On quitting Death To The Extremist
Welcome to my blog. I’m very late to the blog party, so I don’t know if I need to make a grandiose mission statement or something. Mainly I’m just hoping I don’t come across like I think my ideas are totally important just because I installed WordPress.
So, I recently quit writing my comic, Death To The Extremist. I’ve been writing DTE on a schedule since sometime in 2001, albeit with some large gaps over the years. So far it’s kind of nice to be off the schedule, since DTE was getting a bit stressful. I never figured out a writing method more streamlined than “open Photoshop and attempt to have hilarious idea”, so each comic took hours to make. In the last year or so, my self-imposed deadlines caused me to run comics that sounded funny in my head but didn’t survive the trip out, and some I just wasn’t happy with. That comes with the territory, of course, but when you’re doing anything creative it’s important to have fun with it. Now that I think about it, it was probably a mistake to step up my schedule so aggressively. I did it to attract more readers, but really, if you don’t like my comic, I’m not sure 50% more of it is going to help. Anyway, that’s the long version of why I quit.
It was a tough decision, though! I will miss being able to turn a sudden obsession with an old L.L. Cool J song into a comic. Also, a bunch of people wrote in to say they were sorry DTE was going away, which is really flattering. I’ve always felt like the most basic version of “making it” as an artist (cartoonist, whatever) is to have people enjoying your work who don’t know you personally. The fact that my crazy talking circles comic “made it”, to some degree, is kind of hard to wrap my head around.
What’s next? There are a bunch of things I’ve been wanting to spend time on, and they’re not all Guitar Hero. I intend to learn Flash, for real this time. I haven’t written or recorded any music in a while; it might be time to get back into that. Maybe I should try stand-up comedy? Well, the main purpose of this blog is to share whatever I happen to do. I guess I could also just write in the blog. We’ll see how it goes.
vollmond said,
January 8, 2007 @ 9:05 am
Thanks for keeping with it as long as you did, man. Funniest thing I read all day, usually. Also makes me feel so smart: No one else I show it to gets it
I’ll assume that means the humor is over their heads lol
2chey said,
January 8, 2007 @ 10:16 am
So sorry to see it go…very surprising to find out it’s the end. DTE was in my top three or four fave web comics. Good luck zole, we’ll miss your talking circles out here in the internets.. really was a brilliant run.
Maya said,
January 8, 2007 @ 11:15 am
Yeah, I’m sad to see DTE go too, it always made me smile. Well, there is still a great backlog to read and reread through though. It was indeed a great run. Good luck in the real world!
Love Maya
Yoz said,
January 8, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Count me in as another who’s sad to see it go - DTE was one of my faves. As well as Flash, you could find a nice sideline in writing nerdcore rap lyrics - you’d be a ton better than most of the kids out there. Here’s hoping for MC 1-2-1-2…
effika said,
January 8, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
Indeed, I was sad to see DtE go. I used to read a lot of comics, but I had to cut down due to time constraints. DtE was one of the few I continued to read; even Penny Arcade got cut from my list.
Mainly I’m just hoping I don’t come across like I think my ideas are totally important just because I installed WordPress.
I think it’s mostly Movable Type and Vox users who have to worry about that innately. (I kid, Internet, I kid. Sorta. :-p)
Zhatt said,
January 9, 2007 @ 2:43 am
DtE is leaving? I had no idea! I’m shocked! Oh well, you had a good run, and like Maya said, there’s a big archive to re-read. When ever I read a few DtE strips (I didn’t regularly check so I’d read three or four at a time) I’d find something very relevant to something that just happened to me or something I know a friend would like. It was hard to restrain myself from sending to comics to everyone.”Why does he keep sending me these odd comics I don’t understand?” But usually my friends liked them. Thinking back, I should have sent more. I’ll do that on the re-read.
Thanks Zole, you’re one of my inspirations.
Gabriel Mckee said,
January 9, 2007 @ 5:59 pm
DTE, we hardly knew ye (though ye were a wonder of far more than one hit). I know exactly what you mean about the stress of the “open up Photoshop and make with the funny” technique. Self Amusement Park has pretty much fallen by the wayside as well, as more and more of my time and energy has been taken up by “respectable” projects. (And Guitar Hero.)
alison said,
January 14, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
M.Zole you’re amazing. Death to the Extremist is still my favorite comic, even though there won’t be any new ones. I’ve just heard that sad sad news… Thanks so much for the many years of laughs and crazy comics. You’ll be much missed around here, and wherever people enjoy having the funny brought.