In the tumblrverse, this is apparently what I’m most known for:
If you’re unfamiliar with tumblr, it’s a blogging website where you can “like” other people’s posts or reblog them to your own tumblr. Near as I can tell, people mostly use it for weird pics and gifs.
I’ve got a LOT of weird pics. See, I spent the first quarter of 2011 living in Tokyo, and my tumblr Talking Breakfast?!
It is a collection of all the strange and unusual sights I saw… but all anyone seems to care about is that octopus tentacle.
And it’s not even a good picture! I took it at an outdoor market around dusk, it’s not very crisp, but people love it.
Every couple of weeks, someone like bloodybloomers will find that pic and reblog it. Their followers will like it and reblog it, and then this shows up on my dashboard:
I’m not complaining, but… well, I am complaining a little. And not because of the attention, but because no one sticks around.
I don’t get it! You’d think out of 1300+ comments, at least… 5% of them would start following me. I don’t look at every tumblr I’ve reblogged from, but I do every now and then, and sometimes I start following them. You think people would do the same for me.
I assume they’re Japanophiles, right? That’s probably more likely than octopus fans or tentacle fans. And my blog is VERY much about life in Japan. They should wanna come along for the ride… but they don’t.
It got to the point where I added a (hopefully not-too-needy-sounding) caption that explains my tumblr and invites them to follow me. OK, that DOES sound needy. A little. (Just writing that makes me feel needy, actually. Does it sound needy to you? DOES IT?) I wanted them to know I wasn’t another weird pic/gif blog, but I have a story to tell, a journey to chronicle, and maybe they’d wanna come along for the ride?
They don’t, unfortunately. I think of the sellers at an indie comic convention – people selling their own stuff, hoping to get it noticed, putting themselves out there, and then buyers like me who look casually (maybe too casually, to cut off any awkward conversation before it starts) and then move on.
Only this time I’m on the other side of the table. I’d love to start a conversation or have followers or be anything other than a single tentacle pic, and I’m bewildered at all the polite smiles and lack of anything else. Also! This isn’t like a comic convention at all because I’m not asking for money, I’m just asking you to click “follow” and then let me clog your dashboard with photos of Japanese gum instructions.
How can people say no to that?!
I don’t know, but they do. Talking Breakfast?! [italics and link] remains a rather private blog, and… well, I can’t help but feel a little rejected and lonely, like they use my tentacle pic and then move on. I’m an octopus one-night stand.
Kirk Damato is a comedic artist living in New York City. Liz happens to think he’s brilliant and unbelievably kind.
HAVE YOU HAD A ONE NIGHT STAND LIKE THIS? WE WANT TO KNOW! LEAVE A COMMENT AND TELL US ABOUT IT!!!
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