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Simple. Elegant. Witty. Intelligent. No, we’re not talking about your favorite stand-up comedian, dear Pandas—these words perfectly describe the thought-provoking, minimalistic, and brilliant black and white comics drawn by Chinese artist Tango Gao. (Though, he does add a dash of color here and there—see if you can spot them!)

The artist has been illustrating his comics since 2010 after taking up the challenge of drawing one comic a day and posting them on the Weibo social media website. After that, Tango became known all over the globe for his quirky cartoons that poke fun at how odd modern life really is. He has been drawing every day since then and we’re very jealous of how disciplined and focused he is!

We’ve collected a list of Tango’s newest and best comics for you to browse, so have fun, enjoy, and upvote your fave light-hearted and hilarious cartoons as you’re scrolling down. When you’re done, you can find Bored Panda’s previous lists of Tango’s comics here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

More info: TangoGao.com | Instagram | Facebook | Book

Discover more in 35 Clever Comics By Tango Gao (New Pics)

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#1

Black and white comic drawing showing a shoe stepping on broken 2020 glasses, clever comics by Tango Gao.

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    #2

    A clever comic by Tango Gao showing a drawing turning into a mosquito and a playful slap between two characters.

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    #3

    A clever comic by Tango Gao showing a cloud feeling sad, then happy, and causing rain while flying above a chair.

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    Tango is also known as Shanghai Tango and Tango Sleepless. However, his real name is Gao Youjun. He now has over 229k Instagram followers, up from 108k the last time we wrote about him a year and a half ago.

    The artist graduated from the Mathematics Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University but he realized that he’d much rather be an artist than a scientist. So he went for it and finished his Master’s degree at the Academy of Arts & Design.

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    After that, he entered the advertising industry at the end of the 1990s. Eventually, after his friend’s dare, he ended up drawing comics that resonated with people all over the globe. He also published a book called Backside of the Moon which collects some of his greatest illustrations. No. 3 Magazine said that the book was capable of making “stressed-out salaried folk see the primitive beauty of our existence.”

    #4

    Black cat climbing a ledge, with a drawing of the cat turning into a woman in a dress, clever comics by Tango Gao.

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    #5

    Simple black and white comic showing dogs rescuing a person and taking a selfie, clever comics by Tango Gao.

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    #6

    Black and white clever comic showing a gymnast humorously bending over a pommel horse in three different poses.

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    Tango is an opponent of censorship in China and uses his art to explore serious topics, too, like how obsessed our society is with social media and technology, as well as what the state of US and Chinese politics is like. Tango has held art exhibitions around the world, including in the US, as well as Europe.

    Jiayun Feng writes on SupChina how they met the artist and spoke to him about his work. According to Tango, his cartoons aren’t as effortless as they might seem at first glance. Each comic takes him only an hour to draw but the amount of brainstorming and polishing that goes into the process beforehand is immense.

    #7

    Comic panels showing a barcode falling from a building and transforming into a glowing QR code with arms and legs.

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    #8

    A clever comic by Tango Gao shows a bird frustrated by no wifi with a large wifi symbol behind it.

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    #9

    A clever comic showing a man struggling to use oversized chopsticks to eat dumplings at a table.

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    “Behind every post is a couple of failed attempts,” Tango explained that a lot of ideas get thrown out the window during the process. “It’s not like I wake up every morning to a fantastic idea.”

    Tango also doesn’t like being labeled as an artist because he doesn’t feel like he’s reached that level yet: “True artists are self-absorbed. They don’t have to think about whether the general public can understand their works or not, as long as there is a fraction of people who appreciate them.”

    #10

    Cat playing piano keys in a clever comic style sketch by Tango Gao with simple black line art.

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    #11

    Turtle digging on the beach at sunset with a clever comic twist in a black and white comic by Tango Gao.

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    #12

    Minimalist clever comic by Tango Gao showing a cat slowly closing a curtain at night outside an ATM.

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    #13

    Silhouette of a person wearing a hat with a profile blended into the shadow in a clever comic style.

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    #14

    Three clever comics showing a piggy bank with a spider descending and eventually trapped in a web above it.

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    #15

    Two-panel clever comic showing people at a hospital bedside first in silence then all distracted by their phones, illustrating modern life.

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    #16

    Minimalist comic by Tango Gao showing a pig applying makeup in a humorous step-by-step sequence.

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    #17

    Trash can character taking a selfie pointing down at a delete icon on a smartphone screen comic illustration.

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    #18

    Clever comic by Tango Gao showing a dog riding a goat like a horse in a playful black and white sketch.

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    #19

    Clever comic by Tango Gao showing a champagne cork character pop out of a bottle and land happily next to a filled glass.

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    #20

    Comic by Tango Gao showing a man removing sunglasses to reveal a younger face, then taking a selfie from above.

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    #21

    Two simple black and white clever comics by Tango Gao showing playful characters with popsicles and hats.

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    #22

    Two-panel comic by Tango Gao showing a hand dryer with a party hat blowing out candles on a birthday cake.

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    #23

    Clever comic of tomato and sausage characters on a bench in a playful scene by Tango Gao.

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    #24

    Black and white comic drawing of a sad toothpaste tube sitting on a toothbrush, illustrating clever comics by Tango Gao.

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    #25

    Black and white clever comic by Tango Gao showing a fish transforming into sushi rolls with ninja attacks.

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    #26

    Black and white comic by Tango Gao showing a man pressing elevator buttons with a woman entering in before and after scenes.

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    #27

    Minimalist comic by Tango Gao showing a dog grooming a chicken to resemble Colonel Sanders in a clever style.

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    #28

    A clever comic by Tango Gao showing a pencil tip turning into an umbrella protecting a person inside.

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    #29

    Man playing golf in a comic style scene, with an unexpected twist of cleaning a toilet indoors. Clever comics by Tango Gao.

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    #30

    A clever comic by Tango Gao showing a mop imagining itself as a chandelier shining brightly.

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