Note: Planet B is on hiatus. Read details here.

So yeah. Hope this doesn’t come across as self-congratulatory. :)

More often than not, I have struggled in the hours before midnight M/W/F, always saying “I’m out of ideas” or “I can’t think of a comic.” Making PB has been very stressful, and has felt like an obligation. But when faced with the choice to take an indefinite break or stick it out, for three years I’ve pressed forward, not wanting to be like so many comic authors who end their comic (I think) far before its time.

Another reason I always kept going was because I HAD the time. But I am now employed (praise God), and this fall I start my final year of college, and hope to have a teaching degree by the end of it. For three years I’ve placed PB’s importance above both work AND school, and this is not the best thing. (I seem to be the most passionate about things that matter least. :P)

One of my goals in creating PB was to “nurture my sense of humor.” I currently follow about 100 comics in my Google Reader, which is easily triple the amount of comics in my newspaper. I started reading webcomics BECAUSE the funnies were so bland, but now when I wake up every morning and see double digits in my comic folder, I only laugh out loud once or twice, and only on most days. It’s all too familiar. And it wasn’t helping my own joke writing. I’ve rushed to meet my own deadlines, thinking of my own joke, “Well, I get it. It’s kind of funny. It’ll work.” The same thing I say for the rest of the comics I read.

The general premise of Planet B was very inviting to me. I loved creating my little universe and detailing it with species and animals. It was a challenge to balance that with my goal not to make this a comic that requires research to understand, but more importantly, when drafting jokes, I had to sacrifice the one I liked the most because it was exclusive to earth and its culture. It’s just not easy to squeeze Johnny Depp, potatoes, or Glee into Astaralgia, even if they could very well make the best punchline ever.

Finally, looking back, I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, and I just don’t see PB continuing for years and years and years. I already feel like I’m in a rut, and there’s no sense in pounding out more of the same thing. I want to make room for something better, something that will allow me more freedom and reach more readers. I’ve made PB primarily to entertain myself, but even then, I’m not enjoying it as much as I could. I want to start fresh and explore new territory.

Remember that this is indefinite, and not necessarily the end. I could resuscitate it sometime in the future if bribed enough. ;) And there’s plenty of archives to read.

Also, the characters themselves are not retired. Compared to how Zoldon Komataso ended, I feel like the characters have really grown and taken on at least a little bit of life of their own. Giving them a break is the best thing for them, before their traits are worn out and I have to tack on more traits until they’re unrecognizable.

So with that, here is where I’ll be active:

Hexfactorial – In the past, these miscellaneous comic projects have all proved to be fun for me and funny for many. This will be my spot for comics. I have so many ideas to experiment with, and sometimes, readers get to provide input.

DeviantArt – All my artwork is on display here. I check my dA about 100 times a day. Have you met the nalvots yet?

djtrousdale.com – I do more than just draw. I make music, play piano, write, and blog. I’m going to find other ways to use my website, and I’ll keep you posted there.

Finally finally, I’ll draw up one last comic (or two) before taking this break, which should be up sometime this week. I want to do a thorough job writing it.

I know I’ve gotten upset in the past about not getting the attention I thought I deserved, and I hope you can forgive me for my attitude. Fact is, between comments, guest comics, and fanart, I have gotten far more than I deserved. Words can’t express my gratitude toward you, readers and contributors. Thank you so much for everything!

The moral: We should accept all new and radical ideas purely on the basis that they’re new and radical. We don’t want to look like those stupid Estomoselians from year 15 who insisted the world was a raisin! They obviously didn’t know a thing about love.

The fanart page has been updated!

That critic’s a SPY!

Kelville first appeared in this storyline.

Reader Twentydragon made this fascinating presentation about color schemes using PB comics as examples, that I seriously had NO IDEA I was using. Check it out!

This will very likely be an arc, if I can finish mapping it out to my liking. If not, I think it sits well on its own. It’s frustrating – I get ideas all the time that I think, “This would make a great start to an arc”, but ending them (or just continuing them) is difficult.