New Years

New Years

Hey all. Sorry this isn’t an update, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to change soon, and I wish I could offer something more than just this pic.

Truth be told, ever since starting the webcomic, especially since the hiatus, I’ve always felt some level of guilt whenever I’ve drawn Pivot or Socket, as I felt like it should’ve been energy I saved for the webcomic. Hence, I rarely drew them outside of this comic, which I don’t think is a healthy way to handle your own creations.

This experience, while educational, has also really hammered into me how much webcomics are a blindspot for me. Managing them, from backgrounds, layout, dialog, to scriptwriting, is arduous and just stopped being enjoyable long before the hiatus started. The website layout and theme has also sucked since day one, which doesn’t make the process of reading or uploading very enjoyable. Maybe it would have been better to play to my strengths and just do an occasional animation involving the cast here and there to tell the stories I wanted. Maybe I should’ve asked for help, but the process of scouting reliable assistance can be just as much if not more work than just doing it myself.

And what’s more, that wouldn’t solve how frustrating my old writing has been to work around, and my pain points with comic design. I’ve written myself into a corner, and some plot points that I made when first starting out keep being brought up or prevent me from advancing the plot in a reasonable way. There’s a mess of holes and a tangle of threads. I’ve thought about, once again, scrapping the whole comic and starting over, and doing it cleaner, and in a way that doesn’t make me cringe as much. At this point that seems like a more reasonable way forward, but that’d also be so much work that I don’t want to bank on being worthwhile, nor does any part of me want to start.

Comics just aren’t usually fun for me to make. They’re not a media I typically like working in. I don’t know if I’m going to come out of this hiatus, to be honest.

I wish I had something a bit more encouraging to say for this holiday season. I appreciate all the readership you guys have given me; I managed to get fairly far, all things considered, at 152 updates. That I feel is something to be proud of, even if it stopped going in a direction I wanted. I hope that getting all this off my chest well help me feel a bit better about drawing these two again.

Thank you all for sticking with me. If you’re looking for the discord link, it’s on the previous update still.

-Zedrin

Tags

39 thoughts on “New Years”

  1. Norman Bean says:

    Emmy the Robot fans rejoice!

  2. Laura says:

    I just wanted to say thank you for this comic I love how cute pivot and socket are together. I hope you eventually come back to it, or remake it or whatever because im really interested to see it unfold.

  3. Tooniator says:

    Feeling down and decided to go binge read my favorites. PV-02 is a great piece of work. I’ll binge read again next time.

  4. Chromoid says:

    Been a fan of this project since its early days. Kept checking in occasionally once the hiatus status just to see what’s up (and because I rarely see Pivot/Socket art anymore anywhere).

    Dude, I get it. Burnout sucks, but creativity and drive go hand-in-hand and if they’re not in the same room, art becomes a chore and loses all value to the artist. Please, do not guilt yourself over this. Yeah, I’m disappointed that the comic may never come back or be finished, but honestly a big part of that is due to me falling in love with your characters. And you still enjoy these characters, obviously.

    So just draw them. Draw anything. Animate what you want. Just bringing them back like you have in this one image is fantastic. Telling us small snippets of their lives is great! Sure it isn’t the full story, but it lets you share what you want to share without the overwhelming pressure of a linear storyline and ongoing plot.

    Don’t let this seeming failure set you back or stifle something that you might otherwise still enjoy. I know whatever you bring to the table will be great because your art is gorgeous and your characters are fascinating and lovable.

    Keep being a wonderful artist, Zed.

    1. Slim Grim. says:

      You know. when i first read this comic, i considered how cool it would have been if it was adapted into an animated series for adult swim. one that would include voice acting, animated fight sequences and even have a chiptune based soundtrack featureing songs from Danimal Cannon, Chipzel, Zef, and Positive Infinity.

      The first season would consist of everything up to after the fight with Dr Hivemind. the second season would continue the story after the webcomic ended with an original arc. hell it could introduce some of zedrins other characters such as “Click” (the little mouse girl that swears alot, perhaps as a spy for Vigilence) and EMRE (She would work extremely well as a munitions and intellegence expert). Hell we could have even introduced Vix, another robot oc made by a friend of zedrin (she could be a rouge android, someone akin to a mercenary. god she would be so badass.)
      and of course season 3 would culminate into a final arc and showdown, with Pivot discovering her true origins and coming to terms with her real past.

      so in short, i saw a lot of potential in the story and i feel very sad that it will never reach its full potential. however if i was a director/producer in adult swim and saw this web comic, i would adapt it in a heart beat. a show like this is just BEGGING to be produced. still, im just one guy, and i highly doubt that anyone else shares the same visions as i do. still who knows….

      in the mean time i will still be reading this story ocassionally, maybe in the future i could gather a couple VAs, do a dubed version. Thank you SO FREAKING MUCH zedrin for bringing this tale to life. It was worth every damn panel.

      1. TorchicEX says:

        I understand how you feel, I felt a connection between the characters that really had me invested in it and wanting to see their story through to the end. I don’t mind a wait if he does plan to come back to it at some point in a way that works better for him.

  5. AlexiSoncKST says:

    You know, you could just use this website to post some random pictures of Pivot and Socket, not necessarily framed as a webcomic, but just some slice of life pics that would give a sense of a new status quo.
    That is, if you are not completely tired of those characters and just want to cut all tides with them.

    1. TorchicEX says:

      He hasn’t cut ties with them, he has done some art of them on youtube like a socket redesign and so on. Your thought about him posting that to here as well isn’t a terrible idea either but ultimately it is up to him. He at least seems to have gotten over the worry of drawing them without it being for the comic which I think is a plus.

  6. Anonymous says:

    The story you gave us was amazing. I wouldn’t skip an episode of this for the world.
    If you need to move on to another work then that’s you. Pivot and socket will always have a place in our heart- they were going apartment hunting anyway! Lol!

  7. Anonymous says:

    The story you gave us was amazing. I wouldn’t skip an episode of this for the world.
    If you need to move on to another work then that’s you. Pivot and socket will always have a place in my heart- they were going apartment hunting anyway! Lol!

  8. Anonymous says:

    its a shame to hear this, the comic has really caught my attention since i first saw the override animation, but if you dont enjoy making the comic anymore, then it is what it is.

    1. TorchicEX says:

      I think that was where I first started actually. I don’t remember where it came up but I saw that animation and came here.

  9. Crunchamuncha says:

    ok so he just posts some horny doesn’t elaborate and then dipes again i can respect it

    1. Anonymous says:

      Since when did “doesn’t elaborate” mean “offers a big explanation in the description”?

      1. Pina Colossus says:

        I believe he wanted context on what was going on in the picture, that was something that the explanation had not covered…

        1. TorchicEX says:

          If that is what they are looking for, I think the video he posted where he drew this has some explanation for the scene but it isn’t canon or anything if memory serves.

  10. GarryAlways says:

    Please don’t be sorry for things like this. Even if you never go back to making the comic, I hope that we keep getting little things like this, just to let us know that Pivot and Socket are still out there and still friends

  11. Anonymous says:

    That’s a real shame. I loved your comic. Keep doing your thing though; I’ll still love Pivot in your future works with her. I don’t want you to do something you hate for anyone’s sake.

  12. Daybreaker7 says:

    While I am sad about how the comic is in an uncertain position, I hold hope that you’ll return to it at some point in the distant future, for now I won’t think of this as a “good-bye” but more of a “see you another time”
    I love your PV02 comic Zedrin, it’d be a shame to see it go. but I understand if you need time to think about it.

  13. Transformer418 says:

    At least you got better at doing what you do: drawing everyone’s favorite robot girls. Wherever you decide to take them from here, you’ll always have a group of fans behind you supporting you the whole way.

  14. NeosCity says:

    I’m just happy that I got to read this comic at all even if it doesn’t get finished I really grew attached to the characters and I would be glad to just see them in a occasional piece of art or short YouTube animation whatever medium you want to continue into I’ll be glad to see it

  15. Jon Arbuckle says:

    Don’t look down, you’ll drop your crown!

    But in all seriousness don’t worry about it, ruts can be difficult. (And hey, sometimes random art can actually help escape one.)

    1. Jon Arbuckle says:

      Oh also restarts are extra useful for figuring out where to go, think of it like presteiging in a ‘vidya gaem’ you weren’t quite as knowledgeable on how all this worked the first time, but next time you’ll have a game plan.

  16. angel g.s says:

    (Sorry for the spam, I just ran into a couple of translation errors)

    You know … I’m a writer, mainly when I’m in my free time and I like to think I’m good at it but I understand well about writer’s block, you know what to do but not how to do it or how to connect the parts between them properly , in fact right now I have a book (more like a gruion) of about 900 damn pages full of spelling horrors and many (…) that are a kind of placeholder, I am currently on hiatus from that book but I don’t think leave it and curiously, to distract my mind a little and maybe get new perspectives I started a new project (I hope that does not become customary) and curiously it is also about robots although with a different theme from your comic, I would like to draw but I really do not know do it very well, I update it every few weeks and if you want you can keep an eye on it, maybe it will help you a little to clear your mind (https://www.furaffinity.net/user/eninyel.alexander.vonrus/) do not worry, everything there is yes WF, you only have to look for the ones that are in English, or Spanish if you understand it and want a better experience than I have translated everything with google traslade.
    But … if I can tell you something with complete certainty, it is that you should not work motivated by guilt but by inspiration, in my case I am inspired by old war movies, if you do something you like and then you look at your sketches while you remember that feeling the inspiration could come back stronger than ever … anyway, good luck with what you finally decide and I would like it if you get to take a look at the content of the link.

  17. angel g.s says:

    You know … I’m a writer, mainly when I’m in my free time and I like to think I’m good at it but I understand well about writer’s block, you know what to do but not how to do it or how to connect the parts between them properly , in fact right now I have a book (more like a gruion) of about 900 damn pages full of spelling horrors and many (…) that are a kind of placeholder, I am currently on hiatus from that book but I don’t think leave it and curiously, to distract my mind a little and maybe get new perspectives I started a new project (I hope that does not become customary) and curiously it is also about robots although with a different theme from your comic, I would like to draw but I really do not know do it very well, I update it every few weeks and if you want you can keep an eye on it, maybe it will help you a little to clear your mind (https://www.furaffinity.net/user/eninyel.alexander.vonrus/) do not worry, everything there is SWF, you only have to look for the ones that are in English, or Spanish if you understand it and want a better experience. the guilt but for the inspiration, in my case the old war movies inspire me, if you do something that you like and then look at your sketches while you remember that feeling the inspiration could come back stronger than ever … well, good luck with what finally decide and I would like if you get to take a look at the content of the link.

  18. ScarlettJFG says:

    It happens. Personally I found this (Don’t even remember how tbh) and instantly fell in love. I feel as though the only bad thing about the website is that there isn’t a scroll menu for chapter select, otherwise to me it feels pretty well made. The comic itself still has me wondering whats gonna happen next (although I guess now it’s an if and thats ok. Take your time, even if it means rebooting it. I would happily wait.) and I’m happy even with these short and to the point status updates. Thank you for creating this piece of art and I hope that regardless of what you do, you’ll do something you are comfortable with.

  19. Phil says:

    Hello, I’ve been a silent reader for a long time, been enjoying this webcomic the whole time, kind of saw this coming with the hiatus, it will be sad to see it go, but it being a sad farewell emphasis how much of a good time it being around was, whatever you do next, I’ll always consider you a great artist and animator, especially for the robotic

  20. Tahvohck says:

    I’d be sad to see this story go untold, but I can’t fault you if telling it isn’t working out. All I can say is that I hope you find a medium that works for you.

  21. Tooniator says:

    What it looks like you have is a sad case of the nasty disease of perfectionism. I, and perhaps many of your readers, want both you and us to have fun. Fun only needs good enough. How can you sacrifice the aspects you don’t like to do and do the parts you like?
    (BTW, 99% of the time, restart causes comic death.)

  22. LeoPizzaLord says:

    Don’t worry dude, just do what you want to do and what feels right to you.

  23. TorchicEX says:

    This is certainly a comic that I enjoyed, I don’t actually remember how I stumbled across it but when I did I went to the beginning and started to read it from start to finish and it was a treat. But I wouldn’t want you to run yourself into an early grave because of it either. You are a good man and seeing some of the videos you make I can tell you like to put the effort in to make it look good, like how you took multiple approaches to the shading in this picture to find the right one.

    I hope you can find a way forward with this that doesn’t burn you out completely so you can continue working it the way you enjoy. The idea of it being told through animations is also a wonderful idea if you decide to go that route. You could also talk to us about it more and see if you come up with an epiphany for a solution. But if you wish to stop as well I won’t blame you, it is hard to keep going at something you aren’t great with let alone dealing with wordpress. So whatever you decide I will be on your side for it. And as always I am here to lend an ear and a voice if needed.

    Take care for now Zedrin and have a Merry Christmas.
    – Your friendly neighborhood Torch

  24. Judeo says:

    I understand.

    If you don’t like making webcomics, it’s fine.
    Maybe there’s a better way for you to bring your characters to life aside from making webcomics.

    To be honest, any media can be used by any artist to bring their characters to life. Be it short animations or pages of text, what matters is you genuinely enjoyed making it.

    A new story or retconning an older one doesn’t change the fact that you WANT your characters to come to life. But with any pursuit, it is one where you choose to make effort and enjoy it. If changing directions is what you believe you must do to bring out the best in you, then I can only say that I trust in your choice.

    Merry Christmas, Zed!

    1. Daybreaker7 says:

      Agreed.
      and I just want to say Judeo that I like your little written prediction comments done in previous pages. they were and still are fun to read like the comic. 🙂

  25. ThatEntityGirl says:

    This was my favorite webcomic, I’ll be super sad if it really dies. But, I’d be even sadder seeing you work on something you don’t enjoy anymore just for the sake of other people. I hope you figure out what you want and find a passion project that you love working on <3

  26. An Idiot says:

    They’re going to be stuck looking for houses forever, a fate worse than death.

    1. Anonymous says:

      They have made their homes in the hearts of the audience. That’s good enough for me.
      Now if only the walls wernt so thin…
      Lol!

  27. Ray says:

    That’s ok Zedrin. I won’t lie, I’m going to miss this series a bit, but I would rather you enjoy what you’re making then keep slogging through something you hate.

  28. Zedrin says:

    Sorry for the flood of ads by the way. My ad module from Google ahs gone haywire and I can’t figure out how to turn it off (cause I can’t find where it’s located in my site’s code.)

    I hate running this website because WordPress is such a nightmare to work with.

  29. Stone says:

    Don’t worry Zedrin, even if this is where the comic ends, it was amazingly fun ride that I enjoyed greatly. I genuinely love your art style and the characters you’ve created are all interesting and lovable. It’s sad to see that you’ve experienced this much grief going forward with it but as a one of the viewers standing in the crowd, I definitely appreciate all of your hard work and the thought you’ve put into the narrative of PV02. And as much as I’d love to see what’s the future of Pivot and her friends, seeing an occasional artwork with them is definitely enough to warm my heart again. Thanks for the PV02 and everything you’ve done for this fantastic future world of robots. I suppose this isn’t goodbye but… So long, and thanks for all the sharks!

Leave a Reply to TorchicEX Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Menu

Prev Chap

Home

Next chap

Archive

First

Previous

Comment39

Next

Last