Cushions

[JR]

Do you have a cushion of ready made comics in the tank so you don't miss your updates, or do you fly by the seat of your pants and try to finish the comic the night before your deadline?  If you do have a bumper, how many do you have?

Currently, with the comic that I'm doing now, I have about two weeks of comics that are ready to go.  Prior to this, I used to try to get things done the night before because I wanted to stay up with current events.  However, with the job that I have now, trying to do something like that would be impossible.  Besides, I like getting to sleep at a decent hour.

What do you do?

[Rob]

We have a buffer. Because of the con it is severely depleted but I like to be 4 weeks ahead on the story myself.

[wendyw]

I'm currently in the process of drawing up the rest of the current chapter of my comic in order to build up a buffer before restarting updates.
I keep wanting to post what I've done, but I know if I get busy again, which I will, I'll fall behind and have more stop/starting.

[Alectric]

I wish I could build up a buffer, but seeing as I couldn't complete even a single comic during my 2 month hiatus, I kind of need the deadline.  Even as is I can barely do 1 comic per week, because I can't come up with any satisfying ways to simplify them. :-[

[amanda]

I only have a script buffer, not a comic buffer.  In fact, I just now finished the comic that officially posts in 40 minutes.  *sigh*  I TRY to do the buffer thing, but with work being as nuts as it is these days, I barely have time to think anymore.  Hence the not being around much thing.  Ugh.  I fail.

[Gibson]

I used to keep a considerable buffer, but various life changes have made that more difficult to maintain. During the first couple books, I'd have anywhere from 5 to 12 updates in the bank at any given time. During the third book, I maintained that for a long while, but eventually hit the point where I was finishing pages hours after they were supposed to post, and once even had to miss a full 4 updates. I've managed to scrabble my way back to having a page and sometimes two banked, and I'm struggling to get back to my fighting weight.

The current plan is to do four pages a week, which I've done before (though not in colour) on my three-page-a-week update schedule. If I can manage to get up to that and maintain it, when the fourth book starts next summer I'll be able to go to a five day update schedule.

[Lego M]

I've had a buffer ever since HD started, though in the 8 months that I've been doing it it's been slowly getting smaller and smaller. Started with a month and a half, then wound up at a month, then 10 strips... right now I'm just over two weeks ahead. I've been trying to get it back up to at least 10 strips but personal problems have been making it hard for me to concentrate.

I could probably do each strip the day before it was due to go up, but my life is stressful enough right now without that being added onto it. Plus whenever I switch to color it takes me twice as long to finish a strip; I'd undoubtedly miss updates when I hit a long run of colored comics.

[Gar]

I don't keep a buffer because I LOVE DANGER.

[mcfadyn]

I never have a buffer.  I find it keeps me on my toes and pushing myself instead of just getting comfortable and complacent.  Jay and I tried to have a buffer, but we just let things go so we found that that didn't work for us.  I usually do the strip the night before or the day before that.  Like I said, it keeps me honest when it comes to working on the comic.