Post 206: 90% increase!

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that within the week already, Landis has jolted up the Top Webcomics chart, going from somewhere around 3900th place to 388 this week.

I know this is asking a lot, but it allows you to vote once a day on this site, so please, help out...I'd love to see it suddenly get hits daily based on the fact that everyone that is hereis helping out!

Oh, and before I forget, Hurray for the losses of Michigan and Miami! Now all I need are Penn State to win and Notre Dame to win to make this a GREAT Bowl season!

POST 205! Great news for Notre Dame fans.

In an article on ESPN.com today, Brady Quinn announced that he will be coming back for his senior year at Notre Dame because he still feels that learning under Charlie Weis' tutelage is better than taking a wait and see attitude in the NFL.

In other news, Anthony Fasano, a 6'4" tightend for Notre Dame feels that there isn't much more for him to accomplish at the school, and since he graduates this spring, even with one more year of eligibility left, he's looking forward instead of cming back.

If all goes as planned, ND will have Quinn, Walker back at HB, Samardjia back at Receiver and Rhema McKnight coming back after a redshirt year due to injury. That means the only posititon that will be looking for someone new is going to be the Tight End position and we've got three potential NFL caliber guys there...so as long as the line is set, we should be fine.

Post 204: Way late...but VOTE for Landis has begun!

Hopefully that shows the NEW link for TOP WEB COMICS, but if not, the link to actually VOTE for Landis is right here...Hopefully this could generate MORE hits if everyone votes...So I'm asking nicely...please Vote for Landis!

http://www.topwebcomics.com/vote/3930/default.aspx

Post 203: The Holiday Celebration

Hey all...MERRY CHRISTMAS...and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Just so people don't get mad if they celebrate something different.

I got a Brady Quinn Notre Dame Jersey for Christmas, and my wife and I are going to her parents house to find out what else I got, hehe.I also squeaked out $90 in Best Buy Gift Cards (wahoo...that's 25% of my Xbox if no one signs up and helps with my referrals, hehe) and some cool stuff for around the house, like a leaf blower and a liquor rack.

Oh yeah, and I got new tires put on my car, too.

Hope everyone else got great presents. I think the best part of last night was watching my 15 month old god-daughter take my phone from me and "talk" to her aunt. It was just plain classic!

Post 202! You know what tomorrow is!

My birthday was a smash hit, and I'd like to thank both Ernie and my partner in crime from THIEF, Eric for wishing me a happy birthday (and yes, the Partner in Crime bit WAS a known pun before I wrote it). Christy (my wife) and her parents got me the Crock-pot BBQ pit cooker, which was funny because I REALLLLLLY wanted it, but only asked for it once and her parents and her remembered.

Because of that, with my family coming over for Christmas eve, I've got to get to the local supermarket before they close so I can try this sumbitch out =). Personally I prefer the tomato based bbq, and I'm going to cook some ribs, so it'll be interesting to see what goes on.

Well, the BIGGEST week in LANDIS is almost over (and will end on Christmas day), but it looks like we'll slide in at a bit over 24000 hits, which is 14000 more than last week (shows the difference of a hot woman in a bathtowel ad will get you =).

Anyway ,I'm going to wish all of you readers a MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HANUKAH (however you spell that one). I'll almost definitely be back on here before New Years, but I just wanted to make sure you guys leave your milk and cookies out for the big guy.

POST 201: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB!

Hey guys,

it's my birthday, so I can't stay on and write a long message or anything, because my wife has lots of great stuff planned...I just wanted to let everyone know.

I'm old...28.

POST 200!!! Numbers and such!

Well,

Last week the website did a total of 10330 hits...technically the third most for a week (not including this week), while it was actually the MOST hits for a week that had NO Ad run. The reason I bring this up is because YESTERDAY...the site did 14186 hits! There WAS an ad run across all of Keenspot, so it brought people from all over the community by for a look, but I want to run a comparison here.

The last week that an AD ran on Keenspot for LANDIS, was week 41, when we did a total of 14642 FOR THE WEEK...and yesterday we almost BEAT THAT...JUST YESTERDAY. Today, already, the site has done more than 1100 hits, meaning that we've already beaten the best week we've had, and its only Tuesday.

If you couldn't tell, I'm VERY numbers oriented. I only hope that we can KEEP a good amount of these viewers with the way the story is going.

Also, I'd like to thank Owen again for his mention of Guy's demise on the sorethumbsonline.com blog, since I know that would have something to do with the numbers (since that site has a HUGE following...and check it out if you haven't).

Also, in case I miss doing it later...happy holidays All...and I'll be sure to thank each of you on my birthday, Thursday...I'll be an old 28.

One thing I haven't asked is people's opinions. As a guy writing a story about a woman...and a 700 year old woman for that matter...how does it come across? Does her voice truly sound like a woman? What about the other characters...

Also, I don't think I'll be able to do sketches of LANDIS herself anymore, but any of the male characters I can draw, hehe...sorry Jenna...hopfully it'll be okay, since I'm NOT the artist Owen is.

Til next time, keep reading!

Post 199: CONTEST WINNERS! (Week 50)

Hey all,

Doesn't it just sound like we'vebeen doing a contest for 50 weeks when I do that?

I actually decided to pull two winners out of the hat, and the two that I pulled were

FAERYVAMP and the only person that submit her response on the blog, ANGEL.

Guys, you'll have to email me your addresses to receive the prizes, which I've decided can be either the copy of the comic or the Head sketch. Hopefully I'll be doing sketches of Ardy or Janus, since I'm not nearly as skilled at drawing women as Owen =-), but I'll make it great for you.

email me your address at: RPotchak@gmail.com

Post 198: We will have a winner!

Being the fair guy I am, and the fact that I love everyone who has shown an interest in LANDIS at all (not just the past two weeks, hehe), but due to the response that actually put LANDIS OVER the 10,000 hits number WITHOUT an ad, I will be choosing the WINNER of the 10,000 hits contest sometime this week, and will try to post it before my birthday (Thursday)and ship it one day next week. If I can find multiple copies of the comic, I'll actually try to pull extra winners.

On top of that, Today I saw the NEW Landis AD that will run ALL DAY TODAY, and I have to say that Crosby has a tendency to look for the skimpiest thing to get the fanboys looking, hehe.

I agree that LANDIS doesn't currently have a page for bios of the characters, and for that I apologize...but just so everyone knows, Owen Gieni IS the artist of the story, which was written by me.

He deserves I'd say 90% of the credit, though, since his beautiful pictures, colored by Studio Makma in France, are just stunning.

This week, we need to hit 20,000 for a winner, because of the ad, and with it being Christmas week, as much as I want us to hit the big big big numbers, I'll understand if it picks back up AFTER the holidays.

Post 197: Kinda low...

I'm going to write about something a little different than my future projects and stories, and go with something about my real life.

I'm in Charlotte, NC, right now, at a training, two weeks before christmas and my 28th birthday, and besides thinking, "Why am I here, when I should be selling?" I'm truly giving thought to the question of, "Why am I doing this if it doesn't make me happy?"

aMy wife called me, talking about problems she was having while I've been gone, and it really upsets me sometimes that I have to deal with all the problems at work, and come home and have to deal with problems from my wife...not necessarily effecting me personally, but anything like that places a strain on our marriage, whether we try to get through it together, or just by herself...

It's selfish on my part. She wants to be there for me when I have an issue, but my issues always seem to come up around the same time as hers. I wish I had more to give and help with to try and make it up to her, but (and I'm not sure she's even heard this, yet) I'm too tired and have nothing extra to give after I've tried to work out my demons atwork and my feelings on my own time.

I ahve a boss that doesn't realize what I do for him. He doesn't realize what I attempt to do to make his job easier, so when it comes to looking for a promotion, he'd rather give it to someone who politics his way to the top of the class by trying to learn something when told, "I'm going to promote someone" instead of seeing what he DOESN'T HAVE TO DO because it's already getting done...which is the way a manager SHOULD WANT IT...but of course, he'd rather consider the statements made about what I would like to see from him, claiming its unneccesary criticism, rather than realize the work and the positives that come from the things that are being done BY ME...the two things that should be most important.

It really bugs me. I want to be successful, but when you get told, "I didn't have to take you..." and "Everyone was throwing you under the bus..." and then the follow up is, "But I know you get numbers" there is no positive personal reinforcement to those comments, and it means that he's got me on knowing that I am successful in how I handle my business.

I just don't know what I want to do with my life besides write...the problem is, writing isn't worth the bills I have to pay and unfortunately, that's the most important thing when it comes to employment to me...nobody works 100%, 100% of the time...and that's not a typo.

I'm having a hard time dealing with this, now exactly, and its dragging me down. I mean, I must be making impressions on the right people, because the VP of Sales in NC asked me to talk to him while I was in training, and the manager of NC told me I deserved my own store...butthat's not good enough for what I want, anymore. I want to feel appreciated and respected, and I don't get that feeling, and I don't see that changing. I've learned things at this training that I'm at, and I'll do them... and we'll seif anyone else actually steps up like I intend to...

unless something better comes along.

Post 196...HDTV costs...is it worth it?

Well, I know this doesn't pertain to anything else that I normally discuss online, but I've mentioned my want for a TV for a while, and I've got to say that the PANASONIC 30IN Widescreen HDTV I got is WELL worth the value, even though its quite a bit more expensive than purchasing a standard tv.

Things to think about if you are intending to buy HDTV...get one with HDMI or DVI hookups. Cable typically comes with DVI, and Satellite typically comes with HDMI. The cable in either situation will cost you AT LEAST $45, but again, to get the best possible quality, you are going to need this anyhow. Without it, you can use Component video cables, and they will run you (for a good set) about $79. I bought an HDMI to DVI conversion cable, from Walmart for $45, so that I can connect it to my Cable box, but ultimately, if I go to Satellite, it will be unnecessary, but for now, I guess I need it.

Here's the kicker...Cable only charges you $7 more for the HD Package, which gives you I believe 10-15 channels. Directv charges more, ($11), but they offer a few more channels and 3 months free...Directv is also offering all the premium channels free for three months (they get expensive AFTER that), and all the equipment free after instant online rebate.

you are probably wonderng why I am even considering staying with cable, and the real answer behind that is that I'm not sure if I'll save any money. And in the mean time, that's the important thing, while still getting the best quality.

I ultimately think that DirecTV will save me money, or be right at the same price per month if I go with the HBO Package, which is nice...

I just don't know, and with all the Christmas shopping, I don't like the idea of signing up for a new service right now...

Thoughts?

THE CONTEST IS ON!

Hey all...to have a chance to win in the contest...on the LANDIS page, right above the contest, click on the FORUM link, and register and post a reply in the post for the contest.

If your name is pulled, I'll contact you through the forum to get your address for the prize.

Thanks all! Please, sign in at the forum and try to win! If the site hits the number, YOU EARNED IT!

LANDIS 10K and 15K CONTEST is on...

Starts MONDAY at 12sm PST, ends SUNDAY, 11:59pm PST...

I posted this in the forum...please sign up, as its your only way to win.

As long as LANDIS is NOT advertised next week (if it is, I'll still try to be a sport about everything) the contest is valid.

If Landis reaches 10,000 hits NEXT WEEK (Monday through Sunday), I'll send an autographed copy of Landis' first REAL comic appearance to a lucky reader who says they read the comic.

If the story does 15,000 hits NEXT WEEK, the winner will get a handdrawn head sketch of their favorite character from LANDIS, while a second place contestant will receive the comic.

If Keenspot DOES run an AD for LANDIS next week (which I am unaware of), the contest will then run as follows:

For 20,000 unique hits, The comic will be rewarded...and for 25,000 unique hits, the sketch and comic will be given. It's only fair that we really blow the old numbers out.

This was the original post in the forum that you will reply to to participate in the contest...

------------------------

This week will undoubtedly mark the first week (without any main page advertisements) that LANDIS will go over the 9000 person mark. This is AWESOME!

If the comic goes over 10,000 "unique" hits, meaning your IP address can only register once per day for updates, I will give away something special...I will give away an autographed copy of LANDIS' first appearance to one lucky fan of the site. (Scorn: HEATWAVE #1, circa 1997)

Here's the main rule for it. After you've "hit" the site, you will need to post into the forum under a post that everyone will be able to reply into. I don't care if the response is, "I went, too..." I just want to get your Keenspot name and such, and I'll send a private message to the winner.

If we get 15000 unique viewers, I'll Handdraw a headshot of your favorite character from the story AND give someone else the copy of the Scorn Comic.

If you get your friends to come on and say you referred them onto the site and make a reply to the post, it'll DOUBLE your chances of winning the contest...

This contest is NOT endorsed by Keenspot, but I will try to get the winner's name posted on the Website as the "FIRST LANDIS CONTEST WINNER..."

So get cracking everyone. Starts MONDAY at 12am PST...and you can make the REPLY to THIS message, or I'll probably start another post entitled: LANDIS CONTEST REPLIES...

----------------------

Thanks your making the story even MORE popular.

Snatching Victory from the jaws of Nature...

No not defeat...though it could have happened.

This week, even after Chris and his family were snowed in without power, Elisalandis.com will EASILY have its best week ever without advertising the page through Keenspot. How did it do it?

I'm not quite sure, but I've been getting around the webcomic community, still attempting to find the person that will take over as artist after this first arc (anyone know anyone? Lemme know!), and I've been finding some really really excellent stories out there that are just amazing and deserve to be collected in print.

I want to really thank Blix over at EATKITTIES.com for placing a link to Landis' adventure on their site. It is an EXTREMELY good comic, and just wonderfully and beautifully drawn. I've made mention of the comic before, and it really is doing well in those top webcomic pages, normally cracking the top 25...so if you aren't reading it, or heck, even just looking at what this artist is capable of (most of the work is available as a print...y'know, with Christmas on the way)...you are truly missing out.

I've also started reading Inverloch and Abstract Gender (this is still in the early stages, but seems pretty ridiculous and funny), and there's another one on my work computer that I go to that is just great, but I can't remember the name of it right now.

Anyway, by giving my thanks and praise to them, they may have mentioned my story, too, but I'm not sure. I know Blix did, THANKS!...Its really cool when you can find something totally different than what you are used to and become a fan of it.

Anyway, again, after all that happened with Chris this week, the site actually got MORE hits and I'm hoping this is a trend that will continue on. I'm loving the pages as they come up now, since most of them I hadn't seen in full color, and I'm just as big a fan of this story as I hope you folks are...its funny when you see where you started in comics, and then where you've gotten.

Now, I think I'm going to try to write a proposal for a Marvel Character that will probably just get laughed at because I don't write movies or tv shows, but heck, y'never know, right?

Here's the AP (Tony) Furtado piece. I just wanted to let everyone look at it in its beautiful full color glory (I believe it was colored by Tyim Corts), because in the upcoming ARDY: CTNStdc book, it'll fall back into black and white.

In other LANDIS news, last month, November, even with Chris and his family out of power (hope they are doing better), Landis struck its second best monthly numbers. In fact, truth be told, since NO ADVERTISEMENT on the Keenspace happened for LANDIS in November, this is actually the biggest month without an Ad, beating September by almost 8000 hits! That's great, guys!

In fact, this week has been a huge week, already hitting the 7000 hit mark by 11am EST on Friday, so with 2.5 days to go, this could be Landis' biggest non-ad week, possibly to date!