SuperFogeys

UPDATE:
Great news! After just a day and a half we have met our goal and Marc can officially get what he needs and start drawing again! To say we’re both blown away would be an understatement. I knew the fans would come through for us, but to have it happen so fast is astounding.

My plan had been to shut down the GoFundMe as soon as we reached the goal, but I have actually received a request privately asking me NOT to do that so that they may have a chance to contribute at the end of the month when they have the means to do so.

I’ve also heard from a couple of people who have expressed that they would really like to see Marc get the better tablet so he can be restored to full, speedy functionality. I would love to see that happen as well, so since we’re going to leave this open for another week anyway I say we see what happens. Please feel free to keep spreading the word!

Your generosity and love and appreciation for both Marc and SF is incredible. Thank you, everyone. Thank you!

Original Post:

Hey SuperFogeys fans! Been a long time, but we’ve got a pretty good explanation as to why you haven’t heard much from us since the successful conclusion of our Kickstarter campaign. You can cut to the chase right here, or keep reading below.

The SuperFogeys is stuck. In August 2018, just after the completion of Chapter 22, Artist Marc Lapierre’s Cintiq tablet–his primary tool for art creation–gave out on him. Kaput. Finito. And he hasn’t drawn The SuperFogeys since.

Marc moved to the Cintiq tablet years ago. It sped up his process considerably and noticeably upped the quality of the art, particularly the inking. The simplest solution to get the SuperFogeys back on track is for Marc to go back to the old way of doing things, draw on paper, and take twice as long. With a Cintiq, Marc was running. This would be asking him to crawl again and I just can’t feel good about that. I can’t ask Marc to do that, and I can’t ask his family to sacrifice their father and husband like that when they’ve sacrificed so much to this labor of love already.

SuperFogeys, as most of you know, is not a huge moneymaker.  I am HUGELY grateful for our Patrons because they do ameliorate some of the costs and keep us going with their enthusiasm and support, but in truth SF exists because Marc takes the time to draw it. It’s simple as that. When I couldn’t draw it anymore–when I was going to straight up shut SF down halfway through Chapter 10(!)–Marc stepped in, took the artistic reins, and kept things going. And here we are, years later, with Chapter 23 waiting in the wings–with the story just a few chapters away from wrapping up completely!

I don’t know about you, but I want to see it finished.

There are three different ways to get Marc up and running:

1. Repair his existing Cintiq. This would cost $700, but because of the issues he’s had with his particular model, Marc fears it would break again. That’s a non-starter.

2. Purchase another Cintiq that is comparable to the model Marc’s been using. This would cost upwards of $1500 and, for Marc, that’s another non-starter. It’s too much to ask.

3. Purchase a cheaper model that would still allow Marc to get the job done for $650. The biggest difference between this cheaper Cintiq and the one Marc has been using for years is that this cheaper one would be tethered to his PC, whereas the more expensive model allowed Marc a great deal of portability and, thus, flexibility in when and where he could draw. To get back up and running again, Marc is more than okay with sacrificing that portability and flexibility.

So, that’s where we’re at: $650 to get SuperFogeys back on track. And you can make it happen at the GoFundMe right here. 

If just a fraction of the SF fanbase can give as little as $5, we’d easily hit this goal and Marc could be drawing again the very next day.

Because: Chapter 23 is already written. It’s a short chapter, just 12 scripts, but they’re already done and waiting for Marc. New SuperFogeys could be here very, very soon. And, since those scripts are written, my promise to you is that I will immediately begin work on Chapter 24, allowing Marc to continue right on into it and skip the customary hiatus between chapters.

FAQ:

1. Didn’t you guys just run a Kickstarter? And now you’re asking for MORE money? 

The Kickstarter was, of course, not a fundraiser. It was for the printing of SuperFogeys Volume One and everyone who contributed will be getting the product they paid for (very soon in fact). The Kickstarter covered the costs of the printing of that book and NONE of those monies served to line anyone’s pockets. This fund is JUST so that Marc can get back to drawing and creating new episodes of SF.

2. Wait…weren’t YOU supposed to draw Chapter 23?

I had previously announced that I would be the one drawing Chapter 23, but after full-on drawing the first four episodes, I was forced to conclude I just wasn’t the right man for the job. This era of the SuperFogeys is marked by Marc’s designs and sensibilities and he needs to be the one drawing this story right now. Perhaps I will return to art duties at some future date for a brief epilogue, but right now it’s just got to be Marc.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I hope you’ll join me in helping to get SF back up and running. We can’t wait to bring you the next part of this story, and I personally can’t wait to see how Marc continues to grow and improve as an artist. He is a truly under-appreciated talent. Let’s get him back to doing what he does best.

-Brock Heasley
SuperFogeys Writer/Creator