Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a good time ringing in 2010. My finger is healing slowly, but definitely feeling much better. Thank you for all the well wishes.
I have new projects I’m working on, new ideas, and changes for 2010, so I thought I’d share and let you all know what’s going on.
1) For the many people who have asked, I am trying to get some Retail collections published. Whether it be through an actual publisher, or POD remains to be worked out, but it’s on my to do list. I hope to make this happen by the end of the year. I’ll keep everyone updated.
2) I’m working on a graphic novel for kids. That’s about as specific as I can be at this point. There’s no deal with a publisher or anything like that, just a project I’ve been meaning to try for some time. I’ll share the details of that project as it progresses.
3) I’m running the first year of Retail on the site as of today. For those who have never seen the original run this is an opportunity to see the first year of strips. This also means there will be new content on the site every day throughout 2010.
4) I’m writing a screenplay. No details I can really share on this one yet.
5) I’m ending Gill.
Yes, I saved the bad news for last. Sorry for the horrible sucker punch. Believe me, it was a hard decision to make. I’ve literally been struggling with it for months. But as much as I love the strip and the characters I don’t think it’s a concept that has what it takes to be successful online. I may be wrong about that, but I just don’t have the time to gamble with anymore. Writing and drawing Gill on top of Retail takes up too much of my time to even attempt any other projects … projects that might have a better chance of turning into something. I realize this is abrupt and unexpected, but I feel it’s better to make a clean break if I’m no longer fully committed to producing Gill. Leading everyone on with continued excuses and a half-assed updating schedule wouldn’t be fair.
I sincerely appreciate everyone who has supported Gill. Your kind words and readership made the project more than worthwhile. Gill will continue to exist in the archive for those who feel nostalgic.
-Norm
I’m pleased to hear that you’re doing well and keeping busy, but I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I say that Gill will be sorely missed.
sadder news than the previous indefinite hiatus, though I still hope for a return. Personally I think Gill is your best work.
Gill will be missed.
Gill will be missed, but maybe he could cameo on special occasions? I wouldn’t know where he could cameo in, but hey I just thought I’d throw out something here.
*scream* … Well, what can you do? Good luck on your other projects, Norm.
Argh, I’m ready to come at you with all sorts of arguments…but it’s no use, is it? It’s such a shame.
Oh, that’s so sad.
I’ll really miss Gill, he’s a great kid.
Okay, I understand your reason for wanting to end GILL, but couldn’t you have done just one last one to end on a good note for him?
I’m going to miss Gill, but I hope you’ll give the little kid the best farewell party for him
I’ll miss Gill, although it’s also a kick in the pants for me to buy the Gill collection.
I’d like to propose a stuffing toast to the little guy: may he have the best summer ever.
Thank you for the first year of Retail. I never got to see the early ones, so it is nice. I will miss Gill, too. I think anyone who’s spent any time reading him will. Good luck with the other projects, though.
Well this news makes a bad day a little bit worse. I will miss the strip a lot, it was one of my favorites. Really sad, Gill can not make it two years and we can not get rid of The Family Circus.
Sorry to hear about Gill, I really love that character. Good luck with all your new projects though and I’ll hope for “the Return of Gill” at some future date!
“Really sad, Gill can not make it two years and we can not get rid of The Family Circus.”
This sums it up very well. I like all of your work, but Gill is by far my favorite. He will really be missed, the little guy. *sigh*
I’ll continue to watch, though, and wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
My reaction to these kinds of announcements is generally the same (heck, I think I reacted this way when Gill went on hiatus) – do what you’ve gotta do.
I enjoyed Gill a lot, and I’ll miss it, but precisely because I’ve enjoyed your work I want you to work on what you need to work on, not on what I’m demanding. Creative work suffers otherwise.
Best wishes on your new projects!
Sad to hear about the end of Gill, but it had a good run. I hope you’ll do one more strip, though, because the last one was a pretty depressing way to end the strip. Hurray for the other news, however.
Yeah, no more Gill’s a sad prospect under any circumstances, but what a gloomy point to stop on! <:(
Sorry to hear about Gill – I started following him in the last year when I a link somewhere out there in the aether. It’s been fun – and I’ll keep hanging around here. Retail will be new for me!
As others have said, I’m sorry to see Gill end but I also understand that you have to do what you think is best for you. Thanks so much for giving us Gill, and for keeping him around in the archives.
(Although one final strip, to send Gill out on a high note _WOULD_ be nice, if you can think of one and have the time to draw it.)
Gill was the strip that turned me onto your work. In fact, I think you’ll find a lot of your online fans came to you through Gill. You may be underestimating its popularity.
You should’ve left this news in 2009, Norm. Way to start 2010 off with another “death”.
This is sad news, but I’m excited to see what you do next. Gill was my favorite web comic and I can’t believe there’s no money to be made off of such a great effort.
I look forward to any Retail collections. I just got my wife into Retail through “Pretending You Care”. When old retail employees get together and trade stories, it reminds me of Viet Nam vets getting together.
I’m sad that yet another of the best new webcomics bites the dust prematurely, but I’m not surprised.
The concept of Retail does not catch my interest at all so I’m not sure if I’ll stick around. But I hope you’ll remember me as one of the most vocal supporters of Gill.
Dude! You totally hucked us the bango! Gill was my favorite feature of yours. Best of luck to you and your upcoming projects.
Well, you would know how popular Gill is by the number of visitors you have been getting, but I can tell you that I thought it was one of the better webcomics. I will miss it a lot. Maybe someday you revisit these characters.
That is indeed bad news. I didn’t subscribe to your other comics, as they, to me, weren’t all that. Gill, however, was/is funny and hysterical. I’m sad to see it go. I’ll unsubscribe now — I’ve ended up scrolling through the feed, looking for Gill and bypassing the remainder (which I don’t find interesting at all). Thanks, though, for the laughs.
It would be cool if the screen play was a live-action version of “RETAIL”. I’ve read Retail since they started publishing it in The New Britain Herald several years ago, but they pulled it last year. (Plus they never ran the Sunday Version), so since they’ve pulled it I’ve been reading it daily on the Seattle PI Website.
Darn. Gil was one of my favorites. Well, gotta do what you gotta do I guess. Good luck with the other projects.
Such sad news, Gill was one of the best webcomics out there.
Though, I became a fan of yours in general from reading Retail, so it will be nice to see it through again from the beginning and catch the ones I’ve missed.
And right after I got the Gill compilation for Christmas, too. But you do what you have to. Personally, I think GIll’s ending works out, with his dad in jail and out of Gill’s life, but that’s me. I’ll keep coming here for Retail and anything else you might run.
Norm;
NO MORE GILL!!?? I was not expecting to hear such depressing news in 2010.
However, as a fellow toonist I completely understand that you need to be in the right space to produce a quality strip. Gill drew me in to your art and writing as many who visit your site. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Gill and the gang tho…characters don’t go to bed until “they” want to…
Best of luck to you and your future projects!
K
Sorry to hear about Gill. Guess it looks like his dad’s not going to get out of the pokey after all…
If you don’t mind me saying, it’s ok that you’re ending Gill in search of better prostpects. However, he will be missed dearly.
It’s finally starting to sink in that we won’t get more time with Gill. The strange thing for me was that as I was reading your wordless strip experiment, I kept imagining something similar with the kid. Thanks for sharing and good luck with the new projects. If you get filthy, stinkin’ rich off of any of them, please give us more Gill.
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. I came here from Retail and enjoyed Gill as well. I (like others) understand the energy required to create each comic.
I liked the idea of Gill showing up at the Mall, maybe walking off from Mom and finding one of Coopers cardboard creations, (oops, is that a story idea, if so, I give you all rights to it)
I will keep reading, your work is really creative and does speak to me. Thank you
That’s really disappointing about Gil. It is/was my favourite comic strip (web or print). It’s certainly better than anything I’m seeing in syndication right now.
I sincerely hope you revisit Gil in the future.
Oh Man… First Boxcar Astronaut announces it’s ending and now Gill? I guess it’s true, ALL good things come to an end.
First, thank you norm for providing us with great characters, story line, art work and over all a Great strip. Gill WILL be missed. However, I do agree with a few others here when they say you should end Gill on a happy note. (You left Gill’s dad in jail… that’s sad)
Second, congratulations and good luck on your new projects. I’m sure we all look forward to what ever you produce. Thank you Norm.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve decided to end your work on Gill. I think Gill was one of the best comic strips I’ve ever read, with unique characters and was very funny too. To me, Retail seems to be less unique. It’s like “Dilbert” or “Unshelved” at a shopping mall. You may be right about it appealing to more web comics readers, but Gill was something special.
Over time, Gill and his gang came to feel like personal friends of mine. Now bereft, my life goes on. Without their guidance and companionship, life will be that much lonelier.
But the repositories of literature are immense, and suitable replacements can be found, given effort and time. As with any grieving process, it will not be easy, but I plan to persevere.
Thanks Gill for the laughs and lessons learned, and thanks Norm for the creativity and verve that fuelled such a marvellous creation; I wish you all the best.
I thought Gill was wonderful. I also turned my wife onto the strip, and she’s a huge fan. We’ll miss it, but we’ll look forward to your other projects.
I’ll miss Gil. He made me laugh. I wish you the best on your new projects
You know, based on all the comments here, everyone seems to be missing the most important part of this announcement: namely “For the many people who have asked, I am trying to get some Retail collections published.” This is AWESOME NEWS!!!! I very much hope that this is gonna work out!