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When speaking about Dan Piraro, chances are, one way or another, you've probably seen his single-panel comics before because they are featured in over 360 newspapers worldwide and are widely shared online.

The artist has been featured on Bored Panda four times already, and it seems like this post won’t be the end of it either given that the artist posts a comic a day almost without any breaks! If you’d love to see more of Dan’s work, then make sure to check it out by clicking here, here, here, and here.

More info: bizarro.com | Instagram

#1

New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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Amy Lee
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have always been baffled by Americans being racist about immigrants.

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Bored Panda reached out to Dan with some more questions! First, we asked the artist if he has any upcoming series of works we should be looking forward to.

"I've written a long graphic novel called Peyote Cowboy and am currently posting it online as I illustrate it. It is free to read at PeyoteCowboy.net. It is a story in the style of magical realism and is set in a fictional place in the American Old West, somewhere near the border of the U.S. and Mexico. The story came to me in what I'd call mystical flashes over a period of a year. I did not set out to write or illustrate a graphic novel, but the story began coming to me and I became so hooked in that I followed the inspiration, completed the story, and began drawing it. When it is finished, I will likely publish it as a book or series of books."

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We also wanted to know if the artist had a comic he was proud of, and we thought it was only fair if he'd share his thoughts with us!

"I've published seven cartoons per week since 1985, so there are over 13,600. That makes it very hard to choose a favorite. One that springs to mind is the scene of a figure drawing class in an art school or university. On a pedestal in front of the class is a nude, middle-aged man sitting casually on a chair. The class is full of middle-aged women, all of whom are busy knitting sweaters, rather than drawing on easels. The caption across the bottom says, "FIGURE KNITTING CLASS."

#5

New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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ThatOtherPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the hidden things in these comics, aliens, fish tails, birds! It makes it so much better!

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Artists go through a few art phases trying to find the art style they could call their own, however, it seems like Dan is pretty settled in that area, however, that doesn't mean the artist wouldn't like to try something new.

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"Sounds old-fashioned, but I've always wanted to try sculpting in stone. I've tried just about everything else."

Starting out with comics (or art in general) isn't easy, so we asked the artist if he had any tips to share.

"My advice to anyone is to feed their creative urge. If you are inspired to write and draw comics, do it! Creativity is the language of God and nothing feels better than bringing something new into existence. If a person wonders how to make a living from drawing cartoons, or how to build a following doing so, the best resource for that is online. Just ask your favorite search engine, "How do I make money drawing cartoons?" I recommend this because the business (and the world!) has changed so much since I began that I have no idea how it works anymore. The old paradigm is gone!"

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When it comes to people having opinions on his comics, here's what the artist thinks, "I try to make cartoons that make people chuckle, think, or question. All of those responses are appropriate and I hope that each person gets something a little different from each cartoon."

Most artists usually create art in order to accomplish something, therefore we were wondering if Dan felt the same.

"When I got into cartooning, all I was trying to accomplish was to make a living. After 30+ years of it, I have been amazed and greatly gratified by how many people have told me that I'd improved their lives, helped them through tough times via laughter, etc. It is undeniably true that we each change the world with everything we do, and I am happy that my work has seemed to improve small parts of the world in small ways."

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Dan has been in the comic scene for quite some time now so we were curious whether he had any comments from his followers that particularly stood out, "A woman once told me that she shared my comics with her father each morning in the newspaper comics section while she was growing up. As an adult, as her father lay on his deathbed, they shared some of their favorites once again and shared some laughs before he passed. That one note touched me more than probably anything else in my career."

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Ruben Staal
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plot twist he uses other pencils for their erasers to cover for his own mistake

TexMex
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Replaced by an inexperienced younger, cheaper pencil...

Artsy Bookworm
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait I just realised that this is the guy who hides stuff in every comic. The eyeball, alien, pie, dynamite etc.

Sheila Finch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A classic! Poor old almost-ready-to retire -with-a-nice pension pencil... gotta let it go before THAT happens! 🫤

Andrei Ventura
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what's with all the eyeballs, aliens and dynamites around lying everywhere? Don't get me wrong it doesn't bother me just interested by this.

BeepBeepBoopBoop
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

he hides things in his comics, the number indicated by the number above his signature. here's a list! https://www.bizarro.com/secret-symbols

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Lawrence mcalistar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not that he doesn't make mistakes it's that he makes them disappear

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Lastly, given how popular the artist's comics are we asked him how all of this had impacted his life.

"Since I was a small child, my entire self-image has been that of an artist. I have always instinctively known it was what I was created to do, and I have followed that calling to the best of my abilities. Making art has been nothing short of the reason for my existence, and I am in profound gratitude for that."

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New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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mulk
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like this story?: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pregnant-texas-woman-says-unborn-baby-count-car-passenger-receiving-ho-rcna37531

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#17

New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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Penny Tent (she/her)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So wait, it’s two sentient faces on a outlet, did the top one ask if the bottom one was okay with it?

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New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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The Scout
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anyone else thinking of Douglas Adams' "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"? ..."He's spending a year dead for tax reasons."

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Max Fox
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since there are so many Magritte jokes here, this song is appropriate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0KUQoKfz20

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New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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MarcyParlomerNerdGirlsRock
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ohhhh yeaaah isn’t Sisyphus the guy in Greek myths who tricked the gods and tied up Death and chucked Death under his bed? And died and came back two times and when he actually DID die Hades made him roll this heck of a rock up a hill forever?

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New Funny Single Panel Comics By Dan Piraro

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MarcyParlomerNerdGirlsRock
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heeeeeyyy… I just noticed that there’s a tiny alien on an UFO, an eyeball and a firecracker in each one of those

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Show thyself
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a tricky one. 3 hidden extras - took a while to find all three

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