Where Have I Been?
It all started with a simple mistake. I updated my ComicPress site and in one little click everything went to heck in a hand basket. The Zombie Boy Comics site that I had cultivated for the past seven years had vanished, and in its place was something I barely recognized. After my wave of panic settled for a brief moment of clarity, I contacted Phil Hofer, a.k.a. Frumph, ComicPress and Comic Easel guru, and my personal hero. Phil helped me regain some equilibrium and walked me through installing Comic Easel and how to switch my former site over, a step-by-step process for which I am forever grateful. All of this took a while to sort through. Meanwhile, I was faced with bills piling up and so I made the decision that I would take a “short” sabbatical to attend to some other little things, like putting some food on my table and keeping a roof over my head. As my focus changed, it became a matter of do I want to survive as an artist, or do I want to continue killing myself to get those strips produced steadily, never missing an update?
It became a matter of making art for pleasure or making art for survival. It’s a tough decision to make, and I lament the strips that could have been created during the time I’ve been offline. But on the other hand, it’s not always a matter of desire, or effort, or commitment… sometimes it comes down to simply a matter of time. When you’re faced with a disconnection notice and you have mere days to keep the lights on, the last thing on your mind is how many puppies will you put in tomorrow’s strip, no matter how fun it would be to make. As an artist making a living on what I produce, every moment I spend creating is a countdown to time spent vs. money generated. The comic strip artists I grew up admiring were able to produce their work consistently because that was how they made their living. That was their job and they were paid to entertain us. And that career is on the short list these days.
I’ve never been a quitter and I won’t start now. I’m gonna continue to try to find a balance between strip-making and living-making, so hopefully you will pardon me for taking a little break after seven continuous years. I strive to create the best strips I possibly can, and I put a lot of heart and soul into every ink and punchline. I appreciate all of you who have read my work and supported me over the years and I’m happy to be back. It feels good to put Zombie Boy and company back online again!
(Philip Hofer can be reached at Frumph.net and on Twitter @Frumph. He also has a Patreon, which is well worth supporting. Thanks again, Phil!)
Welcome back.
No hard feeling on the break. It’s a tough decision I’ve noticed most webcomic artists have to deal with. Taking a break from their hobby/career to do important things to keep a roof under their head. Or just to avoid a burnout on their work and be forced to give it all up. Everyone deserves a break and as long as they come back rejuvenated and stress free, it’s all good.
Also, I didn’t know the site was having problems in the past. Glad you got that taken care of.
Thanks, Bunmi! I’m trying to find a balance between business and pleasure. It’s going to take some figuring out as I go. I do appreciate your kind words of support!
I personally am very pleased to see you make a return to online comics. I missed you and your humorous take on life. I also understand and appreciate the “opportunity costs” behind producing a comic. Welcome back.
I appreciate that, J.P. It’s been a tough road to travel. I’ve missed creating the strips, but I also have to face the reality of life as a freelance artist. Things evolve and you have to work very hard to keep the lights on. I had been coasting a while getting the strips done at the midnight hour, but after a few years it was taking its toll. Now I’m going to approach it with a more realistic point of view. There’s a time to work and a time to play, it’s just a matter of how to make it work for you.
Hmmmm. That just happened to me as well. My site is back….in a way. But one click of “update” and *poof*, it was all wrong. Maybe I should contact Phil.
Look for him on Twitter @Frumph. He’s the master of all things ComicPress and a super guy, too.
=)
I’ve said more than once that you’re my hero, Phil and I mean it! You’ve saved my site several times over the years. And there are countless other creators like me who were hopelessly lost in the ludite wilderness who have received your sage counsel and help. Thanks can’t always sum it up, but thanks Phil!
We’ve all been there, and if we haven’t, we will I’m sure. Glad your back hopefully things have been sorted out for you.
Getting there, P.J.! Thanks for the great welcome, hopefully I can balance it all out.
Welcome back, Mark!
Thanks a lot! Happy to be back!
Your experiences really encourage me to never want to upgrade my site! I’ve heard other similar stories. At least it worked out in the end.
Years ago, a strip of your quality would have had a good chance of being syndicated. The current state of the comic strip industry is very discouraging.
I didn’t intend to upgrade my site, it was an accident and it caused a ton of problems. My site looked like a village after a Viking raid! It would be good for you to look into some kind of upgrade at some point though. And if you do, consult with someone who knows how to do it without having a core meltdown like I did.
It’s great to have you back mate.
It’s great to be back, Peter! I missed all my comic buds!
I’m sure no one begrudges you your well-deserved break, Mark! Life comes before comics, it has to. We all understand how much time and effort goes into making comics and everyone needs a break. I’m so sorry for what happened to your website and I’m so glad that Phil could help you (he’s helped me too in the past!). We’re so happy that you’re back!
Thanks for the words of support, Dana! I’m trying to find that proper balance between making money and having fun. It’s a work in progress!
Mark, it’s great to have you back. Breaks are good for us, I certainly have taken my share of them. If nothing else, they help set perspective. It’s important to know what is truly important and why it is important. Sometimes, we need distance to see that. I find a little time away makes it exciting again.
Party on, Mark!
Thank you for your encouragement, Julian. There’s a loss of momentum when you take time off. My one week siesta turned into many more weeks than that. I felt the pang of creating and posting, but I wasn’t ready to commit to a schedule. Without that constant update mentality, it can be a real challenge to get back into it after some time away. I’m happy that I had the time off. I hesitated to get back into the swing but the drive to create strips was too strong, so here I am!
Welcome back! And Phil (Frumph) is a great guy very underappreciated by many.