This comic was hard to make and publish, because the up-shod is admitting failure. I launched a podcast last spring after reading Podcasting for Dummies and figured, “I can do this”. I have the gear, and I’ve always had a dream of being a DJ – albeit spinning records, not scratching them.
Lessons learned:
- It Takes Two -
Going solo on a podcast is something not ordinarily done; even though some podcasts I’ve tried listening to overdo the in-jokes, silliness, and giggling – it seems another host to “play off” is the norm - Marketing -
“If you build it, they will come”. No they won’t. Not without marketing and advertising. And I didn’t. So the traffic was always anemic.
Here’s a very recent webcomic by Chris Eliopoulos that – out of sheer coincidence – sums it up pretty well: Misery Loves Sherman.
To quote the great Rodney Dangerfield:
To give you an idea, the first time I quit comedy, nobody even knew I quit.
So, my first effort at podcasting is on indefinite hiatus. Here are podcasts I currently favor:
Webcomics Weekly by the authors of How to Make Webcomics. These guys have the clout to put the podcast on hiatus, and when they come back – people care.
The Lightbox – Illuminating Webcomics This one is a new favorite on the play-list. Straight-talking, no-nonsense tips from practicing webcomic artists Chris Flick and Matt Stout, hosted by Rob Chandler.
The Granddaddy of all: Art and Story with comics creators and teachers Jerzy Drozd and Mark Rudolph. I’m a big fan, and there’s a gem in every show.
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If you found your way here via the recent “shout out” at Tony Piro’s great Calamities of Nature, thank you! And thanks to Tony, of course, for exposing my new strip to his readers and continuing to publish a quality webcomic while juggling it all. You guys know a good strip when you see it, and I’m kicking myself for not discovering Harold and the gang sooner.
Check out some of the others featured, a couple of my favorites are represented as well, such as David Wilborn’s Urban Jungle Comic and Mike Gruhn’s great Webdonuts.
Please add me to your webcomics bookmarks. I’ll shut up now, since have to tweak tomorrow’s strip.
It’s actually out of character for me to reach out and wish a Merry Christmas to all. At the risk of being politically incorrect, there’s lots of talk about the true meaning of Christmas which has been getting lost – giving.
This all sounds pretty flowery from a guy who personally was becoming pretty dour at the annual crass commercialization of the holiday, until I became a parent. Now it’s all about giving back. This Grinch has turned in the end, too.
What I have given you in the form of this comic may prove worthless in the long run, although I’m trying. What you have given me is the great gift of your attention; if even for the brief time that it takes to scan a strip or peruse the archive, please know that I am completely grateful. That the statistics show visits from all over the world inspires me that we may have more in common than we think.
As I jumped into this webcomic (without looking) at the end of a tough year at home and work, I learned a lot. The biggest surprise was that there are people out there willing to try something new. Sure, there have been critics – and that’s fine – but as I commit to this webcomic I aim to give you a product that represents the best of my abilities.
Thank you and best wishes for 2010 -
T. A. D.
Thank you for checking out my webcomic. Here are some plans percolating for the strip in 2010:
- A hand-drawn, more organic look
- My alter-ego Tom must have a job, and I’ll introduce office/co-worker characters and situations
- Updating the ComicPress template. There may be some sporadic downtime between Dec. 19th, 2009 – Jan. 3, 2010
Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.
- T.A.D.
