HOBOTOPIA is the repository for several ongoing illustration projects in which I am involved. I create and post a comic strip called the Laugh-Out-Loud Cats, as well as illustrations of critters which people order through a paypal link on the blog. I also like to post clips from youtube, including videos of myself drawing or clips from my favorite films.

I am a freelance illustrator full time. Blogging has become a much bigger part of my job since I began selling drawings directly to readers. I still do traditional freelance work for magazines and other companies as well.

It all happened in a strangely viral way. I started participating in the 700 Hoboes project (e-hobo.com) in late 2005. Once I had drawn all of the hoboes named in John Hodgman’s book, I asked readers of my blog to give me a couple hundred more names to draw, and sold them the original drawings for ten bucks. From there, I started drawing monkeys, and fairy tales and other things at people’s request.

I started posting illustrations from the 700 Hoboes project in July 2006, and it evolved from there. In the beginning I had no real idea what I was doing or why I was blogging.

Around 400 visits per day, unless I slow down in posting drawings. I also am grateful to be linked and talked about by several high profile blogs, including boingboing.net.

The income I generate on my blog comes from drawing comics and illustrations for visitors. For $20 anyone can order a Laugh-Out-Loud Cats comic or a custom named creature.

I try not to worry about what type of person would frequent my blog. I think if I limited or tried to define my audience, I would automatically crowd out some people I didn’t know were there. At it’s core, my blog is about doing something I really love to do that really appeals to me. I’ve been fortunate that quite a few other people enjoy what I do.

It depends on how many people have ordered drawings. Even when some drawings are not quite off the drawing board, I will try to post updates and random musings.

You should subscribe to my blog to see what happens next. I have several fun projects in the works for the coming months, not just the cats comics. Halloween and Christmas are coming and I’m going to try to make it an especially fun time at Hobotopia.

Do what you love. If you’re passionate about what you are doing and sharing, people will naturally be attracted and interested in it.

This blog can be visited at http://apelad.blogspot.com