You know, sometimes I think 50% of being "successful" here is about quality, consistency, and audience engagement. I used to think it was 100%. But then I realized, the other 50% is really more about just getting lucky. And by that, I mean having your comic "featured" on the front page, or selected by one of the staff as a "pick".
Either one of those things happen, and it appears that you're looking at a couple thousand subscriptions just like that. I've seen many comics "featured" that had like 1 or 2 pages. I've read other stories where a person posted one page about brushing his teeth (for example) then woke up with 1200 subscribers.
I don't want to go as far as to say that one comic deserves recognition over another, but I think it would be well-suited for the Tapastic staff to realize the importance of their selections, and maybe give solid, older comics a look that have never gotten one before - at least occasionally - rather than instantly spotlighting someone who just walked in the door. Who's to say that person won't ever post again? It seems like a disservice to those who have been here for months or even years, diligently posting quality content every week - only to get overlooked.
I'm still pretty new here myself, but it's just a trend that I've noticed.