How should I go about submitting my fan fiction to be archived?

* How should I go about submitting my fan fiction to be archived at the 80s Cartoon Fiction archive?

I have moved the faq on this subject to the fan fic archives itself, and placed this FAQ in the help files located there. If you'd like to post your work to this web site, do take a moment to read this over - even if you are a veteran of fan fiction and automated archives. There are a few relavent rules for all new authors to the site. Also note on the News feed on the main page of the archive for important information and updates to the software that may affect your work there.

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What about fan art? How do I submit it, and what are the restrictions?

* What about fan art? How do I submit it, and what are the restrictions?

Here's the fan art rules, for all you practicing Picassos out there. Now freshly updated to reflect the use of the new automated system!

1) Like fic, I won't be censoring any art -- you can submit nudes or graphically drawn sex scenes. But like fic, I insist you either post warnings on those pieces or put them in an album that is for restricted or private viewing - it is explained how to do this further on in this FAQ.

2) Also, as with fic, the quality and talent doesn't have to be breathtaking, but I will draw the line at pictures that amount to little more than stick figures or scribbles. Afterall, images take up far more webspace than text, so I have to be vigilant on how I use that space -- which means no hosting of "art" that's worse than the average kindergartener's work. Anyone attempting to upload such 'work' will find their contributions deleted. Also, images have to have something to do with Thundercats. Original character art is fine, however.

3) Computer generated art is fine -- there's no restriction to what medium you work with. However, if you're going to digitally incorporate things into your piece, don't use another artist's work without their permission.

4) Because of space limitations, I'll be putting a cap of approximately 20MB of space per user. This may increase or decrease in the future, depending on my hosting situation and demand on the gallery. So if you reach that limit and want to add more, you'll have to take down older pieces to accomodate. I have noticed with the new site host/coppermine upgrade, the galleries now support .gif extensions, even animated ones. So in addition to .jpg formats, .gif is now acceptable. Not sure about .png but you can try. I still discourage .bmp (even if the gallery does support it) uploads just because the files are so darn huge, you'll suck up all your gallery space after only a few pics.

5) I reserve the right to resize and change the format of any pic you upload, though with the built in size restrictions, I doubt I will. If you have a specific reason for uploading a particular kind of file, (ex: if a gif is animated, it needs to stay a gif file to retain the animation) you can try it, but there is a per-piece file size limit that may prevent you from uploading the piece. But you're welcome to try your luck! If all else fails, try decreasing the file size/dimensions to see if it'll upload. Restrictions are in place to keep ungodly large files from going in - not only for the sake of space on my server but also for those poor saps who have dialup who might try to view the gallery. Keep your work Web sane, please.

6) To get started, first create an account at the ThunderArt coppermine gallery by registering. Then log in and create an album. Albums are like subcategories, and you can create as many as you'd like (for example, I created several in my user gallery so I could separate straight show art from fan fic art, nudes, etc). Once you've created your albums, select "upload picture" - this is where you can also add info about the image - and make sure you're putting it in the album you wish to place it in. You can rearrage, delete or move pictures as you wish. Your only restriction is space, really. You also can turn off comment and rating modes, although I recommend leaving those enabled - it's a great way to get feedback! Lastly, you can make some albums private or only accessible to certain user groups. This is useful if you want to store some sketchy stuff or some racy images, but anything you want all visitors to see should remain in an album(s) you designated as public. These modifications can all be made by clicking on the "properties" option of each album.
If you wish, general info about the pics (any captions or stats on the piece, such as size of canvas/media used, explanation of characters depicted, etc) can be listed under the image caption. Contact info and site links can easily go in your gallery profile.

Important note: Thanks to spamming morons, all new registrations pend my approval. I will approve you so long as I'm assured you're not going to flood everyone's pics with links to cheap viagra. You can assure I can pick you out from the spammin' pack with these tips -
A) Use a screen name I'll recognize or at the very least, something 'thunder-catty'. i.e. if I know you from the message board as 'Bobcat', register here with the same name. I'll catch on.
B) Put a blurb about Tcats in your bio. Something like 'my favorite Thundercat is Panthro!' - spammers generally don't do that.
C) Avoid user names that seem too random, or have a combination of a short word and several numbers after.
Otherwise, if I have any doubts whatsoever, I won't approve your membership and you will be unable to have a gallery and/or see private galleries of others, or leave comments, etc. So if you're wondering why I haven't approved as weeks go by, that's why!

7) Users and visitors alike should use the commenting and rating features responsibly. Please try to keep your comments constructive, even if they are critical. There's no need to abuse anyone. Also, work posted to the gallery should not be linked to or redistributed without the artists' express permission.

8) Also as with fic, I reserve the right to remove your gallery at anytime. Therefore, I recommend you back up your own files so that you'll always have a copy for yourself. Don't count on my page to be the permanent archive of your stuff, because you may find yourself sorely disappointed.

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How come Lion-O and Cheetara aren't paired off in your fan fic?
Be honest...Felina is just a projection of yourself. Right?
Romance...violence...swearing, geared to adults. Why?
Just how long of a story is this going to be?
What's with the fic's 'soundtrack'?
The fact that Panthro seems okay with the loss of a limb is disturbing me.
How come Cheetara and Tygra aren't married?
Ever think about trying to get your work published?
Are you ever going to finish this?

* Hey, how come Lion-O and Cheetara aren't paired off in your fan fic? That's just not right and you know it!

Well...this is the stinkin behind my thinkin -- I not only prefer a Cheetara/Tygra pairing, ::dodges myriad of rotten fruits and veggies:: but I also think a Chet/Lion-O love connection should be nixed because it would be hard for Cheetara to adjust to thinking of Lion-O as a true adult after knowing him as a cub. And yes, I know the show hinted like hell about a Lion-O/Cheetara...thing. Too bad. Besides, it's my story and I'm a-gonna tell it how I wanna -- na-na-nana-na!

* Be honest...Felina is just a projection of yourself. Right?

Actually, no. Sure, we have a few things in common like a love of reading and Lion-O lusting, haha.
Ok, that's not totally true, as Felina doesn't exactly pine away for Lion-O. But anyhow, she's just someone I came up with to make the story more interesting -- though when I very first dreamt her up, she did have some horrid Mary Sue qualities...it was quite frightening! Luckily, before I started writing, I toned her down a lot. Plus, I figured I needed a female lead -- part of the point of my fic is to eventually go into the new generation of ThunderCats. I couldn't exactly let poor Cheetara remain the only ThunderCat female of child-bearing age be responsible for the propogation of the entire next generation, now could I? Well, I coulda, but then I'd have to call the series "ThunderBillies" after that next generation of half-siblings inbred...yech!

* Aw, what'd ya haveta go and write a mushy ole fic for, anyway? And all the violence and swearing -- sheesh.

Heehee. Part of the fun of writing my own story is I can tell whatever story interests me. Believe me, I wouldn't spend the time to type up hundreds of pages if the storyline wasn't first of all interesting to me. If others dig it too, great. If not, great too. But the romance, mild swearing and violence is a departure from the series because, as an adult fan of the show, I wanted to write a more "adult" story. But I don't think anything is overly-violent and such ::shrug:: Jaga knows I've written worse lemons!

* Just how long of a story is this going to be? And are you going to write anything else afterwards?

Well, I have approximately 54 more chapters outlined and there will likely be more on top of that. At the current rate I'm going, it will literally take me years to finish the story! As for whenever I complete "Signal in the Sky", I've toyed with the idea of writing some lighter short comedies for ThunderCats as well as maybe a serious Voltron fic based on the Vehicle version of that series, and/or He-Man fics.

But, as writing fic helps me improve and grow as a writer, I'm thinking more and more about trying to get paid for writing. Not necessarily on a ThunderCats project, though that would be fantastic, but rather aspiring to be published in general. If that happens, I'd obviously be writing less fic. We'll have to see how it goes.

* Gee, how come the music associated with your fic is mostly weirdo bands/songs nobody's ever heard? Any chance in hell of actually *hearing* any of this stuff?

Hmmmm....could be because the music I listen to is mostly weirdo stuff nobody's heard, heeheee. The chapter themes are truly a vanity trip on my part and a bit of an inside joke for the Balkan Bar scenes in the fic.

As for those curious about the tunes, I double dog dare ya to download some of them there tunes I reference. Or ya can always click on the link on me fan fic page where you will find a direct link to tune into Purrsia's Tunes From the Balkan Bar. :-)

* The fact that Panthro seems okay with the loss of a limb is disturbing me. What's up with that?

Well, heh heh, I should have got to it sooner, but there will be issues he has with his injury, though mostly inwardly. I don't see Panthro as the "let me weep on your shoulder type", haha. If he does show anything outwardly, it will likely be through misdirected angry outburts.

Part of the problem with posting chapters as I write is, you are in essence reading a kind of draft. Though still thought out and proofed, if I wrote whole series first and then posted, I'd likely make big changes as other ideas etc take place.

But alas, that's not the case. You will read about Panthro's struggles with his debilitating injury...eventually!

* How come Cheetara and Tygra aren't married?

I figure, on Thundera, they just didn't have time with all that was going on. And I suppose the same can be said for Third Earth. Lion-O and Felina's wedding had to be huge and symbolic, as per Thunderian tradition...Tygra and Cheetara just might opt out of official ceremonies altogether ;)

* Ever think about trying to get your work published?

Well, no. Copyright issues aside, I honestly don't think I have what it takes to get published just yet. I simply write as a hobby, but I'm flattered that some of you think I'd have a Thunderian's chance in the Pits of Plundarr of getting published :D

* Are you ever going to finish this?

I have every intention of doing that, though it's frustratingly slow progress at the moment. Maintaining this site was the biggest drag. Back when this site existed almost soley to host that story, I was pounding out the chapters. But the page grew. And grew...and grew some more and with almost no help in managing it, I found myself having less and less time to indulge in my creative side. Compounding that recently is other projects of interest (Voltron fandom and writing fic for it is more creatively stimulating to me at the moment) are holding me back, too. I guess I am a little burned out at the moment but I would like very much to step back from concentrating on content updates here and get back to the fundamentals that got me into fandom in the first place - stories and art.
I do have everything I want to write about outlined, as I have for years, and will get to it. Another thing is, however, I do need to do re-writes on what's up already. The years since I started are showing and I think I could have made it a better story. I also enlisted another writer I respect and find very talented, Knight Writer, to help me with the re-writes and future chapters. And more recently, Spaced Angel - another fabulous writer in her own right - came on board and we've been writing at a decent pace since the spring of 06.
At any rate, I hope you have patience and stick with it. If you like the story so far, I think you'll find it worth it. If, at any time, I find I cannot finish the work, I will be courteous enough to either post an author's note to that effect on the parts that are up now or just take it down - I wouldn't keep you hanging forever. So if it's still up on the Web, odds are I will get to it...eventually!

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