Bad news, folks.
Let us get straight to the point.
1. The release of Issue 12 is STILL undecided, but hopefully it will not be longer than February 2008.
2. Issue 12 WILL BE THE LAST ISSUE. Not of the current arc, but of CAST itself.
Details under the cut, from a letter from Sir Jamie:
Yes, a lot of people have been asking, including my artists. :-) I've
decided to give you the update since most people check your LJ for
Cast news. :-)
To be honest, I can't give a definite date when issue 12 will be out.
I'm afraid of setting a release date, like I have been for the past
few months, only to not hit it. I've been busy with a number of
things and unfortunately Cast is always what gets pushed to the bottom
of the pile. As is often the case in real life, our personal projects
(which is what Cast is to me) usually take a back seat to more urgent
projects, especially those that pay.
All I will say is that Arnold, Jhomar and I will do our best to get
issue 12 out as soon as we can. I've been aiming to get Cast 12 done
before 2007 lets out, but I can't make any promises. Rest assured
that I will inform you and all those who have emailed us the moment
the issue goes to press, which should be about a week before release.
I doubt it will out any later than February, but again, I don't want
to make any promises. :-)
And now for some sad news.
Cast 12 will be our last issue.
As much as I love doing Cast, the last few months have been really
busy and I feel that I can't give Cast the dedication it deserves.
Aside from the writing, lay-out and lettering, handling the
promotions, distribution and business side of Cast just takes too much
time. And while we have a very dedicated and loyal following, sales
aren't as great as they should be, most likely due to our spotty
distribution and slow release schedule. Basically the same problems
that plague most local comics. While I don't think I'll ever tire of
writing Cast, I feel that I am weary of the whole business of comics
publication. I just don't have the energy or the money to try to get
the exposure Cast needs or to find the readers we want. As you know,
it's been an uphill battle for five years and I feel it's time to move
on and try different things.
While I had intended for Cast's main arc to last around 18 issues, I
think issue 12 will be a good end point. The series was originally
only supposed to be 12 issues anyway, with the story just growing as I
went along (issues 7 to 11 not being part of my original story
bible). While I didn't get to do a lot of storylines I had in mind,
issue 12 will give closure to most of our main plotlines, though not
total closure.
I'd like to thank all the readers who stuck with us these past few
years, through artist changes, delays and other troubles. Those who
subscribed, we will refund the cost of the undelivered issues when we
deliver Cast 12 to your home.
Is this the end of Cast? I wouldn't bet on it. While the ongoing
series will stop, we have plans for some Cast related projects in the
near future. According to Arnold, he gave a few hints to some fans
who met up with him at the recent Komikon. So don't count Will and
the gang out yet. As always, I'll keep you informed.
But for the meantime, we're all gearing up for the big finale that
will conclude this run of Cast. Thanks again for all the support and
I apologize for the long wait. I promise that we're going to go out
with a bang.
Best,
Jamie B.
The LJ comm will stay indefinitely for now, no matter what happens.
EK 8 )
1. The release of Issue 12 is STILL undecided, but hopefully it will not be longer than February 2008.
2. Issue 12 WILL BE THE LAST ISSUE. Not of the current arc, but of CAST itself.
Details under the cut, from a letter from Sir Jamie:
Yes, a lot of people have been asking, including my artists. :-) I've
decided to give you the update since most people check your LJ for
Cast news. :-)
To be honest, I can't give a definite date when issue 12 will be out.
I'm afraid of setting a release date, like I have been for the past
few months, only to not hit it. I've been busy with a number of
things and unfortunately Cast is always what gets pushed to the bottom
of the pile. As is often the case in real life, our personal projects
(which is what Cast is to me) usually take a back seat to more urgent
projects, especially those that pay.
All I will say is that Arnold, Jhomar and I will do our best to get
issue 12 out as soon as we can. I've been aiming to get Cast 12 done
before 2007 lets out, but I can't make any promises. Rest assured
that I will inform you and all those who have emailed us the moment
the issue goes to press, which should be about a week before release.
I doubt it will out any later than February, but again, I don't want
to make any promises. :-)
And now for some sad news.
Cast 12 will be our last issue.
As much as I love doing Cast, the last few months have been really
busy and I feel that I can't give Cast the dedication it deserves.
Aside from the writing, lay-out and lettering, handling the
promotions, distribution and business side of Cast just takes too much
time. And while we have a very dedicated and loyal following, sales
aren't as great as they should be, most likely due to our spotty
distribution and slow release schedule. Basically the same problems
that plague most local comics. While I don't think I'll ever tire of
writing Cast, I feel that I am weary of the whole business of comics
publication. I just don't have the energy or the money to try to get
the exposure Cast needs or to find the readers we want. As you know,
it's been an uphill battle for five years and I feel it's time to move
on and try different things.
While I had intended for Cast's main arc to last around 18 issues, I
think issue 12 will be a good end point. The series was originally
only supposed to be 12 issues anyway, with the story just growing as I
went along (issues 7 to 11 not being part of my original story
bible). While I didn't get to do a lot of storylines I had in mind,
issue 12 will give closure to most of our main plotlines, though not
total closure.
I'd like to thank all the readers who stuck with us these past few
years, through artist changes, delays and other troubles. Those who
subscribed, we will refund the cost of the undelivered issues when we
deliver Cast 12 to your home.
Is this the end of Cast? I wouldn't bet on it. While the ongoing
series will stop, we have plans for some Cast related projects in the
near future. According to Arnold, he gave a few hints to some fans
who met up with him at the recent Komikon. So don't count Will and
the gang out yet. As always, I'll keep you informed.
But for the meantime, we're all gearing up for the big finale that
will conclude this run of Cast. Thanks again for all the support and
I apologize for the long wait. I promise that we're going to go out
with a bang.
Best,
Jamie B.
The LJ comm will stay indefinitely for now, no matter what happens.
EK 8 )