Thirty years is a long time to put into a comic strip, whether it’s Peanuts or Bloom County or even this one. After a while, it’s something you do not much as by rote as by necessity. It’s such an ingrained part of your day that you get concerned when you havent done that day’s strip… even though you know only a handful of people will see it. No, this strip will never see the numbers that some comics get — to be blunt, that bothered me for a long time. Still does, on occasion. It’s a lot of work putting these guys through their paces, and it’s really defeating sometimes when all someone can say is, “Huh. They look like avatars from Second Life.”

Maybe they do… although sorry, I dont see it myself. But through them, I’ve been able to tell stories about… well, all sorts of things, from world terrorism to alien abduction to the simple act of buying groceries. They all had their message. Sometimes I got it right on the first try. Sometimes I’d have to wait a few weeks before a reader would let me know that, Yes! He finally got it! — and it’s moments like that when I think maybe all this isnt such a waste of time after all. And I got to do it through a prism of characters that, over the years, have become fully realized, all with their backstories and quirks and fears and hopes for the future.

I doubt there’s three decades more in this, although it’s tempting to entertain that thought. “Doc and Raider” has already shattered more than a few records even as it sailed below the cultural radar. Longest running Canadian LGBT strip in our country’s history. Quite possibly the longest running strip in Canadian history period, although dont quote me on that. In sheer bulk of numbers, I cant think of any LGBT strip that’s gone this far — even as I write this, we’re about 30 away from 3600. That’s a helluva lot to collect up at some point.

I dont want to get carried away with my accomplishment with this. Ultimately it has to stand on its own, good or bad. But hitting this kind of milestone… you stop and assess, right? Then, tomorrow morning, as I usually do, I’ll start thinking about that day’s episode… and life will move on.

OK, a bit of time-stepping… maybe. I need a bit of a break before throwing myself into the next storyline. But it’s one some of you have been waiting for a year to see, and I hope it meets your expectations.

Thanks, as always.

/Sean