The webcomics blog about webcomics

So … Little … Sleep

If I stay awake until the end of this post it’ll be a miracle.

Although Jon Rosenberg and Rene Engström have been forced to forgo TCAF this weekend (by respectively, career re-evaluation and passport woes), there are still plenty of people to populate the webcomics pavilion! See the full map of the show here; warning: it’s a biggun.

  • Excuse me, Axe Cop, could I please ask that you not give away our secrets? Now everybody will want a moustache, and then where will I find replacement parts for my sticky dynamite gun?
  • The Design A Shirt For JoCo contest has concluded, and the results are in. The winner is one Ryan Estrada, who by an amazing coincidence shares a name with a webcomicker of some reknown. Mr Estrada won for a design that pays tribute to Mr Coulton’s song First of May, which is a bouncy tune about the wonders of springtime. Enjoy it with the whole family!
  • Paul Southworth has been involved in the creation of a small person. Isaac Thomas Southworth, mother, older brother, and dad are all reportedly doing fine. At press time, it is not clear whether or not the new guy prefers to be called Isaac or Ike, but given that he’s already reduced his father to a state of fear, I’m guessing he’s a badass — Ike it is.
  • Lots of good discussion in the comments thread of yesterday’s post, re: Goatspocalypse. What I find most encouraging is that whatever Rosenberg’s new endeavours may include, there’s a a real enthusiasm to see what he’ll come up with. Actually, that’s probably the second most encouraging thing — I think the most encouraging thing is the acknowledgement that change in a career field is inevitable, and managing it on your terms (as much as possible) rather than letting it just happen to you, is an idea that you have to get used to. It may be that this public conversation about the nature of his career will be one of Rosenberg’s lasting contributions to future generations of independent creators.

Gary, I’ll try to keep everyone loosely informed of the process as I come up with my plan, I don’t want to give everything away but if I can serve as a cautionary example I’ll consider this worthwhile. :)

It may be that this public conversation about the nature of his career will be one of Rosenberg’s lasting contributions to future generations of independent creators.

That’s a bit depressing, Gary! but of course, I simply can’t construe the last decade of Jon’s work as merely a learning experience. To whit (and to Jon): while Goats in its current incarnation is apparently not conducive to a consistant revenue stream, it may (ironically?) get a second lease on life once completed, as long-form complex comics are so much more palatable when not seen page-by-page. I can see it serving as both a financial and an experiential foundation for your next venture.

There’s an interesting parallel here with John A’s readership drop after launching Bad Machinery, which of course was done partly to avoid the problems Jon’s run into now. Basically, there’s no pleasing some people (ie webcomic readers).

But Allison’s readership is up again, isn’t it? And I think (near the end of Scarygoround) he made a conscious decision to leave less loose ends around with the end of every story. At least, that’s how it seemed reading it.

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In addition to the addition to the Southworth family, Jamie Fickes of Mumblepuss, and Eddie Pittman of Red’s Planet also had children within 24 hours of Isaac. What was up with that? Three webcomics babies within 24 hours. Weird.

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