Do you remember when you read the comics every day? I do and I miss it a ton.

I remember tearing open the paper to read the latest Far Side, something that was more important to me than the news itself.

In thinking back to those days, I had this very intimate connection with Gary Larson and the Far side: it was as if it was its own community. Gary, like me and many of my friends who loved the strip, was a math/science geek (I cried during the Calculus epic Stand and Deliver - need I say more?). His humor had a special appeal for those of us who found humor in the absurd which, after all, is what being a geek is about. At a time when geekiness was the butt of most jokes, it was vinidcating to have one of own out there in black and white (and color on Sundays) for the world to see.

(I still laugh with my friends when we talk about classic Far Sides like the one where the wife amoeba yells at her husband “Stimulus, Response! Stimulus, Response! Don’t you ever think?”)

I laughed and knew that others laughed with me. Really, The Far Side was a community gathered around the daily newspapers of the world.

But I don’t do that anymore. Why? Partially time (I’m a Dad now and have little time for anything), partially habits (I don’t read newspapers anymore), but also because I just haven’t found my strip. I haven’t found my new Far Side.

Where has it gone?

Egads! Has it been since May that I last posted?! Where have the months gone? Fear not, readers - the Zingerding Blog is coming back in January 2008. Readers? Do we still have readers? Is this thing on? Hello?

What’s on the horizon, you ask? Hank and I have been developing a new strategy for the blog. Zingerding.com has been in development and is making headway. In preparation for the site, my bird partner and I will be bringing more value to you with comic strip instruction.

What do we mean by that? Well, we’re going to give you all sorts of tips, advice and tricks of the trade for developing, writing, drawing and maintaining your very own comic strips. We’ll cover humor writing, drawing techniques, digital tips, character design, comic theory and more!

We know you have some great ideas and we hope to inspire you! Happy new year and we’ll see you soon!

Well Zingerfans, I have to admit that we’ve been holding out on you. Zingerding is not merely a blog. It’s a plot to change the face of the funny pages forever. Today we announce Zingerding.com, a new website that will push the boundaries of what the internet can do for comic strips.

We’re still working on the main site so after you get all zinged up, relax and be patient. Sign up on our email list and we’ll keep you informed of when we’re ready. And if you’re a cartoonist, let us know because we want your comic strips!

We’ll continue to bring you great and not-so-great strips through this blog but we’ll also now be discussing what is to come. Isn’t this the most exciting thing since… well, ever?