Last Matter of Fact to run on December 25th
- By Bogey on October 9th, 2009I announced this a couple of days ago on Twitter but didn’t give a reason as I was a little busy, but yes it is true- Matter of Fact will end its run on December 25th of this year. Why? I’m glad you asked:
- Since I started the comic I felt like I have neglected my family at times. They have never complained but I think they are honestly just being nice about it. Plus, I would like to spend more time with my wife at night after the kids go down and not have to worry about cranking out so many comics a week. More than anything else I’ve been giving myself guilt trips.
- I also feel like I have been neglecting some of the minor aspects of my music writing business (www.johnmusic.com). Just like my family, it has never complained but I can sense the saddening stare my music keyboard gives me daily. Since the comic I haven’t done any concert band compositions, and while that is not the focus of my writing, I would like to do at least one small concert band piece each fall to help promote the site.
- My marching band writing season starts in January and usually goes through June. Last year my wife was pregnant during this time and Jackson was born on May 1st. She had her maternity leave during the rest of my writing season so she was able to watch the baby while I wrote. However, this year I am going to be at home with the baby and she is not going to have a maternity leave. So my writing time is primarily going to be at night and I don’t think I can afford to spend that time drawing comics. It is tough right now without having to plan for and write 100 minutes of music.
So those are the big 3 reasons. What will happen after December 25th? Matter of Fact will not update anymore, however I am going post a comic on my music website once a week. It will have the exact look and tone of Matter of Fact except it will be called Tone Deaf and will only be music related single panel comics. These will primarily be used to draw people into my music website and while they are there hopefully check out the rest of what I have to offer.
When I told my wife that I was stopping Matter of Fact she was a little shocked.She knew how much fun it was for me, and it was! In a way I think it really helped me with my music writing because I had another creative outlet. I didn’t feel as stressed writing my music. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. But besides that, the webcomic business really has given me ideas of what to do with my music business. So many ideas are easily transferable and just make sense. And at the very least I learned how to use Photoshop! That has really come in handy with my music stuff as well.
But its not over yet, so you will be hearing more from me up until the end. I still have to draw those last 7 comics though so I should get to work on them. Thanks for reading!
Wow, I’ll miss your cartoon! I’ve read it every day
But I’m looking forward to ‘Tone Deaf’ – some of my favorite cartoons of yours were music themed (the ‘Snare Drum Revenge’ was hilarious). Best wishes to you in your music business, and thanks for the laughs!
Well I guess I’ll have to find another comic that I read everyday! Congrats on the great comic, and kudos to you for obviously being the Worlds Greatest Dad and Husband! On the flipside, I hope to hear some great music from you in the future!
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Oh well, It’s understandable. You don’t get paid for this work, though it is better quality than most webcomics, and most funny pages comics. I’ll miss it. I did today order a calendar as a gift for a friend who plays trombone and loves music. Thanks for the comics.
this saddens me :C
But oh well, good luck and stuff.
Sad to hear about this. It’s been fun watching you grow as an artist. This site has improved by leaps and bounds since when you first began it. But I really respect that you understand the place this comic holds in your life (you’re better at balancing your priorities than me!). I wish you plenty of success in your other endeavors, and I’ll enjoy reading until Dec 25th.
Kinda bummed to hear that, but I wish you the best with your endeavors!
I’ll keep stopping by to check out Tone Deaf, too.
All perfectly reasonable and understandable. I have no doubt I speak for many when I say your work will be missed.
If you find you miss it too much, or the wife says you have to go back to drawing because you are driving her nuts, know we will still be here.
Good luck to you in all your endeavors. Thanks for sharing your art with us.
Aww, man! I love your material. Consistently funny and warped just the right amount. Dare I say, genius? You will be missed. Good luck with the music business and congrats on the growing family.