The Big Announcement
Okay, I’ve hinted at many things this year about the future of 1977 as a comic. Let me state clearly, I am not retiring it any time soon. That said, I am going to make some big changes.
The biggest will be the update schedule. I am going to do a 4-months-on, 2-months-off schedule. In a calendar year I will take off January, June-July and then December. So, you’ll get comics from February to May, then again August to November. No interruptions. Period.
Now, the purpose is to create content during the two months off and have a solid buffer. I have done it before and need to do it again. It will be better for all of us. Consistency is my goal here.
The other change will be the return of newspaper style strips. While the full-page style I currently do fits my story telling better, the benefits of having fresh content up 3-times a week outweigh the benefits of doing a full-page comic. The most successful story in the history of the comic was the 4-month story arc of the Road Trip. The comic was pulling in tremendous numbers and I still was able to tell a long-form story. So, for you newspaper style fans, bonus time for you!
So, yes, I will be taking December and January off with comics returning Monday, February 6th, 2012. That’s the day after my 55th birthday and as of this writing, I’ll be in New Orleans attending a trade show with one of my good clients. A road trip to New Orleans (expenses paid too!) is a GREAT way to celebrate my 55th birthday.
I will finish up this storyline, even if it drags into December a bit (which it will).
For you Members, you’ll be getting more pin-ups this coming year and more exclusive content for all audiences. I have a new plan coming up that will make it easier for Members to view the content they wish to see, and stuff they don’t want to see. I know the Pin-up art is not for everyone, and I’m aiming to make the Memberships enjoyable for everyone.
This is a good solution for everyone in my opinion. I want to do consistent work but also not let the comic interfere too much with my personal life. So 1977 will continue to rock as always and I’ll see you on the other side of the break once this story finishes up!
Thanks as always for your continued support. 2011 was a really rough year for me, but I’m already seeing improvements for 2012! Rock on, gang.
(Oh, the 1977 gang is not happy having to work three times a wek now… you know how jobs and rockers don’t mix.) 
In honor of these changes, how about a little Buddy Miles “Them Changes”? Oh yeah…
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Is the sign Robyn is holding a Van Halen reference?
Indeed it is… a like slipping in stuff like that.
Sounds like a plan, man. I think the best way to stay motivated and productive is to have a set plan on how you’re going to get it all done – a big picture primer, if you will.
The seasons approach is a fantastic idea (one I’m currently planning on using for my new comic) and allows for maximum output during your time off, without the major worry of burnout.
@Rainey – Van Hagar…. ugggggghhhhh
Now, Mr. Drezz… I”m a fan of Sammy Hagar, Van Halen and Van Hagar. I don’t own the entire catalog of albums, but there are a number of songs I do dig. But, Van Halen is best with David Lee at the front.
Yes, this is the only way I can seeing doing it intelligently. Doing it week to week is okay, but stressful and there’s no need to do that. I’ve said it many times, this is why TV shows have seasons, it is just too difficult to produce a quality product 52 weeks a year (especially when this is not my primary source of income).
heh. I see through it. Just another scheme to lollygag around in your underwear for months at a time. Oh, wait … that’s what you do already, right?
And, fr’gawdsake man, leave me the illusion that you’re actually wearing underwear!
As I’ve said many a time, do what you can do. If I had the magic success answer, I’d gladly give it to you for all the laughs you’ve given me. I’ll keep checkin’ in and performing drive-by posting, and wishing the world of best for you. It’s been a great ride so far, so I have confidence it’ll continue, even if the pace changes up now and again. It’s all good.
At my age… undies are on for sure. Now, back in 1977…
I appreciate the support. I have thought of this schedule for some time now, but have resisted because it wasn’t the “norm”, but by now you all know I’m anything but normal. So, this should work out for the better (I hope).
Do what you’ve got to do, man!
Well, it just makes sense given my personal situation with my wife and oldest boys still in college. Demanding times for us Dads. Damn-it… I had to go and propagate the species. Damn hormones…
Good choice of music today! And I’m listening to it right now, even though I deliberately don’t have sound on this ‘puter. Though I admit that what I’m listening to is the live jam version that Mr G and self and, well,several other old soldiers once did…muhahahaha…
I’ll take 1977 any way you’re offering it – full page, newspaper-style strip, so long as it’s the gang it’s fine
p.s. It wasn’t the hormones that let you down – it was the zip. Or, if you were wearing 501s in those days, the buttons
Always a zipper man, hated button fronts… took too long to relieve that beer piss after a night of drinking.
The gang is not going to change nor the essence of 1977… just a schedule I can keep up with. And in the case of updates, more is better.
Takes too long to get to ~cough~ other essential activities too
In the case of 1977, more is ALWAYS better!
Well, enjoy the holidays. This is a good plan really. Many comics just go on hiatus without planning nor notice of when they may come back. I’m starting to think it’s lack of planning and burnout.
Although, if theres any complaint of my part, it would be the lack of an Xmas themed pinup.
Who said I wasn’t going to do some Christmas boobs? Of course they’re some holiday cheer around here.
That’s why there’s RSS feeds, to let folks know when blogs (comics are blogs) have updated.
I do hope you enjoy the new schedule because as soon as this posts I am unsubscribing, I’ve got much better things to do with my time than try to remember when some idiot will start posting again. For you to believe you can pull this off and retain fans you must have taken a trip to far during the sordid 70′s and have yet to touch base with reality. As we said in the Army back in the 70′s AMF
I’ve looked through the comment archives and the Member’s lists and I cannot find your email associated with any other comment or payment of any sort to me. So I owe you, or anyone else like you, nothing.
Call me an idiot and a motherfucker? Turn the keyboard around fella and take a hard look at the guy who typed that comment.
Thank you, Byron for telling off Dragonrider because if you didn’t, I would have to. I hope to have my own online comic someday and I feel the same way you do. If people like to read our comics, great. If they don’t, so be it. But nobody has the right to dictate our content or schedule. The comics are done for OUR entertainment first. If I knew how to use emoticons, I’d put an angry one here for Dragonrider.
I generally pay little attention to ass-hats like that. I get so few pissed off people, it’s fun to have one pop in now and then.
But, yeah, the message is I do this for free, so frak off if you don’t like what I’m doing.
Sounds like a good plan, and one that’ll keep you from burning out. You’ve got a life out there to take care of as well, with a lot of important things to worry about. Hang in there, man, and all the best.
Anything that voluntarily calls itself ‘Dragonrider’ is already self-outed as an arsehole…
BWAAAA HAAA HAA HA! HA! HA! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Seriously …. Byron, that just has to be you having a go at the rest of us, right? This is the intertoobz, after all: mecca of civilization and intellectual intercourse. NOBODY could possibly be this much of a self-righteous assclown ,,,right? Comedy gold, bro.
I mean … I see you promised some Christmas boobs, but I was expecting to have to wait another week or two.
Yeah, that would be marketing genius for me to pretend to be some ass-wipe coming on here and raising hell… but alas, I’m just an old farm boy who’s morals don’t allow for such tom-foolery.
Maybe next time…
Enjoy the new schedule and the downtime that comes with it. I’ll be here when you come back!
It’s not downtime, Jim, it’s time to create the comic at a pace my personal life can tolerate. With my wife having surgery in January and March to have her hips replaced, then with 6-8 weeks of therapy after each one, my personal life will be full to the max with just that, let alone earning income to cover the lost income from her inability to work and the medical bills too.
So all things considered, I think keeping the comic going is the least of my worries.
Actually a bit of a rest like this will help keep you from burning out. So many good strips, Savie and Lacey coming to mind, are gone because the artist burned out. Rest, Relax, Return!