Have you ever gone on hiatus?

ZOMBIE USER 16849 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 16849** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:17 pm

I'm not talking like "Oh no, I missed one update!" I'm talking, "I'm going away now, and I don't know when I'm coming back - probably like 64972634382 weeks from now."

I'm kind of in that situation now, where I have no drive to update my comic amongst all the other things in life raining on my ass. I've done it twice before (once during winter break, then during spring break), so I think to do it to readers a third time is pretty ridiculous.

What do y'all think? I don't think it's okay to keep ditching the comic (and thus, pass a class or two), but I'm wondering if the readers are going to start getting impatient and stop coming. I'm at my all-time high here, folks - 300 readers! I don't want to lose that, but I don't have time right now to keep it.

ZOMBIE USER 18017 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 18017** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:27 pm

I think it'd okay to go on hiatus as long as you intend to eventually come back. Periodically leave updates that say more than, "Oh, um, maybe in another week or two," like "Can't update now because blahblah, but I'm thinking when I have a month off from class I can..." and talk of future plans for the comic. Just so the readers don't feel like you've deserted the comic.

RPin · Post by **RPin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:54 pm

Never.

Chaos Cricket · Post by **Chaos Cricket** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 12:59 pm

I don't think a hiatus is necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're not really feeling like doing it right now. I'd rather you took a couple of weeks off or whatever, got the urge to do the comic again, and then came back and updated, rather than continuing to try to update when you really don't feel it, and thus crank out substandard stuff. Not to say your stuff has been substandard; on the contrary, I'm very impressed with what you've done so far, Soap. But if you're feeling burned out and overburdened, I think taking a break could benefit both you and the comic. But as MissAlaina said, I think letting readers know what's going on, and giving us an estimate on it could also help preserve your readers and make them feel like this was important and that you would come back to it.

LAGtheNoggin · Post by **LAGtheNoggin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:04 pm

1 and a half years and counting. I'm updating with sketches to keep me drawing and ideas flowing but even that's more difficult than I imagined... Blegh.

School and life is more important. If comics and drawing is your life then naturally you shouldn't hiatus, but if you've got more important things to do then do them first.

Now if only I took heed of that advice... *goes back to playing Desert Combat*

Cheebs · Post by **Cheebs** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:10 pm

I did, but it was only (supposed to be) for two weeks, and I had my senior project (a 15-page comic) going daily. I add the "supposed to be" because before I put up the last two pages of the senior project, the Boardy sever of Keenspace died and involuntarily extended the hiatus.

War · Post by **War** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:10 pm

Yes. I generally last about a week before the sheer overflow of ideas and enthusiasm makes me explode into a comicing frenzy. Last time I ended up spending more time drawing comics in a week than I spent sleeping.
Never been on a proper hiatus though.

Grabmygoblin · Post by **Grabmygoblin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:15 pm

stress can affect the quality of your comic soap, go ahead your readers will be there so long as you update with sketches or mutterings (I still read dragonboy even though he sent the characters off to school and effectivly ended the comic

and now updates with occasional (as in maybe once a minth)comics based on his life and odd sketches.)

RPin · Post by **RPin** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:36 pm

Hiatus is evil. You should set to a more realistic schedule if you know these things are going to happen, Soap.

Constancy is more important than frequency. You should always give something for your readers to come back. If you know you can't keep up, do like me and settle for weekly updates.

If I just uploaded everything to the day after they are finished, I'd have gone into hiatus more than you did. I'd even be on hiatus right now.

Luprand · Post by **Luprand** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:59 pm

Speaking as the hiatus king, let me just at least tell you to keep the hiatus short.

If only because those torch-and-pitchfork mobs just don't help with sleep at all.

--Sij

ZOMBIE USER 16849 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 16849** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:01 pm

Thanks for all your input! Updating with sketches isn't a bad idea, and since I'm always having to make sketches - it couldn't hurt. Or maybe it will hurt....but only a little.

Art is indeed my life, but I've got art and liberal studies classes to be graded on. Deity Permit ain't keeping me on the Dean's List. 8)

My schedule has been okay, but suddenly two classes assigned two papers, three journals, a math test (tomorrow! shit!), an oceanography test (Thursday! Shit!), and of course, my drawings for drawing class (all the damn time).

Not to mention, my birthday (Wednesday! Woo!), but I think I'm too bogged for that at the moment!

Hardware · Post by **Hardware** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:23 pm

I never thought that I would take a hiatus, but I'm in the middle of what will probably be a 6 month + one right now. As the majority of my comic was done while I was unempolyed, and I now work 50+ hours a week, the change was quite severe for me.

I do miss it. I actually had a few regular fans there towards the end. As it stands my visitors per day has dropped from the all time high of twenty something to about 7. I have stopped by with comments on my tagboard a few times, and I made some unrelated single panel comics that I posted. Apparently people are still checking back, because I've gotten some feedback on them.

I wish I still had the free time and pent up creativity that I used to spend on my comic, but it hasn't happend in a while. When work calms down in a month or so, I hope that I want to go back and pick up where I left off.

We'll see I suppose.

Jaster! · Post by **Jaster!** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:55 pm

Hi, a Tus, you say? I don't know what that is. I'm pretty sure no one who does webcomics ever takes one of those.

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:55 pm

I've taken a couple days off since I moved into my house. Should probably take a little longer, though.

Brockway · Post by **Brockway** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 2:57 pm

No real hiatus's, although there have been big update gaps. Even doing weekly updates is tough for me, with the having to wake up early and class stuff. But since I don't have readers, I don't have your problem SC!

Your talent shall be your downfall! Mwuaahaahaa!!

*goes off to read logs and cry along with sippan*

Gage Kronos · Post by **Gage Kronos** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:19 pm

Seeing as how my comic isn't even off the ground yet, I don't think I can vote at the moment. ^_^ But since I WANT to make art my job, doing this comic is something that I think will be beneficial to me in the long run. Besides, I have a story to tell and I'm going to tell it, damn it, whether people like it or not. This is MY story. ::snickers::

But yeah, since I'm trying to return to school in order to get the necessary training I need, and that lovely piece of parchment that says I got it...I'm anticipating being overwhelmed with school work...which is one of the reason's I haven't bothered to start posting my comic et despite having 10 pages finished. I want a HUGE buffer of completed things so I don't have to fall back on a hiatus.

I'm not against them, as school, family, and other things that can keep a roof over your head are more important. People sometimes just get upset if they don't understand that sometimes real life catches up or things happen that pull people away from what, to some, is only a side hobby. But I figure since I'm anticipating a period of heavy work loads I might as well prepare now...BEFORE that happens.

Chaos Cricket · Post by **Chaos Cricket** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:23 pm

I don't think it's a hiatus itself that annoys most people. Rather, it's an artist taking a prolonged break without warning, without notice, and without telling anyone when they'll be back or anything like that. It's being kept in the dark that annoys people. At least, that's what annoys me.

Sippan · Post by **Sippan** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 3:29 pm

What's REALLY annoying is when the artist doesn't even say they're gone, but rather just stop updating the comic. And it gets even more annoying when they return after a long while - but instead of posting a new comic they ask for money so they can buy a gameboy. Yep, someone's been removed from my list of recommended webcomics, allright...

Myself, I never have and never will, unless I have no other option (if my computer explodes or something)

Faub · Post by **Faub** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 5:00 pm

I've never missed an update but I've done some full page sketches and called them pages and I've changed my update schedule twice to reduce the load. The reason I've never missed a day is because I have a three and a half week buffer (this buffer is also the reason my forum is dead - my readers and I are too far apart in the story).

Really, your update schedule doesn't look too bad (except maybe that month long break you took in December). Your comic looks good enough to wait a week for but I think you need to pick a day that will be your update day and post something. If you have another February where you could update twice a week, make the comics but only show them on THAT DAY. That will build up your buffer so when December rolls around your readers won't notice.

Toxic · Post by **Toxic** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 5:47 pm

I had a hiatus from Dec 30 to March 1st, mostly updating with some sketches. I don't like to disappoint fans,