“Don’t Dump Here!” – 33rd Festival of Humour in Art Caricature Competition Entry for Biumor

Created over eight focused days in Photoshop, using 29 carefully arranged layers, “Don’t Dump Here!” is a visual pun that blends environmental satire with toilet humour—literally. Designed for the 33rd Festival of Humour in Art – Biumor, this piece responds to the 2025 theme “Unintentional Comedy” with bold storytelling and layered visual cues.

The caricature began as a simple hand-drawn sketch. Through digital rendering and detailed colour work, it evolved into a polished composition full of subtle gags and ironic tension. Every layer adds nuance—from exaggerated facial expressions to minute environmental details.

Front and centre, a visibly nervous protester grips a large sign that boldly states: “DON’T DUMP HERE!” On first glance, the message feels like a serious plea against pollution. Behind him, an industrial waste pipe ominously spews dark sludge into the sea—a direct environmental threat. This sets the stage for the primary visual narrative: a protest against illegal dumping.

Yet the humour quickly unfolds as viewers notice the protester’s awkward, clenched body language. His desperate posture, strained expression, and strategic placement right next to a bright blue port-a-loo create an unavoidable double meaning. The word “Dump” suddenly takes on an entirely different interpretation. What started as an eco-protest turns into a comical moment of personal crisis.

This accidental joke highlights the theme of unintentional comedy perfectly. The protester’s sign becomes both an environmental statement and a cry for immediate bathroom relief. The clash between public intention and private urgency fuels the heart of the humour.

The surrounding environment adds to the gag. A crab nonchalantly scuttles past, almost as if it too is fleeing the scene. A lone seagull, perched with blissful ignorance atop the portable toilet, adds a layer of visual sarcasm. Further in the background, a line of silhouetted protesters marches onward, utterly oblivious to their fellow protester’s dilemma. Each detail encourages the viewer to linger and discover the punchline at their own pace.

Visually, the composition employs strong directional lines leading the eye from the industrial dump outlet, across the anxious protester, and finally to the port-a-loo itself. The muted colour palette of the seascape contrasts with the bright blue of the toilet, drawing attention and enhancing the joke. Lighting effects, shadow depth, and texture layers all work together to add realism and focus.

Beyond the humour, the piece offers subtle social commentary on how environmental activism and human vulnerability can collide in unexpected ways. The environmental dump behind the protester symbolises industrial carelessness, while the personal dump dilemma presents an ironic twist on public protest settings. It’s a multi-layered joke that reflects both ecological urgency and universal human experiences.

The decision to place the word “Dump” at the literal and figurative centre of the image was intentional. The word’s dual meaning drives the entire narrative. It ties together the ecological message and the personal emergency, all under the unifying theme of accidental comedy.

Technically, the piece combines caricature exaggeration with environmental scene-building. Facial distortion, amplified gestures, and exaggerated tension in the protester’s limbs bring the character to life. Meanwhile, careful rendering of the sea, pipe, and sky anchors the image in a believable setting.

For a competition like Biumor—where the goal is to celebrate humour as both a reflex and a reflection of life’s unintended moments—“Don’t Dump Here!” hits the brief squarely. It invites laughter, a double-take, and perhaps even a moment of empathy for anyone who’s ever found themselves in a similarly awkward situation. This is more than just a joke about where not to dump—it’s a tongue-in-cheek reminder that comedy often happens when life and timing collide.