Cartoonist and writer Alex Stevenson shares her unconventional journey of starting her comics on the internet and using memes to gain a large following. They discuss creating memes, trolls, and funny characters on the internet, as well as the challenges of navigating edgy comedy and potential offense. They also talk about promoting their work, the challenges of the traditional comics industry, preemptive apologies in comedy, interacting with fans, and the issues of appearance and content creation.
Humor is the main focus of the comics, while the style of drawing is secondary.
Engaging with followers and responding to comments is crucial for organic growth on social media.
Posting content in meme communities can help raise follower count and build a reputation as a humorous content creator.
Deep dives
Creating Memes and Goofy Characters
The podcast episode features an interview with Alex Stevenson, a cartoonist and writer known for her popular comic strip called Cartoon's Hate Her. Alex explains that she got into creating memes and goofy characters by growing up on the internet and being active on platforms like Reddit. She shares how she enjoys the process of making up funny characters and interacting with people online. Despite not being a trained artist, she emphasizes that humor is the main focus of her comics, and the style of the drawing is not as important as long as it matches the text.
Organic Growth and Interaction with Followers
Alex describes how her comic strip and online presence experienced organic growth through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. She highlights the importance of engaging with her followers and responding to their comments. She also discusses the challenges of navigating online interactions, dealing with occasional negative comments, and the need to balance between not apologizing too much and ensuring her content doesn't offend or harm others.
Publishing a Book and Future Plans
Alex shares her experience of self-publishing a book through Amazon's KDP platform. She talks about the process of formatting and creating the cover for her book using Kindle Create software. She also mentions her future plans, including the idea of releasing a collection of her Reddit trolls, while addressing the potential copyright and legal issues involved in doing so.
Using Meme Communities to Gain Followers
The speaker discusses the importance of posting content in meme communities to raise their follower count. They emphasize the value of being part of these communities and posting organically to avoid being perceived as self-promotional.
The Challenges of Promoting a Book and the Rise of Short-form Content
The speaker highlights the challenges of promoting a book in an era where shorter, easily digestible content is preferred. They discuss the trend towards quick, humorous content like memes and the potential difficulty in getting readers to commit to reading an entire book. They mention the importance of creating easily consumable content and building a reputation as a humorous content creator.
Cartoonist and writer Alex Stevenson talks about developing her web comic “Cartoons Hate Her” on social media, pushing boundaries, and building a fanbase.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode