Promises To Keep. . .

Best laid plans of mice and bloggers.  January kicked my butt at work, so this is going up a bit later than I wanted.

So first of all, this is NOT the last post of this blog.  But really, it kind of is.

For a little over 8 years I've written this blog, but I started doing reviews back in 2003.  It's been a long time.

As I said, way back here, I started this blog to have something to do after I got laid off from a really great job.  I had a long list of topics, and lots of comics and I wanted to read more of them.

And I did it.  I managed to repost all of my old reviews, with updates, I covered 100 different topics in articles and added 100 comics to the list in that time.  I also created 9 special long series articles which spanned over multiple posts.

I cobbled together my own version of a webcomic reward series, posted my own writing, and got so many comics that I couldn't even read them all any more.

My current job, however, has been a pain in the butt.  The only reason I have the time to write this and the last Can't Live Without is because I managed to roll a couple days off in my schedule.  Hell, most of the articles posted in December was because I didn't have any jobs at all.

Still, my job just doesn't give me the free time I needed for this blog, and breaking with the weekly schedule actually made it harder to come back to it.  I WANT to keep this running, but I can't live off of it.  I like to eat you know?

I have promises to keep, however, and I want to fulfill them.  First is a retrospective on Blue Blaster, which will hopefully come sooner rather than later.  Kind of surprised me ending at just the right moment.  Another month of strips, and I wouldn't bother.  I'm aiming to get that done before March.

Zebra Girl is planning to start it's last chapter Feb 23rd, and I doubt it'll wrap up too quickly.  Fast enough though.  I think it deserves a detailed finale look and I committed to it last year, so I'm going to follow through.

And finally, there's Sluggy Freelance.  I made a promise, a long time ago, that I would be there and write about the finale of Sluggy, and I intend to still.  It may not be for a while, a LONG while, but I don't think they take down blogs for inactivity, so once it ends, the post goes up.  Assuming I can remember the password to this thing.

That will be it though.  No more new reviews, no more long series, no more random essays.  I'm sad to stop, but really, I'm happy with what I have done.  This blog goes on my resume now, even if it never made me a dime.  It gave me something to look forward to week after week when jobs were scarce and I was desperate.  Now though, I'm doing much better.  Maybe if I get fired from this job (unlikely as hell, btw) I'll come back.  Maybe not.

I do have ideas for another, slower paced blog, nothing to do with webcomics, but I think I'll hold off for now.  No sense making more promises when I have issues keeping the current ones.

So thank you for reading, each and every one of you.  Until next time, no, until we meet again.  Good bye.

Can't Live Without 2018 Edition

One last time, one last list.  This one is a little harder than most because this time I want to think about it, which 10 comics do I want to be around for as long as possible?  Which 10 would be the ones I would read if stranded on a deserted island?  Which 10 out of all of those I covered in the last two weeks should be here?  You get 3 freebies, the rest. . .

1.  Sluggy Freelance - First freebie.  Yes, I do still expect to end, but not for another year or two at least.  Too much ground to cover to finish it properly.  But when it does, promises to keep. . .

2.  Schlock Mercenary - Second freebie.  While there are a few better sci fi comics, most of them don't update as frequently and are as expensive as Schlock.  And it'll likely be around for a long, long time.

3.  Gunnerkrigg Court - Last freebie.  There is a LOT to love about this comic, so much I would recommend it to, well, everyone.  You have read it by now, RIGHT?

4.  Stand Still, Stay Silent - This comic is wonderful.  Easily one of the best right here and worth all the attention that it can be given.

5.  Between Failures - Likely one of the most grounded comics I read and one that manages to keep me hooked on the next thing.

6.  Namesake - The twist on fairy tales, how it incorporates more modern fiction into the mix, and of course the characters that run around make this one of my favorites.

7.  Sunstone - Started life as bondage pinups, turned into a love story.  I'm a sucker for nice art and happy endings (either kind I suppose), and this one is definetly that.  With the second book, Mercy, slowly coming out, I'll be reading this for a while.

8.  Ava's Demon - My most recent find and spectacular looking too boot.  If it manages some regular updates, it'll likely be one to have for the long haul.

9.  Our Time in Eden - I don't talk much about this comic since it updates very slowly, but damn is it good, and dark, and depressing.

10.  UnCONventional - I know nothing of running conventions, but you don't need to to enjoy this comic and I do.  And some of the best stick figure art there is, which is just as weird writing it as you reading it.

And that's it.  No honorable mentions this year because I kind of did that already.

Next time, promises to keep.  Until then kiddies.

One Last Nothing for the Road

Between not feeling good and going back to work, I kind of forgot to finish my next article.  Yeah, this is how my life has been.  Next week, something.