So this is happening. Tomorrow! February 1st. [link] I am prepared this time! Although something tells me it'll end much the same way as last year.



If you're participating  be sure to link me your submissions! I'd love to read 'em.

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Alright, alright, settle down. While this isn't crazy serious, it's still an update worth note!

Throughout history, art and artists have challenged preconceived notions, pushed boundaries and taken on subjects often considered taboo. Art is alive and constantly changing, much like the community at deviantART is. The CEA Team believes that deviantART policy must grow, adapt and change, to allow artists to push boundaries and express themselves whenever legally and morally possible. Policy must remain flexible in order for something, which was initially ruled as an absolute, to bend and change in order to allow for artists and quality to shine through.


One example of this kind of challenge to policy is with ~FindChaos's Lesbians 101 series-- a quirky and often humorous guide on lesbianism. Unfortunately, one installment of this guide depicted sex toys, which was removed in accordance with our FAQs prohibiting pornographic imagery. This issue prompted a discussion among staff and our legal adviser regarding our policies and FAQs. Are items like sex toys to be considered inherently and inescapably pornographic, or, as in the case of Lesbians 101, could members express themselves artistically and responsibly despite the content?

The CEA team held a series of meetings about the FAQ that details the prohibitions made in regards to the depiction of sex toys, and after some careful discussion (and using lesbians 101 as an example) we came to the decision that deviations such as these should have a place within the deviantART community. Naturally, we needed to update our FAQ to reflect this. We have spent the week working on the language of the FAQ, and the changes are live!  Here's a link for you to see:

FAQ #565: You prohibit the submission of 'pornographic imagery'; what do you consider this to be?

So what has changed? And what does this realistic depiction mean?

What has changed is that sex toys can now be depicted in deviations (given certain conditions). As for "Realistic", this refers primarily to shape, so a realistic shape and unrealistic candy coloring would still lead to removal. By contrast, a review of the sex toys in Lesbians 101 would not fall under realistic depiction as they have spines, beads, and rabbits protruding from them. We still maintain that sex toys cannot be depicted in use as per the FAQ.

Please also note that context comes into play here. Realistic depictions of sex toys are normally removed, but the educational context of the work such as those used in Lesbians 101 and the clinical treatment of the subject means that this submission is fine with a mature tag- that will not necessarily be the case for other deviations. Because each submission is judged based upon the content, context, and merit of that specific deviation. If there are any doubts on the part of the artist for any reason, they are always free to submit their questions to the +help Desk, through Policy Inquiries, and we'll be more than happy to help!

We understand that a change to such a specific part of this FAQ may be surprising--there may even be be a lot of attention drawn to this deviation, and it will definitely be a mix of negative and positive--but we really believe that this approach will garner the greatest understanding from the community.
Thank you to ~FindChaos for her patience and for allowing us to feature her deviation for the sake of this discussion. Be sure to check it out!

It's incredibly exciting when a piece of artwork sparks a discussion amongst our team, and we hope to continually grow and change while still maintaining a safe, artistic environment!            

deviantART went down for the span of, lets say thirty minutes.
I was on tumblr at the time so I went to see if anyone was talking about it.
Got to scroll through DOZENS of members flipping. Out. Oh internet-

Haha, omigosh this new icon. I'm dying.


If you're interested in getting a derpy version of your own, do give *Zeurel a look. He's currently going through some rough financial straits, so not only are you getting some awesome (and cheap!) artwork of your very own, but you're also helping out a fellow artist. For more info, be sure to give his journal a looksee.

May I have yo' attention please - Emergency comishEarly this month I was admitted to the emergency ward at the local hospital.
Needless to say I received my medical bill this morning and it isn't pretty.
$3800 total.
Only having just emigrated and the government still taking ages to process my stuff to allow me to work, and Ashley barely making enough to just pay rent as is, this is something we cannot afford.
So...
It's comission time!
Now, I really don't like begging or what have you but this is some serious business.
Below is a list of what i offer, how to pay and how to go about contacting me for a comission;
Commissions avaliable :
Basic character Chibi (examples: http://zeurel.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=scraps#/d1rzogf http://zeurel.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=scraps#/d1rzo70 ) (Inks only/coloured) - $ 10 / $15
Full character image (examples: http://zeurel.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=scraps#/d2zszfb ) (ink/coloured) - $20 + $10 for extra characters
Animated gif 2-3 second loop. Extra cost if y

In related news, I cannot get over the awesome that is ~bittermause's custom munny making figurines. I managed to commission and nab my very own Mimi the Mime! She even took the time out to go above and beyond by giving me the option to go for accessories, which might I add, is flawless. Mimi is nothing without her mallet. She now has a permanent spot on my desk, right next to my Steamboat Willie.

 

She's also got a handy dandy journal with details and infos on how you can grab your very own as well. Definitely worth the read.

GORGE reprint and Vinyl Fig Commissions   NEWS
  
Hey gang! If you were one of the few people that weren't able to get a copy of Gorge back in April, here's your second chance! I just put in an order for five copies and I'll be accepting pre-orders for them starting now!
I will continue ordering quantities until the end of September, depending on the success of previous orders.
Copies are $9 in the US and $10 in Canada (Both include S+H). Due to shipping expenses, this final print run will be limited to US and Canadian residents only!  For pre-ordering, please contact gorgecomic .@. gmail only! Do not contact me about it via DA note, Twitter, Tumblr, or my main gmail.  This is just for organization purposes and that I don't leave anyone out.
And for both EnterVOID brethren and non out there, I also offer custom vinyl character figurine commissions!
Each 4.25' figurine is painted with liquitex acrylic, water-proof felt tips, and finished with acrylic fixative.

Are there any deviants you always go back to for commissions?

Last year was not only my first time at San Diego comic con, but also the first time I got to see dA at work sponsoring artist alley. The artists seemed so at ease and taken care of, I'm glad to see we're sponsoring the alley again! I think I'm most excited over the winning deviants who nabbed scholarships and an opportunity to showcase their work this year. Such as the ever talented who recently had a daily deviation worthy comic right here?

You go lady!

Not only that, there's going to be panels, $taff to chat to, cosplay related shenanigans-super awesome. Be sure to read the official announcement for more info!

We're Sponsoring Artists' Alley at Comic-Con!Parisian deviants! We're headed for the beautiful City of Light, and we want to see you!


Posted on June 25, 2012 at 7:15:03 PM


We're sponsoring Artists' Alley 2012!


We're headed to Comic-Con International:
San Diego to sponsor Artists' Alley!
We Love Artists' Alley


We're back at Comic-Con!
Last year, our sponsorship of Artists' Alley was a huge success. We were able to provide a more comfortable environment for the artists, display their art on huge screens over the Alley, and let people attending the convention draw with deviantART muro on fantastic digital screens. We plan to do this and more in 2012 as we take on the great pleasure of sponsoring Artists' Alley at San Diego Comic-C

I'll probably be going for a day to snatch up totally necessary swag, but for those who can't make it bodily, you can still be kept in the loop by following the journals posted to the #Comic-Con group. Happy conventioneering people!
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Hey you. Yeah, you with the face. Are you fabulous? Do you put on devwear and instantly make it look good like these ravishing creatures?






Well if modeling is your bag, then show off your dA style! Submit photos of you sporting deviantWEAR for a shot at being featured in the deviantWEAR Shop! I've provided a way too easy link on where to submit your fabulosity below.

[link] <-- You see it? Go there with yo' bad self and your dA swag in tow!

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My 1st Community article went up today! Be sure to give it a read and tell me whatcha think- there's visual aiiiiids

Harassment: A Survival GuideIt's no secret that the members of deviantART are an opinionated bunch! For good or ill, there is always plenty to say about art that speaks to them. This is great, yet amidst those opinions you're bound to get reactions that are nothing more than word pollution or troll bait. How many of you have logged into deviantART and been faced with this problem?


We've all seen it, been a victim of it, or at least heard about it: Folk out in the digital world living for nothing more than the joy of ruffling peoples' feathers. Well not to worry dear reader, because I've compiled a survivor's guide on how to slay the beast of text pollution: le trolls!
Identify The Problem!
Being the level-headed fantastical artist that you are, when it comes to outrageous claims and aggravating comments regarding your work it seems like common sense for you to set the record straight and reply to these virtual text hoodlums. I

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*shameless repost is shameless*


The CEA (Copyright & Etiquette Administration-that's what I do!) is running a fun little challenge to design what you think would be the CEA's mascot! Like any good challenge, it comes with its due reward. Not only will there be a rough and tumble artistic battle of supremacy, but all your hard work and toil comes with a feature AND a month long subscription-woo!

But I'm just skimming the surface. For more information on the challenge, check out the article down below.

Awesome Unofficial CEA Mascot Challenge!Hi guys! We do oodles and oodles of informative journals, but we also want to bring in some fun!
When we hear the term "mascot" it conjures up amusing and sometimes frightening images to dance through our heads. Images that might be of bears encouraging forest fire prevention, cartoon Generals promoting cheap insurance, a high school cheerleader dressed as a pompom-toting hornet, the horrible old bulldog your college dean pushed around campus in a baby buggy or maybe Eddie the Head on your favorite Iron Maiden album. All of these things do their jobs in representing their organization, their company, their school or their heavy metal band. They're thought to bring luck, to merge a group together in a single identity, they're spokespeople and ambassadors.
Here on deviantART, our amazing community's mascot is Fella! He's suave, he's devious, he's festive, he's

THE 2012 VOID INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Man! you ever get those urges to just punch someone in the face, but in a comic? Then this invitational is for you! The Void Invitational is a new Tournament looking for fresh faces and even fresher blood! Been wanting to get in? Come on in! Have a friend you've been trying to get to join? Send 'em over. We're opening our doors with a tourney with new people in mind!

Entervoid.com is the premier Internet comic battle site. We've been pitting artists against each other in sequential combat for over seven years now and are looking for new talent! You can come here to compete, improve, and/or just mess around. It's all up to you!

Normally to "enter void", you'd need a bunch of images and a biography of your character, but for this tournament only, you can skip all that if you'd like by providing us with some form of proof of your artistic skill (deviant page, links to gallery, etc.)… but having pages doesn't hurt.


The Details:

~ You can only participate if you've never had a character or all of your characters are currently dead.

~ To enter you need to post your character's name and a design sheet in this topic and also submit them through the site (You must have an account and be logged in to make a character)…. OR YOU AREN'T GETTING IN.

~Entry through the site must have a design sheet, a bio, and some proof or artistic skill. Sequential art (that's comics!) being preferred or most welcome, but failing that some proof of ability is required.

~You must also put your design sheet in the intro page categories. The site uploader does not accept entries with no intro pages, so make sure to include those in the submission!

~ You have until Friday, March 30th to enter. A month is plenty of time to get your entry ready. The tournament will begin on Sunday, April 1st. (Not a joke!)

~ Artists are given one week each round to complete a comic with a minimum of 3 pages.

~ The winner of the tournament will be declared Grand Poobah of the Void Invitational 2012.

~ All characters who get into the tournament become permanent characters.

~ It is recommended that you read the FAQ and check out the comics competition in action to get a feel for the site.

~ Even if you aren't participating, tell your friends. Let everyone you can know about this, the more the merrier. Really, spread the word!

~ We're aiming for around 16 - 24 people! If you see around that number our mission is complete, but don't feel nervous about advertising it OR joining it still!

~ Once again, sign up will end on the 30th of March! The Tournament will begin on the 1st of April!


*IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO MEET AND GREET WITH FELLOW VOIDERS, PLEASE COME TO THE OFFICIAL ENTERVOID CHATROOM!
[link]:
WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE NEW FACES AND GUESTS JOIN US!

Y'know, I usually don't fill my journal with anything 'real life', unless its art related or superfluous, but after having this Kony sensation blow up all over my facebook I really got to thinking about our internet generation and how quickly information can travel due to the nets easy ability to allow us to share-both the bad and good. I would've figured a place like deviantART would be slow on the uptake to heavy news of this sort, but I was surprised and inspired to find pages and pages of submissions made by members of the community showing their outrage, passion and support with spreading the word.

I mean check this out.

:thumb289040572::thumb289019873::thumb289056753::thumb289025962:

Yes the video is long, yes it deals with heavy subjects, and who knows? Maybe you've seen this all over and are already fed up with 'news spam'. Regardless, it doesn't and shouldn't lessen the impact of this message. It's not just about a bad man doing bad things, but its a testament to what people everywhere can do if they put their mind to it. Give it a watch, I highly recommend it.

[link]

That said, who's going to be working on art for April 20th-Cover the Night?


EDIT: As with anything, despite good intentions, be sure to look at both sides [link]

Caaaan't believe I forgot it. Not to worry, still got time and so do you! Have any favorite sequential artists who bust it out every year? Do YOU bust it out every year? Share them here! I'd love to see what everyone whips up for this year! For those still wracking their brains looking to spice up their 24 hour sequential exploits I came across some epic tales rife with inspiration and awesomeness right here on dA. SO can't wait to see what comes of today! Go hourly comics day go!!

EDIT- For more information on what the heck this is, be sure to follow this link right heeeeere [link]

Space Adventures By ~Brookhood


Random Thought By: ~zano


24 hour comic PART1 By: ~nikkinack


Coffee Time By: ~Uberzers


Valentines Day By: ~s-c-fowlie

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Ever feel like Andy Go? Dreaming of getting that big break to jump-start your dream comic book career, but your path is just pock marked with rejection letters? Not to mention many a Friday night spent in front of your pages while your friends are off living it up? If you can relate to those unique artistic woes and are in the mood for a super groovy story, be sure to check out Mythomania-a web series created by one of my favorite comic book artists, Derek Kirk Kim.


(Click the image to head on over to the series' youtube channel!)

Interesting note Mythomania is a spin-off series of TUNE ([link]. Mythomania and TUNE are alternate timelines that stem from the same story. Both stories share the same characters but Andy Go and his friends go down very different paths after college in each series. Ahh, so crafty!

SPEAKING of crafty, there's still a couple days left to enter the Face Your Monster Contest! The Spo00o0ky window to submit entries stays open until November 1, 2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Since we're on the subject of awesome comic art, I figure I'd toss in a couple of my favs here. I highly suggest giving them a read if you've grown tired of all the mainstream capes and tights titles.

Robot Riot by *BlindKnight


Wet Moon by `mooncalfe


Imouto by ~bittermause

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...and by art, I mean some fantastical commissions? Have I got some fancy pants deviants for you!

COMPLAINT-DEPT

Not only is ~complaint-dept's art fan-freaking-tastic, she is open to ridiculously cheap and high quality commissions. Starting at $10!! Its criminal, I tells ya! Even so, its an opportunity I wouldn't miss. I added a couple of my favorites here for you to peruse. It seems more than apparent that if you go in for a commission, you have a plethora of styles and options to choose from. Be sure to find out more information via ~complaint-dept journal Right here. COMMISSION JOURNAL

SHINGA

If you missed ~shinga's September art special, you are definitely going to want in on her October special coming up soon! Simply check out a couple of the choice work she's done so far  Her COMMISSION JOURNAL for October isn't up yet, but hey, here I am giving you the preemptive edge!





If you have any other fellow deviants you know who have some fantastic art, looking for commissions and you think they'd be feature worthy, toss me a note! I'm always down for checking out what members are doing via the dA. Bring it on! Also, for those of you looking to get your sequential art on for 24 hours, 24 hour comic day is going on over at ! Saturday, October 1st, as a matter of fact! Be sure to get the drop on it, and check out the event thread,  HERE

EDIT Even MORE contest! #communityrelations and #ComicsAndCartoonsis running a new contest for comic artists and cartoonists alike. If you have what it takes and are a fan of glittering prizes for your efforts, be sure to check it out!
CARTOONS & COMICS CONTEST-BIG AND SMALL



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The D-Word folks. DISCOUNTS.

Heeey premium members! Yet more evidence deviantART just thinks you're so gosh darned groovy. [link] With summer fast winding down and the nippier months just around the corner, now is a perfect time to stock up on some gloriously discounted goodies for the holiday season! Who doesn't want to see a 'Problepeño t-shirt under their tree? I know I do!

buy it here

In other news, the countdown for season two of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic fast approaches! What pony-riffic adventures await?? I know you'll be tuning in to find out. Speaking of, I'm sure you've spied the GARGANTUAN MLP following here on dA. Let's take a little stroll down Ponyville lane and see what we can see with some features! Oh yeah!

Spoonful of Deviations

By
By
By
By
By

Just makes you wanna draw some ponies don't it? Don't fight it. Resistance is futile. My Little Pony Friendship is magic premieres 9/17 at 9 AM EST! Whoo!
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Wow, has it really been a whole month since I started working at dA? Lemme tell you, this place isn't for the easygoing sort who're into taking the scenic route! Bumped and jived my way through deviantARTs birthday celebration, dove into the deep end of craziness and am getting my stride over at the HelpDesk with the help of the ever groovy gaggle of co-workers


, and many more! Oh! Can't forget my walking cheat sheet-
For a fellow new hire who has a whole slew of volunteer time under his belt, he has really held my hand while I traversed through horrendous fields of policy violations (i.e dicks. Whoooole lotta pictures of dicks).

Even your most schlong-iest does not deter me though! Not only is deviantART a wonderful place to work, it houses some of the coolest staff I ever did see. Doesn't end just at headquarters though! Being the new gal on staff has opened up a much more detailed and intricate online community of deviants than I had originally expected! Kinda like living at home. Sure, you know there are big cities and people out there, but really, how big can it be? Then you're like WHOOOA. I'm having a blast meeting the deviantART community in a whole new way and am excited to keep doing so! If you see me puttering about your page, or simply answering your support ticket, do say hello!

Speaking of puttering about pages, I wanted to see about starting off a 'ooh, look what I found!' feature. Starring YOU. With D.C's Gotham City Sirens wrapping, it seems a good time as any to check out some eye catching art of the prettier half of the Batman Rogues Gallery.

Spoonful of Deviations

By
:thumb251719653: By
By (I bought this print at Comic Con!)
By (Gargoyles AND Harley? YOW!)
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Never have I been more excited to be at work than I have on this day of birthdays- go fig!
Thanks for all the well wishes, congrats and hellos, deviantART! Make sure your August tenth is SPOONALICIOUS!

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San Diego Comic Con was MAGICALLY DELICIOUS. It was my first time going and it really was everything I'd hoped it would be. It was literally like diving head first into the tastiest dessert and eating as much as you could only to realize you've barely dented the surface. I left after those four days missing so much, but thanks to he power of the internet, so many of the things I wished to see were uploaded by fellow con goers. Oh internet, you're awesome

The highlight of the trip was getting to photo shoot and see all the fancypants Harley Quinn & Joker cosplayers that gathered on Saturday for the Harleypalooza/protest.  It was organized by who sadly couldn't come because of a personal tragedy, BUT! I managed to play good Samaritan and with the help of an iPhone and Skype was able to let her tour the gathering and see all her pals. Good times.

In unrelated news, it's meme time!


What's the story behind your username?
I joined DeviantART at the behest of an old HighSchool buddy who I artistically admired. When I typed in my real name she stopped me and went, "No no, you have to pick an online handle. Like a pen name. Pick one of your favorite things and something random, then put them together. That'll be your name." One of my favorite things was Kozi from the Japanese visual kei band Malice Mizer. A random thing that struck my fancy at the time were spoons. Thus I was born!

What makes a comment meaningful to you?
Being torn apart....really! Being told you're swell is all well and good, but when someone actually stops and sits down to tell me what can be improved, what looks off, or suggests tutorials and tricks to better a deviation, I get excited. That, and it's always awesome to strike up a conversation based on the deviation at hand. Say I drew a pony and you bring up My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Conversation!

Where was the furthest place in the world from your home that you've visited?
Nicaragua. I was there for a whole month!

Look out your window and describe what you see.
A lousy 24 Hour Fitness building whose neon sign blares crappy red white and blue light into my loft. Mega lame. There are 8 gyms on this block alone. You were supposed to be a Trader Joes!

Do you pronounce the t in listen?
What am I, British? I'm all about the American slurred speech. LISSEN!

What is your deviantART story? How did you find the site, what did you do when you first got here, how did you get more involved with the community?
Oh man. I'd addictively browse the site and the artwork as a highschool freshman in the school library until I finally realized anyone could join DevantART. I was convinced for the longest time you needed to audition or something Seeing as I had no computer at home, I'd load up on all my artwork, bring it to school and waste all my lunch money using the scanner in order to upload all my stuff. I mainly got more involved before DeviantART groups even became a thing within various fandoms and artistic groups.

You get to spend exactly one hour at dA HQ. Draw what it looks like when you're done.
Hey now, that sounds like a deviation idea! I'll get right on it!
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Well, PIXAR has released the trailer for their latest endeavor Brave- their first feature with a female lead.  [link] Just...just take my money PIXAR- you don't even have to ask. I cannot wait for this. In the meantime, it's my goal to snag all of your films and add them to my DVD library.

In other news, I wanted to plug a couple of awesome artists and things that I love, so by that logic I'm sure you'll love, right? Suuuure.

Is at it again, but this time with a quest to make it to San Diego's comic con and debut Silly Kingdom. Feel like helping out AND getting some pretty swanky goodies while you do? Follow the link to find out more! [link]

If you're looking for something to tide you over whilst we await 's new Wet Moon comic to come out, why not try Shadoweyes? I feel like such a goober for ignoring it all this time that it's great to have so many pages to check out and pore over. Why dontcha pore with me, eh? Link right ovah heeeeere [link]

And finally, in yet even more comicky news, 's new published comic is out! Featuring the cat lady with a cult following out of her usual blood bending and bad guy killing element. Here she tackles such juggernauts as relationship bliss and *gasp* grocery shopping! Sounds mundane, but it's the mundane and usual that makes this odd furry heroine interesting. Give it a look see and support your local artists!  [link]
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