The Otherwalls is going on Hiatus.
I am currently not in a position to give The Otherwalls the time and attention that it deserves and needs. In order to get through even the first 10 chapters of the story will take me years (or decades, at this pace), and I am not sure the story as it is currently written is the best use of that time.
As a creator, I am unhappy with about 80-90% of what I’ve published so far. I was hoping that with time and regular updates this feeling would dissipate, but it hasn’t. I still feel like it’s awkward and clumsy and a bit of a mess. This isn’t what it’s supposed to feel like.
I have learned a lot from working on The Otherwalls and I have loved and enjoyed it immensely. The flipside is that what I’ve learned while working on it pretty much makes me want to start again. I know so much more about story structure, panel flow, and the importance of doing decent amounts of research in order to make sure the story has the right kind of impact.
I feel like The Otherwalls is a story world for someone who has a bit more experience writing stories than I currently do. I love the world and the idea, but I feel I’m not currently executing it in a way that it deserves to be told.
So, for at least 2012, The Otherwalls will be on Hiatus. I will miss my characters, especially the ones that never got to have their stories told. It isn’t lost on me the irony of abandoning a story about abandoned stories, but it’s just the way it has to be. I do still hope to return to this idea someday, when I am a better artist and writer and able to actually articulate it the way it is in my head, or at least much closer than it is currently.
2012 may not have any more Otherwalls updates, but it will have a million other projects, including short comics, stories, and lots of amazing things. Keep an eye on jemshed.com, my flickr and twitter accounts for updates on what will be happening there.
Thank you for your support of The Otherwalls by reading it, it’s been so great to know you’re real people out there reading my comic. I hope you will continue to follow my future projects, there’s only more awesomeness to come.
Jem Yoshioka
