Major Apologies and Changes

Yeah, so if I still have any readers, you may have noticed that I haven't updated in a while. There's a reason for that. Several reasons.

Last summer, my sister and brother-in-law kinda-sorta hired me as a babysitter/housekeeper/groundskeeper/animal handler with a little graphic designer/consultant on the side. So I moved from my apartment near my folks to my sister's basement up in Middle-of-Nowhere, North Dakota. I like it, usually, but moving in and getting settled was (is) a bit of a process.

Once I got things arranged so I could start drawing more often, woops! My drawing computer starts acting up. Or, perhaps more accurately, not starting up. That's what I thought, anyway. Something turned on, but as of a couple months ago, it wasn't communicating at all with the Wacom tablet.

Finally got the entire rig down to my brother and the first thing he does is open the converter box between the tablet and the computer. It looked like bird poop and melted chocolate. Or like something exploded.

Apparently, these sort of components aren't supposed to do that.

Yay.

Welp, my brother takes a look around and finding a quality replacement would not only be difficult but also expensive. I've also been thinking about saving up for an actual tablet computer for a while so I can do what I wanted to in the first place, see something interesting and just whip out the tablet for some drawing.

Which would run somewhere between 1,100 and 3,000 bucks.

So I haven't been working on Mary Quite Contrary or much of anything else art-wise for the better part of a year. I'm sorry. Really. I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I do want you to know that I haven't abandoned this comic.

In fact, as soon as I can get a drawing rig up again, I plan on rebooting the story. There are a few things I ended up skipping over because I was trying have the comic's time run in 'real time.' I think I've also learned a few things about pacing and layout since the early strips. Not to mention I'd like to give a bit more focus to Mary's family.

MQC will return, eventually, and I'm hoping it comes back better than before. Cross your fingers.

Chapter 15, Page 14 Anesthesia

Sorry for the long wait. First I had trouble just working on the comic (technical issues with the computer and various demands on my time). Then I heard about Blogger having some issues with posting images because of a new security protocol. I'm hoping things have settled down enough so everything shows up the way it's supposed to.

Not the greatest strip to end a hiatus with, I know. It's what I had.

Chapter 15, Page 13 Waiting Room

I've never done any kind of fasting well. Doesn't matter if it's medical or spiritual, I go more than two or three hours without eating and my body starts complaining. Which is probably why I have such a ridiculously hard time losing weight. (That, and I'm a little lackadaisical about the whole thing. Now that I'm having trouble fitting into most of my pants I may, possibly, actually put in an effort.)

I'm not sure if Dad realizes how close I was to gnawing on his arm (or the arm of my chair) while waiting for surgery.

Reason for the delay.

Okay, there are a number of things contributing to the current delay in a new comic coming out. One of them is that my drawing computer is refusing to talk with my drawing tablet and vice versa. As soon as I can arrange some couple's counseling for them I'll try to get back to the comic.

Chapter 15, Page 12 No food before surgery.

Some members of my family don't particularly enjoy eating. They do so only because it is necessary for survival but otherwise see it as either unpleasant or a waste of time. I am not like that. I love to eat. Food is wonderful. The ironic thing is that the two people in my family who enjoy eating the most are also the two people without a functioning sense of smell.

Chapter 15, Page 11 Problem exposed.

Well, I feel silly. Should've had this up months ago. Sorry. Life's been... interesting, interspersed with moments of intense boredom. Being the on-call babysitter for my sister who lives three hours away doesn't help.

I also never want to reproduce x-rays in the comic ever again.

Chapter 15, Page 10 Waiting Room

It's Wednesday! (dur)

Sorry I missed last week, and almost missed this week.

Anyway, Mary's at the dentist. Is anyone else able to resist playing with the toddler toys they have in waiting rooms? 'Cause I can't. Especially anything that involves large beads on a track.