4.04

First, sorry for the late update. If you’re following the Facebook page even a little you’ll know I took a trip, got hired for reals (first day is tomorrow), then started dealing with some pain/ medical issues. On top of the holidays. So it’s been a little crazy. In addition to that I’m formatting the Meek book (!), which has to be completed very soon. I know the update “schedule” here drives some people nuts, but what can I say? I’m one person, and I’m doing my best. If anyone doesn’t feel like reading, you’re surely free to stop. I’m not offended, nor am I going to lose sleep over it. My job as far as the comic is concerned is to put out pages and not kill myself while doing it, and like I’ve said before, I’m going to keep doing that until I can’t any more. If you’re going to get personally offended because I’m not keeping to a full-time job schedule that is actually totally fine with me and you have my blessing, but if you post a comment to that effect on my page I’m probably going to laugh at you, so that’s a head’s up.

Thank you very much for your understanding. I have really high hopes and expectations for the print book (I’m having to recolor lots of pages, guh) so the updates may be light this month. I’m aiming for once a week until the formatting is done. You can get on the RSS if you don’t want to keep checking back manually, or subscribe to any of the other social media things. I have to be done with everything by Feb 1 so this isn’t going to last long… As for the medical issues, they are sort of are unresolvable so we’ll see. I’ll do my best, okay?

Thank you for reading!

438 Comments

  • I’m always surprised by how vocal people can get about webcomic updates. Then I remember how few people outside my techie sphere seem to use feed readers. Use a feed reader, fellow humans! They’re really nice! They make your life easier!

    Anyway, your comic is awesome, and I don’t mind the wobbly update schedule. :)

    • Scuzzball

      I did try a feed reader once for webcomics, and I decided I liked seeing the websites more. So now I just check all the webcomics between once a week and once a month, and use google reader for world news.

      And yes, thank you for you awesome comic, I will keep checking it for quite a while even with no updates cause it’s a pretty awesome comic.

    • tahrey

      RSS gives me the fear. Possibly because no-one can ever properly explain it.

      I did have a thing at one point which sent traffic updates for my commuting route into my email, but it never really worked that well, 90% of said updates were irrelevant, and then it just broke entirely when I upgraded the client. So, feh.

      I have a web browser, I know how to enter addresses, and if the thing I’m looking for hasn’t updated, it’s the work of a couple seconds to either close the tab or enter a different addy.

    • Jerry

      Every time I click my book mark I see “The Meek – 404” and go “oh noes! it’s down!” but then realize it’s just Ch4 page 4. And even after two months my subconscious panics for as long as it takes to load the page :P

      • Maybe Helmer should have done what xkcd did and skipped out that number altogether.

      • DoubleU

        That’s funny. Like the numbers 13 and 666 at the hospital I work at.

        Anyway, my computer works just fine with it.

    • I read too many comics for RSS… My pitiful 1 GB of RAM is nearly swallowed up by Firefox as it is : c
      I’m cool with waiting for updates, though… aside from the fact that whenever I check a webcomic’s site and it hasn’t updated, I’m reminded that I haven’t updated my own website in ages and then I feel guilty.

    • SephMacLeod

      You know what i find funny? look at the number of the comic it stopped at .. 4-04 ..404.. more comic not found..

  • Mitchel M.

    Dershing don’t push yourself too hard. Get well soon.

  • Nipples were deleted from this page according to nudity law of usa.

    • Curse those nudity laws.

      • Tashok

        Yeah give the nipples some love…no wait

    • A. Nuran

      What in the world are you talking about? There’s no such thing as “nudity law of usa”. You want nipples in your webcomics? There are dozens of comics with them.

      • I think they were joking!

        • Ellie

          Oh heyy, why doessnn’t angora have nipples? I just noticed. Is there a reason or is it just stylistic?

          • M Pants

            It must be incredible warm, despite the rain. Her chest is drawn that way, at least.

            I’ve guessed that she was pretty young, from her behavior and the way she’s drawn. That could be a contributing factor to the judicious lack of detail.

          • tahrey

            presumably stylistic. also from this angle there’s a (vanishingly thin :) argument that they may not be super visible anyway, and are instead just suggested by the outline of her chesticles.

    • Tubzilla

      4.04 Nipples not found

      • Selbin

        Just read your comment. How nerdy am I for laughing as hard as I am (quite hard) at the excellent timing of that?

        • tahrey

          Except… it was 2.02 wasn’t it?

          • Jan Battenfeld

            It’s chapter 4, page 04 :)

  • inestical

    This kind of stuff happens, more than you might now.

    I’m always waiting for a new page, and every time my patience pays off. Take your time and try to get well soon. :)

  • Rogue

    No kidding, man, I understand. Gotta love the age today where everything is expected to have come out yesterday and was available on the internet the day before, but with good quality products, they will always take time no matter what. Also we all gotta eat, and unfortunately, comics are not a good way to do so on a consistent basis, they’ve always been a ‘disposable’ medium even before the internet made them even more so.

    Keep at it and get well soon!

  • Big Boss

    Well, it’s not like you signed something to deliver us a new page every week, so fuck it :)
    I’m just happy everytime a new one appears.

  • Patrícia

    anyone who is mad for you being late deserves to get hit in the head (with a brick shaped object. that is a brick.) :)
    get well soon, and don’t worry about the comic updates :)

  • your work is amazing. do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself. best of luck!

  • Emily

    Get well soon!
    p.s. Lovely page to start the new year! I love the colouring in Angoras hair :)

  • jackie

    great page! i love the colors so much!! don’t worry too much about the silly people that complain about the update schedule…i think most of your fans understand that you have real life issues and appreciate your hard work.

  • maddy

    yays another page! :D awwwwwesome!
    Seriously though, don’t beat yourself up over lateness and such. By the comments on here and facebook, you have a very caring and understanding fanbase – they’d rather you be getting better and posting less than being in pain and posting more :)
    listen to them telling you not to push yourself! :P

  • Davie

    The absolutely astounding quality of the pages more than makes up for the long period between updates. Aaron Diaz is the only person I can think of who puts as much care and effort into his comic, and compared to him, your update schedule is right timely. :D

    Nobody has any right to bitch when they’re getting such an awesome comic free of charge. Take all the time you need; we’ll always be around awaiting more.

  • Birdie

    Don’t worry, the comic is worth the wait and your well-being and personal life are far more important than the short temper of those (if any) who protest at the schedule.
    Keep up the good work, but do it at your own pace.

  • Sye

    A comic like The Meek is a comic worth waiting for. Hope everything goes ok with your health, and the formatting. Cain’t wait to see the new book!

  • Cheri

    And somehow Der-shing is still internet famous with all da interweb haterz.

    • lol, “internet famous.” Oh whoops, my internet limo is here, gotta run.

      • Iceheartt

        ooh! ooh! Can I have your internet autograph?

        • Cheri

          drinking the internet champagne in the internet VIP room.

          • Cheri

            slapping internet paparazzi

          • mmm

            there is no sex in the internet champagne room

          • Biev

            it’s cyber sex

  • The Andrew

    People are mad because a free Internet comic book updates only when its author gets around to it.

    What a truly horrifying era to be alive.

    • MrCold

      I dunno, I think an era in which someone could kill me in the street because he didn’t like my face and I’m not strong enough to defend myself, and then get no punishment whatsoever would be worse.

      But yes, I agree that it’s ridiculous.

      • Victor Müller

        Sounds like Ecuador, where I live! Nothing against Ecuador in general, but it happens, you know!

        • Bridgebrain

          Hell, sounds like America. The famous horror stories where a woman gets raped in broad daylight with witnesses all around, but no one helps and the rapist gets away unscathed? Some of them are true. And that scares me worse than you can imagine.

        • Rachel O'Brien

          As an american living in Ecuador for the semester…

          Awesome country.

          I will be thankful for the ability to drink tapwater when I return to the US though. And flush my toilet paper down the toilet… *wistful*

  • ESC

    Congrats on the job!! :) Obviously the priority list here is completely reasonable, but you don’t need us to tell you that.

  • RPM

    Everyone who is left? As if any who started reading this comic could ever stop.

    Totally jealous and delighted that you got “hired for reals!” Congrats! And do feel better. I know pain is… well, a pain in the butt. Finally making progress on curing my wife’s abdominal pain and it only took like twelve doctors and years of silly tests to do it. Best of luck to you! Hang in there!

    • Squirrel

      No kidding on the first part! I found this comic in May, so I’ve never seen an update, but I still check for one regularly.

  • Nerrin

    Irregular (and regular!) update schedules are why we have things like RSS feeds, Facebook pages, and neural implants that beam comic pages directly into our brains. Okay, maybe that last one is just wishful thinking but the point stands. For a comic as good as this I can take as wacky a schedule as you want – there are others I wait through far worse schedules for.

    • Dranx

      After reading the book Feed I wouldn’t want a neural implant in my brain. But yes, any update is a good update whether it be tomorrow or twenty years from now. And please, take care of yourself, we wouldn’t want you hurting yourself because of us.

      Thanks for making such an awesome comic and get well soon if your not already!

  • Chantalle

    just wanted you to know that I appreciate all the hard work you put into this and that I understand that shit happens… feel better and good luck and have fun with the new job. <3

  • love the comic! and I will never ever stop reading it!
    All the none haters just want you to be fine! Not just because you can’t write The Meek when your not fine but also because it’s stupid to be not fine!
    I wish you a very happy and healthy New Year with lots and lots of comic updates, but if the comic updates aren’t going well… I will still read the Meek! forever!
    love the comic! great work!

  • I have the perfect solution: read more webcomics. I’ve enough on my plate that if some miss their update, others fill the void in the meanwhile. And real life trumps comics. Tsk, I review them and I know that much.

    Good luck. :)

    • Seth

      That truly is the best solution. I follow so many comics using an aggregator that a comic would have to go on hiatus for a couple months for me to even notice that there haven’t been any updates recently. As for the Meek, the fact that it’s not on a regular schedule is news to me.

    • Beckie

      And if that isn’t enough, just friggin pick up a book!

  • John

    Free high quality illustrated stories delivered for free via the internet? The premise sounds enticing. I think I will keep on reading. Thank you for all your hard work, and best wishes for the new year.

  • “Sort of unresolvable”? That’s scary .-(
    Wish you an happy -bust most of all, healthy- 2012.

  • “if you post a comment to that effect on my page I’m probably going to laugh at you”

    Or you can delete/disemvowel them. (I believe my disemvoweller userscript for WordPress still works…) There’s no reason to host content-free hateful comments on your blog.

    • I would, except I don’t believe in censorship! Unless they are being racist on my page or just posting swear words or something.

  • Mr.Mighty

    Thank you for persevering in the face of adversity (and triumph, I suppose). It’s such a pleasure to find a new page has appeared. It’s also surprising, with your update schedule, how many pages have actually been posted. Each one is a gem.

  • Continuing the discussion from last strip or so, her nipples are fairly hard to see in the last panel, even though she is close enough. I think it’s the placement of the raindrops, actually — it’s hard to see any detail around such a brightness contrast.

    • Yeah, it’s possible the rain wiped them out. They were obvious to me when I was drawing them, and the rain wasn’t on them yet so maybe I under-nipped.

      • feline256

        Under-nippage,
        The horror D:

  • Be well! I always prefer to wait, even for years, than to get something made faster and with pain. And this comic is worth all the waiting ever. If I forget anything, I can always re-read and it will be a pleasure.
    Thank you for your hard work!

  • Comett

    I love the view of the rain in the first panel. @w@

  • People who give up so easily on a webcomic because of shaky updates are readers not worth having, anyway. I’ll keep reading no matter how scatty pages get. I too have had to put my comics on hiatus constantly because of severe medical issues. I lost ALL my readers but one or two very dedicated ones, and I value those people very highly for it.

    • Damn straight! A great thing should never be given up on!

  • My partner and I run a (very young!) webcomic. You’re actually a huge inspiration to us in terms of quality of work, writing, etc. and I have to say you are AWESOME for doing this amount of work, at this quality, at this rate. Me and Ben are TWO people and we can’t even match your work! Sometimes we don’t even make our weekly upload because of work. XD

    Also, I never knew that people would get that upset about someone not giving them free, quality reading material the way they want it, when they want it, until we started reading webcomics. Seriously? These are love projects!

    Good health for you, I hope 2012 sees you realise a lot of dreams and that your medical issues will clear up. I know chronical medical issues are awful. Hang in there and get well soon. <3 Danelle & Ben from Cottonstar :3

    • A.R.

      I know, right? The internet is funny that way. It takes no time out of my day to check the comic, it takes no effort, no nothing– and I get a high quality story combined with high quality artwork.

      And to stop reading an amazing comic because of an (understandably) slow schedule? Makes no sense. You don’t lose anything when it doesn’t always update on time. And when it does update you get something amazing all for free! You can only win!

      Whyyy would you shake your first at the sky, yelling “Those are not ENOUGH gifts, I DEMAND MORE!” ? You’re not _entitled_ to the free, high quality story someone lovingly provides for you in their spare time. :/ I don’t get people.

      • The comic Power Nap had a hiatus for a month, people were writing like these huge huffy essays on how they weren’t going to come back, and how unprofessional they were, and how they didn’t want to support this (free?!) comic by reading it, etc. Sometimes people blow my mind.

        • “Dammit Der-Shing, how can you say this when your empire is crumbling because of its core support structure being yanked away like that! This is a crisis time, man!”

          …and then they woke up.

        • Tom

          Then they all just came back anyway, right?

          Perhaps the biggest and most common lie ever told on the Internet is “I’m leaving now.”

        • Laura

          Life happens and comics go on hiatus. No one reasonable has a problem with that. What I DO have a problem with is the constant cycle of broken promises, excuses and self pity. It’s not a “shit happens sometimes” situation, it’s a pattern of behavior and it’s not flattering. That is unprofessional and like it or not, this comic is signed with a publisher and is a reflection of you as a professional artist.

          The condescending attitude towards fans isn’t helping either.

          • Squirrel

            Oh shut up! This is so lovingly drawn,and has such an intriguing story and characters; you should be grateful it ever updates!

        • NateNexus

          Ha! A month? That’s nothing. Hanna Is Not A Boy’s Name has been on an unexplained hiatus since February 2011. Site’s still up, though, so I still check it everyday.

          • Alex

            Argon Zark (The first long-form webcomic) was last updated May 15, 2005! It is a really beautifully-drawn and animated webcomic, though, and worth checking out anyway. Also a great history lesson. The first story( which is complete) starts here if anyone’s interested: http://www.zark.com/pages/aztitle.html

  • blitz

    What happened to her nipples? Not trying to be a perv, but it’s really weirding me out for some reason.

    • They’re there. I didn’t color them super dark, since they’re not

      • Hieronymous

        Somewhat related: have you been going back and touching up the old pages in the archives? Because I’d swear there are nipples in there that weren’t before. Or maybe I’m just going crazy.

        Somewhat unrelated: ignore the haters and the whiny, entitled, blithering idiots who can’t accept that you don’t owe them anything and that this is a non-trivial labor of love. I also hope goes as well as it can on the medical end. I appreciate all the work you’ve done so far and hope you get the chance to finish your story.

        • First 8 pages were redrawn in 2010, everything else is original!

  • People are jerks. This comic is a wonderful surprise whenever I find it updated. You have a life outside this site, and a right to it. Thank you for sharing your vision, your time, and your art with us.

  • Glennnnn

    Without nipples she looks like a freak and not a child of nature. (Otherwise A++!)
    Hooray for your new job. I can’t imagine that you would ever NOT update, but please be realistic and respect your own priorities. Thank you!

  • Not one of your real fans blames you for not getting pages posted up really fast, and the people that do aren’t worth your time. >:L Seriously, it’s amazing how much of a sense of entitlement some get over these things sometimes.
    That said, I look forward to reading more pages at whatever speed you decide to post them. A comic of TM’s quality is worth waiting for!

    Also, congrats on the new job! :DD

  • Do people really complain about update schedules? Seriously? That’s just sad. Your comic is great and I’m just glad you bothered to put it on the interwebs for free. :)

    I put all my fav webcomics on my RSS feed. Meaning I don’t have to check the website every however many times you’re “suppose” to update. I just wait for it to show up on my RSS feed. :)

    • Bellar

      Haha, they do complain, and they’re huffy about it too.

  • Starayo

    Cannot wait for that book. :D

    Make it count!

  • AE

    Let me start by saying how much I love this comic.
    The story is addicting and the drawings and coloring to die for.

    A thought that came to mind: why is Angora wearing pants?
    I went back to the start, and saw how the pants ‘naturally’ appeared in 1.36 without too much explanation.
    Pinter is still making a fuss over Angora’s exposed chest, and she doesn’t seem to see why that is a problem, but the fact that she chose to cover her bottom is ‘natural’ to her?
    It seems to be an implicit contradiction since at the beginning of the comic she was completely nude, and did not seem to be concerned about it.

    • She got the pants out of Pinter’s tent when she was stealing his stuff >_> Maybe she thinks that pants are more necessary than shirts, since everyone out there seems to be wearing at least pants but not necessarily shirts…

      By continuing to wear them she’s actually doing the Big Girl thing, and is annoyed that Pinter expects more out of her. It’s her body, after all. Pinter thinks she is insane.

      • Come to think of it, it does make sense. So far every person she’s seen was mostly, ahem, topless. Except they were male. But this again comes into conflict with the fact that she knew people normally wear clothes before.

      • 6offee

        Hah, I just noticed she added the collar thing that PInter’s wearing to her outfit. She’s dressed just like him, what’s his problem?!

    • Eric M.

      Maybe you’ve gotten this question a lot before, and if so, I’m sorry, but are you Alexandra Erin of “Tales of MU?”

  • liam

    I love the comic! and i think in someways its better that you dont ‘rush’ anything because when you do release pages they’re always at there greatest ^_^

  • Red Leaves

    Stay well, Der-Shing.

    BTW, I think all this hullabaloo could be avoided if Pinter simply took a few minutes to explain to her why she should dress up. She could just put on a simple jerkin or vest or something of the like.

    It would be far more productive than just yelling at the poor naturist girl who can bend the forces of nature to her whim.

  • Whether the next update takes a week or a year or longer, I will sit here waiting, checking back. You are to forever stay in my “comics” favorites folder!

  • refugee

    What I’m loving here is that the cute magical girl from another dimension is…

    …Wrong. It’s almost against the law these days to portray the girl being wrong and the guy being right.

    She has, however, ended up by asking the right question, which might well be the key for letting these two talk to each other, rather than past each other.

    Your art is excellent, of course. But sometimes, I think, it hides the equally high quality of your characterization and dialog.

    • Biev

      I dunno about that… there are serious psychological studies that show that, to doom a relationship, it only takes one person saying “What ‘s wrong with you?” ; )

  • There are these things called RSS feeds, wonderful things – they make it so that you don’t have to make your life center around manually checking web pages for updates to one’s favorite comics. Whiners and complainers should seriously look into using them. XD

  • David E

    This story is worth the wait. It’s SO good. Thanks for sticking to it, you are amazing!

  • Dart

    I hope you get to feeling better! The people complaining need to work on their empathy skills. Seriously.

    Angora, you are pushing it. I agree with Pinter, even if he isn’t going about his argument in the best way.

  • Glad you’ve got things all organised again!

    Also, a job. Those are nice.

    In any case, keep up the good work and watch out for nargles.

  • Tim Kietzman

    I love your comic! Although I do get annoyed by the wobbly update schedule, I will retain my patience and wait for as long as it takes! I want to read it so please don’t give up!
    P.S. Congrats on getting a job.

    • Thanks Tim! I look for your comments every time I update, please don’t stop reading :)

  • Lakikana

    I certainly don’t mind fewer updates if it means you won’t die :P because then there would be no more comic. #helping

  • Maggie

    I just want to let you know that I have been a silent lurking reader for a very long time, since the first volume actually, and I don’t care how you do your updates. I know that you have good reasons for taking so long and I can respect that, because you always seem to come back and tell this story. So keep up the good work, congrats on your new job, and I hope your medical issues will resolve themselves with little trouble.

  • Oh naive Angora, there is more people out there in the world than in your grandpa’s forest. Pinter is just trying to keep you safe, even if you are testing his temper. Ha ha!

    Congrats on getting a new job, and I do wish you the best of health for this new year and other years to come. I believe strongly to always stay loyal to a comic you love, even if it’s been on hiatus for years. I mean, I’ve been working on my own comics for a long time, lost a few readers here and there due to the fact of the lack of updates. But it doesn’t mean that I will cease making comics, there are just some issues that are more important than making them. Personal life is mandatory, so I totally understand that you need to take care of your own life before anything else. Great page!

  • Bonnie

    Congrats on the job! I use the RSS feed to keep up with the update schedule, fwiw. I’m excited to hear about the book too! Thanks for everything.

  • shilin

    unresolvable medical problems ): please take care and I hope it at least improves somewhere down the line!

    • Thanks Shilin :C I hope it goes away on its own, it is preventing me from doing a lot of important things (like eating).

  • John

    So I open the update from my RSS reader, read some other comics (saving this one for last : )

    I look up and see, “The Meek – 4.04”

    But I read it as “The Meek – 404” D :

    Then I click on the tab to reload it, see the comic and I’m like :/

    That was my adventure this morning.

    Also: I just noticed that Pinter’s character shows a lot more personal strength than his classic archetype in adventure stories. Usually overweight, unattractive, unambitious men are seen as unassuming and will passively accept the will of others. This is usually done to maximized the plot velocity, but it comes at the cost of character development and realism. I guess it’s because complexity is saved for main characters and unattractive unambitious men are generally supporting characters. Der-Shing, you could have left Pinter as a supporting character, comically drunk but helpful in times of need (Boring). But instead we see a man with failure in his past, it weighs on him, makes him angry. He seems to hate the world for expecting anything more of him than to be a lush. Of course I’m projecting, but the fact that I can project demonstrates how interesting he is.

    TLDR: Pinter is a better character because he he gets angry when threatened.

    • refugee

      “I just noticed that Pinter’s character shows a lot more personal strength than his classic archetype in adventure stories.”

      nod nod nod to the whole thing. I came at it from the other side, that the otherworldly girl could be wrong, but we’re both looking at the same problem.

  • a.a.

    Don’t worry, Shing; please take it easy! And congratulations on your new job :)

    Also: Angora, why oh WHY would you ask the irritated man something like that?

  • Em

    I’m really sorry to hear about your health. Best of luck with your new job.

  • Kdubs

    Your writing is great, your illustrations and coloring are gorgeous and unique, and you share all this work for free. You are totes awesome. Tell your friends.

  • Hey we love you and your work!! i dont mind waiting ’cause every page you draw is beautiful!
    take care of yourself too! :3

  • Rijl

    Wow, judging by the update notes you must have received some angry comments. I’ve only recently discovered your comic (I love it, and your style) and I have been checking for updates constantly.. when you didn’t.. I was more worried about you, that maybe something happened when you went down to Austin. I’m glad you’re okay! Well, aside from that whole medical stuff. Take care of yourself. =)

  • GoSign

    I’ll keep reading your comic even if I’m 92 years old when it finishes.

    Good luck with your health and thank you for being awesome! Never get discouraged.

    • Thank you XD We can be nonagenarians together!

  • Thank you for being awesome!

  • People actually complain about updates? That’s just plain stupid, I mean, this comic is of amazing quality and put up FOR FREE on the internet…. I just don’t get it….

    I find it weird how mature Angora looks in that last panel (even if she isn’t wearing a shirt).

  • Twigs

    I will ALWAYS come back to read the Meek.

    I hope that although the medical issues are unresolvable, they are at least very treatable!!

  • So excited! Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the schedule. I love this comic for it’s characters, its world, and its beauty. I don’t need new pages all the time; I enjoy what is already here =3

  • Singinggirlone

    I like this comic a lot, if you have things going on in your life then I’ll wait to read it, I don’t see why people should be on your case about it. Anyway I hope you feel better soon, and can enjoy making The Meek as much as us fans enjoy reading it! :)

  • The way I figure it you’ll either update or not based on what you have on your plate, and I’ll follow or not based on what I have on my plate. In neither case do I expect complaints or recriminations from either side since we don’t have any kind of contractual obligation in place which says we both have to be here.

  • Ryl

    HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE GET A JOB?!

    Seriously though, congratulations! It’s hard enough to find one these days and having done so major props to you. I’ll just sit here at my desk and wallow in misery as I languish over lack of Meek updates. Sadness and drama, *sniffle*.

    Sorry….couldn’t help myself. XD

    Meek has been worth every update for which I’ve had to wait; I can’t imagine that changing anytime in the future, even when the page is just the chapter cover (a.k.a. no dialogue). Each page has been beautifully drawn and colored, displaying both characters with amazing expressions and scenes that tangibly convey moods and emotions (a rarity in many comics nowadays). I look forward to every update, not unlike a child waiting for Christmas. It’s just THAT good. :)

    Keep it up, and don’t overwork yourself!

  • Nick

    Don’t worry man. The comic is great, and we’re happy that you’ve got such a job. We’re worried about your health, and we all know how much stress can effect people in that way. What’s important in THAT you finish your story, not WHEN. Anyone who truly supports you will be willing to wait, rather than see your health deteriorate, and your artistic efforts rushed. We’re all behind you, brother.

  • vifetoile

    Agree with all that’s been said. One page from you is absolutely worth waiting for, and we all understand that you have other things going on in your life.

    Re: the comic itself, Now we come to the 6 million dollar question…

    (Or the 6 million rupee question? What is the currency unit around there? Woolongs?)

  • Jackie

    Oh please, I can wait and so can the rest of your readers. Its not your fault.

    Lots of tension building. :0 I noticed Angora kind of looks different. Maybe its the pants or its her posture. Or maybe just the darker colors, still awesome though. (:

  • ElectricHarpsichord

    Where are her nipples?

    • Why, they’ve been in your heart all along!

      • Becky

        Der-Shing, that had me loling so loud, it scared my cat. Thank you.

      • LongLiveHumour

        …Argh?

  • Brett

    pssssshhhh- This comic is so awesome, I would wait two months for a single page, and I’d still come back to check everyday. (which I do.)

    That’s not to say I want to though. *puppy dog face*

    Seriously though, at worst if you’re annoyed about an update schedule just a)keep in mind the world does not in fact revolve around you, b) remember the author is doing this out of the kindness of their heart, and is getting paid pretty much solely off of merchandise bought from them, and C) If you’re still upset about it, just don’t read it for a few months or something. I’m sure there will be plenty of pages for you to read all at once that way.

  • Crestlinger

    Question fired: Angora 4 Pinter 1. All valid though him detoxing explains his mood.

  • ANIMU BOOBS

    Don’t worry, at least you don’t have cancer like almost all of my mom’s friends do. One of them died last month, and another’s one close to dying sometime this week. >:C FUCK CANCER

  • Hey, as long as you take care of yourself first, I don’t mind waiting for an update. Don’t stress too much!

  • I love the way you drew Angora’s back in panel 2. Actually, I just admire how you draw her body in general. Expressive, non-sexualized, and enough muscle/anatomy detail to emphasize three-demensionality.

  • Seva

    I hope you feel better soon! And I am so buying the book when it’s available!

  • HopelessO

    HEY NO WORRIES.
    Also I realized that the last page had updated ON MY BIRTHDAY askghskasd;kslskjghsk WHAT why did I not get all hyped up and party over that!?
    WELL I AM NOW
    /oontz oontz oontz belated birthday party music so typical

  • Alisha

    I think most of us understand you have a lot going on and are just enjoying the story I look forward to getting your book when it comes out. I know I’ll take quality over quantity any day just keep up the good work. and good luck on the real job hope everything goes well with it.

  • B

    This new chapter swinging back to Angora and Pinter has made me re-read the first chapter… in page 21,the map reads ‘Roman Dejersi and SonS’. Plural. Does Angora get to annoy them as well? :)

  • Shjade

    First: fine work as ever. Poor Pinter, did he ask for this hassle? I’d never endorse someone going back to the bottle…but I get the feeling he really needs a drink. That look on his face in panel four. XD

    @folks saying ZOMG NO NIPPALS:

    They’re actually still there, if it really concerns you that much. Zoom in on the page if need be: you can see the curved penciling just underneath the small raindrops. The left side is bisected by rain, the right side’s little raindrop is basically resting on top of the curve.

    They’re a little less obviously defined than in previous appearances, but she hasn’t suddenly been Barbie-fied. ;p

    • Shjade

      panel three* x.x

  • Kelly

    Take care of yourself first and foremost and every decent human being will understand. The people who get pissed must not read very many other webcomics…I read about 15-20 of them and that keeps me covered. Still, The Meek is one of my ultimate faves and when it gets updated it’s like finding a $20 bill in a coat pocket – it’s gonna be a gooooood day. :D Thank you so much for creating it and sharing it with us.

  • Jakob

    Get well soon. Thanks for the great comics.

  • spas

    i appreciate your comic/time/health as much as the rest here, truly, and i wish you a full and complete healing.

    on the issue of updates, i thought your attitude was lame (ha! can’t wait to hear the onslaught from the hive mind!) when someone suggested you hold on to a bit of buffer when you were producing a lot of pages at once not so long ago, to update once weekly for as long as possible. you called that person ungrateful and mocked them, as you threaten to mock us here in your post. i consider this a bad attitude toward your readers, considering they are truly grateful and kind to you. maybe there are some horrible trolls haranguing you that i am unaware of, but i remember that one person’s suggestion was not rudely worded or full of moxy, and i personally highly regard artists who are not so full of themselves and can accept or reject suggestions from readers without animosity. i don’t remember who it was who made that suggestion, but i had thought it was a good one but didn’t bother to speak up, bc i weary of the classic response from the masses to defend the creator as if he/she’s being physically attacked, even when the offensive post is in no way truly offensive. that dude bobby would scathingly tear apart any reader who dared offer a suggestion or critique. i read his comic for ellerton’s artwork, but though i admire his writing, i wouldn’t read him again. what’s wrong with readers openly saying what they think? you’re going to hear it in the professional world anyway. most creators, like the Legend Of Bill and Marooned authors, admire the balls of the one reader to speak his mind when the masses are sure to crucify him – and they are rightly entertained by it. you are, of course, welcome to be entertained by 120 comments that all say the same thing, and fall in line, as it were. more power to you!

    • Uh oh, here comes the text wall

      You’re completely entitled to what you want to think. And I’ve never censored a single comment here, you are also free to post your thoughts to your hearts content. That doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with you.
      Some things you might not be aware of, but should be
      – Everything on this site is mine. I made all the content myself, hired a designer to code it and paid for that myself, and I pay for the hosting and registration on my own. Recently I took donations for hosting, but the last three years have been out of pocket. The two times I have opened donations there was no incentive to donate, so all donations were made voluntarily. My publisher makes the books but all they do is print and distribute, they don’t control content or release of said content.
      – I do not accept suggestions from readers, excepting blatant technical issues or things that a majority of commenters have pointed out. I am extremely critical of my work, and a huge amount of forethought and planning goes into the creation of this comic. I sketched 8 chapters in advance and posted them in a public area to get comments and crits on them (and I got them). If I get a lot of comments on one thing that is wrong on a given page, I’ll add it to a list of things to consider. I don’t accept suggestions on plot, characterization, paneling, pacing, etc, not out of arrogance but because I prefer to be solely responsible for my own failures when it comes to this comic. This system doesn’t apply to my other personal work, or to professional projects.
      – I don’t respond with anger to anyone posting about the comic. The comic is the comic, you should have an opinion and be able to discuss it. The comments are not a place for you to complain about me.
      – Positive comments are nice, but like suggestions have no effect on the comic or on my decisions (in fact, they are often in response to decisions I’ve already made)

      What certain readers expect, for some reason, is for me to deliver excellent content, do my work in a timely manner, be a nice person (by whatever standard you are holding), hold my tongue about my personal opinion, and then be gracious when readers throw it back in my face. Do you understand why I get aggressive in response? I truly love creating content, and I truly love my readers who enjoy it. I am constantly apologizing for lateness, updating with schedule and new pages, and maintain several ways for readers to stay connected and informed. This isn’t because I’m disrespectful. I do this out of respect and care for my readers. I stay up until 230 every night working because I love my readers. I’m not obligated to love readers who come here feeling entitled to more of my life and my time outside of what I’m able to produce. Nobody is expected to be happy with my content or update schedule, in fact, I hate hiatuses more than you guys do probably, since for me it is a personal failure. When you specifically come here though, to a site that I have sweated and bled over, and then criticize my ability to prioritize and schedule my life? then yes I’m going to have a problem. If you think it’s arrogant for me to reject suggestions from people who have no idea how I work and don’t contribute to my ability to do that work, then yes I am arrogant.
      Additionally, I’m not going to ignore the content of something I find insulting because it is written with “moxy.” I’m glad you agreed with the other poster, but I don’t. They pissed me off. And since I am the sole creator of this comic, I get to make decisions like when I post and how I’m going to do it. I am equipped with reasoning ability. You can certainly come here and complain that I’m updating too fast or too slow, and I’ll let you post your comment, but I’ll also clearly let you know that you can walk out the door if it’s too much to handle. You don’t have to comment here, after all, you can just as easily write your opinions on other sites, and what can I do about that? That’s your right, and it’s 100% okay with me. Unlike Bobby Crosby, I’m not going to chase you down and flame your forum. Just don’t expect me to pat you on the back when you come to my site of your own volition, post a pissy comment where I can see it, and ask me to not respond honestly.

      • Joseph Harner

        Don’t get me wrong, not looking to criticize or make suggestions where unwelcome! Just saying my piece as I drift to the next corner of the internet.

        From a fellow developer, I know the feeling well. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no weekly webcomic artist – Flash games are more my style… Anyways, my point is, you’re going to get trolls or people who want to control your work whenever you do any sort of public free content. The standard a lot of people hold up is… hard to get used to. Personally, I have trouble accepting creative input even from my own team, let alone from random people who want me to make my games to their specifications! I’ve always felt it comes with the territory, though – like it or not, many of your viewers are going to be people you don’t like, obviously, and it never seemed useful to respond to them… there’s just too many – it gets tiring. So, it depends a lot on why you’re developing whatever content you happen to be working on – Personally, I like making cool stuff, others like bringing their visions to life, others are in it for the fandoms, and others do it for reasons as numerous as there are people…

        Now, I’m not condoning any bashing of fans- misguided as they often are, they’re still *trying* to help, even if not in any useful way. The trolls, however, need to be dealt with in different ways…. You’re justified to your aggression, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not very likely to help you.

        Refusing criticism is an interesting point… Granted, I come from a different angle – suggestions of “your game sucks, make it better” are a little different from “that character sucks, make them better”, but my experience is, these people just don’t matter. They’ve read your comic, or they wouldn’t be here, so its not so simple as saying “here’s the door” – they’re your fans whether you want them or not.

        If you don’t care about fan numbers or are more selective, that’s your choice, and as you said, you have a right to do whatever you want to people who come to your site, and it would be the right decision for you to make.

        Oh, and sorry to hear about the health issues – I’ve got one stapled lung and another that’s probably just waiting to collapse on me, as well as some unknown heart problem, so yeah, I know how much those things can suck.

        My point is, do your craft for whatever reason you want! You probably should think about easing up on the fans a bit, though – they matter, but not really.

        Ironically, my entire comment really just means you should disregard my entire comment! =D

        • Haha, yeah. I think the reasoning behind refusing crits makes the difference, and the reasoning behind the way I do the things I do. I do get some flak for the way I’ve begun talking to people
          (for many years prior to this I have been a little bit more careful with my word choice), but I’m willing to take responsibility for whatever hits my image takes. At the end of the day, I’m not going to be dependent on any outside factor when it comes to making this comic, no matter how many people I piss off. I’m doing this to make myself happy internally, and ultimately nobody is allowed in that space but me (though the invitation remains open to park your own happy space next to mine).

          • Anton

            There’s a song by Arcade Fire that is sort of about the fact that we used to wait for things and how we’re not doing that anymore, and I’ll gladly listen to that song again and again (and again) until the next update. :D (Allthough I’m quite glad there’s more music in my library :p )

  • arjay2813

    at least you’re still going after the complaints and i appreciate it, and go ahead and have a slow update time i’ll still read it. nothing any webcomic writer has or will insult or offend me

    • arjay2813

      (darnit, i accidentally hit post, so to finish that thought) so go on and keep with what you’ve been doing and how you’re doing it

  • Jemmerzem

    Get better soon! ‘Unresolvable’ sounds pretty serious. And a pain in the arse.

    I haven’t been reading any comics over Christmas holidays, as many took a week or more off, so I didn’t notice and certainly wouldn’t have complained, especially after getting this lovely oage just now :)

  • sweet_gardenia

    Meek I wish I could quit you *sob*

    Der-Shing just so you know you are awesome and you’ve been very professional in regards to both your comic and your interactions with the readers. Take care of yourself, though. It’s an incredibly good story you’re telling here but health and job are priorities.

    • Thanks ;__; Though I’m not very professional. But I try to be fair at least, hopefully that counts for something. My insurance starts on Friday so hopefully I can go get a second opinion. I can’t even open my mouth all the way any more, it’s driving me nuts.

  • This might sound odd, but do you have a specified convention for what you do with a speech bubble when it intersects with the edge of a panel, or does it vary on a case by case basis? I’ve noticed your usual M.O. seems to be to just erase the line where the border would normally be, which I think looks really neat and clean, but I’ve been noticing lately (now that I’ve started looking for it) that it oscillates sometimes. Do you do this intentionally to help communicate specific ideas, like how cramped and annoyed Pinter is as a result of Angora’s bombardment of questions at the top of 4.03, or just because sometimes it looks better and sometimes it doesn’t?

    You don’t seem like the type of person to do anything by accident, no matter how minor, so I was just curious.

    • Haha, yeah, when I want to show that a piece of conversation is more “background” (like distant conversation, or someone being talked over) I don’t let it join the margin. That way it visually looks like it’s behind the frames, rather than jumping out at you… sort of subtle, but I think your brain will pick up on it subconsciously.

  • TheCuriousOneTwo

    well you know us fans are hard to get rid of.

    take care of yourself. congrats on the employment hope it is enjoyable. I have always been delighted whenever this site has a star in it’s top corner on my ‘top sites’ page.
    The love you profess for the work your doing is evident in each page. I agree if they don’t like it they can make like a leaf and scram

  • mordacaiMT

    4.04: comic not found.

    Alright, lame joke over. I can relate about being sick with something “unresolvable” (Crohns and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) and trying to get a job with health benefits to help treat it. It is stressful and I sure as hell HOPE you put your job and health before the comic. Seriously, of all the comic artists I admire online, you are by far my biggest influence. Take care of yourself, please.

  • Some people don’t have any idea how much drawing actually takes time. For some reason they think drawing is like farting: finished in a second with no effort. Then they’re like :0 when you tell them it actually takes several hours.

    Take care of yourself and don’t stress because of some impatient people online. Your well being and RL > comic, although it’s very awesome. :)

  • zuziako

    I don’t really get their fight – can’t she just put on a shirt? Or is it of some kind importance that she walks half nude (for her, I mean)?

    • LongLiveHumour

      I imagine it’s simply a lot more comfortable. Like the feeling you get when you have to wear trousers again after spending all summer running around in shorts / a skirt. Or wearing gloves all year round.

  • LongLiveHumour

    You are awesome. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t been said already, including this and this and this. You make the web a prettier place. Congratulations on your job! and I really hope your health issue clears up fine. *enormous squashing virtual hug*

  • Lorelie

    I will stick by this comic forever and ever and ever. Every update is thoroughly worth it.

  • Kat

    I like your comic and I actually haven’t ever posted before. Sorry about that. And I don’t know what pain you are refering to, but as they say, a shot in the dark: if it is your arms, have you heard about trigger points? Because I hadn’t and now I’m in trouble (not big trouble, but epically annoying trouble) for letting it go on for so long. But be it an early or late discovery the soultion is simple. So just in case. And they’re always an issue anyway.

    Best of lucks, I really love your work and please forgive my english.

    • It’s not my arm (this time) (thankfully, since I need that to work), it’s my jaw. It’s really random and is just pissing me off all over the place :\

      • Kat

        I don’t want to sound like a broken record but there are trigger points for that too. Of course it could not be that at all, but. Well, in honor at all the doctors I went for nothing, I’ll be annoying and persist anyway xD http://www.triggerpointmaps.com/tp_finder.html Head, Masseter maybe. A good kinesiologist or chiropractor is always a help.

        Either way I hope you feel better!

  • Syhkane

    Woooooooo! Updates!

    This was me for the last many days:

    Me: “I wonder if it’s been updated”
    Pinter shoots me a dagger-filled stare from page 3.
    Me: “Oop sorry Pint, I’ll… I’ll uh check back when, later I’ll-”
    Pinter: “You do that…”

  • Mordecai

    Far as I’m concerned, your update schedule is totally up to you. Just because you’re doing something awesome on the internet, doesn’t give the internet any right to tell you how.

    I will say, though, that there’s something uniquely thrilling about regular updates in serialized fiction. Having a whole book in front of you is one thing — but having a good book produced and made available on a faithful schedule is something really special. It seems that even the best can’t keep this up for very long, not while maintaining quality, [cf. life, etc.] but you did for quite awhile, and I really appreciated that.

    Since you mentioned it, though, why is strong moderation “censorship?” You wouldn’t be denying folks the right to express their views, just the ability to do so right here in the comment thread that you pay to maintain. If you want to scrub your readers’ fouler effluvia, isn’t that up to you?

    • Yeah, I wish I could meet the ideal schedule! The only time I was able to do that consistently was when I was unemployed T__T So yeah… it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t, since I refuse to rush production…

      I have not posted/ censored maybe one or two posts ever, they were posts that had swearing in a non-funny, offensive way. In general though there’s an expectation of trust. If I just stopped posting everything that was “bad”, then I’d be like you know China or some awful place and that’s not very nice. You wouldn’t be able to trust any of the comments knowing that I could be deleting all the ones that I “disliked.”

  • Brian

    Hope things are better for you soon health-wise.

    Congrats on the job!

    Loving the comic at whatever rate it gets updated and excited to hear that a book is in the works. Keep up the awesome work!

    Enjoying seeing Pinter and Angora again and looking forward to some more Luca, Rana, and Suda someday. Chapter two really grabbed me… poor Phe…

  • djinn

    Love ya work, Der-shing :) The rain is so pretty here; I love any scene in any story that involves rain ^_^ Pinter’s face in panel four is rather beautiful in a pained way also.

    Also, forget the haters. Nothing but mouth-breathers and a waste of commenting space.

    • djinn

      Oops, meant panel 3 :D

  • Emily

    Here’s why I think people should never mind if a comic isn’t updated on time…
    They can go live a life and when they have free time to check it, it’ll be a little surprise if it is updated, and if it’s not, back to life! This is a wonderful comic, for it’s artistic quality and story. If it’s not possible for you to put out a page with that beauty and plot then I would rather wait than have it suffer.
    <3

  • Mizzi

    I try to make an own comic so I really understand your situation. And like the others said: your comic is the time worth. It’s not that you lose readers. I’m from Germany and discovered your comic the last few weeks. I will wait as long as I must to read new panels. Just don’t give up on your comic. Get well soon and I hope you can sell a lot of comic books soon.
    (sorry for my bad english)

    • I find it very amusing that people who write “sorry for my bad english” often times have better English skills than the average American high school student XD Your English is great. And thank you very much for the kind words, I won’t ever stop updating as long as I am able to.

      • Airedar

        Truly it’s a sad day and age in which we live, where the average person can barely get out a sentence without a ‘lol’ or ‘jk’ in it somewhere.

        I think that was sarcastic at one point, but then it suddenly wasn’t.

  • Erica

    Yeah, so, I ship them. I’m sorry. XD

    • ShadowScipio

      AngoraxPinter FTW

      This is where he confesses his undying love for her ,right? This totally feels like a lead in to that type of scene.

  • Wolfeth

    Hey, as long as there’s an update sooner or later, I don’t care how “on-time” it is. You have a life, and it certainly shouldn’t revolve around your whiny readers :P I love it, so far! I’ll certainly keep checking in :)

  • Kerry

    Thanks for the heads up. I really didn’t get that whole bitch fit some people got over the wait but then again I check Facebook most of the time and I won’t die if you don’t post “on time”. Great web comic… You’re truly one-of-a-kind and this stuff is inspiring! Hope that medical issue doesn’t cause you too much discomfort… I’ll be praying for you… if only for selfish reasons cause this is definitely your purpose on earth. Great characters btw. I’m hooked!

  • Vee

    I absolutely adore this comic.
    Yes, the lulls in between are long, but I for one have no issues with them. The spaces between pages makes them seem almost like a gift, like something special that should be savored, and that’s what this comic is.

    I studied the way you color and line your pages, as well as how you use facial expressions, and I have to say, it’s helped me a great deal in my own artwork. The almost casual grace some of the characters seem to have is amazing, and how you translate each personality through their body language is just astounding.

    Thankyou so much for producing this wonderful work of art, and I will always check back for updates until the day it reaches it end. I will never leave The Meek. It is far too good.
    I appreciate all the work you do, dear. I hope you feel better soon, and that all your health problems will clear up without too much trouble.
    Get well!
    -Vee

  • Congratulations on your job and good luck with the upcoming book!

  • Chappi

    I just now realized that Pinter is wearing something on his head like the kid that brought Soli and Alamand to Boss kid! Is this a cultural thing? I must’ve missed a comment on this…

    • Yep :B You can see them on a bunch of the Santri, not everyone wears one but a lot of folks do (for religious reasons).

  • Linda

    Thank you for being here. You are a wonderful artist. It’s awesome how people like you, which do webcomics, can share their work, their stories, and their art, for free and with love. It’s truly amaizing.
    Congratulations on your job, and i hope for you to recover completly!

  • I love how real your bodies are when you draw. Even though the style is technically illustration, breasts are affected by gravity, skin folds on itself when the body bends, body fat actually acts in a way that doesn’t defy physics. Also, sideburns. Sideburns everywhere. SIDEBURNS. *cough* I like it yes I do.

  • Nadiasama

    Seriously, don’t sweat them. Real life gets in the way and all you can do is compromise it with what you want and what you need to do. Some people don’t seem to understand that. Or maybe they do and just don’t care and think that you’re doing them a service instead of just wanting to share a story with them on your own free time. Keyword being “free time”.

    I am amazed at the amount of sheer entitlement people have in this day and age. Not just for webcomics but for just about any form of entertainment media. I’m sick of hearing people demanding that things go their way at the expense of what the creator intended just because they didn’t like it. Seriously, those type of people need a life, preferably one away from the keyboard.

    All in all I’m glad you’re doing better and that you got job and I just hope you’ll be able to continue to share your story with us, rather the updates be late or on time. :)

    • Yeah, it’s a symptom of our greed-based culture, unfortunately. When a movie comes out, people feel like it’s their right to go watch an illegal copy online. If you make a book, someone’s going to scan it in and post it online. Everything is available for instant gratification, and at some point it stops being good enough… We keep using things as rewards to make ourselves feel better, so we start feeling bad when we don’t have them. This is why I try not to buy frivolous things I don’t need… I never want to stop being grateful for all the things I have :\ This is also why I ruin Christmas for everyone else every year, haha

  • Pup

    This would be awesome as a film.

    • Tom

      It’s already awesome right now – and it’s so well drawn and cinematic in composition, just reading it feels like watching a film anyway!

      That said, yes, it probably could make a sweet film, possibly the best epic fantasy film for ages, but only if you managed to dodge every last one of the many, many ways the movie-adaptation process can completely kill great art. You’d need just the right director. You’d need just the right approach to set design & effects. You’d need just the right editor. You’d need just the right cast, and that’s probably a 10,000-post thread all in itself (Open question: which actress could possibly play Soli?). You’d need just the right everybody!

      Even then, the odds would not be at all good – the track record of successful film adaptations from things that were already totally awesome in their original form is not great.

  • Eric M.

    I make YouTube videos. I usually have daily updates, but sometimes other stuff gets in the way. So I completely understand the irregular update schedule.

    I agree with Angora, and frankly, I don’t see why she even bothered to put on pants. I’m not sure what she is (and I don’t think she even knows), but she seems to be some sort of magical druid nature…person. In other words, if anyone has a reason not to wear clothes, she does.

  • Sabrina

    Your one of the only web-comic artist who has a dialogue with your fans. One of the other comics I watch took a year off, with nothing but excuses and missed deadlines with no apologies. At least you tell the truth and update when possible, I respect your comic I respect you and I think everyone needs to realize that you do what you have to do. I for one appreciate that you even go on facebook to update us on whats going on.

    Also Frank needs to chill out lol.

    • Thanks D: I wish people would believe me when I say I’m not going to disappear (unless I die or something). I will only stop making this comic when I stop breathing >:[_________]

      • DanialArin

        The caveat there is that I’ve occasionally seen an artist go on hiatus for an extended period (sometimes the better part of a year, or more), often unannounced (or immediately following a “sorry for the hiatus, but I’m back now” post). The comments come in on the forums (both site and off-site) speculating as to the fate of said artist. Invariably someone will make a declaration of the person’s demise, whether or not that is the case…

        There are about a dozen comics in my “Following” list which have not updated in many moons. One of them even said “See you next year!” back in August (and has not yet resumed updates…) A few of them, though, have lost their sites (there are Registrar placeholder sites currently showing)… and a couple of let their domain registrations lapse. While I do tend to worry any time an artist misses their expected next posting date by more than a week, and have occasionally contacted an artist with an “Are you okay?” e-mail, it’s the ones that languish long enough to vanish that actually leave me truly wondering if the person has met an untimely end.

        (Of course, then there are the ones that are deliberately taken down by the creators. A falling out with a host, for example, or a “I’m starting over, and I’m wiping out the old version so that only the new version is there.”, or in one case, a “I got a publishing deal, but I have to take the comic offline or they’ll back out.”)

        • Yeah, I’m more than aware of the fact that artists to that :\ Some of my favorite comics have faded away in such a manner… but I think I’m pretty good with letting people know what’s up on Facebook, even during extended hiatuses I update it every few weeks. And I’m always available via Formspring or whatever if anyone has specific questions. It’s stressful when artists disappear without any word, the first thing you wonder is if they’re going through some kind of scary crisis or something, that’s not really fair to put the readers through if one can avoid it.

  • Kirsten

    Hey – at least you’re updating. You’re giving us a free webcomic – I don’t think any of us are entitled to complain.

    Lovely page, by the way. c: You really have a great grasp of facial expressions and movement.
    (but seriously – where are the nips? jkdlsaf;a no jkjk)

    Update when you can! Just know that when you do, you’ll be getting bunches of praise from all of your fans.

  • Jorg

    Hello Der-shing Helmer, and thanks for the great read!

    On your point I must confess, that some mediocre web comics can be bearable because they update often and on time (say, *cough* Wayward Sons). But when YOU are actually capable of this kind of quality, you should rather worry about keeping that standard – and really not about quantity at all.

    Anyway, I don’t think you can shut up all the spoiled children and anonymous a-holes out there on the internets by way of responding to them… Even if you told off all of those reading now, later other idiots will join (bet on it) who won’t have read this thread.

    The only long time solution is to stop wasting emotional energy, period. You are so very good at your own thing, and you should focus on that.

    Best of health going forward and cheers :-)

    • Lennier

      The only reason I used to read Wayward Sons is because of the naked women in the water. Then I realised: “wait a minute, I’m on the [i]internet[/i]!” and that was that. :D

  • Katie

    Don’t be silly, Der-Shing! Anyone that has a problem with your update schedule seems to be pretty quiet about it here (Unless they’re flaming you in secret little one-on-one flame wars? I think you’d win, anyway.) The way I see it, it’s a pleasure to be able to see new pages – it doesn’t matter when they’re posted. Your health is far more important than when you update! It’s not like you’ve hit a wall and just stopped, you have a reason to not update. AND a new job, congratulations! That’s really exciting news!

    Anyway, I hope everything works out for you. Don’t let it get you down. As for jaw problems… well, as long as you aren’t growing excess skin around your mouth and speak ing in sin gle syl la bles. :)

  • Karyl

    I’ll always wait, and be glad for the update!
    If you feel like trying homeopathy, sometimes that can help where conventional medicine will be lacking. It will probably take finding a practitioner with long history though.
    In any case, if good wishes could fix you, count on us to try!

    • Christoffer

      I strongly disagree with the notion of homeopathy. While I agree that traditional medicine has an effect, I believe homeopathy to, excuse my wording, be complete horseshit. I know several medically educated persons, and they all agree on this.

      • Tom

        There’s no evidence for the efficacy of homeopathy. None.

        One plausible hypothesis I heard that might explain its bewildering persistence in popularity suggests that it did, technically, have a benefit of sorts when it was first invented. The catch is that when homeopathy was invented, conventional medicine was very primitive and extremely dangerous, and for all but the most serious, life-threatening cases you’d often be safer doing nothing at all than going to the doctor. Since homeopathic medicine does nothing at all, people who went to homeopaths will, by default, have seemed to get better results than those who went to what passed, back then, for a conventional doctor. That’s no longer true, but the group consciousness doesn’t seem to have caught up yet.

  • powree

    With Meek, every update is worth it. As long as you are doing it, I’ll stick around. Love the characters so much, I cant wait to see Lucca again.

  • Skeeve

    Gotta say, those small hats always remind me Jewish Kippa’s which makes the Pinter scenes super funny.
    My sympathy is for him as well, while Angora is awesome, if I had to travel with her I’d take a branch to the brain in the first hour…

    Hope your jaw gets back to action soon! Maybe you could watch some Spielberg movies to inspire it for greatness…

  • sir Lavitz

    It’s amazing how people complain about not getting regular updates. It’s not like they are paying for it.

    I’m still enjoying it.

  • Oh no, the medical issues sound really bad. Please just take a break from anything stressful and I really hope you’ll be able to eat again soon. :C Or at least… eat enough to taste things? I don’t know? QQ We love you. <3

  • likefood

    This is your web comic, so take your time. It seems to me you draw for recreation, and recreation really shouldn’t be rushed, it should be enjoyed at its own natural pace. I hope things go well for you.

  • darkfrair

    don’t worry about upload schedule. after all, your health is what is most important. if you died before the comic was finished, their would be many spin offs. you would be greived as much as great lets players like chuggaconroy or nintendocaprisun. and the spin offs would never do the original justice. don’t push yourself. focus on getting better, not on hurrying to get the next page in. after all, if we can handle the upload schedule of boxer hockey, then we can handle this. not every web comic can upload twice a week, like cucumber’s quest.

    if you do the best you can, then you are doing the best possible. fear not what others think of you, and let your wings soar. (i have no idea if that is from something or not, but i just thought of it on the spur of the moment)

    • Haha, thanks for understanding. Having a lot of other work to do is a mixed blessing… Tyson of Boxer Hockey is really busy with a bunch of different projects, compared to Gigi of Cucumber Quest who has just graduated from school and was able to apply her comic to her coursework. Some other comics like the Wormworld Saga have incredible art but only updates once a year D: The common element is that we’re not giving up, just having to take care of real life in our own way :3

  • CatalystOfTheSoul

    Hired for reals. I totally read that a you got hired for….reals.

    It took me a minute to realize “reals” was in no way an item of trade and just a figment of slang. XD Congrats! And take your time. :)

    • DanialArin

      Noting that the “real” has been in the past the name of a unit of currency in Spain, Portugal, and Mexico, and still is the name of a unit of currency in Brazil

  • ShadowFox777

    I found this through a DD and Deviant art… and I’m glad I looked Its very interesting. I want to know just what killed the queen, I want to know what’s up with this girl, and I want to know if the cow girl from the last chapter is going to be okay. I find myself wanting to read more of this, but alas, like all good things it must end, or rather… I caught up. GHA! The man is right though, that girl needs to put on a shirt. XD

    Sorry about the lack of name use-age, but I’m a terrible speller and bad with names… I’ll learn them… eventually..

    • Haha XD Thanks so much for reading! The names will sink in eventually, and the next page will be up in a day or two :3

  • DanialArin

    On the subject of readers’ and critics’ opinions of the writing or of the meaning behind something, and the various suggestions, recommendations and complaints thereto and thereof, I refer you to Brooke McEldowney’s Pibgorn repost commentary for the “Mozart and the Demon Lover” arc, which began on November 9, 2011. Specifically, the November 21, 2011 posting…

  • Adam

    Hey, it’s your works, if you need to take a break because you have a life outside of this, it’s no big deal, can’t wait for the next update

  • J.A.

    Hey there :D
    Ok so I just had to read your full webcomic in one day!
    It’s amazing and very inspiring.
    I’m sure am sad that the updates will take longer. But they still will come so I’m happy.
    Keep up this awesome work :D

    • Thanks so much for reading! I’m sorry for the slow updates as well, but hopefully it will pick up very soon :)

  • Chris

    As the newest member of the regular readership, all I have to say is: “Hey, this rocks. Looking forward to more whenever you’ve got the time to post it. Good luck with the new job.”

    That is all.

  • Mister Eight

    I think it’s interesting that Angora thinks that Pinter hates her, considering that if he did, he probably wouldn’t bother pointing out things to her. Pinter is just more-or-less venting on the matter that he isn’t quite getting through to her, which while understandable, makes him look like quite the jerk.

  • Matar

    hey dont worry about the haters! I love your comic and that type of quality just requires lots of time. I would hate you to rush through it just to please some ungrateful people and make it not as good. Lots of love! Keep up the good work. And dont burn yourself out doing it.

  • summersalts

    I will read this comic no matter what!

  • Alison

    If your jaw is locking up, then you might have a slipped disc in your jaw! I had this happen to me and my jaw just locked shut one day for seemingly no reason.

    If this is the case then may I suggest a good physical therapist who does TMJ rehabilitation? They can re-train the jaw muscles to work as they used to, since the locking is the muscles tensing up to protect the “injury” in your joint.

  • sgl

    Congrats on the new job and sorry to hear about the health stuff. Thanks for keeping us posted, and like everyone else above, I use the feed stuff to keep up anyways. Also a bit belated, but I like the new site design!

  • EV

    People need to remember sometimes web comics are not like reading a comic book. You gotta be patient!
    I just started reading your web comic and holy cow! I so hooked. I gotta say from one artist to another your color choice is wonderful.
    Take your time don’t kill yourself!
    I can’t wait to follow this story. :)

  • Jesper

    If you ask me, the Meek is and will be for a long time the best webcomic out there. Every update is more than worth the wait.

  • Anjali

    I love the comic. Even if it takes a year for you to update, I won’t quit (though I won’t check as often, and will therefore probably have to read larger chunks at a time… which actually might not be a bad idea… but I don’t think I’ve the patience for that, oh well… (: ). Take you’re time. I recognize the fact that you’re a human being who actually has a life beyond writing this comic. And I’d rather read something that has high quality, but doesn’t keep to a regular schedule, than something that keeps to a schedule, but has low quality because of it. Thank you, though, for continuing to write, even if it does take a long time. Also, thank you for that post before (I forget which page it’s on) where you said that you will never stop writing this comic. It means that even if I do wait a year, I know that I won’t be waiting in vain. And if for whatever reason, you find that you have to stop posting, please let us know. I’ll be sad (and possibly happy, if the circumstances leading to an event such as this are happy ones), but it would mean a lot to me because I wouldn’t be waiting for something that’s never going to happen.

    Congrats on your new job! I hope that you like it and that it goes well with you. I also hope that your medical issues aren’t too bad and pass over quickly. If they don’t, I hope they don’t over-complicate your life. Good luck! (:

  • Josephine

    I read on one comment that people think you will disappear? I think it does happen, but I’m not going to be concerned until it’s been a year and I’ve not even seen a facebook update. *shrug* In other news, is it even possible to hide from the internet anymore?

    Thanks for a great comic–I’m really looking forward to the print version.

  • popcorngoo

    Psh I sometimes get frustrated and become impatient when I have to wait for stuff, but that’s life. So, I go away and live life, don’t think about your comic, and then when the fancy strikes me to look up your comic again months later I find, to my delight, so many shiny, wonderful pages, maybe even a whole chapter I can peruse at my leisure. Ppl shouldn’t bitch about not getting pages because you are awesome. Nuff said really.

    I love that the story is getting back to Pinter and Angora(so far my fave duo) and Pinter needs to take a chill pill. for srs. He gets to view Angor’s chest all day, that should count for something right? She may not be ‘normal’, but that’s so over rated. I’ve said this before, but I hope they become a couple. Idk why. But it’s there. Pinter’s hair is sexy in the rain. lol.

    My, this is long. oh wellz. Keep up the fantastic work and do your best!!!

  • WhirlyHamster

    Orange and blue lights make for an interesting comment(Unintelligible Ramblings to spruce up imagination)

  • cole1114

    While your update sounds a bit hostile, I perfectly understand where you’re coming from.

  • Oh my, I hope you get better soon! Dont become pressured with updating on time, personal life should always come first unless you’re getting paid properly for doing something like this.
    I’m so looking forward to the printed book, I’ve been meaning to get a printed copy but havent got round to it :S

  • Waffletten

    This might sound weird, but you do a really classy job of drawing shirtless!Angora. It doesn’t detract at all from the mood of the scene.
    *cough*
    Anyway, keep up the good work and take your time!

  • Glennnnn

    I think this comment section is a mistake!
    Anybody who watches this site for updates doesn’t need to tell you how much they like the story, and you don’t need the extra work of attending to the comments in a gracious manner.
    Your own thoughts should be enough for most readers.
    Sorry, but so many of these comments are saying essentially the same thing.
    Personally, I would rather know that what precious time you have for this endeavor isn’t wasted by reading & responding to comments.

    • Kelly

      I don’t know if it was your intent, but your comment comes across as: “Why are you dealing with comments and replying to people instead of working on the comic I want to read?”

      Why don’t you chill out and let the artist do what they damn well please?

      • Glennnnn

        Perhaps I’m saying what he won’t- have you considered that?
        I believe that he’s too polite to stop responding to comments or just chuck the comments section.
        You see? Between a rock and a hard place.
        Let’s just let him proceed without asking for any of his attention. Because we’re polite.

        • Jemmerzem

          Der-Shing did choose to place the comments section here, and also isn’t a he.

          • Glennnnn

            Ohh! That’s cool. But obviously I didn’t know. -Sorry Der-Shing!

            There wouldn’t be a comments section unless it was done consciously but judging by the large number of posts (which might not have been expected) if it was me I might be rethinking that choice. With a job, and then creating and posting new pages it would be easy to become overextended. Then trying to read and reply to X number of comments is a formula for burnout. I’m not trying to be the bad guy here.

    • The comments section is for the readers and for me to talk to readers. That’s important to me, especially to find out general issues that I have so I can work on those in the future to make a better comic. Also, believe it or not, I really like 99.9% of people who enjoy the comic, and the ones I like the best are the ones who I get to talk to via this section.

      On top of that, reading and writing isn’t a limiting factor in my life. Finding time in my schedule to sit down and concentrate for 12 hours straight on one page is.

      • Glennnnn

        Thank you. I hope you have more hours of the day than you need, although “Art” doesn’t often coincide with “schedule.”

  • Daijona

    I hope you feel better soon! Good luck with your new job! 8D
    I, personally, am just always very excited to see a new page on my RSS updates from you c: The weird schedule doesn’t bother me at all. Like I said, any new page is simply a treat <3

    As for the people complaining, you guys obviously need to get a life, seriously.

  • anon

    i think the problem people might have is that you frequently say you’re going to update x day of the week and you can never seem to keep that up – which is understandable! a non-profit comic shouldn’t be your first priority, but perhaps you should try not to make promises you know you won’t be able to keep. that way, people don’t have a right to get upset about the comic update schedule. lackadaisy, for instance, hasn’t been updated in some time, but the author makes it very clear that there is no solid update schedule. i have seen little to no griping there. just a thought, it might help keep the monkeys off your back.

    • Sure, it definitely sucks, but at the time of making I’m usually unable to foresee the future obstacles (in this case I was sick most of January on top of needing to do 2x more work than usual outside the comic, that I hadn’t expected). I try to keep everyone informed outside of the site, so hopefully that is enough in terms of communication. I’d love to stop making wrong predictions, except half the time they are not wrong XD Without a goal to work towards my aspirations start to flag, so I do it for me as much as you guys.

      • The minus side to this for me is, of course, weeks of crippling guilt.

        • LongLiveHumour

          I feel for you there. Telling myself or someone else that I’ll definitely finish something by X day and then, of course, not doing it… it hurts. Maybe an officially irregular schedule might help you in that respect — oh, cool, I did a page today! Go me!
          In an ideal world we would have time machines, of course.

      • Erica

        I tend to agree with anon. Like you said, you aren’t able to foresee obstacles, and with the hectic schedule you’ve got going on, I think it would be best not to say when you’ll be updating. Because I can say as a long time reader, it’s usually never on that day! Haha. In fact, more than not, it’s at least a week after the day you say it’s going to be. Nothing against you, of course. I know how life can be. But like anon says, I think the frustration lies in the promise of an update on a specific date, so people check the site furiously on that date, and then the day comes and goooes and no update. It’s great to use it as a self motivator, but it may get people off your back if instead of saying, “I’ll have a page by the end of the week” it’s “I’ll have a page when I have a page!” lol. Hope I didn’t offend.

  • TBman256

    Der-shing, if you don’t update soon I’ll be forced to send you links to moondance.

  • Molly

    I love this so much. This is seriously my favorite thing ever, this webcomic. The story is fascinating and obv well thought out and generally jaw-droppingly awesome. The art is perfect. If I had a time machine, the very first thing I’d do would be to jet off to the future when this webcomic is all done and sit down and readreadread. But being time-machineless, I’ve learned patience, which is kind of the same, just slower. You’re awesome, girl, and I’ll stick around no matter how long the wait is. Keep on doing what you’re good at! :)

  • Nicholas

    I stumbled upon “The Meek” last night. I curled up in my favorite armchair, by the fireplace, and, coffee in hand, started reading. Needless to say, I didn’t get off of my cozy spot, not even to carry out basic bodily functions, until I finished reading the whole thing. Sir, it is people like you, who give webcomics, a medium much frowned upon, a good name. It’s very nice, heartwarming really, to discover someone who genuinely cares for his art like you do. I’m very pleased to know that, beautiful, engaging, quality works such as yours, do indeed, exist in the vast ocean of internet mediocrity. Thank you so much. Athens-Greece supports you, keep up the good work and get well soon!

  • guest

    Your comic is one of the best drawn (I mean like professional comic style, I can almost ‘feel’ what you draw, if you know what I mean.), most thought through comics on the internet, and I’m glad that you share it for free with us all.

    It doesn’t matter when you update, it just matters that you update!

    I hope you get well sooner or later (didn’t sound like that :-( )

    Thank you very much for drawing, it is a pleasure to read it.
    You are a very talented artist.

  • Nicholas

    I stumbled upon “The Meek” last night. I curled up on my favorite armchair, by the fireplace, and, coffee in hand, started reading. Needless to say, I didn’t get off of my cozy spot, not even to carry out basic bodily functions, until I finished reading the whole thing. It is people like you, who give webcomics, a medium much frowned upon, a good name. I am very pleased to find someone who cares for his art the way you do. It is very nice, heartwarming really, to know that beautiful, engaging, quality works such us yours, do indeed, exist, in the vast ocean of internet mediocrity. Thank you so much. Athens-Greece supports you. Keep up the good work and get well soon!

  • mmm

    all your nipples are belong to us

    • LongLiveHumour

      -__-

  • Brett

    lol. I’ve checked back so many times now. still no new comic makes me sad.

    But I totally understand- you’ve probably got way more to do anyway. In fact you probably won’t even have the time to read this.

    ANYWAY- again, love the comic, can’t freakin WAIT till the next one. :D

    • I’ve been doing 12 hour days at work, and then at home just working on more Meek stuff (for the book). So I am one tired puppy, hoping to be back on track soon.

      • Brett

        oh man, that sounds crazy!
        I do not doubt your tire, and I hope it to be remedied.

        Looking forward to updates with building anticipation. :P

  • Gaff

    How about you take an official few months off, then decide whether or not to continue doing the comic, then make an announcement on a blank comic…

  • Erica

    *Slowly dies from Meek withdrawal*

  • Brigitte

    Ahh, please get well soon! I think many people don’t understand how time-consuming it is to run a webcomic on your own. Plus, your artwork is absolutely beautiful!!! It’s clear that you put a lot of time into it.

    So I’m glad that ignorant people’s comments aren’t getting you down, haha. We all support you!!!!

    Feel better, don’t work too hard! C: <3

  • Johno

    Aloha from tropical NW Illinois,
    Really have enjoyed your comic over time. I lost the link for a while, took a fair while to refind ya. The chapter had changed so different characters and all… Pretty funny because I had been to the right site too, but finally figured it out, lol! Perseverance!
    I passed over the prior comments. Simply wanted personally to say “Thank You” for the entertainment I have found in your work here. As you find the means to continue, I’ll enjoy that too! Best wishes always~
    Very Sincerely,
    JO:)

  • Yes, get better soon! And we still love ya regardless. :)

  • MJB

    I discovered your comic about a month ago, and I’ve read all of it and re-read it again. It was only upon re-reading that I bothered to read the comments. I have to say I’m honestly appalled every time someone has the audacity to complain about some thing or other. You pay out of pocket to host this FREE comic, you pour your blood, sweat and tears into every panel, you dedicate years of your life to planning, writing, illustrating, and coloring your labor of love, and despite the incredibly high caliber of your work, people still nit-pick the way you drew a hat, or gripe when you don’t take their suggestion on how to create YOUR comic.

    I just want to say, you have THE BEST web comic I’ve ever seen, and your work rivals (and in some cases surpasses) the work being produced by professional comic companies. That you would provide it freely is nothing short of unbelievable generosity on your part. I would like to give you the most sincere “Thank You” a person can. All the complainers can go to hell.

  • CattyRemark

    I hope you feel better, and don’t worry about the updates. I just want to say I’m a huge fan of your work, and the moment you’re able to continue, I and many others will still be here to continue the story. Thank you for sharing this work with us in the first place and don’t work yourself into insanity. :)

  • I’ve just finish reading the whole thing in a one shot deal and man was it GOOD. For sure i’m following you and will wait eagerly for new update. All characters are great and unique i love it but I can’t wait to see what will happen to Soli. She definitly kick ass!!!

  • Jackie

    I’m trying to imagine dealing with not being able to open your jaw all the way.

    Duuuude.

  • Wow! this is so awesome!
    I just started reading today, and I was immediately absorbed.
    Keep up the good work, man!

  • Bob Kelso

    The nipples (or lack thereof) looks strange and inconsistent with the way Angora looks in the beginning of the comic. My brain knows that detail should be there, so it makes for a kind of a jarring moment. It’s like if Angora were to suddenly lose her pupils. By the way LOVE THE COMIC <3

  • Zoe

    Hope you feel better soon! I feel outrageously lucky to be able to read something as awesome as The Meek online :) You clearly love it as much or more than we do – so while I’m hanging out for an update for purely selfish reasons, I hope you take as much time as you need to stay healthy/work on other projects/maintain real life!

  • Corbie

    Whoa … I suppose your facebook news require a “Welcome to the games industry”.
    I hope you like your job nonetheless, and I wish you times less crunchy to come, so you can relax and … uh … do some comic stuff. :)

  • Katie

    This is one of the best webcomics I’ve ever read (and I’ve read many). The updates are always well worth the wait. People get frustrated because you’ve got them hooked on the good stuff, but you are entirely right to ignore them. I hope your health issues sort themselves out and congratulations on the new job!

  • Anjali

    Sorry about your medical issues. I hope you get well soon.
    Thank you for continuing to write this comic. I am perfectly fine with you keeping to your own pace, even if that pace doesn’t keep to a neat little schedule that doesn’t account for real life. I prefer quality over quantity/timeliness, and your work is VERY high quality in my unprofessional opinion (as I’m not a professional, I can’t exactly have a professional opinion [x ). Don’t beat yourself up about it, and while people who complain without bothering to understand your situation can be very irritating, I’d recommend trying not to beat them up about it, either. Half of them are trolls (the malicious kind, not the kind that likes to start strange, illogical arguments that make the people who read/participate in them laugh at the strangeness of them), and the other half either don’t get it despite trying (which means they probably will continue to not get it), or don’t try to get it and thus aren’t worth the trouble. What with all the people who read this, and all the comments you get, getting fired up about them probably isn’t worth it.
    Also, congratulations on the new job! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it!

  • Rahero

    Just to let you know, I check this page almost every day. Always hoping for a new page. Now that just means one thing… I am absolutely hooked, and I will look at this page for another year if I had to, because, your comic kicks ass. =) Just keep on the good work =)

  • Falos

    404, nice timing. Well that’s fine, I’ve been reading webcomics for ten years, this kind of hiatus is nothing. I waited five to see if Handyside would pick up Staccato. Firman resurrected Moe after almost a year’s drought and suddenly he’s pushing it out like four or five times a week, blew my mind.

    Anyway, point is Der-shing should do things at a convenient pace, and whatever that is will have to be acceptable. Go read something else if you’re antsy.

    • Damn! Someone else noticed the 404 (4.04) coincidence!

      IT’S A CONSPIRACYYYYYYYWHHOOAAAAAAA!!!!!

  • Drifter

    Your one of a kind, please take care. This has to be my ultimate favorite comic. I hope your better soon and get free time.

    Best of luck.

  • maileguy

    Missing your take on the world, and hoping everything is mostly ok, that you’re just busy beyond belief. Trust me, there are worse things — like not having anything to do…
    I don’t do FB, so can’t keep up there, I just hope you’re ok, and will wait patiently for new pages. In your own time.
    Thanks for sharing.

  • Jynto

    Remember, even the ‘haters’ are people who love your comic and want to see more of it. So in fact there are two groups who love it, and that’s not a bad position to be in.

    • As the person reading the angry comments I’m inclined to disagree, but it sounds nice in theory.

  • Gonzaga

    Hi there! I’ve been following the comic since pretty much the beginning, but I’ve never posted a comment before… so let me start with the usual: Thank you, I love the comic & congratulations on your new job!

    With that out of the way, I had a question about “The Meek: The Tide”, which can be found at the 4th Dimension Store under the Incentives category: What is it? I couldn’t find anything about it other than the vague description from the store itself. Even if it were a postcard, it would cost more than $3 to get it to Spain, so I’m guessing it’s a very short e-book?

    • Sorry to see this so late. It’s a digital (pdf) version of a minicomic I made, basically 3 short comic stories and some writing. No shipping, it is emailed directly to you. Sorry for the lack of info, I’ll let them know to correct that.

  • Anoni Mouse

    So, it was what, three years of drawing and I’ve read it in one go in about an hour?.. Work faster, you! You! YOU DOUBLE ARTIST!!

    To be serious, I hope, you feel better. Keep up the good work, pretty. :)

    P.S. But fastah’!

  • arysani

    Just started reading this and definitely plowed through the entire thing in a couple of hours. Interest: piqued. You do some really amazing work, and I look forward to reading more. Definitely putting aside the pennies for when the first 3ch book comes out :)

  • RogerWaters

    :/

    Almost two months now…

    • glen

      Get over it. She has a life and important things to take care of. She’s not here to cater to you.

  • Ayla

    So when are we getting the new page its been 2 months

    • Wolfeth

      Patience. She’s dealing with some issues and she’ll get beack to the comic when she’s feeling up to it.

  • deathsnightmare

    honestly people relax you are reading this for FREE.
    do you know how many people would charge you to read a web comic online.
    this is a great story and I will wait till the author is ready to post a new page just relax and give the man/woman a chance to breath.

  • renkel76

    I really hope you will either have time to continue this, or contemplate how long your hiatus will last XD I love your comic! But I know that work can get in the way of everything. Im not gonna be impatient, but I do wish there was a timeframe :D Maybe a year? Five months?

    • Hard deadline for book at end of this month (April)
      Game comes out in summer
      Two freelance books due by October
      + extra bs I can’t predict. I have no idea.

  • Mateus

    Chill out people. Medical issues can’t be predicted, and must be treated. Let him do things at his pace, is better wait for a good comic, that read a rushed one. The hiatus was some time, and i still coming here every day to check out. Will take time, and will be worth.

    Good luck Der-shing.

  • me

    la la la I check here almost everyday for an update. The day there is one I may die of happiness. I hear it’s not such a bad way to go.

  • Kelsar

    This comic is so worth the wait, I have fallen in love with your nipple-less character.

  • What’s wrong with checking back manually? I’ve been sporadic at best, too, these past few months (my own medical problems, among other things), so I’ve been slow checking your slow updates. It evens out, somewhere along the line. I’ve been slow checking a few different updates too. The one I follow weekly, or twice weekly, actuality updates twice weekly (they also do another web comic, hve a thriving online shop, do cons, and…yea – but I only follow one of their two comics regularly). I won’t get bored checking back. I may or may not already have you on RSS feed.

    Anyway, salvation by flashback—YES!

  • Melvin

    Did you die? I know you were just talking about people complaining about updates, but this is crazy!

    • Since January I’ve been putting in anywhere from 10-16 hours at work and 2 pages (2-3+ hours) of freelance at home. Every day. I work through most weekends and when I’m not working, I’m spending time with my sick mom. So no, I didn’t die, and yes, this is crazy.

  • If anyone actually gets mad and impatient,just tell them that even if they don’t have a life,you have one and it comes first.

    Get well soon,bur dont rush it!

  • Jen

    By the time this comic updates again, I’ll have to go through and re-read the whole thing so I remember wtf is going on (if I even still care by that point). This is getting so old.

    • Well, I’ll be over here holding my breath while you’re deciding.

  • Duckybean

    Why anyone feels entitled to complain about free entertainment is beyond me.

    Love the comic, thanks for sharing, hope you feel better really soon.

  • Jackal1408

    One day i will make this comic into a movie but only if Der-shing helps

  • Der-shing! I hope that you are doing alright. Your beautifully constructed story has brought me lots of inspiration, and I just wanted to let you know that we’re rooting for you! Take your time to do life and Real Big Kid Stuff. I know that this comic is a labor of unpaid love, and I’m just glad that you share it with us.

  • DigitalVoid

    You mentioned medical issues. Mind giving us a small briefing so we know you aren’t dead? Don’t get me wrong, I’m worried about you, but I’m sure we’d all like to know if we should be extremely concerned… And if you’re ok, maybe touch base about updates? I know you aren’t feeling well and are busy, but I’m sure we’d all like to know what’s up and how you and the comic are doing..

  • Azhtann

    I just found this comic yesterday and have read through all the pages. The art is simply amazing. And “fun”, if that can be used to describe art. I work with horses, what would I know, eh? In any case, I can not wait (well, yes I can, but you know what I mean) for the story to resume. I think this is going to be one of my favorites.

  • An example of Mario Panighetti’s schedule for “Zeldacomic”:
    #306, November 2008; #307: June 2009; #308: March 2010; #309: April 2010; #310: Feb 2011.
    I DARE you to beat this XD

    I just called to say “we love you” ♪♬♩(and “get well soon”, or something ^_^)

  • Amanda

    Hey,
    you make an amazing comic, I really love your art style, and I hope your health issues clear up soon!! :s

    I just wanted to say… it’s all about priorities! Your health comes first; your job comes first; your family comes first. You make this comic for free, in your own time… time other people would spend reading or playing video games, you devote it to making this comic because *this* is your hobby. It is lucky for us you put it on the internet! I agree with the comment waaay above about how it’s worrying when a creator says “I’m back for good!” and then never returns o_o but these things happen! And you update the facebook so we know you’re still alive, that’s better than most people! :P
    so you have other commitments, so you can’t update every day, and some people get sh**ty about it, but that’s just because they are used to instant gratification (like someone else posted above) and…haters gonna hate. It’s good you are ignoring them! Don’t tolerate abuse. Your comic is amazing, the story, the art… its simply amazing.

    This might sound dumb but, I know a couple webcomics put wallpapers as donation incentives; if you don’t like accepting donations for nothing, how about make a wallpaper? Or even use a panel you’ve already created, and just make a high-res version or something? It’s possible the small income you could make from that (given you have an amazing fanbase already, as I saw in the above comments!) could be enough to maintain the site? Just a suggestion, take it as you will =D

    I hope you get better soon <3

    • Thanks Amanda. I don’t like taking donations unless I really need it for something, and I’m not really in need of money at the moment… if only there was a donation button for time, that would be very useful.

      • “if only there was a donation button for time…”
        Yes. This. I can’t even count the times I’ve wished for this.

  • Davey

    Well first off, let me say this is a really a great comic! One of the most interesting stories I’ve come across in a while. I’ll admit, being a guy, Angora definitely caught my attention when I first came here >.< but as I read on I saw how great of a story this is and how much I love your art! I was reading in ch 1 some comments about how she was not overdone like so many other women in comics, and I have to agree. It is nice to see someone finally creating a female character that draws her realistically rather than just bumping up the fan service.

    With that being said, I think the story for this is great! amazing and deep characters, fantastic expressions (bet you get sick of hearing that :P). The art is so enjoyable. I can't wait to see the rest of this! keep up the good work!

    oh and congrats on the job! feel better :3

  • Kino

    Hiya! Just wanted to say, I just found this comic today, and I’m loving it. I will most definently wait for your updates, because I’m sure they are worth every second of the wait. :D

    Hope you get well soon in regards to your medical problem. <3

  • Raoul

    Hope this long dry spell just means you’re simply (hopefully profitably) busy and not having more health problems.

  • Syhkane

    ;~; we miss yu

  • Hosh

    You are brilliant okay.
    I really dig your stuff.

  • Von der Tann

    I don’t get it, she seems to be doing fine on Tumblr, doing doodles and shit, while so far leaving this webcomic, her masterpiece, abandoned and for no particular reason!

    Come on, what happened to the epic story, the likeable characters and the gorgeous artwork this comic was made of?

    • A sketch takes me 10 mins, a page takes me 10+ hours. My free time starts at 10pm at night and I freelance. You can probably figure it out from here.

  • em

    Yeah, what Raoul said. This comic is awesome. Hope your doing ok.

  • Silverthorn

    New reader here; found (and voted for!) your comic yesterday, and read it from the start to catch up. Great story so far! I look forward to seeing more when you’re able to resume it. :)

  • Ashley

    We love you and we’re still here! Hope all is well!
    <3 <3

  • msouth

    Just another well-wisher here, wishing you well!

  • Becky

    Please say you are at least getting something of a break with the work craziness. Sanity is kinda important. Y’know?

    -Hugs, Kisses, and Mickey Mouse ice cream pops!

    • The constant deadline pressure is on until at least October. Two very big deadlines at the end of the month though, maybe it won’t be as bad after those.

  • Blackkaida

    Can’t wait for the next update!

    My jaw is also bothering me as well.

    The muscle are super sore a lot of the time due to strain, it locks closed constantly so that I can barely brush my teeth or eat without immense pain. And that only touches the tip of the iceberg.

    Must be the stress (at least for me)

  • john

    Did she die or something? It would be nice to let us know how things are going…

  • Tim Kietzman

    Well, I can still wait for the updates, but PLEASE don’t retire from it! I was a fan of a flash animated series and he just announced his retirement and the story never concluded… Please don’t stop doing your comic it’s great.

    • Don’t worry Tim, I’m not going anywhere (unless I die). Just don’t have time.

    • Alex

      SMBZ? I miss it, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better action-heavy Flash series than what Mark Haynes created. He just packed so much energy and life into his sprite animations. Every motion was sharp and smooth; the fight scenes never stopped being thrilling to re-watch.
      And a plot like his could’ve easily turned into just another terribly-written fanfiction. But SMBZ told the sort of story you’ve always wanted to see in a Mario game, and it was done while staying true to the characters’ personalities. It’s hard to believe something this professional was made by just one person( well, most of the sprites were supplied by others, but still!) Super Mario Bros. Z was truly a gem. An inspiration to us all. I hope I’ll be that good at animation some day.
      It’s sad that pressure from the meaner fans made him stop enjoying working on it. It was a good run… In the words of Stuffwell, “We should be thankful that he has already done very much for us and that he has not hit a tragic end.”

  • thanks for the comic. Keep up the good work.

  • Like so many others, I want to say that your work in the Meek is of exceptional quality, and I’m perfectly willing to wait as long as it takes for the next update. And I hope your medical issues are getting better!

    I do have a question that nobody else here seems to have asked, and I hope you’ll forgive my curiosity. You said that you were having to recolour a bunch of pages for the book. The colouring as it appears on the web is spectacular, so I cannot imagine this is for artistic reasons. Do you have a moment/would you mind enlightening us why in the world you’d have to do this? Is it a technical issue? I ask because I once did a webcomic called “Eversummer Eve” that was in black and white, but I want to reboot it in colour. Any advice you could give about how to not have to go back and recolour a bunch of pages in the future would be **greatly** appreciated!! :)

    • The originals were in RGB, most standard book printers use CMYK. The way to recolor a bunch of pages is to manually adjust or recolor by hand, on top of that I have to redraw/ resize and fix a lot of things on ~135 pages so it takes a very long time.

      • Oof. That’s a rough task. Thanks for answering my question, I really appreciate it, and I hope your poor drawing hand recovers quickly. We await your triumphant return with new pages!

  • asds

    heh, look at the URL. 404.

  • Yaoiswhore

    Oh please don’t retire this cmic. It’s amazing and extremely well written. It’s amazing and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

    • Thank you, and don’t worry. It won’t be retired unless I die.

  • mmmm

    hmm initial impressions…I think its a good comic. I like the plot lines and I’m excited to see how they’re all going to combine together. But as I said in a former post you have a big feminist influence coming out of your work. I don’t know if your aware of it or not but it is there. Not that it is a bad thing but I think it would do go to have the men in the comic not seem like total pussies next to the women. Maybe you want it this way, and your trying to make a point through this story. But I do kind of doubt that so thats the biggest complaint in my opinion. It’s kinda turning into the oppisiote of a “every female in this comic is useless’ trope. Which I don’t like either by the way for all you who believe I’m a total sexist. I just think that the playing field should be more level, makes for a more interesting story you know. When you can’t guess that every female is going to be the strongest fighter or have the strongest ability. Other then that I like the art, and the dialogue is nice and entertaining. A good story over all just that one point. Though I’m pretty sure I’m going to get flak for posting this still I’ll put my two cents in.

    • That’s fair. To also be fair, the modern definition of feminist (as far as I’m aware) is someone who wants men and women to be on equal grounds, which is what I believe in (in that I believe that women and men are equally stupid). There are more men later in the story but for now, yes, I can see how you’d say that. You might change your mind later if later ever comes.

  • Michael See

    I just discovered this web comic the other day. I was incredibly impressed and enjoyed it very much! I hope you eventually are able to resume working on it, but your life is your life, you know? Still, I’m dying to know what happens next. :) (PS. It was linked to from this comic: http://runewriters.com/ )

  • Izzi

    Hey, just wanted to say I’ve only just been introduced to the Meek and I love it, your style and how you build this fantastic many layered world. Just to let you know I’ll happily wait around for more pages for as long as it takes you to create them, this is your creation and I completely understand what it’s like to be under pressure to produce. All the best health-wise as well!

  • Haley

    haha wow xD do people really get “offended” by you not keeping a rigid update schedule?

    lolll it doesnt make any sense though xD
    is it:
    “oh i’m reading this comic for you so the least you can do is keep on schedule u 7 u”
    oh dear god i cant stop laughing
    it doesnt make any sense.

    haha welll aside from that, i dont comment at all; just content with reading these amazing pages
    keep up the great work!
    i’m quite happy with the pace you update in
    since whenever i remember to check this site, there’s always a new page for me to oodle at
    and it’s yer art after all

    • Emeritus

      I’m not offended so much as I’m disappointed. First of all, look at the last update. January 3rd. It’s almost may. If he wants to have a webcomic that’s fine. But he has a duty as a professional to at the very least act like a professional. A day, forgivable, A week, irresponsible. Months? Really? Months?

      • I have a duty as a professional, and that’s to meet all my deadlines for my clients and my employer. And I have been! yay! *vuvuzela noises*

      • Rikelle

        Had this comic been a professional undertaking, I’d agree with you. However, since it’s for fun (read: something that the artist was doing FOR FREE, FOR YOU, to entertain YOU) the least you could do is sit back and be thankful that she’s going through all of this at all.
        Real life happens — and real life is hard.
        Don’t act entitled to something that really, she has no obligation toward. Learn to draw and make your own web comic in the meantime, since you obviously have nothing better to do than count months.

        Or you could just be patient. You know, whichever ~

        • Rikelle

          Aaaaand it just occurred to me that I referred to you as ‘she’ but have no idea whether you’re a gal or bro, dude :( SORRY DER SHING.

  • varsha.

    moooarr…! i just came across this exquisitely done webcomic yesterday and unfortunately i’m all through.. i feel the onset of withdrawal symptoms. :P so whenever it is you chose to update i shall be here and ever grateful. thank you very much for a new world. :) hope your health issues sort themselves out soon. love.

    • Thanks Varsha, just need to get over a mountain, hoping there isn’t another mountain right behind it…

  • Arious

    Been waiting patiently for the next episode, I’m certain the wait should well be worth it though.

  • Sam Moyer

    Uh, Blakkaida, that sounds like LockJaw, which is a potentially serious allergic reaction that can be caused by some medications. See a doctor about it as soon as you can.

  • Lee M

    What they said.

  • Next page is going to be Dagre killing Angora and Pinter realizing he’s 50 and Angora was also 50 and they were married and he was a bitter old man all along.

  • Meg

    Just caught up with all the updates I missed, which was like a whole chapter and oh my god this is fantastic, I love it SO MUCH! It’s insane, my love for it.

  • Liz

    OMG Y U NAO UPDATE?!?!?!?!?! THIS SHOULD BE FULL TIME JOB!!! GET TO WORK!!! D:<

    *Waits to see if she actually gets laughed at*

    • This should be a full time job!

  • RogerWaters

    I’ve given up at this point.

    • Yes, must be hard work waiting open-mouthed like a baby bird for mother to come and shove content down your throat. Don’t worry, the comic will continue when I have time, whether or not you’re around to read it.

      • Nessa

        Ma’am….may I make your convo with RogerWaters into a rebloggable image?

  • SpiderPig

    Nah, I think the next page Pinter finally asks the question we’ve all been wanting to know… Does the carpet match the drapes?

  • JuanArgil

    Just read your whole comic, it’s beautiful and one of the best written ones out there from my experience. It seems the latest update may have been a while ago though, I hope you are doing well and that you update more of this awesome comic soon (no pressure though).

    • I wish I was doing well too, I am not at the moment. I’ll let everyone know when the new pages are up, hopefully that won’t be months away.

  • Narnian

    Wonderful comic! I can’t wait for more! I hope you get well soon too!

  • jilly

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  • A haiku

    We love this comic
    We’ll stick around forever
    U r 2 cute gurll!!!!!!!1111

  • thedevilsmartyr

    Hello Der-shing,
    We haven’t heard from you in while. I was wondering how your health issues were doing. I hope your feeling better and am thanking you for putting up with us for the past few months. Anyway hope the game you mentioned you were working on turns out grate… I’m kidding, with you working on it will definitely look amazing.

    • Thanks, I’m actually doing a lot on this game (all characters, most icons and UI, even the story writing) and managing a lot of the asset creation. You’ll likely be able to tell it’s my stuff just by looking at it, not sure if that is a good or bad thing yet.

      • Is working on video games, particularly story writing, as exciting as I seem to think it is?

        • It’s exciting in the way long haul ice trucking is exciting.

          • Davey

            man I should get into making games cuz long haul ice trucking IZ DA BOMB!

  • Nah… I do not agree with that, you brought us here on the first place, now you should at least devote your life to entertain us!
    Great comix, cant wait for updates (already been waiting for months :P)

  • Liz

    Your work is amazing and I feel amazingly lucky to have access to it at whatever pace! Life and health and family and paid work have priority – please ignore the inconsiderate lot who say otherwise. Most of us understand and will be happy to see The Meek start again at a less crazy time :D

    • Thank you! Can’t wait to get going again.

  • Von der Tann

    4 months later, and still nothing…

    I know it has something to do with a game, but at least you could do a simple strip were you say: “on hiatus because X” so the people that come in daily can finally know what happened.

    • pst there is bolded, centered text up there in the comment box for that reason

      • Von der Tann

        To be honest, I don’t quite understand your reply: are you saying you made that announcement after my comment, or that you made the announcement to avoid comments like mine? If it is the first, that’s awesome! If it is the second, well, that wasn’t there when I made it…

        • Bootman

          It was.

          • Von der Tann

            Nope, every time I came back, that was the first thing I checked, and when I made my initial comment that announcement was definitively not there.

          • feline256

            There were also the big colorful social media buttons to the right that one could have checked if they wanted to know more about behind-the-scenes stuff. (Some of the account inactivity like Formspring was only very recent) But hey, that would take the effort of an extra click I guess?

  • Offendi

    A humble comment to keep a waiting website warm?

    The three pillars of well-wishing: may you keep your health, may you hit that game out of the park, and your webcomic is awesome.

  • Pffffft people feeling disappointed in you because you can’t update. That’s hilarious. No, seriously. It’s like all you have to do to let hilarity ensue is prevent people from getting their daily dosis of FREE STUFF.

    I’ve seen it happen on webcomics, translation teams (for series, comics, etc.) and many more.

    Some people just can’t seem to be able to accept the fact that others might actually have a LIFE outside of these things they so kindly offer to us at no cost to make our lives a little (or a lot!) better. Or the fact that you can’t live out of this only (unfortunately :/ ). OR the liiiittle detail about all of your genius and abilities being contained in a HUMAN BODY.

    So yes, don’t let those people bother you. You’re doing what is best for you at this point, and I know you have not forgotten about this comic :)
    I hope you are doing great with all the works for your clients, and that you can keep your health. You rock ♥

    • chrendochi

      wow. nice generalization there. hoped it made you feel special? Sorry to disappoint you, but folks understand and they’re not angrily waving their fists in the air at the author. I mean, I read most comments and none so far sounded as you made them sound. Some may have expressed their disappointment, but I’m fairly sure that there was a “but I understand” not far after and that’s quite alright.

  • Squirrel

    I love the webcomic. Don’t worry about updates, just give us at least one more this year. ;)
    I doubt I could be as consistent as you have been
    -World’s Worst Procrastinator

  • Squirrel

    I really like Pintur.
    Actually, I like most of these people, but I like Pintur best.

    • darkfrair

      pinter*

  • Squirrel

    I just discovered this comic a few weeks ago. I’m kinda new to webcomics, but this is my favorite so far.

    • darkfrair

      your lucky. i discovered it january 10th. i remember because everybody but our family friend forgot it was my brother’s birthday. i’m patient. then again, it might be because i’m lazy that i’m not yelling at der shing to update. yup, too lazy to yell. sloth is definitely the deadly sin that has done me in.

      • Anton

        Wait, how the heck does thát happen? O,o

        • Anton

          No seriously, stuff like that actually happens?

  • Lennier

    I just followed a link here from, Power Nap, I think, and was greeted by a page with a half-naked woman on it. OK, boobies, this is good, and I went back and read the archives to find out what was going on.

    While the storyline is only just appearing and the main characters just introduced and fleshed out, I like where it’s going. I’ll be buying the books and PDFs as soon as I’ve finished moving house.

    And the art is AMAZING! I’ve forwarded the link onto my girlfriend, who’s a casual artist herself, although she’ll probably think I’m a great big perve as well (nothing new there :D ).

    Best wishes for your health, and to hell with all these people complaining that they’re not getting a regular dose of something that’s free.

  • Lennier

    Also to note that Angora is naive, but she’s not an idiot. She knows enough to run away from men chasing her (although perhaps not exactly _why_ she’s running), and she’s obviously had _some_ contact with people before, since she knows insults.

  • sashilover

    I first discovered your comic by accident when you were still early in chapter 2. After that, I started checking for updates religiously. I have to admit, I didn’t continue reading from the end of chapter 2 for a long time because I got preoccupied with other things. I just came back to start reading again after months. I had to re-read all of the old posts, but I’m glad I did. This is such an exciting comic, and your work is truly incredible! I hope to see another page soon, but until then I’ll busy myself with reading background info in the Meekipedia. :) Great job on everything, I hope you’ll be well again soon.

  • Leluke

    Hi!
    I haven’t been a fan of your comic for long (I found out about it quite resently) but it has already become one of my favourite comics of all time, if not THE favourite.
    I absolutely love your art, and the quality of each page is astounding.
    All of your characters have incredible depth and personalities, which really makes them “come alive”.
    In fact, I love your art so much I’ve spent the last three days stalking you on every website I could find you!
    And because of that I know how difficult you’ve had it lately.
    I really hope that everything is working out for you and that you’re feeling better.
    I (and all your other fans) are willing to wait as long as it takes to see more of your wonderful art (and Pinter. I can never get enough of Pinter), so please just take the time you need to get everything under control.
    I know you have big plans for this comic, and I’m looking forward to see how the story develops.
    I’m telling you, The Meek has the potential to become something really big.

    Good luck!

  • deke

    thx for a great webcomic

  • Sunshineoftime

    Wow all your work is breath taking. Truly truly is. And I guess there is a waiting wagon of all these happy troopers waiting for your return. c: So I’ll just slip right in there and wait too. Cause your imagination is just too awesome to miss out. Hope you’re doing well in your endevors and have a remarkable summer.

    P.s every character is so awesome. Just. How. Do. They. Live. In. Your. Mind. So. AWESOMELY? o_o xD

  • Ehryn

    I just read all your comics and DAMN you’re good! I read a lot of webcomics so I understand about real life getting in the way of updates, I’ll be patiently patient and wait for you to have time to update again, and then be mad with glee when you do :D Your story concept is brilliant and your characters are amazing, keep up the good work! <3

  • Anton

    I mean, yeah, I forget birthdays all the time, but my girlfriend punches me in the face if I don’t regularly check whens and whats.

  • Anton

    Oops, in the wrong place.

  • Anton

    I’ll get of your internet now, miss Helmer.

  • Raphael

    I think it is rude, entitled, and absurd for people to demand updates from you, as if by reading your comic they are vested with the power to direct what you do with your life. See:
    http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html

    Personally, I would LOVE if you updated! Your comic is superb, one of the best I’ve ever read, and it would give me immense pleasure to read more of it! But I fully support your hiatus. Those people who take it personally, posting snarky remarks spleening their bitterness at not having more of your marvelous creation to read–their narcissism has run away with them. People who love your work, posting about its absence as if it is a personal insult to them! It makes me wonder. Do so many people really believe that, when you love something, it becomes owed you? It reminds me of men talking like whiny children about blue balls.

    I hope you are well, and successful in the game you are working on, and any other projects you have! Whether you take 6 months, or a year, or a decade, or half a century, to finish this gorgeous story, I will try to be there to read it. And I only discovered your comic today! It has made a great impression on me.

    And if you never finish, I am grateful for what you have made so far! I deeply believe that art should be made by people in their own time, whatever that time is, even if that time is never. I wouldn’t dream of telling these offensive hecklers that they owe the world art, of hassling them because they haven’t produced ANY comics! For them to attack you for not giving them MORE comics shows their own smallness.

  • Raphael

    Also, I want very much to tell you, and I hope I am not crossing too many boundaries in doing so: your choosing to work on your own life and put aside this stunning creative work for however long is necessary is meaningful to me in a personal way. I am recovering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by abuse and torture I experienced as a child and suppressed until just a few years ago. I have been in recovery for 5 years, and every time someone asks me what I’m doing now, why I’m not back in school or working a clever job or writing an interesting book or making the music I’ve longed to make or living up to my potential in whatever way, it hurts my heart. I feel that I AM living up to my potential, by choosing to spend my time healing myself, slowly and patiently fixing my terribly damaged brain. It is very hard work, simply to live and to grow.

    It seems to me that many people think it good to turn yourself into a kind of dissociated robot, and push down your life’s, body’s, and soul’s needs, in favor of producing all that you can produce. I do not think this is good. I think it goes against being human.

    I am glad you have the strength to put aside this comic in order to do what needs to be done in your life. I know how hard it is to abandon the creation of something beautiful, simply because your life demands otherwise. Your willingness to do so gives me comfort in dealing with my own situation.

    I wish you the very best, whatever may come for you.

  • nooneinparticular

    heyyyy, so i know peoples are busy and all, but i shall wait anxiously for an update until i finally get one.
    personally, i would think that’s the greatest compliment one can give a webcomic author; to want to see what happens next to the extent of getting angry about it =).
    i appreciate your posting of your story and i hope that you get back to it asap!!! =P

  • Just remembered this wonderful comic again. ^___^ Still a Meek fan, no matter what!

  • cole1114

    I don’t have a facebook account, and refuse to get one due to several bad experiences privacy-wise with that website. I have no way of finding out anything more.

    • Graf Zeppelin

      Same over here, for all intents and purposes the author is death to me, given that she hasn’t attempted to give a proper explanation of the hiatus over here.

    • feline256

      You don’t need a Facebook account to view a Public page like The Meek. There’s also Twitter and Tumblr :) colored buttons, lower right of the comic.

  • androgenoide

    Just ran into this for the first time and I’ll have to admit that both the artwork and the storyline are impressive. The 6 month hiatus is a little disappointing but cartoon artists sometimes take long breaks… a year is not unheard of… and even if it never resumes, well, at least what there is of a story is still pretty neat.

  • em

    Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! i love your comic XD its so sad i can’t wait for more.

  • Casu

    I hope she gets clothes in this chapter, she’s so innocent and cute. Looking at her bare chest makes me feel bad.

    I love the series though, hope you update more! :)

  • Siddhartha Vicious

    Well, I found this comic yesterday. Went back to the first episode and read them all, and am loving it. Then see that there have been no updates since January, sigh.

    Hope your health problems are fixed rapidly, and that you again have time to give to this so-far excellent piece of work you’ve begun.

  • Ardid

    I check your awesome work (Awesome art, awesome anathomy, awesome characters, awesome story, awesome pacing, just awesome) once a month, but with the extended hiatus and my facebook fobia, I began to worry. So, are you fine, Der-shing?

  • Nice comic I ever read…. But one of good comic on web like Wormworld Saga. Both are good to wait next chapter. Can’t wait what’s the next story will be….

  • Flufz

    Hey, I just noticed that the chapters seem to be primary colour based?

    Chapter one is mostly blues, chapter two is reddish, and chapter three is yellowish….

    just a random comment. Great work, keep it up! I’m already hooked on this…

  • chibichibi

    I just discovered this comic.

    WOE IS MEEEEE.

  • Waiters gonna wait.

  • Kick

    heyyy… I want more :(

  • Just want it to me known that I still check nearly everyday for an update.

  • ChaosFlight

    Dudes this is the SHIT i read it all in one go, my friend was right this is totally AwEsOmE!~ a little confused about how it all ties together but i’m sure i’ll figure it out with more posts. eventually. anyway great job dude this is FANTASTIC work. :D

  • I found this comic a few days ago, and now I’ve just caught up to the final page… I am LOVING this so hard!! Cannot wait until the next update. :)

  • ZokWobblefotz

    Weeeee miiiiiiiss yooouuuu!

  • Von der Tann

    Tomorrow it will be 8 months without a strip, not even a funny non sequitur sketch and/or a “hiatus” warming mentioning the reasons of this (external links aside).

    So sad really…

    • Squirrel

      Poor baby

    • KJ

      Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that The Meek isn’t coming back.

  • John

    Is there a book of this I could buy? I am really digging this story, just wondering.

  • Crystal

    I think it’s funny. Page 4.04: Update not found. XD
    Sorry….I’m a nerd…lol

  • Jonboy

    Love your comic, the art is magnificent, and the writing is inspired Love it.
    -I’m very sad to find that its currently on extended hiatus, bordering on Dead-comic status. :(

  • goodgolly

    I love that practically everyone in the comics is willing to soothe this lazy author. 8 months is ridiculous, period.

    • Aw, poor baby *kiss kiss*

  • Squirrel

    Still lovin’ it!

  • Sphynia

    I love you and will wait however long it takes T_T

  • minetruly

    Every once in a while, I come here to see if it’s been updated. I love this story. Do what you need to for your health. I will be waiting, patiently, as long as it takes to see what happens next.

    • Von der Tann

      The health issue was months ago, then it was some heavy work, and now I truly have no idea of why is he comic still in this undeclared hiatus.

      • Sleel

        Could have just clicked the Big Red Link at the top of the authors comment to go to their FB page for the status. Freelance work ate up the year, silly wanting money eh. Finished. Working at same time on another project. Resumes on 15th. 1ce/week. Barring a meteorite impacting.

        • Von der Tann

          I did click that link, but most of the time I got nothing useful, so stopped using it a few months ago.

          So finally this 15th hum? Welp. hope this is true.

  • HermannFegelein

    Please no barbie-doll anatomy, it just look’s stupid.

    • Cool, make sure you keep that in mind when you’re the one drawing the comic :D

  • Topher Brink

    It’s funny, I check this page every day still, just to make sure… The Meek is one of my favorite comics, along with “Oh Goodie” and a few others. c(=

  • John

    TONIGHTS THE NIGHT

  • Steve

    Love this comic! Just discovered via Doug TenNapel.

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