Ahh, that was a refreshing forty thousand winks. Anyway, where was I?
Right, more specifically he says there are less new compilations forthcoming than have already been published. That means there are max three more to come. He plans from now on to answer more questions and resolve more mysteries than create new ones.
Burlew says there will probably also be less new strips than the 672 so far compiled. It took him from September 30, 2003 to August 8, 2009 to produce strips 2-672 (not counting the time it took him to get the first one out). That’s 2,139 days (3.19 days per strip, if anyone’s counting).
If we assume his other activities (like creating the extra strips for the prequel books and compilations) and his productivity stay at the level of this very long time average it should then be max 2,138 days from 8-8-2009 until the conclusion of the story. That date is June 17, 2015, five years and four months from now. Keep in mind it could be reached well before then. So let’s say five years, February 2015.
It has taken George Martin from 5 Aug 1996 to 17 Oct 2005 to produce volumes 2-4 of A Song of Ice and Fire (not counting the time it took him to get the first one out and using the publication dates). That’s 3,360 days or 1,120 days per book. Assuming bla bla bla the projected last book 7 would come out December 29, 2014.
The huge problem is it’s already been 1,580 days since book 4 came out and we still don’t know when book 5 will be published.
Smart money is on Rich Burlew to “win” this “race”. Me, I’d rather read good late stuff than rushed on-time stuff. If the stories are never concluded due to author death or lesser obstacles, well, that’s just life for you.
We’ll never see the full cycle of Artesia comics, I’ll guarantee you that. It’s still nice to read the ones that have managed to come out. On the other hand, Jack Katz completed The First Kingdom, Dave Sim Cerebus and Kazuo and Koike Lone Wolf & Cub. Even extremely long-time projects sometimes work out.
