Bored Panda reached out to Jess Rae, the creative mind behind Doodley Squat Comics, to learn more about the inspiration and quirky charm behind her beloved stick-figure series. The artist opened up about her creative process, audience reactions, and even a hilarious family anecdote she couldn’t resist sharing.
When asked to describe her comics in just three words, Jess didn’t hesitate: “Silly, colorful and at times incoherent. Which is my personality, really, so it makes sense.” That mix of playful energy and chaotic honesty is exactly what draws readers to her work—and keeps them coming back for more.
We were curious if any of her comics had unexpectedly struck a chord with readers. Jess admitted, “I never know how my audience is going to respond to any of my comics. Sometimes I’ll make something that I find hilarious and people aren’t that impressed.” But the comics that do click tend to reflect familiar moments and shared experiences. “I think it's a fun surprise for people to have a comic pop up and it's like something their partner just did or said or that they thought. I guess that’s why relatable humor is so popular.”
As for where all those hilarious ideas come from? Jess says her everyday life—and the people in it—are a goldmine of inspiration. “I'm inspired by the people around me and the things they do and say… I especially love doing this to my sister. She kissed Travis Fimmel before he was a Hollywood movie star and I made a comic about it that kept me laughing for a long time. I'm really just trying to find another opportunity to announce to the world that my sister kissed Trav Fimmel. Hahaha.”
Of course, not every idea makes it to the final panel. “Oh, heaps and heaps,” Jess admitted, when asked if she’s ever scrapped a comic that just didn’t work. “People can give me ideas that I’ll love but when I sit down to draw it into a comic it really just doesn’t fit into the medium… or maybe it’s just not that funny… maybe it’s a ‘you had to be there.’” Creative trial and error, it seems, is just part of the process.
Finally, when asked about dream collaborations, Jess had both praise and playful jabs to share. “I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with so many awesome comic artists… Bath of PooPoo, Juanita, Stew-Ped and Notquiteright Comics were all stupidly fun to collab with.” Looking ahead, she joked, “I’d probably love to collaborate with Cooper Lit Comics because I like their art style. But they are a buck-toothed old mummy who has pretty girl arms and they smell like an elephant’s butt. Kidding!!!”
