Some of you may have noticed that updates have been rather sparse lately.

I'm not dead, infected with bubonic butt cancer, or sailing my boat made out of diamonds and bald eagle skulls across the Pacific. I've been quiet because I've started working on my new book. Books take a long time to come out (about a year), so that means I have to finish writing it by June 1st in order to have it out by March of next year. Similar to my last book, the new one is going to contain a bunch of material which isn't available on the web. It's grueling for me because I really enjoy making comics and then publishing them to the web sometimes within minutes of finishing them; it's sort of like getting to do stand-up comedy where I get immediate feedback. Now when I finish a comic instead of getting smothered in big juicy LOLs I simply stick the file into a folder and move onto the next one. I imagine it's what being a comic artist used to be like before the internet showed up.

After the new book is done I'll be resuming my regular schedule and putting out new material, including a summer sequel to The State of the Web - Winter 2011, more Bobcats, and a new grammar guide. Try to think of the next few weeks as The Oatmeal's off season.

Also, go vote for me here. If I win I think I'll be able to convince the mayor of Seattle to erect a 200 foot tall monument of me dragon-kicking an orca whale, complete with cascading waterfalls coming out of my nipples.