Comments (15) (Please sign in to comment)

1. 

   Kenneth66 said, 9 months ago

   All my exs are infected. That’s why I’m a walking S.T.D.
2. 

   margueritem said, 9 months ago

   I thought it was ‘All My Exes Live in Texas’…
3. 

   Dr. Oetker Pistazien said, 9 months ago

   Send your S.T.D’s? LOL!
4. 

   capndunzzl said, 9 months ago

   …or your American Express card…as in my A.E.I.O.U.
5. 

   Casey S said, 9 months ago

   Kind of like this strip.
6. 

   Coyoty said, 9 months ago

   If you’re eloping, then your STD will be a surprise.
7. 

   jimmyh43105 said, 9 months ago

   Had to read this from the beginning and definitely a good one. Added to my list. Very good stuff Dan.
8. 

   Dave Hussell said, 9 months ago

   I had a busy weekend and hadn’t been able to get online for a couple days so I just read yesterdays strip. It was so dead on, I had to respond.

   
   Since I have been in high school, every time I turn around I find someone who finds out that I draw and then wants to know if I could draw something for free. They always use the familiar line, “it is just getting started, so we can’t pay you, but, hey, you’ll get exposure, right?” Or sometimes different variations of the same. Another one is, “we can’t pay you now, but you are coming in the ground floor, when we make it to a big company, you’ll be established and make it big too!”

   
   Okay, when I was young and green these appealed to me and I fell for them. Well, I got the exposure all right. I was known as the schmuck that could be talked into doing free work for little businesses. I kind of find it funny that all these starter businesses that offered to have me grow with them never made it out of the starting gate.

   
   It is funny, they wouldn’t go to a doctor and say, “treat me for free and soon you’ll be a famous rich doctor” and don’t even get me started with lawyers.

   
   Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind doing something pro-bono once in a while for a friend or relative, when it is for something small like an invitation or pattern for a birthday cake, but if said friend/relative wants to use my work for a business, they should include artwork as part of their overhead. I once painted a sign for a local restaurant that was just about to open. The sign was two sided, 4′×8′, the catch was they couldn’t bring it down from the 50 pole, so I designed it on the ground, made stencils and straddled (without scaffolding) and painted the signs by hand in the hot Texas sun. My pay? $50 and ten free meals for two at the restaurant after it opened.

   
   I think the last time someone tried that tactic was 18 years ago, a woman learned of me via other contacts and approached me. She was starting a greeting card company and wanted some artwork. Someone, I knew was already doing free typesetting for her and making proofs. I asked her how much she was offering to pay. She said, “I was thinking ‘nothing’, but you’ll get your work known.” I told her (kind of like yesterday’s strip), “I can’t buy anything for being known, I am thinking ‘no’, I don’t see you offering people free cards to send to get your business known.” She never spoke to me again, but I don’t see her cards in the store either.

   
   So, Mr. Daugherty, I want to thank you a day late for hitting that one on the nose. I am sure you too were writing from experience. Have to go, I am off to the corner bakery that just opened up. I am sure they will want to give me some donuts so I can make them famous. ; )
9. 

   Dan Dougherty said, 9 months ago

   @Dave Hussell

   Thanks Dave, I appreciate it. It’s a tricky thing, being in the business of being creative. As much as I’d love to draw whatever people want all day and make everyone happy, my mortgage still hasn’t figured out how to translate happiness into monthly payments against principle. :)
10. 

    Dan Dougherty said, 9 months ago

    And hey, to everyone here, I am really enjoying all the comments. Just wanted to let you know that. Carry on.
11. 

    Ryan said, 9 months ago

    She’s probably watching the Bravo channel as well
12. 

    pcolli said, 9 months ago

    V.D. is not an acronym. Laser, radar, quasar, Unesco, Nasa are acronyms as they can be pronounced as words. VD, STD, ASAF etc are initials.
13. 

    arsmall said, 9 months ago

    Pretty good comic Mr. Dougherty…I like the artwork. I need to hang out in Sherpa a bit more. It is tempting but I just don’t have that kind of time. . .lol

    Welcome to the “Twi-life Zone” BTW, I didn’t think anyone was yelling. It is easier to read in my opinion.
14. 

    Dan Dougherty said, 9 months ago

    @pcolli

    You’re right, good catch!
15. 

    Alec M. said, 9 months ago

    @pcolli good point … and, I just learned, there’s something called an “initialism”- (vs. an acronym) – who knew?
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