Throwing out ideas to help our forum grow

[rsaffle]

I wonder if there is some project we could all do together to bring more attention to our forum? Maybe something like a PDF of info, writings, trivia and art that is available to download? Maybe write something and each of us be responsible for a page or two to illustrate or use toy photos to illustrate kinda like how the Batman vs Godzilla comic was created? Im willing to make a few items as give aways to people that leave comments. Then we all promote it on our personal social media? It could be free or even be a small cost if the forum needs financial support. Just thinking out loud. We have a lot of talented people here.

What do you think about this idea Scott and Ben?

[BiffPow]

That sounds rather interesting, Randy!

[Ben Bentley]

Hey Randy, firstly, Happy New Year!

I really like the enthusiasm and I certainly like the idea of a group project celebrating the show and the fandom of our members - especially with it being such a milestone anniversary year. I would definitely be interested in discussing further what that may look like and the forms it could take - but as far as using it as a social media marketing exercise, I don't think that would necessarily be a direction that we would go in.

How about we schedule a Video Bat-Chat session and those interested in talking through ideas for a collaborative group project can join in and we can take it from there?

[AndyFish]

The board has had its ups and downs since it started way back in the day in terms of engagement. I talk to a lot of folks here off the boards and the majority who don't post much feel they either;

1- Feel they don't have anything to add to a discussion.
2- Feel they don't have anything interesting enough to start a topic.
3- Feel like when they do make a comment they are a thread killer because there are no further replies.
4- Feel we have too many rules for posting and they are reluctant to break one.

Message boards as a whole don't have the attendance or enthusiasm they once did, I think it's just easier for folks to log in to Facebook and hit up all the groups there (and I'm talking totally out of my hat since I don't have FB myself).

My opinion is we have great members here and you don't have to be an expert on 1966 Batman to post something-- we are all here for pretty much one reason- we are Batman fans. If you get a new Batman item, add it to the "Latest Batman Item I Got" thread, if someone writes something you find interesting reply with "interesting" and don't be afraid to add your own thoughts. The best thing about this place is the strict NO FLAME rules. We all disagree on politics, we all disagree what the best 1966 episode of Batman is, but we can be respectful that one man's favorite might just be one we really can't stand-- and that's A-OK.

I've always disliked the Off-Topic Section because I felt like of the entire board that was the most wasteland like, but I've been posting in there more often and generating some interesting conversations.

IN terms of interest, I know there are a lot of us who would happily talk for hours about the most mundane details of Batman's Cowl and I also know there are a good number who don't care. I know for Batmobile purists they feel the same way about the car, myself, I grew up with the Corgi and Mego Batmobiles so to me it's more about the idea of the car than getting it as a perfect replica that dastardly villain The Shrinker might hand me. But that's OK-- we all have our own grails.

Currently there's a thread about the Magnet Gun Batman uses in the first Penguin episode-- I have a framed litho of Batman with that gun that was a gift and it hangs in my living room-- I never gave a thought as to what it was made out of but seeing the members dissect it and figure it out is fascinating to me.

As for the rules, I think it's needed to keep out those Flame wars. I've been here since the beginning and I'll be honest with you I'm not always sure what is and isn't OK, so I just err on the side of caution -- for example with the Lewis Wilson Custom Figure I'm currently talking about in Off-Topic I won't publicly post the seller nor the price but I have answered those questions via DM (which I am terrible at checking by the way).

It's a fun place made more fun by every single person who adds something into it-- because at the end of the day we all love Batman and that's worth talking about.

[BiffPow]

Now, see, Andy? You killed the thread!

Well said, good points. I guess you’re right about people using social media instead of the message board. For me, this IS social media, so Randy’s ideas sound interesting.

Hosting a 1966 Batman cosplay event, especially in conjunction with something like the Hollywood Show;

Fan made digital shorts;

Ian’s mad kit bashing skills and step-by-step process recorded on video (which figures he uses, the kind of paint used, all the way to the finished product);

Bat-music written and performed by our musically talented;

Randy giving a tutorial on 3D printing one of his props and others giving tutorials on their prop-making or 3-D printing;

A retro “membership kit” that board members could receive for donations, with some of the proceeds going toward maintaining/improving the forum and the rest going toward paying whoever produces the kit (ahem - Andy, Randy, et al), with membership cards, signed prints or posters, Vote for Batman/Penguin buttons, Posters or select cards by SketchCardsandCovers; limited edition members-only props, etc. that can be included - with different levels of membership getting additional goodies and maybe even early access to premium content (that eventually unlocks for everybody);

Fan-written “Season 4” treatments or whole scripts, etc.

Videos could be posted to YouTube and shared here.

Not sure what tax consequences would be created by membership donations to the forum, but maybe it could be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) educational entity (it is very educational) or, if there’s any charitable work done with unused portions of the revenue, as a charitable entity.

[AndyFish]

I'd be in for a lot of these, but definitely a Randy Tutorial on how 3D Printing works. Still trying to get my head around it.

[BiffPow]

I'd be in for a lot of these, but definitely a Randy Tutorial on how 3D Printing works. Still trying to get my head around it.

Same. It’s some sort of wizardry, by my guesstimate.

[BAT 77]

I'm striving to cut down the number of hours I spend online, at least outside of my work hours. I only drop in on this site every couple of weeks, but I am grateful that it still exists. I like the idea having our creators on the Bat Board contribute more. I just got a green screen from eBay this week and have preliminary plans to produce some comedic Bat-related video content in the near future, so stay tuned.

Speaking of the Board Rules, what are everyone's thoughts of posting AI art? I thought for a split second about posting some, quite honestly, well done AI Superfriends pics featuring Adam, Burt, Christopher Reeve and Lynda Carter that have been popping up on my FB feed, but I have my own personal issues ethically and as an artist about the proliferation of AI in general, so I decided not to share these.

I have the feeling we'll be seeing more postings in the coming days leading up to the 60th anniversary of Batman '66.

[rsaffle]

I'm striving to cut down the number of hours I spend online, at least outside of my work hours. I only drop in on this site every couple of weeks, but I am grateful that it still exists. I like the idea having our creators on the Bat Board contribute more. I just got a green screen from eBay this week and have preliminary plans to produce some comedic Bat-related video content in the near future, so stay tuned.

Speaking of the Board Rules, what are everyone's thoughts of posting AI art? I thought for a split second about posting some, quite honestly, well done AI Superfriends pics featuring Adam, Burt, Christopher Reeve and Lynda Carter that have been popping up on my FB feed, but I have my own personal issues ethically and as an artist about the proliferation of AI in general, so I decided not to share these.

I have the feeling we'll be seeing more postings in the coming days leading up to the 60th anniversary of Batman '66.

Like it or not AI is here to stay. I personally see some great creations but as a whole they get tiresome really fast. With some people that's all they post. I do see the posts get a lot of negative responses and some people just get confused and think they are real. I think they are so easily made that the images are overloading other content too.

I'm getting frustrated on YouTube because so much fake stuff is out there. It should be labeled as AI atleast so Im not tricked into watching it. My internet browser uses it almost exclusively to write stories.

With that said it's so prevalent in all online media that I don't know how anyone could stop it.

[BiffPow]

Yes, if you do a search, AI dominates the search results. It’s very frustrating. There needs to be a filter on the search engines that allows you to filter out AI content.

[AndyFish]

I've always found photo realistic art boring, no slight to Alex Ross who is a very nice person, his art leaves me flat.
AI is only going to get better but as it is right now I find it also cold and without heart, and it's going to put a lot of us out of work who won't be able to compete with the pricing. Lucky for me, I'll be in my Sherlock Holmes raising roses period of my career by then, but I feel for the younger guys out there.

[BiffPow]

I find it also cold and without heart

Bingo.

I haven’t been drawn to most modern comic books because they lack that warmth of simple, hand drawn content. I cannot imagine how much colder they will be when AI does it all.

[AndyFish]

You're doing yourself a disservice Biff, check out a comic shop, wander over to the Indie section and see what's coming out. For mainstream stuff you can't go wrong with MARTIAN MANHUNTER right now, it's a pretty wild run.

[gerryd54]

I've always found photo realistic art boring, no slight to Alex Ross who is a very nice person, his art leaves me flat.
AI is only going to get better but as it is right now I find it also cold and without heart, and it's going to put a lot of us out of work who won't be able to compete with the pricing. Lucky for me, I'll be in my Sherlock Holmes raising roses period of my career by then, but I feel for the younger guys out there.

Holmes, who I was obsessed with as a kid was actually a bee keeper in his old age. Don't know how he felt about roses.