And They're OFF!!!

:cues up the Indiana Jones Theme:

Well, this is it...off for NYC. Won't be back for two whole weeks. I'll be keeping a paper log with me to cronical "Jason's Big Adventure". I'll have internet access to check in a few times while I'm out, but the strip is going to have to take care of itself for a bit.

Love, Luck, and Lollypops.

-Jason

Screwing with people for fun and profit

So, here's the 411.

I get spam IM's at least once a day. Mostly they come from scammer who appear to belive that lonely men in North Dakota will do anything for attention.

And, ya know what, I've had it.

So today, in a fit of consumer rage, I let them have it.

Unknown Spammer: Hi!
Me: Hello
Unknown Spammer: I saw your profile on Yahoo, You look cute.
(By now I know that this is a spammer, simply because it's the same introduction I've gotten every single fucking time.)
Me: OH, thanks. I don't look that cute anymore.
U.S: I'm sure you do.
Me: No, the chemo took a lot out of me.
U.S.: What is chemo
Me: Chemotherapy, I have cancer.
U.S.: cancer?
(by now it's pretty obvious that they barely understand english, however cancer seems to ring some bells).
Me: Yes, I have cancer.
U.S.: That bad.
Me: I'm fighting it, but very tired.
U.S.: Wat do u do for livng.
Me: I'm unemployed. I spend most of my time at the hospital now getting treatments.
U.S.: That sounds bad. I am a model living in africa right now and could use your help.
Me: I wish I could see Africa. I've always wanted to see Africa, is it nice.
U.S.: It nice
Me: To bad the doctors only are giving me three months to live.
U.S.: You a doctor?
Me: NO, I wish I was, the treatments have drained me dry. If only I had a doctor's salary.
U.S.: That sounds bad.
Me: It hurts alot, I'm very thin, and I don't know how much longer I can afford the drugs.
U.S.: Can you help me leave africa.
Me: Can you help me get to africa? You should know some people there, I just want to see lake victora before I go.
U.S: If you just wire me money.
Me: Oh, I cant do that. My medical bills have left me with nothing. I was thinking maybe you could send me a plane ticket.
U.S: Why woud send plane ticket.
Me: So I can see africa before I die.
U.S.: Why come to Africa.
Me: It sounds nice, I'ld really like to see it before my cancer kills me.
U.S.: That sounds bad
Me: It's not nice. I should really be going, feeling very tired from my treatments, and I have to go back in tonight for more chemo.
U.S.: OK, hope you get better.
Me: I do too, but I doubt it, docs say it's terminal.

Next person that spams me, I'm going to have fucking lepracy...swear to fucking god.

Getting people to say nice things about you for fun and profit...

I got another review today, and this one I've been anticipating for awhile:

http://thehavoc.casualnotice.com/blog/reviews/050819abh.html

The reason I've been waiting for it is because I know this gentleman to be fairly selective in what he picks out. These aren't reviews for the general public, they're his personal thoughts on web comics that he personally likes.

And he likes a LOT of stuff that I consider as outstanding work.

And my little scribbles...scribbles that some days I languish HOURS over because I hate the way a toe looks...got his highest rating.

I'm one of three strips, three out of two dozen strips that got a perfect rating. Lord knows how many strips this guy reads, just making the two dozen is something. But to be considerd on the top of the pile...

I think I'm feeling a little overwhealmed.

I don't know what it is, if I'm feeling pride, or acceptance, or...man I just don't know, but...I feel really...weird. Strangly wonderful, strangely terrified.

Maybe I just need a little more sleep.

Vacations, Deadlines, and other Related Stuff

Well...now I'm feeling the heat.

I'm sitting at 10 days to finish 13 strips. Perfectly doable I think. I have about half a weeks worth already uploaded, the "BIG" mega strip is done, and the rest is all pretty much smaller filler.

Untill I get around to DOING the strips themselves, and then I realize that they all feel...too...short.

My first strip after the mega strip winds up being three times as large as a normal strip. Pain in the arse I think.

The second strip winds up being six pannels instead of four.

Hurm, I think.

The third strip...is four pannels, but they're very large pannels.


And I don't like where this is going...

So I plot out my next three weeks worth of strips. "Hokay," I think, "most of these can be done pretty quick. I think I can do all of this as my basic 4 pannel stuff. No problem, easy as pie. A few "select" strips will be longer in format, but hey, it's allright...I can do this.

And then, I look at September 9th, and I realize...I hit 200 strips.

And THEN I look at the story arc, and I realize...I have a fairly major event in the Dude's Life scheduled to hit on the 200th strip.

And THEN I realize...OH CRAP, that's going to be at least a two pager.

And THEN I start to panic, because I leave for vacation in ten days. This week, I'll be writing the bulk of the strips to cover my bum while on vacation. Next week...I guess I better get cracking on that mega strip.

And now, I'm breaking into cold sweats, because I REALLY do NOT want to miss a deadline.

At the same time I'm doing this, I'm also dinking around on the next MASSIVE Mega-Strip. It's something on par with the Guardian Devil strip. But what's worse is that it's a VERY dynamic strip. There's a lot of movement, a lot of various angles to the characters. EVERY FRAME is going to take a LOT of effort. A LOT of stuff that I have to find scads and scads of referance materials for. So a LOT of my doodling time has been spent drawing mark up sketches. And I'm not planning on running it for a few MONTHS at least. Yet, given the gravity of the strip, I NEED to keep a steady pace on it to make certain it comes out right.

Note to self, bring a few sketch pads on vacation with you. You're going to need them...also bring an arseload of pens...

Some days, it just doesn't pay to be a bastard.

Reading for Fun and Profit...Part Deux

Allright campers...

I've found a strip that completly blows my mind. It's NOT for the faint of heart, it's not for those who are easily offended.

It deals with some VERY, and I mean VERY painfull stuff. It deals with death, it deals with hell...but moreso...

It deals with hope, and redemption.

It's called Jack, and it's some of the most powerfull stuff I've ever read.

In many ways, it reminds me of Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Especially the title character. Yes, it's furry...but as odd as it sounds, I think it makes it a better strip. If it was human, or representations of humans I think it would wind up being far TOO close to home. The amorphic animals wind up enabling you to distance yourself...well...untill you realize that it doesn't matter what these characters look like. They're all TOO human.

I've been reading the archives compulsuvly for three days now. I'm almost through with them...

Thank me or curse me, either way, check it out.

Some times it comes...

Allright, the next few weeks...

Well, this week and Monday, all the pieces are going to be on the chess board. All questions will be answered, all views will be shared.

Monday's strip is a defining strip for "Our Hero". Just as the Guardian Devil strip was a defining strip for Chris, as it helped her move through her challanges in life, so will this monday's strip be a defining strip for our lead character.

No, you still aren't going to learn his name.

But you're going to understand a bit about who he is, you're going to find out an awefull lot about him.

Now this may seem like it's awefully early into the series..but realize we're pretty much in the begining of season three of a five year television series. There's a good year and a half of strips before that "first" strip that was published on December 6th, 2004.

From here on out...things are going to feel a little different. Oh, I'll still be bringing the funny, don't worry about that. But...well...the dynamic is going to change.

And it's not going to be the only time in this strip that the dynamic will change. I know that the next major "shift" in the comic will probibly lose me some fans. I'm going to wind up losing a LOT of fans actually...because things..

No, that would be telling.

I'll issue that warning and explination when the time comes.

See you Space Cowboy...

Jason