Delightfully dark webcomics for my fellow weirdos

My love of delightful, dark-humored comics stems from my early obsession with The Far Side comics, written by the remarkable Gary Larson (find his comics here). These single-panel cartoons were witty, poignant, and above all else, pushed the limits of what was allowed to print in the daily newspaper. I thought they were hilarious, and I actually used to own a collection of the comics that included copies of angry letters that Larson would receive from disgruntled newspaper patrons.

Reading Gary Larson's weird, radical and morbid comics felt like its own act of rebellion. That humor was not always prim and polished (or printable) subject matter but something that could add a few giggles to a few taboo subjects. So after society moved away from print comics and towards smartphone accessible webcomics, I still found myself searching for cartoonists that had the same witty, twisted sense of humor that I had grown up on. Turns out, there are many delightfully dark webcomic artists out there, and I'm so excited to share some of my favorites with you.

Disclaimer, in terms of dark humor, there are much much darker comics out in the wild plains of the internet. However, I chose 5 webcomic artists who are delightfully dark. In my opinion, all of these artists have great senses of humor, and they aren't dark or gory just for the added shock value. Nothing against those darker comics, but I can't just sit here and call them delightful. You understand, right?

So without further ado, here are five delightfully dark webcomic artists.

Content Warning - These comic artists may depict death or other themes that some individuals may find unsettling.

1. Extra Fabulous Comics

Instagram: @extrafabulous_comics

This comic series is a bit unhinged, but that's part of why it's one of my favorites. The humor is dark sometimes yes, but also unrelentingly silly. A comic of Romeo and Juliet as butts sits just a few comics over from a comic where a dead cat is the punchline. The creator, Zach, always manages to supersede my expectations by inventing the most bizarre joke concepts (and then pulling them off)! Just see it for yourself, below.

2. War and Peas

Instagram: @war.and.peas

War and Peas is created by comic duo Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz. The result is a twisty, sometimes even raunchy collection of comics that often features ghosts, witches, nuns, and nature. I love the subtle environmentalist and feminist undertones of this comic, as well as its ability to deliver an excellent punchline.

3. Safely Endangered

Instagram: @Safely_endangered

Safely Endangered is a bit of a variety pack, with some wholesome comics, some dark comics, and some just plain silly comics. But overall, this really is a fun comic to read through. I especially recommend the Safely Endangered comics to cultured beings of the nerd variety. Although not highlighted below, many of the Safely Endangered comics make solid pop-culture references to Pokemon, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and other fan favorites.

4. Mr. Lovenstein

Instagram: @MrLovenstein

Mr. Lovenstein sprung out of the early 2010s era of online comics and humor websites (which also included the wonderful minds behind The Oatmeal, and Hyperbole and a Half). Although I believe the tone of the comics has mellowed out over the years to be a bit less dark, the Mr. Lovenstein comics continue to make me chuckle, even today with its painfully relatable jokes that hit those social anxiety fears *just right.*

5. Garfield minus Garfield

Instagram: @GarfieldMinusGarfield

Garfield minus Garfield is just that - The classic Jim Davis cartoon strip, minus the titular fat orange cat. I think the website's description says it best:

"Garfield Minus Garfield is a site dedicated to removing Garfield from the Garfield comic strips in order to reveal the existential angst of a certain young Mr. Jon Arbuckle. It is a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb."

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. If you liked this article, check out the other articles in my mini webcomics series:

• Wholesome webcomics that are almost as good as therapy
• Sweet and silly slice of life webcomics
• Webcomics to make you laugh and make your mother blush
• Animal Webcomics that don't bite
• Universally Likable Webcomics
• 21 Preposterous Pokemon Webcomics

And please, let me know if you would like to see more webcomic features. You can leave a heart to let me know you like this series, or you can let me know on Instagram or on Twitter! Also, feel free to share any comic recommendations (any genre - I love them all)!

The Complete Collection