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If you've ever lain awake at 2 a.m. reliving a painfully awkward conversation from five years ago, congratulations—you'd probably enjoy Portuguese Geese. Joe Holtby, the artist behind these painfully relatable webcomics, knows all too well the sting of awkward social situations and turns them into comics.

His process? "The sun has to be down, the vibes have to be right, and I have to have a good YouTube video playing," he says. And just like that, another comic is born, proving that awkwardness is a universal language. Inspired by legends like PBF Comics, Cyanide & Happiness, and Extra Fabulous Comics, Joe has mastered the art of making one laugh at their own misfortunes. "I hope my comics can make people laugh, and maybe even inspire other artists," he shares. So, if you've ever tripped over thin air or said "you too" when the waiter told you to enjoy your meal, rest assured—you're not alone.

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#1

Comic of two birds at a table; one comments on the other's forehead, featuring a funny, twisted ending.

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Given the chance, Bored Panda reached out to the artist. When asked about his creative rituals, Joe explained, "I usually try to perform the following ritual: the sun has to be down, the vibes have to be right, and I have to have a good YouTube video playing. Then I'll scroll through my list of comic ideas until I find one that I think is good, and then I go to town on it, usually finishing in about two hours."

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    #2

    Comic with funny twist showing characters discussing hook-up culture and its unexpected outcomes.

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    #3

    Comic depicting a humorous interaction at a counter, with a twist ending involving the word "moss."

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    Reflecting on the evolution of his art style, he remarked, "The biggest evolution in my art style over the years is that all of my human characters have been turned into geese! This was something I wanted to do for at least 2 years, but I was nervous about making such a drastic change to my already established comic. The audience reaction turned out to be way better than I thought, and I've been trying to perfect the style ever since."

    #4

    Comic of a skeleton in a shirts vs. skins game, joined by a vampire and Frankenstein monster, showcasing a funny twist.

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    #5

    Comic by artist with funny twist: Character shocked by beetle, followed by a humorous response from a seated figure.

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    When asked about what he finds most rewarding about being a comic artist, Joe shared with us, "One of the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist is seeing reoccurring fans show up every day to new comics. Knowing that people are closely following my work warms my heart and keeps me motivated to keep going. There's also no feeling like posting a comic online and seeing such a huge positive reaction to it, sometimes even going semi-viral."

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    #6

    Funny comic characters with tired expressions, showcasing a humorous twist ending.

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    #7

    Comic with twisted ending: A character sends a note to a friend working at a sewage plant.

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    Regarding his influences and inspiration, he explained, "The first webcomics that I remember seeing as a kid were PBF Comics, Cyanide & Happiness, and Extra Fabulous Comics. These are all inspirational in different ways to me: PBF showed me that you don't need a consistent art style to have a good and successful comic series. Cyanide & Happiness taught me that you can turn anything into a good joke, and Extra Fabulous shows that you can make the comics that you want to make, and they can still be successful."

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    #8

    Funny comic with a character giving a blood necklace, leading to a twisted ending with a surprised friend.

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    #9

    Comic by an artist with a worker hearing news about a coworker getting fired, leading to unexpected joy in the last panel.

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    Finally, when asked for advice for aspiring comic artists, Joe offered a simple yet powerful message: "Make comics that YOU would like to see. This may sound simple, but it can be easy to find yourself chasing trends or trying to copy someone else's work, resulting in a mediocre or bad comic. No one's first couple of comics are gonna be amazing, so you should draw a couple before posting any online. Once you get more comfortable with creating comics, you should start to see yourself improving and eventually you will create comics that are way more personal and represent your sense of humor well. Once you find your voice, the fans will come!"

    #10

    Comic of gamers with a funny, twisted ending. One character thinks it's a good round, while the other is frustrated.

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    #11

    Comic strip with geese discussing pain and smiles, featuring a funny twist ending.

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    #12

    Comic with funny, twisted ending: two birds discussing "dry January," one opting for "moist January" instead.

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    #13

    Funny comic with a twisted ending of characters realizing it's not New Year, but December 29th, from Portuguese Geese.

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    #14

    Comic strip by artist with a funny, twisted ending featuring two bird characters in conversation, one wearing a hat.

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    #15

    Comic character on a bench puzzled by "Hold SHIFT to run" instructions, with a humorous and twisted expression.

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    #16

    Comic strip by an artist with a twisted ending; a werewolf transformation triggered by pop culture reference error.

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    #17

    Comic with twisted ending: vampire and skeleton interact with headless horseman named Steve at a party.

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    #18

    Comic by artist featuring a robber and a duck with a humorous twist ending, set in a living room.

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    #19

    Cartoon character humorously taking shots, first of alcohol, then antacid, illustrating a funny comic twist.

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    #20

    Comic strip by artist Joe Gooseman with characters humorously shouting "vacuum" in a twist ending.

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    #21

    Comic featuring a green character at the gym realizing he's inspired others, humorously declaring himself "king of the gym."

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    #22

    Cartoon of two birds discussing pizza, leading to a funny comic twist.

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    #23

    Comic strip by artist discussing the funny issue of Portuguese geese name confusion.

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    #24

    Artist's comic with geese in a funny scene, featuring a twisted ending about brain farts.

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    #25

    Comic strip with funny characters and a humorous, twisted ending in a busy mall setting.

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    #26

    Comic strip with funny twist: characters in a d**g den, one asks about huffing "Autumn Air," and the other calls it "that good stuff."

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    #27

    Comic strip with funny twists, featuring diverse characters and humorous dialogue about insecurities and gaming.

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