💨 Print envy

Bob Weir leaves behind a body of work that means so much to so many, and will mean so much to so many more hundreds of years from now. I've been listening to his 50th anniversary of Ace celebration, recorded live at Radio City Music Hall, that I was fortunate enough to attend on April 2, 2022. That's a YouTube link, but it's also part of the official Ace album wherever you stream your music. Also at Radio City, 42 years before, he sang a song about tragedy narrowly averted. I wasn't alive for that, but the moment — and infinite more — lives on forever. What a life.

Every now and again, I catch myself holding onto a decidedly unchill feeling...

The most recent catalyst of these seventeen words popping into my head was this viral Instagram Reel (which is also a viral TikTok) from artist Christine Tyler Hill, who works as a crossing guard and sells a booklet of art and writing called The Cloud Report, beautifully produced on a Risograph. The maker apparently started the snail-mailed report this month, and she's already sold out and racking up millions of views on social media.

I should have been hyped after seeing this video hit the front page of the vertical video algorithm and several of my friends sharing the post with me like "YO DUDE PRINT MEDIA!!!" But instead I went straight to print envy:

Why didn't this happen to me?

I should be making vertical videos featuring me and my face! That's why this video did so well, she put a human being in it! I'm shooting myself in the foot running Train Songz anonymously.

She's totally sold out of her print copies, and you haven't posted a good meme in a month!!!

Et cetera, et cetera. About twenty minutes into my print pity session, I had to remind myself about Favorite Vegetable's illustration from our Royal Masat interview...

Comparison really do be the theft of joy, baby. Train Songz is already "bigger" than my wildest dreams, having gone from "lol my meme page should have a print extension" to the print extension becoming the Main Thing. Social media is a blessing in that the Instagram algorithm allowed us to find our people, and I'm grateful to have made the decision to deprioritize social media reach in favor of mailbox reach. I'm also grateful to have our readers supporting us, as print is much more expensive than digital content. We couldn't do it without you! Thanks for your trust, and thanks for believing in us. That's real.

Jealousy is a disease, and I found the above reframe to be the emotional equivalent of taking my dead Pokéballs to the Pokécenter nurse — immediately cured.

Another plus!!! Isn't it incredible to see another niche, independent print media product thriving?! And over a million people reacting to its existence in a positive way?! Our zine is not a meme or a gimmick, but a true reflection of my belief in print's role in the age of infinite social media feeds, 5,391 unread emails about 20% off pants, and artificially generated words and images masquerading as "art." Offline, physical things are precious in this day and age. Well, some of them are. I don't think the L.L. Bean calendar on my desk is precious (especially since they watered down their lifetime warranty). But physical things you intend on keeping and enjoying outside of a screen and maybe even sharing with others or passing down to someone else one day are precious — moreso than a meme, an email, or a blog post like this. So, as I commented on the now-viral post:

If you're still reading this, leave a positive comment about print media on her post and show her some love from the Train Songz community.

P.S. Let me know if you liked this casual, reflective type of post. I don't want to spam your inbox, and I'm still finding a purpose for Smokestack in the Train Songz universe. I know it's meant to be casual and link-heavy, two things that aren't suitable for print or Instagram. Here's to experimenting...