Hey look, it’s my two least favorite things to draw: Buildings and cars! And lots of them too! Where did all of this blood come from? Is it mine? Probably!
COMMENTERS: What thing have you had to cut out (for financial reasons, lifestyle change reasons, etc) that you miss the most? What thing have you refused to cut out, regardless of the circumstances. For me it was Starbucks. No matter how broke we’ve been since The Experiment started, I’ve insisted that I allow myself the one luxury/vice/indulgence that I partake in, which is iced grande soy lattes.
NEWS TYPE ITEMS:
We are putting the final touches on the new HE store which will hopefully launch tomorrow this week(?) HERE.
UPDATE ON THE FANCY DIGITAL SKETCH DRIVE: If you are still waiting on your Fancy Digital Sketch, I am SUPER BACKLOGGED on these. I am very sorry it’s taking so long. Doing 50+ original pieces of finished art always sounds easy, until you agree to do it and take money for it. I am working through them, but if you need yours urgently, feel free to let me know via email.
PACMAN NECKLACE! WAKA-WAKA-WAKA-WAKA-WAKA…
Have you seen my wife’s Etsy store “Science and Fiction?” Check out her latest geeky creation, a Pacman inspired necklace!
Comments (38)
Having a fridge full of fancy beer is the thing I miss most from having a real job, that said I still get a six pack of something nice evey other paycheck or so.
Stephanie · 89 weeks ago
For two years I was just barely able to afford to have cleaners come and clean my house every other week. I’m self employed and business has been bad for a while now, so I’ve cancelled cable, got rid of the phone, don’t eat out, etc etc but the thing I miss most is having my house cleaned for me. I don’t care if I never get back to TV, phone, & fancy food. As soon as business improves though, I’m getting the cleaners back.This is probably the number one thing on my wife’s “if we ever have more money” wish list.The thing I miss most about my husband having a regular job is positive numbers in the back statement.Last Sunday I cooked a meal that I couldn’t wait to have. All day long I was thinking I can’t wait to have dinner. It was a five dollar whole chicken that I seasoned and roasted with root vegetables.
AND I got several sandwiches out of it during the week.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to be delicious!
Carlos A. · 89 weeks ago
I miss…
junk food. Used to buy fried potatoes, doritos and stuff. Still miss those. =(I won’t give up my fancy coffee creamer or nightly ice cream, just won’t.
Jason · 89 weeks ago
A year ago I had to cut comic books out of my budget. It makes me sad but unfortunately sometimes life is like that.It doesn’t help when you calculate the cost of the entertainment time vs other sources of entertainment. $3-4 for 20 minutes of reading, once a month isn’t such a great deal compared to dvd’s and books and screwing around on the internet for free.Exactly, I feel like Im shorting the creators (following folks on twitter meeting them at cons makes that all the more palpable) cause my love/like of the titles isnt reflected in the month to month sales numbers. But, oftentimes its just too much cash for a few minutes reading and waiting for the collected version just makes more sense.I worry Im helping to get a book cancelled, but they are just not affordable.
Its not that you are helping to get a book cancelled. You are doing what comes naturally given your options and available cash, and THAT in turn is reshaping the industry… which means books gets cancelled, more titles go digital only, more titles go trade only, etc.Oh man. Emotional cliffhangers?! Joel, what have you done! (It’s awesome. I love it).
PokeyPuppy · 89 weeks ago
Dance classes. Not cut out entirely, but I don’t have the time or money to spend as much on dance as I would like.At least I still dance around the house and stretch like a crazy person, and my husband is used to it!
At one point in my life I sold my complete Games Workshop paint set and boxed set Dark Elf army and got rid of three long boxes of comics (mostly Malibu, Top Cow, and Image #1’s and that era of the X- titles) in order to do volunteer work overseas. I sold or gave away a lot of other things, but those are the ones I really wish I still had, particularly the paints and miniatures.While trying to live on about $250 a month, I still managed to keep up two things – regular karaoke nights (I found a DJ I could barter free help for a beer and late night munchies) and one big meal out per week. In my case it was a 2-for-1 breakfast deal on Sunday mornings and I’d have them put both breakfasts on the same plate. Nom.
I love this story. I am also super enthusiastic about karaoke. I have a pro KJ set up at my home. We just threw a karaoke party for my wife’s birthday this last weekend.OMG, I miss having a garden. The last couple of years I’d been able to find living arrangements with people who had backyards and I grew a significant amount of my own produce. I didn’t realize how much a part of my life that had become until I moved in with my boyfriend into an apartment that doesn’t get much direct sunlight. But at least I get health insurance now.Reading this reminded me of something I saw related to the medical value of tacos. Honestly, you can’t afford to NOT get taco hole – turn the car around! http://youtu.be/zYpuuLLKQx4
sookiecookie · 89 weeks ago
So is the end game of this storyline “buy my wife’s shitty jewelry or we’ll die in the streets”?
meagankn · 89 weeks ago
Wow, dude. You’re an asshole. Are you seriously mad because Joel is promoting his wife’s work? Also, it’s not shitty. I bought one of her necklaces and it was really high quality and I get a ton of compliments on it. So go eat a dick and stop being negative for no reason.Blocked this miserable piece of shit, but I’m leaving the comment here as a reminder that this type of behavior is not tolerated. We are trying to have a nice, pleasant corner of the internet.
Handigoat · 89 weeks ago
Ah, the difference one word makes. If not for the “shitty”, this might have been snarky and humorous instead of douchebaggerous.
Doctor_Who · 89 weeks ago
Thing I gave up when I was unemployed: any and all video games that were not 100% free. I think I bought myself a single PS2 game for my birthday. And this was 2009, so a used PS2 game was like $7.Thing I could not give up: weekly meal at Five Guys. Since I couldn’t find a job for over a year after college, I took the opportunity to finally learn to cook and start eating right. For the price of a week’s worth of microwavable cheap garbage, I could make a big pot of stew or lean chili, or a nice pasta dish. It was better tasting, more filling, and I lost 40 lbs.
But I would have gone crazy if I couldn’t cheat once a week with a massive pile of vinegar soaked fries and a burger.
Stephen · 89 weeks ago
Ok Joel, just saw the second episode of Agents of Shield.*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*
I think my favorite part was where Simon slammed his staff into the ground to knock out the bad guys with a science pulse then got River to safety on Serenity and flew away. But I just couldn’t understand why Mal wasn’t on the ship…….. -.-
I see what you did there, I had the same thought when I watched it, etc. etc…But, I’m gonna be that guy: Technically, Mal wouldn’t have been there because when Simon rescued River they hadn’t met him yet. Simon was working with a different underground group to get her out of Alliance hands and joined up with Serenity’s crew later.
Whew! Glad I got that out of my system.
Stephen · 89 weeks ago
Lol but in the movie, it was Serenity that pulled them out and helped then with the breakout. And it’s the opening scene of the movie that I refer to. We didn’t get to see him break her out in Firefly, she was in a box. But anyway….Whedon keeps reusing things! Does he expect us not to notice!? If he’s gonna reuse things from Firefly/Serenity I WANT THE WHOLE SHINY THING BACK, DAMMIT!
Ali · 88 weeks ago
In the movie, it wasn’t Serenity that helped with the initial rescue of River. It was whoever Simon hired to help him.
Candace · 89 weeks ago
After I graduated from university, I quickly learned the job market was basically non-existent in my area, but I was already used to living like a college student, so I coped pretty well. The thing that I really hated was when my car reached a state in which I could no longer afford to maintain it, and public transportation was sh*t at the time, so I had to rely on other people to get around. I hated the loss of independence, but stubbornly maintained my own place, and managed to feed myself and two pets (a cat and a dog). I was pretty much hanging on by my fingernails, just out of sheer obstinacy.Luckily, I got an insurance settlement which, combined with a little help from my family, got me enough money to get a new car in less than a year.
Fortunately, my circumstances got better after a while, so I can’t complain these days.
The thing I’ve always refused to do without was a stereo system. I have to have my tunes, and I like them better when they’re bouncing off the walls than when they’re fed directly into my ears. I took my system from home when I went to college, and have upgraded every time I was able to.
In terms of things I’ve stopped compromising on, it’s good quality bread. Cheap bread is just plain horrible and unappetising, and makes me either want to avoid eating it, or wasting money buying something else for my lunch. Good bread isn’t all that much more expensive, and it’s worth it, IMHO.
Gretchen · 89 weeks ago
Hey Joel, I just wanted to give you a heads up. I got the blogtrottr email this morning that you have a new comic up, but the link leads to a “page not found” error, and it’s not on the main page, either. I wanted to let you know something went a little wonky with the site, just in case you weren’t already aware of it. LOVE the new direction of the comic, by the way. Can’t wait to read the next installment! 🙂The site moved to a new server. Once your local DNS cache updates everything will be fine.I would have to be on the streets before I would give up my cats. Anything else, fine, I’ll cut back, but those two brighten up my life every day. Fortunately, my partner and I do OK on our student stipends, and as we are in the UK we get free healthcare and other human rights.Also, screw that other guy. I see your wife’s creations every day and think *WANT*.
Amanda · 89 weeks ago
Unless some miracle happens, come February I’m gonna miss free laundry. We’re in an apartment right now that has a w/d in unit, but they’ve raised the rent so much that we’re paying more per month than my aunt says they pay for their 3 bed/2 bath house on 10 acres. And I can’t find anything that meets our needs that’s even remotely affordable.I think mostly, though, I missing living in a house. I even miss yardwork…at little.
Laura Y. · 89 weeks ago
I definitely miss the housecleaning. I also miss having enough money to not feel rushed on the very rare occasions when we get a sitter and go out.The one thing I won’t give up is my smartphone. I must have the interwubs available to me at all times.
I am an environmental type (don’t worry I won’t proselytize) and we gave up Bananas as they just have to travel too far to get to the UK.Thing is before we took that decision we ate a lot of bananas, not at once just over time. We really missed them.
The best thing about Nerd boat this year was being in the same hemisphere and region that bananas come from. You know your taste buds are renewed every four weeks or so which means after about 4 weeks you forget the taste of something. That first banana was something special I can tell you…
Ali · 88 weeks ago
WoW. The non-trial version, anyway. I miss playing my monk so much it hurts sometimes. #firstworldproblems?
Thing I gave up when I was unemployed: any and all video games that were not 100% free. I think I bought myself a single PS2 game for my birthday. And this was 2009, so a used PS2 game was like $7.
Thing I could not give up: weekly meal at Five Guys. Since I couldn’t find a job for over a year after college, I took the opportunity to finally learn to cook and start eating right. For the price of a week’s worth of microwavable cheap garbage, I could make a big pot of stew or lean chili, or a nice pasta dish. It was better tasting, more filling, and I lost 40 lbs.
But I would have gone crazy if I couldn’t cheat once a week with a massive pile of vinegar soaked fries and a burger.