April Update

on April 18, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Posted In: Site News

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re all safe and well. I just wanted to give you an update on where things stand with the comic. New pages should start coming out in a week or two.

I recently upgraded to a new computer with brand new art software. Since UTC’s launch in 2007 I’ve been using now-ancient versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to color and balloon the pages. (During Chapter 11 I also used an equally old copy of Manga Studio to draw everything.)

I’ve now gotten Clip Studio Paint, and am learning the intricacies of that program. My hope is that I’ll be able to use just this one program for all of the comic’s digital needs starting with Chapter 13.

In the meantime I’ve been trying to finish up the remaining pages of the final story for Chapter 12. It’s ironic that they were the first pages I started drawing for the chapter back in November, yet it’s taken me until now to finish them up.

Given the lack of updates these past weeks, I’m putting the Patreon campaign on pause. Patreon supporters won’t be charged for next month’s updates.

I encourage everyone supporting me to redirect the pledges you’ve reserved for me to other artists who are in need right now. The impact of this virus is hitting freelancers very hard. I’m lucky to still have a full-time job. Many don’t, and they deserve a helping hand.

To anyone who isn’t already supporting artists on Patreon, if you have the means to, this is a great time to start.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

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Chapter 11 Commentary

on December 10, 2019 at 1:58 am
Posted In: Site News

Hi, everyone. First off, act 2 of Chapter 12 begins Tuesday, December 17. I’m going to keep trying to put the pages out on Tuesdays and Thursdays but with the holidays coming, updates may drop to one page per week.

If you’ve been waiting for my commentary on the last chapter, it’s finally been recorded. Real talk, though: the reason it’s taken me months to record it is because I have been going back and forth on how to talk about the making of the chapter. As I’ve hinted at over the years, working on this particular part of UTC was a very trying time for me, and I decided that, for better or worse, I should tell the entire story, including the upsetting parts.

Be advised I discuss cancer and armed violence at length, and dip into politics briefly as well. If you just want to know about the making of the comic without the heavier stuff, that’s understandable. All of the essential info is written in the commentary on the pages themselves, so you should look back through the comic archive for that.

One important thing to note that I don’t believe I stress enough in the video itself — I AM OKAY. I got a little upset while reflecting on the events of the past few years but it’s all in the past, and I am having a much better time making Chapter 12. And that is largely thanks to your support through all these years. Thanks for sticking with UTC, and I hope you take some good things out of this commentary if you choose to listen to the whole thing. It’s, uh, pretty long.

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UTC eBook Cyber Monday SALE!

on December 2, 2019 at 12:23 am
Posted In: UTC Books

The Christmas countdown has begun! For TODAY ONLY, digital copies of UTC Volumes 1 and 2 are on sale at itch.io for 50% off. If you don’t have either of these yet, you can purchase them both at an extra discount! These PDF volumes contain the same content as the trade paperbacks: every UTC page from 2007 to 2015, plus bonus goodies not published on the website.

Head over to the Catomix Cyber Monday Sale between now and 11:59 pm Monday (U.S. Eastern time)!

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November Updates

on November 8, 2019 at 4:00 am
Posted In: Site News

The cover for Chapter 12 is now up, and that means we’re almost ready to start the craziness back up once again! The first four pages will be released on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule starting November 19. The schedule may go back to once per week after that, but I prefer rolling out these four pages this month, since we have finally arrived at Thanksgiving in continuity, and the timing couldn’t be better.

So what’s taken me so long to resume updates this time? I’ve been working on the pages for this chapter out of order and haven’t actually drawn the first four pages yet. But that will be taken care of soon, and beyond that I’m hoping to build at least a small buffer to keep the story flowing consistently week to week no matter what my real-life schedule throws in my way. I’m not making any promises, except to say that I’m trying my best to make this comic the way I want to make it and as good as possible.

I’ve been developing this chapter for five years, before I even finished Chapter 10. I’m super excited for you to read it!

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Introducing the Catomix Store

on October 2, 2019 at 12:30 pm
Posted In: Site News, UTC Books

I’m excited to finally make this announcement: If you live in the U.S. and have wanted to buy a signed copy of UTC from me at a convention, you no longer have to go to all the trouble. The official Catomix Store is now open!

This storefront, courtesy of Square, enables domestic readers to buy books directly from me. This means you can get books with signatures, and even doodles made at your request. Signatures come complimentary on all books purchased from the store, and doodles cost a small extra fee. (Doodles are only offered with the trade paperback collections. The floppy books don’t have any white space to draw in.)

An important note for international readers: since I’m new to the world of online retail, the store will initially only sell to addresses in the United States. If you live outside the U.S., IndyPlanet is your best bet for a book…for the time being, at least. I’m looking into international shipping and tax requirements, because I would certainly love to spread my goodies to every corner of the world if it’s possible.

And of course, Volumes 1 and 2 of UTC are still available in digital form over at itch.io. That’s three different ways you can buy your own personal, immutable copy of UTC!

Stay posted for more comic news as October continues. The gears are rolling on the next chapter and more website updates are coming!

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