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InspirationIllustration

Hilarious and ennui-packed illustrations and comics from Stephen Maurice Graham

I stumbled across the illustrator Stephen Maurice Graham thanks to a Twitter conversation about everyone's favourite blonde gay American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and from a good old root around his portfolio I was very glad I did.

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Red-haired figures with exaggerated expressions crowd a pink corridor, one crawling on the floor covered in papers, others standing or posing awkwardly against blue doors

His illustrations often take a wry and bleak view of what can be a rather bleak time we’re living in, rendered in bright colours and comic book humour that show the power of a single image to capture an international sense of ennui and "WTF". The targets of his illustrated wrath seem to include hapless grocery workers, the year 2016, political "baddies", and craft ale bores.

The Belfast-based illustrator's client list includes The Washington Post, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Vice, for which he's created a comic series "about an anime obsessed introvert called Michael".

On top of that, he somehow manages to find the time to create a tonne of personal projects, including some strange and charming gifs featuring measles-spattered girls, cats working on premium number chat-lines and a man with a very visible arse crack stuck in a wall.

Woman with orange hair in white shirt sitting at desk with computer, surrounded by office supplies and plants in colourful comic book style illustration
V&A poster

V&A poster

An older man with blonde hair and glasses stands on a beach wearing swimming briefs and a pink backpack, with a black dog sitting beside him and a colourful beach ball at his feet
Shocked face with wide blue eyes and open mouth, hands raised to cheeks showing blue nail polish, with "2016" displayed on the hands
Four beer-themed illustration labels featuring yellow and black designs with humorous text about craft ale, Guinness and hops
Cartoon illustration of a grinning grocery clerk holding fresh baguettes, with "Grocery Clerk with Half an Eyelid" text in green surrounding his head
Michael comic, for Vice

Michael comic, for Vice

Michael comic, for Vice

Michael comic, for Vice

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