Long time readers know how much I love my friend Tommy Siegel and his genius cartoons, especially on days like today when I’m feverish and shivering, sweating through free Lagunitas hoodies like there’s no tomorrow.

Yesterday, he reached his goal of drawing a cartoon everyday for 365 days, and announced via his newsletter that he’s going to 500!

Tommy brings up a great point in said newsletter (which you should really subscribe to):

The last year has taught me a LOT about social media, and part of the reason I wanted to start a mailing list was watching social media algorithms change and shift over time, trending generally towards trying to force me to pay to show my comics to my own followers. Which, as a visual and musical artist... Just seems deeply, deeply odd.

For the remaining 135 days til we get to 500, you’ll of course still find me on social media — I just didn’t want to put my fate as a butt-doodle-creator *entirely* in Zuck’s hands.

Social media metrics are used, often lazily, to make or break someone’s career, yet it’s undeniable that we’re playing a rigged game - frustrating at best, and at worst demoralizing to the point that great art goes unshared.

That said, “this motherfucker makes 20 million a year playing VIDEO GAMES ON YOUTUBE?!” can either be a luddite’s death rattle, or battlecry to move with the times, creating a unique experience highlighting things about which you’re passionate, and letting your freak flag fly.