egscomics
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🕑 Added 2015-05-29 09:02:52 +0000 UTC
As mentioned on Twitter, Tumblr, and by now the main site, the next story comic is going to be June 8th, and I'll be devoting next week to catching up as much as possible on various Patreon rewards and milestones.
I truly appreciate and am very grateful for all the support that's so generously been given. It's given me a sense of security I'd never had before, and hope for a future in which EGS will be able to continue regularly for many years to come.
I overestimated my own abilities and underestimated the amount of support I'd get, however, and I haven't managed it well. I'm going to make changes and take the time needed to fix things, and that means a short story break and at least temporarily removing sketchbooks from the reward tiers after pledges for this current month are collected. The milestone sketchbooks will remain, and I'll finish every reward that's been earned up to that point, but I need to stop adding to that particular "to do" list at least until I've caught up with it.
One reason I haven't done this before now is that there isn't a graceful way to remove a reward tier when there are still bids on it. If I remove the reward tier, any pledges remain, but without a reward selected. It just seems rude, especially when people are being so generous and supportive. It's something I feel I need to do, however, and I'll be contacting affected patrons June 1st in an attempt to minimize that.
I thank you all very much for your patience and support, and I hope you'll be willing to stick with me while I catch up and change to more realistic goals. With your support, El Goonish Shive will be unleashing awkward moments for many years to come. My apologies again for the delays.
Comments
trish
Please don't push yourself too hard, Dan. EGS should always be something you enjoy, even if you make a livelihood of it. If you ever feel you need a break, don't be afraid to take one.
Naomi Millar
Personally, I prefer comics to the sketchbooks. The personalised ones are great for those that want them and as a way for you to get more cash, but there's no need to force out the 'bonus' one's for their own sake. I'd say keep the 'bonus' sketchbooks purely on an "I felt like it" basis. If you want to keep the higher-pledging guys happy, just make them exclusive for a while. It already says that in the $3+ tier, make use of it! Heck, I'm pledging a low amount and never felt like I've missed out and I probably should! I'll go chuck another dollar your way anyway, but there might be a few people tantalised by some mystery posts into giving a bit more :)
Keith
For me, story comics count for more than any of the other things, though I enjoy those other things. I did want to make sure that your limit for commentaries was maxed out, though. I've dropped my reward level while keeping the pledge the same, for some tiny contribution to reducing your stress. And since this was inflicted on me, I must pass it on to others. It is so... whatever it is... that it can only be described in terms of itself. Kung Fury Official Movie: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5P_LAqiVg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5P_LAqiVg</a>
Merle Blue
I totally agree with Rune; burnout is the biggest thing I've been worried about. If you need to pull things back, you need to pull back :)
Rune Fell
As somebody who's been following your comic since the Sister Arc, my pledge was more for showing appreciation for what you're doing, than for any rewards that might be done. Though I do admit, I enjoy the commentaries for older comic when they come out. I was starting to wonder if you were burning out, though, and was a little worried, as I've grown very fond of your comic over the years (I admit, I'm an Elliot fangirl). One thing I've always loved about your comic is how there's no 'main' character who gets all the spotlight and all the story. All of your characters are equally important, even the minor characters have thought and personality put into them. Anyways, I hope you figure out how to best make things work out for you. Right now, you've been striving to put out six comics a week, far more than a lot of webcomics. Have you ever thought of going M-W-F with NP, and Tues-Thursday with the comic? Then you're not pumping out two in a single day, and you'll still have daily comics, more than most do. My Tuesdays and Thursdays are always slower, as most comics do M-W-F formats or less. Maybe even do sketches on the weekend, if those need to be done.
