RETCON the ORBIT of 6/5/17! OK last minute rewrites screwed me up a little. I wanted Sasha’s claim to indicate the satellite manufacturing factory would be higher up than your general satellite, in as few words as possible. The logic part of my brain failed. So I’m retconning the line about orbit just to make sure I don't screw it up worse-like!

So here’s some general information about impending things:

BOOKS: As you guys know, I’m many MANY years behind in books. In the days leading up to Sluggy 20+ I was hoping to get two more books out. But I have yet to layout one.  Last year I remember how peaceful January and February was. I was targeting those months for Book-Time! But it was not to be. January and February 2016 stuck out to me because things ramped up in March 2016 and Haven’t Stopped Since. So I’m way behind there! I still have delusional hope of making it. Being delusional is fun! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

CHAPTER 70 FALLING: The current chapter is very important to me, and has been draining me in many ways, but I am currently extremely happy with how it’s coming out. Because of its multi-layered intensity there may be more delays and emergency fillers than usual, even with the daily nature of my webcomic coming to a close in 6 months. It’s just a general head’s up. And it’s also to pre-diminish some of my guilt. I am very conscious of the ‘countdown’.

SLUGGY 20+: The other thing that’s slowing me down is super-secret actions I’m taking behind the scenes. I’m still hesitant to give any details until they’re locked down. Just know I’m still planning on continuing after the 20th anniversary, it will just stop being a daily webcomic. What it WILL be is… evolving. Anywho I get the feeling there will be lots of “no information” suddenly followed by “too much information out of the blue”. I can at least tell you I am happy and excited about things at the moment! When I feel I CAN give you more information, I will!

Let’s keep Marchin’ Onward and Sideways!

Howdy everybody! I wanted to take a moment to say Happy 2017! I know, it’s a little late in January for that, but truth is I spent this month moving in slow motion, like through molasses.  Maybe it’s me getting old and slowing down. Maybe it’s because the current chapter (Chapter 70: Falling) is an organizational scripting nightmare because of too many working pieces. Maybe both. It’s totally both. But at this distance it seems like everything should wrap up nicely by August. And I’m looking forward to getting the store back open Monday!  Let’s talk about August and the Store in more depth:

August  (Sluggy 20+): As most of you know by now my intention is to wrap up this part of the Sluggy Freelance saga by or around the 20th anniversary. I started throwing around the word “Retire”. I also established that the story would have to continue in some fashion, but not as a daily webcomic. And I wasn’t sure exactly what would come next. I’ve kept my ears and eyes open, and I’m looking at options. Plans for “Sluggy 20+” have begun, but I don’t want to give more details until things are solidified. Along those lines I may have to take off a few days in February. I’ll do my best to avoid that, I always do! But yeah, there may be delays mid-February. In this case it’s a good thing!

The Sluggy Store Reopening: Thanks again to everyone for a very successful (and a ton of work) holiday season for the Sluggy Store! I had mentioned discontinuing the Kiki Poing shirt and the Sluggy Dreamfighters shirts. I think I may add another design to the ‘Discontinued’ pile. In another turn of events, to help a sluggite with the usual outrageous international shipping rates, I got more of the Indy Planet books in stock (Meaning Sluggy books 7, 8, and 10-16). I normally would have waited until closer to August to restock, as I normally only offer signed IndyPlanet books around December and August. But now I have a bunch so I’m going to break protocol. BUT because of my workload I’m going to limit it to a One Week Sale!

So from January 30th to February 5th you will get a shot at limited supplies of signed Sluggy Freelance Books 7, 8, and 10-16, and a last crack of a couple of shirts that are going to be retired forever as of February 5th!

Onward and Sideways!

Sluggy Freelance turned 19 on August 25th! Normally I’d have a story in the news below about what to expect in the coming year, but we’ve been talking about that a lot lately. Normally I’d try to have a new book in the store, or a shirt! But life events made it impossible to get projects done by deadline.  Normally I’d do more everything, but the muscle spasm that took my arm out for a week meant I was barely on top of the next day’s comic. The only thing I did do was promote Defenders memberships, and you guys did the rest. More of you donated, renewed and joined the Defenders program in the last few weeks than the rest of 2016. Thank you so much! This anniversary you did it for me. I’m going to proudly take it easy and rest up.  And then on to Book 16 and more!

Hey everybody! I've been advised by friends and family alike to stop using the term 'retirement'.

I think they're just jealous! But they do have a point. As I've said before, the term is misleading and inaccurate. Because one year is not enough time for me to wrap all the storylines in Sluggy Freelance, there will be more story coming, just not in the daily webcomic format.

But what would this "Sluggy 20+" format be?

I still love the characters, the writing, the drawing. I still love you guys. And thanks to all the recent Defenders of the Nifty support I've received, I'm highly considering continuing the comic online, but not on a schedule. I could put up comics at a less strenuous more "elbow-roomy" pace. From a quality point of view, "Sluggy 20+" maybe the best thing to happen to Sluggy Freelance!

A new "Sluggy 20+" membership program might even be in order, but if that happens, and if it starts before your Defenders membership ends, you'll be grandfathered in so don't fear renewing! Besides, no matter what I'm doing (or how slowly I do it) you Defenders will be able to read my blog and keep up-to-date with me!

It's a year off, but that's the current plan! Thanks to all of you for your support these last 19 years-or-so!

-Pete

Become a Defender! Help Support the Strip
This page has all the details but I also wanted to mention “The Sampire” Defenders-Only Comic Book! 37 Pages of Sampire!

Being a Defender isn't only about bonus content, it’s also about saying thanks for the years of entertainment this strip has provided you. And it gives me the gift of continuing to provide it for at least a few more years to come, for everyone! Just fill out the registration form, and you’ll be taken to a page where you can pay via Credit Card (link on the bottom left) or via Paypal. Your account should be activated almost immediately!* Checks and Money Orders can be sent to: Sluggy Freelance, LLC PO Box 453, Denville, NJ 07834 Please include a valid contact email with the check, and please allow 3 weeks* for account activation! (I can’t get out to my PO Box every day and personal checks take time to clear.)

Donate! When I started my last “New Defenders Drive” I was surprised how many people simply wanted to donate completely separate from Defenders Membership so I set one up! If you do go this route please donate at least $5 otherwise I' won't see much of the money due to processing fees.

*IMPORTANT: Once you’ve paid, (and waited the three weeks if paying by check or money order) if you can’t access Defenders content or log in for any reason contact me at defendersfix@sluggy.com and we’ll take care of you! We’ve noticed sometimes the Paypal payments and automatic membership activation don’t synch up, and I don’t want anybody left out!