Where's the Comic?

[The Giant]

So, today's comic is proving to be a nightmare on art (stupid hobgoblins), which has delayed it from the 1-2 hours I first thought to now, 7 hours late and still not done.

It will be up sometime today, but not yet. There's a good chance that I will take the forums down after I post it, though, because of the horrible slowdown we got on Thursday when I posted it.

[BenjCano]

That's fine. The quality of work we've been seeing lately, in germs of content and artistic detail, have more than made up for having to wait a few extra hours. Thanks for the heads up all the same.

[Estelindis]

Yes: thanks indeed for the notification and for the superb quality of the strips of late. :smallsmile:

[DemonicPenguin]

The comic is still going to be awesome! :smallsmile:

[Ronald_saveloy]

Considering the inconsistency I recently witnessed in most of the rest of my daily dose of internet comics, OotS appears absolutely reliable. I don't mind if it takes 7 or more hours until the new strip will be online at last.

Take the time you need to keep your high quality, boss!

[Agalyon]

No problem Rich, Just need to make sure I'm not checking back every 1 minute
:biggrin:

[Rama_Lei]

when I saw the thread title, I thought someone was complaining and I'd have to defend our belvoed author. Glad it turned out differently. Take your time.

[cavalier973]

It's worth it...
I actually appreciate the dedication to quality that sometimes results in a late comic.

I actually think it's a marketing ploy to determine which of us readers are irredeemable junkies, in order to try to sell us stuff. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email directing me to an eBay auction for Roy's original boots, by someone named the "Big Guy in the Park". I bought them. For $422.00

[mport2004]

Considering the inconsistency I recently witnessed in most of the rest of my daily dose of internet comics, OotS appears absolutely reliable.
I agree with that I just hope the other webcomics get back to normal soon (Unless this is normal)

[Varg]

when I saw the thread title, I thought someone was complaining and I'd have to defend our belvoed author. Glad it turned out differently. Take your time.

My reaction too. Glad to see I was wrong...it'll be up when it's up, life goes on, and it'll be all the better for having had however much time the Giant deems necessary spent on it.

[Bunyip]

Thank you for letting us know in the middle of what must be a frustrating time. It's great you take out the time for the post. I look forward to the new strip whenever. Quality and enjoyment out weigh other considerations.

:roach: :roach: :roach: We fight too. Bio-war.

[ref]

I was going to say something, but everything has been said already:smallsmile:

[Mad Scientist]

These battle strips are epic-level awesome! Take all the time you need.

[mdvk1012]

Lots of Hobs, huh? I wonder if we'd get to see if :vaarsuvius: had a plan for casting invisibility of if :vaarsuvius: really is a chicken.

Take your time Giant. We have the whole weekend to wait.

[Welf]

*Sigh* Everytime I stay up long enough to see the new comic right after its publishing it takes longer. Seems to be some kind of curse.

[Ichneumon]

I am sure the quality of the comic makes up for the waiting.:smallsmile:

[jindra34]

*Sigh* Everytime I stay up long enough to see the new comic right after its publishing it takes longer. Seems to be some kind of curse.

1) Bold is what i think you were trying to say
2) Also you apparently have never heard of the Universal Law of Irony... this is a prime example of it in work.

[Rincewind]

"If something anticipated arrives too late it finds us numb, wrung out from waiting, and we feel - nothing at all. The best things arrive on time."
-Dorothy Gilman, A New Kind of Country, 1978

[Starshine]

*Sigh* Everytime I stay up long enough to see the new comic right after its publishing it takes longer. Seems to be some kind of course.

Yea for me its everytime i cant stay up to see the new comic its late... so its not a true curse for me :P just means i read it in the morning... though... it was posted when i got up about the 7 hours late thing but meh i can wait... ill just go air out my tent while im waiting and try my new camping stove!

[Imrahil]

I suppose I should drag myself from the couch to the bed for a few more hours sleep...

Thanks for the update Giant; it always reminds us of how much you think of your fans.

[Mordokai]

Oh well, the few extra hours won't kill me, right? I mean, I have been waiting the whole day:smalltongue:

Thanks for the notification.

[Ra-Tiel]

So, today's comic is proving to be a nightmare on art (stupid hobgoblins), which has delayed it from the 1-2 hours I first thought to now, 7 hours late and still not done.
No problem. Thanks for the courtesy of the information, thou. :smallsmile:


It will be up sometime today, but not yet. There's a good chance that I will take the forums down after I post it, though, because of the horrible slowdown we got on Thursday when I posted it.
It's a shame that you're suffering from these troubles. OotS is my almost favorite webcomic (only a close second to Garfield :smallwink: ) and I hope you can sort out this headache-inducing machine from hell... uhh... server trouble soon. :smallbiggrin:



Oh well, the few extra hours won't kill me, right? [...]
Wrong. It's always that few extra minutes|hours|days|weeks|... :smalltongue:

[Corncracker]

Don't feel at all obligated to hurry Giant. It's better for everyone to have a quality strip. Given I'm a fellow writer (Though not artist, I suck at that) I know its much better to have a quality product than a rush job.

[malakim2099]

Whew, that's a relief. And hey, a teaser too. :smalltongue:

[Faramir]

That's fine. The quality of work we've been seeing lately, in germs of content and artistic detail, have more than made up for having to wait a few extra hours. Thanks for the heads up all the same.

What he said.

[Raistlin1040]

Damnable hobgoblins!

[Milandros]

I actually think it's a marketing ploy to determine which of us readers are irredeemable junkies, in order to try to sell us stuff. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email directing me to an eBay auction for Roy's original boots, by someone named the "Big Guy in the Park". I bought them. For $422.00

You! You're the pain-in-the-butt that sniped me at the last minute! I was sure I had them at $420!

[Silveralex]

Give Belkar enough time and I'm sure the too many hobgoblins to draw problem will go away.

[Shatteredtower]

If the hobgoblins are giving you this much trouble, Mr. Burlew, I can't even begin to imagine how impressive this is going to be. That's partly based on what we've seen of the battle over the last few weeks. You've made it look easier than it is.

Thank you.

[shaddy_24]

Give Belkar enough time and I'm sure the too many hobgoblins to draw problem will go away.

Then it just becomes a problem of too many dead bodies to ever draw.

Thanks a lot Giant. This is why I like the comic so much. You think of us and tell us when this sort of thing happens.

[Welf]

1) Bold is what i think you were trying to say


Apparantly I wanted to say "Me iz not nativ speaka, me iz stupid". :smallwink: But thanks for the advice, I corrected it.


2) Also you apparently have never heard of the Universal Law of Irony... this is a prime example of it in work.

Well, being still awake at 6 am (CET) again as result of a disturbed sleeping rythm and not seeing the new comic is a curse. It's ironic, too, but mainly a curse.

[Norenche]

Here, in Spain, the "Universal Law of Irony" is called "Ley de Murphy" (Murphy's Law)

Also I want to say that don't worry about being late, It's not like we are going to be invaded...

[Ridureyu]

You could just change the comic to tues/thurs/sat. Behave as if it's mon/wed/fri, and delay posting it until the correct day.

[BisectedBrioche]

Ah well, the world will persist.


Here, in Spain, the "Universal Law of Irony" is called "Ley de Murphy" (Murphy's Law)

In Britain the cleaner version of our phrase is; "The law of turf and the soil around its roots".

[Brat-t]

I'm so glad I chose sleep, 'cause I didn't check the forums till just now.

[SaiKar]

I firmly believe that consistancy with deadlines is better for a webcomic than the art or the story. That said, I am a reasonable person. Thanks for the delay note; it's a hundred times better than leaving everyone in the dark.

[FrostXian]

*Sigh* Everytime I stay up long enough to see the new comic right after its publishing it takes longer. Seems to be some kind of curse.

Stop staying up please.

[onasuma]

Alot of stuffs late today, commision is, oots is what next?

[Geilan]

I call it Murphy's Law as well.


I can wait, it's like art, you can't rush perfection.

[Tola]

Whilst I am understandably annoyed(My location means I effectively see the comic a day late as it IS, so delays only make that worse), I'm glad at least that you've explained the problem. Most wouldn't even bother.

...How hard can i be to do a hobgoblin, though? Unless many of them will have different expressions, isn't it just a matter of copy-paste, or the art equivalent?

[Forrester]

I find this kind of funny, actually . . . D&D is, because of its game mechanics, horribly unsuited to running wars -- it is only fitting that a webcomic with D&D characters should have this much trouble depicting a war :).

Before you started this arc, Rich, did you realize what you were getting yourself into re having to draw a billion figures during these mass-combat scenes? :smallbiggrin:

[Vladimir]

If the Giant says it is difficult, then it must be difficult.

[orange]

If anything, the comic is severel weeks in advance rather than late considering all the double strips ...

[V Junior]

:sigh: Thank the Twelve Gods! I figured something had happened to you, Rich!

((Okay guys, you can come out of the shelter, Rich's okay...))

[AngelAndrius]

I am most certainly looking forward to it. Keep up the great work!

[jindra34]

Here, in Spain, the "Universal Law of Irony" is called "Ley de Murphy" (Murphy's Law)


There similar laws though the law of irony is a bit more even. For example if you go on a trip problems you actively prepared for generally do not occur... thats just another application of it...

[BobTheDog]

Noooooooooooo!!

*falls into lava pit*

Damn, I have a gaming session starting soon, I need my dose of OotS for inspiration! :smalleek:

[Daneel the Sane]

Ah well, the world will persist.



In Britain the cleaner version of our phrase is; "The law of turf and the soil around its roots".

Among my native people (the ogres), we call it "Og Thak Mikmik Pooey Thostok Thhhppt!", which translates into "The Elf is Never Where I Swing My Axe"!

[Bel_Bel]

Sweeeeeeeet! High quality comic! :smallbiggrin:

Always worth the wait Rich! I'm sure it will be great! :smallbiggrin:

[GypsyThorn]

....
...How hard can i be to do a hobgoblin, though? Unless many of them will have different expressions, isn't it just a matter of copy-paste, or the art equivalent?

I think it would be interesting to see a cartoon with each and every hobgoblin drawn as an individual. (Just before it gets knocked off, of course.) Wonder if someone could write a script to randomly assign characteristics (ear length, skin color, # of teeth, height, armor, weapons, etc) to each drawing before it gets dropped onto the page?

[Starshine]

Rich... did you have a nap while creating this one? if you did its totally understandable...

[isocum]

Don't worry Rich, we'll wait.

Although IMHO you should post to the news section for possible late comic updates. It looks like battle will go for several weeks, = lots of artwork, = late comics. At least its easier than opening a new thread 3 times a week.

[Goldor]

Well, I hope he's got a nap! Working non-stop for more than 12 hours on a single strip is absolutely not recommended... Can you imagine how tired you would be if you did?

We'll wait Rich, you have all the time in the world to make each of your comics as good as you want them to be.

[Leohat]

I've suggested this before but here goes again.
I think that Rich should either get some guest artists to do some "one offs" or take about about 2-3 weeks off and get about 1 months worth of comics "in the can" so that if one particular comic is difficult or he gets sick or whatever it does not effect the posting of the new comic.

[lumberofdabeast]

I can wait, it's like art, you can't rush perfection.

Oh, I beg to differ. You can rush perfection. I do it all the time. In fact, if I don't rush, I usually wind up second-guessing myself, and screwing up. So I have to rush perfection.

On topic, I can wait. But I won't like it.

[sealemon]

You have turned what started out as a funny AD&D parody into my favorite webcomic. The wait is more than worth it to keep getting the consistant quality you have been producing. Thank you for the heads-up; very profesional of you.

To the people who have complaining, if they're there (I haven't really read the replies to this thread); Please remember this is a FREE comic. Rich can take all the time he wants.

[Roderick_BR]

No need to rush, Rich. Just take your time. Your comic is great enough to deserve being late sometimes.

[innk]

If you just make a topic "hey, comic will be late.", and nothing else wrote on it, its already good enough for me to wait days over days :)

I was just getting worried when i waked up (saturday) and didnt found the neither the comic or your post :o

[SaiKar]

To the people who have complaining, if they're there (I haven't really read the replies to this thread); Please remember this is a FREE comic. Rich can take all the time he wants.

May be so, but I do plan on spending some money to donate to my favorite webcomics this summer. I want to support artists that are delivering the best quality product. And while I do enjoy reading OotS considerably, late comics and frequent slowdowns are getting in the way of that enjoyment.

I feel that, as the audience, it is our duty to complain a little about things like this. Not a lot :smalltongue: but enough to let the author know that it would be appreciated if things of this nature didn't happen all the time.

[chibibar]

considering we are in a large war battle, I don't mind. I can see how hard it would be to get that many character into the tiny frames :)