...we'll be going with the clean sketch from Issue 15 on. The final results were that 83.88% of you voted for the clean sketch and update increase while 16.12% of you voted for the inks. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. An especially big thank you to those of you who took my wrist health, financial situation, and personal happiness into account. I really appreciate it!
So, we'll begin updating three times a week with Issue 16. Which, begins on January 7th. Why wait that long? There's a big possibility that Matt and myself will be moving out of state in the coming months. We're not sure when exactly. And since CN:H is a story comic, I can't call on guest strips easily. So the larger the buffer at the moment, the better. Most of you reading are adults. I shouldn't need to explain to you how stressful a move across state lines in a short amount of time is. Chances are good that you know.
On top of this, we still have the Secret Project to do. I should be getting a list this weekend of the images that I'll need to draw. While I'll be able to share the images here on the blog, I won't be able to tell you what they're for just yet. Look for those to start showing up in a few weeks.
With all that's going on, commissions will remain closed until late fall.
Now for the 'tough love' portion of the post. I got the impression that some of you feel I need to hold myself to a certain professional standard. While I'm going to assume you meant this as a compliment, there's one thing you need to remember. Once the Supporters area closed down, CN:H became a hobby comic. I'm sorry, but you do not get to demand professional work for free. If you want professional quality then you pay me a professional wage.
For anyone who is confused on just what a professional wage is, it's not buying a book every now and then. It's a per page rate, which can vary between $30 to $100+ per page. Considering I am the writer, layout artist, penciller, letterer, cover artist (including colorist), and - previously - the inker, we're looking at a fairly hefty page rate. Makes those "I bought an issue from you a few years ago so you owe me" notes I received through FA look pretty skimpy, eh? $3.00 for a print issue that, at the lowest rate of $30 per page, should net me an income before print sales of $750? Remember, there is no Supporters area anymore. I only get paid by CN:H when a trade paperback sells - and even then I only see a portion of that. No other time.
I know perfectly well that the economy is crap. I also know that 99.9% of the world's population has never tried to create a comic and knows nothing about the industry. And that's fine. This knowledge is why I'm going this route instead of doing a Kickstarter per issue or demanding a certain level of donations before work on an issue begins. I understand that this comic is something that you read in your off-time. As such, I'd appreciate a little consideration that this is now what I do in my off-time. This way, you get a comic without feeling pressured to pay and I don't get so fed up that I yank CN:H off the net, become the director of a library, and make a five-figure salary. *grin*
My professional work is my for-hire projects - commissions, contract work, stuff like that. If you hire me to do a project, I'll do the best damn work that I can. Sometimes even to my own detriment. CN:H is where I go to enjoy myself and learn.
Let's enjoy the comic together, shall we?
"It is truly said: It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to do."
-- Chow Ching
