Zuda January 2010 is almost over. Although Pavlov’s Dream hadn’t done as good as we would have liked (we are noob when it comes to pimping). We are happy to get to be in the competition and to hear a lot of useful feedback that would help us improve in future project. Here’s the reviews so far:

Mike Perridge (mpd57)
[...]It does worryingly shift slightly over the course of eight screens from a lush but subtle European illustrated children’s tale into something more noticeably Manga-ish and I hope the creatives can pull back from that just a little. Seems a shame to make it so obvious when there was a cool blend going on to begin with. Even if it does go the whole hog and develop into that manga style I still think it’ll look good and read well. I was happy to be rid of the picto-grams myself but it’s all a question of personal taste.

Despite my own tastes I think this is good work all round and deserves a lot better. The synopsis is solid too – not that it does anything more than any other synopsis is supposed to do, but just a great choice of words and plain language. Lots of people have a go at this kind of ‘junior’ reading thing and fail badly because they think the target audience will be easier on them, but quality is quality is quality and audience age doesn’t have a great deal to do with it. At some point these creatives will pull through with something somewhere. One wonders how long Zuda can keep showing talent in order for other publishers to cherry pick the best talent. I know it doesn’t really work like that, but that must be at least the perception among some viewers. This should be fighting for the win.

Comics Vault
This whimsical story from Shari Chankhamma stands out pretty well among the mostly darker, action stories on Zuda, as it tells the (sometimes wordless) story of a couple kids who go through a door to another fantastic world where adventure awaits in the form of a spirit inhabiting the main character’s shadow. Or, it would stand out, if it weren’t similar artistically (in terms of color palette, anyway) and thematically to November’s Molly and the Amazing Door Tree.

That strip, you might recall, finished 9th, and while Chankhamma shows some innovation in page layout and use of graphic symbols in place of dialogue (Scott McCloud would be so proud) I’m afraid this one isn’t likely to fare much better.

My Grades: I liked it okay, though it was just a bit choppy at times; it’s harder to establish a mood in eight pages than it is to craft a hook for a plot-driven story. Within those constraints, then, I’ll give this one a B.

Lefty Films Blog
Other than the pace being off and the dreaded synopsis curse (it’s far too long and expository), I can’t really see anything really outstandingly wrong with this comic. It’s like the C.S. Lewis version of an H.P. Lovecraft story. The use of pictograms as well as actual text is great. The character of the Shadow is a nice and slow introduction to the Land of the Dead, and you can tell he will be a great guide, good or evil. I got a sense of who the characters are. This might stand a chance now that Imaginary Boys is in its off-season, but if picked, I can see it really having to put up a fight in order to prove itself.

Thanks to everyone who took time to read and reviews, and all the comments on zuda, we really appreciated them.

I called it contest but it’s more like a sweepstakes XD

To thank everyone for participating in this month’s Zuda I’m holding a contest, and everyone is eligible. The prize is the goodie package shown in the photo below which contains a set of five pinback buttons, four postcards, four bookmarks, and a copy of “Beleth’s Library of Eclecticism”.

To enter, send an email to shari.hes@gmail.com with the subject line: “Pavlov’s Dream: January Zuda Contest”. In the body include your name (real or screen) and email address where you can be reached.

On the last day of the January Zuda competition three names will be randomly drawn and email notifications sent. The prizes will be mailed out ASAP once the winners are contacted. If any winner cannot be reached within 2 days of the email notifications, another name will be drawn.

Please don’t hesitate to enter, you might be the only one who do! Free goodies are nothing to sneeze at XD

Don’t forget to read and vote for Pavlov’s Dream!