The latest (beta) version of our toonBattle feature is online now. I asked toonpool.com’s creative director to explain what this is all about and how this thing works.
Hi, Battlestar! So.. what exactly is this toonBattle thing everyone’s talking about?
ToonBattle is a way for our users to discuss certain topics and questions. The interesting thing is that the “language” used for the discussion is purely artistic: artists post cartoons to make their point. The topics discussed can be cultural, political, philosophical.. you name it.
This is the second version of toonBattle. How is it different from the last one?
We made some technical changes and improved the look of the toonBattle. The main improvement is that everyone can create their own toonBattles now. This is still a beta version, however. Things might not work perfectly well yet, and we hope that people will give us some feedback.
Let’s assume I want to take part in one of those toonBattles.. How do I do it?
To join a battle, you go to that individual battle’s page – for example via the toonBattle main page. Just below the headers saying “Yes, I am in favour!” and “No, I am against it!” you’ll find links allowing you to join either side.
You can choose between “Upload” and “Choose from your Gallery”. “Upload” will let you upload a cartoon from your computer. It will also appear in your own gallery. The other option is to “Choose from your Gallery”, i.e. join the toonBattle with a cartoon that is already part of your gallery. People not adding cartoons can leave a comment instead.
What if I want to start my own toonBattle?
Just click on the button labeled “Submit your own battle here”. Then you have come up with a name, a statement expressing you opinion. For example: “Nuclear energy is dangerous. Let’s change”. You should also add a “slogan” giving further information. In our example this could be something like “Many countries are powered by nuclear plants. We need to learn how to live without them.”
Then, you add your first cartoon – again either “upload” a new one or “choose one from your gallery”. Well.. and that’s basically it. People can now add their cartoons.
Can I delete pictures I have added by mistake?
Yes, you can do this by going to your own profile page. Click edit”– that’s right below your “highlight” cartoon. You should get a list of your own works now. Click the “pencil” icon below the picture you want to remove from a toonBattle. Among other things, you will see a list of the toonBattles it has been posted to. Select “I don’t care” and then click “save”. It should be gone then.
If I am embarrassed by a toonBattle I have started? Can I delete that one too?
No, unfortunately you can’t. You will have to ask the toonpool.com staff to remove it for you. But to make sure everything looks alright, you may use the “preview” feature before actually submitting a toonBattle.
So, what do you expect from this new feature?
We hope it will create some additional interaction between toonpool.com users. It’s also supposed to motivate artists to create works on specific topics in order to express their opinions. Images communicate messages in a way that’s different from words and sentences. There is much more room for interpretation.
We hope this will lead to some interesting results. And, of course, it’s supposed to be fun. ToonBattle is not about “who is right and who is not” but about wit and creativity.
Thanks for your time!
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