Does Rich have a day job?

[Scalenex]

or does he live off OoS books and merchandise?

And if he does have a day job, what is it?

[MoonCat]

I think he just does OoTS.

[137beth]

He also occasionally writes for WotC...

[NerfTW]

As far as we know, he's said this is his full time job. Inquiring further is an invasion of his privacy he's requested we don't pursue.

[The Glyphstone]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...

[martianmister]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Burlew

That's all...

[TheSummoner]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...

On the plus side, before you die, you'd get to meet The Giant in person, so it might be worth it anyways. =P

[Dr.Epic]

I'm pretty sure it's stated somewhere the success of his first OotS books allowed him to quit his regular job and focus mainly on his webcomic.

[MoonCat]

I'm pretty sure it's stated somewhere the success of his first OotS books allowed him to quit his regular job and focus mainly on his webcomic.

Yeah... I think he said so in the second book... But I'm not sure.

[McDouggal]

Wikipedia says that after the commercial success of the first book, he quit to pursue this full time.

[Yuki Akuma]

Yes.

He's a professional comic artist.

This is his day job.

[Kish]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...
Who'd pay him for that? Carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life would make him an amateur assassin. :smallconfused:

[veti]

Who'd pay him for that? Carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life would make him an amateur assassin. :smallconfused:

Not necessarily. He might subcontract to himself. Or his mother might put up the money.

But I think it more likely he employs someone like Roland for that.

[mastermind]

His old day job was originally as a spy, and he retired after the first book. The government pays him to kill anyone who prys into his private life as they might come across secret documents. :smalltongue:

[derfenrirwolv]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...
________


I don't think that looting the forum goers corpses would provide pizza money, much less a living.

[Prowl]

Obviously Comic #795 is not the only thing on his agenda over the past month. I imagine the rest of the time he's prone, either lying on the floor of some tiki bar in a cheap-rate hotel in Jamaica, passed out from sipping tequila through a straw for four days straight; or beet red from lying in the sun all day slathered in the contents of a bottle labeled "suntan oil" but which smells suspiciously like gasoline...

[Ancalagon]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...

It's called a "hobby" unless someone else pays for it...

[M.A.D]

Your answer, from the Giant himself. Look at the bottom

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10721971&postcount=169

[Killer Angel]

Maybe he's a professional assassin, carrying out hits on people who pry into his personal life...

I'm so glad you didn't wrote this in red text... :smallbiggrin:

[The Succubus]

Funnily enough, the last person to enquire along these lines died of Mysterious Circumstances. Not that a cure would have helped, not with his internal organs smeared all over the wall like that.

[Drolyt]

or does he live off OoS books and merchandise?

And if he does have a day job, what is it?
It is public knowledge that he has lived off of Order of the Stick since the first print run of Dungeon Crawlin' Fools. It is also public knowledge that prior to that he worked on some Wizards of the Coast material, but that was not his full time occupation. He also entered the fantasy setting search and came in second behind Eberron, but because of his contract with WotC we will probably never know what his campaign was like. Wikipedia seems to think that prior to working full time on Order of the Stick he was a Graphic Designer. Again, this is all public knowledge, what The Giant has chosen to reveal. It is rude to speculate on parts of his private life that he has not chosen to reveal.

Obviously Comic #795 is not the only thing on his agenda over the past month. I imagine the rest of the time he's prone, either lying on the floor of some tiki bar in a cheap-rate hotel in Jamaica, passed out from sipping tequila through a straw for four days straight; or beet red from lying in the sun all day slathered in the contents of a bottle labeled "suntan oil" but which smells suspiciously like gasoline...
It is public knowledge that Rich has a chronic illness of some sort that causes the comic delays. To my knowledge he has refused to comment on it, as is his right. I am also under the impression that discussing it is against the rules. Regardless, even though this post was probably meant as a joke I don't like it. I have no idea what kind of person Rich Burlew is, but it is disingenuous to say such things when all evidence is that his slow update schedule is due to factors beyond his control.

[Dvandemon]

Obviously Comic #795 is not the only thing on his agenda over the past month. I imagine the rest of the time he's prone, either lying on the floor of some tiki bar in a cheap-rate hotel in Jamaica, passed out from sipping tequila through a straw for four days straight; or beet red from lying in the sun all day slathered in the contents of a bottle labeled "suntan oil" but which smells suspiciously like gasoline...

This makes me think it should be an opening paragraph to a charming little novel.

[warmachine]

And the ironic thing is his day job is paid for by books mostly containing freely available material. I buy the books because I prefer old school dead tree over electronic display but I'd have thought that attitude was uncommon.

[M.A.D]

It is public knowledge that Rich has a chronic illness of some sort that causes the comic delays.

Sources, please.

[cheesecake]

Obviously Comic #795 is not the only thing on his agenda over the past month.

Good thing he doesn't get paid by comic or he would be broke.

[Grogmir]

Sources, please.

"7/7/2007

Those of you who have been readers a long time know that I tend to go in cycles with the strip: a few weeks on time, followed by a few weeks where most of the comics are late (and some days are missed altogether). Oftentimes, I’ll make an announcement afterwards that I was sick. The thing is, I get sick a lot, and that’s not likely to change in the future. For more than two years, I’ve been experiencing a medical condition that often leaves me unable to work (or even sit at the computer) for 2-3 days at a time, and the symptoms tend to come and go in clumps. I’ll be fine for a few weeks, then have a few really bad weeks where I struggle to get any work done. This is part of the reason I never can manage to create a “buffer” of strips in advance: I spend all of my working time catching up on stuff I was supposed to finish while I was sick. (No, I’m not going to tell you exactly what is wrong with me; it’s nobody’s business. Suffice to say that it is nonfatal and my significant other takes good care of me.) "

http://www.giantitp.com/Images/fanart/ootslate1.gif

[Drolyt]

And the ironic thing is his day job is paid for by books mostly containing freely available material. I buy the books because I prefer old school dead tree over electronic display but I'd have thought that attitude was uncommon.
Material that he chooses to make freely available. In fact he has to pay server costs to host not only the comics, but another guys comic (Erfworld) and these forums. So yeah, I'm glad he can make a living off of this. He deserves to, the same way people who make traditional dead tree comics deserve money for their hard work.

As for why people buy the comic in print form, personally I have two separate reasons for doing so. The first is that I like to support artists who produce work I enjoy, especially if they otherwise make that work available for free. The second is that the quality of print is very good, so it looks much better than it does on a computer monitor.

I also enjoy all the bonus strips and commentary and whatnot, and of course some of the books aren't available online. The reason this is irrelevant to my decision to purchase the books is that if I had no desire to support The Giant and no desire for a print version, as well as no compunctions about breaking the law, I could obtain them by other means. I encourage people not to follow this route, since as I said I feel The Giant deserves to get paid for his work, but I imagine some people do anyways.

[Mindfreak]

It's called a "hobby" unless someone else pays for it...

What if he has amensia and drops papers with money and the contract on his table at night and in the morning picks it up as if someone else had dropped it there?

He is secretly paying himself to be an assassin.

[Maralais]

Funnily enough, the last person to enquire along these lines died of Mysterious Circumstances. Not that a cure would have helped, not with his internal organs smeared all over the wall like that.

Not another one! When will they find a cure?:elan: (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0727.html)

I, too am worried about the Giant and the comic, it's been far, far too long. Kinda.

[Ancalagon]

What if he has amensia and drops papers with money [...]

In that case, it's still not "professional" but "crazy". You can't hire yourself to be a professional anything, I fear...

[Yuki Akuma]

In that case, it's still not "professional" but "crazy". You can't hire yourself to be a professional anything, I fear...

You totally can!

If you own a company you can hire yourself.

[Ancalagon]

Yes, but you'd not be a professional company - and that negates your professional hired status, I fear. :smallbiggrin:

[Yagerr]

Before this gets locked,

http://sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=467

ST: Do you get creative blocks? What do you do to get past them?

RB: I do get creative blocks, usually in a very specific circumstance. With OOTS, I know where the plot is heading � what the "big moments" are � but setting them up often requires several strips that dribble important information to the readers first. Why? So that when the big moment comes, the readers aren't sitting at their computers wondering why Character X didn't just cast Spell Y and fix it. Part of the downside of creating a comic that embraces a role playing game rule set is that my readers know exactly of what a character of a certain class is capable, and I often need to consider that when scripting. Plus, readers have 2-3 days to microanalyze each strip, and I do my best to preempt any confusion or misinterpretations.


I know I am assuming that this question is to imply why there is a delay, but what rich does is art.

[Drolyt]

Before this gets locked,

http://sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=467

ST: Do you get creative blocks? What do you do to get past them?

RB: I do get creative blocks, usually in a very specific circumstance. With OOTS, I know where the plot is heading � what the "big moments" are � but setting them up often requires several strips that dribble important information to the readers first. Why? So that when the big moment comes, the readers aren't sitting at their computers wondering why Character X didn't just cast Spell Y and fix it. Part of the downside of creating a comic that embraces a role playing game rule set is that my readers know exactly of what a character of a certain class is capable, and I often need to consider that when scripting. Plus, readers have 2-3 days to microanalyze each strip, and I do my best to preempt any confusion or misinterpretations.


I know I am assuming that this question is to imply why there is a delay, but what rich does is art.
Interesting interview, thanks for the link.

[Timberboar]

Yes, but you'd not be a professional company - and that negates your professional hired status, I fear. :smallbiggrin:

I'm going to guess you're not all that familiar with the incorporation and running of small businesses.

The company's money and your money are not the same thing, unfortunately. :smalltongue:

[Darth Hunterix]

Well, all we know is that The Giant DIDN'T have a side job. It is possible that someone made him an offer he couldn't refuse, so he left OotS for a couple of weeks, that we don't know and I'm kinda sure we will never know.
Unless of course he really is some kind of super-ninja and he will murder us in our sleep. Then we will know. But in that case we wouldn't need such knowledge. Life is full of irony. And sometimes full of ironing as well.

[jgsugden]

I'm going to guess you're not all that familiar with the incorporation and running of small businesses.

The company's money and your money are not the same thing, unfortunately. :smalltongue:That depends on the form of business. Pass through entities result in less of a distinction between the 'company money' and your money than many business owners like.

Regardless, I see no mention of Rich's name on any assassin guild registration lists. AT THIS TIME.

Happy 4th to all the US folk out there.

[GoblinArchmage]

Regardless, I see no mention of Rich's name on any assassin guild registration lists. AT THIS TIME.


Aha! That proves that he is an Assassin, then. Only an Assassin would leave no evidence of being such.

[Ron Miel]

I was under the impression that he writes sourcebooks for RPG's as his main profession, with OOTS just a side line. Am I mistaken? Has he stopped doing so?

[Xapi]

I was under the impression that he writes sourcebooks for RPG's as his main profession, with OOTS just a side line. Am I mistaken? Has he stopped doing so?

Yes, you are mistaken.

It has been explained and linked to in this thread, but basically, he had a "day job" and did work for WotC as a side job.

Then he started OotS, and soon he was able to quit his day job for it. I believe he has stopped doing soucebooks altogether, but it was never his main ocupation (Although I guess when WotC bought the setting that came second to Eberron, it became his main source of income for a while)

[Frecus]

What if he has amensia and drops papers with money and the contract on his table at night and in the morning picks it up as if someone else had dropped it there?

He is secretly paying himself to be an assassin.

Then where would that 2nd personality get the money? From a third personality which thinks it's Robin Hood perhaps?

Frecus
The glade wanderer
Madwarrior

[Drolyt]

I was under the impression that he writes sourcebooks for RPG's as his main profession, with OOTS just a side line. Am I mistaken? Has he stopped doing so?
Sourcebooks was a side job for him, his main job was graphic designer (that's where he learned to draw, he actually using a vector graphics program to make stick figures). RPG sourcebooks don't pay very well mind you, it is pretty much the worst writing gig you can get short of them charging you money.

[Alias]

:smallannoyed: Guys, these update schedule threads are getting tiresome to me, and I'm a mere lurker for the most part. I can only imagine how much hair Roland has pulled out by now. {Scrubbed}

[Drolyt]

{Scrubbed}

[JungleJenny]

I just registered solely to post: Rich, many, many, many thanks for each of the 794 brilliant strips (plus bonus material!) you've given us. Whatever the reason you've been on a break, I wish you good health and I'm sending my best hopes and warmest thoughts out to wherever you are. Which may, as aforementioned, be the floor of a tiki bar in Jamaica. Which would totally be ok, but I recommend washing afterwards. Anyway, that's not important. What's important is that it's been a privilege to read every single one of the installments of OOTS, especially the ones with Rocket Skates, and no matter how long a wait it is for the next comic - even a George R. R. Martin length wait - it doesn't matter. Although I wouldn't recommend trying the George R. R. Martin style timeline, but he did just get that HBO deal and Cartoon Network is getting pretty thin these days, so then again, maybe go for it. But what's really important is that, even though we're fans (you know, fans) we do care and we are worried about you. Be well. Peace.