2016... A Day In Advance

In the Inside Back Cover of my last couple of books I wrote the words "2016 The Year Everything Changes".  That's pretty much the story for next year.

First off, the biggest thing that's gonna happen in 2016 is that I'll be marrying my Darling Mei.  So, that's pretty big.  I'm very excited about this coming change in my life. 

Going hand in hand with that, at some point (if I can ever sell my house... grumble-gripe), I'll be leaving my lifelong home in Clay City, and I'll either end up in Mattoon, IL (which to me, is a really big town) or in my Darlin's hometown of Champaign, IL (which to me is a freaking HUGE city).  Either way, I'm gonna end up somewhere completely new.  So, that's a thing.  I'm excited about that too.  And yeah, a little scared too.  Too.

And then there's the Sawmill.  Where the money comes from, but also where most of the pain and suffering comes from as well.  My job for 26 continuous years of my life.  A daily, soul-crushing beat-down in the fiercest pits of Hell.  But, it pays the bills, and it's kept TORC Press alive, so it's worth it.  Except that... well... I'm getting older.  I'm not getting stronger or more resilient.  I'm getting weaker, slower, tireder.  The Good Old Days of putting in my 9 Hours at the Mill and then going home and putting in my 7 hours at the Drawing Board... well, those days are pretty much done.  I can't maintain that pace anymore.

Which means two things:

First off, for several months I have been running a Patreon Page.  The goal of this page was for me to find New Readers who would pay me small amounts of money to make comics.  That goal didn't happen at all.  Instead, the Patreon became a Subscription Service where two of my most loyal readers and a good friend from the Good Ole Days paid me a tidy sum to deliver actual comics every month.  As I mentioned in the previous paragraph though... I can't keep up that pace anymore.  As a result, I have (hopefully as of today) shut down my Patreon site, thus ending my Monthly Comics Production Requirement.  When I sent out the last set of Patreon Packs (Super Late.  Again, I can't maintain that pace anymore), I included a handwritten letter explaining the situation and profusely apologizing for the situation.  Just in case one of my three Patrons is reading this right now, allow me to reiterate how sorry I am, and how much I appreciated their support. 

Second off, between the move and how badly the job has been beating me up lately, the writing is on the wall... I need a new job.  Considering how the Sawmill is the only real job I've ever had, and considering my lack of real world skills or higher edjumacation, this puts me in a bit of a difficult spot.  Mei and I have agreed that in my initial search for a new job, while I'm still gainfully employed as a Sawmiller and still have the vacation time we will need for a Wedding/Honeymoon, that I am to look for a job I would actually enjoy.  Which means, no matter how much it terrifies me, I will be spending the next few months looking for an actual job in comics (please stop laughing) or art or something along those lines.  I'm aware that the odds of my success in this endeavor or staggeringly against me, but now is the time to try.  Soon life will get in the way, and when that happens... welp, let's just hope Janitors get paid pretty well.

So... is the whole point of this Rant that this is the End of TORC Press?

Oh come now.  You know me better than that.

Just because I shut down a site and have stopped trying to blast through Monthly Comics doesn't mean I've thrown in the towel.  Part of the plan is to continue to see if I can find a way to Make TORC Press Work.  And, yeah, shutting down the one thing that provided regular revenue is a step back.  But sometimes you've gotta take a step back.

I'm gonna try some new stuff.  Remember that Poll from awhile back where I was trying to decide what Comics Genres to tackle next?  Welp, I'll be working on those comics next year, trying to branch out a little, explore new things.  See if I can catch people's attention with something new.

I'm also gonna start something I've threatened to do for years, and that's collect some of my Older Comics in Trade Paperback form.  I plan on collecting the original 6 Issues of Pulp Horrorshow first, and at some point I need to collect Bad Rapture in TPB form as well.  And we'll see how that goes at first.

In the meantime, check back here on Monday, because not only will Quixote Coyote be back in action, but I'm trying something wild and new, and we'll see how that goes.

2016... The Year that Everything Changes.