COMMENTARY

The relationship between Spy Gal and Star Maiden is one of my most favorite things in the SuperFogeys, and I don’t spend nearly enough time on it. Spy Gal’s mothering instinct really comes out when she sees someone suffering and yet…she’s still Spy Gal.
I think I could have drawn the light effect better (lines are too thick).

Webcomic Reader’s Choice Awards

There’s a new webcomic awards game in town and SuperFogeys is eligible (all comics listed on Frumph.net are). The awards are run by the great Frumph of www.frumph.net and September is nominations month. At the end of the month the all-star panel of judges will judge the nominees and decide the winner in each category. Not quite majority rules, but close.

Right now, despite getting some placement on the home page (thanks, Frumph!), the SuperFogeys is not getting much love.

If you’re so inclined, head on over to the Webcomic Reader’s Choice Awards to register and begin nominating. I plan on doing so in the next couple of days as well.

Drunk Duck Awards Update

Speaking of awards… SF lost out in another category. This time it’s “Best Parody/Tribute Comic.” Once again, our very own “Smik” of Super Tempsfame takes home the prize. Hey, if I’m gonna lose at least it stays in the family. Congrats once again, Smik.

As of this writing the returns are not quite in for “Best Antagonist.” Here’s hoping Dr. Rocket can take home the prize for us. If only because it will be all the sweeter given the title of this chapter.

Fan Art by Moi

As a humble “thank you” to Chip Skelton for the stellar job he did illustrating a story in SuperFogeys Book 3, I went ahead and did a little portrait of Steely Dan from Chip’s comic “Broken.” Chip assures me it’s good enough to post. Go on and give it a look to see if you agree.

Have you check out “Marooned” yet?

If you haven’t checked out Marooned by the very funny Tom Dell’Aringa (cool name, even if I don’t know how to pronounce it) then you need to do so asap.

If you’d like to get a good, quick feel for the comic there’s no better way than to check out this trailer. It’s one of the better ones I’ve seen. Very well-made and professionally done.

Fatigue

I don’t know what it is, but lately I’ve been feeling some real fatigue. Between all the work on the new website and the other demands on my time, I think I’m in the middle of some kind of hump that I’ve just got to find a way to get over.

September 22nd will be SF’s 2-year anniversary. In one sense, that’s pretty amazing. In another…I wonder how far I’ve come with this thing in that time. I still have my story to tell and I think I’m producing pretty strong stuff, but it’s hard to tell sometimes. The only hits I can really track and the only feedback I really get is on Drunk Duck. And while you guys have been AMAZING with your support and enthusiasm (as well and your most welcomed criticisms), I’ve also seen the hits go on a downward trend lately. Of course, SF’s ranking overall on DD hasn’t changed much (which leads me to believe it’s more of a DD problem than an SF problem), but still…I wanna grow this thing, y’know?

I don’t pretend to do SuperFogeys for myself. I don’t pander and change my storylines to fit the tastes of my readers, but I also don’t have any illusions about the fact that if people stopped reading SF tomorrow…then I’d stop making it. I’ve always felt like SF exists to completion in my head. The only reason to write it out and draw it is so that others can see it.

With this website update coming, I feel like there’s finally a real shot for me to reach out to the masses with SuperFogeys and offer them something special. Up til now, www.superfogeys.com has been one dog of a site. Everybody knows that. Th3rd World knows it. I know it. Everyone knows it. But now…with this new site, I think SF is finally getting the presentation it deserves and needs. Plus…wait for it…we’re gonna start some proper advertising. Yeah, ’bout time. I agree.

Of course the fear there is that SuperFogeys just isn’t good enough to warrant a larger fan base. I seem to have the respect of my peers, but as for the regular reader? I don’t know that there are many out there. Do they know of SF and just don’t care? Have they never heard of it? I suppose I’m about to find out as an honest grab for attention is made. Kind of scary, that.

So, here we go. I’m about to enter year 3 and I’ve gotta deal with this fatigue I’m feeling. Sure, I only produce two strips a week (in color), but for me, with my schedule, that’s a big deal. I want to feel like it’s all worth it. I want to feel like all this time investment is for something as special as I actually think it is.

And yes, I’m equating “special” with interest from the public at large. Argue the point if it makes you feel better, but that’s where my head is at right now. I’ve always done this with the idea of making just a little bit of money. So far, that hasn’t really happened. But my hope is that it will. I still believe that it can. It’s just harder to convince myself lately.

So, yeah, I want to see SF grow. It would help me if it did. That’s not so bad, is it?

(Thanks for letting me vent for a little while. Please don’t see the above as an invitation to cheer me up or reassure me that SF is the best comic about a super-powered old folks’ home ever. Like, EVER. That’s not why I’m saying these things. Sometimes it just feels good to get it off your chest, y’know? Plus, hey, communicating with you, the reader? Not such a bad thing. We’re all human beings behind the pixels after all.)

Next Week:

Tangerine finally arrives in Valhalla!