I just stumbled over his latest post in his LJ. Rather than trying to link the bugger, here's the quote. For the record, this was a public post on his LJ account, so I don't see any need to keep this private.
I'm sure there are others besides Max and BlackRaven here who are interested in this.
Quote:
Some catalysts for me quitting porn.
I don't think I'm going to make that Comixpedia post after all, so here's a meandering Livejournal post about it.
First things first, Slipshine is doing fine. It could be doing better, but it's still a successful site. If I stuck with it and punched up its publicity a little more, I could probably coast off it completely sometime in the future. But I'm giving that up.
This decision was mostly gradual, but here are a few things that completely sparked the decision:
1) Me trying to restart the Pet Elf, and having a good time with it at first, but then finding out I didn't want to draw it anymore once I got to the sex scene.
2) The New York panel, and Jon Rosenberg of goats.com's plug for it on his website, which read something like "I'll be at a panel with my good buddy Jeff Rowland, and Josh Lesnick, who draws girly and lesbian porn. His content is TOTALLY NSFW. Did I mention porn? LESBIANS." I'm sort of paraphrasing.
3) Me starting a superhero porn comic on Slipshine, and subsequently realizing I was DRAWING A ******** SUPERHERO PORN COMIC.
Aside from those events, there's just the basic fact that I've never seen an entertainer make it big on both porn and legit stuff at the same time ever. It's one or the other. And those who've done both in heir career always quit one to do the other. The bottom line is that I realized that making the choice was inevitable.
I love Sequential Tart,and Comixpedia is a fine site sometimes, and I don't want to seem ungrateful to them for the press I got last year... But in both cases, it was mostly during their "sex in comics" month. Whenever I hear my ears burn on Comixpedia or WEBSNARK DOT COM (edit: and I mean specifically the message board posts, not the articles themselves. Yes, I find these through my referral stats 'cause I'm just that kind of guy.), it's usually never about comics like Girly, and it's always about the porn. This just is not what I wish to be known for.
Its probably a little rosy-eyed to think that this choice will instantly make it easier for me to be taken seriously as an artist, but it certainly can't hurt.
I am one of the few webcomic artists that makes a living off his work. I was one of the first do do it, actually. I quit my day job before Fred Gallagher did. Nobody ever talks about it. Making a living through the help of porn isn't seen as a "real" accomplishment. Truth be told, I don't really see it as one either.
Which is not to say drawing porn is easy. It's kind of a complete pain in the a**. I won't miss it much.
I don't think I'm going to make that Comixpedia post after all, so here's a meandering Livejournal post about it.
First things first, Slipshine is doing fine. It could be doing better, but it's still a successful site. If I stuck with it and punched up its publicity a little more, I could probably coast off it completely sometime in the future. But I'm giving that up.
This decision was mostly gradual, but here are a few things that completely sparked the decision:
1) Me trying to restart the Pet Elf, and having a good time with it at first, but then finding out I didn't want to draw it anymore once I got to the sex scene.
2) The New York panel, and Jon Rosenberg of goats.com's plug for it on his website, which read something like "I'll be at a panel with my good buddy Jeff Rowland, and Josh Lesnick, who draws girly and lesbian porn. His content is TOTALLY NSFW. Did I mention porn? LESBIANS." I'm sort of paraphrasing.
3) Me starting a superhero porn comic on Slipshine, and subsequently realizing I was DRAWING A ******** SUPERHERO PORN COMIC.
Aside from those events, there's just the basic fact that I've never seen an entertainer make it big on both porn and legit stuff at the same time ever. It's one or the other. And those who've done both in heir career always quit one to do the other. The bottom line is that I realized that making the choice was inevitable.
I love Sequential Tart,and Comixpedia is a fine site sometimes, and I don't want to seem ungrateful to them for the press I got last year... But in both cases, it was mostly during their "sex in comics" month. Whenever I hear my ears burn on Comixpedia or WEBSNARK DOT COM (edit: and I mean specifically the message board posts, not the articles themselves. Yes, I find these through my referral stats 'cause I'm just that kind of guy.), it's usually never about comics like Girly, and it's always about the porn. This just is not what I wish to be known for.
Its probably a little rosy-eyed to think that this choice will instantly make it easier for me to be taken seriously as an artist, but it certainly can't hurt.
I am one of the few webcomic artists that makes a living off his work. I was one of the first do do it, actually. I quit my day job before Fred Gallagher did. Nobody ever talks about it. Making a living through the help of porn isn't seen as a "real" accomplishment. Truth be told, I don't really see it as one either.
Which is not to say drawing porn is easy. It's kind of a complete pain in the a**. I won't miss it much.
I see the logic in the reasons. I also kind of understand the feelings behind the choices as well. And I guess that closing Slipshine would be the only real way to close this chapter of the story.
/edit
Later this evening, Josh posted the news that Slipshine would continue under his control without his contributions through 2006. I think the artists who produced great projects for Slipshine will be pleased with that announcement.
