What makes a Funny Poster?

There’s a fine art to creating a funny poster. Too subtle, and no one gets it. Too obvious, and it’s like explaining a joke to an elderly relative, instant death.

The best funny posters hit that sweet spot where they catch your eye, draw you in and deliver a whammo, and make you chuckle. Whether it’s the first or fiftieth time you’ve seen it, just a glance in the direction of the poster can raise a smile on a dull day. Classic comedy posters have been around forever. Think back to those ‘Hang in There, Baby’ cat posters, so simple, so ridiculous, yet somehow ingrained in cultural history. We all remembwr the “Take me to your dealer” alien/cannabis poster, a clever play on the “Take me to your leader” alien meme.

Then there are the ones that shouldn’t be funny but are: overly dramatic motivational posters that become ironic just by existing. Who really believes a picture of a lone snow-capped mountain peak is going to make them ‘Strive for Greatness’? Has anyone ever reacted well to being emotionally manipulated by office decor? But, put a demotivational spin on it and you have humour hiding in plain-sight. Ready to catch the unaware with a chuckle, or side splitting guffaw, depending on their own internal humour limiter.

Then there’s the unintentional comedy gold of vintage public safety posters and parody posters of all stripes. There’s just something alluring about outdated typography warning you about ‘perils unknown’ that is unintentionally hilarious, especially if that thing is socially taboo. Just the mere mention of the number 69 will make your inner schoolchild chuckle and the less said about 4:20 the better ;-).

If you’re looking to add some humour to your walls, steer clear of the overly played-out jokes and instead go for the weird, the absurd, and the wonderfully pointless. That’s where the true comedy lives plus you gotta pick your audience. A truly hilarious poster will split the room, equally offending and entertaining. But aren’t the people we love just like that? You don’t care if Aunty Mabel recoils in horror, all your mates think it’s the funniest thing they have ever seen. BOOM! Nailed it.

It’s the same at Takischitt HQ, not everyone loves ALL our posters, we all have our own personal faves. But we believe that art and fun will find its own audience and so, we publish and share with our friends, fans and followers, we’ll let you decide what stays and what is consigned to the scrap heap.

So, stick what you want on your walls, and to hell with it, let the chuckles fly!