Artist Creates Interesting Comics With Unexpected Endings

The combination of cute and dark humor is addictive.

Damjan

Published in Interesting
12 Mar 2021

Artist Creates Interesting Comics With Unexpected Endings

The cartoons you'll see here are utterly adorable, but that's just the first impression. When you reach the end, you'll be surprised by the twisted finale.

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They are created by Chicago-based Ryan Pagelow, who has been drawing comic books for most of his life and has gained many fans over the years. The intriguing blend of cute and dark has earned him 653k followers on Instagram and over 90k followers on Facebook. They keep coming back for their daily dose of dark humor.

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The comics feature Buni, who is tested by the cruel world at every turn. He must navigate a surreal landscape filled with many surprising characters, such as ghosts, animals, and everyday objects that come to life in absurd, hilarious, and sometimes sad situations.

You never know what to expect. Will the comic break your heart, soften it, or simply make you laugh? Take a look for yourself and find out…

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Ryan Pagelow says:

"I've drawn comics for most of my life and started out by creating a comic strip that appeared in university newspapers. I then began freelancing for Mad magazine. I created Buni in 2009, and since then, it has been featured on GoComics and Webtoon."

When he's not creating comics, Pagelow works as a full-time videographer and photographer.

"I enjoy photography and videography because you're capturing the outside world, while comics are much more about illustrating your internal world."

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Buni comics are a delightful combination of sweetness and darkness, centered around the lovable main character, Buni, who finds himself in all kinds of difficult situations but never gives up.

"As a mostly wordless comic, I rely on images to tell the story in my Buni comics, which are often twisted, sad, and funny all at the same time. The main character, Buni, doesn't realize that the visually cute world he inhabits is usually out to get him. Buni lives in a surreal world populated by teddy bears, cupcakes, unicorns, and zombies."

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Although Buni is the main character, the comics are enhanced by a variety of other quirky characters. There's everything here – pizzas, plants, missing socks, and planets. The artist isn't afraid to step out of his comfort zone to deliver results that are extremely interesting.

"First and foremost, I try to entertain myself. So if I think a comic idea about a cupcake is funny, I'll draw it. I don't feel the need to limit myself to a narrow set of characters in a confined world. I wanted to create a world that was expansive enough to keep me entertained for years rather than be boxed in by a narrow set of parameters.""Additionally, creating a wordless comic is very challenging, especially within just four small panels. I find that relying on simple emotions and common elements like food and animals is a quick way to communicate an idea to the reader. Comics featuring anthropomorphic pizza or hot dogs don't require the reader to have read previous comics or know the Buni character. They instantly understand pizza and hot dogs and what their world might look like. When I create comics with the Buni character, it's funnier if you understand the character and his history."

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bunicomic "I get my ideas from just sitting down and thinking for about 30 minutes every day. I try to imagine if everyday objects had feelings, what would motivate them. What would make them happy, sad, jealous, angry, or in love..." the artist describes his creative process.

And when asked about the most challenging and rewarding aspects of creating comics, he said:

"Creating comics is daily meditation, and I would probably do it whether anyone looked at them or not. I like that webcomics are quick little mini-stories. Once I finish one, I'm already working on the next. I'm not dwelling on the past. It's not like a novel where you're thinking about it for months or years before it's finally done. The most challenging aspect is drawing comics week after week, sticking to it, and finding ways to push the boundaries."

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Pagelow believes that Buni comics are popular because of the lack of dialogue, which makes them effortless to understand. They transcend borders and languages, and the unique sense of humor plays a significant role as well.

"Humor comes from the unexpected, twisted ending. If a normal, happy ending is anticipated, you can create humor with a dark or sad conclusion. Although many people describe my comics as dark, I view them as optimistic because Buni wakes up happy every day with good expectations despite everything that has happened in the past."

However, you either love or hate this kind of comic, and the artist has learned to avoid negativity in comments.

"I learned a couple of years ago not to read the comments on the internet, except for a quick glance to ensure that, in general, people understand it and that there isn't any unforeseen controversy. But I do try to always respond to people who email me or direct message me. I appreciate that people enjoy my comic. Sometimes I create a comic and wonder, am I insane for thinking this is funny? And then 40,000 people like it, so I can't be too insane if that many people find it funny too."

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bunicomic "I'm motivated by the desire to create an even funnier comic next time. It's like an endless chase to find the perfect comic, which probably doesn't exist. Also, I have enjoyed comics since before I could read, and I'll likely continue to enjoy visual storytelling until I die. In that sense, comics will be a part of my life forever."

Pagelow's desire to improve himself has resulted in global success. In addition to having a considerable number of followers across various social media platforms, he also highlights some of the most significant moments of his artistic journey so far.

"One of my proudest moments was when a New Zealand crematorium asked me to use one of my comics on a billboard to advertise their cremation services. Getting syndicated, publishing a book of Buni comics, and being named Best Online Comic by the National Cartoonists Society in 2013 were also significant achievements. Meeting some of the cartoonists I grew up reading was great as well."