I’ve been there, done that, and spoiler alert—it hasn’t changed a damn thing. I have TikTok videos with over a million views, and I still can’t tell you why those took off while others—the ones I poured my soul into—flopped. The algorithm is a fickle beast, and we are all just its playthings. If you want to go viral, here’s the cheat code: be controversial, say something wrong (on purpose or not), or, let’s be real—just be hot.
Case in point: A recent Bud, Nick, & Joe strip is currently blowing up with over 50,000 views and more than 2,300 comments. The setup? A Cybertruck gets tossed into the harbor, and Joe, our resident left-wing Trans Mug, calls it the Boston Tea Party 2.0. Bud, the MAGA beer can, isn’t having it. And Nick? Well, Nick is just throwing out facts, as usual. The whole debate spirals into absurdity, and guess what? The comments reflect exactly that—endless arguing, people missing the joke, people proving the joke, and people proving why satire exists in the first place.
So naturally, I followed it up with a new comic about the Trash Trio discussing their viral moment. Nick is optimistic that all this engagement means civil discourse is happening! (Spoiler: It’s not.) If anything, going viral just turns up the volume on our divisions. And that got me thinking—does a comic even need a punchline when it reflects reality? Because reality itself is kind of a joke, isn’t it? The real punchline isn’t in the strip; it’s in the question it leaves us with: What the hell can we do to bring people together?
Make another comic? Maybe. But beyond that, what can any of us do? We’re all just damaged goods trying to get through life, wrestling with a problem that’s been around since cavemen fought over mammoth meat. The eternal Us vs. Them mentality. And honestly, I don’t have the answer. But I do know this: It’s a lot harder to be a jerk to someone face-to-face than it is online. Maybe the best thing we can all do is log off a little more, look up from the screen, and remember that at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to make it through.
Take it easy,
James
