Comments on: The Final Word On Creator/Audience Boundaries? http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/ the webcomics blog about webcomics Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:24:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Doug Wykstra http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/comment-page-1/#comment-240446 Doug Wykstra Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:49:17 +0000 http://www.fleen.com/?p=2791#comment-240446 ^ Complain about the *comic* they're leaving. Sorry. ^ Complain about the *comic* they’re leaving. Sorry.

]]> By: Doug Wykstra http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/comment-page-1/#comment-240445 Doug Wykstra Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:48:12 +0000 http://www.fleen.com/?p=2791#comment-240445 ^complain about the *comic* they're leaving. ^complain about the *comic* they’re leaving.

]]> By: Doug Wykstra http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/comment-page-1/#comment-240444 Doug Wykstra Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:46:41 +0000 http://www.fleen.com/?p=2791#comment-240444 Specifically, in cases when the readership has gone on a cannibalistic rampage through a comic convention. And yeah, readers are free to leave, and they're free to complain about leaving (though not necessarily on the webcomic's forum, but that's a different can of worms). Having said that, I expect webcomic artists tired of constant fan complaints from a vocal minority to save the fifteenth panel of that comic and post it where necessary. Specifically, in cases when the readership has gone on a cannibalistic rampage through a comic convention.

And yeah, readers are free to leave, and they’re free to complain about leaving (though not necessarily on the webcomic’s forum, but that’s a different can of worms). Having said that, I expect webcomic artists tired of constant fan complaints from a vocal minority to save the fifteenth panel of that comic and post it where necessary.

]]> By: Eric Burns-White http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/comment-page-1/#comment-240403 Eric Burns-White Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:26:42 +0000 http://www.fleen.com/?p=2791#comment-240403 Oh, and the other side of the argument: the catgirl, in the last panel, is exercising the ultimate right of any reader or indeed any fandom. If a creator goes too far in subverting expectations, the readership retains the right to stop reading. Which, in some cases, is what the creator wants more than anything, mind. Oh, and the other side of the argument: the catgirl, in the last panel, is exercising the ultimate right of any reader or indeed any fandom. If a creator goes too far in subverting expectations, the readership retains the right to stop reading. Which, in some cases, is what the creator wants more than anything, mind.

]]> By: Eric Burns-White http://www.fleen.com/archives/2008/12/10/the-final-word-on-creatoraudience-boundaries/comment-page-1/#comment-240402 Eric Burns-White Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:24:43 +0000 http://www.fleen.com/?p=2791#comment-240402 Authorial intent doesn't factor into this particular debate, really. Entitlement issues don't touch on what an author might or might not have intended -- they touch on a reader asserting <em>their</em> interpretation is the <em>controlling</em> one. Jason, in the strip, is of course right. Creators are not beholden to their readers. Reader expectation isn't a contract and creators can ignore it. They'll do what they want to do, when they want to do it. But that doesn't stop a reader from <em>interpreting</em> the work however he or she pleases. If someone gets stuff out of a given work the creator didn't intend, power to them. It's when they start expecting the creator to toe the line on their interpretation that the trouble begins. Authorial intent doesn’t factor into this particular debate, really. Entitlement issues don’t touch on what an author might or might not have intended — they touch on a reader asserting their interpretation is the controlling one.

Jason, in the strip, is of course right. Creators are not beholden to their readers. Reader expectation isn’t a contract and creators can ignore it. They’ll do what they want to do, when they want to do it. But that doesn’t stop a reader from interpreting the work however he or she pleases. If someone gets stuff out of a given work the creator didn’t intend, power to them.

It’s when they start expecting the creator to toe the line on their interpretation that the trouble begins.

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