Something that really just burnt my biscuits last week.

I don’t know what’s going on with Threads these days, but it seems to have become a lot like X (Twitter) in that parts of the TTRPG community over there have become volatile, toxic, and hostile at the drop of a hat. I can’t speak for anyone else. But it’s like if I say something to a friend in public as a part of a larger conversation that gets overheard by some random stranger who then proceeds to freak out.

No, I don’t deal with criticism very well. On the other hand, I don’t have any patience for people who don’t know the context of the conversation, don’t read the article in question, and then proceed to rip me a new one because they didn’t like the blurb posted on Threads.

Threads seems really reactionary and hostile these days.
Strangely, Threads is the only social media outlet where I’ve gotten much of any kind of reaction on the AI art topic. A few people on Instagram chimed in but that was mostly positive feedback. Instagram is kind of Threads older cousin, though.

This person… had the audacity to tell me I should drop everything, go out and buy art supplies, and then take art classes or watch YouTube tutorials to learn how to create all my own art. Then I was accused of making a quick cash grab because I guess I’m greedy or something.

Dude, you have so missed the entire narrative. I took tons of art in high school and college. The last thing I need is another damn art lesson. Oh, and I have taken some art tutorials on YouTube. Oh, and all the books on how to draw comics, manga, mecha, and figures. I even have my own simple twelve inch maquette.

I know how it’s supposed to work. I can see it in my head just fine. But my arthritic ass hands that were only mediocre to begin with, can’t seem to reproduce it on paper or digitally. However, I can still type most days with breaks in between sessions and I revise, correct, or change what my LLM spits out to get it trained on what I want.

First, my art is not passable by any reasonable publishing standard and again takes days on end to get results. That’s time I can put toward a lot of other projects, family, and living my life (with chronic pain most days.) ChatGPT can pump out an image close to what I want in minutes instead of hours. It’s not perfect and I sure as Hell don’t claim it as my own.

Second, if you’re bitter that it’s a commission you think you deserved and aren’t getting? Sorry, but you wouldn’t have gotten it anyway. I’m a tiny rinky-dink TTRPG operation here. I’m one guy, not Chaosium, Paizo, or Wizards of the bloody Coast. I’m not some DungeonTuber with a 3 million dollar Kickstarter shouting down everyone who uses AI for anything. Obviously we know who that person spending more time listening to, now don’t we? (But I’m not bitter…) If you’re gonna hate, feel free to donate.

My point being here is that very few people make a living off TTRPGs. Very few people get writing gigs or are asked to contribute to a product because of their status as a DungeonTuber (whether they know what they’re talking about or not.) Even fewer people get treated as having some massive writing talent because they got into Instagram doing Critical Role cosplay and then moved onto have a massive DungeonTuber following. Let me see. I am currently none of those things. But that top advice I get from random strangers on Threads, that’s just got to be the ticket to the big time and not a bunch of snarky insults masquerading as advice.

Third, and probably the most important thing:

I’m not trying to make it big in the world of TTRPG art or anywhere else as an artist. You’re never going to see a Jeff original up for auction up at Gen Con. Are you kidding? I don’t even post that stuff on my refrigerator.

One reason I chose to go with AI art over stock art or clip art, aside from there not being anything that looks like whatever it is that I’m doing, is because I’m not here to showcase the art. I’m here to showcase the writing and the layout/design. I’m here to put out some fun gaming ideas out into the world and maybe make enough credit to pick up some Third Party Publisher Dragonbane material or the next official Free League/2 Little Mice release that catches my eye.

Quick…Cash…Grab… yeah.

My fourth point is more of a question, really. Where? What cash? I don’t think you know what that looks like in this industry or any other if you think that was my evil master plan.

If I were pumping out five or six cheaply made, poorly edited pieces of what the kids call “AI slop” everyday on DriveThruRPG, then yeah. That’s pretty slimy. There are people who do that. I am not one of them. I mean, I could if I didn’t care about the hobby. I know how they’re likely doing it. I just think it’s sleazy, and I don’t want to sully my reputation by doing things that way.

Last, I think this person on Threads got the completely wrong idea about my operation OR they were on an alt account and just trolling me. (I know who you are out there.) I mean it is the Internet. Trolls lurk everywhere, and not the kind I can stat up for a game. Sad that some keyboard warrior felt the need to reach out and stick digital foot in mouth. I nipped it in the butt pretty fast this time, though.

Any other day I might have just let it go.

I’m just gobsmacked over that whole line about “a quick cash grab.” Dude, if this were baseball you’d be on Strike Four and a Half. It’s not doing the intelligent discourse on the subject of AI art in TTRPGs any good. The funniest part is, I know that dude isn’t reading this and didn’t read one line of the article he so ignorantly commented on.

Honestly I have bigger fish to fry and reviews to write. I shouldn’t have stopped to go over this thing again. This was just still eating me and it’s my blog. Sometimes I think everyone should have their own personal blog or vlog somewhere to get stuff off their chests instead of flooding someone else’s social media comments with half cooked nonsense.

Anywho… onward and upward as my friend likes to say. Tomorrow is the Monday Monster (Probably featuring some AI art.) Wishing everyone a wonderful week. Enjoy your snow day if you get one.  

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.