Need a webcomic artist

I am the author of the D&D-themed webcomic, Loaded Dice (rdinn.com/comic.php). The basic premise of the comic is that it follows a real life gaming group and the adventures of their characters (something like the classic "Knights of the Dinner Table"). This is not some revolutionary idea, but the strip works well, and has been well-received.



I have been parterning with Tiana Jackson for the first 43 strips of the comic, and have loved her work. The readers have obviously enjoyed it, as well - the comic was first published in late July of 2009, but had built up to a peak of almost a thousand regular readers. However, the forces of nature have conspired against us - I had some serious personal issues early in the year (death in the family, loss of my job, etc), and Tiana has taken on other commitments, to the point that she can no longer continue with Loaded Dice.



As such, I need a new artist. I HATE having to do this - I like her style, and we work well together, but my choices are to find a new artist or to let the comic die. I hate the latter option even more.



Now, to the nitty gritty:



I am open to any method of creating the art itself, whether it be hand drawn and scanned, fully digital, or some mixture of the two. I do want 300 dpi digital copies of each strip (ideally in psd format with the original layers preserved), so that we won't have a problem printing them for merchandise later. We do not limit ourselves to a set number of panels per strip - I am a big fan of the format used by Rich Burlew's "Order of the Stick" - not the art style so much, but the fact that he takes as many (or as few) panels as are needed to tell the story, and said panels may vary in size, as dictated again by the story.



We have been updating twice per week. I'd really love to do three times per week, but that may be too much to ask for. I need someone who can commit to at least two strips per week, period - I despise missing updates (this is the number one way to kill a webcomic's fan base).



Up until this point, the process has been as follows: I do the writing and submit the script. The artist draws the strip, then I do the dialogue lettering. It's pretty obvious that the qualified artist will have at least a working knowledge of fantasy and related areas (does anyone on this site NOT have an idea of how to draw a dwarf or a goblin?).



So, what's in it for you? Clearly, there are no huge piles of cash to be shoveled around (else I'd have posted this in a different forum). As I am well aware that "big time" artists will likely scoff as such a lowly venture, I'm hoping to appeal to an up and coming artist who would like some quality exposure. I'm offering an equal stake in all potential net profits from the comic and any potential merchandise that we eventually produce related to it, as well as negotiable residual royalties from the same. I'm flexible and easy to work with, and will absolutely value your input.



So, are there any interested souls out there, or am I wasting my time? If you fall into the "interested soul" category, please contact me at osuddeth AT gmail DOT com. http://bit.ly/bo7vTx