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).

At least 90% of what I draw on Twitter is Scottish football but Scottish football is not 90% of me. There’s so much joy and laughs to be had in other sports and other parts of life that I want to share with you.

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. It’s a place I no longer enjoy spending time beyond that which is necessary. And let’s face it, who knows what Elon is going to do with his toy next. I don’t want to be at the mercy of an egomaniac.

All of this has led me to this point.

Goodbye comfort zone, I’m taking the leap to a paid newsletter I’ve called The Stickler.

What is The Stickler?

Basically The Stickler is a newsletter style publication that lands in your inbox and the Substack app. If you know Fitbatweets you know what you’re getting. It will feature minimalist stick men and crudely drawn cartoons on football, particularly Scottish and English and lots of other sports because, guess what, I watch a lot of sport. There’ll be NFL, golf, tennis, athletics, boxing, rugby, motor racing, darts, snooker, cricket, you name it it’ll appear at some point. As well as that I love to draw about pop culture - TV, films, music and whatever else catches my attention (or yours). I’m a big fan of horror films and heavy rock so look out for that. I’m also going to be drawing about the human condition, something we all have in common and a fascinating subject. I’m the owner of a frequently large metaphorical black dog and an SSRI taker and there’ll be posts about all the foibles that come with that from time to time.

The Stickler is more than a newsletter though. I want it be a community in a way that Twitter and the other algorithm based social media places no longer offer. A place that supports what I do and allows me to continue drawing for you but also generates respectful conversation (no matter what your team leanings) between community members with shared interests that we can all benefit from.

Why subscribe?

First of all you get a big thank you from me for enjoying what I do. Bringing joy to people has been the purpose of Fitbatweets from the beginning and that remains the case with The Stickler. As a free subscriber you’ll see cartoons in Notes (this is like your Twitter feed), you’ll see a bit of every edition of The Stickler and there will be occasional editions which are entirely free.

If you can, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to The Stickler.

I can’t promise daily editions of The Stickler just yet but you already know from Twitter that my output is prolific so a subscription will be tremendous value for money. For just £5 a month (cheaper than a pint) or £50 for an annual subscription you’ll get:

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 The Stickler 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.

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