Code Related

<img src="../../img/article-images/portrait.png" alt="portrait.png" width="308" height="400"> Matthew Inman, known to millions as “The Oatmeal,” has always had a knack for making people laugh. Ever since he was young, he filled notebooks with doodles, quirky characters, and clever jokes. His dream was simple yet ambitious: share his comics and unique sense of humor with the world. But in the late 2000s, the internet was a very different place—especially for someone with no background in web development or coding. The idea of building and managing a website seemed almost insurmountable. Driven by his passion to reach a wider audience, Matthew started searching for ways to get his comics online. His first steps were cautious and, at times, frustrating. He experimented with basic website builders that offered drag-and-drop simplicity, but soon hit a wall. The designs were generic and restrictive, making it impossible for Matthew to showcase the personality and style that defined his work. His comics often loaded slowly, and organizing hundreds of drawings into a coherent, reader-friendly archive became a headache. As his folder of comics grew, so did his doubt—would he ever find a way to build the kind of creative, interactive site he envisioned? Refusing to let technical barriers stop him, Matthew sought advice from other creators and dove into online forums. It was there that he first heard about [WordPress](https://wordpress.org/): an open-source platform that millions were using to create everything from personal blogs to professional portfolios—often with zero coding background. Encouraged by stories of other artists and writers who had built their sites from scratch, he decided to give it a try. He found step-by-step guides, comic-friendly WordPress themes, and a supportive community that made the learning curve far less intimidating. <img src="../../img/article-images/c2_converted.jpg" alt="c2_converted.jpg" width="3198" height="1634"> Of course, the journey wasn’t without its bumps. Matthew’s early attempts to upload his comics were messy—images didn’t line up, navigation was clunky, and his site sometimes crashed under heavy traffic. As his readership grew, so did the technical challenges. Instead of giving in to frustration, Matthew embraced the process as a creative challenge. He read WordPress documentation, watched tutorial videos, and experimented with plugins designed for image galleries, social sharing, and site performance. When he hit a snag, he reached out to the WordPress community, where other site owners were quick to offer solutions or point him to the right resources. Bit by bit, the site took shape. Matthew learned how to create easy navigation so readers could jump between comics, browse by theme, or discover hidden gems in the archives. He started a blog to connect more personally with fans, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, news about upcoming projects, and even the occasional rant about cats. As his confidence grew, he added an online store—without touching a single line of code—enabling fans to buy books, prints, and eventually, wildly successful games like Exploding Kittens. <img src="../../img/article-images/c3.jpg" alt="c3.jpg" width="3152" height="1640"> The audience responded with overwhelming enthusiasm. The Oatmeal’s blend of humor, relatability, and distinctive art style quickly went viral. With millions of monthly visitors, the site became not just a showcase for comics, but a thriving community where fans interacted, shared, and supported Matthew’s creative work. Every few years, he compiled the best comics into bestselling books, such as *How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You*, further expanding his reach. Today, [theoatmeal.com](https://theoatmeal.com/) stands as one of the most popular webcomic destinations in the world—proof that you don’t need to be a tech wizard to build something extraordinary online. Matthew’s journey demonstrates that with passion, persistence, and the right tools, anyone can overcome technical barriers and create a website that delights, inspires, and unites people across the globe. If you have a voice and a vision, the digital world is yours to shape—one comic (or idea) at a time.