On June 7, 2024, Michael & PiggyMcPig celebrated its 16th anniversary...
...and usually, this celebration is scheduled on June 10th due to scheduling conflicts, however thanks to WWDC 2024, it has been moved back to its original date. Anyway, for these kinds of celebrations, I always look back at what I did and recap this series for the past 15 years, and it would've been nice if there were anything else to show you, even though most of the stuff I created are destroyed. Anyway, I'm getting a bit off topic, so instead of celebrating the past, let's do something new for a change: Creating the future. So, that’s why I decided to wait until today to finally release the biggest announcement I have ever announced since the beginning of this comic series.
Starting today, I have decided to halt* every single project and work solely on Michael & PiggyMcPig.
Yes, that's an asterisk next to the word "halt", I'll explain later. Now, I know it is a bit of a shock, but I realize over the years that I have dedicated way too much time on other projects and have been neglecting on this comic series, so yes, starting today, all the current and future projects I have in mind are on pause. *However, going back to the asterisk, I am not halting it completely. Projects like the "Scene It? Archive" and other community led projects are still active, however, I will be mostly stepping away from them so that means that I won't be able to update them for a good amount of time. But you can still help me out by sending me stuff, just don't expect some fast services or replies.
Anyway, yes, it is weird to mostly pause everything, but I am betting my time and effort on recreating this comic series. It is the longest running project that I have ever worked on, and it's way overdue to show some love again. So, I'm also excited to share with you that I have secretly been working behind the curtains for the past 5 years, doing an almost complete refresh of the series, and it is almost finished, but good enough to reveal to the public.
Welcome to the new era of Michael & PiggyMcPig.
I am very excited to announce the newest version of the "Michael & PiggyMcPig" comic series, while also announcing 2 separate miniseries within the series itself. If what I said sounds a bit confusing, I don't blame you, I'll try my best to explain:
Michael & PiggyMcPig (Comic Series):
For the past 15 years, "Michael & PiggyMcPig" only consisted of one storyline: The lives of the Banks Family. Since 2008, it only consisted of them and them only, however, during the following years, it has had a complex history for each family member, and along with that, a whole slew of side characters for readers to love and enjoy. However, this year will change that. I have decided to press the huge shiny red "RESET" button and reset almost everything. Yes, almost everything. So, not only do we have an almost blank canvas to work with, but the Banks family that you know and love are still here, just with a fresh new coat of paint, that's all. However, with this new series, the storyline is massive that it is basically impossible to be just one, so I decided to split and create miniseries within the main series itself. Think of the miniseries as its own show, while it contributes to the gigantic storyline which is the comic series itself (Or as I like to think of it, the comic series itself is like a one giant universe). Now, I know what you're thinking: "So what are these new miniseries that you're introducing?" and to that I say: Good question, so let's unveil what they are.
Michael & PiggyMcPig: (Webcomic Edition):
Now, this basically explains itself. If you are still reliant on the classic format of Michael & PiggyMcPig, or if you're a brand-new reader, I HIGHLY recommend starting here. This is literally the same Michael & PiggyMcPig/Banks Family we all know and love. It has the same things as before, but on top of that, it finally has some lore and history behind it. Yes, I'm introducing lore to the series itself, which again may I add was planned for 5 years now. Every Banks family now has some basic lore for every one of them so that you can connect more with the characters and see them grow as time goes by. Ok, now let's move on to a brand new(ish) miniseries that I'm excited to announce.
Linus & Company:
Holy shit, a brand new(ish, even though I actually created this series for a very brief period of time back in 2012 and discarded it before the first episode was released and decided to bring it back once again) series? That's right! Introducing "Linus & Co.", where it takes place at the same town as the "M&P: Webcomic Edition", and it follows 4 friends who start a company where they can help anyone who needs some assistance to basically whatever they need to solve in life. Need help on planning and organizing an event? They're on it. Want a cheaper way to have someone do your taxes? I mean, they're not experts, but sure, they'll get on it. Need help on restoring your public image and some guidance on how to win for your upcoming political run as mayor of the city? I mean... as long as you pay upfront, they'll definitely try. Yes, this new miniseries is for the readers who want to know a bit more lore to the series, but also wanted more fresh content for them to indulge on.
Now I know what you're thinking: "Those descriptions are a bit short, also, is that all?" First off, I know the descriptions are short, but remember that this is supposed to be the starters, like chips and salsa or those breadsticks before you even look at the menu, and second, absolutely not. There are plenty more miniseries that are eagerly awaiting to show itself to the world, but remember to have patience since it definitely needs some polish and timing before it can reveal itself. Also, if you're paying attention to these past few months on what I said, you already had a taste of another upcoming miniseries which will be released soon, so yes there are at least 3 and there are still more to come.
Looking back at the past and forward to the future once again.
Sticking to the tradition of these anniversaries of reflecting and planning, looking at it now, it is a bit bizarre that this project has been on for so long, yet it is barely recognizable to a few. But I am willing to change that. For too long, this project is just hiding in the shadows, and it's overdue to shine. Back when I started this since 2008, it was primarily a comic series that I would show to my friends, classmates, or even teachers in my hometown. It was just a silly comic where they get to see what the Banks family are up to and what wild adventures they'll face and seeing them enjoying it made me feel great. Now, I know that back in 2016, with the launch of my new website, I decided to convert this series to digital and have the whole internet see my own series, and even then, only 1 or 2 ever stick around. It could've had a bigger audience, but I neglected it for several years up until 5 years ago. So, what I'm doing now might be the riskiest bet that I have ever made since I am putting all my other projects on hold, but with this comic series sticking around with me for so long, it tells me that I really wanted to do more with it and show its true potential. Now, I don't know what the future looks like, maybe this series will be as is for years to come and be known for a small group of audience, maybe it'll launch itself to space and have the whole world know that it exists and cultivate a massive audience, or maybe everything in between, but one thing that I'm certain is that no matter the outcome, all I want is to have someone read this comic series, laugh and make their day a little bit brighter. Maybe that's why I hold on to this project for so long. Remembering my friends, classmates and teachers getting a chuckle while reading my comic series definitely made me feel happy, and if I can do it to them, then I can share that positivity to more people outside from my own town. Again, who knows what will happen in the future, but no matter if you're coming along with me on starting this new chapter today, or if you're one of the luckiest few who were there in the beginning, or even later on in the future where basically everything is already established, no matter where you start, all I want to say is thank you very much for taking your time to read the comic series and if it makes you laugh, then this bet that I took on working on this full time has already paid off. Again, thank you very much and hope you'll stick around for some more.
Anyway, I think that's about it for the 16th Anniversary special of this comic series, hope you'll have a wonderful rest of your day. Oh, and also: