The winner of the Endzone Tournament is
Unknown-Person & The Climber
Now before we get to judge commentary and reviews, I'd like to say something outright. Think of this as a judge's disclaimer. Please take the time to read.
This is something I have to say.
At this point, who wins and who loses feels like a technical formality, to me. This is not at all to take away from the respect and honor we'd like to extend to the winner of the tournament. But I think it needs to be said. I am acting apart from the other judges right now when I say this, so I take full responsibility.
These two contestants, *
lan-kun and *
Unknown-person, have carved a completely unique presence into the entirety of Endzone itself. More so than competing in a contest, it has been like watching a narrative weave itself in and out of all the other OCs storylines, and the main setting itself. It became a story all it's own, and these last two became the final parts. I don't want to be so hokey as to say "Everybody is a winner" in this situation, but the longer I've gone on overseeing the tournament, the more I saw it moving in that direction with the way each participant was incorporating the others into a story altogether its own.
Personally, I feel the same honor, respect and admiration for both of these combatants, equally. I could not have been any more impressed by these two entries, and yes, for different reasons regarding both, but no more for one than the other.
It was pretty much impossible to judge these two final entries by
any standard means. I could not choose one without feeling as if I was cheating the other out of a deserved win. The problem is, that feeling never went away, no matter who I was regarding. Choosing one over the other just feels wrong, unfortunately. They were both brilliant pieces in their own right, and I hope to hell that both of the artists realize that. I'm just a big softie I guess, but I look back at this tournament and see what it has done for the people involved, the community it fostered amongst the artists who participated, the sheer improvements that have been made from start to finish.. and I see all of that as the real reward, the ultimate goal of any artistic endeavor like a tournament, despite it's competitive nature. I am so proud, and very very lucky to have had the sixty four people that chose to be a part of this. It really does get to me. But I'm a sap.
Back to the actual final entry, it was the definition of comparing apples to oranges. For every series of points one entry had over the other, the other person had a plethora of its own points that they executed better. Both of these combatants did what they did best, and they managed to do it even better than ever in this final round. *
lan-kun's storytelling prowess is second to none. *
Unknown-person's presentation and overall entertainment value, breathtaking, as always. How do you even go about comparing entries like these? (There will be reviews later, yes, but again, a lot of this bears mentioning first.)
We chose who we did as winner for our own reasons, and I think each of us had separate criteria. (As it should be amongst judges.) We knew that no matter
who we chose, there would no doubt be a legion of fans telling us we'd made the wrong decision. Unfortunately, a decision had to be made anyway. (Lovely as it'd be to just call it a draw, that's not what these combatants came here to do.)
And I would greatly appreciate that right now, no one brings a sense of bitter disappointment to the table. I have spoken with both the final combatants a number of times prior to this decision, and both of them are wonderfully happy just to have gotten to this round, and made such an impact on everyone who has been following their characters, and craving to see more. They've regularly been in my chat room, talking to one another as well as everyone else, there was no overall intense feeling of competitiveness. We've long since gotten past that. I think right now all they've wanted to do is give this last bit their all, and have a ton of fun in the process. And I'm thrilled they have.
Don't take that away from them by being angry, petty or bitter about this decision, for their sake and ours.
Instead, I'd highly recommend you just congratulate them both, because I believe that's congratulations worth saying ten times over. Go show your support for them both on their pages. Celebrate the tournament for what it was, and what it's done. That's how I'd like it to be remembered.
In my personal opinion, and this may be saying too much, so I apologize for what is a very un-judgely line of thinking, but these two both earned the title "Winner of Endzone". For what they've done, both here in this final round, and for the entire competition on the whole. You two went beyond the concepts of winning and losing, and you touched on something much more important. You came too long a way and did too much to just be pegged into either one of those categories. Again, I'm sorry if it's unprofessional of me to express my opinion like this, but it's just true. Rules and regulations be damned. And you know what?
I don't think I'm alone in these thoughts.
Anyway. On to the reviews:
From the very beginning of the tournament, Unknown made his presence known in a big way. And it never just stopped there. With a strong audition and a spectator entry to boot, he showed he was committed to the contest. And he consistently proved that fact over the entire course of Endzone. In between each and every entry he laid out Climber's path in a detailed manner by entering spectator comics, a completely unnecessary, but unbelievably delightful surprise every time he submitted another.
And then, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, he shocked everyone by entering an animated battle. I'll be the first to admit that I was shocked, and even wary. Why would someone who was already doing so well try something like that, out of nowhere? I thought it might be his swan song. And I could not have been any more wrong.
From then on, Unknown became nothing less than a phenomenon that swept the competition. Swiftly becoming one of the most anticipated fighters, his entries kept the audience (and judges alike) craving more.
The entries themselves were always something. Never content to keep a match a simple one-on-one affair, Climber was always very much immersed in the environment set out for him, in this case, the asylum. (It's worth noting that I think Climber was the only person who remained in the asylum the entire tournament, which is a feat in itself considering none of his entries ever felt stale or repeated.) Taking cues from the setting and the comic it is based on, Unknown began creating his own narrative, believable to the point where it seemed like all this actually could have been going on in the actual
Everafter storyline at one point or another.
And of course, regarding the final round.
Unknown seemed to take a more personal route with his finisher. Though there were cues taken from lan's entry regarding the extensive battle raging on amongst the inmates and other Endzone combatants, he focused on the battle between Dood and Climber themselves, which no doubt was a result of the medium Unknown has been using since Round 2. I'm no animation buff but anyone with half a mind could look at that entry and see the sheer amount of work that went into making the final fight one worthy of being final. This battle brought back the very original concept of Endzone, the act of pitting one's character against another. It stripped away a lot of frills, outside influence and distractions, and became a direct battle of wills (some wills more confused than others). And speaking from personal experience, I know how tough it can be to try and make a horribly impressive fight scene but still retain the sense of a story that is moving forward. And despite the need to focus primarily on that, Unknown still managed to put just enough story behind it to give us an idea about the other battle going on, in Climber's mind. Where there wasn't dialogue, there was inner turmoil that was extremely evident in the mannequin's changing demeanor, something that tugged at your heartstrings and made you want to see more. And that leads me into my final point.
Ultimately, in the world of OC tournaments, I believe that a key to winning is making both the audience and the judges want to see more of your character. In the real world of comics, graphic novels and books alike, when ideas are pitched or pilots are written, the factor that may very well make or break a series' longevity is whether or not an audience is so impressed that they want to see more. It's what makes you pick up a book, a comic, or a TV show. The initial impression, the hook.
And when I think of characters I would like to see more of, Climber stands out strongly in my mind. I actually believe the less we knew about Climber, the more we wanted to learn about him, making the sparse tidbits regarding his past that much more vital. He is unique. And I value that so much in an OC. That certain spark, a sort of indefinable presence.
But I could go on forever in circles about this. Allow me to extend my personal thanks to Unknown-Person for gracing us with his many, many contributions to this competition, and making his battle finale an awe-inspiring endeavor. Congratulations on winning Endzone, Unknown.
If anything can be said for this tournament, it is that no matter which way the victory went in this final round, it would be a Dark Horse triumphant, and Dark Horse, thine name is Unknown-person.
I was quite curious when he first showed up; I took note of a simple but clean and distinct style, and an unorthodox character. As I told a friend, “A mannequin with a pickaxe and sweet Matrix moves? Not your day-to-day hero.” But—and this is what gets me—in the beginning, no one had a clue. Intriguing and memorable character? Check. Weapon? Check. Ticket to Endzone? Check. Animation? Che--HOLY GOD, WHEN DID THIS BEAUTIFUL THING HAPPEN?! Climber went from being a loveable life-size doll to a very strong, very dangerous contender in the blink of an eye, while keeping all the qualities that had drawn the audience to him in the first place. Meanwhile, the rest of the known world attempted to peel their face from their screens, and failed miserably.
Unknown-person has consistently blown our minds with work both touching and intensely enjoyable; when not making genuinely face-melting, hardcore movies, he unleashed a barrage of spectator entries that not only resolved his opponents’ stories, but incorporated others, orchestrating an epic that no one who’s followed Endzone will readily forget. Each fight has been more creative and more frankly badass than the last, with an endless store of ingenuity and inventiveness, as well as Unknown-person’s dreadfully clever use of his surroundings—and get this— poor Climber never left the asylum. Ever. Not once. You want making the most of something? Take a lesson from him. Ladies and gents, a toast to the phenomenal work done here by the phenomenon himself, Unknown-person.
First of all, I’d like to say that judging this match was a feat that was almost impossible for me. Because, honestly, I loved both entries. I thought Lan’s entry was very emotional and concluded his story arc in a great fashion. On the other hand, Unknown’s was also very emotional, helped develop his character, and had some of the best animation I’ve seen in any Flash ever on the Internet. Both entries are probably two of my favorite pieces I’ve ever seen on DeviantArt.
So, for most of the weekend, I was trying to decide on which entry was better…and I could not. It was not possible for me. No matter how much I tried, I seemed to like both entries almost equally.
But then, at some point, I came to a revelation of sorts. After I watched both entries for like the fortieth time, I began daydreaming about how Climber would survive fighting a Wolf. And it stayed on my mind for a good long while. When I realized it was on my mind so much, I wondered why I kept thinking about it so much. Finally, it came to me. For some reason, over the course of the tournament, I had really become emotionally attached to Climber. So when I saw the ending of the Flash, I wondered how he would survive because I was honestly worried about him. I just wanted to see what would happen next, so I could see how his character would finally overcome such a desperate situation.
One of the hardest things to do in a story is to make the audience truly feel emotionally attached to your character. Over the course of the tournament, Climber developed into one of the most endearing characters I’ve ever seen. The final match just gives more reasons to like his character. For accomplishing such a feat in storytelling and character development, while still having lots of action and excitement in each entry, I believe he truly deserves this win. Congratulations, Unknown-person.
Lan is repeatedly referred to as a 'storyteller'. It's a term I haven't heard very much, actually, until recently. But Lan pretty much defines what it is to
be a storyteller in the first place, so it's very much merited.
Lan has improved since his first entry by nearly indescribable leaps and bounds. From his very first entry, he has always employed a sort of creative spontaneity that has shocked and amazed me. I can't even count how many times Lan made my brow raise during his entries, then an ear-to-ear grin spread out over my face. Lan had some
incredibly tough opponents to face in his way to the top of the list, many of which were artists no one thought were going to be able to be stopped, and the manner he employed to get there was always over-the-top, nigh on cinematic. He constantly was thinking outside of the box, introducing concepts and ideas that I don't think anyone could have seen coming. (From banding together a party, as I think Lan was one of the first people to truly employ this in a big way, to letting Dood die, to introducing the Seleszord, to the ingenious fight with Grampy, to this final match.)
There wasn't a low point in Dood's career. I loved reading every entry from start to finish. Lan's dialogue, comedic timing and sense of overall narrative is top-notch. Absolutely top-notch.
His final round was the perfect example of that. I find it difficult to describe. The sort of story that grabs you (for me, in particular, was the very moment the wolf began assimilating the other inmates and the surroundings into his own body) and then just never lets go. It repeatedly blows you away by the concepts he throws out. From that point on, the entry just became legendary in its own right. The blossoming evil bursting out of the asylum and reaching for other worlds, the Big Bad core that used the powers of all the inmates he'd stolen into himself, and ESPECIALLY the painted versions of all the other characters, warding off the blows so that Dood could move forward and finish off the wolf once and for all.
I really have a difficult time talking about this entry, because whenever I do, I end up sitting back and shaking my head. And I mean that in a good way. But somehow I don't think I have to do entirely too much explaining, because anyone could look at Lan's entry and probably feel exactly what I'm feeling, as they read it. Which is the sign of absolutely brilliant work. I envy Lan's creative senses. I truly do.
(Haha, I have to step down at this point. If there is anything else I can say about Lan's entry, I'm going to have to say it to him directly. So I'll catch you later, Lan.
)
From the beginning, Lan has caught my interest. I distinctly recall looking at his audition, and thinking to myself, “Well, this is different.” I had no notion of what to expect from Lan.
I’d like to say that as the tournament went on, that changed. But it didn’t. From the Hopscotch trap to a literal flood of Bad Luck, Lan has, time and time again, knocked my socks off with something no one could have ever seen coming. With every entry, I found myself grinning at the screen, alternating between two thoughts: “Holy crap,” and “….Where does he—how does he even think of these things?!”
Not only a master of creativity, but a master of the art of storytelling itself, Lan has taken us for a crazy and wonderful ride with an engaging, delightfully resigned character who speaks to the lazy artist in all of us. With each round, we have watched the character and the artist rise to the challenge, drawing not only from the opportunities the settings and matches provided, but taking up the torches and weaving together the multitude of stories that each round yielded. Not only could you tell that Lan was putting an immense amount of thought into each and every fight, with an eye to what could lie ahead, but it was clear that for him, every fight was just as worthy, just as exciting, and just as fun. It made him a spectacular fighter, and a blast to watch, every step of the way.
Lan has truly earned every ounce of respect and admiration he gets, as a thinker, as a fighter, and as a storyteller.
(There will be more reviews coming soon.)
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Congratulations for a billionth time,
and
.
I don't know if anyone even remembers the prizes at this point, haha. A testament to just how much of a spectacle these artists have provided us, I think. :3 I loved the fact that the combatants themselves sometimes told me they forgot what the prize was. Because it meant everyone was having fun, and drawing art for arts sake, in a friendly competition more about community than asserting artistic dominance.
But, well, I suppose then, the prizes could be considered icing on the cake. *
lan-kun and *
Unknown-person have enjoyed a great deal of fame, their star OCs thrown into the spotlight in a very big way. I'm thrilled, again, to see that being the case. Because every last bit of it is deserved.
The
grand prize was a multiple page comic finale depicting the winner taking on any character from my gallery. Which is why, if you notice, both of the final entries ended on a cliffhanger, setting up for this final battle 'special', if you would, as the combatants aren't actually fighting me or anything. So now that is Unknown's choice, and I trust he'll note me about it soon. Though I think I already know what he has in mind.
The
runner-up prize was a standalone, full CG or grayscale image of the runner-up OC locked in battle with anyone from my gallery as well. And I will be waiting to hear from lan-kun for that.
Endzone is drawing to a close. My contribution to this final battle is going to take a bit of time, as I'm charged, presently, with moving to another apartment across the country.
In a week. Needless to say, it's going to take a bit to get settled, set up, and resume work, but as soon as I'm able, providing this prize is going to be all I do with any scrap of spare time I can find.
From then on, well.. where we go from here will be decided soon enough. (I have some things I want to talk to Un and lan about.. :3)/
Endzone may not be completely finished yet (I have more than just a finale planned.. and I think maybe some other folks do too. We're going to surprise you, with any luck.
) but that's no reason to not celebrate it's final competitive battle coming to a close.
I'll say it one last time.
Let's hear it for these guys. All of you made this tournament everything it's become. Thank you so much.
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ENDZONE: The Winner. 
Devious Comments
WHOO HOOO!!!! CONGRATS TO THE CLIMBER!
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Contests
~gatogirl12345 [link] WEAPONS AND MAGICAL ITEMS CONTEST
*DarkHorseTournament
`touchedvenus EARTH TONES [link]
~Aikin's icon! Thanks!
Both Lan and Unknown have proven themselves as amazing artists and writers. At this point, I dont think it mattered to either if they officaly won.
It was such a pleasure to see these people come together to produce one of the best competions I've ever seen.
Congratulations, and thank you to all of the artists in this competion, to the judges, and especially you, Endling, who made all this possible.
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I AM A WARRIOR NOT A VARIETY OF FLOWER
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“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
~Albus Dumbledore
My avatars
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Drink your school, don't do milk, and stay in drugs.
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Skeleton love
not that everyone else didn't kick A**.
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I spelled Renaissance correctly today!
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH YOUR LIFE?
Look! World of Warcraft Fanart![link]
So I herd u liek Sparta?[link]
they are awesome artists !
and congratulations to Unknown
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If this is a dream, I want to sleep 4 ever
◕ ‿‿ ◕
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"Sonic: Come on Silver, I promise to stay invisible and sneaky!
Silver: You're about as sneaky as an ice cream truck. And the last thing I want to do is explain to my parents why I know a 200-going-on-12 year old blue-haired ghost."
- EvanStanley
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