If you're wondering how to read this, it's technically two comic strips in one, both of which share the same first panel. I wanted to do something special for the 500th comic, so this is what I came up with. You can read it from left to right, or you can read it from top to bottom.
I sure have made a lot of these comics over the years. I've technically already passed my 10 year anniversary if you consider when I made the very first 20QA comic strip. But I've not passed my 10 year anniversary for the website. That will be next year, so here's hoping I remember it when the time comes.
Here's a little backstory on the creation of this webcomic, in case you're wondering.
Back in 2011, I realized that the comics I made that were the most popular, were the ones which referenced popular stuff. I also realized that there were quite a few popular comic strips that followed a very basic premise (basically two guys on a sofa playing games). So I figured "Hey, why not copy that basic premise. If I have a bunch of comic strips about different games, it will reach a larger audience, and the ball will just keep on rolling!"
I decided to base this new comic on a comic strip I made in 2009. It was one of my most popular comic strips, most likely due to the name. It was a perfect fit as well. Purely coincidental at the time though, since I didn't know about comic strips such as Penny Arcade when I made that comic strip back in 2009.
This new webcomic I started was a bit popular, but too hard to draw. So I simplified the art. I made a few more, but once again, it was just too hard to draw for the views I was pulling in. So I stopped. One day in 2013, I was looking through my old comics, and I saw those early 20 Quid Amusements comics, and I thought to myself "Those were pretty good. I'd like to bring it back, but copy from multiple webcomics instead of just one." So I simplified the artstyle once more, and started making them again. I came up with a plan for what characters I wanted, along with careful consideration of who would appear and when, to make sure everyone would get suitable screen time depending on their importance. I redesigned the characters a little bit too, replacing Steve's jumper with a hoodie, and putting a picture on Doug's jumper.
My plan was to make enough comics to fully establish everything, then write a nice bios section for everyone, remake the first comic from 2009, start a website, continue to ensure everyone got their suitable amount of screen time for at least the first year of comics, eventually remake all of the old comics into the new artstyle on the 1 year anniversary of the website, and finally put adverts onto the website to make a little bit of money. All the while I told myself that if I did this, it wasn't something I could just give up on. That it would likely never be popular, and that it was something I would have to stick with because I want to do it. And overall, I think I've done a good job at that. I have stuck with it. I've probably stuck with it longer than I had originally expected. Almost all of the comic strips I used to read back then, have long since stopped posting updates, so that says something about the longevity of this webcomic.
So, there you go. The story behind 20QA.
I sometimes wonder how and when I'll end it, assuming I ever do. I know that there's a couple of comic strips I want to do at some point (both of which involve April), so I definitely won't end it until I've done those. Honestly, I'd be happy to just pass the reins over to someone else. I'd certainly never abandon it without warning.
I know that the comic isn't much to look at. I'm a writer, not an artist (and let's face it, I'm not exactly the best writer either). But it's been fun making these comics. Even though the river of ideas ran dry a few years after I started the website, and the river of ideas hit bedrock a few years after that, and it was only a few years ago when I finished burrowing a hole through the entire planet. I'd say that I'm running on fumes, but honestly it's not even that anymore. I'm running on nothing somehow, and occasionally someone will throw in a speck of carbon.
Hmm... I wonder if I'll reach the 1000th comic?
You know, a lot has changed since I started making this webcomic. Some strips haven't aged well (for one reason or another), and others make reference to things that no one even remembers existing. It's a nice little time capsule I think.
It's amazing how little my opinions have changed over the years though. I think throughout my time though, my one opinion that has changed the most is the rainbow thing. The LGBT community can have rainbows, just please take them away from The Gamers!
First
Previous
I sure have made a lot of these comics over the years. I've technically already passed my 10 year anniversary if you consider when I made the very first 20QA comic strip. But I've not passed my 10 year anniversary for the website. That will be next year, so here's hoping I remember it when the time comes.
Here's a little backstory on the creation of this webcomic, in case you're wondering.
Back in 2011, I realized that the comics I made that were the most popular, were the ones which referenced popular stuff. I also realized that there were quite a few popular comic strips that followed a very basic premise (basically two guys on a sofa playing games). So I figured "Hey, why not copy that basic premise. If I have a bunch of comic strips about different games, it will reach a larger audience, and the ball will just keep on rolling!"
I decided to base this new comic on a comic strip I made in 2009. It was one of my most popular comic strips, most likely due to the name. It was a perfect fit as well. Purely coincidental at the time though, since I didn't know about comic strips such as Penny Arcade when I made that comic strip back in 2009.
This new webcomic I started was a bit popular, but too hard to draw. So I simplified the art. I made a few more, but once again, it was just too hard to draw for the views I was pulling in. So I stopped. One day in 2013, I was looking through my old comics, and I saw those early 20 Quid Amusements comics, and I thought to myself "Those were pretty good. I'd like to bring it back, but copy from multiple webcomics instead of just one." So I simplified the artstyle once more, and started making them again. I came up with a plan for what characters I wanted, along with careful consideration of who would appear and when, to make sure everyone would get suitable screen time depending on their importance. I redesigned the characters a little bit too, replacing Steve's jumper with a hoodie, and putting a picture on Doug's jumper.
My plan was to make enough comics to fully establish everything, then write a nice bios section for everyone, remake the first comic from 2009, start a website, continue to ensure everyone got their suitable amount of screen time for at least the first year of comics, eventually remake all of the old comics into the new artstyle on the 1 year anniversary of the website, and finally put adverts onto the website to make a little bit of money. All the while I told myself that if I did this, it wasn't something I could just give up on. That it would likely never be popular, and that it was something I would have to stick with because I want to do it. And overall, I think I've done a good job at that. I have stuck with it. I've probably stuck with it longer than I had originally expected. Almost all of the comic strips I used to read back then, have long since stopped posting updates, so that says something about the longevity of this webcomic.
So, there you go. The story behind 20QA.
I sometimes wonder how and when I'll end it, assuming I ever do. I know that there's a couple of comic strips I want to do at some point (both of which involve April), so I definitely won't end it until I've done those. Honestly, I'd be happy to just pass the reins over to someone else. I'd certainly never abandon it without warning.
I know that the comic isn't much to look at. I'm a writer, not an artist (and let's face it, I'm not exactly the best writer either). But it's been fun making these comics. Even though the river of ideas ran dry a few years after I started the website, and the river of ideas hit bedrock a few years after that, and it was only a few years ago when I finished burrowing a hole through the entire planet. I'd say that I'm running on fumes, but honestly it's not even that anymore. I'm running on nothing somehow, and occasionally someone will throw in a speck of carbon.
Hmm... I wonder if I'll reach the 1000th comic?
You know, a lot has changed since I started making this webcomic. Some strips haven't aged well (for one reason or another), and others make reference to things that no one even remembers existing. It's a nice little time capsule I think.
It's amazing how little my opinions have changed over the years though. I think throughout my time though, my one opinion that has changed the most is the rainbow thing. The LGBT community can have rainbows, just please take them away from The Gamers!