Since we know how much our Bored Panda community loves dark humor, today we decided to feature a hilarious comic series by Jacob Breckenridge. "Stressmuseum" is a collection of strips showcasing absurd situations, witty dialogues, and unexpected twists. The artist, based in New York, shares his work on Instagram, and his audience is constantly growing.
We reached out to Jacob to find out more about “Stressmuseum” and the inspiration for his work. The author of the series shared with us: “I’m influenced by underground comics and single-panel cartoonists. Some of my favorite artists are Gary Larson, Gahan Wilson, Joost Swarte.”
More info: Instagram
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Asked what influenced his unique style in creating comics, Breckenridge said: “I don’t know if my style is unique, when I look at it, I can see all of the stuff it is influenced by. I don’t believe I have a natural talent for art. I’ve had to learn a lot from repetition and failures.”
The artist added: “I think studying from others is very helpful, but allowing your imperfections to remain is what makes the art become more unique and personal.”
Next, we were wondering how Jacob comes up with new ideas for his work. We learned that: “I write, and write and write and write. And I still don’t think I write enough.”
“I like to sit down for a few hours at a time and try to write a bunch of ideas and usually a few are okay.”
We were also curious to know what aspects of being a comic artist Jacob considers the most rewarding. Breckenridge told us: “I just really enjoy participating in the culture. Comics always made me happy, and eventually, that compelled me to participate. It’s often other people’s work that inspires me to keep going. It really helps to look for interviews from other artists to hear their experiences, especially when I can relate.”
Lastly, the artist added what keeps him motivated to continue creating his comic series: “Of course, when people like something it helps keep my enthusiasm going for a project. So I always appreciate it when people let me know they like something.”
Kinda reminds me of the story of a guy who tried to get revenge on a kid who kept cutting across his lawn when heading home from school. He tried spraying the kid with the garden hose, but the kid would just stand there and let himself get soaked. Turns out, the kid had soccer practice after school and was all hot and sweaty, so he welcomed the soaking.
"I'm so nice that I don't want you to suffer the stress and hardship that comes with the job."
It occurs to me that no one at BP knows what "dark humour" is. Not one of these is darker than a peanuts strip.
Dark humour is like the antidote to what I put in the work punch-bowl...
It occurs to me that no one at BP knows what "dark humour" is. Not one of these is darker than a peanuts strip.
Dark humour is like the antidote to what I put in the work punch-bowl...