36 New One-Panel Comics About Funny Everyday Situations By Dave Coverly

We contacted Dave again to ask him some follow-up questions and discuss his work further. This time, we were curious to learn more about Coverly’s approach to character design. The cartoonist shared with us the considerations he takes into account when creating characters for a new cartoon: “It might sound either dumb or counterintuitive because single panel cartoons like mine (the joke-a-day variety) don’t use continuing characters like comic strips do - but character design is actually crucial for that very reason.”

Scroll down to see the new selection of cartoons we curated for you today, and to read our full interview with Dave.

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The Art Of Laughing At Life: Dave Coverly’s “Speed Bump” (32 New Pics)

The artist went on to give us a glimpse into his creative process: “Single panels create a whole new world every day so the cast of characters changes every day, but those characters have to be drawn to fit that day’s particular world and particular gag. The people and animals must have a look, and more importantly a facial/body expression, that best tells the joke. For instance, sometimes a character needs to look passive or deadpan, so they’ll either have dot eyes or glasses (even the animals), while other times the eyes need to express a reaction. Getting that wrong can spoil a joke, but getting it right can add an important element of visual humor to a verbal gag. The best cartoons are when the idea and the words (when there are some) and the drawing work together to make it humorous on all levels. Of course, I’m not always successful, but that’s the goal!

The Art Of Laughing At Life: Dave Coverly’s “Speed Bump” (32 New Pics)

Next, we wanted to discuss the idea of a “good comic” and were eager to know Dave’s opinion on common mistakes comic artists should avoid. The cartoonist kindly responded: “I know this isn’t in the spirit of the question but you’ve raised a good point that should be addressed: artists should never be afraid to make mistakes. In fact, I don’t know that mistakes exist in the creative world, and if they do, they’re personal and based on what the artist expected of themselves.” Coverly had some compelling arguments to back up his thoughts: “Art (and cartooning) isn’t math, it’s a conversation and a connection; sometimes one person’s ‘mistake’ is another person’s insight into a new perspective. If you’re happy with your comic, you should put it out there. If someone says something negative about it, the only real reply is ‘feel free to make your own art.’But to answer the question more practically, a big mistake I see artists make is to think that all you need to do is make great art and an audience will find you. You really have to put yourself out there and do a bit of promotion.”

But to answer the question more practically, a big mistake I see artists make is to think that all you need to do is make great art and an audience will find you. You really have to put yourself out there and do a bit of promotion.”

The Art Of Laughing At Life: Dave Coverly’s “Speed Bump” (32 New Pics)

The casual dog taking a break from destroying the toys, the room full of fluff and the squeakers as trophies - I loved the implication that this pup is just taking a break but he’s been pretty manic about tearing those things up just before this moment in time. It seemed to have struck a chord with dog lovers, too - this is such a common activity!”

Lastly, Coverly mentioned that these three comics are also among his favorites (1,2,3), so be sure to check them out.

The Art Of Laughing At Life: Dave Coverly’s “Speed Bump” (32 New Pics)