We asked the artist behind De Wacky Pianist to sum up their work in three words—and their answer was as quirky and fun as the comics themselves: “Weird, chaotic, and funny. They are intentionally created to make my readers feel strange and have a laugh. My initial intention was to evoke feelings of something bizarre or disgusting, but in a humorous way. I believe some of my comics have been reposted on the subreddit ‘thanks, I hate it’ and are featured on YouTube under the same subreddit name, such as Emkay. However, as time went by, my comics evolved to not only be weird and funny but also chaotic. I also create horror and wholesome themes whenever I feel inclined to do so.
In my newer comics, the weirdness and absurdity are still present, but this time, they’re chaotic, and you either have little to no idea where the comic is headed. Currently, I’m aiming to create a longer, adventurous, and chaotic type of comic, but it takes a lot of time.”
Like many great creative journeys, this one began during the pandemic—sparked by a moment of nostalgia and a little encouragement from family. Here’s what the creator of the series told us: “During the pandemic, when the world was in lockdown, I went to stay at home with my parents since all classes were online. I needed something to ease my mind or take a break from all the studying and online classes. I was planning to join the hospital to fight against the virus in my free time. Unfortunately, since I lived with my parents, they simply wouldn’t allow it because they were afraid of the spread of infection.
One day, during one of my online classes, my little brother came into my room and grabbed one of my old childhood boxes that I had hidden in my closet. He took one of my old notebooks, which had all of my old comics in it. I used to draw comics back then before I decided to stop and forget all about it so I could focus on college. They were all terrible drawings, but my little brother found them funny. He simply said that he wished I would go back to drawing comics because they were funny.
That gave me an idea and I decided to make comics as something to do whenever I took a break from all the studies and work.”
We were curious how the author of De Wacky Pianist comes up with ideas for new strips. The artist shared that they draw inspiration from the chaos of daily life—and always keep a notebook handy for whenever creativity strikes. They explained: “It’s hard to say where exactly but any new idea for my comics would come out anywhere at any time. Maybe in my bedroom, at the mall, during my hangouts with my friends, on a date, or during a break at the hospital as a medical student. Because of this, I always bring my little notebook and pen everywhere I go so I can just jot it down whenever a new comic idea comes. Some of my comics I made are based from my real life, internet trends, memes, or just simply random.”
From cartoon classics to real-life moments, a wide range of sources help shape the offbeat humor of De Wacky Pianist.
“Some of my influences when it comes to humor or comedy are from Eddsworld, Tomska, Amazing World of Gumball, and Regular Show. I sometimes received comments from my readers pointing out how my comics are getting a vibe from these shows, which is a nice compliment for me. I love their humor, their twist and how quick, clever, and snappy they are, especially with their slapsticks. Other influences are from my real life, family, girlfriend, and friends, which help me give a new comic idea.”
Lastly, the cartoonist told us more about their personal favorite works they’ve created so far: “There are numerous comics I've created that are my favorites, especially the one I made in animated GIF format. I love incorporating animation into my comics, as it adds a flavor of comedy and emphasizes parts I want to exaggerate or highlight.
My favorite comic to create was ‘The Gas Station,’ which features Tiff and Eve from the comic ‘Tiff and Eve,’ created by Fran Sundblad. It’s supposed to showcase my character Wacky and his best friend Mark, who work at the gas station. However, I need to rewrite it to feature Tiff and Eve instead, as I want to support Fran and her GoFundMe page for her wife’s cancer treatment. I thought it would be exciting if Tiff and Eve were to battle some supernatural creatures or monsters, rather than just dealing with their daily slice of life. I asked Fran if it would be okay, and she gave me the thumbs up.
This comic includes a lot of animated GIFs and is longer than my usual comics, featuring many panels, monsters getting smashed and squished, a bit of blood, and explosions. I think it would be great if you visited the Tapas version of ‘The Gas Station,’ since I’m unable to upload any animated GIFs on Webtoon due to the restrictions. It was quite a task to create this comic because of the animated GIFs.”
