Over the last few years, Joe Sugg (aka ThatcherJoe) has risen the ranks of YouTube stardom. The 24-year-old British vlogger and gamer originally trained to be a roof thatcher (hence his three channels all starting with the word thatcher). But Sugg then delved into the world of YouTube in late 2011, quickly amassed an audience, and caught the bug (much like his older sister Zoe – aka Zoella – who’s a digital superstar herself).
Now, Sugg boasts over 8.8 million subscribers across his three channels thanks to his crazy antics, infectious personality, and ability to mimic celebrities nearly spot-on. The ex-thatcher who still has roofing skills has used his YouTube stardom to break out into other industries, as well. Sugg published his first book, a graphic novel called Username: Evie, in September 2015. The British vlogger also partnered with fellow digital star and best friend Caspar Lee to start the production company Raucous Productions in early October.
Sugg will make an appearance at Stream Con NYC from October 30-31. Before he hits the Big Apple, we sat down with Sugg to talk to him about his graphic novel and his future plans with Lee and Raucous Productions.
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Tubefilter: What has been your favorite part about writing a book? And what’s been the most frustrating or difficult?
Joe Sugg: My favourite part of creating the graphic novel was seeing my visions come to life and seeing the development of Evie’s character throughout the story. The most difficult part was trying to cram all my ideas into one book. I could have made the story a lot longer but there’s always the possibility to make more in the series.
TF: Why did you decide to write a graphic novel as opposed to a more traditional book format?
JS: I decided to go with a graphic novel because growing up I’ve always been into cartoons and a more visual way of reading. I used to read comics a lot as a kid and then got into graphic novels during the end of my high school days and I love getting lost in fictional world/story so felt this was the perfect choice for me.
TF: On a separate note, why did you and Caspar Lee want to start your own production company? What are your hopes for this endeavor?
JS: Caspar and I decided to start Raucous Productions because he’s one of my best mates, we are both creative and love working and hanging out together. We always have so many ideas for new original content on different platforms so we decided to start Raucous Productions to bring our viewers extra entertainment. We’re currently in the stage of planning our future projects together and prioritising which ones to share with our audiences first. It’s all very exciting!
TF: What can we expect to see from you in 2016?
AS: I think 2016 will be even crazier for me than last year! I would love to carry on the graphic novels and make Evie go on another adventure. Caspar and I will also be working on a lot of stuff together with Raucous Productions – but most importantly I’ll still be making my usual videos across my three channels. Without those channels and loyal subscribers I wouldn’t be able to any of these cool things with my friends so I think it’s key that I keep those channels as entertaining as possible.
You can see Sugg and many other online video and digital stars at Stream Con NYC. Click here to pick up your tickets before they’re sold out.
