In the center of the shining city of Silvermine, THE entertainment capitol, stands the Colosseum. Build as a tribute to the growing empire under casino mogul Tyrone Fossil, the Colosseum is the stage on which 32 stories will unfold...Spectators from far and wide gather to witness this grand event held by the Kingdom Wrestling League as an all fighters tournament. The stakes are high, with $1 million dollars and the championship on the line. Like much of Silvermine, however, there is something far more sinister underneath the surface...

HOW TO AUDITION

Your character is approached by a member of the Silvermine Mob ([link]), either on their home turf or in the streets of Silvermine, informing them of the Colosseum tournament, the million dollar prize, and the glory of the championship. Depending on the mobster, the offer may be direct or indirect, perhaps even forceful. It's completely up to you. Your character just needs to learn of the Colosseum and accept the invitation. Your character also doesn't necessarily have to know this character is working for the mob. They don't exactly go around advertising it unless they are in private or have an offer that can't be refused.

To enter the Colosseum, first, create either a single illustration, comic, or animation that introduces your character into the Colosseum with one of the Silvermine Mob playing a part in your audition. Your goal is to tell us why your character is entering this contest. Second, compile a main character reference image (full body and color) with a description of the character’s personality, motivations, and abilities.

Submit these in your DeviantArt gallery/scraps and then send the links via note to The Colosseum before 11:59PM PST on Friday, May 30, 2008. Any auditions received after that will not be considered for entry, so if you are in a timezone other than Pacific Standard Time, you should make sure to adjust the deadline for your timezone just so you don’t miss it. On May 31, the roster will be compiled and posted at 12:00 PM PST (Notes will also be sent out to all accepted gladiators). Then on Sunday, June 1st around 12:00AM PST, the first round match ups will be posted.

AUDITIONING TIPS

- Though the reference sheet will tell us who your character is, your audition piece needs to SHOW us just who they are. The more successful your audition is in demonstrating this, the more likely you will be selected.

- While we do not require colored works, your audition should still be reasonably polished. Show us that you are committed to this long term project. If you do a half-hearted entry, it will show.

- Though there are guidelines on the audition piece in which all auditions will follow, your creativity with those guidelines is what’s going to make us notice you.

- We are looking for variety in our roster, so creativity is praised and encouraged when it comes to characters.

- There is no penalty for having a 1 page comic or a 10 page + comic. All that matters is that you establish your charcters motivations. However, keep in mind that just be cause you have a long entry, DOES NOT mean it's a better entry. It shows that you have put a lot of work into it, but remember we are also judging on storytelling. Your audition is just an introduction. Tease us. Let us want to see more of your character(s).

- We will feature notable auditions on the Colosseum front page as they come in to give a better sense of what a good audition is. Please note, however, that a featured audition is not a guarantee entrance into the Colosseum (though it certainly means it will be seriously considered).

CHARACTER GUIDELINES

1. Original characters only. As long as you created the character yourself, either before the tournament or for the tournament specificially. Any copyrighted characters will be rejected outright. Fan characters are also not permissible unless they are far enough removed from the universe in which they are from to be considered original.

2. Competitors may enter characters as either Singles (one character) or Tag Teams (two characters, as a single entry). Singles and Teams may also have a 'manager' accompany them serve as morale support, but managers do not do any fighting (though may assist their fighters in victory).

3. This tournament is open to all kinds of competitors, and do not necessarily have to be heroic, physically strong, or violent in nature to participate. What makes these OC battles fun is all the different kinds of characters involved. So be creative!

Alright Gladiators! Any questions should be directed to this journal, note, or in the Colosseum chat and I will clear up any confusion. I will have references of all the mobster's designs up ASAP. Good luck!