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December 22, 2011
Reader Comments (83)
The last line on panel 2 cracked me up.
Didn't you already do one like this last year, on December 9? Identical art, poses, and script other than a few numbers. In fact, they're so similar it seems like you took the old one and changed a few words, a quick copy and paste job.
I'm sure this was an accident, so I just thought I'd let ya know you've used an old idea, give you a chance to replace this one before anyone notices? I hope I've helped prevent some embarrassment.
~Covarr
You are going to do this every year, aren't you?
I'd be disappointed if you didn't.
Seeing this made me remember that you'd made this remark last year, and Putting it in an actual comic is probably much more effec- OMG HAVE I REALLY BEEN READING THIS WEBCOMIC FOR A YEAR? Where has the time gone?
But there's ALWAYS a need for insults!
I love panel three. I kind of read as though it were being performed by Orson Welles. Especially the part about basking in the glory and everyone calming down. Nice work.
You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.
You seem upset.
In other news, the strip is hilarious as always!
I've never complained about the copyright date and I've bought both your books. I'm sorry you are unable to learn from your mistakes. If you had a clue, you'd put the next year's copyright date on the comics you expected to be posted late December or early January and avoid the crap. You did know it wasn't going to be posted in December 2011, right? You are the one who wrote it a month in advance? Hit yourself with a cluebat and spare us the duplicate comic.
Note from Scott: (Ugh. Time to go through this again. Hoped I wouldn't have to this year. Oh well.)
I write the comics. I send some of them to newspapers ... a full 30 days before they are legally available for the site. That first date is the official, legal copyright date. Then, 30 days later, I submit them to Cracked. Cracked has 7 days to run them or pass on them. Then ...THEN!! THIRTY SEVEN DAYS LATER ... AFTER THEY'VE BEEN PUBLISHED, (still with me here?) they get posted to the site. SO! The copyright date is accurate ... ACCURATE!!
Thanks for buying both my books. Sorry to have bothered you with the rerun.
That's cool. A person doesn't get all that from your duplicate comic. So would the universe explode, or would you get get exposed to unlawful duplication were the copyright posted as 2011-2012? Can you put in a range? I really don't know that much about it. I also don't know how much you really care about it. A chance to post a duplicate comic might have been enough reason. It's not like your previous comics suggest otherwise.
Note from Scott: My understanding (and I am no lawyer) is that a work is copyrighted as soon as it's finished, and that the copyright date should reflect that. I will admit that I am mystified on a yearly basis that people find an apparent discrepancy in the copyright date so distressing. Also, rerunning the warning comic was an excuse to give myself a day off this Christmas season.
I don't decide to post reruns lightly.
I agree with Birren. I think you have a holiday tradition on your hands. In fact, if I don't see this exact same re-run next year I'm going to get all huffy and whine about that just to make sure you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Seriously though, congratulations on another year of hilarity. I look forward to next years re-run and all the comics in between.
The comment to Matt was funnier than the re-run. I love how you turned on a dime from lambasting him for not knowing your publishing schedule to thanking him for supporting you with his purchases.
The funny part is that he is--obviously--a regular reader and he was most likely just poking your buttons. Mission accomplished.
FYI: Scott is pretty much correct on copyright date usage. When you see a range of dates, that indicates a work that has been updated. The example that comes to mind is Windows XP, which has a r-e-a-l-l-y long range.
I don't mind the reruns.
But one small problem is that if you keep running these annual PSAs, then I'll start getting the urge to write in and tell you about all the wrong copyright dates!
Ironically, of course.
" I will admit that I am mystified on a yearly basis that people find an apparent discrepancy in the copyright date so distressing."
I agree. Thanks for the explaination. Still a devoted fan, and please post this strip again next year, everyone deserves a set holiday.
Holy shit –– this thing is actually copyrighted?!!! I guess that puts an end to the successful multi-year run of my "How to Do Stuff" website.
Um, I mean, forget what I just said. Oh fuck, just send my lawyer the relevant documents.
To Matt: Please do us (and Scott) a favor, and stop posting semi-snotty comments on things you yourself admit you know nothing about. It's Scott's comic. It's Scott's website. Enjoy the gift of free entertainment from the interwebs and don't act like buying the books (which is an awesome thing to do) gives you the all-encompassing right to berate someone because you had to endure *gasp!* an occasional rerun.
@Matt, it's illegal to future date copyright and it should always reflect the date of completion of the work, not the publication date. When you see a split year year copyright (like 2011/12) it's usually either because; the work in question is from s region that has a mid-year based financial year and copyright regulations set to said financial year (such as Australia. Not the U.S.); the work contains both old and new content (so if originating in some regions the above comic should have been listed as 2010/11, since it's an alteration of an existing earlier work. I don't think that regulation applies in the U.S though and date of final creation is correct); or the person writing the date didn't know what they were doing. It's not very nice to tell someone else to get a clue when you're not certain that they're actually wrong by the way.
Do you HAVE to put a year on the copyright? Does it matter all that much? Maybe you could use Roman numerals, like movies do. Who is going to notice a MMX instead of a MMXI? Still, there are the Rocky movies fans out there, and they're bound to read this comic, because of the obvious similarities between your wife and Adrian. Ok, I got it: you use the Arabic calendar, in Roman numerals. Right now it's 1433, which translates to -stay with me- MCDXXXIII. You have to put AH after, I am not sure why, I could check Wikipedia but I am lazy and Rocky IV is next.
(c) MCDXXXIII AH
I could bask in the glory of THAT copyright
Panel one alone was a great stand-alone... I'll have to remember to use that line (substituting my own name, of course) next time I have to speak at a meeting or something. It just gets better from there... gold, GOLD, I tell ya!
Not only do I love Missy's interjections, I love Scott's misinterpretations of them.
Remember a while back in one of the comments sections when I mentioned how my 13 year-old son likes the smoking jacket look, and wants to get a robe to emulate it? He also does that 'steepled' finger thing with his hands (see panel one of this strip) when he wants to pretend he's being sophisticated. I said it then and I'll say it again: you've influenced a new generation of fans!
Nobody cares, we're going to bitch and moan anyways. Because we love you.
OH NO THINGS WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS THINGS. Oh the humanity. I still got a grin out of this just like I did last year. Have a fancy Christmas, Mr. Scott.
Psh, 2012 is a lie, wake up sheeple!
Your understanding of copyright dates are right, Scott.
Having read the above explanation, I would like to say to all the whiners: you're getting a comic for free. Of course you're the last persons to see it, after all the people who actually have to pay for the comic if they place it and make their subscribers pay for that content (or maybe their advertisers).
If you care about the copyright date so much: start a newspaper and offer to run basic instructions.
It may be a rerun but it's still funny in every panel.
PS: I do comment about the copyright date not changing but in an ironic way so that's ok.. Isn't it?