So, there’s this common idiom that asserts that the definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over while expecting a different result. People say this all the time in order to look smart, but I for one completely and totally reject this definition. Insanity is a total disagreement between one’s senses (brain function included) and objective reality. Constant repetition may be a symptom of insanity, but it is not the definition.
That’s one of the many pet peeves based on language usage that I’ve developed—but why do I bring it up now? Because of the grind. There are times when working on and uploading this comic feels like doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. What results do I expect? Well, I’ve been at this webcomic thing for over 20 years, and never really made much of a name for myself. I am fully aware that I do not play the social game of networking and self-promotion very well at all, so there’s only so much I can expect from nose-to-the-grindstone type mentality, especially with the internet being so inundated with webcomics as it is… and it was over-saturated decades ago… it’s only grown since then!
But indeed, I am not simply doing the same thing over and over again. One might say that everything stays the same, and at the same time, just as accurately say that everything changes. I prefer to think of the changes, though falling into the sameness is a very easy trap also. Changes might be small, but they’re there. As many pages as I’ve uploaded already, I’ve only ever uploaded Page 13 of Episode 23 on midnight of June 6th 2025 once you see, and I’ve never do that again.
Just as the storyline of the comic goes on an on, changes, progresses, and arcs, so does the general attitude of the internet. Believe me, if I had started uploading Adventurers’ Guild some years earlier back in the heyday of webcomic artists having their own websites and forums, I think this series would have thrived a bit more. But times change, nothing stays that same, and I still have a story to tell.
But, I don’t want to sound unappreciative of the audience that I HAVE gained. You guys are great. Really, I had planned long ago to have a chibi-style gag comic about Myra checking the internet for Adventurers’ Guild fanart and being horrified at what she saw, due to “rule 34,” and the tendency for perversity to show forth online. But I don’t think this joke would land simply because I don’t think my current audience goes for that kind of fanart. I have not once seen any lewd fanart of any of my characters, despite having braced myself for such a thing; and for that I am extremely grateful. I could be wrong, but the people in my audience I’ve had the pleasure of talking with do not seem to be the proud perverse type. You guys specifically have proved me wrong about my presumption of internet users, and I that there is no insignificant feat! Much appreciation for that one!
And to the naysayers who say, apart from “nay,” “Adventurers’ Guild is just not popular enough to garner fanart, lewd or otherwise!” I’d direct you to the fanart page, and also say that on two separate occasions, I’ve met strangers who said they recognize my characters and comic. So there!
I’ve gotten past the point of worrying about justifying the time and mental effort I put into this as opposed to putting my time into what some may think of as more “useful” endeavors. I’ve talked on this before—I’m in it for the long haul. My wife knew when she married me that this was part of the package, as it were. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it repeatedly: I hope you’re along for the ride too.
