2995 A Bad Attitude.

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B-B-B-BONUS PAGE!!!!!

I wanted to do a simple page and ones like these always feel like a copout to me, so I’m using it to draw attention to my goal. At some point I’ll come back and fix the page title. Anyway here’s an edited explanation for the previous blog so you can know what I’m trying to do. I know not everyone pays attention to the blog, so I’m calling attention to it for this.

Unlike most evenings I actually have something specific I want to ask of you. Advertising anything online has gotten extremely difficult with the prevalence of adblockers, Google ruining ads to begin with, and social media destroying the realm of the personal website. All my social media, which essentially is the same for the comic, have fallen into ruin for a variety of reasons. Not least of which is that legacy accounts are often broken by virtue of existing through site updates. Additionally most of my posts are little more than quick update links, which social media hates since they want you to stay on them. Video content is about the only thing you can use to get attention, but that’s not what I do. Anyway, what I need from you is a pitch of the comic in the comments to people who don’t know what it is. How do I sell this to people? I am a terrible judge of my own work since I tend to view it very negatively. Basically any selling points would be appreciated. Long or short, whatever you have that could be useful when trying to make my work enticing. I mean anything. Personal stories about why you started reading, breakdowns of why it positively portrays various things, ways it helped you in your life, it’s all on the table. I need to draw in more patrons. Not all that many really, but stable people who like the kind of low stakes tales I make. The problem is letting them know this comic exists at all. Ideally I’d like to do that without having to become a lolcow. Or at least not become more of one than I already am. So this is my earnest request. You don’t have to leave your name or anything. The site allows anonymous comments. I need help seeing the value in what I do from the outside. If you could provide a little I would appreciate it.

40 Comments

I have been reading this comic for years, about a year before Covid – I found it at a time soon after leaving my retail job, moved countries, and was generally making a lot of big (positive) changes in my life. Reading this became a little getaway, since retail isn’t always bad – at least if you get along with your coworkers, it’s a lot like hanging out with your friends all day on good days. It’s one of the few things I miss about the store. It also had a little slice of American atmosphere that was nice when I was feeling a little homesick – I loved where I lived, that wasn’t the issue. It’s tough not to feel that way when going to an entirely new environment for so long. Sometimes when you’re eating Japanese food every day, you just want a burger now and then.

In that sense, this comic gave me a little bit of home, and I cherish it very much. I may not be the most vocal of fans, but I do hold this story dear to my heart. Your writing style is captivating to me – it cuts to the heart of things at the right pace. One of the things I admire most about your stories is every character has true depth…their voices feel so different, and the chemistry between each pair (friends, relationships, enemies…?) all have their own distinct rapport, as we are wont to do with our own friends.

So, I hope that helps? Brain tired, but much love, Jackie :3 I could go on forever but I tried to stick to my main stuff.

Between Failures is Clerks without the self-loathing, where young people at the beginning of their lives feel the weight of the world in their small stakes because they feel helpless to change anything bigger.

In a world full of insincere nostalgiabait built entirely around an aesthetic, Between Failures is a story that actually makes me feel nostalgic.

It’s one of the few webcomics I’m still reading after all these years.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

I started reading nearly 15 years ago, as a 20 something very recently removed from a retail job. So this comic hit different for me. It’s been several years since I’ve worked retail now, and I’ve been glad to see the misadventures of these characters outside of the store more.

This is such an excellent take, and words my feelings perfectly.

I barely follow any of the webcomics i used to, and yet I keep returning to Between Failures because of the sincerity and the enjoyable story.

Work sucks, I know.
And with a title like between failures its easy to relate when you working a job that feels like it’s getting you no where but a sad obituary. That said I have learnt a lot from this comic, about framing my situations, working with some not great people and making time to work on projects rather than lamenting not being able to. I’ve re-read it a number of times, sometimes within weeks of the previous re-read, especially when work becomes a major slog and my brain turns to mush and have recommended it multiple times, even use for memeing material when I can. It’s relatable, humorous, and insightful and a definite must for those who feel lost in their own lives.

OH WOW, WES!! How many years has it been since the last time??

BTW, I haven’t been able to get back with my comment re: the story you asked, Jackie, but I’ll soon be done with chores and will take some time to write it up. Haven’t been able to be a patron so far due to economic$, but this I can (and will) do to contribute. In the meantime, thank you for doing what you do for us all readers, and have been doing for so many years now (I had meant to say that either way, but now I feel this is highlited by the reappearance of Wes!!)

I’ve been reading Between Failures for at least fifteen years now. It is a part of my life, like so many other web comics, both still active and retired. One of the things I like best about this comic is that, unlike some of the other slice of life comics I started with, this one stays true to being a slice of life. No weird robots or gun weilding fundies here. The toasters, thankfiully, remain nonsentient. It’s just a cast of characters I care about living their lives.

wow he’s still here?

Unfortunately.

One of the few characters you have directly featured who hasn’t demonstrated much of any sort of redeeming traits. (This is not a negative criticism of your writing – it’s a very good example of “That Guy” whom many of us have had the misfortune of knowing at least one of in our lifetimes. The banal asshole instead of a borderline ridiculous mustache twirling villain trope many writers resort to.) I was half hoping they had managed to get themselves written out of the comic off scene lol.

I’ve been following this story for more years than I can remember, it’s a good place to come, to enjoy a story about ordinary lives. I also enjoy your blog comments, (though the game references are lost on me!).
It, and the comments, are also a nice reminder for those outside the US that there are nice normal people there – bearing in mind that from other countries, the portrayal of the US is pretty negative!

I’ve been reading this since shortly after the first kiss that turned things “~colorful~!” And honestly? Gods willing I’ll be here until the day it ends. This is one of only a handful of comics from back in the day that I still read, and it’s honestly in my top two favorites of all time. It’s rare for me to reread things more than once, and their usually a long break in between if I do. But Between Failures? I will happily reread it whenever I want, and I often hit the random button, and just go from wherever. Thank you Jackie for still trucking along, and keeping this story feeling like the same story I’ve been reading for 18 years. I can’t wait to see where things go next. Also, Wes is still a dick XD

I’m terrible at anything marketing, but feel free to quite me that this I’m coming back to this page every single day to see what the your characters are up to next. You hit so many different tones and none of them is boring.

I’m garbage at marketing, but I’ll try to contribute.

I’ve been reading BF since my early 20s, and I like that it’s always been what I started reading for–it never caught “sad girls in grey” syndrome, you never got bored of the story you were telling. It’s a very classic webcomic, filled with Guys I Know, doing things I recognise, and just living their lives. Webcomics Like You Used To Get.

I am queer and Israeli. I moved to the US when I was very young, so English is my primary language – I’m not even really literate in my native tongue. I have generally centre-left views on things. Back in the late 2010s, I felt more connected, followed over forty different webcomics, participated in fan servers, attended my first Pride, etc.
I started reading this comic two years ago. It is hard for me to find media to connect with anymore, especially indie media. I feel most creators hate who I am and hate my family. Most of my friends are now other queer Jews, something that wasn’t true before the current war. I have shut myself from fandom entirely. Sometimes, when I read this comic, I feel respite from all that. I can for a brief moment imagine the world as it used to be. I don’t feel afraid that you will use your social media as a platform to spread the kind of hate that has become ubiquitous among other webcartoonists. It’s a safe space for me and I’m really grateful to you Jackie for making this. I struggle to put into words how meaningful it is for me. Trans Israelis in US like myself feel really, really isolated and hated in this constant low-key anxiety I can’t even describe, like I feel hunted. Reading the silly adventures of your characters, reading your thoughtful and nuanced commentary on the world (even though I don’t always agree with it), it gives me relief.
Sending lots of love! You earned it.

Since others are saying what other webcomics they read:
I am reading xkcd, Order of the Stick, El Goonish Shive, Wilde Life and SMBC.

I dont know when I started reading Between Failures, but I do know I keep coming back. Through multiple career changes, several natural disasters, and the recent loss of a fiancée, I still check this comic for updates. If you like stories that feel like real people, in real situations, you’ll keep coming back to check out Jackie’s work as well.

I’m pretty sure I have mentioned this before, but I’ve been here after seeing Carol as a banner on a webcomic listing page (Top 100 Webcomics? I don’t recall exactly). And it was the busty Carol banner from the frame during the story where she snuck over to Thomas’ place and had her chest strapped down. I’m pretty sure you know the one. You’re the second longest webcomic I’ve been reading consistently, with the oldest going to Sluggy Freelance, which is just completely weird by this point.

I think if you’re wanting to get more readers, maybe it’s a matter of finding ways to get more eyes on it. I dislike Reddit, but r/comics might be an option to just start posting on there at the current page. Costs nothing and takes minimal effort. I know that some people might questions why your first page is numbered 2995, but that might make people dive into the archives as yours is a long format story.

Not the best way to get more patreons but at least you’ll get more eyes onto the comic.

Unfortunately I can’t be of much help in the advertisement department, my general goal/thing in life is making myself as boring and unremarkable as possible. Keeps things simple by keeping away the kind of people that make things complicated.

Thanks for this I keep trying to spread the comic. Was wondering where old mini-me went especially given the growth Reggie has done through but haven’t seen Wes in quite some time. I’ve been reading this since near the beginning (once offered you a Microsoft pen when yours broke while working on your surface) but hope all goes well and know that you do have supporters and we do care what you have to say through the blog as well.

I still have the parts of that Surface Pen. It was so nice and you can’t get one like it now at a decent price, plus it’s outdated. I miss the feel of it though. There’s just something special about a tool that fits you perfectly. The click of the hidden button… So satisfying.

From Monday:
Meanwhile *jumps to a John and Brooksie interaction* – check
…and meanwhile meanwhile *jumps to Wes doing some shady shit* – check
…and meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile *jumps to parking lot as rest of cast comes to the store* – no clue but man this week has blessed me with laughs

As for trying to get more eyes not sure if posts to r/comics on Reddit or using Webtoon’s Canvas or similar is worth more than the effort to do, although I guess they may be options? I have mentioned it to what few friends I have and while I can’t force any move to Patreon on their behalf can at least try to keep them reading and engaged so perhaps it will follow in time; after all, took me a bit and some checkbook balancing math to make what donations I could.

Read and LOVE BF! As an old fart that started reading webcomics back in the mid 90’s (The Afterlife of Bob/David Woloschuk!) I find myself struggling to enjoy a lot of the newer (relatively…) stuff I’m seeing on TWC/Hive/etc.. and downright NOT enjoying the stuff on Webtoons. It’s not that it’s not good, I think- rather, I’ve just aged out or already encountered most the plots or ideas.

Between Failures breaks the mold on both fronts! Human, relatable characters with flaws that they’re actively working on! Dudes and Dudettes awakening to the fact that they aren’t the main character in someone else’s story. Learning how to put the hyper-felt preconceptions and complexes aside for the sake of leaving your 20’s and becoming a less ruined 30 year old! I think growth is always the most powerful part of the “hero’s journey” and always some of the most compelling webcomic stories. BF has characters in spades who actively admit when they’re wrong, and seek to find ways to apologize, forgive, and move on.

I might be one of the few folk here who follow and comment on the reddit side of things, but nevertheless I have been hyping this comic to anyone who will listen.

Between Failures is a slice-of-life webcomic following people who work together at a retail outlet, and their friends. People who work at a retail outlet are not normal, and their lives often drift outside the bounds of normal. It is entertaining, and posts reliably.

“A sitcom dramedy from the time of roughly two decades in the past. It’s a love letter to the lost age of young adults of around college-going age in service jobs that actually talk to each other, and don’t text or play games on their phones in silence while ignoring everyone around them.”

“One of four to nine webcomics that still exist and I still believe are worth following, and definitely not one of the two that are only arguably worth following, or one of the three unreliably still updating.”

And because you asked someone else this question above:
Freefall, Least I Could Do, Oglaf, Between Failures
Questionably worth following are Questionable Content, Dumbing of Age
Questionably still updating are Order of the Stick, Outsider, and Three Panel Soul
Honourable mention: Sexy Losers is probably worth reading through once if you like the humour of Oglaf, but it doesn’t seem to have updated much in years.

I wrote a book blurb, I don’t know why:

Between Failures. Its a stylish, funny and incredibly charming slice of life webcomic, created by a guy who seems to really respect his characters and all their strange little foibles. Big hearted, small town life, with *Loud kicky noises!*.

Open the door, and let Thomas and friends into your life.

——

I don’t know when I got into webcomics, but it was a while ago. I was aware of xkcd for ages and ages, and Order of the Stick, but wasn’t a regular reader. Then I started reading QC and Shortpacked at somepoint, and maybe you had a guest strip on QC (?) round about when I started reading it, so I ended up here too.

Your humour is the best, so I am still here, but it was the loud kicky noise that drew me in.

Alright, trying to think of the folks who’ve made money on their careers:

Iron Spike > Publishing – Very hard to break in to. Would not recommend.

David Willis / Foglios > Annual KS for publishing volumes of the printed comic, simple swag for going past the required total – Doable, but there’s also the publicity problem. Do you have other folks who you could ask to help you promote it? Also, on the book page, I would consider removing the bit about Wapsi Square.

Randy Milholland / Jules Rivera / Olivia James > Syndication takeover – Honestly, I would consider this one the most. You’ve got nearly 3000 pages over 20 years of work. You’ve got a bold art style that sticks out in both black and white and color. Cold-call King Features, show them your catalog of 3000 pages you’ve done CONSISTANTLY with a few of your personal favorites clipped out, and ask if they’re looking for either artists or cartoonists.

You’re good at writing characters that people can get invested in in a few lines of dialogue a day. The dialogue all feels real, and the characters are multi-dimensional. Finding an audience can be difficult, and it’s always worth throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. And if you’re ever worried that you’re not qualified for what you’re attempting to apply for, look at most of the people employed in politics.

You left out the ‘other option’ that Dave Willis has taken and honestly I don’t think Jackie would be up for it, but there’s always the Slipshine route. There’s a small but consistent audience for webcomic porn and they’re usually willing to pay for it.

Honestly Your comic is consistent, fun, and I’m invested in the characters. The comic is like… Beef stew. It’s always tasty but not fancy. You know what you’re getting if you order beef stew, sure they might throw a non-standard veggie in like a parsnip or something, but by and large beef stew is what you’re getting when you order it. This comic is like that, it’s a great slice of life about a core group of characters that work in an entertainment store. I’ve been here for… oh god I don’t know how many years, but out of the hundreds of webcomics I used to read, you’re one of 3 I still do weekly. I think I started reading just after Thomas and Carol got together.

I have been reading your comic for a long time and I don’t remember how far back I started. Probably in the first or second hundred.

I have read through it multiple times. I find myself wanting to reread it periodically. I will read it to my blind partner and audio describe it for her.

I have always appreciated your art, your authorial voice, your ability to make a group of characters into such a cohesive whole, the way you keep story threads going and bring them back together, the uniqueness of your characters and I suppose how despite flaws or quirks, they have much that redeems them. I love how you reveal back story that explains why things are as they are. I love the call backs. I love how I keep hoping it continues because i want to know what is going to happen. I love how I get impatient waiting for a new release.

I care so much about what is going to happen and get happy when there’s growth, say with John. I am amused when i find that your characters and their doings make for useful examples in my own life, sometimes reading storylines to my partner to illustrate a point i was trying to make.

And I realize in need to re-read it to also read your posts, since you often take a lot of effort on them, too. I keep wondering whether “crap in a hat” will catch on in the parlance.

I wish i knew how to market it. Fundamentally, you have a group of characters in a dying town in a dying industry that somehow make a family of sorts. They rip on each other and care for each other and grow. The way you moved from black and white to color and that you use bright and interesting colors was always an attraction. There’s a tremendous amount of life-is-what-you-make-it in your work and so much joy. There’s probably something that could be said about how much your work rewards the investment of reading from the start. How just checking in on the last comic doesn’t say that much but going deeper does. I don’t know whether having a synopsis or breaking the comic into arcs and books the way Willis did would help, where a person could jump to chapter 1 and there’s a bit of a preview of what happened. And chapter 2 might have a recap of what came before?

Anyway i wish you success in the effort to draw readers to your work as it’s terrific.

I stopped reading for a few years at one point, having been a devoted fan for ages, I kinda fell off the map.

When I came back, I was immediately sucked in by whatever page of the day it was; early into the haunted house arc I think. I immediately just came back because of the enduring quality of your work. You bred an attachment to them early and deeply with their simple charisma and charm. Everyone is broadly honest with themselves and one another, even about being dishonest. Thomas as a lead is brilliant in his self doubt and humility but there’s someone for everyone in your comic.

I’ve loved it since it was black and white, and I’m in it for the long haul. The color coming in when Thomas and Carol kissed absolutely killed me.

I’m not sure which Between Failures [tm] page/episode you wanted my pitch on, so I’m posting it again, here, Jackie.

Cheers, TRA

My pitch:

I’ve liked [Between Failures] ever since I found it, years ago.

I’ve likely been reading it for [10 years] or more.

I really like this comic!

The characters, whether they’re at work, or at home, feel like realistic people, to me.

These characters have a style that I like, and when things go wrong, or these characters annoyed, these guys have bite!

For example: When someone talked to the character, Vicky, about her brother,…a brother that “grinds her gears” on some occasions, she really lets you know about it!

One discussion with Vicky went kind of like this, [if I recall it, correctly]:

John: “I want to know about your brother, Reggie. How should I interact with him?”

Vicky (Smirking): “For your total satisfaction, I really think, as LITTLE as possible! Ha!”

I like it that the comic’s characters act like real people, a lot of the time.

These characters: get annoyed at work, they get annoyed at home, they get startled or irked by the daft actions of their siblings + significant others, and the characters do fun things- like having fun discussing strange films + video games.

It’s fun to see how the people in the comic- deal with the pros + cons, of their regular work days, and their regular vacation days.

These people also really [like and adore] their friends, and they like to stick up for them.

The people in the comic act like people you would meet in real life, + you feel like it would be [fun] to meet these people- and talk to them for a long while.

[Please] give this comic a try!

Between Failures, I’ve found, is a lot a fun.

I really like its [art], and I really like its [writing].

It has some of [the most clever and fun] writing, that I’ve found in webcomics.

Please give it a try.
It’s fun.

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