Hi Everybody! Announcement time.
I am in need to take a small break from 1977. I know this will come as a bit of a surprise, especially just after a big convention appearance. But, the convention, while very good in many ways, pointed out several things I need to work on to make the comic better.
Outside of raising my three sons, I have never done anything that I truly love like drawing 1977. I wish I had done comic art 30 years ago, as I think I missed my true calling in life. I have a long way to go in my comic art “education” but I get stronger with each passing month. The convention also proved to me that I wanted to draw for people and it has given me a new motivation to become better and more efficient at my drawing.
Bottom line is, I will not be gone from 1977 for long as it’s like a good woman, you want to get back on top as soon as you can!
I’ll be back…
Byron
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Do what you need to do Byron. I know I will be here when you return.
Same here. And I totally can sympathize with the “wishing I had gone into comics 30 years ago”. Who was it that said “Life would be kinder if you could go through it twice”?
Can’t wait to see all the great stuff coming up.
I’ll await your return with bated breath.
Oooooh! Someone on the internet who knows how to spell *bated breath* properly! You are soooo getting a giant-sized cookie. With, like, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips and walnuts and everything in it…
~applauds and is almost pathetically grateful~
Waiting on this end, looking forward to the return. Good luck with the projects (especially the feeding the family part) and hope to see you tan, rested and ready soon!
Yes. MOAR STORYLINES PLZ. I’m sure that Editor of yours will be happy to help
Gorgeous strip today BTW. Love the sunset! And Jeff is becoming quite the lead guitar poseur, isn’t he…
Well, Jeff has many influences in his guitar “posing” and playing styles, but I have yet to figure those out… something else I am wanting to develop with each character is more background on their lives, personalities, etc. Man, it’s like this is a real story or something…
Jeff’s getting better at posing because I’m getting better at drawing them too…
I was just being silly… I’m also dead tired so if I don’t make much sense, that will explain it…
Makes perfect sense. And 1977 *is* a ‘real’ story, which was my point! No worries
What do you mean, ‘like’ a real story?
I understand the thought of missing out on what you love. I’ve a Bachelors in something and spent 35 years doing what everyone else expected of me. I’m now back in school to become an animator.
I truly wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing what you have working for us!
Take care man!
I relate big time to your comment. I was told by my father that I had to have a good job to support my family. From the time I got my first job in High School, that was my father’s primary message to me. Forget what you like, you need to feed your family (even though I was only 16 and had no family). My degree in Communication from ISU fed my family, but did not make me very happy. I was good at producing videos for corporations, but I did not have a passion for it… it was a job to feed my family.
Today, after 30 years, I realize that even though my father’s advice was the best he could offer, it was not good advice. Thus, I have given my sons the message of “Do what you love and the money will come.” They of course realize they have to eat and support themselves, but there are ways to do both… I’m doing that now. I’m feeding my family by developing tiny little websites for small companies while I develop my true passion: comic strip art.
It is true, do what makes you happy and follow your heart, not your brain. If you build it, they will come…
Go, take care of you and your folks.
Like they said above, we’ll be here when you get back. 1977 is too damn good to leave behind, and speaking for myself, I wish you good fortune with whatever it is you need to do to get your life and the strip where you want them to be.
Looking forward to seeing what you have in mind!
Oh, PS: My own webcomic – the one about the teenage guitar girl – finally went live a bit over a week ago. Check it out: http://arpeggiothecomic.com/
Cheers!
- Satyr
Best of luck with the hiatus, Byron. I know that’s a difficult decision to make, but if things turn out the way you plan, it sounds like a good decision.
Takin’ Care of Business.
Great song, great idea. You do what you’ve gotta do.
We’ll be here when you get back!
–Jack
Believe it or not… BTO’s “Takin’ Care of Business” convinced me way back in 1973 that I wanted to run my own business. I’ve pretty much been self employed my whole life. The line:
“If you ever get annoyed
Look at me I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day…”
Struck a chord with me (a power chord!) and it’s served me very well indeed over the years.
Thanks man!
Take care of business, Byron, then come back and knock our virtual socks off! Let me know if you’d like to have some guest strips thrown in from time to time and I’ll whip something up.
I know the feeling of wishing you had started earlier…wait a minute, I’ve been doing this badly for 20 years now….DOH!…lol…of course, there were some big, honkin’ hiatuses (or would that be hiati?) thrown in between. Web-wise, if I had gone straight through without breaks, it would be 7 years on the web now. But, I was also working at a job I loathed (was supposed to be a temporary job until I got my comic kicking, but it turned into 19 years, what with the mortgage, car payments, kids, etc., and I would probably still have been there if not for the outsourcing of my position) so time to dedicate to my craft was put on the back burner.
Thanks Karl! I’d love to have a guest strip from you. Your humor cracks me up big time and I think you’d pull off a 1977 strip with ease.
Now how’s that for an invitation?
Everyone needs a break now and again. Have fun!
We’ll all be here when you get back.
Enjoy the break!
Take care of the necessities, Byron. We’ll patiently await your return.
I think going this route Byron will only make 1977 better in the long run! I was talking to Jack on twitter today about web comics and scheduling and I am partial to his idea of doing “seasons”, rather than constant round the clock updating. When you are the writer, the artist, the marketer, the merchandiser, the trade show planner, the web designer and are constantly interacting with your readers on a daily basis, there has to be an ebb and flow, as well as a pause and recharge!
Well, coming from a Broadcast Television background, the idea of Seasons for 1977 sounds like a good idea as I do get burned out from time to time. And that’s what happened here. I was going non-stop for the convention plus my freelance career is rising and I was having conflicts of time.
If I get the things off the ground I think I am (hoping I do) then they’ll be a lot more 1977 on the other side of this Summer Vacation.
Hey, a BIG THANK YOU for all the support and good thoughts. I appreciate it very much.
Rock on, man….
I think most would agree however you improve the comic will be worth the wait!! Hang in there ;0)
Hey, I’ll be seeing you in June. Get that guest room cleaned up lady, my days of sleeping in my car are long over!
Thanks for the encouragement. Getting support from fellow webcomic creators really does help keep me motivated too.
Hi, I haven’t commented on here before, but I’ve been following this comic for about a couple of months now (I know, not that long.) I’m only a young’un, and a Brit to top it off, but I just love this comic, I love how each comic is named after a song by (usually) one of my favourite bands, and how each character gets to live my ideal life (Actually, I hate that, I’m super jealous!).
Thanks for starting it up in the first place, it’s really special.
I completely understand why you’re taking a break, and I wish you luck with your projects, I just thought now would be a pretty good time for a first comment
Hey Ali! Welcome to the party!
It is comments like yours that keeps me going. When I’m having a bad day, there is always a great reader like yourself who will come through and cheer me up. As long as there are readers like you around, 1977 will continue to crank out the tunes and the jokes.
Thank you very much for your comment, it has made my day!
PS: Someday I’m going to make the trek over the “pond” and visit some of your great pubs! I’ll organize a 1977 “Fan Club” meeting or something and we’ll have a spot of tea…
Stuff the pubs – go to a Gunners match. I command thee! AR-S’NAL! AR-S’NAL!
I don’t normally post comments on comics (much less anywhere else) but thought I’d chime in here. I have enjoyed ’77 very much and will be checking weekly to see when things kick back up. Good on ya for putting family first mate!
Welcome to the party, Swagger!
Yeah, gotta play Father figure for a bit. I’m doing a lot of work right now and it helps to focus on that. I also noticed the comic was suffering a bit (well, I noticed it, I’m sure no else did).
Count on a lot more fun. 1977 is just getting the engine warmed and the horses firing on all cylinders!
When you say big name band, Do you mean Aerosmith?
I can’t give that away just yet… but it will be somebody you may know…
Dood!
Do what’s right, and no apologies necessary! My visitation & interactivity dropped off due to personal emergencies in my life. I haven’t forgotten but, as you noticed, other priorities come crashing in, like a Fire on the Mountain or a Dark Star falling into ashes.
May I suggest, not demand, that you just publish random artwork for a while. A sketchblog, if you will? No gags or stories, no schedule, not even finished stuff … just post random sketches, half-lost ideas, partial hallucinations …
Whatever you may be comfortable with. As a “friend” and a professional interwebs kinda’ dude myself, I advise you to keep some updates happening to maintain your website ranking, now that you’ve established a solid one.
I check you out and dig your work for the art as much (& moreso) than anything else.
Just a thought. I may not have time to drop a post much these daze, but I will most loyally check by regularly just for the great boobs. uhr, artwork … 8-)~
Peace, bro!
The site will be anything but quiet. I have already done a kick-ass sketch of Lorraine and you will see Blog posts from me as well.
I may not have a constant stream of comics, but there will be something here.
BTW — I don’t believe you’ve done Love Ain’t For Keepin’ (yet). Please do a good one for that. I’ll keep an eye out for it when it gets here. Someday. Roll one under the warm summer stars and crank that up ’til the speakers burn.
I’m happy that you are getting more freelance work, but sorry to see something you love go on hiatus. Gimme a shout if you need anything
When the time comes here pretty soon, I will make the call out on Twitter, Facebook, Webcomic Planet and here for guest art. I do want to publish some guest comics for sure.
OH, and people, if you have not checked out “Atomic Laundromat” get you butts over there and do so. Funny as hell and drawn really well. http://www.atomiclaundromat.com/
All your faithful followers like us will always be here, but it’s true, you have to try to get your craft out there and spread the love of 1977 around. I can totally respect that you need your time to do what you have to do to get your life on track, and this kid wishes you the best. I know when you return you’ll make us all proud.
Thanks man! It’s people like you that keep me going!
You’ll love what’s coming… gonna be a lot of fun… and that’s the whole point.
i for one am looking forward to seeing some more wacky hijinks the gang will be gettin’ into in the near future, and it’ll be worth the wait.
make some bread, pay da bills, and kick some ass when the time is right, brother.
all the best!
–dee!
Guest art?
Sweet! I’ll be watching for it!
Check out the blog on the site and there’s details there about what to do…
Simple, just draw something.
I love any type of art, especially other people’s take on my characters. Tons of fun! 
Byron, I can’t wait to see what’s in store. By the way, I’d love to try my hand at some guest art!
Then get ready to rumble as the guest art doors are wide open. Help yourself and check out the blog post about it here on the site.
Take all the time you need. Personally, it’s insanely exciting to be in the midst of a hometown webcomic hero. =D I’m sure there’s so many more artists from IL making webcomics, but something about yours in particular just feels like home to me. Just keep us updated!
Nice nickname! (or “handle” as we said back in the day of CB radios…)
I get a lot of folks from Illinois popping in. Lombard is/was a fun place to be. Not much is there outside of the Yorktown Shopping mall (home of many, many Friday night pizzas at Sorentos) but having grown up there for the most part I like to call it my second home town.
My “real” home town honors goes to a tiny little farm town called Winchester. Home of the great Burgoo Soup fest every August. Yes, in the freatkin’ heat of Summer, my home town has a HOT soup festival. Ah, love them rednecks. Y’all…
