The Monster Under the Bed by Brandon Shane is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
The Monster Under the Bed
“Embrace your fear.”
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Brandon, I need to ask this because its been bugging me for a while now.
The upload schedule is spotty at best here.
Have you thought of creating a widget on the site that will keep fans updated on progress being made on pages? Create a twitter specifically for that for instance. Because the current model is only going to eventually drive people away.
especially with the flippant manner you reply to some on the subject of uploads, its not treating your fanbase with respect, mate.
What you read as flippant, I read as simply stating the facts, or joking around. I would LOVE a widget for that (I actually used to have one!) but after a wordpress update one day, it stopped working, so I had to erase it.
CURRENT STATUS FOR THOSE INTERESTED (and not following my twitter) — The rough draft is finished, but I haven’t had the time to even post a preview of THAT, because I was helping my parents clean their basement and backyard all weekend, and when I finally got home I was dead tired…. and that was my weekend… and now I have to go to work. Blaaah…
Family > fanbase. Good on you for helping them and let no one say otherwise.
Not a problem, if the site isn’t updated by Monday, I wait till next Sunday. Of could you really don’t have to sleep or earn money, right 🙂
This isn’t flippant to you? https://ibb.co/84ZGvvq
“eh, it’ll be done when its done, you better like it or lump it.” is the message I and others are getting by this attitude of yours.
People shouldn’t have to follow additional resources to know of the update to a comic that they are following , you want people to see your work, you want them to spread your work and enjoy it.
if you used to have you, why haven’t you contacted wordpress or looked out for updated code/solutions instead of removing it?
If that option isn’t available to you I will provide you with these links so that you can use the guides available.
1. https://en.support.wordpress.com/twitter/twitter-embeds/
2. https://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-embed-actual-tweets-in-wordpress-blog-posts/
A set of plugins for customer support: https://www.isitwp.com/best-wordpress-help-desk-plugins/
And of course the support feature on wordpress itself : https://en.support.wordpress.com/
I don’t care about the status of pages, Brandon. I am offering you my opinion on what WILL happen the more you do things like the link shown above. You have had family troubles in the past and as a man who has faced his fair share of issues involving family health, issues, moving, and my own personal health, I have understood the time constraints placed on you for creating this comic. I haven’t said anything to do with this before now.
According to Grapheon here: https://graphtreon.com/creator/themonsterunderthebed your 573 Patrons are helping you earn between 1 and 4 thousand dollars per month, though you have made the number unpublished so it is a guess at best. Either way, that is a full time job salary at the lowest.
Do you think doing the kind of statement you made at the top of this comment I just posted is a good way of treating those people who are willingly giving you this money for the content that you are willing to say “Most Sundays, unless something comes up, or I just don’t feel like it, ha ha.” Do you think that’s an appropriate way of treating those who willingly give you money?
Because I don’t, I think its rude and very poorly thought out. It appears from this outsiders perspective that you are taking the money from the person, spitting in their face and laughing at them as they wide it off. I understand that you may not be meaning to project that image to the world, but that is what it appears. At least from this humble persons perspective.
To end this I’ll say this.
People are already talking about the spotty schedule to the uploads here outside of the website. They do this across all platforms and mediums, there is a growing concern of your either lacklustre approach to this project or your lack of interest in both the people paying you money and the schedule you keep.
I’ve given you the links that could help you with opening a widget to give updates on the progress of pages (and I do suggest “pages” as getting ahead of a schedule would be a good idea) how you choose to deal with this comment, my opinions and the advice I am offering you is only for you to do.
I’d suggest that the snap decision you want to make is likely the wrong one, that the best option would be to take what I have said, think about it and come to the reply rationally.
If the moderation works of course, the only people who will know this comment exists if the moderation doesn’t go through are yourself and me, Brandon. but I would still advise you to come at this with a cool head rather than the easily offended one you came at with this first reply.
Glad I could help
1. No, It’s not flippant, it’s just a joke! Really. See I said (Haha!) right in the reply, it’s pretty much the only thing I can do to signify that I’m joking since nuance is lost; or can be misunderstood in the written form. Just like what you’re currently engaged in right now, either by mistake or on purpose.
2. There is NO specific update schedule, except for “Updates MOST Sundays” not EVERY Sunday. MOST. Says so right up at the top of the page. When I first began the comic, it was a different time in my life and I could afford the time to update every weekend, not so much the case currently. There are a lot of moving parts in my life right now.
3. If you don’t want updates on the status of pages, I don’t understand what exactly you do want? Because that’s what I’d be using the widget for?
4. I only get paid on Patreon when I actually post completed pages up there. Everything else is totally free. If I don’t post anything, I don’t get paid. So, I don’t actually owe anybody anything. Also, I find it a bit creepy how you are stalking my statistics to prove your point. That’s really weirding me out.
5. People have been talking about my spotty update schedule since the very first time I missed a page four years ago. It happens every time, and will happen every time into perpetuity. They scream in all caps that they’ve had enough, I suck, and they are done with this stupid comic! …and yet two weeks later, I’ll see them leaving comments still as though nothing had happened. People come and go, such is the nature of life, and even more so the whims of the fickle internet porn comic connoisseur.
6. I’m so happy you feel better now. I’m certain you must be feeling pretty good about yourself with that self-satisfied little rant. I know I don’t. Glad you stopped by, really.
I’m seriously considering turning off the comment section for a while. I think I’m finally starting to get why most comics I follow don’t even have one.
PREACH MAN!!
“I’m seriously considering turning off the comment section for a while. I think I’m finally starting to get why most comics I follow don’t even have one.”
Let me just say I hate when a forum is removed because of a few bad apples. Reading the comments here I find most are fairly positive, and enjoyable with only a handful of complainers. Even among those who complain on a few of those are what I would consider actual “trolls” or so toxic that they really add nothing of value to the conversation. Perhaps you need a moderator who can remove those really bad ones, or perhaps instead of this comments section you set up an actual forum like I have seen on many other comics. In the end it is your site and your decision but i hope you don’t let the actions of a few cause you to silence the many people who only come here to talk about a comic they enjoy and chat with the person who creates it. Lastly remember the old saying. Don’t feed the trolls, don’t let them pull you into an argument that will only lead to frustration, and anger. That is what they want.
Brandon, I warned you not to do this, I warned you to think before you rushed to reply, because a heated and angry mind is a very unorganized mind. You can have a million people cheering you on while you are doing this, but all your opponent needs to do is point out one thing and everything will begin tumbling down for you.
Your points, you can feel that it was a joke, but it comes off as laughing in peoples faces Brandon, yeah that’s a joke – at their expense. You’re not having a “with them” you’re laughing “at them”. “Oh, you thought you were getting a page this week, haha, no you’re not and its because “I don’t feel like it.”
Brandon, you are still trying to defend this “most Sundays” business when I’ve repeatedly stated to you that your upload schedule doesn’t matter to me. I have been pointing out to you that this infrequent upload schedule, your arrogant and insulting demeanor when asked when an update is coming and your lack of tact when dealing with that – WILL DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY. Regardless of whether you feel like it’s a joke or life is in the way, you yourself are projecting an air of unconcern with your fans thoughts and doing that will piss people off eventually.
I originally asked you why there isn’t a section of the site that deals with updates, you stated there used to be and it broke so you took it down, I then gave you links to fix that.
If you can’t understand that I am saying “to deal with the repeated ‘when is the page out’ requests, you need to have a twitter account linked to your site that displays tweets of the update schedule so that people can know of status of pages, life problems and time schedules so that your snap response to in comments is taken out of the equation and people just see the updates.” I don’t know what to say to you?
And as an addendum, I would strongly advise you create a twitter account specifically for the updates rather than your personal one, that way personal views during twitter discussions don’t appear on your timeline here.
Like I said earlier, heated replies are only going to end you in hot water.
“So I don’t actually owe anybody anything” = “People who pay me for a service don’t deserve to get what they pay me for.”
Seriously Brandon, you need to cool your head because right now you are nuking your own reputation by doing this. A very mean person could take that section of this comment and go to your Patreon and give $1 for one month to post it to the Patreon community page and let all your backers see what you think of them.
And after seeing the attitude you have towards your fans, I checked to see if the Patreon link worked, then when I saw you’d hidden your income, I checked Grapheon to see a projected amount. It’s a little thing called researching your subject, of which I have been doing through these comments with your replies and actions in general.
And you can be weirded out by that, mate I get that, but you need to stop! Think! And Listen! To someone who is offering you free advice to keep your career online going, because right now, you are acting like Noah Antwiler and he destroyed himself. (also if I were a dick I’d look back to see when the upload schedule changed from weekly to whenever and see if the spike to the highest patreon donations is close to it, but that’s someone being a deliberate dick – but I bet it would be close)
Brandon, this is the problem I’m seeing with you, this is the attitude you seem to have with everything to do with this comic. Instead of asking “why” the fans are angry, you think “its their problem and they can leave if they want but they never will.” This attitude of not respecting the people who promote your work is beyond silly and insulting, it’s the single thing that all content creators can do to destroy themselves. Because you are not special, you are not some unique diamond free of imperfections that everyone will flock to see. We do it because we like the art, story and themes. (If not respecting the fans can destroy a series as beloved as Game of Thrones, do you really think acting like you are is going to keep you going, are you that conceited?)
Yeah, I know you don’t like it when people point out the failings you have, ignoring this tiny amount of celebrity you have in favour of telling you like a regular person that “you are fucking up here boy, stop it.” Children act like that, they get upset and have a minor tantrum over being told “no” and you have clearly done that here today.
I don’t doubt you’ll ignore all my points, ignore every suggestion I’ve made to help you keep fans, keep your money rolling in and keep interest in your comic going. Because to you, admitting that there are flaws in how you are acting means that every part of you is wrong and who you are as a person is wrong.
Just like TheSpoonyOne.
You’ll continue to have sycophants continue to follow you, but the wellspring of fan support will slowly trickle to a stop.
Not because of what I’ve done, I’ll be ignored by the fans who are so overjoyed by you calling them nothing that they scream “slay queen!” or “PREECH!” but those people are not really interested in your comic, they come for the drama and when that dries up, you end up like Ethan Ralph of the Killstream.
And the final act is PERFECT “I am going to shut down comments because the MASSIVE AMOUNT OF LOVE AND SUPPORT is not enough, people who ask questions, point out flaws, and don’t back down from my authority here is just too much. I will silence everyone to make sure I cannot hear negative comments.”
And this ladies and gents, is how you kill a career. Good going Brandon Shane, you just told the entire comment section and all your fans you don’t care about their opinions because I said this.
“why isn’t there a widget for twitter to show updates” and “that comment seems flippant”
Two things said caused him to consider closing comments completely.
Its almost like he doesn’t give a single fuck about you and only wants your money so he doesn’t have to actually do a real job.
Remember AT LEAST 1K a month coming in from Patreon.
Hey guys, is this guy an asshole; or is it just me?
I didn’t even read any of it but looking at how this guy writes the entire declaration of independence I conclude that he is indeed an asshole.
Nah hes an ass
Dude. Fuck off you’re a cuck.
Alright alright, let’s not stir the pot any further.
Brandon, good sir, you keep doing you. Can’t remember how I found your comic, but I’m very glad I did.
And try to ignore the troll element. Attention only makes them feel important.
Get a life.
Brandon, just ignore his preaching.
Update when you can, be “flippant” about it as you wish (if you think Brandon is bad mannered, you don’t read enough webcomics).
If you don’t like how Brandon is handling his webcomic, stop reading, don’t preach to him how he should behave. Make your own webcomic, and “behave correctly”, whatever that would be.
Seeing as I can’t reply to Brandon because he’s shut off the comment reply feature on the comment I made (surprise!) I have tp reply here to you Drunken.
You are saying that my criticism of Brandons actions here is my dislike of the comic itself. (thats’ because you’re a moron btw, but whatever)
Its not, its me trying to help Brandon from destroying his career by saying you Drunken DX and everyone else who follows him don’t matter to him at all. All that matters is the money he gets for it.
But if you like being treated like crap, the findom area of the internet is a perfect place for you. I on the other hand, don’t like being spoken to like I’m a piece of crap that should feel lucky a comic is “free” (when he has a Patreon and suggests closing a comment section because of two phrases).
enjoy being treated badly by everyone in your life from this moment onwards. You’ll “definitely” not be taken advantage of by others. Will you now….
And proof that loser beta crybaby Brandon got upset over my comment so its been closed is here: https://ibb.co/8xwp5qs
“you photoshopped it even though I can see its been closed myself” incoming.
Brandon, you’re a coward mate and a loser who cannot take criticism. Enjoy becoming irrelevant as others remember this conversation in future and they start asking the same question.
You are now the comic version of Spoony, congrats loser.
I didn’t close it, it closes after a certain amount of replies automatically.
Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see, but in my defense you’ve completely mis-characterized me from the beginning. Stick around and you’ll see.
I’ve never blocked anybody and I’m going to leave this up for all to see in the future.
have you ever heard of “patience” it’s like your complaining that your birthday isn’t today.
I literally just read through the whole thing and I am so relieved you still exist and are making updates.
I happen to enjoy Brandon’s “… flippant manner…”; as well as understanding the need for a lack of spoilers within his commentary. Please don’t feel maligned, by my comment, Hardlight, rather just note that everyone has a different form of humor, and that’s GOOD. ***Have a WONDERFUL week all!***
Oh, he changed it to “Updates most sundays”, so it’s correct now – this inconsistency was bugging me for a while. As for the update rates, I had given up long ago on waiting for the next one and just come to take a look at it time to time to read whatever I might’ve missed.
It’s been changed for months. XD
Yes, but that’s the first time I’ve popped in since then. BTW, is it really “most” sundays? If that’s >0.5 of the Sundays, then we need to do some math to make sure this update schedule stays true (and change it whenever it goes below “most”.
Inconsistencies aside, I don’t like flame wars. Can these guys stop spamming comments with their redundantly long posts?
It’s a free webcomic man. He’s doing this for himself as a hobby. We’re lucky enough to be able to see this stuff.
Stop Brandon has a life give him a break
Don’t worry about it Brandon.
It is very nice of you to give us such an entertaining comic in your spare time. Your comic helped me getting distracted after breaking up with my gf so thanks for that.
The constant pestering for updates is the highest form of flattery. If people were not so invested in your comic, they would not be asking for more 😉
Could Spencer meet midnight? Just saying.
Do you dislike Midnight so much that you’d inflict that arsehole on her?
Haha! XD
Take ur time man
Hey so I love your work but I do not like the bad post dates. so why not just do 2 to 3 pages in advance. then post weekly so you can work on the 3rd page when you post the first page
Well, my friend, I just don’t have the time to do that. In order to do that, I’d have to stop the comic dead in it’s tracks for a month or so, just to build up 2-3 pages, and once I have those, well, I get lazy. I’ll admit it. Whenever I get ahead, I get lazy and say, “phew” a weekend where I actually get to enjoy myself! I think I’ll go see my friends who I never see anymore, or watch a movie or just do anything not related to this project for once in my life while I have the chance!”
So, there it is. I think I’d rather keep to my schedule of posting them as they are finished, it keeps things moving along, even if it is too slow for some folks.
I know this is a “hobby” but have you considered seeing if anyone might help? Is there any part of the process that could be farmed out to a volunteer to help such as coloring? I have seen a few other web comics where that helped increase production. In fact in some cases it led to the comic actually becoming profitable enough that it updated more and the creator actually was able to start paying someone to help with the process? I”m just spit balling here with some ideas, you may or may not have considered. Anyway don’t let the complainers get you down. I’ve followed plenty of comics with much worse update schedules than yours, some from creators who claim their comic is their main full time job, and others constantly asking for donations. I also have a number of comics I was reading and enjoying that became “dead” projects that no longer update. Some of those were due to major events, in one case the death of the web comic creator, in others illness. Some just stopped with no reason or response ever given from the creators, and some they just lost interest in their project. Point is your comic isn’t bad at all compared to others I’ve followed. I appreciate you take the time to let us know what is going on.
I know it seems weird maybe, but I just don’t trust working in teams on projects like this. I can’t trust that the other party will leave or cause friction in some way, so I keep everything close to my chest and remain in full control.
I can understand that. I read quite a few online comics so believe it or not I’ve seen at least one where one person wrote the story, hosted the website and another person did the drawing. They had a falling out which caused the entire thing to be pulled from the internet when the artist got a lawyer. It was a mess and the comic went to dead status since the writer would have had to change all the characters in the story as far as look, and name and get them redrawn from page 1. If you ever do decide to risk a collaboration with someone you definitely need a contract of some sort to protect everyone.
We may see more complaints here since a certain other website where it was shared went down.
Brandon, dont let it get to you man, dont let the pressure from ingrates make this something you dont enjoy doing, or rush out to meet some deadline. Thats what turns good comics into crappy ones. Your real fans appreciate the quality enough to wait.
What website was that? XD All I follow are the 3 official channels (Patreon, Facebook group & Imgur gallery) where I post it, other than here, which I consider the official home base.
Um, it was a hentai site.
That doesn’t surprise me. XD
My bad. Half the site in question went down. The other half, which continues to host a copy of MotB remains up.
It’s a hobby. Enjoy it. There are things that get in the way, I get that. Enjoy what you’ve created. Take whatever time you need. Loyal followers can be patient. Hyperactive people can just screw off. See you whenever you’re ready to update Brandon. Be it a week, a month or a year.
Your jobs a joke, you’re broke; you’re love life’s D.O.AAAAAA! *clapclapclapclap*
Hah, anyway, thanks. It’ll be up next weekend for sure, nothing like a year, ever. I’m gonna keep going even if there’s only a handful of people looking at it, because this is MY project and I’ll finish it.
And I for one will be right here when you do.
Im proud to be in that handfull.
Here is a message for the idiots that complain: He has been on and off quite a bit, because he is a normal human being! He has bad days, work, and taxes to pay. I know for a fact that if some of you got the same treatment, you would have stopped the comic long ago. So before you go ranting about whatever, just think of it from his perspective.
Its not the first time you faced criticism from the occasional comic cynic. Wont be the last because as long as there are still comics to make, some naysayer is gonna have a reason to bitch. Regardless, you take it like a champ, you respond in kind and keep on writing your stories without a single fuck to give. Bravo, sir. Bravo. I look forward to the day this gets the recognition it rightfully deserves.
I know I have put in a critique in a page once since I started reading this but it was in noticing something not supposed to be there being there. It wasn’t anything against the comic since I love it, just wanted to point out an inconsistency to see if it could help for future pages not repeating it. So just keep up the good work Brandon.
the whole comic up to this point was posted on reddit. I was initially a little uncertain because of the middling art quality, but I absolutely fell in love with the characters. I’m really enjoying seeing them grow and develop and it’s really interesting. Fantastic job!
I know I don’t know you but you did put a good word on the characters & saying how much you enjoy the comic plus who is your favorite Noxian character of the comic
I get that this comic is probably the best I’ve seen but jeez people the creator has a life. Like holy crap is a comic so important to your life that you pester the person who is nice enough to post this and put up with this. Just saying
I for one, Brandon, enjoy the so-called “flippant manner” the critic above talks about. It keeps things light.
It’s a hobby for you, not a job, and if you miss a week or three to get a page just right, hey, it’s a quality product. I’ll take quality over quantity every day of the week. (How I wish that were true in business sometimes, though.) We the readers enjoy the comic. We love guessing what you’ll do next. We sometimes pick things up earlier than you plan for the reveal (Ruth=Lady Blackheart, for one), and I’ll be honest I sometimes wish for more red herrings so things aren’t quite so obvious, but not everyone can do a red herring properly. I still can’t myself.
If this was a job, you’d be publishing it via Dark Horse or Dynamite or some other 32-page “monthly” comics publisher and end up dealing with deadlines or worse an artist who mangles your script. You’re not; you’re doing the writing and the art, you’re throwing it up for everyone to read, and not making a dime off it except for what you get from donations. (And Patreon is just that: donations.) No need to kill yourself trying to be the next Jack Kirby (or gods forbid the next Rob Leifeld…)
(Still, haters will hate.)
Please keep the comments up. We’d miss talking to each other otherwise. Particularly those like myself who are social media retards (or, in other words, “what’s Twitter?”:grin:).
this comic is amazing, I wish it could be published in public! (without nudity and sex of course)
So?
Why don’t you work to change the society that hates depictions of sex & nudity, rather than bowdlerise a good product to fit a twisted.sick culture?
The rest of us are, by supporting Brandon in his work here and in other places.
Some even donate MONEY!
What do you do?
We’re all on the same side… no fighting please! XD