What do Dyesebel Gas and April Boy Rihanna look like?

by Ardelle Costuna

(Facebook/ Guhitkuwentokulay)

 

Aside from cats, puns are the second best things on the internet.

Puns blow us away with their wit and they sometimes screw with our heads by making us think: “What on earth does that mean?!” They can be funny on their own, but when combined with illustrations, they’re even twice as hilarious.

From the black-and-white world of words and typefaces, Guhitkwentokulay literally gives a splash of colors to amusing puns.

Guhitkwentokamay, who prefers to be known as Don, has a natural gift for pun-making: “May katrabaho ako na ang pangalan ay Melchor, tinanong sa akin kung anong apelyido niya, sabi ko Garden. At nauso na sa opisina yung mga lumang jokes na ‘Anong apelyido ni ano?’” he recalled.

“Naisipan ko lang i-visualize. Wala lang para mas baduy.“

 

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He said that among all the puns, the “April Boy Rihanna” one is his favorite, and it’s the first one he made. “

“Hindi ko in-expect [na ganun karami magla-like nun], pero alam kong maraming matutuwa dun. Kahit ako natatawa pa rin pag binabanggit ko pangalan nya, ‘APRIL BOY RIHANNA’ nakaka-bwisit ‘di ba?”

 

He works in an animation studio in Manila. His portfolio is a compilation of watercolor and digital drawings, pop culture illustrations, and everyday musings.

He plans on selling his prints on t-shirts next month, but he has sent out early samples to his friends.

Despite the constant praise he receives on social media, he thinks that he’s still not as good as others.

“‘Pag nakakakita ka ng gawa ng iba, nai-inspire ka gumawa ng sarili mo. Ang pinagkaiba lang nila sa akin ay maganda ang gawa nila at sa akin ay hindi. Nakaka-inspire na nakaka-frustrate. Dati gusto kong maging tulad nila, ang gumaling. Pero sa tingin ko, hindi na ako darating dun na gagaling pa ako. Kaya’t gusto ko na lang ngayon eh matuto, at hindi ang gumaling.”

Graphic artists like Don are getting more popular every day, thanks to the internet. But then he disagrees that he has gained popularity online: “Hindi ko alam kung sikat na ako kasi wala pa naman akong commercial.” Since the internet is a public space, artists like him are more prone to plagiarists stealing their work.

But he only shrugs them off: “Meron akong mga nakikita na hindi nagpapaalam at minsan tinatanggal nila yung pirma sa gawa ko, pero okay lang, pangit naman ‘yun eh.”