Bored Panda reached out to the creators behind Tubby Nugget, who kindly answered our questions.
We were wondering what initially drew the creators to the world of cartooning and artistry. Josh shared: “As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved drawing and designing characters. I remember the very first character I created was an alien named Scrappy. He had three antennae sticking out of his head. I was very proud of creating him when I was six years old.”
Jenine added: “For myself, cartoons were similarly a way for me to characterize my thoughts and expressions. I found it easier to connect with myself and with people around me by associating them with some of my favorite cartoon characters – and if not those, then the ones that I would invent myself in my mind. My childhood favorite was a hat-wearing Pea named Capea. I thought he was hilarious.”
The artists also shared a bit more about their creative process. “Most of the comics are just Jenine’s life observations personified by a little nugget,” wrote Josh.
“Truthfully, the way I get through my every day is by finding joy in even some of the most mundane things. I feel like that’s a big part of Tubby’s existence. Finding childlike joy and gratitude for the little things that make up our lives.
For example, just thinking about how ridiculous and funny our grocery trips can get when we get carried away with our snack haul has turned into one of my favorite Tubby songs!” shared Jenine.
Both Josh and Jenine discussed the timeframe it takes to create a new comic: “About two-four hours? If we animate it, it takes a bit longer,” wrote Josh. “Definitely a solid estimate! But it really can vary, especially when it comes to the ideation process. We can spend hours talking [about] ideas and sometimes wind up with only a handful of stories that we feel really passionate about telling,” added Jenine.
We asked the creators to share what they hope their audience takes away from Nugget comics.
Josh wrote: “I hope everyone knows that they are worthy of love today, no matter what. It’s a lesson I’m still learning myself.”
Jenine: “I’d hope the takeaway would be that it’s okay to feel. I know that sounds vague, but sometimes, I think we feel guilty for wanting or needing love, especially when we’re at our most vulnerable. I hope that seeing Tubby regularly on their feed reminds people of the unconditional love they deserve, too.”
Lastly, the creators added: “If you love our comics, we have a book called Tubby’s Tearable Book coming out this October! You can go to to pre-order it. It’s got all the comics you love and more. PLUS, every page is tearable, meaning you can share the comics with people you love in real life!” wrote Josh.
“The book definitely carries out our mission to have Tubby exist in every format accessible to audiences. We love that his origins began on social media with the intent to stop people trapped in the all-familiar doom-scroll cycle on their phones. I’m so happy that we can have something physical and on paper now for friends and families to hold in their hands and keep on their shelves!” added Jenine.
