Page 853…
Baby Steps…
That’s what I’m trying here.
Thank you all for your patience as I took a couple days off last week.
I still can’t sit for more than a few minutes. Which of course makes working VERY difficult.
But with physical therapy…I think it’ll get better each day.
I can’t tell you how much your comments and emails and twitters and facebook comments and everything have meant to me and my family. Your support and encouragement has been overwhelming. Thank you all.
I will continue to try and work, but promise I won’t push myself.
I want to get healthy again. I want to be able to pick up my kids. So that’s my priority.
But I do see a light at the end of the tunnel (no not THAT light…I’m not dying) and I’ll get there with exersise.
i don’t know if this will be the ONLY page up this week. Or if I’ll wake up in the morning able to work a bit more. I miss it. I miss it a lot.
I’ll pop in when I wake up and let you all know how it’s going. Feel free to follow me on twitter for more updates or come back here to check the comments.
Thank you all. We love you and consider you guys more than fans.
You’re family.
🙂
Scott
Nice to see a page Scott, but don’t overexert yourself. Take care, and I’m glad to see you’re taking baby steps.
Welcome back, take your time – we’re all hooked enough we’ll wait!
Family comes first, that’s what I tell my staff all the time.
Lovely page Scott. Take care of yourself, Take it one step at a time. Don’t think you have to rush back to us ok? Your health comes first and formost ok? Look after yourself first. I hope you feel better! Well wishes and healing thoughts to you!
As everyone else is saying, take care of yourself and get better. Do not mistake that for being patient! I will wait impatiently for you to get better and post your pages. 🙂 So, yes, I will wait, and keep a good humor about it… just like I was for the last few Harry Potter books.
Get well soon!
Wow I Miss A Few Days And Look What Happens, Scott Still Not Feeling Well. But Oh Well Time Heals All. I Know Youve Heard This Ten Times Over And More,But Get well Soon Scott.
Good to have you back, but take it easy. Physical therapy isn’t any fun. I know. 2 months of it after a shattered leg. So, don’t push yourself too hard for our sakes, I’m sure we’d all rather have you well.
Hi Scott I am a fan and I really admire your comic this would be the first time I’ve posted normally Im in a hurry and check updates on the comics I like reading and don’t read any comments or anything this goes for all comics but I read this one and the previous page as well looking for details and if I might suggest looking into getting a chiropractor (unless that is your therapy) I have a good one I play water polo and get beaten up quite a bit some times and recently I got a chiropractor and he has fixed my back …..but I warn you if you get one at all be positive that he is a good one if you get a bad one he/she could make things worse….I only say this so you don’t go in unprepared it has really helped me so if you can fined a good one I would advise it
A fan FON
PS: if you can Email me just to say hi and you got this comment
Hey Scott,
I randomly found Dreamland Chronicles and loved the art style, once I got into the archives I fell in love with the story. It’s a great web-comic. But really, take care of yourself first, that is what is most important to us, your fans. Take care.
Question — If Alexander forfeits his sword, is he unable to return to Dreamland? I suspect the sword will revolt at the centaurs touch.
Dude, you are talking to a man who can’t sit for more than 3 hours, sleep 5 hours or walk anywhere for more than 20 minutes, without having to change positions. The pain gets so intense that sometimes I have a hard time breathing through it.
This is the extreme. I urge you to take care of yourself so you don’t have to go through what I do everyday. If it means missing a few days or weeks, do it. We’ll understand.
Hi, long time since I commented. I hope alex tells falicity about niki . But I’ve been looking for book three on amazon.com and it still says pre order. when and where can I get your third book?
The Lartist says take care of yourself. He cares deeply, but didn’t know you were hurt till I let him know. We are all wishing you well, Scott.
BTW nice page, but I think I would be cautious about handing the sword over as well.
scott pike, try going to Borders, or Barnes & Noble
Get well soon and take your time doing so =3
I’ve been reading the comic for a year and a half now. I’m still amazed at how many pages you have done in only a few short years. Right now the important thing is to take care of yourself so that you can continue to amaze fans like me. It’s always bugged me when a web comic cartoonist has missed an update but for the first time I prefer if you don’t update if it means that you are working on getting better. I would like to wish for a quick recovery but sometimes things like this can’t be rushed. So I hope you get better. Even if it takes a year I’m sure all of us will still be here waiting for a new update.
Your health is absolutely the main thing, Scott. Glad to hear you’re going to try to be sensible and I hope you’ll be fully recovered, soon. We’re all rooting for you!
I have a bad feelign about this. I’m getting flashbacks to when Nic tried to take it from Alex and got that scar
I’m very glad to see a page today! Not just because I can read it but also because it means you’re getting a bit better. However, if it’s still painful, take care of yourself. Take all the time you need for your recovery.
Regards from Holland.
You make sure to not sit for any more than those three minutes at a time. Do not overdo that spine -it’s hurting for a reason. Take it real easy with that physical therepy, make sure to let the doctor and PT know that you are willing to let yourself take it slow, not work hard to recover asap, spinal injuries just don’t work that way. I personally don’t care if you can only do a page a week for the next three months by doing this, because your health and your family are far more important. Just keep us updated and your update alone is worth more than a page is!
Well done Scott an exceptional page as alway but please don’t over exhurt (sp?) yourself we don’t want you gatting worse for the sake of us. We all think you and your family come first. So please take your time and get well.
Much love and Blessings
Sahara xxx
Be careful when you see the light at the end of the tunnel … There might be a train attached!
Don’t overdo it. We can wait another week for updates, as long as you’re getting better that’s just great.
love the page, but as all the others are saying please please dont over do. we love you. and want you to get better.
It’s good to hear from you! I’m a newish fan, but your updates are so personal, I feel like I sort of know you, and I think that’s wonderful. So as a friend, I truly hope you feel better soon!
Nice to see a new page, but more importantly, that you’re feeling better enough to do it. Continue to rest as much as you need. Hope you get well soon.
Whatever pace you need to keep is fine, as long as you’re not overdoing it. We’ll stick around.
Thank you all.
I’m awake. Both boys woke up with coughs. So we’re seeing if they’re able to go to school. If not…that will add another wrench in any plans of working today.
No pain this morning…I’m usually OK in the mornings.
Will check back here later and update you all.
Thanks again.
Scott
Scott.. It’s hard to say, but as an artist to another artist I have to let you know that the quality on this page seems to be slipping 🙁 I don’t want to give you grief or anything, you wanted to know if we noticed a difference, and I do. This page seems to have a lower resolution than others and Alex seems washed out and just a bit.. dull in panel four, and in panel 2 Nastaja’s arm closest to us seems to be stuck in 2D. You did a great job on her outfit as usual though 🙂 super shiney.
I feel like I should start a new comment for this part, but I don’t want to take up too much space. I’m glad to see that you’re taking your time and doing your work in small increments. You’re right–the light shines and it will come to you. Some day you’re doing to look back and this will be a time that you live up to. Other challenges will be paltry compared to this because you’ll be able to say “Hey–I got through that, I can get through this too”.
Hope you’re continuing to feel better and better as the days go by.
Welcome back Scott! How are you feeling?
Hi hi, Chris!
That’s the spirit!
Oh… one thing…
Due to the economic downturn and the need to conserve power and save money, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off until further notice.
*wink*
As much as I LOVE having a new page … i’d RATHER you get better, even if that means taking alot more time off to get well …. trust me , we will ALL be here when you get back.
RL 4 Teh Lose!
Get Well Soon!
I like seeing a new page and all, but I rather you focus on getting well. It makes me almost feel guilt as a fan that you’re not resting because us. We’re loyal. We’ll come back.
Question for you Scott. does the sword have a personality of it’s own?
First of all, greetings from Chile (yeah, i’m in the world’s arse XD)
Second… i know lot of people will hate me… and i know i’ll hate myself for what i’m about to write… but, please, stop drawing! At least until you are more than 70% recovered. Pushing your limits not only prevents your body from healing, but it also make the problem bigger. I know you love your job… but i’m sure we all can live without Dreamland for a while… so i suggest you, for the sake of Dreamland and your own, to stop working for a while and dedicate yourself to recover… that’s the best thing you could do.
Just to finish, i really love your webcomic… i enter everyday to see if there’s a new page and i really admire your hard work… considering this is one of the few webcomics with daily updates. That’s why i want you to keep the good work, but your health is more important than anything.
Get better soon, you read? XD
Oh I hope he gets it back before he wakes up, or is able to return without it. I’ve missed hanging out in Dreamland, especially since the centaurs are so fun to hang out with.
Take care of yourself, Scott. I’ll gladly forgo a month’s worth of pages to know (with updates) that you are certainly taking care of yourself.
Scott, Noooo-! In that much pain you’re surely damaging something or at the very least suffering unnecessarily. Think McDondald’s slogan: “You deserve a break today”.
Sadly, and hopefully gently, I have to agree with Megan on the lighting and the resolution of today’s strip. I blinked to see if I had “eye goo” in my eyes, but sadly, no.
I’m not dissapointed -I’m amazed at your crazy work ethic- but I am concerned.
Thanks.
I think the next few pages may need to be redone here or there. Mostly just what I’m doing in photoshop.
But the story will go on. And eventually…I’ll be back to full health.
I can always redo these pages before Book 4 comes out next year. No biggie.
🙂
Fun comic all around… but why is Orion wearing an octopus on his head?
Hey Scott! Glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better. You definitely need to be the turtle and not the hare in this race. So baby steps are awesome. We are all cheering for you.
And, I’m curious as well to see how the sword reacts to the centaur leader. Hopefully it goes well and hopefully Alex doesn’t go “Poof” right back to our reality without it touching him somehow.
Hey, don’t beat yourself up, Scott. You’ve been consistent with the updates for so long! If you need to take a day or so off because of your health, you shouldn’t hesitate. You’ve earned it!
Just remember to NOT push it, you will get better.
Yay for shiney! ^.^ And glad to hear you’re taking it nice and slow Scott – we want to keep you in one piece.
As to the sword – Way back in Ashendel, Arvamas handled the sword while Alex was asleep and both Alex came back to Dreamland just fine, and Arvamas didn’t seem to suffer injury from the sword either. (checking Book One – so glad I got this!)
Scott, it’s my first time commenting here, although I helped you gain some readers I think. 🙂
If you haven’t tried Xyflamend, a natural herbal anti-inflammatory with a great reputation (and I personally recommend it!), I suggest it. It is a Cox-2 inhibitor so it doesn’t have the potential side effects of aspirin or its derivatives, but works quite well. You can buy it from Vitacost or Lucky Vitamin and save significant $ too. Best of luck, speedy healing!
Been reading this comic for over a year now (been around a bit on the forum as well) and it’s one of my favourite web comics around. Really sad to hear you’re having trouble and hope things get better real soon, guess I’ll also chime in with all the rest here and say that your health comes first…after all we won’t get any more stories if you have to stop all together because you’re pushing yourself hard. So yust take your time and get well soon =)
Welcome back, storyteller.
Just beware that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t an oncoming train. *grins*
*Hands you a lollipop for being a good patient* Yay welcome back! Get better soon and make sure you work at the pt, otherwise it doesn’t work as well…but don’t overdo it either 😛 oh yeah and I love the comic XD
lol whats on Orions head? it looks like a squid xD and his tail looks painted there in the last panel. lol THEY ARE GLOWING! xD
It’s not a squid you silly people!
😛
It’s an animal pelt.
Cwazy wabbits….
Glad to see you’re making progress, Scott! At least your mornings are pain free. Take it easy, and one step at a time.
Love the page, and I am apprehensive about Alex turning over his sword, as well. It should be alright, as long as he doesn’t wake up while it’s gone…
I agree with Tora, there’s something a little off about the lighting. The frames all look a little solarized. The natural light source should create stronger shadows. Instead there’s almost an aura around the characters, especially Alex with his highly reflective armor. In the last frame especially, Nastaja’s green clothes and the purple in Alex’s armor look fluorescent/day-glo. Too much ambient light? I don’t know enough about lighting to say for sure, but there is something off.
I laugh that you gave the leader the name of Orion. Dunno why I find that funny… must be a Monday morning thing. 😀
I tweaked the lighting on the last panel.
Let me know your thoughts.
http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/images/dreamlandpanel.gif
new = much much better
You still need to get a good chiropractor. You’ll be better much faster.
I think the new lighting looks great! I think your right though once you get feeling better you can make all the tweaks you need to be for the next book comes out.
Thank you for all your great work!
Oh and to what David said, if you go to a chiropractor please please please! go to a massage therapist after words. Most chiropractic offices have therapists there. If you get your bones cracked and then not work the muscles around it to keep the bones in place they will just mess up your back again and you’ll be at square one again.
I can imagine Orion on the next page, in a yellow speech bubble with red letters:
“Yes! At last! It’s mine, all mine! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA er. . .”
“Why thank you. I’ll have a look at this.”
Hey I yust wanted to say that i like youre comic really much
But u dont need to strain yourself too much ; take ure time if u need it we will be here waiting and rooting for u
Ure health is more important at the moment 😉
Is it just me, or is Alex’s sword unusually blue today?
On another note, in spite of these nitpicky issues, PLEASE don’t get overworked trying to fix them, Scott. We understand that you will come back and redo these pages as needed, so don’t feel obligated to fix them NOW. So take it easy and get back to 100% full health first. That’s your top priority.
I think that the lighting just depicts an extremely bright day, there in Aethos. Focus is kinda fuzzy, but that may also be due to the brightness, and our view from outside the scene.
Keep up the great story and artwork, it’s all shiny! Maybe a bit TOO shiny today, in fact. 🙂
But don’t do anymore than feels comfortable, and I’d be happy if you didn’t produce another page until next Monday.
Yep, that’d be it. Check out the previous page and see where the sun of Dreamland is located in relation to the tent that Alex was in with Felicity. Alex puts up his hand to shield his eyes from the brightness as Orion pulls back the tent flap, then steps out into the light.
I do hope that Orion isn’t up to something untoward, or in league with Nicodemus. Perhaps there are runes revealing to truth to the Centaurs?
hi scott
it´s good to see that you really took a few days off. and stay with it as long as it´s necessary. take care of you, your wife and the kids.
and it´s even better to hear that you see the light at the end. i hope this will continue.
we all love you and your comic. but it is far more important that you get well than put up another page every day. so let me say: when you feel worse again (and i really hop this won´t happen) get your sorry ass to bed!
i´ll be back to see how you´re doing
Shai
Get better soon! I don’t know if you’re the religious type, but I’ll pray for you!
Definitely put your health and your family first… we can survive without a new page for a few more days! Take care, and our prayers are with you.
Heck yeah, we all made it for the past *5* days, so rest up, Scott. We want you back in good shape, not just limping along. If you feel like putting part of a page together tomorrow, and another part on Wednesday, well, there’s works in that! Once a week is goodness, more than that may be pushing a little too hard, at least for right now.
Aww, Scott. Don’t push yourself. Take care of yourself, don’t worry bout anything else! You already do so much, take as much time as you need to get better!
On another note, I’m getting the feeling – well, hoping really – that Alex is going to wake up pretty soon. Without the sword. Yes, I hope for bad things. Bad things are fun.
Alex will wake up with the sword necklace whether he has it with him in Dreamland or not. It once disappeared from Arvamas’ custody when Alex woke up.
http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/?p=240
I presume the only one who could separate the sword and the necklace from Alex is Nicodemus.
Steady recovery Scott. We can wait if necessary.
I really do hope you get better soon… I know it sounds lame when I come out of the woodwork to show support only after something bad has happened, but, by the sound of it, whatever happened to you should never happen to anyone. Do whatever you need to get better.
Thank you guys.
And Archivist is right. Alex and the sword have been seperated in Dreamland before. He gave it to Arvamas to look at it.
It’ll just go back to the real world with him when he wakes up. That’s all.
So no real threat…I think.
🙂
I HAVE TO SAY IT:
this is by far the most interesting webcomic I’ve read and I’ve been on it for two non-stop years learning about this universe.
Greetings from Colombia (not the world’s arse, but quite down South 🙂 )
I am wishing you the BEST of recoveries, um… lesse, having in mind that you are doing a hell of a kickass job with this plot and also are doing a very good work to keep up your normal rate of sharpness despite the amount of pain due to your surgery.
You rock. The people in your family rock also and I only wish’em a lot of light and love from the above.
I am also VERY glad you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… AND THAT IT’S *NOT* A TRAIN!!! XD
I’m going to laid back now, because I’ve felt… I dunno… it has really touched me your comic, y’know?
As a beginner in the Ways of the Pencil *wink*
I feel compelled to know more.
Be fine now. Drop a line or two if you want in my website -it’s not as fancy 😉 as yours, but, it’s ok. 😛
Bye!
P.s.: Whooops. LAY BACK, I mean LAY BACK. Oh Lord, sorry… *blushes*… ehem.
P.s.2: If I am getting a Deviant Art account, you’ll be one of the 1st ones to know. 🙂
Hopefully you are sleeping soundly right now Scott and not in any pain. Take your time recovering. We will all wait, well except maybe for that shady dude in the corner. I’m not sure about him. 🙂
But seriously, as many others have said, health and family come before webcomic, hands down. It we really get antsy for Dreamland we can go back and re-read the last 852 pages……
Yeah for starting from the beginning again! – or working to pay for books two and three. WooT!
hey, glad to have you back. more than the fact that there’s a new comic up today, i’m guess i don’t speak for myself when i say that i’m glad you’re actually feeling a bit better. just keep on the therapy and you’ll be good as new.
do get well. we can all wait until you’re fully recovered, so don’t rush. 😀
I believe I’ve said this before, but OMG people talk a LOT in these comments!! Scott dude, if it’s not obvious already, your audience loves you. Yes indeedy. Like everyone else, I’m totally thrilled to see a new page, of course. And also like everyone else, I say don’t worry about us so much! Your health is MUCH more important than updating on-time. **Nods rapidly** “It’s not a squid” **Giggles** Of course it is! It totally is. Totally. It’s a squid. Really. A leopard-print squid. TOTALLY. **Shifty eyes**
Yeah, take it easy. Slowly and steadily work on recovering. After all, this comic isn’t the most important thing – your life and being able to interact with your family normally is. I pray for your continued recovery.
I think today is the first time in my life I ever said as I clicked the link, “I hope he didn’t update.”
I’m glad to see you’re taking it slow and resting. We’ll all be here when you get back.
What KIM said …. double dittos
🙂
You guys are so sweet.
I’m working on tomorrow’s update.
We’ll see how my back is. As always…I PROMISE not to hurt myself.
I am GUILT FREE (thanks to your hundreds of kind comments forcing me to release that guilt for not updating), and doing my best to recover.
Hope you have a wonderful day.
Going by my own memories of my herniated disk…
1. Like everyone else said, take care of yourself. I made a cake of myself at university because I couldn’t actually sit for more than 10 minutes in a row, and people STILL made fun of me a year later, even though they knew just why I was squirming and walking off at odd times. If you’re lucky enough to make your own schedule, use the luck to improve your health.
2. Rest is good, but physical therapy is better. What worked for me was the doctor actually snapping my back into place; I didn’t expect it, it hurt a little, but I could stand 3 centimeters taller at the end.
3. In Austria where I live phys therapy includes a white goop called “Munari” that works really nicely… It’s mustard oil, kaolin powder, and cayenne pepper, mixed with hot water… At 45 degrees Celsius, they coat over your back, cover with a baking sheet, and make you lie on it for 20 mins before wiping it clean. Have found it to be helpful myself, it warms up and loosens muscles that have been tight for way too long.
4. Is there anything WE can do to help?
Take it easy, Scott… I still remember the pain I was in by not listening to my body. The only plus side is that I discovered The Prisoner on late night TV (my back kept me awake). Make sure you don’t overdo it. Twin boys will require a lot of energy and a sound back.
Everyone’s right, physical therapy and a good chiropractor will do wonders for you. My dad *hates* chiropactors, but he had a spinal injury 17 years ago and it helped him recover with little abnormalities, such as getting athritis in his lower back immediately afterward.
And its good to hear Alex isn’t screwed without his sword. (Even better to see him attached to it)
lol the lighting looks better now that you fixed it Scott! and i see i still say its a squid though xD and hope you feel better! <3
I write, and Orion is the bad Guy of my storu^^
funny, he’s now half horse^^
in my story he’s bald!
the sword looks cool in the light of the sun!
greatings from me
I thought it was a giraffe ^^;
Don’t you worry about us, just heal. We might squirm a bit waiting for new pages, but your health and family are more important!
Welcome on high, Scott! Do what you can, comfortably, it isn’t necessary for updates daily, there’s enough in one page to entertain for while with the comments and the forum. Without them, it’d be pretty dismal, but they keep the story interesting for all of us beyond what is in the comic. And all of that archive material can be sorted through as well.
I for one take this chance while you are taking it easy to explore OTHER webcomics that I’ve seen mentioned in the comments from past chapters…just about done with The Dreamer, another wonderful story – even if your characters are hotter in Dreamland. Oh, there’s another to check out: Wayfarer’s Moon
Haha, I feel the same way– everyone’s saying how they navigated to the site saying “I hope he didn’t update.” How screwy is that!? Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t update. Feel better soon. 🙂
Perhaps, if you’re up to it, you could update the jukebox on a day when you don’t have a new page.
I’ve come online every day, and been worried when I don’t see updates; only because that means another day not knowing how you were doing. I’m glad to hear from you and know you’re doing better! Don’t push yourself too hard. 🙂
Good to see you’re taking it easy. I hope you get better soon.
I’m glad to hear you are not trying to push things too hard Scott. I can wait till you’re healthy again. Stuff happens after all, so just have to take it as it comes.
As for that pelt, it’s the spotted wombat that’s native to those parts. It latches onto its prey by wrapping its arms and legs around the victim’s head and sits there until the person goes to sleep…. and then it gives them a noogie and runs away laughing.
In the last panel the centaur looks so *fans self* beautiful (sexy)! All that tanned skin…just lovely.
Scott, you’re amazing! 3 years of total consistency, and even after your injury you still manage to produce lovely pages. Hope you feel better soon.