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If you love smart and witty comics, ‘The Professor’ series might be just what you’re looking for! Created by Pat Patenaude, an artist based in Ottawa, Ontario, these single-panel cartoons bring everyday observations and absurd situations to life. Some moments in the series feel incredibly relatable, while others lean into sarcasm, poking fun at modern society.

As the cartoonist himself shared with us: “My inspiration comes from pop culture and from society doing stupid things. As for how I come up with my ideas, the truth is I sit down and work out many premises until I hit something reportable. Then I turn it into something that makes me laugh. It’s an enjoyable process, but a challenging one. The idea that ideas just come to cartoonists is a bit of a falsehood. Sure, it happens like that sometimes, but mostly it’s just hard work.”

If you’d like to learn more about the series and read our full interview with Pat, scroll down to the latter part of the article!

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#1

Funny one-panel comic with absurd situation of a professor correcting a student about a grandma's trophy.

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Bored Panda wanted to dive deeper into Pat’s work and asked the cartoonist what inspired him to start his series ‘The Professor.’ He kindly shared: “The moment I first read a Heathcliff comic, I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist. The idea of creating your own characters in their own little world seemed like a perfect escape from my childhood loneliness.” Patenaude also mentioned that his target audience is “anyone who enjoys old-school newspaper comics, appreciates fun gags, and finds the general public to be somewhat ridiculous.”

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    #2

    Absurd one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude shows a man confronting a raccoon while a dog watches in a funny situation.

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    #3

    One-panel comic showing a pharmacist humorously explaining absurd prescription pill refill schedules.

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    When asked about recurring themes in his strips, the cartoonist responded: “There are definitely recurring themes in my work. These include pop culture, health and dieting, and comedic observations of the general public.”

    Next, Pat told us more about his creative process and how he comes up with ideas for new cartoons: “Truth is I sit down and work out many premises until I hit something relatable. Then I turn it into something that makes me laugh. It’s an enjoyable process, but a challenging one. The idea that ideas just come to cartoonists is a bit of a falsehood. Sure, it happens like that sometimes, but mostly it’s just hard work.”

    #4

    One-panel comic featuring absurd situations with a man watching TV and a dog sitting on his head.

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    #5

    One-panel comic featuring absurd situations with a man and woman on a couch discussing Uber Eats and driving frustration.

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    When asked about his personal favorites, the artist admitted it was tough to choose just one. Instead, he shared that he enjoys creating comics that make audiences think—those jokes that take a few moments to fully land.

    #6

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing a ballet dancer performing while others watch, depicting absurd funny situations.

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    #7

    Black and white one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing absurd social interaction at a bar with humorous dialogue.

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    Lastly, ‘The Professor’ creator revealed some of his favorite contemporary artists: “This is always a fun question that I love answering. I shall break it down as best I can. My favourite artists right now are: Molly Tuttle for music, Quentin Tarantino for film, Tim Robinson for comedy, and Cyanide & Happiness for comic strips.”

    If you’re curious to discover more about Pat and his series, make sure to visit his Instagram. It's also worth mentioning that the artist released a trio of books featuring a selection of his earlier cartoons, which are still available online. You can find them here, here, and here.

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    #8

    Black and white comic panel featuring two men in a bar, illustrating funny absurd situations by a comic artist.

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    #9

    Black and white one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing a man hugging a dog in an absurd, funny situation.

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    #10

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing two people fishing with absurd dragon-shaped clouds in the sky.

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    #11

    Funny one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude shows two people eating ice cream in an absurd situation in a city park setting.

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    #12

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing a funny absurd situation with a man on the couch and another holding groceries.

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    #13

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing absurd situations with a person making salad and expressing frustration.

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    #14

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing absurd fitness programs in a funny and absurd situation at a bar counter.

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    #15

    Black and white one-panel comic showing a man explaining a bizarre accident to a police officer in a humorous absurd situation.

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    #16

    Black and white one-panel comic by artist Pat Patenaude featuring two men at a bar in an absurd humorous situation.

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    #17

    One-panel comic by artist Pat Patenaude featuring an absurd situation about music advice in a record store.

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    #18

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing a man and child in an absurd situation with funny dialogue.

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    #19

    One-panel comic showing a convenience store scene illustrating funny absurd situations by a talented artist.

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    #20

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing two birds sunbathing with people watching, featuring funny absurd situations.

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    #21

    One-panel comic showing people donating hair and a man holding a rabbit, featuring funny absurd situations.

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    #22

    Black and white one-panel comic showing absurd humor with characters in a waiting room and a funny professor’s advice.

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    #23

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude humorously depicting a professor discussing absurd historical facts in a funny comic.

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    #24

    Black and white comic panel showing a woman riding a Segway in a park with two people watching, featuring absurd humor.

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    #25

    One-panel comic by The Professor showing a funny absurd situation with characters on a morning show billboard.

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    #26

    Funny one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing a man and child discussing absurd situations on a couch.

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    #27

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing absurd situations with characters in a bar discussing a travel deal.

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    #28

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude shows a professor and student with a humorous absurd definition on a classroom board.

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    #29

    Black and white funny one-panel comic by Pat Patenaude depicting absurd situations with characters at a hotdog stand.

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    #30

    Black and white one-panel comic showing absurd situation with people at a bar, part of funny one-panel comics collection

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    #31

    One-panel comic showing a policeman arresting a robber dressed in stereotypical striped clothes in an absurd situation.

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    #32

    One-panel comic showing a man humorously claiming to use the same soap for all purposes in an absurd situation.

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    #33

    One-panel comic by Pat Patenaude showing an office worker celebrating Tuesday with a bottle in an absurd situation.

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    #34

    One-panel comic showing a person with hairy legs at the beach, highlighting absurd and funny situations.

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    #35

    One-panel comic featuring absurd situations with a man on a cloud talking to a bear on a pedestal.

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    #36

    One-panel comic featuring absurd situations with a man spraying water indoors and a surprised visitor.

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    #37

    Cartoon panel by an artist showing a funny absurd situation with characters discussing pumpkin spice K.D. macaroni.

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