I started the forsaken with a few things in mind... first and foremost was to create an online portfolio for myself and second was to improve my abilities. I've never been proud of my own work, but I'm starting to realize how far I've come since I began doodling that old pirate ship on page one. Also, I really wanted to brush up on my HTML and learn CSS. I guess what I'm saying is I've accomplished the goals I set out to accomplish with the Forsaken. What I will most likely do from here is:
1. get a job
2. go to school
3. finish the final draft of my novel in my free time
4. write a graphic novel once i've finished my written novel (I read ghostworld yesterday and was very inspired by it)
unfortunately, the forsaken is not on that list anywhere
Since beginning this webcomic, there has always been one small fear that burned in the back of my mind. So much of this stuff I've given you guys is what makes up the backbone of my novel. The terminology, the technology, the ideas and universe... I've put over three years into forging this intellectual property. I actually realized in November of last year just how hard it was to be a novelist. It was a depressing epiphony: every job out there that's worth working will at some point demand everything you've got. Even the 'funnest' job isn't fun all of the time.
The Forsaken is the result of three years' worth of blood, sweat, and tears. I enjoy telling this story. no, correction: I love telling this story. The problem is, every page I publish on the web is another secret revealed. Most publishers won't touch a novel if any of it is published elsewhere, so I think I need to pull back a bit if I'm really going to try pushing my book.
I am going to finish chapter 2, but that will likely only make people upset because it's a bit of a cliff hanger. Right now what I'm working on is rewriting my novel while I have time to focus on it, so the forsaken is going to take back seat. I will probably do the rest of the pages in black/white (like 99.9 percent of the other free webcomics out there) and maybe even shorten my pages to 3-6 panels (like 99.9 percent of the other free webcomics out there). I apologize, but the book was my first project and therefore it needs to be prioritized.
words cannot express how flattered I am to have had you guys read my work. letting go of this comic is more of a heartbreak for me than you'll ever know. I once read a forum post by a CG regular that was participating in a 'favorite type of comic' poll. He basically stated that 'epic comics don't work because creators give up after 2 chapters.' I really wanted to contend that with him, but I'm glad I didn't, now. HOWEVER, in my own defense, I've achieved what I set out to do with the Forsaken. Also, it's not out of laziness that I'm letting go of the project, but out of necessity. These creative juices will continue to flow, and I hope someday to bring everyone who loves speculative fiction into my world to see all the characters that dance around in my head when I can't sleep at night.
Thank you all for reading. Because of you, this tired, old fart started drawing again.
