A Tough Couple of Weeks

Last year, around this time, I was publishing a webcomic called “Todd The God,” but stopped.

My Dad’s birthday is in March. Last year, the first time his birthday passed without him, I went to So Cal to visit his grave on his birthday. I also made a point to visit my mom, who was in the final stages of cancer. She was not doing well, but had not yet resigned herself to hospice care. A few days after I returned home, my sister called to let me know she had elected to enter hospice.

I flew back down immediately, booked two weeks in a hotel near her retirement complex, and I spent my time going back and forth between working in my hotel room and spending time with her until she passed in her sleep, less than 11 months after my dad passed.

I was trying to work on a book (for work), write articles and blog posts (for work), and put out new strips. Something had to give. The strips fell by the wayside. We buried my mom, I came home, I threw myself into work, and never brought Todd back.

I just marked my dad’s birthday this week and my mom’s death anniversary is next week. I fell behind on Groaner Dad last month as I migrated from Mac and experimented with Windows and Linux (eventually opting to stay with Windows). I kept promising to get back to it, but family issues, life… And then, this week, I did. We’re back today with a special Pi Day Dad Joke and there are a few more either scheduled for posting or ready to be scheduled.

They don’t take a lot of time, but I’ll usually record 2-3 takes of the joke before picking one I like. I have to create the static images (set-up, full joke, closing card). I have to fit the cards and audio into my video template by hand (AI isn’t quite ready to do that for me yet). Then I have to upload the video to YouTube, add a post here, and add it to my social post automation tool.

I had more Todd comics written, but not produced. I have enough jokes written/collected to get into next year, but not produced. But this time around, I’m not going to let this project slide.

To an extent, this is the challenge I have faced as an entrepreneur all of my life. I get really excited, pour in enough work to get something started, then start fading out once I do and letting the project die of neglect. My phrase for this is “I lose interest and wander away.” I’m trying not to do that with Groaner Dad, or GBPods (more on that in June), or with the sequel to Hell on $5 A Day, which has the working title “Sodom All Over Again.”

We’re in the audience-development phase of my “retirement.” And audience development requires sticktuitiveness, fresh content, and publishing regularly. That ain’t easy for someone who is ADHD and attracted to the new shiny, but if you stick with me, I’ll do my best to deliver.