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Thai Illustrator Makes Colorful Comics That Take Unexpected Turns And Here Are 18 Of The Best Ones
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Thai Illustrator Makes Colorful Comics That Take Unexpected Turns And Here Are 18 Of The Best Ones

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The holidays are coming to a close, and some believe that there‘s no time more bluesy than the one after the festive season. Hence it’s the perfect time to take a look at these heart-wrenching comics from 27-year-old Tum Natakorn Ulit, an artist from Bangkok, Thailand, whose unique style and sad stories are almost guaranteed to squeeze a tear out of you. Though they‘re thematically different, these so often relatable comics always convey a bittersweet sense of tragedy.

Ulit told Bored Panda that he gets inspiration for his cartoon drawings and stories “Mostly from pain and my own experience that I interpreted into comics so that I can express those feelings.”

A sense of tragedy is ambiguous. In some sense, it‘s heart-wrenching, even painful, to see someone in a tragic circumstance. On the other hand, seeing a tragedy is sort of mesmerizing, it catches you in a mysterious way, it connects to you. Catharsis is a feeling of elation and exaltation that comes at the culmination of observing a tragic experience from afar. A great greek philosopher Aristotle has said that catharsis has the power to cleanse a person‘s soul and to reinvigorate one‘s life, making one appreciate it even more. These comics are, in some sense, a highly concentrated form of tragedy. It breaks one‘s heart to seem them unravel the way they do, but even after the most unexpected plot twist, you can see a small ray of hope peering through.

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    Soldier boy

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Insert coin here

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

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    Hello again

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

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    Hi and goodbye

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

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    My precious…

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Ulit says that he realized the good he could do for others when a friend called him after seeing one comic, tearfully telling the artist that he had thought he was the only one. His words pulled Ulit out of a dark time in his life. “I want to turn my situation into something else, something that people can appreciate or might even help them in any way,” he says. “Helping others might just be my own excuse, these colorful drawings might just be my own therapy…”

    Cat’s vision

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Almost a miracle until…

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Hug Hug

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    His bio on Facebook reads “Only tears can clear your eyes,” and his creative ideas, all rendered in cartoonish colors and charmingly soft textures, usually have bittersweet endings that show that forgiveness and hope are possible.

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    In his comics, people who realize their errors can reconcile with their loved ones, and lost love means that if one person turned out not to be the one, better opportunities are yet to come. He sometimes ventures into social commentaries that have no silver lining by nature, such as noting the senselessness of war or the destruction of our natural resources for the benefit of the upper 1%. But in general, the prevailing theme of his work is valuing what we have in front of us, rather than working for unattainable wealth or dwelling on missed opportunities.

    Mr. Santa, do you see me?

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Pick colors for your nature

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Only God(zilla) knows

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    I choose you, you eat me

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    “I’m an observant [type] who focuses on the actual world and things happening around them. I enjoy seeing, touching, feeling, and experiencing. I want to keep my feet on the ground and focus on the present, instead of wondering why or when something might happen,” Ulit says. Scroll down for some of his best comics, and have tissues ready.

    No matter how high it is

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    And they all lived happily ever after?

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Happiness Begins

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    Same hand that hold you

    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

    A flower that fits the soul

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    Image credits: Tum Natakorn Ulit

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    Titas Burinskas

    Titas Burinskas

    Moderator, Community member

    Read more »

    This dude right here? He works as a Community Manager at Bored Panda. Has no back-story, cause his spine works just fine. He writes about himself in third-person, and in first-person about others. Fell in love with storytelling and cannot let that love go. Now, he's here to help you make your own story simply beautiful. Secretly makes cute music samples and writes stories in the dark that nobody has ever heard of before.

    Read less »
    Titas Burinskas

    Titas Burinskas

    Moderator, Community member

    This dude right here? He works as a Community Manager at Bored Panda. Has no back-story, cause his spine works just fine. He writes about himself in third-person, and in first-person about others. Fell in love with storytelling and cannot let that love go. Now, he's here to help you make your own story simply beautiful. Secretly makes cute music samples and writes stories in the dark that nobody has ever heard of before.

    Lili North

    Lili North

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Lili ended up in Vilnius, Lithuania out of her curiosity for studying languages, and stayed here out of sheer willpower. She loves cats maybe even a little more than the internet average and enjoys cooking videos despite only fantasizing about being able to make anything more complicated than fried rice.

    Read less »

    Lili North

    Lili North

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Lili ended up in Vilnius, Lithuania out of her curiosity for studying languages, and stayed here out of sheer willpower. She loves cats maybe even a little more than the internet average and enjoys cooking videos despite only fantasizing about being able to make anything more complicated than fried rice.

    Hidrėlėy

    Hidrėlėy

    Author, Pro member

    Read more »

    Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

    Read less »

    Hidrėlėy

    Hidrėlėy

    Author, Pro member

    Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Peter Dylan
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah some were too long and I feel like captions or dialogue would help to convey the story.

    Load More Replies...
    K. LNU
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Okay: I liked the art of these, but the dog/solider, and the dog and little girl got to me (darn onion cutting ninjas). those two were the best in my opinion. :)

    Colin Leetham
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Morally ambiguous and emotionally charged... I think the artist is looking to be controversial.

    Kjorn
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    the little girl with cancer ( i presume) it hits hard!

    Randall Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The dog and the little girl destroyed me also the criminal whose mother inspired him to become a doctor.

    S.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, I'll try my best to explain most, if not all, of these images for those who didn't understand; i. DOG & SOLDIER: We can see that the first soldier left his dog during the war the first time, and had it killed the second time while trying to battle his enemies. A cruelly tough choice. I feel that in the last panel, it's actually a flashback to when he was a little boy and was friends with the young pup; simple, yet happy times.happy ii. VENDING MACHINE: I don't get this one, although I think it's trying to say that he should stop and appreciate what he has? iii. GIRL & PUPPY: Girl finds puppy, takes care of it, but while playing, she faints. I think she has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and thus, she dies. Years later, the dog dies as well, along with the toy the girl had given it, and hopefully, they have reunited in the afterlife. iv. SUNFLOWER & MATCH STICK: sunflowers always look at the sun, so the match stick burns itself to get its attention. (1/?)

    S.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    xii. GODZILLA FAM: Monsters no longer have to ruin our world, because we humans are doing it already! :) xiii. JUNK FOOD: Corrupted politics hamper our common people, planet Earth, animals, and economy. xiv. COLOURS: The damages we do to our planet leaves a generation - long affect. xv. SANTA: While a couple argues in a poor household, a child looks out the window, hoping that Santa Claus would help them. xvi. FLOWERS: Guy tries to give roses — the ones he had grown — to a girl he likes, gets disappointed when another guy shows up with sunflowers. Then he realises, while scrolling through the girl's social media, that the flowers were meant for her younger sister who was terminally ill and had a fondness for flowers. (4/5)

    Load More Replies...
    Ash Thompson
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ohhh yeah XD the dog is running away with old him. you are so right. i thought it was weird that they had a rando kid on the battle field. kudus!

    Load More Replies...
    Jacey Lynn
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These were beautiful. I almost cried with some of them! They’re amazing! I wish I could make comics like these! I love them 😍

    Pandana
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The dog one made me cry. So much. The one where the girl died.

    John Louis
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The art is not bad. The stories are somewhat predictable, but I see these comics as a cure if you're feeling happy or optimistic.

    Linn Kim
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Politics eat people, but it's not right to call people a "junk food". People are not a junk, it is politics are real junk.

    Raven
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A few nights ago my crush was acting sweet and flirty to me, and then he started ignoring me.. I just found out last night he and a close friend of mine started dating...That hurt a lot..so I can relate to 'Almost a Miracle"

    Aria
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These are all so beautiful and so incredibly sad. I have to applaud you on these. I don't easily cry, but these got me really close to tears. Well done!

    Pandana
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like the flower one. Whenever guys give me chocolate and roses, I'm just like "Where is the originality?" If a guy wants me (note I am not into dating at the moment) he's gotta get me a lotus flower and some sour gummy worms. He could just ask my sis.

    your_lesbian_friend
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    dont mind me crying over here... not all of them were 10/10 awesome though :/

    Ladislav Pollo
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is pure cringe... cheap attack on emotions and I dont like it.

    Jason M
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In asian culture, they often draw sleeping people with an inflating/deflating snot bubble. It's our equivalent of "ZZZZZ".

    Load More Replies...
    Erphiera
    Community Member
    4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These 4 stories made me contemplate. Dog & soldier tell sometimes give up all we got for the most top priority one. But the vending machine tell we use our time to got the priority but when we achive that we forgot to apreciate that. My precious remind us, family is the most precious one as we got older. Mr santa, well .... Sometimes the poor doesnt know santa

    Linn Kim
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Politics eat people, but people are not a junk food, as they say in this comic. It is politics who are real junk

    Midnight
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Loved these! Amazing artwork even if some hit me right in the feels.

    Shadowpuppy_123
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These are depressing 😩😭😭 but some of them didn’t make a lot of sense

    Arenite
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Twisted and weird. Not interesting at all.

    Peter Dylan
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah some were too long and I feel like captions or dialogue would help to convey the story.

    Load More Replies...
    K. LNU
    Community Member
    4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Okay: I liked the art of these, but the dog/solider, and the dog and little girl got to me (darn onion cutting ninjas). those two were the best in my opinion. :)

    Colin Leetham
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Morally ambiguous and emotionally charged... I think the artist is looking to be controversial.

    Kjorn
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    the little girl with cancer ( i presume) it hits hard!

    Randall Thomas
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The dog and the little girl destroyed me also the criminal whose mother inspired him to become a doctor.

    S.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, I'll try my best to explain most, if not all, of these images for those who didn't understand; i. DOG & SOLDIER: We can see that the first soldier left his dog during the war the first time, and had it killed the second time while trying to battle his enemies. A cruelly tough choice. I feel that in the last panel, it's actually a flashback to when he was a little boy and was friends with the young pup; simple, yet happy times.happy ii. VENDING MACHINE: I don't get this one, although I think it's trying to say that he should stop and appreciate what he has? iii. GIRL & PUPPY: Girl finds puppy, takes care of it, but while playing, she faints. I think she has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and thus, she dies. Years later, the dog dies as well, along with the toy the girl had given it, and hopefully, they have reunited in the afterlife. iv. SUNFLOWER & MATCH STICK: sunflowers always look at the sun, so the match stick burns itself to get its attention. (1/?)

    S.
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    xii. GODZILLA FAM: Monsters no longer have to ruin our world, because we humans are doing it already! :) xiii. JUNK FOOD: Corrupted politics hamper our common people, planet Earth, animals, and economy. xiv. COLOURS: The damages we do to our planet leaves a generation - long affect. xv. SANTA: While a couple argues in a poor household, a child looks out the window, hoping that Santa Claus would help them. xvi. FLOWERS: Guy tries to give roses — the ones he had grown — to a girl he likes, gets disappointed when another guy shows up with sunflowers. Then he realises, while scrolling through the girl's social media, that the flowers were meant for her younger sister who was terminally ill and had a fondness for flowers. (4/5)

    Load More Replies...
    Ash Thompson
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ohhh yeah XD the dog is running away with old him. you are so right. i thought it was weird that they had a rando kid on the battle field. kudus!

    Load More Replies...
    Jacey Lynn
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These were beautiful. I almost cried with some of them! They’re amazing! I wish I could make comics like these! I love them 😍

    Pandana
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The dog one made me cry. So much. The one where the girl died.

    John Louis
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The art is not bad. The stories are somewhat predictable, but I see these comics as a cure if you're feeling happy or optimistic.

    Linn Kim
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Politics eat people, but it's not right to call people a "junk food". People are not a junk, it is politics are real junk.

    Raven
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A few nights ago my crush was acting sweet and flirty to me, and then he started ignoring me.. I just found out last night he and a close friend of mine started dating...That hurt a lot..so I can relate to 'Almost a Miracle"

    Aria
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These are all so beautiful and so incredibly sad. I have to applaud you on these. I don't easily cry, but these got me really close to tears. Well done!

    Pandana
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like the flower one. Whenever guys give me chocolate and roses, I'm just like "Where is the originality?" If a guy wants me (note I am not into dating at the moment) he's gotta get me a lotus flower and some sour gummy worms. He could just ask my sis.

    your_lesbian_friend
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    dont mind me crying over here... not all of them were 10/10 awesome though :/

    Ladislav Pollo
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is pure cringe... cheap attack on emotions and I dont like it.

    Jason M
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In asian culture, they often draw sleeping people with an inflating/deflating snot bubble. It's our equivalent of "ZZZZZ".

    Load More Replies...
    Erphiera
    Community Member
    4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These 4 stories made me contemplate. Dog & soldier tell sometimes give up all we got for the most top priority one. But the vending machine tell we use our time to got the priority but when we achive that we forgot to apreciate that. My precious remind us, family is the most precious one as we got older. Mr santa, well .... Sometimes the poor doesnt know santa

    Linn Kim
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Politics eat people, but people are not a junk food, as they say in this comic. It is politics who are real junk

    Midnight
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Loved these! Amazing artwork even if some hit me right in the feels.

    Shadowpuppy_123
    Community Member
    4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These are depressing 😩😭😭 but some of them didn’t make a lot of sense

    Arenite
    Community Member
    4 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Twisted and weird. Not interesting at all.

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