When asked about the themes he focuses on in his wordless comics, Ryan explained to Bored Panda, "In wordless comics, it's easiest to use simple themes and topics. These comics are easy to understand because you can get the message just by looking at the visuals. Simple themes and topics would include food, being hungry, being tired, Mondays, jealousy, disappointment, allergies, phones, animals, and holidays. Without words showing the nuance, some people interpret certain themes differently, so I aim for universal relatability."
Creating such visual stories involves a meticulous yet grounded process. Pagelow shared how he approaches his work: "The only thing I've come up with is to sit in a chair with a piece of paper and a pencil and sketch ideas for about an hour. If I'm lucky, out of four or five ideas, maybe one is good enough to draw for real. Writing ideas is the hardest part of making comics and requires the most thought. Drawing, inking, and coloring are very easy in comparison, and I can listen to audiobooks or podcasts while doing them since it doesn't require my full attention."
Despite the challenges, the artist finds deep motivation in the act of creation itself. He reflected on what drives him to keep going: "I mostly create Buni comics for myself since it's like a chill daily meditation. But knowing that people will see it gives me the motivation to keep going, or at least the fear that I can't mess up. Every comic feels like a challenge to create that perfect one, which rarely, if ever, happens. But the chase is what keeps me going."
For aspiring comic artists looking to find their voice, Ryan offered some timeless advice: "Just start creating comics now. Everybody has 100,000 bad drawings in them, so the quicker they get them out of the way, the better their comics will be. The same applies to writing. The more you write, the more you'll find your voice and unique style. Take risks. Be weird. Make what you actually think is funny, not what you think others will find funny."
