Hey everyone. So not only are we back from our short hiatus, I’ve also decided to go back to a Monday through Friday schedule. Fun Factory is taking a short break at the moment, so I can totally get this done. At least until finals come. Bleh. Only seven or so weeks of school left then I’m a master. Crazy, huh?
Posted by marvelous patric on March 18, 2010 and filed under: comic : No Comments
I’m going to be in the Producers for the next two weeks as Roger DeBris, so I’m going to be taking a short hiatus from comics to do the show. If you’re able to come see the show at the Paramount Theatre in St. Cloud, MN, please do!
Posted by marvelous patric on February 21, 2010 and filed under: comic : No Comments
So this story is starting to bring back characters long-forgotten or make references to other gags. For your consideration…
Dr. Elvis Nichlson first appeared here.
Al’s tinfoil hat.
Posted by marvelous patric on February 10, 2010 and filed under: comic : No Comments
I feel bad for Haiti. I want to do something to help, but I am poor. That’s where you come in. Here’s what we’re doing. I am going to take commissions for the rest of the week. For $10.00, I will draw you either a full-body FNS or Fun Factory character of your choice. Your ten bucks is going to go to Haiti and you get a drawing. I’m going to do these on actual paper with pencil, so each one will be unique like a snowflake.
I’m only doing this until the end of the week. Let’s see how much we can raise!! Click the button below!
Posted by marvelous patric on January 18, 2010 and filed under: comic : No Comments
As 2010 begins, I am faced with making some decisions. The first I’ve made, which is Freaks N Squeeks is going to copy Not Invented Here and update Monday- Thursday. It just makes more sense for now with school, teaching, and being in a play. This also means that Fun Factory will update on Mondays and Fridays. Or Friday and Monday, depending on how you look at it.
The last decision I’m mulling over is pulling FNS off of WCN. I’ve thought about that a lot and for a long time. The big problem with doing that is that I have to make a new site and reupload / create the archive for over 1500 comics. So, I’d appreciate feedback on that and especially appreciate help.
Posted by marvelous patric on January 14, 2010 and filed under: comic : No Comments
Can you believe it’s already the second week of the new year? Only like 50 left! Where does the time go? By now, you’ve likely noticed that FNS is back in its 5 a week schedule. Fun Factory will return next week over at GraphicSmash. And school starts tomorrow (for me). I hope everyone else is having an awesome new year so far. 2010 is filled with potential and apprehension for me, but such is life. The exciting new thing for me is that I am in Great Theater’s production of The Producers this winter as Roger Du Bris, better known as “Gay Hitler.” This show is one of my favorites and I’m very excited to be a part of it. I’ll keep y’all posted on when the performances are and hopefully some of you in the St. Cloud MN area can get over to see it!
Also, don’t forget to give a listen to The Weekly Podcast Show! We just did a big salute to the decade that was and this week we’re peering into the future!
Posted by marvelous patric on January 11, 2010 and filed under: comic, podcast, random post! : No Comments
I have come here not to praise Halfpixel and Webcomics.com, but to bury them. For the past couple of years, the Halfpixel crew, Scott Kurtz, Kris Straub, Dave Kellet, and Brad Guigar, have taken this approach to evangelizing not only webcomics, but a business model of free content that makes a profit. Evangelizing doesn’t even say it right; they wrote a book, did podcasts, and answered a lot of questions from other cartoonists about how to be successful. And a lot of advice they gave, in the beginning, was really good. They had lots of ideas about how to use social media, website design, and basic comic making skills that were fantastic.
Then, things got a little weird. Their podcast, “Webcomics Weekly” was anything but weekly. Their popular forum and site, halfpixel.com was dismantled as they purchased webcomics.com . Dave Kellet has all but completely vanished save his comic, and Kris Straub merely shows us as a disembodied voice in a ustream every now and again with Kurtz. Webcomics.com quickly turned into “Braid Guigar tells you what to do and how to do it,” rather than a Halfpixel forum. Articles were now submitted by readers, and there were some good ones. But, it wasn’t Halfpixel giving advice anymore, it was advice sponsored by Halfpixel. Almost all of the actual advice from Halfpixel became, “Make a good comic, then buy our book, then you’ll be fine if you make a good comic.”
The podcast is long gone and now, on January 3rd, 2010, webcomics.com, for all intents and purposes, is dead. Or, far worse, behind a subscription wall. Yes, the same people who for years belittled anyone who put content behind a subscription wall have done just that. Webcomics.com will now cost you 30 bucks a year to access. This includes the same content that was just free less than a week ago.
Guigar claims it’s worth it. But, what person charging for something doesn’t?
Frankly, this feels to me akin to saying, “Yes, there is a fabulous secret to making a living doing comics, and we will share it only with those wise enough to pay us.” And, from what I’ve seen on the site in the past, this is not a true claim and certainly not worth 30 bucks. And really, we’re just paying Brad Guigar thirty bucks a month to blog. (He’s even admitted he does the bulk of the work on the site.)
Halfpixel is dead. It is now the Brad Guigar show with occasional appearances by Scott Kurtz. As much as I like their comics, I wouldn’t pay for them daily. And I sure won’t pay to read their blogs.
Posted by marvelous patric on January 4, 2010 and filed under: comic, random post! : No Comments
In the year 2010, Freaks N Squeeks whilst return in full black and white glory 5 days a week! Starting January 4th, 2010, FNS will be back! I imagine this is very exciting for everyone. Heck, I’m even working ahead trying to make sure there are comics for you to read! I’ve got a bunch of ideas and I feel energized after the color experiment so I’m excited to get back to the mice! See you Monday!
Posted by marvelous patric on December 28, 2009 and filed under: comic : No Comments
I just wanted to mention that our little Christmas story is going to go EVERYDAY which includes the weekend until its done. Hopefully, it will wrap up on the twenty-third with the 1500th Freaks N Squeeks. That’s the goal, anyway.
Posted by marvelous patric on December 18, 2009 and filed under: comic : No Comments
I want to talk about new socks. I contemplated twittering this (follow @marvelouspatric) but my thoughts on this are far more contemplated than can be expressed in a mere 142 characters. For you see, today I am wearing new socks. This has brought me a joy.
New socks are amazing. They envelope your feet in a way only new socks can. The moment you take them off and wash them, they lose that. They no longer are able to softly caress your feet, wrapping them in cottony softness. They lose that. Only new socks have that softness. Only new socks have that cling.
When I wear new socks, I feel like a king. I forgo my shoes when indoors, often being able to glide through the non-carpeted floors of my home. It’s not like skating on ice or with wheels so much as if I were suspended, by magic one assumes, a few millimeters off the ground, an almost in-perceivable amount, except to me as I glide joyously.
The moment the socks are washed, they lose this magic. As one continues to wear them, they stretch, unable to cradle the feet they cover like they once did.
I lament for my socks. I only get to experience this euphoria for maybe six days out of a year. Then, they are washed and are condemned to die their slow death, my feet killing they who once loved them so.
In a perfect world, or if I was a crazy millionaire, I would wear socks only once, when they are new. Each day, I would feel this bliss. But, if I did, would I even notice anymore? If new socks were always there, always gently coddling my feet, would I grow complacent with that feeling? That is a risk I would be willing to take.
Posted by marvelous patric on December 11, 2009 and filed under: comic : No Comments