Bored Panda reached out to Domien to ask a few questions about him and his comics, to which he kindly responded.
Domien is a funny guy, so we wanted to know how he strikes a balance between humor and delivering more serious messages. He shared: “I try to do both, but I consider myself a cartoonist first and an activist second. Meaning, I want to spread a message but also want the cartoons to be good and funny. It's not an angry, protest page but a positive one.”
Though Domien wrote that he is a cartoonist first, we do love that he is not afraid to spread and highlight important issues such as gender stereotypes, toxic masculinity, feminine issues, modern dating, social media, and many more.
We asked Domien to elaborate on the role of humor in conveying important messages to a wide audience and fighting against censorship. He shared: “I think using humor and bright colors (mostly pink and blue) are interesting weapons to cover a message. I always try to make my comics short and easy to understand so people get the message immediately when they see it. Because it's fast and easy, people hit the 'like' button more easily, so the message gets spread to a wider audience.”
Coming back to more current events, we asked if there are any that inspired Domien’s recent satirical illustrations. He answered: “I think as an illustrator, you can't ignore AI and what it's doing to our society. I'm both super thrilled about the possibilities but also scared of the impact on our society. It's an interesting subject to make jokes about because everyone is talking about it and has a strong opinion about it.”
We were also wondering how Domien navigates the potential challenges or controversies that may arise from addressing sensitive or taboo subjects through his art. He replied: “I try not to think too much about consequences. Mostly I just spread my own view and opinion about certain subjects, and I don't really care if other people agree. However, reading reactions from others on topics like feminism, gay and trans rights encourages me to keep fighting harder, as they show there is still a long way to go.”
And lastly, he added: “Be kind to everyone, floss, never wear socks in your sandals, and use sunscreen when going out during summer.”
