Thursday and the Giant is down two...

[maus]

We got that news update on the 26th, and I half expected the third strip for the week to come up, but no. The last strip posted was the 24th.

I get Rich is hurt or something, details were sketchy on this, but it's Thursday and there still isn't a new strip. So will this week be a two or one strip week?

A no strip week?

Then the Giant would be down somewhere between three and five strips. That would totally flub the three-a-week randomly deposited average. Unless he's saving for a week that he intends to drop one on us everyday.

In which case, I have nothing to complain about.

Get better man.

[VetMichael]

Might I point out that the strip and the website (and this forum) are here by Rich's generosity? His strip is a favor to us, the public, and there is no real contract - the "randomly 3 times a week" is an informal promise, not a binding contract - and to complain that there is not another strip this week is rather disrespectful, in my opinion (though your disappointment is understandable).

[GrayMatter]

He's taking a break and sleeping late every day to catch up, just like me.

Actually, please get used to it. Rich has a few health issues, the latest one being an elbow injury. If he got back to work too soon, he may have caused a relapse. It takes days and large amounts of anti-inflammatories to bring down a swelling involving a tendon, and if you don't, it only gets worse.

If you'd like to know what it feels like, imagine if someone replaced the sheath of an important tendon, like the one that straightens your arm when you reach out, with red hot sandpaper. Either way you try move your arm, the sandpaper does its thing, and of course, pain only makes you tense up the muscles, which makes it hurt more :(

Although, if you'd like to start a collection to hire Rich a personal attendant to keep him from slipping on sidewalks, I'm in :D

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Weren't there two or so other posts here earlier?

Meh... Either way it doesn't matter. Rich will post when he is able to, and unfortunatly for the rest of us, not before then.

In the meanwhile, people can go down to the Arts and Craft forum and check out some of the fan comics. Obviously from my signature I have a preference, but there might be something else for you to read if Failing Saves doesn't do it for you.

[Greebo]

10/14/2007

So, obviously, The Order of the Stick is back. I've gotten a few emails from...let's call them, "passionately concerned readers"...who were under the mistaken impression that once my vacation was over, OOTS would return to a regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. Just to clear everything up, no, OOTS's update schedule will remain random for the foreseeable future. Taking three weeks off was very good for me, but it doesn't actually change any of the facts that caused me to switch to a random schedule in the first place.

The goal is still to have three comics a week, every week, but that may not be possible. The next best thing, therefore, is to "catch up" afterwards when circumstances force me to miss. I only produced one comic last week, so now I have posted four this week—putting me only one comic "in the hole". So during some future week when the stars align more favorably (maybe next week, maybe not), I will again post four comics to bring me up to a three-a-week average since the comic's return from hiatus. And once I "zero out" my late comic balance, any additional comics beyond three that I do in any given week will go into a hypothetical buffer to guard against future absences. Or at least, that's the plan. We'll see how it plays out in reality.

Rich really should stop even posting goals, because some people will always interpret a "goal" as a "promise".

Rich is making no promises. Get used to it.

Updates will be there, when they show up.

[Fozzie]

Actually he IS fullfilling what he said: He will post whenever he can, when in the end it will be more or less like 3/week...

So no complains, people...

[MCerberus]

If you're getting all anxious about it, an hour or so browsing the Silly Message Board Games forum.

I highly recommend

Spoiler

Show

The game! You LOSE... wait... I lose... we all lose!

They're oh so silly but it can get really fun.

[pendell]

Actually he IS fullfilling what he said: He will post whenever he can, when in the end it will be more or less like 3/week...

So no complains, people...

What *I*'m concerned about is a possible vicious circle; he falls behind, so he pushes himself harder to "make up" for it with some above-average weeks, which break his health, which makes him fall further behind, causing himself to push himself harder ... etc.

I enjoy these comics and I'd be delighted with a 3 comic-a-week schedule. But I also understand Rich is sick and I don't want him to kill himself just to please *us*. He's persuaded me of his sense of professionalism.

Unlike Erfworld, sadly, which I have mostly given up on. But that's not just due to the sporadic updates -- in it's case, unlike OOTS, the story has just reached the point where I just don't care anymore what happens to the characters in the strip.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[silvadel]

Tai Quan Leap is all about patience young student

But I want to know how NOW...

boot to the head... shup shup

[Fozzie]

What *I*'m concerned about is a possible vicious circle; he falls behind, so he pushes himself harder to "make up" for it with some above-average weeks, which break his health, which makes him fall further behind, causing himself to push himself harder ... etc.

Agreed...
First of all, he must stay healthy himself...

[hanzo66]

The comics are pretty much out whenever Rich can make them and put them out. His current schedule isn't exactly perfect. I'm willing to be patient as long as the comics aren't completely cancelled.

[Strengfellow]

The lurgy in the playground is a potent foe.

Even now I suspect The Giant is slurping down various potions of cure disease (insert name brand medicine or prefered soup here) preparing a comeback even better than that of Hotblack Desatio, and he spent a year dead for tax reasons.

[Label]

What *I*'m concerned about is a possible vicious circle; he falls behind, so he pushes himself harder to "make up" for it with some above-average weeks, which break his health, which makes him fall further behind, causing himself to push himself harder ... etc.

I don't see how sitting on a computer drawing up comics can break someone. Unless Rich is one seriously frail human being. I'm not trying to be a douche bag or anything, I just never understood how working from home on a computer could be difficult, there isn't much manual labor involved. Although, maybe Rich has carpal tunnel, that would explain a lot. If that was the case, I'd have a lot more sympathy for him.

[AKA_Bait]

His current schedule isn't exactly perfect. I'm willing to be patient as long as the comics aren't completely cancelled.

I think you should be patient regardless. I'm nothing but grateful for the 508 strips of free entertainment (not to mention all the entertainment from these boards) just as it is. If Rich decided to give it up and retire tomorrow we should all throw him a big 'Thank You' party.

Being in NY, if I actually knew him in person, I would do just that.

Stuff.

Dude, please. You have no idea what condition Rich has. There are literally thousands of conditions that would make it difficult for a person to create a webcomic, let alone a webcomic of the quality of OotS, on a weekly, let alone 3/x weekly basis. It's not exactly easy to do for a person without a lingering condition of any measure. Please direct me to the thousands of other equally good webcomics out there if you honestly think it's not a taxing endeavor. If he says he is injured or ill, or even that he has been kidnapped by pirates, we all owe him the benifit of the doubt and as much time as he wants.

Rich owes us nothing, if anything we owe him. I sincerely hope he takes all the time he needs between strips, no matter how long that might be, up to and including forever, to be healthy and well. I wish people would stop thinking they have a right to complain at all.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

I don't see how sitting on a computer drawing up comics can break someone.

Ever hear of repetitive stress injuries? And monitors can be killer on your eyes.

In any case, part of the problem is also he gets sick from other sources. Evidently in ways that don't mesh with being up and about at all.

And furthermore, there's more to making this comic than just sitting at the computer. He's gotta go through the whole creative process—which includes getting out and about and away from the monitor looking for inspiration, plotting things out, scripting it, going through revisions, and then, just maybe then, sitting down and actually producing what will become the final product.

And that's just for the comic side of things.

He's also got various bits o' merchandise to manage. As much as he keeps away from the forum, he's still gotta worry about the website.

And then his independent, non-OotS related work...

There's plenty of room to work your health down the tubes. Physically and Psychologically.

[Ancalagon]

What *I*'m concerned about is a possible vicious circle; he falls behind, so he pushes himself harder to "make up" for it with some above-average weeks, which break his health, which makes him fall further behind, causing himself to push himself harder ... etc. .

Just... stop thinking for other people who are old and smart enough to think for themselves... it is that easy...

[VetMichael]

*Lands back into the thread with an oozy, wet thump*

It's been said better by others the reason why Rich hasn't posted a comic yet, why he might be delayed, and what kinds of injuries can be sustained at a computer, so I will not contribute to the mutilation of the corpse of an equine...


However, I'd also like to point out something that other people might have overlooked - though I am far from an expert on the comings-and-goings, day-to-day life of one Rich Burlew - might I posit the following:


he has other things to do, particularly with the Holiday season in full swing; things like a PAYING job, visiting relatives, the Flu, promoting his book(s), approving cover art/layout/publishing material, crowds at the stores, writer's block, tennis elbow, catching up on missed episodes of Gilligan's Island, extraordinary rendition, some quality "me" time, or a million other things.


I think we all (or at least most of us) understand that writers don't really get a lot of money for their work, overall (unless you're Steven King or Sue Grafton) which adds additional stress of finding gainful employment/steady paychecks. And even if he IS a full-time artist, even the best get behind in their work, get injured, get tired and need a break, and get distracted.

Just my 2(+) bits

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: This is an Inappropriate Topic and defined by the Forum Rules (linked for your enjoyment at the top of every page). Thread locked.