"From a very young age, I had fun either copying cartoons or comics, but also creating my own stories (very poorly drawn, but I think they were funny)," Karlo Ferdon, who now works as a full-time graphic designer, told Bored Panda. Since childhood, when he discovered the world of comics, he was inspired by many artists such as Themo Lobos, Eduardo de la Barra, and Fernando Krahn.
"Some years ago, I was invited to participate in alternative Batman comics. There, I made parodies of the character and I liked it a lot. So I continued down that path doing parodies of the classic superheroes," Ferdon explained how his superheroes series began. Now, he covers various iconic characters across comic universes and often makes them meet in a single story.
"The idea is to look for the funny side. Generally, they take superpowers very seriously and that makes it easier."
Ferdon pointed out that creating comics without words is an essential aspect of his comics that makes him stand out: "I like how simple and direct humor is in the cartoon world."
"Humor without words is not always understood, but when you connect with the reader, it is great. That complicity with the reader is fantastic and rewarding... All that motivates me to keep drawing even though art is a difficult road."
We asked Ferdon if he's an avid fan of superheroes himself, to which he said: "Only the classics: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and Hulk, because they were one of the few comic magazines that came to Chile when I was a child. And although I like superheroes, I also like humorous comics, hence the mix, I think."
His favorite character to illustrate is Batman: "He takes everything very seriously, then the cartoons come out funnier."
Ferdon's biggest achievement as a cartoonist is having published 10 books, which makes his artwork more accessible to people of various backgrounds and ages. The most rewarding part of drawing comics to him is "the power of making people laugh."
To wrap it up, Ferdon had a bit of advice for artists who are thinking of sharing their work with the world that helped him get recognition, 65k followers on Twitter, and 15.4k followers on Instagram: "I would advise them to be constant, persevere, and not to be discouraged if they're criticized on social networks. It is part of exposing your work. If you believe in yourself, keep going."
