I want to take some time to say that I appreciate all of the comments I’ve received lately. I read every single one of them, (even if it takes all morning and I’m supposed to be working!) I want to thank those of you who have showed your support and faith in me as an author, but also those who have expressed their frustrations with the latest developments in the strip. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you are all so heavily invested in the comic and these characters. Of course it’s disappointing that a small number of frustrated commenters have decided to stop reading. But webcomics lose readers every day, and it’s usually not because of the story or characters. It’s because they got bored or forgot about it. I would much rather lose readers because of a plot twist they didn’t agree with than because I didn’t make a strong enough impression. There is a lot still left to happen in this comic before all is said and done, and I want to thank each of you for sticking around to see what happens next!

Seven years ago yesterday, the world was introduced to Treading Ground via Steve and Derek.

The premiere comic read like it was straight out of a crappy sitcom, but the art was surprisingly fair, especially compared to the roughness that was to come in the early years. When I moved to my own hosting I reorganized and cut this strip as well as two subsequent ones, but it does still hold the honorary title of First Strip.

In the following years, TG was an on-again, off-again project. It wasn’t until February 2010 that I was able to really dedicate enough time to getting the comic out regularly, and I’ve nearly doubled my archive in this year alone. Now as the story progresses further, I think it’s fair to give you some idea of where we’re heading.

As you may have noticed, this is not your typical webcomic. TG is more like a movie than a long-running TV series; it’s a self-contained story that was never intended to run indefinitely. The core relationship of the series has a time limit on it, and I’m keenly aware of that. There is a planned ending, and we’re working toward it.

As we get closer to that ultimate end, the characters will undoubtedly say and do things you’re not going to like. It’s all part of the ups and downs of a good story. These moments might be a little easier to handle now that you’re armed with the knowledge that I don’t plan to string you along forever.

I hope you’ll continue to join me to see how all this plays out!

As part of my ongoing efforts to legitimize this webcomic, Treading Ground will now be updating three times a week with regular updates!

When I first started updating twice weekly, I established the concept of Friday Extras as something I wouldn’t do every week, and even when I did, they wouldn’t be full comics. But half-assed updates really didn’t sit too well with me. Looking back on the 6 weeks since then, we’ve seen three full-fledged comics, two pieces of finished art, and just one sketch day. In other words, I was doing just about as much work as I would be updating M-W-F anyway, so it made sense to make it official. That’s not to say that I won’t ever post extra stuff again, of course; I just won’t be releasing it on a schedule.

Thanks to everyone who reads this comic, and special thanks to those of you who comment, “Like” the updates on Facebook, and interact with me on Twitter. A lot of webcomic artists out there say they would gladly still be doing their comic even if nobody was reading, but they’re either better people than me, or they’re lying!

TG has never particularly shied away from adult content, but I thought it would be a good idea to make things a little more clear. While I assure you this will not turn into a porn comic, the current party storyline will be the most NSFW (Not Safe For Work) to date. Whether you follow on Facebook, Twitter, or via RSS) keep an eye on the subject lines for the new (NSFW) designation. I’ve already applied it to a few comics in the archive, but the upcoming comics kick it up a few notches nudity-wise. You’ve been warned!

Rose is taking the whole flag bikini thing a little too far.

Happy Independence Day to … uh… both of my Argentinian readers?

Happy Canada Day & July 4th Weekend!

Rose isn’t actually Canadian, but she is a nonconformist, so why not?

I’m proud to announce that as of Monday’s comic #100, TG is now updating twice a week!

When I originally brought the comic back earlier this year, I was dead set on not missing an update, because that way madness lies. But even as rusty as I was, I knew I could swing a once a week schedule and work from there. Now that I’m back in practice, the new website is up and running, and I’ve built up an ample buffer, it’s time to increase the update frequency.

Updates happen on Monday and Wednesday!

After years of running under the ComicGenesis flag, I’m proud to present the all-new TreadingGround.com!

It’s been an interesting experience getting this website up and running, and it required that I get more knowledgeable with CSS than I ever thought I would. But it’s up, it’s working, and it looks great. Here are some changes to note:

• Archive Restructure – You may notice that the First Comic is now a Prologue. This is a comic I did for Free Comic Book Day a few years back, and it’s an excellent introduction to Treading Ground. Long-time readers may notice a handful of comics missing from the archive, but there’s a very simple explanation for this, and that is because they sucked. All comics are now listed on the Archive page in a much easier to read format, mostly accompanied by sarcastic titles. I’ve also shitcanned the arbitrary chapter system I was working with before in favor of a simplified incremental numbering system.

• Cast Page Update – New characters have been added to the roster, new bios written, and almost all cast pics have been updated.

• Navigation Improvements – Most of this is cosmetic, and the nav buttons are easier to read. When reading through old comics, just click on the comic to move to the next one!

• RSS Feed Changes – Sorry to make you update your RSS stream again, but now you’ll get thumbnail previews in your feed! Make sure to add the new RSS feed to your reader of choice.

I’m still making little tweaks here and there, and some new features are planned for the site soon. Thanks for coming, and let me know what you think!