Today's comic dives into trending trauma, where even pain and heartbreak are judged by views, shares, and social reach. For Hailey, the real tragedy isn’t what happened — it’s that none of it is gaining traction online.
The Comic Scout
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Panel 1: (caption): “Shortly in the kitchen…” (Sound effect): “Bwaa” Hailey: “Rose, I’m devastated.” Rose: “I know, sweetie… but I think it’s for the best…”
Panel 2: Hailey: “FOR THE BEST?! He didn’t even mention my hashtag once!”
Panel 3: Hailey: “No ‘like and subscribe’… no username drop… Just ‘you’re a terrific person’ and ‘you deserve better’…”
Panel 4: Hailey: “I’m a brand ambassador for Campbell’s soups… Would it have killed him to mention the chicken noodle dripping down his face?!”
Panel 5: Rose: “He did say something about ‘scalding hot’ and ‘searing pain’…” Cap (coming from a video playing on Rosie’s phone): “Gonna need another skin graft…”
Panel 6: Hailey: “Omigosh… that’s horrible… how gruesome!”
Panel 7: Hailey: “It’s not trending… Not even a little…”
Alt Text
Comic strip set in a diner kitchen with seven panels featuring two waitresses, Hailey (young, long hair) and Rose (older, hair in a bun). In the first panel, Rose hugs Hailey as Hailey cries dramatically, saying she’s devastated while Rose reassures her it’s for the best. In the next panel, Hailey angrily gestures while Rose looks upset, complaining Captain Heroic didn’t mention her hashtag. Hailey continues ranting about the lack of promotion — no “like and subscribe” or username mention — only sincere compliments. In silhouette, Hailey reveals she’s a brand ambassador for Campbell’s Soups and wanted attention drawn to the spilled soup incident. Rose checks her phone and notes he mentioned pain instead, joking about needing a skin graft. Hailey reacts with exaggerated horror. In the final panel, both women look at the phone disappointed as Hailey says it isn’t trending, adding, “not even a little.”
In this livestream, I’m diving into the real talk every comics creator needs to hear — no fluff, no marketing buzzwords, just honest advice from the trenches.
Contents
00:00 Episode 400 of the ComicLab podcast
05:01 Social media rewards consistency more than creativity
26:28 Cameos in comics
30:27 How to handle criticism
42:46 Book a comics consultation
43:49 Why I stopped exhibiting at comic cons
49:01 Look for solutions — not excuses
51:09 Closing comments
We talk about…
Why asking for reviews isn’t promotion
Why “I’m bad at social media” isn’t an excuse
The truth about creativity vs consistency
Why I don’t listen to critics — only peers
How I treat my social feed like a TV channel
And the year I stopped doing comic cons… and finally made a profit
If you’re trying to grow your audience, build your brand, or turn your comics into a business, this is the one to watch.