No, it's just a three day head start to showcase the 15 honorable mentions that just missed cracking the Top 20! So you can see what was just barely not good enough to make it onto the big stage....
But first, a few words on what goes into the selection process for this countdown. I figured I'd just be lazy and copy off of what I wrote last year....
The criteria:
QUALITY: Does the avatar actually look visually appealing?
INSPIRATION: Was the inspiration particularly timely or clever? Was it introduced to the Bored in a notable or interesting way?
REACTION: Did the avatar receive any BB commentary other than a token Found It? (Note, while an important part of the ranking process, it is just a part.... this isn't an all-request list)
DIVERSITY: Is there a similar themed avatar that is better? As intriguing as Snaxx's list was, a countdown of all Sprots/ES avatars would be boring and anti-climactic. This countdown reflects as much of the spectrum of where my inspiration took me this past year as I could possibly work in.
ARTIST'S OPINION: Finally, what are my thoughts on the avatar? I am my own best and worst critic, and my own feelings about these avatars held a lot of sway on what made the cut and where it was ranked.
OK, there! Now, enough of the blabbing and let's get on with the show!!! As usual, I numbered the 15 honorables one, two or three going in chronological order to decide which group they would be showcased in. Today you get to see Group 1, tomorrow Group 2, and Tuesday Group 3.... duh, right? Once we get into the official countdown on Wednesday, I will use that day's honored avatar as my own so it can get one last moment in the spotlight....
Here are the first five honorable mentions <drum roll>..............
"Crowboarding"
Debuted: 1/19/12
This was uly's birthday avatar, which was inspired by a viral video he posted of a crow "snowboarding" on a roof in Russia. This was the first appearance of uly's character where I changed his colors to differentiate him from the male version of MBRS. The look of uly's carefree character gliding down the rooftop while Fanny berates him from the window is a winner in this avatar, and the poor roadkill crow who had his party crashed is a nice touch as well...
"I Dream Of Evil"
Debuted: 4/2/12
The Bored may be dying, but we can still round up an oddball now or then who just asks to be smacked around, and such a poster was tower55 this past Spring. He knew how to ask questions, but didn't know how to accept any answers other than his own for them... and this beautiful avatar was an offshoot of his thread on sensory perception in dreams. The look on the sleeping Sprots' face is perfect, though it makes one think she's having a nightmare.....
"Angry Birds"
Debuted: 7/1/12
This frightening avatar of ES about to be pecked to death by a flock of pissed off birds whose feeder he is raiding was inspired by a combination of Beebs giving a review of the classic Hitchcock film "The Birds" on the Bored after watching it one night, and my having just read the book "Nuts on Squirrels" about the roles of squirrels in birds in their backyard wildlife habitat. You can just tell that this scene isn't going to turn out good....
"The Best Part Of Waking Up"
Debuted: 8/22/12
This avatar is nothing short of classic ES. Here we have a simple drawing of Evil Squirrel doing something mischievous, with appropriate sly look and silly grin on his face. Somehow, this avatar of ES "spiking" the coffee pot evolved from Fanny educating us about the word "prolixity".
"I'm Buster Possum, And I Approve This Avatar"
Debuted: 10/12/12
With BobJuch scrambling to dredge up any undesirable person he could find who had anything positive to say about Mitt Romney, I wanted to make sure it was on record who Skanki Skankova endorsed.... her possum pal Buster. Buster's presidential look is only marred by that bright red dot on his hat emanating from the direction of the grassy knoll....
