User talk:Greg Williams

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Contents

[edit] A Warm WikiWorld Welcome

Greetings! Starting on Monday, December 11, 2006, the WikiWorld comic found a home in The Wikipedia Signpost. You can check out the Signpost's introductory article here. And, if you come across any articles that might be well suited to a cartoon-style interpretation, please be sure to let me know. --Greg Williams 13:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wow is the word for WW!!

Hi Greg, WikiWorld was great - I'm planning to use some of the strips to motivate students to contribute to Wikipedia. I understand that you would like to explore Wikipedia on your own for comic strip ideas but you may also want to look at WP:PINQ and its archives as they comprise several interesting and obscure facts about India as well as around the world. Having 1 or 2 WikiWorld comic strips on Indian topics would also make my job of motivating students in India easier. I may also talk to a couple of publications to see if they will carry it out in their issues. Most importantly, I wanted to say that I am impressed by your resolve in ensuring that this initiative took off despite being new to Wikipedia. And a small award, to say thank you for that... --Gurubrahma 07:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

The Exceptional Newcomer Award
Greg richly deserves this award for displaying creativity and resolve in bringing forth "WikiWorld", which, I hope would attract newer audiences to benefit from and contribute to Wikipedia. --Gurubrahma 07:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

P.S. I am not sure if you have received this message before, but to make sure, I am leaving the standard welcome message and some useful links along with it!

Welcome!

Hello, Greg Williams, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place {{helpme}} on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome!  Enjoy your stay on Wikipedia!! --Gurubrahma 07:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks very much, Gurubrahma. I'll definitely take a look at the articles about India that you've mentioned. If you talk with any publications that would like to reprint the WikiWorld comic, please let me know - since these Web-based versions of the comic might cause problems for a print publication. I'd be happy to provide another version that would be better-suited to their needs. --Greg Williams 14:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] suggestion for a future comic

Greg, one of my favorite articles is Apples and oranges. It seems like it would make a good WikiWorld comic someday.--ragesoss 21:34, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Comic

Hi there! I just spotted your comic in the signpost. Nice work, it looks great there! (Radiant) 15:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I really liked it too... I know its probably okay under the license, but wanted to clear it with you first, can I go ahead and throw the Redshirt comic up on my user page?? Thanks.. EnsRedShirt 20:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sure, feel free to add it to your user page. Can you use it full-size (650 pixels wide), to make it as readable as possible? If not, it would be great if you could make it as close to that width as possible. Thanks for checking in. --Greg Williams 20:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Biographical

WikiWorld cartoonist Greg Williams is shown below in a portrait by son Jeremy, 11. --Greg Williams 03:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Neat! Put it on Wikipedia Facebook if you want. :) W3stfa11 06:11, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Redshirt comic

Loved the redshirt comic! Your caricature of Kirk made me laugh out loud. Keep em coming! :) Kaldari 08:01, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I love your cartoons - my favorites are the pet skunk and red shirt. You might also have some fun with Kitsune (which is currently a featured article candidate). Raul654 04:35, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Great cartoons. I love the Pet Skunk and Facial Hair. Good work! W3stfa11 06:11, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Just saw the Redshirt comic, care of the Signpost. Needless to say, I look forward to seeing more. Excellent work, and informative. An excellent benefit to Wikipedia. Kaiser matias 05:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia signpost

Have you talked to the guys who do the Wikipedia community paper? The signpost? You could probably do a weekly update for them, it's pretty cool, and might get others to contribute too. - hahnchen 02:12, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Several people have made the same suggestion. I've sent an e-mail to the Signpost editors, but we haven't talked. Thanks.--Greg Williams 04:05, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
Congratulations on the Signpost thing; it will bring some well-deserved recognition to your work. It will be a real addition to the Signpost too. Anyhow, keep up the good work.--ragesoss 04:45, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
This barnstar is presented in recognition of the sheer awesomeness of WikiWorld. ragesoss 04:45, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, Ragesoss! I'm not sure when the comics will start showing up in Signpost, but I appreciate the support WikiWorld has received. Up until now, only active editors could have known about the comics - along with a few random readers who called up the articles I've illustrated, I suppose. Signpost is geared toward "insiders" but should provide a stable home for the comics. That will make it easier to tell people how to find them, at any rate. I'm not sure whether the Signpost editors are planning to archive the comics or just to display the most recent posting. But Wikipedia is a fluid medium, so I'm hoping for the best. --Greg Williams 11:55, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Older discussions

I am removing your cartoon/comic drawings from Wikipedia. Your posting them into the relevant articles is unfortunately a major breach of WP:COI, and you've apparently given no notice or claim that your infringement of the Wikipedia logo trademark in your own logo is actually approved by the Wikimedia Foundation. They are cute cartoons, but entirely inappropriate for Wikipedia article main space. -- JossBuckle Swami 02:55, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. My cartoons were posted - and the WikiWorld logo was developed and used - with the knowledge and assistance of folks at Wikimedia, although this would not be apparent to other editors. --Greg Williams 23:27, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
Ecch. I for one am thankful for the images, although using them full-sized in their respective articles is counterproductive, as they're large enough to make reading difficult. I'm surprised and disappointed to see that no centralized location to talk the matter through has apparently been created. Without one, we get an awful lot of mess for few results. I'd quite like to found and oversee one myself but, alas, I'd also like to pass at least one of my upcoming exams. I'll see if there's something I can do. --Kizor 23:17, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Kizor. Good points. I think it's perfectly reasonable to keep the cartoons outside of the articles themselves - because of the size they'd need to run, and because of concerns that they don't add encyclopedic value. For me, the cartoons would work best as an illustrative promotional feature, to shine a light on some of the fascinating but little-seen articles in Wikipedia. Unfortunately, that only works if a casual user of Wikipedia could actually stumble across them. (Displaying them inside the little-seen articles themselves becomes a COMPLETELY nonsensical exercise, if promotion is the primary goal.) Another editor suggested posting them on a Project Page. But is there any chance that a casual user would ever encounter them there? --Greg Williams 13:12, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

I saw them too. While I'm not sure that they suit articles, I wonder if the folks at the The Wikipedia Signpost, a kind of newspaper for Wikipedia, would be interested in them? They'd brighten up the pages and encourage people to work on these undervisited articles. Laïka 19:31, 24 November 2006 (UTC)
I'll keep an eye on The Wikipedia Signpost. Maybe that would be a good option. Thanks for the link. --Greg Williams 17:17, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
I created the {{Illustrated Wikipedia}} template at the behest of Danny Wool as a ground-breaking exercise for what will hopefully become WikiProject Illustrated Wikipedia (analogous to WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia). It is somewhat regrettable that a user of all of 10 days standing should take it upon themselves to be quite so bold without consulting the person who created the template as to intention. It does provide somewhat of a incentive to get on with creating the WikiProject, but the lack of manners doesn't exactly improve the atmosphere. It should be noted that the template does not display the actual cartoon, merely provides a link to it…as the slightest effort on the part of the remover would have revealed. Greg: please don't take this as any kind of sign that your cartoons are unwelcome here. HTH HAND —Phil | Talk 08:45, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the note, Phil. I appreciate it! I'll be adding a new comic strip to my Wikimedia gallery and User Page today; Should I try to add the Illustrated Wikipedia template to the pertinent article(s) myself, or would I need some additional information before proceeding? --Greg Williams 12:09, 27 November 2006 (UTC)
I'd say "be descreet"... {{Illustrated Wikipedia| }} is the format for the template. Just paste that into the external links section of an article, replace the spaces with the image file name, and just save the page. -- Zanimum 21:32, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
While the "template deletion" discussion continues, I think I'll steer clear of the editing process. Others can add the Illustrated Wikipedia templates for now, if they like. --Greg Williams 04:07, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Project now started

You are cordially invited to participate in WikiProject Illustrated Wikipedia. Now it's on a more official footing, maybe people will start using those manners their mothers no doubt attempted to teach them. HTH HAND —Phil | Talk 14:48, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Wow! Thanks. This should be interesting. What do I need to do, apart from producing and uploading the comics? (I've already received a few suggestions of topics for future strips; That will be a great help - although I also enjoy doing my own explorations.) Phil, if you have specific thoughts about how to link to the comics, how to archive them, etc., please let me know here, or in an e-mail. --Greg Williams 15:19, 29 November 2006 (UTC)
The best place for discussion of these topics is at the project itself. Recruiting some of your buddies to join in would be fun also: it would be interesting to have different styles of cartoon, and we might spark some fruitful discussion over whether certain types of article suit certain types of cartoon…or not. HTH HAND —Phil | Talk 21:29, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Greg, I am much more comfortable, now that your project has been formalized, involves the participation of more cartoonists than just yourself, and doesn't hijack the articles themselves (which, you have to remember, are being viewed by many people on things like 56K modems and cell phones with slow connections). I hope that people like Phil who seem to be on a high horse about manners also see that my concerns were based more on the trademark use of the Wikipedia logo, the obvious violation of WP:COI, and the fact that the cartoons do not "add" to Wikipedia's mission (at least in the traditional sense). I honestly wish you all the best of success and happiness -- I just wanted it in the proper format, with proper licensing/permission, in the proper forum. I wish the leaders at the Wikimedia Foundation had done this properly (by executing through "beta testing" with the community, and asking for community input), rather than running it like the "boys club" that it too often appears to be. I still don't get how WMF can get so upset about the use of merely the Wikipedia NAME in something like a press release, whilst unofficially endorsing the complete theft (albeit for creative purposes) of the Wikipedia logo by a private artist. You can see, that by their failure to communicate this project to the community, it led to a lot of needless energy wasted by the slave-volunteers. --JossBuckle Swami 04:17, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree, it has been a bumpy ride so far, as the Wikipedia community attempts to sort out how (or whether) these comics fit into the site's current landscape. Obviously, this project doesn't fit neatly within the previously established parameters for submitting content. Hopefully, things will sort themselves out - especially now that it's a little clearer that the concept (and logo) weren't developed in a vacuum. Honestly, it doesn't bother me a bit if the comics aren't posted or linked within the articles themselves. I've always envisioned this project as a way to entice casual readers to check out some of the fascinating but little-known articles in Wikipedia - not merely to entertain the handful of readers who might somehow stumble across "Facial hair" or "Pet skunk" on their own. (Although the promotional usage I've described might not please absolutely everyone, I suspect it wouldn't raise quite the same concern about protecting the encyclopedic integrity of the articles themselves.) --Greg Williams 16:14, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hosting

If it ends up you cannot do your comic project here, then I can set up a MediaWiki server outside of the wikimedia foundation, but with the same copyright policies dedicated to the project. It is a great idea, and I am a real believer in creating free content for the masses, while respecting the artists right to be attributed. HighInBC (Need help? Ask me) 22:33, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

As I understand the licensing arrangement, others are free to reprint or adapt the comics regardless of how they are used within Wikipedia. I'll continue to make the images freely available on Wikimedia Commons - as requested - but if you'd like to use them as part of an outside project, go right ahead. If you need anything, let me know. Thanks. --Greg Williams 04:03, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Suggestion for strip

Hi Greg, I really enjoyed your Redshirt comic which appeared in the Signpost; I immediately went and looked at the others. It struck me, as a mathematician (and a visually inclined one), that an article like Möbius strip would be great fun for your strip. --C S (Talk) 16:45, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I'll have to give that idea some thought. I've always been fascinated by Möbius strips - and would love to be able to study a sculpture of M.C. Escher's Möbius Strip II, if such a thing could actually be produced. (Could it? I can't quite wrap my head around the spatial requirements of converting Escher's drawing into a 3-dimensional object.) Thanks. --Greg Williams 13:33, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
I mainly came to this page to say I'd noticed and enjoyed your illustrations, loved the overweight skunk... Saw this post about the Möbius strip and thought I'd throw in Klein bottle. After I discovered the Möbius strip in my youth I read a lot about topology and then discovered the Klein bottle which I found interesting & bizarre. (and also pretty hard to draw from memory...) anyways good luck here on the wiki and take care. SeanMack 14:09, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
Hello, I don't know if there's a suggestion box for your webcomic, but i'll just write it here. I found a rather funny article about anti-tank dogs.--Janarius 17:13, 7 May 2007 (UTC)
Wow! I just visited the tank dog article yesterday. What a coincidence. It might offend the dog lovers however. Steve Dufour 18:46, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A Smile on My Face

Hi Greg, I just dropped by to say thanks for your work on the WikiWorld cartoon strips, great stuff and long may it continue. I look forward to regular postings in the Signpost to add some colour, humour and a welcome smile to the site. I enjoyed the strips you've done so far very much indeed, (the veangeful pet skunk image is my personal highlight so far). It's a wonderful idea for Wikipedia' keep up the good work. Best wishes. --Cactus.man ✍ 13:04, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Cactus.man. Since I've built up a small stockpile of comics (as you've seen), I'm planning to present a mix of new and existing comics in the Signpost for the first few weeks, just to get things rolling. I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the project. --Greg Williams 13:22, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] WoW [And not the pagemove vandal]!

Nice work! (Especially the licence!) 68.39.174.238 13:21, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Greetings

I haven't been editing long but your page inspired something close to epiphany in me. The say be bold round here, but suspect you may have set a new benchmark. I'm off to WikiProject: Illustrated Wikipedia as you suggested. Check out Hunt Emersons pages from the fortean times magazine. Regards Fred.e 14:31, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Aloha...

I know you get tons of suggestions, but I just came across Beefalo, a cattle-buffalo hybrid. Something about the name just had me kind of chuckling on the inside. Also, if you weren't aware, Wikipedia:Unusual articles would be good fodder perhaps. Mahalo. --Ali'i 21:58, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. So many good ideas! --Greg Williams 12:18, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
I tried to work it in, but limited space - and the fact that a bunch of people were killed - made it a difficult combo. (Maybe someone else, with a more serious cartooning/illustration style than mine, could give it a try.) --Greg Williams 13:42, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Great Stuff

...but you need to do a survey of our screen settings. your boxes on the right hand of your page are chopped off and require some scrolling. Just thought I'd let you know. best. frummer 12:15, 1 January 2007 (UTC)]]

How much of a cut-off are you talking about? It would be easy enough to resize, if the current width of 650 pixels isn't workable for everyone. (That width was suggested by a Web designer not connected to Wikipedia; I'll do some independent research.) Thanks. --Greg Williams 13:52, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Project box

Dear Greg, Fantastic comics, I really think you're doing us a great service by creating them - I hope "real world" publishers decide to take them up too! I am writing to request that you (or someone who knows how) create a little info box to place on the talk-page of the articles that you've drawn - rther than placing a little mention in the article itself. It should look something like the "Did you know" or the "featured article of the day" boxes which appear at the top of talk-pages - like this:

Did You Know An entry from Thagomizer appeared in Wikipedia's Signpost in the Illlustrated Wikipedia on January 3, 2007.
Wikipedia

What do you think? I definately believe that the fact that you've drawn the article should be brought to the attention of readers - but not in the article itself, that's meta-info and belongs on the talk page. Let me know your opinion. Witty lama 19:51, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. There has been a lot of discussion about whether it is appropriate to post the comics in story space, but linking to the comics with a WikiProject box seemed to address those concerns. That's where the current box came from. Ideally, the WikiWorld comics should function as promotional elements - to help send readers to the articles themselves, not the other way around. Running the comics in Signpost is a great step forward in that direction.--Greg Williams 00:55, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
I think you misunderstand me. I am not talking about posting the cartoons in the project namespace or anywhere else - I am talking about the little infobox you placed in the articles you have drawn. I Do agree that there should be mention of the fact that the articles have been "cartoonised" but I do not believe that the mention should be in the article itself. It is WP standard practice that only information relevant to an encyclopaedic entry on a subject should be mentioned in the article itself, not things that link to the "wikiproject" namespace. For example, if you look at today's "Featured Article of the day John Brooke-Little you will see no such meta-information in the actual article but when you go to the talk page here you see several project boxes that refer to things that have happened to the article on WP (peer reviews, Featured candidacy, mentions on the main page...). I believe that the "illustrated wikipedia" infobox should go alongside these types of things in the talk page.Do you agree? Do you think you could get someone to create a pretty little template to place on the talkpages of the articles that you've drawn? Cheers, Witty lama 14:06, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
I do understand your point, Witty lama. The current box is the result of several weeks of back-and-forth editing and discussion by quite a few others. Maybe I've missed something, but it was my understanding that the current box was the direct result of those discussions. That's the only reason I've been adding it to articles. If more discussions are warranted, I'd prefer to stay uninvolved. As I said earlier, the comics are intended to direct readers to the articles - not vice versa. Take care, --Greg Williams 04:04, 5 January 2007 (UTC)
Witty lama appears to be correct -- the box looks like it breaks WP:ASR -- but I can understand exactly where you're coming from. For the present, I don't think there's any pressing need for you to stop adding that box to articles, since it's not really going to upset anyone (unless it makes their computer burst into flames, or something). However, a better solution should be developed if possible; maybe we should try to find a few other alternatives, and see what looks best? :) Daveydweeb (chat/review!) 12:30, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ligne claire

Hi, I really like your work on WikiWorld! Would you be up to providing a free image to illustrate Ligne claire to replace the fair-use image that's currently there? —Angr 12:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to try my hand at this first. -- Zanimum 19:22, 5 January 2007 (UTC)
I'm unfamiliar with the term, so it would take a bit of research for me to feel comfortable that I've captured the proper look. If Zanimum is willing to give it a shot instead, that would be terrific. Can't wait to see it. --Greg Williams 20:20, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] April Fool

Hey Greg, we've been trying to come up with a picture to use on the Main Page on April Fool's day...in the "Featured Picture" section at the bottom. We want something funny - and completely unexpected for Wikipedia.

I think (and most people I ask agree) that a WikiWorld comic would be the perfect thing - but there is a problem. A picture - no matter how good it is - can only become the 'featured picture of the day' if it's used in an actual Wikipedia article - which I don't think any of your cartoons are. We could almost justify adding a WikiWorld cartoon into Comic or Web comic - but Wikipedia disallows 'self reference' - gratuitously mentioning Wikipedia inside an article isn't allowed.

So the idea that comes to my mind is to write a new article specifically so we can weasel one of your cartoons onto it. The one way I could think to do this 'within the rules' would be to write a biographical article about you, personally. The problem here is whether you meet the Wikipedia 'notability for a living person' standards. You evidently have lots of published works (in the newspaper you draw for presumably) - that's a huge plus point. Are there books of your cartoons? Have you ever won any kind of an award for your work? Have any 'critics' discussed it?

Another alternative - would be to beg and plead for you to draw us something that's NOT about Wikipedia (ie not a WikiWorld comic page) - but which could serve to illustrate an article like Comic but without being a 'self reference' but which would look very, very strange indeed on the Wikipedia front page. I have no clue what that might be - and it would have to be good enough to make it through the 'featured picture' process.

SteveBaker 17:17, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Steve, I like your idea of doing something unique for April Fool's Day. Like you, though, I'm stumped about what it could be. It's hard to do something unexpected without breaking the rules in some way, you know?
I seriously doubt that I would meet the "notability" standards - but thanks.
Here's a thought: I remember that Norman Rockwell did a series of April Fool's Day cover paintings for The Saturday Evening Post magazine. Each one was filled with tons of "mistakes" and unusual combinations of imagery. As far as I know, those covers haven't been very visible in recent years (except possibly as jigsaw puzzles or as memorabilia from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.). Anyway, do you think there might be a way to include information about those covers in an existing article, or to create a new article about them? You can see a low-res version of one of the covers here. (It's hard to pick up on the details at that size, I know, but the trickery in the images is pretty intricate.)
It wouldn't be a WikiWorld comic, but it certainly would be unique to see one of those covers online, at a large enough size to allow easy viewing. I'm not sure what sort of contortions would be required to make it happen, though. Perhaps a small version of one of the covers could be inserted into an article about Rockwell or The Saturday Evening Post, which then could become a Featured Picture. To see the image at a much larger size, however, it might be necessary to link to an external source, with proper permissions. Seems like it might be a complex process - but, hey, what else is new?
Personally, I'd love to see Wikipedia forge a relationship with the Rockwell estate or the publishing company that controls the rights to his work (here) that would allow this sort of thing to happen - especially since Rockwell did a whole series of April Fool's Day covers. It could become a yearly tradition for the site. (If you like the idea, maybe Brad Patrick could tell us whether he's aware of any sort of arrangement that could make this possible, without violating copyrights.) --Greg Williams 13:32, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
I love the Rockwell cover! The problem is that we can't put 'fair use' images onto the front page - that cover must still be in copyright - right? It's hard to read on that small image but it looks like the date says 1948. Remember - it's not enough for the Rockwell estate to grant us permission to use it - the images would have to be free for anyone to use and I doubt the Rockwell folks would give up the images on that basis. Oh well - back to the drawing board. SteveBaker 13:47, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
I'm sure you're probably right about the copyright. I think the publication date for that cover may have been 1943, but it seems unlikely that anyone would let a Rockwell copyright lapse.
Trying to find a talented painter who would be willing to attempt the intricacies of Rockwell's style - and then make it freely available for anyone to use - would be close to impossible, I'm guessing. Then again, that's basically what I'm doing, on a simpler scale.
Definitely worth thinking about, regardless. Maybe the Rockwell example will spur us on to think of a workable WikiWorld concept. --Greg Williams 17:29, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
  • If the picture would be tantamount to an April Fool joke, maybe the requirement that it needs to appear in an article could be excepted / subverted / defied in an April-Fool manner (!) / etc...?  Regards, David Kernow (talk) 18:31, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Haha

Kudos on writing possibly the only story ever to begin with the words "Dear God! I'm bleeding from the ears! Make it stop!!!" Ral315 (talk) 01:43, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Good work and suggestion

Hi Greg,

You have done good work for the Illustrated Wikipedia Project. I have a suggestion for you, which I think would help you in the long run. While uploading images, instead of writing same repetitive image description, prefer to use templates. This way you can update all the images that are under the purview of the project in one edit. I have created a sample template in my sandbox, and you are free to improve upon it. Regards, — Ambuj Saxena (☎) 15:03, 15 February 2007 (UTC)


Thanks for the note. I'm not quite sure I understand the benefit of the template, if the wording doesn't change from one comic to the next, though. Maybe I'm missing something - but I'll give it a try next time. --Greg Williams 12:01, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
Let me explain. Using the template has the following distinct advantages.
  1. Ease of use. Instead of writing "I created this cartoon illustration in cooperation with the Wikimedia Foundation. It has been uploaded as part of the Illustrated Wikipedia WikiProject, which is currently under development...", you can just write {{WikiWorldImage}}, and the complete text that you intend to write there will come all on its own. Even if the text changes for every image, using templates provides standardization across all uses.
  2. Ease of maintenance. If after some time, say the WikiProject came out of development phase, and you intend to update this information, all you need to do is to change it at the base template itself, and it will be reflected everywhere it is used.
  3. Ease of search. By using the "What links here" functionality, you can find out all the images that have been labeled as part of "WikiWorld". You would no longer need to keep all those links on your user page to keep track of the images under WikiWorld.
  4. Ease of identification. Once the template becomes well-known, by just looking at the template, one would recall everything that it said. Things written completely in text require a detailed read to understand.
  5. Prevention against vandalism. Using templates ensures (to certain extent) that none of the image are mis-represented. By just checking for vandalism on the base template itself, one can ensure prevention against vandalism.
  6. Visual appeal. Since templates also use features other than text (like images), they are usually appealing to the eyes.
Hope this was helpful. Contact me if you need additional help. — Ambuj Saxena (☎) 14:17, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

I have implemented the template. From now on, when you upload an image to commons, instead of the long text, just write {{WikiWorldImage}} in the image summary. This will include both the template message, as well as the two categories ("Greg Williams" and "WikiWorld Images by Greg Williams"). This should reduce the word you have had to do. But don't forget to put the cc-by-2.5 license. Regards, — Ambuj Saxena (☎) 16:07, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks again; I appreciate your help! --Greg Williams 03:26, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiWorldImage

Hi Greg,

As explained before, I have created and implemented the template feature for the comics. I have tested another feature, and if you wish, that can also be implemented in all the comics. What I have done is that I have allowed the template to have an optional parameter, which will provide a link to the English Wikipedia article the cartoon is used to illustrate. For example, you can see the Hyperthymesia cartoon which uses the parameter. The original image page shows how it renders. The actual text can be changed at any point of time. Also note that the images that don't use the parameter (like this one) still display the Template without any awkward formatting. It is up to you if you want to use it in the future or not. If yes, just remember to summarize the images as {{WikiWorldImage|Article name}}. Regards, — Ambuj Saxena (☎) 14:20, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

That seems like a worthwhile addition to the template; Thanks! --Greg Williams 17:39, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject overhaul

Moved WikiProject to Wikipedia:WikiProject WikiWorld, and merged the templates (some of which were being abused) into {{WikiWorld}}. WikiProject (formerly WikiProject Illustrated Wikipedia) appears to be moribund, however. It is tagged with {{Inactive}} (which anyone can remove at any time if they're doing something with the project). There are some potentially interesting ideas in the talk page at the project, too. — SMcCandlish [talk] [contrib] ツ 00:14, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Discussion of this change

Since you're listed as the major participant, please join us in this discussion. HTH HAND —Phil | Talk 15:09, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikiworld: Pet skunk

The vengeful frame me laugh, thanks and keep up the good work. -Ravedave (Adopt a State) 17:12, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Syndicating Wikiworld...

Hi!

If the current week's wikiworld could ALSO always be in a file named current_wikiworld.png or similar, it would be much easier to contemplate syndicating it to my web site... (Assuming you would be friendly to that idea?) --BenBurch 19:14, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestion, Ben. Once I sort out some formatting questions, I'll be happy to create a file that can be updated easily, as each new comic is published in the Signpost.
All of my previous uploads have been JPGs; What are the advantages of using the PNG format instead?
I'm glad the WikiWorld comics have found a home in the Signpost. It seems unlikely that many casual users would find them there, however. Since the comics are published under a free-content license, this "online syndication" idea should help increase readership AND serve the original intent of promoting Wikipedia's content. One request: When you add WikiWorld to your Web site, could you include a brief attribution credit that also links to the Signpost's intro/archive here ? In case you're interested, I've also started a blog/archive at www.myspace.com/wikiworld --Greg Williams 14:53, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
All of my previous uploads have been JPGs; What are the advantages of using the PNG format instead?
Well, the PNG format is "lossless" - the image you end up with is precisely what you painted in whatever art program you used. With JPG, the image that's stored is only a convenient approximation of what you painted - some of the colours will be very slightly screwed up - and, perhaps more importantly, the sharpmess of your lines and text will be somewhat blurred. The benefit of JPEG is that it makes for a much smaller file than PNG - precisely because it is able to throw away information from your original image that were not deemed critical for people looking at it. The JPEG algorithm knows things about human perception and (in theory) cunningly tosses out information that our eyes don't much care about. Note also that JPEG has a 'quality' setting - high quality JPG's are nearly as big as PNG and nearly as qood quality. Low quality JPG's are noticably nasty - and take much, much less space than PNG files. Beware though - there is no point in converting a JPG file into a PNG - the damage has already been done and it can never be recovered. Increasing the quality setting of an existing JPEG image is similarly bad. So if you are planning to switch to PNG (and I'd say the benefits were debatable) then you must save your newly drawn pictures directly into PNG. Personally, I don't think your cartoons suffer from being in JPG - and the reduction in space will be appreciated by readers with only a dialup connection. The JPG quality setting lets you experiment with saving the same image in a bunch of different quality settings and see what your artistic sentements will tolerate! I would recommend that you keep 'archived' versions of your original art in PNG though - I'd also draw them at much higher resolution and down-size them when you convert them to JPG for "publication". Cartoon-art scholars of the future might appreciate being able to see your historic portfolio in it's original pristine condition! SteveBaker 16:50, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
This is a big help, Steve. I've been saving the JPGs at the highest possible quality setting, to cut down on file size without introducing the visual nasties that you sometimes see in compressed files. For the purposes of an online display at the current size (600 pixels wide), it seems to be working fine. Just in case better-quality versions are ever needed for print publications, I've also saved larger TIF files at 300 dpi.
It sounds like you are on top of the problem then. SteveBaker 03:06, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
Unless someone makes a persuasive case to switch to PNG, it sounds like I should stick with the current JPG approach for "Signpost" and online syndication. (Sound reasonable, Ben?) --Greg Williams 22:27, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiWorld

Hi Greg, just want to say I love your cartoons :-) However, can I make a suggestion that you include a link to the permanent revision of the article you are quoting? It would be helpful, especially as this is what we suggest to those who cite our work. - Ta bu shi da yu 03:15, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. I'm not sure I understand your request, though. The Signpost page for each comic includes a credit line that links to the article(s) quoted. This should bring up the most recent revision, in case the content of the article has changed since the comic was produced. (Or are you suggesting a link to the earlier version of the article?) --Greg Williams 18:32, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
Hi Greg, just popping in, saw this comment. It looks like he was suggesting you cite like so... "Mike the Headless Chicken (as of June 3, 2007)." Don't know how critical it is, but it's an idea nonetheless. -- Zanimum 16:10, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Dumpster Diving

Dumpster diving is a weird article. You should do it. LazyLaces 13:08, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Squirrel fishing also might have some potential. :-) Steve Dufour 00:47, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
I'd like to suggest George P. Burdell :) —Disavian (talk/contribs) 05:56, 17 April 2007 (UTC)
That would be a good one! Steve Dufour 04:44, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
Good ideas. Thanks! I'll try to work them into the mix soon. --Greg Williams 10:31, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

Don't overlook World domination. Steve Dufour 02:17, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Almost sounded like you were suggesting Greg actually dumpster dive, Lazylaces. -- Zanimum 16:06, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thank You!

Your Week 16 "Buffalo buffalo..." comic forever ended my longstanding confusion regarding what that sentence means to say. You have enlightened a dark, ignorant, musky little corner of my brain, and I am in your debt. :) Best wishes, Xoloz 20:35, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes — this one, along with all of your other cartoons, is great! Keep up the fine work, Trey56 08:18, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thank you so much...

Hi, Thanks for the cartoon about skunks. I liked it a lot!! Keep it up. --Nirajrm talk ||| sign plz! 02:15, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Thanks for your visuals, it is going to be a great hit!!! --Nirajrm talk sign plz! 03:08, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Great job!

Your comics are great! I am sure they are a lot of work, but please keep them coming. Remember 02:58, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] St. Pete Meetup time!

St. Petersburg skyline St. Petersburg Meetup


Where: Bishop Tavern, 260 1st Avenue North
When: June 29, 2007, starting at 6 p.m.
This box: view • talk • edit

Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 05:25, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiWorld comic

Hey, you said over on the talk page for the project that you should get contacted if anyone knew of a good idea for a comic. I dunno if near brushes with deat are actually suitable or not, but you might like to consider one or more of the following articles well-known to a select bunch of aviation-type people but not at all to many others:

  • British Airways Flight 9
  • British Airways Flight 5390 (probably not, two injured, one quite badly, and a pretty terrifying experience; I dunno if it's in the article but I know that at one point they thought about dropping him because they thought he was dead; they only held on because they were worried he might go through an engine, ar else strike a wing or the tail)
  • Adam Air Flight 172 (The least known; also note I'm a bit biased suggesting this one as I wrote it. But of course, that meant I could see to it it was done properly, this one's a GA)

If you could reply on my talk page with initial thoughts, I would be grateful, but as I said, dunno if these are suitable. Blood Red Sandman (Talk) (Contribs) 22:46, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ideas for WikiWorld

Here are a few ideas for a WikiWorld comic:

  1. Nintendo
  2. Uncyclopedia
  3. Godwin's Law
  4. NetHack
Userboxes Only! 13:30, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Charles Lane comic

The comic for Charles Lane is a JPG named Current comic.jpg. Do you possibly have a PNG version which could be uploaded under a more appropriate name? TIA HAND —Phil | Talk 10:33, 13 July 2007 (UTC)


It was originally saved as a JPEG, so that's the only electronic version I have. I may be able to re-scan it and re-colorize it, at some point - if necessary. --Greg Williams 14:46, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Another suggestion

William McGonagall would make a great WikiWorld comic. Fishal 23:24, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Replaceable fair use Image:Gordon_Thomas.jpg

Replaceable fair use

Thanks for uploading Image:Gordon_Thomas.jpg. I notice the 'image' page specifies that the image is being used under fair use, but its use in Wikipedia articles fails our first fair use criterion in that it illustrates a subject for which a freely licensed image could reasonably be found or created that provides substantially the same information. If you believe this image is not replaceable, please:

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[edit] Mr. Bean

The sentence about the animated series in the Image:Bean wikiworld.png is incorrect. I watched "Double Trouble", the very last episode of the animated series. In the episode, Bean met a look-a-like man who is, revealed in the final moments, came from outer space. However, the title character was not shown to be an alien. (Ask Bob Castle for further information.) -- JSH-alive 00:01, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Hi JSH - There seems to be some interpretive disagreement about this point. I haven't seen the series, as you have, so I can't weigh in with a personal opinion. The comic is based on the article as it currently appears - although I'll be happy to make a change, if one seems warranted. (I'll message Bob Castle.) Thanks! --Greg Williams 03:56, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
Hi, I'm afraid I haven't seen the said episode either - that text has been there for ages, so I don't know if it's completely accurate or not. To be completely honest, I'm not actually that big-a fan of Mr. Bean, particularly the animated series, it's just that I seem to have ended up having to revert all the nonsense that gets added to the article. I rather hoped that by getting it to GA standard it might stop it being vandalised, but that plan didn't really work... Bob talk 07:36, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
Thanks, Bob. Hopefully, I'll find out soon whether this is an error, vandalism, a wrong interpretation or perfectly OK. --Greg Williams 12:14, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] More suggestions

Beagle seems to have some potential for humor. Steve Dufour 18:44, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Primatology? Steve Dufour 03:45, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vegas ambigram

A user keeps replacing the Vegas ambigram by an ugly one, like here. I've reverted a few times, but don't want to be drawn into a one-person revert war. Thought I'd let you know, in case you're interested.  --Lambiam 08:59, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. That's sort of interesting, actually. I guess Franklin must really like how his ambigram turned out. (Pretty much how I felt about the "Vegas" ambigram - which is why I posted it.) Aaaaaah, Wikipedia ... --Greg Williams 11:09, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] George P. Burdell

Props on having the 2007 version wearing a strong bad t-shirt, made me chuckle. Excellent as always. I'd also like to suggest Sopite syndrome, because I'd love to see "the space stupids" illustrated. -Ravedave 05:17, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

Hi Disavian - A few months back, you suggested George P. Burdell as a worthy topic for a WikiWorld comic - and this seemed like the right time to follow up, since a whole new crop of Georgia Tech freshman are learning about Burdell. Thanks for getting in touch. Hope you like my approach. --Greg Williams 05:20, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

It's perfect :) —Disavian (talk/contribs) 06:12, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] British Rail flying saucer

British Rail flying saucer could really use getting the 'Greg-treatment' - maybe sharing a page with Tempest Prognosticator and other crazy inventions? SteveBaker 14:38, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Huzzah for you

Very nice work on the WikiWorld comics. You're a hell of an artist. — Scartol · Talk 22:02, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

Burdell was great! Steve Dufour 01:30, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Barnstar

The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
For your continuing and ceaseless efforts in illustrating Wikipedia, I, Sharkface217, hereby award you this barnstar. You've deserved it. --Sharkface217 23:33, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Too late... Or not? Ref. Five second wikiworld.jpg

In the time that I took to state, "Don't anybody touch that chip yet!", the stopwatch I wear every day elapsed an average of 1.5 seconds. By the time the green bacteria counted to 4, another bacteria stated, "Too late!" Do you suppose it wasn't really too late, and that the image unwittingly appears to illustrate the bacteria obeying the 5-second rule? Becuase in the time it took for the bacteria to say, "Don't anybody touch that chip yet!" AND count, it was actually about 5.5 seconds before the red bacterium touched the chip. --70.179.175.240 03:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Um...it's a comic...bacteria don't wear wristwatches either. SteveBaker 14:34, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sarah Vowell's caricature

I feel terrible complaining before I've complemented you. So let me say this: I love each and every one of your caricatures -- until today when I saw Sarah Vowell. I'm no art critic, but I know what makes me think of severe deformity. I'm sure what happened is that you spent so much time on last week's superbly excellent drawings that you were exhausted and pressed for time this week.

I feel terrible saying this, but if I did something that made someone else feel the way I do, I'd want them to tell me. I think. Please take this constructively and please believe me when I say I like all the others.

It's the distance between the eyes, I think, and the lip. And if you look at this picture don't you think the base of the eyes tilt inward instead of outward? I feel like such a jerk complaining about your art. My repertoire extends to stick figures and no further.

Forgive me please. ←BenB4 02:09, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the note, Ben. Caricatures are tricky. The process itself is highly subjective, and viewers' reactions are highly personal. When I'm working on a caricature and it feels ALMOST right, but not quite, I generally try again - if I have the time. By experimenting a bit (making the nose smaller, spacing the eyes differently, reshaping the mouth, etc.), the likeness usually seems to improve. This is most apparent when I look back at an earlier "ALMOST right" sketch and no longer recognize the subject.
I took a little time to experiment with the Sarah Vowell drawing - based on your feedback - and I'm much happier with the likeness. I hope you are, too. --Greg Williams 05:14, 18 September 2007 (UTC)
I do! It's so much better. I wish I could draw. ←BenB4 13:22, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiWorld topics

Hi. I love your work. I find it witty, informative and a tremendous lesson in that rarity of modern media... precis. However, I find that the topics often have no resonance with me, as they're so often from a specifically US cultural milieu. I appreciate that that's a) probably because that's what interests you and b) I'm better off "learning" about stuff I don't know than stuff I do, however... <grins... and then breathes again>

No real suggestions for how you could overcome this (if indeed it is an accurate perception AND you have any desire to address it) but there's so much stuff in Wikipedia of international interest, it can't be too hard. Can it?

Cheers. --Dweller 15:28, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. I appreciate what you're saying, and I'm definitely open to illustrating any topics that seem to present an opportunity for a workable presentation. Usually, I come across my topics by following links from one article to another, until a particular article reaches out and grabs me. In many cases, I've found interesting articles on subjects that I know nothing about, but this also means that I have no cultural reference to help me assess the merits or importance (or validity) of what I'm reading.
In the case of biographical comics, especially, I enjoy profiling individuals who generally have not received a great deal of attention from other artists. But if I'm not familiar with them myself, I have virtually no way of knowing whether they are worthy of a comic, or whether I am capturing their essence in the drawing - or excerpting the most appropriate information about them. In any case, I'll do my best to keep an eye open for articles that might appeal to readers outside of the U.S., as well. Please message me if you think of any topics that I should investigate. Thanks! --Greg Williams 03:09, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm tempted to suggest Bodyline just because focusing on anything to do with cricket makes Americans howl (!) and this article more than perhaps any other "proves" just how important cricket is in the countries where it's played. It'll be a tough job in terms of precis! Lighter topics - pop. culture Bollywood, from history there's Carthago delenda est, from whimsy there's QED and from the dark side, Golem. NB It's the annual season of Jewish festivals. Tonight/tomorrow is Yom Kippur; from Wednesday night it's Sukkot. (And it's Ramadan too) Hope that's helpful food for thought. Thanks for your kind reply. --Dweller 07:08, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, Dweller. I'll check out those topics for upcoming comics. --Greg Williams 10:57, 21 September 2007 (UTC)
Cool. If I think of more, I'll pop by. --Dweller 11:04, 21 September 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Remember "The Blandies!"

Hi Greg, I went to UWEC with you and was thrilled to see your work in Wiki. Recently my parents moved and I came across all of the "Blandies" strips I had saved (yes, I saved them, they were so good). Certainly they deserve a mention, if not a Wiki page of their own! I knew back then you were the real deal. Good luck with all of your wonderful work! Laura J. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.19.149.16 (talk) 14:38, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, Laura. Wow! I can't imagine The Blandies are worth their own Wiki page, but I appreciate the nod. (In case you're interested, I've been unearthing those old Blandies comics and posting them onto the Flickr Web site, at the urging of a former staffer for UWEC's student paper, The Spectator - one a week, at this point. Maybe you'll see a few that you hadn't saved: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wikiworldcomic/ Thanks again! --Greg Williams 15:50, 23 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ambigram

How amazingly cool! What a great use of an animated GIF! :D ←BenB4 17:37, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, Ben. It was an interesting experiment. --Greg Williams 15:55, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Great job!

On Soramimi Kashi. I think it brings your work here to a new level. Funny too.  :-) Steve Dufour 01:36, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] topic suggestion

Capgras delusion. Basically where someone thinks their close family members are impostors (like an alien, the devil, a spy, etc) trying to fool them. Love that one - interesting, and surprisingly thorough. JoeSmack Talk 22:10, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

I've actually checked into that one before, while trying to decide whether I could do anything about Prosopagnosia (face blindness). I'll check it out again. Thanks! --Greg Williams 05:09, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikiworld suggestion

Hi Greg, a suggestion for you fantastic Wikiworld comic: Alizée, the French pop star, famous from her J'en ai marre dance, which is the dance used in World of Warcraft for the night-elf species, see this video (55 seconds into the video). Regards from a big fan! JACOPLANE • 2007-11-11 00:22

Thanks, I'll check into it! And thanks, too, for the video link.--Greg Williams 12:40, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Topic suggestion

Chicken hypnotism. How can you resist? howcheng {chat} 19:38, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Will Shortz

I recognized Merl, but I'm wondering where you saw Will Shortz with grey around the temples. Just curious. MilesAgain (talk) 23:45, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for writing. The drawing is simplified, and overstates things somewhat - but that's the nature of a caricature. A number of resource photos show that Will is graying a bit at the temples. (Not unlike me.) Here's just one example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/datageneral/120598203/ --Greg Williams 12:04, 7 December 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Disputed fair use rationale for Image:GTinTimesSquare.jpg

Thanks for uploading Image:GTinTimesSquare.jpg. However, there is a concern that the rationale you have provided for using this image under "fair use" may be invalid. Please read the instructions at Wikipedia:Non-free content carefully, then go to the image description page and clarify why you think the image qualifies for fair use. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If it is determined that the image does not qualify under fair use, it will be deleted within a couple of days according to our criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot (talk) 17:51, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

I fixed this - they are getting all hissy about Fair-use statements that don't list the name of the article that uses it. SteveBaker (talk) 19:37, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Goregrind

Awesome. How the heck did you find it? -Ravedave (talk) 15:26, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I had come across a reference to "grindcore" and decided to check it out - then followed the link to "goregrind," which seemed to have much more potential. --Greg Williams (talk) 12:50, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] suggestions

I dont know if this was suggested to you before, but personally I think you could use some of the entries of Ben Yates' blog for ideas (not that you lack them! :D), they're often quite interesting. Waldir talk 16:06, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Thanks for all your hard work

I'm sorry to see that you won't be doing the comic (which I thought was great) regularly anymore but I'm sure you are busy outside of this. I just thought you should know that lots of people loved your comics and thought they were great! Remember (talk) 14:26, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Ditto. — Zaui (talk) 17:06, 29 January 2008 (UTC)
Thanks very much. I've enjoyed doing WikiWorld, and hope to find time to work up new ones every so often - but I needed to concentrate on some other projects for a while. I'm glad you enjoyed the comics. --Greg Williams (talk) 01:54, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Thank you

I'd just like to thank you for your monthly cartoons. They were (and are, hopefully!) fantastic! - Tbsdy lives (talk) 10:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC) (formerly Ta bu shi da yu)

Thank you indeed, we never say it loudly enough! Best of luck in your future projects! -- lucasbfr talk 15:16, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Want help with WikiWorld?

I've just noticed that, to quote the signpost, "WikiWorld has ceased its weekly schedule" and was wondering if you would like any help in making comics. Admittedly, I could never equal your unique caricaturesque style, but am quite accomplished at drawing with both a pencil and a mouse myself. I could never keep a weekly rate (heck, I don't even know if I could keep a triweekly rate), but if there's two of us, we could have a sort of alternating output.

I don't think we could bring the comic back to being weekly, but it could come out more, and if ever both of us have a comic ready for the same week, yours would go before mine. I don't know if you would like to review my article choice or the comics I make themselves before they're published in The Signpost (nor indeed do I currently know how you manage to have them published in The Signpost).

The articles I'll take for making comics will mostly (if not totally) come from the suggestions currently on the WikiProject's talk page. I already have the excepted text for "Fourth wall" and "Time flies like an arrow" and ideas on what to draw for them; as well as an idea of what to draw for "sleepwalking", ontological paradox, and "Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116", though I wouldn't want to start on any of them before you give me the go-ahead.

Let me know what you think
--Once in a Blue Moon (talk) 18:06, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

It's not at all necessary to ask permission to do this. It's in the nature of Wikipedia that anyone can contribute - although there is obviously no guarantee that the editors of the Signpost would consider your work good enough to publish it there - and no guarantee that someone wouldn't come along and delete or edit your new content. However, I doubt any of those things would be a practical problem and it would be refreshing to see more people contributing. So go for it! "Time flies like an arrow" seems like a wonderful place to start. SteveBaker (talk) 00:38, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
I'm not so much requesting permission to draw a comic, nor permission to draw it using this project's good name, as much as guidance on how to get it accepted; particularly how to get it accepted in the signpost. And Greg, indisputably, has experience there.
--Once in a Blue Moon (talk) 03:58, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Sorry I missed your note until now. I agree with Steve, that it would be great to see more people contributing unique creative work related to Wikipedia: cartoons, caricatures, serious illustrations or graphics, photographs, or whatever. As for the WikiWorld project itself, it's not really my call to open that up to other contributors - since the use of Wikipedia's name and logo had to be approved by the Wikimedia Foundation. Luckily, they liked my work well enough to give me the go-ahead. Likewise for the inclusion of the comics in The Wikipedia Signpost, which would be totally at the discretion of the Signpost's editor(s).

If you'd like to develop your own separate project (unconnected to WikiWorld), more power to you. Or, if you're mainly interested in continuing with the established WikiWorld template, I'd be happy to take a look at your stuff - and to speak up on your behalf, if I think it would be a good fit. Either way, I'd be happy to give you my thoughts after I've had a chance to see your work. Why don't you e-mail a couple of things to wikiworldcomic@yahoo.com and we can discuss the best way to proceed. (Or, feel free to approach the Wikimedia Foundation and the Signpost on your own, if you like.)

Thanks for your interest! --Greg Williams (talk) 14:25, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Greg_Williams"

Thank you so much for your reply! I guess it is now my turn to appologize. I was so sure I'd have the time during spring break to draw something up, but now it seems I'll have to put it off a little longer. I guess I've only been able to show why you had to stop, haven't I? :-)
--Once in a Blue Moon (talk) 18:23, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] overly serious people

I am a bit fan of the awesome artwork, it make the article fun. I found out about them as I saw a slide during a presentation with a picture. I would propose to put them on the main welcome page once in a while. I am sure a petition can be done to make it so. I wanted to ask what is the current policy for the images, as I saw that some articles have removed them due to overly serious people. As it is irritating that a nice picture goes to waste as a 200px thumbnail is great and does no harm, is there anything to be done about it? On a useless sideline, about the serious=important misconseption, I would like to say that in genetics there are all sorts of in-jokes with the names of genes, fruit fly genes are the most entertaining (including Pokemon gene which causes cancer). I presented 2 weeks ago in journal club a gene called HotAir, hailed to be something not seen before... THANKS FOR THE GREAT WORK--Squidonius (talk) 13:16, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the note! I'm glad you like the comics. At various times, there have been discussions about posting the comics on the main page, or within the articles themselves. But, after becoming acquainted with how the Wikipedia community operates, neither of those possibilities seemed reasonable. Luckily, the comics found a home in the weekly Wikipedia Signpost, which still posts an archived WikiWorld comic in each edition. It was great fun - and quite instructional - to build up more than a year's worth of Wikipedia-themed comics. --Greg Williams (talk) 05:23, 17 April 2008 (UTC)