If this is the first OC club/league you've looked at, you'll do well to explore the club a little. Read through the rules, check out finished and current brawls, and explore the roster. This should give you a good idea of what OCBZ is all about.

If you know the game already (either by exploring here or by participating in other OCTs/Leagues such as SDL), then just follow the instructions below to submit a character and become part of the Zone!

STEP ONE: Draw out a character, and insert them into the character template:



The template includes instructions and rules for its use (make sure to read them.) If your template is not done correctly, your character will not be accepted.

Q: I'm a writer. Can I have someone else draw my reference for me? // I'm a traditional artist, can I have someone with Photoshop add my image to the template?
A: Yes; you can have people help with your character reference as much as you want.

Q: What type of characters are allowed?
A: Characters can be of any species, from any setting, and have nearly any sort of abilities or powers. Avoid time travel, universal reality manipulation, and the like. They do not have to be natives of the OCBZ world (Gatta), though they are welcome to be.

Characters should have a certain degree of depth to them, such as some sort of sentience, or at least a way to move about and interact.

The character should be drawn clearly enough to be used as a proper reference. The character MUST be full color, and should appear to have a reasonable amount of effort put into it.

Q: Are group characters (multiple characters in the same profile) allowed?
A: Yes. In general, keep your profiles to 1 through 3 main characters. Tournaments will specify their own policies on number of characters.

Q: Mature Content?
A: Not for profiles; keep them PG-13 so all members can see them.

STEP TWO: Add a character biography. Ideally, this biography should give an overview of personality, history, and abilities. The more detailed it is, the better your opponents will be able to portray your character. You are welcome to use our Biography Template, though this is not required.

STEP THREE: Create a character introduction piece. This can be a comic, literature, animation, or a combination of these three. The purpose of this intro is to show your character in the context of storytelling. It doesn't have to convey all the details about your character; instead, the goal is more to serve as a springboard for future stories. It shouldn't be just a listing of information. There are no specific length requirements, so long as you cover the bases you need to cover.

It is the artist's responsibility to provide clarity for the reader, and your intro piece can be an invaluable aid in this regard. In general, a good rule of thumb is: reference sheets are for the artists, intros are for the audience.

Q: I already introduced my character with an audition for a tournament here or elsewhere. Do I have to do another?
A: You can use introductions or auditions you've already done, so long as they're appropriate.

Q: Can I use the same introduction for more characters?
A: Yes, so long as it's a reasonable introduction for all characters in question.

Q: Can somebody help me or collab with me on my intro?
A: Within reason, yes. You CAN share an intro with another artist if both of your characters are in it, so long as you both contribute. Don't ask someone to draw your intro for you. The rules for intros are more lenient than for battle entries, but as always, use common sense. If in doubt, ask.

Q: Can my introduction be rejected?
A: If you follow the guidelines listed above along with a reasonable dose of common sense, you'll probably be fine. The introductions aren't auditions, and we we're unlikely to reject an entry because of artistic skill level. However, if the introduction is blatantly off-topic (such as having little or nothing to do with your character), if it's unreadable (severely confusing), or if you just do something blatantly stupid (such as killing another artist's character in your introduction), we'll likely ask you to do it again.

STEP FOUR: Send a note to the club with a link to your character and introduction (don't send one before the other; send them together).