So as of April 27th, the new run of Puck will have been going strong for three years. What does that mean? It means that three years ago I started posting the new comics on my dA profile. I started on Smackjeeves a few months after that, and the current stand-alone Puck site has been going strong for just over a year.
So what have these three years brought?
156 comics
That’s 149 regular strips, 5 ‘stickterlude’ comics and two guest strips. I only ever missed one update, and that was just a few months after starting the comic when my basement flooded during a ‘tornado-like event.’ (Seriously, that’s what the weather people called it.) Otherwise, it’s been one comic a week, every week. I’m pretty happy with that record. It’s not the most frequent update schedule in the world, but hey, at least I’m consistent.
A slight improvement in art quality
While strip 81 was a staggering improvement over the quality of the comic’s original run, I do think the art has improved in minor ways since then. It’s nice to see. There are few things that we as humans get better at with time; drawing is one of them. So even as I grow old and fat and bald and stupid, at least something about me is improving.
One interminable pregnancy and one baby
It was never my intention to have Puck become ‘the comic about the pregnant chick,’ but for a while it seemed like Puck would never not be pregnant. It took over two years (stretching from strip 100 to strip 200) but the pregnancy did end. Some people were sad when it did. I wasn’t.
A readership
In the beginning, I started Puck with an established readership of about 70 people (my friends on dA at the time). The last three years have brought well over three million pageviews (two million of those just in the past year) and over seventy thousand votes cast on TWC. There are many (many) bigger, better webcomics out there, but at least some people are reading my comic, and for that I’m grateful. I spent ten years (the hiatus between the old Puck run and the new one) where I worked on projects that never even saw the light of day. It sucked. So if you’re looking at this, thanks; thanks for taking the time out of your day to check out my crap. It’s made a difference, and it’s given me the energy needed to keep going creatively.
Zero dollars in net profit
Yay! I don’t think it’ll be a surprise to anyone out there, but making free webcomics is, generally speaking, not a profitable pursuit. When I started out, though, the comic actually cost me a fair deal. I paid for art supplies, computer equipment, hosting fees and advertising all out of my own pocket. Now the comic is at least self-supporting, and I consistently break even. So when I think of it that way, things are looking up! I’ve gone from bleeding red to flat-lining. In the business world, that’s called a runaway success story.
Lots of new friends and acquaintances
One of the best parts of doing Puck has been the people I’ve met through doing it. I’ve networked with other webcomic creators, I’ve had fun bantering with the people who leave comments, and it’s been a ton of fun. You people are fantastic!
Now we’ll see what the next three years brings…
Congratulations! Please do keep up the great work in creativity, humour and sticking it to the devil.
I shall! Thanks!
Congratz on three years running the new volume! Top notch comic. I have enjoyed it very much. Thanks for all your hard work.
Well, thank you for reading along with my crazy crap. It’s appreciated.
you know if i had any money to spend i would be willing to buy a puck comic volume. mabey market the pre haiatus strips as one then each seperate year as another. then again as someone who studied graphic design i can tell you that making such books take massive time, effort, and printing and binding funds. so small profit mabey, depending on order quanities and profit margin
Well, I’m actually in the middle of generating a Puck book right now. I’m thinking of hitting at least one convention this summer, and that’s kicked my butt into high gear in order to get something to print. I looked into Amazon’s Createspace (which my friend Bill Taylor from Tripp uses), and if you work it out right, it’s actually pretty competitive price-wise. I’ll be able to get a Puck volume one containing the first 200+ strips, in a BIG full color volume, and it’ll retail for $22.50. And I don’t have to hassle people with a Kickstarter campaign or any garbage like that.
dangit if your selling only at that con then i still cant get it. i live in mississippi where there is not one good con unless you count NRA conventions.
No, it’ll definitely be available to everybody through mail. I just found out that the convention thing fell through for me because Artist Alley filled up real fast. Oh well.
You could charge people extra to look at those pictures of phoebe you keep in your sock drawer…
Well, that’s what Kenno over at My Life With Fel did using Patreon, and now he’s pulling in $500 a comic. CRAZY!!! I don’t think I’ll go that route, though. It’s just a bit too naughty for me.
Congratulations, and I’ll look forward to the book.
Congratulations, C! 😀
Well, NOW I’m close to three and a half years running! Which … doesn’t sound like it’s as good a reason to celebrate, for some reason.
Happy 3 years of Puck! I am so glad I found it. FYI, I found it in the website of another webcomic that also has a deviant art page.
Hey, I’m so glad you found it too! I’m now well past four years running, and it’s still fun. That’s the important thing, I guess.
Yeah, I din’t bother to do the math, I just saw this on the side. Either way math never has been my strong point. Still though. APRIL 27!