And here we go.  This is much better, I think.

I know that most people who know about these things say that you should never miss an update or you’ll alienate your readers.  And there’s a lot of truth to that.  But at this point, and in particular with this page, my fear was that I’d alienate my readers with a page that obviously didn’t measure up.  This page is an object lesson in how to turn around a poor page and make it into a strong one.  I now feel a lot better, and can move forward confidently.  So thanks everyone for being so patient.  This was a real bear, I can tell you.  But in the end, worth the wait, I hope.

Special thanks are due to commenters Joost and asdfasdf, I think, the former for pointing out that the balance between momentum and being satisfied with one’s own work is a delicate one, and the latter for pointing out that my old scheme of coloring, with the stylized “edged” shadows, was a lot stronger, and worth the extra time it takes to produce.  And also to my mother, for pointing out that there had just been an atomic explosion, and yet they were all under a clear blue sky.  Not likely.

Anyhow, I’m off to bed now.  I’ve had my lesson in the balance of quality versus quantity, I think, and so now I have to be a lot more careful about the artwork I choose to post.  If you guys are being so good as to read this once a week, the least I can do is try and make it worth the wait for you.

So until next time, folks, keep on doing… you know, whatever it is we all do!