who was the best artist, when scanning through the entries, instead I was looking for some originality for a character, as well as trying to imagine if this particular idea could be put into a comic book and have decade's worth of stories spin out from it (remember, Spider-Man has be going strong now for nearly 50 years). This submission by Thomas hit on all of those criteria''

Those criteria should have been said BEFORE the contest NOT AFTER. Also, if you ask me, MANY entries ''hit on all those criteria'' so, what was the final decision based upon, if not the whim or personal tastes of ONE person? Also, what is it that drives a character / comic book if not the artist behind it?

''Though, at first glance, this character might not be the most flashy looking (there were lots and lots of those kinds of submissions), the contest was to create a new HERO, not create the best looking COSTUME. The fact that this hero, The Counselor, was covered from head to toe with a secret identity and mysterious background, would allow for many different types of storylines (both super heroic with arch villains as well as down to earth type plot lines).''

What's a HERO without his COSTUME? it defines and represents him. Superheroes ARE recognized by costumes and powers. To me, The Counselor is an interesting character indeed that may be give way to years of good stories (but again many characters had that potential) but I don't think it fits the very nature of a SUPERHERO. Now as I said, I wish the winner the best but honestly doubt his character will become THE NEXT BIG SUPERHERO and will revolutionize comics and gather lots of success. I hope it does, but I doubt it. Maybe Erik Larsen was right.

So yes in the end the contest was FUN, but it was also very badly managed and I think created false hopes for a whole bunch of aspiring artists who were probably as dissappointed and disillusioned as I was afterwards. I'm not angry about not winning, but had I known how ridiculously amateurish this would turn out I would not have taken it so seriously. The biggest dissappointement is seeing that the amount of hard work and dedication I put in was not a factor of success. And even though I got to know some very cool artists, I honestly doubt this will lead to serious collaborations that will help me break into comics, and so, I find myself still struggling to make it into this business with little more recognition than before.

I'm just glad I created my superhero and will keep believing in the ''power of hard work'', if nothing else.

Cor Leonis
www.facebook.com/likecorleonis

P.S. I know for sure I do not speak only for myself and that what I say also represents the feelings of MANY participants.

[Omen]

whoa... I just got back in town, logged on to see how things were going, and came across CORLEONIS' comment on the Talenthouse Contest.

Can I say impressed?

Each of your words became mere trees making up the forest of frustration that you felt for the contest, as a whole. You were not alone in this feeling; mostly because of the weight of the prize if it was won.

Y'see... for a 'Creator'... especially, a superhero Creator, the opportunity to get your character 'OUT THERE' is as powerful as winning the Olympics and much different than winning the lottery.

The lottery is about chance. You merely have to go to the store to buy a ticket.

The Olympics is about determination. It is about training, heart, courage, perseverance, skill, thought, and hope.

There is a BIG difference between the Olympics and the lottery.

This contest degraded to the feel of a lottery; this is why so many were hurt. EACH of us felt the hope and pride by participating, but it was the follow-through that hurt the most. I find that consistent amongst those most passionately moved through their words.

An artist's energy is derived from appreciation. When creating a piece of work, his soul speaks softly and it becomes the words in his conversation. Once completed, his creation becomes the message that he was attempting to deliver. Without appreciation, an artist's drive begins to dry up and his motivation dims. Over time, the art embeds itself into the darkness of lost dreams and distant hopes within the artist.

The artist then learns how to detach. They go on with their life and allow their art to exist through 'doodles' and scribbles on pieces of paper. They receive the occasional, 'that's awesome!' and 'I didn't know you were an artist', comments while soaking up the slice of appreciation given at the moment.

When a contest such as this shines within the darkness of lost dreams, it becomes the beacon for many moths seeking its warmth. While this beacon may not have done everything correct, it did expose one thing...

...each of us are not alone in how we feel! We can not make or ALLOW this to be the only beacon of light and hope that exists within us. We can't get frustrated and head back into the darkness.

This is WHY we created this Forum, this website, this commnuity, and this company!! We are NOT looking for the already established 'big-names'! We are looking for the hungry and determined! We are looking for those willing to learn and grow while inviting challenge!

We are NOT looking for the next big SINGLE artist. We are looking for CREATORS!

Not everyone can draw.
Not everyone can write.
Not everyone can worldbuild.
Not everyone can storytell.

But WE can come together as a team and a community to share our skills and abilities so that we can grow as one! This is what Visual Adjectives is about!!

We can ALL win here.

[corleonis]

Omen- It took me a good 3-4 hours to write that, I've put it in a facebook note where I've tagged Stan Lee, McFarlane, Talenthouse and the SLfoundation, to make sure I've also sent it to them on Twitter, AND to make it worse, posted it on the SPAWN.COM boards.

With all the positive support I've given McFarlane over the years I think I can allow myself a negative critic now and then, if he or anyone else does not like it, well too bad.

I've received this message on Twitter from Talenthouse : @corleonis8 Wow! Thx for taking the time to put that together. Some great points in there. We'll definitely review carefully

Also here are some more comments from the Spawn message boards :

I'm happy for the winner, but this whole contest had major flaws and I can only hope bigshots like Todd and Stan do a better job at supporting artists in the future.

if you think your character is that good a concept, then do something about it. Don't rely on winning a contest

I intend to. I know my thoughts are shared by many... if no one ever says anything when such competitions happen and go bad then things will never change.

I'm tired of seeing people with power just sit back and play games while a bunch of artists are struggling in the dirt.

How many artists out there have talent that isn't notice simply because they are not lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time?

If you participate in the olympics, who will win? probably the ones who trained and tried the hardest, who worked hard to make it.

It's not about winning or losing, it's about not taking people for fools. There should be rules and criteria in any serious art contest, and these should be clearly announced and applied. It was not the case here. PERIOD. This contest proved ridiculously not serious.

It taught me one thing though, don't wait for ANYONE to say YES to you and open a frickin' door. Just kick a door in and make your own path.

There's a ton of reknowned artists out there with the power and status to make a difference and help the next generation, they don't. I'm saying it and I stand behind my words.

Soon enough I'll take my place, and when I'm there, I'll make sure no one can ever say the same of me.

I want to be clear, this is not about me. I didn't expect to win or relied on that contest to make my career. I simply believe this kind of thing could be done much better and help young artists a lot more. I don't care if I'm the one who gets the heat because I'm the one speaking out, I'm used to it.

Seriously, the reaction to this contest has been nothing but sour grapes from entrants who didn't win because they think they're entitled to something because "it was hard work" and "my character is way more cool".

I think you're looking at it the wrong way, it's only fair when you enter a competition to expect rules to be applied and skills and efforts to be rewarded accordingly. When this is the case, no one can really complain because everything is by the book and everyone including those who don't win get a sense of fairness.

--

The Olympics is about determination. It is about training, heart, courage, perseverance, skill, thought, and hope.

B) I see you've thought of the Olympics too. It's a great metaphor.

But WE can come together as a team and a community to share our skills and abilities so that we can grow as one! This is what Visual Adjectives is about!!

I just want to say, I support and encourage you in this, so don't take it the wrong way when I say that from my experience, I'm not sure I believe in people gathering on a web forum. I don't want to burst your bubble and think its very honorable. Still, most people who make it into this biz, they just work hard and sacrifice a lot, they dont spend much time on forums. But who knows.

Meeting co-creators is one thing, teaming up to produce professional work that will get published in the industry is another.

In any case, best of luck to you and everyone else. I am opened to collaborations, but only VERY serious ones and I will be extremely selective if I decide to do so. Best way to contact me is through facebook or email at [e-mail]

I'll see you around.
Cor

[Omen]

Cor Leonis... I like the way you think and I like the fire burning within you. In fact, the flames within your words show that 'CHALLENGE' is nothing more than your fuel! Back in the Marines... I would have had you by my side.

Understand this... NEVER let go of your reason to succeed. Never step away from the table that is serving the food of success! And become best friends with fear, for only when he betrays you will you find courage!

As I stated in my earlier messages, when we started this journey we made it clear that our only breaks between struggle would be used to gather air as we moved into the next struggle! Each of us... and I am being honest with you... each of us have given up something so that the very words on this site can be shared around the world. The word 'Sacrifice' can't be used until this journey is over... and until THAT time, we merely accept what we give as what MUST be given for us to make it.

We don't seek medals, smiles, giggles, and hugs... we seek to be remembered and spoken about in the generation just beyond our children's children. Not all see eye-to-eye with this, but for those that are willing to bleed for it... Visual Adjectives is home.

You are HUNGRY and success is the choice on the menu that you want to order. I like that. I like that a lot! Hell, I wish I had an extra M-16 and a Kabar to offer you... there are a couple of nations out there that we can turn over!

I'm out here, the same as you and hell is the common ground that has brought us together. We deal with those in the industry the same as all others who have dared this path. From the voices of business who are the chef's in the back of this restaurant called the 'Book Industry', they are the one's cooking and creating this food of success that we all want SO bad.

They tell us what they want. They meet Creators and creative people ALL the time. I was actually told to my face... "creative people come a dime-a-dozen" (Thanks Allan, that comment changed my life). He said that the way they filter through them, is by choosing the ones that PRODUCE.

This was plain, simple, and to the point.

They want creators that are consistent with their skills; that have the ability to call upon them when needed and to use them to find solutions to the problems and projects presented.

They want creators that can work within the creations of others. They want them to be able to adapt to a challenge presented within their OWN creation by another creator. They want someone that can prove this function CONSISTENTLY.

'By VALIDATING your abilities, one can justify their CAPABILITIES!'

This is WHY we created our WRYTER'S CHALLENGES. When we created them, we kept them in house and used them to position and grow ourselves within the industry. We've been blessed by the positive results!!! They have proven their power over-and-over. We have JUST started to make some of them available to the general public, as well as offer them for participation here on our Forum.

Writer's looking for Artist look here to find those that can produce. Storyteller's looking for Writers seek those with skills within the pages of our Challenges. Worldbuilders searching for Storytellers, crawl through our catacombs of word-crafts and works-of-art to find those that are best to contact.

Our Wryter's Challenges are NOT about you working within an environment that you are comfortable with... They're about you becoming comfortable with your work no matter what environment you are presented with.

This is what THEY want. This is what THEY need. This is what THEY are looking for.

Wryter's Challenges are not built for everyone. They filter those that want it from those that don't. They are a showcase for your skill.

Everyone wants to present what they have and what they've created... but the 'Business' within this corrupt industry want to see your creation TESTED!!!

You have the fire within you! Now, the question is... are you ready to have it tested?

-Omen