Break Time
Tuesday, February 27th, 2007Alright, here’s the deal. I am wasted. Wasted, frustrated, broken, tired, spent, exhausted…whatever. I’ve started, trashed and restarted the same strip three times now and am just not feeling it. I’ve been wrestling with the idea of posting and pushing through, but can’t bring myself to do it.
All of the work I’ve been doing has caught up with me.
My lettering work has increased and my free time has decreased. In that free time, I’ve been doing Hate Song, planning my wedding, and trying to get the first issue of a superhero comic I’ve written completed and out to potential publishers (preview the inked work here: pg 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-5, actual book will be full colour). To top it all off, my computer seems to be going buggy on me.
I need a break. So, I’m taking one. March.
I’d already arranged guest strips to cover for my wedding, and will start running those on March 12th, updating Monday, Wednesday and Friday until I come back to things on April 2nd. There will be an assload of great guest strips. I’ve tried to bring in all new folks so that you will hopefully be introduced to some people you might not already know.
I’m hoping to use this time to get everything I need to get done done. I’m also going to build a buffer for Hate Song so that in the future, there should be no missed updates.
p.s. For those of you interested, I am going to be at Emerald City Comic Con on March 31st and April 1st. Swing by my booth and give me a “whut up?” I’ll have most of my merch available.
February 28th, 2007 at 1:29 am
Wooo hoo! Congrats on getting married! Enjoy the honeymoon from the strip and come back ready to break off a new one. You rock!
February 28th, 2007 at 3:25 am
I hope you manage to recover, Fred. And if you feel like you need more time than you’ve told us to get into the Hate Song swing of things again, just go ahead and take it.
The superhero thing also looks pretty cool, you’ll totally have to keep us updated on how that goes.
PS: You borked up the Page 4-5 link a bit, there’s a %22 left in at the end that messes with it.
February 28th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Congratulations on the marriage dude and I’m not pissed off at you in the slightest for taking a break. I nearly bust a gut planning my own wedding but it was well worth it.
Just promise me one thing… once you’re married, don’t pussy out on your scripts. You can get as domesticated as you want in real life, but please don’t let Hate Song suffer for it. Scooter flashbacks aside, if I ever see Orest buying fair-trade organic sandals or recycling his dolphin-friendly hybrid car I shall probably have to kill myself.
February 28th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Purple: Thanks for the heads up on the link. Fixed. I will be keeping everyone up to date on how things are going with the book. It’s something that I’ve been secretly working on for months now.
Spud1k: I doubt marriage will make me soft. Janet and I have been together for nearly a decade and lived together most of that time. She loves Hate Song and wouldn’t let me change a thing.
February 28th, 2007 at 8:19 am
We love you Fred! Take care of yourself and we’ll see you in April!
February 28th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Congratulation on your union. Marriage is a very nice thing, bringing you a ton of good stuff, amongst which a reliable bed warmer (good thing my wife doesn’t read Hate Song
Take the time you need, there’s not point pushing if the quality of your work, and you love for it, are going to suffer. I looked at the superhero comic and I really like the art and especially the cinematics. Very well done and orchestrated.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Don’t worry about it — I always look forward to the new Hate Song strip, and it’s always worth the wait, whether it takes a week or a month.
The superhero comic looks great. The art is awesome. I’m just starting a graphic novel myself, and I wish I could come even close to that standard with my art.
How do you ink the superhero comic so that the black is flat? I use black markers, which are pretty good but still get some darker areas where strokes overlap. It’s really irritating.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Well, I should mention that the superhero art is not by me. The artist’s name is Damian C. and he is awesome. Beyond awesome, even.
As for inking, maybe try using a brush and waterproof india ink. You shouldb’t have the same problems. Even if you do, you can always touch things up in Photoshop after scanning it in.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Great sadness. You’re going to be in Seattle and I’m stuck at school all the way across the state. Go Cougs.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:40 am
god dam! so you and the old lady are tying the knot? that’s great, man!
can’t wait to see you again this year, man. Emerald City, suckah!
-peace
February 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Congrats on the upcoming marriage! Enjoy your break, you deserve it!
February 28th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Good luck with the break and the wedding dude, come back when you can
If you need anymore guest strips let me know
February 28th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Hope everything works out. At least you didn’t pussy out like some of those other motherfuckers and just give up. What you’re doing may not be glorious, but man does it rock.
Man, I’m still pissed off at the guy that stopped doing my second favorite webcomic (yeah, this sick shit tops it, good job). I’ll miss you this March, but I’ll need something to dull the pain, so expect to have one less flask in stock. I’ll drink one for you and for your wedding.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:27 am
Once again, congratulations on getting hitched. And don’t worry too much about March. I’m sure the guest work’s in capable hands. That superhero thing’s looking tight and I can’t wait until I’m holding a copy.
Anyway. With or without regular updates, we’re here for you, man. I hope things clear up a bit, because I think you’re working on some good shit at the moment.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:13 am
The preview of the capes book looks great.
March 2nd, 2007 at 7:27 am
That art’s pretty fuckin rad.
March 6th, 2007 at 12:25 am
In my experience, the best art is inspired (or at least heavily affected) by misery.
It is therefore in the name of the strip that I am forced to this:
Hey! Fred! You… uhm… suck?
…I’m sorry. It had to be done. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. -sob-
March 6th, 2007 at 1:11 am
i will wait for you…
March 6th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap ta
March 6th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
The comic looks great, very Watchmenesque. Enjoy you’re wedding, i’m in the early planning stages of mine.
March 10th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Congrats Fred, enjoy the break. Bugging me: is the break time title from a certain Japanised Nintendo DS game??
Looking forward to the return x