The final number of unique visitors for the sixth was 1,442, a new record. It’s hard to believe these numbers will last, but if they do, July will see over 30,000 uniques. I’m telling myself that can’t be real, or doesn’t reflect interest in the comic; but it would be foolish to ignore the possibility that it is real. That would be more than enough for something to go viral. Not a guarantee, but the stage is set.
I’ll add a vote button for Top Web Comics in the next couple days. That will be a more meaningful measure of interest in the comic, and should bring more readers in. I’ve thought about reopening my Patreon, but I wouldn’t put any paying tiers on it at this stage of the game. I’d just use it as an indicator of interest, for now.
I’ve landed a new online job that is likely better than any of the factory engineer jobs I would find around here – if I could get one at all. I may be looking at a year, or more, of 12 hour shifts as a Production Operator before getting to move over to engineering. Twelve hours a day, however many days a week the factory needs (You can go a long time with no break in that line of work. A long time.). I’d likely have to start out as a temp, making half of what I’m making now, for three months. Then I could be in a situation where the management is more interested in keeping me as a Production Operator than moving me to engineering.
I’ll finish my degree, but my plan, as of this moment, is to be doing a combination of my current online job and the comic after I graduate. I can give the comic time to keep growing, but I won’t be able to work on it much until it can be at least a part-time job. I’ve been writing the next chapter in my head, and I’d love to go full-throttle on it, but we’re not there yet.