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Jennifer and Jeff will receive a DAoC Prize Package which includes: an Epic Edition gamebox, a DAoC Poster, a T-Shirt, and a new Epic Edition Prima Guide. The Epic Edition gamebox is a stand-alone package that offers the original Dark Age of Camelot game and ALL expansion including Darkness Rising.



Congratulations you two, and thanks everyone for participating.



And for everyone else!



Don't forget, the December giveaway is already up an running. This month we'll be giving away a Gift Pack loaded with DAoC goodies! (Shirt, Hat, Epic Edition gamebox, Epic Edition Prima Strategy Guide, 2006 Calendar, Stein)



Click Here to Enter!

For those of you that will be at the BlizzCon, if you'll be looking for me, the easiest way to find me will be to stop by the:



"Comic Panel" Saturday 29th, Room 204 from 5pm to 6pm.



I'll be there with Scott Kurtz of PvP and Gabe & Tycho of Penny Arcade. Uhhh... I'll be the one in the orange hat.

I met Garth and Larom at ConnectiCon. And, I really dug their work on Comedity.Com. So when they mentioned being interested in doing some guest strips, I was excited by the notion.And, as hard as it is for me to give up any kind of control over the comics, I knew these guys would do justice to a guest strip spot. So, they'll be filling in for me, Friday to Tuesday, while I'm visiting my family.



Now please... help me say "thanks for filling in while Woody was gone" by heading over to their site, digging through their archives, etc.



Comedity.Com

Congratulations Keith H. of Richmond, VA.

I've been a loyal PayPal user for years now. I've gone to bat for them when they did stupid stuff to other people. But, I guess, now it's my turn.



A few days ago I received the email below:






So, beginning this month, I'll have to stop randomly selecting "winners" to receive a prize for donating. My efforts to get options was met with a copy and paste response from the email above.



Chances are, when they review the site and see this news item... they'll yank my account anyway. I guess it doesn't matter. I'm looking for other options anyway.

Robert won the random draw to receive original Vhah sketch and color print. I'd just like to thank everyone that donated for a chance to win. And don't forget, this month is going to be a nifty dragon sketch... I think you guys'll like it.



Again, congratulations Robert.



The Spoils:

I'll admit right off the bat here that I have a tremendous bias against IGE. And where I'm likely never going to be accepting of their place in our community, I have to admit to having been a tad unfair.



In the last few years, I've been given information about IGE, and it's upper echelon employees, from some sources I trust implicitly (and a couple of sources I trust just a little less). But, that information lead me to intesify my absolute dislike of IGE. And, given information I've been given recently from another source I trust, I've decided that I've been unfair and should apologize for some of the beliefs I've held without absolute proof.



So, I apologize for accepting certain information without doing some hard core research on my own. I still don't really like you guys... but that doesn't mean I'm too big to apologize for the things I got wrong.

With well over 7 thousand viable records the GU Survey is nearing it's end.



I would like to take this time to thank all of you that have participated. The survey will be closed after the 15th of August, and the data will be crunched. The Split Reason winners will be drawn. And, the data that is deemed accetable for release will be posted.



So, if you haven't already, and you can spare the time...

Please take the GU Survey!

[ sponsored by Split Reason ]



Thanks!

Late last night I got a message from Brad over at Sigil asking if I'd like to share some exclusive Vanguard: Beta 0/Friends & Family screenshots with the GU readers. My reply was a resounding "yes". So, below you'll find eleven "exclusive" gameplay shots.



Image 1 (420K)
Image 2 (310K)
Image 3 (320K)

Image 4 (340K)
Image 5 (300K)
Image 6 (260K)

Image 7 (290K)
Image 8 (310K)
Image 9 (310K)

Image 10 (320K)
Image 11 (320K)



Again, please keep in mind that these screenshots "are to show gameplay moreso than pretty images and are lacking polish, finished anims, etc.".



If you have any questions or would like to discuss the screenshots further, please visit THIS THREAD on the GU Forums!

ConnectiCon is, in my opinion, the single greatest convention for webcomics ever created. BUT, without your help there may not be another! PLEASE read the following information and help if you can!



----------



Taken from SaveConnectiCon.Com



In 2003, ConnectiCon opened its doors for the first time. Run by Matt Daigle and Briana Benn at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, ConnectiCon was a labor of love. Through blood, sweat and tears (and their own finances), they created one of the friendliest, most welcoming conventions in the Northeast. It caters to Anime, Sci-Fi, Gaming, Fantasy and more.



They ended their first year in debt, not entirely unusual for a first time convention. Yet despite their own financial losses, in 2004 they hosted ConnectiCon for a second time. The convention doubled in every aspect: attendance, guest appearances, and in fun. They finally broke even.



Due to a change in management and policy at the University of Hartford, where ConnectiCon was hosted for the first two years, the convention was forced to find a new home in 2005. Faced with a choice of canceling their event or taking a risk on a more expensive venue, Matt and Briana put everything they had on the line to throw the best convention they could. They moved ConnectiCon to the brand new Connecticut Convention Center.



Despite throwing another wonderful convention this year, they did not break even. In fact, due to the Convention Center being so new, and through a series of misunderstandings between ConnectiCon and Connecticut Convention Center staff, there were a lot of unforeseen expenses tacked on at the last minute.



To outline the costs concisely: The space rental was $45,000. The billing for additional expenses (to be attached at the convention's end) was quoted as being $5,000-$10,000. These expenses were planned for. However this bill was inflated due to last minute additions to Connecticut Convention Center staff, such as a full-time Fire Marshal, a full-time nurse, and extra security personnel, which were not discussed in the initial contract negotiations. Over the course of the weekend these additional expenses continued to pile up, until costs far exceeded the original $10,000 estimate.



As a result, Matt Daigle is now $34,148.50 in debt. That is too much for any one person to shoulder, let alone a person who was never interested in making money, and just wanted to throw a fun event for people to enjoy.



At this point it's not only ConnectiCon 2006 that's in danger; it's Matt and Briana's future.



ConnectiCon has earned a reputation amongst the webcomic community as being the largest supporter of our medium. There has never been another convention that treated webcomics with such respect and admiration. There has never been a convention that showcased such a huge number of webcomics in one place.



They have treated webcomics like royalty for the past three years and now, in their hour of need, dozens of webcomic creators and other artists have banded together to organize this fund.



We need to save our friends. We need to save our ConnectiCon.



And we need your help to do it."



Taken from SaveConnectiCon.Com



----------



On a personal note: Matt and Briana are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and every time I go to ConnectiCon they make me feel like a rock star. I would be heartbroken if this was the final ConnectiCon. So,PLEASE... help in any way you can.



Keep watching SaveConnectiCon.Com for exclusive GU artwork in the "donators only section" and the eBay Auctions.

5 years ago today, I decided to draw a picture illustrating a conversation I had in guild chat. I was entirely too high level to still be crawling around BlackBurrow, but I was down there, handing weapons to Gnolls, for the express purpose of disarming them and raising my disarm skill.



A week or two later, an EQ Community News site, picked up GU, posted about it in a brief write-up. 5 years later the comic has shifted from being a hobby to a full time job.



I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has dropped by over the years to make GU what it is. I really appreciate your support!

UPDATE: Thanks Matt for getting the numbers fixed for me.



____________________


I don't fault Matt from MacHall for his miscalculation of GU's traffic, but I do wish he'd asked me about my stats before telling their readers GU only had 10 thousand readers.



In actuality GU has something on the order of 135 thousand readers. I had more than 10 thousand readers the first day the comic was rleased to the public. In the writeup he's discussing a webcomic spat between a couple of the giants, but comments on GU referring to it as a small comic based on a conversation we had two years ago. And, where I do indeed consider GU a small comic site relative to sites like Penny Arcade and PVP, it's not as small as Matt believes it to be. As a matter of fact, if Alexa is to be trusted, GU is about the same size (calculated reach) as MacHall.



I just wanted to set the record straight for those that came to visit GU via the link at MacHall.



P.S. Please use the link above to visit MacHall, the artwork is awesome.

It's taken me over three hours to get this message through. So, there's no way I can get the comic through.



I'll be contacting my provider first thing in the morning to see what the issue is. This is the second night in a row that I've struggled with connectivity.



Please be patient. I'll have the comic up as soon as possible.

Check out photos shot from my cellphone as I meander through the convention halls:

"http://www.flickr.com/photos/gucomics/" target=_blank" alt="GUComics E3 moblog">http://www.flickr.com/photos/gucomics/. Also uploaded with photos taken with a digital camera each night post-convention.

It's that time again! Original GU panels are available for purchase once more. It's a yearly event here that attempts to lighten the ever growing stack of comics.



Now, not every panel is available, as some have been sold, given away, or are reserved for commercial purposes. So, please list optional panels as well. And, as always, they'll be sold on a "first come first served" basis.



If you're interested, email your requests to panels@gucomics.com. Cost will vary depending on the complexity of the panels you request. Base price for each panel will be $50.



Please keep in mind that the original panels are not colored, and do not have any text on them.



So, help me thin the stack out! I'm running out of space and they need a nice new home.

You guys seem to enjoy Ted, so I figure why not make him more "available" to you. So, if 100% ($500) or more is reached during the May donation drive, each $1 donation will equal one chance to win a Life Sized Ted stand-up.



Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about being able to offer this to you guys. So, donate if you can. Your gifts are always appreciated.

Ask Ted: episode 5 "Violence, Milk Duds and Bodily Fluids" is now available. If you have a question you'd like to ask Ted just email them to ted@gucomics.com. Don't forget to include your name, city, and state.

I got a suprising number of really good resumes/coverletters. And a handful of sterling examples really stood out. Those sterling examples provided me with further information about their ideas for GU.



After a lot of reading, a good deal of debate and consideration, I chose the applicant that seemed to most closely embody my idea of the perfect sales manager for GU Comics. Michael was that person.



Michael has a wealth of experience in almost every area GU needs help with. He's got a sharp brain, and motivation enough for the both of us.



I think this is going be a great business relationship. And, I can't wait for you guys to start benefitting from Michael's productivity. Because the better he does the more money I will be able to turn back into the comic, the more features I'll be able to add to the site, and the more ideas I'll be able to bring to fruition to make GU a better place to spend your time.



Welcome to the fold Michael!

The March donation drive exceeded 100%, so each contributor got one chance to win per dollar they donated.



The reward for hitting 100% was one of the following: Western Digital Raptor 10K RPM 74Gig SATA Harddrive, Western Digital 7.2K RPM 300Gig IDE Harddrive, or a $180 NewEgg Gift Certificate.



Gabrielle went with the $180 NewEgg Gift Certificate.



Congratulations Gabrielle.

Ask Ted: episode 4 "This one's for the LADIES!" is now available.

If you have a question you'd like to ask Ted just send them to ted@gucomics.com. Don't forget to include your name, city and state.

I'm going to be expanding the GU store a bit, and I'd like to get some "customer action shots" ala ThinkGeek and SplitReason to post in the store so folks can see what they're in for.



So, if you've bought (or won) GU goodies, feel free to send me a picture or two (), and as long as they're Safe For Work and a reasonable enough quality so that the gear can actually be SEEN, I'll post em.



Thanks to any and all who contribute!

Safehouse Contest: Wild Pancakes!



The Safehouse is proud to announce the “Wild Pancake Photo Contest”. We will be looking for the best photograph of a real pancake, preferably in the craziest location you can find. Bonus points for incorporating “The Safehouse” in the photo.



The Prize:

A Nintendo DS and 3 Nintendo DS titles of your choice*



With impressive 3D rendered graphics, Nintendo DS delivers cutting-edge portable games for fans of any genre. Plus, you can play all your favorite Game Boy Advance games in a single-player mode.







The Safehouse would like to thank Freonsmurf for donating the prize package for this contest.



The Rules:

No digitally edited photographs. We want real photographs, without modification.

Only 1 entry per Safehouse member. Creating any additional accounts for the purposes of submitting additional entries will result in all accounts being disqualified, and the user being banned from the Safehouse.

Only 1 Vote per Safehouse Member. Creating additional accounts for the purpose of voting for the same entry multiple times will result in the offending party and all their accounts being banned form the Safehouse, and their votes nullified.

The Safehouse Staff's decisions are final.

Anything considered “Not Work Safe” will be not be accepted and removed from the post.

Please do not violate any local, state, or federal laws in the process of taking your photograph.

Entries must be posted no larger or smaller than 800 x 600 within the designated thread on the Safehouse. We also ask that you retain the original photograph and provide the Safehouse staff with a copy if requested.

If you need your image hosted for the purposes of submission, please PM any of the staff to accommodate this request.

The Safehouse staff, in its sole discretion will select the top 6 picks to become finalists. Those 6 finalists will then be posted in a forum poll for community Judging.

Submissions will be accepted for 2 weeks, closing on Tuesday March 15th at Midnight PST. The Staff will then have the poll up for the finals no later than Friday March 18th. We will run the Poll for 1 week, closing on Wed March 25th at midnight.

All Safehouse members with an account in good standing are eligible.

Safehouse Administrators and Staff members are not eligible to win, although they are welcome to submit an entry for the first round of the competition. Their submissions will not be considered for the finals.

*Prize package includes a brand new Nintendo DS gaming system and 3 game titles of the winners choice. The preferred method of delivery of the titles is by providing a gift certificate in the amount of $140.00 from EB Games redeamable in any one of the EB Games or Electronics Boutique stores or Online at ebgames.com. The winner will then be able to choose 3 games of his or her choice.

If you would like to submit your photo anonymously, you may do so by sending your photo in email to staff@thesafehouse.org. You must use the email account that is registered within your forum profile for verification purposes. Please include your forum name with the submission. The Staff will post your image on your behalf and not reveal who the entrant is unless they win the final. Any anonymous submission not including all required information will be disregarded.




Questions and Concerns: Click Here ::
To Post Entries: Click Here

Like I said previously, donations are back, but now there's a twist.



There are two prize levels this month. If you guys hit the usual $300, everyone becomes eligle to win a GU Goodie Grab Bag. But, if the donation meter hits 100%, you've got 1 chance per dollar you donate to win a Western Digital Raptor 10K rpm 74 Gig SATA hard drive. If your computer doesn't support SATA, you can also pick either a Western Digital 7.2K rpm 300 Gig IDE harddrive, or a $180 gift certificate from New Egg.



Feel free to get in on the donation goodness. My bills appreciate it

Donation Page

Some of you may not have noticed, but over ther on the left is a little text line called "Other Links". This line is just as it implies, it is a concentrated page of links to some of my favorite spots on the net.



So, I encourage you, use that to move around and visit new (or old) places. And more get added as they find their way into my routine.



Just thought I'd let you know!

Since Episode 1 was nearly a month late (while I was waiting on the new t-shirts to be ready), I've gone ahead and posted

Ask Ted: episode 2 "Clozapine, Pity, and the French-Canadian Pants Fetish".



If you have a question you'd like to ask Ted just send them to ted@gucomics.com. Don't forget to include your name, city and state.

Donations are back and it's no longer all about the wallpapers. Each month the prize will change.



The first month of the donation return is a prize package from the GU Store worth around $65. The package includes 1 comics shirt, 1 mouse pad, 1 mug, and one of the shirts from the "purist" line which will be unveiled a little later this month.

Well, I finally got the Ninja image done. I'm not really happy with it, it just doesn't have enough detail. But, I'll work on it. See what's what. Maybe upload a new version before the month is out.

Sorry about the wait.