Should we gather a rescue party?

[Cannonshop]

Clearly, the worst has happened (I coulda told her the damned planet was really flat..)
Calli appears to have fallen from the face of the Earth (note: she did hint that she was getting close to it...) obviously, her internet connection is nonexistent, and her technical problems appear to have "NOT" abated in the last 30 days or so.
This, combined with lack of fundage, is a serious situation.
Anybody have any ideas on a plan, then?

[Samalander]

Calli isn't dead, nor has she fallen off of the face of the earth.<P>Her ADSL connection is as bad or worse than most 56k connections.<P>She has no scanner.<P>She is having to put up with her parents right now.<P>Give her time.

[Luchito]

Such loyalty... And frankly I think that Ms. Scott doesn't really give a damn.<P>She's going to popup eventually, but she's not doing that because of us. And it's not going to be soon.<P>I stopped waiting a long time ago. Sure, the past was great. May 5 was great. But at this point is not worth waiting more.<P><B>SO, IN ORDER TO BREAK THE ICE AND RESTORE THE ORDER IN OTHER PEOPLE'S LIFE, I HEREBY DECLARE THIS COMIC STRIP ENDED FOR GOOD.</B><P>Calliope, now you can rest in peace. Thank you for such an amazing comic strip, and good bye.<P>Edit: Yeah, that sounded a bit harsh. But admit it; this comic is dead. When Ms. Scott can finally solve the issues with her computer and say "Hey! Pocket's back!", I'll be the first to give her a hug when I hear that. But as of today and for a while, we can't continue poking a dead corpse. That's all.<P>Second edit: that was said from my perspective, and I can't join any such rescue party (geographical distance and such). If you're joining Cannonshop, good luck. You will need it a lot, and you'll have my support from here. And I'll thank you a lot if you can <s>resurrect</s>save Pocket, but I don't have any hopes about that.<P>------------------
Luis Gonzalez, chilean fellow Linux nut.
LGM.cl - in spanish & english.
Life is a challenge, both at home and elsewhere - <A HREF="http://test.keenspace.com/" TARGET=_blank>Testbedroom</A>.
<p>[This message has been edited by Luchito (edited 06-27-2001).]

[Calliope]

Well, this tears it.<P>I now declare POCKET on indefinite hiatus while I try and sort out the rest of my life. If I even can. It's just not working at all anymore. All I've been is a letdown to everyone who still even cares, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't draw, and that the storyline's falling to pieces. I'm sorry I've been putting my own burdens out here for you to worry about. I'm sorry for wasting your time.<P>Maybe someday I can get this back together. Don't hold your breath. I don't deserve it.

[In the Dark]

Damnit!! Here I was coming over in great joy after seeing Calli post over in CRFH!!! (and I thought it was bad over there), but what do I find? This piece of ****. To the best of my knowledge, I have not posted a single flame in any web comic forum, but Luchito's post was more than a "little" uncalled for. It was the kind of statement that starts violence if said in the presence of others, but with the anonymity of the net, I guess this kind of thing makes some people feel better about themselves. Well I hope he feels really good since others have paid the price.<P>------------------
"One hand on the ground, one hand in space! and still....
.........in the Dark<P><p>[This message has been edited by in the Dark (edited 06-29-2001).]

[Cannonshop]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Calliope:
<B>Well, this tears it.<P>I now declare POCKET on indefinite hiatus while I try and sort out the rest of my life. If I even can. It's just not working at all anymore. All I've been is a letdown to everyone who still even cares, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't draw, and that the storyline's falling to pieces. I'm sorry I've been putting my own burdens out here for you to worry about. I'm sorry for wasting your time.<P>Maybe someday I can get this back together. Don't hold your breath. I don't deserve it.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>In reverse order:
1. Yes, You are. Ergo, we will wait patiently, and speculate on the progress you're going through, and hoping that things work out.<P>2.The storyline looked like it was coming together, actually; If it's falling apart at your end, it's because you are having too many problems, and it's hard as hell to concentrate on something like this when your life is going to hell in a hand basket.<P>3. "Hiatus" is probably a good thing- it gives you time to get the problems you're facing sorted out, recharge your batteries, etc. Lots of comics go on Hiatus, some for as long as a year or more (Look at Help Desk- he had a year where he only posted 2 updates!) I actually understand how hard it is to keep a non-gagaday strip working when life is interfering.<P>4. Finally: I posted the Topic in Jest, I wasn't serious (although there is the apparent need for some Emotional Support), I was not meaning to be offensive, or, to seem to be meaning offense.(crud, english skills degrading...)On the other hand- I did mean that I was anticipating the resolution of Calliope's problems, and, eagerly awaiting a continuation, both of the Story, and, of her return to the MB, given the wit and sharpness of her normal mode of reply, which I enjoyed greatly.
So:
Ms. Scott: Please accept my humblest apologies, both on my part, and those others who posted in a thoughtless manner, and hurt your feelings. I wish you well, and, hope that your situation improves. Until then, I will still check back periodically to see if there is news from you, that might point to an end to the hiatus, or, the beginning of a new project. Why? You can write, and, your art is very good. This is becoming less common as more and more Webcomics are appearing on the scene, most of whom are retreads of what's already succeeded. Your stuff is ORIGINAL, it doesn't resemble anyone else's stuff, It isn't a ripoff of what's already out there, and, it's good.
Okay, so I have to wait a bit longer.
big deal, I endured three years in the Army, this should be a cakewalk by comparison.
Just this: "Don't let the Bastards Grind You Down." and don't let the idiots get you down on yourself. WE WILL STILL CARE, after all, some of us have been lingering for a fairly long time now, and we aren't just going to give up on ya because some moron decides that you can't hack it.
PERIOD.
It would be nice if you dropped a line in here once in a while, just so's we know that you are well (if not completely sane anymore), and, so that you can suck up whatever "good vibes" can be sent via this medium. (You know, rebuild that damaged ego and such) and, so that you can remember, out there, that not everyone is out to run your life.
okay, I'm done now.
you may now commence to the flaming.

[GodaiYuhsaku]

And there's always #4toontellers<P>where there's lots of other webcartoonists.<P>Much as some people disagree.<P>Real life comes first then the online realm. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"><P>Hopefully I will get to see more of pocket. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"><P>Godai

[Eyeless Blond]

Indeed. I concur with Cannonshop. I've said this over and over again: in three IRC channels, four forums, and in RL when I suggested to someone which webcomic they should start reading first: POCKET is one of the most well-written, well-drawn (although I still like the computer drawn art, but that's because I'm legally blind and the typing was easier to see) comic strips on the Web. It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to get involved with the charecters, and the sci-fi elements are de-emphasized in that same fashion that I always loved about my favorite sci-fi authors. And it's got a flying seal! How can it not be cool? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"><P>So take all the time you need, Calli. Get your life in order, have fun, sleep in, do whatever you need to do, whatever you want to do. We'll still be here when you get everything in order, because it <B>will</B> happem. It always ends up being all right, sooner or later. Sooner is of course preferable <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> but later is sometimes necessary, and anyone with an ounce of intelligence or common sense can see how a break from such auxiliary concerns would be necessary.<P>But it'd be good if you stopped by and said hi from time to time. You can always stop in #elflife; we're usually a bit quieter than #crfh. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> You might even consider resurrecting #adelaideComics, but that would probably be just as much a time commitment as drawing POCKET. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">

[Luchito]

To Calliope: Good luck.
To everyone else: Yes, I'm a moron, and I hate me too. I think I need a hiatus too... <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/frown.gif">

[Luchito]

... and I want to apologize for all the bad stuff I said in my previous posts.<P>That. I can't say more because I'm not in my right mind right now. Sorry if I offended anyone, but sometimes I'm such a hateful jerk. I will never forgive myself for this.<P>I don't deserve to see the return of POCKET. Bye, and forget what I said.

[Schnitzelnator]

Good luck Calliope <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/frown.gif"><P>------------------
HELO I IS TEH N00B13!!!!!1111

[Cannonshop]

Just stopped by to check in, and keep the topic from vanishing...

[Cannonshop]

(peeks in) nope, she's still mad at us...
<P>------------------
Next time... less C4.

[Luchito]

Nope. She's mad at ME.

[Samalander]

Actually she has been in a different state without internet access for a little over a week.<P>*sighs slightly*

[Cannonshop]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Samalander:
<B>Actually she has been in a different state without internet access for a little over a week.<P>*sighs slightly*</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Well, I hope she's doing well there, and that whatever she's up to is going smoothly.

[Schnitzelnator]

Sigh, times are tough <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"><P>Hey, we could abuse this unnoticed little forum for our own personal off-topic discussions <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"><P>------------------
HELO I IS TEH N00B13!!!!!1111

[Cannonshop]

(SLAPS the Schnitzelnator!!!!!!!) That would be "NOT NICE!!!"
On the other hand...
"There IS no OTHER HAND!!!"

[Baka_sama317]

Well, off-topic personal issues, eh?<P>Around the beginning of June, I stopped posting to webcomic forums, simply because in the CRFH and Avalon forums, at least, I could not keep up. So I decided not to bother. Add to that the fact that I was for some reason unreasonably upset at being ditched so often in May when I went down to see Calli again -- she seemed to feel like I was stalking her when I was just... well... she and her boyfriend were the only people I knew down there and even they I didn't know very well, so I was upset at being left alone so much. I fumed about it in my diary at opendiary.com, and said some things that I now wish I hadn't said, but hey, it helped me deal with my feelings.<P>I succeeded in meeting a few people in my new hometown (both through neighbors in my new apartment complex and through *shudder* online personal ads), and making friends with them, and spending time with them, and I was happy about this... but my life was about to change both for better and for worse. I'm not sure how to describe it.<P>One of my personal ads resulted in a pseudo-blind date with a girl my age named Jen -- we were going to play pool at a local pool hall. I was stood up, but she was stood up too. We were in the same place at the same time and we missed each other. What a royal screwup. Later that night, we managed to get together for coffee and laugh about what had happened. As of today, we have been boyfriend and girlfriend for two months.<P>At roughly the same time as the mutual stand-up, my life began to become a complete, utter, and total mess. My job required me to take business trips every other week -- thankfully that is over, but I haven't been reading webcomics and have to catch up... almost done. I took a vacation to Oregon which I planned in mid-March, to visit some online friends. I flew this time, both because I didn't want to take the vacation time required to drive from the East Coast to the West Coast, and because I feared an accident like the one I had when I drove down to visit Calli in February.<P>I missed Jen like crazy, and she missed me. For some reason, the relationship has caused me to do a 180 on a lot of my political and social views. I'm not sure why, as friends have tried to convince me to take their point of view in the past. I have always been disgusted by physicality and I prided myself on my resistance to hormonal influences. Maybe it was the therapy finally taking effect, but I really feel that there is something magic about Jen that I never felt from anyone before -- that she could change my mind so pervasively and so quickly on certain issues, and that she could make me comfortable... well, suffice it to say, if I looked myself in the eye at the end of May, and told me "here is a list of the physical things you have done as of August 13, 2001" -- I would have said "are you nuts, that goes against every one of your moral fibres!"<P>People change, usually not that quickly.<P>My friends noticed the changes and were scared of them, criticizing me up and down for being a hypocrite for yelling at them in the past. The past has passed, and yeah, I was stupid, perhaps, but it's over. I feel no need to apologize for who I was two months ago, nor for who I am now... but it bothers me that my friends feel insulted that they were unable to get into my head. I wish I knew what was different so I could hold it up and say "look at this!"<P>This has got me in a funk, despite the fact I am the happiest person I have ever been. It's very weird to have two completely opposite emotions at the same time.<P>So, Calli, Sam, I'm sorry for saying things about you guys that upset / offended you, if anything has. It was just... who I was? I don't know. Calli, good luck with school and everything and I will check back here every so often (probably every month or so?) to see how you are doing.<P>-Tom.
<p>[This message has been edited by baka_sama317 (edited 08-13-2001).]