Re-reading the whole comics after years…. I admit, I actually got tears in my eyes when I saw these last two comics for the first time years ago. I’ve read a lot of webcomics over the years, and lot of them had bad things happen to the characters, but this one was the only one with that effect, mainly Ethan’s last thoughts.
Kinda lost interest in the rest of the comic after this part the first time, it just wasn’t the same.
It’s definitely has come a long way between this and the time it took for Tim to get the feel he was looking for.
It’s a shame that most people will never see the follow up for this; it’s a full twelve pages of what is effectively epilogue. If you ever get your hands on it, it’s definitely worth the read. Hopefully someday Tim will release it to the public.
It’s available in the archive you can buy on the home page. It’s definitely worth the $15.
Brandon Kenneth Sharlow
7 years ago
im sad. i just spent the past 5 days reading this and now its over 🙁
Adam Atkinson
7 years ago
I have to say Tim, I loved your writing more than I can even convey, but I’ve struggled to keep reading the comic.
It’s great, but this type of comic you had built with its roller coaster ups and downs, was absolutely fantastic.
Your fans miss it, and I’m sorry you didn’t want it to go this route, because I think it was right where it needed to be.
Justin
7 years ago
The end if the Ethan and Lucas Saga was a bitter sweet one. I read the comic strip daily through high school and college. I still check in a few days a week to keep up with the comic but some of the magic is gone. I loved reading through the archives and seeing the art style evolve over the years!
Joe
7 years ago
I’ve gone through pretty much all the archives, and while I enjoy the other comics you draw, none of them are anywhere near as good to me as the Ethan story. I even looked at some of the newer comics and wondered if some of the guys depicted are supposed to be Ethan, but I realize now they are not. I may still come back to CAD for some of the other comics, I’m not sure yet, but for now when I open CAD and realize that Ethan is no longer a part of it…. Well it’s just too sad.… Read more »
I guess you are right.
A&D is a different story. It is about the same people to whom different things happened. Though it is still Ethan and Lucas, it isn’t quite Ethan and Lucas.
The magic is still there, but in a different form.
It would kinda be wonderfull if Ethan had that “Infinite continue” superpower.
It would also be able to explain him consistently dying from arrows and coming back the next comic.
And then he would be able to “Continue” from this…
Mike
7 years ago
It must just be that time of year. I myself reread the entirety of the archives and have come to much the same conclusion of the rest of you.
The Ethan story was a fantastic tale and the ending has a tremendous emotional punch. The whole thing is just heart wrenching. I know that the characters are kind of revived in the analogue and D-Pad story, but it isn’t the same.
I feel that there is still much to be explored between Lucas, Lilith, and Zeek.
A+D got so much better! It’s really good now, 5 years from your comment 😉
Gabriel
7 years ago
After about 4 years later, I came back to see Ethan story again. I just can’t fill the hole that the end of this arc brought upon me, and coming back to recent strips just isn’t the same. For me, the games and geek strips in-between were a brief intermission to the main and grand story that was the unexpected life and adventures of the most crazy, yet charming gamer and his friends & love partner. A life that mixed up the simple things in a gamer life with the situations that only a comic (and a guy like Ethan)… Read more »
Vashta
7 years ago
ok if this is how it ends why wasnt there a conclusion with the penguin?
sorry i should clarify that what i mean is the penguin got away right? they only caught oh whatever his name was lol but the penguin escaped i was expecting him to return
No, Lucas got back with Kate, presumably got married and had a kid they named after Ethan.
Blackmist5874
7 years ago
I’ve spent the last few weeks reading and re reading the entire story. I’m really sad now I might cry, wait I have tears already????? Goodbye Ethan I’ll miss you
Thomas
7 years ago
I like to think that analog and d-pad is an alternative universe that came about when the machine was shut down by Ethan
Gavin
6 years ago
Damn. I didn’t think a Web comic could hit me in the gut like that. Thank you Tim, for a comic that I’ll enjoy coming back and reading.
Dave
6 years ago
Sad, so very sad. Loved seeing Ethan, Lilah, Lucas, and Zeke comics. They were my favorites. Wish this wasn’t the end. 🙁
see myself being the thin, nerdy, awkward gamer who doesn’t really have many friends and had crazy ideas, I really connected with Ethan…. the similarities I saw in some of his problems and my own were great…. but now he’s gone? sadness..
Chris
6 years ago
Ugh again, finished reading this story arc sobbing.
Phillip
6 years ago
I have lost track of the amount of times I have started at the beginning and read until this point. I will fully admit that this time and every time these last 2 strips have always and will always bring tears to my eyes.
Kendraam
6 years ago
For some reason I’ve forgotten I stopped reading CAD in Dec 2011 and today I recently saw a random CAD comic on twitter and decided to go back and read the nearly 7 seven years worth of comics I’ve missed.
Loved that you manged to bring a conclusion to Ethan’s story and while endings are always hard, the bittersweet ending was done brilliantly. Thank you so much for creating this, such a joy for the the geek in us all.
Nick
6 years ago
If only the “Gaming Gods” gave Ethan a second chance…
*Sob*
Will
6 years ago
What you don’t know is that a month after this Ethan appeared in the basement because he fell into the portal as it was closing found Lilah and lived happily ever after with her loving her dearly, this is canon now.
This comic has been great though good job, perhaps from now on end things with people growing old and living happy lives though?
Chris Kutcher
6 years ago
I had to re-read all the old comics before i started the A&D story line. these comic strips were always a bright part of my day in high school and gave me something to look forward to while i was deployed to iraq in 2010. I still wish that this comic strip didnt have to end but i understand, i just wis hthat ethan got to say goodbye.
Damn are you me? I was doing the same thing in Iraq at the same time.
CaptainLombax
6 years ago
This was such an epic webcomic. I’m truly disappointed that it had to end.
Tag Howard
6 years ago
I know you tried to end the story here, but I would absolutley love to see Ethan and everyone come back, perhaps in a different universe where events transpired slightly differently. It would be far from the strangest thing that has occured in these comics.
Rob
6 years ago
It’s been 6 years since this version of the characters wrapped up. I come back and read it every now and then, couple times a year at least. And it’s always made me happy, even at the saddest of times. My own wife suffered a miscarriage due to what is probably the same condition Lilah had, and as it turns out, this helped me get through it. Crazy to me that a web comic did that. Thank you, Tim.
Nick
6 years ago
I discovered this comic after viewing the original meme from the site. I was confused why I didn’t see Ethan and friends anymore. Now I am stuck the same pages over and over. What if he made this comic the jokes one, and rebooted the originals into a new line, like how Starcaster and Analog have their own filter. That is something to see.
Chris
6 years ago
I had to come back and reread the end again. I always loved the original. Your new stories are great, but they don’t have that same touch that Ethan, Lucas, Lilah, and Zeke brought to it. It was sad then, and it’s sad now to see its end. Now I think I need my cake spoon and some ice cream lol.
Nick
6 years ago
First panel: they see the machine smoldering, but it’s pretty obvious they are looking at something else. What are they looking at? Ethan, perhaps? I do truly love the old comics, the new ones are funny too, but don’t have the same flair. It is sad to see them go. Thankfully, AnD fill that hole somewhat, but we need to see more of it. Hey, a suggestion, Tim? When doing Starcaster or AnD, if there is a crowdsource choice, predraw the one for each path, then release it as one big chunk. Also, while doing off-ones, start drawing AnD or… Read more »
This comment was an attempt to fix my sh***y last one. This webcomic really connected to how I felt about games Ethan-style, but how I saw everything else, Lucas-ish-style. Man, didn’t even know this comic before I saw the meme (which I hate by the way), wasn’t even around when it started, yet I feel like I have been reading for years. Crazy what a webcomic can do.
Nick
6 years ago
The one posted In June 27th, for everyone else.
Nick
6 years ago
*on
Nick
6 years ago
Ethan, may you Rest In Peace, knowing Lilah is safe *starts playing taps*. Thank you for the ride. All the laughter, the sadness, everything. Tim, don’t listen to what the bad webcomic wiki says. They are a bunch of a-holes. You create art. What they say is irrelevant. Keep doing what you are doing.
Malcolm McDougal
6 years ago
as a weird gamer with few friends and few people that understand him…. i was really able to put myself in Ethans shoes…. this story was amazing, I’ve re-read it a few times now and i know I will in the future… thank you for creating this and sharing the story with us, I’m only sorry it had to end… may the gods of gaming bless you with many frags
Ana
6 years ago
I can’t even believe this!! I need closure. I thought Ethan would live forever. It’s taken me almost 10 years to finish. I just assumed the story would still be going strong. We need a support group for this
Kevin
6 years ago
I started reading CAD when it first came out, but fell off during a deployment in 2009. I retired in 2017, and my current job allows for some down time, so I binged from the beginning to the end. I didn’t realize this was the end of Ethan, Lucas, Zeke, and Lilah. But, now that I finished with the most current, and circled back to this strip….well, now I’m just sad. Brilliantly done….just, sad.
Daemon
6 years ago
I re-read this every few months…. and every time I almost get tears at this ending
Ang3lus033
5 years ago
Tim, just know that even 6 years after the end of your classic comic “Ethan and Lucas” (and Lilah and Zeke), some people are still discovering it… and are still sad it came to an end.
Taren
5 years ago
You know, even now, after reading this several times… still hits the feels. And this time I actually felt even worse when I noticed Lucas named his kid Ethan…
Matthias Shadowblood
5 years ago
I only started reading all this a few days ago, I even left a comment at the short story portion with the PDF link. This was… this is an amazing comic strip. The laughs, the feels, and the tears I feel now. This was a story, an amazing one, the art is great, and you have an amazing talent. While I know the Ethan story is over, I am still looking for to seeing each strip that comes after this, until I catch up to the latest update. You are amazing at what you do Tim, and thank you for… Read more »
Ian
5 years ago
I know why you did this, but always really hated this comic purely because it was the end. =(
Wolfric
5 years ago
Nearly 7 years on, and it still stings 🙁
Bob bobbert
4 years ago
And here is where i stopped reading this comic… i read a few postings beyond this date, but i stopped. CAD wasnt the same. It lost its flair for me.
I wish it would have continued like the PvP comic has all these years…of course its been years since ive read pvp, so iguess its time to go check that out again…
Bart Dierckx
4 years ago
Never saw the endings and beginnings page… it was too devastating to leave Ethan behind and it still hurts me.
Means you did a good job Tim.
I admire A&D but it is not the same.
Dayan1472
4 years ago
Popped back to have a look at the comic after years of being away… loved it then and still love it now 🙂
Shawn
4 years ago
Damn you, Tim, for making me come the closest I’ve ever come to shedding tears over a set of fictional characters. That said, and most of all, THANK YOU, for giving us one hell of a ride, with drama, comedy, tension, and heartbreak. It might be a bit silly to think a little webcomic could have such an effect on someone, but let me assure you, I’ve laughed and suffered right along with Ethan, Lucas, Lilah and Zeke the whole ride, and while I’m incredibly disappointed it’s come to an end, I’m glad you chose to continue the comic, in… Read more »
Christopher
4 years ago
No matter how many times I re-read the First Ethan Storyline… I always hate to see it end.
I know how you feel. This is either the second or third time I’ve went through the comic from start to here. While I enjoy the newer stuff, there’s something about the original Ethan and Lucas story that makes it much better, and I keep feeling the need for more of it.
Laura
3 years ago
First time reading this comic. I understand why some people hate the sad parts, but it wouldn’t be the same without them. I’m going to miss you, Ethan.
TomatoGuy
3 years ago
I almost broke my foot kicking the wall after reading this. I have become so attached to Ethan. You know what they say: when life gives you lemons, a time machine eats all of them.
El Guero Caliente
3 years ago
First: I think I read this about 2 or 3 years after it was written. I was shocked and saddened by the ending. Just now re-read it, and the tears were definitely flowing. Sad to see it go away, but greatly admire Tim for making this. Wish it didn’t have to end, but it’s not my decision, and well… Tim really made me connect with the characters. Well done. Second: Who are these absolute jerks who are down-voting nearly every comment that talks about how much they admired this and will miss it? All of you who are doing that… Read more »
JazzaLOSS
2 years ago
… why. i am literally ugly crying here. i only looked up this webcomic to see loss. not cry. why did… no. nononono. this whole time travel thing isn’t canon. it isnt. very funny tim, you got me, good joke… this isnt canon……. i need a hug.
24
Thanks for the beutiful story say googby to ethan for me please
shut the darn up
Hey guess what? Screw you.
Re-reading the whole comics after years…. I admit, I actually got tears in my eyes when I saw these last two comics for the first time years ago. I’ve read a lot of webcomics over the years, and lot of them had bad things happen to the characters, but this one was the only one with that effect, mainly Ethan’s last thoughts.
Kinda lost interest in the rest of the comic after this part the first time, it just wasn’t the same.
It’s definitely has come a long way between this and the time it took for Tim to get the feel he was looking for.
It’s a shame that most people will never see the follow up for this; it’s a full twelve pages of what is effectively epilogue. If you ever get your hands on it, it’s definitely worth the read. Hopefully someday Tim will release it to the public.
What’s that follow up? I’ve never heard of it.
Tim did a follow-up as part of the collection of the first 10 years of comics.
It’s available in the archive you can buy on the home page. It’s definitely worth the $15.
im sad. i just spent the past 5 days reading this and now its over 🙁
I have to say Tim, I loved your writing more than I can even convey, but I’ve struggled to keep reading the comic.
It’s great, but this type of comic you had built with its roller coaster ups and downs, was absolutely fantastic.
Your fans miss it, and I’m sorry you didn’t want it to go this route, because I think it was right where it needed to be.
The end if the Ethan and Lucas Saga was a bitter sweet one. I read the comic strip daily through high school and college. I still check in a few days a week to keep up with the comic but some of the magic is gone. I loved reading through the archives and seeing the art style evolve over the years!
I’ve gone through pretty much all the archives, and while I enjoy the other comics you draw, none of them are anywhere near as good to me as the Ethan story. I even looked at some of the newer comics and wondered if some of the guys depicted are supposed to be Ethan, but I realize now they are not. I may still come back to CAD for some of the other comics, I’m not sure yet, but for now when I open CAD and realize that Ethan is no longer a part of it…. Well it’s just too sad.… Read more »
I guess you are right.
A&D is a different story. It is about the same people to whom different things happened. Though it is still Ethan and Lucas, it isn’t quite Ethan and Lucas.
The magic is still there, but in a different form.
It would kinda be wonderfull if Ethan had that “Infinite continue” superpower.
It would also be able to explain him consistently dying from arrows and coming back the next comic.
And then he would be able to “Continue” from this…
It must just be that time of year. I myself reread the entirety of the archives and have come to much the same conclusion of the rest of you.
The Ethan story was a fantastic tale and the ending has a tremendous emotional punch. The whole thing is just heart wrenching. I know that the characters are kind of revived in the analogue and D-Pad story, but it isn’t the same.
I feel that there is still much to be explored between Lucas, Lilith, and Zeek.
…Lilith?
You mean Lilah right?
A+D got so much better! It’s really good now, 5 years from your comment 😉
After about 4 years later, I came back to see Ethan story again. I just can’t fill the hole that the end of this arc brought upon me, and coming back to recent strips just isn’t the same. For me, the games and geek strips in-between were a brief intermission to the main and grand story that was the unexpected life and adventures of the most crazy, yet charming gamer and his friends & love partner. A life that mixed up the simple things in a gamer life with the situations that only a comic (and a guy like Ethan)… Read more »
ok if this is how it ends why wasnt there a conclusion with the penguin?
There was.
sorry i should clarify that what i mean is the penguin got away right? they only caught oh whatever his name was lol but the penguin escaped i was expecting him to return
Coming up next time on Analog and D-pad…
You said it, now its totally gonna happen. He’s in charge of the robot ninjas.
Yeah, wish Tim had included an interlude showing Zeke’s army capturing Ted the Penguin.
Oh wow this got me right in the feels… This was incredible. I can’t believe it’s over :'(
Wait so did Lilah and Lucas get together after Ethan disappeared?
No, Lucas got back with Kate, presumably got married and had a kid they named after Ethan.
I’ve spent the last few weeks reading and re reading the entire story. I’m really sad now I might cry, wait I have tears already????? Goodbye Ethan I’ll miss you
I like to think that analog and d-pad is an alternative universe that came about when the machine was shut down by Ethan
Damn. I didn’t think a Web comic could hit me in the gut like that. Thank you Tim, for a comic that I’ll enjoy coming back and reading.
Sad, so very sad. Loved seeing Ethan, Lilah, Lucas, and Zeke comics. They were my favorites. Wish this wasn’t the end. 🙁
Cool… *sniff*… c-cool story, bro…
*bawling intensifies*
see myself being the thin, nerdy, awkward gamer who doesn’t really have many friends and had crazy ideas, I really connected with Ethan…. the similarities I saw in some of his problems and my own were great…. but now he’s gone? sadness..
Ugh again, finished reading this story arc sobbing.
I have lost track of the amount of times I have started at the beginning and read until this point. I will fully admit that this time and every time these last 2 strips have always and will always bring tears to my eyes.
For some reason I’ve forgotten I stopped reading CAD in Dec 2011 and today I recently saw a random CAD comic on twitter and decided to go back and read the nearly 7 seven years worth of comics I’ve missed.
Loved that you manged to bring a conclusion to Ethan’s story and while endings are always hard, the bittersweet ending was done brilliantly. Thank you so much for creating this, such a joy for the the geek in us all.
If only the “Gaming Gods” gave Ethan a second chance…
*Sob*
What you don’t know is that a month after this Ethan appeared in the basement because he fell into the portal as it was closing found Lilah and lived happily ever after with her loving her dearly, this is canon now.
This comic has been great though good job, perhaps from now on end things with people growing old and living happy lives though?
I had to re-read all the old comics before i started the A&D story line. these comic strips were always a bright part of my day in high school and gave me something to look forward to while i was deployed to iraq in 2010. I still wish that this comic strip didnt have to end but i understand, i just wis hthat ethan got to say goodbye.
Damn are you me? I was doing the same thing in Iraq at the same time.
This was such an epic webcomic. I’m truly disappointed that it had to end.
I know you tried to end the story here, but I would absolutley love to see Ethan and everyone come back, perhaps in a different universe where events transpired slightly differently. It would be far from the strangest thing that has occured in these comics.
It’s been 6 years since this version of the characters wrapped up. I come back and read it every now and then, couple times a year at least. And it’s always made me happy, even at the saddest of times. My own wife suffered a miscarriage due to what is probably the same condition Lilah had, and as it turns out, this helped me get through it. Crazy to me that a web comic did that. Thank you, Tim.
I discovered this comic after viewing the original meme from the site. I was confused why I didn’t see Ethan and friends anymore. Now I am stuck the same pages over and over. What if he made this comic the jokes one, and rebooted the originals into a new line, like how Starcaster and Analog have their own filter. That is something to see.
I had to come back and reread the end again. I always loved the original. Your new stories are great, but they don’t have that same touch that Ethan, Lucas, Lilah, and Zeke brought to it. It was sad then, and it’s sad now to see its end. Now I think I need my cake spoon and some ice cream lol.
First panel: they see the machine smoldering, but it’s pretty obvious they are looking at something else. What are they looking at? Ethan, perhaps? I do truly love the old comics, the new ones are funny too, but don’t have the same flair. It is sad to see them go. Thankfully, AnD fill that hole somewhat, but we need to see more of it. Hey, a suggestion, Tim? When doing Starcaster or AnD, if there is a crowdsource choice, predraw the one for each path, then release it as one big chunk. Also, while doing off-ones, start drawing AnD or… Read more »
Also, I have no idea how much time it takes to draw that quality. But try it anyway.
This comment was an attempt to fix my sh***y last one. This webcomic really connected to how I felt about games Ethan-style, but how I saw everything else, Lucas-ish-style. Man, didn’t even know this comic before I saw the meme (which I hate by the way), wasn’t even around when it started, yet I feel like I have been reading for years. Crazy what a webcomic can do.
The one posted In June 27th, for everyone else.
*on
Ethan, may you Rest In Peace, knowing Lilah is safe *starts playing taps*. Thank you for the ride. All the laughter, the sadness, everything. Tim, don’t listen to what the bad webcomic wiki says. They are a bunch of a-holes. You create art. What they say is irrelevant. Keep doing what you are doing.
as a weird gamer with few friends and few people that understand him…. i was really able to put myself in Ethans shoes…. this story was amazing, I’ve re-read it a few times now and i know I will in the future… thank you for creating this and sharing the story with us, I’m only sorry it had to end… may the gods of gaming bless you with many frags
I can’t even believe this!! I need closure. I thought Ethan would live forever. It’s taken me almost 10 years to finish. I just assumed the story would still be going strong. We need a support group for this
I started reading CAD when it first came out, but fell off during a deployment in 2009. I retired in 2017, and my current job allows for some down time, so I binged from the beginning to the end. I didn’t realize this was the end of Ethan, Lucas, Zeke, and Lilah. But, now that I finished with the most current, and circled back to this strip….well, now I’m just sad. Brilliantly done….just, sad.
I re-read this every few months…. and every time I almost get tears at this ending
Tim, just know that even 6 years after the end of your classic comic “Ethan and Lucas” (and Lilah and Zeke), some people are still discovering it… and are still sad it came to an end.
You know, even now, after reading this several times… still hits the feels. And this time I actually felt even worse when I noticed Lucas named his kid Ethan…
I only started reading all this a few days ago, I even left a comment at the short story portion with the PDF link. This was… this is an amazing comic strip. The laughs, the feels, and the tears I feel now. This was a story, an amazing one, the art is great, and you have an amazing talent. While I know the Ethan story is over, I am still looking for to seeing each strip that comes after this, until I catch up to the latest update. You are amazing at what you do Tim, and thank you for… Read more »
I know why you did this, but always really hated this comic purely because it was the end. =(
Nearly 7 years on, and it still stings 🙁
And here is where i stopped reading this comic… i read a few postings beyond this date, but i stopped. CAD wasnt the same. It lost its flair for me.
I wish it would have continued like the PvP comic has all these years…of course its been years since ive read pvp, so iguess its time to go check that out again…
Never saw the endings and beginnings page… it was too devastating to leave Ethan behind and it still hurts me.
Means you did a good job Tim.
I admire A&D but it is not the same.
Popped back to have a look at the comic after years of being away… loved it then and still love it now 🙂
Damn you, Tim, for making me come the closest I’ve ever come to shedding tears over a set of fictional characters. That said, and most of all, THANK YOU, for giving us one hell of a ride, with drama, comedy, tension, and heartbreak. It might be a bit silly to think a little webcomic could have such an effect on someone, but let me assure you, I’ve laughed and suffered right along with Ethan, Lucas, Lilah and Zeke the whole ride, and while I’m incredibly disappointed it’s come to an end, I’m glad you chose to continue the comic, in… Read more »
No matter how many times I re-read the First Ethan Storyline… I always hate to see it end.
I know how you feel. This is either the second or third time I’ve went through the comic from start to here. While I enjoy the newer stuff, there’s something about the original Ethan and Lucas story that makes it much better, and I keep feeling the need for more of it.
First time reading this comic. I understand why some people hate the sad parts, but it wouldn’t be the same without them. I’m going to miss you, Ethan.
I almost broke my foot kicking the wall after reading this. I have become so attached to Ethan. You know what they say: when life gives you lemons, a time machine eats all of them.
First: I think I read this about 2 or 3 years after it was written. I was shocked and saddened by the ending. Just now re-read it, and the tears were definitely flowing. Sad to see it go away, but greatly admire Tim for making this. Wish it didn’t have to end, but it’s not my decision, and well… Tim really made me connect with the characters. Well done. Second: Who are these absolute jerks who are down-voting nearly every comment that talks about how much they admired this and will miss it? All of you who are doing that… Read more »
… why. i am literally ugly crying here. i only looked up this webcomic to see loss. not cry. why did… no. nononono. this whole time travel thing isn’t canon. it isnt. very funny tim, you got me, good joke… this isnt canon……. i need a hug.