Dark humor cartoons don’t get much bolder or funnier than the legendary work of Martin Perscheid. In this cartoon review, we showcase ten of his most twisted and clever single-panel gags that blend absurdity with brutally honest humor.
Martin Perscheid (1966–2021) was a German cartoonist known for his razor-sharp wit and thousands of single-panel gags in his long-running series Perscheids Abgründe (“Perscheid’s Abysses”). With bald, bug-eyed characters and minimalist drawing style, he carved out a unique space in the world of dark humor cartoons. His themes ranged from religion and relationships to death, politics, and the awkward realities of everyday life.
Perscheid’s brilliance lay in taking the ordinary and turning it into something deliciously uncomfortable. His comics often end in a punchline that shocks, surprises, or leaves you wondering whether to laugh or wince—or both. He earned wide acclaim in Germany and across Europe, with his work regularly featured in major newspapers and humor magazines. Even after his passing, his cartoons continue to delight fans who crave humor that’s just a little wrong in all the right ways.
Ready for Some Twisted Laughs?
#1 Driving Test From Hell
A blindfolded man clutches the wheel while a stunned instructor looks on. This cartoon needs zero setup—the caption says it all: “I failed my driving test before I even started the car.” A brilliant send-up of overconfidence, obliviousness, and possibly, government licensing standards. Classic Perscheid chaos.
#2 Just Married… to a Can Hoarder
On what should be her magical day, a bride watches in horror as her new husband celebrates a prized find: a can of lentil stew from 1989. The look on her face? Pure buyer’s remorse. A hilariously disturbing take on what “shared interests” really mean in a relationship.
#3 Toilet Art Critic
A janitor stands in front of a filth-covered toilet and muses that Bohlen has now taken up art. It’s a gross but dead-on critique of both modern art and bathroom behavior, with Perscheid’s signature deadpan delivery turning disgust into dark laughter.
#4 Attack of the Drones
At dinner, a man casually sprays a can labeled “Anti-Drone” at mini surveillance drones buzzing around the table. “This plague gets worse every year!” he complains. This cartoon masterfully mocks our growing tech paranoia—because what’s more relatable than wishing you could swat a drone like a mosquito?
#5 Brexit: The Marmalade Apocalypse
A man collapses to his knees in despair in front of a nearly empty grocery shelf. Why? The bitter orange marmalade is more expensive now. Perscheid perfectly captures the first-world tragedies of political fallout with absurd flair. Marmalade never felt so dramatic.
#6 The Inquisition Hates Monty Python
Two people watching Life of Brian on Good Friday are suddenly interrupted by the Spanish Inquisition. “How dare you heretics…” one inquisitor screams, while the viewer calmly replies, “Wasn’t exactly expecting the Spanish Inquisition.” Monty Python meets medieval menace in one hilariously blasphemous gag.
#7 The Vomit Test at Top Model Camp
A fashion coach praises a gaunt model’s performance, then requests to see her breakfast. Cut to the floor, where the “evidence” lies. It’s a painfully sharp jab at toxic beauty culture, cloaked in the perfect blend of sarcasm and discomfort.
#8 Love and Germs Go Hand in Hand
As a couple walks hand-in-hand, the woman says, “Happiness is the only thing that doubles when you share it.” The man deadpans, “And bacteria.” A romantic moment swiftly undercut with microbial truth—Perscheid’s style in its purest form.
#9 Naming Babies Like Metal Bands
A woman beams as she reads out loud, “Detlef and Monika signed with ‘Demon’!” Her partner smiles in approval: “That’s a lovely idea, Denise!” Perscheid pokes fun at bizarre baby name trends and social cluelessness with eerie accuracy.
#10 Bathroom Toolbars—Tech Support Gone Wrong
In the bathroom, a plumber tells the homeowner he installed an “extra toolbar, free of charge.” Above the toilet, literal tools hang like a browser menu. It’s a perfect metaphor for unwanted software add-ons—and terrible handyman logic.
#11 The Trampoline Trouble
This cartoon takes indoor misadventure to new heights—literally. A man looking to sell his trampoline is questioned by a curious buyer, all while the ceiling above is riddled with head-sized holes. It’s the kind of visual gag that speaks louder than words: repeated concussions have likely forced this decision. The best part? Both characters remain hilariously unfazed. It’s classic Perscheid—deadpan faces, ridiculous scenarios, and subtle social commentary wrapped in absurd domestic disaster.
#12 The Musical Fork Faux Pas
Only in a world as bizarre as this one could someone use a tuning fork to spear a sausage. Set in a Philharmonic cafeteria, this cartoon blends classical music with culinary chaos. The man’s blank expression and his friend’s casual accusation add a delightful absurdity to the scene. The humor lies in the dead-serious delivery of a completely insane situation, making it a pitch-perfect example of Perscheid’s gift for turning highbrow culture into low-key ridiculousness.
#13 Diagnosed with Drama
In a brilliant mockery of dietary trends and hypersensitive eaters, this cartoon delivers a hysterical punch. One diner dramatically refuses a bowl of soup, claiming his doctor diagnosed him with “food hysteria.” The woman ladling the soup stares at him like he’s completely lost it—which he has. This strip pokes fun at the ever-expanding world of dietary restrictions, turning it into theater. It’s one of those dark humor cartoons that manages to be both timely and timeless.
#14 Comfort of the Crypt
If you ever wanted to ruin a mattress commercial, just toss in the phrase “tub full of maggots.” This cartoon does exactly that, as a salesman pitches the mattress’s softness with a disturbingly morbid metaphor. The customer, lying still like a corpse, only adds to the weird morgue-like atmosphere. It’s hilariously grotesque—dark humor at its finest, where horror and hospitality meet awkwardly in the bedding aisle. Sleep tight… or not.
#15 Carbon Emission Control Gone Too Far
Farting has gone green—or rather, forbidden. In this wildly exaggerated eco-future, a woman consults a CO₂ calculator before informing her bloated husband that he’s maxed out on flatulence for the day. The absurdity hits its peak as he’s launched skyward by a forbidden toot, shattering a chair in the process. The cartoon brilliantly satirizes climate-conscious overreach, where even bodily functions are regulated. Equal parts funny and dystopian, it’s an environmental message wrapped in flatulent absurdity.
#16 The Problem With Yannik
Here we have modern parenting in full denial. As a violent child aggressively stabs a seated adult with a kitchen knife, his parents calmly debate whether his behavior stems from a birth trauma or gluten-lactose intolerance. The complete absurdity of ignoring the actual problem while clinging to trendy diagnoses makes this cartoon painfully hilarious. It skewers contemporary over-psychoanalysis with a touch of chaos, proving once again that sometimes, the real issue is right in front of you—wielding a blade.
#17 Clone Confusion at the Cafeteria
At a long table of nearly identical bald men with glasses, a server whispers to a colleague, “I’m not a racist or anything, but they all look the same!” This cartoon plays on the awkwardness of social assumptions and visual stereotypes, flipping the joke on its head. The identical outfits and expressions create a comically creepy clone army, while the punchline pokes at misguided attempts to be politically correct. It’s uncomfortably funny—just the way dark humor cartoons should be.
#18 The Vegetarian Desert
A diner raises his hand to leave a vegetarian restaurant—his plate comically bare. “Check, please!” he exclaims, as the caption reveals it’s Vegetarian Week at Chez Poloczek. This cartoon is a sly dig at haute vegetarian cuisine that leaves you spiritually fulfilled—but physically starving. The humor comes not just from the emptiness of the plate, but the man’s polite, almost resigned despair. Perfect for anyone who’s ever suffered through a garnish masquerading as a main course.
#19 Blank Page Privilege
This cartoon hits writers and creatives right in the feels. A man stares blankly at an empty page, clearly deep in a spiral of self-doubt. Enter the chipper woman with a mug of coffee, delivering the world’s most tone-deaf pep talk: “Some people don’t even have a blank sheet of paper!” The mismatch of existential dread and faux-positivity creates an ironically wholesome, yet biting scene. It’s a painfully relatable jab at toxic optimism wrapped in polite encouragement.
#20 Sea Squirt Shenanigans
A diver, fully suited with an air tank and flippers, casually asks a fisherman if the water contains sea squirts. Meanwhile, his bare butt is hilariously exposed below his wetsuit. This absurd aquatic exchange is what happens when nerdy marine biology meets public indecency. The fisherman seems unfazed, which makes it even funnier. The cartoon works by pairing serious curiosity with ridiculous visuals—classic Perscheid, who proves once again that the strangest comedy often floats just below the surface.
Final Thoughts on These Dark Humor Cartoons
Martin Perscheid’s cartoons are a masterclass in dark humor. With just one panel and a punchline, he manages to turn everyday absurdities into twisted laugh-out-loud moments. Whether he’s mocking love, tech, or bodily functions, his work stays smart, simple, and unapologetically bold. You can explore more of his work at martin-perscheid.de or follow him on Facebook
Credit to the late Martin Perscheid for leaving behind a legacy of laughs with a bite. For more fantastic dark humor cartoons and similar satire, be sure to visit Boredcomics.com.
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