Imaginative Artist Creates Relatable Comics About Animals Trying To Make It In The Human World, And They're Brilliant

"I've always been drawing comics as a hobby ever since I could hold a pencil."

Stephanie

• Published in Comics
• April 8, 2024

Many of us discovered new hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some even uncovered new talents. For Yannis Bolman, drawing comics has been a much-loved pastime since he was a child, but the pandemic prompted him to turn it into something more.

Yannis created a comic strip called 'Birds with Pants,' which the artist says "celebrates the failing antics of animals trying to be humans." Yannis says his dream is to follow in Gary Larson's footsteps and have his comics featured in newspapers.

The talented artist also has an idea for a tear-off calendar. Although his job running a video game company is very demanding, Yannis says he has continued enjoying drawing comics.

One of Yannis's biggest inspirations is Larson's famous comic, 'The Far Side.' The artist says he has always had a fascination with single-panel comics.

During the process of creating 'Birds with Pants,' Yannis experimented with different formats, but he realized that the most compelling comics were the single-framed ones. Like any true artist, Yannis doesn't go anywhere without a pencil so that he can scribble down any ideas he may have.

However, although 'Birds with Pants' has a very analog style, it is entirely digitally made. Yannis uses an iPad to create the comics and his mobile phone to scribble down ideas on the go.

Producing the drawings digitally means Yannis is able to make them quickly. He says inspiration can strike anywhere and can come from anything, including observing people and pets. 

Yannis has received great feedback from readers so far, and he loves interacting with fans of 'Birds with Pants.' He even came up with an idea to run some stories on his Instagram where readers could add their own captions to his comics.

Keep scrolling to see some of Yannis's comics below. You can find more of his work by visiting Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit.

1. Blind dates never end well.

2. All hail the lady with the crumbs!

3. Well, that's awkward.

4. He'll grow out of it.

5. Oh dear.

6. Those darn humans and their burnouts.

7. It's a big adjustment.

8. That's usually how it goes.

9. Oh, Bob.

10. It's a mystery.

11. It's tough being a girl.

12. The perfect date.

13. An epic fail.

14. Yikes!

15. Which one came first?

16. That's a long day!

17. Table manners aren't all they're cracked up to be.

18. It's funny because it's true.

19. Who doesn't love some new music?

20. Okay, but who is it?

Yannis uses his comics to point out some of the strange and wonderful things humans say and do, but animals can also behave weirdly, so "if you put them in human context, it can become quite funny," he says. And fans of Yannis's work certainly agree.

Yannis would love to reach a bigger audience and perhaps even be featured in newspapers someday. He says he will continue to create comics as long as he enjoys drawing.

Stephanie