Few cartoonists can say as much in a single panel as Jim Benton. The Ohio-born, Michigan-based artist has been drawing since before he learned to read, and decades later his method is still strikingly simple: a few lines, a handful of words and a twist the reader rarely sees coming. His editor once described the work as being about “the absurdity of existence,” a fitting summary for cartoons that find the ridiculous in laziness, awkward conversations, office life, politics and the small daily habits most of us never stop to question.
Even readers who don’t recognize Benton’s name are likely to know his creations. He is the artist behind It’s Happy Bunny, the sarcastic rabbit known for lines like “I’m not saying I’m cool. That’s your job.” The brand has sold well over $750 million at retail and won the licensing industry’s top award five times. He also writes the bestselling Dear Dumb Diary series, with more than 10 million copies sold in 15 languages, as well as the award-winning Franny K. Stein books about a young mad scientist.
For the third installment of our series, we’ve gathered some of his latest single-panel cartoons, each showing his talent for moving from the relatable to the absurd in a single frame. Scroll down to explore the collection, and let us know in the comments which cartoon made you laugh the most.
