Pokes head from under the dirt….
Hey folks, guess what? I just finished a whole graphic novel! Crazy! I always wondered why people I know seemed to get buried away for months when they have to draw a whole book, and now I know. Now I’ve emerged shaken, burned out, significantly less in shape, with a sore back and hands. And it was a very fun, challenging, and rewarding experience. 
Over the holidays I thought a lot about On The Edge, and one of the things I realized was that it was time to move on. I’ve been doing this comic, on and off, since 2003! That’s a loooong time to be doing something that isn’t really successful. Yes, it started out just for fun, and I tried hard to keep it that way for a long time, but as my readership grew I think my expectations became bigger and it was just a little too much for me. I have other ideas and things I would like to do, and frankly, webcomics have changed so much! And I’ve grown so much! I’m 8 years older than when I started (oh now I just feel old 
).
I had a plan late last year that I would try to finish Wonderland and at least have another book to put out… but I started it so long ago, that now I just feel like I’m trying to finish something that I’m not fully satisfied with. If I could start over now I’d probably change so much, and that’s not really a good way to work. I also had an end story in mind for OTE, which I may do someday… who knows? But I’d like to be in the right frame of mind for it and now just isn’t the time. Other short tales may turn up somewhere, most likely over at Bento Comics!
So with all that, I hope you had fun with me and thanks so much to the hard core fans for supporting me and continuing to come back!
I will be in Toronto at TCAF this year, as part of Bento Comics, and I will perhaps do a post on Pixies and whatever else I’m working on this year!
For now here’s a picture of some messy, messy thumbnails I did while working on Pixies, for Arcana and HarperCollins. They’re oh so tiny and messy… but I guess that’s ok… as long as I know what it means right???
you’re . . . you’re . . . you’re stopping On The Edge? Wuhhhh . . .??
*SOBS* NOOO!!!
I mean, I understand how you feel, sometimes I think about moving on from my original characters, and I did. Now I’ve started another one (for fun), but… DON’T GOOO….. TT^TT
Awwwww! Darn you Waterson! Darn you Larson! Giving cartoonists the idea of up and quiting. I remember when cartoonists never quit and strips even survived after the retirement of the original artist/author.
It was wonderful while it lasted and I enjoyed your strip very much. Good luck, Live long and prosper, May The Force Be With You, and all that sentimental garbage.
Lol, you forget that those cartoonists were paid…
Hey hey hey. Spock is so not sentimental garbage! (he’s dreamy . . . *drools*) . . . And then Ed knocks me over the head, three stooges style. Gibbs-slap!!
Sorry to hear you are stopping OTE, i’ve really loved it. It was one of the first webcomics i read and is always going to be an fond favourite. Still, good luck in the future
This makes me so sad… I understand your reasoning, but I always had hope that you’d post more comics even if it were sporadic. I guess all I can say is that it was fun while it lasted. I hope you post here to tell us if you start a new comic somewhere else!
I may do short stories in the future. I just won’t be doing the weekly thing anymore.
You just missled out a quarter of my heart… :::::( YOU MEENY!
PLEASE LEISL!
What books did you do bytheway?
-getting really-really sad-
És búcsuzóul az anyanyelvemen megírom neked,hogy szerettem a képregényed s ezzel egy fantázia birodalom csúkódott be nálam,ha valamikor folytatnád,kérlek írd meg.Mertus Márton írta a búcsút.
Leisl for bye-bye gift could you send me your page’s head-pic,that has them wrapped in police stamplines?
I understand the reasoning, we all have to make a living one way or another (says the beekeeper who may be out of business come spring). Yet… and yet… I can’t help but feel sad. I kept checking back once a week in hopes that maybe there’d be good news. So many webcomics just… disappear and leave folks hanging, wondering about plot lines that were left hanging and characters that were left wafting in the breeze. I was hoping that OTE wouldn’t fall victim. Damn.
The problem with hobby comics is that hobbies change.
My advice is that if you want a comic to keep going, don’t be an occasional reader. Support it in any way you can.
I think you’re comparing two totally different things. This isn’t my job (and if it was I would’ve been out of business long ago).
There are other things that I would like to do in whatever free time I have and I feel doing a 3x per week webcomic, keeps me from doing those things. In fact doing a regular webcomic became another job, and I don’t want that right now, unless I feel there’s enough fanbase to support it. There isn’t here.
I may come back to it in some format. I may start another comic. I may start painting. I may not. But right now, I’m enjoying my life.
aww, well I hope it isn’t the end of your web comics in general. I mean, I’d still enjoy seeing a new one in place of OTE. While I do like OTE, I must always make the note that the reason I like it is because of your wonderful art. So if you add that to any little, fun stories, I’d be happy.
The same reason why you’re hesitant on finishing OTE with a closing story is the same reason why I have such a hard time dedicating myself to starting my own story. I’ve been working on it in my head since 2002 and since then, I’ve grown up so much and so has the story. Soooooo many things have changed and grew and it makes me worried if what I think is a good idea now would become something regretful later on when I’m stuck with that decision I made x years ago. Then again, I’m getting to the point to where I feel that I may finally have what I really want to do. But again, it’s hard to just figure out how far I want to take some things and if it’s really possible to hold myself back from writing myself into a corner. Anyway, that’s just me. I’m looking forward to whatever else you’ve got brewing up in that wildstorm of a mind you’ve got.
:’(
Just to let you know that I got a hyperlink to your site from Christian Dillstrom, you must be doing an excellent job as mobile + social media marketing specialist provides a hyperlink to you?