Final Thanks
May 26, 2013 ~ 15 Comments
This is really dumb, but I originally drew the first panel with my tattoo on the wrong arm. I had to flip the image to get it on my left arm, my drawing arm, where it belongs.
I’m really scatterbrained sometimes.
Anyway, just to prove that it really did happen, here’s a photo showing off my tattoo. I’m at the annual meeting of the National Cartoonists Society with Andrew and Brian Moore, the artist who worked with me on Smithson.
That photo is a couple of years old now, but as it happens I’m at the annual NCS meeting right now, too. Apparently I don’t do anything with my time but draw comics and go to meetings about comics.
The illustration under Daniel Pinkwater’s hat-tip is from Norb, the comic strip he drew with Tony Auth. Mr. Pinkwater should write another comic strip. I feel strongly about this.
As for the rest of this installment, there are a thousand other people I could have thanked, but these folks were all essential to getting Narbonic through six and a half years. Thanks again to them and to everyone else who’s followed the strip all this time.
Next week: the end of Narbonic.
Shaenon,
Because I discovered Narbonic years after it ended, I read through the entire archive as though it were a novel. Which, in fact, it is: one of the most astonishing and accomplished comic novels I’ve ever read. Pure genius. I’m so lucky and so grateful to have found your work.
tune: “Ironic,” Alanis Morissette
First came Dave with a computer degree
Mell recruited him for Helen, you see
Met Ur-gerbils, got killed by Helen’s mom
Then a kiss, and, they explode like a bomb!
And wasn’t that Narbonic?
Don’t you think?
Our delight, Narbonic
Yeah, I really do think
Mix in Douglas A., Robert H., Terry P.
Add some Tove J., and some Seanan McG.
Then to top them all, you must add Daniel P.
And what do you get? Narbonic!
Thank you, Shaenon. This has been one wild ride and I’ve been happy to experience it.
Thanks, Shaenon, for one of the great webcomics. Like Kay, I only discovered Narbonic after it had finished; unlike her, I didn’t have the stamina to read the archives in anything like one hit. Here’s to Narbonic, and may its successor Skin Horse run for many years to come!
I also came to Narbonic after the end. I read through the entire archive my senior year in college four years ago and have followed the Director’s Cut since. Thank you, Shaenon, for providing one of the distractions that kept me sane throughout law school.
I’m still kicking myself for not picking up on Narbonic until nearly a decade after I got into webcomics (~2003.) Ah well, as Kay says, it makes a fine read in its completed form. Thanks a bunch, Shannon.
Man, I miss Camp Snoopy.
Shaenon, I found your comic about midway through after a mention in Girl Genius, and been hooked ever since. My kiddo and I would anxiously await updates together, and one year the Narbonic books were my mother’s day present! I have a group of online friends whom I would never had met if not indirectly through Narbonic. So, thank you.
I discovered Narbonic while doing an archive trawl of Websnark. You were a couple weeks into the reruns at that point, and I decided to treat it as a chance to start reading at the beginning of a webcomic with an assurance of quality (in the opinion of Eric Burns whom I usually agree with), a plotted story arc rather than random directionless episodes, *and* an assurance of regular updates. That combination is — well, pretty much unheard of. So rather than just slamming the whole thing at once at the archive site over one caffeine-fueled bleary weekend, I’ve been hanging on the “rerun” updates and artist’s commentary, and experiencing it one day at a time like its original fans, for the last (holy crap!) six and a half years. Girl, you rock. It’s been an awesome ride. As a corpus linguistics pro, I have to say the inside jokes directed at my tiny slice of the world have been startling. Just doing that kind of humor is unexpected as hell. And you did it without distorting the rest of the comic. So — power to you. I’m looking forward to the development of Skin Horse and your further creative endeavors.And, I’m going to say this; if you put up Narbonic for another round of reruns (may it live forever in syndication) I’m going to point everybody I know who’s not already your fan at the “beginning” of an awesome webcomic.Bear
A big, huge Thank You, Shaenon, for running the Director’s Cut. I always appreciate the opportunity to get inside the head of a work’s author. I also didn’t find Narbonic until the Director’s Cut was running, but read through the original archive first. I’m sure all of us who did can confirm that this excellent strip is even richer knowing all the backstory that didn’t get told “on camera”.
I don’t remember quite when I started reading it during the original run, but I’ve really enjoyed the ride. And I’ve got my two Perfect Collection volumes sitting next to me even as we speak.
It’s been a great ride, Shaenon, thank you much for sharing your crazy great talent. Quite looking forward to seeing how Skin Horse continues.
I was just starting to entertain the idea of drawing a comic strip, when I discovered webcomics. And a mention from Girl Genius brought me to Narbonic (right about the time Artie got on the radio from the flying island). I, being the obsessive sort that I am, plowed through the archives the following weekend, and I have been a fan of Shaenon ever since.
To me, the amazing thing about this comic was how it combined a daily punch line with the overall story arc. Rather than try to maintain the status quo, Narbonic built up to a climactic scene, and allowed it to BE a climactic scene. The story reaches its conclusion, and ends when it should. Much though the readers want more, when it’s time to end this tale, close the book and move on.
Shaenon, you have inspired me in my own meager efforts. Thanks for all your hard work, and for a great ride. When I grow up, I wanna be just like you.
Aw, man, thanks, everyone.
You should also thank TVTropes, whose write-up of Narbonic made me curious enough to come over here and take a look at your comic for myself (and then tormented my roomie Kitirena with it). Thanks for the great webcomics, and Kiti-cat and I hope that you really do eventually finish the Narbonic RPG (although by now it’s probably going to be the Narbonic & Skin Horse RPG and Resource Book).
I sort of discovered it twice, that I can remember, first time, was when it was still on a pay site, and when I had no money at all, so I couldn’t keep up with it then, and second was just after the comic was made to free to view, been stuck ever since. Do you draw this on flypaper? 🙂
Nearly a decade ago I was on a date with a girl, and she introduced me to the concept of webcomics. Or, to be more accurate, she was a big fan of several comics and I resolved that I should be too if I wanted us to have anything to talk about on the next date.
Clicking links almost at random, I stumbled on Narbonic almost at once and was floored. How could I have not known about this? Are all webcomics this clever and thoughtful and hilarious? Sadly, no. These days I follow dozens of webcomics, but none of them can compare with the awesomeness of Narbonic.