Is this a bad reason to remain interested in a project?

[BennyJackdaw]

I've been working on and off on my comic "Splendimals" for a while. I'll do a page, then lose interest and then weeks later all of a sudden have an interest again. It's generally a fatfur comic, and I love drawing fatfurs, but I keep losing interest, but then gaining interest. Yet I wonder if it's for the wrong reasons.

On the internet, in both DeviantArt and FurAffinity, there exists an artist called Reagan who draws loads of fatfurs and makes loads of fatfur comics. The problem? His comics ALWAYS portray fatfurs as the villains. Every once in a while he will have a goodguy fatfur, but they're always going to be side characters at best. To make matters worse, almost ALL of his villains are huge, fat monsters. His excuse seems to be "Big guys are meant to convey big obstacles for the smaller goodguy and being big and strong makes them seem like the top dog."

Honestly, though, his comics depress me greatly. For starters, I do not agree with his theory. In a lot of media I've seen, being big (as well as slow) is usually a HUGE disadvantage, usually much greater than being small and weak, as the smaller guy is usually quite fast as well, which is usually considered a huge advantage. Now, it may not be the huge advantage it usually is if the big guys always weren't so dumb, but even with a smart big guy their brain has to be that much smarter and think that much quicker to get the upper hand. On another hand I tend to have a lot of sympathy for big guys. I like them a lot, I don't like seeing them get beat up all the time and I don't like seeing them always as villains, so that adds to the sadness I get seeing his comics.

This is what I want to convey in my comics: Villains using small size and speed to try and win over the bigger, slower heroes. ...Although there will be cases where massive heroes will have to fight even more massive villains, but still. In addition, the smaller, skinnier villains will get powerful weapons down the road. At first they just use guns that need to be aimed at the head or else they're ineffective, but later they get powerful lightsaber-spears that can just effortlessly slice through fat armor, which would put the massive goodguys at a huge disadvantage as they would REALLY need to think well to overcome.

And yet... every time I think of Reagan's comics, I go back to drawing them, and I often feel like I'm drawing these comics partially to spite him: to get back at him for all the villains he's made and all the depressed feelings I get reading his comics. I try to deny it, but I often feel like that's my drive. Still, is there a way to turn that drive into motivation while being respectful? I'm just not sure.

[Ventus Fall]

Usually indeed if the motivation is to 'just teach someone their wrong' or 'become famous' and other such 'motivators', it usually does not last long. Most people indeed get bored or think things take too long, or other reasons.
You need to focus on your comic and your other projects because you want to. Not to prove to Reagan or anyone else something. Prove things to and for yourself.
You have a good and nice idea, you can make it work. You've already been taking steps to do so (your game and this comic process for one).

Do it for yourself, and that is how you can also be respectful, as you're not doing it to disprove someone, but simply to show your own view on a similar subject.

Hope this helps.

[BennyJackdaw]

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it. Recently I've been trying to flesh out my story. There are four grand leaders of the planet of Splendid: Rohal the Walrus who is the person who wished for this planet to exist and represents strength and protecting the innocents, Eshe the Hippo who is a skilled mediator and stands for communication and diplomacy, Merindah the Wombat who is the giver and represents giving and sharing to keep the world evenly stocked with supplies so no one goes hungry, and Adaleid the Tapir who is the leader and represents leadership, hard work and dedication.

One other reason I might have lost interest was that my current idea had them drink an immortality potion, but I decided to scrap this idea in favor of fleshing out the roles of the four grand leaders, and now I'm back into it. Still, I do kind of feel bad that every time I go back to it that it's after thinking of Reagan. Still, I do want to be respectful, and I want to turn that into positive energy that lets me write my own story because I enjoy it rather than an attack on Reagan.

[Captain Degenerate]

Do what you wanna because you like it not cuz someone you dont like annoyed you.


All I can say

[George]

From what I've seen around, it seems like your main reason in general is a knee-jerk to your perception of media like this. I don't think I'd heard of this Reagan before, but I have seen the way you always bring up your disapproval of the message you think artists are sending with their media, or the message about fat characters that you want to send with your work. I don't think I've ever seen you present an idea for its merits as a game, comic, story, RP, etc.

It's not so much Reagan I think you should be concerned about here--your entire motivation seems to resolve around this spite you describe. Even when trying to make it positive, it's about retaliation to these fat-haters you describe.

[Captain Degenerate]

George is like the draggiest dragon I know and dragons are usually pretty smart so listen to him pls.

[BennyJackdaw]

From what I've seen around, it seems like your main reason in general is a knee-jerk to your perception of media like this. I don't think I'd heard of this Reagan before, but I have seen the way you always bring up your disapproval of the message you think artists are sending with their media, or the message about fat characters that you want to send with your work. I don't think I've ever seen you present an idea for its merits as a game, comic, story, RP, etc.

It's not so much Reagan I think you should be concerned about here--your entire motivation seems to resolve around this spite you describe. Even when trying to make it positive, it's about retaliation to these fat-haters you describe.

While it's true that I often write personal stories that slams media that portrays humans as gods golden miracle out of disgust, this is not actually the case with fatfurs. I draw fatfurs because I love them, and while I do feel a bit sad seeing a lot of fat villains, I understand that fatness is considered an undesirable trait, as well as an unpopular trait in media, in addition I know fatness usually leads to a shorter life in the real world, so while I'm not thrilled with seeing a lot of fat villains, I understand it and accept it. Even then, every once in a while I do see fat heroes. In recent media, the 3DS game Ever Oasis has a race of creatures known as the Serkah who are fat cyclops/scorpion hybrids that are generally goodguys and quite a few are even playable. It makes me smile when I see characters like the Serkah in media.

Honestly, I feel a bit insulted by your post. Now it just sounds like you're trying to make me out to be this horrible scumbag, and I kind of don't appreciate it. Even if you don't see it, I am actually trying to write a story as respectful as possible, and I'm not writing this story with Reagan in mind. What I'm really trying to do is write a true love-letter to fatfur lovers like me. At the same time, genuinely the kind of stories I want to write either have fatfurs or turn the tables of standard media, not out of spite: but because I genuinely enjoy writing stories about fatfurs, as well as stories where humans are the villains to non-humans.

[George]

But...you just demonstrated what I was saying in your apparent denial of it.

[Captain Degenerate]

If you aren't writing it with Reagan in mind why are you bringing him up at all?

[Malina]

Whilst it's good that you're expressing yourself freely and with a genuine interest in the subject, I find that usually if you go do that subject after seeing someone else's work you don't agree with it can end up being self destructive. What I mean by that is if your motivation in the moment is sparked by seeing his work then that frustration and annoyance will bleed through into your own work inevitably, which can lead to people seeing it as your counter argument towards his work and end up disliking it solely on that basis. With that in mind I'd say no I don't think that's a good reason to motivate yourself with, it should be a genuine interest and passion free from any form of spite
And yes I'd recommend listening to what George has to say here, he seems to know what he's saying


And as a media student I have to say that fat people in the media is destructive and is genuinely psychologically backwards minded, but that's another topic for another thread

[BennyJackdaw]

But...you just demonstrated what I was saying in your apparent denial of it.

If you aren't writing it with Reagan in mind why are you bringing him up at all?

Because I'm uncertain how big of a role it plays. Yes, it may be a spark, but at the same time I don't know how much of my drive is fueled by that spark. Yes, I do tend to get interested whenever I think of his comics, at the same time when I actually start writing and drawing I am not actually thinking about Reagan's comics, but instead I'm focusing on my own story overall, how I can flesh it out, how to write it to tell a good story and such. Plus, I get to draw fatfurs in my favorite style similar to Buyon/Jiggler from Dragonball and Tuskateer and Balzak from Dragon Quest. Legless, slightly droopy around the bottom, but still fairly muscular. I like this style cause it's very dense and gives the best illusion of a living wall, but isn't too grotesque.

...I'm starting to feel like I'm answering some of my own questions through this discussion. Sure, thinking about him may be a spark, but maybe it's nothing more than a harmless spark.

Whilst it's good that you're expressing yourself freely and with a genuine interest in the subject, I find that usually if you go do that subject after seeing someone else's work you don't agree with it can end up being self destructive. What I mean by that is if your motivation in the moment is sparked by seeing his work then that frustration and annoyance will bleed through into your own work inevitably, which can lead to people seeing it as your counter argument towards his work and end up disliking it solely on that basis. With that in mind I'd say no I don't think that's a good reason to motivate yourself with, it should be a genuine interest and passion free from any form of spite
And yes I'd recommend listening to what George has to say here, he seems to know what he's saying


And as a media student I have to say that fat people in the media is destructive and is genuinely psychologically backwards minded, but that's another topic for another thread

It might help to find a different motivation, I agree. Maybe I should try and focus mostly on a well writen story about "Jiggler's Many Animal Forms" because I like "Jiggler's Many Animal Forms" to help. ...On another note, part of my style is also inspired by Shoeless Cosmonaut's work, who drew several characters in a similar style. My character Stinky the Skunkmeister's design is largely inspired by his drawings of the Pokemon Skuntank.

[WingedZephyr]

What I'm really trying to do is write a true love-letter to fatfur lovers like me. At the same time, genuinely the kind of stories I want to write either have fatfurs or turn the tables of standard media, not out of spite: but because I genuinely enjoy writing stories about fatfurs, as well as stories where humans are the villains to non-humans.

You kind of answered your own question right there. Whether you do or don't agree with what anyone else says, that thought came from you.

But honestly... who cares where your inspiration comes from?

I've created art from happiness, anger, love, heartbreak, and just about every other emotion I've ever experienced. There's always a motivation, but there's nothing that says one motivation is "better" than the other, or that there even has to be just one "main" reason you're doing something. Life isn't that simple.

Do what you do because you seem to love it. Maybe there's more to it than that, but why does it really matter? You love it, you enjoy it, and if you're not attacking or hurting anyone by doing what you do, how is there anything wrong with that?

[BennyJackdaw]

Yeah, and speaking of Stinky: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23503035/

I think another reason I wanted to get to page 8 was that I wanted an excuse to draw him. I really like skunks, and I plan on making a chapter with Stinky as a temporary main character that involves invaders from the Splendid equivalent of Australlia, who want to get back at the world for the bunny infestation, and eventually Stinky will have to fight a titanic Tasmanian Devil that's even more massive than him and also much MUCH smellier. The second one in the picture I want to, in the future if I finish this one, make his own comic.

[BennyJackdaw]

I think I've found my reason now.

I've finally reached a point where I genuinely enjoy writing the story in my comic. Thinking through the four leaders, what they represent, and currently I'm drawing a page on how Rohal the Walrus will pass the torch once he dies, and I have a page dedicated to his son, Galtaer. I ended up coming up with a pretty clever concept of "Milestone Belts" which are used to test how strong a creature is, and on Splendid, the strongest creatures are also the fattest ones, and the milestone belts are designed to break once it's wearer grows enough fat and muscle to break through it just by sticking his tummy out. Pretty soon, hopefully in the next page, I'm going to be starting on the main storyline with the main character, who is a prehensile-tailed porcupine. I absolutely ADORE prehensile-tailed porcupines. 

Now I'm getting to the point of forgetting past worries and focused on creating a story I enjoy writing.

[anoni]

Any inspiration is good inspiration.

Of course there are good and bad ways to stay inspired, but that's a whole other can of worms, you shouldn't worry about why you're inspired to make a comic, if you want to finish your comic you should worry instead how to remain inspired. All and any inspiration is fair game for something like this.