A new comic community has launched today called Tall Tell Features. The new website is the home for a group of well known syndicated and webcomic creators including: Brian Anderson (Dog Eat Doug), Dave Reddick (Legend of Bill and The Trek Life), Mike Witmer (Pinkerton), Scott Metzger (Stewart), Brock Heasley (The SuperFogeys), and Lucas Turnbloom (Imagine This).
So far the site links to each of the cartoonists’ web sites/blogs but promises to have a “TTF Radio” a podcast shortly, hosted by Tom Racine (of the Comics Coast to Coast podcast) and featuring the Tall Tale crew on a rotational basis.
What happened to Panel Mamals?
According to Mike Witmer:
“I can tell you that I seriously doubt that the Mammals are done. Matter of fact, I believe they are planning a re-launch right around the time Jarrett Osborne’s new strip comes out…which, last I heard was June. I can’t speak for Scott on this one so he’ll have to chime in but here’s where my head was at. I have the utmost respect for all those guys. I admire their work and we are still friends. The only reason I decided to leave the group was because the momentum tanked. It’s nobody’s fault. Jim went on hiatus because of other priorities. Jarrett hung up Mandy to pursue his new venture: Some Day Hero (June 23rd). All of this was understandable. Artists change gears. It happens.
On a professional level, I had a lot of things going with Pinkerton. There was real momentum. The Th3rd World launch was right around the corner as well as debuts in a couple college papers. Scott and Worth were both cranking out top notch stuff. But yet, the group went into a holding pattern. So on a personal level I honestly felt a little put off by the fact that we had 3/5ths of the group still cranking out A-material but yet we were on hold. It felt like terrible timing and I didn’t want to get stuck in the mud. So, with no ill-will towards anyone in the group, I decided to embark on my own and try and keep the momentum rolling by self promoting Pinkerton.
The Tall Tale group came about almost accidental. Lucas and I have had a long-standing relationship ever since we met while submitting for a little comic strip called Unfit. When he told me he was getting ready to put out a new feature I had mentioned something about the two of us cross-promoting. It even got to the point where we were going to bring him in as a Mammal. When I mentioned I was leaving the group we both joked about starting our own group. So I toyed around with the idea and in the process, threw the idea to a few other people who really liked it. Those folks were Brian, Brock, and Scott. Lucas brought David into the fold and the rest is history.”
According to Scott Metzger:
“The Panel Mammals are alive and well. As far as I know they plan to re-launch their site, definitely by June 23 (when Jarrett launches his new strip “Some Day Hero”). They might re-launch the site earlier than that. But June 23 date is solid, as far as I know.
To answer Fryâ??s question, the split was amicable. Just a parting of ways due to a few factors, none of which are personal. It happens. I have the utmost respect for Jim, Jarrett and Worth. They are talented cartoonists and good guys.”
According to Jim Tierney:
“It also looks like the wait is going to be even longer now too. For one thing, Tyler Martin is getting ready to roll out a new version of ComicPress ! Iâ??m sort of waiting until that gets out of beta so that I can grab it and set up a new JP&TM site (and thereâ??s going to be a bit of a format change coming up for JP&TM as well.)
The other hold up is that Iâ??ve decided itâ??s time to quit screwing aroundâ?¦ Iâ??ve decided Iâ??m going to really up my game by focusing much more on my weakness (my writing) in an attempt to bring JP&TM to the next level. Iâ??ve already begun the writing process, and Iâ??m working out the conclusion to the kite storyline now, and hopefully as time progresses Iâ??ll be able to get my writing on level with my art.
Unfortunately, between the new site design, the re-launch of the panel mammal site, and this writing re-focusing are all going to delay and slow down my comic production (that and my day job) so I canâ??t give an accurate timetable of when Iâ??ll be back for sure. One thing I do know though, is that Jarret Osborne is planning on launching his new feature Someday Hero in late june, and thereâ??s no way Iâ??m going to let him return to cartooning before I do!”