Hi, I’m Keith…..
…..I’ve been drawing Fitbatweets on Twitter (I don’t call it X) since 2018. What started as a hobby became a job a couple of years ago when after 30 years of being a bean counter (first in the advertising industry then the last 10 years spent in big corporate having my mental health destroyed) I quit to try and make it as a cartoonist / illustrator of sorts.
I’ve organically grown the Fitbatweets community on Twitter to over 45,000 followers and in each of the last two football seasons I’ve drawn over 700 cartoons for free and off the back of that I draw commissions and sell merch of my characters at fitbatweets.com. That’s a bit of a crazy business model though and not really sustainable.
I know that what I do has value even if my brain doesn’t always let me believe it. Feedback from Fitbatweets supporters has shown this to be true - that can be through a kind message, buying a piece of merchandise or getting my work tattooed on themselves (which I love).
However, Elon Musk has turned Twitter into a massive cesspit with the good stuff and the good people becoming harder and harder to connect with in amongst a sea of nefarious algorithms, bad actors, bots and spam adverts. Even though I’m a blue ticker (for shame) my posts are frequently buried on the timeline, comments are from bots and haters and filled with ads.
All of this has led me to this point.
Goodbye comfort zone, I’m taking the leap to a paid newsletter.
What to expect from a Fitbatweets newsletter
The purpose of Fitbatweets is to bring you a bit of a laugh about football to complement the serious stuff and data analytics you get elsewhere. It’s a quick read newsletter that lands in your inbox and the Substack app every weekday. It will feature minimalist stick men and crudely drawn cartoons on football, particularly Scottish, some English, European competitions and the internationals. Monday and Friday will be longer newsletters as we review and preview. There’ll be at least one free cartoon every day for free subscribers.
Why pay for a subscription?
That way you get the full Fitbatweets experience and get to enjoy all the cartoons. I drew over 1,700 cartoons last season so there’s no doubt you get outstanding value for money.
You’re also supporting me in my attempts to make a career as a freelance cartoonist. The newsletter can’t exist without the support of paid subscribers.
If you can, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.
If you become a founding member I’ll also draw a unique portrait of you (or your favourite person) like this stunning self portrait. Perfect as an online avatar or framed and sitting on your bedside table.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new edition of Fitbatweets is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
Join the community
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
