The thing with the red gold crown.
Sounds like it could be interesting if done right. Do you plan to use their avatars to represent them or trying to make what real people would like doing those types of actions?
It comes. The corrupter comes. Don't let it touch the tower lest all reality crumble.
I was thinking maybe: Like they either show up as themselves, their avatar, or just their ideal selves.
It would be kind of strange if their avatar was weird, like a whale or something like that.
Oooh! Maybe have them just dressed up like their avatars?
The thing with the red gold crown.
I'm not an expert but why not try switching between those in your first chapters and see what the readers like most.
Maybe you should watch your readers and occasionally allow them to cameo in the comic when they do something really funny.
It comes. The corrupter comes. Don't let it touch the tower lest all reality crumble.
That could work. 
I would have to find a way to keep the cast to a minimum, though. Maybe make it a forum for students from a certain school, or something like that?
I recommend completely different avatars in regards to the people who use them. Seeing as I'm not a sprig of holly, or named Holly, it would be realistic.
Good idea, Leardny. 
The thing with the red gold crown.
I would like to at least on one occasion see a sprig of holly stabbing the eyes out of a demonic rider.
edited 13th Dec '11 9:16:27 PM by Philosopher
It comes. The corrupter comes. Don't let it touch the tower lest all reality crumble.
You can easily use this technique to make a silent sub-plot. For example, if you show the real people, their surroundings might reflect a plot arc.
To be honest, I've never seen this kind of thing work out very well in practice. I'd advise against reader cameos.
@Chihuahua: ...I like that idea. 
For example, one of the forum users might be a recent mother that slowly goes through pregnancy...And then a baby appears in one of her arms.
Another possibility is to have someone post in different rooms that are shown in the background, depending on what angle you decide to use. This has plenty of possibilities. For example, one of the forum-goers parents are divorced. Or is hanging with the wrong crowd. Or retreats to his/her room while a fight is happening right outside the door.
Or you can go lighter and have amusing events. Like a rowdy family, or an eccentric roommate. Or tons of textbooks and papers all over the dorm room. All you need to do is to write up the basic "arc" for five or main regular forumgoers. The sky's the limit.
edited 14th Dec '11 3:03:06 PM by chihuahua0
I once had an idea about writing a comic revolving around a forum.
Each panel would have a comment made from one of the people on the site, but would also show the person making the comment in real life, mostly their reactions to a certain response.
If someone posts some like "-stabs tvlover15 in the face-" it switches to a fantasy version of one of the commentors doing that to the person they're talking about.
Now, what do you think? I know its not much, but it could work.