So, the strip’s been black and white for about a month now. And about a week ago I stopped the thick character outlining. And you know what, both might have been a mistake — but not for the same reasons.

Dropping the outlining was a mistake because, frankly, the outlines looked real good. I dropped them not because I didn’t like them but because I thought they were overpowering in a B&W strip. But really what they were doing was making the characters “pop”. And in the final analysis, I really like the thick outlines. Always have. So, they’ll be back.

Dropping color was a time pressure thing. I wanted back the extra half hour it takes to color. But what did I do with that freed time? Surfed the net, cut my toenails, taunted the cats with used Q-tips — in other words, nothing. And what did I lose dropping color? Probably a few readers. But most importantly, as has been pointed out to me, and even to my eyes, the strip just doesn’t look as good now as it did when it was in color. If the strip had started in B&W, the story might be different. But as it is, when I think of Kevin, he’s pink. Not B&W. Add to that my realization over the weekend that the Interwebs demands a show from the content it chews up and spits out,  and bottom line, color will be back.

Since I draw two weeks in advance, the old and improved thick-outlined full color Arkham Polytech should resume with the July 26 strip.

Any bets on how long after that it’ll take for me to start pining for B&W again?