I got an email from someone who read one of my dios and said he thought the story should have been different. I can't remember if it was a plot device, characters or just the general story telling he thought should be done different, but although he liked my story, he thought that the changes he suggested could make the story better.

Now, I'm fairly open minded to criticism, but when do you draw the line and quit giving them what they want and tell the story you want to tell? That is what I mean by "who do you make dio stories for". Do you make them mainly to express yourself or to entertain and inspire others to make their own? I mean look at the comics and now the movie! When does the artist (Director/Producer) say "I don't care what YOU want, this is MY Project."

It's an interesting question. If no one read your stories, would you still make them?

Are they an outlet for you, or something you create to get imput from others? With me personally, I like to inject some of myself into the story I tell. I like dark sets and gritty violent action, but on the otherhand, I don't like to kill off Characters just for something to do. And even if no one read my stuff, I'd still make my dios. And if the only way I could get people to read my stuff was to use bright sets and more dialog than action, I'd probably just make them for myself.

What are your thoughts on this?

I take pics and tell stories and have spent the past 25 years 're-inventing' MY Joeverse for myself.......and Flint, as my 'wingman' has been the only person who's input and influence have made any difference to how G.I. Joe and Cobra (and any offshoot branches, etc...) move through our Joeverse..........


I'll listen and politely thank people for their thoughts and input..........but at the end of the day, it's what WE want that makes it to the page, stage and print......

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Non illigitamus carborundum~Vos mos non effrego mihi

Coming soon: 'JoeSpecialOps'

I try to make something that will make me and the guys/gals that read my dios happy. Most of the stories didn't need to be conected, so it isn't a big deal to kill characters to me. But I wouldn't change a dio just 'cuz one of the readers asked.

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I'm a little different. I FEED off my audience's enjoyment of my work. the more good feedback I get, the more likely I am to keep going. That's pretty much why I made JoeDios.com, so there would be a place that would serve as the central hub for Joe Dioramas and stories, and the feedback they get, forever. I didn't like other sites' policies of deleting old forum threads, as the feedback an author gets on a work of art is very important to that author.

So, in a nutshell, if it weren't for the audience, I probably wouldn't do dios. I like to be entertaining and surprising.

BUT, that doesn't mean I do whatever my audience suggests. Several viewers emailed me to complain about the brief flirtatious comment Scarlett makes to Kamakura in the 2nd scene of my first chapter. They didn't like the idea that Scarlett would take notice of any man but HER man, Snake Eyes. But people are human, and I did it for a good reason, which will be revealed somewhere around Chapter 10.

Other feedback I accept and incorporate. Like people complaining about Outback sleeping through the alarm in my dio. That doesn't make sense. I would fix it, but it kinda had to be that way since my Outback has such loose joints he can't stand up.

Also, I over-used depth-of-field in that garage scene, making important parts in-focus and background stuff blurry, but I overdid it and made it TOO blurry. I'll use a higher F-stop next time.

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Read Hammerfel's Dio Story, "Disciple" here

• My Want List - Help me complete my Dios!

Interesting topic.

I have to think back to Transformations to see how I did things.

It's tricky to do a dio. I think it comes down to this. The creator can use any character they choose but what it takes is storytelling and characterization to get the reader to care. I like creating my own universe so I try not to take things for granted in that people KNOW my characters. For that reason alone, I haven't had Duke or Hawk in a prominent role. It's a chance for the creator to play around a bit. But as long as we care or take interest in the character, things can work out for the better.

A great example is Ender and Raven's dio crossover. Awesome example of making things personal.

I do the stories for myself but I know that if I don't make them remotely interesting, nobody will take notice. I think it's also inceredibly hard to try and tell a story with characters everyone hates. Like, you do a story with Duke, it better be pretty good since I'm one of the biased ones. (jab)

Some of you out there KNOW that I bounce ideas off ya. See if the ideas are sound and if they'll float. It's always good to ask around cuz you kinda create your own audience. As GS said, at the end of the day, it's our story and we ain't changing it.

Pretty much everything I do is something I would've wanted to see when I was a kid. I like "grown-up" stories to read, but everything I write is aimed at the 7-to-12-year-old in me... Which isn't to say they can't be enjoyed by adults, as has been made apparent by the comments I've received. But the kid-factor is why my stories contain lots of elements (ideas, characterizations, etc.) borrowed from the cartoons and comics of both universes, and why I love to throw in scenes of Optimus Prime and Duke doing super-heroic things.

And I definitely agree with this statement Hammerfel made up above:



I wasn't even intending to make a dio-story! I just posted a few pages for fun, and they got such a positive response that I kept adding more and more till this thing turned into the full-blown saga that it is today.

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is on indefinite hiatus...

Ummmmmmmmm...............yeahhhhhh...........'cept that Scarlett's man is DUKE.......thanks!!!

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Non illigitamus carborundum~Vos mos non effrego mihi

Coming soon: 'JoeSpecialOps'

Hammerfel, we're thankful that you did create this site, because it's an awesome place to share ideas and learn from others. And the fact you don't delete old stuff is great as well, it's nice to know that our work, which is important to us, won't be deleted anytime soon; I still get occasional comments on pics I posted years ago.

Although I concentrate on one-shots rather than dio stories, I would still do them if this site didn't exist, because I enjoy it as a hobby. But there is no denying that it's a lot more rewarding and fun to share your pics with your peers, and to offer feedback on the work of the bevy of talented contributors here, many of whom have become firm friends over the two and a half years I've been posting here.

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"The future's uncertain and the end is always near." - The Doors "Roadhouse Blues".