Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Hang in there, baby — I've got some big news!


Sorry about the slow posting lately, guys — there have been some big things going on over here, with more on the way, and boy are my arms tired.

What? Um, sorry. I'm a little frazzled.

Aaaaanyway, I usually try to keep the focus on comics here, but since this will impact Great Caesar's Post I thought I should announce it here, too (this will be old news to Facebook pals). A couple of days ago I gave notice at work, with my last day being a few weeks from now.

There are various reasons for it, but I want to say straight out that the parting is completely amicable. No, really. I've loved the company for the past five-plus years I've been here, and leaving was not an easy decision. Still, for a variety of reasons, it's the right time. So beginning in mid-May I'll be going back to freelance writing, which is what I did for three years before taking the job I have now. (As a matter of fact, if you know of any possible freelance gigs out there, please don't be shy about letting me know!)

And just because I know something like this tends to raise certain questions, here's what I said on Facebook earlier:

Believe me, I enjoy the health insurance and regular paycheck. But sometimes there has to be something more; luckily, we've been able to put ourselves in a position where we can give ourselves a chance at that. We've prepared as well as we can, enough that even if things don't go the way we want them to, we still have the maneuverability to change direction if it comes to that. It's also a matter of over-preparation; when does it feel "OK?" When does it not feel like a risk? If we wait for that, we'll never do it. Just be sure we know what it's like out there, and we know what obstacles there'll be — like I said, we've done it before. And that time we weren't prepared AT ALL, and we survived for three years.

I realize this will probably seem foolish to a lot of people —it's a big part of the reason we've been fairly quiet about it. Maybe that makes it seem as if it's coming out of the blue, but it really isn't. When I say we've been planning it for years, it's not hyperbole or a casual figure of speech. We've literally been planning this for years. We've gone over everything that will be changed in our lives, discussed the things that will have to be dropped or modified, and we've come to a place where we feel good about it. It all looks very risky, but we've actually minimized that risk as much as possible.

Besides, we all need a little risk now and then.


I think there might've been a smiley at the end of that last sentence.

So, what does this mean for Great Caesar's Post? More content, and on a more regular basis! That's something I've been wanting to do for a LONG time, so I'm eager to get to it. There will be even more news soon (I KNOW!), so keep your ears on, good buddies, and thanks for your patience during the transition.

5 comments:

rob! said...

Good luck with the new venture! I remember the day I got laid off from my last job, and I decided that night that, as of that moment, I was a freelance illustrator.

That was seven and a half years ago, and while there have been some tough times, I never regretted it!

Maxo said...

Thanks, Rob! And I've got to say, that's pretty inspiring — congratulations on seeing all your hard work being worthwhile!

Joseph said...

Maxo - good luck to you. No matter what your next step is, the unknown is always scary. Keep up the great work and godspeed to you!

Eric said...

You will soon have shiny new lives! I am SO PROUD and so happy for you both. Don't let the basterds (or Mrs. White) getcha down! Hope she is okay! It was Ella White right? Toldya I was terrible with names...

Maxo said...

Thanks, guys! I really appreciate the encouragement — it is a little scary, but in a good, exciting way!

(And it was Mrs. Stone ... I really should check on her ...)