# Help kill Sluggy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040 "2003-07-21T23:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/1 "2003-07-21T23:27:47Z")
I used to read [Sluggy Freelance](http://sluggy.com) all the time. This winter, I stopped. Pete was taking a lot of time off, and the strip wasn’t fun for me anymore, so I stopped & didn’t go back (except for [John Allison’s fill-in week](http://sluggy.com/daily.php?date=030428)). Well, last week I went to the site once. Torg & Riff arguing over who’s smarter. Whatever. Today I gave it another shot, and saw this: > [@](#): > > **This is it, guys! Sluggy is in trouble, but you CAN save the comic!** > > I haven’t been watching the books lately, and around tax time I faced the devastating realization that I had made no money with Sluggy in 2002. Well, not ZERO dollars, but enough that part time work in the fast-food industry would have been more advantageous. > > It’s my own fault, really. While the economy went down, sales went down, and my hits were going up-up-up! Bandwidth became expensive (I easily do over 20 gigs a day in it). At the same time I’ve been neglecting merchandise. Haven’t had any new unlimited shirts in a while, haven’t had a new book in about a year, and haven’t been pushing what we do have. Plus when Tom and Kim moved to California it shut the store down for almost a quarter. We’re working on all that, but that alone won’t save Sluggy. > … > **SAVE SLUGGY FUND DRIVE > From July 21st to August 6th!** As I have matured far beyond Sluggy fanhood, I post this not to encourage anyone to donate monies to Pete (I shan’t)–but to encourage anyone who’s never read Sluggy to [go read a comic or 1,000 on the site](http://sluggy.com), thus burning even more of Pete’s bandwidth and driving him out of business.🆒 Have a nice day. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/2 "2003-07-21T23:32:47Z")
Ouch. Malicious. Mean. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/3 "2003-07-21T23:35:22Z")
That’s nasty, cruel, and vindictive. Why would you _want_ to do this to him? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/4 "2003-07-21T23:36:18Z")
I gave. I love Sluggy. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/5 "2003-07-21T23:38:47Z")
I’m sure I’ll grow out of Sluggy eventually, but I’m damn sure I’ve had more than $5 of enjoyment out of it since I first found it. I did in fact donate on those grounds, even though I normally never do. Why are you so complaining? OK, if the quality’s declined (in your opinion, I haven’t made up my mind yet) this is a bad time to ask, but no-one’s forcing you. If Pete gets rich drawing substandard comics for the rest of his life, I’ll join you in ranting, but I’m not convinced yet. PS. OK, it’s lame. But didn’t you laugh at **WET SLAPPITY OF DOOM!**? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/6 "2003-07-21T23:41:34Z")
Hang on, unless this is reverse pyschology… I bet more people noticed “Help kill Sluggy!” than would “Sluggy needs you.” If any of them are persuaded to donate… ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/7 "2003-07-22T00:26:55Z")
Hmm… Rather than tick people off, I could apologise, like this: * * * I don’t really want Pete Abrams to go bankrupt. I used to really enjoy Sluggy Freelance. I was being facetious. On the other hand, everything I said before the quote is true. I literally gave up on Sluggy, after being a fanatic for 2 years or so. So if Pete has to get a day job, I’ll be sorry for him, but not personally affected. But primarily, I’m a big Jonathan Swift fan. 😃 * * * But that would void the rhetorical effect of my thread, so I won’t. * * * Oh, who cares about some halfwit webcomic anyway? You’re probably all Buffy fans too! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/8 "2003-07-22T00:28:26Z")
Anyone else’s eyes hurt? Crap! Wrong color! ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/9 "2003-07-22T00:35:10Z")
Give up on Sluggy NOW? Just when Gwinn is starting to dabble with the **Book of E-Ville** again? ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/10 "2003-07-22T00:35:18Z")
Give up on Sluggy NOW? Just when Gwynn is starting to dabble with the **Book of E-Ville** again? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/11 "2003-07-22T01:32:05Z")
Eh, I quit reading it when he was taking every other day off, on his off days he was posting late, and then the storylines were huge and nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/12 "2003-07-22T01:38:53Z")
I never found it to be funny. Lots of people recommended it to me, they thought I’d love it, and in fact some thought I was already influenced by it. But it just isn’t funny to me. I shall not lament its passing. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/13 "2003-07-22T01:58:37Z")
Pshaw. 'Tis funny, but read [Bob and George](http://www.bobandgeorge.com), instead! ;j ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/14 "2003-07-22T02:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hebesphenomegacorona \* > \*\*Pshaw. > > 'Tis funny, but read [Bob and George](http://www.bobandgeorge.com), instead! > > ;j \*\* For instead, read ‘as well.’ There’s quite a few webcomics reviewed here for anyone who wants to find some more: [http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/6/25/184329/025](http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/6/25/184329/025) ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/15 "2003-07-22T03:00:26Z")
oooh shiney button Declan ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/16 "2003-07-22T07:41:00Z")
Man, I ordered my first Sluggy book like six weeks ago and it hasn’t arrived yet. I’d forgotten about it until recently. How long do they take? I get Howard Tayler and Pete Abrams mixed up. Which one is devoted to the notion that web comics represent all that’s right with the world and syndicated comics are base and evil? While I agree with that sentiment somewhat, hearing it from a web cartoonist seems kind of self-righteous. In fact the whole web cartoonist community strikes me as a little creepy. They have their own awareness weeks and give each other awards and stuff like that. But they do make some good comics. I like the convoluted storylines in Sluggy Freelance, because I can reread them and get more out of it. Although I admit a few of them are pretty dumb. Maybe I’ll send him the five dollars if I get my book before the drive ends. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/17 "2003-07-22T08:06:25Z")
Sluggy might not be the best-drawn or best-written web comic around today, but you have to admit Pete Abrams has a uniquely skewed way of looking at the world. For that alone he deserves support. “You summoned a demon for _beer?_” ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/18 "2003-07-24T08:02:03Z")
Well that was fast. They’ve already reached their goal. Sorry, **foolsguinea**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/19 "2003-07-24T12:39:45Z")
YIPPY SKIPPY THE E-DONATIONS! 🙂 I’m pleased. But not surprised - I suspect building up a large following and then hitting them with the guilt card is always going to be quite effective. (Maybe not in the long run compared to charging for things, but as a one of will do wonders.) ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040/20 "2003-07-24T18:11:59Z")
Maybe it was just the thought of Bun-Bun walking around unemployed that got the money flowing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-kill-sluggy/190040.md?page=2)