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In other news, on the
private Keenspot members' mailing list, a
certain Down To Earth comic strip was brought to our attention.
Check it out, and come right back.
You back? Good!
For those who don't remember, Down To Earth, created by Gavin Chafin and Steve Wood, was at one time a member of the Keenspot lineup, before Messrs. Chafin and Wood moved their strip to greener pastures, at NCBuy.com. By all accounts, Chafin and Wood left the 'Spot on amicable terms. Yet, this recent strip has a few 'Spotters up in arms. When I saw it, I thought it was quite funny, and figured Chafin and Wood were merely ribbing us, their former colleagues. They have admitted as such, but a few 'Spotters seem to remain unconvinced.
My take, for what little it may be worth, is that we as cartoonists are the last group of people who should take ourselves too seriously. If we can't handle somebody poking fun at us, then we have no right to then turn around and poke fun at others. People in glass houses, etc.
Chris and Teri Crosby, Darren Bleuel, and Nate Stone have done a terrific job in the creation and maintenance of Keenspot. They are, and should be, proud of it, and I am proud that they invited me to be part of it (well, they did after a few temper tantrums on my part). But the sad fact is, Keenspot does have its critics (which Messrs. Chafin and Wood are not part of). And as it becomes more successful, the number of critics will inevitably continue to grow. Should we get upset every time someone disparages us? If so, we won't get much work done.
Any constructive criticisms
should certainly be taken into account as, ultimately, they can help Keenspot
become stronger. But there'll be no pleasing everybody, so our best
bet is to please ourselves, and hope that our supporters always outnumber
our critics, which will no doubt be the case. As for negative criticisms,
they should be kept in perspective. To rephrase something Carlin
the Hermit said, "if something said is meant to hurt you, it can't be trusted.
And if it can't be trusted, it can be ignored." Those are words I live
by. Unless of course that something said is by, say, the owner
of a vicious dog, who orders his pooch to sic me, well, THAT can't
be ignored! But you know what I mean... ;-)