tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post3961456629687452499..comments2023-10-30T13:54:32.624+00:00Comments on A hundred dance moves per minute: Mild terror at 5pmJohn Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-12447641282371374572009-11-05T13:54:17.250+00:002009-11-05T13:54:17.250+00:00Thanks for that, lavalamphat. "Cheers" i...Thanks for that, lavalamphat. "Cheers" indeed. You really improved my day.<br /><br />I don't want to make the kind of comics you want to read any more. I wrote and drew wacky young adult hijinks for eleven years, and I'm bored with them.<br /><br />The new comic isn't for you. You don't need my permission to stop reading. Just remember that something new doesn't invalidate all the stories that you enjoyed.John Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-72357267558668681222009-11-05T13:41:59.903+00:002009-11-05T13:41:59.903+00:00I've been reading your work since 2000 (bobbin...I've been reading your work since 2000 (bobbins) and loved it. I have a few t-shirts and books from you and they're great.<br /><br />But, I'm really struggling to like BM. <br /><br />I completely understand and respect your need to change, but I'm just not interested in teenager or school themes, even if it does turn into something 'Goonies' like.<br /><br />It's even a bit depressing with what has happened to Ryan, he seems so disappointed, working in a sucky teaching job. He even seemed sad being married to Amy, and she appears to have turned into a bit of a nagging bitch.<br /><br />I'll stick with BM a little longer, I'm hoping that this is like the beginning of a 'comic book' movie, where you show how horrible Ryan and Amy's lives were before they were inspired to become superheroes, or supervillains, or open their own superpub.<br /><br />(Heehee, supervillains Amy and Ryan, being thwarted by secretagent gingerninja-superspy! That'd wear my outstandingness badge.)<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06937951950615600483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-20400120811717202382009-11-02T10:07:18.498+00:002009-11-02T10:07:18.498+00:00I know I'm coming at this a little late (I'...I know I'm coming at this a little late (I've been away), but I really have to say bollocks to the floating voter! Appeal to the middle ground, and all you will ultimately end up with is a bland, middle of the road load of 'meh'-ness. Of course, my livelihood isn't on the line here, but I really think you should stop listening quite so much to your public, since you'll end up not knowing your arras from your elbow in the attempt to keep everyone happy.Old-Red-Doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00496891303495126809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-56157069205655594742009-11-01T14:34:24.301+00:002009-11-01T14:34:24.301+00:00Although I fell in love with SGR a good three year...Although I fell in love with SGR a good three years ago and felt a tinge of sadness upon its demise, BM is catching me in a different way and I'm liking it a lot.<br /> <br />John, I think both your art and writing are exemplary. XKCD et al only have one of these and they, frankly, very quickly become one-trick nerd ponies. You must continue because what you're doing is unique and lovely.sh09https://www.blogger.com/profile/06844973692701279397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-6779949584763888682009-11-01T05:37:43.343+00:002009-11-01T05:37:43.343+00:00Your invocation of "Roald Dahl and Tove Janss...Your invocation of "Roald Dahl and Tove Jansson and Richmal Crompton and Ronald Searle" is indicative of why I suggest ongoing calm. You're crossing a frontier of sorts. The liminal state is rarely a comfortable place, but the territory you're headed for is hella sweet.<br /><br />Also, it prised open my wallet, something you've never succeeded in doing before. Congratulations. You are slightly less likely to wind up with a wardrobe consisting of brown paper bags, and I slightly more. Apparently, this is what a victory for Art looks like.Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08236029079343372528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-25312236658762782582009-10-31T08:38:52.954+00:002009-10-31T08:38:52.954+00:00Markleford:
I grew up with Roald Dahl and Tove J...Markleford: <br /><br />I grew up with Roald Dahl and Tove Jansson and Richmal Crompton and Ronald Searle. They were all masters of world-building and immersive stories. They never spoke down to readers and I can read a lot of their work as an adult with the same pleasure. If I want to keep doing this for the rest of my working life, I have to make something lasting like that.<br /><br />My old style was too heavy on standard webcomic tropes and creative returns were fast diminishing over the last year. If you're not sure about the new comic, come back in a few months and see how I got on.John Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-65775689860735602492009-10-30T19:46:57.054+00:002009-10-30T19:46:57.054+00:00(A bit late to the commentfest, but still...)
If ...(A bit late to the commentfest, but still...)<br /><br />If you described BM to me as "pre-teen adventure", sight unseen, I would be totally uninterested.<br /><br />I also disliked the trend in SGR when the focus characters became younger and younger toward the end. I'd hoped that you'd "turn it around" before we started dealing with pram-racing infants!<br /><br />My bias in this regard is mainly that many story and subject options open up starting in adulthood. The prospect of a limited array of school-tyme hijinks holds little appeal for me.<br /><br />However, we've yet to see where the story will lead, or even the full cast of characters. For instance, the momentary bit with the Russian football team owner shows a different side that I'd like to see more of...<br /><br />Namely, I fear for the loss of the barely-contained madness which was SGR.<br /><br />For all I know, though, it will soon turn to tales of the righteous kids foiling the greedy plans of those naughty adults! Hah-hah! Oh the comedy potential! ... Well, if you're writing Disney kids films perhaps?<br /><br />Just as you've had your own doubts about BM, I guess some of us also do. But you're the only guy that knows where it's going, so I'm just going to have a little faith and ride it out for a while longer. Having enjoyed your two previous series, I owe both of us that much.<br /><br />Oh, and the art. Looking good.<br /><br />- mUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14227958153130930887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-46520138181468926682009-10-30T15:13:16.329+00:002009-10-30T15:13:16.329+00:00Mustbepatient: I need kids to read the comic, they...Mustbepatient: I need kids to read the comic, they will send me their pocket money. They will give it all to me. And their parents' money too!John Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-6226003588095425872009-10-30T15:01:50.156+00:002009-10-30T15:01:50.156+00:00John, I love BM. I think the charm of it is how w...John, I love BM. I think the charm of it is how well you create child characters. I suspect that potential readers that don't (a) have kids or (b) think like kids will probably not appreciate that aspect as much.<br /><br />I think you created very desirable women in SGR and I don't see how you will fit in substantial characters like that in a comic about kids.<br /><br />In short, I love the new comic but I think it will be more of a challenge commercially.mustbepatienthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14298029905468305466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-44782783845762121912009-10-30T13:34:32.730+00:002009-10-30T13:34:32.730+00:00I think you hit the nail on the head with "se...I think you hit the nail on the head with "sexy fun". The artwork in Machinery is gorgeous - you've definitely taken a step up. But the pace is slower. Maybe that's just because it's early days and you're getting up to speed.<br /><br />And as for the sexy half of the equation, SGR could always throw in a strip like the shirt-and-skins volleyball game, or the many panels of Amy in various states of undress. I won't deny that that was some part of the strip's appeal, and it's harder to recapture that with preteens. At least, it had better be.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09873429275364916940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-27169631420823550282009-10-30T08:42:18.544+00:002009-10-30T08:42:18.544+00:00Yes, do be calm.Yes, do be calm.Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08236029079343372528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-36148624677209687872009-10-29T20:04:19.684+00:002009-10-29T20:04:19.684+00:00Thanks for all the comments, they really helped. I...Thanks for all the comments, they really helped. I will stay the course for now with the current update schedule (and the occasional comic split in two to make it five a week). I will also definitely make some more Destroy Histories although I think I will just trickle them out on the blog and Twitter for the hardcore faithful. <br /><br />There were lots of good ideas in different posts, I will consider all of them. It is a turbulent time, and working alone it's easy to worry that you are going in the wrong direction. I will keep going!John Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-6176478623872663202009-10-29T19:42:07.739+00:002009-10-29T19:42:07.739+00:00Dear John,
I came to SGR relatively late... I thi...Dear John,<br /><br />I came to SGR relatively late... I think I had to go through 4 years of archives, but I read it all at once. And I will be real- I did not get quite the same rush from later-period SGR. I still read it regularly, and it was still awesome. But I think that there was a significant tonal shift somewhere around the last third. And I think that in light of that BM is the comic you should be writing now. I love it so far and agree with all the many positive comments everyone's left. I don't necessarily think that reducing the number of BM pages per week and serving up some silliness would benefit the comic, although, as others have said, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more Ryan and Amy. I love Shauna and Charlotte, though, which is easy because they were basically the stars of the last story of SGR. I think BM is refreshed and energized with their youthful vim and vigor! Also, I activated my google blog just so I could leave you this comment. So, you know, that's something.Messy Jessihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06405647460945198439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-48903281567556215062009-10-29T18:36:08.570+00:002009-10-29T18:36:08.570+00:00You definitely are making the best comics you have...You definitely are making the best comics you have ever made, John. The refreshed art style and more disciplined storytelling will pay off in the end one way or another.<br /><br />I can see how "it's about 11-year-old schoolgirl detectives" could be a hard sell in a competitive marketplace. But I hope you find a way to keep doing what inspires you, rather than just churning out a product that pleases 20-somethings with a need to "identify". Because we need you to be inspired.Rob Brewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00951894513483148678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-89340145979629727042009-10-29T15:09:55.175+00:002009-10-29T15:09:55.175+00:00I'm pretty much a brand new reader; I think I ...I'm pretty much a brand new reader; I think I came on board right when Scary Go Round finished up (in fact, I think it was a link from Dinosaur Comics saying that Scary Go Round had just finished up after however many years, and I was all, "what's that" and then I got sucked in and my productivity fell to zero as, of course, I had to go back and start at the beginning).<br /><br />Having just ingested all of SGR at once, as it were, I'm really enjoying Bad Machinery a lot; I'm digging the slower pace and what seems like richer storytelling -- not that I didn't enjoy the storytelling in SGR (which, obviously I did, see above, in re: all at once), but that comic seems to have been an entirely different, zanier proposition. Starting fresh with a new time frame and style certainly seems to have been artistically the right choice to make, and your stated reasons for doing so made perfect sense. I'm in agreement that the peripheral audience is probably going to be different; that said, there will probably be an uptick once there's more of a Bad Machinery-specific archive, wouldn't that make sense? <br /><br />Well, anyway, not that any of that was much help at all, but I'm at least one guaranteed page-view you've gained *since* the end of Scary Go Round proper. So, um, there's that.JAMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07048755178625000282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-56531337971315977572009-10-29T12:37:21.073+00:002009-10-29T12:37:21.073+00:00There are currently 3,305 people subscribing to th...There are currently 3,305 people subscribing to the Bad Machinery RSS in Google Reader. Do your web stats see that at all?Heather Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084760093354979692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-27063571384554139202009-10-29T12:30:19.486+00:002009-10-29T12:30:19.486+00:00To clarify, I actually quite like the pacing of Ba...To clarify, I actually quite like the pacing of Bad Machinery itself but am ever eager to flick to the next page...Christophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15850394026548075854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-69801031340205167452009-10-29T12:28:36.426+00:002009-10-29T12:28:36.426+00:00I find the Bad Machinery characters charming, enga...I find the Bad Machinery characters charming, engaging and plenty identifiable. Then again, I am a high school and middle school teacher and am fascinated by adolescents. I actually found the last SGR storyline a good transition to BM because it introduced us to these new characters when they were young kids and hadn't come into their own yet. Now, when I read about them as budding adolescents, I find it thrilling to see how they've grown and the personalities they've developed.<br /><br />I haven't found the pace to be too slow at all. It's actually keeping me more engaged to feel like this is all building up to some kind of big story than some of the SGR storylines that just felt like bizarre interludes that didn't go anywhere (not that I didn't love every second of SGR). I totally agree that you're doing your best work yet. Love it!<br /><br />I like the Monday-Thursday update schedule much more than I liked skipping Wednesdays. I vote against three days a week of BM and two days of "sexy fun." Personally, I'd rather read one consistent story more often and I agree that it might actually make it harder to attract new readers, who'd see an even slower story on the main page and would probably not click over to the blog. Selfishly, I wouldn't like the several-updates-all-at-once idea because BM is the first thing I read every morning. :) But I do think the idea of having the main page for new readers be the beginning of a storyline is a good one.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03902650565632814900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-11722979250015905872009-10-29T12:05:06.765+00:002009-10-29T12:05:06.765+00:00Christophe, the sad thing is that there is more ar...Christophe, the sad thing is that there is more art and writing in one Bad Machinery than you got in two of most of the run of Scary Go Round. I don't expect a round of applause, it's actually quite a stupid thing to do in a world where XKCD and Cyanide and Happiness are totally fine daily deals. That's not a slight on them. They are copper-bottomed webcomic smash hits.<br /><br />Bad Machinery is slow because it is paced like a book in order to be collected into the kind of book that would look good in bookshops, maybe! The Scary Go Round collections are absolutely manic, I never felt good taking them to publishers. I thought, naively, that I could get away with something properly paced to be read at leisure and that folks would go with it. <br /><br />Alongside those high minded aspirations I invented another comic about time, moustaches and robots. I am a businessman and if I have to, I will bust out the most appalling crowd pleaser of all time. But there will be no throwing out of the baby with the bathwater.John Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14630706251547357904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-39656582357281811402009-10-29T11:32:09.868+00:002009-10-29T11:32:09.868+00:00Other posters have made similar comments but here ...Other posters have made similar comments but here goes...<br /><br />I'll be honest John, instead of frank, I'm not really a Frank.<br /><br />You've already identified the drop off curve when you kick off a new project and the cliff was probably steeper then from Bobbins days. I think the shift down to four comics a week certainly hurt my enjoyment of SGR and the proposal to reduce BM to a three day jaunt, is not something I'd welcome.<br /><br />In short, stick with it but given where we are in the world in 2009, the timing of your new venture may have been ill advised alright.<br /><br />You know your true financial situation, so if it's a case of taking on water then the only option is the bucket and start bailing...Christophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15850394026548075854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-81030955121916714492009-10-29T11:24:59.725+00:002009-10-29T11:24:59.725+00:00Executing your strategic manoeuvre, you lost a big...Executing your strategic manoeuvre, you lost a big, loose part of your readership and retained the (hard)core. That was to be expected. Now you have to wait until a new mass of casual readers grows around that core. Nothing to worry about... if you can afford it. <br />But I plead with you not to make any hasty decisions with longterm consequences.<br />For the record, I will always miss SGR, but I find BM like a new child in a family.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17504074191121274485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-25509151020169795062009-10-29T11:09:27.371+00:002009-10-29T11:09:27.371+00:00I've been reading since Bobbins and I think bo...I've been reading since Bobbins and I think both in terms of art and storytelling that Bad Machinery is the best work so far.<br /><br />Unfortunately I'm one of the people who tends to like bands who are critically acclaimed more than bands who sell lots of records, so my appreciation may be, if not the kiss of death, at best a minimal indicator for the winds of commerce.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07325555533437179911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-16583619432231374032009-10-29T10:14:05.867+00:002009-10-29T10:14:05.867+00:00Mr Allison - don't forget a lot of people use ...Mr Allison - don't forget a lot of people use google reader etc. too now. I know that doesn't show up in my analytics.<br /><br />I'm loving BM, and the pace of it too - it's true there isn't the emotional investment yet but that's natural. People aren't going to have the same feelings about a new comic that they had about one they had read for years. It will come!<br /><br />You are all covered in awesome, it makes me sad that you're worried. Do not make me hunt you down and send you cake.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13948886966363895454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-66386473401023354162009-10-29T09:45:29.496+00:002009-10-29T09:45:29.496+00:00I love bm, I think the young characters are great ...I love bm, I think the young characters are great and I'm so glad Ryan is a teacher! Finally makes me feel cooler, I too worry about giving too much away but I have never implied I kiss pianos! <br />Hopefully people will get used to the change, I do think these things take time. I've always got a spare bedroom if you need one, it even has an ensuite!!!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15541275764728828850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13005893.post-54142949302812530492009-10-29T07:12:21.605+00:002009-10-29T07:12:21.605+00:00broccoli and custard mixed during the week sounds ...broccoli and custard mixed during the week sounds like a good idea. <br />i never, ever forgot to read sgr every day, but seem to forgot to check bm most days. i will put a post-it on my screen to help remind me, and won't stop reading (and, if i ever get money, i'll buy another shirt too), but i hope something slightly more interesting happens sometime.lanerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15041484982248420228noreply@blogger.com