Award For Excellence In Character Development

This is something I felt I had to do... There are so many examples of great character development, and the people behind it never get the credit they deserve. This award will mainly go to online cartoonists, but there are too many great pieces of written art around to not give the writer's a fair share. There may be more great points to a comic or story than what I point out when I give the award, but I will choose ONE reason that the artist or writer deserves this award. Having recieved it once does not prevent one from recieveing it again, for something completely different. And I do not want any emails begging for an award, what are awards worth, that you have gotten for just asking? If you know another person that you feel deserve this award, however, tell me and I'll consider it. Thank you.

Award for June 2001

Awarded to Vincent Suzukawa, cartoonist of The Class Menagerie
For the creation and development of Michael Hopkins, the kyooot kangaroo that has a personality I find even more appealing than his appearance. Mikey might be a health freak, something I definitely am not, and might be a perfectionist, which I never were, but that still is well possible to identify with. A character I would not care to have as a friend, but nontheless feel strongly for, and that fills his place in the strip very well. Pity he lost his ponytail, though, I like long hair on guys... For the creation of this loveable, huggable 'roo, Vincent has more than deserved the award for June 2001.

Award for July 2001

Awarded to Maritza Campos, cartoonist of College Roomies From Hell
Maritza has gotten away with a lot doing CRFH; blowing up a dorm, turning three somewhat normal guys into freaks of nature, having said three guys being roomies despite their differences, giving them three not-so-sane female neighbors, so on, so forth. But that is not the reason she's getting the award.
The reason is the insight she's recently given us in the relation (or lack of one?) between Margaret and Dave. It has certainly given her readers a lot to think about, and while it might have answered a few questions, it raised even more new ones. Which is a sign of great character development, far as I'm concerned.

Award for August 2001

Awarded to Michael Poe, cartoonist of Exploitation Now
For the wonderful Jordan flashback storyline (and yes, I know I'm late about it. Watch me care.), where we get to know that she is, indeed, a 'villain' with motivations. Nothing worse than cardboard villains. Tragic pasts are so much more FUN! That aside, the flashback was a good one, as were the ones that came later on. A very well-deserved award, the Character Development Award for August 2001.

Award for September 2001

Awarded to Jellisky, writer of The Valley of Deceit (The Class Menagerie fanfic)
I've been meaning to give this thing out Jellisky's way all since I started the award, and he's been holding me and, I suspect, quite a few more TCM fans, in suspense that was torture between every installment. His handling of Vince's characters left nothing to desire, and the original characters for this story truly seemed to belong. Another plus is the way he's handled the inviteable speculations, and the sheer number of plot twists, each of them very much character-driven. I don't think there's been any other original characters in fanfic that I would have loved to see in the real work quite as much as those lovelies of Jellisky's. It was neither a lucky accident nor a case of mind-control that he got September's award.

Award for October 2001

Awarded to Avarice, writer of many a Boy meets Boy fanfic and webmaster of, among others, Whee! I'm naked!
Av-Av has amazed us with fics such as Always the Blade, Slippery When Wet (that was cowritten with the Goddess herself), The Power of Creativity and Precious Little Else, but it was not until Once Upon a Time that I could begin to guess her genious, and with her Chalk and Charcoal series, I was sold. If there's anyone besides Sandra that knows Ty better than Av, I surely haven't heard from them. And it isn't only the lovely redhead that gains a new side from the aforementioned Mik/Ty fiction, the silent artsy Russian we've gotten to know as Harley's boyfriend has gotten a new dimention from the words on Avarice's paper. I don't think it humanly possible to develop another's characters like Av has done those two, and I am pleased to give to her the October 2001 Award of Excellence in Character Development.

Award for November 2001

Awarded to Manhattan, writer and poet
Who says you can't have nine characters? Who says you can't let those nine characters share the all-important role of POV characters? Who says...
Mattie's work for NaNoWriMo is nothing short of amazing, so far, and when she's written her one-month novel to a finish, it will surely be a marvelous piece of writing. For a cast of very original characters and their dynamic interaction, the November 2001 Award of Excellence in Character Development goes to none less than the wonderful Manhattan.