2 posts tagged “alas”

This weekend I'm hoping to make a major push in drawing strips. I've got a three-week arc planned out, which is 9 strips, or about 36 panels. The toughest part isn't really the drawing, it's the scripting, and since I've got a solid idea for this run I'm pretty confident I can knock the art out (we'll see afterwards if solid=entertaining).

The goal of a buffer is to give me time to do other things. I've wanted to draw a cast picture or at least a character sketch for GkACzns's 4MGA campaign for ages, and my music links need a major overhaul. But just as important is the side effect of creating a whole bunch of strips at once: practice. The more I draw in a short period of time, the more consistent those strips tend to be. Heights stay relative, noses stay the same size, all that elementary stuff that slips by when I'm only drawing every other day.

So, we'll see if it all works out. I'm'a get me some new Clan of Xymox and go to town with the Sharpie.

Alas gets fan mail every once in a while. Over the course of 8 years, I think I've gotten around two dozen letters, most of which boil down to, "I love the strip-- when will you be updating it again?"

It's a weird thing, fan mail. On one hand, it's great to know that someone besides my immediate family and friends are reading the strip. On the other hand, I have a very low embarassment threshhold. I'm not shy; I just feel like the internet in general must surely be less forgiving about my artwork, writing, and self-indulgence.

So, I like hearing that people read the strip, but awareness of their attention makes me feel guilty for not making a better strip. Fan mail rewards my previous efforts, but creates a bit of anxiety about what I plan to do next.

I do like getting the letters, though. They really crack the whip when it comes time to produce the next installment.