I’ve been putting off writing this for a long time, but in the end I had to do it to give you – the reader – some kind of closure. Some kind of explanation, really.
I don’t think I can continue ABC any longer – at least, not as long as things continue to be as they are.
Why? Several reasons.
I think I made it clear at some point that, to my eternal shame, I am Lebanese. Which is one of the worst nationalities to curse your child with. Right now we are running out of fuel, electricity, medicine, education, food, and water. The country is in a death spiral, and every time we think it can’t possibly get worse, it gets worse. I cannot continue to write and draw as long as I live here.
The other reason is that ABC is going nowhere. I think I also made it clear that I hoped to publish ABC in some form. Unfortunately as the years dragged on it became obvious that that wasn’t happening either. My attempts to contact publishers failed. My attempts to contact agents failed. My attempts to contact at least one artist resulted in blatant ghosting. There’s no reason for any author or artist to collaborate with me since everything is already online – all they have to do is use my references without citing me and do their own thing, without having to burden themselves with me.
“Just do patreon or self-publish or something!” I can’t. Most crowdfunding sources don’t work here. I can’t accept any money in this country because the banks will steal it. And if I manage to escape the country, as long as I retain my garbage nationality, I won’t be able to make money outside of what the strict visa rules will allow. So that’s not happening either.
I was fine doing ABC as a hobby. But now it’s impossible to enjoy doing it anymore when I feel that both it and me have no future, and I can no longer continue doing something that I feel is completely hopeless. How long have I been doing this? Feels like forever, and yet it doesn’t feel like my audience has grown at all, like anyone cares.
So the hiatus will go on… indefinitely, I guess. Unless a miracle happens and my life improves enough that I don’t mind doing this for nothing anymore.
Until then, I’m sorry. And I hope you enjoyed this project while I was at it.