It's a bit of both! I agree with @joannekwan on that you need to make your comics for yourself first and foremost otherwise you won't be able to keep up. And it does motivate you to improve your work and keep updating instead of slacking off. And I love comments especially since they help you improve as a writer as well! I agree with everything in this tread.
However it can become intimidating. I was sick for half a year and couldn't update my comic. Then my 30k+ audience became pretty intimidating. Especially when they started asking for updates. It can start to feel like a job which isn't bad it itself, but sometimes making comics for yourself gets harder that way. You have to know when to take a break and take care of yourself first. When you come back the kick of all the positive comments will be even better!
What I don't hear often though is that it becomes harder to appreciate the little things. When you start out every subscriber is a succes but once you get a decent following you might not be satisfied when your comic only gains 200 after being in the popular section all day. Interactions with people become less personal mainly because you just don't have the time. Of course this all depends on the person.
I hope this didn't sound negative or entitled but people often dream about being "popular" and all the positive things are very true and worth it! But theres an ugly side that's often forgotten. :')
