And now, for something to click on that is not horrid, and is not in any way, shape, or form related to supporting Schlock.

This is usually a sensitive topic, because I never want to come across as a whiney beggar, but if you want to support Schlock Mercenary and KeenSpot, one of the things you can do is pay a visit to Skotos.

If you like gaming--especially the broad-tapestry, interactive role-playing variety, you really should check them out. The Skotos ad embedded in the KeenSpot frame at the top of this page is the easiest way to get there. So go look, and if it looks like your thing, please sign up with them. We're working hard to engage sponsors who actually have products that interest our readers, and Skotos definitely qualifies.

Speaking of support, some of you have been very generous and have contributed to Schlock Mercenary directly via the "tip the cartoonist" buttons on the index page. Thank you for this. Another way you can spend your money to help Schlock and KeenSpot is by signing up for KeenSpot PREMIUM membership. As the advertising market remains at the bottom the smoking crater it augured itself into, content providers like KeenSpot are under increased pressure to run more and more invasive ads. Eventually we'll see pop-ups, pop-unders, and even more annoying tactics from the advertisers (even though today we do our best to block all those ads) in an effort to grab your attention, and frankly I'd prefer to see less intrusive ads. If you subscribe for KeenSpot PREMIUM membership, you don't see any ads at all (except for the non-intrusive sponsorship in the KeenSpot frame), and you help us defray expenses to the point that the pop-up/pop-under wolves can be beaten away from our door. You also get access to the excellently convenient WarpKeen, in which you get to put the strips you read regularly on one customized page for single-click access to your favorite KeenSpot strips.

With all this talk of support, I don't want you to think we're doing badly. Keen is healthy, and essentially debt-free, but we have not reached the point where the individual cartoonists are being paid anything like what their work is worth (except for Scott Kuehner, whose work sucks so hard that he should be paying everyone on the internet a dollar for each strip he runs, thus compensating us all for the fact that some of the electrons we use have been sullied whilst traversing Look What I Brought Home.)

And now, for something to click on that is not horrid, and is not in any way, shape, or form related to supporting Schlock. If you like serial comics (which you do, since you like Schlock [which you do, since you are here (which you are, in spite of the triply-nested parenthetical phrases)]) you need to check out the serial-only linkfest that is OnlineComics.net. Schlock got added to their index this week, and there are lots of other cool serials there that you need to check out. Go now, in the name of all that is reciprocal!