TomSka

Thomas James Ridgewell was born on 27 June 1990 in Suffolk,[4] England.[5] He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. As a child, Ridgewell made short films using his parents' video camera.[6] Shortly after YouTube was established, Ridgewell created CakeBomb,[7] a website where he posted his projects, including his animated web series asdfmovie and his friend Edd Gould's Eddsworld. Ridgewell graduated from the University of Lincoln[8] where he studied Media Production, and whilst studying created a series of unofficial advertisements for the university which received millions of views and were also featured on the BBC.[9]

As a professional YouTuber, Ridgewell earns money from revenue from his videos on the website.[10][11] He has been interviewed about this and has had this aspect of his life discussed, especially when the medium of online video was in its infancy.[5] He has appeared as a guest on the BBC's The One Show[12] and created short films for Comedy Central.[13]

In October 2007, Ridgewell created a secondary channel called DarkSquidge (currently known as TomSka & Friends).[14] As of April 2022, the channel has over 1.38 million subscribers and over 191 million views.[15] While his main channel consists of sketch comedy and animations, The "TomSka & Friends" channel shows behind-the-scenes footage of TomSka-related projects and videos, as well as vlogging. Ridgewell also engages in social commentary, covering topics like mental health,[16] sexual health, and body positivity.[17] From April 2016 to February 2018, he uploaded weekly vlogs to the channel in a series named Last Week.[18]

Ridgewell's 2011 attire was the base for an avatar (also known as skins) he commissioned someone to make for the game Minecraft, a modified version of his avatar is used by popular Youtuber Jschlatt.

In 2012, Ridgewell founded the media production company TurboPunch Ltd., located in London. He currently works there alongside co-writer Eddie Bowley and video editor Elliot Gough.[19] Ridgewell also became the producer of Eddsworld after the show's creator, Edd Gould, died of leukaemia.[20] He left the series in 2016, relinquishing the show to animator Matt Hargreaves.[20]

In February 2013, Ridgewell was featured on the cover of Wired UK as part of a feature titled "How YouTube Reinvented the Entertainment Business".[21] In May 2013, he was featured in YouTube's first Comedy Week[22] as a guest host for its Geek Week series in August.[23]

In 2014, Ridgewell, in collaboration with video game developer Pixel Spill Studios, created the game KatataK, a side-scrolling shoot 'em up for iOS and Android devices.[24][25] In September 2014, the BBC announced Ridgewell would appear as a guest presenter on the Dan and Phil Show on BBC Radio 1.[26][27][28]

In 2016, Ridgewell filmed several sketches with the BBC for a potential sketch show on BBC Three.[29]

He was raised a Jehovah's Witness but no longer practices this faith.[39] Despite this, he has expressed belief in a higher power.[40]

Though not primarily a musician by trade, Ridgewell has played bass guitar in multiple videos, including "Guitar Warfare"[41] and "Mine Turtle" as a featured artist with LilDeuceDeuce.[42]

• Art Is Dead: the asdf book (2015, Little Brown Book Group, ISBN 9780751563047)
• Sam Kills Christmas (2018, Little Brown Book Group, ISBN 9780751563054)
• Zack Comic (2010–2011, Unknown)[43]
• Asdfbook (2010, Unknown)[43]