Ungrateful

And that’s it for chapter IV! And like I said, there will be a hiatus for a longer while. I didn’t draw anything in the last two weeks due to some other things and I also have a friend from Poland visiting in August/September and I don’t think I’ll be drawing the comic then. To be honest, I’m not sure if I want to continue to draw at all. It’s been 10 years. Can you imagine? I think it might be the time for me to move on, although I don’t want to close these doors just yet.

Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Might be a good moment to re-read it 😉

See you around!

17 comments on “Ungrateful”

  1. Alex Reply

    10 years is quite a long time indeed and you draw really well! Of course you gotta do you, but if you decide to stop, will there be some form of reveal regarding all the unanswered questions?
    E.g.
    – Why is the comic named Replay? I know the working theory, i.e. a time-loop, but nothing has been confirmed so far.
    – What are Ada’s actual feelings towards Rob and towards relationships in general?
    – What does Adam even want? IIRC destroying the world is just the price he paid.
    – Why is Adam’s name similar to Ada?
    – And of course: How does the story end?

  2. Sabreur Reply

    I’ve enjoyed the comic so far, but I understand if you’re ready to move on. I would appreciate some kind of final Q&A if that’s the case, though!

  3. Refugnic Reply

    Unfortunately, I don’t believe,
    that this is truly real.
    No sense it makes, feel like a thief,
    or like a faustian deal.

    You worked quite hard, much more than I—
    But there’s no sense in that!
    The ritual, that I’ve lived by—
    You really are a brat!

    So it wasn’t ‘thirty days’!
    Be happy that it worked!
    No more ifs, and no more mays!
    Now get your ears all perked!

    That ‘faustian deal’, it is with me.
    With me, and noone else!
    Not drifter, Faust, you are still free.
    It’s I, who will face hells.

    The apparition that you saw,
    a drifter, like my own.
    But they would better fear my claw,
    as witch, I am well grown.

    We’ll take down Adam, fix this mess.
    And then we’ll fix Sofia.
    Fix this world, won’t stop for less.
    But how? Have an idea?

    We’ll cross that bridge, when we get there.
    We go, we fight, we’ll win!
    He’ll rue the day, he tried to scare,
    I’ll kick him in the shin!

    I’d like to have your confidence,
    what even can we do?
    In ruin lie the cities, lands,
    and left are only few.

    So we’ll rebuilt, just have some faith.
    For faith is what we need.
    And then we’ll deal, obnoxious wraith,
    now follow witchcraft’s creed!

  4. Thisguy Reply

    As someone who has seen many, many webcomics just… vanish, all I can say is, if you do decide to end it, please let us know, don’t just ghost us.
    Much as I love this comic and want to see it continue (so many unanswered questions!), I can understand that sometimes you’ve had enough and need to move on. Especially if it’s become more of a burden and you don’t find joy in it.

    Before you do that, I would suggest one thing on your hiatus.
    Draw something you want to. Sketch even. No goal in mind, not for anyone, for you. Draw something you enjoy.
    If you can’t find joy in that, then maybe it is time to move on.
    Though you will be missed.

    • Scarsdale Reply

      I have a folder filled with comics I was following and they suddenly stopped, I named the folder “On Hold” and go back now and then to see if there was any changes, many of the sites were terminated. I understand working on the same strip for years on end is draining and mind-numbing, It really depends on if you feel satisfied with how it’s ending or you just need a long break to recharge and get the juices flowing again. Either way it’s your strip, your call, I’ll save this and check back in a few months.

    • Alex Reply

      Oooooh, dang, the comic started in September 10 years ago, if the top comment is any indicator, so that would indeed kinda hurt. Though it’s 10 years plus all hiatus times, so we’re not literally a mere two months away.

  6. Zenanii Reply

    Hey NI, I just wanted to thank you for keeping this up for this long, reading your comics has been something I’ve come to look forward to every Monday.
    That being said, it’s entirely understandable if you no longer have the drive to continue this, in which case I do hope you find something else to channel your passion and creativity into.
    Thanks for the ride!

  7. Louis Reply

    If drawing no longer brings you the joy it used to, forcing yourself to draw will ruin it forever. I tried to be successful with a hobby for 10 years. In the end I forced myself to “do it anyway” and I just snapped.

    Do what you want to do.

  8. EnterTheNameHere Camp dweller Reply

    What people said. Do not force it, do something you enjoy…

  10. Hank Angelbright Reply

    So, I just finished reading the entire archive for this about five days ago, after having found this about two and a half weeks ago (I think I clicked on an ad? I can’t remember), and after thinking about it I wanted to leave a comment about my thoughts. My first impressions were “Oh, it’s furry comic”, and to be honest for the first several pages I almost didn’t keep reading, but, I decided to stick with it; and doing so proved to be worth it. I’ve found myself enjoying both the writing and the art, the characters generally act in believable ways, the magic system seems pretty well thought out, and I’m definitely interested in seeing where the characters and story end up.

    I’ve also been reading your blog posts below the comic, and following along the last nine years of your life in compressed form. Regarding the early fixation on Top Webcomics ranking, I will say that when I got to 2018 and you mentioned that your ranking had crashed during the hiatus, that didn’t surpise me at all, that’s a well known (and unfortunate) phenomenon among all forms of internet content creation. There’s a recent-ish example of a Twitch streamer who got married and went on a two week honeymoon, which he announced well in advance; when he came back, he’d lost something like 30-40% of his subscribers, and never got them back. I will say judging from the number of Patreon supporters you have that you’ve retained a larger readership than many webcomic creators I’ve followed, so don’t feel disheartened about the size of your fanbase.

    One thing that was both amazing, and concerning, was the enormous amount of work you were putting into your various projects. In addition to drawing Replay, you also did that visual novel project, AND decided to write four entire full-length books, all while working a full time job. While I was amazed at how productive you were, it also led to a growing feeling of concern that you were trying to do too much, ‘burning the candle at both ends’ as the saying goes; and as the years went on and you were always talking about being tired, and kept getting sick, it seemed obvious to me you were burning yourself out from overwork. Sure enough, I get to this page, I read the blog post, and my fears were confirmed.

    What you’re experiencing is the classic symptoms of burnout; loss of passion and desire to work on any hobbies due to physical and emotional exhaustion. I’ve seen this far, far too many times among artists on the internet, and it was disheartening to see it afflict you. After some searching I found your old Tumblr and Deviantart accounts that you stopped updating when you started Replay, and you mentioned in your DA bio (which still lists you being in Poland) that you’d been making art as a hobby longer than any other. I went through your posts and was amazed at how good of an artist you already were! Honestly, I think deep in your heart you actually do still enjoy making art; I wouldn’t imagine you’d have kept doing this for ten years if you didn’t. Regarding ‘moving on’, honestly ten years is nothing – there are comics out there that have been going for over twenty years, and have a smaller readership! You’ve just hit a point where you needed to step away, take a break, and enjoy life a bit. Spending time with your friend will do a world of good; I have a feeling that when you come you’ll be refreshed and ready to get back into your hobbies (hopefully at a slower pace), including resuming work on finishing this story you’ve already put so much time, effort, and love into, and which brings joy and happiness to the hundreds (thousands?) of people who read it. As you said, you don’t want to close these doors just yet. You can do it, I believe in you! 🙂

    • NotImportant Reply

      Aww that’s so sweet of you! Thank you reading and I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m not yet decided but, like you said, there’s only so much one can do and stressing over posting pages became just too much. And I really really want to play with realistic styles again. We’ll see what I end up deciding!

  11. WingedKitsune Reply

    Well, you know. If you’re done, you’re done. Only you can make that decision.

    Regardless, I’ve enjoyed reading the comic and wish you the best on whatever you decide to do.

  12. Hypatia Reply

    Thank you for sharing your talent! I have really enjoyed your work.

    Good Bye and Good Luck!

    Hypatia

  13. Shawn Reply

    I decided to take a bit to digest the idea of you possibly closing out this part of your life. I definitely understand having something that was fun become a chore, I’ve had it happen myself. I have enjoyed your work tremendously while also remembering that I’m enjoying it for free, so I really don’t feel I have any right to object to you stopping (I tend to be the type to buy the compilation book at the end). I can, and do, hope you’ll provide some closure to the story line if you decide to stop, though. Even a write-up of where you were headed would be greatly appreciated. No matter what you decide, it is absolutely your right to make that decision. I hope you’ll continue your creative works, whether it’s Replay or something else, you’re a wonderful story teller.

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