Why do people call them "OCs"?

[Ignitedstar]

Here's something I've been wondering for awhile.


I work a community center and am a volunteer for a small class of teens. Our focus is comics and their age ranges are anywhere from 12 to 18. I'm in there to help the teacher supervise the teens (they're really a good group of kids) and I've recently been sharing my comic with them. Even if I'm not drawing the characters from my comic, some of them say something interesting to me.


"So these people must be your OCs, right?"


"OC" means Original Character, right? Eh? I didn't make a big deal out of it, but I do think it's rather odd. Well yeah, they're characters that I made but... that's it. They're characters. Why do I need to stick original in them like I'm not aiming for the cliche of all stories? Even parodies and cliches manage to produce their own characters.


If the character came from somewhere else (namely, another form of media), I would reason that they're in there for a reason. I would have a problem if there was blatant plagiarism (claiming something created by someone else as your own). Other than that, well... of course they're characters you made on your own! But I don't see a reason to stick a sign on them to make them anymore special than any characters that are created for any story, whatsoever.


I'm totally okay for people letting others know that "this is a character I made all on my own", but shouldn't that be implicit? I don't understand why people must take that step further and make it explicit. Perhaps people isn't the right word here. Is this something that only happens with the younger audience? I don't ever recall hearing OC being muttered by an older group of people.


I was a teen once myself. Writing my own stories and such, I don't think I ever thought of my characters in such a way. It never occurred to me. Is this something new?

 

[Blumenkranz]

OC was probably coined inside the world of fanfiction, where crossovers between Sonic characters and totally-not-a-self-insert recolors of Sonic were the norm.


The word OC is often used inside franchise-based roleplays or crossover roleplays as it helps distinguishing completely original characters from canon characters, which other people might not know due to their obscurity or simply because they don't know about said franchise. That or kids who want to explicitly point out that their recolors are completely originals and not ripoffs.


One of the websites where I have seen used OC the most is probably DeviantArt, where people often have to point out that said character is original and not based in any anime so people stop asking for the source. But it's only natural, since dA is full of fanart and nobody can be knowledgeable about every series ever.


I don't think there is anything wrong with calling your characters OC if there can be some confusion (as pointed out above, this may be the case of crossovers and fandom games, or even art websites), but it has stuck around certain people, perhaps as a simple verbal tic or as a way to feel better about their characters being not-so-original.

 

[Mugcake]

OC was probably coined inside the world of fanfiction, where crossovers between Sonic characters and totally-not-a-self-insert recolors of Sonic were the norm.
The word OC is often used inside franchise-based roleplays or crossover roleplays as it helps distinguishing completely original characters from canon characters, which other people might not know due to their obscurity or simply because they don't know about said franchise. That or kids who want to explicitly point out that their recolors are completely originals and not ripoffs.


One of the websites where I have seen used OC the most is probably DeviantArt, where people often have to point out that said character is original and not based in any anime so people stop asking for the source. But it's only natural, since dA is full of fanart and nobody can be knowledgeable about every series ever.


I don't think there is anything wrong with calling your characters OC if there can be some confusion (as pointed out above, this may be the case of crossovers and fandom games, or even art websites), but it has stuck around certain people, perhaps as a simple verbal tic or as a way to feel better about their characters being not-so-original.

Unrelated to the thread, since I can't post in your profile, I'll say it here: how I adore thy elaborate replies filledst with the fiery blaze of a generous scholar!


(I failed my Shakespearean English, but let's turn a blind eye on my miserable attempt.)




Because OC requires less letters than "character", or even just "char". (=u=)