Before we continue....
Amelius on June 12, 2007
My deepest apologies to all, but this seems to be needed. I want this off my chest and if I type it in my notes, the people who need to read it, WON'T. That, is abundantly clear. I have the next page in progress, expect that very soon. This isn't really filler, just a badly needed announcement that happens to be interrupting the story I want to tell. If people listen this time, I promise it won't happen again. Now, on to my rant.
That's right, read my notes before you put your foot in your mouth my friends. I've said it…COUNTLESS times. I mean come on, have I not been honest with you all? Was I not baring my very soul, this same time last year, over my heartbreak? I have nothing to hide from you, and why would I lie to you anyway, especially about this?
Do I have to post that truly embarrassing collage I did before DD crashed just to show you that picture of Hex's hair on another character that belonged to me, that I drew when I was 11?
I'm really frustrated that I am having this issue STILL! I mean, it's truly, really obvious that some people refuse to read these notes! I know it seems that these aren't important most of the time, but if I didn't feel that communicating with you was important for our relationship, I wouldn't write anything there at all. You're missing all the links I put up to other great comics (not to mention the crossover links, I have seen a lot of befuddled “why is this arc so weird?” comments, It's because you're missing the other half completely!) Part of the reason I'm doing these cameos is to not only thank people who have been there for me, but to show you there are other fantastic comics on this site, and you shouldn't miss out on them.
And you're missing answers to questions that I'm sure you will undoubtedly ask, and have asked I have an FAQ for that in the forum now too though) and most important of all, you're missing every instance I have typed out that I don't take being accused of style-copying as a compliment. Yes, I realize to some of you, being compared to a popular, successful comic is a compliment. But I've said it before: I'm trying to make a name for myself, not Jhonen. And please realize there are OTHER styles of art out there, other dark humored stories, other curly grins that were there before JTHM, Squee, Zim or any of his other works came to be known. He is not the progenitor of all things slightly resembling “goth”, nor did he invent dark humor, revenge, gore, even random humor (CTV is NOT a “random humor” comic anyway)
And look at what I drew here…his style is a major pain to draw! I could hardly keep it up! Why would I want to copy that? I'm NOT dissing his style, so don't get defensive. I didn't put it down last time either. I like his works but golly geez people would you listen to me for once? I can draw as many vague comparisons to Star Trek to CTV as I could to JTHM. And need I post all 300 or more Beck the Ferret pages, in their tattered horror, all done in the ‘90s, to show you that I didn’t need Jhonen's help to draw something violent and twisted involving a cute character?
And I'll repeat what I said in a recent rant too: Show me more than 2 curly-grins in all of JV's work and I'll eat my hat. Find some bloody curly capes there whilst you're at it too!
Really, I'm not trying to yell at anyone here. I just feel very hurt that some people can't take my word for something. Even when I explain myself, I get this “Maybe you were subconsciously influenced” nonsense. I believe that can happen yes, when you actually have SEEN the thing to be influenced by. But I didn't.
And I am obsessively cognizant of my art, sorry to say. I let the things I want to influence me do just that, and I am rather selective, honestly. If you ask me who influences me, I will tell you. If you say “this reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes” or “Chuck Jones” or “Dr. Suess” or what have you, I'll take that as a compliment, and it attests to your keen observation.
But “This looks like JTHM” only comes off as “JTHM is the only gothy comic I've ever read, therefore all gothy comics look the same to me” or that you love that comic so much, you're projecting that onto mine to find connections where there aren't any.
Sorry to pop your balloon, but he is not one of my influences.
He's a unique artist and I'll give him credit for doing good work, but he is just not one of the people I've found to make an impact on the way I draw or write my comic. I know other people who're sick of getting this treatment too.
To give you an idea, I'd just rather hear you say you think the comic stinks than accuse me of taking ideas from other people. At least I can be original and fail, instead of succeed at being someone else.
Just a word of advice for the future, some artists may well bite your head off if you say the same thing to them. While this does top my list of pet peeves, I hope you can see I'm not blowing up at you and yelling in anger. I'm just frustrated.
(And it's giving me Freudian nightmares so cut it out!)
Jallice at 7:04PM, June 21, 2008
... I never compared it to anything. Do I get credit? @.@ All that text, so tempting yet I'm so lazy... That artist guys style or whatever it was, "JTHM" seems familiar. On a very green, dark coloured cartoon/anime. =X Must resist. Temptation. >..
flipsidered at 11:07PM, March 28, 2008
XD You know, a lot of people get that problem of being compared to Jhonen. I think it's because of his massive online fanbase? The funny thing is, my style actually WAS inspired quite a bit by JV, but I never, EVER get likened to him, and here you are having to beat it off with a stick. That just goes to show that peoples opinion of artistic 'styles' means absolutely nothing, and the only thing they attribute to Jhonen's style is hairstyles, curlies and dark comics. That's really sad. His panel work is really dynamic and flowy while still managing to be angular, and the fact that people only recognize it for being gothy or what's involved in the STORY is actually super shitty. Your style is a lot more fluid, detailed and...how do I say it? Sort of more humane-looking than his. True, I did think Johnny once or twice when I saw Hexavier, but it's absolutely ridiculous that people won't BELIEVE you when you claim to have not been influenced. wtf, guys? Like it's any big deal anyway. XD
Warriorking4ever at 10:08PM, March 7, 2008
OMG! I can't believe anyone could confuse your fantastic artwork with art of the guy who drew Invader Zim (whom I actually like but who clearly has a different artistic style from your own). I also liked your demonic right hand, how'd you get it Amelius?
visual_kei at 3:28PM, Feb. 5, 2008
I LOVED this!!! Hey, if they didn't read the author's notes, now they've got a visual aid, ey?
doglovermutt at 8:16PM, Jan. 9, 2008
ya know i discovered CTV before other webcomics and it remains my favorite of all the ones i've looked up. good job not taking any crap from people who think they're right no matter what you say
Rutanae_Element at 1:05PM, Jan. 5, 2008
Seriously. All I see is kjhvlkjhvj jhrwjhflwu sjfk jsdnjshd;ajsdh lkjfk fhsdkd. fskfj invedar zim rip off
Rutanae_Element at 12:04PM, Dec. 9, 2007
And everyone who copies Johnen Vasquez(the guy who draws worse than a 2nd grader):try experimenting, build up your OWN style. You'll find yours eventually. Kriss, I can not understand a WORD you ever say.
Rutanae_Element at 11:51AM, Dec. 9, 2007
AAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ATT ACK OF THE EVIL GIANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alex xeno at 9:41PM, Nov. 12, 2007
despite the cause of this comic it does make me laugh altho i really do hope they belive you this time.
Kriss at 9:46PM, Oct. 10, 2007
i nthis you ocmapreign the art work I rpefure yours much better theres is sucky comapred to yours and looks like invader zim rip off
Jerry520 at 12:06AM, Oct. 7, 2007
Hahahahaha....amazing. I loved every bit of it!
Flintmaster at 5:10PM, Sept. 24, 2007
You's comic is way better!!!
Amelius at 7:13PM, Aug. 14, 2007
Thank youse! But truth be told, JV seems to get credit for the curly grins unfairly, where it was actually Chuck Jones who came up with them (and solely whom I had been inspired by therein) hopefully this image works (by the way it's not mine, I scanned it from a book and it belongs to Mr. Jones) [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Zerlocke/ralphp.jpg[/IMG]
myoneandonly at 11:18AM, Aug. 8, 2007
Besides, your story is so much more involved and complex than JTHM! Yours has a serious and (very well done) intricate plot that all the characters are involved in. Nny is like, "Hmm, I think I'll hogtie someone with their own intestines today." Not that that's a bad thing. >:D It's just pretty obvious that both your art and your storytelling methods are different, although I notice you have the curly mouth corners in common. Then again, who can resist those? I mean, look at my avatar, right? ^__^
myoneandonly at 11:13AM, Aug. 8, 2007
...okay. This... was awesome. Not ONLY did you prove a valid point, but you parroted Vasquez's style pretty well. Which was fun to see. (and I was only reminded of JTHM by the blunt violence in the beginning, but that's only because I'm a kinda big JTHM fan and all things violent remind me of it now -_- ) You know, if anything, Vasquez might've gotten inspiration from YOU. Hey, if people can claim you somehow psychically copied HIM, who can't say THIS? Hm??? O.O That backwards E text freakin' hurts my brain... :'(
Hexavier at 8:32PM, July 24, 2007
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH HH H H the JTHM like invasion hurts!!!! I like JTHM, sorry if you don't, but uh... i'm reading "Charby the Vampirate" NOT JTHM. not mad at you Amelius, mad at the people accusing you of robbing his style STFU!!!!! AHHHHH although... *steals hex and keeps as pet*
Tyhr at 4:00AM, July 19, 2007
Hehe, Amy is cute ^_^
SuperDuckyWho at 7:22PM, June 30, 2007
AAAAAH!!! Backwards e's!!! They hurt! Pain!!! >_
Crimson13 at 3:36AM, June 29, 2007
The transmogrifier from Calvin and Hobbes! I loved (and still do) and read that comic every now and then. As for JTHM, I love the comic. The only slight thing that made me think of JTHM on this comic was the little dude hairstyle. Your comic is completely different than JTHM, and I can't see why people compare it to this. I love your hand by the way, I want it.
Mykle at 11:10PM, June 27, 2007
ok yeah i dont see the similarity... i mean sheesh sqigly tounges... i've never seen a single squigly tounge like that in your comic... dont see how people can confuse to two...
Ishammael at 5:51PM, June 27, 2007
You just need to ignore all the people who say crap about your comic. I know most of them probably can't even do there own comics. Just draw and do what you want to and send thier crap to the trash can. Bye the way, i think your comic rocks =D
TomCC at 11:48AM, June 27, 2007
cool, now I wanna read JTHM too. Seriously, no point accusin someone of copying someones hairdo. this isn't that uncommon a hairdo you know. Now if it was shaped like three pyramids on top of an ostriche head and there was the same hairdo someplace else, THEN there's reason to suspect something. Besides, the story is original, and even if it were influenced, so f... what? King is influenced by Poe is influenced by Dickens. Everybody is influenced, including they who point the finger and yell "Plagiarism!!!"
monsterfriend at 6:50AM, June 23, 2007
this is the comic my friend gave me to explain and for that i shall never say its a fan comic but the hair is misleading
Raziel_X007223 at 10:27AM, June 21, 2007
Easy Ame... The good readers know that this isn't JTHM... This is Charby... The VAMPIRATE!!!
Kalan at 9:22AM, June 20, 2007
Hmm, don't quote me on this, but I think I do remember more then 2 curly-grins in Jhonen's work. But that's besides the point. I'm one of those people that like both JTHM and CTV, but hey, that's just me. People get so angry at the comic, just because you get angry that people compare you to it. You other posters really have to realize it's a decent comic, in my opinion, and Amelius isn't telling you it's bad, she's just saying it's completely different than her own.