Fleen: The Awkward Christmas Dinner Of Our Obligation To Existence

Splittin’ Up The Band

You may have noticed that the Blank Label Comics Brady Bunch grid is a little short today — six headshots instead of the usual nine, and three names missing from the sidebar. Aside from completely messing up my usual morning webcomics trawl routine (hit the BLC site, and start reading comics in a criss-cross pattern, starting from the lower right), this means that Kris Straub, Brad Guigar, and Dave Kellett have left the webcomics supergroup to try their hand at solo projects under a different band name. Or something. Wherever the metaphor is going, there’s no hard feelings and no Yoko Ono in this breakup.

Where they’re going is under the Straub/Scott Kurtz studio label of Halfpixel. Rather than a defined collective with shared responsibilities, Halfpixel will be giving the four creators a common identity for things like promotion and con appearances, but allow them to pursue their comics endeavours in a more independent fashion.

Plans for the shift have been in the works since before SPX, where one would not have known that any kind of breakup was imminent by the way that all the Blank Labellers carried themselves. Commenting on the change, Howard Tayler said this morning:

Think of this as ‘fission,’ like the nuclear kind. Counting Scott Kurtz’s advisory position there were ten of us at Blank Label pouring energy in several different directions. This split focuses that energy in some exciting new ways. Readers should expect to see big things from both Halfpixel and Blank Label Comics in the weeks and months to come.

Indeed, during a late-night rumble between Blank Label and Playground Ghosts, this reporter personally witnessed David Malki ! aim a vicious swing with a baseball bat at the back of Brad Guigar’s head. David Willis, heedless of his own safety, hurled himself between the bat and Guigar, dramatically shouting “NOOOOOO” in slow motion, despite knowing that their creator’s relationship was mere weeks from dissolution. Clearly, friendship means more to these gentlemen than mere business association.¹

Despite the fact that I got scooped by Xaviar Xerexes, there will be an interview with the four Halfpixelites tomorrow.

Updated to add: Received after press time was the following comment from David Willis:

Hey, look, they just had a thing about how I refused to wear pants, y’know? And then one day I freeball it, and PAM!, they’re “starting
a new collective.” Well, joke’s on them. Now I can lounge around pantsless without those shifty eyes. This is a new golden age.

Pants nazis. Every single one of them.

_______________
¹ Obligatory disclaimer: In truth, David Malki ! did not assault Brad Guigar with a baseball bat. It was actually a cricket bat. The Willis quote, however, is real.

[…] The Oregonian created a sweet baseball article today.Heres a mini excerpt.Indeed, during a late-night rumble between Blank Label and Playground Ghosts, this reporter personally witnessed David Malki ! aim a vicious swing with a baseball bat at the back of Brad Guigarâ€™s head. David Willis, heedless of his own … […]

Well, I really moved up, didn’t I? I went from being Jan to Marcia.

Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

And speaking news, neither Comixtalk nor Fleen picked up on some other news over on BLC this week. ;)

Regarding Willis’ baseless accusations: I have been, and always will be, pro-pantsless-David-Willis. I’ve made that very clear in my campaign literature.

Edited because Kellett can’t spell his own name — Gary

Zounds! An imposter! You won’t fool me, KELLETT.

Egad! I see two Willises!

We must shoot one of them. WHICH ONE HAS THE GOATEE???

Neither one has the goatee, Howard; Willis retains the smooth, baby-like cheeks that are his trademark, and Dave shaved his prematurely-grey beard to better reflect his love of scandalous Latin rhythms.

It’s interesting how PVP does not have a link at the top right of the site like the rest of the sites do. He does have a half pixel at the bottom, but you would think the biggest comic in the group would want to link to it’s follow group members. Maybe it’s going to happen and they are just working with the code. I wish both groups well, I read PVP often and like the art on ugly hill.

Dave

Cool stuff, I will look at both now!

Heh…sorry, Willis! What does that say about my brain…that when prompted for “Your Name”, I type *your* name? It says I WANT TO BE DAVID WILLIS, is what it says. :)

PVP does not have a link at the top right of the site like the rest of the sites do

IIRC, that’s the exact reason the original Fleen ended up falling apart.

I can’t say that this is gonna make me start reading PvP.

Being an irrational kinda guy, I’m more worried that every time I come across yet another bit of Kurtz-drama, I’m gonna question the sanity and taste of Kellett, Straub and Guigar who I otherwise enjoy reading tremendously.

That’s rather arse-backwards, I know. The sensible thing to do would be reconsider my stance on Kurtz (even though PvP still doesn’t do anything for me), since these incredibly talented guys think associating with him is A Good Idea(tm). But having read the foreword of the Starslip Crisis collection that I just bought somehow made me enjoy it less — go figure …

Good memory, Jeff! That is correct.

Looks like PvP has the link on the top of the site now.

The truth about most of these Halfpixel changes is that they’re coming at the same time we’re A.) trying to get the book chapters to Image, and B.) trying to finalize all our individual strip merch for the Christmas sales season.

Essentially, the money stuff is coming first. The linkage, reworking of the hub site, etc, will all happen, but it’s of lesser importance.

[…] the main title screen of The Brady Bunch, with characters from nine different creators there. Then the Halfpixel guys left, and of late Paul Taylor wandered away, and now we find a general jumbling of the roster. Gone: […]

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Splittin’ Up The Band

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