300 and Out

July 6th, 2010 | by Jason
Posted In: A Word From My Mind, Blog Content

300 and Out

Today is the 300th strip of Rupert & Me. It’s also the last daily strip for the foreseeable future.

Turns out there are not enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to. So, something’s got to give.

For now, you can get your monthly dose of Rupert & Me through the Amazon Kindle Store. Volume 1 is out now and I’m hoping to release volume 2 by the end of the month and maintain that monthly schedule.

I have some vague notions about doing a relaunch of the daily Rupert & Me in September, but those are just vague notions and it’s really going to depend on whether or not I can be build up another buffer.

Working on the first Kindle collection absolutely killed my existing buffer and there’s just no way I can I work on the second collection, the daily strip and work my day job.

You might ask, “But, Jason, why bother with the Kindle collections at all then?”

Because I believe comics on the Kindle are an untapped market and I aim to tap it.

The rest of the comics community (Marvel, DC, etc) is just getting on board with digital comics and their efforts are kind of embarrassing. So I figure I’ve got a little bit of time to stake my claim before they get too organized.

Since April of last year I’ve also had a slowly, but steadily growing audience on the Kindle that does not crossover with my website and Rupert & Me audience. Plus, with the change in Amazon’s royalty policies, there’s a real opportunity to make some money there and I am going to seize that opportunity.

The first Rupert & Me collection was fairly simple, considering that I did have to redraw every strip. But I didn’t do anything fancy with the layout. With volume 2 I’m approaching it more like a traditional comic book page and, naturally, it’s turning out to be a little more complicated.

I’m shooting to have each volume between 100-120 pages (do page counts really matter anymore in the digital world anyway?). And I’ll be continuing with the Rupert & Me archived strips before starting on new material. So, depending on how many of the old strips I burn through, you’ll start seeing brand new Rupert & Me content in the Kindle collections around volume 5ish, maybe. I don’t know how exactly it’s going to break down.

Like I said, I have some vague notions for a September relaunch. Best way to insure there is a September relaunch? Tell your friends. Spread the word. Make sure that Rupert & Me Kindle collections are in the top 10 Kindle bestsellers. If I make enough money I don’t need to do the boring day job and, all of a sudden, I have more hours in the day to work on stuff that I like.

The Rupert & Me archive here is not going anywhere, though. All 300 strips will still be available for your reading pleasure. In the next week or so the site’s going to go through a mini redesign. The blog will continue to be updated on the same Tues/Thurs schedule, so continue to check back here for news and updates regarding Rupert & Me, my other books and whatever other random thoughts pop into my head.

Also, I have a notion that the podcast may be returning, but don’t hold me to that just yet.

So, that’s what’s going on. Don’t be sad. Don’t be blue. This is not an ending, but a new beginning.

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iWant, But iDon’t Understand

July 1st, 2010 | by Jason
Posted In: A Word From My Mind, Blog Content

I do want the new iPhone 4. In fact, I’m getting the new iPhone 4, eventually. I say eventually because in 3 days it completely sold out. Everywhere.

So, what I don’t understand is why everyone else wants the new iPhone 4.

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a tech junkie. I grew up watching Star Trek, and reading comics. Every time a new device comes out I think we’re getting closer and closer to the actual future. I like getting new tech toys. But there can’t be 1.7 million other people who think the same way I do, can there?

There is literally nothing about the new iPhone that warrants people waiting in lines at 7am. And I say this as someone who did get up at 6:45 to be at the AT&T store at 7 so i could be sure I was going to get one. But at 7:05, when I actually got there, there were already 80 people ahead of me. And by 7:20, the AT&T store had sold out of their 40 iPhones.

So, I don’t understand. Is it just that everyone works themselves up into the same tizzy? “I need to get there first thing so I’m guaranteed an iPhone.” But in the end, all 1.7 million people end up thinking the same exact thing and they all show up first thing in the morning?

The first iPhone was different, even the second iPhone was special. The iPad was definitely unique. But we’re onto the fourth generation of the iPhone. There’s nothing in this new iPhone that’s all that special and revolutionary or even different from the iPhone 3Gs.

It has a front facing camera. It has some fancy Retina display. It’s got a sharp looking design. But none of that warrants lines wrapping around entire malls.

In fact, if my wife’s iPhone 3G hadn’t pooped out after downloading the new operating system onto it and she hadn’t needed my iPhone, I dare say that we would be waiting till August to get the new iPhone. But August is a long time to pay for a data plan that I’m not using, you know what I’m saying?

Seriously, though, what has Apple done to us? Have they trained us that well? People don’t line up for new MacBooks or new iPods. Why does everybody get all excited for the iPhone?

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Remember, if you leave a review on the Amazon page, I’ll give you a free digital copy of Rupert & Me: Tales From Under the Desk. Drop me a line in the comments or at onestrayword@gmail.com.

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