It is with a sad heart that I write these words, but write them I must.  After 4 years of consistent detective absurdity, change is coming to the Dada Detective. Stephanie Freese, our artist extraordinaire, who has been with us since the very beginning, has decided it’s time to move on.  Here is her farewell letter:

Dear readers,

It is time for me to say goodbye to the Dada Detective. Leaving was not an easy decision for me, and one that I did not make lightly. I have truly enjoyed participating in this project with Matt and Dave and I feel that together we have created a fine body of work. Matt and Dave, in addition to being very good friends of mine, are exceptionally talented writers and have taken this story far beyond initial expectations.

It has been a great, funny and exciting adventure. Unfortunately, while the writers are still fresh and energetic, the artist is a bit worn out. Worn out enough that she knows her reserves are tapped and it’s time to get some rest, stretch the creative legs and try new things in order to recharge. As much as I have wanted to remain loyal to Matt and Dave and the comic, I know that staying too long sometimes can be more of a disservice than leaving.

I am sad to leave. But I am also hopeful and confident that the adventures in Dadaville will continue with renewed energy. And I can assure you that while I am no longer on the main stage, I will still be in the audience cheering as loud as I possibly can.

Sincerely,
Stephanie

Matt and I wish her the best and can’t wait to see what wonders her brush will next create. We’ll be needling her constantly to finally get working on that comic strip she’s been toying with for so long.

So what does this mean for the Dada Detective?

Alas, it means an indefinite hiatus while we search for a possible replacement. At the moment, it is hard to imagine Dirk’s jaw being chiseled by anyone other than Steph, but we are coming around to the idea and will be questing high and low to find an artist whose style fits the tone and decidedly unique sense of humor of the strip. If you know of any artists who might fit the bill, please send ‘em our way. We’ll be happy to consider them.

So scary question time: Will we be back? The answer is, yes. I believe so. It may be awhile before we’re back, but somehow we’ll find a way. We want to finish this story, and we refuse to settle for something that will be a shadow of it’s former self. So it’ll take some time.

Want to be the first to know when we’ll be back? Might I recommend subscribing to our rss feed?

Thank you for your support and patience.

I’m doing some behind the scenes maintenance, so if things seem a bit wonky, that’s the reason. Hopefully won’t take too long.

All upgraded. As you were!

We’re off to SPX and we’ll hope you’ll join us!

But if you can’t, be sure to keep an eye on our Twittercast. We’ll be posting throughout the convention!

SPX is upon us! I really don’t understand how it sneaks up on me every year. I think maybe I enjoy it so much that I subconsciously forget about it so I can be pleasantly surprised over and over. Needless to say, the Dada Detective Team will be in attendance with plenty of books, t-shirts, free swag & the SPX debut of The Dada Detective, Vol. 2!

You can find us at Table A13, right beside ONI Press! Here’s a map.

Reminder: SPX a 2 day dealio this year. Saturday & Sunday only. We’ll be flattered if you show up on Friday, but we’re going to be busy with the Nerdlings that night.

So come on down and join in the fun!

If you’re dropping by for the first time via Digger, welcome! Hope you enjoy the adventures of a hard-boiled detective trying to make sense out of nonsense, all penned by our talented, intrepid writers, Matt and Dave. Be sure to visit Stephanie’s personal site as well for yet more art!

So things might go a bit wonky. Hopefully things won’t go a bit wonky, but if wonkiness ensues, you now know why.

UPDATE: All Updated! And no wonkiness detected! Excellent.

And we are very very tired!!!!

We will post more later!!!!

For now, we will sleep!!!!

Just installed a new plug-in to send these blog entries to the Dadaville LJ community. So if you’re reading this at likelystories.com, ignore this.

If you’re reading this from LJ, whoo hoo, it worked!

UPDATE: And it worked. Now, all I wonder is how things will look when we update the comic.

But you probably already figured that out.

Apologies everyone. But due to a migraine headache, the comic will be posting this evening rather than this morning. Also, apologies for the late announcement. I wrote it this morning and thought I’d published it, but apparently I hadn’t.

Note to self: The “save” button is not the same as the “publish” button.

UPDATE: And comic is updated!

When not required on set, our characters occasionally wander far afield in search of a few sideline projects. We don’t mind as long as it doesn’t interfere with principal shooting. After all, rents are steep in Dadaville (20 burnt out light bulbs and a half mackerel a month for a studio) and honestly, the gig here pays peanuts–literal peanuts, 3 per panel–and a macaroon for overtime. Need I tell you what the macaroon/mackerel exchange rate is in Dadaville? I didn’t think so.

So anyway, it always makes me happy when they land another gig. Take today for example. It looks like Monique Monique has managed to snag a guest spot on J Gray’s 2nd Shift. Go check it out and tell me how she did.

For the record, though, I should clarify. The story takes place in Dadaville, not France. A subtle difference and easily confused. Where is Dadaville, you ask? Oh, it’s easy to find. Just take the third fork in the road and drive till you see the whites of their eyes.