Gob this was excellent. You brought back the characters I loved and the randomness of the old, you scrapped the teenage breakup anime angst, and you brought a layer of storytelling that was five years in the making from It Hurts.
Don’t get me wrong – I love the fuck out of IT HURTS!! and I’m gonna own that whole comic when I can. But Erik The Juiceman is a literal inspiration to me.
I found it when I was 14 or so (in my mid-late twenties now) and I thought it was the best thing I had ever read in my life. I’m pretty sure it was the first episode of the Mike saga that led me to the site and comics. Yeah, you can say those anime influences were cringe, and maybe in hindsight they are a bit, but at the time, at 14, I loved each and every second of it. Even today I’ve reread the series more than once and enjoyed every second of it. I’m sure I’ll do it again now that it’s updated. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I introduced my wife to it not too long ago and she loves it now too. We frequently jam to the theme song in the car to this day (amongst some other musical gems I yanked from the old site back in the day haha).
I remember fondly growing up and getting home from school to see if the site updated with a new short, chapter, or anything really. I drew you fan art that I never had the balls to send (I was a shy kid lol). I remember waiting for the Mike saga to update and being ABSOLUTELY FUCKING STOKED when episode 8 finally hit. I remember watching the Scar Saga unfold with anticipation. I remember Jamie being introduced and welcoming her zany ass to the already wonderful cast. And many, many more fond memories.
I never quit checking the site for updates, until it was gone. All through highschool and college. Until the Fortress of Agony was no more. But digging a bit led me to IT HURTS!! and I followed it for a couple years until it’s conclusion, falling in love with a new cast of fucking awesome characters.
And let me tell you something Gob. I’ve had some dark, sad moments in life. But your comics, both ETJM and IT HURTS!!, have made me laugh in the midst of some very dark depression and heartache. In a way, these comics you write have been a light during some damn dark nights. And that’s the real reason I wrote you this little novella here in your comment section: I want to say thank you. Thank you for these wonderful stories, these fantastic characters, and for making me laugh when I don’t know if anythign else could have.
Whether you decide to keep updating ETJM or not, that’s your choice man. You do what you have to do to live the best life you can. But no matter what, I’ll always be there to check out your new work, ETJM or not, with those same eyes of adoration I had as a young teenager, and I wish you the best life has to offer man.
To both you and Grail, I wish you the best. Thanks for the memories. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Thanks for reading all my stuff over the years. I really appreciate it. I’m really happy that my silly comics and cartoons have helped you out when you needed cheering up. It might take a bit of time, but me and Grail are gonna do our best to keep Erik the Juiceman going.
Your kind words mean the world to me. Take care buddy.
This literally made my life.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy ETJM over the years. Hopefully you can wave away that stigma!
This series has meant so much to me over the years and it’s absolutely wonderful to see it finally continuing.
THIS HURTS! ending made a hole in my heart, right next the ETJMs hole. This enough to fill both of them… No homo!
Holy shit, this is awesome. I haven’t read Erik the Juiceman, but this whole revamp thing gives you a really cool set of characters and backstory to work with. GoooooOOoOooOOOOoood shit
I’m glad to see you’re finishing the piece of shit that I read the entirety of over 2 years ago. You and Grail still have the magic that made ETJM the bumpy, beer basted, bastard of a comic it was a long time ago, and I hope you continue to make the things you love.
YAY! And congratulations on your wedding, dude! Congrats on finishing IT HURTS! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING ETJM!
It’s great to see the gang again!
I have to say, I’m much in the same vein as ACE CT- ETJM was the coolest shit ever when I was 15, I loved GOD DAMMIT! when you started posting that on the Forum of Agony, but I kinda fell off the wagon when IT HURTS! came along (I seriously need to read it when I’ve got a weekend or so). University happened, course deadlines, insomnia, psychotic girlfriends, etc., etc. But back to 15- back then, I was a seriously bullied kid (you may recall), and while I thought ETJM was cool shit, the board (and you) were the closest thing I had to real friends. ETJM kind of came to represent some of the only happiness I really felt back then. I’ve kept checking in every now and again all these years, wondering if anything had changed, and now the dream is alive 😛
I remember you going through a rough time way back when, and I’m glad things are looking WAY up for you now. Natasha, if you read this, you may not remember me, but I was super excited when you came on board. I never dreamt you two would get married, and this may not mean much coming from a relative stranger (especially so long afterwards), but I’m sincerely happy for you.
I can’t wait to get back in on this adventure with you two at the helm, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Let me know when you start knocking out books again- I’ve been waiting 4-6 years to finish my collection 😛
I seriously can’t express all the positive emotion I feel at this point, nor can I really convey the depth of my gratitude, so in a vain attempt to do so, I’ll come back, for good. You’ll see me around. Just thank you both, so much.
Dude of course I remember you! I believe I secretly always called you “Space Face” in my head 😉
I’m really happy to see you again! And I’m very super duper happy that our art meant so much to you back in the day. I remember you around the old forum.
We hope to keep kicking ass with this stuff and I look forward to you reading it. Take care, my brothas. May peace and light and strength and lots of success and Super Saiyan power be with you for several eternities <2
Thanks a bunch dude my brother and I are freaking out that your back at it and the anime references were blatent as fuck but that was part of the charm the series has always been great even parts you may not like there was never a page of it where I didn’t laugh so hard my sides hurt or I was was on the edge of my seat from just the turn everything takes I have never once disliked anything it’s the shit the comedy and the serious turns meshed so well together so glad your back at it
I couldn’t be happier to see ETJM back for the finale! I stumbled on the site when I was thirteen and fell in love with the characters, your sense of humor, and even the melodramatic storylines. I understand feeling like you’ve outgrown a project, and the embarrassment of looking back on old work, art, writing, etc., but Erik the Juiceman was an honest to god inspiration to me as a young artist. Satan/Ryan and Emily’s story may be cliche, but I was stupid-invested as a kid in their growing relationship, Mike’s backstory, and Ryan’s character arc, and watching your art improve over the “seasons” of the comic made me feel like I could get better too.
I’m 22 now, and just started my MFA in making comics, and one of my assignments was to list five creators that made me want to make my own work. I thought of the traditional answers of Bill Watterson and Alan Moore, and realized that this crazy comic that I thought was long-dead had to be one of mine. I couldn’t believe when I visited the site again today and saw a recent update. Thank you for the years of entertainment, even for the stuff you cringe about today. In my eyes it was all part of the series’ charm.
My happiness cannot be contained. Thank you John.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, JJ. Thank you for being such a good fan all these years 🙂
THE KING IS BACK
Gob this was excellent. You brought back the characters I loved and the randomness of the old, you scrapped the teenage breakup anime angst, and you brought a layer of storytelling that was five years in the making from It Hurts.
Even grail’s art and layout improved.
I can get behind this arc 100%.
Thank you very much good sir.
The king reminds me of Kamoshida from Persona 5 for some reason.
Man… I’ve been waiting on this for years.
Don’t get me wrong – I love the fuck out of IT HURTS!! and I’m gonna own that whole comic when I can. But Erik The Juiceman is a literal inspiration to me.
I found it when I was 14 or so (in my mid-late twenties now) and I thought it was the best thing I had ever read in my life. I’m pretty sure it was the first episode of the Mike saga that led me to the site and comics. Yeah, you can say those anime influences were cringe, and maybe in hindsight they are a bit, but at the time, at 14, I loved each and every second of it. Even today I’ve reread the series more than once and enjoyed every second of it. I’m sure I’ll do it again now that it’s updated. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I introduced my wife to it not too long ago and she loves it now too. We frequently jam to the theme song in the car to this day (amongst some other musical gems I yanked from the old site back in the day haha).
I remember fondly growing up and getting home from school to see if the site updated with a new short, chapter, or anything really. I drew you fan art that I never had the balls to send (I was a shy kid lol). I remember waiting for the Mike saga to update and being ABSOLUTELY FUCKING STOKED when episode 8 finally hit. I remember watching the Scar Saga unfold with anticipation. I remember Jamie being introduced and welcoming her zany ass to the already wonderful cast. And many, many more fond memories.
I never quit checking the site for updates, until it was gone. All through highschool and college. Until the Fortress of Agony was no more. But digging a bit led me to IT HURTS!! and I followed it for a couple years until it’s conclusion, falling in love with a new cast of fucking awesome characters.
And let me tell you something Gob. I’ve had some dark, sad moments in life. But your comics, both ETJM and IT HURTS!!, have made me laugh in the midst of some very dark depression and heartache. In a way, these comics you write have been a light during some damn dark nights. And that’s the real reason I wrote you this little novella here in your comment section: I want to say thank you. Thank you for these wonderful stories, these fantastic characters, and for making me laugh when I don’t know if anythign else could have.
Whether you decide to keep updating ETJM or not, that’s your choice man. You do what you have to do to live the best life you can. But no matter what, I’ll always be there to check out your new work, ETJM or not, with those same eyes of adoration I had as a young teenager, and I wish you the best life has to offer man.
To both you and Grail, I wish you the best. Thanks for the memories. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
ACE CT!! DUDE!!
Thanks for reading all my stuff over the years. I really appreciate it. I’m really happy that my silly comics and cartoons have helped you out when you needed cheering up. It might take a bit of time, but me and Grail are gonna do our best to keep Erik the Juiceman going.
Your kind words mean the world to me. Take care buddy.
This literally made my life.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy ETJM over the years. Hopefully you can wave away that stigma!
This series has meant so much to me over the years and it’s absolutely wonderful to see it finally continuing.
THIS HURTS! ending made a hole in my heart, right next the ETJMs hole. This enough to fill both of them… No homo!
Whoa This seems pretty cool
Dont know how i ended up on chapter 13
but keep up the good work with the funny drawings
Holy shit, this is awesome. I haven’t read Erik the Juiceman, but this whole revamp thing gives you a really cool set of characters and backstory to work with. GoooooOOoOooOOOOoood shit
I’m glad to see you’re finishing the piece of shit that I read the entirety of over 2 years ago. You and Grail still have the magic that made ETJM the bumpy, beer basted, bastard of a comic it was a long time ago, and I hope you continue to make the things you love.
JOHN!
OH MY GOD!
YAY! And congratulations on your wedding, dude! Congrats on finishing IT HURTS! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING ETJM!
It’s great to see the gang again!
I have to say, I’m much in the same vein as ACE CT- ETJM was the coolest shit ever when I was 15, I loved GOD DAMMIT! when you started posting that on the Forum of Agony, but I kinda fell off the wagon when IT HURTS! came along (I seriously need to read it when I’ve got a weekend or so). University happened, course deadlines, insomnia, psychotic girlfriends, etc., etc. But back to 15- back then, I was a seriously bullied kid (you may recall), and while I thought ETJM was cool shit, the board (and you) were the closest thing I had to real friends. ETJM kind of came to represent some of the only happiness I really felt back then. I’ve kept checking in every now and again all these years, wondering if anything had changed, and now the dream is alive 😛
I remember you going through a rough time way back when, and I’m glad things are looking WAY up for you now. Natasha, if you read this, you may not remember me, but I was super excited when you came on board. I never dreamt you two would get married, and this may not mean much coming from a relative stranger (especially so long afterwards), but I’m sincerely happy for you.
I can’t wait to get back in on this adventure with you two at the helm, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Let me know when you start knocking out books again- I’ve been waiting 4-6 years to finish my collection 😛
I seriously can’t express all the positive emotion I feel at this point, nor can I really convey the depth of my gratitude, so in a vain attempt to do so, I’ll come back, for good. You’ll see me around. Just thank you both, so much.
Dude of course I remember you! I believe I secretly always called you “Space Face” in my head 😉
I’m really happy to see you again! And I’m very super duper happy that our art meant so much to you back in the day. I remember you around the old forum.
We hope to keep kicking ass with this stuff and I look forward to you reading it. Take care, my brothas. May peace and light and strength and lots of success and Super Saiyan power be with you for several eternities <2
As always, good Shit. I’ve followed your raw sewage for a decade now. I’ll always appreciate your humor, Gob.
Why thank you good sir. 🙂
Awesome, great stuff! I too read your stuff way into the shonen-inspired sagas, it’s good to see Erik and Bob taking the lead again here. Nanbanas!
Thanks a bunch dude my brother and I are freaking out that your back at it and the anime references were blatent as fuck but that was part of the charm the series has always been great even parts you may not like there was never a page of it where I didn’t laugh so hard my sides hurt or I was was on the edge of my seat from just the turn everything takes I have never once disliked anything it’s the shit the comedy and the serious turns meshed so well together so glad your back at it
I couldn’t be happier to see ETJM back for the finale! I stumbled on the site when I was thirteen and fell in love with the characters, your sense of humor, and even the melodramatic storylines. I understand feeling like you’ve outgrown a project, and the embarrassment of looking back on old work, art, writing, etc., but Erik the Juiceman was an honest to god inspiration to me as a young artist. Satan/Ryan and Emily’s story may be cliche, but I was stupid-invested as a kid in their growing relationship, Mike’s backstory, and Ryan’s character arc, and watching your art improve over the “seasons” of the comic made me feel like I could get better too.
I’m 22 now, and just started my MFA in making comics, and one of my assignments was to list five creators that made me want to make my own work. I thought of the traditional answers of Bill Watterson and Alan Moore, and realized that this crazy comic that I thought was long-dead had to be one of mine. I couldn’t believe when I visited the site again today and saw a recent update. Thank you for the years of entertainment, even for the stuff you cringe about today. In my eyes it was all part of the series’ charm.
Dude thank you so much. And good luck with your MFA! I’m honored that you thought of me during your assignment! 😀
I always imagine the black guy has the voice of Ollie Williams
dude whats your instagram? i want to see what you’re up to now
Gobolatula I think