March 11, 2009

Instead of giving you guys some trite reason for the comic being gone for a week, I'm going to be frank about it. You've been warned.

One of the main reason I stopped doing if then else for so long was that it became a boat anchor more than a fun hobby. I was unable to do much else when I delivered updates on time, and I seriously began to question why I was still drawing if it wasn't enjoyable.

Don't get me wrong - I delight in writing the comic. Ideas seem to just flow when I get on about it and think, "Yeah, *this* would tie things together!" or "I hadn't thought of that before!" But, two years ago, the ideas just stopped coming. I trudged out the last scripts and just . . . stopped. I suppose I could blame the disappearance on my online persona being kidnapped by the Evil Overlords United, but, in the end, that's just a superficial excuse. I was just tired of doing the comic.

And now I'm there again but only to a point. Words are still flowing onto the pages. But the motivation to draw is lacking. It's become a chore and each comic takes five times longer than it used to. I've had several opportunities to look back on the older comics and look at what works artistically and what doesn't. I'm trying to improve, but the end result just doesn't feel like it's worth the effort.

Additionally, there's the obligation to finish this project. I swore seven years ago, when this comic started, to see it through. Looking forward, we're still about a year - maybe two - from the end at three times a week. When there are other ideas floating around in my head to either write or draw about, should I stick with this or move on? At what point does (or did) the comic jump the shark?

There you have it - the full reason behind the one week delay. I can't say for sure what this means for the future, but I'm continuing on for now.