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Ryan Rds is a comic artist known for turning familiar, seemingly harmless situations into sharp, darkly funny observations. His strips often begin with calm, everyday setups featuring animals, objects, or understated characters, only to veer suddenly into bleak honesty, existential humor, or awkward truths. The simplicity of his visuals is intentional.

By keeping the art clean and restrained, Ryan lets the writing and timing carry the weight of the joke, making the final panel hit harder when the tone unexpectedly shifts.

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When it comes to his creative process, the artist says there’s no single starting point for his comics.

“It really depends. Sometimes the punchline sticks out in my head, and I’ll mold a situation around it to fit for maximum delivery. Other times, they start out as vague concepts that need some fine-tuning to figure out exactly what I’m trying to convey.”

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    Comic artist’s dark, absurd punchline in a 4-panel cartoon featuring a dog and unexpected humorous setups.

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    sbj
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At last! A vehicle that represents them

    #3

    Comic artist creating dark absurd punchline with a cute banana character in a four-panel outdoor comic strip.

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    WindySwede
    Community Member
    11 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    thanks BP for censoring a line on a cartoon banana! Otherwise my eyes would be tainted for several days! 😮👀

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    For the cartoonist, blending absurd humor with darker or ironic endings is a defining part of his work.

    “I think that’s almost essential to the kind of cartooning I really enjoy. Juxtaposing simplified art or situations with a spicy bite or a quick punch is what really completes the entrée.”

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    Comic artist’s dark, absurd punchline comic shows two birds arguing over a nest in a humorous, unexpected setup.

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    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She thinks he's been robin the cradle.

    Timing, he explains, is what makes simple visuals and sudden twists actually land.

    “Timing is damn near everything, especially when I work on animations. A good joke can do wonders, but the delivery is what can make it flop completely or amplify it to viral status, getting shared and copy-pasted to the masses.”

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    #6

    Comic artist’s dark, absurd punchline comic shows fish seeking new environment with unexpected twist under the tree.

    rdstonowhere Report

    Brain-In-A-Vat
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Try and find a book called 'At The Water's Edge' . It's a fascinating read about how fish evolved to live on land , and then how land animals went back into the water and became whales . . .

    Looking back, the creator sees his sense of humor as something that has evolved while staying true to its roots.

    “It feels like something that’s grown alongside me over the years, especially in how I execute certain ideas and jokes. But I feel like the core of my humor has stuck with me since the very beginning. I still read and chuckle at my comics from years ago.”

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