To learn more about comics and what makes dark twists so satisfying, Bored Panda reached out to the creators behind War and Peas, who shared their insights.
First of all, we wanted to know their thoughts on whether the comic medium is especially suited to delivering dark or shocking moments.
The creators of War and Peas wrote: “Absolutely. Comics are like the Swiss Army knife of storytelling: compact, versatile, and capable of inflicting unexpected emotional paper cuts. The juxtaposition of visuals and text can deliver a punch that prose alone might only dream of. Imagine a cute character smiling as they reveal something horrifying – it's the visual equivalent of a plot twist tap-dancing into your heart and then setting it on fire. Comics let you control the pacing, the reveal, and the gut-punch.”
As for the satisfaction factor, we asked what they hope for the reader to take away.
“A satisfying dark twist is like a well-aged cheese – it's all about the buildup and the payoff. We want readers to feel that delicious, creeping dread, like when you realize you've been humming a tune all day and suddenly recognize it as the theme from ‘Jaws.’ Readers have told us that our comics make them sometimes question their life choices and we never would have thought that our stories about bugs and witches could have such a power.
Ideally, they take away a sense of catharsis, a reminder that life is hilarious, absurd and often cruel, but hey, at least we're all in this together, right?” wrote the creators.
We were wondering if there are any common tropes or types of dark twists that the creators of War and Peas feel are overused or misunderstood in comics today.
They shared: “The ‘it was all a dream’ trope should be locked in a vault and thrown into hellfire. It's the narrative equivalent of a whoopee cushion – initially surprising, but ultimately just a bit deflating.
A dark twist should feel earned, not like a last-minute addition because the writer panicked and yelled, ‘Quick, add more angst!’”
If you think that darker themes in comics are becoming more accepted or mainstream, you are right!
The creators shared their opinion: “Darker themes in comics are definitely having a moment, and we're here for it. Comics have grown up, and with that growth comes the freedom to explore the shadowy corners of the human existence. And if it becomes more mainstream, that's fine for us. The more, the merrier. Just don't forget to balance the dark with the light, like a perfectly mixed cocktail of existential dread and slapstick humor.”
The line between ‘dark’ and ‘too far’ is a fine one. Therefore, we asked the War and Peas creators to share their definition explaining the difference.
“It's something we both talk about a lot, actually. For us, it's about intent and context. Are we being shocking for the sake of shock, or is there a point to the darkness? We've learned that pushing boundaries is good, but respecting your audience is better. It's like trying to tango with a porcupine – thrilling, but you don't want to get too close.”
Lastly, they added: “Read more comics!”
