(Sort-of Vent) Is it dumb to get angry at questions about your OC, no matter how simple and basic the OC is?

[Wolvinof]

(I'm going by the idea that the guy isn't on the forums. If he is and sees this, screw it, I don't care now.)

So, I had an idea and did some art of an inflatable plane deflating. They were only meant to be a generic plane just so I could do a plane deflating, but a friend I was chatting with about it beforehand suggested I give them a name and design. So with that, I uploaded the piece introducing the plane as an OC to maybe use again.

Now, the entire point of them is literally just "inflatable plane that loves deflation". Like I said, they weren't even meant to be an OC in the first place.

The thing is, I went to bed shortly after, and while I was asleep, one of my watchers asked some questions about the plane. And in my stead, my friend and someone else decided to give him their own facts about Cirrus. Since some of their answers made sense, and kind of matched my own thoughts on how the plane would work, I confirmed them just to give the guy an answer myself.

Then he went asking more questions, basically about things I never considered when drawing the pic, and to be honest didn't care for; like I said, it's just "inflatable plane that loves deflation".

So, I've been answering those questions with stuff I just pulled out of my a**, again just to give him good answers.

Now he's gotten to asking about the lore behind a f***ing living inflatable plane, and at this point, I'm getting p***ed off.

This is just a pic of a deflating plane that I only slapped a name and livery on because my friend asked what this random one-time thing I'm drawing's name is. There is no lore, no big story; their entire point is that they're an inflatable airplane that loves being deflated, and I only drew them because I like deflation.

And here's someone spouting a s***load of questions about things I didn't give a s*** about for this OC, like "how do they fly?", "are they piloted?", "how do passengers ride in them if they're inflatable?", "how does fuel work?", etc.

All kinds of deep and fancy questions about something that wasn't even supposed to be a real f***ing OC, let alone a complex one that I've actually put work into.

I'm so mad and annoyed about it to the point where I'm actually regretting drawing this stupid f***ing plane now and want to already "retire" them on my second account when it's set up.

And the thing is, I can't just tell him to shut up and stop asking those questions. He likes my stuff, and he's been friendly before now, and I have a whole "don't upset others" complex going on. I just don't know how to tell him in any way that's nicer than, "All that info is garbage, I really don't care about this OC's story, they're literally just a deflation toy I recycled from a one-off thing".

So, yeah, the question in the title. Is it dumb to feel this way?

 

[Crisahitna]

Your feelings are valid because you are entitled to them, but they are also entitled to their opinions and their questions. I would suggest making an FAQ page if it gets annoying. Also, you don't have to answer some of their questions because they can't make you answer.

 

[Saokymo]

I just don't know how to tell him in any way that's nicer than, "All that info is garbage, I really don't care about this OC's story, they're literally just a deflation toy I recycled from a one-off thing".

Just leave out the bit about the info being garbage, and tell him that it was a one-off joke character that you didn’t intend to develop further. There’s generally nothing mean about being polite & straightforward like that.

 

[quoting_mungo]

“I don’t know and don’t consider it important; the character isn’t intended to be deep.”

Like, I have characters that are only really intended to be characters I stick in random art, and if people ask questions about things that aren’t established and I don’t care to set in stone, I just tell them it’s a random art character and isn’t intended to be more than that.

Your feelings are valid as feelings, but unless you tell the guy that you’re not interested in answering them, it’s not realistic to expect him to know that you find his questions annoying.

 

[Connor J. Coyote]

@Wolvinof Well..... all I gotta say to that is - is that if you're getting questions that somehow get on your nerves - than, it's probably best you simply decline to answer them. And - you can decline this sort of interaction (with followers, or whatever) "tactfully" - simply by saying, something along the lines of: "my OC's are largely a reflection of me personally", and thus - "I prefer not get into specifics about certain details"; "because they're still being worked on and are still being refined, based on my personal needs".

Which - in a lot of ways, is the truth, right?

And so - you can send a similar message (like I wrote above) to anyone who may ask you questions that you prefer not to get into.... which might save you some hassles - (and still be polite about it).

* (Just my thoughts).

 

[Rakiya]

I'm not sure why you're struggling to find a solution to this...
The answer is simple; just tell the truth and tell them that you "Don't Know"

The "annoying" part in all of this isn't that the person is asking question.
But the part which makes you feel like you need to answer all of their questions.

There's nothing rude about telling someone that "You don't know, and haven't thought that much into it"

 

[Netanye Dakabi]

by all means get angry but by no means bring it to the table.

rage in your own time but then calm down and form a dcent argument before you speak.

i dread the day video/audio chat replaces text comments.

 

[Sam Wamm]

*inhales*

the law requires that i state "no comment"

 

[IncenseAndIron]

It is not dumb to feel this way. In fact, feeling irritated at being made to answer useless questions about ocs/sonas is something that is very reasonable. I personally feel a lot, especially when they purposely try to find logical/scientific fallacies about my characters. (i.e. "but it's not scientifically possible for him to transform!" "how can he be half human and live amongst/interact with anthros?") The questions themselves aren't necessarily bad, but it's the fact that they expect me to have a made-up scientific, biological reason as to why my werewolf persona can transform from man to wolf. It gets ridiculous and irritating, and believe me, you are not dumb for feeling that way, I promise.

I think the problem, like someone in this thread stated, is not the fact that they are asking these questions and being curious. In fact, looking for answers is good! But, the problem is that they are kind of putting you on the spot and expecting you to answer, and have an answer to, all their questions. Like some people in this thread said, the best thing to do is to tell them honestly (but politely); you did not intend to have an in-depth story and lore about your inflatable plane, and that you don't find it important how the plane can fly or how passengers can board the plane. The point of this oc was to have fun with inflatable content.

You aren't committing thought-crimes for being, and feeling, irritated about this. In fact, it is completely reasonable to feel that way, considering this person seems to assume you have all the scientific answers for your plane oc. But, I do not think they mean any harm. As long as you are being polite with the person who you are talking to (unless they are being impolite to you on purpose), and remembering that they are probably just a curious fan of the character, then I think it is all completely fine.

 

[Foxridley]

I know an artist in a a position like that, to which the answer to a bunch of questions would be "It's just a cartoon." Not at all dumb to get irritated.

 

[The_biscuits_532]

Ngl these questions sound like the shit that goes through my head when I see people's OCs but I never ask them because nobody ever considers them.

It's like yesterday I was watching Bojack Horseman and I noted that Anemones aren't anthro in the underwater episode, but more simplistic animals, like Jellyfish, are.

Now that makes no sense from an evolutionary standpoint but I'm not going to go out of my way to make long posts or question the creators because the short answer is it's an oversight and doesn't matter.

If the creator makes it clear that there's one simple explanation for everything, you should just take it at face value. Not everything needs pages and pages of lore.

 

[MaelstromEyre]

I don't mind if it's an artist asking them, for a better understanding of fur texture or skin texture or personality. I also don't mind if it's just people talking about their characters and someone asks me a specific question about mine. It might be something I'd never thought about.

The only thing I can't stand is when someone makes assumptions about my character or tries to say they know things about her just by making stuff up to suit their own fantasy. It's creepy and weird and disrespectful to the person that character belongs to.

 

[Jackpot Raccuki]

Given the context, it’s valid.

If it was say an artist asking those questions it might just be more of them wanting to know to help with the piece.
But in this case it’s just someone curious of your character and I think all I would’ve done in that scenario is “It’s just a generic character, I have no intentions of giving them anymore details, and only named them just to avoid potentially people mistaking it as their character.”

I think it’s just the case that they might’ve been interested in the character but wanted to seem friendly, most I could’ve recommended is just say that you just didn’t really care about that and just wanted to draw.

 

[RailRide]

Sounds like someone with an inflation fetish who can't fathom that there's nothing below the surface of something that tickled his jimmies.

I once posted a pic of one of my OC's lying atop a beach ball. After sitting in my gallery for years, one day completely out of the blue it started getting +faves from people whose fave galleries strongly indicated inflatophile tendencies. I put a disclaimer in the description to head off any inopportune interest.

---PCJ