If It Weren't for Keenspace ...

[VileTerror]

It's been ten years since viewtopic.php?f=4&t=78582 and I felt it could be a little inspiring to remember what this community has been able to provide its members over the years. There's no reason the community can't continue to unite and stimulate, so long as it has active members. I encourage you to do your part, as to revitalize Keenspace in a positive and meaningful way.

[Ti-Phil]

If it weren't for keenspace/comic genesis I might have never been able to get into my trade. It helped me to push my drawing skills past my limits as well as being a way to communicate in english, something I do not do on a daily basis at work nor at home.

[Toxic]

... I would never have believed in love.

[Terotrous]

In what ways did CG NOT change my life? CG helped me to become more confident and outgoing, and being exposed to many of the cool things people were doing drove me to be more ambitious with my own projects. If I had never been to CG I'm sure my novel would never exist, for example, and of all the things I've done that's probably the one I'm most proud of. Also, I met the person I love here, which was also a pretty big deal.

Looking back on the thread VT linked, I really feel like we were a part of something great, and I'm thankful I got to be here for it. I can't believe it's been 10 years. I still remember most of the people there even after not hearing from them all this time. I hope all the rest of the gang have also moved on to do great things, or at least wasted the last 10 years in a really awesome way.

[Yeahduff]

Wow. VileTerror.

[LibertyCabbage]

This might come across as bragging ... but whatever.

If it weren't for CG, I wouldn't have started my blog. And I showed my blog to a publisher, and they hired me to manage one of their e-zines.

I can't say that I got the job entirely because of my blog, as I brought up other publications I've worked on since I joined CG ... but it probably helped.

The best part is that spending eight hours a day doing this is making me become a much better editor and writer. When I write for my blog now, I feel like I'm on brain-steroids compared to how I was even just a few months ago. I think part of it, though, is that I just feel so much better now that I'm out of my boring, soul-crushing, dead-end job. I'm no longer feeling burdened and weighed down by all the negativity I associated with it.

It's still kind of hard to work on my blog since I'm tired and exhausted by the end of the day ... but I'm feeling better now than I have in a long time.

[Dr Legostar]

Ten years ago I responded to that thread with

"Without CG i wouldn't be making as many people laugh and wouldn't be laughing as much because of a lot of people. I've discovered so many great people through CG and many friends I hope to keep for a very long time."

Still holds true.

[[AlmightyPyro]]

If it weren't for Keenspace, I probably wouldn't have the career I have today, and I probably wouldn't have ever looked outside the boundaries of my little Texas town to realize how ignorant and stupid I was as a 15 year old.

It's good to see you guys again.

[VileTerror]

If not for Keenspace, I almost certainly would not have gone to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival about ten years ago.
If I didn't go to that festival, I may not have had enough Relationship Points with the woman who is now my wife for her to become my wife.

So, in a way, it's thanks to Keenspace that I'm married, and it will be Keenspace's fault if my wife and I ever figure out a away to successfully breed.

That's right, Keenspace! If there are ever mini-VileTerrors running around the world, you only have yourself to blame.

[Fading Aura]

If not for Keenspace, I almost certainly would not have gone to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival about ten years ago.

Was this the same festival where you wore a black mask and suit completely disguising your identity?

So, in a way, it's thanks to Keenspace that I'm married, and it will be Keenspace's fault if my wife and I ever figure out a away to successfully breed.

You wouldn't be alone. Cortland, the Kolters and other former Spacers now have their own families. Where does the time go?

[VileTerror]

The former portion of your post is rather hurtful, Aura. Yes, I did wear my black outfit (as I have at many occasions), but it did no disguise my identity. It is an identity. Not perfectly ideal, certainly, but most definitely superior to the weakness of some paarticular flesh.

As to the latter point; can any of those individuals attribute their families' creation to Keenspace itself? Did they meet their prospective partners through Keenspace? Did Keenspace play a part in forging the bond which lead to spawning offspring?

[Ideal Comics]

As to the latter point; can any of those individuals attribute their families' creation to Keenspace itself? Did they meet their prospective partners through Keenspace? Did Keenspace play a part in forging the bond which lead to spawning offspring?

Rhys here. Not me. My wife and I tied the knot, literal and figurative, AND had our boys before I started making comics. But in the intervening years, I have gotten to work with My Mrs. AND with each of my boys on my comics.

[Toxic]

My current main hoe is the friend of a CGer (TeamMayhem). He didn't introduce us, but did give a full-hearted endorsement prior to our first date.

[VileTerror]

It would be oddly apt in my twisted little world if you ended up having a Keen-baby, Toxic, if only for that drawing I have vague memory of you doing for the old KeenBabies art thing we did like ten years ago.

[Mr Ekshin]

VileTerror... Holy cow. Still here. Married? Kids? Please say you have a beergut. Even if you don't, please just say that you do. It would make my universe that much more awesome.

I'm not sure if anyone remembers me, but I used to spend my life here. It was my mania. I used to do a comic even, before a massive upheaval to my life that I never recovered from.

I don't lurk. If I come here to look around, I have to post. I'm still driven that way.

I got to the point that I posted comics about the forums more often than my normal stuff. I thought, “I think I'm just doing a comic about the people who do comics.” That concept fit me.

Because of Keenspace, I “met” a group of people who's influence I cherish. The people I met, typed words to, and read back from.

I'll bet I have the largest collection of actual artist pictures of anyone else. I saved them, because even back then, I had a sense of nostalgia. So if anyone wants to see what Rkolter, or CJBurgundy, or MercuryHat(to name a few) looked like over 12 years ago, I may have to get that stuff up on Imgur. Then again, I accept extortion fees for those who wish to never have those pictures see the light of day again.

I believe I even have those photos of VT AS a gimp mask (not IN one, since apparently that WAS the persona).

I miss people, and don't know whatever happened to them. Yarpsdat (?), Mr. Bob (Star Bored), Ayame Ex Goddess (Newscast),RPin (Alex and Ilia), Grace (Because of Math Class),KensouX (The Fan), Ida (Mechagical Girl Lisa A.N.T.), Codeguy (Quest of the Silly), Sippan (Sippan Serie), FAUB (Fallen Angels Used Books)...

People who were just plain fun to hear from here: KittyKatBlack (I have waaay too many pictures of your avatar. See t-shirt reference below), VileTerror, McDuffies, Ghastly, Jim North, Terotrous (I miss the little blender avatar), Gooblah, DeityPermit, MixedMyth, Yeahduff, Coydog, Shinedog, Dogdog (Okay, I made that one up), Col, Cortland, Lag the Noggin, Soap Committee, Evil Jamie, Komiyan, MariaAndMichelle, Mercury Hat, Joel Fagin, KrisX, Ly, PeppermintAfterlife, Pimpette, ToxicAvenger, Brockway, Turnsky, That guy who got spotted and suddenly stopped doing his comic... Tortelli? Benelli? Minelli? Minestrone?

(If I've omitted anyone it's because I never cared about you. Or forgot. Or never met. It's one of those.)

Oh, and Feru and Momo from Magical Artist Pencil.

After I lost my job/apartment and had to move back to my hometown, I never was able to gain traction again to draw. I wish I did. New ideas come weekly. Oh, wait, I mean weakly.

When Keenspace's name was changed, it made it easier for me to cut away. It was simply a bad naming choice. It's too wordy. Two more days of thought should have been yielding a better name, but “comicgenesis” really sucks fat balls as a domain name. The interface blows as well now. The search feature doesn't' appear to work for finding other people's comics.

Also, tonight I was trying to hit some old comicgenesis comic sites and google pops up with bad site warnings. They need to get this shit fixed. I get redirects to “togizoushi.comicgen.com” from my phone. Or is this an advertiser? Fix it or watch this place die.

What I have been doing is writing humorous erotica. I'd say something like, “don't laugh”, but actually you're supposed to; that's the point of it. Of course, it's under an alias... internet nickname... because I didn't want to soil the good name that “Mr_Ekshin” has... Wow. Why did I use a different nickname again?

I'm realizing I had nothing to really lose. Oh, right... I use “Ekshin” when I sing in my church choir, and they'd think badly of my pseudonym they found out I write stories with naughty words, and people having entirely too much fun with the things that those naughty words indicate. Often and in interesting positions. Sometimes there are space aliens.

So anywho, get this: I am still in touch with Momo from Magical Artist Pencil. We still give each other prods (and humorous pictures) to keep each other writing. That's 14 years later people, and a friendship made from this place was rekindled. Crazy, right?

Well, maybe not after last night. My brother and I went to see “Infinity War”, but it was full, and the next two screenings were also full. So we went to a bar and I drank an IPA that was nummy and 7.3%. Remember those old rants I used to clog this place with? Wow, I sent a massive text to Momo that started with commenting on her hair, and finally ended up with the realization that the industry standard size of doughnut holes hasn't changed since 1948 (It hasn't!). So I'm on a self-imposed time-out for a while, because I think I was a drunken idiot (I tried to read what I wrote this morning, but winced and just couldn't finish it).

When I woke up this morning, I also realized there was a mouse in my room. He keeps tripping my traps but doesn't get caught. I feel like Wile E. Coyote trying to catch that little bastard. I noticed that he chewed a hole in my favorite* clean-up t-shirt that's next to my computer desk (more economical than tissues, and socks aren't absorbent enough). So now I have to either catch him soon, or start leaving food out for him so he'll stop chewing holes in all my jizz encrusted clothes.

Oh, hush you. I have to write this kind of thing so people realize it's really me. It's like a CIA password challenge.

“But is it really him?”

“He's going on about a mouse chewing holes in the shirt he wipes his wiener on. It can ONLY be him.”

In closing, I really miss all you people, and love you, and think of you often (I have the stains to prove it).

P.S. What would Ghastly think of me these days? Would he be proud? I like to think he'd shed a happy tear. I used to be so repressed.

*This statement reaches a whole new level of horrifying when your mind really processes the word, “favorite”.

[Cortland]

I wouldn't have visited Toronto, London, St. Louis, or Nashville. I wouldn't have gotten into swing dancing for my wife Vivian or had our two kids. In short, I would be stuck in the Pottersville universe from It's a Wonderful Life.

My Christmas, you wonderful old Keenspace!

[Spaceprincess]

until I joined CG, i never even thought of using forums (now of course forums are all dead) and was an utter noob at this internet posting stuff and was a retarded sperg...

now Im just a middle aged degenerate who thinks pewdiepie videos are the hight of culture. you laugh you lose? i always lose you swedcuck.

I'm so into shit posting i do it irl. I called a coworker a soyboy cuck and told someone else "the holocaust was a hoax".

It all went wrong when a thread here turned into a photoSJW shit show, and i remember trying to be civil with people I liked and they were just asshole. that was the moment i stopped caring about etiquette...

Thanks comic genesis... you turned me from nice into an troll.

do hope everyone else is doing well. shine on you crazy diamonds

[Yeahduff]

Maybe I would be doing comics, maybe not. I dunno. Otherwise, probably nothing major would change.

[Warren]

I was a (comparatively) middle-aged degenerate in the heyday. Never met any of ya face-to-face, but it sure was fun trying to be shocking.

There wasn't much more to do out in the sticks other than things that would have actually been productive.

Now I don't live in the sticks. Live in the same city as a couple alumni from here.... but still haven't met any of youse face-to-face.

[Bobadventures]

My comic is one of the two most important creative works I've ever produced, the other being my novel. I've loved producing it these past 13 years. Having a regular artistic outlet during rough times has been invaluable to me.

And yet, when I think how much of myself I've poured into this comic over the years, and how little it has availed me in any real world sense... ah well. Such is art, I suppose.

I used to hang out on this forum a fair bit. Then one guy here offered to review other people's webcomics. I figured it was a chance for some very minor free publicity, so I said sure. He absolutely excoriated my work, seemingly just for the amusement of it, and then reposted his critique on a site he'd started expressly for mocking struggling artists. For years, his stupid review was one of the first things that came up on any google search of my comic's title.

I didn't want to hang out here again after that.