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John W. Tomac

@johnwtomac.com
748 followers 1.2K following 2.1K posts

Illustrator. Former art director. Shorter in person. johnwtomac.com

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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 22h
Does the executive order require SI to send new subscribers a sneakerphone?
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Aimee Cozza Illustration @aimeecozza.com · 29/09/2026
FUCK YEAH LET'S GOOOOO! SUPPORT HUMAN ARTISTS!!! Hirehumanartists.com
hirehumanartists.com
Find an Artist Who Doesn't Use Generative AI | Hire Human Artists
Looking for an artist for your next project? Our human artist directory is full of over 400 artists who have pledged not to use gen AI.
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rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
'this AI agent can do all your tasks for you' so now i gotta sit here and write a list of all my tasks for a robot to fuck up. why. why wouldn't i just keep to the current system where i fuck up my own tasks
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Ben K. @benjaminkabak.com · 24/09/2026
"The AI has gone rogue" is a very convenient way to do crimes without facing consequences. It's sort of like driving a car and running someone over.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 22/09/2026
Mr. @mayor.nyc.gov, as you are no doubt aware, New York City is home to many very talented illustrators and designers. Direct city agencies to hire us instead of wasting public resources on tokens to make this embarrassing slop.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 13/09/2026
Things really were better in the past
Adobe Illustrator 10. 

In the good old days you could buy software on a CD-ROM. You paid for it once and it lasted for several years.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 13/09/2026
This is true if you know absolutely nothing about any of these professions.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 12/09/2026
There’s a very easy solution to slow down AI companies (unless you stand to profit from some ungodly stock valuation)
GenAl tools 'could not exist' if firms are made to pay copyright
Al firm Anthropic hits out at copyright lawsuit filed by music publishers, claiming the content ingested into its models falls under 'fair use' and that any licensing regime would be too complex and costly
Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Published: 26 Jan 2024 16:56

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) company Anthropic has claimed to a US court that using copyrighted content in large language model (LLM) training data counts as "fair use", and that "today's general-purpose Al tools simply could not exist" if Al companies had to pay licences

Source: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366567750/GenAI-tools-could-not-exist-if-firms-are-made-to-pay-copyright
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 12/09/2026
This is a company getting ready for an IPO aiming all of its marketing bullshit at the most gullible rubes www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/t...
nytimes.com
Anthropic C.E.O. Dario Amodei Calls for A.I. Slowdown (Gift Article)
In an essay, the head of Anthropic laid out the rapidly advancing capabilities of artificial intelligence and said there needed to be greater safety controls across the industry.
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Tim “Positive Subway” Smith @positivesubway.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
NYCPS and NYC DOT need to implement Open Streets at Schools universally and immediately, the unfavorable difference in neighborhood street safety with school back in session is ridiculous
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Hireillo - Hire an Illustrator @hireillo.com · 07/09/2026
Check out our latest Featured Artists! This time we have the wonderful Alice Wong, Nigel Sussman and @johnwtomac.com. See more of their work: Alice - hireillo.com/cbz Nigel - hireillo.com/cYX John - hireillo.com/cEg
Three illustrations by different artists. One is a whimsical children's book illustration of a tooth fairy in a pink frock with long blonde hair and wearing a flower garland. The next is an isometric line art illustration of a street scene featuring a shop with people and a dog walking along the pavement and cars parked on the road. The last is a conceptual editorial piece with the sun above the moon which is casting a dark shadow directly over a large house.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 06/09/2026
They are playing DMX at the wedding to get the old people on the dance floor. I am 45 and it gives me no pleasure to report this.
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mtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The Plot to Enslave America
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Mike Vorkunov @mikevorkunov.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The Nets are going to have a Swamp Dragons Night as part of their commemorative events for their 60th anniversary season. It'll be Jan. 29 vs. the Clippers. There will be bobbleheads.. Nets also rolling out a special logo for this season to mark their histories in the ABA, New Jersey and Brooklyn.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 01/09/2026
I’m in this picture and I don’t like it.
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Emily Mullin @emilymullin.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I'm a staff writer at @wired.com and I'm looking to speak with parents of immunocompromised kids, especially those in areas with measles outbreaks, and how you're dealing with back to school with rising cases. emily_mullin@wired.com
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Cooper Lund @cooperlund.online · 26/08/2026
When I say that the DSA is a symptom of localized potions of the Democratic Party that are no longer responsive to their constituents, I’m thinking about stuff like this in my backyard
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bing bong @brianvan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
So they’re passing rules that are binding to the next session, rather than letting the next session vote on rules and then vote on the chair. If this isn’t explicitly illegal, it needs to be. Also, in a closed meeting? That’s just traitorous to our country & it should put them all in jail.
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Ernie Smith @ernie.tedium.co · 25/08/2026
I just finished up a complete rewrite of my 2015 Columbia House piece. I more explicitly underline the story underneath the story: Every sketchy SaaS business model has roots in business models like Columbia House. tedium.co/2026/08/24/c... updated @tedium.co
tedium.co
Columbia House: The First 12 Cost A Penny, But …
In the 1980s and 1990s, Columbia House could do no wrong—it was a great way to get 12 CDs for a penny. But its business model predicted a lot of bad e-commerce.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 24/08/2026
They’re called 2 Skinnee J’s
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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 24/08/2026
I got called a luddite on Friday and I was like yeah ok fine because the luddites were right.
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Hireillo - Hire an Illustrator @hireillo.com · 20/08/2026
Musicians, Magic and Maps - our latest newsletter is here! Visit www.hireillo.com/TMl to see new and featured artists, and a hand-picked selection of members' news. Art by Simon Sturge · @johnwtomac.com · Alice Lockhart · Peter Fasolino · @jasonpiperberg.bsky.social · Tom Woolley · Philip Douzat
Seven illustrations by different artists. A group of doctors stand around a man inside a giant transparent virus. A man in the shape of the number four sits on an egg in a nest. Part of a book cover titled The Little Book of Magic with hand drawn characters of people, birds and animals around it. A detailed painting of band members of The Who sitting around a swimming pool with broken guitars and a sinking car. A girl with a fearful face trying to climb out of a pile of skulls. An illustrated birds eye view map showing different buildings and trees . A playing card with a dark fantasy  character holding a red spear with a detailed gold border above and below.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 12/08/2026
Happy solar eclipse to all in it’s path
Solar eclipse art created for an exhibition at Windgate Museum of Art at Hendrix College for the April 2024 total eclipse that passed over North America.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 06/08/2026
Happy 40th birthday to Metroid.
Wait, I was a girl the whole time? 

©️ John W. Tomac
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 30/07/2026
I wish for all the AI companies to pay every copyright holder $150,000 per infringement, the maximum amount allowed under the law
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Aimee Cozza Illustration @aimeecozza.com · 28/07/2026
It's here, it's here! 🌟 V2 of Hire Human Artists is now live. We make it easier than ever to find artists who have pledged not to use generative AI in their workflow. HireHumanArtists.com Use the directory to find artists for your project type, that do a certain style, and more! Now with images!
hirehumanartists.com
Find an Artist Who Doesn't Use Generative AI | Hire Human Artists
Looking for an artist for your next project? Our human artist directory is full of over 400 artists who have pledged not to use gen AI.
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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I liked this interactive piece by the Times: www.nytimes.com/interactive/... [gift link]
nytimes.com
Glimpses of New York City’s History Are Still Visible. Here’s Where to Look. (Gift Article)
Traces of New York’s layered histories can be found scattered throughout its contemporary urban landscape.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 24/07/2026
I am very excited to be getting re-vaccinated for Measles next week
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 21/07/2026
Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 20/07/2026
Meta is bad for the world.
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 18/07/2026
Way to fuck the kids over
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 18/07/2026
Some of us do drugs on the train because our kids won’t stop talking about the R-211T or insist on searching for all the brown M train signs the MTA hasn’t covered up.
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 17/07/2026
Artists/writers/creators in NYC - please feel free to sign the @aimoratoriumnyc.bsky.social coalition's letter calling for a two year moratorium on "A.i." in the public schools! We're up to about 650 signatures - would love to get this over 1000! docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com
Artists for an AI Moratorium in NYC Schools
NYC Artists, Writers, and Creatives Call for a Moratorium on AI in Public Schools CLICK HERE TO SIGN Dear Mayor Mamdani, As writers, musicians, visual artists, filmmakers, photographers, actors, di...
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 17/07/2026
The scene where Odysseus waits 20 minutes for a sandwich at the Shortstop Deli when he got back to Ithaca felt unnecessary.
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alex eben meyer @alexebenmeyer.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Quote post with your bug art. Mosquito season!
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 15/07/2026
“Time is made-up, it doesn’t mean anything,” I say to my boss as I stroll into the office at 1:07 p.m.
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Wendy Thurm @wendythurm.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
MLB would like you to Stand Up 2 Cancer while the MLB commissioner sucks up to the Trump administration that’s gutted cancer research & doomed people to death.
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BOGLUDDITE @brucemackay.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Hi #PortfolioDay Im Bruce, an illustrator, creative director, printmaker & sculptor. Big fan of risography, old SFF covers, forced perspective & experimentation. Knight of the Luddite Temple. WEB: www.badmanifesto.co.za IG: www.instagram.com/bad_manifesto PRINTS: www.inprnt.com/profile/brucemackay
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Rory Blank @roryblank.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
The Amazing World of Tomorrow
A comic strip titled The Amazing World of Tomorrow.
A food delivery robot cooler drives down a sidewalk.
It crashes into a rental scooter. 
It backs up.
It crashes into the rental scooter again. The scooter wobbles.
The scooter falls to the ground as the food delivery robot backs up again.
A driverless taxi crashes into both the scooter and the food delivery robot sending them flying.
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Phil Hester @philhester.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Being an artist my age means hearing a great bit of wisdom, being in full agreement with it, and identifying the exact moment the part of my brain that will sabotage it awakens.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 11/07/2026
It’s not coming home. www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...
nytimes.com
Harry Kane confirms round of golf with Donald Trump: ‘A pretty surreal experience’ (Gift Article)
England's captain confirmed the U.S. president invited him to play 18 months ago while he was in Palm Beach.
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404 Media @404media.co · 09/07/2026
Quick tutorial on how to opt out of Meta's new feature which allows anyone to tag your Instagram handle to generate AI images of you. @evystadium.bsky.social on Muse Image in 40 seconds:
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Bike South Brooklyn @bikesouthbklyn.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Beach ride to The Rockaways is becoming our annual summer tradition. Now it's your annual tradition. Details and RSVP link: www.bikesbk.org/event/2026-b...
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Rob Sheridan @rob-sheridan.com · 08/07/2026
Meta is a staunchly anti-art, anti-artist company and has been showing you this for years with basically every product decision it has made with Instagram, and yet so many professional creative industries continue to rely on it. Spread the word on their latest attack on artists ⬇️
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Spencer M Ross @srossmktg.com · 07/07/2026
If you want to avoid these AI generations of your Instagram posts, without switching your account to private, you’ll have to dig into the app’s settings. Open the Instagram app, tap your profile, and then tap the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, scroll down to the Sharing and reuse tab. Here is where you should see a section labeled Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta, with a toggle for Posts and one for Reels.
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mtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
current status:
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 07/07/2026
It’s these losers fault if Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall decide play for Albania and Poland, respectively.
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 06/07/2026
It’s time to watch America’s Team—El Tri
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Matthew Doyle @mattdoyle.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
(everything he touches turns to shit, anyone who thinks this isn't cursed is fooling themselves, belgium by a million)
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John W. Tomac @johnwtomac.com · 03/07/2026
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for telling fortunes better than they do?
A vector drawing of the Asbury Park Convention Hall.

© John W. Tomac.
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