Make Your Own Cyanide And Happiness Character

Alright, gather 'round, folks. Today, we're diving into the delightfully dark and twisted world of Cyanide and Happiness, the webcomic that's been tickling our funny bones since 2005. Now, you might be thinking, "How on Earth can I create my own C&H character? I'm not a comic artist, I can't even draw a straight line!" Well, fear not, my friend. We're going to take this step by step, like a Sunday afternoon stroll through the park. By the end of this, you'll be creating characters that'll make even the most stoic of faces crack a smile.

First Things First: The C&H Universe

Imagine the C&H universe as a giant, twisted playground. It's like that old playground you used to go to as a kid, you know, the one with the rusty merry-go-round and the slide that always seemed a bit too steep. It's filled with weirdos, misfits, and creatures that defy the laws of nature. There are talking animals, sentient objects, and even a few humans. The key here is, there are no rules. Well, except for one: everything has to be hilariously dark. It's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get, but you know it's gonna be sweet and slightly disturbing.

Your Character: The New Kid on the Block

Now, picture this. You're the new kid in this playground. You can be anything you want. A sentient toaster? Sure! A talking potato? Why not! The possibilities are as endless as the jokes are inappropriate. The first step is to decide what your character is. Are they a human? An animal? An inanimate object with a mind of its own? The sky's the limit, folks. Just remember, the weirder, the better.

Once you've decided what your character is, it's time to give them a name. Now, C&H characters have a knack for having names that are either incredibly simple or ridiculously complex. Take Tord, for example. Simple, right? Or how about Dr. Whom? Yeah, that's a mouthful. The key here is to have fun with it. Make it something that'll make people laugh or raise an eyebrow.

Now, Let's Get Physical

Alright, so you've got your character's species and name down. Great! Now it's time to give them a face. Now, I know what you're thinking. "But I can't draw!" Well, neither can I, and look at me, writing this article! The beauty of C&H is that it's all about the expression, not the technical skill. You don't need to draw like a professional artist. You just need to capture the essence of your character.

Let's take the character of The Bear, for example. He's just a simple drawing of a bear, but his expressions can range from hilariously confused to downright terrifying. The key here is to keep it simple. Use basic shapes and lines to create your character. You can always add more details later. The important thing is to get the basic structure down.

Express Yourself

Now that you've got the basic structure down, it's time to give your character some personality. This is where the real fun begins. You see, C&H characters are all about the expressions. They can be happy, sad, angry, or confused, but they're always expressive. So, don't be afraid to go big with your expressions. Make your character's eyes wide with surprise. Make their mouth stretch into a huge grin. The more exaggerated, the better.

Remember, your character's expressions should reflect their personality. Are they always happy and cheerful? Then give them a big, toothy grin. Are they grumpy and sarcastic? Then give them a scowl that could make a lemon pucker. The key here is to make your character's expressions consistent with their personality.

Time to Talk: Your Character's Voice

Alright, so you've got your character's species, name, and appearance down. Great! Now it's time to give them a voice. This is where you get to have some real fun. C&H characters have a unique way of speaking. They're often sarcastic, sometimes rude, and always hilarious. So, how do you capture that?

Well, first, you need to understand your character's personality. Are they the sarcastic type? Then they'll probably have a lot of snarky comments. Are they the sweet, innocent type? Then they'll probably have a more naive way of speaking. The key here is to make your character's voice consistent with their personality.

Cyanide and Happiness shapes by exa3nae on DeviantArt

Now, let's talk about the language itself. C&H characters often use a lot of exaggerated language. They'll say things like "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!" or "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" The key here is to make the language big and bold, just like the characters themselves.

Dialogue: The Art of the Joke

Alright, so you've got your character's voice down. Now it's time to put it to use. This is where you get to write some hilariously dark jokes. Remember, the key to a good C&H joke is that it's unexpected. It should catch you off guard and make you laugh. So, how do you write a joke like that?

Well, first, you need to understand the setup. A good joke always has a setup and a punchline. The setup is the situation that leads up to the joke. The punchline is the funny part that makes you laugh. In a C&H joke, the setup is often something mundane or everyday. It could be a character eating breakfast, or walking down the street. Then, something unexpected happens, and that's the punchline.

For example, in one comic, a character is eating breakfast and says, "I love pancakes. They're like tiny, delicious hats for my mouth." That's the setup. Then, another character comes in and says, "You know, they're actually made from ground-up baby heads." That's the punchline. It's unexpected, it's dark, and it's hilarious.

Putting It All Together

Alright, so you've got your character's species, name, appearance, voice, and jokes down. Great! Now it's time to put it all together. This is where you get to create your own C&H comic strip. It could be a single panel joke, or a multi-panel story. The choice is yours.

Remember, the key to a good C&H comic is that it's funny. It could be funny because of the joke, or it could be funny because of the situation. It could be funny because of the expression on your character's face. The important thing is that it makes people laugh.

So, go ahead, give it a try. Create your own C&H character. Make them weird, make them funny, make them you. And who knows? You might just create the next big thing in the C&H universe. After all, everyone's got to start somewhere, right?

And there you have it, folks. That's how you create your own Cyanide and Happiness character. It's not as hard as you thought, is it? So, go on, get out there, and make something hilariously dark. The world's waiting for your twisted creation.