Auction-To-Be (AKA: Tapewolf is gonna hate meee...)

[Amber Williams]

This has been something I've been debating and weighing since pretty much last summer and the comp-death.  And since I have thought about it for a while, and the idea hasnt gone away, I'm thinking I might very well just go through with it.

Odds are in the near future I will be auctioning off the original DMFA strips.  Most likely I'll be doing so in batches based on arcs rather than individual strips.  They will be for the most part the original unedited versions...in all their pre-scanned unglory.  The only exception might be the pokemon arc which I might just add as a bonus to one of the other arcs being auctioned. (probably the Introduction)

My main reasons for doing so are:
A) At this time the archives just sit in a box at my house.  And while I normally hoarde my art like some sort of hoarding critter, I don't hold the DMFA archives as fiercely since DMFA was ultimately a fun pet-project gone big.  As such, I don't hold any notion or desire to rescan them all and attempt to rebolster a high-rez archive or book collections.
B) I've done and overdone the donation drives and incentives for now and would rather offer something more tangible.  Even if they dont sell for a whole bunch, it seems like a feasable option.

Odds are I wont be auctioning off the most recent arc, and I wont be auctioning off Abel's Story.  It'd be tacky to try selling something thats half incomplete.

I'm making a post about it now because I realize that some people who are fans might want to know in advance this is happening.  Either to save up, or so they can lob their complaints and not be taken by suprise when I spring the news weeks later on my main page.  I'm not entirely sure when I'll be doing it, but I would expect it sometime early April. 

It's my hope that I can make enough to help cover what will likely be auto-costs when I take my car in for repairs, with maybe a little to help save up but that might be pushing it.  I'll likely go through and make sure I have all the strips accounted for in the next week or so.

But thats all I got about the subject for now. Let the flambe'ing of me begin.

[Cogidubnus]

There is only one question.

Do you accept internal organs? I have a lovely pair of kidneys you might be interested in...

[Zedd]

I got a gallbladder! And how bought a extra ring finger!...What really ment to say is...You dont need to give up that stuff..Really...What if you need it sometime later?

[Aridas]

Amber needs those for references, recolors, and/or when she redoes all the old strips to be up to standard with her current art >.>

[Izkata]

Someone better work on cloning, then, if those strips are to be redone within the next couple lifetimes...

[Reese Tora]

Amber needs those for references, recolors, and/or when she redoes all the old strips to be up to standard with her current art >.>

Not that I'm trying to justify anything, but wouldn't the low rez versions currently sitting in the archives and viewable by all be of sufficient quality for the purposes of reference pics?

[Aurawyn]

The question is.. If I joined the auction... WHat page would I want! haha

[Kenji]

The question is.. If I joined the auction... WHat page would I want! haha

All of them.
And you're willing to pay hundreds of dollars for sets of 10.   

[Aridas]

Amber needs those for references, recolors, and/or when she redoes all the old strips to be up to standard with her current art >.>

Not that I'm trying to justify anything, but wouldn't the low rez versions currently sitting in the archives and viewable by all be of sufficient quality for the purposes of reference pics?

NEVER! and shush, you'll make her sell them.

[Azraelle]

I think it's a viable option for any comic strip artist to offer the originals as collector's items.  After all, they're obviously limited edition.  And I'd honestly rather have them be in the possession of someone who will truly appreciate them and won't feel bad for buying them, rather than see them sit in a box in a closet for all eternity or get thrown out, lost, or mangled.  (Not trying to imply that Amber doesn't appreciate them - just that doing something with them would be better than having them collect dust).

I'm sure I'd buy a comic or ten.

[devilsislegrl]

hmmm...which arc would i want?  Probably the patches arc...always makes me laugh...especially Lorenda as an anime cat-girl and the Dan-mow!  

[Janus Whitefurr]

Dibs on the Janus Bond arc.

It will be mine. Mine. Mi~ne!

[Paladin Sheppard]

Amber will you be selling arc's as a whole or individualy?

[Fex]

hehe tobad I don't have the money or else I would buy over the 10 pages

[Tapewolf]

Oh dear.  I can see I will be spending a lot of money in the near future.   

**EDIT**
Pal, the implication is it's entire arcs although that's for Amber to clarify.  I'm hoping the SAIA arc goes as one unit.
Janus, I didn't really like the Bond arc too much, so I'm not gonna fight you over it

[Gornemant]

There is only one question.

Do you accept internal organs? I have a lovely pair of kidneys you might be interested in...

Of course, just because once she has enough organs, she can build a mindless slave that will work for her and do her biddings 

[Amber Williams]

Tapewolf is correct in that I'll be doing things via entire arcs.  It seems proper to keep particular storylines together. Granted once someone has them, if they want to resell and split them up it's their perogative.

The downside is if people just want a particular strip, they are going to have to compete against people who may want the entire arc.  The upside is a lot less complications. (Really, having to sift through and mail individually 700 strips would be a horrible time for all.

----
Either way, I would like to remind that this isn't a decision I made lightly or on whimsical thought.  Granted the first time I considered it, I was in desperation from the border/comp crash.  However since then it's been something on the back of my mind and after a few months, I do think it is a feasable idea.

[RushFox]

Tapewolf is correct in that I'll be doing things via entire arcs.  It seems proper to keep particular storylines together. Granted once someone has them, if they want to resell and split them up it's their perogative.

The downside is if people just want a particular strip, they are going to have to compete against people who may want the entire arc.  The upside is a lot less complications. (Really, having to sift through and mail individually 700 strips would be a horrible time for all.

----
Either way, I would like to remind that this isn't a decision I made lightly or on whimsical thought.  Granted the first time I considered it, I was in desperation from the border/comp crash.  However since then it's been something on the back of my mind and after a few months, I do think it is a feasable idea.

May I suggest high-quality prints as an alternative for those who just want a particular strip? I don't have the capabilities to do so myself, but I have seen these methods done for particular art auctions (on the JACK forums, mostly), and thought it be a idea to throw out there.

Good luck with this, as I'm sure that with your current workload as well as the auctioning crap, it's gonna be a hell of an endeavor... 

[Goatmon]

There is only one question.

Do you accept internal organs? I have a lovely pair of kidneys you might be interested in...

I've got a pancreas that I'm not really using anymore. >_>

Seriously though, can you say Ka-Ching?  I can scarcely imagine how much money is going to emerge from this little venture. 

[Alondro]

*Charles sighs*  And just when I thought I'd be able to give up hiring myself out to the mob for contract killings...  I'll need alot more money.  *several more bodies are found in the Deleware River*  No no... those are the people who tried swimming in the river.  

I feed the bodies to the lab mice!  

[Tapewolf]

May I suggest high-quality prints as an alternative for those who just want a particular strip? I don't have the capabilities to do so myself, but I have seen these methods done for particular art auctions (on the JACK forums, mostly), and thought it be a idea to throw out there.

I don't know what size the originals are, but I'd be happy to provide high-res scans of any I win.  I still need to do that to the Librarian when I can find a copy shop with an A2 scanner...

**EDIT**

Also, I understand that the paper originals are done as scenes or frames rather than entire strips - the final strip assembly being done via compositing in photoshop.

[Magic]

I forsee auction snipers.

[Azraelle]

I don't know what size the originals are, but I'd be happy to provide high-res scans of any I win.  I still need to do that to the Librarian when I can find a copy shop with an A2 scanner...

Providing copies of another artist's works ... I hope you get Amber's permission for that, seeing as how that can infringe on copyrights.  Especially if you're making money on them.

[Tapewolf]

I don't know what size the originals are, but I'd be happy to provide high-res scans of any I win.  I still need to do that to the Librarian when I can find a copy shop with an A2 scanner...

Providing copies of another artist's works ... I hope you get Amber's permission for that, seeing as how that can infringe on copyrights.  Especially if you're making money on them.

Money?  With due respect, what on earth are you talking about?  I'm going to scan the librarian in for archival purposes and also for Amber, seeing as she no longer has it herself. 

As for the copyright of the erm, masters, I'm not sure Amber would be disseminating them in the first place if she was that concerned, although you're right, it would be worth checking first.

[Amber Williams]

I'll likely be providing arch-samples in each auction.  While the strips are lacking colour/text/borders, there is a general strip composition so it isn't just figures scattered across a page. 

The biggest yeek factor is probably people can see how strips look before I make edits. Or some of the really wierd scribbles I drew underneath them or on the side. 

I dont hold any standard to people who buy the strips because once they are won, they are ultimately up to the new owner to decide.  While I would expect the person not to make xerox copies to sell, if they want to split the archives and sell individual strips that is their choice. Or if they want to colour them, or scan them all and attempt to bog me with high-res.  Or whatever.  Outside of them taking the strips and claiming that they drew it(that's just common courtesy though), people are free to do what they want with their purchase.

[Azraelle]

@Tapewolf: from the way you described it, it sounded like you would happily provide others with copies of the strips that you won in the auction.  Did I misunderstand your intent?  (I am pretty bad at things like that, so if I did, I apologize).  I wasn't sure if you were planning on just giving them away or selling them, but either way, it is something that you'd need the original artist's permission to do, whether there was profit involved or not.

Sorry for sounding all legal and technical, but I take artistic copyright very seriously, and just want to make sure no one is getting hurt.

[Tapewolf]

@Tapewolf: from the way you described it, it sounded like you would happily provide others with copies of the strips that you won in the auction.  Did I misunderstand your intent?

No, but you got the motive way distorted.  Selling them is absolutely out of the question.  Privately giving digital copies of them away to other fans upon request as a courtesy is something I have no problems with - assuming Amber does not object.  And one reason I post  it here was so that Amber could object if she wanted to.
Remember, this is still hypothetical until I'm in a position to actually do it.

Sorry for sounding all legal and technical, but I take artistic copyright very seriously, and just want to make sure no one is getting hurt.

It strikes me that you may be taking it too seriously, particularly given that Amber has published the entire series for nothing in the first place. 

When you reply to this, take a good look at the emoticons which appear - the last one which appears is a case in point, although I suspect many of the smileys are iffy, copyright-wise.  Would that make you using them an accomplice to copyright infringement?  (Come to that, what about quoting my reply?)

Anyway, specifically I'm referring to


Did I ask permission before creating it?  No.  Would I have taken it down if Amber asked or objected in any way?  Hell yes.

Here's a few more:
http://clockworkmansion.com/forum/index.php?topic=1213.0
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/
http://www.jpmorris.force9.co.uk/stuff/conversions/
...JSR's current Avatar.
Oh, and 'Princes of the Dreams'.  I didn't ask Xss about that either, and he thought it was fantastic.  I'm going to double-check with him before including it on the album, though.

Granted, some of these would fall under 'fair use' or 'parody', but it strikes me that taking such a strict view of copyright would (A) prevent anything from getting done and (B) make the world a much more boring place.

Perhaps part of this is self-projection - I am very permissive when it comes to copyright myself, at least where non-profit is concerned... it's a form of promotion.  And to some extent I expect others to behave the same way.  Thank you for reminding me that not everyone does.
If I found some of my music being used in a YouTube video, I'd be overjoyed.  If it was used in a TV commercial, I'd be asking for my cut.

Anyway, Amber's own comment appears to have made this a moot point 

[Azraelle]

Well some of those examples are a tad flawed.  Amber choosing to post her comic on the Internet is obviously done with her own consent, so there's no issues.  Quoting someone's response on a forum falls under fair use.  Fan art is usually fair use/parody until it is copied and/or sold.  Forum smilies and emoticons are being used for their specific purpose - to be used by the members of a forum.  However, WHICH forum is technically covered by the copyright.  Obviously, they were created for this forum so therefore, there's no issue.  But if I copied them and made them available for use on my forum, I'd need permission from their creator first.

I didn't mean to sound like I was accusing anyone of anything, just wanting to clear up the intent.  Thank you for going along with my rabid sense of overprotection.

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, Amber, you may want to contemplate auctioning signed, limited edition prints made of the edited strips and arcs before selling off the originals. It might be harder to do after the originals are sold off.

Mr. Whitefurr, I have to agree that Janus Bond is the series that I would be most likely to bid on, plain, simple, non-canon fun!

The Auld Grump

[superluser]

Fan art is usually fair use/parody until it is copied and/or sold.

Ever hear of The Wind Done Gone?