Change

by Adam on January 18, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Posted In: blog

I’ve decided that January will be my month to finally make the website look the way I want it to.

But change is rarely a painless thing and things are going to look a little wonky until I, and to a greater extent my roommate, figure out how to make the necessary changes. So please bear with us as we muck around with the site layout.

I’d also like to hear from you guys. Lemme know what you think of the changes. Keep in mind that we’re not through, not by a long shot and more changes are on the way.

Currently we’re working on getting the date, comic title and comic navigation buttons directly underneath the comic. What do you guys think?

4 Comments

Podcast Review of Bug

by Adam on January 14, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Posted In: blog

When I started this webcomic, I assumed I’d be drawing it in a void for the first year or two. I figured the only people who would know of it’s existence would be my family and friends. To be honest, I liked the idea. You only get one chance to make a first impression and I didn’t want to reveal my strip to the world until I felt it was ready. Of course, the problem with that logic is that, knowing my perfectionism, I’d never feel the comic was ready and would keep it in a deep, dark well, never to see the light of day – much like Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs.

Well, that time has passed. “Bug” has taken off and found an audience all on it’s own. I blame Twitter. Part of me is nervous. I’m still figuring out how to do fairly basic things on website design and sometimes I feel like I entered a gross, newborn baby, still covered in afterbirth in a beauty contest. “She’ll get cuter! Give her time! Lemme wipe some of this goo off.” I shout. But I can’t deny how wonderful it feels to watch the amount of visitors I get steadily rise.

This feeling of euphoria peaked a couple of days ago when I received an email from the host of a podcast called “The Dish”. It’s a podcast that focuses on webcomics and comics as a whole, hosted by two guys and a girl (sans pizza place). The host informed me that “Bug” was going to be reviewed on their latest episode. You can check it out here. My review comes in at around 28 minutes in. It’s a fun podcast to listen to – and I’m not just saying that. I’m planning on listening to their next one.

Comments Off on Podcast Review of Bug

A Cautionary Tale

by Adam on December 31, 2009 at 12:14 am
Posted In: blog

I knew better.

That’s what kills me. I knew I should always backup all of my work on the webcomic.

Today, my computer got a nasty virus. I mean nasty. My good friend, Kevin – who fixes computers for a living – couldn’t get rid of the sucker. He took my stillborn fetus of a computer home tonight to do some major surgery on it. He was kind enough to help me figure out how to make tomorrow’s post (12/31) using my little netbook. Thank god I had a spare computer!

But I knew I should be backing up my work. Backing up on CD’s, on an external hard drive, on a online service like DropBox. I planned to plunk down some Christmas dough on such things but I waited too long and paid the price. Unless Kevin can salvage my work, I got a world of work to redo . I draw the strips on paper so I didn’t lose them but I’ll still have to scan them in again so I have all the TIFF files for print plus a lot of other little things.

So, to all you other webcartoonists: Back up your work. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir on this one but it can’t be stressed enough. Back it up to several sources. Leave nothing to chance. And for god sakes, don’t surf the web on your work computer. Buy yourself a second computer to play around on. Let your work computer be a sanctuary, a ship that sails to as few ports as possible.

In closing, I just want to thank my good friend, Kevin, who bailed me out of a jam. I wouldn’t be able to post a strip tonight if it weren’t for him.

4 Comments

Thanks for Your Help

by Adam on December 23, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Posted In: blog

Just wanted to formally thank all of you who commented and emailed me on the look of the website. You guys pretty much confirmed what I thought as well: the website should reflect the simplistic style of the strip.

I’ve wanted to be a cartoonist all my life but I always assumed I’d get into newspapers. It’s only in the past couple of years that I’ve redirected my efforts to the web so I’m a bit more behind all this CSS, HTML nonsense that I’m sure most of you out there have a firm grasp of. I like to think I know just enough to be dangerous – and I do mean dangerous. I once attempted to change the color to the calendar and accidentally locked myself, and everyone else, out of my website.

I’m glad most of you like the simple look. I do too. And more little changes will be coming (custom menu bar, custom navigation buttons, etc) but I think the overall look won’t change for a while.

Thanks for your help, everyone!

2 Comments

I need your help

by Adam on December 20, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Posted In: blog

I’m just not happy with the look of my website.

I mean, it looks “fine” but I don’t want my website to look just “fine”. Problem is, I don’t know what it should look like. So I’m looking to you, fair reader, to help me out. I mean, let’s face it, it’s more important that the web page is aesthetically pleasing to you guys.

I’d appreciate any thoughts you guys have on the look of the site. Fire away!

4 Comments