At the moment I'm counting 21 valid entrants, with about 16 hours to go. 24 might be a good number. So might 27, 28, or 32. If things aren't quite right, I'll invent a few nicknames without creating the accounts, post them in the schedule of matches, and then whoever wants to grab those nicknames can do so. If no one does, their opponents will have first round walkovers.
Now, as promised, here's some specification on rules for the matches in this cup. I'm not terribly fond of the format in which each round piles on another rule until things get unworkably twisted; it may deter funny comics. So let me first observe that rules can be divided into three classes:
- Text Rules: Rules that directly influence the contents of the ten text fields (title, 3 narration, 6 dialogue). Examples we've seen in the past include "use the word 'earmuffs'" and "each dialogue box must contain a haiku."
- Visual Rules: Rules that influence the pictured objects (characters, props, backgrounds). Examples would be "the three different backgrounds must be in alphabetical order from left to right" or "you must use exactly two threereasons characters, both facing to the left."
- Content Rules: Basically, the rest of the rules, for example, "one panel must take place in 1969" or "one of the characters speaks French."
What I want to do is collect potential rules in bundles of 3, one from each of those categories. Then each match will consist of three randomly selected rules, one text, one visual, and one content. People can email me rulesets (and I hope everyone who has an entry in this event will submit at least one), or they can post them here. Just remember, you never know whether Lady Luck will make you work under any of those rules.
One more thing: Emailing me a set of rules makes you eligible to vote on the matches. Including your own, since no one will be any wiser unless you loudly vote for it each round :-) (Why email only to institute eligibility? To make vote fraud tougher, of course.)