VISITOR FEEDBACK 2006: Page 6 of 7

Written By: 
Douglas Mangum.
Last Updated: 
22nd October 2006

  • Ask a Question: This section was inspired by something that Peter David does once in awhile on the site. When this was suggested, I had no idea what would be asked. Most seemed to be site related, though a few people did get into the spirit and ask some fun questions.

     

  • What does Marvel think of you, as I think you’re more in depth than their site, if obviously a little smaller!! Well, Joe Quesada did shake my hand when I met him at Heroes Con in July when Daniel Way introduced me (how about THEM name drops?). Anyway, we know that some of the writers use us as a resource and the site was even plugged in the letters’ page of X-Men (2nd series) #173. So, they must be happy with us on some level.

     

     

  • I just damn well wanna know how you guys manage to run such an amazing site and also how you manage not to cover it with ugly ads and stuff. Love the work. Also, I "wannknow" if you guys have ever thought of expanding the costume section. This comes down to two things. 1) Hosting has gotten cheaper and cheaper over the last few years as the market has expanded and competition has driven it down. 2) We wish to be revenue neutral and only have to have a single banner and tower ad to pay for our hosting package.

     

     

  • How long does it take on average to compile on of the character spotlights? [Peter Luzifer] Interesting question, even though it’s impossible to answer. It depends on the length and complexity of the character’s history, who is working on the spotlight and several other factors. For example, the submission of a rather new contributor takes much longer to edit than that of an experienced writer. Some contributors write the issue numbers into the text and even provide some suggestions for pictures to be added, others leave this part of the process entirely to me. For some characters it's rather easy to come up with costume pictures, others are hard to do as they are always standing in the background or are rarely portrayed in their costumes (Sasquatch, for example), making it hard to come up with a halfway decent image.

     

    I know that for picture scanning and arrangement, I usually need two or three sittings of approximately 3-4 hours each. But the text work and the research work before, well I tend to work on a spotlight every now and then between some other site duties, and I don’t know how much time actually goes into them. Maybe it would be a nice idea to actually take the time while creating a spotlight from the first step (researching appearances) to the last (grammar and punctuation edits). Of course, the next two spotlights already being in development right now, it will be quite some time before we can present any results, as it will have to be some entirely new spotlight entry, one which we haven’t started to work yet.

     

  • What made you all come up with the site and stick with it this long? The story behind our “origin” can be found in the UXN FAQ and the Site Timeline article. As for why we’ve stuck with it, it varies. We have had many contributors who left after just a few summaries. For the rest of us, it gives a creative outlet and, when a few of us get burned out and slack off, there are others who are going at it like gangbusters. We also feed off of each other in terms of inspiration and encouragement.

     

     

  • How long does it take to create a Spotlight on a certain X-Men character. Do you guys have like every issue ever created somewhere??? Our different collections vary in size. Basically, each Contributor works on what they have and ask others for help on items where they do not have the issues. Some Spotlights are written by multiple people for this reason.

     

     

  • Je vous souhaite une bonne continuation et d'être toujours les meilleurs dans votre catégorie.
    Bonne traduction !     Merci. C'était amusant.

     

     

  • I wanna know who you think would win in a fight Golden Age Superman (I know I know, DC blech) or Phoenix. Phoenix, no contest. She can blow up a star and he could only leap 1/8th of a mile.

     

     

  • How do you guys find the time to do all this stuff? Maintaining this site has got to be hard work, and I'm assuming you have regular jobs on top of it. Bravo. Some Contributors go through months of lull time because of personal obligations. Luckily, there are others to bring up the slack during those times, and it all washes out.

     

     

  • Uh....Wolverine vs. Superman, who'd win? Golden Age Superman was a much less powerful character, so it would be Wolverine, definitely. Silver Age – it would be Superman, no contest, as he could move planets. Modern era – Wolverine, most likely, if it was given to a vote, like the Marvel vs. DC mini-series. However, if Supes were smart, he would just grab Wolvie at super-speed and throw or fly him into orbit.

     

     

  • I do enjoy the family relations of the X-Universe. Who should I e-mail if I want to make a suggestion for altering a tree? As for any article, just send a politely worded e-mail to the writer. Please do not be offended, however, should they not agree.

     

     

  • After the issue summaries are finished (so that they only need a monthly update of new books) will UXN expand their issue summary section? If you mean for non-X-titles, the answer is no. Where would you stop?!?

     

     

  • Do you think you might be able to give 3 pages scanned previews of latest updates release by you (UXN) can't really tell much about the art from the cover only. This skirts issues of legality. Plus, we are not really interested in that type of thing.

     

     

  • Is this site officially affiliated with marvel in any way?
    And will at some point will you break out into info from other Marvel Universe comics such as Iron Man, Captain America and such, as I like the detail given in your spotlight on section more than     We are in no way affiliated with Marvel and all of our contact with them is through informal channels. As for future expansions, that is so “cart before the horse.”

     

     

  • When are you gonna do a Wolverine event month??? Hahahaha, just kidding!! But seriously, is there any chance of reviving the gene game or is that completely dead? Maybe if it was modified in a few ways, like you don't have to write about any of the pre-mad [Peter Luzifer] Unfortunately, the reply field allowed only for a certain length of comments, and the rest of your suggestion was cut off, so I can’t fully comment on that. However, I consider the Gene Game “completely dead”, as I don’t see any “mere” modifications being able to fix the structural flaw of the game, which was limiting the creative process of story-telling by having an “untouchable” cast of main characters. To change that, you’d need to change the entire set-up of Gene Game, at which point it wouldn’t be the Gene Game anymore, and it wouldn’t be fair to the people who submitted the characters specifically for being used in the Gene Game.
    Sure, you can ask the individual creators for permission to use their characters in other fan fic material, the problem being that some of them no longer frequent the site. But, come to think of it, why would you need to use exactly these characters? As shown by many writers in the industry, you can accomplish great story-telling with any bunch of characters. It’s the story that shapes the characters, not the other way around.

     

     

  • Is there the plan to summarize the Prologues to the X-Men movies? I know, they are not canonical, but the movies aren't either. If a Contributor (new or old) wishes to do them, then they will be done. However, no one has yet expressed an interest.

     

     

  • What do you have planned for the future? More of the same. Adding summaries. Adding Spotlights. Updating Spotlights. Updating articles. Getting an Event Month out one day. Going to Disneyland.

     

     

  • First, I read somewhere that you have a relationship tree, where is it? (I want to know who dated who when.) Quicklinks: Features -> Merging Minds ->Character related topics

     

     

  • Why so awesome? (Seriously, you guys devote so much time and e Because someone has to be…

     

     

  • How tough is it keeping a neutral voice when writing information on titles you may love or hate? I'd imagine it would get pretty hard dealing with comics with poor characterizations and massive plotholes.
    Secondly... when will Wolverine event month happen     Not as tough as you would think. Besides, Contributors work only on what they volunteer for – so on some level they want to do it. The Wolverine Event Month will happen… Hey, what’s that over there?

     

     

  • When am I gonna see the goddamn sailboat? Relax your eyes, while affixing your eyes to one spot on the pattern. Slowly cross your eyes until the pattern shifts, then when your perspective changes you should be able to view the whole picture.

     

     

  • In your opinion, could there ever be too many X-titles? If there were a few fewer we might be able to finish this whole thing in a year or two. :(

     

     

  • When you say "off panel" in a person's spotlight, where is the information found since it wasn't found in a comic book??? When you see the X-Men leave the Mansion to go somewhere – and on the next panel they arrive, you have seen the leaving on a comic panel – and they arriving on a panel – but the journey itself took place between the two… off panel. Also, some times characters mention tings that we’ve never seen actually happen on the comic page, hence “off panel.” However, the most obvious example would be when a character appears drastically different than their previous appearance – something must have happened to them “off-panel.”

     

     

  • If I opened my own bar and decorated it with comic book characters on the walls (as murals) would I be in breach of copyright? For decoration, probably not. If you decorated it with Marvel characters and then called it Marvel Comics’ Hideaway, you will probably have a problem.

     

     

  • Could I get unbanned from the forum? [Peter Luzifer] The Feedback Poll is not the right place to ask this question, and actually we’d some additional information from you, starting with your User Id, for instance.

     

     

  • Is it possible for non-affiliated people (like myself) to submit "Merging Minds" to be reviewed an possibly posted on the site? Or is that reserved for people who have "earned their wings," so to speak? If you have an idea for a Merging Minds article, submit your proposal to find out if the subject matter is something we would want covered – or to find out if it is already in the pipeline. If it is accepted, submit an outline and we can go from there.

     

     

  • How are big site decisions such as what event month to do and what to include in it decided upon by contributors? We discuss big decisions in the Contributor’s Forum. Event Months are decided by vote.

     

     

  • What do I have to do to become a contributor? Take a look at the Contributor’s Guide article

     

     

  • Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight? Yes and the Devil has two left feet.

     

     

  • Do you guys actually buy all these issues? Or do you somehow read them elsewhere and then write the summaries? Haha just wondering. Not all Contributors buy all titles. However, if it is on the site, the person who wrote it either owns the issue or borrowed from a friend.

     

     

  • Do you know if there exists some page like yours (with a summary and characters list) for Fantastic Four and Spiderman? If so, I'd like you to tell me please, I've Googled for it with no success.
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    Is there a site just like this that isn’t limited to just the X-Men titles?     There are various sites for various subjects, but very few of the scale and scope of the UXN. The closest might be www.spiderfan.org, though it is not a strict neutral voice like we are.

     

     

  • Deadpool died at the end of his series and then went on to costar in C/DP. How and when did he return to the living? His return was seen in Agent X #13-15

     

     

  • How many visitors took WAY too many liberties with this question? Actually, I was a little disappointed that most were so tame.

     

     

  • What's the most frustrating issues to find/summarize (sp) for all of you? Regarding “find,” Contributors really only work on runs that they already have access to. Regarding frustrations – it can be difficult when the art is unclear or ambiguous as to what is happening in the story.

     

     

  • In writing fan fictions are there anyone available to proof read or assist in writing, sort of a co-op kind of thing? And maybe there should be a heroclix along with VS section added to the site... Consult the Fan Fiction section itself to inquire about contributing there. Regarding Heroclix, currently none of the staff are fans of that medium, so it would be folly to try to make a section about something we know nothing about.

     

     

  • I was very impressed by your recent article comparing the comic world to the film world, have you ever thought of doing a similar feature to compare the 616 universe to the Ultimate universe? Honestly, most of us steer clear of the Ultimate Universe. If someone wishes to contribute such an article, it might be welcome, but would have to focus on the X-Men.

     

     

  • If the X-Men had been a DC comic, how do you think things would have been different? It was called The New Teen Titans.

     

     

  • have any of the contributors of the site ever thought about writing an x-book? I think any of us would give it a shot, given the chance. However, none of us are currently professional writers.

     

     

  • How many people work on this site? At the moment, we have about 18 regular Contributors. More can be learned in the About Us section.

     

     

  • I love what you guys do for the x-men. i would like to donate my time or money to this site. How can I help? There is no need to contribute money. If you would like to Contribute time and talent, please refer to our Contributor’s Guide article.

     

     

  • Have you ever done a poll to see which characters, story-lines, events, creators, etc., the viewers of your site like best? Not really, nor will we. As a rule, we do not have polls, as they do not contribute anything to the volume of archived information, which is the main goal of the site. Also polls are so specific in choosing one from a finite list an a person cannot really expression their opinion fully in this manner. A much higher quality of discussion can occur in a thread in the Forum.

     

     

  • I want to know why Dust and some of the other New X-men haven't gotten the spotlight on treatment. Because they are relatively new characters who don’t have the years & years worth of history that others do. If you have been reading comics for 2-3 years, you most likely have every appearance anyway. If not, you’re still trying to figure out the basics.

     

     

  • Why not post more pictures of the various characters in the character spotlight? Because we’re not a gallery site. The scans we have are meant to compliment the text, not the other way around.

     

     

  • How come you don't have the character Tangerine in your glossary? She's been in two timelines from Excalibur. You have Cerise but no Tangerine? [Monolith] Cerise was a member of Excalibur who appeared regularly for nearly 30 issues. Tangerine appeared in two issues in an alternate reality. Apples and oranges.

     

     

  • This is stupid but, where can I get comics!? If you are in the States, go to Diamond’s Comic Shop Locater site: http://csls.diamondcomics.com/

     

     

  • Do you know about any Comic conventions/events (particularly in the UK)? How about a section for those on the site? Unfortunately, we do not have information to such events. I would recommend asking about the subject in various message boards.

     

     

  • What would happen if Juggernaut -"the unstoppable force" - ran into Blob (when he still had powers) - "the immovable force"? Can the Beyonder create an object so heavy he cannot lift it?

     

     

  • How do you keep such a huge website up and running with from what i can see so little funding or sponsorship Low hosting costs + single banner & tower ad with Google.

     

    I know there are MANY MANY more updates that could be made to the news section than are put up. Sometimes it goes weeks without update. I think myself and many others would like this site to be the one stop shop for all things X. You ha If you are referring to News as in what you would find at Newsarama, we have no interest in competing with a site that is dedicated to getting the latest scoop. We are a resource site that sometimes posts news, not the reverse.

     

  • Does it have any Brazilian working on this site? No, but I work with several Brazilians in my company’s Miami office. I’m always telling one that I would prefer to work with Argentinians, though, just to get her mad.

     

     

  • Are you guys going to have an issue review section, where you talk about and rate upcoming titles? How often do you guys update your character glossary? Do you think they should totally reinvent Apocalypse, because I think the writers have kind of ruined
    Why not do a spotlight on Longshot. He's awesome. Course, they're not writing him as good as they could, but at least he's back. Doing what he does best, Alter probability for the good of all.     We will never have reviews on the UXN. Period. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all that. Character Glossary is updated as Monolith sees fit. I would have preferred Apocalypse to remain dead, but that was never going to happen (and is my preference, perhaps contrary to many others!). Finally, Longshot DOES have a Spotlight (bwah?).

     

     

  • Anything, eh? Alright two questions: Is Shard ever gonna get her own spotlight and how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? I will accept any answer to #2 so long as it is in metric form. Shard will receive a Spotlight one day, though no idea when.

     

    A woodchuck could chuck all the wood he would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. In other words, about 10 kgs.

     

  • Are there going to be updates to the Black Panther series? Storm is my favorite character and I would love if you kept an eye on her and her new husband. Oh, I was also wondering if there could possibly be, or might be in the work, a Spotlight On for Wall Currently we do have a Contributor interested in the Black Panther series, as long as Storm remains in it.

     

     

  • Have you ever thought about having a comic review part of your site? Or do you let the forums take care of that? Again, we will never do reviews. The Forums take care of that nicely.

     

     

  • How can I advertise on your site? :-) My site isn't really ready yet but when it is I'll be looking at advertising on your site, probably through Google AdSense at first. Would you ever do a banner exchange or just have banner ads? We do not seek nor require outside advertising. Sorry.

     

     

  • I d like to know more about you guys. Check out the About Us section.

     

     

  • Does any profit come out of this site?
    Ever had any legal complaints from Marvel about anything ever, or have they always been happy you promote their products?     We are a revenue neutral site, having no interest in making money on Marvel’s intellectual properties. From the other section, it is clear that we have helped, rather than hindered, the readership of Marvel’s X-titles and TPBs, so hopefully they appreciate that.

     

     

  • Is there a section explaining the Mojo-verse? Spiral is one of my favorite villians, but I don't know much of her origin. Quicklinks: X-Universe -> X-Marks the Spot -> Mojoverse

     

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