Webtoon Spotlight

Spotlight #102: Toaster Dude (T#2)

Have you ever seen an accident spiral into something beautiful? If so, then you probably know why I have such nice things to say about Toaster Dude by littlebobler / soaporsalad may be the toon for you.

Summary

In the city of PorleDraun (god-tier pun on that one), everyone has a dream worth fighting for. Whether it entails becoming a celebrity, inventor, or even a hero, everyone wants something, especially if it feels impossible to get. For Dude, though, he couldn't care less about that.

As long as he has some toaster and some bread, his dream is already a reality. However, when the evil lying beneath the city starts to rear its ugly head towards Dude, a hero will rise from the ashes of burnt bread to set things right. A man that'll show the people that their dreams can be reality.

Characters

Dude: Our titular character dude is a largely neutral, low maintenance, calm and straightforward individual. However, if you touch his toast Dude is immensely aggressive, beating them to hell and back. Despite his rather simple aspirations, Dude does have the heart of a true friend and hero.

Jim: Dude's childhood friend, Jim, used to be flighty, cowardly, and scared working for the bad guys. However, after seeing Dude's courage in the face of danger, Jim decides to return to his dream as an inventor. Eventually, he becomes a courageous, nurturing nerd with pure intentions.

Annabelle Rivers: A YouTuber star turned famous pop idol, the chains of fame have turned Annabelle's life into a living hell. She has turned a lot more cynical, stoic and bitter about the world. Thanks to Jim and Dude, she becomes a far more courageous and joyful person.

Overview

Toaster Dude as a throwback technically fills both requirements I've mentioned last time. It got completed, but the series used to be a canvas webtoon. A series that got initially treated as a running gag from another webtoon from the same creator. Eventually, the joke got so big that it got developed into a stick figure side series that got so popular.

This may be the most hilarious and original origin to a webtoon I've seen thus far, fully appreciate someone who is willing to keep up with a joke. Overall the series is delightful, though, Toaster Dude is a meme-worthy andlow-effortt webtoon in the best way possible. The art gets set in a very pale but cute anime style that has a lot of fun diegetic gags, the fourth wall breaks, and visual humor to keep you entertained.

The dialogue and expressions between the characters are also fun, creating some pretty memorable stories. It's a series built with light-heartedness in mind, but that doesn't detract from some of the more serious elements. The titular bad guys of the story are constantly escalating threats that lead to some interesting drama and fight scenes that greatly test Dude and his allies.

Speaking of him, despite being a largely static character, Dude's sheer courage and simplicity work in his favor, creating a symbol that rallies those to take agency in their own lives. While still being a pretty flawed character that gets addressed later on. Leaving to a rather satisfying finale that legitimately makes the story come full circle for everyone. Combine that with the short run time of 60 chapters, and Toaster Dude is a great binge read.

Epilogue

All in all, I have unironically have strong respect towards Toaster Dude. It's a fantastic example that you don't need to have the craziest plot or most complex characters to create a good story—just the passion and willingness to have fun and write.

Which is something I have been struggling with amidst multiple personal projects. Either way, this was a fun throwback that gave me the shot in the arm I needed to continue. Until then, though, let's turn up the heat and see where these throwbacks send us next.