BE Story Club Presents: Spells R Us #4

[ryantherebel]

Originally Posted by catfish27

To me, it doesn't really have the tone of a "canon" Spells 'R' Us story. It's kind of playing out like a "Twilight Zone" episode.

Minus the good writing.

[dragon6860]

Catfish, I forgot about the principal scene, but to be honest, I was sort of ok with that scene BECAUSE he got caught, arrested, and all the bad things that should of happened did. I don't mind mind control if it's shown as a bad thing that people are trying to stop. I mean, my story on the BEASC has some mind control at the end, but they're trying to stop it, so it's a bit different. It's only when the mind controll is shown to be a plus, that i get really squicky.

Like there was one story, I forget which, where some guy got married to a girl, and in the house, he had (I think) promiently displayed, photos of big boobed girls, which he kissed every night before bed. Later on, he sent his wife somewhere where she got big boobs, and a IQ reduction. Standard Bimboification story, but the way the guy acted really creeped me out.

[dragon6860]

Blake, Thank you for your post, it's always good to get a somewhat insider's point of view. Thanks for clearing it up and answering some questions! And yes, I have to agree that this comic made me ashamed to like BE.

I once showed one of my ex GFs some art done by Johnny Swell, and she actually really really liked it. I'd never ever show her that comic, which is too bad, as Portal actually does some very nice art.

[ryantherebel]

Originally Posted by dragon6860

I once showed one of my ex GFs some art done by Johnny Swell, and she actually really really liked it.

And she didn't get uncomfortable looking at them? Wow, but to be honest Swell's art tends to be very classy.

[SkruLuce]

Originally Posted by dragon6860

Blake, Thank you for your post, it's always good to get a somewhat insider's point of view. Thanks for clearing it up and answering some questions! And yes, I have to agree that this comic made me ashamed to like BE.

I once showed one of my ex GFs some art done by Johnny Swell, and she actually really really liked it. I'd never ever show her that comic, which is too bad, as Portal actually does some very nice art.

I would suggest showing her The Boob Fairy or possibly the first two Remote Out of Control issues. The third one is a bit iffy--but you know your girlfriend and I don't.

[ryantherebel]

Originally Posted by SkruLuce

I would suggest showing her The Boob Fairy or possibly the first two Remote Out of Control issues. The third one is a bit iffy--but you know your girlfriend and I don't.

Nice recomendation, Fairy Tale is a personal favorite of mine.

[Prophet Tenebrae]

Thanks Blake...

I do not own or run the BESC, I'm just getting paid to edit stories... would that I got paid to suffer fools.

If people paid attention, they'd know that Dream Girl has actually been in production SO long, I wasn't even editor way back when it started and during my tenure as the BESC editor, I can honestly say that at no point did so much as a draft of the comic pass through my hands.

Had I seen the script for issue 4, my eyebrow would have headed skyward... even cursory reading of my stories will illustrate that the humiliation/exploitation themes of Dream Girl are pretty much diametrically opposed to my own personal preferences...

There are a fair number of MC/bimbo type stories... but then, that's a fairly prevalent theme in BE as a genre. It's not for me and clearly not for many of the people who have posted here but it's fair to say that you're never going to please all of the people, all of the time.

[gabe]

I usually don't chime in, especially on other boards, but I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few things. For those who don't know me, I am the current manager of the BE Story Club and have been for the past year.

First and foremost, let me say that I personally did not like the way SRU4 turned out. Art wise it was top-notch, as it always is when Portalcomic is on board. Story wise, eh... not my cup of tea. Now you may be asking, "but Gabe, if you personally didn't like the story then why release it?" Well, this comic had been in production since before I came on board. The script was done, some sketches were done and constant e-mails from users asking for the fourth chapter were frequent. It was my decision to finish the story as it was originally intended. I feel that it was more important to keep the original story as the author intended and the same artist who originally drew the first three chapters. I believed (and still do) that this was the best thing to do to preserve the comic as it was meant to be. I think more people would be angry at me if I tossed the comic into the abyss never to let anyone see it just because it may not have met the expectations or personal taste of some people.

Secondly, it bothers me to see people accusing the Story Club staff (including our editor Prophet) as being misogynists. It seems to be a bit juvenile to read one comic on an entire site, not like the story and then jump to that conclusion. There are many stories and comics on the BESC that don't deal with bimbofication. Go read some of the stories by Bill Pratt or read the free sample of Unstable Assets by Lorekeep (with new chapters in the works), just to name a few. If you don't like a story you have every right to bash it, it actually helps me find authors who cater to the general consensus and find themes members will enjoy. But why turn it into a personal vendetta?

Now for something constructive. If you have great ideas for stories or comics then why don't you send us a script? We are always looking for new authors who produce quality stuff. We do pay you for your work and we aren't misogynistic assholes as some people previously alluded to.

[Blake Isaac Gordon]

Originally Posted by gabe

...I am the current manager of the BE Story Club and have been for the past year.

First and foremost, let me say that I personally did not like the way SRU4 turned out. Art wise it was top-notch, as it always is when Portalcomic is on board. Story wise, eh... not my cup of tea. Now you may be asking, "but Gabe, if you personally didn't like the story then why release it?" Well, this comic had been in production since before I came on board. The script was done, some sketches were done and constant e-mails from users asking for the fourth chapter were frequent. It was my decision to finish the story as it was originally intended. I feel that it was more important to keep the original story as the author intended and the same artist who originally drew the first three chapters. I believed (and still do) that this was the best thing to do to preserve the comic as it was meant to be. I think more people would be angry at me if I tossed the comic into the abyss never to let anyone see it just because it may not have met the expectations or personal taste of some people.

Secondly, it bothers me to see people accusing the Story Club staff (including our editor Prophet) as being misogynists. It seems to be a bit juvenile to read one comic on an entire site, not like the story and then jump to that conclusion. There are many stories and comics on the BESC that don't deal with bimbofication. Go read some of the stories by Bill Pratt or read the free sample of Unstable Assets by Lorekeep (with new chapters in the works), just to name a few. If you don't like a story you have every right to bash it, it actually helps me find authors who cater to the general consensus and find themes members will enjoy. But why turn it into a personal vendetta?

Now for something constructive. If you have great ideas for stories or comics then why don't you send us a script? We are always looking for new authors who produce quality stuff. We do pay you for your work and we aren't misogynistic assholes as some people previously alluded to.

I?m not going to sit and let this thread end 'as is'? For those new to this thread. I will now talk some 'smack'. If you do not like 'smack' or if 'smack' is not approved by the sites Admins... Please ignore/fix this post...

Story wise, eh... not my cup of tea.

See this comment right here? I?m gonna call BS. Gabe you are the Story Club Director. You have to defer to Taylor?s final decision, but you are the Director. Anything the BESC releases is a DIRECT reflection of the BESC. SRU Dream Girl is not a COMPLETE 'black hole' of sexual derangement... it has moments. SRU Dream girl had conflict galore. Even on issue four the parents arrived and comforted their little girl. BUT you, Gabe, need to take responsibility for it. I can pardon Prophet Ten, for he never saw a script, but you did. You gave it the green light, this is your suit- wear it.

?it bothers me to see people accusing the Story Club staff (including our editor Prophet) as being misogynists.

Its funny you should say that. BE by its very nature places women in a somewhat ?Objectification role.? It doesn?t take much to put things into a real bad light. For BESC defense I have not talked with Anonymoose, or seen a SRU Dream Girl script, or even understand what the whole SRU ?story collective? is, but I need to make a point. Just because your customer base demands it does not mean you have to do it. If you put out a bunch of stories where the various characters consisting of Minority Women have the basic line of: ?I sure luv cock! All I want to do is?? and then you have numerous female blond characters being CEOs, engineers, scientists, and other intellectual heroes saving the day and fighting evil while having respectable sexual relations? People are going to start to read between the lines. So don?t try and explain things away with such a tidy paragraph answer. BESC is what it publishes. (PS I've read some of Ten's stories... I know what he stands for...)

I mentioned Laelia fiction because his work has class. Everyone one of his characters has depth, motivations, and strong sexual urges. And I bet there wouldn't be... lets say... Nazis... And if there where the main female hero would use her 'Nipples of Justice' to defeat the Third Reich.

If you don't like a story you have every right to bash it, it actually helps me find authors who cater to the general consensus and find themes members will enjoy. But why turn it into a personal vendetta?

I?ll tell you why I have a vendetta. I submitted ?Magic Chocolate Drink? for the BESC story contest. I won third and I believe that my entry would have 9 images? Guess what- there are only five? Where the heck are the other four? It?s a WOW story and it has no WOW images. I really cannot say I want to submit anything to BESC again for that very reason. It boils down to how things are run. Leviathan was the fist BESC editor...but in time he bailed. I cannot give a direct quote, but from what I head he said it was the communication... I'll tell you right now, by my perception, the BE author pool is drying up. Either take steps of 'conservation' or learn to do without.


BESC is a COMMERCIAL WEB site... it gets $$$ from people who pay to see content. Gabe, take responsibility for such content. I know I will take responsibility for mine.

[LK]

Originally Posted by Blake Isaac Gordon

I’m not going to sit and let this thread end 'as is'… For those new to this thread. I will now talk some 'smack'. If you do not like 'smack' or if 'smack' is not approved by the sites Admins... Please ignore/fix this post...

Story wise, eh... not my cup of tea.

See this comment right here… I’m gonna call BS. Gabe you are the Story Club Director. You have to defer to Taylor’s final decision, but you are the Director. Anything the BESC releases is a DIRECT reflection of the BESC. SRU Dream Girl is not a COMPLETE 'black hole' of sexual derangement... it has moments. SRU Dream girl had conflict galore. Even on issue four the parents arrived and comforted their little girl. BUT you, Gabe, need to take responsibility for it. I can pardon Prophet Ten, for he never saw a script, but you did. You gave it the green light, this is your suit- wear it.

And how did he not just take responsibility? He explained his reasons for why he put the story out, and I for one agree with him. At the very least, this will serve as a lesson for future works. If people feel gypped, they should have gotten Unstable Assets #1 on the same month of subscription. So maybe those cancel each other out. But there's still all the other content on the website that makes it worth to subscribe at least for a month.

Originally Posted by Blake Isaac Gordon

…it bothers me to see people accusing the Story Club staff (including our editor Prophet) as being misogynists.

Its funny you should say that. BE by its very nature places women in a somewhat ‘Objectification role.’ It doesn’t take much to put things into a real bad light. For BESC defense I have not talked with Anonymoose, or seen a SRU Dream Girl script, or even understand what the whole SRU ‘story collective’ is, but I need to make a point. Just because your customer base demands it does not mean you have to do it. If you put out a bunch of stories where the various characters consisting of Minority Women have the basic line of: “I sure luv cock! All I want to do is…” and then you have numerous female blond characters being CEOs, engineers, scientists, and other intellectual heroes saving the day and fighting evil while having respectable sexual relations… People are going to start to read between the lines. So don’t try and explain things away with such a tidy paragraph answer. BESC is what it publishes. (PS I've read some of Ten's stories... I know what he stands for...)

Just like I'm reading between the lines of what you write. I think you're reading *way* too much into this. Shall they start putting a disclaimer on their work "the views expressed by this comic are not representative of those of the BESC."? They were pressured to release Spells R' Us #4, and the circumstances of the situation dictated it go out like this. But I'm hoping it is more representative of the BESC the stuff I produce for them and they publish.

BTW, if you've read Tenebrae's stories, then did you enjoy them? If not, why? Please do not use "I didn't agree with the views expressed in the work of fiction by the author." That's a really damned good starting point.

Originally Posted by Blake Isaac Gordon

I mentioned Laelia fiction because his work has class. Everyone one of his characters has depth, motivations, and strong sexual urges. And I bet there wouldn't be... lets say... Nazis... And if there where the main female hero would use her 'Nipples of Justice' to defeat the Third Reich.

That's twice you've inferred Nazis. So either you're Republican or a guest commentator on Fox News. In any case it's never cool to so casually toss around such a insult. Might I recommend a better example of who to avoid? Ike Turner.

Originally Posted by Blake Isaac Gordon

If you don't like a story you have every right to bash it, it actually helps me find authors who cater to the general consensus and find themes members will enjoy. But why turn it into a personal vendetta?

I’ll tell you why I have a vendetta. I submitted ‘Magic Chocolate Drink’ for the BESC story contest. I won third and I believe that my entry would have 9 images… Guess what- there are only five… Where the heck are the other four? It’s a WOW story and it has no WOW images. I really cannot say I want to submit anything to BESC again for that very reason. It boils down to how things are run. Leviathan was the fist BESC editor...but in time he bailed. I cannot give a direct quote, but from what I head he said it was the communication... I'll tell you right now, by my perception, the BE author pool is drying up. Either take steps of 'conservation' or learn to do without.

Oh ho ho! It's personal! That just colors everything you wrote and adds that certain air of authenticity and bullshit. I wouldn't want you to submit anything to BESC anyway if you can't even come up with an original concept for a story on there and have to use someone else's I.P. As far as a lack of authors, I don't really think that is the problem. Not as bad as a lack of artists.

BTW, what you believe and what was said would be done are two very different things, and is also private business you should be taking up with the involved parties instead of spewing personally-motivated hate speech on my forum.

Originally Posted by Blake Isaac Gordon

BESC is a COMMERCIAL WEB site... it gets $$$ from people who pay to see content. Gabe, take responsibility for such content. I know I will take responsibility for mine.

Yeah Gabe, take responsibility for my content.

And, what content are you taking responsibility for? This rant? Shit.

[Prophet Tenebrae]

I wrote Fairy Tale. That - much like the Diary Of Dr. Alexandra Stransfrom - was an idea I'd had churning in my head for sometime. I was given the remit of a 15 page comic, the first five pages of which would be used as a new tour for the BESC (hence the gratuitous BESC plug on page 5)... which is why I stuck a lot in there.

Although, I think that the FMG and growth elements I put in were somewhat less obvious due to the illustration style than I had intended... but I'm still quite happy about how it turned out.

[SkruLuce]

Originally Posted by Prophet Tenebrae

Although, I think that the FMG and growth elements I put in were somewhat less obvious due to the illustration style than I had intended... but I'm still quite happy about how it turned out.

Actually, I've noticed PortalComic's 'muscular' women tend to not look that different from normal-sized women. In Fairy Tale I really couldn't tell aside from the ripped jeans and tighter sleeves that the one girl had gotten any more muscular at all.