Just a bit too much, thank you.
I wrote recently that I was looking around for custom plush toy makers because I had an uncle that expressed interest in helping get them going and investing money into Gummy. Well after writing to several companies and getting no reply it seems no one wants any business. The one company that did quote me a price for them wants a small fortune. There’s no way I’d ask anyone (even family) to invest $5,000 into something that may or may not succeed. I don’t even think there would be a considerable enough profit to even make it worthwhile.
Lately I haven’t even had much inspiration in drawing new strips for the Gummy comic. I’m at a crossroads right now I suppose. Do I continue with it or just pack it in and consider the time spent a fun experience while it lasted? I suppose I have some thinking to do because I don’t like the idea of doing something if my heart isn’t into it 100%. Perhaps I’m just feeling defeated right now by the huge lack of interest from toy makers. Putting so much time into a site like that which makes zero profit is tough though. I do love how the comic evolved but it’s hard to justify spending a huge amount of time on something that doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere.
Mike, I for one think your comic is rad and I wouldn’t like to see it end just as it’s had a revamp.
I’ve been writing my blog, WriteNonsense, for around 4 months now and despite doing everything the experts say I should, I still struggled to get over 30 visits a day. I was pretty much convinced that the only people who read it were my friends, and the only one who clicked on the Google ads was my girlfriend while she was at work.
Then 2 things happened. One was Danielle giving me the ‘Power of Schmooze’ award, which was the first real recognition it’s got from the blogosphere. The other was a post about Talk Like a Pirate Day, which I put up because (and don’t tell anyone) I really didn’t feel like coming up with anything to write about that day.
The post got over 1,100 diggs and 8,000 visits in 3 days. It’s since settled down to its old levels, and I might have been annoyed that nobody came to read my stuff about freelance writing, but I guess that field’s overcrowded anyway.
What I’m rambling about is that It feels like I’ve been writing that blog for myself for 4 months – and maybe I have been – but i keep doing it because it interests me. If Gummy still interests you, don’t give up on it because some toy companies are tight fisted.
People read your comic, and that’s cool. Maybe take a break, but don’t give something like that up without thinking hard about it.
@Chase: Thanks for the comment :) It’s definitely not something I would just stop doing without putting a lot of thought into it. I’ve put too much time into it to do something like that. I have been taking a bit of a break from it. I may just need to extend it a bit, get some new material written and see what happens from there =)
This is kind of weird to read because the entire day I’ve had the whole “crossroads” theme popping up, and I’ve actually been thinking a lot about it today.
Gummy is amazing, but it all comes down to what makes you happy. Whatever you do in life, it should make you happy and you should have a passion for it, an excitement. That’s what makes life worth living.
If you do decide you need a change it might lead you into areas you never even thought about. Follow your intuition, your heart, and do what makes you feel the best.
Good luck on whatever you decide, with your talent you could do anything Mike!
Did yo pitch the female alien to them, I mean the market is much bigger when it comes to girls compared to boys, then when the girl alien get popular you launch the dude alien, as it just feels natural.
Mike,
Don’t give up. Gummy is your baby, and just because the rest of the world doesn’t think your child is a genius, doesn’t mean he’s an idiot. It just means that he’s not appreciated yet.
Don’t let the toy makers get you down. When you’re trying to go heads up with the likes of tickle-me-elmo or beanie-babies, you’re going to hit a few brick walls.
Many of us out here love Gummy, and Bella, and Brad. We look forward to their little escapades and delight each time a new strip is posted on your blog.
Don’t give up hope. You gave three little aliens a chance at life, and you gave us, the readers, a little enjoyment in our lives. You have a gift, don’t let big business take that away from you.
@Christy: Ultimately I’ll probably stick with it. I think I just need more of a break and some time to come up with some fresh ideas. I always appreciate your comments, Christy. You’re very kind :)
@Krillz: That’s the thing. There’s nothing to pitch to them. They aren’t the ones that would be paying for them, just making them. Apparently none of these companies want anymore business though.
Hey buddy, if it’s any consolation, you’re not alone as I, too, have come to my own sort of crossroads. Still trying to answer the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
Hang in there. I’m certain that brighter times await us. ;)
Don’t tell me Gummy’s an endangered species? Before making big decisions you should always take deep breaths .. and go to sleep heh. Works for me.
Mark – I thought you wanted your own bathtub full of aliens when you grew up?
@Christine: That was very nice of you to say :) I get so little feedback on the Gummy site that honestly sometimes I don’t know how much the comic affects people.
@Mark: I know that feeling, buddy ;P
@Baron: Haha, I’ve been getting plenty of sleep lately. I don’t know how well it’s affecting my decision making skills though ;P
@Baron: I knew I was forgetting something! Thanks for the reminder. :D
Hmph.
Like many ppl have said Mike, you’re certainly not alone. Almost all of us go through what you’re going through with our sites or our own personal projects.
For me in the end it all comes down to what makes me happy and that’s what I work towards doing. Fortunately, I’ve had enough variety in the jobs that I’ve worked and am honest enough with myself to know what I ultimately want to end up doing.
That being said, there are still a lot of passions that I haven’t been able to devote myself 100% to at the moment, but I still make the time to work on them because they’re what I love to do. …
So I guess my advice to you is … If you enjoy working on your comic, keep doing it! Keep making it better, keep spreading the word and stay passionate about it.
If it’s a thing of you’re not seeing dividends for the work you’re doing, maybe you have to revamp the way you’re going about things. Maybe you have to change your marketing strategy or tweak or create new revenue streams for it.
And if it’s taking too much time, just don’t work on it in the same amount you are now. I think the worse thing you could do is burn yourself out over it.
Boy I’ve talked a lot.
@Bush: Well said! :)
Wait, I’m not finished reading Bush’s reply.
Hehehe
@Bush: Hey, Buddy. Totally appreciate your comment. Never mind Baron picking on you for it being so long ;P
I was just telling Tish a little while ago that I think I just need to take a deep breath, pause for a bit and then get back to writing out some ideas for more strips. I’m just burned out a little bit I suppose.
Please don’t give up. I love your comics.
@Rose: I’ll try not to :) I do need a bit of a break though so I can get other things done =)