(Continued from yesterday's commentary)

So, in retrospect, I wasn't actually working faster as such back in 2013 as I cranked through the breakneck finale of Empowered vol. 8, but I was working much, much longer hours with far fewer interruptions than I am nowadays, as I scratch and claw my way with seeming slowness through the back half of Empowered vol. 12.

Note that I only remembered this long-forgotten truth after I recently started timing my hours at the drawing table with a stopwatch, in the hopes of figuring out why the f**k my progress on Emp12 has been so g-d slow. (Or "slow.") And yeahp, go figure, the reality is that I'm not getting in enough nonstop, uninterrupted hours of writing and drawing to boost my production rate into the desired "20+ pages per month" range.

To be blunt, folks, I have too many other responsibilities nowadays to ever again achieve the stripped-down (lack-of-)lifestyle that enabled 2013 Me to crank out 40+ pages per month—responsibilities that include this very webcomic serialization, which consumes a few hours outta my limited workweek.

And lordy loo, nowadays I even have interests outside of pure comic creation. Gasp!

(Concluded tomorrow!)

Speaking of time-consuming responsibilities...

Today’s Patreon update: In an attempt to scratch out more worktime to complete the long-gestating Empowered vol. 12, I've switched over to a Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday Patreon posting schedule that won't feature the fixed content format I previously used. However, my vast archive of years of Patreon posts—extensive Empowered previews, vintage con sketches, work stages on covers, "damsel in distress" commissions, life drawings & much, much more—remains available for Patrons' perusal.

-Adam Warren