entry Update, 8:43am
Stop with the Daily Grind email, alreadyentry,
Yes, yes, I know. There is a competition running now in which a few webtoonists plunk down $20 each, and the last one to NOT miss an update (Mon-Fri only) takes the pot.
Yes, yes, I know. The pot stands at $640 as of this writing*, and that's almost two months of groceries for my family.
Yes, yes, I know. It sounds like easy money for me, since I haven't missed an update in 58 months. It would also be easy money for Bill Holbrook, Jeff Darlington, and Chris Crosby (among others). This is why, to my knowledge, those of us who do NOT have problems updating on a daily basis aren't planning to participate. Can you imagine how tedious and non-eventful it would be if (for instance) Bill Holbrook and Jeff Darlington were playing? Those two would just keep plugging away at their strips for years while the money gathered dust. And for what? Bragging rights? They already HAVE bragging rights.
I'm not belittling the event, mind you. A little "money-where-your-mouth-is" may be just what folks like my buddy Scott need to firm up their schedules. If it works out that way, hey, we ALL win.
As for me, I feel no need to put any more money where my mouth is -- I told you people four years ago that you'll be getting fresh Schlock Mercenary right here, every day, forever (or until I die.) If I should fail to deliver that, well, my word means a lot more to me than a twenty-smacker entrance fee would.
In ironically related news, the buffer has dropped to its lowest in over a year... FOUR. Yes, I know. That's four more than most webcartoonists have in the can. It's also about fourteen LESS than I'm remotely comfortable with. I wouldn't have let it drop this far, but I had to put food on the table with a commercial project whose deadline got nudged forward a bit. Well, I completed said project Monday morning.
By Saturday of this week I hope to at least triple the current buffer. But I'm not asking anyone to place bets.
entry Update, 8:43am
Wow. The Daily Grind pot is $1120. I'll be standing waaaaaay over here, listening to the rumble from a distance while I crank out daily strips. Good luck, and happy grinding to all those who are participating!
March 22: BrainShare 2005 (at the GWAVA booth), Salt Lake City, UT
April 22-24: Penguicon 3.0, Novi Michigan
May 27-29: CONduit XV, Salt Lake City, UT
July 13-17: Comic-Con 2005, San Diego, CA. (tentative... this one's pricey)
August: Fandemonium 2005, Boise, ID. (tentative)
October 8-9: Revoluticon, Asheville, NC
October 14-16: Linucon 2.0, Austin, TX. (tentative)
Are you interested in having me come to your city? Your convention? Your HOUSE? Pay my way and pay my stay, and we can make it happen. The BEST way is to convince the convention organizers that I'm worthy of "GoH" status, but there are alternatives. Email me if you've got an event in mind.