GPF News Archive

Greetings, gang. I apologize again for the rash of quick updates lately, and my silence since then. Last month's rash of cons kept me really busy, and I'm only just now starting to get caught up on things. I'm still behind on my e-mail, but I'm catching up slowly. And the Comic-Con 2002 and Dragon*Con 2002 con reports are now both done, so that's one massive thing of my plate. And now that we're in the grand finale of Surreptitious Machinations, I'm currently scripting the aftermath, which means I'm also thinking pretty far ahead on what's going to come afterward. Hopefully, things will get a bit quieter around here, and I'll finally get a chance to catch my breath.

Hrm... sounds almost like famous last words, doesn't it?

Still, there's a number of things coming down the pipe that I should probably share with you. First of all, I want to announce an impressive opportunity that our Web host, Keenspot, has been presented with that means really good things for us but potentially annoying things for you. The very, very short explanation: Keenspot has been approached by one of our advertising companies to run highly targeted ads for Comedy Central's hit TV show, South Park. That ads will be offered at an unheard-of rate of $20 USD CPM (that's $20 per 1000 adviews, as opposed to the usual banner ad CPM of around $0.10 to $0.20 CPM). The ads will be shown once per day per Web browser, and Keenspot is planning to create an "opt-out" feature where each one of you can choose to out-out of receiving the ad if you find it offensive or intrusive. The biggest problem is... well, I think they're too offensive and intrusive. For a preview of some of the ads, you can check out this gallery at the ad company. I personally think they are too intrusive and invasive, and I have already requested that GPF be left out of this campaign. However, many Keenspotters have agreed to it, so you might be seeing them across the network starting October 1 if the deal comes through. By having GPF opt out, I could be costing Keenspot a good chunk of money, but I feel its worth it for the sanity of Faulties everywhere. However, I really want your opinions on this, so I have set up a poll thread on the message board where you can vote and express your opinions. I know many of you don't frequent the forum, but if you can swing by there and let me know what you think, it would be greatly appreciated.

Next, I'd like to announce some new content here on the site. First of all, there's been a new addition to our GPF Premium content exclusively for subscribers to Keenspot PREMIUM. There is now an expanded and in-depth Behind the Scenes Tour in the Special Articles section that goes far and above the old, out-dated publicly available Behind the Scenes page. While we'll be leaving the old page up for everyone to see, the new tour goes into greater depth and detail into my comic making process, including some special tips and tricks for digital artists. I plan to update this soon with more tips and special effects, so make sure to check it out.

I'm still working on the History and Analysis of The Gamester section, which I know some of you are waiting with baited breath for. Hold on, it's coming! I promise. ;)

I've also added a new item to the GPF Store: the Fookinator "Target Acquired" Shirt! This shirt features a colorized version of the last panel of the January 2, 2002 strip on the front an the phrase "Hasta Lasagna, Baby" on the back. The shirt was previewed by me at both Comic-Con and Dragon*Con, and has been available all last month to GPF Premium folks. Now, it's available for the masses. We have some other designs in the works (which our GPF Premium have already seen), so keep watching the store for them.

Finally, news from our publisher, Plan Nine. Plan Nine has kicked of its paid online version of Trade Wars 2002. For those unfamiliar with the game, it is a classic from the old BBS days, and is a completely ASCII text driven game of interstellar commerce and warfare. While primitive by today's standards, it has a charm all its own, as well as being very fast to play. The game is available to both customers and non-customers at $4.95/$5.95 a month respectively. The game has prizes such as free books, T-shirts and such, as well as granting special discounts on Plan Nine titles to players as long as they are a subscriber. Revenue from the game will go into a new special promotional line item, and will be used to pay for things like flyers, sampler books, ads, con booths, and (hopefully) to help defray traveling costs for artists attending cons. The game has a distinctive Plan Nine flavor, as ports, ships, and planets bear the names of places and characters from our strips. There is also a free game still running, and it is only open to Plan Nine customers. No prizes are given, but it is a small perk for our readers.

Plan Nine is also launching Plan 9 Net, their Web services provider. They are now offering Web hosting, domain names, and e-mail accounts at pretty nice prices. And, as previously announced, Plan Nine Europe is online and ready for business, allowing our readers Across the Pond significant savings on GPF and other Plan Nine titles.

That's about it for this week. I'm dropping the "SM Mini-FAQ" since we're so close to being finished with the story arc. So with that, I'll leave you with the (un)usual extras:

• Keenspot PREMIUM Subscribers: Download my dramatic reading of last year's hit poem, How Trudy Stole Christmas, from the warpKEEN After Hours section! This MP3 file is a must-hear for all Faulties, especially Trudy fans, and is only available to PREMIUM subscribers. If you don't have Keenspot PREMIUM, click the link above and sign up today! (Or, you can still buy the Plan Nine Publishing Christmas Annual 2000, where the poem first appeared. It's still for sale!)
• The GPF Tip Jar is now online, by popular demand. If you feel the need to tip the ol' artist, you can now do so through PayPal or Amazon.Com. This service is completely voluntary and without obligation.
• Plan Nine Publishing has started up an announcement-only mailing list for regular customers curious about when their favorite books are coming out. The list is completely private, so no need to worry about spam or talkative posters. There's also the possibility of special sales available only to subscribers of the list. If you're interested, follow this link to find out how to sign up.
• Don't forget that all three of our GPF books are out there, selling like hotcakes, at Plan Nine. Portable funnies without batteries... what better way is there to share GPF with friends and family? Order today! And don't forget about the brand new Blue Screen of Death Pack, with all three books for $29.95 USD. That's almost $6 USD off if you bought the books individually! Also don't forget that foreign readers can buy our books through Plan Nine Canada and Plan Nine Europe at a significant savings on shipping and customs!
• Also also don't forget to check out L33T: Comics for Gamers #4, which includes a three-page Fooker & Fred story in which our favorite pair must face the return of the Brotherhood of the Twisted Pair. The comic also sports a full-color GPF-themed cover, and is currently available at a comic shop near you or through Keenspot's online store, Keen$wag.
• As always, feel free to let me know what you think of the site and the strip either through the GPF Message Boards, our IRC channel, the unofficial Majordomo mailing list, or drop me a line.