I haven't posted lately because I've been deep in thought, contemplating all sorts of things. Do hamsters care that their lives are completely shit? Was that £6 car wash a waste of money? Why did I eat an orange last night that had clearly gone off? Chiefly, though, I have been considering the future of my webcomic; it appears, despite reasonable efforts at promotion, that almost nobody is reading it which wasn't the plan at all. I'm not an egomaniac, but since I was hoping for at least a modest following I have taken the decision to cease production. The arguments go something like this:
Pros:
- You never know, things might pick up. Chin up, pip pip, give us a grin.
Cons:
- Nobody is reading. 95% of those who look at it never return.
- The six week buffer has almost been eroded, necessitating rushed artwork and corner cutting. Quality is meant to improve as time goes on, not diminish.
- I'm not enjoying it anymore.
- I can't plot storylines to save my life. There's more drama in an episode of Bingo Night Live.
- It doesn't have a genre, or niche.
- It was never as good as I wanted it to be.
- Nobody is reading.
Yeah, I'm a quitter, whatever. The truth is that I've invested almost every spare moment since January in the project and it has run its course. I truly admire those who have kept their comics running for years and years, but clearly I'm not cut out for it. There are other artistic avenues that I want to take without the pressure of weekly quotas. More on that as and when.
So thanks if you were one of the handful of regular readers, I appreciate your support. The comic will complete its run on Monday July 14th.
6 comments:
well, rip me raw with a fishhook!
you go away for a few days and when you come back t'Internet is never as you left it...
it's certainly all fun and laughter over at the hermit cave (formerly known as DP towers) of late, innit?
do hamsters even know their lives are shit? compared to whose - gerbils, rats, other rodents?
aren't all car washes a waste of money, however much they cost, as cars only ever get dirty again?
and just why did you eat that orange?
you might not be enjoying it any more Graham, but some of us -- a select few perhaps, but a few nonetheless... -- do, we definitely haven't noticed a slide in quality (damn it man, you've got a 5th panel and color in there today!), you certainly can tell stories as this blog and the erstwhile DP one testify (altho' I'm sure BNL has its moments too...), and it does have a genre - in fact, its very sui generis i've always thought...
so, as a devoted DEEPEE-EE (as those who are like to refer to ourselves), pls, please, PLEASE do not cease and desist now! (altho', now that i come to think of it, i recall my requests not to abandon the DP blog too, and look where that got us...)
however, if you do decide (again...) not to heed my pleas, at least unshackle DP's mutant pet -- doormouse nitpick -- from its wheel and let it run free from time to time, wherever your imagination takes it...
finally, there's no 'whatever' about it and you certainly ain't a slacker: 40-something painstakingly drawn, inked and shaded 4-panel strips is a significant achievement, even if the great unwashed public is not quite ready for DP yet...
you've proved that you have the talent, the abilities and the drive to make something happen, to create something out of nothing and to stick with it for more than just a week or two, something -- let me remind you -- that most of us are never able to do, especially with those endeavors which represent our own hopes and dreams...
whatever happens come July 14th, i've enjoyed reading DP thus far and following the (mis)adventures of Fewbury's bright young things and i'm sure (whatever your tricky back-office software says...) i'm not alone...
so, if this will keep you and it going, i'm (almost) willing to sign up to Facefuck, and start a group espousing the joys of DP, and we'll see how many people come crawling out of t'Internet to sign up for that...
Yep, what he said! I've only just started reading it and I do quite enjoy it. Infact I was going through the back issues of "pest control" just last night. It would be a shame to can it so if it can be helped.... please don't.
If you'll permit me:
Hamsters are aware but don't care that their lives are shit.
Get the cheapest was or the most expensive was, don't go for anything in between. (do not that it's raining at the moment)
You thought the acid in the orange would protect you from any harm the "offness" of orange can throw at you?
I am truly gutted, Gray! You have a loyal, albeit small, fanbase, one which will grow in time. Everything worthwhile takes a while. Then again, if you're not enjoying it any more (even though everyone else is) then by all means start a new project. I'm behind you, whatever you choose - mainly because I don't walk as fast as you.
ER: Thank you, I'm genuinely touched by your compliments and your plea to continue. It won't work though! I'm afraid my mind is made up. I have been known to backtrack in the past (I once said I'd sooner drown than use the 'internet'), but for now, at least, I need to get away from it. I can promise you that the last three strips are quite interesting though.
Reviving Doormouse Nitpick is possible. I should also have time to blog more often. Now isn't that exciting?
Nice to have you back, by the way. I genuinely thought you might be dead.
Josh: At least with you on board I may have broken double figures. Hooray!
As for hamsters, I was just wondering what would go through my hamster's head if he knew he was about to die. Would he wistfully recall the good old days when he could hang upside down from his cage's ceiling? The day I bought a bumper bag of monkey nuts for him? The day I dropped him from about four feet onto the floor? No, you're right, he probably doesn't care.
Ariane: I think not enjoying it is the biggest problem. I used to come home and feel excited about working on the strips but lately it has become a chore.
I recommend that you all start reading Scary Go Round instead. That's always been the comic I aspired to the most.
That's a real shame, Graham; both Lisa & I have enjoyed your creative efforts with this strip. But if something like this is not 'fun' or enjoyable anymore, I can completely understand why you'd want to stop.
May your future creative endeavours be fruitful and fantastic!
P.S. You could start by writing the next Indiana Jones sequel. It would surely be better than the film we saw the other day...
Yes, I think my nephew could write better dialogue than George Lucas. I fear the only chance that film has of winning any awards is if they introduce a special category for Most Stereotypical Portrayal of Another Nationality - Cate Blanchett would be a shoo in.
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