[BIZSQUID]: Bizarro Squiddies Polls Still Open

At this time, we have received ten ballots for the Bizarro Squiddies.

Better, but still, pretty sad.

So, we're re-opening the polls for another 10 days, hoping to get into
the high double digits, at least.

Vote now!

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This is the introduction and rules for the 2002-2003 ALTERNATIVE
REC.ARTS.COMICS AWARDS, popularly known as "THE BIZARRO SQUIDDIES". 

This text is Copyright 2003 by the Bizarro Squiddies Admin Team and
may not be reproduced without permission. 

ABOUT THE BIZARRO SQUIDDIES

As you may know already, the "real" Squiddies are the annual awards
given by the participants in the rec.arts.comics Usenet hierarchy.
They recognize excellence in the field of comics and have a very fine
site which explains the whole thing at www.squiddies.org. 

The Bizarro Squiddies supplement the "real" Squiddies. They are the
awards for all the categories you wish they had really asked. Like
"Worst Cover," "Worst Retcon" and the like. Plus there are some awards
which recognize goings-on in our little communities as well. In short,
they're the fun ones. 

These awards used to be called the Alternative Squiddies, but back in
the day, Robert Armstrong renamed them to avoid confusion with the
rac.alternative newsgroup. Also the name just plain works better and
provides more appropriate initials. 

The awards this year cover the last 12 months or so, from July 2002 to
Auguest 2003.

Last year, we pushed back the 2001 Bizarro Squiddies from January to
the summer.  This was in part to accommodate the regular Squiddies
schedule better and so we could tie them into the rac* functions at
the Chicago Wizard World convention.

My thinking went like this:  First, I'll have a somewhat captive
audience to get the vote count up.  Then I remembered how the
gatherings went and felt they needed a little help.  A number of
people who aren’t regular rac* posters showed up at these events and
tended to get left out of conversations, as either people didn’t know
them (lurkers, for example) or the talk was about rac*ers who weren’t
there (leaving out significant others and friends).  It was kind of
like going to your spouse’s high school reunion.  

This approach ended up working really well.  Everyone had a good time,
people actually talked to each other about comics and, most
importantly, I tripled the number of ballots submitted.  So, we're
doing it again in Chicago and have extended it to San Diego this year,
as well. 

A list of pseudo-nominees will be posted in the next few weeks or so
to help prod memories and foster ideas.


VOTING RULES

NOTE:  These rules apply for the electronic submission of ballots
only.

WHO MAY VOTE: All readers of any of the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroups
are invited to vote. Whether fan or professional, lurker or poster,
occasional or regular reader, we want to hear from you. Last year,
vote totals in many categories were extremely close.  Every vote makes
a difference--including yours.

VOTING PERIOD: The voting period will run from July 16, 2003 through
Auguest 15, 2003.  An announcement may be made if voting is to be
extended for gathering more votes, but that's highly unlikely.

ELIGIBILITY PERIOD: The period covered by these awards is July 2002
through August 15, 2003. Anything in reference to that time is fair
game.  But I’m not going to be a real stickler about this.  If it’s
memorable or funny, but a few months too soon, go for it.

Finally, your news server has surely expired most of the postings for
for the past year by now. To freshen your memory for the threads and
discussions of the past year, head over to Google
(http://www.google.com) and their rac* archives
(http://groups.google.com/groups?as_ugroup=rec.arts.comics&hl=en). 

ABSTAINING: You may abstain in any category by just leaving that line
of the ballot blank. 

VOTING FOR "NO AWARD": If you feel that there are no outstanding
candidates for any particular category, feel free to vote for "No
Award". This is different from abstaining, which can be accomplished
by leaving the category blank on your ballot.  

BALLOTS: Vote using the ballot at the very end of the ballot post.
This should be the immediately following post in this newsgroup. 

SUBMITTING VOTES: Votes must be emailed to
([EMAIL PROTECTED]> (note that this is a .ORG address, not
.COM or .NET).

VOTE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Vote acknowledgements will be sent when your
ballot has been determined to be authentic. If you do not receive an 
acknowledgment within 72 hours, send e-mail to
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> to see if it was received. Ballots from
bouncing email addresses will not be counted. 

SPAMBLOCKS: Although we would prefer if you could disable your
spamblocks before voting, we will accept votes from addresses
containing spamblocks. We will do our best to interpret any
spamblocked "reply-to" addresses, but if the administrators can't
figure it out, we will have to throw out you ballot, and you won't get
an acknowledgement. So watch for your vote ack. If you don't get one
in a few days, contact <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.

VOTE FORMAT: Please TURN OFF any html-encoding in your email client
before voting.  I'm not so organized that the Bizarro Squiddy ballots
are read and sorted by computer, like their older brother.  But I find
dealing with HTML emails is a pain in the ass.

CHANGING YOUR VOTE: If you want to change or add to your vote, email
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Clearly indicate the category for which
you are changing your vote, what your original vote was, and what your
new vote is. Please, make sure that you are emailing your vote change
from the same address you voted from.

QUESTIONS: If you have questions or comments, mail them to
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. If, for some reason, you have
difficulty with mailing to this account, contact the Bizarro
Squiddies' spokesperson Hal Shipman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or post
your questions to rec.arts.comics.misc with an BIZ SQUIDDIES: keyword.

Note that Admin relies on killfiles to keep from putting a brick
through his monitor sometimes.  If he doesn't respond to a rac.misc
posting, you've quite possibly pissed him off and been killfiled.  So,
you'll need to email him directly.

ADMINISTRATOR: The 2002-2003 Bizarro Squiddies are being administered
by Hal Shipman, who often uses "we" when he really means him.  Just
him.  Or rather, me.  Typing until my fingers bleed, hacking up bits
of lung as the consumption takes me, smoking and drinking in my
cramped Chicago garret.  At least when I'm trying to fool myself into
thinking this is somehow romantic or edgy.  Really, I'm just too lazy
to fix all the pronouns in Johanna and Carl's copy.  And I'd like to
think I'll need another administrator some day.

Sigh.  

Anyway, Go Vote!


.
Remove the underscore in the address to reply by email.
.
The Bizarro Squiddies am here!
Polls am now open!  
Be bad Netizen - Vote!


Get yourself a ballot in any group in the 
rec.arts.comics.* heirarchy or stop by 
www.bizarrosquiddies.org