Those Two Guys - The Comics of NatoGreavesy.
Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:27 pm
HEY HEY HEY. I didn't know that when I started reading.NatoGreavesy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:02 pmAnd I'm sure it has nothing to do with you being in it...
Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:48 pm
Hey guys. I’ve been kinda quiet for a while, and figured it was time to have a talk about why. I tried making a small post about this on the gallery, but it looks like it didn’t get past moderation, so I’m just going to make a larger, less reserved post here.
I’ve been part of this community for a long time. I love Mega Bloks. I love the Gallery. (The fact that I still call them that rather than Mega Construx and Unboxed should give you an idea of how much of a dinosaur I am). And most importantly, I love telling stories with these goofy plastic figures that we all hold so dear.
But over the years, things have changed. Moderation standards have grown harsher and more inconsistent. Many of the community members who originally supported me in the comic-creating process (and who still have characters named after them to this day) have retired from the site. We’ve endured global lockdowns and loss of life. The Antares crossover event in my comics has been delayed due to IRL issues being faced by one of the collaborators.
But the biggest change, for me, has been this website’s community. The Gallery has become Unboxed, the forums have fallen out of use, and the community has changed in ways I never expected and still don’t understand. The community I see today isn’t the one I fell in love with all of those years ago when I started out making comics.
Many, many new users have joined the community, and though more members are always great, I feel that many of these new users have brought with them a selfish, unsupportive culture. These are users who refuse to use the forums or communicate with the rest of the community, who are only interested in their own popularity and gratification. These are users who choose to ignore things like the community’s contest schedule then complain when no one enters their contests. These are users who post the same picture seven times in three days and have the gall to whine about it when no one comments on their posts anymore. These are users who have no interest in creative content or storytelling, and who I’ve seen actively discourage other people from posting comics by leaving nasty and abusive comments.
It’s become increasingly clear to me that there is less and less interest in quality content and long-form storytelling among the users of this site… and I don’t really know what to do about that. I’ve poured so much time and money into this hobby that it doesn’t feel right letting it go.
To cite my own experiences, my most recent bout of customs “The Children of Atriox”, are easily my proudest accomplishment since joining this site. But that excitement was marred by several of our new, immature users, one who obnoxiously pelted my posts with needless abuse and ridicule, and another who repeatedly accused me of plagiarising something he made, failing to process in his puny prepubescent mind that he was neither the first nor only person to ever do a simple pop-and-swap custom like sticking a different head on a Cabal body. It’s stupid, simple stuff, but it hurt. A lot of money, time, effort, glue, parts, sweat, and blood (I had an accident where I cut some of my fingers quite badly with a hobby knife) while making those customs, so getting those sorts of reactions actually really stung.
In a similar vein, my latest comic, Antares: Arbitration, has been immensely popular with the handful of old users who have been long-standing fans of my content, but has received next to no commentary or attention from anyone else. All of these factors have led to a slump in my posting, as I debate whether it’s worth continuing. I don’t want to stop, but there’s no point continuing to do this in a place where it’s clearly unappreciated.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and thinking about all the other times in my life people told me that what I wrote wasn’t good enough, that writing is an impossible industry to get into, than no one will want to hear the stories I have to tell.
And I reached a decision.
I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to give in. I’m not going to stop. Antares: Arbitration will continue, and conclude. And after that, I’m going to keep doing what I love, and encourage others to do the same. And in time, I hope, this place will once again resemble the community I first fell in love with. Because there is no ending to a good story, it’s just the place where you stop reading… and I’m not ready to close this chapter yet.
Let’s start a comic content renaissance and show these newbies how things used to be.
I’ve been part of this community for a long time. I love Mega Bloks. I love the Gallery. (The fact that I still call them that rather than Mega Construx and Unboxed should give you an idea of how much of a dinosaur I am). And most importantly, I love telling stories with these goofy plastic figures that we all hold so dear.
But over the years, things have changed. Moderation standards have grown harsher and more inconsistent. Many of the community members who originally supported me in the comic-creating process (and who still have characters named after them to this day) have retired from the site. We’ve endured global lockdowns and loss of life. The Antares crossover event in my comics has been delayed due to IRL issues being faced by one of the collaborators.
But the biggest change, for me, has been this website’s community. The Gallery has become Unboxed, the forums have fallen out of use, and the community has changed in ways I never expected and still don’t understand. The community I see today isn’t the one I fell in love with all of those years ago when I started out making comics.
Many, many new users have joined the community, and though more members are always great, I feel that many of these new users have brought with them a selfish, unsupportive culture. These are users who refuse to use the forums or communicate with the rest of the community, who are only interested in their own popularity and gratification. These are users who choose to ignore things like the community’s contest schedule then complain when no one enters their contests. These are users who post the same picture seven times in three days and have the gall to whine about it when no one comments on their posts anymore. These are users who have no interest in creative content or storytelling, and who I’ve seen actively discourage other people from posting comics by leaving nasty and abusive comments.
It’s become increasingly clear to me that there is less and less interest in quality content and long-form storytelling among the users of this site… and I don’t really know what to do about that. I’ve poured so much time and money into this hobby that it doesn’t feel right letting it go.
To cite my own experiences, my most recent bout of customs “The Children of Atriox”, are easily my proudest accomplishment since joining this site. But that excitement was marred by several of our new, immature users, one who obnoxiously pelted my posts with needless abuse and ridicule, and another who repeatedly accused me of plagiarising something he made, failing to process in his puny prepubescent mind that he was neither the first nor only person to ever do a simple pop-and-swap custom like sticking a different head on a Cabal body. It’s stupid, simple stuff, but it hurt. A lot of money, time, effort, glue, parts, sweat, and blood (I had an accident where I cut some of my fingers quite badly with a hobby knife) while making those customs, so getting those sorts of reactions actually really stung.
In a similar vein, my latest comic, Antares: Arbitration, has been immensely popular with the handful of old users who have been long-standing fans of my content, but has received next to no commentary or attention from anyone else. All of these factors have led to a slump in my posting, as I debate whether it’s worth continuing. I don’t want to stop, but there’s no point continuing to do this in a place where it’s clearly unappreciated.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and thinking about all the other times in my life people told me that what I wrote wasn’t good enough, that writing is an impossible industry to get into, than no one will want to hear the stories I have to tell.
And I reached a decision.
I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to give in. I’m not going to stop. Antares: Arbitration will continue, and conclude. And after that, I’m going to keep doing what I love, and encourage others to do the same. And in time, I hope, this place will once again resemble the community I first fell in love with. Because there is no ending to a good story, it’s just the place where you stop reading… and I’m not ready to close this chapter yet.
Let’s start a comic content renaissance and show these newbies how things used to be.
Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:47 am
Oh I totally understand all of that, Nato! I think that the inconsistent and strict moderation has definitely been something that has put me off and driven me away from the Gallery in recent years, sadly. That and the lack of activity here on the forums and the lack of a real community of friendly and likeminded people. This has all played a part in pushing me away from this community that I once called home.
I also wanna add that I think your series is hands down one of the best on the site, likewise your customs are consistently top-notch... I can definitely understand how people being overly critical of something you're really proud of would get you down though.
And I want to help out and keep working on my comic, and try and bring the gallery back to its glory days too, but I've got other creative commitments, and as much as I love the Mega-Verse, my life has drifted away from my comic somewhat. I still have regular contact with some of the people in this community, and I hope that I've left a positive legacy and influence on this place that has been shaped and melded by all of us in the Mega-Verse, myself included
I also wanna add that I think your series is hands down one of the best on the site, likewise your customs are consistently top-notch... I can definitely understand how people being overly critical of something you're really proud of would get you down though.
And I want to help out and keep working on my comic, and try and bring the gallery back to its glory days too, but I've got other creative commitments, and as much as I love the Mega-Verse, my life has drifted away from my comic somewhat. I still have regular contact with some of the people in this community, and I hope that I've left a positive legacy and influence on this place that has been shaped and melded by all of us in the Mega-Verse, myself included
Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:22 pm
Hear hear to both of you guys. i fell in love with the gallery in October 2019. I know my stuff was bad but i had fun with it. the second the gallery became "unboxed" it changed the way people posted and ATON of new people came once lockdowns started. As more people left it caused many to start leaving. i'm not quiting yet and maybe i never will, but the gallery changed for good and it can't change back. i too noticed more negative comics but i tried to put them away because i knew i could use improvements. the only people commenting on my posts are new people with negative comments or people with ceta and ratss who we talk frequently. i try to always say something positive about people posts but sometimes something ticks me off and i explode. we all do that but dang something tick me off more than others. or i just leave them alone.
Now i have figured out that i want to do photography as a side career or something like that. the only way that happened was through the gallery of old. i shall try to convince myself to start making comics or long stories with a few pictures. I would gladly start a comic renaissance with you guys.
Now i have figured out that i want to do photography as a side career or something like that. the only way that happened was through the gallery of old. i shall try to convince myself to start making comics or long stories with a few pictures. I would gladly start a comic renaissance with you guys.
Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:09 am
Hey everyone.
Since 2016, I’ve been making comics on the MCX Fan Gallery, telling the strange, sprawling, self-indulgent tale of two unlikely heroes and their adventures in an alternate Halo universe.
While these stories have attracted plenty of fans and followers over the years, many of my readers haven’t been around since the start, and due to the way the site is set up, finding and reading all of my past stories can prove a challenge. I've done some recaps in the past, but I feel like those don't really do my stories justice, so after months of work, I’ve compiled my first 14 comics into 36 videos, complete with sound effects and music, to bring my old comics to a new audience in a fresh format.
Aside from a few dates that may have been edited, these comics will be as they originally appeared on the Gallery, so there are probably plenty of flubs and typos in there. Apologies in advance for that, but with other 6000 images to sift through, I didn’t have the time or patience to fix every error.
My stories are also part of the Mega-Verse collaboration, several ongoing stories from different writers that all take part in a shared universe. For the most part, these different comics don’t crossover too much, and where they do intersect with mine I’ll include a quick note in the video description to help clarify any details that might be confusing.
With all that out of the way, settle in and watch out for my comics over the coming weeks. I was originally planning to release each video simultaneously on Youtube and the Gallery, but since even the teaser I uploaded here didn't pass moderation, I think that's going to be pointless. As such, the Mega-Verse Entertainment Youtube Channel is going to be the only place to catch my comics. Whether you’re an old fan looking to take a trip down memory lane and catch up on the comics you missed, or a newcomer wanting to find out what all the fuss is about, I hope you enjoy these stories.
I'll be kicking things off with the original five-part Those Two Guys, which will be released in video format tomorrow. Then there'll be a new video every week on Wednesdays (or whatever day tomorrow turns out to be in your timezone).
Since 2016, I’ve been making comics on the MCX Fan Gallery, telling the strange, sprawling, self-indulgent tale of two unlikely heroes and their adventures in an alternate Halo universe.
While these stories have attracted plenty of fans and followers over the years, many of my readers haven’t been around since the start, and due to the way the site is set up, finding and reading all of my past stories can prove a challenge. I've done some recaps in the past, but I feel like those don't really do my stories justice, so after months of work, I’ve compiled my first 14 comics into 36 videos, complete with sound effects and music, to bring my old comics to a new audience in a fresh format.
Aside from a few dates that may have been edited, these comics will be as they originally appeared on the Gallery, so there are probably plenty of flubs and typos in there. Apologies in advance for that, but with other 6000 images to sift through, I didn’t have the time or patience to fix every error.
My stories are also part of the Mega-Verse collaboration, several ongoing stories from different writers that all take part in a shared universe. For the most part, these different comics don’t crossover too much, and where they do intersect with mine I’ll include a quick note in the video description to help clarify any details that might be confusing.
With all that out of the way, settle in and watch out for my comics over the coming weeks. I was originally planning to release each video simultaneously on Youtube and the Gallery, but since even the teaser I uploaded here didn't pass moderation, I think that's going to be pointless. As such, the Mega-Verse Entertainment Youtube Channel is going to be the only place to catch my comics. Whether you’re an old fan looking to take a trip down memory lane and catch up on the comics you missed, or a newcomer wanting to find out what all the fuss is about, I hope you enjoy these stories.
I'll be kicking things off with the original five-part Those Two Guys, which will be released in video format tomorrow. Then there'll be a new video every week on Wednesdays (or whatever day tomorrow turns out to be in your timezone).
Tue Feb 15, 2022 9:02 am
Im in! i was always curious about the mega-verse. i guess now i get to know!NatoGreavesy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:09 amHey everyone.
Since 2016, I’ve been making comics on the MCX Fan Gallery, telling the strange, sprawling, self-indulgent tale of two unlikely heroes and their adventures in an alternate Halo universe.
While these stories have attracted plenty of fans and followers over the years, many of my readers haven’t been around since the start, and due to the way the site is set up, finding and reading all of my past stories can prove a challenge. I've done some recaps in the past, but I feel like those don't really do my stories justice, so after months of work, I’ve compiled my first 14 comics into 36 videos, complete with sound effects and music, to bring my old comics to a new audience in a fresh format.
Aside from a few dates that may have been edited, these comics will be as they originally appeared on the Gallery, so there are probably plenty of flubs and typos in there. Apologies in advance for that, but with other 6000 images to sift through, I didn’t have the time or patience to fix every error.
My stories are also part of the Mega-Verse collaboration, several ongoing stories from different writers that all take part in a shared universe. For the most part, these different comics don’t crossover too much, and where they do intersect with mine I’ll include a quick note in the video description to help clarify any details that might be confusing.
With all that out of the way, settle in and watch out for my comics over the coming weeks. I was originally planning to release each video simultaneously on Youtube and the Gallery, but since even the teaser I uploaded here didn't pass moderation, I think that's going to be pointless. As such, the Mega-Verse Entertainment Youtube Channel is going to be the only place to catch my comics. Whether you’re an old fan looking to take a trip down memory lane and catch up on the comics you missed, or a newcomer wanting to find out what all the fuss is about, I hope you enjoy these stories.
I'll be kicking things off with the original five-part Those Two Guys, which will be released in video format tomorrow. Then there'll be a new video every week on Wednesdays (or whatever day tomorrow turns out to be in your timezone).
Tue Feb 15, 2022 11:28 am
I’ll look out for them. Hopefully a lot of people find your recaps on YouTube.
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