[[ UPDATES ]]:

1-??-08: I know, I know. I haven't been posting my usual blurb on the home page for the last two weeks, and I think it's about time for an explanation. Since before break I hit something of a doldrums state I originally thought it was just frantic, end-of-the-semester stress building up, but it hasn't left. I've been really apathetic toward the comic lately considering that I'm beginning to find the main plot arc to be getting a bit stale. I also hit the biggest writer's/artist's block I've ever encountered with the comic. On top of that, the new design, while complete, simply will not work for me when put into code. I'm doing everything the same way I ddi the first time aroudn but I keep getting these weird errors, palette issues, alignment issues, etc. All of them seem liek really simple problems but I can't for the life of me figure them out. There were also issues completely off-site that related to more things I wanted to add to the site that, for reasons more or less beyond my control, fell through completely. All of these factors have compounded to a general frustration that basically says to me "Jeff, you need to cool it for a while." The comic, as it stands, is not moving. I will continue to post what I have backlogged until I run out and will make an effort to post a finale to the Croatoan story arc. I will not, however, post weekly update blurbs as usual, since for the last two months I've been really reaching for things to say. I don't feel that I had ought to by typing for its own sake, I should have real news to discuss. I also don't want this to be a repository for me to whine about how busy I am - you don't want to hear that.

With that said, I will leave everything up but will not be posting new material here for a time. I have many other projects on my plate that speak in much more appealing tones to me at the moment, so maybe if I cahnge direction a bit I'll regain my drive. Maybe I'll start up a totally new web-comic venture. It just seems that after a little over a year of almost consistent work and headaches over the site, it hasn't really paid off in any real way. I have met some of my goals involving learning techniques and artistic styles, but this is something that I can work on without having the responsibility of a weekly schedule to stress over. Maybe I'll restart and post as I come up with things as opposed to as dictated by the calendar. I may try a change of format, characters, setting ... Hell, I may even come up with a new concept altogether. Point is, the comic is at a standstill and I'm unsure as to when I will resurrect it. I will be sure to let everyone know when I do though. Thanks for sticking with me this far, and stick around for a little while longer while I finish off the Croatoan arc. Until next time ...

~Jeff

1-07-08: Damn it feels good to end that with an '08...

There's not much to post this week because it's been a hell for the last 7 days. I've been working hard to focus on the Vayne Solidor cosplay but just about every complication imaginable has arisen to make it more difficult than it should be. I also came down with a head cold and my sound card died, so I had to shell out for a new one which won't be here until later this week. This is also the period where I'm rushing to get everything doable over break finished before I have to go back to school at the end of the week. Fun Fun.

Anyway, the update this week focuses primarily on Nora and Whitney as Nora attempts to rally support of, quite possibly, one of the most dangerous citizens of New Nibelheim.

12-31-07: Holy Crap! It's the last day of my first full year as a webcomic artist! I don't think I need to say how psyched I am. Looking back on everything this site has been through in the past year has got me really excited. When I initially made Pilgrim Century, I had intended only to do single, weekly updates and hadn't expected to do more than 50 comics or so by the end of the first year. Now that December has finally come and gone, a full 12 months since the initial release of the webcomic, I've more than doubled the expected comic count!!! I decided to look back at the original site layouts, the original couple dozen pages, and generally do a read-through from beginning to end of everything I've posted and the comic has come a long way. This whole site was basically a giant learning experience for me, and while I'll be the first to admit I have a long way to go, I've definitely made some progress over the past year. I'm really happy with how things are turning out and I can't thank everyone enough for consistently checking up on the site, providing feedback, following the zany antics of the Pilgrim Century cast, and just generally being there as an audience member or constructive critic. You've been great, and hopefully you'll all stick around for another great year!

Speaking of next year, you can look forward to a few changes in the near future. I'm working on a new site layout to make things easier on you guys. My goals are to minimize load times and maximize ease of navigation. I've been listening to a lot of comments and critiques from all sides, compiling all the suggestions into a plan of action which will go into effect sometime within the next few weeks. You can also look forward to a few radical plot points in the storyline, as some of the more extreme sides of our cast come to the forefront as they try to take on Croatoan each in their own unique way. That story arc will continue to draw to its peak as it heads to its culmination in yet another story arc which I'm working on fleshing out right now. This means lots of really weird stuff to look forward to in our favorite little Maine ghost town. As always, feel free to email me with any further suggestions or wish lists for things you'd want to see on the site or in the comic. I love hearing about how I can make this site even better. You can reach me at pcjeff@pilgrimcentury.com.

The holidays are usually a really stressful headache for me, but this year actually wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected. I have some PC maintenance work to attend to now that I have an external drive to work with, and I can start playing a few new games I'd gotten as well. Bioshock is awaiting installation and the Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer expansion is already set to go. Now to find the time to actually play in between drawing and working on the Vayne outfit...

This week's update (it's been long awaited, I know, and I apologize for the delay) shows us just how royally screwed Jeff is, since his delusions may not be a match for an all-powerful ancient after all. We also return to an old, furry friend to see how his life has been affected by his residence in New Nibelheim. You haven't been forgotten, little guy!

12-17-07: I write this with the knowledge that finals are now officially over and now my only responsibilities for the duration of the winter are getting as much sleep as I possibly can and keeping up with this comic and my cosplay project. I can't tell you how relieved I am that this semester is finally over with. It has been far too much of a headache.

Now that I have some free time I can get back to the important stuff, meaning Anime and Gaming! I pretty much marathonned The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya after finals on Nora's suggestion. It's not at all a series I'd normally watch but I ended up finding it hilarious. School drama isn't my thing at all and they normally bore the hell out of me, but I think it was the utter hilarity of that first episode (the crappy video they make for the cultural fair) that reeled me in. I didn't stop laughing the entire time, so I knew I had something worth watching here.

As for gaming, Phoenix Wright II has been a treat, living up to and beyond its predecessor with an incredibly complicated and thoroughly enjoyable final case. I'm waiting a bit to play III because I have some other games on my plate, plus the holiday is just around the corner. I still have Half-Life II: Episode 2 left on the Orange Box, but that shouldn't be too far off since now I have time for it. God, I love those games.

This week we find Jeff in a really sorry situation, and apparently he has magic of his own because he just sorta changed back into plainclothes out of that suit between panels or something. Anyway, he and Croatoan are going to be squaring off in an epic battle for the ages, so don't miss it!

I wanted to make one additonal announcement regarding my posting schedule: It seems I'll be getting that moment's respite to catch up after all. I will not be posting next week due to the holiday because I will be travelling around visiting all sorts of relatives and such, so in my absenceI'd like to wish everyone out there a happy winter whatever! If you celebrate something, enjoy it. If you don't, enjoy yourself some other way. I don't care how, just kick back for a while. I'll be back for one more dose of Pilgrim Century action before the year is out, so don't miss ... wait, I alredy said that.

 

[[ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ]]:

• What is Pilgrim Century?

Pilgrim Century is basically a deposit for all of the crazy mixed up happening and concepts that either actually occur and are somehow noteworthy or are generated by countless late-night high-caffiene conversations with some really wacked-out people that I call friends. The comic itself is based on people I know and situations that we may or may not genuinely believe to be the case. It's meant to be a little off-the wall, pretty sardonic at times, and sometimes downright wonky. Really there's no good way to describe what I intended the comic to be. It started with real events which expanded to fiction almost immediately and then took off in some crazy direction that I never anticipated. Now it's just a matter of getting it all down in ink for others to read.

• Why is Pilgrim Century?

I decided to make a web comic because it allows me to practice sequential art in a really relaxed medium that other people can still enjoy. I wanted to get into printed comics and produced about 30 pages of a story that's been in the works for years, but it required tremendous amounts of detail and took a lot more time and effort than anticipated, so I figured that working on a more relaxed webcomic would sort of ease the process since I'd gradually condition myself to the genre instead of just jumping in headfirst. It tends to hurt your face a lot less that way.

• How is Pilgrim Century?

I know that about 90% of the webcomics out there are almost fully CG, if not highly modified by way of computers. I, however, do not have or have access to a Wacom Tablet and in spite of that fact I actually prefer the old-fashioned way. I like to actually draw out the comics and then just add the text in later. Sure the lines might not be as crisp as a flash-drawn comic or something that was painted right into photoshop, but I think it gives it a nice edge anyway. Besides, this comic is meant for practicing the actual comic-generation process for print in a sort of pseudo-manga style which is (at least what I want to do) paper-based rather than CG. CG comics rule, but it's just not me. My scanner is my friend and it gets lots of candy on the weekends.

Another thing about the comic is that at the moment, it's completely Black & White. I've considered coloring it. I could use the practice, but it came down to a time issue. Throwing in tones is more accurate to what I ultimately want to do with comics and coloring takes up at least twice the time that toning would take. Besides, I like the classic look. This may change in the future. Who knows?

• When is Pilgrim Century?

When does it take place? Now. When will you see more? My hope is to throw out (at minimum) a new page every week, sometimes more if time and schedule permits. I'm really really going to try and hold myself to this. I've started to fall into something of a regular working schedule, so my aim is to release on Mondays. The number of comics released on any given week will more or less depend on how much time I've had during that week, but I guarantee at least one with every new post.

 

Pilgrim Century Webcomic & Website v1.2 - Design & Artwork by Jeff McGoldrick. Optimized for 1024x768 resolutions.