Ryan Pagelow, the creator of Buni Comic, shared how he focuses on simple and relatable themes for his wordless comics. Topics like food, being tired, Mondays, or even jealousy are easy for people from all over the world to understand just by looking at the visuals. He mentioned that while he used to draw comics about Buni’s crush on Buni Girl, the humor didn’t hold up over time without words to add depth. Now, he sticks to themes that can connect with a wider audience and are less likely to be misunderstood.
Ryan’s creative process is straightforward but challenging. He spends about an hour sketching ideas, knowing that only one in five might be good enough to develop into a full comic. For him, coming up with ideas is the hardest part of making comics. Drawing and coloring, on the other hand, are more relaxing, and he often listens to podcasts or audiobooks while working on them. When he’s stuck, he revisits unfinished sketches later with fresh eyes, sometimes finding better endings for his comics.
Creating Buni comics is like a daily meditation for Ryan, but it’s also driven by his audience. Knowing that people read and share his work motivates him to keep improving, even after a long day at his photography job. For Ryan, every comic is a challenge to make something better than the last. While perfection is elusive, the pursuit of it keeps him inspired to create more.
To aspiring comic artists, Ryan’s advice is simple: just start. He believes that everyone has to work through a lot of “bad” drawings before they get good, so the sooner you begin, the faster you’ll improve. The same rule applies to writing. He encourages artists to take risks, embrace weird ideas, and focus on creating what they personally find funny instead of trying to please others.
