WELCOME!

To the 2001 Sandbox Halloween Contest!

Click HERE to view entries!

All contestants will be notified of their place by email first. I'm also working on dividing the prizes into categories.

What This Contest is About!

This contest is to show off the creativity of the 12" Action Figure community, using your GI Joes, Sams, Dragons, Elite Brigades, etc. in a Halloween theme and have a chance to win some REALLY cool stuff while you're at it!  Oh yeah, and to have some fun!

A special thanks goes to Leo Sutedja who came up with the idea for this contest in 1997 and to JimBob-Wan who hosted it in 1998 and has offered much help with getting off the ground.  Check out JimBob's web site   for some outstanding custom work.  Another big thanks to Charlotte and Scott at Joe World who have been a great help to me in working some changes for this year's contest.

Entries will be in the form of a single picture of a diorama with either a title or a one or two line caption under it.

Any questions?  Email me, John Kozin, at Pfadfinder@aol.com

GOOD LUCK!

The Categories

This year, the categories have changed a bit.  There will be three categories.

1. Youths: Prefab figures and digital enhancements ok.

2. Seniors: Anything goes (prefab figures, digital enhancements (see below), etc.)

I have decided to create three separate "Best of Show" categories. 

1. Best Digitally Enhanced - best use of computer graphics.

2. Best use of Prefab Products - prefab products with or without digital enhancements

3. Best use of stock products - no prefab, no digital enhancements

The Rules

These rules were what I used for the 1999 contest.  I have changed them slightly for 2001.

Entries:

Anyone can submit an entry.  The photo must be a Halloween themed diorama. If a custom figure is your entry, it must be in a diorama setting.  However, there are a few guidelines to go by:

• One entry per Sandboxer.  You must have posted at least once in the Sandbox prior to October 1, 2001 to qualify.
• Scans are preferred.  Scans should be no larger than 800 x 600.  If an entry is larger than that, I will resize it to fit.
• Those with no access to a scanner, can mail me the entry to be scanned.  However, a Self addressed Stamped envelope should be provided for return of the photo.
• No names will be on the website until the winners are announced.
• No promotion of photos in the Sandbox or other lists.
• No promotion of photos amongst friends, family or co workers.

For those sending a file, please send graphic as small as possible with relation to size.  Files that are too large will not be used.  If you need to have your picture scanned by me, please email us in advance.  Try to get your photo to us at least a week before the deadline.  This will give us plenty of time to scan it.

Computer/digitally enhancing. I guess it's now time to address this. What is allowable: blood and gore, converting a photo to b/w or antique or etc, warping a photo. What is forbidden: taking a photo of a specific figure and inserting it into a "real world" photo (example: inserting a cropped pic of Sideshow Frankenstein eating wings at Hooters, or standing in front of the Haunted House at Disney World). 

It is permissible to add in a photo of the Moon in the sky for example, but putting figures onto a photo of the Lunar surface is not.

But John......How do I enter?

It's easy my fellow Joeaholic!  Simply send your picture to me at Pfadfinder@aol.com along with the following:

Name
Address
Phone Number and
A 1 or 2 line caption or title for the picture.

See!  Easy as 1-2-3 Go Joe!

Voting:

Winners will be selected by popular vote, based on point totals accumulated for first, second and third place votes according to these assignments:

1st place = 43 points
2nd place = 21 points
3rd place = 10 points

It is hoped that voting will be conducted honorably, with each individual voting only once from a single e-mail address.  Nevertheless, votes may be disqualified under the following conditions, based on the administrator's discretion:

• Within a vote submission, the same entry is selected more than once (only the selection awarding the highest number of points will be tallied)
• More than one vote submission is received from a single ISP/user address
• A false name is provided.
• A false e-mail address is provided.

In addition, contestants may be disqualified if a pattern of attempts to manipulate votes to their advantage (per the rules mentioned above) is detected, at the administrator's discretion.

Lately the trend seems to be a few very bad people trying to screw the results for their own cause.  If this occurs, that person will be disqualified and it will be posted what they tried to do.  Embarrassing, yes, but if you're gonna attempt it, then everyone should know what a cheat you are.

I'd also like to make mention that having family, friends, co workers, etc. cast votes for your entry is forbidden.

Since this is a "Sandbox" (alt.toys.gi-joe) event, voters are expected to have posted there at least once, verifiable by a search of Google News.  This is a contest for Sandboxers by Sandboxers voted on by Sandboxers.

Now, keep in mind that the people that will vote on this is you, the members of the Sandbox. This is where YOU make your vote count. When voting, keep in mind that someone that made a custom Frankenstein worked a little more than someone with a Sideshow one and so forth.

These three "Best of" dioramas will be chosen by a anonymous panel of 5 judges. These 5 judges will review the dioramas and chose what they think is the best 1/2/3 for each. I will then use the scoring system for the overall contest and pick each. These will have a preselected prize for that category. 

Once these three have been chosen, I will then remove them from the overall voting category. The results will be determined via scoring system.  To clarify this further, I will total all the votes I receive including those for these three categories.  Once that has been done, I will delete the scores for the three Best Of winners, then determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd winner in each category.

Awarding Prizes:

On October 31st, the list of winners will be posted on this website.   Also, each entrant will be notified of their place.

Prizes will be awarded by winner's selection; The contestant with the most points will be contacted and given first choice of the prizes. Selection of the remaining prizes will continue, based on point totals, until all prizes are distributed. In case of ties, granting of next choice will be randomly determined by the contest administrator (me).

Prizes will be sent directly by the donor(s) to the winner(s). The administrator of this contest (me) will provide the donor(s) with the name and address of the winner(s), but will assume no responsibility for the physical distribution of these prizes.

UPDATE: Prizes will still be chosen by the winners. Word of warning here: be prepared to respond to me ASAP within 24 hours. In the past, this has managed to drag out for months. If I do not get a response from you within 24 hours, I will contact the next person to select a prize. The other alternative to this is to provide me with a list of prizes that you would want in priority order.

The Prizes!

I'm still trying to get donations of prizes.  I have had a few offers of donations, but as soon as I get them concrete, I will post them here.

If you would like to donate a prize, please contact me at Pfadfinder@aol.com

Click the skull to see the prizes donated so far!