Film at eleven.

It appears that The Great Goldman Debacle of Aught-Seven has had the unexpectedly positive side-effect of spurring creativity in the outraged masses. Witness: Huzzah! Goods (motto: “Yes, it’s another damned T-shirt site”) would like you to consider their entry into the fray, with all profits going to Boston Arts Academy.

I think that everything I might have said about our current situation has been said by at least one of you; thanks for your support. Rest assured that words are being crafted with fine precision, honed to a razor’s edge, waiting only for the moment that they may be unleashed in a maelstrom of righteous justice.

In the meantime, the most sincere of thanks to all of you for your support, and please enjoy some happy fun webcomics!

• Apparently taking the suggestion to mirror our content to heart, Jon Rosenberg has done so for at least one posting in teeny-weeny eyestrain-o-vision. The sentiment is appreciated.
• Y’know, as long as I’ve been doing the webcomics hanger-on thing, I’ve never actually met the fabled Sam Brown, and am all but convinced that he doesn’t actually exist. But his talent and disembodied voice are available for your listening/viewing pleasure in pursuit of a good cause. Click to launch, dude.
• Speaking of listening pleasure, check out Dave Kellett’s audio tour of Sheldon (scroll down jes’ a little); okay, it’s just him showing you ’round the features of his site, but for those of us that miss his regular Blank Label podcast, it’s nice to hear him again. Actually, I’d been kind of wondering which creator would get the idea to do something like this first, since recording quick podcasts is easy enough.

  The next logical step is DVD commentary-style tracks. I’ll throw out a suggestion: Kellett and the Unshelved guys should team up and give us the dirt on the now-famed Coffeelid Challenge. Gentlemens, let’s start quibbling.

• Forthcoming merch sighting: Shortpacked announces pre-orders for the first book of David Willis’s toy-related strips. I’m hoping that the back cover contains at least one of the following quotes:
  1. I did your mom.
  2. I’m Batman.
  3. Whores whores whores whores.

Conratulations today to Owen Dunne on 10 years of The Kid, Jethro, The Poz, and the rest of the You Damn Kid cast. Having gone through much of the archives this morning in honor of the occasion, I can only hope for Dunne’s sake that the strip isn’t too autobiographical.

Turning from the sepia-toned Sixties to the near future under a bruise-colored sky, check out what Hawk & Ananth have been working on. There is something distinctly Shirowesque about that bundle of cables in the back — I like it. No definite plans to go to production yet, but if enough people stand up and say they’ll buy one, it could happen. And hey, I like webcomics toys, so count me in.

People coming to NYCC have a little too much cool stuff for sale. Jeff Rowland is rumored to have brought 15 plush Joannas (and I heard tell of a cheerleader outfit that she likes to wear), Paul Southworth is unveiling the first Ugly Hill t-shirt (it’s a secret design that you can only get in person), Jon Rosenberg has that swanky Science Is Satan Spelled Backwards shirt on pre-order, but all that pales in comparison to the coolest new piece of webcomics merch.

Jennie Breeden continues her quest to drag webcomics into new product categories; having brought us the kilts/leafblower calendar and the playing cards, she now adds a picture puzzle. 500 pieces, full color, detailed art, and a punchline (plus boobies). Add that to her ongoing Devil’s Panties comic book, which is up to issue #9 in the direct market where it’s common wisdom that:

1. humorous,
2. black and white,
3. independently published,
4. non-superhero comic books
5. by/about women

don’t sell. But she’s releasing regularly & on schedule, while massive corporations can’t get their marquee books out the door without months-long delays. Breeden is doing something really cool, and I’m going to do my best to talk with her about it this weekend.

I thought I’d point out the best shirt to give your special man/woman/transformer this Valentine’s Day. Check this shit out. Go show your love to Beaver and Steve by purchasing this shirt. Then go show your love by giving the shirt to your better half or enemy. It works both ways.

Since I’m pimping out shirts today, here is one worth a gander. Nothing beats Quincy sporting snazzy medical duds. It may not be suitable for Valentine’s Day, but it might just do the trick for a break-up gift. Just a thought.

You still have time to get webcomics-themed Valentine’s Day cards; in addition to those previously announced, you now have some from Keenspot stalwart Chris Daly‘s Striptease (and if you’re rushed for time, there’s no shipping on this one; Daly sends you a PDF and you print ’em yourself).

And while not strictly for Valentine’s Day, there are awesome greeting cards featuring T-Rex available from Quack!Media. Seriously, it’s right there in the URL: awesomedetail.php. If you get your order in time, cards 1, 2, 3, 6, 10 and 12 are V-Day appropriate.

If you follow webcomics at all, I’m certain you’ve seen the announcement, but here it is anyway:

Dear Valued Bitpass Merchant,

We want to thank you for your past business, however due to circumstances beyond our control, we are discontinuing our operations.

We have partnered with Digital River to provide operational support during the period prior to shut down. As of today, January 19, 2007, all Bitpass Buyers with US dollar denominated accounts are being notified that they will have seven (7) days to spend any amounts that currently exist in their Bitpass Account.

During this seven day period, US Buyers will not be able to add additional funds into their account.

On January 26, all US Bitpass Buyer accounts will be closed and we will begin the process of refunding all unspent monies to the accountholder.

Bitpass Merchant Accounts will be available for viewing until February 28, 2007. At that time any funds that you have on account or owed to you will be refunded or paid. All account records and materials will be retained for 60 days and available upon request.

Again we would like to thank you for your business and support.

Matthew Graves
Chief Operating Officer
Bitpass Inc.

Or maybe you hadn’t; at the time of writing, the Bitpass home page featured nothing in the News section more recent than last October. With Bitpass going the way of the non-avian dinosaurs, that leaves IndieKarma to process small payments in a (semi-) transparent way. Since IndieKarma has, as of this writing, managed to sign up a total of 1140 people (despite the promise of one free dollar of credit to the first 5000 accounts) since founding last May, don’t expect micropayments to suddenly rise from the ashes like a phoenix.

Want to know why Bitpass failed? I think the answer lies in a poll at Goats (where, it must be said, Jon Rosenberg has been notably unimpressed with the concept of micropayments for some time now). He’s got some surprisingly kind words to mark the passing of BitPass, and asks how people will be spending the money they get back. The results (as of 11:00am GMT – 5:00) are:

• 14% (22) 1/10 of a lapdance
• 4% (6) 3 pages of a novel
• 6% (10) 0.5 Tootsie Rolls
• 1% (2) Lots and lots of interweb comics
• 73% (113) I never got a Bitpass account

Highly unscientific, but it’s about as good as you’re going to get, and that last number has been holding steady at about 72 — 73% even as the number of votes has gone up. And speaking of highly unscientific surveys, the deadline for getting in on the traffic/income analysis is next week, and we’re still only halfway to the 100 responses I’m looking for. Maybe with a few more hard numbers, BitPass might have fared better.

Christmas present time from the world of webcomics, kiddies! Let’s check ’em out.

There were announced a scant 10 days ago, and arriving just in time for Christmas giving (to me) were the Devil’s Panties playing cards. Aside from Jennie Breeden’s humorous and charming illustrations, you have within this deck new ways to play games, since many of the cards feature a core cast of characters (cartoon Jennie, Jennie-as-angel, Jennie-as-devil, etc.). You’re playing poker and two people have a flush? Whoever has more Pirates in their hand wins, since as we all know, Pirates are the Chosen People.

Continuing their way through the webcomics ranks, Wizard magazine offers us all a present in the form of an interview with John Allison

An early present, but a present nonetheless, from the frighteningly talented (and let’s be honest — just plain frightening) Andy Bell, in the form of ZLIKS. Available in nine editions of varying limitability. Handed a box of the Ice variety by their unholy sire, I can attest to the fact that these deranged critters are a fine compliment to your mantelpiece, den, or (in my case) the top of an Amish-made hardwood bookcase, keeping watch over my library/office and intimidating the hell out of my Stupid, Stupid Rat Creature. You should totally get some, if only for the copy on the bottom of their box:

From the delightful Liz Greenfield, a stocking stuff(sucks)er in the form of a photoessay of the recent Birmingham International Comics Show, featuring erotical (nude?) dancing! Saucy.

And, in recognition that the morning after Christmas sometimes brings those longing feelings after all the buildup is over, this sad note: Chris Baldwin announced today that he will be ending Bruno in February. It’s a tough loss for webcomics, but as Baldwin writes:

Over the last couple of years I have mulled over this idea (of ending Bruno) a million times, and on June 18, 2006 I finally decided to end it. At that point I plotted out the ending, although it has morphed and extended itself several times. I didn’t announce it sooner because I couldn’t bear to admit it to you all, let alone myself (I feel physical nausea right now as I write this). I also wanted to be able to back out if I changed my mind.

But I have now written the final sequences, and despite misgivings and sadness, I have never changed my mind that it was the right decision.

In the end, my gut tells me this. I simply do not have a drive to continue creating Bruno’s world at this time. And although I know her and her world well enough to continue doing a decent job, I can no longer deny these feelings that it is time to give it a gentle closure. Bruno needed my everything, and I don’t feel I am giving it that anymore.

We at Fleen salute Baldwin for doing right by his creation, and wanting to end having done his very best work. Go read his announcement on the Bruno main page (no direct link, sorry) and then drop him a line to let him know what you think.

Playing cards! Playing cards! Playing cards! Playing cards!

Playing.

Cards.