OOTS #296 - The Discussion Thread

[crjohn0]

Well, those are definitely different and very valid perspectives.

First off, I'm not mad or upset. Just sharing perspective.

I guess my overall approach is the reason he is at a convention is that he produces a webcomic. I could be wrong in that assumption. The comic seems to be his bread and butter. That makes me think his priority should be making sure the comic updates on time.

He also states on the comic page "Updating Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." That is an obligation he sets. That is what sets my expectation.

I don't care if he updates once a day or once a week. I enjoy the comic and am a fan. I just think that he should probably consider adjusting his updates if he can't meet his self imposed deadlines. Obviously when he is in the hospital or sick or he needs berevement, a missed update is understood, but the convention is self imposed.

It was just a suggestion. I totally understand putting off work and using an excuse. Like I said, Im a practiced procrastinator. It is just when it happens more than once, I am forced to adjust things so I meet my obligations.

[Alfryd]

It's free, so apparently anything counts as a valid reason. I'm giving 50/50 there'll be a monday strip at all.

[theKOT]

True true, crjohn, but most of his misses are from unplanned, unavoidable happenings, so a few misses here and there from things that might be avoidable are also to be understood. I understand what you are saying about the convention. He does typically try very hard to get the updates on time(he once went 48 hours without sleep) so I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, I can understand your perspective.

[Grunjon]

I guess my overall approach is the reason he is at a convention is that he produces a webcomic. I could be wrong in that assumption.
Okay, you're wrong. The reason he's at a convention is because of his GAMING background. If you check the MidSouthCon's website, you'll see that the reason associated with Rich being a guest there had to do with gaming. The webcomic thing is just a bonus.


And let's be clear that I am in no way trying to come off as critical to Rich for not posting the comic. My deepest apologies if I sounded that way. Yeah, I WAS trying to wring a free entry to the con out of the offer to help, but I had very little faith in that offer being taken advantage of. Other than that, I've been maybe trying to defend the technical level of the city I live in.

Yes, that hotel the con was held at DOES have wireless internet access, usually. That net access was down for two days (Fri & Sat), at a time inconvenient to us OotS fans. Rich was too caught up in his role at the con to go find an alternate way of posting the comic. No big deal...we live without a comic for a couple of days.

Memphis is not outside the realm of the 21st century. My full-time job as a system analyst here in Memphis, about 9 miles away from the hotel in question, tends to prove that. It is home to a number of technological centers, including Federal Express's global headquarters and operations coordination. We also have Technicolor's DVD manufacturing plant. National in-warranty repair centers for laptop computers (Apple, IBM, Dell, Sony, HP, Alienware, Fujitsu), for cell phones (Nextel/Sprint, others) and for other technology (Sharp, Brother). And that's just off the top of my head.

Memphis: we're more than just Graceland, Beale Street, BBQ and crooked politicians! ;D

[Melnor]

As a born and bred Memphian who's lived here his entir elife, I would have to stalwartly agree :P

Hahaha
I don't actually hate Memphis.
Just the fact that where the Giant is staying doesn't have internet.

[Sarahphina]

First, I just wanted to say I love OotS. The comic reminds me of D&D games I've played in the past.

Second, When a comic isn't on time we all survive it and understand. If the Giant couldn't get internet to post it too bad he will when he has a moment.

Third, Yes it says comic updates Mondays, Wednesday, and Friday, and those are the standards he gives himself but just because I say I'm going to do a full cleaning of my house 3 days a week doesn't mean I get to it 3 times a week every week. Things come up. I my case it normally involves a child or a TDY husband. In the Giants case it's illness and Cons so get over it and wait it'll be up.

[humanpylon]

For me personally OOTS is like a bonus perk that 2 or 3 times a week gives me enjoyment, not the event that my week revolves around. If the Giant misses one, meh oh well life goes on. I read a book or watch a hockey game. I don't pay anything for the comic (although I wish I could afford the books damn canadian shipping costs) so I don't feel justified in getting bent out of shape when it isn't there. I just see the eventual arrival of the comic as an extra in my life.

[crjohn0]

True true, crjohn, but most of his misses are from unplanned, unavoidable happenings, so a few misses here and there from things that might be avoidable are also to be understood. I understand what you are saying about the convention. He does typically try very hard to get the updates on time(he once went 48 hours without sleep) so I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, I can understand your perspective.

Thanks for the kind response.

I guess it comes down to two perspectives. Some think this is the Giant's labor of love and are much more understanding of his schedule/intentions.

I was under the assumption this was his job. It appears to me that comics like PvP and Penny Arcade either update regularly or communicate misses in a timely fashion. I totally put OoTS on par with PA and PvP (a high compliment), so I assumed the Giant does this for a living. I have already been wrong once in my assumptions (in this thread), this might be strike two.

Just different perspectives I guess. Either way, it is an excellent comic and the Giant should take it as a compliment that so many people get "upset" when an update is missed.

[ElfLad]

Even if the comic was his main job, what kind of horrible boss would be mad at him for missing a deadline because he had to go to a work-related meeting?

[Tomada]

Ok, guys, it's bad when someone complains about schedule and comic beeing on time, blah blah blah.

But it only gets WORST if we argue back. Rich doesn't need your help to moderate the foruns! (See the "vigilante moderators" thread.)

[infiniteviking]

Just want to say that as far as I'm concerned, the comic comes when it comes. It's usually on time, invariably entertaining, and frequently hysterically funny. I couldn't ask for more.

Come back soon, Giant... in your own time. For now, I'll just check on the comic again.... ;D

[Arkadian]

First, I just wanted to say I love OotS. The comic reminds me of D&D games I've played in the past.


Yer not the only one who has been or currently in a D&D campaign that has character similar to the stick.

I'm in one right now thats got a character thats Haley to a tee but is becoming borderline Belkar with regards to alignment. Oddly enough though...all of us has ranks in Craft: Disturbing Mental image though. ;D

dilegently waiting for Rich to use his Wonder Twin Nerd powers to get connected down in the land of dixie. Enjoy the south Rich, Good food and all.

[RBloom0566]

Clearly he's staying at Hotel California in TN!
He can check out any time he likes, but apparently he can NEVER LEAVE!

[Arkadian]

Stab it with his steely disturbing mental image but can't kill the beast.... ooops...failed Willpower check for disbelieve illusion. ;D

<spoiler>Rich beseiged by the Redneck hoards of doom...Raise the Alarm! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Beware the Flamingo of Pink riding the Carriage of Double Wideness!</spoiler>

I'm such a nerd. ;D

[ElfLad]

Well, here's hoping that Rich takes it easy. [/continued Eagles reference]

[Seros]

<spoiler>Rich beseiged by the Redneck hoards of doom...Raise the Alarm! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Beware the Flamingo of Pink riding the Carriage of Double Wideness!</spoiler>

I'm such a nerd. ;D

Memphis is a pretty urban city, so theres not much redneck in the city itself.

More likely, he bit his thumb at one of the Ford family and is now in the fight of his life... as the full force of that super villian family is brought upon his meager yankee blood. =P

Im more inclined to believe that he ran across a fellow named Brett Boland at the convention and had a disagreement about politics (whether it be gun control, the right of republicans to exist, or prayer to Thor in schools)

Go... Thor have mercy on his soul if this is the case.

[RBloom0566]

Elvis' Ghost got him.

[Seros]

Elvis' Ghost got him.

You mean Elvis II?

[Arkadian]

Im more inclined to believe that he ran across a fellow named Brett Boland at the convention and had a disagreement about politics (whether it be gun control, the right of republicans to exist, or prayer to Thor in schools)


I'm assuming that this Brett person is not so nice of a guy to run into?

(Gun Control = educating the people on how to use guns, Republicans exist as much as Democrats, Prayer in schools borders too much on Forced Religion...but this isn't the place for this type of debate)

[metalphil]

I JUST WANT TO SEE THE SWORD THAT WAS BROKEN REMADE! AHHH!!

*faints*

;D

[Bilbo27]

Stab it with his steely disturbing mental image but can't kill the beast.... ooops...failed Willpower check for disbelieve illusion. ;D

<spoiler>Rich beseiged by the Redneck hoards of doom...Raise the Alarm! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Internet Connectivity for Rich! Beware the Flamingo of Pink riding the Carriage of Double Wideness!</spoiler>

I'm such a nerd. ;D

last thing he remembered , as he ran out towards the door, was his IP address and a cable modem for sure. Lets hope the captain leaves him some wine for his troubles, and gets us a comic before 2099!actually 2069, and whoohooo page 19!!!!

[Mal_the_Mad]

ahh the tangled tangents that we weave when the comics gone, but alas these troubles will be nought when oots return to scene.

[zimri]

Memphis is a pretty urban city, so theres not much redneck in the city itself.


Apparently less urban than my city (population 100 thousand) that couldn't hold a gaming/comic conevention if it tried where even the cheap bad end of town motels (69 canadian a night) have high speed internet access.

[battleburn]

Have there been any new messages from the giant, or cohorts??
Because it's tuesday (12:15 15 minutes past noon here) and Fridays comic still isn't up. I think I'll start eating my arm in a few ours if the comic doesn't come fast.

[Sarahphina]

You must be in Europe too cuz it's ten to one pm for me on tues.

[RBloom0566]

Probably laying face-down in a dark alley somewhere in Memphis, in a puddle of his own puke, after pulling one HELL of a bender over the weekend!

He'll post when he regains consciousness (and changes shirts). *L*

[Nixie]

It's early in morening here in the Midwest! Yeah! I love school!


Anyways... Great comic! Can't wait for Haley to get her normal voice back... that and...

Can't wait until Elan cashes in his Gift Card...
(wonder what it will be? ;D ???)

[Grunjon]

Apparently less urban than my city...where even the cheap bad end of town motels (69 canadian a night) have high speed internet access.

The Mempihs hotel in question (a Holiday Inn Select) does offer "free wireless high speed internet access", but the hotel's system was out on Friday and Saturday.

The troubles are mentioned by Horkus in the thread (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1143502214 ) that mentions there won't be a new comic until Wednesday.

I dunno if Rich composed that filler message personally (and fed it by phone) or if someone helping him did the actual composing, but the message doesn't say that the system was simply down or broken, just that "they don't have internet access". Which was technically accurate, but only for a 2-day period.

[WNxArrakis]

Will this be the first ever triple panel tomorrow ???

who knows >=D

Arrakis

[GeekDaddy]

Only if there is a rift in the space-time continuum and the next strip somehow predates strip # 200 (I think that was the first three-panel strip...)

[zimri]

The Mempihs hotel in question (a Holiday Inn Select) does offer "free wireless high speed internet access", but the hotel's system was out on Friday and Saturday.

The troubles are mentioned by Horkus in the thread (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1143502214 ) that mentions there won't be a new comic until Wednesday.

I dunno if Rich composed that filler message personally (and fed it by phone) or if someone helping him did the actual composing, but the message doesn't say that the system was simply down or broken, just that "they don't have internet access". Which was technically accurate, but only for a 2-day period.


Right so I posted poking fun at the city using the only piece of information I consider to be at all anywhere near official (the filler strip).

Holiday inn as a whole (or that particular hotel) need to invest in better tech or not falslely advertise that they make that offer.

[DOOM2099]

Krystals, Applebees, Panera Bread Company, McDonalds, several other restaurants have wifi


You have no excuse

[Hawkeye]

Will this be the first ever triple panel tomorrow ???

who knows >=D

Arrakis

Strip 200 was triple length

[theKOT]

Actually, it was quadruple length.

[n11]

I can see the Holiday Inn thinking. "Hmm.. Gaming convention coming in. Our wireless bill is going to go through the roof with the bandwidth costs since we didn't get the unlimited plan, so how about having our system conviently go down for two days?"

;D

[LostOne]

I have a feeling Rich hasn't had much time to work on the comics with the convention at all. Also, he would probally reserve a triple length comic for something important plotwise or comic 300. If it is a tripple length comic, you won't find me complaining though. ;)

[Adeptus]

Am I the only one starting to go crazy waiting for the next strip? o.0

This is starting to be cruel, I wish Rich would post something like "Next comic, wednesday 30.3." or something.

[zimri]

I can see the Holiday Inn thinking. "Hmm.. Gaming convention coming in. Our wireless bill is going to go through the roof with the bandwidth costs since we didn't get the unlimited plan, so how about having our system conviently go down for two days?"

;D

I dunno about that.

"Let's purposefully annoy people who have the disposable income to travel for a hobby convention and have choosen us (either as a choice or because everyone else was full)."

Doesn't sound like a wise marketing strategy.

If I had to guess it would be a "local management" decision. "Our router went boom and it'll cost too much to get someone in to fix it if anyone mentions it to us we'll comp em a meal or something"

Also for anyone who has ever told people to stop complaining (and I don't consider this complaining just pointing out a fact) because there have only been 5 or 6 completely missed comics ever we are now at 3 in March 06.

feel free to tell people to stop complaining because it's free and what not.

[theKOT]

Yeah, but typically if one is missed their is a double-length one down the road to make up for it. For instance, if wednesday's is double-length, that number goes down to two. What if 300 is triple length? Then their was no "missed comic" if you count each comic as one group of panels. This has been the case in the past, and so the number of "missed comics" that were non-emergency is probably less than five.

[zimri]

a comic is a comic.

I can just imagine Marvel saying "naw we won't publish x-men #XXX this month but YYY and ZZZ will have 10 more pages each."

Okay you're right no one would notice if one issue of an X title was missed because there are so many of them. For many though this is one of a few comics they read online.

Yes Rich's fan base is a rabid as X fans

Yes Marvel Charges and Rich doesn't charge for the web comic but the web comic gets him sales for his print product. Heck he could likely sell his hair on ebay and get a few hundred (or thousand) dollars.

Think I am kidding about the hair ? check this

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7601131682

Jeremy is the "star" at www.purepwnage.com

[prometheusx]

I'm a little unclear: you are complaining that Rich is late providing you with a free product? Simply because the comic helps him sell things he does charge money for?! Isn't that a little like complaining that a commcercial you happen to like wasn't on? Why would you do that?

Does it occur to you that such complaints give Rich reason to stop producing the comic? That he's said so a few times? Why not just be grateful for free things that you like, and leave it at that?

[Leveller]

a comic is a comic.

I can just imagine Marvel saying "naw we won't publish x-men #XXX this month but YYY and ZZZ will have 10 more pages each."

Okay you're right no one would notice if one issue of an X title was missed because there are so many of them. For many though this is one of a few comics they read online.

Yes Rich's fan base is a rabid as X fans

Yes Marvel Charges and Rich doesn't charge for the web comic but the web comic gets him sales for his print product. Heck he could likely sell his hair on ebay and get a few hundred (or thousand) dollars.

Think I am kidding about the hair ? check this

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7601131682

Jeremy is the "star" at www.purepwnage.com


what's your point?

[theKOT]

Does it occur to you that such complaints give Rich reason to stop producing the comic? That he's said so a few times?
I've heard this asserted repeatedly yet never seen any proof. The only thing similar is when he has said that people's reactions to emergency-related lateness have made him want to give it up all together.

[zimri]

I'm a little unclear: you are complaining that Rich is late providing you with a free product? Simply because the comic helps him sell things he does charge money for?! Isn't that a little like complaining that a commcercial you happen to like wasn't on? Why would you do that?

Does it occur to you that such complaints give Rich reason to stop producing the comic? That he's said so a few times? Why not just be grateful for free things that you like, and leave it at that?

Perhaps you should read the rest of my posts like the one before the one you quoted rather than knee-jerk responding to things you have not researched.

I specifically said I was not complaining and that he is under no obligation to provide the comics. The post you quoted was me having a conversation with KOT.

Now generally speaking that should likely have been done in a private message but I know he and I can have a conversation in a public forum and accept input from others that understand the scope of what we are discussing.

[juanc01]

please?

[zimri]

what's your point?

Counterpoint actually to KOT's assertion that getting something 3 or 4 times regular size is the same as getting 3 or 4 regular sized things.

[Bromsin]

I like many love OOTS. In fact somedays its one of the few things that gets me through a frustrating day at work..

Few things to keep in mind though.

1. Claims updates three times per week.
If thats too much to handle then he can easily reduce it to two days a week.

2. Accepts Donations, which im sure more than a few of you including me have donated.

3. Asks for monetary help in a crisis. I for one donated specifically when he had Hospital bills, like Im sure a lot of you did.

To me, that means that there is some form of commitment on his part to produce the comic. I have donated to see that it does continue. Hope he realises that in some way.

As for being in a Hotel with no connection, it does happen, but im sure there is a Starbucks nearby. Also in these cases Im sure he can arrange for somone else to post post the comic before he leaves for a convention.

Things can be done to reduce his workload and still produce the comic.

[theKOT]

Ok, I get it. My point is simply that the Giant is fully aware that it is bad for business to miss comics, and generally makes a good effort to get them up and make up for missed ones.

@ Bromsin:
You are many a lot of assumptions about what he can and can't do. If he could have had someone else post the comic, he would have simply told them to do it via the phone instead of getting them to put up that filler.

[juanc01]

For the record, I simply believe that serious cartoonists should publish their comics on a regular basis.
Rich seems to struggle with that schedule at times. There is an easy solution.
1) Switch to twice a week for a while.
2) Get Ahead
3) He can then create comics several weeks a head of time, and he would have a built in mechanism for difficulties like the one he is running into now. This is just a smart way to work.

I, like most of you, complain because I love the comic.

We can defend Rich all we want, but the fact is, it is in his best interest to be consistent. Over time this will affect his readership. It is a bad assumption to assume you will always be on top, and that your fans will always stay patient. This thread is a symptom of that.

[theKOT]

juan....
This is from the Giant:

What I said was, I don't understand people complaining about my BUSINESS ACUMEN. Not whether or not I post the comic on time. People complain about unprofessionalism (when they're not being charged) and they complain about what I'm doing being bad for my business. Well, whether it's bad for my business or not is no one else's concern. And I am fully aware that he has the right to complain, but I also have the right to express my annoyance and frustration with baseless complaints.

I think the street musician model is perfect. Try walking up to a street musician and telling him he was late getting to the street corner today. He'll laugh at you, because he's not your employee. And neither am I. Now, if that musician puts out a CD and you buy it from him, and you get home and it's blank, you have every right to go back and complain—you made a purchase, and it was faulty. Which is why people who buy the books get the right to complain ABOUT THE BOOKS. And nothing else. You can't buy a CD from the street musician and then the next day complain because he's late getting to the street corner. He'd still laugh at you, because you didn't purchase his timeliness, you purchased a specific product, which you received.
He is fully aware of any negative effects his posting schedule might have upon the comic.

[Bromsin]

[quote
@ Bromsin:
You are many a lot of assumptions about what he can and can't do. If he could have had someone else post the comic, he would have simply told them to do it via the phone instead of getting them to put up that filler.[/quote]

I did assume the comic was finished before he left for Memphis. If it wasnt complete before he left then yes it was a bad assumption.

[theKOT]

Of course it was done before he left for Memphis. I was just saying you are assuming that someone else could somehow post the comic, when that is obviously not true due to the fact that they didn't. See, if someone else could post it, the Giant would have simply told them to via phone instead of making them post that message.

[zimri]

2) Get Ahead



To be honest I don't think Rich (and I could be completely wrong) is the kind of person who could have some comics in reserve.

He loves his comic and his fans. He likes getting our reactions to his creations pretty sure he posts them as soon as he is able.

[estradling]

I just love how people here claim to know how to run Rich's business better then he does.

Rich has his priorities and every suggestion on how he should run is life and his business has been made before, so it is very likely that he has seen them and for whatever reason has not chosen to do so.

The free web comic is mostly advertising (an expense that hopefully opens doors to things that pay money) So it understandable if it falls low on the priority scale vs things like paying jobs and family/medical issue

As for his update 'promise' for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He has said, more or less, that self-made deadline is done to help him be motivated to get the comic done. (Apparently deadline pressure is what works for him) That being a given, then it is totally expected that if the deadline comes up and something of a higher priority hits the deadline would be missed.

In this case it would seem that Rich didn't have a whole lot of time to go hunting down an Internet connection once the hotel screwed up, between working the con, sleeping, packing things up, traveling, and so on

[Arkadian]

Good cover Kot(dang you people post alot..hehe...good cover from two posts ago Kot)

People...Rich will get the comic up when he gets the comic up.

[RBloom0566]

So is it confirmed? No new comic until Wednesday? Just want to know so I can quit giving GitP's hit counter any false indicators of it's popularity.

[crjohn0]

For the record, I simply believe that serious cartoonists should publish their comics on a regular basis.
Rich seems to struggle with that schedule at times. There is an easy solution.
1) Switch to twice a week for a while.
2) Get Ahead
3) He can then create comics several weeks a head of time, and he would have a built in mechanism for difficulties like the one he is running into now. This is just a smart way to work.

I, like most of you, complain because I love the comic.

We can defend Rich all we want, but the fact is, it is in his best interest to be consistent. Over time this will affect his readership. It is a bad assumption to assume you will always be on top, and that your fans will always stay patient. This thread is a symptom of that.

I agree.

I would also point out that a quick update from the Giant himself would go a long way to quell any complaints.

If Kurtz or Gabe/Tycho miss an update they communicate why and apologize. I don't pay for their comics, yet they seem to take their business much more seriously than the Giant.

But I obviously have a minority view. Not a problem. I'll just go from checking the site 3 times a week to once a week.

[Unrepentant]

Guys, lets keep our eye on the ball here. This is no time to be worried about the new comic! Rich is trapped, lost somewhere in the third world of Memphis. He's probably dilligently hacking his way through the Memphis rain forest with a machete, with snakes, poisonous plants, piranhas, cannibals and worse lurking around every bush. My thoughts and prayers go out to Rich, trapped in this morass of wilderness with no Internet access, and his family and friends who are no doubt wracked with worry.

[Unrepentant]

I agree.

I would also point out that a quick update from the Giant himself would go a long way to quell any complaints.

If Kurtz or Gabe/Tycho miss an update they communicate why and apologize. I don't pay for their comics, yet they seem to take their business much more seriously than the Giant.

But I obviously have a minority view. Not a problem. I'll just go from checking the site 3 times a week to once a week.


What you're saying is true. However, Gabe and Tycho are also prone to tossing up a crappy one panel sketch every once in a while when they are out of town. Their comic is rarely more than three panels long and never has an arc that covers more than 4 strips, tops.

Rich's comics are all one contiguous story arc, so continuity must be considered. They're longer than Penny Arcade and they are undoubtably more work. One could make the point that PA has more advanced art than the stick figure, but in truth it's not that much more impressive at best artistically than OotS. Frankly, I'd rather have no comic at all than have a crappy offering from OotS. He doesn't get his work in every time, but everything Rich puts out is quality and usually is brilliant.

Now if you want to make the point that Rich doesn't really care about his fan base online, you've got a case. Rich's posts don't make him come off as a very nice person or very concerned with what the community here thinks of him. I think he's a fabulously talented comic and artist whose work is addictive, but you couldn't pay me to have lunch with the guy.

[Gleanerizer]

I agree.

I would also point out that a quick update from the Giant himself would go a long way to quell any complaints.

If Kurtz or Gabe/Tycho miss an update they communicate why and apologize. I don't pay for their comics, yet they seem to take their business much more seriously than the Giant.

But I obviously have a minority view. Not a problem. I'll just go from checking the site 3 times a week to once a week.

Bear in mind that the authors you refer to are much more directly dependent on their webcomics for their income than Burlew is. Rich has other jobs. This comic is not top priority for him, and it may never be. Even donations do not confer an obligation on Rich's part to produce comics (just ask an investor that lost money on a start-up). I can almost guarantee that if Rich were to start selling ads on his comic page (his own books don't count) and making a profit from such beyond server costs, he'll start running a much tighter ship. But until then, you're best off just being patient. (Checking the site less frequently would probably be a good start.)

[Gleanerizer]

I think he's a fabulously talented comic and artist whose work is addictive, but you couldn't pay me to have lunch with the guy.
Really? Considering the crap he gets from here on a regular basis, I'm surprised he is as consistently polite as he is. Now does he really burn the candle at both ends as he consistently implies? I have no way of knowing for sure but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt any day.

[Unrepentant]

Really? Considering the crap he gets from here on a regular basis, I'm surprised he is as consistently polite as he is. Now does he really burn the candle at both ends as he consistently implies? I have no way of knowing for sure but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt any day.

Really. If you read his posts and compare them to those of Kurtz or Gabe and Tycho, you'll see why I think that Rich is just not very nice to his fanbase.

And I don't care, for what it's worth. I read OotS ASAP because it's really funny and engrossing. I judge the strip by the work, not by what Rich may or may not be like personally.

[juanc01]

I just love how people here claim to know how to run Rich's business better then he does.


Ah I see how I got confused. I figured that since he created an open forum, he was soliciting feedback.

Perhaps I was just giving the wrong kind of feedback. And I am not even trolling. Just making an honest suggestion to remedy something that i have seen many many cartoonists go through.

[juanc01]

Really? Considering the crap he gets from here on a regular basis, I'm surprised he is as consistently polite as he is. Now does he really burn the candle at both ends as he consistently implies? I have no way of knowing for sure but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt any day.

I will too. I love the comic. But these are all choices he makes. HE choses to do a web comic, and he chooses to commit to posting it three times a week (someone said he does that to motivate himself, which is fine, but he is still creating an expectation), and he chooses to have an open forum about it. Not to worry he is a big boy (a giant in fact), he can take the "crap".

[The Giant]

You are absolutely correct, juanc01, you do have the right to voice your expectations. While I love my supportive fans, there is a tendency to defend me at the expense of listening to other people's points.

That said, you have to understand that this topic has been discussed TO DEATH around these parts, and there's nothing in your suggestions (or those of anyone else on this thread) that hasn't been heard around these parts a thousand times before. So you shouldn't really expect long time posters to react with anything but indifference to the same old points.

I choose not to get ahead because I often feel the need to go back and revise comics that are "in the can" when I do, which means I just end up nitpicking until they are ruined. While I plot the comic in advance, the humor comes from spontaneity on my part. Working more than 1 or 2 strips ahead would pretty much kill my ability to be funny. Therefore, while I always try my best to get comics posted, the fact is that they will be there when they are there, and I fully accept all consequences of their lateness, including possibly diminished readership.

[juanc01]

You are absolutely correct, juanc01, you do have the right to voice your expectations. While I love my supportive fans, there is a tendency to defend me at the expense of listening to other people's points.

That said, you have to understand that this topic has been discussed TO DEATH around these parts, and there's nothing in your suggestions (or those of anyone else on this thread) that hasn't been heard around these parts a thousand times before. So you shouldn't really expect long time posters to react with anything but indifference to the same old points.

I choose not to get ahead because I often feel the need to go back and revise comics that are "in the can" when I do, which means I just end up nitpicking until they are ruined. While I plot the comic in advance, the humor comes from spontaneity on my part. Working more than 1 or 2 strips ahead would pretty much kill my ability to be funny. Therefore, while I always try my best to get comics posted, the fact is that they will be there when they are there, and I fully accept all consequences of their lateness, including possibly diminished readership.


Fair enough. I thought 297 was fantastic.

[mec]

"She's a very special lady ..."

Roy is talking about his sword, but he has his hand on the Crown of Xykon!