I'll admit, I'm not 100% happy with this strip, but it's better than waiting around any more trying to come up with something better. One of the reasons I've been having such a hard time with my updates lately is the fact that I just couldn't get past this particular strip! So finally I just bit down and accepted the fact that it's not gonna be funny, and it's not gonna be a big dramatic reveal, and it's not gonna be a cliffhanger. It's just needed to move the damn story along. So sorry. But we can get things rolling now that this obstacle is at least out of the way.

Anthrocon was a big happy vacation for me, something that I very much needed. I was reminded of how much I really do seem to have an influence in this fandom (albeit a small one), and it gave me a chance to reconnect with my artistic skills. I wasn't able to get into the Artists' Alley for any of the three days it was open, but I did hole up in the Zoo for a good portion of the time and just relaxed with people and had fun. Also hung out with the crew from All Fur Radio over at Fernando's restaurant and had fun there. I must say as well, the rave dance at AC is much better than the one I attended at FC, though I'm not knocking it at all.

I think we all realize that I cannot guarantee a twice-a-week update schedule right now, but I will strive to do my best to update as often as I can. I've seen firsthand what self-imposed stress can do to a person, so I'm just not going to do that to myself. I'd highly recommend that people subscribe to the RSS feed if they really want to know when the next update will come; though I will try to keep it as close to a Wednesday-Sunday schedule as possible.

Thank you everyone for your great support!

It's official. I'm heading to Anthrocon 2008. While I won't have a table in the Dealer's Den, I'm going to try to get into the Artist's Alley, which I believe is a "first-come, first-served" basis. If I'm not there, then I'll probably be hanging around somewhere, admiring all the other stuff that's displayed and for sale to people who actually have money.

Afterwards, if I'm not getting hammered in the AFR party room, I'll most likely be found in the Zoo, being my usual shy self. Please feel free to come up and say hi. I'm shy, not anti-social. I'll have sketchy stuff and I'd be happy to art at people. Yes, "art" is now a verb.

Also, as per my convention tradition, I'll be putting a secret sketch somewhere on convention / Westin grounds. For anyone who doesn't know what this is: I will take a sketch that I've drawn and put it somewhere noticeable (but not in-your-face) in a trafficked area. In other words, I don't put it out of sight, you won't have to search outside of regular convention areas to find it, I won't hide it in a restroom or behind a ceiling panel or in a box under the stairs in the corner of the basement of the house half a block from Jerry's Bait Shop (you know the place). If there's lots of people around, and it's part of the convention areas, and it's reasonably eye-level, then it's fair game. If you see it and recognize it, you'll know that it's the secret sketch.

Now, it probably won't be in place on the first day of the convention. Maybe not even by the second day. But at some point by the end of convention, it will be out there, just begging to be found. And when I do place it, if I can be arsed to remember, I'll also come on here somehow and post that it is in place, and possibly give a clue or something as to its location.

Now, what do you do with the secret sketch? That's right, you KEEP IT. You can take it and it's yours. All I ask is that if you do take it, send me an email or post on the forum saying that you found it. If you want to scan it and upload it to Myspace or FurAffinity or wherever, feel free to do so but make sure to give proper credit to me, as the artist. Also if you do, let me know so I can see it and feel good.

And finally - This is an all-too-familiar feeling this past week. Let's just say, hooray for people who don't know how to secure their networks.
>.>
<.<
>.>
Sneak sneak sneak ...

Here's what I'm going to do.

Since updating this comic is sort of like taking a cross-country drive in a car that stalls every block or two, I'm just going to go ahead and do what everyone probably thinks I've done anyway. No, I'm not stopping the comic, because new stories and ideas keep flooding my head. What I am going to do is take another extended break to let the batteries recharge and get some of these other art projects out of the way. Yes, I STILL owe two people commissioned artwork from the break I took a few months ago, and I will get those turned out soon. But I also have other images that just won't loosen their grasp on my imagination, so I need to let them run their course. Be sure to keep an eye on my DeviantART and FurAffinity accounts for those, if you're curious.

I'm thinking after Anthrocon, I should be excited and pumped enough from the inevitable throng of fans that will no doubt trample me and shower me with praise. Yep, that just about oughta do it.

Speaking of which, I am going to be attending AC again this year, but once again I didn't get a table in time. What I'm going to try doing is getting into the Artists' Alley this time around and see if anyone wants to buy a few sketches from the comic. I'm going to have a big red binder full of all the paper sketches I've accumulated over the course of doing this comic, and will have them for sale for very reasonable prices. Don't worry, I still have all my digital scans backed up if I ever need to do anything with them. However not every single comic panel started as a sketch on paper unfortunately, especially the earlier ones. So if you're looking for a very specific episode, you might not be able to find it. Sorry.

And who knows - I just might have another binder for other stuff. Oh and my sketchbook, in case anyone wants to scribble something in there (PG works only; if you really wanna draw me porn, I'll give you a loose sheet of printer paper). I might also be on hand to just do some random sketches on the spot or something. No badges though, because I don't have money to spare for all the little clippy things. Also, I don't color by hand.

I guess I'll wrap this up by saying keep an eye out here (and on DA and FA) for a sneak peek at this year's AC con badge, so you'll know what to look for. Trust me, you probably won't recognize me otherwise!

As you no doubt can tell, the last few months have been exceedingly rocky for me. A job that I hated, stressing over money, quitting a job, searching for a new one, romantic pursuits shot down like a duck at hunting season. It's been rather overwhelming.

The good news is that I believe the dust is settling and it looks like I'm better off than I thought. I have another new job, this time in an office doing data entry (I know I know, it's boring as hell, but it's something I can do, it's something that pays well, and turns out I'm rather good at it too) so things are looking up.

However, due to once again having a full-time job taking most of my time, I think I'm going to have to bump my official update schedule down to once a week again, at least until I can find a groove that works for me and get that lap back.

Also, sorry about the late update (today's comic was supposed to be up yesterday) - our wonderful service provider decided to shut us down in order to upgrade their systems or something. But we're back up and running.

On a completely unrelated note - the best barbecues are the ones that happen at 2 AM.

Don't worry, I haven't disappeared again. Sunday's update will be a bit late because we went to a fur meet here in Boulder and ended up staying about three hours later than we usually do. So I'm a little behind; comic will be up at some point today but I don't really know when exactly.

Another reason I'm a little distracted is because my roommates brought home a strange-looking little ball of fuzz. I've named him Eddie.

I really really want to apologize to everyone. Ever since that horrible job at the grocery store, my will to do anything has pretty much been drained from my body. I hate to say it, I really do, but the thought of completing a single comic - even one that's been sketched and awaiting coloring - just doesn't sound fun right now. I don't want to say that I'm stopping the comic entirely (that would be truly tragic) but I honestly don't know when the drive to keep doing it will come back. Epic fail on my part, especially since we just came back from a month-long hiatus, and I'm sorry. Every now and again I tend to suffer from a pretty hard-hitting depression, and my job situation seems to have triggered it once again. It won't last forever, but it could be a while.

And not that I really deserve it, but voting on the Ursa Major Awards closes on the 20th - that's three days from now. I know that some of you like to wait until the last minute, well ... this is it! This is the last minute! Vote for whomever you feel deserves it the most, there's tons of talented folks in the running. What am I doing among them?

So you've hopefully noticed the glaring lack of updates this last week. Here's why:

I started a stupid stinky job that I hate with every bone in my body, every hair on my head, and every one of those little eye-crumbs that you always wake up with. I'm working at a local 24-hour grocery store, on the night crew, stocking shelves and getting yelled at for not inexplicably coming into the field with eleven years of experience behind me and an encyclopedic knowledge of every single product the store sells and which aisle within which it can be found. Oh, and on Thursday night I ran over my left big toe with a 150-lb pallet jack.

Re-read the highlighted part again.

This job not only leaves me exhausted physically, but emotionally as well. I get home any time between 6:45 and 9:00 am, you see, because nobody can leave until the entire shift is done, schedule be damned. Then I have to be in bed by 12:00 noon in order to wake up again at 8:00 pm. This means I miss everything that happens during the day, and away from everything that happens at night. I may be a nocturnal person, but I hate being required to be somewhere during that time.

Re-read the highlighted part again.

So basically, this leaves me with little motivation to do anything at all when I get home, other than just vegetate in front of the computer screen and the TV. Then I wonder where the day has gone when I look and see that it's bedtime already.

Fear not, for today I start looking for something better. Something that I can enjoy. Something that actually allows me to think creatively and offer my skills. Oh wait, I've been searching for that job for the last four months. It doesn't exist. It's ... Job-ri La.

Just in case it wasn't blatantly obvious, today's comic will be delayed. I just started a new job working on the night crew of a local grocery store because it's apparently the only position available within a 20 mile radius.

Possibly one of the worst things about this job is the schedule. No, I'm quite comfortable with the night shift, seeing as how I'm usually awake at night anyway. The thing that I hate about it is the part where they essentially tell me "screw your shift, you can't leave until we tell you to leave." My first night was a total of 9.5 hours, and while that will be great getting that much overtime on my paycheck, I just have a real big problem with being forced to work longer than agreed. If I WANTED to work overtime, I would. But I usually don't, especially in a very labor-intensive position. So not only does this job drain me physically, it stresses me emotionally as well. Just what I don't need.

But it's not like there's any jobs for artists anywhere. Apparently the world as a whole doesn't consider such things important.

NEWS UPDATE:

Bristled has been officially nominated for an Ursa Major Award, and has made it to the final five! Voting is open until April 20th. You can find the list and instructions for voting on their Official Voting Page. I'd really appreciate your support in this matter; Bristled is the rookie in the finals, going up against such well-established comics as DMFA, Lackadaisy Cats, Newshounds, and Ozzy and Millie. In other words, giants among webcomics. Intimidation, much?

This isn't without some trepidation, because in all my humility, I do feel that DMFA deserves to win this. So I don't want to wish for Amber to lose, but ... you know how it is.

In other news, thank you to everyone who's accepted a commission from me, as well as the regular donations. Your help has been massively appreciated in getting through this rough patch. Updates are all set to resume in April, so don't go anywhere.

In the meantime, help yourself to some onion rings.

Okay, I've been considering this for quite some time now, so please don't think I'm doing this on a whim. It's not something I want to do, but I really have no choice.

Due to my dire financial situation, I have decided that the comic will be put on hiatus starting immediately, and lasting for the duration of March. During that time, I will be opening my schedule for commissions, because I've had a lot of people ask if I do them and I've always had to turn them down because of the work I do on the comic.

If you're interested in getting a commission, drop me an email (you can find the address in the Contact page) and let me know. I'll be doing two different sizes - a standard 8.5" x 11" print-size drawing; either a full-color digital image for $30 or the actual pencil sketch for $10; and a 4" x 3" convention badge, full-color for $20, pencil sketch for $10. Please let me know in the email which convention the badge is for and/or what the theme of the con will be. If I'm planning on being in attendance at that con, you will be able to pick up the badge there; otherwise I can either mail it or send you a digital image for printing yourself.

Keep in mind that I can only do so many at a time, and it will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If all the slots are full, you will be placed on a waiting list. I'll most likely be taking them ten at a time, and you should be updated on its progress.

I'll also be working on putting together what's needed for a printed book of the first 100 strips. And on that note, there is a thread in the forum where you can leave feedback on features and stuff you'd like to see in it, besides the comic itself. Feel free to stop by and give your two cents.

First off - yes, what you see in Episode 100's last panel is what Azraelle and Beth started out looking like, back in the days when I first contemplated creating a webcomic and was simply trying to flesh out a basic plot and character depth. I hadn't solidified the design yet (thank the Gods) and simply resorted to stick-figuring the panels roughly in place. Heck, Beth didn't even have a name for a few days. Don't think any of those strips have ever been made public though. Lemme check my DeviantART account real quick.

....

Hmm, turns out the depths of my short-term memory delve even deeper than the whole Beth's-middle-name faux pas from a few comics back.

Here is a preview of the 2006 Halloween strip in the original stick-figure style. While it does have a certain charm to it, and I did contemplate keeping this style simply due to the fact that I had kept it relatively consistent throughout the creation of the Lost Episodes, I felt it was missing something. Like, for instance, quality. If I was going to create a comic, then I was darn well going to make it show what I'm really capable of as an artist. I'd never really forgive myself if I seriously kept the stick-figure style.

Second off - I'm hungry.

Episode 99 is going to be late. Like, evening late, most likely. Why? That's easy. Because I suck. And I like shoving rockets down the Heavy's pants. Which of course, I suck at doing.

A cookie to whoever gets the reference in the news title.

Evidentally, by "evening," I of course meant "tomorrow." I can't help it. Time just flows too damned regularly. I wish it would devour some temporal pork rinds or something to clog up the works for just a few extra hours here and there, but no. It marches on relentlessly, laughing at me all the while. Temporal prick.

Mmmmm, pork rinds.

Some of you may notice that panel four in today's strip looks a little out of place. That's because it's originally from Episode 58, "Regarding Bethany." Now you know why she smiled that time, too.

Astute readers may also notice that this is the first time we've seen Beth's middle name, in the same panel.

As you can tell, it's a slow news day. So I'll just do my usual begging. Donations are always welcome and will help out greatly with the bills until I can find a job. You can also help out and get something more tangible in return by visiting the Bristled Store.

As you can see, today's Bristled is back in full-color. I'm hoping to go back to this style permanently, even though it does increase production time. Oh well - if I didn't like doing it, I would have stopped a long time ago. Oh wait ...

But it just looks so much better this way! Right?









Right?

If you haven't already, be sure to head over to the Ursa Major Awards website and register to vote for your favorites in furry artwork and writing. Nominations for best of 2007 are still open, throughout the month of February, and I'd really appreciate your support. Remember that you can nominate up to five works in each category, and they don't have to be on the recommended reading list, either (even though Bristled was).

If Bristled ends up with an official nomination - based on the number of people nominating it - then I'll just have to somehow make an appearance at whatever convention at which the awards will be announced. Ya know, just in case I win something.

The reason I say "somehow" is that I'm pretty much tapped out right now and have no idea how I'm going to afford it if I do end up being nominated. Heck, as it stands now, I can't afford to put gas in my car.

But all that could change in the near future; as you'll notice, today's update is episode number 96. I have this goal that I set for myself a long while back that if I ever made it to 100 strips, I'd put together a printed collection. Even though this count doesn't include any of the Bristled Lite episodes, it does include the 14 Lost Episodes, only one of which was every actually created beyond a concept sketch. So really I have no freakin' clue how many strips I've REALLY done.

Until then, there's always the Bristled Store and that lonely little donations button to the side that's been mysteriously neglected lately ...

You know what to do.