News Post Placeholder!

After being broken for, uh, more than a year, my news section is syncing again. And I need content for it! Since my chronic illness is still doing a number on me, it may be a while before a *proper* news post can go here. So... Enjoy this placeholder image!

I may not be able to do MUCH, considering how broken I am, but I still intend to update every single day. All extra stuff, from email communication, to side projects, to whatever, are indefinitely on hold.  I can't predict when my body will allow me to do this stuff. (Even writing this blurb will likely trigger a migraine - yay!) Just know I'm here and giving 100%. 100% of zero is zero, but STILL!!!

Precocious at the Small Press Expo!

For second, and final, time this year, I'm leaving my isolation chamber to table at a convention! The Small Press Expo is a great show for comics lovers, because it has EVERYTHING one could want. I'll be there with my fellow SpiderForesters, at tables E12-13a. DC area, people, it's definitely worth the trip - and TICKETS TO IT ARE CHEAP!

You'll have to watch my twitter feed for last-minute details. As the Spiderlings behind the table will shift, the only time I'm only guaranteed to be there (well, give me some bathroom break wiggle room) is Saturday afternoon, from 3-7pm! I'll be wandering around the con the rest of Saturday. I *probably* won't be around Sunday. (Sorry in advance to those only available then - my books will still be there, and I'll try to sketch in them ahead of time, so you have a special bonus even if I'm not there.)

I'll have the three Precocious books with me, and might do some small commissions. Any other goodies, like charms, will probably be there. Along with my stuff, the table will feature lots of awesome SpiderForest comics to buy!

And here's a general reminder that I'm still REALLY broken and sick (I have a special med I can only take once a week that lets me be "normal" for these shows) and that means all sorts of stuff is on hold until I can improve. I'm months behind on emails (and might never manage to reply to some, because writing anything longer than a tweet, like this post, takes a LOT out of me), and any work beyond comic updates is currently beyond my ability. I know the site is broken or outdated in various places, and my store remains disabled until I feel like I'm able to do regular post office visits again. All I can do is ask you to wait and keep the faith. I haven't forgotten or deliberately ignored anyone - I'm just stuck in survival/treatment mode until I can get moving again. You all are my motivation to keep fighting!

Chrispy at Conventions!

In my broken state, I only allow myself to do two social things a year, so here they are! Coming up WAY TOO SOON, is Anthrocon. I will be there! You should be there. Specifically, at table C3, buying my three books in-person, so you can get a nifty sketch in them! And you can talk with Mat, creator of Badly Drawn Kitties, master table assistant, and model for our doomed Precocious guest.

Since I *am* fragile, my ability to draw commissions may be limited. Drawing all weekend is one of my favorite things about cons, so I'll go until my body says NO MAS, but I'm going to raise rates* so I don't destroy myself in the process. (I will have some $5 sketch cards too, for you cheap-os.) I'm happy to talk with everyone - keeping me talking is BETTER for my health, so please make me feel special! During the con, make sure you keep track of my Twitter feed, as I'll try to post updates on my hours and commission queue there.

FYI: I've disabled my already-glitchy store for the con. (I've been too lazy to alert tech guy about that. It's just a quirk brought on by the server move.) Once I'm home, the code is tweaked and I have a tally of my remaining stock, the store will reopen.

(*Listen, every artist should raise rates - and attendees should remember *they* likely make FAR MORE per year than most artists, so please do the right thing and compensate for the depressed market rates by tipping!) 

Info on the Small Press Expo will come when we get closer to the show!

Fancy Feastin'

I needed a fresh news post on this site, so here!

This is me playing around with a little gimmick. Since I'm taking care of a feral cat family, and bribing them so they'll trust me enough that I can catch them and take them to the vets to get fixed, I've been going through a lot of canned cat food. One brand I use has these little cardboard pieces in the cases, and I chose to save them for doodle material. Please enjoy these pics of cat-form characters drawn on cat food box dividers! The goal was to do something nifty, but also quick and loose enough that I can feasibly fit some drawing in during the 5 minutes of upright time I get per day that's not used on keeping this comic updating daily. When life throws hindrances at you, you must learn to adapt. If small sketches are all I can do, then I want them to be special enough to be coveted.

Since I cut the dividers in half, they can fit in standard envelopes and go to anyone who wants to buy one. (International orders are fine. I have special stamps!) Use the PayPal/Donate button... wherever it is on this page. (Or just PayPal to the email on the contact page.) Anything given will be put to medical bills, so let's set a $10 minimum, ok?

These aren't commissions - more like rewards for charity? You'll get whatever's on top of the pile at the time. Sizes are around 5x3.75 inches, and materials can shift if I practice with other stuff. (These are brush pen and the handful of colored pencils I use for convention sketches.) Apologies in advance if I'm slow or very short with emails. Writing on the computer is very painful for me, so someone might get their card before an email reply.

(FYI: Health-wise I'm still in a holding pattern until my muscles stop turning to stone at the first twitch, and triggering strong migraines. If I don't have time/energy to do a Copper Road each week, I also don't have time to do the equivalent work elsewhere. It ain't laziness, folks.)

Happy Precocious Day!

I thought it'd be neat, tidy and memorable if I launched my new comic on New Year's Day, so Precocious posted its first update on January 1st, 2009.  (It started with the full Gender Wars story in the archive, so people would have a lot to read from the get-go, hence those 2008 copyrights in the archive.)

As the comic aged, I quickly discovered this was a stupid time for an anniversary, as no one was paying attention on a holiday, but what's done is done - and it's probably the only way I'd remember my *own* anniversary. There's always an "Oh yeah!" moment, sometimes the day of, when I remember it's time. (Usually followed by a mad dash to fix the copyright date at the bottom of January comics I uploaded in December - which I am doing after scheduling this post. "Oh yeah!") And it's INCONVENIENT when the 1st doesn't land on a Sunday or Monday, for more neat and tidy storytelling. (Since starting something when no one's around is silly, I'm having fun with New Year's-themed updates until a new story starts on Monday.)

2015 was very cruel year to me. My health continued to deteriorate. I couldn't make a new book. I couldn't do paid work - and, since the downturns were sudden and without warning, I got stuck with a handful of pre-paid obligations that I'm still not able to finish - which means daily guilt! (And I can't take new paid work until the old is done, so I'm HIGHLY motivated to catch up.) I had to scale back ALL the extras, because I simply didn't have the energy. But Precocious didn't stop - and that's the key. As long as this keeps updating, eyes will be there for my eventual return to productivity. Not to mention it's the one thing I love that I can still DO, even if I'm slower at it, and it's what keeps me motivated.

(Please don't write me with advice or asking more Q's - writing emails is one of the hardest things for me to do, so if you get a reply at all it'll be very late. Heck, even my Twitter is mostly one-way, with me spending a few seconds drive-by posting and not sticking around to see replies.)

As for 2016? I am not going anywhere, so it'd better learn it's not worth it to fight against my will, and then fall in line. I've committed to selling at Anthrocon '16 - and I've set a goal of releasing a new book then. (If dreaming big, maybe a double-sized one, making up for the big financial hole that is 2015?) I have lots of thing on my 2016 wish list - starting at the book, covering other big stuff like a Patreon campaign, and more "frivolous" stuff like some long-overdue cosmetic and functional upgrades to the website. It's all ambitious, and all will take a lot of miracles - but I am DUE for miracles. Time will tell how many extras happen in addition to the comic, which will reliably continue, but I promise you I'll continue to maximize myself, giving you 100% of what I can give - so it's time for my body to catch up with my mind and soul.

New bonus comic! (And why they're rare now)

Bonus Bernie! I've uploaded it as a vote incentive to TWC, so now there's new content there AND a blurb explaining why bonuses are rarer now (for those who click without being up to date on news posts). Please do go vote for Precocious here to see it, as traffic from being higher up on TWC always helps, but I will also edit it into the commentary and background tidbit blog post for the Weekend at Bernie's/I Survived the Weekend epic story when I do my next update.  (If you haven't checked it in a while, or ever, there's so much extra insight, plus links to various continuity references, so please go look!)

There are two more updates to make to that blog, I believe. One for the "epilogue" week, and (maybe) a final summary of my summer epic. Yes, "SUMMER!" I started it four weeks later than planned because I wanted to be sure my health would allow me to draw the whole thing without interruption, so, length-wise, it only ran two weeks long - and one was this bonus week I felt like adding. My planning was excellent, if not for that whole cowardice delay thing.

So what's the deal with much-rarer bonus work? Health. Same as it's been all year. Things went seriously downhill in March, and it's been slow going to improve things since. (There's hope, but in a "probably won't see notable improvement for five more months" form.) It's not like I'm avoiding doing extra work by CHOICE. 1)I ENJOY doing that work. 2)These things help with reader involvement and gaining positive word of mouth, which is vital for expansion. 3)If I don't put out my books, I DON'T HAVE AN INCOME. That last one is especially important!

I have the ability to keep daily updates going, but the key difference is I rarely have energy left over after to do all the other work I'm accustomed to doing. (Even writing updates like this one is VERY difficult, because working on the computer - especially with writing - hurts me.) That's why I can't reassure every curious person over and over, even though I miss being social and chatty, so please know I've got a plan, I'm doing the right things to keep me intact, and it's just a time thing to see if/when it works.

If I have energy left over after daily comic work and house/personal/doctor obligation time, the first priority is owed work - nearly all from periods when I was doing well, and no one had any clue things would be bottoming out. I haven't forgotten anyone, and I chip away when I can - but I can't chip until I know Precocious is safe, so I gotta build a buffer first. Once those are covered, I must focus on money. Since I can't do things like talk or leave the house without painsplosions, cartooning is ALL I CAN DO with any hope of earning enough to survive, so I MUST put out new books. Ideally, a Patreon-ish program will begin at some point, but I want to be confident about it. I know it's supposed to be about "Keep doing what you're doing" and not "I am buying exclusive services" but I want to be able to do some nice things! So, yeah... save up? For now, however, I'd be happy with word of mouth boosts and, if the impossible dream can be made manifest, getting a group to take on the Precocious Wiki, so it's not so sadly outdated.

Extra background info and story tidbits!

**More background info and stories**

Edit: The above link has all the good stuff, but I'll add prominent front-page links to the guest stars of the Weekend at Bernie's story here, if you want to follow them back to the source material.

Seley and Fox are from the comic, Curtailed.

Mat is the avatar of the creator of Badly Drawn Kitties.

Those comics may contain swear words and adults discussing being adults. For you teens out there, that mostly means "OH GOD I'M OLD AND EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE!" or "I'm acting like a crazy kid because who's gonna punish me NOW?" As all three of these have real-people behind the "characters," the versions in Precocious are Precocized, so treat them as just an homage - a Precociousverse character inspired by the real ones.

The post below on the main Precocious page has lots of neat info about the origins of the Weekend of Bernie's story, how the Curtailed crossover managed to work its way into it, and how Miri's character was enhanced/inspired by knowing Kat Feet's daughter, the real-life version of her. but there are more little snippets of background info to share. Rather than make a big, bloated news page, I'm putting a link right here to go read more tidbits! Read that to find out where Bruno the staff member came from, and see all the little call backs to earlier stories.

(Edit: And I'm keeping track of which commenters are clearly not paying attention... I know most folks rarely check the front page, so those who do should post a link to the information as a reminder whenever someone asks a question I've already answered.)

I've decided to treat this little experiment like a Patreon test drive, in which blogs with story insights would be posted. I'm trying to find new stuff to share every day for this one, as long as I have someone to say. Maybe they're interesting notes, maybe they're not, but it's a view into how the comics come together. This is a story that was brewing in the back of my head for years and years, and between the two posts you get a look at all the neat flavors it's picked up from the experiences I've had since its inception!

Hey, I know you! (Story inspirations!)

Click the pic to revisit the Precocious/Curtailed crossover!

(UPDATE: Since this post is already too long, I added even MORE backstory and random tidbits to a second post. Click here to go read it!)

I like to make summers in Precocious a little bit epic. Figuring this is when people either take breaks from their computers, or have the time to invest more online reading effort, I use it as an opportunity to write longer stories with lots of callbacks and continuity nods. If you're not paying attention, or paying EXTRA attention to details from the archvies, you'll find a big, rich story waiting for you to consume all at once. I see it as a reward for long-term, dedicated readers, and indulgent fun for me! (I have enough long-term readers that I'm confident any needed callback/reference link will end up in the comments section eventually.)

Aunt Bernie's visit was a story I deliberately sat on for YEARS, until the timing was right AND I had the full story set in my mind. (Take a look at Uncle Mike's mis-remembered names of Sky's twins, from nearly four and a half years ago.) Every so often during these years, I'd get a Bernie idea and add it to my notes. As that foundation built up, so did inspirations. In this post, I'm covering the two big ones: Miri and the pub!

Two years ago, I walked into the Small Press Expo and met Kat Feete, fellow SpiderForest member and creator of Sunset Grill. (Comic not for kiddies.) I also got to meet her lovely family, including her IMPOSSIBLY CUTE daughter.  I told Kat about a character I was working on for a future story, who was so cute she drove Autumn mad, and Kat began to share stories of how her Kidlet was able to melt hearts and do "this can't be real" adorable things. At the next SPX, she had even more tales to share! Both the links above were directly adapted from real-life stories told to me by Kat. Now that the story has finally been unleashed, coming with Bernie was a cute little girl named Miriam, whose look is a direct Precocizing of the almighty Kidlet. You can find several more stories I want to steal on her Kidlet Roundup.

I had a problem with Bernie's story, that caused it to sit half-finished for so long. I was missing an element to make it worthy of the wait, and, since I intend to let Precocious go as long as I have stories to tell, I felt no pressure to rush it out before it was ready. Near the end of last year, I finally hit upon The Plan. Slowly but surely, Act II began to come together in my notes - and Act II eventually required a visit to a bar.

With me being an unlovable and broken shut-in, I only know two people who are socially adept enough to visit bars, and they happen to be the creators of a certain amazing comic! I'd written Mandy long ago about adopting Seley and Fox as expanded-universe characters in Precocious - Meaning, they're not *actually* the characters from their comic, but strong inspirations for Precociousverse evil twins who take the roles of what would have otherwise gone to one-off random characters. When I finally got to meet them in-person (naturally, at a bar!) I gave them the overview of the bar section from the Bernie story, allowing them to take those roles if they approved. (Makes sense, as The two visited the kids' bar when they appeared in the Fall Festival arc, so now the kids visit THEIR bar.) They gave me tips of what their bar would look like (the name was Fox's idea) and I tried to match things up where the story (and my crummy bar-drawing ability) allowed. I'm not sure how Nerd Night-y they'd actually go, but it's an important element for a side story that will likely be a stretch goal incentive for the next book preorder. Perhaps Precociousverse duplicate Fox and Seley are a little bit lamer than their source comic, counterparts, but, well, that's really a given - seeing as *I'm* writing for them instead of Fox: The Worlds Most Interesting Man.)

No news, so look at this kitten!

Since I'm still fighting the health stuff, my life is mostly about keeping pace and ensuring Precocious updates every day. (Thanks so much to Jason McDonald for helping with coloring to give me some pressure relief! I'm chipping away at the few remaining bits of owed work I took on before I kerploded thanks to him.) Very little time/energy is left to do much else, and that "else" is currently a massive house set-up maintenance project... and this surprise visitor. (You can click on most pics for larger versions.)

This cat is 50% tail. Photos can't do it justice.

The Paulsen family is full of super softies. If we see a kitten without a home we will try to help them. For example: One time I walked into my boss' office (back when I was doing website maintenance) and told him, "My mother saw a kitten behind Taco Bell. I have to go." He knew better than to try and stop me. (That's when we got Jerkcat, by the way.) When I pulled up to the new house late one night and saw a mother cat with kittens, no way I couldn't start feeding them and try to make their lives better.

I was feeding the strays, and then one walked inside! (Why wait for me to toss food when he could simply go up to the dish holding the chicken?) As you can see in those eyes above, both of us were very surprised and confused at this development.

He (well, we think it's a he) is starting to adjust to this fostering situation. Currently at kitty bi-polar state, starting half our interactions with a hiss/cry before conceding, "OK, I really want to be petted."

Giant ears. Big paws. Tail a mile long. Very lanky. Totally looks like a long coat coming in. This cat will grow up to be giant and MAJESTIC. (This photo courtesy of my mother.)

At peace (for now). He'll soon meet my other kitties, and then we'll see what happens.

Anthrocon This Weekend!

(Thanks to Mandy of Curtailed for the graphic!)

Oh yeah, I should probably put up a news post about it, huh? I will be Anthrocon this weekend, in Pittsburgh, and I'm looking forward to saying hi to a whole bunch of you! You'll find me at table L01, in the back. Look for the Precocious banner and the Precocious/Copper road sign/beach towel on the front of the table. Mat from Badly Drawn Kitties (comic not for kiddies) is back as my super assistant, and this year I've brought in the big guns for backup should I die of excitement, with Mandy of Curtailed joining us too!  It'll be a blast, as I'm also between other awesome friends, the heroic Bill Holbrook and the charming Marjorie Rishel. (That's right, for one weekend the world gets to revolve around me!)

While me being constantly near death since last August means no Precocious book 4 debut, I'll have the other three books - and you can get them sketched in and signed!  I'll be offering badge commissions and will be doing Copic marker half-page commissions too! I did a test run of those at Fur The More, and they were fun! (No, they won't be as cheap this time. That was for the trial.) Small sketch cards are also available from all three of us at the table!  Just a reminder: I *only* take commissions at cons now, and due to SPX focusing on publishing, this is probably your last chance to get some Chrispy art drawn for you this year!

There will be a selection of new and old buttons from all three comics, and various other Precocious goodies, like the poster and window clings, will be for sale. Oh, and WE WORK FOR TIPS!  My base prices are set relatively low for my level of experience, but if you want to show some love you will be rewarded with some party popper fun, or a special treat!

Guitars and Microphones!

Yes, no one wants to hear anyone else's music - especially young'uns whose grandparents are younger than this artist - but *I* have the power here and you must suffer through it! (Or just not click. The story would read the same if I made up fictional song lyrics.) Anyway, if you'd like to sing along with the kids (and Ivy) with the main song from the current story, and the embedded video above doesn't work (news posts on the Precocious front page are mirrored from Blogger, so who knows how it'll go), here is a link to the music video for Kate Pierson's Guitars and Microphones. (Does it count as another B-52's reference for this comic if it's a band member's solo album?)

I stayed true to the concept of this story, by the way, and I listed to the album over and over, THEN this song over and over and over and over. And then I couldn't find a lyrics sheet for the song, so I listened over and over AGAIN to try and make it out. I doubt I got it totally right, so my apologies to Kate!

I also stayed true to the concept of something else, but you'll have to wait for that comic to go live before you know what I mean! (Hint: The comic's title is "Bring Your Arms" - though it's not about that specific song.)

And while I'm doing a news post, here's a health update: I got botox injections to help muscles spasms in my face that were causing migraines, but it didn't go well and has so far been ineffective. I have dozens of emails to write and respond to from the past three weeks, as well as a personal goal of getting at least ONE Copper Road done in June, but right now it's all I can do to keep updating on time. And that's really annoying, because it could mean reshuffling my planned Summer story order.

Autumn's Adventures + Store is back up!

In the previous post, I said I'd fix the store once I remembered my password. I did, so the merchandise and art card sections are live again, PLUS I added a pile of book twos for a clearance sale, as I unearthed an extra box of them from a previous printing during my move! If you don't mind a handful of typos (which were corrected in later printings), get them cheap - signed and sketched too!

I missed this while was all exploding-headed and traveling, but the Precocious/Ginger's Bread "exchange program" has a new entry! Head over to Ginger's Bread to see that comic! (Warning: Some curse words.) And, yes, I made fun of Carl, the creator, for not including The Desk gifted to Ms. Monster by the Precociousverse's take on Ginger. (FYI: There's no actual canon connection between the two comics - treat the character "swap" as more like a crazy coincidence. It's just two cartoonists taking a joke TOO FAR and loving it!)

For those who are playing Pokemon Rumble on the 3DS, Carl also created a Gingerverse Autumn Mii and decided to have some fun with her! It was enough to get ME to play the game, but I just started last night and don't know what I'm doing yet. Do you play? Are we friend code buddies yet?  If not, find my codes on my Tumblr page, and send me YOUR friend code in an ask. (Nudge me if I don't add you within a day or two. Sometimes Tumblr doesn't give me new ask notifications.)

Oh, and Carl shared the scanny thing for the Gingerverse Autumn Mii. Once I figure out how to use it, I will steal her for my own 3DS fun!

Convention Time/Timing (UPDATED! I DID IT!)

6/1 Update: SUCCESS! 

Despite missing nearly a full day of the con, everyone there was incredibly nice and no one screamed at me openly for being the Marketplace's "That Guy." This ended up being my highest-earning DC-area con yet, and I credit the positivity and proactive nature of the Fur The More staff for creating a strong and supportive environment. People were nice even though I stayed at my table to catch up and didn't socialize as much as I should have.

Also throwing huge praises to Mandy and Fox for letting me abuse their time for a late lunch. It was surreal and exhilarating to live inside their comic, Curtailed, for a couple hours. (Those two are so perfect they create comic-worthy moments every few seconds - and I TOTALLY STOLE SOME OF THEM FOR THIS SUMMER'S UPCOMING STORYLINE.)

I also got to draw for middle schoolers today, which is always a huge boost. The next generation is dangerously smart and talented and inspiring - and I was faced with the idea of destroying them out of fear, or encouraging them in hopes they won't turn me into Soylent Green when they get into power. Here's hoping those quick portraits and fox drawings keep me alive one day!

Four days of heavy talking and no sleep are having predictable results on my condition currently, as my facial muscles are super "hungover," but I got extreme enjoyment out of that time! (I get my treatment Thursday. It it helps, maybe I'll be slightly less drama for everyone next time around.) No Copper Road update is happening until I get back under control - so maybe next Monday? I have no Precocious buffer left, so that's my current comic priority.

I need to turn some items back on in the Precocious store, but my password expired and I can't remember which of the dozen or so options I was using. Maybe I'll find the post-it note with it around here later...

Copper Road + Bribed for Bonuses! (UPDATED)

As you'll learn more about below, I didn't realize it was the end of the month. Whoooops. I didn't have anything finished or timely in my Copper Road file, so I had to turn to my eyes to this dumb universe around us. Fortunately, I had a physical therapy appointment soon after. While that tweet didn't turn into full prophecy, I got a comic from the experience! (I did not handle adversity like Shii Ann, which is why we need Shii Ann. A comic of me NOT doing something stupid isn't very entertaining.) Vote here to see the new Copper Road! (Also, part of the first of the month update is that the previous month's Copper Roads are added to the online archive.)

Now, let's talk about color and illness and how those are tied together. The Ivy relapse story had to be initially posted with only background coloring, as my continuing health issues hit new heights in annoyance the past few weeks. I can draw comics, but computer stuff like coloring and lettering really hurts.

UPDATE: Jason of http://www.indeliblebluepen.com/ has stepped in to color some comics for us! He colored half of Sunday's update, and is saving my butt for at least a few updates next week. Yay!

ANOTHER UPDATE: All of Ivy's Relapse story is now colored and updated! Commenter DRB also stepped in to help pick up some slack, and I took care of the rest. Go back and reread it all to make sure I colored the right files and didn't lose a fixed typo or updated text or anything.

Back to the original post:

Anyway because of THAT headsplosion stuff, I've been focusing on drawing comics and not spending time at the computer. I thought I had my story finished, and then I found myself jotting down TWO silly bonus ending comic ideas. (Not canon - especially the first one - but fun as bonuses.) With my other option being painful coloring, I felt it a better use of my time to draw those bonuses. Hey, I can use one for a bonus inventive if I - WHEN DID IT BECOME MAY?!? I need a new Copper Road!

All of that combined is how I ended up with three bonus incentives for one day. SO LET'S HOLD THE BONUS ENDINGS HOSTAGE! If you can unlock the extras, I will edit them into Sunday's comic. If not, you won't see them until they appear in a book. (Can you unlock them before the page goes live?)

UPDATE: Yes, you can! I am super impressed! I'm leaving a;; the initial info in this post, because lord knows I always have more medical bills, but you have met your goals so yay you!

Once again, I will reward you with extras for donations and store sales that help me pay for my ever-growing pile of medical bills. You can donate via the PayPal donation button on this page, or you can buy stuff from the Precocious store! (Did you see that artist editions are available again?) Both PayPal and the store should have a section where you can write a note to me, so mention this is for the bonus comics.

I'll keep the goals low again:  $75 in donations/sales unlocks one. $150 unlocks both. $200 gets them both fully-colored. If you need context, I have medications (yes, plural) that cost more than $200. It may only be making a small dent financially, but it means a heck of a lot for peace of mind to know people out there are rooting for me. There's hope I'll get a procedure that will make things so much better, but it could be weeks or months away. I will need some audience love to push me forward until I can walk stable on my own again.

Incentive teasing! (UPDATED)

I delayed the first-of-the-month inventive/archive boost due to April Fools avoidance and general business, but now the Copper Road archive has been updated with last month's incentives. You can go enjoy those again.

Update: You guys met the bribery goal, so Sunday's comic was updated to include a bonus strip, and the new Copper Road was uploaded to TopWebComics. Vote here to see that comic!

Summary of this post before I edited and rewrote it: While Copper Road vote incentives go into the site's archives at the start of every month, bonus scene comics used at incentives disappear until it's time to print them in the books. To raise funds to help offset an incoming wave of medical bills, I offered readers the chance to bribe me into including the bonus scene with Sunday's update, with a Copper Road taking its spot as a vote incentive.

While the base goal was met, it should be noted that it was set well below my normal out-of-pocket cost for either of Tuesday's doctor visits, so more help is always needed! If you've been looking at fun stuff in the Precocious Store, like the books or goodies like charms, window clings, cupcakes of bliss and the cast poster, now's the time.  For donations, use the button to the left of the news post.

This was a rather clumsy preview of a patron/Patreon thing that I am simply too darn sick to set up properly. (I'm so sensitive to light right now, I had to do my updating over several shifts, as even my fully-dimmed monitor is too much to handle for more than a few minutes at a time.) Because my best case scenario for health means regularly getting an expensive procedure, which could enable me to be far more functional than I am now, I will need to upgrade my fundraising efforts. Bonus updates will be transitioning to donation/patron benefits. I don't know when or how yet.

If you don't have funds to give, there are other ways to help the comic. The most important is spreading the word. Go use the share buttons on your favorite comics! Reblog/retweet my Precocious stuff. Make sure your ad block is off for this site. I don't get much from ads, but they're needed to pay for basic website hosting/operation costs, and whatever's left goes into advertising Precocious on other sites. Put some energy into making the Precocious Wiki something thorough and respectable, or putting Precocious references on TV Tropes pages! Be kind and active in commenting, as that's what I have to rely on for reader feedback, and it means so much when I see new voices chiming in. (Just don't spend your commenting telling me you're broke. Do the more helpful things instead!)

Day-Late Birthday Bonus?

I've been in an unfun flare-up state since Friday, so I was kinda too sick to revel in my own birthday yesterday. So, uh, it happened. Please mark your calendars for proper and timely gift giving next year, and gift hard enough to erase all memories of this year's birthday failures. (Is this current birthday story proving more allegorical than intended?)

Anyway, the day was marked by a gift to the backers of the book 3 Kickstarter. (Many of whom probably ignored the email and missed that it contained good stuff. This post is your reminder!) As I close out final the loose ends of the campaign, I released a PDF featuring Awards to Inspire and its bonus side-story, "Gus." Enjoy this extra boost of continuity! (I expect the book 4 preorder to launch sometime in May, so if you don't want to miss out on these extras anymore, start saving now!)

Store update + New Copper Road!

I'd like to dedicate this Copper Road to my mother, who wrote half this comic for me when I told her about my new Amazon Fire TV. So far, I'm liking it much more than Chromecast - if only because I had a TON of music in Amazon Prime, and it shows me the lyrics for some when I listen! It also gives me a way to stream The Americans that didn't make my computer super angry. Anyway, vote to see the new comic, and enjoy a look into our dystopian futurepresent?

In other news, with Kickstarter fulfillment finally finishing up, I can now offer the goodies from the campaign to the those who want more. I've created special Cupcakes of Bliss gift boxes for my last remaining amigurimi dolls. (Some have already sold, so if you want one, act fast.) You can also grab a set of the double-sided clear acrylic "Friend or Foe?" charms, and a collection of all the window clings offered through the campaign.  I also added the recently-drawn art cards that I had posted to my Tumblr account. (People following me there and on Twitter got word of the store upgrade first, and top doll choice. It's rewarding to love me!)

If you're a Kickstarter backer and you'd like to complete your collection, you'll have to contact me for individual items. Individual charms and clings are $4 each, plus $1 for shipping to the US, and $3 for international. Because I gave so many away as apology gifts for late delivery, supplies are very limited.

Thanks for your support, everyone!

The Kickstarter and the Current story!

(Image unrelated to post. I thought I should include a picture, 

and I had an unused panel from the Food Fight story, so...)

My preference is to mix up the types of stories in Precocious for variety, so it's a little odd for four of the last five stories to be school-based. In the case of the current "morale-boosting" tale, it's a quirk of timing on two levels. We're a few weeks away from spring, when things (in theory) warm up enough for more outdoors-based storytelling - as well as marking the return of the kids' standard outfits! In sorting through upcoming stories, I found myself with a two-week opening before the warmer weather tales began, and my weather-independent stories were either too short or too long to fit.

But another bit of timing came into play. A little over six months after a stupid fall managed to mess me up, and trigger a wave of painful complications and bad flare-ups of prior medical issues, I've finally fought my way through to the last bit of the book 3's Kickstarter fulfillment.  After the packages I'm mailing tomorrow arrive, all that's left is one person (who has most of his order, and is waiting on a special reward), and the few who never filled out their backer surveys. (Since you didn't check the Kickstarter emails, maybe you'll see this post?) It's been a very frustrating time for all of us, and I'm so sorry this had to happen. I'd fought so hard to overcome the pain caused by two botched procedures on me to find stability and productivity again, only to be undone because of what I eventually learned was a defective bolt in my desk chair. ("All for the want of a horseshoe nail...")

One of the unlocked Kickstarter rewards was a bonus story for backers, and that one kept getting pushed back with everything else. Maybe there's a silver lining to that dark cloud, because I gained more time to play with the outline - and one day a second story emerged! The original story for Kickstarter backers was told over 14 comics, I had a 14-day gap in my schedule AND a new side-story, and during this 14-day gap was when the last of my overdue Kickstarter rewards would be sent out. SO I HAVE AN IDEA. Now, everyone can enjoy the bit of silliness I had planned for backers, and those who supported the book 3 preorder will be sent a PDF including this story, the bonus side story and some extra commentary upon completion of this story's run here. The side story will answer a question or two, and provide an alternate perspective on the great sixth grader incident.

I can take pride in knowing I didn't (and won't) miss a comic update, no matter how bad things got for me. The goal of a good daily comic is to always be there to make you smile, through happy days, grumpy days and dark moments. Precocious is something that you could take for granted, knowing I will always be there with a new treat for you ever day. (Thought I'd much prefer appreciation as opposed to a sense of entitlement - but such is the double-edge sword of reliability!) It hit me very hard that I couldn't be Captain Reliable for everything, and I had no choice to but to watch my deadlines come and go for non-Precocious work. While I've had a few commissions take too long, though all had legitimate reasons for those delays, this was a new experience for me. And it was awful. ESPECIALLY since I had the Kickstarter reward timing so perfectly planned out! Nothing makes the universe angrier than someone making plans, I guess.

I'm in no way out of the woods yet on any level. My health is still more bad than good, and it'll be interesting to see how that issue plays out with a potentially helpful procedure on the horizon. I also have lots of comic plans that I'm not willing to put on hold. I still plan to debut book four at Anthrocon this year, and the companion book will be produced as well, though for a later release.  One cruel twist on life is that your bill don't stop even when you can't work - in fact, they skyrocket with the addition of so many medical bills! (Don't get sick in America unless you're rich.) I will be looking into various fundraising options to help keep both me and the comic going, and I hope enough people appreciate what I do to give me the chance to keep fighting - but first, before any of that, I have a dwindling pile of outstanding orders to finish. Wish me luck!

6 years old! + New Copper Road!

Six years ago, the first Precocious update went live. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was happy to do it! Today, I... well, that hasn't really changed. (The comics are better drawn now, though!) Thanks to all of you for keeping me going! Shall we aim for seven years? More???

To celebrate six years, I've done a little update with the Precocious store!  As long as I'm feeling festive, copies of book 3, and the book combo pack, are on sale for $5 less that usual!  (For those just starting out, or looking to indoctrinate others, the colorful book 3 is meant to be an ideal starting point.)

I'm also testing the idea of an original comic art grab bag. For a reduced price, you can get random piece original comic art from my "these are special" pile.

(All other store updates will wait until the end of the Kickstarter fulfillment, likely at the end of the month. For the backers who are still waiting, make sure you've been checking the campaign updates. I'll need some feedback from the art burst orders soon!)

Since this is the first of the month, there's a new Copper Road too! Vote here to see it!  (Even if TWC seems to have failed to reset, you get your comic on time.) One of the positives of me being fully unable to move through live without bumbling even the most basic things is that my constant failures often translate well into Copper Road scripts! I wrote this script a couple months back, but it gets the new year's duty because I managed to do the spice move again this week. Man, I'm glad 2014 is dead. It was mean to me. I spit on its grave!

As it's a new month as well as a new year, that means last month's Copper Roads are now in the Copper Road archive! Enjoy them again, folks! If you're looking for the Cylon sub bonus strips, all you need to do is scroll down the front page to see them.

New Bonus Scene! 12/29/14

So where *is* that 7th copy, anyway?  I set up the scene to add a little mystery... Was there one covering the exit?  Are these Ms. Timid's sisters, letting her stay home and safe? Did Quincy kidnap one? I suppose this is as good an answer as any!  Vote here to see it!

By the way, can you figure out which copy is which?  Also, a Tiffany hunt is a great way to thin out the herd! ("The six Vengeneers assumed it would be a simple mission... None survived.") Nah, I'm not that dark.  Unless Carl draws that one comic he keeps threatening to draw. Then it's ON.

EDIT:  I'm putting the deleted scenes from this story here in this post, since it's already on the front page with a snazzy picture! These three bonuses are all *maybe* canon, so they're here for fun jokes, even if they don't get immortalized as official plot points.

2106, part two:

2115, part two:

2122, with bonus ending: