mrshamill

[mrshamill]

...pap...pap...pap...pap...pap...pap...

(Sound on.) Bonus clip today: Penguins navigating stairs.

[mrshamill]

sigh yeah, me too.

There is no more gentleness left in my heart for anyone on the fence about voting for Democrats. I have been through too many election cycles. There is nothing left to say that current events and recent history can't say better. I can only see your rejection or hesitation toward Democrats as an intellectual or moral weakness. The kindness that would let me pretend otherwise is long dead.

[mrshamill]

asshole.

Not making this up. Calls himself a king, amplified by the White House fascists. Just reminding you.

[mrshamill]

i expect rod serling to appear any minute now.

it's like that old johnny carson gig, tucker CARLSON?

I hate agreeing with Tucker Carlson but what Twilight Zone hell hole did I wake up in where he's actually right?

-fae

[mrshamill]

that's a good idea!

[mrshamill]

welcome to tRump's america. now go home.

Welcome to the US

To support this work and receive my weekly newsletter with background on each cartoon, please consider joining the Sorensen Subscription Service! Also on Patreon.

[mrshamill]

no one is safe.

Republican Kidnappers

Fight them now before you’re next.

[mrshamill]

that's reprehensible. it's the reason why i locked down my fics and hated to do so, but damn. that's just plain evil.

Full disclosure: life has been hard lately, and my head space has not been great. That's why what I'm about to share has me livid.

It's been a while since I checked my comments on AO3, and oh gosh, look there's a new one! I open it up to see this...

Now, I've been around for a while. I know spam/bot when I see one, so I took this screen shot, marked it as spam, and almost just moved on with my day. But then I got to thinking...

I'm NOT in a great head space. If I hadn't been aware of this sort of garbage comment, this would have DESTROYED me. Heck, if I had gotten this comment on one of my first posted fics, back when life wasn't quite so hard, it would've seriously made me consider shutting myself off and never posting again.

And that made me so unbelievably angry.

Because I just know there are other authors and artists out there who are getting these same comments. People who are young and just getting started, and easily swayed by the opinions of others. Or individuals who are struggling, for whatever reason, and every word or brush stroke is a hard won fight, and need even just the tiniest validation that their effort is worth continuing. And broken ones who are looking for any reason at all to either get up or quit. (Don't quit. Please don't quit.)

I know this type of post has been written before; I have shared it multiple times, but the authors and artists out there, just know, your voice matters, your view of the world is unique and beautiful and necessary. Don't let who you are be swayed by the opinions of others, most especially soulless spam/bots who don't know you, don't see the heart and creativity you've poured into your work, and most importantly, HAVE NOT EVEN READ/VIEWED WHAT IT COMMENTED ON.

You want proof that these vile comments are unfounded, meaningless, steaming piles of putrid sewage? The above comment was posted on chapter 27 of my Inktober 2024 collection on AO3. This is a screen shot of that entire chapter:

There are no cliffhangers, no dramatics, nothing. Just 27 chapters of fan art. Drawings. It's not in any way a cohesive story, rather an eclectic collection of prompt fills featuring multiple and varying fandoms.

The hate fueled spam/bot is just that. Not worth my time, effort, or even the brain capacity I have given it. It doesn't care who I am, it's job is to post venom and destroy. The thing is, I learned long ago to not care about it either. My main reason for this post is to try to reach the authors and artists out there who have maybe fallen victim to these types of comments, and to let them know that they aren't alone in receiving these messages. Don't fall for it. Don't let the words take up any space in your creative mind and lovely heart.

And just in case you aren't sure what you're looking at when it comes to spam/bot comments, here are a few clear clues...

1. These comments can be positive too, but look for context. Does any of what the comment says actually apply to your work? Does it address specific details? Or are the 'details' it addresses details that actually appear in your story? (I.e. - cliffhangers in my collection of drawings).

2. Is the commenter a 'guest' profile? Now, not all guest profiles are bots, there are lovely people out there who, for their own personal reasons, have opted not to create user profiles, but still love fandom. But, a lot of (though not all) spam/bot profiles are guest profiles. And you can usually tell the difference just by the content of the comment. The below comment was a guest profile also left on Inktober 2024. It's simple, specific, and greatly appreciated.

3. The spam/bot comments are usually of a longer nature, extremely vague in regards to addressing what it is that is likeable or hateful about the post, and they go overboard with the language (excessive adjectives) used to prove their point. If you want to see other specific examples to look out for, I recommend doing a Tumblr search of "ao3 spam."

4. If you receive a comment that is questionable, and there is actually a user profile attached, check out the profile. Almost all of these spam/bot profiles are brand new (like, same day as you publish), and/or completely blank - as in, no used details, nothing published, nothing bookmarked, nothing at all.

5. Good or bad, always report spam/bots. Sites like AO3 and Tumblr are aware of the situation, and any reports they receive can help them take steps to protect legitimate users.

6. If the spam/bot offers a money-making situation, offers to pay you for use of your creation, or asks for money in any way, shape, or form, report it immediately. AO3 has very strict guidelines about not using the site for monetization. Also, if it seems too good to be true... it is.

I don't know if anyone will even read all of this. But if you do, I want you to know that I am posting this from a place of vulnerability, knowing how much a comment such as the ugly one above, timed just right (or wrong), would have destroyed me. The only reason it didn't this time was because I was armed with knowledge. I hope this post helps you. I hope you have a peaceful day. I hope your words or your art come easy. I hope you know how brave you are for sharing pieces of you with an uncertain world. I hope you keep going. 💙

[mrshamill]

and maaan, his victims are stupid.

[mrshamill]

yeah! happy birthday, asshole!

[mrshamill]

[mrshamill]

we ain't made of sugar!

Here I go, rain or not.

[mrshamill]

when people are cruel, I want them to suffer for it, but I want more for all of us to live in a society that treats everyone kindly, including those bastards.

anyway for me the way I square my political principles with being a vindictive little hater is by divorcing all sociopolitical theory from the concept of 'deserving'. deserving is a moral judgment, it's the province of religion and retribution. when we talk about politics I don’t give a rat’s ass about deserving, I care about building a better society for everyone in it.

some examples:

do trump voters deserve to be plunged into poverty by predatory laws? honestly yeah. I want them to suffer. I want them to feel the sting of what they have brought upon us. I think it would be poetic justice.  should they be plunged into poverty by predatory laws? no! no one should be plunged into poverty by predatory laws! I want to live in a society that doesn’t do that to anyone, no matter how much they suck as people.

do unrepentant violent rapists deserve to be tortured? yeah. I think so. I think they’ve earned it. should they be tortured? nope! no one should be tortured! I want to live in a society where no one is ever tortured. (I definitely want to live in a society where the state, responsible for enacting criminal justice, is not torturing anyone. like holy shit guys that one’s a biggie.)

do diabetics deserve free insulin? no, it’s not like anyone goes around earning insulin. the insulin wasn’t free to produce or distribute, someone needs to pay for that. no one deserves free stuff. should diabetics get free insulin? absolutely oh my god. everyone should have free and easy access to whatever they need to live a healthy life. insulin is expensive to produce and distribute, and I think the government should pay every red cent. I want to live in a society where all medical care is free for everyone who needs it!

you get the picture. politics is about building a better society, no matter what it costs in cosmic justice. when people are cruel, I want them to suffer for it, but I want more for all of us to live in a society that treats everyone kindly, including those bastards. I think the role of government should be to create that society, as much as humanly possible. deserving doesn’t come into it at all.

[mrshamill]

this is a long read, but it's worth it. fascism always fails. maybe not now, maybe not for a long time, but it always fails.

keep on keeping on.

"We're living through the ongoing fascist collapse of the United States but I still gotta clean the kitchen and go to work tomorrow" sure is the mood right now, huh.

[mrshamill]

yeah!

Ready for Saturday.

[mrshamill]

[mrshamill]

LET HIM PLAY

they let a penguin on the mound in chicago