Well, it's about time this got updated. So here's the state of things right now: unfortunately, it looks like almost nothing has changed. Artis's hands are still in no shape to do any drawing, despite the efforts of several specialists and physical therapists. As you can imagine, this is No Good At All. We had planned to do some toned-down, basic strips to finish out the story, and I'd still like to do so, but at the moment I don't know when that will possibly happen.

As for Metrophix, I'd still like to finish it up and put it out for people to use. I've heard stories of problems with the automatic install, but I've seen no actual error reports ("It isn't working" doesn't help me at all, people). So if you're trying it and you encounter an error, please let me know! Hopefully it can get started up again and put into a more useful form for the world at large.

As for ComicsML, I'd also like to see that advance. However, without Metrophix and a comic to use as a testbed, I don't see that really happening very well. Again, I feel like that's pretty unfortunate--mostly because I'd hate to see that work gone to waste, but also because I really think it can be a beneficial thing to the webcomics community. Input is nice, though! If you have something to say about ComicsML, please do let me know. I still check the forums from time to time (even if nothing's been posted there for a while), and I'd love to see some of this start back up again.

And as soon as I can get a wrap-up to the story written (hasty though it will seem) and Artis's hands heal up sufficiently, hopefully we can draw some closure into this. I hate leaving things unfinished, and right now there's far too much of that around here.

It was two years ago today that Metrophor was launched. Let's take a brief look back at what we've accomplished, shall we?

....

On second thought, let's look ahead to the future! Artis' hand is still recovering, although unlike the first few months there is some noticeable progress being made. Metrophix isn't a dead project, and I intend to release a 1.0 version sometime in the next little while here. We're still around, we just haven't been able to do, well, anything really. But we're not dead yet!

So it turns out that when one's hand is damaged, one tends to favor the other hand for doing all sorts of tasks. This apparently leads to that hand being used more than it otherwise would, which I suppose could conceivably put more strain on that hand.

It looks like Artis has managed to damage her other hand now by stressing it too much doing the things she would have used her bad hand to do. This, to say the least, makes it really hard to do much of anything. Like get online and type things, much less art.

The good news is that she's going to see a physical therapist, though it's anyone's guess what might come of that.

Just wanted to let you guys know what was going on with the healing. It looks like there's still no end in sight.

Florida was wonderful, and I'm not entirely sure why I came back to the relatively frozen wastes of New England. At least I've got a monstrous sunburn to remind me of happier times beneath palm trees, which will have to work its magic until things get truly nice up here (sometime around June).

One thing I've been addicted to lately is the TED website, and specifically the archive of talks. Nearly every single thing in there is inspiring in one way or another, and there are more than a few that actually have, I think, changed my view on things. Most talks take less than 18 minutes to go through, and the simplicity and alacrity with which most of the speakers give their presentations is utterly amazing. Go take a look, and see why I can't stop watching. These are like lectures done right.

Artis' hand is still in the process of healing up from the exams (and, we hope, is not to be further prodded and poked at). Of course, that means no comic again this week, because an angry hand is not to be trifled with. With luck, things will be better in time for next week. We can but hope.

Myself, I'm off to Florida for a while. It's about time to get away from this accursed New England weather and once again make the acquaintance of the s... the su... the big bright shiny sky-disc.

So Artis has been taking her hand into a specialist this week, getting it injected, inspected, rejected, and neglected, making it somewhat puffy, numb, and unusable for anything pertaining to this here thing. That means definitely no comic this week, and we'll see about comics for the near future (it really depends on what the specialist says once the various data come in).

I'd take over illustration duties, but I know that none of us want that.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend watching Persepolis. it a little bit heavier than the fare we recommend here, but the adaptation from the graphic novel is extremely well-executed and you might learn some history in the process.

And, oh yeah, it's also in French, but subtitles are your friends!

A is for apple

B is for ball

H is for hiatus.

Sad, but true. the doctor says I have tendinitis in my wrist, and although I've had a cortisone shot it will take a lot of time to heal during which I really shouldn't do anything to aggravate it and hinder the process. Unfortunately, it means not doing this comic for a while. Computer art, in particular, is quite hard on it. I'm afraid I don't really have a time frame for you..it might be a few weeks or a few months. So, many apologies, but it's for the best for now.

Well, I'm finally getting something done about my injured drawing hand. The doctor said that it's possible that I've torn the cartilage between the bones. We'll know for sure today when I get an MRI done.