-edit- For those of you have have questions about the awards, I'm attempting to reconcile as much information as I can in one place. I have made the below post to go over the awards history and introduce different aspects to newbies. Please scroll past the contents list for the current awards schedule and categories.

CONTENTS:
A Brief (And Possibly Inaccurate) History of the Awards
Awards Cycle - Voting Phase
Awards Cycle - Pre-Awards Phase
Awards Cycle - Planning and Volunteer Phases
Awards Cycle - Presentation Phase





Hello one and all. I'm sorry for not hosting the awards last year, I got bogged down with real life last year. I have come to the realization that something was missing when I wasn't doing the awards. If you will have me back, I would be happy to take up the reins again.

The Awards celebrate the comics, authors, and users that make this site great. For a faster paced discussion (and frequently off topic), we do have a Discord
here

I do want to make a big change this year. October is a very hectic time in my household, so I would like to push everything up so that we wrap up by then. Please look at the new schedule and tell me what you think. Also if you feel like we need to change up the categories. Please pardon any outdated information on this post as I have to edit it several times.


Planning ~ Now - June

Red Carpet Submissions Accepted ~ April - August 15

FYC Pages Accepted ~ April - June 18th (more info to come)

The Drunk Duck Award Design Contest
Submissions ~ May 29th - June 4th
Voting ~ June 5th - June 11th

Drunk Duck Awards Voting Opens ~ June 12th - July 9th

Tie Breakers (as needed) ~ July 10th - July 16th

Finalists Announced/Volunteers Assigned ~ July 20th - July 23rd

Judging ~ July 24th - September 10th

Emergency Wrap Up ~ September 11th - September 24th

The Ceremony Begins ~ September 26th



Ok, I have went through the suggestions that have been made, and I have arrived at the following changes.

GENRE AWARDS


Best Adventure Comic:
Quests, missions, explorations, and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures.

Best Adult-oriented Comic:
A-rated comics. XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

Best All Ages Comic:
Child-friendly comics that the whole family can enjoy.

Best Anthropomorphic Comic:
They act like people and think like people, but they look like foxes or dolphins or toasters.

Best Community Project:
Comics and projects that bring together a variety of DD members for
massive synergy! (DD Awards are not eligible, for giving ourselves an
award would create a paradox vortex from which there is no escape.)

Best Drama:
A story focused on a real world setting and is character-driven with a focus on emotions. Courtroom dramas, medical dramas, crime dramas, romantic dramas, high school dramas (but when is high school not dramatic?), etc.


Best Fantasy Comic:
Magical, mythical, mystical, marvelous. Comics set in fantastical
settings, involving magic or mythical creatures, abilities, or beings.

Best Horror Comic:
The dark, scary, and twisted. Monsters, psychological thrillers, and
ax-wielding psychos all have their place among these wonderfully
horrific comics.

Best Humor Comic:
Gags, jokes, lols, roflmaos, and such. Format and subject matter aren't important. It just has to make you laugh.

Best Mystery/Crime/Noir:
Crime drama, police, mobsters, mysteries, hard-boiled detectives, and/or meddling kids.

Best Parody/Tribute:
Comics that use the characters, worlds, or creations of other creators. It's not copyright infringement! It's an homage!

Best Philosophical/Political Comic:
Make-you-think comics that address deep topics from the spiritual and philosophical to the cultural or political.

Best Sci-fi Comic:
A form of speculative fiction so named because the fantastical
elements are rooted in or explained by actual or fictional scientific
theory.


Best Superhero Comic:
Too super for other categories.


~~~~~


STYLE AWARDS

Best Action Within A Comic :
Chase scenes, fights, big explosions; CRASH POW ZOOM – you know the stuff

Best Manga Style Comic:
Comics inspired by the artistic style and conventions of Japanese cartooning.

Best Use of Non-Traditional MediumBest Atypical Art (working title):
Comics that use 3D rendering, Photography, Sprites, or Macaroni Art or anything use that breaks the mold.

Most Deliciously Offensive:
These f can be good, bad, or other.


~~~~~

USER AWARDS
Outstanding Achievement Within the Community:
The
user that will win this award is always there to participate in the
community no matter what. These people show their support for the site
within the forums and by participating in community projects.


Most Dedicated Creator:
That creator who seems to be a page-making machine, every day on
time – or maybe the one who has been at it forever and has a thousand
pages of the most amazing quality – or the one who is updating five
different regular comics on a schedule. Whatever they are doing, they
sure are DEDICATED.

Most Supportive Reader:
Maybe they leave the most comments or the most insightful ones, or
they draw wonderful fanart, or they are always available to discuss your script ideas or send you cards when you're on hiatus.


Best Newcomer Award
Awarded to a newcomer who has come to the site who has really stood out. They could be creators or dedicated readers

~~~~~

THE BIG ONES

Best Completed Comic:
Comics that were concluded sometime between July 2020 and now. (Indefinite hiatus doesn't count.)

Best Overall Comic Strip:
Best webcomic with stand-alone updates or short, unrelated story arcs, usually in a horizontal or vertical strip format.

Best Overall Story Comic:
Best webcomic that tells a continuous story, usually in full page format.

~~~~~

Create Your Own Award
Didn't see the proper award for the comic/person you were thinking of on this
list? Make one up. Create your own award and give it a winner. Best
awards will be chosen by a dedicated team of judges.


~~~~~

OTHER AWARDS

Readers' Choice Award: Presented to the comic that received the most votes overall.

Best Presenter Award: Presented after the regular awards. Readers vote for their favorite presenter

Consider me onboard to help

Sounds awesome:) I feel like I didn't help out quite enough last time. So I'll help out a lot more this time👍

I'm standing by. I'll do whatever is needed.
Guess I have to get moving on some FYC. And wouldn't you two ideas for the award design popped into my head just now.

I think the first order of business is discuss the theme (or lack there of) for the For Your Consideration pages. I personally like it when there is a loose theme to tie everything together. Does anyone have any suggestions?

based on recent real world events how about public service announcements or war propaganda… hmmm not sure how good an idea that is.

Like Tantzaerine idea of therapy. Like the character going to a therapist and their unburdening is the FYC.

You could even do a group therapy session if the comic has an ensemble cast. Could be tied together some more by it being the same therapist or a group of therapists comparing notes.

And of course there would be a never ending supply of quack doctor jokes.

There are any number of stock therapist characters to use like Dr. Scratchnsniff from Animaniacs to Bob Newhart or even your duck of choice with a pad and paper and lab coat.

What a splendidly comprehensive list of activities and categories, you've got the job.

How about a Looney Toons style time travelling theme.

Have it be the theme for the FYC's, where characters end up in a different time and location (past or future, near or far, on earth or elsewhere) somehow (time machine, portal through time, or whatever) dressed up to blend in to that location and time period (like ancient egyptian attire for ancient egypt and so on).

Maybe even make it like a Warner Bros. Histeria! kind of thing with informational bits or just epok related jokes:P

Suggestions from the Discord: Excavating lost civilization.

So, I think we have enough ideas now… Might have to write some down for the future. Anyone have opinions?

I like the therapy idea - it could be big or small, dramatic or funny, formal therapy or informal - lots of freedom there!

Ps - very exciting to have you wanting to do this again, Niccea!

Agreed the therapy idea is a good one.

I too think the therapy theme would be cool. But I'm up for pretty much any theme of choice.

Considering the large archeology themed presentation I did a few years back (complete with mummy) if we decide on excavation I'm done already. Rotfl.

Yay!

And we have a late hat into the ring from Genejoke and JustNoPoint:
A quest to revive the awards in an effort to bring joy to a depressing world.
That should just be Niccea who was released from her slumber/captivity/simply woke up one morning and said “wasn’t I supposed to do something?”
But she could be on a quest and having these universes help.


Or we can use Duck and Quail. Someone could create a few images of them to have them beavis and butthead style narrate FYCs?

Well, if we can self nominate I would like to put forth Nakamura Rex for adult furry category.

*Throws in a big house to the judges.*

For me the psychologist one is speaking the best for me. I feel like that has the best range. Though I'm egotistical enough to be tempted by Niccea Quest.

Furwerk studio wrote:
Well, if we can self nominate I would like to put forth Nakamura Rex for adult furry category.

*Throws in a big house to the judges.*

You are allowed to submit a For Your Consideration page to get your comic out there for a nomination or post a link to the ballot in your comic when it is available. However, you will not be allowed to vote for your own comic on the ballot.

Niccea wrote:
You are allowed to submit a For Your Consideration page to get your comic out there for a nomination or post a link to the ballot in your comic when it is available. However, you will not be allowed to vote for your own comic on the ballot.

Oh yeah, that's very fair.

Niccea wrote:

Or we can use Duck and Quail. Someone could create a few images of them to have them beavis and butthead style narrate FYCs?

Heh heh heh
Hur hur hur…

LOL That idea has merit!

I like the archeology/resurrection/awakening-from-a-long-slumber theme myself.

Niccea wrote:
Or we can use Duck and Quail.

Funny enough, I was already planning on doing something with Duck and Quail and do a “Dark Crisis” parody in June called “Duck Crisis”. This could be a fortuitous coincidence.

Alright. I have decided the theme for the FYC using feedback from both this thread and the Discord. I'll get the comic rolling over the next few weeks, make the synopsis and the rules for FYC submissions nice and pretty. And then then I'll start accepting the pages. I'm going to the keep the theme underwraps until I at least get everything typed up. Thank you to everyone that made suggestions and provided opinions.

Also, any notes on the categories? After running this thing for so long, a can say that I advise against new categories. We usually have more categories than judges and are scrambling every year. But I also know that the categories are a good representation of the comics here and dropping any may lead to hurt feelings.

Best philosophical/political: do we really have a big selection of them year to year, seems like one wins all the votes.

Best supporting character: very broad and very hard to nail down. Usually goes all over the place.

Best manga: last remaining specific art style as opposed to genre. Could just be folded into the story categories.

And every year there's a movement to get rid of non-traditional. Like basically if you don't draw like go eff yourself you get nothing and like it. Your non-drawn comic is an abomination and you're just lucky we let you post here. Lol.

May not be saying it in so many words but that is the underlying attitude in a lot of places among those who do traditional medium comics. Don't say it's not true because you're not the one facing the prejudice.

Indeed best non traditional does give photo, sprite and 3d comics a look in.

I think I'd feel okay about chucking away “Best Use of Non-Traditional Medium” and “Best Use of Traditional Medium” categories, never mind how the comic is made, do you read it and do you like it enough to vote for it? It's like implying there are less enabled comics that go on the short bus and should only compete with each other.

Ok, I have went through the suggestions that have been made, and I have arrived at the following changes.

GENRE AWARDS


Best Adventure Comic:
Quests, missions, explorations, and/or other dangerous or exciting ventures.

Best Adult-oriented Comic:
A-rated comics. XXX No one under 18 admitted! Live nudes! Or excessive violence. Or both!

Best All Ages Comic:
Child-friendly comics that the whole family can enjoy.

Best Anthropomorphic Comic:
They act like people and think like people, but they look like foxes or dolphins or toasters.

Best Community Project:
Comics and projects that bring together a variety of DD members for
massive synergy! (DD Awards are not eligible, for giving ourselves an
award would create a paradox vortex from which there is no escape.)

Best Drama:
A story focused on a real world setting and is character-driven with a focus on emotions. Courtroom dramas, medical dramas, crime dramas, romantic dramas, high school dramas (but when is high school not dramatic?), etc.


Best Fantasy Comic:
Magical, mythical, mystical, marvelous. Comics set in fantastical
settings, involving magic or mythical creatures, abilities, or beings.

Best Horror Comic:
The dark, scary, and twisted. Monsters, psychological thrillers, and
ax-wielding psychos all have their place among these wonderfully
horrific comics.

Best Humor Comic:
Gags, jokes, lols, roflmaos, and such. Format and subject matter aren't important. It just has to make you laugh.

Best Mystery/Crime/Noir:
Crime drama, police, mobsters, mysteries, hard-boiled detectives, and/or meddling kids.

Best Parody/Tribute:
Comics that use the characters, worlds, or creations of other creators. It's not copyright infringement! It's an homage!

Best Philosophical/Political Comic:
Make-you-think comics that address deep topics from the spiritual and philosophical to the cultural or political.

Best Sci-fi Comic:
A form of speculative fiction so named because the fantastical
elements are rooted in or explained by actual or fictional scientific
theory.


Best Superhero Comic:
Too super for other categories.


~~~~~


STYLE AWARDS

Best Action Within A Comic :
Chase scenes, fights, big explosions; CRASH POW ZOOM – you know the stuff

Best Manga Style Comic:
Comics inspired by the artistic style and conventions of Japanese cartooning.

Best Use of Non-Traditional MediumBest Atypical Art (working title):
Comics that use 3D rendering, Photography, Sprites, or Macaroni Art or anything use that breaks the mold.

Most Deliciously Offensive:
These f can be good, bad, or other.


~~~~~

USER AWARDS
Outstanding Achievement Within the Community:
The
user that will win this award is always there to participate in the
community no matter what. These people show their support for the site
within the forums and by participating in community projects.


Most Dedicated Creator:
That creator who seems to be a page-making machine, every day on
time – or maybe the one who has been at it forever and has a thousand
pages of the most amazing quality – or the one who is updating five
different regular comics on a schedule. Whatever they are doing, they
sure are DEDICATED.

Most Supportive Reader:
Maybe they leave the most comments or the most insightful ones, or
they draw wonderful fanart, or they are always available to discuss your script ideas or send you cards when you're on hiatus.


Best Newcomer Award
Awarded to a newcomer who has come to the site who has really stood out. They could be creators or dedicated readers

~~~~~

THE BIG ONES

Best Completed Comic:
Comics that were concluded sometime between July 2020 and now. (Indefinite hiatus doesn't count.)

Best Overall Comic Strip:
Best webcomic with stand-alone updates or short, unrelated story arcs, usually in a horizontal or vertical strip format.

Best Overall Story Comic:
Best webcomic that tells a continuous story, usually in full page format.

~~~~~

Create Your Own Award
Didn't see the proper award for the comic/person you were thinking of on this
list? Make one up. Create your own award and give it a winner. Best
awards will be chosen by a dedicated team of judges.


~~~~~

OTHER AWARDS

Readers' Choice Award: Presented to the comic that received the most votes overall.

Best Presenter Award: Presented after the regular awards. Readers vote for their favorite presenter.

So reasons for the changes. First off, I don't take cutting categories lightly, however, it is easy to say that you want categories “X, Y, and Z” however it is an entirely different matter to make sure that we have enough judges to cover them. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of volunteers all around the last few times so I need to cut or consolidate categories in order to ensure high quality judging and presentations. I tried cutting categories that were carve outs or have had issues with getting a stable number of nominees over the years. By carve out I mean that the comics that would ideally go into the cut categories can easily qualify for another category. (more on that later)

Also, I highly encourage anyone with opinions for the Awards join the Discord Server for the Awards. The conversation is much more fast paced and I feel like more progress has been made in there. This is the first year I'm using the Discord server for planning, and I think that it is easier to share an idea and get feedback there. However, I'm not forcing anyone to go there, I will still take into account things posted in here.

I'm looking into cutting Best Manga Style because the line is getting blurred in what separates Manga from other categories. Since comics that have a Manga style can still fit in with the listed genres.

Non Traditonal vs Traditonal Medium has been a contentious debate for many years. Enough points have been made to eliminate the traditional medium categories but to repurpose the Non Traditional. Number one, I want to change the name. It is very hard to fit the full name of the award on the trophies, so there is a working new name for it. It has also been moved the style to better reflect a new definition for the category. The category was invented to lump in several older categories from previous years including Best Photo Comic, Best Stick Figure/Simplified Art Comic, Best 3D/Poser Comic and Best Sprite Comic. The variety of nominees within those categories were flagging quite some time back, so it was decided to make a category that would encompass all those non drawn styles. Deleting the category outright would create a large gap, so instead of being a technical award, it is being moved into style where it probably should have been all along. Moving it to style makes the Traditional Medium categories superfluous especially since a lot over “hand drawn” comics still use the computer to enhance the art.

Best Supporting Character has frequently been an all or nothing award. Usually there are either no nominees or only one. Since comics have multiple supporting character, the vote ends up getting split frequently. It is also a harder category to judge.

There are a couple of other categories that have been suggested for the chopping block, but I have not officially cut yet including Best Anthropomorphic, Best Adventure and Best Superhero Comic. These categories really outline subgeneres and nominees for these categories can easily fit into another existing genre awards. However the turn out for nominees in these categories have been rather healthy compared to the categories that have been cut, and I am unsure if they need to be removed. Always open to suggestions on that.