Komikero Jeff Dizon reveals why he decided to end it.
To say that Jeffrey Ryan Dizon is into art would be an understatement. You name it, he does it: animation, musical scoring, tattooing, and 3D design. But his most famous creation is the viral comic strip Witty Jepot. Its Facebook page has over 70,000 followers to date.
Dizon created the comic strip to share his unique sense of humor with a wider audience. He wanted the youth of today to hear jokes he picked up from his uncles when he was a kid.
“Ang problema, wala akong mapagkwentuhan. Misis ko is busy. Mga anak ko hindi naman kaya i-absorb yung ganung comedy,” he says.
(“The problem was, I had no one to tell my jokes to. My wife was busy and my kids couldn’t absorb that kind of comedy yet.”)
The birth of Witty Jepot
Dizon started by doing a self-portrait in a comical style. The man he drew had a prominent forehead and long, wavy hair. After he finished the drawing, he posted it on his Facebook profile. The engagements prompted him to post it to an art group. His art and jokes were well-received by the members of that group, which made him want to keep going.
“That made me love the Witty Jepot characters. When I created them, I took my personality and split it into ten,” he says.
Dizon and his creation soon built a massive social media following. Avid fans of the comic strip know that Dizon often “compresses” his jokes. He keeps the characters’ conversations at a minimum. This is because he prefers to get his message across using his drawings.
Next steps
After going viral, he mustered enough courage to join KOMIKON. That was where he released a ‘zine called Back Square Circle. It’s a love story that revolves around video games. It even has a soundtrack.
“May sinukuan siyang love of his life, kasi in love sa best friend niya. Pero yung best friend niya na ‘yun, in love sa iba,” he says of the main character’s journey.
(“He gave up on the love of his life because she fell in love with his best friend. But his best friend is in love with someone else.”)
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“Sa video game may option ka to continue kung mag-fail ka once, twice, or thrice. Nakikita mo yung mga key points ng kalaban mo so alam mo na yung gagawin next time. If may option ka to continue, then continue,” he adds.
(“In a video game, you have the option to continue if you fail once, twice, or thrice. You can see your enemy’s key points, so you know what to do next time. If you have an option to continue, then continue.”)
Goodbye, Witty Jepot
Unfortunately, if you go to the Witty Jepot page, you’ll see that Dizon stopped posting on January 29, 2021. When asked why, he said it’s because he loves the characters so much. He ended the comic strip when it was at the height of its success, because he wanted them to be able to end on a high note.
“Ayokong malaos sila. Ayokong patayin sila dahil laos na sila,” Dizon explains.
It’s too bad that we won’t get to hear from Witty Jepot and company any more. But Dizon left the Facebook page up, so readers who miss them can relive their zany adventures.
