I get that the canonization contests are controversial for a reason, and not just by flawed execution but also the very principle of the matter;
But to be honest, I’d love to see future canon contests for art, and art alone? I’d like to see contests where artists are given the opportunity to draw a pre-existing character with an already canon design, and have this drawing canonized as an official depiction of them.
For starters, I think this is a fun way to bring new content to Bionicle, while also not interfering with people’s personal headcanons; The contests will only be for characters who already have an official appearance, but it’s still neat to get some extra images for them instead of just the one. For example, the Dark Hunters; Most of them look like a mess, but doing canon drawing contests could be a way to give them new, less messy references to work with via streamlined fanart.
Who knows, maybe we could take it a step further and have contests to visually depict canon scenes from the books and serials! Again, obviously only scenes including characters with established appearances. And if anyone doesn’t like it, they can simply just... Disregard this depiction of that event from their personal canon; Bionicle has already contradicted itself in its visual depictions before (the comics VS the movies), and the creative liberties of different art styles are acknowledged and reconciled.
For example, there could be an art contest to depict a scene from Time Trap that includes Vakama, Voporak, and the Vahi for example! Or an encounter between the Piraka and Roodaka. Visualize the scene where Mutran and Chirox threaten the Phantoka with Shadow Leeches, or Fero’s battle with Gelu. I think such art contests could be a fun way to add to canon by visualizing it properly, and merely expanding on what was already confirmed, without interfering with anyone’s personal headcanons in a meaningful way; I think this could be a neat compromise between people who want new content, and people who don’t want to mess with others’ perceptions.
Characters with just the single canon image could be given better portraits to work with, and it’d be a fun exercise for the fandom, giving us content. Official Bionicle art is just cool in general, and with how many non-visualized scenes there are, it could give a new perspective and appreciation to iconic moments from the stories! Obviously the decision of which scenes to depict must be done with tact, so clearly it’d be safer to do JUST neutral but canon drawings of characters, instead of actual story scenes; And the people to host such contests need to actually be mature and competent about them.
We could have art contests to show Firedracax fighting some Visorak; Matoro resurrecting Tuyet alongside Makuta; Artakha’s first physical appearance; Nidhiki VS Devastator; Trinuma and Vezon on a boat; Vezok punishing Kraata-Kal for the Shadowed One; Etc. Just drawings to make certain aspects of the lore feel more real and emphasized, building on it while still leaving room for others’ visions. Official scenes, but also moments totally inoffensive to the established canon, and leaving room for others’ ideas; Just any regular, random drawing of a character in the moment.
