Bored Panda has reached out to Scribbly G after more than a year since the last post about his comics. We wanted to find out how he is doing and how his past year has been. He told us: “I'm doing alright, thanks. This year hasn't been the best for my webcomics. I took a little break from my regular weird comics for a while. It was meant to be a few weeks, but it ended up being for most of the last year and a half. I was starting to lose my enthusiasm for my comics; I have so many ideas sketched out and ready to draw, but I just didn't feel like drawing them. I can't say exactly what the reason was; it was a combination of a few things. One of them was the attention I was getting from the comics. I've mentioned to you guys before how these comics were originally just stupid drawings that I'd make to take my mind off my depression. I never planned on anyone seeing them. But then it all just snowballed, and suddenly I had thousands of followers and was being asked to work on games and animated shows. I was happy for a while. But one day, the fun started slipping away. I suddenly started worrying about what people would think of my cartoons. Everyone seems to try and find hidden meanings in any dumb comic I'd make, so before posting, I'd worry about if the comic might be taken the wrong way, should I post it? Should I change the wording? My heart would pound, and my hand would start shaking before I pressed the post button. Who would I piss off this time? What names will I be called today, and how many people are going to point out how bad my drawings are? It was weird; I've never cared what people thought, but suddenly my cartoons brought me so much anxiety, I stopped posting them.”

Knowing this year was not necessarily the easiest for the artist, we asked about some new accomplishments and techniques he has applied to his work. Scribbly G answered: “Yeah, I did try some new things. I decided on my webcomic break that I need to spend a little more time improving my drawing while still making cartoons and earning some money. So I've been trying out single-panel cartooning for magazines. It's been strange having to adapt my style to please editors. The hardest part is trying to act like I'm a normal person and make cartoons that editors will like. Also, it encourages me to draw on real paper since people seem to want to buy the originals after they're published. I never thought I'd ever draw traditionally because I've only ever drawn on an iPad, but here I am with a drafting table and lightbox like a real cartoonist.”

Asked about exciting projects he has worked on recently,, he told us: “Honestly, I haven't worked on anything super exciting this year besides making cartoons for magazines. Taking a break from social media has its drawbacks, like fewer cool job offers. I did get asked to create comics for some mobile games; the money was good, but what they wanted me to do sounded super boring, so I turned it down. I would probably make them now, but at the time, it was the last thing I felt like doing. This year, though, I will be getting back into posting webcomics, so some more cool opportunities should start coming my way again.”

Next, we wanted to find out about the consequences an artist must face once their work goes viral on social media. Scribbly G explained: “Yeah, I've had a lot of comics go viral. Whenever one starts taking off, I know I'm in for a mix of messages, some from people wanting to work with me and others from people wanting to tell me how much they hate me. It's forced me to change the way I use social media. I used to post cartoons twice a week and then check in a few times a day to reply to comments and messages. Now I don't even keep social media on my phone anymore. I reinstall the apps when I want to post a comic, and then I'll delete them again until I'm ready to post the next one. I used to worry that if I didn't check my messages, I'd miss some great opportunity to work on something cool. But what I've learnt now is that if someone really wants to get hold of you for a project, they'll eventually email.”

Some artists create their pieces willing their audience to take away particular values from them. We asked Scribbly G if that is also the case for him. He said: “I don't want anyone to take anything from my comics other than maybe a laugh. I selfishly make comics for my own enjoyment – they help me cope with life's ups and downs. If people find joy in them, that's just a bonus, but I'm not trying to impress anyone. I really just love cartooning and I'm posting my journey. I never planned on becoming a cartoonist, but I never knew I could enjoy anything so much. I just want to become the best cartoonist I can be, and the only way I'll be able to achieve that is by not letting anything go to my head. I think I would've been better off being a cartoonist back in the olden days before social media.

Then, the artist continued telling us about the reality of being exposed on social media: “Today there are so many cartoonists with way more followers than they deserve, I include myself in this group. My cartoons aren't good enough to get this much attention. It's easy to think that your follower count and reach are a true reflection of your ability as a cartoonist, but it's not. I've seen so many average cartoonists with thousands of followers stop trying to improve because they have a large following. For me, it's not about the following; I just want to make comics. I don't follow social media trends, I don't change my comics into reels on Instagram just to get more views. So many cartoonists whom I used to think had the potential to be great have stopped improving their cartooning and instead spend their time trying to catch whatever the next social media trend is. Likes are more important to them than enjoying what they do. One of my biggest fears is that I'll go the same way. That's why I needed my break. I started caring about what people thought more than what I thought. I'll never let that happen again.”

Lastly, we wanted to find out more about some upcoming projects, or simply plans for the future comics. Scribbly G told us: “On my webcomic hiatus, I've been planning a few new projects. As I said, last year was the year of the single-panel cartoon; this year, I'm getting into longer stories and comic strips. I've been working on a new comic strip, a series of dark fairy tales, and an extended Daveman story that I'll be making into a book later this year. Finally, I'm writing an animated series about a depressed guy trying to escape a simulation. Oh, and I'll also be getting back into webcomics again.”