Saying Goodbye: Part 4
Well, this is a little surreal.
For a couple of years, I wondered to myself how the comic might end. Would it be happy or sad or maybe a little bit of both?
Then one night, not long after Hazel passed, Georgia and I were doing our nightly ritual of reading stories and saying prayers while Meghan was getting the baby to bed. I mentioned how I was thankful for Olive and the new cat, Mary Cupcake when Georgia matter-of-factly reminded me not to forget Hazel. And it was in that moment I decided that’s how the comic would end. By remembering Hazel and giving thanks.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everyone who’s followed the strip each week, retweeted it, liked it on Facebook, left nice comments, even purchased it at conventions and on Comixology; the list goes on and on. It was the fuel that kept the fire going and pushed me to put out the best comic I could for four solid years. So thank you.
Some people have asked me what’s next. To be honest with you, I’ve mostly been focusing on being a Dad to my girls these days, cramming in a little artwork here and there where I can. I don’t have another webcomic in the works at the moment, but who knows, maybe I’ll take another crack at it one of these days. Between you and me, I think the Sharksquatch deserves his own strip for a few years.
So goodbye and farewell. Thanks again for reading; you’re the best.
Gonna miss it, Matt. Gonna miss you too until your next project. Don’t stay away too long, k? 🙂
Aw, thanks. I doubt I’ll ever stop drawing. 🙂
Love it. Love you. Love those crazy CAAATS! Can’t wait to see what is next. I keep praying someone will see this series and take it where Garfield has gone. You are amazing. Meg
You’re amazing too, ya know. Thanks for all of the support! 🙂
Thank you for a wonderful comic strip.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
So sweet. Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with all of us !
Matt is the most amazing father I have ever known. His two little daughters are truly blessed.
We loved the Caaats comic and hope you are willing to come back in the future . Right now, you have the most important job you will ever have !!!
Good luck and God Bless !!!
Thanks so much; that really means a lot to me. Thanks for reading and for the support! 🙂
Good-bye, and thanks so much for sharing your talents with us. I hope Olive is not being too hard on Mary Cupcake.
Thanks for reading! The Mary Cupcake/Olive dynamic is shockingly similar to the Olive/Hazel dynamic; I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You will be missed. I’m sure we’ll see you again.
I think I’m physically unable to stop drawing. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your art and your life with us. Mary Cupcake!! Hee hee!! Wonderful.
Toodles!
Thanks a lot, Gail!
Going to miss the weekly adventures of CAAATS and while I am sad to see it end I think you nailed it Matt. Best of luck in whatever you do next, I for one would love to see some one shots (Mary Cupcake?) and a Sharksquatch strip could be amazing, whatever it is keep us informed, and thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Thanks a lot, Tom! I’ll definitely be posting things to Twitter as far as new projects go.
Ahhhhh…..! It must be time for a new chapter in your life! As your girls grow bigger, your life will be consumed with them. Cherish every moment as the time goes too fast!! You are a great daddy!
Thank you, Jennifer. I’m really lucky to have them; they’re pretty amazing.
Well done. Gentle ending without the biff! pow! bam! Which is perfect in this case… Certainly sharksquatch would not expect such a respectful ending. Perhaps crushed by two tectonic plates? Or the ascendancy and eventual fall of sharksasquatch culture to and from global domination? Not so Olive. She is everycat.
Tectonic plates would only tickle the Sharksquatch! 😉
Dear Matt,
Thank you very, very much for such a wonderful comic.
All the very best to you and your family.
Best Regards from Switzerland, and again, thank you.
Sincerest Regards
Willa
Thanks for reading, Willa! I truly appreciate it! 🙂
Georgia would tell everyone that Mary’s full name is;
Mary Cupcake Cookie !!!
Little Hazel will always be remembered and so will our Coco.
Come back someday with more stories, including Georgia’s little sister Violet, Meg, and the four-legged girls, Olive and Mary Cupcake !!!
It’s funny because I originally wanted to call her Cookie, but Georgia insisted on Mary Cupcake. A few weeks later she decided that we could go with Mary Cupcake Cookie.
Hello Matt
Glad you shared your adventures with Hazel and Olive. It was fun to watch and I understand the dynamics a multi-cat household can have.
Enjoy your time with your family.
Wayne
Thanks, Wayne! It was fun having people drop by to read it each week. 🙂
Matt,
Thanks for sharing your family’s adventures with all us readers. I too will miss Olive and Hazel…and you’ve reminded me of how thankful I am for the time I get to and got to spend with all my cats.
Good luck an keep drawing.
Thanks a lot, sir! That I shall.
Matt,
A big virtual hug to you for all the wonderful work you produced here and the legacy you leave behind for all of us to enjoy! I’m honestly sad that you won’t be posting this strip as you have, but I’m hopeful you might return with more amazing work in another format, like you’ve hinted at. Best of luck to you in all your future endeavors! Salute!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark and for the support over the years. You’ll always have a big fan of Zombie Boy in me.
What a great and wonderful ending to a great and wonderful comic! I still hope to meet you in person some day since you’re really so close! Us Hoosiers have to stick together!
Thanks a lot, Jim! If you ever make it to Appleseed in Fort Wayne, I’m there every year. I’d love it if you stopped by!
Congrats Maaat! On 4 years of never missing a week - a large body of work! So awesome… will definitely miss it. Last comic was so well done, and
I had tears in my eyes thinking about it over (maybe will come back at some point.) You are doing your most important work right now for sure.
Looking forward to what you do next!! Thanks for sharing it so many years.
Sue
Thanks a lot, Sue; I really appreciate it!
Thank you for the comic. And for helping me get through life without Gizmo. It’s hard, but I’m getting there
Aw, you’re welcome. Thank you for reading. Sorry again about Gizmo. 🙂
Thanks for a wonderful strip sir.
Though it was a bit of a shock as for some reason, this site wouldn’t load and kept giving me errors since sometime before Christmas of 2014. At least it worked for the last one. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words; I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah, we were switching hosts at the end of 2014; sorry for the hiccups. Everything is smoothed out now so you should be able to catch anything you missed.
I’m going to need you to stop making me cry.
I am sorry to see this go. I as you can tell would come ever couple of months and catch up on all the comics at one time. I hope one day you have a new story to tell maybe new adventures of Olive and cupcake. Regardless i wish you are your family the best and we will all remember Hazel.
It was fun while it lasted. I somehow missed the ending, but I got it now. Hopefully an announcement will be posted here if there is a new project.
Thanks!