Here we have a couple of characters commissioned by Merlin for me! Yes, I’m coming back, baby! (Just inking the unfinished Ch 23 comics from the past to clean things up).
Thanks for sticking by me.
The Dragon Doctors
Battling evil and curing what ails you!
Glad to hear you’re still making progress. Take what time you need.
There’s a point where you have to stop giving support. Endless coddling only encourages the problem, at some point Speedball needs to be told “Hey, either come back and start the comic even in it’s roughest form like you used to do, or don’t even bother”. At a certain point empathy /does/ /not/ work and only prolongs the problem as they fall into a comfort and security blanket of which they will never climb out of.
Everyone has been supportive of Speedball for years, but the time for patting him on the back is over. If he doesn’t follow through with updating the comic within the next month, then frankly everyone should take this comic out of their favorites (sad as it may be because this comic really /was/ something special back in the day). There’s no point sticking around for wet blanketing and continual broken promises.
There will always be people who are negative. You owe us NOTHING. Make the comic because you want to. If it comes down to your health, Fare well and thanks for the art.
Rude people exist on the internet, that will always be true. Don’t let ungrateful people diminish your fun.
It’s a shame that people see ‘tough love’ as being rude. I want to see Speedball get better. I want to see him get back up on the saddle and back to where he enjoys doing things, but there’s a time where ‘fan support’ turns into ‘procrastination crutch’. Of course we all want what is best for him and yes, he doesn’t owe us this comic, but at this point it is bad for HIS health and well-being to continue coddling him. Here’s a quote I found on the TVTropes page of “Apologises A Lot”.
“The thing with an apology is that it’s something precious, like diamonds. If it happens once in a while, it’s meaningful. If it only rarely happens, it can be a surprise. But if it happens too much, it loses its value, and thus loses its impact.”
— Mackenzie DeBruin”
All we’ve heard from Speedball for years now is ‘I’m sorry, I’m gonna start posting comics again’ but then he doesn’t, cites some emotional turmoil reason and then the flurry of well wishers show up. Which could be what he planned all along, he might live for comments like yours that /justify/ his actions. No one but Speed can say for certain, of course.
Is he doing it on purpose? Who knows, he could be, or he could just be stuck in a loop brought on by habitual behavior. He could very well be addicted to the ‘good feelings’ that get produced by his body when he reads about people saying ‘get well soon, take all the time you need’. He might not, but I think the time for being 100% ‘understanding’ is over with.
It’s time to be the supportive fanbase who is tired of Speedball run away from problems or continually say ‘hm, maybe next month’. Not just for the comic, but for Speed himself.
And just to TLDR myself:
There is a point where ‘support’ becomes ‘enabling’.
First off. Fuck you. You are owed NOTHING. You pay NOTHING. Art just is. Secondly, Fuck you. Explanations were given, even though you were owed none. If you do not like said explanations, you may merrily fuck off down the internet for A DIFFERENT FREE COMIC!!
Have I mentioned you can go flagellate yourself with a blender?
and.. fuck you..
A good start to the new year! Also, thanks to Merlin for letting you share that with us.
Cute couple, too! I’ll bet Merlin’s very happy.
Ooh, nice! Really cute couple, and a nice pose of them together – got personality!
Good to know you’re inking the old chapters as well!
That is nice to see this comic to update. nice work. 🙂