Jimmy L.

This is the last time I plan on making one of these drawings, so I’m gonna get a little sentimental.

I turn 22 today, which means that it’s been 10 years since I posted my first birthday drawing when I turned 12. It also means I’ve been posting my art online for over 10 years. If you know me from way back when, I started off on Tumblr when I was in middle school by making relatable comic strips. These comics ended up getting quite popular, and I eventually gained tens of thousands of followers just for being a sort-of-funny kid on the internet.

When I got to high school I wanted to take art more seriously, so I stopped doing as many comic strips and focused more on illustrations. I migrated to Instagram where I posted stuff because I didn’t have anything better to do. When I got to college, I started working on my first serious and large scale comic work, Nighthawks. Now, Nighthawks is getting published into a real book because of the people who have supported me all these years.

I guess what I’m saying is that this stuff takes time. In an age where people are trying to tell you otherwise, it’s the hours and hours and hours that it takes to make something that’s halfway decent that gives life meaning. What would I be doing otherwise? I have so many things I want to draw that I feel like my body can’t keep up with it. It is a privilege to be able to pursue what I love, let alone have an audience to see and appreciate it.

I’m still on the neverending journey of becoming a better artist, storyteller, and person. There’s a lot I still don’t understand about myself and the world around me, but I’m sure things will get more clear with time. Until then, I would like to thank each and every one of you for sticking around and making anything worth doing. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve it. If only you guys knew how much it means to me.

Here’s to ten more years of making comics. I’ll see you there.