Top Toons of 2023

Another year in the bag. Time for my annual whinge at the state of the online world followed by a list of the comics my analytics tools suggest were most popular, whatever that means these days. Let’s get it out of the way, then…

With the social media landscape fractured and numerous online communities broken, 2023 was the year that the internet ceased being fun or entertaining. For me, at least. Everyone with the most basic self esteem closed Twitter and walked away, for obvious reasons, and only the most narcissistic weirdos from your past still post on Facebook on a regular basis. Don’t get me started on LinkedIn…

The webcomic community is now a diaspora, spread out in refuges across the web. Some now reside on Mastodon, a handful on Threads, a selection of recognisible handles are now making a go of it on BlueSky… Sharing new work is a chore.

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Top Toons of 2022

Here we are again. Another one done. 2022 was a year, eh? To say plenty happened would be an understatement… The impact of Tory governance for 12 years (and counting) and voting to leave the EU REALLY started to bite, with cost of living increases and inflation forcing millions into poverty and financial hardship while energy companies and supermarket chains report record breaking profits, multiple Conservative Governments proving themselves unfit for office, a Jubilee AND a state funeral, strikes galore (up the workers) and a crumbling NHS.

Plus another year of Tut and Groan doing its thing.

I’ll try and keep it light from here on. No promises, mind…

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Top Toons of 2021

Welcome to the annual T&G Top Ten Toons list for 2021. Last year I mentioned that the themes that permeated 2020 (namely idiocy, uncertainty, corruption, incompetence, insincerity and anxiety) would continue well into 2021… Well, I was right, eh? …Yay…

This year was my least productive, in terms of new T&G comics, since I launched the site towards the end of 2014. In fact, there were months in 2015-2016 where I made more comics than I did in the entirety of 2021, but as I explained in the previous year end list, now you get T&G comics when I feel like it… When you’re governed by a joke and you live on Normal Island™ everything is so absurd, sometimes any attempt to be satirical seems… pointless…

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Top Toons of 2020

Well, it’s that time of year once again. And what a year it’s been… One of idiocy, uncertainty, corruption, incompetence, insincerity and anxiety. If you’re reading this, you’ve made it through one of the most challenging twelve months of many of our lives and deserve commendation, even if it appears that the majority of the previously mentioned themes will continue well into 2021.

On a completely selfish note, there have been aspects of this year that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I got to spend a lot more time with my little girl than I would’ve in any other year, seeing her grow from this little lump that cried and pooed into a happy chattering toddler with a smile that warms my soul. I’ve also enjoyed the extra time with my wife and feel that our relationship is stronger than ever, now that we’ve survived this year living in each other’s pockets and haven’t ended up hating each other (of course, I can’t speak for her…!), so it’s nice that the most popular comic is a strip about fatherhood (kind of).
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Top Toons of 2019

It’s that time again; the annual T&G whinge about social media algorithms, with a side of the most popular comics on tutandgroan.com during the year 2019. This year’s list features a comic that was only popular because a former member of Westlife doesn’t understand arbitrary demographic cohorts (Twitter is a binfire, but it still has its moments).

I have quite a mix of stuff for you, with politics, parenting and observations about ageing proving more popular than wordplay, all in all. I’m not sure what it means that a comic I shared a day before writing this has made the cut…

It was a big year, personally. I became a father in September and the comic turned five years old a month later, with the 1000th cartoon posted a few months earlier.

Anyway, no point in waffling more. Here are the Top Ten T&G Toons of 2019:
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Top Toons of 2018

It’s here! The fourth annual Top Tut and Groan Toons list, where we find out which of the multitude of single panels and comics were most popular with the T&G audience during the past 12 months. Welcome to the 2018 edition.

The year that sites like Facebook and Twitter showed their true colours as far right supporting, personal data selling, profit-above-all-else racketeering shitfucks is also the worst year T&G has had so far in terms of views on the site… thanks binfire social networks and your ‘machine learning’, crappy algorithms and pay-for-views… It’s nothing to do with the quality of the comics- shush… No, YOU’RE bitter.

2018 was also the year that Tut and Groan dived into the real world and exhibited at an event for the first time. In October, T&G hosted a table at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, had a blinding time and will certainly be attending more cons and art festivals in 2019. If you know of a suitable one (UK only- unless you’re paying), gis a shout.

Anyway… without further delay, I present the Top Ten T&G Toons of 2018:

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Top Toons of 2016

Well, it’s that time again; when hacks everywhere churn out lazy year end round ups. Why should T&G be any different?

2016 has been an emotional rollercoaster for many, with a heap of iconic names passing away and some amazingly short-sighted decision making taking place across the world.

It’s been an eventful one for T&G too. The milestone of 500 comics came and went, both the T&G Twitter account and Facebook page now boast more than 1000 followers and I somehow blagged a book campaign with terribly fashionable crowdfunded publisher Unbound.

Anyway, below are the comics T&G put out in 2016 that received the most views on the site. A healthy mix of single panels and comic strips, clever jokes, relatable comedy and low brow humour this time around, mainly thanks to the Puns Subreddit- they love them some T&G wordplay… And a poo joke…

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Top Toons of 2015

As Tut and Groan is no stranger to shamelessly jumping on bandwagons (you saw the Star Wars toon, right?) I thought I’d take ten minutes from my busy schedule to look at the site stats and make a quick list of the cartoons that got the highest number of views this year.

Now I’m no statistician, but I reckon the comic strips I started making this year might just be a bit more popular than the single panel toons that I have (literally until this list was being put together) considered T&G’s bread and butter.

Will this mean a change of direction in 2016? Probably not, I’m quite lazy. Plus I’m already scheduled up to April and the bulk of them are single panels.

Anyway, check out the Top Ten Tut and Groan Toons of Twenty-Fifteen. Of course the most popular one is only relevant in the last week of November and the first week of December…

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