Artist Creates Witty Comics That Might Make You Chuckle (25 New Pics)

Rusty revealed that it actually took him many months of work before he had any art he felt halfway decent about sharing. He thinks that the main thing that kept him pushing himself to keep doing it was watching each comic improve just a bit over the last one. "Seeing that tangible progress was helpful."

Rusty has a lot of ideas written down in his notes for future comics. If he's feeling pumped about an idea, he tries to sketch it out pretty fast; otherwise, it usually ends up in that never-ending pile of ideas he might never fully develop. "I go back and explore old ideas when I’m feeling tapped out or I’m looking for something quick to knock out."

One of Rusty's favorite topics to explore has always been how people interact on the internet. He posts comics on Reddit quite often, and Reddit, more than any other social network, "seems to exacerbate the Very Online ways people interact with each other" — and the artist loves it. "People will respond to the most innocuous things with just complete and utter vitriol. It’s fascinating to me."

"Social media is weirdly one of the more personal topics I write about. My comics are largely consumed by people I don’t know and will never meet, but who know me. Thinking about that parasocial relationship too much can give you the heebie-jeebies, so I try and process it through humor and comics."

Rusty's exploration of internet interactions often mirrors the curiosity surrounding distinctly unique subcultures. Just as Rusty's comics engage random strangers on the internet, the presence of modern-day subcultures is a testimony to human expression and individuality.

Exploring how subcultures carve out their spaces online can be as intriguing as observing the evolution of hipster trends in real life.