When most people think of comics, they think of Spider-Man swinging through New York or Batman brooding on a rooftop. But dig a little deeper into the independent and online comic scene, and you’ll find a genre that is equal parts body horror, surreal fantasy, and psychological wish-fulfillment: Expansion Comics .

It’s cartoon logic taken to its extreme conclusion. And that is genuinely fun. Expansion comics aren't going to win an Eisner Award anytime soon, but they represent one of the last true "anything goes" spaces in visual storytelling. They are a genre built on exaggeration, id, and the simple question: What if they kept growing?

If you have an open mind and a love for transformative art, give a short expansion comic a try. Just maybe don’t read it on the crowded morning train. Have you ever stumbled across an expansion comic in the wild? Or do you have a favorite artist in the genre? Let me know in the comments (or over on our Discord). Disclaimer: This blog post discusses an adult-oriented niche art genre. Reader discretion is advised for those under 18 or easily offended by body transformation themes.