Round 2 Final Standings Part 1.

-By Ian Shires-
Well here we are folks, Round 2 of Small Press Idol has come and gone, and one thing is very clear: Idol is very big this year. Bigger than ever. Record big. We had 27 projects that made it into Round 2, and we can only send 20 of them into Round 3. Things started fairly normal, early favorites made their mark, layed their foundations, while other projects posted as we went, and fought their way into the spotlight while traffic at the site, skyrocketed. By the time all the projects were posted, it was clear we'd struck a chord this year, but it was the week that followed that really changed everything. As late posters pulled out all the stops to catch up to early posters and record after record was topped, the true nature of Idol took over, and projects started voting for each other, and joking back and forth, and the party atmosphere made this all a lot of fun for everyone...but me...
Record vote levels meant longer voting count times than every before. By the time the final week was in gear, it was taking over 5 hours to count all the votes each day in the same system we'd used for the last 2 years. I finally struck on the idea that would at least keep the voting open while I counted...instead of using the posting of results as my marker of where I ended counting the day before, I simply made a post that marked the line, and when I got to it, I stopped counting for the day. Simple idea...can't believe it took so long to think of it. Yes, there will be a change in how I collect and count votes next round, but I'll post more on that later, right now, we want to keep focused on results.
So anyway, we saw some HOT competition at the top, but Faction ran away with the round...both by posting early, and by having the most repeat voters. They managed to be our first ever project to top 1,000 votes in a round...and did it with fewer total voters than the next 3 projects in the list. The Underground connected and skyrocketed up the list...eventually bumping down early fan favorite Maddie Scientist. It was a battle between RPG fans and a High School that was a pleasure to watch. Maddie Scientist is our improbable queen of the contest, as the team has our youngest competitor ever, but has really transformed how their whole school views indy comics through this contest. The white Rose - rose hard and heavy as well... eventually beating out our other early top 3 fan favorite, The Machine...whose very loyal fans dug in and kept them up top in very heavy competition.Below that, the movement and positions held by each project were in a constant state of flux...but we did watch as a number of early projects that had that voting advantage, fell below the line. There were no last minute big changes, though, and that leaves just one big question on everyone's lips: What about Dogman and Lester???
They got a Judges majority NO vote, and are above the line, which means they are the ONLY project subject to my making a final judgement on them. right now, I have tallied the numbers, and have to go pick up my daughter from school...so...I will post up to them...and be back in a bit...
1.) 1101 Votes (+36) - 103 Voters (3NC) Faction - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
2.) 797 Votes (+77) - 121 Voters ( +1) The Underground - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
3.) 767 Votes (+55) - 136 Voters ( +5) Maddie Scientist - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
4.) 718 Votes (+76) - 139 Voters ( +9) The White Rose - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
5.) 548 Votes (+30) - 61 Voters (3NC) The Machine - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
6.) 457 Votes (+17) - 69 Voters (2NC) Hometown Heroes - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
7.) 449 Votes (+16) - 59 Voters (4NC) The Associate - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
8.) 445 Votes (+25) - 91 Voters ( +2) Steel Rising - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
9.) 376 Votes (+15) - 59 Voters (4NC) Haxxor - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
10.) 338 Votes (+20) - 54 Voters ( +1) Varsity Squad - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
11.) 275 Votes (+29) - 61 Voters ( +2) The Doorknob Society - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
12.) 269 Votes (+12) - 40 Voters (2NC) Dogman and Lester - Judges Vote: 2 No.