I admit I’m one of those annoying people who read Unearth every time an update popped up in my comic feed but otherwise didn’t do anything (monetary or otherwise) to express my gratitude and appreciation for your sharing of your imagination.
So, perhaps too late, but while I can’t fault you for making the decision to draw the line here, I just want to say that Unearth will be missed. Your distinctive coloring style, art, setting, characters, and acerbic banter are quite unique and also quite good, and I hope you find success somewhere with it.
I appreciate the feedback very much, and don’t fret about the other stuff. The real issue is the dwindling readership stats. Instead of picking up an audience over time, Unearth readership has been on a slow, steady decline for over two years 🙁
Oh no!
I wish you the best.
Unearth has been so enjoyable. You said suspended, not cancelled. Is there a glimmer of hope that you will return? I’m clinging to it.
There is always a possibility that I might make more pages just because I want to put the story on ‘paper’. Weekly updates are about building an audience of regular readers, but after 4 years, that mythical beast is seeming like pure fantasy. The more posts I put up, the fewer readers I have.
In the hope of that possibility of irregular updates from time to time just because you might want to get the story on ‘paper’ — I’m glad that interested readers can be subscribed by RSS feed. If more pages happen once in a while, we could get the notice.
You know, you’re the one who got me to restructure the Archive!
I’m glad to hear from an RSS feed reader! I’m afraid the view referral stats for the RSS feed are abysmal these days. So, I don’t know how many will notice if I add new pages.
Sorry to read your decision to end this story. It has been one of my favorites with such interesting characters.
However, whatever has driven your decision, I wish you every success in the future and hope you look back on this work with great pride and satisfaction.
There are many many who are not able or willing to take on such a great enterprise as a comic story, and those who do – whatever the outcome deserve praise and thanks from their audience.
Aw. I do hope one fine day the updates (whether at weekly schedule, at another schedule, or irregular with no schedule at all) will resume. Meanwhile, do know that I, too, have very much enjoyed the comic so far. And the witty comments of other readers. And the occasional awards you grated in the comments section. Thank you.
Oooh, a Major Award! And probably the Last One too, so especially valuable! It must be the puppy dog eyes, that always gets ’em. 🙂
I’ve seen some strips when they go on ‘indefinite suspension’ collect an email list to notify dedicated readers if, I mean WHEN, they eventually return. Maybe that’s too much hopefulness?
Well, speaking of cynical (as in your comment below): I’m dubious about an email list. After the failed Kickstarter, I put up an email sign-up form for anyone interested in buying a Print-on-Demand edition of Unearth: The Prologue. Based on the response, I spent a month putting together the book, priced it as low as I could, and sent emails to everyone who signed up. A grand total of 11 people actually ordered the book that year. Eleven = Cynical.
Well, that’s certainly understandable ( and appropriately cynical 😉 ) I’m afraid I was never much of a paper-media person myself either. Rest assured, however, that if I ever win that powerball lotto, I’m signing up for the 2-grand-a-month Patreon level, so that’s a slightly-more-than-zero chance, right? (Also, when I win, there’s several other prematurely-ended webcomics I’m bringing back, as well as a number of cancelled TV shows I liked. See, unlike some people, I’m going to use my lotto winnings for critically important stuff that makes society better!)
On a slightly more realistic note – how should we keep track of the small chance of an Unearth revival? I assume you’re not going to keep paying hosting fees to keep this address alive?
Oh no! This is one of the most original comics out there. And you were just about to get to the bit with the scantily-clad young lady that would have been bound to up the readership.
I hope you’ll make a note of everyone’s email and let us know if you reconsider.
Funnily enough, The Heart of the Hollow World, the other webcomic dealing with c19th explorers drilling down to a subterranean world also seems to have stopped updating, even though it has a much higher quota of scantily-clad young ladies. Could this be a conspiracy by the mole-people? Or possibly the French?
The French definitely had something to do with the demise of Unearth… in that I dreaded having to write dialogue in French once we meet Napoleon’s expeditionary force (trapped underground for years).
As for originality: It’s an odd notion. Unearth is a synthesis of old and new, but it’s not part of any current zeitgeist (that I know of), which is probably why it never went viral or found a sizable audience.
Oh, and, Sturzkampf, THANKS FOR READING AND COMMENTING since 2014!
Original and intelligent, there’s your problem right there. The audience for that is pretty small. The public hates that sort of thing. You can call me cynical, but that’s not the same as saying I’m wrong. As the prosecuting attorney, I offer up all of popular entertainment as exhibit “A”, and most of the internet as Exhibit “B” for evidence. Give ’em trite, repetitive, formulaic, and simple every time. And bewbs. I hear that works too. So really, Alice, this is *your* fault, you’re just not showing off enough. :p
(Sorry, I just had to get one last dig in at (m)Alice.)
Nooooo, don’t go! Reboot yourself somewhere like hiveworks and get better promotion. You’ll surely become famous, you’re too good for this ignominious dwindling.
I don’t know know that I even aspire to being famous, but you’re on the mark with the ‘ignominious dwindling’. I’m dubious about Unearth fitting in with Hivework’s repertoire. Still, I probably should have tried way back when Unearth met their submission requirements, which it doesn’t at the moment.
I’m not sure there’s anything more to add that has not been mentioned before. I’m sorry to see Unearth suspended, I very much enjoyed the story, the characters, the humour and the suspense so far.
I hope you’ll find an outlet for your creative ideas somewhere else (or perhaps here!)and I wish you best of luck with whatever comes next.
Nooooooooooooo! So sorry to hear you’ve had to make that decision. Like everyone else has already said so well, I will miss this story very much.
Matthew, you are an excellent artist and storyteller, funny ,smart, and talented. I wish you great success, and I hope that the stars align in the future so that you can continue this labor of love in some fashion. Reading this has been a highlight of my week for years.
Also, this epic cliffhanger is too, too cruel. I know in my heart that Charlie will save Philo. Somehow.
The next 10 panels were going to be an Epic Charlie vs. Sobek dino-fighting throw-down and we’re going to miss it!? That’s the way I’m going to imagine it happened.
This seems like a metaphor to me. The men are the readership, and Philo is the artist. Philo has built an elaborate and wonderful machine to take the men on a great adventure. But things have *not exactly* gone as planned, and now that he needs them most, the men have abandoned ship 🙁
Now we just need Charlie to come and save the day!
Oh! No! Oh! Dear! I am terribly sorry for you, your few readers and, I admit, myself. My Mondays (that occasionally slip to Tuesdays) will feel as though they are missing something. Having said all that, I personally found Unearth brilliant and witty, full of interesting characters. and with a fresh take on past form of dialogue. I will not beg you to take it up again, though I really hope that one day you will, as that is your decision, but I will thank you for months of brilliant entertainment.
Thank you.
As I posted on Facebook, this is a real loss to those of us who like this unique strip. I wish that there were something we could do to make you change your mind, but this clearly not the case. Sometimes truly orignal visions like yours don’t catch on with the large market. Too bad. I really wanted to see what the course of this was going to be. It would have been one hell of a ride! Thank you anyway for all of the effort!
Webcomics are a pretty much thankless task. I enjoy them and greatly admire the people to make them (and this one is definitely on the the very best), but I would never be able to do something like this myself.
I would suggest putting up the pages one by one on webtoons or similar, and perhaps you will get enough steam up to start again after a hiatus.
I like the idea of making the pages available on other sites. I’ve done that in a couple of other places (tapastic & comicrocket), but neither have attracted more than a tiny handful of readers. I’ll check out webtoons. Thanks!
Sad news. 🙁 Would you consider at least putting scripts of the next few strips up so we can find out how Philo gets out of this predicament? (The point of cliffhangers, after all, is to bring people back for the next installment — if there’s not going to be a next installment, it kind of defeats the purpose.)
Also, how long do you expect the website to stay up?
Monday mornings just won’t be the same. Hard to believe readership dwindled considering the wonderful story line you were presenting. And yes, good luck in all that you do!
Have you considered putting the entire story, prequel and all, into a graphic novel form? Amazon and others print on demand, I think. I’d buy several and I wager many others would as well.
I don’t know how to explain the dwindling readership, but it is what it is.
The whole thing was conceived as a graphic novel, and the print-on-demand edition of The Prologue is on Amazon right now. Of course in the 2 years it’s been available, it has sold less than two dozen copies 🙁
Must be the Brexit. Who wants to hear anything more from that sorry island?
I’m so very sorry that you had to end the story. Wish you good luck for your future!
Mondays won’t be the same anymore. (Has to be led away, sniffling.)
I could have sworn that things posted on the first day of Ap..(COUGH COUGH)..ugust were just big jokes on the readership! 😉
As they say, All Good Things Come To An End, (And if I knew who said it, boy would we have words!) but I’ll genuinely miss this silly comic. Thanks for all the laughs and stories and good luck with everything. Just remember to pick up a proper English butler (and a noble lord’s wealth!) somewhere along the way in your travels! 🙂
P.S. If ever in the hazy future you do decide to pick up where you left off, count me in for the ride. I don’t think I’m points leader on Facepalm Awards yet (shakes fist angrily, especially at Thorin Schmidt, Number 6, and Wintermute) and I can’t just leave things as they’re standing! 😡 😛 😉
I’ve done some research on the Facepalm standings, and Thorin is definitely on top.
But, Petaybee, you’ve also put up respectable numbers! So, here’s one for the road:
I’m disappointed, but do what you have to. I should have done more to share it, and maybe I will. It may be over, but it was a fun ride while it lasted, and I’d like more people to experience that. I’m just used to no-one I could share it with caring about webcomics much.
Hi Nezumi. Thanks for commenting, and for reading 🙂
The sharing thing has been an interesting void. In the course of 4 years of weekly posts, I can find little trace of Unearth being mentioned or shared in social media or in online discussions. There have been no reviews or media recommendations that I can find. Unearth doesn’t seem to have grown ‘organically’ at all. 🙁
It’s possible that all your readers are technophobic Luddites like myself who avoid all social media like the plague. It would seem to go along naturally with our whole interest in a story based around steam power, cavemen, and dinosaurs.
Sorry Mvandinter, I do not work for a publishing company. I am retired from work and living on a pension. As for extravagant compliments, you may think so but I do not think most of those who enjoy your work would think so.
And I am sorry Luces that this is another post from that sorry island! Mind you, the way things are going I tend to agree with your description!
Hi Dave!
Let me declare my sincere fondness for “That sorry island”! If you couldn’t tell, a large part of the webcomic grew out of my love of British history and English literature. I also spent six lovely months in London where I evidently contracted Mad Cow Disease 😉
I suspected that a source for Unearth material was Victorian England and I am glad you enjoyed your stay in London.
One thing I really enjoyed about Unearth (apart from the witty dialogue) was the way it completely avoided veering towards Steam Punk but stayed true to the eccentric inventor aristocratic explorer with a butler who put many an unflappable hero to shame.
Well, this is a sad “how d’ye do” to mark my return to Internet Land. In truth, this is one of my very favorite webcomics (returned to multiple times each week in order to read the comments); I always felt quite sorry that you didn’t seem to be on any of the “vote for your favorite comics” lists, as voting and word-of-mouth are about the only ways I can support my favorites at the moment (although I did purchase your prologue book and am very sad to learn that there won’t be any others to put alongside it in the bookcase).
At any rate, I do understand that it takes a lot of work to make a webcomic, and if one is not independently wealthy (meaning pretty much all of us), it gets difficult to justify the amount of time spent on it when it’s not paying one back. Still, I do hope that someday you’ll find yourself in a position to continue it, whether you continue it all by yourself, find an artist to work with, or put it in another form (perhaps just write it out as a novel rather than a comic . . . although I know that takes a lot of work too). My point is that I’ve really enjoyed reading your work, and I really, really want to know who that scantily clad girl with the great hair at top of the page is; I’m seriously disappointed that we never got to meet her, after seeing her picture for so many years.
So I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and I’ll keep a small hope alight in my heart that at some point, this will again be one of those endeavors.
Also, (because I think I forgot to say this in spite of all my wordiness), thank you!
Ikwig, thanks for your contributions over the years!
While you don’t have the most comments in Unearth history, you may be in the running for the highest wordcount 🙂
Like some others (okay, I haven’t read all the comments, but I’m sure it wasn’t just that one person), I’m sorry for not making donations or contributing words of compliment, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the comic and I’m sorry to see it finish prematurely. I check every day and will continue to…just in case!
Well, poop! I’m just getting reading ny favorite comics after having to quit for a year, and now here’s another one going away. I’m truly sorry that readership has dwindled, it’s a great comic. I don’t comment as a rule (just barely have time to read them some days), but I will miss this one in particular as it was just too funny! Best of luck on the next thing, and I will look for the novel on Amazon for my next month’s book purchase.
It is difficult to add to the previous posts about how much we regret the end of Unearth.
What I did not realize is the large gap in time perception between author and readership. In my case, I had the impression that the story was just beginning, even if I am aware of the quite large number of pages already up. After the prelude which introduced many characters that we may never end knowing, I felt like the story was just starting in earnest now, while the author begins to get tired of not having more success.
So, what to say? Sorry to have failed to pass the message of how wonderful I found your universe and your drawing and maybe it is just a See you later.
Hi Marc, thanks for reading! I get what you mean about the perception gap, but “tired of not having more success” makes the decision to suspend the comic sound trivial. It was a hard decision that I’ve been agonizing over for a long time. It’s a big time commitment to produce a high-quality page almost every week for 4 years, and prioritizing that time gets harder to justify when the regular readership is abandoning ship (dropping by 85% over the last 18 months). There was never a large audience, but there are fewer readers now then there were on page 16 of the Prologue. I can take a hint.
I’ve been reading since the very beginning. Definitely sorry to see you go. Your story was one of the things I looked forward to every Monday.
I was looking forward to seeing Alice and Philo become better human beings, to seeing the captain getting eaten, to seeing Charlie have the time of her life.
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years. I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I have really enjoyed the comic. I’m sorry to see it go. Good luck in the future!
Ahh geez. I am really going to miss this story, the author, and all the readership. Of course I’ve been too busy to have checked in (training and start of school), so who knows if anyone will see this comment.
Technically, yes. If I comment on every comment – including my own – I could create a pocket of comment instability that would tear a rift in the Space-Time Continuum in which Unearth could exist in an endless time loop.
Man, I go for just a few strips without commenting, and the whole Unearth shuts down! Seriously, though, despite my lack of commenting, I really will miss Unearth, hopefully you’ll find the opportunity to continue it in at least some format at some point in the future. It would be a shame for the story to never get told. (Particularly now that it has dinosaurs, the lack of which must surely have been the only thing holding it back.)
At least I have my (now priceless Limited Edition) Unearth Prologue Real-Life Paper Copy Book to preserve for future generations, although it seems lonely without any companions to go with it.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, Happy Napoleon’s Birthday! (and any other birthdays which might fall on the same day)
Then you must stop checking this comic! ….since apparently Marc Luzietti checking is what keeps webcomics from starting back up! 😉
Unless that’s only true for that other comic, and in reality me checking back is what keeps Unearth from restarting?! But if I don’t check, then I won’t know if it starts back up, and if I do I will forever be crushed under this horrible burden of guilt! Arrrgh!
I was just logging in and getting ready to ask the same thing!
So, is it a mark of our devotion that we keep checking in? I do, just to see if any new comments have been made. If new content were to magically appear I don’t know what I would do.
Maybe it’s loyalty?
Our is it just that we are sad pathetic people with no lives who somehow managed to find meaning by vicariously experiencing the life and drama of these fictitious characters? And who now delayed cling to the remaining flotsam of reader comments in a desperate attempt to hold off the impeding return to our pointless, pitiful, lives?
I’m going to pick choice#1 from your list: Fan(atical) Devotion.
Good news! We’ve broken the 100 comment barrier on this post! What say we go for 200? Or would that just imply that choice#2 above is the correct option? 🙁
I think it is probably nearer loyalty than anything else. Think of it as not only a tribute to the artist but also to the people who added to the comic with their frequently witty remarks.
One thing I regret is not finding out who the 5th avatar from the left is, how she impacts Charlotte and Philo’s relationship, and which is worse (better?) Her Highness or Charlotte.
I’m still actually speculating on how they escape from the current beastie. My guess is, that Philo escapes by leaving it in the hands of the butler. Who, being one of England’s most Supreme and accomplished butlers, send it packing with a few well-placed blows using techniques he picked up during his misspent youth under the tutelage of 1 Samuel Vimes.
Godfrey explains to the dino that it would be above its station for a common dino such as itself it to be devouring an aristocrat and the dino retreats in shame.
(If it were a T-Rex, on the other hand, it would be acceptable. The “Rex” entitles it to eat aristocracy. This one appears to be a Gorgosaurus, as I seem to recall the file name of its icon was “gorgo.jpg”)
To be fair, Charlie does have the more attractive personality of the two. By a large margin. Can I get someone with Charlie’s personality and Alice’s appearance?
Speaking of Charlotte, I wouldn’t be surprised if rather than Godfrey solving the problem, Charlotte walks up, takes a ribbon out of her hair uses it as a sling and hits the dino in the face with a rock
If we’re placing bets, I’m going to go with the mysterious unnamed pterodactyl-riding girl from the top-banner swooping in for a last minute rescue from the dino. She looks like the kind of girl who enjoys fighting dinosaurs as a hobby.
Also, I think her name is Jane! (from the file name of her icon at the bottom of the page)
I had considered our paleolithic plumber/shoe-fetishist as a possibility, but he seemed like he was pretty far behind Charlie, and Charlie was still so far away they needed a spyglass to identify her, so I don’t think Philo can wait that long. By the time he caught up, the only thing left of our intrepid heroes might be their shoes! (Not that plumber-boy would mind that)
Instead of lamenting the loss of a great comic, maybe we can think of a way to bring it back. Anyone have any ideas on how to bring traffic to the site? If we can recruit enough fresh eyes, maybe Mr. Van Dinter with make with the funnies again.
Recommendations from other Webcartoonists seems to be a pretty good way of increasing traffic. (I suspect that’s how I found Unearth originally.) And a good way to get those other artists to make the recommendation is to do some guest art for them. So…care to try your hand drawing some tribute art/strips for other sites?
Unearth was recommended to me by a friend who knows my taste in comics and humor. I have frequently recommended it to friends myself.
Maybe if we contacted the folk producing other web comics we liked and mentioned Unearth to them with comments like “Your comic is great! Right up there with Unearth!” but probably more subtle.
I notice that The Din is looking for guest comics, with three weeks left before the deadline. *hinthint*
For those not familiar with The Din, ( http://www.dincomic.com/ ) it takes place long after an event called The Big Assault, wherein most forms of technology began to emit a fatal sound. Not being able to discover the cause of the noise, humanity was forced to give up electronics, and all advanced forms of technology are looked upon with fear and suspicion, as well as the significant number of people suffering mutations that cause their hair and nails to rapidly grow.
It’s in this setting that the comic mostly follows a lad who is obsessed with bringing back flying machines, despite the fact that even just wanting to resurrect that technology to the point of what the Wright brothers had achieved could get him branded an enemy of the totalitarian state he lives in.
Well at least you left off with a hearty hail-and-farewell. That’s better that the ones who just suddenly drop off the earth without a word so for all you know they could be curled up dead in a corner somewhere being nibbled by cats.
(I’m one of those that like to take in comics in large doses every so often so I’m only just getting the news. If I’d known you needed a signal boost I’d have spread the word. Still can, come to that.)
What? Noooo this can’t be true. This comic is too good to deserve any form of hiatus. (Not again, and a more severe one this time). The writing is witty and interesting, the art is impressive and very detailed and the comment section always made me laugh.
I didn’t check it every monday but I made sure of coming back every few pages and it never failed to entertain.
I wish I could have done something to keep it going but it’s not like I have many friends that can read english or have an interest in webcomics. I’m also one of those not-luddites that just hate social media. Still… I seriously hope you’ll overcome this problem and amass the readership this comic rightfully deserves, mr. Van Dinter.
I’d like to know if van Dinter will tell us how Philo escapes. I’m thinking the pteranodon-riding girl will swoop in. I also was thinking that she, unlike Malice, would appreciate Philo’s intellect, thus setting up an interesting triangle. Since Malice won’t tolerate anyone invading her territory, much less having the gall to actually LIKE Philo…
No, no, no – don’t tell me! Telling would be as much as admitting that the hiatus is permanent! Don’t destroy my tiny flimsy spiderweb-filament-like shred of hope! 😮
What?! It’s not like I still check these comments every day! OK, maybe I do….
That’s Alice, Alice! Not Malice!
I can’t understand why no-one likes a strong woman with excellent homicidal tendencies. To say nothing of her eye arrows!
Exactly, if I have to pick which one I do NOT want mad at me, it’s Charlie, hands down. I don’t check this site daily, but I do check it fairly often, myself. 🙂
Still checking comments? Certainly not! What kind of nut would do something like that?
(I’ve actually tried to comment a number of times but it seems to frequently have comments turned off to block spam, or so it says. I suspect that for some odd reason mvandinter doesn’t want to spend several hours a day manually filtering out spam comments any more. Imagine that!)
That is distressing news. Thank you for the unique vision you presented, and best of luck in your future endeavors.
Thanks for saying so. I appreciate the good wishes 🙂
Nooo! Don’t just leave them hanging there!!
Of course leave them hanging there! Stories should always end on a cliffhanger, shouldn’t they?
No, they should not.
That’s a shame, I really enjoyed the the story so far. Best of luck in your future endeavours!
Thanks 🙂 It is a shame that this vast, epic story is back to being stuck in my head with no means of escape.
I admit I’m one of those annoying people who read Unearth every time an update popped up in my comic feed but otherwise didn’t do anything (monetary or otherwise) to express my gratitude and appreciation for your sharing of your imagination.
So, perhaps too late, but while I can’t fault you for making the decision to draw the line here, I just want to say that Unearth will be missed. Your distinctive coloring style, art, setting, characters, and acerbic banter are quite unique and also quite good, and I hope you find success somewhere with it.
I appreciate the feedback very much, and don’t fret about the other stuff. The real issue is the dwindling readership stats. Instead of picking up an audience over time, Unearth readership has been on a slow, steady decline for over two years 🙁
My Monday’s just got a lot less fun.
Very much enjoyed it. Hope you change your mind someday/somehow.
Thank you.
I’ll miss Mondays too 🙁
I’m saddened by this, but I hope that life, the universe, and everything gets better for you in due course. Stay well, hear?
I love your avatar, Alice! Wait! You’re ‘Alice’? I have a strange fondness for that name 😉
Hate to hear it. I’ve enjoyed following the story. Best of luck to you.
Hi feralcat. Thanks for reading for… over two years (based on your comment history). Thanks!
Hey, where’s your Major Award? Oh, here it is:
Thanks! And thank you for having a link to my “The Ksixi Chronicles” on your site all this time. Definitely appreciated!
Oh no!
I wish you the best.
Unearth has been so enjoyable. You said suspended, not cancelled. Is there a glimmer of hope that you will return? I’m clinging to it.
There is always a possibility that I might make more pages just because I want to put the story on ‘paper’. Weekly updates are about building an audience of regular readers, but after 4 years, that mythical beast is seeming like pure fantasy. The more posts I put up, the fewer readers I have.
In the hope of that possibility of irregular updates from time to time just because you might want to get the story on ‘paper’ — I’m glad that interested readers can be subscribed by RSS feed. If more pages happen once in a while, we could get the notice.
Best blessings to you and yours!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Thomas 🙂
You know, you’re the one who got me to restructure the Archive!
I’m glad to hear from an RSS feed reader! I’m afraid the view referral stats for the RSS feed are abysmal these days. So, I don’t know how many will notice if I add new pages.
Sorry to read your decision to end this story. It has been one of my favorites with such interesting characters.
However, whatever has driven your decision, I wish you every success in the future and hope you look back on this work with great pride and satisfaction.
There are many many who are not able or willing to take on such a great enterprise as a comic story, and those who do – whatever the outcome deserve praise and thanks from their audience.
Thank you
I appreciate that, George. Thanks.
Aw. I do hope one fine day the updates (whether at weekly schedule, at another schedule, or irregular with no schedule at all) will resume. Meanwhile, do know that I, too, have very much enjoyed the comic so far. And the witty comments of other readers. And the occasional awards you grated in the comments section. Thank you.
Be well!
das-g! Thanks for sticking with the comic over the years. Your comments helped keep me motivated 🙂
Oh, and you deserve one of these too! Thanks!
Nooooooooooooooo! 🙁 😮 🙁 😮 🙁 😮 🙁 😮
Well, at least it didn’t end on a cliffhanger with the hero in immediate mortal danger….
Fortunately it’s only “suspended indefinitely” and not “cancelled permanently”. Those two things are different, right?
*makes puppy-dog eyes*
Congratulations and condolences, Number 6!
NEARLY 200 COMMENTS just since 2015!!! Yikes.
“suspended indefinitely” is The Curse of Hope… for you and for me 😉
Oooh, a Major Award! And probably the Last One too, so especially valuable! It must be the puppy dog eyes, that always gets ’em. 🙂
I’ve seen some strips when they go on ‘indefinite suspension’ collect an email list to notify dedicated readers if, I mean WHEN, they eventually return. Maybe that’s too much hopefulness?
Well, speaking of cynical (as in your comment below): I’m dubious about an email list. After the failed Kickstarter, I put up an email sign-up form for anyone interested in buying a Print-on-Demand edition of Unearth: The Prologue. Based on the response, I spent a month putting together the book, priced it as low as I could, and sent emails to everyone who signed up. A grand total of 11 people actually ordered the book that year. Eleven = Cynical.
Well, that’s certainly understandable ( and appropriately cynical 😉 ) I’m afraid I was never much of a paper-media person myself either. Rest assured, however, that if I ever win that powerball lotto, I’m signing up for the 2-grand-a-month Patreon level, so that’s a slightly-more-than-zero chance, right? (Also, when I win, there’s several other prematurely-ended webcomics I’m bringing back, as well as a number of cancelled TV shows I liked. See, unlike some people, I’m going to use my lotto winnings for critically important stuff that makes society better!)
On a slightly more realistic note – how should we keep track of the small chance of an Unearth revival? I assume you’re not going to keep paying hosting fees to keep this address alive?
I got one of them. Guess I better hang onto it. Hopefully we will get to see the rest of the story someday.
Oh no! This is one of the most original comics out there. And you were just about to get to the bit with the scantily-clad young lady that would have been bound to up the readership.
I hope you’ll make a note of everyone’s email and let us know if you reconsider.
Funnily enough, The Heart of the Hollow World, the other webcomic dealing with c19th explorers drilling down to a subterranean world also seems to have stopped updating, even though it has a much higher quota of scantily-clad young ladies. Could this be a conspiracy by the mole-people? Or possibly the French?
The French definitely had something to do with the demise of Unearth… in that I dreaded having to write dialogue in French once we meet Napoleon’s expeditionary force (trapped underground for years).
As for originality: It’s an odd notion. Unearth is a synthesis of old and new, but it’s not part of any current zeitgeist (that I know of), which is probably why it never went viral or found a sizable audience.
Oh, and, Sturzkampf, THANKS FOR READING AND COMMENTING since 2014!
Original and intelligent, there’s your problem right there. The audience for that is pretty small. The public hates that sort of thing. You can call me cynical, but that’s not the same as saying I’m wrong. As the prosecuting attorney, I offer up all of popular entertainment as exhibit “A”, and most of the internet as Exhibit “B” for evidence. Give ’em trite, repetitive, formulaic, and simple every time. And bewbs. I hear that works too. So really, Alice, this is *your* fault, you’re just not showing off enough. :p
(Sorry, I just had to get one last dig in at (m)Alice.)
That is sad news. As Malcolm said. My Mondays are going to be less fun. Good luck on your future endeavors!
Thanks, W Murphy, for reading and commenting since nearly the beginning!
Nooooo, don’t go! Reboot yourself somewhere like hiveworks and get better promotion. You’ll surely become famous, you’re too good for this ignominious dwindling.
Hi JuaSaysHi 🙂
I don’t know know that I even aspire to being famous, but you’re on the mark with the ‘ignominious dwindling’. I’m dubious about Unearth fitting in with Hivework’s repertoire. Still, I probably should have tried way back when Unearth met their submission requirements, which it doesn’t at the moment.
Thanks for the kind words!
I’m not sure there’s anything more to add that has not been mentioned before. I’m sorry to see Unearth suspended, I very much enjoyed the story, the characters, the humour and the suspense so far.
I hope you’ll find an outlet for your creative ideas somewhere else (or perhaps here!)and I wish you best of luck with whatever comes next.
Thanks for the kind words, JED! It’s much appreciated 🙂
Nooooooooooooo! So sorry to hear you’ve had to make that decision. Like everyone else has already said so well, I will miss this story very much.
Matthew, you are an excellent artist and storyteller, funny ,smart, and talented. I wish you great success, and I hope that the stars align in the future so that you can continue this labor of love in some fashion. Reading this has been a highlight of my week for years.
Also, this epic cliffhanger is too, too cruel. I know in my heart that Charlie will save Philo. Somehow.
A well-earned award, wintermute!
NEARLY 200 COMMENTS going back to 2013!!! Thanks for reading, supporting, encouraging, and sticking with it!
As for the cliffhanger, well, that’s just petty cruelty on my part. I will tell you, though, your heart is on the right track 😉
The next 10 panels were going to be an Epic Charlie vs. Sobek dino-fighting throw-down and we’re going to miss it!? That’s the way I’m going to imagine it happened.
This seems like a metaphor to me. The men are the readership, and Philo is the artist. Philo has built an elaborate and wonderful machine to take the men on a great adventure. But things have *not exactly* gone as planned, and now that he needs them most, the men have abandoned ship 🙁
Now we just need Charlie to come and save the day!
That’s a metaphor, alright. Not intentional on my part, though. The entire story and this scene already existed years before I drew the pictures.
Oh! No! Oh! Dear! I am terribly sorry for you, your few readers and, I admit, myself. My Mondays (that occasionally slip to Tuesdays) will feel as though they are missing something. Having said all that, I personally found Unearth brilliant and witty, full of interesting characters. and with a fresh take on past form of dialogue. I will not beg you to take it up again, though I really hope that one day you will, as that is your decision, but I will thank you for months of brilliant entertainment.
Thank you.
Thanks for the extravagant compliments, Dave! If only you worked for a publishing company… You don’t, do you?
As I posted on Facebook, this is a real loss to those of us who like this unique strip. I wish that there were something we could do to make you change your mind, but this clearly not the case. Sometimes truly orignal visions like yours don’t catch on with the large market. Too bad. I really wanted to see what the course of this was going to be. It would have been one hell of a ride! Thank you anyway for all of the effort!
teb1013, are you by any chance a talented comic artist? If you (or anybody else) wanted to do the art, I’d be happy to write the rest of the story!!!
Webcomics are a pretty much thankless task. I enjoy them and greatly admire the people to make them (and this one is definitely on the the very best), but I would never be able to do something like this myself.
I would suggest putting up the pages one by one on webtoons or similar, and perhaps you will get enough steam up to start again after a hiatus.
I like the idea of making the pages available on other sites. I’ve done that in a couple of other places (tapastic & comicrocket), but neither have attracted more than a tiny handful of readers. I’ll check out webtoons. Thanks!
Sad news. 🙁 Would you consider at least putting scripts of the next few strips up so we can find out how Philo gets out of this predicament? (The point of cliffhangers, after all, is to bring people back for the next installment — if there’s not going to be a next installment, it kind of defeats the purpose.)
Also, how long do you expect the website to stay up?
Not only have you been a long time reader and frequent commenter, Wyvern, you’ve also been a great proof reader! Thanks!
About the website: I don’t have any plans to take it down, and it’s paid up for another two years.
About the cliffhanger: In truth, I stopped on that page not because it was a cliffhanger, but because there was finally a big “dinosaur” on screen!
Glad to hear I have plenty of time to save copies of the archived strips to my hard drive! 🙂
I’d still like to know how you were planning on getting them out of that pickle, though.
Great comic.
Oh… wait, what? that wasn’t long enough??
Four years of work for a 20-30 minute read. That’s a kick in the head, for sure 🙂
Monday mornings just won’t be the same. Hard to believe readership dwindled considering the wonderful story line you were presenting. And yes, good luck in all that you do!
Have you considered putting the entire story, prequel and all, into a graphic novel form? Amazon and others print on demand, I think. I’d buy several and I wager many others would as well.
Just a thought. The best to you!
Hi Vince! Thanks for the kind words.
I don’t know how to explain the dwindling readership, but it is what it is.
The whole thing was conceived as a graphic novel, and the print-on-demand edition of The Prologue is on Amazon right now. Of course in the 2 years it’s been available, it has sold less than two dozen copies 🙁
Must be the Brexit. Who wants to hear anything more from that sorry island?
I’m so very sorry that you had to end the story. Wish you good luck for your future!
Mondays won’t be the same anymore. (Has to be led away, sniffling.)
Thanks for being such a great supporter of Unearth, Luces!
Damn Brexit! I should have known it was at fault 😉 Thanks for giving me someone to blame besides myself!
I could have sworn that things posted on the first day of Ap..(COUGH COUGH)..ugust were just big jokes on the readership! 😉
As they say, All Good Things Come To An End, (And if I knew who said it, boy would we have words!) but I’ll genuinely miss this silly comic. Thanks for all the laughs and stories and good luck with everything. Just remember to pick up a proper English butler (and a noble lord’s wealth!) somewhere along the way in your travels! 🙂
P.S. If ever in the hazy future you do decide to pick up where you left off, count me in for the ride. I don’t think I’m points leader on Facepalm Awards yet (shakes fist angrily, especially at Thorin Schmidt, Number 6, and Wintermute) and I can’t just leave things as they’re standing! 😡 😛 😉
Thanks for being a great contributor over the years, Petaybee!
Thanks also for pointing out that the whole comic is silly, which I take as a compliment 🙂
I’ve done some research on the Facepalm standings, and Thorin is definitely on top.
But, Petaybee, you’ve also put up respectable numbers! So, here’s one for the road:
Woo! I’ll proudly wear this Major Facepalm Award atop my head like the albatross it is! 😀
Aw, well it was fun while it lasted 🙂
Aslandus, you’ve been a great supporter with 150 comments going back to 2013!
I wish there were more like you!!!
If you have to end mid-story, ending it on a comment about abandoning ship is an appropriate place to do it…
That’s just what I was thinking.
I’m disappointed, but do what you have to. I should have done more to share it, and maybe I will. It may be over, but it was a fun ride while it lasted, and I’d like more people to experience that. I’m just used to no-one I could share it with caring about webcomics much.
Hi Nezumi. Thanks for commenting, and for reading 🙂
The sharing thing has been an interesting void. In the course of 4 years of weekly posts, I can find little trace of Unearth being mentioned or shared in social media or in online discussions. There have been no reviews or media recommendations that I can find. Unearth doesn’t seem to have grown ‘organically’ at all. 🙁
It’s possible that all your readers are technophobic Luddites like myself who avoid all social media like the plague. It would seem to go along naturally with our whole interest in a story based around steam power, cavemen, and dinosaurs.
I’m no technophobe, but I am a Luddite-sympathizer.
Sorry Mvandinter, I do not work for a publishing company. I am retired from work and living on a pension. As for extravagant compliments, you may think so but I do not think most of those who enjoy your work would think so.
And I am sorry Luces that this is another post from that sorry island! Mind you, the way things are going I tend to agree with your description!
Hi Dave!
Let me declare my sincere fondness for “That sorry island”! If you couldn’t tell, a large part of the webcomic grew out of my love of British history and English literature. I also spent six lovely months in London where I evidently contracted Mad Cow Disease 😉
I suspected that a source for Unearth material was Victorian England and I am glad you enjoyed your stay in London.
One thing I really enjoyed about Unearth (apart from the witty dialogue) was the way it completely avoided veering towards Steam Punk but stayed true to the eccentric inventor aristocratic explorer with a butler who put many an unflappable hero to shame.
Well, this is a sad “how d’ye do” to mark my return to Internet Land. In truth, this is one of my very favorite webcomics (returned to multiple times each week in order to read the comments); I always felt quite sorry that you didn’t seem to be on any of the “vote for your favorite comics” lists, as voting and word-of-mouth are about the only ways I can support my favorites at the moment (although I did purchase your prologue book and am very sad to learn that there won’t be any others to put alongside it in the bookcase).
At any rate, I do understand that it takes a lot of work to make a webcomic, and if one is not independently wealthy (meaning pretty much all of us), it gets difficult to justify the amount of time spent on it when it’s not paying one back. Still, I do hope that someday you’ll find yourself in a position to continue it, whether you continue it all by yourself, find an artist to work with, or put it in another form (perhaps just write it out as a novel rather than a comic . . . although I know that takes a lot of work too). My point is that I’ve really enjoyed reading your work, and I really, really want to know who that scantily clad girl with the great hair at top of the page is; I’m seriously disappointed that we never got to meet her, after seeing her picture for so many years.
So I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and I’ll keep a small hope alight in my heart that at some point, this will again be one of those endeavors.
Also, (because I think I forgot to say this in spite of all my wordiness), thank you!
Ikwig, thanks for your contributions over the years!
While you don’t have the most comments in Unearth history, you may be in the running for the highest wordcount 🙂
Like some others (okay, I haven’t read all the comments, but I’m sure it wasn’t just that one person), I’m sorry for not making donations or contributing words of compliment, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the comic and I’m sorry to see it finish prematurely. I check every day and will continue to…just in case!
Oh and best of luck for the future and all your endeavours; I don’t know how I forgot that part!
Well, poop! I’m just getting reading ny favorite comics after having to quit for a year, and now here’s another one going away. I’m truly sorry that readership has dwindled, it’s a great comic. I don’t comment as a rule (just barely have time to read them some days), but I will miss this one in particular as it was just too funny! Best of luck on the next thing, and I will look for the novel on Amazon for my next month’s book purchase.
It is difficult to add to the previous posts about how much we regret the end of Unearth.
What I did not realize is the large gap in time perception between author and readership. In my case, I had the impression that the story was just beginning, even if I am aware of the quite large number of pages already up. After the prelude which introduced many characters that we may never end knowing, I felt like the story was just starting in earnest now, while the author begins to get tired of not having more success.
So, what to say? Sorry to have failed to pass the message of how wonderful I found your universe and your drawing and maybe it is just a See you later.
Hi Marc, thanks for reading! I get what you mean about the perception gap, but “tired of not having more success” makes the decision to suspend the comic sound trivial. It was a hard decision that I’ve been agonizing over for a long time. It’s a big time commitment to produce a high-quality page almost every week for 4 years, and prioritizing that time gets harder to justify when the regular readership is abandoning ship (dropping by 85% over the last 18 months). There was never a large audience, but there are fewer readers now then there were on page 16 of the Prologue. I can take a hint.
I’ve been reading since the very beginning. Definitely sorry to see you go. Your story was one of the things I looked forward to every Monday.
I was looking forward to seeing Alice and Philo become better human beings, to seeing the captain getting eaten, to seeing Charlie have the time of her life.
I was looking forward to those same things… and dinosaurs.
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years. I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I have really enjoyed the comic. I’m sorry to see it go. Good luck in the future!
Thanks, Scoutinthenight, for scouting in the night for obscure webcomics 🙂
Ahh geez. I am really going to miss this story, the author, and all the readership. Of course I’ve been too busy to have checked in (training and start of school), so who knows if anyone will see this comment.
Nuts.
Sauron sees your comment, Thorin, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror, King under the Mountain.
As long as we keep commenting, it’s not really over, right? 😉
Technically, yes. If I comment on every comment – including my own – I could create a pocket of comment instability that would tear a rift in the Space-Time Continuum in which Unearth could exist in an endless time loop.
Totally worth it.
I’m also going to miss the chance to earn any more Facebook awards… I was hoping to build a little fort out of them someday…
Oh my god. Facepalm, not Facebook! Rassafrassin autocorrect!
Your wish is granted:
Throrin, not only are you the TOP COMMENTER with nearly 300 comments, you are also the KING OF THE FACEPALM HILL:
“Hail to the king, baby.” -Ash
“It’s good to be the king” – Mel Brooks
Haha 🙂 Great, now I have to go watch History of the World, Part I again.
Man, I go for just a few strips without commenting, and the whole Unearth shuts down! Seriously, though, despite my lack of commenting, I really will miss Unearth, hopefully you’ll find the opportunity to continue it in at least some format at some point in the future. It would be a shame for the story to never get told. (Particularly now that it has dinosaurs, the lack of which must surely have been the only thing holding it back.)
At least I have my (now priceless Limited Edition) Unearth Prologue Real-Life Paper Copy Book to preserve for future generations, although it seems lonely without any companions to go with it.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, Happy Napoleon’s Birthday! (and any other birthdays which might fall on the same day)
(Note that, despite the timestamp on my above post, it is August 15th right now where I am located.)
Ed8!?! After nearly 200 comments, then 2 years without a word, I’d assumed you’d died in some ironic manner. It’s good to know you’re still alive!
We didn’t have Facepalm awards back in your day, but I’m sure you would have won a ton.
Who else still checks in to see if he’s changed his mind?
http://www.allnightcomic.com/ didn’t have any updates for *A YEAR AND A HALF!*
She started reposting the week I stopped checking.
Oh yes. Hope springs eternal!
Then you must stop checking this comic! ….since apparently Marc Luzietti checking is what keeps webcomics from starting back up! 😉
Unless that’s only true for that other comic, and in reality me checking back is what keeps Unearth from restarting?! But if I don’t check, then I won’t know if it starts back up, and if I do I will forever be crushed under this horrible burden of guilt! Arrrgh!
I was just logging in and getting ready to ask the same thing!
So, is it a mark of our devotion that we keep checking in? I do, just to see if any new comments have been made. If new content were to magically appear I don’t know what I would do.
Maybe it’s loyalty?
Our is it just that we are sad pathetic people with no lives who somehow managed to find meaning by vicariously experiencing the life and drama of these fictitious characters? And who now delayed cling to the remaining flotsam of reader comments in a desperate attempt to hold off the impeding return to our pointless, pitiful, lives?
I’m going to pick choice#1 from your list: Fan(atical) Devotion.
Good news! We’ve broken the 100 comment barrier on this post! What say we go for 200? Or would that just imply that choice#2 above is the correct option? 🙁
I… Actually don’t care which one it would mean… I wonder if van dinter is still checking this?
200 comments would be awesome!
I’m still checking the comments, and 200 comments would be something… I’m not sure what, but definitely something.
I think it is probably nearer loyalty than anything else. Think of it as not only a tribute to the artist but also to the people who added to the comic with their frequently witty remarks.
Hmmm
delayed => desperately
Impeding => impending
Stupid autocorrect!
Ah autocorrect, when have you ever failed to turn eloquence into exasperation.
And don’t even get me started on your cousin autofill.
One thing I regret is not finding out who the 5th avatar from the left is, how she impacts Charlotte and Philo’s relationship, and which is worse (better?) Her Highness or Charlotte.
I’m still actually speculating on how they escape from the current beastie. My guess is, that Philo escapes by leaving it in the hands of the butler. Who, being one of England’s most Supreme and accomplished butlers, send it packing with a few well-placed blows using techniques he picked up during his misspent youth under the tutelage of 1 Samuel Vimes.
I think you could really do with assistance from Delphine Angua von Überwald
Godfrey explains to the dino that it would be above its station for a common dino such as itself it to be devouring an aristocrat and the dino retreats in shame.
(If it were a T-Rex, on the other hand, it would be acceptable. The “Rex” entitles it to eat aristocracy. This one appears to be a Gorgosaurus, as I seem to recall the file name of its icon was “gorgo.jpg”)
Oh – also – I’m really crushing on Charlotte. (!)
*Alice glares with stern disapproval and hostility at @Malcom at the interest in her sister*
Watch out! She’s preparing to launch the eye-arrows!!
Alice, Alice! I meant Alice! I really did! Nooooooo! (The eye arrows of millions are piercing my virtual self!)
If only! That would mean there were millions of readers, and then Unearth wouldn’t be indefinitely suspended! 🙁
Also: *Philo is stares at @Malcom dumbfounded and amazed that anyone would actually crush on (M)Alice of all people!*
Eye arrows? No, but I bet there are a few of these:
0_o
To be fair, Charlie does have the more attractive personality of the two. By a large margin. Can I get someone with Charlie’s personality and Alice’s appearance?
Speaking of Charlotte, I wouldn’t be surprised if rather than Godfrey solving the problem, Charlotte walks up, takes a ribbon out of her hair uses it as a sling and hits the dino in the face with a rock
If we’re placing bets, I’m going to go with the mysterious unnamed pterodactyl-riding girl from the top-banner swooping in for a last minute rescue from the dino. She looks like the kind of girl who enjoys fighting dinosaurs as a hobby.
Also, I think her name is Jane! (from the file name of her icon at the bottom of the page)
Or possibly plumber-boy… We know he is already tracking them….
I had considered our paleolithic plumber/shoe-fetishist as a possibility, but he seemed like he was pretty far behind Charlie, and Charlie was still so far away they needed a spyglass to identify her, so I don’t think Philo can wait that long. By the time he caught up, the only thing left of our intrepid heroes might be their shoes! (Not that plumber-boy would mind that)
Instead of lamenting the loss of a great comic, maybe we can think of a way to bring it back. Anyone have any ideas on how to bring traffic to the site? If we can recruit enough fresh eyes, maybe Mr. Van Dinter with make with the funnies again.
Recommendations from other Webcartoonists seems to be a pretty good way of increasing traffic. (I suspect that’s how I found Unearth originally.) And a good way to get those other artists to make the recommendation is to do some guest art for them. So…care to try your hand drawing some tribute art/strips for other sites?
Unearth was recommended to me by a friend who knows my taste in comics and humor. I have frequently recommended it to friends myself.
Maybe if we contacted the folk producing other web comics we liked and mentioned Unearth to them with comments like “Your comic is great! Right up there with Unearth!” but probably more subtle.
I second the proposal.
I notice that The Din is looking for guest comics, with three weeks left before the deadline. *hinthint*
For those not familiar with The Din, ( http://www.dincomic.com/ ) it takes place long after an event called The Big Assault, wherein most forms of technology began to emit a fatal sound. Not being able to discover the cause of the noise, humanity was forced to give up electronics, and all advanced forms of technology are looked upon with fear and suspicion, as well as the significant number of people suffering mutations that cause their hair and nails to rapidly grow.
It’s in this setting that the comic mostly follows a lad who is obsessed with bringing back flying machines, despite the fact that even just wanting to resurrect that technology to the point of what the Wright brothers had achieved could get him branded an enemy of the totalitarian state he lives in.
Well at least you left off with a hearty hail-and-farewell. That’s better that the ones who just suddenly drop off the earth without a word so for all you know they could be curled up dead in a corner somewhere being nibbled by cats.
(I’m one of those that like to take in comics in large doses every so often so I’m only just getting the news. If I’d known you needed a signal boost I’d have spread the word. Still can, come to that.)
What? Noooo this can’t be true. This comic is too good to deserve any form of hiatus. (Not again, and a more severe one this time). The writing is witty and interesting, the art is impressive and very detailed and the comment section always made me laugh.
I didn’t check it every monday but I made sure of coming back every few pages and it never failed to entertain.
I wish I could have done something to keep it going but it’s not like I have many friends that can read english or have an interest in webcomics. I’m also one of those not-luddites that just hate social media. Still… I seriously hope you’ll overcome this problem and amass the readership this comic rightfully deserves, mr. Van Dinter.
I’d like to know if van Dinter will tell us how Philo escapes. I’m thinking the pteranodon-riding girl will swoop in. I also was thinking that she, unlike Malice, would appreciate Philo’s intellect, thus setting up an interesting triangle. Since Malice won’t tolerate anyone invading her territory, much less having the gall to actually LIKE Philo…
No, no, no – don’t tell me! Telling would be as much as admitting that the hiatus is permanent! Don’t destroy my tiny flimsy spiderweb-filament-like shred of hope! 😮
What?! It’s not like I still check these comments every day! OK, maybe I do….
If Thorin *must* know, send him an email! :p
That’s Alice, Alice! Not Malice!
I can’t understand why no-one likes a strong woman with excellent homicidal tendencies. To say nothing of her eye arrows!
It’s merely the name that her dearly beloved younger sister appointed to her! Far be it from me to disagree with anything Charlie says.
https://unearthcomic.com/prologue-page-23/
Exactly, if I have to pick which one I do NOT want mad at me, it’s Charlie, hands down. I don’t check this site daily, but I do check it fairly often, myself. 🙂
Oh, well that’s different then…
Still, she makes a great giantess and touch singer:
https://unearthcomic.com/unearth-comic-vacation/
Torch, Torch! I meant Torch singer! I really did!
I was wondering about that, but then you were crushing on *Charlotte* before (Aug 24th comment above), so I was afraid to ask! 😮
Found this and consumed all available pages!
Very good story. The art is really unique and cool.
Please consider a re-start.
Thank you.
That’s cool, a new reader! Welcome!
So is anyone else besides me still looking to see if new comments are posted?
Nope, its just you 😉
Nobody here but us crickets 😉
Strange, I never thought of wintermute as being chirpy …
Still checking comments? Certainly not! What kind of nut would do something like that?
(I’ve actually tried to comment a number of times but it seems to frequently have comments turned off to block spam, or so it says. I suspect that for some odd reason mvandinter doesn’t want to spend several hours a day manually filtering out spam comments any more. Imagine that!)
I think WordPress is the culprit, but I’ll look and see if I can come up with a workaround.
I never do (Oh Alice, I shall miss you…)