Frequently Asked Questions

SQUIDDIES (AKA THE REC.ARTS.COMICS AWARDS) FAQ 1.0

1. WHAT ARE THE SQUIDDIES?

The Squiddies are the rec.arts.comics newsgroups' annual comics industry
awards. Except for the CBG awards, no still-existing industry award is
older. Known originally as "the Great Usenet Comics Poll," the Squiddies
have been continuously awarded every year since the mid-1980's.


2. WHY ARE THEY CALLED "SQUIDDIES"?

The Squiddies were named after Suicide Squid--a mythical comic book
character accidentally created in April 1991 when Mitsuhiro Sakai wanted to
ask about developments in the series Suicide Squad, but typed "i" instead
of "a". Many rec.arts.comics regulars responded with earnest and elaborate
accounts of what was going on in the Suicide Squid comic... which didn't
really exist. The rec.arts.comics awards (already several years running by
that time) were nicknamed in his honor. 


3. WHO CAN VOTE?

All readers of any of the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroups are eligible to
vote. Whether lurker or poster, occasional or regular reader, we want to
hear from you. Every year, vote totals in some categories are extremely
close. Every vote makes a difference--including yours. 


4. WHAT ABOUT COMICS PROFESSIONALS? RETAILERS? CAN THEY VOTE TOO?

Absolutely. In the past, there has been a perception among some comics
creators/retailers/editors/etc. that the Squiddies are a "fan award," and
it would be inappropriate for them to vote. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. The Squiddies are for every member of the rec.arts.comics*
community--whether comics reader or a comics professional.

The various rec.arts.comics newsgroups constitute the oldest online forum
for the discussion of comics and the comics industry. In Internet years, we
are positively dinosaurian--pre-web (by a good decade), even. And for most
of that time, comics creators and retailers have participated on an equal
basis with the rest of us (except for occasional outbreaks of flaming or
gratuitous sucking-up) in the RAC* community.

The Squiddies are just another aspect of that community. So make no
mistake; your participation--your vote--is welcome and appropriate.


5. HOW DO THE SQUIDDIES WORK?

When the Squiddy voting period begins (normally in January) ballots are
posted to the following Usenet groups:

rec.arts.comics.dc.lsh
rec.arts.comics.dc.universe
rec.arts.comics.dc.vertigo
rec.arts.comics.elfquest
rec.arts.comics.info
rec.arts.comics.marketplace
rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe
rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks
rec.arts.comics.misc
rec.arts.comics.strips

The ballots contain the voting rules and the eligibility requirements for
the various categories. However, the categories are blank--no nominees.
Once you've got a ballot, just vote for the comics/creators/websites/etc.
that you want to. 

During the balloting (which usually lasts about 20 days), lists of
"pseudo-nominees" are regularly posted to rec.arts.comics.misc and
rec.arts.comics.info (at least). These lists show all candidates that have
received at least one vote so far. 

The purpose of these pseudo-nominee lists is three-fold:

To provide an informal list of "nominations" for voters who would like
their memory jogged (although voters are free--and encouraged--to consider
others not already listed as well; the names on the "pseudo-nominee" lists
are in no way the only ones you can vote for), 

To point out votes that the administrators have determined to be
ineligible, and

To ask for the help of the rec.arts.comics* community in determining
whether questionable votes are eligible or not. We need the help, because
the task is HUGE. During the 2000 Squiddy Balloting, the administrators
received votes for a total of 1108 separate items. All of which had to be
checked for eligibility (the NCRL lists are a big help here).

Once the voting closes, the administrators tally the votes, make final
eligibility rulings, and announce the results. The announcements take two
forms: The first is a press release summarizing the winners (like the one
posted here), the other is a long version listing every item that got at
least one vote, and how many votes the item got (broken down by category).
You can see an example of this long form at the Squiddies website
(http://www.squiddies.org/2000.html). We also send out emails to all
winners that are reachable via the internet. 

Then we rest for ten months, and do it all over.


6. HOW DO YOU GET ON THE SQUIDDY BALLOT?

Unlike many industry awards, the Squiddies do not have a formal nomination
process, nor do the administrators select nominees. The only "nominees" are
the creators/comics/etc. that appear on the lists of "pseudo-nominees" are
posted to rec.arts.comics.misc and rec.arts.comics.info. 

Thus, if you want your choices to be "seen" by the most voters, you should
vote for it in the first few days of the Squiddy balloting, ensuring they
get on the first posted "pseudo-nominee" list. The downside of voting early
is that you don't get to look at the various pseudo-nominee lists. 


7. IS THERE A SQUIDDY WEBSITE?

Yes. www.squiddies.org, maintained by Todd VerBeek. Lists of past winners,
going back as far as we have records, are available there.


8. WHO ADMINISTERS THE SQUIDDIES?

Johanna Draper Carlson <johanna@comicsworthreading.com> and Carl Henderson
<carl.henderson@airmail.net>.