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!)
