Technology has influenced our ways of looking at the world both for the good and the bad. While it has given us the ability to experience other cultures, it has also created a barrier that we as a society have grown attached to. A barrier that has made it hard for some of us to connect with each other. And with its constant interaction with technology, nerd culture has started to suffer. Bigotry, harassment, threats, and verbal attacks are just some of the behaviors that have become sadly commonplace in the culture's world. These behaviors have found their targets on many sub-sects of the nerd culture population from female nerds to nerds of different sexualities. There are those who have tried to stand up against the injustice, but their cries have fallen on covered ears.
Yet, there could be light at the of the warp pipe. Where others have tried to change nerd culture's ideas with mainstream and traditional ideas, it seems there is a way they haven't tried. And that's through a language that all members of nerd culture seem to understand: comic books.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is an online comic that is updated twice a month. The storyline follows four roommates through their daily journeys in nerd culture. The four roommates span multiple spectrums of identity such as Nerd/Geek identity, sexuality, and gender. The overall tone of the comic will be humorous, but most the topics that they discuss and the situations they experience will be serious. The characters will have to deal with a variety of situations from fandom drama to harassment and threats. Through the comic, the audience will be able to see the current issues in nerd culture through a raw, honest lens.
The Royalty in the Other Castles is a small time project that would require that many people involved. There would be a couple of artists and writers to create the comic as well as a small staff of editors, web designers, and social media directors to help manage the website and overall production.
Funding for a project such as this will be rocky. Being an independently published web comic can eat into any earnings that you might make. Yet, I believe that going to the site Kickstarter would be an adequate way of getting the money needed while gaining exposure in the process. The money would be going towards equipment, software, and web hosting for the comic's production. With cushion funds for repairs and other mishaps that might happen along the way, the total funding for this project would come to about $9,500. It is a bit steep, but the money would be going towards a good cause.
The timeline for Royalty is not a standard timeline. The first order of business would be to raise the funds necessary to get the comic strip started. From past experience, such a popular form of nerd culture media with such a cause would take around a year and a half at most to raise the money. After the funds are reached, there would be a two month break in order to get the devices, set up a studio, and start work on the first piece. The final part of the timeline would be the creation and updating of the comic. The timeline for the final portion would be indefinite until the creators decide to end the comic. Yet, the comic will be updated on a bi-monthly schedule. This would give the creators, editors, and designers a chance to create the comic and then go over and tweak anything.
The goal of The Royalty in the Other Castles is a simple goal: raise awareness and change minds. Comic books have a long history of tackling troublesome and hot social topics. From drug abuse to mass death to historical first moments, the list of topics commented on by comic books goes on. Yet, I chose a medium that allows for some levity. Although the comic will be touching sensitive and serious topics, entertainment allows for the audience to want to read the comic further rather than get bored with the soap box it could become. Through this comic, I want to show the world a first hand look at what it's like to be the one with the target on their back. To be afraid to walk around a convention floor because of harassment. To need to lie about your sexuality so you don't get attacked while playing video games online. To see what it's like to be silenced in a conversation because of your sex or gender. And all while making clever nerd culture references in the process.
Overall, a compelling, interesting pitch, UC! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought is that the first two paragraphs are in the wrong spot. Like in a good fiction story, I wanted action right away – I feel that starting with select parts of the last paragraph might work well, and weaving in the points you make in your current first paragraph throughout the piece might make it a more cohesive, engaging piece.
E.G.:
The goal of The Royalty in the Other Castles is a simple goal: raise awareness and change minds. Comic books have a long history of tackling troublesome social topics, from drug abuse to genocide to historical first moments, the list of topics goes on. That said, at heart it's a medium that allows for levity. The Royalty in the Other Castles will touch on sensitive and serious topics, but with a layer of comedy and drama that ensnares the audience. Through The Royalty in the Other Castles, I will give the world a first hand look at what it's like to be the one with the target on their back because of harassment, online bullying and sexual repression. Through this comic, I will motivate a change within the gaming world... all while making clever nerd culture references in the process.
Or similar...
Also, I know I'm the queen of the run-on sentence, but sometimes I think you miss little places where a compound sentence would help the flow of the piece a little. For instance, changing:
The Royalty in the Other Castles is an online comic that is updated weekly. The storyline follows four roommates through their daily journeys in nerd culture.
to
The Royalty in the Other Castles is an online comic that is updated weekly, following four roommates through their daily journeys in nerd culture.
Makes that paragraph a little smoother.
Good luck!
VM