What Happens When the Grim Reaper Oversleeps? Inside the Darkly Funny World of 'StrangeTrek' Comics

Ever wonder what Jason Voorhees does on Thursday the 12th? Or what happens when the Grim Reaper sleeps in and misses an appointment? An online comic is gaining a cult following for answering these absurd questions with a dose of dark humor. It's called StrangeTrek, the creation of Austin-based artist Roby Poche.

A Product of the Pandemic

StrangeTrek was born amidst the global chaos of July 2020. With the world in lockdown, Poche found himself with enough time to experiment creatively. He posted his first comic strip on Instagram, hoping to make people smile. "Drawing comics was always something I wanted to try," Poche told Bored Panda. "Covid really left me with plenty of time to try it out."

The series began with black-and-white strips featuring spooky characters like skeletons, zombies, and the Grim Reaper. Over time, Poche introduced color and a wider range of subjects, drawing heavily from pop culture. Characters from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter now find themselves in hilariously unexpected and relatable situations.

The Secret Sauce: Subverting the Familiar

The charm of StrangeTrek lies in its ability to create an odd sense of relatability by placing beloved characters in mundane contexts. "Pop culture is a big part of my life. I genuinely love things like Star Wars... so drawing comics of these is a lot of fun for me," Poche said. "It also makes my comics a little more relatable to people with the same interests."

This unique blend of nostalgia and dark comedy has built a dedicated fanbase on platforms like Instagram and Reddit, with his following now approaching 5,000 users. The comic's style has also evolved, moving from simple illustrations designed to emphasize the humor to more visually complex and colorful panels.