On Consequences
Christopher Wright’s been at the webcomics game for a long time — Help Desk started on a now-defunct computing website more than twelve years ago, and has been running on its own site for the past nine. In that time, life has interrupted the strip on occasion, and it looks as if it may do so again:
[T]he summary is that I’m running out of money, and as a result I may have to take down EvisceratiNet (eviscerati.net, ubersoft.net, evsicerati.org) for a while until I can afford to resume publishing. There are ways out of this predicament–a sudden influx of money from enthusiastic supporters, a sudden offer of a decent job, a sudden winning lottery ticket–but given the current economic climate I’m thinking the lottery ticket is my best shot.
The full piece is an enlightening read — Wright isn’t begging for support, just laying out the economic facts about how he presents us with Help Desk (and Kernel Panic, and Old Skool Webcomic, and now PCTown, not to mention the editorial sites under the Eviscerati umbrella); basically, he pays to provide these items to us for free, and via that distribution to get things off his chest that need off-getting. Think Thomas Paine with a grudge against Microsoft. And the thing about Paine and his philosophical descendents? You really can’t get them over the urge to shout from the metaphorical rooftops for very long:
If I’m forced to shut down the server due to lack of funds to keep it going, it won’t be the end of the world. This was the risk I took when I made the decisions I did so very long ago, and when you take risks you need to be willing to face those consequences. When I have money again, Help Desk will come back — and hopefully you will as well.
Fleen wishes Wright the best of luck, and should the worst happen, we’ll be waiting with bated breath for his triumphant return to editorializing and muckraking.
- In other news, did y’all in England know there’s a show on this weekend? The one-day-only Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds runs on Saturday the 15th, with the likes of Lil’ Johnny A and Liz Cusack as invited guests, and a whole mess o’ exhibitors including a cat charity. US comic shows get past-their-prime Playmates and Hooters calendar girls, UK shows get cats in need of help — I know which one I’d rather have a booth next to.
- Finally, ’tis the season and all that. Childs Play 2008 kicked off five days ago, and as of this writing has already cleared the $100,000 mark. The economy can be as much of a bitch as it wants to be, and the better angels of our natures will still prevail. Well done, and keep up the good work.
Thought Bubble will be fun, you guys should fly over for it next year :)
By Jon Scrivens on 11.12.08 8:08 am
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