About Click

Today's entry, Click, is a good example of a strip that I don't really think is very funny.  It's not offensive, so there's no reason not to post it, but I don't think it holds up vs. most of the others (and that's not a high bar.)  When I started, the goal was a strip every day, and because I felt that would be a hard pace to maintain, I told myself not to be concerned with the quality of the jokes.  My strategy was if I wrote a clunker, post it anyway and move on.  I guess that's still my strategy.

Back in the saddle

It'd be fun to think I'm writing comics again because I'm inspired or something grand like that. The truth is I got a used computer which happens to have software on it that can edit the old MC format, so I didn't have to start from scratch.  The first jokes have been written over the last couple of years, so I've got a small backlog to get things rolling.  We'll see if any humor comes after those are used up.  Writing jokes is like a muscle, and when you exercise it, it does get easier.  Maybe even funnier, but that might be a stretch.

Well, nobody reads this but me, so hey me from the future! Did you write a bunch of new jokes or not?

Smack Talk

Today's comic is probably funnier to me than anybody else, but I stand by it anyway. I think it's a great example of a MC that isn't particularly strong by itself, but works within the context of MC as a body of work.

It occurred to me as I posted it, that I normally think the comic I just wrote is really good, and the one I'm posting is all too frequently mediocre. Do I find the jokes funnier when they are fresh to me? Does insecurity cause me to be less confident about the quality of the strip at the point where I'm posting? A combination of things? Maybe I only feel like this on days when I don't think much of the strip that's being posted.

Bitten by the Bug, Possibly a Tyranid

It's happened.  I want to play games...with people...again and often.  Since parting ways with Hidden City Games roughly three years ago, I've almost completely succeeded from the hobby of playing games.  What was a daily part of my life  has become something I struggle to do more then two or three times each year.

Mentor Legion Commander, ATTACK!

I don't want to buy any games I'm buried in gaming stuff as is. I want fewer boxes of games in my house, not more. What I want is to USE these boxes of games. First up, quite possibly my favorite all time game, Warhammer 40k.  Only D&D could rival the hours I've spent on 40k, and if you count the time spent painting minis and constructing terrain, it's likely I've spent more time on 40k than any other hobby in life. Even so, I haven't played it in four or five years.

Chaplain with Jump Pack and Power Fist. In the old days, he was quite the tank buster. Not sure how he'll do under the new rules. (I think fine.)

New editions have changed the rules twice since last I played.  Prices of 40k miniatures appear to have doubled since last I played. I'm frankly shocked by the prices. Even if I really start playing frequently, which I doubt, there's no way I will purchase more than a few small miniatures, if any.  If I do want more minis, bargain purchases from eBay and used items from friends would be the most likely option.

I've got Space Marines and Imperial Guard (a LOT of both) and the Marines are ready to go.  The composition of a Space Marine army appears to much as it has been since 2nd edition.

In addition to Tanks, I have a lot of Imperial Guard troopers with heavy weapons superglued to their shoulders.  I need to turn those troopers into two-man weapon team units. I'm going to try and find some parts to do nice conversions with them.  My first project! Awesome!

Don't worry, his Gene-Seed has been successfully recovered by the Platoon Medic.

I've started painting. I don't have all the supplies I need to finish the bases, so I've suspending painting until I get to Hobbytown again. Also, I want to paint some more Ultramarines, but I forgot to buy Ultramarine Blue last time.

My first new painted mini in years.  I'm pleased though I know I can paint better. See the crappy gravel on the base. The bases on my other minis are pretty modest, but that's not nearly good enough. Yes, that's 15 Rough Riders in the background.  I want to field all of them someday.

So the next thing to do is sort out how to actually get playing. If I must, I can probably find a local game store with a 40k night.  Not my first choice, as I have so many friends that play.  I want to play something, not necessarily always 40k, at least twice a month on weeknight evenings.  Not being able to drive might put this off until Autumn, but nice weather has always made it hard to game, so that could be for the best.  Besides, I've got mini's to paint.

-Adam!!! 

Props

Obviously the plain figures are the first thing somebody sees when they read MC.  Since they're boring, the entire focus is on the text of the joke.  An exception to this is when I add art or modify the figures in some way. most often adding color to the figures in some way, but also adding images like the mustache in Reality. Originally the rule was I never do that. "The figures must never change!", I thought.  Well, comics where I add to the figures are generally better received than the average comic, plus as I find it harder and harder to think of strips, I can't afford to be picky about the ideas I use. Props, as I call then, are going to show up more and more.  Still fewer than half, but possibly as often as weekly.

Platform

Today's strip, Platform, was a success.  Why? I think people like political humor that doesn't attack anyone.  Some of my other 'lefty' strips have been mean-spirited and in general they don't go over well.  I'm going to try and avoid that in the future (unless it's really funny.)

I have to admit, the lack of positive response was starting to get me down.  Each strip seemed to be viewed by fewer people than one the before it for the last few weeks.  I'm not sure how quality translates to page-views, but it's the only measurement I have, so I was starting to fear the strips were just not as good as they were even a few weeks ago.  A nice, well received, strip was just what the doctor ordered.  I know not every strip will be a home run, but I like to have one take off and get 500+ page views at least once a week.  Platform got to about 700 before the traffic died off.  It makes me happy.

-Adam

NaziBusters

Some found my comic "Catbusters" offensive.  I can see where they're coming from. One suggestion was to modify the comic slightly.  Honestly, I like it better this way: