With social media technology gaining more and more relevance, several comic book artists have shunned the traditional publishing route in favor of webcomics and online platforms. Why go through all the trouble of pitching to a company waiting to get hired and conforming to a certain set of editorial standards when you can publish your comics for free online and gain attention and feedback from the world?
Most of these comic book artists listed below started on social media, especially Instagram, and they've never looked back.
10 introvertdoodles by Marzi
Marzi's comics cover the whole spectrum of the introvert experience, with all its ups and downs. While some of them are drawn in the manner of typical four or six-panel comics, some of them are simply one-page illustrations that are lucid and thought-provoking at the same time.
Drawing from her own experience, Marzi's comics are immensely relatable, so it's not a wonder that she's such a hit online and even has a few books out.
9 instachaz by Chaz Hutton
Chaz Hutton is another artist who found fame and following on Instagram. His one-page comics, usually in the form of a graph, a chart, or a single panel, talk about millennial concerns such as productivity and procrastination in a smart and hilarious way.
In fact, its the wry humor that makes his content so engaging and refreshing to browse through. His work has been featured in a lot of places, including The New Yorker.
8 BethDrawsThings by Beth Evans
Most of us are familiar with feelings of anxiety, frustration, stress, and loneliness. But we cannot always precisely articulate them. This is where Beth Evans' brilliant comics come in. It is very easy to identify with her short and simplistic comics. Unlike other artists, she seems to rely more on text rather than images to get her point across and uses only minimal colors. She even has a few books out, along with planners and journals that feature her art.
7 The Awkward Yeti by Nick Seluk
Nick Seluk has a very unique imagination, as seen in the comics that he posts on his website and Instagram, as well as on Tapas. An ongoing webcomic, the Awkward Yeti features characters that are a heart and a brain as the reader follows them on their many relatable misadventures. Heartwarming, whimsical, and endearing, Seluk's work deserves all the attention it gets and more.
6 Deep Dark Fears by Fran Krause
All of us are afraid of something, and Fran Krause is an artist out there who gives all sorts of familiar fears a visual shape. As the name suggests, his simple comics illustrate the many different fears that define the human experience.
While some of them may seem funny or ridiculous, there is a slight dark and unsettling edge to his comics. His comics have also been collected to a New York Times bestselling book.
5 Lunarbaboon by Christopher Grady
All of us have stories to tell, but most of us cannot turn our family saga into a bestselling work of art. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Christopher Grady, whose short online comics chronicles small scenes from family life in funny and endearing ways. Told with the help of a few panels, his comics are pretty relatable, memorable, and heart-warming.
4 War and Peas by Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz
War and Peas is another fantastic online comic that has a new issue released every Sunday. Created by Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz, the short comics usually end with a dark and creepy twist.
In fact, it balances the fine line between delight and the macabre. With simple color illustrations and just four panels, each comic ends with a satisfying and unexpected twist, going on to show that you don't always need fancy special effects to tell a gripping tale. If you just go by the subtle but funny pun in the title, you'll have some idea of what to expect.
3 Poorly Drawn Lines by Reza Farazmand
Reza Farazmand was making comics right when he was in high school and he created the comic Poorly Drawn Lines while he was still in college. An on-going webcomic since 2013, some of the issues are stand-alones, while a few have a connected narrative.
Surreal, absurd and funny, best sums up Farazmand's style. Sometimes, you may spot a recurring character, like Ernesto the green bear, against a faded color scheme. The author has also published a compilation that ranked fifth in the New York Times bestseller list.
2 Cyanide & Happiness
Cyanide & Happiness is another successful comic that became popular purely with the help of social media sites. Initially started by a 16-year old Kris Wilson, the comics are also created by Rob DenBleyker and Dave McElfatrick. Another creator Matt Melvin was on board, although he left in 2014.
If surreal dark humor is your thing, then you'll find Cyanide & Happiness intensely and immediately lovable. In fact, the comic has become so popular, over five books have been released, along with an animated series called The Cyanide and Happiness Show. There's even been a card game, an app and now, a video game is also in the works.
1 Catana Comics by Catana Chetwynd
With over 2.6 million followers on Instagram alone, the immense popularity of Catana Comics is indisputable. An artist and dog mom based in New York, Catana Chetwynd draws from her own real-life experiences for her slice-of-life comic that's at once cute and wholesome.
In fact, much of it is drawn from her relationship with her boyfriend John. It wasn't her idea to post them online, but, after John shared a few clips on Reddit and they went viral, she began working on them more seriously and posting them online. If you need a break from all the dank memes and the dark humor that flood the internet, then this adorable comic that captures the small moments of romance within a relationship is sure to warm your heart.