Kiersten Essenpreis of Twaggies

A while back, I stumbled upon Kiersten and Twaggies on Twitter. The idea is simple, but clever: Twaggies illustrates Tweets.

Follow the jump below to find out which other blogs Kiersten maintains, what kind of topics get covered on Twaggies, and why focusing on the negative aspects of blogging might just leave you... dead or something.

What's your name, how old are you, and what do you do for a living (or all day, for that matter)?

My name is Kiersten Essenpreis, I'm 28 years old, and I'm a freelance illustrator and gallery artist.

How long have you been blogging? How did you get around to blogging?

Well, I started my own blog (http://youfail.com/blog) a couple of years ago, then about a year ago my husband and I started a collaboration design blog, THERSIC (http://thersic.com), and most recently I have been working with the Twaggies blog (http://twaggies.com) for the past 3 months.

What's your blog called and why?

Twaggies basically “twags” people on Twitter who think they are funny (or sometimes even not-so-funny), similar to tagging a friend in a photo on Facebook. We take that particular tweet and illustrate it into a drawing or comic.

What are you blogging about? Why?

We cover everything from politics, to current events, to complaints people have about pretty much anything. Nothing's really off limits, it just has to entertain us enough to want to draw it.

Who's your target audience?

Young 20-somethings. Old 40-somethings. The elderly. Bachelors in their 50's, and bachelorettes in their 30's. 18 and 19 year old computer geeks and 62 year old retired school teachers. I suppose even toddlers. If they have a good sense of humor.

Who designed your blog? How much was that? In case you designed your own layout: Where did you learn how to?

Twaggies Team Captain, David Israel, put together the whole blog... I just doodled the logo and entries.

Which software and which host do you use? Can you recommend them?

Hmm, good question. That's why I stick to just drawing!

What role play photos, MP3-files or video clips on your blog? If you use them, would you mind showing us one?

I only role play in private.

How many readers do you have? How many would you like to have? Does their number matter to you at all?

Many. Many more. Yes, indeed!

Can you learn how to blog? Do you need to know a lot about computers? Do you have any advice for beginners?

Of course! Blogs are super easy to start and maintain these days, and this is coming from a computer illiterate fool. You just need to find something you love to collect, make, or blab about and you're all set!


Have you made negative experiences with blogging, too? What kind?

Having a blog means your fair game in the shooting range. Anonymous commenters will not hesitate to freely unload. But you just can't focus on the negative, otherwise you'll forget why you started the blog to begin with.

And have you ever made money through your blog? If yes, how so?

Blogging is a great way to get your name (trade, craft, etc.) out to people all over the world. I pick up a large portion of my freelance illustration jobs this way...

Do you use twitter, too? Why (not)? What pros and cons do you see when it comes to twitter?

I am indeed guilty of operating a Twitter account. It's a great time waster and a wonderful place to self-indulge. I don't think many of my followers care about how tired, hungry, or hungover I am, but it is a great place for people to link to the latest comic up on Twaggies.

Which other female bloggers can you recommend? Why?

I have a lot of female friends who run blogs, but favorite is my friend, Michelle's blog, 'les pommes de terre' (http://lespommesdeterre.blogspot.com/). She illustrates her life by way of stick-figure potatoes. It's hilarious.