Behold the Scruffs #225 - The End
UPDATE: I'm changing Behold the Scruffs from 'Finished' to 'On Hiatus'. The outpouring of affection I've received for the story convinced me to step back a bit on my decision. Give me a little while to get my life in order and think things over. If the story comes back - and that is still an if - it'll probably be once or twice a week, not three times, and I'll scale my ambitions back a touch. Stay tuned.
And, uh, I guess I'll leave everything else I said up, to show that I'm a nasty little flip-flopper. My wife is right, I'm too all-or-nothing with some of my decisions. Sigh. Anyway...
There's no point mincing words, so I'll just say it: This is the end of Behold the Scruffs. Sorry.
These comics were supposed to be posted over the next few weeks, but I've been waffling over this decision for a while, now, and decided to just rip the band-aid off in one go. So. Enjoy the ending, I guess. You'll need to jump back a few strips, to 218, to avoid being confused.
It wasn't the intended ending, I swear. There are so many plot lines I intended to complete, so many
details that would've been expanded into important storylines, and, well, so many stupid jokes I wanted to explore. But... yeah. This, unfortunately, is where I stop. Considering 'The End' is on the final page, I figured it was as good a place as any.
'Why?' I'm sure that's what you're asking. Well, there are a few reasons. First, the world is changing, and I need to get with the times. Unless you're uber-successful, being a webcomic artist doesn't pay many - or, uh, sometimes any - bills. I made some small inroads into turning a profit with Behold the Scruffs, but I'm not exactly swimming in cash. And that's okay! I'm hardly surprised!
Second, I'm not getting any older. I'm 41, turning 42 in December. I need to figure out what the hell to do with my life. I've hopped from venture to venture over the last decade, largely without success. It is only by the grace of good fortune - and with the support of an awesome wife and family - that I've remained afloat. I need to give back, financially, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm not a good enough artist or storyteller to do it through comics. Oh well. Time to figure out a normal job, I guess. (I picked a good time to try, eh?)
And, third, Behold the Scruffs hasn't achieved the popularity I'd hoped over the last year-and-a-half. I wasn't expecting to get launched into stardom instantly, but... the numbers just aren't there. And I have doubts that they ever will be. I suspect this comic would have done much better, say, a decade ago. I have a penchant for jumping into things too late, and, well, I suppose it happened again.
Time to be candid. Despite the cheery, goofy facade of most of the comic strips, Behold the Scruffs is, and always was, intended to be a comic about loss, grief, and the search for closure. I lost both of my parents in 2020, only two months apart from one another, and my brain never really got away from what happened. I've lost a few more relatives since then, and all of those deaths translated into... this. The Scruffs. The comic's backstory is loosely based on my own history, and if I'd continued it would have gone to some sad, sad places. A part of me is glad it never went the whole distance, because I love these characters, and I don't really want to put them through the hell I had planned. Perhaps it is better to leave them, together, sitting on their couch, watching TV, and nattering at each other. There is love in the nattering.
I'd be lying if I said I won't miss working on Behold the Scruffs. Despite its incomplete state, this experience DID help me achieve a level of closure. It gave my feelings an outlet, and I believe I can move on from this, a little lighter and more complete. I hope the comic helped all of you in a similar way, somehow.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for liking. Thank you for commenting! It made my day, every time someone brought up a crazy plot theory or nagged one of the characters for their poor decisions. I almost stopped seven months ago, and the comments - as well as encouragement from my wife, bless her - kept me going. I wish I could have given you the whole story, but... this will have to suffice. Again, sorry.
Take care of yourselves, and those you love. I'll be doing the same.
Sincerely,
Matthew Bird
I am sorry to see this go, I have started reading late but have really enjoyed it. I understand though. Hope you the best in all your future projects.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm sorry I pulled the rug out under you, but that's how things go sometimes. I'm glad you enjoyed the comic while it lasted.
DeleteI'm sad to see it end, really. In a way the comic helped me as well; With the everything going on in the world it was nice to always look forward to seeing a new page, the story and stories you were crafting, and the development of your characters who in many ways all had something to relate to. I won't lie in saying I do hope you continue it again some day even if on a smaller scale here and there but I fully understand needing to end something. (Though I'm incredibly curious about the direction of the story if you ever want to share it!)
ReplyDeleteAnd from it I'm sincerely glad it helped you, and thank you for the ride it gave. (: Take care of yourself, you and yours, and I look forward to your future art and projects.
Thanks very much for the praise, and I'm glad that the story was a pleasant distraction from... everything. I'll keep the plot details to myself, because I'm already regretting this decision, and I may try to bring it the comic back in the future - albeit as a once- or twice-a-week comic, with a slightly more limited scope. I'd hoped for more success and exposure with the three long-form comics I put out, but it just didn't happen. If it does come back you probably won't see any of the longer strips like that again, alas.
DeleteThank you very much for reading, and for leaving this comment. Gives me something to think about. Take care!
Hey, I don't typically comment but felt I should with you bringing it to an end. I just want you to know I've really enjoyed the comic you've made, and loved how genuine and tender Bushy was in his efforts to just love and do right for his family, while at the same time being just a normal, flawed human being. It's a damn shame that the economics just aren't there for you to keep going, but I've had to make similar choices so I understand. I wish you the best, the money might not be there for the stories you tell, but I think the world is still made better by you telling them, and appreciate what you've shared.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that. I always knew that I wasn't going to go gangbusters with this story, but I felt it needed to be told anyway. If I'd managed to scrape more readers off of social media I probably could have kept going, but it's tough to lure people away from their chosen platforms, and any time I posted the storyline stuff it either got ignored or downvoted. Ah well, that's how she goes sometimes.
DeleteThank you very much for reading. I'm going to miss writing Bushy - at least as far as animals were concerned, I always tried to portray him as the ideal pet owner. I'm glad that translated. (Though, yeah, his decisions weren't always spot-on.) Hopefully I can try something else with more success, one day. Take care!