March 19, 2012

Gone Fishin'

So, yeah. You may have noticed there wasn't a comic when there should have been. And you've probably also noticed for a while that there has been little to no daily activity on this site. So while upsetting, maybe this announcement won't be that surprising.

As of today "Some Guy With a Website" is going on an indeterminate hiatus. Does it mean the comic is gone for good? No. At least, not yet. That's another decision I'm going to have to make down the line. But the reality is, I'm at a point right now where I need to take a break. There are a lot of other projects I want to try right now, both on and off this site. Hell, I haven't even redone this site in over four years.

There may not be any new comics for a while. They may be one or two. My production cycle has gone from "self-enforced Monday deadline" to "if and when I feel like it." I realize that this is the most unprofessional way to handle comic making, but... well, that's just it. Part of this is the realization that the comic as it current exists is not a profit-making model, and if I neither make money off it or enjoy drawing it... what's the point? Things need to change for me, and part of that means I need to give myself back the five or six hours I use each week to make a comic that, frankly, has been feeling more like a chore than a leisure activity. Let's not even get into what the net financial loss is at this point.

I want to say this to make sure everyone's 100% clear: this is not a fundraising pitch. I am not asking for money or setting up a KickStarter or anything like that. This is in no way some kind of "give August money to make comics again" thing.

The long and short of it is: for a while now I've had major doubts about how much longer I can/want to keep doing this. And I don't think there's any way to know if I'd even miss making the comic without, well, not making it for a little bit.

I also just want to say that I hope you all understand this was an insanely difficult decision. As some friends can attest, I've been dwelling on this for months. There were points when I was ready to just say "that's it, the comics's over" and so hopefully this half-assed, non-committal stance on production appears slightly better in comparison. But more importantly, I realize this also affects a lot of you, who have been readers for a really long time, have sent money for books, prints, and other things. Regardless of what happens in the future, I want to repeat once more that you guys really were the ones who kept me going this entire time and for all of that I am incredibly lucky and thankful.

With that, no, I'm not disappearing off the face of the earth. I'm doing this because I want to try different things. Maybe I can write more. Maybe I'll draw more. Maybe having free time on Sundays will just make me a happier person and I'll be inspired to do something. So... stay tuned. Which I think is a much better thing to interpret from this than thinking I'm saying goodbye. I'm not. Promise.

Posted by August J. Pollak at 7:01 PM