• Wed, 12:27: RT @CharlieGilkey: "What happens to our brains when we exercise and how it makes us happier" https://t.co/iOj7EtO6dk #success https://t.co/…
• Wed, 12:30: Penn Avenue. Walk sign is on to cross, Penn Avenue.
• Wed, 14:13: I’ve been a fan of Wonder Woman for 20 years and I just realized last night the crossed-arms-bracelets gesture forms a W.
• Wed, 14:35: RT @Inkblitzer: Artists: Please don't give in to the price wankers! Your art is AWESOME and you deserve to get paid what it's worth! https…
• Thu, 00:58: I am up way too late and need to go to bed but I wanna do a shoutout to @Chaos_Noodle and @ElliJCntryDiva because they are cool.
• Thu, 01:00: Best plan. I do dis. https://t.co/zhMGRuYObK
• Thu, 01:01: Twitter needs a hug button.
• Thu, 01:02: Gnite world. Hug a friend, for me!
• Thu, 01:05: RT @tooiedraws: First rule of Art Club is: don't shake the table
• Thu, 01:05: RT @mlp_DreamerOOC: @the_gneech Yeah. *sticks "hug" sticker on screen and presses it repetitively*

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• Tue, 13:34: Man, I miss the ‘80s. https://t.co/i9mkudQDU1
• Tue, 13:49: Stop! Showertime! *hammerdances up the stairs* https://t.co/oZzFNk48VK
• Tue, 14:12: “O, my god Becky! Look at her butt!” -Callipygia, High Priestess of the #FirstChurchOfBecky
• Tue, 14:18: This is officially awesome. And brain hurty. And awesome. Awesomely brain hurty. https://t.co/3pt3TS7rZp
• Tue, 14:26: Win. :D :D :D Almost as good as Don Ho’s cover of “Shock the Monkey.” https://t.co/PGxpDTI5H5
• Tue, 14:26: *saaaa-lute!* https://t.co/gsAgBudE1J
• Tue, 14:55: #TFW you re-read some of your old writing and it’s better than you thought it was. #AmWriting
• Tue, 15:16: RT @daemionfox: Meanwhile, in Innsmouth MA.... https://t.co/FFzMh0ptNq
• Tue, 16:38: RT @aevanko: MS: People shooting people Sony: People stabbing people Nintendo: Birds with accordions https://t.co/KR5xE5RpI6
• Tue, 16:38: RT @ThePenDrake: One problem with Twitter is that it keeps forcing me to unwillingly find out what Mike Huckabee thinks is smart or witty.

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• Mon, 12:49: RT @tr1byron: It is my experience that most artists are happy to share their processes. Some often have blog posts about it. Google helps t…
• Mon, 13:33: RT @sidneyfussell: How did I miss this?? https://t.co/NDgF0UIlYc
• Mon, 13:35: RT @sblackmoore: Gemini: Your inability to discern fantasy from reality will help when your town is attacked by a dragon and everyone else…
• Mon, 13:35: RT @feliciaday: Yesssss https://t.co/SWoeW77ohA
• Mon, 13:35: RT @jonfavs: When asked why they're not releasing a draft of the bill, a Senate GOP aide actually said, "We're not stupid." This is deeply…
• Mon, 13:36: What makes you think we didn't? https://t.co/4RXcJW36Vo
• Mon, 15:57: RT @LalaBova: Take 5 minutes to call your reps, we only have one chance to prevent #AHCA repeal. Pushback is crucial. @make5calls @In…
• Mon, 15:58: RT @AdamParkhomenko: This is absolutely incredible. As I pointed out @SusanPlattVA has received death threats and reported them. Her electi…
• Mon, 16:12: Pfft. https://t.co/19XaksqEZ6
• Mon, 16:18: Haircut acquired.

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• Sun, 12:08: Speaking of #DnD, I’m going to have to expand my map for Storm King’s Thunder. https://t.co/d4IoAlxJGj
• Sun, 12:17: RT @trpeal: @the_gneech "Here There Might Be Giants, And What Are We Gonna Do Unless There Are?"
• Sun, 22:04: Welp, got what #Overwatch anniversary thingies I wanted. Basically Tracer’s dance, Mercy’s dance, and a few voices.
• Mon, 00:09: Suburban Jungle: Business? In This Place? https://t.co/f215GSHYWQ
• Mon, 08:26: RT @PattyJenks: My producer just sent me this... ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! This makes every hard day worth it. Thank you to whomever wrote it!…
• Mon, 08:26: RT @BatRaider3960: Perfect. https://t.co/1tzzaTsH6J
• Mon, 08:31: RT @woofknight: Comedian John Oliver buys $15 million in medical debt; immediately forgives it https://t.co/x1zhzcET5u via @nbc4i
• Mon, 08:49: .@ctheeagle https://t.co/YvNFs84ojg
• Mon, 08:54: The more I think about that pony ep., the more it annoys me. And I really don’t want a TV show to have that much space in my head. :P
• Mon, 09:15: RT @AnthroconDealer: A few edits to the Dealers Room Layout, and freshly updated at: https://t.co/iHSMkJhI32

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• Sat, 12:13: This episode would have been perfect in the season of “Twilight learning to princess.” #MLPSeason7
• Sat, 13:30: RT @sequentialmatt: thi planet of the apes (1968) #BestMovieQuotes https://t.co/87FRSWEYBN
• Sat, 13:33: RT @TheBatman: No one punched evildoers to cartoon sound effects better than you, Adam West. Rest in peace, Caped Crusader.
• Sat, 13:35: RT @MinovskyArticle: Adam West wasn't just someone else's childhood Batman, he was your childhood Batman's childhood Batman. https://t.co/Q…
• Sat, 13:44: RT @kcsaff: Next time someone complains about singular "they" I'll point them to this 17th century rant against singular "you" https://t.co…
• Sat, 13:53: RT @badgerboxes: Improve the fandom by having: - Less Meanies - More Yeenies
• Sat, 13:58: RT @WholesomeMeme: https://t.co/9PT8DFHrzF
• Sat, 14:07: Mastering Mercy- Going for the Gold on Gibraltar https://t.co/t21tkBgUWv #Overwatch #competitive
• Sat, 14:35: RT @OverwatchTXT: A new meaning to the phrase 'team kill' https://t.co/mWlXqD43m7
• Sat, 14:49: #Starcrash time! #MST3KTheReturn

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• Fri, 12:20: RT @donniemnemonic: Why does Hemsworth, the largest Chris, not simply eat the other three??
• Fri, 12:35: RT @Chaos_Noodle: Someone did this down the road from us! Super amazing. https://t.co/S6bIUKDmV3
• Fri, 13:51: ❤️❤️❤️
• Fri, 13:56: Carol Burnett AND Patty Jenkins? We can’t repel awesomeness of that magnitude! https://t.co/YAaPoC2nNw
• Fri, 13:56: RT @BroccoliFox: One more pride shirt design!! I'll put both designs in my store at noon! https://t.co/IHJx2Maelu
• Fri, 14:55: RT @jonasdoesstuff: Poll for furry art commissioners: https://t.co/u4QMecvDeU
• Fri, 15:03: RT @PlayOverwatch: Celebrate 1 year of Overwatch by decorating your digital devices w/this commemorative illustration by @nesskain! 🎨📥 htt…
• Fri, 15:38: The tan-suited monster! https://t.co/ymUTfsn4Sk
• Fri, 15:53: Dreamwidth: A Bit of AwesomeSauce https://t.co/IsqcuyjhTH
• Fri, 16:01: https://t.co/HWpymYj7Dx: A Bit of AwesomeSauce https://t.co/m9u8np0ise

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• Thu, 12:51: RT @bunnyzees: how to get ur original art attention: 1. Lure ppl in with fan art 2. once they are hooked FORCE THEM TO LOOK AT UR OCS
• Thu, 12:52: RT @AndreaChalupa: GOP to #JamesComey: What were you wearing at the time? Had you been drinking? Why were you alone with him? #ComeyHearing…
• Thu, 12:53: RT @Chaos_Noodle: Trying to make the right decision here. https://t.co/zPjRrRqsV0
• Thu, 13:23: Maybe I should do a Kickstarter for this. https://t.co/tgEXNHxBzl
• Thu, 13:24: RT @runwithskizzers: CALL CALL CALL CALL @botresist FAX DO ALL THE THINGS #SAVETHEACA https://t.co/pj87oVzTXj
• Thu, 14:53: RT @spyketyranno: No Ghost can escape me on this #GhostbustersDay! So,when they bother you, Who Ya Gonna Call? (This awesome drawing was d…
• Thu, 15:04: Mastering Mercy- Season Five Placement Highlights Pt 2 https://t.co/nPZRxyg5pJ Guest-starring @ccagraveheart! #Overwatch #Mercy #competitive
• Thu, 15:08: …Want. -.- Won’t have, but want. https://t.co/ewbPuVxEDG
• Thu, 16:27: RT @GeekGirlCon: Feminists Respond to #WonderWoman https://t.co/ZPalNxRX71 via @MsMagazine https://t.co/lo74JwNj9q
• Thu, 17:30: Luke Moonsleeper https://t.co/z5Y4JLeVB9

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• Wed, 18:29: Streaming in about an hour! Finishing page seven.
• Wed, 18:32: Ping @multiclass_geek https://t.co/xIWzrb7CU9
• Wed, 18:46: RT @TheCoffeeSnolf: Lol xD Credit: Rayne Summers https://t.co/G6TVQVTBEj
• Wed, 19:46: Streaming now on @tigerdile! https://t.co/7Tlrp5ba7E Issue six page seven continues… #AmDrawing #SuburbanJungle https://t.co/SZCrWTgDPq
• Wed, 21:52: Issue Six, Page Seven is up for Patreon subscribers! https://t.co/QxirfkWIiF #AmDrawing #SuburbanJungle
• Wed, 22:03: <3
• Wed, 22:03: Gnite world, and have an awesome tomorrow.
• Wed, 22:05: With just a hint of Dirk the Daring. https://t.co/br6rTLoEqn
• Thu, 07:53: RT @dog_rates: We. Only. Rate. Dogs. Do not send in other things like this fluffy floor shark clearly ready to attack. Get it together guys…
• Thu, 07:55: Good morning world! Let’s be awesome today, shall we?

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• Sun, 12:37: RT @0tacoon: Anyone who listens to soundtracks as much as I do will understand. https://t.co/CnMCwvKPgP
• Sun, 12:38: RT @Inkblitzer: Foxed it! https://t.co/MC0WSzrZ86
• Sun, 12:39: RT @piratesapphics: Marvel: turns loved heroes into Nazis Marvel: screws over most popular team, the X-Men Marvel: 1000 crossover events no…
• Sun, 12:48: RT @Fred_Delicious: "Ok folks who ordered the macaroni & bees?" "you mean cheese?" [waiter struggling to keep bowl covered] "that does make…
• Sun, 13:06: RT @problogger: I'm regularly asked how bloggers make money. Here's my typical month's income split. More at https://t.co/mILGn8T5j1 https:…
• Sun, 13:16: Hmm. What to do with the last five pages of issue six?
• Sun, 13:20: Nnnnno. https://t.co/YsaXIVeknx
• Sun, 15:25: Today in Gneech Watches Stupid Anime: “Chronicles of the Going Home Club.” It is seriously goofy.
• Sun, 15:58: RT @jongraywb: Your timeline has been blessed by Good King Turbonerd and the Art Studio Tissuepus. Have yourself a lovely day 👍🏾 https://t.…
• Sun, 16:12: RT @LeVostreGC: Babye Ich love thee more than TV wryters love yncluding plot lynes from different volumes of a book seryes yn one seasoun o…

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Today: 288.5 lbs
down 31 lbs from my highest weight of 319.5 on November 25, 2016
down 30.5 lbs from my starting weight of 319 on July 1, 2014 (143 weeks)
average lost: 0.21 lbs/week
next milestone: 287 lbs (10% loss)

I've been having difficulty with consistency. Instead of "a bit of exercise and moderated diet daily" I've been swinging between days of huge workouts and days of just consuming mass quantities. It's been like this pretty much since the switch to daylight savings, which always messes me up.

So my goal for this week is to try to put some brakes on the pendulum.

-The Gneech

This entry was originally posted at http://the-gneech.dreamwidth.org/2654851.html. You may comment there or here.

• Sat, 12:51: RT @GoldmanSachs: @Georgetown’s President DeGioia discusses confronting the school’s history of slavery w Lloyd Blankfein #TalksAtGS: https…
• Sat, 12:54: RT @classicepics: You're Americans. Act like it! https://t.co/B4gUNavEMT
• Sat, 13:38: RT @howardtayler: I cannot fault April 1st for giving us momentary glimpses into a wonderful alternate universe that has baby dragons. http…
• Sat, 13:48: Pfui. The more I dig into Storm King’s Thunder, the more of a “build your own adventure” book it turns out to be.
• Sat, 15:34: RT @laurierobey: https://t.co/pgS5lLowRr The enamel pin is here! For every pin purchased, @the_gneech and I will donate $2 to @splcenter.…
• Sat, 17:05: Game prep as done as it’s gonna get! Now to grab some dinner. :d
• Sat, 17:13: RT @WMDogma: Every day, this happens. https://t.co/NsixozvXDX
• Sat, 17:14: RT @_melanchoIic: WHY PULL PRANKS WHEN YOU CAN CELEBRATE SAKURA KINOMOTO'S BIRTHDAY https://t.co/41rvjOFyGY
• Sat, 18:11: RT @matrioshkadog: my life philosophy has never been so succinctly put! it should be yours too :) https://t.co/F3wxkYuySX
• Sat, 21:57: First session of Storm King’s Thunder done! TPK avoided, fortunately, but it coulda gone badly.

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• Fri, 12:02: RT @WholesomeMeme: https://t.co/haX49fvGbH
• Fri, 12:37: RT @KitsuneHazard: We will not go back into the shadows or be afraid of who we are. #TDOV #TDOV2017 https://t.co/2AK8ogWesf
• Fri, 12:38: RT @facesofanime: Teekyuu https://t.co/Pf0mm5ZK7Y
• Fri, 12:41: RT @SarcasticRover: Here’s the latest scoop from Mars: https://t.co/kFrnolVCmh
• Fri, 12:41: RT @dog_rates: This is Rontu. He is described as a pal, cuddle bug, protector and constant shadow. 12/10, but he needs your help https://t…
• Fri, 12:58: RT @BreeNewsome: How can the phrase "Black Lives Matter" be inherently anti-police unless we also agree that policing institutions are inhe…
• Fri, 12:58: RT @mikefossey: Tom Hanks is short for Thomas the Hank Engine
• Fri, 13:01: RT @chrisalexander_: Life Hack #721: https://t.co/mSxhh6QzLb
• Fri, 13:09: RT @scalzi: Watched the new Valerian movie trailer and what I really noticed is that the two stars look like they truly need to catch up on…
• Fri, 13:10: RT @Pandamoanimum: This gif of a deaf man who taught his cat how to sign for food is still absolutely lovely. https://t.co/lLmbhTvq5d

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• Thu, 12:04: RT @glaad: Our study shows that Millennials are significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ than generations before: https://t.co/ifMobm…
• Thu, 12:13: RT @tabbiewolf: This latest "don't have meals with women who aren't your wife" shit is just more reasons the Republican Party is terrible f…
• Thu, 12:19: RT @joshgnosis: I know Marriage Alliance wants this to make LGBTI people look threatening but I want it on a t-shirt. https://t.co/Eo2fzLoT…
• Thu, 12:21: Will Smith, orcs, and elves. I was not expecting that. https://t.co/uEEtoWbNyL
• Thu, 13:05: "Oh, honey, I don’t know.” –Joel, MST3K https://t.co/L7uDpcOVxq
• Thu, 13:06: RT @classicepics: J.R.R Tolkien, writer of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, at age 24, ca. 1916. https://t.co/KVolKpr36r
• Thu, 13:07: RT @ArenaFlowers: 3D printers were supposed to solve everything, but then I see Brexit and Trump and I can't help but wonder if they've mad…
• Thu, 13:07: RT @ArenaFlowers: BREAKING NEWS: Widespread panic after being nice to each other becomes the latest meme to sweep the internet.
• Thu, 13:12: According to caller ID, I just missed a call from Bosley. I’m like, “The bear who founded the Rough House?"
• Thu, 14:13: Blugh. Adulting. Make it stop.

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Pop art is a business. I know that. Comics were always intended to be entertainment-for-money, and any art that happened along the way was a nice bonus.

I'm not happy about it, but I also recognize it as reality.

But in this era of crowdsourcing, Patreon and the like, the relationship between the artist and the consumer is more tightly-knit and blurry than ever. The script I'm working on for issue six started out as a commission someone wanted me to do, for instance.

And in the world of webcomics, this is complicated by the fact that there is a certain "amateur hour"-ness about it. Some of the most popular comics are stick figures; some of the most gorgeous art is done by people who refuse to monetize at all.

There aren't a whole lot of us who make a sustainable living off webcomics; however there is at least one prominent one who's been in the business a long time and is making money by the bucketload. I'm being cagey about naming said artist here because some of this particular artist's methods really put me off but I'm not in the business of calling people out. I'm talking here about my own mind, not to pick fights with other people.

The artist's regular comic frequently includes what I call "Rat Pack humor," the sort of casually sexist and privileged crap that make Joel and the Bots on MST3K say things like "I would like to apologize on behalf of the entire male gender, thank you" or "I'd slap this movie if I could." It always annoys me to see this kind of thing get applause in the first place. Said artist then takes this a step further by doing what is basically a porn spinoff comic as well, that is behind a paywall.

(In fact, almost everything this artist does is behind a paywall of some variety. They really buy into the idea of "content sold separately.")

I don't object to adult comics; I've got no problem whatsoever with Oglaf (wow, that's a NSFW link) or Oh Joy Sex Toy (holy crap that's NSFW) for instance. Gene Catlow's silly sex-addled side-stories get a thumbs-up from me. But I am very uncomfortable with the prostitution of characters.

At a convention some years back now, when I was still learning what to say "yes" or "no" to, someone commissioned me to do a picture of Tiffany in lingerie with one of his OCs. The guy had sheets of OCs to choose from– all of them being variations of the standard comic book woman figure, in different cliché "sexy" outfits. (Insert rant about it always being guys who do this shit... later.) I was uncomfortable with the request, but as I say, I was still learning these things. I did the picture, but I was unhappy the whole time, the result was not very good art, and I ended up only charging a portion of what I would have normally asked for.

And... well... I felt like I owed Tiffany an apology. ¬.¬

According to the philosophy of the artist referred to above, this is exactly backwards. The correct reaction would have been to let out a whoop, charge an extra $75, and draw the Best Damn Tiffany Tiger Porn any fanboy could dream of.

Said artist has set themselves up as a kind of industry expert on webcomics, sort of like the business writer whose main qualification is that they sell a ton of books on becoming a business writer. I can't really argue with their reasoning I suppose, given that they are one of the few people making a ton of money as a webcomic artist.

But their actual content makes me itch. -.- Their business practices make me itch. -.- And seeing people flocking to them and emulating them makes me itch more. >.<

Everything they do, from the format the comic is shown in, to the pacing of every gag, is designed to maximize the money squeezed out of the audience. If the artist's blog is to be believed, even things like character design/story arc and personal connection with the readers are also weighed against this metric. I used to follow their blog and social media presence on the grounds that they were, y'know, actually making a living in a field in which I am not, but I have finally reached the point where I just can't keep looking at it.

If money is the object of the game, why bang your head against webcomics? There are easier and more profitable ways of making money without caring about what you do.

I don't pretend for even a second to have a viable business model for my own work. And yes, that's a problem. But I can at least look my characters in the metaphorical eye without wanting to slap myself.

-The Gneech

This entry was originally posted at http://the-gneech.dreamwidth.org/2654493.html. You may comment there or here.

• Wed, 12:34: Be the change you want to see in the world. https://t.co/0FfY6xyuV2
• Wed, 12:37: RT @Kyyanno: For the daytime crowd... https://t.co/FRjlyDeOCq
• Wed, 12:53: RT @biggustiggus: Interesting! https://t.co/d9xw5rQrbo
• Wed, 12:55: RT @mims: Zero Democrats voted to overturn web browsing history privacy rules. Completely partisan vote. https://t.co/BAjLoPYX9J
• Wed, 12:56: RT @ArjDheer: Who says hyenas can't jump?! Wait for it... wait for it... ok, at least it tried. Cc @HyenaProject @AnneWHilborn Via @mate…
• Wed, 12:56: RT @peeweeherman: If they're hoping to use the Alamo's basement, someone should tell them there isn't one before they leave Oakland! #Raide…
• Wed, 14:30: Nice day for it. #CherryBlossomDC https://t.co/wHBw9sN6qZ
• Wed, 14:32: #CherryBlossomDC https://t.co/uwQKxmfhip
• Wed, 14:35: #CherryBlossomDC https://t.co/Lu9yrtyC85
• Wed, 14:48: Yay, funnel cake! Boo, $7. But funnel cake. But $7. #CherryBlossomDC

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