Tuesday, December 23, 2008

This Blog Is Still Alive

Like any other self-respecting, jaded artist, this blogger is now faced with a decision about the future – what should he do! There’s the easy option of just letting this blog die but I can’t let that happen. There’s the frightening option of releasing a compilation album type “Best Of…” series of posts for your re-perusal, but that’s even worse a notion than the first. And then, finally, there’s the thought of just dragging myself to somehow squeeze out a few paragraphs that seem post-worthy – which, if you’re sharp enough, you might notice is what I’m trying to do now.

I have, however, decided to go with Secret Option no. 4 – cheap-ass, low-budget, easy-to-draw comics which will be based on styles and themes that already exist around the internet. To begin with, I shall attempt some graph comics – influenced by Indexed. (FYI – xkcd is still slightly beyond my graphical abilities – who would have thought stick figures would be so hard to draw)

Here’s today’s. More in the days coming up. The plan is to keep the comics going until I summon up the inclination to start writing again. Thanks for the patience.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

u bet .. but xkcd stick figures are nothing compared to Cyanide characters!! but then, how would you know?? :P coz i am the one who did all the drawing! :P

Renuka said...

I'd title B as the number of times men flirt so ridiculously, you have nothing to say but a smiley.

Jayesh said...

Ur blog does make people smile..hope you get back to writing too :)

Veda said...

:P

Melody said...

Now, how many smileys would you use for a guy you've been chatting with for 4 months thinking he was a girl???

Gauri Gharpure said...

thnks fyi.. thought the blog is going 'dead'. and no, however tempted i may be, i won't use a smiley for this one comment..

KD13 said...

I confess... I use smileys a lot and I'm more comfortable when guys use them too, so that I don't have to use my weak esp skills to know what they're trying to convey in their very limited guy-speak!

Anonymous said...

Heheheh .. awesome !
I really liked this new idea of graphs. Keep posting.

Joe Pinto said...

Hi Arnold,

The trick in not getting jaded or bored with yourself -- and thus coming face-to-face with the Blogger's's Ultimate Destroyer -- is to post on your blog only when you want to.

Otherwise, keep reading the comments your friends make and reply -- thanking the gracious; poking fun at the humourless; tickling the serious.

One of my students Gauri Gharpure, who runs a cool blog "Life Rules" and who led me to you, taught me the great value of carefully reading all the comments to a post and replying to them one by one.

This act of kindness by the blogger builds your readership, keeps the comments coming, stimulates the juices; and just keeps you going, when the inspiration has dried up.

Maintain a balanced mix of graphics and text. I went through some of your earliest writing from 2005 and you are cool and hot and creative.

But you are over-stretching yourself. Write as little as you must. Not a word more, not a word less.

Please forgive the "teachery-preachery" tone. Too much of lecturing does spoil it for me.

Warm regards,
- Joe.

--
Joseph M. Pinto,
16 Swanand, Aapli Society,
Shahu College Road, 481 Parvati,
Pune 411 009.

Phone: 020-2444-4392 (residence)
Mobile: 99700-17039.
E-mail: sangatizuzay@gmail.com
Blog: http://www.sangatizuzay.blogspot.com/ (Against the Tide)

Anonymous said...

Stumbled on your blog randomly and found your comics hilarious. This one is something me and a girlfriend have discussed too. We decided it was the difference in behaviour. Women depend on emotions more while speaking and so translate that to the emoticons while chatting. PS: Female commentator here :)

FifthBeatle said...

@Anonymous (2:10 p.m.): Thanks. Okay, so here's what went through my head as a read it.

First, I read "me and my girlfriend" (by mistake) and thought "Hmmm. Ok." Then I saw "female commenter here" and thought "Wow!" Then I re-read the above part and saw "me and a girlfriend" and thought "Crap".

The wonderful workings of an average male mind.

Abhishek said...

@arnold - wtf?! the same happ to me!