Free At Last!

12 thoughts on “Free At Last!”

1. Drew,

   Love the new layout. It’s funny the prior one was a great improvement, but this feels so much more professional and official. I think you are truly on the right track. I like the Rhino on the field look… but there is still something there that can be added… and of course, I can’t put my finger on it. In all seriousness, I see a larger Rhino drawing the player on the field or something whether the Rhino is larger and is in the act of creating the background scene. Maybe get rid of the drawing board and have the Rhino drawing the field or the player. My opinion, plus $2, plus a decent web layout guy will get you a website and a cup of caribou coffee.

   As for the Olympics, the first 10 days are great, the last 5 or 6 days feel like the last 10k in the 50k ski race – exhausting. Four years seems like so much most of the time, but now, 2014 in Sochi is a blissful 4 years away.

   Keep it coming, looking forward to the big reveal and some Rox and Cubbies toons in the next months.

   Mike

2. Mike,

   Thanks for the awesome review of the site. The banner is somewhat problematic. I only have a certain amount of room in the thing. when I tried to go deeper by changing th coding it screwed up the whole layout. I was (am) going for real sports feeling yet very clean and easy to navigate site. I’ll contemplate it for a few days.

   drew

3. You asked “What is on my mind” Where that has been several things. Feel free to let these thoughts germinate you.

   1. Danica Patrick in NASCAR. She was practically a living example of every bad women driver joke I ever heard.

   2. NFL combine. Seemingly as long as the Olympics but without the drama.

   3. Colorado Rockies. How will they do. Personal concern (because I like him) will Todd Helton’s body hold up or give up?

   4. NHL Hockey vs Olympic Hockey. Back to the “gooning” up of the sport now. Because in the NHL a fight just gets you minutes in the penalty box. In the Olympics it would get you thrown out of the tournament.

   Well that is all I can thin of. I hope at least one of these thoughts gives you a good idea.

4. Good Morning from Omaha,

   The guys are right, the Olympics seemed to drone on and on. Its only once every 4 years and the people who participate make it their life dream for all of us to witness.

   I have dreams but the world doesn’t get to watch them come true and celebrate the joy of achievement.

   I saw some of the combine yesterday. the best part of it was the tape of Rich Eisen running the 40- it took him a little over 10 seconds.

   Then they matched up his running video with video of some of the big linemen running the 40 and he still lost.

   It really been quiet, sportwise. I thought you did a great job on the olympics. Its kind of a dead time right now for sports and there isn’t anything controversial or remarkable going on.

   Once the weather breaks and we get outside all will be right in the world- okay maybe not everywhere but at least here in the big O- its supposed to be 51 on sunday,Whopppeeee!!!

   Your web site cleaned up really well.

   Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

5. Free at last? Only until NBC loses its right to broadcast the Olympics via tape delay.

6. Love the new layout Drew!

7. Never knew it was obligatory on your part to do Vonn cartoons. Like the chnages though.

8. I just found out the Denver Post dropped 21 daily comics today. I’m shocked but not surprised. I get the sense they just aren’t into the value cartoonists add to the paper.

9. Really liking the site Drew. Also I noticed on my PC when you go to comments the line:

   Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Golf, Caption Contest, Creators Incubator, Everything Else

   Appears at the top of the screen which causes the other bars to miss-align. Is it just me?

   Also that header, it just needs something, it just doesn’t have that pop or x factor, it is missing something.

10. Drew,

    Wow… the DP dropping comics. That is just sad. Of course, they are cost centers and if they ain’t selling advertising…

    Overall, I am not surprised. Considering just before I came to your site, I hit certain newspapers’ websites to read tomorrow’s comics. At midnight, I’ll go to comics.com to read the rest. No longer do I pick up a newspaper to read what I think is the best part of any paper.

    I hate to say it, but I think most newspapers are doomed. They print yesterday’s news, charge for content, and can’t seem to get a working on-line subscription model due to the numerous free content sites.

    The part that scares me about the demise of the printed paper is what happens when they are gone? On-line providers can start charging and what used to be accessible to anyone will be behind a pay-wall.

    The free flow of information will cease to exist. In turn, this will make information all the more valuable. Our entire economy is on the verge of a massive change to creating, buying and selling information. Imagine saying: “I went to work today so I could pay to find out what happened yesterday.” Truly a depressing outcome from the theory of creative destruction.

    Creation of art will always be valuable. People desire subjective beauty. Art’s distribution is changing, too. In a way Drew, you leaped ahead of the curve by using the internet to create, distribute, and charge (where you can) for your unique art and services. Going forward, the act of creating something the market desires is where the profit is. Distribution of art, in whatever form that may take, is just keeping pace with logistics and economics.

    Mike

11. Mike,

    Awesome comments. As you can imagine, when comics get cut, I really take it personally. Even though I don’t have a syndicated comic strip (my sports cartoons are syndicated by United Media) I do have friends in the business who do. So it ticks me when people drop strips, especially mass droppings like the Post just did.

    Where all this will lead is still anyone’s guess. There isn’t a good viable pay model for online content yet. Yet. It’s coming. And when it does an entire generation is going to be shocked when they have to pay for things they now get for free. Money always wins. Always.

    The thing that continues to annoy me is that the majority of newspapers in this country are more focused on pleasing their stockholders than they are their readers. which makes no sense to me at all. After all, losing readership will be a far more painful bottom line to stockholders in the long term than the marginal profits they demand today.

12. World cup in under 100 days. Can’t wait. Hosting a pool party at the house when England take on teh USA.